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Thermodynamic and liquid water profiles can be retrieved by a ground-based microwave radiometer (MWR) in nearly all weather conditions, which is useful for detecting mesoscale phenomena. This paper reviews the advances in remote sensing of atmospheric profiles and cloud properties by MWR in central China. Comparative studies indicate that MWR retrieval accuracy is different under various skies, especially those that decay under precipitation. The off-zenith method is proven to be capable of reducing the impact of precipitation and snow on MWR retrieval accuracy. Application studies demonstrate that MWR retrievals are helpful for early warning of rainstorms, hailstorms, and thunderstorms. Moreover, MWR retrievals provide a way to study cloud properties. The temporal variations of cloud occurrence frequency (COF) and liquid water path (LWP) are different for low, middle, and high clouds, and the vertical distribution of COF is also different in autumn and other seasons. Note that MWR can infer valid retrievals over the eastern Tibetan Plateau due to the weak precipitation over there. Also, cloud properties over the eastern Tibetan Plateau present differences from those over central China, and this is related to the different characteristics of atmospheric water vapor between these two regions. To bring more benefits for mechanism study and early warning of severe weather and numerical weather prediction, the decayed accuracy of MWR zenith retrievals under precipitation should be resolved. And combining MWR with other instruments is necessary for MWR application in detecting multi-layer clouds and ice clouds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: This paper describes the aquatic plants of Trapa L. and Hemitrapa Miki from the upper Eocene of Bailuyuan Formation in the Weihe Basin, central China. The discoveries represent the earliest known Trapa records in the world and the earliest Hemitrapa record in Asia. Furthermore, the new species identified in this study is the most reliable leaf fossil record of Trapa so far. These occurrences provide a new clue to investigate the origin of Trapa and its evolutionary relationships with Hemitrapa. The unexpected aquatic plant assemblage indicates that central China was warm and humid, with freshwater ponds or lakes, in the late Eocene. Both Trapa L. and the extinct Hemitrapa Miki are aquatic plants in the family Lythraceae, with abundant fossil records in Eurasia and North America in the Cenozoic. However, documented materials are mainly based on fruit and pollen grains without reliable leaf fossils. Here, we report fossil leaves, fruit, and roots of Trapa and fruit of Hemitrapa from the late Eocene of Weinan, the Weihe Basin of central China. The fossil leaves are identified as a new species, Trapa natanifolia Z. C. Han et H. Jia sp. nov., which represents the earliest known record of a Trapa leaf fossil. It is remarkably similar to extant species of Trapa, mostly due to the unique inflated petiole structures found in both of them. While displaying prominent intergeneric differences, the incomplete fossil fruits are assigned to Trapa sp. indet. and Hemitrapa sp. indet. The former is the earliest fossil fruit record of Trapa, and the latter represents the earliest fossil record of Hemitrapa found in Asia. These new fossil discoveries suggest that the divergence of Trapa and Hemitrapa occurred at least by the late Eocene. It is believed that modern Trapa most likely originated in China. Furthermore, this unexpected aquatic plant fossil assemblage indicates that central China was warm and humid, with freshwater ponds or lakes, in the late Eocene and not as arid as previously thought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Tree rings are widely used in global change research based on the accurate dating capabilities, climate sensitivity and wide distribution of samples. In the context of global warming, the response of tree growths in north–south transition zones to climate change is one of the hot issues in Dendroecology. The research results found that trees' growth had different responses to May–June temperature and precipitation on the north and south of the mountain. Therefore, we analyzed the relationship between tree ring and a regional hydrothermal composite factor and reconstructed its variation. The variations agree with other drought series and represent the drought variation in central and eastern monsoon regions, and may provide better understanding of drought variation and service for agricultural production. Tree ring data from the southern boundary of Chinese Pine (Pinus tabulaeformis Carr.) distribution where is the southern warm temperate margin, the paper analyzes the response of climate factors along north–south direction to tree growth. The results show that temperature and precipitation in May–June and relative moisture from March to June are main limiting factors on trees growth; however, the temperature in the south of the mountains and the moisture in the north of the mountains have relatively greater influence on trees' growth. Additionally, we also found that the regional scPDSIMJ (that is scPDSI in May–June) was the most significant and stable factor limiting tree growth to be used for reconstruction. The reconstructed scPDSIMJ revealed that there were 29 extremely dry years and 30 extremely wet years during 1801–2016, and it could represent the drought variation in central and eastern monsoon region. The variation exists in good agreement with the reconstructed PDSI for Mt. Shennong and the drought/wetness series in Zhengzhou. Further research found that the droughts of May–June in central China were mainly impacted by local temperature and moisture (including