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Capillary water, serving as a crucial intermediary between groundwater and crop root layer moisture, is important for both soil retention and crop utilization. To investigate the effect of mulched drip irrigation (MDI) on upward capillary water in cotton fields with different application years (0, 10, 14, 18, 20, and 24 years) in the saline–sodic region of Northwest China, an indoor soil column test (one-dimensional capillary water rise experiment) was conducted. The results showed that the wetting front transport law, capillary water recharge, and wetting front transport rate over time exhibited an increasing trend in the early stages of MDI application (10 and 14 years), peaking at 18 years of application, followed by a decreasing trend. The relationship between the capillary water recharge and rising height was fitted based on the Green–Ampt model, and their slopes reveal that 14 and 18 years of MDI application required the largest amount of water per unit distance, indicating an excellent water-holding capacity beneficial for plant growth. Conversely, 0 years required the smallest amount of water per unit distance. Based on the movement characteristics of upper capillary water, we confirmed that the MDI application years (0–18 years) improves soil infiltration capacity, while the long-term application years (18–24 years) reduces groundwater replenishment to the soil. Furthermore, the HYDRUS-1D model was employed to simulate the capillary water rise process and soil moisture distribution under different MDl application years. The results showed an excellent consistency with the soil column experiments, confirming the accuracy of HYDRUS-1D in simulating the capillary water dynamics in saline–sodic areas. The results would provide suggestions to achieve the sustainable development of long-term drip-irrigated cotton fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cotton holds a significant position among cash crops in China, with Xinjiang serving as the primary cotton‐growing region within the country. Agricultural practices involving plastic mulching have gained importance. However, the presence of residual plastic film affects the growth of cotton seedlings as well as the soil environment. Our study aimed to explore the impact of residual plastic film accumulation on the growth of cotton seedlings and the associated soil water‐salt environment. This was done through a barrel planting experiment, utilizing soil from cotton fields with varying durations of mulching. The study showed that when the mulching period exceeded 12 years (residual plastic film content of 260.77 kg hm−2), residual plastic film had a significant impact on cotton seedling growth and the soil environment. Residual plastic film reduces the seedling germination rate of cotton by up to 11.11% (7 days after irrigation, 15 years of film mulching, residual plastic film content of 309.88 kg hm−2). It also impedes the growth of cotton seedlings; plant height, stem thickness, and leaf area were reduced by 34.52%, 10.73%, and 37.18%, respectively (19 days after irrigation, 15 years of film mulching, residual plastic film content of 309.88 kg·hm−2). Compared with the treatment without residual plastic film, the shallow soil water content in the T5 treatment decreased by 1.19% (10 days after irrigation, 15 years of film mulching, residual plastic film content of 309.88 kg·hm−2). Residual plastic film in cotton fields subjected to long‐term mulching obstructs the normal growth and development of cotton seedlings while also impacting the transport of soil water and salt. Therefore, we recommend adopting biodegradable mulch or regularly recycling residual plastic film within mulched areas to prevent its accumulation and subsequent negative impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The evaluation of soil particle composition and salt dynamics is essential for promoting the sustainable development of oasis agriculture in arid regions under long-term mulched drip irrigation (MDI). In this study, we employed the space-for-time substitution method to investigate the long-term effects of MDI on soil particle composition and salinity. Additionally, seven fields, with MDI durations ranging from 0 to 16 years, were selected to represent the primary successional sequence though time in Northwest China. Soil samples were collected from three soil depths (0–30 cm, 30–60 cm, and 60–100 cm) and then analyzed in the laboratory for soil particle composition and salt content. Our findings demonstrated that influenced by the depth of mechanical cultivation and the maximum wetting front depth, the long-term application of MDI significantly altered both the structure of soil layers and the composition of soil particles after 8 years. Soil sand content and soil salinity gradually decreased, whereas the content of soil silt and clay increased with increasing MDI duration throughout 0–100 cm soil depth. Furthermore, the rates of soil desalination stabilized after 10 years of MDI application, with desalination levels exceeding 90% in the 0–100 cm soil layer. Additionally, the soil mass fractal dimension (Dm) exhibited an upward trend across 0–100 cm soil depth. The changes in soil particle composition indirectly influenced the variations in Dm and salt content. Our study demonstrated that long-term application of MDI effectively mitigated soil salinity, changed soil structure, and ultimately enhanced soil quality and cotton yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Acute kidney injury (AKI) after coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) surgery is associated with poor outcomes. The objective of this study was to apply a new machine learning (ML) method to establish prediction models of AKI after CABG. Methods: A total of 2,780 patients from two medical centers in East China who underwent primary isolated CABG were enrolled. The dataset was randomly divided for model training (80%) and model testing (20%). Four ML models based on LightGBM, Support vector machine (SVM), Softmax and random forest (RF) algorithms respectively were established in Python. A total of 2,051 patients from two other medical centers were assigned to an external validation group to verify the performances of the ML prediction models. The models were evaluated using the area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC), Hosmer-Lemeshow goodness-of-fit statistic, Bland-Altman plots, and decision curve analysis. The outcome of the LightGBM model was interpreted using SHapley Additive exPlanations (SHAP). Results: The incidence of postoperative AKI in the modeling group was 13.4%. Similarly, the incidence of postoperative AKI of the two medical centers in the external validation group was 8.2% and 13.6% respectively. LightGBM performed the best in predicting, with an AUC of 0.8027 in internal validation group and 0.8798 and 0.7801 in the external validation group. The SHAP revealed the top 20 predictors of postoperative AKI ranked according to the importance, and the top three features on prediction were the serum creatinine in the first 24 h after operation, the last preoperative Scr level, and body surface area. Conclusion: This study provides a LightGBM predictive model that can make accurate predictions for AKI after CABG surgery. The LightGBM model shows good predictive ability in both internal and external validation. It can help cardiac surgeons identify high-risk patients who may experience AKI after CABG surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) is the fiber crop most widely cultivated globally and one of the most important commercial crops in China, irrigation is closely related to the growth of cotton. A water temperature for irrigation that is too low or too high inhibits cotton growth. Poor irrigation timing results in water and nutrient deficiencies that reduce cotton yield. Therefore, it is necessary to determine the appropriate irrigation timing and water temperature. METHOD: We conducted an experiment in an arid region of north‐western China to assess the effects of irrigation timing and water temperature on soil temperature and the photosynthetic characteristics, biomass, total nitrogen (N), and seed cotton yield. Two irrigation times (daytime and nighttime) and four water temperatures (15, 20, 25, and 30 °C) were combined into eight treatments. RESULTS: Our results showed that water warming and nighttime irrigation improved the photosynthesis, biomass, N concentration (the proportion of total N weight in the plant biomass, in g kg−1), N content (the mass of total N, in g plant−1), and cotton yield. The optimal water temperature range for photosynthesis was 25.7–28.7 °C. Water warming also boosted the biomass allocation to the stem and increased the N allocation to the stem and leaf. Nighttime irrigation enhanced these phenomena. Water warming also increased the number of bolls per plant but reduced the single boll weight, increasing the seed cotton yield by 5.88–11.46%. At the same water temperature, irrigation during the night increased the number of bolls per plant and the single boll weight, improving the seed cotton yield by 2.95–4.31%. Among them, NI25 (nighttime irrigation with 25 °C water temperature) increased the yield by 14.13–14.90% compared with CK (daytime irrigation with 15 °C water temperature), which offers the best combination for increasing the yield. CONCLUSION: Our study clarifies the optimal irrigation timing and water temperature for cotton production under drip irrigation with film mulching, providing valuable information for improving the cotton yield in arid areas with temperate continental climate. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the uncertainty of conservation tillage on output, technology demonstration, as an information disclosure mechanism, is very worthy of attention for its effects on rural households' conservation tillage adoption. This study constructs a three-stage technology adoption model to discuss the theoretical relationship between technology demonstration and rural households' conservation tillage adoption decision, and then empirical analyzed it using a sampling rural household data from six provinces in the main grain-producing areas of China. The results show that: First, the cognition of conservation tillage is the pre-determined stage for the adoption and its intensity. Second, technology demonstration has significant positive effect on rural households' cognition of conservation tillage, but it strongly negative related to the adoption and adoption intensity. Third, extending the technology demonstration time cannot change the rural households' adoption decision. Fourth, the technological demonstration has similar effects on the conservation tillage adoption of small-scale and large-scale farmers. Fifth, increasing land size helps rural households to adopt conservation tillage, while land fragmentation hinders their adoption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How to reduce household food waste has emerged as an important issue worldwide. Considering the potential endogeneity issue, the present study utilizes the treatment effects model to analyse the effect of dietary awareness on household food waste using data from China. The results showed that improving dietary awareness could significantly increase household food waste overall. However, this impact is heterogeneous among households of different characteristics. Improving dietary awareness leads to more food waste for households with young and old food decision-makers, but contributes to less food waste for households of middle-aged makers. Also, the positive effect of dietary awareness on household food waste weakens as income increases. These findings propose a new perspective to understand the heterogeneity in household food waste in the context of dietary awareness promotion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seaweed communities perform a variety of ecological services, including primary productivity supply, biological habitat construction, water purification, and acting as marine carbon sinks. The abundance of seaweed is the basis for the assessment of ecological services in communities. The Ma'an Archipelago, adjacent to the Yangtze River estuary in China, is an important and typical island group. In this study, the abundance of seaweed in the typical coastal islands of the Ma'an Archipelago, Zhejiang Province, was evaluated by means of sonar detection and scuba diving sampling methods. The organic carbon content of six dominant seaweed species was measured to estimate the carbon sequestration capacity of the dominant species in the Ma'an Archipelago. The results show that 27 species of Rhodophyta, 10 species of Ochrophyta, and two species of Chlorophyta were found in the Ma'an Archipelago. Seaweed was distributed in the coastal areas of the islands, with a distribution width of 2–60 m. Gouqi Island had the longest shoreline, and there, the distribution depth of the seaweed reached 15 m and the area of the seaweed community was the largest. The slope of the rocks in the Sanheng survey area was large and the width of the seaweed community was small. The distribution area of seaweed in the Ma'an Archipelago was 6.51–13.43 km2 and the organic carbon content of the seaweed was 33.16 ± 3.26%. The biomass of Ochrophyta in the Ma'an Archipelago was the largest, followed by Chlorophyta and Rhodophyta. Among the six dominant species, the carbon sequestration of Sargassum thunbergii was the largest, at 277.91–848.74 t per year, and that of Undaria pinnatifida was the smallest. This study provides scientific guidance for the assessment of the primary productivity supply, carbon sink, and conservation capacity of seaweeds in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Underwater wet-mateable connectors have been widely used to reduce the cost and the time of installation, maintenance and reconfiguration in many fields, such as the oil and gas (O&G) industry, offshore renewable energy (ORE), and undersea observatories. In the past few years, the authors' group has made some efforts in developing wet-mateable connectors. This paper presents a methodology for designing and testing a wet-mateable electrical connector. First, an innovative wet-mateable electrical connector with dual-bladder pressure-balanced oil-filled (PBOF) technology is proposed. Second, the generalized equations of differential pressure are derived. Then, a procedure of thermal-electric-structure (TES) coupling simulation is proposed, and a series of finite element analysis (FEA) involving coupled multi-field problems is conducted, including thermal-electric coupling analysis, static structural analysis, and dynamic analysis. Finally, a prototype of the proposed connector is developed successfully, and its electrical performance is verified by the online test in a hydrostatic pressure environment with an ocean depth of 3000 m, which has reached the leading level in China. This paper is the first discloser on wet-mateable connectors in the aspects of design, theory, simulation and testing, which might be helpful to many ocean scientists in developing countries who are technically blocked or could not afford the high cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Crohn's disease (CD) is a chronic disease that may have an adverse impact on health-related quality of life (HRQoL). This study aimed to describe the HRQoL of CD patients and assess correlating factors using the EQ-5D-5L in China.Methods: We recruited CD patients at Shanghai Renji Hospital from October 2018 to May 2019. The data collected included demographic and clinical information, medical expenditures, and EQ-5D-5L questionnaire responses. The chi-square test or Fisher's exact test was applied to analyse the proportion of patients in subgroups at each level. After the selection of correlating variables by univariate analysis, multivariate regression analyses were used to explore the correlating factors of HRQoL in CD patients.Results: A total of 202 CD inpatients with a mean disease duration of 3.3 years were enrolled in the study. A total of 71.8% of patients were males, and 49.5% of patients were aged between 30 and 49 years. The average EQ-5D-5L utility score was 0.85, with a standard deviation (SD) of 0.12. Males, ileum lesions, remission status, and lower expenditure predicted higher EQ-5D-5L scores. In each EQ-5D-5L dimension, the proportion of patients differed significantly by gender, disease activity and location subgroup. In the multivariate regression models, being in an active CD state and using antibiotics had significantly adverse impacts on HRQoL (p < 0.05).Conclusions: CD may have a significant negative impact on HRQoL in Chinese CD patients. Being in an active phase of the disease and using antibiotics were identified as affecting HRQoL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In the stage of sustainable development, enterprises should not only focus on economic efficiency, but also on ecological protection, for which the governments of various countries has adopted various environmental regulation methods to promote green investment by enterprises. However, there are many types of environmental regulations, and the relationship between policy formulation and implementation effects is complicated. Heavily polluting enterprises as the main carrier of resource consumption and pollutant emissions is the main target of environmental regulation. Based on this, we took China's heavily polluting listed companies as examples to explore the impact of different types of environmental regulations on green investment in heavily polluting enterprises. Results: In this paper, environmental regulations were divided into formal and informal types, of which formal environmental regulations (FER) were subdivided into command-control and market-incentive types. The empirical results showed that the relationship between command-control environmental regulations and green investment by heavily polluting enterprises presents an inverted "U" shape, and market-incentive environmental regulations first have no effect on and then promote green investment by heavily polluting enterprises. Besides, informal environmental regulations (IER) have maintained a positive effect on green investment by heavily polluting enterprises. Conclusions: Heavily polluting enterprises, respectively, employ passive, active and voluntary green investment strategies under the three types of environmental regulations, providing a reference for the government to promote green investment by enterprises by environmental regulations more effectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sustainable development and utilization of saline-alkali land are closely related to holding fast the minimum cultivated land area of China. The change of soil salt in cotton field under long-term mulched drip irrigation (MDI) is connected with the development of the national cotton industry. From 2015 to 2019, five cotton fields with different applying years of MDI, which were reclaimed in 2004, 2008, 2010, 2012 and 2015 respectively and were saline-alkali wasteland before, were monitored continuously in the Manas River irrigation area of Xinjiang. By means of continuous location monitoring and spatial–temporal variability (For example, the monitoring data of cotton fields under MDI in 2004, 2008, 2010, 2012 and 2015, and in the year of 2015 were counted as 12, 8, 6, 4 and 1 years, respectively), the spatial–temporal variations of soil salt and ions in cotton field with 1-16a MDI technology were presented. The cotton growth characteristics and its main influencing factors were also analyzed in the study. The results showed that saline-alkali cotton field experienced changed from intensive saline soil to moderate saline soil and finally to non-saline soil under long-term MDI. The change of soil salt and the response of cotton growth to soil salt were divided into three typical stages. Firstly, soil desalinated rapidly in 1-4a MDI cotton field, which the annual average desalination rate was 24.93% in 0–100 cm soil layer (root zone). Additionally, the survival rate of cotton rocketed from 1.48% to 42.04%, and yield increased sharply from 72.43 kg ha−1 to 3075.90 kg ha−1. Soil desalination was lower in 5-11a MDI cotton field, which the annual average desalination rate was 10.92% at the root zone. The annual survival rate and yield of cotton increased by 6.26% and 5.18%, respectively. After 12a MDI, the soil salt in cotton field tended to be generally constant, which the average salt content in root zone was less than 2.49 g kg−1. The survival rate of cotton was stable above 90.39%, and the yield per unit area exceeded 5401.32 kg ha−1. Ions, sodium absorption ratio and Cl− and SO42− equivalent ratio (CSER) in cotton soil also decreased with the extension of MDI. Salt composition changed year by year, but the type of intensive saline soil had always been chloride-sulphate solonchak (0.2 < CSER < 1). In practice, with a higher irrigation quota and ideal irrigation water quality, the soil salt environment of saline-alkali soil MDI cotton field had developed in favor of cotton growth in an oasis irrigation area. However, this management practice caused between 124.21–143.61 mm of water resources waste. Therefore, we should further enhanced the consciousness of water-saving and implemented quota management in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In China, the increasing traffic pressure has created traffic policing problems such as the heavy workloads of traffic police, as well as more conflicts between traffic police and road users. The treatment of traffic policing as a semiotic practice provides both a new perspective