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Geographical background and dispersal ability may strongly influence assemblage dissimilarity; however, these aspects have generally been overlooked in previous large-scale beta diversity studies. Here, we examined whether the patterns and drivers of taxonomic beta diversity (TBD) and phylogenetic beta diversity (PBD) of breeding birds in China vary across (1) regions on both sides of the Hu Line, which demarcates China’s topographical, climatic, economic, and social patterns, and (2) species with different dispersal ability. TBD and PBD were calculated and partitioned into turnover and nestedness components using a moving window approach. Variables representing climate, habitat heterogeneity, and habitat quality were employed to evaluate the effects of environmental filtering. Spatial distance was considered to assess the impact of dispersal limitation. Variance partitioning analysis was applied to assess the relative roles of these variables. In general, the values of TBD and PBD were high in mountainous areas and were largely determined by environmental filtering. However, different dominant environmental filters on either side of the Hu Line led to divergent beta diversity patterns. Specifically, climate-driven species turnover and habitat heterogeneity-related species nestedness dominated the regions east and west of the line, respectively. Additionally, bird species with stronger dispersal ability were more susceptible to environmental filtering, resulting in more homogeneous assemblages. Our results indicated that regions with distinctive geographical backgrounds may present different ecological factors that lead to divergent assemblage dissimilarity patterns, and dispersal ability determines the response of assemblages to these ecological factors. Identifying a single universal explanation for the observed pattern without considering these aspects may lead to simplistic or incomplete conclusions. Consequently, a comprehensive understanding of large-scale beta diversity patterns and effective planning of conservation strategies necessitate the consideration of both geographical background and species dispersal ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lung cancer is the highest cancer-related mortality rate in the world, and is one of the most common malignancies. The standard treatment for early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) is radical lobectomy, while recent studies have found that sub-lobectomy of pulmonary nodules (≤2 cm) is not inferior to lobectomy and even improve the prognosis of the patients. These important findings will effectively and positively promote the formation of consensus and principles of wedge resection of pulmonary nodules (≤2 cm) in the field of thoracic surgery. The purpose of this study is to present a national expert consensus on wedge resection of pulmonary nodules (≤2 cm) in the field of thoracic surgery. The experts from Editorial Committee of Consensus on Wedge Resection of Lung Nodules (≤2 cm) (2023 Edition) jointly participated in the revision work. According to the clinical progress about the wedge resection of pulmonary nodules (≤2 cm) at home and abroad during recent years, experts jointly wrote Wedge Resection of Pulmonary Nodules (≤2 cm): a Consensus Statement by Specialists of Thoracic Surgery (2023 Edition), in combination with the homogeneous treatment principles of wedge resection in the field of thoracic surgery in China. This consensus was summarized from the following aspects: (1) Indications of wedge resection of pulmonary nodules (≤2 cm); (2) Resection range of pulmonary nodules (≤2 cm) required for wedge resection; (3) Excisable pulmonary nodules (≤2 cm) for wedge resection. This consensus finally put forward 8 recommended opinions, and sorted out 5 opinions which were still controversial and needed more evidence. The integrated opinions were generated through the discussion held among the experts of thoracic surgery from all over the country, making wedge resection of pulmonary nodules (≤2 cm) more appropriate for China and more standardized and homogeneous for clinical practice. In the future, more relevant researches should be accumulated based on the characteristics of lung cancer and its diagnosis and treatment in China, optimizing the treatment ofpulmonary nodules (≤2 cm). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spectral decomposition has been widely used in the detection and identification of underground anomalous features (such as faults, river channels, and karst caves). However, the conventional spectral decomposition method is restrained by the window function, and hence, it mostly has low time-frequency focusing and resolution, thereby hampering the fine interpretation of seismic targets. To solve this problem, we investigated the sparse inverse spectral decomposition constrained by the lp norm (0 < p ≤ 1). Using a numerical model, we demonstrated the higher time-frequency resolution of this method and its capability for improving the seismic interpretation for thin layers. Moreover, given the actual underground geology that can be often complex, we further propose a p-norm constrained inverse spectral attribute interpretation method based on multiresolution time-frequency feature fusion. By comprehensively analyzing the time-frequency spectrum results constrained by the different p-norms, we can obtain more refined interpretation results than those obtained by the traditional strategy, which incorporates a single norm constraint. Finally, the proposed strategy was applied to the processing and interpretation of actual three-dimensional seismic data for a study area covering about 230 km2 in western China. The results reveal that the surface water system in this area is characterized by stepwise convergence from a higher position in the north (a buried hill) toward the south and by the development of faults. We thus demonstrated that the proposed method has huge application potential in seismic interpretation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Academic dishonesty has remained high in Chinese college students. We examined Chinese college senior students' everyday academic practices, especially academic dishonesty, considering the contextual changes inside and outside higher learning settings in China. Data were collected from 120 college seniors from four universities and were analyzed using a qualitative content-based exploratory approach in NVivo 10. Three themes were identified, including college seniors' perceptions of academic dishonesty, contextual influences on academic dishonesty, and seniors' personal attitudes about academic misconduct. Interview results indicated that the contextual changes have reduced cheating both at the national level and at the college level; however, some contextual factors stubbornly remain unchanged, suggesting that the current, contextual climate on and beyond the Chinese college campuses should be restructured, not necessarily exclusively using top-down approaches. A theoretical model was provided to illustrate mechanisms associated with these students' academic misconduct. Suggestions are discussed regarding future research and implications made for university personnel practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Adult T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) is a rare hematological malignancy and significantly linked to poor outcomes. Early T-cell precursor (ETP) leukemia is a unique subtype of T-ALL. The aim of this study is to compare the differences between ETP and non-ETP ALLs in China. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the records of 122 adult T-ALL patients diagnosed and treated at our center between January 2014 and June 2019. All the patients enrolled were categorized into ETP and non-ETP ALL by immunophenotype, and further statistical analyses about clinical data and prognostic factors were performed. Results: Among the 122 cases, the male-to-female ratio was 2.8:1, and the median age is 29 (range, 16–82) years. Except for 10 patients with insufficient immunophenotyping results, 47.3% (53/112) are ETP and 52.7% (59/112) are non-ETP. Compared with non-ETP patients, ETP-ALL patients had lower white blood cell counts and lactate dehydrogenase levels, while they were older and had higher platelet counts and fibrinogen levels (all p < 0.05). Complete remission (CR) was achieved in 68.0% (83/122) of patients, 64.2 and 76.3% in ETP and non-ETP, respectively (p = 0.160). In total, 44.6% (37/83) of patients relapsed. Allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) was successfully performed in 36.1% (44/122) of patients, of which 79.5% (35/44) were in CR1. With a median follow-up of 9.1 (range, 0.5–70.3) months, the estimated 2-year overall survival (OS) and relapse-free survival (RFS) rates for the cohort were 38.0 ± 5.1 and 39.1 ± 6.3%, respectively. In the ETP group, the 2-year OS rate was 40.7 ± 8.2% and the RFS rate was 47.2 ± 10.7%, while in the non-ETP group, the 2-year OS rate was 37.9 ± 7.0% and the RFS rate was 39.2 ± 8.3% (both p > 0.05). In the landmark analysis of CR1 patients who had a survival of more than 6 months, the allo-SCT group had significantly better survival outcomes than the chemotherapy group, and the 2-year OS rates and RFS rates were 80.1 ± 7.3 vs. 28.4 ± 8.4% and 68.9 ± 8.8 vs. 12.8 ± 7.2%, respectively (both p < 0.0001). A multivariate analysis suggests that allo-SCT acts as an independent prognostic factor for both OS and RFS. Conclusions: Our results revealed that ETP accounted for a high proportion of T-ALL in Chinese. There are no CR rates and prognosis differences between ETP and non-ETP. Allo-SCT in CR1 can significantly improve patients' survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objective After general thoracic surgery, a chest tube is usually placed for closed drainage to expel gas accumulation in the thoracic cavity and fluid accumulation to promote lung re-expansion. It can also be observed whether there is active bleeding after the operation and whether there is a pulmonary leak. The conventional drainage of the chest cavity is connected with a water-sealed drainage bottle, and the patient condition is judged by observing the drainage situation and the fluctuation of the water column, which is a very classic method. However, the water-sealed bottle has the disadvantages of being easy to overturn and inconvenient to carry, which is not conducive to the early activities of patients. Under the concept of accelerated rehabilitation, our center applied a new type of anhydrous thorax negative pressure drainage device and achieved good results. The purpose of this study was to observe the effect of a new type of anhydrous thoracic negative pressure drainage device in patients after thoracic surgery. Methods Retrospective analysis of patients who underwent lung surgery in the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University Medical College from January 2018 to December 2019, patients were divided into two groups. One group of patients used a traditional closed-chest drainage water-sealed bottle as a control group, and the other group used a new type of anhydrous negative-pressure drainage bottle as an experimental group. Patients' gender, age, hypertension, diabetes, smoking history, surgical incisions and surgical methods, and the length of hospital stay and postoperative hospital stay were calculated. Results There were no statistical differences in age, gender, comorbidities (hypertension, diabetes, smoking history), scope of surgery, and duration of surgery between the two groups of patients, but there were statistical differences in surgical incisions between the two groups of patients (P=0.01). We found that patients using the new waterless negative pressure drainage device were shorter than patients with water negative pressure drainage device in terms of postoperative hospital stay and total hospitalization time, and the difference was statistically significant (P=0.02, P=0.04). Conclusion The new type of anhydrous thoracic negative pressure drainage device has a good effect on the rapid recovery and advancement after thoracic surgery [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objective Thoracoscopic safe and effective hemostasis is an important condition for rapid rehabilitation of thoracic surgery. Placing hemostatic materials during surgery is a commonly used method in lung cancer laparoscopic surgery. Among them, resorbable oxidized cellulose is a commonly used hemostatic material. This research aims to observe the hemostatic effect of resorbable oxidized cellulose in lung cancer surgery. Methods A retrospective analysis of 42 patients with thoracoscopic lung cancer undergoing radical surgery in the Department of Thoracic Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine from July 1, 2018 to December 1, 2018, and intraoperative use of regenerative oxidized cellulose to stop bleeding The clinical and pathological data were selected and the perioperative indicators were selected as the outcome events for statistical analysis. Results The mean operative time was (120.5±57.3) min. The mean intraoperative blood loss was (26.8±21.6) mL. The average postoperative drainage volume was (513.6±359.5) mL. The average postoperative chest tube indwelling time was (2.6±1.2) d. Conclusion The use of absorbable regenerated oxidized cellulose in the radical operation of thoracoscopic lung cancer has a good hemostasis effect, and is suitable for hemostasis of wounds after lymph node dissection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objective Primary lung cancer and metastatic lung cancer are common malignant tumors of the lung and are the main cause of cancer-related death. Advanced lung cancer and lung metastatic cancer are mainly treated by systemic therapy, and local treatment is also an effective treatment for the refractory or recurrent lesions in the lungs after systemic treatment. 