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This article examines the concept of the "middle technology trap" as a critical challenge for China in transitioning from a middle-income to a high-income economy. It argues that overcoming this trap is essential for China to achieve high-quality economic development and sustain its growth momentum. The study compares China's technological landscape with that of both developed economies and those stuck in the middle-income trap, identifying the necessity of transitioning from applied to original technology for economic leapfrogging. Through comprehensive analysis, it is highlighted that China's current technological capabilities, although leading in certain areas, predominantly remain at an intermediate level, characterized by a significant reliance on foreign core technologies and a lack of original technological innovation. The paper further explores historical contexts, policy implications, and strategic reforms required to navigate this trap, emphasizing the importance of an open policy, the cultivation of a robust innovation ecosystem, and the strategic role of government in facilitating technological progress and industrial upgrading. It draws on the experiences of developed economies and successful latecomers, advocating for a "new whole nation system" that embraces openness and global integration, rather than isolation. By analyzing the complex interplay between technology diffusion, talent migration, industrial policies, and the global geopolitical landscape, this study provides insights into the systemic reforms and strategic initiatives China must undertake. It stresses the need for a balanced approach between leveraging external technologies and fostering domestic innovation capabilities to escape the middle technology trap and secure a position as a global technology leader. The findings contribute to the broader discourse on technology-led development strategies and offer policy recommendations for economies facing similar technological and developmental challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study addresses the challenge of deformation and failure on loess slopes, predominantly triggered by rainfall, by evaluating the efficacy of various slope protective measures. Recognizing the escalating preference for ecological protection techniques, this paper focuses on identifying optimal strategies that align with local rainfall patterns. A comprehensive analysis of loess slopes under diverse rainfall conditions was conducted, encompassing scenarios with prime soil, stabilized soil, and no protection. Utilizing the finite element software ABAQUS, a sophisticated rainfall infiltration slope model was developed and validated against experimental data. The investigation reveals that under low rainfall intensities, the choice of protective material—whether stabilized or prime soil—exerts limited influence on slope pore pressure. In contrast, at higher rainfall intensities, the impact of these protective materials on slope stability becomes significantly more pronounced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the rapid development of the automotive industry has brought about several environmental and energy issues worldwide. Many countries have established fuel consumption regulations. Among them, fuel consumption regulations based on the curb weight or footprint have been put forward in China and the US. This paper mainly compares the effect of the application of footprint-based and curb weight-based regulations in China. To compare the effect of these two different benchmarks, a Chinese footprint-based fuel consumption regulation is designed based on the principles of the American footprint regulations and the actual conditions of the Chinese passenger car market, and fuel consumption data from 14 enterprises are also used. It is found that regulations help maintain market neutrality if the target value is separated into two curves according to the type of vehicle. Additionally, footprint regulations are more conducive to vehicle lightweighting than curb weight regulations. Finally, policy recommendations are drawn: to maintain market neutrality, there should be two target value curves in the fifth stage of the weight regulation: one for sedans and one for SUVs. Meanwhile, footprint regulation adaptation should be considered in the future to promote vehicle lightweighting in the Chinese market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental impact assessment (EIA) has evolved as an environmental management and sustainability tool. Despite common principles shared by EIA globally, there are considerable variations in EIA processes across countries. In this paper, we reviewed and compared EIA processes of China, Queensland State of Australia and Nepal considering five key steps (selection of consultants, report preparation, public participation, report review and approval, and monitoring and evaluations) of EIA. Our review indicated that the EIA is well recognised in legal instruments in all state and countries under consideration and there are both similarities and differences in key steps of EIA. Monitoring of EIA recommendations and the integration of feedbacks from the past and current practices are important in improving EIA processes. This study also found that there are elements for possible improvement in existing EIA processes by each state and country introducing the best practices from others' EIA system. Some of the practices that Nepal can follow from the EIA processes of Queensland and China are licensing and accreditation of individuals and firms to conduct EIA, establishment of separate monitoring unit within regulating department, development of clear guidelines for approvals and monitoring, and the use of independent third-party auditing in EIA monitoring. The findings of this paper are useful in revising and improving EIA policies, practices and processes in the selected state, countries and elsewhere. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we have proposed a behavioral DEA model to evaluate Chinese provincial carrying states. To introduce the behavioral DEA model, we take the individual decision maker’s preference into account, including fairness concern, reference dependence and loss aversion. By considering those decision preferences, the proposed models can help to make fair planning with accounting for decision maker’s utilities. Our proposed model provides the detailed technique to demonstrate the fairness concern, reference dependence and loss aversion quantificationally. An empirical study in evaluating Chinese provincial carrying states is used to demonstrate our methods. We also provide comparative analysis and correlation analysis to discuss the results and point out the managerial implications of this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Square confined concrete arch is increasingly used in deep soft rock roadway support because of its advantages of high strength and construction convenience. However, the design of confined concrete arch in underground engineering still remains in experience-based method and lacks quantitative analysis. As a connecting component between arch sections, the connection joints have an important influence on the internal force distribution and failure mechanism of support arch. Therefore, a reasonable design of arch joints is the premise of rational support design. Taking Liangjia Coal Mine, a typical deep soft rock mine in China, as research background, this paper fully compared the most widely used joint types of confined concrete arch as analytical objects: flange joints and casing joints. The main failure modes of these two kinds of joints under bending moment are defined. Laboratory and numerical tests are carried out to study the mechanical characteristics of joints. Based on the M–θ curve, the influence law of different design parameters is analyzed, and the design principles of joints are proposed. The research results could provide a theoretical basis for the design and application of confined concrete arch in related projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an effective alternative approach to provide goods and services for public infrastructure, the Public Private Partnership (PPP) has been studied extensively over the past few decades. On a global scale, China and the United States have developed cooperation on PPP projects in various areas. To perform a comparative study, this paper analyzes how PPP projects work in both countries for public transportation. The basic features, types, and phases of PPPs in public transportation are introduced first, followed by a thorough discussion on their advantages and challenges. This paper adopts a case study method to analyze the achievements and problems of PPP projects in both countries and then proposes important findings and suggestions for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Many individuals consider nocturia a significant nuisance, leading to a reduced health-related quality of