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Yaozhou Kiln is a famous ancient center for celadon production in China, located in present-day Shaanxi Province. While analyzing its olive-green celadon produced during the Song Dynasty, a common occurrence of brownish base (foot and bottom) was observed. This phenomenon can also be found in porcelain produced at other kilns in China and Vietnam. However, previous research has not systematically explored the coloration mechanism behind it. Through different analytical methods, coupled with reproduction firing experiments, this paper concludes that the brownish base is attributed to the diffusion of iron from the body and sand cushion into the thinly applied glaze on the base, as well as the crystallization formed by the combination of the sand cushion and the surface glaze. Factors influencing the depth of the brownish color include: (1) the iron content of the body; (2) the thickness of the base glaze; and (3) the sand cushion material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China has experienced a boom expansion of non-grain production in recent years. While the non-grain production can increase the economic benefits of farmers, its expansion has significant impacts on the ecological environment and agricultural sustainability. This study attempted to assess the trade-offs between the economic benefits and environmental costs of non-grain production and to provide reference for future land use management. Focusing on the non-grain expansion in Tongxiang City, eastern China, empirical models and field surveys were used to evaluate its environmental impacts and monetary analysis was used to assess the trade-offs between the economic benefits and environmental costs. The results showed that the area of non-grain production increased by 2464.74 ha from 2005 to 2020, and pond fish farming accounted for the largest proportion. The economic benefits and environmental costs of non-grain production increased continuously during 2005–2020, and the net economic–environmental benefits gradually expanded after 2010. Trade-off analysis indicates that the economic benefits of duck rearing did not compensate for the environmental costs, while the other non-grain productions did. Nevertheless, the potential impact of non-grain conversion on the local environment is still underestimated. Some suggestions are proposed to achieve a win–win situation between cultivated land utilization and ecological protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Circoviruses are a group of small circular, single-stranded DNA viruses that belong to the family Circoviridae. They are known to infect a wide variety of animals. Rhizomys sinensis is a species of rodent that is the reservoir of many zoonotic pathogens. Our previous study identified many sequencing reads mapped to the genome of viruses in Circoviridae in R. sinensis. However, little is known about the circulation and genetic characterization of circoviruses in R. sinensis. This study identified three different circoviruses in samples from 195 R. sinensis. First, the bamboo rat circovirus is widely prevalent in R. sinensis in Guangdong Province, and all strains could be divided into three clades based on nucleotide substitutions at specific sites. Second, and more important, porcine circovirus 2 (PCV2) was isolated for the first time from R. sinensis, which expanded the host range of PCV2 and indicated extra procedures would be required to protect livestock from this virus. Finally, a novel circovirus phylogenetically close to the dromedary stool-associated circular ssDNA virus was detected in 86 (44.1%) samples, which may represent a new circovirus species. These results not only expand our understanding of the circovirus diversity in rodents, particularly in R. sinensis, but also underscore the importance of continued surveillance of viruses in wildlife populations, particularly in rodents, to prevent and control the spread of zoonotic pathogens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When institutional frictions threaten to disrupt collaborations, an external authority can be brought in to resolve disputes. How effective is such external imposition? What are the institutional circumstances in which it works? Framed by the collaborative governance regime (CGR), which sees established procedures and institutions as a critical collaborative capacity, this research employs a unique concept—collaborative friction—to explore the role of external imposition in collaboration among entities with significant institutional differences. We examined 965 recorded collaborative frictions from four large collaborative infrastructure projects between governments in Hong Kong and mainland China. Our finding suggests a significant, but limited, effect of the central government's imposition on collaborative frictions. We also find a significant role of sociopolitical circumstances in collaboration. Based on the findings, we make several theoretical propositions articulating external imposition's role in collaboration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing high-value crop planting industries according to local conditions is an important strategy for targeted poverty alleviation, and it is also a momentous solution for agricultural structure adjustment. However, previous studies mainly have focused on their spatiotemporal evolution and economic benefits instead of their environmental impact. An in-depth analysis of high-value