Search

This paper is a report of a cross-cultural online collaboration between two cohorts of pre-service teachers in Hong Kong, China and an American university in St. Paul, Minnesota. It explicates the pedagogical design and implementation of online tools for group collaboration and students' perceptions of the benefits and challenges. Multiple web-based tools (e.g. Slack, Zoom) were selected and recommended to the students to facilitate resource sharing, communication, and artefact construction. Overall, students valued the experience of collaborating in a global virtual team in spite of some challenges encountered. Findings from this study indicated that the merits and perils of cross-cultural online collaboration coexisted and centered on three aspects: cross-cultural communication, group collaboration, and technological tools. The students greatly appreciated the values of online tools and manifested the ability to appropriate the tools to fulfill the needs of group work. The implications for pedagogical design are also discussed and technological tools supporting cross-cultural online collaboration are recommended.

This study addresses the interrelation among coherence, substitution, and reference by non-English major Chinese students. The author collected data through student questionnaires. Participants included 30 non-English major Chinese undergraduate students. The findings of this study suggested that the similarities and differences were confirmed either in all participants or in the two gender groups. For example, in terms of similarities either all participants or the two gender groups tend to commit more mistakes in regards to coherence than substitution or reference. On the other hand, some significant differences were found, for instance, males scored relatively higher in the mean substitution and reference than did females, whereas females performed better in the mean coherence compared to males in the same field.

Background: Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) is a frequent complication following hip arthroplasty. There still has been a lack of studies analyzing the perioperative risk factors of DVT following hip arthroplasty via direct anterior approach (DAA). Methods: Patients who underwent unilateral primary hip arthroplasty via DAA in our hospital from August 2015 to January 2022 were included. Patients' data, including demographic data, clinical features, past medical history, operative data, and laboratory data, were analyzed and compared between patients with and without DVT. Logistic regression analysis was conducted to identify the independent risk factors. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis was used to assess the best cutoff value of continuous variables with statistical significance. Result: A total of 651 patients were included. The incidence of DVT before and after hip arthroplasty was 12.7% and 6.7%, respectively. Logistic regression analysis indicated that age ≥ 65 years (OR 4.594, 95% CI 1.994–10.587), women (OR 2.331, 95% CI 1.285–4.227), and cerebral infarction (OR 1.984, 95% CI 1.138–3.460) were independent risk factors for preoperative DVT. And age ≥ 65 years (OR 4.859, 95% CI 1.062–22.226), tumor (OR 3.622, 95% CI 1.108–11.841), and preoperative D-dimer (OR 1.040, 95% CI 1.004–1.078) were risk factors for postoperative DVT. The ROC curve analysis showed that the best cutoff value of preoperative D-dimer for the diagnosis of postoperative DVT is 1.44 mg/L. Conclusions: The incidence of DVT in patients undergoing DAA hip arthroplasty was low and the occurrence of DVT before and after unilateral primary hip arthroplasty performed through DAA was related to multiple factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human activity and climate change affect biodiversity and cause species range shifts, contractions, and expansions. Globally, human activities and climate change have emerged as persistent threats to biodiversity, leading to approximately 68% of the ~522 primate species being threatened with extinction. Here, we used habitat suitability models and integrated data on human population density, gross domestic product (GDP), road construction, the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), the location of protected areas (PAs), and climate change to predict potential changes in the distributional range and richness of 26 China's primate species. Our results indicate that both PAs and NDVI have a positive impact on primate distributions. With increasing anthropogenic pressure, species' ranges were restricted to areas of high vegetation cover and in PAs surrounded by buffer zones of 2.7–4.5 km and a core area of PAs at least 0.1–0.5 km from the closest edge of the PA. Areas with a GDP below the Chinese national average of 100,000 yuan were found to be ecologically vulnerable, and this had a negative impact on primate distributions. Changes in temperature and precipitation were also significant contributors to a reduction in the range of primate species. Under the expected influence of climate change over the next 30–50 years, we found that highly suitable habitat for primates will continue to decrease and species will be restricted to smaller and more peripheral parts of their current range. Areas of high primate diversity are expected to lose from 3 to 7 species. We recommend that immediate action be taken, including expanding China's National Park Program, the Ecological Conservation Redline Program, and the Natural Forest Protection Program, along with a stronger national policy promoting alternative/sustainable livelihoods for people in the local communities adjacent to primate ranges, to offset the detrimental effects of anthropogenic activities and climate change on primate survivorship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Cardiovascular disease is the single largest contributor to global mortality and the leading cause of both death and premature death in China. Data on the association between cardiovascular disease and socioeconomic status are sparse, especially for Asian countries. Our study collected data to describe the socioeconomic status variation across cardiovascular disease using a large nationwide cross-sectional study.Methods: We chose participants using the cluster sampling method, prepared a face-to-face questionnaire interview for the selected community residents, and collected information on health conditions, socioeconomic status, demographics, and comorbidities. All collected data were reported as frequencies and corresponding percentages. Linear regression and simple and multivariable logistic regression were performed to identify the prevalence variation. All statistical analyses were performed using SPSS version 26 software.Results: Socioeconomic information was available for 394,688 participants (covering most provincial districts). The prevalence of cardiovascular disease was 7.9%. The prevalence was higher in rural areas than that in urban areas (rural, 8.4%; urban, 7.5%). There was a negative relationship between urbanization and cardiovascular disease prevalence. Furthermore, cardiovascular disease prevalence had a negative relationship with average earnings.Conclusion: This cross-sectional analysis of socioeconomic status variation in the prevalence of cardiovascular disease in China showed a significant negative relationship between regional and individual socioeconomic status and cardiovascular disease. The results imply that governments would benefit communities by focusing on effective and targeted interventions for prevention, screening, and treatment in individuals who may be in the socioeconomic status with a high risk for cardiovascular disease.Plain Language Summary: Benefits from the inclusion of many provinces, and large sample size, this study provided important new viewpoints on the prevalence of CVD. We described the current CVD status in China and the socioeconomic status variation on cardiovascular disease in the prevalence. In our study, significant differences were observed in iSES and CVD. And we identified the rSES in CVD prevalence disparities among provincial districts based on large administrative data sets. These results are essential for the government to put the target prevention programs and effective public health to those in status with a high risk to reduce prevalence. Besides, the English language in our manuscript had been proofread and revised by professional editing service in Editage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biological introductions provide a natural ecological experiment unfolding in a recent historical timeframe to elucidate how evolutionary processes (such as founder effects, genetic diversity and adaptation) shape the genomic landscape of populations postintroduction. The Asian icefish, Protosalanx chinensis, is an economically important fishery resource, deliberately introduced into dozens of provinces across China for decades. However, while invading and disturbing the local ecosystem, many introduced populations declined, disappearing mysteriously in a very short time. The way in which various evolutionary forces integrate to result in invasion failure of an introduced population