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Background: Long-term nursing home (NH) care helps NH residents with their daily activities and improves their quality of life, but negatively affects their independent physical activities and increases the risk of dangerous events. Dangerous events in the elderly usually occur in the conversion of walking periods when forward striding has already happened, but the body has not yet entered a completely steady walking. Objectives: Compare the gait characteristics in Chinese long-term NH residents and community-living elderly during the walking Transitional Period (TP) and Stabilization Period (SP). Methods: 32 long-term NH residents and 33 age- and sex-matched community-living elderly were recruited. The 30-Second Chair Stand Test (30-s CST), Timed Up and Go Test (TUGT), and Modified Falls Efficacy Scale (MFES) were used to assess their body function. The Xsens MVN BIOMECH system was used to collect and analyze the gait parameters of participants. Results: Compared to community-living elderly, NH residents had fewer numbers of 30-s CST, took more time to complete TUGT, and lower MEFS scores. NH residents showed slower gait speed (P < 0.001), less peak hip flexion (P = 0.022) and extension (P = 0.003), knee internal rotation (P = 0.023), and ankle plantarflexion (P = 0.001) and internal rotation (P = 0.007) angles during walking. When walking progressed from TP to SP, NH residents showed increased ankle dorsiflexion (P < 0.001), decreased hip internal rotation (P < 0.001), and community-living elderly had increased hip extension (P = 0.005) angles. Conclusions: Chinese long-term NH residents had reduced lower extremities strength and postural balance, and higher fear of falling compared to community-living elderly. Their walking performance also showed high fall risk. Besides, long-term NH residents adopted a distal strategy to propel the body forward, which may be a compensatory measure to compensate for inadequate proximal joint control from forward walking to stable walking, and long-term NH residents have reduced postural stability during this process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Both NH4+ and NO3− are capable of greatly influencing plant growth and biomass. However, the belowground responses of subtropical trees to NH4+ or NO3− deposition in phosphorus-barren soil remain poorly understood. Here, we discuss the effects of these two forms of N deposition on root development and experimentally analyze the impact on nitrogen and phosphorus absorption in two types of subtropical tree species (Schima superba; a broadleaved tree with a fibrous root system, and Pinus massoniana; a conifer with a taproot system). In a greenhouse in southern China, 1-year-old S. superba and P. massoniana seedlings grown on P-limited and P-normal soil were treated with NaNO3 and NH4Cl solutions of 0, 80, and 200 kg N ha−1 year−1, corresponding to the control, N80, and N200 groups, respectively. Root phenotype characteristics and metabolic ability were measured after 8 months of growth. The results showed that the root morphology and exudates variables differed significantly between the two species under different N and P treatments, and the root growth rate and P absorption were higher in P. massoniana. N addition differentially affected root growth and activity as follows: (1) N80 increased the root growth and activity of the two species, but NH4+-N80 led to thicker roots in S. superba compared with P. massoniana; (2) N200 had inhibitory effects on the roots of P. massoniana, for which NH4+-N200 led to thinner and longer roots and even the death of some roots; and (3) NH4+-N promoted phosphorus absorption efficiency and nitrogen absorption efficiency in the thicker roots (> 1.5 mm), and NO3−-N stimulated activity in the thinner roots (0.5–1.5 mm) of S. superba. The opposite was observed for P. massoniana. P. massoniana had a higher root absorption efficiency; however, nitrogen deposition was found to be more beneficial to the root growth of S. superba. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complex interplay between primary and secondary growth processes in trees holds paramount significance in unraveling the physiological connections within distinct tree tissues. In this study, we continuously monitored the intra-annual radial growth of Pinus koraiensis, Quercus mongolica, and Betula platyphylla in Changbai Mountain of northeast China using microcore techniques from April to September 2021. Additionally, we used existing leaf phenology models to simulate the seasonal variations of leaf area of three species. Our results revealed substantial difference in radial growth dynamics and leaf expansion patterns among the different wood species. Notably, a synchronization between leaf expansion and radial growth was observed in certain phases for pine and birch, with a significant positive correlation between the rates of leaf expansion and radial growth. Conversely, oak exhibited no synchrony between leaf development and radial growth. Temporal disparities between cambial phenology and leaf phenology were observed. Specifically, for pine, leaf unfolding occurred prior to the onset of wall-thickening, while leaf shedding took place after the cessation of lignification. Oak exhibited a delayed leaf unfolding compared to the initiation of secondary wall formation, and leaf shedding notably occurred later than the cessation of radial growth. In contrast, birch displayed an earlier leaf unfolding in comparison to the onset of radial growth, and the cessation of lignification was later than leaf shedding. These findings indicate the diversity in physiological mechanisms and survival strategies among different wood species. Our results suggest that radial growth in pine and birch appears to be heavily reliant on photosynthetic activity of leaves, while oak places greater emphasis on carbon storage, particularly during early growing season. The findings provide new insights into the complex mechanisms of tree growth and are critical for predicting future species suitability in temperate forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large areas of soil are boron (B) deficient and contaminated with cadmium (Cd) in southern China. The aim of this study was to select the optimal B supply level and elucidate the underlying physiological and biochemical mechanisms to understand how B reduces Cd influx into root cells of hot pepper (Capsicum annuum). An experiment was conducted to investigate the changes in Cd accumulation with B supply. Hot pepper seedlings were grown in two nutrient solutions containing 0.05- and 0.2-mg Cd L−1 and supplied with six different B concentrations for 2 weeks. The other experiment was conducted to determine the Cd2+ flux into cells, cell wall components, antioxidative ability, and plasmalemma permeability of root tips of hot pepper exposed to 0.1-mg Cd L−1 in the presence and absence of B. The results showed that the optimal B concentration to promote plant growth and reduce Cd accumulation was 0.25 mg L−1. Moreover, B application significantly decreased Cd2+ influx into cells, increased the contents of lignin and pectin, enhanced the activities of antioxidant enzymes, reduced the production of reactive oxygen species, and decreased membrane peroxidation and permeability. Overall, boron in moderation can promote plant growth, maintain the normal structures and functions of the cell wall and membrane, and thus decrease Cd2+ influx into root cells and subsequently Cd translocation to shoots. Consequently, B is a reliable inhibitor of Cd uptake, and the functional and structural integrity of cell walls and membranes may have some relevance to reduced Cd uptake after B application. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rubber tree (Hevea brasiliensis) is an economically important source of natural rubber. H. brasiliensis grows slowly in southern China mainly because of relatively low temperatures there. The slow growth rate delays plant propagation, so ways of increasing growth are needed. Light is important for regulating plant growth. An extended photophase is commonly used to increase plant growth and development. We studied the effects of an extended photophase, by supplemental LED night lighting, on the growth and physiology of young H. brasiliensis. Night lighting significantly increased plant height, stem diameter, and flush number. Chlorophyll a and total chlorophyll contents significantly increased, while chlorophyll b and carotenoids were unaffected. The photosynthetic parameters, nutrition status, and soluble sugar and protein contents changed little with supplemental lighting. The activities of antioxidases, including superoxide dismutase, peroxidase, and catalase, were similar in the experimental and control plants. The results showed that overnight LED lighting, in addition to solar irradiation during the daytime, could improve the rhythmic growth of H. brasiliensis without causing obvious physiological changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Phyllostachys praecox is one of the bamboo species that cultivated extensively in southern China. An organic material mulching technique is commonly adopted in winter to increase the yield of bamboo shoots and profits. However, P. praecox is inevitable to be declined when using the technique continuously. Accordingly, we conducted an aeration study to explore the mechanism of the bamboo recession. Methods: P. praecox were subjected to mulching and aeration treatments for 50 days, antioxidant enzymes, anaerobic respiratory metabolizing enzymes, and photosynthesis characteristics were investigated in root and leaf tissues. Results: The mulching treatment led to bamboo hypoxia stress, while the aeration improved bamboo growth. Compared with mulching treatment, the aeration treatment significantly increased the soil oxygen content. Aeration treatment led to increases in the bamboo root respiratory activity by 19.74%, but decreased ADH, LDH, PDC, SOD, CAT, APX, GR activities by 64.98%, 36.58%, 57.78%, 21.57%, 33.33%, 22.60%, and 32.06%, respectively. Moreover, the aeration treatment greatly enhanced chlorophyll synthesis and improved bamboo photosynthesis. Conclusions: Soil hypoxia induced by the organic material mulching inhibited bamboo growth, which might be the critical factor in the bamboo recession. Our results indicated aeration was conducive to preventing the degeneration of the P. praecox bamboo forest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clematis crassifolia and Clematis cadmia Buch.