in and a helpful approach to dealing with these problems, yet few studies have investigated how semiotic resources are used in traffic policing interactions. This article examines the supportive role of semiotic resources in traffic policing, and draws upon genre and exchanges involved as an illustration. The data include three audio recordings of traffic accident handling cases in Shanghai, China. Through qualitative analysis of the data from the perspective of Systemic Functional Linguistics, this article identifies the genre stages (both obligatory and optional stages) in traffic accident handling and their logico-semantic relations, and situates the typical exchanges and moves used by traffic police in different stages. It also discusses the usefulness of semiotic resources for traffic policing and the implications of these resources in tackling the existing problems of traffic policing in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low temperatures are important for the production of spring maize in northern China. While the low-temperature tolerance of maize seeds can be improved by coating them, this can result in environmental pollution, high costs, and instability. Therefore, identifying new varieties of maize is the most effective method of improving the ability of maize crops to withstand low temperatures. In this experiment, four low-temperature tolerant maize inbred lines (DNF266, Zhong 451, B73, Dan 340) and four low-temperature sensitive maize inbred lines (Luyuan 92, Ji 853, Huangzaosi, Si 144) were selected from the northern spring maize area. The griffing double-row hybridization design method was used to prepare 28 hybrid combinations. After analysing the general combining ability and the special combining ability of each combination, we found that the indoor low-temperature index and low-temperature seedings were extremely similar for all combinations. The hybridization and parental inbred lines were subjected to low-temperature treatments under both laboratory conditions and in the field. Several low-temperature indexes were assessed to identify what results could be produced from combining them. Under both treatments, the inbred line DNF266 had a higher general combining ability and the Zhong 451 × Dan 340 hybrid combination had a higher special combining ability. These results provide technical support for breeding new low-temperature varieties of maize. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Anthropogenic aerosols could alter multiple meteorological processes such as radiation regime and air temperature, thereby modifying plant transpiration. However, the lack of field observations at leaf and plant level hinders our ability to understand how aerosols could affect plant water use.Aerosol concentrations in northern China fluctuate periodically over a wide range. Taking advantage of this unique natural experiment opportunity, we conducted a series of physiological and environmental measurements at different times of the day to explore diurnal aerosols' effect on leaf transpiration and sap flow of planted poplar saplings (Populus × canadensis Moench).We found that high aerosol concentrations suppressed sun leaf transpiration by reducing leaf‐to‐air vapour pressure deficit (VPDleaf), while had no effect on shade leaf transpiration mainly because the negative effect of reduced VPDleaf on transpiration offset the positive effects of the increased stomatal conductance (gs). As aerosol concentration increased, the gs of both sun and shade leaves decreased more rapidly with an increase in VPDleaf, which caused their transpiration rates to become less sensitive to VPDleaf. Similarly, aerosols reduced sap flow density and its sensitivity to VPD.Synthesis. Our study provided observational evidence on aerosols' effects on plant transpiration at the leaf and canopy scales. The reduced transpiration and stronger stomatal control indicated that plant water use becomes more conservative under elevated aerosol concentrations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The length–weight relationships (LWRs) for seven fish species belonging to five families in the Yangtze River Estuary and its adjacent waters are presented. Cynoglossus gracilis, Cynoglossus macrolepidotus, Ctenotrypauchen chinensis, Collichthys niveatus, Ophichthusapicalis and Erisphex potti were collected monthly in 2009 using trammel nets (the size of smaller mesh net was 1.5 m × 15 m × 4 panels with mesh sizes of 2.5, 3.4, 4.3 and 5.8 cm; the size of larger‐mesh net was 2.4 m × 30 m × 4 panels with mesh sizes of 5.0, 6.0, 7.0 and 8.0 cm; soaking overnight). Lophiogobius ocellicauda were collected December in 2020 using shrimp trawl nets (mesh size 2.0 cm). The precision of measurement for the fish specimens is 0.1 cm total length and 0.1 g total weight. The estimated ranges of the parameters a and b for the seven fish species were from 0.0001 to 0.0289 and 2.718 to 3.541, respectively. Two new maximum total length were recorded for Ctenotrypauchen chinensis and Ophichthusapicalis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Mother-to-child transmission (MTCT) cannot be completely prevented by the administration of active-passive immunoprophylaxis in pregnant women with hepatitis B virus (HBV) DNA levels <106 copies/mL. This study will assess the economic outcomes of expanding antiviral prophylaxis in pregnant women with HBV DNA levels <106 copies/mL. Methods A decision model was adopted to measure the economic outcomes of expanded antiviral prophylaxis at different cutoff values of HBV DNA in HBsAg(+) pregnant women in the context of the United States and China. The model inputs, including clinical, cost, and utility data, were extracted from published studies. Sensitivity analyses were carried out to examine the uncertainty of the model outputs. Quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs) and direct medical costs were expressed over a lifetime horizon. Results Compared with standard antiviral prophylaxis at HBV DNA ≥106 copies/mL, expanded antiviral prophylaxis improved the health outcomes, and the incremental cost of expanded antiviral prophylaxis varied from $2063 in pregnant women with HBV DNA ≥105 copies/mL to $14 925 in all HBsAg(+) pregnant women per QALY gained in the United States, and from $1624 to $12 348 in China. The model outcome was considerably influenced by the discount rate, key clinical parameters related to the incidence of MTCT, and efficacy of the prophylaxis strategy. Conclusions This study indicates that antiviral prophylaxis using tenofovir among pregnant women with HBV DNA <106 copies/mL may be a cost-effective option, and the cutoff value of the HBV DNA load for antiviral prophylaxis needs to be tailored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: China launched the National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP) in 2010 and set the goal that all health facilities should be able to diagnose malaria. Additionally, hospitals at all levels could treat malaria by 2015. To provide a reference for the control of imported malaria, a study was conducted on the distribution of malaria patients seeking care in different types of health facilities. Methods: There were two data sources. One was obtained through the Infectious Diseases Information Reporting Management System (IDIRMS), which only contained the name of health facilities and the number of cases. The other was obtained through multistage stratified cluster sampling. Descriptive statistical analysis was used to investigate the distribution of malaria patients attending different types of health facilities (hospitals, township hospitals, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), hospital tiers (county-level, prefecture-level, and provincial-level), and hospital levels (primary, secondary, and tertiary). Chi-square test was also used to compare the proportions of patients seeking care outside their current residence region between different types of hospitals. Point maps were drawn to visualize the spatial distribution of hospitals reporting malaria cases, and flow maps were created to show the spatial flow of malaria patients by using the ArcGIS software. Results: The proportions of malaria patients who sought care in hospitals, township hospitals, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention were 81.7%, 14.7%, and 3.6%, respectively. For those who sought care in hospitals, the percentages of patients who sought care in provincial-level, prefecture-level and county-level hospitals were 17.4%, 60.5% and 22.1%, correspondingly; the proportions of patients who sought care in tertiary hospitals, secondary hospitals, and primary hospitals were 59.8%, 39.9%, and 0.3%, respectively. Moreover, the proportions of patients seeking care in hospitals within county and prefectural administrative areas were 18.2%, 63.4%, respectively. Conclusion: During the implementation of NMEP, malaria patients tended to seek care in tertiary hospitals and prefecture-level hospitals, and more than half of patients could be treated in hospitals in prefecture-level areas. In the current phase, it is necessary to establish referral system from county-level hospitals to higher-level hospitals for malaria treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Four biodegradable films were tested to replace PE films in cotton fields under mulched drip irrigation. • Film degradation, soil salinity, residue film accumulation, yield, and WUE were compared. • Degradation process and accumulation of residual film were different between tested films. • Thicker PBAT films and PE films performed similarly in improving cotton yield. • Due to the least accumulation of residual film and highest yield, thicker PBAT films were recommended. To alleviate soil pollution caused by mulching polyethylene (PE) films that are non-degradable and non-recoverable, we evaluated different biodegradable (BD) films (starch-polymer, polybutyrate adipate terephthalate or PBAT, and butylene succinate-co-butylene adipate or PBSA) as alternatives to PE films for mulched drip irrigation in a cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) field in Xinjiang, the largest cotton-planting region in China. Film degradation, soil salinity, residue film accumulation, cotton yield, and water use efficiency (WUE) were compared between BD and PE films in two consecutive years (2015–2016). We found that the accumulation of residual film was significantly stronger in plots covered by PE films than by BD films. At the early stage of cotton growth, BD and PE films performed similarly in conserving water in topsoil (0–40 cm depth). Degradation of BD films initiated 40–60 days after sowing. Thus, at the late stage of cotton growth, PE films remained intact and were more effective than BD films in wetting the soil. Due to the drier soil, soil salinity in plots covered by BD films was higher