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Objectives: The frail elderly have an increased risk of frailty because of reduced physical activity, cognitive ability and quality of life. This study aims to evaluate the effects of integrated exercise intervention on the attenuation of frailty in elderly nursing home residents. Design: This study was a cluster randomized controlled trial. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: 146 elderly frailty people from 8 elderly nursing homes in Harbin, China, were randomly assigned into the intervention group and control group after obtaining their informed consent. Intervention: The intervention group performed integrated exercise interventions for 12 months, while the control group only continued with their daily activities. Measurements: Sociodemographic, health-related data, frailty levels, gait parameters, cognition, and quality of life were evaluated. Results: The mean age of participants was 80.74± 2.89 years, and 70.37% (n=95) were female. The Difference-in-difference regression showed that, compared with the control group, phenotypic frailty score (β3 =−1.40, p < 0.001) and stride time (β3 = −0.38, p < 0.001) decreased significantly in the intervention group, stride velocity (β3 = 0.24, p < 0.001), step length (β3 = 0.08, p <0.001), cadence (β3 = 17.79, p < 0.001), MMSE total score (β3 = 1.90, p < 0.001) and QOL total score (β3 = 11.84, p < 0.001) increased significantly in the intervention group. Conclusion: The integrated exercise intervention can effectively improve the attenuation of frailty, gait parameters, cognitive function, and quality of life in elderly nursing homes. We can use the findings of this study as a reference for the design of activities for the elderly nursing home residents, to provide them with appropriate exercises, improve their physical functions, and improve or delay their frailty level, which is principally important for developing countries in east Asia where rehabilitation resources are generally scarce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plantation-grown Eucalyptus (Myrtaceae) and other trees residing in the Myrtales have been widely planted in southern China. These fungal pathogens include species of Cryphonectriaceae that are well-known to cause stem and branch canker disease on Myrtales trees. During recent disease surveys in southern China, sporocarps with typical characteristics of Cryphonectriaceae were observed on the surfaces of cankers on the stems and branches of Myrtales trees. In this study, a total of 164 Cryphonectriaceae isolates were identified based on comparisons of DNA sequences of the partial conserved nuclear large subunit (LSU) ribosomal DNA, internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions including the 5.8S gene of the ribosomal DNA operon, two regions of the ß-tubulin (tub2/tub1) gene, and the translation elongation factor 1-alpha (tef1) gene region, as well as their morphological characteristics. The results showed that eight species reside in four genera of Cryphonectriaceae occurring on the genera Eucalyptus, Melastoma (Melastomataceae), Psidium (Myrtaceae), Syzygium (Myrtaceae), and Terminalia (Combretaceae) in Myrtales. These fungal species include Chrysoporthe deuterocubensis, Celoporthe syzygii, Cel. eucalypti, Cel. guangdongensis, Cel. cerciana, a new genus and two new species, as well as one new species of Aurifilum. These new taxa are hereby described as Parvosmorbus gen. nov., Par. eucalypti sp. nov., Par. guangdongensis sp. nov., and Aurifilum terminali sp. nov. Pathogenicity tests showed that the eight species of Cryphonectriaceae are pathogenic to two Eucalyptus hybrid seedlings, Melastoma sanguineum branches, and Psidium guajava and Syzygium jambos seedlings. The overall data showed that Chr. deuterocubensis is the most aggressive, followed by Par. eucalypti. Significant differences in tolerance were observed between the two tested Eucalyptus hybrid genotypes, suggesting that disease-tolerant genotypes can be selected for disease management in the Eucalyptus industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The source region of the Yellow River, located in the north-eastern edge of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, is an important water conservation region and ecological barrier of the Yellow River. In this paper, based on remote sensing technology, multi-period Landsat remote sensing images in the source region were taken as the main information source. With the assistance of field investigation, we monitored the spatial and temporal changes of desertification in the source region from 2000 to 2019. The results show that the area of desertification in the source region has accounted for 9.36% of the total area, of which the light desertification land is the major portion. The desertification is mainly distributed between the southern margin of Madoi Valley basin and the northern margin of Heihe Valley basin, and is distributed on the river valleys, lakesides, ancient rivers and piedmont proluvial fan, showing the form of patches, sheets and belts. The growth rate of desertification in the source region was 87.47% from 2000 to 2010. With a high growth rate, the process of desertification was represented by the rapid spread of desertification. From 2010 to 2019, the growth rate of desertification was 37.32%, which was relatively slow. But the moderate desertification land maintained a straight linear growth trend, showing an increasing trend of desertification degree. Through the analysis of the driving factors of desertification in the source region of the Yellow River, this paper argues that the special geographical location, climatic factors, rodent damages and human activities are the main causes of desertification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: In this study, we determined serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH) D] levels in serum, and investigated their associations with risk of recurrent stroke and mortality in a 24-month follow up study in Chinese patients with first-ever ischemic stroke. Methods: In this preplanned post hoc analysis, serum levels of 25(OH) D and NIH stroke scale (NIHSS) were measured at the time of admission in a cohort of patients with ischemic stroke. We used logistic regression model to assess the relationship between 25(OH) D levels and risk recurrent stroke or mortality. Results: The follow-up rate was 98.2% in 220 stroke patients. Of 216 patients, 18.5% (95%CI: 13.3%-23.7%) patients had a stroke recurrence, and 30.1% (95% CI: 24.0%-36.2%) died. After adjustment for traditional risk factors, serum 25(OH) D levels were negatively associated with the risk of stroke recurrence (odds ratio [OR], 0.77; 95% confidence interval [CI], 0.70-0.85; P< 0.001) and negatively associated with mortality during 24 months of follow-up (OR, 0.72; 95% CI, 0.64-0.80; P< 0.001). Compared with the first quartile of serum 25(OH) D levels, the ORs for stroke recurrence and mortality were as follows: second quartile, 0.80 (95% CI, 0.63-0.93) and 0.77 (95% CI, 0.65-0.89); third quartile, 0.42 (95% CI, 0.31-0.55) and 0.39 (95% CI, 0.30-0.52); fourth quartile, 0.12 (95% CI, 0.07-0.19) and 0.10 (95% CI, 0.06-0.15), respectively. Conclusions: Lower serum levels of 25(OH) D are independently associated with the stroke recurrence and mortality at 24 months in ischemic stroke patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study design:Adult spinal cord injury without radiologic abnormalities (SCIWORA) is evidenced to be underreported. Some abnormalities that were not present on computed tomography (CT) were identified on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), but the diagnostic reliability of early MRI remains considerable disagreement.Objective:The present study was retrospectively designed to assess a potential correlation between clinical and imaging findings in adults experiencing SCIWORA.Setting:A total of 2964 adult patients (age >18 or older) with acute cervical spine injury presented to the single institution between January 2009 and June 2014.Methods:Fifty-nine patients with SCIWORA were included in the study. Initial MRI findings at admission were analyzed, and a 6-month follow-up was performed.Results:On admission, complete spinal cord injury was found in 32 patients, incomplete spinal cord injury in 20 patients and central cord syndrome in seven patients. MRI findings showed varying degrees of degenerative or spondylotic