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In China, the innovative development of education for older people is an important response to the aging population, and an important way to meet the spiritual, cultural, and social needs of older people. Current academic research mainly focuses on the social factors that affect the participation of older people in education and there are few empirical studies on the individual psychological characteristics of older adult learning behavior. This study takes a positive psychology approach to the exploration of the factors influencing the participation of older adults in education in a number of universities of the Third Age in Fujian Province, China. The study is based on curriculum preferences and frequency of participation in extracurricular activities. The results show that the personality traits of extraversion and neuroticism, as well as gender, age, level of educational attainment, and family economic status significantly affect frequency of participation in extracurricular activities and the curriculum preferences of older learners. The results of this study suggest that we can strengthen personality matching to promote the learning enthusiasm of older people in education, and adhere to the demand-oriented to promote the Third age education curriculum personalized. Furthermore, we should increase the scope for popularizing Third age education, improve the accessibility of education for the older people, accelerate the integration of older adult education with the Internet, innovate the form of older adult education, and then promote the development of customized curricula.

In China, the innovative development of education for older people is an important response to the aging population, and an important way to meet the spiritual, cultural, and social needs of older people. Current academic research mainly focuses on the social factors that affect the participation of older people in education and there are few empirical studies on the individual psychological characteristics of older adult learning behavior. This study takes a positive psychology approach to the exploration of the factors influencing the participation of older adults in education in a number of universities of the Third Age in Fujian Province, China. The study is based on curriculum preferences and frequency of participation in extracurricular activities. The results show that the personality traits of extraversion and neuroticism, as well as gender, age, level of educational attainment, and family economic status significantly affect frequency of participation in extracurricular activities and the curriculum preferences of older learners. The results of this study suggest that we can strengthen personality matching to promote the learning enthusiasm of older people in education, and adhere to the demand-oriented to promote the Third age education curriculum personalized. Furthermore, we should increase the scope for popularizing Third age education, improve the accessibility of education for the older people, accelerate the integration of older adult education with the Internet, innovate the form of older adult education, and then promote the development of customized curricula. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ancient manganese (Mn) deposits are primarily characterized by the presence of Mn(II) carbonates that likely formed by the diagenetic reduction of precursor Mn(IV) oxides. As such, Precambrian sedimentary Mn deposits have been used as a line of evidence for the evolution of oxygen in Earth's surface environments. However, recent studies have shown that these Mn(II)-carbonates have the ability to directly accumulate within anoxic water columns, where free oxygen does not play a role in their formation. This alternative pathway casts uncertainty on the robustness of using ancient Mn deposits to constrain the redox fabric of the past marine water columns. Here, we investigate the Wafangzi Mn and Fe ore deposit from the 1.45 billion-year-old Tieling Formation, North China. The deposit contains Mn(II,III) mineral phases (hausmannite, braunite) as inclusions, or unreacted residues, trapped within Mn(II) carbonate (Ca-rhodochrosite). Some nodules and oolites of Mn(II) and Fe(II)-carbonate phases are also present and display a banded structure with concentric rings. Mn(III) oxide (manganite) is present in a paragenetic assemblage along with hematite and replacement textures with braunite. The negative carbon isotope composition (δ13C, –7‰ to –4‰) from Mn(II) carbonate samples in the Wafangzi Mn deposit which are distinct from that of contemporaneous seawater (~0‰), along with petrographic and speciation analyses, collectively suggest that the Mn(II,III)- and Fe(II)-bearing mineral phases formed through the diagenetic reduction of primary Mn(IV)/Fe(III) minerals coupled to the oxidation of organic matter. Therefore, the Wafangzi Mn deposit suggests the presence of sufficiently oxygenated marine waters, overlying anoxic ferruginous deeper waters with a transitional manganous water layer that could have driven the redox cycling of Mn, Fe, and C. Given the contemporaneous economic Mn deposits in the 1.45 Ga Ullawarra Formation in Western Australia, our findings imply the existence of a transient, and perhaps widespread, pulsed oxygenation event in the mid-Proterozoic oceans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of regorafenib monotherapy or in combination with immune-checkpoint inhibitor while treating Chinese patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC): a real-world study. Methods: The data of patients with metastatic colorectal cancer who received regorafenib-containing regimen as the third or later line treatment at ten Chinese hospitals from Aug 2017 to Jun 2020 were retrospectively analyzed, including dosing details, survival data as well as adverse events. Survival analysis was further performed for patients administrated with regorafenib monotherapy and combined with an immune-checkpoint inhibitor based on Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression methods. The primary endpoint was overall survival. Results: A total of 537 patients were included with a median age of 61, among whom 376 received regorafenib monotherapy and 245 received regorafenib combined with immune-checkpoint inhibitors. The clinicopathological characteristics of the two groups at baseline were mainly balanced. No significant difference in progression-free survival (PFS) was observed in patients receiving regorafenib monotherapy or combination therapy (3.8 vs. 5.5 months, p = 0.170). In contrast, patients receiving combination therapy had a more prolonged overall survival (OS) than those receiving regorafenib monotherapy (13.5 vs. 10.0 months, p = 0.001). The treatment regimen and regorafenib dosage were significant prognostic factors in the multivariate analysis. Significant benefits in PFS and OS were achieved in KRAS mutant and anti-angiogenesis treatment-naïve subgroups receiving combination therapy compared to monotherapy. No apparent increase was recorded in treatment-related adverse events in patients receiving combination therapy. Conclusion: Regorafenib plus an immune-checkpoint inhibitor has already been a widely adopted strategy in the later-line treatment for mCRC in the real world. The combination therapy yielded a significantly prolonged overall survival than regorafenib alone, with a manageable safety profile in Chinese patients, and warrants further investigation. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT04835324. Registered 6th April 2021. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pure marine chemical sediments are archives of geochemical proxies for the composition of seawater and may provide information about the ancient hydrosphere–atmosphere system. The early stage of the Emeishan large igneous province (ELIP) was characterized by the subaqueous eruption of mafic igneous rocks around the J. altudaensis zone of the Capitanian Stage that has been proposed to have contributed to the Guadalupian mass extinction. However, detailed mechanisms and the impact of the eruption on the Guadalupian marine environment have yet to be assessed. Here, to examine the Guadalupian marine environment, we studied major and trace element concentrations, particularly rare earth element and yttrium data, along with high-precision Sr-Nd isotope ratios, of three types of Mn ores (i.e., clastic, massive, and oolitic) and siliceous limestones from the Zunyi Mn deposit in South China formed following the early-stage eruption of the ELIP. Our results indicate that the clastic Mn ores contain notable detrital mafic aluminosilicates. In contrast, the massive and oolitic Mn ores and siliceous limestones preserved the pristine geochemical signatures of the Middle–Late Permian seawater characterized by distinctly low (87Sr/86Sr)i and high εNd(t) values. These data indicate a strong impact of the early-stage submarine eruptions of the ELIP on the marine environment in South China and worldwide, likely through intensive seawater–rock interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: As the main cause of cancer death, lung cancer imposes seriously health and economic burdens on individuals, families, and the health system. In China, there is no national study analyzing the hospitalization expenditures of different payment methods by lung cancer inpatients. Based on the 2010–2016 database of insured urban resident lung cancer inpatients from the China Medical Insurance Research Association (CHIRA), this paper aims to investigate the characteristics and cost of hospitalized lung cancer patient, to examine the differences in hospital expenses and patient out-of-pocket (OOP) expenses under four medical insurance payment methods: fee-for-service (FFS), per-diem payments, capitation payments (CAP) and case-based payments, and to explore the medical insurance payment method that can be conducive to controlling the cost of lung cancer. Method: This is a 2010–2016, 7-year cross-sectional study. CHIRA data are not available to researchers after 2016. The Medical Insurance Database of CHIRA was screened using the international disease classification system to yield 28,200 inpatients diagnosed with lung cancer (ICD-10: C34, C34.0, C34.1, C34.2, C34.3, C34.8, C34.9). The study includes descriptive analysis and regression analysis based on generalized linear models (GLM). Results: The average patient age was 63.4 years and the average length of hospital stay (ALOS) was 14.2 day; 60.7% of patients were from tertiary hospitals; and 45% were insured by FFS. The per-diem payment had the lowest hospital expenses (RMB7496.00/US$1176.87), while CAP had the lowest OOP expenses (RMB1328.18/US$208.52). Compared with FFS hospital expenses, per-diem was 21.3% lower (95% CI = -0.265, -0.215) and case-based payment was 8.4% lower (95% CI = -0.151, -0.024). Compared with the FFS, OOP expenses, per-diem payments were 9.2% lower (95% CI = -0.130, -0.063) and CAP was 15.1% lower (95% CI = -0.151, -0.024). Conclusion: For lung cancer patients, per-diem payment generated the lowest hospital expenses, while CAP meant patients bore the lowest OOP costs. Policy makers are suggested to give priority to case-based payments to achieve a tripartite balance among medical insurers, hospitals, and insured members. We also recommend future studies comparing the disparities of various diseases for the cause of different medical insurance schemes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's total coal production in 2021 exceeded 4.13 billion tons, 52% of the world's total. Coal gangue, a solid waste of coal mining accounts for 15–20% of coal production, when directly discharged on the ground surface as waste heaps, it occupies large areas of land and cause environmental pollution. This paper summarizes the existing gangue backfilling methods, their working principles, efficiency, and application status. The methods that are meeting Middle and Western China's mining demands are discussed in detail. The state-of-the-art technologies that can realize high-efficiency, centralized, and large-scale underground backfilling of coal gangue are analyzed. This paper shows that the industrial implementation of these technologies can increase the current maximum disposal capacity of coal gangue by three times, reaching five million tons per year. The equipment innovation and automation are analyzed, and the environmental effect of coal gangue backfilling is discussed. This review offers inspirations and guidelines for coal gangue disposal and the environmental hazard reduction of coal mining. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous analyses of grey and white matter volumes have reported that schizophrenia is associated with structural changes. Deep learning is a data-driven approach that can capture highly compact hierarchical non-linear relationships among high-dimensional features, and therefore can facilitate the development of clinical tools for making a more accurate and earlier diagnosis of schizophrenia.Aims: To identify consistent grey matter abnormalities in patients with schizophrenia, 662 people with schizophrenia and 613 healthy controls were recruited from eight centres across China, and the data from these independent sites were used to validate deep-learning classifiers.Method: We used a prospective image-based meta-analysis of whole-brain voxel-based morphometry. We also automatically differentiated patients with schizophrenia from healthy controls using combined grey matter, white matter and cerebrospinal fluid volumetric features, incorporated a deep neural network approach on an individual basis, and tested the generalisability of the classification models using independent validation sites.Results: We found that statistically reliable schizophrenia-related grey matter abnormalities primarily occurred in regions that included the superior temporal gyrus extending to the temporal pole, insular cortex, orbital and middle frontal cortices, middle cingulum and thalamus. Evaluated using leave-one-site-out cross-validation, the performance of the classification of schizophrenia achieved by our findings from eight independent research sites were: accuracy, 77.19-85.74%; sensitivity, 75.31-89.29% and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, 0.797-0.909.Conclusions: These results suggest that, by using deep-learning techniques, multidimensional neuroanatomical changes in schizophrenia are capable of robustly discriminating patients with schizophrenia from healthy controls, findings which could facilitate clinical diagnosis and treatment in schizophrenia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To address the easy damage of rubber sealing rings for pipe joints used in China's first rock pipe jacking project, the launch of research concerning the optimization design of rubber ring structure was decided. However, modification based on the existing production mold was required, to prevent the construction period and cost from exceeding limits. Utilizing the optimization experience, the stress and waterproof property variations of rubber ring before and after optimization during the pipe translation and deflection were initially analyzed via the ADINA software. Meanwhile, the correct orientation of the ring optimization criteria was confirmed through the field test. Next, the effects of key structural parameters on the contact length and maximum contact pressure of rubber ring were quantified, thereby obtaining the sensitivity correlations between five key parameters of ring optimization to further establish the criteria for rubber ring optimization. The findings of this study offer safe construction suggestions for pipe jacking projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Children Neuropsychological and Behavioral Scale-Revision 2016 (CNBS-R2016) is a widely used developmental assessment tool for children aged 0-6 years in China. The communication warning behavior subscale of CNBS-R2016 is used to assess the symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and its value of >30 points indicates ASD based on CNBSR2016. However, we observed that children with relatively lower values were also diagnosed with ASD later on in clinical practice. Thus, this study aimed to identify the suitable cutoff value for ASD screening recommended by the communication warning behavior of CNBS-R2016. Materials and methods: A total of 90 typically developing (TD) children and 316 children with developmental disorders such as ASD, developmental language disorder (DLD), and global developmental delay (GDD; 130 in the ASD group, 100 in the DLD group, and 86 in the GDD group) were enrolled in this study. All subjects were evaluated based on the CNBS-R2016. The newly recommended cutoff value of communication warning behavior for screening ASD was analyzed with receiver operating curves. Results: Children in the ASD group presented with lower developmental levels than TD, DLD, and GDD groups in overall developmental quotient assessed by CNBS-R2016. We compared the consistency between the scores of communication warning behavior subscale and Autism Behavior Checklist (ABC), Childhood Autism Rating Scale (CARS), Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule, second edition (ADOS-2), and clinical diagnosis for the classification of ASD at a value of 30 based on the previously and newly recommended cutoff value of 12 by the CNBS-R2016. The Kappa values between the communication warning behavior and ABC, CARS, ADOS-2, and clinical diagnosis were 0.494, 0.476, 0.137, and 0.529, respectively, with an agreement rate of 76.90%, 76.26%, 52.03%, and 82.27%, respectively, when the cutoff point was 30. The corresponding Kappa values were 0.891, 0.816, 0.613, and 0.844, respectively, and the corresponding agreement rate was 94.62%, 90.82%, 90.54%, and 93.10%, respectively, when the cutoff point was 12. Conclusion: The communication warning behavior subscale of CNBSR2016 is important for screening ASD. When the communication warning behavior score is 12 points or greater, considerable attention and further comprehensive diagnostic evaluation for ASD are required to achieve the early detection and diagnosis of ASD in children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unlike modern Mn(IV)-dominated manganese nodules, ancient manganese deposits primarily contain Mn(II) (manganous) mineral phases. The general assumption is that these manganous minerals formed post-depositionally from a Mn(IV) precursor phase during diagenesis and metamorphism. However, recent studies have shown that aqueous Mn(II) may combine with either CO 3 2– (aq) or H 4 SiO 4(aq) to nucleate and precipitate as primary manganous phases within anoxic waters. These findings thus make it difficult to assess what comprised the primary mineral assemblage of ancient Mn deposits, which in turn, has implications for understanding the redox fabric of the past marine water column. Here, we investigate the paragenesis and oxidation state of various Mn minerals (oxides, carbonates, and silicates) from the late Devonian Xialei and middle to late Permian Zunyi manganese deposits in South China. Through characterization of the micro-scale distribution, composition, and speciation of different Mn-bearing mineral phases, we provide evidence to support an oxidative mechanism during Mn cycling at the time of deposition. We document the presence of a residual oxide phase (hausmannite; Mn 3 O 4) that represents a primary to early formed Mn(III)-bearing oxide preserved in Mn(II)-carbonate nodules. Additionally, we observe spherulitic textures comprised of mixed-valence Mn(II,III,IV)-silicates enclosed in diagenetic Mn(II)-carbonate laminations. Our results allow for the construction of a paragenetic model for these deposits beginning with the reduction of a primary Mn(IV) phase and the subsequent precipitation of intermediate Mn(III)-oxide or -silicate mineral phases. Following continued exposure to reducing conditions during early diagenesis, Mn(III)-oxides were then replaced by Mn(II)-carbonates. Similarly, Mn(III)-silicates were transformed into various Mn(II)-silicates during late-stage diagenesis and metamorphism. This model suggests that the accumulation of various divalent Mn mineral phases in ancient sediments may, therefore, be indicative of deposition under a water column with a sufficient oxidizing potential to induce Mn(II) oxidation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The contaminant status, spatial distribution, partitioning behavior, and ecological risks of 26 legacy and emerging perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) in Laizhou Bay, China were investigated. The concentrations of ∑PFASs in surface and bottom seawater ranged from 37.2 to 222 ng/L and from 34.2 to 305 ng/L with an average of 116 ± 62.7 and 138 ± 93.8 ng/L, respectively. There were no significant differences in the average concentrations between the surface and bottom seawater (P > 0.05). Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) and short-chain PFASs dominated the composition of PFASs in seawater. The concentrations of ∑PFASs in sediments ranged from 0.997 to 7.21 ng/g dry weight (dw), dominated by perfluorobutane sulfonate (PFBS), perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA), and long-chain PFASs. The emerging alternatives of perfluoro-1-butane-sulfonamide (FBSA) and 6:2 fluorotelomer sulfonic acid (6:2 FTSA) were detected for the first time in Laizhou Bay. The ∑PFASs in seawater in the southwest of the bay were higher than those in the northeast of the bay. The ∑PFASs in sediments in the northeast sea area were higher than those in the inner area of the bay. Log K d and log K oc values increased with increasing carbon chain length for PFASs compounds. Ecological risk assessments indicated a low ecological risk associated with HFPO-DA but a moderate risk associated with PFOA contamination in Laizhou Bay. Positive matrix factorization (PMF) analysis revealed that fluoropolymer manufacturing, metal plating plants, and textile treatments were identified as major sources contributing to PFASs contamination. [Display omitted] • Widespread contamination of PFASs occurred in Laizhou Bay. • PFOA was the major contaminant in the environmental samples of Laizhou Bay. • HFPO-DA and FBSA as emerging alternatives were detected in all water samples. • FBSA and 6:2 FTSA were detected for the first time in Laizhou Bay. • The carbon chain length affected the distribution of PFASs in water and sediment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: The predictive scoring systems for early stent thrombosis (EST) remains blank in China. The study aims to evaluate the risk factors and conduct a prediction model of EST