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Selenium is an important element for human health. Many studies have identified selenium deficiency in soil and water as an important factor in causing Keshan Disease (KD) in Northeast China. Previous studies have mainly focused on soil selenium content, staple food selenium content, and human selenium level, but there are few systematic studies on soil selenium's existing forms and their migration from soil to crops and the human body. This paper focused on inferring the barrier factors in the migration of selenium from soil to crop and the human body and transformation of its compounds. It provides a reference basis for the etiological analysis, prevention, control, and elimination of KD. The study used 121 183 samples of topsoil (0−20 cm), 30 295 soil parent samples of selenium and other geochemical indices in northeast China, and crop seeds and human hair samples from the KD endemic area. The surface soil selenium was dominantly selenium-sufficient in Northeast China. However, the soil selenium levels were generally low. The average topsoil selenium in Northeast China was 0.20 mg/kg, significantly lower than the world's average soil selenium content (0.4 mg/kg) and slightly lower than the Chinese average soil selenium content (0.24 mg/kg). Soil selenium mainly existed in strongly bounding by organic bound, with humic acid, and residue forms. The amount of selenium available to plants was sufficient in the selenium-sufficient and KD-endemic areas. However, the average selenium content of human hair was deficient, on average, with 0.16 mg/kg in KD endemic area. We assume that lower soil selenium content may be the basic factor influencing the biogeochemical deficiency of selenium in Northeast China. The sequestration of selenium by clay chemical constituents, such as iron and aluminum oxides and soil organic matter, especially in acidic soils, is another direct contributing factor to the low selenium content in biogeochemical food chain, which increases the risk of KD in the population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vegetation is extremely important for the ecosystem, it is an important link that connects soil, organisms, and the atmosphere. As plants perform photosynthesis, carbon cycle and energy ex-change, they play a balancing role for global ecological changes. Based on the datasets of MODIS Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and the daily meteorological data from 25 weather stations in Yunnan province, China, the spatial and temporal distribution characteristics of NDVI over a 21-year-period were studied, and the response relationship between NDVI and climate factors. The monthly and yearly spatial distribution pattern of NDVI was further explored using the standard deviational ellipse. Besides, the changing trend, stability, and characteristics of the future changing trend of the vegetation NDVI were evaluated through Sen+MK, coefficient of variation, and the Hurst index in Yunnan province, China. A partial correlation analysis was carried out using the NDVI data based on the temperature and precipitation from 2000 to 2020. The center of gravity of Yunnan is mainly from south-west to north-east, and the trend for the NDVI during the past 21 years mostly improved. However, in the future, the vegetation may follow the trend of degradation, and the study area is more affected by temperature. In recent years, the average temperature throughout the world has been on the rise due to global warming, which has elicited the response of vegetation to climate change in advance. The vegetation in Yunnan is showing an increasing trend, Moreover, it is particularly important to protect the ecological environment in the protected region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

TiO2-impregnated activated carbon was designed to adsorb and remove arsenic from water polluted by diphenylchloroarsine. The material showed an excellent efficiency to treat the contaminated water with diphenylchloroarsine perhaps because TiO2 and activated carbon have a collaborative removal of arsenic to adsorb diphenylchloroarsine and its hydrolysis product. In our study, several important factors on arsenic removal efficiency were evaluated including the adsorption time, initial concentration of arsenic, temperature and pH. The TiO2-impregnated activated carbon can achieve a good performance when it treats DA-contaminated water with the arsenic concentrations below 10 mg/mL in 1 h at pH of 7 and at the temperature ranging from 10 to 40 °C. A combination of FTIR, Brunauer–Emmett–Teller and energy-dispersive spectroscopy analyses further enables identification of the arsenic on the surfaces of TiO2-impregnated activated carbon. Therefore, the TiO2-impregnated activated carbon holds a promising prospect to deal with the polluted water caused by DA, one of chemical weapons abandoned by Japanese in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid growth of shipping volumes, ship navigation and path planning have attracted increased attention. To design navigation routes and avoid ship collisions, accurate ship trajectory prediction based on automatic identification system data is required. Therefore, this study developed an encoder–decoder learning model for ship trajectory prediction, to avoid ship collisions. The proposed model includes long short-term memory units and an attention mechanism. Long short-term memory can extract relationships between the historical trajectory of a ship and the current state of encountered ships. Simultaneously, the global attention mechanism in the proposed model can identify interactions between the output and input trajectory sequences, and a multi-head self-attention mechanism in the proposed model is used to learn the feature fusion representation between the input trajectory sequences. Six case studies of trajectory prediction for ship collision avoidance from the Yangtze River of China and the eastern coast of the U.S. were investigated and compared. The results showed that the average mean absolute errors of our model were much lower than those of the classical neural networks and other state-of-the-art models that included attention mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wetland ecosystems can be effectively managed to produce sustainable services and benefits for human beings. Thus, it is considered as an essential component of Earth's life-support system. It has been studied quantitatively, but few studies have focused on exact local characteristics of various wetlands in Greater Bay Area (GBA) to continuously quantify the value of ecological services. Against the background of fast urbanization and wetland degradation in GBA, as a famous ecological core in China, Huiyang is of great importance for its ecological, social, and cultural functions in the whole region. Thus, this study aims to provide decision-making references for wetland protection and development in this area. All the wetlands in Huiyang, including mangroves, inland tidal flats, and coastal tidal flats, were included as research objects. Based on the investigated wetland resources, multiple methods were combined to study their wetland services, including pollution prevention cost, substitution cost, and travel expense calculation. Creatively, five factors were selected by Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP) method: water purification, carbon fixation, shore protection, biodiversity conservation, and leisure tourism. After a comparison, the results showed that the total value of wetland ecosystem services in Huiyang was nearly 30.47 million dollars in 2020. Among the three types of services, the value of leisure tourism service was dominant, accounting for 95%. Among the five factors, the ranking sequence was: leisure tourism, carbon sequestration, biodiversity conservation, shore protection, and water purification. Based on the results, this paper provides a basis for more cities to scientifically measure the value of their wetlands, further utilize the wetland services in a more balanced way. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding how hydrological features affect habitat invasibility is crucial for predicting whether variations of such hydrological features may act as important inducement regulating range-expansion of invasive species in tidal channel-salt marsh systems. Although lateral hydrological connectivity (LC), or the hydrological connections between tidal channels and adjacent marsh flats, is an important hydrological feature, its effect on plant invasion has rarely been studied in depth. Here, we examined the effects of lateral hydrological connectivity on range-expansion of Spartina alterniflora (S. alterniflora) in tidal channel margins of a typical tidal channel-salt marsh system, in the Yellow River Delta, China. Field surveys and transplanting experiments showed that high LC greatly favors S. alterniflora to expand its invasion ranges along tidal channel margins by mediating such habitat physical forms of stress as soil salinity, soil moisture and soil hardness. In contrast, low LC, exacerbates those forms of stress, thereby significantly checking the lateral expansion of S. alterniflora. Moreover, human-made and naturally formed geomorphic structures in salt marshes (e.g., artificial ditches, pools, and hollow microtopography), particularly at high elevations, could potentially enhance LC over time, thereby making such sites prone to invasion by S. alterniflora. These results highlight the importance of lateral hydrological connectivity as an essential driver to regulate S. alterniflora lateral expansion along with the tidal channels. Our results imply that considering the relationships between hydrological processes and spread processes of exotic species should be incorporated into future management frameworks for risk assessment and ecological control of invasive plant species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the shear-lag effect in the main girder of a composite twin-box girder cable-stayed bridge during construction, a full-bridge model and a local spatial model were established using the finite element software MIDAS/Civil and ABAQUS, respectively, for the main span of the Chibi Yangtze River Bridge in Hubei Province, China, as an engineering example. On this basis, the shear-lag effect in the composite twin-box girder under multiple typical construction conditions was analysed through numerical simulation, and the accuracy of the model was verified by field measurements at the construction site. Results demonstrate that as the balanced cantilever construction progresses, the stress in the deck slabs near the junction of the anchor plate and the outer web of the side box girder and at the location of small longitudinal beams changes substantially. However, the stress at other girder sections is gradually uniformly distributed, the shear-lag coefficient tends to be stable, and a phenomenon of positive and negative shear-lag effect conversion occurs in the deck slab sections of the main girder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To investigate whether frailty modifies the association of systolic blood pressure (SBP) with cardiovascular mortality and all-cause mortality in community-dwelling older adults. Design: A prospective cohort study. Setting: A population-based study of nationally representative older Chinese adults in a community setting. Participants: This study included participants aged 65 years or older from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey 2002–2014 and followed up to 2018. Measurements: Participants were divided into two groups according to a frailty index based on the accumulation of a 44-items deficits model. The association between SBP and mortality was analyzed using multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazards models. Results: Among 18,503 participants included, the mean age was 87.2 years and the overall median follow-up time was 42.7 months. We identified 7808 (42.2%) frail participants (mean frailty index=0.33), in which 7533 (96.5%) died during the follow-up. Effect modification by frailty was detected (P for interaction=0.032). Among frail participants, a U-shaped association was found with hazard ratios of 1.16 (95% CI, 1.02–1.32) for SBP < 100 mmHg, and 1.11 (95% CI, 1.00–1.24) for SBP ≥ 150 mmHg compared with SBP 120–130 mmHg. For non-frail older adults, a tendency toward higher risk among those with SBP ≥ 130 mmHg was observed. The analyses towards cardiovascular mortality showed similar results. Conclusion: Our results suggest the presence of effect modification by frailty indicating a possible negative effect for elevated SBP in non-frail older adults and a U-shaped relationship of SBP in frail older adults with respect to mortality even after adjusting for diastolic blood pressure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asian deltas are densely populated and richly bio-diversified regions with significant social, economic, ecological and environmental importance across the globe. These low-lying and fertile floodplains support substantial food production. Because of sediment supply reductions, sea-level rising, subsidence, and frequent storm surges, many deltas are rapidly sinking and shrinking, which will threaten survival of millions of populations. It's of great significance to monitor the delta morphological evolution and understand the relationship between their shoreline migrations and sediment supplies. However, quantifying the delta morphological changes is challenging due to its nature of high dynamics. In this study, we developed a methodology integrated by a time-series algorithm of water frequency and a spatial analysis to track the morphological changes of 11 major Asian deltas from 1986 to 2018.The results show that the deltas of Yellow, Yangtze, Pearl, Red, Mekong, Ganges-Brahmaputra, and Chao Phraya have experienced a net land gain at the total of 1829.3 km2, with China's three major deltas accounting for 73 percent of all. The deltas of Mahanadi, Irrawaddy, Indus, and Godavari-Krishna have undergone a net land loss at the total of 295.1 km2, of which the Indus River Delta accounted for 65 percent. Most of the shorelines in the Yangtze River Delta were constantly advancing seaward at a rate of over 30 m/year, whereas, many ones in the rest of Asian deltas were significantly being eroded at a rate of over 20 m/year. These changes in delta morphology are closely related to sediment supplies and management policies. These results also suggest that rational wetland reclamation with auxiliary projects of ecological restoration can enhance the deltaic ability of sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) is widely used in many applications. As a new system, China's BeiDou navigation system (BDS) is emerging in recent years. The last satellite of the third generation global BeiDou navigation system (BDS-3) has been successfully launched on June 23 in 2020, which means that BDS can offer navigation services worldwide. We evaluate the quality of BDS signals and analyze the performance of BDS positioning based on the smartphone in Espoo, Finland. The static and kinematic experiments were implemented in the parking lot of the Finish Geospatial Research Institute (FGI) and a highway route in Espoo, respectively. Experimental results show that BDS has good satellite visibility and geometric distribution. The signal carrier-to-noise density ratio (C/N0) of BDS-2 reaches 34.22 dB-Hz, which is comparable to the Global Positioning System (GPS). However, the signal carrier-to-noise density of BDS-3 is slightly lower than BDS-2, which is due to the significant number of BDS-3 satellites at low elevation angles. The horizontal precision of BDS positioning in the static and kinematic experiment is comparable to GPS in the east direction and slightly inferior to GPS in the north direction. However, the BDS shows poor precision in the up direction. In addition, the integration of BDS with other GNSS systems can significantly improve the positioning precision. This study intends to provide a reference for further research on the BDS global Positioning, Navigation, and Timing (PNT) services, particularly for LBS and smartphone positioning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, China has promulgated the "Civil Code of the People's Republic of China", "Implementation Rules of the Provisional Regulations on Real Estate Registration" and other laws and regulations, which have protected citizens' rights and obligations in real estate from the legal system. It shows that the quality of real estate registration data is very important. At present, there is no set of standards for evaluating the quality of real estate registration data. This article sorts out the production process of real estate registration data and focuses on the four stages of production: digitization results, field surveys and surveying and mapping results, group building results, integration and association. As a result, the main points of real estate registration data quality control were put forward, and a quality evaluation model was developed. Taking Beijing's real estate registration historical archives integrated data quality inspection as an application case, it shows that the quality evaluation model has been successfully applied to actual projects, ensuring the quality of Beijing real estate registration data. It also provides a reference for the next step in China's quality control of the unified registration of natural resources confirmation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Family accommodation is a common, treatment‐relevant construct related to obsessive‐compulsive disorder (OCD) severity and treatment outcome. This initial study examined the nature, incidence, and clinical correlates of family accommodation in Chinese adults with OCD and