changes in 45% of the patients (n=27). The cord contusion was shown in 12 patients, cord edema in 7, cord hemorrhage in 2 and ligamentum flavum bulging in 4 patients. In all, two of these patients had no positive findings on the initial MRI, but presented with positive abnormalities on repeat MRI 72 h after trauma. At discharge, most of the patients presented with complete remission, but some of the patients presented with partial remission. After 6 months, all patients significantly improved, and only two patients did not show full recovery.Conclusions:Early use of MRI added little in the determination of stability of the cervical spine in the presence of a negative CT. Our study suggested that the neurological outcome did not correlate with early MRI findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leaves were collected from a total of 62 trees displaying virus-like disease symptoms such as rugose mosaic in leaf, irregular shaped leaf blades or small leaf blades in a survey of sweet cherry (Prunus avium L. cv Red Lamp) in Shandong Province, the largest cherry production area in China. Reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis indicated that Prunus necrotic ringspot virus (PNRSV), Prune dwarf virus (PDV), Little cherry virus- 2 (LChV-2), Cherry virus A (CVA) and Cherry green ring mottle virus (CGRMV) were present and that most of the samples (70%) were infected by at least two viruses. A case study in this survey of two selected trees revealed that a mixed infection with these five viruses simultaneously caused two types of field symptoms: late-maturity in fruits or fruit blast. Real-time quantitative RT-PCR analysis revealed that the relative proportion of the virus titers was distinct in the two sampled trees. The PNRSV titer was significantly higher than the four other viruses in the trees that exhibited fruit blast. Phylogenetic analysis of the PNRSV coat protein (CP) gene showed that the isolates HSY-4-1 and X-3, obtained from the two sampled trees separately, were classified into different subgroups of Group I isolates, which is characterized by a six-nucleotide insertion. A non-synonymous substitution was identified in the six-nucleotide insertion in the PNRSV CP gene in one of the two isolates. This is the first detailed study of the incidence of multiple sweet cherry viruses in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adeno-associated viruses (AAV) have attracted attention as potential vectors for gene therapy and vaccines against several diseases, including HIV-1 infection. However, the presence of neutralizing antibodies (NAbs) after natural AAV infections inhibits their transfection in re-exposed subjects. To identify candidate AAV vectors for therapeutic or prophylactic HIV vaccines, NAbs against AAV2, AAV5 and AAV8 were screened in the sera of healthy individuals in China and 10 developed countries and an HIV-1-infected Chinese population. Seroprevalence was higher for AAV2 (96.6%) and AAV8 (82.0%) than for AAV5 (40.2%) in normal Chinese subjects. Among individuals seropositive for AAV5, >80% had low NAb titers (<1:90). The prevalence and titers of NAbs against the three AAVs were significantly higher in China than in developed countries (P<0.01). The prevalence of NAbs against AAV5 did not differ significantly between healthy and HIV-1-infected Chinese subjects (P=0.39). Co-occurrence of NAbs against AAV2, AAV5, and AAV8 was observed in the healthy population, and 15, 41, and 41% of individuals were AAV2+, AAV2+/AAV8+, and AAV2+/AAV5+/AAV8+, respectively. Therefore, AAV5 exposure is low in healthy and HIV-1-infected populations Chinese individuals, and vectors based on AAV5 may be appropriate for human gene therapy or vaccines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Using the Weather Research and Forecasting Model with Chemistry (WRF/Chem) model, we conducted a series of numerical experiments to investigate the relative contributions of climate and emission change to surface ozone (O3) over South China for the period of October in 2005–2007 and 2055–57. WRF/Chem was driven by the outputs of Community Climate System Model version 3 (CCSM3). The simulations predict that on average near-surface temperature and water vapor mixing ratio are projected to increase 1.6 °C and 1.6 g kg− 1 under A1B scenario. In response to the climate change, the emissions of isoprene and monoterpenes in South China increase by 5–55% and 5–40%, respectively. The change of climate and biogenic emission can result in a change of −5 to 5 ppb of afternoon surface O3 mixing ratios, with an average of 1.6 ppb over the land region in South China. Over Pearl River Delta, a region of dense network of cities, the 2000–2050 climate changes increase afternoon mean surface O3 by 1.5 ppb. The change of anthropogenic emission can result in a change of −3–24 ppb of afternoon surface O3 mixing ratios, with an average of 12.8 ppb over the land region in South China. Our analysis suggests that the anthropogenic emissions have greater impact on the change of surface O3 concentration over South China compared to climate change. The combined effect of climate and emission can increase afternoon mean surface O3 over South China by an average of 18.2 ppb in the land region, with the highest increase up to 24 ppb occurring over southeast of Hunan province. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A field trial to examine growth and wound healing of pruned Corymbia torelliana was established in a 40-month-old plantation in western Guangdong, China. It included: (1) pruning all branches up to stem diameters of 5, 6, 7 or 8 cm, (2) wound protection with wax or paint and (3) a control with no pruning. Measurements of growth and wound occlusion taken at various intervals up to 12 months after pruning showed that pruning generally impeded height growth, promoted diameter at breast height (dbh) growth and slightly increased taper. The optimal pruning intensity for tree growth was pruning up to stem diameter of 8 cm. Lower wound occlusion rates occurred in heavier pruning intensities. The optimal intensity for rapid wound occlusion was pruning up to stem diameter of 7 or 8 cm. Paint resulted in better occlusion than wax. The fastest wound occlusion occurred in stem section of height 2.51 to 5.35 m above the ground. Rate of wound occlusion up to 12 months showed correlations with dbh increment, initial wound size and pruning intensity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Global climate change has tremendously altered the spatial and temporal distributions of precipitation. The Streamflow of the Yellow River decreased in the past decades, both because of human consumption and climate variations. This paper analyzed the trends of natural and observed streamflow of the Lijin hydrological station, as well as the precipitation and air temperature of the whole Yellow River Basin. There was an obvious change in the natural streamflow in 1991 when analyzed by the Mann-Kendall (M-K) method. Precipitation decreased in the whole Yellow River Basin. 22 Meteorological stations have slight increases, while the other 67 stations measured declines, in which 47 of the Meteorological stations’ decrements were over 5%. There was a descent of temperature for only 2 stations, while the temperature rose for the other 87 stations. The average temperature increment was 0.82°C and the highest was 1.91°C in Tsinghai Center station. The quantitative Streamflow-precipitation-temperature relations plot was drawn by Geostatistical Analyst module of ArcGIS 9.3. The streamflow have various responses to the different extents of precipitation and air temperature. In the past four decades, precipitation elasticity to streamflow was 1.95, and the elasticity index may give a general relationship between precipitation and streamflow. However, it varies with different scenarios. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Potential evaporation (ETp) is influenced by meteorological variables such as net radiation, wind speed, relative humidity and air temperature. Therefore, changes in ETp directly reflect climate change and can be used to diagnose the water requirement of different regions. This study addresses the contribution of select meteorological variables to changes in ETp in Haihe River Basin in China from 1959 to 2008 by sensitive analysis, attribution analysis and relative changes method. The results show that: (i) The ETp presented positive and negative trends during 1959-1998 and 1999-2008, respectively, which resulted in a slightly overall decreasing trend from 1959-2008; (ii) The sensitivity coefficients estimated using sensitive analysis presented clear spatial differences for each variable with the ETp being most sensitive to relative humidity, followed by net radiation, air temperature and wind speed; (iii) By the relative changes method, the ETp, was most sensitive to net radiation, followed by relative humidity, air temperature and wind speed; (iv) Interestingly, the attribution analysis of changes of ETp showed that air temperature, wind speed, relative humidity and net radiation affected ETp in decreasing order of magnitude from 1959-1998 whereas from 1999-2008, relative humidity, air temperature, wind speed and net radiation affected ETp in decreasing order of magnitude. This differential contribution of the variables to changes in ETp over time could explain the slightly decreasing trend in ETp from 1959-2008. Furthermore, this indicates that attribution analysis can draw a clear picture of how climate change impacts changes in ETp. This may provide insights into water resources management in the non-humid region, the Haihe River basin, China. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Organic matter in surface sediments from the upper reach of the Pearl River Estuary and Lingdingyang Bay, as well as the adjacent northern South China Sea shelf was characterized by a variety of techniques, including elemental (C and N), stable carbon isotopic (Г13C) composition, as well as molecular-level analyses. Total organic carbon (TOC) content was 1.61±1.20% in the upper reach down to 1.00±0.22% in Lingdingyang Bay and to 0.80±0.10% on the inner shelf and 0.58±0.06% on the outer shelf. Г13C values ranged from-25.11‰ to-21.28‰ across the studied area, with a trend of enrichment seaward. The spatial trend in C/N ratios mirrored that of Г13C, with a substantial decrease in C/N ratio from 10.9±1.3 in the Lingdingyang Bay surface sediments to 6.5±0.09 in the outer shelf surface sediments. Total carbohydrate yields ranged from 22.1 to 26.7mg (100mg OC)-1, and typically followed TOC concentrations in the estuarine and shelf sediments, suggesting that the relative abundance of total carbohydrate was fairly constant in TOC. Total neutral sugars as detected by the nine major monosaccharides (lyxose, rhamnose, ribose, arabinose, fucose, xylose, galactose, mannose, and glucose) yielded between 4.0 and 18.6mg (100mg OC)-1 in the same sediments, suggesting that a significant amount of carbohydrates were not neutral aldoses. The bulk organic matter properties, isotopic composition and C/N ratios, combined with molecular-level carbohydrate compositions were used to assess the sources and accumulation of terrestrial organic matter in the Pearl River Estuary and the adjacent northern South China Sea shelf. Results showed a mixture of terrestrial riverine organic carbon with in situ phytoplankton organic carbon in the areas studied. Using a two end-member mixing model based on Г13C values and C/N ratios, we estimated that the terrestrial organic carbon contribution to the surface sediment TOC was ca. 57±13% for Lingdingyang Bay, 19±2% for the inner shelf, which decreased further to 4.3±0.5% on the outer shelf. The molecular composition of the carbohydrate in surface sediments also suggested that the inner estuary was rich in terrestrialderived carbohydrates but that the contribution of terrestrial-derived carbohydrates decreased offshore. Terrestrial organic carbon accumulation flux was estimated as 1.37±0.92×1011 g yr-1 in Lingdingyang Bay, which accounted for 37±25% of the terrestrial organic carbon transported to the Bay. The burial efficiency of terrestrial organic matter was markedly lower than that of suspended particulate substance (∼71%) suggesting that the riverine POC undergoes significant degradation and replacement during transportation through the estuary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Paddy soils support important croplands in many parts of the world, especially in Asia. A thorough understanding of nitrogen (N) in Chinese paddy soils would be helpful to comprehend N cycling on farms from a national perspective. The N storage and density of paddy soils in China were evaluated employing 1490 soil profiles and a map of Chinese soils at a scale of 1:1 000 000. Results showed that the mean N density of paddy soils at 0-100 cm was 1240.0 g/m³, with N storage of 569.0 Tg. Paddy soil N density varies with different soil-water regime. In fact, waterlogged conditions can enhance paddy soil N content. Different rotation systems and various fallow systems also can affect paddy soil N density. There are significant relationships of N between both SOC and sand content. But the sensitivity of paddy soil N to climate was weak because of human activity. While this GIS-based analysis is a relatively coarse evaluation of the database, it does provide the first quantitative assessment of paddy soils N storage across China using commonly available digital databases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An outbreak of hemangiomas and myelocytomas in 26 to 29-week-old egg-type chickens was observed in eastern China during late 2007. Mortality of the five flocks is 5∼10%. Hemangiomas of various sizes were seen scattered over the trunk, claws, wings, and head. At necropsy, hemangiomas appeared in the pancreases, ovarian follicles and livers. In addition, numerous similar nodular lesions and resembling tumors were seen in the same tissues. Eighty-six serum samples from the five flocks were tested for the presence of ALV-J, ALV-A/B and REV antibodies by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique. The overall seroprevalence of ALV-J antibodies was 61.63% (53/86), while ALV-A/B and REV antibodies were negative. Histologically, hemangiomas were typically cavernous hemangiomas with sponge-like architectures and myeloblastic infiltration, in which large multifocal islands of myeloblasts or myelocytes were observed. Immunohistochemistry with ALV-J and REV monoclonal antibodies revealed a diffuse presence of ALV-J antigen in hemangiomas, myelocytomas, bone marrow, liver, and other internal organs, especially in endothelial cells of small vessels, while there was no REV antigen. PCR analyses revealed the presence of ALV-J proviral sequences were more closely related to HPRS-103 than the to other Chinese field strains and ADOL-7501. No evidence of Marek's disease or lymphoid leukosis was found. The studies found that hemangiomas and myelocytomas appeared in same tissue at same time in layer chickens were induced by avian leukosis virus subgroup J (ALV-J). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atmospheric aerosols constitute one of the largest sources of uncertainty in the estimation of radiative forcing for climate. From April 2003 to January 2005, in situ measurements of aerosol optical properties were conducted at a rural site in Northern China, Shangdianzi Global Atmosphere Watch (GAW) regional station (SDZ), about 150 km from Beijing. Mean values (standard deviation, S.D.) of scattering and absorption coefficients for the entire period are 174.6Mm-1 (189.1Mm-1) and 17.5Mm-1 (13.4Mm-1), respectively. These values are approximately one third of the reported values for scattering coefficients and one fifth of those for absorption coefficients obtained in the Beijing urban area. The mean single scattering albedo (SSA) for the entire period was estimated as 0.88 (0.05), which is about 0.07 higher than the values reported for the Beijing urban area, and also higher than the values (0.85) used in a reported climate simulation for China and India. Both the absorption and scattering coefficients showed a seasonal cycle with the lowest values in winter, while the highest values occurred in summer for absorption coefficients and in fall for scattering coefficients. The mean SSA values were lowest in spring and highest in winter. The daily variations of aerosol absorption and scattering coefficients were strongly influenced by synoptic changes throughout the observation period. A trajectory cluster analysis was applied to discern the source characteristics of aerosol optical properties for different air masses. The cluster-mean aerosol scattering coefficients, absorption coefficients and SSA were all high when the air masses moved from SW and SE-E directions to the site and aerosols were influenced with heavy pollution from the dense population centers and