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Flavonoids play an important role in forming wine grapes and wine quality characteristics. The flavonoids of three winter red wine grapes, Yeniang No. 2 (YN2), Marselan (Mar), and Guipu No. 6 (GP6), were analyzed by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography–triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (UPLC-QQQ-MS). Furthermore, the flavonoids in GP6 grapevines using two types of training systems, namely, trellis (T) and espaliers (E), were also compared in this study. Overall, 196 flavonoid metabolites, including 96 flavones, 38 flavonols, 19 flavanones, 18 polyphenols, 15 anthocyanins, 7 isoflavones, and 3 proanthocyanidins, were identified. The flavonoid profiles were remarkably different among these three grape varieties, while they did not change much in the GP6 managed on trellis and espaliers. Grape varieties with different genetic backgrounds have their own unique flavonoid profiles. Compared with Mar-T, isoflavones and flavonols presented higher contents in GP6-T and YN2-T, which mainly contain glycitein, genistin, calycosin, kaempferide, isotrifoliin, and ayanin. The anthocyanin content was significantly higher in YN2-T than in the other two varieties. YN2 and GP6-T present a more stable color, with significantly more acetylated diglucosides and methylated anthocyanins in YN2-T and GP6-T than in Mar-T. Notably, GP6 had more varied flavonoids and the better characteristics to its flavonoid profile out of these three varieties, due to it containing a higher number of anthocyanins, flavone, and flavonols and the greatest number of different flavonoid metabolites (DFMs), with higher contents than YN2 and Mar. Compared with the trellis training system, the espaliers training system increased the content of flavonoids detected in GP6 grape berries; however, the composition of flavonoids strictly depends on the grape variety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Maintenance treatment is a pivotal part in the whole process management of multiple myeloma (MM), which further deepens response and improves survival. However, evidence of maintenance in non-transplant MM patients is inadequate in real-world practice. Here, we retrospectively analyzed the efficacy and survival of 375 non-transplant MM patients from 11 centers between 2010 and 2021 in north China. After a median of seven cycles of front-line regimens, there were 141, 79, and 155 patients receiving lenalidomide maintenance (L-MT), bortezomib maintenance (B-MT), or thalidomide maintenance (T-MT), respectively. Patients on L-MT and B-MT had significantly greater proportions of high-risk cytogenetic abnormalities (HRCAs) detected by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), which was defined as 1q21 gain, 17p deletion, adverse immunoglobulin heavy chain (IgH) translocations. Although the progressionfree survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were comparable among the three groups, L-MT and B-MT remedied the negative impact of HRCAs on survival (PFS of patients with HRCAs vs. patients without HRCAs: L-MT, 26.9 vs. 39.2 months, p=0.19; B-MT, 20.0 vs. 29.7 months, p=0.36; OS not reached in all groups). Patients with HRCAs in the T-MT group presented inferior clinical outcomes compared to standard-risk patients (PFS, 12.1 vs. 22.8 months, p=0.02, HR=1.8, 95% CI 1.0-3.4; OS, 54.9 months vs. NR, p<0.001, HR=3.2, 95% CI 1.5-7.0). Achieving complete response (CR) after induction therapy led to superior PFS compared to other degrees of response, regardless of maintenance medication. Furthermore, maintenance duration over 24 months correlated with favorable survival. Due to the large gap of transplant eligibility in China, optimizing maintenance therapy is important for non-transplant MM patients. In this realworld multi-centered study, our findings suggest that clinicians prefer to prescribe lenalidomide or bortezomib as maintenance therapy in high-risk settings, which are superior to thalidomide in non-transplant MM patients. Achievement of CR and maintenance duration over 2 years are positive factors that influence survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Overall, the ankle was the most commonly affected joint, followed by the knee, and the elbow was the least vulnerable joint in both cohorts (Table 1). Unlike ankles, more knees and elbows with each specific severity were found among patients undergoing ET than among those undergoing ST, except in those with moderately impaired knees (proportions were 20% vs. 20%). Age-related severity and distribution of haemophilic arthropathy of the knee, ankle and elbow among Chinese patients with haemophilia. What can we expect for adolescents and adults with haemophilia switched to low-dose prophylaxis from episodic treatment for over 3 years?. [Extracted from the article]

