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Purpose: Teacher well-being has been a concern, but there has been a lack of research on how teacher leadership can contribute to teacher well-being in a high-accountability context and a hierarchical education system such as that of China, particularly through the meditating roles of trust in the leader and teacher efficacy. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to understand the relationship between teacher leadership and teacher well-being while exploring the mediating roles of trust in leaders and teacher efficacy in this relationship. Design/methodology/approach: Using structural equation modeling (SEM) and bootstrap methods with valid answers from 1,144 teachers in 25 primary schools in 1 Chinese city, this study mainly answered three questions--Is there a significant relationship between teacher leadership and teacher well-being? Is there a significant mediating effect of trust in leaders on the relationship between teacher leadership and teacher well-being? Is there a significant mediating effect of teacher efficacy on the relationship between teacher leadership and teacher well-being? Findings: This study reported a positive relationship between teacher leadership and teacher well-being. This study also found positive mediating roles for trust in leaders and teacher efficacy in the relationship between teacher leadership and teacher well-being in a high-accountability and hierarchical system like that of China. Originality/value: This study provides an understanding of the transferability of teacher leadership theories across cultures and has practical significance for educational practice in high-accountability and hierarchical education contexts similar to that of China.

Chamaecrista rotundifolia (C. rotundifolia) is a perennial herb of leguminosae, which increasingly being grown as a forage in China. In our search for original bioactive metabolites from Cassia plants, the phytochemical reinvestigation of the C. rotundifolia was carried out, which led to the isolation of three new (1–3) and six known (4–9) chromones. Their structures were confirmed by spectroscopic methods, including extensive 1D and 2D NMR techniques. Compounds 1–9 were evaluated for their anti-rotavirus activities, and the results revealed that compounds 1–9 exhibited potential anti-rotavirus activities with therapeutic index (TI) valves in the range of 12.0 ∼ 20.2, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Teacher well-being has been a concern, but there has been a lack of research on how teacher leadership can contribute to teacher well-being in a high-accountability context and a hierarchical education system such as that of China, particularly through the meditating roles of trust in the leader and teacher efficacy. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to understand the relationship between teacher leadership and teacher well-being while exploring the mediating roles of trust in leaders and teacher efficacy in this relationship. Design/methodology/approach: Using structural equation modeling (SEM) and bootstrap methods with valid answers from 1,144 teachers in 25 primary schools in 1 Chinese city, this study mainly answered three questions: Is there a significant relationship between teacher leadership and teacher well-being? Is there a significant mediating effect of trust in leaders on the relationship between teacher leadership and teacher well-being? Is there a significant mediating effect of teacher efficacy on the relationship between teacher leadership and teacher well-being? Findings: This study reported a positive relationship between teacher leadership and teacher well-being. This study also found positive mediating roles for trust in leaders and teacher efficacy in the relationship between teacher leadership and teacher well-being in a high-accountability and hierarchical system like that of China. Originality/value: This study provides an understanding of the transferability of teacher leadership theories across cultures and has practical significance for educational practice in high-accountability and hierarchical education contexts similar to that of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Brain metastasis is the terminal event of breast cancer with poor prognoses. Therefore, this article aimed to provide an updated summary on the development, hotspots, and research trends of brain metastasis from breast cancer based on bibliometric analysis. Method: Publications on breast cancer with brain metastasis retrieved from the Web of Science Core Collection. CiteSpace, VOSviewer, and other online bibliometric analysis platforms were used to analyze and visualize the result. Result: In totality, 693 researchers from 3,623 institutions across 74 counties and regions published a total of 2,790 papers in 607 journals. There was a noticeable increase in publications in 2006. The United States was the dominant country with the most publications followed by China. University Texas MD Anderson Cancer Centerwas the most productive institution, while Dana Farber Cancer Institution was the most cited. Journal of Neuro-Oncology published the most papers, while Journal of Clinical Oncology ranked first based on cocited analysis. Nancy U. Lin was the