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Purpose: The rising incidence and mortality associated with cutaneous malignant tumours highlight the importance of early diagnosis of these tumors. In clinical practice, these tumors are often misdiagnosed as benign skin lesions such as melanocytic nevi (MN) and seborrheic keratosis (SK) because of their similar morphologic features. The incidence and clinicopathological subtypes of cutaneous malignancies in East Asia populations significantly differ from those in fair-skinned groups. However, studies on misdiagnoses in Eastern countries are lacking. Therefore, this study focused on the clinical and pathological features of cutaneous malignant tumors misdiagnosed as MN or SK in a Chinese population. Patients and Methods: A total of 4592 samples clinically diagnosed as MN (n = 3503) or SK (n = 1089) from July 2014 to June 2022 were collected and evaluated retrospectively. The clinical and pathological data were analyzed to identify associated factors. Results: Pathological assessments showed that 2.5% (86/3503) of the specimens clinically diagnosed as MN were malignancies, predominantly basal cell carcinoma (BCC, 84.9%, 73/86), followed by malignant melanoma (MM, 8.1%, 7/86) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC, 7.0%, 6/86). Similarly, 5.7% (62/1089) of the specimens clinically diagnosed as SK were malignant tumors, of which BCC (50.0%, 31/62) was the most common, followed by SCC (41.9%, 26/62) and MM (8.1%, 5/62). In both types of specimens, advanced age and facial lesions were risk factors for malignancy misdiagnosis. The malignancy rate, mean age, and proportion of SCC in the specimens clinically diagnosed as SK were higher than those in the specimens clinically diagnosed as MN. Dermoscopy significantly reduced the rate of misdiagnosis of these tumors as MN or SK. Conclusion: In China, cutaneous malignant tumors misdiagnosed as MN or SK are not uncommon in clinical practice, and active introduction of noninvasive diagnostic techniques is essential to distinguish them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS) is an acute infectious disease prevalent in East Asia with a high mortality rate (5%–30%). Reverse transcription loop‐mediated isothermal amplification (RT‐LAMP), a rapid nucleic acid‐based diagnostic technique, is a useful alternative for the clinical diagnosis of SFTS, particularly in resource‐limited hospitals or rural clinics in SFTS virus‐endemic regions. However, the actual clinical sensitivity and specificity of RT‐LAMP remain unclear. This study evaluated the field application of RT‐LAMP. This prospective field study included 130 patients with laboratory‐confirmed SFTS from Yantai, Shandong Province, China. Two sets of RT‐LAMP primers were validated, and one set of RT‐LAMP assays was optimized for field detection. Nucleic acids of serially collected serum/plasma samples were identified using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT‐qPCR) and RT‐LAMP. In laboratory tests, we optimized the detection time of primer set 2 for the RT‐LAMP to 60 min. Notably, the onsite testing of 279 plasma samples from patients with SFTS revealed that the sensitivity and specificity of the test were 81.9% and 96.3%, respectively. We also analyzed samples with different durations of the disease, and our study showed that the sensitivity of RT‐LAMP detection at the beginning of admission was 89.92%. Univariate analysis showed that the detection rate of RT‐LAMP was similar to that of RT‐qPCR in the first 5 days of the disease course and was lower than that of RT‐qPCR on Days 6 and 14–15 of the disease course. The positive detection rate in patients aged ≥ 65 years was significantly higher than that in younger age groups. RT‐LAMP is a simple, suitable, and rapid clinical detection method of SFTS onsite screening. It is more suitable for screening patients in the early stages of the disease and analyzing samples obtained from patients aged ≥ 65 years before the 6th day of the disease course. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When challenged by similar environmental conditions, phylogenetically distant taxa often independently evolve similar traits (convergent evolution). Meanwhile, adaptation to extreme habitats might lead to divergence between taxa that are otherwise closely related. These processes have long existed in the conceptual sphere, yet molecular evidence, especially for woody perennials, is scarce. The karst endemic Platycarya longipes and its only congeneric species, Platycarya strobilacea , which is widely distributed in the mountains in East Asia, provide an ideal model for examining the molecular basis of both convergent evolution and speciation. Using chromosome-level genome assemblies of both species, and whole-genome resequencing data from 207 individuals spanning their entire distribution range, we demonstrate that P. longipes and P. strobilacea form two species-specific clades, which diverged around 2.09 million years ago. We find an excess of genomic regions exhibiting extreme interspecific differentiation, potentially due to long-term selection in P. longipes , likely contributing to the incipient speciation of the genus Platycarya. Interestingly, our results unveil underlying karst adaptation in both copies of the calcium influx channel gene TPC1 in P. longipes. TPC1 has previously been identified as a selective target in