Background and Objectives: Malnutrition is implicated as a key modifiable risk factor for sarcopenia. As such, a dietary pattern analysis, rather than an analysis of single food items or nutrients, may provide insights into the comprehensive contribution of diet and nutrition to the risk of sarcopenia. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to evaluate the relationships between main dietary patterns and sarcopenia.Methods and Study Design: A total of 591 participants aged over 40 years were included in this cross-sectional study. A validated food-frequency questionnaire was used to assess their dietary intake, and principal component analysis (PCA) was used to identify the main dietary patterns. A multivariate logistic regression model was used to explore the associations between their main dietary patterns and the risk of sarcopenia.Results: This study identified 56 cases of sarcopenia, equating to an overall detection rate of 9.48%. The PCA revealed four major dietary patterns among the participants: "coarse cereals and vegetables"; "beverages and animal organs"; "poultry, fish and shrimp"; and "fruits and pasta". After adjusting for age, sex, physical activity and smoking, individuals with the "coarse cereals and vegetables" dietary pattern had a 63.0% reduction in the risk of sarcopenia.Conclusions: The "coarse cereals and vegetables" dietary pattern is negatively correlated with sarcopenia, and may reduce the risk of sarcopenia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: An unmet need for more effective and affordable kinase inhibitors remains in patients with progressive radioactive iodine-refractory differentiated thyroid cancer (RAIR-DTC) in China, where only sorafenib is approved for this indication. This study evaluated the 24-week objective response rate (ORR) to donafenib—a new, domestic multikinase inhibitor—in the treatment of locally advanced or metastatic RAIR-DTC in patients with measurable lesions. Two dose regimens (300 mg twice daily vs. 200 mg twice daily) were used to determine its optimal dosage and safety for further phase III studies. Methods: This study was a randomized, open-label, multicenter phase II trial. Thirty-five adult RAIR-DTC patients with at least one measurable targeted lesion according to RECIST 1.1 were enrolled from 12 centers in China and randomized to receive either 200 mg (17 patients) or 300 mg (18 patients) of donafenib orally twice daily for 24 weeks. The primary endpoint was ORR, and the secondary endpoints included progression-free survival (PFS) among others. Additionally, biochemical (serum thyroglobulin) and structural (total tumor diameter [TTD]) responses were assessed, change (ΔTTD) rates were calculated, and safety was evaluated. Results: The ORRs for the 200- and 300-mg arms were 12.5% and 13.33% (p = 1.000), respectively. The 300-mg arm had a nonsignificant, longer median PFS than the 200-mg arm (14.98 months vs. 9.44 months) (p = 0.351). There was a trend toward more tumor shrinkage in the 300-mg arm compared with the 200-mg arm (average ΔTTD rate −0.52 ± 0.71 vs. −0.04 ± 1.55 mm/month, p = 0.103). Most treatment-related adverse events (AEs) in both arms were grades 1–2. The most common grade 3 treatment-related AEs in both arms were palmar–plantar erythrodysesthesia and hypertension; the sum occurrence rates of these two AEs in the 200-mg and 300-mg arms were 11.43% and 22.86%, respectively. Conclusions: Donafenib was generally well tolerated. Both donafenib regimens demonstrated similar efficacy in terms of the ORR in locally advanced or metastatic RAIR-DTC. The results warrant further studies on donafenib as a new, feasible treatment option for RAIR-DTC patients. Clinical Trials.gov IDs: NCT02870569; CTR20160220. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Up to 40% of patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) have prediabetes; an optimal pharmacotherapy regimen for diabetes prevention in PCOS is yet to be established.Objective: To evaluate clinical efficacy of exenatide (EX), metformin (MET), or combination (COM) for prediabetes in PCOS.Design: Randomized, open-label, parallel-group controlled trial.Setting: Renji Hospital Affiliated to Shanghai Jiaotong University School of Medicine.Patients: PCOS with prediabetes (fasting plasma glucose 5.6-6.9 mmol/L and/or 2 hour post glucose 7.8-11.0 mmol/L on oral glucose tolerance test [OGTT]). A total of 150 out of 183 eligible enrollees completed the study.Intervention: EX (10-20μg daily), MET (1500-2000 mg daily), or COM (EX plus MET) for 12 weeks.Main Outcome Measures: Sustained remission rate of prediabetes (primary endpoint, a normal OGTT after 12 weeks of treatment followed by 12 weeks of washout on no drug treatment) along with anthropometric, hormonal, metabolic, and pancreatic β-cell function parameters (secondary endpoints) and potential mechanisms were assessed.Results: Impaired glucose tolerance was found the dominant prediabetes phenotype. Overall sustained prediabetes remission rate was 50.7%. Remission rate of COM group (64%, 32/50) or EX group (56%, 28/50) was significantly higher than that of the MET group (32%, 16/50) (P = .003 and .027, respectively). EX was associated with superior suppression of 2-hour glucose increment in OGTT. A 2-step hyperglycemic clamp study revealed that EX had led to higher postprandial insulin secretion than MET, potentially explaining the higher remission rate.Conclusions: Compared with MET monotherapy, EX or COM achieved higher rate of