-Ham. ex Hook.f. & Thomson are herbaceous vine plants native to China. C. crassifolia is distributed in shaded areas, while C. cadmia mostly grows in bright, sunny conditions in mountainous and hilly landscapes. To understand the potential mechanisms involved in the irradiance responses of C. crassifolia and C. cadmia, we conducted a pot experiment under three irradiance treatments with natural irradiation and two different levels of shading. Various growth, photosynthetic, oxidative and antioxidative parameters and the relative expression of irradiance-related genes were examined. In total, 15 unigenes were selected for the analysis of gene expression. The exposure of C. crassifolia to high irradiance resulted in growth inhibition coupled with increased levels of chlorophyll, increased catalase, peroxidase, and superoxide dismutase activity and increased expression of c144262_g2, c138393_g1 and c131300_g2. In contrast, under high irradiance conditions, C. cadmia showed an increase in growth and soluble protein content accompanied by a decrease in the expression of c144262_g2, c133872_g1, and c142530_g1, suggesting their role in the acclimation of C. cadmia to a high-irradiance environment. The 15 unigenes were differentially expressed in C. crassifolia and C. cadmia under different irradiance conditions. Thus, our study revealed that there are essential differences in the irradiance adaptations of C. crassifolia and C. cadmia due to the differential physiological and molecular mechanisms underlying their irradiance responses, which result from their long-term evolution in contrasting habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Several previous researches had found artery stiffness associated skeletal muscle mass, but not considering muscle strength and physical performance, which also were compositions of sarcopenia. This study aims to reveal the relationship of artery stiffness and sarcopenia using the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia criteria.Methods: Study was performed on 1002 Chinese community dwelling participants aged ≥65 years from November 2016 to March 2017. Body composition, muscle strength, physical performance, and brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) considering as artery stiffness index were measured.Results: In multiple regression analysis, baPWV was associated with handgrip (β=−0.13, P=0.04) and Relative skeletal muscle mass index (ASM/Ht2) (β=−0.02, P<0.01), but not with 4-meter velocity (P=0.21). Multiple logistic regression analysis showed that 1-SD (3.50m/s) increased in baPWV was still associated with a 11% (CI, 4%-20%; P<0.01) higher odds of being sarcopenia. In the gender subgroup analysis, the relationship of baPWV and sarcopenia remain significant in men (OR, 1.23; 95% CI, 1.07-1.42, P<0.01), but not in women (P=0.07).Conclusions: High brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity is associated with sarcopenia in Chinese community-dwelling elderly, with gender differences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: We aimed to evaluate the relationship between baseline renal function and changes in telomere length in Han Chinese.Methods: The telomere restriction fragment (TRF) length of leukocytes in the peripheral blood was measured in healthy volunteers recruited in 2014. The estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was calculated based on serum creatinine (Scr) and serum cystatin C (CysC)-eGFRcys and eGFRScr-cys through the Cockcroft-Gault formula (eGFRC-G) or the Chronic Kidney Disease Epidemiology Collaboration (CKD-EPI / eGFRCKD-EPI) equation. The correlation between telomere length changes over time and renal function was analyzed.Results: Leukocyte TRF lengths were negatively correlated to age (r = -0.393, p < 0.001) and serum CysC (r = -0.180, p < 0.01), while positively associated with eGFRCKD-EPI, eGFRC-G, eGFRcys, and eGFRScr-cys (r = 0.182, 0.122, 0.290, and 0.254 respectively, p < 0.01). The 3-year change of telomere length was 46 bp/years. When adjusted for age, the associations between telomere length changes and baseline, subsequent TRF lengths, and serum CysC were no longer present. No association was observed between TRF length changes and renal function.Conclusion: The rate of telomere length changes was affected by age and baseline telomere length. The telomere length changes might be important markers for aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Our previous study found that B cell translocation gene 2 (BTG2) was hyper-methylated and down-regulated in side population (SP) cells of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cell line. However, its clinical significances and biological impacts on HCC SP cells remained unclear.Aims: To investigate the prognostic value of BTG2 gene in HCC and its influences on cancer stem cells (CSCs)-like traits of HCC cell line SP cells.Methods: BTG2 expression in human HCC and adjacent non-cancerous tissues was detected by immunohistochemical staining and quantitative real-time PCR, and also obtained from GEO and TCGA data. Its prognostic values were assessed. Its biological influences on HCC cell line SP cells were evaluated using cell viability, cell cycle, plate clone-forming assay, and chemoresistance in vitro and tumorigenicity in vivo.Results: BTG2 expression was significantly suppressed in human HCC compared to adjacent non-cancerous tissues. BTG2 expression was correlated with TNM stage, tumor size and vascular invasion. Lower expression of BTG2 was associated with poorer overall survival and disease-free survival. In vitro, overexpression of BTG2 substantially suppressed cell proliferation and accumulation of HCC cell line SP cells in G0/G1 phase. Colony formation ability was markedly suppressed by BTG2 overexpression. Moreover, sensitivity of HCC cell line SP cells to 5-fluorouracil was substantially increased by overexpression of BTG2. Furthermore, tumorigenicity of HCC cell line SP cells transfected with BTG2 plasmids was significantly reduced in vivo.Conclusions: BTG2 gene could regulate the CSC-like traits of HCC cell line SP cells, and it represented as a molecular prognostic marker for HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study determined the effect of cadmium (Cd) toxicity comparatively on two copepods, Eurytemora affinis (Poppe 1880) from a temperate region (Seine Estuary, France) and Pseudodiaptomus annandalei (Sewell 1919) from a subtropical region (Danshuei Estuary, Taiwan), according to their sex and reproductive stages. In addition, the effect of Cd to their life cycle traits was quantified. In the first experiment, both copepod sexes were exposed to 40, 80, 150, 220, and 360 µg/L of Cd and a control cultured in salinity 15, except that the temperature was 18 °C for E. affinis and 26 °C for P. annandalei. This allowed calculating median lethal concentration (LC50) of Cd after 96 h. This was 120.6 µg/L Cd for P. annandalei males which were almost twice as sensitive as P. annandalei females (LC50 = 239.5 µg/L Cd). For E. affinis females, the LC50 was 90.04 µg/L Cd, reflecting a 1.4 times higher sensitivity of females than of males (LC50 = 127.75 µg/L Cd). The males of both species were similarly sensitive; however, the E. affinis females were 2.7 times more sensitive than the P. annandalei females. We also compared the sensitivity of ovigerous females (OVF) and non-ovigerous females (NOF) of both species to Cd. Mortality was higher in NOF than in OVF of both copepod species in both the control and the 40 µg/L Cd treatment. Finally, the total population, fecundity and female morphology of both copepod species were estimated after exposing one generation cycle (nauplius to adult) to 40 μg/L Cd (for E. affinis) and 160 μg/L Cd (for P. annandalei). A significant decrease in cohort production, survival and clutch size but no significant difference in the prosome length of both copepod species exposed to Cd were detected. The ratio of OVF:NOF was high in both copepod species exposed to Cd. Cd toxicity did not significantly affect the M:F sex ratio and % OVF of E. affinis. However, the effect of Cd toxicity in P. annandalei was significant in the M:F sex ratio and was in favor of females and their reproductive activities due to an increase in % OVF. Moreover, there was a significant decrease in total production of P. annandalei due to high mortality in their nauplii and copepodid developmental stages. Toxicity to Cd appears to be affected by multiple factors including sex, reproductive