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As an essential drinking water source and one of the largest eutrophic shallow lakes in China, the management of Lake Taihu requires an adequate understanding of its hydrodynamic characteristics. Studying the hydrodynamic characteristics of Lake Taihu based on field observations is limited owing to its large area and the lack of flow field stability. Previous studies using hydrodynamic models experienced challenges, such as dimensionality and lack of dynamic response analysis between flow field and realistic wind; therefore, the results were still inconclusive. In this study, a 3D model of Lake Taihu, calibrated and validated based on field observations, was used to simulate and compare three scenarios: windless, steady wind, and realistic wind. The hydrodynamic characteristics of Lake Taihu were analyzed as close to the actual conditions as possible. The results showed that wind-driven currents dominated the flow field in Lake Taihu, and the horizontal velocity driven by wind was more than 6 times that without wind. Observing a stable flow field in Lake Taihu was difficult because of the variability of realistic wind. The hydrodynamic characteristics of Lake Taihu were defined as "strongly affected by wind," "higher on the surface and smaller at the bottom," and "difference between the surface and the bottom." Vertical turbulent kinetic energy can be used to characterize the variable flow field of a wind-driven lake and has a positive correlation with wind speed. Therefore, it could be used as a key component to predict water blooms with practical implications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hypokalemia and hyponatremia are common but easily ignored adverse events in treatment with voriconazole (VCZ) that can lead to serious consequences. We intend to investigate the incidence of VCZ‐induced hypokalemia and hyponatremia and their risk factors based on real‐world data. A prospective study was conducted. A total of 272 patients with 414 VCZ plasma trough concentrations (C0) and VCZ N‐oxide concentrations (CN) were included. The incidence of hypokalemia was 18.0% (48/266). A total of 81.2% (39/48) of patients developed hypokalemia within 14 days, whereas 56.2% (27/48) of patients developed hypokalemia within 1 week. The proportion of female patients in the hypokalemia group was higher than that in the nonhypokalemia group, as was the proportion of patients receiving intravenous VCZ. In the multivariate analysis, the independent risk factors for hypokalemia were sex, combined use of antibiotics, and VCZ CN/C0. The incidence of hyponatremia was 7.9% (21/266). The proportion of patients over 47 years of age in the hyponatremia group was 71.4% (15/21). The number of days of VCZ use in the hyponatremia group was greater than that in the nonhyponatremia group. A total of 47.6% (10/21) of patients in the hyponatremia group had supratherapeutic VCZ C0 (>5.0 µg/mL). In conclusion, hypokalemia is more likely to occur in females, in patients receiving intravenous VCZ, and in patients with the combined use of antibiotics. Hyponatremia is more likely to occur in patients older than 47 years who have been using VCZ for a long time and have higher VCZ C0 values. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To analyze relationship between autonomic nervous function and cognitive function in elderly patients with Parkinson's disease (PD). Methods A total of 130 elderly patients with PD admitted to The Affiliated Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University from January 2020 to December 2022 were included. Hoehn-Yahr staging was used to evaluate stage of the disease, Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale III (UPDRS III) was used to evaluate the severity of motor disorders, Scales for Outcomes in Parkinson's Disease - Autonomic (SCOPA - AUT) was used to evaluate autonomic nervous function, Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) were used to evaluate cognitive function, Non-Motor Symptoms Scale (NMSS) was used to evaluate the severity of nonmotor symptoms. Results According to whether the patients were accompanied by Alzheimer's disease (AD), they were divided into a group with AD (n = 82) and a group without AD (n = 48). The proportion of Hoehn-Yahr staging 3 to 5 (χ² = 5.689, P = 0.017), UPDRS III score (t = 21.490, P = 0.000), SCOPA-AUT score (t = 21.330, P = 0.000), dysregulation of body temperature (χ² = 8.512, P = 0.004), urinary dysfunction (χ² = 17.270, P = 0.000), gastrointestinal dysfunction (χ² = 24.471, P = 0.000), dysregulation of pupil (χ² = 5.299, P = 0.021), cardiovascular dysfunction (χ² = 15.355, P = 0.000) and NMSS score (t = 32.309, P = 0.000) in the group with AD were higher than those in the group without AD, the MMSE (t = 4.730, P = 0.000) and MoCA (t = 6.840, P = 0.000) total scores and subtype scores (P = 0.000, for all) in the group with AD were lower than those in the group without AD. Correlation analysis showed that the SCOPA-AUT score of PD patients with AD was negatively correlated with MMSE and MoCA total scores and subtype scores (P = 0.000, for all). Conclusions The autonomic dysfunction of elderly PD patients with AD is more serious, and the autonomic nervous function is closely related to cognitive function. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A Gram-stain-negative, yellow, moist and circular, aerobic, motile, and rod-shaped bacterium, designated YIM 151497T, was isolated from soil sample collected from Blue-Bridge, Weizhou Island, Guangxi province, China. Classification using a polyphasic approach suggested that strain YIM 151497T belonged to the genus Pelagibacterium, and was closely relevant to Pelagibacterium nitratireducens JLT2005T (98.8%), Pelagibacterium halotolerans CGMCC 1.7692T (98.7%), Pelagibacterium lixinzhangensis H64T (98.1%), and Pelagibacterium luteolum CGMCC 1.10267T (97.1%). The growth ranges of temperature, pH, and NaCl were 4–40 ℃, pH 4.0–10.0, and 0–7% NaCl, respectively. It was positive for catalase and oxidase. The primary respiratory quinone was Q-10. The elemental fatty acids were Summed Feature 8 (constituting C18:1ω7c and/or C18:1ω6c), C19:0 cyclo ω8c, C16:0, and C18:1ω7c 11-methyl. The major polar lipids were phosphatidylglycerol, diphosphatidylglycerol, and three unidentified glycolipids. The DNA G+C content based on the complete genome sequence was 60.7 mol%. The average nucleotide identity (ANI) and digital DNA–DNA hybridization (dDDH) between strain YIM 151497T and species of Pelagibacterium were in the ranges of 73.9–86.3% and 19.7–31.3%, respectively. The Average Amino Acid Identity (AAI) between strain YIM 151497T and species of Pelagibacterium were in the ranges of 68.8–88.8%. On the basis of these data, strain YIM 151497T is considered to represent a novel species of the genus Pelagibacterium with the name of Pelagibacterium flavum sp. nov. Type strain is strain YIM 151497T (= KCTC 49826T = CGMCC 1.61521T = MCCC 1K08053T). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the reform and opening up, a number of post-neighboring new cities have been built in various regions of China for economic development of coast regions. In order to reflect the overall characteristics of the spatial development of port-neighboring new cities nationwide, 17 typical port-neighboring new cities with a spatial structure of "post-industry-city" were selected as the research object, and the spatial expansion characteristics, the spatial structure characteristics, the main problems, the influencing factors of spatial development were analyzed. The results are shown as follows. 1 The spatial expansion of post-neighboring new cities showed a development pattern of agglomeration-dispersion-agglomeration with time variation. The post-neighboring new cities built in 1980s and 1990s were dominated by marginal expansion and their space was relatively compact. While, those built in the 21st century were mainly based on enclave-style expansion, with rapid spatial expansion but relatively scattered development. 