crop planting industries is urgently needed. Taking Linquan County as the research area, this study applied emergy and economic analyses to explore the differences among different high-value crop planting systems and wheat planting system from the perspectives of economic benefit, environmental impact and overall sustainability. The results showed that high-value crop planting systems provide more competitive economic profit than that of wheat planting. Despite the high economic benefits, the three highvalue crop planting systems intensify the purchased nonrenewable resource inputs and lead to higher environmental stress, especially the ginger planting system. Under the trade-off of economic benefit and environmental performance, peony planting is considered a promising pattern for further sustainable agriculture considering its synergistic development of photovoltaic power generation. Several policy incentives are suggested to increase the financial attractiveness of environmentally sound patterns and promote a virtuous cycle for future sustainable agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Canine distemper virus (CDV) is a highly contagious virus that causes multi‐systemic, sub‐clinical to fatal diseases in a wide range of carnivore species. Based on the sequences of the haemagglutinin (H) gene, CDV strains have been classified into 18 major genetic lineages. In this study, we characterized the genomes of CDV isolated from the lungs of two dead red pandas in China. Histopathological and immunohistochemical analyses revealed damage due to viral infection in these lungs. The two strains showed a deep genetic distance from the other 18 recognized lineages (>4.6% at nucleotide level and >5.0% at amino acid level). The maximum clade credibility tree of the H‐ gene sequences showed that they belonged to an independent clade and had diverged a relatively long time ago from the Asia‐4 lineage (since 1884). These results suggest that the analyzed strains belong to a new CDV lineage, which we designate as Asia‐6. Our finding indicates that CDV infections in wildlife in China are complex and are a threat to endangered carnivores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coronavirus infections cause diseases that range from mild to severe in mammals and birds. In this study, we detected coronavirus infections in 748 farmed wild animals of 23 species in Guangdong, southern China, by RT-PCR and metagenomic analysis. We identified four coronaviruses in these wild animals and analysed their evolutionary origins. Coronaviruses detected in Rhizomys sinensis were genetically grouped into canine and rodent coronaviruses, which were likely recombinants of canine and rodent coronaviruses. The coronavirus found in Phasianus colchicus was a recombinant pheasant coronavirus of turkey coronavirus and infectious bronchitis virus. The coronavirus in Paguma larvata had a high nucleotide identity (94.6–98.5 per cent) with a coronavirus of bottlenose dolphin (Tursiops truncates). These findings suggested that the wildlife coronaviruses may have experienced homologous recombination and/or crossed the species barrier, likely resulting in the emergence of new coronaviruses. It is necessary to reduce human–animal interactions by prohibiting the eating and raising of wild animals, which may contribute to preventing the emergence of the next coronavirus pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Methane oxidation driven by soil aerobic methanotrophs exhibits the largest methane sink capacity in forest ecosystems and plays important roles in the alleviation of global warming. Many studies have revealed the distribution of methanotrophs in forest ecosystems at field scales; however, the biogeographical patterns of methanotrophic communities and related ecological processes and the drivers shaping methanotrophic communities at a large scale remain poorly understood. Location: China's forests. Time period: 2012–2013. Major taxa studied: Methanotrophic communities. Methods: We evaluated the geographical distributions of soil methanotrophic communities across 26 forests along a 4,000‐km north–south transect in China using a MiSeq high‐throughput sequencing technique. The assembly processes and drivers of the methanotrophic communities were evaluated using the phylogenetic null model approach and structural equation modelling, respectively. Results: The results showed that the upland soil cluster α (USCα) and ammonia‐ oxidizing bacteria‐related (AOB‐rel) methanotrophs were the most abundant taxa in forest soils and exhibited contrasting distributions of relative abundance across different climate zones, suggesting that they occupy different environmental niches. The α‐diversity pattern of the soil methanotrophic community followed a hump‐shaped pattern along a large latitudinal gradient. Statistical analyses suggest that aridity and vegetation productivity [here represented with the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI)] are major drivers of the α‐diversity of the methanotrophic community, whereas soil pH is the key environmental factor shaping the β‐diversity of the methanotrophic community at a large scale. Additionally, the community assembly of the methanotrophs primarily resulted from deterministic processes, among which heterogeneous selection had a greater contribution in shaping the methanotrophic community than homogeneous selection. Main conclusions: Our study provides new insights into the biogeographical distributions, assembly processes and ecological predictors of the methanotrophic community in forest soil at a large scale. These results can be used to improve simulation models for the better prediction of ecosystem functions under predicted global changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

