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Based on Self-determination Theory (SDT), this research intends to analyze the effect of different physical education (PE) teachers' teaching styles on students' class participation motivation in universities. Students of some universities and colleges in Sichuan Province and Shanghai Municipality, China, are researched. Total 871 valid copies of questionnaire are retrieved for testing the research hypotheses. The results reveal positive correlation between incentive, intelligence inspiration and the intrinsic motivation of student learning as well as between charisma and the extrinsic motivation of student learning in transformational leadership. In transactional leadership, contingent reward and positive involving management show positive relationship with the intrinsic motivation of student learning, and negative involving management also presents positive relationship with the extrinsic motivation of student learning. Finally, it is suggested that PE teachers should build the situation which could satisfy the needs of autonomy, sense of competence and sense of belonging as well as create the physical education environment which could satisfy basic psychological needs of autonomy, competence, and sense of belonging to reinforce students' positive motivation on physical education. Sports education is the most important education to develop the students' physical and mental health.

Introduction: The caring behavior of hospice nurses toward patients positively impacts their professional careers and significantly improves the quality of hospice services. A positive and supportive work environment may protect nurses against negative emotions that may affect the humanistic care they provide, and their job satisfaction. This study aimed to explore the impact of the nursing work environment on caring behavior. We also investigated the chain mediating effect of psychological capital and empathy on this relationship among Chinese hospice nurses. Methods: The Practice Environment Scale (PES), the Psychological Capital Questionnaire (PCQ), the Empathy Ability Scale for Hospice Nurses, and the Caring Behaviors Inventory (CBI) were used to survey 393 Chinese hospice nurses. SPSS 27.0 and Mplus 8.0 were used for statistical processing to analyze the mediating effects. Results: The nursing work environment positively predicted caring behavior. Furthermore, it was found that psychological capital and empathy jointly mediate the relationship between the nursing work environment and caring behavior. Conclusion: This study reveals how the nursing work environment affects the caring behavior of hospice nurses. Hospital managers need to provide hospice nurses with a favorable working environment from the perspective of positive psychology, continuously monitor their psychological state, improve their caring behavior, and provide references for developing intervention plans to promote the caring behavior of hospice nurses in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Tislelizumab, a humanized IgG4 anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody has been approved in China and Europe. According to the published clinical research, tislelizumab shows satisfactory safety profile. No severe hepatotoxicity or acute kidney injury were reported. Case presentation: We presented a case study of a 74-year-old man who developed acute kidney injury (grade 3) and acute liver injury (grade 4) after being administered tislelizumab for the treatment of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. We reviewed the patient's history, physical examination, and laboratory findings and provided comprehensive differentials of the possible causes of the toxicities. Immune Checkpoint Inhibitors (ICI) hepatotoxicity and nephrotoxicity were confirmed clinically. We also discussed the management of toxicities associated with ICIs and the need for a multidisciplinary approach to care. Conclusions: The case highlights the importance of close monitoring and prompt management of toxicities associated with ICIs and the need for further research to better understand the risk factors for these toxicities and to identify effective treatments for them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From 2019 to 2023, a large number of neologisms related to the COVID-19 pandemic appeared in Chinese society, which has become a major linguistic phenomenon. Studying these neologisms can help to create new neologisms and use them more scientifically and rationally in times of major emergencies, avoid ambiguity and increase social influence and recognition. The authors identified 316 neologisms from the content published on Chinese government websites and media and networks that were collected as the research texts. First, we clarify the ways that neologisms are created and the neologism types from the perspective of lexicology. Leech's Seven Types of Meaning was used to analyse the basic composition of these neologisms. Combining this with the lexical pragmatics theory of the seven attributes of Lexicon proposed by Hou from a dynamic and three-dimensional perspective, the semantic situation of the neologisms in the context of the pandemic was analysed. The results show that most of the anti-pandemic neologisms conform to the seven types of meanings and seven attributes. A part of the neologisms has the deficiencies of unscientific word formation, discriminatory semantics, and infantilisation. In addition, there are two significant discoveries, the first of which is the four-level distribution of neologisms: cyber language, general spoken language, general written language, and elegant language. Secondly, it was found that there are two kinds of relationships between the parody words and the original words: lexical superposition and lexical distancing. Summarising and analysing these neologisms in the post-pandemic era has theoretical and practical value for contemporary language application and can provide linguistic insight into how agencies can respond to emergencies in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Suicide ideation (SI) has become a serious social issue worldwide, and research has found a certain correlation between negative life events (NLE) and SI. Nevertheless, this relationship is still not clear among Chinese adolescents, a special population. Hence, this investigation performed a meta-analysis of observational research on the correlation between NLE and SI among adolescents in China, to further clarify the association. Methods: We performed an extensive search on seven electronic databases starting from their establishment until March 10, 2023. The research mainly focused on cross-sectional studies conducted on samples of Chinese adolescents. To examine the association between NLE and SI, a meta-analysis model using random effects was utilized. To investigate moderating factors such as age, region, assessment tools for SI, and year of publication, subgroup and meta-regression analyses were performed. The AHRQ evaluated the quality of the study. The synthesis of data was conducted utilizing STATA software (version 16). Results: Ultimately, a total of 30 cross-sectional studies were selected for this analysis, including 39,602 individuals in the participant sample. The results showed that NLE was moderately positively correlated with SI among Chinese adolescents (r = 0.29, 95% CI: 0.26, 0.32). In addition, this relationship was moderated by regional differences and the measurement tool used for SI. Studies conducted in Western China showed a higher correlation coefficient than those conducted in Eastern and Central China. Moreover, research conducted with the SSIOSS demonstrated a stronger correlation coefficient compared to studies utilizing the BSI-CV or other assessment instruments. Conclusion: This meta-analysis indicates that NLE is linked to SI in Chinese teenagers, especially those residing in Western regions of China. Identifying and intervening in NLE and associated risk factors are crucial to prevent suicide within this demographic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To explore the feasibility of sampling Chinese patients by suction curettage for cytological and histological screening of endometrial cancer related to Lynch syndrome. Methods: This retrospective study enrolled patients who underwent endometrial biopsy at our hospital between May 2018 and January 2019. Endometrial sampling (cytological and micro-histological specimens) was conducted by suction curettage. The gold standard for diagnosis was traditional sharp dilation and curettage (D&C). The sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy of cytology, micro-histology, and the combination of cytology and micro-histology were calculated. Additionally, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was used to evaluate the diagnostic efficiency of three screening methods. Mismatch repair proteins were further detected using immunohistochemistry (IHC) in endometrial cancer. Results: This retrospective finally enrolled 100 patients, which satisfactory samples were obtained from 96 patients for liquid-based cytology and 93 patients for microtissue histology. The concordance rates with D&C, sensitivity, and specificity were 94.8%, 76.9%, and 97.5% for liquid-based cytology, 96.8%, 84.6%, and 98.8% for microtissue histology, and 99.0%, 92.3%, and 100.0% for liquid-based cytology and microtissue histology combined, respectively. The AUC of ROC curves in liquid-based cytology, microtissue histology, and the combined methods for diagnostic ability were 0.873, 0.917, and 0.962, respectively. Absence rates of MLHl, MSH2, MSH6, and PMS2 proteins were 15.3% (2/13), 0% (0/13), 7.7% (1/13), and 15.3% (2/13) in the 13 endometrial cancer samples. Conclusion: Liquid-based cytology and microtissue histology samples from suction curettage combined IHC are useful for endometrial cancer screening. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the context of tax sharing reform and land reform during the 1990s, local governments in China relied heavily on land finance. Local governments have fierce competition in attracting investment, omitting the development of green economy. Based on the data of industrial land sales and carbon dioxide emissions, this study constructed the panel data of 196 cities in China from 2007 to 2017 and analyzed the spatial and temporal evolution characteristics of urban industrial land price distortion and carbon emission intensity. Furthermore, a multiple linear regression model was constructed from the aspects of scale effect to empirically analyze the overall impact and differential impact of urban industrial land price distortion on carbon emission intensity. With the help of the mediating effect model, the mechanism of urban industrial land price distortion on carbon emission intensity was investigated from the perspective of industrial structure upgrading. The results showed that (1) the higher the price distortion of industrial land is, the more detrimental it is to the development of green and low-carbon economy. (2) The regional heterogeneity test showed that the impact of industrial land price distortion on carbon emission intensity is most significant in the central region, medium cities, and cities with low fiscal self-sufficiency rates, respectively. (3) The higher the distortion degree of industrial land price, the greater the restriction on the upgrading of industrial structure, further increasing the carbon emission intensity. This paper provides policy implications for the market-oriented reform of land factors and the realization of the "double carbon" goal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Major elements in still bottled natural water were analyzed in China. An unsupervised machine learning algorithm, principal component analysis (PCA), was used to classify the samples. The PCA result suggested four groups to discriminant the chemical composition of the samples. By using the labelled data, supervised machine learning methods, random forest, and support vector classification, were used to train models. The models were then applied on the data obtained from literature. To analyze the water–rock interactions of the samples from different groups, reverse modeling in the software PHREEQC was implemented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objective Lung cancer is the cancer with the highest mortality at home and abroad at present. The detection of lung nodules is a key step to reducing the mortality of lung cancer. Artificial intelligence-assisted diagnosis system presents as the state of the art in the area of nodule detection, differentiation between benign and malignant and diagnosis of invasive subtypes, however, a validation with clinical data is necessary for further application. Therefore, the aim of this study is to evaluate the effectiveness of artificial intelligence-assisted diagnosis system in predicting the invasive subtypes of early-stage lung adenocarcinoma appearing as pulmonary nodules. Methods Clinical data of 223 patients with early-stage lung adenocarcinoma appearing as pulmonary nodules admitted to the Lanzhou University Second Hospital from January 1st, 2016 to December 31th, 2021 were retrospectively analyzed, which were divided into invasive adenocarcinoma group (n=170) and non-invasive adenocarcinoma group (n=53), and the non-invasive adenocarcinoma group was subdivided into minimally invasive adenocarcinoma group (n=31) and preinvasive lesions group (n=22). The malignant probability and imaging characteristics of each group were compared to analyze their predictive ability for the invasive subtypes of early-stage lung adenocarcinoma. The concordance between qualitative diagnostic results of artificial intelligence-assisted diagnosis of the invasive subtypes of early-stage lung adenocarcinoma and postoperative pathology was then analyzed. Results In different invasive subtypes of early-stage lung adenocarcinoma, the mean CT value of pulmonary nodules .001), malignant probability (P<0.001), pleural retraction sign (P<0.001), lobulation (P<0.001), spiculation (P<0.001) were significantly different. At the same time, it was also found that with the increased invasiveness of different invasive subtypes of early-stage lung adenocarcinoma, the proportion of dominant signs of each group gradually increased. On the issue of binary classification, the sensitivity, specificity, and area under the curve (AUC) values of the artificial intelligence-assisted diagnosis system for the qualitative diagnosis of invasive subtypes of early-stage lung adenocarcinoma were 81.76%, 92.45% and 0.871 respectively. On the issue of three classification, the accuracy, recall rate, F1 score, and AUC values of the artificial intelligence-assisted diagnosis system for the qualitative diagnosis of invasive subtypes of early-stage lung adenocarcinoma were 83.86%, 85.03%, 76.46% and 0.879 respectively. Conclusion Artificial intelligence-assisted diagnosis system could predict the invasive subtypes of early-stage lung adenocarcinoma appearing as pulmonary nodules, and has a certain predictive value. With the optimization of algorithms and the improvement of data, it may provide guidance for individualized treatment of patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The maximum entropy (MaxEnt) model for predicting the potential suitable habitat of species has been commonly employed in many ecological and biological applications by using presence-only occurrence records along with associated environmental factors. Parnassia wightiana, a perennial herb, is a cold-adapted plant distributed across three diversity hotspots in China, including the Hengduan Range, Central China and the Lingnan region. The MaxEnt model was used to simulate the historic, current and future distribution trends of P. wightiana, as well as to analyse its distribution pattern in each historical period and explore the causes of species distribution changes. The results of our analysis indicated that annual precipitation, annual temperature range and mean temperature of the warmest quarter were the key bioclimatic variables affecting the distribution of P. wightiana. Most temperate species retracted into smaller refugial areas during glacial periods and experienced range expansion during interglacial periods. Possible refugia of the species were inferred to be located in the Hengduan Range and Qinling Regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The traditional classroom teaching of physical education (PE) tends to be boring, stereotyped, and rigid; the teachers and students cannot choose between various teaching methods. Therefore, it is difficult to cultivate the creative thinking of students under the traditional model. To adapt to the needs of scientific development and modern society, it is important to explore a new PE model in combination with the knowledge in modern pedagogy, psychology, and kinesiology. This paper integrates the cultivation of spatial and reasoned thinking in PE. Specifically, the authors carried out questionnaire and field surveys on the understanding of students, teachers, and parents of PE in the primary schools of a region in China, and statistically analyzed their recognition of the PE teaching model improved in this research. The results show that: most students could adapt to the improved PE teaching model, and improve their thinking ability under that model; 89% of teachers and 72% of parents held a positive view of the improved PE teaching model. The research lays a theoretical basis for the improvement of traditional PE teaching model, and promotion of the diverse development of PE teaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ginseng is one of the most popular traditional Chinese medicines that have been widely used in China and other Asian countries for thousands of years. Ginsenosides are the unique bioactive saponins occurring in ginseng, and their biological activities have been extensively investigated. A large amount of ginseng residue is produced as waste product due to its applications in manufacturing functional food products, even though it may still contain bioactive components. Thus, the objective of this study was to investigate the hypoglycemic activities of American ginseng extraction residue (AmR) via fermentation with Ganoderma lucidum. Our results showed that the total phenolic contents and β-glucosidase activity of AmR profoundly increased after fermentation with G. lucidum. In 3T3-L1 adipocytes, stimulation of glucose uptake by treatment with AmR was not significant, while fermented AmR (FAmR) exhibited insulin-like glucose-uptake-stimulatory effects. Importantly, the hypoglycemic effects of FAmR were positively associated with the amount of the deglycosylated minor ginsenosides Rg1, Rg3, and compound K. Taken together, our current findings suggest that bioconversion of AmR by fermentation with G. lucidum may be a feasible and eco-friendly approach to developing a functional ingredient for the management of diabetes, while also resolving the problem of ginseng waste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context.