life (HRQOL). However, there has been a lack of psychometrically sound patient-reported outcome measures to assess the impact of nocturia on patients in Chinese contexts. This study aimed to translate, culturally adapt, and validate the International Consultation on Incontinence Questionnaire Nocturia Quality of Life Module (ICIQ-NQOL) for use among primary care patients in Hong Kong, China. Additionally, it sought to investigate the mechanisms that link nocturia and sleep quality with HRQOL by employing moderated mediation analysis. Methods: The traditional Chinese version of the ICIQ-NQOL was developed through iterative translations, cognitive debriefing interviews, and panel reviews. The psychometric evaluation included assessments of factor structure, convergent validity, concurrent validity, known-group validity, internal consistency, test-retest reliability and responsiveness. Study instruments included the ICIQ-NQOL, International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI), and a modified Incontinence Impact Questionnaire-Short Form (IIQ-7). Results: A total of 419 primary care patients were recruited from general outpatient clinics, among whom 228 experiencing an average of two or more nocturia episodes per night over the past four weeks. Confirmatory factor analysis supported the two-factor structure of the ICIQ-NQOL. Concurrent validity was confirmed by moderate correlations between the IIQ-7 total score and the total score as well as two domain scores of the ICIQ-NQOL (r ranging from 0.43 to 0.49, all p < 0.001). The ICIQ-NQOL also had moderate correlations with the IPSS total symptom score (r ranging from 0.40 to 0.48, all p < 0.001). Convergent validity was supported by moderate correlations between the global PSQI score and the total score as well as two domain scores of the ICIQ-NQOL (r ranging from 0.42 to 0.52, all p < 0.001). Known-group comparisons showed that the ICIQ-NQOL could differentiate between patients with and without nocturia in terms of sleep/energy domain score (p < 0.001), bother/concern domain score (p < 0.001), and total score (p < 0.001), each demonstrating a moderate Cohen's d effect size. Item-total correlations corrected for overlap exceeded 0.4, and Cronbach's alpha coefficients were greater than 0.7. Test-retest reliability was confirmed with intraclass correlation coefficients exceeding 0.7 among patients reporting no change in their nocturia symptoms at a 2-week follow-up. Regarding responsiveness, the Cohen's d effect sizes for differences in domain and total scores between the baseline and 2-week follow-up assessments were greater than 0.3 among patients showing improvement in nocturia. Our moderated mediation analysis indicated that sleep quality significantly moderated the impact of nocturia on HRQOL, with a notably stronger indirect effect among females compared to males. Conclusions: The ICIQ-NQOL is a reliable and valid instrument for assessing the HRQOL in primary care patients suffering from nocturia. The findings advocate for gender-specific approaches in the management and treatment of nocturia to optimize HRQOL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Veronica anagallis-aquatica L. and Veronica undulata Wall. are widely used ethnomedicinal plants in China. The two species have different clinical efficacies, while their extremely similar morphology and unclear interspecific relationship make it difficult to accurately identify them, leading to increased instances of mixed usage. This article reports on the complete chloroplast genomes sequence of these two species and their related Veronica species to conduct a comparative genomics analysis and phylogenetic construction. The results showed that the chloroplast (cp) genomes of Veronica exhibited typical circular quadripartite structures, with total lengths of 149,386 to 152,319 base pairs (bp), and GC content of 37.9 to 38.1%, and the number of genes was between 129–134. The total number of simple sequence repeats (SSRs) in V. anagallis-aquatica and V. undulata is 37 and 36, while V. arvensis had the highest total number of 56, predominantly characterized by A/T single bases. The vast majority of long repeat sequence types are forward repeats and palindromic repeats. Selective Ka/Ks values showed that three genes were under positive selection. Sequence differences often occur in the non-coding regions of the large single-copy region (LSC) and small single-copy region (SSC), with the lowest sequence variation in the inverted repeat regions (IR). Seven highly variable regions (trnT-GGU-psbD, rps8-rpl16, trnQ-UUG, trnN-GUU-ndhF, petL, ycf3, and ycf1) were detected, which may be potential molecular markers for identifying V. anagallis-aquatica and V. undulata. The phylogenetic tree indicates that there is a close genetic relationship between the genera Veronica and Neopicrorhiza, and V. anagallis-aquatica and V. undulata are sister groups. The molecular clock analysis results indicate that the divergence time of Veronica may occur at ∼ 9.09 Ma, and the divergence time of these two species occurs at ∼ 0.48 Ma. It is speculated that climate change may be the cause of Veronica species diversity and promote the radiation of the genus. The chloroplast genome data of nine Veronica specie provides important insights into the characteristics and evolution of the chloroplast genome of this genus, as well as the phylogenetic relationships of the genus Veronica. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Mang (Hmongic) dialect of Shuijingping, Guizhou, China, vowels are raised in certain tonal contexts. When a syllable bearing the historical A2 tone occurs in sandhi context, it surfaces with a low tone (historical S) and a raised vowel nucleus. When a syllable bearing the C2 tone occurs out of sandhi context, it also surfaces with a raised vowel. In most other documented cases of tone-vowel quality interactions, there is some factor, such as syllable structure, metrical structure, or vowel duration that mediates between tone and vowel quality. These earlier analyses cannot be straightforwardly extended to Shuijingping Mang since no synchronic mediating factor seems to be present. However, this paper shows that, historically, there was another mediating factor between tone and vowel quality, namely voice quality. It is common for tones in East and Southeast Asian languages to have characteristic phonation types. It is also common for phonation type to affect vowel quality. Comparative evidence shows that the tones that condition the vowel alternation in the present-day language historically underwent a tonally-driven breathy-modal voice alternation. Subsequently, the tonal grammar has changed; however, vowel raising remains as a synchronic alternation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we examine and compare the two important production hubs in Asia: China and Greater China and India and South Asia. We show that in China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, manufacturing trade has continued to be highly relevant, with trade in parts and components growing in importance. In contrast, in India, Pakistan and Sri Lanka, trade in parts and components remain limited. We then calculate various revealed comparative advantage (RCA) indices, which China having more components with RCA values exceeding one. Some of the most important components exported by China include electronic parts and telecommunication parts. One explanation is to why India is relatively weak in parts and components trade is that India is strong in service trade. Other reasons may be related to better port infrastructure, higher research and development intensity and higher educational enrollments in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As China and the United States strive to be the primary global leader in AI, their visions are coming into conflict. This is frequently painted as a fundamental clash of civilisations, with evidence based primarily around each country's current political system and present geopolitical tensions. However, such a narrow view claims to extrapolate into the future from an analysis of a momentary situation, ignoring a wealth of historical factors that influence each country's prevailing philosophy of technology and thus their overarching AI strategies. In this article, we build a philosophy-of-technology-grounded framework to analyse what differences in Chinese and American AI policies exist and, on a fundamental level, why they exist. We support this with Natural Language Processing methods to provide an evidentiary basis for our analysis of policy differences. By looking at documents from three different American presidential administrations––Barack Obama, Donald Trump, and Joe Biden––as well as both national and local policy documents (many available only in Chinese) from China, we provide a thorough comparative analysis of policy differences. This article fills a gap in US–China AI policy comparison and constructs a framework for understanding the origin and trajectory of policy differences. By