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With the rapid growth of on-demand delivery, traditional third-party delivery services using electric bicycles face increasing challenges, including increased labor costs and safety issues. To address these issues, we propose two modes for on-demand delivery systems using buses. One is the "bus terminal + professional crowd shippers" (B&P) mode, which involves consolidating parcels from various origins at the bus transfer hub. From there, they are grouped and delivered by buses. The other is the "bus stop + crowdsourced passenger" (B&C) mode, which transports parcels directly from the origin to the destination by passengers without the need for consolidation and sorting at bus transfer hubs. Both modes fully utilize the surplus capacity of buses and employ resources from retail stores and third-party shippers. We evaluated these modes using key performance indicators (KPIs) such as labor costs, cost increases from en-route destination changes, and average delivery time per kilometer. This analysis was based on 18,349 delivery cases in downtown Ningbo, China. Through this evaluation, we identified the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats associated with each mode. Our findings reveal that both the B&P and B&C modes effectively reduce delivery costs and external impacts while maintaining a user experience and efficiency level comparable to traditional third-party delivery services for mid-to-long-distance (3-10 km) deliveries. However, the use of public transportation may limit the flexibility of the delivery mode. Based on these insights, we provide strategic recommendations for the further development and implementation of B&P and B&C modes., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Equitable and high-quality medical services are more urgent in underdeveloped cities for the higher population ageing and demanding social justice. However, there is little attention paid to the multi-level medical services, particularly regarding the time indicators under the latest policies for underdeveloped cities. The improved efforts were hampered partly by single scenario of location optimization, ignoring the integrated optimization for both road infrastructure and institution location. Toward the healthy China 2030 and rural revitalization policy, this study systematically investigated medical services for underdeveloped cities by constructing a multi-level evaluation and multi-scenario optimization framework with Geographical Information System technology in a case study of Xuchang City in China. Following the time goals from the latest policies, the services of high-quality hospitals and primary health centers were multi-level evaluated by network analysis method and further optimized through multi-scenario involving different new multi-level medical facilities and roads. Driven by urban-rural inequalities, candidate facilities were first selected based on multi-source data and then determined by location‑allocation analysis method, while new roads were assumed by space syntax method. The improvement rose rapidly and finally slowly with the increasing number of candidates. Few new roads and facilities could be more suitable, and the priority was explored under the local economy and planning. The findings could provide valuable support for urban healthy development under the latest policies., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Burnout, depression, anxiety, and stress negatively impact the well-being and retention of healthcare professionals. The interplay of these symptoms is understudied. Utilizing network analysis, this study examined the interrelationships among these symptom clusters in clinical therapists in China. An anonymous survey was conducted among clinical therapists from 41 tertiary psychiatric hospitals in China. Burnout was assessed using the Maslach Burnout Inventory-Human Service Survey (MBI-HSS), while symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress were assessed via the Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21). Analyses were performed to identify central symptoms and bridge symptoms of this network. A total of 419 participants were included in this survey. The prevalence rate for burnout, depression, anxiety, and stress was 19.8%, 22.2%, 17.9%, and 8.6%, respectively. Network analysis indicated that stress symptoms had the highest expected influence values, closely followed by emotional exhaustion from MBI-HSS. Notably, emotional exhaustion emerged as the strongest bridge of expected influence. The stability of the expected influence and bridge expected influence was robust, with coefficients at 0.75. The study's findings underscore the importance of recognizing the central symptoms and bridge symptoms, which could lead to more effective early detection and intervention for burnout, depression, anxiety, and stress among clinical therapists., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

In rural areas, neighborly relationships are complex, and farmers' behaviors are largely influenced by neighborly interactions. The promotion of agricultural technologies should not overlook the social interactions between farmers. Based on survey data from farmers in Minqin, China, this paper explores the role of overall social interaction and its various dimensions in farmers' adoption of water-saving irrigation technology, focusing on the testing of three interactive mechanisms during the technology adoption process. The goal is to provide scientific policy suggestions for government when promoting agricultural technologies. The results show the following: social interaction promotes the adoption of water-saving irrigation technology among farmers; among the four dimensions of social interaction, the depth and frequency of social interaction facilitate the adoption of these technologies; social interaction promotes technology adoption through endogenous interaction mechanism, situational interaction mechanism, and social norm mechanism, with situational interaction mechanism and social norm mechanism playing a more significant role; social interaction has a stronger impact on farmers with longer farming experience and higher irrigation costs. Therefore, the government should emphasize the important role of social interaction in the adoption of agricultural technologies and accelerate the diffusion of these technologies through fostering technical exchanges among farmers, cultivating demonstration households, and implementing differentiated promotion strategies., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Frailty is a state that is closely associated with adverse health outcomes in the aging process. The frailty index (FI), which measures frailty in terms of cumulative deficits, has been widely used for frailty assessment in elderly people, and its advantage of self-reported information collection makes it applicable to a broader group of elderly people. Our study aims to simplify the Frailty Index Assessment Scale, while maintaining its reliability and accuracy, to easily and quickly assess frailty in elderly people. In this study, participants (age ≥ 65 years) from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (CLHLS), which had 13,339, 372 and 1214 participants in 2008, 2011, and 2014, respectively, were used. The 2008 dataset was split into 80% for training and 20% for internal validation, and the data from 2011 to 2014 as external validation. In order to obtain effective predictors, we used Lasso regression, Boruta algorithm and random forest classifier score for feature selection. We used six models for predictive model construction and evaluated the models in the validation dataset. Model performance was measured by area under the curve (AUC), accuracy and F1 score. Logistic regression was found to be the best performing and most interpretable algorithm with AUC, accuracy and F1 of 0.974, 0.932 and 0.880 for the validation dataset, respectively. The AUCs for the external independent validation dataset were 0.963 and 0.977, respectively. Subgroup analysis showed that the model had good predictive power in both males and females. The predictive power was stronger among the elderly people over 80 years old, with AUC, accuracy and F1 of 0.973,0.914, and 0.893, respectively. The model also obtained good predictive power in the case of FI measured by different indicators. The model showed good robustness in the follow-up assessment of frailty status in elderly people, with the AUC remaining above 0.95 and accuracy above 0.9 over the long-term follow-up. Using machine learning techniques, we have successfully developed a simple frailty assessment prediction model based on 10 key features to shorten the frailty assessment scale with near full-scale accuracy. A user-friendly website was created to facilitate the application of this prediction model ( https://healthy-aging.shinyapps.io/Frailty_Assessment/ )., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Nutrition support is an important care component for patients on hemodialysis. Also, patient self-management is important to maintaining proper nutritional intake during hemodialysis. This cross-sectional study investigated the knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) towards nutrition support and management among hemodialysis patients treated at the West China Hospital of Sichuan University between January and March 2023. Among 445 (95.91%) valid questionnaires, 58.43% were filled out by male patients. The knowledge, attitude, and practice scores were 11.44 ± 1.80 (possible range: 0-13), 30.29 ± 3.22 (possible range: 8-40), and 31.27 ± 5.67 (possible range: 8-40), respectively. Age > 60 years (OR = 0.487, 95%CI: 0.260-0.913, P = 0.025) and junior college or undergraduate or above (OR = 2.606, 95%CI: 1.621-4.189, P < 0.001) were independently associated with adequate knowledge. The knowledge (OR = 1.151, 95%CI: 1.024-1.294, P = 0.018) and female gender (OR = 0.632, 95%CI: 0.419-0.953, P = 0.029) were independently associated with positive attitude. The knowledge (OR = 1.404, 95%CI: 1.221-1.614, P < 0.001), attitude (OR = 1.146, 95%CI: 1.069-1.227, P < 0.001), age 51-60 years (OR = 1.879, 95%CI: 1.093-3.229, P = 0.022), and BMI of 24.0-27.9 kg/m 2 (OR = 0.434, 95%CI: 0.269-0.700, P = 0.001) were independently associated with proactive practice. Hemodialysis patients showed adequate knowledge, positive attitudes, and proactive practice; however, there were also several gaps in knowledge and misconceptions regarding proper nutritional self-management. Accordingly, addressing these gaps and misconceptions through carefully designed and effectively implemented education is crucial for providing comprehensive guidance on optimal nutrition and self-management strategies., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Countries become global leaders by controlling international and domestic transactions connecting geographically dispersed production stages. We model global trade as a multi-layer network and study its power structure by investigating the tendency of eigenvector centrality to concentrate on a small fraction of countries, a phenomenon called localization transition. We show that the market underwent a significant drop in power concentration precisely in 2007 just before the global financial crisis. That year marked an inflection point at which new winners and losers emerged and a remarkable reversal of leading role took place between the two major economies, the US and China. We uncover the hierarchical structure of global trade and the contribution of individual industries to variations in countries' economic dominance. We also examine the crucial role that domestic trade played in leading China to overtake the US as the world's dominant trading nation. There is an important lesson that countries can draw on how to turn early signals of upcoming downturns into opportunities for growth. Our study shows that, despite the hardships they inflict, shocks to the economy can also be seen as strategic windows countries can seize to become leading nations and leapfrog other economies in a changing geopolitical landscape., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

The enhancement of regional comprehensive development ability is significantly impacted by the study on the implementation effect of regional integration strategies. The integration strategy's impact on urban development during COVID-19 in the Yangtze River Delta(YRD) is unclear. According to prior industrial transfer theory, Hefei, Anhui's capital, is difficult to transfer industries, and other YRD cities push industry integration in Anhui. This study employs the theory of economic and land resource use to examine the resilience of the industrial economy during an epidemic by using industrial land as a representation of industrial economic development. The three cities in Anhui-Wuhu, Maanshan, and Chuzhou (Wu-ma-Chu) were selected as the research area. The study employed the UNet deep learning method to detect the land use types in Wu-ma-Chu. The land transfer matrix and the standard deviation ellipse were utilised to research the alterations in industrial land use and the spatial distribution of industrial output value, respectively. The results showed that the industrial land in Machu continued to grow during the outbreak, highlighting the resilience of the region's industrial economy. During 2019-2022, the elliptical ring of industrial output value is distributed in Nanjing, revealing the radiating role of Nanjing in integrating into the integration of the YRD. This confirms China's YRD integration strategy, strengthens regional economic resilience, and encourages coordinated regional economic development., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Rural landscapes, as products of the interaction between humans and nature, not only reflect the history and culture of rural areas but also symbolize economic and social progress. This study proposes a deep learning-based model for Weibo data analysis aimed at exploring the development direction of rural landscapes from the perspective of the Chinese public. The research reveals that the Chinese public's attention to rural landscapes has significantly increased with the evolution of government governance concepts. Most people express a high level of satisfaction and happiness with the existing rural landscapes, while a minority harbor negative emotions towards unreasonable new rural construction. Through the analysis of public opinion regarding rural landscapes, this study will assist decision-makers in understanding the mechanisms of public discourse on social media. It will also aid relevant scholars and designers in providing targeted solutions, which hold significant importance for policy formulation and the exploration of specific development patterns., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Sediment contamination jeopardizes wetlands by harming aquatic organisms, disrupting food webs, and reducing biodiversity. Carcinogenic substances like heavy metals bioaccumulate in sediments and expose consumers to a greater risk of cancer. This study reports Pb, Cr, Cu, and Zn levels in sediments from eight wetlands in India. The Pb (51.25 ± 4.46 µg/g) and Cr (266 ± 6.95 µg/g) concentrations were highest in Hirakud, Cu (34.27 ± 2.2 µg/g) in Bhadrak, and Zn (55.45 ± 2.93 µg/g) in Koraput. The mean Pb, Cr, and Cu values in sediments exceeded the toxicity reference value. The contamination factor for Cr was the highest of the four metals studied at Hirakud (CF = 7.60) and Talcher (CF = 6.97). Furthermore, high and moderate positive correlations were observed between Cu and Zn (r = 0.77) and Pb and Cr (r = 0.36), respectively, across all sites. Cancer patients were found to be more concentrated in areas with higher concentrations of Pb and Cr, which are more carcinogenic. The link between heavy metals in wetland sediments and human cancer could be used to make policies that limit people's exposure to heavy metals and protect their health., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Despite the prevalence of gaming as a human activity, the literature on playtime is uninformed by large-scale, high-quality data. This has led to an evidence-base in which the existence of specific cultural gaming cultures (e.g. exceptional levels of gaming in East Asian nations) are not well-supported by evidence. Here we address this evidence gap by conducting the world's first large-scale investigation of cross-cultural differences in mobile gaming via telemetry analysis. Our data cover 118 billion hours of playtime occurring in 214 countries and regions between October 2020 and October 2021. A cluster analysis establishes a data-driven set of cross-cultural groupings that describe differences in how the world plays mobile games. Despite contemporary arguments regarding Asian exceptionalism in terms of playtime, analysis shows that many East Asian countries (e.g., China) were not highly differentiated from most high-GDP Northern European nations across several measures of play. Instead, a range of previously unstudied and highly differentiated cross-cultural clusters emerged from the data and are presented here, showcasing the diversity of global gaming., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

China detected the first case of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection with Delta variant in May 2021. We assessed control strategies against this variant of concern. We constructed a robust transmission model to assess the effectiveness of interventions against the Delta variant in Guangzhou with initial quarantine/isolation, followed by social distancing. We also assessed the effectiveness of alternative strategies and that against potentially more infectious variants. The effective reproduction number (R t ) fell below 1 when the average daily number of close contacts was reduced to ≤ 7 and quarantine/isolation was implemented on average at the same day of symptom onset in Guangzhou. Simulations showed that the outbreak could still be contained when quarantine is implemented on average 1 day after symptom onset while the average daily number of close contacts was reduced to ≤ 9 per person one week after the outbreak's beginning. Early quarantine and reduction of close contacts were found to be important for containment of the outbreaks. Early implementation of quarantine/isolation along with social distancing measures could effectively suppress spread of the Delta and more infectious variants., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

To achieve the goal of energy conservation and emission reduction, China has launched its national carbon-emission trading scheme (ETS). Therefore, it is of great significance to evaluate the implementation of ETS from the perspective of regional ecologicalization efficiency of industry. Based on the panel data of 30 provinces and cities from 2007 to 2019, this study takes the SBM-DEA model to measure the regional ecologicalization efficiency of industry, uses the Difference-in-Difference (DID) model to evaluate the influence of ETS on the regional ecologicalization efficiency of industry, and verifies the outcome by propensity score matching method and counterfactual test. The mediating effect model is used to test the acting pattern of ETS on the regional ecologicalization efficiency of industry. The results show that: (1) ETS can significantly improve the ecologicalization efficiency of industry and shows regional heterogeneity. (2) ETS promotes regional energy conservation, emission reduction, and economic development because of the upgrading of structural optimization, agglomeration of resource synergy, and optimization of ecology. This study offers penetrating insights into the positive operation of the carbon market and provides some useful hints for the development of China's regional economy., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Excessive NPK inputs but low grain yield and high environmental impact are common issues in maize production in North China Plain (NCP). The objective of our study was to test whether a combined strategy of optimizing plant density, balancing NPK input, and innovating one-time