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Globally, natural wetlands have suffered severe ecological degradation (vegetation, soil, and biotic community) due to multiple factors. Understanding the spatiotemporal dynamics and driving forces of natural wetlands is the key to natural wetlands' protection and regional restoration. In this study, we first investigated the spatiotemporal evolutionary trends and shifting characteristics of natural wetlands in the Northeast Plain of China from 1990 to 2020. A dataset of driving-force evaluation indicators was constructed with nine indirect (elevation, temperature, road network, etc.) and four direct influencing factors (dryland, paddy field, woodland, grassland). Finally, we built the driving force analysis model of natural wetlands changes to quantitatively refine the contribution of different driving factors for natural wetlands' dynamic change by introducing the sparrow search algorithm (SSA) and extreme gradient boosting algorithm (XGBoost). The results showed that the total area of natural wetlands in the Northeast Plain of China increased by 32% from 1990 to 2020, mainly showing a first decline and then an increasing trend. Combined with the results of transfer intensity, we found that the substantial turn-out phenomenon of natural wetlands occurred in 2000–2005 and was mainly concentrated in the central and eastern parts of the Northeast Plain, while the substantial turn-in phenomenon of 2005–2010 was mainly located in the northeast of the study area. Compared with a traditional regression model, the SSA-XGBoost model not only weakened the multicollinearity of each driver but also significantly improved the generalization ability and interpretability of the model. The coefficient of determination (R2) of the SSA-XGBoost model exceeded 0.6 in both the natural wetland decline and rise cycles, which could effectively quantify the contribution of each driving factor. From the results of the model calculations, agricultural activities consisting of dryland and paddy fields during the entire cycle of natural wetland change were the main driving factors, with relative contributions of 18.59% and 15.40%, respectively. Both meteorological (temperature, precipitation) and topographic factors (elevation, slope) had a driving role in the spatiotemporal variation of natural wetlands. The gross domestic product (GDP) had the lowest contribution to natural wetlands' variation. This study provides a new method of quantitative analysis based on machine learning theory for determining the causes of natural wetland changes; it can be applied to large spatial scale areas, which is essential for a rapid monitoring of natural wetlands' resources and an accurate decision-making on the ecological environment's security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Population mobility plays an essential role in the diffusion of knowledge. To the best of our knowledge, the existing literature focuses on the migration of workers between regions. Still, we employ a temporary policy of human mobility restriction in China to estimate the effect of COVID-19 on innovation. We find that the number of application invention patents decreases remarkably 1.813 using RD design and remains declined even if we rule out the Spring Festival and the viral effects using RD-DID. Moreover, the mechanism research suggests that the lockdown causes a decline in the population mobility within Wuhan city and inflow from other cities and we rule out the mechanism that skilled labours flow out Wuhan. In addition, we further find that institutional innovations have a significant reduction, especially invention patents in universities. This study highlights the enormous negative impact of human mobility restrictions on innovation due to COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the short-run impact of work resumption, extensively launched on February 10, 2020 in China, on air quality after the subsiding of COVID-19. Utilizing the data of 1012 air-quality monitoring sites in 233 cities derived from the Real-time Release Air Quality Platform and the difference-in-differences method, we find that alternative measures of air quality index in non-Hubei provinces increase significantly, compared with those in Hubei province which was temporarily not allowed work resumption due to the severity of epidemic. Specifically, our results reveal a rise in AQI of 11.28 per cent, in PM2.5 of 12.47 per cent, in PM10 of 10.49 per cent, and in NO2 of 23.64 per cent, relative to the baseline mean. Moreover, the deterioration of air quality is found to be caused by intracity rather than intercity migration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), the most common childhood