most productive and cited author with high influence. There was a focus on basic research, clinical trials, local therapy, treatment optimization, and epidemiological studies regarding brain metastases from breast cancer. References focused on pathogenesis, prevention, treatment, and prognosis were cited most frequently, among which the clinical trial of novel treatment attracted most attention from researchers. Reference citation burst detection suggested that new therapies such as the novel tyrosine kinase inhibitor and antibody-drug conjugate may lead the research trends in the future. Conclusion: High-income countries contributed more to the field of breast cancer with brain metastasis, while developing countries like China developed quickly. Furthermore, the success of novel therapies in recent years may lead to the new era of treatment of breast cancer with brain metastasis in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study replicated Wang and Singer's ([2021]. A cross-cultural study of self-defining memories in Chinese and American college students. Frontiers in Psychology, 11. ) finding that Chinese college students from the People's Republic of China (PRC) recalled more self-defining memories (SDMs) focused on high school academic stress than their American counterparts. Seventy-eight American students from a private 4-year liberal arts college and 96 Chinese students from 13 different Chinese universities recalled two SDMs and rated them for affect, recall frequency, and importance. Once again, Chinese college students were more likely than American students to recall academic stress SDMs, but also expressed more redemptive themes in these memories. Overall, Chinese students rated their SDMs as more positive than the Americans, while the American sample tended to recall their negative memories more frequently. Contrasting the SDMs, American students self-reported higher levels of stress about their high school workload and less academic self-confidence. Regressions linked more negative affect in American SDMs to these work load and self-confidence concerns. Chinese students' SDM negative affect was most strongly predicted by perceived academic stress linked to parental and teachers' expectations. The discussion highlights the potential influence of Confucian values in the Chinese students' responses to past academic stress and their internalisation of academic stress memories in their narrative identity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The role of airway impairment assessed by impulse oscillometry (IOS) in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) remains unclear. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the proportion and clinical characteristics of airway impairment assessed by IOS across COPD severities, and explore whether airway impairment is a subtype of COPD. Methods: This study was based on cross-sectional data from the ECOPD cohort in Guangdong, China. Subjects were consecutively recruited from July 2019 to August 2021. They filled out questionnaires and underwent lung function tests, IOS and computed tomography (CT). COPD was defined as post-bronchodilator forced expiratory volume in one second/forced vital capacity < lower limit of normal (LLN). Meanwhile, airway impairment was defined as IOS parameters > upper limit of normal or < LLN. On the one hand, Poisson regression was employed to analyze the associations between acute exacerbations of COPD (AECOPD) in the previous year and airway impairment. On the other hand, logistic regression was used to assess differences in CT imaging between patients with IOS parameters' abnormalities and patients with normal IOS parameters. Results: 768 COPD subjects were finally enrolled in the study. The proportion of airway impairment assessed by R5, R20, R5–R20, X5, AX, and Fres was 59.8%, 29.7%, 62.5%, 52.9%, 60.9% and 67.3%, respectively. Airway impairment assessed by IOS parameters (R5, R5–R20, X5, AX, and Fres) in patients with COPD was present across all severities of COPD, particularly in GOLD 3–4 patients. Compared with patients with normal IOS parameters, patients with IOS parameters' abnormalities had more respiratory symptoms, more severe airway obstruction and imaging structural abnormalities. Patients with IOS parameters' abnormalities assessed by R5 [risk ratio (RR): 1.58, 95% confidential interval (CI): 1.13–2.19, P = 0.007], R5–R20 [RR: 1.73, 95%CI: 1.22–2.45, P = 0.002], X5 [RR: 2.11, 95%CI: 1.51–2.95, P < 0.001], AX [RR: 2.20, 95%CI: 1.53–3.16, P < 0.001], and Fres [RR: 2.13, 95%CI: 1.44–3.15, P < 0.001] had a higher risk of AECOPD in the previous year than patients with normal IOS parameters. Conclusions: Airway impairment assessed by IOS may be a subtype of COPD. Future studies are warranted to identify the underlying mechanisms and longitudinal progression of airway impairment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The lack of simple and affordable spirometry has led to the missed and delayed diagnoses of chronic respiratory diseases in communities. The PUS201P is a portable spirometry developed to solve this problem.Objective: We aimed to verify the consistency of the PUS201P spirometer with conventional Jaeger spirometer.Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we randomly recruited 202 subjects aged > 40 years. Testing with the portable spirometry and conventional spirometry were performed on all participants. We compared forced expiratory volume in one second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), FEV1/FVC measured by the PUS201P device with the conventional spirometer. Pearson correlation coefficient and Interclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC) were assessed to confirm the consistency of the measures from two instruments. Bland-Altman graph was created to assess the agreement of the measures from two devices.Results: 202 participants were included in this study. The ICC on FEV1, FVC, FEV1/FVC measured by the portable spirometer and the conventional spirometer were 0.95 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.94-0.96), 0.92 (95% CI: 0.90-0.94], 0.93 (95% CI: 0.91-0.95), respectively. The Bland-Altman plots showed that the mean difference between the measures from two spirometers are always located in the 95% limits of agreement.Conclusions: Our results support that the measures from the portable spirometer and the conventional spirometer have a good agreement and reproducibility. And the portable spirometer is a reliable tool to screen and diagnose chronic airway diseases in the primary care settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ammonia nitrogen (AN) is evaluated with fixed water quality standards (WQSs) in aquatic environment management in China. Since the toxicity of AN can be influenced by water parameters, the current evaluation is not rigorous and may result in problematic conclusions. The present study collected the ecotoxicity and exposure data of AN in Chinese surface freshwaters in 2017. The species sensitivity distribution of AN was established, and the ecological risk posed by AN in Chinese surface waters was assessed with Chinese AN water quality criteria. The results showed that mollusk species are the most sensitive taxa to AN. Ecological risk assessments on AN suggested that, in summer and autumn, when the water temperature and pH are high, the risk of AN may occur at some sites with good water quality (Class II or III). This poses a threat to aquatic organisms at these sites, especially highly sensitive freshwater shellfish. It suggested that neglect of water parameters impact may lead to underestimation of ecological risk of AN in Chinese basins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Liver cancer is a type of malignant tumor with high morbidity and mortality in People's Republic of China. Its occurrence and development involve the variation and expression changes of multiple genes, and the pathogenesis and related regulatory networks are complex. Purpose: In the present research, we investigate the involvement of NEAT1_2 and SFPQ in cisplatin resistance in liver cancer. The effects of LncRNA NEAT1 and SFPQ expression on the chemotherapeutic resistance of liver cancer cells were analyzed. Methods: The expression level of NEAT1_2 and SFPQ mRNA in tissue specimens or cell lines were examined by RT-qPCR and western blotting. CCK-8 assay was performed to evaluate cell viability. Cell proliferation was performed using the EdU cell proliferation assay. Results: Our data showed that increase NEAT1_2 and SFPQ expressions in liver cancer specimens were associated with the development of cisplatin resistance; high SFPQ expression level impaired patients' survival from liver cancer. Gain-and loss-of function assay using NEAT1_2 knock-in and knock-out cells constructed using CRISPER/Cas9 system revealed that NEAT1_2 is essential for liver cancer cell survival and mediates cisplatin resistance in liver cancer cells at least partially through SFPQ. Artificial change in NEAT1_2 expression level didn't significantly influence SFPQ transcription or translation level. Conclusion: Our data revealed NEAT1_2—SFPQ axis as a novel cisplatin resistance mechanism in liver cancer cells in vitro. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Developing inclusive finance plays an important role in achieving one objective of the 13th five-year plan for advancing financial reform in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The nematophagous fungus Duddingtonia flagrans has been investigated as a biological agent for the control of gastrointestinal nematodes infecting domestic animals in other countries. However, D. flagrans has not been detected in China. In this study 1,135 samples were examined from 2012 to 2014; 4 D. flagrans isolates (SDH 035, SDH 091, SFH 089, SFG 170) were obtained from the feces of domestic animals and dung compost. The 4 isolates were then characterized morphologically. The SDH 035 strain was characterized by sequencing the ITS1-5.8S rDNA-ITS2 region. A BLAST search showed that the SDH 035 strain (GenBank KP257593) was 100% identical to Arthrobotrys flagrans (AF106520) and was identified as D. flagrans. The morphological plasticity of the isolated strain and the interaction of this strain with the nematode targets were observed by subjecting the infected trichostrongylide L3 to scanning electron microscopy. At 6 and 8 hr after trichostrongylide L3 was added, hyphal ramifications were observed and L3 were captured, respectively. Scanning electron micrographs were obtained at 0, 6, 12, 18, 24, 30, 