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Despite the well-documented phenomenon that Chinese parents tend to be actively involved in their young children's education, few studies have explored how Chinese parents manifest math involvement and how their practices operate in early math learning at home. This study investigated Chinese mothers' teaching behavior and its relation to child activity by examining mother-child interactions in everyday math activities. Forty-eight 5-year-olds and their mothers were recruited from 4 kindergartens in Northeastern China, and participated in two everyday mathematical tasks. Mother-child teaching interactions were video recorded. The results revealed that Chinese mothers modified their teaching strategies based on the task, and provided high level of learning-oriented support during the teaching interactions. The findings also suggested that contrary to the stereotypical image of Chinese parents as controlling and punitive, Chinese mothers who used more directive strategies were also more likely to use open-ended and positive strategies in math activities. Furthermore, the findings demonstrated that the relationship between maternal teaching and children's activities seem to resemble the white-middle-class pattern, which indicated open-ended and positive teaching strategies might be more important in promoting children's independent engagement in math tasks than directing and focusing strategies.

Help-seeking for depression and anxiety disorders from primary care physicians in Western countries is at three times the rate of China. Western help-seeking models for common mental disorders have limitations in the Chinese settings. This article argues that an adapted model based on Andersen's Behavioral Model of Health Services Use could be an appropriate tool to better understand patients' help-seeking behaviors and improve outcomes. We applied a narrative review approach to integrate research findings from China into Andersen's model to generate a model that fits the Chinese context. We found 39 relevant articles in PubMed, MEDLINE, and Chinese journal databases from 1999 to 2022. Findings were mapped onto predisposing, enabling, and need factors of the model. This model emphasizes that predisposing factors including demographics, social norms, and health beliefs influence help-seeking preferences. Mental health service users in China tend to be older and female. Chinese generally have high concern about psychotropic medications, and social norms that consider psychological distress a personal weakness may discourage help-seeking. However, help-seeking can be enhanced by enabling factors in the health system, including training of primary care physicians, longer consultation time, and continuity of care. Need factors for treatment increase with the severity of distress symptoms, and doctor's skills and attitudes in recognizing psychosomatic symptoms. While predisposing factors are relatively hard to change, enabling factors in the health system and need factors for treatment can be targeted by enhancing the role of family doctors and training in mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This paper aims to disentangle the mechanism linking digital servitization and manufacturing firm performance. The contributions of the service networks and slack resources are analyzed. Design/methodology/approach: Drawing on a survey of manufacturing firms that have implemented or are implementing digital service projects in China, this paper examines the mediation effect of service networks and the moderated mediation effect of slack resources to capture the role of service networks and slack resources in the relationship between digital servitization and manufacturing firm performance. Findings: Both basic and advanced digital services can equally contribute to manufacturing firm performance. Service networks mediate the relationship between basic digital servitization and manufacturing firm performance. No moderated mediation effect of slack resources is found, but slack resources negatively moderate the effects of basic digital services on service networks and positively impact service networks. Originality/value: The mediating mechanism of service networks in the relationship between digital servitization and manufacturing firm performance is theorized, and it is clarified that service networks mediate the association between basic digital services and manufacturing firm performance but not advanced digital services. Additionally, there is no significant difference in performance implications when manufacturing firms provide basic versus advanced digital services, answering the call for research on the various types of digital servitization. This paper also identifies firms' slack resources as the boundary conditions under which basic digital services influence service networks and the positive impacts of slack resources on service networks, bridging the network literature, organizational slack literature and digitalization literature under the framework of service ecosystem research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Amidst climate change, managing water and vegetation adaptability is vital in ecology and agriculture. Salix psammophila is key in deserts, maintaining ecological balance and combating desertification. Understanding its surface condensation and response to weather is critical for survival. This study aims to investigate the formation patterns of surface condensation water under S. psammophila at different irrigation levels and the influence of precipitation, temperature, relative humidity, and wind speed. Conducted in China's Kubuqi Desert from June to September 2022, the study employed micro-lysimeters with four irrigation test sets and a control group, conducting detailed observations at various locations. The results indicate that S. psammophila significantly influences surface condensation water by blocking solar radiation and reducing wind speed. The drip irrigation system also regulates surface condensation water on S. psammophila. Moreover, meteorological factors such as 24 h maximum temperature, relative humidity difference, wind speed, and air vapor pressure deficit show significant correlations with surface condensation water formation. In conclusion, this study enhances the understanding of desert ecosystem water balance, vegetation adaptability, and efficient water resource utilization. It provides valuable scientific guidance for the conservation and restoration of desert ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pure marine chemical sediments are archives of geochemical proxies for the composition of seawater and may provide information about the ancient hydrosphere–atmosphere system. The early stage of the Emeishan large igneous province (ELIP) was characterized by the subaqueous eruption of mafic igneous rocks around the J. altudaensis zone of the Capitanian Stage that has been proposed to have contributed to the Guadalupian mass extinction. However, detailed mechanisms and the impact of the eruption on the Guadalupian marine environment have yet to be assessed. Here, to examine the Guadalupian marine environment, we studied major and trace element concentrations, particularly rare earth element and yttrium data, along with high-precision Sr-Nd isotope ratios, of three types of Mn ores (i.e., clastic, massive, and oolitic) and siliceous limestones from the Zunyi Mn deposit in South China formed following the early-stage eruption of the ELIP. Our results indicate that the clastic Mn ores contain notable detrital mafic aluminosilicates. In contrast, the massive and oolitic Mn ores and siliceous limestones preserved the pristine geochemical signatures of the Middle–Late Permian seawater characterized by distinctly low (87Sr/86Sr)i and high εNd(t) values. These data indicate a strong impact of the early-stage submarine eruptions of the ELIP on the marine environment in South China and worldwide, likely through intensive seawater–rock interaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Car use restrictions have been adopted in some mega cities that experience rapid car ownership increase and worsening traffic congestion. Although easy to implement and considered fair, most implementations of this travel demand management policy do not offer travelers the flexibility to choose the days that they cannot use their cars. In this paper, we study a flexible car use restriction policy under which a private car cannot be driven on a certain day of a week, but the day can be chosen by its owner. Under this flexible policy, individuals face a dilemma between driving in congestion and traveling without a car, each incurring a cost of its own. The resulting equilibrium solutions under these two competing choices were derived, and a series of laboratory experiments were carried out to validate the theoretical results. The experimental results are found to be in agreement with the theoretical results. Moreover, our analysis shows that the flexible car use restriction policy reduces the average travel cost with a lesser increase in average driving cost when compared with the traditional car use restriction policy. Funding: Z.-Y. Gao was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [Grant 71621001]. W.-X. Wang was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [Grant 71631002]. R. Jiang was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [Grant 71931002]. X.-Y. Sun was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [Grant 71961002]. B.