than those by PE films. PBAT films showed a slower degradation process than PBSA and starch films under the mulching condition but degraded more completely after buried in soil. After mulched drip irrigation was managed for two years, cotton yield showed no significant difference between plots with PE films (5722 kg ha−1) and those with thicker PBAT films (5699 kg ha−1). However, mulching PE films resulted in a significantly higher WUE than BD films. Therefore, we suggest thicker PBAT films (with the highest yield and WUE and the lowest accumulation of residual film) as potential alternatives to PE films to improve cotton yield and control soil pollution under mulched drip irrigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. This study constructs, calibrates, and verifies a mathematical simulation model designed to project the natural history of ESCC and is intended to serve as a platform for testing the benefits and cost-effectiveness of primary and secondary ESCC prevention alternatives. Methods. The mathematical model illustrates the natural history of ESCC as a sequence of transitions among health states, including the primary health states (e.g., normal mucosa, precancerous lesions, and undetected and detected cancer). Using established calibration approaches, the parameter sets related to progression rates between health states were optimized to lead the model outputs to match the observed data (specifically, the prevalence of precancerous lesions and incidence of ESCC from the published literature in Chinese high-risk regions). As illustrative examples of clinical and policy application, the calibrated and validated model retrospectively simulate the potential benefit of two reported ESCC screening programs. Results. Nearly 1,000 good-fitting parameter sets were identified from 1,000,000 simulated sets. Model outcomes had sufficient calibration fit to the calibration targets. Additionally, the verification analyses showed reasonable external consistency between the model-predicted effectiveness of ESCC screening and the reported data from clinical trials. Conclusions. This parameterized mathematical model offers a tool for future research investigating benefits, costs, and cost-effectiveness related to ESCC prevention and treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biodegradable films are considered an environmentally-friendly alternative to traditional polyethylene (PE) film mulches, as they effectively reduce film pollution in the farmland when using mulched drip irrigation. However, the effects of different degradable films on soil micro-climate and maize growth have not been examined, especially under different irrigation amounts, which are critical considerations for oasis agriculture in arid areas. Therefore, we conducted a field study in 2019–2020 on maize farmland using two biodegradable films, one with an 80-day induction period (M 80) and the other with a 100-day induction period (M 100), and compared them with traditional PE film (M PE). Four irrigation amounts (4875, 5250, 5625, and 6000 m3 ha−1) were tested. Our results showed that weight loss rates of M 80 and M 100 were 7.21 times and 9.63 times higher than that of M PE , and this degradation process was slowed down with increased irrigation amounts. We attribute this mitigation to changes in soil moisture and the physiological characteristics of the crop. Using film of higher resilience together with higher irrigation amount resulted in more active photosynthesis and fluorescence, especially at the later maize growth stage, and improved maize yield compared to the other degradable film. In addition, the reduction in maize yield caused by the use of biodegradable films could be largely compensated for by applying higher irrigation amounts. Our findings recommend using M 100 with an irrigation amount of 5625 m3 ha−1 for maintaining maize yields while reducing plastic pollution. [Display omitted] • Biodegradable films significantly reduce film residuals in maize field. • Mulching with films and irrigation amounts together control maize growth. • Yield reduction by using biodegradable films was compensated by higher irrigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disputes and conflicts affect interpersonal relationships. The key factors in resolution are what attitudes people take and what kinds of reconciliation people choose. The paper examines the language of judges from the perspective of Systemic Functional Linguistics, specifically Appraisal System. It presents a case study that is a civil one brought to court in Tahe County in China. The case concerns the conflict and dispute between a chicken raiser and his neighbor. The judge resolved the conflicts and disputes, and the two parties were reconciled. The appraisal analysis of the language used by the two parties explains how conflicts and disputes occurred. The appraisal analysis of the judge's language explains how the mediation succeeded in reconciling the conflicts and disputes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to alleviate the shortage of water resources for cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) planting in Xinjiang of China, a reasonable amount of nitrogen application under brackish water irrigation was sought. A two-year field experiment was conducted to investigate the effects of nitrogen application rate and irrigation water salinity on seed cotton yield, nitrogen partial factor productivity and fiber quality in Xinjiang under mulched drip irrigation in 2019 and 2020. In this study, we selected four nitrogen application rates (i.e., 100, 200, 300, and 400 kg N ha−1, respectively) and three irrigation water salinity (i.e., 1, 3, and 5 g L−1, respectively). Our results showed that nitrogen application rates and irrigation water salinity significantly affected the seed cotton yield, nitrogen partial factor productivity, micronaire, fiber length, fiber strength, uniformity index and elongation. As the salinity of irrigation water increased, seed cotton yield and nitrogen partial factor productivity increased first and then decreased, micronaire decreased, but fiber length, fiber strength, uniformity index and elongation increased. Moreover, seed cotton yield, micronaire, fiber length, fiber strength, uniformity index and elongation increased first and then decreased, and nitrogen partial factor productivity decreased with the amount of nitrogen application. The optimal combination of nitrogen application rate and irrigation water salinity were 200 kg N ha−1 and 5 g L−1 by principal component analysis. We concluded that the normalized relative value of seed cotton yield and comprehensive evaluation value was 0.85, when the nitrogen application rate and the irrigation water salinity were 197.04 ⁓ 237.94 kg N ha−1 and 3.60 ⁓ 3.88 g L−1, respectively. • Irrigation salinity affected yield and quality of cotton. • Cotton yield increased first and then decreased with increasing irrigation salinity. • There was no difference among micronaire, fiber length, strength, uniformity and elongation. • Yield and quality of cotton reached the maximum together as affected by irrigation salinity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In recent years, Pyrus bretschneideri Rehd. var. ‘Suli’ has been damaged by a disease characterized by the presence of black spots on young fruit in China, which was always followed by severe bitter rot on matured fruits. The etiology of these symptoms and their relationship with the bitter rot was unknown. A colony was routinely isolated from young and matured ‘Suli’ pear fruits showing black spots and rot symptoms, respectively. This fungal colony was identified as Colletotrichum fructicola based on morphological characteristics and DNA sequence data of 7 regions. C. fructicola was confirmed to be capable of eliciting both black spots and bitter rot symptoms by completion of Koch's Postulates. The results suggested that the disease characterized by the presence of black spots on young fruits is indeed an early stage of the bitter rot observed on matured fruits of ‘Suli’ pear. Variety resistance analysis indicated an obvious resistance variation possessed by the pear varieties generally cultured in China, with black spots only occurring on some pear varieties. Our results also indicated that wounding can break the quiescent infections, enhance the infectivity of C. fructicola, and lead to more rapid rot of young and matured fruits. These results provided a clear clue that C. fructicola can invade some varieties of P. bretschneideri Rehd. directly without entry via wounds, but subsequently turned into quiescent infection and causing black spots on the fruit surface. The quiescent infection acts as a pathogenic factor responsible for bitter rot of matured fruits. The influence of temperature and pH conditions for growth and colony morphology of C. fructicola were also evaluated. The characterization of C. fructicola causing bitter rot of pear (P. bretschneideri) is expected to provide useful information for controlling this economically important disease. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The balance between agricultural development and maintenance of agro-ecological environment becomes a huge challenge because of global climate changes. Existing literature on the low-carbon pilot policy proposed by the government of China and whether the problems of agricultural development and agricultural environmental protection can be solved or not have not been reviewed. This paper analyzes the impact of low-carbon pilot policies on agricultural eco-efficiency by using SARAR model based on the data of 281 cities in China. Results show the spatial spillover effects between low-carbon pilot policies and agricultural eco-efficiency. The implementation of low-carbon pilot policy can improve agricultural eco-efficiency. Although restrained by agricultural economic development, this policy has disequilibrium effect on agricultural eco-efficiency, has a relatively large impact on agricultural eco-efficiency in western China and other poor areas, and promotes the reduction of agricultural carbon emission. The effect of the implementation of low-carbon pilot policy is affected by the initial agricultural economic development and urban economic conditions. This research aims to improve the agricultural eco-efficiency and enforce the green development of the agricultural economy via the perspective of the low-carbon pilot policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study provides a combined dataset on N loss pathways and fluxes from sloping cropland in the purple soil area, southwestern China. A lysimeter experiment was conducted to quantify nitrate leaching (May 2004–May 2010) and N2O emission (May 2009–May 2010) losses. Nitrate leaching was the dominant N loss pathway and annual leaching fluxes ranged from 19.2 to 53.4 kg N ha−1, with