36, 42, and 48 hr, where 0 is the time when trichostrongylide L3 were first captured by the fungus. The details of the capture process by the fungus are also described. Chlamydospores were observed in the body of L3 in the late stage of digestion. A sticky substance and bacteria could be observed in contact areas between predation structures and nematode cuticle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gambogic acid (GA) inhibits the proliferation of various human cancer cells. However, because of its water insolubility, the antitumor efficacy of GA is limited. Objectives. To investigate the antitumor activity of gambogic acid lysinate (GAL) and its mechanism. Methods. Inhibition of cell proliferation was determined by MTT assay; intracellular ROS level was detected by staining cells with DCFH-DA; cell apoptosis was determined by flow cytometer and the mechanism of GAL was investigated by Western blot. Results. GAL inhibited the proliferation of MCF-7 cells with IC50 values 1.46 µmol/L comparable with GA (IC50, 1.16 µ mol/L). GAL promoted the production of ROS; however NAC could remove ROS and block the effect of GAL. GAL inhibited the expression of SIRT1 but increased the phosphorylation of FOXO3a and the expression of p27Kip1. At knockdown of FOXO3a, cell apoptosis induced by GAL can be partly blocked. In addition it also enhanced the cleavage of caspase-3. Conclusions. GAL inhibited MCF-7 cell proliferation and induced MCF-7 cell apoptosis by increasing ROS level which could induce cell apoptosis by both SIRT1/FOXO3a/p27Kip1 and caspase-3 signal pathway. These results suggested that GAL might be useful as a modulation agent in cancer chemotherapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aconitum, widely used to treat rheumatoid arthritis for thousands of years, is a toxic herb that can frequently cause fatal cardiac poisoning. Aconitum toxicity could be decreased by properly hydrolyzing diester-diterpene alkaloids into monoester-diterpene alkaloids. Monoester-diterpene alkaloids, including benzoylaconine (BAC), benzoylmesaconine (BMA), and benzoylhypaconine (BHA), are the primary active and toxic constituents of processed Aconitum. Cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzymes protect the human body by functioning as the defense line that limits the invasion of toxicants. Our purposes were to identify the CYP metabolites of BAC, BMA, and BHA in human liver microsomes and to distinguish which isozymes are responsible for their metabolism through the use of chemical inhibitors, monoclonal antibodies, and cDNA-expressed CYP enzyme. High-resolution mass spectrometry was used to characterize the metabolites. A total of 7,8, and 9 metab olites were detected for BAC, BMA, and BHA, respectively. The main metabolic pathways were demethylation, dehydrogenation, demethylation-dehydrogenation, hydroxylation and didemethylation, which produced less toxic metabolites by decomposing the group responsible for the toxicity of the parent compound. Taken together, the results of the chemical inhibitors, monoclonal antibodies, and cDNA-expressed CYP enzymes experiments demonstrated that CYP3A4 and CYP3A5 have essential functions in the metabolism of BAC, BMA, and BHA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies the mode choice problem considering the peak travel chain in a day. The transportation system comprises a subway parallel to a bottleneck-constrained highway between a residential area and a working place. Commuters can get their destinations by either auto or transit only; besides these two modes, they can drive to .the bottleneck, park there and then take subway to the destination. Based on the bottleneck theory, a hierarchical Logit model is used to describe commuters' mode choice behaviors, and then mode choice equilibrium equations under elastic demand are constructed. Furthermore, optimal fare and parking fee strategies under four mechanisms are discussed. It is shown that when transit and park-and-ride place are operated by government and the working area parking lot belongs to a private enterprise, lower fares and higher parking fees in working area can effectively encourage parking interchanging, increase public transit trip contribution rate and maximize the system's total net benefit. Numerical results also support the current differentiation parking charge policy in Beijing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Succession patterns for insect fauna, spanning four seasons, on rabbit carcasses were studied in Guangzhou China from 2006 to 2008. A total of 49 taxa belonging to three orders and 15 families were collected and identified. Four decomposition stages were recognized: fresh, bloated, decay and dry stage. Taxa diversity was higher in bloated and decay stages than fresh and dry stages. Internal and ambient temperatures were measured. Maximum internal temperature arrived earlier in warmer seasons. The sequence of insect succession in this study follows the same general patterns: the Diptera peaked initially, and the Coleoptera peaked later. Chrysomya megacephala was the dominant species in four seasons. Its time point of different development stages on carrion could be the most important indicators for PMI (postmortem interval) estimation in Guangzhou. Yearly and seasonal