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The use of the flipped classroom approach in chemistry courses has rapidly increased over the past decade, and it appears that this type of learning environment will play an essential role in improving student success. However, it's crucial to note that the majority of these studies were carried out in higher education environments. There hasn't been much research comparing flipped to traditional classrooms in K-12 institutions. The majority of comparisons between flipped and non-flipped groups were taught by different teachers, and typically conducted over a brief period of time, often a few weeks. The purpose of this study is to examine the impacts of the flipped classroom on student performance and problem solving skills in chemistry courses. A two-stage experiment was conducted in a secondary school in the Northwestern part of China with the flipped classroom group including 46 students, 20 males and 26 females and the non-flipped classroom group consisting of 50 students, 30 males and 20 females. Both groups were taught by the same chemistry teacher with eight years of teaching experience. Independent t-tests showed that the flipped classroom significantly improved student academic performance compared to the non-flipped classroom, and this effect lasted for at least one year. The study also found that flipped classrooms have a more progressive impact on students' problem solving skills, which always take a long teaching period. Meanwhile, the research findings revealed that most students preferred or strongly preferred the flipped classroom approach after they experienced it. However, as the duration of the teaching experiment grows, students' attitudes toward the flipped classroom approach tend to polarize.

The aim of this study was to explore the relationships among participation, peer support, self-regulated learning (SRL), course discipline and academic performance in small private open course (SPOC) environments. The study sample comprised of 309 undergraduates who completed SPOCs within the past year and consisted of 53% males (N = 164) and 47% females (N = 145). Multilevel modeling showed that participation, self-regulated learning, and peer support significantly predicted academic performance. Furthermore, findings revealed that emotional support did not have a significant impact on students' academic performance in contrast to informational support. In addition, students within science courses or social and humanity courses accomplish significantly higher academic performance than students within art courses. The findings also highlighted that, compared to students within art courses, the positive effect of participation and informational support on academic performance increased among students within science courses and social and humanity courses.

With the rapid advancement of China's "Internet plus Education" plan, "Internet plus Education" has become a research hotspot. The outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic has brought great opportunities, tests and inspections for online education. All schools earnestly implemented the relevant requirements of the Ministry of Education and leverage the strengths of the Internet to ensure that "suspension of classes and non-stop teaching". Taking a middle school in the west part of China as an example, the online survey was conducted to investigate its live broadcast teaching. The independent sample test and one-way analysis of variance were used to statistically analyze the differences among the students' genders, grades, home location, type of device used and parental companionship. Finally, the implications were put forward to provide a reference for live teaching practice.

This study aims to explore tooth growth variation by regions and ethnicity in China, and to validate the modified Tibetan so as to assist in proposing a better approach. A total of 1320 orthopantomograms of Han children aged 4–14.99 were retrospectively collected from eastern and western regions of China. The Demirjian method and modified Tibetan method were applied. Results showed that dental maturity scores (DMS) in eastern children were significantly greater than western children. Age was overestimated by both methods in eastern children. MAE was 0.88 and 1.3 years by Demirjian method, 1.01 and 1.21 years by modified Tibetan method in eastern girls and boys respectively. In western children, age was significantly underestimated in girls and slightly overestimated by Demirjian method; by modified method, age was generally overestimated. MAE was 0.79 and 0.84 years by Demirjian method, 0.51 and 0.69 years by modified Tibetan method in girls and boys respectively. The current study reveals that tooth growth was significantly advanced in Eastern Han children compared with Western Han children. Ethnic variation between Eastern Han and Tibetan Chinese was substantial. Neither method was sufficiently accurate in Eastern Han children. The modified Tibetan method was reliable in Western Han children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Metaphoric competence is an essential part of language concept fluency and communicative competence. Since metaphor is pervasive in language, when Chinese second language (L2) learners are engaged in reading process, one of the barriers to influence their comprehension is metaphor. This paper aims to empirically investigate the relationship between the receptive metaphoric competence and reading proficiency of Chinese learners of English, in order to arouse Chinese English teachers' attention to metaphor instruction. The results show that the two are significantly correlated, however, the metaphoric competence of English learners in China is ranked middle or low, and the L2 learners who are skilled at L2 reading are more inclined to be at a higher level of metaphoric competence.

People in modern society are media multitaskers due to portable devices and omnipresent wireless networks, and college students are no exception. Previous studies have indicated that students' media multitasking behaviours in class harm their academic performances, and understanding the reasons for college students' engagement in such behaviour is meaningful. However, the literature takes media multitasking behaviour as an audience behaviour, which ignores the interaction between students and their surroundings. This study fills this gap by emphasizing the role of the social learning process. A survey was conducted in a public and comprehensive university in western China, and a total of 457 valid respondents were obtained. The results from PLS‐SEM revealed that college students' in‐class media multitasking behaviours were influenced by both observational learning (ie, imitating others) and reinforcement learning (ie, in‐class interventions), and this learning process was shaped by students' media multitasking self‐efficacy and self‐management of learning. These findings contribute to the current literature by providing a relatively new perspective for understanding college students' in‐class media multitasking behaviours, and suggestions about how to deal with such behaviours are also provided. Practitioner notesWhat is already known about this topic In‐class media multitasking behaviours (ICMMBs) damage college students' academic performance.College students' ICMMBs are affected by individual factors, such as internet addiction and sensation seeking.Social learning theory is widely adopted as a general theoretical background to explain those behaviours of which possible consequences are easily observed no matter from others or from individuals themselves.What this paper adds This work enriches the media multitasking literature by investigating the predictors of ICMMBs from a relatively new perspective, that is, the social learning perspective.This work also contributes to the literature on media multitasking by examining how the social learning process of college students' ICMMBs differs across students.This work extends the application scope of social learning theory to the context of college students' ICMMBs.Implications for practice and/or policy. The role of imitating others proves the importance of the learning atmosphere in classrooms, so teachers or lecturers should pay special attention to build a learning atmosphere away from ICMMBs.Some in‐class interventions should be established, especially the formal policy of schools to require students to hand in their smartphones or other media before class and students' own mindfulness of such behaviour.Teachers or lecturers should take actions to lower the academic performance expectations of students with higher media multitasking self‐efficacy (MMSE) because students with higher MMSE often overestimate their capabilities to have good performance when conducting other tasks simultaneously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding how students perceive and adopt technology in their daily life is particularly relevant to today's Information and Communication Technology (ICT) environment, in which versatile ICT tools are becoming more and more pervasive, almost ubiquitous in our day-to-day activities. In the context of English as a foreign language, this study investigates how Chinese students produce an English video with over-the-counter technology tools for accomplishing a language-learning task. In particular, this study probes into how youngsters today respond to a given learning task, how and why they adopt technology tools available and of use to them for the task. Data collection is through observation, students' reports, and interviews. The focus on specific case study settings offers a closer look at how the use of technology tools is socially and technologically shaped in each individual case. Students reported that they welcomed and valued such learning experience and had in general positive attitude toward the tools and their use in learning. The results reveal students' willingness and capability in adopting technology tools, whether familiar or unfamiliar to them, and appropriating these tools to fulfill their individual leaning needs. Implications have been drawn to provide a new aspect of technology adoption in school learning.

