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This study aimed to analyze the impact of cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases (CCVDs) mortality on Tianjin's life expectancy (LE) in 2004 compared with 2020 using Arriaga's decomposition method. The LE increment for Tianjin residents due to the decrease in CCVDs mortality was 1.54 years (38.7%). Males, females, urban residents, and rural residents contributed 1.29 years (36.83%), 1.76 years (40.25%), 2.11 years (44.41%), and 0.71 years (25.06%), respectively. A total of 38.2% of the LE increment was attributed to deaths from CCVDs in people aged ≥65 years. Cerebral infarction, intracerebral hemorrhage, acute myocardial infarction, and other heart diseases contributed positively to the increase in LE (24.8%, 22.68%, 16.66%, and 11.3%). Sequelae of cerebrovascular disease and other coronary heart diseases contributed negatively to the increase in LE (−25.2% and −17.92%). Therefore, we need to control the risk factors of the elderly, males, rural residents, sequelae of cerebrovascular disease, and other coronary heart diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the ageing of global societies continues to accelerate, China is actively responding to population ageing through its national strategy, and the rise of new media has provided more opportunities for the realization of this strategy. With the support of new media platforms such as TikTok, elderly people have started an active ageing trend on the Internet. This research conducts a qualitative content analysis of the videos of the top 10 'grey-haired influencers' on the TikTok platform based on the theory of self-presentation, with a focus on their self-presentation in the new media era. Technological empowerment has facilitated the main narrative of grey-haired influencers, and they have transformed from being 'presented by others' to 'creating self-images'. The self-presentation strategies of grey-haired influencers encompass both adherence to and deviations from Goffman's theory. These strategies elicit diverse feedback from the audience, which prompts the grey-haired influencers to make further adjustments to their strategies and self-presentation. Ultimately, these influencers strive to create a meaningful space for older individuals, promote the development of a new grey-haired identity, and facilitate the dissemination of narratives about ageing among different age groups, thus fostering the practice of active ageing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As-containing chemical weapons (CWs) and their degraded products pose a great threat to the environment and to human health. In this study, concentration and distribution characteristics, source identification, and health risk assessments were determined for As, Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb in environmental samples from Lianhuapao (LHP), a typical site of Japanese abandoned chemical weapons (JACWs) in China. The results show that the concentration levels of As, Cr and Ni in the LHP soils are abnormally high, with 69.57%, 83.33% and 91.67%, respectively, of the total sample exceeding the risk screening values for soil contamination of agricultural land. As levels in water samples were generally within safety limits, with the exception of perched water in the core contamination area. In the study area, none of the dominant plant species were enriched with As, except for the Pteris vittata L. Pentavalent arsenic was found to be the predominant arsenic species in the topsoil and water samples. Source identification using statistical approaches indicated that the concentrations of As, Pb, Cu, Cd and Zn are likely influenced by JACWs, while Cr and Ni levels may be related to the natural weathering process. The total concentrations of As, Cr and Ni showed a significant degree of contamination, but only As displayed high potential ecological risk. The calculated indexes of health risk evaluation strongly indicate an unacceptable carcinogenic risk (1E−04) to children, and higher non-carcinogenic risk, relative to that of adults. Our data indicate that the health risk from the resulting As contamination is still a cause for concern, although the JACWs were excavated decades ago from these soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The overall geochemical composition of natural-water regimes reflects the response to long-term interactions between the water and the surrounding environment in the process of its circulation. Their characteristics can reflect both aquatic ecological health and the tracer of the water source, as well as the water budget. In this study, Hulun Lake, a remote lake in a cold and arid area of China, was chosen in order to analyze its geochemical characteristics, including the major ions, stable isotopes (δD and δ18O) and dissolved organic matter (DOM) in its lake water, river water and groundwater. The major ions in the water were dominated by Na+ + Ca2+-CO32− and the concentration of ions in the groundwater was significantly higher than that in the lake and river water, implying a dry climate and relatively little human disturbance. The δD and δ18O values for both the groundwater and the river water were similar and both were close to the global meteoric water line (GMWL), indicating that their sources were mainly supplied by atmospheric precipitation. However, the δD and δ18O values for lake water were below the GMWL, indicating strong evaporation. The concentration of DOM in the lake water was significantly higher than that in the river water and groundwater, which was affected by the growth of aquatic organisms, and the three-dimensional fluorescence spectrum characteristics also proved that the contribution of biomass sources was greater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heavy metals pollution in pharmaceutical industries received increasing attention. A total of 94 soil samples were collected in this study. Results showed the mean contents of Hg, Cd, As, Pb, Ni and Cu were 0.21, 0.26, 9.59, 55.06, 51.52 and 50.81 mg·kg−1, respectively. The spatial distribution of metals in topsoil largely attributed to the pharmaceutical production process. The distribution of Hg and As were related to the production of medical absorbent cotton. While Ni was related to the fuel supply of Ni-rich coal. Cr, Cu and Pb mainly distributed in the process which they were used as catalysts. The vertical migration of metals was complex in soil. To a great extent, it was related to the texture of the soil and the properties of metals in this filed. The total non-cancer and cancer human health risk were within the limits of USEPA (10–6 a−1). This demonstrated the health risks of individual's exposure to heavy metals in this factory was acceptable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An analytical method of accelerated solvent extraction combined with gas chromatographic – microelectron capture detection (GC-μECD) was developed for the determination of energetic compounds (ECs) in soils from Chinese ammunition-contaminated sites. The results showed that the recoveries of most compounds were 82.86 ± 7.35 − 109.70 ± 10.82%, 82.53 ± 6.18 − 99.21 ± 1.88%, 80.44 ± 1.73 − 108.20 ± 4.58% at spiked levels of 20, 100, and 500 ng, respectively. Each spiked level was analyzed in triplicate with relative standard deviations from 3.51 to 13.34%, 1.90 to 10.51%, and 0.50 to 5.90%. GC-μECD is highly sensitive to these electronegative compounds with method detection limits (MDL) from 0.64 to 3.48 ng·g−1. This technique has the advantages of high efficiency, reduced solvent consumption, low detection limits, and suitability for a wide range of compounds. The developed approach was successfully applied to the determination of energetic compounds in soils collected from four