differences in activities of insects were compared. Alpha diversity indices were calculated. There were no significant differences in Shannon-Wiener index, evenness ( J) and dominance ( C) between seasons and years. From the Jaccard similarity index, the highest similarity was between winter and spring, while the lowest was between summer and winter. Some species occurring exclusively in one season may be important to characterize different seasons. A list of the insect taxa associated with above-ground rabbit carrion during the four seasons was compiled, which can be used for estimating time since death in similar bio-climate areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrogen is essential for forest growth and forest stand development. It is commonly a limited factor for forest productivity. We examined δ15N values in soils and plants by studying the sources of N used by vegetation and cycles of N in a 43-year-old plantation of the TieShanPing forest ecosystem in southwestern China, dominated by massone pine ( Pinus massoniana). The N concentration of plant materials ranges from 1.1% to 2.2%. The nitrogen concentration of P. massoniana was 1.3% while soils showed the concentration of 0.04–0.15%. Regarding natural abundance of 15N, large significant variation (−6.0‰ to −3.8‰) in δ15N values was observed among shrub and tree leaves. δ15N values were also significantly varied from −4.7‰ to −3.8‰ among the pioneer species in the plantation. Soil δ15N values (3.1–6.3‰) were significantly enriched compared to those values in plant samples. Despite the negative δ15N values of the vegetation cover, the high δ15N values in the topsoil indicate that return of N to soils by litter-fall is minimal on TieShanPing and the present forests do not change very much the soil 15N signals at the surface layer. The positive δ15N values may also indicate large N losses from the soil system vial leaching, volatilization and plant uptake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studied the concentration, seasonal variation, size distribution of water soluble organic matter in atmospheric aerosols in the Beijing and the Okinawa area. Size fractionate aerosols were sampled in Beijing city and Okinawa islands respectively in 2006, water-distilled samples were analyzed by total organic carbon (TOC) analysis to obtain the concentration level of organic carbon. Results showed that the concentration of total water soluble organics in Beijing area ranged from 8.31 ~ 20.03 µg ⋅ m-3 The concentration of total water soluble organics in Okinawa area was 3.39 µg ⋅ m-3. Water soluble organics mainly existed in fine particles (d<2.1 µm), which account for 42% ~ 53% of water soluble organics in total suspended particles in Beijing and 39% ~ 46% in Okinawa. The concentration of water soluble organics in Beijing area was the highest in winter, which was influenced by local emissions; while the concentration of water soluble organics in Okinawa area was the highest in spring, with the main influence from long range transport of pollutants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ali/(Ca + Mg) molar ratio in soil water has been used as an indicator to the effects of acid deposition on terrestrial ecosystems. However, the main factors controlling this ratio have not been well documented in southern and southwestern China. In this study, we presented the variation in inorganic aluminum (Ali) and Ali/(Ca + Mg) molar ratio in different sites and soil horizons based on two to three years monitoring data, and evaluated the main factors controlling Ali/(Ca + Mg) molar ratio using principle component analysis (PCA) and partial least square (PLS) regression. Monitoring data showed although Ali/(Ca + Mg) molar ratios in most soil water were lower than assumed critical 1.0, higher molar ratios were found in some soil water at TSP and LXH site. Besides acid loading, both soil properties and soil water chemistry affected the value of Ali/(Ca + Mg) molar ratio in soil water. Partial least square (PLS) indicated that they had different relative importance in different soil horizons. In A-horizon, soil aluminum saturation (AlS) had higher influence on Ali/(Ca + Mg) molar ratio than soil water chemistry did; higher soil aluminum saturation (AlS) led to higher Ali/(Ca + Mg) molar ratio in soil water. In the deeper horizons (i.e., B1-, B2- and BC-horizon), inorganic aluminum (Ali) in soil water had more and more important role in regulating Ali/(Ca + Mg) molar ratio. On regional scale, soil aluminum saturation (AlS) as well as cation exchange capacity (CEC) was the dominant factor controlling Ali/(Ca + Mg) molar ratio. This should be paid enough attention on when making regional acid rain control policy in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The association between diurnal temperature range (DTR) and hospitalization for exacerbation of chronic respiratory diseases (CRD) was rarely reported.Objectives: To examine the association between DTR and daily hospital admissions for exacerbation of CRD and find out the potential effect of modifications on this association.Method: Data on daily hospitalization for exacerbation of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), asthma and bronchiectasis and meteorology measures from 2013 through 2017 