malignancy, is characterized by recurring structural chromosomal alterations and genetic alterations, whose detection is critical in diagnosis, risk stratification and prognostication. However, the genetic mechanisms that give rise to ALL remain poorly understood.Methods: Using next-generation sequencing (NGS) in matched germline and tumor samples from 140 pediatric Chinese patients with ALL, we landscaped the gene mutations and estimated the mutation frequencies in this disease.Results: Our results showed that the top driver oncogenes having a mutation prevalence over 5% in childhood ALL included KRAS (8.76%), NRAS (6.4%), FLT3 (5.7%) and KMT2D (5.0%). While the most frequently mutated genes were KRAS, NRAS and FLT3 in B cell ALL (B-ALL), the most common mutations were enriched in NOTCH1 (23.1%), FBXW7 (23.1%) and PHF6 (11.5%) in T cell ALL (T-ALL). These mutant genes are involved in key molecular processes, including the Ras pathway, the Notch pathway, epigenetic modification, and cell-cycle regulation. Strikingly, more than 50% of mutations occurred in the high-hyperdiploid (HeH) ALL existed in Ras pathway, especially FLT3 (20%). We also found that the epigenetic regulator gene KMT2D, which is frequently mutated in ALL, may be involved in driving leukemia transformation, as evidenced by an in vitro functional assay.Conclusion: Overall, this study provides further insights into the genetic basis of ALL and shows that Ras mutations are predominant in childhood ALL, especially in the high-hyperdiploid subtype in our research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Folic acid supplementation has been suggested to reduce the risk of preterm birth. However, results from previous epidemiologic studies have been inconclusive. We investigated the hypothesis that folic acid supplementation and dietary folate intake during pre- and post-conception reduces the risk of preterm birth. Methods: We analyzed data from a birth cohort study conducted between 2010 and 2012 in Lanzhou, China, including 10,179 pregnant women with live singleton births. Results: Compared to non-users, folic acid supplement users with >12-week duration had a reduced risk of preterm birth (OR 0.67, 95 % CI 0.55-0.83) with a significant dose-response relationship ( P for trend = 0.01). A similar pattern was observed for spontaneous preterm birth. Stronger associations were seen for ever use of folic acid supplement and very preterm birth (OR 0.50, 95 % CI 0.36-0.69) and spontaneous very preterm birth (OR 0.42, 95 % CI 0.29-0.63). Dietary folate intake during preconception and pregnancy were also associated with reduced risk of preterm birth (OR 0.68, 95 % CI 0.56-0.83, OR 0.57, 95 % CI 0.47-0.70 for the highest quartiles, respectively), particularly for spontaneous very preterm (OR 0.41, 95 % CI 0.24-0.72, OR 0.26, 95 % CI 0.15-0.47 for the highest quartiles, respectively). There were also decreased risks of preterm birth observed per 10-µg increase in dietary folate intake, and similar associations were found after stratification by folic acid supplementation status. Conclusions: Our results suggest that folic acid supplementation and higher dietary folate intake during preconception and pregnancy reduces the risk of preterm birth, and the protective effect varies by preterm subtypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study used the event-related potential technique to investigate the nature of linguistic effect on color perception. Four types of stimuli based on hue differences between a target color and a preceding color were used: zero hue step within-category color (0- WC); one hue step within-category color (1- WC); one hue step between-category color (1- BC); and two hue step between-category color (2- BC). The ERP results showed no significant effect of stimulus type in the 100-200 ms time window. However, in the 200-350 ms time window, ERP responses to 1- WC target color overlapped with that to 0- WC target color for right visual field ( RVF) but not left visual field ( LVF) presentation. For the 1- BC condition, ERP amplitudes were comparable in the two visual fields, both being significantly different from the 0- WC condition. The 2- BC condition showed the same pattern as the 1- BC condition. These results suggest that the categorical perception of color in RVF is due to linguistic suppression on within-category color discrimination but not between-category color enhancement, and that the effect is independent of early perceptual processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Birth defects are a leading cause of infant death. Pregnant women spend a large amount of time indoors, and little research from population-based studies has investigated the association between