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Urbanization is threatening terrestrial biodiversity and ecosystem functions. Nematodes, as one of the most abundant animals on Earth, play diverse roles within soil food webs and contribute to vital ecosystem services. However, the effects of urbanization on soil nematode functional groups, and the ecological functions and services they provide remain poorly understood. Here, we investigated functional groups of soil nematodes across 12 cities in China and validated the results by using a global nematode dataset. Specifically, we found the proportions of omnivores (by 45∼60%) and predators (by 40∼50%) as well as temporal ecosystem stability (by 10∼20%), as indicated by the normalized difference vegetation index, were reduced in urban ecosystems, while the proportions of fungivores and bacterivores increased (30–60% and 10–20%, respectively). We identified total soil phosphorus and nitrogen as the main drivers influencing soil nematode feeding groups in urban ecosystems. Soil pH, mean annual precipitation, and mean annual temperature were predominant factors in non-urban ecosystems. We further demonstrated that nematode functional guilds contributed to ecosystem stability in urban ecosystems, but this was not true in non-urban ecosystems. Our findings evidence the homogenization effects of urbanization on key functional guilds of soil nematodes and their roles in maintaining ecosystem stability. The fact that ecosystem stability and the abundance of nematode functional guilds are closely related and driven by climatic, edaphic, and anthropogenic factors may help in setting priorities for urban soil management. • Temporal stability was reduced in urban soils. • Omnivores and predators were decreased in urban soils. • Total soil phosphorus and nitrogen were the main drivers of urban nematodes. • Soil nematodes contributed to ecosystem stability in urban ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Community and functional traits of Collembola in suburban and urban greenspaces. • An increase in soil pH and phosphorus caused by urbanization favored soil microbial communities. • Bacteria and fungi correlated with the taxonomical and functional structure of Collembola, respectively. • Collembola communities and functional traits were homogenized in urban greenspaces. • Collembola richness was (in-)directly inhibited by urbanization and greenspace type. Urban regions are rapidly expanding worldwide resulting in biotic homogenization and loss of ecological functions in urban ecosystems due to management practices targeting at satisfying aesthetic and health demands of urban residents. These practices also modify living conditions and food recourses of soil invertebrates thereby affecting the structure and functional diversity of soil animal communities including collembolans. Here, we assessed the response of the community composition and functional diversity of collembolans as a major component of soil food webs to urbanization (suburban vs urban region) and greenspace types (including forest and four park-associated greenspaces: lawn, lawn with shrubs, lawn with trees, and lawn with shrubs and trees). Our results highlight that both urbanization and greenspace type significantly affect soil properties and community structure of collembolans. The negative effect of urbanization and park-associated greenspaces on species and functional composition of collembolan communities were likely due to both changes in soil abiotic conditions and bacterial community composition, whereas the reduction of collembolan functional traits likely resulted from changes in soil abiotic conditions and fungal community composition. In park-associated greenspaces richness and diversity of bacterial communities were highest in lawns with trees and lowest in forests. By contrast, species richness and diversity of fungal communities were highest in lawns with shrubs, but, similar to bacteria, lowest in forests. Community composition and functional traits of collembolans were more homogeneous in urban than suburban greenspaces pointing to reduced functioning of collembolan assemblages in urban areas. Overall, our results suggest that changes in soil properties and bacterial communities caused by urbanization and greenspace type are important factors contributing to taxonomic homogenization of collembolan communities, while the loss of functional traits of collembolan communities in urban greenspaces is likely caused by changes in soil properties and fungal community composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To improve the quality and yield of traditional firm tofu prepared with bittern as coagulant, water-in-oil (W/O) emulsions with bittern solution as the aqueous phase, where the ratio of the bittern solution to the oil phase was 1:1.5 or 1:1 ( w/ w), and an emulsifier at a concentration of 0.8 or 1.0 wt.% were prepared. The parameters water content, water-holding capacity, yield, texture, and microstructure of the tofu were tested. The results indicated that the bittern W/O emulsions provided satisfactory controlled-release application potential. The use of the W/O emulsions significantly improved tofu's water content, and the product remained moist for at least 24 h. Moreover, emulsified bittern increased the yield and made the gel network more homogenous and compact compared with the control. As expected, emulsions with an emulsifier concentration of 1.0 wt.