remission of prediabetes among PCOS patients by improving postprandial insulin secretion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the physical processes behind summer drought in North China by evaluating moisture and energy budget diagnostics and linking them to anomalous large-scale circulation patterns. Moisture budget analysis reveals that summer drought in North China was caused dynamically by reduced vertical moisture advection due to anomalous subsidence and reduced horizontal moisture advection due to anomalous northeasterly winds. Energy budget analysis shows that reduced latent heating was balanced dynamically by decreased dry static energy (DSE) divergence in the middle-toupper troposphere. Linking these results to previous work, we suggest that summer drought in North China was predicated on co-occurrence of the positive phases of the Eurasian (EU) and Pacific-Japan (PJ) teleconnection patterns, potentially modulated by the circumglobal teleconnection (CGT). In the typical case, the negative phase of the CGT intensified the positive EU-related upper-level cyclone. Resulting upper-level cooling and positive surface feedback imposed a cold-core surface anticyclone that weakened with height. By contrast, when the positive phase of the CGT occurred in tandem with the positive EU and PJ patterns, the anticyclone had a warm core and intensified with height. The two cases were unified by strong subsidence but exhibited opposite meridional advection anomalies. In the cold-core cases, meridional moisture inflow was reduced but meridional DSE export was enhanced, further limiting precipitation while maintaining negative thermal anomalies. In the warm-core case, which only occurred once, enhanced meridional inflow of water vapor supplied moisture for sporadic precipitation while reduced meridional DSE export helped to maintain strong static stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Background: Quality indicators for Chinese patients with chronic heart failure (CHF) have been developed. However, little is known about the compliance with quality indicators and the association between process indicators and in-hospital mortality in China. Methods: Data from 1862 CHF admissions between 1 January 2009 and 31 October 2010 at 20 tertiary hospitals in Heilongjiang Province were analyzed. Hierarchical generalized linear models were used to examine the association between six process indicators and in-hospital mortality in eligible patients. Results: The in-hospital mortality for the 1862 patients was 4.7%. The compliance with six process indicators were: evaluation of left ventricular function, 66.4%; angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI)/ angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB), 54.9%; diuretic, 86.2%; beta-blocker, 45.1%; aldosterone-receptor antagonist, 64.0%; and warfarin, 17.1%. Rates of compliance at the hospital level varied from 0 to 100%. After the adjustment for confounding factors, evaluation of left ventricular function, ACEI/ARB and aldosterone receptor antagonist were significantly associated with in-hospital mortality ([OR, 0.55; 95% CI, 0.33-0.93; P = 0.027], [OR, 0.33; 95% CI, 0.12-0.94; P = 0.040] and [OR, 0.35; 95% CI, 0.13-0.98; P = 0.046], respectively). Conclusions: There are considerable gaps between guidelines and clinical practice and variations across hospitals for the treatment of patients with CHF. Evaluation of left ventricular function, ACEI/ARB and aldosterone receptor antagonist will reduce the risk of in-hospital mortality. The association of other process indicators with clinical outcomes remain to be established. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To provide evidence for selecting an appropriate peripherally inserted central catheter (PICC) insertion technique by comparing the insertion success rate and the incidence of complications with 3 PICC insertion techniques. Methods: We assigned enrolled patients to 3 groups according to the insertion technique selected by the individual patient: Group A, usual insertion technique (traditional, blind insertion); Group B, Modified Seldinger Technique (MST) insertion without ultrasound guidance; and group C, ultrasound-guided MST insertion. We compared the insertion success rate and the incidence of complications among these groups. Results: When comparing these 3 PICC insertion techniques, no significant difference was seen with respect to the insertion success rate and the incidence of catheter malposition (P > 0.05), although a significant difference existed in the incidence of bleeding at the insertion site after the PICC procedure (P < 0.05), with the ultrasound-guided MST insertion technique superior to the other 2 techniques; the incidence of mechanical phlebitis and catheter occlusion during the use of PICC had no significant difference among the 3 groups (P > 0.05); but a significant difference was seen in the incidence of thrombosis and catheter-related infections (P < 0.05), with a lower incidence in the ultrasound-guided MST insertion group than that in the other 2 groups. Conclusions: Ultrasound-guided MST insertion technique may address the problems occurring in