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Tracing coupled ocean closure and intra-continental orogenic processes using tectonomagmatic thermal events is important for performing plate reconstructions. In this study, we collected geochronological data obtained from Jurassic–Early Cretaceous volcanic sequences in the Great Xing apos; an Range (GXR) and compared and merged the data to obtain a better understanding of the timing of volcanism in the GXR. Jurassic–Early Cretaceous volcanism, which is mainly represented by the Tamulangou, Manketouebo, and Manitu formations, are ubiquitous in the GXR and do not contain a magmatic hiatus. Thus, 'diachronous' volcanism did not occur in the GXR. The volcanic sequences in these formations are also slightly ambiguous and therefore cannot be used to determine the timing of volcanism. However, absolute ages and rock assemblages can provide better constraints on this timing. Combined with data from Jurassic–Early Cretaceous tectonomagmatic thermal events in Mongolia, Siberia, and NE China, we re-evaluated the influences of the Jurassic–Early Cretaceous closure of the Mongol–Okhotsk Ocean (MOO), as well as the subduction and rollback of the Izanagi Plate, at different times in the GXR. The GXR likely underwent flat-slab subduction during the Late Jurassic–early Cretaceous as the MOO closed in an irregular 'scissor-like' fashion (i.e. not in a progressive west to east manner). Large-scale lithospheric delamination likely led to a large pulse of magmatism and mineralisation in the GXR during the late Early Cretaceous. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Established quantitative evaluation method for the inverted arch health status inverts. • Combining variable weight theory and extension cloud model to determine the indicator's weight. • Propose countermeasures for dangerous sections of inverted arches. Accurate assessment of the inverted arch's health status in tunnels is pivotal for preventing floor heave and ensuring traffic safety. This study investigated the condition of inverted arches in 237 highway tunnels in Gansu Province, China. An evaluation system was developed to assess the health of inverted arches, focusing on the disease characteristics and occurrence frequencies of tunnel pavements. Additionally, a new variable weight calculation method was established, incorporating the extension cloud and variable weight theory based on cloud correlation degrees. Established grading standards were used to assign scores for determining the health status of the inverted arches. The completed health status evaluation model was applied to a case study of the Taiyangshan tunnel, demonstrating its effectiveness and applicability. The results show that the evaluation method, applying variable weights based on health levels of indicators, effectively uncovers potential risks to deteriorating inverted arches. In the Taiyangshan tunnel, three inverted arches were classified as sub-healthy, relatively dangerous, and dangerous. Intensified inspection is required for sub-healthy sections. For areas categorized as relatively dangerous, employing 'miniature steel pipe piles + H-shaped steel support' has proven effective. This methodology yields essential insights for developing effective treatment strategies for inverted arches in similar tunnel engineering projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: When Angiostrongylus cantonensis develops from the third and fourth stage, it needs to change its host from the middle host, snail to the final host, rat. However, the mechanism involved in this change remains unclear. Methods: The transcriptome differences of the third and fourth stages of A. cantonensis were explored by next-generation Illumina Hiseq/Miseq sequencing in China, in 2018. Results: Overall, 137 956 488 clean reads and 20 406 213 373 clean bases of the two stages larvae were produced. Based on the queries against the Gene Ontology (GO), NCBI non-redundant protein sequences (Nr), Swissprot, and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) databases, 14 204 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were predicted. GO enrichment analysis revealed 5660 DEGs with the top s categories as followings: biological process (GO:0008150, related to 5345 DEGs), cellular component (GO:0005575, related to 5297 DEGs), molecular function (GO:0003674, related to 5290 DEGs). In KEGG enrichment analysis, 116 genes were related to oxidative phosphorylation and 49 genes involved in the glycolytic process. Conclusion: Metabolism changes, especially oxidative phosphorylation and glycolysis, might play a key role in A. cantonensis infection of its final rat host. Many other pathways might also contribute to the transcriptome changes between these two life stages. Overall, additional studies are needed for further details. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The occurrence of igneous rocks within the Wenkutu area, northeastern China, allows the Late Palaeozoic–Mesozoic geodynamic setting of the Great Xing'an Range to be investigated. Here, we present petrographic, geochemical, and geochronological data for intrusive rocks within the Wenkutu area. Zircon U–Pb geochronology reveals that magmatism occurred during the Early Carboniferous (ca. 334 Ma), Early Permian (ca. 296 Ma), Middle Jurassic (ca. 170 Ma), and Early Cretaceous (ca. 130 Ma). The Early Carboniferous intrusive rocks are intermediate–mafic, metaluminous, and medium‐K calc‐alkaline, have low SiO2 (49.57–55.00 wt.%) and high MgO (3.00–4.77 wt.%), Cr (average 60.64 ppm), and Ni (average 24.73 ppm) contents, and high Mg# (average 45.1) values. These features, together with their significant depletion in Nb, Ta, and Ti, and their enriched Sr–Nd isotopic compositions, suggest that these Early Carboniferous rocks were derived from the mantle and subsequently contaminated by crustal material. The Early Permian, Middle Jurassic, and Early Cretaceous intrusive rocks are intermediate–acidic, peraluminous, and high‐K calc‐alkaline, enriched in light rare‐earth elements, Rb, Th, U, K, P, and Hf, relatively depleted in heavy rare‐earth elements, Nb, Ta, and Ti, and have Eu/Eu* values of 0.05–0.86. These features indicate that the rocks were derived by the partial melting of lower crust. Our results, together with those of previous studies, suggest that the Late Palaeozoic intrusive rocks formed during collision between the Songnen and Xing'an massifs. The Early Permian intrusive rocks formed during the transition from an orogenic to a non‐orogenic environment. The Middle Jurassic intrusive rocks formed during the closure of the Mongol–Okhotsk Ocean (MOO) and were emplaced along the western part of the suture zone. The Early Cretaceous intrusive rocks formed during non‐orogenic extension and were related to the final closure of the MOO or to rollback of the Palaeo‐Pacific Plate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we report on LA‐ICP‐MS zircon U–Pb dates of 14 Mesozoic volcanic rocks from the central Great Xing'an Range (CGXR). These data are integrated with the temporal and spatial distribution of local magmatism‐related Mesozoic mineralization, in an effort to develop an understanding of the geodynamic evolution of the region. Periodic magmatic events in the GXR date from ~1,703 through ~145 Ma. Mesozoic volcanism in the CGXR can be subdivided into three episodes: Triassic (250–205 Ma), Early–Middle Jurassic (182–165 Ma), and Late Jurassic–Early Cretaceous (155–115 Ma). A revision of the previously defined volcanic sequence is offered using a combination of our zircon U–Pb ages and published Mesozoic geological and geophysical evidence from northeast China. We propose that (a) Early–Middle Triassic volcanism in the CGXR resulted from subduction of the Paleo‐Asian oceanic plate; (b) Late Triassic volcanism was related to subduction of the Mongol–Okhotsk oceanic plate (especially near the Erguna Block) and subsequent extension after the closure of the Paleo‐Asian Ocean; (c) Early–Middle Jurassic volcanism was mainly controlled by the southward subduction of the Mongol–Okhotsk oceanic plate; (d) Late Jurassic–initial Early Cretaceous magmatism was initiated by closure of the Mongol–Okhotsk Ocean; and (e) late Early Cretaceous volcanism was induced following the final closure of the Mongol–Okhotsk Ocean and rollback of the Paleo‐Pacific oceanic plate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reports on the petrography, geochemistry, and geochronology of late