ammunition-contaminated sites in China. The concentrations of energetic compounds in soil were from 5.60 to 9.22 × 105 ng·g−1 at these sites. The results show that the present method accurately simultaneously determined multiple energetic compounds that may assist with the characterization of soil pollution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China started to implement COVID-19 vaccination programs for children in July 2021. This study investigated the changes in parents' COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy for children before and after the vaccination program rollout. Repeated cross-sectional online surveys among full-time adult factory workers were conducted in Shenzhen, China. This analysis was based on 844 (first round) and 1213 parents (second round) who had at least one child aged 3–17 years. The prevalence of vaccine hesitancy for children aged 3–11 years dropped from 25.9% (first round) to 17.4% (second round), while such a prevalence for children aged 12–17 years dropped from 26.0% (first round) to 3.5% (second round) (p < 0.001). Positive attitudes, a perceived subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control related to children's COVID-19 vaccination were associated with lower vaccine hesitancy in both rounds. In the second round and among parents with children aged 3–11 years, negative attitudes and exposure to information on SARS-CoV-2 infection after receiving a primary vaccine series were associated with higher vaccine hesitancy, while exposure to experiences shared by vaccine recipients and infectiousness of variants of concern were associated with lower vaccine hesitancy. Regular monitoring of vaccine hesitancy and its associated factors among parents should be conducted to guide health promotion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an emerging approach that aims to control, mitigate or prevent the risk of contaminated sites by cutting off the transmission routes of pollutants, risk control method has become an economic choice for researchers and governors to manage the contaminated sites. However, the public's acceptance is at a relatively low level, and investigation into how to increase this is needed. In this study, a focus group interview was conducted to identify the dimensions of the public's risk and benefit perception regarding the use of risk control method for contaminated sites. Using data from an online survey of 418 residents in Tianjin, a city in desperate need of this method for contaminated sites, structural equation modeling was used to examine the influence mechanism of public's knowledge of soil pollution on their acceptance of it. The results included the following points: (1) The improvement of the public's soil pollution knowledge causes the overestimation of risks and the underestimation of benefits regarding risk control method, which then decrease of their acceptance of it. (2) knowledge triggered emotional judgement rather than rational judgement works in their decision-making process. The study concludes that science-based propaganda should be strengthened to eliminate residents' concerns about the environment, health, and the government's regulations, and their negative emotion should be specially taken into account when developing projects using this method. This study innovatively explored the public's cognitive mechanisms in relation to risk control method from both rational and emotional perspectives. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In China, the effects of heavy metals and metalloids (HMMs) on liver health are not consistently documented, despite their prevalent environmental presence. Our research assessed the association between HMMs and liver function biomarkers in a comprehensive sample of Chinese adults. We analyzed data from 9445 participants in the China National Human Biomonitoring survey. Blood and urine were evaluated for HMM concentrations, and liver health was gauged using serum albumin (ALB), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), and aspartate aminotransferase (AST) metrics. Various statistical methods were employed to understand the relationship between 11 HMMs and liver function, adjusting for multiple factors. We also explored interactions with alcohol intake, gender, and age. Among HMMs, selenium in blood [weighted geometric mean (GM) = 95.56 μg/L] and molybdenum in urine (GM = 46.44 μg/L) showed the highest concentrations, while lead in blood (GM = 21.92 μg/L) and arsenic in urine (GM = 19.80 μg/L) had the highest levels among risk HMMs. Manganese and thallium consistently indicated potential risk factor to liver in both sample types, while selenium displayed potential liver protection. Blood HMM mixtures were negatively associated with ALB (β = −0.614, 95% CI: −0.809, −0.418) and positively with AST (β = 0.701, 95% CI: 0.290, 1.111). No significant associations were found in urine HMM mixtures. Manganese, tin, nickel, and selenium were notable in blood mixture associations, with selenium and cobalt being significant in urine. The relationship of certain HMMs varied based on alcohol consumption. This research highlights the complex relationship between HMM exposure and liver health in Chinese adults, particularly emphasizing metals like manganese, thallium, and selenium. The results suggest a need for public health attention to low dose HMM exposure and underscore the potential benefits of selenium for liver health. Further studies are essential to establish causality. • Manganese and thallium exposure negatively correlate with ALB and positively with liver enzymes; selenium shows opposite trends, with drinking amplifying its association. • Heavy metals/metalloids can impact liver function even at low exposure, often non-linearly. • Mixed heavy metals/metalloids exposure in whole blood is tied to liver function markers. • This study uniquely utilizes the qgcomp method, considering both harmful and potentially beneficial metals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and metabolic syndrome (MS) and its components. However, it is unclear whether a low concentration of vitamin D is the cause or consequence of these health conditions. Thus, this study aimed to evaluate the association of vitamin D concentrations and its genetic risk scores (GRSs) with MS and its component diseases, such as T2D, in middle-aged and elderly participants from rural eastern China.Methods: A subset of 2393 middle-aged and elderly individuals were selected from 70,458 participants of the Nantong Chronic Diseases Study of 2017-2018 in China. We used two 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25[OH]D) synthesis single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (DHCR7-rs12785878 and CYP2R1-rs10741657) and two 25(OH) D metabolism SNPs (GC-rs2282679 and CYP24A1-rs6013897) for creating GRSs, which were used as instrumental variables to assess the effect of genetically lowered 25(OH) D concentrations on MS and T2D based on the Wald ratio. F statistics were used to validate that the four SNPs genetically determined 25(OH) D concentrations.Results: Compared to vitamin D sufficient individuals, individuals with vitamin D insufficiency had an odds ratio (OR [95% confidence interval {CI}]) of MS of 1.30 (1.06-1.61) and of T2D of 1.32 (1.08-1.64), individuals with vitamin D deficiency had an ORs (95% CI) of MS of 1.50 (1.24-1.79) and of T2D of 1.47 (1.12-1.80), and those with vitamin D severe deficiency had an ORs (95% CI) of MS of 1.52 (1.29-1.85) and of T2D of 1.54 (1.27-1.85). Mendelian randomization analysis showed a 25-nmol/L decrease in genetically instrumented serum 25(OH) D concentrations using the two synthesis SNPs (DHCR7 and CYP2R1 genes) associated with the risk of T2D and abnormal diastolic blood pressure (DBP) with ORs of 1.10 (95%CI: 1.02-1.45) for T2D