-Y. Zhang was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [Grants 71922004 and 72131003]. X. Han was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China [Grant 71801011] and by the China Postdoctoral Science Foundation [Grant 2018M631331]. Supplemental Material: The e-companion is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/trsc.2023.1200. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Landslide susceptibility assessment is an important means of helping to reduce and manage landslide risk. The existing studies, however, fail to examine the spatially varying relationships between landslide susceptibility and its explanatory factors. This paper investigates the spatial variation in such relationships in Liangshan, China, leveraging a spatially explicit model, namely, geographical random forest (GRF). By comparing with random forest (RF), we found that GRF achieves a higher performance with an AUC of 0.86 due to its consideration of the spatial heterogeneity among variables. GRF also provides a higher-quality landslide susceptibility map than RF by correctly placing 92.35% of the landslide points in high-susceptibility areas. The local feature importance derived from GRF allows us to understand that the impact of conditioning factors varies across space, which can provide implications for policy development by local governments to place different levels of attention on different conditioning factors in specific counties to prevent and mitigate landslides. To account for the spatial dependence among the data in the model performance assessment, we use spatial cross-validation (CV) to split the data into subsets spatially rather than randomly for model training and testing. The results show that spatial CV can effectively address the over-optimistic bias in model error evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Primary care physicians (PCPs) in rural township health centers are the most easily accessible doctors to the residents in rural China, which covers 35% of the population. High prevalence of depression was reported among rural left-behind elderly and children as many workers had migrated to urban cities. Aim: This study explored mental health care provision by PCPs in rural China and the association with their training background. Methods: Rural township health centers in both developed and less developed counties of Zhejiang Province, China were chosen as the study sites. A total of 697 PCPs completed questionnaires between December 2019 and January 2020, and the number of valid questionnaires was 673, with a valid response rate of 79.3%. Results: The rural PCPs reported a median range of seeing 1 to 5 mental health patients per week. Over two-thirds (68.2%) of the respondents had never received any training on treating common mental health disorders (depression and anxiety) while 20.3% received at most 2 days of training; 6.4% received 3 to 20 days of training; and 5.1% received over 20 days of training. PCPs with mental health training were significantly associated with better mental health care in terms of confidence and practice characteristics (e.g. having patients who brought up mental health issues, providing follow-up), while years of practice made a difference in practice but not confidence. Conclusions: Training is the key determinant of the practice of mental health care by the PCPs in rural China. Our findings have implications for national policy to target two-thirds of rural PCPs who received no mental health training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hygiene behaviors in public toilets are important to prevent the transmission of infectious diseases, especially during the pandemic. All through the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, governments in many countries published guidance on personal hygiene for the general population to prevent disease transmission. This study aimed to investigate improvements in residents' hygiene awareness and behaviors in public toilets before and during the pandemic.Methods: We recruited 316 residents between November and December 2018 before the pandemic, and 314 residents between December 2020 and January 2021 during the pandemic in the same study sites in Hangzhou, a well-developed city in China. Residents' hygiene behaviors in public toilets, hygiene awareness, risk perception, and sociodemographic factors were collected. Bivariate analysis and multivariable logistic regressions were used to test the differences between the two rounds. We conducted an observational study to record the provision of hygiene amenities at toilets during the pandemic.Results: After controlling for sociodemographic factors (gender, marital status, age, education level, and monthly household income), compared with respondents recruited before the pandemic, respondents recruited during the pandemic were more likely to perceive the risks of infection when using public toilets (aOR = 1.77, 95%CI [1.20, 2.60]), and were more likely to be aware of the risks of touching contaminated toilet facilities (aOR = 1.72, 95%CI [1.17, 2.54]) and the risks of not using soap to wash one's hands after using the toilet (aOR = 1.93, 95%CI [1.38, 2.72]). They were more likely to always clean their toilet seat with alcohol (aOR = 1.88, 95%CI [1.01, 3.51]), wash hands with soap (aOR = 1.52, 95%CI [1.09, 2.10]) and dry their hands with a dryer (aOR = 1.78, 95%CI [1.16, 2.71]), but they were less likely to always wash their hands after using the toilets (aOR = 0.57, 95%CI [0.32, 1.00]). Among 70 public toilets observed, 9 provided alcohol for toilet seat disinfection, 52 provided soap, 33 provided paper towels, and 41 had working hand dryers.Conclusions: Despite the overall improvement, residents' hygiene behaviors in public toilets and the supply of hygiene amenities were still suboptimal during the pandemic. Further hygiene education and an adequate supply of hygiene amenities in public toilets are needed to promote residents' hygiene behaviors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neck pain and low back pain are major challenges in public health, and intervertebral disc (IVD) biomechanics is an important multidisciplinary field. To date, no bibliometric literature review of the relevant literature has been performed, so we explored the emerging trends, landmark studies, and major contributors to IVD biomechanics research. We searched the Web of Science core collection (1900– 2022) using keywords mainly composed of "biomechanics" and "intervertebral disc" to conduct a bibliometric analysis of original papers and their references, focusing on citations, authors, journals, and countries/regions. A co-citation analysis and clustering of the references were also completed. A total of 3189 records met the inclusion criteria. In the co-citation network, cluster #0, labeled as "annulus fibrosus tissue engineering", and cluster #1, labeled as "micromechanical environment", were the biggest clusters. References by MacLean et al and Holzapfel et al were positioned exactly between them and had high betweenness centrality. There existed a research topic evolution between mechanobiology and mechanical repair strategies of IVDs, and the latter had been identified as an emerging trend in IVD biomechanics. Numerous landmark studies had contributed to several fields, including mechanical testing of normal and pathological IVDs, mechanical evaluation of new repair strategies and development of finite element model. Adams MA was the author most cited by IVD biomechanics papers. Spine, the European Spine Journal, and the Journal of Biomechanics were the three journals where the most original articles and their references have been published. The United States has contributed most to the literature (n = 1277 papers); however, the research output of China is increasing. In conclusion, the present study suggests that IVD repair is an emerging trend in IVD biomechanics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Workplace violence (WPV) in the health sector is a global public health issue. The magnitude of WPV is a particular concern in China's health system. To examine the potential causes of WPV, we analyzed 3,045 qualitative responses to an open-ended question in a survey with health workers in the Zhejiang province, China. We adapted a four-level socio-ecological framework (societal/systemic, community/organizational, interpersonal, and individual) to thematically analyze the data. Ten sub-themes emerged. Within the societal/systemic level, we identified three sub-themes: (a) lack of legislation against WPV, (b) suboptimal accessibility and affordability of health services due to maldistributed health resources, commercialized health services, and inadequate health insurance, and (c) unregulated mass media reports. Within the community/organizational level, three sub-themes emerged: (a) lack of supportive health facility leadership, (b) inaction by government authorities, and (c) inefficient law enforcement agencies. Within the interpersonal level, two sub-themes were identified: (a) poor provider–patient communication and (b) distrust between health workers and patients. Finally, we identified the personal characteristics of health workers (e.g., competence and professionalism) and patients (e.g., sociodemographic background and expectations/satisfaction) as two individual-level sub-themes. We recognized interactions among different levels. The weak state of Chinese legislation in this area and lack of high-level political will and guidance (societal/systemic) has left health facilities and law enforcement agencies (community/organizational) unclear about how to address WPV. The maldistribution of quality health resources (societal/systemic) has led to overcrowded outpatient clinics at higher-level care facilities (community/organizational). In light of the insufficient government funding and profit-oriented health services (societal/systemic), health workers were motivated to seek profits by providing unnecessary services, which compromised their professionalism (individual). Provider–patient relationships deteriorated (interpersonal), and patients sometimes held unrealistically high expectations associated with high medical expenses (individual). We propose multisectoral prevention strategies to address WPV in the health sector at all levels using a socio-ecological framework. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Programmed death 1 (PD-1) inhibitors—tislelizumab, toripalimab, camrelizumab, and sintilimab—are used for advanced urothelial carcinoma (UC) in China. To date, the efficacy and adverse events (AEs) of these PD-1 inhibitors have been poorly reported for advanced UC. Methods: We reviewed 118 patients treated with PD-1 inhibitors for advanced UC from July 2019 to October 2021 at Yantai Yuhuangding Hospital. Patient data were obtained from hospital records and telephone follow-ups. The safety and efficacy of PD-1 inhibitors were assessed by RESIST and Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (version 4.0), respectively. Results: During a median follow-up period of 6 months, 112 patients (95%) experienced AEs; of these, 104 (88%) were grade 1–2 AEs, and 60 (51%) were grade 3–4 AEs. The most common AE was anemia, and no patients died as a result of treatment. A subanalysis according to treatment method (PD-1 inhibitor vs. PD-1 inhibitor plus chemotherapy) was performed. The incidence of grade 1–2 AEs was not different between the groups (85% vs. 94%), but combination therapy significantly increased grade 3–4 AEs (32% vs. 89%). Monotherapy and combination therapy also did not differ with regard to immune-related AEs of grades 1–2 (13% vs. 22%) or grades 3–4 (1% vs. 6%). In efficacy, complete response was not observed, but 33 patients (28%) had partial response, 30 (25%) had stable disease, and 47 had progressive disease (40%). The overall response and disease control rates were 28% and 53%, respectively. The preliminary efficacy of disease control was better with combination therapy versus monotherapy (78 vs. 43%). Conclusion: PD-1 inhibitors show promising tolerance and efficacy in advanced UC. PD-1 inhibitors combined with chemotherapy offered better disease control but had more grade 3–4 AEs. The clinical use of combination therapy warrants caution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In plant communities, genotypic diversity can impact the plant community structure and ecosystem functions, but related research has focused on native plants. Therefore, whether genotypic diversity affects the growth of invasive plants and then changes the wetland microecosystem remains unresolved. In this study, six different genotypes of Hydrocotyle vulgaris, a common invasive plant in China, were selected to construct populations with three different genotypic diversity levels (one, three, and six genotype combinations, respectively) to explore the effects of different genotypic diversity levels on the growth and physiological traits of H. vulgaris, and soil nutrients and greenhouse gas emissions of the wetland microecosystem under flooding conditions. We found that genotypic diversity improved the leaf area, root to shoot ratio and photosynthetic physiological traits of H. vulgaris, especially under flooding. Moreover, genotypic diversity increased soil organic matter (SOM) contents in the wetland microecosystem, while it reduced the cumulative nitrous oxide emissions under flooding conditions. Overall, genotype diversity improved photosynthetic traits of H. vulgaris, further increased SOM, and reduced the N2O emissions of the wetland microecosystem. The results of this study can provide a theoretical basis for exploring how genotypic diversity levels affect the invasiveness of invasive plants and ecosystems in wetland microecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this research was to identify mechanisms by which cultural cognitions were linked to parenting cognitions and practices in acculturating Chinese communities in the United States. In particular, parenting cognitions (sense of investment and parental satisfaction) were examined in relation to Chinese-American mothers' cultural cognitions (Chinese and U.S. cultural orientation and both individualism and collectivism) and their role involvement and time involvement with their children. Parenting cognitions were also tested as potential mediators in the relationships between cultural cognitions and parental involvement. Path analyses demonstrated that stronger Chinese cultural orientation was associated with increased parental sense of investment and both time and role involvement. Their U.S. cultural orientation was negatively associated with parental time and role involvement. Collectivism was associated with increased parental investment and parental satisfaction. In addition, parental sense of investment mediated the association between Chinese cultural orientation and parental role involvement. The results demonstrated specific processes by which acculturation was linked to parenting cognitions and practices. The findings have implications for further conceptualizing complex bicultural identifications and their impact within the acculturating Chinese community, as well as understanding more broadly how specific cultural orientations and values manifest in parenting practices across acculturating communities. Highlights: Chinese immigrant mothers with stronger Chinese cultural orientation showed higher level of parental sense of investment and involvement. U.S. cultural orientation was negatively associated with parental involvement. Collectivism was found to be an important predictor of parental sense of investment and satisfaction. Parental role involvement was linked to Chinese cultural orientation through parental sense of investment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to improve the accuracy and calculating speed of load forecasting for the strong nonlinear problem of short-term load, this article proposes a Short-term Load Forecasting Model of Ameliorated CNN Based on Adaptive Mutation Fruit Fly Optimization Algorithm. This method integrates the Extreme Learning Machine (ELM) algorithm into the Convolutional Neural Network (CNN): replace the fully connected layer in the original CNN network with ELM to form a CNN-ELM network. The purpose is to improve the calculation accuracy. An Adaptive Mutation Fruit Fly Optimization Algorithm (AMFOA) was proposed to reduce the probability that the Fruit Fly Optimization Algorithm (FOA) would easily fall into a local optimal value. And then AMFOA is used to optimize the parameters in CNN-ELM network. The above model is used to predict the grid load of a certain area in northern China. Compared with other prediction algorithms, it is proved that the model proposed in this article has higher prediction accuracy and also proved that the model has higher calculation speed than other models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patients with diabetes and triple-vessel disease (TVD) are associated with a high risk of events. The choice of treatment strategies remains a subject of discussion. In the real-world, we aim to compare the outcomes of medical therapy (MT), coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG), and percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) treatment strategies in patients with diabetes and TVD. Methods: A total of 3117 consecutive patients with diabetes and TVD were enrolled. The primary endpoint was all-cause death and the secondary endpoint was major adverse cardiac and cerebrovascular events (MACCE, composite of all-cause death, myocardial infarction, or stroke). Results: During the mean follow-up of 6.3 ± 2.6 years, 573 (18.4%) deaths and 1094 (35.1%) MACCE occurred. Multivariate analysis showed that PCI (hazard ratio [HR] 0.40, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.32–0.51) and CABG (HR 0.33, 95% CI 0.26–0.44) were associated with a lower risk of death compared with MT, with no difference between the PCI and CABG groups. When MACCE was the endpoint, PCI (HR 0.71, 95% CI 0.60–0.84) and CABG (HR 0.48, 95% CI 0.39–0.57) had a lower risk than MT. CABG was associated with a significantly lower risk of MACCE compared with PCI (HR 0.67, 95% CI 0.55–0.81), which was mainly attributed a lower risk in myocardial infarction, but a higher risk of stroke. Conclusions: In this big real-world data and intermediate-term follow-up study, for patients with diabetes and TVD, PCI and CABG were associated with a lower risk of death and MACCE more than MT. The results suggest the importance of appropriate revascularization for diabetic patients with TVD. However, CABG was not associated with a lower risk of death, but with a lower risk of MACCE, compared with PCI. In the future, we perhaps should strengthen comprehensive treatment in addition to PCI or CABG. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ground fissure of Shuanghuaishu in Shaanxi Province, China, is a tectonic ground fissure developed in the northern Loess Plateau of the Weihe Basin. Remarkably, it exhibits multiple activities under heavy rainfall conditions. To explore how heavy rainfall infiltration can induce ground fissures to reactivate, we conducted an in situ large-scale water immersion test on the ground fissure zone. Through measurement of soil moisture content and observation of subsidence and deformation of surface and soil layers at different depths before and after water immersion, we determined the variation law of soil moisture content and the humidification deformation of the ground fissure zone after rain infiltration. Results show that ground fissures destroy the structure of soil layers and form a certain width of influence zone, which allows surface water to seep through the fissure zone into the deep soil below the relative aquifuge. After water immersion, the deformation of the soil in the ground fissure zone is obviously larger than that in the non-fracture zone, the influence zone width of hanging wall of the ground fissure is larger than that of the footwall, and the influence range on the upper soil layer is larger than that on the lower soil layer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the analysis of cascading outages and blackouts in power systems, risky cascading fault chains should be accurately identified in order to do further block or alleviate blackouts. However, the huge computational burden makes online analysis difficult. In this paper, an online search method for representative risky fault chains based on reinforcement learning and knowledge transfer is proposed. This method aims at promoting efficiency by exploiting similarities of adjacent power flow snapshots in operations. After the “representative risky fault chain” is defined, a framework of tree search based on Markov Decision Process and Q-learning is constructed. The knowledge in past runs is accumulated offline and then applied online, with a mechanism of knowledge transition and extension. The proposed learning based approach is verified on an illustrative 39-bus system with different loading levels, and simulations are carried out on a real-world 1000-bus power grid in China to show the effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Postoperative inadequate analgesia following video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) is a common and significant clinical problem. While genetic polymorphisms may play role in the variability of postoperative analgesia effect, few studies have evaluated the associations between genetic mutations and inadequate analgesia after single-port VATS. Methods: Twenty-eight single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) among 18 selected genes involved in pain perception and modulation were genotyped in 198 Chinese patients undergoing single-port VATS. The primary outcome was the occurrence of inadequate analgesia in the first night and morning after surgery which was defined by a comprehensive postoperative evaluation. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to identify the association between genetic variations and postoperative inadequate analgesia. Results: The prevalence of postoperative inadequate analgesia was 45.5% in the present study. After controlling for age and education level, association with inadequate analgesia was observed in four SNPs among three genes encoding voltage-gated sodium channels. Patients with the minor allele of rs33985936 (SCN11A), rs6795970 (SCN10A), and 3312G > T (SCN9A) have an increased risk of suffering from inadequate analgesia. While the patients carrying the minor allele of rs11709492 (SCN11A) have lower risk experiencing inadequate analgesia. Conclusions: We identified that SNPs in SCN9A, SCN10A, and SCN11A play a role in the postoperative inadequate analgesia after single-port VATS. Although future larger and long-term follow up studies are warranted to confirm our findings, the results of the current study may be utilized as predictors for forecasting postoperative analgesic effect for patients receiving this type of surgery. Trial registration: This study was retrospectively registered in the ClinicalTrials.gov Registry (NCT03916120) on April 16, 2019. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Fast resting heart rate (RHR) is easily neglected in clinical practice of hypertension treatment. Aims: We aimed to investigate the prevalence of fast RHR and associated factors in hypertensive and normotensive individuals. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed data from two cross-sectional studies conducted in China. A total of 6763 hypertensive patients and 2807 age and sex-matched normotensive subjects with complete data on resting electrocardiogram and medical history were included. Fast RHR was defined as RHR > 85 bpm. Results: The prevalence of fast RHR was higher in hypertensive patients as compared with the normotensives (14.4% vs 7.1%, P < 0.01). In both hypertensive and normotensive subjects, fast RHR appeared as a "U-type" distribution as aging and a "inverted J type" trend as body mass index (BMI) increasing. Multivariate regression analysis showed that fast RHR was associated with age >65 or <25 years old (OR = 1.32, 95% CI 1.08–1.61), BMI <18.5 kg/m2 (OR = 2.94, 95%CI 1.47–5.87) and hypercholesterolemia (OR = 1.30, 95%CI 1.10–1.53) in hypertensive patients. Fast RHR in the normotensives was associated with female (OR = 1.78, 95%CI 1.27–2.48), pre-hypertensive state (OR = 2.38, 95%CI 1.61–3.52), and rural area origin (OR = 1.50, 95%CI 1.01–2.42). Stroke and diabetes conferred closer relevance to fast RHR in both hypertensive (OR = 1.31, 95%CI 1.02–1.69 and OR 2.26, 95%CI 1.60–3.21) and normotensive individuals (OR = 2.67, 95%CI 1.36–5.21 and OR = 2.77, 95%CI 1.47–5.23). Conclusion: Fast RHR might be common in patients with hypertension. Prior stroke and diabetes history is common associated with fast RHR. Other factors associated with fast RHR seem to be different between hypertensive patients and normotensive subjects. Abbreviations: BMI: body mass index; CI: Confidence Interval; DBP: diastolic blood pressure; ECG: electrocardiogram; OR: odd ratio; RHR: resting heart rate; SBP: systolic blood pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To investigate the health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in children and adolescents who underwent intraoperative device closure of perimembranous ventricular septal defects (pmVSDs).Methods: From October 2017 to January 2018, a total of 126 children and adolescents with isolated pmVSDs who underwent intraoperative device closure were enrolled in this study. We used the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory Measurement Models 4.0 generic core scales to measure HRQOL 24 h before the operation and three months and one year after surgery.Results: A total of 126 patients were successfully occluded. No severe complications occurred during the operative time, and 1 case of Mobitz type I atrioventricular block (AVB) and 1 case of complete cAVB occurred during the postoperative period. Compared with the data before the operation, the total score and five domain scores, including physical, psychosocial, emotional, social and psychological functioning, were significantly higher at three months after the operation. In addition, the total score, physical functioning score, and the psychosocial functioning score at the 1-year follow-up were even higher than those at 3 months after the operation.Conclusions: The present study suggests that intraoperative device closure of pmVSD could improve health-related quality of life in children/adolescents and that the improvement may progress as the time after the operation increases. Further studies should concentrate on comparisons with other medical methods, larger samples, and longer follow-up periods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A 10:1 pooled test strategy on-site at an airport of China was pursued, resulting in increased test throughput, limited use of reagents, and increased testing efficiency without loss of sensitivity. This testing approach has the potential to reduce the need for contact tracing when the results are delivered first time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The World Health Organization (WHO) has called for integration of mental health into primary care for a decade. In Western countries, around 15% to 25% of patients with common mental disorders including mood and anxiety disorders seek help from primary care physicians (PCPs). The rate is only about 5% in China. Aims: This article reviews the Chinese findings on the barriers to primary care for common mental disorders and how they compared with Western findings. Methods: A narrative literature review was conducted, focusing on literature published from mid-1990s in English or Chinese. Patient, PCP and health system factors were reviewed. Results: Although Chinese and Western findings show similar themes of barriers, the Chinese have stronger barriers in most aspects, including under-recognition of the need for treatment, stigma on mental illness, somatization, worries about taking psychiatric drugs, uncertainties in the role, competency and legitimacy of PCPs in mental health care and short consultation time. Conclusion: Current policies in China emphasize enhancement of mental health facilities and workforce in the community. Our review suggests that patients’ intention to seek help and PCPs’ competency in mental health care are other fundamental factors to be addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study was carried out to assess and understand the potential health risk, level of contamination, composition pattern, and sources of urban foliar dust in Nanjing City with respect to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Five urban functional areas of foliar dust were analysed and the contents of 16 priority PAHs were determined. Total PAH concentrations in foliar dust ranged from 1.77 to 19.02 μg·g−1, with an average value of 6.98 μg·g−1. The PAH pattern was dominated by four and five-ring PAHs (contributing > 38% of total PAHs) in