remains unknown. Here, we performed whole‐genome sequencing of 10 species from the Salangidae family and 70 Asian icefish (Protosalanx chinensis) individuals from 7 geographic populations in China, aiming to characterize the evolutionary fate of introduced populations. Our results show that compared to other Salangidae species, P. chinensis has low genetic diversity, potentially due to the long‐lasting decline in population size. In a recently introducted population, Lugu lake, severe sampling effects and a strong bottleneck further deteriorated the genomic landscape. Although the introduced population showed signs of reduced genetic load, the purging selection efficiency was low. Our selective sweep analysis revealed site frequency changes in candidate genes, including gata1a and hoxd4b, which could be associated with a decrease in dissolved oxygen in the deep‐water plateau lake. These findings caution against the widespread introduction of P. chinensis in China and lay the groundwork for future use of this economically species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pathologic complete response (pCR) following preoperative systemic therapy is associated with improved outcomes after subsequent liver transplant/resection in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). However, the relationship between radiographic and histopathological response remains unclear. Methods: We retrospectively examined patients with initially unresectable HCC who received tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) plus anti–programmed death 1 (PD-1) therapy before undergoing liver resection between March 2019 and September 2021 across 7 hospitals in China. Radiographic response was evaluated using mRECIST. A pCR was defined as no viable tumor cells in resected samples. Results: We included 35 eligible patients, of whom 15 (42.9%) achieved pCR after systemic therapy. After a median follow-up of 13.2 months, tumors recurred in 8 non-pCR and 1 pCR patient. Before resection, there were 6 complete responses, 24 partial responses, 4 stable disease cases, and 1 progressive disease case, per mRECIST. Predicting pCR by radiographic response yielded an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.727 (95% CI: 0.558–0.902), with an optimal cutoff value of 80% reduction in the enhanced area in MRI (called major radiographic response), which had a 66.7% sensitivity, 85.0% specificity, and a 77.1% diagnostic accuracy. When radiographic response was combined with α-fetoprotein response, the AUC was 0.926 (95% CI: 0.785–0.999); the optimal cutoff value was 0.446, which had a 91.7% sensitivity, 84.6%, specificity, and an 88.0% diagnostic accuracy. Conclusions: In patients with unresectable HCC receiving combined TKI/anti–PD 1 therapy, major radiographic response alone or combined with α-fetoprotein response may predict pCR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Vitamin E is an essential nutrient in human body famous for its antioxidant and non-antioxidant functions. However, little is known about vitamin E deficiency status in urban adults of Wuhan from central China. Our aim is to describe the distribution of both circulating and lipid-adjusted serum vitamin E concentration in urban adults of Wuhan. Methods: We hypothesized that the prevalence rate of vitamin E deficiency would be low in Wuhan in consideration of the Chinese food composition. A cross-sectional study with 846 adults was performed in a single-center. Concentrations of vitamin E were measured by liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS). Results: The median (interquartile range, IQR) of serum vitamin E concentration was 27.40 (22.89–33.20) μmol/L while that of serum vitamin E concentration adjusted by total cholesterol or the sum of cholesterol (TC) and triglyceride (TG) (the sum of cholesterol and triglyceride, TLs) were 6.20 (5.30–7.48) and 4.86 (4.10–5.65) mmol/mol, respectively. No significant difference of the circulating and TC-adjusted vitamin E concentration was found between male and female except for vitamin E/TLs. However, concentrations of vitamin E increased significantly (r = 0.137, P < 0.001) with age, but lipid-adjusted concentrations of vitamin E did not. On analysis of risk factors, the subjects characterized by hypercholesterolemia are more likely to exhibit higher circulating but lower lipid-adjusted vitamin E level due to adequacy of the serum carriers for delivery of vitamin E. Only 0.47% of the population were below 12 μmol/L of vitamin E defined as functional deficiency. Conclusion: The prevalence rate of vitamin E deficiency in urban adults of Wuhan is low, which is important and useful to clinicians for clinical decision-making in public health practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Pediatric Reference Intervals in China (PRINCE) was initiated to establish the reference intervals (RIs) of Chinese children, as well as to make it possible to compare the variability of biochemical markers among countries internationally. Healthy participants, aged up to 20 years, from 11 provinces across China, were enrolled in PRINCE and according to a standard screening procedure, that included a questionnaire survey, physical examinations and laboratory tests. Fasting venous blood specimens were collected. All serum specimens were analyzed with Cobas C702 in the center laboratory, i.e. clinical laboratory of Beijing Children's Hospital, with certified qualification (ISO15189). The nonparametric method recommended by Clinical Laboratory Standards Institute guidelines, was used to calculate the age- and sex-specified RIs. Among the 15,150 participants enrolled, 12,352 children (6,093 males and 6,259 females) were included to calculate RIs. The RIs for total protein, albumin, globulin, calcium, phosphate, potassium, sodium, chlorine, alkaline phosphatase, γ-glutamyl transpeptadase, alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, creatinine and urea were established by age- or sex-partitions. Most biochemical markers displayed larger variability and higher dispersion during the periods between 28 days and 1 year old, and included 4–6 age partitions commonly during 1 to <20 years old. In addition, differences of RIs between sexes usually occurs around the initiation of puberty at 12–13 years old. The age- and sex-specified RIs of 14 biochemical markers in PRINCE study can provide a solid reference, which will be transferred into relevant RIs for other clinical laboratory's platforms according to the CLSI guidelines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soybean mosaic virus (SMV) is a worldwide and hardly controlled virus disease in soybean. Kefeng-1 is an elite variety resistant to SMV in China. In order to discover resistance genes and regulation networks in Kefeng-1, we analyzed transcriptome data of resistant (Kefeng-1) and susceptible (NN1138-2) soybean varieties in response to infection of the SMV strain SC18 at 0, 6, and 48 hours post-inoculation (hpi) and 5 days post-inoculation (dpi). Many differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified with Kefeng-1 and NN 1138-2. Based on the enrichment analysis for gene ontology (GO) and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway, we found that 48 hpi was the best time point for the defense response of the two soybean varieties in response to the SMV infection. The expression of seven candidate genes was further verified by qRT-PCR and was relatively consistent with the results of RNA-Seq. The expression of genes for Glyma.11G239000 and Glyma.18G018400, members of the ethylene-insensitive 3/ethylene-insensitive3-like (EIN3/EIL) protein family involved in ETH, were downregulated in NN1138-2 but not in Kefeng-1 and the expression of Glyma.14G041500 was upregulated in Kefeng-1 at 5 dpi. The expression of jasmonic acid repressor genes (TIFY/JAZ) was downregulated in NN1138-2 but not in Kefeng-1. NPR1 involved in the salicylic acid signaling pathway was downregulated in NN1138-2 at 48 hpi but upregulated in Kefeng-1. It shows that ethylene, jasmonic acid, and salicylic acid signaling pathways may be involved in the disease resistance process to the SMV strain SC18. Our findings would help to understand the molecular mechanism of soybean resistance to SMV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sediment flocculation is a key process for the deposition of fine-grained sediments in the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) of China. Sediment flocculation influences the evolution of the river regime, but also hampers the smooth navigation in the long term. However, the flocculation process and its controlling factors are poorly understood. We experimentally determined the flocculation properties of cohesive sediment of samples from the TGR (predominantly a mixture of clay and silt) over a range of turbulent shear rates and sediment concentrations. The experiments were conducted in an almost isotropic turbulence field, which was simulated by an array of horizontal oscillating grids in a water tank. Sediment flocculation was recorded by a camera and investigated by image analysis. Our new data indicate that flocculation is generally a response in equilibrium median floc size (df,50) to the increase of the shear rate G. The peak value is attained at G = 16.5 s−1, where df,50 is 81.3 μm (for the suspended sediment concentration (ssc) = 0.4 g/L) and 107 μm (for ssc=0.7 g/L), respectively. At low shear rates (G < 16.5 s−1), the equilibrium floc sizes df,50 increase with rising shear rate G and is inversely related to the Kolmogorov micro length scale η. We attribute this variability to an insufficient deposition time of the sediment flocs in the water tank. Settling velocities, calculated from our experimental data of the floc sizes, are almost consistent with in-situ measured settling velocities, and are ten times larger than the terminal settling velocity of primary particles as calculated from Stokes' law. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: The aim of this study is to investigate nurses' research capacity and related training needs in Shanghai to provide evidence to further nursing research training. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional design with a convenience sample of 1226 clinical registered nurses, including the Nursing Research Capacity of Self-Evaluation Questionnaire and Research Training Needs Form, was recruited from 14 public hospitals in Shanghai, China. And the influencing factors of nurses' research capacity were analyzed. Results: The mean score of nurses' research capacity was (46.25 ± 22.90) in Shanghai, that was at a low-to-medium level. The influencing factors of nurses' research capacity including age ( F = 15.983, P < 0.001), education ( F = 20.738, P < 0.001), professional title ( F = 6.993, P = 0.001), working years ( F = 7.803, P < 0.001), department ( F = 8.545, P < 0.001), and position ( F = -3.354, P = 0.001). The most critical factor is the time to participate a study ( P < 0.001). And what the nurses demanded were writing skills, special lectures, and participating in colleagues' projects mostly. Conclusion: Nurse's scientific research capacity still needs to be improved in Shanghai. The key to improving this situation is the individualized scientific research training and education for nurses and the practice of more participation in scientific research projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pediatric Reference Intervals in China (PRINCE) is a nationwide initiative that aims to establish and validate harmonized reference intervals (RIs) for Chinese children and adolescents, in which 15,150 healthy volunteers aged up to 20 years were recruited from 11 centers to establish RIs and 7,557 children and adolescents were enrolled from 21 centers to validate RIs. The complete blood cell counts (CBC) of venous whole blood were measured by hematology analyzers through Sysmex systems in different centers. Age- and sex-specific RIs were calculated according to the guidelines. Unlike adults with certain levels of analyte concentrations, hematological parameters of children changed through growth and development. Red blood cell counts, hemoglobin, and hematocrit increased with age, and revealed higher concentrations in boys than girls after puberty. White blood cell counts and platelet counts showed significant higher levels than adults before 2 years of age, and then gradually decreased without distinct sex differences. In addition, lymphocyte counts decreased with age while neutrophil counts showed an opposite trend. The lower and upper limits of pediatric RIs of CBC were different from those of adults. The validation of RIs indicated that the PRINCE study provided a version of RIs suitable for most of regions in China. This first harmonized pediatric RIs of CBC across China provided a robust database to understand the dynamic changes of hematologic parameters from birth to adolescence, and will contribute to clinical diagnosis and prognosis evaluation for pediatric patients as well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The role of biophysical variables in constructing community structure changes with the time since fire. The major objective of this study is to verify the transition stage and its underlying variables for the postfire forest and soil microbial function in the boreal forested area of China. A 50-year fire chronosequence was presented, and biomass of forbs, shrubs and woody plants was separately weighted to assess their contribution to the whole community with the year since fire (YSF). Simultaneously, soil biophysical properties were measured for stands in different time periods after fire. Soil microbial functions, i.e. growth efficiency (GE) and carbon use efficiency (CUE), were calculated based on ecoenzymatic and soil nutrient stoichiometry. In terms of vegetative structure, forbs' proportion decreased from 75% to 1.5%, but the proportion of woody plants increased from 0.04% to 70% across this fire chronosequence. GE and CUE of soil microorganisms averaged 0.242 and 0.236 and were significantly higher in 9, 15 and 31 YSF than in 2 and 3 YSF. Soil metal content was significantly increased at the late stage of this fire chronosequence, and soil calcium content showed a positive correlation with woody plant biomass and a negative correlation with soil microbial function. Overall, the present work highlights that the time period of 15 and 31 YSF is a hallmark stage for aboveground vegetative structure and soil microbial function to change in different trends and that the calcium content may partly account for these two divergent trajectories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soybean mosaic virus (SMV) disease is one of the main diseases affecting soybean and can cause severe soybean yield declines and seed quality deterioration. In the present study, a large F2 population (1002 individual plants) and recombinant inbred lines (RILs, 427 lines) obtained by crossing the resistant variety 'Kefeng‐1' with the susceptible variety 'NN 1138‐2' were used to fine map genes conferring resistance to the SMV strain SC9, which is common in soybean‐producing areas of Southern China. The results showed that the resistance gene RSC9 was located in a region of approximately 163 kb on chromosome 2, which is closely associated with two simple sequence repeat (SSR) markers, BARCSOYSSR_02_0610 and BARCSOYSSR_02_0618. Eleven candidate genes were included in this genomic region. Quantitative real‐time polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR) analysis showed that the expression levels of seven of the 11 candidate genes differed significantly between 'Kefeng‐1' and 'NN 1138‐2'. Two of these genes with typical disease resistance domains encoding STK protein kinases (Glyma.02g121900 and Glyma.02g122000) and one gene involved in an atypical disease resistance mechanism related to the ribonuclease H protein (LOC100812666) were selected for further research. Tissue‐specific expression analysis showed that all three of the genes exhibited the highest expression levels in the leaves of 'Kefeng‐1'. In NN 1138‐2, Glyma.02g121900 and Glyma.02g122000 showed the highest expression in stems, and LOC100812666 showed the highest expression in roots. Subcellular localization analysis showed that Glyma.02g121900 was expressed on the cytomembrane and nuclear membrane, Glyma.02g122000 was expressed on the cytomembrane, and LOC100812666 was expressed on the cytomembrane, nucleus and mitochondria. Virus‐induced gene silencing (VIGS) reduced the expression of the Glyma.02g121900, Glyma.02g122000 and LOC100812666 genes in Kefeng‐1 by 77%, 70% and 75%, and their expression levels in 'NN1138‐2' were downregulated by 65%, 97% and 75%, respectively. After silencing these three genes in 'Kefeng‐1', only LOC100812666‐silenced plants exhibited significant SMV accumulation when inoculated with SMV‐SC9, with the levels being approximately seven folds higher than those in plants carrying the empty vector pBPMV‐V2. The accumulation of SMV in the SiGm2000 and SiGmLoc666 plants of NN1138‐2 inoculated with SMV‐SC9 was increased by approximately 7‐ and 13‐fold, respectively, compared with that in pBPMV‐V2 plants, but the accumulation in SiGm1900 plants was not significantly altered. Based on the above results, we concluded that Glyma.02g122000 and LOC100812666 may be involved in the conditioning of soybean resistance to SMV SC9. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Uncovering the risk-transmitting path within economic sectors in China is crucial for understanding the stability of the Chinese economic system, especially under the current situation of the China–US trade conflicts. In this paper, we aim to uncover the risk spreading channels by means of volatility spillovers within the Chinese sectors using stock market data. By applying the generalized variance decomposition framework based on the VAR model and the rolling window approach, a set of connectedness matrices is obtained to reveal the overall and dynamic spillovers within sectors. We find that 17 sectors (mechanical equipment, electrical equipment, utilities, and so on) are risk transmitters and 11 sectors (national defense, bank, non-bank finance, and so on) are risk takers during the whole period. Under the extreme risk events (i.e., the global financial crisis, the Chinese interbank liquidity crisis, the Chinese stock market crash, and the China–US trade war), the connectedness measures significantly increase and the financial sectors play a buffer role in stabilizing the economic system. Our results are robust to changes of the model parameters. Our study not only uncovers the spillover effects within the Chinese sectors, but also highlights the deep understanding of the risk contagion patterns in the Chinese stock markets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and objectives: This study aimed at evaluating the accuracy of visual estimated blood loss in postpartum haemorrhage by midwives and nurses, as well as exploring its influencing factors. Background: Timely recognition of postpartum haemorrhage is critical in saving maternal lives. Yet midwives and nurses can barely distinguish whether the blood loss has reached a life‐threatening amount without precise measurement. Understanding their ability to accurately estimate the amount of blood loss and the influencing factors can help improve this ability with effective measures. Design: This research was a multicenter cross‐sectional survey with convenient sampling. Material and Methods: Using a modified online visual estimation questionnaire of blood loss, the QR code of this survey was sent to midwives and obstetrical nurses engaged in clinical practice in secondary and tertiary hospitals in Shanghai. A descriptive analysis was performed with demographics and the responses of visual estimated blood loss of each volume. The difference and consistency of the responses of each volume were evaluated. The relationship between each demographic characteristic and accuracy was explored. STROBE statement checklist was chosen for reporting the study process. Results: A total of 361 midwives and nurses participated in the survey. The finding showed an overall accuracy of 30.52% (1763/5776), with 25.3% and 18.0% subjects distinguishing postpartum haemorrhage (500 ml) and severe postpartum haemorrhage (1000 ml), respectively. The Kappa coefficients were slight to moderate (0.037–0.590). There were no differences among the categories of gender, age, academic degree, position, title, working experience in years, working department and reported methods of blood loss estimation with regard to accuracy. However, having institutional guidance for blood loss calculation showed a significant relationship with higher accuracy. Relevance to clinical practice: While representing a relatively well‐developed area in China, the accuracy of visual estimated blood loss was not satisfactory, as suggested in other developed countries around the world. Training and institutional guidance on blood loss quantification should be provided in midwifery settings, regardless of how the level of medical development is advanced. Conclusions: The accuracy of VEBL was low even with a visual aid, especially when the volume exceeds 500 ml. To improve accuracy, institutions should make standardadized assessment guidance and provide regular training for blood loss quantification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the causal effect of retirement on the labor supply. We used male workers in China as an example and selected work hours as a measure of labor supply. The study employed two methods, namely fuzzy regression discontinuity and two-stage least squares, to analyze the impact of retirement on the work hours of the older adults based on data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study in 2015. Results show that retirement did not significantly reduce the labor supply. However, its impact on the supply of different types of labor was inconsistent. We also found that retired old adults tended to allocate more work hours to self-employment. Policy implications are as following. There's room for increasing retirement age, but it may not be as effective as expected in increasing the level of labor supply. If a delay retirement policy is to be implemented, we should pay attention to the side effects on the normal replacement of labor in the job market and maintaining a reasonable turnover rate by implementing a flexible retirement system. Moreover, establishing a good job market environment for older adults as well as a mechanism and system for retired older adults with high human capital accumulation to return to the labor market are also recommended to increase the productivity level of the labor force. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The North China Plain (NCP) is an important agricultural area, where conventional tillage (CT) is used year-round. However, long-term CT has damaged the soil structure, threatening agricultural sustainability. Since 2002, we have conducted a long-term tillage experiment in the NCP to explore the effects of different types of tillage on soil and crop yield. As part of long-term conservation tillage, we conducted a 2-year study in 2016/2017 to determine the impact of no tillage (NT), subsoiling (SS), rotary tillage (RT) and CT on soil aggregate distribution, aggregate-associated organic carbon (AOC), aggregate-associated microbial biomass carbon (AMBC), and maize yield. Compared to CT, NT increased the content of macro-aggregates (+4.8%), aggregate-AOC (+8.3%), and aggregate-AMBC (+18.3%), but decreased maize yield (−11.5%). SS increased the contents of macro-aggregates (+5%), aggregate-AOC (+14.7%), and aggregate-AMBC (+16%); although the yield increase was not significant (+0.22%), it had the highest economic benefit among the four tillage measures. RT had no significant advantage when considering the above soil variables; moreover, it reduced maize yield by 16.1% compared with CT. Overall, SS is a suitable tillage measure to improve soil macro-aggregate content, carbon content, yield, and economic benefit in the NCP area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, with the issuance of the total water consumption statistics scheme (for trial implementation) and the water consumption statistical investigation system, the statistical investigation of agricultural water consumption in China has become increasingly standardized, and the scientificity and rationality of statistical methods have been further improved. The scope of the report has continued to expand, and the reporting platform has also been continuously improved. However, since the "Statistical Investigation System for Water Use" is still in the initial trial stage, there are still many problems in the implementation process, which need to be further studied in the next step. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dent disease is a rare X‐linked recessive inherited tubular disease. In this multicenter study, the clinical presentation and genetic background of Chinese children with Dent disease are studied to improve the cognition and diagnostic ability of pediatricians. In this prospective cohort, we described the genotype and phenotype of a national cohort composed of 45 pediatric probands with Dent disease belonging to 45 families from 12 different regions of China recruited from 2014 to 2018 by building up the multicenter registration system. The CLCN5 gene from 32 affected families revealed 28 different mutations. The OCRL gene from 13 affected families revealed 13 different mutations. The incidence of low‐molecular‐weight proteinuria (LMWP) in both Dent disease type 1 populations and Dent disease type 2 populations was 100.0%; however, the incidence of other manifestations was not high, which was similar to previously reported data. Therefore, LMWP is a key clinical feature that should alert clinicians to the possibility of Dent disease. A high amount of LMWP combined with positive gene test results can be used as the diagnostic criteria for this disease. The diagnostic criteria are helpful in reducing the missed diagnosis of this disease and are beneficial for protecting the renal function of these patients through early diagnosis and early intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the approaches and diagnostic yield of genetic testing for renal disease in children, we describe the genotype and phenotype of the national cohort of children with renal disease from 13 different regions of China recruited from 2014 to 2018 by building up the multicenter registration system (Chinese Children Genetic Kidney Disease Database, CCGKDD). Genetic diagnosis was confirmed in 42.1% of our cohort of 1001 pediatric patients with clinical suspicion of a genetic renal disease. Of the 106 distinct monogenetic disorders detected, 15 accounted for 60.7% of genetic diagnoses. The diagnostic yield was 29.1% in steroid resistant nephritic syndrome (SRNS), 61.4% in cystic renal disease, 17.0% in congenital anomalies of the kidney and urinary tract (CAKUT), 62.3% in renal tubular disease/renal calcinosis, and 23.9% for chronic kidney disease (CKD) 3 to 5 stage with unknown origin. Genetic approaches of target gene sequence (TGS), singleton whole‐exome sequencing (WES) and trio‐WES were performed with diagnostic rates of 44.8%, 36.2%, and 42.6%, respectively. The early use of trio‐WES could improve the diagnostic rate especially in renal tubular disease and calcinosis. We report the genetic spectrum of Chinese children with renal