and 1.14 (95%CI: 1.03-1.43) for DBP.Conclusions: This one sample Mendelian randomization analysis shows genetic evidence for a causal role of lower 25(OH) D concentrations in promoting of T2D and abnormal DBP in middle-aged and elderly participants from rural China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Chronic granulomatous disease (CGD) is the most common phagocyte defect disease. Here, we describe 114 CGD patients in our center and report a rare female infant with XL-CGD to provide a better understanding of diagnosis, treatment, and prenatal diagnosis of CGD. Method: Patients were diagnosed by DHR-1,2,3 flow cytometry assays and gene analysis. X chromosome inactivation analysis and gp91phox protein test were used for a female infant with XL-CGD. Results: XL-CGD accounts for the majority of cases in China and results in higher susceptibility to some infections than AR-CGD. The DHR assay can help diagnose CGD quickly, and atypical results should be combined with clinical manifestations, genetic analysis, and regular follow-up. For prenatal diagnosis, both gDNA and cDNA genotypes of amniotic fluid cells should be identified, and cord blood DHR assays should be performed to identify female XL-CGD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Upper Ordovician-Lower Silurian Longmaxi Shale in the Upper Yangtze block represents one of the most important shale gas plays in China. The shale composition, porosity, organic thermal maturity, and methane sorption were investigated at the Qilongcun section in the Dingshan area, southeastern Sichuan Basin. The results show that the Upper Ordovician-Lower Silurian Longmaxi Shale contains: (1) sapropelic I organic matter; (2) a 40-m thick bedded sequence where total organic carbon (TOC) content is > 2%; (3) a 30m thick layer at the base of the Longmaxi Shale with a brittle mineral content higher than 50%; and (4) a mean methane adsorption capacity of 1.80 cm3/g (7 MPa pressure). A positive correlation between TOC and sorbed gas indicates that organic matter content exerts an important control on methane storage capacity. Based on the analysis of the shale reservoir characteristics, the lower member of the Longmaxi Shale can thus be considered a favorable stratum for shale gas exploration and exploitation. It has similar reservoir characteristics with the Longmaxi Shale in the Jiaoshiba area tested with a high-yield industrial gas flow. However, based on tectonic analysis, differences in the level of industrial gas flow between the low-yield study area and the high-yield Jiaoshiba area may result from different tectonic preservation conditions. Evidence from these studies indicates the shale gas potential of the Longmaxi Shale is constrained by the reservoir and preservation conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to the modularization and standardization of program structure in Global/Regional Assimilation and Prediction System (GRAPES), the plug-compatible and transplantable regional meso-scale and global middle-range physics software package is established. The package's component integrality is comparative with the other advanced models physics. A three-level structure of connecting GRAPES physics and dynamic frame has been constructed. The friendly interface is designed for users to plug in their own physics packages. Phenomenon of grid-point storm rainfall in numerical prediction is analyzed with the numerical tests. The scheme of air vertical velocity calculation is improved. Optimizing tests of physics schemes are performed with the correlative parameters adjusting. The results show that the false grid-point storm rainfall is removed by precipitation scheme improving. Then the score of precipitation forecast is enhanced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Petrochemical industries are widely distributed in China. As a negative consequence, heavy metals in petrochemical area can result in soil contamination. However, the relevant research of heavy metals contamination in petrochemical area was few. In this study, a total of 103 topsoil samples (<20 cm) and 25 profile soil samples were collected and examined in a retired petrochemical industrial area, South China. The results showed the mean contents of Hg, Cd, As, Pb, Ni and Cu were 0.18, 0.69, 16.22, 47.24, 31.62 and 93.06 mg kg−1, respectively. The spatial distribution of six metals in topsoil was largely attributed to the industrial activities during the petroleum refining and transshipment process. Ni was the main pollutant in the petroleum refining process. While, the contamination of other metals mainly were caused by the leakage of the oil during transshipment. The migration of six metals to subsoil layers was also observable. In accordance, Hg, Cd, As, Pb, Cu, and Ni dropped by 95.02, 71.91, 89.45, 90.88, 99.22, and 65.07%, respectively, compared to their contents in topsoil. The contamination of the heavy metals was mainly caused during the process of petroleum refining and transshipment. The distribution of heavy metals in the factory was mainly affected by the industrial activities or the lateral infiltration of Lianhuashan River. Soil ingestion was the primary pathway for children and adults exposure to heavy metals. The total non-cancer human health risk induced by heavy metals was within the limit of USEPA (10−6 a−1). While the cancer risks alone induced by As through soil ingestion to children was 1.14 × 10−6 a−1, which exceeded the limit of USEPA. This study indicated that not only petroleum hydrocarbon but also heavy metals can cause soil contamination in a retired petrochemical industrial area, which provides a novel cognition. Altogether, measures should be taken in practice to substantially improve the soil quality in petrochemical industrial area. • The spatial distribution of heavy metals was related to the industrial production process. • Petroleum refining and transshipment were the main processes that cause contamination of soil heavy metals. • The migration of heavy metals versus soil was affected by the industrial activities and lateral infiltration of the river. • Cancer risks solely induced by As through soil ingestion to children exceeded the limit of USEPA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Introduced multi-tiered method to identify ecological protection priority areas. • Incorporated ecological lands with excellent ecosystem integrity into EPPAs. • The width of ecological corridors was identified based on the proportion of land use. • Aggregate Polygons tool was utilized to aggregate fragmented areas. • An ecological protection method was developed for medium-sized city. Identifying ecological protection priority areas (EPPAs) in municipal areas is essential for accurate ecological restoration and ensuring sustainable regional development. Xianyang represents a typical medium-sized city that is currently grappling with the dual challenges of ecological restoration and urban development. This study employed a multi-criteria method to evaluate ecological importance, considering both ecosystem services and ecological vulnerability. Based on this, ecological corridors and pinch points that enhance ecological connectivity were delineated using the circuit theory. Subsequently, the integrity of ecosystems is assessed from structural and functional perspectives to ensure their health and stability. With the support of Geographic Information System (GIS) technology, the three important areas for ecological protection were integrated to designate EPPAs. The results showed that: (1) the extremely important area spans 1956.44 km2, primarily made up of forests and grasslands. (2) There were found to be 19 ecological sources, 26 ecological corridors, and 23 ecological pinch points. (3) With excellent ecosystem integrity, the region was dominated by