Search

To address the problem of a serious Internet of Things (IoT) talent shortage, the Chinese government is encouraging universities and institutions to establish a major in IoT Engineering to train high-level IoT talent. Since 2011, 700 Chinese universities and institutions have established IoT Engineering undergraduate programs. We surveyed the history, status, curriculum, and problems of IoT undergraduate degree programs in China. Based on data collected from faculties, students, and graduates, we found that the IoT Engineering curriculum was an unsystematic patchwork and was deficient in practical platforms. We then provide suggestions for further development and exploration of IoT education by presenting a Technical Knowledge Map of IoT Engineering. This survey work on Chinese IoT education can prompt Chinese educators to reflect on its achievements and problems, which will contribute to IoT talent cultivation worldwide.

Habitat quality is a key expression of ecosystem ability and the basis for effective species conservation and regional ecological environment improvement. However, most studies have focused on assessing habitat quality over historical periods, ignoring the influence of coupled future development paths and climate change. The present study addresses this issue by developing a spatial‐temporal variation analysis framework for assessing habitat quality in China, which integrates the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade‐offs (InVEST) model with eight Earth system coupled scenarios (SSP‐RCP). The results showed that from 2020 to 2100, and under five scenarios (SSP2‐4.5, SSP3‐7.0, SSP4‐6.0, SSP5‐3.4, and SSP5‐8.5), habitat quality was generally stable and high, while under three scenarios (SSP1‐1.9, SSP1‐2.6, and SSP4‐3.4), it decreased. The SSP2‐4.5 scenario was significantly better than the SSP4‐3.4 scenario. In all scenarios, the influences of different development patterns on China's ecologically fragile areas were obvious and serious. In 2030 and 2060, the spatial distribution patterns of habitat degradation and habitat quality had similar characteristics. High habitat degradation values were mostly distributed east of the Heihe‐Tengchong Line, while low values were mainly distributed in the arid zone. The mean habitat degradation ranged between 0.0226 and 0.0302, and the degradation degree was relatively light. The habitat quality index mean was 0.5120–0.5376, indicating that the overall habitat quality was at the medium level. This study provides a potential ecological protection baseline for China based on habitat protection and provides an important reference for China's sustainable development. Plain Language Summary: Habitat quality is a key expression of ecosystem ability and the basis for effective species conservation and regional ecological environment improvement. However, most studies have focused on assessing habitat quality over historical periods, ignoring the influence of coupled future development paths and climate change. The present study addresses this issue by developing a spatial‐temporal variation analysis framework for assessing habitat quality in China, which integrates the Integrated Valuation of Ecosystem Services and Trade‐offs (InVEST) model with eight Earth system coupled scenarios (SSP‐RCP). The results showed that from 2020 to 2100, and under five scenarios (SSP2‐4.5, SSP3‐7.0, SSP4‐6.0, SSP5‐3.4, and SSP5‐8.5), habitat quality was generally stable and high, while under three scenarios (SSP1‐1.9, SSP1‐2.6, and SSP4‐3.4), it decreased. The SSP2‐4.5 scenario was significantly better than the SSP4‐3.4 scenario. In all scenarios, the influences of different development patterns on China's ecologically fragile areas were obvious and serious. In 2030 and 2060, the spatial distribution patterns of habitat degradation and habitat quality had similar characteristics. High habitat degradation values were mostly distributed east of the Heihe‐Tengchong Line, while low values were mainly distributed in the arid zone. Key Points: We assess habitat quality in China under eight coupled scenarios of climate change and future development pathwaysThe overall habitat quality decreases under different scenarios from 2020 to 2100Climate change and different development patterns have the greatest impact on the ecologically fragile areas [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: So far, there have been no in-depth analyses of the connection between tinnitus sensation--level loudness and sleep quality. Accordingly, the present study was formulated as a mediation analysis focused on exploring this relationship. Method: Overall, 1,255 adults with consecutive subjective tinnitus who had sought outpatient treatment were enrolled in the present study. Results: Direct effects of tinnitus sensation--level loudness on sleep quality were not statistically significant (95% confidence intervals [CI] include zero), as measured by the point estimate, -0.016. However, the 95% CI for indirect effects did not include zero when assessing the Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (SAS) scores, the Self-Rating Depression Scale (SDS) scores, the visual analogue scale (VAS) scores, and self-reported tinnitus annoyance. Conclusions: These results suggest that tinnitus sensation--level loudness does not directly have an effect on sleep quality. However, it indirectly impacts sleep quality, mediated by SAS scores, SDS scores, the impact of tinnitus on life measured using the VAS, and self-reported tinnitus annoyance. As such, alleviating anxiety and depression in patients with tinnitus may result in reductions in their insomnia even if there is no reduction in tinnitus loudness. Importantly, otolaryngologists and other clinicians treating tinnitus should refer patients with tinnitus suffering from insomnia with comorbid depression or anxiety for appropriate psychological and/or psychiatric treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of global climate change and the increase in drought frequency, monitoring and accurately assessing the impact of hydrological process limitations on vegetation growth is of paramount importance. Our study undertakes a comprehensive evaluation of the efficacy of satellite remote sensing vegetation indices—Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (MODIS NDVI product), kernel NDVI (kNDVI), and Solar-Induced chlorophyll Fluorescence (GOSIF product) in this regard. Initially, we applied the LightGBM-Shapley additive explanation framework to assess the influencing factors on the three vegetation indices. We found that Vapor Pressure Deficit (VPD) is the primary factor affecting vegetation in southern China (18°–30°N). Subsequently, using Gross Primary Productivity (GPP) estimates from flux tower sites as a performance benchmark, we evaluated the ability of these vegetation indices to accurately reflect vegetation GPP changes during drought conditions. Our findings indicate that SIF serves as the most effective surrogate for GPP, capturing the variability of GPP during drought periods with minimal time lag. Additionally, our study reveals that the performance of kNDVI significantly varies depending on the estimation of different kernel parameters. The application of a time-heuristic estimation method could potentially enhance kNDVI's capacity to capture GPP dynamics more effectively during drought periods. Overall, this study demonstrates that satellite-based SIF data are more adept at monitoring vegetation responses to water stress and accurately tracking GPP anomalies caused by droughts. These findings not only provide critical insights into the selection and optimization of remote sensing vegetation product but also offer a valuable framework for future research aimed at improving our monitoring and understanding of vegetation growth status under climatic changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increasing importance in the application of the molecular biological detection technology in the field of food safety, strengthening education in molecular biology experimental techniques is more necessary for the culture of the students in food quality and safety major. However, molecular biology experiments are not always in curricula of Food quality and safety Majors. This paper introduced a project "competition of molecular biological detection technology for food safety among undergraduate sophomore students in food quality and safety major", students participating in this project needed to learn the fundamental molecular biology experimental techniques such as the principles of molecular biology experiments and genome extraction, PCR and agarose gel electrophoresis analysis, and then design the experiments in groups to identify the meat species in pork and beef products using molecular biological methods. The students should complete the experimental report after basic experiments, write essays and make a presentation after the end of the designed experiments. This project aims to provide another way for food quality and safety majors to improve their knowledge of molecular biology, especially experimental technology, and enhances them to understand the scientific research activities as well as give them a chance to learn how to write a professional thesis. In addition, in line with the principle of an open laboratory, the project is also open to students in other majors in East China University of Science and Technology, in order to enhance students in other majors to understand the fields of molecular biology and food safety.

