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Most multiple-flow-direction algorithms (MFDs) use a flow-partition coefficient (exponent) to determine the fractions draining to all downslope neighbours. The commonly used MFD often employs a fixed exponent over an entire watershed. The fixed coefficient strategy cannot effectively model the impact of local terrain conditions on the dispersion of local flow. This paper addresses this problem based on the idea that dispersion of local flow varies over space due to the spatial variation of local terrain conditions. Thus, the flow-partition exponent of an MFD should also vary over space. We present an adaptive approach for determining the flow-partition exponent based on local topographic attribute which controls local flow partitioning. In our approach, the influence of local terrain on flow partition is modelled by a flow-partition function which is based on local maximum downslope gradient (we refer to this approach as MFD based on maximum downslope gradient, MFD-md for short). With this new approach, a steep terrain which induces a convergent flow condition can be modelled using a large value for the flow-partition exponent. Similarly, a gentle terrain can be modelled using a small value for the flow-partition exponent. MFD-md is quantitatively evaluated using four types of mathematical surfaces and their theoretical 'true' value of Specific Catchment Area (SCA). The Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) shows that the error of SCA computed by MFD-md is lower than that of SCA computed by the widely used SFD and MFD algorithms. Application of the new approach using a real DEM of a watershed in Northeast China shows that the flow accumulation computed by MFD-md is better adapted to terrain conditions based on visual judgement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: China is a large agricultural nation with the majority of the population residing in rural areas. The allocation of health resources in rural areas significantly affects the basic rights to life and health for rural residents. Despite the progress made by the Chinese government in improving rural healthcare, there is still room for improvement. This study aims to assess the spatial spillover effects of rural health resource allocation efficiency in China, particularly focusing on township health centers (THCs), and examine the factors influencing this efficiency to provide recommendations to optimize the allocation of health resources in rural China., Methods: This study analyzed health resource allocation efficiency in Chinese rural areas from 2012 to 2021 by using the super-efficiency SBM model and the global Malmquist model. Additionally, the spatial auto-correlation of THC health resource allocation efficiency was verified through Moran test, and three spatial econometric models were constructed to further analyze the factors influencing efficiency., Results: The key findings are: firstly, the average efficiency of health resource allocation in THCs was 0.676, suggesting a generally inefficient allocation of health resources over the decade. Secondly, the average Malmquist productivity index of THCs was 0.968, indicating a downward trend in efficiency with both non-scale and non-technical efficient features. Thirdly, Moran's Index analysis revealed that efficiency has a significant spatial auto-correlation and most provinces' values are located in the spatial agglomeration quadrant. Fourthly, the SDM model identified several factors that impact THC health resource allocation efficiency to varying degrees, including the efficiency of total health resource allocation, population density, PGDP, urban unemployment rate, per capita disposable income, per capita healthcare expenditure ratio, public health budget, and passenger traffic volume., Discussion: To enhance the efficiency of THC healthcare resource allocation in China, the government should not only manage the investment of health resources to align with the actual demand for health services but also make use of the spatial spillover effect of efficiency. This involves focusing on factors such as total healthcare resource allocation efficiency, population density, etc. to effectively enhance the efficiency of health resource allocation and ensure the health of rural residents., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Meng, Shen, Zheng, Li, Lin, Pei, Wu and Meng.)

Monitoring the long-term changes in antibody and cellular immunity following Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection is crucial for understanding immune mechanisms that prevent reinfection. In March 2023, we recruited 167 participants from the Changning District, Shanghai, China. A subset of 66 participants that were infected between November 2022 and January 2023 was selected for longitudinal follow-up. The study aimed to investigate the dynamics of the immune response, including neutralizing antibodies (NAbs), anti-spike (S)-immunoglobulin G (IgG), anti-S-IgM, and lymphocyte profiles, by analyzing peripheral blood samples collected three to seven months post infection. A gradual decrease in NAbs and IgG levels were observed from three to seven months post infection. No significant differences in NAbs and IgG titers were found across various demographics, including age, sex, occupation, and symptomatic presentation, across five follow-up assessments. Additionally, a strong correlation between NAbs and IgG levels was identified. Lymphocyte profiles showed a slight change at five months but had returned to baseline levels by seven months post infection. Notably, healthcare workers exhibited lower B-cell levels compared to police officers. Our study demonstrated that the immune response to SARS-CoV-2 infection persisted for at least seven months. Similar patterns in the dynamics of antibody responses and cellular immunity were observed throughout this period.