certain karst-endemic herbs, indicating a convergent adaptation to high calcium stress among karst-endemic species. Our study reveals the genic convergence of TPC1 among karst endemics and the driving forces underneath the incipient speciation of the two Platycarya lineages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Tanlu Fault Zone in eastern China stretches more than 2,400 km and is a significant, active, feature in the tectonics of East Asia. Here, we show the results of local earthquake travel‐time tomographical approach based on a comprehensive and systematic set of seismic data collected from 2008 to 2018 along the Central South Segment of the Tanlu Fault Zone. According to the model, the uppermost 0–10 km of the crust shows a close relationship between seismic velocity and the lithological properties of surface geological units. The middle crust at 10–20 km depths exhibits a strong connection between its high‐low velocity transitions and sites of augmented seismic activity. The top mantle at 34 km depths has lower velocities in the western region in comparison to the east, implying that the seismic Moho is deeper in the western area. These characteristics may reflect spatial variations in the destruction of the North China Craton. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Information about global and local epidemiology and trends of skin cancers is limited, which increases the difficulty of cutaneous cancer control. Methods: To estimate the global spatial patterns and temporal trends of skin cancer burden. Based on the GBD 2019, we collected and analyzed numbers and age‐standardized rates (ASR) of skin cancer incidence, disability‐adjusted life years (DALYs) and mortality (ASIR, ASDR, and ASMR) in 204 countries from 1990 through 2019 were estimated by age, sex, subtype (malignant skin melanoma [MSM], squamous‐cell carcinoma [SCC], and basal‐cell carcinoma [BCC]), Socio‐demographic Index (SDI), region, and country. Temporal trends in ASR were also analyzed using estimated annual percentage change. Results: Globally, in 2019, there were 4.0 million BCC, 2.4 million SCC, and 0.3 million MSM. There were approximately 62.8 thousand deaths and 1.7 million DALYs due to MSM, and 56.1 thousand deaths and 1.2 million DALYs were attributed to SCC, respectively. The men had higher ASR of skin cancer burden than women. The age‐specific rates of global skin cancer burden were higher in the older adults, increasing trends observed from 55 years old. Geographically, the numbers and ASR of skin cancers varied greatly across countries, with the largest burden of ASIR in high SDI regions. However, an unexpected increase was observed in some regions from 1990 to 2019, such as East Asia, and Sub‐Saharan Africa. Although there was a slight decrease of the ASMR and ASDR, the global ASIR of MSM dramatically increased, 1990–2019. Also, there was a remarkable increase in ASR of BCC and SCC burden. Conclusions: Skin cancer remains a major global public health threat. Reducing morbidity and mortality strategies such as primary and secondary prevention should be reconsidered, especially in the most prevalent and unexpected increased regions, especially for those areas with the greatest proportions of their population over age 55. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atlantic tropical cyclones (TCs) can cause significant societal and economic impacts, as 2019's Dorian serves to remind us of these storms' destructiveness. Decades of effort to understand and predict Atlantic TC activity have improved seasonal forecast skill, but large uncertainties still remain, in part due to an incomplete understanding of the drivers of TC variability. Here we identify an association between the East Asian Subtropical Jet Stream (EASJ) during July–October and the frequency of Atlantic TCs (wind speed ≥34 knot) and hurricanes (wind speed ≥64 knot) during August–November based on observations for 1980–2018. This strong association is tied to the impacts of EASJ on a stationary Rossby wave train emanating from East Asia and the tropical Pacific to the North Atlantic, leading to changes in vertical wind shear in the Atlantic Main Development Region (80–20°W, 10–20°N). Plain Language Summary: Atlantic tropical cyclones (TCs) are responsible for significant societal and economic impacts in terms of fatalities and property damage, as 2017's Harvey, Irma, and Maria, 2018's Florence and Matthew, and 2019's Dorian serve to highlight. There are still large uncertainties in current seasonal predictions for Atlantic TCs, which partly arise from our incomplete understanding of the drivers of the variability and nature of such storms. Here we find an association between the East Asian Subtropical Jet Stream (EASJ) during July–October and the frequency of Atlantic TCs during August–November based on observations for 1980–2018, arising from the impacts of EASJ on the propagation of Rossby wave trains from East Asia to the North Atlantic, leading to changes in vertical wind shear over the Atlantic Main Development Region (MDR). Key Points: We identify an association between the East Asian Subtropical Jet Stream and the frequency of Atlantic TCs and hurricanesThis association is tied to the impacts of EASJ on a stationary Rossby wave train emanating from East Asia and the tropical PacificThe stationary Rossby wave train leads to changes in vertical wind shear in the Atlantic