investigating what factors are informing each country's philosophy of technology and thus their overall approach to AI policy, we argue that while significant obstacles to cooperation remain, there is room for dialogue and mutual growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on engineering practices of four typical traffic immersed tunnels built in China, this paper details the features of the four dominant foundation treatment methods for immersed tunnel construction: pile foundation, sand flow foundation, grouting foundation, and gravel bedding foundation. Subsoil stress time-history of different method are specified first, plus a summary of settlement assessment method for foundation quality control. Further, a comprehensive comparison of settlement and cost of these four foundation treatment methods is conducted to highlights the specific merits, disadvantages and conditions encountered in each foundation treatment method, based on real projects information. The findings of this article could henceforth be applied to foundation treatment work in immersed tube tunnel construction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The orchid family has 200,000 species and 700 genera, and it is found worldwide in the tropics and subtropics. In China, there are 1247 species and subspecies of orchids belonging to the Orchidaceae family. Orchidaceae is one of the most diverse plant families in the world, known for their lush look, remarkable ecological tolerance, and capability for reproduction. It has significant decorative and therapeutic value. In terms of evolution, the orchid family is one of the more complicated groups, but up until now, little has been known about its affinities. This study examined the properties of 19 chloroplast (cp) genomes, of which 11 had previously been published and nine had only recently been revealed. Following that, topics such as analysis of selection pressure, codon usage, amino acid frequencies, repeated sequences, and reverse repeat contraction and expansion are covered. The Orchidaceae share similar cp chromosomal characteristics, and we have conducted a preliminary analysis of their evolutionary connections. The cp genome of this family has a typical tepartite structure and a high degree of consistency across species. Platanthera urceolata with more tandem repeats of the cp genome. Similar cp chromosomal traits can be seen in the orchidaceae. Galearis roborowskyi, Neottianthe cucullata, Neottianthe monophylla, Platanthera urceolata and Ponerorchis compacta are the closest cousins, according to phylogenetic study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PCDD/Fs in the urban air of Dalian, China were monitored with high-volume active sampler from November 2009 to October 2010. The concentration of ClDD/Fs ranged from 3065 to 49538 fg m, with an average of 10249 fg m. The international toxic equivalents (I-TEQ) value of that was 61.8-1182 fg m, with an average of 235 fg m, which was comparable to those in the other urban locations around the world. It was found that the ClDD/Fs appeared to be present mainly in the particle phase during winter, spring and autumn, while during summer which were dominantly in gas phase. The ratio of ClDD/Fs present in particle phase increased with the increasing level of chlorination. The concentrations of PCDFs and PCDDs decreased with the increase of chlorinated level, while the concentrations of 2,3,7,8-PCDDs congeners increased with the increase of chlorination level. The homolog profiles of the concentrations of PCDFs presented were higher than those of the PCDDs, which indicated the PCDD/Fs pollution source of the air in Dalian was characteristic for thermal source pollution. The correlation analysis of meteorological parameters with the concentrations of ClCDD/Fs was conducted using SPSS packages, and it was found that the ambient temperature and atmospheric pressure were important factors influence the concentration of PCDD/Fs in the air. The respiratory risk and intake dioxins of the residents around the sampling sites were studied in the paper. It was found that Junge-Pankow model was much more accurate in predicting the gas-particle partitioning behavior of PCDD/Fs homologues during winter, while the Harner-Bidleman model shows better agreement with the measured data during winter and summer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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High-story residential structures and off-site prefabrication have been dominant choices in the construction industry. There is a substantial quantity of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions produced by the construction industry. In fact, the construction industry is responsible for 30 percent of all GHG emissions. In this study, we analyse the differences between the conventional technique of building and the off-site prefabricating construction method. First, we evaluate the emissions emitted from key processes during the off-site prefabricating construction. In addition, we analyse the qualitative and quantitative differences between two prefabrication structural systems, namely concrete and steel, which are the two most common structural systems utilised in residential construction projects in China. We examine and analyse four different case studies in order to exemplify the proposed methodology and offer managerial insights. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has rapidly spread throughout the world; however, it is difficult for clinicians to make early diagnoses. This study is to evaluate the feasibility of using deep learning (DL) models to identify asymptomatic COVID-19 patients based on chest CT images. In this retrospective study, six DL models (Xception, NASNet, ResNet, EfficientNet, ViT, and Swin), based on convolutional neural networks (CNNs) or transformer architectures, were trained to identify asymptomatic patients with COVID-19 on chest CT images. Data from Yangzhou were randomly split into a training set (n = 2140) and an internal-validation set (n = 360). Data from Suzhou was the external-test set (n = 200). Model performance was assessed by the metrics accuracy, recall, and specificity and was compared with the assessments of two radiologists. A total of 2700 chest CT images were collected in this study. In the validation dataset, the Swin model achieved the highest accuracy of 0.994, followed by the EfficientNet model (0.954). The recall and the precision of the Swin model were 0.989 and 1.000, respectively. In the test dataset, the Swin model was still the best and achieved the highest accuracy (0.980). All the DL models performed remarkably better than the two experts. Last, the time on the test set diagnosis spent by two experts—42 min, 17 s (junior); and 29 min, 43 s (senior)—was significantly higher than those of the DL models (all below 2 min). This study evaluated the feasibility of multiple DL models in distinguishing asymptomatic patients with COVID-19 from healthy subjects on chest CT images. It found that a transformer-based model, the Swin model, performed best. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although studies have identified a high prevalence of migraine among employees in the banking sector, the symptoms of migraine, related disability and occupational risk factors are not well understood. Aims: To determine migraine prevalence, symptoms and disability among bank employees in Guizhou province in China and to examine occupational risk factors associated with migraine positivity and symptoms. Methods: In a cross-sectional survey, two-stage probability sampling was used to select bank employees in Guizhou province, China. From May to October 2022, uniformly trained interviewers conducted face-to-face interviews using the HARDSHIP questionnaire. Logistic regression was used to examine factors associated with migraine positivity and symptoms. Results: Of 1,985 contactable eligible subjects, 1,929 (male 45.4%, female 54.6%) completed the survey. The one-year prevalence of migraine was 27.2% (95% CI 25.2–29.2%). Of migraine-positive individuals, 11.2% had a monthly frequency ≥ 15 days, 11.8% had an attack duration > 72 h, and 14.9% had severe pain intensity. The median of days lost from work, housework and social activities due to migraine during a three-month period was 4, 3 and 2 days, respectively, with more than half (52.8%) patients reporting Grade III or IV disability. In multivariable analyses, positions in data analysis (OR = 1.8 [95% CI 1.2–2.8], p < 0.01) and information technology (OR = 3.8 [95% CI 1.7–8.3], p < 0.01) were occupational risk factors for migraine positivity. It was also found that professional positions were predictive of migraine attacks ≥ 15 days per month, administrative positions were predictive of duration > 72 h and severe pain intensity of migraine attacks, and working in remote branches was predictive of duration > 72 h. Conclusions: Migraine is prevalent among employees in the banking sector in Guizhou province in China, with a large proportion