--Eosinophilic solid and cystic renal cell carcinoma is now defined in the 5th edition of the 2022 World Health Organization classification of urogenital tumors. Objective.--To perform morphologic, immunohistochemical, and preliminary genetic studies about this new entity in China for the purpose of understanding it better. Design.--The study includes 18 patients from a regional tertiary oncology center in northern China (Tianjin, China). We investigated the clinical and immunohistochemical features of these cases. Results.--The mean age of patients was 49.6 years, and the male to female ratio was 11:7. Macroscopically, 1 case had the classic cystic and solid appearance, whereas the others appeared purely solid. Microscopically, all 18 tumors shared a similar solid and focal macrocystic or microcystic growth pattern, and the cells were characterized by voluminous and eosinophilic cytoplasm, along with coarse ampho-philic stippling. Immunohistochemically, most of the tumors had a predominant cytokeratin (CK) 20-positive feature, ranging from focal cytoplasmic staining to diffuse membranous accentuation. Initially, we separated these cases into different immunohistochemical phenotypes. Group 1 (7 of 18; 38.5%) was characterized by positive phospho-4EBP1 and phospho-S6, which can imply hyperactive mechanistic target of rapamycin complex 1 (mTORC1) signaling. Group 2 (4 of 18; 23%) was negative for NF2, probably implying a germ-line mutation of NF2. Group 3 (7 of 18; 38.5%) consisted of the remaining cases. One case had metastatic spread and exhibited an aggressive clinical course, and we detected cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 2A (CDKN2A) mutation in this case; other patients were alive and without disease progression. Conclusions.--Our research proposes that eosinophilic solid and cystic renal cell carcinoma exhibits prototypical pathologic features with CK20 positivity and has aggressive potential. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Angelicae Sinensis Radix is a world‐renowned herbal medicine originating in China. Owing to many environmental and geographical factors, Angelicae Sinensis Radix from various origins may have a difference in the content of ingredients, which made the confusion in the clinical practice and market. Herein, a binary chromatographic fingerprinting analysis method is developed via hydrophilic interaction chromatography and reversed‐phase liquid chromatography to obtain more chemical information. Following that, an ultra‐performance liquid chromatography with a triple quadrupole mass spectrometry method is furnished to simultaneously detect 17 ingredients of Angelicae Sinensis Radix gathered from six geographic zones in China. Eventually, the principal component analysis is successfully carried out to classify and differentiate the Angelicae Sinensis Radix from different origins, meanwhile the quantitative volcano plots was used to observe the changes of ingredient trends vividly. Accordingly, the proposed binary chromatography and triple quadrupole tandem mass spectrometry coupled with multivariate statistical analysis can be utilized as a facile and reliable method for origin tracing and quality control of Angelicae Sinensis Radix. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and purpose In-stent restenosis (ISR) is one of the long-term adverse outcomes of endovascular angioplasty and stenting for symptomatic intracranial arterial stenosis. In this study, we try to evaluate the safety and efficacy of endovascular treatment for intracranial ISR. Methods We retrospectively collected patients with intracranial ISR who underwent endovascular treatment from June 2012 to August 2019 at a high-volume stroke center. Successful recanalization was defined as ≤30% residual stenosis. Stroke, myocardial infarction, and death after stenting within 30 days were used to evaluate periprocedural safety. Recurrent stroke in the territory of the culprit vessel and re-ISR in patients with clinical and vascular imaging follow-up data were used to evaluate the long-term outcome. Results 32 patients (59.6±7.2 years old) with ISR were recruited, including 22 patients (68.8%) treated with balloon dilatation, 8 patients (25%) with stenting, and 2 patients (6.3%) with failed procedures. Successful recanalization was achieved in 71.9% (23/32) of patients. There was no stroke, myocardial infarction or death within 30 days after the procedure. Recurrent stroke was found in 10.7% (3/28) of the patients, and re-ISR was found in 42.1% (8/19) of the patients. The re-ISR rate was lower in patients with stenting than in those with balloon dilatation (0% vs 57.1%, p=0.090), and in patients with successful recanalization than in those with unsuccessful recanalization (33.3% vs 75.0%, p=0.352), but with no statistically significant difference. Conclusions The periprocedural safety of endovascular treatment for intracranial ISR may be acceptable, but the long-term rates of recurrent stroke and re-ISR remain at high levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genus Tetracona has two species with an Australian distribution. The present study aims to record the genus from China for the first time and to add a third species, T. multispina Jie & Li, sp. nov. to the genus. The new species can be distinguished from the congeners by the antemedial line connecting the postmedial line near the dorsum in the hindwing, and the phallus with a cluster of spine-like cornuti in the male genitalia. Images of the habitus, tympanal organs and male genitalia are provided for the new species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In some cases, there is insufficient external auditory canal (EAC) skin to cover the reconstructed canal wall after canal wall down (CWD) mastoidectomy. Acellular dermal matrix (ADM) can help to repair the skin, mucosa and other epidermal tissue defects. Aims: To investigate the repair effect of xenogeneic ADM (xeno-ADM) for EAC skin defects. Material and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 28 patients who underwent open mastoidectomy combined with canal wall reconstruction and mastoid obliteration in our hospital. The xeno-ADM was used to repair the EAC skin defect. The epithelialization time, dressing change times, complications and hearing improvement post-operation were summarized and analyzed. Results: Reasons for using xeno-ADM included: 11 (39.3%) cases suffered from extensive middle ear cholesteatoma, three (10.7%) cases suffered from advanced EAC cholesteatoma, eight (28.6%) cases to solve the cavity-related problems, and six (21.4%) patients had a narrow EAC. The postoperative epithelialization time was 5.8 ± 1.6 weeks, and the number of dressing changes was 4.8 ± 1.6 times. There was no xeno-ADM rejection and related complications, the postoperative hearing improvement was statistically significant (p = .013). Conclusions and Significance: Xeno-ADM could be a safe, effective and simple method for repairing skin defect in the reconstruction of EAC after CWD mastoidectomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Freshwater crabs were studied on sky islands (SIs) in Hengduan Mountains Region (HMR), China; • Crab phylogeny correlated with past Oligocene uplift of HMR, and SIs emergence; • SIs form cryptic 'species pumps' driving speciation in montane freshwater crabs; • Dry-hot valleys between SIs isolated endemic crabs, facilitating local diversification. The numerous naturally-fragmented sky islands (SIs) in the Hengduan Mountains Region (HMR) of southwestern China constitute discontinuous landscapes where montane habitats are isolated by dry-hot valleys which have fostered exceptional species diversification and endemicity. However, studies documenting the crucial role of SI on the speciation dynamics of native freshwater organisms are scarce. Here we used a novel set of comprehensive genetic markers (24 nuclear DNA sequences and complete mitogenomes), morphological