all of the five functional areas. The results indicated that the combustion of fossil fuel, coal, and biomass, as well as vehicle traffic emissions were the major sources of PAHs. The estimated incremental lifetime cancer risk due to PAHs in foliar dust were 8.19 × 10−6, 6.63 × 10−6, and 9.65 × 10−6 for childhood, adolescence and adulthood, respectively, indicating a high risk of cancer from exposure to foliar dust in Nanjing. Our results indicated that foliar dust might be a useful indicator of atmospheric PAH pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Introduction: This study investigated the barriers and facilitators for psychiatrists in managing mental health patients under a Chinese context and a mixed private‐public health system. Methods: Two focus group interviews were conducted to explore the in‐depth opinions of psychiatrists in Hong Kong. The themes identified from the focus groups were investigated in a questionnaire survey with data from 83 psychiatrists working in public and private sectors. Results: No insurance coverage of mental health problems, patients' poor compliance of medication, and stigma of seeing psychiatrists were rated as the top barriers in the survey. Some psychiatrists mentioned in focus groups that they might write down the associated physical symptoms of the patients rather than the mental disorder diagnoses on the medical certificate. They observed some patients suspecting that psychiatric drugs were prescribed to control their behavior and make them more muddleheaded. The survey also found that consultation time constraint, long patient waiting list, and difficulty in discharging patients to primary care mostly affected public psychiatrists rather than private ones. However, they perceived similar facilitators, including public campaign to promote positive results of help‐seeking, adequate explanation by other health professionals to the patients before referrals, handling severe cases by casework approach, and having a regular primary care physician. Discussion: The top barriers are related to insufficient public awareness and negative attitudes towards mental illness and its treatment. Major solutions include promoting positive results of help seeking, enhancing collaboration with primary care physicians, and follow‐up of severe cases by a casework approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A wheat plant can be simplified to be composed of a wheat ear and a straw for DEM simulation. • The plant modeling method is a general modeling method that only requires the input of the corresponding parameters of the variety according to the different varieties to build the plant model of that variety. • The plant models built by the modeling method proposed in this paper have flexible characteristics. • The experimental verification and simulation analysis of plant models were carried out. Simulation of the wheat harvesting process using the discrete element method is of significant importance in optimizing the components of wheat harvesting machinery. Establishing a discrete element model that can accurately reflect the biomechanical properties of wheat plants is a crucial foundation for simulating harvesting operations. To address the current issues in the discrete element model (DEM) of wheat plants, a general modeling method for wheat plants was developed in this study. Firstly, the shape and size of 10 representative varieties of wheat plants in the mature period from different regions in mainland China to establish the common correlations between the shape and size of wheat plants. On this basis, a geometrical model of wheat plants was built using the particle arrangement method, and the coordinates of the component particles were solved for. Then, the contact mechanical parameters were measured and calibrated through various tests, including the slope test, single-pendulum test, drop test and stacking angle test. Moreover, the parallel bonding mechanical parameters of wheat plants were measured and analyzed by tensile, compression and shear tests. On this basis, the mechanical model of wheat plants was established based on the Hertz-Mindlin contact model and the parallel bonding model (PBM). The geometrical model together with the mechanical model enabled the construction of a DEM-based model of wheat plants with flexible characteristics. Based on the above work, the models that were proposed in this paper for three varieties of wheat were validated by comparing the experimental data and simulation results in terms of the plant stacking test, vibration screening test and impact threshing test. The results demonstrated that the simulation results for all three varieties were similar to the experimental results, which showed the feasibility and effectiveness of the general modeling method proposed in this paper for wheat plants in the mature period. The results of this study lay a foundation for the analysis of the wheat harvest process by the discrete element method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Doctors' profit-oriented practices in public institutions were widespread in China. Two major targets of the healthcare reform launched in 2009 were to curb the profit-making practices in public institutions and to encourage the citizens to use primary care. After 6 years, the status of profit-orientation of public institutions remains unknown. Compared with hospitals, there is no trend of increasing use of primary care. Our study aimed to explore the status of profit-orientation of public institutions and patients' utilization preference. The impacts of guanxi (personal relationship) on patients' utilization of healthcare and doctors' practices were also explored. From September 2014 to September 2015, we conducted focus group and individual interviews, followed by a survey with doctors (n = 1111) in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province. Thematic analysis, independent t-test and Fisher's exact test were conducted to analyse the data. This study found that 36.8% of survey respondents needed to consider making profits for their institutions, especially the hospital specialists. A total of 38.5% and 40.7% thought that their practices led to patients' worries of unnecessary drugs and tests, respectively. Doctors attributed their profit-oriented practices to institutions' agenda setting, poor salary and an organizational bonus system. Their awareness of breaching medical ethics created a guilt feeling and frustration. Nearly 65.0% reported patients' preference for hospital-based care even for minor conditions and 76.2% if the patient was a child. Ineffective gate-keeping mechanism, weak primary care and mistrust in community-based care were major reasons. More specialists than primary care practitioners (41.0 vs 21.5%, P < 0.001) said that patients would use guanxi to gain better services and 64.5% of doctors reported better dedication when patients were somehow connected. In conclusion, profit-orientated practice widely exists in public institutions. Patients generally prefer hospital-based services. Guanxi, which affects both patients' and doctors' practices, is more often used to access hospital-based services. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Physicians' prescribing patterns may be influenced by how they perceive their patients' expectations of medical care. This study explored doctors' perceptions of patient expectations of medical care.Design: Qualitative interviews and a cross-sectional survey (September 2014-September 2015).Setting: Primary- and tertiary-care facilities in Zhejiang province, China.Participants: Primary care practitioners (PCPs) and hospital specialists.Main Outcomes: Perceived patients' expectations.Results: Seven focus groups and 21 individuals were interviewed. Questionnaires were completed by 460 PCPs and 651 specialists (response rate: 78%). About 36.8% of doctors reported generating profit for the facility at which they practiced as a foremost consideration. Participants perceived patients as holding high expectations of clinical performance and use of medical products. Respondents perceived that their patients expected either drug prescriptions (48.2%) or intravenous (IV) therapy (45.2%). Perceived patient expectations of an arrangement of tests and consultation fee refunds if no prescriptions were made were reported by 29.7 and 22.7%, respectively. Doctors reported feeling undervalued and disrespected when patients requested consultation fee refunds. Compared to those who did not report a need for profit-making, doctors who did were significantly more likely to perceive that their patients expected medication-based treatments (AOR = 1.62, P < 0.001), IV therapy (AOR = 1.32, P = 0.037), the arrangement of tests (AOR = 2.06, P < 0.001), and consultation fee refunds when no prescriptions were made (AOR = 1.92, P < 0.001).Conclusions: Most doctors believed that patients had high expectations. Workplace profit-orientation demonstrated a strong association with doctors' perceptions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To examine the public's views towards their choice of first-contact care and its associated factors in urban China.Methods: A mixed-method study was adopted using individual interviews, focus group interviews and a cross-sectional survey. The study was conducted among the general public between September 2014 and September 2015 in Zhejiang province, China.Results: Six focus groups and 13 individual interviews were conducted. The questionnaire was completed by 1248 respondents with a response rate of 83%. Survey results showed that 70% of the respondents preferred hospital-based services for first-contact