Mesozoic volcanic rocks in the Wenkutu area of the northern Great Xing'an Range, North‐east China, and discusses the formation age, petrogenesis, and tectonic environment of the Manketouebo, Manitu, Baiyingaolao, and Meiletu formations. Results of Zircon U–Pb dating show that the volcanic rocks in the Wenkutu area were formed during the Early Cretaceous (Manketouebo Formation at 145 ± 1 Ma, Manitu Formation at 141.3 ± 1.7 Ma, Baiyingaolao Formation at 128.7 ± 1.1 Ma, and Meiletu Formation at 129 ± 1 Ma). The Manketouebo, Manitu, and Baiyingaolao formations are dominated by intermediate to acid volcanic rocks that belong to the high‐K calc‐alkaline series, with Eu/Eu* values of 0.38–0.84.They are enriched in light rare earth elements (LREE) and depleted in heavy rare earth elements (HREE). The Meiletu Formation is dominated by intermediate to basic volcanic rocks, belongs to the high‐K calc‐alkaline series, has Eu/Eu* values of 0.89–0.97, and is enriched in Ba, K, Th, U, La, Ce, Sr, Nd, and Hf but relatively depleted in Nb, Ta, Zr, P, and Ti, with no obvious fractionation of LREE and HREE. Results indicate that the magma of the Manketouebo, Manitu, and Baiyingaolao formations had a crustal origin, whereas the Meiletu Formation was sourced from the mantle and subsequently contaminated by crustal materials. The late Mesozoic volcanic rocks in the study area were formed during an orogenic stage, and the compressional environment was caused by subduction of the paleo‐Pacific Plate below the Asian continental plate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: In this study, we explored the determinants of ventricular aneurysm development following acute myocardial infarction (AMI), thereby prompting timely interventions to enhance patient prognosis., Methods: In this retrospective cohort analysis, we evaluated 297 AMI patients admitted to the First People's Hospital of Changzhou. The study was structured as follows. Comprehensive baseline data collection included hematological evaluations, ECG, echocardiography, and coronary angiography upon admission. Within 3 months post-AMI, cardiac ultrasounds were administered to detect ventricular aneurysm development. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analysis were employed to pinpoint the determinants of ventricular aneurysm formation. Subsequently, a predictive model was formulated for ventricular aneurysm post-AMI. Moreover, the diagnostic efficacy of this model was appraised using the ROC curves., Results: In our analysis of 291 AMI patients, spanning an age range of 32-91 years, 247 were male (84.9%). At the conclusion of a 3-month observational period, the cohort bifurcated into two subsets: 278 patients without ventricular aneurysm and 13 with evident ventricular aneurysm. Distinguishing features of the ventricular aneurysm subgroup were markedly higher values for age, B-type natriuretic peptide(BNP), Left atrium(LA), Left ventricular end-diastolic dimension (LEVDD), left ventricular end systolic diameter (LVEWD), E-wave velocity (E), Left atrial volume (LAV), E/A ratio (E/A), E/e ratio (E/e), ECG with elevated adjacent four leads(4 ST-Elevation), and anterior wall myocardial infarction(AWMI) compared to their counterparts (p < 0.05). Among the singular predictive factors, total cholesterol (TC) emerged as the most significant predictor for ventricular aneurysm development, exhibiting an AUC of 0.704. However, upon crafting a multifactorial model that incorporated gender, TC, an elevated ST-segment in adjacent four leads, and anterior wall infarction, its diagnostic capability: notably surpassed that of the standalone TC, yielding an AUC of 0.883 (z = -9.405, p = 0.000) as opposed to 0.704. Multivariate predictive model included gender, total cholesterol, ST elevation in 4 adjacent leads, anterior myocardial infarction, the multivariate predictive model showed better diagnostic efficacy than single factor index TC (AUC: 0. 