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Background: Laparoscopic distal gastrectomy (LDG) has become a common procedure for treating advanced gastric cancer (AGC) in China. However, there is uncertainty regarding its oncological outcomes compared to open distal gastrectomy (ODG). This study aims to compare the 3-year disease-free survival (DFS) rates among patients who underwent surgery for AGC in northern China. Methods: A multicenter, non-inferiority, open-label, parallel, randomized clinical trial was conducted to evaluate patients with AGC who were eligible for distal gastrectomy at five tertiary hospitals in North China. In this trial, patients were randomly assigned preoperatively to receive either LDG or ODG in a 1:1 allocation ratio. The primary endpoint was postoperative morbidity and mortality within 30 days and the secondary endpoint was the 3-year DFS rate. This trial has been registered at ClinicalTrials.gov (Identifier: NCT02464215). Results: A total of 446 patients were randomly allocated to LDG (n = 223) or ODG group (n = 223) between March 2014 and August 2017. After screening, a total of 214 patients underwent the open surgical approach, while 216 patients underwent laparoscopic surgery. The 3-year DFS rate was 85.9% for the LDG group and 84.72% for the ODG group, with no significant statistical difference (Hazard ratio 1.12; 95% CI 0.68–1.84, P = 0.65). Body mass index (BMI) < 25 kg/m2, advanced pathologic T4, and pathologic N2-3 category were confirmed as independent risk factors for DFS in the Cox regression. Conclusions: In comparison to ODG, LDG with D2 lymphadenectomy yielded similar outcomes in terms of 3-year DFS rates among patients diagnosed with AGC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to develop and evaluate a CT-based deep learning radiomics model for differentiating between Crohn's disease (CD) and intestinal tuberculosis (ITB). A total of 330 patients with pathologically confirmed as CD or ITB from the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhengzhou University were divided into the validation dataset one (CD: 167; ITB: 57) and validation dataset two (CD: 78; ITB: 28). Based on the validation dataset one, the synthetic minority oversampling technique (SMOTE) was adopted to create balanced dataset as training data for feature selection and model construction. The handcrafted and deep learning (DL) radiomics features were extracted from the arterial and venous phases images, respectively. The interobserver consistency analysis, Spearman's correlation, univariate analysis, and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) regression were used to select features. Based on extracted multi-phase radiomics features, six logistic regression models were finally constructed. The diagnostic performances of different models were compared using ROC analysis and Delong test. The arterial-venous combined deep learning radiomics model for differentiating between CD and ITB showed a high prediction quality with AUCs of 0.885, 0.877, and 0.800 in SMOTE dataset, validation dataset one, and validation dataset two, respectively. Moreover, the deep learning radiomics model outperformed the handcrafted radiomics model in same phase images. In validation dataset one, the Delong test results indicated that there was a significant difference in the AUC of the arterial models (p = 0.037), while not in venous and arterial-venous combined models (p = 0.398 and p = 0.265) as comparing deep learning radiomics models and handcrafted radiomics models. In our study, the arterial-venous combined model based on deep learning radiomics analysis exhibited good performance in differentiating between CD and ITB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Multiple lines of evidence confirm a widespread increase in vegetation growth across China over the past few decades. The relationship between vegetation growth and water availability is thought to be becoming stronger under climate change, that is, water constraints on vegetation growth have been increasing. However, our understanding of how water constraints have influenced these vegetation greening trends, especially those climate change‐driven ones, remains limited. Here, we conduct a comprehensive evaluation of recent water constraints and their implications for vegetation growth in China between 1982 and 2015. By analyzing the spatiotemporal patterns of the relationship between vegetation growth and water availability, we reveal recent water constraints and their changes hidden within an overall greening trend in China. Further analysis demonstrates that two climate change‐related categories, defined broadly as "climate" (e.g., air temperature, precipitation, and so on) and "CO2" (i.e., atmospheric carbon dioxide), have exerted varying levels of importance in regulating vegetation growth across different water constraints. With increasing water constraints, the proportion of the climate‐dominated area has significantly risen, while that of the CO2‐dominated area has sharply declined. Our findings highlight that water constraints can mediate the dominance of climate and atmospheric CO2 on vegetation growth. This has the great potential to exacerbate the uncertainty surrounding current and future sustainable vegetation greening trends. Plain Language Summary: China's vegetation growth has shown a broad increase under climate change and human activities over the past few decades. At the same time, changes in vegetation water demand, terrestrial water availability, and climatic factors are expected to lead to increasing water constraints on vegetation growth. However, whether water constraints have influenced climate change‐driven vegetation greening trends remains unclear. In this study, we provide a comprehensive assessment of recent water constraints and their implications for vegetation growth in China between 1982 and 2015. To do this, we analyze the spatiotemporal patterns of the relationship between vegetation growth and water availability to reveal recent water constraints hidden within China's vegetation greening. Further analysis shows that climate and atmospheric CO2 have exerted varying levels of importance in regulating vegetation growth across different water constraints. With increasing water constraints, more regions become climate‐dominated and fewer become CO2‐dominated. Overall, our findings highlight that water constraints can mediate the dominance of climate and atmospheric CO2 on vegetation growth. This will help decision‐makers recognize the uncertainty of sustainable vegetation greening trends. Key Points: We reveal recent water constraints and their changes hidden within China's widespread vegetation greeningClimate and atmospheric CO2 have exerted varying levels of importance in regulating vegetation growth across different water constraintsWith increasing water constraints, more of China's vegetated regions become climate‐dominated and fewer become CO2‐dominated [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nipa palm hispid beetle (Octodonta nipae) is an insect species that is native to Malaysia but has spread to southern China and beyond, seriously threatening palm production. A lack of high-quality genome resources has hindered understanding of the insect's invasive characteristics and ecological adaptations. Here, we combined Illumina short read, PacBio long-read, and high-throughput chromosome conformation capture (Hi-C) sequencing technologies to generate a high-quality, chromosome-scale genome assembly of nipa palm hispid beetle. The genome assembly was 1.31 Gb in size, consisting of nine chromosomes. The contig and scaffold N50 values were 1.022 Mb and 148.6 Mb, respectively. The genome assembly completeness was estimated at 99.1%. Annotation revealed 16,305 protein-coding genes and 62.16% repeat sequences. This high-quality genome assembly is a valuable resource that will contribute to understanding of the genetic factors underlying the invasive characteristics of nipa palm hispid beetle, ultimately promoting development of efficient control policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Acute gastroenteritis (AGE) causes significant morbidity in children worldwide; however, the