were obtained from 21 cities in South China. After controlling the effects of daily mean temperature, relative humidity (RH), particulate matter < 2.5 μm diameter (PM2.5) and other confounding factors, a standard generalized additive model (GAM) with a quasi-Poisson distribution was performed to evaluate the relationships between DTR and daily hospital admissions of CRD in a two-stage strategy. Subgroup analysis was performed to find potential modifications, including seasonality and population characteristics.Result: Elevated risk of hospitalization for exacerbation of CRD (RR = 1.09 [95%CI: 1.08 to 1.11]) was associated with the increase in DTR (the 75th percentile versus the 25th percentile of DTR at lag0-6). The effects of DTR on hospital admissions for CRD were strong at low DTR in the hot season and high DTR in the cold season. The RR (the 75th percentile versus the 25th percentile of DTR at lag0-6) of hospitalization was 1.11 (95%CI: 1.08 to 1.12) for exacerbations of COPD and 1.09 (95%CI: 1.05 to 1.13) for asthma. The adverse effect of DTR on hospitalization for bronchiectasis was only observed in female patients (RR = 1.06 [95%CI: 1.03 to 1.10]).Conclusion: Our study provided additional evidence for the association between DTR and daily hospitalization for exacerbation of CRD, and these associations are especially stronger in COPD patients and in the cold season than the hot season. Preventive measures to reduce the adverse impacts of DTR were needed for CRD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Acceptance of disability relates to the process of adaptation, which reflects how the values of a patient change over time to accept herself or himself as an intrinsically worthy person. Acceptance of disability (AOD) plays an important role in the adjustment of persons with physical disability to their environment. However, no studies on the level of AOD in patients with breast cancer are available in the literature. Purpose: The aim of this study was to explore the significant factors that influence disability acceptance in Chinese women with breast cancer. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 292 patients with breast cancer between January and April 2017. Participants were assessed using the Acceptance of Disability Scale-Revised, Medical Coping Modes Questionnaire, Sense of Coherence Scale, Social Relational Quality Scale, and general information questionnaire. Multiple regression analysis was used to determine the factors associated with the level of disability acceptance. Results: The mean score for AOD was 79.14 and ranged from 32 to 128. Multiple regression analysis indicated that family intimacy, friendships, confrontation, manageability, family commitment, marital status, surgery, and acceptance–resignation significantly affected disability acceptance, explaining 49.1% of the total variance in disability acceptance. Conclusions/Implications for Practice: The participants had a moderate level of disability acceptance. Disability acceptance is an important factor in the psychosocial adaptation to cancer. Healthcare staff should pay special attention to low scores for this factor and explore the potential of psychological interventions to effectively reduce the posttraumatic stress response, encourage the adoption of positive coping strategies, and hasten disability acceptance and return to society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sub-health status is defined as declines in vitality, physiological function and capacity for adaptation, but without the presence of clinical or sub-clinical disease. We have developed and evaluated a comprehensive questionnaire, the Sub-Health Self-Rating Scale (SSS), to assess sub-health status in university students.Method: The items for the draft questionnaire were discussed in focus groups. The WHOQOL-BREF was selected as the validity reference. From a professional perspective and large sample evaluation, the scale ultimately consisted of 58 items. The reliability and validity of the SSS was examined in undergraduate students and 1000 questionnaires were randomly selected from the samples for expert evaluation.Results: Cronbach's α of the total scale was 0.942. The dimensions of physiological, psychological and social had high reliability: 0.915, 0.856 and 0.850, respectively. Based on scree plot and related theories, there were 10 factors to be extracted. The correlation coefficient between the total scale and sub-scale was high. The dimensions of physiological, psychological and social had high correlations with the total scale: 0.929, 0.803 and 0.774, respectively. The sub-health cut-off point of the total scale was 72; for the physiological field, it was 72; for the psychological field, it was 60; and the social field, it was 56. The fit between the expert evaluation method and the scale method was 0.758. The lower the score, the worse the health condition.Conclusion: We established and evaluated a valid instrument (SSS) that encompasses physiological, psychological and social factors to investigate sub-health status. It is short and easy to complete, and therefore suitable for use with undergraduate students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A study on commuter''s exposure to PM1 in Shanghai was presented. Commuters'' real-time