patients with poor vascular access during the PICC procedure, whereas the usual insertion technique is the best choice for patients with good vascular access and poor economic status. Therefore, the selection of an appropriate insertion technique should be based on the economic and vascular status of the individual patient in clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Predicting the location and timing of mudslides with adequate lead time is a scientifically challenging problem that is critical for mitigating landslide impacts. Here, a new dynamic modeling system is described for monitoring and predicting storm-triggered landslides and their ecosystem implications. The model ingests both conventional and remotely sensed topographic and geologic data, whereas outputs include diagnostics required for the assessment of the physical and societal impacts of landslides. The system first was evaluated successfully in a series of experiments under idealized conditions. In the main study, under real conditions, the system was assessed over a mountainous region of China, the Yangjiashan Creeping (YC) slope. For this data-rich section of the Changjiang River, the model estimated creeping rates that had RMS errors of ∼0.5 mm yr−1 when compared with a dataset generated from borehole measurements. A prediction of the creeping curve for 2010 was made that suggested significant slope movement will occur in the next 5 years, without any change in the current precipitation morphology. However, sliding will become imminent if a storm occurs in that 5-yr period that produces over 150 mm of precipitation. A sensitivity experiment shows that the identified location fails first, triggering domino-effect slides that progress upslope. This system for predicting storm-triggered landslides is intended to improve upon present warning lead times to minimize the impacts of shallow, fast moving, and therefore hazardous landslides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mechanism of mass collaboration in risk management was studied during the Sichuan earthquake under a Web-based “PeopleFinder” project, where information is contributed and shared among mass contributors. The case study is provided by a great earthquake that happened in Wenchuan County, Sichuan Province, of southwestern China at 2:28 p.m. on May 12, 2008. We witnessed and experienced the rescue and relief efforts for the great earthquake. In this article, two fundamental frameworks are developed to study the mechanism of mass collaboration. Mass collaboration is proven to be effective in a big public crisis such as the Sichuan earthquake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summer convective systems (CSs) initiated over the Tibetan Plateau identified by the International Satellite Cloud Climatology Project (ISCCP) deep convection database and associated Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission (TRMM) precipitation for 1998–2001 have been analyzed for their basic characteristics in terms of initiation, distribution, trajectory, development, life cycle, convective intensity, and precipitation. Summer convective systems have a dominant center over the Hengduan Mountain and a secondary center over the Yaluzangbu River Valley. Precipitation associated with these CSs contributes more than 60% of total precipitation over the central-eastern area of the Tibetan Plateau and 30%–40% over the adjacent region to its southeast. The average CS life cycle is about 36 h; 85% of CSs disappear within 60 h of their initiation. About 50% of CSs do not move out of the Tibetan region, with the remainder split into eastward- and southward-moving components. These CSs moving out the Tibetan Plateau are generally larger, have longer life spans, and produce more rainfall than those staying inside the region. Convective system occurrences and associated rainfall present robust diurnal variations. The midafternoon maximum of CS initiation and associated rainfall over the plateau is mainly induced by solar heating linked to the unique Tibetan geography. The delayed afternoon–late night peak of rainfall from CSs propagating out of this region is a combined outcome of multiple mechanisms working together. Results suggest that interactions of summer Tibetan CSs with the orientation of the unique Tibetan geography and the surrounding atmospheric circulations are important for the development, intensification, propagation, and life span of these CSs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article offers information on foreign banking in China and its 279 branch units in 32 cities. It is said that to match the global trend, China's Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) has begun to move toward its services sector. Under the agreement with World Trade Organization (WTO), Chinese government honored the service market inflows of foreign capital. China's economic growth has motivated multinational banks to establish branching in many of its cities. By 2007, 193 banks leased in 47 regions and 242 representatives in China. Presently, it shows foreign banks account for 1252.5 billion in assets, representing 2.38% of China's total banking assets.

