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Background: Little is known about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) at different stages of the pandemic. This study aims to assess the lives and disease status of PD patients during the zero-COVID policy period and after ending the zero-COVID policy. Methods: This multicenter cross-sectional study included two online surveys among PD patients in China, from May 30 to June 30 in 2022 and from January 1 to February 28 in 2023, respectively. The survey questionnaires contained four sections: (1) status of COVID-19 infection; (2) impact on motor and non-motor symptoms; (3) impact on daily and social lives; and (4) impact on PD disease management. Results: A total of 1764 PD patients participated in the first online survey, with 200 patients having lockdown experience and 3 being COVID-19-positive (0.17%). In addition, 537 patients participated in the second online survey, with 467 patients having COVID-19 infection (86.96%). (1) During zero-COVID, all of the COVID-19-positive patients had mild symptoms of COVID-19 and no death was reported. After zero-COVID, 83.51% of the COVID-19-positive patients had mild symptoms. The overall death rate and inpatient mortality rate of COVID-19-positive PD patients were 3.21% and 30.00%, respectively. (2) During zero-COVID, 49.43% of PD patients reported worsening of PD-related symptoms (lockdown vs. unlockdown, 60.50% vs. 48.02%, P = 0.0009). After zero-COVID, 54.93% of PD patients reported worsening of PD-related symptoms (COVID-19 positive vs. COVID-19 negative, 59.31% vs. 25.71%, P < 0.0001). (3) During zero-COVID, 62.36% of patients felt worried, and 'limited outdoor activities' (55.39%) was the top reason for mental health problems. After zero-COVID, 59.03% of patients felt worried, with 'poor health' (58.10%) being the top reason. The PD patients tended to change their daily activities from offline to online, and their economic and caregiver burdens increased both during and after zero-COVID. (4) Most PD patients would like to choose online rehabilitation during (69.56%) and after zero-COVID (69.27%). The demand for online medication purchasing also increased during (47.00%) and after zero-COVID (26.63%). Conclusions: The COVID-19 pandemic aggravated the motor and non-motor symptoms of PD patients either during or after the zero-COVID policy period. The PD patients also experienced prominent mental health problems, changes in daily activities, and increases in economic and caregiver burdens. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed ways of PD management with increasing demands for online medication purchasing and rehabilitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an important food crop, corn has an important impact on people's lives. The processing of corn produces many by-products, such as corn gluten meal, corn husk, and corn steep liquor, which are rich in protein, oil, carbohydrates, and other nutrients, all of which are inexpensive. Their accumulation in large quantities during the production process not only results in a burden on the environment but also the loss of potentially valuable food materials that can be processed. In fact, the by-products of corn processing have been partially used in functional foods, nutrients, feed, and other industries. There is no doubt that the secondary utilization of these by-products can not only solve the problem of waste pollution caused by them, but also produce high value-added products and improve the economic benefits of corn. This paper describes in detail the processing and higher-value utilization of the five main by-products: corn gluten meal, corn husks, corn steep liquor, corn germ, and fuel ethanol by-product. The utilization status of corn processing by-products was discussed roundly, and the development trend of corn processing by-products in China and other countries was analyzed, which provided the reference for the development of the corn deep processing industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thuja sutchuenensis Franch. is an endangered species in southwestern China, primarily distributed in 800–2,100 m of inaccessible mountainous areas. Rhizosphere soil physicochemical properties and bacterial communities play an essential role in managing plant growth and survival. Nonetheless, the study investigating rhizosphere soil properties and bacterial communities of T. sutchuenensis is limited. The present study investigated soil properties, including soil pH, organic matter, water content, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium contents, and bacterial communities in nearly all extant T. sutchuenensis populations at five elevational gradients. Our results demonstrated that the increase in elevation decreased rhizosphere and bulk soil phosphorus content but increased potassium content. In addition, the elevational gradient was the dominant driver for the community composition differentiation of soil bacterial community. Proteobacteria and Acidobacteria were the dominant bacterial phyla distributed in the rhizosphere and bulk soils. Co-occurrence network analysis identified key genera, including Bradyrhizobium , Acidicapsa , Catenulispora , and Singulisphaera , that displayed densely connected interactions with many genera in the rhizosphere soil. The dominant KEGG functional pathways of the rhizosphere bacteria included ABC transporters, butanoate metabolism, and methane metabolism. Further correlation analysis found that soil phosphorus and potassium were the dominant drivers for the diversity of soil bacteria, which were distinctively contributed to the phylum of Planctomycetes and the genera of Blastopirellula , Planctomycetes , and Singulisphaera. Collectively, this comprehensive study generated multi-dimensional perspectives for understanding the soil bacterial community structures of T. sutchuenensis , and provided valuable findings for species conservation at large-scale views. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tunnels play important roles in integrated transport infrastructure. A digital twin reproduces a real tunnel scene in virtual space and provides new means for tunnel digital maintenance. Aiming at the existing problems of video fragmentation, separation of video and business data, and lack of two- and three-dimensional linkage response methods in tunnel digital operation, in this paper, we propose a novel method for tunnel digital twin construction and virtual-real integration operation. Firstly, the digital management requirements of tunnel operations are systematically analyzed to clarify the purpose of digital twin construction. Secondly, BIM technology is used to construct a static model of the tunnel scene that conforms to the real tunnel main structure. Thirdly, a three-dimensional registration and projection calculation method is proposed to integrate tunnel surveillance video into a three-dimensional virtual scene in real time. Fourthly, multi-source sensing data are gathered and fused to form a digital twin scene that is basically the same as the real tunnel traffic operations scene. Finally, a management model suitable for digital twins is discussed to improve the efficiency of tunnel operations and management, and a tunnel in China is selected to verify this method. The results show that the proposed method is helpful to realize the application of two- and three-dimensional linkages of tunnel traffic smooth, accident rescue, facility management, and emergency response, and to improve the efficiency of tunnel digital management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coronary heart disease is a common disease threatening human health. In recent years, the incidence of coronary heart disease in China has only increased. It is the most common type of organ disease caused by coronary atherosclerosis, which is observed in the aorta, carotid artery, and femoral artery. The main clinical treatments for coronary heart disease include coronary artery bypass grafting and drug treatment. To investigate the relationship of serum adipocytokine C1q/tumor necrosis factor-related protein 9 (CTRP9), amyloid A (SAA), and plasma homocysteine (Hcy) with coronary artery plaque characteristics in patients with coronary heart disease. Overall, 143 patients with coronary heart disease admitted to our hospital are selected as research participants. The proportion of plaque necrosis core volume is higher in group A than in group B, and the differences are statistically significant (P < 0.05). In group A, necrotic core volume percentage is negatively correlated with CTRP9 levels and positively correlated with SAA and Hcy levels (P < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis revealed that increased systolic blood pressure, increased number of coronary artery lesions, decreased CTRP9 levels, and increased Hcy levels are independent risk factors for thin fibrous cap atherosclerosis in patients with coronary heart disease (P < 0.05). Decreased CTRP9 levels and increased Hcy levels are independent risk factors for coronary heart disease patients with thin fibrous cap atherosclerosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To clarify the effect of postmastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT) on pT 1-2 N 1 breast cancer patients with different molecular subtypes. We retrospectively analyzed the data of 5442 patients with pT 1-2 N 1 breast cancer treated using modified radical mastectomy in 11 hospitals in China. Univariate, multivariate, and