disease. Establishment of the CCGKDD will improve the genetic work on renal disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the rational classification and screening of the literature related to the transformation of urban villages in China, this paper studied the research framework of the architectural space field in the study of urban village transformation, and analyzed the research status of architectural spaces and users in the process of urban village transformation, proposed four research contents of urban village transformation, namely, promoting space rights for all types of people to live on an equal footing, paying attention to the renewal and rejuvenation of urban areas, attaching importance to the technical methods of space construction, and ensuring flexible and diverse space construction methods, and summed up the necessity of carrying out research on urban village transformation in the field of architectural space construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The overall global burden of stroke is considerable and increasing. In China, stroke is the leading cause of death and disability. Methods: For this study, we used data from the National Stroke Screening Survey in 2012 and the 2010 Chinese population from sixth National Census of Populations to calculate a standardized (by age, gender, and education) stroke prevalence. Prevalence, risk factors, and management of stroke were compared by gender, age, and site. Findings: The standardized prevalence rate of survival stroke patients in study population aged 60 and older was 4.94% in total. Hypertension was the most prevalent risk factor for stroke. Compared to men, women were more likely to have diabetes, obesity, elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and atrial fibrillation (P < 0.05). Men were far more likely to drink and smoke than women (P < 0.05). The rates of diabetes and atrial fibrillation were substantially higher in urban than those in rural stroke survivors (P < 0.05). Rural stroke survivors exhibited higher rates of smoking and alcohol consumption than urban stroke survivors (P < 0.05). Interpretation: The stroke prevalence in China is in line with median worldwide stroke prevalence. Traditional risk factors remain highly prevalent in stroke survivors, among which hypertension was the most common. Stroke prevalence rates and risk factors varied by age, sex, and sociogeological factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Early diagnosis of minimal change disease (MCD) in nephrotic syndrome (NS) patients remains challenging. Doctors often make a diagnosis of MCD using invasive renal biopsy. CD80, a transmembrane protein, is present on podocytes in a number of experimental models of NS. Urinary CD80 levels are significantly elevated in MCD but not in focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) or other glomerulopathies. The purpose of this study was to investigate the feasibility of using urinary CD80 levels as a biomarker for the diagnosis of MCD. Materials and methods: A total of 165 subjects, 129 men and 36 women, were enrolled in this study. Urinary samples were collected from 37 patients with MCD, 27 patients with FSGS, 30 patients with other glomerulopathies, and 71 healthy people. Using ELISA, experimental values were compared with those produced by kidney biopsy samples. Results: The concentration of urinary CD80 was significantly higher in the active MCD group (689.66 ± 378.21 ng/g creatinine) than in the FSGS group (123.49 ± 167. 88 ng/g creatinine, P < 0.00), other glomerulopathies group (152.37 ± 220. 14 ng/g creatinine, P < 0.001) and the control group (81.83 ± 23.01 ng/g creatinine; P < 0.001). A cutoff value of 328.98 (ng/g creatinine) was proposed, with a sensitivity of 81.1 % and specificity of 94.4 %. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for the urinary CD80 to diagnose MCD was 0.925 (95 % confidence interval: 0.873-0.978). Conclusions: This experiment has preliminarily confirmed urinary CD80 as a non-invasive diagnostic biomarker. It may have significant value in the diagnosis of MCD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim The prevalence of chronic kidney disease ( CKD) in children has been on the rise in China and more and more paediatric patients are now relying on chronic renal replacement therapies to sustain their lives. However, there is still a lack of literature in China about their outcomes, thus making it difficult, if not impossible for the paediatric nephrology community to develop strategies to guide future developments and to better serve this group of sick children. Methods Our institution has recently conducted a nation-wide survey to obtain data of children with end-stage renal disease ( ESRD) between the years 2007 to 2012. Questionnaires were distributed to 39 member hospitals of the Chinese Paediatric Nephrology Association. Only 28 of our member hospitals were actively providing dialysis services to children and their responses were included in this study. Results There were a total of 1033 children with ESRD and within this cohort, 474 patients (45.9%) received chronic dialysis and 380 patients (80.2%) preferred haemodialysis. Conclusion Haemodialysis is far more commonly used than peritoneal dialysis in China and the outcomes were similar to the experiences in North America. The data we gained through this survey provides the foundation for future planning and development of the paediatric dialysis services in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The past century witnessed a rapid development of respiratory medicine in China. The major burden of respiratory disease has shifted from infectious diseases to chronic noninfectious diseases. Great achievements have been made in improving the national standard of clinical management of various respiratory diseases and in smoking control. The specialty of respiratory medicine is expanding into pulmonary and critical care medicine. Nevertheless, respiratory diseases remain a major public health problem, with new challenges such as air pollution and nosocomial infections. This review describes the history, accomplishments, new challenges, and opportunities in respiratory medicine in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, using a moving window to scan through every stock price time series over a period from 2 January 2001 to 11 March 2011 and mutual information to measure the statistical interdependence between stock prices, we construct a corresponding weighted network for 501 Shanghai stocks in every given window. Next, we extract its maximal spanning tree and understand the structure variation of Shanghai stock market by analyzing the average path length, the influence of the center node and the p-value for every maximal spanning tree. A further analysis of the structure properties of maximal spanning trees over different periods of Shanghai stock market is carried out. All the obtained results indicate that the periods around 8 August 2005, 17 October 2007 and 25 December 2008 are turning points of Shanghai stock market, at turning points, the topology structure of the maximal spanning tree changes obviously: the degree of separation between nodes increases; the structure becomes looser; the influence of the center node gets smaller, and the degree distribution of the maximal spanning tree is no longer a power-law distribution. Lastly, we give an analysis of the variations of the single-step and multi-step survival ratios for all maximal spanning trees and find that two stocks are closely bonded and hard to be broken in a short term, on the contrary, no pair of stocks remains closely bonded for a long time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: According to observation of cores and thin sections, as well as analyses of fluid pressure features and geochemical indexes, the cause of fluid overpressure and the mechanism of shale oil enrichment in the Lucaogou Formation, Malang Sag, Santanghu Basin, were discussed. The results show that the shale oil of the Lucaogou Formation is generated in the low mature–premature stage of the source rocks and has the features of high density and high viscosity. The low-permeability and thick source rocks lead to high start-up resistance of fluid, which made it difficult for oil and gas to expel, so the retainment of oil and gas in source rocks is the major cause of formation overpressure. Excellent generation potential and well developed reservoir space are the basis for the oil retention; the pressure produced by hydrocarbon generation is not high enough to overcome the resistance of oil migration, which leads to the enrichment of shale oil. The enrichment degree of shale oil is controlled by hydrocarbon generation and storage capacity of lithofacies at various evolution stages. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