% showed slightly better controlled-release capacity than those with 0.8 wt.%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the controlled-release capacity and potential application of water in oil (W/O) emulsions, W/O emulsions with bittern solution as the aqueous phase were prepared with polyglycerol polyricinoleate (PGPR) as the emulsifier. Several factors that influenced the preparation of W/O bittern coagulants were investigated. Optimized conditions were applied as follows: bittern solution/oil phase at 4:6 or 5:5 ( w/ w), processing temperature at 65 °C, emulsifier concentration higher than 0.6 wt% and high-pressure homogenization at 60 MPa; W/O emulsions that had a good particle size distribution, good rheological properties, good embedding ratio and high stability were prepared. The optimized W/O emulsions also exhibited the expected controlled-release ability, affected by the bath temperature, shear speed and emulsion characteristics. The preliminary results also showed that the application of W/O emulsions has the potential to improve tofu quality by delaying the solidification of soybean protein and creating a much smoother and finer gel structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, acidic whey (AW), a natural tofu-coagulant in China, was investigated for the micro flora and chemical changes of AW during tofu whey natural fermentation. The gel properties of AW tofu coagulated with AW were also studied. Throughout the fermentation stages, the change of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) was found to be similar to that of total mesophilic aerobic bacteria (TMAB), implying that LAB is the most important role that works on AW fermentation. The numbers of enterobacteriaceae, yeast and mould (fungi) were too low to detect. Bacterial spores (spores) and acetibacteria was found to increase slowly with fermentation time. The pH value, protein, carbohydrate, organic acid changes during the production of acidic whey were studied. It was found that the pH value of acidic whey had a significant effect on the gel properties of AW tofu. The microbiological findings in this study have clearly demonstrated the presence of the high counts of LAB investigated and a large amount L-lactic acid produced by LAB must have act as the main tofu coagulant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The absence of heterozygosity (AOH) is a kind of genomic change characterized by a long contiguous region of homozygous alleles in a chromosome, which may cause human genetic disorders. However, no method of low-pass whole genome sequencing (LP-WGS) has been reported for the detection of AOH in a low-pass setting of less than onefold. We developed a method, termed CNVseq-AOH, for predicting the absence of heterozygosity using LP-WGS with ultra-low sequencing data, which overcomes the sparse nature of typical LP-WGS data by combing population-based haplotype information, adjustable sliding windows, and recurrent neural network (RNN). We tested the feasibility of CNVseq-AOH for the detection of AOH in 409 cases (11 AOH regions for model training and 863 AOH regions for validation) from the 1000 Genomes Project (1KGP). AOH detection using CNVseq-AOH was also performed on 6 clinical cases with previously ascertained AOHs by whole exome sequencing (WES). Results: Using SNP-based microarray results as reference (AOHs detected by CNVseq-AOH with at least a 50% overlap with the AOHs detected by chromosomal microarray analysis), 409 samples (863 AOH regions) in the 1KGP were used for concordant analysis. For 784 AOHs on autosomes and 79 AOHs on the X chromosome, CNVseq-AOH can predict AOHs with a concordant rate of 96.23% and 59.49% respectively based on the analysis of 0.1-fold LP-WGS data, which is far lower than the current standard in the field. Using 0.1-fold LP-WGS data, CNVseq-AOH revealed 5 additional AOHs (larger than 10 Mb in size) in the 409 samples. We further analyzed AOHs larger than 10 Mb, which is recommended for reporting the possibility of UPD. For the 291 AOH regions larger than 10 Mb, CNVseq-AOH can predict AOHs with a concordant rate of 99.66% with only 0.1-fold LP-WGS data. In the 6 clinical cases, CNVseq-AOH revealed all 15 known AOH regions. Conclusions: Here we reported a method for analyzing LP-WGS data to accurately identify regions of AOH, which possesses great potential to improve genetic testing of AOH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This document summarizes a study on prenatal screening for copy number variants (CNVs) in the Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) gene using non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) data. The study analyzed data from a large population of reproductive-age women in China and identified 33 different pathogenic/likely pathogenic maternal CNVs in the DMD gene. The study found that approximately 40% of offspring inherited true-positive maternal CNVs, and 1.63% of male offspring could potentially be prenatally diagnosed and managed using this method. The study provides important information for genetic counseling and DMD/BMD screening worldwide. [Extracted from the article]

