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Objective. To elucidate the characteristics of symptomatic attack of rudimentary uteri in MRKH syndrome and highlight the rare and unexpected possibilities. Methods. A cohort of 202 Chinese MRKH syndrome patients admitted to the Peking Union Medical College Hospital from Jan 2009 to Dec 2016 was analyzed retrospectively. Based on the symptoms of abdominal pain before vaginoplasty, the patients were categorized into the asymptomatic and symptomatic groups. Results. Totally, 21 patients had their uteri removed due to obstructive bleeding, 19 of them had symptoms of abdominal pain before vaginoplasty, the mean duration of abdominal pain before artificial vaginoplasty was 5.0 years (range, 0.5–10 years), and the mean age at first onset of recurrent abdominal pain was 14.3 years old (range 11–18). Two special cases showed unusual long incubation periods up to 23 years. Ultrasound detected endometrioid echo in four asymptomatic patients. Among the symptomatic group, 7 patients had no imaging evidence for endometrial cavities despite clinical pain. Two of them developed severe symptoms over the next two or four years and eventually had their uteri removed. Two patients reported persistent abdominal pain with a visual analog scale (VAS) score of 4–5, still under observation. Three patients were lost to follow-up. Conclusion. More than 10% of the patients with MRKH syndrome had surgical indication to remove the rudimentary uteri. The discrepancy between clinical symptoms and imaging calls for the vigilance for prophylactic surgery or prolonged follow-up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lake Qinghai, the largest saline lake with an area of 4,260 km² (2000) and average depth of 21 m (1985) in West China, has experienced severe decline in water level in recent decades. This study aimed to investigate water balance of the lake and identify the causes for the decline in lake level. There was a 3.35-m decline in water level with an average decreasing rate of 8.0 cm year-1 between 1959 and 2000. The lake water balance showed that mean annual precipitation between 1959 and 2000 over the lake was 357±10 mm, evaporation was 924±10 mm, surface runoff water inflow was 348±21 mm, groundwater inflow was 138 mm±9 and the change in lake level was -80±31 mm. The variation of lake level was highly positively correlated to surface runoff and precipitation and negatively to evaporation, the correlation coefficients were 0.89, 0.81 and -0.66, respectively. Water consumption by human activities accounts for 1% of the evaporation loss of the lake, implying that water consumption by human activities has little effect on lake level decline. Most dramatic decline in lake level occurred in the warm and dry years, and moderate decline in the cold and dry years, and relatively slight decline in the warm and wet years, therefore, the trend of cold/warm and dry climate in recent decades may be the main reasons for the decline in lake level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The food web of the benthic macroinvertebrate community of the Tanqigou Stream - a subtropical forested headwater stream of the Yangtze River basin - was investigated for the first time. The results indicated that the stream was mainly a detritus-based system, with its functionality being highly dependent on allochthonous input of organic matter. Vascular plant detritus, filamentous algae, diatoms and fungi were also important food resources for the macroinvertebrate community in the stream. Temporal and spatial patterns of ingestion of four mayflies (which were the dominant species) demonstrated that there was little difference in feeding selection, but significant variations in ingestion patterns were observed, during different seasons and at different sampling sites. Nevertheless, the rates of ingestion of the four mayflies were generally stable and independent of the season or the site. The macroinvertebrate food web encompassed five basic food resources; four top predator species, and 27 intermediate non-predator consumers. The predator-prey ratio was 0.36; the total number of linkages 152; the trophic connectance 0.16; the maximum chain length three; and the mean chain length 2.21. A quantitative assessment of the energy flux along the major food web pathways indicated that organic matter pathways were mainly formed by weak linkages (36), which accounted for 60.31% of the total linkages (63) and that a few pathways accounted for most of the flow of organic matter. This suggests that Tanqigou Stream is similar to streams that are mainly dependant on detritus-based- and allochthonous-input of organic matter. (© 2010 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Online health platforms play an important role in chronic disease management. Patients participate in online health platforms to receive and provide health‐related support from each other. However, there remains a debate about whether the influence of social interaction on patient health anxiety is linearly positive. Based on uncertainty, information overload, and the theory of motivational information management, we develop and test a model considering a potential curvilinear relationship