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To achieve a sustainable development path that harmonizes ecological and economic considerations, China has advocated the "two mountains" concept: "lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets". This idea posits that those who protect the environment can economically benefit by selling pristine landscapes and utilizing rich ecological resources. This paper use "the equivalence factor method" to calculate ecological benefits, introduces a technical measure—the conversion rate of ecosystem service value—and analyzes its temporal and spatial evolution from 2003 to 2020 in the operational areas of 87 state-owned forestry enterprises in Northeast China. The findings show: (1) a significant improvement in ecosystem-service quality, with its value increasing from 404.7 to 850.2 billion CNY between 2003 and 2020. The restoration of the ecological environment in China's KSFR provides a foundation for economic and social development. (2) A decrease in the economic gains derived by operators from developing protected ecosystems, with the most significant decline observed in economic benefits generated from the supply product, including timber harvesting. However, the industrial structure in KSFR shifted from being dominated by timber production to diversified development, with non-timber forest resources becoming an important part of regional economic growth. (3) Significant potential for realizing the value of ecosystem services, evidenced by an increasing trend in the conversion rates of cultural, regulatory, and supporting services. These findings underscore the effectiveness of China's natural forest protection and restoration policies in optimizing forest ecology and realizing the "two mountains" concept through appropriate market transactions and ecological compensation mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to address the significant prediction errors resulting from the substantial fluctuations in agricultural product prices and the non-linear features, this paper proposes a hybrid forecasting model based on variational mode decomposition (VMD), ensemble empirical mode decomposition (EEMD), and long short-term memory networks (LSTM). This combined model is referred to as the VMD–EEMD–LSTM model. Initially, the original time series of agricultural product prices undergoes decomposition using VMD to obtain a series of variational mode functions (VMFs) and a residual component with higher complexity. Subsequently, the residual component undergoes a secondary decomposition using EEMD. All components are then fed into an LSTM model for training to obtain predictions for each component. Finally, the predictions for each component are linearly combined to generate the ultimate price forecast. To validate the effectiveness of the VMD–EEMD–LSTM model, empirical analyses were conducted for one-step and multi-step forecasts using weekly price data for pork, Chinese chives, shiitake mushrooms, and cauliflower from China's wholesale agricultural markets. The results indicate that the composite model developed in this study provides enhanced forecasting accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lead (Pb), as one of the main pollution elements, has resulted in large-scale soil pollution around the world. Even if phytoremediation can solve this problem, the selection of restoration potential plants has always been a scientific problem. As a multifunctional repair plant, Neyraudia reynaudiana can rehabilitate both polluted soils and slopes. N. reynaudiana has been widely used in terrain restoration in southern China before. This study was the first to study the growth and Pb absorption and enrichment capacity of N. reynaudiana in Xuzhou, north of the Yangtze River. In this study, N. reynaudiana was planted in soils with different lead concentrations, and the change of lead content in roots, shoots, and soils, as well as the redox enzyme, was tested and analyzed during each growth stage. The results showed that the roots could absorb Pb and transfer 79.45% to the shoots at most. With the growth of the plant, the ability to accumulate and transfer gradually increased. Moreover, when the soil Pb concentration was above 800 mg kg−1, the ability to accumulate by N. reynaudiana was significantly restrained. Furthermore, superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), ascorbate peroxidase (APX), and peroxidase (POD) first acted on the redox response in the initial phase, while increasing the pollutant concentration or the growth of N. reynaudiana in the later stage, and the glutathione reductase (GR) redox system continued to feed back on the lead stress. This study proved that N. reynaudiana is a kind remediation plant for lead pollution soil and could repair soil with a lead pollution concentration lower than 800 mg kg−1. The results provide a theoretical reference for clarifying the action mechanism and threshold value of N. reynaudiana in rehabilitating soil lead pollution and provide practical guidance for the planting proportion of N. reynaudiana. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate has critical roles in the origin, pathogenesis and transmission of infectious zoonotic diseases. However, large‐scale epidemiologic trend and specific response pattern of zoonotic diseases under future climate scenarios are poorly understood. Here, we projected the distribution shifts of transmission risks of main zoonotic diseases under climate change in China. First, we shaped the global habitat distribution of main host animals for three representative zoonotic diseases (2, 6, and 12 hosts for dengue, hemorrhagic fever, and plague, respectively) with 253,049 occurrence records using maximum entropy (Maxent) modeling. Meanwhile, we predicted the risk distribution of the above three diseases with 197,098 disease incidence records from 2004 to 2017 in China using an integrated Maxent modeling approach. The comparative analysis showed that there exist highly coincident niche distributions between habitat distribution of hosts and risk distribution of diseases, indicating that the integrated Maxent modeling is accurate and effective for predicting the potential risk of zoonotic diseases. On this basis, we further projected the current and future transmission risks of 11 main zoonotic diseases under four representative concentration pathways (RCPs) (RCP2.6, RCP4.5, RCP6.0, and RCP8.5) in 2050 and 2070 in China using the above integrated Maxent modeling with 1,001,416 disease incidence records. We found that Central China, Southeast China, and South China are concentrated regions with high transmission risks for main zoonotic diseases. More specifically, zoonotic diseases had diverse shift patterns of transmission risks including increase, decrease, and unstable. Further correlation analysis indicated that these patterns of shifts were highly correlated with global warming and precipitation increase. Our results revealed how specific zoonotic diseases respond in a changing climate, thereby calling for effective administration and prevention strategies. Furthermore, these results will shed light on guiding future epidemiologic prediction of emerging infectious diseases under global climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents novel empirical evidence on the welfare impacts of forest protection programs, focusing on both income and material welfare at the household level. Specifically, we conduct a household survey of 1271 households in forestry communities that participate in the Natural Forest Protection Program (NFPP) in China. The survey data are collected from 56 state forest enterprises (SFEs) across three provinces in China. We employ the Alkire–Foster method to calculate and decompose the material deprivation index based on household income levels. Our analysis reveals that forestry communities exhibit a significant proportion of households in low-income welfare states, comprising nearly one-fourth (25.41%) of the sample. Furthermore, we observe that the percentage of households in a low-material welfare state is nearly one-fifth (21.70%), with 7.79% of households experiencing both low-income and low-material welfare. Importantly, we find that welfare disparities persist across population subgroups based on occupation and geography. In addition, we assess the impact of the NFPP on household welfare outcomes and identify an elite group of technicians residing in urban communities down the hill who experience positive welfare effects from the program. These findings provide critical insights beyond a single welfare dimension and contribute to the growing literature on evaluating forest protection policies. Furthermore, the results offer valuable lessons for designing and implementing forest protection programs in other developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is growing evidence that reduced cortical thickness has been considered to be a central abnormality in schizophrenia. Brain imaging studies have demonstrated that the cerebral cortex becomes thinner in patients with first-episode schizophrenia. This study aimed to examine whether cortical thickness is altered in drug-naïve schizophrenia in a Chinese Han population and the relationship between cortical thickness and clinical symptoms. We compared cortical thickness in 41 schizophrenia patients and 30 healthy controls. Psychopathology of patients with schizophrenia was assessed using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS). The cortical thickness of left banks of superior temporal sulcus, left lateral occipital gyrus, left rostral middle frontal gyrus, right inferior parietal lobule and right lateral occipital gyrus in schizophrenia