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Numerous qualitative studies, mostly with English speaking Westerners, have shown the important role of storytelling and values in promoting resilience. However, this quantitative study helps fill the gaps in the research, by investigating the mediator effects of storytelling on values and resilience of American, German, Chinese, and Vietnamese prospective teachers. The study, using path analysis, investigated how cultural differences influenced perceptions about storytelling, resilience and values. Open to change values of stimulation, self-direction, hedonism and universalism had the largest associations in the Final Model. The results of the multiple group analyses showed that the Final Model path estimates were invariant across cultural groups, but the error variances of the mean values were not invariant. Individual differences accounted for the variance more than cultural differences. The implications for educators, desiring to leverage literacy instruction with storytelling, are discussed.

Domestic donkeys (Equus asinus) have been maintained mainly for service purposes in the past. Nowadays, there is an increasing interest in donkey milk and meat production in several countries, including China. Donkey meat is highly consumed because of its nutritional value and unique flavor. However, genomic studies on donkey meat are limited. Therefore, in this study, we aimed to examine the molecular difference of longissimus dorsi muscles of donkey, cow, and goat. RNA sequencing and Proteome sequencing technology were used to analyze the transcriptome and proteome of the longissimus dorsi muscle of donkey, cow, and goat. A total of 1338 and 1780 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in donkey meat compared with that in cow and goat meat, respectively. Most of the DEGs were involved in biological processes, including small GTPase-mediated signal transduction, protein ubiquitination, protein glycosylation, and MAP kinase tyrosine/serine/threonine phosphatase activity. Additionally, 764 and 1024 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) were identified in cow vs. donkey, and goat vs. donkey, respectively; these DEPs were mainly involved in metabolism. Genetic variation and regulatory factors can combine as a database to provide more valuable molecular information for further analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using mean earlywood density data from Pinus koraiensis cores, we reconstructed the April–June mean minimum temperature from 1797 to 2015 for the Changbai Mountains. The reconstruction explained 52.6% of the actual mean minimum temperature variance during 1901–2015. After smoothing with an 11‐year moving average, we identified three major cold periods (1797–1875, 1881–1899, and 1903–1946) and three major warm periods (1876–1880, 1900–1902, and 1947–2015) in the reconstructed series. Spatial correlation showed that the reconstruction contained climatic signals for a large area including most of northeast China, especially the Bohai Rim region and the eastern side of the Mongolian Plateau. A comparison between the newly reconstructed temperature series for the surrounding areas reveals similar variations, particularly in the warming trend during the second half of the 20th century. The driving factors of the mean minimum temperature were influenced mainly by the interaction of solar activity and large‐scale atmospheric‐oceanic variability. The reconstructed series provides a basis for understanding past climate change in the Changbai Mountains and for predicting future climate change trends in Northeast China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study compared the perceptions of adults from four countries about storytelling. Americans (N = 153), Germans (N = 163), Chinese (N = 324), and Vietnamese (N = 356) completed a survey. Americans' scores on measures of storytelling experiences were the highest overall. Americans and Germans reported having significantly more childhood experiences of storytelling than the Chinese and Vietnamese. Vietnamese reported that storytelling experiences have impacted their resilience and propensity to use storytelling for teaching more than Chinese and Germans. Practical implications are that educators should investigate their students' stance on storytelling so they may leverage culturally responsive literacy practices.

International students, who study a foreign language abroad, experience more adversities than their domestic peers. The social challenges they face include problems with immigration status, isolation, difficulty speaking a new language, and learning unfamiliar customs. There is limited research focused on the coping strategies of these individuals. A growing body of research suggests storytelling may provide an important role in promoting resilience, defined as an individual's ability to bounce back or recover from stress. The study investigated possible relationships between experiencing storytelling as a child and adult resilience. The sample consisted of 21 international college students studying Chinese or English. Students were examined with a survey, a narrative interview, and the brief resilience scale. Data were analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively. The quantitative results produced significant correlations between resilience scores and the survey scores for adults who reported using storytelling in their own teaching of a second language to peers and children. Qualitative results identified five protective factors for resilience: (1) social competence, (2) problem-solving skills, (3) autonomy, (4) sense of purpose, and (5) use of storytelling. Implications of the findings for research and intervention are discussed.