disease burden of children hospitalized with viral gastroenteritis in China has been rarely described. Through this study, we analyzed the data of hospitalized children with viral gastroenteritis to explore the changes in the epidemiology and clinical characteristics of viral gastroenteritis in the mainland of China. Methods: Data were extracted from Futang Children's Medical Development Research Center (FRCPD), between 2016 and 2020, across 27 hospitals in 7 regions. The demographics, geographic distribution, pathogenic examination results, complications, hospital admission date, length of hospital stays, hospitalization charges and outcomes were collected and analyzed. Results: Viral etiological agents included rotavirus (RV), adenovirus (ADV), norovirus (NV) and coxsackievirus (CV) that were detected in 25,274 (89.6%), 1,047 (3.7%), 441 (1.5%) and 83 (0.3%) cases. There was a higher prevalence of RV and NV infection among children younger than 3 years of age. RV and NV had the highest detection rates in winter, while ADV in summer. Children with viral gastroenteritis were often accompanied by other diseases, such as myocardial diseases (10.98–31.04%), upper respiratory tract diseases (1.20–20.15%), and seizures (2.41–14.51%). Among those cases, the co-infection rate with other pathogens was 6.28%, with Mycoplasma pneumoniae (M. pneumoniae), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), and influenza virus (FLU) being the most common pathogens. The median length of stay was 5 days, and the median cost of hospitalization corresponded to587 US dollars. Conclusions: This finding suggests that viral gastroenteritis, especially those caused by RV, is a prevalent illness among younger children. Co-infections and the presence of other diseases are common. The seasonality and regional variation of viral etiological agents highlight the need for targeted prevention and control measures. Although viral gastroenteritis rarely leads to death, it also results in a significant economic burden on healthcare systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel procedure has emerged in recent years within oilfields - namely, the utilization of a hybrid fracturing method employing pre-CO2 injection along with sand-carry slick water. In this paper, based on the real logging data of shale oil reservoirs in the second member of Cangdong Sag, Huanghua Depression, combined with the GOHFER, a coupled 3-D hydraulic fracture propagation model is proposed. This research delves into an examination of how engineering factors exert their influence on the process of fracture propagation. The quantitative analysis is conducted encompassing critical fracture parameters such as half-length, height, and width, and self-defined fracture seepage area and fracture front fractal dimension. The research findings indicate that as injection displacement increases, the fracture shape undergoes a transformation from being "long, low, and wide" to becoming "short, high, and narrow". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acrossocheilus fasciatus (Cypriniformes, Cyprinidae) is emerged as a newly commercial stream fish in the south of China with high economic and ornamental value. In this study, a chromosome-level reference genome of A. fasciatus was assembled using PacBio, Illumina and Hi-C sequencing technologies. As a result, a high-quality genome was generated with a size of 879.52 Mb (accession number: JAVLVS000000000), scaffold N50 of 32.7 Mb, and contig N50 of 32.7 Mb. The largest and smallest scafford was 60.57 Mb and 16 kb, respectively. BUSCO analysis showed a completeness score of 98.3%. Meanwhile, the assembled sequences were anchored to 25 pseudo-chromosomes with an integration efficiency of 96.95%. Additionally, we found approximately 390.91 Mb of repetitive sequences that accounting for 44.45% of the assembled genome, and predicted 24,900 protein-coding genes. The available genome reported in the present study provided a crucial resource to further investigate the regulation mechanism of genetic diversity, sexual dimorphism and evolutionary histories. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While marine dolomites formed under near surface conditions have been considered to be potentially reliable archives of past oceanic conditions, this interpretation comes with significant challenges because diagenetic alteration frequently produces diverse fabrics with large geochemical variability. It has been suggested that the Ediacaran dolomites in South China (Hamajing Member, Dengying Formation) recorded the oceanic conditions present at the time they formed, yet these dolomites are composed of five different fabrics (stromatolitic, micritic, oolitic, saddle dolomites and fibrous–radial dolomite cements) and show large variations in multiple geochemical isotope proxies (carbon, oxygen, clumped, magnesium and the sulphur of carbonate‐associated sulphate). This study establishes a paragenetic sequence for these dolomites by combining the clumped and the oxygen isotopic compositions, thereby assessing whether they are geochemically representative of the original seawater. Using this diagenetic framework, the micritic and stromatolitic dolomites show a closed‐system behaviour (low water–rock ratios; <0.3) and are largely resistant to the hydrothermal alteration during late diagenesis. In contrast, the ooid and cement fabrics have been affected by the hydrothermal fluid precipitating saddle dolomite in the open‐system condition with the high stimulated water–rock ratios (>1). Furthermore, in a closed‐system environment, the elevated δ24Mg and δ34S values in the stromatolitic dolomite reflect the isotopic Rayleigh fractionation that enriches the 26Mg and 34S through rock‐buffered recrystallization, coupled with microbial sulphate reduction. These results demonstrate that the complex signals in early marine dolomite should be carefully evaluated when used as a palaeoproxy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: With an incidence rate as high as 46%-58%, hypoglycemia is a common complication of glycemic management among those suffering from type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM). According to preclinical research, hypoglycemia episodes may impair cognition by harming neurons. However, there is still controversy regarding the clinical evidence for the relationship between hypoglycemic events and the likelihood of cognitive impairment. Furthermore, little research has been done on the dose-response association between hypoglycemia incidents and the possibility of cognitive impairment. To address these knowledge gaps, the present research intends to update the comprehension of the association among hypoglycemic events and the risk of cognitive impairment and to clarify the correlation between dose and response by incorporating the most recent investigations. Method and analysis: This work has developed a protocol for a systematic review and meta-analysis that will examine, via a well-organized assessment of several databases, the relationship between the incidence of hypoglycemia and the probability of cognitive impairment. Observational studies investigating the connection between hypoglycemia episodes and cognitive impairment will be included. The databases that will be searched are PubMed, Web of Science, the Chinese Biomedical Literature Database (CBM), Cochrane Library, Embase, the China National Knowledge (CNKI), Wan Fang, the Chinese Science and Technology Periodical Database (VIP), and Du Xiu. Literature from the establishment of each database to December 2023 will be included in the search. Two researchers will independently screen the studies that satisfy the requirements for both inclusion and exclusion. A third researcher will be asked to mediate any disputes. The methodological caliber of the studies included will be assessed utilizing the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) or the Joanna Briggs Institute (JBI) critical appraisal method. With regard to GRADE, which stands for Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation, the quality of the evidence will be evaluated. ROBIS Tool will be used to evaluate the risk of bias in the development of the systematic review. If the data is accessible, meta-analysis and dose-response curve analysis will be employed by Stata software. However, if the data does not allow for such analysis, a descriptive review will be performed. Discussion and conclusion: Hypoglycemic episodes may raise the likelihood of cognitive impairment, according to earlier investigations. This study will update the relevant evidence and explore the dose-response connection between hypoglycemic episodes and cognitive impairment. The results of this review will have significant effects on decision-making by individuals with diabetes, healthcare providers, and government policy institutions. Trial registration: Prospero registration number:CRD42023432352. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Patients treated with drug-coated balloons (DCB) have the theoretical advantage of adopting a low-intensity antiplatelet regimen due to the absence of struts and polymers. Nevertheless, the optimal antiplatelet strategy for patients undergoing DCB-only treatment remains a topic of debate and has not been investigated in randomized trials. Methods: The REC-CAGEFREE II is an investigator-initiated, prospective, open-label, multi-center, randomized, non-inferiority trial aimed to enroll 1908 patients from ≥ 40 interventional cardiology centers in China to evaluate the non-inferiority of an antiplatelet regimen consisting of Aspirin plus Ticagrelor for one month, followed by five months Ticagrelor monotherapy, and then Aspirin monotherapy for six months (Experimental group) compared to the conventional treatment of Aspirin plus Ticagrelor for 12 months (Reference group) in patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) who have undergone percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) using paclitaxel-coated balloons (DCB) exclusively. Participants will be randomly assigned to the Experimental or Reference group in a 1:1 ratio. The randomization will be stratified based on the center and the type of lesion being treated (De novo or in-stent restenosis). The primary endpoint is net adverse clinical events (NACE) within 12 months of PCI, which includes the composite of all-cause death, any stroke, any myocardial infarction, any revascularization and Bleeding Academic Research Consortium (BARC) defined type 3 or 5 bleeding. The secondary endpoint, any ischemic and bleeding event, which includes all-cause death, any stroke, MI, BARC-defined type 3 bleeding, any revascularization, and BARC-defined type 2 bleeding events, will be treated as having hierarchical clinical importance in the above order and analyzed using the win ratio method. Discussion: The ongoing REC-CAGEFREE II trial aims to assess the efficacy and safety of a low-intensity antiplatelet approach among ACS patients with DCB. If non-inferiority is shown, the novel antiplatelet approach could provide an alternative treatment for ACS patients with DCB. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT04971356. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sintered ore is the most important incoming iron material for blast furnaces in China. The foundation characteristics of sintering are an important basis for the sintering process of iron ore powder and a key indicator for evaluating the quality of iron ore powder. The chemical composition of iron ore powder directly affects the foundation characteristics of sintering. Based on the chemical composition and sintering characteristics of iron ore powder, the article adopts the FOA-Catboost algorithm to establish a prediction model for the foundation characteristics of single iron ore powder and mixed iron ore powder. Among the foundation characteristics prediction indicators of a single type of iron ore powder, the accuracy of assimilation temperature prediction is 95.65 %, the accuracy of fluidity index prediction is 95.23 %, and the accuracy of bonding phase strength prediction is 97.46. Among the foundation characteristics prediction indicators of mixed iron ore powder, the accuracy of assimilation prediction is 95.82 %, the accuracy of fluidity index prediction is 91.66 %, and the accuracy of bonding phase strength prediction is 93.7 %. On the basis of predicting the foundation characteristics of a single type of iron ore powder, the model further predicts the foundation characteristics of mixed iron ore powder, which can reduce the workload of laboratory experiments on the foundation characteristics of iron ore powder and reduce the amount of experiments in the process of finding the optimal proportion of mixed ore. Based on the foundation characteristics model of mixed ore, determine the optimal ratio of sintered ore powder to improve the quality of sintered ore. The establishment of the model has a significant contribution to improving experimental and production efficiency, reducing costs, improving sinter quality, and reducing environmental impact. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Estimates of grassland aboveground biomass (AGB) upscaled from the plot level to broad scales are lacking extrapolation robustness across grassland biomes. This is because the coupling relationships between diverse driving variables and model forms are poorly understood and/or are not robustly defined. Here, using 17,421 in situ ground-truth AGB samples and 31 driving variables generated from Sentinel-1/2 satellite images and climatic-topographical-soil data, we explored the coupling relationships among these multifaceted driving variables and 6 machine learning (ML) algorithms in AGB upscaling estimates across 18 grassland types in China. Monte Carlo simulations indicated that these 31 multifaceted driving variables did not enhance the performance of the ML algorithms in AGB modeling and that prioritizing climatic factors at a 10 km resolution and the satellite enhanced vegetation index (EVI) at a 10 m resolution have scale effects; the former dominates the variation in grassland AGB among 18 grassland types, and the latter reflects local heterogeneity. ML algorithms prevalently suffer from saturation convergence, and the underrepresentation of training samples leads to instability in ML establishment when constrained to a specific grassland type. Among the 6 ML algorithms, the random forest (RF) algorithm outperformed the other methods in terms of the mean absolute error (MAE) during iterative training; however, the best performance strongly relies on saturated training, with an R2 of 0.68 over all grasslands in China. Finally, based on the optimal estimate of grassland AGB using RF (0.25 Pg C) and both belowground biomass (1.52 Pg C) inferred from the ratio of roots to shoots (R/S) of the 18 grassland types and the approximate intake of grazing animals (0.02 Pg C), the plant-based carbon stock over Chinese grasslands is estimated to be 1.79 Pg C. This study emphasizes that to untangle the limitations of using ML approaches, the robustness of model training and the complementary effect between climatic factors and satellite metrics should be considered when upscaling estimates of grassland AGB. • An ML scheme was developed to scale up the AGB estimates across 18 grassland types. • The coupling relationships between diverse driving variables and AGB were clarified. • Coarse precipitation and EVI have a complementary role in modeling AGB variation. • The saturated training of ML guarantees converging robustness among grassland types. • The plant-based carbon stock in Chinese grasslands was estimated to be 1.79 Pg C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Radon (222Rn) is a radioactive gas that occurs naturally in the soil and is harmful to the environment and health. However, the measuring the amount of radon flowing is challenging. This study reveals the mechanism responsible for radon transportation and concentration variation, the main driving forces acting, and the key factors operating in the vadose zone. In this study, two separate holes were used to monitor the amount of earth-air and radon flowing in and out of the soil in the extremely arid region in China where the Mogao Grottoes are located. Using a closed-system model, the quantity, characteristics, and regularity of the flow of earth-air and radon were