significant differences between individual observation years (P < 0.05). Direct N2O emissions due to N fertilizer use were 1.72 ± 0.34 kg N ha−1 yr−1, which corresponds to an emission factor of 0.58 ± 0.12%. However, indirect N2O emissions caused by nitrate leaching and surface runoff N losses, may contribute another 0.15–0.42 kg N ha−1 yr−1. Our study shows that nitrate leaching lowered direct N2O emissions, highlighting the importance for a better understanding of the tradeoff between direct and indirect N2O emissions for the development of meaningful N2O emission strategies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Non-point-source pollution has become a major threat to the water quality of the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR); however, nutrient loadings from terrestrial sources are unclear due to a lack of in situ monitoring. A representative small watershed in the central part of the TGR area was selected to monitor the loss of nitrogen (N) and phosphorous (P) continuously along with the runoff from 2007 through 2009 to understand the exact sources and loadings. Results show that the non-point-source nitrogen and phosphorus comes mainly from the storm runoff from residential areas, citrus orchards and sloping croplands, which contributes up to 76% of the loadings in this watershed. Thus, a crucial measure for controlling non-point-source pollution is to intercept storm runoff from the three sources. Paddy fields provide a sink for non-point-source N and P by intercepting the runoff and sediment along with their different forms of nitrogen and phosphorus. The N and P removal efficiency by paddy fields from residential areas is within the range of 56% to 98%. Paddy fields are an important land-use option for reducing the non-point-source loading of N and P in the TGR area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Drainage ditches act as a major conduit of phosphorus (P) from contributing land to receiving waters. The aims of this study were to characterize the phosphorus fractions of ditch sediments from different land uses and to evaluate their potential for P release to provide management strategies for ditch sediment. Materials and methods: Sediment samples were collected from ditches within areas of different land use in a small catchment of the upper Yangtze River, China. Non-apatite inorganic P (NAIP), apatite P (AP), organic P (OP), and total P (TP) of these sediments were extracted from these samples and were analyzed. Sediment P release potential was assessed from split-line relationships between sediment test indices and soluble reactive P (SRP) content of the overlying water. Sediment P release rates were quantified through laboratory incubation of intact cores. Results and discussion: The TP of the ditch sediment samples ranged from 427 to 717 mg kg, and they mainly consisted of AP (67-81%), NAIP (4-22%), and OP (7-20%). NAIP was a potential source of P release to the water and was chosen as a new criterion for estimating P release potential from sediment, in addition to Olsen P and the degree of P saturation (DPS). A threshold of 80 mg kg for NAIP in sediment was proposed to estimate the P release potential. The ditch sediments from the residential area acted as a source of water SRP because of its high NAIP (105 mg kg) and DPS (40%) values. The dynamic pattern of P release from the residential ditch sediments to the overlying water was characterized by a linear regression equation. The P release rate per area from the residential sediment was 0.143 mg P m day. Conclusions: NAIP is recommended as a new criterion for estimating the potential for P release from ditch sediment. Ditch sediment from residence areas should be treated carefully by cleaning and sediment removal to control the risk of P release. Ditch sediment from paddy fields and forestlands could be used for P export control in headwater catchments. Paddy fields and their ditch sediments at catchment bottoms should be utilized as the main sink for sediment and associated P in the upper Yangtze River. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An artificial oasis is a desert area suitable for human occupation and agriculture by human management. Agricultural reclamation in artificial oases provides a means for population growth and urban expansion in arid regions, but it comes at an environmental cost. Xinjiang is a largely arid region in northwest China, in which agricultural cultivation is concentrated in piedmont oases. Xinjiang's agriculture expansion has placed it as the largest cotton and grape producing area in China. This study seeks to understand better the successes and challenges facing oasis agriculture and propose possible solutions. Through field investigation, experiments, and data collection, we reviewed a typical case of agricultural development over the past 60 years in the Mosuowan irrigation area of Xinjiang. We summarized the experiences and problems that emerged and then put forward some suggestions. We identified four factors that are critical for successful agricultural development: (1) irrigation infrastructure and water conservancy projects; (2) land consolidation; (3) intensive agricultural management; and (4) irrigation technology improvements. After nearly 60 years of rapid agricultural reclamation, we identified several challenges in sustainable agricultural development: (1) soil salinization; (2) ecological and environmental deterioration; (3) declines in economic benefits; (4) and soil and environment pollution. We propose the following measures that may feasibly address these concerns, respectively: (1) comprehensively harness saline-alkali land by means of improvers, biological methods, and drainage infrastructure; (2) establish desert-oasis ecological buffer zones; (3) adjust agricultural management policies; (4) and improve plastic recycling or degradability and adjusting irrigation and fertilization strategies to reduce soil pollution. Oasis agriculture is a complex and fragile system, and its sustainable development needs to be rooted in scientific management. We hope that our review can provide some reference for agricultural development in similar areas. [Display omitted] • We described a successful pathway of agriculture development in a typical artificial oasis over the past 60 years. • We summarized problems in oasis agriculture, focusing on aspects of environment, economy, policy, and technology. • Supported by observation from existing studies, we proposed solutions for sustainable agriculture in the artificial oasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The physical properties of maize seeds are closely related to food processing and production. To study and evaluate the characteristics of maize seeds, typical maize seeds in a cold region of North China were used as test varieties. A variety of agricultural material test benches were built to measure the maize seeds' physical parameters, such as thousand-grain weight, moisture content, triaxial arithmetic mean particle size, coefficient of static friction, coefficient of rolling friction, angle of natural repose, coefficient of restitution, and stiffness coefficient. Principal component and cluster comprehensive analyses were used to simplify the characteristic parameter index used to judge the comprehensive score of maize seeds. The results showed that there were significant differences in the main physical characteristics parameters of the typical maize varieties in this cold area, and there were different degrees of correlation among the physical characteristics. Principal component analysis was used to extract the first three principal component factors, whose cumulative contribution rate was over 80%, representing most of the information of the original eight physical characteristic parameters, and had good representativeness and objectivity. According to the test results, the classification standard of the evaluation of the physical characteristics of 15 kinds of maize seeds were determined, and appropriate evaluations were conducted. The 15 kinds of maize seeds were clustered into four groups by cluster analysis, and the physical characteristics of each groups were different. This study provides a new idea for the evaluation and analysis of the physical properties of agricultural materials, and provides a new method for the screening and classification of food processing raw materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atmospheric pollution could significantly alter tree growth independently and synergistically with meteorological conditions. North China offers a natural experiment for studying how plant growth responds to air pollution under different meteorological conditions, where rapid economic growth has led to severe air pollution and climate changes increase drought stress. Using a single aspen clone (Populus euramericana Neva.) as a 'phytometer', we conducted three experiments to monitor aspen leaf photosynthesis and stem growth during in situ exposure to atmospheric pollutants along the urban-rural gradient around Beijing. We used stepwise model selection to select the best multiple linear model, and we used binned regression to estimate the effects of air pollutants, atmospheric moisture stress and their interactions on aspen leaf photosynthesis and growth. Our results indicated that ozone (O 3) and vapor pressure deficit (VPD) inhibited leaf photosynthesis and stem growth. The interactive effect of O 3 and VPD resulted in a synergistic response: as the concentration of O 3 increased, the negative impact of VPD on leaf photosynthesis and stem growth became more severe. We also found that nitrogen (N) deposition had a positive effect on stem growth, which may have been caused by an increase in canopy N uptake, although this hypothesis needs to be confirmed by further studies. The positive impact of aerosol loading may be due to diffuse radiation fertilization effects. Given the decline in aerosols and N deposition amidst increases in O 3 concentration and drought risk, the negative effects of atmospheric pollution on tree growth may be aggravated in North China. In addition, the interaction between O 3 and VPD may lead to a further reduction in ecosystem productivity. Image 1 • Nitrogen deposition can stimulate aspen growth by increasing canopy nitrogen uptake. • Aerosols can promote aspen growth through diffuse radiation fertilization effects. • Among all pollutants, ozone is the most important factor to inhibit aspen growth. • The effect of VPD on aspen growth is negative and aggravated by ozone pollution. The response of leaf photosynthesis and stem growth to multiple atmospheric pollutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Xinjiang is one of the most prolific tomato-planting areas in China. Here, we carried out a two-year (2017–2018) field experiment in Xinjiang to study the effects of different