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Abstract: In China, hydro-climate is diverse between north and south. Here process-based eco-hydrology model was coupled with complex sub-systems to develop coupled human and natural systems and to analyze impact of anthropogenic activity on eco-hydrologic change in continental scales. The model presented impact of irrigation on eco-hydrological processes. Furthermore, spatial pattern of Time-Integrated Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (TINDVI) gradient in agricultural fields showed heterogeneous characteristics of crop yield, which implied the increase in irrigation water use is one of the reasons for the increase in crop production. These results suggest strongly the needs of trans-boundary and -authority solutions of water management for sustainable development under sound socio-economic conditions contributory to national and global securities. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The NIES Integrated Catchment-based Eco-hydrology (NICE) model was applied to the Biliu River catchment, northern China, to estimate the carrying capacity of the water resource there. The model reproduced well the water and heat budgets after the construction of a reservoir in the middle reach of the river. It also correctly backcasted the degradation of water resources such as river discharge and groundwater after the completion of the reservoir. Calculation of the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) from satellite data clearly showed vegetation degradation downstream of the reservoir. Statistical analysis of a decoupling indicator based on the simulated water carrying capacity and on the satellite data of vegetation index indicated that water-related stress in Dalian city, where the economy has grown rapidly after the completement of the reservoir, has increased in accordance with the environmental degradation below the reservoir. The results indicate a close relationship between water resource and economic growth, which has greatly affected ecosystem degradation and its serious burden on the environment in the catchment. The simulated results highlight the linkage between urban development in Dalian and sustainable water resource management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Almost every year, China is affected by severe flooding, which causes considerable economic loss and serious damage to towns and farms, in particular, at the middle and lower regions of Changjiang (Yangtze) River. In addition to abnormal weather, previous research has concluded that artificial effects have also been significant causes of major flood disasters along this catchment. These have included (i) extreme deforestation and soil erosion in the upper reaches, (ii) shrinking of lake water volumes and their reduced connection with the Changjiang River due to reclamation of lakes that retarded water in the middle reaches, and (iii) restriction of channel capacity following levee construction. The present research focused on the flood storage ability of Dongting and Poyang Lake in the middle region and simulated the water/heat dynamics for the 1998 large-scale flood, which was one of the largest floods in the 20th century, in the entire Changjiang River catchment. The authors expanded the process-based model for application to broader catchments in order to evaluate large-scale flooding in the Changjiang River (NICE-FLD), and compared the severe flood-period of 1998 with the usual flood-period of 1987–1988. The model reproduced excellently the river discharge, soil moisture, evapotranspiration, groundwater level, and other factors. Furthermore, the authors conducted the back-casting simulation by recreating the areas of both lakes in the 1950s and by inputting the meteorological data in the 1998 severe flood in order to evaluate the role of flood storage ability of lakes. The simulation shows that the peak flow and groundwater level around the junction and downstream from it decrease as qualitatively described by the previous researches. This indicates that the increase of lake storage capacity moderates the peak value of lake water level during the flood periods and decreases the groundwater level surrounding the lakes. This result is very important for minimizing flood damage as far as possible and making the better decision on sustainable development in the catchment. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Hypertension (HT) has recently been defined as a systolic blood pressure (BP) of ≥130 mm Hg and/or a diastolic BP of ≥80 mm Hg. It is important to further understand the pathophysiology of essential HT as its proportion is larger among most of the diagnosed HT cases. The apelin and apelin receptor (APLNR) are known to play roles in regulating BP, but the putative associations of single nucleotide polymorphisms in the APLNR gene with the risk of development of essential HT have not yet been fully investigated. Herein, we conducted a meta-analysis to investigate the relationship between single nucleotide polymorphisms in the APLNR gene and the risk of essential HT.We conducted a search in the PubMed and Web of Science databases for eligible studies. The pooled odds ratios (ORs) with their 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated using random-effects models when heterogeneity was expected across the studies. Otherwise, fixed-effect models were used.Regarding the SNP rs7119375, 5 studies were analyzed, which included a total of 3567 essential HT patients and 3256 healthy controls. Four of the 5 studies were from China and 1 was from Mexico. The meta-analysis showed the existence of a significant association between the AA genotype of rs7119375 and the risk of developing essential HT in the Chinese population, as determined using additive and recessive models (OR, 2.11; 95% CI, 1.12-3.96; I = 86% for AA vs GG. OR, 1.53; 95% CI, 1.21-1.94; I = 28% for AA vs AG. OR, 1.88; 95% CI, 1.13-3.12; I = 79% for AA vs AG + GG).Our study showed, for the first time, the existence of an association between rs7119375 and the risk of development of essential HT in the Chinese population, although the sample size was small and there was considerable population heterogeneity. The apelin/APLNR system could be a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of essential HT, and more studies are warranted to further investigate the association.

