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Summary: Phosphorus (P) fertilization can alleviate a soil P deficiency in grassland ecosystems. Understanding plant functional traits that enhance P uptake can improve grassland management.We measured impacts of P addition on soil chemical and microbial properties, net photosynthetic rate (Pn) and nonstructural carbohydrate concentrations ([NSC]), and root P‐uptake rate (PUR), morphology, anatomy, and exudation of two dominant grass species: Leymus chinensis (C3) and Cleistogenes squarrosa (C4).For L. chinensis, PUR and Pn showed a nonlinear correlation. Growing more adventitious roots compensated for the decrease in P transport per unit root length, so that it maintained a high PUR. For C. squarrosa, PUR and Pn presented a linear correlation. Increased Pn was associated with modifications in root morphology, which further enhanced its PUR and a greater surplus of photosynthate and significantly stimulated root exudation (proxied by leaf [Mn]), which had a greater impact on rhizosheath micro‐environment and microbial PLFAs.Our results present correlations between the PUR and the Pn of L. chinensis and C. squarrosa and reveal that NSC appeared to drive the modifications of root morphology and exudation; they provide more objective basis for more efficient P‐input in grasslands to address the urgent problem of P deficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much attention has been given to the change rule of a single extreme event, and there are few reports on comprehensive characteristics of multiple extreme events in a certain region. Based on the analyzes of annual frequency of extreme high temperature, extreme low temperature, extreme drought, extreme precipitation, and extreme typhoon events in China from 1961 to 2020, a multi extreme events composite risk grade index (MXCI) was constructed and applied to the comprehensive characteristics analyzes of multiple extreme events in China. The results show that the high value areas of MXCI were mainly located in southeast China and southwest China. Over the past 60 years, the MXCI has shown a decreasing trend in western China and most of southeastern China, and an increasing trend in the middle zone from southwest China to northeast China. Through comparative analysis, MXCI can objectively reflect the comprehensive characteristics of multiple extreme climate events in a region, which is helpful to understand regional extreme climate characteristics and effectively cope with extreme climate risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For the day-by-day evaporation observation data in the Yangtze River Basin from 1951 to 2019, the effects of the gradual shift of observation instruments from 20 cm diameter evaporation pan (D20) to E601 evaporation pan after 1980 are discussed, including inconsistent data series, and missing and anomalous data. This study proposes a governance and improvement method for dual-source evaporation data (GIME). The method can accomplish the homogenization of data from different observation series and solve the problem of inconsistent and missing data, and we applied it in practice on data of the Yangtze River Basin. Firstly, the primary and secondary periods of the data were obtained by wavelet periodicity analysis; secondly, we considered the first cycle of observations to be representative of the sample and calculated the conversion relationship between the primary and secondary periods; thirdly, the conversion coefficient between the dual-source observations was calculated, and the results were corrected for stations outside the main cycle; finally, the daily evaporation dataset of E601 pan was established through data fusion and interpolation technology. The study found that the annual average conversion coefficients of the D20 and E601 pans in the Yangtze River Basin are basically between 0.55 and 0.80, and there are obvious differences in different regions. The conversion coefficient is positively correlated with relative humidity, wind speed, minimum temperature and altitude; and negatively correlated with sunshine duration, average temperature and maximum temperature. Evaporation is high in the upper reaches of the basin and low in the middle and lower reaches; in particular, evaporation is highest in the southwest, which is associated with the drought hazards. In addition, the article presents the spatial distribution of the conversion coefficients of D20 and E601 pans in the Yangtze River Basin. The results can realize the rapid correction of the evaporation data of the local meteorological department, and can be extended to the processing of other types of data in similar areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dongting Lake, an important wintering habitat for migratory waterbirds in the East Asian–Australasian Flyway, has suffered serious degradation in recent decades. To restore habitats for biodiversity conservation and flood control, 459 dykes were demolished and 14 were preserved in 2017. However, the direct impact of dyke demolition on wintering waterbirds was not comprehensively assessed. In this study, based on annual waterbird census and habitat data (2013/14–2020/21), we compared the differences in habitat areas and species composition of waterbirds in the dyke‐demolished and preserved areas, and explored whether habitat changes caused by the dyke demolition were responsible for the changes in the number of species and percentages of waterbird individuals. The results indicate that the areas of water (including shallow water) and mudflat habitats significantly decreased, but the vegetation area significantly increased in the dyke‐demolished areas. The species numbers and percentages of waterbird individuals at the community and foraging guilds levels, and the percentages of nine species, were higher in the dyke‐preserved areas than those in the dyke‐demolished areas. Changes in the numbers of species and percentages of individuals of fish eaters, insectivores, and omnivores positively correlated with drastic changes in the percentages of water habitats (including shallow water) after dyke demolition. Effective measures should be carried out to restore hydrological regimes, providing waterbirds sufficient suitable habitats with different water depths. These findings improve our understanding of the influence of dyke demolition on waterbirds and provide insights for wetland management and waterbird conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The increasing numbers of women in the workforce is an inevitable trend in China. More and more employed women stop breastfeeding because of working stressors. Many mothers, however, overcome the challenges and insist on breastfeeding after returning to work. Their individual experience of breastfeeding may provide a new insight to promote and support breastfeeding on employed mothers. This study sought to understand mothers' experience with insisting on breastfeeding after returning to work based on Kumpfer's Resilience Framework in Chinese context. Methods: This qualitative study was designed with semi-structured interviews. Purposive sampling and snowball sampling were employed to recruit 13 full-time working mothers with a stable job in the public sector who continued to breastfeed for 1 month or longer after returning to work in Haikou, Hainan Province, China. Interviews were conducted from January to March 2020 to capture participants' experiences of breastfeed after returning to work. Grounded theory and Kumpfer's