The low-hilly regions in South China are mainly covered with Ultisols and Alfisols with a pH of 4.5-6.0. The major factor limiting crop performance is soluble aluminum (Al) in acid soils, resulting in phytotoxicity in susceptible species. An investigation in Jiangxi and Zhejiang provinces in South China showed that many plants including some native plants and cultivated crops (total of 27 species) could grow well in acid soils of these areas. The Al-accumulating capacity in leaves varied greatly from species to species. Camellia oleifera Abel accumulated more than 13,500 mg kg-1 Al in old leaves; Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze, Fagopyrum esculentum Moench, and Dicranopteris pedata (Houtt.) Nakaike accumulated more than 1000 mg kg-1 Al in leaves; and Oryza sativa L., Eucalyptus globulus Labill., Citrus reticulata Blanco, and Brassica chinensis L. accumulated less than 200 mg kg-1 Al in leaves. This investigation provides an important basis for further exploring Al accumulation and resistant mechanisms in plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. The renal dynamic imaging method (modified Gate''s method) with 99mTc-diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid (99mTc-DTPA) is simple and less time consuming for glomerular filtration rate (GFR) estimation than other methods. However, its diagnostic performance as a surrogate marker of GFR is questioned increasingly. Recently, the modified Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) study equation based on data from Chinese patients of chronic kidney disease (CKD) showed significant performance improvement. In the present study, the renal dynamic imaging methods and the modified abbreviated MDRD equation were compared with the plasma clearance method.Methods. Four hundred and eighty two patients with CKD were selected. GFR were estimated simultaneously using three methods: (i) modified Gate''s method (gGFR); (ii) the modified abbreviated MDRD equation (c-aGFR) and (iii) dual plasma sampling method (rGFR). Using rGFR as the reference method, gGFR and c-aGFR were compared with rGFR in each stage of CKD.Results. Both gGFR and c-aGFR were correlated well with rGFR (rgGFR = 0.81 and rc-aGFR = 0.90, P < 0.001). In the overall performance, c-aGFR had less bias (849.5 vs 933.1 arbitrary units), higher precision (57 vs 78.4 ml/min/1.73 m2) and higher accuracy than gGFR. For gGFR, the 15, 30 and 50% accuracies were 32.4, 56.0 and 79.1%, respectively; for c-aGFR, the corresponding accuracy rose to 43.2%, 75.5% and 90.9%, respectively. In each stage of CKD, the modified abbreviated MDRD equation also outperformed the modified Gate''s method in the GFR estimation.Conclusion. Our results indicated that the performance of the renal dynamic imaging in total GFR estimation was not better than the modified abbreviated MDRD equation in our patient group, and should not be used as a surrogate marker of GFR, especially in clinical trials. We presume that the dynamic renal imaging methods for estimation of GFR can be improved by using proper reference GFR, more adequate background subtraction and soft-tissue attenuation correction, in a relatively larger sample size. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During boreal summer, much of the water vapor and CO entering the global tropical stratosphere is transported over the Asian monsoon/Tibetan Plateau (TP) region. Studies have suggested that most of this transport is carried out either by tropical convection over the South Asian monsoon region or by extratropical convection over southern China. By using measurements from the newly available National Aeronautics and Space Administration Aura Microwave Limb Sounder, along with observations from the Aqua and Tropical Rainfall-Measuring Mission satellites, we establish that the TP provides the main pathway for cross-tropopause transport in this region. Tropospheric moist convection driven by elevated surface heating over the TP is deeper and detrains more water vapor, CO. and ice at the tropopause than over the monsoon area. Warmer tropopause temperatures and slower-falling, smaller cirrus cloud particles in less saturated ambient air at the tropopause also allow more water vapor to travel into the lower stratosphere over the TP, effectively short-circuiting the slower ascent of water vapor across the cold tropical tropopause over the monsoon area. Air that is high in water vapor and CO over the Asian monsoon/TP region enters the lower stratosphere primarily over the TP, and it is then transported toward the Asian monsoon area and disperses into the large-scale upward motion of the global stratospheric circulation. Thus, hydration of the global stratosphere could be especially sensitive to changes of convection over the TP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To investigate the association of single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in SP110 gene and TNF-α gene among pulmonary TB (PTB) and spinal TB (STB) patients. Methods. In a total of 190 PTB patients, 183 STB patients were enrolled as the case group and 362 healthy individuals at the same geographical region as the control group. The SP110 SNPs (rs722555 and rs1135791) and the promoter -308G>A (rs1800629) and -238G>A (rs361525) polymorphisms in TNF-α were genotyped. Results. TNF-α -238G>A polymorphism was involved in susceptibility to STB, but not to PTB. The TNF-α -238 A allele was a protective factor against STB (A versus G: OR [95% CI] = 0.331 [0.113–0.972], P=0.044). Furthermore, the presence of the -238 A allele was considered a trend to decrease the risk of STB (AG versus GG: P=0.062, OR [95% CI] = 0.352 [0.118–1.053]; AA + AG versus GG: P=0.050, OR [95CI%] = 0.335 [0.113–0.999]). However, SP110 SNPs (rs722555 and rs1135791) and TNF-α -308G>A (rs1800629) showed no association with PTB and STB in all genetic models. Conclusion. The TNF-α -238 A allele appeared a protective effect against STB, whereas the SP110 SNPs (rs722555 and rs1135791) and TNF-α -308G>A (rs1800629) showed no association with susceptibility to PTB and STB patients in southern China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Low soil nutrient availability severely constrains plant growth and productivity in