Background: Need for closure (NFC) has been found to be implicated in different forms of psychopathology. The 15‐item Need for Closure Scale (NFCS) is an efficient and easy tool for assessing individuals' NFC in Western contexts. However, the psychometric properties of the 15‐item NFCS have not yet been validated in Chinese populations. Methods: Two different samples of university students from China were recruited in this study. The first sample (N = 5080, 49.9% females) was used to conduct exploratory factor analysis and reliability analysis. The second sample (N = 3968, 64.2% females) was used to perform confirmatory factor analysis, exploratory structural equation modeling (ESEM), and bifactor models, followed by tests of measurement invariance and criterion validity. Results: The full scale showed good internal consistency. The bifactor‐ESEM result with a general factor and four specific factors was chosen as our final model. Strong measurement invariance across sex and ethnicity groups was supported. Evidence was obtained for the criterion validity of NFCS scores with respect to depression, anxiety, and psychological distress. Conclusion: The Chinese NFCS appears to be a valid and reliable instrument for measuring the NFC, which could promote both the assessment and research of the NFC in Chinese populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epilepsy is a multi-etiological brain dysfunction syndrome. Hippocampal neuronal damage induced by seizures may be one of the causes leading to cognitive impairment, but the underlying mechanism remains to be further elucidated. The kainic acid (KA) model of temporal lobe epilepsy is widely used in understanding of the epileptogenesis. Fiber photometry is a signal detection technology suitable for recording calcium activity of neurons in the deep brain of freely moving animal. Here, we used the optical fiber-based method to monitor the real-time neuronal population activities of freely moving mice after subcutaneous injection of KA. We observed that KA administration led to one to three kinds of stereotypical patterns of epileptiform calcium activity in CA1, CA3, and dentate gyrus (DG) of the hippocampus, as well as the entorhinal cortex (EC). There were three kinds of waves in the hippocampal CA1, which we named wave 1, wave 2 and slow flash. Wave 1 and wave 2 appeared in both the CA3 and DG regions, but the EC only showed wave 1. In these epileptiform calcium signals, we observed a high amplitude and long duration calcium wave as a part of wave 2, which resembled cortical spreading depression (CSD) and always appeared at or after the end of seizure. Because the same characteristic of epileptiform calcium signal appeared in different brain regions, calcium signal may not exist with region specificity, but may exhibit a cell type specific manner. Thus, our work provides a support for the pathogenesis of epilepsy and epileptiform signal transmission research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The logistic supply for Space Station is very expensive and difficult compared with any other human natural exploration activities due to launch costs and challenges, and the logistic problems of establishing bases on the Moon and Mars in the future will be more prominent. Especially for emergencies, the losses caused by ground support delay will be immeasurable. Considering the successful maintenance of the Hubble Telescope and operations on the ISS, one of the most effective methods to solve the logistic supply problem is to enhance the capability of self-maintenance and support of the facilities. Through the participation of astronauts and a series of tools and technical support, the capability of self-maintenance and support of the facilities can be effectively improved. For this purpose, the on-orbit Maintenance and Manipulation Workbench (MMW) has been developed and installed on the Mengtian Lab Module (MLM) of the Chinese Space Station (CSS) to provide an enclosed working area for on-orbit fault diagnosis, maintenance, and manual or mechanical operations for the payload. This paper introduces the development and functions of the MMW on the MLM. In the limited rack space and limited resources, the MMW provides a 380-L work volume, 1000-W DC power with a versatile supply interface (100, 28, and 12 Vdc), 800-W cooling capability, video and data recording and real-time downlink capabilities, ground commanding capability, wastes (waste gases and waste particles) treatment capabilities. With these capabilities, the MMW is an ideal platform to support the operation and test verification of fine mechanical operations, structural and electronic assembly of scientific experiments and technical experiments in the cabin, and to support the development of space robots and telescience technology experiments. Areas of research that will benefit from investigations in the MMW include fluid physics, materials science, combustion science, on-orbit maintenance and