125I radioactive particle implantation, as an efficient conformal radiotherapy, has a certain control effect on localized lung cancer. The purpose of this study was to investigate the clinical efficacy and safety of computed tomography (CT) guided percutaneous puncture of lung tissue with 125I radioactive particle implantation in the treatment of advanced lung cancer and lung metastatic cancer. Methods Continuouslycollectedthe clinical and pathological data of 105 patients with advanced lung cancer and metastatic lung cancer treated by 125I radioactive seed implantation in the Department of Thoracic Surgery, First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang University School of Medicine from January 1, 2014 to November 30, 2018. The patients were followed until March, 2019. The clinical efficacy and complications of seedimplantation were analyzed. Results A total of 105 patients were included in the study, 78 patients with advanced lung cancer and 27 patients with lung metastases. The median survival time after seed therapy was 395 days. The 1-year survival rate was about 78.1%, and the 2-year survival rate was about 56.1%. Seed implantation for advanced lung cancer is equivalent to lung metastasis. Seed combined with radiofrequency ablation, microwave ablation, and chemotherapy did not improve seed treatment. However, particle combined with external radiation therapy has a significant survival disadvantage compared with simple seed therapy. Conclusion The CT-guided 125I radioactive seed implantation has controllable complications and can be used as a safe and effective treatment for advanced lung cancer and lung metastases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, there is a rising development and popularity of medical endoscopes. The international brand dominates the endoscope market. The market size of domestic brands is also growing rapidly. The electronic technologies of hard or soft endoscopes are developing rapidly and gradually approaching to the advanced level in worldwide. However, at present, there is a lack of relevant standards for national standards and industry regulations for evaluating medical endoscopes, and also lacking of quantitative and clear understanding of the gap between domestic and foreign products. It is urgently necessary to give a comprehensive and accurate evaluation to the medical endoscopes. In this context, the expert group has established a scientific, systematic, and applicable standardized medical endoscopy clinical evaluation system to standardize various endoscopic evaluation indicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Malignant melanoma is a kind of tumor produced by human melanocytes. It has a high degree of malignancy, early metastasis and high mortality. Most melanomas are caused by malignant skin nevus and can also be seen in the digestive tract such as rectum and anus. Primary malignant melanoma of pleura is rare, rarely seen in case reports. This paper reports the clinical data of a case of malignant melanoma with cough, expectoration and pleural effusion as the first symptoms diagnosed by thoracoscopy combined with pathology in Beijing Friendship Hospital Affiliated to Capital Medical University, and analyzes and summarizes the literature data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Chinese government has acknowledged that in order to turn Chinese universities into world class institutions, it will have to grant them a greater degree of autonomy. However, the reforms that have been introduced to achieve this goal run counter to a long tradition of central government oversight. The question now presenting itself is how much actual control government has devolved to universities. The qualitative evidence presented in this paper, obtained through interviews with university presidents and Party secretaries, not only confirms that, as one might expect, Chinese universities continue to operate "in the shadow of hierarchy," but also and more importantly that formal efforts to devolve authority are being rendered ineffective by informal pressures and control mechanisms. Discussion reflects on the state of play in Chinese public administration studies, and urges public policy researchers examining devolution in China to account for both formal reforms and everyday "lived experiences." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The treatment effects of spironolactone on heart failure with reduced (HFrEF LVEF <40%) and preserved (HFpEF LVEF ≥50%) ejection fraction are well characterized. It is not clear whether heart failure patients with mid-range ejection fraction (HFmrEF, LVEF 40-49%) benefit from spironolactone. The present study aims to evaluate the efficacy of spironolactone in HFmrEF patients.Method: This study compared a high dosage of spironolactone (50 mg daily), a low dosage of spironolactone (25 mg daily), and an untreated group for the prevention of major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE) in 279 patients admitted to hospital diagnosed with HFmrEF.Results: With a mean follow-up duration of 1 year, the death and HF-rehospitalization rate demonstrated significantly lower incidence in those taking spironolactone, compared with the untreated group (21.3% vs 34.5%, p = .014, respectively). Further analysis showed no difference between two spironolactone groups (21.8% vs 20.7%, p = .861). Kaplan-Meier analysis of outcome-free survival illustrated a significant difference in survival rate among three groups (log-rank testing, p = .045). Compared with the baseline level, patients receiving 25 mg spironolactone had a lower physical score (p < .05) at 1-year follow-up. MLHFQ total scores in the two spironolactone groups markedly improved compared with the untreated group (p < .001); similar results were observed in the MLHFQ physical scores (p = .025, .001, respectively) and emotional sub-scale (p = .023, .011, respectively); however, paired comparison between the two spironolactone groups showed no difference.Conclusions: In patients with HFmrEF, treatment with spironolactone significantly reduced the incidence of the primary composite outcomes of all-cause death, and rehospitalization for the management of heart failure compared with placebo, and a high dosage of spironolactone did not show trends of reduction in MACE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teachers' teaching level evaluation is an important component in classroom teaching and professional promotion in the institutions of higher learning in China. Many self-made questionnaires are currently being administered to Chinese college students to evaluate teachers' classroom teaching performance. Quite often, due to the absence of strong educational, and psychological measurements and theoretical foundations for these questionnaires, their dependability remains open to doubt. Evaluation time points, the number of students, major type, and curriculum type were examined in relation to college students' perceptions on their teachers' classroom teaching performance, using Teachers' Teaching Level Evaluation Scale for Colleges (TTLES-C). Data were collected in a sample of 556 students at two time points from three Chinese universities and were analyzed using multivariate generalizability theory. Results showed that evaluations at the beginning of the spring semester produced better outcomes than did evaluations at the end of the fall semester, and 20 student evaluators were sufficient to ensure good dependability. Results also revealed that the evaluation dependability of science curriculum appeared higher than that of liberal arts curriculum. Recommendations were discussed on the evaluation criteria and mode. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, records published by General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine of China ad related literature on harmful organisms intercepted from imported seeds and seedlings during 2011 -2014 were investigated ad analyzed. The results showed that the species ad amount of harmful organisms intercepted from imported seeds and seedlings increased gradually during 2011 -2014, which posed a realistic or potential threat to agriculture production in China. Based on the present situation, corresponding suggestions and countermeasures were proposed ; ① strengthening the study on rapid detection technology of harmful organisms ; ② improving the ability of animal and plant quarantine in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The purpose of this study was to explore the effects of CYP2C19 gene polymorphisms and various environmental factors and their interactions on the risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) in a Chinese Han population. Methods: A 1:2 frequency-matched case control study of 285 patients and 570 controls was conducted from June 2010 to May 2011 in AnXi of Fujian province, China. Environmental factors were investigated using a self-administered questionnaire and genotypes were determined using polymerase chain reaction restriction fragment length polymorphism based methods. Unconditional logistic regression models were used for statistical evaluation. Results: Current or former smoking, consumption of pickled vegetables or hot beverages/food, having a first degree relative with ESCC and history of reflux esophagitis were significantly associated with increased ESCC risk, whereas tea drinking and consumption of fresh vegetables and fruits were significantly associated with decreased risk. The CYP2C19*2 GA/AA genotype was significantly more prevalent in ESCC patients and individuals with at least one copy of the CYP2C19*2 A allele had a 3.19-fold increased risk (adjusted 95% confidence interval (CI): 2.21-4.61, P < 0.001) of ESCC compared with those without this allele. We found no significant associations between CYP2C19*3 genotypes and ESCC. The Cyp2C19*2 polymorphism appeared to have a multiplicative joint effect with tea drinking and hot beverage/food consumption (gene-tea drinking: Pinteraction = 0.042; hot beverage/food consumption: Pinteraction = 6.98 × 10-6) and an additive joint effect with pickled vegetable consumption (interaction contrast ratio = 1.96, 95% CI: 0.12-3.80). Conclusions: Our findings suggest that the CYP2C19*2 polymorphism plays an important role in the development of ESCC in the Chinese population, modified by tea drinking and consumption of pickled vegetables or hot beverages/food. Further studies are warranted to confirm our results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, the geographical space distribution of the oil and gas industry in China is comprehensively investigated using the overall Moran's I index and local Moran's I index. We found that China's oil and gas industry development from 2000 to 2010 has a differentiated geographical space distribution upstream (extractive industry) but not downstream (refining industry). To analyze upstream and downstream states a spatial econometrics model (SEM) was used to identify influential factors resulting from the spatial concentration of the oil and gas industry. An external effect is the key factor promoting the spatial concentration of the upstream industry in China; governmental economic policy is another important factor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of the Chinese economy, how to make the right decision regarding firms' risk is becoming more and more important. Case-based reasoning (CBR) is a potential method that can help forecast business risk status in advance; it is easy to apply and is able to provide good explanations of output. In order to obtain more accurate prediction with CBR, it is essential to investigate factors that influence CBR's performance, and to optimize these factors sequentially for the improvement of CBR's performance in firm risk prediction in emerging markets under a more practicable assumption. We verified that sequential optimization of feature selection, feature weighting, instance selection and the number of nearest neighbours is a possible alternative for improving predictive performance of CBR forecasting under the assumption that the number of failed samples is smaller than that of nonfailed samples. The detailed implementation includes: (1) selecting significant features through a correlation matrix and reducing feature dimensions with factor analysis; (2) using variance contribution ratios of features from factor analysis as feature weights; (3) eliminating noisy cases via a state matrix; and (4) obtaining the optimal number of nearest neighbours from empirical results among different numbers of nearest neighbours. To validate the usefulness of the sequential optimization approach, we applied it to a real-world case: firm risk prediction with imbalanced data from the emerging market of China. Experimental results show that predictive accuracy of CBR applied in the emerging market was improved with the sequential optimization approach. Insightful thoughts from the results of the sequential optimization of the CBR forecasting system on modelling social tasks are also provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aimed to investigate if the homocysteine-lowering efficacy of two commonly used physiological doses (0.4 mg/d and 0.8 mg/d) of folic acid (FA) can be modified by individual methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T and/or methionine synthase (MTR) A2756G polymorphisms in hypertensive Chinese adults. Methods: A total of 480 subjects with mild or moderate essential hypertension were randomly assigned to three treatment groups: 1) enalapril only (10 mg, control group); 2) enalapril-FA tablet [10:0.4 mg (10 mg enalapril combined with 0.4 mg of FA), low FA group]; and 3) enalapril-FA tablet (10:0.8 mg, high FA group), once daily for 8 weeks. Results: After 4 or 8 weeks of treatment, homocysteine concentrations were reduced across all genotypes and FA dosage groups, except in subjects with MTR 2756AG /GG genotype in the low FA group at week 4. However, compared to subjects with MTHFR 677CC genotype, homocysteine concentrations remained higher in subjects with CT or TT genotype in the low FA group (P < 0.05 for either of these genotypes) and TT genotype in the high FA group (P < 0.05). Furthermore, subjects with TT genotype showed a greater homocysteine-lowering response than did subjects with CC genotype in the high FA group (mean percent reduction of homocysteine at week 8: CC 10.8% vs. TT: 22.0%, P = 