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Abstract With the development of urbanization, the spatial and temporal distribution characteristics of the urban landscape pattern play a decisive role in the intensity of the urban heat island (UHI) effect. A panel data model was constructed to study the relationship between the UHI effect and landscape pattern in Kunming from 1995 to 2020 at four different scales. The results indicate: (1) The landscape pattern of Kunming changed obviously with time, the artificial patch increased, the natural patch decreased, and the UHI effect became more and more obvious; (2) With an increase in scale, the number of influencing variables continues to grow, and the impact of artificial patches gradually intensifies; (3) The normalized difference water index (NDWI) has the greatest influence on the UHI, and the cooling effect is more obvious with the increase in scale. Unlike previous studies, the spatial configuration of the landscape in Kunming City had a stronger effect on the UHI effect than the landscape grouping and vegetation index; (4) This paper introduces the panel data model into the discussion of the UHI for the first time, providing a new method for better understanding the changing patterns of the urban thermal environment.

Abstract To compare the economic burden of disease and quality of life in patients with premature ejaculation (PE) and erectile dysfunction (ED). A convenience sampling method was used, and self-designed general information questionnaire, disease economic burden questionnaire, and SF-12 quality of life questionnaire were used to investigate 494 patients with ED and 285 patients with PE who attended a tertiary hospital in Taiyuan City from October 2021 to May 2023, and the relevant data were analysed using SPSS26.0 statistical software. The direct, indirect, intangible, and total economic burdens of the two groups were compared, and the differences were statistically significant (P

Abstract In this study, we reported for the first time the dose-dependent dual effects of Alpha-Ketoglutarate (AKG) on cumulus oocyte complexes (COCs) during in vitro maturation (IVM). AKG at appropriate concentration (30 µM) has beneficial effects on IVM. This includes improved cumulus expansion, oocyte quality, and embryo development. These effects are mediated through multiple underlying mechanisms. AKG reduced the excessive accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in cumulus cells, reduced the consumption of GSH and NADPH. Cumulus GSH and NADPH were transported to oocytes via gap junctions, thereby reducing the oxidative stress, apoptosis and maintaining the redox balance in oocytes. In addition, AKG improved the mitochondrial function by regulating the mitochondrial complex 1 related gene expression in oocytes to maintain mitochondrial membrane potential and ATP production. On the other hand, oocyte generated GDF9 could also be transported to cumulus cells to promote cumulus expansion. Conversely, a high concentration of AKG (750 µM) exerted adverse effects on IVM and suppressed the cumulus expansion as well as reduced the oocyte quality. The suppression of the cumulus expansion caused by high concentration of AKG could be rescued with GDF9 supplementation in COCs, indicating the critical role of GDF9 in IVM. The results provide valuable information on the variable effects of AKG at different concentrations on reproductive physiology. Graphical abstract

Abstract Background Coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke have become the leading cause of premature mortality and morbidity worldwide. Therefore, sensitive and accurate biomarkers for early detection of CHD and stroke are urgently needed for effective prevention and treatment. We aim to investigate the association between blood-based HYAL2 methylation and the risk of CHD and stroke in Chinese population. Methods In a prospective nested case–control study comprising 171 CHD cases, 139 stroke cases, who developed the diseases after recruitment and 356 controls who remained healthy during the 2.5 years of follow-up time, the methylation level of HYAL2 in the peripheral blood was quantified using mass spectrometry, and the association was calculated by logistic regression adjusted for covariant. Results Significant association between HYAL2 methylation in the peripheral blood and increased risk of preclinical CHD and stroke were identified [odds ratios (ORs) per − 10% methylation: 1.35–1.64, p ≤ 0.045 for HYAL2_CpG_1, HYAL2_CpG_2 and HYAL2_CpG_3 in CHD; ORs per − 10% methylation: 0.76–1.64, p ≤ 0.033 for HYAL2_CpG_2 and HYAL2_CpG_4 in stroke]. The association in CHD was further enhanced by female gender, younger age (

Abstract The cornea is the outermost layer of the eye and plays an essential role in our visual system. Limbal epithelial stem cells (LESCs), which are localized to a highly regulated limbal niche, are the master conductors of corneal epithelial regeneration. Damage to LESCs and their niche may result in limbal stem cell deficiency (LSCD), a disease confused ophthalmologists so many years and can lead to corneal conjunctivalization, neovascularization, and even blindness. How to restore the LESCs function is the hot topic for ocular scientists and clinicians around the world. This review introduced LESCs and the niche microenvironment, outlined various techniques for isolating and culturing LESCs used in LSCD research, presented common diseases that cause LSCD, and provided a comprehensive overview of both the diagnosis and multiple treatments for LSCD from basic research to clinical therapies, especially the emerging cell therapies based on various stem cell sources. In addition, we also innovatively concluded the latest strategies in recent years, including exogenous drugs, tissue engineering, nanotechnology, exosome and gene therapy, as well as the ongoing clinical trials for treating LSCD in recent five years. Finally, we highlighted challenges from bench to bedside in LSCD and discussed cutting-edge areas in LSCD therapeutic research. We hope that this review could pave the way for future research and translation on treating LSCD, a crucial step in the field of ocular health. Graphical Abstract

Abstract Background Circular RNAs (circRNAs) have been implicated in the development and progression of gastric cancer (GC). However, it remains unclear whether dysregulated circRNA affects immune escape and the efficacy of immunotherapy in GC. Our aim is to investigate the molecular mechanism of circRNA affecting GC immunotherapy and identify effective molecular therapeutic targets. Methods The differential expression profile of circRNAs was established through circRNA sequencing, comparing three paired GC tissues with their adjacent non-cancerous gastric tissues. The expression level of circRHBDD1 in GC tissues was then assessed using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The biological characteristics of circRHBDD1 were verified through a series of experiments, including agarose gel electrophoresis assays, RNase R treatment, and actinomycin D experiments. The prognostic value of circRHBDD1 in GC was evaluated by conducting both univariate and multivariate survival analyses. Furthermore, loss- and gain-of-function approaches were utilized to investigate the impact of circRHBDD1 on GC immune escape. RNA-sequencing, immunoprecipitation, flow cytometry, and methylated RNA immunoprecipitation (meRIP) analysis were performed to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms. Results We discovered that circRHBDD1 exhibited remarkably high expression levels in GC tissues and cell lines. Notably, the high expression of circRHBDD1 was significantly correlated with poor overall survival and disease-free survival among GC patients. Both in vitro and in vivo experiments revealed that circRHBDD1 upregulated the expression of PD-L1 and impeded the infiltration of CD8+ T cells. Further, we found that circRHBDD1 binds to IGF2BP2, disrupting the interaction between E3 ligase TRIM25 and IGF2BP2, and ultimately inhibiting IGF2BP2 ubiquitination and degradation. Intriguingly, IGF2BP2 enhances PD-L1 mRNA stability through m6A modification. Additionally, we developed Poly (lactide-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA)-Polyethylene glycol (PEG)-based nanoparticles loaded with circRHBDD1 siRNA. In vivo experiments validated that the combination of PLGA-PEG(si-circRHBDD1) and anti-PD-1 offers a safe and efficacious nano-drug regimen for cancer immunotherapy. Conclusion Our results demonstrated that circRHBDD1 promoted GC immune escape by upregulating the expression of PD-L1 and reprogramming T cell-mediated immune response. Inhibition of circRHBDD1 expression could potentially enhance the response of GC patients to immunotherapy, thus improving treatment outcomes. Additionally, the development of a nanodrug delivery system provides a feasible approach for future clinical applications.