manipulation, and advanced life support technologies. The mechanical, electrical and thermal control subsystems are discussed separately. Special tests for the treatment of wastes have been carried out to verify the capabilities. The development of the MMW will surely enhance the space research in the forthcoming long-term activities of CSS. • The MMW has been successfully installed on the CSS. • A "space maintenance factory", an "assembly workshop", or a laboratory. • Astronauts can complete complex operational tasks more easily and intuitively. • Explore more orbital experiments and applied research technologies. • Support for the forthcoming long-term activities of CSS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Being discriminated against is a potential interpersonal factor leading to suicidal ideation. Compared to nonimpoverished students, impoverished students have disadvantages in different aspects, leading to high risks of negative psychological states. However, few studies have contrasted the mechanism of discrimination in suicidal ideation between impoverished and nonimpoverished college students. The present study aimed to contrast the mediating effects of social support, depressive symptoms, and nonsuicidal self‐injury (NSSI) between perceived discrimination and suicidal ideation among impoverished and nonimpoverished college students. Method: The convenience cluster sampling method was used. A total of 1897 Chinese college students (1084 female; Mage = 19.93, SD = 1.44) participated in the two‐wave survey with a six‐month interval. Results: Perceived discrimination significantly predicted suicidal ideation. Social support, depressive symptoms, and NSSI acted as mediators. However, the structural weights were significantly different between impoverished and nonimpoverished students. Specifically, the role of social support was more significant among impoverished students, while the role of depressive symptoms was more significant among nonimpoverished students. Conclusions: Discrimination is a risk factor leading to suicidal ideation for college students. To intervene in suicidal ideation caused by discrimination, school and social workers should pay extra attention to reduce stress and increase social support for impoverished students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urbanization-induced environmental changes such as habitat fragmentation impact arthropod assemblages and food web-related ecosystem functions, such as nutrient cycling and energy fluxes. Yet, we lack insight into how arthropod food webs are structured along urban fragmentation gradients. Here, we investigated the community composition and food web structure of litter-dwelling arthropods along fragmentation gradients (green median strip, i.e. green fragments in the middle of roads, urban park, urban forest and natural forest) in Xiamen City, southeast China. We found the density of litter-dwelling arthropods in median strips and urban parks to be two to four times higher than in urban and natural forests, with, as indicated by literature-based stable isotope values, 67%–68% of the individuals comprising primary consumers (trophic level I). Consequently, more complex food webs were found in small urban fragments (i.e., green median strip and urban park) than in the other fragments studied, including higher linkage density and higher energy flux. The biomass of litter on the floor was significantly correlated with the density of arthropods of trophic levels I, III and IV, and each trophic guild positively correlated with each other pointing to the dominance of bottom-up forces. Overall, our results suggest that small urban fragments maintain a high density of arthropods forming complex food webs and thereby may contribute to maintaining high energy fluxes and providing important ecosystem functions in urban areas. [Display omitted] • Structural changes in arthropodan food web along urban fragment size, using fluxweb package. • Food webs of litter-dwelling arthropods in urban fragments were complex and structured. • Small fragments had more complex food web structures than natural forest. • Urban forest had the simplest food web structure, but presented as urban biodiversity hotspot. • The density of adjacent trophic levels correlated positively indicating bottom-up control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Objective Method Results Conclusion \nHighlights Suicide has become a nonnegligible cause of death among emerging adults, and academic performance is one of the most significant factors in Chinese college students’ suicidal ideation. Based on this, we examined the risk and protective sides of perfectionism on suicidal ideation among college students with perceived academic failure experiences.In the current study, a total of 674 Chinese college students (63.6% females, M age = 19.96, SD = 1.31) with perceived academic failure in the past six months participated in a survey and completed self-report measures assessing perfectionism, rumination, depression, and suicidal ideation twice with a six-month interval.Negative perfectionism was a risk factor for suicidal ideation, while positive perfectionism had an opposite effect. In