Objective: This study aims to explore barriers to controlling gestational weight gain in pregnant Chinese women., Design: Data were collected through semistructured interviews with pregnant women experiencing excessive gestational weight gain who struggled with weight management, and the data were examined using an interpretive content analysis., Settings and Participants: Fifty participants (≥18 years, with excessive gestational weight gain) were recruited when they visited the hospital for antenatal health checkups in Wuhan city (n=36) and Jinan city (n=14) between September and October 2018., Results: Interpretive content analysis identified 75 barriers after examining diet, physical activity levels and general issues stemming from knowledge and beliefs, and physical, social, logistical, emotional and structural characteristics. Compared with reported deductive codes, this study inductively extracted 15 new codes. The most frequent codes showed that expectant grandparents greatly influenced pregnant women's lifestyles, through overprotection, traditional and conservative ideas and practices, and a lack of reliable knowledge or acceptable guidance on gestational weight control., Conclusions: This study provides a better understanding of the most important obstacles faced during decision making about gestational weight control in Chinese settings, especially the influence of traditional ideas/practices and expectant grandparents. Identifying the specific barriers to weight control should facilitate potential tailored supportive interventions. More efforts on health education for the whole family and a better use of maternal handbooks would be particularly beneficial., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2020. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Objective: The present study examined the association between uric acid levels and high blood pressure in a multiethnic study of Chinese children and adolescents., Methods: The participants were divided into four different groups according to the uric acid quartiles. Three logistic regression models were conducted to investigate the relationship between the high blood pressure and uric acid levels. Model 1 adjusted age, sex and ethnicity. Model 2 adjusted age, sex, ethnicity, total cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoprotein, triglycerides, estimated glomerular filtration rate, fasting glucose and waist circumference. Model 3 adjusted all the confounding factors in model 2 except the waist circumference and BMI. The concentrations of uric acid in high blood pressure participants and normotensive participants were compared with or without adjustment for confounding factors., Results: A total of 3778 participants aged 10-15 years from the Xinjiang Congenital Heart Disease Survey were included in the present study. The percentages of the high blood pressure in the four different uric acid quartiles were 7.4, 8.6, 9.6 and 11.8%, respectively. In model 1, 2 and 3 of the logistic regression, the participants in the third and fourth uric acid quartiles had significantly higher chance of suffering the high blood pressure when compared with the participants in the first uric acid quartile [odds ratio 1.608, 1.587, 1.597, P = 0.005, 0.015, 0.015, respectively, between participants in the first quartile and the third quartile; odds ratio 1.981, 1.945, 1.810, P = 0.001, 0.002, 0.007, respectively, between participants in the first quartile and the fourth quartile). The concentrations of serum uric acid were 220.7 μmol/l in high blood pressure participants and 204.1 μmol/l in normotensive participants (P = 0.024). After adjustment for confounding factors, the concentrations of serum uric acid were 219.7 vs. 204.5 μmol/l in one model (P < 0.001) and 219.3 vs. 204.5 μmol/l in the other model (P < 0.001)., Conclusions: Among Chinese children and adolescents, increasing levels of serum uric acid are associated with high blood pressure.

A relationship may exist between plasma atrial natriuretic peptide (P-ANP) and heart rate variability (HRV), which reflects the activity of the autonomic nervous system. We performed a survey in human subjects to examine the relationship between P-ANP and HRV parameters. Three ethnic groups (Han, Uygur, and Kazakh) provided blood and urine samples and underwent 24-h ambulatory blood pressure monitoring and 24-h ECG recording (24-h Holter ECG). There was a positive correlation between P-ANP and HF, as well as a negative correlation between P-ANP and the LF/HF ratio, in all subjects from the 3 ethnic groups. There was no association of BP with any of the blood, urinary, and HRV parameters. Our results suggested the possibility of a relationship between P-ANP and HRV, which reflects autonomic activity. These findings are consistent with the previous report of a close relationship between ANP and cardiac parasympathetic and/or sympathetic activity.