Abstract Background Liver ischemia–reperfusion injury (LIRI) is closely associated with immune infiltration, which commonly occurs after liver surgery, especially liver transplantation. Therefore, it is crucial to identify the genes responsible for LIRI and develop effective therapeutic strategies that target immune response. Methylation modifications in mRNA play various crucial roles in different diseases. This study aimed to identify potential methylation-related markers in patients with LIRI and evaluate the corresponding immune infiltration. Methods Two Gene Expression Omnibus datasets containing human liver transplantation data (GSE12720 and GSE151648) were downloaded for integrated analysis. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway enrichment analyses were conducted to investigate the functional enrichment of differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Differentially expressed methylation-related genes (DEMRGs) were identified by overlapping DEG sets and 65 genes related to N6-methyladenosine (m6A), 7-methylguanine (m7G), 5-methylcytosine (m5C), and N1-methyladenosine (m1A). To evaluate the relationship between DEMRGs, a protein–protein interaction (PPI) network was utilized. The core DEMRGs were screened using three machine learning algorithms: least absolute shrinkage and selection operator, random forest, and support vector machine-recursive feature elimination. After verifying the diagnostic efficacy using the receiver operating characteristic curve, we validated the expression of the core DEMRGs in clinical samples and performed relative cell biology experiments. Additionally, the immune status of LIRI was comprehensively assessed using the single sample gene set enrichment analysis algorithm. The upstream microRNA and transcription factors of the core DEMRGs were also predicted. Results In total, 2165 upregulated and 3191 downregulated DEGs were identified, mainly enriched in LIRI-related pathways. The intersection of DEGs and methylation-related genes yielded 28 DEMRGs, showing high interaction in the PPI network. Additionally, the core DEMRGs YTHDC1, METTL3, WTAP, and NUDT3 demonstrated satisfactory diagnostic efficacy and significant differential expression and corresponding function based on cell biology experiments. Furthermore, immune infiltration analyses indicated that several immune cells correlated with all core DEMRGs in the LIRI process to varying extents. Conclusions We identified core DEMRGs (YTHDC1, METTL3, WTAP, and NUDT3) associated with immune infiltration in LIRI through bioinformatics and validated them experimentally. This study may provide potential methylation-related gene targets for LIRI immunotherapy.

Abstract Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common fatal cancers worldwide, and the identification of novel treatment targets and prognostic biomarkers is urgently needed because of its unsatisfactory prognosis. Regulator of G-protein signaling 19 (RGS19) is a multifunctional protein that regulates the progression of various cancers. However, the specific function of RGS19 in HCC remains unclear. The expression of RGS19 was determined in clinical HCC samples. Functional and molecular biology experiments involving RGS19 were performed to explore the potential mechanisms of RGS19 in HCC. The results showed that the expression of RGS19 is upregulated in HCC tissues and is significantly associated with poor prognosis in HCC patients. RGS19 promotes the proliferation and metastasis of HCC cells in vitro and in vivo. Mechanistically, RGS19, via its RGS domain, stabilizes the MYH9 protein by directly inhibiting the interaction of MYH9 with STUB1, which has been identified as an E3 ligase of MYH9. Moreover, RGS19 activates β-catenin/c-Myc signaling via MYH9, and RGS19 is also a transcriptional target gene of c-Myc. A positive feedback loop formed by RGS19, MYH9, and the β-catenin/c-Myc axis was found in HCC. In conclusion, our research revealed that competition between RGS19 and STUB1 is a critical mechanism of MYH9 regulation and that the RGS19/MYH9/β-catenin/c-Myc feedback loop may represent a promising strategy for HCC therapy.

Abstract This study aimed to explore the changes of pharmacokinetic parameters after meropenem in patients with abdominal septic shock after gastrointestinal perforation, and to simulate the probability of different dosing regimens achieving different pharmacodynamic goals. The study included 12 patients, and utilized high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry to monitor the plasma concentration of meropenem. The probability of target attainment (PTA) for different minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values and %fT > 4MIC was compared among simulated dosing regimens. The results showed that in 96 blood samples from 12 patients, the clearance (CL) of meropenem in the normal and abnormal creatinine clearance subgroups were 7.7 ± 1.8 and 4.4 ± 1.1 L/h, respectively, and the apparent volume of distribution (Vd) was 22.6 ± 5.1 and 17.2 ± 5.8 L, respectively. 2. Regardless of the subgroup, 0.5 g/q6h infusion over 6 h regimen achieved a PTA > 90% when MIC ≤ 0.5 mg/L. 1.0 g/q6h infusion regimen compared with other regimen, in most cases, the probability of making PTA > 90% is higher. For patients at low MIC, 0.5 g/q6h infusion over 6 h may be preferable. For patients at high MIC, a dose regimen of 1.0 g/q6 h infusion over 6 h may be preferable. Further research is needed to confirm this exploratory result.

Abstract Wire-arc directed energy deposition (DED) processed Inconel (IN) 718 is known to have coarse columnar grains, strong texture, and significant chemical and microstructural inhomogeneity in the as-fabricated condition. Homogenization treatment is commonly used prior to aging to eliminate the inhomogeneity and detrimental precipitation for better mechanical properties. In this study, however, direct aging (DA) at 700 °C without homogenization has resulted in room-temperature yield strength, ultimate tensile strength (UTS), and elongation that are comparable to wrought condition and among the highest reported properties for wire-arc DED IN718. The DA samples at between 650 and 750 °C aging also demonstrates remarkable ductility when deformed at elevated temperatures. In addition, when aged below 750 °C the DA IN718 possesses significantly higher UTS compared to those with homogenization treatment. These superior mechanical properties are highly likely due to the non-uniform and hierarchical precipitation consisting of disk-shaped γ″ in diameter from a few to tens of nm in the dendritic core area and micron-sized Laves phase and carbides in the inter-dendritic region.