characters, and biogeographical information to reveal the evolutionary history and speciation mechanisms of a group of small-bodied montane potamids in the genus Tenuipotamon. Our results provide a robustly supported phylogeny, and suggest that the vicariance events of these montane crabs correlate well with the emergence of SIs due to the uplift of the HMR during the Late Oligocene. Furthermore, ancestrally, mountain ridges provided corridors for the dispersal of these montane crabs that led to the colonization of moist montane-specific habitats, aided by past climatic conditions that were the crucial determinants of their evolutionary history. The present results illustrated that the mechanisms isolating SIs are reinforced by the harsh-dry isolating climatic features of dry-hot valleys separating SIs and continue to affect local diversification. This offers insights into the causes of the high biodiversity and endemism shown by the freshwater crabs of the HMR-SIs in southwestern China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The geographical distribution patterns of Chrysoteuchia Hübner in China are analysed with MaxEnt and ArcGIS based on known localities and nineteen environmental variables. The results suggest that southeastern China is a highly suitable area, and Bio11 (mean temperature of the coldest quarter), Bio12 (annual precipitation) and Bio18 (precipitation of the warmest quarter) are revealed to be the main variables affecting the present distribution patterns. Among them, Bio18 is the strongest predictor with a 24.3% contribution. Furthermore, a new species from Tibet is added to the genus, Chrysoteuchia landryi sp. nov., and the male of C. curvicavus is described for the first time. Images of adults and their genitalia are illustrated, and two maps showing the geographical distribution patterns of Chrysoteuchia in China are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Fungal peritonitis (FP) is a rare but devastating complication in peritoneal dialysis (PD), accounting for high rates of technique failure, morbidity and mortality. This study was conducted to investigate FPs with regard to peritonitis rate, microbiology testing, patient characteristics, clinical features, antifungal treatments, and clinical outcomes in patients on PD.Methods: This single-center study retrospectively reviewed all FP episodes diagnosed from June 1, 2012 to June, 2017. All FPs were matched in a 1:5 ratio with PD patients diagnosed with bacterial peritonitis. Clinical, biochemical characteristics and detailed data on peritonitis episodes were recorded.Results: Eleven fungal peritonitis episodes (rate of 0.0067 episodes per patient-year on dialysis) were identified. All FPs were caused by Candida species (identification and antifungal susceptibility testing were performed with VITEK 2® compact system), including C. albicans (6/11), C. parapsilosis (4/11) and C. krusei (1/11). Except C. krusei, no Candida resistance to fluconazole was detected. Compared to bacterial peritonitis (matched cases, n = 55), FP group showed higher rate of previous antibiotic use (p = 0.002), higher total effluent cell count (p = 0.007), and lower serum albumin (p = 0.01), higher rate of infection-related surgery (p < 0.001), HD transfer (p = 0.001), and all-cause death (p = 0.006). High prevalence (≥ 50%) of female gender, anuria, CCI ≥ 4, hypoalbuminemia, anemia, and hypokalemia were also observed in FP patients. More than half of the FP patients presented gastrointestinal symptoms (7/11) and extraperitoneal infection (6/11). Eight (72.7%) patients had catheter surgically removed with a median 5.5 lag days, four (36.4%) patients died within 3 months and six (54.5%) cases led to technique failure.Conclusions: FP results in high rates of catheter loss and all-cause mortality in 3 months of follow-up, candida species were the commonest pathogens in our center. Variations of clinical features and susceptibility patterns were observed. Gastrointestinal disorders maybe a potential risk factor for FP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forest ecosystems are an integral component of the global carbon cycle as they take up and release large amounts of C over short time periods (C flux) or accumulate it over longer time periods (C stock). However, there remains uncertainty about whether and in which direction C fluxes and in particular C stocks may differ between forests of high versus low species richness. Based on a comprehensive dataset derived from field-based measurements, we tested the effect of species richness (3-20 tree species) and stand age (22-116 years) on six compartments of above- and below-ground C stocks and four components of C fluxes in subtropical forests in southeast China. Across forest stands, total C stock was 149+12 Mg ha-1 with richness explaining 28.5% and age explaining 29.4% of variation in this measure. Species-rich stands had higher C stocks and fluxes than stands with low richness; and, in addition, old stands had higher C stocks than young ones. Overall, for each additional tree species, the total C stock increased by 6.4%. Our results provide comprehensive evidence for diversity-mediated above- and below-ground C sequestration in species-rich subtropical forests in southeast China. Therefore, afforestation policies in this region and elsewhere should consider a change from the current focus on monocultures to multi-species plantations to increase C fixation and thus slow increasing atmospheric CO2 concentrations and global warming. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The application of rural mixed pond water (RMW) for irrigation has become a relatively normal agricultural practice in China. However, it is not clear whether soil microbial activity and soil stored nutrients are influenced by RMW. In this study, soil samples were collected from a depth of 0–60 cm for determining their basic physicochemical properties, microbial biomass and soil enzyme activities, moreover, the eco-enzymatic stoichiometry ratio was determined to evaluate microbial nutrient requirements. Our results showed that, with the increase in the soil depth, dissolved organic carbon, available phosphorus, microbial contents, and extracellular enzyme activities declined. We observed an increment in the microbial biomass nitrogen (MBN; 1.44 fold) and microbial biomass carbon (MBC; 1.23 fold) from 0 to 10 cm after RMW irrigation. The latter was more stable below 40 cm of the soil layer independent of irrigation water. The increase in carrier length and angular carrier indicated that the microorganisms were limited by carbon (C) and phosphorus (P). The RMW irrigation significantly decreased the β-1,4-Nacetylglucosaminidase (NAG), the leucine aminopeptidase (LAP), and the phosphatase (AP). In addition, RMW irrigation increased the α-diversity of surface soil microorganisms but suppressed them in deeper soil profiles. The RDA analysis suggested that random NAG of exoenzymes had the greatest relative contribution to microbial diversity, with bacteria and fungi accounting for 27.1 % and 25.1 %, respectively. This study showed that RMW irrigation led to changes the soil extracellular enzyme activities, resulting in alterations the enzyme stoichiometry ratios and microbial nutrient acquisition strategies. [Display omitted] • Soil nutrients are influenced by RMW irrigation and soil profile interaction. • RMW irrigation could increase the average content of MBC and MBN in 0–60 cm soil profiles. • RMW irrigation increased abundance for bacteria but decreased fungi. • RMW irrigation enhanced soil microbial C and P limitations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Backgrounds: Periprocedural myocardial injury (PMI) after elective percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) significantly influences the prognosis of coronary artery disease (CAD). However, it was unclear whether the occurrence of PMI was associated with a series of controllable factors, such as PCI strategy or severity of CAD.Methods: A total of 544 consecutive stable CAD patients underwent elective PCI were enrolled. The main outcome is PMI, defined as troponin T after PCI was at least one value above the 99th percentile upper reference limit. Major adverse cardiac events (MACE), including all-cause death, repeat myocardial infarction and target vessel revascularization were record in the period of follow-up. Univariate and multivariate analysis was applied to assess predictors for the occurrence of PMI.Results: The incidence of PMI was 38.8% in the study. Compared with non-PMI patients (n = 333), PMI patients (n = 211) had more diseased vessels, higher Gensini and Syntax score. Meanwhile, there were higher incidence of MACE in PMI groups (9.5% vs. 3.2%, P < 0.01). We found that PMI patients underwent higher proportion of multi-vessel PCI simultaneously (32.2% vs. 10.5%, P < 0.01) and had more stents implanted (1.8 ± 0.8 vs. 1.4 ± 0.6, P < 0.01). Importantly, after simultaneously adjusted by other factors (such as age, diabetes, total cholesterol, number of