life stage and species. The ecological implication of Cd toxicity on E. affinis and P. annandalei copepod ecology is more related to a skewed sex ratio, low egg production, reduced hatchability and reduced survival that affects the recruitment potential of the copepod nauplii resulting in a decreasing copepod population. Mortality, reproduction and population growth of model species may provide important bio-indicators for environmental risk assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microelement (As, Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Zn) concentrations were determined in the muscle, skin, gill, and liver tissues of Carassius auratus gibelio collected from subsidence pools at three different coal mines in the Huainan coalfield in China. The concentrations of elements in the water were within the allowable levels for raising fish. However, the higher levels of these metals in sediment may pose potential harm on fish. It was found that the concentrations of Cr, Ni, and Zn in all fish tissues were higher, while As, Cd, and Pb levels were relatively low. Microelement accumulation appeared to be more widespread in subsidence pools than that in natural water. Elements accumulated in fish tissues differently: the highest metal concentrations were generally found in the liver tissues of the fish analyzed, whereas the lowest were recorded in the muscles. The mean element concentrations in muscle tissue from C. auratus gibelio collected from subsidence pools (As, 0.16 mg/kg; Cd, 0.06 mg/kg; Cr, 6.21 mg/kg; Cu, 1.61 mg/kg; Ni, 3.88 mg/kg; Pb, 1.76 mg/kg; and Zn, 12.80 mg/kg dry weight) were far below the allowable limit of the hygienic standard in fish proposed by the Ministry of Health in China, suggesting that the fish were safe for human consumption. A health risk assessment also suggested there was no risk from the analyzed elements for inhabitants near the Huainan coalfield that consume fish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aims: Paddy field abandonment has become a major concern in China, particularly among traditional rice-cultivation regions. Abandonment results in the alteration of many processes affecting C sequestration and turnover, but the final effects on C stocks remain unknown. Methods: To examine the effects of paddy abandonment on topsoil organic C (SOC) content and stocks, a long-term experiment was performed in subtropical China, examining an abandoned paddy field with different pre-abandonment fertilization history (from 1991 to 2006 years) and SOC gradients (from 19.2 to 22.0 g C kg). Results: Paddy field abandonment significantly reduced the topsoil SOC content and stock (0-20 cm). Eight years after cultivation ceased, SOC content and C stock had decreased by 9.9-20.9% and 10.2-20.8%, respectively, yielding a mean annual loss rate of 0.30-0.60 g C kg·yr. and 0.50-1.15 t C ha·yr., respectively. Soils with higher initial SOC content were more sensitive to abandonment than soils with low SOC levels. Dissolved organic C (DOC) was more sensitive to abandonment, as evidenced by the faster decrease of DOC than SOC. The rapid reduction of SOC content, combined with a strong decrease in DOC, indicates that post-abandonment C inputs into the soil were far lower than the concurrent SOC mineralization. The SOC content decreases was likely because of the shift from anaerobic to aerobic conditions. This change leads to faster litter decomposition and SOC mineralization, accompanied with decreasing SOC retention or stabilization by soil aggregates, mineral or Fe redox processes. Conclusion: Abandonment of paddy soils leads to switch from a C sink to a C source, resulting in high C losses. The succession of grasses in abandoned fields did not compensate for the losses of soil C stocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A total of 54 soil and 54 potato samples have been collected from Weining County to evaluate the accumulation of cadmium in potatoes. The concentrations of the total Cd and the available Cd in the soil samples have been detected. The total concentrations of Cd were from 0.41 to 10.0 mg/kg with an average value of 2.60 mg/kg in soil. The concentrations of available Cd in the soil were 0.07 to 3.47 mg/kg with an average value of 0.59 mg/kg. The concentration of the available Cd showed a good linear positive correlation with the total Cd content in the soil. For the 54 potato samples, the Cd concentrations were from 0.023 to 0.18 mg/kg with an average value 0.083 mg/kg (fresh weight).The bioconcentration factor (BCF) values of Cd in potatoes, based on dry weight, were from 0.02 to 0.96 with an average value 0.24. The uptake of cadmium by plants is dependent on various soil and environmental factors. A regression model to predict the concentration of cadmium in Weining potatoes based on soil properties and elevation was developed. The results showed the elevation and the soil pH played an important role and had a negative influence on the uptake of Cd by potato in Weining County. The mean intake of Cd by adults through consumption of potato from Weining would be 5.9 μg/day, and it is well below the provisionally tolerable daily intake for Cd (70 μg/day). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: This study evaluated the levels of bone turnover markers (BTMs) and investigated relationships between them and bone mineral density (BMD) in postmenopausal women in China suburban district. The prevalence of osteoporosis was 25.03 % at lumbar spine and 6.23 % at femoral neck, and BTMs were negatively correlated with BMDs. Introduction: The aims of this study were to evaluate the levels of bone turnover markers (BTMs), including serum N-terminal procollagen of type I collagen (P1NP), beta C-terminal cross-linked of type I collagen (β-CTX), 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D], and parathyroid hormone (PTH), and to investigate relationships between these markers and bone mineral density (BMD) as well the prevalence of osteoporosis in postmenopausal women of suburban district. Methods: A population of 4822 postmenopausal women aged 55-69 years old (62.22 ± 6.75) from the suburban district was recruited voluntarily. BMD was measured at the lumbar spine, femoral neck, and total hip using dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry; 2251 women in this group had the serum BTMs 25(OH)D and PTH tested. Results: The prevalence of osteoporosis was 25.03 % at lumbar spine and 6.23 % at femoral neck. The median (interquartile range) values of serum P1NP, β-CTX, 25(OH)D, and PTH were 59.3 ng/mL (44.7-75.52), 0.370 ng/mL (0.280-0.490), 23.0 ng/mL (17.1-30.5), and 31.4 pg/mL (24.9-39.7), respectively. Serum P1NP and β-CTX levels presented significantly negative correlations with BMDs at the all the sites (Beta = −0.098 to −0.208, respectively, P < 0.001), whereas PTH levels were negatively correlated with BMDs of the femoral neck and total hip (Beta = −0.062 and −0.054, P < 0.01, respectively). Serum 25(OH)D had positive associations with BMDs at total hip (Beta = 0.051, P < 0.01). Conclusions: The BMD of postmenopausal women in China suburban area is higher than that in downtown area, and over 60 % of the participants had their serum 25(OH)D level over 20 ng/mL. BTMs were negatively correlated with BMDs, suggesting that BTMs are reliable factors for early declines in BMD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: China has an enormous and rapidly growing population of widowed elders. Little is known about how losing a spouse affects elders' health-related quality of life (QOL), especially in the rural areas where most Chinese elders live. This article analyzes QOL data collected in 2014 among rural Chinese elders to address this question.Methods: SF12 questionnaires and information about individual and household characteristics were collected from 3053 elders aged 60 and above in rural China. We compared the physical component summary (PCS) and mental component summary (MCS) scores between 1925 married elders and 1060 widowed elders in a bivariate model stratifying by gender and age group and in a general factorial ANOVA multivariate analysis that examined and controlled for other predictors of PCS and MCS scores including education, chronic disease, and family and household factors.Results: Widowed male and female elders' physical health and mental health were in decline with age. Widowed men had lower PCS and MCS scores than married men. Widowed women also had lower PCS scores, but differences in MCS scores did not reach statistical significance. In multivariate analysis, widowhood was associated with lower PCS and MCS scores overall. Support from children was associated with better QOL and, based on interaction analysis, appeared to mitigate negative effects of widowhood.Conclusions: Widowed rural elders in China have lower physical and mental quality of life than their married counterparts. These elders rely on their children for care, and a supportive family is associated with better QOL. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A campaign was conducted to assess and compare the personal exposure in L3 of Tianjin subway, focusing on PM levels, chemical compositions, morphology analysis, as well as the health risk of heavy metal in PM. The results indicated that the average concentration of the PM was 151.43 μg/m inside the train of the subway during rush hours. PM concentrations inside car under the ground are higher than those on the ground, and PM concentrations on the platform are higher than those inside car. Regarding metal concentrations, the highest element in PM samples was Fe; the level of which is 17.55 μg/m. OC is a major component of PM in Tianjin subway. Secondary organic carbon is the formation of gaseous organic pollutants in subway. SEM-EDX and TEM-EDX exhibit the presence of individual particle with a large metal content in the subway samples. For small Fe metal particles, iron oxide can be formed easily. With regard to their sources, Fe-containing particles are generated mainly from mechanical wear and friction processes at the rail-wheel-brake interfaces. The non-carcinogenic risk to metals Cr, Ni, Cu, Zn and Pb, and carcinogenic hazard of Cr and Ni were all below the acceptable level in L3 of Tianjin subway. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A field experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of chicken manure compost on the fractionation of cadmium (Cd), soil biological properties and Cd uptake by wheat in a soil affected by mining activities in Hubei province, China. Compost was applied at five levels (0, 27, 54, 108, 216 t ha), and winter wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.) was chosen as an indicator plant. Results showed that the application of compost increased soil pH and the content of total phosphorus and organic matter. Soil biological properties such as microbial biomass carbon, invertase, protease, urease and catalase activities were significantly enhanced by 0.24-3.47 times after compost application. Sequential extraction indicated that compost amendments decreased the acid-extractable Cd by 8.2-37.6 %, while increased the reducible and oxidisable Cd by 9.2-39.5 and 8.2-60.4 %, respectively. The addition of 27-54 t ha compost reduced Cd content in wheat stems and seeds by 69.6-75.0 % and 10.3-18.4 %, respectively. However, only 25.5-26.5 % reductions in Cd content in wheat stems were observed in 108-216 t ha compost amendments, and no significant decrease was detected for seeds. This study suggests that although compost is a suitable organic amendment to improve soil fertility and biological activities, the addition of compost should be moderated by an appropriate rate to optimize the use of compost for the reclamation of metal-contaminated soils at field scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diseases caused by parasitic helminths cause considerable production and economic losses in livestock worldwide. Understanding the epidemiology of these parasites has important implications for controlling them. The main purpose of the present study was to estimate the prevalence of key parasitic helminths in goats along the Han River in Zhanggang, Hubei Province (from January to December 2014). We used faecal flotation and sedimentation techniques as well as PCR-based DNA sequencing to detect and identify helminths. Results showed that the prevalence of helminths was high throughout the year, particularly for gastrointestinal nematodes. These first findings provide useful baseline information for goat helminths in Zhanggang, and a starting point for the implementation of control programs. With an increased expansion of the goat industry in China, the findings also emphasise the need to undertake prevalence surveys in other regions of China where extensive farming practices are used. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the effects of moderately increased maternal dietary energy intake during gestation on foetal skeletal muscle development and metabolism with pig as a model. Methods: Twelve primiparous purebred Large White sows (initial body weight 135.5 ± 1.6 kg) were allocated to one of two energy intake treatments: normal-energy-intake group (Con, 30.96 MJ DE/day) as recommended by the National Research Council (NRC; 2012) and high-energy-intake group (HE, 34.15 MJ DE/day). The nutritional treatments were introduced from mating to day 90 of gestation. On day 90 of gestation, foetuses were examined by morphological, biochemical and molecular analysis of the longissimus muscle. Umbilical vein serum hormones were measured. Results: Sow body weight was increased in HE group compared with Con group ( P < 0.05), whereas foetal myofibre density was decreased ( P < 0.05). Meanwhile, protein concentration, creatine kinase and lactate dehydrogenase activities and umbilical vein serum triiodothyronine (T3) concentration were decreased in HE foetuses ( P < 0.05). Maternal HE diets decreased the mRNA abundance of muscle growth-related genes, myosin heavy-chain (MYH/MyHC) genes (MYH2 and MYH1) and insulin-like growth factor 1 and insulin growth factor-binding protein 5 ( P < 0.05). Furthermore, the protein expressions of myogenic differentiation factor 1, myogenin and fast-MyHC isoforms were reduced in HE foetuses ( P < 0.05). Conclusion: Our results suggest that moderately increased maternal dietary energy intake delays the differentiation and maturation in skeletal muscle of the foetus on day 90 of gestation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mind pops or involuntary semantic memories refer to words, phrases, images, or melodies that suddenly pop into one's mind without any deliberate attempt to recall them. Despite their prevalence in everyday life, research on mind pops has started only recently. Notably, mind pops are very similar to clinical involuntary phenomena such as hallucinations in schizophrenia, suggesting their potential role in pathology. The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between mind pops and the brain morphometry measured in 302 healthy young adults; after exclusions, 256 participants were included in our analyses. Specifically, the Mind Popping Questionnaire (MPQ) was employed to measure the degree of individual mind pops, whereas the Voxel-Based Morphometry (VBM) was used to compute the volumes of both gray and white matter tissues. Multiple regression analyses on MPQ and VBM metrics indicated that high-frequency mind pops were significantly associated with smaller gray matter volume in the left middle temporal gyrus as well as with larger gray and white matter volume in the right medial prefrontal cortex. This increase in mind pops is also linked to higher creativity and the personality trait of 'openness'. These data not only suggest a key role of the two regions in generating self-related thoughts, but also open a possible link between brain and creativity or personality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extreme heat events have occurred more frequently in China in recent years, leading to serious impacts on human life and the health care system. To identify the characteristics of individuals with heat-related illnesses in China during the summer of 2013, we collected the data from the Heat-related Illness Surveillance System in Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (China CDC). A total of 5758 cases were reported in the summer of 2013, mostly concentrated in urban areas around the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River. We found a difference in age distribution of percentage of deaths from heat-related illness between males and females. Severe cases in males mostly occurred in the age group 45-74 years but in females mostly in the age group over 75. A distributed lag non-linear model had been used to identify population vulnerabilities in Ningbo and Chongqing. The results show that there was a clear positive relationship between maximum temperature and heat-related illness, and the heat effect was nonlinear and could last for 3 days. The elderly and males in the range of 45-64 years old might be the most vulnerable people of heat-related illness in China. We also highlighted some deficiencies of the surveillance system, such that the reported data were not accurate, comprehensive, or timely enough at this stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To study the effect of aqueous extract of several kinds of herbs on human platelet aggregation and expression of P-selectin in vitro. Methods: Blood was collected from volunteers. Effects of the prepared water extracts of herbs on platelet aggregation were monitored on a Packs-4 aggregometer. The fluorescence intensity of water extracts of Caulis Spatholobi, Flos Carthami and Rhizoma Curcumae on the expression of P-selectin in human platelets of healthy persons was measured with flow cytometry. Results: Out of several herbs investigated, Flos Carthami and Rhizoma Curcumae potently inhibited platelet aggregation after incubation with platelet-rich plasma (PRP) for 15 min. Caulis Spatholobi Flos Carthami and Rhizoma Curcumae inhibited adenosine-5′-diphosphate (ADP) or platelet activating factor (PAF)-induced platelet aggregation in PRP in a dose-dependent manner. In contrast to Flos Carthami and Rhizoma Curcumae, Caulis Spatholobi could not inhibit thrombin-induced platelet aggregation. Despite its inability to inhibit thrombin-induced platelet aggregation in PRP, Caulis Spatholobi had a greater anti-aggregating activity in PRP induced by ADP or PAF. Caulis Spatholobi and Flos Carthami showed significant inhibitory effects on the expression of P-selectin. Conclusions: Caulis Spatholobi, Flos Carthami and Rhizoma Curcumae have potent anti-platelet properties, and their inhibitory actions are mediated via different mechanisms. Caulis Spatholobi inhibited ADP-induced platelet aggregation but not by thrombin, indicating that its mechanism of action might be independent of the thromboxane pathway. The effect of Caulis Spatholobi and Flos Carthami were associated with suppressing the