patients was generally thinner compared with healthy controls. Correlation analysis revealed a negative correlation between cortical thickness of the left banks of superior temporal sulcus and general psychopathology of PANSS. Our results suggest that cortical thickness abnormalities are already present early in the onset of schizophrenia and are associated with psychopathological symptoms, suggesting that it plays an important role in the pathogenesis and symptomatology of schizophrenia. (1) The first-episode drug-naïve schizophrenia had reduced cortical thickness than the controls. (2) Cortical thickness was associated with psychopathological symptoms in patients with schizophrenia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whether financial inclusion and economic growth can sustainably release poverty alleviation effects in long term has been the focus of academia and government sector. This article uses provincial panel data from 2004 to 2019 to examine the dynamic nonlinear connectedness between the financial inclusion, economic growth, income inequality, and poverty alleviation; the main objective is to reveal the direction and intensity of the long-term and short-term impact of each factor on poverty alleviation. By building a panel vector autoregression model (PVAR), the comparison analyses of national, eastern, central, and western sample groups verify the existence of dynamic nonlinear connectedness among the four variables. The study found that there is complex bidirectional causality between these variables, financial inclusion has the long-term impact on promoting poverty alleviation in China, the impact of economic growth is relatively weak, and income inequality has weakened the positive impact of financial inclusion on poverty alleviation. Through the analysis of impulse response function, variance decomposition, and time-varying nonparametric estimates in different economic regions, we find that the impact of financial inclusion on poverty alleviation presents a U-shaped characteristic, and the contribution of financial inclusion to poverty alleviation in western regions is significant, but poverty reduction in eastern and central region mainly depends on economic growth. For policymakers, financial inclusion can be an effective way to alleviate relative poverty, but the poverty governance should focus more on reducing income inequality in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Estimating the biomass of Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin. ex Steud., i.e., a common wetland macrophyte, and the associated carbon sequestration capacity has attracted increasing attention. Hanshiqiao Wetland Nature Reserve (HWNR) is a large P. australis wetland in Beijing, China, and provides an ideal case study site for such purpose in an urban setting. In this study, an existing P. australis growth dynamics model was adapted to estimate the plant biomass, which was in turn converted to the associated carbon sequestration capacity in the HWNR throughout a typical year. To account for local differences, the modeling parameters were calibrated against the above-ground biomass (AGB) of P. australis retrieved from hyperspectral images of the study site. We also analyzed the sensitivity of the modeling parameters and the influence of environmental factors, particularly the nutrient availability, on the growth dynamics and carbon sequestration capacity of P. australis. Our results show that the maximum AGB and below-ground biomass (BGB) of P. australis in the HWNR are 2.93 × 103 and 2.49 × 103 g m−2, respectively, which are higher than the reported level from nearby sites with similar latitudes, presumably due to the relatively high nutrient availability and more suitable inundation conditions in the HWNR. The annual carbon sequestration capacity of P. australis in the HWNR was estimated to be 2040.73 gC m−2 yr−1, which was also found to be highly dependent on nutrient availability, with a 50% increase (decrease) in the constant of the nutrient availability KNP, resulting in a 12% increase (23% decrease) in the annual carbon sequestration capacity. This implies that a comprehensive management of urban wetlands that often encounter eutrophication problems to synergize the effects of nutrient control and carbon sequestration is worth considering in future practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Much has been learned regarding orbital and millennial timescale climate changes after the onset of Northern Hemisphere glaciations (NHG) at ca. 2.7 Ma. By contrast, little is known about these variations before the NHG due to lack of high‐resolution records. Here we report first millennial resolution quantified East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) precipitation record from the north eastern Tibetan Plateau. The record supports astronomical forcing of EASM during the late Miocene, except for the period of 8.13–8.03 Ma when EASM experienced high amplitude variations at the 100‐, 20‐kyr, and suborbital bands, which is in sharp contrast with the damped astronomical forcing. Detection of strong 100‐kyr and millennial cycles during low eccentricity intervals of the warm late Miocene with ephemeral NH ice sheets cast doubt on NH ice sheet size variations as their exclusive forcing in the late Miocene and late Quaternary paleoclimatic records. Plain Language Summary: Millennial and 100‐kyr cycles in paleoclimate records are normally attributed to Northern Hemisphere ice sheet size variations. Here we present the first 1‐kyr resolution quantitative East Asian summer monsoon precipitation record from the northeastern Tibetan Plateau during the late Miocene, when Northern Hemisphere ice sheets were ephemeral. The record demonstrates strong 100‐kyr and clear millennial cycles. Detection of 100‐kyr and millennial cycles in this warm time interval cast doubt on Northern Hemisphere ice sheet size variations as their exclusive forcing in paleoclimatic records. Key Points: First 1‐kyr resolution quantitative northern China precipitation record during the late MioceneThe record reveals strong 100‐kyr and clear millennial cyclesDetection of 100‐kyr and millennial cycles in this warm interval challenges Northern Hemisphere (NH) ice sheet size variations as their exclusive forcing [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The settlement and deformation of an open-pit mine waste dump were investigated by using field monitoring and numerical methods. The creep parameters of fine soil sand in the dump fill were inverted using the steady Burgers creep model, and FLAC3D software was used to simulate the dumping soil construction and development program. The results show that the settlement displacement of the dump increases with the time of dumping soil and tends to be stable after 4 years. In the creep attenuation stage of the creep process, there is a big difference between the numerical calculation and the field monitoring results in the inversion process of fine-grained soil sand parameters. In the steady-state creep stage, the numerical calculation is consistent with the field monitoring value. The height of the fill has an influence on the settlement of the fill body of the dump and the time to reach the stability. The higher the filling height is, the greater the postconstruction settlement will be, and the longer it will take to reach stability. The pushing position of the fill body has a great influence on the settlement displacement of the dump. The time and efficiency of soil discharge can be shortened by optimizing the safe distance between the filling body and the river. Based on the numerical calculation results and the empirical settlement function, an analytical method for river channel location selection of internal dump is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dominated by an arid and semiarid continental climate, the Beijing-Tianjin Sandstorm Source Region (BTSSR) is a typical ecologically fragile region with frequently occurring droughts. To provide information for regional vegetation protection and drought prevention, we assessed the relations between vegetation cover change (measured by the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index, NDVI) and the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Index (SPEI) at different time-scales, in different growth stages, in different subregions and for different vegetation types based on the Pearson's correlation coefficient in the BTSSR from 2000 to 2017. Results showed that 88.19% of the vegetated areas experienced increased NDVI in the growing season; 48.3% of the vegetated areas experienced significantly increased NDVI (P < 0.05) and were mainly in the south of the BTSSR. During the growing season, a wetter climate contributed to the increased vegetation cover from 2000 to 2017, and NDVI anomalies were closely related to SPEI. The maximum correlation coefficient in the growing season (Rmax) was significantly positive (P < 0.05) in 97.84% of the total vegetated areas. In the vegetated areas with significantly positive Rmax, pixels with short time-scales (1–3 mon) accounted for the largest proportion (33.9%). The sensitivity of vegetation to the impact of drought rose first and then decreased in the growing season, with a peak in July. Compared with two subregions in the south, subregions in the north of the BTSSR were more sensitive to the impacts of drought variations, especially in the Xilingol Plateau and Wuzhumuqin Basin. All four major vegetation types were sensitive to the effects of drought variations, especially grasslands. The time-scales of the most impacting droughts varied with growth stages, regions, and vegetation types. These results can help us understand the