Background: Energy conservation and emission reduction policies restrict the economic and social development of all countries in the world, and the impact on China, which has low urbanization, is more serious. In the process of promoting urbanization, the pressure of carbon emission reduction in the construction industry has increased, and the high emissions of the construction industry have made the low-carbon development of cities face severe challenges. China is at a critical stage of urbanization development, and there is become a general consensus on how to improve the carbon emission efficiency of the construction industry. The interaction between urbanization and the carbon emission efficiency of the construction industry is a long-term and complex process. As one of the industries contributing to China's urbanization process and carbon emissions, it is of great practical significance to explore the coordination relationship between urbanization and the carbon emission efficiency of the construction industry (CEECI) to realize the goal of "double carbon", promoting urbanization construction and solving the problem of "green development". Taking 30 provinces in China as the research target area, the double weighted summation method and the undesirable output superefficiency window-EBM-DEA model are used to measure the provincial urbanization level and CEECI, respectively. Then, the coupling coordination degree model of the relative development index is introduced, and the spatial autocorrelation model and the spatial and temporal differentiation characteristics of the coordination level of urbanization and the CEECI are analysed. Results: From 2010 to 2021, China's urbanization level increased steadily, but the growth rate gradually decreased. There were significant differences in urbanization levels among provinces. The eastern provinces have a higher level of urbanization but lack an impetus in the later period, while the western provinces have a lower level of urbanization but a faster growth rate. The low-carbon development trend of China's construction industry is good, and the overall development of the CEECI shows an "N" type, and the inflection points appear in 2013 and 2018. The interprovincial urbanization level is significantly different from that of the CEECI, and the development form of the central and western provinces is better than that of the eastern provinces. The coordination level of urbanization and the CEECI in China is transitioning from the running-in stage to the coordination stage, and the coupling coordination degree between systems is on the rise, while the relative development degree is on the decline. The spatial distribution pattern is in a dynamic state of change, and the overall distribution pattern is "high in the east and low in the central and western regions". The differences among provinces were significantly decreased, with 63.33% of provinces at the high running-in level. The provinces that entered the coordination stage were mainly located in the eastern region, and only Beijing was in the coordination stage by the end of the study. In addition, 90% of the provinces exhibited lagging efficiency, and only Jiangxi, Guangxi and Chongqing, which had low coordination levels maintained synchronous development of the two systems. The coordination level between provincial urbanization and the CEECI showed a positive spatial distribution, the global Moran index showed a "V" shape trend, and the spatial dependence of the coordination level between the two systems gradually weakened. In the local spatial distribution, there are two types of convergence: high and low. Conclusions: The coordination degree of urbanization and the CEECI analysed in this study is an extension of the research on the relationship between the two. By integrating the two into a unified framework, the method of combining quantitative and qualitative analysis is used to further explore the coordination relationship between the two, which not only enhances the scientificity and accuracy of the research but also extends the breadth and depth of relevant theoretical research. At the same time, according to the coordination type between urbanization and the CEECI, China should propose corresponding targeted coordination and optimization paths from the perspective of urbanization and low-carbon development of the construction industry to achieve high-quality development of China's economy and society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Monitoring microplastics (MPs) in cetaceans is challenging due to difficulties in obtaining samples, especially for endangered species. In this study, we characterized MPs ingested in nine individuals of four cetacean species stranded along the western coast of the Taiwan Strait including not only small coastal dolphins but also large pelagic and deep-diving cetaceans. A total intestine length of 123.2 m was analyzed, and the color, shape, size, and polymer types of MPs were then identified. The mean abundance of MPs was 86.44 ± 12.22 items individual−1, which was slightly higher compared with the same species from other waters worldwide. Moreover, a strong significant relationship between MPs abundance and intestine contents mass was identified. Transparent, fibrous MPs made from PET and PP were found to be predominant in the present study, indicating that the primary MPs source is from municipal and industrial sewage from clothing production and industry as well as from fisheries and aquaculture. Our study provides more information about the MPs pollution of endangered species in the western Taiwan Strait. It highlights the further risk assessment of MPs consumption in these threatened species. Microplastics (MPs) pollution is of global concern, which poses serious threats to various marine organisms, including many threatened apex predators. In this study, MPs were investigated from nine cetaceans of four different species, comprising one common dolphin (Delphinus delphis), two pygmy sperm whales (Kogia breviceps), one ginkgo-toothed beaked whale (Mesoplodon ginkgodens), and five Indo-Pacific humpback dolphins (Sousa chinensis) stranded along the western coast of the Taiwan Strait from the East China Sea based on Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy analysis. Mean abundances of 778 identified MPs items were 86.44 ± 12.22 items individual−1 and 0.43 ± 0.19 items g−1 wet weight of intestine contents, which were found predominantly to be transparent, fiber-shaped polyethylene terephthalate (PET) items usually between 0.5 and 5 mm. The abundance of MPs was found at a slightly higher level and significantly correlated with intestine contents mass (p = 0.0004*). The MPs source was mainly likely from synthetic fibers-laden sewage discharged from intense textile industries. Our report represents the first study of MPs in pelagic and deep-diving cetaceans in China, which not only adds baseline data on MPs for cetaceans in Asian waters but also highlights the further risk assessment of MPs consumption in these threatened species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil hydraulic properties significantly affect the occurrence and development of collapsing gully walls. The effect of temperature on the hydraulic properties of soil in collapsing gully walls remains unclear. In this study, the hydraulic properties of the red soil layer, the sandy soil layer and the detritus layer in a collapsing gully wall were investigated using the filter paper method, and the soil water retention curves of the different soil layers at 25 and 40 °C were determined. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of temperature on the soil hydraulic properties of different soil layers in collapsing gully walls. The study found that when the water content in the red soil layer and sandy soil layer exceeded 20% and in the detritus layer exceeded 10%, the soil's matric suction significantly decreased as the temperature increased from 25 to 40 °C. Additionally, the parameters of θ s , α , n and m all exhibited a decreasing trend, and the soil water content in the detritus layer was primarily influenced by the temperature change, which resulted in a decrease of 38.10%. The unsaturated hydraulic conductivity of the detritus layer exhibited higher values than that of the sandy layer and red soil layer under identical temperature conditions. Moreover, the unsaturated hydraulic conductivity of the red soil layer, sandy soil layer and detritus layer increased with increasing temperature. It was observed that the unsaturated hydraulic conductivity of the detritus layer increased by 0.18 cm h−1 at a soil water content of 44%. This increase in conductivity was more pronounced than the corresponding changes in the red soil layer and sandy soil layer. An elevated temperature caused the water-holding capacity of the different soil layers of the collapsing gully wall to decrease and the unsaturated hydraulic conductivity to increase. However, the influence of the clay particle content within the soil of the collapsing gully wall rendered the temperature effect more distinct. Therefore, the destabilizing deformation of the soil in the collapsing gully wall during the summer under high temperatures and precipitation may have played a key role in its collapse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The Hedi virus (HEDV) and Wuxiang virus (WUXV) are newly discovered Bunyaviruses transmitted by sandflies. The geographical distribution of isolation of these two viruses continues to expand and it has been reported that WUXV causes neurological symptoms and even death in suckling mice. However, little is known about the prevalence of the two viruses in mammalian infections. Methods: In order to understand the infection status of HEDV and WUXV in humans and animals from regions where the viruses have been isolated, this study used Western blotting to detect the positive rates of HEDV and WUXV IgG antibodies in serum samples from febrile patients, dogs, and chickens in the forementioned regions. Results: The results showed that of the 29 human serum samples, 17.24% (5/29) tested positive for HEDV, while 68.96% (20/29) were positive for WUXV. In the 31 dog serum samples, 87.10% (27/31) were positive for HEDV and 70.97% (22/31) were positive for WUXV, while in the 36 chicken serum samples, 47.22% (17/36) were positive for HEDV, and 52.78% (19/36) were positive for WUXV. Discussion: These findings suggest there are widespread infections of HEDV and WUXV in mammals (dogs, chickens) and humans from the regions where these viruses have been isolated. Moreover, the positive rate of HEDV infections was higher in local animals compared to that measured in human specimens. This is the first seroepidemiological study of these two sandfly-transmitted viruses. The findings of the study have practical implications for vector-borne viral infections and related zoonotic infections in China, as well as providing an important reference for studies on the relationship between sandfly-transmitted viruses and zoonotic infections outside of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wuxiang virus (WUXV) is the first sandfly-borne Phlebovirus isolated from Phlebotomus chinensis collected in China and has been established as a consistent viral presence in the local sandfly populations of both Wuxiang County and Yangquan City. However, its distribution in the Shanxi Province remains unclear. In this study, three novel WUXV strains were isolated from sandflies collected from Jiexiu City, Shanxi Province, China, in 2022. Subsequently, whole-genome sequences of these novel strains were generated using next-generation sequencing. The open reading frame (ORF) sequences of the WUXV strains from the three locations were subjected to gene analysis. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that WUXV belongs to two distinct clades with geographical differences. Strains from Wuxiang County and Yangquan City belonged to clade 1, whereas strains from Jiexiu City belonged to clade 2. Reassortment and recombination analyses indicated no gene reassortment or recombination between the two clades. However, four reassortments or recombination events could be detected in clade 1 strains. By aligning the amino acid sequences, eighty-seven mutation sites were identified between the two clades, with seventeen, sixty, nine, and one site(s) in the proteins RdRp, M, NSs, and N, respectively. Additionally, selection pressure analysis identified 17 positively selected sites across the entire genome of WUXV, with two, thirteen, one, and one site(s) in the proteins RdRp, M, NSs, and N, respectively. Notably, sites M-312 and M-340 in the M segment not only represented mutation sites but also showed positive selective pressure effects. These findings highlight the need for continuous nationwide surveillance of WUXV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Achieving equitable and harmonized socio-economic development is a vital gauge of national progress, particularly in geographically extensive nations such as China. This study, employing nighttime lights as a socio-economic development indicator and remote sensing vegetation indices, investigates spatial variations in wealth distribution across China's eastern and western regions, delineated by the Hu Huanyong Line. It uncovers the balance between economic growth and green space preservation and discrepancies in development and green space allocation. A thorough county-level analysis using this nighttime light (NTL) and vegetation index exposes the dynamic shifts in socio-economic focal points. The Gini coefficient, assessing inequality and spatial autocorrelation within the index ratio, enriches our regional development understanding. The findings depict a heterogeneous yet rapid economic expansion, primarily within a 30 km coastal buffer zone. Despite a decrease in Gini coefficients in both eastern and western regions, the potential for inland development escalates as coastal illumination approaches saturation. This study unveils enduring, yet lessening, economic disparities between eastern and western China, underscoring the necessity for green preservation in eastern development plans. Moreover, inland regions emerge as potential areas for accelerated development. This study offers crucial insights for formulating balanced, sustainable regional development strategies in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Positive aspects of adolescent development recently have raised researchers' interests; however, studies examining reciprocal links between prosocial behavior, social preference, and subjective well-being are lacking. The present longitudinal study investigated the bidirectional relations between prosocial behavior, social preference, and subjective well-being within a theoretical framework of the developmental cascade model. A total of 1248 Chinese adolescents (M = 13.44, SD = 0.65; 47.0% girls) were surveyed across three waves with 6-month intervals. The results of analyses utilizing the random-intercept cross-lagged panel model demonstrated that prosocial behavior was positively associated with both social preference and subjective well-being, and social preference was not associated with subjective well-being at the between-person level. At the within-person level, prosocial behavior was positively reciprocally associated with social preference, while no significant relations between prosocial behavior and subjective well-being and between social preference and subjective well-being were found. The findings highlight adolescents' prosocial behavior and social preference could mutually facilitate each other over time, which can be used to guide adolescents' positive development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Metaverse accelerates the development of the meta-human industry and human-AI interactions in both traditional media outlets and online platforms. As a typical application of meta-human, artificial intelligence (AI) news anchors have been gradually utilized for program reports instead of newscasters in China. In this paper, through the lens of expectation confirmation theory, we establish a conceptual model consisting of perceived anthropomorphism (ANT), perceived intelligence (PI), perceived attractiveness (PA), perceived novelty (PN), information quality (IQ), confirmation of expectation (CE), trust (TRU), and satisfaction (SAT) to explore continuous intention (CI) of watching news reported by AI anchors among online users. By leveraging on a sample of 598 eligible questionnaires, the partial least square structural equation model is employed and the results show that the holistic continuing intention for AI news anchor is positive but not robust. Further analysis indicates that SAT, PI, and TRU can predict CI directly, meanwhile CE, ANT, and PA associate with CI through the mediation of satisfaction. In addition, trust and satisfaction serve as serial mediators between IQ and CI. There is no direct relationship between CE & CI, ANT & CI, and PN & SAT. Nevertheless, user gender and previous experience can moderate the relationships of ANT & CI and PN & SAT, respectively. It can be seen that the proposed model can explain 80.1% of the variance in CI. The implications are intended to provide references for further commercialization of AI news anchors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digital infrastructure construction (DIC) and low-carbon transformation are important engines and objective functions of the superior economic development, and the synergistic drive between the two is essential to achieving lasting economic development. Based on the panel data of 279 cities in China between 2007 and 2019, the econometric model system is used to explore the impact mechanism of DIC on carbon total factor productivity (CTFP), and the impact of DIC on carbon rebound effect (CRE) is further studied. Research findings that, first, the expansion of DIC has a nonlinear effect on CTFP, with a U-shaped link between the two; multiple robustness tests confirm that this is still true. Second, DIC and optimization of the energy consumption structure in a "U" curve relationship, and the major strategy for increasing CTFP is to reduce energy consumption, while industrial structure optimization and technical innovation have less of a intermediary effect. Third, further analysis reveals that there is a "U" shaped nonlinear connection between the DIC and the CRE, and energy savings and emission reductions in the later stages of DIC fall short of expectations. The current DIC is still dominated by episodic expansion. The findings of the study can better enhance CTFP, curb the CRE, put a limit on total carbon emissions and accelerate the decoupling of economic growth from carbon emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI) and depressive symptoms often co-occur, as well as display distinct profiles in different genders, few studies examined the gender-specific profiles and transitions of NSSI and depressive symptoms among adolescents and the role of bullying victimization on their profiles and transitions. This study examined the profiles and transitions of NSSI and depressive symptoms for Chinese adolescent boys and girls separately, along with the predictive role of bullying victimization in subgroup memberships and transitions. A total of 3510 adolescents (52.9% boy, M age = 13.36, SD = 0.50) participated in two waves of the study over six months. The results indicated that four and three profiles identified for girls and boys separately. Adolescents in at-risk profiles showed varying degrees of transition. Adolescents with more bullying victimization were more likely to belong or transition to at-risk profiles for both genders, and bullying victimization exacerbated girls transitioning into co-occurring high profile but not in boys. The findings indicate distinct profile and transition patterns of NSSI and depressive symptoms, as well as different risk role of bullying victimization on their profiles and transitions in boys and girls, highlighting the importance of gender differences in understanding co-occurring and transitional nature of NSSI and depressive symptoms and the risk role of bullying victimization, informing effective strategies for prevention and intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The beginning of secondary school is a critical time point of adolescents' development as they entered a new peer context in which social status was re-established. As the key indicators of social status, likability and popularity co-occur but also display distinct developmental trajectories over time. Nevertheless, little is known about the joint developmental trajectories of likability and popularity among adolescents and how identified trajectories are associated with important social behavior. The current study examined the joint developmental trajectories of likability and popularity among Chinese adolescents and their associations with social behavior (prosocial behavior, aggression, and peer victimization) over time. A total of 1509 Chinese 7th grade students (53.6% male, Mage = 13.1, SD = 0.67) participated in self-report and peer nomination assessments on three occasions at 6-month intervals. Parallel process latent growth mixture models revealed four distinct trajectories of likability and popularity: social status decreasing, average, high social status, and social status increasing. The high social status group showed the highest levels of prosocial behavior, the lowest levels of peer victimization, and higher aggression than the average group. The social status decreasing group and social status increasing group exhibited the lower prosocial behavior as well as the higher aggression and peer victimization compared to the average group over time. The findings highlight the co-occurrence but diversity of developmental patterns of likability and popularity in adolescence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The healthy context paradox is defined as the phenomenon that victims' psychological adjustment worsens in a context with a lower rate of victimization. The