addition, intrusive rumination, deliberate rumination, and depression serially mediated the association between positive/negative perfectionism and suicidal ideation.The results indicated perfectionism has both positive and negative sides to suicidal ideation. Clinicians might be aware of the risk and protective components of perfectionism when intervening with suicidal ideation among college students with perceived academic failure experiences. The current study examined the longitudinal association between negative/positive perfectionism and suicidal ideation among college students with perceived academic failure. Negative perfectionism generally acted as a risk factor for suicidal ideation, while positive perfectionism showed the opposite effects. he serial mediation among perfectionism, rumination, depression, and suicidal ideation was formed. The current study examined the longitudinal association between negative/positive perfectionism and suicidal ideation among college students with perceived academic failure.Negative perfectionism generally acted as a risk factor for suicidal ideation, while positive perfectionism showed the opposite effects.he serial mediation among perfectionism, rumination, depression, and suicidal ideation was formed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Depiction of the patterns and underlying processes within communities is a key topic in community ecology. However, we still know relatively little about these patterns and processes for the dominant arthropod communities living in above-ground (AG) and below-ground (BG) ecosystems. To test whether the community patterns for AG communities are consistent with those of BG communities and to inform whether the underlying processes are congruous, samples of ground carabid and soil collembolan communities were collected from a primary mixed forest in Northeastern China. Within a 9-ha permanent forest plot, 225 carabid samples were captured using pitfall traps in August 2015, and 768 collembolan samples were collected using soil augers in September 2014. Vegetative, topographic, soil and spatial variables were also measured. Geostatistics, null models and variation partitioning were used to evaluate the spatial distributions, co-occurrence patterns and contributions of environmental and spatial factors, respectively. The carabid community did not show obvious spatial autocorrelation, while the collembolan community showed significant spatial autocorrelation and aggregation on multiple spatial scales. Both communities showed non-random co-occurrence patterns, but of different types. The carabid community was driven by weak and insignificant topographic filtering, while the collembolan community was driven by strong and significant topographic filtering. The two communities were each shaped by spatial factors, but the carabid community’s spatial distribution may be regulated by their high dispersal ability, which allowed the beetles to overcome topographic constraints. On the other hand, the collembolan community’s spatial distribution may be regulated by their dispersal limitations, which combine with topographic constraints to create an aggregation pattern. Finally, we conclude that the dominant AG and BG arthropod communities exhibit different community structure patterns controlled different spatial processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: With advances in massive parallel sequencing (MPS) technology, whole-genome sequencing (WGS) has gradually evolved into the first-tier diagnostic test for genetic disorders. However, deployment practice and pipeline testing for clinical WGS are lacking. Methods: In this study, we introduced a whole WGS pipeline for genetic disorders, which included the entire process from obtaining a sample to clinical reporting. All samples that underwent WGS were constructed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-free library preparation protocols and sequenced on the MGISEQ-2000 platform. Bioinformatics pipelines were developed for the simultaneous detection of various types of variants, including single nucleotide variants (SNVs), insertions and deletions (indels), copy number variants (CNVs) and balanced rearrangements, mitochondrial (MT) variants, and other complex variants such as repeat expansion, pseudogenes and absence of heterozygosity (AOH). A semiautomatic pipeline was developed for the interpretation of potential SNVs and CNVs. Forty-five samples (including 14 positive commercially available samples, 23 laboratory-held positive cell lines and 8 clinical cases) with known variants were used to validate the whole pipeline. Results: In this study, a whole WGS pipeline for genetic disorders was developed and optimized. Forty-five samples with known variants (6 with SNVs and Indels, 3 with MT variants, 5 with aneuploidies, 1 with triploidy, 23 with CNVs, 5 with balanced rearrangements, 2 with repeat expansions, 1 with AOHs, and 1 with exon 7–8 deletion of SMN1 gene) validated the effectiveness of our pipeline. Conclusions: This study has been piloted in test development, optimization, and validation of the WGS pipeline for genetic disorders. A set of best practices were recommended using