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The outbreak of COVID-19 has triggered a worldwide upsurge in online education. This paper first reviews the actions implemented by Tsinghua University in response to COVID-19 as an example. Based on the experience, the paper further discusses how to turn the 'forced innovation' happened in the pandemic into an 'anti-pandemic dividend' that could expedite the transformation of higher education, through institutionalizing and normalizing the actions taken under the outbreak.

Naphthalene (Nap) and its derivatives, including 1-methylnaphthalene (1-MN) and 2-methylnaphthalene (2-MN), serve as prominent intermediate volatile organic compounds (IVOCs) and contribute to the formation of secondary organic aerosol (SOA). In this study, the Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model coupled with detailed emissions and reactions of these compounds was utilized to examine their roles in the formation of SOA and other secondary pollutants in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region during summer. Significant underestimations of Nap and MN concentrations (by 79 % and 85 %) were observed at the Taizhou site based on the model results using the default emissions. Constrained by the observations, anthropogenic emissions of Nap and MN in the entire region were multiplied by 5 and 7, respectively, to better capture the evolution of pollutants. The average concentration of Nap reached 25 ppt (parts per trillion) in the YRD, with Nap contributing 4.1 % and 8.1 % (up to 12.6 %) of total aromatic emissions and aromatic-derived secondary organic carbon (SOC), respectively. The concentrations of 1-MN and 2-MN were relatively low, averaging 2 and 5 ppt, respectively. Together, they accounted for only 2.4 % of the aromatic-derived SOC. The impacts of Nap and MN oxidation on ozone and radicals were insignificant at regional scales but were not negligible when considering daily fluctuations in locations with high emissions of Nap and MN. This study highlights the significant roles of Nap and MN in the formation of SOA, which may pose environmental risks and result in adverse health effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ratoon rice cropping pattern is an alternative to the double-season rice cropping pattern in central China due to its comparable annual yield and relatively lower cost and labor requirements. However, the impact of the ratoon rice cropping pattern on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and yields in the double-season rice region requires further investigation. Here, we compared two cropping patterns, fallow-double season rice (DR) and fallow-ratoon rice (RR), by using two early-season rice varieties (ZJZ17, LY287) and two late-season rice varieties (WY103, TY390) for DR, and two ratoon rice varieties (YLY911, LY6326) for RR. The six varieties constituted four treatments, including DR1 (ZJZ17 + WY103), DR2 (LY287 + TY390), RR1 (YLY911), and RR2 (LY6326). The experimental results showed that conversion from DR to RR cropping pattern significantly altered the GHG emissions, global warming potential (GWP), and GWP per unit yield (yield-scaled GWP). Compared with DR, the RR cropping pattern significantly increased cumulative methane (CH4), nitrous oxide (N2O), and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 65.73%, 30.56%, and 47.13%, respectively, in the first cropping season. Conversely, in the second cropping season, the RR cropping pattern effectively reduced cumulative CH4, N2O, and CO2 emissions by 79.86%, 27.18%, and 30.31%, respectively. RR led to significantly lower annual cumulative CH4 emissions, but no significant difference in cumulative annual N2O and CO2 emissions compared with DR. In total, the RR cropping pattern reduced the annual GWP by 7.38% and the annual yield-scaled GWP by 2.48% when compared to the DR cropping pattern. Rice variety also showed certain effects on the yields and GHG emissions in different RR cropping patterns. Compared with RR1, RR2 significantly increased annual yield while decreasing annual GWP and annual yield-scaled GWP. In conclusion, the LY6326 RR cropping pattern may be a highly promising strategy to simultaneously reduce GWP and maintain high grain yield in double-season rice regions in central China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Overstory and understory vegetation play a vital role in forest ecosystem functionality. However, it is necessary to enhance the knowledge of their diversity and compositional dynamics following cessation of disturbance, which is required to inform restoration approaches and the mechanisms required for maintaining disturbance cessation. We conducted a chronosequence spanning 0–1, 5–6, 11–12, 20–24, and 28–34 years since disturbance cessation, and old-growth forests to investigate the dynamic changes in overstory and understory vegetation diversity and composition, as well as maintenance mechanisms following the cessation of anthropogenic disturbances in subtropical regions of Eastern China. The current study results indicated a decrease in understory cover and periodic fluctuations in the diversity of overstorey and understory vegetation following disturbance cessation efforts. Specifically, the shrub layer exhibited the highest richness in 28–34 years, while the herb layer showed the lowest evenness. Multivariate analysis using multiple-response permutation procedures indicated that the species composition and interspecific quantity ratio of understory plants in the forest at 28–34 years significantly differ from those in the early closure stage. An indicator species analysis revealed that more support was given to sun-loving plants after 0–1 years of the enclosure, while species with shade tolerance and low nutrient requirements were supported after 28–34 years. The structural equation model results show that 38.8% of the impact on herb evenness was related to light and substrate diversity. The ecological restoration time mainly indirectly affects understory vegetation by influencing the upper vegetation, light availability, and substrate heterogeneity. Overall, this study revealed that cessation of anthropogenic disturbance can maintain and care for understorey plant diversity and contribute to the sustainable management of forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is an urgent need to find a way to improve the genetic diversity of captive South China tiger (SCT, Panthera tigris amoyensis), the most critically endangered taxon of living tigers, facing inbreeding depression. The genomes showed that 13 hybrid SCTs from Meihuashan were divided into two groups; one group included three individuals who had a closer relationship with pureblood SCTs than another group. The three individuals shared more that 40% of their genome with pureblood SCTs and might be potential individuals for genetic rescuing in SCTs. A large-scale genetic survey based on 319 pureblood SCTs showed that the mean microsatellite inbreeding coefficient of pureblood SCTs decreased significantly from 0.1789 to 0.0600 (p = 0.000009) and the ratio of heterozygous loci increased significantly from 38.5% to 43.2% (p = 0.02) after one individual of the Chongqing line joined the Suzhou line and began to breed in the mid-1980s, which is a reason why the current SCTs keep a moderate level of microsatellite heterozygosity and nucleotide diversity. However, it is important to establish a back-up population based on the three individuals through introducing one pureblood SCT into the back-up population every year. The back-up population should be an important reserve in case the pureblood SCTs are in danger in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mandatory use of low-sulfur fuel according to global sulfur limit regulation has reduced the emissions of SO2 and PM significantly on ships, while it also leads to very large uncertainty on VOCs emission. Therefore, on-board test of VOCs from 9 typical cargo ships with low-sulfur fuels in China were carried out in this study. Results showed that emission factor of VOCs (EFVOCs) varied largely from 0.09 to 3.01 g kg-1 fuel, with domestic coastal cargo ships (CCSs) had the highest levels and ocean-going vessels (OGVs) the lowest. The switch of fuels from heavy fuel oil (HFO) to diesel increased EFVOCs by 48 % on average, which enhanced both O3 and secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation potentials, especially for OGVs. Besides, the use of low-sulfur fuels for OGVs also lead to significant increase of naphthalene emission. These indicated the implementation of globally ultra-low-sulfur oil policy in the near future needs to be optimized. Moreover, aromatics were the most important common contributors to O3 and SOA in ship exhausts, which need to be controlled with priority. It was also found that benzene, toluene, and ethylbenzene ratio of 0.5:0.3:0.2 on average could be considered as a diagnostic characteristic to distinguish ship emission from other emission sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the results of two population surveys conducted 10 years apart (December 2010–February 2011 and December 2020–January 2021) of the Critically Endangered white-headed langur Trachypithecus leucocephalus in the Chongzuo White-Headed Langur National Nature Reserve, Guangxi Province, China. In the first survey, we recorded 818 individuals in 105 groups and 16 solitary adult males. In the second survey, we recorded 1,183 individuals in 128 groups and one solitary adult male. As a result of government policies, poaching for food and traditional medicine is no longer a primary threat to these langurs. However, severe forest loss and fragmentation caused by human activities could limit any future increase of this langur population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Transcranial pulse stimulation (TPS) is a novel noninvasive ultrasonic brain stimulation that can increase cortical and corticospinal excitability, induce neuroplasticity, and increase functional connectivity within the brain. Several trials have confirmed its potential in treating Alzheimer's disease (AD). Objective: To investigate the effect and safety of TPS on AD. Design: A systematic review. Methods: PubMed, Embase via Ovid, Web of Science, Cochrane Library, CNKI (China National Knowledge Infrastructure), VIP (China Science and Technology Journal Database), and WanFang were searched from inception to April 1, 2023. Study selection, data extraction, and quality evaluation of the studies were conducted by two reviewers independently, with any controversy resolved by consensus. The Methodological Index for Nonrandomized Studies was used to assess the risk of bias. Results: Five studies were included in this review, with a total of 99 patients with AD. For cognitive performance, TPS significantly improved the scores of the CERAD (Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer's Disease) test battery, Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale (cognitive), Montreal Cognitive Assessment, and Mini‐Mental Status Examination. For depressive symptoms, TPS significantly reduced the scores of the Alzheimer's Disease Assessment Scale (affective), Geriatric Depression Score, and Beck Depression Inventory. By functional magnetic resonance imaging, studies have shown that TPS improved cognitive performance in AD patients by increasing functional connectivity in the hippocampus, parahippocampal cortex, precuneus, and parietal cortex, and activating cortical activity in the bilateral hippocampus. TPS alleviated depressive symptoms in AD patients by decreasing functional connectivity