ABSTRACT Pteris multifida Poiret (Pteridaceae), also known as Fong-Wei-Cao, is the most commonly used material in herb beverages in Taiwan and also used as one of the vegetable resources in Main China. The aqueous extract of P. multifida Poiret (AEPM) was prepared and its antioxidant and free radical-scavenging activities were studied. AEPM showed high antioxidant activities by conjugated diene method. At 20 mg/mL, AEPM exhibited high scavenging effects on α-diphenyl- β-picrylhydrazyl, hydroxyl, ferrous radical (82.5, 80.1 and 85.4, respectively) and reducing power (Abs, 700 nm = 1.03). AEPM has various antioxidant activities that may be due to the different naturally occurring antioxidant components. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Consumers need high-quality herb-beverage products and to understand their potential functions. Our results indicated that the qualities of aqueous extract of P. multifida Poiret possess antioxidant and free radical-scavenging activities and this evidence could be regard as the important scientific basis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to identify the 'centres of endemism' of the Chinese spermatophyte flora in order to indirectly detect the locations of past glacial refugia. The role of these areas as places for plant survival ('plant museums') and/or areas for plant evolution and speciation ('plant cradles') was also assessed. China. Distribution patterns of 555 plant endemic taxa, taken as a representative sample of the Chinese endemic flora, were mapped on a 1° × 1° latitude/longitude grid. For each grid cell, species richness (total count of species) and weighted richness (down-weighting each species by the inverse of its range) were calculated. Grid cells within the top 5% of highest values of weighted richness were considered centres of endemism. Based on available information, all plant taxa included in this study were classified into palaeoendemics and neoendemics, and their distributional patterns were represented separately. Twenty areas of endemism were identified in central and southern China, roughly corresponding to mountain ranges, including the Hengduan and Daxue Mountains, the Yungui Plateau, central China Mountains, the Nanling Mountains, eastern China Mountains, and Hainan and Taiwan. Although almost all centres of endemism contained both palaeoendemic and neoendemic taxa, considerable differences in their respective numbers were recorded, with the majority of neoendemics on the eastern fringe of the Tibetan Plateau (Hengduan Mountains sensu lato) but more palaeoendemics towards the east. Owing to their varied topography, the mountainous regions of central and southern China have provided long-term stable habitats, which allowed palaeoendemics to persist and facilitated the process of speciation. Contrasting patterns between the palaeoendemics and neoendemics within refugia might be attributable to the geological and tectonic history of specific areas. The eastern fringe of the Tibetan Plateau clearly constitutes the 'evolutionary front' of China, probably as a result of the uninterrupted uplift of the plateau since the late Neogene. In contrast, the tectonic stability of central and southern China during the Tertiary may have facilitated the persistence of relict plant lineages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A total of 25 Chinese patients aged 6 to 36 months hospitalised at Beijing Children's Hospital due to melamine-induced kidney stones complicated by acute obstructive renal failure in 2008 were included in a study in order to diagnose and treat these special cases more effectively. Feeding history, clinical presentation, ultrasound findings, treatments and effects were summarised. Twelve to seventeen months follow-up was reported also. Ultrasound examination showed that calculi were located at the kidney and ureters. Stones were composed of both uric acid and melamine in a molar ratio of 1.2:1 to 2.1:1. Treatments providing liquid plus alkalisation of urine proved to be effective in helping the patients pass the stones. Surgical intervention was needed in severe cases. Renal function returned to normal in all 25 patients after various durations of therapy. Sixty-eight percent of the patients expelled all of the calculi within 3 months, 90% in 6 months and 95% in 9 months, without sequelae till now. Melamine-contaminated milk formula can cause kidney stones in infants, which should be diagnosed by feeding history, clinical symptoms and ultrasound examination. Composition of the stones was not only of melamine but also uric acid. Providing liquid orally or intravenously plus alkalisation of urine proved to promote the removal of the stones. Follow-up of 12 to 17 months after discharge showed no sequelae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Streptococcus pyogenes are highly prevalent bacterial pathogens, especially in school-aged children. However, the characteristics of asymptomatic carriers vary geographically in different countries. We aimed to investigate S. pyogenes isolated from healthy schoolchildren in China. From 2007 to 2008, a total of 94 S. pyogenes isolates were obtained from healthy schoolchildren in Beijing and Chongqing, China. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing, determination of macrolide resistance genes ( ermB, ermA and mefA), emm genotyping, pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), and multilocus sequence typing (MLST) were performed. The resistance rate to macrolides was 96.8% and to tetracycline was 92.6%. All macrolide-resistant isolates exhibited constitutive resistance; 77 isolates (84.6%) had the ermB gene, while 14 isolates (15.4%) had the ermA gene. Among the macrolide-resistant isolates, the most frequent emm type was emm12 (51.6%), followed by emm22 (14.3%) and ST1815 (8.8%). PFGE analysis revealed 12 different patterns, with a given pattern having the same sequence type (ST) by MLST and the same emm type. In conclusion, the rate of macrolide resistance to S. pyogenes is currently very high in China. This is due primarily to the dissemination of a limited number of clones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: This study examines reasons for the shortage of qualified academic librarians in China and recommends ways to position Chinese academic libraries to move into the modern era. Interviews were conducted with 20 academic librarians in China and 20 in the United States, in one library in each country, to collect data for a comparative study. This paper compares Chinese and US academic librarianship in terms of reasons for entering this profession, academic education in library and information science, and requirements for knowledge and information skills. Chinese librarianship faces great challenges in the recruitment and education of librarians and with the library system itself. It is time for the government, university officials, libraries and society as a whole to learn to promote librarianship and build a powerful librarian workforce, to meet the needs of China''s social and economic development. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Studies the clinical experience with glomerular disease at a pediatric referral center in Beijing, China. Summary of discharge diagnoses from the Nephrology Section in 1992; Mortality in children with renal disease.

This article focuses on the basic characteristics of peasants settling in towns with self-supplied grain in Shanghai's suburban counties. Since the policies of reform and openness to the outside world were adopted, the rural economy has developed from a unitary to a pluralist system, and the number of surplus laborers engaged in nonagricultural work has increased daily. In the suburban countryside of Shanghai, the proportion of laborers engaged in the nonagricultural sector had increased from 32 percent in 1978 to 62.4 percent in 1986, and they became progressively concentrated in urban areas. From 1980 to 1986, the total population of market towns in Shanghai Municipality increased by 570,000, and 73 percent of this consisted of a floating population that came from the countryside to engage in industry, trade, and services. By 1986, due to the development of township and town enterprises and the flourishing rural-urban exchange of goods, 53.7 percent of the total population of the market towns worked there during the day and returned to rest in the countryside at night.