of sufferers carrying a high burden of symptoms and disability. The practical implication of this study is that the risk factors identified here could be translated to the focus of workplace monitoring and interventions to manage and prevent migraine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a model of the combination of nostalgia and creative products, ethnic cultural heritage carry the function of shaping and spreading geo-culture. Its unique geo-cultural context, as a link, shows the historical inheritance of local culture. The deep deconstruction of its emotional identity helps to strengthen this identity and stimulate more cultural and creative designs with national and local characteristics. While culture prospers, the local cultural and creative economy is strengthened and cultural confidence and national self-confidence are further enhanced. Based on the New Year paintings of Wuqiang in Hebei, which have a strong folk vernacular and geo-cultural character in northern China, in the process of using the reconstructed pattern elements for clothing design, 156 questionnaires were collected through questionnaire interviews and fsQCA was used to analyze the emotional identity of products with high geo-cultural recognition. The study finds that while the injection of regional culture plays a role in the development of products, people's emotional identification with vernacular cultural and creative products actually depends on a combination of causal paths, with beauty and elegance more important than place and humanity as commonly believed to reflect geographic cultural identity. fsQCA was used to analyze the emotional identity of products with high geo-cultural recognition. And understand the emotional components of vernacular cultural products and how emotional factors influence people's identities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the effects of China's cross-border e-commerce (CBEC) on its goods and services exports to 'Belt and Road' (B&R) countries for the period 2000–2018 using a gravity model. We find that CBEC has a greater positive impact on trade in services than on trade in goods, especially after the implementation of the B&R initiative. Furthermore, as the level of CBEC rises, distance tends to have a lower (higher) impact on services (goods) trade, whereas the impact on services (goods) trade increased (decreased) annually. Hence, promoting the sustainable development of CBEC can lead to increased export volumes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr.) is a legume crop important for global food security due to supplying high-quality vegetable protein and oil. China is the origin and rich center of soybean genetic diversity represented by numerous landraces and other genetic resources. During the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, world-wide dissemination of plant introductions laid the foundation of modern soybean production. Due to selection for regional adaptation, present-day elite soybean cultivars do have a comparatively narrow genetic base. However, as genetic variation is the major component of future breeding progress, diversity of early maturity Chinese and European elite soybeans was comparatively analyzed using a high-throughput functional SNP array and an SSR marker set. Results revealed a clear differentiation between Chinese and European elite cultivars, and the level of genetic diversity was similar between the two populations. Both in Chinese and European cultivars, unique SSR alleles were found which indicates that selection for specific adaptation can preserve genetic variation. The European population was markedly structured by maturity groups which was less clear in the Chinese population. Structure analysis indicated that European cultivars are based on two major ancestral lines, whereas Chinese elite soybean cultivars trace back to more ancestral lines pointing to the rich natural soybean diversity of China. The results confirm that long-term selection under divergent environmental and agronomic conditions can produce specific diversity which could potentially be utilized for future enhancing both Chinese and European soybean breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Facing the increasing gap in economic development between the North and South in China, the urgent problem is whether social and environmental development disparity will increase and thus give rise to unsustainable development in the underdeveloped north. To answer this question, this study dealt with the concept of sustainable development, considering its three dimensions: economy, society and environment and focused on the Yellow River Economic Belt (YREB) in North China and the Yangtze River Economic Belt (YZREB) in South China. The spatial–temporal differences in sustainable development between the two economic belts from 2003 to 2016 were analyzed by using the entropy weight TOPSIS method and spatial autocorrelation. We found that economic recession did not lead to the degradation of sustainable development in the North, where high social progress level made up for the lack of economic development. The economic development level of YZREB was always higher than that of YREB, and the gap between the two increased exponentially. Although the social progress level in YREB was higher than that in YZREB, the gap between the two increased first and then decreased. The ecological civilization level of the two economic belts was relatively low and contributed little to sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The broad impact of the COVID-19 on self-reported daily behaviors and health in Chinese and US samples remains unknown. This study aimed to compare physical and mental health between people from the United States (U.S.) and China, and to correlate mental health parameters with variables relating to physical symptoms, knowledge about COVID-19, and precautionary health behaviors. To minimize risk of exposure, respondents were electronically invited by existing study respondents or by data sourcing software and surveys were completed via online survey platforms. Information was collected on demographics, physical symptoms, contact history, knowledge about COVID-19, psychologic parameters (i.e. IES-R; DASS-21), and health behaviors. The study included a total of 1445 respondents (584 U.S.; 861 China). Overall, Americans reported more physical symptoms, contact history, and perceived likelihood of contracting COVID-19. Americans reported more stress and depressive symptoms, while Chinese reported higher acute-traumatic stress symptoms. Differences were identified regarding face mask use and desires for COVID-19 related health information, with differential mental health implications. Physical symptoms that were possibly COVID-19 related were associated with adverse mental health. Overall, American and Chinese participants reported different mental and physical health parameters, health behaviors, precautionary measures, and knowledge of COVID-19; different risk and protective factors were also identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dispute between economic growth and greenhouse gas emissions is one of the major challenges of the twenty-first century. The central issue of the emerging economies revolves around the decoupling of economic growth and the rising carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. This study examines the decoupling the CO2 emissions from the economic growth through the employment of the Tapio decoupling index and decomposition of CO2 emissions into its pre-determined factors through the Log Mean Divisia Index (LMDI) decomposition technique for Pakistan, India, and China (PIC) for a time span of 1990–2014. The findings of the Tapio elasticity analysis depict that in a few years, environmental impact has been seen to be decoupled from the economic growth in the respective PIC countries. However, relatively Pakistan experienced expensive negative decoupling; India mostly experienced weak decoupling and expensive coupling, while China exhibited weak decoupling in multiple years. In addition, the analysis of Tapio decoupling elasticity showed that energy intensity is the key factor supporting the decoupling in PIC countries, while population, affluence (GDP per capita) and energy structure have weakened the progress of decoupling. Furthermore, the analysis of the LMDI decomposition suggested that population, energy structure and affluence in PIC countries increase the CO2 emissions, while energy intensity reduces CO2 emissions, while mixed effects are reflected by carbon intensity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The international discourse power (IDP) is necessary to attain the strategic interests and international influence in the global climate governance process. In order to analyze the IDP state of each country, this study proposes a hybrid evaluation approach to assess IDP of global climate governance by integrating analytic hierarchy process (AHP) and cloud model. Firstly, the evaluation