precipitation, soil moisture, potential evaporation and water pressure), and then by the northern Pacific Ocean and the northern Atlantic Ocean. These results may provide better understanding of May–June drought variation and service for agricultural production in central China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a case study of the well irrigation in Guanzhong Plain during the Qing dynasty. The paper analyses the scales and results of well irrigation campaigns sponsored by the government in the mid-eighteen century and the late nineteenth century. Limited by the natural environment and technical conditions, the efficiency of well irrigation is poor. Farmers' choices also affect the development of well irrigation. Moreover, a lack of management led to the unsustainable use of groundwater. Historical groundwater policies were mainly aimed at increasing agricultural production. Policies should be made according to local conditions. It is important to ensure the sustainable development of groundwater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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As a developing country with insufficient water resources, China's water environment management and performance evaluation have important research value. The three provinces (Henan, Hubei, and Hunan) in central China with typical significance in geographical location and water resources governance were selected as research objects in this paper. Based on the principal component analysis (PCA) method and the pressure-state-response (PSR) model, a comprehensive evaluation system for the water environment in those three provinces during 2011–2017 was established in this paper. The evaluation results show that: (1) The water environment management and performance evaluation of the three provinces in central China were generally poor in 2011–2012, but the overall trend was rising; (2) in 2013–2014, the situation was improved compared to the previous two years, but needed further enhancement; (3) in 2015–2017, the water environment management and performance of the three provinces showed significant improvement. Among them, the Hubei Province had the highest water environment evaluation value (1.692), and the Henan Province had the most significant progress (from 0.043 to 1.671). The contributions of this paper are: (1) The comprehensive evaluation model based on PCA and the PSR model was constructed to analyze the sustainable development of water environment in central China; (2) the performance evaluation system for water environment management, which could comprehensively evaluate the performance of water environment treatment and effectively reveal the correlation between various indicators, was established. The principal factors in water environment management can be obtained by this evaluation system. Based on the analysis of the reasons underlying the above changes, the corresponding policy recommendations for improving water environment management and performance in central China were suggested in order to provide a reference for further improvement of water environment management in developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To analyze the clinicopathological features of schistosomal and non-schistosomal colorectal cancer in Central China and compare them with other areas of the Yangtze River Basin. Method: The 501 cases of colorectal cancer (CRC) were retrospectively analyzed from 2020 to 2022. They were divided into two groups: 406 cases of colorectal cancer without schistosomiasis (CRC-NS) and 95 cases of colorectal cancer with schistosomiasis (CRC-S).The clinicopathological characteristics included the distribution of schistosomiasis eggs, patient age, sex, tumor differentiation, lymph node metastasis, and clinical stage. By retrieving the database, this study compared the clinicopathological differences of colorectal cancer with schistosomiasis in other areas of the Yangtze River basin. Results: The cases of colorectal cancer with schistosomiasis accounted for 18.9%(95/501) in the study. The patients of CRC-S were older than the patients of CRC-NS (P = 0.002, P < 0.05). There was a statistical difference in the location of occurrence (P = 0.000, P < 0.05) between the two groups. There were no significant differences between CRC-S and CRC-NS in other clinicopathological features, such as sex (P = 0.054), Type(P = 0.242), histological type(P = 0.654), infiltrative depth(P = 0.811), differentiation(P = 0.837), lymph node metastasis(P = 0.574), intravascular tumor thrombus(P = 0.698), T stage(P = 0.354). In other areas of the Yangtze River Basin, there were statistical differences in the age of occurrence and T stage (P < 0.05) between colorectal cancer with schistosomiasis and non-schistosomal colorectal cancer. Conclusion: In Central China, colorectal cancer with chronic schistosomiasis infection occurs more in the rectum and sigmoid colon. It is more common in individuals over 60 years old, consistent with the findings in the Yangtze River Basin. Additionally, schistosomal colorectal cancer had a higher T stage in the Yangtze River Basin. This may be related to the malignant biological behavior of colorectal cancer and could result in a relatively poor prognosis. Therefore, the elderly population in schistosomiasis endemic areas should pay more attention to early screening and tumor prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gao, K. and Shao, X., 2019. A comparative study on the construction of transportation and logistics system in central China. In: Guido-Aldana, P.A. and Mulahasan, S. (eds.), Advances in Water Resources and Exploration. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 93, pp. 665–667. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. The index system of comparative analysis on the construction of transportation and logistics system in central China constructed in this paper is composed of five indexes, respectively as regional economic development level, logistics system planning, logistics demand scale, logistics supply scale and informatization level, which are endowed with weights through literature review and expert scoring. Then, the index system of logistics system is used to respectively conduct scoring and comparative analysis on each index of six provinces in central China, whose results show that the logistics system of Henan Province has the highest score, ranking first in central China, and its economic development level, logistics system planning, logistics demand scale and informatization level are all higher than the other five provinces. The next is Hunan Province, whose index of logistics supply scale has the highest score in central China. Hubei ranks third, and its logistics system planning is more scientific and reasonable, ranking first side by side with Henan Province. Then Anhui and Shanxi, while the construction of logistics system in Jiangxi is relatively backward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The index system of comparative analysis on the construction of transportation and logistics system in central China constructed in this paper is composed of five indexes, respectively as regional economic development level, logistics system planning, logistics demand scale, logistics supply scale and informatization level, which are endowed with weights through literature review and expert scoring. Then, the index system of logistics system is used to respectively conduct scoring and comparative analysis on each index of six provinces in central China, whose results show that the logistics system of Henan Province has the highest score, ranking first in central China, and its economic development level, logistics system planning, logistics demand scale and informatization level are all higher than the other five provinces. The next is Hunan Province, whose index of logistics supply scale has the highest score in central China. Hubei ranks third, and its logistics system planning is more scientific and reasonable, ranking first side by side with Henan Province. Then Anhui and Shanxi, while the construction of logistics system in Jiangxi is relatively backward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gao, K. and Shao, X., 2019. A comparative study on the construction of transportation and logistics system in central China. In: Guido-Aldana, P.A. and Mulahasan, S. (eds.), Advances in Water Resources and Exploration. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 93, pp. 665–667. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. The index system of comparative analysis on the construction of transportation and logistics system in central China constructed in this paper is composed of five indexes, respectively as regional economic development level, logistics system planning, logistics demand scale, logistics supply scale and informatization level, which are endowed with weights through literature review and expert scoring. Then, the index system of logistics system is used to respectively conduct scoring and comparative analysis on each index of six provinces in central China, whose results show that the logistics system of Henan Province has the highest score, ranking first in central China, and its economic development level, logistics system planning, logistics demand scale and informatization level are all higher than the other five provinces. The next is Hunan Province, whose index of logistics supply scale has the highest score in central China. Hubei ranks third, and its logistics system planning is more scientific and reasonable, ranking first side by side with Henan Province. Then Anhui and Shanxi, while the construction of logistics system in Jiangxi is relatively backward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present in situ LA-ICP-MS U-Pb dating of xenotime and monazite in assemblages with native gold and Au (Ag) tellurides from the Xiaoqinling lode gold district in central China. Composite xenotime and monazite grains formed through coupled dissolution-reprecipitation reactions reveal two discrete gold mineralization events. The first gold mineralization event, recorded by monazite (158.6 ± 3.3 Ma, Tera-Wasserburg lower intercept age) and xenotime cores (157.11 ± 0.83 Ma, weighted mean 206Pb/238U age), is characterized by the mineral assemblage of lingbaoite (AgTe3)-sylvanite ([Au,Ag]2Te4)-stützite (Ag5–xTe3)/native tellurium-sylvanite-stützite. The second gold mineralization event, recorded in the rims of xenotime (135.46 ± 0.93 Ma, weighted mean 206Pb/238U age), is characterized by the mineral assemblage of native gold-calaverite (AuTe2)-petzite (AuAg3Te2)-tellurobismuthite (Bi2Te3). Our study implies that the large-scale Jurassic mineralization event in eastern China, related to flat subduction of the paleo-Pacific plate beneath the eastern China continent, also caused widespread gold mineralization in the Qinling-Dabie Orogen, in addition to production of its world-class porphyry Mo deposits. The fact that only a few Jurassic gold mineralization ages have been reported before, may be due to the lack of suitable geochronometers to record the earlier Jurassic hydrothermal processes, which have been overprinted by the better-recognized Early Cretaceous gold mineralization event. This study also presents a rare example of xenotime compositional alterations and resetting of U-Pb ages induced by low to moderate salinity carbono-aqueous fluids at low temperatures. The textural relationships between gold minerals in contact with such composite xenotime