Resilience Framework were used to analyze data via a systematic and iterative process. Results: Employed mothers built resilience while continuing to breastfeed after returning to work. The core concept was "dynamic interaction". Other categories were the background and explanation of this phenomenon. For working mothers who continued to breastfeed, resilience involved "dynamic interaction", which started from "experiencing stressors" and "obtaining support", two environmental factors interacted with the individual to "build resilience qualities", which interact with environment led to "behavioral resilience". And then the ongoing dynamic interaction between behavioral resilience and environment ultimately led to three different "weaning processes", including natural weaning, active weaning, and forced weaning. Conclusions: This study identified the framework of resilience in mothers who were in the adversity of breastfeeding after returning to work based on Kumpfer's Resilience Framework. It provided a new insight into the resilience of employed mothers around the world to continue breastfeeding and showed the different culture of breastfeeding on employed mothers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Jujube (Ziziphus jujuba Mill.) fruit is one of the largest productions in China and its increasing production has drawn considerable attention from researchers. Polysaccharide is one of the most abundant components of jujube, and it represents a major group of biolotegically active constituents. This study intended to investigate the special structure of a homogeneous acidic polysaccharide (PZMP4) produced from Ziziphus Jujuba cv. Muzao fruit using novel methods, including DEAE-Sepharose Fast Flow and Sephacryl S-300 column chromatography. Results: The structure of PZMP4 was determined via high-performance gel permeation chromatography (HPGPC), gas chromatography (GC), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR), methylation analysis, nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The results reveal that PZMP4 with a molecular weight of 27.90 kDa was composed of rhamnose, arabinose, mannose, glucose, galactose, and galacturonic acid at a ratio of 2.32:2.21:0.22:0.88:2.08:8.83. Advanced structural analysis revealed a netted structure with molecular aggregates of PZMP4. Structural features demonstrated that the basic backbone of PZMP4 appeared to mainly consist of (1→4)-linked GalpA with three branches bonded to O-3 of (1→3)-linked Araf, (1→2)-linked Rhap, and terminated with GalpA. Conclusions: PZMP4's unique structure could imply distinct bioactivities and have considerable utilization in functional food. Highlights: Structural characteristics of PZMP4 were analyzed by HPGPC, GC, FT-IR, GC-MS, NMR, SEM and AFM. PZMP4 mainly consisted of (1→4)-linked GalpA with three branches boned to O-3. The branches included (1→3)-linked Araf, (1→2)-linked Rhap, and terminated with GalpA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Red cell distribution width (RDW) is a predicter of infections, cancer and diabetes. However, the relationship between RDW and β-cell function and insulin resistance remains unclear in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). The aim of the study was to explore the relationship between RDW and β-cell function in patients with T2DM. Methods: A total of 559 T2DM patients were enrolled in this cross-sectional study. Patients were divided into three groups according to RDW tertiles. Clinical and biochemical characteristics such as age, duration of diabetes, blood pressure, RDW, glycosylated hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), C-peptide and lipid profiles were collected. Homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA2IR) and homeostasis model assessment of β-cell function (HOMA2%B) were assessed using homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) based on fasting blood glucose (FBG) and fasting C-peptide index (FCPI). Correlations and multiple linear regressions were performed to explore the association between RDW and islet function indexes in total population and in different gender subgroups. Results: The HOMA2%B gradually increased according to RDW tertiles (lowest, second, highest RDW tertiles; 47.1(32.9–75.4), 54.05(34.1–81), and 57.9(38.65–95.4), respectively; P = 0.036). Correlation analysis indicated that there were significant correlations between RDW and age, diabetes duration, diastolic blood pressure (DBP), triglycerides (TG), aspartate transaminase (AST), FBG, HbA1c and HOMA2%B in all subjects. In male subjects, RDW correlated positively with age, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) and AST, and it correlated negatively with body mass index (BMI), DBP and TG. In female subjects, RDW correlated positively with age, duration, serum creatinine (Cr), FCPI and HOMA2%B, and it correlated negatively with alanine transaminase (ALT), FBG and HbA1c. Multiple linear regressions indicated that RDW was significantly correlated with HOMA2%B and HbA1c in the total population in both unadjusted and adjusted analysis. This finding could be reproduced in the subgroup of men for HOMA2%B only and in women for HbA1c only. Conclusions: RDW is associated with β-cell function assessed by HOMA2%B after adjusting for covariates in male T2DM patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To explore the accuracy and cost‐effectiveness of three vision screening models among preschool children in rural China. Methods: Vision screening was carried out among children aged 4–5 years in 65 preschools in two counties in Northwest China, using Crowded Single Lea Symbols to test visual acuity. Children were assigned randomly by school to one of three screening models: screening by teachers (15 schools, 1835 children), local optometrists (30 schools, 1718 children) or volunteers (20 schools, 2183 children). Children identifying ≥2 symbols incorrectly in either eye failed screening. Accuracy of screening was compared with screenings executed by experienced optometrists among 141 children selected randomly from the three screening models. Direct and indirect costs for each model were assessed. Costs to detect a true case failed screening were estimated. Results: The sensitivity for three models ranged from 76.9% to 87.5%, specificity from 84.9% to 86.7% and standardized positive predictive value from 83.7% to 85.7%. None differed significantly between models. The costs per case detected were $37.53, $59.14 and $52.19 for the teachers, local optometrists and volunteers. In producing the cost estimates for teacher screening and local optometrist screening models, we used a salary payment that was identical for both models (with the salary being equal to that of the optometrist). The teacher screening model was the most cost‐effective. Conclusion: Accuracy of screening by teachers, local optometrists and volunteers was the same in this setting, but the use of teachers was most cost‐effective, reducing the cost per case detected by almost 40%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much attention has been given to the large-scale anthropogenic influence on extreme temperature changes. However, the possible effects of atmospheric factors and the role of the locally anthropogenic driver on the observed regional change in extreme temperatures have not been well understood. Datasets of the China Meteorological Administration (CMA) were used to examine the possible influence. The data include the homogenized surface air maximum/minimum