index system of IDP of global climate governance was constructed from three aspects namely, discourse subject, discourse production, and discourse dissemination. Secondly, the cloud model is introduced to express the uncertainty and to transform the qualitative evaluation information. Additionally, the AHP is incorporated into the cloud model to calculate the weights of index. Finally, six typical countries of global climate governance are selected to illustrate the application of the proposed evaluation approach. The results indicated that the priority of IDP is EU, the USA, China, Russia, India, and Haiti. Moreover, it is found that China's IDP has the highest priority in developing countries. However, compared to developed countries, China's IDP has a relatively low priority. The study suggests to enhance the political influence, expand the international impact of public media, and form a community of interests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This case study assesses how firms deployed language tactically to cope with crisis events. By applying the Systemic Functional Grammar (SFG) approach, we identify linguistic characteristics of Google and Apple's crisis communication in China and note that different discursive strategies were adopted to manage their organizational legitimacy. When facing a major constitutional crisis that threatens the organization's cognitive and moral legitimacy, the linguistic components consist of words and grammars with associative relationship, strong rhetoric, and inclusion of audience views to secure a wide range of support. When a legitimacy crisis is instrumental, the wording and grammars used are more with realistic relationships and technical rhetoric, with different expected outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While it is widely recognised that an asset-augmenting rather than asset-exploiting strategy drives emerging multinationals' (EMNEs) internationalization, current research focuses on the motivations behind knowledge seeking FDI. What remains less clear is why latecomer firms can engage in learning in advanced countries. Conjoining the "Linkage-Leverage-Learning (LLL)" framework and knowledge seeking literature, this study shows how Chinese investment in the European Union reveals the preconditions for foreign knowledge sourcing. We follow a set-theoretic approach, utilizing fuzzy-set qualitative comparative analysis (fsQCA), to identify equifinal configurations of linkage and leverage conditions leading to high learning propensity of EMNEs. Our analysis extends the LLL framework and complements the recent debate on the theory of the EMNE. We develop propositions based on distinct constellations of learning antecedents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: During the 2019 Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, malnutrition may contribute to COVID-19 adverse outcomes. We conducted a clinical epidemiological analysis to investigate the association of malnutrition with hospitalized duration in patients with COVID-19. Design: Retrospective survey study. Setting: Taikang Tongji (Wuhan) hospital in Wuhan, China. Participants: 139 patients with COVID-19. Methods: In total, 139 patients with COVID-19 from patients in the Infection Department of Taikang Tongji (Wuhan) hospital from February 2020 to April 2020 were analyzed retrospectively. We used the "Global leadership Initiative on Malnutrition(GLIM)" assessment standard published in 2019 to assess nutritional status. Prolonged hospitalization was lasting more than the median value of the hospitalized days (17 days) in this population. Results: According to the assessment results of GLIM nutrition assessment, the patients were divided into malnutrition group and normal nutrition group. Compared with the patients in the normal nutrition group, the hospitalization time was longer(15.67±6.26 days versus 27.48±5.04 days, P = 0.001). Kaplan-Meier analysis showed patients with malnutrition were more likely to be hospitalized longer compared with those normal nutrition (mean with 95% confidence interval [CI]: 28.91[27.52–30.30] versus 22.78[21.76–23.79], P = 0.001). COX regression analysis showed that malnutrition (hazard ratio [HR] = 3.773, P for trend = 0.001) was proportional associated with being discharged from hospital delayed. Conclusion and implications: Present findings suggested that malnutrition contributed to predicting a probability of prolonged hospitalization in patients with COVID-19 infection, to whom extra attentions and precautions should be paid during clinical treatments. Based on the existing results, it is recommended that inpatients with nutritional risk or malnutrition start nutritional support treatment as soon as possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In China, the knowledge of the underlying causes of heterogeneous distribution pattern of dengue fever in different high-risk areas is limited. A comparative study will help us understand the influencing factors of dengue in different high-risk areas. In the study, we compared the effects of climate, mosquito density and imported cases on dengue fever in two high-risk areas using Generalized Additive Model (GAM), random forests and Structural Equation Model (SEM). GAM analysis identified a similar positive correlation between imported cases, density of Aedes larvae, climate variables and dengue fever occurrence in the studied high-risk areas of both Guangdong and Yunnan provinces. Random forests showed that the most important factors affecting dengue fever occurrence were the number of imported cases, BI and the monthly average minimum temperature in Guangdong province; whereas the imported cases, the monthly average temperature and monthly relative humidity in Yunnan province. We found the rainfall had the indirect effect on dengue fever occurrence in both areas mediated by mosquito density; while the direct effect in high-risk areas of Guangdong was dominated by temperature and no obvious effect in Yunnan province by SEM. In total, climate factors and mosquito density are the key drivers on dengue fever incidence in different high-risk areas of China. These findings could provide scientific evidence for early warning and the scientific control of dengue fever in high-risk areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/objectives: To explore the association between famine exposure in early life and the risk of metabolic syndrome in the Chinese adults.Subjects/methods: A total of 2148 participants aged 50s were selected from a large national epidemiological survey in the China. The logistic regression models were used to analyze the association between famine exposure in early life and risk of metabolic syndrome in adulthood.Results: The prevalence of metabolic syndrome among individuals in the preschool exposed group, infant exposed group, fetal exposed group, and the non-exposed group was 37.9, 43.5, 37.5, and 34.0%, respectively. The prevalence of metabolic syndrome in the infant exposed group was significantly higher than the non-exposed group (43.5 vs. 34.0%, P = 0.006). Compared with the non-exposed group, individuals who exposed to the famine in infancy significantly increased the risk of metabolic syndrome (OR = 1.83; 95% CI: 1.24, 2.70) after adjusting for gender, smoking status, drinking status, physical activity, and the educational levels of participants and their parents. However, similar results were not observed in the fetal (OR = 1.25; 95% CI: 0.89, 1.74) or the preschool (OR = 1.30; 95% CI: 0.97, 1.75) exposed groups.Conclusions: The Great China famine exposure during infancy was linked with the elevated risk of metabolic syndrome in adults aged 50s, which provided further evidence for the developmental origins hypothesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/objectives: To determine the association between cord blood 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25(OH)D) concentration with growth, adiposity and neurodevelopment during infancy.Subjects/methods: Serum 25(OH)D was measured in cord blood by the liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) from the Shanghai's "Allergy and Obesity Cohort study" (n = 1244). Weight, length, head circumference, and body mass index (BMI) z-scores for age were calculated based on World Health Organization Standard (at 6 months, 1 years, and 2 years). Neurodevelopment was measured at 2 years using Ages and Stages Questionnaire. Generalized estimating equation and multivariable logistic regression model were exploited to examine associations between fetal 25(OH)D concentration and offspring outcomes.Results: The median of the 25(OH)D concentration in cord blood was 22.4 ng/ml (interquartile range, 27.3-8.6). Infants born in winter had lower 25(OH)D concentration. 