acidic soil ecosystems. Diazotrophs and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) are the important microbial groups that improve the bioavailability of soil nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P), respectively. Therefore, the objective was to investigate the biogeographic patterns and co-occurrence networks of the diazotrophic and AMF communities in the acidic soil ecosystem. We collected 52 soil samples from four long-term field observation stations with spatial distances of 961.3 km in the acidic soil region of southern China, and analyzed the community composition and biogeographic distributions of the diazotrophs and AMF using high-throughput sequencing of the functional gene amplicons. The variation partition analysis indicated that soil physicochemical factors provided more contributions than geographic distance, sampling stations and land-use types in the assembly of the diazotrophic and AMF community communities. Distance-decay relationships and Mantel tests showed that soil physicochemical factors had remarkable effects on both microbial community structures, whereas geographic distance only significantly affected the diazotrophic community variations. Co-occurrence network analysis revealed that AMF network was more complex and stable than the diazotrophic network. Furthermore, the dominant genera Bradyrhizbium and Glomus might be the more important keystone taxa in the diazotrophic and AMF networks, respectively. These findings suggest that the diazotrophic and AMF communities exhibit different assembly mechanisms and co-occurrence ecological networks in the acidic soil region of southern China, and both community assemblies were mainly driven by soil physicochemical factors. Unlabelled Image • Environmental factors clearly affected the diazotrophic and AMF community structures. • Geographic distance only significantly affected the diazotrophic community variations. • Diazotrophic and AMF communities exhibited different assembly mechanisms. • AMF network was more complex and stable than the diazotrophic network. • Bradyrhizbium and Glomus were the keystone taxa in the diazotrophic and AMF networks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the fundamental way of black and odorous water treatment, based on the study of the purification function of natural water body and the analysis of root cause and direct cause of black and odorous water body, we elaborated the scientific connotation and ecological function of "ecological living water", and fully revealed the scientific principle and technical advantages of "ecological living water" for sewage treatment. "Ecological living water" was the original ecological water control in situ. Through the rapid water reaeration, the micro-ecosystem of living water was created. Meanwhile, with the support of micro-speed circulating water, the continuous and efficient purification was realized. The practice of black and odorous water treatment in Yangzhou showed that, 3-5 days after the treatment of "ecological living water", the black and odorous water was completely eliminated and transformed into "green water". 15-20 days after the treatment, water quality reached the national surface water class 3 water standard. Therefore, "ecological living water" may be a kind of sustainable water control technology system with investment of less resources and equipment, fast pollution control speed, low operation cost, good water control effect and both symptoms and treatment.

Spinal tuberculosis (TB) accounts for 1%-5% of all TB infections. Host genetic variation influences susceptibility to Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB). P2X7 receptor (P2X7R) expressed on cells has been identified as a regulatory molecule in cell death/apoptosis, killing of intercellular pathogens, and bone turnover. This study investigated the P2X7 gene polymorphisms and protein levels in spinal TB. P2X7 gene -762C>T and 489C>T polymorphisms were genotyped. The expression of P2X7R in bone or intervertebral disc (ID) tissues was analyzed by Western blot assay. The -762C>T and 489C>T polymorphisms were associated with susceptibility to spinal TB. Having the -762CC genotype and -762C allele increased the risk of developing spinal TB (CC vs. TT: P=0.031, OR [95%CI]=1.865 [1.053-3.304]; C vs. T: P=0.028, OR [95%CI]=1.355 [1.034-1.775]). The presence of the 489T allele was associated with an increased risk of developing spinal TB (TT vs. CC: P=0.004, OR [95%CI]=2.248 [1.283-3.939]; CT vs. CC: P=0.044, OR [95%CI]=1.755 [1.011-3.047]; T vs. C: P=0.004, OR [95%CI]=1.482 [1.134-1.936]; TT+CT vs. CC: P=0.010, OR [95%CI]=1.967 [1.171-3.304]; TT vs. CT+CC: P=0.037, OR [95%CI]=1.489 [1.023-2.167]). The expression of P2X7R in TB-induced bone lesions increased significantly among spinal TB patients (t=0.011). Carrying the P2X7 -762CC genotype and 489T allele is associated with an increased risk of developing spinal TB in a Southern Chinese Han population., (Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Mutations in Janus kinase 2 (JAK2), myeloproliferative leukemia (MPL), and CALR are highly relevant to Philadelphia chromosome (Ph)-negative myeloproliferative neoplasms., Methods: Assessing the prevalence of molecular mutations in Chinese Han patients with essential thrombocythemia (ET), and correlating their mutational profile with disease characteristics/phenotype., Results: Of the 110 subjects studied, 62 carried the JAK2 V617F mutation, 21 had CALR mutations, one carried an MPL (W515) mutation, and 28 had non-mutated JAK2, CALR, and MPL (so-called triple-negative ET). Mutations in JAK2 exon 12 were not detected in any patient. Two ET patients had both CALR and JAK2 V617F mutations. Comparing the hematological parameters of the patients with JAK2 mutations with those of the patients with CALR mutations showed that the ET patients with CALR mutations were younger (p = 0.045) and had higher platelet counts (p = 0.043)., Conclusion: Genotyping for CALR could be a useful diagnostic tool for JAK2/MPL-negative ET, since the data suggest that CALR is much more prevalent than MPL, therefore testing for CALR should be considered in patients who are JAK2 negative as its frequency is almost 20 times that of MPL mutation.

