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BACKGROUND: In China, Tongluo-Qutong rubber plaster (TQRP) is commonly used for cervical spondylotic radiculopathy, but lacks high-quality trials. OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to conduct a multicenter, open-label, parallel-group, randomized controlled trial in China to investigate the practical efficacy and safety of TQRP in the treatment of CSR. METHODS: A total of 240 patients diagnosed with CSR were recruited for the investigation from multiple hospitals in Gansu province, China. The patients were randomly assigned to either an experimental or a control group. The experimental group received treatment with TQRP, whereas the control group was administered a diclofenac sodium patch (DSP) for a maximum duration of 21 days. The visual analogue scale (VAS) score for pain, the proportion of patients experiencing 50% or more pain relief, the neck disability index (NDI), changes as per the Eaton trial, and recurrence during the follow-up period were evaluated for both groups. The safety and adverse events associated with the concurrent drug therapy were also evaluated. RESULTS: At each time point, the mean VAS and NDI scores of both groups demonstrated a downward trend. The experimental group exhibited a greater decline in VAS score at each time point compared to the control group (P < 0.01). In the Eaton trial, both the percentage of patients experiencing pain relief of 50% or more and the number of abnormal results exhibited improvement. However, the outcomes in the 21 ± 3d experimental group were significantly superior to those in the control group (P < 0.01). During the follow-up period, the recurrence events in the experimental group were reduced compared to the control group. The difference between the two groups was statistically significant (P < 0.05). The incidence of adverse reactions was 1.74% for TQRP and 3.54% for DSP. CONCLUSION: TQRP is effective and safe in the treatment of CSR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Endometriosis is a common and complex syndrome characterized by the presence of endometrial-like tissue outside the uterus. Chinese medicine has been recently found to show good efficacy in treating endometriosis. Our previous results revealed that Maqian fruit essential oil (MQEO) could inhibit the proliferation and induce apoptosis of ectopic endometrial stromal cells (EESCs), but the mechanisms remain unclear. In this study, we aim to explore the molecular mechanism of MQEO's specific effects in EESCs. Methods: We conducted a quantitative proteomics analysis by iTRAQ on EESCs treated with MQEO or DMSO. Then deep analysis was performed based on differentially expressed proteins, including Gene Ontology enrichment analysis, pathway enrichment analysis and protein interaction analysis. Candidate protein targets were subsequently verified by western blotting. Results: Among 6575 identified proteins, 435 proteins exhibited altered expression levels in MQEO-treated EESCs. Of these proteins, most were distributed in signal transduction as well as immune system and the most significantly altered pathway was complement and coagulation cascades. Moreover, two differentially expressed proteins (Heme oxygenase 1 and Acyl-CoA 6-desaturase) were verified and they can be potential biomarkers for endometriosis treatment. Conclusions: Our proteomic analysis revealed distinct protein expression patterns induced by MQEO treatment in EESCs, highlighting the potential of MQEO for endometriosis treatment and biomarker discovery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most standalone atmospheric models do not perform well in simulations of coastal boundary layer jets (BLJs), important weather processes that can trigger heavy rain in coastal areas by supplying both moisture and dynamic lifting. We compared 33‐year simulations with a coupled atmosphere–ocean model and its standalone atmospheric component, the REgional atmosphere MOdel (REMO), forced by the prescribed sea surface temperature (SST). We validated our results using the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission SST and the ERA5 hourly reanalysis data set. We found that the coupled model gave a more realistic SST standard deviation than the REMO on BLJ days and corrected the overestimated air temperature over land during the day. The coupled atmosphere–ocean model showed a lower land–sea thermal contrast in the boundary layer. This increased the effects of inertial oscillation, which caused the ageostrophic flows to veer southwest, which is the direction of the maximum wind speed on BLJ days. This reproduced a more reasonable land–sea thermal contrast in the boundary layer as a result of strong air–sea mixing in coastal weather processes, which led to a more robust inertial oscillation and a larger SST standard deviation over the central South China Sea. These findings deepen our understanding of the influence of a fully mixed air–sea boundary on coastal weather processes. These results show that operational numerical weather prediction models can be improved by applying atmosphere–ocean coupling to advance their ability to forecast the weather (e.g., BLJ events) in coastal areas. Plain Language Summary: Coastal boundary layer jets (BLJs) are important coastal weather processes and, because they are precursor signals of heavy rain, they can be used to improve operational numerical weather forecasts. Coupled atmosphere–ocean models improve the predictability of BLJs in South China, but we still need a deeper understanding of the mechanism leading to their occurrence. We compared 33‐year simulations with a coupled atmosphere–ocean model and its standalone atmospheric component forced by the prescribed sea surface temperature (SST). Through validation against remote sensing SSTs and ERA5 hourly reanalysis data, we found that the coupled model gave a more realistic SST standard deviation and corrected the overestimated air temperature over land surfaces. These improvements helped the coupled atmosphere–ocean model to reproduce a more reasonable land–sea thermal contrast in the boundary layer as a result of strong air–sea mixing in coastal weather processes, which led to a more robust inertial oscillation and a larger SST standard deviation over the central South China Sea. We conclude that the impact of the influence of a fully mixed air–sea boundary on coastal weather processes is larger than previously recognized. Key Points: The use of atmosphere‐ocean coupling can improve the predictability of coastal boundary layer jets in South ChinaThe coupled model gave a more realistic sea surface temperature standard deviation and corrected the overestimated air temperatureStrong air‐sea mixing led to a more robust inertial oscillation, veering the ageostrophic flows toward the direction of the maximum wind [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wintertime precipitation, especially snowstorms, significantly impacts people's lives. However, the current forecast skill of wintertime precipitation is still low. Based on data augmentation (DA) and deep learning, we propose a DABU‐Net which improves the Global Forecast System wintertime precipitation forecast over southeastern China. We build three independent models for the forecast lead times of 24, 48, and 72 hr, respectively. After using DABU‐Net, the mean Root Mean Squared Errors (RMSEs) of the wintertime precipitation at the three lead times are reduced by 19.08%, 25.00%, and 22.37%, respectively. The threat scores (TS) are all significantly increased at the thresholds of 1, 5, 10, 15, and 20 mm day−1 for the three lead times. During heavy precipitation days, the RMSEs are decreased by 14% and TS are increased by 7% at the lead times within 48 hr. Therefore, combining DA and deep learning has great prospects in precipitation forecasting. Plain Language Summary: In this paper, we propose a deep learning‐based method to improve the forecast performance of Global Forecast System wintertime precipitation over southeastern China. Due to the imbalanced distribution of precipitation data, we use data from the three other seasons as an augmented data set for wintertime precipitation to train the deep neural network. The results show that the method can reduce the Root Mean Squared Error and improve the TS, a metric of precipitation forecast performance, of the precipitation. In particular, TS at the threshold of 20 mm day−1 are increased by 69.23%, 90.00%, and 100.00% at lead times of 24, 48, and 72 hr. The proposed method performs well during heavy precipitation days at lead times within 48 hr. Combining data augmentation with deep learning provides a successful approach to predicting precipitation. Key Points: A deep learning model based on data augmentation (DA) is proposed to improve the Global Forecast System wintertime precipitation forecastThe deep learning model improves the heavy precipitation forecast at lead times within 48 hrDA plays a critical role in the heavy precipitation forecast [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evapotranspiration (ET) is a critical process that regulates the transfer of heat and water between land and the atmosphere. While satellite‐based ET algorithms can provide area‐wide daily ET estimates, few are independent of local meteorological measurements. The Variant of the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer Standard Evapotranspiration Algorithm (VISEA) can potentially run without ground‐based observations. However, the surface energy budgets used in VISEA generally overpredict daily net radiation and related ET. To improve the accuracy of net radiation and ET, we incorporated