crystals demonstrate that they could have precipitated before, coeval with, or after the dated domains. Since low to moderate salinity carbonoaqueous fluids are commonly involved in the formation of lode gold deposits, it is crucial to examine xenotime textures and recognize potential alteration textures before carrying out isotopic dating of xenotime collected from these deposits. Without prior compositional and textural characterization, attempts to date such composite crystals could yield mixed dates and meaningless ages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Gram-negative bacilli are one of the most common causes of various infections in clinical. The emergence and global spread of multi-drug resistant gram-negative bacilli has become a major challenge in the global public health field. Methods: A total of 51,189 non-repetitive strains of gram-negative bacilli were isolated in clinical settings. The antimicrobial susceptibility testing was conducted by using the automated VITEK 2 compact system and the matched AST susceptibility test card, complemented by the disk diffusion method. The antimicrobial susceptibility results were interpreted by CLSI. Rates of MDR and XDR in Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa were investigated. Used the chi-square test to determine whether the antimicrobial resistance rates of four major gram-negative bacilli isolated from ICU and non-ICU department have statistical differences. Results: Escherichia coli (31.4%), Klebsiella spp. (21.2%), Acinetobacter spp. (13.8%), and P. aeruginosa (11.0%) were the most frequently isolated gramnegative bacilli. Escherichia coli was the top one organism isolated from urinary tract (68.4%), bloodstream (39.9%), body fluid (33.2%), wound and pus (37%), except for respiratory tract (8.8%). Whereas Acinetobacter baumannii and K. pneumoniae were the major isolated organisms from respiratory tract. Acinetobacter baumannii showed high resistance to fluoroquinolones, β-lactam/ β-lactamase inhibitor combinations class, ceftazidime, cefepime, imipenem, and meropenem, the resistance rates reached more than 70%. Ceftazidime showed a lower resistance rate to E. coli than ceftriaxone. For E. coli, fluoroquinolones showed a high resistance rate (ciprofloxacin 61.36% and levofloxacin 53.97%), whereas amikacin, carbapenems exhibited a lower resistance rate fluctuating at 2%. Acinetobacter baumannii and K. pneumoniae showed rapid increases in carbapenem resistance whereas E. coli had the lowest resistance rate and remain stable at 2%. Acinetobacter baumannii exhibited the highest rate of MDR and XDR, reaching 60–80 and 45–55%, respectively. Compared to non-ICU departments, the resistance rates of four major gram-negative bacilli in the ICU department were much higher and the differences were statistically significant (p <  0.05). Conclusion: Amikacin, carbapenems, and piperacillin/tazobactam exhibited relatively high sensitivity, whereas fluoroquinolones showed high resistance rate whether they can be the first-line antimicrobials for empirical treatment of UTI should take more consideration. The gram-negative bacilli in ICU were more resistance than that in non-ICU. These findings are helpful for clinicians using antimicrobials reasonably. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Tree ring is an ideal indicator of annual total grain production parameters. • Tree growth synchronized with grain production, and concurrent response to climate. • Reconstruction of total grain productivity based on dendrochronology. • To explore the relationship between total grain sown area and climate change. Climate change affects the growth of regional vegetation; both trees and grain crops often change concurrently, such that the annual radial growth of trees shows consistent inter-annual variations with the total grain crop productivity. However, it remains unclear whether they exhibit concurrent responses to climate factors, and that there lacks of the study on long-term high-resolution variations of grain crops productivity. This paper employs a Pinus massoniana tree-ring series from the Tongbai Mountains to analyze the correlations between tree-ring chronology, local climate data and grain productivity indicators (i.e., total sown grain areas (TSA), total grain outputs (TGO), and average grain yield per hectare (YPH)) of Henan Province in central China. The results indicate that temperature in March and August was the main limiting factor on tree growth, and the best concurrent relationship with tree growth was TSA, which has a correlation of 0.747 (p < 0.001) during 1959–2020. Therefore, a 124-year TSA series in Henan Province was reconstructed using tree-ring data from the Tongbai Mountains, which reveals there were two distinct low periods of total grain sown area in the 1920 s-1930 s and 1980 s-2000 s. There are significant cycles of about 2.57a (p < 0.01), 2.89a (p < 0.05), and 10.95a (p < 0.1), indicating that vegetation growth might be affected by large-scale climate forcing, such as ENSO (2-7a cycle) and sunspot activity (11a cycle). Overall, this study outlines a new approach to understand long-term changes in grain production, which is conducive to grain management and socioeconomic sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Promoting ratoon rice is a critical measure for ensuring food security in China. Understanding the mechanism underlying farmers' decision-making involving ratoon rice production may contribute to the design and implementation of extension policies. This study examined the impact of off-farm employment and outsourced machinery services on farmers' ratoon rice production behavior. We used a representative household survey of 1752 rice farmers in Hubei province in central China and a