propensity score matching (PSM) analyses were used to evaluate the effect of PMRT on locoregional recurrence (LRR). With a median follow-up duration of 63.8 months, the 5-year LRR rates were 4.0% and 7.7% among patients treated with and without PMRT, respectively (p < 0.001). PMRT was independently associated with reduced LRR after adjustments for confounders (p < 0.001). After grouping the patients according to the molecular subtype of cancer and conducting PSM, we found that the 5-year LRR rates among patients treated with and without PMRT (in that order) were as follows: luminal HER2-negative cancer, 1.9% and 6.5% (p < 0.001); luminal HER2-positive cancer, 3.8% and 13.7% (p = 0.041); HER2-overexpressing cancer, 10.2% and 15.5% (p = 0.236); and triple-negative cancer, 4.6% and 15.9% (p = 0.002). Among patients with HER2-overexpressing and triple-negative cancers, the LRR hazard rate displayed a dominant early peak, and was extremely low after 5 years. However, patients with luminal cancer continued to have a long-lasting high annual LRR hazard rate during follow-up. PMRT significantly reduced the LRR risk in patients with pT 1-2 N 1 luminal and triple-negative breast cancers, but had no effect on the LRR risk in patients with HER2-overexpressing cancer. Patients with different molecular subtypes displayed different annual LRR patterns, and the late recurrence of the luminal subtype suggests the necessity of long-term follow-up to evaluate the efficacy of PMRT. • PMRT reduces LRR of pT 1-2 N 1 luminal and triple-negative breast cancers. • PMRT has no effect on the LRR of HER2-overexpressing breast cancer. • Different molecular subtypes display different annual LRR patterns. • Late LRR beyond 5 years is observed in luminal breast cancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to develop a driving behavior scale for professional drivers of heavy semi-trailer trucks in China, and study the causes of such driving behavior and its impact on traffic safety operation. Data was processed by IBM SPSS 25. In addition to principal component analysis, Promax rotation, Bartlett's test, Cronbach's alpha, correlation analysis and binary logistic regression were examined. A DBQ with 4 dimensions and 20 items, and a PDBQ with 1 dimension and 6 items were developed for professional drivers of heavy semi-trailer trucks in China. The KMO coefficients of PDBQ and DBQ were 0.822 and 0.852, respectively, and the significant level of Bartlett's popularity test was p < 0.0001. The accident prediction model showed that the variables related to traffic accidents were negligence/lapses and driving time of heavy semi-trailer truck drivers. 1–5 a.m. was found to be the most dangerous period for drivers of medium and heavy semi-trailer trucks, during which accidents were most likely to happen. As negligence/lapses increased by one unit, the probability of traffic accidents increased by 2.293 times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Focusing on the highly 'successful' China-Singapore Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP), this study taps into a less explored topic of housing development in Special Economic Zones (SEZs) through the conceptual lenses of housing regime and enclave urbanism. Drawing on empirical evidence garnered from interviews, survey, observation, and secondary sources, this study transcends methodological nationalism and cityism to present a situated and close-up examination of housing regime at the intra-urban level. It also enriches the concept of enclave urbanism by delving into the nested enclave structure in SIP. A hybrid housing regime featuring a (neo)liberal logic in the disguise of the semi-social democratic regime for landless farmers and a productivist regime for the variegated workforce is identified. Two key players – the local state and transnational corporations, via formal and informal institutions, gave rise to a nested enclave structure. Instead of 'a zone of exception', SIP epitomises the ubiquitous neoliberalisation and aggravated precarity endured by low-skilled migrants, and foregrounds housing stratification and segregation within SEZs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: HSCT is the only proven curative therapy for JMML. Matching donor and recipient HLA alleles is considered optimal to reduce the risk of GVHD after HSCT but is not always possible. Only a limited number of studies have compared the influence of HLA disparities on HSCT outcomes for patients with JMML. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study among 47 children with JMML who received related or unrelated unmanipulated HSCT (March 2010‐October 2018). Among our participants, 27 (57.4%) donor‐recipient pairs had 0‐1 HLA disparities (Group 1: HLA‐matched or ≤1 allele/antigen mismatch donor) and 20 (42.6%) had ≥2 HLA disparities (Group 2: 2‐3 mismatched/haploidentical donors). Results: The median follow‐up period was 26.0 months (range: 1‐105 months), and the 5‐year probabilities of DFS and RI for the whole cohort were 54.6 ± 7.7% and 34.8 ± 15.0%, respectively. Compared to Group 1, Group 2 patients had a significantly lower RI (5.3 ± 10.5% vs 55.5 ± 20.9%, P ˂.001), though similar rates of grade II–IV acute GVHD (60.0 ± 22.4% vs 33.3 ± 18.2%, P =.08), grade III–IV acute GVHD (25.0 ± 19.5% vs 7.4 ± 10.1%, P =.08), chronic GVHD (30.0 ± 20.9% vs 34.9 ± 18.8%, P =.85), NRM (20.0 ± 18.0% vs 3.9 ± 7.7%, P =.07), and DFS (74.4 ± 9.9% vs 41.3 ± 10.0%, P =.08). Conclusions: Disease relapse remains the major cause of treatment failure in JMML patients, especially in patients receiving HLA‐matched and limited HLA‐mismatched HSCT. Our findings suggest that donor‐recipient HLA disparities may improve the outcome of HSCT in children with JMML. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Impatiens macrantha S. X. Yu&Ying Qin (Balsaminaceae), a new species from Guangxi, China, is described and illustrated. Phylogenetic analysis based on molecular data shows the new species to belong to I. subg. Clavicarpa and to be closely related to I. tubulosa with which it shares succulent stems and racemose inflorescences, but it can be easily distinguished by having a 4 – or 5 – ridged stem, obovate or elliptic leaf blade, and saccate lower sepal. Furthermore, I. macrantha is distinguishable from other Impatiens in China by its obviously larger leaves and flowers. The evidence from morphology and molecular data both support I. macrantha as new to science. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The karst area in South China is notable for its fragile vegetation and unique flora with many narrow endemic species, and is one of the most threatened biodiversity hotspots in the world. However, the biodiversity of acid soil areas scattered in the karst area have previously been underestimated. With a recent increase of new discoveries of plants and animals, the conservation of biodiversity in these acid soil areas has become urgent. This study deals with a new species, Impatiens longlinensis. The new species is similar to I. yui and I. lasiophyton in having pubescence, two lateral sepals, funnelform lower sepal, and linear capsule. But it can be distinguished by having orbicular to obovate dorsal sepals and oblong to elliptic lower and upper lobes of lateral united petals. Moreover, molecular data and micro-morphological evidence also support that the species is new to science. The new species is only known from a valley near the summit of Mt. Jinzhongshan within an area of less than 5 km2. Based on the Red List categories and criteria developed by the International Union for Conservation of Nature, and the threat posed by exploitation for tourism development, we categorize it as Critically Endangered (CR). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The role of postmastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT) in women with pT1-T2N1 breast cancer is controversial. The authors developed a nomogram that was predictive for overall survival (OS) and identified patients who derived no benefit from PMRT.Methods: The authors retrospectively evaluated 4869 patients with pT1-T2N1 breast cancer who were treated with mastectomy between 2000 and 2014 in 11 Chinese hospitals. Rates of locoregional recurrence and distant metastasis were calculated using competing risk analysis, and disease-free survival and OS rates were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Based on the risk factors identified from Cox regression analysis in 3298 unirradiated patients, a nomogram predicting OS was developed. The benefit of PMRT was evaluated in different risk groups stratified by the nomogram model.Results: After a median follow-up of 65.9 months, the 5-year OS, disease-free survival, locoregional recurrence, and distant metastasis rates were 93.3%, 84.3%, 5.2%, and 8.3%, respectively. A total of 1571 patients (32.3%) underwent PMRT. On multivariable analyses, PMRT was found to increase OS significantly (hazard ratio, 0.61; P = .002). An OS prediction nomogram evaluated the effect of age; tumor location; tumor size; positive lymph node ratio; estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 status; and treatment with trastuzumab. Based on nomogram scores, the entire patient cohort was classified into 3 risk groups. PMRT significantly improved the OS of patients in the intermediate-risk (P < .001) and high-risk groups (P = .004), but not in the low-risk group (P = .728).Conclusions: The authors developed a nomogram that is predictive of OS among women with pT1-T2N1 breast