between the ventromedial network (left frontal orbital cortex) and the salience network (right anterior insula). Adverse events in this review, including headache, worsening mood, jaw pain, nausea, and drowsiness, were reversible and lasted no longer than 1 day. No serious adverse events or complications were observed. Conclusions: TPS is promising in improving cognitive performance and reducing depressive symptoms in patients with AD. TPS may be a safe adjunct therapy in the treatment of AD. However, these findings lacked a sham control and were limited by the small sample size of the included studies. Further research may be needed to better explore the potential of TPS. Patient and Public Involvement: Patients and the public were not involved in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a result of a deep burial depth (> 6.5 km), the depositional history of the Early to Middle Ordovician carbonate platform in the Shuntuoguole Low Uplift (Tarim Basin, NW China) has been difficult to unravel, leading to problems in understanding the controls of the facies distribution, particularly in terms of petroleum exploration. Integrated with geophysical surveys, detailed sedimentological observations document the platform evolution and show that a carbonate ramp system developed in the Shuntuoguole Low Uplift during the Early-Middle Ordovician, with twelve lithofacies types arranged into two facies associations, including peritidal to semi-restricted subtidal and open-marine subtidal facies. Based on the tempo-spatial distribution of lithofacies, seven third-order depositional sequences are identified, each composed of a transgressive lower package and a regressive upper part. Their sequence boundaries are commonly characterised by a transitional zone with no obvious subaerial exposure features. The correlation of relative sea-level (or accommodation space) changes derived from the vertical stacking pattern of facies with the global sea-level curve of Haq and Schutter (2008) and sea-level oscillations of coeval successions worldwide suggests that eustatic sea-level fluctuations were the overriding factor controlling the development and evolution of this carbonate ramp during the Early-Middle Ordovician. Meanwhile, regional or local tectonic subsidence and environmental factors (e.g. palaeoclimate and prevailing wind) also exerted an influence on the depositional processes of the Shuntuoguole Low Uplift over this time interval. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tropical forests are undergoing land use change in many regions of the world, with an increasingly prominent trend of landscape fragmentation. Nevertheless, the Asian elephant (Elephas maximus) population in tropical forests of China has continued to increase, and their distribution range is expanding to human-modified landscapes, resulting in increased severe human-elephant conflicts. Little is known about the habitat adaptation strategies of Asian elephants in human-dominated habitats. Here, we applied maximum entropy modeling to extensive occurrence data (21,011 independent records) of Asian elephants in southwest China to explore temporal changes in their distribution under climate change. We also identified critical factors shaping their current distribution and habitat selection strategies concerning human-induced land-use changes at multiple spatial scales. We found that the area of suitable habitats for Asian elephants will slightly increase in the future (7,025 km2) compared with the present climatic scenario (6,468 km2). At a finer spatial scale, topographic variables such as elevation (74%) and slope (11%) are the dominant factors shaping the habitat selection of Asian elephants. However, at a larger spatial scale, anthropogenic variables are the main factors associated with the habitat preference of Asian elephants. Most suitable and sub-suitable habitats (65%) of Asian elephants overlap with human-dominated areas. Our findings suggest that the effects of human activity on Asian elephants are scale-dependent and demonstrate that the suitable habitats of Asian elephants in China are shifting to human-dominated regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to improve air quality, China has implemented a series of the most stringent control measures ever in recent years. Quantitatively analyzing the contribution of emissions to the trend change in air pollutants is an essential scientific basis for verifying the effectiveness of air pollution control. We based our study on the air quality online monitoring data and meteorological element data of 11 cities in the Fenwei Plain from 2018 to 2022. We quantitatively investigated the changing patterns of NO2, O3, PM10, and PM2.5 and their influencing factors in the major cities of the Fenwei Plain by using the KZ filtering and MLR modeling analysis methods. The results show the following: (1) The long-term fractions of NO2, PM10, and PM2.5 in the Fenwei Plain decreased by 10.5, 33.1, and 17.1 μg·m−3, with decreases of 25.8%, 29%, and 28.8%, respectively, from 2018 to 2022. The long-term fractions of O3 showed the characteristics of decreasing and then increasing, with 2020 as the dividing line. (2) The short-term components of NO2, PM10, and PM2.5 contributed the most to the total variance, with the proportion of short-term components ranging from 34.7% to 69.8%, 53% to 73%, and 43% to 58%, respectively. The seasonal components of O3 contributed the most to the total variance, with the proportion of short-term components ranging from 54% to 70.7%. (3) Most cities in the Fenwei Plain had unfavorable meteorological conditions with regard to NO2, PM10, and PM2.5 in 2018–2020 and favorable meteorological conditions in terms of NO2, PM10, and PM2.5 in 2020–2022. O3 showed different characteristics from the other three pollutants. Most cities in the Fenwei Plain had meteorological conditions in 2018–2019 that were unfavorable for improving O3 levels. In 2019–2021, meteorological conditions were favorable for improving O3 levels, while in 2021–2022, meteorological conditions were unfavorable for improving O3 levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the reduction in anthropogenic emissions due to Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) lockdown in China and its impact on air quality have been reported extensively, its impact on ambient carbon dioxide (CO2) concentrations is still yet to be assessed. In this study, the impact of emission reductions on spatiotemporal changes of CO2 concentrations during the COVID‐19 pandemic was quantified in the Yangtze River Delta region (YRD), using high‐resolution dynamic emission inventory and the Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled with the Vegetation Photosynthesis and Respiration Model (WRF‐VPRM). The simulated CO2 concentrations from dynamic emission inventory shows a better agreement with surface observations compared with the Open‐source Data Inventory for Anthropogenic CO2 and Emission Database for Global Atmospheric Research emission, providing confidence in the quantification of CO2 concentrations variations. Our results show that emission reductions during the COVID‐19 pandemic lead to a CO2 decrease by 4.6 ppmv (−1.1%) in Shanghai and 3.1 ppmv (−0.7%) in YRD region. For the column‐averaged CO2 concentrations (denoted as XCO2), it also decreases by 0.20 ppmv (−0.05%) in Shanghai and 0.15 ppmv (−0.04%) in YRD region. Furthermore, emission reductions from transportation and industry are major contributors to the decline in CO2 concentrations at the near surface, accounting for 45.8% (41.1%) and 34.9% (41.0%) in Shanghai (YRD). Our study deepens the understanding of the response of CO2 concentrations to different sectors, which is helpful for emission management and climate adaption policies. Plain Language Summary: Carbon dioxide (CO2) is the most important greenhouse gas in the atmosphere and has a profound impact on global climate change. It kept increasing over the last decades. Although previous studies have investigated the sources and sinks of air pollutants, the variations of CO2 concentrations at regional to national scales remains poorly understood owing to a lack of long‐term observations and limited modeling studies. High‐resolution CO2 emission inventory is in high demand in accurate CO2 simulations. This work integrates a high‐resolution dynamic emission inventory with WRF‐VPRM model to quantify the influence of reduced emissions from different sectors on the spatiotemporal changes of CO2 concentrations during the COVID‐19 pandemic. This modeling system can help to understand the response of CO2 concentrations to emissions and serves as a basis for atmospheric inversion of CO2 emissions. Key Points: High‐resolution CO2 dynamic emission inventory greatly improves CO2 simulations compared with Open‐source Data Inventory for Anthropogenic CO2 and Emission Database for Global Atmospheric ResearchAnthropogenic emission reductions cause CO2 concentrations decrease by 4.6 (3.1) ppmv in Shanghai (Yangtze River Delta) during the COVID‐19 pandemicIndustrial and transportation emissions mainly dominate the reduction in CO2 concentrations at the near surface and vertical altitude [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To systematically evaluate the efficacy of acupuncture in the treatment of schizophrenia.Methods: We searched China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang Database, Chongqing VIP Chinese Science and Technology Periodical Database (VIP), China Biology Medicine Database (CBM), PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Library for relevant literature on the acupuncture treatment of schizophrenia published from database inception to May 17, 2023. The evaluation criteria included total effective rate, incidence of adverse reactions, TESS scale, PANSS scale, BPRS scale, SANA scale, SAPS scale. Two researchers independently screened the literature, extracted data, and assessed the risk of bias of the included studies. The RevMan 5.4 software was used for meta-analysis, risk of bias (ROB) evaluation tool was used to evaluate the risk of bias of the studies, and the GRADE evaluation tool was used to evaluate the quality of evidence. The study was registered on PROSPERO, CRD42023416438.Results: A total of 38 RCTs involving 3143 patients were included in the meta-analysis. The results showed that acupuncture can improve the total effective rate [OR=3.43 (95% CI: 2.71, 4.35), moderate credibility], reduce the incidence of adverse reactions [OR=0.45 (95% CI: 0.32, 0.63), moderate credibility], reduce the TESS score (side effect scale) [MD=− 1.83 (95% CI: − 2.94, − 0.71), very low credibility]. Acupuncture also reduced the PANSS total score [MD=− 5.75 (95% CI: − 8.08, − 3.42), very low credibility], SANA score [MD=− 2.66 (95% CI: − 6.84, 1.51), very low credibility], SAPS score [MD=− 1.26 (95% CI: − 2.55, − 0.02), very low credibility], and BPRS score [MD=− 7.02 (95% CI: − 10.59, − 3.46), very low credibility].Conclusion: Existing evidence indicates that acupuncture as an adjunctive therapy can improve the total effective rate of SZ patients, reduce the incidence of adverse reactions, improve clinical symptoms, and alleviate depression and anxiety in SZ patients. However, more high-quality clinical research evidence is still needed to support these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrogen (N) is a constituent element of ambient organic aerosol; however, we have limited knowledge of the total quantity of organic N (ON) and its relative importance to aerosol N due to a lack of effective analytical methods for ON. Here, we report first