multinomial endogenous treatment effect model to address potential self-selection biases from both observable and unobservable factors. Our estimates suggest that the probability of ratoon rice production decreases by 17.2% for farmers with off-farm employment, while the probability of ratoon rice production increases by 78.9% and 57% for farmers with outsourced machinery services and those with simultaneous off-farm employment and outsourced machinery services, respectively. Moreover, we found that outsourced machinery services can mitigate the negative impact of agricultural labor aging and feminization on ratoon rice production to some extent. Outsourced machinery services have regional heterogeneity effects as farmers in non-plain areas are more likely to engage in ratoon rice production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Central China harbors the native dart-sac-bearing camaenids Laeocathaica. The genus is revised and seven new species are proposed based on museum material and newly collected specimens. This work confirmed that most Laeocathaica species have restricted habitats. The comparison of the dart sac apparatus among the dart-sac-bearing camaenid genera indicated the importance of the presence of the proximal accessory sac that might be analogous to the membranous/muscular sac surrounding the proximal dart sac and/ or the distal region of the vagina near the atrium, which also plays a significant role in the diagnosis of Laeocathaica species based on its number, symmetry and position on the dart sac. Species with similar shell morphology were studied using geometric morphometric methods to detect variations in shell shape. A molecular phylogenetic analysis based on 16S and ITS2 sequence data of partial Laeocathaica species and many other dart-sac-bearing taxa suggested that Laeocathaica might be monophyletic. Furthermore, the present phylogeny indicated that Stilpnodiscus, Cathaica, Bradybaena, and Pseudobuliminus might be polyphyletic and therefore the taxonomy of dart-sac-bearing camaenids in this region requires a thorough revision. This work reconfirms that the Southern Gansu Plateau is important as a hotspot for malacodiversity conservation on the Chinese mainland. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Central China is one of the areas with the most serious arsenic (As) pollution in the world. However, the local controlling standards of arsenic are not unique, and its toxicities to humans have gender differences, which brings challenges to gray water footprint (GWF) evaluation. The GWF model is improved on the basis of health risk theory to address the abovementioned problems. According to the gender differences in health parameters, the assessment is further divided into male and female GWFs (i.e., GWF (As-M) and GWF (As-F), respectively). The results show that (1) the average annual GWF (As-M) and GWF (As-F) values in Central China from 2011 to 2015 are 97.27 and 105.11 billion m3, respectively. Hunan Province accounts for about 77% of the total GWF (As-M) and GWF (As-F) in Central China (2). The carcinogenic hazard of arsenic load in Hunan Province is the most serious among the three provinces in central China. The water pollution levels of arsenic for male and female in Hunan Province are 0.917 and 0.843 in 2011, both of which belong to the "high" grade. The carcinogenic hazards of arsenic loads in Hubei Province and Jiangxi Province are the second and third highest in Central China (3). For the females, the average daily dose to arsenic is about 1.03 times larger than the male's, and the female carcinogenic risk of arsenic is higher than that of males. Therefore, women are the main protection group of arsenic pollution in Central China (4). The decrease in the GWF (As-M) and GWF (As-F) risk factors in Central China is primarily caused by the closure of Shimen realgar mine in Hunan Province. The leaching of historical slag is a key source to be controlled to further improve water safety of Central China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crop residue open burning has significant adverse effects on regional air quality, climate change, and human health. Emissions from crop residue open burning estimated by satellites are underestimated in central China due to long-term cloud cover and the limitation of spatial-temporal resolution of satellites. In this study, we used a statistical-based method to investigate the crop residue open burning emissions in central China from 2012 to 2020. The open burning proportion (OBP) of residue, updated annually by the Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite (VIIRS) 375 m active fire product (VNP14IMG), and the latest observed emission factors (EFS) were used to improve the accuracy of the estimated emissions. Annual emissions of pollutants were allocated into 0.1° × 0.1° spatial grid cells using fire counts and land cover data. The results showed that the total emissions of black carbon (BC), organic carbon (OC), sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitric oxide (NOX), carbon monoxide (CO), carbon dioxide (CO2), fine particles (PM2.5), coarse particles (PM10), ammonia (NH3), methane (CH4) and non-methane volatile organic compound (NMVOC) were 34.84, 149.72, 41.06, 90.11, 2640.97, 78,094.91, 485.17, 481.05, 35.21, 246.38 and 499.59 Gg, respectively. The largest contributor of crop residue open burning was rice, followed by wheat, rapeseed and corn, with the contribution rates of 35.34–64.07%, 15.78–34.71%, 9.12–25.56%, and 5.69–14.06%, respectively. The pollutants emissions exhibit large annual variation, with the highest emissions in 2013 and a remarkable decrease from 2013 to 2015 under strict control measures. Since 2015, the emissions remained at a low level, which shows