care, it is especially the case with paediatric patients (83.3%). The qualitative data revealed that a major cause was the public distrust in the competence of primary care practitioners with lower educational qualifications. In the decision-making process, compared to cost factors like medical expenses and waiting times, participants attached greater emphasis on organizational characteristics. Respondents who rated sophisticated medical equipment, reputation of the facility, average education of doctors as important were significantly more inclined to choose hospital services. Respective adjusted odds ratios (AOR) were 2.14 (P < 0.001), 1.83 (P < 0.001) and 1.40 (P = 0.043) for their own conditions and 2.19 (P = 0.004), 1.94 (P = 0.002) and 1.86 (P = 0.003) for their children's conditions. Availability of medications and perceived severity of illness were also significantly associated with their choice of hospital services for their children.Conclusion: The public's preference for hospital-based services for first-contact care places a huge obstacle to promoting community-based primary care. Addressing the public's concerns about the primary care practitioners' competence is worth more efforts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) is native to Peru and Mexico. It is an important vegetable crop of the world, which ranks next to potato in importance. In addition, tomato is one of the most widely cultivated fruit and vegetables in the world. In this study, we obtained the complete chloroplast genome sequence of Tomato using BGISEQ-500 sequencing. Its chloroplast genome size has 155,474 bp, containing a large single copy region (85,856 bp), a small single copy region (18,374 bp), and a pair of IR regions (25,622 bp). The overall GC contents of the chloroplast genome were 38.0%. This circular genome contains 142 annotated genes, including 89 protein-coding genes, 45 tRNAs and 8 rRNAs. The phylogenetic relationship analysis using Maximum Likelihood method showed that tomato (Solanum lycopersicum L.) much closely related to two kinds of wild tomatoes Solanum pimpinellifolium and Solanum cheesmaniae. This complete chloroplast genomes can be subsequently used for the genetic breeding and useful to study the evolutionary processes in Lycopersicon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of this article is to put forward China’s Hanyu Pinyin word guanli as an academic basic term to the world.Design/methodology/approach GUANLI as an academic basic term, which holds multiple meanings of several English words, such as management, administration, governance, etc. As a basic term, GUANLI, derived several words, such as GUANLIOLOGY, GUANLIST/GUANLIER and GUANLIWORK/GUANLIJOB, to precisely and exactly convey the Chinese GUANLI ideas. It is the historical mission and opportunity for the authors to research and establish the Chinese School of Modern GUANLI Science (CSMGS).Findings It is inevitably necessary to build the combined Chinese–Western discourse system of GUANLI science (CCWDSGS). Some other research results of CSMGS are also presented in this paper.Research limitations/implications It is needless to say that there are still lots of problems in China, including in the GUANLI field. These problems will gradually be solved in China’s reform and development that takes place continuously. New problems will come up while old problems are being solved and settled; problems producing in a loop, problems solving in a loop, this is the dialectics. The authors have full confidence in solving problems, as well as in China’s development and future.Originality/value Practice comes first and then it is followed by theory. The authors first have the “China Model”, followed by the “Chinese School” consequently. The “China Model” has already been there, and the “Chinese School” relies on the author’s proactive research and innovation. It is just the right time for the authors to study and create the CSMGS. This is the historical mission and opportunity awaited by contemporary Chinese. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2012 and 2013, black leaf spot disease was observed on ramie plants in Hunan and Hubei Provinces, China. In the field, the symptoms of this disease included dark green to black big spots on leaves, often resulting in upwardly curled leaf margins. The pathogen isolates were identified as Alternaria alternata (Fr.) Keissler on the basis of morphology and sequence similarity of 99-100% to the published data for internal transcribed spacer ( ITS), and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase ( gdp). To our knowledge, this is the first report of Alternaria leaf spot of ramie in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sex plays an important role in the clinical expression and prognosis of various cardiovascular diseases. This study was designed to observe the effects of sex on hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). Methods and Results: A total of 621 unrelated patients with HCM without heart failure (460 males) were enrolled from 1999 to 2011. Compared to male patients, at baseline female patients were older at diagnosis (49.6±17.2 years vs. 46.7±14.4 years, P = 0.033), and had greater frequency of left ventricular outflow tract obstruction (72/161, 44.7% vs. 149/460, 32.4%, P = 0.005). During the average four year follow-up period (range 2–7 years), survival analysis showed that the incidences of mortality from all causes, cardiovascular death and progression to chronic heart failure were greater in women than in men (P = 0.031, 0.040 and 0.012, respectively). After adjustment for multiple factors that may confound survival and cardiac function, female sex remained an independent risk factor for all-cause mortality, cardiovascular death, and chronic heart failure [hazard ratio (HR) 2.19, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.21–3.95, P = 0.010; HR 2.19, 95% CI 1.17–4.09, P = 0.014; HR 1.73, 95% CI 1.12–2.69, P = 0.014, respectively] in HCM patients. Subgroup analysis revealed that female sex as a risk factor was identified only in patients younger than 50 years old (P = 0.011, 0.011 and 0.009, respectively), but not for those 50 years or older. Conclusion: Our results suggest that female sex is associated with worse survival and heart failure in HCM patients. Further studies are required to determine whether female hormones modify the clinical expression and prognosis of HCM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A real-time detector system for neutron radiography based on CMOS camera has been designed for the thermal neutron imaging facility under construction at China Advanced Research Reactor (CARR). This system is equipped with a new scientific CMOS camera with 5.5 million pixels and speed up to 100 fps at full frame. The readout noise is below 2.4 e/pixel. It is capable of providing images with much higher resolution and sensitivity at high frame rate. With optimized optical design and custom-built lens, the capture of quantitative information may be greatly enhanced. The maximum photon received by detector is calculated to be 2.1×103/pixel, while the camera resolution is 0.2mm at 30 fps according to the expected flux (5×107 n/cm2/s) at the sample position. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In recent years, heavy metal pollution accidents have occurred in many regions of China, and the public has become increasingly concerned about its health. Based on a U.S. Environmental Protection Agency model and using Monte Carlo simulation techniques, this article presents a procedure for health risk assessment of heavy metal pollution. A case study was conducted in the Qixia lead and zinc mining area. Based on the magnitude of heavy metal contamination in the mine factory, vicinal Qixia scenic site and village, the potential health risk calculated for a lifetime of exposure (through ingestion and dermal contact) was determined as the cumulative carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic risk for workers, tourists, and local residents (including children and adults), respectively. The risk assessment indicated that the carcinogenic risk is not significant. However, Pb poses a significant cumulative non-carcinogenic risk, which tends to be serious for workers. Additionally, local children are more vulnerable than adults to the risks associated with heavy metal contamination. Accordingly, risk alleviation and preventive measures should be taken, especially for children and workers. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Abstract: This paper analyzes the impact of Research and Development (R&D) on the productivity of China''s high technology industry. In order to capture important differences in the effect of R&D on output that arise from geographic and socioeconomic differences across three major regions in China, we use a novel semiparametric approach that allows us to model heterogeneities across provinces and time. Using a unique provincial level panel dataset spanning the period 2000–2007, we find that the impact of R&D on output varies substantially in terms of magnitude and significance across different regions. Results show that the eastern region benefits the most from R&D investments, however it benefits the least from technical progress, while the western region benefits the least from R&D investments, but enjoys the highest benefits from technical progress. The central region benefits from R&D investments more than the western region and benefits from technical progress more than the eastern region. Our results suggest that R&D investments would significantly increase output in both the eastern and central regions, however technical progress in the central region may further compound the effects of R&D on output within the region. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