unexpected pattern was primarily confirmed in children and adolescents from western societies, and it is unclear whether classroom-level victimization could moderate the link between peer victimization and psychological adjustment in the Chinese cultural context, where Confucian philosophies and collectivism are highly valued. Furthermore, most existing research used a single method to assess peer victimization. The current study attempted to examine classroom-level peer victimization as a moderator in the association between individual-level peer victimization and depression, self-esteem, and well-being among 2613 Chinese seventh graders (1237 girls, M age = 13.00±.61) from 47 classrooms (M classroom size = 55.60, range from 45 to 65) using both self-reported and peer-reported information on peer victimization. At the individual level, the results revealed that both self- and peer-reported victimization were positively related to depression and negatively related to self-esteem and well-being. Most importantly, consistent with past findings documenting the healthy context paradox, self-reported victimized youth experienced a higher level of depression and lower level of self-esteem and well-being in classrooms where the overall level of victimization was relatively low. However, the healthy context paradox was not replicated in the nominated data of peer victimization. These results confirmed the healthy context paradox in Chinese culture to some extent. The findings emphasize the importance of measuring peer victimization from multiple sources and suggest there is a need for additional support to victimized middle school students where the classroom context was relatively healthy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large amount of silt is deposited in the riverbed of the middle and lower reaches of the Yellow River, in China. The silt content in the Yellow River silt is relatively high and the clay content is relatively low, the engineering application is limited. Based on the Yellow River silt characteristics, it was solidified by microbial induced calcite precipitation (MICP) and enzyme induced calcite precipitation (EICP) technology in this paper. Unconfined compressive strength test, CaCO3 content test and scanning electron microscope test were used. The effects of cement solution concentration (C), grouting time (N) and relative density (Dr) on the solidification of the Yellow River silt were considered, and the advantages and disadvantages of MICP technology and EICP technology were compared. The test results show that the effect of cement solution concentration on unconfined compressive strength and CaCO3 production of the Yellow River silt is significantly higher than that of grouting times N and relative compactness Dr, and the effect of relative compactness Dr can be ignored. When the cement solution concentration C and grouting times N are fixed, the compressive strength of EICP solidified samples is always greater than that of MICP solidified samples. The cement solution concentration C = 1 mol/L and the grouting times N = 8, the maximum compressive strength of the Yellow River silt solidified by MICP and EICP technology is 674.98 kPa and 954.65 kPa, respectively. The CaCO3 crystal generated in the sample was attached to the surface of silt particles, and the pores were also filled with CaCO3 crystal and the particles were connected. In a word, combined with the particle characteristics of the Yellow River silt, the solidification effect of EICP technology on the Yellow River silt is better than MICP technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This multicenter phase 1b/2 trial aimed to explore the maximum toler- ated dose (MTD), activity, and safety of anlotinib plus chemotherapy in patients with T790M-negative epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR)-mutant advanced non- squamous non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after resistance to first- or second- generation EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs). Methods: In the phase 1b stage, patients received anlotinib (8/10/12 mg, days 1--14) combined with cisplatin (75 mg/m2, day 1) or carboplatin (AUC = 5, day 1) plus peme- trexed (500 mg/m2, day 1) for a 3-week cycle based on a 3 + 3 dose-escalation design. In the phase 2 single-arm stage, anlotinib was administered at MTD combined with plati- num plus pemetrexed for four cycles, followed by anlotinib maintenance therapy. The primary endpoint of the phase 2 stage was progression-free survival (PFS). Results: The study was prematurely terminated due to slow accrual after 19 patients had been enrolled between January 18, 2019, and March 21, 2021. The MTD of anloti- nib was 12 mg. The median PFS was 5.75 (95% confidence interval, 4.37--7.52) months. The objective response rate was 47.4% (95% confidence interval, 24.5%-- 71.1%). In the 12 mg group, seven (58.3%) patients experienced grade 3--4 treatment- related adverse events, and the most common ones were hypertension (6 [50.0%]), decreased platelet count (2 [16.7%]), and hypertriglyceridemia (1 [8.3%]). No treatment-related deaths occurred. Conclusion: Anlotinib plus platinum and pemetrexed showed promising antitumor activity with manageable toxicity in patients with T790M-negative EGFR-mutant advanced nonsquamous NSCLC after progression on first- or second-generation EGFR TKIs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the driving mechanisms of vegetation development is critical for maintaining terrestrial ecosystem function in mountain areas, especially under the background of climate change. The Qinba Mountains (QBM), a critical north–south transition zone in China, is an environmentally fragile area that is vulnerable to climate change. It is essential to characterize how its ecological environment has changed. Currently, such a characterization remains unclear in the spatiotemporal patterns of the nonlinear effects and interactions between environmental factors and vegetation changes in the QBM. Here, we utilized the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), obtained from Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform, as an indicator of terrestrial ecosystem conditions. Then, we measured the spatiotemporal heterogeneity for vegetation variation in the QBM from 2003 to 2018. Specifically, the Geodetector method, a new geographically statistical method without linear assumptions, was employed to detect the interaction between vegetation and environmental driving factors. The results indicated that there is a trend of a general increase in vegetation growth amplitude (the average NDVI increased from 0.810 to 0.858). The areas with an NDVI greater than 0.8 are mainly distributed in the Qinling Mountains and the Daba Mountains, which account for more than 76.39% of the QBM area. For the entire region, the global Moran's index of the NDVI is greater than 0.95, indicating that vegetation is highly concentrated in the spatial domain. The Geodetector identified that landform type was the primary factor in controlling vegetation changes, contributing 24.19% to the total variation, while the explanatory powers of the aridity index and the wetness index for vegetation changes were 22.49% and 21.47%, respectively. Furthermore, the interaction effects between any two factors outperformed the influence of a single environmental variable. The interaction between air temperature and the aridity index was the most significant element, contributing to 47.10% of the vegetation variation. These findings can not only improve our understanding in the interactive effects of environmental forces on vegetation change, but also be a valuable reference for ecosystem management in the QBM area, such as ecological conservation planning and the assessment of ecosystem functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article analyzes data from the 2009 and 2014 waves of the Survey on Rural Urban Migration in China (RUMiC) to investigate the impact of parents' pension status on migrants' consumption in cities. Exploiting the introduction of the new rural pension scheme (NRPS), we perform a difference‐in‐differences (DID) analysis. We find that having a parent in a rural area that is pension eligible increases migrants' consumption level by 9.4%. However, this effect is constrained to survival consumption. Furthermore, the positive impact of parents' pension eligibility is more pronounced for migrants who earn a lower income, receive less education, suffer from poorer health, have stronger economic ties with their parents, and have a parent in poorer health. Our results suggest that improving rural social welfare has a spillover effect on urban consumption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Self-harm and aggression increase markedly during early adolescence. However, few studies considered these harmful behaviors simultaneously. This study employed a person-centered approach to identify profiles of adolescents who differed in their patterns of self-harm, reactive aggression, and proactive aggression, examined the stability of these patterns, and explored the effect of bullying victimization on latent profile membership and transition. A total of 2463 early adolescents (48.8% girls, Mage = 13.93 ± 0.59) participated in two waves of the study over six months. The results indicated that low symptoms profile (80.4%), moderate aggression profile (14.2%), high aggression profile (3.0%), and high self-harm profile (2.4%) were identified at time 1, and low symptoms profile (82.1%), dual-harm profile (7.6%), high aggression profile (7.7%), and high self-harm profile (2.6%) were identified at time 2. Adolescents assigned to at-risk profiles showed moderate to high transition, suggesting the developmental heterogeneity of self-harm and aggression. Moreover, adolescents high in bullying victimization were more likely to belong or transition to at-risk profiles. The findings revealed the co-occurring and transitional nature of self-harm and aggression and the transdiagnostic role of bullying victimization, which can be used to guide prevention and intervention strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China has always attached great importance to food security issues; especially in today's changeable world, it is particularly important to build a feasible and accurate food security early warning system. According to the influencing factors in food security, this paper uses the PCA method and the AHP method to construct a food security early warning index system that includes 4 secondary indicators and 13 tertiary indicators of total security, trade security, ecological security, and food security. There are four security levels of no warning, light warning, moderate warning, and heavy warning, and finally the comprehensive evaluation of food security from 2000 to 2019 and the specific early warning levels of various indicators are obtained. This paper constructs a food security evaluation system from the perspective of data, breaks through the limitations of existing research, and improves the completeness of food security early warning indicators. Because the BP neural network is a multilayer feedforward neural network with strong adaptability, it is one of the most widely used and successful neural network models at present. Finally, BP neural network is used to simulate China's food security early warning system and design standardized risk prevention and control processes and classified response strategies—routine monitoring, risk control, and emergency response—to provide signal guidance and reference for China's food security to respond to risks early. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since January 2021, China has imposed strict COVID quarantine rules in the world for all inbound travellers, with Beijing's 14 + 7 + 7 rule being the toughest across China (The People's Government of Beijing Municipality, 2021). In fact, China's vaccination rate is now the first in the world, which should justify replacing COVID Zero with a strategy of coexistence with COVID (Reuters, 2021). China's COVID Zero policy and its materialisation are seen by many inside the country as epitomes of China's "institutional superiority.". [Extracted from the article]