cancer after mastectomy. This nomogram may help to select a subgroup of patients with a good prognosis who will not benefit from PMRT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a serious complication of diabetes mellitus (DM) with limited treatment options. DN leads to progressive renal failure and accelerates rapidly into end-stage renal disease. Astragalus mongholicus Bunge and Panax notoginseng (Burkill) F.H. Chen formula (APF) is a traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) formula widely used to treat chronic kidney diseases (CKD) in the clinic in the southwest of China. The aim of this study is to explore how APF and its related TCM theory work on DN and whether mTOR/PINK1/Parkin signaling plays a part in this process. Methods: HPLC was used for preliminary chemical analysis and quantitative analysis of the five components of APF. An in vivo autophagy deficiency model was established in C57BL/6 mice by streptozocin (STZ) combined with a high-fat and high-sugar diet, while the in vitro autophagy deficiency model was induced with high glucose (HG) in renal mesangial cells (RMCs). Renal histopathology staining was performed to investigate the extents of inflammation and injury. Real time-PCR and Western blotting techniques were utilized to assess autophagy-related proteins. Results: APF significantly ameliorated renal injury in DN mice, specifically restoring blood urea nitrogen, serum creatinine, and 24-hour albuminuria. APF also reduced the mRNA and protein expressions of TNFα, IL-1β, and IL-6 in STZ-induced DN mice. Furthermore, APF improved the autophagy deficiency induced by STZ in vivo or HG in vitro , as revealed by changes in the expressions of mTOR, PINK1, Parkin, Beclin 1, p62, and LC3B. Notably, inhibition of autophagy with 3-methyladenine in APF-treated RMCs aggravated cellular damage and altered mTOR/PINK1/Parkin signaling, indicating that APF rescued HG damage through promoting autophagy. Conclusion: APF may protect the kidneys from inflammation injuries in DN by upregulating autophagy via suppressing mTOR and activating PINK1/Parkin signaling. This experimental evidence strongly supports APF as a potential option for the prevention and treatment of DN. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Participatory governance has been increasingly promoted in China since 2006. Whilst the state appears to be supportive of nurturing self-governance at the community level through providing financial incentives, it is worth investigating whether the state hampers citizen autonomy in practice. This article examines the implementation of participatory initiatives in a middle-class neighbourhood within the China-Singapore Suzhou Industrial Park (SIP). Through interviews and observing the interactions between state actors, residents and non-governmental organisations (NGOs), this paper examines the impact of changing the facilitator of self-governance initiatives from academics to NGOs. The findings reveal complex relations: although the state does not interfere in participatory processes directly, state-defined evaluation criteria that privilege 'innovative' practices, and budget constraints of NGOs, have weakened the capacity of residents to practise self-governance. The findings add to the literature on participatory governance by highlighting the unique role of community leaders in shaping the quality of citizen involvement in participatory initiatives in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatic sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (SOS) has been rarely studied after haploidentical donor (HID) allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT). We performed a retrospective multicentre study on patients with SOS after allo-HSCT in China. The incidence, risk factors, and outcomes were compared between HID HSCT and matched related donor (MRD) HSCT. SOS developed in 0.4% of patients (HIDs: 0.4%, MRDs: 0.5%, p = 0.952) at a median time of 21.50 days (range, 1-55) after allo-HSCT (HIDs: 24 days, MRDs: 20 days, p = 0.316). For patients diagnosed with SOS, the 2-year cumulative incidence of relapse was 22.7% and 22.4% in patients receiving HID and MRD transplantation, respectively (p = 0.584). Overall survival (OS) at 2 year was 10.4% and 38.5% in the two groups (p = 0.113). The transplant-related mortality (TRM) at 100 days was 60.9% in the HID group and 38.5% in the MRD group (p = 0.178). According to the multivariate analyses, significant independent risk factors for the occurrence of SOS were delayed platelet engraftment (p = 0.007) and advanced disease status at the time of HSCT (p = 0.009). The outcomes of SOS after HID HSCT are similar to those after MRD HSCT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Cognitive impairment is an important symptom of Parkinson's disease (PD) and seriously affects patients' quality of life and prognosis. However, its cause is still uncertain. In about one‐third of patients, PD is associated with rapid eye movement sleep behavior disorder (RBD), which is an independent risk factor for PD‐associated dementia; but whether or not it relates to the cognitive function of patients with nondemented PD is still controversial. Methods: The data from 89 enrolled PD patients were retrospectively analyzed. The RBD Questionnaire Hong‐Kong (RBD‐HK) was used to diagnose possible RBD (pRBD). There are 46 patients with possible RBD (the PD‐pRBD) and 43 without (the PD‐npRBD). PD disease severity, neuropsychological function, overall cognitive function, and various cognitive functions were assessed. Results: There were significant between‐group differences in scores on the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA), Mini‐Mental State Examination (MMSE), Digit Symbol Test (DST), Trail Making Test‐A (TMT‐A)‐Time, TMT‐Trail Making Test‐B (TMT‐B)‐Time, Stroop Color‐word Test, Clock Drawing Test (CDT), Boston Naming Test (BNT), Verbal Fluency Test (fruit), etc. (P < 0.05). Interpretation: Patients in the PD‐pRBD group had more cognitive impairment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prenatal exposure to heavy metals causes multiple hazards to fetal growth and development. Epidemiological studies on the association between heavy metals and fetal chromosomal abnormalities (CAs) are lacking. We conducted a nested case-control study in a cohort of high-risk pregnant women in China from September 2018 to June 2021. A total of 387 participants were diagnosed with fetal CAs in the case group and 699 were diagnosed with a normal karyotype in the control group. Amniotic fluid concentrations of 10 metals (barium, cobalt, antimony, manganese, ferrum, copper, selenium, strontium, vanadium, and chromium) were measured using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry. We applied quantile g-computation and weighted quantile sum regression to assess the overall effect of metal mixtures and identify metals with significant weight. Logistic and Poisson regression analyses were used to estimate the effects of metals on CAs and CAs subtypes. Our results showed that the metal mixture concentrations were positively associated with the risk of fetal CAs. In adjusted logistic models, Sb was associated with fetal CAs (OR=1.15, 95% CI: 1.02–1.30), and revealed a linear dose-response relationship between Sb level and the risk of fetal CAs. Additionally, the exploratory analysis revealed that Sb levels were associated with Klinefelter syndrome (OR=1.452, 95% CI: 1.063–1.984) and Turner syndrome (OR=1.698; 95% CI,1.048–2.751). Our study revealed that metal mixtures are associated with a higher risk of fetal CAs and that this association may be driven primarily by Sb. Moreover, we provide a genetic perspective on the effects of heavy metals on sexual development in humans. [Display omitted] • It's the first epidemiological study on metals and chromosomal abnormality in China. • Antimony (Sb) is positively associated with the risk of chromosomal abnormality. • Sb has adverse effects on embryonic sexual development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Top-down force is referred to arthropod pest management delivered by the organisms from higher trophic levels. In the context of prevalent adoption of transgenic Bt crops that produce insecticidal Cry proteins derived from Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt), it still remains elusive whether the top-down forces are affected by the insect-resistant traits that introduced into the Bt crops. We explored how Bt cotton affect the strength of top-down forces via arthropod natural enemies in regulating a non-target pest species, the cotton aphid Aphis gossypii Glover, using a comparative approach (i.e. Bt cotton vs. conventional cotton) under field conditions. To determine top-down forces, we manipulated predation/parasitism exposure of the aphid to their natural enemies using exclusion cages. We found that the aphid population growth was strongly suppressed by the dominant natural enemies including Coccinellids, spiders and Aphidiines parasitoids. Coccinellids, spiders and the assemblage of other arthropod natural enemies (mainly lacewings and Hemipteran bugs) are similarly abundant in both plots, but with the parasitoid mummies less abundant in Bt cotton plots compared to the conventional cotton plots. However, the lower abundance of parasitoids in Bt cotton plots alone did not translate into differential top-down control on A. gossypii populations compared to conventional ones. Overall, the top-down forces were equally strong in both plots. We