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Background: Recent advancements in China's perinatal and neonatal intensive care have significantly reduced neonatal mortality, yet preterm births before 32 weeks remain the primary cause of neonatal fatalities and contribute to long-term disabilities. The prognosis of very preterm infants (VPIs) is significantly affected by factors including the intrauterine environment, delivery method and neonatal intensive care. Cesarean section which often used for preterm births has implications that are not fully understood, particularly concerning the type of anesthesia used. This study examines the impact of general anesthesia (GA) during cesarean delivery on VPI outcomes, aiming to identify strategies for mitigating GAassociated risks. Methods: This cohort study analyzed 1,029 VPIs born via cesarean section under 32 weeks' gestation at our single-center from 1 January 2018, to 31 December 2022. Detailed medical records, encompassing perioperative information, maternal data and neonatal outcomes were meticulously examined. The primary aim of this investigation was to compare maternal characteristics and neonatal outcomes between VPIs delivered under GA and neuraxial anesthesia (NA). A significance level of p < 0.05 was established. Results: Of the 1,029 VPIs analyzed, 87.95% (n = 905) were delivered via NA and 12.05% (n = 124) via GA. Mothers with hypertensive pregnancy diseases and emergency operations were more inclined to choose GA. VPIs delivered under GA showed a lower Apgar score at one and 5 minutes (p < 0.01), increased need for tracheal intubation resuscitation (32.2% vs. 12.2%, p < 0.01) and a greater incidence of severe neurological injury (SNI) (14.5% vs. 5%, p < 0.01). Multivariable analysis revealed GA was significantly associated with lower Apgar scores at one (OR 6.321, 95% CI 3.729-10.714; p < 0.01) and 5 minutes (OR 4.535, 95% CI 2.975-6.913; p < 0.01), higher risk of tracheal intubation resuscitation (OR = 3.133, 95% CI = 1.939-5.061; p < 0.01) and SNI (OR = 3.019, 95% CI = 1.615-5.643; p < 0.01). Furthermore, for VPIs delivered under GA, a prolonged interval from skin incision to fetus delivery was associated with a lower 5-min Apgar score (p < 0.01). Conclusion: This study revealed the significant impact of GA on adverse outcomes among VPIs. In cases when GA is required, proactive measures should be instituted for the care of VPIs such as expediting the interval from skin incision to fetal delivery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Adverse psychological states in surgical patients can impact outcomes. This study aimed to evaluate mood disorders and associated factors in general surgery inpatients using the Huaxi Emotional Distress Index (HEI). Methods: This retrospective cross-sectional study analyzed HEI scores of 20,398 adult patients hospitalized for elective surgery at a tertiary hospital in China (2018–2021). Univariable and multivariable logistic regression identified factors linked to moderate/severe mood disturbances. Results: Factors linked to moderate/severe mood disturbances were identified through univariable and multivariable logistic regression. The results showed that 3.7% of the patients had HEI ≥  13, indicating significant emotional issues. The mean age was 52.67 (16.14) years in the group with no/mild distress and 59.65 (16.34) years in the group with moderate/severe distress. Among all the cases included, there were 2,689 cases (13.18%) of gastric and esophageal diseases, 1,437 cases (7.04%) of hepatic diseases, 913 cases (4.47%) of periampullary and pancreatic tumors, 9,150 cases (44.85%) of gallbladder diseases, 2,777 cases (13.61%) of colorectal diseases, and 3,432 cases (16.83%) of other diseases. The male percentage was 45.5 and 54.9% in the two groups, respectively. Older age, male gender, unstable occupations, lower education, and unmarried status were associated with higher risks of mood disturbances (all p  <  0.05). A significant downward trend in adverse emotions was observed with increasing education levels (p  <  0.001). Furthermore, the study found that the inpatients had higher HEI scores prior to the COVID-19 pandemic compared to during the pandemic (p  <  0.001). However, the occurrence of adverse mood states in these patients was not exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The trend test remained highly significant in the none-adjusted, age-sex adjusted, and fully adjusted models (all p for trend <0.001). Conclusion: The implementation of routine screening in higher education institutions (HEIs) allows for the early identification of surgical inpatients who require psychological intervention. It is recommended that counseling services focus on individuals with lower levels of education and income instability in order to address negative mood states. Furthermore, the potential application of this screening system in other clinical settings could enable earlier psychological interventions for a larger number of patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pesticide bans and regulatory restrictions have been shown to be effective strategies for preventing suicide in several countries. Suicide and suicide by pesticides have decreased significantly in China over the past two decades. However, whether the reduction was associated with pesticide regulation is unknown. Methods: The monthly data on suicide and suicide