Ecosystem services (ESs) are important for supporting human development. However, a changing climate and anthropogenic impacts are resulting in the degradation of dryland ecosystems to varying degrees. While there has been the global implementation of Ecological Restoration Programs (ERPs) to restore degraded ecosystems, there remains limited comprehensive assessment of their impacts on ESs of drylands. In this study, the sandy areas of northern China were used as the study area. The RUSLE, RWEQ, CASA, and InVEST models were used to simulate four major ESs: soil conservation (SC), sand fixation (SF), carbon sequestration (CS), and water yield (WY). The study aimed to evaluate the influences of various ERPs on major ESs. The dominant factors affecting the overall benefits provided by ESs were also identified. Since ERPs were implemented, forest areas have increased by 2.8 × 104 km2, whereas the areas of cropland, shrubland, and grassland have decreased. There were generally increasing trends in SF, SC, and CS, whereas there was a decreasing trend in WY. We then used a scenario-based simulation approach to eliminate the influence of climate variability on ESs. The results showed increasing trends in SF, SC, and CS, whereas there were minimal changes in WY. The results suggested that although ERPs can significantly increase regional ESs, unregulated expansion in vegetation can result in a water crisis and affect regional water security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lack of archaeological and whole-genome diversity data has restricted current knowledge of the evolutionary history of donkeys. With the advancement of science and technology, the discovery of archaeological evidence, the development of molecular genetics, and the improvement of whole-genome sequencing technology, the in-depth understanding of the origin and domestication of donkeys has been enhanced, however. Given the lack of systematic research, the present study carefully screened and collected multiple academic papers and books, journals, and literature on donkeys over the past 15 years. The origin and domestication of donkeys are reviewed in this paper from the aspects of basic information, cultural origin, bioarcheology, mitochondrial and chromosomal microsatellite sequences, and whole-genome sequence comparison. It also highlights and reviews genome assembly technology, by assembling the genome of an individual organism and comparing it with related sample genomes, which can be used to produce more accurate results through big data statistics, analysis, and computational correlation models. Background: The donkey industry in the world and especially in China is developing rapidly, and donkey farming is transforming gradually from the family farming model to large-scale, intensive, and integrated industrial operations, which could ensure the stability of product quality and quantity. However, theoretical research on donkey breeding and its technical development lags far behind that of other livestock, thereby limiting its industrial development. This review provides holistic information for the donkey industry and researchers, that could promote theoretical research, genomic selection (GS), and reproductive management of the donkey population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Led by the Institute of Geology and Geophysics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, we have built a brand‐new modular active digital phased array, with all solid‐state transmission and digital receiving incoherent scatter radar (ISR) in Sanya (18.3°N, 109.6°E), a station in low latitude China called Sanya ISR (SYISR) since 2015. The development of SYISR involved the indoor design and development of key components, an outdoor prototype test, and the production and debugging of the entire array. The unique features of SYISR include a single‐channel directly connected T/R unit and antenna, a radar array monitoring and calibration network, environmental adaptability design and open architecture. The entire radar has 4,096 channels and 5,930 modules in total. All the technical indices, mainly including a >2 MW peak power, a 43 dBi antenna gain and a <120 K noise temperature, either meet or are superior to the designed value through an independent evaluation. Waveforms of single pulse, linear frequency modulation, Barker code, long pulse and alternating code have been implemented to meet multiple purposes. Four observational modes for ionospheric experiments, including zenith stare, perpendicular to geomagnetic field, meridian scan, and all sky scan, have been developed. We have implemented time domain decoding, frequency domain decoding, and statistical inversion methods in calculating the autocorrelation function and power spectra in signal processing. The preliminary experimental results on ionospheric parameters, plasma lines, irregularities and hard targets are reasonable and encouraging, which greatly enhances our confidence in achieving our scientific goals in the future. Plain Language Summary: The Earth's ionosphere (∼60–1,000 km above the sea level) is composed of dense plasma, which shows complicated variations versus altitude, geographic location, and solar activity