temperature, surface sunshine duration (SSD), water vapor pressure (VAP), and total cloud cover (CLO) during 1961–2020. We calculated the seasonal means of maximum temperature (Tx (mean)), minimum temperature (Tn (mean)) and diurnal temperature range (DTR) to analyze the characteristics of extreme surface air temperature (ESAT) changes in winter and summer, and their relationship to SSD, VAP , and CLO , as well as the urbanization effect in the extreme temperature indices series. The changes in the trends for SSD and VAP were more closely correlated with ESAT in winter and summer, respectively. The decreasing of SSD led to a slowing of the ESAT warming, while an increase of the VAP led to the intensification of ESAT warming. In addition, CLO also had an important role in the change of ESAT. The seasonal mean correlation coefficient over China mainland between Tn (mean) and VAP were statistically significant and higher than those with SSD and CLO. The seasonal mean correlation between Tx (mean) / DTR and SSD were also statistically significant. The SSD and VAP strongly influenced the Tx (mean) in winter. The urbanization contribution to the DTR trends reached >25% in both winter and summer. SSD strongly influenced the trend of ESAT in urban area whereas CLO/VAP had larger influence on the trend of ESAT in rural area, which were all related to the urbanization effect as observed in the data series. • The decreasing of sunshine duration and increasing of the water vapor led to a slowing and the intensification of the extreme temperature warming, respectively. • The correlation coefficient between minimum temperature and water vapor were statistically significant. The correlation between maximum temperature / diurnal temperature range and sunshine duration were statistically significant. • The trend of sunshine duration strongly influenced on the trend of extreme temperature in urban area, whereas the trend of cloud cover and water vapor had more influence in rural area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the homogenized daily data of 2255 meteorological stations during the past 60 years from 1961 to 2020, the potential evapotranspiration was calculated using the revised FAO56 Penman–Monteith model, and then the annual AI (aridity index, the ratio of annual potential evapotranspiration to annual precipitation) was employed to analyze the dry-wet climate change in China. The GCM models' prediction data was used to analyze the possible trends of dry-wet climate in China by the end of this century. The results showed that in the past 60 years, the climate in China was getting wetter, especially in the western regions of China, including Xinjiang, western Qinghai, Gansu, western Inner Mongolia, and northwestern Tibet. In the last 10 years, China's climate has become more humid. Compared with the 1960s, the total area of aridity has decreased by about 650,000 square kilometers. The changes of different climate zones have regional and periodical characteristics. There was a tendency to get wet periods in all four seasons, especially in summer. Analysis of GCM model projection data shows that by the end of this century, the climate in China would have a general trend of becoming drier. The drier regions are mainly located in the central and eastern parts of China, while the western regions of China continue to maintain the wetting trends. In the case of high emissions, the trends of drying in the central and eastern and wetting in the west are more significant than in the case of medium emission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grazing has a profound impact on the availability of soil resources like carbon (C), nitrogen (N), and phosphorus (P) in grasslands. These changes can potentially make it difficult to meet microbial elemental demands, thus affecting microbial C use efficiency (CUE) and soil C dynamics. Nevertheless, it remains unclear how soil microbes respond to stoichiometric imbalances and their consequent effect on microbial CUE. In this study, we investigated the stoichiometry of soil labile resources, microbial biomass, extracellular enzymes, as well as the microbial community composition and microbial CUE, microbial respiration, microbial quotient (q MB), and soil organic carbon (SOC) changes, at sites with four grazing intensities (no grazing, light, medium, and heavy grazing) in a temperate steppe of northern China. Grazing led to decreased stoichiometric imbalances between soil labile resources and microbial biomass, thereby exacerbating limitations of available C on soil microbes. To alleviate this limitation of C, microbes raised the microbial threshold elemental ratios and microbial biomass, and increased fungi dominance rather than increased activities of C-, N-, and P- acquiring enzymes due to increased microbial own growth. Microbes also improved microbial CUE, q MB, and microbial respiration while decreasing SOC under increasing grazing intensity. These integrated adaptations denote that grazing can reduce SOC which is closely affected by soil microbial C utilization induced by resource change conditions despite the increased microbial biomass contribution to SOC. These findings illustrate the regulation of stoichiometric imbalances in soil C dynamics driven by microbes under grazing and improve our understanding of how stoichiometric changes influences soil C flows in semi-arid grassland. [Display omitted] • Grazing lowered stoichiometric imbalances but increased microbial C limitation. • Microbes decreased C-, N-, P-acquiring enzymes for limiting nutrients acquisition. • Microbes increased their biomass, threshold elemental ratios, and fungi:bacteria. • Aggravated grazing induced increased CUE, q MB, and microbial own growth. • Adaptative pathways of microbes resulted a decline of SOC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Introduce an evaluation approach for the Ecological Service Value of Water (ESV-W). • Improve the assessment of Ecosystem Services Value (ESV) by introducing the Agricultural Price Index (API) into the Equivalence Factor (EF). • Improve the Water Allocation and Simulation Model (WAS) to simulate and quantify the 'natural-artificial' soil water cycle. • Analysis of the ESV and ESV-W in the Yangtze River Basin from 2005 to 2020. This paper introduces an evaluation approach for the Ecological Service Value of Water (ESV-W) by coupling the assessment of Ecosystem Services Value (ESV) with the Water Allocation and Simulation Model (WAS). The proposed method is applied to evaluate ESV and ESV-W in the Yangtze River Basin from 2005 to 2020. Firstly, an improved Equivalence Factor (EF) method is employed to estimate ESV by considering different land use types and service categories. Then, the enhanced WAS model is used to quantify and identify the role of the 'natural-artificial' soil water cycle in supporting the ecological service functions. Finally, by integrating the ESV evaluation system with the WAS model, the evaluation method for ESV-W is established. The results indicated that from 2005 to 2020, the total ESV increased from 4.0 to 5.6 trillion US Dollars, with forests being the primary contributor among land use types (about 52%), and regulating services are dominating among service categories (about 70%). The spatial distribution of the ESV showed a decreasing trend from southeast to northwest in the Yangtze River Basin, while the ESV-W exhibited high values concentrated along the main stream of the upper reaches of the Yangtze River and lower in the middle. The ESV-W of the 