by pesticide from 2006 to 2018 were obtained from China's Disease Surveillance Point (DSP) system. Information on China's pesticide regulations since 1970 was obtained from Pesticide Action Network International (PAN International), Joint Meeting on Pesticide Management Highly Hazardous Pesticides (JMPM HHP) lists, the website of the Ministry of Agriculture of China, Pesticide Information Network of China, and the Wan Fang database. Change point detection and policy analysis were combined to identify the time of any trend change breakpoint of suicide and suicide by pesticide. Interrupted time series analysis was used to investigate the pre- and post-breakpoint trends of monthly standardized rates in suicide and suicide by pesticide. Results: The standardized pesticide suicide rate decreased by 60.5% from 6.50 in 2006 to 2.56 per 100,000 in 2018. Larger declines were evident among people in urban areas (67.3%), female individuals (63.5%), and people aged 15-44 years (68.1%). The effect of policies banning highly hazardous organophosphorus pesticides (HHOP) [rate ratio (RR) = 0.993, 95% CIs (0.991--0.994)] in December 2008 and stopping domestic sales and use of paraquat aqueous solution (RR = 0.992, 95% CIs: 0.990-0.994) in July 2016 were more pronounced than regulating the paraquat-related products (RR = 1.003, 95% CIs: 1.002-1.004) in April 2012. Conclusion: Declines in suicide by pesticide in China occurred contemporaneously with regulatory bans and restrictions implemented on several pesticides, particularly in urban areas, among female individuals, and the relatively low age profile. These findings indicate the potential influence of these bans on trends of suicide by pesticides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing atmospheric nitrogen (N) deposition has a profound impact on the ecosystem functions and processes. Fine root decomposition is an important pathway for the reentry of nutrients into the soil. However, the effect of N addition on root decomposition and its potential mechanism is not well understood with respect to root branch orders. In this study, we conducted a 30-month decomposition experiment of fine roots under different concentrations of N addition treatments (0, 30, 60, and 90 kg N ha-1 year-1, respectively) in a typical Pinus massoniana plantation in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area of China. In the early stage of decomposition (0-18 months), N addition at all concentrations promoted the decomposition of fine roots, and the average decomposition rates of order 1-2, order 3-4, order 5-6 fine roots were increased by 13.54%, 6.15% and 7.96% respectively. In the late stage of decomposition (18-30 months), high N addition inhibited the decomposition of fine root, and the average decomposition rates of order 1-2, order 3-4, order 5-6 fine roots were decreased by 58.35%, 35.43% and 47.56% respectively. At the same time, N addition promoted the release of lignin, carbon (C), N, and phosphorus (P) in the early-stage, whereas high N addition inhibited the release of lignin, C, N, and the activities of lignin-degrading enzyme (peroxidase and polyphenol oxidase) in the late-stage. The decomposition constant (k) was significantly correlated with the initial chemical quality of the fine roots and lignin-degrading enzyme activities. The higher-order (order 3-4 and order 5-6) fine roots decomposed faster than lower-order (order 1-2) fine roots due to higher initial cellulose, starch, sugar, C concentrations and higher C/N, C/P, lignin/N ratios and lower N, P concentrations. In addition, low N (30 kg N ha-1 year-1) treatments decreased soil organic matter content, whereas high N (90 kg N ha-1 year-1) treatment had the opposite effect. All the N treatments reduced soil pH and total P content, indicating that increased N deposition may led to soil acidification. Our findings indicated that the effect of N addition on decomposition varied with the decomposition stages. The decomposition difference between the lowerorder and higher-order fine roots were controlled strongly by the initial chemical quality of the fine roots. This study provides new insights into understanding and predicting possible changes in plant root decomposition and soil properties in the future atmospheric N deposition increase scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When and how the Yangtze Block (Yangtze) and the West Cathaysia terrane (West Cathaysia) in South China were amalgamated are critical to a better understanding of the Neoproterozoic to early Paleozoic tectonic evolution of South China and remain highly debatable. A key to this debate is the tectonic significance of the Jiangshan-Shaoxing-Pingxiang (JSP) Fault, the boundary between Yangtze and West Cathaysia. The Shenshan mélange along the JSP Fault has the typical block-in-matrix structure and is composed of numerous shear zone-bounded slivers/lenses of rocks of different types and ages that formed in different tectonic environments, including middle to late Tonian volcanic and volcanogenic sedimentary rocks (turbidite) of arc/back-arc affinity, a series of middle Tonian ultramafic to mafic plutonic rocks of oceanic island basalt affinity, a carbonaceous shale that was deposited in a deep marine environment, and a red mudstone. U-Pb zircon ages and acritarch assemblages (Leiosphaeridia-Brocholaminaria association) found in the turbidite confirm its Tonian age, and