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Background: The effectiveness of post-exposure prophylaxis (PEP) depends on participants adherence, making it crucial to assess and compare regimen options to enhance human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) prophylaxis strategies. However, no prospective study in China has shown that the completion rate and adherence of single-tablet regimens in HIV PEP are higher than those of multi-tablet preparations. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the completion rate and adherence of two HIV PEP regimens. Methods: In this single-center, prospective, open-label cohort study, we included 179 participants from May 2022 to March 2023 and analyzed the differences in the 28-day medication completion rate, adherence, safety, tolerance, and effectiveness of bictegravir/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide (BIC/FTC/TAF) and tenofovir disoproxil fumarate, emtricitabine, and dolutegravir (TDF/FTC + DTG). Results: The PEP completion rate and adherence were higher in the BIC/FTC/TAF group than in the TDF/FTC + DTG group (completion rate: 97.8% vs. 82.6%, P = 0.009; adherence: 99.6 ± 2.82% vs. 90.2 ± 25.29%, P = 0.003). The incidence of adverse reactions in the BIC/FTC/TAF and TDF/FTC + DTG groups was 15.2% and 10.3% (P = 0.33), respectively. In the TDF/FTC + DTG group, one participant stopped PEP owing to adverse reactions (1.1%). No other participants stopped PEP due to adverse events. Conclusions: BIC/FTC/TAF and TDF/FTC + DTG have good safety and tolerance as PEP regimens. BIC/FTC/TAF has a higher completion rate and increased adherence, thus, is recommended as a PEP regimen. These findings emphasize the importance of regimen choice in optimizing PEP outcomes. Trial registration: The study was registered in the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry (registration number: ChiCTR2200059994(2022-05-14), https://www.chictr.org.cn/bin/project/edit?pid=167391). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The iron content can be used as a proxy for the intensity of weathering and pedogenesis, which reflect long‐term climate cycles and short‐term climate fluctuations and events. In this study, a typical loess–palaeosol sequence for 19.85 m in thickness deposited since 423 ka BP in northeastern China was investigated, and its iron pools were determined. The results reveal that with increasing depth, the abundances of different forms of iron are consistent with the changes in the magnetic susceptibility. Iron (Fe) in all forms is more abundant in the palaeosol than in the loess. The silicate‐bound Fe pool (Fer = Fet − Fed) accounts for 60.4% of the total Fe (Fet), indicating weak pedogenesis. The Fe in the crystalline oxides (Fec = Fed − Feo) is predominantly free Fe (Fed), with a crystallinity [Fey = (Fed − Feo) × 100 / Fed] of as high as 97.2%. The coefficients of variation of the different forms of iron associated with the soil depth are as follows: Fec > Fed > poorly crystalline Fe (Feo) > Fer > Fet. The distribution of the forms of Fe throughout the profile is a clear indicator of the pedogenesis. The Fed, Fec, and Fe freeness (freeness = Fed × 100 / Fet) correlate with the magnetic susceptibility. The neoformation of iron (Fe) oxides was closely related to the degree of pedogenesis. More crystalline Fe oxides were found in the soil layers corresponding to warm interglacial periods. We detected variations in the abundance of the Fe pools for characterizing climate fluctuations that occurred in a short period of time. In this study, we demonstrated that when used in combination with dating techniques, morphological development indices, and magnetic susceptibility, the measurement of soil Fe pools can be extremely useful for tracing the iron evolution in the Earth's critical zone and reconstructing past climatic events in loess–palaeosol sequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the short‐ and long‐term impacts of overinvestments on the profitability of Chinese agri‐food processing firms. We construct an overinvestment age variable measured as the number of years since the most recent overinvestment and use a two‐way fixed effects model based on firm‐level data for the Chinese agri‐food‐processing industry from 1998 to 2013 to conduct the research. We find that the profitability of firms improves during the first and second years following the most recent overinvestment. However, from the third year onward, profitability declines, and the restraining effect increases year by year. In addition, we find that regional differences and differences in financing constraints can explain the heterogeneity of the overinvestment age affecting firm profitability. [EconLit Citations: D22, L25, L66]. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research assumed deep buried loess as the initial composition of the overlying paleosol and failed to address the long-term continuous pedogenic weathering history in the deep loess-paleosol sequence, which was attributed to little understanding on the difference between loess and paleosol in the long-term deep loess-paleosol sequence. To distinguish between the loess and paleosol, in the long-term deep loess-paleosol sequence in northeast China, the morphology, dust deposition fluxes, geochemical characteristics, magnetic susceptibility, and grain size distributions were investigated. Results showed that the loess layers buried at depth could be differentiated from the paleosol by their poor pedogenic development. The presence of coarser grains in the loess as well as lesser amounts of clay and Fe–Mn coatings compared to paleosol indicated weaker weathering of the loess. Also, optical iron clay films deposited on the surface of the skeleton particles were less visible in the loesses than in the paleosols. From the loess evolution perspective, the pedogenic formation process of the newly formed loess soils should be considered as important as that of the reddish paleosol layer based on criteria of formation time, depth within profile, and morphological characteristics. The formation of the reddish or yellowish paleosol layer was constrained by pedogenic environments associated with climatic change and by the relative rates of deposition and pedogenesis. The terms "loessal paleosol" and "loessal paleosol sequence" are suggested to aid in systematically and consistently addressing the long-term pedogenic weathering evolution recorded in the complex formation of deep loess and paleosol sequences in pedology research. The long-term deep loessal sediments of Northeast China are loessal paleosols, which cannot be simply used as a reference for the overlying paleosol and be deducted from pedogenesis consideration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Bictegravir/emtricitabine/tenofovir alafenamide (BIC/FTC/TAF) and dolutegravir plus lamivudine (DTG + 3TC) are well tolerated and effective in clinical trials. This study aimed to evaluate the safety and efficacy of these two schemes in a real-world setting and to obtain the first dataset for switching to BIC/FTC/TAF and DTG + 3TC in a Chinese population. Methods: This retrospective single-center cohort study in China included participants who switched to DTG + 3TC or BIC/FTC/TAF between January 2020 and February 2023. The main endpoint was the proportion of participants with HIV-1 RNA levels of ≥ 50 copies/mL. Safety, tolerance, and the incidence of low-level viremia (LLV) were evaluated. Results: A total of 525 participants were included, 454 of whom were included in the PP analysis. At week 48, the proportions of participants with HIV-1 RNA ≥ 50 copies/mL were 4.4% (10/225) for DTG + 3TC and 6.1% (14/229) for BIC/FTC/TAF; virological efficacy did not differ significantly between the two groups. Consistent results were obtained in an intent-to-treat (ITT) analysis. The incidences of LLV were 3.6% (7/193) and 4.9% (10/206), respectively. During the study, none of the participants stopped taking drugs because of a lack of efficacy or adverse reactions. Conclusions: Both regimens are well tolerated and effective for switching HIV-1 infection therapy. However, the detection of genotypic drug resistance should be considered when baseline virological non-suppression is observed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Critical Zone Science (CZS) explores the deep evolution of landscapes from the base of the groundwater or the saprolite‐rock interface to the top of vegetation, the zone that supports all terrestrial life. Here we propose a framework for CZS to evolve further as a discipline, building on 1st generation CZOs in natural systems and 2nd generation CZOs in human‐modified systems, to incorporate human behaviour for more holistic understanding in a 3rd generation of CZOs. This concept was tested in the China‐UK CZO programme (2016–2020) that established four CZOs across China on different lithologies. Beyond conventional CZO insights into soil resources, biogeochemical cycling and hydrology across scales, surveys of farmers and local government officials led to insights into human‐environment interactions and key pressures affecting the socio‐economic livelihoods of local farmers. These learnings combined with the CZS data identified knowledge exchange (KE) opportunities to unravel diverse factors within the Land‐Water‐Food Nexus, that could directly improve local livelihoods and environmental conditions, such as reduction in fertilizer use, contributing toward Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and environmental policies. Through two‐way local KE, the local cultural context and socio‐economic considerations were more readily apparent alongside the environmental rationale for policy and local action to improve the sustainability of farming practices. Seeking solutions to understand and remediate CZ degradation caused by human‐decision making requires the co‐design of CZS that foregrounds human behavior and the opinions of those living in human modified CZOs. We show how a new transdisciplinary CZO approach for sustainable Earth futures can improve alignment of research with the practical needs of communities in stressed environments and their governments, supporting social‐ecological and planetary health research agendas and improving capacity to achieve SDGs. Plain Language Summary: Critical Zone Science (CZS) explores how landscapes evolve from below the Earth's surface to the top of trees, supporting life on Earth. CZS was established by studying pristine landscapes, with little or no human modification of the land, water and soil. These pristine natural systems are rare in our modern world. In this paper, we have proposed a new approach to CZS for studying the human‐modified landscapes that dominate our world. To help explain why this is needed, we have re‐drawn a diagram explaining how the critical zone works to show the role of humans. We also give examples of research in three regions of China where we learned from local farmers living in our study areas, to improve our scientific understanding and to try to align our research process to address the biggest pressures affecting their lives. This new approach to CZS can help focus research to directly support local people and improve our ability to