conclude that transgenic Bt cotton does not disrupt the top-down forces regulating the cotton aphid in central China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The cotton aphid Aphis gossypii Glover is the main aphid pest in cotton fields in the Yangtze River Valley Cotton-planting Zone (YRZ) in central China. Various natural enemies may attack the cotton aphid in Bt cotton fields but no studies have identified potential specific top-down forces that could help manage this pest in the YRZ in China. In order to identify possibilities for managing the cotton aphid, we monitored cotton aphid population dynamics and identified the effect of natural enemies on cotton aphid population growth using various exclusion cages in transgenic Cry1Ac (Bt)+CpTI (Cowpea trypsin inhibitor) cotton field in 2011. The aphid population growth in the open field (control) was significantly lower than those protected or restricted from exposure to natural enemies in the various exclusion cage types tested. The ladybird predator Propylaea japonica Thunberg represented 65% of Coccinellidae predators, and other predators consisted mainly of syrphids (2.1%) and spiders (1.5%). The aphid parasitoids Aphidiines represented 76.7% of the total count of the natural enemy guild (mainly Lysiphlebia japonica Ashmead and Binodoxys indicus Subba Rao & Sharma). Our results showed that P. japonica can effectively delay the establishment and subsequent population growth of aphids during the cotton growing season. Aphidiines could also reduce aphid density although their impact may be shadowed by the presence of coccinellids in the open field (likely both owing to resource competition and intraguild predation). The implications of these results are discussed in a framework of the compatibility of transgenic crops and top-down forces exerted by natural enemy guild. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective Caregivers, assuming the responsibilities of caring for patients, are involved in significant emotional and physical caring which may lead to depressive symptoms. However, few studies are available pertaining to related factors of depressive symptoms among cancer caregivers in China. This study aims to evaluate the prevalence of depressive symptoms and to explore its predictive factors. Methods A face-to-face interview was conducted with 312 cancer caregivers in Shenyang. Depressive symptoms were assessed by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression scale. Hierarchical multivariate regression analysis was used to explore the factors related to depressive symptoms. In the hierarchical regression, caregiver demographic characteristics were entered in the first step, patients' characteristics were entered in the second step, objective caregiving loads were entered in the third step, subjective caregiving burden was entered in the fourth step, and Sense of Coherence (SOC) was entered in the last step. Results The prevalence of caregivers' depressive symptoms was 63.5%. Regression analyses showed that demographic characteristics of caregivers and subjective caregiving burden explained most of the total variance, accounting for 28.5% and 14.6%, respectively. Subjective caregiving burden was positively associated with depressive symptoms, whereas SOC was negatively associated with depressive symptoms. Conclusions Chinese caregivers of cancer patients experienced higher levels of depressive symptoms. Demographic characteristics of caregivers and subjective caregiving burden were the most significant predictors of depressive symptoms, whereas SOC could attenuate the levels of depressive symptoms. Caregiving burden should be decreased, and SOC is highly recommended to manage caregiving tasks in order to alleviate depressive symptoms. Copyright © 2011 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Chinese citrus fruit fly, Bactrocera minax (Enderlein) is a univoltine Tephritidae pest that infests Citrus species. Field trials were conducted in 2010 to determine the potential use of a lure based on enzymatical-hydrolyzed beer yeast as liquid bait (hereafter named H-protein bait) for B. minax in the Hubei province, China. In a citrus orchard, we compared the attractiveness among aqueous solutions of H-protein bait, GF-120 fruit fly bait, sugar-vinegar-wine mixture, torula yeast, and Jufeng attractant when used in traps and in spot sprays, that is, lures used in combination with the insecticide trichlorphon. The H-protein bait was the most attractive lure in traps, ensnaring significantly more adults than sugar-vinegar-wine mixture, torula yeast, and Jufeng attractant, in decreasing efficiency order. In spot sprays those with H-protein bait killed significantly more female and male flies within 40 min than those with sugar-vinegar-wine mixture, GF-120, Jufeng attractant, and the control. In addition, the total number of flies killed by H-protein bait during the spot spray duration was higher than other treatments. Our results demonstrated that the H-protein bait may be a useful tool in citrus orchards in China to monitor B. minax populations as well as to manage this pest when used in spot sprays. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 2004 the oriental fruit fly, Bactrocera dorsalis (Hendel) has become widespread and economically important in Wuhan, Hubei Province, central China. In this article, the population dynamics of B. dorsalis were monitored using methyl eugenol-baited traps during 2008-2009 in Wuhan. Adults were captured from early July to the end of December in a citrus orchard and peaked in October and early November. Adult population peak coincided with the ripeness period of sweet oranges in October. Infestation with B. dorsalis was more serious in 2009 than in 2008. Field surveys of host plants for this fly species combined with rearing experiments indicated that pear was the first host plant infested by B. dorsalis. We recorded the following host shift pattern: pear ( Pyrus communis L.), jujube ( Zizyphus jujuba L.), persimmon ( Diospyros kaki L.), and sweet orange ( Citrus unshiu Marcor). Our findings suggest that B. dorsalis completes four to five generations per year in this area and most serious damage occurred in the 4th generation in the citrus orchards. The availability of preferred host fruits and the low winter temperature are key factors influencing population fluctuations. Overwintering potential experiments of adults, larvae, and pupae were also carried out in the field. Results suggest that a small proportion of pupae were able to survive winter in Wuhan and emerged successfully the following year. Practical and theoretical implications of the results regarding the invasion potential and management strategy of B. dorsalis in Hubei Province are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to examine the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of the Caregiver Reaction Assessment, as part of a psychosocial study among family caregivers of cancer patients. Participants were derived from the Second Affiliated Hospital of China Medical University in Shenyang, China. The research established the internal consistent reliability, test-retest reliability and construct validity. The research comprised 400 family caregivers. The Chinese version of the Caregiver Reaction Assessment showed adequate internal consistency reliability, test-retest reliability and appropriate construct validity. After adjusting items 4, 8, 15 and 18, confirmatory factor analysis confirmed the five new factors of the Chinese version of the Caregiver Reaction Assessment had goodness of fit. These findings suggest that the Chinese version of the Caregiver Reaction Assessment is a reliable and valid instrument for measuring specific aspects of the caregiving experience in the Chinese population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transgenic Cry1Ac + CpTI cotton (CCRI41) is increasingly planted throughout China. However, negative effects of this cultivar on the honey bee Apis mellifera L., the most important pollinator for cultivated ecosystem, remained poorly investigated. The objective of our study was to evaluate the potential side effects of transgenic Cry1Ac + CpTI pollen from cotton on young adult honey bees A. mellifera L. Two points emphasized the significance of our study: (1) A higher expression level of insecticidal protein Cry1Ac in pollen tissues was detected (when compared with previous reports). In particular, Cry1Ac protein was detected at 300 ± 4.52 ng g [part per billion (ppb)] in pollen collected in July, (2) Effects on chronic mortality and feeding behaviour in honey bees were evaluated using a no-choice dietary feeding protocol with treated pollen, which guarantee the highest exposure level to bees potentially occurring in natural conditions (worst case scenario). Tests were also conducted using imidacloprid-treated pollen at a concentration of 48 ppb as positive control for sublethal effect on feeding behaviour. Our results suggested that Cry1Ac + CpTI pollen carried no lethal risk for honey bees. However, during a 7-day oral exposure to the various treatments (transgenic, imidacloprid-treated and control), honey bee feeding behaviour was disturbed and bees consumed significantly less CCRI41 cotton pollen than in the control group in which bees were exposed to conventional cotton pollen. It may indicate an antifeedant effect of CCRI41 pollen on honey bees and thus bees may be at risk because of large areas are planted with transgenic Bt cotton in China. This is the first report suggesting a potential sublethal effect of CCRI41 cotton pollen on honey bees. The implications of the results are discussed in terms of risk assessment for bees as well as for directions of future work involving risk assessment of CCRI41 cotton. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transgenic Cry1Ac+CpTI cotton (CCRI41) is a promising cotton cultivar throughout China but side effects and especially sublethal effects of this transgenic cultivar on beneficial insects remain poorly studied. More specifically potential sublethal effects on behavioural traits of the honey bee Apis mellifera L. have not been formally assessed despite the importance of honey bees for pollination. The goal of our study was to assess potential effects of CCRI41 cotton pollen on visual and olfactory learning by honey bees. After a 7-day oral chronic exposure to honey mixed with either CCRI41 pollen, imidacloprid-treated conventional pollen (used as positive sublethal control) or conventional pollen (control), learning performance was evaluated by the classical proboscis extension reflex (PER) procedure as well as a T-tube maze test. The latter assay was designed as a new device to assess potential side effects of pesticides on visual associative learning of honey bees. These two procedures were complementary because the former focused on olfactory learning while the latter was involved in visual learning based on visual orientation ability. Oral exposure to CCRI41 pollen did not affect learning capacities of honey bees in both the T-tube maze and PER tests. However, exposure to imidacloprid resulted in reduced visual learning capacities in T-tube maze evaluation and decreased olfactory learning performances measured with PER. The implications of these results are discussed in terms of risks of transgenic CCRI41 cotton crops for honey bees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Three new triterpenoid saponins, polygonoides C (1), D (2), and E (3), were obtained from the ethanolic extract of the rhizome of Polygonatum sibiricum Redoute. On the basis of NMR and ESI-MS spectra, and chemical evidence, the structures of the three new compounds were elucidated as 3-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 4)-β-D-glucopyranosyl-3β,7β,22β-trihydroxy-oleanolic acid (1), 3-O-α-L-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 2)-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 4)-β-D-glucopyranosyl-3β,7β,22β-trihydroxy-oleanolic acid methyl ester (2), and 3-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 3)-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 4)-[α-L-rhamno-pyranosyl-(1 → 2)]-β-D-glucopyranosyl-3β,21β-dihydroxy-oleanolic acid 28-O-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 3)-β-D-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 3)-β-D-glucopyranoside (3). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report the first description of the biology of non-bioluminescent Keroplatidae from China. The life cycle of Chetoneura shennonggongensis is documented from laboratory culture and from field observations. The larval stage usually lasts 8–10 months. Large amounts of pupae are observed in late June, where they remain suspended horizontally or vertically from silk threads. The pupal suspending postures differ from other Keroplatidae species. Sexual differentiation is evident from the pupal stage. July is the peak time of adult emergence. Mating usually takes place immediately upon female emergence if adult males are available. The adult life span is short. Females live a maximum of 5 days and males 7 days. Egg development time varies from 20–30 days depending on environmental temperature. Larvae hang long sticky silk threads with a series of mucous droplets to capture prey. Some behaviors associated with snare construction and prey capture are also described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new furostanol saponins, polygonoides A (1) and B (2), along with three known compounds, were obtained from the ethanolic extract of the rhizome of Polygonatum sibiricum Redoute. On the basis of acid hydrolysis and comprehensive spectroscopic analyses, the structures of polygonoides A and B were elucidated as (25R)-26-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-furost-5,22(23)-dien-3β,26-diol-3-O-α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 3)-β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 4)-[α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 2)]-β-d-glucopyranoside (1) and 22α-(propionyloxy)-furost-5-en-3β,20α-diol-3-O-β-d-glucopyranosyl-(1 → 4)-[α-l-rhamnopyranosyl-(1 → 2)]-β-d-glucopyranoside (2). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rural migrant worker population in China is attracting more and more attention because of its magnitude and potential economic and social impact on Chinese society. While literature abounds in describing the demographic trends and economic impacts of rural to urban migration, very few articles have been written about the psychosocial impacts of migration on the lives of rural migrant workers in urban China. Drawing on the concept of marginalisation, this article describes the nature and characteristics of marginalised living experienced by migrant workers. More importantly, it examines the underlying policy issues contributing to such marginalised living. It is argued that the Hukou system (household registration system), the process of decentralisation and the obscure role of trade unions have contributed to the experience of marginalisation of rural migrant workers in urban cities in China. Implications for policy changes are also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Juglans cathayensis var. formosana (Hayata) is a precious Juglans tree endemic to China. In this study, we reported its complete chloroplast genome assembled from Illumina pair-end sequencing data. The completed plastome was 159,967 bp in length, including a large-single copy (LSC) region of 89,320 bp, a small-single copy (SSC) region of 18,175 bp, and a pair of inverted repeat (IR) regions of 26,236 bp. The overall GC content of the genome was 36.12%, and the corresponding values of the LSC, SSC, and IR regions were 33.71, 29.79, and 42.43%, respectively. A total of 131 genes were annotated, including 87 protein-coding genes, 36 tRNA genes, and 8 rRNA genes. Phylogenetic analysis strongly supported that J. cathayensis var. formosana and J. cathayensis formed a sister clade to J. mandshurica and J. hopeiensis. The newly characterized complete chloroplast genome of J. cathayensis var. formosana will provide essential data for further investigation of this precious species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Xiangxi River is the first middling tributary of the Changjiang River near the Three Gorges Dam. The River is subject to phosphorus pollution mainly from industrial wastewater. As the water quality of the Xiangxi River could directly influence the water quality of the Three Gorges Reservoir, the research on phosphorus levels and its change in the sediment profile of the Xiangxi River could provide useful information in the dynamic changes in the system, thereby offering options for mitigative measures. Water and sediment samples from lower reaches of Xiangxi River were collected and the different forms of phosphorus in sediments of the Xiangxi River were studied. The concentrations of total phosphorus in sediment ranged from 757.67 to 1438.54 mg/kg. Inorganic phosphorus concentrations ranged from 684.63 to 1055.58 mg/kg. Phosphorus contamination was serious in some parts of the Xiangxi River. With an average concentration of 635.17 mg/kg, calcium-bound phosphorus is the main form among different inorganic phosphorus forms. Labile phosphorus and iron/aluminum-bound phosphorus measured 3.40, 0.05and 35.28 mg/kg, respectively. The mobilization potential of phosphorus of sediments was studied through adsorption and release experiments. The equilibrium concentration of phosphorus adsorption and release was around 0.1 mg/L. The initial concentrations of phosphorus in the overlying water and the sediments have obvious effect on phosphorus mobilization potential. In addition, the release rate of phosphorus in sediment increased with water depth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most cases of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) have occurred in close contacts of SARS patients. However, in Beijing, a large proportion of SARS cases occurred in persons without such contact. We conducted a case-control study in Beijing that compared exposures of 94 unlinked, probable SARS patients with those of 281 community-based controls matched for age group and sex. Case-patients were more likely than controls to have chronic medical conditions or to have visited fever clinics (clinics at which possible SARS patients were separated from other patients), eaten outside the home, or taken taxis frequently. The use of masks was strongly protective. Among 31 case-patients for whom convalescent-phase (>21 days) sera were available, 26% had immunoglobulin G to SARS-associated coronavirus. Our finding that clinical SARS was associated with visits to fever clinics supports Beijing's strategy of closing clinics with poor infection-control measures. Our finding that mask use lowered the risk for disease supports the community's use of this strategy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Turnover among newly employed nurses is an indicator of workforce stability in healthcare