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Background and aims: This study aimed to examine the cumulative effects of body mass index (BMI), body roundness index (BRI), pulse pressure (PP), triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) and fasting plasma glucose (FPG) on Type 2 diabetes (T2D) morbidity. Methods: A total of 78,456 participants aged older than 45 years were extracted from basic public health services in China. During the 2-year follow-up, 6,942 individuals had developed T2D. The binary logistic regression models and multinomial logistic regression models were conducted to investigate the effects of cumulative metabolic parameters on incident T2D, prediabetes regression and progression. Results: We found statistically deleterious impacts of exposure to high cumulative BMI, BRI, PP, TG and low cumulative HDL on T2D morbidity and prediabetes progression. Compared to the group with low cumulative of all five parameters, the adjusted ORs for new-onset T2D for participants presenting with 1–2, 3, and 4–5 elevated metabolic parameters were 1.41(1.31,1.52), 1.93(1.74,2.13) and 2.21(1.94,2.51), respectively. There was additive interaction between FPG level and cumulative metabolic parameters with T2D. Compared with participants with the lowest quartile of FPG and low cumulative of all 5 parameters, those with the highest quartile of FPG and high cumulative of 4–5 parameters had a 14.63 [95% CI (12.27, 17.42)] higher risk of incident T2D. Conclusions: Participants with more numbers of high-cumulative metabolic parameters were associated with a higher risk of incident T2D and prediabetes progression. A high level of normal FPG could enhance these risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The determining effect of facial hard tissues on soft tissue morphology in orthodontic patients has yet to be explained. The aim of this study was to clarify the hard-soft tissue relationships of the lower 1/3 of the face in skeletal Class II-hyperdivergent patients compared with those in Class I-normodivergent patients using network analysis. Methods: Fifty-two adult patients (42 females, 10 males; age, 26.58 ± 5.80 years) were divided into two groups: Group 1, 25 subjects, skeletal Class I normodivergent pattern with straight profile; Group 2, 27 subjects, skeletal Class II hyperdivergent pattern with convex profile. Pretreatment cone-beam computed tomography and three-dimensional facial scans were taken and superimposed, on which landmarks were identified manually, and their coordinate values were used for network analysis. Results: (1) In sagittal direction, Group 2 correlations were generally weaker than Group 1. In both the vertical and sagittal directions of Group 1, the most influential hard tissue landmarks to soft tissues were located between the level of cemento-enamel junction of upper teeth and root apex of lower teeth. In Group 2, the hard tissue landmarks with the greatest influence in vertical direction were distributed more forward and downward than in Group 1. (2) In Group 1, all the correlations for vertical-hard tissue to sagittal-soft tissue position and sagittal-hard tissue to vertical-soft tissue position were positive. However, Group 2 correlations between vertical-hard tissue and sagittal-soft tissue positions were mostly negative. Between sagittal-hard tissue and vertical-soft tissue positions, Group 2 correlations were negative for mandible, and were positive for maxilla and teeth. Conclusion: Compared with Class I normodivergent patients with straight profile, Class II hyperdivergent patients with convex profile had more variations in soft tissue morphology in sagittal direction. In vertical direction, the most relevant hard tissue landmarks on which soft tissue predictions should be based were distributed more forward and downward in Class II hyperdivergent patients with convex profile. Class II hyperdivergent pattern with convex profile was an imbalanced phenotype concerning sagittal and vertical positions of maxillofacial hard and soft tissues. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extreme high temperatures occur frequently over the densely populated Yangtze River basin (YRB) in China during summer, significantly impacting the local economic development and ecological system. However, accurate prediction of extreme high-temperature days in this region remains a challenge. Unfortunately, the Climate Forecast System Version 2 (CFSv2) exhibits poor performance in this regard. Thus, based on the interannual increment approach, we develop a hybrid seasonal prediction model over the YRB (HMYRB) to improve the prediction of extreme high-temperature days in summer.The HMYRB relies on the following four predictors: the observed preceding April–May snowmelt in north western Europe; the snow depth in March over the central Siberian Plateau; the CFSv2-forecasted concurrent summer sea surface temperatures around the Maritime Continent; and the 200-hPa geopotential height over the Tibetan Plateau. The HMYRB indicates good capabilities in predicting the interannual variability and trend of extreme high-temperature days, with a markable correlation coefficient of 0.58 and a percentage of the same sign (PSS) of 