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• The impact of ageing on carbon emissions in the whole economic system is explored. • Household consumption pattern of different age groups is depicted in detail. • The change of population age structure had led to a decline in carbon emissions. • The impact of ageing on carbon emissions had obvious regional heterogeneity. Ageing can have a considerable ripple effect on carbon emission by affecting production and consumption of economic system. Based on an input-output structural decomposition analysis, this study analyses the impact of ageing on urban residents' carbon emissions in China from 2002 to 2007 and 2007 to 2012, and explores the regional heterogeneity and temporal uncertainty of the impact. At the national level, older adults slowed the growth of direct carbon emissions in both periods, because their per capita energy consumption fell more in the first period, then switched from coal to gas and electricity consumption. They contributed less to the growth of indirect carbon emissions in both periods due to the minimum increase in their per capita consumption among all age groups. Moreover, the impact of ageing on carbon emissions had clear regional heterogeneity. This study is beneficial to provide suggestions regarding carbon emission reduction and adapting to demographic changes. Ageing; Household consumption; Carbon emissions; Input-output; Structural decomposition analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the interactions between pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and age on offspring neuropsychological development from 1 to 24 months in China. In this birth cohort study, a total of 2,253 mother-child pairs were enrolled in Tianjin, China, between July 2015 and May 2018. The China Developmental Scale for Children was used to assess developmental quotient (DQ) of children aged from 1 to 24 months. Mixed-models analysis revealed significant age × pre-pregnancy BMI interactions for total DQ and five neurobehavioral domains (gross motor, fine motor, adaptive, language, and social; P < 0.001). Age × pre-pregnancy BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 was associated with a negative effect on total DQ and five neurobehavioral domains, as compared to pre-pregnancy BMI < 25 kg/m2 (P < 0.01). Multiple comparisons showed pre-pregnancy BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2 of mothers had a positive effect on child total DQ at the age of 1 month but a negative effect at 24 months (P < 0.05). This study supported the age × pre-pregnancy BMI interaction on offspring neuropsychological development. It also revealed a short-term positive impact of high pre-pregnancy BMI on neuropsychological development at 1 month of age, but a long-term negative effect (from 1 to 24 months). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phytogeographical variation has an impact on up/down regulation of secondary metabolites in medicinal plants. In this context, present study analyzed the influence of environmental factors on secondary metabolites in Salvia miltiorrhiza from natural habitat of China with different topographical conditions. The chemotypic variation was further correlated with climatic factors than micronutrients in the soil. The data revealed that tanshinones were more likely to be influenced by changes in ecological factors compared with phenolic acids. Tanshinone content was positively correlated with annual sunshine duration (correlation coefficients ranged from 0.379 to 0.730, P <  0.01 or 0.05), but negatively correlated with annual mean temperature (correlation coefficients ranged from −0.358 to −0.718, P <  0.01 or 0.05) and annual average precipitation (correlation coefficients ranged from −0.425 to −0.679, P <  0.01); the opposite situation was found in salvianolic acid B (correlation coefficients were −0.137, 0.084, 0.19), caffeic acid (correlation coefficients were −0.336, 0.246, 0.216, P <  0.05) and rosmarinic acid (correlation coefficients were −0.518, 0.475, 0.493, P <  0.01). Among the micronutrients, soil concentrations of Ba, Al and Mg exhibit the positive correlation with tanshinone content, but Pb exhibit the negative correlation with tanshinone content. Total N and K presented positive effects on most of phenolic acids. Ba showed significant negative and direct effects on salvianolic acid B (correlation coefficient was −0.281) and Rosmarinic acid (correlation coefficient was −0.367, P <  0.05). Therefore, the elite chemotype of S. miltiorrhiza identified among the collected samples express the correlation of phyto-geographical condition on the quantity of industrially viable metabolites, tashinones and phenolic acids. This aids in site specific exploration of high metabolite yielding samples to meet out the commercial demands and, promote the agriculture practices of this industrial crop for societal upliftment in area having similar phytogeographical locations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prefabricated buildings (PBs) play an important role in the reconstruction process. However, the PBs actual indoor thermal environment located in earthquake disaster region occur deviation because of the result of various factor comprehensive roles, such as the more diverse climate and environmental conditions. According to this situation, field test and questionnaire are carried out under the winter climatic condition of Lushan County, China to explore the actual indoor thermal environment state. Measured and surveyed results show that the average indoor air temperature of the prefabricated classroom and the brick-concrete structure classroom are 10.17 ℃ and 9.29 ℃, respectively. Surface temperature of the prefabricated classroom changes synchronously with the air temperature while its indoor air temperature is little higher. The peak temperature difference of inner and outer surface can be reached to 5.9 ℃ and 5.24 ℃, respectively. Meanwhile, in the case of the overall average clothing thermal resistance of 1.57clo, ASHRAE scales for 0 thermal sensation vote is only 20%, and most people expect that temperature should be higher, which agree with that of the field test analysis. These results reveal that the actual indoor thermal environment inside the measured prefabricated building cannot meet the students’ thermal comfort requirements and sometimes it is also worse than that of brick-concrete classroom, due to low thermal inertia and poor thermal insulation of the in-walled light steel envelope. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the Guideline of Strengthen Preservation and Development of Traditional Village enacted, the traditional villages gradually gain academic concern and many achievements are acquired. But the study about outdoor wind environment is still insufficient. In this paper, the outdoor wind environment of Liyuanba Village in Bazhong City of Sichuan Province – a typical traditional village in the northeastern Sichuan Basin, is simulated by CFD methods. According to the simulation result, the outdoor wind environment in winter is comfortable for people in general, but there are still eddies and corner flows in some areas. To improve the outdoor wind environment, the suggestions such as changing the direction of courtyard and building are put forward. Furthermore, the optimization is also simulated and these two simulation results are compared in the end. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent studies have raised a concern that the adverse impact of global virtual water trade on water depletion might pose potential risks to future food trade and water security. In this study, we investigate the patterns and drivers of agricultural virtual water imports in China to explore efficient measures to promote the sustainability of agricultural virtual water trade. The panel gravity model and the quantile regression are constructed in this research based on virtual water content and agricultural trade data of 245 categories of HS 6-bit encoded crop and animal products from 49 major exporters during 1998–2018. The main results are as follows: (1) Agricultural virtual water imports in China show a strong upward trend with an average annual growth rate of 13.09%, and oil products occupy the largest share. Both the number of import sources (extended margins) and the import volume from each county (intensive margins) show an increasing trend, but America makes the greatest contribution to virtual water imports of China. (2) Agricultural virtual water imports of China could well match the water resource endowment of exporters, and could also achieve net global water savings, which is beneficial to the sustainability of global water utilization. (3) Water and land resource endowments and economic scale of exporter as three essential supply factors have a positive impact on agricultural virtual water imports of China. Among demand factors, water demand of product and economic scale of China has a positive effect, while import price has a negative effect. Moreover, supply and demand factors have a stronger impact at higher quantiles. In addition, trade cost factors, including average tariff, bilateral exchange rate, and Free Trade Assignment (FTA) could also significantly affect agricultural virtual water imports. Data will be made available on request. • Agricultural virtual water imports in China show an upward trend, and oil and grain products occupy the largest share. • Virtual water imports could well match the water resource endowment of exporters and achieve net global water savings. • Water and land endowment, bilateral economic and trade costs are main drivers affecting virtual water imports. • The heterogenous impacts of drivers on virtual water imports are also investigated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of this study was to conduct a risk assessment to determine the food poisoning risk from the consumption of milk in China that might be contaminated by Staphylococcus aureus . Data related to prevalence and concentration of S. aureus