'natural' soil water cycle still dominates (over 96%), but the ESV-W of the 'artificial' soil water cycle has been rapidly increasing in recent years. In 2020, the ESV-W per unit water of precipitation, irrigation, and ecological water were 4.0 Dollars/ m 3 , 0.7 Dollars/ m 3 , and 32.4 Dollars/ m 3 , respectively. This study aims to provide references for the protection of water ecosystems and the sustainable utilization of water resources. It also serves as a reference for improving the evaluation system of ESV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecological security (ES) can express the health and integrity of regional ecosystems; hence, a better understanding of regional ES levels and their influencing factors can help to specify sustainable ecological management policies. Levels of ES in the West Liao River Basin were computed for the years of 2000 to 2020 at both the grid and county scale by using the pressure–state–response model, with ecosystem services also included in the assessment system. From 2000 to 2020, the area of both the forests and grasslands increased, due to the Grain for Green Project, which augmented net primary productivity (NPP), an ecosystem production service, and enhanced the overall habitat quality of the basin and promoted improvements to the regional ecological environment. The ES levels in most areas of the West Liao River Basin were improved over time, in that >90% of its area was above the middle level in 2020. The coordinates of "very insecure" moved to the basin's southeast, while "very secure" moved to its northwest, which indicated serious ES problems in the southeast of the basin. When compared with the most economically developed areas or remote areas having societal progress and human activities, generally the moderately developed areas have better ES levels. Further, human factors are more important to ES than natural factors, though all driving factors had enhanced impacts on the change in ES via their interactive effects. By determining the ES levels of the basin, four ecological management zones were then derived for it. We identified the main environmental problems in each ecological management zones and put forward the corresponding management measures, which would make the results more useful for supporting resource management and ecological protection of ecologically fragile areas in the agriculture and pasture interlaced landscape of northern China. • Ecological security levels were improved in most areas of the West Liao River Basin. • Moderately developed areas have better ecological security levels. • From 2000 until 2020, the gravity center of ecological security changed. • Human factors are more important to ecological security than natural factors. • Including ecosystem services can better quantify the ecological security status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poncirus polyandra , a plant species with extremely small populations in China, has become extinct in the wild. This study aimed to identify functional genes that improve tolerance to abiotic and biotic stresses. Here, we present a high-quality chromosome-scale reference genome of P. polyandra. The reference genome is 315.78 Mb in size, with an N50 scaffold size of 32.07 Mb, and contains nine chromosomes with 20,815 protein-coding genes, covering 97.82% of the estimated gene space. We identified 17 rapidly evolving nucleotide-binding-site (NBS) genes, three C-repeat-binding factors (CBF) genes, 19 citrus greening disease (Huanglongbing, HLB) tolerance genes, 11 citrus tristeza virus (CTV) genes, and one citrus nematode resistance gene. A divergence time of 1.96 million years ago was estimated between P. polyandra and P. trifoliata. This is the first genome-scale assembly and annotation of P. polyandra , which will be useful for genetic, genomic, and molecular research and provide guidance for the development of conservation strategies. • The whole-genome sequence of Poncirus polyandra is 315.78 Mb with scaffold N50 of 32.07 Mb. • 17 rapidly evolving NBS genes, three CBF genes, 19 HLB tolerance genes, 11 CTV genes, and one citrus nematode resistance gene were identified. • A divergence time of 1.96 million years ago between P. polyandra and P. trifoliata was estimated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Water recession pattern were classified as optimal, early, or late water recession. • Phenological mismatch is the days between geese arrival and timing of optimal NDVI. • Unusually early or late water level recession leads to a greater mismatch. • Greater mismatch negatively affected Lesser White-fronted Goose abundance. • Greater mismatch resulted in a clumped Lesser White-fronted Goose distribution. Phenological mismatches between migratory birds and food availability driven by global warming have been found to influence the fitness and population dynamics of several herbivorous goose species in Arctic breeding sites. However, the effect of phenological mismatches at wintering sites have been inadequately studied. We used long-term data to explore the consequences of water regime changes on phenological mismatch (i.e., days between arrival of geese and timing of the optimal Normalized Difference Vegetation Index [NDVI opt ]) and detect the relative role of the mismatch as a driver of annual variations in abundance and distribution of the Lesser White-fronted Goose Anser erythropus (a vulnerable species on the IUCN Red List) in East Dongting Lake, which is the one of this species' largest wintering sites worldwide. The NDVI of the Carex meadow (i.e., the dominant vegetation in East Dongting Lake wetland and also the major food resource for the geese) was used as the phenology metric. Results showed that the water recession pattern greatly influenced food conditions when geese arrived at the site. Early water recession led to significantly higher NDVI, whereas late water recession led to significantly lower NDVI than did the optimal water recession. However, the suitable habitat area was significantly larger under the optimal water recession pattern. Both early and late water level recessions caused greater mismatches and resulted in lower geese abundance and a more concentrated distribution. NDVI was positively correlated with aboveground biomass and negatively correlated with N% of Carex spp. High biomass and low N% related to high NDVI caused by early water recession may indicate unfavorable food conditions at the time that geese arrive and reduced sustainable food availability in mid-winter, while a low NDVI and limited habitat area caused by late water recession may indicate an insufficient food supply. In conclusion, non-optimal water recession led to a greater phenological mismatch and resulted in limited habitat quality (e.g., lower leaf N%) under early water recession but limited habitat quantity (e.g., smaller habitat area and lower aboveground biomass) under late water recession, and ultimately threatened the Lesser White-fronted Goose. Our results contributed to explaining the decline of the Lesser White-fronted Goose population in this wintering site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cognitive and social-emotional development in the first three years of life is associated with later skills. However, little is known about the paths of developmental delays in both cognitive and social-emotional skills before age 3 or to what extent these paths predict later developmental outcomes. The aim of this study is to examine the associations between the different paths of