76% during 1983–2015 in the one-year-out cross-validation. Additionally, the HMYRB maintains high PSS skill (86%) and robustness in the independent prediction period (2016–2022). Furthermore, the HMYRB shows a good performance for years with high occurrence of extreme high-temperature days, with a hit ratio of 40%. These predictors used in HMYRB are beneficial in terms of the prediction skill for the average daily maximum temperature in summer over the YRB, albeit with biases existing in the magnitude. Our study provides promising insights into the prediction of 2022-like hot extremes over the YRB in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iron oxide–apatite (IOA or Kiruna-type) deposits typically consist of a magnetite-apatite-actinolite/diopside assemblage and are spatially associated with extensive Na-(Ca) alteration and brecciation. The origin of these deposits is highly controversial and has been ascribed to the separation of iron-oxide/sulfate-(carbonate) melts, magnetite emulsions, or metasomatic replacement by aqueous fluids from silicate magmas. Here, we propose a new model based on the findings from a cluster of IOA deposits located in the early Cretaceous Ningwu andesitic volcanic field, eastern China. In these deposits, magnetite coeval with apatite and actinolite occurs as coarse-grained veins, massive replacement, and fine-grained disseminations in the albitized, often brecciated, apical zones of diorite porphyry intrusions, the overlying andesites, and adjacent sedimentary rocks. The primary magnetite grains from ores with various textures contain similar and variable trace element compositions with up to 5 wt% Ti + V and show the characteristics of high-temperature hydrothermal magnetite in magmatic-hydrothermal systems. Diopside and garnet as well as magnetite contain fluid inclusions with multiple daughter minerals (vapor + halite + sylvite ± anhydrite ± iron chloride ± liquid ± hematite), which show extremely high salinities of more than ~ 90 wt% NaClequiv, homogenization temperatures of 745–846 °C, and Cl/Br mole ratios of 2000–6000. In combination with oxygen isotopes of the magnetite-apatite assemblage and the association with shallow-seated ore-hosting porphyry, available evidence suggests that these deposits formed from hydrosaline liquid exsolved from subvolcanic dioritic magmas with high Cl/H2O at magmatic temperatures (~ 800 °C). Decompression from lithostatic to hydrostatic condition and the interaction with country rocks explain the abundance of breccia bodies and widespread sodic alteration in IOA deposits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The reliable Subseasonal‐to‐Seasonal (S2S) forecast of precipitation, particularly extreme precipitation, is critical for disaster prevention and mitigation, which however remains a great challenge for mission agencies and research communities. In this study, a deep learning method based on U‐Net with additional atmospheric factor forecasts included is proposed to improve S2S quantitative forecasts of summer precipitation over Southern China. The weighted loss function integrated by mean square error and threat score is introduced to capture extreme precipitation more precisely. Generally, the U‐Net model shows promising results in both general statistics and extreme events. Predictor importance analyses show that the U‐Net forecast skills at the 1‐week lead time mainly arise from synchronous precipitation forecasts, but the contributions made by atmospheric factor forecasts rise rapidly with increasing lead times. Therefore, the channel combining numerical weather prediction model and deep learning framework is demonstrated promising in S2S precipitation forecasts. Plain Language Summary: The Subseasonal‐to‐Seasonal (S2S) forecast of precipitation, in particular of the extreme precipitation events, from 2 weeks to a season in advance is challenging despite increasing social demand and scientific interest for accurate and dependable predictions. In this study, the U‐Net based deep learning method is employed with additional atmospheric variable forecasts (e.g., wind and specific humidity at multiple levels) included to correct the S2S forecasts of summer precipitation derived from a numerical weather prediction model over Southern China. It is demonstrated that the U‐Net improves the forecast performance in both general statistics and extreme events and shows a pronounced superiority to the traditional statistical postprocessing method. Thus, combining numerical models and deep learning is very promising in subseasonal precipitation forecasts and can also be applied to the routine forecast of other atmospheric and ocean phenomena in the future. Key Points: The Subseasonal‐to‐Seasonal prediction of summer precipitation over southern China is improved with a U‐Net based deep learning methodThe U‐Net demonstrated promising performance in both general statistics and extreme events and shows superiority to the quantile mapping benchmarkThe model skills arise from precipitation itself at the early stage, while atmospheric factors play important roles at longer lead times [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adaptogenic plants are a class of medicinal plants that