Abstract Background Novel molecular biomarkers for the risk assessment and early detection of coronary heart disease (CHD) are urgently needed for disease prevention. Altered methylation of ATP-binding cassette subfamily G member 1 (ABCG1) has been implicated in CHD but was mostly studied in Caucasians. Exploring the potential relationship between ABCG1 methylation in blood and CHD among the Chinese population would yield valuable insights. Methods Peripheral blood samples were obtained from a case–control study (287 CHD patients vs. 277 controls) and a prospective nested case–control study (171 CHD patients and 197 matched controls). DNA extraction and bisulfite-specific PCR amplification techniques were employed for sample processing. Quantitative assessment of methylation levels was conducted using mass spectrometry. Statistical analyses involved the utilization of logistic regression and nonparametric tests. Results We found hypomethylation of ABCG1 in whole blood was associated with the risk of CHD in both studies, which was enhanced in heart failure (HF) patients, female and younger subjects. When combined with baseline characteristics, altered ABCG1 methylation showed improved predictive effect for differentiating CHD cases, ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM) cases, younger than 60 years CHD cases, and female CHD cases from healthy controls (area under the curve (AUC) = 0.68, 0.71, 0.74, and 0.73, respectively). Conclusions We demonstrated a robust link between ABCG1 hypomethylation in whole blood and CHD risk in the Chinese population and provided novel evidence indicating that aberrant ABCG1 methylation in peripheral blood can serve as an early detection biomarker for CHD patients.

Abstract Background Problem-based learning (PBL) is a widely adopted educational approach in medical education that aims to promote critical thinking and problem-solving in authentic learning situations. However, the impact of PBL educational mode on undergraduate medical students’ clinical thinking ability has been limitedly investigated. This study aimed to assess the influence of an integrated PBL curriculum on clinical thinking ability of medical students prior to clinical practice. Methods Two hundred and sixty-seven third-year undergraduate medical students at Nantong University were recruited in this study and were independently assigned to either the PBL or control group. The Chinese version of the Clinical Thinking Ability Evaluation Scale was used to assess clinical thinking ability, and the students’ performance in the PBL tutorials was assessed by tutors. All participants in both groups were required to complete the pre-test and post-test questionnaires to self-report their clinical thinking ability. A paired sample t-test, independent sample t-test and one-way analysis of variance test (ANOVA) were used to compare the difference in clinical thinking scores among different groups. Multiple linear regression was conducted to analyze the influencing factors correlated with clinical thinking ability. Results The clinical thinking ability of most third-year undergraduate medical students at Nantong University was at a high level. The PBL group had a higher proportion of students with high-level clinical thinking ability in the post-test compared to the control group. The pre-test scores of clinical thinking ability were similar between the PBL and control groups, but the post-test scores of clinical thinking ability in the PBL group were significantly higher than those in the control group. Additionally, there was a significant difference in clinical thinking ability between the pre-test and post-test in the PBL group. The post-test scores of sub-scales of critical thinking ability were significantly higher than the pre-test in the PBL group. Furthermore, the frequency of reading literature, time of PBL self-directed learning, and PBL performance score ranking were influencing factors on the clinical thinking ability of medical students in the PBL group. Moreover, there was a positive correlation between clinical thinking ability and the frequency of reading literature, as well as the scores of the PBL performance. Conclusions The integrated PBL curriculum model has an active impact on improving undergraduate medical students' clinical thinking ability. This improvement in clinical thinking ability may be correlated with the frequency of reading literature, as well as the performance of the PBL curriculum.

Abstract Recent advances in regenerative technology have made the regeneration of various organs using pluripotent stem cells possible. However, a simpler screening method for evaluating regenerated organs is required to apply this technology to clinical regenerative medicine in the future. We have developed a simple evaluation method using a mouse tooth germ culture model of organs formed by epithelial–mesenchymal interactions. In this study, we successfully established a simple method that controls tissue development in a temperature-dependent manner using a mouse tooth germ ex vivo culture model. We observed that the development of the cultured tooth germ could be delayed by low-temperature culture and resumed by the subsequent culture at 37 °C. Furthermore, the optimal temperature for the long-term preservation of tooth germ was 25 °C, a subnormothermic temperature that maintains the expression of stem cell markers. We also found that subnormothermic temperature induces the expression of cold shock proteins, such as cold-inducible RNA-binding protein, RNA-binding motif protein 3, and serine and arginine rich splicing factor 5. This study provides a simple screening method to help establish the development of regenerative tissue technology using a tooth organ culture model. Our findings may be potentially useful for making advances in the field of regenerative medicine.

Abstract There is significant variability with respect to the prognosis of nonmetastatic clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) patients with venous tumor thrombus (VTT). By applying multiregion whole‐exome sequencing on normal‐tumor‐thrombus‐metastasis quadruples from 33 ccRCC patients, we showed that metastases were mainly seeded by VTT (81.8%) rather than primary tumors (PTs). A total of 706 nonmetastatic ccRCC patients with VTT from three independent cohorts were included in this study. C‐index analysis revealed that pathological grading of VTT outperformed other indicators in risk assessment (OS: 0.663 versus 0.501–0.610, 0.667 versus 0.544–0.651, and 0.719 versus 0.511–0.700 for Training, China‐Validation, and Poland‐Validation cohorts, respectively). We constructed a risk predicting model, TT‐GPS score, based on four independent variables: VTT height, VTT grading, perinephric fat invasion, and sarcomatoid differentiation in PT. The TT‐GPS score displayed better discriminatory ability (OS, c‐index: 0.706–0.840, AUC: 0.788–0.874; DFS, c‐index: 0.691–0.717, AUC: 0.771–0.789) than previously reported models in risk assessment. In conclusion, we identified for the first‐time pathological grading of VTT as an unheeded prognostic factor. By incorporating VTT grading, the TT‐GPS score is a promising prognostic tool in predicting the survival of nonmetastatic ccRCC patients with VTT.

Abstract Numerical methods are widely used to calculate the secure key rate of many quantum key distribution protocols in practice, but they consume many computing resources and are too time-consuming. In this work, we take the homodyne detection discrete-modulated continuous-variable quantum key distribution (CV-QKD) as an example, and construct a neural network that can quickly predict the secure key rate based on the experimental parameters and experimental results. Compared to traditional numerical methods, the speed of the neural network is improved by several orders of magnitude. Importantly, the predicted key rates are not only highly accurate but also highly likely to be secure. This allows the secure key rate of discrete-modulated CV-QKD to be extracted in real time on a low-power platform. Furthermore, our method is versatile and can be extended to quickly calculate the complex secure key rates of various other unstructured quantum key distribution protocols.