fossils from the carbonaceous shale (Asteridium-Comasphaeridium and Skiagia-Celtiberium-Leiofusa) constrains its age to the Early to Middle Cambrian. Field relationships and available age data leave no doubt that the ultramafic-mafic rocks are exotic blocks (rather than intrusions) in the younger metasedimentary rocks. We conclude that the Shenshan mélange is not an ophiolitic mélange, but rather a tectonic mélange that formed as a result of movement along the JSP Fault in the early Paleozoic. We suggest that Yangtze and West Cathaysia were two separate microcontinents, were accreted to two different parts of the northern margin of Gondwana in the early Early Paleozoic, and juxtaposed in the late Early Paleozoic through strike-slip movement along the JSP Fault. We further suggest that the ca. 820 Ma collision in the Jiangnan Orogen took place between Yangtze and a (micro)continent that is now partly preserved as the Huaiyu terrane and was not related to West Cathaysia. We compare our model for South China with the accretion of terranes in the North American Cordillera and propose a similar model for the relationship between the Avalon and Meguma terranes in the Canadian Appalachians, i.e., the two terranes were accreted to two different parts of the Laurentian margin and were later juxtaposed through margin-parallel strike slip faulting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Toxoplasma gondii can infect humans and most animals and has a very high infection rate worldwide, including in China. The number of people infected with T. gondii in China increases with the number of cats. Objectives: We investigated the seropositive rate of T. gondii in cats over the last five years and analyzed the risk factors via meta-analysis. Methods: We retrieved 20 studies, with a total of 5,158 cats, published between 2016 and 2020, used the DerSimonian-Laird model and calculated seroprevalence estimates with the variance stabilizing double arcsine transformation. Results: The overall seroprevalence rate after sinusoidal conversion was 19.9% (95% confidence interval [CI], 15.9-23.9; 966/5,158), lower than the domestic report from 1995 to 2015 (24.5%, 95% CI, 20.1-29.0). There was substantial heterogeneity among studies (χ² = 262.32; p < 0.001; I² = 64.6%). Regression analysis of possible heterogeneous causes and subgroup analysis showed that age and whether cats were stray or not have a significant effect on the seropositive rate. Conclusions: Articles published in recent five years suggest that the seroprevalence estimates of Toxoplasma gondii in cats has decreased. Cats, as the final host of T. gondii, are an important cause of the spread of the parasite, and this is an important concern for public health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study described the trend and distribution of coronary heart disease (CHD) in the Hexi Corridor region of Gansu. The CHD mortality rates from 2006-2015 were obtained through the Death Reporting System of Gansu Centers for Disease Control (CDC) for 2006-2015. The overall mortality rate of CHD in the Hexi Corridor showed a decreasing trend, increasing in winter and spring and lowest in summer. The CHD mortality rate was higher in men than in women (P < 0.05) and increased with age (P < 0.05). The mortality rate was higher in rural areas than in urban areas (P < 0.05). A ten-year mortality rate trend analysis showed that CHD mortality rate in women has significantly decreased. Specifically, women aged 18-39 years experienced increased There was little change in CHD mortality among women aged 40-59 years, and a declined in CHD mortality among women 60 years and older and women in urban areas. Further analysis showed that in the 18-39-year-old and 40-59-year-old groups and in urban areas, CHD mortality rate was higher in men than in women (P < 0.05). From 2006 to 2015, the mortality rate of CHD in the Hexi Corridor of Gansu was lower than in the national average, but in certain populations such as men, young and middle-aged group and rural areas, the CHD mortality rate was gradually increased. There has been a gradual and progressive decline in CHD mortality rate compared to the rising trend in China. This is due to fewer risk factors in the region, effective drug treatment and improvements in environmental pollution. However, there is still a need to enhance the experience of effective prevention and control for specific subgroups such as men, young people and rural residents, and to take appropriate measures to prevent the occurrence of CHD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Transformations in Business & Economics is the property of Vilnius University and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background We used nationally representative data to examine trends in under-five unintentional suffocation mortality from 2006 to 2016 in China and mortality differences across age groups, sexes, rural vs urban locations and injury mechanisms. Methods Mortality data came from 161 surveillance points of China's disease surveillance points (DSPs) system. Unintentional suffocation deaths were identified through the 10th International Classification of Disease (ICD-10 codes: w75-w84). Negative binomial regression tested the significance of change in overall and subgroup mortality between 2006 and 2016. Results Despite minor fluctuations, a steady trend in overall age-adjusted unintentional