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Objective: Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is primarily a malignant disorder affecting the elderly. We aimed to compare the outcomes of different treatment patterns in elderly AML patients and to propose a prognostic scoring system that could predict survival and aid therapeutic decisions. Methods: Patients aged = 60 years who had been diagnosed with AML at 7 hospitals in China were enrolled (n = 228). Treatment patterns included standard chemotherapy, low intensity therapy, and best supportive care (BSC). Results: The early mortality rates were 31%, 6.8%, and 6.3% for the BSC, low intensity therapy, and standard chemotherapy groups, respectively. The complete remission rate of the standard chemotherapy group was higher than that of the low intensity therapy group. The median overall survival (OS) was 561 days and 222 days for the standard chemotherapy and low intensity therapy groups, respectively, and were both longer than that of the BSC group (86 days). Based on multivariate analyses, we defined a prognostic scoring system that enabled classification of patients into 3 risk groups, in an attempt to predict the OS of patients receiving chemotherapies and low intensity therapies. Low and intermediate risk patients benefited more from standard chemotherapies than from low intensity therapies. However, the median OS was comparable between standard chemotherapies and low intensity therapies in high risk patients. Conclusions: Our prognostic scoring system could predict survival and help select appropriate therapies for elderly AML patients. Standard chemotherapy is important for elderly AML patients, particularly for those categorized into low and intermediate risk groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sanjiang National Nature Reserve (NNR) is a state-owned natural wetland in China that has suffered severe degradation due to cultivation and wetland reclamation by farmers. As a consequence, the conversion of cultivated land to wetlands (CCW) was proposed by the government of Heilongjiang province and the United Nations Development Programme/Global Environment Facility (UNDP/GEF) project team in 2007. We suggest that voluntary participation in the CCW could be an important tool for accomplishing the integrated objectives of wetland conservation and local development. The purpose of this study was to examine the main factors that influence farmers' willingness to participate in the CCW through a field investigation and a questionnaire. Based on the data from our questionnaire, which provided an effective sample of 310 households in 11 villages, the influencing factors of farmers' willingness to participate were analyzed through binary logistic regression analyses. It was concluded that age, education, the amount of cultivated land, geographical location, and the perceived benefits and risks were important factors for participation. Furthermore, suggestions for improving the wetland compensation system and providing alternative livelihoods are proposed to strengthen participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We performed acoustic surveys at 78 sites around one bat colony to examine seasonal patterns of habitat use by greater horseshoe bats. Insect abundance and temperature were determined in each season. Bat diets were assessed by analysing faecal composition. Greater horseshoe bats tended to forage in mixed broadleaved and mixed broadleaved and coniferous woodland and were rarely found foraging in coniferous woodland. Bat activity in mixed broadleaved woodland and woodland glades significantly decreased from June to September. There were significant seasonal differences in the frequency of utilization of different habitats. Distance from the day roost had significant effects on bat activity only in June and July. The diet of greater horseshoe bats was clearly dominated by Lepidoptera and Coleoptera, with some variations with seasons. The seasonal variation of habitat use by greater horseshoe bats probably depended on resource availability that fluctuates over space and time. These results have important implications for the conservation of this bat species. Cluttered broadleaved woodland and mixed broadleaved woodland constitute an important target for conservation. Instead of reforestation with the non-native pure coniferous woodland, planting and maintaining broadleaved forests or mixed forests should be encouraged. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]