thus determined on daily and yearly timescales. The same patterns of variation in earth-air flow and radon concentration were found at the two sites, both depending on the variation in the atmospheric pressure (AP). When the AP decreases, earth-air flows out from the soil with a high radon concentration. Conversely, when the AP increases, earth-air enters into the soil with a low radon concentration. Thus, radon is continuously emitted from the soil. The concentration of radon in the earth-air is proportional to the rate of flow of earth-air and therefore increases as the AP decreases. The radon emission also varies with the seasonal variation in temperature and AP, which is high in summer and low in winter. On a daily timescale, the radon varies in a bimodal manner. Therefore, the net amount of radon emitted from the soil is positively correlated with the amplitude of the AP fluctuation, temperature, soil porosity, and thickness of the vadose zone. The atmospheric pumping is the main driving force responsible for the radon emission. However, the surface closure, landform, cracks, faults, grain size, pore structure, soil adsorption, basal uranium/radium, salts, wind, lunar cycle, latitude and altitude have important effects on the number of radon emission. As such, it provides a scientific basis for the effective utilization of radon and prevention of its emission from soil. [Display omitted] • This study used a new measurement method to monitor the amount of Rn emitted. • The characteristics of radon flow was revealed by monitoring. • Rn in the vadose zone undergoes piston-like movement. • The key factors influencing the vertical transport of Rn were revealed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a major source of carbon emissions, the civil aviation sector needs a feasible path for low-carbon transition. Owing to the dynamics of travel demand in China, the spatial patterns of aviation emissions are difficult to foresee or simulate in scenario analysis. To address this issue, we predicted the spatial patterns of aviation carbon emissions in China at the city level using projected gridded population data and power law model. The results show that China's civil aviation sector will have a cumulative emission abatement potential of 7027 million tons from 2020 to 2060 if all abatement measures can be implemented. The contribution of individual cities was quantified based on expected changes in population, airport planning, and economic development. Megacities and metropolitan cities will contribute to 58.1 % and 26.2 % of the total emission abatement, respectively. The eastern, central, and western regions of China will contribute to 64.2 %, 15.8 %, and 20.0 % of the total abatement, respectively. The abatement potentials before and after 2040 are expected to account for 20.0 % and 80.0 % of the whole from 2020 to 2060. Therefore, some regions and cities can be regarded as key or pilot areas to implement abatement measures. Finally, policy implications of the results are presented. [Display omitted] • Predict the spatial pattern of carbon emissions of China's civil aviation sector at the city level. • Use gridded population and economic development data, and power-law model. • Sustainable development scenario can abate 7027 Mt of emissions during 2020–2060. • Mega cities contribute to majority of the emissions abatement in future. • Eastern, central, and western cities contribute to 64 %, 16 %, and 20 % of the abatement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate and effective short-term wind power forecasting is vital for the large-scale integration of wind power generation into the power grid. However, due to the intermittence and volatility of wind resources, short-term wind power forecasting is challenging. To address the issue that the existing decomposition forecasting methods ignore the coupling relationship between wind power series and multiple meteorological series, this study proposes a short-term wind power forecasting method based on multivariate signal decomposition and variable selection. First, multivariate variational mode decomposition (MVMD) is used to perform time-frequency synchronous analysis on wind power and multidimensional meteorological series, thereby decomposing them into the same predefined number of frequency-aligned intrinsic mode functions (IMFs). Secondly, elastic net (EN) is used for supervised variable selection on all IMFs to provide a high-quality training set for the forecasting model, thereby enhancing precision and interpretability. Next, a hybrid deep neural network combining convolutional neural network (CNN), bidirectional long-short term memory (BiLSTM) neural network, and multi-head attention (MHA) mechanism is employed to model the output curve of a group of wind turbines in a wind farm. Finally, the proposed method is comprehensively evaluated through four sets of comparative experiments and multiple evaluation metrics on data gathered from the Mahuangshan first wind farm in China with four forecasting horizons: 15-min ahead, 30-min ahead, 45-min ahead, and 1-h ahead. The experimental results show that the proposed method significantly outperforms fifteen existing deep learning methods in terms of precision and stability. • A novel multivariate signal decomposition strategy is proposed for wind power forecasting. • Elastic net is firstly applied to provide a high-quality training set for the forecasting model. • Utilizing the multi-head attention mechanism to capture the long-term dependencies in wind power sequence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reliable nitrogen (N) fertilizer management indicators are essential for improving crop yields and minimizing environmental impacts for sustainable production. The objectives of this study were to assess the importance of major N management indicators (NMIs) for higher yield with low risks of environmental pollution in an intensive potato system under drip irrigation. Six drip-irrigated field experiments with no N application (Control), farmer practice (FP), and optimized N management (OM) based on N-balance, soil mineral N (N min), and target yield were conducted from 2018 to 2020 in Inner Mongolia, China. The response of NMIs to potato yield and yield-based environment impact indices (EI Y) was evaluated by the random forest algorithm. The N input, N losses from N leaching, ammonia (NH 3) volatilization, nitrous oxide (N 2 O) emission, N use efficiency (NUE), N surplus, and soil residual N after harvest were obtained to identify the best NMIs for high yield and minimal ecological impact. The N management practices in field experimental sites affected the importance of the order of NMIs on potato yield and EI Y. The NUE and N leaching were identified as the highest importance scores and the most essential controlling variables to potato yield and EI Y , respectively. The integrated NUE and N leaching indicator played a vital role in improving potato yield and reducing ecological impact. The OM treatment achieved 46.0%, 63.6%, and 64.6% lower in N application rate, N surplus, and reactive N loss, and 62.4% higher in NUE than the FP treatment while achieving equal potato yields, respectively. Those key NMIs can guide farmers in understanding their practice short comes to achieve both high productivity and environmental sustainability in intensive potato production systems under drip irrigation. • We assess the response of nitrogen (N) indicators to drip-irrigated potato system. • Yield and yield-base environment indices (EI Y) were affected by NUE and leaching. • The N surplus was an effective indicator for controlling N losses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chinese children are exposed to broad environmental risks ranging from well-known hazards, such as pesticides and heavy metals, to emerging threats including many new man-made chemicals. Although anecdotal evidence suggests that the exposure levels in Chinese children are substantially higher than those of children in developed countries, a systematic assessment is lacking. Further, while these exposures have been linked to a variety of childhood diseases, such as respiratory, endocrine, neurological, behavioral, and