Introduction: The term "health poverty trap" describes a vicious cycle in which developing countries or regions become trapped in low levels of health and poverty during the process of modernization. Although significant progress has been made in alleviating poverty in China, there is still a need to further enhance the living conditions of its impoverished population., Methods: This research utilizes the data of the three national representative panel surveys from 2014 to 2020. The primary objective is to gain a better understanding of the intricate relationship between health and poverty. To examine the self-reinforcing effects of the cumulative cycle between health and poverty, we employ unconditional quantile regression analysis., Result: The low-income group exhibits lower overall health status compared to the average level. Economic constraints partially hinder the ability of low-income individuals to access healthcare resources, thereby reinforcing the cyclical relationship between health and poverty. Additionally, the unique psychological and behavioral preferences of individuals in health poverty act as indirect factors that further strengthen this cycle. Health poverty individuals can generate endogenous force to escape the "health poverty trap" by enhancing their confidence levels and digital literacy., Conclusions: The research examines the coexistence of health gradients and economic inequality among Chinese residents. Additionally, the study explores the endogenous force mechanism of escaping the health poverty trap from psychological and behavioral perspectives. This research also offers insights into optimizing government poverty alleviation programs to effectively address this issue., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Isoxaflutole and atrazine are representative pesticides for weed control in corn fields. Formulations containing these two pesticides have been registered in China, and their residues may threaten food safety and human health. In this study, a method for simultaneous determination of isoxaflutole, atrazine, and their metabolites in fresh corn, corn kernels, and corn straw was established based on modified QuEChERS pre-treatment and high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). The linearity of seven compounds was good (R 2 ≥ 0.9912), and the matrix effect was 48.5-77.1%. At four spiked levels of 0.01, 0.02, 0.05, and 0.5 mg kg -1 , all compounds' average recovery was 76% to 116%, with relative standard deviation (RSD) less than 18.9%. Field experiments were conducted in Liaoning, Heilongjiang, Inner Mongolia, Shanxi, Beijing, and Yunnan provinces to study the terminal residues. The terminal residues of all compounds were below the LOQ (0.01 mg kg -1 ) in fresh corn and corn kernels, and atrazine residues in corn straw ranged from <0.05 mg kg -1 to 0.17 mg kg -1 . Finally, a dietary risk assessment was conducted based on residues from field trials, food consumption, and acceptable daily intake (ADI). For all populations, the chronic dietary risk probability (RQ c ) of atrazine was between 0.0185% and 0.0739%, while that of isoxaflutole was 0.0074-0.0296%, much lower than 100%. The results may provide scientific guidance for using isoxaflutole and atrazine in corn field ecosystems.

Cold is one of the main abiotic stresses in temperate fruit crops, affecting the yield and fruit quality of apple in China and European countries. The plant receptor-like kinase FERONIA is widely reported to be involved in abiotic stresses. However, its function in apple cold resistance remains unknown. Modification of cell wall components and accumulation of soluble sugars and amino acids are important strategies by which plants cope with cold. In this study, expression of the apple FERONIA receptor-like kinase gene MdMRLK2 was rapidly induced by cold. Apple plants overexpressing MdMRLK2 (35S:MdMRLK2) showed enhanced cold resistance relative to the wild type. Under cold conditions, 35S:MdMRLK2 apple plants had higher amounts of water insoluble pectin, lignin, cellulose, and hemicellulose, which may have resulted from reduced activities of polygalacturonase, pectinate lyase, pectinesterase, and cellulase. More soluble sugars and free amino acids and less photosystem damage were also observed in 35S:MdMRLK2 apple plants. Intriguingly, MdMRLK2 interacted with the transcription factor MdMYBPA1 and promoted its binding to MdANS and MdUFGT promoters, leading to more anthocyanin biosynthesis, particularly under cold conditions. These findings complemented the function of apple FERONIA MdMRLK2 responding to cold resistance., (© 2023 Society for Experimental Biology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

We compared the bioequivalence, pharmacokinetics, and safety of metformin extended-release (MXR) tablets manufactured by Merck Pharmaceuticals Manufacturing (Jiangsu) Co., Ltd (Nantong, China) and Merck KGaA (Darmstadt, Germany) after a single oral dose under fasted/fed conditions. In this open-label phase 1 study, 54 healthy volunteers (fasted, n = 38; fed, n = 16) were randomly assigned to receive one 500-mg MXR tablet that was manufactured by Merck Pharmaceuticals Manufacturing (Jiangsu) Co. or Merck KGaA. Respectively, the mean terminal half-life was 7.5 and 6.8 hours in the fasted group, and 6.7 and 9.1 hours in the fed group. Median times to maximum observed concentration were 3 and 4 hours (fasted group) and 6 hours (both products, fed group). No significant differences were observed in the metformin plasma concentration-time curve (AUC) from time 0 to the last sampling time and maximum observed concentration between products. Geometric least square mean ratios for maximum observed concentration, AUC from time 0 to the last sampling time, and AUC from time 0 to infinity were nearly 100%; the corresponding 90%CIs for bioequivalence were within 80% to 125%. Diarrhea (26.4%), abdominal pain (5.7%), and nausea (3.8%) were the most common adverse events (AEs); AEs were mild. The mean AUC from time 0 to infinity (test and reference) was substantially increased by ≈45% in the fed condition (equivalent to a 1.5-fold dose increase); this means food increased net systemic availability but had no impact on AE incidence. This was considered in the study design, which included MXR administration with evening meals. MXR tablets were bioequivalent under fasted/fed conditions and were safe and well tolerated., (© 2022, The American College of Clinical Pharmacology.)