In China, with the expansion of the prefabricated construction market, the demand for precast concrete (PC) components is increasing and the construction of production plants to meet this need is expanding. To address the problem of siting PC component plants in China's construction industry, a combination of qualitative and quantitative analysis using principal component analysis (PCA) and geographic information system (GIS) is proposed for their siting. Taking the site selection process of a PC component plant in Wuhan, Hubei Province, China as an example, the diamond model is combined with six dimensions of environmental factors, requirements, regional competition, related and supporting industries, technological innovation and policies and regulations to construct an indicator system for PC component plant site selection. In the preliminary selection stage, PCA was applied to analyze the site selection indexes to obtain the overall score and ranking of each district for the selection of PC component plants in Wuhan, and it was concluded that three districts, namely, Xinzhou, Hannan, and Huangpi, were more suitable for the construction of component plants. In the precise selection stage, based on the availability of data, Hannan was selected among the three areas suitable for site selection for GIS analysis, using the visual-spatial analysis function of GIS to quantify the four geographical information indicators of environmental factors, and the results showed that Area C in Hannan was the most suitable area. The results show that the method has high accuracy and good applicability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Probiotics have been widely used in aquaculture worldwide especially in China as antibiotics have been banned in aquaculture. In the present study, 27 potential strains were isolated from Rhynchocypris lagowskii Dybowski intestinal tract towards the assessment of their probiotic potential. Two potential probiotics were finally screened from the 27 candidate strains according to the results of enzyme-producing ability, in vitro against pathogens ability and antibiotic sensitivity test. The 2 potential probiotics were identified and confirmed on the basis of their colony morphology, biochemical characteristics, and 16S rRNA sequencing. The probiotic strains, LSG2-3–2 and LSG3-6, were identified to be Bacillus methylotrophicus and B. tequilensis, respectively. Further studies showed that LSG2-3–2 and LSG3-6 had excellent tolerance to high temperature (80℃), low pH (3–5), bile salts (0.3%), intestinal juice (10%), and gastric juice (0.5%). The adhesion rates of LSG2-3–2 and LSG3-6 in the in vitro intestinal mucosal adhesion model were 17.74% and 24.04%, respectively. Analysis of their bacteria surface adhesive proteins revealed that the lectins on the bacterial surface of LSG2-3–2 and LSG3-6 were mainly protein and glycoprotein properties, respectively. The adhesion receptor components in the mucus proteins of the two strains were all protein properties. The results of the inhibitory adhesion test indicated that LSG3-6 had a higher inhibitory effect on Aeromonas hydrophila and LSG2-3–2 had a better inhibitory effect on A. veronii. The biosafety assay confirmed that the isolates were not pathogenic to the host fish. Based on the presently observed characteristic features, it can be concluded that LSG2-3–2 (B. methylotrophicus) and LSG3-6 (B. tequilensis) retrieved from the digestive tract of R. lagowskii can be used for the healthy breeding and disease prevention of R. lagowskii. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To reveal the effect of the interactions between soil depth and different land use types on soil nutrients and soil bacterial communities in a karst area, fifty soil samples from five different karst land use types in Huajiang town, Guizhou province, Southwest China were collected, and the soil bacteria were analyzed using high-throughput absolute quantification sequencing. Our results showed that land use types (LUT) and soil depth (SD) significantly influenced the content of soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), nitrate nitrogen (NN), ammonium nitrogen (AN) and available soil phosphorus (AP), and pH; further, the interaction of LUT and SD also significantly influenced SOC, NN, NA, AP, and pH. In addition, LUT clearly impacted the Chao1 and Shannon indexes, but, SD and LUT * SD markedly affect Chao1 and Shannon index, respectively. All the soil bacterial communities were significantly different in the five different five land use types according to PERMANOVA. Importantly, Acidobacteria and Proteobacteria were the predominant phyla at soil depths of 0–20 cm and 20–40 cm among all the LUTs. At 0–20 cm, TN, AN, and SOC exerted a strong positive influence on Acidobacteria, but NN exerted a strong negative influence on Acidobacteria; at 20–40 cm soil, TN and AN exerted a strong positive influence on Acidobacteria; TP exerted no marked influence on any of the phyla at these two soil depths. At 0–20 cm of soil depth, we also found that Chao1 index changes were closely related to the TN, SOC, AN, and NN; similarly, Shannon index changes were significantly correlated to the AN, TN, and SOC; the PCoA was clearly related to the TN, SOC, and AN. Interestingly, at soil depth of 20–40 cm, Chao 1 was markedly related to the TN and pH; Shannon was markedly correlated with the SOC, TP, AN, and AP; and the PCoA was significantly correlated with the TN and pH. Our findings imply that soil nutrients and soil bacteria communities are strongly influenced by land use types and soil depth in karst areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The viscoelastic behavior of minerals in shales is important in predicting the macroscale creep behavior of heterogeneous bulk shale. In this study, in situ indentation measurements of two major constitutive minerals (i.e., quartz and clay) in Longmaxi Formation shale from the Sichuan Basin, South China, were conducted using a nanoindentation technique and high-resolution optical microscope. Firstly, quartz and clay minerals were identified under an optical microscope based on their morphology, surface features, reflection characteristics, particle shapes, and indentation responses. Three viscoelastic models (i.e., three-element Voigt, Burger's, and two-dashpot Kelvin models) were then used to fit the creep data for both minerals. Finally, the effects of peak load on the viscoelastic behavior of quartz and clay minerals were investigated. Our results show that the sizes of the residual imprints on clay minerals were larger than that of quartz for a specific peak load. Moreover, the initial creep rates and depths in clay minerals were higher than those in quartz. However, the creep rates of quartz and clay minerals displayed similar trends, which were independent of peak load. In addition, all three viscoelastic models produced good fits to the experimental data. However, due to the poor fit in the initial holding stage of the three-element Voigt model and instability of the two-dashpot Kelvin model, Burger's model is best in obtaining the regression parameters. The regression results indicate that the viscoelastic parameters obtained by these models are associated with peak load, and that a relatively small peak load is more reliable for the determination of viscoelastic parameters. Furthermore, the regression values for the viscoelastic parameters of clay minerals were lower than those of quartz and the bulk shale, suggesting the former facilitates the viscoelastic deformation of shale. Our study provides a better understanding of the nanoscale viscoelastic properties of shale, which can be used to predict the time-dependent deformation of shale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genesis of dolostone has long been puzzling for more than two centuries. Although much work has been done on investigating the process of dolomitization, little emphasis has been put on examining the diagenetic water redox condition with the wealthy geochemical information preserved in primary dolomite, which is believed to archive the aqueous environment as well as biotic and/or abiotic effects during formation. In situ interpretation with high resolution is a prerequisite in refined research of dolomite. Here, we reported the multielement imaging results of a lacustrine dolomite nodule with the host black shale from the Songliao Basin, northeast of China. Micro X-ray fluorescence (μ-XRF) with a spatial resolution down to 10 μm was used for in situ scanning. Two key parameter settings of the μ-XRF, including single-point exposure time and spatial resolution, were optimized to achieve a better result in a reasonable scanning time scale. The final imaging data graphically revealed dynamic variation of elemental distributions, including elements enriched in dolomite (e.g., Ca, Mg, Fe, and Mn), clastic quartz (Si), and clay minerals (e.g., Al and K) and redox-sensitive trace elements (e.g., Cr, Mo, V, and U). The well-preserved laminated structures inside the nodule and the features with a magnesium-rich core wrapped with an iron-concentric outer layer and a manganese-concentric shell together indicated its primary form as dolomite and a gradual transformation into ankerite as well as manganese-ankerite. The elemental variation indicates a varied bottom water redox condition, which involved from sulfidic to ferruginous and manganous zones. Here, we propose that the intermittent supplies of sulfate and Fe-/Mn-oxidized minerals interrupting the black shale deposition while favoring dolomitization might be brought by the oxidized and salted seawater. And this lacustrine dolomite is expected to be a potential fingerprint mineral in tracking the seawater intrusions to the Songliao Basin which happened 91 million years ago. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An environmental radioactivity survey was performed on a uranium mine that has been decommissioned for >10 y. According to the characteristics of this uranium mine, the relevant parameters, such as the surface-absorbed dose rate in air, the radon and radon progeny concentrations in the air, the radon exhalation rate from the soil surface and the concentrations of natural radionuclides in soil and surface water, were measured. The results show that the maximum annual effective doses of residents and employees in the uranium mine caused by radon and radon progenies inhalation were 1.48 and 1.74 mSv, respectively, and the maximum annual effective doses of residents and employees caused by gamma-ray external radiation were 1.16 and 1.32 mSv, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Parental involvement in adolescents' learning has been linked to high academic achievement, yet few studies have examined its reverse relationship at the same time and the potential mechanisms that underly these associations. To address this research gap, this study investigated the reciprocal relationship between parental involvement and academic achievement as well as the mediating role of adolescents' academic engagement among Chinese adolescents. In addition, the current study explored whether these relationships varied by gender. Using a longitudinal design, a total of 2381 secondary school students (48.8% girls, Mage = 13.38 ± 0.59) participated in the study. The results found significant positive directional effects from academic achievement to parental involvement among total sample, but not vice versa. The cross-lagged effect from academic achievement to parental involvement only existed among adolescent girls. Bootstrap analyses in the total sample revealed that parental involvement was related to academic achievement through the indirect effects of adolescents' behavioral engagement. In terms of gender differences, behavioral engagement totally mediated the path from academic achievement to parental involvement for boys, while no significant mediation effect was found for girls. These results have provided empirical evidence of the evocative role of adolescents' academic characteristics on parenting behaviors and the double-edged effect of parental involvement on adolescents' academic performance, they also suggest that further research is needed to explore effective and appropriate ways for parents to get involved in adolescents' learning in order to promote their children's academic achievement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seasonality is a fundamental and common property of most time series in the real world. In this article, we propose a grey seasonal least square support vector regression, abbreviated as GSLSSVR , by combining the dummy variables, framework of the LSSVR model, and grey accumulation generation operation to reflect seasonal variations in functional forms, variables, and parameters. Our framework provides an intuitive and simple set up of arbitrary seasonality in any feature, which considerably enhances model realism. Further, the regulation method is introduced to increase the stability and generalization of the newly proposed model. Using the Lagrange multipliers algorithm, the model parameters are obtained by solving a set of linear equations. In addition, the last block evaluation is developed, which has the same size in the validating and testing data, to identify the hyperparameters of this novel model. For verification purposes, four real seasonal time series having various characteristics are employed in this work, including quarterly electricity consumption, monthly cargo throughput, monthly crude oil production, and monthly gasoline production in China. Experimental results demonstrate that our proposed model can provide for analysis of seasonal regulatory measures and is validated to be superior to other prevalent forecasting models referring to the SGM(1,1) , SFGM(1,1) , LSSVR , SARIMA-GARCH , and BPNN models. Ultimately, our model is highly recommended for addressing issues with periodic and nonlinear features. • A grey seasonal least square support vector regression is put forward. • The proposed model incorporates the merits of the grey system, artificial intelligence, and dummy variables. • The Lagrange multipliers algorithm is employed for effectively determining the parameters. • Comparative studies illustrate the superiority of this new model over the other benchmarks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: With the aim of shedding new light on the characteristics of human capital in its relationship with organizational innovation, this paper develops a novel theoretical and empirical exploration of the characteristics of human capital, both executives' experience and employees' average education level, as well as the moderating effect of female ownership, on two different aspects of organizational innovation. Design/methodology/approach: Data were obtained from the World Bank's China private manufacturing enterprise questionnaire survey. The study employs regression analysis of a logistic model using 1,598 samples, because the dependent variable of an organization's innovation index is a binary variable. Findings: Using World Bank survey data of Chinese private manufacturing enterprises, the authors find that executives' experience has a significantly positive effect on process innovation. Female ownership strengthens the relationship between executives' experience and process innovation. Moreover, the results indicate that employees' average educational level has a significantly positive effect on product innovation. Female ownership strengthens the relationships between employees' average educational level and organizational innovation including product innovation and process innovation. This study highlights the importance of simultaneously testing the effects of human capital and gender heterogeneity on organizational innovation activities. Originality/value: This study explores the impact of human capital on organizational innovation activities in the context of the Chinese manufacturing industry. Moreover, organizational innovation activities are divided into two aspects: product innovation and process innovation. This study separately discusses the effect of human capital on these two kinds of innovation in detail. Finally, female ownership is selected as a moderating variable, and it is demonstrated that interactions of female owners with executives' experience and employees' average educational level have a positive impact on increasing different kinds of organizational innovation. The authors identify new boundary conditions for the domain of female research that are sorely lacking in the present literature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The stability analysis of a rock slope is one of the most important problems in geotechnical engineering. The stability and failure mode are directly affected by the discontinuities in rock mass. Based on the case of an anti-dip slope with multi-group discontinuities at the Diaokanlong Tunnel of Rucheng-Chenzhou Expressway in central China, the deformation characteristics and evolution process of slope failure were analyzed by means of field investigation, deformation monitoring, and numerical simulation. Meanwhile, the failure mechanism was discussed, and suggestions for slope reinforcement were proposed. The results revealed that the failure of a rock slope is mainly controlled by its discontinuities, and the deformation at different scales is determined by different levels of discontinuities. The failure mode of a slope is a combination of sliding and toppling. These results would provide reference resources for the reinforcement design for such anti-dip slopes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drought limits crop productivity, especially of sugarcane, which is predominantly grown in the subtropical parts of China. Soil microbes perform a wide range of functions that are important for plant productivity and responses to drought stress, and fungi play an important role in plant–soil interactions. The Ea-DREB2B gene of sugarcane, Saccharum arundinaceum , is involved in regulating the response to drought stress. In this study, fungal communities of the transgenic (TG) sugarcane variety GN18, harboring the drought-tolerant gene Ea-DREB2B and its corresponding non-TG wild-type (WT) variety, FN95-1702, were investigated in three soil compartments (rhizoplane, rhizosphere, and bulk soil) by assessing the internal transcribed spacer region using Illumina MiSeq. As the soil microbial community is also affected by various environmental factors, such as pH, carbon availability, and soil moisture, we determined the total carbon (TC), total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP) contents in the rhizoplane, rhizosphere, and bulk soil compartments to explore the associations between soil fungal communities and host plant characteristics. The differences between the soil fungal communities of TG and WT plants were detected. The alpha diversity of TG fungal communities was more correlated to environmental factors than the beta diversity. The abundance of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) enriched in TG root-related area was far more than that in the root-related area of WT plants. Thereinto, more saprotrophs were enriched in the TG root-related area, indicating altered niches of fungal guilds around TG roots. These results revealed that host plant genotype did play a key role for strengthening plant–fungi interaction and enhancing beneficial fungal function in the root-related area (rhizoplane and rhizosphere) of TG sugarcane in order to respond to drought stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objective Anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) rearrangement is a common driver gene of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Ceritinib is a second-generation ALK inhibitor, which can bring survival benefits to ALK-positive metastatic NSCLC. However, few studies focus on the safety and efficacy of ceritinib in China. Therefore, this study intends to investigate the safety and preliminary efficacy of ceritinib 450 mg with meals in Chinese patients with ALK-positive NSCLC through a real world study. Methods From October 2018 to December 2019, patients with ALK-positive NSCLC from 8 medical centers in Sichuan province were recruited in this study. All of these participants received ceritinib 450 mg/d with food. The basic characteristics, adverse effects (AEs) and responses were collected and analyzed in order to evaluate the safety and efficacy of ceritinib. Results A total of 109 patients were included in this study. Data cutoff was January 23, 2020. The median duration of treatment exposure was 5.87 mon (range: 0.4 mon-15.7 mon). Total AEs were reported in 98 (89.9%) of 109 patients and grade 3 or 4 AEs were reported in 22.9% of patients. Most common AEs (mainly grade 1 or 2) were diarrhea (60.6%), elevated alanine aminotransferase (ALT)(38.5%) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST)(37.6%). As of data cutoff, 45 patients discontinued ceritinib. The overall response rate (ORR) was 37.6% (95%CI: 28.5%-47.4%) and disease control rate (DCR) was 86.2% (95%CI: 78.3%-92.1%). Conclusion The treatment of ceritinib 450 mg with food for Chinese ALK-positive NSCLC patients had a good safety profile and favorable DCR in real-world setting. However, this conclusion needs to be further verified by large sample, prospective trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The stage of social aging and further deepening of population aging has been witnessed in China. The demand for home care is increasingly growing; meanwhile, medical human resources are insufficient. In this context, a home health caregiver scheduling problem under the resource sharing mode is studied in this paper. Under such mode, two types of caregivers, i.e., full-time caregiver and part-time caregiver, are regarded as the main labor force by HHC institutions. In HHC planning, different working times for the two kinds of caregivers will need to be considered. Consequently, in this paper, a corresponding mathematical model is established and a hybrid algorithm that combines the whale optimization algorithm (WOA) with the particle swarm optimization (PSO) algorithm is proposed to solve the model. The proposed algorithm is compared with the existing algorithms to verify its effectiveness through three example tests of different scales and Solomon example. Finally, the resource sharing model is compared with the traditional model through a case, and the rationality of home health caregiver scheduling in the resource sharing model is discussed in terms of cost structure and customer satisfaction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High concentrations of heavy metals in the environment threaten the quality of ecosystems and the health of human beings and animals. Giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca), which is endemic to China and a global conservation icon, has the largest density in the Qinling Mountains. This paper investigated the spatiotemporal variation of heavy metal concentrations in soil (N = 44) at the regional scale with three zones of urban areas, mountain edges, and central mountains, the temporal variation of heavy metal concentrations in three bamboo species (N = 19) and two types of feces (N = 10), and assessed the ecological risk and health risk for giant pandas and their habitat in the Qinling Mountains. The results showed that the median concentrations of studied eight heavy metals mercury (Hg), arsenic (As), copper (Cu), manganese (Mn), zinc (Zn), chromium (Cr), lead (Pb), and cadmium (Cd) in soil exceeded the background values of Shaanxi Province except Pb. The median concentrations of Hg, Zn, Cr, Pb, and Cd in bamboo surpassed the reference standard (RS) of national food safety limits in vegetables for human intake, but the concentration of Zn was within the nutrient range in the bamboo plants. Heavy metals were enriched more in feces of captive than the wild giant pandas, which illustrated either higher ingestion or lower digestibility for captive giant panda. Ecological risk assessment of soil by the geo-accumulation index (Igeo) and risk index (RI) showed strong pollution by Hg and moderate pollution by Cd. Health risk assessment by the hazard index (HI) showed a potential to strong risk for giant pandas exposed to Pb, As, and Hg. In addition, the concentrations of heavy metals in feces showed a higher exposure risk for captive giant pandas than wild giant pandas. We suggest that attention should be paid to and all effective measurements should be taken for reducing the emission of Hg, As, Pb, and Cd in the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The animal species richness in four forest types were very similar to each other. • Low-elevation primary forest had the largest relative abundant index of animals. • Low-elevation primary forest preferred by most species while secondary forest by one. • Plantation and secondary forest played important roles of supporting animal species. China's primary forest has gone through the extensive deforestation and further restoration since 1950s. However, little is known about how animal diversity responds to restoration. Here, we used camera trapping to monitor diversity of large-and-medium mammals for three years (2014–2017) in four forest habitat types in the Qinling Mountains: high-elevation primary forest, low-elevation primary forest, secondary forest, and plantation forest. The species richness did not vary between forest types (n = 17–18). But the relative abundant index (RAI) was higher in low-elevation primary (3.00%), followed by plantation forest (1.77%), secondary forest (0.89%), and high-elevation primary forest (0.74%), respectively. In term of habitat using, low-elevation primary forest was the most preferred habitat by the animals (11 species), followed by high-elevation forest (5 species), and plantation forest (4 species), while secondary forest was only preferred by 1 species. Species' preferences on forest habitat types were stable during daytime and night-time but significantly changed in different seasons. Our study indicated that both plantation forest and secondary forest in the Qinling Mountains played important roles of supporting animal species. Thus a comprehensive management is required for biodiversity conservation in the Qinling Mountains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coal-fired winter heating (CWH) results in serious air pollution, but limited studies have investigated its threats to health and ecosystem. The environmental impact and social cost of CWH in China at the province level was quantified via a "bottom-up" life cycle assessment approach. The ecosystem damage and social cost of CWH maintained high values over the last decade, although exhibited a downward trend. Approximately 688 Mt CO 2 eq of greenhouse gas emitted from CWH activity in 2019, accounting for 4.9% of China's total emission. Shandong and Liaoning Provinces dominated the nationwide environmental and economic burdens of CWH. Heavy metals atmospherically emitted from CWH exerted significant carcinogenic impacts and showed a correlation with regional cancer incidence (e.g., respiratory, reproductive, urinary, neurological, and blood-lymphatic systems), indicating the potential multi-system damage of CWH. Energy-saving buildings, geothermal utilization, efficient heavy metal end-point control technology, and improving emission factors quality are highly recommended. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Creep of shale controls the stability of fault gouge in sedimentary rocks, aseismic deformation in the upper crust, and several engineering operations, such as proppant embedment, reservoir subsidence, and wellbore stability during unconventional shale gas exploitation. However, measuring the creep properties of shale is challenging due to the multi-scale structure of this rock. Here, our goal is to assess how creep parameters measured at the core sample scale depend on those measured at the nanoscale in shales. We selected three clay-rich and quartz-rich shale samples and conducted a series of experiments on shale samples at two scales: nanoindentation creep measurements on thin sections, and uniaxial creep tests on core samples. The creep parameters, including creep displacement (Δh), indentation creep (C IT), creep strain rate sensitivity (m), contact creep modulus (C), and viscoelastic parameters (E 1 , E 2 , η 1 , and η 2) of the Burgers' model, were calculated by fitting the nanoindentation creep data of each single-phase component of shale matrix. From these data, we upscale the creep parameters (E 1 , E 2 , and C) of shale matrix to those of the bulk shale. Upscaled E 2 and C values based on the Mori-Tanaka scheme are found to be relatively close to those measured in previous microindentation study on Longmaxi shale and are consistent with our measurements in uniaxial creep tests on core samples of clay-rich shale and quartz-rich shale. The upscaling value of the elastic parameters, E 1 , is almost twice larger than the results from uniaxial creep test. We interpret this difference as due to low elastic stiffness along grain contacts of the shale that nanoindentation measurements underestimate. Our results show a consistency of some creep parameters upscaled from nanoindentation data and those measured at a macroscopic scale on core samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: Food intolerance is believed to be a source of frequent medical problems in ulcerative colitis (UC), which closely correlate with patients' dietary pattern. Living in an underdeveloped area of China, residents in southwestern region have diverse dietary habits. The objective of this study is to determine the prevalence of food intolerance in the UC patients in this area and to discuss some of the possible risk factors leading to the condition.Methods and Study Design: Food antibodies in serum of 80 patients with active UC were determined by standard enzyme-linked immuno sorbent assay (ELISA). This study examined the risk factors contributing to high titers of food antibodies and the dietary patterns correlating with food intolerance in these demographics.Results: 83.8% of patients (67/80) were found to be seropositive for food intolerance. Patients of female, aged between 20 to 40 and the one who tended to have a high fat diet were tested to be highly seropositive (p<0.05). Neither spicy food intake nor the course the disease manifested any relationship with the presence of food intolerance (p>0.05).Conclusion: Active UC patients in southwestern region of China have showed to be high seropositive in food intolerance, particularly in female and young patients. Dietary patterns with high in fat intake seem to have caused high prevalence of seropositivity in food intolerance. Although rice has been taken as staple food and the spicy food has been popular among citizen in this region, these foods have indicated to no effect on food intolerance in this study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We report here U‐Pb age and in situ Hf isotopic results for detrital and magmatic zircons from one conglomerate and four tuffite samples from the Late Triassic Nadigangri Formation across the North Qiangtang depression, Tibet. Coupled with previously published data in the region, this paper proposes new insights into the geochronological framework for the Nadigangri Formation. The deposition ages of tuffite from top to bottom in the Woruo Mountain, Quem Co and Dongqu River, are 203 Ma, 226 Ma, 221.5 Ma and 221.1 Ma, respectively. The detrital zircons yield a younger cluster of ages of 201.5–225 Ma from the conglomerate of the Quem Co Formation. The Late Triassic Nadigangri Formation defines a temporal range approximately between 201 and 225 Ma (Norian‐Rhaetian), including three predominant groups of 220–225 Ma, 210–217 Ma and 201–205 Ma, which correspond with the three main rifting episodes of initial rifting, further