fertilizer products could achieve a more sustainable maize production in NCP. Thus, a field experiment was conducted at Luanna County NCP with the treatments of unfertilized control (CK), farmer practice (FP, conventional plant density and NPK input), conventional one-time urea-based coated fertilizer (CF, optimized plant density and NPK input), and five newly designed innovative one-time NPK fertilizers of ammonium sulphate and urea synergy (IF, optimized plant density and NPK input), innovative fertilizer with various additives of urea inhibitors (IF + UI), double inhibitors (IF + DI), micro-organisms (IF + MI), and trace elements (IF + TE). The grain yield, N sustainability indicators (N use efficiency NUE, partial factor productivity of N PFPN, and N surplus), and cost-benefits analysis were examined over the maize growing season of 2020. Results had shown that on average the five innovative fertilizers (IF, IF + UI, IF + DI, IF + MI, and IF + TE) and CF that had optimized plant density and NPK input achieved 13.5%, 98.6%, 105.9%, 37.4% higher yield, PFPN, NUE, net-benefits as well as 207.1% lower N surplus compared with FP respectively. Notably, the innovative fertilizer with various effective additives (IF + UI, IF + DI, IF + MI, and IF + TE) which can be commonly found in the fertilizer market hadn't resulted in a significant improvement in yield and NUE rather a greater cost and lower net benefits in comparison to IF. In summary, our study highlighted the effectiveness of the combined strategy of optimized plant density, balancing NPK input, and innovative NPK fertiliser on sustainable maize production in NCP, however, the innovative fertilisers with effective additives should be properly selected for better economic benefits., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

The complex relationships among social support, experienced stigma, psychological distress, and quality of life (QOL) among tuberculosis (TB) patients are insufficiently understood. The purpose of this study was to explore the interrelationships among social support, experienced stigma, psychological distress, and QOL and to examine whether experienced stigma and psychological distress play a mediating role. A cross-sectional survey was conducted between November 2020 and March 2021 in Dalian, Liaoning Province, Northeast China. Data were obtained from 473 TB patients using a structured questionnaire. Structural equation modelling was used to examine the hypothetical model. The research model provided a good fit to the measured data. All research hypotheses were supported: (1) social support, experienced stigma and psychological distress were associated with QOL; (2) experienced stigma fully mediated the effect of social support on psychological distress; (3) psychological distress fully mediated the effect of experienced stigma on QOL; and (4) experienced stigma and psychological distress were sequential mediators between social support and QOL. This study elucidated the pathways linking social support, experienced stigma, and psychological distress to QOL and provides an empirical basis for improving the QOL of TB patients., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Most initially perfect flowers of Toona ciliata Roem subsequently develop into functionally unisexual flowers and their relative positions in the same inflorescence could enhance the outcrossing system in this species. Here we investigated the mating system of this species. We used eight nuclear microsatellite markers and investigated the progeny of 125 mother trees from six populations naturally distributed in South China, with sample sizes ranging from 64 to 300 seeds. The multilocus outcrossing rate was 0.970 ± 0.063, and the single locus outcrossing rate was 0.859 ± 0.106, indicating the pattern of predominant outcrossing. Selfing was present in one population, but biparental inbreeding occurred in five populations. Inbreeding was absent in maternal parents, and correlations of selfing among families or among loci were generally insignificant. Positive correlation of paternity at multiple loci was significant in four populations, but was not consistent with the results at single loci. Population substructure occurred in male similarity between outcrosses only in one population. Population genetic differentaitaion was significant (F st  = 34.5%) and the effects of isolation-by-distance at the eight loci were significant among the six populations. These results provide evidence that self-comptability and inbreeding naturally occur in T. ciliata and indicate that inbreeding avoidance is necessary during genetic improvement and breeding of this endangered tree species.

Internet addiction (IA) is common among adolescents and significantly determined by sociocultural and economic factors. The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of IA among adolescents between Macau and mainland China and also examine its association with quality of life. A total of 2892 secondary school students were included. Standardized instruments were used to measure IA, depressive symptoms and quality of life. The overall prevalence of IA was 23.7%, with 32.5% in Macau and 19.8% in mainland China. Students in Macau were more likely to suffer from IA than those in mainland China (OR = 2.15, p < 0.001). Correlates of IA included being in higher school grades, poor academic performance, and more severe depressive symptoms. Students with IA reported lower quality of life in physical, psychological, social, and environmental domains. IA is common among Chinese adolescents, particularly in Macau. Considering the negative impact of IA on health and quality of life, regular screening and effective interventions should be undertaken for young Internet users.

The problem of indoor odors can greatly affect a room's occupants. To identify odorants and comprehensively evaluate emissions from wooden materials, emissions and odors from Choerospondias axillaris (Roxb.) Burtt et Hill with different moisture content percentages and lacquer treatments were investigated in this study. Thermal desorption-gas chromatography-mass spectroscopy/olfactometry was used to analyze the release characteristics. In total, 11 key odor-active compounds were identified as moisture content gradually decreased, concentrating between 15 and 33 min. Total volatile organic compounds, total very volatile organic compounds, and total odor intensity decreased as moisture content decreased. In addition, 35 odor-active compounds, including aromatics, alkenes, aldehydes, esters, and alcohols, were identified in the odor control list. Polyurethane (PU), ultraviolet (UV), and waterborne coatings had a good inhibitory effect on eight odor characteristics, but some scents arose after lacquer treatment. For equilibrium moisture content, the major characteristics of Choerospondias axillaris were fragrant (9.4) and mint-like (3.0) compared with the fragrant (8.2), fruity (7.8), and pleasant (5.8) characteristics of PU coating; the flowery (5.9), fragrant (5.0), glue-like (4.3), and pineapple-like (4.3) characteristics of UV coating; and the antiseptic solution (3.6), fragrant (2.9), cigarette-like (2.8), and fruity (2.5) characteristics of waterborne coating. Based on multicomponent evaluation, a Choerospondias axillaris board with waterborne coating was suggested for use indoors.

Infantile spasms (ISs) is a devastating form of an early infantile epileptic encephalopathy. The patterns of response of multiple regimens, and the difference in response rates for the cases who receive first-line therapies on time versus those who receive them after non-first-line therapies are unknown. We performed a study involving 314 ISs cases aiming to investigate the patterns of response of 11 regimens, and the difference in response rates for the cases received first-line therapies as first two regimens versus those who received other drugs prior to first-line options. As a result, the efficacy of each regimen was: the foremost two regimens; 36.99%, third; 10.27%, fourth; 6.16%, fifth; 5.48%, and from the sixth regimen onwards, each additional regimen added ≤ 2% probability of seizure freedom. There was a statistically significant difference in seizure freedom rates between cases received first-line therapies as first or second regimen versus those who received them later. Our study revealed for the first time that in ISs cases, seizure freedom is likely to be observed within the first five regimens, and an early administration of first-line therapies is superior to non-first-line options. These results will aid in management of ISs cases.

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is the main causative viral agent for liver diseases in China. In liver injury, exosomes may impede the interaction with chromatin in the target cell and transmit inflammatory, apoptosis, or regeneration signals through RNAs. Therefore, we attempted to determine the potential functions of exosomal RNAs using bioinformatics technology. We performed RNA sequencing analysis in exosomes derived from clinical specimens of healthy control (HC) individuals and patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) and acute-on-chronic liver failure caused by HBV (HBV-ACLF). This analysis resulted in the identification of different types and proportions of RNAs in exosomes from the HC individuals and patients. Exosomes from the CHB and HBV-ACLF patients showed distinct upregulation and downregulation patterns of differentially expressed genes compared with those from the HC subjects. Gene Ontology and Kyoto Encyclopaedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis further confirmed different patterns of biological functions and signalling pathways in CHB and HBV-ACLF. Then we chose two upregulated RNAs both in CHB and HBV-ACLF for further qPCR validation. It confirmed the significantly different expression levels in CHB and HBV-ACLF compared with HC. Our findings indicate selective packaging of the RNA cargo into exosomes under different HBV attacks; these may represent potential targets for the diagnosis and treatment of HBV-caused liver injury.