883 vs. 0.704,z =-9.405, p = 0.000), it also improved predictive power for correctly reclassifying ventricular aneurysm occurrence in patients with AMI, NRI = 28.42% (95% CI: 6.29-50.55%; p = 0.012). Decision curve analysis showed that the use of combination model had a positive net benefit., Conclusion: Lipid combined with ECG model after myocardial infarction could be used to predict the formation of ventricular aneurysm and aimed to optimize and adjust treatment strategies., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The range of the butterfly genus Pseudocoladenia includes several biodiversity hotspots, such as the Himalayas, mountains of southwestern China, and Sundaland. However, the taxonomic status of some of its species/subspecies remain controversial, and no previous phylogenetic or biogeographic analyses have been conducted. Herein, we determined the systematic relationships and biogeographic history of this genus by reconstructing its phylogeny based on six genes and 69 specimens as representatives of all known species/subspecies. Two species delimitation methods (Bayes Poisson Tree Processes and Bayesian Phylogenetics and Phylogeography) were also employed to assess the status of each taxon. Based on these results and morphological evidence, we identified 12 species and three subspecies in the genus and subsequently classified these into three species groups: P. fatih, P. dea, and P. dan. Five taxa, P. sadakoe (Sonan and Mitono, 1936) stat. nov., P. celebica (Fruhstorfer, 1909) stat. nov., P. fulvescens (Elwes and Edwarda, 1897) stat. nov., P. eacus (Latreille, 1823) stat. nov., and P. fabia (Evans, 1949) stat. nov. were all recognized as independent species. Additionally, two taxa, P. eacus sumatrana (Fruhstorfer, 1909) comb. nov. and P. eacus dhyana (Fruhstorfer, 1909) comb. nov., were placed under P. eacus (Latreille, 1823) stat. nov. as subspecies. Another new species distributed in N. Yunnan, Pseudocoladenia yunnana Fan, Cao & Hou sp. nov., was discovered and described. Divergence time and ancestral range estimation indicated that the most recent common ancestor of Pseudocoladenia was distributed in the Himalayas-Hengduan Mountain region and Indochina and diverged approximately 14.00 Ma. Continuous and episodic dispersal, vicariance, and extinction were used to determine the current geographic distribution of the genus. The P. fatih group had a prominently disjunct distribution between the Himalaya-Hengduan Mountain and Taiwan. Meanwhile, the P. dan group was first derived in Indochina and subsequently dispersed into the southeastern Asian archipelagoes. This study provides a reference for the evolutionary route of transoceanic distributed species in Asia and elaborates on the causes of biodiversity., 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 © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: To investigate the risk profile of preterm birth (PTB) in 2018 in China., Method: A prospective multicentre case-control study was conducted in 15 hospitals located in seven provinces throughout three geographical areas (the Eastern, South-Central and North-Western regions) in China. A total of 3147 preterm (<37 +0 weeks) and 3147 term (37 +0 to 41 +6 weeks) live-birth mothers were included. Designed questionnaires were used to investigate maternal and fetal information. We calculated multivariable logistic regression and population attributable risk (PAR)., Results: Iatrogenic PTB accounted for 48.1% of preterm mothers. Multivariable analysis showed PTB was significantly associated with six categories of maternal and fetal factors, adverse life-style and psychological conditions (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) 2.063, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.601-2.657) had the highest PAR% (60.1%). High school and below education level (PAR% = 25.8%), living in town or village (PAR% = 24.4%), low pregnant weight gain (PAR% = 16.8%), hypertensive disorders in pregnancy (aOR: 5.010, 95% CI: 4.039-6.216, PAR% = 15.3%), placental abnormality (aOR: 4.242, 95% CI: 3.454-5.211, PAR% = 14.1%) and multiple pregnancy (aOR: 10.990, 95% CI: 7.743-15.599, PAR% = 11.8%) were significantly associated with PTB with high PAR% value., Conclusion: The main risk factors for PTB in China were placental abnormality, hypertensive disorders in pregnancy and multiple pregnancy. Adverse life-style and psychological conditions and socio-economic disadvantage had high public health significance., (© 2022 Paediatrics and Child Health Division (The Royal Australasian College of Physicians).)