suffocation mortality was observed from 2006 to 2016 in Chinese children under 5 years of age. Infants (<1 year), boys and rural children had higher mortality rates than children aged 1-4 years, girls and urban children, respectively. Strangulation and suffocation in bed was the most common cause of mortality for infants, accounting for 66% of deaths. Children aged 1-4 years suffered more often from inhalation suffocation (55% of deaths). Conclusions Unintentional suffocation mortality rates in under- five children remained fairly stable in China over the past decade but remained at high levels. We discuss actions that might be implemented to reduce pediatric suffocation rates in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite its tremendous success, the Chinese Economy is still characterized and controlled by a recurring process of 5 year planning. This comprehensive National planning program occurs at all levels of the Chinese government, educational system and state owned companies. This paper reports on a study that was made in preparation for the 13th 5 year Plan for the Smart City component of the upcoming city of Tianjin. The objective of this study was to identify problems in informatization, automation and centralization of command and control, so that these could be solved as part of the 5 year plan. The study followed a three-stage mixed-method approach. First, questionnaires were used to assess the sate of development of the smart city features in the different departments of the city government. Second, the study organized thematic joint development groups consisting of expert representatives from different city's departments and units. Third, results of questionnaires and thematic joint development discussions were analyzed in departmental focus groups to clarify and specify the problems and assess proposed solutions and viability of those solutions. This paper analyses the findings of this three-stage process and offers a classification of the identified problems, an integrative conceptual representation of these and a discussion of the importance of this identification in the overall planning process. The results and discussion are of particular importance in China for the next round of 5 year planning that will take place in 2020. However the meaning of the findings of this applied research process are transferable to any smart city planning process all over the world as the majority of the issues discussed are generic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To provide a comprehensive overview of poisoning mortality patterns in China. Methods Using mortality data from the Chinese national disease surveillance points system, we examined trends in poisoning mortality by intent and substance from 2006 to 2016. Differences over time between urban and rural residents among different age groups and across external causes of poisoning were quantified using negative binomial models for males and females separately. Results In 2016, there were 4936 poisoning deaths in a sample of 84 060 559 people (5.9 per 100 000 people; 95% confidence interval: 5.6-6.2). Age-adjusted poisoning mortality dropped from 9.2 to 5.4 per 100 000 people between 2006 and 2016. Males, rural residents and older adults consistently had higher poisoning mortality than females, urban residents and children or young adults. Most pesticide-related deaths (34 996 out of 39 813) were suicides among persons older than 15 years, although such suicides decreased between 2006 and 2016 (from 6.1 per 100 000 people to 3.6 for males and from 5.8 to 3.0 for females). In 2016, alcohol caused 29.3% (600/2050) of unintentional poisoning deaths in men aged 25-64 years. During the study period, unintentional fatal drug poisoning by narcotics and psychodysleptics in individuals aged 25-44 years increased from 0.4 per 100 000 people to 0.7 for males and from 0.05 to 0.13 for females. Conclusion Despite substantial decreases in mortality, poisoning is still a public health threat in China. This warrants further research to explore causative factors and to develop and implement interventions targeting at-risk populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Few large multicity studies have been conducted in developing countries to address the acute health effects of atmospheric ozone pollution. OBJECTIVE: We explored the associations between ozone and daily cause-specific mortality in China. METHODS: We performed a nationwide time-series analysis in 272 representative Chinese cities between 2013 and 2015. We used distributed lag models and over-dispersed generalized linear models to estimate the cumulative effects of ozone (lagged over 0-3 d) on mortality in each city, and we used hierarchical Bayesian models to combine the city-specific estimates. Regional, seasonal, and demographic heterogeneity were evaluated by meta-regression. RESULTS: At the national-average level, a 10-μg/m3 increase in 8-h maximum ozone concentration was associated with 0.24% [95% posterior interval (PI): 0.13%, 0.35%], 0.27% (95% PI: 0.10%, 0.44%), 0.60% (95% PI: 0.08%, 1.11%), 0.24% (95% PI: 0.02%, 0.46%), and 0.29% (95% PI: 0.07%, 0.50%) higher daily mortality from all nonaccidental causes, cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, coronary diseases, and stroke, respectively. Associations between ozone and daily mortality due to respiratory and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease specifically were positive but imprecise and nonsignificant. There were no statistically significant differences in associations between ozone and nonaccidental mortality according to region, season, age, sex, or educational attainment. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings provide robust evidence of higher nonaccidental and cardiovascular mortality in association with short-term exposure to ambient ozone in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Cohort studies in North America and western Europe have reported increased risk of mortality associated with long-term exposure to fine particles (PM2:5), but to date, no such studies have been reported in China, where higher levels of exposure are experienced. OBJECTIVES: We estimated the association between long-term exposure to PM2:5 with nonaccidental and cause-specific mortality in a cohort of Chinese men. METHODS: We conducted a prospective cohort study of 189,793 men 40 y old or older during 1990-91 from 45 areas in China. Annual average PM2:5 levels for the years 1990, 1995, 2000, and 2005 were estimated for each cohort location using a combination of satellite-based estimates, chemical transport model simulations, and ground-level measurements developed for the Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2013 study. A Cox proportional hazards regression model was used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) for nonaccidental cardiovascular disease (CVD), chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), and lung-cancer mortality. We also assessed the shape of the concentration-response relationship and compared the risk estimates with those predicted by Integrated Exposure-Response (IER) function, which incorporated estimates of mortality risk from previous cohort studies in western Europe and North America. RESULTS: The mean level of PM2:5 exposure during 2000-2005 was 43:7 µg/m3 (ranging from 4.2 to 83:8 µg/m3). Mortality HRs (95% CI) per 10µg/m3 increase in PM2:5 were 1.09 (1.08, 1.09) for nonaccidental causes; 1.09 (1.08, 1.10) for CVD, 1.12 (1.10, 1.13) for COPD; and 1.12 (1.07, 1.14) for lung cancer. The HR estimate from our cohort was consistently higher than IER predictions. CONCLUSIONS: Long-term exposure to PM2:5 was associated with nonaccidental, CVD, lung cancer, and COPD mortality in China. The IER estimator may underestimate the excess relative risk of cause-specific mortality due to long-term exposure to PM2:5 over the exposure range experienced in China and other low- and middle-income countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Bacterial species belonging to the genus Exiguobacterium are facultative anaerobic, non-spore-forming, Gram-positive bacilli, and rarely associated with human infections. Herein, we reported the first case of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) and bacteremia due to Exiguobacterium spp. in China.Case Presentation: An adult male with severe CAP was hospitalized. The pathogen was isolated from his bloodstream and broncho-alveolar lavage fluid. The correct identification of the micro-organism was achieved using 16S rRNA sequencing, and its antibiotic susceptibility test was performed by microdilution method. The Whole Genome Sequencing (WGS) was used to characterize its genetic features and to elucidate its potential pathogenic mechanisms. Furthermore, its genome sequence was also compared with those of 3 publicly-available Exiguobacterium strains. A PubMed search was performed for further understanding the features of Exiguobacterium infections. Phylogenetic analysis of the 16S rRNA gene sequence showed that the strain GX59 was most closely related to Exiguobacterium AT1b (99.7%). The genome of GX59 was 2,727,929 bp in size, harbouring 2855 putative protein-coding genes, 5 rRNA operons, 37 tRNA genes and 1 tmRNA. The multiple genome comparison of 4 Exiguobacterium strains demonstrated that Exiguobacterium contained 37 genes of secretion systems, including sec, tat, FEA, Type IV Pili and competence-related DNA transformation transporter (Com). Virulence factors of the micro-organism included tlyC, NprR, MCP, Dam, which might play a critical role in causing lethal infection.Conclusions: The study highlighted the potential pathogenicity of the genus Exiguobacterium for its unique genes encoding various virulence factors and those associated with antibiotic resistance, therefore, its clinical significance should be valued. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the basic necessities of human life, food, clothing, housing and transportation are of great importance to everyone, and the changes in these essential requirements of people can clearly manifest the development level of a society. China is a dominant textile producer in the world, with the textile export accounting for a large proportion of its overall trade export. In recent years, however, our textile export has encountered great challenges from both home and abroad. On the one hand, Green Barrier has raised its limits to China's textile export; on the other hand, people have laid a greater emphasis on environmental protection and their health, both of which call for advanced technology in the field of ecological textile. Yet the fact is that the development of China's ecological textile is still confined to the use of innocuous raw materials and its processing confined to the