eco-lands, which accounted for 2692.71 km2. (4) In the end, this study identified 3328.83 km2 of EPPAs, 32.65 % of the study area. These are primarily located in the northern mountains and major watersheds. Human activities are found as the most important factor for the overall spatial variations in the area. A multi-level framework was developed to establish a continuous, comprehensive, and systematic method for identifying EPPAs, thereby enhancing ecological restoration, protection, and the sustainable use of regional ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The increasing number of older people and the dissemination of health information via the Internet have emerged and both are challenging to Chinese society. Available online health information highlights the importance of decision making processes, specially in relation to the elderly who almost have no online presence and depend on their adult children's help. The researchers mostly focus on parents' health information search for their children, however, they overlook the adult children's intention to use online health information for their aged parents.Objective: This study fills this gap by extending the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to identify the determinants of adult children's intention to use online health information for their aged parents.Method: Relying on survey method, the data were collected from teachers and students at different participating Universities in Wuhan, China. The Partial Least Squares (PLS), a structural equation modeling technique, was employed to test the research model.Results: This study found that attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control and risk (p<0.05) were the predictors of intention to use online health information, whereas, trust (p>0.05) was not listed among the predictors.Conclusions: This study is a significant addition to the literature, in that it confirms the utility of the TPB with additional variables in predicting adults' children intention to use online health information for their aged parents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Schizophyllan (SPG), a β -glucan produced by the fungus Schizophyllum commune , possesses a β -(1 → 3)-linked backbone with single β -(1 → 6)-linked glucose side chains at approximately every third residue. In this study, we screened SPG-producing strains of S. commune from different provinces in China. A candidate strain (NTU-1) with a high SPG yield was chosen, and the fermentation conditions were optimized. The optimal carbon and nitrogen sources were sucrose (40 g/L) and yeast extract (20 g/L), respectively. The optimal conditions for pH and temperature were 5.0 and 28 °C, respectively. Inclusion of 0.2 mg/L of 2,4-Dichlorophenoxyacetic acid in the medium further increased the SPG concentration. In a 5-L bioreactor, the fermentation cycle was reduced from the initial seven days to five days, and the concentration of SPG obtained was 21.3 g/L, which is the highest reported to date. In addition, we evaluated the bioactivity of the SPG prepared using strain NTU-1. The results showed that SPG had certain characteristics of anti-oxidation, anti-photoaging, and inhibition of melanin production, making it a promising reagent for skin care. • A strain S. commune NTU-1 with high SPG yield potential was screened. • The highest SPG concentration of 21.95 g/L was obtained by fermentation optimization. • SPG treatment improved the anti-photoaging ability of L929 cells. • SPG can inhibit melanin synthesis of B16F10 cells. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Water use strategy was assessed by plant water uptake and physiological responses. • R. pseudoacacia use an opportunistic water use strategy in 11- and 25-yr plantations. • R. pseudoacacia use a conservative water use strategy in 33- and 43-yr plantations. • R. pseudoacacia exhibited similar stem embolism resistant ability in four plantations. Understanding water use strategy is essential to evaluate plant adaptability in water-limited regions, but whether this strategy changes with plant growth needs further investigation. Robinia pseudoacacia is an exotic pioneer plantation species widely planted in the semiarid Loess Plateau of China to restore degraded ecosystems. Plant water uptake proportion from different soil layers and the water uptake pattern calculated through soil water uptake niche breadth (B index) were determined for R. pseudoacacia in 11-, 25-, 33–, and 43-yr plantations. Leaf physiological parameters and carbon stable isotopic composition (δ13C) were measured concurrently to calculate short-term and long-time integrated water use efficiency (WUE). Then, the water use strategy for R. pseudoacacia at different plantation ages was assessed through water uptake patterns, stomatal conductance (g s), and WUE variation under varied soil water conditions. Results showed that R. pseudoacacia maintained high g s and low short-term WUE and δ13C through a relative equal water uptake pattern and absorbed water within 0 − 400 cm soil depths in 11- and 25-yr plantations. However, this species exhibited an exclusive water uptake pattern and absorbed water mainly from 50 − 400 cm soil depth, adopted low g s and high short-term WUE and δ13C in 33– and 43-yr plantations. Therefore, R. pseudoacacia transited from an opportunistic to a conservative water use strategy with plant growth. The short-term WUE and δ13C were mainly and significantly influenced by g s and specific leaf area, respectively. Furthermore, the significant influence of B index on g s , δ18O Δ , short-term WUE , and δ13C indicated that R. pseudoacacia coordinated both water uptake pattern and water use behavior to contend with varied soil water conditions. This study suggested that changes in age-related water use strategy were essential for the adaptability of R. pseudoacacia in water-limited conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, soil profiles and pore water from Japanese abandoned arsenic-containing chemical weapons (CWs) burial sites in Dunhua, China were analyzed to understand the distribution of arsenic (As) contamination, degradation, and migration processes. Results of As species analysis showed that the As-containing agents underwent degradation with an average rate of 87.55 ± 0.13%, producing inorganic pentavalent arsenic (As5+) and organic arsenic such as 2-chlorovinylarsonic acid (CVAOA), triphenylarsenic (TPA), and phenylarsine oxide (PAO). Organic arsenic pollutants accounted for 1.27–18.20% of soil As. In the vertical profiles, total As concentrations peaked at about 40–60 cm burial depth, and the surface agricultural soil exhibited moderate to heavy contamination level, whereas the contamination level was insignificant below 1 m, reflecting As migration was relatively limited throughout the soil profile. Sequential extraction showed Fe/Al-bound As was the predominant fraction, and poorly-crystalline Fe minerals adsorbed 33.23–73.13% of soil As. Oxygen-susceptible surface soil formed poorly-crystalline Fe3+ minerals, greatly reducing downward migration of arsenic. However, the reduction of oxidizing conditions below 2 m soil depth may promote As activity and require attention. [Display omitted] • Significant arsenic contamination from chemical weapons was concentrated in the top 1 m soil layer. • As-Containing agents underwent degradation with an average rate of 87.55 ± 0.13% in buried soil. • Concentration and sequential extraction procedure analysis indicate weak transport of arsenic through the soil profile. • The arsenic fixation is mainly controlled by poorly-crystalline Fe3+ minerals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The water uptake of a 6-year-old cherry tree is closely related to the moisture of 0–60 cm soil layer. • Micro-irrigation with mulch