achieve the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals. Key Points: Integrating local knowledge with critical zone science can improve interpretation of scientific findings and delivery of Sustainable Development GoalsThird generation science can improve alignment of research with the practical needs of communities and governmentsA new conceptual diagram for human‐modified critical zones is produced to illustrate transdisciplinary Critical Zone Observatories for sustainable Earth futures [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Prospective studies examining long‐term therapeutic outcomes of the Bictegravir/Emtricitabine/Tenofovir Alafenamide (BIC/FTC/TAF) regimen in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection remain limited. This study assessed the actual efficacy and safety of BIC/FTC/TAF in HIV‐infected individuals in southwest China. Methods: This was a single‐center, prospective study enrolling ART‐naïve (n = 32) and ART‐experienced (n = 177) HIV‐infected patients administered BIC/FTC/TAF treatment between March 2022 and August 2022. The data were collected until February 28, 2023. Virological reactions and adverse events to the treatment were recorded, and patient subjective feelings in the form of Electronic Patient Reporting Outcome (ePRO) were collected. The primary endpoint was the rate of patients with HIV viral load <50 copies/mL at Week 24. Results: At Week 24, 87.5% and 95.5% of ART‐naïve and ART‐experienced HIV patients had a viral load <50 copies/mL, respectively. CD4 cell counts in ART‐naïve and ART‐experienced patients increased significantly by 163.5 cells/μL (p =.002) and 55.0 cells/μL (p =.022), respectively. By Week 24, no patients had discontinued the BIC/FTC/TAF treatment due to adverse events. Based on ePRO data, ART‐naïve and ART‐experienced patients at Week 24 had stable disease symptom burden, quality of life, and depression level after treatment with BIC/FTC/TAF. Conclusion: BIC/FTC/TAF reduces the viral load in ART‐naïve patients with high viral load as well as ART‐experienced patients with residual viremia. The patient's subjective experience was maintained stable after treatment with BIC/FTC/TAF. This study also revealed a very low incidence for BIC/FTC/TAF drug‐related side effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil acidification occurs widely across the world, which has been partly attributed to land‐use change. However, measureable effect of land‐use change as well as parent materials on soil acidification remains poorly understood. Here, a typical area with intensive land‐use change in the Pearl River Delta of China was chosen for this study. Topsoil (0–20 cm) and subsoil (20–40 cm) samples (n = 169) under different land uses (paddy fields, vegetable lands and orchards) and parent materials (granite and alluvial sediment) were collected in 2020. Soil pH, exchangeable base cations, exchangeable acidity and pH buffering capacity were measured to evaluate the status of soil acidification. The change of soil pH over the last 15 years was evaluated via comparing with historical data (n = 329) in 2005. The results showed a higher exchangeable acidity and lower pH buffering capacity and exchangeable base cations of soils derived from granite compared with soils derived from alluvial sediment in 2020. In the last 15 years, significant soil acidification under different parent materials was observed under vegetable lands and orchards but not paddy fields. Faster pH decline was found under land‐use change from paddy fields compared with the unchanged vegetable lands or orchards. Furthermore, stronger acidification under the same land‐use change was observed for soils derived from granite compared with soils derived from alluvial sediment. These results indicate that land‐use change induced soil acidification is dependent on parent materials. This study implies that cropping management such as suitable rotation operation may slow soil acidification, and measures including straw returning may ameliorate acidified soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Characterizing the structure of the critical zone (CZ), which is often tens of metres deep, is challenging and crucial to understand earth surface processes. Existing findings on the effect of topography on CZ thickness focused exclusively on mountainous regions with steep slopes, not considering low hilly regions with gentle slopes. Seismic refraction and borehole surveys were conducted to characterize the effects of topography on a red soil CZ structure in the low hilly region of Jiangxi Province, subtropical China. This CZ is derived from Quaternary red clay (QRC) overlying Cretaceous sandstone bedrock. Regolith with a thickness of 8.2–9.5 m consisted of an upper layer of QRC (4.8–6.2 m thick) and a lower layer of weathered sandstone (2.6–4.0 m thick). The boundary between weathered and unweathered sandstone was identified by a Ca depletion profile and calcite weathering front. The boundary between the QRC and weathered sandstone was identified by morphological and textural features and a feldspar weathering front. The QRC had seismic refraction velocities <1.3 km s−1, the weathered sandstone had velocities of 1.3–1.7 km s−1, while the sandstone bedrock had velocities >1.7 km s−1. Following the profile sequence downslope, regolith thickness decreased linearly with decreasing ground elevation. The linear fitted regression slope was <1. This was predominantly determined by QRC thickness, which in turn was mainly controlled by the difference between slopes of ground and bedrock surface and by surface erosion. Following the profile sequence across the slope, regolith thickness decreased linearly with decreasing ground elevation, with a slope of ~1. This was controlled by QRC thickness, which in turn was mainly controlled by surface erosion only, since the bedrock surface was nearly level. These results suggest that topography can control CZ structure in hilly regions with gentle slopes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, with the rapid development of mobile Internet, more and more industries have begun to adopt mobile Internet technology, provide diversified wireless services, and further expand user activity scenarios. The core of reducing customer loss is to identify potential customers. In order to solve the problem of how to accurately predict the loss of customers, this paper put forward an invented method to verify and compared the model with the customer data of an e-commerce enterprise in China. According to the research results, the improved XGBoost algorithm can effectively reduce the probability of class I errors and has higher accuracy, among which the accuracy has increased by 2.8%. The prediction effect of customer groups after segmentation was better than that before segmentation, in which the probability of the occurrence of class I errors in the prediction of core value customers decreases by 10.8% and the accuracy rate increases by 7.8%. Compared with other classification algorithms, the improved XGBoost algorithm had a significant improvement in AUC value accuracy rate and other indicators. This fully shows that the XGBoost algorithm can effectively predict the loss of e-commerce customers and then provide decision-making reference for the customer service strategy of e-commerce enterprises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-resolution land cover mapping over large areas is a challenging task due to the lack of high-quality labels. A potential solution is to leverage the existing knowledge contained in the freely available lower-resolution land cover products. However, the relatively low resolution and low accuracy of the products lead to numerous inaccurate labels, which harms the performance of the neural network. This article addresses the challenge by jointly optimizing the network parameters and correcting the noisy labels with a novel online noise correction approach and a synergistic noise correction loss. By incorporating the information entropy as a measurement to determine the probable correct labels, the proposed noise correction approach learns to make effective correction of the noisy labels during training and eventually boosts the performance with a training set containing less noisy labels. Experimental results show that the proposed method can effectively correct the noisy labels and reduce their negative impact on network training. By employing the proposed method, we produce a refined high-resolution (3-m) land cover map from a lower-resolution (10-m) product in China and improve the accuracy from 74.96% (10-m) to 81.32% (3-m). Such an approach that can effectively learn from noisy data sets leads to many potential opportunities for using and magnifying existing knowledge and results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The burden of kidney dysfunction (KD) is rapidly increasing in developing countries due to an ongoing epidemic of hypertension and diabetes. We aimed to evaluate the prevalence and associated factors of KD among population with hypertension and/or diabetes from primary care setting. Methods: This study was part of a cross-sectional study conducted in Northwest China, which aimed to investigate the epidemiological status of hypertension and other chronic noninfectious diseases. Subjects aged ≥ 18 years old with hypertension and/or diabetes were included in this study. KD was defined as estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) less than 60 mL/min/1.73m2. Least absolute shrinkage and selection operator and multivariable logistic regression were used to identify factors associated with KD. Sensitivity analysis was performed by comparing the results of different estimated equations for GFR. Results: A total of 8899 participants with hypertension and/or diabetes were included. Prevalence of KD was 8.69% (n=144) among patients with both hypertension and DM, 3.36% (n=198) among patients with only hypertension, and 5.22% (n=70) among patients with only diabetes. Women showed higher prevalent KD than men. Modifiable factors independently associated with KD among patients with hypertension and/or diabetes included physical activity, duration of hypertension or DM, anemia, fasting plasma glucose and triglyceride. Results of different estimated equations showed similar trends of difference in the prevalence of KD among groups. Conclusion: KD is common in patients with hypertension and/or DM in Northwest China. More attention should be paid to high-risk patients, especially to those with co-existence of hypertension and DM. Control of blood glucose and triglyceride may further improve KD management in this patient population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Klebsiella pneumoniae carbapenemase genes (bla KPC) play an important role in carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae in China. A rapid detection method for bla KPC genes and investigations into the molecular characteristics of bla KPC positive Klebsiella pneumoniae were necessary. In this study, an easy and rapid recombinase aided amplification assay (RAA) for bla KPC was established. This protocol could be completed at 39°C in 15–20 min. The sensitivity of this assay was determined as 48 copies per