aimed at developing and validating a humanistic care tool in Anhui province that could be used across Chinese public hospitals, and to reflect the humanistic care from patients' perspective. Participants: A cross-sectional survey was conducted in three public hospitals of Anhui Province, China by adopting simple random sampling, which included 312 outpatients and 323 inpatients. Methods: The dimensions of the tool were set according to "Further Improve Medical Service Action Plan" in China and Patient-Doctor Relationship Questionnaire. Cronbach's alpha values were calculated and used to evaluate the reliability of this tool. Construct validity was tested by the exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). The associations between characteristics and humanistic care were analyzed by binary logistic regression. Results: These initial findings showed that about two-thirds of the respondents experienced humanistic care. Both the reliability and construct validity of the humanistic care evaluation tool were suitable Social aspects (location and yearly income), treatment style and having a regular doctor were significantly associated with better humanistic care (all P< 0.05). Conclusion: The humanistic care tool can directly reflect the humanistic care from patients' perspective, and can be popularized and applied across Chinese public hospitals. These findings have important implications to further improve medical service in Chinese public hospitals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak has significantly affected international public health safety. It has been reported that the pathogen severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), which causes COVID-19, could originate from bats and utilize the Malayan pangolin (Manis javanica) as an intermediate host. To gain further insights into the coronaviruses carried by pangolins, we investigated the occurrence of Betacoronavirus (β-CoV) infections in captive Malayan pangolins in the Guangdong province of China. We detected three β-CoV-positive M. javanica individuals with a positive rate of 6.98% and also detected β-CoV in two dead pangolins sampled in August 2019. The CoV carried by pangolins is a new β-CoV, which is genetically related to SARS-CoV-2. Furthermore, the expression of angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) was detected in eight organs of pangolins, with the highest ACE2 mRNA levels in the kidney, suggesting that these organs could be at a risk of β-CoV infection. These results enable us to better understand the status of β-CoV carried by Malayan pangolins, while providing a theoretical basis for better pangolin protection and viral control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The administrative accountability system in China has evolved during public health crises. By holding public officials accountable, the system hopes to improve their performance during emergencies. However, Covid-19 exposed an unexpected effect of the system. Instead of incentivizing public officials to take responsibility, it may have discouraged them from making timely, but potentially risky, decisions. Based on a holistic case analysis of the early response in Wuhan city, the authors demonstrate the lessons learnt and a way to improve the system. The case adds to an increasing academic literature on responsible risk-taking behaviours and decisions under uncertainties, extending the academic discussion by providing the critical contextual information for such behaviours and decisions in China. Tolerating decision errors under uncertainty can improve early responses to public health emergencies like Covid-19 in China. This article shows that integrating an error-tolerance mechanism in an evolving accountability system can encourage responsible risk-taking by governmental officials. A well-designed error-tolerance mechanism that distinguishes between errors to tolerate and errors to punish can encourage proactive actions and prevent tardiness under threat of an incoming infectious disease. Readers who can benefit from this study include policy-makers and managers in government, especially those who work in infectious disease prevention and response, emergency management, or any other public services in which decisions under uncertainties are common. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Many studies have found that diazotrophic distribution is mainly determined by soil properties from field to regional scales. However, we lack strong evidence for the relative importance of different drivers controlling broad‐scale biogeography of forest diazotrophs, especially for soil multi‐nutrients. Location: China's forests. Time period: 2012−2013. Major taxa studied: Diazotrophic communities. Methods: We investigated the distribution of soil diazotrophic communities from 146 sites along a 3,900‐km south–north transect by sequencing N‐fixing nifH gene amplicons. The relative contributions of environmental variables were assessed using a combination of stepwise multiple regression, variation partitioning analysis, multiple regression on distance matrices and partial least squares path modelling. Results: Overall, aridity