film can decrease the ET of cherry trees without reducing yield. • Parallel drip irrigation with mulch film at a designed wetting depth of 60 cm is a suggested strategy. Extensive irrigation strategies are commonly and widely used for orchards in Northern China, leading to low water-use efficiency (WUE) and potential fertilizer pollution of underground water. Effective micro-irrigation strategies for orchards remain unclear and require further investigation to assist in developing orchard water-saving irrigation systems. In this study, compared with local traditional furrow irrigation, six micro-irrigation strategies (with or without mulch film) were applied to a 6-year-old cherry (Prunus avium L.) field for three years (2015–2017). The moisture spatial distribution of soil profile, water consumption, yield, and fruit quality were measured to evaluate the effectiveness of different irrigation strategies on growth and WUE of cherry trees. The results showed that the strongest variability of moisture in soil profile was in the 0–60 cm soil layer, indicating the water uptake of cherry trees is closely related to the soil moisture content in this region. Compared with furrow irrigation, micro-irrigation strategies can significantly (P < 0.05) reduce the water consumption of cherry trees without reducing yield, and treatments with mulch film will further enhance this effect. Ring drip irrigation with mulch film and parallel drip irrigation with mulch film significantly (P < 0.05) improved WUE. Furthermore, parallel drip irrigation with mulch film at a designed wetting depth of 60 cm was suggested irrigation strategy for a 6-year-old cherry field in terms of WUE, yield, fruit quality, and maintenance cost. The findings of this study provide a typical reference for further research on water-saving irrigation systems of perennial fruit trees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ordovician-Silurian organic-rich black shales located in the Wufeng-Longmaxi Formation in the southeastern part of the Upper Yangtze region are among the most important source rocks for shale gas in China. Given the importance of these sources, this study was initiated to determine the dominant factors controlling organic-matter enrichment in this region through the integration of sedimentology, petrology and geochemistry. Based on the sedimentary fabric features observed in thin section, six major mudrock lithofacies were identified in the Wufeng-Guanyinqiao-Longmaxi Formations black shale: (1) indistinctly laminated siltstone; (2) indistinctly laminated mudrock; (3) parallel-laminated mudrock; (4) nonparallel-laminated mudrock; (5) lenticular mudrock; and (6) normal-graded mudrock. Based on changes in the characteristics of lithofacies, trace-element ratios and the sizes of pyrite framboids, six kinds of mudrock facies were identified in the three formations. First, the indistinctly-laminated mudrock of the Wufeng Formation and the lower part of the Lower Longmaxi Formation that was deposited in a continuous suspension condition with pervasively anoxic and quiet water columns; second, the parallel-laminated mudrock of the upper part of the Lower Longmaxi Formation that was deposited from episodic suspension under an anoxic water column with weak fluctuation; third, the nonparallel-laminated mudrock of the lower part of the Upper Longmaxi Formation that was deposited in debris flow conditions with oxygen-rich and fluctuating water columns (graded mudrock deposited through event sedimentation in a suspension environment with a low-density, oxygen-rich bottom and turbidity currents also occurred in this stage); and finally, the indistinctly-laminated siltstones of the Guanyinqiao Formation and the upper part of the Upper Longmaxi Formation that were deposited in debris flow conditions with oxic and fluctuating water columns. The study then incorporated major- and trace-element analysis, global and regional sea-level fluctuations and regional stratigraphic characteristics to develop the depositional model. The results of the study indicate that the accumulation of organic matter in the middle region of the Sichuan Basin was predominantly controlled by regional tectonic activity. • Six main lithofacies are classified in the mudstones of the Wufeng-Longmaxi Formation in the Southeastern Sichuan Basin. • Based on diversity of lithofacies which reflects the different depositional environment, different stages were divided. • Accumulation mechanism of organic matter mainly controlled by tectonic events in study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To analyze the impact of injury mortality changes on life expectancy (LE) in Tianjin in 2021 compared with 2003 by age, gender, urban-rural, and cause-specific differences., Methods: The abridged life table and Arriaga's decomposition method were applied to analyze the cause of death surveillance data of Tianjin residents in 2003 and 2021, calculating the age-specific and subcategory-specific contribution of injury to the increase of LE., Results: From 2003 to 2021, the injury mortality rate dropped from 30.33 to 21.57 per 100,000 in Tianjin. Over this period, LE varied from 77.70 to 82.03 years, with an increase of 4.33 years. The reduction in injury mortality contributed 0.3111 years (7.18 %) to the growth of LE. The positive impact on LE was notably observed in the age group of 1-49 years, contributing 0.4348 years (10.04 %) cumulatively. The major injuries that contributed significantly to the increase of LE were transport accidents excluding motor vehicles (0.2558 years, 5.91 %), accidental poisoning (0.0845 years, 1.95 %), motor vehicle traffic accidents (0.0474 years, 1.09 %), and drowning (0.0359 years, 0.83 %). However, the rise in intentional self-harm mortality rate from ages 10-24 and increased mortality rates due to other accidents and adverse effects, motor vehicle traffic accidents, and falls from ages 50+ had negative impacts on LE., Conclusion: During 2003-2021, the decline in injury mortality rates among children and young to middle-aged individuals in Tianjin played a crucial role in the increase of LE. It is essential to enhance primary prevention efforts, particularly focusing on key populations, to reduce the negative impact on LE growth from intentional self-harm, other accidents and adverse effects, motor vehicle traffic accidents, and falls., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Traditionally, the assessment of student nursing skills relies heavily on lecturer evaluations. However, lecturers, as the primary evaluators, may be influenced by their individual subjective preferences, experience, and knowledge background. This limitation needs thorough consideration to improve students' assessment skills and ensure that assessment tasks are more objective and accurate. Peer assessment appears to take it into account. Currently, improving the quality of peer assessment in Basic Nursing skills remains a challenge for educators., Aim: To assess the effectiveness of peer assessment as applied to the basic nursing skills examination process and suggestions for improvement, to understand nursing students' perceptions of it, and to explore the feasibility of peer assessment as an alternative to single faculty assessment as perceived by nursing students., Design: Qualitative research., Settings: Conducted in a clinical skills simulation laboratory at a university in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province, China., Participants: 23 Second-year nursing students applying peer assessment to Basic Nursing course exams., Methods: Used face-to-face, semi-structured interviews, and thematic analysis to analyze data., Results: Three major themes and nine subthemes were identified: (1) Positive sentiments towards peer evaluation (e.g., enhancing the learning