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We analyze the policies of China and Israel towards students from Hong Kong and East Jerusalem respectively. We demonstrate that they are treated as International students and subject to a form of 'internationalization' designed to consolidate national forms of identity and extend state control over 'troublesome' minorities within the nation state. This domestic adaptation of the structures designed to support internationalization within Universities, through which the state deploys higher education as a tool of 'soft power' to control parts of the nation, operates within a broader program of 'internal colonization' that is neither well developed in the literature nor explained by prominent typologies of internationalization.

This paper describes a scoping review of China's academic resource databases, relevant official websites, news reports and public accounts spanning a period from the end of 2019 to the end of 2022, to investigate the challenges in scientific integrity and ethical soundness of research conducted during and immediately after the COVID-19 pandemic in China. By conducting the scoping review with keywords related to the research questions in Chinese, relevant data were extracted and classified into four categories: challenges in research, challenges in ethics review, challenges in publishing academic work, and research ethics guidelines during and after the pandemic. The paper points out that problematic studies and findings increased with the escalation in medical research projects during the pandemic in China. The situation faced by researchers was more difficult than before the pandemic. The mode of informed consent, and ethics review and oversight systems also underwent changes. In addition, Traditional Chinese Medicine as an alternative medical treatment for COVID-19, attracted attention from the research community and became a topic of discussion. We conclude that the various challenges and concerns identified indicate a need for a proper and timely response system be formulated in preparation for possible future occurrences of new pandemics or other critical situations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

School history textbooks have typically served to reinforce a sense of national identity and national belonging, often through constructing or reinforcing a distinction between the national "self" and foreign "others". What have often been overlooked in history textbook researches is how ethnic minorities have been portrayed to incorporate them into a multi-ethnic vision of nationality. This paper investigates this issue through comparing the portrayal of minority ethnic groups in two successive editions of China's most widely used secondary-level history textbooks, published in the 1990s and 2000s. We analyse these changes in the context of broader political and ideological shifts, while also considering the agency of the key editors involved in producing these texts. We find that, rather than exhibiting a steady progression towards greater inclusivity and a more "multi-ethnic" vision of Chineseness, these editions evince a movement away from the latter and back towards a more Han-centric narrative of the national past. We argue that, while shifts in the editorial personnel involved may have contributed to this, a more fundamental factor is the shifting emphasis in ideological or "thought" education in the post-1989 period away from orthodox socialism and towards an increasingly strident and ethnocentric form of patriotism.

Two new iridoid glycosides, piasezkiiosides A (1) and B (2), were isolated from aqueous extract of the whole plant of Rehmannia piasezkii. Their structures were established from the spectroscopic data, chemical transformation, and X-ray diffraction analysis. Compound 1 exhibited weak hepatoprotective activity against APAP-induced HepG2 cell damage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many scholars have used local Chinese county gazetteers for historical and socioeconomic analyses, yet little research has examined the completeness of coverage or the biases in reporting that characterize the compilation of these gazetteers. In this paper, we provide a novel source for studying Chinese political movements and local history under the communist regime after 1949: the internal-discussion drafts of county gazetteers (xianzhi pingyigao). Our findings constitute the first study to use internal review drafts to examine the authenticity and credibility of county gazetteers. Prior to their publication, gazetteer drafts are compiled by a team of editors and typically receive at least three rounds of rigorous internal review. These internal-discussion drafts are subject to a prolonged and strict process of self and external censorship. Our analysis engages in a close comparison of text samples extracted from two versions of local gazetteers collected from four counties in Guangxi province. Compared to the draft versions, we find evidence of serious data manipulation and a tendency to underreport historical events in the published editions. Our research evidently demonstrates the process of historiography editing and reveals how local history is presented through the lens of government public documents in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To understand the current situation and characteristics of chronic disease comorbidities among the elderly living alone in China, to analyze their comorbidity patterns, and to explore the relationship between health-related behaviors and chronic comorbidity in the elderly living alone, so as to provide basis for co-prevention and co-management of multiple diseases in the elderly. Methods Based on the data of the 2018 Chinese longitudinal healthy longevity survey (CLHLS), the network map was used to identify the common binary co-disease patterns of chronic diseases in the elderly living alone, and the Gephi software was used to visualize the chronic disease co-disease network of the elderly. Using Apriorism algorithm, the association rules were used to analyze the correlation between health-related behaviors and co-diseases of the elderly living alone, and multi-factor Logistic regression model was used to analyze the correlation between chronic diseases and health-related behaviors of the elderly living alone. Results A total of 1 905 elderly people living alone over 65 years were included, of whom 766 suffered from two or more chronic diseases, and the co-morbidity of chronic diseases was 40.2%. A total of 45 meaningful binary co-disease patterns with strong links were identified through network map analysis, of which 10 were related to hypertension and 7 were related to heart disease. The strong association rules among the association rules of health-related behaviors and co-diseases of the elderly living alone were poor sleep quality, no physical activity, no exercise, and no outdoor activity. The multivariate Logistic regression model showed that the elderly living alone with smoking (OR =1.791, 95% CI: 1.205-2.664) and alcohol consumption (OR=1.597, 95% CI: 1.084-2.353) had an increased risk of chronic co-disease compared with those without chronic diseases. Elderly people living alone with exercise (OR=0.132, 95% CI: 0.100-0.175), outdoor activities (OR=0.047, 95% CI: 0.035-0.063), good sleep quality (OR=0.469, 95% CI: 0.319-0.688), and adequate sleep (OR=0.648, 95% CI: 0.484-0.867) had a lower risk of chronic comorbidity. Conclusion The comorbidity pattern of the elderly living alone in China is complex and related to health-related behaviors. The risk of comorbidity in the elderly can be reduced by improving health-related behaviors, such as increasing exercise and outdoor activities and adjusting sleep duration and sleep quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studied a snow event over North China on 21 February 2017, using aircraft in-situ data, a Lagrangian analysis tool, and WRF simulations with different microphysical schemes to investigate the supercooled layer of warm conveyor belts (WCBs). Based on the aircraft data, we found a fine vertical structure within clouds in the WCB and highlighted a 1–2 km thin supercooled liquid water layer with a maximum Liquid Water Content (LWC) exceeding 0.5 g kg−1 during the vertical aircraft observation. Although the main features of thermodynamic profiles were essentially captured by both modeling schemes, the microphysical quantities exhibited large diversity with different microphysics schemes. The conventional Morrison two-moment scheme showed remarkable agreement with in-situ observations, both in terms of the thermodynamic structure and the supercooled liquid water layer. However, the microphysical structure of the WCB clouds, in terms of LWC and IWC, was not apparent in HUJI fast bin scheme. To reduce such uncertainty, future work may focus on improving the representation of microphysics in bin schemes with in-situ data and using similar assumptions for all schemes to isolate the impact of physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Visual vertigo (VV) is a disease characterized by various visual signal-induced discomforts, including dizziness, unsteady balance, activity avoiding, and so forth. Distinguishing it from other kinds of dizziness is important because it needs the combination of visual training and vestibular rehabilitation together. However, there is no appropriate tool to diagnose VV in China, thus we would like to introduce an effective tool to China. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to establish the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of visual vertigo analogue scale (VVAS-CH) and to achieve its cross-cultural adaptation in order to promote its further usage in China. METHODS: A total of 1681 patients complaining of vertigo or dizziness were enrolled and they were asked to complete the VVAS-CH. The cross-cultural adaptation, reliability and construct validity of the VVAS-CH were determined. RESULTS: Split-half reliability was 0.939, showing a good reliability. Factor analysis identified only one common factor for the nine items that explained 64.83% of the total variance. Most fit indices reached acceptable levels, proving the good fit of the VVAS-CH model. CONCLUSIONS: The VVAS-CH validated in this study can be used as an effective tool for diagnosing and evaluating VV in patients whose native language is Chinese. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transferring the using right of the dual-use defense technology in China is that the military licensors license the dual-use defense technology to two or more civilian manufacturers which are usually the military licensor's shareholding manufacturers. We study a military research institute's discriminatory licensing pricing strategies when the civilian licensees are asymmetric with different allocative efficiencies under a military shareholding contract. We show that, (ⅰ) the discriminatory licensing pricing strategy can increase the overall profits of the military research institute and the civilian manufacturers by realizing the civilian-military integration; (ⅱ) the military licensor will charge a higher royalty to the efficient civilian manufacturer when the military licensor holds a significantly higher shareholding equity to the inefficient manufacturer than the efficient civilian manufacturer, or when the military licensor holds a slightly higher shareholding equity to the inefficient manufacturer than the efficient civilian manufacturer and the market competition is fierce, which decreases the social allocative efficiency, otherwise, the military licensor will charge a lower royalty to the efficient civilian manufacturer, which improves the social allocative efficiency. Moreover, we show that the military licensor's shareholding equities have a more significant impact on the discriminatory licensing pricing strategy and the social allocative efficiency than the market competition intensity; (ⅲ) the military shareholding contract provides a rational explanation for the sustainability of the discriminatory licensing pricing contract, and the military research institute can reduce the licensing pricing gap by adjusting the shareholding equity ratio to the efficient manufacturer to avoid violating the 'Anti-monopoly' Laws. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant viruses are a group of intracellular pathogens that persistently threaten global food security. Significant advances in plant virology have been achieved by Chinese scientists over the last 20 years, including basic research and technologies for preventing and controlling plant viral diseases. Here, we review these milestones and advances, including the identification of new crop‐infecting viruses, dissection of pathogenic mechanisms of multiple viruses, examination of multilayered interactions among viruses, their host plants, and virus‐transmitting arthropod vectors, and in‐depth interrogation of plant‐encoded resistance and susceptibility determinants. Notably, various plant virus‐based vectors have also been successfully developed for gene function studies and target gene expression in plants. We also recommend future plant virology studies in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seven new pentasaccharides (1–7), rehmaglupentasaccharides A-G, were isolated from the air-dried roots of Rehmannia glutinosa. Their structures were established from the spectroscopic data obtained and by chemical evidence. The known verbascose (8) and stachyose (9) were also obtained in the current investigation, and the structure of stachyose was unequivocally defined using X-ray diffraction data. Compounds 1–9 were tested for their cytotoxicity against five human tumor cell lines, influence on dopamine receptor activation, and proliferation effects against Lactobacillus reuteri. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) mostly receive essential routine care and support from informal caregivers, who usually experience poorer health-related quality of life (HRQoL). The study aimed to evaluate the HRQoL and its predictors among informal caregivers of patients with advanced NSCLC in China. Methods: We interviewed the adult caregiver population of patients with advanced NSCLC (stage IIIB~IV) in nine tertiary hospitals from multiple provinces in China between November 2020 and June 2021. The EQ-5D-5L instrument measured the HRQoL of caregivers, as analyzed by employing descriptive analysis, univariate analysis, Tobit regression, and multivariate logistic regression, and investigated the important influencing factors further. Results: A valid sample of 553 caregivers was analyzed. The mean EQ-5D-5L utility score of caregivers was 0.92 (SD = 0.14). Caregivers reported the greatest problems in mental health, with 45.39% reporting slight, moderate, severe, or extreme anxiety/depression. The potential influencing factors of HRQoL in caregivers included patients' age and cancer histology, relationship with the patients, and daily caregiving hours. Compared to other caregivers, patients' spouses had the lowest HRQoL. In addition, over six hours of caregiving per day was associated with lower HRQoL in caregivers of patients with advanced NSCLC. Conclusions: The HRQoL of caregivers for patients with advanced NSCLC was investigated for the first time in China. The informal caregivers experience decreased HRQoL, with anxiety /depression problems being reported the most. The findings of this study would provide extensive information on the HRQoL of advanced NSCLC patients' caregivers for future health-promoting self-care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) are at high risk of drug-related problems (DRPs) because of extensive comorbidities and pharmacokinetic changes. This study aimed to identify DRPs and possible contributing factors in hospitalized patients with CKD, and evaluate the efficacy of the clinical pharmacist services in detection and intervention of DRPs in a large general hospital in Zhejiang Province, eastern China. Methods: With the approval of the Ethics Committee, patients with CKD admitted to the nephrology ward from January to December 2020 were enrolled in this prospective study. The clinical pharmacist identified and intervened the DRPs during hospitalization. The DRPs were classified using the Pharmaceutical Care Network Europe (PCNE) DRP classification system, and all data were statistically analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Science (SPSS) version 26.0. Results: A total of 914 patients with CKD were included, with 463 DRPs observed among 420 (45.95%) participants; the average DRP per patient was 0.51 (standard deviation [SD], 0.60) before pharmacist intervention. Treatment safety accounted for the highest proportion of problems (43.84%), followed by treatment efficacy, accounting for 43.20%. Drug selection was the most common cause of DRPs (60.26%), and antibiotics and cardiovascular agents were the most common drugs associated with DRPs (32.84% and 28.66%, respectively). A total of 85.53% of pharmaceutical intervention recommendations were followed, and 84.23% of DRPs were completely resolved after intervention by the clinical pharmacist. The proportion of patients who experienced DRPs decreased to 7.77%, with an average of 0.08 (SD 0.28) DRPs during hospitalization after pharmacist's intervention. Significant contributing factors for DRPs were CKD stage 4, number of comorbid diseases, number of prescribed medications, and hospitalization days in both the univariate and multivariate logistic regression models. Conclusion: DRPs are common among hospitalized patients with CKD in China. CKD stage 4, the number of comorbidities, use of multiple prescription drugs, and extended length of hospital stay are contributing factors for DRPs. Even only one clinical nephrology pharmacist in the nephrology ward, clinical pharmacist can play an important role in facilitating the identification of DRPs in patients with CKD and assisting physicians resolve DRPs in this single center study in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Skeletal fluorosis is a systemic chronic disease caused by long‐term intake of excessive fluoride, which accumulates in bone tissue and causes changes to the bone and periosteal tissue. Skeletal fluorosis is rarely considered in paleopathological analyses, but in areas with relatively high fluoride in the environment, it may be an important cause of bone hyperplasia. In this study, we observed pathological lesions consistent with fluorosis on two human skeletons from the Ming Dynasty (1368–1644 CE) excavated from a cemetery in western Henan Province. By using an electron microprobe to measure the fluoride content in the teeth, and by considering the living conditions in the area during the Ming Dynasty, we conclude that the remains show evidence of skeletal fluorosis. We also consider the content of fluoride in the local groundwater, the local way of life, and other factors, to identify potential causes of skeletal fluorosis in this population and demonstrate that environmental factors were the main cause. This offers insight into the relationship between humans and their environments in China, especially western Henan Province, in the historical past. It also demonstrates the unique contributions bioarchaeology can make to environmental health studies and studies of the history of health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Antibiotic resistance rates remain high in China where antibiotics are widely used for common illnesses. This study aimed to investigate the influences on people's decisions on treatment and antibiotic use for common illnesses in eastern China. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 29 patients recruited through convenience sampling between July 2020 and January 2021 in one hospital in County A in Zhejiang Province, and one hospital and one village clinic in County B in Jiangsu Province, respectively. All interviews were audio-recorded, transcribed verbatim and thematically analysed. This study is nested in a larger interdisciplinary mixed method project and we also compared our qualitative findings with quantitative results from a household survey conducted as part of this wider project. Results: Participants' decisions about treatment-seeking and antibiotic use for common illnesses were found to be influenced by four interactive domains. (i) Self-evaluation of illness severity: Participants tend to self-treat minor conditions with ordinary medicines first and do not resort to antibiotics unless the condition worsens or is considered inflammation- related. Visiting healthcare facilities is seen as the final option. (ii) Access to and trust in care: These treatment-seeking practices are also associated with the perception, in contrast with retail pharmacies, hospitals provide professional and trustworthy care but are difficult to access, and hence require visiting only for severe illness. (iii) Prior experience: previous medical treatment and experiences of self-medication also influence participants' treatment decisions including the use of antibiotics. (iv) Medication characteristics: Participants view antibiotics as powerful medicines with harms and risks, requiring consumers to carefully trade off benefits and harms before use. Conclusions: People's treatment decisions in relation to antibiotic use in eastern China are influenced by an interplay of lay conceptual models of illnesses and antibiotics and broader organisational, social, and contextual factors. Interventions focusing on individual education to incorporate biomedical knowledge into lay understandings, and reducing situational and social incentives for self-medicating with antibiotics by strengthening access to quality professional care, would be helpful in promoting antibiotic stewardship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study was conducted to estimate the indirect cost of locally advanced and metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) without sensitizing EGFR and ALK alterations in China and explore the predictors from both patient and caregiver perspectives. Methods: Data were obtained from a nationwide cross-sectional study for the patients with advanced NSCLC (stage IIIB–IV) and their caregivers. Indirect medical cost was estimated as health productivity loss based on self-reported income and loss of work time. The generalized linear model was used to assess the independent associations between statistically significant variables and indirect economic burden. Results: 611 pairs of patients and patient caregivers from 13 medical centers in five provinces in China participated in this investigation. The indirect medical cost associated with advanced NSCLC since the patient diagnosed was $1413 per capita in China. General linear regression results showed that the indirect medical cost was significantly influenced by duration of disease since diagnosis, treatment options, caregivers' occupation and age (P < 0.05). Conclusion: The indirect economic burden linked to advanced NSCLC in China is considerable on patients, and their caregivers. To minimize the severe challenges of indirect economic burden related to advanced NSCLC, expanding the coverage of the medical insurance and assistance system to reimburse part of the indirect costs related to cancer, as well as strengthening the accessibility for more effective therapies to improve the prognosis of advanced NSCLC, and further promote the patients and their caregivers to return to work or normal life may be the potentially feasible approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and objectives: To investigate, for the first time, aberrant time‐varying local brain activity in nurses following night shift–related sleep deprivation (SD) and its association with memory decline. Background: Prior studies have elucidated alterations in static local brain activity resulting from SD in the occupations outside medical profession. Design: A longitudinal study followed the STROBE recommendations. Methods: Twenty female nurses underwent resting‐state functional magnetic resonance imaging and memory function assessment (by Complex Figure Test (CFT) and the California Verbal Learning Test, Second Edition (CVLT‐II)) twice, once in a rested wakefulness (RW) state and another after SD. By combining the sliding‐window approach and amplitude of low‐frequency fluctuation (ALFF) analysis, the dynamic ALFF (dALFF) variability was calculated to reflect the characteristics of dynamic local brain activity. Results: Poor performance on the CFT and CVLT‐II was observed in nurses with night shift–related SD. Reduced dALFF variability was found in a set of cognition‐related brain regions (including the medial/middle/superior frontal gyrus, anterior/posterior cingulate gyrus, precuneus, angular gyrus, orbitofrontal and subgenual areas, and posterior cerebellum lobe), while increased dALFF variability was observed in the somatosensory‐related, visual and auditory