Forest fires have a significant impact on terrestrial ecosystems, leading to harm to biodiversity and environment. To mitigate the ecological damage caused by forest fires, it was necessary to develop prediction models of fire risk. In this study, by evolving the optimal architecture and parameters using the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm, a convolutional neural network (CNN) deep learning model was proposed to predict forest fire risk on a national scale. Utilizing fire data and fire risk factors from 2001 to 2020 in China, the PSO-CNN-based deep learning model (PSO-CNN) was utilized and tested. Compared to logistic regression, random forest, support vector machine, k-nearest neighbors, and CNN models, the PSO-CNN model exhibited superior performance with an accuracy of 82.2% and an AUC value of 0.92. These results clearly highlighted the effectiveness of the PSO-CNN model in enhancing the accuracy of forest fire prediction. Furthermore, the forest fire risk prediction level estimated by the proposed model on a national scale for the entire country was mostly consistent with actual fire data distribution, indicating its potential to be used as an important direction for deep learning in forest fire prediction research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Norovirus is a leading cause of acute gastroenteritis among children. Previous studies based on symptomatic infections indicated that mutations, rather than recombination drove the evolution of the norovirus ORF2. These characteristics were found in hospital-based symptomatic infections, whereas, asymptomatic infections are frequent and contribute significantly to transmission. Methods: We conducted the first norovirus molecular epidemiology analysis covering both symptomatic and asymptomatic infections derived from a birth cohort study in the northern China. Results: During the study, 14 symptomatic and 20 asymptomatic norovirus infections were detected in 32 infants. Out of the 14 strains that caused symptomatic infections, 12 strains were identified as GII.3[P12], and others were GII.4[P31]. Conversely, 17 asymptomatic infections were caused by GII.4[P31], two by GII.2[P16], and one by GII.4[P16]. Regardless of symptomatic and asymptomatic infections, the mutations were detected frequently in the ORF2 region, and almost all recombination were identified in the RdRp-ORF2 region. The majority of the mutations were located around the predefined epitope regions of P2 subdomain indicating a potential for immune evasion. Conclusion: The role of symptomatic as well as asymptomatic infections in the evolution of norovirus needs to be evaluated continuously. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The open excavation and concealed construction method is widely adopted for the construction of bias double-arch tunnels. However, the mechanical behavior of the tunnel during the whole construction period by using the open excavation and concealed construction method is not well understood, and the basis for construction organization and optimization is lacking. Based on an open-buried double-arch tunnel on Xiajuan Road, Changsha City, China, on-site monitoring was carried out in terms of the deformation of the steel arch in the primary lining, the stress of reinforcement in the secondary lining, and the deformation of the surrounding rock during the construction process. The correlation between the vault settlement rate and the steel arch strain was analyzed. The results show that the maximum vault settlement and settling rate of the left and right caverns occur at different locations due to different supporting conditions. The peripheral displacement experiences a process of convergence inward and extension outward. The compressive steel stress in the secondary lining of the right cavern is greater than that in the left cavern, except for the points at the arch waist. The backfill above the left cavern reduces the loading on the lining of the right cavern, but it increases the loading on the left cavern. The bias effect of the open-buried double-arch tunnel is well controlled and balanced when the open excavation and concealed construction method is adopted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The subgenus Cerasus, one of the most important groups in the genus Prunus sensu lato, comprises over 100 species; however, the taxonomic classification and phylogenetic relationships of Cerasus remain controversial. Therefore, it is necessary to reconstruct the phylogenetic tree for known Cerasus species. Here, we report the chloroplast (cp) genome sequences of 11 Cerasus species to provide insight into evolution of the plastome. The cp genomes of the 11 Cerasus species (157,571-158,830 bp) displayed a typical quadripartite circular structure. The plastomes contain 115 unique genes, including 80 protein-coding genes, four ribosomal RNAs, and 31 transfer RNAs. Twenty genes were found to be duplicated in inverted repeats as well as at the boundary. The conserved noncoding sequences showed significant divergence compared with the coding regions. We found 12 genes and 14 intergenic regions with higher nucleotide diversity and more polymorphic sites, including matK, rps16, rbcL, rps16-trnQ, petN-psbM, and trnL-trnF. During cp plastome evolution, the codon profile has been strongly biased toward the use of A/T at the third base, and leucine and isoleucine codons appear the most frequently. We identified strong purifying selection on the rpoA, cemA, atpA, and petB genes; whereas ccsA, rps19, matK, rpoC2, ycf2 and ndhI showed a signature of possible positive selection during the course of Cerasus evolution. In addition, we further analyzed the phylogenetic relationships of these species with 57 other congenic related species. Through reconstructing the Cerasus phylogeny tree, we found that true cherry is similar to the flora of China forming a distinct group, from which P. mahaleb was separated as an independent subclade. Microcerasus was genetically closer to Amygdalus, Armeniaca, and Prunus (sensu stricto) than to members of true cherry, whereas P. japonica and P. tomentosa were most closely related to P. triloba and P. pedunculata. However, P. tianshanica formed a clade with P. cerasus, P. fruticosa, P. cerasus × P. canescens 'Gisela 6', and P. avium as a true cherry group. These results provide new insights into the plastome evolution of Cerasus, along with potential molecular markers and candidate DNA barcodes for further phylogenetic and phylogeographic analyses of Cerasus species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spatial correlation structure of provincial tourism economy development is an important factor to promote the overall tourism economy. This paper aims to construct the methodology of provincial tourism competitiveness evaluation system from the new perspective of networking. Firstly, by utilizing the panel data of 30 provinces from 2006 to 2019, the entropy method was developed to calculate the provincial tourism competitiveness. Then, the gravity model was introduced to the Social Network Analysis, and spatial correlation network and its characteristics of tourism competitiveness evaluation were elaborated. This paper reveals the spatial–temporal network evolution process of regional tourism competitiveness in China. Additionally, it provides a scientific basis for obtaining a deeper understanding of China's provincial tourism competitiveness and a theoretical basis for the government to formulate the future direction and differentiation policy of provincial tourism competitiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN), the most common primary renal disease, is characterized by abnormal IgA1 deposition. IgAN is caused by NOD-like receptor pyrin domain-containing-3 (NLRP3), which regulates innate immunity. Gubentongluo (GB) decoction, a traditional Chinese medicine, is an effective clinical treatment for IgAN in China. However, little is known about the underlying mechanisms. In this study, IgA1, which is separated from patients with IgAN, together with GB decoction was applied to treat human mesangial cells (HMCs). CCK-8 and the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay were used to assess cell proliferation and the production of interleukin-1β (IL-1β), respectively. qPCR and Western blot were applied to detect the expression levels of NLRP3, IL-1β, and caspase-1. Our results showed that GB decoction inhibited IgA1-induced cell proliferation and IL-1β production. Furthermore, IgA1-induced upregulation of IL-1β, NLRP3, and caspase-1 was reduced after treatment with GB. Interestingly, MCC950, an NLRP3 inhibitor, showed similar effect as GB decoction. Additionally, NLRP3 overexpression stimulated cell proliferation, IL-1β secretion, and the expressions of IL-1β and caspase-1 in HMCs. But these effects could be alleviated by GB decoction. In conclusion, GB may play a protective role in IgAN cell model by inhibiting NLRP3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of urbanization, the transportation network of underground tunnels has been gradually formed and improved. It is a complicated issue for engineering construction when two municipal road tunnels intersect at one point. Based on a construction site of the crossing point of the Huayuan Road Tunnel and Luzhou Road Tunnel in Hefei City, China, the finite element analysis method is used to calculate and analyze the deformation characteristics of the crossing point of the tunnels during the asymmetric construction of connecting parts. The deformation behaviors of the crossing point of tunnels subjected to symmetrical construction are also studied for comparison. Results show that the deformations of the supporting pile and tunnel frame structures increase rapidly