malignant disorders, the magnitude of the associations is often unclear. This review provides a current epidemiologic overview of commonly reported environmental contaminants and their potential impact on children's health in China. We found that despite a large volume of studies on various topics, there is a need for more high-quality research and better-coordinated regional and national data collection. Moreover, prevention of such diseases will depend not only on training of environmental health professionals and enhanced research programs, but also on public education, legislation, and networking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both EU-DEMO and CFETR need a workable replacement scheme for their tritium breeding blanket (BB). The radioactive environment dictates that all associated operations must be carried out through remotely controlled tools. Accessing and extracting the large BB segments requires their feeding pipes to be removed first from the upper vessel port and later re-installed. In the current design, each of the 80 BB segments is connected with four feeding pipes, two for cooling and two for tritium extraction. Thus, in the process of BB maintenance operation, 320 pipes must be cut, removed and rewelded. The developed concept for this task is presented here. It aims at reducing the associated plant downtime, thereby increasing the overall plant availability. Features underpinning this integrated BB pipe service concept are: (i) parallel pipe service operations, (ii) pipes in each upper port are grouped in a pipe forest and handled as a single component, (iii) the configuration of the individual pipes is standardized such that cutting and joining locations are aligned and with good accessibility from the top, (iv) the number of pipe sizes is limited to two, reducing the number of required tool sets, and (v) the same pipe configuration is adopted in each of the 16 upper ports. The paper will present design solutions and the progress on the manufacturing of prototypes developed for the challenging cutting and welding tasks from both within and outside, as well as the leak detection methodology and pipe stub handling. Prototypes will be used to perform design validation and verification on dedicated test benches currently being implemented in close collaboration between European laboratories and the Comprehensive Research fAcility for Fusion Technology (CRAFT) at ASIPP in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: It remains unclear which early gestational biomarkers can be used in predicting later development of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). We sought to identify the optimal combination of early gestational biomarkers in predicting GDM in machine learning (ML) models., Methods: This was a nested case-control study including 100 pairs of GDM and euglycemic (control) pregnancies in the Early Life Plan cohort in Shanghai, China. High sensitivity C reactive protein, sex hormone binding globulin, insulin-like growth factor I, IGF binding protein 2 (IGFBP-2), total and high molecular weight adiponectin and glycosylated fibronectin concentrations were measured in serum samples at 11-14 weeks of gestation. Routine first-trimester blood test biomarkers included fasting plasma glucose (FPG), serum lipids and thyroid hormones. Five ML models [stepwise logistic regression, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO), random forest, support vector machine and k-nearest neighbor] were employed to predict GDM. The study subjects were randomly split into two sets for model development (training set, n = 70 GDM/control pairs) and validation (testing set: n = 30 GDM/control pairs). Model performance was evaluated by the area under the curve (AUC) in receiver operating characteristics., Results: FPG and IGFBP-2 were consistently selected as predictors of GDM in all ML models. The random forest model including FPG and IGFBP-2 performed the best (AUC 0.80, accuracy 0.72, sensitivity 0.87, specificity 0.57). Adding more predictors did not improve the discriminant power., Conclusion: The combination of FPG and IGFBP-2 at early gestation (11-14 weeks) could predict later development of GDM with moderate discriminant power. Further validation studies are warranted to assess the utility of this simple combination model in other independent cohorts., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: The long-term impact of drug-coated balloon (DCB) angioplasty for the treatment of patients with de novo coronary artery lesions remains uncertain. We aimed to assess the non-inferiority of DCB angioplasty with rescue stenting to intended drug-eluting stent (DES) deployment for patients with de novo, non-complex coronary artery lesions., Methods: REC-CAGEFREE I was an open-label, randomised, non-inferiority trial conducted at 43 sites in China. After successful lesion pre-dilatation, patients aged 18 years or older with de novo, non-complex coronary artery disease (irrespective of target vessel diameter) and an indication for percutaneous coronary intervention were randomly assigned (1:1), via a web-based centralised system with block randomisation (block size of two, four, or six) and stratified by site, to paclitaxel-coated balloon angioplasty with the option of rescue stenting due to an unsatisfactory result (DCB group) or intended deployment of second-generation thin-strut sirolimus-eluting stents (DES group). The primary outcome was the device-oriented composite endpoint (DoCE; including cardiovascular death, target vessel myocardial infarction, and clinically and physiologically indicated target lesion revascularisation) assessed at 24 months in the intention-to-treat (ITT) population (ie, all participants randomly assigned to treatment). Non-inferiority was established if the upper limit of the one-sided 95% CI for the absolute risk difference was smaller than 2·68%. Safety was assessed in the ITT population. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT04561739. It is closed to accrual and extended follow-up is ongoing., Findings: Between Feb 5, 2021, and May 1, 2022, 2272 patients were randomly assigned to the DCB group (1133 [50%]) or the DES group (1139 [50%]). Median age at the time of randomisation was 62 years (IQR 54-69), 1574 (69·3%) of 2272 were male, 698 (30·7%) were female, and all patients were of Chinese ethnicity. 106 (9·4%) of 1133 patients in the DCB group received rescue DES after unsatisfactory DCB angioplasty. As of data cutoff (May 1, 2024), median follow-up was 734 days (IQR 731-739). At 24 months, the DoCE occurred in 72 (6·4%) of 1133 patients in the DCB group and 38 (3·4%) of 1139 in the DES group, with a risk difference of 3·04% in the cumulative event rate (upper boundary of the one-sided 95% CI 4·52; p non-inferiority =0·65; two-sided 95% CI 1·27-4·81; p=0·0008); the criterion for non-inferiority was not met. During intervention, no acute vessel closures occurred in the DCB group and one (0·1%) of 1139 patients in the DES group had acute vessel closure. Periprocedural myocardial infarction occurred in ten (0·9%) of 1133 patients in the DCB group and nine (0·8%) in the DES group., Interpretation: In patients with de novo, non-complex coronary artery disease, irrespective of vessel diameter, a strategy of DCB angioplasty with rescue stenting did not achieve non-inferiority compared with the intended DES implantation in terms of the DoCE at 2 years, which indicates that DES should remain the preferred treatment for this patient population., Funding: Xijing Hospital and Shenqi Medical., Translation: For the Chinese translation of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests PWS reports consulting fees from Sahajanand Medical Technologies, Novartis, Merillife, Xeltis, and Philips/Volcano. DC reports honoraria from Terumo, Sanofi Aventis, and Medtronic; and participation on the advisory board of Abbott Vascular. ZJia is the founder of Beijing KeyTech Statistical Consulting and has stock in the company. R-JvG reports an unrestricted research grant to Radboud UMC from AstraZeneca. All other authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved, including those for text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.)