in fluid raw milk in China were collected from the literature and used to calculate the initial contamination levels. Two main consumption routes were considered and the results of the Monte Carlo simulation model indicated that the storage temperature in the processing plant and heat processing of milk in the home were the primary factors affecting the S. aureus concentration at the processing plant and the home before consumption, respectively. Other important factors were distribution of log (D)-value's for S. aureus , storage temperature and time on farm, temperature of the thermal treatment of milk, and treatment time at the dairy processing plant. To minimize the risk of milk-borne staphylococcal intoxication in China, the key step appears to be the control of storage conditions during the period after heat treatment and before consumption. The risk assessment model developed in present study provides valuable information for Chinese government and dairy processors to improve milk safety. It also could provide valuable recommendations for Chinese consumer education on safe handling of milk products. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HCFCs) are used as temporary substitutes for chlorofluorocarbons and other ozone-depleting substances because they have reduced ozone depletion and global warming potentials. The consumption and production of HCFCs are regulated via the Montreal Protocol and its amendments till 2013, with a complete phase-out being scheduled by 2030 for Article 5 parties (developing countries). To better understand the characteristics and emissions of HCFCs in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD), which is the largest metropolitan area in China, weekly flask samples were collected at the Lin'an regional background station located in the YRD from 2011 to 2018 and measured for four HCFCs (HCFC-22, HCFC-141b, HCFC-142b, and HCFC-124). The HCFC-132b and HCFC-133a measurements began in 2018. The ambient mixing ratios of the HCFCs exhibited higher concentrations and larger variabilities than those at the Shangri-la regional background station at similar latitudes in southwest China. The HCFC emissions in the YRD were estimated based on the tracer ratio method using CO and HFC-134a as tracers, and were comparable within the uncertainties. Our results are generally consistent with previous estimates obtained using top-down approaches. HCFC-22 and HCFC-141b contributed 52% ± 23% and 41% ± 24% of the total ODP-weighted (CFC-11-equivalent) HCFC emissions from the YRD, respectively, whereas HCFC-22 contributed the most (83% ± 36%) to the total CO 2 -equivalent HCFC emissions from the YRD. The cumulative ODP-weighted and CO 2 -equivalent emissions of HCFCs from the YRD accounted for 25% ± 15% and 20% ± 11% of the national corresponding totals, respectively, for 2011–2017. The HCFC-141b emissions from the YRD contributed approximately half of the total Chinese emissions. HCFC-133a emissions in the YRD accounted for approximately one-fifth of the global total in 2018. Thus, the YRD is an important contributor of HCFC emissions on national and global scales. [Display omitted] • Two tracers were used to estimate HCFC emissions of Yangtze River Delta (YRD). • CFC-11-equivalent HCFC emissions of YRD contributed 25% ± 15% to the Chinese totals. • HCFC-141b emissions of YRD contributed about a half to the Chinese emissions. • HCFC-133a emissions of YRD accounted for 21% ± 19% of the global emissions. • HCFC emissions of YRD obtained by tracer ratio method agreed with top-down estimates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To study age and educational level and their relationship with fall-related injuries in Shanghai and to analyze the relevant costs. Methods Multistage cluster sampling was used for the selection of participants and standardized questionnaires were used for the information collection in 2006. Information on cases and deaths caused by fall-related injuries were obtained from 494 hospitals as well as from the mortality registry systems from 2001 till 2010. Results Of 45 857 participates, 674 suffered from fall-related injuries with the largest proportion among all injuries. The fall-related mortality increased from 10.63 per 100 000 in 2001 to 14.11 per 100 000 in 2010. The under-five mortality rate was the highest among children aged 0-14 years. Mortality increased dramatically among those aged 55 or above for the female and aged 60 or older for the male. Individuals with an educational level under the primary school were more likely to suffer fall-related injuries, accounting for 72.66% of all deaths and 49.24% of nonfatal cases respectively. The annual burden of fall-related injuries equated to 25.90% of the share of GDP for the healthcare, social security and welfare industries in 2006. Conclusion Fall-related injuries were inversely related to victims' educational level. Children under the age of 5, women over 55 years old and men over 60 years old with an educational level lower than the primary school are