Objective: To test the potential feasibility for studies conducted in twins reared apart and together from the Chinese National Twin Registry (CNTR) and to answer the question whether the rearing environment affects chronic disease risk factors., Methods: The samples were composed of twins from two sub-registries, which included 503 twin pairs in Lishui and 505 twin pairs in Qingdao., Results: There was a big difference in the rates of twins reared apart in different areas (from 0.6% in Qingdao to 5.4% in Lishui). Only nine pairs of dizygotic twins reared apart in Lishui were recruited. The intraclass correlation coefficients for many indices were not significant. Rearing environment might affect diastolic blood pressure and smoking behavior, but it was hard to interpret its impacts in systolic blood pressure, body mass index, waist-hip ratio and drinking behavior., Conclusion: The design of twins reared apart is a valuable study and can be conducted in the CNTR, but the current sample size is still a big issue which requires the registry to recruit more twins to support it.

Objective: To study the integrated monitoring program regarding mouse and plague, hemorrhagic fever of renal syndrome (HFRS) and leptospirosis., Methods: Integrated monitoring plan was used. A designated office coordinated 5 departments' actions within the Zhejiang Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Cage-trapping method was conducted to monitor the density of mice from June to October, respectively., Results: Lishui municipal CDC had finished the integrated monitoring program on mouse and mouse-borne disease while the Longyou CDC had finished the field investigation, using the integrated monitoring program. Specimens were sent to provincial CDC. The integrated monitoring program needed more number of personnel and better coordination.Lishui reported 3 leptospirosis cases and 58 HFRS cases in 2009, with the incidence rates as 0.13 and 2.44 per 100 000, respectively. Longyou reported 2 leptospirosis case and 1 HFRS cases in 2009, with the incidence rates as 0.49 and 0.25 per 100 000, respectively. Lishui and Longyou had no plague case. Lishui caught 91 mice in 2009 and the density was 4.17%. Longyou caught 37 mice in 2009, with the density as 1.18 percent. Most mice caught from Lishui were Apodemus agrarius and the next was Mus musculus. In Longyou the Rattus tanezumi ranked the first, followed by Apodemus agrarius. The positive rate of HFRS antigen in Lishui and Longyou were 10.42% and 4.59% respectively. The positive rate of HFRS antibody in Longyou was 3.70%. The culture positive rate of leptospirosis in mouse renal of Lishui and Longyou were 0 and 0.98% respectively. The culture positive rate of leptospirosis in pig renal, duck renal, frog renal and cattle urine of Longyou was 0. The culture positive rate of leptospirosis in duck blood of Longyou was 80%., Conclusion: The integrated monitoring program on mouse and mouse-borne disease seemed to be feasible and could promote the integrated surveillance and control program on mouse and mouse-borne diseases in China.

Objective: To determine the role of genetic and environmental factors in the onset of smoking in Chinese male twins., Methods: Retrospective data on initiation and age at onset of smoking, reported by 1,006 adult twin pairs [aged 18 year-old or more, 638 pairs of monozygotic (MZ) twins and 368 pairs of dizygotic (DZ) twins] were analyzed to calculate the heritability of smoking behavior and smoking initiation., Results: Different from western culture, 66.8% of males in this Chinese sample are smokers or have the experience of smoking, but only 0.2% of females do so. In the MZ twins, 88.7% (566/638 pairs) of them are both smokers or have smoking experience or both non-smokers, while the number is 63.6% (234/368 pairs) in the DZ twins. The heritability of smoking in this Chinese twin sample is 69.0%+/-4.1%. The smokers usually started their smoking at the age of 20.4+/-5.3 years old. The correlation coefficient for age at onset of smoking in male MZ twin smokers is 0.393, compared to correlation coefficient 0.860 in male DZ twin smokers., Conclusion: The moderate level of heritability shows that genetic factors have influence on smoking choice; when the smokers start their smoking, however, this depends more on individual environmental variation in our Chinese twin sample.