Soil respiration (RS) is crucial for releasing carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) from terrestrial ecosystems to atmosphere. Prescribed burning (a common forest management tool), along with its important by-product pyrogenic carbon (PyC), can influence the carbon cycle of forest soil. However, few studies explore RS and PyC spatial correlation after prescribed burning. In this study, we investigated the spatial pattern of RS and its influencing factors by conducting prescribed burnings in a temperate artificial Pinus koraiensis forest. RS was measured 1 day (1 d) pre-prescribed burning, 1 d, 1 year (1 yr) and two years (2 yr) after prescribed burning. Significant decrease in RS were observed 1-2 yr After burning (reductions of 65.2% and 41.7% respectively). The spatial autocorrelation range of RS decreased pre-burning (2.72m), then increased post-burning (1 d: 2.44m; 1 yr: 40.14m; 2 yr: 9.8m), indicating a more homogeneous distribution of patch reduction. Pyrogenic carbon (PyC) in the soil gradually decreased in the short term after burning with reductions of 19%, 52%, and 49% (1d., 1 yr And 2 yr After the fire, respectively). However, PyC and RS exhibited a strong spatial positive correlation from 1 d.- 1 yr post-burning. The spatial regression model of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) on RS demonstrated significant positive spatial correlation in all measurements (pre- and post-burning). Microbial carbon to soil nitrogen ratio (MCN) notably influenced RS pre-burning and 1-2 yr post-burning. RS also showed significant spatial correlation in cross-variance with NH 4 + -N and NO 3 - -N post-burning. The renewal of the PyC positively influenced RS, subsequently affecting its spatial distribution in 1d.- 1yr. Introducing PyC into RS studies helps enhances understanding of prescribed fire effects on forest soil carbon (C) pools, and provides valuable information regarding regional or ecosystem C cycling, facilitating a more accurate prediction of post-burning changes in forest soil C pools., 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 © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: A cross-sectional population-based survey in the Beichen district of Tianjin was conducted to estimate the prevalence of dry eye disease (DED) among the population over 50 years old with Dry Eye Workshop (DEWS) II and Chinese expert consensus (CEC) criteria., Methods: A total of 5791 subjects over 50 years old were enrolled. Ocular surface disease index (OSDI) questionnaire, lipid layer thickness (LLT), partial blink ratio (PBR), fluorescein tear film breakup time (FBUT), Schirmer I test (SIT), fluorescein staining, meibomian gland dropout, meibomian gland expression scores (MES) and quantity scores (MQS) was assessed. Additionally, basic information, weight, disease history, living habits, anxiety, and depression condition were collected., Results: According to the CEC, the prevalence of DED was 39.0%, whereas 44.0% based on DEWS II. The prevalence of DED increased with age and was substantially greater among women (41.1%, 95% CI, 39.5-42.6%) than males (35.1%, 95% CI, 33.1 -37.2%) (p < 0.001). Furthermore, the severity of DED was more severe in women (p = 0.006). The associated risk factors were age, female, depression, smoking, insomnia, and glaucoma. On the other hand, 53.6% of these populations were diagnosed as asymptomatic DED, and the morbidity was higher in males (p = 0.007)., Conclusions: The prevalence of DED in China was relatively high, which was associated with aging, female(sex), depression, smoking and sleep problems. Hence, it is crucial for clinicians and caregivers to be aware of the existence of asymptomatic DED within the susceptible population., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Under international advocacy for a low-carbon and healthy lifestyle, ambient PM2.5 pollution poses a dilemma for urban residents who wish to engage in outdoor exercise and adopt active low-carbon commuting. In this study, an Urban Air Health Navigation System (UAHNS) was designed and proposed to assist users by recommending routes with the least PM2.5 exposure and dynamically issuing early risk warnings based on topologized digital maps, an application programming interface (API), an eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) model, and two-step spatial interpolation. A test of the UAHNS's functions and applications was carried out in Wuhan city. The results showed that, compared with trained random forest (RF), LightGBM, Adaboost models, etc., the XGBoost model performed better, with an R 2 exceeding 0.90 and an RMSE of approximately 15.74 μg/m 3 , based on data from national air and meteorological monitoring stations. Further, the two-step spatial interpolation model was adopted to dynamically generate pollution distribution at a spatial resolution of 300 m*300 m. Then, an exposure comparison was performed under randomly selected commuting routes and times in Wuhan, showing the recommended routes for lower PM2.5 exposure made effectively help. And the route difference ratios of about 14.9 % and 16.9 % for riding and walking, respectively. Finally, the UAHNS platform was integrally realized for Wuhan, consisting of a real-time PM2.5 query, a one-hour PM2.5 prediction function at any location, health navigation on city map, and a personalized health information query., 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 © 2024 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)

Pharmaceuticals, which are closely linked to human activities, have attracted global attention. This study investigated the occurrence characteristics of 20 pharmaceuticals in surface water of the Yangtze Estuary and adjacent sea. A total of 14 targeted pharmaceuticals were detected in both spring and summer sampling campaigns. The mean concentrations of sulfonamides and non-sulfonamides were 36.60 ± 19.43 ng·L -1 and 50.02 ± 41.07 ng·L -1 , respectively. As for non-antibiotics, their concentrations were in the range of 24.34 ± 916.8 ng·L -1 with caffeine accounting for 6.17 ~ 86.70% (average percentage of 42.22%). Meanwhile, spatial distribution patterns showed similarities between antibiotics and non-antibiotics, with high levels occurring near the upper estuary, aquaculture areas, wastewater treatment plants, and the maximum turbidity zone. This phenomenon could be related to the sources of pharmaceuticals and the physicochemical properties of water bodies. Obviously, the first three areas are highly impacted by human activities or serve as important sources of terrestrial contaminants entering the East China Sea. The last area retains high amounts of suspended particles which may exert strong trapping effects on hydrophobic chemicals. Principal component analysis revealed the presence of three potential sources for pharmaceuticals in the Yangtze Estuary, with a relatively high percentage originating from incompletely treated municipal sewage. As for the temporal trend, pharmaceutical contamination was found to be higher in spring compared to summer, potentially due to variations in pharmaceutical consumption patterns, local rainfalls, and water temperatures. These findings provide fundamental data support for implementing appropriate local management strategies for pharmaceutical usages., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

Caring for people living with dementia during the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic significantly impacted the emotional, physical, and social well-being of carers. However, no study has focused on the well-being of Chinese carers of people living with dementia in New Zealand during the pandemic. This study aimed to explore the support needs of Chinese carers of people living with dementia in New Zealand during the COVID-19 pandemic. Semi-structured interviews were conducted by two bilingual and bicultural researchers. Thematic analysis was used to explore the resilience resources for Chinese carers. Twelve Chinese carers were recruited from four community organizations in New Zealand. Four themes were identified: (1) social isolation, (2) emotional loneliness, (3) ambivalent feelings of being a carer, and (4) a variety of unmet needs. The findings of our study provide new insights into the multiple support needs of Chinese carers of people living with dementia during the COVID-19 pandemic. Implications for practice include the establishment of culturally appropriate care support services and the development of tailored resilience-building interventions to address the unmet needs of Chinese carers of people living with dementia.