relations between vegetation and droughts, which are important for ecological restoration and drought prevention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Appropriate post-harvest processing plays a critical role in the exterior quality and the yield of bioactive ingredients of medicinal crops. However, fresh medicinal materials harvested in winter often suffer from freezing injury, leading to poor quality and instability of clinical efficacy in practical production. Revealing the responses of freezing injury in medicinal crops will significantly prevent economic losses for farmers and potential risks for clinical medication. In this study, we comprehensively analyzed the effect of post-harvest freezing injury on a well-known traditional Chinese medicine, Scutellaria baicalensis (Huangqin), that harvested in late autumn or early winter in China. The exterior quality and eight active ingredients of medicinal materials processed by natural drying (ND), natural freezing (NF) and simulated freezing treatments (FT) with different treating time (T 0 to T 5) of S. baicalensis were analyzed and compared by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). The results showed that fresh roots under NF and FT treatments exhibited loose texture and green or even dark brown color, and the unique smell of S. baicalensis medicinal materials nearly disappeared. Compared with the contents of baicalin (152.48 mg/g), wogonoside (27.16 mg/g), and scutellarin (5.55 mg/g) in T 0 under FT treatment, those contents in T 5 significantly decreased (92.60 mg/g, 10.30 mg/g, and 0.25 mg/g, respectively) with increasing repeated freezing and thawing time. Interestingly, freezing injury dramatically improved the contents of baicalein (from 2.97 mg/g to 29.58 mg/g), wogonin (from 0.31 mg/g to 6.96 mg/g), scutellarein (from 0.96 mg/g to 1.75 mg/g), apigenin (from 0.03 mg/g to 0.07 mg/g), and chrysin (from 0.01 mg/g to 0.80 mg/g). The content of eight medicinal active ingredients and the content of glycosides under FT for 72 h (FT-72) treatment (138.98 mg/g, 102.59 mg/g) were significantly lower than those under ND treatment (189.30 mg/g, 184.58 mg/g), but that of aglycones significantly increased about eight times (36.39 mg/g for FT-72 and 4.07 mg/g for ND). Furthermore, there were significant negative correlations between the contents of baicalin and baicalein (r 2 = 0.9499, P < 0.0001), wogonoside and wogonin (r 2 = 0.9190, P < 0.0001), and scutellarin and scutellarein (r 2 = 0.4344, P < 0.001) under FT-72 treatment. The extracting rate of active ingredients under NF treatment increased rapidly and reached almost 100% within 30 min, but that under ND treatment increased slowly and reached 100% for 50 min. It is speculated that repeated freezing and thawing destroyed cellular structures of fresh roots and strongly accelerated extracting rate of active ingredients. Subsequent ion outflow and enzyme activation led to oxidative hydrolysis that induced the transformation from glycosides to aglycones. Collectively, the above results would provide valuable guidance for medicinal farmers to avoid freezing injury in post-harvest processing, thereby ensuring medicinal quality of S. baicalensis for pharmaceutical industry. Furthermore, these results will shed light on revealing the effect and mechanism of freezing injury on product quality and help formulating technical specifications for standardized production of medicinal crops. [Display omitted] • Post-harvest freezing injury seriously reduced exterior quality of S. baicalensis. • Freezing injury reduced medicinal quality by decreasing baicalin content. • Freezing injury promoted transformation from glycosides to aglycones. • Freezing-injured medicinal materials can be used for extraction of aglycones. • S. baicalensis should be harvested and dried in time to prevent freezing injury. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Qilian Orogen in the northern margin of the Tibetan Plateau is the northernmost of the Tethyan domain. Abundant ophiolites record the closure of an early Tethyan ocean and amalgamations between micro-continents of North China, Qaidam, and Tarim. The Muli arc–ophiolite complex in the western segment of the South Qilian belt represents remnants of the Proto-Tethyan oceanic lithosphere. It comprises serpentinite, dunite, cumulate gabbro, basalt, plagiogranite, and chert, which are in tectonic contact with Upper Ordovician turbidites. Basalts have typical subduction-related calc-alkaline geochemical affinity, representing portions of an island arc. Geochemical results for plagiogranites and spinels from serpentinite indicate that the Muli arc–ophiolite complex represents a super-subduction zone (SSZ)-type ophiolite. U–Pb zircon data indicate formation associated with southward subduction of the Proto-Tethys Ocean during a short interval between 539 and 522 Ma. Results of petrology, geochemistry, and zircon U–Pb dating demonstrate that granitoids intruded into this complex are Middle to Late Ordovician (470–450 Ma) products of subduction-related arc magmatism. Voluminous Late Ordovician–Early Silurian rocks include deep-water marine siliciclastic and volcaniclastic turbidites and abundant volcanic arc rocks located to the south of the Muli arc–ophiolite complex, whereas fluvial coarse-grained sandstones and conglomerates unconformably overlie the Cambrian–Middle Ordovician ophiolite–arc systems in the eastern South Qilian belt. This indicates that closure of the Proto-Tethys Ocean was diachronous during the early Paleozoic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Guizhou was for a long time the wildest and the most enclave province of South China, its ethnographic, historical, archaeological and prehistoric researches are recent, especially that of the rock paintings (Wang and Luo, 1989; Cao, 2004; He, 2006; Yu, 2009). Dahongyan, or the Great Red Cliff, is the first rock art locality known in the Province. The research program is conducted by Cao Bo, vice-director of the Guizhou Provincial Culture Relics and Archaeology Institute. In 2012, a cooperation has developed with the Mountain Resources Institute, Academy of Sciences of Guizhou, and the Department of Prehistory of the Natural Museum of Natural History, Paris, France. The first description of the rock paintings has been presented at the IFRAO (International Federation of Rock Art Organizations) world Congress in July 2014, at Guiyang (Cao et al., 2014). The meeting was co-organized with the People's Government of Guiyang Municipality and the Rock Art Research Association of China (RARAC). The preliminary studies of some frescoes put in light ritual shamanic practices from agro-pastoral peoples before rice cultivation, in relation with animal spirits symbolized by the buffalo and the python. Three scenes are described with new observations and interpreted in the historical context of ethnic minorities and their cultural traditions devoid of written language. They have been named "The shaman dance", "The dance lesson" and "The meeting". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Population-based cancer registration data were collected to estimate the cancer incidence and mortality in Wuwei, Hexi Corridor Region, China in 2018. We used the 2011-2013 data to predict the number of new cases and deaths in 2018 and the 2003-2013 data to analyze trends in cancer incidence and mortality. The goal is to enable cancer prevention and control directions. Our results indicated that stomach cancer is the most common cancer. For all cancers combined, the incidence and mortality rates showed significantly increasing trends (+2.63% per year; P < 0.05 and +1.9% per year; P < 0.05). This study revealed a significant cancer burden among the population of this area. Cancer screening and prevention should be performed after an epidemiological study of the cause of the cancer is completed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: We aimed to investigate the patterns and risk factors of nonfatal injuries among rural mountain-area children in southwest China. Methods: A stratified sampling method was used to recruit rural children aged 8 to 17 years (mainly 9–14 years) from 7 schools. Self-reported injuries during the past 12 months and relevant concerns were collected from June to December 2012 by using a structured questionnaire in a class interview. Results: The mean age of the 2,854 children was 12.2±1.5 years. The probability of annual injury was 16.7% (95% confidence interval [95% CI] 15.3–18.1%), with slightly higher injury risk for boys than girls (17.7% vs. 16.0%; P>0.05). The top 3 causes of injuries were falls (37.3%), animal-related incidents (20.6%), and burns (14.9%). The main injury risk factors included being involved in a violent episode (odds ratio [OR] 1.34, 95% CI 1.08–1.66, P = 0.007), maltreatment by parents or guardians (1.42, 1.17–1.72, P<0.001), and being from a single-child family (1.30, 1.10–1.66, P = 0.039). Older age was a protective factor (0.81, 0.76–0.87, P<0.001). Conclusions: The incidence of nonfatal injury among rural children was high, and falls were the leading cause. Younger children and boys from poor-care and poor-living environments were at increased risk of injury, which requires urgent attention. Injury prevention programs targeting these issues are needed in this mountain area and similar rural regions of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigate the changes at nine glaciers in the Ningchan and Shuiguan river source, eastern Qilian Mountains, between 1972 and 2010. According to analysis of topographic maps and multispectral satellite data, all nine glaciers in the study area have retreated, by a maximum of 250±57.4m and a minimum of 91±57.4m. The