Search

Objective: To investigate the changes in sleep conditions, anxiety, and depression levels among college students before and after entering the university. Methods: Utilizing a random sampling method, 692 new students from a college in Shandong province were selected in September 2019, and relevant indices were statistically analyzed in September 2021 following a comprehensive follow-up. Sleep status, anxiety, and depression levels were assessed using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), respectively. Results: Gender, passive smoking, exercise, intake of fruits, and intake of seafood were identified as significant influencing factors on college students' sleep status, anxiety, and depression levels (p < 0.05). A substantial difference was observed in the sleep quality of college students between the early enrollment stage and the follow-up stage (p < 0.05). Moreover, a significant positive correlation was found between PSQI scores and the levels of anxiety and depression (p < 0.05), cumulatively explaining approximately 10% of the variance in anxiety and depression levels. Conclusion: The sleep quality of college students exhibited significant improvement after enrollment compared to the early enrollment period. Engaging in appropriate exercise and consuming fruits and seafood demonstrated a positive impact on sleep conditions, anxiety, and depression levels. These findings underscore the importance of fostering healthy lifestyle habits for promoting overall well-being among college students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study analyzes the pigments and binders used in the painted wooden structure of DaZhong Gate in the Confucius Temple in Qufu, Shandong Province, China. Five samples were collected from the building and analyzed using techniques such as polarized light microscopy (PLM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX), micro-Raman spectroscopy (m-RS), and Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR). The findings reveal that the red, yellow, green, and blue pigments are identified as lead red, lead chromate yellow, emerald green, and ultramarine, respectively. The white pigment is determined to be a combination of chalk and lead white or anglesite. Considering the production period of the yellow and green pigments, it is inferred that architectural paintings underwent restoration or repainting during the late Qing Dynasty. The analysis of the binder in the pigment using pyrolysis–gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (Py-GC/MS) reveals that the binder employed is a protein-based glue. Additionally, the detected presence of Heat-bodied tung oil suggests a potential connection to traditional Chinese painting techniques on wooden surfaces. This discovery not only contributes to the historical research of the Confucius Temple but also provides crucial data for the conservation and restoration efforts of this culturally significant heritage site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bromus japonicus is a common monocot weed that occurs in major winter wheat fields in the Huang–Huai–Hai region of China. Pyroxsulam is a highly efficient and safe acetolactate synthase (ALS)-inhibiting herbicide that is widely used to control common weeds in wheat fields. However, B. japonicus populations in China have evolved resistance to pyroxsulam by different mutations in the ALS gene. To understand the resistance distribution, target-site resistance mechanisms, and cross-resistance patterns, 208 B. japonicus populations were collected from eight provinces. In the resistant population screening experiment, 59 populations from six provinces showed different resistance levels to pyroxsulam compared with the susceptible population, of which 17 B. japonicus populations with moderate or high levels of resistance to pyroxsulam were mainly from the Hebei (4), Shandong (4) and Shanxi (9) Provinces. Some resistant populations were selected to investigate the target site-resistance mechanism to the ALS-inhibiting herbicide pyroxsulam. Three pairs of primers were designed to amplify the ALS sequence, which was assembled into the complete ALS sequence with a length of 1932 bp. DNA sequencing of ALS revealed that four different ALS mutations (Pro-197-Ser, Pro-197-Thr, Pro-197-Phe and Asp-376-Glu) were found in 17 moderately or highly resistant populations. Subsequently, five resistant populations, QM21-41 with Pro-197-Ser, QM20-8 with Pro-197-Thr and Pro-197-Phe, and QM21-72, QM21-76 and QM21-79 with Asp-376-Glu mutations in ALS genes, were selected to characterize their cross-resistance patterns to ALS inhibitors. The QM21-41, QM20-8, QM21-72, QM21-76 and QM21-79 populations showed broad-spectrum cross-resistance to pyroxsulam, mesosulfuron–methyl and flucarbazone–sodium. This study is the first to report evolving cross-resistance to ALS-inhibiting herbicides due to Pro-197-Phe mutations in B. japonicus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Particulate matter (PM) and the microorganisms of duck houses may have negative impacts on animal and human health. During 2021-2022, PM2.5 and PM10 inside and outside the duck house were sampled with a built-in air sampler in Tai'an City, Shandong Province, and the diversity and abundance of microorganisms within the PM were analyzed by macrogenomic and absolute sequence analysis. The results showed that PM2.5 and PM10 concentrations in the house and at downwind points exceeded the short-term (24 h) guideline of the global air quality guidelines (AQG). Macrogenome sequencing showed that the microbial composition of the PM2.5 samples was dominated by bacteria (exceed 85%); a total of 1316 bacterial genera and 110 fungal genera were identified in PM2.5 samples from duck house 1 in winter, which were much higher than the results of amplicon sequencing method reported before, and relatively high levels of the pathogenic bacteria (Coccidioides immitis, etc.) and the conditionally pathogenic bacterium (Rothia nasimurium) were identified at the species level. Absolute quantitative sequencing detected conditionally pathogenic bacteria and allergens at high levels in PM10 samples: Corynebacterium (5.6 × 10 7 copies/g), Aerococcus (9.9 × 10 6 copies/g), Alternaria (3.3 × 10 6 copies/g), and Aspergillus (8.3 × 10 5 copies/g). Moreover, Corynebacterium was the highest content of PM10 in summer and PM2.5 samples in winter, and its pathogenicity and potential threat should be noted. The diversity and relative abundance of microorganisms were similar in the duck house and at the downwind point. The results showed that the microorganisms in the house environment have a greater influence on the air environment around the downwind point and may pose a public health risk to the staff and the surrounding area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nitrogen is one of the critical factors in water pollution and eutrophication, so applying the deep learning method in remote sensing inversion of nitrogen can provide basic information for environmental management. This paper proposes a two-step feature extraction method to solve the problem that the number of bands in water quality inversion is insufficient and the deep learning method cannot be fully exploited. Firstly, manual feature extraction is completed through the fusion between bands to obtain a set of high-latitude shallow factors, which make the features rich and diverse. Then, a one-dimensional convolutional residual network (ResNet-1D) is constructed, and the deep features are automatically extracted through convolution operations of the model, where the residual learning is used to reduce the training difficulty. The full connection is established through depth features. The comparison of models shows that the Mean Relative Error (MRE) is decreased by at least 10% in both test and validation datasets. Finally, the spatiotemporal distribution of total nitrogen concentration (TNC) in the coastal waters of Shandong is explored. In general, the spatial distribution is that the concentration near the coast is higher than the far. The temporal variation is that the monthly mean of the TNC is low in March, moderate in May and August, and high in October; the annual average value of TNC is 0.3mg/L, which has decreased slightly year by year since 2014. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Power industry is one of the largest sources of CO2 emissions in China. The Yellow River Basin plays a supportive role in guaranteeing the effective supply of electricity nationwide, with numerous power generation bases. Understanding the drivers and peak of CO2 emissions of power industry in the Yellow River Basin is vital for China to fulfill its commitment to reach carbon emissions peak by 2030. Methods: The Logarithmic Mean Divisia Index (LMDI) model was employed to explore the drivers to the change of CO2 emissions in power industries of three study areas, including Inner Mongolia Autonomous Regions, Shanxi Province, and Shandong Province in the Yellow River Basin. And Back Propagation (BP) neural network was combined with scenario analysis to empirically predict the trend of the amount of CO2 emitted by power industry (CEPI) from provincial perspective. Results: CEPI in Inner Mongolia under the scenarios of a low degree of CO2 emissions promotion with a medium degree of CO2 emissions inhibition (LM) and a low degree of CO2 emissions promotion with a high degree of CO2 emissions inhibition (LH) scenario can reach a peak as early as 2030, with the peak value of 628.32 and 638.12 million tonnes, respectively. Moreover, in Shanxi, only CEPI under a low degree of CO2 emissions promotion scenarios (LL, LM, LH) can achieve the peak in 2025 ahead of schedule, with amounts of 319.32, 308.07, and 292.45 million tonnes. Regarding Shandong, CEPI under scenarios of a low degree of CO2 emissions promotion with a high degree of CO2 emissions inhibition (LH) and a medium degree of CO2 emissions promotion with a high degree of CO2 emissions inhibition (MH) could achieve the earliest peak time in 2025, with a peak of 434.6 and 439.36 million tonnes, respectively. Discussion: The earliest peak time of CEPI in Shandong Province and Shanxi Province is 2025, but the peak of CEPI in Shanxi is smaller than that of Shandong. The peak time of CEPI in Inner Mongolia is relatively late, in 2030, and the peak is larger than that of the other two provinces. The per capita GDP is the most positive driving factor that contributes to the CEPI. Shandong has a strong economy, and its per capita GDP is much higher than Shanxi's. Therefore, even under the same peak time, the CEPI in Shandong is much higher than that of Shanxi. Inner Mongolia is extensive and sparsely populated, which makes its per capita GDP rank among the top in China. In addition, Inner Mongolia's coal-based power generation structure and high power generation also contribute to its late CO2 peak time and large CO2 peak. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The continuously increasing demands of food, feed and various corn-derived products accelerate the concern about the corn production on environment. Nevertheless, few researches simultaneously address the issue from different perspectives of carbon, water and energy as well as their temporal variations. Herein, a systematic cradle-to-gate life cycle assessment of maize production was conducted with a case study in Shandong, China. Different midpoint and endpoint indices including 10-year average data from 2011 to 2020 and their temporal variations were investigated. The contribution analysis of different processes to these indices revealed that irrigation dominated the midpoint of water scarcity, whereas the sum of direct consumption, fertilizer and diesel production contributed more than 80% to all the other indices. The sensitivity analysis also illustrated that these environmental indices can be reduced by as high as 4% when the aforementioned inputs were individually decreased by 5%. The temporal variation of the global warming potential, aquatic eutrophication and fossil depletion demonstrated that all the three indices were decreased by about 25.0%–31.7% over the last decade. Further persistent efforts to enhance mechanized operation efficiency and explore green and efficient methods for fertilizer and diesel production were highlighted. Moreover, implementations of rational agricultural management such as scientific fertilization and water-efficient irrigation were suggested, in order to have an eco-friendly maize production system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The red-crowned crane is one of the vulnerable bird species. Although the captive population has markedly increased over the last decade, infectious diseases can lead to the death of young red-crowned cranes while few virological studies have been conducted. Methods: Using a viral metagenomics approach, we analyzed the virome of tissues of the dead captive red-crowned crane with diarrhea symptoms in Dongying Biosphere Reserve, Shandong Province, China and feces of individual birds breeding at the corresponding captive breeding center, which were pooled separately. Results: There is much more DNA and RNA viruses in the feces than that of the tissues. RNA virus belonging to the families Picornaviridae, and DNA viruses belonging to the families Parvoviridae, associated with enteric diseases were detected in the tissues and feces. Genomes of the picornavirus, genomovirus, and parvovirus identified in the study were fully characterized, which further suggested that infectious viruses of these families were possibly presented in the diseased red-crowned crane. Conclusion: RNA virus belonging to the families Picornaviridae, and DNA viruses belonging to the families Genomoviridae and Parvoviridae were possibly the causative agent for diarrhea of red-crowned crane. This study has expanded our understanding of the virome of red-crowned crane and provides a baseline for elucidating the etiology for diarrhea of the birds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: In intensive farming, antimicrobials are heavily used for the prevention and treatment of animal diseases. However, the improper use of antimicrobials has led to the widespread presence of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria and antimicrobial-resistant genes in the environment. In this study, five dairy farms located in Shandong Province were selected, and a total of 223 isolates were collected from various environmental locations within each farm (bedding, sports field, and milking parlor). The most frequently detected bacteria were Fusobacterium and Escherichia. The majority of bacteria displayed resistance to multiple antibiotics. The sulfonamide resistance gene sul1 showed the highest detection rate, which corresponded to the sulfadiazine resistance phenotype. Doxycycline and levofloxacin demonstrated the most effective antibacterial properties. In conclusion, understanding the microbial species present and their antimicrobial resistance profiles aids in focusing efforts toward sustainable antimicrobial use and safeguarding human health. Antimicrobials are extensively utilized in dairy farms to prevent and control diseases in cattle. However, their use contributes to the emergence of antimicrobial-resistant bacteria (ARB) and antimicrobial-resistant genes (ARG), and these can be transmitted to the environment. Regular monitoring of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is crucial for implementing effective mitigation strategies. This research aimed to assess the environmental microbial species present on dairy farms in Shandong Province and characterize the antimicrobial resistance profiles of the isolates. Five dairy farms located in Shandong Province were selected, representing the prevalent large-scale farming patterns in the area. Sampling took place from April to June 2022, with a total of 223 isolates collected from various environmental locations within each farm (bedding, sports field, and milking parlor). Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization—time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) was employed to identify the species of the clinical isolates. The main pathogens isolated were Aerococcus viridans (5.38%, n = 12), Corynebacterium xerosis (4.93%, n = 11), and Acinetobacter lwoffii (4.03%, n = 9). Among the bacterial isolates, resistance to lincomycin was highest at 91%, and 88% were resistant to sulfadiazine. Antimicrobial resistance genes were detected in only a small proportion of the isolates, the most common of which was sul1. These findings highlight the necessity for careful evaluation of antimicrobial usage in maintaining their effectiveness in human medicine. Understanding the microbial species present and their antimicrobial resistance profiles aids in focusing efforts toward sustainable antimicrobial use and safeguarding human health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lycium barbarum is widely distributed in China and used as a traditional Chinese medicine herb to treat dizziness, abdominal pain, dry cough, headache and fatigue. Several studies have examined the endophytes of L. barbarum from northwest China; however, few have focused on that from eastern China. The objective of this study was to isolate and determine the endophytic fungi of L. barbarum from Shandong province, as well as to obtain and identify active secondary metabolites from the endophytes. In this study, 17 endophytic fungi were isolated from L. barbarum and denoted as GQ-1 to GQ-17, respectively. These fungi were further classified into ten genera based on the morphological and ITS identification. The crude extracts of these fungi were obtained by using liquid fermentation and EtOAc extraction, and their antibacterial, cytotoxic, and antioxidant activities were evaluated. The results showed that GQ-6 and GQ-16 exhibited high inhibitory activity; GQ-6 and GQ-9 showed high cytotoxic activity and GQ-5 exhibited high scavenging capability for DPPH free radicals. Additionally, Cladosporium sp. GQ-6 was used to investigate the secondary metabolites. The crude extracts were purified by using column chromatography, reverse column, and liquid chromatography, and four monomeric compounds were identified, including two known compounds (α-acetylorcinol (1) and cladosporester B (2)) and two new compounds (cladosporacid F (3) and cladosporester D (4)). The anti-fungal and antibacterial activities of these compounds were confirmed, but no cytotoxic activity was observed. In conclusion, endophytic fungi of L. barbarum from eastern China can serve as a potential source of active natural products with antibacterial and antioxidant properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exploring the intensive planting scheme to improve the agricultural productivity of coastal salinized farmland, the field positioning trial conducted in Kenli district, Shandong province was carried out since 2015, and 4 treatments were set up by considering fertilizer application amount, fertilizer application period, planting density, soil amendment and other measures including farmer's practice (FP), improved soil management (ISM), improved crops management (ICM), integrated soil crop management (ISCM). Track the population dynamic changes in the key growth period of wheat, analyzed the dry matter accumulation and nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium nutrient absorption of wheat and maize during harvest, investigated the changes of wheat and maize yield and yield components, and compared the net income of crop production, soil sodium removal rate and sodium adsorption ratio in the 0--20 cm soil layer after harvest. The results showed that compared with FP treatment, ISM significantly increased the number of ears during wheat and maize harvest, resulting in a 25.2% and 10.0% increase in yield, and a 7.8% increase in net income, respectively. In addition, the soil sodium removal rate of ISM treatment reached 78.6%. The ICM treatment significantly increased the dry matter accumulation of wheat and maize, with a yield increase of 17.8% and 10.7%, respectively, compared to the FP treatment, and the net income increase of 19.3% . The ISCM treatment obtained the highest wheat yield of 11.96 and 10.83 t · hm-2, respectively, the net income increased by 20.8% compared to the FP treatment, and the soil sodium removal rate reached 82.9%. The ISM treatment could significantly reduce the sodium ion content of salinized soil, improve the nutrient absorption capacity of wheat and maize, and increase yield. Although the yield increase effect of ICM treatment was lower than that of ISM treatment, lower input cost could obtain higher net benefit. On the whole, the ISCM treatment could simultaneously achieve soil quality improvement, crop yield increase and economic benefits, which was the optimal management practice scheme under the conditions of this study. This research result could provide technical and theoretical support and demonstration models for improving the production capacity of medium to low yield fields in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

EPAS1 (Endothelial PAS Domain Protein 1) gene is well-known for its function in plateau hypoxia adaptability. It encodes HIF-2α, which involved in the induction of genes regulated by oxygen and then affects multiple physiological processes such as angiogenesis and energy metabolism. All of these indicate it may affect the development of animals. In this study, a 14-bp deletion in EPAS1 gene was uncovered in Shandong black cattle population (n = 502). Two genotypes (II and ID) were found and the frequency of the homozygous II genotype is higher than the heterozygous ID genotype. This population is consisted with HWE (p > 0.05). And more importantly, the 14-bp deletion was associated with outside flat (p = 0.003), brisket (p = 0.001), and knuckle (p = 0.032). These findings suggested that the 14-bp deletion is significantly associated with carcass traits, which could be served as a molecular marker applied to cow breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Bright flower colour assists plants attract insects to complete pollination and provides distinct ornamental values. In some medicinal plants, diverse flower colour variations usually imply differences in active ingredients. Compared to the common bluish purple of Scutellaria baicalensis flower (SB), the natural variants present rose red (SR) and white (SW) flowers were screened out under the same growing conditions in the genuine producing area Shandong Province, China. However, the mechanism of flower colour variation in S. baicalensis was remain unclear. In the present study, we conducted integrated transcriptome and metabolome analyses to uncover the metabolic difference and regulation mechanism in three S. baicalensis flowers. Results: The results showed that 9 anthocyanins were identified. Among which, 4 delphinidin-based anthocyanins