25(OH)D deficiency was not associated with weight z-score (mean difference, 0.07; 95% confidence internal (CI), -0.09 to 0.23), length z-score (mean difference, 0.01; 95% CI, -0.19 to 0.21), head circumference z-score (mean difference, -0.06; 95% CI, -0.27 to 0.15) and BMI z-score (mean difference, 0.09; 95% CI, -0.07 to 0.25) or neurodevelopment during infancy, adjusting for sex, socio-economic position, pre-pregnancy maternal BMI, and maternal and neonatal characteristics. The associations did not vary by gender. A sensitivity analysis of available case analysis showed virtually the same results.Conclusions: Fetal vitamin D concentration was not associated with growth, adiposity or neurodevelopment during infancy. The role of vitamin D concentration and its mechanistic pathway in the early origins of adiposity needs to be clarified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/objectives: High body mass index (BMI) is associated with increased incident atrial fibrillation (AF) and mortality rate. In patients presenting with nonvalvular AF (NVAF), the prognostic relevance of BMI remains unclear.Subjects/methods: In this prospective observational study, a total of 1759 patients with NVAF (69.9±12.9 years old, 47.9% male) were divided into three clinical settings according to estimated stroke risks (CHADS2 score ⩽1 (low), =2 (moderate) and ⩾3 (high)). The primary outcome was all-cause mortality, and the secondary outcomes included thromboembolism and major bleeding. Cox-proportional hazard models were used to estimate the association between BMI levels and clinical outcomes.Results: During a mean follow-up of 1 year representing 1974 patient-years at risk, 256 patients died, 142 suffered from thromboembolism and 17 developed major bleeding. Multivariate adjusted Cox analysis indicated that a BMI of 24.0-27.9 kg/m2 was independently associated with improved survival among all patients (hazard ratio (HR) 0.689, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.512-0.928; P=0.018) and patients at high stroke risk (HR 0.622, 95% CI 0.410-0.943; P=0.024), but not among those at low or moderate stroke risks. No associations were observed between BMI levels and the incidence of thromboembolic events in various clinical settings.Conclusions: A paradoxical BMI-all-cause mortality risk association was observed in Chinese patients with NVAF, and this association was pronounced among patients at high stroke risk rather than in those at low stroke risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The marginal division of neostriatum (MrD) is a flat, pan-shaped zone between the neostriatum and the globus pallidus, and previous documents demonstrated that it was involved in the modulation of pain. The aim of this study is to investigate the roles of the MrD of the human brain in the chronicization migraine using resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). Methods: Conventional MRI, 3D structure images, and rs-fMRI were performed in 18 patients with episodic migraines (EM), 16 patients with chronic migraine (CM), 44 patients with medication overuse headache plus chronic migraine (MOH + CM), and 32 normal controls (NC). MrD was defined using manual delineation on structural images, and was selected as the seed to calculate the functional connectivity (FC). Results: Compared with the NC group, the decreased FC of MrD was observed in the EM and CM groups, and increased FC of MrD was demonstrated in all patient groups. Compared with the EM group, the decreased FC of MrD was revealed in the CM and MOH + CM groups, and the increased FC occurred only in the CM group. Increased FC of MrD alone was observed in the MOH + CM group compared with that in the CM group. Conclusion: This study confirmed the double neuromodulation network of MrD in pain modulation and migraine chronicization; however, the mechanism requires further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/objectives: Although observational studies suggest that soy foods or isoflavones are cardio-protective, clinical trials on whole soy or isoflavone daidzein (one major isoflavone and the precursor of equol) on blood pressure (BP) and endothelial function (EF) are few and have not been specifically conducted among equol producers, a population most likely to benefit from soy treatment.Subjects/methods: We performed a 6-month double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial to examine the effect of whole soy (soy flour) or purified daidzein on BP and EF in prehypertensive or untreated hypertensive postmenopausal women verified to be equol producers. A total of 270 eligible women were recruited and randomized to either one of the three treatment groups, 40 g soy flour (whole soy group), 40 g low-fat milk powder+63 mg daidzein (daidzein group) or 40 g low-fat milk powder (active control group) daily, each given as a solid beverage powder for 6 months. The primary outcome measures were 24 h ambulatory BP (ABP) and EF assessed by flow-mediated dilation using brachial artery ultrasound.Results: A total of 253 subjects completed the study according to protocol. Urinary isoflavones indicated good compliance with the interventions. Intention to treat and per-protocol analysis indicated that there was no significant difference in the 6-month changes or % changes in parameters of ABP and brachial flow-mediated dilation among the three treatment groups. A further subgroup analysis among hypertensive women (n=138) did not alter the conclusions.Conclusions: Whole soy and purified daidzein had no significant effect on BP and vascular function among equol-producing postmenopausal women with prehypertension or untreated hypertension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cloud fraction (CF) and cloud-base heights (CBHs), and cirrus properties, over a site in southeastern China from June 2008 to May 2009, are examined by a ground-based lidar. Results show that clouds occupied the sky 41% of the time. Significant seasonal variations in CF were found with a maximum/minimum during winter/summer and similar magnitudes of CF in spring and autumn. A distinct diurnal cycle in the overall mean CF was seen. Total, daytime, and nighttime annual mean CBHs were 3.05±2.73 km, 2.46±2.08 km, and 3.51±3.07 km, respectively. The lowest/highest CBH occurred around noon/midnight. Cirrus clouds were present ∼36.2% of the time at night with the percentage increased in summer and decreased in spring. Annual mean values for cirrus geometrical properties were 8.89±1.65 km, 9.80±1.70 km, 10.73±1.86 km and 1.83±0.91 km for the base, mid-cloud, top height, and the thickness, respectively. Seasonal variations in cirrus geometrical properties show a maximum/minimum in summer/winter for all cirrus geometrical parameters. The mean cirrus lidar ratio for all cirrus cases in our study was ∼ 25±17 sr, with a smooth seasonal trend. The cirrus optical depth ranged from 0.001 to 2.475, with a mean of 0.34±0.33. Sub-visual, thin, and dense cirrus were observed in ∼12%, 43%, and 45% of the cases, respectively. More frequent, thicker cirrus clouds occurred in summer than in any other season. The properties of cirrus cloud over the site are compared with other lidar-based retrievals of midlatitude cirrus cloud properties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bisphenol A (BPA) is one of the highest production and consumption volume chemicals in the world. Although exposure of children to BPA has been studied in Western countries, little is known about its level in China. In this study, total BPA was measured in the morning urine samples of 666 school children aged 9-12 years from three regions in eastern China in 2012. A rapid and sensitive ultraperformance liquid chromatography (UPLC) tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) method was used for the measurement and urinary concentrations of BPA were presented as unadjusted (ng/ml), creatinine-adjusted (μg/g creatinine) and specific gravity (SG)-adjusted (ng/ml) forms. BPA was detected in 98.9% of urine samples with their unadjusted concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 326.0 ng/ml (LOD=0.06 ng/ml), indicating that the exposure of BPA was common for school children living in eastern China. The geometric mean and median of BPA was 1.11 ng/ml (creatinine-adjusted: 2.32 μg/g creatinine; SG-adjusted: 1.17 ng/ml) and 1.00 ng/ml (creatinine-adjusted: 2.22 μg/g creatinine; SG-adjusted: 1.07 ng/ml), respectively. The highest urinary BPA level was found in the age group of 12 years with GM concentration of 1.55 ng/ml, and it decreased with decreasing age (11 years: 1.18 ng/ml; 10 years: 1.05 ng/ml; and 9 years: 0.99 ng/ml), but there was a lack of consistency for age associated with BPA levels in three study areas. The estimated daily intake of BPA (0.023 μg/kg bw/day) was much lower than the tolerable daily and reference dose of 50 μg/kg bw/day recommended by either the European Food Safety Authority or the US Environment Protection Agency. There was no significant difference in urinary BPA concentrations between children who were overweight or obese and those with normal weight (P=0.26), whereas BPA daily intake was unexpectedly higher among normal-weight children (P=0.003). Compared with creatinine correction, the correction method of specific gravity is preferred