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The PIESAT-01 constellation is the world's first multi-baseline distributed synthetic aperture radar (SAR) constellation with a "Cartwheel" formation. The "Cartwheel" formation is a unique formation in which four satellites fly in companion orbits, ensuring that at any given moment, the main satellite remains at the center, with three auxiliary satellites orbiting around it. Due to this unique configuration of the PIESAT-01 constellation, four images of the same region and six pairs of baselines can be obtained with each shot. So far, there has been no imaging and interference research based on four-satellite constellation measured data, and there is an urgent need to explore algorithms for the "Cartwheel" configuration imaging and digital surface model (DSM) production. This paper introduces an improved bistatic SAR imaging algorithm under the four-satellites interferometric mode, which solves the problem of multi-orbit nonparallelism in imaging while ensuring imaging coherence and focusing ability. Subsequently, it presents an interferometric processing method for the six pairs of baselines, weighted fusion based on elevation ambiguity from different baselines, to obtain a high-precision DSM. Finally, this paper selects the Dingxi region of China and other regions with diverse terrains for imaging and DSM production and compares the DSM results with ICESat-2 global geolocated photon data and TanDEM DSM data. The results indicate that the accuracy of PIESAT-01 DSM meets the standards of China's 1:50,000 scale and HRTI-3, demonstrating a high level of precision. Moreover, PIESAT-01 data alleviate the reliance on simulated data for research on multi-baseline imaging and multi-baseline phase unwrapping algorithms and can provide more effective and realistic measured data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By selecting typical seismic sections to carry out detailed structural interpretation, the structural style features of the Wunansha Uplift in the South Yellow Sea basin were systematically combined, and the compressional structures (imbricate, opposite/back thrust, and Y-shaped structures), strike-slip faults (positive flower-shaped faults), and extensional normal faults (listric-shaped normal faults) were identified. On this basis, combined with the characteristics of the regional stress field and the background of deep geodynamics, the genetic mechanism and structural evolution of the structural style in the Wunansha Uplift were defined. The stress mechanism of the compressional structures originated from the initial high-speed and low-angle NW subduction of the paleo-Pacific plate during the early Yanshanian movement in the Early Jurassic. The regional strike-slip fault was mainly a positive flower structure with compression and torsion characteristics, and its stress mechanism originated from sinistral shear caused by the Early Cretaceous low-angle NNW subduction of the paleo-Pacific plate. The Tan-Lu fault in eastern China also had sinistral shear characteristics in this period. The extensional normal fault was characterized by a listric shape, which developed along the northern boundary of the Wunansha Uplift, that is, the connection between the Wunansha Uplift and the Southern Depression of the South Yellow Sea basin. The stress mechanism was derived from the transition of the paleo-Pacific plate from low-angle to high-angle subduction during the late Yanshanian movement in the Late Cretaceous. Simultaneously, the tectonic stress system in eastern China also changed from compressional to tensional. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Obtaining accurate and real-time spatial distribution information regarding crops is critical for enabling effective smart agricultural management. In this study, innovative decision fusion strategies, including Enhanced Overall Accuracy Index (E-OAI) voting and the Overall Accuracy Index-based Majority Voting (OAI-MV), were introduced to optimize the use of diverse remote sensing data and various classifiers, thereby improving the accuracy of crop/vegetation identification. These strategies were utilized to integrate crop/vegetation classification outcomes from distinct feature sets (including Gaofen-6 reflectance, Sentinel-2 time series of vegetation indices, Sentinel-2 time series of biophysical variables, Sentinel-1 time series of backscatter coefficients, and their combinations) using distinct classifiers (Random Forests (RFs), Support Vector Machines (SVMs), Maximum Likelihood (ML), and U-Net), taking two grain-producing areas (Site #1 and Site #2) in Haixi Prefecture, Qinghai Province, China, as the research area. The results indicate that employing U-Net on feature-combined sets yielded the highest overall accuracy (OA) of 81.23% and 91.49% for Site #1 and Site #2, respectively, in the single classifier experiments. The E-OAI strategy, compared to the original OAI strategy, boosted the OA by 0.17% to 6.28%. Furthermore, the OAI-MV strategy achieved the highest OA of 86.02% and 95.67% for the respective study sites. This study highlights the distinct strengths of various remote sensing features and classifiers in discerning different crop and vegetation types. Additionally, the proposed OAI-MV and E-OAI strategies effectively harness the benefits of diverse classifiers and multisource remote sensing features, significantly enhancing the accuracy of crop/vegetation classification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solenopsis