were only detected in SB, 4 cyanidin-based anthocyanins (without cyanidin-3-O-glucoside) mainly accumulated in SR, and no anthocyanin but high level of flavanone, naringenin, was detected in SW. The gene expression profile indicated that the key structural genes in the flavonoid and anthocyanin biosynthesis pathway differentially expressed in flowers with different colours. Compared to SB, the down-regulated expression of F3'5'H, ANS, and 3GT gene in SR might influence the anthocyanin composition. Especially the InDel site with deletion of 7 nucleotides (AATAGAG) in F3'5'H in SR might be the determinant for lack of delphinidin-based anthocyanins in rose red flowers. In SW, the lower expression levels of DFR and two F3H genes might reduce the anthocyanin accumulation. Notably the SNP site of G > A mutation in the splicing site of DFR in SW might block anthocyanin biosynthesis from flavanones and thus cause white flowers. In addition, several key transcription factors, including MYB, bHLH, and NAC, which highly correlated with structural gene expression and anthocyanin contents were also identified. Conclusions: These results provide clues to uncover the molecular regulatory mechanism of flower colour variation in S. baicalensis and promote novel insights into understanding the anthocyanin biosynthesis and regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Avian colibacillosis, caused by avian Escherichia coli (E. coli), has historically been one of the most prevalent infectious diseases in large-scale poultry production, causing growth delays and mortality in chickens, resulting in huge economic losses. In recent years, the widespread use of antibiotics has led to the emergence of multidrug resistance in E. coli as a significant global problem and long-term challenge. Resistant E. coli can be transmitted to humans through animal products or the environment, which presents significant public health concerns and food safety issues. In this study, we analyzed the features of 135 E. coli strains obtained from a white feather broiler farm in Shandong, China, including antimicrobial susceptibility tests, detection of class 1 integrons, drug resistance genes, virulence genes, and phylogenetic subgroups. It is particularly worrying that all 135 E. coli strains were resistant to at least five antibiotic agents, and 100% of them were multidrug-resistant (MDR). Notably, the resistance genes of blaTEM, blaCTX-M, qnrS, aaC4, tetA, and tetB exhibited a high prevalence of carriage among the tested resistance genes. However, mcr-2~mcr-9 were not detected, while the prevalence of mcr-1 was found to be 2.96%. The most common virulence genes detected were EAST1 (14.07%, encoding enterotoxins) and fyuA (14.81%, encoding biofilm formation). Phylogenetic subgroup analysis revealed that E. coli belonging to groups B2 and D, which are commonly associated with high virulence, constituted 2.22% and 11.11%, respectively. The positive rate of class 1 integrons was 31.1%. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS) and animal experiments were performed on a unique isolated strain called 21EC78 with an extremely strong membrane-forming capacity. The WGS results showed that 21EC78 carried 11 drug resistance genes and 16 virulence genes. Animal experiments showed that intraperitoneal injection with 2 × 105 CFU could cause the death of one-day-old SPF chickens in 3 days. However, the mortality of Luhua chickens was comparatively lower than that of SPF chickens. This study reports the isolation of multidrug-resistant E. coli strains in poultry, which may pose a potential threat to human health via the food chain. Furthermore, the findings of this study enhance our comprehension of the frequency and characteristics of multidrug-resistant E. coli in poultry farms, emphasizing the urgent need for improved and effective continuous surveillance to control its dissemination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Landscape Reconstruction Algorithm (LRA) is regarded as the soundest approach for quantifying taxon-specific plant cover from pollen data. The reliability of relative pollen productivity (RPP) estimates is fundamental in the accuracy of quantitative vegetation reconstruction using the LRA approach. Inconsistent RPP estimates produced by different studies can cast doubt on the reliability and applicability of quantitative vegetation reconstruction. Therefore, it is crucial that the RPP estimates are evaluated before being applied for quantitative vegetation reconstruction. We have tested two alternative approaches, namely, a leave-one-out cross-validation (LOO) method and a splitting-by-subregion strategy, using surface pollen assemblages and the REVEALS model--the first step in the LRA--to evaluate the reliability of RPPs estimates of 10 target taxa obtained in the cultural landscape of Shandong. We compared the REVEALS estimates (RVs) with observations of regional vegetation abundance (OBVs) and pollen proportions (PPs). The RVs of all taxa are generally closer to OBVs than PPs, and the degree of similarity depends strongly on the abundance of individual taxa in plant and pollen; taxa dominant in the region show the highest similarity between RVs and OBVs, such as Artemisia, Poaceae, and Humulus. The RVs of all herb taxa except Humulus and Asteraceae SF Cichorioideae are slightly overrepresented, and the RVs of all tree taxa are underrepresented except for Castanea. The comparison of RVs with OBVs collected from different spatial extents shows that the RVs of all herb taxa are more similar to OBVs collected from shorter distances (100 km and 75 km for the entire region and the subregion, respectively), whereas the RVs of all tree taxa are more similar to OBVs collected from longer distances (150 km and 100 km for the entire region and the subregion, respectively). Furthermore, our findings highlight the importance to test different sizes of area for vegetation surveys for evaluation of the RVs given that the appropriate size of vegetation survey may vary between low pollen producers (mainly herbs) and high pollen producers (mainly trees). We consider that the LOO strategy is the best approach in this case study for evaluating the RPP estimates from surface moss polsters. The evaluation confirms the reliability of the obtained RPP estimates for their potential application in quantitative reconstruction of vegetation abundance in temperate China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Economic development has rapidly progressed since the implementation of reform and opening up policies, posing significant challenges to sustainable development, especially to vegetation, which plays a crucial role in maintaining ecosystem service functions and promoting green low-carbon transformations. In this study, we estimated the fractional vegetation cover (FVC) in Shandong Province from 2000 to 2020 using the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform. The spatial and temporal changes in FVC were analyzed using gravity center migration analysis, trend analysis, and geographic detector, and the vegetation changes of different land use types were analyzed to reveal the internal driving mechanism of FVC changes. Our results indicate that vegetation cover in Shandong Province was in good condition during the period 2000 to 2020. The high vegetation cover classes dominated, and overall changes were relatively small, with the center of gravity of vegetation cover generally shifting towards the southwest. Land use type, soil type, population density, and GDP factors had the most significant impact on vegetation cover change in Shandong Province. The interaction of these factors enhanced the effect on vegetation cover change, with land use type and soil type having the highest degree of influence. The observational results of this study can provide data support for the policy makers to formulate new ecological restoration strategies, and the findings would help facilitate the sustainability management of regional ecosystem and natural resource planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Avian reovirus (ARV) infections, characterized by severe arthritis, tenosynovitis, pericarditis, and poor weight gain, have become increasingly serious in recent years. The economic impact is significant as it causes growth inhibition and immunosuppression. Some commercial poultry in China have been widely vaccinated with available ARV vaccines; however, infections continue to occur even after vaccination. This study aimed to isolate a novel variant, ARV-SD19/11103, from the joint tissues of infected broiler chickens vaccinated with ARV vaccines in Shandong Province. Genetic evolution analysis of the major protective antigen σC gene in ARVs showed that ARV-SD19/11103 was located in the genotype cluster I but not in the same sub-cluster as the S1133 vaccine strain. The amino acid sequence similarity between SD19/11103 and vaccine strains S1133, 1733, and 2408 was <80%. After analyzing the amino acid sequences of the σC protein, 33 amino acid differences were found between the new variant isolate and the vaccine strains. This novel variant showed obvious pathogenicity in specific pathogen-free chicken embryos and chicks and could cause serious disease in chickens vaccinated with commercially available ARV vaccines. Cross-neutralization experiments further demonstrated a significant antigenic difference between the novel variant and genotype cluster I ARV strains. The novel variant strain isolated in this study provides an important theoretical basis for understanding the prevalence and genetic evolutionary characteristics of ARV variant strains in our country. This study identified the causes of ARVs circulating and emphasizes the needs for developing new vaccines against novel ARV variants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to quickly and accurately predict borehole spontaneous combustion danger and avoid borehole spontaneous combustion fires, a borehole spontaneous combustion prediction model combining the Hunger Games search optimization algorithm (HGS) and Random Forest (RF) algorithm was introduced. The number of trees and the minimum number of leaf nodes in RF were optimized by HGS. Based on the data obtained from the temperature rise experiment of spontaneous combustion characteristics in a Shandong mine laboratory, O2, CO, C2H4, CO/∆O2 and C2H4/C2H6 were selected as the input indexes for the prediction of borehole spontaneous combustion, and the spontaneous combustion temperature was selected as the output indexes to train the built model. The prediction performance and accuracy of the model were evaluated using four indexes: the mean absolute error (MAE), mean absolute percentage error (MAPE), root mean square error (RMSE) and coefficient of determination (R2). At the same time, the prediction results of the HGS-RF model were compared with those of the RF model, Sparrow search algorithm (SSA) optimization RF model, particle swarm optimization RF model (PSO) optimization RF model and quantum particle swarm optimization RF model (QPSO) optimization. The results showed that the MAE of the RF, SSA-RF, PSO-RF, QPSO-RF and HGS-RF model samples were 17.541, 15.7752, 12.5903, 6.8594 and 6.6921, respectively. MAPE was 13.81%, 10.9766%, 9.6802%, 4.5731% and 5.1536%, respectively. RMSE values were 21.5646, 15.2017, 17.0091, 11.9879 and 12.1691, respectively. The R2 values were 0.9043, 0.9315, 0.9266, 0.9668, and 0.9717, respectively. At the same time, the