Smart city construction, as a new model of urban development, has become a crucial means to encourage residents' participation in physical exercise. However, there is still a lack of systematic exploration regarding the mechanisms by which smart city construction specifically affects residents' engagement in physical activity. This paper analyzes the impact of smart city construction on residents' participation in physical activity using a Difference-in-Differences (DID) model, based on data from the 2010 to 2020 China Family Panel Studies (CFPS). Data processing involved removing missing values, addressing outliers, and introducing control variables at the individual, household, and city levels. The study found that smart city construction significantly promotes residents' participation in physical activity. Smart city policies have a notable positive effect on this participation, and there are significant differences in the responses of various resident groups to physical activity engagement. The results of the mediation analysis indicate that the built environment, information access channels, and enjoyment of consumption play significant mediating roles between smart city policies and residents' participation in physical activity. Smart city construction influences residents' participation in physical activity both directly or indirectly by enhancing urban infrastructure, expanding access to information, and fostering enjoyable consumption experiences. In the future, smart city initiatives should prioritize the equitable distribution of resources, strengthen infrastructure development in rural and western regions, and further enhance the national fitness level., Competing Interests: Declarations Competing interests The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The ecological restoration of historical abandoned mines has emerged as a prominent issue that has been of great concern to the Chinese government and academia in recent years. In order to enhance the systematic and comprehensive evaluation of ecological restoration efforts in abandoned mines, this study explores and researches a new perspective, i.e. the subjective perception perspective based on residents' satisfaction, and applies it to the ecological restoration performance evaluation of abandoned mines in Ganzhou, which is the most representative city of mineral resources in the southern hilly and mountainous area. An ecological restoration performance evaluation index system has been developed, encompassing three criteria layers: ecology, economy, and society, as well as twenty indicator layers. In this paper, a combination of Technique for Order of Preference by Similarity to Ideal Solution (TOPSIS) and importance-performance analysis (IPA) method is proposed to empirically analyze the ecological restoration performance of abandoned mines in the study area. The study revealed that the three counties predominantly prioritized ecological benefits, whereas the satisfaction of residents with social and economic benefits was lacking. Based on the findings, corresponding countermeasures were proposed, offering a fresh perspective and theoretical framework for assessing ecological restoration in abandoned mines., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Quantitative assessment of the water use balance between economic society and ecology (EEWB) is the basis for coordinating the competitive relationship of water use between human activity and ecological requirements and. It is of great significance for optimizing the water resources carrying capacity and achieving a healthy regional water balance. Based on the concept of harmonious balance, this paper puts forward the definition and connotation of EEWB regarding the competition in water use between economic society and ecology. And, a novel framework for assessing the EEWB is proposed. It has four aspects relating to water resources, economic society, ecology, and human-water relationship. Linked to these aspects the Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) technique, Water Ecological Footprint (WEF) model, InVEST model and indicators system of human-water relationship are used to establish a water resources efficiency index (I EEWB-W ), economic society high-quality development index (I EEWB-ES ), ecology health index (I EEWB-E ), harmony index of human-water relationship (I EEWB-H ). The four indices were then integrated into the water use balance between economic society and ecology index (I EEWB ) with Euclidean distance, thus forming the EEWB quantification method system. Finally, the temporal and spatial characteristics of EEWB during 2010-2022 was diagnosed in Henan Province and cities of China. Results reveal that: (1) The water resources utilization efficiency exhibit a changing trend of initial decrease followed by subsequent increase; (2) Southern cities in Henan Province have a higher economic society development level compared to northern cities; (3) I EEWB-E in Henan Province is below 0.60, indicating that the regional ecology health remains consistently vulnerable; (4) I EEWB-H in Henan Province shows an increasing trend, indicating that a gradual improvement and overall upward development in the human-water relationship; (5) I EEWB multi-year average was within [0.53, 0.65] in Henan Province, indicating a state of Proximity imbalance. The low level of ecological health is the primary influencing factor. These findings will contribute to a better understanding of the water use balance between economic society and ecology and provide scientific reference for achieving a healthy regional water balance., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The Chinese cooking process, intricate and diverse, encompasses a wide range of dishes, generating substantial data that often poses significant challenges for automation. To address these challenges, this paper introduces a versatile, highly reliable, user-friendly, and intelligent data recorder specifically designed for Chinese cuisine-the Chinese Cuisine Intelligent Cooker Recorder-V1.0 (CCICR-V1.0). This device is intended to record data generated during the cooking process and provide essential support for intelligent cooking robot systems. The core of CCICR-V1.0 is a STM32 microcontroller, equipped with sensors that monitor temperature, pressure, and attitude. These sensors facilitate the intelligent collection of data related to dishes, ingredients, and the movements of cookware throughout the cooking process. To ensure efficient data acquisition and storage, CCICR-V1.0 employs a multi-task data buffering storage method that effectively allocates CPU resources. NAND Flash is used as the storage medium, guaranteeing secure storage, management, and preservation of high-frequency, multi-channel data. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of CCICR-V1.0 in achieving multi-channel, high-frequency data acquisition and storage in complex environments. This leads to an increase in automation efficiency of 89.9%. The weighing module demonstrates a maximum relative error of only 0.288%, while the attitude sensor experiment shows an attitude information error of just 0.22°C. Furthermore, the non-contact infrared temperature measurement module exhibits impressive performance with a maximum absolute error of 0.258 ∘ C and a maximum relative error of 0.88%. Notably, this measurement module has achieved a cost reduction of approximately 91.7% and an accuracy improvement of around 40%. Additionally, the response time of CCICR-V1.0 is less than 3 ms. With its ability to effectively capture data related to Chinese cooking, CCICR-V1.0 holds commercial value for widespread adoption and application in the field of intelligent cooking., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Great importance is attached to physical exercise and students' cognitive development, yet the precise mechanism linking the time duration of physical activities or sports with adolescents' cognitive development remains inconclusive. Based on the two-wave panel data of China Education Panel Survey (CEPS), this paper empirically examines the impact of daily physical exercise duration on junior middle school students' cognitive abilities, by using the two-way fixed-effect estimation. The findings reveal a nonlinear relationship, specifically an inverted "U"-shaped pattern, between daily time length of physical activities or sports and students' cognitive performance. The cognitive benefits of time investment in physical activities or sports reach the peak at approximately 0.829 h (equivalent to 50 min) per day among the teenagers in China. Furthermore, the daily time allocated to physical activities or sports affects students' cognitive performance differentially, students attending rural schools were rewarded more progressively, students of poorer physical fitness and those in good shape did not show discernible between-group differences. This study shades light on educational governance and time management, urging school administrators, parents and students to optimize the efficiency and utility of time resource invested in sports activities., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The judiciary protects the value of innovation through remedies such as injunctions and damages when patent rights are infringed, adjusting the expected returns on future innovation activities for firms. Based on data from 1,062 Chinese firms involved in Patent Infringement Litigations (PILs), this study uses three-way fixed-effects Poisson panel regression models to examine the dynamic impacts of a PIL win-or-lose decision on breakthrough and incremental innovation performance for plaintiff and defendant firms. The study finds that plaintiff micro and small-sized enterprises (MSEs) can only engage in short-term breakthrough innovation after winning a PIL. Plaintiff medium and large-sized enterprises (MLEs) tend to adopt the patent defence strategy after winning, while losing a case positively impacts their breakthrough and incremental innovation. Defendant firms adopt the strategy from incremental innovation to breakthrough innovation after winning, while losing inhibits their innovation. The current Chinese patent system has an imbalance in incentivizing innovation for MSEs. Whether winning or losing, defendant MSEs participating in litigation significantly inhibit their innovation performance at different levels. This paper provides a multidimensional angle for studying the relationship between patent protection and corporate innovation., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Rural preschool education is an integral part of rural society, and improving the efficiency system of evaluation of rural preschool education resource allocation is an important strategy for the implementation of the rural revitalization. This paper uses an input-oriented three-stage DEA model to analyze the efficiency of rural preschool education resource allocation in 30 provinces in China from 2012 to 2020. The results show that external factors such as the level of urbanization, birth rate, and the scale of kindergarten impacts the efficiency of rural preschool education resource allocation significantly. Without regard to the influence of environmental and random factors, the overall trend of the average efficiency of rural preschool education resource allocation in China has improved, showing a regional pattern of "central > eastern > western." Therefore, based on the relevant policies, this paper puts forward rational suggestions for the improvement of rural preschool resource allocation efficiency in China from the perspectives of human, financial and material resources., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