in the Chinese population. METHODS: EST was defined as thrombosis that occurs within the first 30 days after primary percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Patients from ten Chinese hospitals diagnosed as stent thrombosis (ST) from January 2010 to December 2016 were retrospectively included as the study group. A control group (1 case:2 controls) was created by including patients without ST, major adverse cardiovascular events, or cerebrovascular events during follow-up. The present study evaluated 426 patients with single-vessel lesions and ultimately included 40 patients with EST and 80 control patients, who were included to identify factors that predicted EST and to develop a prediction scoring system. The other 171 patients without integrated 1:2 pair were used for external validation. RESULTS: EST was independently associated with a low hemoglobin concentration (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 0.946, 95% confi dence interval [95% CI] 0.901-0.993, P=0.026), a high pre-PCI Synergy between Percutaneous Coronary Intervention with Taxus and Cardiac Surgery (SYNTAX) score (OR 1.166, 95% CI 1.049-1.297, P=0.004), and a DAPT (DAPT) duration of <30 days (OR 28.033, 95% CI 5.302-272.834, P<0.001). The simple EST prediction score provided an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.854 (95% CI 0.777- 0.932, P<0.001) with 70.0% sensitivity and 90.0% specifi city, and 0.742 (95% CI 0.649-0.835, P<0.001) with 54.5% sensitivity and 81.0% specificity for external validation dataset. CONCLUSIONS: EST may be independently associated with DAPT discontinuation within 30 days, a low hemoglobin concentration, and a high SYNTAX score. The scoring system also has a good ability to predict the risk of EST and may be useful in the clinical setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant phenology under changing climate is a critical factor controlling terrestrial vegetation productivity. However, large uncertainties exist due to different data sources and phenological parameter extraction methods. In this study, we took advantage of a suite of long-term field observational data in northern grassland of China to investigate the drivers of phenological shifts and their effect on the maximum aboveground net primary productivity (ANPPmax) across four representative grassland types during 1984–2017. Results showed that drivers of phenological events (i.e., start (SOS), end (EOS), and length (GSL) of the growing season) with warming influence dramatically differed among grassland types, indicating that the synergistic effect of temperature and precipitation should be highlighted. For temperate desert steppe and alpine meadow, GSL of dominant species was both significantly lengthened with temperature rising with averaged 0.94 days year−1 (P < 0.001) and 1.15 days year−1 (P < 0.001), respectively, while for typical temperate grassland, GSL was considerably shortened by an average of 0.58 days year−1 (P < 0.01) as a result of water deficit caused by sharp warming and precipitation decreasing in summer and autumn. For most grassland types in our study, both SOS and GSL were significantly correlated with ANPPmax under different precipitation gradients with SOS advanced and GSL extended leading to higher ANPPmax. Only the typical temperate grassland presents a relatively poor correlation between phenological events and productivity. Furthermore, compared with GSL, ANPPmax was more sensitive to the advancement of SOS for every 1-day phenological change. However, the effect of EOS on ANPPmax across the four grassland types was much weaker and unstable. There were spatial response differences between ANPPmax and phenological transition events, with the temperate meadow grassland tending to be more sensitive compared with three other grassland types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During underground mining, accurate revelation on the deformation and failure mechanisms of a high-steep slope under multi-layer mining conditions facilitates the prevention and control of geological disasters in mines. Numerical simulation based on discrete element theory can be used to explore the characteristics and mechanism of action of deformation and failure of a slope under complex geological and multi-layer mining conditions. By utilising PFC2D (particle flow code) software, the deformation and failure characteristics of a high-steep slope in Faer Coal Mine in Guizhou Province, China were investigated. Additionally, the mechanism of influence of different numbers of mining layers on the deformation and failure of the high and steep slope was elucidated. The result showed that after the goaf passed by the slope toe, multi-layer mining aggravated the subsidence and deformation of the slope toe: the slope toppled forward as it sank. The toppling of the slope changed the slope structures: the strata in the front of the slope were transformed from anti-dip to down-dip features. Extruded by collapsed–toppled rock mass, the slope toe and the rock mass located in the lower part of the slope toe generally exhibited a locking effect on the slope. Multi-layer mining degraded the overall stability of the slope, in that the total displacement of the slope was much greater than the total mining thickness of the coal seams. Based on the aforementioned research, ideas for preventing and controlling geological disasters during mining operations under a high-steep slope were proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate warming generally is expected to increase drought, but arguments about China's past drought trends persist. PDSIARTS, a revised self‐calibrating Palmer Drought Severity Index, was computed for China over 1982–2016 using satellite leaf‐area indices combined with monthly climate data interpolated from 2000 high‐density stations. Drought climatology was analysed against climate factors. The results show that temperature has increased at a rate of 0.38°C per decade (p <.001) in China in the past 35 years (1982–2016). However, over the same interval, China and the northern China region became wetter. PDSIARTS increased at a rate of 0.03 yr−1 (p <.001) across China during 1982–2016. The analogous increase of PDSIARTS in northern China was 0.05 yr−1 (p <.001). In China, the 5‐year interval from 2012 to 2016 was the wettest 5 years in the 35‐year interval. This arises from the coupled effects of decreased potential evaporation (Ep) and increased precipitation (Pr). The implication is that temperature increase does not necessarily indicate increased drought. A potential complication is that the 2015/16 El Niño event induced the highest Pr in southern China for 1982–2016, and northern China still had plentiful Pr in 2015/16, which further contributed to the wettest 2‐years (2015/16) during the past 35 years in the whole of China. This study highlights the joint impacts of Pr and Ep on the dry/wet changes and the possibility of extremely wet events in the warming future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With rapid economic growth and urbanization, self-sufficiency in crop production has become central to China's agriculture policy. Accurate crop production statistics are essential for research, monitoring, and planning. Although researchers agree that China's statistical authority has considerably modernized over time, China's economic statistics have still been viewed as unreliable and often overstated to meet growth targets at different administrative levels. Recent increases in crop production reported by national statistics have also come under increasing scrutiny. This paper investigates crop production data quality from a planetary boundary perspective--comparing net primary production (NPP) harvested obtained from national statistics with satellite-driven NPP estimates that are supported by detailed observation of land cover, combined with observations on physical factors that limit plant growth. This approach provides a powerful means to check the plausibility of China's grain production statistics at different administrative levels that can generate insights about their discrepancies and can contribute to improved crop production measurements. We find some evidence of potential misreporting problems from the lower administration level where the risk of manipulation of statistics is higher. We also find problems from provincial-level major grain producers. These values can also affect the national totals. Although the numbers are affected by large uncertainties, we find that improving the spatial resolution of key agricultural parameters can greatly improve the reliability of the indicator that in turn can help improve data quality. More reliable production data will be vital for relevant research and provide better insights into food security problems, the carbon cycle, and sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the process of CO 2 degassing during precipitation of calcite from a Ca2+–HCO 3 − solution is crucial for interpreting isotope compositions in the calcite precipitates. Unlike diffusion-controlled outgassing, i.e., dissolved CO 2 escaping from the solution via diffusion, degassing caused by precipitation of calcite is accompanied by a large carbon isotope fractionation between CO 2 (g) and HCO 3 − due to breaking of C O bond, with an equilibrium fractionation of ca. −9‰ at ambient temperature. Such a magnitude of fractionation has a great influence on carbon isotope compositions (δ13C) of DIC (dissolved inorganic carbon) reservoir in the solution and thus on δ13C of calcite precipitated from it. However, knowledge on isotope fractionation is limited during precipitation-associated degassing of CO 2 in a supersaturated solution where rapid calcite precipitation drives CO 2 degassing out of isotopic equilibrium. Here we show the data of water chemistry and carbon isotope compositions of DIC and carbonate precipitates in a mountain stream at Baishuitai, China. Results from numerical models show there exist large degrees of carbon isotope disequilibrium during precipitation-associated degassing of CO 2 via HCO 3 − dehydration and dehydroxylation. Average carbon isotope fractionation between CO 2 (g) and HCO 3 − ( ε C O 2 (g) - HC O 3 - ) calculated from our dataset is about −20‰ which is much lower than the equilibrium value. Moreover, an inverse correlation between ε C O 2 (g) - HC O 3 - and precipitation rate was observed, indicating higher precipitation rates cause ε C O 2 (g) - HC O 3 - farther from equilibrium value. By compiling the data from this study and literatures, we infer that disequilibrium isotope fractionation of carbon between CO 2 (g) and HCO 3 − may be common during the growth of speleothem and travertine from a solution supersaturated with respect to calcite. The rate dependence of ε C O 2 (g) - HC O 3 - has special implications for speleothem archives from ventilated caves. As partial pressure of CO 2 in cave atmosphere evolves with ventilation, variable precipitation rates of calcite will cause inconstant degrees of disequilibrium isotope fractionation between CO 2 and DIC and thus perturb the time-series of speleothem's δ13C records for paleo-environmental reconstruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Differences, arising from differences in gross primary production (GPP) model structures and driving forces, have fuelled arguments concerning interannual changes of