online measurements of ON in particulate matter (PM2.5) in urban Shanghai in summer of 2021 using a newly developed aerosol nitrogen analyzer. ON accounted for an average of 25% of total aerosol N and varied in the range of 5%–64% on the hourly scale. Hourly variations identified four distinct types of ON episodes that occurred in different hours of a day. Analysis aided by concurrently measured source indicative pollutants revealed that vehicular emissions, nocturnal chemistry, daytime photochemistry or combined primary sources, and secondary chemistry could drive up ON under different day‐to‐day atmospheric conditions. Our results help bridge the knowledge gap in the emissions and formation of organic aerosol. Plain Language Summary: Atmospheric particulate matter (PM) exerts profound influences on urban air quality and human health. A large fraction of ambient aerosol is organic matter, in which nitrogen (N)‐containing molecules are known constituents. However, our knowledge is extremely limited about the abundance and sources of nitrogenous organics due to a lack of convenient measurement tools to quantify the total aerosol organic nitrogen (ON) in the past. This hurdle has been lifted through our recently developed aerosol nitrogen analyzer that can provide sensitive and simultaneous determinations of aerosol organic and inorganic N. Here, we present a first report of bihourly measured ON at an urban site of Shanghai, a megacity in China during a period of two and a half summer months. ON represented 25% of aerosol N on average and hourly data varied from 5% to 64%. The results indicated importance of ON comparable to that of inorganic N species (i.e., NH4+ ${\text{NH}}_{4}^{+}$, NO3− ${\text{NO}}_{3}^{-}$) and that the sources/chemistry of ON molecules are considerably dynamic. Past attention has been predominantly placed on inorganic N pollutants or carbonaceous materials in addressing urban PM pollution. This work highlights the need to consider the role of ON, especially as efforts of decarbonization in energy sources unfold. Key Points: First hourly observation of aerosol total organic nitrogen (ON) at an urban site revealed ON made up 5%–64% of total aerosol nitrogenHourly data identified distinct ON episode types that occurred in different hours of a day linked to dominant sources of varying originsSource indicators revealed vehicle emissions, coal combustion, nocturnal chemistry and daytime photochemistry were major sources of urban ON [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atmospheric age reflects how long particles have been suspended in the atmosphere, which is closely associated with the evolution of air pollutants. Severe regional haze events occur frequently in China, influencing air quality, human health, and regional climate. Previous studies have explored the characteristics of mass concentrations and compositions of fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) during haze events, but the evolution of atmospheric age remains unclear. In this study, the age-resolved University of California, Davis/California Institute of Technology (UCD/CIT) model was developed and applied to simulate the concentration and age distribution of PM 2.5 during a severe regional haze episode in eastern China. The results indicated that PM 2.5 concentrations in the North China Plain (NCP) gradually accumulated due to stagnant weather conditions during the beginning stage of the haze event. Accordingly, the atmospheric age of elemental carbon (EC), primary organic aerosol (POA), sulfate (SO42-), and secondary organic aerosol (SOA) gradually increased. The subsequent PM 2.5 concentration growth was driven by the local chemical formation of nitrate (NO3-) under high relative humidity. The newly formed NO3- particles led to a decrease in the mean atmospheric age of NO3- particles. During the regional transport stage, aged particles from the NCP moved to the downwind Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region, leading to a sharp increase in PM 2.5 concentrations and the average age of EC, POA, SO42- , and SOA in YRD. In contrast, the average age of NO3- and ammonium remained unchanged or even slightly decreased due to continuous local formation in the YRD region. Different evolution of the atmospheric age among these components provides a unique perspective on the formation of PM 2.5 components during the regional haze event. The information can also be used for designing effective control strategies for different components of PM 2.5. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Oxaliplatin is a third-generation platinum-based antineoplastic drug that is widely used to treat patients with colorectal cancer. Reported adverse reactions include hepatic sinusoidal obstruction syndrome and liver fibrosis, but there are few reports of cirrhosis associated with chemotherapy. In addition, the pathogenesis of cirrhosis remains unclear. Case report: We report a case of suspected oxaliplatin-induced liver cirrhosis, an adverse reaction that has not been previously reported. Management and outcome: A 50-year-old Chinese man was diagnosed with rectal cancer and underwent laparoscopic radical rectal cancer surgery. The patient had a history of schistosomiasis, but history and serology showed no evidence of chronic liver disease. However, after five oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy cycles, the patient presented dramatic changes in liver morphology and developed splenomegaly, massive ascites, and elevated CA125 levels. Four months after discontinuing oxaliplatin, the patient's ascites had decreased significantly and CA125 levels declined from 505.3 to 124.6 mU/mL. After 15 weeks of follow-up, CA125 levels decreased to the normal range, and there has been no increase in ascites in this patient. Discussion: Oxaliplatin-induced cirrhosis may be a serious complication and should be discontinued based on clinical evidence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is an innovative radiation therapy that shows promise in treating certain types of cancer. Recent advancements in BNCT have focused on developing compact neutron source devices and more effective boron agents in mainland China. This paper highlights the successful transition of two compact neutron source devices from research to clinical trials, with plans underway for their registration as medical devices. Moreover, accelerator-based neutron source devices in construction and the development of boron agents are introduced. The challenges facing BNCT in practice in mainland China as a widely accepted and implemented cancer treatment are analyzed. Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is a promising cancer treatment modality that combines targeted boron agents and neutron irradiation to selectively destroy tumor cells. In mainland China, the clinical implementation of BNCT has made certain progress, primarily driven by the development of compact neutron source devices. The availability, ease of operation, and cost-effectiveness offered by these compact neutron sources make BNCT more accessible to cancer treatment centers. Two compact neutron sources, one being miniature reactor-based (IHNI-1) and the other one being accelerator-based (NeuPex), have entered the clinical research phase and are planned for medical device registration. Moreover, several accelerator-based neutron source devices employing different technical routes are currently under construction, further expanding the options for BNCT implementation. In addition, the development of compact neutron sources serves as an experimental platform for advancing the development of new boron agents. Several research teams are actively involved in the development of boron agents. Various types of third-generation boron agents have been tested and studied in vitro and in vivo. Compared to other radiotherapy therapies, BNCT in mainland China still faces specific challenges due to its limited clinical trial data and its technical support in a wide range of professional fields. To facilitate the widespread adoption of BNCT, it is crucial to establish relevant technical standards for neutron devices, boron agents, and treatment protocols. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

KEYNOTE‐033 (NCT02864394) was a multicountry, open‐label, phase 3 study that compared pembrolizumab vs docetaxel in previously treated, programmed death‐ligand 1 (PD‐L1)‐positive, advanced non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), with most patients enrolled in mainland China. Eligible patients were randomized (1:1) to pembrolizumab 2 mg/kg or docetaxel 75 mg/m2 every 3 weeks. Primary endpoints were overall survival (OS) and progression‐free survival and were evaluated sequentially using stratified log‐rank tests, first in patients with PD‐L1 tumor proportion score (TPS) ≥50% and then in patients with PD‐L1 TPS ≥1% (significance threshold: P <.025, one‐sided). A total of 425 patients were randomized to pembrolizumab (N = 213) or docetaxel (N = 212) between 8 September 2016 and 17 October 2018. In patients with a PD‐L1 TPS ≥50% (n = 227), median OS was 12.3 months with pembrolizumab and 10.9 months with docetaxel; the hazard ratio (HR) was 0.83 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.61‐1.14; P =.1276). Because the significance threshold was not met, sequential testing of OS and PFS was ceased. In patients with a PD‐L1 TPS ≥1%, the HR for OS for pembrolizumab vs docetaxel was 0.75 (95% CI: 0.60‐0.95). In patients from mainland China (n = 311) with a PD‐L1 TPS ≥1%, HR for OS was 0.68 (95% CI: 0.51‐0.89). Incidence of grade 3 to 5 treatment‐related AEs was 11.3% with pembrolizumab vs 47.5% with docetaxel. In summary, pembrolizumab improved OS vs docetaxel in previously treated, PD‐L1‐positive NSCLC without unexpected safety signals; although the statistical significance threshold was not reached, the numerical improvement is consistent with that previously observed for pembrolizumab in previously treated, advanced NSCLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exhaust emissions from ships have garnered significant attention because of their impact on global climate change, deterioration of air quality, and potential risks to human health. Consequently, it is necessary and urgent to quantify the gaseous and particulate emission factors (EFs) of ships in a local area. In order to supplement native EF profile data, an inland cargo ship in China was selected for measuring gaseous and particle pollutants under real-world operation modes. The fuel-based EFs of carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide (CO), nitrogen oxides, and hydrocarbons (THC) were 2965–3144 g/kg, 8.04–83.53 g/kg, 64.51–126.20 g/kg, and 3.90–23.35 g/kg, respectively. The maximum values of CO EF and THC EF were achieved under idling mode, which were 10.4 and 5.3 times those observed under cruising (500 rpm) mode, as extremely poor engine loads under idling mode can result in low temperature, low pressure, and uneven mixture of air and fuel. Organic carbon and element carbon were identified as the most abundant compositions of particulate matter (PM). Ions and elements were primarily dominated by SO42− and S, which can be attributed to the utilization of fuels with high sulfur content. Additionally, hopanes (dominated by 17α(H),21β(H)-Hopane and 17α(H),21β(H)-29-Norhopane) and fatty acids (dominated by n-Hexadecanoic acid and n-Octadecanoic acid) have the potential to serve as tracers for ship exhaust emissions. Pyrene and fluoranthene, two EPA priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), were identified as the major constituents