developmental delays in both cognitive and social-emotional skills of children before age 3 and the levels of development of the children when they are preschool age. Using a longitudinal data collected at three time points from 1245 children and their caregivers in rural China, we identified four different paths of developmental delays in cognitive and social-emotional before age 3 and examined how these paths are associated with different levels of developmental outcomes at preschool age. We used a non-parametric standardization approach and an ordinary least squares model to perform our analyses. Findings show that rates of developmental delays in either cognitive or social-emotional domain or both domains are high at all different time points, ranging from 20% to 55% for cognitive delays and 42% to 61% for social-emotional delays. Over half of children experienced deteriorating levels of either cognitive or social-emotional development before age 3. A large share of children was found to be persistently delayed in either domain. Only a small share of children raised their levels of development in either domain before age 3. In addition, we identified certain socioeconomic status of the family that are associated with never or deteriorating path of child developmental delays. More importantly, we revealed that different paths of developmental delays before age 3 have predictive power on different levels of developmental outcomes at preschool age. Our results suggest that actions are needed at the earliest times to improve child development when children are still infants or toddlers., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2024 Wang et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

The association of cardio-ankle vascular index (CAVI), with subclinical cardiac dysfunction in hypertensive patients is unclear. We aim to examine their relationship in hypertensive patients compared with that in normotensive subjects. Our study included 1887 subjects enrolled from Danyang between 2018 and 2019. CAVI was measured using VaSera VS-1500A device. We performed conventional echocardiography to measure ejection fraction (EF) and E/A, tissue Doppler to measure mitral annular early diastolic velocities (e'), and speckle-tracking to estimate left ventricular (LV) global longitudinal strain (GLS). LV mass index (76.3, 80.0, and 84.0 g/m 2 ), and E/e' (7.6, 8.2, and 8.8) were increased and GLS (21.1, 21.0, and 20.4%), E/A (1.2, 1.0, and 0.8) and e' velocity (11.2, 9.4, and 8.2 cm/s) was decreased from tertiles 1-3 of CAVI on unadjusted analyses (P < .001). After adjustment for covariates, GLS, E/A, and e' were still significantly decreased from tertiles 1-3 of CAVI (P ≤ .04). Further sensitive analyses revealed a similar association pattern for diastolic function but not systolic function. Compared with the lowest tertile, subjects with a top tertile of CAVI were at higher risk of subclinical LV systolic dysfunction in hypertensive patients (OR = 2.61; P = .005). Increased CAVI is associated with worse subclinical diastolic function. However, this relationship of CAVI to subclinical systolic function was more prominent in hypertensive patients., (© 2024 The Authors. The Journal of Clinical Hypertension published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Background: Poor development of young children is a common issue in developing countries and it is well established that iron deficiency anemia is one of the risk factors. Research has shown that iron deficiency is a common micronutrient deficiency among children in rural China and can result in anemia. A previous paper using data from the same trial as those used in the current study, but conducted when sample children were younger, found that after 6 months of providing caregivers of children 6-11 months of age free access to iron-rich micronutrient powder (MNP) increased the hemoglobin concentrations (Hb) of their children. However, no effects were found 12 and 18 months after the intervention. The current study followed up the children four years after the start of the original intervention (when the children were 4-5 years old) and aims to assess the medium-term impacts of the MNP program on the nutritional status of the sample pre-school-aged children, including their levels of Hb, the prevalence of anemia, and the dietary diversity of the diets of the children., Methods: At baseline, this study sampled 1,802 children aged 6-11 months in rural Western China. The intervention lasted 18 months. In this medium-term follow-up study that successfully followed 81% (n = 1,464) of children (aged 49-65 months) from the original study population 4 years after the start of the intervention, we used both intention-to-treat (ITT) effect and average treatment on the treated effect (ATT) analyses to assess the medium-term impacts of the MNP distribution program on the nutritional status of sample children., Results: The ITT analysis shows that the MNP intervention decreased the prevalence of anemia of young children in the medium run by 8% (4 percentage points, p < 0.1). The ATT analysis shows that consuming 100 (out of 540) MNP sachets during the initial intervention led to a decrease in anemia of 4% (2 percentage points, p < 0.1). Among children with moderate anemia at baseline (Hb < 100 g/L), the intervention reduced the probability of anemia by 45% (9 percentage points, p < 0.1), and, for those families that complied by consuming 100 (out of 540) sachets, a 25% (5 percentage points, p < 0.05) reduction in the anemia rate was found. The MNP intervention also led to a persistent increase in dietary diversity among children that were moderately anemic at baseline. The results from the quantile treatment effect analysis demonstrated that children with lower Hb levels at baseline benefited relatively more from the MNP intervention., Conclusions: The findings of the current study reveal that the MNP intervention has medium-term effects on the nutritional status of children in rural China. The impacts of the MNP program were relatively higher for children that initially had more severe anemia levels. Hence, the implications of this study are that programs that aim to increase caregiver knowledge of nutrition and improve their feeding practices should be encouraged across rural China. Families, policymakers, and China's society overall need to continue to pay more attention to problems of childhood anemia in rural areas. This is particularly crucial for families with moderately anemic children at an early age as it can significantly contribute to improving the anemia status of children across rural areas of China., Trial Registration: ISRCTN44149146 (15/04/2013)., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Objective: Our study aims to examine the associations of visceral adipose tissue (VAT) and epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) with subclinical cardiac dysfunction in a Chinese population., Design: Cross-sectional., Background: EAT and VAT are the most important ectopic fat pools which were previously shown to be associated with subclinical cardiac dysfunction. However, few studies simultaneously measured both EAT thickness and VAT area, and explored their associations with cardiac dysfunction. Our study aims to examine the associations of VAT and EAT with subclinical cardiac dysfunction in a Chinese population., Methods: The study subjects were recruited from Danyang County from 2018 to 2019. Using Philips CX50, we recorded EAT thickness at the end-systole in a long-axis