capacity, increasing emotional intelligence, and improving the objectivity and fairness of nursing skills assessment); (2) Challenges encountered in the peer evaluation process (e.g., inconsistent scoring criteria, exacerbate anxiety, and triggering team conflict); (3) Suggestions for improving peer evaluation (e.g., applying the design of peer assessment exam content, incorporation of lecturer evaluation, and refinement and materialization of marking criteria)., Conclusions: In this study, while the positive impact is evident, the challenges faced by nursing students and future recommendations for peer assessment application are critical. This study provides valuable insights into the potential of peer assessment to enhance nursing education and provides recommendations for optimizing peer assessment strategies for meaningful integration into Nursing Education practice., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no competing interests, including financial and non-financial interests., (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Objective: To explore the correlation between clinical classification and genotype and prognosis among Chinese children with Very-long chain acyl-CoA dehydrogenase deficiency (VLCADD)., Methods: A Chinese pedigree affected with VLCADD admitted at the First People's Hospital of Yunnan Province in February 2019 was selected as the study subject. The characteristics of disease onset, diagnosis and treatment and prognosis were retrospectively analyzed. Relevant literature was also systematically searched and reviewed., Results: The proband, a 1-year-old boy, had the clinical manifestations of frequently vomiting, hypoglycemia, abnormal liver function and myocardial enzymes. Tandem mass spectrometry screening showed significantly elevated C14, C14:1, C16:1, C16:2, C18 and C14/C8. Genetic testing revealed that he has harbored compound heterozygous variants of the ACADVL gene, namely c.664G>A (p.G222R) and c.1345G>A (p.E449K), which were respectively derived from his father and mother. The child was diagnosed with VLCADD cardiomyopathy type and deceased 2 weeks later. Literature review has identified 60 Chinese children with VLCADD. The clinical classifications were mainly cardiomyopathy type and liver disease type, which accounted for 73.3% (43/60). The combination of ACADVL gene variants were correlated with the clinical classifications of VLCAD. Children with one or two loss-of-function (LOF) mutations showed more severe clinical manifestation and a higher mortality. Cardiomyopathy type had the poorest prognosis, with a mortality rate of 76.9% (20/26). C14:1 may be used as an indicator for the diagnosis of VLCADD, but cannot be used for clinical subtyping and prognosis evaluation. The c.1349G>A (p.R450H) variant had the highest frequency among the Chinese patients, accounting for 10.8% (13/120)., Conclusion: The clinical classifications of VLCADD are strongly correlated with the prognosis, and LOF mutations are more common in those with severe clinical manifestations. c.1349G>A (p.R450H) may be the most common variant among the Chinese patients, and early screening and diagnosis can greatly improve the prognosis of patients.

Rapid urbanization has led to ecological destruction and associated issues. Macro policies wield substantial influence over urbanization and its relationship with the environment. Without considering the differences in scale, macro policies may be ineffective at addressing urbanization's adverse impacts on the environment, and even worsen this relationship. We used data on 622 counties, 76 prefectures, and 7 urban agglomerations in the Yellow River Basin to examine the development level, coupling coordination degree, and spatial patterns of urbanization and ecosystem services at three scales during 2000-2020. Further, we explored the driving mechanisms in the relationship between urbanization and ecosystem services. We found that: First, the coupling coordination was relatively low but showed an upward trend. A sizeable spatiotemporal difference existed, with higher (lower) coordination in the east (west). Second, the coupling coordination of each scale exhibited significant spatial positive correlations. The low-value heterogeneous region was embedded around the agglomeration region, and polarization was significant. The larger the scale, the stronger the agglomeration effect. Further, the coupling coordination spatial agglomeration effect of each scale gradually weakened over time. Third, the spatial and temporal distributions of coupling coordination and its agglomeration characteristics at different scales differed. The urban agglomeration scale showed significant overall coordination or agglomeration characteristics, and prefecture and county regions showed local and unique characteristics within urban agglomerations. Fourth, the dominant factors influencing the spatial patterns of the coupling coordination at the county, prefecture, and urban agglomeration scales differed. The interaction and factor detection showed linear and double-factor enhancements. We find that economic development, government policies, environmental protection, and natural factors are the combined effects of urbanization and ecosystem services. Our research method can provide a reference for other river basins, and the results can help governments in formulating policies for sustainable development at different spatial scales., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: The authors declare no conflict of interest., (Copyright: © 2023 Zhang et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Ammunition-related activities have caused severe energetic compound (EC) contamination and pose serious risks to ecosystems. However, little is known regarding the spatial-vertical variations of ECs or their migration in soils at ammunition demolition sites. Although the toxic effect of some ECs to microorganisms have been reported through laboratory simulations, the responses of indigenous microbial communities to ammunition demolition activities are unclear. In this study, the spatial-vertical variations of ECs in 117 topsoil samples and three soil profiles from a typical ammunition demolition site in China were studied. Heavy contamination of ECs was concentrated in the top soils of the work platforms, and ECs were also detected in the surrounding area and nearby farmland. ECs showed different migration characteristics in the 0-100 cm soil layer of the different soil profiles. Demolition activities and surface runoff play critical roles in the spatial-vertical variations and migration of ECs. These findings suggest that ECs are able to migrate from the topsoil to the subsoil and from the core demolition area to further ecosystems. The work platforms exhibited lower microbial diversity and different microbiota compositions compared to the surrounding areas and farmlands. Using the random forest analysis, pH and 1,3,5-trinitrobenzene (TNB) were characterized as the most important factors affecting microbial diversity. Network analysis revealed that Desulfosporosinus was highly sensitive to ECs and may be a unique indicator of EC contamination. These findings provide key information in understanding EC migration characteristics in soils and the potential threats to indigenous soil microorganisms in ammunition demolition sites., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Exposure to air pollution is an important risk factor for intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), which is a major cause of death worldwide. However, the relationship between ICH mortality and air quality improvement has been poorly studied. This study aims to evaluate the impact of the air pollution control policies in the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region on ICH