index and temperature were the predominant parameters governing diazotrophic community diversity and structure, mainly through their indirect effects on soil pH, nutrient contents and plant productivity. Although soil multi‐nutrients (Ca, Mg, Fe, Mn, Na, Cu and Zn) were included in the statistical analysis, they still exhibited lower impacts on diazotrophic communities than climate. Intriguingly, the microelement Mo could not explain the diazotrophic community patterns, despite its significance in nitrogenase enzymes. This unexpected phenomenon was attributed to the relatively high Mo supply in our work. Moreover, the distinct responses of diazotroph taxa to climatic factors and large heterogeneity of diazotrophic diversity among forests in different climatic zones further support the dominant role of climatic variation. These results indicate the presence of differentiated climatic niches for diazotrophs, such as warm‐adapted Bradyrhizobium and cool‐adapted Azospirillum. Main conclusions: Our findings suggest for the first time that unlike prior studies, the key roles of soil nutrient limitation (even for Mo) and pH‐dependent mechanisms in small‐scale diazotrophic communities can be surpassed by large‐scale climatic gradients. Future changes in drought severity and temperature might greatly shape diazotrophic distribution and its potential function in forest N2 fixation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pro‐environmental leadership behaviours have been examined as the result of institutional forces, though anecdotes suggest the significant role of individual leaders. Little is known about this role in environmental policy implementation, and few empirical studies explore pro‐environmental leadership behaviours in the public sector. In this study, we empirically test a typology of pro‐environmental leadership behaviours and examine administrative leaders' motives for engaging in pro‐environmental behaviours. We then establish the relevance of our findings in environmental policy implementation. We empirically confirm the construct validity of pro‐environmental leadership behaviours that require leaders should articulate a policy vision, change followers' perception, and take symbolic actions. Our findings show that leaders' environmental efforts are largely prompted by legal compliance and motivated by instrumental self‐interest (e.g. increased economic opportunities), and normative values of engaging with broad sustainability issues may also have limited but potentially long‐lasting effects. Moreover, the evidence also suggests the importance of a workplace environment conducive to pro‐environmental leadership behaviours. These findings can be used to develop local strategies that stress policy implementation capacity building to induce pro‐environmental leadership behaviours in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study's initial results revealed significant decreases in treatment‐related esophagitis and pneumonitis cases in patients with thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) treated with involved‐field irradiation (IFI), compared to elective nodal irradiation (ENI). This report outlines the long‐term trial results, specifically; overall survival (OS), progression‐free survival (PFS), metastasis‐free survival (MFS), and locoregional progression‐free survival (LRFS). Materials and Methods: Stage II–III thoracic ESCC patients were assigned randomly, in a 1:1 ratio, into either the ENI or IFI arm. Radiation therapy was delivered once a day in 1.8‐2.0 Gy fractions to a total dose of 60.0‐66.0 Gy to the gross tumor volume and 50.0‐54.0 Gy to the clinical target volume. The primary endpoints were acute treatment‐related esophagitis and pneumonitis. The results for the primary endpoints were previously published in 2018. In this article, we analyzed the secondary endpoints including PFS, LRFS, MFS, and OS. Results: Between April 2012 and October 2016, 228 patients from nine participating centers in China were enrolled into this study and randomly assigned to two treatment groups. For ENI and IFI groups, respectively, the results showed similarity and were as follows: median PFS (20.3 months vs 21.4 months), OS (32.5 months vs 34.9 months), MFS (28.2 months vs 26.0 months), and LRFS (25.0 months vs 26.6 months). In particular, respective OS rates in the ENI and IFI groups were 84.6% and 82.5% after 1 year, 45.1% and 48.7% after 3 years, and 29.8% and 30.7% at 5 years. PFS rates after 1, 3, and 5 years were 58.9%, 34.2%, and 26.9%, respectively, in the ENI arm compared to 64.4%, 30.8%, and 27.7%, respectively, in the IFI arm. Multivariate analysis identified clinical stage and tumor responses as independent predictors of OS. Meanwhile, tumor location, cStage, and tumor response were identified as independent factors influencing PFS. Conclusion: IFI was associated with similar survival as ENI in patients with thoracic ESCC, suggesting that IFI is an acceptable treatment method for thoracic ESCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gravity‐drainage‐assisted steam flooding is a new technology to improve the recovery factor after deep penetration in deep super‐heavy oil reservoirs. This study is based on a model of the 60‐H25 test well group in Block 59 in Liaohe Oilfield, China. The numerical model uses the C programming language to analyze the influence of change in the bottom water height on the drainage effect and provides a theoretical basis for physical model experiments