total glacier area decreased by 1.20km2, corresponding to 9.9% of the glacierized area in 1972. Comparing the two DEMs generated from the topographic maps and Real-Time Kinematic GPS data, the mean glacier thinning rate was 0.64myr−1 between 1972 and 2010. The most significant thinning generally occurred on the termini. The ice-volume loss was about 106.8±46.7×10−3 km3 (equal to 90.8±39.7×10−3 km3 w.e.), which suggested a mean water discharge of 0.1±0.05m3/s during 1972–2010. Based on analysis of meteorological data, the summer temperature (June–August) tends to increase over a similar time period. The consistency of temperature increase and glacier shrinkage allows us to suggest that air temperature plays an important role in glacier changes in this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Gongga Mountain is the largest area of modern glaciation in the Hengduan Mountains and, with a summit elevation of 7556 m, is the highest mountain on the eastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau. During the Quaternary glacial-interglacial cycles the Gongga Mountain was extensively and repeatedly glaciated, and glacial landforms and outwash deposits from multiple glaciations are well-preserved in valleys, in basins, and on piedmonts. To constrain the glacial chronology of the eastern slope of Gongga Mountain, sample sites were selected based on the distribution and weathering of glacial tills, relationships among glacial deposits, and soil development on moraines. Dating of the tills and glaciofluvial deposits was undertaken with electron spin resonance (ESR) and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL). The ages of the glacial deposits can be divided into four clusters: 2.2±0.5, 11.9±0.6, 35.9±2.7-58.0±6.3 and 119.2±15.9-194.2±32.8 ka. Five glacial advances in this region have been identified, which are equivalent in age to the Little Ice Age (LIA), Neoglaciation, marine oxygen isotope stage (MIS) 2, mid-MIS3, and MIS6. The largest local last glacial maximum (LGM) occurred on Gongga Mountain during mid-MIS3, characterized by a cold-humid climate, rather than the global Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) of MIS2. The Gongga, Nanmenguangou (NMGG) and Yajiageng Glaciations occurred during the late part of the last glacial cycle, the middle of the last glacial cycle and the penultimate glacial cycle, respectively. On the basis of geomorphological, sedimentological, and compositional characteristics, landforms of the Moxi Platform and terraces can be grouped by facies and geochronology. In combination with the dating results, this analysis indicates the basal part of the Moxi Platform between Xinxin and the Moxi Hotel is correlative with the till of the Nanguanmen Glaciation (mid-MIS3). This basal unit has occasional lenses of glaciofluvial sandy gravel and lacustrine sediments. The remainder of the Moxi Platform and the terraces beside the platform are glaciofluvial deposits occasionally mixed with debris flow deposits and range in age from MIS3 to Holocene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glaciers located in the Qilian Mountains are rapidly retreating and thinning due to climate change. The current understanding of small glacier mass balance changes under a changing climate is limited by the scarcity of in situ measurements in both time and space as well as the resolution of remote sensing products. Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) provide an unparalleled opportunity to track the spatiotemporal variations in glacier extent at a high resolution and the changing glacier morphological features related to glacial dynamics. Five measurements were performed on the Ningchan No. 1 (NC01) glacier in the Qilian Mountains between 18 August 2017 and 13 August 2020. The glacier changes displayed in the digital orthophoto maps (DOMs) and digital surface models (DSMs) show a 7.4 ± 0.1 m a−1 retreat of the terminus of NC01, a mass balance of −1.22 ± 0.1 m w.e. a−1 from 2017 to 2020, and a maximum surface velocity of 3.2 ± 0.47 m from 18 August 2017 to 26 August 2018, which clearly show consistency with stake measurements. The surface elevation change was influenced by the combined effects of air temperature, altitude, slope, and surface velocity. This research demonstrates that UAV photogrammetry can greatly improve the temporal and spatial resolution of glaciological research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Qilian orogenic belt is the northernmost orogen of the Tethyan domain and connects the Altaids to the north. It contains an assembly of Precambrian micro‐continental fragments, early Paleozoic island arcs, accretionary complexes, ophiolites, forearc and backarc basins, and high‐pressure (HP) metamorphic rocks, indicating a long history of accretionary processes. Spatially, this orogen is adjacent to the Tarim, Qaidam, and North China blocks, which also extends into accretionary orogenic belts to the east and SW such as the Qinling and Kunlun belts. Abundant ophiolites in this orogen record the closure of an early Tethyan Ocean and amalgamations between micro‐continents of North China, Qaidam, and Tarim. Thus, the ages and tectonic settings of these ophiolites within this belt provide important information regarding evolution of the Proto‐Tethys Ocean and assembly of micro‐continental blocks, which aids understanding of the spatial and temporal relationship of this orogen within the Tethyan realm. Dismembered ophiolites sporadically crop out along the northern margin of the South Qilian belt, and, from east to west, are locally referred to as the Lajishan, Gangcha, Muli, and Dadaoerji ophiolites. Much attention had been paid to these ophiolites, and several competing models for the tectonic evolution of this belt have been suggested. Considerable disagreement remains in respect of the temporal and spatial framework of the Qilian Orogen and details such as timing of subduction (s) and associated polarities, early collision events, and final closure of oceanic basins. In particular, the formation age and tectonic setting of Muli arc‐ophiolite complex remains unknown, which limits understanding of the tectonics of the South Qilian belt and the history of the Proto‐Tethys Ocean. The Muli arc‐ophiolite complex is distributed over 20 km2 west of the township of Muli in the western segment of the South Qilian Belt and consists of serpentinite, dunite, cumulate gabbro, basalt, plagiogranite, and chert. Field mapping results demonstrate that these units have been largely destroyed by faulting and generally occur as blocks/slices. They are tectonically interlayered with Upper Ordovician – Lower Silurian siliciclastic turbidite. Arc‐ophiolite rocks are intruded by 470–450 Ma subduction‐related granitoid plutons and are unconformably overlain by shallow marine to non‐marine sediments of Permian‐Jurassic age. Basalts show typical subduction‐related calc‐alkaline geochemical affinity, representing portions of an island arc. Geochemical results for plagiogranites and spinels from serpentinite demonstrate that the Muli arc‐ophiolite complex represents a super‐subduction zone (SSZ)‐type ophiolite. U‐Pb zircon data indicate formation associated with southward subduction of the Proto‐Tethyan Ocean during a short interval between 539–522 Ma. Voluminous Late Ordovician ‐ Early Silurian deep‐water marine siliciclastic and volcaniclastic turbidites and volcanic arc rocks are exposed to the south of the Muli arc‐ophiolite complex, whereas fluvial coarse‐grained sandstones and conglomerates unconformably overlie the Cambrian‐Middle Ordovician ophiolite‐arc systems in the eastern South Qilian Belt. These indicate that closure of the Proto‐Tethys Ocean was diachronous during the early Paleozoic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Potential habitat of four medicinal crops for diabetes treatment were determined. • A. membranaceus and R. glutinosa mainly located in northern China. • C. chinensis and S. ningpoensis are mainly located in South and Central China. • The four species planted in the concentrated regions will produce maximum products. • Concentrated region is an effective way for conservation and utilization of crops. Revealing the potential geographical distribution and regions that yield maximum harvest of products will be of great significance for evaluation and utilization of crops in medicinal industry. Diabetes has become a global health problem that threatens almost all nations in the world. The traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has long been used for the treatment of diabetes in history. Specifically, four medicinal plants including huangqi (Astragalus membranaceus [Fisch.] Bunge.), huanglian (Coptis chinensis Franch.), shengdi (Rehmannia glutinosa [Gaetn.] Libosch. ex Fisch. et Mey.), and xuanshen (Scrophularia ningpoensis Hemsl.) have been confirmed effective in diabetes treatment with clear anti-diabetic mechanisms. In recent years, increasing demand of pharmaceutical industry as well as human activities lead to the degradation of habitat and drop in production of the four species. A pressing problem faced by scientists is how to propose effective conservation and utilization strategies of these medicinal crops. In this study, a comprehensive evaluation on the potential geographical distribution of the four medicinal crops was conducted based on the maximum entropy (Maxent) modeling. A total of 227, 426, 433, and 353 localities for A. membranaceus , C. chinensis , R. glutinosa , and S. ningpoensis , respectively, in China were used as the occurrence data. Ten bioclimatic variables were used as environmental factors. The results showed that the Maxent modeling generated high area under curve (AUC) values of 0.947, 0.966, 0.959, and 0.959, respectively. The areas of suitable distribution for the four species are 878,181 km2, 684,406 km2, 768,132 km2, 714,267 km2, respectively. The main decisive environmental factors that determine the potential distribution are bio12, bio12, bio6, and bio6, respectively. By further determining the core distribution regions and main producing provinces of the four species, it was found that A. membranaceus and R. glutinosa shared similar potential habitats which mainly located in northern China, while C. chinensis and S. ningpoensis shared similar potential habitats which mainly located in South and Central China. Furthermore, the former two species have similar suitable precipitation condition, while the latter two species have similar suitable precipitation condition. These results thus raised the possibility of conducting concentrated conservation and utilization of the four species in overlapping distribution regions to obtain the maximum products for pharmaceutical industry. Collectively, these results will provide valuable references for the conservation and utilization of the four medicinal crops as well as other endangered species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although psychological distress is common among patients with chronic diseases, the degree of risk for developing psychological distress is not well-established. Our aim with this study is to determine the odds ratio for psychological distress in patients with cancer as compared to either 1) patients with chronic disease patients without cancer, or 2) healthy controls in a large representative sample of Chinese population.Methods: Using a multistage, stratified cluster sampling method, 21,101 subjects 18-79 years old were interviewed face-to-face in Jilin province, China. Their psychological status was assessed with the 12-item General Health Questionnaire (GHQ-12). A total score of ≥4 was used as the threshold for determining psychological distress.Results: The prevalence of psychological distress was 14.08% across the entire sample: 10.63% in healthy controls; 14.81% in patients with chronic diseases; and 20% in patients with cancer. Multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that, as compared to the health controls, both cancer (OR = 1.609, 95%CI = 1.245-2.081) and chronic disease patients (OR = 1.330, 95%CI = 1.189-1.478) were more likely to suffer from psychological distress. Moreover, cancer patients had a higher risk of psychological distress than patients with chronic diseases (OR = 1.295, 95%CI = 1.049-1.600; p = 0.016). In addition, the cancer group (2.68 ± 0.114) demonstrated a higher GHQ score than the patients with chronic diseases (2.30 ± 0.017) and healthy controls (1.98 ± 0.029) (both p < 0.001).Conclusion: Our results showed both a higher rate and greater degree of psychological distress in patients with cancer. This suggests a need for better psychological management in cancer patients to help alleviate their distress. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• This study combined chemometrics, HPLC, bioactivity validation and molecular docking to identify antiplatelet aggregation quality markers of SY. The inhibitory effect of SY extract on platelet aggregation was measured to evaluate its biological activity in vitro. Chemical composition differences were determined by HPLC. Molecular docking methods assessed the action mechanism of potential active compounds and target protein. The results of multivariate statistical analysis was in accordance with the molecular docking result. This study provided a feasible method for screening the quality markers for the effect of SY on promoting blood circulation for removing, and provided preliminary scientific information basis for the antithrombotic effect. • The study of the combination of fingerprint and pharmacological effects can not only correlate fingerprints with its pharmacodynamic effects, but also locate the fingerprint peak closely related to the pharmacological activity, so as to construct a more effective pharmacodynamic fingerprint for the quality control of TCM. • Salvia yunnanensis (SY), native to Yunnan, belongs to genus salvia of the labiatae. Historically, SY is commonly used by folks, such as the Yi and Miao peoples in southwestern China for activating blood and removing stasis. According to modern pharmacological studies, extracts of SY can inhibit platelet aggregation, significantly decrease arteriolar and microvascular spasm and facilitate blood flow, which means that thrombosis is less likely to be formed when whole blood viscosity and fibrinogen content are significantly reduced, and that creased abnormal blood flow state in myocardial ischemia rats improves. Previous studies have shown that extracts of SY has antiplatelet aggregation effect, but the material basis for conferring this effect is uncertain. In this study, a comprehensive evaluation method based on chemical fingerprints and bioactivity was framed through measurement of different batches of SY, and analysis of antiplatelet aggregation rate. • On the basis of traditional spectrum-effect relationships, this study combined molecular docking as a new strategy to perform high-throughput screening of activity. The advantage of virtual screening was not only to save costs, but also to make the experimental results more intuitive. The pocket binding of compound molecules and target proteins, its binding energy and binding morphology can be displayed intuitively. It makes the experimental results more visible and scientific. This study aimed to identify the antiplatelet aggregation quality markers of Salvia yunnanensis (SY) based on an integrated approach. The effects of SY methanol extracts on platelet aggregation were measured to evaluate their in vitro biological activity. Chemical composition differences were determined by HPLC. Molecular docking methods were used to assess the action mechanism of the potential active compounds and target proteins in SY. The results showed that 12 batches of SY samples inhibited platelet aggregation. Sodium danshensu, protocatechuic aldehyde, rutin, rosmarinic acid, salvianolic acid B, dihydrotanshinone I, tanshinone I, cryptotanshinone, and tanshinone IIA components were identified using chemical fingerprints. Multivariate statistical analysis indicated that cryptotanshinone, dihydrotanshinone I, tanshinone I, tanshinone IIA, and rosmarinic acid may have been the active components for antiplatelet aggregation, and molecular docking showed that these five components could combine with P2Y 12 protein on platelets. Furthermore, platelet aggregation inhibition activity of the five monomers was verified separately and it was obvious that cryptotanshinone and rosmarinic acid inhibited platelet aggregation. Therefore, cryptotanshinone and rosmarinic acid may be the quality markers of SY. This report describes a comprehensive, scientific, and feasible method for SY quality evaluation and provides a preliminary scientific basis for applying the antithrombotic activity of SY. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Combined application of atrazine (ATZ) and acetochlor (ACE) was used as an emerging herbicidal method in black soil zone of northeastern China recently. However, the interaction toxic effect of the two herbicides on the soil biological characteristics has not been investigated yet. In this study, the alterations of soil enzyme activities and bacterial communities in black soil were assayed during a short term (28 days) exposure period by spiking ATZ, ACE or ATZ + ACE (1:1, w: w) at 0×, 1×, 2×, 5× and 10× the recommended dose in a microcosm experiment conducted under greenhouse condition. The results showed that ATZ and ACE had synergistic inhibitory effects on soil enzymes activities. Higher inhibition rates of urease, acid phosphatase, sucrase and catalase were observed in ATZ + ACE, and the enzyme activities could not recover to the level without herbicide application after 28 days. The higher IBRv2 value of ATZ + ACE also indicated that the comprehensive toxicity was stronger than that of ATZ or ACE. The microbial community structure was affected differently by ATZ, ACE and ATZ + ACE as the PLFAs analysis displayed, and ATZ + ACE was more harmful to bacteria than ATZ or ACE. The decrease in relative abundance of Proteobacteria was more sensitive to ATZ, and the decrease of Acidobacteriota was more sensitive to ACE, and the relative abundance of these two phyla decreased more obviously in ATZ + ACE. In addition, the PICRUSt analysis showed that the functions of the replication and repair, energy metabolism, cell motility and cellular processes and signaling were inhibited by ATZ and ACE, especially in the ATZ + ACE treatment. This means that combined application of ATZ and ACE has a greater potential risk on soil microbes and consequently the nutrient cycling process. [Display omitted] • ATZ and ACE showed synergistic inhibitory effects on soil enzymes in the short term. • Combined application of ATZ and ACE was more harmful to bacteria than single application. • Microbial community structure was differently affected by ATZ, ACE or their combination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The uplift rate and pattern of the Qilian Shan Mountain, which lies in the northeast margin of the Tibetan Plateau, are key to understanding the dynamics of crustal deformation in the northeastern Tibetan Plateau. In this work, late Quaternary terraces in seven river valley sections in the eastern Qilian Shan Mountain are studied to determine terrace abandonment ages by OSL (optical simulating luminescence) and terrace heights by GPS (global positioning system) surveys. River incision rates since ~76kaBP are calculated ranging from 0.37mm/a to 1.49mm/a. Distribution of river incision rates shows that higher river incision rates (0.85–1.49mm/a) are located at the rivers'' upstream reaches where mean mountain elevation is ~4000m, and relatively lower incision rates (0.32–0.62mm/a) are located at the mountain front where the mean mountain elevation is <3200m. This difference of the river incision rate reflects spatial difference in rock uplift patterns within the eastern Qilian Shan Mountain. The high mountain range is characterized by a high river incision rate (on average of 1.2±0.4mm/a) and high relief, suggesting high rock uplift rate; whereas the low mountain range is characterized by low river incision rate (on average of 0.5±0.2mm/a) and lower relief, suggesting relatively low rock uplift rate. Based on fault distributions and slip rates, we propose that the differential rock uplift of eastern Qilian Shan is mainly controlled by the thrusting along active thrust faults separating different mountain ranges and by oblique thrusting along strike-slip faults near the mountain crest. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The key to understanding the fluvial response to climate change and surface uplift is a thorough distinguishing between their roles in terrace formation. Previous studies have tended to attribute the fluvial behavior of deposit–incision alternation to climate cyclicity. A preliminary explanation is proposed here for terrace formation in the eastern part of the Fenwei Basin, China. The observed fluvial terrace sequence was developed by the Yellow River deeply downcutting into the Emei Platform, which was uplifted within the eastern Fenwei Basin, and therefore it probably records the tectonic history of this platform. On the basis of the magnetostratigraphy and optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating, a ca. 1.2Ma chronology was established for this terrace sequence. Pedostratigraphic analysis of the loess deposits accumulated on each tread reveals that the terrace deposits are overlain immediately by a paleosol bed, suggesting that the abandonment of these terraces due to fluvial incision occurred at the transitions from glacial to interglacial climates. The glacial–interglacial climate cycle probably has a temporal control on the fluvial behavior of deposit–incision alternation, even though the Yellow River develops in the subsiding Fenwei Basin. The terrace generation may be sporadic and in the form of unusual stacked pattern before the Emei Platform was uplifted within the eastern Fenwei Basin. The terrace staircases however, formed in synchrony with glacial–interglacial climate cycles since this platform began to uplift in the late Middle Pleistocene. This result indicates that uplift may be necessary in large terrace staircase genesis. It can force the river system to downcut deeply enough during climatic transitions to separate terrace levels adequately, favoring the generation and subsequent preservation of the terrace treads. The terrace sequence of the Yellow River in the eastern Fenwei Basin therefore can be considered as a combined archive of climate change and local tectonic activity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: The Yellow River (Huang He) downstream of the Jinshaan Canyon displays well-preserved fluvial terrace sequences below an extensive planation surface at the northeastern Ordos Plateau. Despite a series of well developed geomorphic surfaces, the landscape evolution of the plateau is largely unconstrained. The Jinshaan Canyon, formed by the deeply incising Yellow River through the Ordos Plateau, provides keys to understanding the landscape evolution of this Plateau with respect to the nearby northeastern margin of the Tibetan Plateau. This paper presents two sets of magnetostratigraphic results derived from the aeolian deposits (Red Clay and loess) on the planation surface and the uppermost Yellow River terrace in the middle part of the Jinshaan Canyon. Magnetostratigraphic analysis reveals that the planation surface and the uppermost Yellow River terrace formed respectively at circa 3.7Ma and circa 1.2Ma ago. The Ordos Plateau is the product of a period of planation culminating just before circa 3.7Ma and then was interrupted by an episode of uplift, which may be correlated with the accelerated growth of the Tibetan Plateau in the Miocene–Pliocene. The drainage system in the Jinshaan Canyon was re-organized around 3.7Ma. No correlation seems to exist between an older drainage existing prior to circa 3.7Ma and the present Yellow River network in the Jinshaan Canyon, even though sedimentary and tectonic evidence suggests that the drainage in the middle reach of the Yellow River formed in the late Miocene-early Pliocene. The Yellow River has developed its rectangular course around the Ordos Plateau only since circa 3.7Ma. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Xihuang Pill inhibited tumour growth without evident toxicity to internal organs in the Lewis lung cancer (LLC) -incubated mouse model. • 11 differentially expressed metabolites that could reflect the effect of Xihuang Pill in lung cancer treatment were identified using untargeted metabolomics analysis. • The regulatory role of Xhuang Pill treatment for lung cancer by reversing potential metabolites associated with amino acids metabolism. • 4 biomarkers were regulated by 107 components of Xihuang Pill acting directly on 13 key targets that associated with cancer. Lung cancer has a rapidly increasing incidence and remains the highest ranked cancer in terms of mortality worldwide. Xihuang Pill(XHW), a famous four-herb traditional Chinese formulation, has been used to treat lung cancer in China for more than 100 years. It is usually prescribed as a complementary and alternative medicine for cancer therapy. However, the main active ingredients of XHW that treat lung cancer and their regulatory effects remain unclear. Here, we revealed modulatory effects effects of XHW on lung cancer in a mouse model of Lewis lung cancer (LLC) by a comprehensive strategy combining network pharmacology with metabolomics. The results demonstrated that XHW inhibited tumour growth in this model. Additionally, 11 differentially expressed metabolites were identified in the XHW group compared to those in the model group or normal group by untargeted metabolomics. They were enriched in amino acid-related metabolic pathways, and the top three pathways were phenylalanine metabolism; phenylalanine, tyrosine and tryptophan biosynthesis; and aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis. A total of 107 active components derived from Niuhuang, Shexiang, Ruxiang and Moyao, directly acted on 13 important targets (NR3C2, AKR1D1, MPO, PNP, NT5E, TAAR1, ADRB2, ADRB1, ADRA1A, ADRA2B, ADRA2A, MAOA and MAOB) to regulate 4 metabolites (L-phenylalanine, l -adrenaline, corticosterone and guanosine). Our results suggested that the key metabolites of XHW involved in the treatment of lung cancer were regulated by a multi-component and multi-target interaction network. This research elucidated the modulatory effect and therapeutic advantages of XHW treatment for lung tumours through an integrated approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Triassic sandstones in the West Qinling Mts. mainly comprise feldspathic litharenite and lithic arkose. • Sediments are mainly derived from ca. 273 Ma, 435 Ma and 1869 Ma sources. • Deposition occurred in a forearc basin in response to northward subduction. Lower to Middle Triassic clastic rocks in the West Qinling Mountains along NE margin of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau are generally regarded as part of the Songpan-Ganzi flysch Basin. However relatively little attention has been paid to the age and provenance of these units. New petrological and geochemical results demonstrate that these sediments accumulated along an active continental margin and are dominated by feldspathic litharenite and lithic arkose with low mineral and compositional maturity. They were derived primarily from a continental arc source dominated by intermediate to felsic igneous rocks, with a minor contribution from older metamorphosed and sedimentary sources. Turbidite samples yielded two primary detrital zircon U-Pb age populations of ca. 273 Ma and ca. 435 Ma, which is different from the Early Triassic (ca. 252 Ma) and Middle Silurian (ca. 427 Ma) age populations that dominate the Songpan-Ganzi Basin. These data together with paleocurrent results indicate that the South Qilian Belt was the primary source origin because this belt contains both early Paleozoic Andean-type igneous and magmatic rocks and has a basement of Precambrian metamorphosed rocks. Regionally, an Andean-type arc traverses the South Qilian belts and extends into the West Qinling Mountains and Kunlun Orogen, which formed by north-directed subduction of the Paleo-Tethyan Ocean during the Early to Middle Triassic. Voluminous detritus that originated from the Qilian and Kunlun orogens as they were uplifted and eroded was transported to the south and deposited in the forearc area in front of the A'nimaqen-Mianlue suture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Exposure to metals and metalloids in indoor dust is associated with adverse health effects in young children, but there is limited evidence for an association with anemia, which is at high risk in children. The aim of this study was to investigate the association between exposure to multiple metal(loid)s in indoor dust in kindergartens and the risk of anemia in children. In 2021, 2165 children from 25 kindergartens in eastern China were included in the study and had their hemoglobin (Hb) measured. Indoor