Background: CYP4A11 converts arachidonic acid to 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (20-HETE), which has a crucial role in the modulation of cardiovascular homeostasis. We assessed the association between the human CYP4A11 gene and coronary artery disease (CAD) in Han and Uygur populations in China., Methods and Results: In the Han population, 361 CAD patients and 315 controls were genotyped for four single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the human CYP4A11 gene (rs9332978, rs4660980, rs3890011, rs1126742). In the Uygur population, 331 CAD patients and 182 controls were genotyped for the same four SNPs. Data were assessed via haplotype-based case-control studies. For the Han population, the significance of the recessive model of SNP3 (GG vs. CC+GC) between CAD patients and control subjects was retained after adjustment for EH, DM and smoking (for men, 95% CI: 1.173-3.013, P=0.009). The G-G-T haplotype in CAD was significantly higher than that in the control group (P=0.037). In the Uygur population, neither the distribution of genotypes and alleles for the four SNPs nor the distribution of haplotypes constructed with the same three SNPs showed a significant difference between CAD and control subjects., Conclusions: The GG genotype of rs3890011 and the G-G-T haplotype in the CYP4A11 gene could be a useful genetic marker of CAD in Han populations in China., (Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: CYP4A11 (cytochrome P450, family 4, subfamily A, polypeptide 11) converts arachidonic acid to 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (20-HETE), which plays a crucial role in the modulation of cardiovascular homeostasis. The aim of the present study was to assess the association between the human CYP4A11 gene and coronary artery disease (CAD)., Methods: A total of 361 patients with CAD and 315 controls were genotyped for 4 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the human CYP4A11 gene (rs9332978, rs4660980, rs3890011, and rs1126742). The data were assessed for 3 groups: total participants, men, and women via case-control studies., Results: For total participants and men, the distribution of SNP3 (rs3890011) genotypes showed a significant difference between CAD and control participants (P = .030 and P = .013, respectively), the distribution of the recessive model of SNP3 (GG vs CC + GC) was significantly higher in CAD patients than in control participants (P = .011 and P = .014, respectively), the significant difference was retained after adjustment for covariates (for total participants, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.137-2.423, P = .009; and for males, 95% CI: 1.173-3.013, P = .009)., Conclusions: rs3890011 maybe a novel polymorphism of the CYP4A11 gene associated with CAD in a Han Chinese population.

Background: A major mechanism of hypertension in many postmenopausal women is deficiency of female gonadal steroids. A long postmenopausal period may thus represent one factor that influences the prevalence of hypertension because of long periods of estrogen loss., Methods: When we conducted a medical survey in northwestern China, we also asked 150 postmenopausal female subjects to provide age at menopause in a questionnaire. Age at menopause ranged from 37 to 57 years for all subjects. Systolic blood pressure (SBP) and diastolic blood pressure (DBP) in all subjects were obtained from 24-h ambulatory blood-pressure monitoring., Results: An inverse correlation was identified between age at menopause and SBP and DBP, and a positive correlation was found between postmenopausal period and either SBP or DBP. Blood pressure, age at menopause, and postmenopausal period were not significantly related to body mass index, plasma renin activity, glomerular filtration rate, or urinary excretion values of sodium and potassium., Conclusions: Our results clearly demonstrated that higher blood-pressure levels in postmenopausal women depend on age at menopause and postmenopausal period, but not subjects' age, suggesting that a longer absence of female gonadal steroids represents a major factor contributing to increased blood pressure in elderly women.

Background: Peripheral arterial disease (PAD) is an important manifestation of systemic atherosclerosis and is associated with elevated cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the use of antiplatelet agents, statins and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors (ACEI) in Chinese high-risk cardiovascular (CV) patients with PAD, with an emphasis on the need for aggressive medical management of all atherosclerotic manifestations., Methods and Results: Medical records from 5,263 Chinese patients at high risk of CV were evaluated for the use of antiplatelet agents, statins and ACEI in patients with and without PAD. PAD was defined as an ankle-brachial index (ABI)<0.9 in either leg. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to compare medication use in the 2 groups. A total of 5,254 patients were analyzed (52.9% male, mean age 67.3 years). The prevalence of PAD in the total patient group was 25.4%; 22.5% of them had PAD only. Overall, 5.7% had PAD only, 19.6% had PAD and coronary heart disease (CHD) or stroke or diabetes, 7.7% had CHD only, 12.6% had stroke only, and 13.6% had diabetes only. The 28.9% subjects having none of PAD, CHD, stroke or diabetes were used as the reference group. Only 65%, 37% and 47% of all patients received antiplatelet agents, statins and ACEI, respectively. Antiplatelets, statins, ACEI and all 3 medications were used less frequently in PAD only patients (58.1%, 35.9, 53.5% and 21.6%) vs CHD only (90.9%, 74.5%, 70.6% and 55.9%, p<0.001). All 3 proven efficacious therapies were prescribed for only 56% of patients with CHD only, 8% with stroke only, 13% with diabetes only and 21% with PAD only., Conclusion: PAD is prevalent in Chinese high-risk CV patients, equivalent to CHD, but these patients receive less intensive treatment than those with CHD. Programs to improve CV risk reduction in these high-risk patients are needed.