to evaluate BPA exposure for children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the analysis of mercury injection capillary pressure (MICP) and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experimental data for core plugs, which were drilled from two Chinese tight sandstone reservoirs, permeability prediction models, such as the classical SDR, Timur-Coates, the Swanson parameter, the Capillary Parachor, the R10 and R35 models, are calibrated to estimating permeabilities from field NMR logs, and the applicabilities of these permeability prediction models are compared. The processing results of several field examples show that the SDR model is unavailable in tight sandstone reservoirs. The Timur-Coates model is effective once the optimal T2cutoff can be acquired to accurately calculate FFI and BVI from field NMR logs. The Swanson parameter model and the Capillary Parachor model are not always available in tight sandstone reservoirs. The R35 based model cannot effectively work in tight sandstone reservoirs, while the R10 based model is optimal in permeability prediction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mainshock of April 20, 2013 Sichuan Lushan M7.0 earthquake was relocated using a 3-D velocity model. Double difference algorithm was applied to relocate aftershock sequences of Lushan earthquake. The locations of 2405 aftershocks were determined. The location errors in E-W, N-S and U-D direction were 0.30, 0.29 and 0.59 km on average, respectively. The location of the mainshock is 102.983°E, 30.291°N and the focal depth is 17.6 km. The relocation results show that the aftershocks spread approximately 35 km in length and 16 km in width. The dominant distribution of the focal depth ranges from 10 to 20 km. A few earthquakes occurred in the shallow crust. Focal depth profiles show fault planes dip to the northwest, manifested itself as a listric thrust fault. The dip angle is steep in the shallow crust and gentle in the deep crust. Although the epicenters of aftershocks distributed mainly along both sides of the Shuangshi-Dachuan fault, the seismogenic fault may be a blind thrust fault on the eastern side of the Shuangshi-Dachuan fault. Earthquake relocation results reveal that there is a southeastward tilt aftershock belt intersecting with the seismogenic fault with y-shape. We speculate it is a back thrust fault that often appears in a thrust fault system. Lushan earthquake triggered the seismic activity of the back thrust fault. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aerosol optical depths (AODs) from MODIS and MISR onboard the Terra satellite are assessed by comparison with measurements from four AERONET sites located in northern China for the period 2006-2009. The results show that MISR performs better than MODIS at the SACOL and Beijing sites. For the Xianghe and Xinglong sites, MODIS AOD retrievals are better than those of MISR. Overall, the relative error of the Angstrom exponent from MISR compared with AERONET is about 14%, but the MODIS error can reach 30%. Thus, it may be better to use the MISR Angstrom exponent to derive wavelength-dependent AOD values when calculating the aerosol radiative forcing in a radiative transfer model. Seasonal analysis of AOD over most of China shows two main areas with high aerosol loading: the Taklimakan Desert region and the southern part of North China and northern part of East China. The locations of these two areas of high aerosol loading do not change with season, but the AOD values have significant seasonal variation. The largest AOD value in the Taklimakan appears in spring when the Angstrom exponents are the lowest, which means the particle radii are relatively large. Over North and East China, the highest aerosol loading appears in summer. The aerosol particles are smallest in summer over both high-AOD areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Projection of future climate changes and their regional impact is critical for long-term planning at the national and regional levels aimed at adaptation and mitigation. This study assesses the future changes in precipitation in China and the associated atmospheric circulation patterns using the Couple Model Intercomparison Project 5 Phase (CMIP5) simulations under the RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios. The results consistently indicate that the annual precipitation in China is projected to significantly increase at the end of the 21st century compared to the present-day levels. The number of days and the intensity of medium rain, large rain and heavy rain are obviously increased, while the number of trace rain days is projected to decrease over the entire area of China. Further analysis indicates that the significant increase of annual precipitation in Northwest China is primarily due to the increase of light rain and the increases in North and Northeast China are primarily due to the increase of medium rain. In the region of southern China, the increases of large rain and heavy rain play an important role in the increase of annual precipitation, while light rain events play a negative role. Analysis of the changes in atmospheric circulation indicates that the East Asian summer monsoon circulation is projected to be considerably stronger, and the local atmospheric stratification is projected to be more unstable, all of which provide a background benefit for the increase of precipitation and extreme rainfall events in China under global warming scenarios. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Guizhou Province is known as a heavily Hg-polluted area in China due to its special geochemical background and complicated Hg emission sources. In this study, we investigated the Hg isotope compositions of surface soil samples in the Hg mining area, zinc smelting area, coal combustion area, which are known to be the typical pollution regions of Hg in this province. We also compared the Hg isotopic fingerprints of primary Hg sources, such as hydrothermal Hg-bearing ores, coals and atmospheric Hg samples. According to our study, Hg stored in surface soils in different pollution regions in Guizhou Province displays a wide range of both mass dependent fractionation (MDF, δHg) and mass independent fractionation (MIF, ΔHg). δHg varies by 2.0‰ and ΔHg varies by 0.25‰ in the investigated surface soils. This study demonstrated that using a 'MDF-MIF' two dimensional Hg isotope system could be particularly useful in discriminating Hg sources in soils. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A prototype space-based cloud radar has been developed and was installed on an airplane to observe a precipitation system over Tianjin, China in July 2010. Ground-based S-band and Ka-band radars were used to examine the observational capability of the prototype. A cross-comparison algorithm between different wavelengths, spatial resolutions and platform radars is presented. The reflectivity biases, correlation coefficients and standard deviations between the radars are analyzed. The equivalent reflectivity bias between the S- and Ka-band radars were simulated with a given raindrop size distribution. The results indicated that reflectivity bias between the S- and Ka-band radars due to scattering properties was less than 5 dB, and for weak precipitation the bias was negligible. The prototype space-based cloud radar was able to measure a reasonable vertical profile of reflectivity, but the reflectivity below an altitude of 1.5 km above ground level was obscured by ground clutter. The measured reflectivity by the prototype space-based cloud radar was approximately 10.9 dB stronger than that by the S-band Doppler radar (SA radar), and 13.7 dB stronger than that by the ground-based cloud radar. The reflectivity measured by the SA radar was 0.4 dB stronger than that by the ground-based cloud radar. This study could provide a method for the quantitative examination of the observation ability for space-based radars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a new global ocean reanalysis of the second generation Global Ocean Data Assimilation System of the Beijing Climate Center (BCC_GODAS2.0) spanning the period 1990-2009, we firstly quantify the accuracy of BCC_GODAS2.0 in representing the temperature and salinity by comparing with OISST and SODA data. The results show that the assimilation system may effectively improve the estimations of temperature and salinity by assimilating all kinds of observations, especially in the equatorial eastern Pacific. Moreover, the root mean square errors of monthly temperature and salinity are respectively reduced by 0.53°C and 0.28 psu, compared with the model control simulation results. Then, the applicability of this ocean reanalysis for sea surface temperature (SST) anomaly variability in the tropical Pacific is evaluated with the observational HadISST data. The NINO3 index of the new reanalysis shows a good agreement with that of HadISST, with a correlation of 93.6%. Variations in SST from BCC_GODAS2.0 are similar to those obtained from HadISST data along the equator, showing the major large zonal-scale features such as the strong magnitude of seasonal cycle. The amplitude of SST anomaly standard deviation in the equatorial eastern Pacific is also closer to observations (HadISST) than NCEP GODAS does. Besides, the first two leading empirical orthogonal function (EOF) modes of the monthly SST anomalies over the tropical Pacific region are explored. The EOF1 pattern of BCC_GODAS2.0 captures a traditional El Niño pattern, which improves magnitudes of the positive SST anomaly in the cold tongue of the eastern Pacific. The EOF2 pattern exhibits a El Niño Modoki pattern. Comparatively, the EOF2 pattern of BCC_GODAS2.0 extends more strongly toward the subtropics. It also overcomes the problem that negative loadings are confined in the narrow equatorial eastern Pacific. Consequently, the magnitude and spatial distribution of the leading EOF patterns of BCC_GODAS2.0 are well consistent with those of HadISST. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