category of cleaner production and industrial communities. In this paper, we investigate the multiple attribute decision making (MADM) problems for evaluating the resource integration capability of textile enterprise with hesitant fuzzy uncertain linguistic information. Then, motivated by the ideal of traditional power geometric aggregation operator, we have developed hesitant fuzzy uncertain linguistic power weighted geometric (HFULPWG) operator. Then, we have utilized hesitant fuzzy uncertain linguistic power weighted geometric (HFULPWG) operator to develop some approaches to solve the hesitant fuzzy uncertain linguistic multiple attribute decision making problems. Finally, a practical example for evaluating the resource integration capability of textile enterprise is given to verify the developed approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: National mortality data are obtained routinely by the Disease Surveillance Points system (DSPs) in China and under-reporting is a big challenge in mortality surveillance. Methods: We carried out an under-reporting field survey in all 161 DSP sites to collect death cases during 2009-2011, using a multi-stage stratified sampling. To identify under-reporting, death data were matched between field survey system and the routine online surveillance system by an automatic computer checking followed by a thorough manual verification. We used a propensity score (PS) weighting method based on a logistic regression to calculate the under-reporting rate in different groups classified by age, gender, urban/rural residency, geographic locations and other mortality related variables. For comparison purposes, we also calculated the under-reporting rate by using capture-mark-recapture (CMR) method. Results: There were no significant differences between the field survey system and routine online surveillance system in terms of age group, causes of death, highest level of diagnosis and diagnostic basis. The overall under-reporting rate in the DSPs was 12.9 % (95%CI 11.2 %, 14.6 %) based on PS. The under-reporting rate was higher in the west (18.8 %, 95%CI 16.5 %, 21.0 %) than the east (10.1 %, 95%CI 8.6 %, 11.3 %) and central regions (11.2 %, 95%CI 9.6 %, 12.7 %). Among all age groups, the under-reporting rate was highest in the 0-5 year group (23.7 %, 95%CI 16.1 %, 35.5 %) and lowest in the 65 years and above group (12.4 %, 95%CI 10.9 %, 13.6 %). The under-reporting rates in each group by PS were similar to the results calculated by the CMR methods. Conclusions: The mortality data from the DSP system in China needs to be adjusted. Compared to the commonly used CMR method in the estimation of under-reporting rate, the results of propensity score weighting method are similar but more flexible when calculating the under-reporting rates in different groups. Propensity score weighting is suitable to adjust DSP data and can be used to address under-reporting in mortality surveillance in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of BMC Public Health is the property of BioMed Central and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Context: While road traffic mortality has been reported to be seriously undercounted by the police in China, non–police-reported data have not been explored previously to examine vulnerable road user mortality. Objective: To examine changes in bicyclist mortality between 2006 and 2010 in China, using the Disease Surveillance Points (DSP) data of China. Design, setting and data source: Mortality data of 2006–2010 from DSP data, covering 73 million population, was analysed. Poisson regression was used to examine the significance of year after controlling for sex, age and urban/rural location. Main outcome measure(s): Mortality rate and mortality rate ratio (MRR). Results: Between 2006 and 2010, the mortality rate for bicyclists increased from 1.1 to 1.6 per 100 000 population according to DSP data. Between 2006 and 2010, more than 90% of bicyclist deaths were undercounted by the police compared to the findings from DSP data. Contrary to the 34% increase between 2006 and 2010 reflected by DSP data (adjusted MRR: 1.34, 95% CI 1.23 to 1.46), police data revealed a 64% decrease in bicyclist mortality (unadjusted MRR: 0.36, 95% CI 0.32 to 0.40) in the study time period. Conclusions Health data should be used to assess the road traffic injuries in China. The recent increase in bicyclist mortality merits attention from policy makers and researchers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Schizolepis daohugouensis sp. nov. is described from the Jurassic sediments of Daohugou flora, from Ningcheng County, Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region, China. The female cone is slender, cylindrical in shape, seed scale complexes are loosely and helically arranged on the cone axis at intervals of 3-5 mm. The seed scales are bilobed and divided almost from the base; the scales have no evident petiole but an articulation at the region of attachment to the cone axis. Each lobe of the seed scales is oval in shape, widest at the lower middle part; lobes are obtusely pointed with entire margins. Bract scale is fan shaped. Based on the records of Schizolepis, this is the first report of the occurrence of female cone of Schizolepis with the seed scales, the winged seeds and vegetative branches preserved together in the Jurassic deposits. The new discovery provides evidence that