can non-specifically enhance human resistance, act in multiple ways and with multiple targets, and affect the neuro-endocrine-immune system. The species resources of adaptive plants are abundant. At present, there are relatively complete researches on the effect of its oral administration on the human body, but there are few studies providing its external useon the skin. Based on bibliometrics, patent analysis and mechanisms of efficacy of adaptogenic plants in cosmetic applications, this paper finds out that the effect of adaptogenic plants on the skin are mainly focusing on anti-aging. It is further speculated that the common mechanism may be the direct action on the skin, affecting the central HPA-like axis involved in CRH in the skin; or it can directly act on the antioxidant defense system in skin cells and inhibit cell damage caused by oxidative stress. This study can provide a theoretical basis for the application of adaptogenic plants in the field of skin health. And getting fully use of the wide variety of high-value adaptogenic plant resources is also conducive to the better development of the cosmetic industry in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine ranching can help solve the dilemma facing food systems by providing more food for humans under the constraints of resources and the environment. Many marine ranching enterprises have committed to ecological development to help advance the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals. Little is known, however, about the drivers, initiatives, and performance implications of this behavior. To fill this gap, we conducted case studies of five early movers among marine ranching enterprises in China. These firms took both fishery output and environmental protection into consideration and achieved significant results. We identified six main drivers: "synergistic benefits," "sustainable business value," "government incentive and supervision," "sense of social responsibility," "environmental pressure," and "market enforcement." The main initiatives, meanwhile, were "habitat restoration," "ecological production," "science and technology innovation," "ecological operation," and "ecological management." We showed that businesses' ecological development practices can generate synergistic benefits, including economic, environmental, and social benefits. Moreover, based on our key path analysis of early movers' ecological development practices, we developed an ecological development model to illustrate their successful experiences. This model can help guide other businesses toward fulfilling their ecological development commitments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Haroldo de Campos' cannibalism translation theory boasts of distinct Brazilian cultural characteristics. With its rich and profound connotations, it has now become an important translation theory in the world. In China, Jiang (2003) first introduced cannibalism translation theory and it gradually aroused Chinese scholars' academic interest. The current paper charts the developments of this theory by elaborating on its theoretical relationships with the West and China and exploring its theoretical value. Based on first - hand data, the paper focuses on the influences of the theory on translation studies in China. The study found that a) cannibalism translation theory has provided a new research perspective for Chinese translation studies scholars; b) it improved Chinese scholars' understanding of Western and Chinese translation theories; c) it had a lasting academic influence on China's translation studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The utilization of mobile devices in education is a growing trend in various subjects. We developed the Dental and Maxillofacial Development Teaching Atlas App, and applied it to the learning process of oral histopathology. The aim of the current study was to investigate the educational effects of atlas-based mobile-assisted teaching in the field of dental medicine, and to suggest relevant improvements. The Dental and Maxillofacial Development Teaching Atlas App encompasses a wide range of atlases. It harbors various features, such as terminology definitions, student communications, and teacher–student interactions. By conducting questionnaires (70 students) and a quiz (68 students), we obtained students' feedback, to evaluate the effects and application prospects of the WeChat applet. The questionnaire results indicate that students experienced a high level of satisfaction and support. Additionally, students participated in the quiz, with the experimental group exhibiting significantly higher average scores than the control group. The fill-in-the-blank questions, image recognition questions, and the total score all demonstrated statistically significant differences, while the terminology definition questions did not. The Dental and Maxillofacial Development Teaching Atlas App facilitates students' utilization of fragmented time for learning, and demonstrates positive effects in enhancing students' learning interests and proactiveness. It also holds promising potential for applications in other disciplines in the field of dental