Yinshan Mountains stands on the southern edge of the Inner Mongolia Plateau, which stretches 1 200 km from east to west and 50 to 100 km from north to south. The rich and varied topographic environment of the Yinshan Mountains has created a variety of vegetation floras, which also makes the species of medicinal plant resources in this area unevenly distributed. Therefore, studying the spatial distribution difference of medicinal plant resources among various banners, counties, and districts in the Yinshan area is of great significance to formulate the protection policy and promote the industry development of medicinal plant. This study is based on the fourth national survey of traditional Chinese medicine resources in Inner Mongolia, regarding the results of the third national survey of traditional Chinese medicine resources. The species of medicinal plant resources in the Yinshan area around 31 banners, counties and districts were counted in detail. Then, using exploratory spatial data analysis(ESDA), trend surface analysis, spatial autocorrelation, geographical detector and other geostatistical analysis methods to analyze the differences in the spatial distribution of medicinal plant resources of the Yinshan area in Inner Mongolia. After discussing and analyzing the experimental results to account for the reasons for the overall trend of change and the degree of aggregation, the author further put forward relevant constructive suggestions. The results show that the areas with the most abundant and concentrated distribution of medicinal plant resources in the Yinshan area are located in Guyang county, Shiguai District of Baotou city, Tutou right banner, and Tuoketuo county; the higher richness and concentrated distribution of medicinal plant resources is in Wulate front banner, Wulate middle banner, Wulate back banner; areas with relatively low abundance and concentrated distribution of medicinal plant resources located in Qingshan district of Baotou city, Saihan district and Yuquan district of Hohhot city; areas with the lowest abundance and concentrated distribution of medicinal plant resources are located in Xincheng district and Huimin district of Hohhot city. It can be concluded that the horizontal distribution difference of multiple ecological factors, the special wetland environment of the river, the vertical difference of elevation, the farmland and other factors have an important influence on the richness of the medicinal plant resources species.

Objective: Non-syndromic supernumerary teeth (NSST) are a common type of dental anomaly. microRNAs (miRNAs) play an important role in craniofacial and tooth development. Therefore, we hypothesized that single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of miRNAs may be associated with the susceptibility of NSST., Materials and Methods: Four miRNA SNPs (rs2910164, rs11614913, rs2043556, and rs2682818) were selected, and their associations with NSST susceptibility were evaluated in a case-control study (163 NSST patients and 326 healthy controls)., Results: rs2910164 was significantly associated with a risk of lower NSST (additive model: OR = 4.00, 95 % CI = 1.76-9.09, P = 0.001), and rs2682818 showed nominal association with a risk of upper NSST (additive model: OR = 1.40, 95 % CI = 1.02-1.91, P = 0.037) and NSST among male patients (additive model: OR = 1.62, 95 % CI = 1.08-2.43, P = 0.020)., Conclusion: Genetic variants of miR-146a/rs2910164 and miR-618/rs2682818 were likely associated with the risk of NSST in the Chinese population., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To explore the spatio-temporal characteristics of Oncomelania hupensis snails along the Danyang section of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal and the Danyang-Jintan-Liyang Canal, so as to provide scientific evidence for the dynamic assessment of the risk of snail spread in this region., Methods: O. hupensis snail status was collected in the plain regions with waterway networks in the study area from 2012 to 2017. The spatio-temporal variations of snail distribution were investigated along the Danyang section of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal and the Danyang-Jintan-Liyang Canal using buffer zone analysis, spatial autocorrelation, hotspot analysis and standard deviational ellipse with the geographical information system (GIS) tools., Results: The number of snail habitats showed a tendency towards a rise in the study area from 2012 to 2017, and snail habitats were predominantly distributed in the 1 000 m long buffer zone of the Danyang-Jintan-Liyang Canal, notably along the Jiuqu River at the junction between the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal and the Danyang-Jintan-Liyang Canal. The distribution of snail habitats appeared spatial autocorrelations in 2014, 2016 and 2017, and the hotspot areas were mainly identified at the junction between the Danyang-Jintan-Liyang Canal and the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal. In addition, the overall distribution of snail habitats was located in the northeastern-southwestern part of the study aera, and gradually shifted to the southern and northern parts with the time., Conclusions: The spatial distribution of O. hupensis snails is complex along the Danyang section of the Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal and the Danyang-Jintan-Liyang Canal, and there is a risk of snail spread from the upper reaches to the lower reaches, where snail control needs to be intensified.