Brutsaert's atmosphere emissivity model and corrected the routine to calculate the downward long‐wave radiation on cloudy days (which we called VISEA2023 model). The VISEA2023 model predicted net radiation and ET that agreed well with measurements at seven ChinaFlux sites, with an R2 of 0.8 and an Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of 30 W m−2 for net radiation, and an R2 of 0.6 and an RMSE of 1 mm day−1 for ET, respectively. Additionally, the VISEA2023 model is more robust in comparison to the Variable Infiltration Capacity hydrologic model output in 10 major river basins and 80 sub‐river basins, with an R2 of 0.91 (0.78) and an RMSE of 85 (127.4) mm year−1, than MOD16, which has an R2 of 0.81 (0.82) and an RMSE of 134.8 (157.7) mm year−1, and Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer ET, which has an R2 of 0.92 (0.62) and an RMSE of 90.1 (136.1) mm year−1. The improved VISEA2023 model can offer near‐real‐time ET on a larger scale, improving our understanding of water cycles and their relation to climate change. Plain Language Summary: Evapotranspiration, also known as ET, is an essential process that plays a key role in the Earth's water cycle. Large‐scale ET can be calculated based on satellite observations, but current algorithms are not always accurate. The Variant of the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer Standard Evapotranspiration Algorithm (VISEA) is an innovative algorithm that can calculate ET without ground‐based data. However, VISEA overpredicts net radiation and the subsequent ET. We developed an improved algorithm by introducing Brutsaert's atmosphere emissivity model and quantifying the longwave radiation component as a function of cloudiness. The developed ET compares well with flux tower measurements and other ET products over China. This improved VISEA model has the potential to provide near‐real time ET on a larger scale, leading to a better understanding of water cycles and their relation to climate changes. Key Points: Am improved downward long‐wave radiation procedure is introduced in a satellite‐based evapotranspiration (ET) model on cloudy daysThis revised procedure can improve the accuracy of the daily net radiation and ET compared with in‐situ measurementsThe multi‐year mean value of the developed ET is more robust than other satellite‐based ET products in river basin comparison over China [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) was extremely strong in 2018, which substantially affected surface ozone (O3) in China. Taking 2018 and the average synthesis of 2003 and 2010 to represent the strong and weak EASM cases, respectively, GEOS-Chem with constant anthropogenic emission was employed to investigate the impact of the EASM on surface O3 in the east of China. Simulations show that surface O3 decreased in the northeast and the eastern coast of China and increased in most of the remaining regions during strong EASM. The difference in surface O3 between strong and weak EASM was around −15~7 ppbv. After analyzing relevant meteorological fields, it is found that the decrease in northeast China was mainly attributed to the large increase in vertical upward transport. The considerable decrease in the Huang-Huai-Hai region depended on the dilution and diffusion of eastward anomalous horizontal circulation. The increase in Hunan-Hubei-Guangdong Province was largely due to input from the north. In addition, the vast areas between the Yangtze River and the Yellow River were supported by higher temperatures and stronger shortwave solar radiation that promoted photochemical reactions. The reasons for changes in Shanxi-Sichuan-Yunnan Province were relatively more complex and thus require more in-depth exploration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using data observed at a photovoltaic (PV) power plant at the edge of the Gurbantünggüt Desert and at an undeveloped site in the Gobi desert in the summers of 2019 and 2020, we compared and analyzed the variations of radiation and surface albedo in various wavelength bands. Components of the solar radiation received by the surface of the arid regions of China were ranked infrared (IR) > visible (VIS) > ultraviolet (UV). The observed surface albedo of the PV site was significantly lower than that at the undeveloped desert site. The mean surface albedo values for shortwave broadband (SW), IR, VIS, and UV at the PV site were 0.14, 0.15, 0.13, and 0.08, respectively, and the corresponding values for the undeveloped site were 0.22, 0.23, 0.23, and 0.10, respectively. We also developed a parametric formula for the surface albedo at the PV plant given data observed on typical sunny days. We then validated the parametric formula using observations taken in the summers of 2019 and 2020. The results showed that the parametric formula could precisely simulate variations of the surface albedo and reflected radiation of the PV plant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Mine Water & the Environment is the property of Springer Nature 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.)

Purpose: In view of the fact that Acinetobacter baumannii bloodstream infection(BSI) is a great threat to human survival, early identification of the risk factors affecting prognosis will be of great benefit to the clinic. Patients and Methods: A propensity score matching method was used to collect patients identified with Acinetobacter baumannii BSI from 2016 to 2020 from a reputable hospital in China. Results: A total of 398 patients were considered. According to the 28-day prognosis, they were divided into the survival group 150 (37.7%) and the death group 248 (62.3%), and the prognosis was analyzed. Subsequently, Propensity score matching was adjusted for variables with p-values Acinetobacter baumannii BSI who had higher SOFA scores at the time of infection, with septic shock, or mechanical ventilation were more likely to be fatally hit within 28 days and had a poor prognosis. Conclusion: The existence of drug resistance with Acinetobacter baumannii only leads to Inappropriate empirical antibiotic therapy, ultimately, Inappropriate empirical antibiotic therapy was the direct predictor of mortality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of International Journal of Colorectal Disease is the property of Springer Nature 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.)

Recent hot test details and inspiring results of the W-band lossy-dielectric-loaded gyrotron traveling-wave tube (gyro-TWT) developed at the University Electronic Science and Technology of China (UESTC) are reported in this letter. Measurement of the gyro-TWT had achieved a pulse output power over 100 kW with a broad bandwidth of 8.5 GHz (92.0~100.5 GHz). For the first time as we know, the W-band gyro-TWT can stably operate with a 10% duty cycle and the average output power is over 10.3 kW in the frequency range. Excellent stability, pure spectrum and mode patterns are all verified in the hot test experiment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quantitative relationship between the groundwater level (GWL) and land subsidence is essential to understand, prevent and control subsidence. This study compares the subsidence due to GWL variation at different locations and aquifer layers during the operation of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project Central Route (SNWDP-CR) in China. Sixty-nine synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images in Beijing from 2012 to 2017 are obtained to calculate the displacement using the interferometry technique. The results indicate that the subsidence with uplift or mitigation is consistent with groundwater rise or drawdown deceleration. The dynamic time warping (DTW) method is applied to compare the similarity between subsidence and GWL time series waveforms. We find that the similarity between these two activities tends to increase after the SNWDP-CR. The similarity between the subsidence and confined GWL is controlled by the hydrogeological setting. In general, it tends to increase from the upper part to the lower part of the alluvial fan. However, the similarity between the subsidence and unconfined GWL shows irregular pattern due to rainfall interference. The average similarity between the subsidence and GWL at depths of 100–180 m and that at over 250 m is 75% and 64%, respectively, prior to the SNWDP-CR. In contrast, these two values increase to 83% and 81%, respectively, after the SNWDP-CR. This indicates that the impact of deeper aquifers to the subsidence increases after the SNWDP-CR, and the depth of the contributing aquifer is 100–180 m and locally exceeds 250 m. This study provides technical support for strategic decisions on water resource management and subsidence prevention within the context of the SNWDP-CR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evapotranspiration (ET) is the major component of the hydrology cycle. Satellites provide a convenient way for gathering information to estimate regional ET. The most widely applied method for converting the instantaneous satellite measurement to daily scale assumes that evaporative fraction (EF), defined as the ratio of ET to the available energy, is constant during the daytime. However, this method was proved to underestimate the daily ET. This study implemented a theoretically improved EF algorithm to calculate daily ET with the decoupling factor method based on the Penman‐Monteith and McNaughton‐Jarvis equations. Seven improved algorithms were developed by assuming that various parameters remain constant during the day. The satellite‐based ET estimates were compared with seven local flux tower measurements in