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A comprehensive understanding of current Chinese public attitudes toward farm animal welfare and the relevant influencing factors is essential for improving farm animal welfare and promoting further development of animal husbandry. The attitudes of 3,726 respondents in China were investigated using paper and online questionnaires. Three components (affective, cognitive, and behavioral) of attitudes toward farm animal welfare were assessed using 18 items designed based on the literature review. Influential factors of attitudes toward farm animal welfare were explored via tobit regression. The results revealed that the Chinese public not only considers farm animals to be emotional and sentient but are also sympathetic toward farm animals that suffer inhumane treatment. Although they have limited knowledge about farm animal welfare, the public believes improving farm animal welfare is beneficial, especially for food safety and human health. The Chinese public prefers regulation policies to incentive policies for improving farm animal welfare. The main factors influencing attitudes toward farm animal welfare included gender, age, education, monthly household income, area of residence, farm animal raising experience, and attention to farm animal welfare events. The effect of these influencing factors on attitudes varied. These findings provide a basis for improving Chinese public attitudes toward farm animal welfare. The implications of formulating and implementing effective policies to improve the Chinese public attitudes toward farm animal welfare were discussed [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change is an important driver of species distribution and biodiversity. Understanding the response of plants to climate change is helpful to understand species differentiation and formulate conservation strategies. The genus Polyspora (Theaceae) has an ancient origin and is widely distributed in subtropical evergreen broad‐leaved forests. Studies on the impacts of climate change on species geographical distribution of Chinese Polyspora can provide an important reference for exploring the responses of plant groups in subtropical evergreen broad‐leaved forests with geological events and climate change in China. Based on the environmental variables, distribution records, and chloroplast genomes, we modeled the potential distribution of Chinese Polyspora in the Last Glacial Maximum, middle Holocene, current, and future by using MaxEnt‐ArcGIS model and molecular phylogenetic method. The changes in the species distribution area, centroid shift, and ecological niche in each periods were analyzed to speculate the response modes of Chinese Polyspora to climate change in different periods. The most important environmental factor affecting the distribution of Polyspora was the precipitation of the driest month, ranging from 13 to 25 mm for the highly suitable habitats. At present, highly suitable distribution areas of Polyspora were mainly located in the south of 25°N, and had species‐specificity. The main glacial refugia of the Chinese Polyspora might be located in the Ailao, Gaoligong, and Dawei Mountains of Yunnan Province. Jinping County, Pingbian County, and the Maguan County at the border of China and Vietnam might be the species differentiation center of the Chinese Polyspora. Moderate climate warming in the future would be beneficial to the survival of P. axillaris, P. chrysandra, and P. speciosa. However, climate warming under different shared socio‐economic pathways would reduce the suitable habitats of P. hainanensis and P. longicarpa. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Burr hole craniostomy is a widely used method for the evacuation of CSDH. However it is not clear whether the irrigation during operation improves the prognosis or gives rise to additional complications instead. This retrospective cohort study was conducted to determine this issue.Methods: Patients attending two medical centers in China who underwent burr hole drainage with irrigation (BHDI) or burr hole drainage without irrigation (BHD) for unilateral CSDH during January 2013 to December 2016 were included in this study. The patients' clinical information and follow-up data were retrospectively reviewed, and the radiologic findings were processed using the 3D Slicer software. The differences in outcomes were identified using t-test, chi-square test, or Fisher's exact test.Results: A total of 151 patients comprising 63 patients in the BHD group and 88 patients in the BHDI group were included. Patients in the BHDI group had a higher volume of pneumocrania on the first postoperative day than that of patients in the BHD group (p < 0.05). No significant differences were observed between the two approaches in rates of rebleeding, recurrence and other complications (p > 0.05).Conclusions: Irrigation had no improvement in the long-term curative effect on CSDH, but it increased the risk of short-term complication in terms of pneumocrania. Therefore, this study suggests that