between social interaction and health anxiety, as well as a moderating effect of health literacy. We collect patient interaction data from an online health platform based on chronic disease management in China and use text mining and econometrics to test our hypotheses. Specifically, we find an inverted U‐shaped relationship between informational provision and health anxiety. Our results also show that information receipt and emotion provision have U‐shaped relationships with health anxiety. Interestingly, health literacy can effectively alleviate the U‐shaped relationship between information receipt and health anxiety. These findings not only provide new insights into the literature on online patient interactions but also provide decision support for patients and platform managers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasingly intensified competition arose among national courts over their judicial authority to resolve standard-essential patents (SEPs) disputes. This competition drove courts and litigants to resort to antisuit injunctions (ASIs) more frequently. However, ASIs Chinese courts issued in SEP-related cases raised concerns in foreign countries. Chinese ASIs' legal basis has evolved through decades of legislation regarding injunctions, including compulsory maritime orders, IPR preliminary injunctions, and general rules of act preservation, despite containing inherent defects that troubled the subsequent antisuit practice. Likewise, Chinese antisuit practice did not emerge overnight but took years to develop, growing from a mere sprinkle in maritime litigations to a respectable drizzle in SEP-related actions. It encompasses orders to prevent foreign collateral proceedings, the injunction to inhibit foreign antisuit orders, and orders to halt foreign substantive proceedings. Chinese antisuit practice is at its nascence and exhibits striking features in SEP cases. However, closely examining Chinese antisuit decisions in SEP cases reveals that so-called Chinese worldwide ASIs were justifiable and legitimate, in terms of substantive conditions and actual operation, even by the EU and US standards. Nevertheless, China needs to reform the relevant laws regarding antisuit relief and refine its antisuit practice in various aspects to fend off due process and other equitable concerns. Only through international coordination can national courts efficaciously tackle the proliferation of antisuit relief in SEP cases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ridge–furrow cultivation (RF) is a popular emerging technique that can increase crop productivity in dry areas. However, the efficacy of RF on crop yield and soil organic carbon (SOC) remains uncertain under different climate and management conditions. Here, we compiled data from 48 publications to evaluate the response of yield and SOC to RF in China. Overall, our meta‐analysis showed that RF increased yield by 30.2%, but it had no effects on SOC. When differentiated based on different categories, yield and SOC varied by crop species, climate, soil textures, mulching management, and ridge–furrow patterns. RF increased the yield of wheat, maize, soybean, rape, linseed, potato, and SOC under soybean cultivation. Yield increase with RF was also consistent across temperature and precipitation. Yield increase was observed in all the soil textures. There were no RF effects on SOC under different soil textures. RF enhanced yields under no mulching, straw mulching and plastic film mulching, but increased SOC only in combination with straw mulching. A higher yield increase was observed under alternating small and large ridges (ASLR) than alternating ridges and furrows (AR). RF decreased SOC by 11.7% under AR, but had no effects on SOC under ASLR. Together, ASLR with straw mulching could increase yield and SOC in coarse soil texture regions with annual mean temperature >10°C and annual mean precipitation > 400 mm. This study showed the importance of considering local environmental conditions with management practices in identifying appropriate RF practices for improving crop productivity and soil carbon sequestration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The traditional cropping system on the Loess Plateau of China is winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L., W) monocropping. However, this cropping system, with a 3‐mo summer fallow (F) period, has exhibited low radiation and precipitation use efficiency. The objectives of this study conducted in 2016–2018 was to investigate system productivity and resource (i.e., water and radiation) use efficiency when winter wheat monocropping was intensified by planting forage rape (Brassica napus L., R) during the summer fallow period. Dry matter yield (DM), water use efficiency (WUE), and radiation use efficiency (RUE) of forage rape and winter wheat in F‐W and R‐W crop rotations were determined. The results show that forage rape did not change system DM in all years, and winter wheat grain yield as well as DM in 2018, but decreased winter wheat grain yield and DM by 17 and 16% in 2017, respectively. Forage rape increased the system average water use (WU) by 20%, whereas system WUE of DM (WUEDM) was unaffected in both years. Forage rape also