our pipeline, along with a dataset of positive samples for benchmarking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays SnO 2 is widely used in manufacturing gas sensors for the detection of toxic and harmful gases such as SO 2. However, SnO 2 sensor still has the drawbacks of long recovery/response time and low response value. In this experiment, layer-tunable synthesis of tetragonal Pr-doped SnO 2 nanoplates are prepared by a feasible hydrothermal method. Observation at SEM reveals that the layer number increases and the interlayer spacing reduces with the increase of doping ratio of Pr (1, 3, 5 mol%). The gas sensing performance show that the three layer tetragonal structure of 1 mol% Pr-doped SnO 2 sample with the extended interlayer spacing exhibits outstanding gas sensing performance to 5 ppm SO 2 gas at 300℃, including excellent gas response (R a /R g = 2.4), fast gas adsorption and desorption equilibrium (15 s/16 s). This work reveals the significance of the layer number and interlayer spacing on the gas sensing characteristics, and the strategy of Pr dopant will promote the widespread application of SnO 2 nanomaterials in SO 2 gas sensors to figure out severe environmental problems. • Pr-SnO 2 nanoplates composites were successfully prepared by a feasible water bath method. • A remarkably enhanced gas response to SO 2 at 1–20 ppm was obtained compared with the pristine SnO 2. • The gas sensing mechanism is discussed from the perspective of surface reaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The proteome responses to heat stress have not been well understood. In this study, alfalfa (Medicago sativa L. cv. Huaiyin) seedlings were exposed to 25°C (control) and 40°C (heat stress) in growth chambers, and leaves were collected at 24, 48 and 72 h after treatment, respectively. The morphological, physiological and proteomic processes were negatively affected under heat stress. Proteins were extracted and separated by two-dimensional polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2-DE), and differentially expressed protein spots were identified by mass spectrometry (MS). Totally, 81 differentially expressed proteins were identified successfully by MALDI-TOF/TOF. These proteins were categorized into nine classes: including metabolism, energy, protein synthesis, protein destination/storage, transporters, intracellular traffic, cell structure, signal transduction and disease/defence. Five proteins were further analyzed for mRNA levels. The results of the proteomics analyses provide a better understanding of the molecular basis of heat-stress responses in alfalfa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The only previous studies that formulated a theoretical model of epidemics for psychological response relative to cultural perspectives have focused on the role of individualism-collectivism and have omitted analysis of tightness-looseness. This study explored the role of cultural tightness in relation to psychological disorders during the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic.Methods: We recruited 1827 Chinese adolescents (Mage = 18.16 ± 2.23 years, 53.3% female) to participate a cross-sectional survey. Participants completed a series of questionnaires, including the scales of cultural tightness, risk perception of COVID-19 pandemic, perceived protection efficacy, anxiety and depression. A latent moderated structural equations model was used to analyse the mediating and moderating effects of risk perception regarding COVID-19, cultural tightness and perceived protection efficacy on psychological disorders.Results: The results showed that greater risk perception of COVID-19 predicted greater psychological disorders, however cultural tightness moderated this positive relationship. The increase in psychological disorders with risk perception regarding COVID-19 was less pronounced among people who lived in tighter cultural areas. In addition, this moderating effect of cultural tightness was further mediated by perceived protection efficacy; that is, tight culture protects against psychological disorders by enhancing perceived protection efficacy.Conclusion: This study enriched the theoretical framework of cultural tightness and indicated its importance in the field of mental health and health policies. It also emphasized the importance of tight culture as a protective factor against psychological disorders in case of COVID-19 outbreaks, providing valuable practical insight into psychological prevention for COVID-19 outbreaks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The positive predictive effect of altruism on physical and psychological well-being has been extensively demonstrated in previous studies, but few studies have examined the effect of altruism on negative mental health outcomes when altruists cannot perform altruistic behaviours. This study explored the influence of altruism on negative affect and mental health (anxiety and depressive symptoms) during the COVID-19 pandemic while people self-isolated at home in China.Method: University students were recruited to participate in a cross-sectional online survey during the outbreak of COVID-19 in China. Self-reported perceived