and field production. The physical model experiment uses similar principles to describe the production characteristics at different stages in a short cycle. We combine the numerical model and the physical model experiment to analyze the production rule of the Wa59 block over a long time period. The results show that the physical model experiment and the actual production of the block reflect the productivity change law of the well group, the degree of production, and the productivity relationship of the well group over short cycles and long periods, respectively. The comparison showed that the actual production was consistent with the production model of the physical model test, and the drainage effect was verified. The study of gravity‐drainage‐assisted steam flooding provides a reliable basis for the next stage of oilfield production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oesophageal cancer is a serious disease worldwide. In China, the incidence of esophageal cancer was reported to be ~478,000 in 2015. In the same year, the incidence of esophageal cancer in the United States was ~16,910. Radiotherapy serves as an important tool in the treatment of oesophageal cancer, and although radiation therapy has progressed over time, the prognosis of the majority of patients with oesophageal cancer remains poor. Additionally, the sensitivity of patients with oesophageal cancer to radiotherapy and chemotherapy is not yet clear. Although there are a number of studies on the radiosensitivity of oesophageal cancer cell lines, the vastly different results from different cell lines make them unreliable to use as a guide in clinical practice. Therefore, a common radiosensitive gene signature may provide more reliable results, and using different combinations of common gene signatures to predict the outcome of patients with oesophageal cancer may generate a unique gene signature in oesophageal cancer. In the present study, the radiosensitive index and prognostic index were calculated to predict clinical outcomes. The prognostic index of a 41-gene signature combination is the largest combination of gene signatures used for classifying oesophageal cancer patients into radiosensitive (RS) and radioresistance (RR) groups, to the best of our knowledge, and this gene signature was more effective in patients classified as having Stage III oesophageal cancer. Furthermore, four genes (carbonyl reductase 1, serine/threonine kinase PAK2, ras-related protein Rab 13 and twinfilin-1) may be sufficient to classify patients into either RS or RR. Subsequent to gene enrichment analysis, the cell communication pathway was significantly different between RS and RR groups in oesophageal cancer. These results may provide useful insights in improving radiotherapy strategies in clinical decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Networks are increasingly popular in dealing with dynamic and complex environmental policy issues, including pollution control and abatement, which require solutions for collaborative and innovative actions involving multiple institutions or entities. Effective network implementation produces better environmental policy outcomes, but little is known about how to improve network implementation. Framed in the network implementation capacity-building approach, this study examines what strategies are adopted by network administrators to improve implementation, and how these strategies work. Evidence from two environmental financing networks in China shows that strategies designed to mobilize resources and maintain network long-term stability improve network implementation. We call for a research agenda that emphasizes network implementation capacity-building in emerging economies where collaborative activities are desired to pool resources and expertise in face of resource shortage and daunting environmental challenges. Highlights • Networks are increasingly popular in environmental governance of emerging economies. • Success of network implementation depends on strategies adopted by network management. • The strategy designed to mobilize resources improves network implementation. • The strategy designed to maintain long-term stability improves network implementation. • Network capacity building is a key in improving network implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The Lanping Basin in the Nujiang‐Lancangjiang‐Jinshajiang (the Sanjiang) area of northeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau is an important part of eastern Tethyan metallogenic domain. This basin hosts a number of large unique sediment‐hosted Pb‐Zn polymetallic deposits or ore districts, such as the Baiyangping ore concentration area which is one of the representative ore district. The Baiyangping ore concentration area can be divided into the east and west ore belts, which were formed in a folded tectogene of the India‐Asia continental collisional setting and was controlled by a large reverse fault. Field observations reveal that the Mesozoic and Cenozoic sedimentary strata were outcropped in the mining area, and that the orebodies are obviously controlled by faults and hosted in sandstone and carbonate rocks. However, the ore‐forming elements in the east ore belt are mainly Pb‐Zn‐Sr‐Ag, while Pb‐Zn‐Ag‐Cu‐Co elements are dominant in the west ore belt. Comparative analysis of the C‐O‐Sr‐S‐Pb isotopic compositions suggest that both ore belts had a homogeneous carbon source, and the carbon in hydrothermal calcite is derived from