expression of P-selectin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports a new record of Alpheus tenuicarpus de Man, 1908 that belongs to the Brevirostris group of Alpheus from Chinese seas. The species is re-described and includes morphological characters not in the original description. A key to species of the group is provided. Remarks on similar species are also provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The amounts of the three higher fatty acid esters (ethyl palmitate, ethyl oletate, and ethyl linolenate) in rice spirit were significantly decreased, over 65 % through nanofiltration (NF) with DK or DL membranes, compared to the 26-42 % reduction observed for an ultrafiltration membrane. The molecular weight cut-off was the main factor for the removal of the higher fatty acid esters. In addition, the rejection rates were increased with operating pressures; 60 psi was the most suitable pressure for the NF system. Not less than 80 % of higher fatty acid esters could be removed by the DK membrane under 60 psi pressure at 4 °C; only slight changes in physicochemical indices, including the ethanol concentration, flavor, and total acidity were observed for rice spirits following the NF treatment. On the other hand, the fusel alcohols in the treated-rice spirits were simultaneously decreased from 4.5 to 2.5 g/L (reaching the Chinese National Standard, below 3.3 g/L) and the product achieved a higher score in color via sensory evaluation. We anticipate a practical application of non-heat processes, such as NF, in Taiwanese rice spirits production due to the quality improvement achieved thereby. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The correlation between forest decline and calcium (Ca) depletion under long-term acid deposition remains elusive in China due to the high level of Ca deposition. We compared two species ( Abies fabri and Rhododendron calophytum) for their growth pattern and base elements concentration in both polluted (Mt. Emei) and unpolluted (Mt. Gongga) sites in Sichuan, southwestern China. A. fabri grown at Mt. Emei had poorer crown condition, slower radial growth rate, and lower seedling density under long-term acid deposition, which correlated closely with the reduced Ca concentration in foliage and tree-ring, in comparison with those at Mt. Gongga. In contrast, R. calophytum showed a stable Ca level and thus displayed normal growth between the two sites. The differential capability of these two species to acclimate to poor Ca environment is one of the keys to understanding the long-term ecological effect of changing atmospheric acid and Ca deposition in the subalpine forest in southwestern China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated 13940 (6735 male, 7250 female) adult head and facial physical attributes from 19 different Han ethnic groups in 10 southern-China provinces, and calculated 12 head and facial indexes. Indexes were used to analyze the variation of head and facial morphological characteristics with increased age. Results showed that as age increases: (1) Head breadth, minimum frontal breadth, face breadth, interocular breadth, external biocular breadth, lip height, lip thickness, head circumference, auricular height, length-breadth head index, length-height head index, and lip-index values decline significantly in a linear fashion. (2) Nose breadth, mouth breadth, morphological facial height, upper-lip height, physiognomic ear length, physiognomic ear breadth, visor skin-fold, and vertical head-facial index values significantly increase in a linear fashion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Apolygus lucorum (Meyer-Dür) (Hemiptera: Miridae) is currently one of major mirid pests in the Yangtze River and the Yellow River regions in China. Imidacloprid (neonicotinoid) is widely used against pierce-sucking pest insects, including against A. lucorum. In addition to its direct lethal effect, multiple negative sublethal effects may also occur in exposed insects. We assessed potential sublethal effects of imidacloprid on some biological characteristics of A. lucorum with the aim of increasing rational use of imidacloprid against that cotton pest. The lethal toxicity of imidacloprid on adults of A. lucorum was determined in laboratory conditions by a topical application bioassay (LD = 6.70 ng a.i. [active ingredient]/ A. lucorum adult). We also estimated a sublethal dose, LD (0.38 ng a.i./adult), a low lethal dose, LD (1.96 ng a.i./adult), and moderate lethal dose, LD (3.97 ng a.i./adult). The sublethal dose of imidacloprid (LD) shortened the pre-oviposition period of females but increased the time required for eggs to develop (i.e. longer embryogenesis). The low lethal dose (LD) also reduced the pre-oviposition period. Females exposed to the LD laid eggs that developed faster but overall percentage of eggs hatching was reduced. LD and LD reduced longevity of males but not of females. In addition, the susceptibility to seven insecticides generally used on Chinese crops was not modified in A. lucorum previously exposed to the LD of imidacloprid. Our results demonstrate sublethal effects of low doses of imidacloprid on A. lucorum (notably on pre-oviposition period and egg development) which may have an impact on population dynamics of this pest. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A variety of research has linked high temperature to outdoor thermal comfort in summer, but it remains unclear how outdoor meteorological environments influence people's thermal sensation in subtropical monsoon climate areas, especially in China. In order to explain the process, and to better understand the related influential factors, we conducted an extensive survey of thermally comfortable conditions in open outdoor spaces. The goal of this study was to gain an insight into the subjects' perspectives on weather variables and comfort levels, and determine the factors responsible for the varying human thermal comfort response in summer. These perceptions were then compared to actual ambient conditions. The database consists of surveys rated by 205 students trained from 6:00 am to 8:00 pm outdoors from 21 to 25 August 2009, at Nanjing University of Information Science & Technology (NUIST), Nanjing, China. The multiple regression approach and simple factor analysis of variance were used to investigate the relationships between thermal comfort and meteorological environment, taking into consideration individual mood, gender, level of regular exercise, and previous environmental experiences. It was found that males and females have similar perceptions of maximum temperature; in the most comfortable environment, mood appears to have a significant influence on thermal comfort, but the influence of mood diminishes as the meteorological environment becomes increasingly uncomfortable. In addition, the study confirms the strong relationship between thermal comfort and microclimatic conditions, including solar radiation, atmospheric pressure, maximum temperature, wind speed and relative humidity, ranked by importance. There are also strong effects of illness, clothing and exercise, all of which influence thermal comfort. We also find that their former place of residence influences people's thermal comfort substantially by setting expectations. Finally, some relationships between thermal perception and amount of exercise, thermal experience, mood, clothing, illness and microclimate, etc., are established. Our findings also shed light on how to resist or adapt to outdoor hyperthermic conditions during summer in subtropical monsoon climate areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective:An association between weight gain and breakfast skipping has been reported, but breakfast location was rarely considered. We investigated the prospective associations between breakfast location, breakfast skipping and body mass index (BMI) change in a large cohort of Chinese children.Design:Our baseline cohort consisted of 113 457 primary 4 (US grade 4) participants of the Hong Kong Department of Health Student Health Service in 1998-2000. Of these, 68 606 (60.5%) had complete records and were successfully followed-up 2 years later. Data on breakfast consumption and location were collected at both time points along with other lifestyle characteristics. BMI was derived from objectively measured height and weight. Associations between breakfast habits and BMI change were assessed by multivariable linear regression, adjusting for demographic, socioeconomic and lifestyle characteristics.Results:At baseline, 85.3, 9.4 and 5.2% of children had breakfast at home, away from home and skipped breakfast, respectively. Prospectively, having breakfast away from home (vs at home) predicted a greater BMI increase over two years (β=0.15; 95% CI: 0.11-0.18). Breakfast skipping had a comparable, slightly smaller effect (0.13; 0.09-0.18).Conclusion:Both breakfast skipping and eating breakfast away from home predict greater increases in BMI during childhood, the effect being slightly stronger in the latter. Having breakfast, particularly at home, could have important implications for weight management and reducing obesity in children. Further research is required to gain insight into potential underlying mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To identify susceptibility loci for ankylosing spondylitis, we performed a two-stage genome-wide association study in Han Chinese. In the discovery stage, we analyzed 1,356,350 autosomal SNPs in 1,837 individuals with ankylosing spondylitis