To build a general modelling method for wheat seed particles, based on the analysis of wheat seeds from different regions in mainland China, twelve representative varieties of wheat seeds were selected as the research objects. Through an analysis of the size and shape of wheat seeds, it can be seen that the seed thickness has a certain functional relationship with the seed length and width for each variety of wheat seeds, and the shape of wheat seeds can be approximated as a double ellipsoid or a single ellipsoid. The radial difference, mass error and moment of inertia error between these two shapes and the actual wheat seeds were analyzed, and the results showed that the shape accuracy of the double ellipsoid is higher than that of the single ellipsoid. The 13-, 17-, 25- and 33-sphere models based on the double ellipsoid and the 5-, 9-, 13-, 17- and 21-sphere models based on the single ellipsoid were built using the multi-sphere method. Meanwhile, the ellipsoid models were built using the ellipsoid equation for a comparison with the other models. Based on the above work, the particle models of wheat seeds proposed in this paper were verified by comparing the experimental data and the simulation results in terms of the static angle of repose test, "self-flow screening" test and dynamic angle of repose test. These results showed that the 33-sphere model based on a double ellipsoid is suitable for modelling of the wheat seeds with a length-thickness ratio smaller than 2.05. The 17- and 25-sphere models based on a double ellipsoid are suitable for modelling wheat seeds with a length-thickness ratio larger than 2.05. In addition, the 5-sphere model based on a single ellipsoid is also suitable for modelling wheat seeds with a length-thickness ratio greater than or equal to 2.38. The results indicated that the shape of the double ellipsoid is more accurate and applicable than that of the single ellipsoid and can be used as a general particle size model to represent wheat seeds. Moreover, the multi-sphere model is superior to the ellipsoid model built by an ellipsoid equation. [Display omitted] • The shape of wheat seeds can be approximated as a double ellipsoid or a single ellipsoid. • The shape accuracy of the double ellipsoid for wheat seeds is higher than that of the single ellipsoid. • The particle models can be built by the multi-sphere method and the ellipsoid equation. • The experimental verification and simulation analysis of particle models were carried out. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Discusses how the hydrotherman clay minerals that formed in the main metallogenic stage of the Changkeng disseminated-type gold deposit in central Guangdong were analyzed by a laser probe. Consideration of how the results give Ar-Ar isochron ages of 109.9 &plusmn, 1.4 to 110.1 &plusmn, and 1.3 Ma, which are 30 to 50 Ma older than the age of silver ore bodies in the deposit; How both gold and silver mineralizations were not related to hidden granite batholith in the mining district; Reference to how the study shows that the laser probe is a sound datin tool applicable to sediment-hosted disseminated-type gold deposit.

The Chinaberry tree, a member of the Meliaceae family, is cultivated in China for use in traditional medicines. In 2020, Chinaberry trees with leaf deformation symptoms were found in Hangzhou, Zhejiang province, China. In order to identify possible pathogenic viruses, a symptomatic sample was subjected to deep sequencing of small interfering RNAs. Assembly of the resulting sequences led to the identification of a novel badnavirus, provisionally designated Chinaberry tree badnavirus 1 (ChTBV1). With the recent development of China's seedling industry and increasing online shopping platforms, the risk of tree virus transmission has increased substantially. Therefore, it is important to detect the occurrence of ChTBV1 to ensure the safety of the Chinaberry tree seedling industry. Here, we describe the development and validation of a sensitive and robust method relying on a loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) assay, targeting a 197 nt region, to detect ChTBV1 from Chinaberry tree leaves. The LAMP assay was also adapted for rapid visualization of results by a lateral flow dipstick chromatographic detection method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taking Nanchang City, Jiangxi Province for example, this paper took 17 sub-indexes from five fields, namely integration of space, population, society, economy and ecology to analyze the dynamic urban-rural integration of the city in the past decade, compared it with fruits of Beijing, Shanghai and Suzhou, and concluded that the future urban-rural integration of Nanchang should be carried out from the perspectives of optimization of industrial structure, population agglomeration, issues concerning "agriculture, rural areas and peasants", and environmental protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focuses on a study on the content and composition of light hydrocarbons in ore-forming fluids in minerals from the Changkeng gold-silver deposit in Guangdong, China and its constraints on ore genesis. Samples and analytical method; Analytical results and discussion; Conclusion.

Potato (Solanum tuberosum L.) is one of the top five staple foods in China. It has high nutritional value, adaptability, and large yield. It is the third most important food crop in the world, second only to wheat and rice. In this study, we obtained the complete chloroplast genome sequence of Potato using BGISEQ-500 sequencing. Its chloroplast genome size has 155,732 bp, containing a large single copy region (85,736 bp), a small single copy region (18,384 bp), and a pair of IR regions (25,596 bp). The overall GC contents of the chloroplast genome were 37.8%. This circular genome contains 130 annotated genes, including 85 protein-coding genes, 37 tRNAs, and eight rRNAs. Maximum likelihood phylogenetic analysis the phylogenetic relationship analysis using Neighbour-Joining (NJ) method showed that Potato (S. tuberosum L.) is much closely related to Solanum bulbocastanum. This complete chloroplast genomes can be subsequently used for the genetic breeding and useful to study the evolutionary processes in Solanaceae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Internet use leads to higher social participation compared with those who do not use, but frequent use leads senior citizens to lower social participation. • Senior Internet users with higher cognitive functioning have higher social participation. • Internet use cause senior citizens with pension having lower social activities. • Frequent Internet use leads to female senior citizens having less social participation. • Government and communities should improve digital infrastructures meanwhile direct senior citizens to use the Internet in a reasonable manner. Scholars have appealed to build a digitally inclusive society to include senior citizens. However, conclusions on the impacts of Internet use on senior citizens' social participation are divided. In order to address the above issue, this study addresses two questions: 1) how Internet use is related to senior citizens' social participation; and 2) what the specific impacts of Internet use are on different subgroups' social participation. We aim to understand the specific impacts of Internet use on senior citizens' social participation meanwhile explore the reasons causing the abovementioned inconsistence in prior studies. We ran different panel regression models to address these questions based on a dataset drawn from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study. Our empirical results indicate that seniors who are Internet users have higher social participation than those who do not use the Internet even after controlling out other influencing factors; however, frequent Internet use leads to less social participation among senior citizens. For senior citizens with higher cognitive functioning, both using Internet or not and the frequency of Internet use lead to more social participation. Both using Internet or not and the frequency of Internet use cause senior citizens with pensions to engage in fewer social activities. For female senior citizens, frequent Internet use leads to lower social participation. These findings suggest that government and communities should improve digital infrastructures and offer senior citizens more opportunities to access the Internet; meanwhile, local communities, social workers, and family members should direct senior citizens to use the Internet in a reasonable manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Masson pine stand development changed community composition of root-associated fungi. • Near mature stands had remarkably higher enzyme activity but lower fungal diversity. • The composition of root-associated fungi had a direct impact on enzymatic stoichiometry. • Stand development altered enzymatic stoichiometry by affecting fungal composition. Root-associated fungal communities play a key role in plant productivity and soil processes in forest ecosystems. However, how diversity and composition of root-associated fungi change with forest development and their linkage with soil enzyme activities remain largely unknown. We characterized the root-associated fungal communities, plant and soil properties, and extracellular enzyme activities along a chronosequence spanning young (15 years old) to over-mature (63 years old) Pinus massoniana forest development