GPP in China since 2000. To better investigate the interannual variability of GPP and its covariance with climate factors in China, this study adopted a multi‐model analysis based on three GPP models (i.e., Terrestrial Ecosystem Carbon flux model [TEC], Breathing Earth System Simulator model [BESS], and MOD17 GPP model). The results show that annual GPP in China increased by 0.021–0.057 Pg C year−1 from 2000 to 2015 attributable to atmospheric‐CO2 fertilization effects and favourable climate change, that is, increasing precipitation (Pr) and temperature (Ta). However, northern China and southern China had a large difference in the amplitude of these GPP changes; annual GPP increased by 0.017–0.039 Pg C year−1 in northern China but only 0.001–0.018 Pg C year−1 in southern China. Northern China and southern China occupy contrasting climate zones and this contrast produced different interannual variability of GPP through different mechanisms. Northern China has a dry climate with GPP changes sensitive to Pr. As a result, more Pr along with higher Ta in northern China produced the strong uptrend of GPP from 2000 to 2015. In contrast, southern China has a wet climate with its GPP sensitive to solar radiation and Ta. For the interval of 2000–2015, decreasing radiation plus drought exerted a negative influence on GPP in southern China. This study highlights the diverse mechanisms in which climate change affects GPP in dry and wet climate zones. A robust multi‐model analysis is preferred to reduce uncertainties arising from a single GPP model and its driving data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biological carbon pumping (BCP) is a key process in which dissolved inorganic carbon in terrestrial aquatic ecosystems is utilized by aquatic autotrophs for photosynthesis and transformed into autochthonous organic matter (AOC). However, the mechanisms underlying BCP and the amount of generated AOC deposited effectively, are still poorly understood. Therefore, we conducted a systematic study combining modern hydrochemical monitoring and a sediment trap experiment in Fuxian Lake (Yunnan, SW China), the second-deepest plateau, oligotrophic freshwater lake in China. Temperature, pH, EC (electrical conductivity), DO (dissolved O2), [HCO3−], [Ca2+], SIc, partial CO2 (pCO2) pressure, and carbon isotopic compositions of HCO3− (δ13CDIC) in water from Fuxian Lake all displayed distinct seasonal and vertical variations. This was especially apparent in an inverse correlation between pCO2 and DO, indicating that variations of hydrochemistry in the lake water were mainly controlled by the metabolism of the aquatic phototrophs. Furthermore, the lowest C/N ratios and highest δ13Corg were recorded in the trap sediments. Analyses of the C/N ratio demonstrated that the proportions of AOC ranged from 30% to 100% of all OC, indicating that AOC was an important contributor to sedimentary organic matter (OC). It was calculated that the AOC flux in Fuxian Lake was 20.43 t C km−2 in 2017. Therefore, AOC produced by carbonate weathering and aquatic photosynthesis could potentially be a significant carbon sink and may have an important contribution to solving the lack of carbon sinks in the global carbon cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-altitude environments present strong stresses for living organisms, which have driven striking phenotypic and genetic adaptations. While previous studies have revealed multiple genetic adaptations in high-altitude species, how evolutionary history (i.e., phylogenetic background) contributes to similarity in genetic adaptations to highaltitude environments is largely unknown, in particular in a group of birds. We explored this in 3 high-altitude passerine birds from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau and their low-altitude relatives in lowland eastern China. We generated transcriptomic data for 5 tissues across these species and compared sequence changes and expression shifts between high- and low-altitude pairs. Sequence comparison revealed that similarity in all 3 high-altitude species was high for genes under positive selection (218 genes) but low in amino acid substitutions (only 4 genes sharing identical amino acid substitutions). Expression profiles for all genes identified a tissue-specific expression pattern (i.e., all species clustered by tissue). By contrast, an altitude-related pattern was observed in genes differentially expressed between all 3 species pairs and genes associated with altitude, suggesting that the high-altitude environment may drive similar expression shifts in the 3 high-altitude species. Gene expression level, gene connectivity, and the interactions of these 2 factors with altitude were correlated with evolutionary rates. Our results provide evidence for how gene sequence changes and expression shifts work in a concerted way in a group of high-altitude birds, leading to similar evolution routes in response to high-altitude environmental stresses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The carbon budgets in terrestrial ecosystems in China are strongly coupled with climate changes. Over the past decade, China has experienced dramatic climate changes characterized by enhanced summer monsoon and decelerated warming. However, the changes in the trends of terrestrial net ecosystem production (NEP) in China under climate changes are not well documented. Here, we used three ecosystem models to simulate the spatiotemporal variations in China's NEP during 1982–2010 and quantify the contribution of the strengthened summer monsoon and warming hiatus to the NEP variations in four distinct climatic regions of the country. Our results revealed a decadal-scale shift in NEP from a downtrend of –5.95 Tg C/yr2 (reduced sink) during 1982–2000 to an uptrend of 14.22 Tg C/yr2 (enhanced sink) during 2000–10. This shift was essentially induced by the strengthened summer monsoon, which stimulated carbon uptake, and the warming hiatus, which lessened the decrease in the NEP trend. Compared to the contribution of 56.3% by the climate effect, atmospheric CO2 concentration and nitrogen deposition had relatively small contributions (8.6 and 11.3%, respectively) to the shift. In conclusion, within the context of the global-warming hiatus, the strengthening of the summer monsoon is a critical climate factor that enhances carbon uptake in China due to the asymmetric response of photosynthesis and respiration. Our study not only revealed the shift in ecosystem carbon sequestration in China in recent decades, but also provides some insight for understanding ecosystem carbon dynamics in other monsoonal areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Importance: The underlying mechanism for individual differences in patient response to antipsychotic medication remains unknown.Objective: To discover genes and gene sets harboring rare variants associated with short-term antipsychotic medication efficacy.Design, Setting, and Participants: In this multicenter, open-label, randomized clinical trial conducted between July 6, 2010, and December 31, 2011, 3023 patients recruited in China of Chinese Han descent with schizophrenia with total Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) score ≥ 60 received a 6-week treatment of antipsychotic medications randomly chosen from 5 atypical and 2 typical antipsychotic medications. Whole-exome sequencing (WES) was performed in 316 participants (grouped into those with the best response [n=156] and those who had no response [n=160] to the antipsychotic medication prescribed), according to the total PANSS score reduction rate after 6 weeks of treatment. Validation was performed using targeted sequencing in an independent sample of 1920 patients. Data analyses was performed between March 15, 2016, and March 1, 2017.Main Outcomes and Measures: Drug efficacy at week 6 was assessed according to the change in PANSS scores from baseline. Extremely good and extremely poor responders were selected for an initial WES association study, from which a subset of genes showing putative association was selected for independent replication with a targeted sequencing approach.Results: Of the 3023 patients (1549 [51.24%] female and 1474 [48.8%] male; mean [SD] age, 31.2 [7.9] years), 2336 (77.3%) were eligible for genetic analysis. After quality-control exclusions, 316 patients (10.5%) were included for WES and 1920 (63.5%) were included for replication. In the WES discovery stage, 2 gene sets (reduced NMDA [N-methyl-D-aspartate]-mediated synaptic currents and reduced AMPA [α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid]-mediated synaptic currents) were found to be enriched with rare damaging variants in the nonresponder group, suggesting the involvement of these gene sets in antipsychotic medication efficacy. Reduced NMDA-mediated synaptic currents gene set was further replicated in an independent sample using targeting sequencing. No statistically significant differences in antipsychotic drug response were found among the patients who received different antipsychotic drugs.Conclusions and Relevance: Genetic variation in glutamatergic or NMDA neurotransmission is implicated in short-term antipsychotic medication efficacy; WES may have utility in the study of rare genetic variation in pharmacogenetics.Trial Registration: Chinese Clinical Trials Registry Identifier: ChiCTR-TRC-10000934. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We developed a panel of multiplex quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (mqRT-PCR) assay consisting of seven internally controlled qRT-PCR assays to detect 16 different respiratory viruses. We compared the new mqRT-PCR with a previously reported two-tube mRT-PCR assay using 363 clinical sputum specimens. The mqRT-PCR assay performed comparably with the two-tube assay for most viruses, offering the advantages of quantitative analysis, easier performance, lower susceptibility to contamination, and shorter turnaround time in laboratories equipped with conventional real-time PCR instrumentation, and it could therefore be a valuable tool for routine surveillance of respiratory virus infections in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stability control of rock surrounding roadways is one of the most challenging problems in underground coal mining, especially for water-enriched roadways. Solid backfill mining (SBM) can effectively reduce the movement of overlying strata. In this paper, the characteristics and influencing factors of deformation of roadways affected by underlying mining (RAUM) in SBM are investigated via theoretical analysis, numerical simulation and field measurements. Based on the testing of compaction properties of backfill material, the optimum ratio of waste rock and fly ash (1:0·3) was adopted and the backfill body compression ratio was designed at 15% to guarantee the stability of RAUM. Field measurements at a test site (Xingtai coal mine in Hebei province, China) strongly indicate that the application of the proposed parameters for SBM can effectively control the deformation of RAUM and improve the safety of roadways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fifteen individual perfluoroalkyl substances (PFASs) were analyzed in 22 sediment samples collected from Anqing urban lakes (Anhui province, China) by ultra-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS). Total PFAS concentration was between 0.61 and 26 ng g dry weight. Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) was the dominant PFAS contaminant, with a concentration range of < 0.040-13 ng g. Results indicated higher total PFAS concentrations in lakes located to the northwest of Anqing City than in other regions. Adjacent chemical and industrial factories were hypothesized to be responsible for these higher PFAS levels in those lakes. In comparison to other measurements obtained from other lakes, PFAS concentrations in the urban lakes of Anqing City were relatively high. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Qualification of gross primary production (GPP) of terrestrial ecosystem over large areas is important in understanding the response of terrestrial ecosystem to global climate change. While light use efficiency (LUE) models were widely used in regional carbon budget estimates, few studies consider the effect of diffuse radiation on LUE caused by clouds using a big leaf model. Here we developed a cloudiness index light use efficiency (CI-LUE) model based on the MOD17 model algorithm to estimate the terrestrial ecosystem GPP, in which the base light use efficiency encompassed the cloudiness index, maximum LUE and clear sky LUE. GPP measured at seven sites from 2003 to 2007 in China were used to calibrate and validate the CI-LUE model. The results showed that at forest sites and cropland site the CI-LUE model outperformed the Vegetation Photosynthesis Model (VPM), Terrestrial Ecosystem Carbon flux model (TEC), MOD17 model algorithm driven by in situ meteorological measurements and MODIS GPP products, especially the R 2 of simulated GPP against flux measurements at Dinghushan forest site increased from 0.17 (MODIS GPP products) to 0.61 (CI-LUE). Instead, VPM model had the best agreement with GPP measurements followed by CI-LUE model and lastly TEC model at two grassland sites. Meanwhile, GPP calculated by CI-LUE model has less underestimation under cloudy skies in comparison with MOD17 model. This study demonstrated the potential of the CI-LUE model in improving GPP simulations resulting from the inclusion of diffuse radiation in regulating the base light use efficiency and maximum light use efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The occurrence of rice high-temperature damage (HTD) has increased with global warming. Cultivation of rice is seriously affected by the HTD in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, which directly affects food security in this region and in the whole of China. It is important to monitor and assess crop HTD using satellite remote sensing information. This paper reviews the recent development of monitoring rice HTD using optical remote sensing information. It includes the use of optical remote sensing information to obtain the regional spatial distribution of high temperatures, mixed-surface temperature retrieval for rice fields based on mixed decomposition information, the development of field and thermal infrared testing and modeling, and the satellite/ground-based remote sensing coupled method for monitoring rice HTD. Finally, the prospects for monitoring crop HTD based on remote sensing information are summarized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aerosol scattering properties were investigated at two continental sites in northern China in 2004. Aerosol light scattering coefficient (σ sp) at 525nm, PM10, and aerosol mass scattering efficiencies (α) at Dunhuang had a mean value of 165.1±148.8Mm−1, 157.6±270.0μgm−3, and 2.30±3.41m2 g−1, respectively, while these values at Dongsheng were, respectively, 180.2±151.9Mm−1, 119.0±112.9μgm−3, and 1.87±1.41m2 g−1. There existed a seasonal variability of aerosol scattering properties. In spring, at Dunhuang PM10, σ sp, and α were 184.1±211.548μgm−3, 126.3±89.6Mm−1, and 1.05±0.97m2 g−1, respectively, and these values at Dongsheng were 146.4±142.1μgm−3, 183.4±81.7Mm−1, and 1.98±1.52m2 g−1, respectively. However, in winter at Dunhuang PM10, σ sp, and α were 158.1±261.4μgm−3, 303.3±165.2Mm−1, and 3.17±1.93m2 g−1, respectively, and these values at Dongsheng were 155.7±170.1μgm−3, 304.4±158.1Mm−1, and 2.90±1.72m2 g−1, respectively. σ sp and α in winter were higher than that in spring at both the sites, which coincides with the characteristics of dust aerosol and pollution aerosol. Overall, the dominant aerosol types in spring and winter at both sites in northern China are dust aerosol and pollution aerosol, respectively. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Calcites precipitated from the solutions with identical chemical and isotopic compositions have different δ 13 C values. • The DBL thickness affects the pH and the δ 13 C value of HCO − 3 at the mineral-solution interface. • Our finding offers a mechanistic interpretation on the variability of the ε calcite / DIC in riverine or cave environments. It is often assumed that the carbon isotope composition (δ 13 C) of carbonate minerals records that of the dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) species with insignificant disequilibrium effect. However, results from field observations and laboratory experiments have shown that the δ 13 C difference between calcite and solution can vary up to 3‰ even under a similar set of solution composition and temperature, raising uncertainties on the δ 13 C's paleoclimate and paleoecology implications. One likely cause is the variable calcite precipitation rates and pH values induced by different thicknesses of the stagnant liquid layer between solid and well mixed bulk solution (i.e., diffusion boundary layer, DBL). To test this hypothesis, we selected a well-studied natural travertine deposit (Baishuitai, SW China) which consists of meter-scale travertine terraces. Calcite crystals at both the pool bottom and the rim of the terraces are inorganically precipitated from solutions identical in chemical, isotopic composition and temperature, but different only in hydrodynamics. This difference results in thicker DBL for water at the pool-bottom than for water flowing across the rim. We found that the δ 13 C and Mg/Ca ratios are higher while Sr/Ca ratios are lower for the pool-bottom calcites than for the rim calcites. By applying a mass transfer model, we quantitatively link the differences in carbon isotope and elemental compositions of the abiogenic calcites to the different hydrodynamic conditions. The inverse variation in Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca ratios in calcites arises from the different precipitation rates between at the pool-bottom and at the rim, while the consistently lower δ 13 C for calcites at the rim is due to their higher pH at the solid-solution interface than for calcites precipitated at the pool-bottom. In contrast, calcite precipitation rate has little influence on carbon isotope fractionation between calcite and HCO − 3 . Our results demonstrate the role of DBL thickness in governing the δ 13 C of HCO − 3 at mineral surface, which can assist to interpret the variable δ 13 C values of calcites in riverine or cave environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As seagrasses are not available with commercial nursery stocks, the removal of a large amount of plant materials may damage donor populations. We evaluated the recovery of the eelgrass Zostera marina following the removal of entire plant patches (0.01–0.49 m2) at the edge and interior of an eelgrass bed in Rongcheng Bay, Shandong Peninsula, China, through a field experiment. We investigated the shoot density, morphology and growth of recovering plants following excavation. We found that the removal of entire small patches with excavation areas ≤0.25 m2 in the interior of the eelgrass bed was the most suitable strategy for harvesting donor plants of Z. marina. Small patch excavation (≤ 0.25 m2) was able to promote asexual reproduction in recovering plants, and their shoot density and morphology equaled or exceeded those of natural plants <7 months after harvesting. These results indicate that Z. marina plants have a strong capacity for resilience from physical disturbance through rhizome elongation in the harvested area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The onset of the Middle Permian Emeishan Large Igneous Province (ELIP), is commonly implicated in the Guadalupian mass extinction, one of the largest Phanerozoic extinction events, yet the contribution of the ELIP to this biotic event remains unresolved because of a lack of appropriate age constraints. In this study, we examined claystone beds overlying the cherty limestone of the Maokou Formation and underlying the flood basalts of the ELIP that were emplaced around the Guadalupian-Lopingian Boundary. Integrated petrographic, mineralogical, elemental, and isotopic features indicate that the studied claystones contain significant components from mafic volcanic ash that was likely associated with the emplacement of the ELIP. Zircons from the claystones yield U Pb ages of ~262.5 Ma, which predates the subaerial eruptive phase of the ELIP (259.1–260.4 Ma), but is comparable to the J. altudaensis conodont biostratigraphic zone (~263 Ma, Middle Capitanian Stage) which is contemporaneous with the emplacement of early-stage Emeishan subaqueous pillow basalts and mafic volcaniclastics. Our data provide a crucial new constraint on the lower age limit for the onset of the ELIP, which was likely associated with violent submarine eruptions and thus could have contributed to the loss of marine fauna during the Guadalupian mass extinction. • The lower limit age for onset of the Emeishan Large Igneous Province (ELIP) is ~ 262.5 Ma • Mafic volcanism was likely associated with the emplacement of the ELIP. • Violent submarine eruptions contributed to the end-Guadalupian mass extinction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deep mining practices are jeopardized by the recurrent instability and failure of roadways/multi-tunnels. This paper describes a case study of the mining-induced impacts on the stability and control strategy of overlying multi-tunnels with backfill mining in the Ping Dingshan No. 10 Coal Mine in Henan Province, China. To reveal the dynamic impacts of coal mining on the stability of overlying multi-tunnels, particularly in the process of mining cycle and after the overlying strata long-term stability period, a 3D finite element model was applied to explore the effect of longwall panel width, advancing distance, and backfill material’s compaction ratio (BMCR) on the multi-tunnels’ deformation characteristics. The results obtained demonstrate that failure and deformation of the overlying multi-tunnels become more pronounced with the increased longwall panel width and advancing distance, as well as with BMCR reduction. The ranking of deformation degree in the overlying multi-tunnels is as follows: main haulage roadway > auxiliary haulage roadway > main inclined shaft > rock crosscut > auxiliary inclined shaft. Using a 2D physical simulation experiment, a comprehensive analysis method and engineering design concept for the stability control of overlying multi-tunnels with backfill mining are put forward based on further research of the deformation characteristics of multi-tunnels using caving and backfilling method. The results obtained are instrumental to the stability control of overlying tunnels in deep mining practices with similar conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Five