exposure concentrations by the common travel modes (bus, walking, cycling, taxi and subway) were measured by DustTrak™ dust monitors, and the average exposure concentrations and inhalation doses were analyzed. The lengths of the routes were designed to be within 30-min walking distance. The average PM1 exposure concentrations during commuting were 0.147 ± 0.092 mg m−3, 0.145 ± 0.088 mg m−3, 0.140 ± 0.086 mg m−3, 0.139 ± 0.086 mg m−3 and 0.122 ± 0.077 mg m−3 for the bus, walking, cycling, taxi and subway trips respectively. The concentrations in the microenvironments were 0.147 ± 0.096 mg m−3, 0.155 ± 0.098 mg m−3, 0.142 ± 0.092 mg m−3 and 0.079 ± 0.051 mg m−3 for the bus station, bus, taxi and train respectively. The concentrations in the microenvironments were close to those in Guangzhou and higher compared to the results in London, Sydney, Florence, etc. The combined effect of exposure concentration, travel time and inhalation rate led to different inter-mode relationship of inhalation doses compared to that of exposure concentrations. The inhalation doses were 54.5 ± 38.9 μg, 45.2 ± 30.1 μg, 29.2 ± 25.4 μg, 28.6 ± 25.9 μg and 12.8 ± 13.4 μg for the cycling, walking, bus, subway and taxi trips respectively. The outdoor fractions of the inhalation doses by bus, taxi and subway were much higher than the indoor fractions. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• A novel rhabdovirus, NcNSRV-1, was discovered in Nephotettix cincticeps. • NcNSRV-1 is phylogenetically closer to the rhabdoviruses isolated from insects. • NcNSRV-1 possesses a unique transcription initiation sequence. • NcNSRV-1 was widespread in field populations of N. cincticeps. The family Rhabdoviridae is one of the most ecological diverse groups of RNA viruses, with remarkable genome complexity and wide host range. Rhabdoviruses are discovered in many insect species, and insects, such as midges, mosquitoes, aphids and leafhoppers, act as crucial vectors for rhabdovirus transmission. Here, a novel rhabdovirus was identified in green rice leafhopper, Nephotettix cincticeps (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae), a common virus vector on rice. This virus was named as Nephotettix cincticeps negative-stranded RNA virus-1 (NcNSRV-1). The genome of NcNSRV-1 is 12,361 nucleotides in length, flanked by untranslated 3′ leader and 5′ trailer. The anti-sense viral genome consists of five major structural protein genes (N , P , M , G and L), which shares a typical architecture with the family Rhabdoviridae. An additional gene, P6 , is interposed between G and L genes. NcNSRV-1 is phylogenetically clustered with the unclassified rhabdoviruses isolated from insects and exhibits low sequence identities with other viruses. The transcription regulatory sequences in NcNSRV-1 gene junctions were determined, revealing a unique transcription initiation sequence. In view of the phylogeny, sequence identity and genome organization, NcNSRV-1 is likely to be an insect rhabdovirus. Field surveys showed NcNSRV-1 was prevalent in the rice field populations of N. cincticeps in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a highly fatal disease recognized as a growing global health crisis. Traditional Chinese herbal medicines have been used to treat patients with cancer for many years in China. This study investigated the effects of licochalcone B (LCB), a flavonoid compound isolated from the root of Glycyrrhiza uralensis Fisch., on cell proliferation, DNA damage and TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL)-mediated apoptosis in HCC cells. Our results showed that LCB inhibited cell proliferation and induced DNA damage, cell cycle arrest and apoptosis. Treatment with LCB significantly inhibited the Akt/mTOR pathway and activated endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway. Moreover, combined treatment with LCB and TRAIL yielded evident enhancements in the viability reduction and apoptosis. LCB upregulated death receptor 4 (DR4) and death receptor 5 (DR5) protein in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. The knockdown of DR5 significantly suppressed TRAIL-induced cleavage of PARP, which was enhanced by LCB. Treatment with an extracellular-regulated kinase (ERK) inhibitor (PD98059) or c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) inhibitor (SP600125) markedly reduced the LCB-induced upregulation of DR5 expression and attenuated LCB-mediated TRAIL sensitization. In summary, LCB exhibits cytotoxic activity through modulation of the Akt/mTOR, ER stress and MAPK pathways in HCC cells and effectively enhances TRAIL sensitivity through the upregulation of DR5 expression in ERK- and JNK-dependent manner. Combination therapy with LCB and TRAIL may be an alternative treatment strategy for HCC. [Display omitted] • LCB induces cell cycle arrest, DNA damage and apoptosis in HCC cells. • LCB regulates the Akt/mTOR, ER stress and MAPK pathways. • LCB upregulates DR5 and sensitizes TRAIL-induced apoptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A cross-sectional survey of measles seroprevalence in general population was conducted in Jiangsu province of China. Data were analyzed by employing commercial ELISA cut-offs and mixture models. The results suggest that the overall measles seroprevalence rate in Jiangsu