industrial areas. The cluster-mean SSA for air masses coming from the polluted areas was not only higher than those with trajectories from the ‘clean’ directions, but also higher than the reported values for the regions with high pollution emissions (such as the Beijing urban area). This fact might reflect the substantial secondary aerosol production during transport. The characteristics of aerosol optical properties measured at this rural site suggest significant impacts of human activities on the regional aerosol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HBs antigen (HBsAg)183–191 (FLLTRILTI, R187 peptide) is a dominant human leucocyte antigen-A2 (HLA-A2)-restricted epitope associated with hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in Caucasian populations. However, its prevalence is poorly understood in China, where there is a high incidence of HBV infection. In this report, we sequenced the region of HBsAg derived from 103 Chinese patients. Approximately 16·5% of the patients bore a mutant HBsAg183–191 epitope in which the original arginine (R187) was substituted with a lysine (K187 mutant peptide). Importantly, K187 still bound to HLA-A2 with high affinity, and elicited specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) responses in HLA-A2/Kb transgenic mice. K187-specific CTLs were also generated successfully in acute hepatitis B (AHB) patients, indicating that this mutant epitope is processed and presented effectively. Our findings show that R187-specific CTLs can cross-react with the K187 peptide. These findings reveal that K187 still has the property of an HLA-A2 restricted epitope, and elicits a protective anti-HBV CTL response in humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

P and S receiver functions obtained from a portable array of 34 broad-band stations in east central China provide a detailed image of the crust–mantle and lithosphere–asthenosphere boundaries (LAB) in the Dabie Shan and its adjacent areas. Clear S-to- P converted waves produced at the LAB show a thin lithosphere beneath the whole study area. Based on our results, the thickest lithosphere of 72 km is observed beneath the southern part of the area within the Yangtze craton, whereas beneath the North-China platform, the lithosphere is only 60 km thick. S receiver functions also reveal, in good agreement with P receiver functions, a maximum depth of the Moho beneath the Dabie Shan orogen at approximately 40 km. Furthermore, we interpret the structural difference at 32° latitude as the probable location of the mantle suture formed between the Yangtze and the Sino-Korean cratons. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to examine the effects of global warming on the decomposition of forest leaf litter in Southern China, a reciprocal experiment was designed to decompose forest leaf litter in two sites across climatic zones. One site was located on Mt Jianfengling in the tropical zone and the other, on Mt Dinghushan in the subtropical zone. Both sites were located in NSTEC (North-South Transect in Eastern China), in which the temperature gradient along the transect was the major driver. The two sites had similar altitudes, soil types, annual mean rainfall and dry and wet seasons. The difference of annual mean temperature between sites was 3.7 °C. Leaf litters of 10 native dominant tree species were collected from the two sites and divided into single-species litter and mixed litter, and they were incubated on the forest floor of the two sites reciprocally. The results indicated that litter decomposed in the tropical site 1.36-3.06 times more rapidly than in the subtropical site. Apparent Q10, calculated on the basis of the difference of temperature between sites, ranged from 3.7 to 7.5. The conclusion was that global warming would increase the rate of matter circulation in the subtropical forest ecosystem in China. Mixed litter decomposed more rapidly than single-species litter in subtropical site. Not all dominant species litter could represent mixed litter in decomposition. The variability of decomposition rates among the litter types was less in the tropical site than in the subtropical site. Therefore, the effect of litter quality on litter decomposition was less significant in the warmer conditions of the tropics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractPollen data from China for 6000 and 18,000 14C yr bp were compiled and used to reconstruct palaeovegetation patterns, using complete taxon lists where possible and a biomization procedure that entailed the assignment of 645 pollen taxa to plant functional types. A set of 658 modern pollen samples spanning all biomes and regions provided a comprehensive test for this procedure and showed convincing agreement between reconstructed biomes and present natural vegetation types, both geographically and in terms of the elevation gradients in mountain regions of north-eastern and south-western China. The 6000 14C yr bp map confirms earlier studies in showing that the forest biomes in eastern China were systematically shifted northwards and extended westwards during the mid-Holocene. Tropical rain forest occurred on mainland China at sites characterized today by either tropical seasonal or broadleaved evergreen/warm mixed forest. Broadleaved evergreen/warm mixed forest occurred further north than today, and at higher elevation sites within the modern latitudinal range of this biome. The northern limit of temperate deciduous forest was shifted c. 800 km north relative to today. The 18,000 14C yr bp map shows that steppe and even desert vegetation extended to the modern coast of eastern China at the last glacial maximum, replacing today’s temperate deciduous forest. Tropical forests were excluded from China and broadleaved evergreen/warm mixed forest had retreated to tropical latitudes, while taiga extended southwards to c. 43°N. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses tuberculosis (TB) as one of the death-causing disease and the hindrance in the eradication and management of TB due to the emergence of the conditions of extensively drug-resistant TB (XDR-TB) and multi-drug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB). It also discusses the TB burden of China 2016 conventional World Health Organization (WHO) regimen for the treatment of MDR-TB.

For children with prelingual deafness, bilateral Cochlear Implant (CI) use is beneficial in terms of sound localization and speech recognition in quiet and in noise when compared to unilateral CI use. However, little is known about the benefits of bilateral CI use in children with prelingual deafness whose mother tongue is Mandarin, a tonal language. Furthermore, sufficient data on surgical approaches are currently lacking. Objectives: This study aims to collect more evidence on these topics. Material and Methods: 30 children (aged 12-18 months) with prelingual severe to profound bilateral sensorineural hearing loss were implanted with a CI at the Peking Union Medical College Hospital in Beijing. 10 children were implanted unilaterally, 20 were implanted bilaterally. All children were from Mandarin-speaking families. The surgical approach was documented. The following outcomes are investigated over a period of three years and compared between the unilateral and the bilateral group: • Auditory development - LittleEars Auditory Questionnaire (LEAQ) - Speech, Spatial and Quality of hearing questionnaire (SSQ, parent version) - Categories of Auditory Perception (CAP) • Speech perception - Mandarin Early Speech Perception test (MESP) • Speaking performance -Speech Intelligibility Rating (SIR) -Mandarin Paediatric Speech Intelligibility test (MPSI) •Spatial hearing -Reaching For Sound (RFS) Results and Conclusion: At 1-year post-CI activation, average SSQ, CAP, SIR, and LEAQ scores improved. The bilateral group had better scores in the spatial domain of the SSQ questionnaire than did the unilateral group. Due to the very young age, only a small number of children could be tested for speech recognition and spatial hearing skills. The data collected so far contribute to the assessment of benefits of bilateral CI use in toddlers and to the study of their auditory skills development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reports on the presence of Witches'-Broom disease on Chinese wingnut and the disease's link with a phytoplasma of aster yellows group in China. Research findings; Research applications; Implications on studies of plant diseases.