the dissolution of carbonate rock strata; the ore‐forming fluids were originated from formation water and precipitate water, which belonged to basin brine fluid system; sulfur was from organic thermal chemical sulfate reduction and biological sulfate reduction; the metal mineralization material was from sedimentary strata and basement, but the difference of the material source of the basement and the strata and the superimposed mineralization of the west ore belt resulted in the difference of metallogenic elements between the eastern and western metallogenic belts. The Pb‐Zn mineralization age of both ore belts was contemporary and formed in the same metallogenetic event. Both thrust formed at the same time and occurred at the Early Oligocene, which is consistent with the age constrained by field geological relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Sepikou region is located in the eastern Bogda Mountains of the east Tianshan. The Bogda belt is mainly composed of Carboniferous strata, including the Lower Carboniferous Qijiaojing Formation (C1q), Upper Carboniferous Liushugou Formation (C2l), and Qijiagou Formation (C2qj). Here, we report the petrology, geochemistry, and geochronology of bimodal volcanic rocks from the Upper Carboniferous Liushugou Formation, which is widely distributed in the Sepikou region. The basalts, basaltic andesite, and keratophyre have similar petrochemical characteristics and exhibit the high‐Na, low‐K characteristics belonging to calc‐alkalic rocks. These are characterized by the high abundance of K, Rb, Th, Ba, the depletion of HFSE (Nb, Ta, Zr, and Hf), and the slight depletion of Ti. Chondrite‐normalized rare‐earth elements (REE) patterns for basalts‐keratophyre show right‐leaning parallel curve clusters, together with a slight enrichment in light rare‐earth elements (LREE) contents and low heavy rare‐earth elements (HREE)/LREE ratios. The keratophyre exhibits slightly negative Eu anomalies. Compared with the basalts, the rhyolites have high alkali contents, slightly high ∑REE contents, low heavy rare‐earth elements/LREE ratios, negative εSr(t) (−9.1 to −12.0), low 87Sr/86Sr initial ratio, highly positive εNd (t) (+5.3 to +6.4), and low Pb isotope ratios. The fractionated REE patterns with prominent negative Eu anomalies suggest they were chiefly derived from the mantle magma underplated basaltic body remelting from the depleted mantle source. The LA‐ICP‐MS analysis on zircons from quartz keratophyre and rhyolite yield similar ages of 314.9 ± 1.2 and 314.0 ± 1.1 Ma, respectively, suggest that the major bimodal volcanism took place in the Late Carboniferous epoch. The quartz keratophyre zircons, with the 176Hf/177Hf ratios of 0.282897–0.283097, have highly positive εHf (10.99–19.97) and depleted mantle model ages between 180 and 628 Ma. The mafic rocks were chiefly derived from the depleted mantle with the partial incorporation of crustal components. The bimodal volcanic rocks were formed under a continental rift setting. The rift experienced extension in the early period of the Early Carboniferous and its final closure arose after a late period of the Late Carboniferous. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Because of the high opportunity cost of policy attention, the central government tends to focus less on these policy areas compared to the other two policy domains (campaign-style and warlike). A key feature in policy implementation in China, significantly distinctive from many other countries, is the strong and strategic engagement of the central government (Chan & Wang, [1]; Zhu & Zhao, [5]). Such capacity building path, often requiring a large resource input and collaborations of multi-level and multi-sectional government units, is costly and the central government's strong policy attention is required, consequently, the number of policy areas is relatively limited (often limited to three to five). [Extracted from the article]

What is the impact of performance-based budgeting (PBB) on governmental spending? Do various PBB implementation strategies result in different outcomes? The authors, Jack Yun-jie Lee of National Open University in Taiwan and XiaoHu Wang of the University of Central Florida, gathered data from the United States, Taiwan, and China (Guangdong Province) to explore the possible intermediate- and long-term results of PBB. The data demonstrate how the impacts of PBB vary across countries and regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the past three decades, ecological decline associated with rapid urbanization has been a global phenomenon, particularly in developing countries, where economic growth is often financed through off-budget earmarked revenue sources such as land sales. Under this context, governmental intervention to improve the environment may not be effective if such intervention suppresses land sales revenues, because these revenues are also used to finance environmental protection projects. What is the relationship between land revenues and environmental quality? More importantly, how does governmental intervention to improve the environment influence this relationship? Employing panel data of 31 provinces in China from 2000 to 2015, this study empirically answers these questions. We find that land financing strongly influences pollution in an inverted U-shape pattern, where local land revenues increase pollution until a turning point at which a decline in pollution is observed. More importantly, we find that environmental