when they are subjected to asymmetric construction, while the lateral movement of the supporting pile and the deformation of the tunnel structure can be greatly limited when the symmetrical construction method is adopted. Some suggestions for engineering construction are put forward to ensure the safety of the structure, such as multi-stage construction and temporary supporting measure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We aimed to explore the association between long-term exposure to particulate matter ≤ 2.5 µm (PM2.5) and metabolic syndrome (MetS) and its components including fasting blood glucose (FBG), blood pressure, triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-c) and waist circumference among adults and elderly in south China.Methods: We surveyed 6628 participants in the chronic disease and risk factors surveillance conducted in 14 districts of Guangdong province in 2015. MetS was defined based on the recommendation by the Joint Interim Societies' criteria. We used the spatiotemporal land-use regression (LUR) model to estimate the two-year average exposure of ambient air pollutants (PM2.5, PM10, SO2, NO2, and O3) at individual levels. We recorded other covariates by using a structured questionnaire. Generalized linear mixed model was used for analysis.Results: A 10-μg/m3 increase in the two-year mean PM2.5 exposure was associated with a higher risk of developing MetS [odd ratio (OR): 1.17, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.01, 1.35], increased risk of fasting blood glucose level. (OR: 1.18, 95% CI: 1.02, 1.36), and hypertriglyceridemia (OR: 1.36, 95% CI: 1.18, 1.58) in the adjusted/unadjusted models (all P < 0.05). We found significant interaction between PM2.5 and the region, exercise on the high TG levels, and an interaction with the region, age, exercise and grain consumption on FBG (P interaction < 0.05).Conclusions: Long-term exposure to PM2.5 was associated with MetS, dyslipidemia and FBG impairment. Efforts should be made for environment improvement to reduce the burden of MetS-associated non-communicable disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Therioaphis trifolii (Monell) is a well‐known pest in alfalfa cultivation in China. Individuals of T. trifolii were allowed to feed on 10 alfalfa cultivars and their growth, reproduction, and population life table parameters were estimated. Nymphs that fed on Hunter River had the longest development time, whereas nymphs that fed on Defu had the shortest development time. Adults that fed on Debao, Zhongmu No. 2, and Defu had the shortest development time, whereas adults that fed on Golden Empress and Hunter River had the longest development times. Individuals that fed on Zhungeer produced the greatest number of offspring (13.950), and those that fed on Hunter River produced the fewest offspring (6.000). The survival rate of T. trifolii was the highest on Algonquin and lowest on Hunter River, whereas the survival time was the longest on Golden Empress and shortest on Debao. The population that fed on Algonquin had the highest intrinsic growth rate (0.560) and shortest population doubling time (1.237 days), whereas those that fed on Hunter River had the lowest intrinsic growth rate (0.217) and longest population doubling time (3.194 days). The life table parameters of the experimental T. trifolii population were used to quantify the resistance strengths of the cultivars. Results indicate that the Hunter River cultivar may effectively resist damage from T. trifolii. This study provides a theoretical basis for breeding aphid‐resistant alfalfa cultivars, enabling further research into the prevention and control of aphid infestation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Euphorbia pekinensis Rupr. 1859 is a medicinal herb endemic to China and distributed throughout the country, particularly across the northern part of the mainland. However, the systematic classification of Euphorbiaceae remains controversial. Therefore, studying the chloroplast genome of E. pekinensis is crucial for the resolution of this taxonomic dispute, clarification of the systematic status of Euphorbia, and establishment of an accurate classification system for Euphorbiaceae. In this study, we sequenced the complete chloroplast genome of E. pekinensis using Illumina sequencing technology and annotated it using GeSeq. The complete chloroplast genome was 162,002-bp-long with a guanine–cytosine (GC) content of 35.7%. It included one large single-copy (LSC), one small single-copy (SSC), and two inverted repeat sequence regions (IRa and IRb), which were 90,225 bp, 18,067 bp, and 26,855 bp in length, respectively, and are indicative of a typical tetrad structure. The genome encoded 129 functional genes, comprising 85 protein-coding genes, 36 tRNA genes, and eight rRNA genes. According to the maximum-likelihood phylogenetic tree that was constructed using 16 complete chloroplast genomes, E. pekinensis was found to be closely related to E. ebracteolata. Therefore, the complete chloroplast genome of E. pekinensis provides a better understanding of Euphorbia genetics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Epilepsy is a severe chronic neurologic disease with a prevalence of 0.7% worldwide; anti-seizure medications (ASMs) are the mainstay of epilepsy treatment. The effects of sociodemographic factors on the characteristics of initial treatment in patients with newly diagnosed focal epilepsy in Western China are unknown. This study was conducted to explore sociodemographic factors associated with initial treatment characteristics.Methods: Patients with focal epilepsy on continuous ASM treatment who visited to our epilepsy center at Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital between January 2018 and December 2019 were recruited. Data on initial treatment status and sociodemographic variables were obtained from the patients with a questionnaire designed by our researchers. We examined whether sociodemographic factors were associated with epileptic patients' access to neurologists and prescriptions of individual ASMs.Results: A total of 569 patients completed this study. We found that patients with a higher education level, aged < 16 years, and with a higher household disposable income were more likely to receive treatment from a neurologist than their counterparts. Patients with a lower personal income level and who were treated at a junior hospital were more likely to receive prescriptions for carbamazepine, and those who were younger than 16 years were less likely to receive prescriptions for carbamazepine and oxcarbazepine. Patients with a higher education level, with a higher household disposable income level, who were younger than 16 years, and who were treated at a senior hospital were more likely to receive prescriptions for levetiracetam than their counterparts. Adult, female patients with focal epilepsy treated at a senior hospital were more likely to receive prescriptions for lamotrigine.Conclusions: This observation suggests that sociodemographic characteristics are associated with access to neurologists and prescriptions of individual antiepileptic drugs. These data may help public health officials establish guidelines for doctors and distribute resources according to the needs of different patient groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Diarrhea remains the leading cause of childhood illness in China. Better understanding of burden and etiology of diarrheal diseases is important for development of effective prevention measures. Methods: Population-based diarrhea surveillance was conducted in Sanjiang (southern China) year-round and Zhengding (northern China) in autumn/winter. Stool specimens were collected from children < 5 years of age experiencing diarrhea. The TaqMan Array Card (TAC), based on multiplex real-time PCR, was applied to detect multiple enteric microbial agents simultaneously. Results using these methods were compared to those derived from conventional PCR assays. Results: During the study period, 6,380 children in Zhengding and 3,581 children in Sanjiang < 5 years of age participated. Three hundred and forty (31.2%) and 279 (22.9%) diarrhea episodes were identified as moderate-to-severe in the two counties, with incidence of 60.4 and 88.3 cases per 1,000 child-years in Zhengding and Sanjiang, respectively. The five most frequently detected bacterial and viral agents in Sanjiang were adenovirus, enterovirus, enteroaggregative Escherichia coli (EAEC), rotavirus, and sapovirus all the year round, while the most common viral agents in Zhengding were rotavirus, followed by astrovirus and adenovirus during the cool season. Compared to conventional PCR assay, the average incremental detection via the TAC method was twofold. Conclusion: Our study demonstrated high diversity and prevalence of multiple major bacterial and viral agents, including rotavirus and calicivirus, among children in China. Further studies are needed to define the public health significance of neglected but frequently detected pathogens such as EAEC, enterotoxigenic E. coli, Campylobacter, adenovirus, and enterovirus. Key Points: Currently bacterial and viral agents in the gastrointestinal tract are under-detected and poorly defined in developing countries. A new sensitive TAC assay provided comprehensive identification of microorganisms, including neglected pathogens, in Chinese children with moderate and severe diarrhea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Litsea cubeba essential oil (LCEO) is a broad-spectrum bacteriostatic substance produced from the fruit of the Litsea tree that has been used for the treatment of various diseases in China for thousands of years. Here, the antifungal activities of LCEO against 10 different fungi (Naganishia diffluens, Fusarium sacchari, Cladosporium tenuissimum, Fusarium proliferatum, Fusarium verticillioides, Fusarium subglutinans, Mucor racemosus, Penicillium oxalicum, Penicillium chrysogenum , and Aspergillus niger) that cause rot to waxberries were assessed. The chemical components of LCEO and its modes of action against P. oxalicum were investigated. Citral (32.62 %) was characterized as the main component of LCEO by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry. LCEO exhibited excellent antifungal activities against all 10 fungi. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum fungicidal concentration of LCEO against P. oxalicum were 2.24 and 4.48 g/L, respectively. Furthermore, LCEO (MIC) compromised membrane permeability and integrity, caused leakage of the cell components, and increased production of malondialdehyde and reactive oxygen species. Scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy indicated that the morphology and ultrastructure of the LCEO-treated hyphal cell membrane and organelles were severely damaged. Meanwhile, LCEO increased the shelf life of waxberries from 1–2 to 5–6 d. LCEO is a potential ecologically friendly alternative to commercial fungicides to inhibit postharvest fungal contamination of waxberries during shipment and storage. [Display omitted] • Components of Litsea cubeba essential oil (LCEO) were identified by GC–MS. • LCEO showed outstanding inhibitory effects against ten fungal pathogen of waxberry. • LCEO damaged the plasma and mitcchondrial membrane of P. oxalicum. • LCEO resulted in the leakage of nucleic acids and soluble sugar from the mycelia. • LCEO is an alternative of synthetic preservatives to reduce decay in waxberry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Against the backdrop of the rapid technological and cultural developments involving new media in China, this research aims to examine music education in primary and secondary schools with a focus on new media and popular music. This article incorporates a discussion, based on the research results, of the influence of new media and popular music on primary and secondary education. Data for this study were collected in the form of a questionnaire from a sample of 1986 pupils and 200 teachers from twenty primary and secondary schools in Xi'an, China. Results show that employing new media to teach popular music in primary and secondary schools enhances the overall audio-visual experience for both learners and educators, and it also has positive influences on learning, teaching and sharing popular music. Moreover, the use of new media has been proven to encourage independent learning, as well as triggering changes in aesthetic appreciation towards music. The research reflects on the importance of teaching tools, interaction and independent learning skills in the acquisition of knowledge by primary and secondary pupils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to investigate the prevalence, risk factors, and effects of primary nocturnal enuresis (PNE) on physical and mental health in young adults in mainland China. Methods: An anonymous questionnaire was used to collect information including the sociodemographic characteristics, history of PNE, family history, daytime voiding symptoms, Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) scores, Self-Esteem Scale (SES), and Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS). A total of 22,500 university students from 23 provinces and 368 cities in mainland China were included. Results: In total, 21,082 questionnaires were collected, and 20,345 of them qualified for statistical analysis. The PNE prevalence was 1.17%, and the distribution of monosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis (MNE) and nonmonosymptomatic nocturnal enuresis (NMNE) was 66.1% and 33.9%, respectively. In total, 28% of respondents with PNE reported bedwetting daily, 31.6% between 1 and 7 times weekly, and 40.4% between 1 and 4 times monthly; 80% of PNE cases had no history of treatment. The prevalence of PNE in patients with a family history, frequency, urgency, urinary incontinence, and recurrent urinary tract infections was significantly higher than in those without these conditions (P<0.001). PNE was significantly correlated with the PSQI total score (sleep quality) (P=0.011). The SES score was lower and the SDS was higher (P<0.001) in the PNE group than in those without PNE. Conclusions: In mainland China, the PNE prevalence among young adults was found to be high, and PNE had significant effects on physical and mental health. Risk factors included a family history, daytime voiding symptoms, and lack of treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background An outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is becoming a public health emergency. Data are limited on the duration and host factors related to viral shedding. Methods In this retrospective study, risk factors associated with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) RNA shedding were evaluated in a cohort of 113 symptomatic patients from 2 hospitals outside Wuhan. Results The median (interquartile range) duration of SARS-CoV-2 RNA detection was 17 (13–22) days as measured from illness onset. When comparing patients with early (<15 days) and late (≥15 days after illness onset) viral RNA clearance, prolonged SARS-CoV-2 RNA shedding was associated with male sex (P =.009), old age (P =.033), concomitant hypertension (P =.009), delayed admission to hospital after illness onset (P =.001), severe illness at admission (P =.049), invasive mechanical ventilation (P =.006), and corticosteroid treatment (P =.025). Patients with longer SARS-CoV-2 RNA shedding duration had slower recovery of body temperature (P <.001) and focal absorption on radiograph images (P <.001) than patients with early SARS-CoV-2 RNA clearance. Male sex (OR, 3.24; 95% CI, 1.31–8.02), delayed hospital admission (OR, 1.30; 95% CI, 1.10–1.54), and invasive mechanical ventilation (OR, 9.88; 95% CI, 1.11–88.02) were independent risk factors for prolonged SARS-CoV-2 RNA shedding. Conclusions Male sex, delayed admission to hospital after illness onset, and invasive mechanical ventilation were associated with prolonged SARS-CoV-2 RNA shedding. Hospital admission and general treatments should be started as soon as possible in symptomatic COVID-19 patients, especially male patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak in December has seen more than 76,000 cases in China, causing more than 3,000 medical staff infections. As the disease is highly contagious, can be fatal in severe cases, and there are no specific medicines, it poses a huge threat to the life and health of nurses, leading to a severe impact on their emotional responses and coping strategies. Therefore, this study will investigate nurses' emotional responses and coping styles, and conduct a comparative study with nursing college students. This study was conducted through the online survey 'questionnaire star' from February 1st to February 20th, 2020 in Anhui Province, using the snowball sampling method to invite subjects. The results found that women showed more severe anxiety and fear than men. Participants from cities exhibited these symptoms more than participants from rural areas, however rural participants experienced more sadness than urban participants. The nearer a COVID-19 zone is to the participants, the stronger the anxiety and anger. The COVID-19 outbreak has placed immense pressure on hospitals and those nurses at the frontline are more seriously affected. Hospitals should focus on providing psychological support to nurses and training in coping strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enterovirus A71 (EV‐A71) infection is known to cause hand, foot, and mouth disease (HFMD). Last year, an inactivated EV‐A71 whole virus vaccine was used to prevent this disease in Yunnan, China. To obtain a viral genetic background for evaluating vaccine protection and monitor the adaptive evolution of the virus after the vaccination, a 5‐year molecular epidemiology survey was performed before the vaccination. Twenty‐six EV‐A71 strains were separated from 561 stool specimens of patients with serious HFMD. The whole‐genomic sequences of these strains were sequenced. Phylogenetic trees were constructed, and the mutation spectra were analyzed based on these viral sequences. There was no obvious mutation for the circular EV‐A71 strains of the same year. Pathogenic EV‐A71 strains may arise from a "subgroup" randomly each year. Whole‐genomic analyses showed that a hotspot nonsynonymous substitution potentially affecting the immunogenicity of vaccines was found in the 2A gene, but not in genes of the viral capsid proteins, and the genetic diversity of whole viral genomes associated with the incidence of HFMD. Therefore, it will be valuable to monitor the genome‐wide changes of EV‐A71 to detect the adaptive mutations affecting immunogenicity or perform investigations using genetic diversity as a parameter. Highlights: A 5‐year molecular epidemiology survey was performed before an inactivated EV‐A71 whole virus vaccination.There was no obvious mutation for the circular EV‐A71 strains of the same year.Pathogenic EV‐A71 strains may arise from a "subgroup" randomly each year.A hotspot nonsynonymous substitution potentially affecting the immunogenicity of vaccines was found in the 2A gene, but not in genes of the viral capsid proteins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The viral RNA shedding time (VST) for severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 has not been well characterized. Clinical data were collected and compared between patients with short and long VSTs (in the lower and upper quartiles, respectively). The probability of recurrent positive reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction results decreased sharply to 4.8% after 3 consecutive negative results. A series of ≥3 consecutive negative results was suitable as a criterion for the end of viral RNA shedding. The VST for shedding from the respiratory tract was significantly shorter in patients with normal B-cell counts on admission than in those with decreased B-cell counts (median [interquartile range], 11 [9-13] vs 16 [12-20] days, respectively; P = .001). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objective Occurrence at a younger age has been demonstrated to be associated with a distinct biology in non-small cell lung cancer. However, genomics and clinical characteristics among younger patients with lung adenocarcinoma remain to be determined. Here we studied the potentially targetable genetic alterations by next-generation sequencing (NGS) assay in young Chinese patients with lung adenocarcinoma. Methods Eighty-nine surgically resected lung adenocarcinoma tissue samples from patients aged less than 45 years were collected with informed consent from all patients. Targeted NGS assays were used to identify actionable genetic alterations in the cancer tissues. Additionally, the genomic and clinical pathologic characteristics of 95 patients with lung adenocarcinoma who received NGS testing over the same period were analyzed retrospectively. Results The frequencies of targetable genetic alterations in 184 patients with lung adenocarcinoma were analyzed by defined age categories, which unveiled a distinctive molecular profile in the younger group, aged less than 45 years. Notably, higher frequency of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) genetic alterations were associated with young age. However, a reverse trend was observed for kirsten rat sarcoma viral oncogene (K^AS), serine/threonine kinase 11 (STK11) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) exon 20 mutations, which were more frequently identified in the older group, aged more than 45 years. Furthermore, concurrent EGFR/tumor protein p53 (TP53) mutations were much more prevalent in the younger patients (81.6% vs 44.9%), which might have a poor response to treatment with EGFR-tyrosine kinase inhibitor (EGFR-TKI). Conclusion NGS assay revealed a distinctive genetic profile in younger patients with adenocarcinoma. High frequency of concurrent EGFR/TP53 mutations was found in the younger patients, which especially warranted personalized treatment in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high concentration of fluoride (F) in soils has become a rising concern for its toxicity to microbes, plants, animals and human health. In the present study, the spatial and vertical distribution, health risk assessment and anthropogenic sources of F in farmland soils in an industrial area dominated by phosphate chemical plants were studied. Concentrations of total fluoride (TF) and water soluble fluoride (WSF) in the surface soils decreased with distance within the range of 2500 m at the prevailing downwind of the industrial area. The soil TF and WSF concentrations in 0–40 cm profiles were higher than those in 40–100 cm layers in the industrial area. At the prevailing downwind of the industrial area within 700 m, the hazard quotient values of human exposure to surface soils were higher than 1, indicating that a potential risk may exist for human health in this area. The main exposure pathway for children and adults was oral ingestion and particulate inhalation, respectively. The source apportionment model of soil F was modified based on years' historical data and experimental data. The results showed that the proportion of anthropogenic sources of soil F was dustfalls (69%) > irrigation water (23%) > air (5%) > chemical fertilizers (3%) in the industrial area. The high F concentration of dustfalls was mainly due to the phosphate rock, phosphogypsum, and surface soils with high F contents from the factories. In order to safeguard human health and alleviate hazards of F to surroundings, the control of pollutants emission from factories was a basic and vital step to reduce F in the soils in industrial areas. Image 1 • Soil F concentration decreased with the distance from factories within 2500 m. • Soil F concentration decreased with depth of soil within 0–100 cm. • Potential risk may exist for human health in area within 700 m from factories. • Main exposure route of children and adults was ingestion and inhalation, respectively. • Dustfall was the main anthropogenic sources of soil F in industrial area. The modified source apportionment model of F in soils based on historical and experimental data showed that dustfall was the most important anthropogenic source of soil F in phosphate plant areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to explore the genetic evolution of Actinobacillus pleuropneumoniae (App) in different countries and clarify the relationships among different App in each region, the 16S rRNA gene of App in the NCBI nucleotide database was analyzed and compared by the bioinformatics method. The phylogenetic tree was constructed after tailoring alignment. The results showed that a stable genetic phenomenon was indicated in the evolutionary process of App. The isolates derived from China were clustered and showed a high degree of conservation. They had a certain genetic relationship with the British and American strains, but had far rela tionship with the strains from Japan which was a neighboring country of China. The isolates from different countries in the Eurasian continent shared high homology. The isolates of the two regions originated from common ancestors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims. Recent epidemiological studies have indicated that the incidence of epilepsy peaks after 60 years old, and epilepsy has become increasingly prevalent in elderly populations. The aim of this study is to identify the aetiologic characteristics of epilepsy in the elderly. Methods. We retrospectively recruited elderly patients with newly diagnosed epilepsy identified in three epilepsy centres in western China; elderly patients were defined as individuals aged 60 years or older. Demographic characteristics, clinical epilepsy data, and the diagnosis and aetiology of epilepsy were recorded. Results. A total of 760 patients with newly diagnosed epilepsy were enrolled in our study. Of these patients, 25% had experienced one or more episodes of status epilepticus, and 62.4% were confirmed as symptomatic. Among the symptomatic cohort, stroke and traumatic brain injury (TBI) were the two most common causes of epilepsy, followed by cerebral tumour, dementia, hippocampal sclerosis (HS), and central nervous system (CNS) infection. When analysed by residence and age, ischaemic stroke was the most common cause of epilepsy in urban patients, whereas traumatic brain injury was the leading cause of epilepsy in rural patients. Conclusion. More than three-fifths of newly diagnosed epilepsy cases in elderly patients were confirmed as symptomatic, and stroke and traumatic brain injury were the primary aetiologies in elderly epileptic patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study evaluated the effectiveness and safety of the egg-based, trivalent, inactivated split influenza vaccine produced by the Institute of Medical Biology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Peking Union Medical College, China. Methods: From March 2012 through May 2012, we enrolled a total of 1390 healthy volunteers between the ages of 3 and 80 years in a randomized clinical trial at the Hebei Disease Control Center Vaccine Clinical Evaluation Center. For all subjects, body part adverse reactions and whole-body adverse reactions were observed 30 min, 6 h, and 1–7 days’ post-inoculation. If no severe adverse effects were observed 7 days’ post-vaccination, the local and systemic reactions of preliminary test participants were recorded until day 28. There was no placebo group in this study. Blood samples were taken for serological testing before vaccination and 28 days’ post-vaccination. Results: Twenty-eight days after vaccination, the seroconversion rates of experimental and control groups were H1N1 75.3% and 75.7%, H3N2 75.8% and 71.8%, B 70.7% vs. 69.4%, (P > 0.05). The antibody Geometric Mean Titer（GMT）of experimental and control groups were H1N1 (179.7, 182.4), H3N2 (584.0, 445.7), B (201.4,191.6). The protection rate of experimental and control groups was not statistically significant (H1N1: 86% vs. 87%, H3N2: 99% vs. 98%, B: 98% vs. 98%). Also, 95% confidence intervals of the protection rate difference between the experimental and the control group were H1N1: −0.1% (−4.1,3.8) %, H3N2: 0.3% (−1.0,1.7) % and B: 0.2% (−1.5,1.9) %; confidence intervals exceeded the limit of −5%. The rates of adverse reactions between experimental and control groups were 6.3% and 7.7% in local response reactions, and 19.5% and 18.0% in systemic reactions. Three hundred and twenty-seven adverse events (AEs) in 1200 (27.76%) subjects were reported within 28 d after vaccination. No serious adverse events occurred during the study. Conclusions: The experimental vaccine three-antibody protection rate was non-inferior to the control vaccine. Our results demonstrated that the experimental vaccine achieved the primary immunogenic end point of the intended clinical protocol, as well as a secondary immunogenic end-point, with an acceptable level of safety. IRB approval for this study was issued under #2012Y0005 and registered as Clinical Trial No. NCT01551810. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: To determine the seroprevalence, latent infection rate and risk factors for severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) infection, a cross-sectional study was conducted in the general population of the Western region of Anhui Province of China from 1 September to 31 December 2014. Methods: Twelve villages with the highest rates of endemic SFTS infection were selected from six towns in two counties in the western region of Anhui Province. Blood samples were collected and tested for the presence of SFTSV-IgG antibodies by ELISA. Each participant was interviewed using a structured questionnaire before blood collection. Participants with seropositive specimens were further investigated using another structured questionnaire. Results: Of 2126 blood specimens collected, 99 (4.66%) were seropositive for SFTSV. None of the participants had been diagnosed with SFTS before the blood collection or were accompanied by fever, thrombocytopenia and leukocytopenia after blood collection. Multivariate logistic regression model analysis revealed living in areas of uncontrolled vegetation growth, long-term residents of the locality and tick bites as high risk factors for SFTSV infection. Conclusions: The overall seroprevalence of SFTSV is higher in the western region of Anhui, possibly due to latent infection, with the main risk factors being living in areas of uncontrolled vegetation growth, long-term residents of the locality and tick bites. Further investigations are warranted to clarify the modes of SFTS virus transmission, while vector management, education on tick bite prevention and personal hygiene management should be implemented for high risk groups in endemic areas. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The impact of strong (weak) intraseasonal oscillation (ISO) over South China Sea (SCS) and South Asia (SA) in summer on the SCS and SA summer monsoon and the summer rainfall in Eastern China are studied by using the NCEP-NCAR analysis data and the rainfall data of 160 stations in China from 1961 to 2010. It is found that the impacts are significantly different in different months of summer. The study shows that in June and July cyclonic (anticyclonic) atmospheric circulation over SCS and SA corresponds to strong (weak) ISO over SCS. In August, however, strong (weak) ISO over SCS still corresponds to cyclonic (anticyclonic) atmospheric circulation over SA. In June and August cyclonic (anticyclonic) atmospheric circulation over South Asia corresponds to strong (weak) ISO over SA while a strong (weak) ISO corresponds to anticyclonic (cyclonic) atmospheric circulation over SA in July. Besides, in June the strong (weak) ISO over SA corresponds to cyclonic (anticyclonic) atmospheric circulation over SCS, while in July and August the atmospheric circulation is in the same phase regardless of whether the ISO over SA is strong or weak. The impacts of the strong (weak) ISO over SCS on the rainfall of eastern China are similar in June and July, which favors less (more) rainfall in Yangtze-Huaihe Rivers basin but sufficient (deficient) rainfall in the south of Yangtze River. However, the impacts are not so apparent in August. In South Asia, the strong (weak) ISO in July results in less (more) rainfall in the south of Yangtze River but sufficient (deficient) rainfall in Yangtze-Huaihe Rivers basin. The influence on the rainfall in eastern China in June and August is not as significant as in July. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Since the novel H7N9 avian influenza outbreak occurred in China in 2013, neuraminidase inhibitors (NAIs) such as oseltamivir and peramivir have been used as first-line drugs to treat the influenza virus infection. This study aimed to compare the efficacy of oseltamivir-peramivir combination therapy versus oseltamivir monotherapy.Methods: A retrospective study of 82 H7N9 confirmed patients was conducted by reviewing medical charts at the First Affiliated Hospital of ZheJiang University in China from April 1, 2013 to Feb 28, 2014. The patients' clinical information was collected systematically, and we compared the virology and clinical data between oseltamivir monotherapy group (43 patients) and oseltamivir-peramivir combination group (39 patients).Results: The median duration from NAIs administration to H7N9 virus-negative in oseltamivir monotherapy group and oseltamivir-peramivir combination group was 6.50 and 7.00 days (p >0.05), respectively. The median decline of Day 2 to Day 0 (initiation of NAIs therapy) viral load was 0.00 and 0.69 log10 copies/μl (p >0.05) respectively in the monotherapy vs. combination therapy groups. The incidence of new Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome during NAI administration was 63.89 and 77.78 % (p >0.05); while the mortality rates were 25.58 and 43.59 % (p >0.05) in the oseltamivir group vs. oseltamivir-peramivir group.Conclusions: Our results suggest that in adults with H7N9 virus infection, the use of oseltamivir-peramivir combination therapy was not superior to oseltamivir monotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of green building in China has reached a new stage, needs to turn to the total energy consumption control from the technology control [1] . We should avoid packing technologies in green building projects and regard achieving good environmental performance as the fundamental goal. In this paper, we use the method of post-occupancy evaluation and regard the building environmental performance as the core of the evaluation system, in order to reduce the influence on the accuracy of results from the measures evaluation. We establish the evaluation index system of green public building environmental performance in severe cold and cold regions, including the index of building life-cycle carbon emissions accounting. And we set up the application plan of index and the scoring method, then we put forward a kind of evaluation grade based on environmental performance level, finally proposed the POE System of Green Public Building Environmental Performance in Severe Cold and Cold Regions (POE-GPBEPC). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected individuals are at high risk of contracting tuberculosis (TB) disease, and current methods for diagnosing TB infection are less effective in this population. We developed and evaluated a new interferon-gamma release assay (IGRA), named A.TB, in HIV-infected individuals, with and without active TB, in a setting of high TB burden and low HIV prevalence. Methods: A total of 255 subjects were divided into 3 groups according to their HIV and TB status: HIV + without active TB (n = 123), HIV +/TB + (n = 79), and HIV-/TB + (n = 65). The A.TB assay was performed in parallel with the QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube (QFT-GIT) and tuberculin skin test (TST). Results: The positive rate was 59.3% (n = 123) by A.TB and 53.8% (n = 106) by QFT-GIT. We observed a strong concordance of 81.2% (k = 0.612) between the two IGRAs. The QFT-GIT results were affected by low CD4+ cell count (p= 0.013), while A.TB results were not. A.TB was also performed in patients with active TB (n = 65) and patients with active TB and HIV co-infection (n = 79). The sensitivity of A.TB in these groups was 80.0% and 81.0%, respectively. Conclusion: The A.TB results were not affected by low CD4+ cell count in the co-infected cohort. With further evaluation,A.TB may prove to be a valuable tool for diagnosing TB in HIV-infected patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regional waterlog disaster integrated risk system, affected by natural, social, and economic systems and its combination relationship, is a complex system with certain structure and function. Waterlog disaster integrated risk results from the combined effects of regional environment, impact factors, vulnerability, and disaster-reducing capability of flood hazards in the drainage area. Waterlog disaster integrated risk system can be divided into four subsystems of hazard, vulnerability, disaster-reducing capability, and disaster conditions. Evaluation indexes are selected using fuzzy analytic hierarchy process method, and the evaluation index system is established. Then, the waterlog disaster integrated risk evaluation model is proposed based on set pair analysis method. Taking Huaihe river in Anhui Province of China as the typical area in this study, the results show that the proposed approach is able to obtain the spatial distribution characteristics of waterlog hazard, vulnerability, mitigation capabilities, and integrated disaster risk within the study area. From the quantitative point of view, identification of the areas with high flood risk can provide a scientific basis for the flood management and technical support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ningxia-Inner Mongolia Reach, in the upper Yellow River, is one of the most serious reaches suffering from ice flood disaster in China. Firstly, according to its characteristics of ice condition evolution and ice disaster, the concept of ice disaster risk of Ningxia-Inner Mongolia Reach was defined, the risk factors of ice disaster were discussed, and the theory and method of 'risk identification-risk estimation-risk assessment-risk management' for the ice disaster risk analysis of Ningxia-Inner Mongolia Reach was proposed. Then, the comprehensive evaluation model of ice disaster risk was established using the projection pursuit, fuzzy clustering and accelerating genetic algorithm method. Finally, the ice disaster risk grade was formulated, and the ice disaster risk of 1991-2010 for the Ningxia-Inner Mongolia Reach was evaluated in this paper. The results show that the application results were consistent with the practical characteristics of water regime, meteorological and ice condition, revealing the rationality of the risk evaluation model. This study aims at enriching and developing the theory and method for the ice disaster risk analysis and providing scientific decision basis for the ice-prevention preparedness of Ningxia-Inner Mongolia Reach, in the upper Yellow River. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bioaccumulation and biomagnification of perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) in temperate urban lacustrine ecosystems is poorly understood. We investigated the occurrence and trophic transfer of and probabilistic health risk from 15 PFAAs in the food web of Luoma Lake, a temperate urban lake in East China. The target PFAAs were widely distributed in the water (∑PFAA: 77.09 ± 9.07 ng/L), suspended particulate matter (SPM) (∑PFAA: 284.07 ± 118.05 ng/g dw), and sediment samples (∑PFAA: 67.77 ± 17.96 ng/g dw) and occurred in all biotic samples (∑PFAA: 443.27 ± 124.89 ng/g dw for aquatic plants; 294.99 ± 90.82 for aquatic animals). PFBA was predominant in water and SPM, with 40.11% and 21.35% of the total PFAAs, respectively, while PFOS was the most abundant in sediments (14.11% of the total PFAAs) and organisms (14.33% of the total PFAAs). Sediment exposure may be the major route of biological uptake of PFAAs. The PFAA accumulation capacity was the highest in submerged plants, followed by emergent plants > bivalves > crustaceans > fish > floating plants. Long-chain PFAAs were biomagnified, and short-chain PFAAs were biodiluted across the entire lacustrine food web. PFOS exhibited the greatest bioaccumulation and biomagnification potential among the target PFAAs. However, biomagnification of short-chain PFAAs was also observed within the low trophic-level part of the food web. Human health risk assessment indicated that perfluorooctanesulfonate (PFOS) and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) posed health risks to all age groups, while the other PFAAs were unlikely to cause immediate harm to consumers in the region. This study fills a gap in the knowledge of the transfer of PFAAs in the food webs of temperate urban lakes. [Display omitted] • We studied the biotransfer of PFAAs in the food web of a temperate urban lake. • Sediment exposure was the major source of ingested PFAAs for organisms. • Long-chain PFAAs were biomagnified; short-chain PFAAs were diluted in the food web. • PFOS exhibited the greatest bioaccumulation and biomagnification potential. • PFOS and PFOA in aquatic products posed health risks to 2–6-year-old children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tai people are widely distributed in Thailand, Laos and southwestern China and are a large population of Southeast Asia. Although most anthropologists and historians agree that modern Tai people are from southwestern China and northern Thailand, the place from which they historically migrated remains controversial. Three popular hypotheses have been proposed: northern origin hypothesis, southern origin hypothesis or an indigenous origin. We compared the genetic relationships between the Tai in China and their “siblings” to test different hypotheses by analyzing 10 autosomal microsatellites. The genetic data of 916 samples from 19 populations were analyzed in this survey. The autosomal STR data from 15 of the 19 populations came from our previous study (Lin et al., 2010). 194 samples from four additional populations were genotyped in this study: Han (Yunnan), Dai (Dehong), Dai (Yuxi) and Mongolian. The results of genetic distance comparisons, genetic structure analyses and admixture analyses all indicate that populations from northern origin hypothesis have large genetic distances and are clearly differentiated from the Tai. The simulation-based ABC analysis also indicates this. The posterior probability of the northern origin hypothesis is just 0.04 [95%CI: (0.01–0.06)]. Conversely, genetic relationships were very close between the Tai and populations from southern origin or an indigenous origin hypothesis. Simulation-based ABC analyses were also used to distinguish the southern origin hypothesis from the indigenous origin hypothesis. The results indicate that the posterior probability of the southern origin hypothesis [0.640, 95%CI: (0.524–0.757)] is greater than that of the indigenous origin hypothesis [0.324, 95%CI: (0.211–0.438)]. Therefore, we propose that the genetic evidence does not support the hypothesis of northern origin. Our genetic data indicate that the southern origin hypothesis has higher probability than the other two hypotheses statistically, suggesting that the Tai people most likely originated from southern China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effects of spraying with kombucha and Chinese herbal kombucha were compared with treatments with tetrandrine in a rat silicosis model. Silica dust (50 mg) was injected into the lungs of rats, which were then treated with one of the experimental treatments for a month. The rats were then killed and the effects of the treatments were evaluated by examining the extent and severity of the histopathological lesions in the animals' lungs, measuring their organ coefficients and lung collagen contents, determining the dry and wet weights of their lungs, and measuring the free silica content of the dried lungs. In addition, lavage was performed on whole lungs taken from selected rats, and the numbers and types of cells in the lavage fluid were counted. The most effective treatment in terms of the ability to reduce lung collagen content and minimize the formation of pulmonary histopathological lesions was tetrandrine treatment, followed by Chinese herbal kombucha and non-Chinese herbal kombucha. However, the lavage fluid cell counts indicated that tetrandrine treatment had severe adverse effects on macrophage viability. This effect was much less pronounced for the kombucha and Chinese herbal kombucha treatments. Moreover, the free silica levels in the lungs of animals treated with Chinese herbal kombucha were significantly lower than those for any other silica-exposed group. These preliminary results indicate that spraying with Chinese herbal kombucha preparations can effectively promote the discharge of silica dust from lung tissues. Chinese herbal kombucha inhalation may thus be a useful new treatment for silicosis and other pneumoconiosis diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The ultra-high voltage system has the properties of high voltage grade, huge transmission capacity and rather sever electromagnetic transient problems. In order to investigate the transient characteristics of enclosure voltage when disconnector operating in ultra high voltage GIS,the calculation theory of transient over-voltage outer the GIS under ultra-high voltage was clarified based on a 1100kV GIS in China. The transient enclosure voltages on each point of GIS were calculated using multi-condutor model, the spectrums of which were realised,too. In addition, the factors effected on TEV, which were disconnector operation types, operation phase, grounding types and so on, were analyzed. The transient characteristics of TEV and the general laws of factors affecting the TEV obtained by calculation and analysis may supply the theotical support and data reference for the construction and operation of UHV substation in the future. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Early warning for sustainable utilization of regional water resources is an important control measure for regional water security management. To establish operable and quantitative forewarning model, in this paper, a new forewarning model for sustainable utilization of water resources based on BP neural network and set pair analysis (named BPSPA-FM for short) was established. In the proposed approach, the accelerating genetic algorithm-based fuzzy analytic hierarchy process was suggested to determine the weights of evaluation indexes, back-propagation neural network updating model was used to predict the values of the evaluation indexes, and the set pair analysis was used to determine the function values of relative membership in variable fuzzy set of the samples. BPSPA-FM was applied to early warning for sustainable utilization of regional water resources of Yuanyang Hani terrace in Yunnan Province of China. The results show that the states of sustainable utilization in this system were near the critical value between nonalarm and slight alarm from 1990 to 2000, the states of the system fell into slight alarm and were rapidly close to intermediate alarm from 2001 to 2004, and the states of the system were predicted to be near the critical value between slight alarm and intermediate alarm from 2005 to 2010. The main alarm indexes of the system were utilization ratio of water in agriculture, control ratio of surface water, per capita water supply, per unit area irrigation water and per capita water consumption. BPSPA-FM can take full advantage of the changing information of the evaluation indexes in adjacent periods and the relationship between the samples and the criterion grades. The results of BPSPA-FM are reasonable with high accuracy. BPSPA-FM is general and can be applied to early warning problems of different natural hazards systems such as drought disaster. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Torreya (Torreya grandis ‘Merrillii’), an evergreen conifer, is a tree species of high economic value, which grows mainly in the mountainous areas of southern China. This research demonstrates the use of spatial information in object-based classification for improving the identification of Torreya from IKONOS images. Spatial information, including texture derived from the calculation of local indicators of spatial association (LISA) measures, and landscape features were used to improve the classification accuracy. Landscape-level features were calculated for an extensive mosaic of patches, which were defined as spatial units. A landscape feature called ‘ratio of effective mesh size’ ( ) is proposed in this research. is determined by optimizing the ‘effective mesh size’. Both the spatial unit and the fragmentation geometry layers were readily created by utilizing an object-based approach to generate a hierarchy of objects and geographic information system (GIS)-ready vector layers. Among the landscape metrics, provided the largest statistically significant difference between the landscapes. Although both LISA measures and increased the accuracy of object-based classification, it was found that the has the best potential to be integrated into the object-based classification when utilizing spatial information of an extensive mosaic of patches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The optimal serum level of 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-(OH)D) for bone health is still unclear, especially in children. Hypovitaminosis D is also re-emerging in developed and developing countries. The purpose of the present study was therefore to determine optimal serum 25-(OH)D level and preliminarily identify the vitamin D nutritional status in Nanjing children. Methods: All subjects (76 healthy, 66 suffering from infectious diseases) aged 0-10 years were recruited during the period December 2007-March 2008. Venous blood samples were collected before breakfast and the levels of serum 25-(OH)D, parathyroid hormone (PTH), bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (BAP), calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P) were determined. The optimal level of serum 25-(OH)D was explored using the three response curves of 25-(OH)D versus PTH, 25-(OH)D versus BAP, and 25-(OH)D versus Ca×P product. Results: For 25-(OH)D ≤ 50 nmol/L, PTH and BAP were both inversely correlated with 25-(OH)D (PTH, r=−0.864, P < 0.01; BAP, r=−0.856, P < 0.01). For 25-(OH)D > 50-60 nmol/L, levels of PTH and BAP remained steady. With regard to the Ca×P product, for 25-(OH)D ≤ 50 nmol/L, Ca×P product increased as 25-(OH)D increased ( r= 0.037, P > 0.05). For 25-(OH)D > 50-60 nmol/L, Ca×P product remained steady. The mean serum level of 25-(OH)D was 80.5 ± 29.3 nmol/L (mean ± SD) in the healthy children, and 65.7 ± 32.3 nmol/L in the sick children. Conclusion: The optimal 25-(OH)D level may be 50-60 nmol/L for bone health in Nanjing children. The vitamin D nutritional status of Nanjing children is relatively good in winter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) show extensive variation in terms of gene content and allelic polymorphisms among different populations. The aim of this study was to analyze the distribution of KIR genes in the Bulang, Nu, Yugu, and Zhuang ethnic groups, which belong to four different language families in China, and thus to provide basic KIR gene and genotype data for these Chinese ethnic groups. Genotyping of 16 KIR genes was performed in 425 unrelated individuals using the polymerase chain reaction-sequence-specific oligonucleotide probe method with the Luminex MultiAnalyte Profiling System. The four framework KIR genes were detected in all four ethnic groups. The activating KIR genes as well as the inhibitory KIR genes showed extreme diversity among these four populations. A total of 35 distinct KIR genotypes were identified, one of which was previously unknown. The four most common genotypes were identified in all four populations and comprised 66.1~91.1% of all the genotypes. The group A haplotype occurred more frequently than the group B haplotype in the Nu, Yugu, and Zhuang populations, as in other East Asian populations. In contrast, the group A and group B haplotypes occurred equally in the Bulang population. The results of the present study suggested that the KIR genes and genotypes are diverse in these four ethnic groups, and each ethnic group has its own characteristic KIR distribution. The findings with respect to KIR gene diversity in these four populations should provide relevant genomic diversity data for the future study of viral infections, autoimmune diseases, and reproductive fitness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on models such as transfer-quantity of inbound tourists, spatial concentrated index and transfer matrix of inbound tourist flows, with statistical data of inbound tourism and sampling information of inbound tourists from 1994 to 2008 provided by National Tourism Administration of China, the paper quantitatively evaluates the spatial concentrated index and spatial diffused index of inbound tourist flows in Sahanxi, Sichuan and Yunnan Provinces. Through the comparison of spatial series, the spatial concentrated characteristics and the process of dynamic changes are revealed in the inbound tourist flows of three provinces in western regions. Through horizontal comparison of the three provinces, regional disparity of spatial concentration of inbound tourist flows is analyzed. The study indicates that in terms of the concentration and diffusion of inbound tourist flows, Sichuan province enjoys strongest capability, followed by Yunnan province, whereas Shaanxi province is the weakest. China's inbound tourist flow system is a regional complex dynamic balance system in which "eastern regions lead western regions, while western regions react eastern regions". This study selects three provinces in western regions in the hope of providing a typical case study for the exploration of the characteristics of spatial and temporal changes of the concentration and diffusion of inbound tourist flows in China's western regions and potential mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis) is an economically important aquaculture species in China. In this study, we developed and evaluated simple sequence repeat markers from expressed sequence tags of E. sinensis. Among the 40 wild E. sinensis individuals tested, 16 loci were polymorphic. The number of alleles per locus ranged from two to ten. The observed heterozygosity ranged from 0.0667 to 0.9667, whereas the expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.0661 to 0.9051. These markers have the potential for use in genetic studies of population structure and intraspecific variation in E. sinensis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By impairing both function and survival, the severe reduction in oxygen availability associated with high-altitude environments is likely to act as an agent of natural selection. We used genomic and candidate gene approaches to search for evidence of such genetic selection. First, a genome-wide allelic differentiation scan (GWADS) comparing indigenous highlanders of the Tibetan Plateau (3,200-3,500 m) with closely related lowland Han revealed a genome-wide significant divergence across eight SNPs located near EPAS1. This gene encodes the transcription factor HIF2a, which stimulates production of red blood cells and thus increases the concentration of hemoglobin in blood. Second, in a separate cohort of Tibetans residing at 4,200 m, we identified 31 EPAS1 SNPs in high linkage disequilibrium that correlated significantly with hemoglobin concentration. The sex-adjusted hemoglobin concentration was, on average, 0.8 g/dL lower in the major allele homozygotes compared with the heterozygotes. These findings were replicated in a third cohort of Tibetans residing at 4,300 m. The alleles associating with lower hemoglobin concentrations were correlated with the signal from the GWADS study and were observed at greatly elevated frequencies in the Tibetan cohorts compared with the Han. High hemoglobin concentrations are a cardinal feature of chronic mountain sickness offering one plausible mechanism for selection. Alternatively, as EPAS1 is pleiotropic in its effects, selection may have operated on some other aspect of the phenotype. Whichever of these explanations is correct, the evidence for genetic selection at the EPAS1 locus from the GWADS study is supported by the replicated studies associating function with the allelic variants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Before China's reform and opening up, the representation of women's image in women's magazines tend to be non-sexual (or even masculine) in general. Along with the progress of social and economic reform, the long-lost feminine characteristics in terms of gender role can not only be found on Chinese women again but in much diversity. In this essay four magazines, issued in different years, are selected as the focus of this case study, that is, Women of China, Family, Woman Friend and Cosmopolitan. All represent distinct times and aim at different types of readers. First of all, with the four texts, I would like to investigate whether the "tough girl" image of Iron Girls that had prevailed or even been praised before the reform due to the class struggle still exists in contemporary women's magazines in China? Or is such image largely diminished or scarcely shown? Secondly, after the reform, though being able to regain their gender role, do these modern women fall back to a submissive role for needing the support of the family to continue their career, which, in the meanwhile, once again highlights the traditional value of marriage as being a man's better half? That is, does the role of a better half no longer stands for housewives exclusively but also career women? Third, along with the change of China's society to state capitalism during mid 90s, more and more women join business and do well upgrading their social and economic status that is unprecedented and had never happened. However, do these fashionable and modern women also fall into the ideology of consumerism constructed under patriarchy while enjoying their fashion shopping and chic purchases? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]