the most risky groups of populations for intervention measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's rapid urbanization has been characterized by excessive economic growth and a series of environmental issues. The urban environmental sustainability of 46 typical Chinese cities in 2007 was evaluated with Data Envelopment Analysis in this paper, and the Malmquist Productivity Index was used to identify the change within 2006–2007. This analysis employed indicators from economic, environmental, and resource sub-systems which are frequently involved in the concept of environmental sustainability. We introduced projecting and benchmarking as two possible approaches for less sustainable cities to refer to their peers. Based on the computed results and empirical analysis, the roles of GDP per capita, city scale, and industrial structure as influence factors of environmental sustainability were explored; and the regional disparity of urban environmental sustainability was also investigated. The results show: (1) 24% of the sample cities (e.g. Beijing, Hohhot, etc.) are relatively “environmentally sustainable.” The efficiency scores of Urumqi rank the last. (2) GDP per capita, city scale, and industrial structure factors all exert significant influence on urban environmental sustainability. (3) The environmental sustainability of southeast cities leads the 6 major Chinese regions, and cities around the Bohai area are rapidly approaching environmental sustainability. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Aim of the study: H.pengxianensi is a native plant in China. Dihydrocucurbitacin F-25-O-acetate is one of the major chemical components in H.pengxianensis. In this investigation, we attempted to quantify the content of dihydrocucurbitacin F-25-O-acetate in H.pengxianensis and find the possible antibacterial mode of dihydrocucurbitacin F-25-O-acetate and H.pengxianensis. Material and methods: First, the content of dihydrocucurbitacin F-25-O-acetate was quantified by HPLC. Then, metabolic profiles of Staphylococcus aureus treated by dihydrocucurbitacin F-25-O-acetate, extract of H.pengxianensis and nine antibacterial substances with the known modes of action were acquired by HPLC/DAD/ESI-MS. Principal component analysis was carried out upon all metabolic profiles to classify those drugs according to their mechanisms. Results and conclusion: The HPLC result show the content of dihydrocucurbitacin F-25-O-acetate in H.pengxianensis (5.3±0.4mg/g). From the result obtained by principal component analysis, dihydrocucurbitacin F-25-O-acetate was found to be the component playing the main antimicrobial roles on Staphylococcus aureus in H.pengxianensis and the possible antibacterial mode of dihydrocucurbitacin F-25-O-acetate and H.pengxianensis may be to inhibit cell wall synthesis. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objective: To understand the family status and dilemma of HIV positive subjects and provide some related suggestions. Methods: Constructured questionnaire and in-depth interview were used to survey their psychological needs of the 111 HIV positive subjects and AIDS patients from 4 provinces in China. Results: HIV positive subjects and AIDS patients had strong mental stress. All of them hope to get support from their families; the most difficulty the subjects faced was economic poor. Conclusion: It is a highlight to promote AIDS education to establish a good social environment in which HIV positive subjects and AIDS patients can live quietly and happily. And psychological support from their families and the society is very important to HIV positive subjects and AIDS patients. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objective: To understand the HIV/IDS knowledge level and its influential factors among reproductive men in China so as to provide scientific evidence for preventive measures. Methods: Cross-sectional survey, system random sample and constructed questionnaire were used in this study. There were 1 285 male subjects who had filled in anonymous questionnaires. Results: There were significant differences on the HIV/IDS knowledge level in different counties and different demographic characteristic people. Major influential factors included area, urban/rural, marriage, educational level, age, consultation about HIV/ AIDS. Conclusion: It is necessary to strengthen the training of HIV/AIDS knowledge among reproductive men. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objective: To evaluate the impacts of reproductive tract infections (RTIs) intervention on RTIs-related knowledge, attitudes, practices and prevalence of married women at reproductive age. Methods: Four sub-districts from Xuhui district, Shanghai were selected by multistage cluster random sampling and residence committees were randomly assigned to either an intervention group or a control one. RTIs intervention was implemented in intervention group, while routine family planning program was conducted in control group. Results: Compared with control group, intervention group have improved the following targets: the increment of RTI knowledge score was higher than that in control group (OR=9.22, 95%CI:7.01–12.14); the increment score of individual health behaviors (6.31) was higher than that in control group (4.50) (OR=1.60, 95%CI: 1.21–2.10); the increase of condom use frequency in intervention group was higher than that in control group (4.12% vs 0.69%) (OR=1.84, 95%CI: 1.31–2.57); the decreased RTIs rate was higher than that in control group (7.45% vs 0.96%) (OR=0.68, 95%CI: 0.49–0.95). Conclusion: It is an effective way to conduct community-based intervention to increase women''s RTIs knowledge, improve RTIs-related attitudes, promote good individual health behaviors, so as to decrease RTIs prevalence. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• First report of an ALV-K, ALV-E, and ALV-J multiple recombinant strain isolated from chicken in China. • First report of a multiple recombinant ALV-K strain that could invade and injure the brain tissue of chickens in China. • Provide a warning for the prevention and control of this type of recombinant ALV strain in China. Avian leukosis virus (ALV) can induce various tumors and cause serious production problems. ALVs isolated from chickens were divided into six subgroups (A–J). In 2012, a strain of a putative novel subgroup of ALVs was isolated from Chinese native chickens in Jiangsu Province and named as ALV-K. In this study, three ALV-K strains (JS14LH01, JS13LH14, and JS15SG01) were isolated from chickens with suspected ALV infection in Jiangsu Province. Their complete genomes were amplified, sequenced, and analyzed systematically. The results showed that JS14LH01 and JS13LH14 were ALV-K and ALV-E recombinant strains. Whereas JS15SG01 is an ALV-K, ALV-E, and ALV-J multiple recombinant strain containing the U3 region of ALV-J. The pathogenicity test of JS15SG01 revealed that, compared with previous ALV-K strains, the viremia and viral shedding level of JS15SG01-infected chickens were significantly increased, reaching 100 % and 59 %, respectively. More important, JS15SG01 induced significant proliferation of gliocytes in the cerebral cortex of infected chickens, accompanied by the neurotropic phenomenon. This is the first report about a multiple recombinant ALV-K strain that could invade and injure the brain tissue of chickens in China. Our findings enriched the epidemiologic data of ALV and helped to reveal the evolution of ALV strains prevalent in chicken fields. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Street dust is an important contributor to heavy metal exposure in street sweepers. In this work, the levels of cadmium (Cd), lead (Pb), and arsenic (As) in street dust were evaluated, and the corresponding health implications for street sweepers in the smelting district of Huludao city northeast China were assessed. The contributions of dietary sources and dust to total metal exposure in street sweepers were compared. Because street sweepers are exposed to street dust both during work and nonwork hours, the health risks faced by street sweepers are uncertain. Therefore, variable exposure duration was considered using a deterministic model. A probabilistic risk assessment model was developed to explore the health effects of street dust on street sweepers via Monte Carlo simulation. The various exposure parameters that affect risk were analyzed using sensitivity analysis. The average Cd, Pb, and As levels in the hair of street sweepers were 2.04, 20.12, and 0.52 mg·kg-1, respectively. These values were higher than those for residents (i.e., not street sweepers) of Huludao. Strong correlations were found between the logarithms (base 10) of the Cd, Pb, and As contents in dust and hair (r Cd = 0.581, p < 0.01; r Pb = 0.428, p < 0.01; r As = 0.378, p < 0.01; n = 62). Based on analysis using deterministic models, the maximum exposures to Cd and Pb via dust through the alimentary canal were nearly three and six times higher than the dietary exposures, respectively. Sensitivity analysis indicated that exposure duration is an important parameter. [Display omitted] • Heavy metals levels in hair of street sweepers are higher than residents. • Higher concentrations of heavy metals in hair are associated with dust exposure. • Variable exposure duration is used to estimate the health risk of street sweepers. • Sensitivity analysis indicated exposure duration is important parameter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: PD-1 inhibitor plus chemotherapy had been shown to be an effective first-line treatment for patients with metastatic non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, there was no robust evidence showing a PD-L1 inhibitor combined with chemotherapy benefited patients with squamous and non-squamous NSCLC. GEMSTONE-302 aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a PD-L1 inhibitor, sugemalimab, plus chemotherapy for patients with metastatic squamous or non-squamous NSCLC.Methods: This randomised, double-blind, phase 3 trial was done