and 4,231 controls; in the validation stage, we analyzed 30 suggestive SNPs in an additional 2,100 affected individuals and 3,496 controls. We identified two new susceptibility loci between EDIL3 and HAPLN1 at 5q14.3 (rs4552569; P = 8.77 × 10?10) and within ANO6 at 12q12 (rs17095830; P = 1.63 × 10?8). We also confirmed previously reported associations in Europeans within the major histocompatibility complex (MHC) region (top SNP, rs13202464; P < 5 × 10?324) and at 2p15 (rs10865331; P = 1.98 × 10?8). We show that rs13202464 within the MHC region mainly represents the risk effect of HLA-B*27 variants (including HLA-B*2704, HLA-B*2705 and HLA-B*2715) in Chinese. The two newly discovered loci implicate genes related to bone formation and cartilage development, suggesting their potential involvement in the etiology of ankylosing spondylitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Development of long tree-ring records is an important task in paleoclimate studies. Here we presented a five-century long reconstruction of summer (June to August) temperature based on a tree ring-width chronology of Picea brachytyla var. complanata originating from the Hengduan Mountains of China. Climate-growth response analysis showed that summer temperature was the main climatic factor limiting tree-ring growth in the study area. The reconstructed summer temperature accounted for 47.6% of the variance in actual temperature during their common period A.D. 1958-2002. Analysis of the temperature reconstruction showed that major warm periods occurred in the A.D. 1710s-1750s, 1850s, 1920s-1950s and 1990s to present, whereas cold intervals occurred in the A.D. 1630s-1680s, 1790s-1800s, 1860s-1880s and 1950s-1980s, respectively. The low-frequency variation of the reconstruction agreed fairly well with tree-ring reconstructed temperature from nearby regions and with records of glacier fluctuations in the surrounding high mountains, suggesting that our reconstructed summer temperature was reliable, and could aid in the evaluation of regional climate variability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Catch-up growth is always companied with later development of obesity and osteoporosis that are two interrelated clinical entities. However, the potential mechanism of the link between them during catch-up growth is unknown. Methods: Rats were divided into two groups. Rats of the normal control (NC) group were offered ad libitum access to food, while rats of CUGFR group were food restricted for 4 weeks, and then were allowed full access to food for 0, 2, 4 weeks, respectively. The fat percentage and distribution, bone mineral density, biochemical and histological indexes of bone were detected. Moreover, the expression of adipogenic or osteoblastic differentiation-related genes of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) was also determined. Results: Catch-up growth led to a rapid visceral fat accumulation. Although there was no difference in the histological indexes of bone between NC group and CUGFR group, the bone turnover marker, serum Bone Gla-protein (s-BGP), decreased in CUGFR group. The adipogenic differentiation-related gene of MSCs, PPAR-gamma, was significantly higher than that of NC group especially when catch-up growth for 4 weeks. Nevertheless, the osteoblastic differentiation-related gene of MSCs, Runx2, was increased but failed to reach the levels of the controls eventually. Both protein and mRNA of TAZ, a main transcriptional modulator of MSCs differentiation, failed to catch up even after being allowed full access to food for 4 weeks. Conclusion: CUGFR induces the differential differentiation of MSCs, potentially suppressing bone formation and favoring catch-up fat, which might be responsible for the increased risk of osteoporosis and obesity during CUGFR. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HPLC-UV method for determination of cyprodinil in leek, pepper, and soil was developed and the decline of cyprodinil under field conditions in China was investigated. The samples were extracted with acetonitrile. For leek and pepper samples, further clean-up with a florisil SPE column was necessary. Average recoveries of cyprodinil were found in the range of 82.92-107.43% with relative standard deviations of 2.48-14.55%. The pesticide cyprodinil showed a relatively fast decline rate. The half lives were from 2 to 4 days in leek and pepper, from 2-5 days in soil except in Beijing (14.7 days). So the decline of cyprodinil in leek and pepper was almost same in different experiment plots. However, the decline in soil was much complicated, and affected by the precipitation and other climate condition. The results could provide guidance to safe and reasonable use of this pesticide in agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Screening of a candidate biomarker gene (CBG) to predicate the carcinogenesis risks in the Yangtze River source of drinking water in Nanjing area (YZR-SDW-NJ) on mouse ( Mus musculus) was conducted in this research. The effects of YZR-SDW-NJ on the genomic transcriptional expression levels were measured by the GeneChip Mouse Genome and data treated by the GO database analysis. The 298 genes discovered as the differently expressed genes (DEGs) were down-regulated and their values were ≤−1.5-fold. Of the 298 DEGs, 25 were cancer-related genes selected as the seed genes to build a topological network map with Genes2Networks software, only 7 of them occurred at the constructed map. Smad2 gene was at the constructed map center and could be identified as a candidate biomarker gene (CBG) primarily which involves the genesis and development of colorectal, leukemia, lung and prostate cancers directly. Analysis of the gene signal pathway further approved that smad2 gene had the relationships closely to other 16 cancer-related genes and could be used as a CBG to indicate the carcinogenic risks in YZR-SDW-NJ. The data suggest that integration of gene chip and network techniques may be a way effectively to screen a CBG. And the parameter values for further judgment of the CBG through signal pathway relationship analysis also will be discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Eleven perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) were determined in tissue samples from farmed pigs and chickens (n=143) that were purchased in Beijing in March 2009. The total PFCs mean concentration was the highest in pig liver (3.438 ng g-1 wet weight (ww)), followed by pig kidney (0.508 ng g-1 (ww)), pig heart (0.167 ng g-1 (ww)), chicken liver (0.098 ng g-1 (ww)), chicken heart (0.050 ng g-1 (ww)), pork loin (0.018 ng g-1 (ww)), and chicken breast (0.012 ng g-1 (ww)). Among the PFCs analyzed, perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) was the predominant compound in viscera and muscle of farmed pigs and chickens. In addition, a strong linear correlation (r = 0.932) was observed between the concentrations of PFOS and perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUnDA) in pig liver. Our preliminary conclusion is that there is little potential risk of exposure to PFCs via the consumption of these products in Beijing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the burnout situation of teachers in two schools in Macau and to investigate any differences made of demographic characteristics. The relation of burnout on social problem solving and holistic health of teachers is also studied. A self reported questionnaire with the Chinese Maslach Burnout Inventory (C-MBI), Chinese Social Problem Solving Inventory (C-SPSI) and the Body-Mind-Spirit Well-Being Inventory (BMSWBI) were used. Totally 138 teachers participated in the study. With Hong Kong data as a reference, Macau teachers scored in the average range of burnout in emotional exhaustion and depersonalization but scored in the low range of burnout in personal accomplishment. Significance differences were found in some dimensions of burnout in age, marital status, teaching experiences, education background and satisfaction with income. Both C-SPSI and BMSWBI were found to be significantly negative correlated with emotional exhaustion and depersonalization and positive correlated with personal achievement. The findings identified those with greater degree of burnout, to whom more attention should be paid. The study also contributed to the limited literature on the quality of life of teachers in Macau. Finally, the findings added on the data base for comparison internationally among the Chinese population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new species and a new record of Sinogastromyzon are described from Lixianjiang River of Yunnan province, China. Sinogastromyzon lixianjiangensis, new species, can be distinguished from its congeners by the following characters: pectoral fin with XIII–XIV, 15–17 rays; pelvic fin with X–XI, 10–12 rays; 60–65 lateral-line scales; no scales on the dorsum of paired fins or the region between axilla of pectoral fin and pelvic-fin origin; tip of pelvic fin close to anus; tip of anal fin close to caudal-fin base; anal-fin origin nearer to the caudal-fin base than to the posterior pelvic-fin base; anus nearer to anal-fin origin than to the posterior pelvic-fin base; dorsal side of the body with 9–11 black blotches. Sinogastromyzon macrostoma, new species can be distinguished from its congeners by the following characters: pectoral fin with XII–XIV, 12–15 rays; pelvic fin with VII–IX, 11–13 rays; 48–56 lateral-line scales; mouth extremely big, slightly arched; no scales on the dorsum