that air quality control policies play a role in recent years. The result indicates that using OBP updated by satellite active fire product in a statistical-based method can help to get more accurate and reliable multi-year emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Tianshui-Sunjiaxia area is located in the connection zone of West Qinling Orogen and North Qilian Orogen, which could provide great insights into the amalgamation processes between the northern and southern blocks of China. Three subduction- and rift-related rocks gneissic granite from North Qilian arc-interarc belt (NQAI) granite and metabasalt from North Qinling back-arc basin (NQBA) are distinguished across the connection zone. The gneissic granite was generated by melts from older crustal materials of Longshan Group with the addition of a relatively juvenile basaltic source from the lower crust during the collision process. The Liwanxincun metabasalt reflects the mixing of the partial melting of the shallow asthenospheric mantle and the metasomatized mantle in a back-arc extension setting. The LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb dating of gneissic granite (068, 069) yields crystallization ages of 457.0 ± 1.6 Ma and 445.9 ± 2.1 Ma. The study area is divided into six tectonic units in Early Paleozoic time involving NQAI (Yanjiadian-Xinjie) continental arc, interarc rift basin (Maojiamo-Xiwali), continental arc (Chenjiahe-Wangjiacha); NQBA back-arc rift basin (Huluhe-Hongtubao), island arc and ophiolitic melange belt (North Qinling-Shangdan). A tectonic model is proposed in which the NQAI continental arc (Yanjiadian-Xinjie) might represent the early period of subduction of North Qilian Ocean (NQO) and the interarc rift is the product of the extension triggered by southward subduction of NQO. The ongoing subduction of NQO then leads to the formation of Chenjiahe-Wangjiacha continental arc, as well as the Hongtubao back-arc spreading ridge in NQBA back-arc basin (Huluhe). The tectonic evolution of the connection zone is closely associated with the closure of the North Qilian Ocean and North Qinling-Shangdan Ocean in the context of the convergence process of micro-continental blocks, including North China block, Longshan group and North Qinling Terrane. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aedes albopictus is the only vector that can transmit the dengue virus in Zhejiang Province, central China, and it can develop insecticide resistance due to long-term exposure to pyrethroids. The presence of knockdown resistance (kdr) mutations is one of the mechanisms responsible for pyrethroid resistance, and has been reported in some Ae. albopictus populations in southern China. However, little is known about the DNA diversity of the voltage-gated sodium channel (VGSC) gene in Ae. albopictus populations in central China. Four Ae. albopictus field populations were collected, in Yiwu (YW), Quzhou (QZ), Wenzhou (WZ), and Jiaxing (JX) from Zhejiang Province, central China. The susceptibility of Ae. albopictus adults to three pyrethroids (beta-cypermethrin, deltamethrin, and permethrin) was tested using the WHO tube assay, and Kdr mutations were identified via PCR and sequencing. The relationship between kdr mutations and pyrethroid phenotypes was also analyzed. Of the four populations, none was sensitive to any pyrethroid tested, and the YW population showed the strongest pyrethroid resistance. Non-synonymous kdr mutations were detected in codons 1532 and 1534, domain III. At codon 1534, one mutant allele, TCC(S), was detected in the four populations with a frequency of 42.08%, while at codon 1532, one mutant allele, ACC(T), was detected in the JX and QZ populations, with frequencies of 4.22 and 3.03%, respectively. The F1534S mutant allele was positively correlated with both beta-cypermethrin and deltamethrin resistance phenotypes (OR > 1, P < 0.05), whereas the I1532T mutant allele was possibly negatively correlated with beta-cypermethrin, deltamethrin, and permethrin resistance phenotypes (OR < 1, P > 0.05). In conclusion, resistance and resistance mutations regarding to three pyrethroids are already present in the Ae. Albopictus populations from Zhejiang, central China, which prompts the need to use non-insecticide-based methods of insect control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Archeomagnetism focuses on exploring high‐resolution variations of the geomagnetic field over hundreds to thousands of years. In this study, we carried out a comprehensive study of chronology, absolute and relative paleointensity on a late Neolithic site in central China. Ages of the samples are constrained to be ~3,500–3,000 BCE, a period when available paleointensity data are sparse. We present a total of 64 high‐fidelity absolute paleointensities, demonstrating the field varied quickly from ~55 to ~90 ZAm2 between ~3,500–3,000 BCE. Our results record a new archeomagnetic jerk around 3,300 BCE, which is probably non‐dipolar origin. The new results provide robust constraints on global geomagnetic models. We calculated a revised Chinese archeointensity reference curve for future application. The variations of absolute and relative paleointensity versus depth show good consistency, reinforcing the reliability of our results. This new attempt of combining absolute and relative paleointenstiy provides a useful tool for future archeomagnetic research. Plain Language Summary: The geomagnetic field is generated in the Earth's liquid outer core; its behavior can provide us information on the Earth's interior and help us understand processes deep in the planet we live on. The magnetic field surrounds the Earth and acts like an umbrella protecting the planet from strong solar winds, and thus the geomagnetic behavior can