reaction, and the specificity was 100%. The bla KPC RAA method could be used for clinical diagnosis and epidemiological investigation. Among 801 fecal samples from inpatients, 34 bla KPC positive isolates were identified from each sample, of which 23 isolates were K. pneumoniae. ST11 with bla KPC-2 was the most prevalent type. All these strains were multidrug resistant and carried various virulence genes. Fecal carriage of bla KPC positive carbapenem-resistant K.pneumoniae poses significant challenges for public health control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Enterobacteria that produce extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL) such as Escherichia coli (E. coli) are common in our environment and known to cause serious health implications in humans and animals. β-lactam antibiotics such as penicillins, cephalosporins and monobactams are the most commonly used anti-bacterials in both humans and animals, however, Gram negative bacteria (such as E. coli) that produces extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) have the ability to hydrolyze most β-lactams therefore making them resistant to β-lactam antibiotics. Recent extensive researches on the epidemiology and genetic characteristics of extended-spectrum β-lactamase (ESBL)-producing E. coli reported the existence of ESBL-producing E. coli in humans, companion animals and poultry. Therefore, this experiment was performed to investigate the prevalence and genetic characteristics of β-lactamase producing E. coli isolated from beef cattle farms in the Sichuan-Chongqing circle of China. Phenotypic confirmation of ESBL-producing E. coli was performed using the double disk synergy test. Polymerase Chain Reaction (PCR) was used to detect blaCTX-M, blaSHV and blaTEM gene codes, then after, isolates were divided into different phylogenetic groups and multi-locus sequence typing (MLST). The results showed that out of the 222 E. coli strains isolated from the beef cattle, 102 strains showed ESBL phenotypes. The PCR results showed that blaCTX-M was the predominant ESBL gene identified among the E. coli strains with 21 (9.5%) isolates having this gene, followed by blaSHV which was found in 18 (8.1%) isolates. The majority of these ESBL positive isolates were assigned to phylogroup A (19.8%) followed by phylogroup B1 (13.5%). In addition, from the MLST results on ESBL positive isolates (n = 30) we identified 19 STs, ST398 (ST398cplx) and ST7130 which were the prevalent population (20%). In conclusion, the high prevalence of CTX-M, and SHV in the study confirmed its association with E. coli infection; therefore, this calls for health concerns on ESBL-producing E. coli. As far as we know, this is the first comprehensive research report relating to ESBL-producing E. coli incidence in Chinese beef cattle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) Walp.) is cultivated worldwide for vital food source and vegetable. During May to October 2021, a serious leaf spot disease occurred on cowpea in Pingnan prefecture, Fujian Province, China. The disease infected more than 60% of the cowpea leaves under natural conditions. The causal organism was recovered from diseased leaves exhibiting characteristic symptoms of brown spots, and was identified as Colletotrichum plurivorum Damm, Alizadeh & Toy. Sato according to morphological features and sequencing of the ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacer (ITS), partial glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), calmodulin (CAL), actin (ACT), chitin synthase (CHS-1), and beta-tubulin (TUB2) gene sequences. Pathogenic assays were carried out using cowpea 'Yaoqianshu' at the five-to eight-leaf stage. The results indicated that all tested C. plurivorum isolates could infect healthy cowpea leaves, even in the lack of wounds, and cause leaf spot symptoms similar to originally observed on cowpea leaves in the fields. Finally, the identical isolates were successfully re-isolated from those of inoculated leaves. To our knowledge, this is the first report of C. plurivorum causing anthracnose on cowpea in Fujian Province, China. • A leaf spot disease was observed on Vigna unguiculata in Fujian Province, China. • Colletotrichum plurivorum was identified as the pathogen. • This is first report of C. plurivorum causing leaf spot on V. unguiculata in China. • These results will be essential for timely and effective management of this disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Depth patterns of soil microbial distribution have not been well characterized and little is known about the balance between stochastic and deterministic processes in shaping microbial community through soil profiles. We examined how the composition, diversity, and assembly processes of bacterial communities change to a depth of 4 m along three cores sampled through a typical upland red soil Critical Zone in subtropical China. The sampled soils at the center of the Critical Zone were acidic, highly weathered, and clay loam to clay in texture, and developed from Quaternary red clay. Bacterial richness and phylogenetic diversity decreased with depth in the upper soil zone (0–90 cm), but was constant in the deeper zone (90–420 cm). In both the upper and deeper zones, richness was strongly and positively correlated with total organic carbon, dissolved organic carbon and total nitrogen. Depth-dependent changes of community structure were observed above the upper but not deeper zones. Stochastic processes were more important in the upper zone, whereas deterministic processes were dominant in the deeper zone. The distinct depth-dependent patterns of bacterial communities and assembly processes exist through deep soil profiles and are influenced by both contemporary and historical pedogenetic factors and processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic carbon (OC) plays a pivotal role in earth surface systems. However, current three-dimensional (3D) mapping studies usually focus on a soil depth of 1 m rather than the depth to the bedrock. A top-down method using piecewise depth functions was proposed to fit the OC vertical decline patterns in a subtropical catchment in southern China. The vertical variation in OC was greatly affected by the heterogeneous topsoil due to natural processes and anthropogenic disturbances. Thus, topsoil OC maps were produced and utilized as covariates to indicate the OC decline rates and to benefit the 3D OC simulation. A distribution map of the underground critical zone thickness (UCZT) was applied as a lower boundary for the 3D simulation. Six widely used mapping techniques were performed to predict the spatial distribution of topsoil OC and depth function parameters. The overall cross-validation results showed a root mean squared error (RMSE) of 1.7 g kg–1 and a ratio of performance to deviation (RPD) of 1.82. Given limited boreholes, validation showed that the depth function performed better in the lower part (>1 m) than in the upper part (<1 m). The proposed framework could holistically employ sufficient topsoil samples and limited boreholes and provides a promising solution to simulate the 3D information of subsurface systems. We anticipate that continuous 3D OC maps can be integrated with other critical zone information to elucidate the complex interactions of various processes and to support potential service management decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rice blast, caused by Magnaporthe oryzae, is one of the most devastating diseases of rice worldwide. The aim of the present study was to elucidate the virulence structure of M. oryzae populations in Fujian Province, China, over the period 2006-2015. For this purpose, 456 M. oryzae isolates collected from diverse cultivars from eight rice cropping regions in Fujian were screened for the presence of 11 known avirulence genes: Avr-Pik, Avr-Pita1, Avr-Pita2, Avr-Pita3, PWL2, Avr1-CO39, ACE1, Avr-Piz-t, Avr-Pia, Avr-Pii and Avr-Pikm, with gene-specific molecular markers. The results showed that Avr-Pik and Avr-Pita3 occurred at the highest frequency (94.5% and 91.7%, respectively), while Avr1-CO39 and Avr-Pii were not detected. Further, the remaining avirulence genes occurred at frequencies ranging from 5.9% to 89.0%. Temporal population dynamics revealed that Avr-Pik was uniformly distributed in all 10 years, at frequencies of more than 87.5%. Spatial distribution analysis showed avirulence genes were present at different frequencies among the geographic regions. In addition, 24 rice monogenic lines of IRRI-Japan with known blast resistance genes were inoculated to assess the virulence of 60 isolates. The results revealed that the resistance gene Pik showed the broadest resistance spectrum to the isolates tested and therefore would be the most useful in rice blast resistance breeding. The resistance genes Pi-z5, Pi-1(1), Pi-kp, Pi-9(t), Pi-ta(1) and Pi-kh also were effective and would therefore also be of value to resistance breeding programmes. The present study provides information that should be useful for the development and deployment of rice blast resistant cultivars in Fujian Province. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

2 Mei Q, Cheng XX, Qian WC et al (2021) Pestalotiopsis trachicarpicola, a novel pathogen causes twig blight of Pinus bungeana (Pinaceae: Pinoideae) in China. I Pestalotiopsis i -like isolates were obtained from symptomatic tissues by histological isolation method (Mei et al. [2]), and one representative isolate FJSQ-1 was selected for identification. [Extracted from the article]

Abstract: Accurate weathering and soil formation rates in natural environment and their quantitative dependences on environmental factors remain poorly understood, despite their significance in the understanding of biogeochemical cycling and for the development of sustainable land-use strategies. In the present study, rates of weathering and soil formation on granite and their dependences on acid precipitation were studied in a small forested watershed, Fengxingzhuang (FXZ), in subtropical China using geochemical mass balance equations and multiple regression analysis. Atmospheric input from wet and dry deposition, and stream output through runoff were monitored from March, 2007 to February, 2010. The physical and chemical properties of soil and granite rock were also determined. The results show that acid precipitation is very severe in the FXZ forested watershed by bringing in H+ both directly from strong acids (741molha−1 yr−1) and indirectly from nitrogen and sulfur transformations (831molha−1 yr−1), which serves as an important driving force for weathering and soil formation. The FXZ forested watershed currently remains as a net sink for hydrogen ion, inorganic nitrogen, sulfur, potassium, and aluminum, with a mean of 0.07, 1.60, 1.48, 0.10, and 0.44gm−2 yr−1, respectively, and a net source for dissolved silicon, sodium, calcium, and magnesium, with a mean of 5.33, 2.95, 1.04, and 0.34gm−2 yr−1, respectively. Based on geochemical mass balance equations, the weathering rate of granite (R) in the FXZ forested watershed is 1.04±0.65tha−1 yr−1, but varying according to the changes in environmental conditions such as rainfall amount, air temperature, and H+ input within different seasons. Correspondingly, soil formation rate (S) is 0.95±0.69tha−1 yr−1, which equals to 0.066±0.048mmyr−1 of soil depth, suggesting a base for establishing the soil loss tolerance value in the granitic region of subtropical China. Acid precipitation significantly promotes weathering and soil formation by the input of rainfall and H+, although air temperature effects occur simultaneously. A proposed model that quantitatively describes weathering and soil formation rates is a combined product of rainfall amount (x 1), H+ input (x 2) and air temperature (x 3) resulting from multiple regressions: R=0.00045∗ x 1 +0.026∗e0.0022x 2 +0.012∗e0.0459x 3 ; S=0.00035∗ x 1 +0.029∗e0.002x 2 +0.016∗e0.0424x 3 , which improves the prediction from simple linear regression. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Hainan soils contain a mixture of material derived from in situ weathering of parent material plus atmospheric inputs dominated by continental dust. We use Nd isotope geochemistry to evaluate the impact of continental dust on a chronosequence of Hainan soils. The results demonstrate that dust has a profound effect on soils in 180ka and older in tropical Hainan Island. Dust is the dominant source of Nd in the oldest, most intensely weathered soils, with radiogenic dust-derived isotopic signatures (εNd(0)=−6.46) and significant high mass fraction of dust-derived Nd (75%). The fdust Nd values for soils show an increasing trend with time, implying that dust accumulates with the ages of soils. We also calculate a long term average dust accretion rates of 14.90 and 12.39mgcm−2 ka−1 at the 180 and 300ka sites; whereas the rates of the old sites are low, indicating underestimates of time-averaged dust deposition rates over million year time scales. On the basis of the geomorphic stability sites, we think that the decrease of dust inputs due to climate changes and the loss of dust due to weathering are the dominant loss mechanisms for dust and lead to underestimates of time-averaged dust deposition rates in the old sites. The results also underscore the potential for neodymium isotopes to constrain the origin of soils and paleosols. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Spatial soil quality information is needed for the agricultural development in Hong Kong. This study produced digital maps of more than 20 soil quality indicators of a study area in Hong Kong, using digital soil mapping techniques. These maps were then employed to evaluate the soil quality of this area via the application of scoring functions and integrated quality index (IQI) methods. The accuracy and uncertainty of the evaluated spatial soil quality information were assessed based on a probability sample and sequential Gaussian simulation (SGS), respectively. The sources of uncertainty were analyzed using stochastic sensitivity analysis. The results showed that mapping accuracy varied dramatically among soil indicators, with soil quality index (SQI) in the area ranging from 0.43 to 0.87. The obtained spatial soil quality information appeared to be moderately accurate with high uncertainty, which suggests that it cannot be fully relied on. The soil quality could have been overestimated with a probability of more than 0.95 for nearly half of the study area while being underestimated for 0.2% of the study area. Hence, this study shows that it is vitally important to derive uncertainty for soil quality information evaluated based on digital soil maps. Generally, heavily weighted soil quality indicators in the soil quality evaluation model contributed the most uncertainty, such as available phosphorus (A-P), total phosphorus (TP), and bulk density in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy use in urbanization has fundamentally changed the pattern and fluxes of carbon cycling, which has global and local environmental impacts. Here we have investigated organic carbon (OC) and black carbon (BC) in six soil profiles from two contrast zones in an ancient city (Nanjing) in China. BC in soils was widely variable, from 0.22 to 32.19 g kg−1. Its average concentration in an ancient residential area (Zone 1) was, 0.91 g kg−1, whereas in Zone 2, an industrial and commercial area, the figure was 8.62 g kg−1. The ratio of BC/OC ranged from 0.06 to 1.29 in soil profiles, with an average of 0.29. The vertical distribution of BC in soil is suggested to reflect the history of BC formation from burning of biomass and/or fossil fuel. BC in the surface layer of soils was mainly from traffic emission (especially from diesel vehicles). In contrast, in cultural layers BC was formed from historical coal use. The contents of BC and the ratio of BC/OC may reflect different human activities and pollution sources in the contrasting urban zones. In addition, the significant correlation of heavy metals (Cu, Pb, and Zn) with BC contents in some culture layers suggests the sorption of the metals by BC or their coexistence resulted from the coal-involved smelting. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Conventional classification systems based on vegetation and land use are frequently used to characterize or describe urban soils to determine the influence of urbanization on soils. In this study, the sensitivity of different grouping methods in reflecting soil variations along an urban–rural gradient was compared. The objective of this study was to determine the most sensitive grouping system in depicting and explaining variations of soil attributes around an urban area. Grouping methods, including urban–rural division, in situ vegetation type, land use types in different scales and numerical clustering, were compared for both single soil attributes and “soil set” defined by multiple variables. The result shows urbanization has a strong impact on many soil properties, especially that of gravel content, sand content, pH, phosphorus and soil compaction. In terms of the variations of soil attributes, in situ vegetation type is the most sensitive in comparison with local land use types and district-viewed land use types. In other words, soil properties in this study are not sensitive to coarser spatial resolution. Therefore, it''s hard to interpret the spatial variation of urban soil by regular methods using natural soil-landscape paradigm. Furthermore, vegetation would best proxy the delineation of single attribute of urban soils. Numerical clusters effectively reflect the land use types and their change during urbanization. All clusters were interpreted as different sets with practical meanings: soil in abandoned greenbelt, soil in ill-managed greenbelt, soil in new vegetable land, extreme urban conditioned soil, soil in well-managed greenbelt, soil in highly mellowed vegetable land, soil in common urban–peri-urban greenbelt and weak-urban-impacted soil. They can be used as bases for soil regionalization in urban and peri-urban environment. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Soils in urban areas are often artificially formed and preserved as cultural layers in which soil materials are mixed with artifacts. The vertical change of soil properties denotes the historical change of human activities, and therefore, urban soil can be considered as a record of history of urban development. We studied a deep profile of urban soil (600 cm) in Nanjing, China, by intensively sampling at every 5 cm. Soil samples were analyzed for lead content. Charcoal from several layers was found and was dated using 14C to recognize archaeological cultural layers that might be formed in different Chinese dynasties. Pb isotope ratios were determined by thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS) technology. The study found that artificial deposition, i.e., the formation of cultural layer started about 1700 years ago and lasted until recently. All cultural layers above the original loess were heavily contaminated by Pb with total content varying from 100 mg kg−1 to more than 2000 mg kg−1. There were several historical periods in which Pb content peaked, indicating significant contamination by human activities, such as ancient ore smelting for various purposes and use of Pb-containing materials for handicraft manufacture. Various Pb isotope ratios of the cultural layers differed substantially from that of the original undisturbed loess in the deepest position. 206Pb/207Pb value decreased gradually from the bottom layer to top layer, although with occasional exceptions, indicating a long-lasting mixing of extraneous sources of Pb during the entire history since ca. 300 A.D. In comparison with the isotope ratios of lead ores of different sources and that of aerosols, it was illustrated that the source of Pb in cultural layers might come from lead ores of southern China in the earlier dynasties, while Pb from north China might have contributed to the Pb source in the more recent years, suggested by the lowering of 206Pb/207Pb ratio in the near-surface cultural layers. However, the impact of petrol burning on cultural layers was basically excluded, considering the relatively short history of petroleum use in this area. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In May and July 2001, the biological and ecological features of 22 salt lakes in northern Tibet , China, were investigated.Their salinity ranged from 1 to 390 g l−1. One hundred and thirty two samples were collected. Ninty five taxa of phytoplankton and 42 taxa of zooplankton were recorded. The dominant cation was sodium, with magnesium generally sub-dominant; CO was the dominant anion in low salinity, chloride was the dominant anion with increasing salinity. Major species were Gloeothece linearis, Oscillatoria tenuis, Chroococcus minutus (blue-green algae); Navicula spp, Cymbella pusilla, Diatoma elongatum(diatoms); Dunaliella salina, Chlorella vulgarisand Ulothrix tenerrima (green algae). Major zooplankton included: Vorticella campanula, Epistylis daphniae (Protista); Keratella quadrata, Brachionus plicatilis (Rotifera); Artemiaspp. (Anostraca); Daphniopsis tibetana (Cladocera); Cletocamptus dertersiand Cyclops vicinus (Copepoda). Ten species were recorded in hypersaline waters; apart from those metioned above, they included Cyclidiumspp Litonotus fasciola, Euplotes terricola, Strombilidium viride, Brachionus variabilis, Colurella adriatica, Keratella cochlearis, Colurella adriatica, and Cyclops sp. Seven taxa of benthic macroinvertebrates are recorded, represented by Cyprissp. (Ostracoda), Gammarus sp. (Amphipoda), Radixsp. and Hippeutis sp. (Mollusca); chiroonomids Tendipus group salinarius (Diptera), Nematoda, Trochophora and Ephrdra sp. At present, there are fishes only in Bangong Co., and no fishes recorded in other salt lakes. The total number of plankton species has a significantly negative correlation with the salinity, and decreased with increasing altitude, but not significant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analyzes the process of transition and evolution in the Chinese government in response to the international pledge to achieve sustainable development. Development of environmentalism and policy making; Institutional changes inspired by international aid initiatives; Analysis of the dynamics, tensions and political conflicts that have shaped the development and implementation of the environmental agenda.