regions. SD‐related dALFF variability alterations correlated with changes in subjects' performance on the CFT and CVLT‐II. Conclusions: Night shift–related SD disturbed dynamic brain activity in high cognitive regions and induced compensatory reactions in primary perceptual cortex. Identifying dALFF variability abnormalities may broaden our understanding of neural substrates underlying SD‐related cognitive alterations, especially memory dysfunction. Relevance to clinical practice: Night shift–related SD is as an important occupational hazard affecting brain function in nurses. The effective countermeasure addressing the adverse outcomes of SD should be advocated for nurses. Patient or public contribution: Patients or public were not involved in the design and implementation of the study or the analysis and interpretation of the data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An isolate of chilli veinal mottle virus (ChiVMV; genus Potyvirus) of Solanum nigrum L. from southwest China (ChiVMV-YunN/Yuxi) was identified and sequenced (GenBank: OP404087). Comparison with other ChiVMV isolates and recombination analyses suggested a recombinant origin. The most significant recombination event among all 21 complete ChiVMV isolates was an ending breakpoint at 1408–1488 for ChiVMV-YunN/Yuxi with ChiVMV-TaiW and ChiVMV-YunN/Ca operating as the respective major and minor parents. Interestingly, the 5′ UTR of ChiVMV-YunN/Yuxi is 15 nucleotides ('AAAAATAAAACAACC') longer than other reported isolates. A full-length clone of ChiVMV-YunN/Yuxi was constructed and was shown to be infectious in Nicotiana benthamiana. The additional 15 nt of 5′ UTR in ChiVMV-YunN/Yuxi was stable when transmitted through three generations. Experiments with modified clones showed that the additional 15 nt are essential for infection by this isolate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous observational studies on the relationship between sleep characteristics and fracture have yielded contradictory results. The goal of this study was to replicate the findings in a large longitudinal cohort and then conduct a Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to infer the causality between sleep behaviors and fracture risk. Based on data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) including 17,708 participants, we found that individuals with short sleep duration (<5 h) (OR [odds ratio] = 1.62, 95% CI: 1.07–2.44) or restless sleep (OR = 1.55, 95% CI: 1.10–2.19) have a higher risk of hip fracture. A U-shaped relationship between nighttime sleep duration and hip fracture risk (p-nonlinear = 0.01) was observed using restricted cubic spline regression analysis. Through joint effect analysis, we found that participants with short sleep duration (<5 h) combined with midday napping could significantly decrease hip fracture incidence. We further inferred the causal relationship between self-reported sleep behaviors and hip fracture using the MR approach. Among four sleep phenotypic parameters (sleep duration, daytime napping, chronotype, and insomnia), we found a modest causal relationship between sleep duration and fracture (OR = 0.69, 95% CI: 0.48 to 0.99, p = 0.04). However, no causal relationship was observed for other sleep traits. In conclusion, our findings suggest that short sleep duration has a potential detrimental effect on hip fracture. Improving sleep patterns is of significance for developing hip fracture preventive strategies in the middle-aged and the elderly populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China is estimated to have 70 million lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) people, and in recent decades, the LGBT movement has seen rapid growth. However, because of the unavailability of data, a comprehensive understanding of the degree of regional development of the Chinese LGBT movement has been unavailable. By analyzing keyword search volumes for LGBT-related terms on Baidu (the largest internet search engine in China) from 2009 through 2015, we have produced the first representative and longitudinal portrait of LGBT orientation across the country. Our data revealed that the level of LGBT orientation search index in a province is significantly correlated with modernization and cultural capital stock factors, such as GDP per capita, resident income level, openness to foreign culture, and local cultural infrastructure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are growing concerns that the coronavirus disease of 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic may change antibiotic use patterns and accelerate antibiotic resistance, but evidence from the community level is lacking. This study aims to estimate the impact of the COVID-19 outbreak on the antibiotic use patterns among a community population in Eastern China. A self-administered medicine diary was used to collect information on antibiotic use from July 2019 to June 2021 among a rural community in Eastern China. We analyzed the changes in antibiotic use patterns over five months from August to December 2019 and the corresponding months in 2020. The risk of antibiotic use and its changes were measured with the incidence rate (IR) and relative risk (RR). In total, 1111 participants were eligible for the final analysis (440 in 2019 and 671 in 2020). After the COVID-19 outbreak, antibiotic use increased by 137% (5.43 per 100 person months in the 2019 vs. 12.89 per 100 person months in the 2020), and after the adjustment of covariates, the adjusted RR was 1.72 (95% CI: 1.10~2.34). It was higher among those who were women (RR = 2.62), aged 35–59 years old (RR = 2.72), non-farmers (RR = 2.75), had less than six years of education (RR = 2.61), had an annual household income over CNY 100,000 (USD 14,940) (RR = 2.60), and had no history of chronic diseases (RR = 2.61) (all p < 0.05). The proportion of cephalosporins consumed increased from 54.29% in 2019 to 64.92% in 2020 (p = 0.011). Among those aged 35 years and older, the proportion of antibiotics obtained from medical facilities increased, while the proportion obtained from retail pharmacies, homes, and other sources decreased (all p < 0.05). The COVID-19 outbreak changed antibiotic use patterns in this study population (Eastern China) significantly. More efforts to monitor and enhance antibiotic stewardship activities at the community level are needed in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural ecosystems are extremely vulnerable to invasions by various pestiferous organisms. Bactrocera dorsalis is one of the invasive insect pests on fruits and vegetables in southern China, gradually spreading northward in past decades. To clarify its risk to damage to the northern fruits, the performance and fitness of the first and third reared generations of B. dorsalis were studied with two-sex life table on northern fruits (apples and peaches as dominant fruits) and southern fruit (oranges as appropriate host). Furthermore, the preference of host and oviposition selection were also conducted in laboratory experiments. Also, the CLIMEX model was used to comprehensively assess its potential risk in northern orchards. It was found that B. dorsalis had high fitness on peaches and good-performance on apples within first and third generations. This implies that peaches and apples are liable to become one of its most favorable hosts in northern orchards. The simulation based on CLIMEX model showed B. dorsalis had a high population growth potential in summer and autumn in some regions of northern China, where the life cycle can be completed and two simulated occurrence peaks last two to three months from early June to late July and from mid-late August to early September, long enough to cause serious harm. Projection for its distribution by 2080 indicated that the suitable area for B. dorsalis would further expand northward. Innate ability of B. dorsalis in flight, adaptability and wide range of hosts is conducive to its diffusion into new habitats, and external causes including harm concealment within fruits, frequent transportation were also discussed. Therefore, monitoring of B. dorsalis occurrence in northern orchards is necessary, combined with strict quarantine and control efforts, to avoid its further expansion and the consequent economic losses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fall armyworm