nitrogen (N) application rates on the spatial distribution of water and salt in the root zone, as well as their impacts on the yield and quality of tomatoes under mulched drip irrigation. The ideal ranges of N application rates for tomato yield and quality were examined under different salinity levels. Results indicated that soil water content and salinity increased with soil depth. Soil water content was closely related to soil salinity but not to N. Among the tested application rates, tomato yield was highest under the medium-high N (225–300 kg/ha) and low salt (4 g/kg) treatment. Under the highest salt level (10 g/kg), the low nitrogen treatment (150 kg/ha) was better than the high N treatment (300 kg/ha) at boosting tomato yield. Moreover, we found that salinity had a stronger effect on tomato quality than N. Based on these results, we were able to recommend ideal ranges for N (155–201 kg/ha) and salt (3.56–5.59 g/kg) while both are present in the soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Insufficient nutrition intake has negatively influenced the health of the elderly in rural China where the problem of population aging is serious. The present study aims to explore whether the medical system, called the New Rural Cooperative Medical System (NRCMS), can improve the rural elderly's nutrition intake and the mechanism behind it.Methods: The difference in differences (DID) model and the propensity score matching-difference in differences (PSM-DID) model are both performed to investigate the impact of the medical system on nutrition improvement for the rural elderly. Two thousand seven hundred eighty rural elderly samples tracked in 2000 and 2006 from the China Health and Nutrition Survey are analyzed. Indices for the elderly's nutrition intake includes daily average intake of energy, fat, protein, and carbohydrate.Results: The results show that participation in the NRCMS can significantly increase the rural elderly's total energy intake, carbohydrate intake, and protein intake by 206.688 kcal, 36.379 g, and 6.979 g, respectively. A more significant impact of the NRCMS on nutrition intake is observed in the central and near-western where economic development is lagging behind. Also, compared to people of 18-60 age group, such impact is statistically more significant in the elderly for the carbohydrate intake.Conclusions: The NRCMS can improve the rural elderly's nutrition intake in China. As the population ages rapidly in rural China, the present study provides recommendations on how to improve nutrition and health status of the elderly from the aspect of the medical system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Processing tomato is one of the most important economic crops in Xinjiang, China, which was constrained with severe water shortage and extreme arid climate. Alternate partial root-zone irrigation (APRI) may provide an effective way to increase irrigation water use efficiency (iWUE) without yield reduction. However, limited studies concerned about applying APRI in processing tomato plantation have been done, especially combined with drip irrigation to further control the irrigation and improve iWUE. Therefore, the two-year pot experiments were conducted to study the effects of different irrigation treatments, including three APRI treatments (irrigation quota of 67.5, 51.6, and 43.7 mm, respectively), fixed partial root-zoon drip irrigation (FPRI, 67.5 mm) and conventional drip irrigation (CDI, 67.5 mm). The results indicated that APRI was an appropriate irrigation method in processing tomato plantation in arid desert area such as Xinjiang, as high irrigation quota of APRI (APRIH) significantly improved its yield without fruit quality reduction in comparison with those of CDI. However, the yield without fruit quality of FPRI significantly decreased. Even if the irrigation quota of APRI decreased to the medium level (APRIM, 51.6 mm), iWUE by increased 31.8–32.7% on the contrary, as irrigation water was saved by 23.6%; while keeping the yield and fruit quality. Therefore, APRIM is recommended for processing tomato plantation in arid northwest China, to increase plant growth, fruit quality, yield, and iWUE synergistically. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Impact of aerosol on transpiration was explored via five-year sap flow observations. • Aerosol decreased day-time transpiration by reducing total solar radiation and VPD. • Diffuse radiation had less effect on transpiration. • Aerosol also decreased night-time transpiration through the decrease in VPD. • Elevated aerosol may decouple the ecosystem carbon and water fluxes. Aerosols alter plant photosynthesis and ecosystem carbon uptake through radiative effects. These effects inevitably change plant transpiration and ecosystem water use as CO 2 and water exchange couple through leaf stomatal conductance. However, because of lacking field observations, we know poorly about how elevated aerosols could affect plant transpiration, which greatly hinders our confidence in projecting aerosol's climate impacts. In this study, taking the advantage of aerosol loading in northern China fluctuated periodically over a wide range, we conducted five year-site observations of the stem sap flow of poplar saplings (Populus euramericana Neva.), and simultaneously monitored environmental factors such as PM 2.5 concentration, total and diffuse radiation, air temperature, humidity, and soil water content. These observations enabled us to comprehensively explore how aerosols affect the daily dynamics of plant canopy transpiration in the field. We found that high aerosol loading significantly decreased the sap flow density of poplars both in the day- and night-time, indicating that aerosols decreased canopy transpiration. Furthermore, during the day-time, a reduction in total solar radiation and moisture demand (vapor pressure deficit, VPD) dominated the decrease of sap flow density, but an increase in diffuse radiation had an insignificant impact. In the night-time, VPD significantly decreased under high aerosol loading conditions, thereby reducing nocturnal sap flow density. Our in-situ observations revealed that different from the positive response of canopy photosynthesis associated with the diffuse fertilization effect, aerosols inhibit canopy transpiration mainly because of the declined VPD. Our findings highlighted that plant carbon and water fluxes are governed by different meteorological factors under elevated aerosol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biodegradable film (BF), as a superior substitute for traditional polyethylene film (PF), has experienced a consistent increase in China. However, a significant research gap persists regarding the utilization of BF in assessing farmland carbon balance. This experiment examined the responses of maize growth, yield, irrigation water productivity (IWP), CO 2 emissions, and field net carbon sequestration (NCS) to two BF types (BF 1 , 100-day induction period, and BF 2 , 80-day induction period), and PF, and three irrigation amounts (I 1 , I 2 , I 3 : 5250, 5625, and 6000 m3 ha–1), by conducting a two-year (2019–2020) field trial in a typical arid and semi-arid region of China. The results indicated that biodegradable film mulching (BFM) negatively affected maize growth, resulting in reduced yield and IWP. Especially under the I 1 irrigation level, the biodegradable film reduced maize yield by 6.26%–13.99% and IWP by 6.64–13.85%. Notably, in the I 2 irrigation level, BF 1 mulching had a comparable impact on maize yield and IWP to that of PF. Additionally, the increase in irrigation amounts exerted a more pronounced promoting effect on maize total biomass than on yield and IWP. Concerning carbon balance, short-term BF application resulted in reduced CO 2 emissions (5.74–6.30% under BF 1 and 9.27–12.37% under BF 2), without any significant impact on NCS in cropland. Taking into account the economic value of maize and farmland ecology, we recommended utilizing irrigation amounts of 5625 m3 ha–1 for BF application in arid areas, while opting for a BF with a longer induction period whenever feasible. • Biodegradable film mulching reduces maize yield and irrigation water productivity. • Biodegradable film mulching significantly decreases soil CO 2 emissions. • Increasing irrigation compensates for yield loss due to biodegradable film mulching. • Biodegradable film with a 100-day induction period is an ideal covering material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil aggregate stability is critical to ensure the provision of agricultural land. Mulched drip irrigation (MDI) is widely used in arid region of northwest China, but the response of soil aggregate stability to soil organic carbon (SOC) and salinity as affected by continuous MDI is still unclear. In this study, we examined four MDI ages (9, 13, 15, and 23 years) of cotton fields that were converted from wasteland (CK, 0 year) and evaluated the impact of MDI age on soil aggregate size distribution, aggregate stability, and aggregate-associated SOC/salinity. The results showed that the proportion of macro-aggregates (>0.25 mm) and aggregate stability (MWD, GMD) initially decreased and then increased as MDI age progressed. As MDI age increased, the concentration of aggregate-associated SOC in all fractions significantly increased, while salt concentration significantly declined. Compared to the CK (0 year), the total SOC stock in cotton fields aged 9, 13, 15 and 23 years increased by −0%, 11%, 17%, and 87%, respectively; whereas the total salt stock decreased by 33%, 68%, 67%, and 76%, respectively. Moreover, due to the significant increase in macro-aggregate content and associated SOC concentration with MDI age, the storage of SOC in older MDI ages (15–23 years) was more reliant on macro-aggregates. Pearson correlation and principal component analysis indicated a negative correlation between salinity and macro-aggregates, aggregate stability, and SOC, while there was a positive correlation among MDI age, SOC, macro-aggregates, and aggregate stability. Based on our findings, we concluded that long-term MDI promotes the formation of macro-aggregates, enhances aggregate stability by reducing soil salinity and increasing SOC stock. • Long-term MDI strongly affects soil aggregate characteristics. • Long-term MDI significantly increased SOC stock and decreased soil salt stock. • SOC and salinity are key factors affecting macro-aggregates formation under MDI. • SOC storage is primarily dependent on macro-aggregates under long-term MDI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the agricultural zones of the arid Xinjiang region of China, reducing irrigation is mandatory. However, irrigation affects the composition and diversity of the soil bacterial community which is vital to crop yield. To the best of our knowledge, very little research has been conducted