view. The subclinical systolic and diastolic function were assessed by two-dimensional speckle tracking, and transmitral and tissue Doppler imaging, respectively. Using Omron HDS-2000, we measured VAT area by dual bioelectrical impedance analysis., Results: The 1558 participants (age, 52.3±12.8 years) included 930 (59.7%) women. Compared with women, men had higher VAT area (99.4 vs 70.1 cm 2 ; p<0.0001) but lower EAT thickness (4.02 vs 4.46 mm; p<0.0001). In simple correlation analyses, EAT thickness and VAT area were positively associated with E/e' ratio (r=0.16 to 0.20; all p<0.0001) and negatively with global longitudinal strain (GLS) and e' (r=-0.12 to -0.37; all p<0.0001). Furthermore, VAT area was associated with left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) (r=-0.14; p<0.0001). After adjustment for confounding factors, the association of EAT with GLS and that of VAT with e' and E/e' ratio remained significant (all p≤0.001), whereas the associations of EAT with subclinical diastolic dysfunction and that of VAT with systolic function became non-significant (all p≥0.11). Analyses on further adjustment for LVEF showed similar results., Conclusions: Increased EAT thickness was associated with worse subclinical systolic dysfunction, while greater VAT area was associated with early diastolic dysfunction., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2023. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Scleroderma yunnanense, an ectomycorrhizal fungus, is a popular edible mushroom within the Yunnan Province of Southwest China that holds great ecological and economic implications. However, despite its significance, there remains limited information about this species. Therefore, we sequenced S. yunnanense genome to identify the functional genes of S. yunnanense involved in secondary metabolite and carbohydrate production pathways. First, we present the 40.43 Mb high-quality reference genome for S. yunnanense, distributed across 35 contigs; moreover, the N50 contig size was found to reach 3.31 Mb and contained 8877 functional genes. Finally, genome annotation was conducted to compare the functional genes of S. yunnanense with protein sequences from different publicly available databases. Taken together, we identified 12 biosynthetic gene clusters across 10 contigs; among these were 13 key mevalonate (MVA) pathway enzymes, a key tyrosinase enzyme in the 3,4-dihydroxyphenylalanine (DOPA) pathway that is responsible for producing DOPA melanins, and 16 enzymes involved in uridine diphosphate glucose biosynthesis. Overall, this study presents the first genome assembly and annotation of S. yunnanense; ultimately, this information will be important in the elucidation of the biological activities and artificial domestication of this fungus., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Phosphorus (P) fertilization can alleviate a soil P deficiency in grassland ecosystems. Understanding plant functional traits that enhance P uptake can improve grassland management. We measured impacts of P addition on soil chemical and microbial properties, net photosynthetic rate (P n ) and nonstructural carbohydrate concentrations ([NSC]), and root P-uptake rate (PUR), morphology, anatomy, and exudation of two dominant grass species: Leymus chinensis (C 3 ) and Cleistogenes squarrosa (C 4 ). For L. chinensis, PUR and P n showed a nonlinear correlation. Growing more adventitious roots compensated for the decrease in P transport per unit root length, so that it maintained a high PUR. For C. squarrosa, PUR and P n presented a linear correlation. Increased P n was associated with modifications in root morphology, which further enhanced its PUR and a greater surplus of photosynthate and significantly stimulated root exudation (proxied by leaf [Mn]), which had a greater impact on rhizosheath micro-environment and microbial PLFAs. Our results present correlations between the PUR and the P n of L. chinensis and C. squarrosa and reveal that NSC appeared to drive the modifications of root morphology and exudation; they provide more objective basis for more efficient P-input in grasslands to address the urgent problem of P deficiency., (© 2023 The Authors New Phytologist © 2023 New Phytologist Foundation.)

Background: Hearing loss is considered one of the most common sensory nervous system defects, about 60% of which are caused by genetic factors. Mutations in the GSDME gene are responsible for post-lingual, progressive, autosomal dominant hearing loss. This study aimed to characterize the genetic mutations and clinical features of a Chinese GSDME family., Methods: After clinical evaluations, high-throughput DNA sequencing was conducted using DNA samples from this family. Sanger sequencing was performed to verify the suspected variants. A detailed genotype and phenotype analysis were carried out. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was performed to identify the signaling pathway associated with GSDME expression., Results: A known hotspot heterozygous splice-site variation (c.991-15&#95;991&#95;13delTTC) was identified and shown to segregate with the hearing loss phenotype in the family. This pathogenic splice-site variant results in skipping of exon 8. GSEA analysis identified changes in regulation of the cell cycle checkpoint, peroxisome, and amino acid metabolism signaling pathways., Conclusions: We identified a reported mutation in the GSDME gene. Our findings support the 3 bp deletion (c.991-15&#95;991-13del) was a hotspot variation, and it emerged as an essential contributor to autosomal dominant progressive hearing loss in East Asians. GSDME gene is closely associated with a range of signaling pathways. These characterized findings may provide new evidence for pathogenesis., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2022 Lei et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Tacrolimus (TAC) is an immunosuppressant widely used in kidney transplantation. TAC displays considerable interindividual variability in pharmacokinetics (PKs). Genetic and clinical factors play important roles in TAC PKs. We enrolled a total of 251 Chinese renal transplant recipients and conducted a genomewide association study (GWAS), linkage disequilibrium (LD), and one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) to find genetic variants affecting log-transformed TAC trough blood concentration/dose ratio (log[C 0 /D]). In addition, we performed dual luciferase reporter gene assays and multivariate regression models to evaluate the effect of the genetic variants. The GWAS results showed that all 23 genomewide significant single-nucleotide polymorphisms (p < 5 × 10 -8 ) were located on chromosome 7, including CYP3A5*3. LD, conditional association analysis, and one-way ANOVA showed that rs75125371 T > C independently influenced TAC log(C 0 /D). Dual luciferase reporter gene assays indicated that rs75125371 minor allele (C) was significantly associated with increased normalized luciferase activity than the major allele (T) in the Huh7 cells (p = 1.2 × 10 -5 ) and HepaRG cells (p = 0.0097). A model inclusive of age, sex, hematocrit, CYP3A5*3, and rs75125371 explained 37.34% variance in TAC C 0 . These results suggest that rs75125371 T > C is a functional and population-specific variant affecting TAC C 0 in Chinese renal transplant recipients., (© 2022 The Authors. Clinical and Translational Science published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of American Society for Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics.)