Main Development Region [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While mountainous rivers in subtropical East Asia deliver a disproportionately large amount of sediments to the global ocean, the controlling mechanisms for sediment supply and transport remain understudied. Here we target a mesoscale tectonically stable mountainous river, the Minjiang River, in southeast China. We present petrography, heavy minerals, and Sr‐Nd isotopic data from suspended particulate matter (SPM) and riverbed sediments to characterize sediment‐climate feedback processes. Results show Sr‐Nd isotopic compositions of the SPM vary seasonally, corresponding well with the spatiotemporal variations of precipitation. River sands display low compositional and textural maturity and represent first cycle‐dominated and fast‐transported detritus. Provenance analysis suggests prominent contributions of upstream Proterozoic‐Paleozoic rocks to downstream SPM and riverbed sediments. We propose that climate‐induced hydrological variations exert a major control on sediment supply, transport, and compositions. Our study highlights the crucial role of climate in driving physical erosion of mountains in tectonically stable, subtropical East Asia. Plain Language Summary: The subtropical‐tropical rivers in East and South Asia, particularly those draining mountains, account for a significant proportion of global sediment and nutrient exports. Based on tectonic settings, river basin morphology, climatic conditions, and extents of anthropogenic impacts, two distinct types of sediment supply and transport regimes in the low‐middle latitudes of East Asia have been identified. Type 1 rivers are large rivers on the tectonically stable continent with slow, multicycled sediment transport, modulated by widespread flood plains, lakes, and human activities. Type 2 rivers are small mountainous rivers on tectonically active plate boundaries with rapid sediment transport, which are commonly triggered by extreme tectonic and climatic events. However, sediment transport mechanisms of the mountainous rivers in the tectonically stable, subtropical regions remain highly enigmatic. We combined petrology and geochemistry methods to track sediment sources of the Minjiang River (southeast China) and to characterize river sediment transfer processes. We find that hydroclimate changes, rather than anthropogenic forcings, exhibit the major control on discharged sediment compositions. We suggest that the mesoscale, tectonically stable, mountainous rivers have similar rapid sediment transport behavior to those small mountainous river systems, unlike other large river systems in subtropical East Asia. Key Points: Petrography, heavy mineral, and Sr‐Nd isotopic data were used to trace sediment provenance for a tectonically stable mountainous riverProvenance data indicates rapid sediment delivery in response to hydrological changes over seasonal timescalesClimate variability exerts a major control on sediment compositions, revealing a third type of sediment transport regime in East Asia [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the performance of the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory Forecast-Oriented Low Ocean Resolution version of CM2.5 (FLOR; ~ 50-km mesh) and high-resolution FLOR (HiFLOR; ~ 25-km mesh) in reproducing the climatology and interannual variability in rainfall associated with tropical cyclones (TCs) in both sea surface temperature (SST)-nudging and seasonal-forecast experiments. Overall, HiFLOR outperforms FLOR in capturing the observed climatology of TC rainfall, particularly in East Asia, North America and Australia. In general, both FLOR and HiFLOR underestimate the observed TC rainfall in the coastal regions along the Bay of Bengal, connected to their failure to accurately simulate the bimodal structure of the TC genesis seasonality. A crucial factor in capturing the climatology of TC rainfall by the models is the simulation of the climatology of spatial TC density. Overall, while HiFLOR leads to a better characterization of the areas affected by TC rainfall, the SST-nudging and seasonal-forecast experiments with both models show limited skill in reproducing the year-to-year variation in TC rainfall. Ensemble-based estimates from these models indicate low potential skill for year-to-year variations in TC rainfall, yet the models show lower skill than this. Therefore, the low skill for interannual TC rainfall in these models reflects both a fundamental limit on predictability/reproducibility of seasonal TC rainfall as well as shortcomings in the models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines whether there exist significant differences in tropical cyclone (TC) landfall between central Pacific (CP) El Niño, eastern Pacific (EP) El Niño, and La Niña during the peak TC season (June-October) and how and to what extent CP El Niño influences TC landfall over East Asia for the period 1961-2009. The peak TC season is subdivided into summer [June-August (JJA)] and autumn [September-October (SO)]. The results are summarized as follows: (i) during the summer of CP El Niño years, TCs are more likely to make landfall over East Asia because of a strong easterly steering flow anomaly induced by the westward shift of the subtropical high and northward-shifted TC genesis. In particular, TCs have a greater probability of making landfall over Japan and Korea