Rust (Melampsora apocyni) on Apocynum venetum is the major constraint to the commercial development of this medicinal herb. To determine the factors influencing rust intensity (maximum disease index [DImax]), rust was investigated from 2011 to 2015 in both cultivated and wild A. venetum plants. Partial least squares path modeling (PLS-PM) was used to analyze the paths and extent of the factors related to pathogen, environment, and host that affect rust intensity. DImax exhibited considerable variations across years and study sites, with variations linked to various factors fostering disease development. PLS-PM explained 80.0 and 70.1% of variations in DImax in cultivated and wild plants, respectively. Precipitation was the key factor determining DImax in both cultivated and wild plants (path coefficient [PC] =0.313 and 0.544, respectively). In addition, the topsoil water content in cultivated plants and the total vegetation coverage in wild plants were also critical determinants of DImax via their effects on the microclimatic factor (contribution coefficients [CC] = 0.681 and 0.989, respectively; PC = 0.831 and 0.231, respectively). In both cultivated and wild plants, host factors were mainly dominated by A. venetum density (CC = 0.989 and 0.894, respectively), and their effect on DIlnax via the microclimatic factor (PC = 0.841 and 0.862, respectively) exceeded that via the inoculum factor (PC = 0.705 and 0.130, respectively). However, the indirect effects led to DImax variation, while the dilution effect on host (CC = 0.154) from weed in wild plants led to the indirect effect size in wild plants of 0.200, which was lower than -0.699 in cultivated plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spatio-temporal variation of aerosol optical properties and aerosol direct radiative effects (ADRE) are studied based on high quality aerosol data at 21 sunphotometer stations with at least 4-months worth of measurements in China mainland and Hong Kong. A parameterization is proposed to describe the relationship of ADREs to aerosol optical depth at 550 nm (AOD) and single scattering albedo at 550 nm (SSA). In the middle-east and south China, the maximum AOD is always observed in the burning season, indicating a significant contribution of biomass burning to AOD. Dust aerosols contribute to AOD significantly in spring and their influence decreases from the source regions to the downwind regions. The occurrence frequencies of background level AOD (AOD < 0.10) in the middle-east, south and northwest China are very limited (0.4%, 1.3% and 2.8%, respectively). However, it is 15.7% in north China. Atmosphere is pristine in the Tibetan Plateau where 92.0% of AODs are <0.10. Regional mean SSAs at 550 nm are 0.89–0.90, although SSAs show substantial site and season dependence. ADREs at the top and bottom of the atmosphere for solar zenith angle of 60 ± 5° are −16–−37 W m −2 and –66–−111 W m −2 , respectively. ADRE efficiency shows slight regional dependence. AOD and SSA together account for more than 94 and 87% of ADRE variability at the bottom and top of the atmosphere. The overall picture of ADRE in China is that aerosols cool the climate system, reduce surface solar radiation and heat the atmosphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

SFTS virus ( SFTSV) is a novel bunyavirus that causes severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome ( SFTS), an emerging infectious disease that occurred in China in recent years, with an average case fatality rate of 10-12%. Intervention in the early clinical stage is the most effective measure to reduce the mortality rate of disease. To elucidate the natural course of and immune mechanisms associated with the pathogenesis of SFTSV, 59 laboratory-confirmed SFTS patients in the acute phase, who were hospitalized between October 2010 and September 2011, were enrolled in this study, and the patients sera were dynamically collected and tested for SFTSV viral RNA load, 34 cytokines or chemokines and other related laboratory parameters. All clinical diagnostic factors in the acute phase of SFTS were evaluated and assessed. The study showed that the severity of the disease in 11 (18.6%) patients was associated with abdominal pain (p 0.007; OR = 21.95; 95% CI, 2.32-208.11) and gingival bleeding (p 0.001; OR = 122.11; 95% CI, 6.41-2328). The IP-10, TNF- α, IL-6, IL-10, granzyme B and HSP70 levels were higher over the 7-8 days in severe cases, accompanied by altered AST, CK and LDH levels. HSP70 (p 0.012; OR = 8.29; 95% CI, 1.58-43.40) was independently correlated with the severity of the early acute phase of SFTSV infection. The severity of SFTS can be predicted based on the presence of symptoms such as abdominal pain and gingival bleeding and on the level of HSP70 in the acute phase of the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Treatment with effective antibiotics is one important strategy for syphilis control in China. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of azithromycin resistance to T. pallidum in China. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 391 patients with early syphilis recruited from STD clinics in eight cities during October 2008 and October 2011. The swabs were obtained from the moist lesions of the participating patients. A touchdown/nested PCR of the 23S ribosomal RNA ( rRNA) gene was performed on DNA samples extracted from these specimens. The presence or absence of the A2058 G point mutation, conferring resistance to azithromycin, was determined by restriction enzyme digestion analysis of the PCR amplicon by MboII. Two hundred and eleven patients with primary or secondary syphilis were found to have T. pallidum DNA in their moist lesions by PCR assays. The A2058G mutation was present in 91.9% (194/211, 95% CI, 87.2-95.1%) of these patients, with no significant differences noted between patients from the eastern part (93.8%), southern part (88.6%) and northern part (95.2%) of China (χ2 = 2.303, p 0.316). Compared with patients who had not taken macrolides in previous years before study entry, the patients who had taken the antibiotics had a significantly higher prevalence of azithromycin resistance (97.0% vs. 62.5%), with an odds ratio of 19.65 (95% CI, 5.77-66.93). It can be concluded that prevalence of azithromycin resistance is substantial in China and consequently that the macrolides should not be used as a treatment option for early or incubating syphilis in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Avian leukosis virus subgroup J (ALV-J) and reticuloendotheliosis virus (REV) were detected in Arbor Acres (AA) parent broiler breeders between September 2008 and December 2009 in China. Samples from blood (n=1331) and sick chickens (n=152) were obtained from 19 flocks in China for serology, histopathology and PCR analysis. Serologic analysis revealed that the anti-ALV-J, -REV or -ALV-J and REV antibody responses were 10.2%, 42.6% and 6%, respectively. Fifty-seven chickens showed signs of neoplasia based on gross and microscopic examination. The type of tumors included myelocytomas, hemangiomas, lymphosarcomas and fibrosarcoma. Seropositivity of tumor bearing chickens for ALV-J, REV or ALV-J and REV was 19.3%, 42.1% and 3.5%, respectively. PCR results showed that the positive rate was 43.9%, 14% and 5.3% for ALV-J, REV or ALV-J and REV respectively, in 57 tumor bearing chickens. The data presented in this report demonstrate that ALV J or REV infections (or co-infections) rates in AA flocks are relative high in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To study the clinical and pathological characteristics of oral lichen planus (OLP) in a large sample., Materials and Methods: A comprehensive analysis was conducted on 105 patients with oral lichen planus (OLP), considering various factors including sex, age, disease site, lesion type, lesion area, morphological characteristics, self-reported symptoms, and history of systemic diseases. Histopathological examination was performed for each patient, and the pathology results were analysed according to sex and age group., Results: 70.5% of the OLP patients were female, and OLP was most likely to occur in the cheek, followed by the tongue, lips, gums and palate. The patients with moderate pain according to the VAS score accounted for 60%. Thirty-nine percent of the OLP patients had a systemic disease, and the most common clinical type of OLP was nonerosive. Most of the pathological results showed liquefaction degeneration of basal cells and infiltration of lamina propria lymphocytes. There was no statistically significant difference in pathological manifestations between male and female patients, and there were statistically significant differences in pathological manifestations among different ages patients., Conclusion: This study analysed the sociodemographic data and clinical manifestations of 105 OLP patients to guide follow-up treatment planning and disease monitoring. Moreover, pathological manifestations should be analysed to avoid delayed treatment and to monitor for carcinogenesis. Furthermore, the correlation of pathological manifestations among OLP patients with different sexes and ages is conducive to further research on the specific differential manifestations and possible underlying mechanisms involved.