0.005), but not in the low FA group (CC 9.9% vs. TT 11.2%, P = 0.989). Conclusions: This study demonstrated that MTHFR C677T polymorphism can not only affect homocysteine concentration at baseline and post-FA treatment, but also can modify therapeutic responses to various dosages of FA supplementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: To understand the processes of invasions by alien insects is a pre-requisite for improving management. The whitefly Bemisia tabaci is a cryptic species complex that contains some of the most invasive pests worldwide. However, extensive field data to show the geographic distribution of the members of this species complex as well as the invasion by some of its members are scarce. Methodology/Principal Findings: We used field surveys and published data to assess the current diversity and distribution of B. tabaci cryptic species in China and relate the indigenous members to other Asian and Australian members of the complex. The survey covered the 16 provinces where indigenous B. tabaci occur and extends this with published data for the whole of China. We used molecular markers to identify cryptic species. The evolutionary relationships between the different Asian B. tabaci were reconstructed using Bayesian methods. We show that whereas in the past the exotic invader Middle East-Asia Minor 1 was predominant across China, another newer invader Mediterranean is now the dominant species in the Yangtze River Valley and eastern coastal areas, and Middle East-Asia Minor 1 is now predominant only in the south and south eastern coastal areas. Based on mtCO1 we identified four new cryptic species, and in total we have recorded 13 indigenous and two invasive species from China. Diversity was highest in the southern and southeastern provinces and declined to north and west. Only the two invasive species were found in the northern part of the country where they occur primarily in protected cropping. By 2009, indigenous species were mainly found in remote mountainous areas and were mostly absent from extensive agricultural areas. Conclusions/Significance: Invasions by some members of the whitefly B. tabaci species complex can be rapid and widespread, and indigenous species closely related to the invaders are replaced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To explore the association of brain-derived neurotrophic-factor (BDNF) Val66Met polymorphism with both baseline health related quality of life (HRQOL) scores and improvement in HRQOL scores in Chinese major depressive patients treated with fluoxetine. Methods Patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) took fluoxetine (20 mg/day) for 6 weeks. The HRQOL was measured with the Medical Outcomes Study Short Form-36 (SF-36) at baseline and at 6th week. Patients were genotyped for Val66Met polymorphism of BDNF gene. Results There was a significant association between social function (SF) and BDNF Val66Met polymorphism, and patients with Met/Met genotype had better SF (compared with Val/Val P = 0.004; compared with Val/Met P = 0.005). A significant association was found between improvement in SF and BDNF Val66Met polymorphism, and patients with Met/Met genotype had poorer improvement in SF (compared with Val/Val P = 0.010; compared with Val/Met P = 0.001). Similar association was found between improvement in mental component summary (MCS) and BDNF Val66Met polymorphism, and patients with Met/Met genotype had poorer improvement in MCS (compared with Val/Val P = 0.066; compared with Val/Met P = 0.006). Conclusions These results indicate that there may be association between BDNF Val66Met polymorphism and both baseline HRQOL (SF) scores and improvement in HRQOL (SF, MCS) scores in Chinese major depressive patients treated with fluoxetine. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The present study aims to investigate the association of unipolar depression (UPD) with six serotonergic gene polymorphisms in Han Chinese. Methods: One hundred and thirty-two UPD patients and 180 healthy controls were genotyped for polymorphisms of six serotonergic genes, including tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH1 A218C), serotonin transporter promoter region (5-HTTLPR), serotonin receptor 2A (5-HT2AR −1438G/A), serotonin receptor 2C (5-HT2CR Cys23Ser), serotonin receptor 6 (5-HT6R C267T) and serotonin receptor 1Dβ (5-HT1DβR T371G). Symptomatic clusters were evaluated by the 24-item Hamilton Rating Scale for Depression (HAMD). Results: The frequencies of S/S genotype and S allele in 5-HTTLPR polymorphism were significantly higher in UPD patients than in healthy controls. There was a significant difference in distributions of genotypes in 5-HT2CR Cys23Ser polymorphism between UPD patients and control subjects, but the difference became no significant when the data were further stratified by gender. The patients with genotypes G/G and T/G of 5-HT1DβR T371G polymorphism had significantly lower scores of diurnal variation evaluated by HAMD than those with genotype T/T, while the patients with genotype T/G had significantly higher scores of hopelessness than those with genotypes G/G and T/T. There were no significant differences in genotypic and allelic distributions of TPH1 A218C, 5-HT2AR −1438G/A or 5-HT6R C267T polymorphisms between the case and control groups. Conclusion: The study demonstrates that 5-HTTLPR and 5-HT2CR Cys23Ser polymorphisms might contribute to susceptibility of UPD, and the genotype T/T in 5-HT1DβR T371G polymorphism might be a risk factor for diurnal variation, while T/G might be a protective factor against hopelessness in Han Chinese populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Phytophthora capsici causes significant losses to vegetable production worldwide. Pyrimorph, a new carboxylic acid amide fungicide, has been registered to control P. capsici in China. A mutation (Q1077K) in cellulose synthase 3 has been reported to confer resistance to pyrimorph. In this study, we measured the competition between pyrimorph-resistant and pyrimorph-sensitive isolates of P. capsici. Mixed zoospore suspensions of resistant (R) and sensitive (S) isolates at five ratios (1R:9S, 3R:7S, 5R:5S, 7R:3S, and 9R:1S) were applied to carrot agar in vitro test (with five successive transfers) and to the soil surface around pepper plants in planta test (with 10 successive disease cycles). The proportion of resistant isolates was measured by a conventional assay in which single zoospore isolates recovered after transfers or disease cycles were grown on agar medium with a discriminatory concentration of pyrimorph. The results were then compared with those of a real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based method developed here, the results were similar. Both assays showed that the competitive ability of the resistant isolates was similar to or less than that of the sensitive isolates. The real-time PCR assay developed will be useful for high-throughput analysis and monitoring the development of pyrimorph resistance in field populations of P. capsici. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study was aimed to investigate the relationship between the methylation status of serotonin transporter (5-HTT) and major depressive disorder (MDD) in Chinese Han population. A total of 96 patients with MDD and 55 healthy volunteers were recruited, and the methylation index (MtI) at six positions in the cytosine-phosphate-guanosine island of 5-HTT gene was measured for each subject using bisulfite pyrosequencing. MtIs at positions 5 and 6 were higher in patients with MDD than those in controls. According to the multivariable logistic regression analysis, MtIs at positions 4 and 5 were significantly associated with MDD. Besides, depression education was an independent risk factor, whereas higher educational levels were protective factors for MDD. In addition, positions 1 and 4 were negatively correlated with weight and diurnal variation. Therefore, 5-HTT methylation might be closely related with MDD in Chinese Han population because of the correlation with diurnal variation and weight. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To describe patient characteristics associated with preoperative anxiety and subsequently assess the relationship between preoperative anxiety and postoperative anxiety, pain, sleep quality, nausea and vomiting.Methods: The study collected data from patients undergoing elective operation from 12 hospitals in China. The State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) and the Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS) were used to assess anxiety and sleep quality before surgery. Evaluations of anxiety, pain, sleep quality, nausea and vomiting were quantified using the Visual Analogue Scale on postoperative days 1 and 2.Results: Data from 997 patients were analyzed. Preoperatively, 258 (25.9%) patients had high anxiety (STAI-State>44). Multivariate analyses showed a significant relationship between high anxiety and female gender (OR: 1.66, 95% CI: 1.08-2.57, p = 0.02), highly invasive surgery (OR: 2.29, 95% CI: 1.29-4.06, p = 0.005), higher trait anxiety (OR: 1.24, 95% CI: 1.20-1.28, p < 0.001) and insomnia (AIS ≥ 6, OR: 1.79, 95% CI: 1.17-2.76, p = 0.008). Preoperative anxiety demonstrated a negative correlation with postoperative anxiety following highly invasive surgery; this became a positive relationship following less invasive surgery. Preoperative anxiety was also positively related to postoperative pain and poor sleep quality. The correlation between preoperative anxiety and postoperative nausea and vomiting was not statistically significant.Conclusion: Female gender, highly invasive surgery, higher trait anxiety and insomnia are independent risk factors for high preoperative anxiety. Surgical invasiveness influences association between pre- and postoperative anxiety. Higher preoperative anxiety is related to poorer sleep quality and more severe pain postoperatively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The species Karenia mikimotoi is a common nearshore red tide alga that can secrete hemolytic exotoxin and ichthyotoxin, which can induce the death of fish and shellfish, causing severe economic losses. In this study, loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) was employed in combination with the lateral flow dipstick (LFD) visual detection method to establish the LAMP-LFD rapid detection method for K. mikimotoi. The internal transcribed spacer ITS1-5.8S-ITS2 of K. mikimotoi was used as the target sequence and was amplified with specific primers designed in this study. The results indicated that the amplification optimal reaction conditions for LAMP in this paper were for 20 min at 65 °C. Moreover, LAMP had excellent specificity, showing negative results for other common red tide causing algal species. In field samples, we successfully reduced the total time, with only 23 min needed from LAMP amplification to LFD result display, which was shorter than that of conventional PCR. Consequently, LAMP-LFD should be useful for rapid field detection of low-density K. mikimotoi and for the early prevention of red tide induced by such algae. • The first report of LAMP-LFD assay established for the harmful alga K. mikimotoi. • The LAMP-LFD can serve as a rapid detection means for low-density K. mikimotoi. • The LAMP-LFD assay is more ideal for on-site detection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In 2016, the government of Bao'an District, Shenzhen, China launched a free medication program for all non-registered permanent residents with severe mental disorders (SMD) within its jurisdiction, in efforts to reduce the relapse caused by intermittent medication or non-medication. Participation in the program has not been analyzed since its inauguration. This study aimed to evaluate the participation of non-registered permanent residents with SMD in the program from 2016 to 2020 and to explore its influencing factors., Methods: This is a retrospective cross-sectional study of 3760 non-registered permanent residents with SMD in Bao'an District, Shenzhen, China (response rate: 78.64%). Data have been obtained from two sources: the Shenzhen Information System for Psychosis in 2020 and the free medication program's management files from 2016 to 2020. We employ descriptive statistics to analyze the participation rate of the free medication program among non-registered permanent patients. Logistic regression analysis is used to explore the factors affecting the patients' participation in the program., Results: The participation rate of the free medication program among non-registered permanent patients has shown an upward trend, rising from 28.83% in 2016 to 58.32% in 2020. High participation rates have been registered among the following patient subgroups: those aged between 30 and 39 (63.11%), those with high school/technical secondary school (62.33%), those from rural areas (61.62%), those living in poverty (67.79%), those suffering schizoaffective disorder (72.26%), those having SMD for less than 5 years (59.89%), and those with family history of mental illness (71.23%).Logistics regression analysis shows that age, patient-guardian relationship, place of residence, financial condition, types of disease, duration of illness and family history are the main factors affecting the patients' decision to participate in the free medication program., Conclusion: The steadily increasing participation rate of the free medication program indicates that the program has been gradually accepted and recognized by non-registered permanent residents with SMD. However, nearly half of the patients have yet to join the program. To further raise the participation rate, special attention should be given to patients who are financially secure, aged below 20, without guardians, intellectually disabled or suffering SMD for over 5 years., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

