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The outbreaks of green tide have caused severe harm to the marine environment and human society. Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) plays an important role in green tide monitoring by virtue of its high resolution and cloud-free nature. The existing green tide extraction methods still face challenges in identifying multi-scale green tide patches due to noise interference, uneven greyscale and blurred boundaries in SAR images. Meanwhile, the practical application of deep learning methods with high precision is limited due to the complexity of the model and the large amount of computation. Therefore, we propose a multi-scale context-aware and batch-independent lightweight green tide extraction network called MBL-Net. A novel lightweight heterogeneous backbone is designed to extract multi-scale discriminative features and improve segmentation efficiency by using multi-scale selection kernel (MSK) modules and lightweight stages. Meanwhile, Triplet attention module is introduced to improve the internal consistency of the green tide region and suppress the effect of speckle noise. Then, the mixed pooling-based channel prior module (MCPM) is used to expand the receptive field of the network and extract the fine green tide structure by fusing multi-scale features. In addition, Filter Response Normalisation (FRN) is innovatively applied for feature normalization in the decoding stage, eliminating batch dependency. In order to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method, a dataset is built using the Sentinel-1 images of the Yellow Sea, China, from 2019 to 2021. The experimental results show that the proposed method achieves an overall accuracy of 98.59% with 0.970 G FLOPs and 3.525 M parameters, which ensures high precision and improves green tide detection efficiency. Compared with several representative networks, this method can capture more details of green tide with fewer parameters and faster calculation speed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molecular networking strategy-based prioritization of the isolation of the rarely studied soft coral Sinularia tumulosa yielded 14 sesquiterpenes. These isolated constituents consisted of nine different types of carbon frameworks, namely asteriscane, humulane, capillosane, seco-asteriscane, guaiane, dumortane, cadinane, farnesane, and benzofarnesane. Among them, situmulosaols A–C (1 , 3 and 4) were previously undescribed ones, whose structures with absolute configurations were established by the combination of extensive spectral data analyses, quantum mechanical-nuclear magnetic resonance and time-dependent density functional theory electronic circular dichroism calculations, the Snatzke's method, and the modified Mosher's method. Notably, situmulosaol C (4) was the second member of capillosane-type sesquiterpenes. The plausible biogenetic relationships of these skeletally different sesquiterpenes were proposed. All sesquiterpenoids were evaluated for their antibacterial, cytotoxic and anti-inflammatory effects. The bioassay results showed compound 14 exhibited significant antibacterial activities against a variety of fish and human pathogenic bacteria with MIC 90 values ranging from 3.6 to 33.8 μg/mL. Moreover, moderate cytotoxic effects against HEL cells for components 13 and 14 and moderate inhibitory effect on lipopolysaccharide-induced inflammatory responses in RAW264.7 cells for substance 13 were also observed. [Display omitted] • 14 sesquiterpenes were isolated from Sinularia tumulosa applying molecular networking. • These isolates possessed nine different carbon frameworks. • Situmulosaol C (4) was the second member of capillosane-type sesquiterpenes. • Absolute configurations were assigned by QM-NMR, TDDFT ECD, ICD, and Mosher's method. • Compound 14 showed significant antibacterial and moderate cytotoxic activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Idiopathic rapid eye movement Sleep Behavior Disorder (iRBD) is considered as a prodromal and most valuable warning symptom for Parkinson's disease (PD). Although iRBD and PD without RBD (nRBD-PD) are both α-synucleinopathies, whether they share the same neurodegeneration process is not clear enough. In this study, the pattern and extent of neurodegeneration were investigated and compared between early-stage nRBD-PD and iRBD from the perspective of whole-brain functional network changes. Methods: Twenty-one patients with iRBD, 23 patients with early-stage nRBD-PD, and 22 matched healthy controls (HCs) were enrolled. Functional networks were constructed using resting-state functional MRI (fMRI) data. Network topological properties were analyzed and compared among groups by graph theory approaches. Correlation analyses were performed between network topological properties and cognition in the iRBD and nRBD-PD groups. Results: Both patients with iRBD and patients with early-stage nRBD-PD had attention, executive function, and some memory deficits. On global topological organization, iRBD and nRBD-PD groups still presented small-worldness, but both groups exhibited decreased global/local efficiency and increased characteristic path length. On regional topological organization, compared with HC, nRBD-PD presented decreased nodal efficiency, decreased degree centrality, and increased nodal shortest path length, while iRBD presented decreased nodal efficiency and nodal shortest path. For iRBD, brain regions with decreased nodal efficiency were included in the corresponding regions of nRBD-PD. Nodal shortest path changes were significantly different in terms of brain regions and directions between nRBD-PD and iRBD. Attention deficits were correlated with local topological properties of the occipital lobe in both iRBD and nRBD-PD groups. Conclusion: Both global and local efficiency of functional networks declined in nRBD-PD and iRBD groups. The overlaps and differences in local topological properties between nRBD-PD and iRBD indicate that iRBD not only shares functional changes of PD but also presents distinct features. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The hospital environment has been implicated in the enrichment and exchange of pathogens and antibiotic resistance, but its potential in shaping the symbiotic microbial community of hospital staff is unclear. This study was designed to evaluate the alteration of the gut microbiome in medical workers compared to non-medical controls. A prospective cross-sectional cohort study was conducted in the intensive care unit (ICU) and other departments of a centre in north-eastern China. Faecal samples of 175 healthy medical workers—short-term (1–3 months) workers (n = 80) and long-term (>1 year) workers (n = 95)—and 80 healthy non-medical controls were analysed using 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing. The hospital environmental samples (n = 9) were also analysed. The gut microbiomes of medical workers exhibited marked deviations in diversity and alteration in microbial composition and function. Short-term workers showed significantly higher abundances of taxa such as Lactobacillus , Butyrivibrio , Clostridiaceae, Clostridium , Ruminococcus , Dialister , Bifidobacterium , Odoribacter , and Desulfovibrio and lower abundances of Bacteroides and Blautia than the controls. Long-term workers showed higher abundances of taxa such as Dialister , Veillonella , Clostridiaceae , Clostridium , Bilophila , Desulfovibrio , Pseudomonas , and Akkermansia and lower abundances of Bacteroides and Coprococcus than the controls. The medical workers' department (ICU versus non-ICU) and position (resident doctor versus nursing staff) also impacted their gut microbiome. Compared with the non-ICU workers, workers in the ICU showed a significant increase in the abundances of Dialister , Enterobacteriaceae, Phascolarctobacterium , Pseudomonas , Veillonella , and Streptococcus and a marked depletion of Faecalibacterium , Blautia , and Coprococcus. In contrast with the nursing staff, the resident doctors showed a significant increase in Erysipelotrichaceae and Clostridium and a decrease in Bacteroides , Blautia , and Ruminococcus in the gut microbiome. Moreover, we found that the microbiota of hospital environments potentially correlated with the workers' gut microbiota. Our findings demonstrated structural changes in the gut microbial community of medical workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is a new infectious disease associated with high mortality, and traditional Chinese medicine decoctions (TCMDs) have been widely used for the treatment of patients with COVID-19 in China; however, the impact of these decoctions on severe and critical COVID-19-related mortality has not been evaluated. Therefore, we aimed to address this gap. In this retrospective cohort study, we included inpatients diagnosed with severe/critical COVID-19 at the Tongren Hospital of Wuhan University and grouped them depending on the recipience of TCMDs (TCMD and non-TCMD groups). We conducted a propensity score-matched analysis to adjust the imbalanced variables and treatments and used logistic regression methods to explore the risk factors associated with in-hospital death. Among 282 patients with COVID-19 who were discharged or died, 186 patients (66.0%) received TCMD treatment (TCMD cohort) and 96 (34.0%) did not (non-TCMD cohort). After propensity score matching at a 1:1 ratio, 94 TCMD users were matched to 94 non-users, and there were no significant differences in baseline clinical variables between the two groups of patients. The all-cause mortality was significantly lower in the TCMD group than in the non-TCMD group, and this trend remained valid even after matching (21.3% [20/94] vs. 39.4% [37/94]). Multivariable logistic regression model showed that disease severity (odds ratio: 0.010; 95% CI: 0.003, 0.037; P ¡ 0.001) was associated with increased odds of death and that TCMD treatment significantly decreased the odds of in-hospital death (odds ratio: 0.115; 95% CI: 0.035, 0.383; P ¡ 0.001), which was related to the duration of TCMD treatment. Our findings show that TCMD treatment may reduce the mortality in patients with severe/critical COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pesticide residues have become a healthy threaten of human beings. Among the pesticides, many