Abstract Background Fragile X syndrome (FXS), the most prevalent inherited intellectual disability and one of the most common monogenic forms of autism, is caused by a loss of fragile X messenger ribonucleoprotein 1 (FMR1). We have previously shown that FMR1 represses the levels and activities of ubiquitin ligase MDM2 in young adult FMR1-deficient mice, and treatment by a MDM2 inhibitor Nutlin-3 rescues both hippocampal neurogenic and cognitive deficits in FMR1-deficient mice when analyzed shortly after the administration. However, it is unknown whether Nutlin-3 treatment can have long-lasting therapeutic effects. Methods We treated 2-month-old young adult FMR1-deficient mice with Nutlin-3 for 10 days and then assessed the persistent effect of Nutlin-3 on both cognitive functions and adult neurogenesis when mice were 6-month-old mature adults. To investigate the mechanisms underlying the persistent effects of Nutlin-3, we analyzed the proliferation and differentiation of neural stem/progenitor cells isolated from these mice and assessed the transcriptome of the hippocampal tissues of treated mice. Results We found that transient treatment with Nutlin-3 of 2-month-old young adult FMR1-deficient mice prevents the emergence of neurogenic and cognitive deficits in mature adult FXS mice at 6 months of age. We further found that the long-lasting restoration of neurogenesis and cognitive function might not be mediated by changing intrinsic properties of adult neural stem cells. Transcriptomic analysis of the hippocampal tissue demonstrated that transient Nultin-3 treatment leads to significant expression changes in genes related to the extracellular matrix, secreted factors, and cell membrane proteins in the FMR1-deficient hippocampus. Conclusions Our data indicates that transient Nutlin-3 treatment in young adults leads to long-lasting neurogenic and behavioral changes likely through modulating adult neurogenic niche that impact adult neural stem cells. Our results demonstrate that cognitive impairments in FXS may be prevented by an early intervention through Nutlin-3 treatment.

Abstract Since the outbreak of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, there have been a few variants of the severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), one of which is the Omicron variant (B.1.1.529). The Omicron variant is the most mutated SARS-CoV-2 variant, and its high transmissibility and immune evasion ability have raised global concerns. Owing to its enhanced transmissibility, Omicron has rapidly replaced Delta as the dominant variant in several regions. However, recent studies have shown that the Omicron variant exhibits reduced pathogenicity due to altered cell tropism. In addition, Omicron exhibits significant resistance to the neutralizing activity of vaccines, convalescent serum, and most antibody therapies. In the present review, recent advances in the molecular and clinical characteristics of the infectivity, pathogenicity, and immune evasion of Omicron variant was summarized, and potential therapeutic applications in response to Omicron infection were discussed. Furthermore, we highlighted potential response to future waves and strategies to end the pandemic.

Abstract Development of chemotherapy has led to a high survival rate of cancer patients; however, the severe side effects of anticancer drugs, including organ hypoplasia, persist. To assume the side effect of anticancer drugs, we established a new ex vivo screening model and described a method for suppressing side effects. Cyclophosphamide (CPA) is a commonly used anticancer drug and causes severe side effects in developing organs with intensive proliferation, including the teeth and hair. Using the organ culture model, we found that treatment with CPA disturbed the growth of tooth germs by inducing DNA damage, apoptosis and suppressing cellular proliferation and differentiation. Furthermore, low temperature suppressed CPA-mediated inhibition of organ development. Our ex vivo and in vitro analysis revealed that low temperature impeded Rb phosphorylation and caused cell cycle arrest at the G1 phase during CPA treatment. This can prevent the CPA-mediated cell damage of DNA replication caused by the cross-linking reaction of CPA. Our findings suggest that the side effects of anticancer drugs on organ development can be avoided by maintaining the internal environment under low temperature.

Sports performance and health monitoring are essential for athletes to maintain peak performance and avoid potential injuries. In this paper, we propose a sports health monitoring system that utilizes wearable devices, cloud computing, and deep learning to monitor the health status of sports persons. The system consists of a wearable device that collects various physiological parameters and a cloud server that contains a deep learning model to predict the sportsperson's health status. The proposed model combines a Convolutional Neural Network (CNN), Long Short-Term Memory (LSTM), and self-attention mechanisms. The model is trained on a large dataset of sports persons' physiological data and achieves an accuracy of 93%, specificity of 94%, precision of 95%, and an F1 score of 92%. The sports person can access the cloud server using their mobile phone to receive a report of their health status, which can be used to monitor their performance and make any necessary adjustments to their training or competition schedule.

Abstract The geographical environment of Yunnan Province in China and Han migration during the Ming Dynasty contributed to the development of the Biantun culture. Biantun toponyms (BTT) record the integration process between the Central Plains and native Yunnan cultures. The GIS analysis method of toponyms was used in this study to reproduce the settlement characteristics of BTT and the spatial development of the Biantun culture in the Ming and Qing Dynasties. In addition, we have developed a toponymical landscape index to represent the degree of spatial integration between the BTT and ethnic minority toponyms in Yunnan and explore the spatial characteristics of the integration of Han immigrants and local ethnic minorities. The results show that the spatial distribution of the BTT is consistent with the sites selection of the Tuntian (屯田) in Yunnan during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, and the centroids of BTT spread to outskirts and intermontane area from central towns. In the Dali, Kunming, Qujing and other regions, the distribution characteristics of the integrated of BTT and ethnic minority toponyms reflect a higher degree of Sinicization in the central urban areas. Exploring the evolution of Biantun cultural development through the spatial characteristics of toponymical landscapes can help adjust policies for the development and protection of Biantun cultural resources.

Introduction Mechanical thrombectomy (MT) using stent retrievers or a direct aspiration first-pass technique has proven to yield better results over intravenous thrombolysis in treating acute ischaemic stroke caused by large vessel occlusion (LVO). However, the treatment of intracranial atherosclerotic stenosis-related LVO remains unclear and has been a critical problem in daily clinical practice, as it can cause a relatively high failure rate for MT. Whether direct angioplasty and/or stenting is clinically feasible and shows advantage in reducing delay to revascularisation with better functional outcome compared with MT with rescue angioplasty and/or stenting remains unclear. This study seeks to provide direct and practical clinical evidence for clinicians.Methods and analysis The main databases of PubMed, the Cochrane library, Embase and Web of Science will be screened for related studies published after1 January 2015. Primary outcomes include successful recanalisation and 90-day favourable outcome. Secondary outcomes include puncture to revascularisation time, vascular complication (perforation, dissection and vasospasm), intracerebral haemorrhage, hospital-related complications and 90-day mortality. The Newcastle-Ottawa Scale will be adopted to assess risk bias of observational studies. The I2 statistic will be used to assess heterogeneity.Ethics and dissemination No primary data of patients are needed. Therefore, ethics approval is unnecessary. The results of this systematic review and meta-analysis will be published in a peer-reviewed journal.PROSPERO registration number CRD42021268061.