By 200 B.C. a series of expansive polities emerged in Inner Asia that would dominate the history of this region and, at times, a very large portion of Eurasia for the next 2,000 years. The pastoralist polities originating in the steppes have typically been described in world history as ephemeral or derivative of the earlier sedentary agricultural states of China. These polities, however, emerged from local traditions of mobility, multiresource pastoralism, and distributed forms of hierarchy and administrative control that represent important alternative pathways in the comparative study of early states and empires. The review of evidence from 15 polities illustrates long traditions of political and administrative organization that derive from the steppe, with Bronze Age origins well before 200 B.C. Pastoralist economies from the steppe innovated new forms of political organization and were as capable as those based on agricultural production of supporting the development of complex societies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using data from the 1997-2009 waves of the China Health and Nutrition Survey, we examine the 'healthy migrant hypothesis' in a setting where internal migrants face significant barriers to movement. Going beyond much of the existing literature in the Chinese context, we use an appropriate comparison between migrants and non-migrants at origin, using detailed health measures, and data spanning a wider geographic and temporal extent than had been previously considered. Consistent with research from both international migration contexts and other internal migration settings, we find that migrants are positively selected on the basis of health, although the relationship between health and migration diminishes across time. The strongest evidence for health selection comes from a subjective self-reported health measure, although we also find evidence for selection against those experiencing acute health conditions. We speculate that the across-time differentiation may be caused by the rapid social, economic and policy changes in China's economic reform era. Thus, we suggest that migration scholars should consider the changing macro context when theorizing about selection factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In China, the male-biased sex ratio has increased significantly. Because the one-child policy applies only to the Han Chinese but not to minorities, this unique affirmative policy allows us to identify the causal effect of the one-child policy on the increase in sex ratios by using a difference-in-differences (DD) estimator. Using the 1990 census, we find that the strict enforcement of the one-child policy led to 4.4 extra boys per 100 girls in the 1980s, accounting for about 94% of the total increase in sex ratios during this period. The robust tests indicate that the estimated policy effect is not likely confounded by other omitted policy shocks or socioeconomic changes. Moreover, we conduct the DD estimation using both the 2000 census and the 2005 mini-census. Our estimates suggest that the one-child policy resulted in about 7.0 extra boys per 100 girls for the 1991-2005 birth cohorts. The effect of the one-child policy accounts for about 57% and 54% of the total increases in sex ratios for the 1991-2000 and 2001-2005 birth cohorts, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate how birthplace influences the incidence of papillary thyroid cancer among Asian American women.Methods: Birthplace- and ethnic-specific age-adjusted and age-specific incidence rates were calculated using data from the California Cancer Registry for the period 1988-2004. Birthplace was statistically imputed for 30% of cases using a validated imputation method based on age at Social Security number issuance. Population estimates were obtained from the US Census. Incidence rate ratios (IRR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated for foreign-born vs. US-born women.Results: Age-adjusted incidence rates of papillary thyroid cancer among Filipina (13.7 per 100,000) and Vietnamese (12.7) women were more than double those of Japanese women (6.2). US-born Chinese (IRR = 0.48, 95% CI: 0.40-0.59) and Filipina women (IRR = 0.74, 95% CI: 0.58-0.96) had significantly higher rates than those who were foreign-born; the opposite was observed for Japanese women (IRR = 1.55, 95% CI: 1.17-2.08). The age-specific patterns among all foreign-born Asian women and US-born Japanese women showed a slow steady increase in incidence until age 70. However, among US-born Asian women (except Japanese), substantially elevated incidence rates during the reproductive and menopausal years were evident.Conclusions: Ethnic- and birthplace-variation in papillary thyroid cancer incidence can provide insight into the etiology of this increasingly common and understudied cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Worldwide, there have been few comparative studies on rotifer communities in subtropical lakes. We studied changes in rotifer community structure over 1 year and its relationship to several physicochemical variables in five subtropical shallow lakes in East China, covering a nutrient gradient from mesotrophy to moderate eutrophy. In these lakes, the genera Brachionus, Lecane, and Trichocerca dominated the rotifer species composition, and Polyarthra dolichoptera, Keratella cochlearis, Filinia longiseta, T. pusilla, and Anuraeopsis fissa were the dominant species. With increased nutrient loading, total rotifer abundance and species dominance increased, indicating that rotifer abundance might be a more sensitive indicator of trophic state than species composition. Comparative analyses of the six rotifer community indices calculated in this study and redundancy analysis (RDA) revealed that the two slightly eutrophic lakes and the other two moderately eutrophic lakes exhibited a high degree similarity in community structure. This suggests that the trophic state of a lake determines the rotifer community structure. In contrast, in the two moderately eutrophic lakes, the mass ratios of TN:TP and the contents of TP suggested N-limitation and cyanobacteria dominance in phytoplankton communities might be possible. In these lakes TN played a more important role in shaping the rotifer community according to stepwise multiple regression and RDA. RDA analysis also suggested that rotifer species distribution was strongly associated with trophic state and water temperature, with water temperature being the most important factor in determining seasonality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using a large, nationally representative longitudinal sample of Chinese aged 65 and older, this study examines the effects of childhood, adult, and community socioeconomic conditions on mortality and several major health outcomes. The role of social mobility is also tested. We find that childhood socioeconomic conditions exert long-term effects on functional limitations, cognitive impairment, self-rated health, and mortality independent of adult and community socioeconomic conditions. Achieved conditions matter for most outcomes as well, considering that adult and community socioeconomic conditions have additional impacts on health among Chinese elders. The majority of the effects of childhood conditions are not mediated by adult and community conditions. The results also show that social mobility and health in later life are linked in complex ways and that psychosocial factors have marginal explanatory power for the effects of socioeconomic conditions. Overall, this study provides new longitudinal evidence from China to support the notion that health and mortality at older ages are influenced by long-term and dynamic processes structured by the social stratification system. We discuss our findings in the context of the life course and ecological perspective, emphasizing that human development is influenced by a nexus of social experiences that impact individuals throughout life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]