of paired fins or the region between axilla of pectoral fin and pelvic-fin origin; tip of pelvic fin far beyond anus; tip of anal fin far from caudal-fin base; anal-fin origin about midway between the posterior pelvic-fin base and caudal-fin base; anus nearer to posterior pelvic-fin base than to anal-fin origin; dorsal side of the body uniformly gray, without regular blotches in formalin preserved specimen. Sinogastromyzon cf. multiocellum is firstly recorded in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Although gastric cancer incidence is declining in China, trends may differ from historical patterns in developed countries. Our aim was to (1) retrospectively estimate the effects of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) and smoking on past gastric cancer incidence and (2) project how interventions on these two risk factors can reduce future incidence.Methods: We used a population-based model of intestinal-type gastric cancer to estimate gastric cancer incidence between 1985 and 2050. Disease and risk factor data in the model were from community-based epidemiological studies and national prevalence surveys.Results: Between 1985 and 2005, age-standardized gastric cancer incidence among Chinese men declined from 30.8 to 27.2 per 100,000 (12%); trends in H. pylori and smoking prevalences accounted for >30% of overall decline. If past risk factor trends continue, gastric cancer incidence will decline an additional 30% by 2050. Yet, annual cases will increase from 116,000 to 201,000 due to population growth and aging. Assuming that H. pylori prevention/treatment and tobacco control are implemented in 2010, the decline in gastric cancer incidence is projected to increase to 33% with universal H. pylori treatment for 20-year-olds, 42% for a hypothetical childhood H. pylori vaccine, and 34% for aggressive tobacco control.Conclusions: The decline in gastric cancer incidence has been slower than in developed countries and will be offset by population growth and aging. Public health interventions should be implemented to reduce the total number of cases. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s10552-009-9397-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reciprocal differences have been observed widely for given traits in fish breeding programs, but maternal and paternal effects and heritable extranuclear genetic effects have often been omitted in the evaluation of genetic variance. In this study, we have applied a mixed genetic model to conduct a complete diallel cross using three varieties of red common carp ( Cyprinus carpio L.), namely, C. carpio. var. singuonensis, C. carpio var. wuyuanensis and C. carpio var. color. Parental and direct (additive and dominance) genetic effects for growth-related traits at 8 and 20 months post-hatch were analyzed. At 8 months post-hatch, only significant additive and dominance variances were observed, while maternal and paternal variances were low and non-significant in the traits evaluated: body weight, total length, standard length, pre-dorsal height, pre-dorsal width, caudal peduncle length, and caudal peduncle height. At 20 months post-hatch, with the exception of significant additive and/or dominance variances, maternal variances were significant for the traits of body weight, pre-dorsal height, pre-dorsal width, and caudal peduncle height, and the paternal variance was significant only for total length. The maternal effects in the common carp had greater genetic influence on offspring than the paternal effects. Female C. carpio var. wuyuanensis were more suitable as brooders than males, but both female and male C. carpio var. color can be used as brooders according to breeding programs of improved traits. Cyprinus carpio var. singuonensis was the worst brooder of the three varieties of common carp evaluated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agroforestry is the most effective way to restore the disturbed lands on the Loess Plateau and to develop the poor local economy. In order to maximize the potential benefits of tree-based intercropping systems, photosynthesis, growth and yield of soybean and corn were studied by measuring photosynthetic active radiation (PAR), plant water deficit and soil moisture in a 4-year-old plantation of walnut ( Juglans regia L.) and plum ( Prunus salicina) grown at a spacing of 5 m × 3 m on the Loess Plateau. The effects of tree competition significantly reduced PAR, net assimilation (NA), growth and yield of individual soybean or corn plants growing nearer (1 m near tree row) to tree rows. NA was highly correlated with growth and yield of the both crops. These correlations were higher for corn than soybeans, with corn, rather than soybeans being more adversely impacted by tree shading. Plum, rather than walnut had the greatest competitive effect on PAR and NA. Daily plant water deficits were non-significantly and poorly correlated with NA and growth and yield of the both crops. However, soil moisture (20 cm depth) was significantly correlated with biomass and yield of both crops. Possible remediation strategies are discussed to reduce tree competitive interactions on agricultural crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the first direct observations of deranged microcirculatory blood flow at high altitude, using sidestream dark-field imaging. Images of the sublingual microcirculation were obtained from a group of 12 volunteers during a climbing expedition to Cho Oyu (8,201 m) in the Himalayas. Microcirculatory flow index (MFI) was calculated from the moving images of microcirculatory red blood cell flow, and comparison was made between the baseline and high altitude measurements. Peripheral oxygen saturation (SpO(2)) and Lake Louise scores (LLS) were recorded along with MFI. Our data demonstrate that there was a significant reduction in MFI from baseline to 4,900 m in small (less than 25 microm) and medium (26-50 microm) sized blood vessels (P = 0.025 and P = 0.046, respectively). There was no significant correlation between MFI and SpO(2) or MFI and LLS. Disruption of blood flow within microcirculatory may explain persistent abnormal oxygen flux to tissues following the normalisation of systemic oxygen delivery that accompanies acclimatisation to high altitude. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Field undisturbed tension-free monolith lysimeters and 15N-labeled urea were used to investigate the fate of fertilizer nitrogen in paddy soil in the Taihu Lake region under a summer rice-winter wheat rotation system. We determined nitrogen recovered by rice and wheat, N remained in soil, and the losses of reactive N (i.e., NH3, N2O, NO3 −, organic N and NH4 +) to the environment. Quantitative allocation of nitrogen fate varied for the rice and wheat growing seasons. At the conventional application rate of 550 kg N ha−1 y−1 (250 kg N ha−1 for wheat and 300 kg N ha−1 for rice), nitrogen recovery of wheat and rice were 49% and 41%, respectively. The retention of fertilizer N in soil at harvest accounted for 29% in the wheat season and for 22% in the rice season. N losses through NH3 volatilization from flooded rice paddy was 12%, far greater than that in the wheat season (less than 1%), while N leaching and runoff comprised only 0.3% in the rice season and 5% in the wheat season. Direct N2O emission was 0.12% for the rice season and 0.14% for the wheat season. The results also showed that some dissolved organic N (DON) were leached in both crop seasons. For the wheat season, DON contributed 40–72% to the N- leaching, in the rice season leached DON was 64–77% of the total N leaching. With increasing fertilizer application rate, NH3 volatilization in the rice season increased proportionally more than the fertilizer increase, N leaching in the wheat season was proportional to the increase of fertilizer rate, while N2O emission increased less in proportion than fertilizer increase both in the rice season and wheat season. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background:Many recent studies have highlighted the complex interaction between sleep duration, food intake and metabolic balance. Although a causal link is yet to be established, emerging evidence suggests that short sleep duration may alter the balance between energy intake and energy expenditure. Thus far, most research has focussed on the link between sleep duration and carbohydrate metabolism. The role of sleep duration in fat intake and vice versa remains relatively unknown.Objective:The aim of this analysis was to determine whether there exists a significant association between sleep duration and fat intake.Design:Data from 2828 adults living in Jiangsu province, China, collected during a national survey of nutrition and health conducted in 2002.Results:The analysis showed a statistically significant association between sleep duration and fat and carbohydrate intake but not protein or fasting blood glucose. Those who slept for less than 7 h a day had significantly higher (P=0.005) percentage of energy from fat intake than those who slept for 7–9 h per day. Analysis of the influence of high fat intake upon sleep demonstrated a trend to reduced sleep duration between the highest and lowest quartiles of fat intake (P=0.056).Conclusions:To our knowledge, this is the first data from a large cross-sectional study to show an association between decreased sleep duration and increased fat intake in humans. Given the trend towards decreased sleep duration in modern societies and the parallel obesity epidemic, the significance of