invicta is a main issue in southern China and is causing significant damage to the local ecological environment. The extensive use of insecticides has resulted in the development of tolerance in S. invicta. In our study, ten S. invicta colonies from Sichuan Province exhibited varying degrees of tolerance against flonicamid, with LC 50 values from 0.49 mg/L to 8.54 mg/L. The sensitivity of S. invicta to flonicamid significantly increased after treatment with the P450 enzyme inhibitor piperonyl butoxide (PBO). Additionally, the activity of P450 in S. invicta was significantly enhanced after being treated with flonicamid. Flonicamid induced the expression levels of CYP4aa1 , CYP9e2 , CYP4C1 , and CYP6A14. The expression levels of these P450 genes were significantly higher in the tolerant colonies compared to the sensitive colonies, and the relative copy numbers of CYP6A14 in the tolerant colonies were 2.01–2.15 fold. RNAi feeding treatment effectively inhibited the expression of P450 genes, thereby reducing the tolerance of S. invicta against flonicamid. In addition, the overexpression of CYP6A14 in D. melanogaster resulted in reduced sensitivity to flonicamid. Our investigations revealed hydrophobic interactions between flonicamid and seven amino acid residues of CYP6A14, along with the formation of a hydrogen bond between Glu306 and flonicamid. Our findings suggest that flonicamid can effectively control S. invicta and P450 plays a pivotal role in the tolerance of S. invicta against flonicamid. The overexpression of CYP6A14 also increased tolerance to flonicamid. [Display omitted] • Differences in tolerance among S.invicta colonies to flonicamid was demonstrated. • Higher expression levels of P450 genes were shown in the flonicamid tolerant colony. • RNAi treatment of P450 genes reduces the tolerance of S. invicta to flonicamid. • Overexpression of CYP6A14 in D. melanogaster boosts its tolerance to flonicamid. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Few studies have been conducted to explore medication non-adherence in persons with schizophrenia (PWS) and its influencing factors in rural China. This study aimed to investigate the medication non-adherence and its influencing factors among PWS in rural China. A total of 269 PWS and their family caregivers in Xinjin district, Chengdu, China were investigated on medication adherence and related factors. Logistic regression was employed to identify the influencing factors. The results showed that 37.6% of PWS had medication non-adherence. PWS living with family caregivers had significantly lower rate of medication non-adherence (34.7%) than those not living with family caregivers (60.0%) (p < 0.01). Family caregivers' affiliate stigma of mental illness, knowledge of mental illness and self-esteem were significantly related to patients' medication non-adherence (p < 0.05). PWS' employment status, living with family caregiver, present mental status and social support were significantly related to medication adherence. This study shows medication non-adherence is severe among PWS in rural China. Both patient- and family-related factors affect patients' medication adherence seriously. Except improving patients' treatment and mental status, development of family caregiving, social support network and intervention on reducing stigma of mental illness should be crucial for enhancing PWS' medication adherence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Giardia duodenalis is a common zoonotic intestinal protozoan and causes significant economic losses and potential risks to public health. China is among the several major producers of donkeys worldwide, with approximately 2.6 million donkeys being reared in 2019, but studies on G. duodenalis infection in donkeys were limited. Thus, in order to better understand the molecular epidemiology of G. duodenalis in donkeys in China, 815 fecal samples were collected from donkeys in three representative geographical locations in Shanxi Province, North China, to determine the presence and genotypes of G. duodenalis based on three established loci (tpi, bg, and gdh). A total of 137 out of 815 fecal samples were detected as G. duodenalis-positive with an overall prevalence of 16.81%. Among the detected assemblages A, B, and E, the most predominant assemblage was B in the three study areas. Three MLGs (MLG-novel-1 to 3) were identified with multilocus genotypes (MLGs) analysis and validated by a phylogenetic tree. This is the first report of G. duodenalis infection in donkeys in Shanxi Province, which not only enhances our understanding of the genetic diversity of G. duodenalis in donkeys in China but also provides essential baseline data for the prevention and control of G. duodenalis infection donkeys in the study areas. Giardia duodenalis is a ubiquitous flagellated protozoan, causing significant economic losses to animal husbandry and posing threats to public health. China ranks the world's sixth largest major producer of donkeys, rearing approximately 2.6 million donkeys in 2019, but limited investigation of G. duodenalis prevalence has been conducted in the past, and it is yet to be known whether donkeys in Shanxi Province are infected with G. duodenalis. In the present study, a total of 815 fecal samples collected from donkeys in representative regions of Shanxi Province, North China, were examined for G. duodenalis using nested PCR. Then, the assemblages and multilocus genotypes (MLGs) were examined based on three established loci: namely, β-giardin (bg), triosephosphate isomerase (tpi), and glutamate dehydrogenase (gdh). The overall prevalence of G. duodenalis in donkeys in Shanxi Province was 16.81% (137/815). The region was identified as the main risk factor for the observed difference in G. duodenalis prevalence in donkeys among the three study areas (χ2 = 21.611, p < 0.001). Assemblages A, E, and B were identified, with the latter as the predominant assemblage. Three MLGs (MLG-novel-1 to 3) were formed based on sequence variation among the three loci. The present study reveals the presence of G. duodenalis in donkeys in Shanxi Province, North China, for the first time, which not only enriches the data on the distribution of G. duodenalis in donkeys in China but also provides useful baseline data for planning control strategies against G. duodenalis infection in the sampled areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon trading is an important market instrument and policy tool to promote China's practice of low-carbon energy conservation and strive to achieve carbon peaking by 2030 and carbon neutrality by 2060. To improve market flow and respond to the national strategy to support the development of carbon trading in China, a smart carbon trading process optimization framework based on blockchain technology is developed in this article. First, the paper analyzes the current state of carbon trading in China's power sector and identifies the future development trend and barriers to carbon trading in China. Second, a framework for a smart carbon trading system based on the structure and traits of blockchain technology is created to optimize the carbon trading process. Third, the smart contract for the smart carbon trading system is built (including execution logic, transaction matching, contract fulfillment, and other elements). This mechanism measures the reputation of trading users. Finally, policy suggestions are provided to solve the current issues and challenges. According to the research conducted for this paper on "blockchain + carbon trading in China," carbon trading supported by blockchain technology can guarantee transaction security and efficiency, accurately preserve transaction records, and offer a high level of automated settlement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: It is unclear whether the enhancing contact model (ECM) intervention is effective in reducing family caregiving burden and improving hope and quality of life (QOL) among family caregivers of persons with schizophrenia (FCPWS). Methods: We conducted a cluster randomized controlled trial in FCPWS in eight rural townships in Xinjin, Chengdu, China. In total, 253 FCPWS were randomly allocated to the ECM, psychoeducational family intervention (PFI), or treatment as usual (TAU) group. FCPWS in three groups were assessed caregiving burden, QOL and state of hope at baseline (T0), post-intervention (T1), 3-month (T2), and 9-month (T3) follow-up, respectively. Results: Compared with participants in the TAU group, participants in the ECM group had statistically significantly lower caregiving burden scores both at T1 and T2 (p = 0.0059 and 0.0257, respectively). Compared with participants in the TAU group, participants in the PFI group had statistically significantly higher QOL scores in T1 (p = 0.0406), while participants in the ECM group had statistically significantly higher QOL scores in T3 (p = 0.0240). Participants in both ECM and PFI groups had statistically significantly higher hope scores than those in the TAU group at T1 (p = 0.0160 and 0.0486, respectively). Conclusions: This is the first study to explore the effectiveness of ECM on reducing family caregiving burden and improving hope and QOL in rural China. The results indicate the ECM intervention, a comprehensive and multifaceted intervention, is more effective than the PFI in various aspects of mental wellbeing among FCPWS. Future research needs to confirm ECM's effectiveness in various population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although stigma and caregiving burden are important in relation to mental health recovery, few studies have been conducted on affiliate stigma and caregiving burden among family caregivers of persons with schizophrenia (FCPWS) in rural China. Aims: This study aimed to examine the severity level of affiliate stigma and caregiving burden, and identify the correlates among FCPWS in rural China. Methods: A mental health survey was conducted (N = 253 FCPWS) in Xinjin county, Sichuan province, China. Affiliate Self-Stigma Scale and Zarit Burden Interview Short Form were used. The regression analysis was performed to explore the correlates of stigma and burden. Results: Most FCPWS reported experiencing high and severe level of affiliate stigma (78.66%) and caregiving burden (95.26%). Family caregivers who were middle aged, unemployed, with high caregiving burden and low quality of life (QoL), showed more severe affiliate stigma. Family caregivers who were female, older, with low income, high affiliate stigma and low QoL, experienced greater caregiving burden. Conclusions: The large majority of FCPWS in rural China experienced severe affiliate stigma, caregiving burden and poor QoL. It is crucial to develop culture-specific anti-stigma interventions to reduce caregivers' stigma and caregiving burden, and improve QoL. Specific risk factors of family caregivers' affiliate stigma and caregiving burden should be considered for development of health policy and community-based mental health