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The concentrations of 12 heavy metals (Cr, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ga, Mo, Sn, Sb, Tl, Pb, Bi) in the marine near-shore sediment cores of the Yellow Sea, China were investigated. Core A sediments had significantly lower concentrations of heavy metals than those of both Cores B and C according to the Bonferronic multiple comparison method. Based on multivariate statistic approaches (factor analysis and cluster analysis), two factors were identified controlling the heavy metal variability in the sediments. The enrichment factor (EF) and geo-accumulation index (Igeo) indicated Sb contamination from three sediment cores in this study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Sphingomonas paucimobilis biomass has been successfully utilized to degrade several persistent organic pollutants (POPs). However, few studies have been conducted to use it to remove heavy metals from aqueous solutions. In the present study, biosorption experiments for Cr (VI) were investigated using nonliving biomass of S. paucimobilis isolated from activated sludge, Lianyungang Dapu sewage treatment plant, China. The effects of several parameters including solution pH, contact time, and ionic strength, etc. on Cr (VI) uptake were studied. The biomass was characterized by scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDS) and Fourier transform infrared spectrometer (FTIR). The applicability of the Langmuir and Freundlich models was tested. The correlation coefficients (R) of both models were greater than 0.95. The maximum adsorption capacities were found to be 28.5 mg/g for Cr (VI) at 20°C. The adsorption process was quick and found to follow the pseudo-second-order equation. The optimum adsorption was achieved at pH 2. The adsorption was also NaCl concentrations dependent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study challenged the current conceptualization of social support as a static process and attempted to explore how the sources and types of social support unfolded over time during mainland Chinese immigrant women's first year of resettlement in Hong Kong. A longitudinal qualitative method was used and 15 immigrant women were recruited. In-depth interviews using a semi-structured interview guide were conducted at three-monthly intervals. Results supported our view on the “stages within stage” assumption of the resettlement period of the migration-integration process. In the first quarter of resettlement, immigrant women mobilized a great deal of instrumental and information support from family members and kin to resolve survival issues such as finances, housing and childcare. However, the demand for instrumental support declined over time, and the need for emotional support appeared to peak at the second stage of the resettlement period. Fellow immigrant women were found to be the most significant providers of information, emotional and social companionship support to immigrant women throughout the resettlement period while the supporting roles of husbands and kin diminished. Lastly, immigrant women were less inclined to seek help from formal networks and rarely sought support from neighbors and co-workers. Socio-economic and cultural reasons were used to explain these differential support patterns during immigrants' first year of resettlement in Hong Kong, and implications for social work practices were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study challenged the current conceptualization of social support as a static process and attempted to explore how the sources and types of social support unfolded over time during mainland Chinese immigrant women's first year of resettlement in Hong Kong. A longitudinal qualitative method was used and 15 immigrant women were recruited. In-depth interviews using a semi-structured interview guide were conducted at three-monthly intervals. Results supported our view on the "stages within stage" assumption of the resettlement period of the migration-integration process. In the first quarter of resettlement, immigrant women mobilized a great deal of instrumental and information support from family members and kin to resolve survival issues such as finances, housing and childcare. However, the demand for instrumental support declined over time, and the need for emotional support appeared to peak at the second stage of the resettlement period. Fellow immigrant women were found to be the most significant providers of information, emotional and social companionship support to immigrant women throughout the resettlement period while the supporting roles of husbands and kin diminished. Lastly, immigrant women were less inclined to seek help from formal networks and rarely sought support from neighbors and co-workers. Socio-economic and cultural reasons were used to explain these differential support patterns during immigrants' first year of resettlement in Hong Kong, and implications for social work practices were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study cross-culturally adapted and psychometrically validated a simplified Chinese version of the Exercise-Induced Leg Pain Questionnaire (SC-EILP) for evaluating the severity of symptoms and sports ability among individuals with exercise-induced leg pain. One hundred and fourteen participants with exercise-induced leg pain were included. To assess reliability, we calculated Cronbach's α and intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC). Construct validity was analysed by assessing the correlations between SC-EILP and visual analogue scale (VAS), University of California Los Angeles activity score (UCLA), and short form (36) health survey (SF-36). Factorial validity was used to establish the factor structure of the questionnaire. The EILP was cross-culturally well-adapted and translated into simplified Chinese. Each item was appropriately correlated with the total items. SC-EILP had nearly good reliability [Cronbach's α = 0.798, ICC = 0.897, 95% confidence interval 0.851–0.929]. The elimination of any one item in all did not result in a value of Cronbach's α of <0.80. SC-EILP had a very good correlation with VAS (−0.607, p < 0.01) and a moderate correlation with UCLA (0.581, p < 0.01) and physical domains of SF-36 (0.499–0.528, p < 0.01). Exploratory factor analysis revealed the 3-factor loading explained 74.736% of the total variance [Kaiser–Mayer–Olkin (KMO) = 0.672, C2 = 665.34, p < 0.001]. SC-EILP showed excellent acceptability, internal consistency, reliability, and construct validity, and could be recommended for individuals in Mainland China. This study translated and cross-culturally adapted Exercise-Induced Leg Pain Questionnaire into a Simplified Chinese version, and evaluated its reliability and validity in individuals with exercise-induced leg pain. Moderate to substantial correlations between the Simplified Chinese version of the Exercise-Induced Leg Pain Questionnaire and VAS, UCLA, as well as physical subscales of SF-36 were observed. Exploratory factor analysis revealed that the 3-factor loading explained 74.736% of the total variance [Kaiser–Mayer–Olkin (KMO) = 0.672, C2 = 665.34, p < 0.001]. Simplified Chinese version of the Exercise-Induced Leg Pain Questionnaire was demonstrated to have acceptable simplicity, good reliability, and validity in individuals with exercise-induced leg pain, which could be recommended for patients in Chinese mainland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four new diterpenoids named 1-epi-9-hydroxydepressin (1), 1-epi-8-hydroxydepressin (2), 2,13,9-trihydroxy-labda-8(17),12(E),14-triene (3) and tagalsin I (4) were isolated fromEuphorbia rapulum.The structures of these compounds were elucidated by means of various spectroscopic methods. All the isolated compounds were evaluated for cytotoxic activities against HepG2, MCF-7, and C6 cell lines, and compound4showed moderate selective activity against MCF-7 cell line with an IC50value of 31.8 μM. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]