With the application of digital technology and its promotion of business model innovation, digital transformation has increasingly become an important strategic issue for enterprises. In this context, based on imprinting theory, we select all A-share listed enterprises in China from 2008 to 2022 as samples and study the relationship between the academic background of senior executives and the digital transformation of enterprises. The study results show that senior executives with academic backgrounds can significantly promote the digital transformation of enterprises. A test of the action mechanism shows that the academic background of senior executives plays a role in the promotion of the digital transformation of enterprises by improving enterprise innovation, and the degree of industry competition moderates the relationship between the academic background of senior executives and the digital transformation of enterprises. This paper applies imprint theory to explore the relationship between the academic background of executives and corporate digital transformation, expanding the research on how imprints affect corporate decision-making and the scope of imprint theory research, while also providing evidence to support government departments in formulating policies to encourage talented individuals with academic backgrounds to participate in corporate management., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The Tibetan sheep industry is a typical representative of plateau animal husbandry and grassland animal husbandry and is also one of the characteristic industries in the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau region. The study of this industry is of great significance to promoting the high-quality development of animal husbandry and the region. Based on the production data and statistical data of Tibetan sheep in the main producing areas of Qinghai Province, this paper adopts the entropy method and the coupling coordination degree model to study the high-quality development of animal husbandry in Qinghai province from five dimensions: product quality, production efficiency, economic benefits, environmental friendliness and environmental conditions. The results showed that the high-quality development level and coupling coordination degree of the Tibetan sheep industry in Haibei Prefecture, Hainan Prefecture, Haixi Prefecture and Huangnan Prefecture of Qinghai Province showed an upward trend from 2015 to 2020. Among them, the high-quality development level of the Tibetan sheep industry in Haibei Prefecture and Hainan Prefecture of Qinghai Province significantly increased from 2019 to 2020, but the coupling coordination degree decreased., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Comparing with cities, rural communities especially those declining rural communities have become vulnerable to natural disasters owing to their backward socioeconomic conditions. Taking Xun County of China's Henan Province as the study area, the paper aims to evaluate rural community resilience to flood by unveiling the connection between individuals' cognition, follow-up actions and the community resilience. Research results show that: (1) The logic chain exists as individual's cognition to disaster leads to their constructive actions to cope with disaster, which contribute to community resilience. (2) At the cognition dimension, individual's knowledge reserve of disaster prevention and their recognition to local authority are playing an important role in their decision making and follow-up behaviors when disaster occurs. (3) At the action dimension, individual's familiarity with the disaster preparedness, efficient information transmission when disaster occurs and villagers' following order and their unity of action all contribute to community resilience to disaster. The paper proposes ways to improve rural community resilience to disasters based on the research findings., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Understanding public awareness of environmental problems is vital for effectively formulating sustainable policies. This paper aims to investigate the impacts of two perspectives-external air pollution and individual health status-on public awareness by leveraging panel data from two waves of the China Family Panel Studies (CFPS) conducted between 2018 and 2020. The model integrates provincial-level PM2.5 concentration indicators and SO 2 , PM s , and NO x emissions. The results reveal a significantly positive correlation between air pollution and public awareness of environmental problems in China. Additionally, this study examines the impact of self-assessed health shock by categorizing it into worse and better health. The influence of better health is insignificant. Conversely, when individuals experience worse health, they may perceive it as a psychological loss, leading to a significant increase in public awareness of environmental problems. This study provides valuable insights for mitigating air pollution and reinforcing public health in developing countries., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Ensuring food security is not only vital to the adequate supply of food in the world, but also the key to the economic development and social stability of various countries. Based on the panel data of 29 provinces in China from 2016 to 2020, this paper selects the number of foodborne diseases patients and iodine deficiency disease patients as reference objects, uses stunting rate of children under 5 years old, malnutrition rate of children under 5 years old, obesity rate of children under 5 years old, and newborn visit rate to measure improving nutrition, proposes Meta Entropy Two-Stage Dynamic Direction Distance Function (DDF) Under an exogenous Data Envelopment Analysis (DEA) model to measure the efficiency of hunger eradication, food security, and improving nutrition under the influence of exogenous variable rainfall. The research results indicate that the sustainability of China's agricultural economy is insufficient, and the focus of attention should be different in different stages. In addition, the average efficiency of the three regions generally shows a decreasing level in the eastern, western, and central regions. In order to improve China's ability to guarantee food security, we must continue to strengthen the construction of agricultural infrastructure, increase policy support for green agricultural production, promote the diversification of agricultural production, and enrich people's agricultural product consumption varieties., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Under the wave of Industry 4.0, traditional pharmaceutical manufacturing enterprises are in urgent need of intelligent manufacturing transformation and upgrading, and exploring the optimal realization path of intelligent manufacturing transformation can help accelerate the transformation process of pharmaceutical manufacturing enterprises. This paper uses grounded theory research methods to conduct a multi-case study to summarize six influencing factors of the intelligent manufacturing transformation of Chinese pharmaceutical manufacturing enterprises; and then analyzes the correlation between the intelligent manufacturing influencing factors based on the DEMATEL method and the NK model, and identifies the key influencing factors according to this, and then draws the fitness landscape map of the intelligent manufacturing transformation, and finally arrives at the optimal path selection of the intelligent manufacturing transformation of pharmaceutical manufacturing enterprises. The study enriches and extends the research paradigm of intelligent manufacturing transformation, and provides lessons for pharmaceutical manufacturing enterprises to realize intelligent manufacturing transformation and upgrading., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The marine ecological red lines (MERLs) is an institutional innovation of the Chinese government to seek a balance between ecological protection and social development. China's MERLs was designated in 2017, but there are problems such as insufficient consideration of areas of high ecological importance and lack of convergence with marine functional zoning. This paper carries out the adjustment of the MERLs in China by constructing the methods of marine ecological importance assessment and human activities disposal assessment, and the results show that after the adjustment, the type and distribution pattern of China's MERLs is more reasonable, the areas of high ecological importance in the MERLs increases significantly, the intensity of human activities in the MERLs declines significantly, and