services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Humic-like substances (HULIS) in particulate matter (PM) play critical roles in the atmospheric changes in our environment. In this study, high time resolution PM 2.5 samples were collected to insight the abundances, spectroscopic characters, chemical groups, and oxidative potential of HULIS in Xi'an, China. The average mass concentrations of HULIS in term of carbon (HULIS-C) was 11.55 ± 5.85 and 8.28 ± 2.23 μg C m−3 in winter and summer, respectively. The diurnal variations of HULIS displayed three peaks (03:00–07:00, 10:00–14:00, and 18:00–21:00 LT) in winter, but a single peak (08:00–12:00 LT) in summer. The optical parameters show obvious difference between winter and summer. Fourier Transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra revealed that the HULIS mainly consisted of aliphatic chains, aromatic rings, and carboxylic groups. The FT-IR spectra proved that the aromatic compounds and carboxylic acids dominated the diurnal variation in winter, while carboxylic acids were responsible for that in summer. The normalized oxidative potential of HULIS exhibited an inverse trend with the HULIS-C concentration measured by the DCFH assay. The diurnal reactive oxygen species (ROS) productions from HULIS presents three valleys (03:00–07:00, 10:00–14:00, and 18:00–21:00 LT) in winter but only a single valley (08:00–12:00 LT) in summer. In addition, a positive correlation (R2 ≈ 0.6, p ＜0.01) between the oxidative potential and specific ultraviolet absorbance at a wavelength of 254 nm (SUVA 254) in winter suggested that the oxidative power of HULIS could be more related to the compounds with high light absorbance, high aromaticity, and molecular weight. The results of this study offer more solid knowledge on the spectral and chemical characteristics and oxidative potential of the HULIS in PM 2.5 of the typical city in northwest China. [Display omitted] • Oxidative potential of HULIS decreased with the increase of HULIS-C concentration. • Aromatic compounds and carboxylic acids dominated the diurnal variation in winter. • Carboxylic acids were responsible for the diurnal variation in summer. • The oxidative power of winter HULIS was related to high light-absorbance and high-aromaticity compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon Capture, Utilization and Storage, also referred to as Carbon Capture, Utilization and Sequestration (CCUS), is one of the novel climate mitigation technologies by which CO2 emissions are captured from sources, such as fossil power generation and industrial processes, and further either reused or stored with more attention being paid on the utilization of captured CO2. In the whole CCUS process, the dominant migration pathway of CO2 after being injected underground becomes very important information to judge the possible storage status as well as one of the essential references for evaluating possible environmental affects. Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) technology, with its advantages of extensive coverage in surface deformation monitoring and all-weather traceability of the injection processes, has become one of the promising technologies frequently adopted in worldwide CCUS projects. In this study, taking the CCUS sequestration area in Shizhuang Town, Shanxi Province, China, as an example, unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) photography measurement technology with a 3D surface model at a resolution of 5.3 cm was applied to extract the high-resolution digital elevation model (DEM) of the study site in coordination with InSAR technology to more clearly display the results of surface deformation monitoring of the CO2 injection area. A 2 km surface heaving dynamic processes before and after injection from June 2020 to July 2021 was obtained, and a CO2 migration pathway northeastward was observed, which was rather consistent with the monitoring results by logging and micro-seismic studies. Additionally, an integrated monitoring scheme, which will be the trend of monitoring in the future, is proposed in the discussion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wetlands are one of the most critical components of an ecosystem, supporting many ecological niches and a rich diversity of flora and fauna. The ecological significance of these sites makes it imperative to study the changes in their inundation extent and propose necessary measures for their conservation. This study analyzes all 64 Ramsar sites in China based on their inundation patterns using Landsat imagery from 1991 to 2020. Annual composites were generated using the short-wave infrared thresholding technique from June to September to create inundation maps. The analysis was carried out on each Ramsar site individually to account for its typical behavior due to regional geographical and climatic conditions. The results of the inundation analysis for each site were subjected to the Mann–Kendall test to determine their trends. The analysis showed that 8 sites exhibited a significantly decreasing trend, while 14 sites displayed a significantly increasing trend. The accuracy of the analysis ranged from a minimum of 72.0% for Hubei Wang Lake to a maximum of 98.0% for Zhangye Heihe Wetland National Nature Reserve. The average overall accuracy of the sites was found to be 90.0%. The findings emphasize the necessity for conservation strategies and policies for Ramsar sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wetlands are one of the most critical