This paper examines the impact of parental beliefs on child development outcomes (for both cognitive and social−emotional skills) based on a three-wave longitudinal survey in rural China. The survey waves were conducted when the sample children were 18−30 months, 22−36 months, and 49−65 months, respectively. A total of 815 children and their primary caregivers who participated in all three wave surveys were enrolled in this study. Using difference-in-differences and propensity score matching approaches, the results indicate that strengthened parental beliefs have a positive and significant impact on child social−emotional development. Specifically, between the periods of the Wave 1 survey (when children were 18−30 months old) and the Wave 3 survey (when children were 49−65 months old), and between the Wave 2 survey (when children were 22−36 months old) and the Wave 3 survey, strengthened parental beliefs were causally associated with more favorable child social−emotional scores by 0.44 SD (p < 0.01) and 0.49 SD (p < 0.01), respectively. No significant impact, however, was found between the period of the Wave 1 survey and the Wave 2 survey. In contrast, weakened parental beliefs had a negative and significant impact on child social−emotional development. Specifically, weakened parental beliefs were causally associated with worse child social−emotional abilities by 0.35 SD (p < 0.01), 0.30 SD (p < 0.01), and 0.22 (p < 0.05) for the time period of the Wave 1 to Wave 2, Wave 1 to Wave 3, and Wave 2 to Wave 3, respectively. No significant impact of parental beliefs, however, was found on child cognitive development. In addition, the findings of the mediation analysis show that only a marginal impact of parental beliefs on child social−emotional development can be indirectly explained by parental beliefs through parenting practices. This study calls on policy makers to improve parental beliefs and parenting practices in the hope that it will lead to better child development in rural China.

Moisture evolution in Central Asia including Northwest China shows less similarity with its surroundings and attracts a growing number of studies. In this study, a well-dated thick lacustrine sequence is chosen in Northwest China and detailed geochemical analysis is conducted during the Middle Miocene Climate Transition (MMCT, 14-11 Ma). The multi-proxy records (Na2O/Al2O3, CIA, Rb/Sr) revealed that chemical weathering was the strongest during 11.85-11 Ma, the coldest period in 14-11 Ma as evidenced by the global deep-sea oxygen isotope records. Accordingly, we conclude that global climate cooled during MMCT and reached the coldest during 11.85-11 Ma. Thus, the westerly circulation became the strongest during this period, which brought more water vapor to Northwest China and the chemical weathering was significantly improved. On the other hand, the significant decrease in temperature led to the marked weakening of evapotranspiration, and thus the effective humidity was relatively increased. Both aspects contribute greatly to the significant enhancement of chemical weathering in eastern Central Asia. This weathering history of the sediments in the northeastern Tibetan Plateau is of great scientific significance to understanding tectonism and climate change in Asia during MMCT., Competing Interests: The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Using a three-wave longitudinal survey conducted in 815 households in rural Western China, this study aims to examine the association between parental self-perception and early childhood development and the mediation effect of parental investment on the association between parental self-perception and child development when the sample children are at different ages in the early childhood (18-30, 22-36, and 49-65 months). The results demonstrate that parental self-perception are positively and significantly associated with child social-emotional development in all three ages of childhood (from 18 to 65 months). Positive and significant association between parental self-perception and child cognitive development is found in the ages from 22 to 65 months. In addition, findings of this study show that parental investment plays a mediating role in the association between parental self-perception and child cognitive development. The study calls on policymakers to help to strengthen parental self-perception and parental investment related to early childhood development, which should result in better child development in rural China., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Wang, Wang, Li, Guo, Hu, Zhang and Rozelle.)

Previous research has found that there are high rates of mental health problems among caregivers in rural China and that caregiver mental health may be a significant predictor of developmental delays among infants and toddlers in these rural areas. In this paper, we use data from a survey of 986 caregiver-child pairs in rural China to examine the risk factors of caregiver mental health and measure the association between caregiver mental health and child development outcomes. To conduct the empirical analysis, we assess caregiver mental health using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales-21 (DASS-21) questionnaire and measure child developmental outcomes using the Bayley Scales of Infant and Toddler Developmental Third Edition (Bayley-III). The results show that 32% of caregivers have depressive symptoms, 42% have anxiety symptoms, and 30% have symptoms of stress. The data also demonstrate that caregiver identity and age as well as different measures of socioeconomic status (SES) (characterized by caregiver education, father's education, and household wealth) are all significantly linked to symptoms of caregiver mental health problems. The analysis shows that caregiver depression, anxiety, and/or stress are significantly associated with lower early childhood development (ECD) outcomes in all areas measured (cognition, language, social-emotion, and motor skills). The heterogeneous analysis demonstrates that there are differences in the effects of caregiver mental health problems on ECD among households are from families that are endowed with different levels of SES. On the basis of the findings the study concludes that policymakers should pay more attention to caregiver mental health problems in order to improve child developmental outcomes in rural China. The study cannot, however, draw casual conclusions and cannot rule out the possibility of recall bias when measuring caregiver mental health, which may limit the external validity of the findings.