2 The post-neighboring new cities built in 1980s gradually formed a stable spatial structure of "port-industry-city" (20% = 45% = 35%)and the spatial connection with the central urban area was continuously strengthened. For the post-neighboring new cities built in 1990s,the proportion of industrial land increased, and the post-neighboring new cities had a diminished tendency to grow closer to central cities. The post-neighboring new cities built in the 21st century had a relatively high proportion (over 65%) of industrial land and a relatively low proportion of urban land, the spatial correlation between the port-neighboring new city and the central city is very low. 3 The differences in spatial expansion and spatial structure of the post-neighboring new cities were affected by the development of posts, spatial distance with the central urban area, post construction time, population increment, etc. Finally, the suggestions are put forward to the development of the post-neighboring new cities built in different ages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a new type of pollutant, microplastics have attracted much attention. As the third largest freshwater lake in China, Taihu Lake is characterized by severe eutrophication caused by external pollution and frequent occurrence of cyanobacterial blooms. Although there have been previous investigations into the spatial distribution of microplastics in Taihu Lake, research on the relationships among microplastics, pollutants, and cyanobacterial blooms, as well as the spatiotemporal distribution and changing characteristics of microplastics, is deficient. This study investigated the characteristics of microplastics, pollutants, and cyanobacterial blooms in the surface water and sediments of Taihu Lake. The abundances of microplastics were 0–3.7 items/L in the surface water and 44.42–417.56 items/kg (dry weight) in the sediments. Microplastics are most abundant in the western, southern, and northern lake areas. The northern and western lake areas are severely polluted, and cyanobacterial blooms are prone to occur in these areas. This study found that microplastics exist in the surface water of the southeastern lake area, which is a source of drinking water, and the microplastics may thus have adverse effects on drinking water quality. As the main organisms in the cyanobacterial blooms, Microcystis and microplastics have similar spatial distributions in Taihu Lake and are both affected by wind. Based on a combination of the investigations of this paper with the existing research on the microplastics in Taihu Lake, the spatiotemporal distribution of microplastics was obtained: the abundance of microplastics in surface water has continuously decreased, there are no obvious spatial distribution differences, and the spatial distribution of microplastics in the sediments is the same as that in the surface water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phyllosticta (Phyllostictaceae, Botryosphaeriales) species are widely distributed globally and constitute a diverse group of pathogenic and endophytic fungi associated with a broad range of plant hosts. In this study, four new species of Phyllosticta, i.e. P. endophytica, P. jiangxiensis, P. machili, and P. xinyuensis, were described using morphological characteristics and multi-locus phylogeny based on the internal transcribed spacer region (ITS) with intervening 5.8S rRNA gene, large subunit of rRNA gene (nrLSU), translation elongation factor 1-alpha gene (tef1), actin gene (act), and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase gene (gapdh). Phyllosticta machili is the first species of this genus reported to infect plants of the Machilus genus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To effectively identify the key material parameters of different zones of concrete face rockfill dams and improve the efficiency of parameter optimization, a global sensitivity analysis method of parameters based on sparse polynomial chaotic expansion (sPCE) is proposed in this paper. The latin hypercube sampling method is used to select multiple groups of material parameters, and then finite element method is used to calculate the displacement of dam characteristic nodes in dam body. On this basis, the displacement is expanded by sPCE, and the polynomial basis function is reconstructed by orthogonal matching pursuit to improve the construction and analysis efficiency of the proxy model. According to the chaos coefficients, Sobol' indices are calculated to evaluate the influence of the material parameters and their interaction on different displacements of the dam. The results show that the sPCE model can accurately simulate dam displacement and its statistical characteristics with a relatively small sample size. The sensitivity of the same parameter has spatial variability, and under the influence of parameter levels and spatial distribution of different materials, the parameter sensitivity ranking of different zones has certain differences. The proposed method provides a new reference to sensitivity analysis and uncertainty analysis for practical engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fungi of the order Boletales are extremely important in both ecology and economy, since most of them are ectomycorrhizal fungi, which play vital roles in maintaining forest ecosystems, water and soil protection, vegetation restoration and so on. Although previous studies have shown that this order has a very high species diversity in China, there are few reports on the species diversity of boletes in Jiangxi Province, China. Based on morphological (macroscopic and microscopic morphological characteristics) and phylogenetic analyses (ITS, LSU, and TEF1-α sequences), in this study, the wild boletes in Jiangxi Province were investigated, and five new species are described: Austroboletus albus, Xanthoconium violaceipes, Xanthoconium violaceofuscum, Xerocomus rutilans and Xerocomus subsplendidus. Descriptions and hand drawings of the new species are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to investigate the effects of appendages on the maintenance of viability and germination of the diaspores of the three shrubs Calligonum junceum (Fisch. et Mey.) Litv., Atraphaxis pungens (Bieb.) Jaub. et Spach. and Reaumuria soongarica (Pall.) Maxim. that have high potential for restoration of degraded temperate arid regions. It has been hypothesized that appendages on diaspores of A. pungens, C. junceum, and R. soongarica help maintain seed viability during dry storage at room temperatures and during moist storage in soil outdoors, but they inhibit seed germination. Fresh diaspores of each species were tested for germination; and diaspores with and without appendages were stored in moist soil outdoors in Xinjiang Province of northwest China; and dry diaspores at room condition for 4 months. Viability and percentage of diaspores with and without appendages that germinated during burial were determined. After burial or dry storage, diaspores with and without appendages were tested for germination. Regardless of storage condition, appendages had no effect on diaspore viability of C. junceum and A. pungens but significantly reduced mortality of R. soongarica diaspores by 50%. During burial outdoors, appendages inhibited germination of C. junceum diaspores but not of A. pungens; no diaspores of R. soongarica germinated. After burial, appendages inhibited germination of A. pungens diaspores but had no effect on C. junceum. Appendages had no effect on germination of R. soongarica diaspores after storage in both locations. To use these three species for revegetation, it is recommended that appendages should be removed from diaspores of C. junceum and A. pungens before storage and sowing, but appendages should be retained on seeds of R. soongarica. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Direct seeding is a more cost-effective method for plant community restoration than transplanting pot-grown plants, but this method is not applicable to all plant species and all regions. To evaluate the effectiveness of direct seeding to restore mined cold desert vegetation without irrigation, Atraphaxis frutescens (L.) Ewersm., Calligonum junceum (Fisch. et Mey.) Litv., Peganum harmala L., and Seriphydium gracilescens (Krasch. et Iljin) Poljak. were directly sown in the bottom of dry furrows and on a flat site in the mined wasteland before the second snowfall in late autumn. Seedling emergence, survival, and growth were monitored for 3 years. For the four species, cumulative seed germination in the furrows ranged from 6.4 to 23.6% and the highest germination was 23.0 and 23.6% for A. frutescens and C. junceum, respectively. Survival at the end of 3 years was 7.0–56.1% for the four species. In the flat area, cumulative seedling emergence for C. junceum, A. frutescens, P. harmala, and S. gracilescens was 0, 0, 0.7, and 1.4%, respectively, and all seedlings died with the onset of drought. Thus, under natural precipitation conditions, the success of direct seeding depends on the microsite and species. We conclude that direct seeding can be an effective method for establishing the shrubs A. frutescens and C. junceum in mined wasteland if seeds are sown in furrows that have been created across the landscape. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grouting is a fundamental technology in engineering construction, and its grouting quality evaluation is a critical scientific problem. Proper and reasonable grouting quality evaluation is vital to ensure engineering safety. Standard research on grouting quality evaluation does not consider the uncertainty in the evaluation process and lacks multi-index comprehensive analysis. Because of the above problems, this paper puts forward a comprehensive evaluation method of grouting quality based on FRES-VFS. Firstly, based on the systematic analysis of relevant factors affecting grouting quality, the comprehensive evaluation of grouting quality is divided into three parts: the groutability before grouting, the rationality of design and construction, and the quality evaluation after grouting. Then, twelve indexes, such as the number of joints in the rock mass, the opening degree of the joint in the rock mass, the water permeability before grouting, the water–cement ratio of grout, the grouting pressure, the design parameters, the hole position, the borehole deviation rate, the construction parameters, the permeability, the compactness, and the durability after grouting, are selected to construct the rating index system. Secondly, the weight of each index in the index system is calculated based on the fuzzy rock engineering system (FRES) method. Furthermore, considering the uncertainty in the comprehensive evaluation of grouting quality, the uncertain mapping between evaluation grade and evaluation index is established using variable fuzzy set (VFS) theory. Finally, the comprehensive evaluation method based on FRES-VFS is applied to the Huanggou Pumped Storage Power Station grouting project in China, which provides a new idea for the comprehensive evaluation of grouting quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil moisture is a key parameter in hydrological research and drought management. The inversion of soil moisture based on land surface temperature (LST) and NDVI triangular feature spaces has been widely used in various studies. Remote sensing provides regional LST data with coarse spatial resolutions which are insufficient for field scale (tens of meters). In this study, we bridged the data gap by adopting a Data Mining Sharpener algorithm to downscale MODIS thermal data with Vis-NIR imagery from Sentinel-2. To evaluate the downscaling algorithm, an unmanned aerial system (UAS) equipped with a thermal sensor was used to capture the ultra-fine resolution LST at three sites in the Tang River Basin in China. The obtained fine-resolution LST data were then used to calculate the Temperature Vegetation Dryness Index (TVDI) for soil moisture monitoring. Results indicated that downscaled LST data from satellites showed spatial patterns similar to UAS-measured LST, although discrepancies still existed. Based on the fine-resolution LST data, a 10-m resolution TVDI map was generated. Significant negative correlations were observed between the TVDI and in-situ soil moisture measurements (Pearson's r of − 0.67 and − 0.71 ). Overall, the fine-resolution TVDI derived from the downscaled LST has a high potential for capturing spatial soil moisture variation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potassium feldspar is a typical insoluble potassium ore with enormous deposits in China. Its industrial utilization has not been developed yet because of high costs and technological difficulties. One of the problems is related to a low potassium extraction ratio. To address this, the KAS6-chloride salts-CaCO3 system has been studied with a focus on the influence of calcination temperature, type, and the portion of additives. The results demonstrate that the extraction ratio of potassium appeared to be typically extremely low because of the nature of CaCO3 additive. The extraction ratio can be notably raised by increasing the content of chloride salts. The potassium extraction has been shown to reach 85% in the KAS6-MgCl2-CaCO3 and KAS6-CaCl2-CaCO3 systems, whereas the leaching rate was only 60% in the KAS6-NaCl-CaCO3 system at 800°C. Extraction in the KAS6-NaCl-CaCO3 system increased as the roasting temperature raised to 900°C. With the mass ratio of KAS6:NaCl:CaCO3 = 1:2:4, the extraction of potassium constitutes to 97.29% at 900°C. A method of improving the extraction of potassium in the KAS6-chloride salts-CaCO3 system with manganese ions as an additive has been investigated. The results indicate that adding 5 wt% anhydrous manganese sulfates enables to increase the leaching rate of potassium in the KAS6-chloride salts-CaCO3 system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The combination of taxanes and anthracyclines is still the mainstay of chemotherapy for early breast cancer. Capecitabine is an active drug with a favorable toxicity profile, showing strong anti-tumor activity against metastatic breast cancer. This trial assessed the efficacy and safety of the TX regimen (docetaxel and capecitabine) and compared it with the TE (docetaxel and epirubicin) regimen in locally advanced or high risk early HER2-negative breast cancer. Patients and methods: This randomized clinical trial was conducted at five academic centers in China. Eligible female patients were randomly assigned (1:1) to the TX (docetaxel 75 mg/m2 d1 plus capecitabine 1000 mg/m2 twice d1–14, q3w) or TE (docetaxel 75 mg/m2 d1 plus epirubicin 75 mg/m2 d1, q3w) groups for four cycles. The primary endpoint was a pathological complete response in the breast (pCR). Secondary endpoints included pCR in the breast and axilla, invasive disease-free survival (iDFS), overall survival (OS), and safety. Results: Between September 1, 2012, and December 31, 2018, 113 HER2-negative patients were randomly assigned to the study groups (TX: n = 54; TE: n = 59). In the primary endpoint analysis, 14 patients in the TX group achieved a pCR, and nine patients in the TE group achieved a pCR (25.9% vs. 15.3%), with a not significant difference of 10.6% (95% CI -6.0–27.3%; P = 0.241). In a subgroup with high Ki-67 score, TX increased the pCR rate by 24.2% (95% CI 2.2–46.1%; P = 0.029). At the end of the 69-month median follow-up period, both groups had equivalent iDFS and OS rates. TX was associated with a higher incidence of hand-foot syndrome and less alopecia, with a manageable toxicity profile. Conclusion: The anthracycline-free TX regimen yielded comparable pCR and long-term survival rates to the TE regimen. Thus, this anthracycline-free regimen could be considered in selected patients. Trial Registration: ACTRN12613000206729 on 21/02/2013, retrospectively registered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The grey blight disease is a common disease of tea plants and camellias (Camellia spp.). It is caused by Pestalotiopsis‐like fungi, which were mostly identified as species of Pestalotiopsis and Pseudopestalotiopsis. In this study, four strains of Neopestalotiopsis were isolated from brown and grey‐white spots of leaves of Camellia oleifera and C. sasanqua in China. These strains belong to Neopestalotiopsis longiappendiculata and are characterized by morphology and multi‐loci phylogenetic analysis (ITS‐tef‐tub2). This is the first report of N. longiappendiculata as agent of grey blight disease on Camellia spp. Pathogenicity tests indicated that N. longiappendiculata infects not only Camellia oleifera and Camellia sasanqua but also Eucalyptus polyanthemos and Euonymus japonicas. Given the broad host range and pathogenic nature, it is time to focus on management aspect to control the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Species of the genus Russula are key components of ectomycorrhizal ecosystems worldwide, some of which are famous edible fungi. Although many new species have been described in China, their diversity in North China is still poorly known. Based on the morphology observation of specimens and molecular phylogenetic analyses, combined with the current classification frame of Russula, six new species of Russula subgenus Russula are proposed from the Yanshan Mountains in northern Beijing and northern Hebei Province of China in this study: viz. Russula miyunensis (subsection Chamaeleontinae), R. plana (subsection Chamaeleontinae), R. sinoparva (subsection Puellarinae), R. sinorobusta (subsection Puellarinae), R. subversatilis (subsection Roseinae), and R. yanshanensis (subsection Puellarinae). This is the first report of the species of Russula subgenus Russula from the Yanshan Mountains. This study enriches the species diversity of Russula in North China and provides new data support for the systematic study of Russula in subsequent research, including research and development on edibility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional medicines have greatly contributed to people's health worldwide. However, in recent years, the frequent occurrence of herb-induced liver injury (HILI) has raised public concerns