Abstract Juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA) is one of the most common chronic diseases in children. While clinical outcomes for patients with juvenile JIA have improved, the underlying biology of the disease and mechanisms underlying therapeutic response/non-response are poorly understood. We have shown that active JIA is associated with distinct transcriptional abnormalities, and that the attainment of remission is associated with reorganization of transcriptional networks. In this study, we used a multi-omics approach to identify mechanisms driving the transcriptional abnormalities in peripheral blood CD4+ T cells of children with active JIA. We demonstrate that active JIA is associated with alterations in CD4+ T cell chromatin, as assessed by ATACseq studies. However, 3D chromatin architecture, assessed by HiChIP and simultaneous mapping of CTCF anchors of chromatin loops, reveals that normal 3D chromatin architecture is largely preserved. Overlapping CTCF binding, ATACseq, and RNAseq data with known JIA genetic risk loci demonstrated the presence of genetic influences on the observed transcriptional abnormalities and identified candidate target genes. These studies demonstrate the utility of multi-omics approaches for unraveling important questions regarding the pathobiology of autoimmune diseases.

Abstract. Background. Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is relatively common worldwide and an important risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. It is closely linked to arterial stiffness of the carotid artery. However, the association of MetS with the safety of carotid revascularization has been rarely studied. The aim of this study was to observe the current status of MetS and its components in Chinese carotid revascularized patients, and investigate the impact on major adverse clinical events (MACEs) after carotid endarterectomy (CEA) or carotid artery stenting (CAS). Methods. From January 2013 to December 2017, patients undergoing CEA or CAS in the Neurosurgery Department of Xuanwu Hospital were retrospectively recruited. The changes in prevalence of MetS and each component with time were investigated. The primary outcome was 30-day post-operative MACEs. Univariable and multivariable analyses were performed to identify the impact of MetS on CEA or CAS. Results. A total of 2068 patients who underwent CEA (766 cases) or CAS (1302 cases) were included. The rate of MetS was 17.9%; the prevalence rate of MetS increased with time. The occurrence rate of MACEs in CEA was 3.4% (26 cases) and in CAS, 3.1% (40 cases). There was no statistical difference between the two groups (3.4% vs. 3.1%, P = 0.600). For CEA patients, univariate analysis showed that the MACE (+) group had increased diabetes history (53.8% vs. 30.9%, P = 0.014) and MetS (34.6% vs. 15.8%, P = 0.023). For CAS patients, univariate analysis showed that the MACE (+) group had increased coronary artery disease history (40.0% vs. 21.6%, P = 0.006) and internal carotid artery tortuosity (67.5%% vs. 37.6%, P

Abstract Background Occlusive atherosclerotic disease of the anterior cerebral circulation is one of the most common causes of anterior circulation ischemia and stroke. Treatment options include medical therapies (including antiplatelet use, blood pressure control, lipid reduction, and lifestyle modification) and extracranial-intracranial bypass surgery (such as superficial temporal artery-middle cerebral artery bypass). However, the optimal treatment remains unclear. The objective of this study will be to compare the efficacy of and extracranial-intracranial bypass surgery with that of other medical therapy in adult patients with occlusive atherosclerotic disease of the anterior cerebral circulation. Methods This is the study protocol for a systematic review. We will search MEDLINE, EMBASE, Web of Science, and the Cochrane Library (from January 1980 onwards). We will include randomized controlled trials, quasi-experimental studies (non-randomized, interrupted time series), and observational studies (e.g., cohort studies and case-control studies), examining the efficacy of extracranial-intracranial bypass surgery compared to other treatments for adult patients with occlusive atherosclerotic disease of anterior cerebral circulation. Two team members will independently screen all citations, full-text articles, and abstract data. Potential conflicts will be resolved through discussion. The primary outcome will include stroke or death. The secondary outcomes will include intracranial hemorrhage, transient ischemic attack, and myocardial infarction. The study methodological quality (or bias) will be appraised using appropriate tools. If feasible, we will conduct random effects meta-analysis. Additional analyses will be conducted to explore the potential sources of heterogeneity (e.g., study design, geographical location, or risk of bias). Discussion This review will evaluate the evidence on the efficacy of extracranial-intracranial bypass surgery for adult patients with occlusive atherosclerotic disease of the anterior cerebral circulation. We anticipate that our findings will be of interest to patients, their families, caregivers, healthcare professionals, and in making optimal treatment selection. Implications for future clinical and epidemiological research will be discussed. Systematic review registration PROSPERO CRD42018105513

Introduction In recent years, the transcarotid artery revascularisation (TCAR) with flow reversal technique has been developed to treat carotid artery stenosis. The superiority of TCAR over transfemoral carotid artery stenting has been demonstrated. However, the safety and efficacy of TCAR and carotid endarterectomy remain unclear. This study aims to introduce a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis to compare the morbidity and mortality rates between TCAR and carotid endarterectomy in the treatment of atherosclerotic carotid artery stenosis.Methods and analysis This protocol was drafted using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols statement. Herein, major databases will be searched, including Medline, Web of Science, Embase and the Cochrane Library, and randomised controlled trials and high-quality observational studies will be included. We will screen all studies published from January 2000 to March 2021. Bias risk will be evaluated using the Cochrane Collaboration criteria or Methodological Index for Non-randomised Studies criteria, depending on the study type. Two reviewers will select eligible studies and extract the data independently. The primary outcome will include stroke or death during the perioperative period and follow-up. Subgroup and sensitivity analyses will be performed to explore any potential sources of heterogeneity. Specific results will be described in a narrative form when available eligible studies are insufficient for meta-analysis. Publication bias will be assessed using a funnel plot.Ethics and dissemination This study will summarise and analyse the existing literature; hence, ethics approval will not be required. The final results may be published at a relevant academic conference or in a journal.PROSPERO registration number CRD42020178691.