Spodoptera frugiperda (J. E. Smith) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae) is a destructive, migratory pest that seriously damages corn, sorghum, and other crops. The "insect killer" Pyemotes zhonghuajia (Trombidiformes: Pyemotidae) is an ectoparasitic mite of agricultural and forestry pests in China. To explore the biological control efficiency of P. zhonghuajia on S. frugiperda, we evaluated the parasitic selectivity of P. zhonghuajia on S. frugiperda of different life stages, and distribution of P. zhonghuajia on different body parts of S. frugiperda larvae and pupae, food intake of S. frugiperda larvae affected by P. zhonghuajia density, and field population dynamics of S. frugiperda in relation to the releasing population density of P. zhonghuajia. We found that P. zhonghuajia preferred 4th- to sixth-instar larvae and pupae of S. frugiperda for parasitism, and the ventral part of abdominal segments of fourth-instar larvae and the ventral part of pupal thorax for feeding. Freezing of S. frugiperda 4th instar larvae and pupae had little effect on the distribution of P. zhonghuajia on the surface of these two host stages. The parasitism of P. zhonghuajia regardless of mite population size (i.e., 5, 10, or 20 mites) could significantly decrease the cumulative food intake of fifth-instar larvae of S. frugiperda. Releasing two and three boxes (50,000 mites/box) of P. zhonghuajia significantly suppressed the field population of S. frugiperda on sorghum plants/25 m2 within 7 days. Our results show that P. zhonghuajia may be a potential biological control agent and can be used for biological control of S. frugiperda in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pyemotes zhonghuajia Yu, Zhang & He (Prostigmata: Pyemotidae), discovered in China, has been demonstrated as a high-efficient natural enemy in controlling many agricultural and forestry pests. This mite injects toxins into the host (eggs, larvae, pupae, and adults), resulting in its paralyzation and then gets nourishment for reproductive development. These toxins have been approved to be mammal-safe, which have the potential to be used as biocontrol pesticides. Toxin proteins have been identified from many insects, especially those from the orders Scorpions and Araneae, some of which are now widely used as efficient biocontrol pesticides. However, toxin proteins in mites are not yet understood. In this study, we assembled the genome of P. zhonghuajia using PacBio technology and then identified toxin-related genes that are likely to be responsible for the paralytic process of P. zhonghuajia. The genome assembly has a size of 71.943 Mb, including 20 contigs with a N50 length of 21.248 Mb and a BUSCO completeness ratio of 90.6% (n = 1367). These contigs were subsequently assigned to three chromosomes. There were 11,183 protein coding genes annotated, which were assessed with 91.2% BUSCO completeness (n = 1066). Neurotoxin and dermonecrotic toxin gene families were significantly expanded within the genus of Pyemotes and they also formed several gene clusters on the chromosomes. Most of the genes from these two families and all of the three agatoxin genes were shown with higher expression in the one-day-old mites compared to the seven-day-pregnant mites, supporting that the one-day-old mites cause paralyzation and even death of the host. The identification of these toxin proteins may provide insights into how to improve the parasitism efficiency of this mite, and the purification of these proteins may be used to develop new biological pesticides. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pyemotes zhonghuajia Yu, Zhang & He (Acari: Pyemotidae) is an ectoparasitic mite that efficiently controls agricultural and forestry pests in Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, and Hymenoptera. A single P. zhonghuajia mite can paralyze and kill a host 680,000 times its own weight within 3 h. Although this mite is an efficient and broad-spectrum natural enemy unique to China, its mitochondrial genome is still unknown. In this study, the complete mitochondrial genome of P. zhonghuajia was sequenced and annotated. The complete mitogenome of P. zhonghuajia was 14,772 bp and comprised 13 protein-coding genes (PCGs), 22 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes, two ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes, and one control region. The base composition of the complete mitogenome was 39.6% of A, 13.1% of G, 7.0% of C, and 40.2% of T, with a total A+T content of 79.8%. The length of 13 PCGs was 10,469 bp, with an A+T content of 78.4%. The length of 22 tRNA genes ranged from 45 bp to 67 bp. The secondary structures of 22 tRNA genes were predicted, and 10 tRNAs had the typical cloverleaf secondary structure, whereas 12 tRNAs were truncated without the D-arm. The 16s-rRNA and 12s-rRNA genes were 1,011 bp and 612 bp, respectively. The control region was 692 bp. The mitogenome gene order of P. zhonghuajia was not consistent with the pattern of its ancestor Parasitus wandunqingi. A phylogenetic tree was constructed using 13 PCG sequences from 29 mites, and the results confirmed that P. zhonghuajia is a species in Eleutherengona. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chilli ringspot virus (ChiRSV; genus Potyvirus) was one of several viruses previously detected in pepper samples with severe yellowing and curling symptoms growing in Wenshan, Yunan province, China. We now report the full-length sequence of ChiRSV-YN/Wenshan (MZ269480), which has 88.5-98.9% nucleotide sequence identity to other published ChiRSV isolates. A full-length cDNA infectious clone was constructed. This cDNA and an eGFP-tagged clone were infectious, leading to systemic symptoms in both Nicotiana benthamiana and Capsicum spp. Recombinant clones containing the P1 protein coding region of other ChiRSV isolates differed in their pathogenicity. Single infection by ChiRSV caused mild mosaic or leaf crinkling in Capsicum frutescens L. and Capsicum annuum L. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Autoimmune gastritis (AIG) and Primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) are both autoimmune diseases with low prevalence in China. Subacute combined degeneration (SCD) of the spinal cord is the most common neurological manifestation of vitamin B12 deficiency. Until now, a patient with pSS and complications of AIG including SCD has not been reported. Case Presentation: A 69-year-old woman presented with palpitations and symmetrical and progressive numbness in her hands and feet. The patient had a sense of stepping on cotton and could not write or walk without help. We reviewed the patient's history and analyzed her blood tests, imaging, gastroscopic findings, and pathological results. The patient fulfilled the criteria of AIG, pSS, spinal cord SCD and early pernicious anemia (PA) simultaneously. Although pSS can lead to reduction of vitamin B12, this is the first overlapping case of pSS with spinal cord SCD. After symptomatic treatment, the patient returned to a normal life. Conclusions: This first report about the coexistence of pSS and complications of AIG including SCD and PA will promote a better understanding of the relationship between these diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inappropriate antibiotic use may lead to antibiotic resistance, which has become a serious global crisis. Addressing suboptimal antibiotic use in the general population can play a significant role in the fight against antimicrobial resistance. This study aims to describe antibiotic use and sources of acquisition, and to identify factors influencing antibiotic access among rural community residents in Eastern China. A cross-sectional survey was conducted from July to August 2020, and 1494 participants from two villages in Eastern China were enrolled. Information was obtained using face-to-face interviews with a structured electronic questionnaire. Chi-squared and multinominal logistic regression analysis were used to explore possible determinants. In total, 1379 participants were eligible for the analysis. In the past 12 months, nearly half the respondents had taken any antibiotic (48.4%), and this proportion varied across marital status and age group. Two thirds of them (59.9%) obtained antibiotics from medical facilities with a prescription when they last took