indoor air pollution and birth defects. We aimed to examine whether using coal, biomass, or electromagnetic stoves for cooking is associated with risk of birth defects compared to using gas stoves. A birth cohort study was conducted from 2010 to 2012 in Lanzhou, China. Cases (n = 264) were singleton births with birth defects, which were defined as abnormalities of structure or function, including metabolism, presented at birth based on the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-10 codes. Controls (n = 9926) were defined as singleton live births without birth defects. Unconditional logistic regression models were employed to estimate the association adjusting for confounding variables. Compared to gas stoves for cooking, biomass (OR = 2.66, 95%CI: 1.38–5.13), and electromagnetic stove (OR = 1.90, 95%CI: 1.26–2.88) for cooking were associated with an increased risk of birth defects. The significant associations remained among non-congenital heart disease (CHD) defects but not CHDs. Using biomass or electromagnetic stoves for cooking during pregnancy was associated with an increased risk of birth defects. Additional studies are warranted to confirm these novel findings. Studies with larger sample size or greater statistical power are also warranted to better estimate the associations for individual birth defects. • Using biomass for cooking is associated with an increased risk of birth defects compared to using gas stoves for cooking. • Using electromagnetic stoves for cooking is associated with risk of birth defects compared to using gas stoves for cooking. • Risk of birth defects associated with cooking fuels may vary by different birth defects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To quantify corneal nerve fiber parameters in a Mongolian population with diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) by corneal confocal microscopy., Methods: This study conducted a comprehensive evaluation of 114 participants from Hulunbuir between January 2020 and December 2021. The participants included healthy controls, Mongolian and Han patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Demographic, medical, and laboratory data were collected, and neuropathy was evaluated by confocal corneal microscopy. And compare various parameters between Han and Mongolian were performed using SPSS software., Results: The average waist circumference of Mongolian diabetic patients was larger than that of Han diabetic patients (P < 0.05). The mean HbA1c of Mongolian was 9.30 (8.15, 10.30) %, and that of Han was 8.30 (7.20, 9.40) % (P = 0.023). The average values of Corneal Nerve Fiber Density (CNFD), Corneal Nerve Fiber Length (CNFL) and corneal nerve branch density (CNBD) in Mongolian diabetic patients were significantly lower than those in Han diabetic patients (P < 0.05). The correlation coefficient between CNFL and age was - 0.368. ROC results show that CNBD has a certain diagnostic value for DPN in Mongolian patients with type 2 diabetes and the optimal cut-off point value is 24.99(no./mm 2 ), the sensitivity is 80.0%, and the specificity is 77.8%., Conclusion: The corneal confocal microscopy could possibly represent a promising adjuvant technique for the early diagnosis and assessment of PDN in Mongolian T2DM patients., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Abstract: To determine optimal gestational weight gain (GWG) for the Chinese population.Live singleton deliveries at the largest maternal & childcare hospital in northwest China from 2010 to 2012 were analyzed retrospectively. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was conducted to determine the lowest aggregated risk of interested perinatal outcomes based on Chinese adult body mass index (BMI) categories.Eight thousand eight hundred seventy enrolled parturients were divided into 4 groups according to their prepregnancy BMI: underweight (21.31%, BMI < 18.5 kg/m2), normal weight (67.81%, 18.5 kg/m2 ≤ BMI < 24 kg/m2), overweight (8.99%, 24 kg/m2 ≤ BMI < 28 kg/m2 and obese (1.89%, BMI ≥ 28 kg/m2). The optimal GWG values for the above 4 groups were 16.7 kg (GWG range, 12.0-21.5), 14.5 kg (9.5-19.5), 11.5 kg (7.0-16.5), and 8.0 kg (5.0-13.0). The rates of inadequate, optimal and excessive GWG in present study were 6.14% (545), 62.34% (5529), and 31.52% (2796) respectively, which were significantly different from those of the 2009 Institute of Medicine recommendation (χ2 = 1416.05, Pinteraction < 0.0001).Wider optimal GWG ranges than those recommended by Institute of Medicine were found in our study, and our proposed criteria seems to be practical to the Chinese population., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interests to disclose., (Copyright © 2021 