dust samples were collected from the children's kindergartens, and the concentrations of 11 metals and metalloids in the samples were measured using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The daily exposure dose (DED) of dust was used to assess the risk of metal(loid) exposure in the children. The results showed that of the 2165 children with available data, 351 (16.2 %) met the WHO definition of anemia. In multiple linear regression and logistic regression analyses, we found that for each quartile of DED increase in Cd inhalation, child Hb levels decreased by 2.703 g/L (95 % CI: -4.055, -1.351), and the risk of anemia increased 1.602-fold (95 % CI: 1.087, 2.360). Mn ingestion was associated with increased odds of anemia [odds ratio (OR) = 1.760 (95 % CI: 1.217, 2.544)]. Interaction analysis indicated that metal(loid)s exposure effects were modified by child sex, age, and body mass index (BMI). Cluster analysis found that children at high risk of metal(loid) exposure in the school environment tended to have lower Hb levels and higher prevalence of anemia compared with those at low risk, although this was not statistically significant. These findings suggest that child school exposure to metal(loid)s in indoor dust is associated with an increased risk of developing anemia in children, modified by child sex, age, and BMI., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Grass swale has been widely used in sponge city construction, which can effectively improve the urban ecological environment. To explore the regulation mechanism of runoff in grass swale, runoff scouring experiment was carried out to study the hydrodynamic characteristics of runoff and the distribution of cross-section velocity under the combined conditions of five slopes (1%, 2%, 3%, 4%, 5%) and five scour flows (20, 30, 40, 50, 60 L·min -1 ). With the increases of flow rate and slope, flow velocity, Reynolds number and Froude number all increased gradually, while the Manning roughness coefficient and Darcy-Weisbach friction coefficient decreased gradually. The velocity ( V ) could be expressed as a power function V =0.3387 Q 0.555 S 0.6601 of flow rate ( Q ) and slope ( S ). The variation ranges of Reynolds number and Froude number were 1160.95-6596.82 and 0.17-1.21, respectively. The runoff flow patterns were all turbulent. The flow pattern was greatly affected by the slope. When flow rate and slope were small, they had great influence on friction coefficient. Under the experimental conditions, the Darcy-Weisbach friction coefficient was negatively correlated with Reynolds number. The velocity distribution of cross-section showed symmetrical distribution on both sides of the center. The maximum velocity point was located at the center of water surface. With the increases of flow rate and slope, the velocity contours of cross section gradually became dense and the gradient of the velocity change increased. Our results provide a theoretical basis for the design, application and hydraulic calculation of grass swale in the construction of sponge cities in loess areas, and reveal the runoff regulation mechanism by analyzing the hydraulic characteristics of grass swale runoff.

Background: Although common variants in a large collection of patients are associated with increased risk for bipolar disorder (BD), studies have only been able to predict 25%-45% of risks, suggesting that lots of variants that contribute to the risk for BD haven't been identified. Our study aims to identify novel BD risk genes., Methods: We performed whole-exome sequencing of 27 individuals from 6 BD multi-affected Chinese families to identify candidate variants. Targeted sequencing of one of the novel risk genes, SERINC2, in additional sporadic 717 BD patients and 312 healthy controls (HC) validated the association. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were performed to evaluate the effect of the variant to brain structures from 213 subjects (4 BD subjects from a multi-affected family, 130 sporadic BD subjects and 79 HC control)., Results: BD pedigrees had an increased burden of uncommon variants in extracellular matrix (ECM) and calcium ion binding. By large-scale sequencing we identified a novel recessive BD risk gene, SERINC2, which plays a role in synthesis of sphingolipid and phosphatidylserine (PS). MRI image results show the homozygous nonsense variant in SERINC2 affects the volume of white matter in cerebellum., Conclusions: Our study identified SERINC2 as a risk gene of BD in the Chinese population., (© 2021 Wiley Periodicals LLC.)

Introduction: Laparoscopic distal gastrectomy (LDG) is regarded as a standard treatment for patients with clinical stage I-III gastric cancer. With the popularisation of the Da Vinci robotic system in the 21st century, robotic distal gastrectomy has been increasingly applied, and its potential advantages over LDG have been proved by several studies. Intraperitoneal anastomosis is a hot topic in research as it highlights the superiority of minimally invasive surgery and is safe and feasible. We intend to conduct this randomised clinical trial to focus on short-term outcomes and quality of life (QOL) in totally laparoscopic distal gastrectomy (TLDG) and totally robotic distal gastrectomy (TRDG) for patients with clinical stage I-III gastric cancer., Methods and Analysis: This study is a prospective, multi-institutional, open-label randomised clinical trial that will recruit 722 patients with a 1:1 ratio (361 patients in the TLDG group and 361 patients in the TRDG group) from eight large-scale gastrointestinal medical centres in China. The primary endpoint is 30-day postoperative morbidity. The secondary endpoints include QOL, 30-day severe postoperative morbidity and mortality, anastomotic-related complication rate, conversion to open surgery rate, intraoperative and postoperative indicators, operative and total costs during hospitalisation, 1-year overall survival and disease-free survival. QOL is determined by the The European Organization for Reasearch and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnare-Core 30 and Stomach22 (EORTC QLQ-C30 and STO22) questionnaires which are completed before surgery and 1, 3, 6 months, and 1 year after surgery. χ 2 test will be used for the primary endpoint, while analysis of covariance will be used to compare the overall changes of QOL between the two groups., Ethics and Dissemination: This trial was approved by the Ethics Committee of the Chinese PLA General Hospital. The trial's results will be disseminated via peer-reviewed scientific journals and conference presentations., Trial Registration Number: ChiCTR2000032670., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2021. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Degradation and loss of species' suitable habitats in response to global warming are well documented, which are assumed to be affected by increasing temperature. Conversely, habitat increase of species is little reported and is often considered anomalous and unrelated to climate change. In this study, we first revealed the climate-change-driven habitat shifts of six endangered wetland plants - Bruguiera gymnorrhiza, Carex doniana, Glyptostrobus pensilis, Leersia hexandra, Metasequoia glyptostroboides, and Pedicularis longiflora. The current and future potential habitats of the six species in China were predicted using a maximum entropy model based on thirty-year occurrence records and climate monitoring (from 1960 to 1990). Furthermore, we observed the change of real habitats of the six species based on eight-year field observations (from 2011 to 2019). We found that the six species exhibited three different patterns of habitat shifts including decrease, unstable, and increase. The analysis on the main decisive environmental factors showed that these patterns of habitat shifts are counter to what would be expected global warming but are mostly determined by precipitation-related environmental factors rather than temperature. Collectively, our findings highlight the importance of combining multiple environmental factors including temperature and precipitation for understanding plant responses to climate change., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest All authors declare that they have no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Identifying biomarkers in schizophrenia during the first episode without the confounding effects of treatment has been challenging. Leveraging these biomarkers to establish diagnosis and make individualized predictions of future treatment responses to antipsychotics would be of great value, but there has been limited progress. In this study, by using machine learning algorithms and the functional connections of the superior temporal cortex, we successfully identified the first-episode drug-naive (FEDN) schizophrenia patients (accuracy 78.6%) and predict their responses to antipsychotic treatment (accuracy 82.5%) at an individual level. The functional connections (FC) were derived using the mutual information and the correlations, between the blood-oxygen-level dependent signals of the superior temporal cortex and other cortical regions acquired with the resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging. We also found that the mutual information and correlation FC was informative in identifying individual FEDN schizophrenia and prediction of treatment response, respectively. The methods and findings in this paper could provide a critical step toward individualized identification and treatment response prediction in first-episode drug-naive schizophrenia, which could complement other biomarkers in the development of precision medicine approaches for this severe mental disorder.