affect life on the Earth. Understanding the evolution of the geomagnetic field allows us to learn about the Earth in the past and can help us predict what will happen in the future. The geomagnetic field includes both dipolar and non‐dipolar components, with the former related to global and the latter to regional features. Studying regional geomagnetic variations from different areas is essential for outlining regional features and global distributions of the field. In this study, we carried out archeomagnetic research on a late Neolithic archeological site in central China. The high‐fidelity results fill a gap of the present data set in both space and time, and thus refine both the regional and global geomagnetic models significantly. The newly released Chinese archeointensity reference curve in this study can be used for regional geomagnetic comparison as well as for archeological dating in this region. Key Points: 64 high‐fidelity archeointensities were obtained from a late Neolithic site in central ChinaNew results record a fast field variation from ~55 to ~90 ZAm2 between ~3,500–3,000 BCE and a new archeomagnetic jerk around ~3,300 BCEAn updated version of Chinese archeointensity reference curve (Archint_China2) was released for future application [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To evaluate the distribution of biometric parameters and corneal astigmatism using the IOLMaster device before phacoemulsification in cataract patients in Central China.Methods: Consecutive cataract patients were recruited at the Central Hospital of Wuhan between January 2015 and June 2016. Ocular axial length (AL), keratometry values, anterior chamber depth (ACD) and horizontal corneal diameter (white to white [WTW]) of each cataract-affected eye were measured with the IOLMaster device.Results: The study evaluated 3209 eyes of 2821 cataract patients. The mean AL, ACD, and WTW were 24.38 ± 2.47 mm, 3.15 ± 0.48 mm, and 11.63 ± 0.43 mm, respectively. Corneal astigmatism of 0.51-1.00 diopters (D) was the most common range of values (34.96%). A total of 10.56% patients exhibited a corneal astigmatism greater than 2.0 D. The flat and steep keratometry values gradually increased with age. The mean ACD and WTW showed increasing trends as the AL increased (P < 0.001). When the AL was shorter than 26.0 mm, the keratometry decreased as AL increased. The against-the-rule (ATR) astigmatism proportion increased with age and the with-the-rule (WTR) astigmatism proportion decreased with age.Conclusions: The profile of ocular biometric data and corneal astigmatism may help ophthalmologists improve their surgical procedures and make an appropriate IOL choice to gain a high quality of postoperative vision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

February-May temperature strongly affects ecological processes and socio-economics in central China, yet its long-term variability has not been thoroughly assessed due to the shortness of instrumental records. In order to improve the understanding of the regularities of temperature variability in central China, in this study, we present a new tree-ring chronology from the Shengnongjia Mountains in central China which provides a valuable 245-year record of temperature variability. The reconstructed temperature correlated strongly with February-May mean temperature records of the Fangxian meteorological station from AD 1958 to AD 2011, and the derived reconstruction explained 44.5 % of the instrumental temperature variation during this period. The study shows that this region experienced three warm periods and two cool periods, i.e., the major warm periods occurred in AD 1783-1806, AD 1879-1909, and AD 1975 to the present, whereas the cool intervals occurred in AD 1807-1878 and AD 1910-1974. This reconstruction could aid in the evaluation of regional climate variability in subtropical China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) and other solar components were observed for a period of 3 years at Wuhan, China to determine for the first time the temporal variability of PAR fraction [PAR/G (G here stands for global solar radiation)] and its dependence on different sky conditions in Central China. PAR, G and PAR/G showed similar seasonal features that peaked in summer and reached their lowest values in winter. The seasonal PAR/G ranged from 1.70 E MJ (winter) to 2.01 E MJ (summer) with an annual mean value of 1.89 E MJ. Hourly values of PAR/G increased from 1.78 to 2.11 E MJ on average as sky conditions changed from clear to cloudy. Monthly mean hourly PAR/G revealed a diurnal variation, with highest values observed around sunrise and sunset, slightly higher PAR fractions were also found around noon for most months. The effect of daylength on PAR/G was also studied and no significant impact was found. Three models were developed to estimate PAR from G. These models consisted of atmospheric parameters that were found to cause substantial changes of PAR/G, such as sky clearness, brightness, path length and the sky clearness index. The estimations obtained from different models were very close to the measured values with maximum relative errors below 8 % (hourly values) in Wuhan. The models were not only tested at seven radiation stations in Central China, but also verified in six stations with different climates in China. The models were found to estimate PAR accurately from commonly available G data in Central China; however, the results also implied that the models need to be modified to account for local climatic conditions when applied to the whole country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zhengyia shennongensis is described here as a new genus and species of the nettle family (Urticaceae) from Hubei province, central China. The phylogenetic