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Airborne fungi are widely distributed in the environment and may have adverse effects on human health. A 12-month survey on the diversity and concentration of culturable airborne fungi was carried out in a research and teaching building of Tianjin University. Indoor and outdoor environments were analyzed using an HAS-100B air sampler. A total of 667 fungal strains, belonging to 160 species and 73 genera were isolated and identified based on morphological and molecular analysis. The most abundant fungal genera were Alternaria (38.57%), Cladosporium (21.49%), and Aspergillus (5.34%), while the most frequently appearing species was A. alternata (21%), followed by A. tenuissima (12.4%), and C. cladosporioides (9.3%). The concentration of fungi in different environments ranged from 0 to 150 CFU/m3 and was significantly higher outdoor than indoor. Temperature and sampling month were significant factors influencing the whole building fungal community, while relative humidity and wind speed were highly correlated with fungal composition outdoor. Variations in the relative abundance of major airborne fungal taxa at different heights above-ground could lead to different community structures at different floors. Our results may provide valuable information for air quality monitoring and microbial pollution control in university building environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Longstanding debates on the tectonic setting and provenance of the Lower Cretaceous Lingshandao Formation have hindered basin analysis and tectonic studies of the collision of the Yangtze Craton and the North China Craton, and thus the evolution of the Sulu Orogen. Thin-section analysis, identification of rock particles, cathodoluminescence, heavy minerals and trace-element analysis have, in addition to field investigations, been applied to reconstruct the source area and transport pathways of the sediments that build the Lower Cretaceous Laiyang Group on the Lingshan Island, western Yellow Sea. These analyses indicate that the Laiyang Group consists mainly of material derived from a recycled orogen and from transitional continental sediments. The Laiyang Group on Lingshan Island has been sourced from igneous and metamorphic rocks. Comparing analyses of detrital minerals with rocks from surrounding areas leads to the conclusion that the main source area is the Sulu Orogen that supplied sediment to rift basin rather than a residual basin between the Yangtze Craton and the North China Craton. A recycled orogenic belt is the source area for the Laiyang Group on Linshan Island. Felsic metamorphic and igneous rocks form the most probable sources. The rift basin was filled by sediments supplied from the Sulu Orogen on both sides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We aimed to investigate the prevalence of covert hepatic encephalopathy (CHE) in cirrhotic patients in China and its risk factors., Methods: A multicenter prospective observational study was conducted from January 2021 to March 2022 at 16 medical centers across China to investigate the risk factors of CHE and establish a prediction model for CHE episodes., Results: A total of 528 patients were enrolled in the study. Based on both the psychometric hepatic encephalopathy score and Stroop test results, the prevalence of CHE was 50.4% (266/528), and the consistency between these two tests was 68.9%. Multivariate analysis showed that age (odds ratio [OR] 1.043, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.022-1.063, P < 0.001), duration of education (OR 0.891, 95% CI 0.832-0.954, P = 0.001), comorbidities of cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, cerebral apoplexy or diabetes mellitus (OR 2.072, 95% CI 1.370-3.133, P < 0.001), Child-Pugh score (OR 1.142, 95% CI 1.029-1.465, P = 0.025), and blood urea nitrogen concentration (OR 1.126, 95% CI 1.038-1.221, P = 0.004) were associated with CHE episodes. According to the Chronic Liver Disease Questionnaire, CHE patients had lower scores for abdominal symptoms and systemic symptoms (P < 0.001), indicating a poor health-related quality of life. Based on a stepwise Cox regression hazard model, we established a nomogram for determining the probabilities of CHE episodes, and the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.733 (95% CI 0.679-0.788) and 0.713 (95% CI 0.628-0.797) in the training and validation cohorts., Conclusions: CHE is a common complication of cirrhosis in China. Large-scale studies with long-term follow-up are needed to determine the natural history of Chinese CHE patients., (© 2023 Chinese Medical Association Shanghai Branch, Chinese Society of Gastroenterology, Renji Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)

Abundant research has shown that Christian religiosity inhibits adolescent substance use, especially in communities where most of the population shares the same religious values and beliefs. Due to the lack of empirical research, it is unclear if Christian religiosity has the same inhibitory influence in predominantly secular and religiously diverse societies. This study aims to bridge this gap and thereby improve our understanding of the relationship between Christian religiosity and delinquent behavior in different cultural contexts. Through the analysis of survey data collected from a large probability sample of adolescents in China's special administrative region of Macau, this study found a strong inverse relationship between Christian religiosity and adolescent substance use, despite the predominantly secular nature of Macau society. In contrast, religious commitment among non-Christian youths showed no relationship with substance use. The theoretical and practical implications of the findings are discussed.

Objectives: Functional constipation is a gastrointestinal disorder prevalent around the world. Lubiprostone is the first locally acting type-2 chloride channel activator to be used for treating constipation. This study aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of lubiprostone in Chinese adults with functional constipation., Methods: This was a multicenter, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study. Patients with functional constipation were randomized to receive either lubiprostone (24 mcg twice daily) or placebo for 4 weeks. The primary end-point was the frequency of spontaneous bowel movements (SBMs) during the first week of treatment. The secondary end-points included the median time of the first SBM, SBM frequency at weeks 2, 3 and 4, weekly response rate of SBMs, the stool consistency score and average number of complete spontaneous bowel movements (CSBMs) per week., Results: In total, 259 patients were randomized, with 130 in the lubiprostone group and 129 in the placebo group. SBM frequency was higher in the lubiprostone group (4.88 ± 4.09/wk) than that in the placebo group (3.22 ± 2.01/wk) at week 1 (P < 0.0001). SBM frequency was also higher in the lubiprostone group at weeks 2, 3 and 4. The average number of CSBMs and the stool consistency score in the lubiprostone group were significantly higher than that in the placebo group at each week. No drug-related serious adverse events (AEs) occurred. The most commonly reported AE was nausea., Conclusion: Lubiprostone was superior to placebo in treating Chinese patients with functional constipation, together with good safety profile., (© 2021 Chinese Medical Association Shanghai Branch, Chinese Society of Gastroenterology, Renji Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine and John Wiley & Sons Australia, Ltd.)

Empirical research on the relationship between authoritative parenting and crime victimization has been sparse, although this style of parenting has been identified as an effective parenting practice for inhibiting offending behavior among children and adolescents. The current research aims at filling this gap by examining the influences of authoritative parenting on juvenile delinquency and crime victimization, as well as the mechanisms connecting the processes. Using two-wave survey data collected from a probability sample of 1066 Chinese adolescents, the current study employed a structural equation modeling analysis to test the relationships. The results indicated that authoritative parenting negatively predicted juvenile delinquency and crime victimization. Further, adolescent mental health problems and delinquent peer association partially mediated the influence of authoritative parenting on delinquency, while adolescent mental health problems, delinquent peer association, and juvenile delinquency fully mediated the relationship between authoritative parenting and crime victimization. The results also showed that juvenile delinquency positively predicted future crime victimization. Overall, this study demonstrated that authoritative parenting operated as a protective factor against juvenile delinquency and crime victimization.