regarding the safety of herbs. HILI not only severely impacts public health, thus increasing its medical burden, but also consumes medical resources. However, the pharmacoepidemiology and risk factors of HILI are still unclear due to the complexity of herbs (medication theory, drug composition, dual properties of drugs and food, etc.). China is the country with the most extensive use of herbs and cases of HILI worldwide. The safety profile of herbs (especially with respect to HILI) has also affected the use of herbs internationally. Therefore, this review focuses on the epidemic situation of HILI in mainland China to compile its characteristics, while focusing on the three main aspects of patients, drugs, and unreasonable prescriptions to explore the potential risk factors. Our objective was to provide a reference for HILI pharmacovigilance and risk prevention and control and contribute to Chinese knowledge of the realisation of the "Medication without Harm" global safe medication strategic goal of the World Health Organization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to study the effect of mineral composition on the physical properties of lateritic clays, the mineral compositions of four kinds of lateritic clay from Guangxi province in China were quantitatively analyzed by means of DTA, XRD, SEM, XRF and total chemical element analysis. On this basis, the variation law of macroscopic physical properties of lateritic clay was analyzed from the perspective of mineralogy. The results show that kaolinite and goethite are the main minerals of lateritic clays from Guangxi in China. The mineral compositions of these four samples are quantitatively and accurately analyzed by Bogue's method. According to the study on mineral compositions of soil samples, the physical properties of lateritic clay are related to its clay minerals and cemented substances. The liquid limit (LL) or plastic limit (PL) increases with the increase of the ability and content of clay minerals to adsorb water. The lateritic clay is dominated by kaolinite minerals with low adsorption capacity, so the observed boundary water content (LL and PL) of high value of lateritic clays can be explained by the contribution of "inert water" in soil pores. The iron-bonded cement minerals (the form of existence is goethite) in lateritic clay have great influence on the liquid and plastic limits, which decrease linearly with the increase of goethite, whereas the goethite has relatively smaller effect on shrinkage characteristics. It is believed that the shrinkage characteristics of lateritic clay may also be affected by other factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Breast cancer (BC) is a multi-factorial disease. Its individual prognosis varies; thus, individualized patient profiling is instrumental to improving BC management and individual outcomes. An economical, multiparametric, and practical model to predict BC recurrence is needed. Patients and Methods: We retrospectively investigated the clinical data of BC patients treated at the Third Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-sen University and Liuzhou Women and Children's Medical Center from January 2013 to December 2020. Random forest-recursive feature elimination (run by R caret package) was used to determine the best variable set, and the random survival forest method was used to develop a predictive model for BC recurrence. Results: The training and validations sets included 623 and 151 patients, respectively. We selected 14 variables, the pathological (TNM) stage, gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase, total cholesterol, Ki-67, lymphocyte count, low-density lipoprotein, age, apolipoprotein B, high-density lipoprotein, globulin, neutrophil count to lymphocyte count ratio, alanine aminotransferase, triglyceride, and albumin to globulin ratio, using random survival forest (RSF)-recursive feature elimination. We developed a recurrence prediction model using RSF. Using area under the receiver operating characteristic curve and Kaplan–Meier survival analyses, the model performance was determined to be accurate. C-indexes were 0.997 and 0.936 for the training and validation sets, respectively. Conclusion: The model could accurately predict BC recurrence. It aids clinicians in identifying high-risk patients and making treatment decisions for Breast cancer patients in China. This new multiparametric RSF model is instrumental for breast cancer recurrence prediction and potentially improves individual outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a huge stock of industrial solid waste piles such as phosphogypsum (PG), desulfurization ash (DA), and waste soil (WS) in China, and their utilization rate is insufficient. These have potential risk for environmental safety due to pollutants contained in them. In this study, after proportioning design, raw material pretreatment, bubble regulation and multi-temperature section maintenance process, successfully prepared a high blending solid waste based functional prefabricated autoclaved aerated concrete slabs (FPAS) with excellent functional performance, and the optimal ratio of each raw material is PG: WS: DA: cement: lime = 8:50:20:10:12, and the dry mass ratio is up to 75%, the compressive strength of the slabs is up to 5.2 MPa, the standard dry density is 606 kg/m3, the dry shrinkage value is 0.36 mm/m, and the post-freezing strength is 4.0 MPa, which is in line with the basic requirements in the standard "Autoclaved aerated concrete slabs" (GB/T15762) , and at the same time, its fire-resistant integrity is qualified for 240 min, and the coefficient of thermal conductivity is 0.15w(m.k), airborne sound-weighted sound insulation is 46 dB, also can show different functional characteristics. In order to investigate the environmental safety of heavy metals (HMs) in the slabs, the simulation experiment of HMs leaching from outdoor stacking of slabs was carried out. The results show that the HMs in the slabs do not pose obvious risks to the natural environment and human body, but three of the characteristic HMs, Cr, Cd and Hg, have significant leaching patterns, which can be expressed by a second-order kinetic model. Finally, the life cycle assessment and cost analysis of the high blending PG-DA-WS based FPAS and the conventional aerated slabs were carried out. The main environmental damage category of the high blending PG-DA-WS based FPAS is land ecological risk, and it has obvious environmental and economic benefits compared with the conventional aerated slabs. • High blending phosphogypsumbased aerated concrete slabs were developed. • A ternary solid waste synergistic enhancement mechanism was studied. • A systematic study of heavy metals and life cycle assessment of FPAS were analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the 1980s, Shandong Province took the lead in establishing breakthrough industrialized seedling raising and breeding technologies for Apostichopus japonicus and successfully led the 'fifth wave of mariculture' in China. In 2008, the experiment of 'raising sea cucumber from north to south' proved successful, and sea cucumber culture gradually radiated and extended to Fujian, Jiangsu, Guangdong, and Zhejiang Provinces in southern China. The total output of sea cucumber culture in Shandong Province accounts for more than 70% of the market in China, and the sea cucumber industry is now a pillar of the fishery economy in Shandong Province. This paper systematically introduces the development status of the sea cucumber breeding industry in Shandong Province in recent ten years, summarizes the current problems and challenges, and puts forwards development suggestions; this guidance has significance for the healthy and sustainable development of the sea cucumber breeding industry in both Shandong Province and the whole country. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aims to predict 10-year cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk and explore its association with sleep duration among Chinese urban adults. We analyzed part of the baseline data of a cohort that recruited adults for health screening by cluster sampling. The simplified Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Framingham 10-year risk score (FRS) were used to measure sleep duration and CVD risk. Demographic characteristics, personal history of chronic diseases, lifestyle factors were collected using a questionnaire. Height, weight, total cholesterol (TC), and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) were also measured. Multiple logistic regression models were performed to explore the association of sleep duration with the predicted CVD risk. We included 31, 135 participants (median age 44 years, 53.02% males) free of CVD, cerebral stroke, and not taking lipid-lowering agents. Overall, 14.05%, and 25.55% of participants were at medium and high predicted CVD risk, respectively. Short sleep was independently associated with increased odds of medium to high risk of predicted 10-year CVD among males (OR = 1.10; 95% CI: 1.01–1.19) and increased odds of medium to high and high risk of predicted 10-year CVD among females (OR = 1.23; 95% CI: 1.08–1.40; OR = 1.27; 95% CI: 1.11–1.44). In contrast, long sleep had no association with cardiovascular risk. A substantial number of adults free of CVD were at high 10-year CVD risk. Short sleep was associated with increased odds of predicted CVD risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hotel employees' positive behavior is prone to increase customer satisfaction, and thus, exploring the influencing mechanism of role stress on prosocial service behavior is critical to relieving their stress and improving service quality and hotel performance. This study aims to develop and test a moderated mediation model that links hotel employees' role stress to prosocial service behavior. Based on the conservation of resources theory and job demands-resources model, this study suggests that the effect of role stress on prosocial service behavior is mediated by the level of job satisfaction, whereas the relationship between role stress and job satisfaction is moderated by social support. Data from 256 hotel employees in China largely support the hypotheses that role stress reduces job satisfaction, and that job dissatisfaction is related to low levels of prosocial service behavior. The data also show that job satisfaction partly mediates the relationship between role stress and prosocial service behavior, and social support weakens the relationship between role stress and job satisfaction. The results can help us understand the role of organization-level resources in the workplace and how role stress and job satisfaction affect prosocial service behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Although metabolic profiles appear to play an important role in menopausal bone loss, the functional mechanisms by which metabolites influence bone mineral density (BMD) during menopause are largely unknown.Objective: We aimed to systematically identify metabolites associated with BMD variation and their potential functional mechanisms in peri- and postmenopausal women.Design and Methods: We performed serum metabolomic profiling and whole-genome sequencing for 517 perimenopausal (16%) and early postmenopausal (84%) women aged 41 to 64 years in this cross-sectional study. Partial least squares regression and general linear regression analysis were applied to identify BMD-associated metabolites, and weighted gene co-expression network analysis was performed to construct co-functional metabolite modules. Furthermore, we performed Mendelian randomization analysis to identify causal relationships between BMD-associated metabolites and BMD variation. Finally, we explored the effects of a novel prominent BMD-associated metabolite on bone metabolism through both in vivo/in vitro experiments.Results: Twenty metabolites and a co-functional metabolite module (consisting of fatty acids) were significantly associated with BMD variation. We found dodecanoic acid (DA), within the identified module causally decreased total hip BMD. Subsequently, the in vivo experiments might support that dietary supplementation with DA could promote bone loss, as well as increase the osteoblast and osteoclast numbers in normal/ovariectomized mice. Dodecanoic acid treatment differentially promoted osteoblast and osteoclast differentiation, especially for osteoclast differentiation at higher concentrations in vitro (eg,10, 100 μM).Conclusions: This study sheds light on metabolomic profiles associated with postmenopausal osteoporosis risk, highlighting the potential importance of fatty acids, as exemplified by DA, in regulating BMD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new species of the subgenus Scheloribates (Bischeloribates) from China are described and illustrated. Scheloribates (Bischeloribates) liangshanensissp. nov. differs from S. (Bischeloribates) dalawaeusCorpuz-Raros,1980 by longer bothridial setae with unilaterally dilated, apically pointed, barbed head. Scheloribates (Bischeloribates) sanmingensissp. nov. differs from other known species of this genus by the presence of U-shaped furrow underneath the Notogaster. The subgenus Scheloribates (Bischeloribates) is recorded in mainland China for the first time. Scheloribates (Bischeloribates) mahunkai Subías, 2010 is recorded in China for the first time. An identification key to world species of Scheloribates (Bischeloribates) is given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although the ACOSOG Z0011 study showed that axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) could be avoided in a specific population of sentinel lymph node-positive patients, it is not widely accepted by Chinese surgeons. We conducted a prospective single-arm study to confirm whether or not the results of Z0011 are applicable to Chinese patients. Methods: Patients conforming to the Z0011 criteria were prospectively enrolled at the Peking University People's Hospital Breast Center from November 2014 to June 2019. The clinicopathological features of the study group were compared with those of the Z0011 study group. Lymphedema after surgery, the incidence of local-regional recurrence, and survival were analyzed. Results: One hundred forty-two patients who met the Z0011 eligibility criteria were enrolled in this study; 115 underwent sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) alone. Compared with the Z0011 trial, younger patients were included (median age, 52 [26–82] years vs 54 [25–90] years; P = 0.03). For clinical T stage, tumor histology, hormone status, lymphovascular invasion, and the number of positive sentinel lymph nodes (SLNs), no statistically significant differences were observed. More patients received adjuvant chemotherapy and endocrine therapy in this study (90.85% vs 58.0% and 80.99% vs 46.6% respectively, P <0.001). A similar percentage of patients received radiotherapy, but more nodal radiotherapy procedures were carried out in our study (54.5% vs 16.9%). After a median follow-up of 29 months, only 1 patient (0.9%) had ipsilateral breast tumor recurrence, and no regional recurrence occurred. Conclusion: Our study showed that it is achievable to avoid ALND in patients eligible for Z0011 in China. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov. Registration number NCT03606616. Retrospectively registered on 31 July 2018. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel Gram-stain-negative bacterium, designated strain GY 70310T, was isolated from the intestinal tract of Konosirus punctatus collected from Minjiang River, China. Cells of the strain were rod-shaped and motile with a single polar flagellum. The result of 16S rRNA gene sequence analyses showed that strain GY 70310T was moderately related to Crenobacter luteus YIM 78141T (94.7%), Paludibacterium paludis KBP-21T (93.8%) and Crenobacter cavernae K1W11S-77T (93.0%). The draft genome of strain GY 70310T consisted of 3.4 Mbp with DNA G+C content of 66.3 mol%, which possessed genes putatively encoding nitrate reductase, nitrite oxidoreductase and urease. The novel strain showed a whole genome average nucleotide identity (OrthoANI) value of 77.1% and a digital DNA–DNA hybridization (dDDH) value of 22.4% with Crenobacter luteus DSM 27258T, followed by Crenobacter cavernae K1W11S-77T with OrthoANI and dDDH values of 76.4% and 20.6%, respectively. The major fatty acids (>10%) were identified as summed feature 3 (C16:1ω6c and/or iso-C15:0 2-OH, C16:1ω7c), C16:0 and C18:1ω7c. The major respiratory quinone was ubiquinone-8 (Q-8). The polar lipids comprised diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylethanolamine, one unidentified aminophospholipid, one unidentified lipid and one unidentified phospholipid. On the basis of phylogenetic analyses, genotypic and chemotaxonomic characteristics, strain GY 70310T represents a novel species of the genus Crenobacter, for which the name Crenobacter intestini sp. nov., is proposed. The type strain is GY 70310T (= CGMCC 1.16821T = KCTC 62945T = NBRC 113900T). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Twenty-seven Colletotrichum isolates associated with asymptomatic tissues of bamboo (Bambusoideae, Gramineae) were isolated from Anhui, Beijing, and Guangxi in China. Based on multilocus (internal transcribed spacer [ITS], glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase [GAPDH], chitin synthase [CHS], actin [ACT], beta-tubulin [TUB2]) phylogenetic analyses and morphological characteristics, three species were distinguished, including two novel species, C. bambusicola and C. guangxiense, and one known species, C. metake, which is a first report for China. These species have hitherto only been discovered on Bambusoideae, indicating that they probably have host preference. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Some studies have suggested that daytime napping may increase the risk of type 2 diabetes. However, limited data have revealed the association between nap duration and other metabolic diseases. Data from the baseline survey of Lanxi Cohort Study, a population-based study of natural residents in Zhejiang Province, China, were used to investigate the relationship between nap duration and metabolic abnormalities.Methods: A total of 3236 participants underwent a physical examination, laboratory tests, and face to face interview. They were categorized into four groups according to nap duration. Logistic regression models were used to examine the odds ratios (ORs) of napping duration with four metabolism-related diseases. Stratified analysis was further used to explore the interaction effects of gender and age on results.Results: Compared to the no daytime napping group, people who napped during the daytime for more than 1 h were independently associated with a greater prevalence of diabetes (OR 1.56). Those who napped during the daytime within a half hour showed a lower prevalence of fatty liver, dyslipidemia, and central obesity. To be more specific, those who habitually napped during the daytime for more than 1 h exhibited an increasing prevalence of diabetes among female older than 50 years old. Those who habitually napped during the daytime within a half hour exhibited a decreasing prevalence of fatty liver and dyslipidemia among male <50 years old, and that of central obesity among female <50 years old.Conclusions: Short daytime napping duration is associate with reduced rate of metabolism-related diseases and may protects people from negative health conditions, whereas long daytime napping duration is associate with higher prevalence of diabetes, which then can be harmful for health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For travelers who inevitably use motor vehicles, in the case of limited parking spaces, reserving parking spaces in destination in advance helps reduce the time and emissions of searching for parking spaces and alleviate road traffic pressure. From the perspective of bounded rationality, this paper comprehensively considers the impact of traveler's personal attributes and behavioral characteristics on parking reservations. The data processing analysis shows that the traveler's age, gender, monthly income, and other characteristics have a certain impact on the parking reservation choice behavior. Reservation price is the key factor affecting the parking reservation policy. Travelers show different value perceptions of the reserved price of parking spaces, and this process has been verified to be roughly the same as the prospect theoretical model. As the reference point for highest reservation price becomes larger, travelers tend to choose to pay less than the ideal reservation price and become more sensitive to losses. It can be found from the model functions and survey data that the ideal reserved parking space price in the survey area is 5 yuan per hour which equals the normal parking fee, and the ideal parking reservation time is less than 2 hours. The research results provide a basis for formulating reasonable parking reservation schemes and parking policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to accurately analyze the safety management efficiency of China's coal enterprises, based on the panel data of 14 coal listed enterprises in 2012–2018, this paper analyzes the overall technical efficiency (TE), pure technical efficiency (PTE) and scale efficiency (SE) of safety management of sample enterprises by the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) model, and builds Tobit model of random panel effect to evaluate the impact of business management and safety investment on safety management efficiency. The results show that: in 2012–2018, the average values of TE, PTE and SE of sample enterprises are respectively 0.674, 0.777 and 0.864; all have great room for improvement. The development of PTE and SE in most sample enterprises is unbalanced; TE of sample enterprises does not significantly improve, and shows a trend of rising-decreasing-rising; safety investment, enterprise scale and labor productivity are significantly positively related to safety management technical efficiency, while safety training person time and employees quality are negatively correlated. This paper identified the positive and negative effects of various influencing factors on the safety management efficiency of coal enterprises, and analyzed the main reasons that hinder the improvement of safety efficiency, and puts forward corresponding countermeasures and suggestions, which are helpful for coal enterprises to effectively improve their safety management efficiency and economic efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Household heating in China has been ignored in the formulation of national energy plans until concerns with severe air pollution emerged. The government has started to implement the clean heating with ambitious targets. However, the specific heating status is not clear, especially in rural areas, thus leading to significant obstacles to policy formulation and air pollution control. In order to understand the current heating conditions and heating behaviors of households in more detail, we conduct a field survey of household heating in towns and villages across northern China from December 2017 to March 2018. The survey results show that more than 75% of rural households still rely on traditional heating methods, such as coal, firewood, kang, and a simple stove. Household income, awareness of using heating fuels, and government subsidies may have a certain impact on heating fuel choice. In addition, approximately 34.6% of rural households do not use any housing insulation measures, which is also of concern when focusing on the heating quality. Lastly, considering the huge cost of rural household clean energy transition, we suggest that only a few regions are encouraged to turn to electricity or natural gas for heating, while most other regions transition to using clean coal and attach more importance to improving the quality of heating stoves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. To investigate the genetic causes and clinical characteristics of dominant optic atrophy (DOA) in a Chinese family. Methods. A 5-generation pedigree of 35 family members including 12 individuals affected with DOA was recruited from Shenzhen Eye Hospital, China. Four affected family members and one unaffected family member were selected for whole exome sequencing. Sanger sequencing was used to confirm and screen the identified mutation in 18 members of the family. The disease-causing mutation was identified by bioinformatics analysis and confirmed by segregation analysis. The clinical characteristics of the family members were analyzed. Results. A heterozygous missense mutation (c.1313A>G, p.D438G) in optic atrophy 1 (OPA1) was identified in 10 individuals affected with DOA in this family. None of the unaffected family members had the mutation. Patients in this family had vision loss since they were children or adolescence. The visual acuity decreased progressively to hand movement, except for one patient (IV-12) who had relatively good vision of 20/30 and 20/28. The fundus typically manifested as optic disc pallor. The visual fields, optical coherence tomography, and visual evoked potential suggested variable degree of abnormality in patients. Patients who had a history of cigarette smoking and alcohol drinking had more severe clinical manifestations. Conclusions. Our results suggest that the p.D438G mutation in OPA1 causes optic atrophy in this family. The patients who carried the mutation demonstrated heterogeneous clinical manifestations in this family. This is the first report on the c.1313A>G (p.D438G) mutation of OPA1 in a Chinese family affected with DOA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Triblidiaceae (Rhytismatales) currently consists of two genera: Triblidium and Huangshania. Triblidium is the type genus and is characterised by melanized apothecia that occur scattered or in small clusters on the substratum, cleistohymenial (opening in the mesohymenial phase), inamyloid thin-walled asci and hyaline muriform ascospores. Before this study, only the type species, Triblidium caliciiforme, had DNA sequences in the NCBI GenBank. In this study, six specimens of Triblidium were collected from China and France and new ITS, mtSSU, LSU and RPB2 sequences were generated. Our molecular phylogenetic analysis and morphological study demonstrated three new species of Triblidium, which are formally described here: T. hubeiense, T. rostriforme and T. yunnanense. Additionally, our results indicated that Huangshania that was considered to be distinct from Triblidium because of its elongated, transversely-septate ascospores, is congeneric with Triblidium. Therefore, we have placed Huangshania in synonymy under Triblidium, rendering Triblidiaceae a monotypic family. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chinese mitten crab, a featured macrobenthos, has been one of the most important economical aquatic species in China. This study assessed the accumulation of an organochlorine pesticide methoxychlor (MXC) in Chinese mitten crab during exposure to 1 mg/L of MXC. The results showed the residual concentration of MXC in the ovary and hepatopancreas reached 55.07 ± 2.64 ng/g and 34.51 ± 2.35 ng/g, respectively. After exposure, tubular vacuolization of epithelial tissues, condensed egg cells and obvious intervals between egg cell wall and stroma were observed in the hepatopancreas and ovary, respectively. Significant changes of three key metabolic enzymes in hepatopancreas were observed upon exposure to MXC. Compared to the control, acetylcholinesterase level was significantly higher at day 7 (0.15 ± 0.01 vs. 0.06 ± 0.00 U/mgprot); glutathione S-transferase level was elevated at both day 4 (12.01 ± 0.48 vs. 3.20 ± 0.44 U/mgprot) and day 7 (12.84 ± 1.01 vs. 8.22 ± 0.81 U/mgprot); superoxide dismutase was sharply increased at day 4 (21.20 ± 0.24 vs. 3.66 ± 0.60 U/mgprot) but decreased at day 7 (3.74 ± 0.12 vs. 9.44 ± 0.85 U/mgprot). Overall, dissolved MXC accumulated in lipid-rich tissues could cause damages on epithelial cells and egg cells and change metabolic activities of enzymes involved in antioxidative stress and detoxification processes. Unlabelled Image • Ovary is the target organ of methoxychlor (MXC) in Chinese mitten crab. • MXC exposure caused severe damages to hepatopancreas and ovary tissues. • MXC affected metabolic enzymes in anti-oxidation and detoxification processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction. Human disturbance has recently led to increasingly serious destruction of Sphagnum L. wetlands in subtropical high mountains, resulting in an urgent need for wetland restoration. Methods. Through a field experiment conducted in western Hubei Province, China, the effects of four different microtopographic types [concave surface, convex surface, concave and convex surface (CC surface), and flat surface] and water table depth (0 to −30 cm) on three growth indicators (number of capitula, coverage and biomass) of Sphagnum palustre L. were examined. The objective was to identify the optimal hydrological conditions for S. palustre growth and thus facilitate its rapid recolonisation and restoration of these wetlands. Key results. The results showed that different microtopographic conditions significantly influenced S. palustre growth. Among them, S. palustre in the CC surface showed the worst growth, while no significant differences existed among the other three microtopographic types. Additionally, as the water table increased, the growth of S. palustre increased, but long-term flooding impeded growth. The water table affected S. palustre growth via effects on its tissue water content. Conclusions. Microtopographic reshaping was not essential for the success of S. palustre recolonisation, and microtopography that maintained the water table to within −10 cm of the surface without flooding were best, independent of the microtopographic types. In addition, the growth patterns of S. palustre changed with changes in the environment, which may be related to its long-term adaptation to conditions of a lower water table. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Conclusion:The cochlear length (CL) and cochlear height (CH) measured through MPR will provide for more accurate quantitative diagnosis of inner ear malformation, and are subsequently convenient for calculating cochlear duct length (CDL) before cochear implant. Objectives:Qualitative and quantitative diagnosis of inner ear malformation in deaf patients through multiplanar reconstruction (MPR) was performed to provide a reference for cochlear implants. Methods:One hundred and two cases without sensorineural deafness and 560 patients with sensorineural deafness had MPR of temporal bone computed tomography performed to obtain the standardized cochlear-view and oblique coronal-view images. The inner ear radial lines were measured to formulate normal values for inner ear malformation diagnosing, and the CDL was estimated based on CL. Results:The normal range values of inner ear radial lines were measured and formulated, of which CL was 8.1–9.59 mm and CH was 3.28–3.90 mm. According to inner ear morphology and the normal values measured above, 61 cases of incomplete partition-type II (IP-II) and a high percentage (27/110, 24.5%) of hypoplasia of cochlea (HC) were diagnosed. The HC group was further divided into 1-turn, 1.5-turn, and 2-turn sub-groups, which had CDL of 15.98 ± 1.48 mm, 21.36 ± 0.96 mm, and 26.56 ± 0.60 mm, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: Litchi seeds possess rich amounts of phenolics and have been shown to inhibit proliferation of several types of cancer cells. However, the suppression of EGFR signaling in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) by litchi seed extract (LCSE) has not been fully understood. Methods: In this study, the effects of LCSE on EGFR signaling, cell proliferation, the cell cycle and apoptosis in A549 adenocarcinoma cells and NCI- H661 large-cell carcinoma cells were examined. Results: The results demonstrated that LCSE potently reduced the number of cancer cells and induced growth inhibition, cell-cycle arrest in the G1 or G2/M phase, and apoptotic death in the cellular experiment. Only low cytotoxicity effect was noted in normal lung MRC-5 cells. LCSE also suppressed cyclins and Bcl-2 and elevated Kip1/p27, Bax and caspase 8, 9 and 3 activities, which are closely associated with the downregulation of EGFR and its downstream Akt and Erk-1/-2 signaling. Conclusion: The results implied that LCSE suppressed EGFR signaling and inhibited NSCLC cell growth. This study provided in vitro evidence that LCSE could serve as a potential agent for the adjuvant treatment of NSCLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new phenols, methyl 3-(2-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-3-hydroxy-5-methoxyphenyl) propionate (1) and myricetin-3,3′,5′-tri-O-α-l-rhamnopyranoside (2), together with six known phenols compounds (3–8), were isolated from the whole plant ofLysimachia patungensisHand.-Mazz. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of the interpretation of spectroscopic data,viz., ESI-MS, HR-TOF-MS, UV, IR, and NMR. All the known phenols were isolated from the genusLysimachiafor the first time. A preliminary bioassay revealed that compounds3and7exhibited significant protective effects against hydrogen peroxide-induced damage in human retinal endothelial cells (HRECs) with the concentration of 10 μM, respectively. Compound1showed moderate activity against the HRECs damage at 100 μM. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

This study developed a conceptual model based on the industrial metabolism approach and the generic model can be used to analyze the energy flows for the iron and steel (Is) industry. based on the general situation of china’s is industry, the energy flows with the focus on secondary energy reuse were analyzed for each of the is production process. by applying the model to a china’s is enterprise, it was found that corporation a recovered and reused 46.6% of its secondary energy in 2010, while there was still a large potential of secondary energy to explore, i.e. about 25.7 × 1015joule. concerning the general situation in china’s is industry, over 1500 × 1015joule of secondary energy could be further recovered, without the need of technological breakthroughs or unaffordable investments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The soybean aphid [Aphis glycines Matsumura (Hemiptera: Aphididae)] is an important pest insect of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] in China and North America. Identification of soybean aphid biotypes would facilitate more effective pest management. Although four soybean aphid biotypes have been discovered in North America to date, biotype determination has not been conducted in China. In this study, we analyzed the biotypes of soybean aphids collected from four different soybean-growing areas in China