intervention programs can accelerate the decline in pollution. These findings establish the moderating impact of environmental intervention programs within a rapid urbanization context. • Excessive land development has been a major culprit of air pollution. • Land sales revenue could be used for air pollution control as well. • An environmental performance-based accountability system can prevent air pollution. • A centralized accountability system can produce complex environmental outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The significant role of high-quality data in environmental policymaking has led to the Chinese central government's concrete efforts to improve its monitoring system, which had long been plagued with data manipulation by local governments. The most remarkable policy innovation of the last decade in this area has been the introduction of a critical external oversight—profit-making third-party organizations—by the central government to monitor local governments' environmental performance. Despite the significance of third-party environmental monitoring, little is known about its effectiveness in improving data accuracy and whether and how it brings about changes to China's environmental governance. Framed within the literature on China's intergovernmental relationship and adopting a regression discontinuity model with a national database of air quality, this study examines whether third-party monitoring improves the accuracy of environmental data in China, and if so, how this approach can remedy the problem of data manipulation. Results show that data accuracy has been improved after the involvement of third-party organizations, providing evidence that supports China's efforts to advance its environmental governance from a mono-centric and non-participatory policy process to one that integrates both authoritarian control and market-based mechanisms. We discuss policy implications of this finding for environmental governance in China. • Accurate environmental data are the key for environmental policy making. • Third-party engagement is a critical part of policy reforms in Chinese environmental governance. • Data accuracy has been improved after the involvement of third-party organizations. • China is opening up internal system of environmental governance towards external oversight. • China's environmental governance has evolved to include both authoritarian control and market-based mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on public administration (PA) and discusses the model of PA and governance in China. Topics discussed include the supremacy of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in China; the comprehensive national strategy to improve China's economy, politics, and the environment; and the high level of demand and supply in the country. Also mentioned is the increased focus on economics and finance in China.

Purpose: The aim of this prospective multi-institutional phase 2 study was to investigate disease control, survival outcomes, and toxicity after thoracic three-dimensional radiation therapy (3D-RT) with concurrent chemotherapy for newly diagnosed stage IV non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods and Materials: Eligible patients were 18 to 80 years of age, had a Karnofsky performance status (KPS) score ≥70%, and newly diagnosed stage IV NSCLC with limited metastatic disease (defined as involving ≤3 organs). Patients received platinum-doublet chemotherapy with concurrent irradiation to the primary tumor. Primary endpoints were overall survival (OS) and acute toxicity. Results: From May 2008 to May 2012, 198 eligible patients were enrolled from 7 cancer centers. Most patients died with distant metastasis; only 10% died with isolated primary recurrence. Median OS time was 13.0 months (95% confidence interval [CI]: 11.7-14.3); OS rates were 53.5% at 1 year, 15.8% at 2 years, and 9.2% at 3 years. Median progression-free survival (PFS) time was 9.0 months (95% CI: 7.7-10.3); corresponding PFS rates were 30.8%, 8.2%, and 6.1%. The 1-year, 2-year, and 3-year local (primary tumor) control rates were 78.8%, 57.7%, and 55.4%. Multivariate analysis showed that delivery of ≥63 Gy to the primary tumor (P=.014), having a primary tumor volume <134 cm(3) (P=.008), and having a stable or higher KPS score after treatment (P=.01) were independent predictors of better OS. The most common severe (grades 3-4) acute toxicities were hematologic: leukopenia (37.9%), thrombocytopenia (10.1%), and anemia (6.9%). No patients experienced grade 4 or 5 radiation-related toxicity; 2.5% had acute grade 3 pneumonitis, and 6.6% had acute grade 3 radiation esophagitis. Conclusions: Thoracic 3D-RT to the primary tumor with concurrent chemotherapy led to satisfactory survival outcomes with acceptable toxicity. Radiation dose, primary tumor volume, and PFS after treatment all predicted survival in these patients with limited-metastasis NSCLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The GEM-based neutron detector has flourished in the past decade. However, most of the GEM-based neutron detectors operate in the flow-gas mode, and the long-term performances of the detectors may be unstable due to the dynamic changes of atmospheric pressure and ambient temperature. In this work, a sealed ceramic GEM-based neutron detector with 100 mm × 100 mm sensitive area was developed at China Spallation Neutron Source (CSNS). Various characteristics of the detector were determined. These included