In this paper, panel data from nineteen key cities in the Sichuan-Chongqing urban agglomeration from 2003 to 2016 were used as the study sample. Using the stochastic impacts by regression on population, affluence, and technology (STIRPAT) model, the effect of foreign direct investment (FDI) on particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) pollution and its action mechanism in the Sichuan-Chongqing urban agglomeration were considered for both socioeconomic and natural factors. The results showed that the "pollution halo" hypothesis of FDI in the Sichuan-Chongqing urban agglomeration has been supported. There are significant positive spatial spillover effects of PM 2.5 pollution in this urban agglomeration, and the introduction of FDI is conducive to alleviating PM 2.5 pollution in the urban agglomeration. Similar to the "inverted U" curve proposed by the environmental Kuznets curve (EKC) hypothesis, there was a significant "inverted U" curve relationship between PM 2.5 pollution and economic growth in the Sichuan-Chongqing urban agglomeration. However, there was a significant "U"-type curve relationship between the urbanization degree and the PM 2.5 concentration, which indicates that the current urbanization mode may aggravate the pollution degree of PM 2.5 in the urban agglomeration in the long term. Furthermore, the two natural factors of annual average temperature and annual precipitation play an important role in PM 2.5 pollution and spatial spillover effect in the Sichuan-Chongqing urban agglomeration. Economic development and rationalization of the industrial structure are the main ways by which FDI affects PM 2.5 pollution in the urban agglomeration. The research conclusions of this study can be of great practical significance to optimize the regional industrial layout, control PM 2.5 pollution, and establish a sustainable development policy system in the Sichuan-Chongqing urban agglomeration.

With the rapid rise of artificial intelligence, smart senior care has become a new trend for future development. The collection of "Typical Cases of Chinese Elderly Service Industry Development" is selected by the script materials. The main purpose of this article is to investigate how smart senior care can achieve value co-creation by grounded theory. This study explores the phenomenon of value co-creation in the participation of multiple actors in smart senior care services. Findings show that institutional guarantee, technical intake, market empowerment, emotional support, service interaction, and reciprocity norm are identified as the driving factors for value co-creation. In addition, the behavioral processes of value co-creation include multi-actor value consensus, co-creation environment establishment, practical value co-creation, public value sharing, and diffusion of service added value in smart senior care. Finally, this study constructs a practical logic model of achieving value co-creation. It extends and enriches the scope of the value co-creation theory. This study confirms that value co-creation can be effectively achieved in smart senior care by the above-mentioned ways, revealing its driving factors and behavioral processes. The article expands on the application of value co-creation in the field of public healthcare. The results have important theoretical and practical significance for narrowing the public service equalization gap., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Fu, Pei, Yang and Han.)

Urban parks are important places that allow urban residents to experience nature but are also associated with the risk of exposure to contaminated soil. Therefore, it is necessary to establish appropriate soil environment criteria (SEC) to manage park soil quality. Studies on the demographic characteristics and behavioral patterns of urban park visitors are helpful for the selection of sensitive receptors and the determination of parameters in the establishment of SEC. This study explored the park visitors' demographic characteristics and behavioral patterns, and applied the results to derive SEC. Eighty-six parks in Beijing were selected, and mobile phone data were obtained to analysis the demographic characteristics and residence time of the visitors. Kruskal-Wallis test, kernel density estimation and random forest model were used for data analysis. The CLEA model was used to derive SEC. The results showed that the demographic characteristics and behavioral patterns of visitors in different types of parks were quite different. Parks were mostly used by males and visitors aged 31-45. Most visitors stayed in the park for 1-2 h, and the distance from a given visitor's home to the park was the most important factor affecting stay time. Then, several parameters such as the parameters related to the receptors and occupation period were optimized, and the SEC of sensitive parks and non-sensitive parks were derived. Exposure frequency may be the main reason for the difference of SEC between the two types of parks. The SECs of sensitive parks were higher than the soil screening values (SSVs) for class 1 land in GB36600-2018, indicating that the current SSVs for some parks may be too conservative. This study provides a reference for the formulation and revision of soil environmental standards for park land, and suggests strengthening research on human behavioral patterns., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: We investigated the prospective bidirectional association between depressive symptoms and chronic lung disease (CLD) and explored biologically and behaviorally relevant mediators in this bidirectional association among Chinese middle-aged and older population in the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study., Methods: Multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazard models were used to examine baseline depressive symptoms in relation to incident CLD risk among 12,546 adults and examine CLD condition in association with incidence of elevated depressive symptoms among 6,929 participants from 2011 to 2018. Elevated depressive symptoms were assessed with the 10-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale and CLD was determined by self-reported physician diagnosis. Causal mediation analysis was performed to examine the direct and indirect effects of a priori selected nine blood biomarkers and four lifestyle factors in the bidirectional association., Results: Elevated depressive symptoms significantly increased CLD risk by 68% (HR=1.68, 95%CI=1.46-1.93) after a mean follow-up of 5.9 years and the strong positive association was consistently shown in almost all the subgroups. Having positive CLD status at baseline was associated with 17% increased risk of developing elevated depressive symptoms (HR=1.17, 95%CI=1.01-1.35) during an average of 4.6 years follow-up period. Significant inflammatory, metabolic or pulmonary function related mediators were not identified., Limitations: Inadequate follow-up time and limited mediator variable information may reduce chance of identifying significant mediators., Conclusions: Elevated depressive symptoms and CLD were mutual risk factors in middle-aged and older Chinese adults. Early screening and treatment of depression is needed to reduce CLD risk and related comorbidities including new-onset depression so as to relieve substantial disease burdens of CLD and depression in China., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