Due to the national dynamic zero-COVID strategy in China, there were no persistent local transmissions of SARS-CoV-2 in Beijing before December, 2022. However, imported cases have been frequently detected over the past 3 years. With soaring growth in the number of COVID-19 cases in China recently, there are concerns that there might be an emergence of novel SARS-CoV-2 variants. Routine surveillance of viral genomes has been carried out in Beijing over the last 3 years. Spatiotemporal analyses of recent viral genome sequences compared with that of global pooled and local data are crucial for the global response to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. We routinely collected respiratory samples covering both imported and local cases in Beijing for the last 3 years (of which the present study pertains to samples collected between January and December, 2022), and then randomly selected samples for analysis. Next-generation sequencing was used to generate the SARS-CoV-2 genomes. Phylogenetic and population dynamic analyses were performed using high-quality complete sequences in this study. We obtained a total of 2994 complete SARS-CoV-2 genome sequences in this study, among which 2881 were high quality and were used for further analysis. From Nov 14 to Dec 20, we sequenced 413 new samples, including 350 local cases and 63 imported cases. All of these genomes belong to the existing 123 Pango lineages, showing there are no persistently dominant variants or novel lineages. Nevertheless, BA.5.2 and BF.7 are currently dominant in Beijing, accounting for 90% of local cases since Nov 14 (315 of 350 local cases sequenced in this study). The effective population size for both BA.5.2 and BF.7 in Beijing increased after Nov 14, 2022. The co-circulation of BF.7 and BA.5.2 has been present in the current outbreak since Nov 14, 2022 in Beijing, and there is no evidence that novel variants emerged. Although our data were only from Beijing, the results could be considered a snapshot of China, due to the frequent population exchange and the presence of circulating strains with high transmissibility. National Key Research and Development Program of China and Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences. For the Chinese translation of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Tobacco use is one of the most important risk factors for health, and China is the largest producer and consumer of tobacco in the world. Monitoring and controlling the tobacco epidemic is an important issue. However, the motivation underlying smoking behavior is complex and specific to the individual. The Habit, Reward and Fear Scale (HRFS) is a feasible tool to evaluate this complex motivation. Objectives: To validate the psychometric properties of the HRFS Chinese version (HRFS‐C) and to assess the relationship between motivation and smoking behavior. Method: We recruited 967 participants through social media and assessed their smoking behavior with three instruments: the Fagerstrom Test for Nicotine Dependence‐Chinese version (FTND‐C), the Questionnaire on Smoking Urges‐Brief Scale‐Chinese version (QSU‐brief‐C), and the HRFS‐C. Ultimately, we retained 700 valid data points. Cronbach's α and split‐half tests were used to evaluate the reliability. Confirmatory factor analysis, Pearson's r and an analysis of variance (ANOVA) were used to evaluate the validity. In addition, linear regression was used to explore the relationship among the three instruments. The HRFS‐C showed good homogeneity (α = 0.965), concurrent validity, and discriminant validity. A significant linear relationship was observed among the FTND‐C, QSU‐brief‐C, and HRFS‐C (p <.001). Conclusion: The motivation measured by the HRFS‐C can significantly predict nicotine dependence and craving in the smoking population. The HRFS‐C can be used to carry out targeted interventions for addicted patients (e.g., motivational enhancement therapy). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Ore-forming materials were derived from a crust-mantle-mixed source. • Ore-forming fluids and materials at Liaoshang have multiple and complex sources. • Mesozoic tectono-magmatic activities have controlled on the formation of orebodies. The Jiaodong Peninsula is the most important gold province in China, and the Liaoshang gold deposit represents a major recent prospecting breakthrough in Jiaodong. Based on detailed metallographic and microstructural observations, and He-Ar-Pb isotope compositions of fluid inclusions from main-ore-stage pyrite were presented, as well as the C O isotope compositions of main-ore-stage dolomite. Fluid inclusions from the pyrite have 3He = 1.18 – 8.69 × 10-14 cm3STP/g, 4He = 1.21 – 3.24 × 10-7 cm3STP/g, and 3He/4He = 0.12 – 0.81 Ra, and the ore-forming fluid was mainly crustal-sourced with mantle fluid input. The fluid inclusions have 40Ar = 5.42 – 1.87 × 10-7 cm3STP/g, 40Ar/36Ar = 328.5 – 511.3, close to saturated meteoric water 40Ar/36Ar value. It is speculated that the crustal-sourced ore fluid may have had meteoric water input in the mineralization. The main-ore-stage dolomite contains δ13C = -2.9 to −4.4 ‰ and δ18O V-SMOW = 10.5 to 11.3 ‰. It is speculated that the carbon was mainly deep magmatic fluid- or magma-sourced. The pyrite has 206Pb/204Pb = 17.244 – 17.416, 207Pb/204Pb = 15.448 – 15.462, 208Pb/204Pb = 37.824 – 37.950, and 206Pb/207Pb = 1.116 – 1.125, indicating that the ore-forming materials were derived from a crust-mantle-mixed source, which we considered to be the Linglong granite and the Jiaodong (or Jingshan) Group wallrocks. We conclude that the ore-forming fluids and materials at Liaoshang have multiple and complex sources, and that the Mesozoic tectono-magmatic activities have a clear control on the formation and distribution of the Liaoshang gold orebodies.. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The Sidingheishan granodiorite, gabbro and monzogranite were emplaced at ca. 426.5 Ma, 406–397 Ma, and 382 Ma, respectively. • The Sidingheishan granodiorite and monzogranite was formed during partial melting of subducted oceanic crust interacting with a mantle wedge. • The Devonian mafic rocks are products of subduction–related magmatism in a continental arc margin setting rather than post-collisional extensional tectonic setting. • The Sidingheishan intrusion and associated with porphyry Cu–Mo mineralisation were generated in an arc setting. The Sidingheishan porphyry Cu–Mo deposit is located in the northeastern margin of the Kanggur–Huangshan Shear Zone of the Eastern Tianshan Terrane (ETT) in the Xinjiang Province of northwestern China. Laser Ablation–Inductively Coupled Plasma–Mass Spectrometry (LA–ICP–MS) zircon U–Pb dating of rocks in the area yielded an emplacement age of 427 ± 3 Ma for the ore-bearing granodiorite, which is intruded by 406 ± 3 to 397 ± 4 Ma gabbro, and a 382 ± 4 Ma monzogranite. These rocks have a tholeiitic to calc–alkaline and metaluminous geochemical affinities, with A/CNK values ranging from 0.65 to 1.14. The Silurian granodiorite and Carboniferous monzogranite are enriched in LREEs and LILEs (i.e. K, Ba, Pb and Sr), depleted in HREEs and HFSEs (i.e. Nb, Ta and Ti), and slightly positive Eu anomalies (Eu/Eu* = 0.94–1.39) indicative of crystal fractionation. The granodiorite and monzogranite have elevated MgO assays (0.36–1.85 wt%) and Mg# values (34–52), low (87Sr/86Sr) i ratios of 0.70320–0.70435, high ε Nd (t) values (5.9–6.9), T DM 2 Nd model ages between 687 and 568 Ma, and ε Hf (t) values between + 8.37 and + 17.44. The geochemistry of the Early Devonian gabbro is characterised by its low SiO 2 assays of 47.69–51.34 wt% and high Al 2 O 3 assays of 18.07–22.91 wt% and MgO assays of 2.29–7.09 wt% (with Mg# values of 38–64), ε Nd (t) values of 4.7–6.9, ε Hf (t) of 8.04–17.97, and (87Sr/86Sr) i values of 0.70371–0.70420. The gabbro samples are enriched in LILEs, depleted in HFSEs, and have positive Eu anomalies. Combined with the regional geological history and above mentioned data, we suggest that the Sidingheishan granodiorite and monzogranite were formed during partial melting of subducted oceanic crust interacting with the lithospheric mantle. We also proposed that the Devonian gabbro developed during an extensional tectonic setting involving subduction–related magmatism in a continental arc margin rather than during mantle plume activity in the post–collisional extensional tectonic setting. The Sidingheishan granodiorite and associated porphyry Cu–Mo mineralisation were generated in an arc setting, associated with the N-dipping subduction of the Palaeo–Tianshan oceanic plate beneath the Dananhu–Tousuquan island arc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bisphenol A (BPA), a well-known endocrine disruptor, was reported to promote migration and invasion of lung cancer cells, but findings in human study is absent. A case-control study in Chinese population was conducted to evaluate the association between BPA exposure and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and explore the interaction between BPA exposure and estrogen-related genetic polymorphism on NSCLC. BPA concentrations were measured in urine samples using an UHPLC-MS method and rs2046210 in estrogen receptor α (ESR1) gene was genotyped by TaqMan genotyping system. Logistic regression was performed to estimate odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) for the association analyses. As a result, 615 NSCLC cases and 615 healthy controls were enrolled from Wuhan, central China. The mean age was 58.0 (SD: 7.9) years old for controls and 59.2 (SD: 8.8) years old for cancer cases. The creatinine-adjusted BPA levels were significantly higher in NSCLC cases than that in healthy controls (median: 0.97 vs 0.73 μg/L, P < 0.001). Exposure to high levels of BPA was significantly associated with NSCLC (adjusted OR = 1.91, 95%CI: 1.39–2.62, P < 0.001 for the highest quartile). We also observed a shallow concave dose-response relationship about the overall association between BPA and NSCLC. Moreover, interaction analyses showed that BPA exposure interacted multiplicatively with rs2046210, with a marginal P value (P = 0.049), to contribute to NSCLC. In conclusion, exposure to high levels BPA may be associated with NSCLC and the relationship may be modified by genetic polymorphism in ESR1. • The