in 2011. The responses of four soybean aphid isolates from Changchun (Jilin province), Jinan (Shandong province), and Shanghai and Guiyang (Guizhou province) were assessed by infesting 11 soybean genotypes in noncaged tests during 2 yr and infesting 7 genotypes in a caged test in 1 yr. We distinguished among the four isolates on the basis of their abilities to infest a set of host plants with the known resistance genes Rag1 through Rag6. The results showed that the biotype profiles of the four soybean aphid isolates were different from each other and that there are at least four biotypes of soybean aphid in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT Habitat modification by humans has severe impacts on the biotic and abiotic components of freshwater ecosystems. In China, shallow lakes in the Yangtze River basin are facing major habitat modification owing to the loss of their natural connections with rivers and the development of aquaculture., In this study, temporal data (ranging from 1970 to 2010) from a set of lakes (n = 8) were used to quantify the abiotic and biotic consequences (i.e. taxonomic and functional diversity of fish communities) of such human activities. There were significant abiotic changes that mainly occurred after the 1990s. Specifically, water transparency decreased and the total nitrogen content of the lakes increased considerably., A trend (although not significant) was detected towards a decrease in fish species richness over the period studied. The taxonomic dissimilarity (i.e. beta-diversity) among fish communities decreased significantly over the years, indicating a strong homogenization of the fauna across the lakes., In addition, it was found that fish functional diversity has decreased in most lakes since the 1970s. In particular most migratory fish species with long life-spans and large body size disappeared from the lakes, hence contributing substantially to the observed decrease in functional diversity., Based on the findings, it is argued that both the abiotic and biotic integrity of the lakes were seriously affected after the lakes lost their connections to the rivers. It would therefore be helpful to reconnect the lakes to rivers with wise sluice-gate management, and regulate fishery activities in those lakes to restore fish diversity., Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To solve the present problems, a JITT-based college students evaluation system is constructed and applied in Bohai University's program on elementary education. On the basis of JITT teaching mode, networked classrooms are used to evaluate students' performance, so that students may find their own drawbacks in study and take corresponding measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The new species Melanospora subterranea is described from China, based on morphological and phylogenetic analyses. This is the first record of Melanospora species parasitizing Chinese black and white truffles (Tuber indicum and T. huidongense), and its host range indicates that the new species might be a disease threat to commercially exploited European truffles including Tuber melanosporum and Tuber magnatum. Apparent polyphyly within the Ceratostomataceae can be explained at least in part by inadvertent sequencing of the host fungus instead of the parasite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study aims to demonstrate the β-lactam resistance phenotypes and genotypes of Escherichia coli isolates from the Fu River in Chengdu, southwestern China. We obtained 108 E. coli isolates from nine sampling sites during May and December 2010. The total bacterial count varied from 79 colony-forming units (CFU)/ml to 14,550 CFU/ml, and coliform group number from 13 to 1,435 MPN/ml. Among the 108 isolates, 0-31.48% were resistant to β-lactams and β-lactam inhibitors, 1.85-7.40% to aminoglycoside, 1-20% to fluoroquinolone, and 50% to trimethoprim- sulfamethoxazole. The total bacterial count and antimicrobial resistance of different sites were significantly correlated ( P < 0.05). Among the 34 ampicillin-resistant isolates, polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification and DNA sequencing showed that bla, bla, and bla were detected in 85.29% ( n = 29), 41.18% ( n = 14), and 5.88% ( n = 2) of the isolates, respectively, whereas bla and bla were not observed in any of the isolates. Enterobacterial repetitive intergenic consensus-PCR patterns revealed that the 34 ampicillin-resistant E. coli isolates belonged to three distinct groups. Plasmid DNAs from the 14 SHV producer isolates yielded one to five bands of ca. 0.15-40 kb. To our knowledge, the current study is the first to describe the phenotypic and genetic characterizations of β-lactam resistance in E. coli isolates of river water origin from the Fu River, Chengdu, southwestern China. Results of the present study suggest that the river water may be considered as a reservoir for antibiotic resistance genes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Habitat modifications induced by humans severely impact biotic components of freshwater ecosystems. In China, shallow lakes in the Yangtze River basin are facing severe habitat degradation induced by pollution, habitat losing, macrophytes disappearing and fishery activities. Effectively modeling the fish communities on the basis of biotic and abiotic environmental descriptors would be helpful to understand the relationships between fish and their environment, and to develop suitable conservation strategies to sustain the biodiversity in these ecosystems. From 2007 to 2009, investigations were carried out on fish and their environment in 6 lakes distributed in the mid-reach of the Yangtze River basin. According to the CPUE values of each fish species from each sampling, 117 datasets were ordinated using self-organizing map (SOM). Fish communities were classified into three clusters of species assemblages, spatial and temporal distributions were showing in it. Seasonal changes in fish community were more obvious in vegetated habitats than in unvegetated areas. The total CPUE, fish diversity and species richness were significantly different among the assemblages (p <0.01). Based on the indicative value of each species in each cluster calculated by Indval method, 16 species were identified as indicators: 13 indicators in cluster G1 are pelagic or benthopelagic fish, the only one indicator species in G2 is a tolerant species (Culter dabry B.), while the other two indicator species in G3 are demersal fish (Rhinogobius giurinus R. and Odontobutis obscurus T. & G.). These results are in agreement with the contributions of different ecological groups of fish in each assemblage in the trained SOM, pelagic and benthopelagic fish were found having more activities in spring and winter, while more activities of demersal fish were found in summer and autumn. Fish community assemblages, the total fish CPUE, diversity and species richness in those lakes were then predicted by 15 abiotic and biotic factors using random forest (RF) and classification and regression tree (CART) predictive models. The predicted assignment of each site unit to the correct assemblage had an average success of 74.4% and 60.7% in RF and CART models, respectively. The dominant variables for discriminating three fish assemblages were water depth, distance to the bank and total phosphorus. While the two important variables in prediction fish CPUE, diversity and species richness were lake surface area and water depth, density of rotifer and water depth, water depth and water temperature, respectively. The overall percentages of successful prediction varied from 56.5% to 67% utilizing leave-one-out for cross-validation tests. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Few rejuvenation and antiaging markers are used to evaluate food supplements. We measured threemarkers in peripheral blood to evaluate the antiaging effects of a food supplement containing placental extract. Samples were evaluated for CD34+ cells, insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF1), and telomerase activity, which are all markers related to aging. To control the quality of this food supplement, five active components were monitored. In total, we examined 44 individuals who took the food supplement from 1.2 months to 23 months; the average number of CD34+ cells was almost 6-fold higher in the experimental group compared with the control group. Food supplement intake did not change serum IGF1 levels significantly. Finally, the average telomerase activity was 30% higher in the subjects taking this food supplement. In summary, our results suggest that the placental extract in the food supplement might contribute to rejuvenation and antiaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]