the unification with the use of marine space is realized. China's adjustment of the MERLs is based on scientific assessment and realizes the coordination of development and protection, which can provide a reference for global marine ecological protection., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Since 2016, China has progressively relaxed family planning policies to stimulate birth rates. This paper examines the behavioral health repercussions of China's 2016 universal two-child policy (UTCP) by analyzing sleep pattern data from China Family Panel Studies. Napping is a composite indicator that denotes health outcomes, job quality, and personal well-being. It reveals work conditions and environments to some extent. UTCP may lead to heightened social expectations regarding pregnancy likelihood, and changes in social expectations within the workplace may make work environments less equitable and more stressful for females. Leveraging a difference-in-difference model, this paper explores how napping behaviors among the working-age cohort have responded to the policy shifts. Our analysis reveals a gender discrepancy in response to the policy, specifically, females exhibit a discernible reduction in the likelihood of napping, as well as in the duration of both daytime naps and daily sleep. Conversely, such effects are not significant among males. These results suggest policy consequences extend beyond individuals directly impacted by childbirth or contemplating parenthood. Hence, while promoting fertility is still the government's goal, policymakers are encouraged to consider the broader challenges the female population faces from social and workplace environment factors., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Residents' participation is crucial for sustainable old neighborhood regeneration. Residents' intentions to participate in the regeneration are low in China, resulting in unsustainable neighborhood development problems. Therefore, it is essential to investigate the drivers of residents' participation. Residents' behavioral mechanisms are deeply embedded in their social networks, especially in acquaintance social networks typical of old neighborhoods in China. By constructing a mediated moderation model based on the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and danwei system and taking the old neighborhood regeneration in Xi'an as a case study, this paper investigates the paths and mechanisms of the social network embeddedness, TPB, and danwei system on residents' participation intention. The results show that social network embeddedness can improve residents' intention to participate in regeneration through both direct and indirect pathways, and its indirect effect is much larger than the direct effect. Attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control significantly and positively mediated the contribution of social network embeddedness on participation intention. However, the specific mediating effect of attitude is significantly smaller than the other two. The danwei system has a significant moderating effect in the first stage of the relationship between social network embeddedness and participation intention. These imply that the extrinsic social factor of social network embeddedness is internalized as a driving force for convergence and motivation of residents' participation intentions mainly through the normative pressure and exchange of experiences between acquaintances and that the danwei system reinforces this extrinsic-intrinsic facilitation process through the danwei's "physical presence." These findings provide revelatory countermeasures for exploring the factors that motivate residents to participate actively in neighborhood regeneration and encourage their involvement at the intervention level., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Individual modelling is a foundational approach to study the natural forest growth and in this paper, we develop a serial distance-depended individual tree model for some species in natural forest which would provide prediction and characteristics for natural species. The data used to develop individual model for natural mixed forests were collected from 712 remeasured 10-year periodic permanent sample plots of in Baihe Forest Bureau of Changbai Mountains, northeast China. Based on analyzing relationship between diameter increment of individual trees with tree size, competitive status, and site condition and finding out the major independent variables, the growth models for individual trees of 15 species in the natural mixed forests, that have good predicting precision, and easily applicable, were developed using stepwise regression method. The individual growth model developed in this study can reflect the tree increment of 15 species and be generally well suited for simulating tree and stand growth for natural mixed forests in Changbai Mountains. The research results for individual trees growth model of each species showed that main variable to influence on diameter increment of individual trees for natural mixed forests were tree size (D) and then competition index. The site condition was not related with diameter increment. The natural logarithm of DBH (lnD) and square diameter (D 2 ) were included in the predicting models of diameter increment for all 15 species. The diameter increment was directly proportional to tree diameter for each species. For the competitive indexes in growth model, the relative diameter (RD), canopy closure (P), and the ratio of diameter of subject tree with maximum diameter (DDM) were related to diameter increment and the stand density measures were not significantly influenced on diameter increment. As canopy closure increase, tree increment decreases. The site conditions were performance less of factors in increment predictions in the model., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The quantitative extraction and evolution stage identification of the Nitraria tangutorum nebkhas are the basis for the restoration of regional plants and the reconstruction of degraded ecosystems. In this paper, the Nitraria tangutorum nebkha in Dengkou County of China was taken as the research object. Through the spectral and texture information of Gaofen-2 satellite image, the quantitative extraction of Nitraria tangutorum nebkha area and coverage information was completed using methods of gray threshold method, mathematical morphology, FCLSU mixed pixel decomposition, kernel density spatial analysis; the current evolution stage of the Nitraria tangutorum nebkha was identified, and their spatial distribution characteristics were analyzed. The results showed that: (1) The user accuracy and mapping accuracy of Nitraria tangutorum nebkha extracted from Random Forest combined with object-oriented classification method were up to 90.32%. (2) The method proposed can achieve an accuracy of 93.76% in extracting the spatial position of Nitraria tangutorum nebkhas. (3) The evolution of Nitraria tangutorum nebkhas can be divided into three stages: embryonic or developmental stage, stable stage, and declining stage, with a proportion of 60.70%, 20.97%, and 18.33%, respectively; The Nitraria tangutorum nebkhas in the study area is mainly in their embryonic or developmental stage, and the proportion of Nitraria tangutorum nebkhas in the declining stage is also large. It can provide technical and theoretical support for the precise extraction of nebkhas in arid and semi-arid desert areas, the identification of their current evolutionary stages, and the study of their spatial distribution patterns., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Fintech is disrupting the traditional financial models with the power of technology. Will it solve the problems faced by farmers in starting their own businesses and stimulate the vitality of rural entrepreneurship? In this paper, we focus on the impact of fintech development on the entrepreneurial behavior of farmers in China. First, we theoretically analyze the effects of fintech development on the entrepreneurial behavior of farmers and put forward the corresponding theoretical hypotheses. Second, using data from Baidu search index and the China Household Finance Survey (CHFS), we employ a Probit model to verify our theoretical hypotheses. Our findings suggest that (1) fintech development encourages farmer entrepreneurial behavior, (2) it achieves this by alleviating credit constraints, information constraints, and risk aversion effects, (3) in terms of the type of entrepreneurship, the development of fintech mainly promotes survival entrepreneurship among farmers, while the entrepreneurial effect of fintech is more significant among farmers with low education level, low income level and in the central and western regions. Overall, our study provides timely insights into boosting farmer entrepreneurship in emerging countries such as China by leveraging the potential of fintech., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Named entity recognition (NER) plays a crucial role in the extraction and utilization of knowledge of ancient Chinese books. However, the challenges of ancient Chinese NER not only originate from linguistic features such as the use of single characters and short sentences but are also exacerbated by the scarcity of training data. These factors together limit the capability of deep learning models, like BERT-CRF, in capturing the semantic representation of ancient Chinese characters. In this paper, we explore the semantic enhancement of NER in ancient Chinese books through the utilization of external knowledge. We propose a novel model based on Graph Neural Networks that integrates two different forms of external knowledge: dictionary-level and chapter-level information. Through the Graph Attention Mechanism (GAT), these external knowledge are effectively incorporated into the model's input context. Our model is evaluated on the C&#95;CLUE dataset, showing an improvement of 3.82% over the baseline BAC-CRF model. It also achieves the best score compared to several state-of-the-art dictionary-augmented models., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Based on 491 farmers joining in cooperatives microscopic data in Jiangxi Province,the paper uses Ordinary Least Squares to test the influence mechanism of cooperative green production on green performance, and takes environmental regulation as a regulatory variable to explore the relationship between cooperative green production and cooperative green performance. The results have shown that: (1) The green production cooperatives have a significant positive impact on their green performance, and the impact of green production on economic performance, social performance and ecological performance gradually strengthens from weak to strong; (2) Environmental regulations have a positive regulatory effect on the relationship between cooperative green production and cooperative green performance, among which three types of environmental regulations, namely, incentive, restraint and guided, can strengthen the positive relationship between green production and green performance., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