their relative or person in a close relationship. One hundred four outpatients diagnosed with OCD completed self‐report measures of obsessive‐compulsive, anxiety, and depression symptoms. Additionally, the individuals with OCD and a relative completed a measure of family accommodation and impairment. Patient‐reports of family accommodation were significantly correlated with OCD symptomology and severity. A multiple linear regression indicated that OCD symptomology was a significant predictor of family accommodation, but anxiety, stress, and depression were not. In addition, the current Chinese sample demonstrated greater levels of family accommodation than previous English‐speaking samples. Potential explanations and implications of the high levels of reported family accommodation are discussed. Family accommodation could play a significant role in OCD development and/or maintenance in China. Future research considerations are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Increased left atrium diameter (LAD) is associated with an elevated risk of cardiovascular diseases. The relationship between nutrition status and left atrial enlargement (LAE) is still unclear. The present study aimed to investigate the association of famine exposure in early life with LAE in adulthood. Methods: Participants were divided into non‐exposed, fetal, early, middle and late childhood exposed groups according to birth data. LAE was defined when LAD was ≥3.9 cm in women and ≥4.1 cm in men, or ≥2.3 cm m−2 by a sex‐independent cut‐off normalised for body surface area. Multivariate logistic regression was performed to calculate the odds ratio (OR) and confidence interval (CI) between famine exposure and LAE. Results: In total, 2522 [905 male, mean (SD) age 59.1 (3.65) years] subjects were enrolled, including 392 (15.5%) LAE subjects. The prevalence of LAE in non‐exposed, fetal, early, middle and late childhood exposed groups was 55 (10.8%), 38 (11.2%), 88 (18.1%), 102 (16.7%) and 109 (19.0%), respectively. Compared to the non‐exposed group, the ORs for LAE were in fetal (OR = 0.956, 95% CI = 0.605–1.500, P = 0.847), late (OR = 1.748, 95% CI = 1.208–2.555, P = 0.003), middle (OR = 1.647, 95% CI = 1.140–2.403, P = 0.008) and early (OR = 1.630, 95% CI = 1.116–2.399, P = 0.012) childhood exposed groups after adjusting potential cofounders. When stratified by gender, smoking, body mass index, hypertension and diabetes, we found that the effect of famine exposure on LAE was only modified by diabetes (Pinteraction = 0.007). Conclusions: Famine exposure during childhood stage might increase the risk of LAE in adults, and this effect interacts with diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To estimate a stillbirth rate at 24 or more gestational weeks in 2015–2016 and to explore potentially preventable causes in China. Design: A multi‐centre cross‐sectional study. Setting: Ninety‐six hospitals distributed in 24 (of 34) provinces in China. Population: A total of 75 132 births at 24 completed weeks of gestation or more. Methods: COX Proportional Hazard Models were performed to examine risk factors for antepartum and intrapartum stillbirths. Population attributable risk percentage was calculated for major risk factors. Correspondence analysis was used to explore region‐specific risk factors for stillbirths. Main outcome measures: Stillbirth rate and risk factors for stillbirth. Results: A total of 75 132 births including 949 stillbirths were used for the final analysis, giving a weighted stillbirth rate of 13.2 per 1000 births (95% CI 7.9–18.5). Small for gestational age (SGA) and pre‐eclampsia/eclampsia increased antepartum stillbirths by 26.2% and 11.7%, respectively. Fetal anomalies increased antepartum and intrapartum stillbirths by 17.9% and 7.4%, respectively. Overall, 31.4% of all stillbirths were potentially preventable. Advanced maternal age, pre‐pregnant obesity, chronic hypertension and diabetes mellitus were important risk factors in East China; low education and SGA were major risk factors in Northwest, Southwest, Northeast and South China; and pre‐eclampsia/eclampsia and intrapartum complications were significant risk factors in Central China. Conclusions: The prevalence of stillbirth was 13.2 per 1000 births in China in 2015–2016. Nearly one‐third of all stillbirths may be preventable. Strategies based on regional characteristics should be considered to reduce further the burden of stillbirths in China. The stillbirth rate was 13.2 per 1000 births in China in 2015–2016 and nearly one‐third of all stillbirths may be preventable. The stillbirth rate was 13.2 per 1000 births in China in 2015–2016 and nearly one‐third of all stillbirths may be preventable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effectiveness of biological activated carbon (BAC) filter in removing disinfection byproducts (DBPs) precursors of micro-polluted lake water for one year was conducted. The formation potential (FP) of DBPs (trihalomethanes (THMs), haloacetic acids (HAAs) and Nitrosamines (NAs)), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), molecular weight (MW) distribution and excitation emission matrix fluorescence (EEM) of dissolved organic material (DOM) in the influent and effluent of BAC were determined. The results indicated that the removal efficiency (RE) of DOC ranged from 42.9–28.3%. Neither virgin GAC nor long-term operated BAC could efficiently dispose of THMs and HAAs precursors (RE from 35.2–18.8%, from 42 to 8.4%, respectively), however, BAC still showed good ability in removal of NAs precursors after a year operation, of which RE just dropped from 81.7–69.6%. There was strong correlation between RE of NAs precursors and DOC with small MW (<0.5 kDa). The removal of HAAs precursors showed relatively close relation to aromatic protein-like components and soluble microbial pollutants (SMPs). Weak direct relationship was found between the water quality parameters and THMs precursors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: The oldest old population has become the fastest growing segment with excess need of care and social support, it is crucial to improve the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of these populations. This study seeks to evaluate the health status and to investigate modifiable factors associated with health-related quality of life for oldest old adults in China. Design: A cross-sectional population-based study. Setting: Hainan Province in the south of China. Participants: 1,278 adults aged 80 years or older. Methods: HRQoL was assessed by three-level EuroQol-5D scale (EQ-5D-3L) and a visual analogue scale (VAS). Demographic and health-related variables were analysed by estimating mean values and standard deviations for continuous variables, percentages and standard deviations for categorical variables. Tobit regressions, ordinary least Squared (OLS) regressions and ordered probit regressions were adopted to determine the associated factors for overall HRQoL and for each health dimension. Results: Anxiety/depression was the least reported problem while mobility was the most frequently reported with problem. Female respondents had lower EQ-5D score (0.76 vs. 0.86) and VAS score (66.55 vs. 69.84) than male respondents. Better health-related quality of life was significantly associated with higher BMI, no drinking habit, more leisure activities, living with family members, good sleeping quality, closer social and family connections, fewer numbers of drugs consumed per day, without having hearing or visual impairment, and fewer chronic conditions, after controlling for potential confounders. Conclusion: Findings from this study suggested that quality of life was not only associated with age-related diseases, but also correlated with a range of health-related lifestyles, and factors indicating social and family support. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To examine the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the Yale-Brown Obsessive Compulsive Scale - Second Edition (Y-BOCS-II). Method: A total of 86 adults with a primary diagnosis of obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), ranging in age from 15 to 78 years, participated in the study. Participants were administered the Y-BOCS-II by a trained clinician who also rated overall illness severity on two additional measures. Patients completed the Obsessive Compulsive Inventory-Revised and Depression Anxiety Stress Scale-21. Results: Results indicated high internal consistency and fair 1-week test retest reliability. The Y-BOCS-II scales correlated strongly with clinician-rated obsessive-compulsive severity and modestly with self-reported obsessive-compulsive symptom frequency and distress. The relationship between Y-BOCS-II total score and depressive and anxiety symptoms was strong, which may reflect high rates of comorbid conditions in this sample or the linkage between obsessive-compulsive symptom severity and distress. Factor analysis demonstrated a two-factor structure consisting of obsession and compulsion factors, with interference due to obsessions cross-loading. Conclusions: Overall, these results support the use of the Y-BOCS-II among individuals from China. Future study by an independent group is necessary to replicate these findings, as well as investigate interrater reliability and treatment sensitivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Life-history theory predicts a trade-off between the juvenile growth rate and adult traits related to survival. However, this hypothesized negative correlation is difficult to test robustly because many trade-offs are mild, and environmental variables, such as changes in nutrient availability, can ameliorate the trade-off or make it more pronounced. Thus, it is reasonable to expect that the expression of the trade-off can be condition-dependent. In the present study, we first examined the pre-adult life-history traits of the cotton bollworm, Helicoverpa armigera , collected from northern, central, and southern China at different temperatures. We found that the northern China population has a significantly shorter pre-adult developmental time and higher growth rate than the southern China population as a result of adaptation to the decreased seasonal length. Then, we tested for a trade-off between the juvenile growth rate and adult lifespan in different temperature and nutrient conditions. We found a negative relationship between juvenile growth rate and adult lifespan under starvation or desiccation conditions; however, a continuous supply of sugar can diminish or obviate the apparent negative relationship, in which the adult lifespan did not show a significant difference in most of the comparisons. These results suggested a resource-mediated trade-off may exist between juvenile growth rate and adult lifespan. However, the adult size may have some positive effect on the lifespan under starvation and desiccation conditions, which may affect the expression of trade-off. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Taiwan astroparticle radiowave observatory for geo-synchrotron emissions (TAROGE) is an antenna array on the high mountains of Taiwan's east coast for the detection of ultra-high energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) in an energy above eV. The antennas point toward the ocean to detect radiowave signals emitted by the UHECR-induced air-shower as a result of its interaction with the geomagnetic field. Looking down from the coastal mountain, the effective area is enhanced by collecting both direct-emission as well as the ocean-reflected signals. This instrument also provides the capability of detecting earth-skimming tau-neutrino through its subsequent tau-decay induced shower. In order to prove the detection concept, initial two stations were successfully built at 1000 m elevation near Heping township, Taiwan, in 2014-2015. Each station consists of 12 log-periodic dipole array antennas for 110-300 MHz. The stations have been operating smoothly for radio survey and optimization of instrumental parameters. In this report, we discuss the design of TAROGE, the performance of the prototype station and the future prospect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Obesity puts a great health burden in the world. Previous studies suggest that caesarean section (CS) may increase the risk of obesity in children, but it is still uncertain whether this association is causal or due to residual confounding by medical indication. Aim To assess the association between CS, CS without medical indications in particular and the risk of overweight and obesity in school-aged children. Design Cross-sectional survey. Methods The 2014 Shanghai Child Health, Education and Lifestyle Evaluation was a large population-based survey with cluster random probability sampling in 26 primary schools in Shanghai, China, in 2014. The mode of delivery was reported by parents. The height, weight and waist circumference of the children were measured. Logistic regression models with SURVEYLOGISTIC procedure were used to estimate the risk of childhood obesity. Pupils delivered vaginally were served as the reference group. Results A total of 17 571 pupils completed this survey, and 13 724 of them who were singleton, born term and between 5 and 13 years old were included in our analysis. CS was associated with increased risks of overweight and obesity (BMI: adjusted OR = 1.28 [95%CI 1.13–1.45] and 1.44 [1.26–1.66], respectively; weight for height ratio [WHtR] >0.46: 1.33 [1.20–1.48]). Similar results were found in CS without medical indication (BMI: overweight = 1.24 [1.05–1.47], obesity = 1.43 [1.19–1.72]; WHtR > 0.46: 1.30 [1.13–1.50]). Conclusions CS overall and CS without medical indications were associated with increased risks of overweight and obesity in primary school children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: Combined esophageal high‐resolution impedance manometry (HRIM) measures multiple pressures and bolus transit simultaneously, facilitating detailed assessment of esophageal motility. Currently, normative values for water‐perfused HRIM systems for Chinese populations are lacking. Methods: Healthy volunteers were enrolled for comprehensive anthropometric measures, blood biochemistry tests, and an HRIM study using 22 water‐perfused pressure sensors and 12 impedance channels. Ten 5‐mL liquid swallows of saline at 30‐second intervals were conducted. The following parameters were calculated: distal contractile integral (DCI), distal latency (DL), lower esophageal sphincter (LES) basal pressure, 4‐second integrated relaxation pressure (IRP‐4s), and complete bolus transit percentage. Normal values were established based on the 5th and 95th percentiles. Key Results: All 66 participants (34 male, 32 female, aged 21‐64 years) completed the study and tolerated the HRIM procedure well. The upper normal limit (95th percentile) of IRP‐4 second was 20 mmHg. The 5th‐95th percentile range for DCI, DL, and complete bolus transit was 99‐2186 mmHg●s●cm, 6.2‐11.3 second, and 50%‐100%, respectively. Age was negatively correlated with DL. Females had significantly higher upper limits for IRP‐4s and median DCI than males. Multivariate analyses confirmed that IRP‐4s was higher in females, and that higher body mass index and waist circumference were associated with reduced DL and better bolus transit, respectively. Conclusions and Inferences: We established normative values for the water‐perfused HRIM system for a Chinese population. Gender and anthropometric factors may affect various major HRIM parameters and should be taken into account when interpreting HRIM results in clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although numerous multicentre studies have estimated the association between ozone exposure and mortality, there are currently no nationally representative multicentre studies of the ozone-mortality relationship in China.Objective: To investigate the effect on total (nonaccidental) and cause-specific mortality of short-term exposure to ambient ozone, and examine different exposure metrics.Methods: The effects of short-term exposure to ozone were analysed using various metrics (daily 1-h maximum, daily 8-h maximum and daily average) on total (nonaccidental) and cause-specific (circulatory and respiratory) mortality from 2013 to 2015 in 34 counties in 10 cities across China. We used distributed lag nonlinear models for estimating county-specific relative risk of mortality and combined the county-specific relative rates by conducting a random-effects meta-analysis.Results: In all-year analyses, a 10 μg m-3 increase in daily average, daily 1-h maximum and daily 8-h maximum ozone at lag02 corresponded to an increase of 0.6% (95% CI: 0.33, 0.88), 0.26% (95% CI: 0.12, 0.39) and 0.37% (95% CI: 0.2, 0.55) in total (nonaccidental) mortality, 0.66% (95% CI: 0.28, 1.04), 0.31% (95% CI: 0.11, 0.51) and 0.39% (95% CI: 0.16, 0.62) in circulatory mortality, and 0.57% (95% CI: -0.09, 1.23), 0.11% (95% CI: -0.22, 0.44) and 0.22% (95% CI: -0.28, 0.72) in respiratory mortality, respectively. These estimates had a different seasonal pattern by cause of death. In general, the seasonal patterns were consistent with the times of year when ozone concentrations are highest.Conclusions: Our findings suggest that in China, the acute effects of ozone are more closely related to daily average exposure than any other metric. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The regional element anomaly from magmatism (A) and local element anomaly from ore-forming events (B) extracted by SVD from PC5 [La-Nb-Th-Zr-U-Y] established by PCA in the giant Gejiu tin polymetallic cluster region. R-I regional element anomaly with two concentrated centers coincides with the alkaline granitic intrusions exposed in the western Gejiu district. L-I local element anomaly coincided with the Baiyunshan and the Changlinggang nepheline syenite. It is reported that there is Th-U and REE mineralization around the Baiyunshan and Changlinggang intrusion. [Display omitted] • The critical metal element components of both Bi-Pb-Sn-Th-W-Cu-U and La-Nb-Th-Zr-U-Y are established using PCA. • Both the regional element anomaly and the local element anomaly from the critical metal element components are extracted using SVD. • The local element anomaly characterizing ore-forming events is used for identifying ore-prospecting targets. • The regional element anomaly characterizing granitic magmatism is used for identifying ore source rocks. The Gejiu tin polymetallic cluster region, situated at the northeastern side of the Ailaoshan-Red River Fault and the junction area between the Cathaysia terrane and the Yangtze terrane, is associated with the late Cretaceous magmatic-hydrothermal metallogenetic event. In this study, a singular value decomposition (SVD) is effectively used to extract the anomaly components from the metallogenetic element groups established by the principal component analysis (PCA) for the identification of the ore-prospecting targets. Three steps are shown: (1) the metallogenetic element groups are obtained using PCA; (2) the element anomaly components formed by magma-hydrothermal metallogenetic events are extracted using SVD from the metallogenetic element groups; and (3) the local and regional element concentration anomaly components are identified by applying the element anomaly components corresponding to different eigenspaces. Finally, ten ore-prospecting targets for the Bi-Pb-Sn-Th-W-Cu mineralization, two ore-prospecting targets for the Ag-Cd-Hg-Zn-Mn mineralization, and two ore-prospecting targets for the La-Nb-Th-Zr-U-Y mineralization are delineated, respectively. The results certify that SVD can discriminate not only the regional element concentration anomaly components formed by the magmatism but also the local element concentration anomaly components triggered by the metallogenetic processes from the metallogenetic element groups established by the PCA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Sichuan-Chongqing area in China has complex basin topography and is known for its extremely hot summer weather. In this paper, the mesoscale model WRF version 3.6.1 was used to simulate a period of 1–10 days in advance of the hot weather that occurred in Sichuan-Chongqing on August 10, 2006, to investigate the effect of six different land surface schemes (LSSs) (SLAB, RUC, PX, NOAH, NOAH_MP, and CLM4) on short- and medium-range simulations of high temperatures. The simulated surface air temperatures (SATs) are sensitive to the LSSs and simulation lengths. Specifically, all of the LSSs except PX generally reproduce the observed high temperatures, with CLM4 SATs at 06 UTC (SAT06) the most consistent with measurements whereas the short-range (medium-range) results from NOAH_MP (NOAH) are the worst. Detailed explanations were given in terms of surface fluxes and physical processes. RUC soil moisture initialization appears poor and the LSS reflects too strong gravity drainage. When the LSSs with increased numbers of soil layers are used, the simulated high temperatures are found more consistent with measurements. Additionally, regional sensible heat flux (SHF) does not show high consistency with SAT. The results that differ from the previous studies are partly due to the complex geography and the LSS deficiencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the first genome-wide association study in 1000 bipolar I patients and 1000 controls, with a replication of the top hits in another 409 cases and 1000 controls in the Han Chinese population. Four regions with most strongly associated single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were detected, of which three were not found in previous GWA studies in the Caucasian populations. Among them, SNPs close to specificity protein 8 (SP8) and ST8 α-N-acetyl- neuraminide α-2,8-sialyltransferase (ST8SIA2) are associated with Bipolar I, with P-values of 4.87 × 10−7 (rs2709736) and 6.05 × 10−6 (rs8040009), respectively. We have also identified SNPs in potassium channel tetramerization domain containing 12 gene (KCTD12) (rs2073831, P=9.74 × 10−6) and in CACNB2 (Calcium channel, voltage-dependent, β-2 subunit) gene (rs11013860, P=5.15 × 10−5), One SNP nearby the rs1938526 SNP of ANK3 gene and another SNP nearby the SNP rs11720452 in chromosome 3 reported in previous GWA studies also showed suggestive association in this study (P=6.55 × 10−5 and P=1.48 × 10−5, respectively). This may suggest that there are common and population-specific susceptibility genes for bipolar I disorder. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Results from previous studies have been inconsistent on the association between selenium and hypertension, and very few studies on this subject have focused on the elderly population. The purpose of this study is to examine the relationship between selenium level and hypertension in a rural elderly Chinese cohort. Design: A longitudinal study was implemented and data were analyzed using logistic regression models and Cox proportional hazards regression model adjusting for potential confounders. The associations between selenium level and prevalent hypertension at baseline and between selenium and incident hypertension were examined. Setting: Community-based setting in four rural areas in China. Subjects: A total of 2000 elderly aged 65 years and over (mean 71.9±5.6 years) participated in this study. Measurements: Nail selenium levels were measured in all subjects at baseline. Blood pressure measures and self-reported hypertension history were collected at baseline, 2.5 years and 7 years later. Hypertension was defined as systolic blood pressure 140 mmHg or higher, diastolic blood pressure 90 mmHg or higher, or reported use of anti-hypertensive medication. Results: The rate of baseline hypertension was 63.50% in this cohort and the mean nail selenium level is 0.413±0.183µg/g. Multi-covariate adjusted cross-sectional analyses indicated that higher selenium level was associated with higher blood pressure measures at baseline and higher rates of hypertension. For the 635 participants with normal blood pressure at baseline, 360 had developed hypertension during follow-up. The incidence rate for hypertension was 45.83%, 52.27%, 62.50%, 70.48%, and 62.79% from the first selenium quintile to the fifth quintile respectively. Comparing to the lowest quintile group, the hazard ratios were 1.41 (95%CI: 1.03 to1.94), 1.93 (95%CI: 1.40 to 2.67), 2.35 (95%CI: 1.69 to 3.26) and 1.94 (95%CI: 1.36 to 22.77) for the second selenium quintile to the fifth quintile respectively. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that high selenium may play a harmful role in the development of hypertension. Future studies are needed to confirm our findings and to elucidate a plausible biological mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Within the German research initiative CLIENT (International Partnerships for Sustainable Technologies and Services for Climate Protection and the Environment that is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, BMBF), several projects started recently to support China in solving the water problems in selected areas: SINOWATER (Dian Lake and Liao River), SIGN (Tai Lake) and Urban Catchments (Chao Lake). These German-Chinese cooperation projects by BMBF and the Chinese Ministry of Science and Technology (MoST) officially started with the inauguration event held on 7 May 2015 in Beijing where a joint declaration between the Chinese and German ministries was signed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To quantify and explain effects of different land surface schemes (LSSs) on simulated geopotential height (GPH) fields, we performed simulations over China for the summer of 2003 using 12-member ensembles with the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model, version 3. The results show that while the model can generally simulate the seasonal and monthly mean GPH patterns, the effects of the LSS choice on simulated GPH fields are substantial, with the LSS-induced differences exceeding 10 gpm over a large area (especially the northwest) of China, which is very large compared with climate anomalies and forecast errors. In terms of the assessment measures for the four LSS ensembles [namely, the five-layer thermal diffusion scheme (SLAB), the Noah LSS (NOAH), the Rapid Update Cycle LSS (RUC), and the Pleim-Xiu LSS (PLEX)] in the WRF, the PLEX ensemble is the best, followed by the NOAH, RUC, and SLAB ensembles. The sensitivity of the simulated 850-hPa GPH is more significant than that of the 500-hPa GPH, with the 500-hPa GPH difference fields generally characterized by two large areas with opposite signs due to the smoothly varying nature of GPHs. LSS-induced GPH sensitivity is found to be higher than the GPH sensitivity induced by atmospheric boundary layer schemes. Moreover, theoretical analyses show that the LSS-induced GPH sensitivity is mainly caused by changes in surface fluxes (in particular, sensible heat flux), which further modify atmospheric temperature and pressure fields. The temperature and pressure fields generally have opposite contributions to changes in the GPH. This study emphasizes the importance of choosing and improving LSSs for simulating seasonal and monthly GPHs using regional climate models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Handlebar injuries are one of the most common causes of abdominal injuries in children. We aim to investigate the epidemiology of bicycle handlebar injuries and to emphasize the severity of the injuries. Methods: A retrospective analysis of children admitted to our hospital with abdominal injury related to bicycle handlebars was performed. Results: A total of 219 children (187 males and 32 females) younger than 17 years were hospitalized for abdominal handlebar injuries between 2005 and 2013. The age range of the patients was 4-17 (mean 10.93 ± 3.68) years. Most patients had an imprint of the handlebar edge on their abdomen. The most common abdominal organ injury was liver laceration. 