mortality among Tianjin residents., Methods: This study used an interrupted time series analysis. We fitted autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) models to assess the changes in ICH deaths before and after the interventions of air pollution control policies based on the data of ICH deaths in Tianjin collected by the Tianjin Center for Disease Control and Prevention., Results: Between 2009 and 2020, there were 63,944 ICH deaths in Tianjin, and there was an overall decreasing trend in ICH mortality. The intervention conducted in June 2014 resulted in a statistically significant (p = 0.03) long-term trend change, reducing the number of deaths from ICH by 0.69 (95% confidence interval [CI]: -1.30 to -0.07) per month. The intervention in October 2017 resulted in a statistically significant (p = 0.04) immediate decrease of 25.74 (95% CI: -50.62 to -0.85) deaths from ICH in that month. The intervention in December 2017 caused a statistically significant (p = 0.04) immediate reduction of 26.58 (95% CI: -52.02 to -1.14) deaths from ICH in that month. The intervention in March 2018 resulted in a statistically significant (p = 0.02) immediate decrease of 30.40 (95% CI: -56.41 to -4.40) deaths from ICH in that month. No significant differences were observed in the changes of male ICH mortality after any of the four interventions. However, female ICH deaths showed statistically significant long-term trend change after the intervention in June 2014 and immediate changes after the interventions in December 2017 and March 2018. Overall, the interventions prevented an estimated 5984.76 deaths due to ICH., Conclusion: During the study period, some interventions of air pollution control policies were significantly associated with the reductions in the number of deaths from ICH among residents in Tianjin. ICH survivors and females were more sensitive to the protective effects of the interventions. Interventions for air pollution control can achieve public health gains in cities with high levels of air pollution., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background: The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals for 2030 include reducing premature mortality from noncommunicable diseases by one-third. Although previous modeling studies have predicted premature mortality from noncommunicable diseases, the predictions for cancer and its subcategories are less well understood in China., Objective: The aim of this study was to project premature cancer mortality of 10 leading cancers in Hunan Province, China, based on various scenarios of risk factor control so as to establish the priority for future interventions., Methods: We used data collected between 2009 and 2017 from the Hunan cancer registry annual report as empirical data for projections. The population-attributable fraction was used to disaggregate cancer deaths into parts attributable and unattributable to 10 risk factors: smoking, alcohol use, high BMI, diabetes, physical inactivity, low vegetable and fruit intake, high red meat intake, high salt intake, and high ambient fine particulate matter (PM2.5) levels. The unattributable deaths and the risk factors in the baseline scenario were projected using the proportional change model, assuming constant annual change rates through 2030. The comparative risk assessment theory was used in simulated scenarios to reflect how premature mortality would be affected if the targets for risk factor control were achieved by 2030., Results: The cancer burden in Hunan significantly increased during 2009-2017. If current trends for each risk factor continued to 2030, the total premature deaths from cancers in 2030 would increase to 97,787 in Hunan Province, and the premature mortality (9.74%) would be 44.47% higher than that in 2013 (6.74%). In the combined scenario where all risk factor control targets were achieved, 14.41% of premature cancer mortality among those aged 30-70 years would be avoided compared with the business-as-usual scenario in 2030. Reductions in the prevalence of diabetes, high BMI, ambient PM2.5 levels, and insufficient fruit intake played relatively important roles in decreasing cancer premature mortality. However, the one-third reduction goal would not be achieved for most cancers except gastric cancer., Conclusions: Existing targets on cancer-related risk factors may have important roles in cancer prevention and control. However, they are not sufficient to achieve the one-third reduction goal in premature cancer mortality in Hunan Province. More aggressive risk control targets should be adopted based on local conditions., (©Wenqiong Wu, Jing Wang, Xian-zhen Liao, Kekui Xu, Yanhua Zou, Zhaohui Shi, Yingyun Hu, Haifan Xiao, Can Li, Shiyu Cao, Shiyu Wang, Jia Guo, Zhicheng Luo, Mengjiao Liu, Mengyao Xu, Donghui Jin, Mengshi Chen, Zhongxi Fu, Shipeng Yan. Originally published in JMIR Public Health and Surveillance (https://publichealth.jmir.org), 06.03.2023.)

Diffuse pollution of the soil by phthalates and heavy metals causes numerous concerns. Their respective fates when coexisting require further investigation. In this study, di(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) and Cd/Cu were used as subjects, focusing on their behavior in Mollisols under combined pollution based on their concentration, fractionation, and leaching. The results indicated that when the two pollutants coexist, the dissipation rate of DEHP in the soil decreased, and its half-life was extended from 30.81 to 40.53 (Cd) and 35.40 d (Cu). DEHP altered the distribution of Cd and Cu in the soil, and this effect persisted after most of the DEHP had degraded. Leaching tests showed that the interaction of DEHP with Cd and Cu hindered leaching during the first rainfall event, but as DEHP degraded and Cd/Cu stabilized, the trapped pollutants were gradually released in subsequent rainfall events. Additionally, to investigate the partitioning of pollutants between soil water and solid surfaces, a diffusion model of DEHP and metal ions on the surface of montmorillonite (high specific surface area adsorbents abundant in soils) was built using molecular dynamics simulations. Simulations revealed their density distribution on the clay surface increased synergistically, whereas their diffusion was antagonistic. This study provides basic data and theoretical support concerning the ecological risk assessment of combined phthalate and heavy metals pollution in soil., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Speeding up the promotion and application of biofuel ethanol has been a national strategy in China, which in turn has affected changes in the raw material planting structure. This study analyzed the response mechanism of water quality to agriculture land-use changes in a cassava fuel ethanol raw material planting area. The results revealed that an increase in cultivated land and construction land would lead to a rise in the load of TN (total nitrogen) and TP (total phosphorus), while an expansion in forest land and grassland area would reduce the load. As for crop structures, corn would have a remarkable positive impact on TN and TP, while rice and cassava performed in an opposite manner. Furthermore, scenarios under the carbon neutralization policy were carried out to forecast the nonpoint source pollutants based on the quantitative relations coefficients. It was proven that cassava planting was suitable for vigorous fuel ethanol development, but the maximum increase area of cassava should be 126 km 2 to ensure economic benefits. Under the change in fuel ethanol policy, this study could provide scientific support for local agriculture land-use management in realizing the carbon neutralization vision and also set a good example for the development of the cassava fuel ethanol industry in other cassava-planting countries.