Background: Papilio bianor Cramer, 1777 (commonly known as the Chinese peacock butterfly) (Insecta, Lepidoptera, Papilionidae) is a widely distributed swallowtail butterfly with a wide number of geographic populations ranging from the southeast of Russia to China, Japan, India, Vietnam, Myanmar, and Thailand. Its wing color consists of both pigmentary colored scales (black, reddish) and structural colored scales (iridescent blue or green dust). A high-quality reference genome of P. bianor is an important foundation for investigating iridescent color evolution, phylogeography, and the evolution of swallowtail butterflies., Findings: We obtained a chromosome-level de novo genome assembly of the highly heterozygous P. bianor using long Pacific Biosciences sequencing reads and high-throughput chromosome conformation capture technology. The final assembly is 421.52 Mb on 30 chromosomes (29 autosomes and 1 Z sex chromosome) with 13.12 Mb scaffold N50. In total, 15,375 protein-coding genes and 233.09 Mb of repetitive sequences were identified. Phylogenetic analyses indicated that P. bianor separated from a common ancestor of swallowtails ∼23.69-36.04 million years ago. Demographic history suggested that the population expansion of this species from the last interglacial period to the last glacial maximum possibly resulted from its decreased natural enemies and its adaptation to climate change during the glacial period., Conclusions: We present a high-quality chromosome-level reference genome of P. bianor using long-read single-molecule sequencing and Hi-C-based chromatin interaction maps. Our results lay the foundation for exploring the genetic basis of special biological features of P. bianor and also provide a useful data source for comparative genomics and phylogenomics among butterflies and moths., (© The Author(s) 2019. Published by Oxford University Press.)

The purpose of this study was to characterize the decomposition process of different plant litters and its controlling factors, and to quantify the different contribution rates to sediments organic matter throughout the decomposition of different plant litters. Results showed that the decomposition rates of plant litters buried at medium tidal level were 0.655 a(-1) for mangrove and 1.723 a(-1) for Spartina, which were greater than those with 0.651 a(-1) for mangrove and 1.586 a(-1) for Spartina at high tidal level. The reduction of carbon concentration in plant litters at high tidal level was lower than that at medium tidal level, while the increment of nitrogen and sulfur concentrations in plant litters at high tidal level was greater than those at medium tidal. And the isotope abundance of carbon (delta13C) in plant litters at medium tidal level reduced much more significantly than that at high tidal level. The contribution rates of plant litters carbon to sediments organic matter differed among tidal levels, plant species and decomposition duration. Specifically, the decomposition of mangrove litters contributed 5.96% to the sediment organic matter at medium tidal level, which was greater than that (3.03%) at high tidal level. Similarly, the decomposition of Spartina litters contributed 14.81% to the sediment organic matter at medium tidal level, which was also greater than that (13.97%) at high tidal level. The contribution of the decomposition of Spartina litters organic matter (average with 14.39%) was greater than that of mangrove litters (4.50%). The decomposition of plant litters requires a long process. The contribution of plant litters to sediments organic matter throughout one year decomposition was lower than that in complete decomposition, in particular, mangrove litters. Our study showed that the quantitative differences in plant litters-derived sediment organic matter would improve the proper estimation of the contribution of litters to wetland organic matter.