diseased vessels, Gensini score and stent length), the risk of PMI was still increased 84% by multi-vessel PCI independently (OR = 1.654, 95% CI = 1.004-2.720, P < 0.05).Conclusions: The phenomenon of PMI occurred more commonly in stable CAD patients underwent multi-vessel PCI. Multi-vessel international therapy could increase the risk of PMI in elective PCI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid population growth and increased economic activity impose an urgent challenge on the sustainability of water resources in Beijing. Water resources system is a complex uncertain system under climate change which is of vulnerability. But water resources system vulnerability research is relatively weak. In this study, we present a multifunctional hierarchy indicator system for the performance evaluation of water resources vulnerability (WRV) under climate change. We established an evaluation model, i.e., analytic hierarchy process combining set pair analysis (AHPSPA) model, for assessing WRV, in which weight is determined by the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method and the evaluation degrees are determined by the set pair analysis (SPA) theory. According to the principle of scientificalness, representative, completeness and operability, the index systems and standard of water resources vulnerability evaluation are established based on the analysis of sensibility and adaptability which include five subsystems: climate change, water resources change, social and economic infrastructure, water use level and water security capability. The AHPSPA model is used to assess water resource vulnerability in Beijing with 26 indexes under eight kinds of future climate change scenarios. Certain and uncertain information quantity of the WRV is calculated by connection numbers in the AHPSPA model. Results show that the WRV of Beijing is in the middle vulnerability (3 or III) under above-mentioned different climate change scenarios. The uncertain information is between 37.77 and 39.99 % in the WRV evaluation system in Beijing. Compared with present situation, the WRV will become better under scenario I and III and will become worse under scenario II, scenario IV, scenario representative concentration pathways (RCP)2.6, scenario RCP4.5, scenario RCP6.0 and scenario RCP8.5. In addition, we find that water resources change and water use level factors play more important role in the evaluation system of water resource vulnerability in Beijing. Finally, we make some suggestions for water resources management of Beijing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Epidemiological studies have assessed relationships between circulating levels of fatty acid (FA) and blood pressure (BP), and their results remain controversial. Nevertheless, data are sparse on serum FA as biomarker and BP in China. The aim of the study was to investigate the association between serum FA and BP in Chinese populations. Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study nested within a community-based cohort of 2447 Chinese participants aged 35-79 years who completed a baseline assessment between October 2012 and April 2013. Baseline assessment included the collection of fasting blood samples, anthropometric measurements and a personal interview using a validated questionnaire. Serum FA was determined by gas-liquid chromatography. Exploratory factor analyses were employed to identify FA-factor as a reflection of serum FA pattern. A multiple regression model was conducted to estimate adjusted mean of BP with 95% confidence interval (CI) by tertile groups of the generated FA-factor scores. Results: Hypertensive patients have significantly higher serum 14:0, 16:0, 16:1n-7, 18:3n-6, 20:3n-6 and 6-desaturase index (18:3n-6/18:2n-6) as well as lower 18:2n-6, 22:6n-3 and 5-desaturase index (20:4n-6/20:3n-6) compared with normotensive participants. Factor 1 (low linoleic acid/high saturated FA pattern: 14:0, 16:0, 16:1n-7, 18:2n-6, 18:3n-6, 20:3n-6) and Factor 2 (n-3 PUFA pattern: 20:5n-3, 22:5n-3, 22:6n-3, 18:1n-9) were identified as indicators of the serum FA pattern. After adjustment for age, gender, body mass index, hypertension treatment, smoking, alcohol intake, education, profession, exercise habit, salt intake, family history of hypertension, heart rate, blood lipids and fasting blood-glucose levels, per a standard deviation (SD) increment of Factor 1 scores was associated with an increment of 2.44 (95% CI: 1.73, 3.15) mm Hg for systolic BP, whereas per a SD increment of Factor 2 scores was associated with a reduction of 1.40 (95% CI: 0.80, 2.04) mm Hg for diastolic BP. Conclusions: The serum FA pattern characterized by low proportions of 14:0, 16:0, 16:1n-7 and 18:3n-6 as well as high 18:2n-6 and 22:6n-3 was beneficially associated with BP levels in this Chinese population. This evidence well supports the current dietary recommendations in the communities to replace saturated fat with polyunsaturated fat. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ougan (Citrus reticulata cv. Suavissima) flavedo extract (OFE) exhibited potential anti-tumor effects with unclear underlying mechanisms. This study aims to evaluate the potential anti-metastatic activities of OFE on human ovarian cancer cells, and investigate its inhibitory effect on epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Methods: Ougan fruits were harvested. Flavedo tissues were separated and made into freeze-dried powder. Then OFE were extracted from the powder. The components of OFE were identified by the high performance liquid chromatography system with a detection wavelength of 280 nm for flavanones and 330 nm for polymethoxylated flavones. Cell viability was assessed by Sulforhodamine B assay. The effects on cancer cell migration and motility were evaluated by wound-healing and transwell assays. The mechanisms of action were investigated by examining the modulation by OFE on EMT-related signaling pathways at the concentrations of 4 µg/mL and 20 µg/mL, using qRT-PCR and western blot analyses. Results: Non-cytotoxic concentrations of OFE significantly suppressed the cellular migration (4 µg/mL, P = 0.005 vs. control group; 20 µg/mL, P = 0.003 vs. control group) and motility (4 µg/mL, P< 0.001 vs. control group; 20 µg/mL, P < 0.001 vs. control group) of SKOV3 cells, and inhibited transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1)-induced E-cadherin loss (4 µg/mL, P= 0.002 vs. control group; 20 µg/mL, P = 0.001 vs. control group) and mesenchymal marker upregulation, e.g., N-cadherin (4 µg/mL, P = 0.027 vs. control group; 20 µg/mL, P= 0.013 vs. control group), vimentin (4 µg/mL, P = 0.036 vs. control group; 20 µg/mL, P= 0.015 vs. control group) and fibronectin (4 µg/mL, P< 0.001 vs. control group; 20 µg/mL, P < 0.001 vs. control group). Conclusions: The anti-metastatic ability of OFE inhibited EMT by interfering with the canonical TGF-β1-SMAD-Snail/Slug axis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. CD200/CD200R1 signalling has an immunoregulatory effect on the activation threshold of the inflammatory immune response and maintains immune homeostasis. In this study we evaluated the status of CD200/CD200R1 interaction in patients with RA. Methods. The expression of CD200 and CD200R1 was examined by immunohistochemistry and flow cytometry and was compared between RA patients and healthy controls (HCs). Sorted CD4+ T cells were stained with carboxyfluorescein succinimidyl ester (CFSE) and annexin V-propidium iodide to evaluate the effect of CD200 on cell proliferation and apoptosis. The effect of CD200 on Th17 differentiation, function and osteoclastogenesis was determined by flow cytometry, transwell migration assay and immunocytochemistry, respectively. Results. The proportion of CD200+ cells and CD200R1+ cells in peripheral blood mononuclear cells, peripheral CD14+ cells and CD4+ T cells was significantly lower in the RA patients than in HCs, whereas the number of CD200+ cells was higher in synovium from RA patients than in that from HCs. After treatment with infliximab and MTX we found increased expression of peripheral CD200/CD200R1 that correlated with a decrease in the 28-joint DAS. CD200Fc in vitro partially inhibited CD4+ T cell proliferation, promoted CD4+ T cell apoptosis, reduced CD4+ T cell differentiation into Th17 cells and down-regulated CCR6-mediated Th17 chemotaxis in cells from RA patients. In addition, the engagement of the CD200 receptors on CD14+ cells with CD200Fc in vitro reduced osteoclastogenesis and inhibited CD14+ celldriven Th17 differentiation. Conclusion. Abnormal CD200/CD200R1 expression in RA may contribute to abnormal Th17 cell differentiation, chemotaxis and osteoclastogenesis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study described knowledge about HIV prevention and transmission among labor migrants in China and assessed the factors that associate with HIV knowledge. Methods: The study is based on primary data collected in Xi'an city, China. The study includes 939 male rural-to-urban migrants aged 28 and older. The