reliability of the HGS-RF model was supplemented by taking the test data of the Zhengjia1204 coal mining face as an example. Finally, the model was applied to the prediction of borehole spontaneous combustion in the Jinniu Coal Mine, Shanxi Province. The prediction results show that the HGS-RF model can predict the spontaneous combustion temperature of different boreholes quickly and accurately. The results show that the HGS-RF model is more universal and stable than other models, indicating that the HGS-RF model is more suitable for the prediction of borehole spontaneous combustion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess the clinical efficacy of fucoidan‐assisted standard quadruple therapy (SQT) in Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) eradication and the improvement of gut microbiota. Methods: An open‐label randomized controlled trial was conducted at the Affiliated Hospital of Qingdao University in Shandong Province, China. Ninety patients who tested positive for H. pylori were randomized to the standard quadruple therapy (SQT) group (SQ), SQT + fucoidan combination group (SF), and fucoidan + sequential SQT group (FS), respectively. Stool samples were collected for gut microbiota composition at baseline and after treatment. Results: After H. pylori eradication, the relative abundances of most conditional pathogens in the SQ decreased, while those of several beneficial bacteria increased or decreased (P < 0.05). In FS, the abundances of most beneficial bacteria increased gradually from baseline to week 12, while those of the conditional pathogens decreased (P < 0.05). The abundance of Bifidobacterium had a decreasing trend in SQ, but remained unchanged in SF and increased in FS (P < 0.05). The abundances of most beneficial bacteria were significantly higher in FS than in SQ and SF (P < 0.05). Addition of fucoidan enhanced symptom improvement during H. pylori eradication compared with SQT alone. Conclusions: Fucoidan considerably improved gut dysbiosis during SQT for H. pylori eradication. Gut microbiota can be maintained by the addition of fucoidan before eradication therapy with SQT rather than by concomitant addition with therapy. Fucoidan‐assisted SQT could relieve gastrointestinal symptoms during H. pylori eradication. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agricultural technology extension and social networks are the essential components of formal and informal institutions, respectively, and their influence on agricultural production has been the focus of academics. This article takes conservation tillage technology as an example, based on simple random unduplicated sampling, and uses survey data of 781 farmers in Heilongjiang, Henan, Shandong, and Shanxi provinces of China. This article empirically tests the interaction effects and heterogeneity of agricultural technology extension and social networks on farmers' adoption of conservation tillage technology and analyzes their substitution effect or complementary effect. The results showed the following: (1) From a single dimension, both agricultural technology extension and social networks can significantly promote farmers' adoption of conservation tillage technology, and the promotion effect of agricultural technology extension is greater. The average probability of farmers who accept agricultural technology extension and social networks adopting conservation tillage technology increases by 36.49% and 7.09%, respectively. (2) There is a complementary effect between agricultural technology extension and social networks in promoting farmers' adoption of conservation tillage technology. The two functions complement and support each other, and this complementary effect is more evident in social networks' reciprocity. (3) Further analysis reveals that the interaction effect between agricultural technology extension and social networks has significant group differences, technology type differences, and regional differences in farmers' adoption of conservation tillage technology. Therefore, to facilitate the extension and application of conservation tillage technology, efforts need to be made in both agricultural technology extension and social networks, fully leveraging the complementary effects of the two. In addition, differentiated policies and measures should be adopted according to local conditions, and precise policies should be implemented for different groups and technologies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sclerotium rolfsii, the causal agent of peanut southern blight, has become increasingly prevalent and harmful in China, causing serious economic losses to the peanut industry. To effectively manage peanut southern blight, this study evaluated the bioactivity of the new‐generation sterol demethylation inhibitor (DMI) fungicide mefentrifluconazole against peanut S. rolfsii. Results: In this study, the DMI fungicide mefentrifluconazole exhibited excellent inhibitory activity against the mycelial growth of S. rolfsii, with a mean EC50 value of 0.21 ± 0.11 mg L−1 and a range of 0.02 to 0.55 mg L−1 for 261 isolates collected from Hebei, Henan and Shandong provinces. Mefentrifluconazole significantly reduced the biomass of mycelia and affected the morphology of hyphae. Although sclerotia were more tolerant to mefentrifluconazole than mycelial growth, mefentrifluconazole greatly inhibited the formation and germination of sclerotia. In addition, sclerotia produced by mefentrifluconazole‐treated mycelia were deficient in nutrients (e.g., protein, carbohydrate and lipid). These results indicated that mefentrifluconazole may reduce the population of S. rolfsii in the following year. In greenhouse experiments, mefentrifluconazole showed control efficacy and good persistence against peanut S. rolfsii. The preventative and curative activities of mefentrifluconazole at 200 mg L−1 against southern blight still reached 95.36% and 60.94%, respectively, after 9 days of application. No correlation was observed for the sensitivity of S. rolfsii to mefentrifluconazole and the tested DMI, quinone outside inhibitor and succinate dehydrogenase inhibitor fungicides. Conclusion: All data indicated that mefentrifluconazole could provide favorable control efficacy against S. rolfsii from peanuts and reduce the infection and population of S. rolfsii in the following year. © 2023 Society of Chemical Industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel duck orthoreovirus can infect various hosts, mainly causing spleen necrosis and hemorrhagic necrotizing hepatitis, leading to immunosuppression and growth impairment. Infectious diseases characterized by swollen hock joints, movement disorders, and impaired growths have recently occurred in significant duck breeding areas in China. Infected ducks from Shandong Province were selected, and N-DRV-LY20 was isolated from the swollen joints. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) of N-DRV-LY20 and homology analysis showed that all ten fragments had the highest homology to N-DRV and the closest affinity to Duck/N-DRV-XT18/China/2018. After artificial inoculation with N-DRV-LY20 virus solution, Cherry Valley ducks showed the same symptoms of leg swelling and hock joint deformation, which were not explored in previous studies. A long history of evolution has led to significant variation in DRV and altered its pathogenicity. In this study, we confirmed the ability of N-DRV to cause viral arthritis in ducks and clarified this isolate's genetic characteristics and level of variation, providing a basis for the control and variation detection of N-DRV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chlorophyll a concentration and suspended matter concentration, as typical water quality parameters related to spectral characteristics, are essential for characterizing the degree of eutrophication in water bodies. They have become crucial indicators for water quality assessment of inland water bodies. The support vector regression model (SVR) is suitable for small samples, has excellent generalization ability, and has high prediction accuracy. Still, it has the problem of difficult selection of model parameters and quickly falling into local extremes. To solve this problem, a hybrid Differential Evolution-Grey Wolf Optimizer (DE-GWO) algorithm is introduced into the parameter selection process of the support vector regression model, and an improved SVR algorithm (DE-GWO-SVR) is proposed for the remote sensing inversion of chlorophyll a concentration and suspended sediment concentration in water bodies. In this paper, the spectral reflectance of the water surface and the chlorophyll a and broken matter concentration values were obtained by field measurements in the Tangdao Bay waters of Qingdao, Shandong Province. The inverse model between the concentration values of the two water quality parameters and the corresponding sensitive factors was established by first determining the sensitive factors based on the response of the spectral reflectance to the two water quality parameters and introducing the DE-GWO optimization algorithm into the parameter selection process of the SVR model. Finally, the accuracy of the model was verified using Sentinel II satellite remote sensing spectral data, and then the inverse accuracy of the two water quality parameters was obtained. The mean relative error (MRE) of the chlorophyll a prediction model built by the DE-GWO algorithm optimizing the SVR is 25.1%, and the mean relative error (MRE) of the suspended matter prediction model is 32.5%. The inversion results were all better than the other models (linear regression, SVR, and GWO-SVR model). When the best model, built from the measured water surface spectral data, was applied to the Sentinel II satellite data, the improved SVR model outperformed the other models in terms of mean relative error. The experimental results confirm that the DE-GWO-SVR algorithm is an effective method for remote sensing inversion of chlorophyll a and suspended matter concentrations in water bodies, which can provide a reference for remote sensing inversion of chlorophyll a and suspended matter concentrations in Chinese offshore waters and subsequent scientific management of waters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cherry Valley breeder ducks in Shandong province in northern China have experienced swollen eyes, lachrymation, pox scabs on glabrous or glabrous skin, depression and dysentery since 2021. The spread of this infectious disease has seriously affected the breeder ducks in major Cherry Valley duck farms in China. The virus causing clinical signs in Cherry Valley breeder ducks was isolated by chicken embryo inoculation. We successfully isolated a strain of duck pox virus from diseased breeder ducks by virus replication. We have also successfully conducted experiments for duck pox disease using the isolated strains to infect ducklings. By comparison with 22 pox viruses already published in GenBank, the virus strain obtained in this study was most homologous (about 99.7%) to the strain isolated from infected domestic ducks in Guangxi, China in 2014 (KJ192189), and belonged to the same A5 subtype. Since there were no previous cases of avian pox virus infecting white or Cherry Valley duck breeds, this study identified a new host for avian pox virus infection and provided theoretical support and data for the development of avian pox virus research. RESEARCH HIGHLIGHTS Avian pox virus can infect a new host type – Cherry Valley breeder ducks. The avian pox virus isolated from Cherry Valley breeder ducks showed highest identity with Guangxi hemp duck-derived avian pox virus. Cherry Valley breeder ducks were infected with avian pox virus of subtype A5. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the transfer speed of land use rights accelerates, the production efficiency of farmer households keeps increasing as well. Based on field survey data of 1368 farmer households in Shandong in 2019, this paper applied the average treatment effect (ATE) and propensity score matching (PSM) to investigate the impact of land transfer on the productivity of farmer households. The results indicate that land transfer has a positive effect on the overall labor productivity of farmer households participating in land transfer. The impact of land transfer on productivity has an obvious asymmetry between transfer-in households and transfer-out households. More specifically, land transfer-in plays a greater role in promoting participants' overall labor productivity, while land transfer-out has some positive effect on non-agricultural productivity. This study is of great significance in improving the overall welfare level of farmer households and promoting the reform and high-quality development of farm businesses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Infectious diseases are a major threat to public health, causing serious medical consumption and casualties. Accurate prediction of infectious diseases incidence is of great significance for public health organizations to prevent the spread of diseases. However, only using historical incidence data for prediction can not get good results. This study analyzes the influence of meteorological factors on the incidence of hepatitis E, which are used to improve the accuracy of incidence prediction. Methods: We extracted the monthly meteorological data, incidence and cases number of hepatitis E from January 2005 to December 2017 in Shandong province, China. We employ GRA method to analyze the correlation between the incidence and meteorological factors. With these meteorological factors, we achieve a variety of methods for incidence of hepatitis E by LSTM and attention-based LSTM. We selected data from July 2015 to December 2017 to validate the models, and the rest was taken as training set. Three metrics were applied to compare the performance of models, including root mean square error(RMSE), mean absolute percentage error(MAPE) and mean absolute error(MAE). Results: Duration of sunshine and rainfall-related factors(total rainfall, maximum daily rainfall) are more relevant to the incidence of hepatitis E than other factors. Without meteorological factors, we obtained 20.74%, 19.50% for incidence in term of MAPE, by LSTM and A-LSTM, respectively. With meteorological factors, we obtained 14.74%, 12.91%, 13.21%, 16.83% for incidence, in term of MAPE, by LSTM-All, MA-LSTM-All, TA-LSTM-All, BiA-LSTM-All, respectively. The prediction accuracy increased by 7.83%. Without meteorological factors, we achieved 20.41%, 19.39% for cases in term of MAPE, by LSTM and A-LSTM, respectively. With meteorological factors, we achieved 14.20%, 12.49%, 12.72%, 15.73% for cases, in term of MAPE, by LSTM-All, MA-LSTM-All, TA-LSTM-All, BiA-LSTM-All, respectively. The prediction accuracy increased by 7.92%. More detailed results are shown in results section of this paper. Conclusions: The experiments show that attention-based LSTM is superior to other comparative models. Multivariate attention and temporal attention can greatly improve the prediction performance of the models. Among them, when all meteorological factors are used, multivariate attention performance is better. This study can provide reference for the prediction of other infectious diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Inequalities may exist in social and health status among nurses with different employment types. Few studies have investigated the relationship between social support and depressive symptoms among formally employed nurses compared with those in contract-based employment. This study aimed to examine the associations between social support and depressive symptoms among Chinese nurses with different forms of employment. Methods: The present cross-sectional study was performed with 1,892 nurses from 12 tertiary hospitals in Shandong Province, China. The Social Support Rating Scale and the 10-item Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale were used to measure social support and depressive symptoms, respectively. The association between social support and depressive symptoms among participants was explored using multiple linear regression analysis. Results: The prevalence of depressive symptoms was 45.7%. The mean score for total social support was 40.16 (SD = 7.47), which was lower than the norms in the general Chinese population. Formally employed participants’ total social support scores were statistically significantly higher than those of contract-based employees (p ≤ 0.05). After controlling for confounding factors, the multiple linear regression analysis showed that subjective support and support utilization scores were inversely associated with depressive symptoms. Objective support scores were negatively associated with depressive symptoms only among contractemployment nurses. Conclusion: Chinese nurses have a higher prevalence of depressive symptoms and lower social support than the Chinese general population. Compared with contract-employment nurses, formally employed nurses had higher social support. Inverse associations exist between social support and depressive symptoms among nurses with different types of employment. It is suggested that improving Chinese nurses’ social support levels and reducing their depressive symptoms, especially for nurses employed through contracts, are critical. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Salmonella enterica is considered a significant threat to the global poultry industry and public health. In recent decades, antimicrobial resistance in Salmonella enterica has attracted increasing concern throughout the world. However, limited information is available on Salmonella enterica among different breeds of breeder chickens. Thus, this study aimed to compare the prevalence, serotype distribution, emergence of extended-spectrum beta-lactamases (ESBLs), antimicrobial resistance, and genetic resistance mechanisms in Salmonella enterica among different breeds of breeder chickens. A total of 693 samples (dead embryos, cloacal swabs, water, feed, environmental swabs, and meconium of newly hatched chicks) were selected and cultured for Salmonella from four breeder chicken farms in Shandong province, China, representing one imported and three native breeds, and the isolates were further serotyped. Of the Salmonella isolates, susceptibility to 11 antimicrobials of 5 classes, ESBL screening, and the presence of 21 antimicrobial resistance genes were determined in the present study. Overall, 94 (13.6%) isolates were recovered, which were divided into 3 serotypes (Salmonella Pullorum (n = 36), Salmonella Thompson (n = 32), and Salmonella Enteritidis (n = 26)). The results showed that the prevalence of Salmonella enterica isolates from the imported breeds was higher compared with the three domestic breeds. Eight of the ninety-four isolates were ESBL-positive strains, which were recovered from a domestic breed chicken farm. These eight ESBL-producing isolates were serotyped to Pullorum. Surprisingly, Salmonella Enteritidis (S. enteritidis) and S. pullorum were simultaneously isolated from a single dead embryo observed among one native breed. Meanwhile, among the Salmonella isolates, 53.2% (50/94) were multidrug-resistant strains, and 44.7% (42/94) of the isolates presented resistance to at least five antibiotics. Nearly all of the isolates (97.9%, 92/94) were resistant to at least one antimicrobial; one isolate of S. Thompson was resistant to seven antimicrobial agents belonging to four different classes. The carriage rate of three resistance genes (tetA, tetB, and sul1) among isolates from the imported breeds (87%, 70%, and 65.2%) was higher than that in those from domestic breeds (35.2%, 36.6, and 14.1%). To our knowledge, this is the first report of ESBLs-producing Salmonella isolated from a Chinese native breed of breeder chickens. Our results also highlight that a high prevalence of multidrug-resistant Salmonella enterica contamination is widespread among different breeds of breeder chickens, which is a major risk of food-borne diseases and public health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The benefits associated with the conventional use of neonicotinoids on greenhouse vegetables have lasted for several decades. Extensive use of neonicotinoids could result in their accumulation in the soils, thereby potentially threatening human health through ingestion, dermal contact and inhalation. This study aimed to clarify the pollution characteristics and non-dietary human cumulative risk of neonicotinoids in vegetable greenhouse soils. Materials and methods: A total of 283 soil samples were collected from celery, cucumber, pepper and tomato greenhouses across Shandong Province in China and analysed for nine widely used neonicotinoids. Furthermore, the potential health risks for both adults and children were assessed. Results: Among all the soil samples, imidacloprid, clothianidin and thiamethoxam were the top three detected neonicotinoids, with detection frequencies of 96.82–99.65%. The three neonicotinoids had higher average concentrations in the soils, with average concentrations of 27.55–157.64 µg/kg. All the soil samples contained at least two neonicotinoids, but most of the detected residues were at low levels with concentrations ranging from 0.02 to 1816.67 µg/kg. The levels of total neonicotinoids (calculated based on a relative potency factor method) in tomato and pepper soils were statistically higher than those in cucumber and celery soils. Although the exposure risk to children was far higher than that to adults, the health risk assessment for each neonicotinoid or total neonicotinoids was within the established safe limits (hazard index range, 1.07 × 10−10 to 1.95 × 10−3, < 1). Despite the low health risk, potential hazards of exposure to neonicotinoid-contaminated soils should be continuously assessed due to the low-dose adverse effects and potential accumulation in human tissues. Conclusions: Our findings indicate that attention should be given to the neonicotinoids in vegetable greenhouse soils due to their ubiquity and toxicokinetic characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