Background: The triglyceride-glucose (TyG) index and its combination with obesity indicators can predict cardiovascular diseases (CVD). However, there is limited research on the relationship between changes in the triglyceride glucose-waist height ratio (TyG-WHtR) and CVD. Our study aims to investigate the relationship between the change in the TyG-WHtR and the risk of CVD., Methods: Participants were from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). CVD was defined as self-reporting heart disease and stroke. Participants were divided into three groups based on changes in TyG-WHtR using K-means cluster analysis. Multivariable binary logistic regression analysis was used to examine the association between different groups (based on the change of TyG-WHtR) and CVD. A restricted cubic spline (RCS) regression model was used to explore the potential nonlinear association of the cumulative TyG-WHtR and CVD events., Results: During follow-up between 2015 and 2020, 623 (18.8%) of 3312 participants developed CVD. After adjusting for various potential confounders, compared to the participants with consistently low and stable TyG-WHtR, the risk of CVD was significantly higher in participants with moderate and increasing TyG-WHtR (OR 1.28, 95%CI 1.01-1.63) and participants with high TyG-WHtR with a slowly increasing trend (OR 1.58, 95%CI 1.16-2.15). Higher levels of cumulative TyG-WHtR were independently associated with a higher risk of CVD events (per SD, OR 1.27, 95%CI 1.12-1.43)., Conclusions: For middle-aged and older adults, changes in the TyG-WHtR are independently associated with the risk of CVD. Maintaining a favorable TyG index, effective weight management, and a reasonable waist circumference contribute to preventing CVD., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Objectives: The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between male hormones and metabolic dysfunction-associated fatty liver disease (MAFLD) in males., Methods: Data from the Fangchenggang Area Male Health and Examination Survey (FAMHES) were used to analyze the male hormone levels between MAFLD patients and controls. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to identify risk factors for MAFLD. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to assess the diagnostic performance of male hormones for MAFLD., Result: A total of 1578 individuals were included, with 482 individuals (30.54%) of MAFLD, including 293 (18.57%) with mild disease and 189 (11.98%) with moderate-to-severe disease. The MAFLD patients were significantly older than those without MAFLD. The LH, FSH, and SHBG levels in the MAFLD patients were significantly greater than those in the control group. Age, FSH, LH, SHBG, and estradiol were all risk factors for MAFLD. Age, FSH, and LH were risk factors for moderate-to-severe MAFLD. FSH was an independent risk factor for MAFLD and moderate-to-severe MAFLD. FSH showed an excellent diagnostic value, with an AUC of 0.992 alone and 0.996 after adjusting age., Conclusions: Our findings indicate that FSH may be a potential diagnostic and predictive biomarker for MAFLD., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: In November 2015, China launched a pilot program for its Drug Marketing Authorization Holder (MAH) system, aiming to integrate production and research and development resources to spur drug innovation. While many scholars have examined the theoretical relationship between the MAH system and pharmaceutical manufacturing innovation, empirical studies have been scarce., Methods: This study uses inter-provincial panel data on China's pharmaceutical manufacturing industry from 2009 to 2019, along with synthetic control methods, to offer a robust analysis of the impact of the MAH paradigm on innovation quality in pilot provinces. We treat the 2015 MAH system implementation in ten provinces as a natural experiment and account for the mediating effects of R&D investments, allowing us to discern the underlying mechanisms., Results: Our findings demonstrate a significant positive effect of China's MAH system on innovation quality in the pharmaceutical manufacturing industry. Specifically, the system is most effective in Jiangsu, Guangdong, and Shandong provinces. We also identify R&D investments as playing a mediating role in facilitating the favorable impact of the MAH system on innovation quality., Conclusion: Our study highlights the crucial importance of the MAH system in promoting innovation quality in China's pharmaceutical manufacturing industry, providing vital empirical support for its adoption and further enhancement. This research also offers practical insights for policymakers and R&D decision-makers in the pharmaceutical sector., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Liu et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

The characteristics of patients with endophthalmitis due to penetrating ocular trauma are still limited. The aim of the study was to fill these gaps among Chinese population. This retrospective study included patients diagnosed as penetrating ocular traumatic endophthalmitis between January 2016 to December 2018. During the past 3-year period, a total of 201 patients with antecedent penetrating eye injuries were evaluated. Of which, 42 (20.9%) patients presented a clinical course compatible with acute infectious endophthalmitis. 39 (92.86%) patients were males, and 15 (35.71%) patients had mechanical injuries from intraocular foreign body (IOFB), the rate of endophthalmitis due to IOFB was 13.43%, higher to the rate among patients without IOFB (7.46%). The duration between injury occurrence and endophthalmitis onset was 1 day in 10 (23,80%) patients; 2 to 7 days in 31 (73.80%) patients, and 7 to 14 days in 1 (2.38%) patient. After 1 year follow-up, best corrected visual acuity (BCVA) better than 20/400 was observed in 15 (35.71%) patients, counting fingers and hand move in 17 (40.48%) patients, light perception in 5 (11.9%) patients and no light perception in 5 (11.9%) patients, respectively. Patients with promising outcomes had better initial BCVA at baseline (P < .001). Endophthalmitis is a severe ocular infectious condition that may lead to irreversible vision loss. A greater attention must be paid to penetrating eye injuries within males, who had poor BCVA at baseline, particularly with obvious IOFB., Competing Interests: The authors have no funding and conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