education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Graduate education is the main approach to training high-level innovative elites. With the expansion of the scale of graduate education in China, it has gradually emerged that the lack of innovation ability of graduate students is recognized as the primary problem in graduate education. How to comprehensively improve the quality of postgraduate teaching has become the core task of educational reform and development. However, data about the current cultivation and development of the innovative ability of graduate students in China is limited. Methods: A questionnaire survey was conducted among medical postgraduate students. Descriptive statistics and multiple regression analysis methods were used to analyze the data to describe the current innovation ability in advanced medical education and potential influence factors. Results: A total of 1241 medical students were surveyed, according to the results of questionnaire data analysis. The proportion of subjects who participated in the College Student's Entrepreneurship and Innovation program or any other scientific research programs are fairly high which are 46.82% and 29.20% respectively. Most of the participants are observed with high levels of self-motivation and active learning and have good performance in creative thinking. However, only a small number of participants (16.6%) reported academic achievements such as publications. Most of the students are satisfied with the current scientific research environment and think that the current postgraduate training system is qualified for the cultivation of innovation ability, and expects the inclusion of course specialized in systemic medicine and medical informatics in the curricula. Multiple logistic regression results showed that among the factors studied, gender, medical specialties, and types of master's degrees are associated with cognition & skills, academic performance, and creativity. Conclusions: It will be important to incorporate more techniques for creating and improving creativity in the curricula of the current postgraduate education, especially for courses such as systemic medicine and informatics. Guidance in earlier school life can stimulate creativity and an early introduction to scientific research work will facilitate innovative thinking and behavior. Scientific research programs such as the National Innovation and Entrepreneurship Training for the universities of PRC have been widely implemented in the undergraduate education system throughout the country. However, the training effectiveness of the current scientific research programs is worth improving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: ICU-AW (Intensive Care Unit Acquired Weakness) is characterized by significant muscle weakness and can be caused by a variety of factors, including immobility, medication use, and underlying medical conditions.ICU-AW can affect critically ill children who have been hospitalized in the PICU for an extended period of time.The knowledge, attitude and practice level of ICU-AW of PICU medical staff directly affect the treatment of critically ill children with ICU-AW.The aim to this study was to explore the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of Chinese medical staff regarding critically ill children with intensive care unit-acquired weakness (ICU-AW) and related factors. Methods: A Knowledge, Attitudes, and Practices (KAP) Questionnaire regarding critically ill children with ICU-AW was distributed to a stratified sample of 530 pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) healthcare workers. The questionnaire consisted of 31 items—with scores of 45, 40, and 40 for each dimension and a total score of 125. Results: The mean total score of Chinese PICU healthcare workers for the KAP questionnaire regarding children with ICU-AW was 87.36 ± 14.241 (53–121), with mean total knowledge, attitudes, and practices scores of 30.35 ± 6.317, 30.46 ± 5.632, and 26.54 ± 6.454, respectively. The population distribution indicated that 50.56%, 46.04%, and 3.4% of healthcare workers had poor, average, and good scores, respectively. Multiple linear regression showed that gender, education, and hospital level classification influenced the KAP level of PICU healthcare workers regarding critically ill children with ICU-AW. Conclusions: Overall, PICU healthcare workers in China have an average KAP level about ICU-AW, and the gender and education level of PICU healthcare workers, as well as the classification of hospitals where they work, predict the KAP status of healthcare workers regarding children with ICU-AW. Therefore, healthcare leaders should plan and develop specific training programs to improve the KAP level of PICU healthcare workers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The principal modes of the diurnal cycle of rainfall (DCR) over South China during the presummer rainy season are examined using 23-yr satellite observations and reanalysis data. Three distinctly different DCR modes are identified via empirical orthogonal function analysis, that is, the early-afternoon precipitation (EAP) mode, the late-afternoon precipitation (LAP) mode, and the morning precipitation (MP) mode. Under the EAP mode, the