V-bearing minerals are identified in the Zhongcun deposit. • Mineralogy and trace element geochemistry studies indicate that the vanadium deposit in the Shuigoukou Formation precipitated under an anoxic environment. • Metal source for the vanadium deposits in southern Qinling was predominantly ambient seawater. • Vanadium mineralization processes underwent primarily sedimentary-diagenetic enrichment and, subsequently, hydrothermal overprinting. The formation of black shale-hosted vanadium deposits is controlled by several factors including metal supply, biological processes, and marine sedimentary environments. Vanadium-bearing minerals have a complex mineralogy in black shale-hosted vanadium deposits, and the implications for the mineralization processes are still poorly understood. This study investigated the mineralogy, rare earth, and trace element geochemistry of the early Cambrian black shale-hosted Zhongcun vanadium deposit in the southern Qinling area. Analytical results from the scanning electron microscope, laser Raman probe, and electron probe microanalysis reveal five V-bearing minerals in members I and II of the Zhongcun deposit, of which roscoelite is the dominant V-bearing mineral. Ore samples from members I and II of the Shuigoukou Formation have remarkably negative Ce anomalies, indicating that the surface water was oxic in the early Cambrian paleo-ocean in the southern Qingling area. Ni/Co, V/Cr, and Th/U ratios suggest that the vanadium ores formed in an anoxic environment, and Member II was more sulfidic than Member I. These features suggest a redox-stratified basin with a redox-variable sedimentary environment in the early Cambrian. The absence of Eu/Eu*-V correlation, and Y/Ho and Sm/Yb ratios indicate that vanadium was dominantly precipitated from ambient seawater and hydrothermal input was negligible. V-bearing minerals, including roscoelite, mannardite, and anatase, formed during late diagenesis. Subsequently, oxidized hydrothermal fluids overprinted previously formed V-bearing minerals and formed V-bearing goethite and sulvanite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy has become a scarce global strategic resource, and energy supply security is receiving increasing attention. A common evaluation platform is necessary to systematically understand the supply security levels of different energy sources and help make the national energy strategy. Ecological network analysis (ENA) is thus regarded as a useful common tool to systematically simulate, evaluate, and compare the supply security for different energy sources, when considering the fact that modern energy systems have formed a complex global energy network through extensive energy trading. Based on the established ENA platform, we evaluated and compared China's crude oil and natural gas supply security from 2000 to 2012. To this end, we assessed the overall security level, investigated the relationship among different compartments within the network system, determined the system's structure, and analyzed the system's properties. It was found that the Chinese crude oil supply security level was higher than that of the natural gas supply and that the crude oil supply system was more mature in terms of multiple properties. Suggestions are proposed to improve the Chinese energy supply security based on further scenario analysis, including increasing domestic energy production, controlling energy consumption, diversifying foreign supply sources, and strengthening the strategic reserve. The ENA-based common platform can be used for the systematic evaluation and improvement of energy supply security and further support national energy policymaking for both developed and developing countries, both energy importers and exporters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sedimentary provenance in multiphase rift basins exhibits rapid variations during distinct tectonic sub-stages, and a close association exists between alterations in sediment source, geomorphology, and tectono-depositional records. This study comprehensively integrates sandstone petrology, heavy mineral assemblages, detrital zircon characters, drill cores, well logs, and seismic reflections to investigate the evolution of provenance and sedimentary records within a complete rifting episode in a lacustrine basin. Three tectono-depositional models for different tectonic sub-stages have been established. During the early strengthened stage of Rifting Episode IV (Sqd3), sediments were primarily sourced from the Liaoxi Uplift, serving as an intrabasinal provenance. These sediments mainly consist of medium-to coarse-grained sandstones with short-distance transportation, forming a transversely-sourced fan-delta and gravity-flow depositional system. Additionally, wedge-shaped seismic configurations were observed along the flow direction. In the middle stage of Rifting Episode IV (Sqd2), the Liaoxi Uplift was submerged, and sediments originated from the Qinhuangdao, Suizhong, and Liaodong Uplift regions. Lake basin expanded during this period, resulting in axially and transversely-sourced river deltaic deposits in a multi-stage superimposed manner, associated with gravity-flow deposits. The sediments are predominantly composed of medium-to fine-grained sandstones that underwent long-distance transportation, accompanied by a significant increase in mudstone content. Simultaneously, sigmoid-oblique and sigmoidal geometries extensively developed. During the late weakened stage of Rifting Episode IV (Sqd1), sediments originated from the Qinhuangdao and Suizhong regions, forming a transversely-sourced shoal-water deltaic system enriched in medium-to fine-grained sandstone with limited mudstone. In comparison to Sqd3 and Sqd2, sediments within Sqd1 underwent intermediate-distance transport. Typically, a shingled seismic configuration developed, presenting a sharp contrast with the sigmoid-oblique and sigmoidal reflections within Sqd2. The detailed models of source-to-sink systems developed in this study are expected to enhance the comprehensive understanding of sedimentological responses to provenance evolution across various tectonic sub-stages in lacustrine rift basins. • Geomorphology, provenance, and depositional architecture are closely linked to tectonic stage in lacustrine rift basins. • Modern topography and drainage systems aid in reconstructing ancient drainage systems and sediment supply capabilities. • Sandstone petrology, seismic data, zircon morphology and geochronology play pivotal roles in provenance assessment. • Detailed models of source-to-sink systems are built during various tectonic sub-stages in lacustrine rift basins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Travertine δ18O values can be used to reconstruct paleo-temperatures if the oxygen isotope fractionation factors between travertine and water are accurately understood. For this purpose, the δ18O values of pool travertine and its parent water, and the deposition rates of the calcite were investigated at Baishuitai (Yunnan, SW China) over the course of the full hydrological year, April 23 2006–April 25 2007. The results show that the travertine–water isotope fractionation factors are close to the commonly accepted equilibrium line of Kim and O’Neil (1997). This differs from the results obtained by Yan et al. (2012) who found that the oxygen isotope fractionation factors in the travertine-depositing pools were close to the line suggested as equilibrium relationship by Coplen (2007). The average calcite deposition rate (2.30mgcm−2 d−1) in the present study is six times larger than that (0.38mgcm−2 d−1) in Yan et al. (2012). If slower calcite precipitation leads to equilibrium oxygen isotopic fractionation, then the results of this study support the results of Coplen (2007) that indicate that the equilibrium fractionation factor may be greater than the commonly accepted one derived by Kim and O’Neil (1997). The relationship between oxygen isotope fractionation factor and calcite deposition rate in our study also agrees with the results of Dietzel et al. (2009) who found that the kinetic-isotope effect favors preferential incorporation of 16O in solid calcite as the calcite deposition rate increases. There was a threshold for calcite precipitation rate control on oxygen isotopic equilibrium. In our case of travertine-depositing pools, when the calcite deposition rate was lower than 0.38mgcm−2 d−1, oxygen isotopic equilibrium between calcite and water was attained. Therefore, calcite deposition rate is a potentially important consideration when using δ18O in natural carbonates as a proxy for terrestrial and ocean temperature. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

δ13C and D14C measurements on dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), particulate organic carbon (POC) and aquatic plants from a karst spring and two spring-fed ponds in Laqiao, Maolan Township, Libo County, southeastern Guizhou of China in January, July and October of 2013 have been carried out to understand the roles of aquatic photosynthesis through DIC uptake in surface karst waters. The mean D14C and δ13C values of DIC for the spring, midstream pond (MP) and downstream pond (DP) are −26 ± 36‰ and −13 ± 2‰, 6 ± 56‰ and −12 ± 3‰, and 0 ± 64‰ and −9 ± 2‰, respectively. The carbon source for the DIC is mainly from biogenic CO 2 rather than the dissolution of limestone rock as the D14C and δ13C of limestone are about −1000‰ and 2‰, respectively. The enrichment trend of D14C DIC and δ13C DIC from the spring to the DP indicates CO 2 exchange between atmospheric CO 2 and DIC, because D14C and δ13C values of atmospheric CO 2 are ca. 50‰ and −8‰, respectively. The average D14C POC values in the spring, MP and DP were −325‰, −123‰ and −158‰, respectively, which are all lower than these of the DIC in each reservoir. The lower D14C values of the POC may be caused by older soil carbon from surface runoff and dust fall. More aquatic algae were formed through photosynthesis in the stream ponds, especially in summer, shown by strongly increased D14C POC and evidence of growth in EDS/SEM analyses. Furthermore, the D14C values of the submerged aquatic plants range from −153‰ to −26‰, reflecting that the aquatic plants used DIC for photosynthesis. The D14C value of an emergent plant which uses atmospheric CO 2 during photosynthesis is 52.5 ± 0.3‰, equivalent to the atmospheric D14C. Seasonal variations of D14C DIC and δ13C DIC are influenced by soil CO 2 input, primary productivity in the ponds, and CO 2 exchange; hydrochemical condition show lower D14C values but higher δ13C values in cold/dry season, and vice versa in summer rainy season. A simple mass balance calculation indicates ~90% of carbon for the spring DIC is from biogenic CO 2 , with higher contribution in summer due to higher productivity. Although this simple calculation may overestimate the biogenic CO 2 , it indicates that organic decomposition is a major carbon source for DIC in the karst hydrological system. The results of the present study have implications for 14C dating on aquatic plant remains, regional and perhaps global carbon budgets, and the different behaviors of 13C and 14C in karst systems. • The DIC carbon source of the karst spring is mainly from biogenic CO2. • 13C and 14C tracing C source and transformation including photosynthesis CO 2 uptake • Aquatic plants uptake DIC CO 2 may cause an older 14C age. • Biological pump effect in terrestrial water can be an important natural carbon sink. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ecological and environmental problems in the Yellow River Basin of northern China have attracted widespread research attention. This study focused on the soil heavy metals (HMs) in the middle Yellow River Basin; the spatial variations of soil HMs were analyzed using geostatistical techniques, the pollution status and health risks were comprehensively assessed through multiple methods, and the sources of soil HMs were apportioned using a positive matrix factorization (PMF) model. The results showed that the spatial patterns of soil HMs in the study area with a high coefficient of variation (>20 %) exhibited obvious regional zoning, at a low level in the north and a high level in the south. The soil with significantly high HM content was mainly located in the vicinity of industrial cities and usually featured large enrichment factor values (>1.5), especially with respect to Hg, Cd, and Pb, indicating some influence of anthropogenic activities on soil HMs. Based on the comprehensive assessment method, it was found that soil in the study area was clean and safe on the whole, but relatively severe pollution and relatively high risks were found in the strip area of urban agglomeration, including in Tongchuan and Weinan. Further, Hg, Cd, and Pb – with a cumulative contribution of >85 % – were the primary elements to cause soil pollution, while As and Pb were the primary objects leading to health risks, with a cumulative contribution of >95 %. After quantitative analysis using a PMF model, five sources of soil HMs were identified in the south and their contributions decreased in the following order: natural source (43.25 %), industrial source (21.09 %), mixed source (13.15 %), agricultural source (13.11 %) and traffic source (9.40 %). Moreover, some key areas were delineated both with the combined pollution of soil HMs and the relatively high health risk for children. These key areas should be paid more attention to and the Hg, Cd, Pb, and As should be the main objects of prevention and control in the middle Yellow River Basin. • Heavy metals pollution status in soil was evaluated in the middle Yellow River Basin. • Heavy metals showed the obvious spatial heterogeneity and regional zoning. • Human activity caused heavy metals enrichment/pollution near some industrial cities. • Five sources of soil heavy metals in the key area were identified by PMF model. • Hg, Cd, Pb, and As were diagnosed as the main objects of prevention and control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seagrass is an important foundational species in marine ecosystems that plays an important role in providing ecosystem services. However, seagrass distribution and suitable habitat have rapidly declined in recent decades because of climate change and human-mediated disturbances. To achieved better conservation and management of the seagrass Zostera marina , an important representative seagrass in northern China, studies must investigate how this species responds to climate change. Here, we used an ensemble species distribution model to forecast the potential distribution and future suitable habitat change for the eelgrass Z. marina in coastal areas of the Bohai Sea and Shandong Peninsula, China. Two future climate scenarios, RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5, were considered, which represent stable and high levels of greenhouse gas emissions, respectively. The ensemble model accurately predicted the current Z. marina distribution and performed better than the single-algorithm methods of random forest, generalized boosting model and maximum entropy according to performance matrices (AUC and TSS). The distance to land (78.50 ± 3.51%) and the maximum sea surface temperature (11.90 ± 0.25%) were the most important variables determining the distribution of Z. marina , while the contributions of other variables, maximum sea surface current velocity (3.80 ± 0.33%), minimum surface salinity (2.15 ± 0.22%) and water depth (1.74 ± 0.24%) were relatively low. Under future climate scenarios, the suitable habitat of Z. marina was predicted to decrease by more than half by the 2050s, whereas under the pessimistic greenhouse gas emission scenario (RCP 8.5), suitable Z. marina habitat was predicted to decrease by nearly 80% by the end of this century. The loss of Z. marina seagrass beds will have important ecological effects on the marine ecosystem. Our results not only provide valuable information to assist in identifying potential Z. marina meadows, but also have important implications for guiding conservation and management of Z. marina in the northern coastal region of China. • The distribution and suitable habitat of Zostera marina was predicted under current conditions and future climate scenarios. • Ensemble model could accurately predict the present distribution of Zostera marina compare with single-algorithm models. • Climate change may lead to over 50% loss of the suitable habitat for Zostera marina in northern coastal areas of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Belt and Road Initiative proposed by China is a common aspiration of all countries along their routes to achieve sustainable development of the environment, economy, society, and people's livelihood. Recently, prominently raised CO 2 concentration in the Belt and Road region is perceived to give rise to these serious greenhouse effects on severe and sustained global warming. It could lead to related climate instability, adverse natural disasters, glacier melting, and extreme weather patterns. CO 2 -enhanced oil recovery (CO 2 -EOR) is one of the essential CCU technologies. Due to lacking sustainable quantitative evaluation of CCU technology widely used in promising industries, it is imperative to conduct process simulation and optimization evaluation of CCU technology. Considering the lack of sustainable quantitative evaluation of CO 2 -EOR, we proposed a multi-objective optimization and sustainable quantitative assessment to provide insights and enhance the separation of produced gas and CO 2 capture for CO 2 -EOR. Their industrial applications before and after optimization were systematically simulated, discussed, and compared. With unremitting efforts, the optimized CO 2 capture process can stably separate oil field-produced gas into pure CO 2 and oilfield light hydrocarbons, with a mass content of CO 2 over 99.7 wt%. The optimized process demonstrated outstanding technical, economic, social, livelihood, and environmental properties. This study will undoubtedly benefit researchers in related fields of CCU process simulation, promote significant breakthroughs in basic research, superstructure, and commercial applications, and provide a perspective for the Belt and Road Initiative to establish better and optimize CCU devices and realize regional and global cooperation, future scientific and industrial progress. [Display omitted] • The first proposed simulation enhances the separation of produced gas and CO 2 capture for oil recovery. • Detailed process models, original simulation files, and detailed modeling steps are performed. • Life cycle optimization strategies using BAB methods are carried out from multi-dimension. • The optimized process has superior techno-economic-society-livelihood-environment property. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microbial activity has been proposed to play an important role in the genesis of manganese (Mn) carbonate deposition in natural sediments, with microbial reduction of Mn(IV) oxides as a crucial factor that enhances the saturation state of Mn carbonates in pore waters. Recently, the nucleation of Mn carbonates on cellular templates has been suggested to represent a further microbial control. However, microstructural evidence for this model remains tentative and the Mn carbonate nucleation pathway is still unconstrained. Here we report petrographic and in-situ chemistry that supports the direct role(s) of microbes in the formation of Mn carbonates in the giant Malkansu Mn metallogenic belt at West Kunlun, Northwest China. The Mn carbonate ores exhibit negative δ13C values (−10.2 to −12.7‰) that indicate the microbial reduction of Mn oxide. Microscopic data show that the Mn carbonates exhibit spheroidal rod and dumbbell-like shaped morphologies with a well-defined core-shell structure. These carbonates are intimately associated with net-like organic matter. An incubation experiment was also carried out showing that biogenic Mn carbonate minerals share a strikingly similar crystal form with the natural Mn ore samples. Together, these results provide further evidence for a dual role of microbes in Mn‑carbonate ore formation: Mn(II) and carbonate produced by the microbial reduction of Mn(IV) oxides, and the nucleation of Mn carbonate minerals on cellular surfaces and/or organic matrices. Potentially, these Mn carbonates may have self-assembled to form rod- and dumbbell-like shaped morphologies, analogous to other carbonate systems. The unique core-shell structure observed herein also indicates that the formation of Mn‑carbonates mediated by microbes follows a heterogeneous nucleation pathway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite recent advances in diagnosis and therapeutic strategies, treatment of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) remains unsatisfactory in terms of prognosis. Andrographolide (AD), a principal active component of Andrographis paniculata (Burm.f.) Nees , exerts anti-cancer therapeutic properties. AD has been used for centuries in China for clinical treatment of viral infections. However, the pharmacological biology of AD in NSCLC remains unknown. In this study, AD regulated autophagy and PD-L1 expression in NSCLC. Molecular dynamics simulations indicated that AD bound directly to signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 (STAT3) with high affinity. Proteomics analysis indicated that AD reduced the expression of tumour PD-L1 in NSCLC by suppressing JAK2/STAT3 signalling. AD modulated the P62-dependent selective autophagic degradation of PD-L1 by inhibiting STAT3 phosphorylation. In vivo study revealed that AD suppressed tumour growth in H1975 xenograft mice and Lewis lung carcinoma cell models, and better efficacy was obtained at higher concentrations. AD prolonged the survival time of the mice and enhanced the treatment efficacy of anti-PD-1 mAb immunotherapy by stimulating CD8+ T cell infiltration and function. This work elucidated the specific mechanism by which AD inhibited NSCLC. Treatment with the combination of AD and anti-PD-1 mAb immunotherapy could be a potential strategy for patients with NSCLC. [Display omitted] • Andrographolide regulates autophagy and PD-L1 expression in NSCLC. • Andrographolide reduces the expression of tumour PD-L1 in NSCLC by suppressing JAK2/STAT3 signaling. • Andrographolide modulates the p62-dependent selective autophagic degradation of PD-L1 by inhibiting STAT3 phosphorylation. • Andrographolide enhances the treatment efficacy of anti-PD-1 mAb immunotherapy by stimulating CD8+ T cell infiltration and function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oridonin is a diterpenoid isolated from Rabdosia rubescens (Hemsl.) Hara, a well-known herbal tea in China with many health benefits. To