With the rapid growth of foreign direct investment (FDI), PM 2.5 pollution in Chinese cities is increasing. Based on panel data for 271 Chinese cities from 2003 to 2016, this paper uses the dynamic spatial fixed-effects Durbin model to analyze the correlation between FDI and PM 2.5 pollution and the effect of FDI on urban PM 2.5 concentrations, as mediated by industrial structure transformation, which is clarified using Stata/SE 16.0. The results showed that PM 2.5 pollution in China has significant spatial spillover effects, and the pollution haven hypothesis is applicable to Chinese cities. The industrial structure partially mediates the relationship between FDI and PM 2.5 . This paper proposes that local governments should promote the market-oriented reform of FDI to create a more convenient, legalized, and international environment for FDI and innovate the governance philosophy of only reducing the existing emissions. A top-level design and sound market supervision system of PM 2.5 control are also needed.

A novel Gram-stain-negative and rod-shaped bacterial strain, designated as 4Y14 T , was isolated from aquaculture water and characterized by using a polyphasic taxonomic approach. Strain 4Y14 T was found to grow at 10-40 °C (optimum, 28 °C), at pH 7.0-9.0 (optimum, 7.0-8.0) and with 0-2 % NaCl (optimum, 1 %, w/v). Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain 4Y14 T belonged to the genus Chitinilyticum with high levels of similarity to Chitinilyticum litopenaei c1 T (97.8 %) and Chitinilyticum aquatile c14 T (97.2 %). Phylogenomic analysis indicated that strain 4Y14 T formed an independent branch distinct from the two type strains above. Digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) and average nucleotide identity (ANI) values between strain 4Y14 T and the two type strains were, respectively, 25.3 and 25.0 %, and 81.2 and 80.3 %, which were well below the thresholds of 70 % DDH and 95-96 % ANI for species definition, implying that strain 4Y14 T should represent a novel genospecies. The predominant cellular fatty acids of strain 4Y14 T were summed feature 3 (C 16 : 1 ω7 c and/or C 16 : 1 ω6 c) and iso-C 16 : 0 ; the major polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine and phosphatidylethanolamine; and the sole respiratory quinone was Q-8. The genomic DNA G+C content was 60.1 mol%. Based on the phenotypic and genotypic analyses, strain 4Y14 T is concluded to represent a novel species of the genus Chitinilyticum , for which the name Chitinilyticum piscinae sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of the species is 4Y14 T (=GDMCC 1.1934 T =KACC 22080 T ).

A novel Gram-stain-negative, aerobic and rod-shaped bacterial strain designated as 6D45A T was isolated from mangrove soil and characterized using a polyphasic taxonomic approach. Strain 6D45A T was found to grow at 10-37 °C (optimum, 28 °C), at pH 6.0-9.0 (optimum, 7.0) and in 0-5 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 2%). Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences showed that strain 6D45A T fell into the genus Salipiger and shared 99.1 % identity with the closest type strain Salipiger pacificus CGMCC 1.3455 T and less than 97.2 % identity with other type strains of this genus. The 34.8 % digital DNA-DNA hybridization (dDDH) and 88.3 % average nucleotide identity (ANI) values between strain 6D45A T and the closest relative above were well below recognized thresholds of 70 % DDH and 95-96 % ANI for species definition, implying that strain 6D45A T should represent a novel genospecies. The phylogenomic analysis indicated that strain 6D45A T formed an independent branch distinct from reference strains. The predominant cellular fatty acid of strain 6D45A T was summed feature 8 (C 18 : 1  ω6 c and/or C 18 : 1  ω7 c, 66.9 %); the polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol, two unidentified aminolipids, two unidentified glycolipids and an unknown lipid; the respiratory quinone was Q-10. The genomic DNA G+C content was 66.5 mol %. Based on the phenotypic and genotypic characteristics, strain 6D45A T is concluded to represent a novel species of the genus Salipiger , for which the name Salipiger mangrovisoli sp. nov., is proposed. The type strain of the species is 6D45A T (=GDMCC 1.1960 T =KCTC 82334 T ). We also propose the reclassification of Paraphaeobacter pallidus as Salipiger pallidus comb. nov. and ' Pelagibaca abyssi ' as a species of the genus Salipiger .