Introduction Acute basilar artery occlusion (BAO) can cause posterior circulation stroke. There are two predominant therapies for BAO: standard medical treatment (SMT) and SMT plus endovascular thrombectomy (EVT). However, a conclusive systematic comparison of the safety and efficacy of SMT and those of SMT plus EVT for the treatment of BAO is lacking. Thus, a systematic review and meta-analysis is needed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of SMT and SMT plus EVT for the treatment of BAO.Methods and analysis This protocol is drafted referring to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses for Protocols guidelines. We will search eligible studies from four main databases including MEDLINE, Web of Science, Cochrane Library and Embase. Randomised controlled trials (RCTs) and observational studies published before 1 October 2020 will be included. Two reviewers in our team will conduct the study selection and data extraction independently. Risk of bias will be assessed by Cochrane Collaboration criteria and the Newcastle-Ottawa scale for RCTs and observational studies, respectively. We will assess the good functional outcomes defining the modified Rankin scale score ≤2 at 90 days after treatment, short-term stroke severity as National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score at 24 hours after intervention, and successful recanalisation as a modified Thrombolysis in Cerebral Infarction scale score of ≥2b after intervention. Also, safety outcomes will be assessed. The performance of this meta-analysis will depend on the quantity of included studies. The assessment of study heterogeneity will be performed by the I2 statistic. If there is mild heterogeneity (I2

Introduction Carotid endarterectomy (CEA), carotid artery stenting (CAS) and best medical therapy (BMT) are the major treatments used for significant asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis (ACAS, ≥50%). However, the widespread use of lipid-lowering drugs in this century has improved BMT outcomes. This study aims to compare the treatment efficacy of current BMT, CEA+BMT and CAS+BMT in patients with significant ACAS.Methods and analysis This protocol was designed based on the guidelines of the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis Protocols. Publication time for studies will be set from 1 January 2000 to 1 June 2020. We will search three databases: PubMed, EMBASE and The Cochrane Library. Suitable randomised controlled studies will be screened. The primary outcomes will include short-term and long-term mortality, stroke and myocardial infarction. OR and HR for dichotomous data and time-to-event data with 95% CIs will be calculated. Treatment effects among different therapies will be ranked according to the surface under the cumulative ranking curve and mean rank. A comprehensive evaluation of the risk of bias, heterogeneity and transitivity will be performed before data synthesis. Consistency and evidence quality will also be assessed.Ethics and dissemination There will be no need for ethics approval as this systematic review is a summary and analysis of existing literature. Final results may be presented in international conferences or a peer-reviewed journal.PROSPERO registration number CRD42019138942.

Cow mastitis is a major problem frequently encountered by dairy farmers and it is manifested by the high number of somatic cells and the low quality of the milk. The conventional treatment for mastitis is use of antibiotics. In the current study, a new approach is applied to target this disorder: rumen bypass melatonin feeding (RBMF). The RBMF significantly reduced milk somatic cell count and improved milk nutritional values with the elevated protein, fat and dry matter levels. This approach also suppresses the stress and proinflammatory responses of the cows indicated by the reduced serum cortisol, TNF-α and IL-6 and increased IL-10 levels. Importantly, the beneficial effects of RBMF have lasted for several days after termination of the treatment. The effects of melatonin on the mastitis are probably attributed to the antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activities of melatonin. Considering the none or low toxicity of melatonin to organisms and the no invasive nature of this approach, we recommend that RBMF could be used in large scale in the dairy farming to target the cow mastitis.

Carcinosarcoma is a rare malignant neoplasm, consisting of both epithelial and mesenchymal component. Primary gastric carcinosarcoma is rare and poorly understood. We reported clinicopathologic features of 4 cases and analysis of 76 cases published in the literature. Clinical symptoms were nonspecific with epigastric pain, weight loss, and melena, as the most common complaints. The prognosis of patients was dismal with high mortality. The tumor commonly occurred in the upper stomach in Chinese patients, whereas, it was more prevalent at the lower stomach in Japanese and other populations. The two malignant components of this rare cancer showed considerable histological heterogeneity with a wide range of differentiation. We propose that carcinosarcomas be divided in two main subtypes: conventional carcinosarcoma and carcinosarcoma, not-otherwise-specified (NOS). Such distinction may provide useful information for targeted treatment of various sarcomatous components of this tumor. Immunohistochemistry should be routinely applied in the diagnosis of this rare tumor.

Abstract Background To evaluate the diagnostic value of 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET-CT with multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging (mpMRI) for lymph node (LN) staging in patients with intermediate- to high-risk prostate cancer (PCa) undergoing radical prostatectomy (RP) with pelvic lymph node dissection (PLND). Methods We retrospectively identified 42 consecutive patients with intermediate- to high-risk PCa according to D′Amico and without concomitant cancer. Preoperative 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET-CT, pelvic mpMRI and subsequent robot assisted laparoscopic RP with PLND were performed in all patients. Results Among 42 patients assessed, the preoperative PSA value, Gleason score, pT stage and intraprostatic PCa volume of patients with LN metastases were all significantly higher than those without metastases (P = 0.029, 0.028, 0.004, respectively). The average maximum standardized uptake value (SUV) of 68Ga-PSMA-11 PET-CT positive PCa of patients with or without LN metastases were 13.10 (range 6.12–51.75) and 7.22 (range 5.4–11.2), respectively (P

To provide the general information on corneal transplantation (CT) in China, China Cornea Society designed a questionnaire on CT from 2014 to 2018 and entrusted it to 31 committee members for implementation of the survey nationwide. This article presents the results of the survey and compares the indicators used in the survey and those in the annual statistical report released by the Eye Bank Association of America (EBAA). The number of corneal transplantations completed by the 64 hospitals from 2014 to 2018 was respectively 5377, 6394, 7595, 8270 and 8980, totally 36,616 (22,959 male and 13,657 female). The five largest hospitals by the number of corneal transplantations completed 15,994 surgeries in total, accounting for 43.68% of all the surgeries performed in the 64 hospitals. The most common indication for corneal transplantations was corneal leukoma (7683, 20.98%), followed by bacterial keratitis (4209, 11.49%), corneal dystrophies (4189, 11.44%), keratoconus (3578, 9.77%) and corneal perforation (2839, 7.75%). The main surgical techniques were penetrating keratoplasty (PK) (19,896, 54.34%), anterior lamellar keratoplasty (ALK) (13,869, 37.88%). The proportion of PK decreased from 57.97% in 2014 to 52.88% in 2018 while the proportion of ALK increased from 36.04% in 2014 to 37.92% in 2018. The geographical distribution of keratoplasties performed in China is unbalanced. PK and ALK were the main techniques of CT and corneal leukoma, bacterial keratitis and corneal dystrophies were the main indications for CT in China.