multivariate analysis used OLS regression techniques to examine the correlates of HIV knowledge. Results: Most migrants know what AIDS/HIV is, but many have deficient knowledge about self-protection and the transmission routes of HIV. About 40% of migrants fail to understand that condoms decrease the risk of HIV infection. Higher levels of education and internet usage associate with better HIV knowledge. Migrants who have engaged in sex with commercial sex workers have better HIV knowledge than migrants who have never paid for sex. This includes better knowledge of self-protection. Conclusion: Labor migrants are a high risk population for HIV infection. Their lack of HIV knowledge is a serious concern because they are a vulnerable group for infection and their sexual behaviors are spreading HIV to other members of the population and across geographic areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Elderly acute myelocytic leukemia (AML) patients have limited treatment options because they poorly tolerate standard-dose chemotherapy. The present article describes our experience with ultra-lowdose decitabine combined with infusion of autologous cytokine-induced killer (CIK) cells for 2 elderly patients with myelodysplastic syndrome-transformed AML. Methods: Decitabine (10 mg) was given on days 1 to 5, and CIK cells on day 14 with 2 to 8 x 109 cells per infusion. Findings: The therapeutic regimen resulted in marked hematologic recovery and was associated with better than expected survival in both cases. Implications: Our experience suggests that the combination therapy is safe and effective for elderly patients with myelodysplastic syndrome-transformed AML. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biomass energy as a renewable energy increasingly attracts global attention. An in-depth applied research was made on biomass energy for cooking in China's rural areas in this paper. And a novel biomass semi-gasification technology wasproposed. This technology does not produce tar which causes serious environmental pollution compared with the biomass gasification technology, and has higher efficiency than the biomass direct combustion technology. This technology has a strong theoretical and practical significance in optimizing the rural energy structure, improving the rural ecological environment, and improving the production and living quality of the farmers in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On-orbit geometric calibration is a key technology to guarantee the geometric quality of high-resolution optical satellite imagery. In this paper, we present an approach for the on-orbit geometric calibration of high-resolution optical satellite imagery, focusing on two core problems: constructing an on-orbit geometric calibration model and proposing a robust calculation method. First, a rigorous geometric imaging model is constructed based on the analysis of the major error sources. Second, we construct an on-orbit geometric calibration model through performing reasonable optimizing and parameter selection of the rigorous geometric imaging model. On this basis, the calibration parameters are partially calculated with a stepwise iterative method by dividing them into two groups: external and internal calibration parameters. Furthermore, to verify the effectiveness of the proposed calibration model and methodology, on-orbit geometric calibration experiments for ZY1-02C panchromatic camera and ZY-3 three-line array camera are conducted using the reference data of the Songshan calibration test site located in the Henan Province, China. The experimental results demonstrate a certain deviation of the on-orbit calibration result from the initial design values of the calibration parameters. Therefore, on-orbit geometric calibration is necessary for optical satellite imagery. On the other hand, by choosing multiple images, which cover different areas and are acquired at different points in time to verify their geometric accuracy before and after calibration, we find that after on-orbit geometric calibration, the geometric accuracy of these images without ground control points is significantly improved. Additionally, due to the effective elimination of the internal distortion of the camera, greater geometric accuracy was achieved with less ground control points than before calibration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. Zinc-α2-glycoprotein (ZAG) has recently been proposed as a new adipokine involved in body weight regulation. The purpose of this study is to investigate serum levels of ZAG in patients with hypertension and its association with related characteristics. Methods. 32 hypertension patients and 42 normal controls were recruited and the relationship between serum ZAG, total and high molecular weight (HMW) adiponectin, and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNFα) determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and metabolic-related parameters was investigated. Results. Serum ZAG concentrations were significantly lowered in patients with hypertension compared with healthy controls (61.4 ± 32 versus 78.3 ± 42 μg/mL, P < 0.05). The further statistical analysis demonstrated that serum ZAG levels were negatively correlated with waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) (r = -0.241, P < 0.05) and alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (r = -0.243, P < 0.05). Additionally, serum HMW adiponectin significantly decreased, while TNFa greatly increased in hypertension patients as compared with healthy controls (2.32 ± 0.41 versus 5.24 ± 1.02 μg/mL, 3.30 ± 1.56 versus 2.34 ± 0.99 pg/mL, P < 0.05). Conclusions. Serum ZAG levels are significantly lowered in hypertension patients and negatively correlated with obesity-related item WHR, suggesting ZAG is a factor associated with hypertension. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Calamus is the largest genus in the palm family (Arecaceae) and contains many species of high ecological and economical value. In this study, we assessed the nuclear ribosomal internal transcribed spacer region (ITS), matK, rbcL, trnH-psbA, as well as two combinations, matK + rbcL and matK + rbcL + trnH-psbA, as DNA barcodes for Calamus using 15 species or varieties distributed in China. ITS may exist as multiple copies in the examined Calamus species, and was eliminated from consideration as a possible barcode. The trnH-psbA spacer had the most variation, followed by matK and rbcL. No separations between intraspecific variation and interspecific divergence (barcoding gaps) were found in the remaining candidate barcodes. At the species level, the discrimination rates of the candidate barcodes based on neighbor-joining (NJ) trees were significantly different: matK (37.5%), rbcL (6.3%), trnH-psbA (56.3%), matK + rbcL (43.8%) and matK + rbcL + trnH-psbA (62.5%). Furthermore, the discrimination rates of trnH-psbA would improve to 91.7%, if the varieties of C. nambariensis and C. yunnanensis were treated as one species in the NJ tree. Thus, trnH-psbA may be an appropriate single DNA barcode for Calamus useful in the species identification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The taxonomy of Nyssa (Nyssaceae) in China is confused and uncertain due to differing views about how many species should be recognized, and a scarcity of good morphological differential characters. In the present study, we examined 52 morphological characters from up to fifty accessions each of six of the seven species recognized in the Flora of China: N. yunnanensis, N. javanica, N. sinensis, N. shangszeensis, N. shweliensis and N. wenshanensis. Based on both principal coordinate analysis and UPGMA cluster analysis, N. yunnanensis and N. javanica were both morphologically distinct. However, acces sions of N. sinensis, N. shangszeensis, N. shweliensis and N. wenshanensis were intermixed in both analyses and could not be discriminated from each other. Sequence data from nuclear ITS and the chloroplast regions trnH-psbA, rps16r-f, trnL-rps32F, trnS-G and trnL-F were used to further analyze the Nyssa species listed above, together with N. aquatica and N. sylvatica from North America. All analyses of the DNA data using maximum parsimony, maximum likelihood and Bayesian methods strongly supported the monophyly of Nyssa. Within Nyssa, N. yunnanensis and N. javanica were resolved as sister species, which were genetically distinct. The other four Chinese taxa were barely differentiated by molecular data, with only N. shangszeensis and N. wenshanensis weakly supported as monophyletic. Hence, based on morphological and molecular data, we recommend that N. shangszeensis, N. shweliensis and N. wenshanensis be reduced to synonyms of N. sinensis, and only N. sinensis, N. yunnanensis and N. javanica be recognized for Flora of China. The American N. aquatica and N. sylvatica were sister species in the cpDNA but not in the ITS analyses, indicating possible reticulate evolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coke-oven workers are exposed to many kinds of