the plateau curve, neutron beam profile, neutron wavelength spectrum, spatial resolution (FWHM: 2.77 ± 0.01(stat) mm), two-dimensional (2D) imaging ability, neutron detection efficiency and long-term counting rate instability (Relative Standard Deviation (RSD): 0.80%). The results revealed the good performance of the detector in sealed mode. Furthermore, the detector can be used for measurements of the direct neutron beam at CSNS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Osteoarthritis (OA) is a threat to public health issue with high morbidity and disability worldwide. However, unequivocal evidence on the link between air pollution and OA remains little, especially in multi-study sites. This study aimed to explore the relationship between short-term exposure to main air pollutants and the risk of OA outpatient visits in multi-study sites. A multi-city time-series analysis was performed in Anhui Province, Central-Eastern China from January 1, 2015, to December 31, 2020. We used a two-stage analysis to assess the association between air pollution and daily OA outpatient visits. City-specific associations were estimated with a distributed lag nonlinear model and then pooled by random-effects or fixed-effects meta-analysis. Stratified analysis was conducted by gender, age, and season. Additionally, the disease burden of OA attributable to air pollutant exposure was calculated. A total of 35,700 OA outpatients were included during the study period. The pooled exposure-response curves showed that PM 2.5 and PM 10 concentrations below the reference values could increase the risk of OA outpatient visits. Concretely, per 10 ug/m 3 increase in PM 2.5 concentration was linked to an elevated risk of OA outpatient visits at lag 2 and lag 3 days, where the effect reached its highest value on lag 2 day (RR: 1.023, 95%CI: 1.005-1.041). We observed that a 10 μg/m 3 increase in PM 10 was positively correlated with OA outpatient visits (lag2 day, RR: 1.011, 95%CI: 1.001-1.025). Nevertheless, no statistical significance was discovered in gaseous pollutants (including SO 2 , O 3 , and CO). Additionally, a significant difference was found between cold and warm seasons, but not between different genders or age groups. This study reveals that particulate matter is an important factor for the onset of OA in Anhui Province, China. However, there is no evidence of a relationship of gaseous pollutants with OA in this area., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Controversy persists about whether additional induction chemotherapy (ICT) before neoadjuvant chemoradiation (NCRT) yields improved oncological outcomes. We performed a systematic review and meta-analysis to compare ICT+ NCRT+ surgery(S) with NCRT+ S in patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC)., Methods: We searched the PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, and China Biology Medicine (CBM) databases. The data were analyzed with Stata version 12.0 software., Results: We identified 9 relevant trials that enrolled 1538 patients. We detected no significant difference in the 5-year overall survival (OS) (OR 1.50, 95% CI 0.48-4.64), disease-free survival (DFS) (OR 1.03, 95% CI 0.73-1.46), local recurrence (LR) (OR 0.80, 95% CI 0.45-1.43), and distant metastasis (DM) rates (OR 1.03, 95% CI 0.55-1.93) between patients who did and did not receive ICT. The addition of ICT before NCRT had a similar pathological complete response rate compared to NCRT (OR 1.26, 95% CI 0.90-1.77). Our findings suggest that between the ICT + NCRT+S and NCRT+S groups, ICT improved the incidence of grade 3 to 4 toxicity effects (OR 4.81, 95% CI 2.38-9.37), but between the ICT + NCRT+S and NCRT+S+ adjuvant chemotherapy (ACT) groups, ICT might reduce toxicity (OR 0.19, 95% CI 0.08-0.50). ICT had no significant impact on surgical complications (OR 0.97, 95% CI 0.63-1.51)., Conclusions: The addition of ICT before NCRT seemingly shows no survival benefit on patients with LARC, and might increase the toxicity.

Transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) is related to the degree of atrial fibrosis and plays critical roles in the induction and perpetuation of atrial fibrillation (AF). To investigate the association of the common promoter polymorphism rs1800469 in the TGF-β1 gene (TGFB1) with the risk of AF in Chinese Han population, we carried out a case-control study of two hospital-based independent populations: Southeast Chinese population (581 patients with AF and 723 controls), and Northeast Chinese population (308 AF patients and 292 controls). Two hundred and seventy-eight cases of AF were lone AF and 334 cases of AF were diagnosed as paroxysmal AF. In both populations, AF patients had larger left atrial diameters than the controls did. The rs1800469 genotypes in the TGFB1 gene were determined by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism. The genotype and allele frequencies of rs1800469 were not different between AF patients and controls of the Southeast Chinese population, Northeast Chinese population, and total Study Population. After adjustment for age, sex, hypertension and LAD, there was no association between the rs1800469 polymorphism and the risk of AF under the dominant, recessive and additive genetic models. Similar results were obtained from subanalysis of the lone and paroxymal AF subgroups. Our results do not support the role of the TGFB1 rs1800469 functional gene variant in the development of AF in the Chinese Han population.