this association warrants more research.International Journal of Obesity (2008) 32, 1835–1840; doi:10.1038/ijo.2008.191; published online 4 November 2008 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract  The Dagong Brine Well, the earliest man-made brine well in record, located in Zigong, Sichuan, China, had the construction and facilities mainly made of bamboo, wood and stone that are eroded easily by halophiles colonizing in the brine of the well. To better preserve this historic placemark, we initiated an investigation on the microbial community and the diversity of the halophilic bacteria in the brine of Dagong well for the first time. A total of 112 aerobic halophile strains were isolated and characterized according to their phenotype, cellular fatty acids composition and 16S rRNA. Furthermore, the intra specific phylogeny of closely related strains was also screened by PCR fragment length polymorphism of 16S–23S ribosomal RNA intergenic spacer regions (ISR). The result showed that the halophilic isolates found in current study were closely related to the following genera: Planococcus, Halomonas, Halobacillus, Oceanobacillus and Virgibacillus, a lineage of the domain Bacteria. Halomonas and Halobacillus were the dominant genera as represents 27% and 40% of the total isolates, respectively. The distribution of other genera was as follows: Oceanobacillus (18%), Virgibacillus (10%) and Planococcus (5%). The ISR analysis disclosed variation of banding pattern in some isolates related to Oceanobacillus and Halobacillus which was observed with phenotypic and physiological characterizations as well. It was clear that these halophiles have adapted to the special man-made hypersaline environment by the basic physiological evolution during phylogenesis and thus resulted in phenotypic and genotypic diversity in the Dagong Brine Well. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports results from a ‘natural experiment’ taking place in China on the impact of dogs on owners’ health. Previous Western research has reported modest health benefits, but results have remained controversial. In China pets were banned in urban areas until 1992. Since then dog ownership has grown quite rapidly in the major cities, especially among younger women. In these quasi-experimental conditions, we hypothesise that dog ownership will show greater health benefits than in the West. Results are given from a survey of women aged 25–40 in Beijing, Shanghai and Guangzhou ( N = 3031). Half the respondents owned dogs and half did not. Owners reported better health-related outcomes. They exercised more frequently, slept better, had higher self-reported fitness and health, took fewer days off sick from work and were seen less by doctors. The concluding section indicates how these results may be integrated and suggests further research on the potential economic benefits of pets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The menstrual cycle involves periodic fluctuations in estrogen and progesterone levels. Longer cycles have been associated with longer follicular phase, delayed estrogen peak and a lower mean oestradiol level of the entire cycle. We hypothesized that prolonged menstrual cycle length is associated with decreased bone mineral density (BMD) in a population of pre- and perimenopausal women. This population-based cross-sectional study was conducted in rural Anhui province, China. It includes 4,771 women, aged 30 to 49 years, who did not smoke or drink alcohol, and did not use oral contraceptives or breastfeed during the previous year. Dual-energy X-ray absorptionometry (DEXA) BMD measurements were taken at four skeletal sites: whole body, total hip, femoral neck and lumbar spine. Menstrual cycle characteristics (polymenorrhea, short normal, long normal, oligomenorrhea, 90-day amenorrhea, irregular cycle) in the prior year were assessed by questionnaire. Prolonged menstrual cycle was consistently associated with decreased BMD at whole body, total hip, and femoral neck in both age 30–39, and age 40–49 stratum (ptrend<0.05). Prolonged menstrual cycle was also associated with decreased lumbar spine BMD for women aged 40–49 (ptrend<0.05). Among women with normal cycles aged 30–39, menstrual cycle length in the previous year was inversely associated with whole-body BMD (p<0.05). Women with 90-day amenorrhea had significantly lower mean total hip and femoral neck BMD relative to women with short normal cycles in the 30–39 age group; and had significantly lower whole body and total hip BMD relative to short normal cycles in the 40–49 age group. BMD in poylmenorrheic women did not differ from BMD in women with short normal cycles at any of the skeletal sites. We conclude that prolonged menstrual cycle length is associated with decreased BMD in pre- and perimenopausal women in this population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Time-lapse videography of limpets mounted with light-emitting diodes was used to monitor the movements of a population of the non-homing Cellana grata on a vertical gully wall in Hong Kong. Animals were monitored for >7 days to examine spatial and temporal variation in their behaviour as the tides transited from a semi-diurnal to an almost diurnal pattern. Movement was synchronised with the tides, irrespective of the day–night cycles. Limpets rested low on the shore and were stimulated to move by the rising tide. Individuals moved up shore with the flooding tide, maintaining themselves in the awash zone, and then down shore on the ebbing tide, until they reached a resting height when the tide then fell beneath them, exhibiting ‘zonal shuttling’. A tight coupling of limpet position to tide height persisted through the changing tidal pattern, and almost all animals displayed the same organisation of activity over all tides. Initiation of activity and maximum height reached were probably controlled by the tides, but the cessation of activity may have been controlled by an internal clock. The pattern observed is consistent with the threat of attack from aquatic predators coupled with the need to minimise physical stresses while exposed. It is also consistent with the avoidance of grazing lower on the shore where interspecific competition may be more intense. Limpets showed two peaks of activity per tide, corresponding to when the rate of change of tide height was the greatest, except when tides became much reduced during the transit to a diurnal pattern. Movement was triphasic: an initial rapid phase, followed by a slower phase in the high shore and then a rapid phase before the limpets stopped moving. This structure is common in limpets and in this case is likely to be a consequence of animals maintaining themselves within the awash zone. Tide height appears to determine foraging activity, but with modifications in the behaviour in response to factors operating at more local temporal and spatial scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a study which examined the effects of various organic acids on the dissolution of rare-earth elements from a sample of the weathering crust of granite in Gonghe, Guangdong, China. Review of related studies; Materials and methodology; Results and discussion.

Unlabelled: We performed a 3-year longitudinal study of a group of 179 healthy Chinese adolescents (92 boys and 87 girls) aged from 12 to 16 years to determine the effects of puberty, physical activity, physical fitness, and calcium intake on the acquisition of bone mass. At yearly intervals for 3 consecutive years we recorded nutrition, calcium intake and anthropometric measurements, and assessed pubertal status according to Tanner. Bone mass of the lumbar spine was determined by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry and radial bone mass by single-photon absorptiometry. Physical fitness and level of physical activity were assessed and muscle strength and power determined by isokinetic testing. Peripheral bone mass correlated with axial skeleton bone mass. Age, pubertal staging, physical fitness and muscle strength were significantly associated with bone mass increments on cross-sectional univariate and regression analysis. Longitudinal regression analysis showed that the most important factor affecting bone mass accretion in adolescents in both sexes was their pubertal stage. In boys, bone mass increment throughout the study was greater in children who were already in the advanced pubertal stages on entering the study than in those who started puberty in year 2 or 3 of the study. The percentage change in bone mineral content of the forearm and in bone mineral density of the lumbar spine was greater than 25% in the advanced pubertal group as compared to around 20% in the less mature group. For girls, the reverse was true. The increment of bone mass during the study period was significantly greater in those who presented in the earlier pubertal stages than in those who were at the more advanced stage of puberty on entry into the study. There was no significant effect of calcium intake and physical activities on the bone mass accretion.Conclusion: In Chinese adolescents, bone mineral accretion at adolescence is not influenced by exercise, level of physical fitness and calcium intake. In both sexes, and especially in girls, to optimally increase bone mass, regular physical exercise programmes should be instituted well before the onset of puberty rather than at or after it. Once puberty starts, these interventions may have no or only limited effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]