BACKGROUND The association between body mass index (BMI) and recurrence of anorectal abscess remains controversial. This study investigated the exact relationship between BMI and anorectal abscess recurrence or anal fistula formation following initial surgery. MATERIAL AND METHODS This was a retrospective registry-based study conducted at the First Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou University of Chinese Medicine. Patients treated for anorectal abscess from 01/2015 to 03/2016 were included. Clinical data and time to recurrence were recorded. The Cox regression model was used to estimate the association between BMI and recurrence. RESULTS A total of 790 patients were operated on during the study period. The average age of the participants was 38.3±11.6 years, and 83.2% were male. Median follow-up was 27 (range, 1-38) months. Compared with the low BMI (range, 15.7-22.8 kg/m²) patients, the high BMI (range, 26.0-40.6 kg/m²) patients showed higher risk of recurrence (HR=1.75, 95% CI: 1.15-2.67). In the non-adjusted model, high BMI was found to be positively correlated with recurrence (HR=1.62, 95% CI: 1.10-2.40, P=0.02), and a stronger association was found in the fully adjusted model (HR=1.75, 95% CI: 1.15-2.67, P=0.01). BMI was also used as a continuous variable for sensitivity analysis, and a similar trend was observed (P=0.01 for trend). CONCLUSIONS Elevated BMI is an independent risk factor of anorectal abscess recurrence and for increased risk of abscess recurrence or anal fistula formation.

Accumulating evidence shows that disruption of white matter (WM) may be involved in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia, even at the onset of psychosis. However, very few studies have explored sex difference in its association with psychopathology in schizophrenia. This study aims to compare sex differences in clinical features and WM abnormalities in first-episode and drug-naive (FEDN) schizophrenia among Han Chinese inpatients. The WM fractional anisotropy (FA) values of the whole-brain were determined using voxel-based diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in 39 (16 males and 23 females) FEDN patients with schizophrenia and 30 healthy controls (13 males and 17 females) matched for gender, age, and education. Patient psychopathology was assessed using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS).Our results showed that compared with the controls, the patients showed widespread areas of lower FA, including corpus callosum, brainstem, internal capsule, cingulate, and cerebellum (all adjusted p < 0.01). Further, male patients showed lower FA values in left cingulate (F = 4.92, p = 0.033), but higher scores on the PANSS total, positive, and general psychopathology subscale scores (all p < 0.01) than female patients. Multivariate regression analysis showed that for male patients, FA values in right corpus callosum were positively associated with the PANSS total (beta = 0.785, t = 3.76, p = 0.002) and the negative symptom scores (beta = 0.494, t = 2.20, p = 0.044), while for female patients, FA values in left cingulate were negatively associated with the PANSS positive symptom score (beta = -0.717, t = -2.25, p = 0.041). Our findings indicate sex difference in white matter disconnectivity and its association with psychopathological symptoms in an early course of schizophrenia onset.

Growing evidence indicates that apolipoprotein E (ApoE) is one of the most important candidate genes for influencing the development of hemodialysis (HD). This study aims to detect the potential association between serum ApoE genetic polymorphism and serum lipid level in HD. A total of 485 subjects were enrolled in this case-control study. The created restriction site polymerase chain reaction and DNA sequencing methods were used to investigate ApoE c.109G>A genetic polymorphism. Our data suggested that there were significant differences in the distribution of allelic and genotypic frequencies between HD patients and healthy controls. The levels of total cholesterol, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, ApoA-I, ApoB, ApoE, and lipoprotein (a) for genotype AA were different from genotype GG in HD patients and healthy controls. Our findings support that the ApoE c.109G>A genetic polymorphism might influence the development of HD and could be a risk factor for assessing HD.

Clostridium difficile is a well-known nosocomial infectious pathogen. Research on C. difficile infection has primarily focused on strains such as the hypervirulent PCR ribotype 027 (sequence type 1 [ST1]) emerging in Europe and North America. However, other new emerging ribotypes in some countries have attracted attention, such as PCR ribotype 17 (ST37) in Asia and Latin America. We collected 70 strains and sequenced their toxin genes, tcdA and tcdB. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) was used to study their population structure. In addition, tcdA and/or tcdB sequences of 25 other isolates were obtained from GenBank. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified and analyzed. Phylogenetic analyses were performed to study toxin gene evolution. All tcdA and tcdB sequences were divided into 1 of 16 types (denoted A01 to -16 and B01 to -16, respectively). Hypervirulent strain RT027 is A13B12, and RT078 is A14B10, whereas the newly epidemic strain RT017 is A15B13. SNP analysis suggests the possibility of recombination in tcdB, perhaps through horizontal gene transfer. SNPs were also found in the sequences corresponding to the PCR primers widely used for toxin detection. Our study shows that ST037 shares a few genotypic features in its tcdA and tcdB genes with some known hypervirulent strains, indicating that they fall into a unique clade. Our findings can be used to map the relationships among C. difficile strains more finely than can be done with less sensitive methods, such as toxinotyping or even MLST, to reveal their inherent epidemiological characteristics., (Copyright © 2014, American Society for Microbiology. All Rights Reserved.)

Background: Recently, toxic effects of widespread organic pollutants have received much attention due to the hazards they pose to female reproductive health. The aim of the present study was to determine the female reproductive toxicity of organic extracts (OE) in tap water from the Jialing River in Chongqing, China., Methods: In our experiment, Kunming female mice that exhibited normal estrous cycles were randomly divided into 4 groups, which included a control group (OE 0 L/kg bw) as well as low- (OE 12.5 L/kg bw/day), mid- (OE 25 L/kg bw/day), and high-dose (OE 50 L/kg bw/day) groups. Mice were continually administered intraperitoneal injections of OE at different doses for 5 consecutive days. On the 15th and 30th day after treatments, half of the mice were sacrificed separately., Results: The results showed that OE decreased relative ovary weights and prolonged the duration of estrous cycle with concomitant increase in estrous phase. There was a significant decrease in the number of corpora lutea of OE-treated mice, but no significant differences were found in healthy and atretic follicle populations compared to control. Ultrastructure observation regarding granulosa cells of the ovary revealed that OE treatment caused mitochondrial swelling together with endoplasmic reticulum expansion., Conclusions: All these data indicate that OE could exert adverse effects on the development of ovary and also a slight suppressive effect on reproductive functions.