of them have neurotoxicity. Extracellular Regulated Protein Kinases (ERK) pathway is an important signaling pathway that regulates a variety of downstream progress. In this work, peach (PRUNUS persica) and cherry (PRUNUS cerasus) were sampled from over 300 plantations in China and assessed for the residue risk. In mechanism studies, high‐risk pesticide Avermectin showed a high activity inhibiting three neurotoxicity models, SH‐SY5Y, PC‐12 and SK‐N‐SH cells. At protein levels, ERK pathway proteins and their downstream proteins were obviously down‐regulated. Moreover, the effects of low‐dose Avermectin can be accumulated at protein levels in the low‐dose long‐term chronic toxicology detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zhundong (ZD) coal from northwest China is a high quality steam coal with reserves of more than 390 billion tons. However, the utilization of ZD coal is limited due to the high content of alkali and alkaline earth metals. This study aimed at revealing the release and transformation mechanism of Na/Ca/S compounds during combustion/gasification of ZD coal. The results demonstrate that Na was primarily influenced by temperature, mostly releases at 600–800 °C. The transformation of Ca compounds was affected by both temperature and atmosphere. The high temperature of the combustion process could accelerate the decomposition of CaCO 3 and CaSO 4 , and the high content of CO 2 during gasification prolonged the decomposition of CaCO 3. The transformation of S was primarily influenced by atmosphere. SO 2 could react with CaO and form CaSO 4 during the combustion process. While S compounds were mainly released as S (g) and H 2 S (g) during gasification process. There was a significant interaction among Na/Ca/S compounds during combustion, original CaSO 4 in coal could adsorb Na compounds with SO 2 at 600–800 °C and then reacted with aluminosilicates, by this reaction, Na could be fixed above 1000 °C. • Transformation and release behaviors of minerals in Zhundong coal were studied. • Part of water-soluble Na was transformed into hydrochloric-soluble Na. • The original CaSO 4 in coal could adsorb Na compounds with SO 2 at 600–800 °C. • Interaction of Na/Ca/S compounds in gasification was weaker due to absence of SO 2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Xiaotongjiapuzi gold deposit is located in the Liaodong gold province, NE China. The deposit is hosted in the metamorphic rocks of the Proterozoic Liaohe Group, consisting of marble, schist, and granulite. Three alteration/mineralisation stages were identified, namely (a) quartz–pyrite, (b) quartz–polymetallic sulfides, and (c) quartz–carbonate. Four fluid inclusion types were distinguished: liquid‐rich two‐phase, gas‐rich two‐phase, CO2‐bearing, and pure CO2. Stage 1 quartz contains liquid‐rich two‐phase inclusions with salinity of 5.9–14.3 wt.% NaCl equiv. and homogenisation temperatures of 311°C–408°C. Stage 2 quartz contains all four inclusion types, of which the liquid‐rich two‐phase, gas‐rich two‐phase, and CO2‐bearing inclusions yielded homogenisation temperatures of 268°C–376°C and salinity of 4.1–13 wt.% NaCl equiv. In stage 3 quartz, only liquid‐rich two‐phase inclusions were found, which contain relatively low salinity (1.6–7.6 wt.% NaCl equiv.) and homogenisation temperatures (201°C–254°C), indicating an H2O–NaCl–CO2 system for ore precipitation. Stage 2 δ18Ow and δD values of quartz minerals are of 0.3‰ to 2.3‰ and −100‰ to −96‰, respectively. Hydrogen and oxygen isotopic compositions indicate that the ore fluids were a mix of magmatic fluid and meteoric water. δ34S values of the metallic sulfides from the Xiaotongjiapuzi deposit range from +4.6‰ to +12.9‰, whilst Pb isotopes show small variations: 206Pb/204Pb = 17.671 to 18.361, 207Pb/204Pb = 15.569 to 15.659, and 208Pb/204Pb = 37.695 to 37.937. Sulfur and lead isotopes suggest that the ore‐forming materials were derived from the Liaohe Group metamorphic rocks and the Triassic granitoids. 3He/4He and 40Ar/36Ar ratios of the fluid inclusions derived of ore‐bearing pyrite ranges from 0.27 to 0.53 Ra and 362.2 to 1113.1, respectively, implying that both mantle‐ and crust‐derived fluids were involved in the gold mineralisation. The Xiaotongjiapuzi deposit could be a mesothermal gold deposit, and the fluid phase separation or immiscibility is the dominant mechanism for the deposition of ore‐forming materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accumulating evidence has demonstrated that serum uric acid (UA), a natural powerful antioxidant, plays a beneficial role in bone health in the general population. However, few reports are available on the association between serum UA and bone in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). We therefore investigated whether the benefit of serum UA for bone health was still present in those patients. 626 males and 609 postmenopausal females with T2DM were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Serum UA concentrations and bone mineral density (BMD) measured at lumbar spine, femoral neck and total hip by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry were obtained from all subjects. Meanwhile, data on osteoporosis prevalence, glucose metabolism, bone turnover markers and other serum biochemical indexes were collected. After adjustment for potential confounders, the results suggested that serum UA was positively associated with BMD in patients with normal weight, but this positive association varied by gender and skeletal sites in overweight T2DM patients [body mass index (BMI) ≥ 25 kg/m2]. Moreover, significantly lower odds ratios (ORs) for osteoporosis were found in postmenopausal patients with the highest UA tertile and male patients with medium UA tertile [adjusted OR 0.315, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.170-0.581 for postmenopausal patients; adjusted OR 0.464, 95% CI 0.225-0.955 for male patients]. The positive association between serum UA and BMD found in Chinese T2DM patients may imply that relatively high UA is a protective factor for bone in these patients. Large intervention studies are needed to further confirm the outcomes and provide possible explanations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Aim: This study explored chlamydia trachomatis (CT), ureaplasma urealyticum (UU) and/or neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) in 5893 women with urinary tract infections (UTIs) in Shanghai. Methods: From January 2009 to December 2014, 5893 women with UTIs in Shanghai were selected to undergo CT, UU and NG detection. Baseline characteristics including age, education level, occupation, reproductive history, sexual behavior and contraceptive method were obtained for epidemiological analysis. Results: The total CT, UU and/or NG infection rate in the urine samples of 5893 patients was 50.69% (2987/5893), while the infection rate in vaginal secretion samples was 56.22% (3313/5893). The two detection methods were consistent. Patients aged 21–30, service personnel and unemployed persons had the highest rates of CT, UU and/or NG infection, while patients with higher education levels exhibited lower rates. As the number of previous pregnancies, natural births, abortions, sexual partners and the frequency of sexual intercourse increased, the rates of CT, UU and/or NG infection were elevated. Sexual intercourse during the menstruation period, a lack of cleaning before sexual intercourse and the use of intrauterine devices could all lead to an increased rate of CT, UU and/or NG infection. Conclusions: These data revealed that the rate of CT, UU and/or NG infection may be associated with age, education level, occupation, reproductive history, sexual behavior and type of contraceptive method in female patients with UTI in Shanghai. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Hegenshan ophiolite in the Solonker-Hegenshan belt is the largest ophiolite in the Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB). Despite its significance in constraining regional tectonic evolution, the emplacement time of the Hegenshan ophiolite is still under debate. In this study, we provide new detrital zircon ages of the Paleozoic sedimentary rocks that unconformably overlie the Wusinihei ophiolite (northeastern part of the Hegenshan ophiolite) to constrain the lower limit emplacement time of the Hegenshan ophiolite. The zircon ages obtained from the Paleozoic sedimentary rocks range from 298 ± 8 to 363 ± 7 Ma, and show bimodal distribution at 300–320 Ma (peak at 308 Ma) and 320–360 Ma (peak at 330 Ma). The age group of 300–320 Ma coincides with the age range of the volcanic rocks of the Late Paleozoic Gegenaobao Formation. The age group of 320–360 Ma with a peak at 330 Ma may be linked to local mafic–ultramafic rocks of the Hegenshan ophiolite. Accordingly, we suggest that the emplacement time of the Hegenshan ophiolite should have occurred earlier than the deposition of the Gegenaobao Formation, most likely during the time between 308 and 330 Ma, instead of the Silurian, Devonian or Mesozoic as previously considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy is a common X-linked recessive peroxisomal disorder caused by the mutations in the ABCD1 gene. In this study, we analyzed 19 male patients and 9 female carriers with X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy in South China. By sequencing the ABCD1 gene, 13 different mutations were identified, including 7 novel mutations, and 6 known mutations, and 1 reported polymorphism. Mutation c.1180delG was demonstrated to be de novo mutation. 