rifting and final rifting. Positive εHf(t) value and low model ages in younger detrital zircons suggests a juvenile character. However, the Hf isotopes of magmatic zircons display the presence of reworked ancient crust with 1.1–1.8 Ga. These results provide strong constraints not only on the temporal range of the Late Triassic Nadigangri Formation, but also on the onset of the Qiangtang Mesozoic rift basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the economic growth and increasing urbanization in the last three decades, the air quality over China has continuously degraded, which poses a great threat to human health. The concentration of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) directly affects the mortality of people living in the polluted areas where air quality is poor. The Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei (BTH) region, one of the well organized urban regions in northern China, has suffered with poor air quality and atmospheric pollution due to recent growth of the industrial sector and vehicle emissions. In the present study, we used the back propagation neural network model approach to estimate the spatial distribution of PM2.5 concentration in the BTH region for the period January 2014-December 2016, combining the satellite-derived aerosol optical depth (S-DAOD) and meteorological data. The results were validated using the ground PM2.5 data. The general method including all PM2.5 training data and 10-fold cross-method have been used for validation for PM2.5 estimation (R2 = 0.68, RMSE = 20.99 for general validation; R2 = 0.54, RMSE = 24.13 for cross-method validation). The study provides a new approach to monitoring the distribution of PM2.5 concentration. The results discussed in the present paper will be of great help to government agencies in developing and implementing environmental conservation policy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Continuous change detection and classification (CCDC) algorithm was applied in mapping coastal tidal wetlands in Jiangsu, China. • The quality of the mapped coastal tidal wetlands is satisfactory. • The coastal tidal wetlands in JS experienced a remarkable stepped degradation from 1990 to 2020. • The enormous loss of tidal wetlands is mainly driven by human development activities. The tidal wetlands in Jiangsu Province (JS) play a crucial role as a major blue carbon sink in the eastern coastal area of China. These wetlands also contribute significantly function to biodiversity and the provision of ecosystem services. However, due to the escalating impact of anthropogenic activities and climatic changes, the ecological scope, structure, and function of tidal wetlands have changed drastically. This study aims to depict the spatiotemporal dynamics of these wetlands and explore the driving forces behind these changes. Based on the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of all the available Landsat imagery (5096 images, 30-m spatial resolution) using the Continuous Change Detection and Classification (CCDC) algorithm. The outputs consist of annual land cover maps of JS coastal zone, from 1990 to 2020. Results indicate that the generated coastal maps generally exhibit an exceptionally high average accuracy (92.62%) and there were 2666.54 km2 of tidal wetlands (Spartina alterniflora : 240.86 km2, Suaeda salsa : 37.31 km2, Phragmites australis : 150.63 km2, intertidal flat: 2158.18 km2, supratidal barren flat: 79.53 km2) in 2020, amounting to a 23.43% decrease of the initial year 1990. The tidal wetlands landscape had a staged decline during 1990–2020, and the hydrological vegetation habitat was the area with the greatest variability. Over the past three decades, the losses of tidal wetlands amounted to 1,466.22 km2, partially offset by gains of 650.05 km2. The two most substantial sources of losses were intertidal flat and Suaeda salsa with the most significant ratio of loss to gain (4.80, 10.31, respectively). Generally, we categorized tidal wetlands degradation into three transformation processes: human activities, species invasion, and natural succession. Human activities, particularly the conversion of intertidal flat into aquafarm, dominated the entire degradation process. Meanwhile, in the main driving analysis, we discovered that 60% of these losses and gains were directly tied to human activities. The indirect driving process includes natural coastal movements, climate change, unobservable human activities, and their aggregate effects, which gradually assist tidal wetlands ecosystems to re-establish and recover. The annual coastal wetland maps and detailed information on the evolutionary patterns and the corresponding drivers are valuable for identifying blue carbon distribution and enhancing the ecological services of the coastal zone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The widespread heavy metal contamination of agricultural soils poses an enormous challenge to food safety. To evaluate the Cd immobilization potential of vermicompost combined with modified shell powder (VMSP) on Cd-contaminated soil, batch adsorption tests and field experiments were conducted. First, the Cd2+ removal characteristics and adsorption mechanisms of vermicompost (V), vermicompost combined with shell powder (VSP), and VMSP in an aqueous solution were investigated by batch tests. Then, 3 kg·m2 V, VSP, and VMSP doses were applied to Cd-contaminated farmland soils as soil amendments to plant green garlic (Allium sativum L.) and investigate their Cd immobilization effects in Cd-contaminated soils. Batch adsorption tests showed that VMSP was most effective for Cd2+ removal, with adsorption rates as high as 85.7–99.79% and desorption rates of approximately 1.25–1.34%. Combining further characterization analysis of VMSP, it was demonstrated that the adsorption mechanism of Cd2+ was monolayer chemisorption, mainly involving the complexation reaction of Cd2+ with organic functional groups and the precipitation reaction of Cd2+ with mineral elements. The field experiment showed that adding V, VSP, and VMSP effectively inhibited the enrichment of Cd in green garlic, and the Cd content was reduced by 42.18%, 46.88%, and 68.75%, respectively. However, only the Cd content of green garlic treated with VMSP was lower than the national standard for food safety in China (Cd≤ 0.2 mg·kg-1). V, VSP, and VMSP additions improved soil fertility and reduced Cd bioavailability in the soil by 15.5%, 18.9%, and 36.3%, respectively. In addition, V, VSP, and VMSP addition increased bacterial diversity and improved bacterial communities and functions in the soil by improving basic soil properties and reducing Cd-related toxicity. The results indicated that VMSP is a promising amendment for Cd immobilization in Cd-contaminated farmland soils. [Display omitted] • The mechanism of Cd2+ removal by VMSP in the aqueous phase has been elucidated. • VMSP reduced the bioavailability of Cd in Cd-contaminated soil by 36.3%. • VMSP reduced the content of Cd in green garlic by 68.75%. • VMSP improved soil microbial community structure and function. • VMSP showed great potential in Cd immobilization in Cd-contaminated soil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the clinical features of renal tuberculosis and identify the age- and genderrelated differences. Methods: A total of 419 patients at the Peking University First Hospital from January 2000 to July 2015 were retrospectively reviewed. Data on demographic characteristics, clinical presentation, complications, laboratory results, radiologic imaging, surgical procedures, and pathology features were collected and compared between genders and 3 different age groups (under 40 years, 41-60, years and over 60 years). Results: The most common local presentations were lower urinary tract symptoms (65.2%), flank pain (37.9%), and gross hematuria (26.3%). Constitutional symptoms were also observed in 38.9% of the patients. Gross hematuria was more common in male patients (32.2%) and older patients (45.5%). Flank pain was more common in female patients (43.6%). Patients younger than 40 years of age had lower frequencies of calcification of the urinary tract (22.2%) and kidney atrophy (4.2%) in CT. In the postoperative pathological reports, atrophy (35.9%) and fibrosis (38.5%) were found to be significantly more common in older patients. Conclusions: While gross hematuria is more prevalent in older patients and male patients, flank pain is more common in female patients. Radiological and pathological features including calcification of the urinary tract, fibrosis, and kidney atrophy are more common in older patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stable night-time lights (NTL) data from the Defense Meteorological Satellite Program Operational Line-scan System (DMSPOLS) can serve as a good proxy for anthropogenic development. Here DMSP-OLS NTL data was used to detect the urban development status in northeastern China. The spatial and temporal gradients are combined to depict the velocity of urban expanding process. This velocity index represents the instantaneous local velocity along the Earth's surface needed to maintain constant NTL condition, and has a mean of 0.36km/yr for northeastern China. The velocity change of NTL is lower in the urban center and its near regions, and the suburbs show a relatively high value. The connecting zones between satellite cities and metropolis have also a rapid rate of NTL evolution. The dynamic process of urbanization over the study area is mainly in a manner of spreading from urban cores to edges. The rank size of the velocity for the prefectures is analyzed and a long tail distribution is found. The velocity index can provide insights for the future pattern of urban sprawl. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study develops a modeling framework for utilizing the large footprint LiDAR waveform data from the Geoscience Laser Altimeter System (GLAS) onboard NASA's Ice, Cloud, and Land Elevation Satellite (ICESat), Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectro-Radiometer (MODIS) imagery, meteorological data, and forest measurements for monitoring stocks of total biomass (including aboveground biomass and root biomass). The forest tree height models were separately used according to the artificial neural network (ANN) and the allometric scaling and resource limitation (ASRL) tree height models which can both combine the climate data and satellite data to predict forest tree heights. Based on the allometric approach, the forest aboveground biomass model was developed from the field measured aboveground biomass data and the tree heights derived from two tree height models. Then, the root biomass should scale with the aboveground biomass. To investigate whether this approach is efficient for estimating forest total biomass, we used Northeast China as the object of study. Our results generally proved that the method proposed in this study could be meaningful for forest total biomass estimation (R2 = 0.699, RMSE = 55.86). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]