improved system intercepted photosynthetically active radiation (IPAR) by 39% but did not alter winter wheat IPAR in both years. In 2017, intensification with forage rape decreased winter wheat RUEDM and RUE of grain (RUEGrain). In conclusion, crop productivity was mainly related to water availability during sowing and the growing season, whereas RUE was related to crop productivity. Therefore, soil water supply needs to be considered before sowing forage rape during the summer fallow in the semiarid region of China as examined in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For a better understanding of the precipitable water in the arid northwestern China (NWC), we surveyed the water vapour variability on both sides of the alpine range crests based on the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission monthly precipitation data (TRMM 3B43). There were 12 target zones and 23 subzones in six mountain systems representatively selected according to alpine hydrogeomorphology. They were used for comparative analyses in time and space. Comparisons between the two sides of the range crests revealed that there is more precipitable water on the south slopes of the Qilian, Altun, Kunlun, and Altai Mountains, on the north slope of the Tian Mountains, and on the east slope of Helan Mountains. High correlations were detected between precipitable water for both sides of the range crests in target zones, while low correlations were found among precipitable water separately averaged in the Kunlun, Tian, and Qilian Mountains including both sides of the range crests. The proportion of precipitable water during the rainy season gradually increased from west to east along the mountains. Temporally, precipitation presented synchronous increases or decreases on the two sides of the range crests in most of the target zones during the time period from 1998 to 2016, and an overall increase in alpine annual precipitable water was found in the area, except for the decrease in the Altun and western Tian Mountains. The summer decay dominated the decrease in these two target zones, while strengthened conveyance was observed in other seasons, especially in spring and autumn, which compensated for, and led to, total increases in precipitable water in most of the target zones. All of the above findings were indicative of differences in vapour transport from outside areas into diverse alpine systems in the arid NWC, which could be schematically evidenced by the spatial patterns of monthly and annual water vapour conveyance retrieved from the TRMM precipitation data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ammonia in the atmosphere is essential for the formation of fine particles that impact air quality and climate. Despite extensive prior research to disentangle the relationship between ammonia and haze pollution, the role of ammonia in haze formation in high ammonia-emitting regions is still not well understood. Aiming to better understand secondary inorganic aerosol (sulfate, nitrate, ammonium – SNA) formation mechanisms under high-ammonia conditions, 1-year hourly measurement of water-soluble inorganic species (gas and particle) was conducted at a rural supersite in Shanghai. Exceedingly high levels of agricultural ammonia, constantly around 30 µ g m -3 , were observed. We find that gas-particle partitioning of ammonia (ε (NH4+)), as opposed to ammonia concentrations, plays a critical role in SNA formation during the haze period. From an assessment of the effects of various parameters, including temperature (T), aerosol water content (AWC), aerosol pH, and activity coefficient, it seems that AWC plays predominant regulating roles for ε (NH4+). We propose a self-amplifying feedback mechanism associated with ε (NH4+) for the formation of SNA, which is consistent with diurnal variations in ε (NH4+) , AWC, and SNA. Our results imply that a reduction in ammonia emissions alone may not reduce SNA effectively, at least at rural agricultural sites in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's food security has met standards set by the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization. However, this development is based on excessive resource input and sacrificing the environment. There are few studies on how to evaluate food production systems with a sustainability framework. In order to guarantee the food security in Northwest China, and realize the sustainable development of agricultural production, this study was carried out. On the basis of comprehensive analysis of new problems faced, including water resources, cultivated land resources and ecological security, several indicators such as water resources development and utilization rate, cultivated land pressure index, cultivated land quality index, N and P emissions and emission intensity are proposed to comprehensively evaluate the sustainability of grain production in Northwest China and put forward countermeasures to realize regional sustainable development. The results show that the water resources are already at a high‐stress level as the development and utilization rate of water resources is 42.7% in 2015. Industrial and domestic water continues to squeeze agricultural water use (annual average reduction of 