of PAHs and accounted for 50% of total PAHs. This finding also provides an explanation for the significant contribution of four-ring PAHs to the total PAHs mass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Organic aerosol (OA) is a significant part of urban fine particulate matter (PM 2.5), and a lack of detailed knowledge of their sources has increasingly hindered the improvement of air quality in China in recent years, as significant reductions have been achieved in inorganic ion constituents. In this study, a wide range of organic molecular markers in PM 2.5 were monitored with a bi-hourly time resolution using a thermal desorption aerosol gas chromatograph system (TAG) in urban Shanghai in winter 2019. The molecular marker data have provided a unique source tracking ability in characterizing the evolution of organic aerosols during nine wintertime episodic events. Episodes primarily influenced by local air masses were characterized with higher proportions in PM 2.5 and mass increments of both primary and secondary OA. Rapid increases in both the absolute mass concentration and relative proportion were observed for primary and secondary OA markers, indicative of vehicle emissions (e.g., alkanes, hopanes, and 2,3-dihydroxy-4-oxopentanoic acid) and cooking activities (e.g., saturated and unsaturated fatty acids and C 9 acids). In comparison, episodes under significant influences of transported air mass were typically associated with a predominant PM 2.5 contribution from secondary inorganic aerosols and enhanced OA contribution from biomass burning activities. The latter was evident from the tracer data (e.g., levoglucosan, aromatic polycarboxylic acids, and nitroaromatic compounds). Secondary OA markers associated with later-generation products of the hydrocarbon oxidation process, such as C 3-5 dicarboxylic acids, were the most deficient during local episodes, while notably enhanced during the episodes under the influence of transported air masses, reflecting the different extent and pathways of atmospheric aging processing. The ability to distinguish the variations in the OA evolution during different types of episodes demonstrates the value of online organic molecular measurements for episodic analysis. The results indicate that control of local urban sources such as vehicular and cooking emissions would lessen severity of local episodes, while regional control of precursors for secondary inorganic aerosols and biomass burning activities would reduce PM 2.5 episodes under synoptic conditions conducive for regional transport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reactive organic gases (ROGs), as important precursors of secondary pollutants, are not well resolved as their chemical complexity has challenged their quantification in many studies. Here, a near-complete speciation of ROG emissions from residential combustion was developed by the combination of proton transfer reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometry (PTR-ToF-MS) with a gas chromatography system equipped with a mass spectrometer and a flame ionization detector (GC-MS/FID), including 1049 species in all. Among them, 125 identified species, ∼ 90 % of the total ROG masses, were applied to evaluate their emission characteristics through real combustion samplings in rural households of China. The study revealed that with 55 species, mainly oxygenated species, higher hydrocarbons with ≥ 8 carbon atoms, and nitrogen-containing species, previously un- and under-characterized, ROG emissions from residential coal and biomass combustion were underestimated by 44.3 % ± 11.8 % and 22.7 % ± 3.9 %, respectively, which further amplified the underestimation of secondary organic aerosol formation potential (SOAP) as high as 70.3 % ± 1.6 % and 89.2 % ± 1.0 %, respectively. The hydroxyl radical reactivity (OHR) of ROG emissions was also undervalued significantly. The study provided a feasible method for the near-complete speciation of ROGs in the atmosphere and highlighted the importance of acquiring completely speciated measurement of ROGs from residential emissions, as well as other processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pathologic complete response (pCR) following preoperative systemic therapy is associated with improved outcomes after subsequent liver transplant/resection in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the relationship between radiographic and histopathological response remains unclear. Methods: We retrospectively examined patients with initially unresectable HCC who received tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) plus anti–programmed death 1 (PD-1) therapy before undergoing liver resection between March 2019 and September 2021 across 7 hospitals in China. Radiographic response was evaluated using mRECIST. A pCR was defined as no viable tumor cells in resected samples. Results: We included 35 eligible patients, of whom 15 (42.9%) achieved pCR after systemic therapy. After a median follow-up of 13.2 months, tumors recurred in 8 non-pCR and 1 pCR patient. Before resection, there were 6 complete responses, 24 partial responses, 4 stable disease cases, and 1 progressive disease case, per mRECIST. Predicting pCR by radiographic response yielded an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.727 (95% CI: 0.558–0.902), with an optimal cutoff value of 80% reduction in the enhanced area in MRI (called major radiographic response), which had a 66.7% sensitivity, 85.0% specificity, and a 77.1% diagnostic accuracy. When radiographic response was combined with α-fetoprotein response, the AUC was 0.926 (95% CI: 0.785–0.999); the optimal cutoff value was 0.446, which had a 91.7% sensitivity, 84.6%, specificity, and an 88.0% diagnostic accuracy. Conclusions: In patients with unresectable HCC receiving combined TKI/anti–PD 1 therapy, major radiographic response alone or combined with α-fetoprotein response may predict pCR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With rapid developments in society and economy, the concentrations of heavy metals in surface water in South China have increased significantly, which poses a serious threat to the regional water security. In this study, the Fuhe River watershed in South China was selected as the study area to analyze physicochemical characteristics and heavy metal (Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd and Cr) concentrations in river water in the dry and rainy seasons, in 2019, with the purpose of exploring their spatial–temporal variations and main influences and assessing the potential health risks of heavy metals. The pH value of river water varied from 5.82 to 7.97, and it fluctuated less overall in the dry season, but it oscillated greatly in the rainy season and was lower, especially in the lower reach of the Fuhe River. The electrical conductivity (EC) value changed between 33 μS/cm and 128 μS/cm and increased and fluctuated along the river flow in the two periods. The concentrations of Cd, Cr, Cu, Pb, and Zn in river water showed obvious differences between the two periods. The concentrations of Cd and Cu were lower with the ranges from 0.001 μg/L to 0.67 μg/L and from 1 μg/L to 12 μg/L, respectively, in the dry season than in the rainy season, while there were inverse cases for other heavy metals. Along the river flow, the Cr concentration was stable, whereas other heavy metals showed increasing trends. It was noted that the concentrations of heavy metals in the Fuhe River were, on average, lower than the Chinese drinking standard values, with the concentration of Pb in the dry season significantly higher than the drinking standard value of the World Health Organization (WHO). Principal component analysis and correlation analysis showed that rock weathering and anthropogenic inputs were the main controlling factors of Cu and Zn in the Fuhe River, and human activities were mainly responsible for Pb, Cr, and Cd concentrations. The health risk assessment results showed that the non-carcinogenic risk (HQingestion) value of Pb was greater than 1 in most sampling points in the middle and lower reaches in the dry season, suggesting a significant non-carcinogenic risk for adults and children by direct ingestion. The minimum carcinogenic risk (CRingestion) value of Cr was more than 10−4 in the rainy and dry seasons, and the CRingestion value of Cd in some sampling points was more than 10−4 in the rainy season, indicating significant cancer risks to adults and children. For areas with significant pollution and health risks in the Fuhe River watershed, it is urgent to strengthen the controls of industrial, agricultural, and urban wastewater discharge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alternaria leaf spot is a common disease on various plants worldwide. In this study, an Alternaria species, A. hydrangeae causing leaf spot on Cucumis sativus (cucumber) and Ipomoea purpurea in China was identified based on morphology and multi‐locus analysis of the partial ITS, GAPDH, Alt a 1, TEF1, and RPB2 gene regions. The pathogenicity of the present isolates and a representative isolate of A. hydrangeae were assessed on living leaves of C. sativus, I. purpurea and Hydrangea paniculata. Similar symptoms were observed on every plant inoculated with the isolates. The same fungus was re‐isolated from inoculated leaves fulfilling Koch's postulates. Morphology of the original and re‐isolated isolates showed characteristics similar to A. hydrangeae with some variations. Multi‐locus analysis indicated that the present isolate fell into A. hydrangeae clade. This study is the first report of A. hydrangeae as an agent of Alternaria leaf spot in C. sativus and I. purpurea in China, which extends the host range of the fungus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current chemical transport models fail to reproduce both the concentrations and temporal variations of organic aerosol (OA), especially the secondary organic aerosol (SOA), hindering the identification of major contribution sources. The fact that precursors of intermediate-volatility and semivolatile organic compounds (I/SVOCs) are not included in models has a significant impact on the performance of SOA simulation. Herein, we establish a high-resolution emission inventory of I/SVOCs and by incorporating it into the CMAQ model, concentrations, temporal variations, and spatial distributions of POA and SOA originating from different sources in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region of China were simulated. By incorporating I/SVOC emissions into the model, the modeled average SOA concentrations in the region increased by 148 %. Significant model improvements in the simulations of different OA components were demonstrated by comparison with comprehensive observation data. Furthermore, spatial and seasonal variations of different source contributions to OA production have been identified. We found that cooking emissions are predominant sources of POA in the densely populated urban area of the region. I/SVOC emissions from industrial sources are dominant contributors to the SOA formation, followed by those from mobile sources. Our results indicate that future control measures should be specifically tailored on an intraregional scale based on the different source characteristics to achieve the national goal of continuous improvement in air quality. In addition, local source profiles and emission factors of I/SVOCs, as well as SOA formation mechanisms in the model framework must urgently be updated to further improve the model performance and thus the accuracy of source identifications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the