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Background: Studies on environmental exposures during pregnancy commonly use maternal residence at time of delivery, which may result in exposure misclassification and biased estimates of exposure and disease association. Studies on residential mobility during pregnancy are needed in various populations to aid studies of the environmental exposure and birth outcomes. However, there is still a lack of studies investigating residential mobility patterns in Asian populations., Methods: We analyzed data from 10,542 pregnant women enrolled in a birth cohort study in Lanzhou, China (2010-2012), a major industrial city. Multivariate logistic regression was used to evaluate residential mobility patterns in relation to maternal complications and birth outcomes., Results: Of the participants, 546 (5.2%) moved during pregnancy; among those who moved, 40.5%, 34.8%, and 24.7% moved during the first, second, and third trimester, respectively. Most movers (97.3%) moved once with a mean distance of 3.75 km (range: 1-109 km). More than half (66.1%) of the movers moved within 3 km, 13.9% moved 3-10 km, and 20.0% moved > 10 km. Pregnant women who were > 30 years or multiparous, or who had maternal complications were less likely to have moved during pregnancy. In addition, movers were less likely to deliver infants with birth defects, preterm births, and low birth weight., Conclusions: Residential mobility was significantly associated with several maternal characteristics and complications during pregnancy. The study also showed a lower likelihood of adverse birth outcomes among movers than non-movers, suggesting that moving might be related to reduce exposure to environmental hazards. These results confirm the hypothesis that residential mobility may be important with respect to exposure misclassification and that this misclassification may vary by subpopulations., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Limited epidemiological studies have investigated the relationship between prenatal exposure to ambient particulate matter and risk of abnormal fetal growth, and have reached inconclusive results. No study has been conducted in areas with very high air pollution levels. We investigated the hypothesis that exposure to high levels of particulate matter with aerodynamic diameter no larger than 10 µm (PM10) during pregnancy increases the risk of abnormal fetal growth., Methods: A birth cohort study was performed in Lanzhou, China, 2010-12, including 8877 pregnant women with 18 583 ultrasound measurements of four fetal growth parameters during pregnancy, including biparietal diameter (BPD), femur length (FL), head circumference (HC) and abdominal circumference (AC). Mixed-effects modelling was used to examine the associations between PM10 exposure and risk of abnormal fetal growth., Results: When average PM10 exposure from conception until the ultrasound examination exceeded 150 µg/m3, there were significant increases in standardized FL (β = 0.095, P = 0.0012) and HC (β = 0.090, P = 0.0078) measures. When average PM10 exposure was treated as continuous variable, we found a significant decrease in standardized BPD (β = -0.018, P = 0.0016) as per 10 µg/m3 increase in PM10. After examining the associations by various exposure windows, positive associations between higher levels of PM10 and fetal overgrowth were consistently seen for HC measures., Conclusions: Our study suggested that prenatal exposure to high levels of ambient PM10 increased the risk of abnormal fetal growth. The findings from our study have important public health implications and also call for future studies to explore the underlying mechanisms and post-natal consequences of these findings.

Studies investigating the relationship between maternal passive smoking and the risk of preterm birth have reached inconsistent conclusions. A birth cohort study that included 10,095 nonsmoking women who delivered a singleton live birth was carried out in Lanzhou, China, between 2010 and 2012. Exposure to passive smoking during pregnancy was associated with an increased risk of very preterm birth (<32 completed weeks of gestation; odds ratio = 1.98, 95% confidence interval: 1.41, 2.76) but not moderate preterm birth (32-36 completed weeks of gestation; odds ratio = 0.98, 95% confidence interval: 0.81, 1.19). Risk of very preterm birth increased with the duration of exposure (P for trend = 0.0014). There was no variability in exposures by trimester. The associations were consistent for both medically indicated and spontaneous preterm births. Overall, our findings support a positive association between passive smoking and the risk of very preterm birth., (© The Author 2014. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)