risk, altruism, negative affect, anxiety and depressive symptoms were measured using the Self-Report Altruism Scale (SRA scale), the Positive and Negative Affect Schedule (PANAS), the 7-item Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7) and the 9-item Patient Health Questionnaire depression scale (PHQ-9). A structural equation model was used to analyse the mediating and moderating effects on mental health.Results: The final sample comprised 1346 Chinese participants (Mage = 19.76 ± 2.23 years, 73% female). Overall, the higher the risk the participants perceived, the more negative affect they exhibited (β = 0.16, p < .001), and thus, the more anxious and depressed they felt (β = 0.134, p < .001); however, this relationship between risk perception and negative affect was moderated by altruism. In contrast to previous studies, the increase in negative affect associated with the increased perceived risk was pronounced among individuals with high altruism (t = 7.68, p < .001).Conclusions: Individuals with high altruism exhibited more negative affect than those with low altruism, which indirectly increased their anxiety and depressive symptoms. These findings enrich theories of altruism and provide valuable insight into the influence of altruism on mental health during the COVID-19 outbreak. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coronavirus Disease is impacting the entire world. As the first country that has needed to confront this disease, China has responded with unprecedented and hugely successful public health initiatives. Almost simultaneous with the awareness of the potential for widespread loss of life, the first Chinese university recognizing the likely psychological impacts of COVID-19, assembled the first university-based professional team to offer pandemic-related mental health services to the Chinese public. This paper describes the work that we provided and the challenges encountered. The challenges are described in four contexts: the organizational/systemic level, the technical perspective, the therapeutic process, and the ethical aspects. We also provide recommendations on what we can do in the short term, and future improvements that can be made. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid urbanization profoundly affects global biodiversity. How urbanization modifies soil biodiversity and perturbs nematodes remains limited. Here, we investigated soil nematodes in four land-use types: Parks, residential areas, natural forests, and maize fields across 12 cities in China. Urban parks and surrounding forests had similar nematode richness exceeding that in urban residential areas and surrounding farmlands. Nematode communities in parks and residential areas were, however, more homogenous than in forests and farmlands. Variations in nematode assemblages in both core urban and urban surroundings were mainly due to taxa replacement, indicating that nematodes were spatially isolated in cities. Urban residential areas were colonized by the lowest number of specialists (i.e., with narrow niche width) and smaller body sizes. Urban parks, conversely, served as hotspots for soil nematodes in cities. Together, our results indicate that urbanization processes reduce nematode diversity, with e.g., 30% loss in residential areas compared to forests, and homogenize soil nematode communities. • Precipitation and temperature determined soil nematode diversity. • Urban soils have low diversity of soil nematodes. • Urbanization homogenized soil nematode community. • Urban parks are hotspots for soil nematodes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this work, platinum-loaded In 2 O 3 (Pt/In 2 O 3) nanosheets were synthesized and their triethylamine (TEA) sensing performance was improved by hydrogen treatment. The response of 0.25 Pt/In 2 O 3 (H 2) to 100 ppm TEA was as high as 4792, which was 12 times the untreated one. The detection limit of 0.25 Pt/In 2 O 3 (H 2) was 50 ppt. The samples before and after hydrogen treatment were analyzed by various techniques. It was found that the supported Pt had a high degree of dispersion. Even after hydrogen treatment, most Pt in the 0.25 Pt/In 2 O 3 (H 2) existed in the form of single atoms. Pt loading and hydrogen treatment can improve the electron mobility of In 2 O 3. Besides, after hydrogen treatment, the number of low-valence Pt increased, which promoted the generation of adsorbed oxygen and reduced the TEA response energy barrier, thereby enhancing the sensitivity to TEA. These findings are significant for the design of supported metal sensing materials and show the importance of hydrogen treatment in improving the response of Pt-loaded sensing materials and the crucial role of low-valence Pt in TEA sensing performance. [Display omitted] • High-dispersed platinum loaded In 2 O 3 (Pt/In 2 O 3) nanosheets were synthesized. • The sensing performance of Pt/In 2 O 3 was improved by hydrogen treatment. • The detection limit of Pt/In 2 O 3 (H 2) to triethylamine reached 50 ppt. • Hydrogen treatment improved the electron mobility of Pt/In 2 O 3. • Hydrogen treatment reduced the triethylamine response energy barrier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]