gas–particle partitioning of semivolatile organic compounds (SVOCs) is of crucial importance in the accurate representation of the global budget of atmospheric organic aerosols. In this study, we quantified the gas- vs. particle-phase fractions of a large number of SVOCs in real time in an urban area of East China with the use of a CHemical Analysis of aeRosols ONline (CHARON) inlet coupled to a high-resolution proton-transfer-reaction time-of-flight mass spectrometer (PTR-ToF-MS). We demonstrated the use of the CHARON inlet for highly efficient collection of particulate SVOCs while maintaining the intact molecular structures of these compounds. The collected month-long dataset with hourly resolution allows us to examine the gas–particle partitioning of a variety of SVOCs under ambient conditions. By comparing the measurements with model predictions using instantaneous equilibrium partitioning theory, we found that the dissociation of large parent molecules during the PTR ionization process likely introduces large uncertainties to the measured gas- vs. particle-phase fractions of less oxidized SVOCs, and therefore, caution should be taken when linking the molecular composition to the particle volatility when interpreting the PTR-ToF-MS data. Our analysis suggests that understanding the fragmentation mechanism of SVOCs and accounting for the neutral losses of small moieties during the molecular feature extraction from the raw PTR mass spectra could reduce, to a large extent, the uncertainties associated with the gas–particle partitioning measurement of SVOCs in the ambient atmosphere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the guidance of China's goal of achieving carbon neutrality by 2060, the petrochemical industry is increasingly adopting energy-saving and emission-reduction technologies. To realize the low carbon operation of the LNG (liquefied natural gas) receiving terminal, an innovative SCV (submerged combustion vaporizer) flue gas carbon capture system using LNG cold energy was established, and the system also combined with an ORC (organic Rankine cycle). HYSYS software was used to simulate the process of the SCV flue gas carbon capture system and the LNG regasification system. The simulation results showed that the proposed system has low carbon emission and low energy consumption performance. Moreover, the sensitivity analysis of the evaporation pressure of working fluids, CO2 capture pressure, and CO2 capture temperature was carried out. The key parameters were optimized by HYSYS software to achieve the optimal operation cost of the system. When the evaporation pressure of working fluids, CO2 capture pressure, and CO2 capture temperature were set as 1300 kPa, 750 kPa, and 143.15 K, respectively, the optimized system resulted in an exergy efficiency of 13.63%, an LNG cold exergy utilization rate of 77.49%, a CO2 capture rate of 94.9%, and a CO2 capture capacity of 6620.4 kg/h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aerosol acidity plays a key role in regulating the chemistry and toxicity of atmospheric aerosol particles. The trend of aerosol pH and its drivers is crucial in understanding the multiphase formation pathways of aerosols. Here, we reported the first trend analysis of aerosol pH from 2011 to 2019 in eastern China, calculated with the ISORROPIA model based on observed gas and aerosol compositions. The implementation of the Air Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan led to -35.8 %, -37.6 %, -9.6 %, -81.0 % and 1.2 % changes of PM 2.5 , SO42- , NHx , non-volatile cations (NVCs) and NO3- in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region during this period. Different from the drastic changes of aerosol compositions due to the implementation of the Air Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan, aerosol pH showed a minor change of -0.24 over the 9 years. Besides the multiphase buffer effect, the opposite effects from the changes of SO42- and non-volatile cations played key roles in determining this minor pH trend, contributing to a change of +0.3 8 and -0.35 , respectively. Seasonal variations in aerosol pH were mainly driven by the temperature, while the diurnal variations were driven by both temperature and relative humidity. In the future, SO2 , NOx and NH3 emissions are expected to be further reduced by 86.9 %, 74.9 % and 41.7 % in 2050 according to the best health effect pollution control scenario (SSP1-26-BHE). The corresponding aerosol pH in eastern China is estimated to increase by ∼0.19 , resulting in 0.04 less NO3- and 0.12 less NH4+ partitioning ratios, which suggests that NH3 and NOx emission controls are effective in mitigating haze pollution in eastern China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Monoterpenes have been known to have a critical influence on air quality and climate change through their impact on the formation of fine particles. Here we present field evidence that monoterpene oxidations largely enhanced local ozone production in a regional site in eastern China. The observed monoterpene was most likely from biomass burning rather than biogenic emissions, as indicated by the high correlation with CO at night-time, and the observed ratio of these two species was consistent with previously determined values from biomass burning experiments. Fast monoterpene oxidations were determined experimentally based on direct radical measurements, leading to a daily ozone enhancement of 4–18 parts per billion by volume (ppb), which was 6%–16% of the total ozone production, depending on the speciation of monoterpenes. It demonstrates that the previously overlooked anthropogenic monoterpenes make an important contribution to O3 production in eastern China. The role could possibly be important at similar locations across China and other parts of the world that are characterized by massive emissions, especially where there are high NO x levels. Our results highlight that anthropogenic monoterpenes should be taken into account when proceeding with the coordinated mitigation of O3 and particulate matter pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Tetrandrine has been the focus of many studies in recent years. Currently, no bibliometric study in this field has been published. This study presents a bibliometric analysis of the articles on tetrandrine research from the WOS core database during the recent two decades. Methods: Documents were retrieved for further bibliometric analysis based on the search terms: [TI = (Tetrandrine OR Sinomeninea OR Hanfangchin A) AND PY = (2000–2021)]. We used Microsoft Excel to conduct the frequency analysis, VOSviewer for data visualization, and RStudio for citation metrics and analysis. The standard bibliometric indicators such as the temporal trends and geographical distribution of publications and citations, prolific authors and co-authorship, keywords citation burst, preferred journals, top-cited articles, and important institutions were applied in this study. Results: 490 documents were retrieved from WOS core database, the retrieved document type consists of 8 categories: 425 articles, 42 meeting abstracts, 8 reviews, 7 corrections, 3 editorial material, 2 proceedings paper, 1 letter, 1 retraction. Corrections and Retractions was excluded from this investigation, the left 482 document were included for furter bibliometric analysis. Conclusion: Based on our findings, there was a continuous growth of publications on tetrandrine research for 22 years since 2000. China was the largest contributor to tetrandrine research, followed by the United States. The most influential author was Cheng Y (Natl Taiwan Univ Hosp). Acta Pharmacol Sin remained the main publication related to tetrandrine research. Chinese Academy of Sciences, is expected to be a good collaborating center in tetrandrine research. The use of tetrandrine in cancer treatment, could be the promising research subject areas to follow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The biotic recovery process following the Frasnian–Famennian (F–F) mass extinction played an important role in reestablishing the late Palaeozoic marine ecosystem. The Nehden event is assumed as the global biotic recovery process in the aftermath of the F–F mass extinction, but the timing and pattern of this event is still in dispute due to lack of consistent geological records. In order to recognize the Nehden event and elucidate its timing and pattern, a newly refined conodont biostratigraphic framework spanning the Palmatolepis minuta minuta Zone to the Pa. rhomboidea Zone (370.8–367 Ma) has been established in the Yangdi section, Guangxi, South China. Based on a detailed analysis of microfacies and carbon isotope of carbonates (δ13C carb), the start of the Nehden event has been placed at the upper part of the Pa. m. minuta Zone, marked by deposition of calcareous shales and proliferation of palmatolepid conodonts and ostracods. Two episodes of the Nehden event are recognized in this study according to integrated palaeontological, sedimentological, and geochemical data from South China and other continents. The first phase of the Nehden event is assigned at the upper part of the Pa. m. minuta Zone, characterized by radiation of conodonts, ostracods, and brachiopods, which is coincident with the minimum value of negative δ13C carb excursion and climate warming. The second phase is placed at the Pa. termini to Pa. glabra pectinata zones, documented by biodiversification of cheiloceratid ammonoids and phacopid trilobites, which is concurrent with climate warming and the maximum transgression during the early Famennian. The extensive development of microbial bindstone in the lower Famennian succession at Yangdi demonstrates that microbial communities occupied the vacant ecological niches left behind by metazoans after the F–F biotic crisis. The expansion of ecological niches of microbial communities and depauperation of metazoan reefs implies the bioconstructor turnover from metazoan to microbial communities following the F–F extinction. The time equivalence of biotic radiation, climate change and sea-level fluctuation in two episodes of the Nehden event indicates the early Famennian biotic recovery was favored by climate warming and transgression. The results in this study not only offer important data to constrain the timing of the Nehden event, but also provide an insight on the process of biotic recovery following the F–F mass extinction event. • The Lower Famennian conodont biostratigraphy was erected in slope facies. • The Nehden event was recognized in a deep-water setting for the first time in South China. • Timing and pattern of the Nehden event was elucidated. • The Nehden event was associated with transgression and climate warming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aerosol nitrate has become the most abundant compound during aerosol pollution in eastern China. The Chinese government implemented a stringent policy during 2013–2017 to tackle aerosol pollution. However, the response of nitrate to nitrogen oxides (NOx) reduction is unclear owing to the limitation of long‐term measurement. Here, we performed a 9‐year continuous measurement of aerosol compositions in Shanghai and confirmed a decrease in most species except nitrate. The contribution of nitrate to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) increased significantly, reaching up to 35% in pollution episodes after 2017. This is in contrast to the evident reduction in NOx emissions. We found that the elevated dinitrogen pentoxide (N2O5) hydrolysis is responsible for the observed nitrate trend. Increased ozone and decreased nitrogen