rainfall starts to increase from midnight and reaches its peak in the early afternoon. The nocturnal to morning rainfall generally concentrates on the northeastern Pearl River delta (PRD) and along the coastline. The coastal rainfall is initiated from the convergence zone induced by the strong onshore wind and is further enhanced via the establishment of a land breeze in the early morning. The northeastern PRD center is mainly attributed to the windward mechanical lifting associated with the strong low-level wind. The afternoon rainfall is pronounced over inland areas and exhibits significantly regional diversity. The eastern inland rainfall develops from the early-morning rainfall over the northeastern PRD, whereas the eastward-propagating rain belts associated with frontal activities are responsible for the formation of western inland rainfall. The LAP mode features a late-afternoon peak, which is triggered and developed locally with favorable thermal–dynamic conditions over western inland South China. The MP mode exhibits a single early-morning peak. Nocturnal to morning rainfall is prominent on the northeastern PRD and near-offshore region. The near-offshore rainfall is basically induced by the convergence between the onshore wind and land breeze in the early morning, which further propagates far offshore in the morning due to effects of gravity waves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the past two decades, China has introduced significant changes to drug regulations through regulatory innovations to accelerate drug review and approvals, keeping in line with the rapidly growing scientific innovation in drug research and development (R&D). In this study, we outlined the revolution of drug regulation in China since the establishment of the State Drug Administration in 1998. More particularly, we performed a comprehensive analysis of newly approved anticancer drugs in China from the year 2005 to May 2021, as a powerful illustration of how the revolution has changed the drug R&D landscape. Innovative drug development in China has boomed, benefiting in particular from pro-innovation policies as well as expedited program designations by the authority. We found a significant increase in the number of both imported and domestic new anticancer drugs from 2005 to 2021, with the emergence of drugs with novel mechanisms of action, including immune checkpoint inhibitors and cell therapy products. Drug lag has also been dramatically shortened by more than 70% for imported drugs in years 2016–2020 compared to years 2006–2010. Furthermore, we provide an insight into the potential approaches to further optimize the science-based and clinical value-based regulatory and R&D drug ecosystem in China. This review provides evidence of significant impacts of regulations and policies on drug R&D and suggests that the constantly adapting regulatory ecosystem will speed up drug development in China and worldwide. This review is an overview of newly approved cancer drugs in China between 2005 and 2021, as a powerful illustration of how revolution in drug regulation has influenced the drug R&D in China. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Against the backdrop of intensified global warming, extreme weather events such as dense fog, low visibility, heavy precipitation, and extreme temperatures have been increased and enhanced to a great extent. They are likely to pose severe threats to the operation of urban transportation and associated services, which has drawn much attention in recent decades. However, there are still plenty of issues to be resolved in improving the emergency meteorological services and developing targeted urban transportation meteorological services in modern cities. The present review briefly illustrates the current cutting-edge developments and trends in the field of urban transportation meteorology in China, including the establishment of observation networks and experiments and the development of early warning and prediction technologies, as well as the related meteorological commercial services. Meanwhile, reflections and discussions are provided in terms of the state-of-the-art observation channels and methods and the application of numerical model forecasts and artificial intelligence. With the advantages of various advanced technologies from multiple aspects, researchers could further expand explorations on urban transportation meteorological observations, forecasts, early warnings, and services. Associated theoretical studies and practical investigations are also to be carried out to provide solid scientific foundations for urban transportation disaster prevention and mitigation, for implementing the action of meteorological guarantees, and for the construction of a high-quality smart society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The scientific community knows little about the long-term influence of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on olfactory dysfunction (OD). With the COVID-19 pandemic ongoing worldwide, the risk of imported cases remains high. In China, it is necessary to understand OD in imported cases. A prospective follow-up design was adopted. A total of 11 self-reported patients with COVID-19 and OD from Xi'an No. 8 Hospital were followed between August 19, 2021, and December 12, 2021. Demographics, clinical characteristics, laboratory and radiological findings, and treatment outcomes were analyzed at admission. We surveyed the patients via telephone for recurrence and sequelae at the 1-, 6-, and 12-month follow-up. Eleven patients with OD were enrolled; of these, 54.5% (6/11) had hyposmia and 45.5% (5/11) had anosmia. 