irrigation is not an obligatory procedure during burr hole drainage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: China has the largest burden of primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG) worldwide. The mechanism of the angle closure is complex and includes pupillary block and non-pupillary block. Currently, opinion is that laser peripheral iridotomy (LPI) alone is not sufficient to prevent disease progression. Laser peripheral iridoplasty (LPIP) is an alternative and effective way of widening the angle recess in eyes that are affected by primary angle closure (PAC). However, it is not known if greater benefit would be achieved using LPI plus LPIP for PAC with multiple mechanisms (MAC). Thus, the aim of this study is to demonstrate if LPI plus LPIP would be more effective than single LPI in controlling the progression of PAC with multiple mechanisms, based on ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM) classification. A secondary aim is to determine whether or not this would result in the use of less medication and/or prolong the time to antiglaucoma surgery.Methods: This multiple-mechanism angle-closure study will comprise a 3-year, multicenter, randomized, parallel-group, open-label, superiority trial, the aim of which will be to evaluate the safety and efficacy of LPI plus LPIP versus LPI for PAC. It is anticipated that 240 adults, diagnosed with PAC (the mechanism of angle closure will be assessed by UBM and it will be determined whether or not it involves multiple mechanisms) will be recruited from ten ophthalmic centers in China. Participants will be randomly allocated to receive either single LPI or LPI plus LPIP. Participant assessment will be designed to test the rate of disease progression and who will be followed up for 3 years. The primary outcome will be the disease progression rate and a comparison will be made between the LPI and LPI plus LPIP groups using Pearson's χ2 test. Logistic regression analysis will be performed to account for the central effect.Discussion: If the LPI plus LPIP is found to significantly decrease the rate of PAC progression, this intervention could potentially be a standard therapy to be used to treat PAC when multiple mechanisms are involved in angle closure. Subsequently, this would have the potential to delay the rate of PAC progression to PACG and delay the time to the administration of antiglaucoma medication or trabeculectomy surgery.Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02613013 . Registered on 24 November 2015. In fact, the study was due to start in late October 2015, however, there were no patients recruited in October, and when we registered at ClinicalTrials.gov on 5 November 2015, we received suggestions on the English translation of our protocol from the PRS Team at Clinicaltrial.gov, so the final successful registration date was on 24 November 2015. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The effects of metals on the structure of phytoplankton communities were determined in the Zhalong Wetland of China during one hydrology year. 133 taxa occurring in at least two samples or the percentages over 5% in at least one sample were identified and utilized in statistical analysis, which belonged to 58 genera, 28 families, 17 orders, 9 classes, 7 phyla. Principle component analysis (PCA) based on metal levels displayed two major groups, the light and heavy metals. Canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) with forward selection and a Monte Carlo permutation test revealed that kalium ion (K) was significant (P <0.05) and though Fe, Mn, Na and Ca were not significant variables, they were the important characters together with K, accounting for the biggest variation (more than 3%) in algae floras. Those taxa resistant to metal levels in the present study had a short distance with relevant metals in CCA biplot showed a strong correlation, which should be indicators of the metal contamination. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Several factors, namely, coal-dominated primary energy mix, extensive economic development mode, inefficient energy utilization, and the imperfect environmental regulations, result in the serious urban sulfur dioxide pollution and large-scale sulfatetype acid precipitation in China. In 1995, China's sulfur dioxide emissions reached 23.70 Mt, and the areas affected by acid rain accounted for 40% of the territory. Chinese government accords considerable importance to the sulfur dioxide and acid rain contamination. New sets of environmental friendly policies have been promulgated. But enforcement of laws and regulations on SO[sub 2] emissions need to be further improved and broadened, especially those respond to market conditions. This paper focuses particular attention on the analysis of strategy, policies, and national actions which had or should be taken against sulfur dioxide emissions nationwide to achieve the environmental targets, on the basis of which gives the technical options in future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]