A novel Gram-stain-negative, facultatively anaerobic, rod-shaped and non-motile bacterial strain, designated as 4C16A T , was isolated from a tidal flat sediment and characterized by using a polyphasic taxonomic approach. Strain 4C16A T was found to grow at 10-40 °C (optimum, 28 °C), at pH 5.0-10.0 (optimum, pH 6.0-7.0) and in 0-6 % (w/v) NaCl (optimum, 1 %). Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences revealed that strain 4C16A T fell into the genus Roseibium , and shared the highest identity of 98.9 % with the closest type strain Roseibium suaedae KACC 13772 T and less than 98.0 % identity with other type strains of recognized species within this genus. The phylogenomic analysis indicated that strain 4C16A T formed an independent branch within this genus. The 28.6 % digital DNA-DNA hybridization estimate and 85.0 % average nucleotide identity between strains 4C16A T and R. suaedae KACC 13772 T were the highest, but still far below their respective threshold for species definition, implying that strain 4C16A T should represent a novel genospecies. The predominant cellular fatty acid was summed feature 8; the polar lipids were diphosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylmonomethylethanolamine; the respiratory quinones were Q-9 and Q-10. The genomic DNA G+C content was 59.8mol %. Based on phylogenetic analyses and phenotypic and chemotaxonomic characteristics, strain 4C16A T is concluded to represent a novel species of the genus Roseibium , for which the name Roseibium litorale sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain of the species is 4C16A T (=GDMCC 1.1932 T =KACC 22078 T ). We also propose the reclassification of Labrenzia polysiphoniae as Roseibium polysiphoniae comb. nov. and ' Labrenzia callyspongiae ' as Roseibium callyspongiae sp. nov.

Inadequate water quality can mean that water is unsuitable for a variety of human uses, thus exacerbating freshwater scarcity. Previous large-scale water scarcity assessments mostly focused on the availability of sufficient freshwater quantity for providing supplies, but neglected the quality constraints on water usability. Here we report a comprehensive nationwide water scarcity assessment in China, which explicitly includes quality requirements for human water uses. We highlight the necessity of incorporating water scarcity assessment at multiple temporal and geographic scales. Our results show that inadequate water quality exacerbates China's water scarcity, which is unevenly distributed across the country. North China often suffers water scarcity throughout the year, whereas South China, despite sufficient quantities, experiences seasonal water scarcity due to inadequate quality. Over half of the population are affected by water scarcity, pointing to an urgent need for improving freshwater quantity and quality management to cope with water scarcity.

Objectives: To identify spatial disparities and demographic characteristics of short stature, we analysed the prevalence of short stature collected in a nationwide health survey., Settings: Data were obtained from the 2014 Chinese National Survey on Students Constitution and Health (a cross-sectional study of China). Participants came from 30 provinces, autonomous regions, and municipalities (except Tibet, Hong Kong, Macao, and Taiwan)., Participants: There were 213 795 Han school children between 7 and 18 years old enrolled in our study. All participants were sampled by stratified cluster., Primary and Secondary Outcome Measures: Short stature; Chinese and WHO age-specific and gender-specific height growth references were used for short stature assessment., Results: The age-standardised and age-gender-standardised prevalence of short stature nationwide was 3.70% and 2.69% according to Chinese and WHO growth references, respectively. The short stature prevalence differed significantly among age groups, urban and rural areas, and regions with different socioeconomic development levels (all p<0.0001). The prevalence was 2.23% in urban versus 5.12% in rural areas (p<0.001). The prevalence was 2.60% in developed, 3.72% in intermediately developed, and 4.69% in underdeveloped regions (p<0.0001). These values were all according to China's growth reference, but similar patterns were observed on prevalence based on the WHO reference. The spatial distribution of prevalence of short stature presented a clustered pattern. Moran's I value was 0.474 (p < 0.001) and 0.478 (p < 0.001) according to the Chinese and WHO growth references, respectively. The southwest part of China showed a higher prevalence of short stature, whereas lower prevalence of short stature was observed mainly in the northeast part of China., Conclusions: There is an appreciably high prevalence of short stature in rural, underdeveloped areas of China. There are high prevalence spatial clusters of short stature in southwestern China. This provides corroborating evidence for a tailored strategy on short stature prevention and reduction in special areas., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2019. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Purpose: Insulin resistance (IR) is a common feature of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Body fat indices can be predictive markers of IR. This study is aimed to predict IR in Chinese women with PCOS of different body types based on body fat indices., Methods: A total of 723 women diagnosed with PCOS according to Rotterdam criteria were recruited in this study and were further divided into two groups based on their BMI. All participants underwent physical examinations and ultrasound; and blood was collected from them on the days 3-5 of the menstrual cycle. Their BMI, waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), waist-to-height ratio (WHtR), lipid accumulation product (LAP) index, visceral adiposity index (VAI), and the homeostasis model assessment index of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) were calculated. The correlations between body fat indices and HOMA-IR and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were evaluated., Results: In normal weight group (BMI < 24, n = 333), VAI (best cut-off value: 1.681, area under curve (AUC) = 0.754, P < 0.01) and LAP index (best cut-off value: 18.53, AUC = 0.734, P < 0.001) were the reliable indicators of IR based on HOMA-IR ≥ 2.77, while in overweight/obese group (BMI ≥ 24, n = 390), the BMI, WC, WHtR and LAP index had a significant correlation with HOMA-IR. The representative markers to assess IR were BMI (best cut-off value: 26.43, AUC = 0.644, P = 0.001) and WHtR (best cut-off value: 0.544, AUC = 0.604, P = 0.021)., Conclusions: Body fat indices are predictive markers of IR in Chinese PCOS women, especially in those with normal weight.