China has experienced intensive urbanization over the past decades. However, it is still unclear about the influence of urbanization on urban thermal comfort and how the effect varies with climate condition. Based on long-term daily meteorological data from 1990 to 2015 in four Chinese cities undergoing rapid urbanization, our study tried to detect the long-term dynamics of summer urban thermal comfort across different climate zones and analyze their relationships with urbanization. Our results showed that urbanization can increase urban temperature and decrease relative humidity and wind velocity. Urban thermal comfort and discomfort days also changed greatly, especially in Harbin, Northeast China from 1990 to 2015. However, such changes for different cities across different climate zones are inconsistent. Results also showed that urbanization especially for social economic activities can have a significant influence on the physiological Equivalent Temperature (PET). Compared with southern cities, the PET in northern cities such as Harbin and Changchun in this study is more sensitive to urbanization. These results reveal that the changing patterns of urban thermal comfort in Chinese cities under rapid urbanization, and help government take some effective measures to improve urban thermal environment.

Introduction New ischaemic cerebral lesions (NICL) detected by diffusion-weighted imaging MRI are common after carotid artery stenting (CAS), with an occurrence rate ranging from 18% to 57%. Many studies reported occurrence of NICL could increase risk of future cerebrovascular events and cognitive impairment. However, controversies about determinants for occurrence of NICL after CAS exist among studies, and one risk factor embodied in an article may not be in another. Aim of this study is to introduce a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis to identify risk factors associated with occurrence of NICL after CAS.Methods and analysis All relevant literature referring to risk factors for occurrence of NICL after CAS will be searched on the major databases, such as PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and the Cochrane Library until 31 December 2018. Literature, which must be randomised controlled trials, case–control studies or cohort studies, will be included in accordance with the prespecified eligibility criteria. The risk of bias will be assessed using the Cochrane Collaboration criteria and the quality of evidence will be assessed with the corresponding scale. Data will be extracted with a form prepared before and analysed using RevMan V.5.3 analyses software. Heterogeneity will be assessed using I2 statistic. Our systematic review will be performed according to the guidance from the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions and the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses statement.Ethics and dissemination There is no need for ethical approval because primary data will not be attained. The systematic review will be presented at international conferences and published in peer-reviewed journals.PROSPERO registration number CRD42019121129

Background China is considered as the largest and most rapidly urbanizing nation in the world. However, possible changes of urban thermal environment and comfort under the rapid urbanization in China still remain poorly understood at a national scale. Methods Based on the data collected from 180 cities in 1990, 2005, and 2015 in China, the spatiotemporal patterns of urban thermal environment and comfort in summer and their relationships with urbanization variables were investigated in this study. Results Our results indicate that urban thermal environment has changed greatly during the 25 years. Furthermore, the changes of urban climate in different regions are inconsistent. The Physiological Equivalent Temperature (PET) at most cities (81%) in China increased from 1990 to 2015, which suggested that urban thermal comfort in China was also deteriorating during the 25 years. However, while the PET of some cities in China began to decrease from 2005 to 2015, there were still 33% of cities that had positive trends,which mainly located in North region. Urbanization resulted in a significant influence on urban climate. Compared to southern cities, northern cities were more sensitive to urbanization impact. The most important contribution to increasing of PET for urbanization variables is gross domestic product, followed by urban population. The analysis results reveal changing patterns of urban thermal comfort in China during summer season. It can help urban government and managers improve urban thermal environment and comfort.

The regulatory role of miRNAs has been explored in ovarian cells, and their effects on gonadal development, apoptosis, ovulation, steroid production and corpus luteum (CL) development have been revealed. In this study, we analyzed the expression of miR-29b at different stages of bovine CL development and predicted the target genes of miR-29b. We confirmed that miR-29b reduces the expression of the oxytocin receptor (OXTR), affects progesterone (PROG) secretion and regulates the function of the CL. RT-PCR showed that the expression of miR-29b was significantly higher in functional CL phases than in the regressed CL phase. Immunohistochemistry showed that OXTR was expressed in both large and small CL cells and was mainly located in the cell membrane and cytoplasm of these cells. We analyzed the expression levels of OXTR and found that transfection with a miR-29b mimic decreased OXTR expression, but transfection with the inhibitor had a limited effect on the expression of the OXTR protein. At the same time, the secretion of PROG was significantly increased in the miR-29b mimic-transfected group. We also analyzed the effect of miR-29b on the apoptosis of CL cells. Finally, we found that miR-29b could promote the proliferation of bovine CL cells. In conclusion, we found that miR-29b reduces the expression of OXTR and can promote PROG secretion and the proliferation of CL cells via OXTR.

Women with advanced maternal age exhibit low anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) levels and an altered follicular environment, which is associated with poor oocyte quality and embryonic developmental potential. However, the underlying mechanism is poorly understood. The present study aimed to assesswhether aging patients exhibit an activated DNA double-strandbreak (DSB) repair pathway in cumulus cells and thus, an association with poor outcomes after in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET) treatment. Cumulus cells from young (≤29 y) and aging (≥37 y) human female patients were collected after oocyte retrieval. Our results indicated that aging patients showed a higher rate of γ-H2AX-positive cells than in young patients (24.33±4.55 vs.12.40±2.31, P

Histone lysine modifications are important epigenetic modifications in early embryonic development. JARID2, which is a member of the jumonji demethylase protein family, is a regulator of early embryonic development and can regulate mouse development and embryonic stem cell (ESC) differentiation by modifying histone lysines. JARID2 can affect early embryonic development by regulating the methylation level of H3K27me3, which is closely related to normal early embryonic development. To investigate the expression pattern of JARID2 and the effect of JARID2-induced H3K27 methylation in bovine oocytes and early embryonic stages, JARID2 mRNA expression and localization were detected in bovine oocytes and early embryos via qRT-PCR and immunofluorescence in the present study. The results showed that JARID2 is highly expressed in the germinal vesicle (GV), MII, 2-cell, 4-cell, 8-cell, 16-cell and blastocyst stages, but the relative expression level of JARID2 in bovine GV oocytes is significantly lower than that at other oocyte/embryonic stages (p

UBC9, the only known E2-conjugating enzyme involved in SUMOylation, is a key regulator in fibrosis. However, the roles of UBC9 in liver fibrosis remain unclear. Therefore, in this study, we investigated the roles of UBC9 in HSC apoptosis and liver fibrogenesis. Our results showed that the UBC9 levels in activated LX-2 cells, HepG2 and SMMC-7721 were increased compared with LO2, and the expression of UBC9 in activated LX-2 cells, HepG2 and SMMC-7721 were no significant differences. The expression of UBC9 was effectively down-regulated by the UBC9-shRNA plasmid, and this effect was accompanied by the attenuated expression of the myofibroblast markers smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) and Collagen I. Downregulation of UBC9 also promotes activated HSCs apoptosis by up-regulating cell apoptosis-related proteins. Further, knockdown of UBC9 in activated HSCs inhibited cell viability and caused cell cycle arrest in the G2 phase. Moreover, knockdown of UBC9 suppressed the activation of NF-κB signaling pathways. In conclusion, these results demonstrated that down-regulation of UBC9 expression induced activated LX-2 cell apoptosis and promoted cells to return to a quiescent state by inhibiting the NF-κB signaling pathway. These results provide novel mechanistic insights for the anti-fibrotic effect of UBC9.