organizations. The factors influencing turnover intention in this group are complex and differ by generation. The relationships among variables including work-life quality, personal accomplishment, resilience, and turnover intention have been explored separately. However, a knowledge gap exists in terms of scholarly understanding regarding the respective impacts of perceived personal accomplishment and resilience on the relationship between work-life quality and turnover intention. Purpose: This study was designed to explore the respective effects of resilience and personal accomplishment on the relationship between work-life quality and turnover intention. Methods: A cross-sectional approach was used, and 387 newly employed nurses who had worked for just 1 month at six medical centers in Taiwan were enrolled as participants. The following four instruments were used for data collection: Quality of Nurse Work-life Scale, Connor–Davidson Resilience Scale, the personal accomplishment subscale of the Maslach Burnout Inventory, and Turnover Intention Scale. Hayes PROCESS analysis method was used to analyze the influence of resilience and personal accomplishment on the relationship between work-life quality and turnover intention. Results: There was a positive correlation among work-life quality, resilience, and personal accomplishment, and a negative correlation was found between all three variables and turnover intention. Resilience was found to negatively mediate the relationship between work-life quality and turnover intention (B = −.032, p <.001). The moderating effect of work-life quality on personal accomplishment was significant (B =.012, p <.05). Work-life quality and sense of personal accomplishment explained 61% of the variance in resilience. Work-life quality and resilience explained 50.5% of the variance in turnover intention. Furthermore, sense of personal accomplishment moderated the mediating effect of resilience on the relationship between work-life quality and turnover intention. Conclusions/Implications for Practice: Resilience mediates the relationship between work-life quality and turnover intention, whereas personal accomplishment may moderate the mediating effect of resilience in the relationship. Administrators should provide strategies to improve professional competence and improve psychological capacity in new nurses to increase their sense of personal accomplishment and resilience to decrease turnover intention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Children born to mothers with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) are more likely to exhibit congenital malformations, high birth weight, and obesity and have an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes in later life. Children who are exposed to maternal diabetes in utero may be ‘programmed’ for later development of obesity at a critical period of development. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to examine the associations among adiposity and systolic blood pressure in children and abnormal maternal glucose levels during pregnancy. A total of 856 mother-child pairs were included in the present retrospective study. Eligible pregnant women underwent a standard 75 g oral glucose tolerance test between 24 and 28 weeks' gestation. Anthropometric characteristics of their children were measured at 6 years of age, including body mass index, the sum of subscapular and tricep skinfold thickness, and systolic blood pressure. The result suggests that children exposed to GDM have higher adiposity; prevention of childhood obesity needs to begin early in life for these children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research has confirmed that social loafing as a pronouncing obstacle undermines the development of online communities. However, relevant studies centered on the critical factors that affect social loafing in online travel communities are still not well understood. Drawing on self-determination theory and social identity theory, this paper critically focuses on the effects of intrinsic motivation (enjoyment in helping and hedonic motivation), extrinsic motivation (reputation and reciprocity) and community identification on social loafing in online travel communities, using data collected from 300 respondents in China. After a structural equation modeling analysis, the results of this study indicate that only enjoyment in helping exhibits a significantly negative relationship with social loafing, whereas the other three types of motivation are reinforced by community identification to inhibit social loafing indirectly. Meanwhile, community identification is more positively influenced by extrinsic motivation (reputation and reciprocity), and social loafing can be effectively diminished by community identification. Theoretical and practical suggestions are discussed for future research. • Examined the impacts of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation on social loafing under the context of online travel communities. • Indicated that different weighted influences of four types of motivation on community identification and social loafing. • Confirmed that community identification mediates the effects of intrinsic and extrinsic motivation on social loafing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the backbone and arteries of a comprehensive transportation network, highways play an important role in improving people's living standards and promoting economic growth. However, globally, there is limited quantifiable data evaluating the highway traffic state, characteristics, and performance. From the 1960s to the present, remote sensing has been regarded as the most effective technology for long-term and large-scale monitoring of surface information. However, how to reflect the dynamic "flow" information of traffic with a static remote sensing image has always been a difficult problem that is hard to solve in the field. This study aims to construct a method of evaluating highway traffic prosperity using nighttime remote sensing. First, based on nighttime light data that indicate social and economic activities, a highway-oriented method was proposed to extract highway nighttime light data from 2015 annual nighttime light data of the Suomi National Polar-Orbiting Partnership Visible Infrared Imaging Radiometer Suite sensor (SNPP-VIIRS). Subsequently, Pearson correlation analysis was used to fit the relationship between freeway traffic flow volume and freeway nighttime light at the provincial level. The results showed that Pearson Correlation Coefficient of freeway nighttime light and freeway traffic flow volume for coach and truck are 0.905 and 0.731, respectively, which are higher than between freeway traffic flow volume for coach and truck and total nighttime light (0.593 and 0.516, respectively). A new index—Highway Nighttime Traffic Prosperity Index (HNTPI)—was proposed to evaluate highway traffic across China. The results showed that HNTPI has a strong correspondence with socio-economic parameters. The Pearson Correlation Coefficient of HNTPI and gross domestic product (GDP) per capita, consumption per capita, and population are 0.772, 0.895, and 0.968, respectively. There is a huge spatial heterogeneity in China nighttime traffic, the prosperity degree of highway traffic in developed coastal areas is obviously higher than that inland. The national general highway is the most prosperous highway at night and the national general highway nighttime prosperity of Shanghai reached 22.34%. This research provides basic data for the long-term monitoring and evaluation of regional traffic operation at night and research on the correlation between regional highway construction and the economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rainy and windy weather conditions during the passage of tropical cyclone (TC) usually cause large-amplitude rain-wind induced vibration (RWIV) of stay cables in bridges, threatening the fatigue life of stay cables and even the safety of bridge structures. In this study, the probability analysis of RWIV of stay cables under TC-induced wind and rainfall environment is performed using both wind tunnel test and numerical simulation techniques. RWIV amplitudes associated with various combinations of wind speed and rainfall rate are obtained by wind tunnel test on a prototypic sectional cable model. Surrogate models including polynomial and Kriging methods are introduced to fit the experiment results, allowing for the construction of three-dimensional surface representing RWIV amplitude or the capacity of the stay cable. A case study is performed to the Jintang Cable-stayed Bridge located at the southeast coast of China. Ten-thousand-year synthetic TC tracks around the bridge site are then generated by Monte Carlo technique. Subsequently, wind speeds and rainfall rates at the bridge site for every storm are calculated using the three-dimensional TC wind field model and HuRRDE (Hurricane Rainfall Rate and Distribution Estimator) model, achieving the joint probability distribution of wind speed, wind direction and rainfall rate. The occurrence probabilities of various RWIV amplitudes during TC process are finally calculated to conduct the probability analysis. The framework and results in this study can be utilized as a guideline and reference for the design and early warning of stay cables against RWIV. • Fragility analysis for RWIV of stay cables under TC-induced wind and rainfall environment is performed. • Joint probability distribution