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Governance and regulation of the use of live animals in research and teaching is examined in Australia, Malaysia, Indonesia, the Philippines, Singapore, Thailand, China, Japan and India. A comparison of the systems in different countries will enable the determination of best practice and fit-forpurpose regulation. The most comprehensive government regulation of animal welfare in institutions covers a broad range of animals and institutions are required to have an Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, whose membership is specified in guidelines or regulations. The work of the Committees is rigorously overseen by government and facilities that use live animals are audited externally. All countries examined have legislation governing the use of live animals in research, although only Australia and Malaysia have a fully equivalent mandated oversight of teaching. Teaching that uses live animals is partly covered in the Philippines, Japan, Singapore and Thailand This paper thus aims to review the regulation of animal use in different Asian jurisdictions in order to determine best practices that are appropriate to those settings. The most comprehensive oversight is provided in Australia and Malaysia that essentially use the same regulatory framework.

It has always been one of the hot spots of the whole society to improve teachers' quality and ability. With the progress of the era and the rapid development of biology, it puts forward higher requirements for the cultivation of biology teachers of middle school. How to cultivate a large number of high-quality biology teachers of middle school with good ethics and outstanding abilities is a focus problem worth exploring. There are some problems in the traditional training mode of biology normal students, such as backward teaching idea, unreasonable teaching arrangement and uneven teaching level. In view of these problems, normal universities should take a series of reform measures to promote the professional development of middle school biology teachers. Therefore, this paper summarizes the reform necessity, current situation and existing problems of the talent training mode. It also puts forward a series of reform measures on the talent training mode in the aspects of learning, innovation and reflection. Thus, this paper will provide important reference for the reform of talent training mode of middle school biology teachers in the future.

In the document "Curriculum Standard of General Senior High School Curriculum and Biology (2017 ed.)" published in 2018, developing students' core literacy as the fundamental task and value pursuit of current educational and teaching curriculum reform in China. Life concept is the key element of the core literacy of biology in senior high school. This paper expounds the position and value of life concept in the biology curriculum of senior high school, and analyses the connotation of life concept, which will provide an important reference for the effective cultivation of the life concept of senior high school students in the future.

In order to effectively investigate the current situation of biology teachers in Southern Henan, this study used the method of interviews and questionnaires to investigate and analyze the current situation of biology teachers in Southern Henan from their living status and professional development. The survey results show that: (1) The overall satisfaction of biology special post teachers in southern Henan is general, the office conditions can meet the teaching needs, the salary and housing conditions need to be improved, and the spare-time and family life needs of biology special post teachers attract attention; (2) Professional development is generally satisfactory. Specialized biology teachers in Southern Henan are willing to participate in educational and teaching reform, but their participation in teaching and research activities needs to be further strengthened. Specialized biology teachers have a large workload and high labor intensity. In view of the above findings, this paper puts forward some countermeasures for the development of biology special post teachers in Southern Henan, with a view to providing theoretical reference for the follow-up research on biology special post teachers, as well as providing important information for improving the living status of specialty post teachers, promoting professional development and improving the quality of education and teaching.

This paper introduces the importance of middle school students' interests in learning biology. Considering the psychological characteristics of middle school students, this paper suggests several practical ways for inspiring students' interests in learning biology.

This paper describes the development of BOLE, a MATLAB-based interactive learning environment, that facilitates the process of learning bio-inspired optimization algorithms, and that is dedicated exclusively to unmanned aerial vehicle path planning. As a complement to conventional teaching methods, BOLE is designed to help students consolidate the concepts taught in the course and motivate them to explore relevant issues of bio-inspired optimization algorithms through interactive and collaborative learning processes. BOLE differs from other similar tools in that it places greater emphasis on fundamental concepts than on complex mathematical equations. The learning tasks using BOLE can be classified into four steps: introduction, recognition, practice, and collaboration, according to task complexity. It complements traditional classroom teaching, enhancing learning efficiency and facilitating the assessment of student achievement, as verified by its practical application in an undergraduate course "Bio-Inspired Computing." Both objective and subjective measures were evaluated to assess the learning effectiveness.

Simple Summary: Adults of stoneflies have diverse mating behaviors and complex signals for communication, but they are not always able to correctly recognize their mates. With the observations from several provinces of China, we provide the first study on the erroneous mating behaviors of stoneflies from this country. Three different categories of erroneous mating attempts involving 13 species belonging to three stonefly families are reported, and information on their physical competition, the sensorial mechanisms triggering the mating, the conditions favoring the mating mistakes, and the possible consequences of interspecific mating are discussed. Hitting and pushing with the head and abdomen could be the unique method employed in the male–male physical competition. Vibrational signals are considered not a prerequisite for triggering a mating behavior, while vision and/or touch could be a sufficient condition for triggering it, but they are not always efficient for species-specific recognition. Currently, information on the biology of Plecoptera from China is scarce, particularly on mating behavior. In this paper, the existence of mating mistakes (erroneous mating attempts) involving 13 Chinese stonefly species (belonging to nine genera and three families) is reported. These erroneous mating behaviors can be included into three different categories: mating attempts between conspecific males (including the formation of erroneous mating balls), mating attempts between different taxa (including displacement attempts during copulation), and mating-related behaviors with non-living objects. From these behaviors, some aspects of stoneflies during mating, such as the physical competition between males, the sensorial mechanisms implied in triggering a mating behavior, the conditions favoring the mating mistakes, and the possible consequences of interspecific mating in the hybrid production, are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The reduviid genus Sycanus Amyot & Serville, 1843, possesses higher aesthetic value and plays a crucial role as a natural enemy in the control of agricultural and forestry pests. However, Sycanus from China has not undergone a comprehensive review for over four decades. Based on both molecular data and morphological evidence, we conducted a systematic review of the 14 Chinese Sycanus species, including a description of three new species. Due to the variability of body coloration and morphological similarity among closely related species, unresolved issues and debates still persist in the taxonomic study of the genus Sycanus from China. In this study, we conducted phylogenetic analyses and species delimitation for Sycanus in China based on a COI DNA barcoding dataset comprising 81 samples. The results revealed that all the samples could be classified into 12 species by integrating molecular analyses with morphological comparison. This paper provides a comprehensive systematic review of the Sycanus species found in China, including descriptions of three new species: S. taiwanensis Zhao & Cai sp. nov., S. flavicorius Li & Cai sp. nov., and S. hainanensis Wang & Cai sp. nov. Furthermore, it is proposed that S. croceovittatus Dohrn, 1859, S. leucomesus Walker, 1873, and S. villicus Stål, 1863, are three synonyms of S. bifidus (Fabricius, 1787); S. bicolor Hsiao, 1979, is a synonym of S. versicolor Dohrn, 1859; and S. hsiaoi Maldonado-Capriles, 1990, is a synonym of S. marginellus Putshkov, 1987. Additionally, brief biological information is provided for two species, S. falleni Stål, 1863, and S. croceus Hsiao, 1979. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The genus Cantonius Théry, 1929 is a small group with two subgenera and 12 species. However, the biology of this genus is still unknown. New information: In this paper, three species of the genus Cantonius Théry, 1929 were found on bamboo leaves, revealing for the first time that Cantonius species are also leaf-miners. Two new species were recorded from Jiangxi Province and are described here: Cantonius (Cantonius) anjiensis sp. n. (host plant: Pleioblastus amarus) and Cantonius (Procantonius) qiyunensis sp. n. (host plant: Bambusa blumeana) followed by C. (P.) austrisinicus Kalashian, 2021 (host plant: Oligostachyum paniculatum) recorded from Guangxi Province. Including habitats, photos of three species together with C. (P.) qiyunensis sp. n. pupa, host plants, and leaf mines of the three species are presented. Moreover, the bionomics and habits of the genus are discussed for the first time, and a hypothesis for the distribution of Cantonius is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a review of the genus Brachytrycherus Arrow from mainland China. Three new species are described and illustrated: B. bipunctatus Chang & Bi, sp. nov., B. denticulatus Chang & Bi, sp. nov., and B. humeralis Chang & Bi, sp. nov. The diagnosis, distribution, type locality, biology, and ecology are provided for each species. A key to the species of Brachytrycherus known in China is updated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shrubs and subshrubs can tolerate wider ranges of moisture stresses in both soil and air than other plant life forms, and thus represent greater nonlinearity and uncertainty in ecosystem physiology. The objectives of this paper are to model shrub/subshrub stomatal conductance by synthesizing the field leaf gas exchanges data of 24 species in China, in order to detect the differences between deciduous shrubs and Artemisia subshrubs in their responses of stomatal conductance to changes in the moisture stresses. We revised a model of stomatal conductance by incorporating the tradeoff between xylem hydraulic efficiency and cavitation loss risk. We then fit the model at the three hierarchical levels: global (pooling all data as a single group), three functional groups (deciduous non-legume shrubs, deciduous legume shrubs, and subshrubs in Artemisia genus), and individual observations (species × sites). Bayesian inference with Markov Chain Monte Carlo method was applied to obtain the model parameters at the three levels. We found that the model at the level of functional groups is a significant improvement over that at the global level, indicating the significant differences in the stomatal behavior among the three functional groups. The differences in tolerance and sensitivities to changes in moisture stresses are the most evident between the shrubs and the subshrubs: The two shrub groups can tolerate much higher soil water stress than the subshrubs. The analysis at the observation level is also a significant improvement over that at the functional group level, indicating great variations within each group. Our analysis offered a clue for the equivocal issue of shrub encroachment into grasslands: While the invasion by the shrubs may be irreversible, the dominance of subshrubs, due to their lower resistance and tolerance to moisture stresses, may be put down by appropriate grassland management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In modern logistics operations, large-scale logistics companies, besides active participation in profit-seeking commercial business, also play an essential role during an emergency relief process by dispatching urgently-required materials to disaster-affected areas. Therefore, an issue has been widely addressed by logistics practitioners and caught researchers' more attention as to how the logistics companies achieve maximum commercial profit on condition that emergency tasks are effectively and performed satisfactorily. In this paper, two vehicle scheduling models are proposed to solve the problem. One is a prediction-related scheme, which predicts the amounts of disaster-relief materials and commercial business and then accepts the business that will generate maximum profits; the other is a priority-directed scheme, which, firstly groups commercial and emergency business according to priority grades and then schedules both types of business jointly and simultaneously by arriving at the maximum priority in total. Moreover, computer-based simulations are carried out to evaluate the performance of these two models by comparing them with two traditional disaster-relief tactics in China. The results testify the feasibility and effectiveness of the proposed models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate incidence forecasting of infectious disease is critical for early prevention and for better government strategic planning. In this paper, we present a comprehensive study of different forecasting methods based on the monthly incidence of typhoid fever. The seasonal autoregressive integrated moving average (SARIMA) model and three different models inspired by neural networks, namely, back propagation neural networks (BPNN), radial basis function neural networks (RBFNN), and Elman recurrent neural networks (ERNN) were compared. The differences as well as the advantages and disadvantages, among the SARIMA model and the neural networks were summarized and discussed. The data obtained for 2005 to 2009 and for 2010 from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention were used as modeling and forecasting samples, respectively. The performances were evaluated based on three metrics: mean absolute error (MAE), mean absolute percentage error (MAPE), and mean square error (MSE). The results showed that RBFNN obtained the smallest MAE, MAPE and MSE in both the modeling and forecasting processes. The performances of the four models ranked in descending order were: RBFNN, ERNN, BPNN and the SARIMA model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: syndromic surveillance system has great advantages in promoting the early detection of epidemics and reducing the necessities of disease confirmation, and it is especially effective for surveillance in resource poor settings. However, most current syndromic surveillance systems are established in developed countries, and there are very few reports on the development of an electronic syndromic surveillance system in resource-constrained settings. Objective: this study describes the design and pilot implementation of an electronic surveillance system (ISS) for the early detection of infectious disease epidemics in rural China, complementing the conventional case report surveillance system. Methods: ISS was developed based on an existing platform ‘Crisis Information Sharing Platform’ (CRISP), combining with modern communication and GIS technology. ISS has four interconnected functions: 1) work group and communication group; 2) data source and collection; 3) data visualization; and 4) outbreak detection and alerting. Results: As of Jan. 31st 2012, ISS has been installed and pilot tested for six months in four counties in rural China. 