pollutants that can cause health damage even lead to carcinogenesis. Therefore, it is critical to identify biomarkers that predict early health damage in these exposed individuals in molecular epidemiological studies. We applied an artificial neural network (ANN) model to the identification of such predictors in a study of coke-oven workers. The study included 330 steel-factory workers who were exposed to different levels of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in the workplace and their levels of early health damage were determined by cytokinesis-block micronuclei (CMN), heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) expression, benzo(a)pyrene diolepoxide-albumin adduct (BPDE-AA), and olive tail moment (OTM). The ANN model was built to predict the early health damage index, and the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was used to illustrate the judged criteria and the ANN model. Trend Chi-square modeling was also performed. We found that there were 55 subjects with early health damage among 330 workers based on the multibiomarker criteria using the 95 percentile of the control group as the cut-off value, while there were 22-35 positive subjects if screening by any single biomarker. The Cochran-Armitage trend test for these findings were statistically significant ( Z = 3.21, P = 0.0013). Six variables were selected to simulate the ANN model. The area under ROC (AUROC) was 0.726 ± 0.037 ( P < 0.001), and the predictors included workplace, cholesterol, waistline, and others. Therefore, collective using CMN frequency, Hsp70 level, BPDE-AA level, and OTM with equal weights to make an initial screening test for early health damage in coke-oven workers is feasible and superior to any single biomarker. The determinants of the effects of multibiomarker on early health damage screening can be identified by the ANN model and ROC curve method. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Environ Toxicol 26: 1-9, 2011. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Physical conditions and biotic interactions are believed to be the determinants of plant zonation in saltmarshes. However, in rapidly developing estuarine marshes, succession is regarded as the primary process responsible for plant zonation and it is controlled mainly by environmental factors. Salinity and inundation are two important factors responsible for the distribution pattern of dominant plants in coastal saltmarshes. Here we conducted a common garden experiment as well as a field transplanting to examine the responses of four dominant saltmarsh plants (native Scirpus mariqueter, Scirpus triqueter and Phragmites australis, and exotic Spartina alterniflora) in the Yangtze River estuary to environmental gradients, which may help us understand their current and potential zonation. The results showed that Scirpus adapted to freshwater and less inundated habitats, Phragmites performed well in brackish or freshwater environments with less inundation, and Spartina tolerated the highest salinity and deepest inundation. In the harshest environments (the highest salinity and water level), only Spartina performed well. In the mild environments, however, there were only minor differences in the performances among the four species. The potential ranges of Phragmites and Spartina were predicted to be larger than their current ones, and their lower boundaries might be set by tidal scour rather than edaphic factors. With the saltmarsh succession, invasive Spartina in the Yangtze River estuary might ultimately replace Scirpus, and alter the zonal patterns of native saltmarsh plants, which will lead to severe ecosystem consequences. Thus, proper management measures (e.g., repeated mowing) need to be implemented to control this invasive exotic plant, and restore the vulnerable ecosystems invaded by Spartina in the Yangtze River estuary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copepod communities in onshore and offshore waters show a gradient from primarily near shore to primarily oceanic species. Understanding the transition between these communities is fundamental to determining the range of coastal influence. Copepod communities in the northern South China Sea (nSCS) were studied based on samples collected by vertically towing a net in 10 February–6 March (winter) and 26 August–6 September (summer) of 2004. Calanoida species richness, total copepod abundance, Shannon–Weaver diversity index, and onshore–offshore occurrence of dominant species showed obvious change from onshore to offshore waters. Although the offshore stations had lower abundance than the shelf stations, they had more species and larger diversity index. Abundance of some species (groups) with dominance index >5% ( Calanus sinicus, Euchaeta spp., Temora spp., Paracalanus parvus, and Subeucalanus subtenuis) declined from onshore to offshore waters. Warm water species ( Pleuromamma abdominalis, P. gracilis, and P. robusta) occurred in offshore waters in both cruises. Station (q-type) cluster analysis in winter and summer separated copepod community into onshore and offshore communities at ~40% level of similarity. The two communities were divided at the position of ~100-m isobath. In summer, C. sinicus occurred in the upwelling area east of Hainan Island, indicating the presence of an oversummering stock of this species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia in the clinical setting and an independent risk factor for stroke. Approximately 10 million Chinese people are affected by AF, but the genetic basis is largely unknown. A recent genome-wide association study in Iceland identified association between SNP rs2200733 on 4q25 and AF; however, many independent replication studies are essential to unequivocally validate this association. To assess the association between rs2200733 and AF as well as that between rs2200733 and ischemic stroke in a mainland Chinese Han population, we carried out case–control association studies with 383 AF patients versus 851 non-AF controls and 811 ischemic stroke patients versus 688 non-stroke controls. Highly significant association was detected between rs2200733 and AF in a Chinese Han population (allelic P = 3.7 × 10−11 with OR = 1.81; genotypic P = 4.1 × 10−12 with a dominant model). When the AF cases were divided into lone AF (32.6%) and other types of AF (67.4%), significantly stronger association was found with lone AF (OR = 2.40, P = 1.3 × 10−9 compared to OR = 1.59, P = 6.2 × 10−7 for other types of AF; P = 0.02 for two ORs). No significant association was found between rs2200733 and ischemic stroke. Our results suggest that SNP rs2200733 confers a highly significant risk of AF, but not ischemic stroke, in a more representative Chinese Han population in the mainland China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This paper looks at the roles of Chinese managers in organizational change in foreign-owned enterprises in China. • A multi-case study approach was deployed with an in-depth, semi-structured ethnographic interview technique. • The study uncovered three categories of managers insofar as their roles in organizational change are concerned: (1) an agent of change, (2) a follower of change, and (3) an anti-change agent. • This study further identified six factors that determine the kind of role this group of Chinese managers is likely to choose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The Guobaoshan deposit may be one of the largest Rb resources in the world. • Multiple mineral U–Pb dating constrains the magmatic and Rb mineralization events to 249 to 240 Ma. • The Triassic Rb mineralization formed in an intra-continental extensional setting. Triassic magmatism and associated rare metal deposits are increasingly being identified within the Central Tianshan Massif in NW China. A lack of geochronological studies on these mineralized plutons, however, has limited our understanding of their origins and tectonic setting. The Guobaoshan pluton, situated in the eastern segment of Central Tianshan Massif, contains ca. 281,000 tons of Rb 2 O resource and may be the largest Rb deposit in the world. The pluton exhibits a gradual lithological zonation from muscovite granite to amazonite(-bearing) muscovite granite from west to east; pegmatite veins of amazonite occur within the pluton and around its periphery. In this contribution, LA–ICP–MS U–Pb age dating and trace-element analysis have been conducted on zircon, monazite, cassiterite, and columbite to address the timing of magmatism and Rb mineralization, and the processes that generated the mineralization. Internal textures and trace-element contents suggest that these minerals crystallized during the magmatic–hydrothermal transition stage over a period of ca. 10 million yeas from the Early to Middle Triassic (240–249 Ma). Combined with available data, it is suggested that the Triassic was an important period for granitic magmatism and rare metal metallogeny in the Central Tianshan Massif, which may be a response to this region being dominated by an intra-continental