This study examined the cross-sectional and longitudinal association of sleep timing with weight status in 14- to 19-year-old adolescents in Wuhan, China. A prospective school-based study was conducted in Wuhan, China between 28 May and 29 September 2019. Data on sociodemographic information, academic performance, diet, mental health status, physical activity, sleep characteristics, body weight, and height were collected. A linear regression model and binary logistic regression model were performed. A total of 1194 adolescents were included in the analysis. Adolescents who woke up before 05:45 had higher body mass index (BMI) Z-score (odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.28 (1.05, 1.57), p = 0.02) and higher odds of overweight/obesity (odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.74 (1.10, 2.76), p = 0.02) at baseline after fully adjustment for covariates, compared with those who woke up after 05:45. Longitudinal data showed a nonsignificant association between waking up time and change in BMI Z-score ( p = 0.18). No association of bedtime with weight status was observed in this sample after full adjustment ( p > 0.1). Earlier waking up time might contribute to overweight and obesity in adolescents; however, more data are needed to test and elucidate this relationship.

Background: The purpose of this study was to examine the relationships among weight stigma, eating behaviors, and stress, as well as to analyze the effect of stress in mediating the association between weight stigma and eating behaviors., Methods: The study involved 1818 adolescents between 14 to 19 years of age and was conducted in Wuhan, China in 2019. Weight stigma, eating behaviors (cognitive restraint, uncontrolled eating, and emotional eating), and stress were assessed by self-report questionnaires. Hierarchical linear regression analyses were used to examine the predictors of cognitive restraint, uncontrolled eating, and emotional eating; the serial mediation models analyses were conducted to analyze the effect of stress in mediating the association between weight stigma and eating behaviors for the whole non-overweight (normal and underweight) and overweight or obese participants, respectively., Results: Hierarchical linear regression analyses showed that experiences of weight stigma significantly predicted uncontrolled eating and emotional eating regardless of body mass index (BMI) (non-overweight adolescents: uncontrolled eating: β [SE] = 0.161 [0.017]; emotional eating: β [SE] = 0.199 [0.008], p  < 0.05; overweight or obese adolescents: uncontrolled eating: β [SE] = 0.286 [0.030]; emotional eating: β [SE] = 0.267 [0.014], p  < 0.05); experiences of weight stigma significantly predicted cognitive restraint among non-overweight adolescents (β [SE] = 0.204 [0.013], p  < 0.05). Mediation analyses showed that stress mediated the associations between weight stigma and uncontrolled eating and emotional eating among non-overweight adolescents (uncontrolled eating: indirect effect coefficient = 0.0352, 95% CI = 0.0241, 0.0478; emotional eating: indirect effect coefficient = 0.0133, 95% CI = 0.0085, 0.0186)., Conclusions: These findings suggest that non-overweight individuals can still experience weight stigma and its associated negative consequences; the relationship between weight stigma and eating behaviors is modulated by weight status; stress mediated the associations between weight stigma and uncontrolled and emotional eating among non-overweight adolescents., Competing Interests: Competing interestsThe authors declare that they have no competing interests., (© The Author(s) 2020.)

Previous research has found that there are high rates of developmental delays among infants and toddlers in rural areas of China. Caregiver mental health problems might be one significant predictor of developmental delays among infants and toddlers, as has been found in other areas of the world. One way that the mental health of caregivers could affect early childhood development is through its effect on parenting practices. In this study, we used data from four major subpopulations of rural China to measure the correlation of caregiver mental health problems with the developmental outcomes of infants and toddlers. To do so, the study used the Bayley Scales of Infant Development III (BSID III) to examine the rates of developmental delays among 2514 rural infants/toddlers aged 6⁻30 months old. The results of the testing demonstrate that 48% of the sample's infants/toddlers have cognitive delays; 52% have language delays; 53% have social-emotional delays; and 30% have motor delays. The data collection team also assessed caregiver mental health by using the Depression Anxiety Stress Scales (DASS-21) questionnaire. According to the findings, 39% of caregivers in the sample have symptoms of at least one kind of mental health problem (depression, anxiety, or stress). We also found that most caregivers do not engage in positive parenting practices, while a significant share of caregivers engage in negative parenting practices. The statistical analysis found that showing signs of mental health problems is significantly and negatively associated with infant/toddler developmental outcomes. The study also found that caregivers who show signs of mental health problems are significantly less likely to engage in interactive parenting practices. The study confirms that society needs to pay more attention to caregiver mental health problems in order to improve infant/toddler developmental outcomes in rural China and increase human capital accumulation in China as a whole.

We previously reported that serum N 1 -methylnicotinamide (me-NAM), an indicator of nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT) activity, was associated with obesity, diabetes, and coronary artery disease in Chinese patients. However, whether NNMT might play a role in the development of heart failure remains to be elucidated. In this study, the associations between levels of serum me-NAM and left ventricular structure and function were investigated in Chinese patients. Serum me-NAM was measured by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry in 265 subjects. M-mode, 2-dimensional and Doppler echocardiography were performed with the GE Vivid E9 system to assess left ventricular structure and function. Of note, the participants in the top tertile of me-NAM had the lowest left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), preload recruitable stroke work (PRSW), and highest prevalence of left ventricular systolic dysfunction (LVSD). Serum me-NAM was negatively correlated with LVEF and PRSW before and after adjusted for potential confounding variables (P ≤ 0.02). In multiple logistic regression analyses, the subjects in the top tertile of me-NAM had highest risks for LVSD (OR 6.80; 95% CI 1.26-36.72; P = 0.026), which was also observed in continuous analyses (OR 9.48; 95% CI 1.41-63.48; P = 0.02). In conclusion, serum me-NAM is negatively associated with LVEF and PRSW and accordingly positively associated with the prevalence of LVSD in Chinese patients.