95 health facilities, 14 pharmacies and 24 primary schools participated in the pilot study, entering respectively 74256, 79701, and 2330 daily records into the central database. More than 90% of surveillance units at the study sites are able to send daily information into the system. In the paper, we also presented the pilot data from health facilities in the two counties, which showed the ISS system had the potential to identify the change of disease patterns at the community level. Conclusions: The ISS platform may facilitate the early detection of infectious disease epidemic as it provides near real-time syndromic data collection, interactive visualization, and automated aberration detection. However, several constraints and challenges were encountered during the pilot implementation of ISS in rural China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explain how individuals’ self-perceived long-term mate value influences their mate preference and mate choice, two hypotheses have been presented, which are “potentials-attract” and “likes-attract”, respectively. The potentials-attract means that people choose mates matched with their sex-specific traits indicating reproductive potentials; and the likes-attract means that people choose mates matched with their own conditions. However, the debate about these two hypotheses still remains unsolved. In this paper, we tested these two hypotheses using a human’s actual mate choice data from a Chinese online dating system (called the Baihe website), where 27,183 users of Baihe website are included, in which there are 590 paired couples (1180 individuals) who met each other via the website. Our main results show that not only the relationship between individuals’ own attributes and their self-stated mate preference but also that between individuals’ own attributes and their actual mate choice are more consistent with the likes-attract hypothesis, i.e., people tend to choose mates who are similar to themselves in a variety of attributes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Despite the popularity of modern medicine, medicinal plants remain a cornerstone of treatment for numerous diseases, particularly among ethnic groups and tribal communities around the globe. Ethnomedicine offers advantages such as ease of use, convenience, and economic benefits. Medicinal plant knowledge within Bulang ethnic community of southwest China is a valuable complement to Chinese ethnomedicine systems. Accumulated medical knowledge is due to the extensive length of occupation by Bulang People, considered the earliest inhabitants of Xishuangbanna; this has resulted in the development of various traditional treatment methods with local characteristics and unique curative effects. Therefore, there is exceeding value in exploring the medical knowledge of Bulang. Methods: A total of 175 local informants participated in the interviews and distribution of questionnaires in 10 Bulang villages in Menghai County, Xishuangbanna Prefecture, Yunnan Province, China. We documented the community of Bulang's use of medicinal herbs, and we used both the informant consensus factor (ICF) and use value (UV) methodologies to analyze the data. Furthermore, we conducted a comparative study to explore the potential of Bulang traditional medicine by comparing it to traditional Dai medicine. Results: The study recorded 60 medicinal plant species belonging to 41 families and 59 genera, including 22 species of herb, 22 species of shrub, nine species of trees, and seven species of liana. Araceae, Compositae, Lamiaceae and Leguminosae were found to have the highest number of species. The affordability and cultural heritage of Bulang medicine make it advantageous, Investigated Informants report that increased usage of Western medicine (88%), less availability of herbal medicine (95.43%), and the reduction in medicinal plant resources (80.57%) pose significant threats to Bulang medicine. All Bulang medicinal plants are naturally grown, with only 22 per cent being cultivated. Camellia sinensis (0.94) and Zingiber officinale (0.89) showed the highest UV values, while the function of Phyllanthus emblica L. and Houttuynia cordata Thunb. were also noted. The ICF revealed digestive system related diseases were the most commonly treated, with conditions of the motor system using the highest number of plant species. Finally, a comparison with traditional Dai medicine determined that 22 plants (36.67%) of the 60 surveyed had higher medicinal value in Bulang medicine. Conclusion: Bulang communities primarily source medicinal plants from the wild. Should environmental damage lead to the extinction of these medicinal plants, it could result in a shift toward modern Western medicine as a preferred medical treatment. Bulang ethnomedicine is a vital supplement to China's traditional medicine, particularly aspects of ethnic medicine relevant to daily life. Future research should emphasize inter-ethnic medical studies to reveal the untapped potential of medicinal plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The size of chum salmon juveniles is crucial to their survival. In order to understand the population status and migration patterns of juvenile chum salmon in the waters of the Amur River in China, this study investigated the status of juvenile chum salmon resources and their basic biological characteristics in the Amur River and the Ussuri River in China. The results showed that the average catch per unit effort (CPUE) of chum salmon in river margins was 0.140 ind·10−3 m3 for the Amur River and 0.255 ind·10−3 m3 for the Ussuri River. Chum salmon migrate downstream, mainly in mid-May in the Amur River and in early May in the Ussuri River, and no fish was caught in the rivers after June. Most chum salmon migrated when the water was between 10 and 14 °C. The average FL (fork length) and BW (body weight) of the Amur River samples were 37.1 ± 2.9 mm and 0.42 ± 0.09 g, respectively, while the Ussuri River samples' FL and BW were 34.9 ± 3.7 mm and 0.36 ± 0.08 g, respectively. The empty stomach rate of the samples was zero, and the prey category of the samples was composed of fish, aquatic insects, copepods, and cladocerans, of which Ephemeroptera had the largest percentage index of relative importance (IRI%), with a value of 58.45%. The size of the downstream-migrating juvenile chum salmon in this study is similar to the size of those in some other rivers, and the CPUE varies depending on the river conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The biological characteristics of crop roots are closely related to the efficient utilization of nitrogen and have become a research hotspot in agricultural cultivation and breeding in recent years. The root system and root microbiota play a crucial role in both the basic and the plastic growth and development of plants in response to external environmental changes. Nitrogen is an indispensable nutrient element for crop growth, and the efficient utilization of nitrogen is the key to achieving the high yield and quality of crops and establishing environmentally friendly agricultural production. The nitrogen absorbed and utilized by rice mainly enters the aboveground part of the plant through the root system from within the soil. This process is explored from the perspective of root biology (root morphology, physiological and biochemical characteristics, root growth and development process and regulation, rhizosphere microorganisms, and their symbiotic systems), which is in line with the directions of "less investment, increased production, environmental protection, and sustainable development" in China. Based on the research status in this field at present, this article explored the interaction mechanism between crop root biology and nitrogen absorption and utilization, and looks forward to the future research directions for root biology. This study provides a theoretical basis for reducing nitrogen fertilizer application, optimizing nitrogen-efficient cultivation management techniques, and selecting nitrogen-efficient varieties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The assassin bugs (Heteroptera: Reduviidae) are one of the largest and morphologically most diverse families of true bug, having essential impacts on forest ecosystems as predators. The spinous reduviid genus Sclomina exhibits shape mimicry and protective coloration adapted to the spinous Rubus plant that they inhabit. The genus Sclomina shows gradual morphological variability, so its morphological classification is still unresolved, and its biology is almost unknown. In this study, DNA barcodes and morphological evidence were combined to accurately divide the species of a comprehensive collection sampled in South China and North Vietnam. We found three cryptic species. The biological information and mimicry behavior uncover their successive evolutionary survival strategies. Sclomina Stål, 1861 (Heteroptera: Reduviidae: Harpactorinae) is endemic to China and Vietnam, with only two species, Sclomina erinacea Stål, 1861 and Sclomina guangxiensis Ren, 2001, characterized by spinous body and dentate abdominal connexivum. However, due to variable morphological characteristics, Sclomina erinacea, which is widely distributed in South China, is possibly a complex of cryptic species, and Sclomina guangxiensis was suspected to be an extreme group of the