Research Question: Which anthropometric index (waist-to-height ratio, waist circumference, waist-to-hip ratio and body mass index) is the best in predicting insulin resistance among Chinese women with polycystic ovary syndrome?, Design: A total of 1124 patients with polycystic ovary syndrome at the Reproductive Endocrinology Division of West China Second University Hospital of Sichuan University were enrolled in this study. Identification of insulin resistance was based on homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance scores 2.77 or over. Receiver operator characteristic analysis was carried out using the four anthropometric indices as the continuous variables and insulin resistance as the categorical variable to obtain the areas under the curve., Result: The area under the curve for the waist-to-height ratio (0.748 ± 0.019) was greater than those for waist circumference (0.739 ± 0.019), body mass index (0.738 ± 0.017), and waist-to-hip ratio (0.659 ± 0.020) in the prediction of insulin resistance. The waist-to-height ratio also had the highest Youden indices compared with those of waist circumference, body mass index, and waist-to-hip ratio; the waist-to-height ratio cut-off was 0.49., Conclusion: The waist-to-height ratio with a cut-off of 0.49 was the most accurate anthropometric indicator for predicting insulin resistance among Chinese women with polycystic ovary syndrome., (Copyright © 2018 Reproductive Healthcare Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

The aim of this study was to evaluate the influence of the preoperative wearing time on the postoperative effect in children with partially accommodative esotropia.Sixty children with partially accommodative esotropia who visited our hospital were placed in full cycloplegic refraction by using 1% Atropine eye gel and then wore full hyperopic correction glasses. Children were divided into groups A and B according to the preoperative wearing time. The visual acuity, eye position, and results of the synoptophore and Titmus stereoacuity tests were recorded before and half a year after the surgery in each group, and appropriate statistical analyses were conducted.Half a year after the operation, 54 cases achieved orthotropia when wearing full hyperopic correction glasses. One case was overcorrected. Five cases were undercorrected. The results of the synoptophore and Titmus stereoacuity test showed that there was no significant difference between postoperative outcomes for patients who wore glasses for half a year and for 1 year before the operation.For children with partially accommodative esotropia, surgery should be used to correct the eye position after wearing full hyperopic correction glasses for half a year to improve the eye position and binocular vision as early as possible. If the operation cannot be completed after the patient wears full hyperopic correction glasses for half a year due to various subjective and objective factors, a good postoperative effect can be obtained if the patients receive surgery after wearing full hyperopic correction glasses for 1 year.

The numerous natural products and their bioactivity potentially afford an extraordinary resource for new drug discovery and have been employed in cancer treatment. However, the underlying pharmacological mechanisms of most natural anticancer compounds remain elusive, which has become one of the major obstacles in developing novel effective anticancer agents. Here, to address these unmet needs, we developed an anticancer herbs database of systems pharmacology (CancerHSP), which records anticancer herbs related information through manual curation. Currently, CancerHSP contains 2439 anticancer herbal medicines with 3575 anticancer ingredients. For each ingredient, the molecular structure and nine key ADME parameters are provided. Moreover, we also provide the anticancer activities of these compounds based on 492 different cancer cell lines. Further, the protein targets of the compounds are predicted by state-of-art methods or collected from literatures. CancerHSP will help reveal the molecular mechanisms of natural anticancer products and accelerate anticancer drug development, especially facilitate future investigations on drug repositioning and drug discovery. CancerHSP is freely available on the web at http://lsp.nwsuaf.edu.cn/CancerHSP.php.