The increasingly frequent occurrence of urban heatwaves has become a significant threat to human health. To quantitatively analyze changes in heatwave characteristics and to investigate the return periods of future heatwaves in Wuhan City, China, this study extracted 9 heatwave definitions and divided them into 3 mortality risk levels to identify and analyze historical observations and future projections of heatwaves. The copula functions were employed to derive the joint distribution of heatwave severity and duration and to analyze the co-occurrence return periods. The results demonstrate the following. (1) As the concentration of greenhouse gas emissions increases, the severity of heatwaves intensifies, and the occurrence of heatwaves increases significantly; moreover, a longer duration of heatwaves correlated with higher risk levels in each emission scenario. (2) Increasing concentrations of greenhouse gas emissions result in significantly shorter heatwave co-occurrence return periods at each level of risk. (3) In the 3 risk levels under each emission scenario, the co-occurrence return periods for heatwaves become longer as heatwave severity intensifies and duration increases. Under the influence of climate change, regional-specific early warning systems for heatwaves are necessary and crucial for policymakers to reduce heat-related mortality risks in the population, especially among vulnerable groups., 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. The author(s) declared that they were an editorial board member of Frontiers, at the time of submission. This had no impact on the peer review process and the final decision., (Copyright © 2024 Chen, Zhao, Dou, Yang, Li, Byun and Kim.)

We analyzed multidimensional biodiversity (including species diversity, functional diversity, and phylogenetic diversity) of needle-broadleaf mixed forests of Abies fargesii var. faxoniana-Betula spp. and needleleaf forests of A . fargesii var. faxoniana in the subalpine regions of eastern edge of Qinghai-Tibet Plateau. We measured leaf functional traits including leaf area, leaf thickness, leaf dry matter content, and specific leaf area. The results showed that leaf thickness (0.28 mm) and leaf dry matter content (319.86 mg·g -1 ) in the needle-broadleaf mixed forests were significantly lower than in the needleleaf forest (0.39 mm and 371.33 mg·g -1 , respectively), while specific leaf area (192.74 cm 2 ·g -1 ) was significantly higher (100.91 cm 2 ·g -1 ). Leaf area showed no significant difference between the two forest communities (27.88 and 26.63 cm 2 , respectively). The phylogenetic signals of all leaf functional traits were significant, except for leaf thickness. The phylogenetic structure of the needle-broadleaf mixed forests and needleleaf forest communities tended toward divergence. Shannon diversity index, Simpson diversity index, species richness, functional richness, functional dispersion, Rao's quadratic entropy, and phylogenetic diversity in the needle-broadleaf mixed forests were all significantly higher than in the needleleaf forest, and these indices were significantly positively correlated. Competitive exclusion played a major role in the assembly of subalpine forest communities, and species diversity, functional diversity, and phylogenetic diversity exhibited synchrony.

Objective: To describe the lipid metabolic profile of different patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and contribute new evidence on the progression and severity prediction of COVID-19., Methods: This case-control study was conducted in Peking University Third Hospital, China. The laboratory-confirmed COVID-19 patients aged ≥18 years old and diagnosed as pneumonia from December 2022 to January 2023 were included. Serum lipids were detected. The discrimination ability was calculated with the area under the curve (AUC). A random forest (RF) model was conducted to determine the significance of different lipids., Results: Totally, 44 COVID-19 patients were enrolled with 16 mild and 28 severe patients. The top 5 super classes were triacylglycerols (TAG, 55.9%), phosphatidylethanolamines (PE, 10.9%), phosphatidylcholines (PC, 6.8%), diacylglycerols (DAG, 5.9%) and free fatty acids (FFA, 3.6%) among the 778 detected lipids from the serum of COVID-19 patients. Certain lipids, especially lysophosphatidylcholines (LPCs), turned to have significant correlations with certain immune/cytokine indexes. Reduced level of LPC 20:0 was observed in severe patients particularly in acute stage. The AUC of LPC 20:0 reached 0.940 in discriminating mild and severe patients and 0.807 in discriminating acute and recovery stages in the severe patients. The results of RF models also suggested the significance of LPCs in predicting the severity and progression of COVID-19., Conclusion: Lipids probably have the potential to differentiate and forecast the severity, progression, and clinical outcomes of COVID-19 patients, with implications for immune/inflammatory responses. LPC 20:0 might be a potential target in predicting the progression and outcome and the treatment of COVID-19., 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 © 2024 Zhang, Zhao, Zhang, Wu, Li, Yang, Zhang, Wei, Xi, Zhou, Wang, Du, Huang, Ge and Lu.)