33 patients had pancreas injury and 13 patients had hollow organ injury. Most patients were treated conservatively. Surgery was performed in 24 patients. Hospital stay was 4-60 (mean 9.63 ± 13.37) days. Conclusions: Trend of bicycle handlebar trauma over this time period was related to the local floating population and economy. The most common abdominal organ injury was liver. Hollow organ injury required emergency exploratory laparotomy and the Roux-y anastomosis applied well in cases whose gastrointestinal tract damaged seriously. Pancreatic injury usually led to secondary pseudocyst. The percutaneous ultrasound-guided drainage of pancreatic pseudocyst was really an effective way. The trend in the amylase and lipase levels could reflect the pancreatic injury condition and predict prognosis. Early diagnosis and optimal care without delay may help to reduce the morbidity of injuries to the internal organs. Children with abdominal handlebar injuries should be treated with great care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endoplasmic reticulum aminopeptidase 1 (ERAP1) has been confirmed to be associated with ankylosing spondylitis (AS) in Caucasian. However, whether they are associated with AS in East Asian population remains unidentified. We investigated this relationship by a new Chinese case-control study and a meta-analysis of published series. 368 cases and 460 controls were recruited in the Chinese case-control study. Genotyping was completed using the chip-based matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry. Allelic associations were analysed using contingency tables. In the meta-analysis, up to 2748 cases and 2774 controls from seven different studies and the new Chinese study were combined using Review Manager software version 5.1.1. Mantel-Haenszel or Inverse Variance test was used to calculate fixed or random-effects pooled ORs. In the new Chinese study, strong association with AS was observed for marker rs10050860, rs27434 and rs1065407 at P value of <0.001. Moderate association was observed for rs30187 at P value of <0.01, while no association was observed for rs27044 ( P = 0.37) and rs2287987 ( P = 0.23). The meta-analysis showed that rs27037 and rs30187 were strongly associated with AS ( P < 0.00001). Significant association was also observed for rs27434 ( P = 0.001). No association was shown for rs27044 ( P = 0.70). We concluded that ERAP1 variants are associated with AS in East Asian population, indicating a common pathogenic mechanism for AS in East Asians and Caucasians. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pressure-relieved coal mining method has been successfully carried out in many mines in China, especially in high gassy mines. The motivation for the paper is to help engineers fill the knowledge gap on how to evaluate how the permeability changes and effect on improving low permeability prior to its construction. A new method is proposed in a combined theoretical and experimental way in laboratory. On the tests, the volumetric strain-dependent permeability is obtained based on triaxial compression tests. Then, we have designed a physical modeling experiment to know the mining field deformation especially in the subsidence data, which is easily measured and reliable ignoring the continuum concept hypothesis. Another, based on semi-infinite integral model, the theoretical formulas of subsidence are solved consistent with the testing result from the physical modeling. The volumetric strain derived from the semi-infinite integral model is proposed to establish the relationship between permeability and volumetric deformation of mining field. Finally, the pressure-relieved effect on changing permeability is studied and discussed. The results show that the combined method is a good way to determine the distribution on permeability changing with advancing distances, also a good tool for improving the traditional predraining borehole layout and opportunity to extract gas methane. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Compare changes in pelvic organ prolapse ( POP) from 36-38 weeks of gestation to 1 year postpartum after unlaboured cesarean delivery( UCD)and trial of labour ( TOL). Design Prospective observational cohort study. Setting Wenzhou Third People's Hospital, Wenzhou, Zhejiang, China. Population Nulliparous women undergoing UCD or TOL. Methods Pelvic organ prolapse was assessed at 36-38 weeks of gestation, then at 6 weeks, 6 months and 1 year postpartum, using the Pelvic Organ Prolapse Quantification ( POPQ) system. Main outcome measures Postpartum POP status in UCD and TOL determined by POPQ measurements over time. Results Points Aa (Ba) determined the final stage assignment in most cases. Stage II POP was present in 35% and 37% of women in UCD and TOL at 36-38 weeks of gestation. After delivery, the likelihood of stage II POP declined during the first year postpartum in the whole cohort. The TOL group was much less likely to recover from stage II POP compared with the UCD group (odds ratio 0.04, 95% confidence interval 0.01-0.18) after adjustment for POP status at 36-38 weeks of gestation, age, first-trimester body mass index, newborn birthweight, educational level, gravidity and smoking status. With the exception of age, education and gravidity, these covariates were also independent predictors of postpartum POP. Conclusion Factors unique to labour and delivery lead to sustained pelvic floor relaxation postpartum. Pelvic organ prolapse at 36-38 weeks of gestation, and higher first-trimester body mass index also appear to predict long-term POP. Further investigation into mechanisms leading to persistent or progressive POP after TOL are warranted. In addition, caution is needed in generalising the findings due to the single-centre design. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modification of conventional rapid sand filter into granular activated carbon-sand dual media filter has become increasingly attractive to drinking water producers in many Chinese urban regions. In this study, a pilot-scale dual media filter was constructed to monitor its performance. The operational results indicated that the dual media filter performed well both on nitrification and on reduction of chemical oxygen demand. Microbial community structures at different sampling sites were also compared using 16S ribosomal ribonucleic acid gene clone library analysis to identify the spatial heterogeneity the filter. Clone library analysis illustrated the difference of microbial community structure and an increase of microbial diversity along the filter depth. Moreover, potential pathogens from genera Chromobacterium and Sphingomonas were detected in the filter samples, which deserved further serious consideration in downstream treatment such as disinfection. These findings also provided an illustration of the utility of molecular techniques to discover microbial community change and potential pathogens in the drinking water biofilters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective of this study is to investigate the formation and evolution mechanism of the regional haze in megacity Beijing by analyzing the process of a severe haze that occurred 20-27 September 2011. Mass concentration and size distribution of aerosol particles as well as aerosol optical properties were concurrently measured at the Beijing urban atmospheric environment monitoring station. Gaseous pollutants (SO², NO-NO²-NOx, O³, CO) and meteorological parameters (wind speed, wind direction, and relative humidity) were simultaneously monitored. Meanwhile, aerosol spatial distribution and the height of planetary boundary layer (PBL) were retrieved from the signal of satellite and LIDAR (light detection and ranging). Concentrations of NO, NO², SO², O3, and CO