Aim: The aim of this study was to explore the prediction factors for incidence of acute mountain sickness (AMS) in young males newly entering highland areas., Methods: A retrospective study of 4367 records of male highland soldiers from 2000 to 2005 was done. The factors were tested by logistic regression., Results: After selection by univariate model, ethnicity, altitude, season, deployment type, and prophylaxis were inserted into a multivariate model. The adjusted odds ratio (AOR) was 0.078 for Tibetan compared with Han. AORs for altitudes 3600 to 3700, 4000 to 4300, and 4600 to 4700 m versus 2900 to 3100 m were 4.490, 4.532, and 4.964, respectively. AOR for cold season versus warm season was 1.332. AORs for emergency land deployment and air deployment versus normal land deployment were 2.261 and 1.614, respectively. The AOR was 0.741 for prophylaxis versus none. The area under receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.731 (optimal cutoff = 0.370)., Conclusions: Adjusting for altitude, risk factors that contributed to AMS were being non-Tibetan, cold season, greater speed of transport, emergency conditions, and without prophylaxis. The model established is acceptable for assisting AMS prediction., (© 2011 APJPH.)

Objective: To explore the risk factors of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) of Dong nationality in Western Hunan, and to provide a scientific basis for the prevention and treatment of T2DM in the district., Methods: In the case-control study, the subjects were divided into a T2DM group, an impaired glucose regulation (IGR) group and a normal glucose tolerance (NGT) group through oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). A questionnaire survey was conducted, and physical measurements and the detection of blood glucose, blood lipids and serum insulin were done., Results: Univariate analysis found significant difference in age, fasting insulin (FINS), HOMA insulin resistance index (HOMA-IRI), HOMA β-cell function index (HOMA-βC), trigalloyl glycerol (TG), high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), systolic blood pressure, and diastolic blood pressure in the glucose metabolism among different groups (P<0.05). Body mass index (BMI), waist/hip ratio (WHR), family history of diabetes, number of physical activities per week, dinner taste, fat and protein-rich foods, fresh vegetables and fruits intake were associated with T2DM. Multifactor non-conditional ordinal logistic regression indicated that age was the risk factor of T2DM and IGR. Compared with the group whose age was≤50, the odds ratios of the groups of 50>70 were 1.85, 2.83 and 2.64 respectively, P<0.05. The risk of suffering from diabetes of the overweighted or obese people was 2.13 times that of a normal BMI group, P<0.01. The other influencing factors included WHR (OR=2.06), family history of diabetes (OR=11.36), and fat and protein-rich foods (OR=1.90)., Conclusion: The main influencing factors of T2DM of Dong nationality in Western Hunan include age, BMI, WHR, family history of diabetes, fat and protein-rich foods. We must strengthen the health eduation of T2DM of Dong nationality in Western Hunan to reduce the risk of T2DM.

Background: Chronic mountain sickness (CMS) is a complex medical and public health problem that seriously affects highland immigrants. This study investigated relationships between community-level factors and CMS., Methods: In this ecological study, data on age- and ethnicity-standardized CMS rates, community factors, and controlling variables were obtained from 2009-2010 surveys of 108 Chinese highland military units. Associations among variables were examined using correlation tests, analyses of covariance, and logistic regression., Results: The rate of CMS ranged from 1.25% to 36.58% (mean: 14.65%, standard deviation: 8.15%) among military units. Partial correlation tests indicated that medicine expenditure was strongly negatively correlated with CMS (r = -0.267, P = 0.005). Analyses of covariance indicated that communities with oxygen-generating systems had lower CMS rates (F = 9.780, P = 0.002), whereas urban location (F = 5.442, P = 0.022) and construction duty (F = 4.735, P = 0.011) were associated with higher CMS rates. The multiple logistic model showed that medicine expenditure (OR = 0.897, P = 0.022), oxygen-generating system (available vs unavailable: OR = 0.827, P = 0.020), community type (urban vs rural: OR = 1.228, P = 0.019), and occupation (construction vs logistics: OR = 1.240, P = 0.029) were significantly associated with CMS., Conclusions: We identified community-level, health-related factors that were associated with CMS among young male immigrants. To alleviate the burden of CMS in these highland immigrant populations, further investment should be made in medicine and oxygen-generating systems, and preventive interventions should be implemented among construction workers. Further research should investigate the effects of urbanization on CMS development.