The identification of genetic risk subgroups of T-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL) may provide evidence for risk stratification and individualized treatment. We investigated the characteristics and prognostic value of tumor suppressor gene CDKN2A deletions in 101 patients with T-ALL. The CDKN2A deletion was present in 23% (23/101) of T-ALL by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). The most common type of CDKN2A deletion was homozygous deletion (70%, 16/23). A lower frequency of CDKN2A deletion was found in patients with early T-cell precursor (ETP) ALL than in patients with non-ETP-ALL (10.4% vs 34.0%; P = .008). Deletion of CDKN2A was significantly associated with younger age (P = .001), higher white blood cell (WBC) count (P < .001) and higher lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) level (P = .002). Patients with CDKN2A deletion had lower 2-year overall survival (OS) and event-free survival (EFS) rates than patients without CDKN2A deletion (2-year OS: 18.6% ± 8.9% vs 47.4% ± 6.2%, P = .032; EFS: 16.4 ± 8.3 vs 38.6 ± 5.9%, P = .022). In multivariable analysis, CDKN2A deletion was an independent adverse prognostic factor for OS (P = .016). In conclusion, adult T-ALL patients with CDKN2A deletion had a poor prognosis, and these patients might benefit from intensive chemotherapy or allogeneic hematopoietic stem-cell transplantation., (© 2020 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

In this study, an in vitro method was used to simulate lung fluids [Artificial lysosomal fluid (ALF) and Gamble's solution (GS)] to assess how the bioaccessibility of rare earth elements (REEs) in airborne particulate matter (PM) affects human health. Airborne PM samples (PM 10 and PM 2.5 ) were collected in Daqing in Northeast China. The bioaccessible proportions determined for REEs in PM 10 and PM 2.5 had high variability, which can be attributable to the heterogenic feature of airborne PM and its components, as well as sampling time. Overall, the bioaccessiblity of the REEs in the airborne PM samples was time-dependent. The bioaccessiblity of the REEs varied in PM with different sizes, and it was an order of magnitude higher in ALF than in GS. During both heavy and light pollution, the bioaccessiblity of the REEs in PM 2.5 was higher than in PM 10 after 24 h of ALF extraction, whereas bioaccessiblity of the REEs in GS followed the opposite trend. The REEs associated with airborne PM had much greater bioaccessiblity as the exposure time increased. The results of this study emphasize the necessity of conducting bioaccessibility experiments with field samples for the proper evaluation of human health risks., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare no competing financial interest., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To develop a method for designing schistosomiasis surveillance sites, so as to improve the efficiency and quality of schitsosomiasis surveillance., Methods: By using the minimum spanning tree-based Spatial Kluster Analysis by Tree Edge Removal (SKATER) method, spatially constrained clustering was performed upon 31 historical schistosomiasis-endemic counties (districts) in Anhui Province. A surveillance site was selected from each cluster to evaluate the representativeness and surveillance efficiency of these cluster-based surveillance sites for the endemic situation of schistosomiassi in Anhui Province, and to compare the surveillance efficiency with local national schistosomiasis surveillance sites., Results: There was no significant difference in the environmental factors between the cluster-based schistosomiasis surveillance sites and the whole region, showing a high homogeneity. If the same number of schistosomiasis surveillance sites was selected, there was no significant difference between the cluster-based surveillance sites and national schistosomiasis surveillance sites in the efficiency of the mean risk and long-term trend of schistosomiasis surveillance in Anhui Province; however, the cluster-based surveillance sites were superior to the national schistosomiasis surveillance sites for the prediction and estimation of the endemic situation of schistosomiasis in the unmonitored areas., Conclusions: The SKATER-based selection of schistosomiasis surveillance sites may better represent the endemic situation of schistosomiasis in Anhui Province, which may serve as an effective supplement for the conventional method of selecting schistosomiasis surveillance sites.

Associations between anxiety, depression and adolescent Internet addiction have been well documented in the literature; however, few published studies have examined these relationships considering the developmental trajectory courses of adolescent Internet addiction as well as the individual differences over time. Using a sample of 1545 Chinese adolescents and 3 waves of data over six months, we examined the longitudinal associations between anxiety and depression and Internet addiction, considering sex and obesity. We used latent growth curve modeling (LGCM) to examine the overall conditions of Internet addiction, and latent class growth modeling (LCGM) to determine adolescent developmental membership for Internet addiction. Both unconditional and conditional models were performed. Anxiety and depression were analyzed as time-varying variables, and sex and obesity as time-invariants in our conditional models. Overall, there was a linear decline in adolescent Internet addiction over the six months. Anxiety and depression positively predicted adolescent Internet addiction. Two developmental trajectory patterns for Internet addiction were determined (i.e., low/declining, high/declining). Anxiety was associated with adolescent Internet addiction for both groups of adolescents, but depression was associated with Internet addiction only for adolescents who followed a low/declining course of Internet addiction. Boys reported a higher mean score of Internet addiction at the initial status than girls, and boys also had a faster, declining rate of change over the six months than girls. Obesity was not a predictor of Internet addiction. The results spoke to the importance of considering mental health problems and sex in any intervention efforts to reduce adolescent Internet addiction. Limitations of the study were discussed., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The effect of time from diagnosis to treatment (TDT) on overall survival of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) remains obscure. Furthermore, whether chemotherapy delay impacts overall survival (OS) of patients with a special molecular subtype has not been investigated. Here, we enrolled 364 cases of AML to assess the effect of TDT on OS by fractional polynomial regression in the context of clinical parameters and genes of FLT3ITD, NPM1, CEBPA, DNMT3a, and IDH1/2 mutations. Results of the current study show IDH1/2 mutations are associated with older age, M0 morphology, an intermediate cytogenetic risk group, and NPM1 mutations. TDT associates with OS for AML patients in a nonlinear pattern with a J shape. Moreover, adverse effect of delayed treatment on OS was observed in patients with IDH1/2 mutations, but not in those with IDH1/2 wildtype. Therefore, initiating chemotherapy as soon as possible after diagnosis might be a potential strategy to improve OS in AML patients with IDH1/2 mutations.