Objectives: The vast majority of children with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) do not have access to proper diagnosis and treatment in China. The goal of this project is to identify the challenges and facilitators in implementing a Canadian ADHD Shared Care Pathways program in pediatric settings in Shanghai region., Methods: Purposive semi-structured focus groups were conducted on a total of 13 healthcare practitioners from the Shanghai Xinuha, Ninghai and Chongming hospitals. Two independent researchers conducted a thematic analysis of the data with themes emerging based on the Consolidated Framework for Implementation Research (CFIR)., Results: Notable barriers identified by participants included: (1) lack of knowledge in the management of ADHD, primarily among general practitioners; (2) lack of resources such as lack of staff, time, and medication for ADHD; (3) challenges in implementing an international multicentre intervention (such as communication difficulties between teams and integration of resources available in different hospitals); and (4) mental health stigma, difficulties in identifying ADHD patients, and logistical problems related to medication procurement rules put in place by provincial governments. Notable facilitators included: (1) the strong motivation of stakeholders and their confidence in their ability to learn and subsequently execute action plans to achieve the implementation goal; (2) the compatibility between the values and goals of the stakeholders and those of the program despite some cultural tension, a positive learning climate, strong tensions for change, and the high interest of organization leaders in engaging in the program (3) the perceived benefits of the program, such as standardization of the diagnostic and treatment process, and engaging primary care providers in ADHD management; and (4) the strong relationship between participating institutions and schools as well as provincial health initiatives available to support collaborative models of care. Mixed factors to implementation were also explored., Conclusions: Appropriate training of health care providers, cultural adaptation of the program, increase public awareness about ADHD to decrease stigma, as well as strong project management and guidelines that clearly describe the role and expectations of each team member appeared essential to successful implementation., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The natural abundance of stable carbon and nitrogen isotopes (δ 13 C and δ 15 N) in leaves can provide comprehensive information on the physiological and ecological processes of plants and has been widely used in ecological research. However, recent studies on leaf δ 13 C and δ 15 N have focused mainly on woody species, few studies have been conducted on herbs in different vegetation types, and their differences and driving factors are still unclear. In this study, we focused on the herbs in subalpine coniferous forests, alpine shrublands, and alpine mea-dows on the eastern Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, and investigated the differences in leaf δ 13 C and δ 15 N of herbs and the driving factors. The results showed that there were significant differences in leaf δ 13 C and δ 15 N values of herbs among different vegetation types, with the highest δ 13 C and δ 15 N values in alpine meadows, followed by alpine shrublands, and the lowest in subalpine coniferous forests. Using variation partitioning analysis, we revealed that differences in leaf δ 13 C and δ 15 N of herbs among various vegetation types were driven by both leaf functional traits and climate factors, with the contribution of leaf functional traits being relatively higher than that of climate factors. Hierarchical partitioning results indicated that mean annual temperature (MAT), chlorophyll content index, leaf nitrogen content per unit area (N area ), and leaf mass per area were the main drivers of leaf δ 13 C variations of herbs across different vegetation types, while the relative importance of N area and MAT for variation in leaf δ 15 N of herbs was much higher than those other variables. There was a strong coupling relationship between leaf δ 13 C and δ 15 N as indicated by the result of the ordinary least squares regression. Our findings could provide new insights into understanding the key drivers of leaf δ 13 C and δ 15 N variations in herbs across different vegetation types.

Background: COVID-19 lockdowns increased the risk of mental health problems, especially for children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD). However, despite its importance, little is known about the protective factors for ASD children during the lockdowns., Methods: Based on the Shanghai Autism Early Developmental Cohort, 188 ASD children with two visits before and after the strict Omicron lockdown were included; 85 children were lockdown-free, while 52 and 51 children were under the longer and the shorter durations of strict lockdown, respectively. We tested the association of the lockdown group with the clinical improvement and also the modulation effects of parent/family-related factors on this association by linear regression/mixed-effect models. Within the social brain structures, we examined the voxel-wise interaction between the grey matter volume and the identified modulation effects., Results: Compared with the lockdown-free group, the ASD children experienced the longer duration of strict lockdown had less clinical improvement ( β = 0.49, 95% confidence interval (CI) [0.19-0.79], p = 0.001) and this difference was greatest for social cognition (2.62 [0.94-4.30], p = 0.002). We found that this association was modulated by parental agreeableness in a protective way (-0.11 [-0.17 to -0.05], p = 0.002). This protective effect was enhanced in the ASD children with larger grey matter volumes in the brain's mentalizing network, including the temporal pole, the medial superior frontal gyrus, and the superior temporal gyrus., Conclusions: This longitudinal neuroimaging cohort study identified that the parental agreeableness interacting with the ASD children's social brain development reduced the negative impact on clinical symptoms during the strict lockdown.

The ecological risks of trace metals (Cu, Zn, As, Cd, Pb, and Hg) and PAHs in seawater from three typical bays of the Bohai Sea (the Liaodong Bay, Bohai Bay, and Laizhou Bay) were comprehensively assessed by recompiling 637 sites. Results highlighted that scrutiny should be given to the ecological risks of Cu (3.80 μg/L) in the Bohai Bay and Hg (0.23 μg/L) in the Laizhou Bay. Conversely, the Liaodong Bay exhibited negligible ecological risks related to trace metals. The risks of ΣPAHs in the Liaodong Bay, Bohai Bay, and Laizhou Bay were moderate, with mean concentrations of 368.16 ng/L, 731.93 ng/L, and 187.58 ng/L, respectively. The source allocation of trace metals and PAHs required consideration of spatial variability and anthropogenic factors, which greatly affected the distribution and composition of these pollutants. The combined ecological risks in the Bohai Bay (6.80 %) and Laizhou Bay (5.43 %) deserved more attention., 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 © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Enterovirus D68 (EV-D68) is an emerging pathogen that has caused outbreaks of severe respiratory disease worldwide, especially in children. We aim to investigate the prevalence and genetic characteristics of EV-D68 in children from Shanghai. Nasopharyngeal swab or bronchoalveolar lavage fluid samples collected from children hospitalized with community-acquired pneumonia were screened for EV-D68. Nine of 3997 samples were EV-D68-positive. Seven of nine positive samples were sequenced and submitted to GenBank. Based on partial polyprotein gene (3D) or complete sequence analysis, we found the seven strains belong to different clades and subclades, including three D1 (detected in 2013 and 2014), one D2 (2013), one D3 (2019), and two B3 (2014 and 2018). Overall, we show different clades and subclades of EV-D68 spread with low positive rates (0.2%) among children in Shanghai between 2013 and 2020. Amino acid mutations were found in the epitopes of the VP1 BC and DE loops and C-terminus; similarity analysis provided evidence for recombination as an important mechanism of genomic diversification. Both single nucleotide mutations and recombination play a role in evolution of EV-D68. Genetic instability within these clinical strains may indicate large outbreaks could occur following cumulative mutations., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

As the aging process accelerates, the age structure of blood donors turns to older and even aged groups. Methylmalonic acid (MMA), a byproduct of propionate metabolism, may be upregulated in the serum of older adults. As a mediator of chronic disease and tumor progression, the MMA content in blood products has become the focus of research. Absolute concentrations of MMA in blood products were determined based on the liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry, so as to analyze how they were affected by donors' age, sex, and frequency of blood donation. The MMA content in leukocyte-depleted suspended red blood cell (lds-RBC) was significantly higher than that in fresh plasma (p<0.0001). The MMA content among five age groups showed no difference in either fresh plasma or lds-RBCs. The MMA content in fresh plasma was similar in the parameters of the sex, whereas that in lds-RBCs was higher in males than that in females (p=0.035). There were no significant differences in MMA content when it comes to different frequencies of blood donors in either fresh plasma or lds-RBCs. Additionally, there was no significant difference or clear trend in the rate of elevated plasma MMA levels among different sexes, age groups, and blood donation frequency groups. MMA in the blood products from donors in China does not compromise the safety of blood transfusions for cancer patients. Nevertheless, there is a need to focus on MMA levels in Chinese and to develop race-specific and age-specific normal reference ranges.