Objective: To identify the phenotype and gene mutation in two Chinese pedigrees with hereditary protein C deficiency., Methods: The plasma level of protein C activity (PC: A) , protein C antigen (PC: Ag), protein S activity (PS: A), and antithrombin activity (AT: A) of the probands and their family members were detected using chromogenic assay and ELISA, respectively. All of the nine exons and intron-exon boundaries of protein C gene were amplified by PCR and analyzed by direct sequencing of the probands. Restriction enzyme site analysis was used to confirm the mutation., Results: The plasma PC: A and PC: Ag for proband 1 was 1.2% and 0, respectively. Compound heterozygous mutations, C(TGC)64W (TGG) and F(TTC) 139V(GTC) , were identified in her, the former being inherited from the maternal side and the later the paternal side. Further genetic analysis showed that her husband ( II 8) had the heterozygous deletion mutation (K150 or 151 Del) in exon 7, her daughter had the same heterozygous deletion mutation and a F139V. The plasma PC: A and PC: Ag for proband 2 was 50. 3% and 1.9 mg/L, respectively. He had the heterozygous Lys150 or Lys151 deletion mutation, which was inherited from his father. Polymorphisms of C/T at position - 1654, A/G at - 1641 , and A/T at - 1476A/T in the promoter region of protein C were confirmed in all members of the two pedigrees, of which, proband 2 had homozygous CC/GG/TT. The F139V mutation was confirmed by restriction enzyme site analysis and polymorphism for this mutation was excluded. PS: A and AT: A were in normal range for all members., Conclusion: Compound heterozygous mutation C64W and F139V of protein C gene lead to type I hereditary protein C deficiency for proband 1. K150 or 151 deletion mutation and polymorphism of CC/GG/TT might lead to type I hereditary protein C deficiency for proband 2. C64W is a novel mutation for protein C gene. F139V and K150 or 151 deletion mutation are reported for the first time in China.

Background: The renal dynamic imaging method (modified Gate's method) with (99m)Tc-diethylene triamine pentaacetic acid ((99m)Tc-DTPA) is simple and less time consuming for glomerular filtration rate (GFR) estimation than other methods. However, its diagnostic performance as a surrogate marker of GFR is questioned increasingly. Recently, the modified Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) study equation based on data from Chinese patients of chronic kidney disease (CKD) showed significant performance improvement. In the present study, the renal dynamic imaging methods and the modified abbreviated MDRD equation were compared with the plasma clearance method., Methods: Four hundred and eighty two patients with CKD were selected. GFR were estimated simultaneously using three methods: (i) modified Gate's method (gGFR); (ii) the modified abbreviated MDRD equation (c-aGFR) and (iii) dual plasma sampling method (rGFR). Using rGFR as the reference method, gGFR and c-aGFR were compared with rGFR in each stage of CKD., Results: Both gGFR and c-aGFR were correlated well with rGFR (r(gGFR) = 0.81 and r(c-aGFR) = 0.90, P < 0.001). In the overall performance, c-aGFR had less bias (849.5 vs 933.1 arbitrary units), higher precision (57 vs 78.4 ml/min/1.73 m(2)) and higher accuracy than gGFR. For gGFR, the 15, 30 and 50% accuracies were 32.4, 56.0 and 79.1%, respectively; for c-aGFR, the corresponding accuracy rose to 43.2%, 75.5% and 90.9%, respectively. In each stage of CKD, the modified abbreviated MDRD equation also outperformed the modified Gate's method in the GFR estimation., Conclusion: Our results indicated that the performance of the renal dynamic imaging in total GFR estimation was not better than the modified abbreviated MDRD equation in our patient group, and should not be used as a surrogate marker of GFR, especially in clinical trials. We presume that the dynamic renal imaging methods for estimation of GFR can be improved by using proper reference GFR, more adequate background subtraction and soft-tissue attenuation correction, in a relatively larger sample size.

We investigated the molecular mechanisms responsible for type I congenital antithrombin (AT) deficiency in two unrelated Chinese pedigrees manifesting multiple site venous thrombosis. Phenotype analysis showed both probands had almost 50% of normal AT levels. Direct sequencing of amplified DNA revealed 2757C > T in proband 1 and 13328G > A in proband 2, predicting a heterozygous Thr98Ile (T981) and Ala404Thr (A404T), respectively. No proband had 20210A allele or factor V Leiden mutation. Transient expression of complementary DNA coding for the mutations in COS-7 cells showed impaired secretion of the mutant molecules. Real-time quantitative PCR indicated that the mutant AT mRNA was transcribed at a similar or even higher level as that of wild-type (wt). Pulse-chase labeling studies suggested both AT variants did not accumulate, but degraded intracellularly. Immunohistochemical staining of the transfected cells revealed that CHO cells expressing the AT-198 mutant were stained diffusely without perinuclear enhancement and cells expressing AT-T404 mutant mainly in the whole cytoplasm with weaker perinuclear enhancement. We conclude that the impaired secretion of the mutant AT molecules, due to intracellular degradation, is the molecular pathogenesis of AT deficiency caused by T981 and A404T mutation for the two families, respectively.