observed during 23-27 September had exceeded the national ambient air quality standards for residents. The mass concentration of PM2.5 gradually accumulated during the measurement and reached at 220 µgm-3 on 26 September, and the corresponding atmospheric visibility was only 1.1 km. The daily averaged AOD in Beijing increased from ~0.16 at μ = 500 nm on 22 September and reached ~3.5 on 26 September. The key factors that affected the formation and evolution of this haze episode were stable anti-cyclone synoptic conditions at the surface, decreasing of the height of PBL, heavy pollution emissions from urban area, number and size evolution of aerosols, and hygroscopic growth for aerosol scattering. This case study may provide valuable information for the public to recognize the formation mechanism of the regional haze event over the megacity, which is also useful for the government to adopt scientific approach to forecast and eliminate the occurrence of regional haze in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Characteristics of the chemical and optical properties of aerosols in urban Shanghai and their relationship were studied over a three-day period in October 2011. A suite of real-time instruments, including an Aerosol Time-Of-Flight Mass Spectrometer (ATOFMS), a Monitor for AeRosols and GAses (MARGA), a Cavity Ring Down Spectrometer (CRDS), a nephelometer and a Scanning Mobility Particle Sizer (SMPS), was employed to follow the quick changes of the aerosol properties within the 72 h sampling period. The origin of the air mass arriving in Shanghai during this period shifted from the East China Sea to the northwest area of China, offering a unique opportunity to observe the evolution of aerosols influenced by regional transport from the most polluted areas in China. According to the meteorological conditions and temporal characterizations of the chemical and optical properties, the sampling period was divided into three periods. During Period 1 (00:00-23:00 LT, 13 October), the aerosols in urban Shanghai were mainly fresh and the single scattering albedo varied negatively with the emission of elemental carbon, indicating that local sources dominated. Period 2 (23:00 LT on 13 October to 10:00 LT on 15 October) was impacted by regionally transported pollutants and had the highest particulate matter (PM) mass loading and the lowest particle acidity, characterized by large fractions of aged particles and high secondary ion (nitrate, sulfate and ammonium) mass concentrations. Comparison between ATOFMS particle acidity and quantitative particle acidity by MARGA indicated the significance of semi-quantitative calculation in ATOFMS. Two sub-periods were identified in Period 2 based on the scattering efficiency of PM1 mass. Period 3 (from 10:00 LT on 15 October to 00:00 LT on 16 October) had a low PM1/PM10 ratio and a new particle formation event. The comparison of these sub-periods highlights the influence of particle mixing state on aerosol optical properties. We directly observed the influence of regionally transported pollutants on local aerosol properties and demonstrate that the PM mass extinction efficiency is largely determined by the mixing states of the aerosol. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective:To describe the sonographical and pathological features of fetal criss-cross heart (CCH).Study Design:All cases of fetal CCH diagnosed by fetal echocardiogram from May 2003-May 2011 were identified at a single referral center using an established perinatal database. Demographic and genetic information, sonographical images and autopsy reports were reviewed. Sonographical and pathological features are described.Result:Five cases of fetal CCH were identified, all of which were confirmed by autopsy. Characteristic sonographical findings include: (1) the inability to obtain four-chamber view at standard transverse plane through the fetal chest; (2) appreciation of the misaligned spatial atrial-ventricle connection with the interventricular septum in a 'spiraling' orientation; (3) orientation of the two ventricular inlets in a superior-inferior and crossing position; and (4) a four-chamber-like view seen in the sagittal plane of the fetal chest. Doppler ultrasound demonstrates the 'criss-cross' arrangement of the inflow tracts into the two ventricles simultaneously in the transverse plane of the fetal chest.Conclusion:CCH is a rare developmental disorder that can be accurately diagnosed prenatally. Early diagnosis will allow for more targeted counseling and early intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. The relationship between recurrent major depression (MD) in women and suicidality is complex. We investigated the extent to which patients who suffered with various forms of suicidal symptomatology can be distinguished from those subjects without such symptoms. Method. We examined the clinical features of the worst episode in 1970 Han Chinese women with recurrent DSM-IV MD between the ages of 30 and 60 years from across China. Student's t tests, and logistic and multiple logistic regression models were used to determine the association between suicidality and other clinical features of MD. Results. Suicidal symptomatology is significantly associated with a more severe form of MD, as indexed by both the number of episodes and number of MD symptoms. Patients reporting suicidal thoughts, plans or attempts experienced a significantly greater number of stressful life events. The depressive symptom most strongly associated with lifetime suicide attempt was feelings of worthlessness (odds ratio 4.25, 95% confidence interval 2.9-6.3). Excessive guilt, diminished concentration and impaired decision-making were also significantly associated with a suicide attempt. Conclusions. This study contributes to the existing literature on risk factors for suicidal symptomatology in depressed women. Identifying specific depressive symptoms and co-morbid psychiatric disorders may help improve the clinical assessment of suicide risk in depressed patients. These findings could be helpful in identifying those who need more intense treatment strategies in order to prevent suicide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A high O3 episode was detected in urban Shanghai, a typical city in the Yangtze River Delta (YRD) region in August 2010. The CMAQ integrated process rate method is applied to account for the contribution of different atmospheric processes during the high pollution episode. The analysis shows that the maximum concentration of ozone occurs due to transport phenomena, including vertical diffusion and horizontal advective transport. Gas-phase chemistry producing O3 mainly occurs at the height of 300-1500 m, causing a strong vertical O3 transport from upper levels to the surface layer. The gas-phase chemistry is an important sink for O3 in the surface layer, coupled with dry deposition. Cloud processes may contribute slightly to the increase of O3 due to convective clouds or to the decrease of O3 due to scavenging. The horizontal diffusion and heterogeneous chemistry contributions are negligible during the whole episode. Modeling results show that the O3 pollution characteristics among the different cities in the YRD region have both similarities and differences. During the buildup period, the O3 starts to appear in the city regions of the YRD and is then transported to the surrounding areas under the prevailing wind conditions. The O3 production from photochemical reaction in Shanghai and the surrounding area is most significant, due to the high emission intensity in the large city; this ozone is then transported out to sea by the westerly wind flow, and later diffuses to rural areas like Chongming island,Wuxi and even to Nanjing. The O3 concentrations start to decrease in the cities after sunset, due to titration of the NO emissions, but ozone can still be transported and maintain a significant concentration in rural areas and even regions outside the YRD region, where the NO emissions are very small. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rice ( Oryza sativa L.) is one of the most important crops in the world, and its production is limited by soil phosphorus (P) deficiencies in many parts of the world. Impacts of long-term fertilization regimes on rice productivity and soil P availability is largely unknown. A long-term (26-year) field experiment in a paddy soil of southeastern China was carried out to study the response of rice grain yield and soil P pools to different fertilization regimes including control without fertilization (CK), nitrogen, P, and potassium (NPK) fertilizer (NPK), NPK fertilizer plus cattle manure (NPKM), and NPK fertilizer plus rice straw (NPKS). Application of fertilizers (NPK, NPKM, and NPKS) increased rice grain yield compared with the CK treatment (on average, by 75%, 97%, and 92%, respectively). Soil P was predominately present in the organic form (51-75% of total P) across different treatments. Most soil inorganic P fractions decreased with time due to continuous depletion by rice plants in the nonfertilized treatment (CK), while they generally increased with time in the fertilizer treatments (NPK, NPKM, and NPKS) due to continued supply of P to soil. On the other hand, soil organic P fractions increased continuously with time regardless of treatment, probably due to the retention of stubble and biological immobilization of inorganic P. Positive relationships between the rice grain yield and most inorganic P fractions in the CK treatment indicated the P limitation for rice production due to no P inputs and long-term conversion of inorganic P into organic P. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundIn Western countries, a history of major depression (MD) is associated with reports of received parenting that is low in warmth and caring and high in control and authoritarianism. Does a similar pattern exist in women in China?MethodReceived parenting was assessed by a shortened version of the Parental Bonding Instrument (PBI) in two groups of Han Chinese women: 1970 clinically ascertained cases with recurrent MD and 2597 matched controls. MD was assessed at personal interview.ResultsFactor analysis of the PBI revealed three factors for both mothers and fathers: warmth, protectiveness, and authoritarianism. Lower warmth and protectiveness and higher authoritarianism from both mother and father were significantly associated with risk for recurrent MD. Parental warmth was positively correlated with parental protectiveness and negatively correlated with parental authoritarianism. When examined together, paternal warmth was more strongly associated with lowered risk for MD than maternal warmth. Furthermore, paternal protectiveness was negatively and maternal protectiveness positively associated with risk for MD.ConclusionsAlthough the structure of received parenting is very similar in China and Western countries, the association with MD is not. High parental protectiveness is generally pathogenic in Western countries but protective in China, especially when received from the father. Our results suggest that cultural factors impact on patterns of parenting and their association with MD. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Objective: To describe the clinical features of infection, and the antibiotic susceptibility of epidemic strains, and investigate plasmid maps and integrons of the isolates from an outbreak of Shigella sonnei infection at an elementary school in southwest China. Study design: Cross-sectional study. Setting: An elementary school and five hospitals in Chengdu in southwest China. Results: There were 1,134 students in the school. 937 (82.6%) students had signs and symptoms. Of the 568 (60.6%, 568/937) hospitalized students, 93.3% 86.8%, 72.4%, and 28.9% of the hospitalized patients had diarrhea, fever, abdominal pain, and vomiting, respectively. S. sonnei strains were isolated from the stool samples of 36.0% (337/937) students. All of the outbreak isolates had the same high-level antimicrobial resistance and plasmid profiles, which were different from that of sporadic strains. All the outbreak S. sonnei isolates were positive for the integrin gene and contained class 2 integron; however, two outbreak isolates contained class 1 and class 2 integrons. Conclusions: Diarrhea, fever, and abdominal pain were the three most common clinical manifestations observed in patients infected with S. sonnei. High-level antibiotic resistance was observed among Shigella species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Mexico hat wavelet function was used for time series of chlorophyll concentration from 1997 to 2010,in the area around Bohai Bay, Yangtze River Delta sea and South China Sea. Based on this, possible cycle and relation of chlorophyll concentration in different scales is analyzed, and is adopted to predict the changing tendency in the three area. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: It is undoubted that low-carbon city has become a vital development trend for Chinese cities in the new century. Many Chinese cities have been devoted to the upsurge of low-carbon city construction in recent years. Focusing on these problems - What measures has been adopted to construct low-carbon city in China? How is the effect of low-carbon city construction? Are there some issues needing attention in the future - this paper summarizes the situation of low-carbon city development in China and clarifies a few viewpoints that need be paid attention to in the subsequent development. It is expected that the discussion in this paper can help promote the construction of low-carbon city in China. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In the present study, a total of 20 nematode isolates, (including 10 male and 10 female worms) representing Baylisascaris schroederi from 5 Qinling subspecies of giant pandas ( Ailuropoda melanoleuca) in Shaanxi Province of China, were characterized and grouped genetically by the first internal transcribed spacer (ITS-1) of nuclear ribosomal DNA (rDNA). The rDNA fragment spanning 3′ end of 18S rDNA, complete ITS-1 rDNA, and 5′ end of 5.8S rDNA were amplified and sequenced. The sequence variability in ITS-1 rDNA was examined within B. schroederi and among parasites in order Ascaridata available in GenBank™, and their phylogenetic relationships were also reconstructed. The sequences of ITS-1 rDNA for all the B. schroederi isolates were 427 bp in length, with no genetic variation detected among these isolates. Phylogenetic analyses based on the ITS-1 rDNA sequences revealed that all the male and female B. schroederi isolates sequenced in the present study were posited into the clade of genus Baylisascaris, sistered to zoonotic nematodes in genus Ascaris, and the ITS-1 rDNA sequence could distinguish different species in order Ascaridata. These results showed that the ITS-1 rDNA provides a suitable molecular marker for the inter-species phylogenetic analysis and differential identification of nematodes in order Ascaridata. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two hundred and thirty-six novel human leukocyte antigen (HLA) alleles are described from volunteer donors of the China Marrow Donor Program: 71 HLA-A alleles, 79 HLA-B alleles, 43 HLA-C, 16 HLA-DRB1 alleles, 26 HLA-DQB1 and 1 HLA-DPB1. Two hundred and thirteen (90.3%) of the 236 novel alleles are single nucleotide substitution variants when compared with their most homologous allele. Seventy-eight of these single nucleotide variants are silent substitutions. The remaining novel alleles differ from their most similar allele by two to four nucleotide substitutions. Some of the novel alleles encode amino acid changes at positions not previously reported to be polymorphic, such as codons 57, 62, 67, 41 and 52 in HLA-A alleles; codons 133, 156, 201 and 215 in HLA-B alleles; codons 74, 208 and 225 in HLA-C; codons 25, 32 and 72 in HLA-DRB1; codons 20, 39 and 77 in HLA-DQB1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to China's restrictive household registration system and increasing educational costs tens of millions of internal labor migrants have difficulty enrolling their children in urban schools. As a result, many children are left behind in rural areas when their parents seek urban employment. Using data from two provinces in northeastern China we find that parental labor migration is associated with a .7 grade-level lag in educational attainment among girls. Given that our models control for educational costs and total consumption expenditure, we interpret this as resulting from a re-allocation of girls' time towards home production in migrant households. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Oral Diseases (2011) 17, 584-589 Objective: To explore the risk factors of non-syndromic orofacial clefts. Subjects and Methods: A case-control study was conducted in China, 537 infants born with non-syndromic cleft lip with/without cleft palate, 176 infants born with cleft palate (CP), and 221 normal controls were recruited to participate in a questionnaire based study to identify risk factors related to maternal nutrition. Results: Single-factor Chi-square analysis identified 12 factors as significantly related to non-syndromic orofacial clefts ( P < 0.05). Multiple logistic regression showed five of these factors were associated with non-syndromic orofacial clefts, male gender and maternal passive smoking during early pregnancy were risk factors for non-syndromic orofacial clefts (OR = 1.86 and 11.42; 95%CI: 2.28-2.69 and 6.87-19.00, respectively), whereas maternal weight gain during pregnancy and folic acid supplementation during early pregnancy were protective (OR = 0.15 and 0.67; 95%CI: 0.034-0.63 and 0.44-1.00, respectively). Conclusions: Our data may provide references for cleft lip and CP prevention programs, and counseling programs in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]