Background: Increased circulating soluble CD40 ligand (sCD40L) levels have been reported to be associated with severity and mortality of severe traumatic brain injury. The current study tested the hypothesis that elevated plasma sCD40L levels are predictive of clinical outcomes of aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage (aSAH)., Methods: Plasma sCD40L concentrations of 120 aSAH patients and 120 healthy volunteers were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. An unfavorable outcome was defined as Glasgow Outcome Scale score of 1-3., Results: Plasma sCD40L levels were significantly elevated in aSAH patients compared with healthy controls; plasma sCD40L levels were highly associated with clinical severity reflected by World Federation of Neurological Surgeons (WFNS) score and Fisher score; sCD40L emerged as an independent predictor of 6-month mortality and unfavorable outcome and 6-month overall survival; although a combined logistic-regression model did not demonstrate the additive benefit of sCD40L to WFNS score and Fisher score, sCD40L possessed similar predictive value to WFNS score and Fisher score based on receiver operating characteristic curves., Conclusions: Higher plasma sCD40L levels on presentation are associated with clinical severity and have potential to be a good prognostic biomarker of aSAH., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: The number of rural-to-urban migrant workers has been increasing rapidly in China over recent decades, but there is a scarcity of data on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and health service utilization among Chinese rural-to-urban migrant workers in comparison to local urban residents. We aimed to address this question., Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of 2315 rural-to-urban migrant workers and 2347 local urban residents in the Shenzhen-Dongguan economic zone (China) in 2013. Outcomes included HRQOL (measured by Health Survey Short Form 36) and health service utilization (self-reported)., Results: Compared to local urban residents, rural-to-urban migrant workers had lower scores in all domains of HRQOL, and were more likely to report chronic illnesses (9.2% vs. 6.0%, adjusted OR = 1.62, 95% CI 1.28-2.04) and recent two-week morbidity (21.3% vs. 5.0%, adjusted OR = 5.41, 95% CI 4.26-6.88). Among individuals who reported sickness in the recent two weeks, migrant workers were much less likely to see a doctor (32.7% vs. 66.7%, adjusted OR = 0.21, 95% CI 0.13-0.36)., Conclusions: Chinese rural-to-urban migrant workers have lower HRQOL, much more frequent morbidity, but are also much less likely to see a doctor in times of sickness as compared to local urban residents, indicating the existence of significant unmet medical care needs in this population.

Organic nitrogen (ON) is a quantitatively important component of reactive nitrogen in atmospheric aerosols. Deposition of ON in seawater from atmosphere could enhance primary productivity, as well as with the changes in the phytoplankton community composition. 64 total suspended particles (TSP) samples collected at Qingdao from January to December in 2008 were applied to analyze the concentrations of water soluble organic nitrogen in aerosols. Concentrations of ON in Qingdao aerosols ranged from 30 to 2073 nmol x m(-3) (100-12 157 micromol x g(-1)), with the highest values occurring in December, followed in March and April and the lowest values in June to September. ON mean concentration in TSP in 2008 was 430 nmol x m(-3) (2 323 micromol x g(-1)). The contribution of ON to total nitrogen (TN) was (37.5 +/- 21.6)%, with the maximum presenting in December and the minimum in September. The distribution of organic nitrogen in aerosols was significantly affected by the weather conditions. During haze and fog episodes, the concentrations of ON in the aerosols were 789 nmol x m(-3) and 412 nmol x m(-3), respectively, 4 times and twice higher than that during clear episodes. However, the particle mass concentrations in haze and fog days were comparable with that in clear days. During dust episodes, the concentration of particles was 5 times higher than that during clear episodes while ON concentration slightly enhanced 0.4 times. The ON concentration in aerosols after raining was 57 nmol x m(-3), decreased 80% than that before raining due to the efficient wet scavenging.

Amino compounds is one class of organic nitrogen compounds that has been measured extensively in aerosols and rainwater. These compounds in atmospheric deposition might have a potential role in marine ecosystem since it can be directly utilizable sources of nitrogen for microorganisms and plants. 66 total suspended particles samples were collected at Qingdao from January to December in 2008. Concentrations of dissolved amino compounds (DAC) and particulate amino compounds (PAC) were analyzed using precolumn fluorescence derivatization with o-phthaldialdehyde and N-isobutyryl-L-cysteine, combined with reverse-phase high performance liquid chromatography. Concentrations of DAC in Qingdao aerosols ranged from 2.4 to 40.9 nmol x m(-3), with highest values occurring in spring, followed in summer and lowest values in autumn and winter. PAC concentration were from 0.7 to 76.1 nmol x m(-3), presenting the seasonal trend of spring > winter > autumn > summer. Compositions of amino compounds in aerosols varied seasonally. By classifying air mass back trajectories during each sampling period, the aerosol samples in Qingdao were mainly influenced by northerly continental source, southerly continental source and marine source. Concentrations of DAC and PAC were found highest in the samples influenced by southerly continental source, followed by northerly continental source and lowest in the samples by marine source. Compositions of amino compounds were also influenced by the sources. Contributions of protein-type to total amino compounds were highest in the aerosols from marine source and lowest in the aerosols from southerly continental source.

Organic nitrogen is a quantitatively important component of fixed nitrogen in atmospheric aerosol and rainwater. Urea as a possible candidate of organic nitrogen component might have a significant influence to the marine ecosystem since its bioavailability and broad range of natural and anthropogenic sources. 23 total suspended particulate samples, 4 size-segregated particles samples and 10 rainwater samples collected over the East China Sea from Nov. to Dec., 2006 and Feb. to Mar., 2007 were applied to analyze the concentrations of urea, nitrate and ammonium in aerosols and rainwater, respectively. In winter and spring, the concentrations of urea nitrogen were from 0.2 nmol m(-3) to 17.7 nmolx m(-3) and 6.5 nmol x m(-3) to 14.6 nmol x m(-3) in bulk aerosols, respectively and the corresponding concentrations were from 7.8 miromol x L(-1) to 18.1 micromol x L(-1) and 12.1 micromol x L(-1) to 35.3 micromol x L(-1) in rainwater. In both aerosols and rainwater over the East China Sea, the concentrations of urea nitrogen were higher in spring than those in winter. Urea nitrogen in aerosols contributed about 5% to the three measured nitrogen species and it was about 20% in rainwater. The size distribution of urea was markedly different from those of nitrate and ammonium,which had no pronounced difference among cascade stages. A slightly enhance urea contribution presented in the range of 0.43-0.65 microm in spring, which was 19.8%. In contrast, an enhancement presented in the range of 3.3-4.7 microm in winter, which was 19.8%. Factor analysis indicated that the sources of urea in aerosols were dominated by wind-blown soils in winter and sublime of urea in soils in spring, respectively.