level. When a ground‐based radio wave is transmitted onto these plasmas, it will generate stimulated radiation, with a small portion of them radiating back to the ground. If this backscattered radiation is collected by a ground‐based radar, a variety of ionospheric parameters, including plasma density, temperature, and movement speed, can be derived through a complicated signal processing algorithm. An ionospheric monitoring method called incoherent scatter radar (ISR) was therefore developed. However, since this backscattered radiation is very weak, the ISR should be built with sufficiently large power (usually megawatts) and apertures (usually hundreds of square meters). This leads to the high cost of building an ISR, with only a few having been built in the world thus far. In this paper, we describe a newly built ISR, called Sanya ISR (SYISR), in low latitude China by applying modern radar technologies, such as modular active digital phased arrays, all solid‐state transmitting and digital receiving. The development of SYISR followed the principle of a gradual and orderly progress, including indoor design, outdoor prototype testing and the entire radar construction and debugging. The radar technical indices have been evaluated, and all meet the designed value. We also developed a signal processing algorithm and a variety of observational modes. Finally, preliminary experimental results are shown, which are reasonable and encouraging. In the future, we will gradually achieve our scientific goals via effective data accumulation and analysis. Key Points: Sanya incoherent scatter radar (SYISR) is a newly built incoherent scatter radar in low latitude China with modular active electronic scanning, digital phased array, solid‐state transmitting, and digital receivingThis paper details the hardware, key parameters, data processing and preliminary experimental results of SYISRThe key parameters meet or are superior to the original design, and the preliminary observations are encouraging [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The equine herpesvirus type 8 (EHV-8) can cause significant economic losses in the global horses and donkey industry. The disease has been associated with abortion and respiratory symptoms. However, it is rare for a study to be reported about donkeys with neurological diseases induced by EHV-8 infection. In the present study, one 2-year-old male donkey, from a large-scale donkey farm in China, died with a severe neurological disorder. The causative agent, donkey/Shandong/10/2021 (GenBank accession: OL856098), was identified and isolated from the brain tissue of the dead donkey. Meanwhile, BALB/c mice were used as an animal model to evaluate the pathogenicity of the EHV-8 isolate. Our data showed that EHV-8 was positive in brains by PCR and immunohistochemistry, which induced typical viral encephalitis lesions in both donkey and mice consistent with clinical signs. For the first time, we reported that EHV-8 had been isolated from donkeys with a neurological illness in China, which is helpful to reveal the pathogenicity of EHV-8 in the donkey. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Equine herpesvirus-8 (EHV-8) is one of the most economically significant viruses that infect mammals of the genus Equus worldwide, which cause severe respiratory diseases and abortion in horses. However, there is no report of abortion caused by EHV-8 in donkeys. Case presentation: The present case report is about a 4-year-old donkey having an abortion and showing a serious respiratory issue on the 296th day of pregnancy. Bacteriological and molecular tests were used to screen possible bacterial/viral pathogens to detect the etiological agent. Salmonella abortus equi, EHV-1, EHV-4, and EAV were all negative in the current study. EHV-8, on the other hand, was the only agent that was isolated and identified. Conclusions: This was for the first time that EHV-8 had been isolated from a donkey in China. EHV-8 infection can cause abortion in donkeys; therefore, veterinarians and breeders should be aware of it. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: PCV3 is a pathogen associated with porcine dermatitis and nephropathy syndrome (PDNS)-like clinical signs, reproductive failure, and cardiac and multiorgan inflammation, which was newly identified in 2016 in sows in USA. Recently, PCV3 has also been identified from several non-porcine species like (cattle, dog, wild boar, deer, mice and ticks). However, PCV3 infection in donkey is not well established. Since 2019, 300 blood samples were collected from female donkey, which was characterized by abortion and sterility, in Liaocheng city of China. Results: In the present study, an investigation of PCV3 in donkey blood samples was undertaken employing by real time PCR. Positive rates of PCV3 in donkeys reach to 21.0 %. In addition, one full-length PCV3 genome sequence was obtained, and it had a highest identity with porcine circovirus 3 PCV3/CN/Nanjing2017 strain and is clustered to PCV3a genotype based on ORF2 sequences. Conclusions: This is the first report of detection of PCV3 from female donkeys presenting reproductive failure in large-scale donkey farms, China. In addition, the PCV3 strain identified in this study shared the closest relationship with those from porcine, suggesting that PCV3 may be transmitted from pigs to donkeys. Totally, PCV3 infection in donkey should be concerned although the association between it and reproductive failure are not better understood. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Correspondence bias (CB) refers to individuals' tendency to make trait inferences regarding the constrained behavior of others. To investigate the influences of the attitude diagnosticity of behavior and situational constraints on CB in a cross-cultural context, a sample of 357 Chinese undergraduates (140 males, 39.2%) aged 17-27 years old (Mage = 21.13, SD = 1.94) and 252 American undergraduates (111 males, 44%) aged 16 to 24 years old (Mage = 20.39, SD = 1.70) took part in a modified attitude attribution task. The results of analysis of covariance showed that (a) Americans and Chinese undergraduates produced similar patterns in which CB decreased with the attitude diagnosticity of behavior, while (b) only Chinese undergraduates' CB decreased as situational constraints increased. These results indicated that the initial trait attributions were similar for individuals in America and China, but there were cultural differences in the stage with situational constraints. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cave dwelling is an ancient and unique type of residence in the Loess Plateau of Northern China, where the economics are less-developed. The majority of the local dwellers rely on traditional solid fuels for cooking and heating, which can emit large amounts of particles into both indoor and outdoor environments. In this study, we measured the real-time household concentrations of PM2.5 and explored the association between personal daily PM2.5 exposure and blood pressure (BP). Cooking and heating activities with different energies made a great variation in the household PM2.5 air pollution, and residents using biomass had the highest personal PM2.5 exposure. Temperature and relative humidity are both significantly linear correlated with household PM2.5 air pollution. Besides, systolic blood pressure (SBP) was demonstrated to be positively associated with personal PM2.5 exposure: with each 10-μg/m3 incremental PM2.5 concentration when controlling all the other factors, SBP will increase by 0.36 mmHg (95% confident interval (CI) 0.05–0.0.77 mmHg). If solid fuels could be replaced with clean energies, personal PM2.5 exposure and SBP would reduce by more than 21% and 3.7%, respectively, calling for efficient intervention programs to mitigate household air pollution of cave dwellings and protect health of those residents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aim: Granulocyte-colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) is highly beneficial as a general treatment for anti-thyroid drug (ATD)-induced agranulocytosis. This meta-analysis aimed to assess the clinical effects of G-CSF and non-G-CSF on recovery duration in patients with ATD-induced agranulocytosis by analyzing the overall clinical outcomes. Methods: The PubMed, Embase, Ovid, Cochrane, Google Scholar, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) databases were searched for published studies from 1900 to 2018. No language restriction was implemented. Results: This meta-analysis included 10 published retrospective studies and one prospective study. Data were obtained from 11 trials (474 patients: 247 with G-CSF and 227 with non-G-CSF treatment). Compared with the non-G-CSF group, the G-CSF group presented shorter recovery duration [weighted mean difference (WMD) = −3.04 days, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): −4.38 to −1.69 (Z = 4.43 P = 0.000)]. However, the recovery duration varied across regions and recovery criteria. Asian patients achieved significant clinical outcomes [WMD = −3.16 days (95% CI: −4.58 to −1.74, P = 0.000)] compared with European and South American patients [WMD = −2.19 days (95% CI: −7.38 to 3.01, P = 0.409)]. Also, according to various recovery criteria, a duration of granulocyte count increase of more than 1.5 or 1.0 × 109/L [WMD = −3.50 days (95% CI: −4.82 to −2.18 , P = 0.000)] revealed a better treatment effect. Conclusion: G-CSF can significantly shorten the recovery duration in patients with ATD-induced agranulocytosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wang, Y.; Zhang, L., and Haimiti, Y., 2015. Study on spatial variability of soil nutrients in Ebinur lake wetlands in China. Three typical regions were selected in Ebinur Lake wetlands of Xinjiang in China, and the nutrient content of their soil was determined with analytical chemistry approaches. Based on the chemical information, the Geostatistics method was employed to analyze the space variability of the soil nutrients for each region. The results were that the comprehensive nutrients level of Region C (Aqikesu River) was higher than those of Region B (Jinghe and Bortala River) and Region A (Alashankou). There is a strong spatial autocorrelation for the soil nutrients studied. Soil organic matter, nitrogen, available phosphorus in every region showed moderate variability, and the variability of potassium depended