during the summer of CP El Niño years. (ii) In the autumn of CP El Niño years, TC landfall in most areas of East Asia, especially Indochina, the Malay Peninsula, and the Philippines, is likely to be suppressed because the large-scale circulation resembles that of EP El Niño years. (iii) During the whole peak TC season [June-October (JJASO)] of CP El Niño years, TCs are more likely to make landfall over Japan and Korea. TC landfall in East Asia as a whole has an insignificant association with CP El Niño during the peak TC season. In addition, more (less) TCs are likely to make landfall in China, Indochina, the Malay Peninsula, and the Philippines during the peak TC season of La Niña (EP El Niño) years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The mycelium of F. velutipes was sensitive to bacterial contamination in cultivation. • Two natural biopolymers, ε-poly- l- lysine and chitosan, can effectively inhibit bacteria co-cultured with F. velutipes. • The antibacterial activity was enhanced by combining ε-poly- l - lysine with chitosan. • Hurdle technology was first applied to the control of bacteria in a submerged culture of F. velutipes for liquid spawn production. • The models were established to predict the growth of bacteria in the submerged production of F. velutipes liquid spawn. Flammulina velutipes is a commercially important mushroom that widely cultivated in East Asia. Sawdust spawn is extensively adopted in the cultivation of mushrooms including F. velutipes. Recently, the use of liquid spawn has become increasingly popular in mushroom cultivation in China and many other countries. Owing to the high risk of bacterial contamination in a submerged culture of mushroom mycelium, an attempt was made to examine the feasibility of using the hurdle technology to prevent and control bacteria with Escherichia coli and Bacillus subtilis as indicator strains during the production of F. velutipes liquid spawn. Two food-grade natural biopolymers, i.e. ε-poly-lysine (ε-PL) and chitosan, were selected as antimicrobials. Results showed that the mycelial colonization of F. velutipes was poor or inhibited completely by both indicator strains at the density higher than 10 colony-forming units (CFU)/mL present in the liquid spawn. In submerged cultures, F. velutipes was greatly suppressed by ε-PL at 0.25 mg/mL, and this was 0.30 mg/mL for chitosan. When combined, ε-PL and chitosan did not result in a significant enhancement of activity against the fungus. The antibacterial effects were enhanced when ε-PL and chitosan were combined at an ε-PL/chitosan mass ratio of 3:2. For effectively inhibiting the bacteria co-cultured with F. velutipes , ε-PL, chitosan, and temperature were designed as hurdles. Two mathematical models relating inhibition of E. coli and B. subtilis , respectively, were established by response surface methodology, and could be used to predict the behavior of the culture system. This study provides useful guidelines for the production of a reliable and high-quality liquid spawn of F. velutipes or other mushrooms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an important component in East Asia sediment source-to-sink systems, small mountainous rivers in Taiwan deliver disproportionately large amounts of sediments to oceans. Although the modern fluvial sediment transport processes, discharge fluxes and sediment compositions have been well investigated, the drainage evolution of these mountainous rivers remains understudied and sediment fluxes are expected to vary greatly in glacial-interglacial cycles due to the tremendous climatic fluctuations. To define how the drainage of Taiwan mountainous rivers has evolved since the last glaciation, we target a sediment core (98 m in length) from the Zhuoshui River delta, western Taiwan and conduct sediment petrography, heavy mineral analysis, detrital zircon U Pb geochronology and clay mineralogy to investigate provenance variations and river basin evolution since 60 ka. Sediments of the last glaciation show comparatively high illite crystallinity index values, low metasedimentary lithic fragment and stable heavy mineral contents and similar detrital zircon U Pb ages with downstream signatures, indicating prominent sediment contributions from the Coastal Plain and Western Foothills regions (elevation <1 km) during the glaciation. However, characteristics of the deglacial and Holocene sediments indicate high contributions from the higher Hsueshan Range and Central Range regions (elevation >1 km). We suggest that headward extension and drainage capture since the deglaciation, which was most likely due to the increasing monsoon rainfall, account for the provenance variations in the discharged sediments. This implies a climate-driven drainage reorganization of the small mountainous rivers in Taiwan since the last glaciation. Our findings highlight the previously-overlooked, variable provenance information from Taiwan in glacial-interglacial cycles, and the dynamic source signatures are important to East Asia sediment source-to-sink studies. [Display omitted] • The provenance of Zhuoshui River sediments has changed since the last glaciation. • The provenance variation was caused by climate-driven drainage reorganization. • The river system of Zhuoshui River was not developed during the last glaciation. • The Zhuoshui River headward extended and captured other basins in the Holocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Taiwan Strait serves as a link between the East China Sea and South China Sea in East Asia. Complex ocean dynamics, huge sediment inputs and distinct tectonic, climatic and bedrock lithological settings of the two sides of the strait make it ideal for sediment source-to-sink studying. While mud sediments in the strait have been well investigated, sand composition and provenance remain understudied. Here, we present framework petrography and heavy mineral data of sands from the southern Taiwan Strait and the adjacent representative rivers to characterize sand provenance and depositional mechanisms. As expected, the SE China river sands are dominated by quartz and feldspar, whereas sands from the westward-flowing mountainous rivers in Taiwan are rich in lithic fragments and heavy minerals of metamorphic origin. The southern Taiwan Strait sands show significant spatial variations in composition and texture of the framework grains and heavy minerals. Framework grain-based provenance modeling results show that sands in the southwest margin of Taiwan Strait (water depth of 30–60 m) are mainly supplied by SE China rivers. Taiwan mountainous rivers made prominent contributions to the central-western Taiwan Strait (40–60 m) and the south of Taiwan Shoal (below 50 m), both of which are far away from the Taiwan island (ca. 100–300 km away). Furthermore, sands from the Taiwan Shoal (20–30 m) show extremely high compositional maturity and are mainly composed of coarse, rounded quartz. These sands, previously proposed as relict sediments, have been intensely altered by modern high-energy hydrodynamic conditions and can also be interpreted as palimpsest sediments. These results demonstrate that modern river-derived sands are eventually deposited in relatively deep-water regions in the strait, rather than the shallow regions (Taiwan Shoal). We propose that the sand composition and distribution are closely related to the submarine topography of the Taiwan Strait. Combining previous mud belt investigations, we suggest that sands and muds tend to have different fates in shallow continental shelves with complex climate, ocean current and seafloor landform conditions. This study also highlights the importance of both modern and relict sands in the strait and our findings are important to better understanding of shelf sedimentary systems with huge river-sediment-input and high wave/tidal-current-energy. • Composition and texture of Taiwan Strait surficial sands vary spatially. • Four deposit areas in southern Taiwan Strait were identified. • Palimpsest sediments of high maturity are preserved in Taiwan Shoal. • Sand distribution in Taiwan Strait is related to submarine topography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Zhe-Min mountainous rivers in SE China are characterized by stable tectonics, small–mesoscale drainage basins, relatively homogenous bedrocks, dense vegetation cover and high rainfall conditions. These rivers deliver loads of sediments and nutrients to the oceans and always indicate considerably high variability of sediment flux on short-term timescales. However, short-term sediment compositional variations and transport mechanism by these mountainous rivers remain poorly understood. Here we target the Minjiang River, use mineralogical and trace element geochemical data of suspended particulate matters (SPMs) within a one-year hydrological cycle (from October 2016 to October 2017), riverbed sediments (<0.063 mm fractions) and SPMs from the mainstream and major tributaries, to investigate their provenance and transport process. The results indicate that the SPMs in different seasons have strong seasonal geochemical heterogeneity, with highly positive correlations between several trace element ratios (e.g. La (CN) /Yb (CN) and Th/Sc) and runoff of the river. Riverbed sediments and SPMs collected in pairs have distinct geochemical compositions. The riverbed sediments have relatively low La (CN) /Yb (CN) (ca. 10–15) and Th/Sc (ca. 2–5) ratios, whereas the SPMs have La (CN) /Yb (CN) and Th/Sc ratio ranges of ca. 14–17 and ca. 4–7, respectively. These findings suggest a predominant hydrologic control on the Minjiang River sediment transport and geochemical compositions on a seasonal timescale. We conclude that exposed riverbed sediments are probably selectively recycled in dry-season sediment transport, whereas the flood-season SPMs are less mixed with riverbed sediments and are likely dominated by particulates directly from those tributaries and the upper mainstream. We favor that the Zhe-Min mountainous rivers are featured by rapid sediment delivery in response to hydroclimatic changes and have similar sediment transport behaviors with those small mountainous rivers in tectonically active regions of the subtropical East Asia (e.g. Taiwan). This case study also highlights the importance of multi-spatio-temporal scale, heterogeneous river input of chemical elements to the oceans. • Minjiang River sediments are investigated for mineralogy and geochemistry. • Riverbed sediments and SPMs in pairs have distinct geochemical compositions. • La/Yb and Th/Sc ratios of SPMs correlate positively with the river runoff. • Riverbed and overbank sediments are selectively recycled in dry season transport. • The river shows a hydrologic control on sediment geochemical compositions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]