components of an ecosystem, supporting many ecological niches and a rich diversity of flora and fauna. The ecological significance of these sites makes it imperative to study the changes in their inundation extent and propose necessary measures for their conservation. This study analyzes all 64 Ramsar sites in China based on their inundation patterns using Landsat imagery from 1991 to 2020. Annual composites were generated using the short-wave infrared thresholding technique from June to September to create inundation maps. The analysis was carried out on each Ramsar site individually to account for its typical behavior due to regional geographical and climatic conditions. The results of the inundation analysis for each site were subjected to the Mann–Kendall test to determine their trends. The analysis showed that 8 sites exhibited a significantly decreasing trend, while 14 sites displayed a significantly increasing trend. The accuracy of the analysis ranged from a minimum of 72.0% for Hubei Wang Lake to a maximum of 98.0% for Zhangye Heihe Wetland National Nature Reserve. The average overall accuracy of the sites was found to be 90.0%. The findings emphasize the necessity for conservation strategies and policies for Ramsar sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural drought seriously threatens the food and ecological security of most of the world's developing countries. Data-driven integrated agricultural drought index with remote sensing provides an effective tool to monitor, evaluate, and predict the agricultural drought. However, there is still a lack of comprehensive analytical work on taking the most effective machine learning (ML) and deep learning (DL) methods to construct such integrated drought index. In other words, it is still unclear whether the recent DL methods can improve integrated drought monitoring as compared with the currently widely used ML methods. Therefore, we critically evaluated the performances of four representative DL methods (represents the four currently popular DL network types) i.e., Entity Embedding Deep Neural Network (EEDNN), One-dimensional Convolutional Neural Network (1D-CNN), Gated Recurrent Unit (GRU), and Self-Attention Mechanism (SAM) and three widely used tree-based ML methods i.e., Cubist, Random Forest (RF), and Light Gradient Boosting Machine (LGBM), through constructing a QuickDRI like integrated drought index (abbreviated as QuickDRI-China). About 30 years of meteorological data, 14 years of remote sensing data, and various biophysical variables in China such as land use/land cover, available water capacity, irrigated agriculture, elevation, and ecoregion were employed in this study. Results showed that the EEDNN performed best, followed by the RF and LGBM, and then the other methods including the currently wide used Cubist, according to the station accuracy evaluations, spatial description evaluations, and responses to specific drought event. The tree-based ML methods such as RF and LGBM are still competitive in constructing the integrated agricultural drought index at the current stage. However, the higher accuracy, the smoother spatial description, and the more responsive ability of the EEDNN demonstrate great potential of DL methods. The future integrated agricultural drought monitoring with remote sensing should develop a specialized DL network for heterogeneous agricultural drought features. • Various deep learning approaches were examined for integrated drought monitoring. • Tree-based ensemble learning methods were effective. • Deep learning has unique advantages for assessing spatial description of agricultural drought. • Deep learning has great potential to improve integrated drought monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purposes: To investigate quality of life (QoL) of family caregivers of people with schizophrenia and examine the influencing factors of the QoL in a Chinese rural area. Methods: This study included people with schizophrenia (n = 269) and their family caregivers (n = 269) from Xinjin district, Chengdu, China. Family caregivers' QoL was measured by the World Health Organization Quality of Life-Brief Form and its influencing factors was analyzed by the multivariate regression. Results: Family caregivers of people with schizophrenia had very poor QoL across four domains. The regression analysis showed that physical domain of QoL was significantly associated with age, psychiatric symptoms of people with schizophrenia, and caregiving burden of family caregivers (p < 0.05). Psychological domain of QoL was significantly related to family caregivers' affiliate stigma, caregiving burden, and psychiatric symptoms of people with schizophrenia (p < 0.05). Social domain of QoL was significantly associated with age and psychiatric symptoms of people with schizophrenia, and affiliate stigma of family caregivers (p < 0.05). Environmental domain of QoL was significantly related to age and psychiatric symptoms of people with schizophrenia, and family caregivers' caregiving burden (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Family caregivers of people with schizophrenia had poor QoL in rural China. Family caregivers' QoL is significantly impacted by age and psychiatric symptoms of people with schizophrenia, caregivers' affiliate stigma and caregiving burden. Providing social support and psychosocial interventions for family caregivers of people with schizophrenia might be crucial to improve their QoL and caregiving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Yudongzi