26.3 % (5/19) patients carried the deletion c.1415_16delAG, which may be the mutational hot spot in South China population. In addition, 73.7 % (14/19) patients were type of childhood cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy, 26.3 %(5/19) were in Addison only. Half of the childhood cerebral adrenoleukodystrophy patients had the adrenocortical insufficiency preceded the onset of neurological symptoms. Furthermore, 5 of 19 cases underwent hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Our data showed that hematopoietic stem cell transplantation performed at an advanced stage of the cerebral X- linked adrenoleukodystrophy would accelerate the progression of the disease. Good clinical outcome achieved when hematopoietic stem cell transplantation performed at the very early stage of the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fruit physico-chemical properties, antioxidant activity and mineral contents of 26 pineapple [Ananas comosus (L.) Merr.] genotypes grown in China were measured. The results showed great quantitative differences in the composition of these pineapple genotypes. Sucrose was the dominant sugar in all 26 genotypes, while citric acid was the principal organic acid. Potassium, calcium and magnesium were the major mineral constituents. The ascorbic acid (AsA) content ranged from 5.08 to 33.57 mg/100 g fresh weight (FW), while the total phenolic (TP) content varied from 31.48 to 77.55 mg gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/100 g FW. The two parameters in the predominant cultivars Comte de Paris and Smooth Cayenne were relative low. However, MD-2 indicated the highest AsA and TP contents (33.57 mg/100 g and 77.55 mg GAE/100 g FM, respectively), and it also showed the strongest antioxidant capacity 22.85 and 17.30 μmol TE/g FW using DPPH and TEAC methods, respectively. The antioxidant capacity of pineapple was correlated with the contents of phenolics, flavonoids and AsA. The present study provided important information for the further application of those pineapple genotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Higher intakes of cruciferous vegetables or their constituents have been shown to lower inflammation in animal studies. However, evidence for this anti-inflammatory effect of cruciferous vegetable consumption in humans is scarce. Objective/Design In this cross-sectional analysis, we evaluated associations of vegetable intake with a panel of inflammatory and oxidative stress markers among 1,005 middle-aged Chinese women. Dietary intake of foods was assessed by a food frequency questionnaire. Results Multivariable-adjusted circulating concentrations of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interlukin-1β (IL-1β), and IL-6 were lower among women with higher intakes of cruciferous vegetables. The differences in concentrations of inflammatory biomarkers between extreme quintiles of cruciferous vegetable intake were 12.66% for TNF-α (Ptrend=0.01), 18.18% for IL-1β (Ptrendd=0.02), and 24.68% for IL-β (Ptrend=0.02). A similar, but less apparent, inverse association was found for intakes of all vegetables combined but not for noncruciferous vegetables. Levels of the urinary oxidative stress markers F2-isoprostanes and their major metabolite, 2,3-dinor-5,6-dihydro-15-F2t-IsoP, were not associated with intakes of cruciferous vegetables or all vegetables combined. Conclusions This study suggests that the previously observed health benefits of cruciferous vegetable consumption may be partly associated with the anti-inflammatory effects of these vegetables. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective The study aims to evaluate the change of related subgingival periodontopathogens among different stage of gingivitis in adolescent and assess the relationship between periodontopathogens and the progression of periodontal inflammation. Methods A total of 77 subgingival plaque samples from 35 adolescent individuals were divided into three groups including gingivitis group (mild, 15 samples; moderate, 16 samples; severe, 15 samples), chronic periodontitis group (15 samples) and healthy group (15 samples). Real-time PCR was used to quantitate Porphyromonas gingivalis, Prevotella intermedia, Tannerella forsythensis, and Fusobacterium nucleatum in subgingival plaque samples. Results All species, except for F. nucleatum, were detected in samples from gingivitis and periodontitis groups in significantly greater number than in those from healthy group ( P < 0.05). In gingivitis groups, the number of P. gingivalis, T. forsythensis, and F. nucleatum in moderate and severe gingivitis groups was significantly higher than in mild gingivitis group ( P < 0.05). After merging moderate gingivitis and severe gingivitis groups into moderate-to-severe gingivitis group, the four periodontopathogens were detected in samples from periodontitis group in significantly greater number than in those from moderate-to-severe gingivitis group ( P < 0.05). Conclusion The number of P. gingivalis, P. intermedia, T. forsythensis, and F. nucleatum in subgingival plaque increases with progression of periodontal inflammation in adolescents. Examination of periodontopathogens number in adolescents may be of some value for monitoring of periodontal disease development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Leisure time exercise has been linked to lower circulating levels of inflammatory markers. Few studies have examined the association of nonexercise physical activity with markers of inflammation and oxidative stress. Methods: This cross-sectional analysis included 1005 Chinese women aged 40-70 years. Usual physical activity was assessed through in-person interviews using a validated physical activity questionnaire. Plasma proinflammatory cytokines and urinary F2-isoprostanes were measured. Multivariable linear models were used to evaluate the association of inflammatory and oxidative stress markers with nonexercise physical activity and its major components. Results: Nonexercise physical activity accounted for 93.8% of overall physical activity energy expenditure. Levels of nonexercise physical activity were inversely associated with circulating concentrations of interleukin (IL)-6 ( Ptrend=0.004), IL-1β ( Ptrend=0.03) and tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) ( Ptrend=0.01). Multivariable-adjusted concentrations of these cytokines were 28.2% for IL-6, 22.1% for IL-1β, and 15.9% for TNF-α lower in the highest quartile of nonexercise physical activity compared with the lowest quartile. Similar inverse associations were found for two major components of nonexercise physical activity, walking and biking for transportation, and household activity. No significant associations were observed between nonexercise physical activity and oxidative stress markers. Conclusion: Daily nonexercise physical activity is associated with lower levels of systemic inflammation. This finding may have important public health implications because this type of activity is the main contributor to overall physical activity among middle-aged and elderly women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we assessed the effect of seasonal variation on the semen quality in Chinese by using the average highest temperature ( AHT) of the ejaculation day for partitioning season periods. A total of 13 635 semen samples were collected and analysed according to the AHT of the ejaculation day. Semen volume, sperm concentration and the percentage of spermatozoa with normal morphology in midsummer ( AHT > 30 °C) were significantly lower than those in other periods of the year. Sperm motility with AHT 10-20 °C in winter and spring was significantly higher than that in other seasons. The percentage of head defects spermatozoa with AHT < 10 °C in winter was significantly lower than that in other periods. We observed that there was a significant effect of season on the semen parameters. Highest environment temperature of the day may be a determining factor for the seasonal variations in semen quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the process of rapid urbanisation in China, environmental problems have increased. From sewage discharge to climate change. Marine protected areas (MPAs) are widely advocated as a means to comprehensively manage human activities and resources in ocean and coastal areas. However, MPAs only safeguard populations or assemblages within their boundaries and fail to offer any protection from many major threats to marine environments. An increase in environmental threats implies an increase in environmental management and assessment. We propose a methodological framework for integrated ecological assessment using the Xiamen marine protected area as a case study. The integrated ecological assessment framework can be generalised from the dimensions of environment, economy, society and institution. Surveys were undertaken taken to assess the state of the Xiamen coastal environment, the resources of the reserve and issues associated with human activities. Stakeholders were interviewed about their attitudes towards issues regarding the management of the reserve. The constraint of the reserve management were identified The methodological framework is presented as a tool to help identify relative ecological security in order to prioritise actions and assess the ecological implications of management and policy decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In general, wildlife is facing increasing threats from rapid urbanisation in China. Ecological safety for wildlife requires an ecosystem that provides the conditions necessary for sustaining life. In this paper, two major breeding habitats and ten typical foraging habitats of egrets living in the urban environment were selected to assess the extent to which the needs of egrets can be satisfied and maintained. Ecological suitability and impacts from humans are the two major factors affecting egret ecological safety. An ecological indicator system was adopted to assess the ecological suitability of areas. Different land-use types were used to represent different degrees of human impact on the egret habitats, by employing a geographic information system. The results show that the two breeding habitats are at a safe level, while the ten foraging habitats are on the whole marginally safe. Full attention should be given to the conservation of wildlife foraging habitats in Xiamen Island. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The abnormal leakage of a buried high-density polyethylene pipes was studied. • The common failure causes like erosion-corrosion and mechanical damage were discussed and excluded. • Biological degradation induced by termites attack was the root cause of this failure case. Buried high-density polyethylene (HDPE) pipes are widely utilized to transport gas and water due to its great shape flexibility, light weight and cost effectiveness. Because of the concentration of population and wealth, leakage accidents of buried HDPE pipelines would lead to catastrophic loss of life and property. Therefore, the comprehensive investigation and understanding of the mechanisms behind the unexpected failure of buried HDPE pipes is of great significance. In this paper, abnormal leakage occurred on the buried HDPE pipes in China. Multiple of holes and cracks were observed on the buried HDPE pipes during visual examination. Considering that no obvious third-party interference existed during the service period, systematic analyses on both mechanical properties and chemical structure were conducted to figure out the root cause of the failure. The results indicated that the abnormal leakage of the buried HDPE pipes resulted from the biological degradation by termites. Some countermeasures were also proposed to avoid the similar failure occurred again. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new species of Ginkgo L., G. pediculata sp. nov., is described from the Lower Cretaceous of Liaoning Province, Northeast China, on the basis of a well-preserved ovule-bearing organ. The cuticles of the integument and peduncle are generally similar to those of the lamina and petiole of the associated Ginkgoites manchurica (Yabe et Ôishi) Cao, which is among the most widely distributed Ginkgo -like leaves in the Lower Cretaceous of Northeast China. The new species is close to the Jurassic Ginkgo yimaensis Zhou et Zhang and clearly distinguished from the Paleogene species Ginkgo cranei Zhou et al. and the extant Ginkgo biloba. Although the coeval Ginkgo apodes Zheng et Zhou and G. neimengensis Xu et al. from Northeast China bear more ovules, they both have no pedicel when matured as the living species. The associated Ginkgoites -type leaves morphologically also resemble those of the Jurassic species. Therefore, Ginkgo pediculata sp. nov. appears to be closely related to the Jurassic species and is the latest representative of the group with primitive type ovulate organs and vegetative leaves so far known of Ginkgo. Since there co-exist two different types of ginkgoes, one with primitive characters (Ginkgo pediculata) and the other such as Ginkgo apodes and G. neimengensis which resemble the extent species G. biloba , the Lower Cretaceous is a critical time in the morphological evolution of the genus Ginkgo , roughly corresponding to the major global floristic transformation marked by the rapid decline of gymnosperms and drastic rise of flowering plants. • A new species is described from the Lower Cretaceous of Northeast China. • The new species appears to be the latest representative of primitive Ginkgo. • The Early Cretaceous is a critical time in the evolution of the genus Ginkgo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: To assess the general and nutritional health of children with attention deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).Methods and Study Design: The National Multicenter Sleep Research Database for 23791 school-age children in grades 1-6 from 9 cities in China was accessed. Children with a specialist diagnosis of ADHD or not (non-ADHD) in 2005 were studied. National anthropometric growth standards for children aged 2-18 years classified children as underweight, wasted, stunted (short stature presumed nutritional), or overweight/obesity. Independent variables were preterm birth, sleep quality and prior disease and ADHD was the dependent variable. Binary logistic regression models were developed along with interaction analyses for associated disorder or disease on overweight/obesity, and stunted.Results: Some 18731 records were analyzed for 808 children with ADHD. The comparative prevalences for ADHD with non-ADHD children were stunted 9.8% vs 5.9% (p<0.001) and overweight/ obesity (32.6% vs 29.6%, p=0.002) respectively. ADHD boys were more often underweight (7.5% vs 5.3%, p=0.027), but not in girls. ADHD likelihood Odds Ratios, ORs (with 95%CI) were for premature birth 1.838, (1.393-2.423), allergic diseases 1.915 (1.526-2.399), otitis media 1.54 (1.118- 2.146), tonsillar or adenoid hypertrophy1.662 (1.348-2.050), gastroesophageal reflux 3.008(1.792-1.792-5.049), and sleep disorder 2.201(1.847-2.623) were ADHD risk factors. Only poor sleep quality and ADHD exhibited an interaction for stunted with OR=0.409 (0.233-0.719).Conclusions: Compromised and complex nutritional health in ADHD children challenges clinical nutrition with a range of health problems, albeit coherent with the needed nutritional emphasis in the 'first 1000 days'. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An extensive phytochemical investigation on the chemical constituents from the needles and twigs of the vulnerable conifer Pseudotsuga sinensis yielded 19 diterpenoids and 21 sesquiterpenoids with various carbocyclic skeletons. Among them, 13 (named pseudosinins A–M, resp.) were undescribed compounds. Their structures with absolute configurations were characterized by a combination of spectroscopic methods, calculated and experimental electronic circular dichroism (ECD) data, quantum chemical calculations of the chemical shifts, and single crystal X-ray diffraction analyses. In particular, an array of labdane-derived norditerpenoids with C 19 -, C 18 -, and C 16 -skeletons, and related drimane-type sesquitepenoids with C 15 - and C 13 -skeletons were found in the title plant. The possible biogenetic relationships of these degraded terpenoids were briefly discussed. Among the isolates, pseudosinin D, cis -communic acid, and 4 β ,15-dihydroxy-19-norabieta-8,11,13-trien-7-one showed moderate inhibitory activities against the enzyme ATP-citrate lyase (ACL), a potential drug target for the treatment of hyperlipidemia and hypercholesterolemia. Forty di- and sesqui-terpenoids with various carbocyclic frameworks, including thirteen undescribed ones, were isolated and characterized from the vulnerable conifer Pseudotsuga sinensis. In particular, a series of labdane-derived degraded terpenoids with C 19 -/C 18 -/C 16 -/C 15 -/C 13 -skeletons were encountered. Three isolates showed considerable inhibition on the enzyme ATP-citrate lyase (ACL). Image 1 • An extensive phytochemical study on the vulnerable Pseudotsuga sinensis was reported. • Thirteen undescribed di- and sesqui-terpenoids (pseudosinins A–M) were identified. • The biosynthetic pathways of the labdane-derived degraded terpenoids were proposed. • Three isolated diterpenoids showed considerable inhibitory activities against ACL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The fluctuation of water discharge was less than 11.4% under climatic influence. • Before 1940, sediment load was raised by 54% in a century due to human activities. • After 1940, sediment load rapidly was reduced by 72% induced by dam interception. Sediments delivered by global rivers are of utmost importance to the morphological formation and ecosystem evolution of estuary-coast-shelf systems. In this study, numerical modeling, supported by hydrological data, was applied to quantify the impact of climate change and human activities on the water and sediments delivery of five rivers along the east coast of the Liaodong Peninsula to the North Yellow Sea. Simulation results indicate that the water discharge and sediment load of these five rivers during the past millennium reached 27.88 ± 5.97 km3 y−1 and 5.97 ± 3.26 Mty−1, respectively. Climate change was the most significant driving factor altering water discharge in the study area, with human activity producing an insignificant effect. Different from runoff, variations in sediment loads are dominated by human activities in past millennium. Our results demonstrate that the soil erosion of five rivers induced by human activities increased sharply by up to 8.1 times over the past few centuries, and that the total dam trapping efficiency for the eastern Liaodong Peninsula was 71.7%. If no dams had been constructed in the study area between 1941 and 2012, the total sediment load of the five rivers would have reached 11.33 ± 5.70 Mty−1. This reflects an increase of 92.6% relative to the period between 1000 and 1850 (5.88 ± 2.93 Mty−1) and would have been 3.5 times the actual sediment load during the period 1941–2012 (3.21 ± 4.61 Mty−1). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Matrix-bound phosphine was determined in the Jiaozhou Bay coastal sediment, in prawn-pond bottom soil, in the eutrophic lake Wulongtan, in the sewage sludge and in paddy soil as well. Results showed that matrix-bound phosphine levels in freshwater and coastal sediment, as well as in sewage sludge, are significantly higher than that in paddy soil. The correlation between matrix bound phosphine concentrations and organic phosphorus contents in sediment samples is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: Soy and some of its constituents, such as isoflavones, have been shown to affect the inflammatory process in animal studies. The association between soy food intake and inflammatory markers has not been evaluated adequately in humans. Objective: Our aim was to evaluate whether higher intake of soy foods was inversely associated with inflammatory markers in 1,005 middle-aged Chinese women. Design: In this cross-sectional study, dietary intake of soy foods was assessed by a validated food frequency questionnaire and by a 24-hour recall when biospecimens were procured. A general linear model was used to estimate the geometric means of selected inflammatory markers, including interleukin-6 (IL-6), IL-1β, tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα), soluble IL-6 receptor, soluble GP130, soluble TNF receptors 1 and 2, and C-reactive protein, across categories of soy food intake after adjusting for age, lifestyle and dietary factors, and history of infectious or inflammation-related diseases. Results: We found that multivariable-adjusted geometric mean concentrations of IL-6 and TNFα were inversely associated with quintiles of soy food intake, with a difference between the highest and lowest quintiles of 25.5% for IL-6 (P for trend=0.008) and 14% for TNFα (P for trend=0.04). Similar inverse associations were found for TNFα (P for trend=0.003), soluble TNF receptor 1 (P for trend=0.01), soluble TNF receptor 2 (P for trend=0.02), IL-1β (P for trend=0.05), and IL-6 (P for trend=0.04) when soy food consumption was assessed by the frequency of consumption in the preceding 24 hours. No significant associations were found for other markers studied. Conclusions: This study suggests that soy food consumption is related to lower circulating levels of IL-6, TNFα, and soluble TNF receptors 1 and 2 in Chinese women. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Coastal currents play a key role in regulating alongshore sediment transport, and their relationships with winter storms (burst of the East Asian winter monsoon) and formation of the coastal mud deposits on the eastern China shelf have been established, based on which the evolution of the East Asian winter monsoon has been widely explored. Unlike that of coastal deposits, the formation of offshore deposits on the eastern China shelf is very complex and highly debated, leading to enormous challenges on paleoclimate reconstructions based on these deposits. In this study, cross-front sediment transport under a variable Yellow Sea Warm Current (YSWC) was explored using remote sensing imagery and sedimentary records (seismic profile and sediment grain size) from the North Yellow Sea (NYS). The results indicate that, although the offshore mud deposit in the western NYS is formed by winter storms through triggering cross-front transport of coastal sediment around the Shandong Peninsula, the winter storm signal was completely obscured by that of the YSWC, which might determine the flux of cross-front sediment transport on a millennial scale. The 1500 y sub-orbital climate variability cycle could also be observed in distal muds after 2.8 ka. By comparing the sediment composition within the same mud deposit or between adjacent mud deposits in the NYS, we found that the response of cross-front sediment transport to the YSWC varied spatially, which may be a reason for discrepancies observed in previous winter monsoon reconstructions on the eastern China shelf. Therefore, as indicated by this study, offshore deposits on the eastern China shelf are not suitable for inversions of the winter monsoon. In addition, mud deposits on the eastern China shelf are also dramatically affected by other dynamic factors, including typhoons and river flooding; thus, deeply exploring the dynamic characteristics and formation mechanism of these deposits are prerequisites for paleoclimate reconstruction. • In NYS mud deposits, the winter storm signal was completely obscured by the YSWC on a millennial scale. • The 1500 y sub-orbital climate variability cycle may be recorded in distal muds through regulating cross-shelf transport. • Complex ocean dynamics on the continental shelf are likely responsible for discrepancies in previous paleoclimate studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Ecological indicator system (EIS) is widely used in ecosystem monitoring, assessment and management, building a bridge between scientists, environmental managers, and the general public. This paper explores a conceptual model for ecological indicator selection, and a quantitative selection model is formulated based on the conceptual model. The quantitative selection model is a typical zero-one type integer programming problem, and a binary-code genetic algorithm is proposed for solving it. Then the quantitative selection model and its solving method are applied to the Xiamen''s coastal ecosystem health framework which comprises 4 levels of ecosystem structure. In this case, the purpose is to reduce the indicator set to minimize overall management costs, and 19 indicators are discarded from the 54 candidate concrete indicators by our method. The selection modeling and its solving method are demonstrated to be a scientific and effective way for ecological indicator application. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

[Display omitted] • High-frequency oscillation of SSH-induced pressure gradient forces can trigger offshore transport. • Offshore transport of coastal waters has a significant relationship with PB occurrences. • The influence of atypical wind patterns on long-term ecosystem impacts should not be ignored. The East China Shelf Sea (ECSS) is subject to high-frequency storms during winter and spring, with these storm processes serving as a significant driving factor for initiating the outward diffusion of materials from the inner shelf. Inner shelf waters tend to be rich in nutrients, thus their horizontal diffusion is crucial to the marine primary productivity of the outer shelf. However, our understanding of the processes that govern the offshore water mass transport under winter storm oscillations and the mechanisms driving their impact on phytoplankton is currently limited. In this study, we used satellite and reanalysis data from 2003 to 2020 to investigate the modulation mechanism of winter offshore currents (WOC) on phytoplankton bloom (PB) stimulated by storms in Northern Taiwan (NTW). The results revealed that at synoptic scales, winter storms result in higher sea surface height (SSH) and potential energy on the inner side of the front. However, during periods of weakened storms (for example, during north wind relaxation or a shift to southerly winds), a strong WOC is produced in the top 30–50 m of the ocean due to continuous SSH adjustments caused by changed pressure gradients and induced by topography. PB occurs in the offshore waters of the front, driven by a continuous nutrient supply and an increase in photosynthetically available radiation (PAR). On an interannual scale, offshore transport is controlled by the storm's duration and the extent of its weakening. As the climate warms and winter winds in NTW have consistently weakened over the past 20 years, lower turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) and a shallower mixed layer depth (MLD) will promote phytoplankton growth. The results suggest that water level fluctuations caused by high-frequency changes in winter storms are strongly linked to the offshore sediment transport from near-shore waters, impacting the material transport and the health of the ecosystem on the continental shelf. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Double-pipe heat exchangers are widely used in the high-pressure and high-temperature applications for their simple and tight tube-in-tube configuration, but therefore normal and stable operation of such pressure-bearing equipment turns to be of greater significance because potential safety risks and economic losses will be aroused if failures occur on them. To deal with this issue, abundant researches have been conducted so far, however most of them focused on the flow and fluid characteristics by numerical simulation and experimental verification, while little attention was paid to the actual cases from the engineering practice. In this paper, such an actual failure case study concerning leakage on the jacket pipe of one double-pipe heat exchanger in a high-pressure polyethylene facility is addressed. In order to find out the causes of this failure, investigation including materials inspection, chemical phase analysis, microscopic morphologies observation, micro-area chemical compositions detection and finite element analysis etc. was carried out. The results indicated that the leakage was firstly induced by the uniform corrosion and the under-deposit corrosion successively, and then stimulated by the effect of erosion from the complicated fluid characteristics around the tee structure. Finally, the related mechanisms of this synergistic effect between corrosion and erosion were discussed, and the pertinent countermeasures from both design and maintenance point of view were proposed, including descaling of the fouled inner pipe, improvement of the circulation cooling water quality, and upgrading of the pipe materials etc. Achievement of this paper will supplement the failure cases database of double-pipe heat exchangers, based on which design optimization and failure prevention will be possible. Double-pipe heat exchangers are widely used in the high-pressure and high-temperature applications for their simple and tight tube-in-tube configuration, but therefore normal and stable operation of such pressure-bearing equipment turns to be of greater significance because potential safety risks and economic losses will be aroused if failures occur on them. To deal with this issue, abundant researches have been conducted so far, however most of them focused on the flow and fluid characteristics by numerical simulation and experimental verification, while little attention was paid to the actual cases from the engineering practice. In this paper, such an actual failure case study concerning leakage on the jacket pipe of one double-pipe heat exchanger in a high-pressure polyethylene facility is addressed, seen in Fig.1. In order to find out the causes of this failure, investigation including materials inspection, chemical phase analysis, microscopic morphologies observation, micro-area chemical compositions detection and finite element analysis etc. was carried out. The results indicated that the leakage was firstly induced by the uniform corrosion and the under-deposit corrosion successively, and then stimulated by the effect of erosion from the complicated fluid characteristics around the tee structure, seen in Fig.2 and 3. Finally, the related mechanisms of this synergistic effect between corrosion and erosion were discussed and illustrated in Fig.4, and the pertinent countermeasures from both design and maintenance point of view were proposed, including descaling of the fouled inner pipe, improvement of the circulation cooling water quality, and upgrading of the pipe materials etc. Achievement of this paper will supplement the failure cases database of double-pipe heat exchangers, based on which design optimization and failure prevention will be possible. Image 1 • Present a premature failure case of leaked jacket pipe on double-pipe heat exchanger. • This heat exchanger is used in a high-pressure polyethylene facility in China. • Countermeasures were proposed from both design and maintenance point of view. • The synergism from both corrosion and erosion was addressed in detail in this paper. • Failure analysis case database of double-pipe heat exchangers will be enriched. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While terrigenous materials tend to be limited to the inner shelf by coastal fronts in the shelf seas of eastern China, they could still be transported to offshore regions when coastal front is disturbed by winter storms. However, the offshore transport process is still poorly understood because its variation does not have close relation with strength of wind storms. In this study, we took offshore transport in the North Yellow Sea (NYS) as an example to explore the determining factor for amount of offshore transport. The results show that offshore transport in the NYS is positively correlated with the strength of the Kuroshio Current and its branch recorded in water temperature on a millennial scale, but is rarely influenced by winter storms, which is also supported by the instrumental data on interannual and monthly scales. By analyzing modern hydrological and meteorological data, we found that the variation of offshore suspended sediment transport with interannual and monthly scales is controlled by the variation of horizontal density gradient, which supports the possible mechanism underlying the millennial scale variations in sediment core data. One possible mechanism dominating the flux of offshore transport is that the increasing density difference across the coastal front is conductive to cross-front exchange when the frontal instability is triggered. • The variation of offshore transport with millennial time scale has high consistency with the offshore water temperature. • The decadal variation of offshore suspended sediment spreading is regulated by the horizontal SST gradient. • The offshore spreading of coastal materials might increase in future if the global warming continues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The Wulong gold deposit was formed in the early Cretaceous. • The ore-forming fluids could be magmatic in origin. • The deposit was formed during lithospheric thinning of the eastern North China Craton. The Wulong deposit is the largest quartz vein-type gold deposit in the eastern Liaoning Province of China. The gold ore bodies are hosted by Mesozoic biotite-granites. The mineralization occurs as veins with lenticular shapes. Laser-ablation-ICP–MS zircon U–Pb dating was used to date the biotite-granite, granite porphyry, and fine-grained diorites at the Wulong deposit, yielding ages of 155.4 ± 0.9 Ma, 154.2 ± 1.2 Ma, and 123.1 ± 0.9 Ma, respectively. A sericite sample from the gold ore yields a 40Ar–39Ar plateau age of 122.8 ± 0.8 Ma (MSWD = 0.09). The calculated δ18O w values for the quartz range from 4.8% to 8.6% and the δD W values of fluid inclusion waters in quartz vary from −98% to −77%. The H–O isotope data indicates that ore-forming fluids could be of a magmatic origin. The δ34S values of metallic sulfides range from +1.1% to +2.4%, with an average of +1.8%, suggesting that the sulfur is derived from a magmatic source. The 3He/4He ratios of fluid inclusions in pyrite range from 0.36 to 0.65 Ra with an average of 0.50 Ra. The mantle helium involved in the ore-forming fluid ranges from 3.9% to 7.2%, indicating a crustal fluid source. The Wulong gold deposit was formed at ca. 120 Ma and it has a genetic association with contemporaneous fine-grained diorite. The Wulong deposit was formed during lithospheric thinning of the eastern North China Craton during the early Cretaceous. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Conodonts from the Cambrian–Ordovician transition at the Liangcun section in Xishui County, Guizhou and at the Huangcao section in Wulong County, Chongqing are examined for the first time. Both sections are located at the southeast margin of the Sichuan Basin. A total of 1367 specimens were recovered, representing 30 species and 15 genera. Based on the ranges of conodonts generalized from these two sections and another six sections previously studied in the same region, three conodont zones, Cordylodus proavus, Monocostodus sevierensis and Cordylodus angulatus zones are recognized. The index species of the Cambrian–Ordovician boundary at the global stratotype section and point (GSSP), Iapetognathus fluctivagus and its substitute in China Iapetognathus jilinensis are not observed in the study sections, therefore it is impossible to determine the Cambrian–Ordovician boundary exactly. However, it probably lies within the lower part of M. sevierensis zone (the upper part of the Loushanguan Group), correlating with the GSSP in Canada and the Dayangcha section in China. Chronological sequences of the FAD (First Appearance Datum) of C. angulatus, Chosonodina herfurthi and Rossodus manitouensis are not obvious in the study, so the C. angulatus zone here is correlated with zones defined by C. angulatus, Ch. herfurthi and R. manitouensis in the lower Yangtze Platform. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

As the only specialized institution for research and control of parasitic diseases at the national level in China for almost 70 years, the National Institute of Parasitic Diseases (NIPD) at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC) has been instrumental in supporting the remarkable progress from high prevalence to transmission interruption or low endemicity of several diseases, lymphatic filariasis, malaria and schistosomiasis in particular. This has taken place through technical guidance, emergency response and scientific research as well as providing technical service, education, training, health promotion and international cooperation. With China's increasing involvement in international cooperation and the increased risk for (re)emerging tropical diseases in mind, the Chinese Government designated in 2017 a new Chinese Center for Tropical Disease Research to NIPD. Responding to the expanded responsibilities, the institute is scaling up its activities in several ways: from parasitic diseases to the wider area of tropical diseases; from disease control to disease elimination; from biological research to policy evidences accumulation; and from public health to global health. Based on this new vision and China's previous accomplishments in the areas mentioned, the institute is in a position to move forward with respect to global health and equitable development according to the central principles of the United Nations' Sustainable Development Goals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Five new cembrane-type diterpenes, lobocalines A-E ( 1 - 5 ), and four new steroids, lobocaloids A-D ( 9 - 12 ), along with six known related compounds ( 6 - 8 and 13 - 15 ) were isolated from the Yalong Bay soft coral Lobophytum catalai Tixier-Durivault. The structures of the new compounds were elucidated by extensive spectroscopic analysis, NMR calculation with DP4+ analysis, time-dependent density functional theory-electronic circular dichroism (TDDFT-ECD) calculations, X-ray diffraction analyses and comparison with the reported spectroscopic data of known compounds. Further, with the aid of X-ray diffraction analysis, the structure of lobocrasol B ( 15 ) was firmly revised as 15a . In in vitro bioassays, compound 2 showed moderate antibacterial activities against fish pathogenic bacteria Streptococcus parauberis KSP28 and Phoyobacterium damselae FP2244 with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values of 8.7 and 17.3 µg/mL, respectively. All the steroids exhibited antibacterial activities against the S. parauberis KSP28 with MIC values ranging from 12.3 to 53.6 µg/mL. Compounds 2 , 7 and 14 have remarkable inhibitory effects on the hemolysin production of Staphylococcus aureus , while compounds 8 - 12 have medium inhibitory effects on the pyocyanin production in Pseudomonas aeruginosa .

The chemical investigation of the rarely studied soft coral Sinularia tumulosa resulted in the discovery of five oxygenated cembrane diterpenes 1-5, including two new compounds situmulins A (1) and B (2). The structures of 1 and 2 were established through the extensive analyses of 1D and 2D NMR spectral data together with the comparisons with the known compounds. Furthermore, the absolute configuration of 1 was determined by the time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) ECD approach, while the relative configuration of 2 was assigned via the quantum mechanical-NMR (QM-NMR) calculations. It might be worth to point out it is the first time to disclose the presence of cembrane diterpenes in the title species. In the bioassays, compound 2 not only showed strong antibacterial activities against fish pathogenic bacteria Streptococcus parauberis FP KSP28 and Phoyobacterium damselae FP2244 with both minimum inhibitory concentration for 90 % (MIC 90 ) values of 25 μM, but also demonstrated substantial inhibitory efficacy against vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium bacteria G1, G4, G7, G8 and G13 from several individuals, with MIC 90 values of 25, 50, 100, 50 and 25 μM, respectively., (© 2023 Wiley-VHCA AG, Zurich, Switzerland.)

Background: Asthma has been a global problem, especially in children. We aim to evaluate the contemporary prevalence and influencing factors of asthma among children aged 3-7 years in Shanghai, China., Methods: A random sample of preschool children was included in this study. The International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood questionnaire was adopted to assess the childhood asthma. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to evaluate the associations between independent variables and childhood asthma., Results: Of 6389 preschool children who were invited to take part in this study, 6163 (response rate: 96.5%) completed the questionnaire and were included in the analysis. The overall prevalence of asthma was 14.6% which increased more than six folds from 2.1% in 1990. Being male, younger age, preterm delivery, being born in spring or autumn, being delivered by elective cesarean section without indication, miscarriage, high socioeconomic status, having allergy history, and exposure to passive smoking, latex paint, and dust were potential risk factors for childhood asthma. Spending more time outdoors (> 30 min/day), having indoor plants, and cleaning rooms more frequently were potential protective factors., Conclusions: The prevalence of childhood asthma in Shanghai has increased dramatically during the past three decades. The findings about risk and protective factors of childhood asthma could be used to develop appropriate strategies to prevent and control childhood asthma in Shanghai and in other similar metropolitan cities., (© 2021. Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine.)