provide a better understanding of the potential cardioprotective effect of Oridonin, we investigated the metabolic alterations in heart tissue and serum of rat subjected to myocardial ischemia/reperfusion (MI/R) injury with or without pretreatment of Oridonin by UPLC-MS/MS metabolomics approach. Rats were randomly divided into groups as follows: Control, Sham, MI/R and pretreated with Oridonin (10 mg/kg)+MI/R. After 24 h of reperfusion, heart tissue and serum were collected for biochemical and metabolomic analysis. Pretreatment with Oridonin significantly decreased infarct size and reversed the abnormal elevated myocardial zymogram in serum. Moreover, Oridonin regulated several metabolic pathways, including glycolysis, branched chain amino acid, kynurenine, arginine, glutamine and bile acid metabolism. Our results suggest that Oridonin indeed displays outstanding cardioprotective effect mainly by regulating energy and amino acid metabolism. Scheme summarizing the potential mechanisms of Oridonin against MI/R injury by regulating several host metabolic pathways, including glycolysis, branched chain amino acid, kynurenine, arginine and bile acid metabolism. Image 1 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three new indole alkaloid derivatives, fissindoalkas A-C (1-3) together with one known biogenetically related polysubstituted indole alkaloid (4) were isolated from the roots of Fissistigma oldhamii (Hemsl.) Merr. The structures of compounds 1-4 were elucidated using comprehensive spectroscopic methods. The inhibitory activities of compounds 1-4 against nitric oxide (NO) production induced by lipopolysaccharide (LPS) were evaluated in vitro using mouse macrophage RAW264.7 cells. Compounds 2 and 3 showed potent inhibitory activities on NO production with IC 50 values of 2.52 ± 0.18 and 2.33 ± 0.16 μM. These results indicate that the discovery of indole alkaloid derivatives, from the roots of F. oldhamii, which show significant anti-inflammatory properties, could be of great importance to the research and for the development of novel natural anti-inflammatory agents., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declared that they have no conflicts of interest to this work., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Continuing Medical Education (CME) is an important part of the training process for health workers worldwide. In China, training in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) not only improves the expertise of medical workers, but also supports the Chinese Government's policy of promoting TCM as an equal treatment to western medicine. CME, including learning Traditional Chinese Medicine Technologies (TCMTs), perform poorly and research into the motivation of health workers to engage in CME is urgently required. Using a discrete choice experiment, this study assessed the CME learning preferences of primary health workers, using TCMT as a case study of CME programs., Methods: We conducted a discrete choice experiment among health workers in Shandong Province, Guizhou Province, and Henan provinces from July 1, 2021 to October 1, 2022 on the TCMT learning preferences of primary health workers. The mixed logit model and latent class analysis model were used to analyze primary health workers' TCMT learning preferences., Results: A total of 1,063 respondents participated in this study, of which 1,001 (94.2%) passed the consistency test and formed the final sample. Our key finding was that there were three distinct classes of TCMT learners. Overall, the relative importance of the seven attributes impacting the learning of TCMTs were: learning expenses, expected TCMT efficacy, TCMT learning difficulty, TCMT mode of learning, TCMT type, time required to learn, and expected frequency of TCMT use. However, these attributes differed significantly across the three distinct classes of TCMT learners. Infrequent users (class 1) were concerned with learning expenses and learning difficulty; workaholics (class 2) focused on the mode of learning; and pragmatists (class 3) paid more attention to the expected TCMT efficacy and the expected frequency of TCMT use. We recommend targeted strategies to motivate TCMT learning suited to the requirements of each class of TCMT learners., Conclusion: Rather than a single TCMT medical education program for primary health workers, CME programs should be targeted at different classes of TCMT learners., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

The chikungunya virus (CHIKV) is widespread. In Zhejiang province, China, CHIKV infection is often associated with travelers from tropical and subtropical countries. In the present study, three CHIKV isolates from serum samples of travelers in Zhejiang province in 2019 were sequenced, and phylogenetically analyzed to study their molecular characteristics. Sequence analysis showed that the non-structural protein and the structural protein had 37 and 28 amino acid mutations, respectively; no mutation site was found at the E1-A226 residue, which could increase the adaptability of CHIKV to Aedes albopictus. All three samples carried two mutations, namely, E1-K211E and E2-V264A, which were introduced to Bangladesh around late 2015 and Thailand in early 2017. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that these three CHIKVs were Indian Ocean lineage of the East Africa/Central/South Africa genotype (ECSA) and that the MF773566 strain from Bangladesh (Australia/Bangladesh 2017) had the closest evolutionary relationship. The three CHICKs imported into Zhejiang province in 2019 belonged to the ECSA genotype and had multiple amino acid variation sites. The variation in the three samples provides a certain reference for the subsequent research on CHIKV evolution., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background: Coxsackievirus A10 (CA10) is one of the etiological agents associated with hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD)., Objectives: We aimed to perform a retrospective analysis of the molecular epidemiological characteristics and genetic features of HFMD associated with CA10 infections in Zhejiang Province from 2017 to 2022., Study Design: Epidemiologic features were summarized. Throat swab specimens were collected and tested. The VP1 regions were sequenced for genotyping. CA10 positive samples were isolated. Whole genomes of CA10 isolations were sequenced. Nucleotide and amino acid changes were characterized. Phylogenetic trees were constructed., Results: The number of HFMD cases fluctuated from 2017 to 2022. Children aged below 3 years accounted for the majority (66.29%) and boys were more frequently affected than girls. Cases peaked in June. The positivity rate of HEV was 62.69%. A total of 90 strains of CA10 were isolated and 53 genomes were obtained. All CA10 in this study could be assigned to two genogroups, C (C2) and F (F1 and F3)., Conclusion: The clinical manifestations of HFMD associated with HEV are complex and diverse. CA10 infection may be emerging as a new and major cause of HFMD because an upward trend was observed in the proportion of CA10 cases after the use of EV71 vaccines. Different genogroups of CA10 had different geographic distribution patterns. Surveillance should be strengthened and further comprehensive studies should be continued to provide a scientific basis for HFMD prevention and control., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest None declared., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: The site of lymph node metastasis (LNM) may affect the prognosis of patients with esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). To investigate the prognoses of pararespiratory and paradigestive LNM and to propose a novel N (nN) staging system that integrates both the LNM site and count., Methods: This study was a multicenter, large-sample, retrospective cohort study that included ESCC patients with LNM between January 2014 and December 2019 from three Chinese institutes. Patients were set into training (two institutes) and external validation (one institute) cohorts. The primary outcomes were survival differences in LNM site and the development of novel nodal staging system. The overall survival (OS) of patients with pararespiratory LNM only (Group A), paradigestive LNM only (Group B), and both sites (Group C) was evaluated by Kaplan-Meier. Cox proportional hazards models were used to identify the independent prognostic factors. An nN staging system considering both the LNM site and count was developed and evaluated by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC)., Results: In total, 1313 patients were included and split into training (n = 1033) and external validation (n = 280) cohorts. There were 342 (26.0%), 568 (43.3%) and 403 (30.7%) patients in groups A, B and C, respectively. The OS of patients with pararespiratory and patients with paradigestive LNM presented significant differences in the training and validation cohorts (P < 0.050). In the training cohort, LNM site was an independent prognostic factor (hazard ratio: 1.58, 95% confidence intervals: 1.41-1.77, P < 0.001). The nN staging definition: nN1 (1-2 positive pararespiratory/paradigestive LNs), nN2 (3-6 pararespiratory LNs or 1 pararespiratory with 1paradigestive LN), nN3 (3-6 LNs with ≥ 1 paradigestive LN), nN4 (≥ 7 LNs). Subsets of patients with different nN stages showed significant differences in OS (P < 0.050). The prognostic model of the nN staging system presented higher performance in the training and validation cohorts at 3-year OS (AUC, 0.725 and 0.751, respectively) and 5-year OS (AUC, 0.740 and 0.793, respectively) than the current N staging systems., Conclusions: Compared to pararespiratory LNM, the presence of paradigestive LNM is associated with worse OS. The nN staging system revealed superior prognostic ability than current N staging systems., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Backgrounds: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) has been a global threat since 2020. The emergence of the Omicron variant in 2021, which replaced Delta as the dominant variant of concern, has had a significant adverse impact on the global economy and public health. During this period, Zhejiang Province implemented dynamic zeroing and focused on preventing imported cases. This study aimed to gain clear insight into the characteristics of imported COVID-19 cases in Zhejiang Province., Methods: We conducted a systematic molecular epidemiological analysis of 146 imported cases between July 2021 and November 2022 in Zhejiang Province. Virus samples with cycle threshold (Ct) value less than 32 were performed next generation sequencing. Basing the whole genome sequence obtained after quality control and assembly of reads, the whole genome variation map and phylogenetic tree were constructed and further analyzed., Results: Our study identified critical months and populations for surveillance, profiled the variation of various lineages, determined the evolutionary relationships among various lineages of SARS-CoV-2, and compared the results in Zhejiang with those obtained worldwide during this period., Conclusion: The continuous molecular epidemiological surveillance of imported cases of COVID-19 in Zhejiang Province during 2021 to 2022 is consistent with the global epidemic trend., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2023 Zhou, Sun, Mao, Su, Lou, Yan, Yao, Chen and Zhang.)