63.6% (7/11) reported OD before or on the day of admission as their initial symptom; of these, 42.9% (3/7) described OD as the only symptom. All patients in the study received combined treatment with traditional Chinese medicine and Western medicine, and 72.7% (8/11) had partially or fully recovered at discharge. In terms of OD recovery at the 12-month follow-up, 45.5% (5/11) reported at least one sequela, 81.8% (9/11) had recovered completely, 18.2% (2/11) had recovered partially, and there were no recurrent cases. Our data revealed that OD frequently presented as the initial or even the only symptom among imported cases. Most OD improvements occurred in the first 2 weeks after onset, and patients with COVID-19 and OD had favorable treatment outcomes during long-term follow-up. A better understanding of the pathogenesis and appropriate treatment of OD is needed to guide clinicians in the care of these patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, a series of chain reactions, like international trade breakdown, stock market collapse, and crude oil's collapse, have adversely affected the global economy, particularly small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). As a result, the Chinese government issued many fiscal and financial policies to support SMEs. This paper analyzes SMEs' coping methods and conceptual changes affected by the epidemic and distinguishes "victims" and "beneficiaries." Subsequently, based on extensive international experience and local government experience, it provides effective suggestions for the Chinese government to deal with the post-epidemic era's economic changes, policy suggestions, and coping strategies for SMEs' short-term and long-term sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The POLIPHON (Polarization Lidar Photometer Networking) method is a powerful pathway to retrieve the height profiles of dust-related particle mass and ice-nucleating particles (INP) concentrations. The conversion factors fitted from the sun photometer observation data are the major part of the POLIPHON computations, which can convert the polarizationlidar- derived dust extinction coefficients into the dust-related particle mass and INP concentrations. For a central China megacity Wuhan (30.5°N, 114.4°E), located at the downstream area several thousands of kilometers far away from the source regions of Asian dust, dust particles always mix with other aerosols from local emission. Therefore, very few dust case data sets can be available when using the column-integrated Ångström exponent (for 440-870 nm) <0.3 and aerosol optical depth (at 532 nm) >0.1 recorded by sun photometer as the filtering criteria. Instead, we present another dust-case data-set screening scheme that applies the simultaneous polarization lidar observation to verify the occurrence of dust. Based on the 33 dust-intrusion days identified during 2011-2013, the extinction-to-volume (푐푣,푑) and extinction-to-large particle (with radius >250 nm) number concentration (푐250,푑) conversion factors are determined to be 0.52 × 10-12 Mm m³m-3 and 0.11 Mm cm-3, respectively. They are both smaller than those observed at Lanzhou SACOL (36.0°N, 104.1°E), a site closer to the Gobi Desert, due to the partial dust sedimentation during transport. The conversion factors are applied in a dust event in Wuhan to reveal the typical dust-related INP concentration over East Asia city. The proposed dust-case data-set screening scheme may potentially be extended to the other polluted city sites more influenced by mixed dust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several COVID-19 patients have overlapping comorbidities. The independent role of each component contributing to the risk of COVID-19 is unknown, and how some non-cardiometabolic comorbidities affect the risk of COVID-19 remains unclear. A retrospective follow-up design was adopted. A total of 1,160 laboratory-confirmed patients were enrolled from nine provinces in China. Data on comorbidities were obtained from the patients' medical records. Multivariable logistic regression models were used to estimate the odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI) of the associations between comorbidities (cardiometabolic or non-cardiometabolic diseases), clinical severity, and treatment outcomes of COVID-19. Overall, 158 (13.6%) patients were diagnosed with severe illness and 32 (2.7%) had unfavorable outcomes. Hypertension (2.87, 1.30–6.32), type 2 diabetes (T2DM) (3.57, 2.32–5.49), cardiovascular disease (CVD) (3.78, 1.81–7.89), fatty liver disease (7.53, 1.96–28.96), hyperlipidemia (2.15, 1.26–3.67), other lung diseases (6.00, 3.01–11.96), and electrolyte imbalance (10.40, 3.00–26.10) were independently linked to increased odds of being severely ill. T2DM (6.07, 2.89–12.75), CVD (8.47, 6.03–11.89), and electrolyte imbalance (19.44, 11.47–32.96) were also strong predictors of unfavorable outcomes. Women with comorbidities were more likely to have severe disease on admission (5.46, 3.25–9.19), while men with comorbidities were more likely to have unfavorable treatment outcomes (6.58, 1.46–29.64) within two weeks. Besides hypertension, diabetes, and CVD, fatty liver disease, hyperlipidemia, other lung diseases, and electrolyte imbalance were independent risk factors for COVID-19 severity and poor treatment outcome. Women with comorbidities were more likely to have severe disease, while men with comorbidities were more likely to have unfavorable treatment outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The prevalence of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) has been increasing worldwide, and the risk of infection has increased due to the use of immunosuppressive and biologic medications. Some of these infections can be prevented with vaccinations. The aim of this study was to evaluate the vaccination practices of Chinese gastroenterologists for patients with IBD. Methods: Questionnaires based on quick response codes were sent using email and the WeChat platform to gastroenterologists at 20 hospitals in China. The vaccination practices of the gastroenterologists, including vaccinating for hepatitis B, hepatitis A, and varicella, were assessed. Results: Of the 468 gastroenterologists who received the questionnaire, 307 (65.6%) completed it. Of the gastroenterologists who were most concerned about hepatitis B; 83.4% always or frequently asked about an infection history, 53.7% took an immunization history, and 73.6% tested patients for hepatitis B infection. However, few gastroenterologists did so for hepatitis A or varicella. The proportion of patients who were asked about an infection and immunization history and tested for varicella infection was 16.0%, 15.0%, and 9.4%, respectively. Only a few gastroenterologists recommended vaccination for patients without an infection before IBD medical treatment (26.7% for hepatitis A, 45.6% for hepatitis B, and 28% for varicella vaccination). Conclusion: Vaccination practices for patients with IBD used by Chinese gastroenterologists vary greatly, suggesting that education about immunization is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The magnetic properties of particulate matter (PM) deposited on the needles of Juniperus formosana along an urban street in Lanzhou city were measured to evaluate the variations of PM concentration in different seasons by varying distance from the road. The magnetism of PM deposited in this context was significantly higher in winter than in summer, which may reflect changes of atmospheric particle concentrations. Needle samples which were collected from the road-facing side exhibiting significantly stronger magnetism compared with those which were collected from the opposite side of the road, indicating the distance from pollution source to the needles as a factor controls the amount of PM. The results of this study show that the needles of Juniperus formosana are effective traps for PM and can therefore be used to monitor pollution fluxes in different seasons in an important urban context in NW China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Pseudorabies virus (PRV, or suid herpesvirus, SuHV-1), a member of the herpesvirus family, has an extremely broad host range and threatens the pig industry in China. PRV can evade host innate immunity and infect the kidney, lung, brain and other tissues. At the same time, many studies have reported that microRNA (miRNA) can affect the replication of viruses by regulating gene expression levels. Results: Here, to identify changes in miRNA expression and post-transcriptional regulation associated with PRV infection in the lung, spleen, and olfactory bulb, we sequenced small RNAs in tissues of rats infected or uninfected with PRV strain XJ (PRV-XJ). Sixty-one, 199 and 29 differentially-expressed miRNAs were identified in the lung, spleen, and olfactory bulb, respectively, of infected compared with uninfected rats. Among the miRNAs differentially-expressed in PRV-infected rats, 36, 171, and 15 miRNAs showed tissue-selective expression in the olfactory bulb, lung and spleen, respectively. All differentially-expressed miRNAs were analyzed for their GO functional annotations and KEGG pathway associations. Conclusions: In PRV-XJ-infected rats, miRNAs were differentially expressed in the lung, spleen and olfactory bulb. These miRNAs were involved in regulating various pathways of the nervous, respiratory and immune systems, and may affect the tissue tropism of the virus and play pivotal roles in viral infection and proliferation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, farmers have had high participation rate in the rural social endowment insurance in China, for which personal contribution and government subsidy are the main funding source. There have been increasingly more farmers participating into the program. However, their enthusiasm for high premium payment was rather low as most of them selected the minimum premium for insurance. In this article, the discounted utility theory