Fusobacterium nucleatum (F. nucleatum) plays a critical role in gastrointestinal inflammation. However, the exact mechanism by which F. nucleatum contributes to inflammation is unclear. In the present study, it was revealed that F. nucleatum could induce the production of proinflammatory cytokines (IL-8, IL-1β and TNF-α) and reactive oxygen species (ROS) in Caco-2 colorectal) adenocarcinoma cells. Furthermore, ROS scavengers (NAC or Tiron) could decrease the production of proinflammatory cytokines during F. nucleatum infection. In addition, we observed that autophagy is impaired in Caco-2 cells after F. nucleatum infection. The production of proinflammatory cytokines and ROS induced by F. nucleatum was enhanced with either autophagy pharmacologic inhibitors (3-methyladenine, bafilomycin A1) or RNA interference in essential autophagy genes (ATG5 or ATG12) in Caco-2 cells. Taken together, these results indicate that F. nucleatum-induced impairment of autophagic flux enhances the expression of proinflammatory cytokines via ROS in Caco-2 Cells.

The HOXB1 gene plays a critical role as an oncogene in diverse tumors. However, the functional role of HOXB1 and the mechanism regulating HOXB1 expression in glioma are not fully understood. A preliminary bioinformatics analysis showed that HOXB1 is ectopically expressed in glioma, and that HOXB1 is a possible target of miR-3175. In this study, we investigated the function of HOXB1 and the relationship between HOXB1 and miR-3175 in glioma. We show that HOXB1 expression is significantly downregulated in glioma tissues and cell lines, and that its expression may be closely associated with the degree of malignancy. Reduced HOXB1 expression promoted the proliferation and invasion of glioma cells, and inhibited their apoptosis in vitro, and the downregulation of HOXB1 was also associated with worse survival in glioma patients. More importantly, HOXB1 was shown experimentally to be a direct target of miR-3175 in this study. The downregulated expression of miR-3175 inhibited cell proliferation and invasion, and promoted apoptosis in glioma. The oncogenicity induced by low HOXB1 expression was prevented by an miR-3175 inhibitor in glioma cells. Our results suggest that HOXB1 functions as a tumor suppressor, regulated by miR-3175 in glioma. These results clarify the pathogenesis of glioma and offer a potential target for its treatment.

The present study aimed to explore the inter-relationships among maternal death, household economic status after the event, and potential influencing factors.We conducted a prospective cohort study of households that had experienced maternal death (n = 195) and those that experienced childbirth without maternal death (n = 384) in rural China. All the households were interviewed after the event occurred and were followed up 12 months later. Structural equation modeling was used to test the relationship model, utilizing income and expenditure per capita in the following year after the event as the main outcome variables, maternal death as the predictor, and direct costs, the amount of money offset by positive and negative coping strategies, whether the husband remarried, and whether the newborn was alive as the mediators.In the following year after the event, the path analysis revealed a direct effect from maternal death to lower income per capita (standardized coefficient = -0.43, p = 0.041) and to lower expenditure per capita (standardized coefficient = -0.51, p

Climate and human-driven changes play an important role in regional droughts. Northwest Yunnan Province is a key region for biodiversity conservation in China, and it has experienced severe droughts since the beginning of this century; however, the extent of the contributions from climate and human-driven changes remains unclear. We calculated the ecosystem evapotranspiration (ET) and water yield (WY) of northwest Yunnan Province, China from 2001 to 2013 using meteorological and remote sensing observation data and a Surface Energy Balance System (SEBS) model. Multivariate regression analyses were used to differentiate the contribution of climate and vegetation coverage to ET. The results showed that the annual average vegetation coverage significantly increased over time with a mean of 0.69 in spite of the precipitation fluctuation. Afforestation/reforestation and other management efforts attributed to vegetation coverage increase in NW Yunnan. Both ET and WY considerably fluctuated with the climate factors, which ranged from 623.29 mm to 893.8 mm and -51.88 mm to 384.40 mm over the time period. Spatially, ET in the southeast of NW Yunnan (mainly in Lijiang) increased significantly, which was in line with the spatial trend of vegetation coverage. Multivariate linear regression analysis indicated that climatic factors accounted for 85.18% of the ET variation, while vegetation coverage explained 14.82%. On the other hand, precipitation accounted for 67.5% of the WY. We conclude that the continuous droughts in northwest Yunnan were primarily climatically driven; however, man-made land cover and vegetation changes also increased the vulnerability of local populations to drought. Because of the high proportion of the water yield consumed for subsistence and poor infrastructure for water management, local populations have been highly vulnerable to climate drought conditions. We suggest that conservation of native vegetation and development of water-conserving agricultural practices should be implemented as adaptive strategies to mitigate climate change.

An individual-tree diameter growth model was developed for Cunninghamia lanceolata in Fujian province, southeast China. Data were obtained from 72 plantation-grown China-fir trees in 24 single-species plots. Ordinary non-linear least squares regression was used to choose the best base model from among 5 theoretical growth equations; selection criteria were the smallest absolute mean residual and root mean square error and the largest adjusted coefficient of determination. To account for autocorrelation in the repeated-measures data, we developed one-level and nested two-level nonlinear mixed-effects (NLME) models, constructed on the selected base model; the NLME models incorporated random effects of the tree and plot. The best random-effects combinations for the NLME models were identified by Akaike's information criterion, Bayesian information criterion and -2 logarithm likelihood. Heteroscedasticity was reduced with two residual variance functions, a power function and an exponential function. The autocorrelation was addressed with three residual autocorrelation structures: a first-order autoregressive structure [AR(1)], a combination of first-order autoregressive and moving average structures [ARMA(1,1)] and a compound symmetry structure (CS). The one-level (tree) NLME model performed best. Independent validation data were used to test the performance of the models and to demonstrate the advantage of calibrating the NLME models.