antibiotics, while 17.7% and 22.4% chose retail pharmacies and other sources, respectively. Multinominal analysis found that a higher proportion obtained antibiotics outside medical facilities among those aged 15 to 44 years, unmarried, non-white collar workers, with more years of education, lower annual household income per capita and lower levels of antibiotic knowledge. The antibiotic use behavior of rural community residents in Eastern China remains suboptimal. Antibiotic use and access behaviors need to be further addressed. Effective antibiotic stewardship in non-medical facility sources and training programs targeted for rural Chinese is warranted in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper studies examines how a firm's position in the global value chain affects its pollutant emissions. This paper integrates China's firm-level trade data into China's multi-regional input-output tables to provide an index to measure a firm's position in global value chains. Based on a firm-level pollution dataset (2000–2014) in China, this paper conducts an empirical analysis and find that the most-downstream firms on the global value chain have lower pollutant emission intensity. Our results also suggest that the production factor structure effect, the knowledge absorption effect and the abatement investment effect together contribute to the emission intensity gap between the most-upstream firms and the most-downstream firms. These novel results are significant in guiding firms towards reducing their emissions and promoting a green global value chain, with the ultimate goal of achieving multinational environmental protection. [Display omitted] • The most-downstream firms have lower pollutant emission intensity. • A supply chain disruption shock is used as an instrumental variable. • Factor structure, knowledge absorption and abatement investment are channels. • Effects on firms with diverse ownership and trade patterns are heterogeneous. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: This study aimed to compare the differences in the bacterial community structure of Lycium barbarum rhizosphere and elucidate the contribution of rhizosphere bacteria to the active ingredients of L. barbarum fruit. Methods and Results: This study investigated the soil and meteorological characteristics of L. barbarum rhizosphere during three growth stages across three production regions of China. High‐throughput sequencing showed significant differences in the bacterial community diversity of L. barbarum rhizosphere across the three production regions, and norank_o_Gaiellales, norank_f_Anaerolineaceae and norank_f_AKYG1722 were the highest in Ningxia. In addition, regression and path analysis revealed that pH, norank_o_Gaiellales and norank_f_AKYG1722 significantly promoted the accumulation of total sugar and flavonoids in L. barbarum fruit directly or indirectly. Soil organic matter (SOM), norank_f_Anaerolineaceae and humidity significantly promoted the accumulation of betaine. The average temperature during the growth stages, norank_f_AKYG1722, and norank_o_Gaiellales promoted the accumulation of polysaccharides. Conclusions: The interaction between rhizosphere bacteria and environmental factors promoted the accumulation of active ingredients in L. barbarum fruits. Significance and Impact of the Study: Our results provided insights to improve the quality of L. barbarum fruit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between sleeping disorders and chronic kidney disease (CKD) has already been reported. Snoring, a common clinical manifestation of obstructive sleep apnea–hypopnea syndrome, is of clinical value in assessing sleeping disorder severity. However, investigations of the connection between snoring and CKD are limited, especially in normal-weight populations. This study assessed the relationship between snoring frequency and CKD in obese and normal-weight people in China. A community-based retrospective cross-sectional study of 3250 participants was performed. Study participants were divided into three groups – the regularly snoring group, occasionally snoring group, and never snoring group – based on their self-reported snoring frequency. CKD was defined as an estimated glomerular filtration rate of less than 60 mL/min/1.73 m2. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to explore the relevance between snoring frequency and CKD prevalence. The CKD prevalence in obese participants was higher than that in normal-weight participants. Frequent snorers had a higher prevalence of CKD than those who were not frequent snorers in the obese group. Snoring frequency was correlated with CKD prevalence in obese participants independent of age, sex, smoking and drinking status, systolic blood pressure, triglyceride level, high-density lipoprotein, and homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (odds ratio: 2.66; 95% CI: 1.36–5.19; p=.004), while the same relationships did not exist in normal-weight participants (odds ratio: 0.79; 95% CI: 0.32–1.98; p=.614). Snoring appears to be independently associated with CKD in obese but not in normal-weight Chinese adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complete genome sequence of a virus from lily (Lilium lancifolium Thunb.) growing in Huoshan County, Anhui Province, China, was determined. The whole genome consists of 9558 nucleotides, excluding the poly(A) tail, and encodes a 3061-amino-acid polyprotein (GenBank number ON365558) typical of potyviruses. This is the first complete genome sequence of iris potyvirus B (IPB), for which only a partial sequence from Iris domestica was reported previously. Comparative analysis of this genome sequence with those of closely related potyviruses identified nine cleavage sites and the conserved motifs typical of potyviruses. The complete polyprotein ORF shares 73.6% nucleotide and 81.6% amino acid sequence identity with that of iris potyvirus A (IPA, GenBank number MH898493). Phylogenetic analysis showed that IPB is related to IPA and clusters in a group with lily yellow mosaic virus (LYMV). This is the first report of IPB infecting lily plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Historic records for the Zhou Dynasty of China (1046–256 bce) defined distinct differentiation of social classes, in which ways of life and the afterlife were put into written form to regulate funerary and dietary practices. The presence of social stratification would suggest differences in nutrition during life and in ceremonial values for the afterlife. In this study, we examined grave goods and human skeletons from people of different social classes in the Guo State (虢) during the Spring–Autumn Period of the Eastern Zhou Dynasty (771–476 bce). Specimens were excavated from the Shangshihe cemetery in Yima County, Henan Province, China. Differences in total burial values and diet structure between different social ranks, sex, and age groups were assessed using mortuary and isotopic analyses. Our mortuary analysis indicated that there were significant differences in grave size, complexity, and values of grave goods between people of different social classes. The stable carbon and nitrogen isotopic analysis indicated a trend that people buried with two or three coffin layers consumed more animal‐derived, protein‐rich food than people who were buried with one layer of coffin. The elderly might have had better nutrition than younger people did. However, there was no sex‐based difference in nutrition between males and females. Results of these paralleled mortuary and isotopic analyses conform to historic records of social stratification in the Zhou Dynasty of China. Evidence of social stratification and its impact on nutrition and health should be considered while assessing the nutrition and health of ancient human individuals and communities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND Tomato chlorosis virus (ToCV) is mainly vectored by Bemisia tabaci in China, which has a worldwide distribution, and greatly reduces the yields of tomato and other vegetables. At present, control of ToCV has been focused mainly by the use of insecticides to control whitefly populations. Transcriptome sequencing showed high expression of the B. tabaci Bta11975 gene, an α‐glucosidase (AGLU) during ToCV acquisition by whitefly Mediterranean (MED) species. To investigate the role of Bta11975 gene in ToCV acquisition and transmission by B. tabaci MED, we used RNA interference (RNAi) to reduce the expression of the Bta11975 gene. RESULTS: The relative expression of the Bta11975 gene was correlated with the ToCV content in B. tabaci. The AGLU is highly expressed in primary salivary gland and gut. After the Bta11975 gene was silenced, the gene expression of B. tabaci was reduced and B. tabaci mortality was increased. Besides, ToCV acquisition by B. tabaci at 48 and 72 h AAP was reduced, and ToCV transmission was significantly reduced by 25 or 50 of B. tabaci. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate that suppression of expression of the Bta11975 gene in B. tabaci MED by RNAi can reduce acquisition and transmission of ToCV by B. tabaci MED. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • 28 out of 57 target PFAS were detected in paper products from China. • 9 groups of PFAS with 1–3 confidence levels were identified by non-target analysis. • Ethanol in food simulants can increase the migration of PFAS. • Long-chain PFAS in popcorn bags can be degraded by microwave heating. • PFAS in some paper products exceeded the recommended daily intake values. The contamination characteristics, migration patterns and health risks of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) were investigated in 66 Chinese paper products by using target and non-target screening methods. Among 57 target PFASs, 5 and 6 PFASs were found in the hygiene paper products (

Potassium (K), a critical mineral for the living system, is primarily used in the production of mineral K fertilizer to support national food security. However, the anthropogenic and natural cycle of K is less studied to reveal its corresponding nutrient availability and demand, soil balance and efficiency. This study, as one of the first attempts, aims to trace K flows and stocks along its cycle in China by applying substance flow analysis (SFA), K residues generation and circularity model during 1990–2020. It also seeks to explore the soil K balance at both national and provincial scales. The findings indicate that the cumulative demand for K was 628.8 million metric tons (Mt), of which 61.8 % was obtained from K residues. The soil K balance in China had shifted from deficit to excessive, with the soil being excessive by ∼12.5 % in 2020. However, the soil K balances in 31 provinces showed significant temporal and spatial variations, with ∼51.3 % of total cultivated area depleted in soil K in 2020. Our further analysis of China's strategies along such journey towards a balance, circular, and secure K cycles can help to inform other nations for reducing their dependence and competitions on K minerals. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the Chinese government has launched a national campaign to comprehensively revise history textbook in order to "fully implant socialist core values into youngsters" and ensure their familiarity and identification with "socialism with Chinese characteristics," specifically. Based on in-depth field interviews with teachers and students in a sample of senior high schools in Beijing, this article examines what impact this textbook reform has had on students' identity and values. We find that the ideological content and national discourse in the new textbook has been significantly strengthened compared to the pre-2003 versions. The changes have significantly reinforced positive views of the "China model," characterized by the country's splendid cultural and historical tradition and centralized governance, and increased nationalist and anti-Western sentiment among the Chinese younger generation. The implications of these findings are considered in the light of Lee's (Managing Chineseness: identity and ethnic management in Singapore. Palgrave Macmillan, London, 2017) theory of identity grafting and the impact of state intervention on Chinese identities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Potato aucuba mosaic virus (PAMV), a positive single-strand RNA virus, has one of the longest genomes of the viruses in the genus Potexvirus. In 2019, potato samples with mottle and crinkling symptoms from Huzhou, Zhejiang province, China, were identified to be infected with PAMV, potato virus X (PVX), and potato virus Y (PVY) by transcriptome sequencing. To study the effects of single infection by PAMV, the full-length sequence of PAMV from Huzhou (MT193476) was determined and an infectious full-length cDNA clone was constructed. This cDNA clone was infectious by agro-infiltration, leading to systemic symptoms in Nicotiana benthamiana, tomato, pepper, and potato. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complete genome sequence of passiflora virus Y (PaVY) from passion fruit growing in Guangdong province, China, was determined. The entire positive single-strand RNA genome comprises 9681 nucleotides (nt) excluding the poly(A) tail and encodes a polyprotein of 3084 amino acids flanked by 5' and 3' untranslated regions of 169 and 257 nt, respectively. In sequence comparisons and phylogenetic analysis, PaVY appears to represent a new species in the bean common mosaic virus subgroup of the genus Potyvirus. This is the first report of the complete genome sequence of PaVY and the first report of this virus in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tombusvirus-like associated RNAs (tlaRNAs) are positive-sense single-stranded RNAs found in plants co-infected with some viruses of the genus Polerovirus. Pod pepper vein yellows virus (PoPeVYV) was recently reported as a new recombinant polerovirus causing interveinal yellowing, stunting, and leaf rolling in Capsicum frutescens plants at Wenshan city, Yunnan province, China. The complete genome sequence of its associated RNA has now been determined by next-generation sequencing and reverse transcription (RT) polymerase chain reaction (PCR). PoPeVYV-associated RNA (PoPeVYVaRNA) (GenBank Accession No. MW323470) has 2970 nucleotides and is closely related to other group II tlaRNAs, particularly tobacco bushy top disease-associated RNA (TBTDaRNA, GenBank Accession No. EF529625). In infection experiments on Nicotiana benthamiana and C. frutescens plants, synergism between PoPeVYVaRNA and PoPeVYV was demonstrated, leading to severe interveinal yellowing of leaves and stunting of plants. The results provide further information on the genetic and biological properties of the various agents associated with pepper vein yellows disease (PeVYD). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pepper vein yellows viruses (PeVYV) are phloem-restricted viruses in the genus Polerovirus, family Luteoviridae. Typical viral symptoms of PeVYV including interveinal yellowing of leaves and upward leaf curling were observed in pod pepper plants (Capsicum frutescens) growing in Wenshan city, Yunnan province, China. The complete genome sequence of a virus from a sample of these plants was determined by next-generation sequencing and RT-PCR. Pod pepper vein yellows virus (PoPeVYV) (MT188667) has a genome of 6015 nucleotides, and the characteristic genome organization of a member of the genus Polerovirus. In the 5′ half of its genome (encoding P0 to P4), PoPeVYV is most similar (93.1% nt identity) to PeVYV-3 (Pepper vein yellows virus 3) (KP326573) but diverges greatly in the 3′-part encoding P5, where it is most similar (91.7% nt identity) to tobacco vein distorting virus (TVDV, EF529624) suggesting a recombinant origin. Recombination analysis predicted a single recombination event affecting nucleotide positions 4126 to 5192 nt, with PeVYV-3 as the major parent but with the region 4126–5192 nt derived from TVDV as the minor parent. A full-length clone of PoPeVYV was constructed and shown to be infectious in C. frutescens by RT-PCR and the presence of icosahedral viral particles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We have determined the complete genomic sequence of a potyvirus from Achyranthes bidentata in Zhejiang, China, using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) PCR. The genomic RNA is 9482 nucleotides (nt) long excluding the 3′-terminal poly(A) tail and encodes a putative large polyprotein with 3073 amino acids (aa). It has 75.4–53.5% nt sequence identity and 84.0–49.1% polyprotein sequence identity to other potyviruses and is probably a distantly related