dioxide (NO) facilitated the formation of N2O5, and increased nitrate proportion promoted the uptake of N2O5 and eventually enhanced the conversion efficiency of NO2 to nitrate. Our results highlight the importance of synergic control of aerosol and ozone pollution. Plain Language Summary: To tackle severe particulate matter (PM) pollution, the Chinese government tried to reduce the primary emission of pollutants, especially a stringent policy during 2013 and 2017, named Air Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan. A particular need is to understand the respond of the chemical composition of PM2.5 to primary emission reductions, which supports the PM2.5 pollution control more effectively and scientifically. In this work, we performed a 9‐year online measurement of PM2.5 and its chemical compositions in the Yangtze River Delta from 2011 to 2019. We confirmed a significant decreasing trend for most species except nitrate, which remained unchanged in contrast to the evident reduction of nitrogen oxides. After ruling out the potential influences of meteorological parameters, we demonstrated the elevated dinitrogen pentoxide (N2O5) hydrolysis is responsible for the observed nitrate trend. Increased ozone and decreased nitrogen dioxide (NO) promoted the formation of N2O5, and increased nitrate proportion promoted the uptake of N2O5 and eventually promoted the conversion efficiency of NO2 to nitrate. Overall, the primary emission reduction strategies feedback to the elevated formation of nitrate mainly via the increased O3 production, highlighting the need for the synergic control of aerosol and atmospheric oxidation capacity in mitigating PM2.5 pollutions. Key Points: A 9‐year observation of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) chemical compositions in Shanghai from 2011 to 2019 confirmed a decrease in most species except nitrateThe conversion rate of nitrogen dioxide (NO2) to nitrate was promoted by dinitrogen pentoxide hydrolysis, resulting in a nonlinear response of nitrate to NO2 reductionIncreased ozone concentration, decreased NO concentration, and increased nitrate proportion played a key role in enhancing nitrate formation [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To investigate the attack rate of active tuberculosis (TB) cases and detection rate of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) cases, and to identify possible factors contributed to the outbreak in a high school. Subject and methods: We analyzed the investigation data of 35 teachers and 108 students, including active TB cases and their close contacts. The symptoms inquiry, tuberculin skin test (TST), and chest X-ray/CT scan were conducted in the close contact screening. We did variable-number-of-tandem-repeat genotyping and whole-genome sequencing of isolates. Results: The time interval between the onset of symptoms and diagnosis was 36 days. The total attack rate of active TB was 7.69% (11/143), with a class attack rate of 27.78% (10/36) among students. The genetic differences between any two available isolates were less than 5 SNPs. Approximately 15.38% (22/143) of persons were LTBI cases, and the total detection rates of LTBI for students and teachers were 7.40% (8/108) and 40% (14/35), respectively. Being in the same class as the index case resulted in a significantly higher risk of being diagnosed with active TB (P = 0.0001, RR = 18.51, 95%CI (2.44,140.42)) and either LTBI and MTB infection (RR = 14.40, RR = 16.46, respectively) compared with that of students in a non-index class. Conclusion: The case-finding delay should be reduced to prevent the spread in classes and schools. Effective surveillance and regulated screening for student contacts should be strengthened in schools to detect infections early. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Magnolol is a component of the bark of Magnolia officinalis , which is a traditional herbal remedy used in China. In this study, we investigated whether magnolol can reduce myocardial injury induced by renal ischemia and reperfusion (I/R). Methods: Renal I/R was elicited by a 60-minute occlusion of the bilateral renal arteries and a 24-hour reperfusion in Sprague-Dawley rats. Magnolol was administered intravenously 10 minutes before renal I/R to evaluate its effects on myocardial injury induced by renal I/R. Results: Renal I/R significantly increased the serum levels of creatine phosphokinase (CPK), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), and cardiac troponin I and caused myocardial damage. The terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling–positive nuclei and caspase-3 activation was significantly increased in the myocardium, indicating increase of apoptosis. Echocardiography revealed left ventricular dysfunction, as evidenced by reduction of left ventricular ejection fraction and left ventricular fractional shortening. Furthermore, serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-6 were significantly elevated, while the IL-10 level was suppressed. However, intravenously, pretreatment with magnolol at doses of 0.003 and 0.006 mg/kg 10 minutes before renal I/R significantly prevented the increases of CPK, LDH, and cardiac troponin I levels, as well as the histological damage and the apoptosis in the myocardium. Echocardiography showed significant improvement of left ventricular function. Furthermore, the increases in TNF-α, IL-1β, and IL-6 and the decrease in IL-10 were significantly limited, while Bcl-2 was increased and Bax was decreased in the myocardium. Phosphorylation of Akt and extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2 was increased, while phosphorylation of p38 and c-Jun N-terminal kinase was reduced. Conclusion: Magnolol reduces myocardial injury induced by renal I/R. The underlying mechanisms for this effect might be related to modulation of the production of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines and the limiting of apoptosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PM 2.5 , generated via both direct emission and secondary formation, can have varying environmental impacts due to different physical and chemical properties of its components. However, traditional methods to quantify different PM 2.5 components are often based on online or offline observations and numerical models, which are generally high economic cost- or labor-intensive. In this study, we develop a new method, named Multi-Tracer Estimation Algorithm (MTEA), to identify the primary and secondary components from routine observation of PM 2.5. By comparing with long-term and short-term measurements of aerosol chemical components in China and the United States, it is proven that MTEA can successfully capture the magnitude and variation of the primary PM 2.5 (PPM) and secondary PM 2.5 (SPM). Applying MTEA to the China National Air Quality Network, we find that (1) SPM accounted for 63.5 % of the PM 2.5 in cities in southern China on average during 2014–2018, while the proportion dropped to 57.1 % in the north of China, and at the same time the secondary proportion in regional background regions was ∼ 19 % higher than that in populous regions; (2) the summertime secondary PM 2.5 proportion presented a slight but consistent increasing trend (from 58.5 % to 59.2 %) in most populous cities, mainly because of the recent increase in O 3 pollution in China; (3) the secondary PM 2.5 proportion in Beijing significantly increased by 34 % during the COVID-19 lockdown, which might be the main reason for the observed unexpected PM pollution in this special period; and finally, (4) SPM and O 3 showed similar positive correlations in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) and Yangtze River Delta (YRD) regions, but the correlations between total PM 2.5 and O 3 in these two regions, as determined from PPM levels, were quite different. In general, MTEA is a promising tool for efficiently estimating PPM and SPM, and has huge potential for future PM mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrate aerosol plays an increasingly important role in wintertime haze pollution in China. Despite intensive research on wintertime nitrate chemistry in recent years, quantitative constraints on the formation mechanisms of nitrate aerosol in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD), one of the most developed and densely populated regions in eastern China, remain inadequate. In this study, we identify the major nitrate formation pathways and their key controlling factors during the winter haze pollution period in the eastern YRD using 2-year (2018–2019) field observations and detailed observation-constrained model simulations. We find that the high atmospheric oxidation capacity, coupled with high aerosol liquid water content (ALWC), made both the heterogeneous hydrolysis of dinitrogen pentoxide (N 2 O 5) and the gas-phase OH oxidation of nitrogen dioxide (NO 2) important pathways for wintertime nitrate formation in this region, with contribution percentages of 69 % and 29 % in urban areas and 63 % and 35 % in suburban areas during the haze pollution episodes, respectively. We further find that the gas-to-particle partitioning of nitric acid (HNO 3) was very efficient so that the rate-determining step in the overall formation process of nitrate aerosol was the oxidation of NO x to HNO 3 through both heterogeneous and gas-phase processes. The atmospheric oxidation capacity (i.e., the availability of O 3 and OH radicals) was the key factor controlling the production rate of HNO 3 from both processes. During the COVID-19 lockdown (January–February 2020), the enhanced atmospheric oxidation capacity greatly promoted the oxidation of NO x to nitrate and hence weakened the response of nitrate aerosol to the emission reductions in urban areas. Our study sheds light on the detailed formation mechanisms of wintertime nitrate aerosol in the eastern YRD and highlights the demand for the synergetic regulation of atmospheric oxidation capacity and NO x emissions to mitigate wintertime nitrate and haze pollution in eastern China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With improving PM2.5 air quality, the tropospheric ozone (O3) has become the top issue of China's air pollution control. Here, we combine comprehensive observational data analysis with models to unveil the contributions of different processes and precursors to the change of O3 during COVID-19 lockdown in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD), one of the most urbanized megacity regions of eastern China. Despite a 44 to 47% reduction in volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and nitrogen oxides (NOx) emissions, maximum daily 8-h average (MDA8) ozone concentrations increase from 28 ppbv in pre-lockdown to 43 ppbv in lockdown period. We reproduce this transition with the WRF-Chem model, which shows that ~80% of the increase in MDA8 is due to meteorological factors (seasonal variation and radiation), and ~20% is due to emission reduction. We find that daytime photochemistry does not lead to an increase but rather a decrease of daytime O3 production during the lockdown. However, the reduced O3 production is overwhelmed by the weakened nitric oxide (NO) titration resulting in a net increase of O3 concentration. Although the emission reduction increases O3 concentration, it leads to a decrease in the Ox (O3 + NO2) concentration, suggesting reduced atmospheric oxidation capacity on a regional scale. The dominant effect of NO titration demonstrates the importance of prioritizing VOCs reduction, especially from solvent usage and the petrochemical industry with high emission ratios of VOCs/NOx. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Hyperplasia of mammary glands (HMG) is the breast disease with the highest clinical incidence. Many traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) doctors suggest that the treatment of HMG should be based on the left and right breast pain difference. However, these views are based on case reports, and an objective basis has not been established for treatment according to left-side and right-side differences. Methods. We enrolled 150 patients who met the clinical diagnostic criteria of HMG. The incidence bias was determined according to the score difference between bilateral breast pain and mass in patients with HMG. A left group, right group, and bilateral group were included, and TCM constitution was investigated in each group. Blood biochemical indicators were measured for 120 fasting patients. We conducted a network pharmacology study of the key herb qingpi and chenpi, which are used by TCM doctors to treat different lateral HMG. Results. In patients with biased onset of HMG, the results showed that the frequency and constitution score of stagnant blood in the L group were higher than those of the R group, and the frequency and constitution score of phlegm-dampness in the R group were higher than those of the L group. Both the L and R groups had high proportion of stagnant Qi. The results indicated that the concentration of coagulation factor VIII (FVIII) was higher in the L group than that in the R group, and the concentration of lipoprotein a (Lp-α) was higher in the R group than that in the L group. The results showed that sinensetin and neohesperidin contained in qingpi might interfere with platelet activation, thrombogenesis, prolactin signaling pathway, and atherosclerosis process, in removing "blood stasis" and eventually treating the left-leaning group of HMG patients. Sitosterol and citromitin contained in chenpi could regulate lipid metabolism by interfering with regulation of lipolysis in adipocytes, salivary secretion, estrogen signaling pathway, and thyroid hormone signaling pathway. Chenpi could eliminate "phlegm turbidity" and treat HMG patients in the right-leaning group. Conclusions. We preliminarily confirmed that the clinical pathogenesis of HMG is not a left-right equilibrium and TCM constitution, coagulation function, and lipid metabolism may be used as the objective basis for the difference between the left and right in HMG pathogenesis. For left-sided HMG patients, the doctor can consider qingpi, herb of activating blood and removing stasis, to treat HMG. However, for right-sided HMG, we think doctors should apply herb of activating Qi and eliminating phlegm, such as chenpi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid development of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak has brought great harm to physical and mental health of the public. This study aims to investigate the psychological status and sleep quality of the Chinese public during the outbreak of the COVID-19 and its related factors. The survey was conducted from February 17th to February 26th, 2020 in southwestern China. The snowball sampling method was used to invite subjects. Demographic data were collected, and mental status and sleep quality were assessed by the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 Scale (GAD-7), the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Descriptive, univariate, and correlation analyses were used to investigate risk factors for psychological status and sleep patterns. A total of 1509 adults (713 males and 796 females) were enrolled in this study. The overall prevalence of anxiety, depression, and decreased sleep quality were 22.3%, 32.2% and 35.4%, respectively. Compared with females, male population has witnessed a higher prevalence of anxiety symptoms (25.1% vs 20.4%, P= 0.007) and depressive symptoms (34.6% vs 30.0%, P= 0.027). In addition, age, marital status, living situation, involvement in anti-pandemic work, basic health status and work status were significant risk factors for anxiety or depression (P< 0.05). During the COVID-19 outbreak, psychological problems and sleep disorders were prevalent among the Chinese public. More attention should be paid to males, the elderly, the solitary, the unemployed, front-line workers in pandemic prevention, and patients with chronic diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the developing world, children are at high risk of growing up without one or both parents for extended periods of time during childhood, largely due to parental labor migration. Limited work has studied the potential impact of parental migration on early childhood development (ECD), and longitudinal data to address this question is particularly lacking. Using three waves of the China Family Panel Studies data collected in 2010, 2012 and 2014, the current study examines the association between parental migration and a number of ECD outcomes. We address the complexity and dynamic processes of family migration by categorizing patterns of parental migration during the first 5 years of children's lives, taking into account timing and sequencing of parental migration events, as well as children's cumulative experience with parental migration. We then associate various patterns of parental migration with the trajectories of childhood linear growth, childhood illness and home environment from age 1 to age 5, and with pre-primary school enrollment, social behavioral development, and cognitive stimulation measured at age 4 or 5. Our findings indicate that parental migration, regardless of the number of absent parents, was not associated with childhood illness, behavior, or preschool enrollment. We observe a negative association between parental migration and both cognitive stimulation and the quality of the home environment. The strength of the associations is stronger when migration involved two parents. Children of returned migrants exhibit a slower rate of linear growth, on average. The results are largely insensitive to the timing of parental migration. The implications of lower levels of cognitive stimulation and quality of the home environment on left-behind children's cognitive development deserve further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study emphasised the speciation and mobility of heavy metals (Cr, Mn, Ni, Cu, Zn, As, Cd, and Pb) in sediments of the Yundang Lagoon catchment (YLC) at Xiamen in China. The maximum total metals concentrations of Cr, Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb were higher than the class I pollution level of China Marine Sediment Quality values. Average total metals concentrations of Cu, Zn, Cd, and Pb were greater than world average shale values. The highest average percentages of Cr (68.01%), Mn (39.14%), Ni (61.32%), and As (74.09%) were found in the residual fraction, while Cu (50.69%) was the highest in the oxidisable fraction. Furthermore, the greater percentages of Zn (37.65%), Cd (48.98%), and Pb (47.52%) were bound in the reducible forms in YLC sediment. Total organic carbon (TOC) showed a strong correlation with heavy metal fractions, suggesting that TOC could be a carrier of heavy metals within alkaline urban sediment. The risk assessment code values for Cd, Mn, and Zn indicate that these metals could pose a medium to a high potential risk to the aquatic organisms. However, the present remediation strategy should be continued with more focus on reducing urban runoff and domestic discharge into the lagoon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Duodenal gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) constitute a small rare subset. This study aims to analyze the prognostic differences between duodenal and jejunoileal GISTs and evaluate the clinical treatment and prognostic characteristics of patients with duodenal GISTs. Methods: Data of patients with primary duodenal or jejunoileal GISTs were collected. Patients were matched through propensity score matching (PSM). Perioperative and long‐term outcomes of patients with duodenal GISTs were compared based on surgical approach. Results: Altogether, 101 duodenal and 219 jejunoileal GISTs were identified. In patients with duodenal GISTs, 79 (78%) underwent local resection (LR) and 22 (22%) underwent pancreaticoduodenectomy (PD). Patients undergoing PD had a longer postoperation stay (18.5 vs 13 days, P = 0.001) and more complications (Clavien–Dindo I‐II complications for PD vs LR, 31.8 vs 15.2%; Clavien–Dindo III‐V complications for PD vs LR, 22.7 vs. 2.5%; P < 0.001). There was no difference in recurrence‐free survival (RFS) (P = 0.8) or overall survival (OS) (P = 0.9) when comparing patients who underwent LR versus PD. Multivariable analysis showed that tumor size >5 cm was the only independent predictor of shorter RFS (P = 0.004) and OS (P = 0.012). After matching, there was no significant difference in RFS and OS between patients with duodenal versus jejunoileal GISTs (both P > 0.05). Conclusion: The prognosis of duodenal and jejunoileal GISTs are similar. Recurrence and OS of duodenal GISTs primarily depend on tumor size. For duodenal GISTs, LR is associated with comparable long‐term survival when compared to PD, but with superior short‐term outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low biological productivity causes ecosystem energy deficiency. Sansha Bay is an important spawning and nursery ground for migratory fish in the East China Sea (ECS). There is significant mariculture in this area, but stock enhancement programs and seasonal fishery closures have failed to recover populations of the commercially important species, Larimichthys crocea. We want to figure out the potential reason of unsuccessful L. crocea resource in recent 30 years. In this study, the trophic status of L. crocea, the food source proportions of L. crocea and zooplankton, and the food web structure and functioning of Sansha Bay was analyzed. A high nutrient low chlorophyll phenomenon was observed: this prevented harmful algal blooms, and phytoplankton growth was restrained by intensive macroalgal culture, resulting in a low abundance of zooplankton in Sansha Bay. Phytoplankton was the most important food source of zooplankton, and zooplankton was the greatest food source of juvenile L. crocea. Analyzed L. crocea suffered from starvation. Crucially, most of the phytoplankton was not used efficiently in the Sansha Bay ecosystem. This study suggests that trophic bottleneck, caused by food limitation, is a potential reason for unsuccessful fishery recovery in enclosed bay with macroalgal culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Several clinical studies of vascular endothelial growth factor/vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGF/VEGFR) therapy as a second‐line treatment for biliary tract cancer (BTC) have shown modest efficacy. In this study, surufatinib was evaluated as a second‐line VEGFR therapy in patients with BTC. Methods: This was a single‐arm, multicenter, open‐label phase 2 study conducted in China. The study enrolled eligible patients with BTC, who had received surufatinib monotherapy as second‐line treatment, at a dose of 300 mg, once daily, in 28‐day cycles. Tumor assessments were performed every 8 weeks (±7 days) according to the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors version 1.1. Results: As of November 30, 2018, 39 patients with BTC, including 29 (74.4%) with intrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, 5 (12.8%) with extrahepatic cholangiocarcinoma, and 5 (12.8%) with gallbladder cancer, were enrolled and treated with surufatinib. The 16‐week progression‐free survival rate was 