GaoFen 7 (GF-7) is China's first submeter high-resolution stereo mapping satellite with dual-linear-array cameras and a laser altimeter system onboard for high-precision mapping. To further take advantage of the very high elevation accuracy of laser altimetry data and the high relative accuracy with stereo images, an innovative combined adjustment method for GF-7 stereo images with laser altimetry data is presented in this paper. In this method, two flexible and effective schemes were proposed to extract the elevation control point according to the registration of footprint images and stereo images and then utilized as vertical control in the block adjustment to improve the elevation accuracy without ground control points (GCPs). The validation experiments were conducted in Shandong, China, with different terrains. The results demonstrated that, after using the laser altimetry data, the root mean square error (RMSE) of elevation was dramatically improved from the original 2.15 m to 0.75 m, while the maximum elevation error was less than 1.6 m. Moreover, by integrating a few horizontal control points, the planar and elevation accuracy can be simultaneously improved. The results show that the method will be useful for reducing the need for field survey work and improving mapping efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Heavy metal pollution has attracted more attention due to the toxicity and migration characteristics, which has close relationship with soil environment and food safety. Typical heavy metal pollutants, copper, lead, zinc, cadmium, chromium, nickel, arsenic and mercury, have been investigated in Jinan Steel Plant located in Jinan, Shandong Province, People's Republic of China. The indexes of Nemerow, geo-accumulation, and potential ecological risk were applied to evaluate the soil pollution. Spatial distribution and vertical migration characteristics were also detected and analyzed. The pollution is mainly concentrated in (1) coke processing plant, (2) blast furnace and (3) stock area. According to the concentration index, Zn and Cr were selected as main pollutants; however, Hg and Pb play directly and indirectly roles in soil pollution based on evaluation system. The analysis in vertical direction indicated that heavy metals showed a certain migration and transformation ability. Moreover, heavy metals predominately existed in the residual fraction on the surface and the middle profile. The bioavailable fraction of Pb and Hg accounts relatively higher proportion, which could threaten human health along the food chain. In the process of heavy metal pollution evaluation and analysis, we should not only pay attention to high concentrations of heavy metals, but also focus on heavy metals with high toxicity and strong migration-transformation capability, which need real-time monitoring and assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid appearance of major animal groups and complex marine communities during the Cambrian explosion is recorded in large part in Burgess Shale-type lagerstätten. However, the restricted temporal and spatial distribution of known lagerstätten continues to hinder the formation of a comprehensive perspective on Cambrian evolutionary faunas. Here we describe the Linyi Lagerstätte (ca. 504 mya), a new Cambrian Miaolingian lagerstätte from the Zhangxia Formation in Shandong Province, North China. The Linyi Lagerstätte contains a variety of well-preserved soft-bodied fossils, among which the non-trilobite arthropods, particularly the mollisoniids and radiodonts, are the most important groups. The new assemblage is remarkable for its excellent preservation of arthropod limbs, eyes and guts, as well as for its close similarity in taxonomic composition to Laurentian lagerstätten. The distinctive Linyi Lagerstätte holds great promise for providing additional insights into the morphological disparity, community structure and paleogeographic range of marine faunas during the middle Cambrian (Miaolingian). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rural residents' perception is an important way of evaluating rural ecosystem services. Different topographies affect the level of ecosystem services, thus affecting residents' perceived preferences. This study conducted a questionnaire survey of 1176 rural residents in mountainous, hilly, and plain areas of Shandong Province. It analyzed respondents' satisfaction with ecosystem services and landscape preferences in different topographical areas. The results showed that the perception of ecosystem services was higher than average in all three topographic areas. The perceptions from high to low were cultural services, provisioning services, and regulating services. The perception of ecosystem services was significantly affected by topography, with significant differences between mountainous and plain areas in particular. Rural residents' perceptions of cultural services varied widely and there were diverse preferences. This study believes that the important concerns in enhancing the perception of ecosystem services among rural residents are to raise villagers' ecological awareness by meeting their growing spiritual needs and the high sensitivity of older people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mental toughness is an essential component of adolescent athletes' athletic careers and lives. Evidence supports the positive effect of belief in a just world on individual psychological development, but the relationship between belief in a just world and mental toughness of adolescents has not been tested. In order to determine the influencing factors of mental toughness and explore effective strategies for improving adolescent athletes' mental toughness, this study introduced just world and life meaning theories to explore the relationship between belief in a just world, meaning in life (search for meaning/presence of meaning), and mental toughness. Based on the data of 1,544 adolescent athletes from Yantai and Qingdao in Shandong Province, China, we tested a parallel mediation model that considered the search for meaning and presence of meaning as mediators. The results were predicted as follows: there is a significant positive correlation between belief in a just world and mental toughness, while the relationship between belief in a just world and mental toughness was partially mediated by the search for meaning and the presence of meaning in life. Furthermore, it is worth noting that the presence of meaning played a more influential role than the search for meaning. The results suggest that belief in a just world is connected to the mental toughness of adolescent athletes via the meaning in life. Therefore, maintaining and promoting the level of belief in a just world and enhancing the sense of meaning in life may be an effective strategy to develop the mental toughness of adolescent athletes. The findings of this study can help develop the mental toughness of adolescent athletes and help them maintain a high level of subjective and objective performance under the pressure of training and competition, providing practical guidance for coaches and administrators in the training of adolescent athletes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tembusu virus (TMUV) can induce severe egg drop syndrome in ducks, causing significant economic losses. In this study, the possible origin, genomic epidemiology, and transmission dynamics of TMUV were determined. The time to the most recent common ancestor of TMUV was found to be 1924, earlier than that previously reported. The effective population size of TMUV increased rapidly from 2010 to 2013 and was associated with the diversification of different TMUV clusters. TMUV was classified into three clusters (clusters 1, 2, and 3) based on the envelope (E) protein. Subcluster 2.2, within cluster 2, is the most prevalent, and the occurrence of these mutations is accompanied by changes in the virulence and infectivity of the virus. Two positive selections on codons located in the NS3 and NS5 genes (591 of NS3 and 883 of NS5) were identified, which might have caused changes in the ability of the virus to replicate. Based on phylogeographic analysis, Malaysia was the most likely country of origin for TMUV, while Shandong Province was the earliest province of origin in China. This study has important implications for understanding TMUV and provides suggestions for its prevention and control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to solve the problem of maximizing the utilization of resources through reasonable deployment under limited resources, this paper studies from two aspects: one is to establish the mathematical model of maximum coverage of space detection, and the other is to improve the harmony algorithm. The exploration performance and convergence performance of the harmony search algorithm are analyzed theoretically, and the more general formulas of exploration performance and convergence performance are proved. Based on theoretical analysis, the algorithm called opposition-based learning parameter adjusting harmony search is proposed. By using the algorithm to test the functions of different properties, the value range of key control parameters of the algorithm are given. The proposed algorithm is applied to optimize the problem of radar deployment. This paper takes a certain area of the Shandong Peninsula as the deployment scope. The simulation results show that the proposed algorithm is effective and practical. Although there is a large amount of calculation, it provides ideas and ways for other problems, such as the site selection of new observation and communication post, the deployment of maneuvering radar stations, and the track planning of fleet. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antibiotic resistance genes of Escherichia coli (E. coli) from companion animals were still poorly understood. Here, we investigated the extended-spectrum β-lactamases (ESBLs) resistance genes of E. coli from companion animals in Shandong, China. A total of 79 isolates (80.6%) were recovered from 98 healthy or diarrheal companion animals in 2021, among which ESBLs-producing isolates accounted for 43.0% (34/79), and more than half of ESBL E. coli (ESBL-EC) strains (n = 19) were isolated from healthy companion animals. Diarrheagenic E. coli isolates (45.6%, n = 36) were represented by enterotoxigenic (ETEC) (32.9%), enteropathogenic (EPEC) (10.1%) and enteroinvasive (EIEC) (2.6%), 20 isolates of which were from healthy pets. Among tested antibiotics, resistance to tetracycline (64.6%) was the most commonly observed, followed by doxycycline (59.5%) and ampicillin (53.2%). Notably, all isolates were susceptible to meropenem. The multidrug-resistant (MDR) rate was 49.4%, 20 isolates of which were ESBLs producers; moreover, 23.4%, 16.4% of ESBL-EC strains were resistant to 5 or more, 7 or more antibiotics, respectively. Among the 5 β-lactamase resistance genes, the most frequent gene was blaCTX-M (60.76%), followed by blaSHV (40.51%). The plasmid-mediated quinolone resistance (PMQR) gene aac(6')-Ib-cr was detected in 35 isolates. Additionally, ESBL-associated genes (i.e., blaCTX-M, blaSHV) were found in 76.5% ESBL-EC strains, with six isolates carrying blaCTX-M and blaSHV. The marker gene of high-pathogenicity island gene irp2 (encoding iron capture systems) was the most frequency virulence gene. Our results showed that ESBL-EC were widespread in healthy or diarrhea companion animals, especially healthy pets, which may be a potential reservoir of antibiotic resistance, therefore, enhancing a risk to public and animal health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Sanchahe iron-gold deposit in western Shandong province is located in the southeast of the North China Craton. The skarn type of iron-gold deposit (without copper) is located in the contact belt between pyroxene diorites and Ordovician limestone xenoliths. The zircon U-Pb age of pyroxene diorites is 138.4 ± 1.2 Ma belonging to the Early Cretaceous. Pyroxene diorites (Rittmann index σ = 2.2~2.5) belong to the calc-alkaline series and the SiO2 content is 55~59%. Furthermore, pyroxene diorites are characterized by high Mg and Na contents and high contents of Sc, Cr, Co, and Ni, indicating that it has a geochemical affinity with mantle-derived magma. All of the samples