isolate of the same species as the recently reported achyranthes virus A isolate from South Korea (AcVA-SK). This is the first report of the occurrence of a potyvirus infecting A. bidentata in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We recruited 242 elderly suicides and 242 controls above 60 years to conduct face-to-face interviews by psychological autopsy to examine the psychometric characteristics of the Duke Social Support Index (DSSI) in rural China. DSSI had high internal consistency, with Cronbach's αs of.89 and.90 in suicides and controls, respectively. DSSI was significantly and negatively correlated to loneliness in both samples. Confirmatory factor analysis basically supported the original structure of DSSI, but Item 4 had low factor loading in controls. In conclusion, DSSI has satisfactory reliability and acceptable validity in evaluating social support in the elderly suicide study in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is the most common cause of end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Even after strict control of obesity, hyperglycemia, and hypertension, some patients still progress rapidly. Previous studies suggested diabetic dyslipidemia might be one of the factors responsible for this high residual risk. This study aims to explore the impact of long-term lipid control on renal outcome in new-onset type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Methods. We conducted a 3-year follow-up study, involving 283 subjects with new-onset T2DM, and observed the effect of baseline and follow-up metabolic abnormalities, especially dyslipidemia, on the early damage of kidney function using multiple logistic regression analysis. Results. After 3 years follow-up, patients achieved a better control of body weight, hypertension, and blood glucose. The most reduced eGFR group shared the least reduced BMI and LDL-C, as well as the greatest increase in TG levels. Only TG in the follow-up, not any of the baseline data, nor obesity, blood glucose, BP, or LDL-C in the follow-up, was found to be significantly correlated with the most reduced eGFR. Compared with patients with constantly abnormal TG levels, the risks were even higher in the subjects who experienced a transition from normal TG to hypertriglyceridemia (OR = 2.576 versus OR = 2.184 , after multiple adjustment), and by tight controlling of TG, patients started with abnormal baseline TG levels could reduce the risk of DKD progression to the same low levels as the TG-constantly-normal group. Conclusion. This study emphasized the importance of long-term TG control in East Asian patients with new-onset T2DM: TG control can delay the decline of kidney function in the early stage of DKD, and reversal of hypertriglyceridemia may undo the risks of the past. It is time to pay more attention to the control of TG in new-onset T2DM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Milk vetch dwarf virus (MDV) is an important ssDNA virus which causes yellowing, stunting and leaf rolling symptoms on legumes. In China, the virus causes great economic losses and has recently been found to infect tobacco. The expansion of its host range and its ability to spread rapidly has given rise to the urgent need for a sensitive, specific and rapid diagnostic assay that can assist in effective disease control. Methods: Assays based on the polymerase chain reaction combined with lateral flow strip detection (PCR-LFS) and recombinase polymerase amplification combined with LFS (RPA-LFS) were developed targeting the coat protein (CP) gene of MDV. Results: The PCR and RPA assays could detect respectively 103 copies or 101 copies of MDV by agarose gel electrophoresis. The PCR-LFS and RPA-LFS assays developed could both detect as few as 101 copies per reaction at 37 °C. Both methods could detect MDV in crude leaf extracts. Conclusions: The RPA-LFS assay developed is a rapid, sensitive and specific method for detecting MDV, which is convenient and has great potential for use in the field. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ice clouds are mostly composed of different ice crystal habits. It is of great importance to classify ice crystal habits seeing as they could greatly impact single‐scattering properties of ice crystal particles. The single‐scattering properties play an important role in the study of cloud remote sensing and the Earth's atmospheric radiation budget. However, there are countless ice crystals with different shapes in ice clouds, and the task of empirical classification based on naked‐eye observations is unreliable, time consuming and subjective, which leads to classification results having obvious uncertainties and biases. In this paper, the images of ice crystals observed from airborne Cloud Particle Imager in China are used to establish an ice crystal data set called Ice Crystals Database in China, which consists of 10 habit categories containing over 7,000 images. We propose an automatic classification model of ice crystal habits, called TL‐ResNet152, which is a deep convolutional neural network based on the newly developed method of transfer learning. The results show that the TL‐ResNet152 model could achieve reliable performance in ice crystal habits classification with the accuracy of 96%, which is far more accurate than traditional classification methods. Achieving high‐precision automatic classification of ice crystal habits will help us better understand the radiation characteristics of ice clouds. Plain Language Summary: In recent years, Convolutional Neural Networks (CNNs), as one of the representative algorithms used in deep learning, have been widely applied in the field of image classification and have achieved remarkable results. However, to the best of our knowledge, there are few studies regarding the application of deep CNNs to ice crystal image classification. In this paper, we propose an automatic classification model of ice crystal habits called TL‐ResNet152, which is a deep CNN based on a newly developed method of transfer learning. Using the TL‐ResNet152 model, high precision and automatic classification of ice crystal habits could be achieved, furthering our understanding of radiation characteristics of ice clouds. We have set up an ice crystal data set, called Ice Crystals Database in China, which consists of 10 habit categories with 7,282 images. As far as we know, it is the first publicly available ice crystals data set in China, pertaining to ice crystals observed in natural ice clouds. The publication of this database will promote more and more researches into understanding the physical process of ice clouds based on ice crystal habits classification. Key Points: An ice crystal data set called Ice Crystals Database in China (ICDC) containing over 7,000 images has been first establishedWe propose an automatic classification model of ice crystal habits, TL‐ResNet152, which is a convolutional neural network created using transfer learningThe high‐precision automatic classification of ice crystal habits is achieved by using this classification model [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most prevalent digestive tumors in China. Recent studies indicate that long intergenic non-coding RNAs (lincRNAs) play a crucial role in predicting survival for CRC patients. However, the novel lincRNA, LINC00957, is largely unclear in CRC. The purpose of the current study was to determine LINC00957 expression, assess its the clinical significance and explore the potential mechanism in CRC. The qRT-PCR was used to quantify the expression levels of LINC00957 in tissues and cell lines. Our research revealed that LINC00957 was significantly higher expression in CRC. In addition, the LINC00957 expression was associated with TNM stage and chemotherapy outcome, but age, gender, tumor size, histological grade, primary tumor location. CRC patients with high LINC00957 expression level showed poor overall survival (P = 0.002). Multivariate survival analysis indicated that LINC00957 was a prognostic factor for CRC patients (P = 0.010). Mechanically, inhibition of LINC00957 expression reversed 5-FU resistance by down-regulating P-gP. In summary, our study indicated that this novel lncRNA expression signature might be a useful biomarker of the prognosis and therapeutic target for CRC patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]