BIFs were formed at ca. 2.8 Ga, and suffered two-stage metamorphism. • Yudongzi BIFs were formed on the back–arc basin setting. • Yudongzi complex combined to Yangtze Block later than Paleoproterozoic. The Yudongzi banded iron formations (BIFs) are widely spread in the Neoarchean Yudongzi Group of the Bikou Terrane, Central China. Their sedimentary and metamorphic ages, however, remain controversial, either their forming or reworking processes. In this contribution, we conducted an integrated study of zircon U-Pb-Hf isotope geochemistry, as well as mineral and bulk-rock geochemistry on the Heishan'gou iron deposit, the largest iron deposit of the Yudongzi BIFs, to constrain their formation and metamorphism ages, source of ore-forming material and tectonic setting. Mineral chemistry analysis indicates that the amphibolite, host-rock of the Heishan'gou deposit suffered amphibolite facies metamorphism. LA-ICP-MS U-Pb dating of zircon grains from orthometamorphic host-rocks suggests that the Heishan'gou deposit was formed at the early Neoarchean (2781 ± 43 Ma for amphibolite and 2776 ± 43 Ma for plagioclase-hornblende schist), and metamorphosed at ca. 2480 ± 26 Ma and 1818 ± 44 Ma, respectively. The low contents of aluminum, titanium and high field strength elements in BIFs suggest that they are detritus-free marine chemical precipitates. The rare earth elements (REE) and Y patterns of BIFs display seawater-like signatures with light REE depletion, and positive La and Y anomalies. Meanwhile, their positive Eu anomalies suggest that submarine hydrothermal fluid might also be involved in the precipitation of BIFs. Combined with zircon Hf isotope data and geochemical compositions of amphibolites, it is proposed that the Yudongzi BIFs should be formed at back-arc basin setting. Compared with the representative Archean continent nucleus of the Yangtze Block (Kongling Complex), the Yudongzi Complex experienced distinct crustal evolutionary history. It indicates that the Yudongzi Complex might represent the accretionary block combined to the Yangtze continental nucleus later than the Paleoproterozoic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: The increasing prevalence of mental illness and low treatment rate presents a pressing public health issue in China. Pervasive stigma is a significant barrier to mental health recovery and community inclusion. In particular, stigmatizing or supportive attitudes held by healthcare providers could either perpetuate or mitigate self-stigma of people with mental illness. Moreover, mental health resources are unevenly distributed in China, with most of them concentrated in urban centers and provincial capitals. This study explores healthcare providers' attitudes toward mental illness and the challenges they faced at work in a rural Chinese county. Method: Four focus groups were conducted with 36 healthcare providers from a three-tier mental healthcare system in a rural county in southwestern China. Focus group discussions were recorded and transcribed verbatim. The team employed a conventional content analysis approach for data analysis. All transcripts were double-coded by three bilingual team members who are native Chinese speakers. Coding discrepancies were resolved by consensus. Results: Healthcare providers recruited from the county, township, and village levels varied in educational background, professional qualification, and experience of working with people with mental illness. Five thematic categories identified across four groups include (1) barriers to mental healthcare delivery, (2) keys to mental health recovery, (3) providers' attitudes toward providing care, (4) providers' perception toward patients and family members, and (5) providers' perception of training needs. Conclusions: This is a unique study that included healthcare providers from a three-tier healthcare system. Findings signal the importance of understanding healthcare practitioners' experiences and views to inform the design of training initiatives in rural or low-resource communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Diabetic retinopathy (DR) has become a leading cause of global blindness as a microvascular complication of diabetes. Regular screening of diabetic retinopathy is strongly recommended for people with diabetes so that timely treatment can be provided to reduce the incidence of visual impairment. However, DR screening is not well carried out due to lack of eye care facilities, especially in the rural areas of China. Artificial intelligence (AI) based DR screening has emerged as a novel strategy and show promising diagnostic performance in sensitivity and specificity, relieving the pressure of the shortage of facilities and ophthalmologists because of its quick and accurate diagnosis. In this study, we estimated the cost-effectiveness of AI screening for DR in rural China based on Markov model, providing evidence for extending use of AI screening for DR.Methods: We estimated the cost-effectiveness of AI screening and compared it with ophthalmologist screening in which fundus images are evaluated by ophthalmologists. We developed a Markov model-based hybrid decision tree to analyze the costs, effectiveness and incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of AI screening strategies relative to no screening strategies and ophthalmologist screening strategies (dominated) over 35 years (mean life expectancy of diabetes patients in rural China). The analysis was conducted from the health system