Background: Twin pregnancies continue to increase worldwide; however, the current clinical prenatal evaluation for the intrauterine growth of twins still relies on the growth standards of singletons. We attempted to establish a set of fetal biometric references for Chinese twin pregnancies, stratified by chorionicity and conception mode as spontaneously conceived monochorionic diamniotic (SC-MCDA), spontaneously conceived dichorionic diamniotic (SC-DCDA), and assisted reproductive technology dichorionic diamniotic (ART-DCDA) twins., Methods: From 2016 to 2019, the ultrasonographic fetal biometric measurements were longitudinally collected in pregnant women, including fetal weight, biparietal diameter, head circumference, abdominal circumference, femur length, and humerus length. The linear mixed models were used to test the difference of growth patterns between groups, and the growth curve of each biometric parameter was modeled by a generalized additive model for location scale and shape., Results: A total of 929 twin pregnant women and 2019 singleton pregnant women, met the inclusion criteria. Among twin pregnancies, 148 were SC-MCDA, 215 were SC-DCDA, and 566 were ART-DCDA twins. Overall, SC-DCDA twins grew faster than SC-MCDA twins, while slower than ART-DCDA twins (all P < 0.05), and all of the three groups showed significant differences comparing with singletons, especially during the third trimester. Hence, the customized fetal growth charts of each fetal biometric parameter were, respectively, constructed for SC-MCDA, SC-DCDA, and ART-DCDA twins., Conclusions: The fetal biometric trajectories demonstrated characteristic patterns according to chorionicity and conception mode. To fill the gap, we modeled fetal biometric parameters for Chinese SC-MCDA, SC-DCDA, and ART-DCDA twin pregnancies, hoping to provide a reference for the further establishment of fetal growth reference values for Chinese twin fetuses., (Copyright © 2021 The Chinese Medical Association, produced by Wolters Kluwer, Inc. under the CC-BY-NC-ND license.)

Objectives: This study aimed to compare the prevalence of hypogonadism between male patients with latent autoimmune diabetes (LADA) and type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and investigate the risk factors for hypogonadism in these patients., Methods: This cross-sectional study evaluated 367 male patients with LADA (n=73) and T2DM (n=294) who visited the endocrinology department of Shanghai Tenth People's Hospital between January 2016 and October 2019 for diabetes management. Sex hormones, lipid profiles, sex hormone-binding globulin (SHBG), glycosylated hemoglobin A1c, beta-cell function, uric acid, and osteocalcin were determined in serum samples. Hypogonadism was defined as calculated free testosterone (cFT) less than 220 pmol/L along with the presence of symptoms (positive ADAM score)., Results: The rate of hypogonadism in the LADA and T2DM group were 8.2, and 21.7%, respectively (p=0.017). After adjusting possible confounders, the rate of hypogonadism in the LADA group was comparable to those of the T2DM group. Univariate logistic regressions demonstrated that age, BMI, fasting C-peptide, triglycerides, total cholesterol and uric acid were associated with hypogonadism in men with diabetes, BMI, triglycerides and estradiol were independent risk for hypogonadism in men with diabetes., Conclusion: This is the first evidence to explore the rate of hypogonadism in male patients with latent autoimmune diabetes (LADA). In the population requiring admission to a large urban hospital in China, the rate of hypogonadism was comparable to those of the T2DM group after adjusting for possible confounders. BMI, triglycerides and estradiol were independently associated with the presence of HH in male diabetic patients., 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 © 2021 Cai, Cui, Yang, Gao, Cheng, Sheng, Li, Sheng, Qu and Zhang.)

Abstract: Numerous outbreak investigations and case-control studies of campylobacteriosis have provided evidence that handling Campylobacter-contaminated chicken products is a high risk factor for infection and illness. In this study, the cross-contamination and transfer rates of Campylobacter jejuni from chicken to ready-to-eat food were determined in various food handling scenarios. Skinless raw chicken breasts were artificially contaminated with C. jejuni and diced on cutting boards of three different materials. Whether cold water, cold water with detergent, or hot water was used, statistically significant differences were found between the transfer rates of C. jejuni to unwashed and washed cutting boards or hands, respectively. When both kitchen knife and cutting board were reused after dicing the artificially contaminated chicken, the transfer rates of C. jejuni to cucumber cut on bamboo, wooden, and plastic cutting boards were 16.28, 12.82, and 5.32%, respectively. The transfer rates from chicken to bread, a large lift-up water faucet handle, and a small twist faucet handle via unwashed hands were 0.49, 4.64, and 3.14%, respectively. This research provides scientific evidence that various types of contaminated kitchenware and cook's hands are vital potential vehicles for the cross-contamination of Campylobacter from raw chicken to ready-to-eat food and emphasizes the importance of timely and proper cleaning to prevent cross-contamination during food handling; therefore, high-quality consumer education to reduce the risk of foodborne infection is urgent and necessary., (Copyright ©, International Association for Food Protection.)

Introduction: Early diagnosis of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) remains a major problem in Southern China. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) biomarkers have been widely used in NPC screening. This study aims to evaluate the early diagnostic performances of individual EBV biomarkers in NPC., Methods: The levels of EBV biomarkers-IgA antibodies against EBV nuclear antigen 1 (EBNA1-IgA), EBV capsid antigen (VCA-IgA), EBV early antigen (EA-IgA), EBV BZLF1 transcription activator protein (Zta-IgA) and IgG antibodies against EBV BRLF1 transcription activator protein (Rta-IgG)-from 106 NPC patients (stage I and II) and 150 normal subjects were measured. VCA-IgA and EA-IgA were detected by immunofluorescence assay (IFA), EBNA1-IgA, Rta-IgG and Zta-IgA were measure by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), and EBV DNA was detected by qPCR. Statistical analyses of a single index were conducted to evaluate the significance of NPC early diagnosis and TNM classification., Results: The level of EBNA1-IgA, EBV DNA, VCA-IgA, EA-IgA, Rta-IgG and Zta-IgA in early-stage NPC was significantly higher than in healthy controls (all P < 0.001). EBNA1-IgA yielded the biggest area under the curve (AUC) of 0.962 in distinguishing early-stage NPC patients from the normal subjects, with a sensitivity of 91.5% and a specificity of 98.7%. However, EBV biomarker levels were not associated with tumor size (all P > 0.050), whereas four biomarker levels (EBNA1-IgA, EBV DNA, VCA-IgA, EA-IgA) were related to lymph node metastasis (N0 and N1-2), among which EBNA1-IgA and EBV DNA showed good performance. Finally, high correlation was found between VCA-IgA and EA-IgA (r > 0.800)., Conclusion: A single EBNA1-IgA exhibits excellent discrimination performance in early diagnosis of NPC and could become a promising marker for NPC screening.

Background: Ornithine transcarbamylase deficiency (OTCD) is pleomorphic congenital hyperammonemia, in which the prognosis of the patient is determined both by genotype and environmental factors. This study investigated the clinical and biochemical characteristics of OTCD patients with different prognosis., Method: Of 35 OTCD patients, six males deceased at the first disease-onset, 17 males survived and had controllable ammonia levels after treatment, and 12 females survived through the first disease-onset but had intractable hyperammonemia and high mortality. Fasting blood samples from patients collected at three disease stages were used for the analysis of amino acid (AA) profile, acylcarnitine profile, and micronutrients. Differences in profiles between patients and healthy controls and within patient groups were studied., Results: All OTCD patients had accumulation of glutamine, homocitrulline, lysine, glutamate, cystathionine, and pipecolic acid, as well as deficiency of citrulline, tryptophan, threonine, and carnitine. For male non-survivors, most other AAs and long-chain acylcarnitines were elevated at disease onset, of which the levels of creatine, N-acetylaspartic acid, and homoarginine were remarkably high. Male survivors and female patients had most other AAs at low to normal levels. Compared with male survivors, female patients had much lower protein-intolerance, as indicated by significantly lower levels of protein consumption indicators, including essential AAs, 1-methylhistidine, acylcarnitines et al., but high levels of ammonia. Female patients still had significantly higher levels of citrulline, homocitrulline, and citrulline/arginine compared to male survivors., Conclusion: Unique profiles were observed in each group of OTCD patients, indicating specific physiological changes that happened to them., 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 © 2020 The Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To select potential molecules that can target viral spike proteins, which may potentially interrupt the interaction between the human angiotension-converting enzyme 2 (ACE2) receptor and viral spike protein by virtual screening., Methods: The three-dimensional (3D)-coordinate file of the receptor-binding domain (RBD)-ACE2 complex for searching a suitable docking pocket was firstly downloaded and prepared. Secondly, approximately 15,000 molecular candidates were prepared, including US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)-approved drugs from DrugBank and natural compounds from Traditional Chinese Medicine Systems Pharmacology (TCMSP), for the docking process. Then, virtual screening was performed and the binding energy in Autodock Vina was calculated. Finally, the top 20 molecules with high binding energy and their Chinese medicine (CM) herb sources were listed in this paper., Results: It was found that digitoxin, a cardiac glycoside in DrugBank and bisindigotin in TCMSP had the highest docking scores. Interestingly, two of the CM herbs containing the natural compounds that had relatively high binding scores, Forsythiae fructus and Isatidis radix, are components of Lianhua Qingwen (), a CM formula reportedly exerting activity against severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)-Cov-2. Moreover, raltegravir, an HIV integrase inhibitor, was found to have a relatively high binding score., Conclusions: A class of compounds, which are from FDA-approved drugs and CM natural compounds, that had high binding energy with RBD of the viral spike protein. Our work provides potential candidates for other researchers to identify inhibitors to prevent SARS-CoV-2 infection, and highlights the importance of CM and integrative application of CM and Western medicine on treating COVID-19.