province (88.7%, 95% confidence interval 87.7–89.6%) was lower than the level believed to be necessary for the elimination of measles. Mixture model could provide a more comprehensive understanding of these results by investigating the different levels of antibody response to vaccination or natural infection in the population, and suggest that the vaccine-induced antibody levels may wane with time. Additional actions should be conducted in the young adult cohorts aged 15–19 years in center region. SIAs for susceptible birth cohorts over the whole province are urgent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The first ever shipboard measurements of atmospheric gaseous elemental mercury (GEM) over the Yellow Sea were carried out. Ground measurements were also performed at background and urban sites surrounding the Yellow Sea during 2007–2008. The GEM mean concentrations obtained from ground measurements at Ningbo, Chengshantou, and Deokjeok, and from shipboard measurements for the routes of Incheon–Qingdao, Incheon–Weihai, and Incheon–Jeju were 3.79 ± 1.29, 2.07 ± 0.91, 1.79 ± 0.80, 1.82 ± 0.51, 2.03 ± 0.66, and 2.43 ± 0.59 ng m−3, respectively. Compared with the GEM background concentration in the northern hemisphere, the slightly higher GEM regional background concentration of 2.08 ± 0.85 ng m−3 over the Yellow Sea region, based on shipboard measurements and ground measurements at background sites, gave implications for the impact of anthropogenic mercury sources surrounding the Yellow Sea. Shipboard measurements over the Yellow Sea showed a decrease of mercury concentration compared with aircraft measurements during ACE-ASIA campaign in 2001, though it was still generally higher than those from other seas or oceans around the world. The contrasting patterns in seasonal and diurnal variations of GEM concentration between background and urban sites were apparent due to the influence of different sources; for example, natural sources, such as vegetative and foliar emissions in background area, and local anthropogenic sources, such as coal combustion in urban area. The significantly elevated GEM concentrations at Deokjeok, a Korean background site, during the spring of 2008 were attributed to the long-range transport from the southern part of Liaoning province, one of the heaviest mercury-polluted areas in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the 30 commercial HIV-antibody (HIV-Ab) assays in the nationwide assessment program of China using classical and Bayesian statistical methods. The classical estimates of sensitivity and specificity varied from 95.9% to 100% and from 94.6% to 100%, respectively. The proportions of assays with 100% sensitivity and with 100% specificity reached 63.3% (19/30) and 3.3% (1/30), respectively. Using the Bayesian logit hierarchical model, the overall estimates of sensitivity and specificity were 99.8% (95% Bayesian credible interval [BCI]: 99.4–100%) and 98.1% (95% BCI: 97.4–98.7%), respectively, for the 17 ELISAs under evaluation. For the 13 rapid assays, the corresponding overall estimates were reported to be 99.2% (95% BCI: 98.5–99.8%) and 98.4% (95% BCI: 97.8–98.9%), respectively. In addition, given the prevalences of HIV infection among the general population of China and the intravenous drug user group in China, the positive predictive values were estimated for each individual assay in the framework of the two schools of statistical thought. Furthermore, by comparing the two types of estimates, it is concluded that the two types of statistical methods were complementary for the evaluation of very accurate HIV-Ab assays. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The relation of acute fluctuations of air pollution to hospital admission for bronchiectasis remained uncertain, and large-scale studies were needed. We collected daily concentrations of particulate matter (PM), sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), carbon monoxide (CO), ozone (O3), and daily hospitalizations for bronchiectasis for 21 cities across Guangdong Province from 2013 through 2017. We examined their association using two-stage time-series analysis. Our analysis was stratified by specific sub-diagnosis, sex and age group to assess potential effect modifications. Relative risks of hospitalization for bronchiectasis were 1.060 (95%CI 1.014-1.108) for PM10 at lag0-6, 1.067 (95%CI 1.020-1.116) for PM2.5 at lag0-6, 1.038 (95%CI 1.005-1.073) for PMcoarse at lag0-6, 1.058 (95%CI 1.015-1.103) for SO2 at lag0-4, 1.057 (95%CI 1.030-1.084) for NO2 at lag0 and 1.055 (95%CI 1.025-1.085) for CO at lag0-6 per interquartile range increase of air pollution. Specifically, acute fluctuations of air pollution might be a risk factor for bronchiectasis patients with lower respiratory infection but not with hemoptysis. Patients aged ≥65 years, and female patients appeared to be particularly susceptible to air pollution. Acute fluctuations of air pollution, particularly PM may increase the risk of hospital admission for bronchiectasis exacerbations, especially for the patients complicated with lower respiratory infection. This study strengthens the importance of reducing adverse impact on respiratory health of air pollution to protect vulnerable populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]