There are numerous differences between adult acne and adolescent acne in terms of causes, distribution, and characteristics of skin lesions, as well as treatment. This paper aims to summarize the differences between adult and adolescent acne in China, in order to propose more suitable ways to improve their quality of life. We collected basic information, acne-related information, acne-affecting factors, quality of life scores and treatment-related information of acne patients. A total of 552 questionnaires were collected. Adult acne is typically predominant on the cheeks, similar to adolescent acne, with a relatively lower incidence in other areas, apart from the jawline. Pigmentation and depressed scars are present in nearly half of acne patients, while hypertrophic scars are less frequently observed. Teenagers often have a higher consumption of dairy products, sugary drinks, and high-sugar and high-fat foods. Eczema is more common in adult acne. Additionally, more adults than teenagers experience stress and poor quality of life related to acne. Adolescents are more likely to seek treatment online and on social media. Clinicians must thoroughly evaluate diverse risk factors and formulate personalized acne management strategies for patients with different types of acne., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The purpose of this paper is to study the genetic polymorphisms of related gene loci (CYP2C9*3, VKORC1-1639G > A) based on demographic and clinical factors, and use the maximum a posterior Bayesian method to construct a warfarin individualized dose prediction model in line with the Chinese Han population. Finally, the built model is compared and analyzed with the widely used models at home and abroad. In this study, a total of 5467 INR measurements are collected from 646 eligible subjects in our hospital, and the maximum a posterior Bayesian method is used to construct a warfarin dose prediction that conforms to the Chinese Han population on the basis of the Hamberg model. The model is verified and compared with foreign models. This study finds that body weight and concomitant use of amiodarone have a significant effect on the anticoagulant effect of warfarin. The model can provide an effective basis for individualized and rational dosing of warfarin in Han population more accurately. In the performance of comparison with different warfarin dose prediction models, the new model has the highest prediction accuracy, and the prediction percentage is as high as 72.56%. The dose predicted by the Huang model is the closest to the actual dose of warfarin. The population pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics model established in this study can better reflect the distribution characteristics of INR values after warfarin administration in the Han population, and performs better than the models reported in the literature., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Yuxi, located in China's central plateau of Yunnan, is grappling with ecological and environmental challenges as it continues to develop its economy. While ecological quality assessment serves as the foundation for ecological protection, it is pivotal to have reliable and long-term methods for assessing the ecological status to support informed decision-making in ecological protection. Reliable and long-term methods for assessing ecological status in order to facilitate informed decision-making in ecological protection are applied. This study utilized Landsat data to reconstruct four indices (greenness, wetness, dryness, and heat) during the vegetation growth in Yuxi from 2000 to 2020 that employs Harmonic Analysis of Time Series (HANTS) method. Subsequently, the annual Remote Sensing Ecological Index (RSEI) was computed by using the reconstructed indices to evaluate ecological quality in Yuxi. Additionally, spatiotemporal patterns and determinants of Yuxi's ecological quality are unveiled through Sen's slope estimator and Mann-Kendall test (Sen + MK) trend analysis, spatial auto-correlation analysis, and geographical detectors applied to year-by-year RSEI data. The findings in the paper indicate that the accuracy of the RSEI is significantly influenced by the vegetation season, suggesting that constructing the RSEI model with data from the vegetation growth season is crucial. Moreover, the HANTS optimization method effectively enhances the ecological indices used in the RSEI model, leading to smoother and more continuous filling of missing data. The difference between the reconstructed RSEI and the original RSEI falls within the range of - 0.15 to 0.15. Yuxi has an average RSEI of 0.54 to emphasis a moderate level of comprehensive ecological quality. Compared with river valley plains, the ecological quality of mountainous areas is higher, and the ecological quality of Yuxi presents a distinct center-edge pattern. From 2000 to 2020, Yuxi's ecological quality exhibited fluctuations, with a slight overall improvement. Land use patterns, particularly in forestry land and impervious surfaces, are identified as the main drivers of these changes. The research offers valuable insights for scientific decision-making related to sustainable development and ecological protection., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Rapid urbanization has resulted in the substantial population growth in metropolitan areas. However, existing research on population change of the cities predominantly draws on grid statistical data at the administrative level, overlooking the intra-urban variegation of population change. Particularly, there is a lack of attention given to the spatio-temporal change of population across different urban forms and functions. This paper therefore fills in the lacuna by clarifying the spatio-temporal characteristics of population growth in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area (GBA) from 2000 to 2020 through the methods of local climate zone (LCZ) scheme and urban-rural gradients. The results showed that: (1) High population density was observed in the compact high-rise (LCZ 1) areas, with a noticeable decline along urban-rural gradients. (2) The city centers of GBA experienced the most significant population growth, while certain urban fringes and rural areas witnessed significant population shrinkage. (3) The rate of growth tended to slow down after 2010, but the uneven development of population-based urbanization was also noticeable, as urbanization and industrialization varied across different LCZ types and cities in GBA. This paper therefore contributes to a deeper understanding of population change and urbanization by clarifying their spatio-temporal contingences at landscape level., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Breast cancer is one of the tumors with the highest prevalence rate among women in the world, and its BRCA1/2 gene is a common mutation site. Talazoparib, as a targeted PARP inhibitor, can effectively control the occurrence and development of breast cancer with BRCA1/2 gene mutation, and play a therapeutic role. Based on the findings from the Phase III EMBRACE trial (NCT01945775 clinical trial), our analysis reveals that the talazoparib group demonstrated a significant extension in progression-free survival, along with improved response markers and patient-reported outcomes when compared to conventional therapies. This study aims to assess the cost-effectiveness of talazoparib for treating advanced breast cancer with germline BRCA1/2 mutations and HER2 negativity, considering the perspectives of health services in China and the United States. The results obtained will serve as a valuable reference for promoting rational drug utilization and enhancing medical resource efficiency. To evaluate the cost-effectiveness of Talazoparib more scientifically and provide clinicians with chemotherapy options, this paper developed a Markov model based on the EMBRACA clinical trial (clinical Trails.gov No., NCT01945775) to simulate the survival events of breast cancer patients in the Talazoparib group and the standard treatment group. The state transition probability and clinical data of breast cancer patients during treatment were extracted from the phase III EMBRACA clinical trial. The cost data generated during the treatment process comes from local hospital pricing, other references, and expert consultation. This article uses US dollars to calculate the treatment cost and incremental cost-effectiveness ratio. Health outcomes are expressed in Quality Adjusted Life Years (QALYs). In addition, Outcomes were measured in quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs), and incremental cost-effectiveness ratio, which robustness was evaluated by deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses. This article establishes a Markov model for single-item sensitivity analysis. The results show that the economic benefits of using Talazoparib as a new treatment strategy in both China and the United States are higher than other drugs, and it is cost-effective. Compared to the control group, the incremental cost incurred by the Talazoparib treatment group in China was $2484.48/QALY, with an incremental QALY of 1.5. However, Talazoparib in the United States holds