To describe the fetal death rate of birth defects (including a broad range of specific defects) and to explore the relationship between fetal deaths from birth defects and a broad range of demographic characteristics. Data was derived from the birth defects surveillance system in Hunan Province, China, 2016-2020. Fetal death refers to the intrauterine death of a fetus at any time during the pregnancy, including medical termination of pregnancy. Fetal death rate is the number of fetal deaths per 100 births (including live births and fetal deaths) in a specified group (unit: %). The fetal death rate of birth defects with 95% confidence intervals (CI) was calculated by the log-binomial method. Crude odds ratios (ORs) were calculated to examine the relationship between each demographic characteristic and fetal deaths from birth defects. This study included 847,755 births, and 23,420 birth defects were identified. A total of 11,955 fetal deaths from birth defects were identified, with a fetal death rate of 51.05% (95% CI 50.13-51.96). 15.78% (1887 cases) of fetal deaths from birth defects were at a gestational age of < 20 weeks, 59.05% (7059 cases) were at a gestational age of 20-27 weeks, and 25.17% (3009 cases) were at a gestational age of ≥ 28 weeks. Fetal death rate of birth defects was higher in females than in males (OR = 1.25, 95% CI 1.18-1.32), in rural than in urban areas (OR = 1.43, 95% CI 1.36-1.50), in maternal age 20-24 years (OR = 1.35, 95% CI 1.25-1.47), and ≥ 35 years (OR = 1.19, 95% CI 1.11-1.29) compared to maternal age of 25-29 years, in diagnosed by chromosomal analysis than ultrasound (OR = 6.24, 95% CI 5.15-7.55), and lower in multiple births than in singletons (OR = 0.41, 95% CI 0.36-0.47). The fetal death rate of birth defects increased with the number of previous pregnancies (χ 2 trend  = 49.28, P < 0.01), and decreased with the number of previous deliveries (χ 2 trend  = 4318.91, P < 0.01). Many fetal deaths were associated with birth defects. We found several demographic characteristics associated with fetal deaths from birth defects, which may be related to the severity of the birth defects, economic and medical conditions, and parental attitudes toward birth defects., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Objective: To investigate the factors contributing to the blockage of perfusion tubes during hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (HIPEC) in patients with appendiceal pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) undergoing combined cytoreductive surgery (CRS) and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy treatment, and to construct a nomogram for predicting the risk of tube occlusion., Study Design: Observational study. Place and Duration of the Study: Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, Central Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University, Jinan, China, from June 2017 to December 2023., Methodology: Tube occlusion was defined as the inability to achieve 30 minutes of continuous unobstructed perfusion. Statistical methods such as univariate analysis, multivariate analysis, and Lasso regression were employed for data analysis., Results: The results revealed that 27% of the 383 hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy perfusion treatments resulted in the tube occlusion events. Multivariate logistic regression analysis identified age, CA-125, CA19-9, and pathological type as the independent risk factors. A nomogram predicting the tube occlusion was constructed and validated for its predictive accuracy and clinical utility., Conclusion: This study successfully developed a nomogram to predict the tube occlusion risk during cytoreductive surgery combined with hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy treatment for patients with pseudomyxoma peritonei, providing valuable guidance for clinical practice and aiding in personalised treatment decisions to improve patient prognosis. However, further research is needed to validate the reliability and clinical applicability of the model, as well as to investigate the impact of tube occlusion on treatment outcomes and corresponding management strategies., Key Words: Pseudomyxoma peritonei, Cytoreductive surgery, Hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy treatment, Tube occlusion, Nomogram.

We investigated Alongshan virus infection in reindeer in northeastern China. We found that 4.8% of the animals were viral RNA-positive, 33.3% tested positive for IgG, and 19.1% displayed neutralizing antibodies. These findings suggest reindeer could serve as sentinel animal species for the epidemiologic surveillance of Alongshan virus infection.

Background: Cytokines are of utmost importance in both the physiological and pathological immune responses of the human body. This study utilized flow cytometry to measure the levels of plasma interleukin-2 (IL-2), interleukin-4 (IL-4), interleukin-5 (IL-5) and interleukin-17A (IL-17A) and established their reference intervals, aiming to provide data support for the diagnosis and treatment of clinical diseases., Methods: According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, a total of 728 reference individuals were included in this study from January 2023 to June 2023. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov test was used to analyse the distributions of plasma IL-2, IL-4, IL-5 and IL-17A. The reference intervals of plasma IL-2, IL-4, IL-5 and IL-17A were established by the unilateral percentile method (95th percentile) based on the guidelines of C28-A 3 and WS/T 402-2012., Results: In this study, the levels of plasma IL-2, IL-4, IL-5 and IL-17A were nonnormally distributed. The concentrations of plasma IL-2, IL-4, IL-5 and IL-17A in healthy adults were not significantly different by sex or age (all P > 0.05). Therefore, all the reference individuals were combined into one group, and the reference intervals of plasma IL-2, IL-4, IL-5 and IL-17 were established by flow cytometry (IL-2 ≤ 10.25 pg/mL, IL-4 ≤ 9.87 pg/mL, IL-5 ≤ 3.36 pg/mL and IL-17A ≤ 9.46 pg/mL)., Conclusions: We first established the reference intervals of plasma IL-2, IL-4, IL-5 and IL-17A in healthy adults based on a single-center population in the Jiangsu region in eastern China, which will provide an important reference value for evaluating human immune status and the diagnosis and treatment of clinical diseases., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 The Second People's Hospital of Lianyungang. Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Fusarium crown rot (FCR), caused by Fusarium spp., is a devastating disease in wheat growing areas. Previous studies have shown that FCR is caused by co-infection of F. graminearum, F. pseudograminearum, F. proliferatum and F. verticillioides in Hubei Province, China. In this study, a method was developed to simultaneously detected DNAs of F. graminearum, F. pseudograminearum, F. proliferatum and F. verticillioides that can efficiently differentiate them. Whole genome sequence comparison of these four Fusarium spp. was performed and a 20 bp sequence was designed as an universal upstream primer. Specific downstream primers of each pathogen was also designed, which resulted in a 206, 482, 680, and 963 bp amplicon for each pathogen, respectively. Multiplex PCR specifically identified F. graminearum, F. pseudograminearum, F. proliferatum and F. verticillioides but not from other 46 pathogens, and the detection limit of target pathogens is about 100 pg/μl. Moreover, we accurately determined the FCR pathogen species in wheat samples using the optimized multiplex PCR method. These results demonstrate that the multiplex PCR method established in this study can efficiently and rapidly identify F. graminearum , F. pseudograminearum , F. proliferatum , and F. verticillioides , which should provide technical support for timely and targeted prevention and control of FCR., Competing Interests: The authors declare that they have no competing interests., (© 2024 Deng et al.)