China. The results showed that: (a) The original ET method calculated the daily evaporation more accurately than the other algorithms. However, the good fit was based on two compensating inaccuracies. Compared to the flux tower measurement, the original ET method underestimated the daily EF by 26% and overestimated the daily net radiation by 30%. (b) Six of the seven proposed algorithms underpredicted the daily ET by 30%–60%, mainly due to the inaccurate daily net radiation. (c) The algorithm that assumed that the instantaneous decoupling parameter Ω∗ was equal to its daily value method calculated EF and ET with relative errors of 8% and 10% separately when the inaccurate estimated daily net radiation was replaced by the observed flux tower data. Plain Language Summary: The water that evaporates from the land surface sustains the hydrological cycle that replenishes the world's freshwater resources. Scientists and water managers are therefore interested in quantifying the water that evaporates each day. It is especially true for China that has one of the lowest water reserves in the world. Satellites that provide coverage of all the land surface would be ideal for recording evaporation if we could scale up the instantaneous satellite measurements to a daily scale. The current scale‐up methods available have not been widely tested. In this manuscript, we test the available methods and show how they can be improved for China. Key Points: This article improved satellite‐based daily evapotranspiration calculations for ChinaA decoupling parameter method was used in the daily evaporation fraction algorithm [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shallow purple soils (Entisols) were widely distributed in hilly areas of southwest China and were easily subjected to drought due to the weak soil water retention capacity, which largely reduced the crop productivity. However, the impact of solum thickness on ecological traits and water use strategies of crops remain poorly understood under the shallow Entisol environment. In this study, water use patterns and physiological adaptation of maize with different solum thicknesses were investigated to ascertain the optimum solum thickness based on an in-situ experiment. Isotopic (2H and 18O) tracing technique was used to investigate the water sources for maize growth in sloping croplands with solum of 20 cm (C1), 40 cm (C2), 60 cm (C3), 80 cm (C4), 100 cm (C5) thickness. The morphological and physiological characteristics were also discussed under different soil moisture regimes. The results showed the soil water storage capacity significantly increased with solum thickness. The isotopes of xylem water in shallow solum (≦40 cm) were more enriched, indicating more contributions from the bottom soil water, especially under dry regimes (62.3% for C1, 42.8% for C2, at Jul. 09). The water sources utilized by maize in the treatments with solum thickness greater than 60 cm were relatively evenly distributed throughout the soil profile (mean 19.3%, 19.6% and 17.6%, respectively, in the 0–10 cm, 10–20 cm, 20–40 cm soil layer), and the water niche breadth increased with the solum thickness. Maize in shallow solum (≦40 cm) had lower biomass and higher specific leaf area (SLA) to reduce transpiration rate and improved water use efficiency (WUE i) (highest for C1, P <0.05, mean 14.8 μmol·mmol−1 under dry regimes), accompanying by lower photosynthetic rate, especially during the grain mature stage. The thicker solum (>60 cm) had significantly higher yields than in shallower solum (P <0.05), indicating that higher soil water storage in the thicker Entisol solum provided the most important base for cereal production. These findings suggested that maize on shallow croplands tended to use deep soil water and reduce water loss by restraining transpiration during drought conditions. However, the adaptation strategy through maintaining high SLA , low leaf area and height only ensured limited crop yields. Solum thickness is a critical index for affecting water use strategies and growth of maize, we recommended that greater than 60 cm is the optimum solum thickness for the maize plantation in the hilly croplands of the purple soil regions. [Display omitted] • Maize in shallow solums (0–40 cm) was more dependent on deeper soil moisture. • Soil water storage capacity significantly increased with solum thickness. • Maize planted in shallow solums had high WUE i but less dry matter accumulated. • Solum thickness of greater than 60 cm is recommended for the maize plantation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This study has conducted a comparative analysis of common carbapenemases harboring, the expression of resistance-nodulation-cell division (RND) family efflux pumps, and biofilm formation potential associated with carbapenem resistance among Acinetobacter baumannii (A. baumannii) strains with different carbapenem susceptibility.Methods: A total of 90 isolates of A. baumannii from two tertiary hospitals of China were identified and grouped as carbapenem susceptible A. baumannii (CSAB) strains and carbapenem non-susceptible A. baumannii (CnSAB) strains based on the susceptibility to imipenem. Harboring of carbapenemase genes, relative expression of RND family efflux pumps and biofilm formation potential were compared between the two groups.Result: Among these strains, 12 (13.3 %) strains were divided into the CSAB group, and 78 (86.7 %) strains into the CnSAB group. Compared with CSAB strains, CnSAB strains increased distribution of blaOXA-23 (p < 0.001) and ISAba1/blaOXA-51-like (p = 0.034) carbapenemase genes, and a 6.1-fold relative expression of adeB (p = 0.002), while CSAB strains led to biofilm formation by 1.3-fold than CnSAB strains (p = 0.021).Conclusions: Clinically, harboring more blaOXA-23-like and ISAba1/blaOXA-51-like complex genes and overproduction of adeABC are relevant with carbapenem resistance, while carbapenem susceptible strains might survive the stress of antibiotic through their ability of higher biofilm formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of polyethylene glycol loxenatide (PEX168) monotherapy in type 2 diabetes (T2D) patients in China. Materials and Methods: In a multicentred, randomized, double‐blinded, placebo‐controlled phase 3a clinical trial, 361 patients with inadequate glycaemic control (HbA1c 7.0%‐10.5%, fasting plasma glucose <13.9 mmol/L) were randomized (1:1:1) for weekly subcutaneous injections: placebo, PEX168/100 μg or PEX168/200 μg. The 24‐week treatment was followed by a 28‐week extension, during which placebo‐treated patients were randomly assigned to PEX168/100 μg or PEX168/200 μg. The primary efficacy endpoint was the HbA1c change from baseline to week 24. Results: The three groups had similar demographics and baseline characteristics. The HbA1c least‐square mean (95% CI) change from baseline to week 24 was greater for PEX168/100 μg (−1.02% [−1.21%, −0.83%]) and PEX168/200 μg (−1.34% [−1.54%, −1.15%]) than for placebo (−0.17% [−0.36%, 0.02%]); (superiority: P <.0001). The proportions of patients with less than 7% HbA1c in the placebo, PEX168/100 μg and PEX168/200 μg groups were 15.7%, 34.7% and 46.6%, respectively. Common gastrointestinal adverse events (AEs) were nausea (5.6%, 10.0% and 0% for PEX168/100 μg, PEX168/200 μg and placebo, respectively) and vomiting (2.4%, 8.3% and 0% for PEX168/100 μg, PEX168/200 μg and placebo, respectively). Six (1.6%) patients (PEX168/100 μg: N = 2 [1.6%], PEX168/200 μg: N = 3 [2.5%] and placebo: N = 1 [0.8%]) discontinued treatment because of AEs. Four (1.2%) patients (PEX168/100 μg: N = 3 [2.5%] and PEX168/200 μg: N = 1 [0.9%]) developed PEX168 antidrug antibodies. Conclusion: PEX168 monotherapy significantly improved glycaemic control in T2D patients with a safety profile resembling that of other glucagon‐like peptide‐1 receptor agonists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak has become a global public health concern; however, relatively few detailed reports of related cardiac injury are available. The aims of this study were to compare the clinical and echocardiographic characteristics of inpatients in the intensive-care unit (ICU) and non-ICU patients. Methods: We recruited 416 patients diagnosed with COVID-19 and divided them into two groups: ICU (n = 35) and non-ICU (n = 381). Medical histories, laboratory findings, and echocardiography data were compared. Results: The levels of myocardial injury markers in ICU vs non-ICU patients were as follows: troponin I (0.029 ng/mL [0.007–0.063] vs 0.006 ng/mL [0.006–0.006]) and myoglobin (65.45 μg/L [39.77–130.57] vs 37.00 μg/L [26.40–53.54]). Echocardiographic findings included ventricular wall thickening (12 [39%] vs 1 [4%]), pulmonary hypertension (9 [29%] vs 0 [0%]), and reduced left-ventricular ejection fraction (5 [16%] vs 0 [0%]). Overall, 10% of the ICU patients presented with right heart enlargement, thickened right-ventricular wall, decreased right heart function, and pericardial effusion. Cardiac complications were more common in ICU patients, including acute cardiac injury (21 [60%] vs 13 [3%]) (including 2 cases of fulminant myocarditis), atrial or ventricular tachyarrhythmia (3 [9%] vs 3 [1%]), and acute heart failure (5 [14%] vs 0 [0%]). Conclusion: Myocardial injury marker elevation, ventricular wall thickening, pulmonary artery hypertension, and cardiac complications including acute myocardial injury, arrhythmia, and acute heart failure are more common in ICU patients with COVID-19. Cardiac injury in COVID-19 patients may be related more to the systemic response after infection rather than direct damage by coronavirus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fragmentation and homogenization of habitats have seriously affected the fishery resources of the Pearl River. To protect the fishery resources, a novel artificial habitat, constructed using bamboo and palm slices, was deployed in the Youjiang River, a tributary of the Pearl River in China. The results of field and laboratory experiments showed that fish abundance, species richness and Shannon–Wiener diversity index were higher in the artificial habitats than at the control sites. There was no significant impact on fish biomass, as the artificial habitats attracted more Cultrinae and Gobioninae fish that are of a smaller size. Artificial habitats can serve as spawning grounds for fish that produce sticky eggs and refuges that improve the survival rates of juvenile fishes. This study revealed that this novel artificial habitat created suitable habitats and suitable spawning substrate for fish, improved fish richness and diversity in the structureless freshwater ecosystem like the Youjiang River. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A team effort to develop a Community Integrated Earth System Model (CIESM) was initiated in China in 2012. The model was based on NCAR Community Earth System Model (Version 1.2.1) with several novel developments and modifications aimed to overcome some persistent systematic biases, such as the double Intertropical Convergence Zone problem and underestimated marine boundary layer clouds. Aerosols' direct and indirect effects are prescribed using the MACv2‐SP approach and data sets. The spin‐up of a 500‐year preindustrial simulation and three historical simulations are described and evaluated. Prominent improvements include alleviated double Intertropical Convergence Zone problem, increased marine boundary layer clouds, and better El Niño Southern Oscillation amplitude and periods. One deficiency of the model is the significantly underestimated Arctic and Antarctic sea ice in warm seasons. The historical warming is about 0.55 °C greater than observations toward 2014. CIESM has an equilibrium climate sensitivity of 5.67 K, mainly resulted from increased positive shortwave cloud feedback. Our efforts on porting and redesigning CIESM for the heterogeneous Sunway TaihuLight supercomputer are also introduced, including some ongoing developments toward a future version of the model. Plain Language Summary: Based on NCAR Community Earth System Model (Version 1.2.1), a Community Integrated Earth System Model was introduced. It has over 10 major modifications and developments aimed to reduce some persistent biases in Community Earth System Model Version 1.2.1. Evaluation of simulations for Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6 indicated that the model produced reasonable mean climate states with improvement in rainfall, cloud, and El Niño Southern Oscillation. Community Integrated Earth System Model has an equilibrium climate sensitivity of 5.67 K, much higher than all CMIP5 models. Some of the deficiencies of the model, such as the underestimated Arctic and Antarctic sea ice in warm seasons and the greater warming in the early 21st century, will be investigated in the future. Key Points: Community Integrated Earth System Model (CIESM) includes many new developments and modificationsPreindustrial control and historical simulations were performed and evaluatedSome persistent climate model biases are alleviated, but sea ice is significantly underestimated in the warm season [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Plant Pathology is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd 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.)

Jiuzhaigou is a world-heritage site located in the plateau area of Northwest Sichuan Province, China. Serious slope failures in the epicentral area were triggered by the Ms7.0 Jiuzhaigou earthquake occurred on August 8, 2017. The source areas of the hazards are usually concentrated near ridge crests, revealing the possible occurrence of ground motion amplification phenomena. To explore the role of the amplification of ground motions in the formation of earthquake-triggered slope failures, two seismometers were installed, on the next day after the main shock, at the bottom of the slope of Jubao Mountain near the seismogenic fault. The two monitoring sites are located at elevations of 1414 m (J1) and 1551 m (J2, the top of the mountain). Five aftershocks were recorded by the monitoring instruments. We compared the mean levels of the peak ground acceleration (PGA) observed at different locations, and investigated the directional variations in the shaking energy by analyzing the polar diagrams of the Arias intensity (Ia). Then, in order to identify the directional resonance phenomenon and their frequencies and amplification coefficients, we examined the horizontal-to-vertical spectral ratio (HVSR) and the standard spectral ratio (SSR). Polar diagrams of the Arias intensity (Ia) indicated that the site response of Jubao Mountain showed a pronounced directivity (in the EW direction) with shaking maxima near the hill top oriented orthogonally to the elongation of the relief. We observed an obvious resonance phenomenon at site J2 at relatively low frequencies (2.5–9 Hz) and very weak spectral amplifications at site J1 at high frequencies (5–15 Hz), which suggested that the predominant frequency of monitoring site J2 was obviously attenuated and that the difference in the spectra was related to the influences of the local-scale site conditions of the whole mountain. The results of spectral ratio analyses (HVSR and SSR) showed that the direction of resonance was concentrated around an EW orientation, and the amplification factors near the hill top were larger than 2. It suggests that geologic factors also play a significant role in the anisotropic amplifications affecting the tops of slopes besides the topographic effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and objectives: To evaluate a measure specifically developed to clinically assess early symptoms of poststroke depression (PSD) in acute stroke patients. Background: Poststroke depression is associated with elevated rates of morbidity and mortality following a mild-to-moderate stroke. Measures currently used to assess depression in acute poststroke patients can lack the clinical specificity necessary to detect symptoms within 30 days poststroke. Design: A two-round Delphi design was used to estimate symptom consensus. Methods: Three panels, healthcare professionals (N = 74), experts (N = 16) and acute poststroke patients (N = 40), evaluated an initial set of symptom-items systematically developed by the research team. Results: Our study yielded consensus for 29 symptom-items. Additional symptoms recommended by acute poststroke patients increased the final number of symptoms to 35. Conclusions: We developed a specific measure of early symptoms of PSD in acute stroke patients with good content validity. Relevance to clinical practice: The specific clinical relevance of our findings lies in the consensus of health professionals, the Delphi panel and patients regarding core areas of clinical assessment during the acute poststroke phase. And our findings may draw attention to the need to assess and treat acute stroke patients with early symptoms of PSD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to investigate the role of the amplification of peak ground acceleration (PGA) in seismic landslide formation mechanisms and study how earthquake waves interact with rock structures, a few strong-motion seismometers are installed at various locations on both sides of the Lengzhuguan gully. Five strong-motion seismometers were triggered at different depths in a tunnel at the same altitude during the Kangding Ms 5.8 earthquake on November 25th, 2014. The data reveal that the horizontal peak acceleration (PGA) at each site decreased with increasing site depths. The PGAH at the deepest monitoring site (99 m from the tunnel entrance) was approximately half that of the outermost site. The amplitude of the acceleration response spectrum was also attenuated from the entrance inwards, the dynamic magnification factor (β) of the standard acceleration spectrum was less than 3.5, and rate of change was the same as that for the amplitude acceleration response. The Fourier spectra of each monitoring site also decreased from the outside inwards, and the components of the Fourier spectra were more complex at the surface. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In China, day surgery has been promoted because its operation time and post-operative hospital stay are shorter than those of elective surgery. Day surgery can speed up the turnover of beds and operation rooms. Usually, the conditions of elective surgery patients are more complicated than those of day surgery patients. The development of the discipline, which means that the hospital has improved the skills of the doctors and the ability of doctors to cope with serious diseases and has increased the overall medical level of the hospital, requires surgeons to operate in some complicated elective surgeries. In the case of operating rooms and beds in short supply, there is a trade-off between the promotion of day surgery and the development of the discipline. Day surgery is relatively uncomplicated, but it requires more highly qualified surgeons. However, the development of the discipline requires surgeons to take on some complicated elective surgeris. Moreover, according to the notion of grading treatment, class-A tertiary hospitals are more suitable for patients with relatively complicated and serious conditions. In the emerging context of day surgery, highly qualified surgeons need to perform both day surgeries and elective surgeries. This paper studied how to control the admission of surgery patients. We take into account both day surgery promotion and discipline development in decision-making. A dynamic programming model was built for admission control, and a γ-adjust-threshold heuristic policy was proposed. We then compared the heuristic policy to three other policies through simulation. The results show that our heuristic policy outperforms the hospital's target policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simulation and projection of the characteristics of heat waves over China were investigated using 12 CMIP5 global climate models and the CN05.1 observational gridded dataset. Four heat wave indices (heat wave frequency, longest heat wave duration, heat wave days, and high temperature days) were adopted in the analysis. Evaluations of the 12 CMIP5 models and their ensemble indicated that the multi-model ensemble could capture the spatiotemporal characteristics of heat wave variation over China. The inter-decadal variations of heat waves during 1961-2005 can be well simulated by multi-model ensemble. Based on model projections, the features of heat waves over China for eight different global warming targets (1.5, 2.0, 2.5, 3.0, 3.5, 4.0, 4.5, and 5.0 °C) were explored. The results showed that the frequency and intensity of heat waves would increase more dramatically as the global mean temperature rise attained higher warming targets. Under the RCP8.5 scenario, the four China-averaged heat wave indices would increase from about 1.0 times/year, 2.5, 5.4, and 13.8 days/year to about 3.2 times/year, 14.0, 32.0, and 31.9 days/year for 1.5 and 5.0 °C warming targets, respectively. Those regions that suffer severe heat waves in the base climate would experience the heat waves with greater frequency and severity following global temperature rise. It is also noteworthy that the areas in which a greater number of severe heat waves occur displayed considerable expansion. Moreover, the model uncertainties exhibit a gradual enhancement with projected time extending from 2006 to 2099. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose Livelihood recovery is a top priority to sustain resettled communities. The purpose of this paper is to assess livelihood vulnerability of those displaced and resettled in the aftermath of the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, China, based on a newly constructed locational adjustable framework.Design/methodology/approach The study takes two resettlement villages in Sichuan Province as case study areas. Face-to-face surveys using a structured questionnaire and semi-structured in-depth interviews were conducted to collect primary data in 2012-2013.Findings The findings show that distant resettlement of people post the Wenchuan earthquake has resulted in an increased livelihood vulnerability within resettlers and that they face more hazards post-resettlement when compared to host residents in the resettlement areas.Research limitations/implications The indicators considered for the livelihood vulnerability index (LVI) are only a subset that represents typical factors applicable in the context of rural settings of China. The LVI may vary if more indicators are incorporated or coefficients obtained using different methods.Social implications Highlights should be placed on livelihood assets and hazards to livelihood of the displaced people. During the transition period there is a pressing need for greater efforts to enhance migrants’ employment skills and assist them to restore viable livelihood activities.Originality/value This paper constructs a locational adjustable framework for analyzing and assessing livelihood vulnerability of disaster-induced resettlers from three aspects: livelihood hazards, livelihood assets and coping strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most surgery scheduling is done 1 day in advance. Caused by lack of overall planning, this scheduling scheme often results in unbalanced occupancy time of the operating rooms. So we put forward a rolling horizon mixed integer programming model for the scheduling. Rolling horizon scheduling refers to a scheduling scheme in which cyclic surgical requests are taken into account. Surgical requests are updated daily. The completed surgeries are eliminated, and new surgeries are added to the scheduling list. Considering day-to-day demand for surgery, we develop a non-rolling scheduling model (NRSM) and a rolling horizon scheduling model (RSM). By comparing the two, we find that the quality of surgery scheduling is significantly influenced by the variation in demand from day to day. A rolling horizon scheduling will enable a more flexible planning of the pool of surgeries that have not been scheduled into this main blocks, and hence minimize the idle time of operating rooms. The strategy of the RSM helps balance the occupancy time among operating rooms. Using surgical data from five departments of the West China Hospital (WCH), we generate surgical demands randomly to compare the NRSM and the RSM. The results show the operating rooms' average utilization rate using RSM is significantly higher than when applying NRSM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to investigate the statistical correlation properties of the Shanghai Interbank Offered Rate (SHIBOR) interbank lending market. Design/methodology/approach – The authors apply methods of correlation analysis, random matrix theory (RMT) and minimum spanning tree (MST) to investigate the correlation properties of Chinese interbank lending market and analyze how the SHIBOR panel banks behave in different market periods. Findings – First, the largest eigenvalue λ1 is the index to describe the market mode of the whole market when all banks behavior collectively and λ1/N is a good estimator of the average correlation of the correlation matrix. Second, notably, the authors find the “market mode” is weakened in two crises periods of 2008 stock market crash and 2009 Global Financial Crisis. This is significantly different from other market where the “market mode” is normally strengthened in crises periods. Third, the authors subtract the contribution of λ1, the second and third eigenvalue, λ2 and λ3, will fall outside of the predicted interval. And both λ2 and λ3 are getting times larger in the crises periods than in “Non-Crisis” period. Fourth, and in the MST analysis, the authors find again that the average distances of the MST are the times larger in crises periods than in “Non-Crisis” period and the second largest eigenvalue is a good estimator of the average distance of the MST. Originality/value – According to the best knowledge, this paper is the first work on the study of the statistical properties of an interbank lending market using quotation level data of panel banks, which allows us to analyze the properties of the interest rate formation and how all panel banks behavior in different periods. This work is also the first study on the SHIBOR market using econophysics methods of correlation analysis, RMT and MST. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new composite index called the yearly tropical cyclone potential impact (YTCPI) is introduced. The relationship between YTCPI and activities of tropical cyclones (TCs) in China, disaster loss, and main ambient fields are investigated to show the potential of YTCPI as a new tool for short-term climate prediction of TCs. YTCPI can indicate TC activity and potential disaster loss. As correlation coefficients between YTCPI and frequency of landfalling TCs, the frequency of TCs traversing or forming inside a 24 h warning line in China from 1971 to 2010 are 0.58 and 0.56, respectively (both are at a statistically significant level, above α = 0.001). Furthermore, three simple indexes are used to compare with YTCPI. They all have very close relationships with it, with correlation coefficients 0.75, 0.82 and 0.78. For economic loss and YTCPI, the correlation coefficient is 0.57 for 1994-2009. Information on principal ambient fields (sea surface temperature, 850 and 500 hPa geopotential heights) during the previous winter is reflected in the relationship with YTCPI. Spatial and temporal variabilities of ambient fields are extracted through empirical orthogonal function (EOF) analysis. Spatial distributions of correlation coefficient between YTCPI and ambient fields match the EOF main mode. Correlation coefficients between YTCPI and the EOF time array for the three ambient fields are 0.46, 0.44 and 0.4, respectively, all statistically significant, above α = 0.01. The YTCPI has the overall potential to be an improved prediction tool. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The impact of monetary policy changes on the monetary market and stock market in China is investigated in this study. The changes of two major monetary policies, the interest rate and required reserve ratio, are analyzed in a study period covering seven years on the interbank monetary market and Shanghai stock market. We find that the monetary market is related to the macro economy trend and we also find that the monetary change surprises both of lowering and raising bring significant impacts to the two markets and the two markets respond to the changes differently. The results suggest that the impact of fluctuations is much larger for raising policy changes than lowering changes in the monetary market on policy announcing and effective dates. This is consistent with the “sign effect”, i.e. bad news brings a greater impact than good news. By studying the event window of each policy change, we also find that the “sign effect” still exists before and after each change in the monetary market. A relatively larger fluctuation is observed before the event date, which indicates that the monetary market might have a certain ability to predict a potential monetary change, while it is kept secret by the central bank before official announcement. In the stock market, we investigate how the returns and spreads of the Shanghai stock market index respond to the monetary changes. Evidences suggest the stock market is influenced but in a different way than the monetary market. The climbing of returns after the event dates for the lowering policy agrees with the theory that lowering changes can provide a monetary supply to boost the market and drive the stock returns higher but with a delay of 2 to 3 trading days on average. While in the bear market, the lowering policy brings larger volatility to the market on average than the raising ones. These empirical findings are useful for policymakers to understand how monetary policy changes impact the monetary and stock markets especially in an emerging market like China where the economy is booming and the policy changes impact the markets as surprises by the central bank without a pre-decided schedule. This is totally different from previous studies on FED, which follows pre-decided schedules for monetary policy changes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Brominated flame retardants (BFRs) in eucalyptus leaves and pine needles from a rural site in southern China were measured to investigate the air-plant exchange. Mean concentrations of BFRs were higher in pine needles (79.8 ng/g dry wt) than in eucalyptus leaves (74.5 ng/g), whereas an inverse result was found for the leaf surface particles, with mean concentrations of 3490 ng/g and 5718 ng/g, respectively. For most of the BFRs, the correlations between their concentrations in plants and those in the vapor phase, atmospheric particles, leaf surface particles, and the environmental variables (temperature, wind speed, and relative humidity) at this site were in contrast to the results the authors observed at an electronic waste site previously, indicating that ambient air level plays a vital role in the relationships. The interspecies difference in the BFR profiles and the correlations above implied that pine needles likely have more advantages for uptake of BFRs from gaseous deposition than eucalyptus leaves, for which particle-bound deposition is more important. Like the electronic waste site, the leaf scavenging ratios of BFRs were also controlled by their octanol-air partition coefficient. It was estimated that approximately 154 kg of BFRs in the atmosphere are scavenged annually by forest in this region, which was 1.7 times larger than that via atmospheric deposition to nonforest ground. Environ Toxicol Chem 2013;32:1248-1253. © 2013 SETAC [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the relationship between peripheral arterial disease (PAD) and renal function in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). We enrolled 2057 hospitalized patients with T2DM and measured kidney function and ankle–brachial index (ABI). The estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was derived using the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI) equation and ABI was grouped as low (<0.9), low-normal (0.9-1.09), normal (1.1-1.3), and high (>1.3). Logistic regression was used to evaluate the associations of eGFR with ABI. Generally speaking, the ABI was negatively correlated with systolic blood pressure, fasting C-peptide, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol while positively correlated with body mass index (P < .05 to <.01). Only a low ABI was positively correlated with eGFR (P < .01). In addition to the association of the ABI with cardiovascular events, stroke, and PAD, ABI may also predict the change in renal function in patients with T2DM. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: Cucumber downy mildew, caused by the fungal pathogen Pseudoperonospora cubensis, is a devastating disease in Shanxi Province, China. Fungicides dimethomorph, metalaxyl and fosetyl-aluminium have been used in the disease management. In this study, 143 isolates of P. cubensis were collected from different geographic locations of Shanxi, and examined for their corresponding sensitivities to these fungicides using the leaf disc bioassay method. The EC50 values of the isolates to dimethomorph, metalaxyl and fosetyl-aluminium ranged from 0.0006 to 5.85 μg/ml (mean = 1.01 μg/ml, SD = 1.27), 0.0869 to >500.00 μg/ml (mean = 85.97 μg/ml, SD = 95.61 for the range of 0.0869–458.10 μg/ml) and 0.0066–114.50 μg/ml (mean = 7.89 μg/ml, SD = 15.33), respectively. Over 80% isolates showed the EC50 values to dimethomorph <2.0 μg/ml. This study is the first to report high levels of resistance to metalaxyl in P. cubensis populations in Shanxi Province, and seven isolates were found to be extremely high resistant with EC50 values >500 μg/ml. The most P. cubensis isolates showed a normal distribution of EC50 range between 0 and 18 μg/ml to fosetyl-aluminium, and a few high resistant isolates were found. No cross-resistance was found between any fungicides used in this study. The concept of resistance index (RI) was used to determine the resistance level to each fungicide for sub-population of the pathogen in each district of Shanxi Province. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Many studies have been designed to assess seismic hazard and to improve post-earthquake damage evaluation models. Compared with previous studies, the research attempted to solve the problems of the effectiveness differences of seismic intensity on density of Earthquake-damaged trace ( D) and established the appropriate models for D in different scale of seismic intensity. D as a relative value reduced the influence of area on earthquake-damaged trace. The research will provide the necessary scientific support to fast post-earthquake damage assessment and modeling. By utilizing GIS, RS and field investigation data, the spatial distribution characteristic of earthquake-damaged traces was analyzed. Effective factors including seismic intensity, distance to rivers and slope were identified through PCA. Specifically, seismic intensity was identified as the key factor. The inherent relations between D and seismic intensity, D and distance to rivers in seismic intensity, and D and slope in seismic intensity were modeled by regression analysis. The results demonstrated that both earthquake energy and D have attenuation characteristics. There is a significant positive correlation between D and seismic intensity (the pearson correlation is 0.917). That is, the higher the seismic intensity, the greater the D was. The erosion of river leads to steep slope, which is in favor of the formation of mountain hazards. D showed the decreasing tendency with the increasing distance to river. With the increase of slope, the D gradually became stronger. For distance to river, the largest changing rate of D appeared on seismic intensity XI, but for slope, the largest changing rate of D appeared on seismic intensity X. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Continuous Late Paleozoic magmatic activity in the western Tianshan, Xinjiang, China, temporally overlapped the Late Carboniferous collision between the Tarim and the Kazakhstan–Yili plates. Isotopic dating, whole-rock geochemistry, and isotopic characteristics of a suite of calc-alkaline to shoshonitic rocks from Yuximolegai area, in the eastern end of the Awulale Mountains, help define the tectonic evolution of this part of the Tianshan. Zircon U–Pb ages of a quartz diorite and a quartz syenite porphyry are 310.8±2.1Ma and 284.4±3.6Ma, respectively. The geochemical and isotopic characteristics of Late Carboniferous igneous rocks, including the quartz diorite, as well as basaltic andesite and K-rich trachyandesite, indicate an evolution from calc-alkaline towards shoshonitic series. This was generated by the partial melting of the hydrated mantle wedge induced by changing subduction angles. The younger quartz syenite porphyry, however, was more likely derived from the partial melting of a thickened crust in a post-collisional setting or the partial melting of hot juvenile basalt in the lower crust during Early Permian delamination of the subcontinental lithospheric mantle. Therefore, the generation of the calc-alkaline to shoshonitic igneous rocks in Yuximolegai area is genetically linked to the geodynamic evolution of the western Tianshan from convergent subduction to collision during the Late Paleozoic. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In a changing climate, understanding the frequency of weather extremes is crucial to improving the management of the associated risks. The concept of weather index-based insurance is introduced as a new approach in weather risk adaptation. It can decrease the vulnerability to precipitation extremes that cause floods and economic losses in the Zhujiang River basin. The probability of precipitation extremes is a key input and the probability distribution of annual precipitation extremes is analyzed with four distribution functions [gamma 3, generalized extreme value (GEV), generalized Pareto, and Wakeby]. Three goodness-of-fit tests (Kolmogorov-Smirnov, Anderson-Darling, and Chi Squared) are applied to the distribution functions for annual time series (1961-2007) of 192 meteorological stations. The results show that maximum precipitation and 5-day-maximum precipitation are best described by the Wakeby distribution. On a basin scale, the GEV is the most reliable and robust distribution for estimating precipitation indexes for an index-based insurance program in the Zhujiang River basin. However, each station has to be analyzed individually as GEV is not always the best-fitting distribution function. Based on the distribution functions, spatiotemporal characteristics of return periods for maximum precipitation and 5-day-maximum precipitation are determined. The return levels of the 25- and 50-yr return periods show similar spatial pattern: they are higher in the southeast and lower in the southwest of the basin. This spatial distribution is in line with the annual averages. The statistical distribution of precipitation indexes delivers important information for a theoretical weather index-based insurance program. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Acupuncture has long been employed for the treatment of chronic low back pain (CLBP). However, very few studies have characterized the effectiveness of the different acupuncture modes for CLBP. Methods: In total, 187 patients with CLBP participated in this study. Eligible patients were randomized to Hegu acupuncture, Standard acupuncture, or Usual Care groups. Eighteen (18) treatments were provided over 7 weeks. Back-related dysfunction and symptom severity were assessed by the Roland-Morris Disability Questionnaire (RMDQ) and the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), which were collected at baseline and at 8 and 48 weeks after beginning the treatment. Repeated-measures analysis of variance (ANOVA) was employed for factorial analyses. Results: Significant differences were found between follow-up and the baseline scores ( p<0.05). The Hegu acupuncture group had higher RMDQ scores (8 weeks, 5.3 versus 2.1; 48 weeks, 5.7 versus 3.3; p<0.001 for both) and VAS scores (8 weeks, 1.5 versus 0.5; 48 weeks, 2.6 versus 1.6; p<0.001 for both) compared with the usual care group. The standardized acupuncture group also had higher RMDQ scores (8 weeks, 4.2 versus 2.1; 48 weeks, 4.6 versus 3.3, p<0.001 for both) and VAS scores (8 weeks, 1.3 versus 0.5; 48 weeks, 2.4 versus 1.6, p<0.001 for both) compared with the Usual Care group. The Hegu group had higher RMDQ scores (8 weeks, p<0.05; 48 weeks, p<0.001) and VAS scores (48 weeks, p<0.05) compared with the standardized group. There was a significant difference between the Hegu and standardized acupuncture groups in repeated-measures ANOVA ( p<0.05). Across the three testing points, significant differences were found in the RMDQ and VAS scores between the usual care group and both treatment groups ( p<0.001). Conclusions: Both acupuncture modes have beneficial and persistent effectiveness against CLBP compared with the usual care group; Hegu acupuncture is significantly more effective than standardized acupuncture, especially in the long term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on daily precipitation data derived from observations and three Coupled General Circulation Model (CGCM)’s outputs (CSIRO_MK3_5, MPI_ECHAM5 and NCAR_CCSM3), some extreme precipitation indices are calculated. Initially, the models’ skills in simulating extreme precipitation during 1961–2000 were assessed. Projected changes before 2050 under the Special Report on Emissions Scenarios (SRES) emission scenario A1B were also analyzed. Results show that although there are some biases in the model results, the three models capture well the geographic distribution of extreme precipitation observed in the last half of the 20th century. Nevertheless, the models tend to show limited skill in reproducing the observed inter-annual variations of such extreme precipitation events, including the dominant patterns and trends. Under SRES A1B, for the period of 2011–2050, the simple daily precipitation intensity (SDII) and the fraction of extreme precipitation in total annual precipitation (R95T) will increase significantly in all the river basins in China, while changes in other indices are different. The periodic changes in consecutive dry days (CDD), consecutive wet days (CWD) and the number of days with precipitation ≥ 10 mm/day (R10) are expected to be more pronounced in the Huang-Huai-Hai River Basin. In the South River Basin, such periodic changes maintain similar or slightly weakened magnitudes. From 2001 to 2050 in the Huang-Huai-Hai River Basin, extreme precipitation in spring shows no significant changes. In the South River Basin, R95T, SDII and the maximum 5-days precipitation amount (R5D) in summer show an increasing tendency, but in winter a weak decreasing trend is projected. The changes in precipitation-based indices indicate a higher probability of heavy rainfall or flood occurrence, particularly in the river basins in East China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heavy metals were measured in hair from occupationally and nonoccupationally exposed populations in an e-waste recycling area and from residents from a control rural town. The levels of five heavy metals were in the following order of Zn > Pb, Cu > Cd > Ni, with the highest levels found in the occupationally exposed workers. The levels of Cd, Pb, and Cu were significantly higher in residents from the e-waste recycling area than in the control area. Elevated Cd, Pb, and Cu contents along with significant positive correlations between them in hair from the e-waste recycling area indicated that these metals were likely to have originated from the e-waste recycling activities. The similarity in heavy metal pattern between children and occupationally exposed workers indicated that children are particularly vulnerable to heavy metal pollution caused by e-waste recycling activities. The increased Cu exposure might be a benefit for the insufficient intake of Cu in the studied area. However, the elevated hair Cd and Pb levels implied that the residents in the e-waste area might be at high risk of toxic metal, especially for children and occupationally exposed workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we used remotely sensed data, GIS modeling, and statistical methods to evaluate the damage caused by the Wenchuan Earthquake (May 12, 2008) to the giant panda ( Ailuropoda melanoleuca) habitat in the World Nature Heritage Sichuan Giant Panda Sanctuary (WHSGPS) in China. A landscape ecological analysis found increases of landscape heterogeneity, complexity, and fragmentation in the giant panda habitat after the earthquake. A terrain analysis found that slope and elevation are directly associated with the distribution of the damaged areas. As slope and elevation increase, the size of the damaged area keeps increase until to a peak, and then starts to drop. The total area of the damaged vegetation in our study area is 114.26 km, accounting for 3.78% of the study area; 30.46% of that 114.26 km is located in the Core Zone of WHSGPS. There are 18.57km of the damaged vegetation located in the identified suitable giant panda habitat, accounting for 1.75% of the total area of suitable giant panda habitats in the study area. Based on these findings, we conclude that the Wenchuan Earthquake does not have significant impact on the WHSGPS as a whole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Air and foliage samples (Eucalyptus spp. and Pinus massoniana Lamb.) were collected from e-waste and reference sites in South China and analyzed for Dechlorane Plus (DP) and two dechlorinated DPs. DP concentrations in the air were 13.1–1794 pg/m3 for the e-waste site and 0.47–35.7 pg/m3 for the reference site, suggesting the recycling of e-waste is an important source of DP to the environment. Plant DP, with concentrations of 0.45–51.9 ng/g dry weight at the e-waste site and 0.09–2.46 ng/g at the reference site, exhibited temporal patterns similar to the air DP except for pine needle at the reference site. The air-plant exchange of DP could be described with the two-compartment model. Anti-Cl11 DP was measured in most air and plant samples from the e-waste site. The ratios of anti-Cl11 DP to anti-DP in the air and plants may indicate the preferential uptake of dechlorinated DP by plant compared with DP. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The present study analyzed road soils collected near the dismantling workshops of an e-waste recycling region in South China to determine the PBDE profiles. Farmland soils at a distance of about 2 km from the dismantling workshops were also collected to evaluate the potential dispersion and deposition of PBDEs in the surrounding environment. Total PBDE concentrations ranged from 191 to 9156 ng/g dry weight in road soils and from 2.9 to 207 ng/g dry weight in farmland soils, respectively. Three PBDE source profiles were observed from the road soils by principal component analysis, and were compared with the congener patterns in different technical products. Elevated abundances of octa- and nona-congeners were found in the “deca-” derived PBDEs as compared with the deca-BDE products. The results in this study suggest that debromination of BDE 209 may have occurred during the use of electric and electronic equipment and/or another technical formulation (Bromkal 79-8DE) was also likely the source of octa- and nona-congeners in e-wastes. Comparison of the PBDE patterns in road and farmland soils implied that the PBDEs in farmland soils have been subject to complex environmental processes. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper reports a study on reconstructing temperature series for ten regions of China over the last 1000 years with a time resolution of 10 a. The regions concerned are: Northeast, North, East, South China, Taiwan, Central, Southwest, Northwest China, Xinjiang and Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. A variety of proxy data, such as ice core, tree-rings, stalagmites, peat, lake sediments, pollen and historical records, were validated with instrumental observations made in the last 120 years, and applied in the reconstruction of the temperature series. A temperature series for whole China is then established by aver- aging the ten regional series with a weighting proportional to the area of each region. Finally, temperature variations for the last 1000 years are examined, with special focus placed on the characteristics of the Medieval Warm Period (MWP), the Little Ice Age (LIA), and Modern Warming (MW). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationships between the flux of outgoing longwave radiation (OLR) and the rainfall over China are examined by using monthly OLR data from NOAA polar-orbiting satellites and China 160-station precipitation observations in summers and winters, respectively, for 20-year period from 1980 to 1999. The singular value decomposition (SVD) analysis is carried out for the two fields: (1) The first two principal rainfall modes of China are related with the south–north oscillation occurred over the western Pacific and East Asia for the summers. One of them is wetter over the south-eastern China and the other is wetter to the south of Yellow River. (2) The first rainfall mode over China, which exhibits most parts of China wetter, is closely associated with the east–west oscillation between the equatorial central-eastern Pacific and the western Pacific for the winters. (3) The OLR practical anomaly distributions indicate that the intensely convective activities dominate the China rainfall areas during the summers of 1997, 1998 and 1999. The OLR anomalies also clearly showed extreme drought events occurred over the north-eastern China in the summers of 1997 and 1999. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Changbei gasfield belongs to tight gas reservoir. In the drilling process, the invasion of drilling fluids is one of the main reservoir damage factors. To reduce the invasion of drilling and completion fluids, studies were mainly focus on temporary plugging and wettability change of reservoir rock surface, and a type of NDW clay-free low damage drilling fluid was developed. The fluid had effective protection for gas reservoir because its average damage ratio to the pay-zone is only 11.25%, tested under reservoir conditions. The fliud had good temporary plugging, excellent inhibitive ability and high lubricity. In the whole drilling of horizontal interval in well CB8-3, the cumulative horizontal interval length using the fluid is 4 388 m, and the borehole is always kept clean, with no blockage and no pipe-sticking during tripping, and no sand setting in downhole. Moreover, more than 240 m shale was stable and the production of 230×104 m³/d in this well was obtained, which created the new record of highest individual production rate in onshore low permeability gasfield in China [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrologic connectivity is related to the water-mediated transport of matter, energy, and organisms within or between elements of the hydrologic cycle. It reflects the hydrological consequences caused by topographic, land cover, and climatic factors, and is an important tool to characterize and predict the hydrological responses to climate and landscape change. In the Loess Plateau region, a large number of reservoirs have been constructed to trap sediment and storage water for drinking, irrigation, and industries. The land cover has been significantly reshaped in the past decades. These changes may alter the watershed hydrological connectivity. In this study, we mapped the spatial pattern of hydrological connectivity with consideration of reservoir impedances, mitigation of climate, and land cover in the Yan River watershed on the Loess Plateau by using the network index (NI) approach that is based on topographical wetness index. Three wetness indices were used, i.e., topographical wetness index (TWI), SAGA (System for Automated Geoscientific Analyses) wetness index (WIS), and wetness index adopted aridity index (AI) determined by precipitation and evapotranspiration (WIPE). In addition, the effective catchment area (ECA) was also employed to reveal the connectivity of reservoirs and river networks to water source areas. Results show that ECA of reservoirs and rivers account for 35% and 65%, respectively; the hydrological connectivity to the reservoir was lower than that to the river networks. The normalized hydrological connectivity revealed that the connectivity to river channels maintained the same distribution pattern but with a decreased range after construction of reservoirs. As revealed by comparing the spatial patterns of hydrological connectivity quantified by NI based on WIS and WIPE respectively, vegetation cover patterns had significantly alternated watershed hydrological connectivity. These results imply a decreased volume of flow in river channels after reservoir construction, but with same temporal period of flow dynamic. It is illustrated that the network index (NI) is suitable to quantify the hydrological connectivity and it is dynamic in the context of human intervention and climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study focused on Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici (Pst), the causal pathogen of wheat stripe rust in China. The central and eastern China are the main wheat-producing areas in the country, and the occurrence of wheat stripe rust can cause severe yield losses. To determine the population genetic structure and potential pathways of migration among regional populations of the pathogen, 264 isolates were sampled during spring 2017 and genotyped using 12 simple sequence repeat (SSR) loci. The highest genetic diversity was detected in Hubei Province, indicating its potential role as one of the source populations for the rust epidemics. A high gene flow was detected among regional populations, supporting migration of Pst among regions. The significant decrease in genotypic and genetic diversity from Hubei to Shandong suggested that the migration direction was from central to eastern China. Analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA), Bayesian assignment, and principle coordinate analysis all indicated two major groups, one was mainly distributed in Hubei and the another was mainly in the eastern region. Shared genotypes, gene flow among regions, and Bayesian assignment tests revealed that the migration of Pst from central to eastern of China during spring occurred mainly through stepwise movement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flooding is a serious natural disaster that has caused massive economic losses in China. The development of an effective flood disaster relief mechanism is of increasing significance, and some argue that flood insurance is an optimal solution. Currently, China uses post-disaster government aid as its main disaster relief policy, which is considerably less efficient than insurance. Thus, it is critical for China to establish a rational flood insurance system. As flood insurance is common among developed countries, a wealth of experience has been accumulated that can provide rich references for the construction of a Chinese flood insurance system. Hence, this paper will comparatively analyze the flood insurance systems of four representative developed countries and provide insight into the applicability of British and American insurance systems to China. Subsequently, suggestions will be made regarding the establishment of a Chinese flood insurance system, which include issuing legislation, establishing compulsory commercial insurance and securitizing flood insurance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is expected to increase occupational heat stress, which will lead to diminished work performance and labor losses worldwide. However, sub-regional analyses remain insufficient, especially for countries with a heterogeneous spatial distribution of working populations, industries and climates. Here, we projected heat-induced labor losses in China, by considering local climate simulations, working population characteristics and developing an exposure–response function suitable for Chinese workers. We showed that the annual heat-induced work hours lost (WHL), compared to the baseline of 21.3 billion hours, will increase by 121.1% (111.2%–131.1%), 10.8% (8.3%–15.3%), and −17.8% (−15.3%–−20.3%) by the end of the century under RCP(Representative Concentration Pathways)8.5, RCP4.5, and RCP2.6, respectively. We observed an approximately linear upward trend of WHL under RCP8.5, despite the decrease in future working population. Notably, WHL will be most prominent in the southern, eastern and central regions, with Guangdong and Henan accounting for a quarter of national total losses; this is largely due to their higher temperature exposure, larger population size, and higher shares of vulnerable population in total employment. In addition, limiting global warming to 1.5 °C would yield substantial gains. Compared to RCP2.6, RCP4.5, and RCP8.5, all provinces can avoid an average of 11.8%, 33.7%, and 53.9% of annual WHL if the 1.5 °C target is achieved, which is equivalent to avoiding 0.1%, 0.6%, and 1.4% of annual GDP losses in China, respectively. This study revealed climate change will exacerbate future labor losses, and adverse impacts can be minimized by adopting stringent mitigation policies coupled with effective adaptation measures. Policymakers in each province should tailor occupation health protection measures to their circumstances. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]