S. erinacea cline. In the present study, we conducted species delimitation and phylogenetic analyses based on the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) gene sequences of 307 Sclomina specimens collected from 30 sampling localities combined with morphological evidence. The result showed that all samples used in this study were identified as five species: Sclomina guangxiensis is a valid species, and Sclomina erinacea actually includes three cryptic species: Sclomina xingrensis P. Zhao and Cai sp. nov., Sclomina pallens P. Zhao and Cai sp. nov., and Sclomina parva P. Zhao and Cai sp. nov. In this paper, the genus Sclomina is systematically revised, and the morphological characteristics of the five species are compared, described, and photographed in detail. We elucidate the evolutionary history of Sclomina based on results of estimated divergence time. The body shape and coloration (green in nymph and brown in adult) of Sclomina match their environment and mimic the Rubus plants on which they live. The symbiotic relationship between Sclomina and spinous Rubus plants is presented and discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Tephritid fruit flies are widely distributed around the world and lay eggs in fruits and vegetables, resulting in rotting and economic losses. To limit economic loss caused by these flies, we reviewed and summarized three decades of literature on 10 important fly species occurring in China. We summarized the biology, ecology and integrated control methods to help researchers, quarantine officials and even hobbyists obtain more basic knowledge and a more innovative outlook. Tephritid fruit flies are notoriously known for causing immense economic losses due to their infestation of many types of commercial fruits and vegetables in China. These flies are expanding, causing serious damage, and we summarized references from the last three decades regarding biological parameters, ecological performance and integrated pest management. There are 10 species of tephritid fruit flies mentioned at a relatively high frequency in China, and a detailed description and discussion in this comprehensive review were provided through contrast and condensation, including economics, distribution, identification, hosts, damage, life history, oviposition preference, interspecific competition and integrated management, in anticipation of providing effective strategies or bases for the subsequent development of new research areas and improvement of integrated management systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A major goal of ecology and evolutionary biology is to explain geographic patterns of species richness. Richness is often correlated with climatic variables. However, the processes underlying these climate‐diversity relationships remain poorly understood. Two potential hypotheses to explain these relationships involve: (i) faster diversification rates (speciation minus extinction) in high‐richness climates and (ii) earlier colonization of high‐richness climates, allowing more time for speciation to build up richness. Few studies have tested these hypotheses directly, and most focused on animal clades with limited richness. In this study, we test these hypotheses in Chinese angiosperms, encompassing ~10% of Earth's plant species, using large‐scale phylogenetic, climatic, and distributional data including 26,977 species. We find that climatic zones that were colonized earlier have higher species richness. By contrast, relationships between diversification rates and richness of climatic zones are often nonsignificant or negative. Our study reveals that even when richness is strongly correlated with climate, the underlying explanation may still be rooted in phylogenetic history. Thus, climate may not be a competing explanation for richness patterns relative to colonization times and diversification rates. We also show that the timing of colonization can be crucial for explaining richness patterns. Yet, many recent studies have ignored this explanation and instead have focused solely on rates of speciation and diversification as drivers of diversity gradients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soft rot caused by Dickeya zeae is an important bacterial disease affecting rice and other plants worldwide. In this study, Nanopore and Illumina sequencing platforms were used to sequence the high-quality complete genome of a novel D. zeae strain WH1 (size: 4.68 Mb; depth: 322.37x for Nanopore, 243.51x for Illumina; GC content: 53.59%), which was isolated from healthy rice root surface together with Paenibacillus polymyxa, a potential biocontrol bacterium against D. zeae strain WH1. However, the pure WH1 culture presented severe pathogenicity. Multilocus sequence analysis (MLSA) indicated that strains WH1, EC1, and EC2 isolated from rice were grouped into a clade differentiated from other D. zeae strains. The average nucleotide identity (ANI) and DNA-DNA hybridization (DDH) analyses demonstrated that WH1 was phylogenetically closest to EC2. Furthermore, the pathogenicity determinants and virulence factors of WH1 were mainly analyzed through genomic comparison with complete genomes of other D. zeae strains with high virulence (EC1, EC2, MS1, and MS2). The results revealed that plant cell wall-degrading extracellular enzymes (PCWDEs), flagellar and chemotaxis, and quorum sensing were highly conserved in all analyzed genomes, which were confirmed through phenotypic assays. Besides, WH1 harbored type I, II, III, and VI secretion systems (T1SS, T2SS, T3SS, and T6SS), but lost T4SS and T5SS. Like strains MS1 and MS2 isolated from bananas, WH1 harbored genes encoding both capsule polysaccharide (CPS) and exopolysaccharide (EPS) biosynthesis. The results of pathogenicity assays demonstrated that WH1 produced severe soft rot symptoms on potato tubers, carrots, radishes, and Chinese cabbage. Meanwhile, WH1 also produced phytotoxin(s) to inhibit rice seed germination with an 87% inhibitory rate in laboratory conditions. More importantly, we confirmed that phytotoxin(s) produced by WH1 are different from zeamines produced by EC1. Comparative genomics analyses and phenotypic and pathogenicity assays suggested that WH1 likely evolved through a pathway different from the other D. zeae strains from rice, producing a new type of rice foot rot pathogen. These findings highlight the emergence of a new type of D. zeae strain with high virulence, causing soft rot in rice and other plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new species of the genus Solskyia, S. infossata sp. nov. and S. lhozhaga sp. nov., are described and illustrated from Xizang, China. Solskyia lhasana is redescribed and figured based on a male, and new material of S. caporiaccoi and S. parvicollis from China is documented. The ecology and biology of adults and larvae is briefly introduced. Furthermore, photographs of habitat, and a key to Chinese species are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The spider family Liocranidae Simon, 1897 contains 35 genera and 308 species, including six genera and 33 species reported in China, which are: Agroeca Westring, 1861 (13 species), Jacaena Thorell, 1897 (7 species), Mesiotelus Simon, 1897 (1 species), Oedignatha Thorell, 1881 (2 species), Paratus Simon, 1898 (4 species), Sesieutes Simon, 1897 (1 species) and Sphingius Thorell, 1890 (5 species). New information The spider genus Arabelia Bosselaers, 2009 is described from China for the first time, with one new species Arabelia xizang sp. nov. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Plants in cliff habitats may evolve specific reproductive strategies to cope with harsh environments, and unraveling these reproductive characteristics can improve our understanding of survival strategies and lithophyte evolution. This understanding is especially important for efforts to protect rare and endemic plants. Here, we investigated the reproductive biology of Lonicera oblata, an endangered lithophytic shrub that is scattered in highly fragmented and isolated cliff habitats of the Taihang and Yan mountains in North China. Results: Flowers of L. oblata are herkogamous and protandrous, characteristics that can prevent autogamy at the single-flower level, and insects are necessary for pollination. The outcrossing index, pollen/ovule ratio, and the results of hand pollination were measured and all revealed a mixed mating system for L. oblata, that combines cross-fertilization and partial self-fertilization. The floral traits of L. oblata of zygomorphic and brightly yellowish corolla, heavy fragrance, and rich nectar, suggest an entomophilous pollination system. Sweat bees were observed as the most effective pollinators but their visiting frequencies were not high. Pollen limitation may limit the reproductive success of L. oblata. Conclusions: We determined the reproductive characteristics of L. oblata, a critically endangered species endemic to cliffs in North China, providing insight into its endangerment and suggesting conservation strategies. L. oblata has highly pollinator-dependent self-fertilization as part of a mixed mating system. Floral features such as low-flowering synchrony, asynchronous anthers dehiscence, and high duration of stigma receptivity, improve pollination efficiency in the case of low pollinator service. Our work provides reference information to understand the survival strategies and conservation of L. oblata and other lithophytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fifty-eight terrestrial and salt-tolerant myxobacteria were isolated from the saline-alkaline soils collected from Xinjiang, China. Based on the morphologies and the 16S rRNA gene sequences, these isolates were assigned into 6 genera, Myxococcus, Cystobacter, Corallococcus, Sorangium, Nannocystis and Polyangium. All the strains grew better with 1% NaCl than without NaCl. Some Myxococcus strains were able to grow at 2% NaCl concentration, suggesting that these strains may be particular type of terrestrial myxobacteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several approaches have been proposed for near real-time detection and prediction of the spread of influenza. These include search query data for influenza-related terms, which has been explored as a tool for augmenting traditional surveillance methods. In this paper, we present a method that uses Internet search query data from Baidu to model and monitor influenza activity in China. The objectives of the study are to present a comprehensive technique for: (i) keyword selection, (ii) keyword filtering, (iii) index composition and (iv) modeling and detection of influenza activity in China. Sequential time-series for the selected composite keyword index is significantly correlated with Chinese influenza case data. In addition, one-month ahead prediction of influenza cases for the first eight months of 2012 has a mean absolute percent error less than 11%. To our knowledge, this is the first study on the use of search query data from Baidu in conjunction with this approach for estimation of influenza activity in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The Mulam are an ethnic group native to Guangxi, and nearly 80% of the Mulam population lives in Luocheng Mulam Autonomous County, northern Guangxi, southern China. They have accumulated rich medicinal folk knowledge through practice and experience in their long-term struggles with disease and the harsh natural environment. However, their traditional medicinal knowledge is threatened due to a lack of written records, conservative inheritance patterns, and rapid economic development. Therefore, the investigation and documentation of medicinal plants and their associated indigenous wisdom are necessary. Method: Ethnobotanical data were collected from 12 villages and five communities in Luocheng County from January 2013 to April 2017. A total of 128 informants were interviewed through semistructured interviews, field observations, group discussions, and guided field walks. Quantitative indices such as use categories, preference ranking exercises, the informant consensus factor (ICF), and the fidelity level (FL) were used to evaluate the importance of medicinal plant species. Additionally, group discussions were conducted about the conservation of and threats to medicinal plants and traditional knowledge. Results: A total of 456 medicinal plant species from 350 genera and 132 families were recorded and documented in our ethnobotanical investigation. Most of them (335 species, 73.47%) were obtained from wild habitats. Most of the documented species (246) were herbaceous (54%), followed by shrubs, with 76 species (17%), lianas, with 75 species (16%), and trees, with 59 species (13%). The most common method of administration was oral administration, which was used for 390 species (62.70%). The most common method of preparation was decoction (316 species, 54.11%). The plants were used to treat 312 human diseases in 12 disease categories, and most of the categories had a high ICF value. The highest ICF value was recorded for gynecological ailments (0.92), followed by nervous and psychosomatic problems (0.90) and digestive system diseases (0.89). Traditional medicinal knowledge and medicinal plants are under threat due to conservative inheritance processes and anthropogenic pressures for various reasons. Conclusion: A rich diversity of medicinal plants is distributed in the Mulam area, and these plants play an important role in healthcare among the Mulam people. Mulam people are skilled in using the plants in their surroundings to treat diseases in their daily lives. However, their traditional medicinal knowledge and medicinal plants are greatly threatened by rapid economic development for various reasons. Thus, policies and practices for the conservation of medicinal plants and the associated traditional knowledge are necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Due to historical perceptions of Liangshan Yi Autonomous Prefecture (Sichuan Province, China) as being a violent place, and due to its rugged terrain, cultural differences, and relative inaccessibility, few researchers have conducted in-depth ethnobotanical investigations in Liangshan. But wild edible plants (WEPs) are widely consumed by the Yi people of Liangshan, and their associated ethnobotanical knowledge remains relatively unknown, especially outside of China. This study aimed to (1) investigate the WEPs used by the Liangshan Yi, (2) document the traditional knowledge held about these plants, (3) analyze their special preparation methods and consumption habits, and (4) identify species with important cultural significance to the Liangshan Yi. Methods: During 2016-2017, 396 Yi individuals were interviewed in 1 county-level city and 6 counties across Liangshan. Prior informed consent was obtained, and multiple ethnographic methods were utilized, including direct observation, semi-structured interviews, key informant interviews, informal discussions, and field visits. Market surveys were conducted in April, July, and August 2017 by interviewing 38 Yi merchants selling WEPs in 6 Liangshan traditional markets. We collected information about the parts consumed, preparation methods, consumption habits, growth pattern of species, collection months, market prices, and other uses of WEPs. Use values (UVs) were calculated to analyze the relative cultural importance of each WEP. Results: In total, 105 plant species belonging to 97 genera and 62 families were recorded. Rosaceae was the family with the largest number of species (14), and herbs (58 species) were the dominant growth form reported. Fruits (34 species), roots (21 species), and tender shoots (20 species) were the primary plant parts used for snacking and cooking. There were 6 main preparation and consumption methods of WEPs reported, ranging from primary food, famine food, snack, spice, culinary coagulant, and medicine, among a few other uses. The Liangshan Yi mainly collect WEPs from March to October, seldom collecting from November to February. There were 35 species of WEPs sold in the markets we visited in Liangshan. The price of medicinal plants was much higher than the price of food and fruits. In total, we documented 49 species of edible medicinal plants in Liangshan, accounting for 44.7% of all WEPs. They can be used for treating 27 medical conditions, including cough, diarrhea, injury, and headaches. The plants with the highest UVs were Berberis jamesiana (1.92), Pyracantha fortuneana (1.87), and Artemisia capillaris (1.44) indicating that these species are the most commonly used and important to the Liangshan Yi's traditional life and culture. Conclusions: The traditional knowledge of WEPs from the accumulated experience of the Yi people's long period residing in Liangshan reflects the cultural richness of the Yi and the plant diversity of the region. Future research on the nutrition, chemical composition, and bioactivity of the WEPs are needed. Some species with high medicinal value but with sharp wild population decline should be surveyed for resource assessment, conservation, and domestication potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oviraptorosaurs, a group of non-avian theropod dinosaurs from the Cretaceous of Asia and North America, left behind the most abundant and informative fossil evidence of