China's long-term sustainability faces socioeconomic and environmental uncertainties. We identify five key systemic risk drivers, called disruptors, which could push China into a polycrisis: pandemic disease, ageing and shrinking population, deglobalization, climate change, and biodiversity loss. Using an integrated simulation model, we quantify the effects of these disruptors on the country's long-term sustainability framed by 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Here we show that ageing and shrinking population, and climate change would be the two most influential disruptors on China's long-term sustainability. The compound effects of all disruptors could result in up to 2.1 and 7.0 points decline in the China's SDG score by 2030 and 2050, compared to the baseline with no disruptors and no additional sustainability policies. However, an integrated policy portfolio involving investment in education, healthcare, energy transition, water-use efficiency, ecological conservation and restoration could promote resilience against the compound effects and significantly improve China's long-term sustainability., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Aspirin is widely used for preventing ischaemic events. About 20%-40% of patients have aspirin resistance (ASR), which prevents them from benefiting from aspirin medication. This study aimed to develop and validate a model based on single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) to distinguish ASR patients., Methods: We included patients with spontaneous intracerebral haemorrhage and continuing antiplatelet therapy from a multicentre, prospective cohort study as the derivation cohort. Thromboelastography (inhibition of arachidonic acid channel<50%) was used to identify ASR. Genotyping was performed to identify the ASR-related SNP. Based on the result of the logistic analysis, the aspirin resistance in the Chinese population score (ASR-CN score) was established, and its accuracy was evaluated using the area under the curve (AUC). Patients receiving dual antiplatelet therapy for unruptured intracranial aneurysm embolism were prospectively included in the validation cohort. After embolism, 30-day ischaemic events, including ischaemic stroke, new or more frequent transient ischaemic attack, stent thrombosis and cerebrovascular death, were recorded., Results: The derivation cohort included 212 patients (155 male patients and the median age as 59). 87 (41.0%) individuals were identified with ASR. The multivariate logistic analysis demonstrated six SNPs of GP1BA, TBXA2R, PTGS2 and NOS3 as risk factors related to ASR. The ASR-CN score integrating these SNPs performed well to discriminate ASR patients from non-ASR patients (AUC as 0.77). Based on the validation cohort of 372 patients receiving antiplatelet therapy after embolism (including 130 ASR patients), the ASR-CN score continued to distinguish ASR patients with good accuracy (AUC as 0.80). Patients with high a ASR-CN score were more likely to suffer from 30-day ischaemic events after embolism (OR, 1.28; 95% CI, 1.10 to 1.50; p=0.002)., Conclusion: GP1BA, TBXA2R, PTGS2 and NOS3 were SNPs related to ASR. The ASR-CN score is an effective tool to discriminate ASR patients, which may guide antiplatelet therapy., Clinical Trial Registration: Surgical Treatments of Antiplatelet Intracerebral Hemorrhage cohort (unique identifier: ChiCTR1900024406, http://www.chictr.org.cn/edit.aspx?pid=40640&htm=4)., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: The aim of this study was to classify distinct subgroups of adolescents based on the severity levels of their mobile phone addiction and to investigate how these groups differed in terms of their psychosocial characteristics. We surveyed a total of 2,230 adolescents using three different questionnaires to assess the severity of their mobile phone addiction, stress, anxiety, depression, psychological resilience, and personality. Latent class analysis was employed to identify the subgroups, and we utilized Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves and multinomial logistic regression for statistical analysis. All data analyses were conducted using SPSS 26.0 and Mplus 8.5., Methods: We classified the subjects into subgroups based on their mobile phone addiction severity, and the results revealed a clear pattern with a three-class model based on the likelihood level of mobile phone addiction ( p  < 0.05). We examined common trends in psychosocial traits such as age, grade at school, parental education level, anxiety levels, and resilience. ROC analysis of sensitivity versus 1-specificity for various mobile phone addiction index (MPAI) scores yielded an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.893 (95% CI, 0.879 to 0.905, p  < 0.001). We also determined diagnostic value indices for potential cutoff points ranging from 8 to 40. The optimal cutoff value for MPAI was found to be >14, which corresponded to the maximum Youden index (Youden index = 0.751)., Results: The latent classification process in this research confirmed the existence of three distinct mobile phone user groups. We also examined the psychosocial characteristics that varied in relation to the severity levels of addiction., Conclusion: This study provides valuable insights into the categorization of adolescents based on the severity of mobile phone addiction and sheds light on the psychosocial characteristics associated with different addiction levels. These findings are expected to enhance our understanding of mobile phone addiction traits and stimulate further research in this area., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Wu, Jia, Li, Liu, Zhang, Zhang, Jia and Fan.)

Background: Stroke is a common complication of hypertension, but the predictive value of metabolic syndrome parameters' variability on stroke risk in individuals with hypertension remains unclear. Therefore, our objective was to investigate the relationship between metabolic syndrome parameters' variability and the risk of total stroke and its subtypes in hypertensive patients., Methods: This prospective cohort study included 17,789 individuals with hypertension from the Kailuan study since 2006. Metabolic syndrome parameters, including waist circumference (WC), fasting blood glucose (FBG), systolic blood pressure (SBP), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and triglyceride (TG), were collected at three follow-up visits in the 2006, 2008, and 2010 surveys. We assess the variability utilizing the coefficient of variation (CV), standard deviation (SD), average real variation (ARV), and variability independent of the mean (VIM), with CV initially assessed. Participants were categorized based on the number of high-variability metabolic syndrome parameters (0, 1, 2, ≥ 3). Stroke cases were identified by reviewing medical records. The associations between variability in metabolic syndrome parameters and the risk of total stroke and its subtypes were analyzed using Cox proportional hazard regression models., Results: During a median follow-up of 9.32 years, 1223 cases of stroke were recorded. Participants with ≥ 3 high-variability metabolic syndrome parameters had an increased risk of total stroke (HR: 1.29, 95%CI 1.09-1.52), as well as an increased risk of ischemic stroke (HR: 1.31, 95%CI 1.05-1.63) compared to those without high-variability parameters. The study also examined variability in each metabolic syndrome parameter, and significant associations with an increased risk of total stroke were observed for variability in SBP (HR: 1.24, 95%CI 1.05-1.46) and HDL-C (HR: 1.34, 95%CI 1.09-1.64)., Conclusions: Long-term fluctuations in metabolic syndrome parameters significantly increase the risk of total stroke, especially ischemic stroke. Maintaining low variability in metabolic syndrome parameters could benefit health, and hypertensive individuals must be regularly monitored., (© 2024. The Author(s).)