in 35 hospitals and academic research centres in China. Eligible patients were aged 18-75 years, had histologically or cytologically confirmed stage IV squamous or non-squamous NSCLC without known EGFR sensitising mutations, ALK, ROS1, or RET fusions, no previous systemic treatment for metastatic disease, and an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (ECOG) performance status of 0 or 1. Patients were randomly assigned (2:1) to receive sugemalimab (1200 mg, intravenously, every 3 weeks) plus platinum-based chemotherapy (carboplatin [area under the curve (AUC) 5 mg/mL per min, intravenously] and paclitaxel [175 mg/m2, intravenously] for squamous NSCLC, or carboplatin [AUC 5 mg/mL per min, intravenously] and pemetrexed [500 mg/m2, intravenously] for non-squamous NSCLC; sugemalimab group) or placebo plus the same platinum-based chemotherapy regimens for squamous or non-squamous NSCLC as in the sugemalimab group; placebo group) for up to four cycles, followed by maintenance therapy with sugemalimab or placebo for squamous NSCLC, and intravenous sugemalimab 500 mg/m2 or matching placebo plus pemetrexed for non-squamous NSCLC. Randomisation was done by an interactive voice-web-response system via permuted blocks (block size was a mixture of three and six with a random order within each stratum) and stratified by ECOG performance status, PD-L1 expression, and tumour pathology. The investigators, patients, and the sponsor were masked to treatment assignment. The primary endpoint was investigator-assessed progression-free survival in the intention-to-treat population. Safety was analysed in all patients who received at least one treatment dose. Results reported are from a prespecified interim analysis (ie, when the study met the primary endpoint) and an updated analysis (prespecified final analysis for progression-free survival) with a longer follow-up. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03789604), is closed to new participants, and follow-up is ongoing.Findings: Between Dec 13, 2018, and May 15, 2020, 846 patients were assessed for eligibility; 367 were ineligible, and the remaining 479 patients were randomly assigned to the sugemalimab group (n=320) or placebo group (n=159). At the preplanned interim analysis (data cutoff June 8, 2020; median follow-up 8·6 months [IQR 6·1-11·4]), GEMSTONE-302 met its primary endpoint, with significantly longer progression-free survival in the sugemalimab group compared with the placebo group (median 7·8 months [95% CI 6·9-9·0] vs 4·9 months [4·7-5·0]; stratified hazard ratio [HR] 0·50 [95% CI 0·39-0·64], p<0·0001]). At the final analysis (March 15, 2021) with a median follow-up of 17·8 months (IQR 15·1-20·9), the improvement in progression-free survival was maintained (median 9·0 months [95% CI 7·4-10·8] vs 4·9 months [4·8-5·1]; stratified HR 0·48 [95% CI 0·39-0·60], p<0·0001). The most common grade 3 or 4 any treatment-related adverse events were neutrophil count decreased (104 [33%] of 320 with sugemalimab vs 52 [33%] of 159 with placebo), white blood cell count decreased (45 [14%] vs 27 [17%]), anaemia (43 [13%] vs 18 [11%]), platelet count decreased (33 [10%] vs 15 [9%]), and neutropenia (12 [4%] vs seven [4%]). Any treatment-related serious adverse events occurred in 73 (23%) patients in the sugemalimab group and 31 (20%) patients in the placebo group. Any treatment-related deaths were reported in ten (3%) patients in the sugemalimab group (pneumonia with respiratory failure in one patient; myelosuppression with septic shock in one patient; pneumonia in two patients; respiratory failure, abdominal pain, cardiac failure, and immune-mediated pneumonitis in one patient each; the other two deaths had an unspecified cause) and in two (1%) patients in the placebo group (pneumonia and multiple organ dysfunction syndrome).Interpretation: Sugemalimab plus chemotherapy showed a statistically significant and clinically meaningful progression-free survival improvement compared with placebo plus chemotherapy, in patients with previously untreated squamous and non-squamous metastatic NSCLC, regardless of PD-L1 expression, and could be a newfirst-line treatment option for both squamous and non-squamous metastatic NSCLC.Funding: CStone Pharmaceuticals.Translation: For the Chinese translation of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A variety of studies have been conducted to assess the impact of farmland preservation policies in China. Most of these studies focus on the use of pure statistical approaches to assess the policy impact. A spatially explicit modeling framework is, however, often required to better assess the policy impact and to help understand the consequence of these policies. In this article, we developed such a spatially explicit modeling framework to assess the impact of policies on arable land loss and urban sprawl through the combination of counterfactual analysis with a scenario simulation approach. Counterfactual analysis provides support to assess the impact of farmland preservation policies, while scenario simulation enables us to generate counterfactual outcomes to capture possible land use patterns without policy intervention. With support from cellular automata, farmland preservation policies are integrated into the decision-making processes of land use conversion to link policy with scenario simulation. Our case study demonstrates the potential of the proposed modeling framework for the assessment of farmland preservation policies. Experimental results indicate that farmland preservation policies play an important role in terms of reducing the rate of arable land loss and governing spontaneous urban sprawl. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• The reverse genetic operating systems of IBV H120 and IBYZ strains were created. • We constructed rH120-S1/YZ strain, based on the backbone of the H120 vaccine strain, with the S1 gene replaced with that of the QX-like nephropathogenic strain, ck/CH/IBYZ/2011. • We demonstrated that rH120-S1/YZ had the potential to be a candidate vaccine strain for the prevention and control of the epidemic of renal strains. Infectious bronchitis (IB) is a highly infectious viral disease responsible for major economic losses in the poultry industry. A reverse genetic vaccine is a safe, rapid, and effective method of achieving IB prevention and control. In this study, we constructed the recombinant strain, rH120-S1/YZ, using a reverse genetic system, based on the backbone of the H120 vaccine strain, with the S1 gene replaced with that of the QX-like nephropathogenic strain, ck/CH/IBYZ/2011, isolated in China. The results of dwarf chicken embryos, growth kinetics, and viral titration in the embryos demonstrated that the biological characteristics of the recombinant virus remained unchanged. Like the rH120-infected group and in contrast to the rIBYZ-infected group, no mortality, clinical signs, or lesions were observed in the lungs or kidneys of young chickens inoculated with rH120-S1/YZ. The viral loads in various tissues, cloacal, and oral swabs was lower in most types of samples, indicating that the rH120-S1/YZ strain was highly safe in chicks. Compared to rH120 vaccination group, when the efficacy of this strain was evaluated against the QX-like IBV strain, better protection, with 100% survival rate and no disease symptom or gross lesion was observed in the chickens vaccinated with rH120-S1/YZ. Increased levels of IBV-specific antibodies were detected in the serum of the rH120-S1/YZ-vaccinated animals 14 days post-vaccination. Collectively, our results suggest that the recombinant strain, rH120-S1/YZ, may represent a promising vaccine candidate against QX-like IBVs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Infectious bursal disease virus (IBDV) is still a vital etiological agent in poultry farms. IBDV outbreaks occasionally occur due to the presence of very virulent, reassortment or variant strains. Vaccine immunization has played crucial roles in IBD control for decades. However, survival pressure of IBDV from the vaccine immunization also increases the reassortments of circulating viruses. In this study, an IBDV strain was isolated from several broiler farms in Henan Province, central part of China, and named IBDV HN strain. Based on the results of RT-PCR, sequencing and phylogenic analyses of VP1 and VP2 genes, the IBDV HN strain is a novel reassortment strain in the Henan region. Segment A of this strain appears to originate from the very virulent IBDV strain, while segment B comes from the other field reassortment strains. This may be the result of natural reassortant of virus circulating in the field. About 60% (6/10) of experimentally infected specific pathogen-free chickens died after 3 to 5 d post-infection with typical symptom and pathological lesions. The IBDV HN strain was prone to horizontal transmission, which poses a serious threat to the chicken industry. Further investigation on the prevalence, virulence, and evolution of HN strain IBDV will provide a foundation for the prevention and control of the disease in this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This study evaluated the long-term benefits of atezolizumab in NSCLC in China. • Clinically meaningful benefits and no new safety concerns were observed. • Gene mutations that were enriched in atezolizumab responders were identified. • Patient subgroups with higher rates of atezolizumab-related SAEs were identified. To evaluate the long-term safety and efficacy of atezolizumab monotherapy in Chinese patients with previously treated, locally advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In this open-label, single-arm, multicenter study, patients received atezolizumab 1200 mg intravenously on Day 1 of each 21-day cycle. The primary endpoint was incidence of atezolizumab-related serious adverse events (SAEs). Secondary endpoints included other safety and efficacy measures. Patients with available tumor tissue and blood samples underwent biomarker analyses. Patients with available tumor biopsies underwent exome sequencing. The