on the region. The spatial variability of soil nutrients is assumedly caused by climate, topography, soil type, etc. The study is of great significance in understanding the forming process of soil, as well as in providing scientific reference for restoring of soil degradation and dust resistance of the regions studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of the current study was to examine whether self-efficacy mediated the associations between shyness and subjective well-being, and the universality and specificity of this mediated effect between the different groups in demographic factors, e.g., gender, only children and non-only children, urban and rural in a sample of Chinese college students. We had 311 university students, with age range of 18-24 respond to self-report measures by using the paper and pencil assessments including Cheek and Buss shyness scale, general self-efficacy scale, positive affect and negative affect scale and satisfaction with life scale. Results of structural equation modeling showed fully mediated effect of self-efficacy in the relationship between shyness and life satisfaction, and partially mediated effect of self-efficacy in the relationship between shyness and positive and negative affect. Moreover, multi-group analyses found that the paths did not differ by only children and non-only children, urban and rural, but shyness was more strongly associated with males' self-efficacy, compared to females. Implications and limitations of the findings are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There exist dual features of internationalization and regionalization in the current international monetary system, and the U.S. dollar is still in a dominant position in the system. A lack of relevant institutional constraints has led to institutional deficiencies and systematic risks in the international monetary system, and resulted in the frequent financial crises in the world in recent years. As an emerging economy closely related to the current international monetary system, China has responsibilities and obligations to participate actively in international monetary system reform and push forward international monetary system reform through institutional supply. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) transgenic cotton has been planting in large-scale for more than 10 years in China. It was observed that resistance to bollworm was reduced with the application of big-boll cultivars in China. The objective of the study was to investigate the effects of boll size on the contents of CryIA insecticidal protein in boll shell and cotton seed during the course of boll development. Two experiments were conducted at the Yangzhou University Farm, Yangzhou, China. In 2004, three cultivars including Sikang 1 (small-boll), Xiangza 3 (medium-boll) and Kemian 3 (big-boll) were compared for boll shell volume and 100-seed weight from 10 to 40 days after flowering (DAF), and insecticidal protein contents in boll shell and cotton seed from 10 to 50 DAF. As expected, the differences between cultivars were significant for all the four characteristics. Cultivars with bigger boll shell volume had higher 100-seed weight but lower insecticidal protein contents in both of the boll shell and cotton seed. The correlation between boll size and boll insecticidal protein content was negative (−0.653). The correlation between 100-seed weight and cotton seed insecticidal protein content was significantly negative (−0.645). In 2005, leaf cut (LC) and square removal (SR) treatments were applied to Sikang 1 and Sikang 3. The boll shell volume and 100-seed weight were decreased by LR, but increased by SR. LC significantly enhanced and SR significantly reduced the insecticidal protein contents of boll shell and cotton seed. The correlation between boll size and boll insecticidal protein content (−0.870) and the correlation between 100-seed weight and cotton seed insecticidal protein content were both highly significant and negative (−0.841). Therefore, the results of the study indicated that the boll insecticidal protein content was significantly affected by boll size. The implications of the observed results in breeding, cultural practices and pest management were discussed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Vortex-related data using continuous observations at Kelameili Station in the Gurbantunggut Desert. • The correlation analysis of NEE, GPP, Reco and various environmental factors was carried out. • Assess the carbon sequestration capacity of China's second largest desert and largest fixed semi-fixed desert (Gurbantunggut Desert). • The comparison of carbon source/sink functions in different terrestrial ecosystems provides a reference. • a new direction for finding "carbon failures". Although previous studies have illustrated the variation of CO 2 fluxes in different terrestrial ecosystems, more needs to be reported on desert ecosystems. This study, based on the eddy covariance (EC) measurements data over the Gurbantunggut Desert, analyzed the controlling factors and variations of net ecosystem exchange (NEE), gross primary production (GPP), and ecosystem respiration (Reco) during the growing season (April-September2021) in Gurbantunggut Desert. The results were as follows: 1) Carbon fluxes in the Gurbantunggut Desert had prominent daily and seasonal variations during the growing season. On the daily scale, it showed a net uptake during the day and a net release at night, and the monthly average daily change curve of NEE was "U" shaped; on the seasonal scale, carbon uptake was observed in all months, with a peak of −37.76 gC m−2 month−1 in May. 2)The cumulative amounts of NEE, GPP, and Reco in the Gurbantunggut Desert were −193.74, 235.43, and 41.69 g C m−2, respectively, throughout the growing season, showing carbon sinks. 