46.33% (95% CI, 24.38‐65.73), with median progression‐free survival of 3.7 months and median overall survival of 6.9 months. In addition, results from subgroup and post hoc analyses revealed that patients with the proper tumor locations or appropriate levels of serum biomarkers might receive greater clinical benefits. The top 3 treatment‐related adverse events with severity of grade ≥3 included blood bilirubin increased (20.5%), hypertension (17.9%), and proteinuria (12.8%). Conclusions: When applied in the treatment of patients with BTC, surufatinib monotherapy has offered moderate clinical efficacy and shown expected tolerability and safety profiles. When applied in the treatment of biliary tract cancer patients, surufatinib monotherapy has offered moderate clinical efficacy and has shown expected tolerability and safety profiles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although middle-aged and elderly users are the main group targeted by health maintenance-oriented WeChat official accounts (HM-WOAs), few studies have explored the relationship of these accounts and their users. Exploring the factors that influence the continuous adoption of WOAs is helpful to strengthen the health education of middle-aged and elderly individuals.Objective: We developed a new theoretical model and explored the factors that influence middle-aged and elderly individuals' continuous usage intention for HM-WOA. Performance expectancy mediated the effects of the model in explaining continuous usage intention and introduced health literacy into the model.Methods: We established a hybrid theoretical model on the basis of the unified theory of acceptance and use of technology 2 model (UTAUT2), the health belief model (BHM), protection motivation theory (PMT), and health literacy. We collected valid responses from 396 middle-aged and elderly users aged ≥ 45 years in China. To verify our hypotheses, we analyzed the data using structural equation modeling.Results: Performance expectancy (β = 0.383, P < 0.001), hedonic motivation (β = 0.502, P < 0.001), social influence (β = 0.134, P = 0.049), and threat appraisal (β = 0.136, P < 0.001) positively influenced middle-aged and elderly users' continuous usage intention. Perceived health threat (β =  - 0.065, P = 0.053) did not have a significant effect on continuous usage intention. Both threat appraisal (β = 0.579, P < 0.001) and health literacy (β = 0.579, P < 0.001) positively affected performance expectancy. Threat appraisal indirectly affected continuous usage intention through performance expectancy mediation.Conclusions: Our new theoretical model is useful for understanding middle-aged and elderly users' continuous usage intention for HM-WOA. Performance expectancy plays a mediation role between threat appraisal and continuous usage intention, and health literacy positively affects performance expectancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Furmonertinib (AST2818) is a third-generation epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) targeting both sensitising EGFR and EGFR Thr790Met (T790M) mutations. This study aimed to assess the efficacy and safety of furmonertinib in patients with EGFR T790M mutated advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). This study was a single-arm, open-label, phase 2b study at 46 hospitals across mainland China. Patients with locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC with centrally confirmed EGFR T790M mutations in tumour tissue who progressed after first or second generation EGFR TKIs or with primary EGFR T790M mutations received furmonertinib 80 mg orally once daily. The primary endpoint was objective response rate. Efficacy was assessed by blinded independent central review as per the Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (version 1.1) in all patients who had measurable disease at baseline and received at least one dose of furmonertinib. Safety was assessed as per the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (version 4.03) in all patients who received at least one dose of furmonertinib with at least one safety assessment during follow-up. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03452592) and is ongoing for survival follow-up. From Jun 4, 2018, to Dec 8, 2018, 220 patients received furmonertinib treatment. All 220 patients were included in the efficacy and safety analyses. At the data cutoff point of Jan 29, 2020, 71 (32%) patients remained on treatment. The median duration of follow-up was 9·6 months (range 0·7–19·4). The objective response rate was 74% (163 of 220 [95% CI 68–80]). Grade 3 or higher adverse events occurred in 58 (26%) patients and treatment-related grade 3 or higher adverse events occurred in 25 (11%) patients. The most common all-cause grade 3 or higher adverse events were increased γ-glutamyltransferase (five; 2%), increased aspartate aminotransferase, increased alanine aminotransferase, hyponatraemia, hypertension, pulmonary infection, hypermagnesaemia, and pericardial effusion (three each; 1%). Treatment-related diarrhoea was reported in ten (5%) patients and rashes were reported in 16 (7%) patients, all grade 1–2. Serious adverse events were reported in 52 (24%) patients, of which 12 (5%) were possibly treatment-related as evaluated by the investigator. Furmonertinib has promising efficacy and an acceptable safety profile for the treatment of patients with EGFR T790M mutated NSCLC. Furmonertinib is expected to become a new treatment option after first or second generation EGFR TKIs in the Chinese population. Shanghai Allist Pharmaceutical Technology, Ministry of Science and Technology of the People's Republic of China, and Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences. For the Chinese translation of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel machine learning ensemble model that is a hybridization of Bagging and random subspace–based naïve Bayes tree (RSNBtree), named as BRSNBtree, was used to prepare a landslide susceptibility map for Zigui County of the Three Gorges Reservoir Area, China. The proposed method is implemented by using the Bagging scheme to integrate the base-level RSNBtree model. To predict landslide susceptibility for the study area, a spatial database consisted of 807 landslides and 11 conditioning factors has been prepared. Evaluation of conditioning factors was conducted using the Pearson correlation coefficient and Relief-F method. The results indicate that all factors except the topographic wetness index can be accepted as modeling inputs. Particularly, the distance to rivers is the most important factor in landslide susceptibility prediction. The performance of landslide models was evaluated using statistical indices and areas under the receiver operatic characteristic curve (AUC). The support vector machines (SVM) and random forest (RF) were adopted for the comparison with our methods. Results show that the BRSNBtree (AUC = 0.968) achieves the highest prediction performance, which successfully refines the RSNBtree (AUC = 0.938) and outperforms the RF (AUC = 0.949) and SVM (AUC = 0.895). Therefore, the proposed BRSNBtree presents advantages in targeting landslide susceptible areas and provides a promising method for landslide susceptibility assessment. The developed susceptibility maps could facilitate effective landslide risk management for this landslide-prone area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The West Lake of Hangzhou, a world famous landscape and cultural symbol of China, suffered from severe air quality degradation in January 2015. In this work, Random Forest (RF) and Recurrent Neural Networks (RNN) are used to analyze and predict air pollutants on the central island of the West Lake. We quantitatively demonstrate that the PM2.5 and PM10 were chiefly associated by the ups and downs of the gaseous air pollutants (SO2, NO2 and CO). Compared with the gaseous air pollutants, meteorological circumstances and regional transport played trivial roles in shaping PM. The predominant meteorological factor for SO2, NO2 and surface O3 was dew-point deficit. The proportion of sulfate in PM10 was higher than that in PM2.5. CO was strongly positively linked with PM. We discover that machine learning can accurately predict daily average wintertime SO2, NO2, PM2.5 and PM10, casting new light on the forecast and early warning of the high episodes of air pollutants in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A high-resolution air pollutant emission inventory for the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region was updated for 2017 using emission factors and chemical speciation based mainly on local measurements in this study. The inventory included 424 non-methane volatile organic compounds (NMVOCs) and 43 fine particulate matter (PM 2.5) species from 259 specific sources. The total emissions of SO 2 , NO x , CO, NMVOCs, PM 10 , PM 2.5 , and NH 3 in the YRD region in 2017 were 1552, 3235, 38 507, 4875, 3770, 1597, and 2467 Gg, respectively. SO 2 and CO emissions were mainly from boilers, accounting for 49 % and 73 % of the total. Mobile sources dominated NO x emissions, contributing 57 % of the total. NMVOC emissions, mainly from industrial sources, made up 61 % of the total. Dust sources accounted for 55 % and 28 % of PM 10 and PM 2.5 emissions, respectively. Agricultural sources accounted for 91 % of NH 3 emissions. Major PM 2.5 species were OC, Ca, Si, PSO 4 , and EC, accounting for 9.0 %, 7.0 %, 6.4 %, 4.6 %, and 4.3 % of total PM 2.5 emissions, respectively. The main species of NMVOCs were aromatic hydrocarbons, making up 25.3 % of the total. Oxygenated volatile organic compounds (OVOCs) contributed 21.9 % of the total NMVOC emissions. Toluene had the highest comprehensive contribution to ozone (O 3) and secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation potentials, while other NMVOCs included 1,2,4-trimethylbenzene, m , p -xylene, propylene, ethene, o -xylene, and ethylbenzene. Industrial process and solvent-use sources were the main sources of O 3 and SOA formation potential, followed by motor vehicles. Among industrial sources, chemical manufacturing, rubber and plastic manufacturing, appliance manufacturing, and textiles made significant contributions. This emission inventory should provide scientific guidance for future control of air pollutants in the YRD region of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, we assessed the spatiotemporal distribution of the poorly studied Mishmi takin Budorcas taxicolor to gain a preliminary understanding of the spatiotemporal ecology of the species. We used presence data from line transects and camera-trap surveys combined with a presence-only species distribution model to identify the key factors relevant to takin distribution. Distance to residential site was the main contributing factor to the model predicting habitat suitability for takin. Mishmi takin appeared to prefer habitats far away from residential locations. Our predicted suitable habitats for takin were highly fragmented and were constrained in narrow ranges of remote mountain areas. A circular distribution curve fitted to camera events indicated that grouped takin were more active during the day and less active at night compared to solitary takin. Differences in activity patterns between takin in groups and solitaries might relate to sexual segregation and calve attendance. Our information on the distribution and habitat characteristics of the species will assist habitat management and our prediction map could guide future field surveys for locating a long-term monitoring program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]