safety and evaluable populations included 101 and 97 patients, respectively. Exome sequencing data were available for 31 patients. Median follow-up time was 27.43 months. Atezolizumab-related SAEs and immune-related adverse events occurred in 25.7% and 47.5% of the safety population, respectively, and in the following subgroups: central nervous system metastases (n = 14), 35.7% and 35.7%; squamous NSCLC (n = 39), 33.3% and 53.8%. The 24-month overall survival rate was 37.4%. Median overall survival and progression-free survival by RECIST v1.1 were 15.31 and 2.86 months, respectively; objective response rate was 16.5% in the evaluable population. PRRC2C (odds ratio: 12.780, P = 0.014) and ZMYND8 (odds ratio: 19.963, P = 0.016) gene mutations were significantly enriched in atezolizumab responders vs non-responders. Patients with CD8+ TILs > 10% vs ≤ 10% were significantly more likely to be atezolizumab responders. No new safety concerns were raised, and clinically meaningful benefits of atezolizumab monotherapy were shown. The results of the biomarker analyses may guide future therapeutic strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Hong Kong Zhuhai Macao Bridge (HZMB) link is currently one of the largest fixed links ever realised. The link comprises various bridges, causeways, artificial islands and tunnels and has a total length of more than 55 km with an investment of about RMB 120billion (approx. €15 billion). The Link accommodates a dual carriageway with three traffic lanes in each direction. The construction of the Link started at the end of 2010 and was opened to traffic in October 2018. The HZMB Link is internationally regarded as one of the most challenging sea crossing projects in China and a demonstration of China's comprehensive breakthrough in technology, scientific research and other related fields. The offshore part of the HZMB Link, crossing the Pearl River Estuary involves one of the world's longest and deepest immersed tunnels. The tunnel was designed and constructed to meet state-of-the-art requirements and challenging structural, geotechnical and marine/offshore conditions. The HZMB tunnel won the ITA Tunnelling Award Major Project of the Year 2018. This paper presents the project from the Client perspective. The paper will give a general introduction of the project, will provide information regarding the challenging environment in which the tunnel had to be realized and the high demanding design criteria that were applicable. Furthermore, the evaluation of the various technical options will be discussed, ultimately leading to the selection of the immersed tunnel option. The paper will also look into the background of selecting the Design & Build contract approach for this project and the experiences that were built up using this type of contract, new to China on this scale. Finally, the paper introduces how operation and maintenance of the tunnel is planned and executed so as to guarantee the 120-year design lifetime. In Ref. (The Islands and Tunnel Project of HZM Link et al., 2022) more details of the project are discussed from the D&B contractors' perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Rice straw pellets are the main type of biomass solid fuel and have great potential as a bioenergy resource of the future in China. But it also showed important problems because of its high content of ashes and its low gross calorific value, reducing the possibility to be used in domestic heating. It was certified that mixing different types of biomass materials was helpful to improve the properties of pellets. To improve properties of rice straw pellets and investigate the effect of mixing bamboo and rice straw on the pellet properties, some properties of pellets, manufactured using different mixing ratio of bamboo and rice straw particles, were determined in this research. It can be concluded from this research that physical properties of all pellets meet the requirements of Pellet Fuels Institute Standard Specification for Residential/Commercial Densified except for bulk density of pellets, manufactured using mixing ratio (≤3:2) of bamboo and rice straw. The inorganic ash and gross calorific value of rice straw pellets cannot meet the requirement of Pellet Fuels Institute Standard Specification for Residential/Commercial Densified (8.0%) and the minimum requirement for making commercial pellets of DIN 51731 (>17,500 J/g). Both properties are improved through mixing bamboo particles and rice straw particles. It is significant that inorganic ash content and gross calorific value of pellets, manufactured using mixing ratio (≥3:2) of bamboo and rice straw, were lower than 8.0% and higher than 17,500 J/g, respectively. This also shows that mixing different biomass materials is an effective way to optimize properties of biomass solid fuel. All pellets after improvement are proposed as biomass solid fuel and have the potential to be developed as commercial pellets on an industrial scale in China. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]