3) Correlation analysis with environmental factors revealed that NEE, GPP, and Reco of desert ecosystems were highly significantly correlated with photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) at different time scales (p < 0.01). Second, at the half-hourly scale, all environmental factors showed vital significance, with a high correlation with air temperature (Tair) and soil temperature (Tsoil); at the monthly scale, they were significantly correlated with Precipitation (p < 0.05). 4) Photosynthetically active radiation is the dominant factor affecting the daily net ecosystem carbon exchange rate. The two are consistent with the rectangle hyperbola model where the daily net ecosystem carbon exchange rate decreases with increasing photosynthetically active radiation. The results indicate that carbon fluxes in the growing season of the Gurbantunggut Desert ecosystem are more sensitive to the response of photosynthetically active radiation. The results have significant reference value for further understanding and research in predicting the source-sink function and influence mechanism of desert ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Habitat filtering is the dominant mechanism for building plant communities in the Gurbantunggut Desert. • Plant communities of different life types in the same habitat have different construction mechanisms. • The mechanism of community construction on different slopes is mainly influenced by short-lived plants. • Soil factors indirectly influence community phylogenetic diversity by affecting species richness. Analysis of the phylogenetic structure of a community based on the phylogenetic relationships among species in the community can reflect the ecological process of community composition and determine the mechanism of plant community construction. In this study, we analyzed the characteristics of the phylogenetic structure and diversity of plant communities in the Gurbantunggut Desert and their interactions with soil factors and explored the mechanisms of species maintenance in the communities. The results showed that the ecological traits of plants were conserved, habitat filtering was the primary process affecting plant communities, and the diversity of phylogeny was ranked as fixed dunes > semifixed dunes > mobile dunes. At different slope positions within the dune, there is greater phylogenetic diversity at the bottom and lower slope, and habitat filtering dominates community construction, with the dominant role of habitat filtering in the community diminishing as the slope position rises. The phylogenetic diversity of plant communities of different life types is ranked as short-lived plants > small trees and shrubs > annual and perennial herbs. On the bottom and lower slopes, short-lived plants and annual and perennial herbaceous communities are mainly influenced by habitat filtering. Habitat filterability decreased with increasing slope position. On the upper slopes and at the top, competitive exclusion effects between small trees and shrubs dominated. Our analysis shows that soil water content and organic carbon affect phylogenetic diversity mainly by influencing community species richness and that the interaction between soil water content, grain size and plant diversity leads to clustering of species with similar soil preferences, which in turn affects the phylogenetic structure of the community. In addition, the change from habitat filtering to intraspecific competition in plant community construction from the bottom to the top of the slope is mainly influenced by short-lived plant communities, and this type of plant needs to be given priority consideration in the conservation and restoration of desert plant communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the past two decades, neonicotinoid insecticides have been widely used in agricultural activities in China. Many previous studies have investigated the neonicotinoid pollution in aquatic ecosystems, but the status of water safety of neonicotinoid uses in China is very scarce. The present study aims to reveal the spatial and temporal distribution of neonicotinoids in rivers, and then evaluate the ecological risks to aquatic animals. Water samples were collected from all sixteen rivers along the east coast of China during the dry and wet seasons in 2016, and nine individual commercialized neonicotinoids were quantified. Higher concentrations were found during the dry season (343 ± 210 ng/L) compared to those during the wet season (174 ± 162 ng/L). The concentration of neonicotinoid insecticides in river water is mainly affected by the