are enriched in light rare earth elements (LREEs) and depleted in heavy rare earth elements (HREEs), with a weak Eu-negative anomaly. They are also enriched in Cs, Ba and Sr and depleted in high field strength elements (HFSEs) (Nb, Ta, Zr), indicating the involvement of some crustal materials. The whole-rock (87Sr/86Sr)I values are 0.70824~0.70891, and the εNd(t) values are from −8.1 to −12.5. Two-stage model ages of TDM2 are 1591~1928 Ma. The εHf(t) values range from −7.0 to −17.4, and the two-stage model ages of TDM2 range from 1629 to 2297 Ma, indicating that the magma was derived from Mesoproterozoic to Neoarchean crusts. Combined with Pb isotopic characteristics, pyroxene diorites may be generated by the partial melting of the enriched lithospheric mantle, which had been metasomatized by the ancient lower crust materials of the North China Craton and formed in the strong extensional tectonic setting linked with lithospheric thinning, which may be caused by the rollback of the Pacific plate after subduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The current surveillance system only focuses on notifiable infectious diseases in China. The arrival of the big-data era provides us a chance to elaborate on the full spectrum of infectious diseases.Methods: In this population-based observational study, we used multiple health-related data extracted from the Shandong Multi-Center Healthcare Big Data Platform from January 2013 to June 2017 to estimate the incidence density and describe the epidemiological characteristics and dynamics of various infectious diseases in a population of 3,987,573 individuals in Shandong province, China.Results: In total, 106,289 cases of 130 infectious diseases were diagnosed among the population, with an incidence density (ID) of 694.86 per 100,000 person-years. Besides 73,801 cases of 35 notifiable infectious diseases, 32,488 cases of 95 non-notifiable infectious diseases were identified. The overall ID continuously increased from 364.81 per 100,000 person-years in 2013 to 1071.80 per 100,000 person-years in 2017 (χ2 test for trend, P < 0.0001). Urban areas had a significantly higher ID than rural areas, with a relative risk of 1.25 (95% CI 1.23-1.27). Adolescents aged 10-19 years had the highest ID of varicella, women aged 20-39 years had significantly higher IDs of syphilis and trichomoniasis, and people aged ≥ 60 years had significantly higher IDs of zoster and viral conjunctivitis (all P < 0.05).Conclusions: Infectious diseases remain a substantial public health problem, and non-notifiable diseases should not be neglected. Multi-source-based big data are beneficial to better understand the profile and dynamics of infectious diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

aims to investigate the influencing factors of post-stroke cognitive impairment (PSCI) in patients with T2DM. Methods: We enrolled 161 patients with T2DM who experienced acute ischemic stroke and were hospitalized in the Department of Neurology, Jinan Central Hospital, Shandong, China. Cognitive function was evaluated with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment scale. According to the results, patients were divided into three groups—the cognitively normal group, mild cognitive impairment group, and severe cognitive impairment group. We analyzed general demographic data, laboratory information, imaging data, the results of neuropsychological evaluation, and clinical features as well as influencing factors of PSCI in these patients and established a prediction model. Results: The three groups of patients were significantly different in terms of age, education level, course of diabetes mellitus (DM), recurrent cerebral infarction (RCI), and other factors. RCI, course of DM, and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) were independent risk factors of PSCI in patients with T2DM, with odds ratio (95% confidence interval): 7.17 (2.09, 30.37), 5.39 (2.40, 14.59), and 3.89 (1.66, 10.04), respectively, whereas female, senior high school, serum albumin were protective factors: 0.28 (0.07, 0.95), 0.05 (0.01, 0.21), 0.20 (0.08, 0.42), respectively. Furthermore, we constructed a prediction model using sex, age, education level, RCI, DM course, HbA1c and serum albumin and obtained a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve. The area under the ROC curve is 0.966, suggesting the significant association of these influencing factors with PSCI in patients with T2DM. Conclusion: In this study, the occurrence of PSCI in patients with T2DM was related to RCI, course of DM, and HbA1c, among other factors. Attention to influencing factors is needed in these patients for early diagnosis and timely intervention of cognitive impairment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regional carbon emission paths have an important impact on the realization of China's carbon emission peak target. Due to the uncertainty of future development model, the change of carbon emissions will also face uncertainty, which will make achieving the peak target challenging. Taking Shandong, Henan, and Guangdong, three of China's most populous provinces, as examples, this study analyzed the impacts of uncertainties in carbon accounting principles, driving factors, and simulation mechanism on achieving the peak target. The results show that (1) under the baseline scenario, the accounting principles based on primary energy consumption and IPCC sector consumption will make the peaking time of Guangdong be evaluated as 2018 and 2030, respectively, and the simulation based on IPCC sector accounting will advance the peaking time of Shandong by at least 5 years, while Henan will be less affected. (2) When considering the impact of the energy structure, Guangdong and Henan are estimated to peak in 2011 and 2018, while without considering the impact of the energy structure, the peak in the two provinces may be after 2035. Energy structure has no effect on the estimation of peaking time for Shandong. In addition, the k value in the ridge regression method also has no effect on the peaking time for the three provinces; it only affects the simulations of annual carbon emissions. This study also presented the carbon emission trajectory under different scenarios; from the simulation results, environmental regulation measures such as accelerating industrial structure transformation and increasing energy consumption intensity may help to achieve the peak carbon emission target as soon as possible. It also suggests that uncertainty should be included in future carbon assessments to present a more complete carbon emission trajectory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the convenient outlet to the Bo Sea and the major region of economic development in the Yellow River Basin, Shandong Province in China has undergone large changes in land use/land cover (LULC) in the past two decades with rapid urbanization and population growth. The analysis of the LULC change patterns and its driving factors in the Shandong section of the Yellow River Basin can provide a scientific basis for rational planning and ecological protection of land resources in the Shandong section of the Yellow River Basin. In this manuscript, we analyzed the spatial pattern of LULC and its spatial and temporal changes in the Shandong section of the Yellow River Basin in 2000, 2010, and 2020 by using the random forest classification algorithm with the Google Earth Engine platform and multi-temporal Landsat TM/OLI data. The driving factors of LULC changes were also quantified by the factor detector and interaction detector in the geodetector. Results show that in the past two decades, the LULC types in the study area are mainly farmland and construction land, among which the proportion of farmland area has decreased and the proportion of construction land area has increased from 19.4% to 29.7%. Based on the results of factor detector, it can be concluded that elevation, slope, and soil type are the key factors affecting LULC change in the study area. The interaction between elevation and slope, slope and soil type, and temperature and precipitation has strong explanatory power for the spatial variation of LULC change in the study area. The research results can provide data support for ecological environmental protection, sustainable, and high-quality development of the Shandong section of the Yellow River Basin, and help local governments take corresponding measures to achieve coordinated and sustainable socioeconomic and environmental development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reducing carbon intensity is a key strategy in achieving carbon neutrality. Existing joint methods, including log-mean division index and production-theoretical decomposition analysis, were often linked to the Shepherd distance function to identify factors driving carbon intensity. However, this would overlook the biases in decomposition results caused by the disaggregated efficiency in different orientations. To gain a more comprehensive insight into determinants of China's aggregate carbon intensity from regional technological catch-up, technological innovation, technological leadership and low-carbon development mode, this study extended and modified the regional decomposition and attribution analysis framework by incorporating the two aforementioned approaches, the meta-frontier global non-radial Malmquist-Luenberger productivity index, and attribution analysis. The results demonstrated that China's aggregate carbon intensity declined by 56.03% during 2000–2019, which was primarily driven by the technological innovation category. Almost all provinces exhibited negative contributions to output-based technology progress, output-based technology gap, energy structure, and R&D intensity, all of which helped reduce the aggregate carbon intensity. However, this negative contribution was compensated for by the potential energy intensity, potential capital intensity, energy-based technology efficiency, energy-based technology progress, energy-based technology gap, and output-based technology efficiency. The decline of China's aggregate carbon intensity was attributed to the greatest negative effect of output-based technology progress in Shandong. The increase in energy-based technology gap led to a great increase in the aggregate carbon intensity, mainly owing to Liaoning. Our study not only advances research in the field of factor decomposition, but also is of special interests for policy makers tasked with ensuring carbon emission reduction in China. • We extended decomposition methods considering tech and development-mode factors. • Output-based technology progress was vital for decreasing China's carbon intensity. • Energy-based technology gap has great potential for carbon intensity reduction. • Policy should rationalize R&D expenditure and fixed-asset investment utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Treatment strategies of infection by carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) are limited. Fosfomycin, a broad-spectrum antibiotic, has attracted renewed interest in combination therapy to fight K. pneumoniae infections. However, reports on fosfomycin-resistant K. pneumoniae are increasing. Among the 57 CRKP strains, 40 (70.2%) were resistant to fosfomycin. Thus, whole-genome sequencing and bioinformatics analysis were conducted to reveal molecular characteristics of fosfomycin-resistant K. pneumoniae. Twenty-three isolates coharbored fosA kp and fosA3 , with K. pneumoniae