on the relationships among the soil bacterial community, irrigation method, and yield as well as their underlying in jujube agroecosystems. Here, we investigated the soil physicochemistry and bacterial communities in jujube fields subjected to drip irrigation (DI) and traditional flood irrigation (FI), and their associations with yield at the flowering and fruit set (FFS) and end-of-growth (EG) stages. Under DI, the jujube yield was 8712.00 ± 24.54 kg/hm2, which was 7.64% higher than that obtained under FI (8094.33 ± 43.67 kg/hm2). DI increased the relative soil bacteria community diversity by decreasing the moisture content and increasing the nutrient levels in the soil. DI also transformed the soil bacterial community so that Bacteroidota predominated at the FFS stage and the probiotics Chloroflexi and Firmicutes predominated at the EG stage. A co-occurrence network analysis showed that DI created stable complex Soil bacteria communities in jujube fields, Though Dependentiae and Deferriberota had low relative abundance, they were nonetheless key nodes in the soil bacterial community network. A neutral community model (NCM) revealed that stochastic processes drove the soil bacterial community assembly whereas DI promoted deterministic processes by regulating the soil moisture content and nutrient levels. Partial least squares path modeling (PLS-PM) disclosed that DI affected the soil bacterial community structure by decreasing the moisture content (−0.342 **) and increasing the nutrient levels (0.557 **) in the soil. The PLS-PM also demonstrated that the observed change in the soil bacterial community structure was the main reason for the increase in jujube yield (1.098 **). The present work provides insights into the mechanisms underlying the correlations between the soil bacterial community and crop yield in response to changes in the irrigation method. • Drip irrigation regulates the levels of soil moisture and nutrients. • Drip irrigation of soil moisture and nutrients drive the transformation of Bacteroidota to Chloroflexi and Firmicutes. • Dependentiae and Deferriberota with low relative abundance also the key species. • DI induced a small decrease in stochastic assembly for soil bacterial community. • DI increased the jujube yield (8712 kg/hm2) mainly by bacterial composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to harness the ample solar energy resources and minimize conflicts in drip irrigation schedules, a field experiment was conducted in Xinjiang, northwest China, during 2020 and 2021. The study examined the combined effects of two irrigation timing (daytime - DI and nighttime - NI) and four water temperatures (15, 20, 25, and 30 °C), resulting in eight treatment combinations. The analysis focused on evaluating the impacts of these factors on soil conditions, cotton phenological period, reproductive growth, and fiber quality. Results showed that elevating the irrigation water temperature had a notable impact on soil respiration throughout the different growth stages. The treatment with an irrigation water temperature of 30 °C exhibited a substantial increase in soil respiration, ranging from 17.92% to 45.95%, when compared to conventional irrigation with water temperature at 15 °C. The elevation of irrigation water temperature resulted in notable reductions in soil nitrate and ammonium nitrogen levels. Specifically, the treatment with irrigation water temperature set at 30 °C exhibited an average decrease of 21.69% and 19.27% in soil nitrate and ammonium nitrogen content, respectively, compared to the 15 °C treatment in both years. Nighttime irrigation with increased water temperatures of 20, 25, and 30 °C advanced the onset of the boll opening stage and stimulated the reproductive growth of cotton. Conversely, irrigation with regular water temperature (15 °C) decreased the number of bolls during the early boll-forming period, as well as and the peak number of squares and flowers. However, it resulted in an increased number of bolls during the late boll-forming period. Surprisingly, despite the enhancement in fiber strength and elongation due to water-warming irrigation, it unexpectedly led to a decrease in fiber length and uniformity. Moreover, higher irrigation water temperatures (25 and 30 °C) even resulted in poor levels (> 5.0) of micronaire. Nevertheless, nighttime warming irrigation improved all other fiber qualities except for uniformity. Therefore, when considering the application of water-warming irrigation in arid regions under mulched drip systems, careful selection of irrigation timing and water temperatures is necessary, taking into account the desired fiber quality. This study serves as a valuable technical reference for such irrigation practices. • Water warming promote soil respiration and nitrogen consumption. • Water temperature and irrigation timing significantly affect cotton phenology. • Water warming decreases the fiber quality of cotton. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was aimed to investigate the relationship between the methylation status of serotonin transporter (5-HTT) and major depressive disorder (MDD) in Chinese Han population. A total of 96 patients with MDD and 55 healthy volunteers were recruited, and the methylation index (MtI) at six positions in the cytosine-phosphate-guanosine island of 5-HTT gene was measured for each subject using bisulfite pyrosequencing. MtIs at positions 5 and 6 were higher in patients with MDD than those in controls. According to the multivariable logistic regression analysis, MtIs at positions 4 and 5 were significantly associated with MDD. Besides, depression education was an independent risk factor, whereas higher educational levels were protective factors for MDD. In addition, positions 1 and 4 were negatively correlated with weight and diurnal variation. Therefore, 5-HTT methylation might be closely related with MDD in Chinese Han population because of the correlation with diurnal variation and weight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this project, a novel noise reduction method based on empirical mode decomposition (EMD), referred to as EMD-AdaptiveP, is proposed and investigated with the expectation of providing an effective enhancement for the full waveform of nonlinear and nonstationary signals obtained by space-borne laser altimetry and the forthcoming GaoFen-7 (GF-7) mapping satellite in China. This method combines EMD with a similar strategy of wavelet filtering to adapt to the characteristics of each waveform. The reconstruction of an effective waveform signal is implemented through reverse superimposition of its intrinsic mode functions (IMFs) and the residual, which is thresholded by the three-sigma principle of background noise of the waveform signal and an additional check mechanism in the lower or higher signal of noise levels, after the waveform is decomposed by EMD. This method is qualitatively and quantitatively examined with simulated waveform data, real ice, cloud and land elevation satellite (ICESat)/Geoscience Laser Altimeter System (GLAS) waveforms and GF-7 proto-waveform data, in contrast with other IMF selection schemes, like EMD-soft, EMD-hard and EMD-Wavelet, or the traditional filtering methods, such as Gaussian, μ\λ and wavelet. The results show that the method of EMD-AdaptiveP (1) is sufficiently robust to denoise the waveform signal with different levels of signal-to-noise ratio, (2) has the adaptive ability to distinguish effective signal IMFs from noise IMFs in signal reconstruction, and (3) performs noise reduction more effectively than traditional methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is important to explore the characteristics and rules of atmospheric aerosol in the East Asian Sea for monitoring and evaluating atmospheric environmental quality. Based on Aerosol Robot Network (AERONET), Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer (VIIRS), and Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observation (CALIPSO) data, the temporal and spatial variation characteristics and differences of aerosol parameters and types in the East Asian Sea were studied by using figure classification method (FIGCM), aerosol optical depth (AOD) 440 -Angstrom exponent (AE) 440-870 method (AA1M), and AOD 550 -AE 490-670 method (AA2M). The results show that the seasonal variation trend of aerosol characteristics and types is obvious in East Asia Sea. AOD, volume concentration (Cv), and aerosol effective radius (reff) in the Bohai-Yellow Sea and the Sea of Japan in autumn are lower than those in other seasons, and the occurrence frequency of ocean-type aerosols is high. Different from the Bohai-Yellow Sea and Sea of Japan, human activities in winter, summer, and autumn seriously affect the air quality in the East China Sea and South China Sea. Especially at the Taipei CWB site, from aerosol parameters and high biomass burning/urban industrial (BB/UI) aerosol, human activity is an important factor for high pollution at the Taipei CWB site. Aerosol types of AA1M, FIGCM, AA2M, and CALIPSO were compared at Anmyon and Yonsei University sites in the Bohai-Yellow Sea in March 2020. The results show that aerosol types based on threshold classification methods generally have higher mixed aerosol results, and the marine (MA) results of AA1M, FIGCM, and AA2M are close to the clean marine aerosol results of CALIPSO. Comparing the results of AA 2 M and CALIPSO on a spatial scale, it is found that the clean marine aerosol proportion identified by CALIPSO (0.38, 0.48, 0.82) is consistent with the MA proportion identified by AA 2 M (0.43, 0.46, 0.97) in the East China Sea, South China Sea, and Western Pacific Ocean., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

In this study, we collected 56 species of fishery organisms (including fish, crustaceans, cephalopods, gastropods, and bivalves) from four seasonal survey cruises at the Dachen fishery grounds. We measured the concentrations of seven heavy metals (Cd, Zn, Cu, Pb, Cr, As, and Hg) in these fisheries organisms. We determined their trophic levels using carbon and nitrogen stable isotope techniques. We analyzed the characteristics of heavy metal transfer in the food chain. The results showed significant differences in heavy metal concentrations among different species. Among all biological groups, bivalves and gastropods exhibited higher levels of heavy metal enrichment than other biological groups, while fish had the lowest levels of heavy metal enrichment. Heavy metals exhibited different patterns of nutritional transfer in the food chain. While Hg showed a biomagnification phenomenon in the food chain, it was not significant. Cd, Zn, Cu, Pb, Cr, and As exhibited a trend of biodilution with increasing nutritional levels, except for As, which showed no significant correlation with δ 15 N., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Switzerland AG.)