intensity of agricultural activities. The spatial and temporal pollution patterns we discovered suggested the use of neonicotinoids has shifted from old types (i.e., imidacloprid and acetamiprid) to new types (i.e., dinotefuran and nitenpyram) in some areas. The estimated annual quantity of neonicotinoids released into the adjacent seas totaled 1256 ± 780 tons, most of which (95%) ran into the East China Sea due to heavy agricultural use in the Yangtze River Basin. Using the species sensitive distribution (SSD) method, the thresholds for aquatic animals were determined (acute: 362 ng/L; chronic: 58 ng/L). Under current agricultural practices, 27% and 84% of the river water samples exceeded the thresholds for acute and chronic ecological risks, suggesting intervention programs are in urgent need to ensure river water safety for aquatic life in China. Unlabelled Image • Neonicotinoid concentrations were higher during dry than wet season. • Total neonicotinoid concentrations reflect agricultural use of the watershed. • Usage change from old to new types of neonicotinoids was undergoing. • Neonicotinoid concentrations substantially exceeded the thresholds. • Approximate 1256 tons neonicotinoids were transferred to the adjacent seas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Pyrethroid were widely detected in Southeast China. • Pyrethroid residues in dry season were higher than those in wet season. • Pyrethroid residues were significantly associated with season and crop type. • Distribution and partitioning of pyrethroids is dominated by crop difference. Pyrethroid insecticides are widely applied due to the broad spectrum and high efficiency in pest control and detected in various environmental media, but the key factor affecting their occurrence and distribution in agricultural lands is still not clear. Here, we measured pyrethroid residues in 644 surface soil and 630 surface water samples and quantified the impacts of various factors on the distribution and partition of pyrethroids through a large-scale field study in Southeast China during 2015–2017. The pyrethroid residues were widely detected in the studied areas, and the mean concentration of seven individual pyrethroids in surface soil and water ranged from 0.10 (cyfluthrin, (CYF)) to 12.14 ng/g (bifenthrin, (BIF)) and 0.18 (CYF) to 3.36 µg/L (BIF) respectively, which were higher than other regions in China and some other countries. Using a generalized linear model coupled with dominance analysis, we found that the crop type and season were significantly associated with pyrethroid residues in surface soil and water (p < 0.05). The crop difference dominated the variances of the distribution of pyrethroid residues in the surface soil and water with a contribution of more than 55% and followed by the factor of season difference. The findings provide new insight into the distribution and partitioning of pyrethroids in agricultural lands and insecticide control on ecological safety and public health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study Objective: Despite multiple interventions, the incidence of chronic pain after mastectomy could be as high as 50% after surgery. This study aimed to determine the efficacy of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) before anesthesia induction in reducing chronic pain and to compare the effect of combined acupoint TEAS with that of single acupoint TEAS.Design: A multicenter randomized clinical trial.Setting: The study was conducted at six medical centers in China from May 2016 to April 2018. Final follow-up was on October 26, 2018.Participants: Eligible patients were women scheduled for radical mastectomy under general anesthesia.Interventions: Patients were randomly and equally grouped into sham control (n = 188), single acupoint (PC6, n = 198), or combined acupoints (PC6 and CV17, n = 190) TEAS groups using a centralized computer-generated randomization system. TEAS was applied for 30 min before anesthesia induction. The sham-operated control group received electrode attachment but without stimulation. Anesthesiologists, surgeons, and outcome assessors were blinded to the interventions.Measures: The primary endpoint was the incidence of chronic pain 6 months after surgery. Incidences were compared among the groups using the unadjusted χ2 test.Results: Of the 576 randomized patients, 568 completed the trial. In the intention-to-treat analysis, post-mastectomy pain at 6 months was reported in 42 of 190 patients (22.1%) in the combined acupoints group, 65 of 188 patients (34.6%) in the sham-operated group (P = 0.007; relative risk [RR], 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.68, 0.52-0.89), and 72 of 198 patients (36.4%) in the single acupoint group (P = 0.002; RR, 95% CI: 0.72, 0.55-0.93). Remifentanil consumption during surgery and postoperative nausea and vomiting at 24 h after surgery were lower in the combined acupoint group than that in the sham-operated group.Conclusion: TEAS at combined acupoints before surgery was associated with reduced chronic pain 6 months after surgery.Trial Registration: Clinicaltrials.gov identifier: NCT02741726. Registered on April 13, 2016. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]