dinosaur reproductive biology. Previous studies had suggested that oviraptorosaur reproductive biology represents an intermediate stage and exhibited unique modern avian traits. For instance, the adult-associated clutches were predominantly considered as evidence for brooding/thermoregulatory contact incubation (TCI) behaviors, whereas the hypotheses of laying or protection were neglected. Despite numerous oviraptorid egg clutches uncovered from China and Mongolia, their nest architecture and clutch arrangement were rarely investigated in detail. Here we present a comprehensive reconstruction of an oviraptorid clutch based on five new oviraptorid clutches from Jiangxi Province, China. A detailed examination of the new clutches reveals a partially-open oviraptorid nest that contains 3-4 rings of paired eggs (more than 15 pairs total) whose blunt end points toward the center devoid of eggs at an angle of 35-40°. Our detailed three-dimensional reconstruction indicates that the oviraptorid clutch has a unique architecture unknown from extant bird clutches, implying an apomorphic nesting mode. Such a unique nest architecture further contradicts the TCI hypothesis in oviraptorids, hindering sufficient heat transfer to the inner (lower) ring(s) of eggs. Moreover, the size of the new oviraptorid clutches (>30 eggs) is significantly larger than that of the adult-associated clutches (<22 eggs), raising the alternative hypothesis that the adult-associated clutches were uncompleted. This clue thus supports the hypothesis that the clutch-associated oviraptorid adults possibly represent females after an oviposition before a catastrophic sandstorm/flooding burial. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Empidideicus Becker, 1907 is newly recorded from China and the Oriental Region, with one new species, E. pentagonius sp. n., described and illustrated. Observations are provided on the biology of E. pentagonius sp. n. visiting flowers of Stemona mairei (Levl.) Krause (Liliflorae, Stemonaceae). A key to the genera of Mythicomyiidae known to occur in China is provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China has set a goal to eliminate all malaria in the country by 2020, but it is unclear if current understanding of malaria vectors and transmission is sufficient to achieve this objective. Anopheles sinensis is the most widespread malaria vector specie in China, which is also responsible for vivax malaria outbreak in central China. We reviewed literature from 1954 to 2016 on An. sinensis with emphasis on biology, bionomics, and molecular biology. A total of 538 references were relevant and included. An. sienesis occurs in 29 Chinese provinces. Temperature can affect most life-history parameters. Most An. sinensis are zoophilic, but sometimes they are facultatively anthropophilic. Sporozoite analysis demonstrated An. sinensis efficacy on Plasmodium vivax transmission. An. sinensis was not stringently refractory to P. falciparum under experimental conditions, however, sporozoite was not found in salivary glands of field collected An. sinensis. The literature on An. sienesis biology and bionomics was abundant, but molecular studies, such as gene functions and mechanisms, were limited. Only 12 molecules (genes, proteins or enzymes) have been studied. In addition, there were considerable untapped omics resources for potential vector control tools. Existing information on An. sienesis could serve as a baseline for advanced research on biology, bionomics and genetics relevant to vector control strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cha-hua (Camellia reticulata) is one of China's traditional ornamental flowers developed by the local people of Yunnan Province. Today, more than 500 cultivars and hybrids are recognized. Many ancient camellia trees still survive and are managed by local peopl. A few records on cha-hua culture exist, but no studies expound the interaction between C. reticulata and traditional culture of ethnic groups. The contribution of traditional culture of different nationalities and regions to the diversity of Camellia reticulate is discussed. Methods: Ethnobotanical surveys were conducted throughout Central and Western Yunnan to investigate and document the traditional culture related to Camellia reticulata. Five sites were selected to carry out the field investigation. Information was collected using participatory observation, semi-structured interviews, key informant interviews, focus group discussions, and participatory rural appraisal (PRA). Results: Most of the ancient camellia trees were preserved or saved in the courtyards of old buildings and cultural or religious sites. Religion-associated culture plays an important role in C. reticulata protection. In every site we investigated, we found extensive traditional culture on C. reticulata and its management. These traditional cultures have not only protected the germplasm resources of C. reticulata, but also improved the diversity of Camellia cultivars. Conclusions: There are abundant and diverse genetic resources of cha-hua, Camellia reticulata in Yunnan. Cha-hua is not only an ornamental flower but also has been endowed with rich spiritual connotation. The influence of traditional culture had improved the introduction and domestication of wild plants, breeding and selection of different varieties, and the propagation and dissemination of the tree in Yunnan. However, either some ancient cha-hua trees or their associated traditional culture are facing various threats. The old cha-hua trees and the ethnic camellia culture should be respected and protected since they have made great contributions in the history, and will make more contributions in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taxonomy of a tetrigid genus Teredorus Hancock is reviewed. Two new species, Teredorus parvipulvillus sp. n. and Teredorus hunanensis sp. n. are described from China and an updated identification key to all known species of the genus is given, as well as brief comments on phylogenetic relationships, biology and ecology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Chloropicrin (Pic) offers a potential alternative to methyl bromide (MB) against Ralstonia solanacarum in ginger (Zingiber officinale Rosc.) production. MB is scheduled to be withdrawn from routine use by 2015 in developing countries. Methods: Pic treatments were evaluated in a laboratory study and in three commercial ginger fields. Results: Laboratory studies showed that the EC50 value and EC80 value of Pic were 2.7 and 3.7 mg a.i. kg−1 soil, respectively. Field trials in highly infested soil revealed that treatments of Pic at the dose of 50 g m−2 covered with totally impermeable film (TIF) or polyethylene film (PE) sharply reduced Ralstonia solanacarum and maintained high ginger yields. Both of the Pic treatments provided results similar to, or in some cases slightly lower than, MB with respect to Ralstonia solanacarum control, plant survival, plant growth and yield. All of the fumigant treatments were significantly better than the non-treated control. Conclusions: The present study confirms that the Pic is a promising alternative with good efficacy against Ralstonia solanacarum for ginger production and could be used in integrated pest management programs in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Winter soil respiration is a very important component of the annual soil carbon flux in some ecosystems. We hypothesized that, with all other factors being equal, shorter winter SR result in reduced contribution to annual soil C flux. In this study, the contribution of winter soil respiration to annual soil respiration was measured for three sites (grassland: dominated by Artemisia sacrorum, Bothriochloa ischaemum and Themeda japonica; shrubland: dominated by Vitex negundo var. heterophylla; plantation: dominated by Populus tomatosa) in a mountainous area of north China. Diurnal and intra-annual soil CO2 flux patterns were consistent among different sites, with the maximum soil respiration rates at 12∶00 or 14∶00, and in July or August. The lowest respiration rates were seen in February. Mean soil respiration rates ranged from 0.26 to 0.45 µmol m−2 s−1 in the winter (December to February), and between 2.38 to 3.16 µmol m−2 s−1 during the growing season (May-September). The winter soil carbon flux was 24.6 to 42.8 g C m−2, which contributed 4.8 to 7.1% of the annual soil carbon flux. Based on exponential functions, soil temperature explained 73.8 to 91.8% of the within year variability in soil respiration rates. The Q10 values of SR against ST at 10 cm ranged from 3.60 to 4.90 among different sites. In addition, the equation