confirms the phylogenetic position of Schizolepis to the extant Pinaceae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wei River is the major source of water for the urban residents, industrial production and agricultural activities in the central Shaanxi plain of China. Water quality of the Wei River was determined by collecting water samples from 25 locations along the Baoji Xi’an reach and analyzing for pH, EC, BOD5, DO, COD, F, Se, As, and Hg. Fuzzy synthetic evaluation with the entropy method for weight determination was used to assess the water quality of the river. Results indicate that the water quality of 23 sampling sites fall into the fifth grade (bad level), whereas two sampling sites are in the fourth grade (poor level). The comparison of this method with the typical fuzzy synthetic evaluation shows that it is effective in water quality assessment. The assessment results indicate that the Wei River is heavily polluted at most of the sampling locations, with mercury as the major pollutant. Strict enforcement of the regulations for domestic and industrial wastewater discharges is vital to avoid damage to the water environment and to protect human and ecological health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 1998, sludge samples were taken from the sewage discharge channels of Tianjin, China, and concentrations of 50 elements and total organic carbon (TOC) were detected by inductively coupled plasma-atomic emission spectrometry (ICP-AES), inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA), and other conventional methods, and the results are reported in this study. The sludge samples contain high concentrations of organic matter, with the median value of TOC 15.5%. Compared with sediments from the intertidal flats of Bohai Bay, high concentrations of Sn, Zn, Cu, Pb, Sb, Bi, Cr, Ni, P and Ba are observed in the sludge. However, rare earth elements, alkali elements, Ti and Al do not show a correlation with pollution. From the urban side to the coastal side, the spatial variation of concentrations of the pollution-related elements is quite irregular, indicating that the channels receive discharges along the course. No significant pollution in sediments at the outlets of the sewage discharge channels was observed, which may be attributed to the dispersion of pollutants and purification of the Bohai Bay. Factor analysis has revealed the two controlling factors of `pollution' and `background' on the elemental composition of the sludge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We drew on conservation of resources theory to investigate the relationships between family embeddedness, work-family conflict, family-work conflict, and employee turnover intention, thereby extending the literature relating to antecedents of turnover intention to the family domain. Participants were 175 employees of a construction company in China, who completed online surveys. Results showed that family embeddedness was negatively related to work-family conflict and family-work conflict, and that the relationship between family embeddedness and turnover intention was partially mediated by family-work conflict. Thus, we have obtained preliminary evidence that family-related factors influence individuals' turnover intention. Our findings will help with identifying practical considerations around reducing turnover intention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Groundwater is the main water supply in Suzhou City in China. In recent years, heavy metal contamination of urban groundwater sources has become a serious threat to water quality and human health. Groundwater samples from 87 monitoring wells were collected in the study area and analyzed using ICP-MS spectrometry, their major heavy metals concentrations have been analyzed by a series of chemical and statistical indexes for the evaluation of pollution status and dinking suitability. We found that heavy metals are evenly distributed in the groundwater source, 10% of the samples were of excellent quality and 75% were deemed good; however, 70% of the samples exceeded the allowed Mn content. In 62% of the samples, the carcinogenic risk of As exceeded the recommended levels. Based on the non-carcinogenic health risk values, the metals could be ordered as follows: Mn>Fe>Pb>Cu> As>Zn. Mn accounted for 71% of health risk, and the total health risk was mostly due to excess As. Therefore, the levels of As, Mn, and other heavy metal elements in this region warrant urgent regulatory strategies and methods to reduce the Mn concentration should be continuously investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: China has experienced a remarkable epidemiological and demographic transition during the past three decades. Far less is known about this transition at the subnational level. Timely and accurate assessment of the provincial burden of disease is needed for evidence-based priority setting at the local level in China.Methods: Following the methods of the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013 (GBD 2013), we have systematically analysed all available demographic and epidemiological data sources for China at the provincial level. We developed methods to aggregate county-level surveillance data to inform provincial-level analysis, and we used local data to develop specific garbage code redistribution procedures for China. We assessed levels of and trends in all-cause