Aiming to investigate the health risk impact of PM 2.5 pollution on a heavily populated province of China. The exposure response function was used to assess the health risk of PM 2.5 pollution. Results shows that the total number of premature deaths and diseases related to PM 2.5 pollution in Shandong might reach 159.8 thousand people based on the new WHO (2021) standards. The health effects of PM 2.5 pollution were more severe in men than in women. Five of the 16 cities in Shandong had higher health risks caused by PM 2.5 pollution, including LinYi, HeZe, JiNing, JiNan, and WeiFang. PM 2.5 pollution resulted in nearly 7.4 billions dollars in healthy economic cost, which accounted for 0.57% of GDP in Shandong in 2021. HeZe, LiaoCheng, ZaoZhuang, and LinYi were the cities where the health economic loss was more than 1% of the local GDP, accounted for 1.30, 1.26, 1.08, and 1.04%. Although the more rigorous assessment criteria, the baseline concentration was lowered by 30 μg/m 3 compared to our previous study, there was no significant increase in health risks and economic losses. China's air quality improvement strategy may already be having a positive effect., 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 Xu, Zhang, Shi, Su, Cheng, Wei, Ma, Li and Wang.)

In drylands, soil microorganisms play a vital role in restoring degraded soils, and soil microbiota is significantly affected by human activities and climate events, such as seasonal freezing and thawing. However, the response of soil microbes to freezing and thawing, as well as their properties in drylands agroecosystems, remains unknown. This study investigated the effects of seasonal freezing and thawing on soil fungal and bacterial communities, multifunctionality, and soil microbial quality in a dryland agroecosystem. It has been observed that seasonal freezing and thawing promoted nutrient releases such as total carbon and available phosphorus. After thawing, soil catalase and cellulase activities increased while acid phosphatase and urease activities and total nitrogen content at topsoil decreased. Soil microbial biomass carbon content at 0-40 cm depth was significantly reduced by 94.77 %. Importantly, freezing and thawing considerably shifted the composition of fungal groups, while the soil bacterial community exhibited more stress tolerance to freezing-thawing. Compared to pre-freezing, the relative abundance of dominant fungal phyla such as Basidiomycota and Mortierellomycota decreased. At the same time, Ascomycota increased after thawing, and the relative abundance of pathogenic fungus also increased. For dominant bacteria phylum, freezing and thawing increased the relative abundance of Proteobacteria and Gemmatimonadetes while Micrococcaceae declined. Freezing and thawing significantly increased bacterial diversity and evenness by 4.94 % and 4.19 %, respectively, but decreased fungal richness and diversity by 23.49 % and 14.91 %, respectively. The minimum and total data sets were used to evaluate soil quality and we found that freezing and thawing significantly negatively impacted soil multifunctionality and microbial quality. In summary, this study demonstrates that the seasonal freezing-thawing has a significant negative impact on soil microbial quality and multifunctionality, and accelerates soil degeneration in dryland agroecosystem., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The spatial heterogeneity of macroalgae in intertidal zones affects the stability of marine ecosystem communities, contributes to the maintenance of coastal biodiversity, and has an essential role in ecosystem and habitat maintenance. We explored the feasibility of applying the power law model to analyze the spatial distribution of macroalgae on Lvhua Island (Zhejiang Province, China) and characterized the intertidal spatial heterogeneity of the macroalgae present. The results showed a strong association between the spatial distribution of macroalgae in the intertidal zone and the power law model (R2 = 0.98). There was a positive association between species occurrence frequency and the spatial heterogeneity index of macroalgae species. The model also indicated there was macroalgal habitat structure at the site as the spatial heterogeneity within the community was greater than that of random distribution. The power law model reported here provides a new method for macroalgae community ecology research and could be broadly utilized to analyze the spatial pattern of macroalgae in intertidal zones., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2022 Li et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Corporate charitable donations under different motivations will have different effects on innovation investment through different action paths, which provides a new perspective to solve the inconsistency of existing research results. Based on the resource-dependent and principal-agent theories, this paper compares and discusses the relationship between charitable donations and innovation investment under different motivations. Using 2008 ~2019 relevant data of listed companies as research samples, a mixed regression model is established for the hypothesis test, and further examines the state-ownership of its moderating role. The results show that the altruistic motivation-oriented corporate donations have a significant inverted u-shaped effect on innovation investment. The tool motivation-oriented corporate donations have a significant U-shaped effect on innovation investment. Moreover, it is further found that for ST (Special Treatment) corporates with the risk of delisting in the tool motivation-oriented charitable donations type, the corporate charitable donations have a significant negative effect on innovation investment. State-ownership can enhance the inverted U-shaped relationship between altruistic motivation-oriented corporate donations and innovation investment but weaken the U-shaped relationship between tool motivation-oriented corporate donations and innovation investment., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Background: Crohn's disease (CD) is a chronic disease that may have an adverse impact on health-related quality of life (HRQoL). This study aimed to describe the HRQoL of CD patients and assess correlating factors using the EQ-5D-5L in China., Methods: We recruited CD patients at Shanghai Renji Hospital from October 2018 to May 2019. The data collected included demographic and clinical information, medical expenditures, and EQ-5D-5L questionnaire responses. The chi-square test or Fisher's exact test was applied to analyse the proportion of patients in subgroups at each level. After the selection of correlating variables by univariate analysis, multivariate regression analyses were used to explore the correlating factors of HRQoL in CD patients., Results: A total of 202 CD inpatients with a mean disease duration of 3.3 years were enrolled in the study. A total of 71.8% of patients were males, and 49.5% of patients were aged between 30 and 49 years. The average EQ-5D-5L utility score was 0.85, with a standard deviation (SD) of 0.12. Males, ileum lesions, remission status, and lower expenditure predicted higher EQ-5D-5L scores. In each EQ-5D-5L dimension, the proportion of patients differed significantly by gender, disease activity and location subgroup. In the multivariate regression models, being in an active CD state and using antibiotics had significantly adverse impacts on HRQoL (p < 0.05)., Conclusions: CD may have a significant negative impact on HRQoL in Chinese CD patients. Being in an active phase of the disease and using antibiotics were identified as affecting HRQoL., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

This article estimates the temporal and spatial changes of health inequality in rural China from 2010 to 2018. Based on a panel database of 29,616 rural residents, the Health Utility Index (HUI) and a spatial econometric model are used for analysis. The results show that, on the temporal dimension, the health inequality of rural China first expands and then deflates. On the spatial dimension, the health inequality gradually deflates from eastern to western China. Furthermore, from 2010 to 2018, the high and low-value areas constantly changed among different provinces. After decomposing the causes of health inequality, it is found that behind the health inequality is the difference of socioeconomic-related status. Moreover, narrowing the difference in socioeconomic-related status is the key to improving health inequality., 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 © 2022 Jiang, Huang, Liu and Wang.)