The concentrations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in two 210 Pb-dated sediment cores collected from mud deposits along the southeastern coast of the Liaodong Peninsula were investigated to reconstruct the sedimentary records of PAHs and their relationship with anthropogenic and natural activities. The concentrations of 16 PAHs (∑PAHs) were low and remained stable before the year 1820, reflecting an autarkic agricultural civilization. From 1820 to 1900, with the gradual lifting of prohibition, people migrated into Northeast China, resulting in the release of large amounts of ∑PAHs into the environment. At the beginning of the 1900s, the ∑PAH levels in the two cores displayed increasing trends with significant fluctuations, linked to a period of social turbulence with continuous wars in Northeast China. After 1949, vertical ∑PAH trends in the cores predominantly reflected trends in economic development. Based on the different PAH composition trends (2-3-ring and 4-6-ring PAHs), we consider that historical energy usage in Northeast China can be divided into three stages: biomass fuel use dominated before 1920, biomass and fossil fuels co-existed from 1920 to 1980, and fossil fuels dominated after 1980. In addition, this study also demonstrates that the PAH concentrations (2-3-ring PAHs) in these two sediment cores can be used, to a certain extent, to identify anthropogenic fire events., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

There was limited evidence revealing the association of Chinese maternal dietary patterns with fetal growth. We aimed to examine the relationship of maternal dietary patterns during pregnancy to neonatal birth weight and birth weight for gestational age in a Chinese population. A total of 6954 mother-child pairs were included from the Born in Guangzhou Cohort Study. Maternal diet during pregnancy was assessed using a self-administered food frequency questionnaire. Cluster analysis was used to identify dietary patterns. The following six dietary patterns were identified: "Cereals, eggs, and Cantonese soups" (n 1026, 14.8%), "Dairy" (n 1020, 14.7%), "Fruits, nuts, and Cantonese desserts" (n 799, 11.5%), "Meats" (n 1066, 15.3%), "Vegetables" (n 1383, 19.9%), and "Varied" (n 1224, 17.6%). The mean neonatal birth weight Z scores of women in the above patterns were 0.02, 0.07, 0.20, 0.01, 0.06, and 0.14, respectively. Women in the "Fruits, nuts, and Cantonese desserts" and "Varied" groups had significantly heavier infants compared with those in the "Cereals, eggs, and Cantonese soups" group. Compared with women in the "Cereals, eggs, and Cantonese soups" group, those in the "Varied" group had marginally significantly lower odds of having a small-for-gestational age (SGA) infant after adjustment for other confounders (OR 0.77, 95% CI 0.57, 1.04, p = 0.08). These findings suggest that compared to a traditional Cantonese diet high in cereals, eggs, and Cantonese soups, a diet high in fruits, nuts, and Cantonese desserts might be associated with a higher birth weight, while a varied diet might be associated with a greater birth weight and also a decreased risk of having a SGA baby.

Background: Plasma glutamine (Gln) level has been negatively correlated with the severity of severe acute pancreatitis (SAP). Although Gln is widely used today, the results of individual randomized controlled trials of Gln-enriched nutrition support for patients with SAP are conflicting., Methods: PubMed, EMBASE, HighWire, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Wanfang, China Journals Full-Text Database, and the Chinese Biomedical Literature Database were searched. Literature published before June 2014 was searched. Randomized controlled trials investigating the comparison of conventional and Gln-enriched nutrition support were included; a random effect model using Rev Man 5.2 software was chosen to complete this meta-analysis. The count data were analyzed using the risk ratio (RR) and 95% confidence interval (CI), and the measurement data were analyzed using the standard mean difference or weighted mean difference and 95% CI. Heterogeneity analyses were conducted by I(2) test; publication bias analyses were conducted by Begg test., Results: Ten studies were eventually chosen for analysis, including 218 patients who received conventional methods (control group) and 215 patients who received Gln-enriched nutrition support (experimental group). Compared with the control group, Gln is helpful in elevating the albumin level, decreasing C-reaction protein (standard mean difference = 1.01, -1.89; 95% CI: 0.50 to 1.51, -3.23 to -0.56; P < .05), decreasing the incidence of infectious complication and mortality (RR = 0.62, 0.36; 95% CI: 0.46 to 0.83, 0.16 to 0.83; P < .05), and shortening the hospital stay length (weighted mean difference [WMD] = -3.89; 95% CI: -4.98 to -2.81; P < .05) without increasing expenses (WMD = -0.16; 95% CI: -1.34 to 1.02; P > .05). Intravenous infusion manifested more advantages by decreasing the incidence of infectious complications and mortality., Conclusions: Gln-enriched nutrition support is superior to conventional methods for SAP, and intravenous infusion may be a better choice for drug administration., (© 2015 American Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition.)

Background: There are no data about the role of MMPs polymorphism in development of osteosarcoma., Patients and Methods: Two-hundred fifty-one patients with osteosarcoma and 251 healthy controls were included to investigate the association between the MMP2, 3, 9 polymorphisms and the risk of osteosarcoma., Results: Compared with the MMP2 SNP rs243865 homozygote CC, The heterozygous CT genotype was associated with significantly increased risk for osteosarcoma (OR = 1.86, 95% CI = 1.18-4.22, p = 0.014); the TT genotype was associated with increased risk for osteosarcoma (OR = 1.92, 95% CI = 1.21-3.52, p = 0.028). However, the genotype and allele frequencies of MMP3 rs3025058 and MMP9 rs3918242 polymorphisms were not significantly different., Conclusion: MMP2 rs243865 genotype was associated with increased risk for development of osteosarcoma in Chinese Han population.

Objective: To understand the achievement exchange and interpenetration situation between parasitological journals and the journals of other disciplines., Methods: The citing journals and cited journals of Chinese parasitological journals were analyzed. Three Chinese core journals, namely Chinese Journal of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Journal of Schistosomiasis Control, and Chinese Journal of Zoonoses, were selected as the study objects. The number and citation times of citing and cited journals from 2002 to 2012 were collected from CNKI. These journals were classified according to China Journal Citation Reports-Expand (2013), and analyzed by the method of bibliometrics., Results: The number of published papers in Chinese Journal of Parasitology and Parasitic Diseases, Chinese Journal of Schistosomiasis Control, and Chinese Journal of Zoonoses were 1 160, 1 541 and 2 494 from 2002 to 2012, respectively. The numbers of citing journals of the 3 above journals included by the citation reports were 496, 547 and 592, respectively, the total citation frequencies were 4 778, 9 547 and 8 301, and the average citation frequencies per paper were 4.12, 6.20 and 3.33, respectively. The numbers of the cited journals were 532, 407 and 659, respectively, the total citation frequencies were 4 470, 7 206 and 7 885, and the average citation frequencies per paper were 3.85, 4.68 and 3.16, respectively. The top three disciplines of the citing journals and cited journals were medical and health, basic science, and agricultural sciences, and the top three secondary disciplines belonged to medical and health were general medical and health, preventive medicine and hygiene, and clinical medicine., Conclusion: There is an extensive exchange between parasitology journals and other journals, which promotes the exchange between parasitology and other relevant disciplines.