Analyzes the social aspects of the global climate change policy-making process in China. Evolution of China's environmental policy from 1949; Summary of the position held by the Chinese government on the subject of global warming; implications for technology policy; Environmental impact assessment.

Abstract: A 23-year-old teacher presented to hospital with a mild case of varicella. VZV vaccine strain vOka that resembles Varilrix but not Varivax or Biken strains was isolated from the skin lesion of the patient and was identified by single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) analysis. The teacher denied having varicella vaccine before. Retrospective analysis suggests the transmission came from a pupil who developed zoster 13 months after varicella vaccine Varilrix. This is the first report in China in which an adult with varicella was attributable to vaccine virus and the 6th report of transmission of vaccine virus to a susceptible adult around the world. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Substantial progress has been made in the field of large-area land cover mapping as the spatial resolution of remotely sensed data increases. However, a significant amount of human power is still required to label images for training and testing purposes, especially in high-resolution (e.g., 3-m) land cover mapping. In this research, we propose a solution that can produce 3-m resolution land cover maps on a national scale without human efforts being involved. First, using the public 10-m resolution land cover maps as an imperfect training dataset, we propose a deep learning based approach that can effectively transfer the existing knowledge. Then, we improve the efficiency of our method through a network pruning process for national-scale land cover mapping. Our proposed method can take the state-of-the-art 10-m resolution land cover maps (with an accuracy of 81.24% for China) as the training data, enable a transferred learning process that can produce 3-m resolution land cover maps, and further improve the overall accuracy (OA) to 86.34% for China. We present detailed results obtained over three mega cities in China, to demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed approach for 3-m resolution large-area land cover mapping. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• High resolution soil texture maps were predicted at a national extent. • The maps were much more accurate and detailed than the existing maps. • Climate and terrain are major controllers for spatial patterns of soil texture. • Physical and chemical weathering and wind erosion largely shape clay pattern. • Erosion, deposition, transportation and sorting largely shape silt pattern. The lack of detailed three-dimensional soil texture information largely restricts many applications in agriculture, hydrology, climate, ecology and environment. This study predicted 90 m resolution spatial variations of sand, silt and clay contents at a national extent across China and at multiple depths 0–5, 5–15, 15–30, 30–60, 60–100 and 100–200 cm. We used 4579 soil profiles collected from a national soil series inventory conducted recently and currently available environmental covariates. The covariates characterized environmental factors including climate, parent materials, terrain, vegetation and soil conditions. We constructed random forest models and employed a parallel computing strategy for the predictions of soil texture fractions based on its relationship with the environmental factors. Quantile regression forest was used to estimate the uncertainty of the predictions. Results showed that the predicted maps were much more accurate and detailed than the conventional linkage maps and the SoilGrids250m product, and could well represent spatial variation of soil texture across China. The relative accuracy improvement was around 245–370% relative to the linkage maps and 83–112% relative to the SoilGrids250m product with regard to the R2, and it was around 24–26% and 14–19% respectively with regard to the RMSE. The wide range between 5% lower and 95% upper prediction limits may suggest that there was a substantial room to improve current predictions. Besides, we found that climate and terrain factors are major controllers for spatial patterns of soil texture in China. The heat and water-driven physical and chemical weathering and wind-driven erosion processes primarily shape the pattern of clay content. The terrain, wind and water-driven deposition, erosion and transportation sorting processes of soil particles primarily shape the pattern of silt. The findings provide clues for modeling future soil evolution and for national soil security management under the background of global and regional environmental changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Andrographis paniculata (AP) has been widely used in China for centuries to treat various diseases, and especially to treat inflammation. Diterpenoid lactones are the main anti-inflammatory components of AP. However, systematic chemical composition and biological activities, as well as key pharmacophores, of these diterpenoid lactones from AP have not yet been clearly understood. In this study, 17 diterpenoid lactones, including 2 new compounds, were identified by spectroscopic methods, and most of them attenuated the generation of TNF-α and IL-6 in LPS-induced RAW 274.7 cells examined by ELISA. Pharmacophores of diterpenoid lactones responsible for the anti-inflammatory activities were revealed based on the quantitative structure-activity relationship (QSAR) models. Moreover, new compounds (AP-1 and AP-4) exerted anti-inflammatory activity in LPS microinjection-induced zebrafish, which might be correlated with the inhibition of the translocation of NF-κB p65 from cytoplasm to nucleus. Our study provides guidelines for future structure modification and rational drug design of diterpenoid lactones with anti-inflammatory properties in medical chemistry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Uncertainty remains about the association of potassium (K) intake with depression and anxiety status. We explored their relationship using 24‐h urinary K, reflecting K intake, in general population. Methods: We collected 24‐h urine and performed self‐rating depression and anxiety scales (SDS, SAS) cross‐sectionally in adults selected by random sampling in China. SDS and SAS standard score ≥50 defined depression and anxiety status. Participants were divided into three groups (T1, T2, and T3) by 24‐h urinary K tertile. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals were calculated. Sensitivity analysis was performed by excluding anti‐hypertensive agent takers. Results: 546 participants comprised current analytical sample. First, T1 and T2 groups showed higher SDS scores (40.0 vs 40.0 vs 36.0, p =.001), prevalence (19.8 vs 15.9 vs 7.1%, p =.002), whereas increased adjusted odds for depression status only in T1 group (OR = 2.71, p =.017), compared with T3 group. Second, T1 and T2 groups showed higher SAS scores (38.0 vs 40 vs 35.0, p <.001) and prevalence (14.8 vs 21.4 vs 8.8%, p =.003), whereas increased adjusted odds for anxiety status only in T2 group (OR = 2.07, p =.042), compared with T3 groups. Third, T1 and T2 groups showed higher prevalence (10.4% vs 11.5% vs 2.7%, p =.004) and adjusted odds (OR = 3.71, p =.013; OR = 3.66, p =.014) for co‐existent anxiety and depression status, compared with T3 group. Most results remained consistent in sensitivity analysis. Conclusions: Lower K intake is implicated in presence of anxiety and depression status in general population; this may provide basis for programs to increase K intake and prevent disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For mapping soil properties in three dimensions the simplest option is to choose a series of depth intervals, and to calibrate a two-dimensional (2-D) model for each interval. The alternative is to calibrate a full three dimensional (3-D) model that describes the variation in lateral and vertical direction. In 3-D modeling we must anticipate possible changes with depth of the effects of environmental covariates on the soil property of interest. This can be achieved by including interactions between the environmental covariates and depth. Also we must anticipate possible non-stationarity of the residual variance with depth. This can be achieved by fitting a 3-D correlation function, and multiplying the correlation between two points by the residual standard deviations at these two points that are a function of depth. In this paper various 3-D models of the natural logarithms of SOC are compared with 2-D depth-interval specific models. Five environmental covariates are used as predictors in modeling the lateral trend. In the 3-D models also depth was used as a predictor, either categorical, with categories equal to the depth intervals (3-Dcat), or continuous (3-Dcon). The covariance of the residuals in 3-D is modeled by a sum-metric covariance function. Both stationary and non-stationary variance models are fitted. In the non-stationary variance models the residual standard deviations are modeled either as a stepwise function or as a linear function of depth. In the 2-D models the regression coefficients differed largely between the depth intervals. In the 3-Dcat model extreme values for the regression coefficients were leveled out, and in the 3-Dcon model only the coefficients of NDVI and aspect changed with depth. The 3-Dcon model with a residual standard deviation that is a stepwise function of depth had the largest residual log-likelihood and smallest AIC among all 3-D models. Based on the cross-validation root mean squared error (RMSE) there was no single best model. Based on the mean and median of the standardized squared error (MSSE, MedSSE) the 2-D models outperformed all 3-D models. Overestimation of the prediction error variance by the kriging variance was less strong with the non-stationary variance models compared to the stationary variance models. 