perspective (included direct medical costs) and societal perspective (included medical and nonmedical costs). Effectiveness was analyzed with quality-adjusted life years (QALYs). The robustness of results was estimated by performing one-way sensitivity analysis and probabilistic analysis.Results: From the health system perspective, AI screening and ophthalmologist screening had incremental costs of $180.19 and $215.05 but more quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) compared with no screening. AI screening had an ICER of $1,107.63. From the societal perspective which considers all direct and indirect costs, AI screening had an ICER of $10,347.12 compared with no screening, below the cost-effective threshold (1-3 times per capita GDP of Chinese in 2019).Conclusions: Our analysis demonstrates that AI-based screening is more cost-effective compared with conventional ophthalmologist screening and holds great promise to be an alternative approach for DR screening in the rural area of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nothotsuga is a monotypic genus of Pinaceae endemic to southern China today. Molecular data indicate that Nothotsuga split from Tsuga during the Palaeogene with the earliest fossils from the upper Eocene of North Europe. However, Nothotsuga fossil has not been reported from China. Here, we describe several well-preserved seed cones from the upper Miocene of Tiantai County, Zhejiang Province, China. The fossil cones are characterised by ovate to elliptic shapes, rhombic to suborbicular and auriculate scales, and exserted subspathulate bracts with dentate margin and acute or acuminate apical cusp. These cones are ascribed to a new species Nothotsuga sinogaia sp. nov. based on detailed comparisons with all extant genera of Pinaceae. The present discovery indicate that Nothotsuga had a more northern distribution during the late Miocene and the increased annual range of monthly-mean temperature might have restricted its modern distribution to several scattered and fragmental areas in southern China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Coleus forskohlii (Lamiaceae) cultivates imperishably over the tropical and subtropical regions of Asia; extracts from the roots and aerial parts of C. forskohlii are widely employed for the therapy of respiratory disorders, gastro-intestinal disturbance, heart diseases, and central nervous system disorders. The morphologies and structures of trichomes from C. forskohlii, as well as phytochemicals they secrete in China-origin plants are poorly unstated. Objectives: This study was intended to characterize the morphology and structure of trichomes and the profile of their secretory materials. Materials and Methods: To characterize the morphology and structure of trichomes, which happen on the vegetative and reproductive organs of C. forskohlii, it was employed light microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The chemical qualities of volatile compounds from Glandular trichomes (GTs) of C. forskohlii were also studied using gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS) and histochemical reactions. Results: Four morphologically distinct trichomes, i.e., non GTs, peltate GTs, Type 1 and 2 capitate GTs, were categorized. Histochemical study naked the presence of polyphenols, flavonoids, lipids, and terpenes in the GTs. Essential oils, isolated from mature leaves by hydro-distillation, were investigated by GC-MS and 41 compounds were acknowledged with oxygen-containing sesquiterpenes and monoterpenes as the major compounds. Conclusion: Secretory materials of GTs attained by surface extraction also indicated the precise features in the China-origin samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Characteristics of four biorefinery methods were compared shoulder by shoulder. • Photo-fermentation biohydrogen production exhibited the greatest economy. • Biomethane presented a maximum yield of 196.0 mL and gross thermal of 6468.4 J/gDM. • Target product of biomethane had the highest CO 2 emissions of 196.01 mL/g DM. Biorefinery technology promotes the realization of the Paris Agreement, China's achievement of its carbon peak, and carbon neutralization. Photo-fermentation biohydrogen production, dark fermentation biohydrogen production, biomethane production, and bioethanol production are several promising biorefinery methods. In this study, corn stover was used as the raw material, and the gas, liquid, and kinetic characteristics of four biorefinery methods were investigated. The production yield, gross thermal energy, economy, and greenhouse gas emissions of the target product per gram of corn stover were studied. The maximum yields of photo-fermentation biohydrogen production, dark fermentation biohydrogen production, biomethane production, and bioethanol production were 68.4 mL/g dry matter (DM), 47.4 mL/g DM, 196.0 mL/g DM, and 2.7 g/L, respectively. The maximum gross thermal energy obtained from biomethane production was 7017.3 J/g DM. The maximum economy of 1.4 RMB/g DM was observed in photo-fermentation biohydrogen production. The highest greenhouse gas emission of the target product from biomethane production was 196.0 mL/g DM. The results provide a reference for the efficient utilization of biomass resources and a comprehensive evaluation of biorefinery technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nutrients and heavy metals (HM) in the sediment have an impact on microbial diversity and community structure. In this study, the