Objectives: Systematic evaluation of the influence of occupation type on the association between sleep-glucose metabolism DESIGN: A cross-sectional study., Setting: The Nantong Metabolic Syndrome Study is a Chinese population-based study., Participants: 20 502 participants aged 18-74 years old., Intervention: No intervention., Primary and Secondary Outcome Measures: Impaired fasting glucose (IFG)., Results: A total of 1503 participants (7.33%) with a slightly longer sleep duration had IFG. After being stratified according to occupation, a sleep duration of ≥10 hours daily corresponded to a 1.321-fold risk of IFG (95% CI 1.071 to 1.628, p=0.0092) among moderate and heavy physical workers compared with those with a daily sleep duration of 7-9 hours. There was no significant relationship between sleep and IFG among other types of workers. Moreover, we discovered a gender difference in the influence of occupation on the sleep-IFG. A positive association among moderate and heavy physical men and a negative association among light or sedentary men were established, but not in unemployed men. However, a positive association was evident only in unemployed women; there was no significant association among other occupations., Conclusion: This study highlights the role of occupation in the relationship of sleep-glucose metabolism. A gender difference was found to have been influenced by occupational types on the sleep-metabolic association., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2021. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Autosomal dominant hyper IgE syndrome (AD-HIES) caused by STAT3 gene mutation is a rare primary immunodeficiency disease. To better understand the disease, we described the clinical characteristics of 20 AD-HIES patients in Chongqing, China and explored the effect of mutations in different domains of STAT3 gene on the function of STAT3 protein by Western blot and confocal microscopy. The mean age at onset was 0.12 years. The mean age at diagnosis was 5.31 years. The most common presentation was eczema, pneumonia, skin abscesses and chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis. Seven patients suffered from BCG complications. R382W/Q were identified in 12 patients, V637M mutation in three patients. Three patients have died. The phosphorylated STAT3 was expressed more in wild-type(WT) and R382W mutant STAT3 in the cytoplasm of COS7 cells with epidermal growth factor(EGF) stimulation, less in the V637M mutation and T620S mutation. Dynamic observation showed that STAT3 cytoplasmic accumulation and nuclear translocation occurred rapidly after EGF stimulation in WT-STAT3-GFP, the time of accumulation and nuclear translocation was later and the expression was less in R382W-STAT3-GFP compared with WT-STAT3-GFP, followed by V637M and T620S mutation. These results suggested that our patients had earlier onset, diagnostic age and higher rate of BCG complications. However, our patients had higher incidence of mortality though the earlier diagnostic age. We did not find a significant genotype/phenotype correlation, but Src homology 2 domain mutations (V637M and T620S) had a greater effect on STAT3 phosphorylation and nuclear translocation than DNA-binding domain mutation (R382W) in vitro., (© 2020 The Scandinavian Foundation for Immunology.)

Human health risks of five different heavy metals were assessed in nine typical areas in Asia, Europe, and Africa. The geoaccumulation index (I geo ) of arsenic (As) in Hyderabad (HB), cadmium (Cd) in Veles (VL), and lead (Pb) in Murcia (MC) were found to be 5, indicating extreme contamination. This is related to their high concentrations in soil. The concentration of As in wheat in Niger Delta (ND) and European Union (EU) areas were 3.3 and 2.55 mg/kg, which were 22 and 17 times respectively of the World Health Organization (WHO)/Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) criteria. In general, the concentrations of heavy metals in wheats were higher than those in corns, indicating that heavy metals were easier to accumulate in wheats than in corns. The human risks induced by the carcinogenic metals As and Cd were much higher than those induced by noncarcinogenic metals in different exposure ways. The human health risks of heavy metals in different exposure ways were R w-ing  > R c-ing  > R s-ing  > R s-der  > R s-inh . The human health risks induced by wheat ingestion for adults and children accounted for 67.75-97.52% and 69.52-98.04%, respectively, of the total human health risks. The total human health risks in the VL and MC areas were 1.58 × 10 -4 a -1 and 1.3 × 10 -4 a -1 for adults and 1.14 × 10 -4 a -1 and 9.47 × 10 -5 a -1 for children, respectively, which were significantly high according to the Environmental Protection Agency and International Commission on Radiological Protection. The ranking of the total human health risks in different areas were R VL  > R MC  > R ND  > R EU  > R HB  > R KY  > R TB  > R MLV  > R NHM . The total human health risks of adults were higher than those of children.

Seventy-four soil samples from the road greenbelts, residential areas, drylands, waste grasslands, education lands, industrial areas, city parks, and rural homesteads of Shenyang city, China, were collected and analyzed for 13 organophosphate esters (OPEs). OPEs were detected in all analyzed soil samples, which indicate that OPEs are ubiquitously environmental contaminants. The ∑ 13 OPEs concentrations ranged from 0.039 to 0.95 mg/kg dry weight (dw), with the mean and median concentrations of 0.23 and 0.16 mg/kg dw, respectively. The pollution levels of OPEs in different land use types were different; the concentrations of OPEs in dryland soils were maximum and in city park soils were minimum. Of 13 OPEs, tri-iso-butyl phosphate (TiBP), tris-(1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TCPP), tri-butoxyethyl phosphate (TBEP), and tris[2-chloro-1-(chloromethyl) ethyl] phosphate (TDCP) were the most abundant OPEs, contributing 42.0 ± 12.8, 12.4 ± 2.32, 6.31 ± 1.88, and 5.76 ± 1.86% of ∑ 13 OPEs, respectively. Principal component analysis (PCA) and absolute principal component score-multiple linear regression (APCS-MLR) suggested that OPE pollution in soils may be derived from atmospheric deposition, road runoff and vehicular traffic emission, and wastewater/reclaimed water irrigation and sludge application, their contributions were accounting for 62.4, 17.6, and 20.0%, respectively. As compared to the results from other studies, the pollution of OPEs in the urban soils of Shenyang is relatively serious.

Through the optimization of extraction, purification, and determination parameters, a reliable and convenient analytical method for the simultaneous determination of 13 organophosphate esters in soils was developed. The method is based on one-step extraction and purification by accelerated solvent extraction and analysis by gas chromatography-ion trap tandem mass spectrometry. Under the optimal conditions, the method detection limits and method quantitation limits ranged from 0.10 to 0.22 ng/g and from 0.33 to 0.72 ng/g, respectively. The recoveries obtained were in the range of 81.7-107%, and the relative standard deviations were less than 12%. As compared to other methods, this proposed method was simple and time and solvent saving. The developed method was successfully applied to analyze organophosphate esters in soil samples collected from Liaohe estuarine wetland, China. Thirteen organophosphate esters were detected in all of the soil samples which indicated that Liaohe estuarine wetland has polluted by organophosphate esters.

Seed morphology of 17 Dendrobium species from Yunnan were observed under light microscope and environment scanning electron microscope and 16 of them were reported first time. All seeds were yellow and fusiform, but big differences existed in sizes of seeds and embryos, which were not significantly related to the division of sections under Dendrobium. Dendrobium seed consisted of embryo and testa with flocs on its cell walls. The density and length of flocs were different among the sections under Dendrobium.