of wind speed and rainfall rate is achieved using Monte Carlo technique. • Surrogate models of RWIV amplitudes are developed by fitting experiment results. • A case study is applied to a cable-stayed bridge located at the southeast coast of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the impact of ketamine/esketamine on postoperative subjective quality of recovery (QoR). MEDLINE, Embase, Cochrane library, and Google Scholar were searched for randomised controlled trials (RCTs) that examined the impacts of perioperative ketamine/esketamine use and postoperative QoR. The primary outcome was subjective QoR (QoR-9, QoR-15, QoR-40) on postoperative day (POD) 1–3, whereas the secondary outcomes included pain severity, anxiety scores, depression scores, risk of adverse events (i.e. nausea, vomiting, dizziness, drowsiness), and length of stay. The analysis included 18 RCTs (1554 participants; ketamine: seven trials, esketamine: 11 trials), of which 15 were conducted in China. Ketamine/esketamine improved the QoR scores on PODs 1 and 2 compared with the control (standardised mean difference [SMD]: 0.63, P <0.0001 for POD 1; SMD: 0.56, P =0.04 for POD 2), without beneficial effect on POD 3. Subgroup analyses revealed significant differences in QoR scores on POD 1 by regimen (SMD: esketamine 1.14, ketamine 0.01) and country (SMD: China 0.82, other countries −0.21). The emotional domain of QoR was improved from PODs 1 to 3, whereas the other domains were only improved on POD 1. Lower postoperative anxiety (SMD: −0.48, P =0.003) and depression (SMD: −0.72, P =0.001) scores were also observed with ketamine/esketamine use. Furthermore, pain severity was reduced on PODs 1 and 2, with no difference in the risk of adverse events or length of stay. This meta-analysis demonstrated that ketamine/esketamine use in the perioperative period is associated with improved early subjective QoR, pain severity, and psychological symptoms without an increase in the likelihood of adverse events. PROSPERO (CRD42023477580). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Long-term health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of pediatric patients after hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is increasingly studied worldwide. However, few studies have been performed in China, where no uniform scale is available; the PedsQL™ Cancer Module 3.0 Chinese Mandarin version has been used to evaluate HRQoL of patients after HSCT in China. This study aimed to assess the reliability and validity of the Chinese Mandarin version of PedsQL™ 3.0 Transplant Module.Methods: Patients between 2 and 18 years old, who underwent HSCT from January 2006 to June 2014, were recruited in Beijing Children's Hospital affiliated to Capital Medical University, the First Affiliated Hospital of Southern Medical University and Beijing Daopei Hospital. 207 parent reports and 182 child self-reports of the PedsQL™ 3.0 Transplant Module Chinese Mandarin version were assigned, of which 362 were returned.Results: No missing item response was observed in the returned reports. Cronbach's alpha coefficient exceeded 0.7 in total scale and every dimension. The intraclass correlation coefficient exceeded 0.8 in all dimensions of child self-reports and parent reports. Spearman's rank correlation coefficients of items and their respective dimensions were 0.6-0.94 in parent reports, and 0.62-0.93 in child self-reports, while a weak association was found between the items and other dimensions. Exploratory factor analysis indicated a good extraction effect, and construct validity of the scale was >60 %.Conclusions: The Chinese Mandarin version of PedsQL™ 3.0 Transplant Module has good feasibility, reliability and validity. Its use may help improve the HRQoL of children after HSCT in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A novel nomogram was built for predicting LRR risk. • ypN stage and lymph node ratio have great impact on LRR. • The nomogram showed higher accuracy than the existing models. This study aimed to establish a nomogram for predicting locoregional recurrence (LRR) in breast cancer patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) and mastectomy. A total of 2368 patients who received NAC and mastectomy between 2000 and 2014 from 12 grade A tertiary hospitals in China were analyzed retrospectively. The nomogram was developed based on the patients treated in three cancer hospitals (training set, n = 1629) and validated based on patients from the other nine general hospitals (validation set, n = 739). Factors identified from Fine and Gray's competing risk analysis were used to establish the nomogram. The predictive performance of the nomogram model was compared with the cTNM stage, ypTNM stage, and the Neo-Bioscore model by using the area under the time dependent receiver operating characteristic curves (tAUC), calibration curve, and decision curve analysis (DCA). The nomogram incorporated six risk factors derived from multivariable analysis of the training set including age, ypT stage, ypN stage, lymph node ratio, postmastectomy radiotherapy, and endocrine therapy. In the training set, the AUC of the nomogram was 0.792, which was higher than the values of the cTNM stage (0.582), ypTNM stage (0.737), and the Neo-Bioscore prognosis model (0.658). In the validation set, the AUC of the cTNM (0.619); ypTNM (0.636); and Neo-Bioscore staging system (0.584) were also significantly lower than the AUC of the nomogram (0.705). Both in the training and validation sets, the calibration curve showed good agreement between the nomogram-based predictions and the actual observations. The novel nomogram provides a more accurate evaluation of LRR for breast cancer patients treated with NAC and mastectomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Forty passive air samplers were deployed to study the occurrence of gas and particulate phase PAHs in remote, rural village and urban areas of Beijing–Tianjin region, North China for four seasons (spring, summer, fall and winter) from 2007 to 2008. The influence of emissions on the spatial distribution pattern of air PAH concentrations was addressed. In addition, the air–soil gas exchange of PAHs was studied using fugacity calculations. The median gaseous and particulate phase PAH concentrations were 222ng/m3 and 114ng/m3, respectively, with a median total PAH concentration of 349ng/m3. Higher PAH concentrations were measured in winter than in other seasons. Air PAH concentrations measured at the rural villages and urban sites in the northern mountain region were significantly lower than those measured at sites in the southern plain during all seasons. However, there was no significant difference in PAH concentrations between the rural villages and urban sites in the northern and southern areas. This urban–rural PAH distribution pattern was related to the location of PAH emission sources and the population distribution. The location of PAH emission sources explained 56%–77% of the spatial variation in ambient air PAH concentrations. The annual median air–soil gas exchange flux of PAHs was 42.2ng/m2/day from soil to air. Among the 15 PAHs measured, acenaphthylene (ACY) and acenaphthene (ACE) contributed to more than half of the total exchange flux. Furthermore, the air–soil gas exchange fluxes of PAHs at the urban sites were higher than those at the remote and rural sites. In summer, more gaseous PAHs volatilized from soil to air because of higher temperatures and increased rainfall. However, in winter, more gaseous PAHs deposited from air to soil due to higher PAH emissions and lower temperatures. The soil TOC concentration had no significant influence on the air–soil gas exchange of PAHs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Beginning in 1978, China implemented economic reforms to transform the economy to a free-market system. We compared the effect of the reforms on the growth of children in urban and rural areas. Methods: Using data from five large cross-sectional surveys conducted between 1975 and 1992, we examined the trends in height for age of children two to five years of age in urban and rural areas. Mean height for age was expressed as the height in centimeters adjusted to a reference value of 99.1 cm for a 42-month-old boy. Results: Height increased before and during the economic reforms. In 1975, the average height of children in periurban rural areas was about 3.5 cm less than that of children in urban areas. Between 1975 and 1985, the average height of children in periurban rural areas increased by 2.0 cm, as compared with 1.3 cm in urban children. Between 1987 and 1992, the average height of both urban and rural children increased, but the net increase for rural children was only one fifth that for urban children (0.5 vs. 2.5 cm). In a 1990 survey of seven provinces, the rural mean height was 92.5 cm, as compared with the urban mean of 96.9 cm and the reference value of 99.1 cm; 38 percent of rural children had moderate stunting of growth and 15 percent had severe stunting, as compared with 10 percent and 3 percent of urban children, respectively. Differences in height between rural and urban children were greater in provinces in which the average height of children was lower. Conclusions: Despite an overall improvement in child growth during the economic reforms in China, the improvement has not been equitable, as judged by increased differences in height between rural and urban children and increased disparities within rural areas. (N Engl J Med 1996;335:400-6.) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, various wind power forecasting methods have been developed to improve wind power utilization. Most of these techniques are designed based on the mean square error (MSE) loss, which are very suitable for the assumption that the error distribution obeys the Gaussian distribution. However, there are many outliers in real wind power data due to many uncertain factors such as weather, temperature, and other random factors. Meanwhile, the highly nonlinear process of converting wind energy into wind power may changes the statistical characteristics of errors. Therefore, the prediction model established based on the traditional MSE loss may lead to unsatisfactory results. As a result, a robust short-term wind power hybrid forecasting model based on Long Short-term Memory (LSTM) neural network with Correntropy combining an improved variational mode decomposition (IVMD) and Sample Entropy (SE) is proposed in this work. The IVMD in which the parameter K in the IVMD is determined by the Maximum Correntropy Criterion (MCC) is used to decompose the original wind power data and the decomposed subseries is reconstructed by SE to improve the prediction efficiency. Then the MCC is also utilized to replace the MSE in the classic LSTM network to develop a novel robust hybrid model to forecast the wind power. Finally, four experiments were conducted using real data from two wind farms in China at different sampling intervals to evaluate the effectiveness of the proposed method, and the results show that proposed method is more effective than other traditional methods. • An adaptive VMD decomposition algorithm with MCC is proposed. • A new data preprocessing model is proposed by combining with the sample entropy. • The LSTM network with MCC loss is proposed in the forecasting process. • A novel IVMD-SE-MCC-LSTM model is proposed for short-term wind power forecasting. • Experiments are performed to evaluate the efficacy of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Gallic acid (GA) showed protective effects against ethanol-induced gastric ulcer in rats. • The gastroprotective effect of GA could be partly related to the stimulations of gastric nitric oxide and prostaglandin. • Nrf2/HO-1 signaling activation is involved in the protection of GA against ethanol-induced gastric mucosa injury. • Pretreatment with GA could inhibit the apoptosis of gastric mucosal cells. Gallic acid (3,4,5-trihydroxybenzoic acid, GA) is a phenolic compound found in many medicinal plants traditionally used in China or patent medicine such as Feiyangchangweiyan capsule (FY capsule) for the treatment of gastrointestinal diseases for decades. However, the evidence for the gastroprotective effect of GA is deficient and the pharmacological mechanisms remain limited. The present investigation was initiated to demonstrate the gastroprotective effect and to understand potential underlying mechanism of GA on ethanol-induced gastric ulcer in rats. Gastric ulcers were induced by absolute ethanol (5 mL/kg, i.g.) in male Sprague-Dawley rats, GA (10, 30, and 50 mg/kg), FY capsule (0.4 g/kg) and 30 mg/kg Lansoprazole was administered orally. Physiological saline and lansoprazole were used as negative and positive control, respectively. Induction of rats with ethanol resulted in a significant rise in ulcer index, serum levels of inflammatory cytokines markers (IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α), TBARS, protein expression of Bax and Caspase-3 and a significant reduction in the activities or levels of endogenous antioxidants (SOD, CAT and GSH), gastric mucosal protective factors (PGE2 and NO) and protein expression of Bcl-2. Pretreatment with GA showed a remarkable decrease in ulcer index, inflammatory cytokines markers, TBARS, protein expression of Bax and Caspase-3 and a significant increase in the activities of endogenous antioxidants, levels of PGE2 and NO, and protein expression of Bcl-2, Nrf2 and HO-1 when compared with ethanol treated groups. This study demonstrated the gastroprotective effect of Gallic acid and FY capsule on ethanol-induced gastric ulcer in rats. The underlying mechanism of GA and FY capsule against gastric ulcer in rats caused by ethanol might be involved in Nrf2/HO-1 anti-oxidative pathway and ultimately played an anti-apoptotic role through regulating Bax, Bcl-2 and Caspase-3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hereditary multiple exostoses (HME) is an autosomal-dominant disorder characterized by the presence of bony outgrowths on the long bones. In this report, we describe a Chinese family with HME. Linkage analysis and mutation detection were performed. Linkage with the EXT2was established in this family. A novel mutation, EXT2c239-244delG, was identified. Mutation analysis in a family with HME allows for genetic counseling and prenatal diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To develop a model based on maternal serum liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) proteins to predict spontaneous preterm birth (sPTB)., Methods: This nested case-control study used the data from a cohort of 2053 women in China from July 1, 2018, to January 31, 2019. In total, 110 singleton pregnancies at 11-13 +6 weeks of pregnancy were used for model development and internal validation. A total of 72 pregnancies at 20-32 weeks from an additional cohort of 2167 women were used to evaluate the scalability of the model. Maternal serum samples were analyzed by LC-MS/MS, and a predictive model was developed using machine learning algorithms., Results: A novel predictive panel with four proteins, including soluble fms-like tyrosine kinase-1, matrix metalloproteinase 8, ceruloplasmin, and sex-hormone-binding globulin, was developed. The optimal model of logistic regression had an AUC of 0.934, with additional prediction of sPTB in second and third trimester (AUC = 0.868)., Conclusion: First-trimester modeling based on maternal serum LC-MS/MS identifies pregnant women at risk of sPTB, which may provide utility in identifying women at risk at an early stage of pregnancy before clinical presentation to allow for earlier intervention., (© 2024 The Author(s). International Journal of Gynecology & Obstetrics published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics.)

Wind farms (WFs) have grown significantly in recent years, especially in the offshore. However, their construction can adversely affect marine life and expose species to microplastics (MPs) pollution, posing a threat to human health through seafood consumption. In order to further understand the impact of WF construction activities on swimming animal resources and the accumulation of MPs ingested by dominant economic species occupying significant ecological niches, this study investigated changes in swimming animal resources over six periods during three years of WF construction in the South Yellow Sea and evaluated MPs ingestion in three economically valuable dominant species (Portunus trituberculatus, Collichthys lucidus, and Coilia nasus) before and after construction. The study found that the most significant negative impacts on swimming animal resources occurred during the early construction stages, with recovery observed as construction finished. By the operational phase in autumn 2021, all indicators had exceeded pre-construction levels from spring 2019, except for biomass, which had not fully recovered. MPs were identified in every biological sample, and the MPs contamination in the gills was higher than that in the gut and skin tissues. The average abundance of MPs and the overall MPs hazard index of the three organisms were higher than those in other areas and pre-construction levels. WF construction in the South Yellow Sea caused short-term negative impacts on swimming animal resources with long-term recovery, but the increased MPs pollution during the construction process requires continuous monitoring and management to achieve sustainable development., 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 © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

The consensus in 2018 from The Chinese Society of Haematology (CSH) on the monitoring, treatment, and prevention of leukaemia relapse after allogeneic haematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) facilitated the standardization of clinical practices in China and progressive integration with the world. To integrate recent developments and further improve the consensus, a panel of experts from the CSH recently updated the following consensus: (1) integrate risk-adapted, measurable residual disease (MRD)-guided strategy on modified donor lymphocyte infusion (DLI) and interferon-α into total therapy, which was pioneered and refined by Chinese researchers; (2) provide additional evidence of the superiority of haploidentical HSCT (the dominant donor source in China) to matched HSCT for high-risk populations, especially for pre-HSCT MRD-positive patients; (3) support the rapid progress of techniques for MRD detection, such as next-generation sequencing (NGS) and leukaemia stem cell-based MRD detection; and (4) address the role of new targeted options in transplant settings. In conclusion, the establishment of a "total therapy" strategy represents a great step forward. We hope that the consensus updated by Chinese scholars will include the latest cutting-edge developments and inspire progress in post-HSCT relapse management., 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 © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)