distribution characteristics of nutrients, HM, and microbial community in the sediments along the Longsha River, a tributary of the Pearl River (or Zhu Jiang), China were investigated by analyzing samples from 11 sites. On the basis of the HM-contamination level, the 11 sampling sites were divided into three groups to explore the changes in microbial communities at different ecological risk levels. Results indicated that nutrient concentrations were higher near farmlands and residential lands, while the ecological risk of HM at the 11 sampling sites was from high to low as S10 > S2 > S9 > S6 > S11 > S7 > S5 > S8 > S3 > S4 > S1. Among these HM, Cu, Cr, and Ni had intense ecological risks. In addition, the results of Variance Partitioning Analysis (VPA) revealed a higher contribution of HM (35.93%) to microbial community variation than nutrients (12.08%) and pH (4.08%). Furthermore, the HM-tolerant microbial taxa (Clostridium_sensu_stricto_1, Romboutsia, norank_o__Gaiellales, and etc.) were the dominant genera, and they were more dynamic around industrial lands, while microbes involved in the C, N, and S cycles (e.g., Smithella , Thiobacillus , Dechloromonas , Bacter oidetes_vadinHA17 , and Syntrophorhabdus) were inhibited by HM, while their abundance was lower near industrial lands and highway but higher around residential lands. A three-unit monitoring program of land-use types, pollutants, and microbial communities was proposed. These results provide a new perspective on the control of riparian land-use types based on contaminants and microbes, and different microbial community response patterns may provide a reference for contaminant control in sediments with intensive industrial activities. [Display omitted] •Distribution characteristics and sources of pollutants were explored. •Cu, Cr, and Ni had intense ecological risks in sediments of Longsha River. •HM (35.93%) contributed more to microbial community variation than nutrients (12.08%) and pH (4.08%). •HM-resistant microbes were in higher abundance near industrial sites. • A new perspective on the control of riparian land-use types based on contaminants and microbes was proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Residential solid fuel combustion (RSFC) is an important source of PM 2.5. Here we investigate the cytotoxicity of primarily emitted and photochemically aged PM 2.5 to A549 cells. Owing to the formation of water-soluble ions and organics (e.g., oPAHs and nPAHs), emission factors of PM 2.5 were increased by 44.4% on average after 7-day equivalent photochemical aging, which greatly altered chemical profiles of freshly emitted PM 2.5. Consequently, the cytotoxicity varied with aging duration that 2-day and 7-day aged PM 2.5 induced 22.5% and 35.1%, respectively, higher levels of reactive oxygen species than primary emissions. Similar increases were also observed for multi-cytotoxicity. Correlation analysis and western blot results collectively confirmed HO-1/Nrf-2 signaling pathway dominated the cytotoxicity of aged PM 2.5 from RSFC, which was regulated by the enhanced o-PAHs and n-PAHs during photochemical aging. Thus, aged and secondary aerosol exposure needs to be paid more attention due to the enhanced cytotoxicity and the vast crowd involved. [Display omitted] • Emission factors of PM 2.5 increased averagely 44.4% after 7-day photochemical aging. • PM 2.5 induced oxidative stress and inflammation cytokines all increased with photochemical aging duration. • OPAHs and nPAHs were the key cytotoxic substances in PM 2.5 • HO-1/Nrf-2 signaling pathway dominated the cytotoxicity of aged PM 2.5 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to examine the seasonal distribution in clinical onset of autoimmune encephalitis (AE) in a multi-center cohort in China. This retrospective study consecutively recruited patients with new-onset definite neuronal surface antibody-associated AE between January 2015 and December 2020 from 3 tertiary hospitals. Demographic and clinical characteristics of the participants were comprehensively collected. Statistical analyses were performed using R. Of the 184 patients of AE in our database, 149 (81.0%) were included in the final analysis. The median age of onset was 40.0 years, and 66 (44.3%) patients were female. AE predominantly started in autumn (47, 31.5%) and summer (43, 28.9%) months. Summer-autumn predominance of the clinical onsets was also present in the anti- N -methyl- d -aspartate receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis group (54, 60.0%) and anti-leucine-rich glioma inactivated 1 (LGI1) encephalitis group (20, 76.9%). No obvious seasonal variations were observed among gender, onset age, disease duration, prodromal symptoms, clinical type of initial symptoms, and disease severity by the time of admission. This study suggested summer-autumn predominance of the clinical onsets in patients with AE, especially anti-NMDAR and anti-LGI1 encephalitis. Therefore, clinicians should have a high index of suspicion for AE in encephalopathy patients in summer and autumn period. [Display omitted] • We aimed to clarify the seasonal distribution in clinical onset of AE in a multi-center cohort. • Seasonal predominance of the clinical onset in patients with AE was summer and autumn periods. • Summer and autumn predominance of clinical onset was present in anti-NMDAR and anti-LGI1 encephalitis. • No obvious seasonal variations were observed among demographic and clinical features. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]