extensional setting during this time period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: At the southern entrance to East Asia, early population migration has affected most of the Y-chromosome variations of East Asians. Methodology/Principal Findings: To assess the isolated genetic structure of Hainan Island and the original genetic structure at the southern entrance, we studied the Y chromosome diversity of 405 Hainan Island aborigines from all the six populations, who have little influence of the recent mainland population relocations and admixtures. Here we report that haplogroups O1a* and O2a* are dominant among Hainan aborigines. In addition, the frequency of the mainland dominant haplogroup O3 is quite low among these aborigines, indicating that they have lived rather isolated. Clustering analyses suggests that the Hainan aborigines have been segregated since about 20 thousand years ago, after two dominant haplogroups entered East Asia (31 to 36 thousand years ago). Conclusions/Significance: Our results suggest that Hainan aborigines have been isolated at the entrance to East Asia for about 20 thousand years, whose distinctive genetic characteristics could be used as important controls in many population genetic studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To formulate a system which has been developed for the purpose of accomplishing the function of the Jiangsu Center for ADR Monitoring according to the international Pharmacovigilance practices. Method: The ADRs signal is considered the core of the ADR monitoring system, including drug safety information collection, handling, and also associated communication processes. Results: Regional Pharmacovigilance can effectively keep the public safe in drug use and offer a reference for drug policy in the future. Conclusion: The experiences of Jiangsu Center for ADR Monitoring will help establish a foundation for developing the consummate Pharmacovigilance system and provide knowledge, experience and advice to other regional professional organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Euonymus alatus (E. alatus) has been used as a folk medicine for diabetes in China for more than one thousand years. In order to identify major active components, effects of different fractions of E. alatus on the plasma glucose levels were investigated in normal mice and alloxan-induced diabetic mice. Our results show that ethyl acetate fraction (EtOAc Fr.) displayed significant effects on reducing plasma glucose. In oral glucose tolerance, EtOAc Fr. at 17.2 mg/kg could significantly decrease the blood glucose of both normal mice and diabetic mice. After 4 weeks administration of the EtOAc Fr, when compared with the diabetic control, there were significant difference in biochemical parameters, such as glycosylated serum protein, superoxide dismutase and malondial dehyde, triglyceride, and total cholesterol, between alloxan-induced diabetic mice and the control group. Additional histopathological studies of pancreatic islets also showed EtOAc Fr. has beneficial effects on diabetic mice. Chemical analysis with three-dimensional HPLC demonstrated that the major components from EtOAc Fr were flavonoids and phenolic acids, which had anti-oxidative effects on scavenging DPPH-radical in vitro. All these experimental results suggest that EtOAc Fr. is an active fraction of E. alatus and can prevent the progress of diabetes. The mechanism of E. alatus for glucose control may be by stimulating insulin release, improving glucose uptake and improving oxidative-stress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The natural hybridization that occurs between two sympatric species of Rhododendron subgenus Hymenanthes in Yunnan, China, was investigated. The assumed parents, Rhododendron delavayi Franch. and R. decorum Franch., are morphologically distinct, and the putative hybrid species, R. agastum Balf. f. et W. W. Smith, has an intermediate morphology. We used the main morphological characters, sequences of the nuclear ribosomal DNA ITS region, and the chloroplast DNA trnL-F intronspacer to analyze the three species, and compared these morphological and molecular data with an artificial hybrid between R. decorum (♀) × R. delavayi (♂). From the results, we conclude that R. agastum is a natural hybrid between a female R. delavayi and a male R. decorum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents information on the views of intellectuals for the production of the television documentary "River Elegy." A report in the newspaper "Zhongguo shibao," says that a certain television program, of intellectual content, "River Elegy," has been suppressed and banned by the Politburo of the Central Committee of the Chinese Communist Party. For the last two thousand five hundred and forty years, the Yellow River has overflowed its banks a thousand five hundred and ninety times. That demonstrates that the Yellow River is really like a huge dragon twisting and leaping and wreaking havoc over the land bringing irresistible damage and calamity to the Chinese people. the heirs of the dragon. The narrative of "River Elegy," accuses the Yellow River as being a river of brutality and mercilessness. The Chinese people are intelligent and smart, but intelligence is not wisdom. This is why, for one thing, China as yet has not been able to establish a democratic, rule-of-law government.

Camellia taliensis is one of the most important wild tea plants in China, especially in Yunnan Province. In this study, we described the development of 15 microsatellite markers from the genome of C. taliensis using the protocol of fast isolation by AFLP of sequences containing repeats (FIASCO). Polymorphism of each locus was assessed in 24 samples collected from six wild populations of C. taliensis. The average allele number of the microsatellites was four per locus, ranging from 2 to 7. The observed and expected heterozygosities varied from 0.076 to 0.5833 and from 0.1560 to 0.6917, respectively. Crossspecies amplification in other three tea plants showed eleven of them holding promise for sister species. These polymorphic SSR markers would be useful tools for population genetics studies and assessing genetic variations to establish conservation strategy, molecular identification and molecular breeding on this tea plant and its allied species and varieties in section Thea genus Camellia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leaf area of dried Flue-cured tobacco is a reflection of climate and stage of growth of fresh tobacco in field; it also serves as the foundation for calculating a number of significant physical properties of tobacco. So the purpose of this paper was to establish a model to estimate the leaf area of dried Flue-cured tobacco in China from linear dimensions. Three Hundred eight tobacco leaves from different growing area and stalk position were sampled randomly and separated for model selection among linear, proportional and power model type and external evaluation individually. Results showed that there was a significant and strong correlation between leaf area and length×width, The equation LA = 0.495(L×W), where LA is the leaf area and L×W is the product of leaf length and width, was optimum and adequate for the estimation of leaf area of dried tobacco in China examined by Fisher’s test, Akaike delta information criterion (AIC) and Bayesian information criterion (BIC). Growing area and stalk position had minor effect on the parameter before (L×W). The equation can sufficiently predict the area of leaf for external evaluation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objectives: The aim was to investigate the association between peripheral circulating white blood cell count (WBC) and the metabolic syndrome among populations in central China.Methods and Study Design: In the present study, 5,278 subjects (2,412 women, 2,866 men) aged 18-75 years were recruited through a health check program in Wuhan, China. Biochemical and haematological parameters were measured by standard methods and the metabolic syndrome diagnosed as defined by the Chinese Diabetes Society criteria for Chinese.Results: Both WBC counts and prevalence of metabolic syndrome were significantly higher in men than in women (p<0.01). Participants in the highest quartile of white blood cell count had significantly higher odds ratio of metabolic syndrome (3.79, 95% CI: 2.64, 5.44), compared with subjects in the lowest quartile. The trend remained significant after adjustment for confounding factors and in further subgroup-analyses.Conclusions: Metabolic syndrome prevalence was significantly and positively correlated with the total white blood cell count in this Chinese population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on the current state of an endangered fish specie Anabarilius Liobagrus kingi Tchang 1935 of the family Actinopterygii: Amblycipitidae. This specie is a local fish in China which is included in the list of threatened fishes of the world. The fish specie is recommended for strong conservation strategy.