0.1%). The amount of per capita cultivated land in 2015 has decreased by 9.7% compared to 2000. The quality index of cultivated land is as low as 0.22. A series of ecological problems caused by agricultural production have intensified the ecological crisis in the Northwest, which in turn will further affect food security. Suggestions to address these issues include improving agricultural water use efficiency, strengthening the measures of arable land conservation, improving fertilizer utilization efficiency and reducing plastic‐film mulch residues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Journal of Agricultural Resources & Environment / Nongye Ziyuan yu Huanjing Xuebao is the property of Journal of Agricultural Resources & Environment Editorial Board and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Background and Objective. Haemophilus influenzae (HI) is a common cause of community-acquired pneumonia in children. In many countries, HI strains are increasingly resistant to ampicillin and other commonly prescribed antibiotics, posing a challenge for effective clinical treatment. This study was undertaken to determine the antibiotic resistance profiles of HI isolates from Chinese children and to provide guidelines for clinical treatment. Methods. Our Infectious Disease Surveillance of Pediatrics (ISPED) collaboration group includes six children's hospitals in different regions of China. The same protocols and guidelines were used by all collaborators for the culture and identification of HI. The Kirby–Bauer method was used to test antibiotic susceptibility, and a cefinase disc was used to detect β-lactamase activity. Results. We isolated 2073 HI strains in 2016: 83.9% from the respiratory tract, 11.1% from vaginal secretions, and 0.5% from blood. Patients with respiratory isolates were significantly younger than nonrespiratory patients (P<0.001). Of all 2073 strains, 50.3% were positive for β-lactamase and 58.1% were resistant to ampicillin; 9.3% were β-lactamase-negative and ampicillin-resistant. The resistance rates of the HI isolates to trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole, azithromycin, cefuroxime, ampicillin-sulbactam, cefotaxime, and meropenem were 71.1%, 32.0%, 31.2%, 17.6%, 5.9%, and 0.2%, respectively. Conclusions. More than half of the HI strains isolated from Chinese children were resistant to ampicillin, primarily due to the production of β-lactamase. Cefotaxime and other third-generation cephalosporins could be the first choice for the treatment of ampicillin-resistant HI infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: China has an ever‐increasing thirst for milk, with a predicted 3.2‐fold increase in demand by 2050 compared to the production level in 2010. What are the environmental implications of meeting this demand, and what is the preferred pathway? We addressed these questions by using a nexus approach, to examine the interdependencies of increasing milk consumption in China by 2050 and its global impacts, under different scenarios of domestic milk production and importation. Meeting China's milk demand in a business as usual scenario will increase global dairy‐related (China and the leading milk exporting regions) greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 35% (from 565 to 764 Tg CO2eq) and land use for dairy feed production by 32% (from 84 to 111 million ha) compared to 2010, while reactive nitrogen losses from the dairy sector will increase by 48% (from 3.6 to 5.4 Tg nitrogen). Producing all additional milk in China with current technology will greatly increase animal feed import; from 1.9 to 8.5 Tg for concentrates and from 1.0 to 6.2 Tg for forage (alfalfa). In addition, it will increase domestic dairy related GHG emissions by 2.2 times compared to 2010 levels. Importing the extra milk will transfer the environmental burden from China to milk exporting countries; current dairy exporting countries may be unable to produce all additional milk due to physical limitations or environmental preferences/legislation. For example, the farmland area for cattle‐feed production in New Zealand would have to increase by more than 57% (1.3 million ha) and that in Europe by more than 39% (15 million ha), while GHG emissions and nitrogen losses would increase roughly proportionally with the increase of farmland in both regions. We propose that a more sustainable dairy future will rely on high milk demanding regions (such as China) improving their domestic milk and feed production efficiencies up to the level of leading milk producing countries. This will decrease the global dairy related GHG emissions and land use by 12% (90 Tg CO2eq reduction) and 30% (34 million ha land reduction) compared to the business as usual scenario, respectively. However, this still represents an increase in total GHG emissions of 19% whereas land use will decrease by 8% when compared with 2010 levels, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Tropical Medicine & International Health is the property of Wiley-Blackwell and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Frontiers of Literary Studies in China is the property of Higher Education Press Limited Company and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)