mortality, causes of death, and years of life lost (YLL) in all 33 province-level administrative units in mainland China, all of which we refer to as provinces, for the years between 1990 and 2013.Findings: All provinces in mainland China have made substantial strides to improve life expectancy at birth between 1990 and 2013. Increases ranged from 4.0 years in Hebei province to 14.2 years in Tibet. Improvements in female life expectancy exceeded those in male life expectancy in all provinces except Shanghai, Macao, and Hong Kong. We saw significant heterogeneity among provinces in life expectancy at birth and probability of death at ages 0-14, 15-49, and 50-74 years. Such heterogeneity is also present in cause of death structures between sexes and provinces. From 1990 to 2013, leading causes of YLLs changed substantially. In 1990, 16 of 33 provinces had lower respiratory infections or preterm birth complications as the leading causes of YLLs. 15 provinces had cerebrovascular disease and two (Hong Kong and Macao) had ischaemic heart disease. By 2013, 27 provinces had cerebrovascular disease as the leading cause, five had ischaemic heart disease, and one had lung cancer (Hong Kong). Road injuries have become a top ten cause of death in all provinces in mainland China. The most common non-communicable diseases, including ischaemic heart disease, stroke, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, and cancers (liver, stomach, and lung), contributed much more to YLLs in 2013 compared with 1990.Interpretation: Rapid transitions are occurring across China, but the leading health problems and the challenges imposed on the health system by epidemiological and demographic change differ between groups of Chinese provinces. Localised health policies need to be implemented to tackle the diverse challenges faced by local health-care systems.Funding: China National Science & Technology Pillar Program 2013 (2013BAI04B02) and Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In China, sample-based mortality surveillance systems, such as the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention's disease surveillance points system and the Ministry of Health's vital registration system, have been used for decades to provide nationally representative data on health status for health-care decision-making and performance evaluation. However, neither system provided representative mortality and cause-of-death data at the provincial level to inform regional health service needs and policy priorities. Moreover, the systems overlapped to a considerable extent, thereby entailing a duplication of effort. In 2013, the Chinese Government combined these two systems into an integrated national mortality surveillance system to provide a provincially representative picture of total and cause-specific mortality and to accelerate the development of a comprehensive vital registration and mortality surveillance system for the whole country. This new system increased the surveillance population from 6 to 24% of the Chinese population. The number of surveillance points, each of which covered a district or county, increased from 161 to 605. To ensure representativeness at the provincial level, the 605 surveillance points were selected to cover China's 31 provinces using an iterative method involving multistage stratification that took into account the sociodemographic characteristics of the population. This paper describes the development and operation of the new national mortality surveillance system, which is expected to yield representative provincial estimates of mortality in China for the first time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Background: Suicide is the fifth most important cause of death in China, but the reasons fo1 the high rate and unique pattern of characteristics of those who kill themselves are unknown. Methods: We pretested, and then administered a comprehensive interview to family members and close associates of 519 people who committed suicide and of 536 people who died from other injuries (controls) randomly selected from 23 geographically representative sites in China. Findings: After adjustment for sex, age, location of residence, and research site, eight significant predictors of suicide remained in the final unconditional logistic regression model. In order of importance they were: high depression symptom score, previous suicide attempt, acute stress at time of death, low quality of life, high chronic stress, severe interpersonal conflict in the 2 days before death, a blood relative with previous suicidal behaviour, and a friend or associate with previous suicidal behaviour. Suicide risk increased substantially with exposure to multiple risk factors: none of the 265 deceased people who were exposed to one or fewer of the eight risk factors died by suicide, but 30% (90/299) with two or three risk factors, 85% (320/377) with four or five risk factors, and 96% (109/114) with six or more risk factors died by suicide. Interpretation: Despite substantial differences between characteristics of people who commit suicide in China and the west, risk factors for suicide do not differ greatly. Suicide prevention programmes that concentrate on a single risk factor are unlikely to reduce suicide rates substantially; preventive efforts should focus on individuals exposed to multiple risk factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]