between soil respiration and soil temperature for the growing season was used to calculate the “modeled” annual soil carbon flux based on the actual measured soil temperature. The “measured” annual value was significantly higher than the “modeled” annual value. Our results suggest that winter soil respiration plays a significant role in annual soil carbon balance, and should not be neglected when soil ecosystems are assessed as either sinks or sources of atmospheric CO2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent event-related potential research has reported a N200 response or a negative deflection peaking around 200 ms following the visual presentation of two-character Chinese words. This N200 shows amplitude enhancement upon immediate repetition and there has been preliminary evidence that it reflects orthographic processing but not semantic processing. The present study tested whether this N200 is indeed unrelated to semantic processing with more sensitive measures, including the use of two tasks engaging semantic processing either implicitly or explicitly and the adoption of a within-trial priming paradigm. In Exp. 1, participants viewed repeated, semantically related and unrelated prime-target word pairs as they performed a lexical decision task judging whether or not each target was a real word. In Exp. 2, participants viewed high-related, low-related and unrelated word pairs as they performed a semantic task judging whether each word pair was related in meaning. In both tasks, semantic priming was found from both the behavioral data and the N400 ERP responses. Critically, while repetition priming elicited a clear and large enhancement on the N200 response, semantic priming did not show any modulation effect on the same response. The results indicate that the N200 repetition enhancement effect cannot be explained with semantic priming and that this specific N200 response is unlikely to reflect semantic processing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background & Aims: To explore vitamin D status and its dynamic changes during pregnancy in women living in Northeast China. The association between 25-hydroxyvitamin D and serum calcium, phosphate and parathyroid hormone was studied. Because vitamin D deficiency or thyroid dysfunction/autoimmunity during pregnancy may lead to similar adverse events, the relationship between 25-hydroxyvitamin D and thyroid parameters was investigated. Methods: Serum samples of 50 women (aged 22 to 36 years) were selected retrospectively. The samples were collected at gestational 8 weeks ±3 days, 20 weeks ±3 days and 32 weeks ±3 days for measurement of 25-hydroxyvitamin D, calcium, phosphate, parathyroid hormone, and thyroid parameters. Results: The median 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels were 28.29, 39.23 and 40.03 nmol/L, respectively, from the first to the third trimester. The 25-hydroxyvitamin D concentration during the first trimester was significantly lower than the next two trimesters (p<0.01) and was unchanged between the second and the third trimester. Of these women, 96%, 78% and 76% showed 25-hydroxyvitamin D ≤50 nmol/L during each trimester. Season was associated with 25-hydroxyvitamin D during each trimester (p<0.05), and a significant association was found between calcium and 25-hydroxyvitamin D during the first and the second trimesters. Only triiodothyronine was associated with 25-hydroxyvitamin D in the first trimester (p = 0.024), but statistical significance was only a trend (p = 0.063) after excluding abnormal values. No association was observed between 25-hydroxyvitamin D and phosphate, parathyroid hormone, and other thyroid parameters. Conclusions: Vitamin D deficiency during pregnancy was prevalent in women from Northeast China who did not use supplementation. No significant relationships were observed between 25-hydroxyvitamin D and thyroid parameters during pregnancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To identify optimal cut-off points of fasting plasma glucose for two-step strategy in screening of undiagnosed diabetes in Chinese people, data were selected from two cross-sectional studies of Metabolic Syndrome in Zhejiang Province of China, Zhejiang Statistical Yearbook (2010), and published literatures. Two-step strategy was used among 17437 subjects sampled from population to screen undiagnosed diabetes. Effectiveness (proportion of cases identified), costs (including medical and non-medical costs), and efficiency (cost per case identified) of these different two-step screening strategies were evaluated. This study found the sensitivities of all the two-step screening strategies with further Oral Glucose Tolerance Test (OGTT) at different Fasting Plasma Glucose (FPG) cut-off points from 5.0 to 7.0 (mmol/L) ranged from 0.66 to 0.91. For the FPG point of 5.0 mmol/L, 91 percent of undiagnosed cases were identified. The total cost of detecting one undiagnosed diabetes case ranged from 547.1 to 1294.5 CNY/case, and the strategy with FPG at cut-off point of 6.1 (mmol/L) resulted in the least cost. Considering both sensitivity and cost of screening diabetes, FPG cut-off point at 5.4 mmol/L was optimized for the two-step strategy. In conclusion, different optimal cut-off points of FPG for two-step strategy in screening of undiagnosed diabetes should be used for different screening purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of this study was to determine whether climate factors correlate with variations in the rate of pediatric intussusception cases presenting to the Children’s Hospital in Suzhou, China. Material and Methods: The hospital records of 5,994 pediatric cases of intussusception who had presented between Aug 2006 and Dec 2011 were retrospectively analyzed. Demographic data and air enema reduction data were collected for each case. Results: The monthly rate of new intussusception cases fluctuated throughout the year generally rising from April to September with a peak from May to July. This annual cycling of intussusception incidence was highly significant over the 5 year observation period. Poisson regression analysis showed that the monthly number of intussusception cases was associated with an increase in mean temperature per month (P = 0.0001), sum of sunshine per month (P<0.0001), precipitation per month (P<0.0001), and was marginally associated with increased mean wind speed per month (P = 0.0709). Conclusion: The incidence of intussusception in Suzhou was seasonally variable with a peak in cases presenting during hotter, sunnier, and wetter months demonstrating a positive association with certain climatic factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The pandemic of obesity is a global public health concern. Most studies on obesity are skewed toward high-income and urban settings and few covers low-income populations. This study focused on the prevalence of overweight and obesity and their correlations with blood lipids/metabolites/enzymes (bio-indicators) in a rural community typical of low-income in remote western China. Methods: This study was performed in a Muslim ethnic Uyghur rural community in Kashi Prefecture of Xinjiang, about 4,407 km (2,739 miles) away from Beijing. Body mass index (BMI) and major blood bio-indicators (25 total items) were measured and demographic information was collected from 1,733 eligible healthy women aged 21 to 71 yrs, of whom 1,452 had complete data for analysis. More than 92% of the women lived on US$1.00/day or less. According to the Chinese criteria, overweight and obesity were defined as BMI at 24 to <28 kg/m2 and at ≥28 kg/m2, respectively. Results: The average BMI among these low-income women was 24.0±4.0 (95% CI, 17.5–33.7) kg/m2. The prevalence of obesity and overweight was high at 15.1% and 28.9%, respectively. Among 25 bio-indicators, BMI correlated positively with the levels of 11 bio-indicators including triglycerides (TG), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), total cholesterol (TCHOL), glucose (GLU), and uric acid (UA); but negatively with the levels of 5 bio-indicators including high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and apolipoprotein A/B (APO A/B). Conclusions: This is the first investigation reporting overweight and obesity being common in low-income Muslim Uyghur women, whose BMI correlates with several important blood bio-indicators which are risk factors for diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. These findings may help make preventive public health policies in Uyghur communities. To prevent diabetes and cardiovascular diseases in low-income settings, we therefore propose a cost-effective, two-step strategy first to