In order to clarify the distribution characteristics and risk levels of heavy metals in typical drinking water sources of towns in Dongjiang River Basin, several regular water quality indexes as well as concentrations of Fe, Cu, Mn, Zn, As, Cr, Hg, Pb and Cd were analyzed in the 45 random water samples of 9 towns in the study area. The risk assessment was conducted according to different drinking water types using the environmental health risk assessment model recommended by U. S. EPA. The results indicated that the metal carcinogenic risk is relatively high in this area. The highest carcinogenic risk was from Cr in reservoir water, with the risk for adult people reaching 1.14 x 10(-4) x(-1) and the risk of children reaching 2.14 x 10(-4) x a(-1). Total carcinogenic risk of reservoir, river and underground water exceeded the accepted level of 5.0 x 10(5) x a(-1) as suggested by ICRP while all the non-carcinogenic risk levels were within the acceptable range. The primary control sequence of metal pollution in this area was Cr > As > Pb > Fe > Zn; the risk value of different drinking water sources descended in this order: reservoir > river > underground water > mountain spring.

Background: Our aim was to investigate the efficacy of the Pap test in combination with the ThinPrep cytological test (TCT) in screening for cervical cancer in China., Design: From March 2006 to October 2008, 988 women with the mean age 46.4 ± 10.5 years (range, 23-80 years) were recruited to receive cervical cancer screening. Pap test results ≥ grade III and TCT findings ≥ ASCUS/AGUS were considered abnormal. Subjects with a Pap test result ≥ grade IIb received TCT. Colposcopy and biopsies were performed in all participants, and final diagnosis was based on pathological findings. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), negative predictive value (NPV) and Youden index for predicting CIN I or above were determined., Results: The sensitivity, specificity, PPV, NPV and Youden index of the Pap test were 43.1%, 97.2%, 70.0%, 91.9%, and 40.3%, respectively. The same values for TCT in predicting CIN were 80.0%, 63.2%, 16.0%, 97.3%, and 43.2%, respectively. The two tests in combination gave values for predicting CIN of 64.8%, 87.6%, 43.6%, 94.4%, and 53.5%, respectively. Combined testing exhibited the highest Youden index (53.4%)., Conclusion: The Pap test with a reduced threshold in combination with the TCT has high sensitivity and high specificity in screening for cervical cancer.

Based on the concept of ecosystem services and welfare, a definition of a sustainable city is proposed, and a quantitative model to describe sustainable welfare is established. With the analysis of the major issues and driving forces of sustainable city construction in China, the approaches for sustainable city construction are proposed as follows: to promote study on the theory and methodology of sustainable city construction, to set up and perfect institutional and management systems, and to establish a performance assessment system and an effective operation mechanism for sustainable city construction in China.

Economic development and increase of population pressure have caused a series of ecological environmental problems of Erhai Lake. These problems include: (1) Quickening of eutrophication process, (2) Decrease of water level and water resources, (3) Habitat deterioration of lakeside zone, and (4) Overfishing and slow depletion of aboriginal fish. Pollutant loading of Erhai Lake is as follows: COD(Cr) 3 008 t x a(-1), TP 137.31 t x a(-1), TN 1 426.35 t x a(-1). According to the mestrophic target of water quality, loading of nitrogen and phosphorus is far above environmental capacity of Erhai Lake. Erhai Lake is now in a pivotal and hypersensitive period of trophic states change, and the position is very critical. Therefore, some countermeasures to solve the problems are presented as follows: (1) Defining the dominant functions of Erhai Lake, (2) Paying attention to the adjustment of the industrial structure and distribution in the course of urbanization, (3) Setting up lakeside zone reserve, (4) Strengthening the control of tourism pollution, (5) Properly adjusting the water level of Erhai Lake, and (6) Some ecological engineering measures for water resources protection in the basin should be taken through collecting and treating of urban sewages, ecological rehabilitating of the main inflowing rivers, constructing of ecological agricultures and improving of rural environment, ecological restoring of aquatic ecosystem, and soil and water conservation.