3-D modeling is required for realistic geostatistical simulation in spatial uncertainty analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A 250 m resolution black soil distribution map of China was developed. • Random forest classifier can accurately identify black soil at the national scale. • Daily mean land surface temperature and vegetation greatly affect black soil distribution. • A large area of unused black soil with reclamation potential in China. Black soil (BS) is an important soil resource. However, there is a lack of accurate information on BS spatial distribution, which affects the sustainable use and protection of BS. In this study, we linked BS distribution and machine learning. Random forest (RF) classifier and recent soil survey data were used to produce a high–precision BS distribution map in China. We analyzed environmental control factors of BS distribution. The results showed that the RF classifier method can well estimate the spatial distribution of BS at the national scale with an overall accuracy of 0.63 ∼ 0.91. The hot spots of BS distribution were mainly located in the Songnen Plain, Sanjiang Plain, the eastern side of the Greater Khingan Mountains and the western side of Changbai Mountains in Northeast China, the northeastern foot of Qilian Mountains in Qinghai–Tibet Plateau and the northern foot of Tianshan Mountains in Northwest China. Nearly 45 % BS area was covered by cropland. The daily mean land surface temperature and vegetation coverage had important controling effects on the BS distribution. Excluding the alpine mountains, BS area with potential for conversion to cropland can increase by 18.12 % (3.27 × 104 km2). The mapped BS distribution of China can serve as a benchmark for BS resource monitoring and play an important role in its assessment and protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] Soil spatial information has traditionally been presented as polygon maps at coarse scales. Solving global and local issues, including food security, water regulation, land degradation, and climate change requires higher quality, more consistent and detailed soil information. Accurate prediction of soil variation over large and complex areas with limited samples remains a challenge, which is especially significant for China due to its vast land area which contains the most diverse soil landscapes in the world. Here, we integrated predictive soil mapping paradigm with adaptive depth function fitting, state-of-the-art ensemble machine learning and high-resolution soil-forming environment characterization in a high-performance parallel computing environment to generate 90-m resolution national gridded maps of nine soil properties (pH, organic carbon, nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, cation exchange capacity, bulk density, coarse fragments, and thickness) at multiple depths across China. This was based on approximately 5000 representative soil profiles collected in a recent national soil survey and a suite of detailed covariates to characterize soil-forming environments. The predictive accuracy ranged from very good to moderate (Model Efficiency Coefficients from 0.71 to 0.36) at 0–5 cm. The predictive accuracy for most soil properties declined with depth. Compared with previous soil maps, we achieved significantly more detailed and accurate predictions which could well represent soil variations across the territory and are a significant contribution to the GlobalSoilMap.net project. The relative importance of soil-forming factors in the predictions varied by specific soil property and depth, suggesting the complexity and non-stationarity of comprehensive multi-factor interactions in the process of soil development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sleep disorders have been proposed as the potential risk factors for hypertension, thus we aimed to investigate the association of sleep quality with new-onset hypertension.Methods: We evaluated sleep quality using Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and it's seven components in normotensive population aged 18 years old and over in Emin Xinjiang, China in 2016 and followed up till 2019 using annual health checkup data. Poor sleep quality was defined as a PSQI score>5, and good sleep quality was defined as a PSQI score⩽5.Results: Among 9344 analytic sample 57.29% were female. A total of 2958 (31.66%) subjects developed hypertension during 22,960 person-years of follow-up. Poor sleep quality (HR 1.131, 95% CI 1.045, 1.224) showed had higher risk of development hypertension in total population in adjusted Cox models. Fairly bad subjective sleep quality (HR 1.148, 95% CI 1.015, 1.298), habitual sleep efficiency of <65%-75% group (HR 1.174, 95% CI 1.026, 1.344), and mild (HR 1.194, 95% CI 1.098, 1.299) and moderate (HR 1.264, 95% CI 1.080, 1.479) sleep disturbance increased the risk of developing hypertension compared to their counterparts. In age stratification, poor sleep quality (HR 1.100, 95% CI 1.007, 1.202) had higher risk of developing hypertension in the young and middle-aged population after adjusted all covariates.Conclusions: Poor sleep quality is associated with higher risk of new-onset hypertension in young and middle-aged population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Listeria monocytogenes , a fatal foodborne pathogen has the extraordinary capacity to survive in harsh conditions and is a potential threat to public health. A novel 91 kb plasmid pLM1686 was found in the prevalent L. monocytogenes sequence type (ST) 87 strain in China. In this study, the function and distribution of pLM1686 were firstly investigated in L. monocytogenes. The results showed plasmid pLM1686 had self-transmissible ability and existed in various types of L. monocytogenes isolates belonging to two lineages (lineage I and II), four serotypes (1/2b, 3b, 1/2c and 1/2a) and four STs (ST87, ST59, ST9 and ST120). The wild strain LM1686 and transconjugant strain 10403S P1686 exhibited significantly higher growth rate and biofilm formation in Modification of Welshimer's medium (MWB), greater salinity tolerance, stronger cell invasion and higher cytotoxicity than plasmid-cured strain and reference strain 10403S. Moreover, plasmid curing caused the loss of cadmium resistance of strain, and the recipient strain acquired cadmium resistance after conjugation. Thus, pLM1686 would provide L. monocytogenes advantages of surviving in adverse environments. • pLM1686 is a conserved and conjugative plasmid. • pLM1686 was distributed in foodborne L. monocytogenes with various molecular types and wide geographic locations in China. • pLM1686 contributes to biofilm formation, salt stress and virulence of L. monocytogenes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A gridded soil colour map of China at 1 km resolution and 9 depths was produced. • Predictive soil mapping from 4600 profile descriptions and 40 covariates. • Regional patterns and details of soil colour are clearly shown. • Random forest models did not predict less common colours. • Maps can be used for education or linked to soil processes and classification. Soil colour can indicate soil physical, chemical and biological properties and processes, and is an important indicator for soil classification, soil quality evaluation and soil management. It varies in both horizontal and vertical dimensions, and thus regional maps of soil colour can reveal spatial patterns of these properties, processes, and indicators. However, although soil regions are sometimes named for their dominant soil colour, it is directly measured only at "point" support, i.e., during soil profile description, whereas it is desirable to know soil colour over the entire soilscape. To achieve this for China we used predictive soil mapping methods to produce soil colour maps (dry and moist colours) at 1 km2 grid cell size and over multiple depths from a consistent dataset of approximately 4 600 full profile descriptions taken as part of a national survey to define soil series in Chinese Soil Taxonomy, and a set of environmental covariates covering the national territory. The covariates characterized soil forming factors including climate, parent materials, terrain, vegetation, land surface water and thermal conditions. Soil colour descriptions in the Munsell system were extracted from the genetic horizon descriptions at the selected depths and converted to the sRGB and L*a*b* colour spaces. Dry and moist colour separates were not well-correlated in either space (r < 0.76). Random forest models were constructed in both spaces, for dry and moist colours separately. Models in sRGB space were moderately successful ( R 2 ≈ 0.43 , RMSE ≈ 26 / 255) at 5 cm, with success decreasing with depth. Models smoothed the colour space and thus did not predict the more extreme values or chromas, nor the rarer hues. Models in L*a*b* space were less successful. The fitted sRGB models were used to produce predictive maps over all of China. Regional patterns as well as local detail are clearly shown. Solar radiation, wind exposure, regolith thickness, and Landsat TM bands 7 and 5 contributed most to the predictions, followed by elevation, mean annual precipitation, terrain wetness index, air temperature seasonality, precipitation standard deviation and standard deviation of NDVI. These suggest pedological processes acting on the development of soil colours, including weathering of parent materials, oxidation-reduction chemistry and biochemistry of the decomposing of organic matter. This study shows that predictive methods from points using suitable covariates are an alternative to spatial predictions over map units from their representative profiles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To probe Fe isotopic signatures of the Quaternary Red Clay (QRC) in subtropical southeastern China, two QRC profiles located in southern Anhui Province, Southeast China, were studied. The whole profiles were generally in a narrow range in δ56Fe of −0.040 ± 0.061‰—0.117 ± 0.048‰. The Yellow-brown Earth (YBE) and Uniform Red Clay (URC) of the upper profiles were similar in δ56Fe to the Xiashu Loess along the Yangtze River, Southeast China, and the loess, paleosols and Tertiary red clay in the Chinese Loess Plateaus, Northwest China, as well as the baseline of terrestrial igneous rocks. The slight variation of δ56Fe from the YBE to the URC suggests that the chemical weathering and rubification on the aerobic surface did not fractionate Fe isotopes significantly. The Reticulate Red Clay (RRC) underlying the YBE and URC fluctuated in δ56Fe to some extent. The white veins separated from the lower RRC were depleted of Fe oxides and heavier in Fe isotopes, and the red veins, on the contrary, were isotopically lighter in Fe. δ56Fe of the white veins, 0.345 ± 0.053‰ on average, was significantly higher than the bulk samples, 0.033 ± 0.044‰ on average, and the red veins, −0.021 ± 0.046‰ on average. This suggests that the reticulate textures of the RRC were formed by the reductive removal/re-precipitation of Fe due to the cyclical changes of redoxic conditions. Fe isotopic composition of the QRC was dominantly controlled by the redoxic mobility of Fe, rather than the degree of weathering. δ56Fe of the profiles was not correlated with the paleoclimatic events, and thus cannot be used as a paleoclimatic proxy. The fractionation of Fe isotopes in the lower RRC, however, indicated the occurrence of over-humid paleoclimate with alternations between drought and wetness in Southern China during the Pleistocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecological restoration has been risen to a national strategic project for China and become an significant way to realize ecological civilization construction. As an important way to measure the effectiveness of ecological restoration engineering, the corresponding evaluation provides a reliable basis for ecological restoration decision-making and ecosystem management. Based on remote sensing technology with the advantages of short revisit time, large monitoring range, high spatial resolution, this paper proposes a remote sensing evaluation method of watershed ecological restoration effect, so as to monitor the implementation effect of ecological restoration engineering in the watershed and technically check whether the expected goals set before the restoration are achieved. The comprehensive ecological restoration engineering of Yongding River has been implemented since 2016, and it was the first focus of the coordinated development of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region to make advances in ecology. In this paper, year 2015 and 2020 were selected as the before and the after the ecological restoration engineering of Yongding River. The research object was the riparian zone from Luopoling Reservoir to Daning Reservoir in Yongding River Watershed. After obtaining and processing remote sensing images, ZY-3 images were used to obtain land cover data by means of human-computer interactive interpretation, and Landsat images were used to retrieve NDVI data. Based on these data, the changes of the eight indicators of water resources, water ecology and ecological function in the study area were calculated to evaluate the ecological restoration engineering effect. The results showed that the study area has basically realized the maintenance of ecological water quantity, formed the ecological corridor of Yongding River, and effectively enhanced the ecological function and improved the water environment. By verifying the feasibility of remote sensing evaluation method, this paper could provide relevant decision makers and planners with an effective evaluation method for the ecological restoration engineering effect based on remote sensing data and technology. • Remote sensing images and land cover data were utilized to calculate the indicators before and after ecological restoration. • Ecological restoration engineering effect was evaluated from water resources, water environment and ecological function. • Based on the proposed method, the ecological restoration effect in the study area was proved to be satisfactory overall. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Fertilization led to abundant NO 3 − leaching during crop growth and fallow period. • NO 3 − adsorption decreased the NO 3 − leaching at subsoil. • 200 kg ha−1 yr−1 urea fertilization led to high NO 3 − and fertilizer N accumulation in deep soil. • Mineralization of soil organic N was the main source of NO 3 − leaching. Nitrate (NO 3 −) leaching in agroecosystems has caused much concern worldwide due to its negative environmental and health impacts. To evaluate the effect of fertilization on NO 3 − leaching and soil N accumulation, a two-year 15N tracing study was conducted in subtropical China with field lysimeters packed with non-destructive sampling red soil. 200 kg N ha−1 yr−1 urea (15N abundance of 10%) was applied for maize crops. Fertilization promoted NO 3 − leaching by 91.5 ± 6.1 and 57.9 ± 15.2 kg N ha−1 yr−1 at 20 and 100 cm depth, respectively. Soil organic nitrogen (SON) pool was the main NO 3 − source (>60%), especially at surface soil. Fertilizer contributed 19.4 ± 2.0 and 32.8 ± 1.9% to NO 3 − leaching. At 20 cm depth, besides NO 3 − leaching accelerated by fertilization during the crop growth period (51.8%), mineralization of SON also resulted in abundant NO 3 − leaching during the fallow period (48.2%). At 100 cm depth, NO 3 − leaching significantly increased with the fertilization year due to the continuous NO 3 − leaching and the delay of NO 3 − leaching by soil NO 3 − adsorption. After two-year fertilization, 55.3 ± 2.2% of the applied N accumulated in the soil, leading to a soil N pool increase of 110.0 ± 10.1 kg N ha−1 yr−1. If the fertilization was maintained, the continuous N accumulation poses a potential threat to groundwater quality or drinking water safety. In subtropical red soil regions, to reduce NO 3 − leaching, NO 3 − leaching during both the crop growth and fallow period should be taken seriously, and effective management practices, such as cover crops and intensive tile drainage systems, should be carried out to reduce the fertilizer N accumulation and the contribution of SON. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The effects of urbanization on soil have been accelerating around the globe and there is a need for these effects to be evaluated precisely. In order to do this, spatial outliers and mapping uncertainty should be handled properly. The present study aimed to deal with these two problems using a case study of soil pH and particle fractions (i.e., sand, silt and clay) in Hong Kong. Based on 133 topsoil samples collected in an urban and peri-urban mixed area of Hong Kong, robust estimators for spatial variogram were first adopted with a procedure for identifying spatial outliers to remove spatial outliers. Then, 1000 models were simulated for each soil property using the methods of maximum likelihood and Monte Carlo Markov Chain, in order to characterize parameter uncertainty. Finally, 100 of the 1000 simulated models were randomly selected to construct soil maps using kriging, and the interpolation uncertainty was characterized using Sequential Gaussian Simulation, generating 1000 simulations for each model. Based on the total 100,000 simulated values at each location for each soil property, temporal variation of the soil property at the location across the past half century was derived against the soil series map established in 1960s for this area. Probability that soil property value changed after urbanization was also computed, in order to show if soil property has changed with a significant confidence. Results showed that the situation of spatial outliers in the soil data of the present study was not serious and mapping uncertainties were large. Temporal variations of soil pH and particle fractions obtained through comparison between soil maps of pre-urbanization and post-urbanization were not completely attributed to the effects of urbanization, but partially to mapping uncertainties. Urbanization in Hong Kong during the past half century influenced soil pH slightly and influenced soil particle fractions relatively strongly. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Grain-size and geochemical characteristics of 18 Quaternary Red Clay (QRC) profiles mainly located in the lower and middle reaches of the Yangtze River in subtropical China were studied. The results showed that all the QRC profiles can be classified into three types: Type A, mainly distributed between 29°N and 31°N, share the similar characteristics with the Xiashu Loess, with the uniformity of grain-size and elemental compositions and the enrichment of the basic dust fraction (10μm–63μm), which may originate from aeolian dust deposits and is hence called a loess-like QRC. Type B, mainly distributed between 25°N and 28°N, shows alluvial features, with many coarse grains and large-scale vertical variation of grain-size and chemical compositions. Type AB, distributed between Type A and Type B, approximately 28°N–29°N, shows double-unit structure: The upper part is similar to Type A; the lower, however, shows alluvial features like Type B. The loess-like QRC is mainly distributed along the Yangtze River, but gradually declines southwards and is rarely seen south of 28°N. The existence of the loess-like QRC is strong evidence for the occurrence of heavy dustfalls in the modern red-soil areas in subtropical China during the Quaternary glacial periods. The region distributed with the loess-like QRC is at least 3° latitude south of the Xiashu Loess, implying that the loess/red clay boundary in the Yangtze Valley had once oscillated with the alternations between glacial and interglacial climates during the Quaternary period. The loess-like QRC actually includes both glacial and interglacial paleoclimatic information. We suggest that the Yellow-brown Earth (YBE) in the upper QRC was formed during the last glacial period; the underlying red clay, with the aeolian dust characteristics but being strongly weathered, was initially deposited during the second last glacial or earlier glacial stages but heavily weathered and rubefied in the subsequent interglacial events. No multi-cyclical paleoclimatic records were found in the QRC profiles due to the overlapped information. But the weathering degree of the profiles clearly show a trend of decreasing upwards, which suggests that the climate in the Yangtze Valley has become colder and drier since the late Quaternary period. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Magnetic susceptibility (χ lf) and other magnetic parameters of 11 typical profiles of Quaternary Red Clay (QRC) in subtropical China were measured. χ lf curves of the QRC profiles show similar vertical variations: χ lf of the uppermost yellow-brown earth (YBE) and uniform red clay (URC) of the profiles is high, mostly ranging from 50 to 150×10−8 m3 kg−1; that of the reticulate red clay (RRC) sharply decreases downwards. Especially in the Lower RRC (LRRC) with dense reticulate pattern, χ lf is often less than 10×10−8 m3 kg−1. Grain-size characteristics and geochemical properties of the QRC suggest that the sharp decrease of χ lf in the RRC is not related to sudden change of parent materials, but to the formation of the reticulate pattern. Further study indicates that pedogenic fine ferrimagnetic minerals (FM) (superparamagnetic particles (SP) and/or stable single domain (SSD)) are the main magnetic carriers of the QRC. The YBE and URC, with higher χ lf, show low coercivity and magnetic soft behavior; the RRC, especially the LRRC, with weak magnetism, shows high coercivity and magnetic hard behavior. The temperature-dependent susceptibility (TDS) of the QRC suggests that the dominant type of FM in the YBE and URC is pedogenic maghemite; the RRC, especially the LRRC, however, contains little maghemite but a trace amount of lithogenic multi-domain (MD) magnetite inherited from the parent rock. During post-depositional hydromorphic processes, pedogenic maghemite was more easily dissolved than hematite, which caused the sharp decrease of χ lf in the RRC. As χ lf of the QRC was mainly controlled by the intensity of hydromorphic processes, rather than the weathering degree, χ lf of the QRC in subtropical China cannot accurately indicate the paleoclimate during the Quaternary period, when the red clay was initially formed. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: To study the feasibility of using magnetic techniques for monitoring soil pollution in Shanghai, magnetic properties and heavy metals in the topsoils in an urban site (Songnan Town) and a less-urbanized agricultural site (Luojing Town) in Baoshan District, Shanghai, were studied. Compared with the background, magnetic signals of the urban topsoils are extremely enhanced with magnetic susceptibility (χ lf) from 127.3–1959×10−8 m3 kg−1; while those of the agricultural topsoils are only slightly increased. However, both the urban and agricultural topsoils contain few pedogenic SP grains, as indicated by their low χ fd% (<3.6%). Ratios of χ arm/SIRM, χ arm/χ lf and SIRM/χ lf indicate that the grain size of magnetic minerals in the urban topsoils is significantly coarser than that in the background and the agricultural topsoils. Furthermore, the urban topsoils show low coercivity and magnetic soft behaviors, as indicated by higher SOFT%, lower HARD%, higher IRM300 mT/SIRM (close to 1) and lower IRM−200 mT/SIRM (close to −1). It suggests that the urban topsoils have received some coarse ferrimagnetic particles. Heavy metals are highly enriched in the magnetic fractions of the topsoils. Geochemical properties of the magnetic fraction of the urban topsoils are significantly different from those of the agricultural topsoils, further indicating that the extra magnetic minerals accumulated in the urban topsoils are neither inherited from soil parent materials nor from pedogenic processes, but originate from anthropogenic activities. The significant correlations between heavy metals and χ lf, χ arm, SIRM, SOFT and HIRM of the topsoils in the district indicate that the magnetic techniques can be used for monitoring soil pollution in Shanghai. The soils with χ lf from 39–50×10−8 m3 kg−1 in the district are tentatively defined as “slightly polluted soils”; those with χ lf >50×10−8 m3 kg−1 are defined as “polluted soils”. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Fertilization accelerated soil acidification by promoting nitrification, NO 3 – leaching and plant growth. • Plant played an important role in soil acidification by redistributing soil base cations pool. • Straw returning was recommended to alleviate acidification of acid sensitive soils. • Two-year fertilization significantly increased soil exchangeable H+ and Al3+. Increasing acid deposition and intense nitrogen (N) fertilization have resulted in severe soil acidification in many regions of the world. However, the soil acidification rate, especially quantitative contributions of different proton (H+) sources remain unclear in various cropping systems. In this study, a two-year field lysimeter experiment was conducted with a set of different N fertilization treatments (0, 100, 200 and 400 kg N ha−1 yr−1) for maize crop in typical red soil in subtropical China. The pathways and budgets of different H+ sources were quantified by calculating the input–output balance of major elements. Results showed that fertilization significantly accelerated soil acidification by increasing the leaching of NO 3 – and base cations (K+, Ca2+, Na+, and Mg2+) as well as increasing the cation removals by plant uptake and harvest. Unbalanced plant uptake of anions and cations was the primary H+ source (64.4–80.5%) to soils. Plants have an important effect on soil acidification by redistributing cations in soils. Due to cation removals by plant uptake and harvest, there were significant decreases of soil exchangeable base cations under high urea-N treatments (200 and 400 kg N ha−1 yr−1) and significant increases of soil exchangeable H+ and Al3+ under three fertilization treatments. Of course, N transformation also plays an important role (12.1% to 38.8%). However, the effect of direct H+ deposition is minor in this area comparatively (5.78% to 7.34%). Quantification of acidification contribution of different sources is useful for the establishment of further soil remediation practices. The field management is considered very important to alleviate soil acidification, including increasing straw return and controlling fertilizer application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Nitrate sources from surface water through regolith to groundwater were traced. • Nitrate with light N isotopes was preferentially adsorbed by variable charge soils. • Soil organic N contributed highest to the upland and paddy subcatchment streamflow. • Chemical fertilizers contributed highest to the groundwater and regolith. • Most of the nitrate in the Critical Zone was from CF and SON. Nitrate contamination of water bodies is a serious concern in regions with intensive agriculture. Previous studies, which only considered surface water and groundwater but not the regolith, do not provide a comprehensive accounting of nitrate sources and their proportional contributions in the Critical Zone, which extends from the top of the vegetation canopy down to the bottom of the fresh groundwater. In this study, dual nitrate isotopes, hydrochemical compositions and a Bayesian isotope mixing model were used to investigate nitrate sources, processes and individual source contributions across surface water, regolith and groundwater at the Red Soil Critical Zone Observatory of China. Denitrification was found to be weak in the Critical Zone. Dilution processes were important in eliminating nitrate from streamflow and groundwater. More than 90% of the nitrate inventory was stored at depths from 1 m to the bedrock surface in the upland regolith. Nitrate with light nitrogen (14N) isotopes was preferentially adsorbed by the variable charge soils with the help of weak electrostatic attraction. The contribution of soil organic N (SON) to the nitrate in the upland catchment streamflow was found to be highest with a mean of 56%, followed by manure and sewage (MS, 26%), NH 4 + in chemical fertilizers (CF, 17%). For the paddy subcatchment streamflow, the contribution of SON (68%) was highest, followed by CF (19%) and MS (13%). In contrast, for the groundwater, the contributions of CF and SON were 60% and 36%, respectively. For the regolith, the contributions of CF and SON were 72% and 25%, respectively. Thus the most important sources of nitrate were SON for the streamflow and CF for the groundwater and regolith. These findings show that the different partitioning and isotopic fractionation within the regolith strongly affect the sources of nitrate reaching groundwater, compared to the sources reaching surface water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Controls on nitrate accumulation at depth in variable charge soils were revealed. • Regolith pH, crystalline Fe, AEC and bulk density dominated nitrate accumulation. • The greater amount of Fe oxides gave its larger contribution than Al oxides. • Nitrate accumulation was controlled by adsorption and low hydraulic conductivity. Nitrate accumulation at depth in variable charge soils in humid tropics and subtropics affects nitrogen (N) leaching to groundwater. However, the mechanisms on the nitrate accumulation in relation to regolith (soil and saprolite) properties are poorly understood. In this study, four upland regoliths were selected in a typical red soil Critical Zone of humid subtropical China. These regoliths with a thickness of 6–8 m, which developed from Quaternary red clay underlain by sandstone bedrock, were acidic, highly weathered, and clay loam to clay in texture. We analyzed the relationships between nitrate concentrations and the regolith physiochemical properties. The results showed that regolith pH was negatively correlated with nitrate concentrations, whereas crystalline iron (Fe) and aluminum (Al) and anion exchange capacity (AEC) were positively correlated with nitrate concentrations at depths below both soil surface and 1 m. Bulk density (BD) was significantly related to nitrate concentrations only at depths below soil surface, while depth, clay, amorphous Fe and Al, total organic carbon (C), and total N were significantly related to nitrate concentrations only at depths below 1 m. There was no significant correlation between nitrate concentrations and sand, silt, silicate bound Fe or Al, C/N, or moisture at depths below both soil surface and 1 m. Based on the random forest analysis, the relative contributions of pH, crystalline Fe, depth, AEC, BD, crystalline Al and amorphous Fe to explaining nitrate concentration variations were 28.3%, 9.5%, 4.3%, 3.4%, 2.9%, 2.8% and 2.6%, respectively. The concentration of crystalline Fe was ten times that of crystalline Al, which would account for its larger contribution to the nitrate variations. Nitrate accumulation at depth was most likely controlled both by electrostatic adsorption on crystalline Fe and Al oxides and low hydraulic conductivity of the regolith at depth, which appeared to be largely influenced by regolith pH and competitive anions. Our findings shed light on regolith internal property controls on nitrate legacy in the subtropical vadose zone and may help control nitrate contamination of groundwater in intensified agricultural regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]