position of Z. shennongensis is determined using DNA sequences of nuclear ribo-somal ITS and three plastid regions (rbcL, psbA-trnH, trnL-F). Zhengyia shennongensis is readily distinguished from the related genera Urtica, Hesperocnide, and Laportea in the tribe Urticeae by its seed (oblong-globose or subglobose and not compressed achenes, surface densely covered with nipple-shaped protuberances) and stipule morphology (large leaf-like stipules with auriculate and amplexicaulous base and united with stem). Phylogenetic evidence indicates that Zhengyia is a distinct group related to Urtica (including Hesperocnide) species and Laportea cuspidata in tribe Urticeae. The bulbiliferous species of the tribe (L. bidbifera, L. cuspidata, Z. shennongensis) do not form a clade. This result indicates that the bulbil trait evolved in parallel within Urticeae. Our findings highlight the importance of shady and moist habitats in promoting species diversification and the parallel evolution of morphological traits that are likely to be adaptive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Malaria was once a serious public health problem in China, with Plasmodium vivax the major species responsible for more than 90% of local transmission. Following significant integrated malaria control and elimination programmes, malaria burden declined, and since 2017 China has not recorded any indigenous case. To understand the historical malaria transmission patterns and epidemic characteristics in China and insights useful to guide P. vivax malaria control and elimination elsewhere, a retrospective study was carried out. Methods: Historical data from a pilot study conducted in Guantang, Luyi in central China from 1971–1995, were digitized. The data included monthly numbers of reported cases, febrile cases, parasite carriage rates, the neonatal infection rate, and entomological data regarding Anopheles sinensis. Results: Following 25 years of continuous integrated malaria control activities, malaria incidence in Guantang decreased from 4,333 cases per 10,000 in 1970 before integrated implementation to 0.23 cases per 10,000 in 1991, and no cases in 1992–1995. Some fluctuations in incidence were observed between 1977 and 1981. During the period parasite rates, antibody levels and the neonatal infection rate also decreased. The pattern of seasonality confirmed that P. vivax in Henan Province was primarily of the long incubation type (temperate) during non-transmission period. The findings retrospectively provide a scientific basis for the implementation of mass campaigns of liver stage hypnozoite clearance. Entomological studies indicated that An. sinensis was the only vector, and it preferred bovine to human hosts, predominantly biting and resting outdoors. Mosquito densities declined between 1971 and 1984. Conclusion: The integrated malaria control approach in Guantang effectively controlled malaria and achieved elimination. Analysis of the effectiveness of the programme can provide guidance to other regions or countries with similar ecological settings aiming to move from malaria control to elimination. There is a potential challenge in the maintenance of non-transmission status owing to imported cases and the long dormancy of liver stage hypnozoites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Bacterial bloodstream infections (BSIs) cause high morbidity and mortality worldwide in humans, but the pathogenic spectrum varies from region to region. Long-term monitoring of the pathogenic spectrum and changes in bacterial antibiotic resistance is hugely important for effective clinical therapy and infection control. This study examined the data for BSIs in Tongji Hospital, one of the largest teaching hospitals in China, in an attempt to gain better understanding of bacterial antibiotic resistance in China, focusing on central China. Methods: Data from Tongji Hospital for a 20-year period (1998–2017) were used for a retrospective analysis to understand the pathogenic spectrum of BSIs and the changes occurring in antimicrobial resistance in central China. The disk diffusion and E test methods were used for antimicrobial susceptibility testing according to Clinical & Laboratory Standards Institute methodologies, and the data were analyzed by WHONET 5.6 software. Results: The isolated pathogens mainly came from hospitalized patients not treated in intensive care units (ICUs), and accounted for 81.5% of the total (9130/11200). The most common Gram-negative and Gram-positive bacterial BSI-causing pathogens were Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus, respectively. The detection rate for methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) in the hospitalized non-ICU patients increased from 8.4% in 1998–2002 to 63% in 2013–2017, while the detection rate for carbapenem-resistant (CR) Klebsiella pneumoniae was below 5% in 1998–2012 but increased to 34.9% in 2013–2017. In contrast, worryingly, the detection rate for CR K. pneumoniae in ICU patients increased from 0% in 2013 to 75% in 2016. E. coli displayed the highest sensitivity rates to imipenem, meropenem and amikacin, all of which were > 90%, followed by cefoxitin at > 80%, and cefoperazone/sulbactam at > 70%. K. pneumoniae isolates were most sensitive to imipenem, meropenem and amikacin antibiotics, with sensitivity rates exceeding 60%. S. aureus isolates were most sensitive to vancomycin, teicoplanin and trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, with sensitivity rates exceeding 90%. Conclusions: BSIs caused by CR K. pneumoniae clearly posed a severe challenge to infection control and treatment of ICU and non-ICU patients in this retrospective study, while MRSA was an issue for non-ICU patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]