a dominant position, saving costs of $10,223.43 and increasing QALYs by 1.5. The clinical treatment effect of Talazoparib group in BRCA1/2 mutant advanced breast cancer patients is better than that of the standard treatment group, and the progression free survival period is significantly prolonged. From the perspective of medical and health services in China and the United States, the Talazoparib group is more economical than the standard treatment group in treating patients with BRCA1/2 mutant advanced breast cancer., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Uncaria rhynchophylla is an important traditional herbal medicine in China, and the yield and quality of Uncaria rhynchophylla can be improved by suitable soil conditioners because of changing the soil properties. In this paper, Uncaria rhynchophylla associated alkaloids and soil microbial  communities were investigated. The field experiment was set up with the following control group: (M1, no soil conditioner) and different soil conditioner treatment groups (M2, biomass ash; M3, water retention agent; M4, biochar; M5, lime powder and M6, malic acid). The results showed that M2 significantly increased the fresh and dry weight and the contents of isorhynchophylline, corynoxeine, isocorynoxeine, and total alkaloids. Acidobacteria, Proteobacteria, Actinobacteria, and Chloroflexi were major bacterial phyla. Correlation analysis showed that fresh and dry weight was significantly positively correlated with Acidobacteria, while alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen, phosphatase activity, fresh and dry weight, corynoxeine, and isocorynoxeine were significantly negatively correlated with Chloroflexi. The application of soil conditioner M2 increased the abundance of Acidobacteria and decreased the abundance of Chloroflexi, which contributed to improving the soil nutrient content, yield, and quality of Uncaria rhynchophylla. In summary, biomass ash may be a better choice of soil conditioner in Uncaria rhynchophylla growing areas., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The Ae. albopictus mosquito has gained global attention due to its ability to transmit viruses, including the dengue and zika. Mosquito control is the only effective way to manage dengue fever, as no effective treatments or vaccines are available. Insecticides are highly effective in controlling mosquito densities, which reduces the chances of virus transmission. However, Ae. albopictus has developed resistance to pyrethroids in several provinces in China. Pyrethroids target the voltage-gated sodium channel gene (VGSC), and mutations in this gene may result in knockdown resistance (kdr). Correlation studies between resistance and mutations can assist viruses in managing Ae. albopictus, which has not been studied in Guizhou province. Nine field populations of Ae. albopictus at the larval stage were collected from Guizhou Province in 2022 and reared to F1 to F2 generations. Resistance bioassays were conducted against permethrin, beta-cypermethrin, and deltamethrin for both larvae and adults of Ae. albopictus. Kdr mutations were characterized by PCR and sequencing. Additionally, the correlation between the kdr allele and pyrethroid resistance was analyzed. All nine populations of Ae. albopictus larvae and adults were found to be resistant to three pyrethroid insecticides. One kdr mutant allele at codon 1016, one at 1532 and three at 1534 were identified with frequencies of 13.86% (V1016G), 0.53% (I1532T), 58.02% (F1534S), 11.69% (F1534C), 0.06% (F1534L) and 0.99% (F1534P), respectively. Both V1016G and F1534S mutation mosquitoes were found in all populations. The kdr mutation F1534S was positively correlated with three pyrethroid resistance phenotypes (OR > 1, P < 0.05), V1016G with deltamethrin and beta-cypermethrin resistance (OR > 1, P < 0.05) and F1534C only with beta-cypermethrin resistance (OR > 1, P < 0.05). Current susceptibility status of wild populations of Ae. albopictus to insecticides and a higher frequency of kdr mutations from dengue-monitored areas in Guizhou Province are reported in this paper. Outcomes of this study can serve as data support for further research and development of effective insecticidal interventions against Ae. albopictus populations in Guizhou Province., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The North China Plain (NCP) is one of the three great plains in China and also serves as a vital region for grain, cotton, and oil production. Under the influence of regional hydrothermal changes, groundwater overexploitation, and seawater intrusion, the vegetation coverage is undergoing continuous alterations. However, a comprehensive assessment of impacts of precipitation, temperature, and groundwater on vegetation in marine sedimentary regions of the NCP is lacking. Heilonggang Basin (HB) is located in the low-lying plain area in the east of NCP, which is part of the NCP. In this study, the HB was chosen as a typical area of interest. We collected a series of data, including the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), precipitation, temperature, groundwater depth, and Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) from 2001 to 2020. Then the spatiotemporal variation in vegetation was analyzed, and the underlying driving mechanisms of vegetation variation were explored in this paper. The results show that NDVI experiences a rapid increase from 2001 to 2004, followed by stable fluctuations from 2004 to 2020. The vegetation in the HB has achieved an overall improvement in the past two decades, with 76% showing improvement, mainly in the central and eastern areas, and 24% exhibiting deterioration in other areas. From 2001 to 2020, NDVI correlates positively with precipitation, whereas its relationship with temperature fluctuates between positive and negative, and is not statistically significant. There is a threshold for the synergistic change of NDVI and groundwater depth. When the groundwater depth is lower than 3.8 m, NDVI increases sharply with groundwater depth. However, beyond this threshold, NDVI tends to stabilize and fluctuate. In the eastern coastal areas, NDVI exhibits a strong positive correlation with groundwater depth, influenced by the surface soil TDS controlled by groundwater depth. In the central regions, a strong negative correlation is observed, where NDVI is primarily impacted by soil moisture under the control of groundwater. In the west and south, a strong positive correlation exists, with NDVI primarily influenced by the intensity of groundwater exploitation. Thus, precipitation and groundwater are the primary driving forces behind the spatiotemporal variability of vegetation in the HB, while in contrast, the influence of temperature is uncertain. This study has elucidated the mechanism of vegetation response, providing a theoretical basis for mitigating adverse factors affecting vegetation growth and formulating rational water usage regulations in the NCP., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The health of young people is crucial for the future and development of a nation. It is the collective responsibility and imperative mission of society to ensure the holistic well-being, both physically and mentally, of young individuals. Therefore, it is essential to thoroughly comprehend the factors that influence their health in order to expedite the exploration of effective solutions. The objective of this study is to comprehend the mechanisms that underlie the correlation between physical exercise behavior and psychological resilience among teenagers, while also examining the mediating role played by social sensitivity and need to belong. So put forward the hypothesis: (1) physical exercise behavior can positively predict the psychological resilience. (2) Social sensitivity and need to belong plays a mediating role between physical exercise behavior and psychological resilience. (3) Social sensitivity and need to belong plays a chain mediating role between physical exercise behavior and psychological resilience. Using the cluster sampling method, a total of 1106 students (with an average age of 15.7 and a standard deviation of 0.598) who met the requirements were surveyed from Shandong Province in China. Standard scales were utilized to assess Physical Exercise Behavior, Psychological Resilience, Social Sensitivity, and Need to Belong. For data analysis, Pearson's correlation analysis and bias-corrected percentile Bootstrap method were sequentially conducted. (1) The present study did not find any significant methodological bias, and the observed correlations between physical exercise behavior, psychological resilience, social sensitivity, and need to belong were all statistically significant; (2) Based on the self-determination theory, this study elucidates the relationship between physical exercise behavior and psychological resilience among teenagers. The findings indicate that physical exercise behavior positively predicts the need to belong and psychological resilience, while negatively predicting social sensitivity. Similarly, social sensitivity negatively predicts the need to belong and psychological resilience. Moreover, the need to belong directly and positively predicts psychological resilience. Importantly, all hypotheses proposed in this paper were empirically supported. (3) The indirect effect of the path mediated by social sensitivity is 0.009, while the indirect effect of the path mediated by need to belong is 0.033. Additionally, the combined indirect effect of both social sensitivity and need to belong as mediating variables is 0.014. (4) The cumulative sum of all these indirect effects amounts to 0.056. Based on the self-determination theory, we propose a chain mediation model, specially, physical exercise behavior can significantly positively predict psychological resilience, among which, social sensitivity and need to belong play a significant mediating role between Physical exercise behavior and psychological resilience. In addition, the adoption of good physical exercise behavior can enhance the psychological resilience of adolescents by diminishing social sensitivity and augmenting the need to belong., (© 2024. The Author(s).)