Background: Many visitors, including military troops, who enter highland regions from low altitude areas may suffer from acute mountain sickness (AMS), which negatively impacts workable man-hours and increases healthcare costs. The aim of this study was to evaluate the population level risk factors and build a multivariate model, which might be applicable to reduce the effects of AMS on Chinese young men traveling to this region., Methods: Chinese highland military medical records were used to obtain data of young men (n = 3727) who entered the Tibet plateau between the years of 2006-2009. The relationship between AMS and travel profile, demographic characteristics, and health behaviors were evaluated by logistic regression. Univariate logistic models estimated the crude odds ratio. The variables that showed significance in the univariate model were included in a multivariate model to derive adjusted odds ratios and build the final model. Data corresponding to odd and even years (2 subsets) were analyzed separately and used in a simple cross-validation., Results: Univariate analysis indicated that travel profile, prophylactic use, ethnicity, and province of birth were all associated with AMS in both subsets. In multivariate analysis, young men who traveled from lower altitude (600-800 m vs. 1300-1500 m, adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 1.32-1.44) to higher altitudes (4100-4300 m vs. 2900-3100 m, AOR = 3.94-4.12; 3600-3700 m vs. 2900-3100 m, AOR = 2.71-2.74) by air or rapid land transport for emergency mission deployment (emergency land deployment vs. normal land deployment, AOR = 2.08-2.11; normal air deployment vs. normal land deployment, AOR = 2.00-2.20; emergency air deployment vs. normal land deployment, AOR = 2.40-3.34) during the cold season (cold vs. warm, AOR = 1.25-1.28) are at great risk for developing AMS. Non-Tibetan male soldiers (Tibetan vs. Han, AOR = 0.03-0.08), born and raised in lower provinces (eastern vs. northwestern, AOR = 1.32-1.39), and deployed without prophylaxis (prophylactic drug vs. none, AOR = 0.75-0.76), also represented a population at significantly increased risk for AMS. The predicted model was built; the area under receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.703., Conclusion: Before a group of young men first enter a high altitude area, it is important that a health service plan should be made referring to the group's travel profile and with respect to young men's ethnicity and province of birth. Low-cost Chinese traditional prophylactic drugs might have some effect on decreasing the risk of AMS, although this needs further verification.

Estimating the scalar source/sink distribution of CO2 and its vertical fluxes within and above forest canopy continues to be a critical research problem in biosphere-atmosphere exchange processes and plant ecology. With broad-leaved Korean pine forest in Changbai Mountains as test object, and based on Raupach's localized near field theory, the source/sink and vertical flux distribution of CO2 within and above forest canopy were modeled through an inverse Lagrangian dispersion analysis. This model correctly predicted a strong positive CO2 source strength in the deeper layers of the canopy due to soil-plant respiration, and a strong CO2 sink in the upper layers of the canopy due to the assimilation by sunlit foliage. The foliage in the top layer of canopy changed from a CO2 source in the morning to a CO2 sink in the afternoon, while the soil constituted a strong CO2 source all the day. The simulation results accorded well with the eddy covariance CO2 flux measurements within and above the canopy, and the average precision was 89%. The CO2 exchange predicted by the analysis was averagely 15% higher than that of the eddy correlation, but exhibited identical temporal trend. Atmospheric stability remarkably affected the CO2 exchange between forest canopy and atmosphere.

Rainfall interception by forest canopy is an important process of water resources cycle in forest watershed. Most studies focused on the relationships of the interception with the precipitation in one or more rainfall events, without considering rainfall density and vegetation characteristics. By using a semi-theoretical model of canopy rainfall interception model, taking rainfall intensity and leaf area indices as inputs and canopy wetness index as parameter, and combining with Penman-Monteith equation, this paper simulated the rainfall interception by the broad-leaved Korean pine forest canopy in Changbai Mountains, and estimated the total interception of rainfall events from 1 May to 30 September 2004. The results showed that the total interception was 39.96 mm, occupying 10.2% of the precipitation, and the estimated results agreed well with the measured ones. Based on the estimated results, the relationships between interception and rainfall on different temporal scales were analyzed, which suggested that with the increase of temporal scale from 30 min to a month, the correlation between interception and rainfall became more and more obvious.

In this paper, the Et of broad-leaved Korean pine forest on Changbai Mountain was determined by water balance method, and calculated by Bowen ratio-energy balance (BREB) method in July, August and September, 2001. The total Et was 288.18 mm and 214.94 mm, respectively, and the daily average Et in each month was gained, while the rainfall is 301.9 mm. Furthermore, the daily Et and hourly Et rate were computed by BREB method, and the availability and precision of the Et determined by water balance and calculated by BREB method was discussed.

The motivation for this paper is that, having come from China, a country which had closed herself to the outside world for three decades, I thought it might be interesting to compare glaucoma in the two countries. Since I am from only a municipal hospital of a small city Hangzhow (a sister city of Boston), whatever I say can only be accepted as personal view points. Presently I have this wonderful opportunity to be a research fellow at the world wide famous Massachusetts Eye & Ear Infirmary, which is affiliated with Harvard Medical School. The comparison therefore may not be exactly appropriate but may help to see where my country stands, what we have, what we lack and what goals to strive for to better the health of China. There may be some confusing terms in this paper such as 'Liberation', 'Cultural Revolution', etc. Table 1 may help give a clearer conception.