screen for obesity and then to screen persons with obesity for diabetes and cardiovascular diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sexually transmitted infections (STIs), including Hepatitis B and C virus, are emerging public health risks in China, especially among men who have sex with men (MSM). This study aims to assess the magnitude and risks of STIs among Chinese MSM. Methods: Chinese and English peer-reviewed articles were searched in five electronic databases from January 2000 to February 2013. Pooled prevalence estimates for each STI infection were calculated using meta-analysis. Infection risks of STIs in MSM, HIV-positive MSM and male sex workers (MSW) were obtained. This review followed the PRISMA guidelines and was registered in PROSPERO. Results: Eighty-eight articles (11 in English and 77 in Chinese) investigating 35,203 MSM in 28 provinces were included in this review. The prevalence levels of STIs among MSM were 6.3% (95% CI: 3.5–11.0%) for chlamydia, 1.5% (0.7–2.9%) for genital wart, 1.9% (1.3–2.7%) for gonorrhoea, 8.9% (7.8–10.2%) for hepatitis B (HBV), 1.2% (1.0–1.6%) for hepatitis C (HCV), 66.3% (57.4–74.1%) for human papillomavirus (HPV), 10.6% (6.2–17.6%) for herpes simplex virus (HSV-2) and 4.3% (3.2–5.8%) for Ureaplasma urealyticum. HIV-positive MSM have consistently higher odds of all these infections than the broader MSM population. As a subgroup of MSM, MSW were 2.5 (1.4–4.7), 5.7 (2.7–12.3), and 2.2 (1.4–3.7) times more likely to be infected with chlamydia, gonorrhoea and HCV than the broader MSM population, respectively. Conclusion: Prevalence levels of STIs among MSW were significantly higher than the broader MSM population. Co-infection of HIV and STIs were prevalent among Chinese MSM. Integration of HIV and STIs healthcare and surveillance systems is essential in providing effective HIV/STIs preventive measures and treatments. Trial Registration: PROSPERO No: CRD42013003721 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Knowledge of drug safety in the pediatric population of China is limited. This study was designed to evaluate ADRs in children reported to the spontaneous reporting system (SRS) of Shanghai in 2009. Methodology and Principal Findings: Crude ADR reports submitted to Shanghai SRS in 2009 for individuals aged from birth to 17 years (including 17 years) were included. Data were analyzed with respect to age, gender, category of ADR (System Organ Class [SOC]), the severity of reports and type of reporter. Results: A male overrepresentation was observed regarding the total number of reports. The most frequently reported group of drugs were vaccines (42.15%). Skin rash and fever were the commonest symptoms reported in the total pediatric dataset. The proportion of children that suffered from a serious ADR was 2.16% and that for drug related deaths was 0.34%. And we found that the multiple drug exposure experienced a high proportion of serious ADRs compared with the single drug use (χ2 = 15.99, P<0.0001). Sixty-five percent of ADRs were for children less than 6 years of age. And more than half of reports were from doctors. Conclusions: In our study, consumers were more likely to report new ADRs though they appear to contribute a relatively small percentage of total reports. We propose that patients would take an active role in reporting ADRs. More researches are needed in order to achieve better understanding the characteristics of ADRs in pediatric population of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Molecular typing based on variable-number tandem repeats (VNTR) analysis is a promising tool for identifying transmission of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. However, the currently proposed 15- and 24-locus VNTR sets (VNTR-15/24) only have limited resolution and contain too many loci for large-scale typing in high burden countries. To develop an optimal typing scheme in China, we evaluated the resolution and robustness of 25 VNTR loci, using population-based collections of 1362 clinical isolates from six provinces across the country. The resolution of most loci showed considerable variations among regions. By calculating the average resolution of all possible combinations of 20 robust loci, we identified an optimal locus set with a minimum of 9 loci (VNTR-9) that could achieve comparable resolution of the standard VNTR-15. The VNTR-9 had consistently high resolutions in all six regions, and it was highly concordant with VNTR-15 for defining both clustered and unique genotypes. Furthermore, VNTR-9 was phylogenetically informative for classifying lineages/sublineages of M. tuberculosis. Three hypervariable loci (HV-3), VNTR 3232, VNTR 3820 and VNTR 4120, were proved important for further differentiating unrelated clustered strains based on VNTR-9. We propose the optimized VNTR-9 as first-line method and the HV-3 as second-line method for molecular typing of M. tuberculosis in China and surrounding countries. The development of hierarchical VNTR typing methods that can achieve high resolution with a small number of loci could be suitable for molecular epidemiology study in other high burden countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) and HIV are two worldwide public health concerns. Co-infection of these two diseases has been considered to be a major obstacle for the global efforts in reaching the goals for the prevention of HIV and TB. Method: A comprehensive cross-sectional study was conducted to recruit TB patients in three provinces (Guangxi, Henan and Sichuan) of China between April 1 and September 30, 2010. Results: A total of 1,032 consenting TB patients attended this survey during the study period. Among the participants, 3.30% were HIV positive; about one quarter had opportunistic infections. Nearly half of the participants were 50 years or older, the majority were male and about one third were from minority ethnic groups. After adjusting for site, gender and areas of residence (using the partial/selective Model 1), former commercial plasma donors (adjusted OR [aOR] = 33.71) and injecting drug users(aOR = 15.86) were found to have significantly higher risk of being HIV-positivity. In addition, having extramarital sexual relationship (aOR = 307.16), being engaged in commercial sex (aOR = 252.37), suffering from opportunistic infections in the past six months (aOR = 2.79), losing 10% or more of the body weight in the past six months (aOR = 5.90) and having abnormal chest X-ray findings (aOR = 20.40) were all significantly associated with HIV seropositivity (each p<0.05). Conclusions: HIV prevalence among TB patients was high in the study areas of China. To control the dual epidemic, intervention strategies targeting socio-demographic and behavioral factors associated with higher risk of TB-HIV co-infection are urgently called for. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Adverse lifestyle factors have been associated with increased mortality, but data are lacking on their combined effect in developing populations, which we address in the present study. Methods: In a death registry-based, case-control study among Hong Kong Chinese aged 30+y, proxy-reported lifestyle factors 10 y ago were collected for 21,363 cases (81% of all deaths) and 12,048 living controls. Risks associated with poor diet, inactivity, heavy alcohol intake, and smoking for all-cause and cause-specific mortality, adjusting for potential confounders, were determined, and excess deaths for the Chinese population were calculated. Results: Adjusted odds ratios for all-cause mortality were 1.15 (95% CI 1.09, 1.23), 1.34 (1.27, 1.43), 1.36 (1.21, 1.52), and 1.58 (1.46, 1.70) for poor diet, inactivity, heavy alcohol intake and smoking, respectively. Increasing numbers of adverse lifestyle factors were associated with a dose-dependent increase in adjusted odds ratios of 1.30 (1.20, 1.40), 1.67 (1.54, 1.81), 2.32 (2.08, 2.60), and 3.85 (3.12, 4.75) for 1, 2, 3, and 4 risk factors relative to those with none. The population attributable fraction for all-cause, all-CVD and all-cancer mortality were 26.6%, 15.0%, and 32.1%, resulting in an excess of 2,017,541; 489,884; and 607,517 deaths annually, respectively. Although smoking was associated with the greatest excess loss of life (867,530), heavy drinking (680,466), and physical inactivity (678,317) were similarly important. Conclusion: Adverse lifestyle factors contribute to one quarter of all deaths in China. Improving lifestyle practices, particularly focussing on moderating alcohol intake and increasing activity, and smoking cessation are critical to reducing the lifestyle-associated health burden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]