Background: To study white coat (WC) hypertension in centenarians, a cross-sectional surveillance was carried out on Uygurs, a long-lived population in China., Methods: Twenty-four-hour ambulatory blood pressure (BP) monitoring (ABPM) was performed in 33 centenarians (age range, 100 to 113 years) and compared with 100 elderly subjects (age range, 65 to 70 years). All subjects were clinically healthy and capable of self-care. Subjects had no history, signs, or symptoms of cardiovascular disease and were receiving no medical treatments. Office BP, 24-h mean, daytime and night-time BP, pulse pressure, heart rate, standard deviation (SD), and coefficient of variation (CV) of the same variables were extracted from ABPM. The WC effect was defined as the difference between mean office and daytime BP., Results: Centenarians demonstrated higher prevalence of WC hypertension, compared to elderly group (15% vs. 5%). The WC effect was also greater in centenarians than in elderly subjects, and was more marked for systolic BP than for diastolic BP and heart rate. The WC effect for systolic BP was positively correlated with both SD (r = 0.45, P < .01) and CV (r = 0.55, P < .01) for 24-h systolic BP in centenarians, but not in elderly subjects., Conclusions: Prevalence of WC hypertension was greater in centenarians than in elderly subjects. The WC effect and BP variation may be increased in centenarians. Previously observed higher BPs seen in very elderly individuals might be explained by the greater impact of WC hypertension.

Background: Longevity can be regarded as a multifactorial trait that results from an interaction between environmental factors and sets of epistatic alleles that have pleiotropic age-dependent effects. The Hotan district in the Xin Jiang Uighur Autonomous region of China is relatively isolated and is well known for an ethnic group that displays marked longevity., Methods: We performed a correlation study between the insertion/deletion (I/D) polymorphism of the angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) gene and longevity by comparing distributions of the polymorphism between three different ethnic groups in this region. We obtained data from 424 subjects comprising 227 Uighur individuals, 108 Kazakh individuals, and 89 Han individuals. All subjects in the latter two groups ranged in age from 65 to 70 years, whereas the Uighur subjects actually comprised two different age groups: those ranging in age from 59 to 70 years (Uighur older group in Hotan [UOH]) and those ranging in age from 90 to 113 years (Uighur longevity group in Hotan [ULH]). Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral white blood cells. Polymerase chain reaction was performed to amplify the I/D polymorphic region of the ACE gene., Results: Frequencies of the insertion (I) and deletion (D) alleles were 0.596 (243/408) and 0.404 (165/408) in the Uighur group, 0.606 (130/216) and 0.394 (85/216) in the Kazakh group, and 0.657 (117/178) and 0.343 (61/178) in the Han group. The overall distributions of alleles in these three groups did not differ significantly (chi(2) = 4.6, p =.33). Within the Uighur group, frequency of the D allele was significantly higher in the ULH group (0.448) than in the UOH group (0.355) (p <.04)., Conclusions: This association reflects a genetic influence on differential survival and may point to pleiotropic age-dependent effects on longevity. Our data may help elucidate the relationship between natural longevity and race difference among individuals in the Xin Jiang Uighur Autonomous region of China.

Cross-sectional surveillance was carried out in long-lived Uygur in China to investigate blood pressure (BP) and pulse rate (PR) variation in centenarians. The study group comprised 33 centenarians (age > or = 100 years), 103 longevous subjects (age 90-99 years) and 100 elderly (age 65-70 years) subjects. Office BP was measured, and 24-h noninvasive ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM) was performed. The office BP was higher and hypertension occurred more frequently in the centenarians than in either the longevous or elderly subjects. Mean 24-h systolic and diastolic BP was higher in the centenarians than in the other 2 groups. However, mean 24-h PR did not differ between them. Day-night differences in systolic BP decreased, and the non-dipper-type BP pattern was common in the centenarians (79.1% vs 68% and 63.6% in longevous and elderly subjects, respectively). Circadian BP was characterized by 3 peaks in longevous subjects and multiple peaks in centenarians. Morning rising and nocturnal dipping of BP were observed in both longevous and elderly subjects. In conclusion, BP in longevous and elderly Uygur was characterized by circadian rhythmicity, but the nocturnal fall in BP was not seen in centenarians. Differences in day-night BP and circadian rhythmicity may decrease with advancing age, especially in centenarians.