stages. Our results showed that P. massoniana roots harbored diverse root-associated fungal communities and they varied with forest development. Near-mature (36 years old) forest stands had the lowest alpha-diversity but higher relative abundances of ericoid mycorrhizal and activities of enzymes involved in C, N and P acquisition. The relative abundances of ectomycorrhizal fungi and endophyte were higher in middle-age (24 years old) and mature stands (45 years old), whereas the relative abundance of ericoid mycorrhizal fungi was highest in the near-mature stand. Soil pH, soil C:P and N:P ratios were important factors shaping the diversity and composition of root-associated fungal communities. Structural equation modeling indicated that changes in the community composition, but not richness of root-associated fungi, had significant correlations with soil enzymatic C:N and N:P stoichiometry. In conclusion, this study suggests that different stand development stages exhibit distinct diversity and composition of root-associated fungal communities, which affecting soil functions in terms of enzymatic activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Self-medication with antibiotics (SMA) is one of the most dangerous inappropriate antibiotic use behaviors. This study aims to investigate the impact of parental SMA for children before a consultation on their doctor's subsequent antibiotic prescribing behavior, including intravenous (IV) antibiotic use in the clinical setting of China. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted between June 2017 and April 2018 in three provinces of China. A total of 9526 parents with children aged 0–13 years were investigated. Data from 1275 parents who had self-medicated their children and then visited a doctor in the past month were extracted and analyzed. Results: One-third (410) of the studied children had parental SMA before the consultation and 83.9% of them were subsequently prescribed antibiotics by doctors. Children with parental SMA were more likely to be prescribed antibiotics (aOR = 7.79, 95% CI [5.74–10.58]), including IV antibiotics (aOR = 3.05, 95% CI [2.27–4.11]), and both oral and IV antibiotics (aOR = 3.42, 95% CI [2.42–4.84]), than children without parental SMA. Parents with SMA behaviors were more likely to request antibiotics (aOR = 4.05, 95% CI [2.59–6.31]) including IV antibiotics (aOR = 2.58, 95% CI [1.40–4.76]), and be fulfilled by doctors (aOR = 3.22, 95% CI [1.20–8.63]). Conclusions: Tailored health education for parents is required in both community and clinical settings to discourage parental SMA for children. The doctors should not prescribe unnecessary antibiotics to reinforce parents' SMA behaviors. We recommend expanding the current IV antibiotics ban in outpatient settings of China to cover outpatient pediatrics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Microgrid optimal dispatch to reduce costs, carbon emissions and power fluctuation. • The multi-objective optimization algorithm based on war strategy. • Pareto frontier sort based on membership degree. • Reasonable allocation of new energy and energy storage. This article introduces a novel metaheuristic multi-objective optimization algorithm to address the complex multi-objective optimization scheduling challenges of the microgrids for the first time. Comparing with common multi-objective optimization algorithms, the proposed Multi-Objective War Strategy Optimization (MOWSO) has the following highlights: 1) MOWSO only needs to set three parameters. The few parameters make the algorithm simple to debug and real-world implement in practical applications. 2) MOWSO avoids the local centralized distribution of Pareto frontier based on a random selection strategy. The selection range of multiple objectives is expanded properly. In addition, a comprehensive multi-objective optimization dispatch model for microgrids is established, concurrently considering operating costs, carbon emissions, and power fluctuations. Furthermore, the impact of new energy proportion and Energy Storage (ES) on microgrid optimal dispatch is thoroughly investigated. Finally, a case study about a village microgrid in North China is presented to validate the effectiveness and the superiority of proposed multi-objective optimization dispatch model and novel MOWSO algorithm. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This paper aims to identify factors underlying public risk acceptance of the chemical industry in a case study of Jiangsu Province, China and to explore the diverse views of various demographic groups and in various regions using the psychometric paradigm method. The surveys were conducted between August and December 2010 in three representative cities: Changzhou, Nanjing and Yancheng, located in the southern, central and northern parts of Jiangsu, respectively. Based on 1190 valid questionnaires, the results show that public acceptance of the risk related to the chemical industry could be predicted by four factors: the public perception of their personal knowledge about the chemical industry, the perceived effect of accidents related to the chemical industry, the perceived benefit obtained from the chemical industry, and trust in the government’s risk management abilities. Additionally, the study found that respondents’ demographic characters, such as gender, age, education level, occupation, and household income, influenced the effect of the four factors on risk acceptance at different degrees. The Effect factor more significantly affected risk acceptance among lower-income residents than that among higher-income persons, and people over age 50 with lower education levels were more sensitive to Knowledge than others. Moreover, Trust was an important factor for risk acceptance among people with various demographic characteristics or regional characteristics. These findings can assist governments and policy makers to select target groups for effective risk communication, and also guide the public to improve their rational judgment on risk acceptability of the chemical industry. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Purpose: To develop and validate a pretreatment computed tomography (CT)-based deep-learning (DL) model for predicting the treatment response to concurrent chemoradiation therapy (CCRT) among patients with locally advanced thoracic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (TESCC).Methods and Materials: We conducted a prospective, multicenter study on the therapeutic efficacy of CCRT among TESCC patients across 9 hospitals in China (ChiCTR2000039279). A total of 306 patients with locally advanced TESCC diagnosed by histopathology from August 2015 to May 2020 were included in this study. A 3-dimensional DL radiomics model (3D-DLRM) was developed and validated based on pretreatment CT images to predict the response to CCRT. Furthermore, the prediction performance of the newly developed 3D-DLRM was analyzed according to 3 categories: radiation therapy plan, radiation field, and prescription dose used.Results: The 3D-DLRM achieved good prediction performance, with areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve of 0.897 (95% confidence interval, 0.840-0.959) for the training cohort and 0.833 (95% confidence interval, 0.654-1.000) for the validation cohort. Specifically, the 3D-DLRM accurately predicted patients who would not respond to CCRT, with a positive predictive value (PPV) of 100% for the validation cohort. Moreover, the 3D-DLRM performed well in all 3 categories, each with areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve of >0.8 and positive predictive values of approximately 100%.Conclusion: The proposed pretreatment CT-based 3D-DLRM provides a potential tool for predicting the response to CCRT among patients with locally advanced TESCC. With the help of precise pretreatment prediction, we may guide the individualized treatment of patients and improve survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aimed to investigate factors related to high stress levels among the general population in China during the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic when its containment measures were in place and to identify the most stressed populations.Methods: A nationwide study was conducted online among 5,039 adults in all 31 provinces in mainland China between March 1 and March 16, 2020. Bivariate analysis and multivariate logistic regressions were performed to explore the related factors of high perceived stress.Results: Among all respondents, 36.0% reported a high level of stress. Respondents in Hubei province (the epicenter) were more likely to report high stress levels than those in low epidemic areas. Respondents who went outside every day or every other day reported greater odds of experiencing a high level of stress than those who went outside every 8-14 days. People with higher risk perceptions were more prone to report high stress levels. Respondents aged 16-35 were more likely to report high stress than respondents aged 46 or older. Lower household income and lower health literacy were related to increased odds of reporting high stress levels.Limitations: We used a convenience sample and self-reported survey data.Conclusions: We identified risk factors for high stress levels related to the epidemic (epidemic intensity in residential areas, risk perception, and frequency of going outside) and other vulnerabilities (younger age, low household income, low health literacy). Our findings can directly inform interventions and policies for mitigating stress among the general population for this or future epidemics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]