bisphenol A (BPA) level was higher in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cases than controls. • BPA was significantly associated with NSCLC, particularly in non-smokers. • BPA exposure interacted with ESR1 rs2046210 to contribute to NSCLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ischemic stroke (IS) is a major cause of death and disability worldwide. Genetic factors are important risk factors for the development of IS. The quinone oxidoreductase 1 gene (NQO1) has antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and cytoprotective properties. Thus, in this study, we investigated the relationship between NQO1 gene polymorphism and the risk of IS., Methods: Peripheral blood was collected from 143 patients with IS and 124 the control groups in Yunnan, China, and NQO1 rs2917673, rs689455, and rs1800566 were genotyped. Logistic regression was used to analyze the relationship between the three NQO1 loci and IS susceptibility. The difference in the expression levels of NQO1 between the control groups and IS groups was verified using public databases and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay., Results: The rs2917673 locus increased the risk of IS by 2.375 times in TT genotype carriers under the co-dominance model compared with CC carriers and was statistically associated with the risk of IS (OR = 2.375, 95% CI = 1.017-5.546, P = 0.046). In the recessive model, TT genotype carriers increased IS risk by 2.407 times compared with CC/CT carriers and were statistically associated with the risk of IS (OR = 2.407, 95% CI = 1.073-5.396, P = 0.033)., Conclusions: NQO1 rs2917673 polymorphism is significantly associated with IS. Mutant TT carriers are risk factors for IS., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Unreasonable exploitation of artificial forest causes severe soil erosion in the mountainous areas of sou-thern China. The spatial-temporal variations of soil erosion in typical small watershed with artificial forest has signifi-cant implications for artificial forest exploitation and sustainable development of mountainous ecological environment. In this study, we used revised universal soil loss equation (RUSLE) and geographic information system (GIS) to evaluate the spatial and temporal variations of soil erosion and its key drivers of Dadingshan watershed in mountainous area of western Guangdong. The results showed that the erosion modulus was 1948.1 t·km -2 ·a -1 (belonging to light erosion) in the Dadingshan watershed. However, the spatial variation of soil erosion was substantial, with variation coefficient of 5.12. The maximal soil erosion modulus was 191127 t·km -2 ·a -1 . Slight erosion (<500 t·km -2 ·a -1 ) accounted for 80.6% of the total watershed area. The moderate erosion and above (>2500 t·km -2 ·a -1 ) were mainly distributed in young Eucalyptus forest area with less than 30% of the vegetation coverage, which contributed nearly 75.7% of total soil erosion. During 2014-2019, the interannual variations of mean erosion of Dadingshan catchment was modest, but the spatial variation of soil erosion was large. Vegetation cover, slope, and rainfall were key drivers of such variation. The destruction of natural vegetation resulted by plantation exploitation was the primary cause of soil erosion in afforestation areas. Soil erosion significantly increased with the increases of slope gradient in the young forest area, which was aggravated by extreme rainfall. However, soil erosion gradually decreased with the increases of the age of Eucalypt plantation. Therefore, the hot spot of soil erosion was young forest areas of Eucalypt plantation with slope >25°, and the key period for soil erosion control was the first 2-3 years after Eucalyptus planting. We suggested that reasonable afforestation measures should be used in area with >25° slopes, and that the destruction of natural vegetation should be avoided on hillslope with >35° slope gradient. The road construction standards and forest management should be further improved to address the challenge of extreme rainfalls.

To control the spread of COVID-19, Shijiazhuang implemented two lockdowns of different magnitudes in 2020 (lockdown I) and 2021 (lockdown II). We analyzed the changes in air quality index (AQI), PM 2.5 , O 3 , and VOCs during the two lockdowns and the same period in 2019 and quantified the effects of anthropogenic sources during the lockdowns. The results show that AQI decreased by 13.2% and 32.4%, and PM 2.5 concentrations decreased by 12.9% and 42.4% during lockdown I and lockdown II, respectively, due to the decrease in urban traffic mobility and industrial activity levels. However, the sudden and unreasonable emission reductions led to an increase in O 3 concentrations by 160.6% and 108.4%, respectively, during the lockdown period. To explore the causes of the O 3 surge, the major precursors NO x and VOCs were studied separately, and the main VOCs species affecting ozone formation during the lockdown period and the source variation of VOCs were identified, and it is important to note that the relationship between diurnal variation characteristics of VOCs and cooking became apparent during the lockdown period. These findings suggest that regional air quality can be improved by limiting production, but attention should be paid to the surge of O 3 caused by unreasonable emission reductions, clarifying the control priorities for urban O 3 management., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

ABSTRACT Pediatric tuberculosis (TB) is a serious infectious disease that affects many children worldwide and is more likely to be extrapulmonary than adult TB. However, the clinical and epidemiological profile, and cost burden of pediatric extrapulmonary TB (EPTB) in China remain unknown. Here, we conducted a descriptive, multicenter study of pediatric TB patients from 22 hospitals across all six regions in China from October 2015 to December 2018. Of 4,654 patients, 54.23% (2,524) had pulmonary TB (PTB), 17.76% (827) had EPTB, and 28.00% (1,303) had concurrent extrapulmonary and pulmonary TB (combined TB). Compared with PTB, EPTB and combined TB were associated with lower hospitalization frequency (2.43 and 2.21 vs. 3.16 times), longer length of stay (10.61 and 11.27 vs. 8.56 days), and higher rate of discharge against medical advice (8.46% and 9.44% vs. 5.67%). EPTB was associated with higher mortality (0.97% vs. 0.24% and 0.31%), higher rate of low birth weight (17.69% vs. 6.79% and 6.22%), worse diagnosis at the first visit (21.16% vs. 34.67% and 44.47%), and worse hospitalization plan situation (4.35% vs. 7.81% and 7.44%), compared with PTB and combined TB. EPTB and combined TB had higher financial burdens (17.67% and 16.94% vs. 13.30%) and higher rates of catastrophic expenditure (8.22% and 9.59% vs. 5.03%), compared with PTB. Meningitis TB (34.18%) was the most frequent form of total extrapulmonary infection and had the highest cost burden and rate of catastrophic expenditure. In conclusion, improved screening approaches for pediatric EPTB are needed to reduce diagnostic challenges and financial burden.

Objectives: This study aimed to explore the distribution differences of common risk factors between coronary heart disease (CHD) and stroke in China., Setting: The China National Stroke Screening Survey is a cluster sampling survey based on a nationwide general community population, adopting multistage stratified sampling method and covering all 31 provinces in China mainland., Participants: A total number of 725 707 people aged 40 years and above were included in the study., Primary and Secondary Outcome Measures: The basic demographic information, lifestyle behaviour, physical examination, traditional risk factors, family history of cardiovascular disease (CVD) and CVD events were collected. Risk factors of CHD and stroke were explored and analysed in the whole investigated population to identify the common risk factors. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to analyse the distribution difference of risk factors between CHD and stroke., Results: There were 13 variables associated with CHD and stroke, in which 11 variables revealed differences in the distribution between CHD and stroke. Family history of stroke (OR: 2.30; 95% CI 2.15 to 2.45), men (OR: 1.92; 95% CI 1.80 to 2.05), rural areas (OR: 1.70; 95% CI 1.60 to 1.80), transient ischaemic attack (OR: 1.41; 95% CI 1.30 to 1.54) and hypertension (OR: 1.28; 95% CI 1.19 to 1.38) indicated significantly stronger association with stroke, while family history of CHD (OR: 0.25; 95% CI 0.23 to 0.27), atrial fibrillation (OR: 0.60; 95% CI 0.51 to 0.71), diabetes (OR: 0.76; 95% CI 0.71 to 0.81), dyslipidaemia (OR: 0.76; 95% CI 0.72 to 0.81), smoking (OR: 0.79; 95% CI 0.73 to 0.85) and overweight/obesity (OR: 0.90; 95% CI 0.86 to 0.93) had closer relationship with CHD., Conclusions: The distribution of risk factors for CHD and stroke were substantial differences. More specific prevention and control measures should be formulated according to the distribution differences of risk factors related to CVD., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2022. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)