carbapenemase (KPC)-producing ST11-KL64-wzi64-O2 (n = 13) and ST11-KL47-wzi209-OL101 (n = 8), the predominating clonal groups, while fosA3 was not detected in isolates carrying class B carbapenemase genes. Twenty-two (out of 26) ST11-KL64 strains were positive for rmpA2 , of which 12 carried fosA3. Four of the 23 fosA3 -positive isolates could successfully transfer their fosfomycin-resistant determinants to Escherichia coli J53Azi R. All four strains belonged to ST11-KL47 with the same pulsed-field gel electrophoresis profile, and their transconjugants acquired fosfomycin, carbapenem, and aminoglycoside resistance. A 127-kb conjugative pCT-KPC-like hybrid plasmid (pJNKPN52_KPC_fosA) coharboring fosA3 , bla KPC –2, bla CTX–M –65, bla SHV –12, rmtB , and bla TEM –1 was identified. ST11-KL64 and ST11-KL47 K. pneumoniae , with higher resistance and virulence, should be critically monitored to prevent the future dissemination of resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is now regarded as a zoonotic agent. Methicillin-susceptible S. aureus (MSSA) ST398 is a livestock-associated bacterium that is most prevalent in China, but there are currently no data available for Shandong. Therefore, the aim of this study was to investigate the epidemiology and characterization of MSSA ST398 from retail pork and bulk tank milk (BTM) in Shandong. A total of 67 S. aureus isolates were collected from retail pork between November 2017 and June 2018. Among the isolates, high antimicrobial resistance rates were observed for penicillin (97.0%), and 92.5% of the isolates were multi-drug resistant (MDR). Eight sequence types (STs) were identified in the retail pork isolates, and the predominant type was ST15 (n =26), which was followed by ST398 (n =14). Staphylococcal protein A gene (spa) typing identified spa types t034 and t1255 in MSSA ST398 from retail pork. Using whole-genome sequencing analysis, we described the phylogeny of 29 MSSA ST398 isolates that were obtained from retail pork (n =14) and BTM (n =15). The phylogenetic tree showed that the MSSA ST398 isolates from different sources had the same lineage. Among the 29 MSSA ST398 isolates, five resistance genes were detected, and all isolates carried DHA-1. Fifteen toxin genes were detected, and all isolates carried eta , hla , and hlb. In conclusion, this study found that a high risk for MSSA ST398 was present in retail pork and BTM. These findings have major implications for how investigations of MSSA ST398 outbreaks should be conducted in the One-Health context. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to solve regional ecological inequity in carbon emissions, building a balanced ecological compensation mechanism is paramountly important. With the help of the carbon transfer mechanism, the study is designed to evaluate the ecological compensation of grain trade within urban, rural areas, and provinces in China. This current study applied the carbon footprint model of grain crops in various provinces and measures d the inter-provincial and urban–rural carbon transfer through a multi-objective optimization model. Obtained results show that the carbon footprint of crops for per-unit production of corn, wheat, and rice is higher in the southwest and northeast region than that of the northwest and southeast region, but across the regions, a net carbon sink trend was observed. The carbon footprint of wheat production in Inner Mongolia and rice in Shandong showed a net carbon emission effect and had negative externalities toward environmental protection. Carbon balance can be attained with a balance carbon payment system, but a proper carbon payment mechanism is not developed in China. Hence, concerning establishing a scientific and reasonable time-worthy carbon ecological compensation policy is urged by this current study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND To understand the ongoing resistance of cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera, the sensitivity of five field populations to commonly used insecticides, indoxacarb, abamectin, methoxyfenozide, chlorfenapyr, chlorantraniliprole, spinetoram, lambda‐cyhalothrin, carbosulfan, metaflumizone, chlorpyrifos, and flufenoxuron, were evaluated. Furthermore, the biochemical and molecular mechanisms of field‐evolved resistance in H. armigera were also investigated. RESULTS: Five field populations of H. armigera showed moderate resistance to indoxacarb, chlorantraniliprole, metaflumizone, methoxyfenozide, carbosulfan and lambda‐cyhalothrin. The resistance ratio (RR) of indoxacarb was significantly correlated with glutathione‐S‐transferases (GSTs) activity (r = 0.913, P = 0.011). Methoxyfenozide RR was largely correlated with cytochrome P450s activity (r = 0.860, P = 0.028). Besides, six cytochrome P450s genes of CYP4L5 in AQP, CYP6B7 and CYP9A14 in HDP and BDP, CYP9A17V2 in HDP and YSP, CYP332A1 in HDP, LFP, AQP and YSP, CYP337B1 in YSP, and two GSTs genes of GSTd1 and GSTs1 in HDP were overexpressed (>5‐fold). Moreover, indoxacarb RR was positively correlated with the overexpression of GSTs1, GSTd1 and CYP9A14 genes (r = 0.880, 0.98 and 0.86, P = 0.021, 0.001 and 0.028, respectively). The transcript of CYP9A17V2 and CYP337B1 were found to be correlated with metaflumizone RR (r = 0.950, P = 0.004) and carbosulfan RR (r = 0.850, P = 0.033), respectively. CONCLUSION: H. armigera can be effectively controlled using abamectin, chlorfenapyr, chlorpyrifos and spinetoram in Hebei and Shandong provinces. The present study demonstrated that the relative expression level of GSTs1, GSTd1, CYP9A14, CYP9A17V2 and CYP337B1 genes were significantly correlated with the resistance ratio to indoxacarb, metaflumizone and carbosulfan in field H. armigera. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Carbapenems, colistin, and tigecycline are critically important antibiotics in clinics. After the global appearance of bla NDM and mcr mediating the resistance to carbapenems and colistin, respectively, tigecycline becomes the last-resort drug against severe human infections caused by multidrug-resistant bacteria. Recently, a mobile tigecycline resistance gene tet (X4) has been identified in Escherichia coli , Klebsiella pneumoniae , and Acinetobacter baumannii that causes high resistance to tigecycline and other tetracyclines. In this study, the prevalence of tet (X4) in E. coli isolates from duck and goose farms in Southeast China was identified and characterized. Methods: Feces, soil, sewage, and dust samples were collected from duck and goose farms along with the southeast coast provinces of China. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing and polymerase chain reaction screening were performed to investigate the phenotype and genotype of tigecycline resistance. Conjugation, S1 pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE), and whole-genome sequencing were used to determine the transferability, genetic location, and the genomic characteristics of tet (X4). Results: In total, 1,716 samples were collected, and 16 isolates (0.9%) recovered from Guangdong, Shandong, and Jiangsu were positive for tet (X4) gene with tigecycline minimum inhibitory concentrations ≥16 mg/L. Notably, among these tet (X4)-positive E. coil isolates, seven of them were from the environment samples (soil and sewage). PFGE and multilocus sequence typing demonstrated that ST3997 was the most prevalent sequence type (eight isolates, 50%) in Jiangsu province. By conjugation assays, 11 isolates were able to transfer tet (X4) plasmid to E. coli C600 recipient, and these plasmids belonged to IncHI1 and IncX1 detected by sequence analysis. tet (X4) was found adjacent to an insertion sequence IS CR2 downstream and a cat D gene upstream for all isolates. In addition, multiple-drug resistance to tigecycline, chlortetracycline, ampicillin, florfenicol, ciprofloxacin, gentamicin, trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole, and fosfomycin was profiled in most of the tet (X4)-positive isolates. Conclusion: The identification of tet (X4) harboring E. coli strains in duck farms and their surrounding environment enlarges our knowledge of the variety and prevalence of tigecycline resistance. The prevalence of tet (X4) raises concern for the use of tetracyclines in animal farming, and the tet (X4) gene should be listed as primary gene for resistance surveillance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As demand for electricity grows in China, the existing power grid is coming under increasing pressure. Expansion of power generation and delivery capacities across the country requires years of planning and construction. In the meantime, to ensure safe operation of the power grid, it is important to coordinate and optimize the demand side usage. In this paper, we report on our experience deploying an artificial intelligence (AI)-empowered demand-side management platform - the Power Intelligent Decision Support (PIDS) platform - in Shandong Province, China. It consists of three main components: 1) short-term power consumption gap prediction, 2) fine-grained Demand Response (DR) with optimal power adjustment planning, and 3) Orderly Power Utilization (OPU) recommendations to ensure stable operation while minimizing power disruptions and improving fair treatment of participating companies. PIDS has been deployed since August 2018. It is helping over 400 companies optimize their power usage through DR, while dynamically managing the OPU process for around 10,000 companies. Compared to the previous system, power outage under PIDS due to forced shutdown has been reduced from 16% to 0.56%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: With the effective treatments of novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), thousands of patients have recovered from COVID-19 globally. The public perceptions and views are vital to facilitate recovered COVID-19 patients reintegrate into society. In China, the rural population accounts for nearly 70% of the total population. Therefore, we chose to evaluate perceptions and views of rural residents towards COVID-19 recovered patients in China. Methods: Fifteen participants were sampled from a village with the severe COVID-19 epidemic in Zibo city, Shandong Province. The fifteen participants who lived in the village with COVID-19 recovered patients were included. They were over 18 years of age and were voluntary to participant in the study. A descriptive qualitative design using semi-structured telephone interviews was undertaken. Thematic analysis was undertaken. Results: Five main themes emerged from the data: (1) Perceived personal characteristics of COVID-19 recovered patients; (2) Perceived difficulties faced by COVID-19 recovered patients; (3) Perceptions on the social relationship with COVID-19 recovered patients; (4) Views on COVID-19 recovered patients going to public venues; (5) Views on helping COVID-19 recovered patients. Each theme was supported by several subthemes. Conclusion: Our study showed that discrimination and reduced social intimacy exist among rural residents. To improve their views or the situation, relevant departments could lead health educational programs and encourage supportive social connections. Through these strategic messaging, rural residents are expected to recognize that COVID-19 recovered patients need more social support, rather than discrimination and resistance, which helps recovered patients better return to society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]