from behavioral economics was adopted to analyze insurance selection behaviors of farmers; in addition, a discounted incremental utility model with a hyperbolic discounting function was also further constructed to describe their insurance decision-making processes. Based on the investigation of time preferences of farmers, their insurance participation behaviors of diverse natures were simulated. The corresponding results indicated that active insurance participation and low insurance premium payment were rational choices for most farmers; in comparison, for the elders with higher income, different choices can be made. Therefore, policy makers could formulate differentiated subsidy policies directing at farmers from different groups, so as to stimulate their enthusiasm for premium payment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AbstractKong, Fan-Yi, Qiang Li, and Shi-Xiang Liu. Poor sleep quality predicts decreased cognitive function independently of chronic mountain sickness (CMS) score in young soldiers with polycythemia stationed in Tibet. High Alt. Med. Biol. 12:237–242, 2011.—Little is known about the association between poor sleep and cognitive function in people with polycythemia at high altitude. The aim of this study was to survey the sleep quality of individuals with polycythemia at high altitude and determine its association with cognitive abilities. We surveyed 230 soldiers stationed in Tibet (all men; mean age 21–52±4.30 yr) at altitudes ranging from 3658 to 3996 m. All participants were given a blood tests for hemoglobin level and a questionnaire survey of cognitive function. Polycythemia was defined as excessive erythrocytosis (Hb≥21 g/dL in men or ≥19 g/dL in women). Poor sleepers were defined as having a global Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index score (PSQI)>5. Cognitive abilities were determined by the Chinese revision of the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale and the Benton Visual Retention Test. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to determine the association between the PSQI and cognitive function. Logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the independent effect of sleep quality on cognitive function. The global PSQI score of enrolled participants was 8.14±3.79. Seventy-five (32.6%) soldiers were diagnosed with polycythemia. The proportion of poor sleepers was 1.45 times greater in those with polycythemia compared with those without polycythemia [95% (confidence interval) CI 1.82–2.56], and they had a statistically significant lower score for cognitive function. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that the global PSQI score was negatively associated with IQ (β=0.11, 95% CI −0.16 to −0.05) and digit symbol scores (β=0.66, 95% CI −0.86 to −0.44). Poor sleep quality was determined to be an independent predictor of impaired IQ [odds ratio (OR) 1.59, 95% CI 1.30–1.95] and digit symbol score (OR 1.18, 95% CI 1.07–1.31) in logistic regression analysis.The present study showed that for young soldiers with polycythemia at high altitude impaired subjective sleep quality was an independent predictor of decreased cognitive function, especially IQ and verbal short-term memory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: • Deep Underground Space (DUS) can be used for special transport functions. • DUS resource context of Shanghai City and depth-scape planning priorities. • DUS planning and management policy benchmarking from Finland and Japan. • Development strategy for DUS at the city scale, district scale and project scale. • Policy guideline is proposed for short-term planning and long-term development. Abstract Urban Underground Infrastructures (UUI) are crucial for megacities that are suffering weak adaptabilities of environmental threats while facing fast economic growth from highly concentrated urban developments. Because of the urbanization and densification of cities globally, Metropolitan Authorities must prioritize the use of shallow and deep Urban Underground Space (UUS). Effective management of such space requires specifications of use for the varying levels within these. The specifications are defined as “Vertical zoning” (namely “Depth-scape”). This paper suggests a strategy for an economic development plan for Shanghai in China. Its specific focus is that of Deep Underground Space (DUS). The authors also suggest that this strategy may be transferable to other cities experiencing similar urbanization and densification, globally. In urban centers, surface buildings and facilities have been connected through shallow tunnel transport systems for pedestrian, utility, vehicle, metro, train, at a micro scale. For a larger urban territory, Special transport systems ensuring city’s security, resiliency and sustainability are usually built in the deep underground, such as: disaster evacuators, flood drainers (“sponge city creators”), terminal freight deliveries, waste movers, energy transmitters, cavern connecters and deep shaft elevators. A strategy proposed in this paper will incorporate these macro scale deep infrastructures into the economic development plan of Shanghai city. Methods applied in this paper include: Resources potential evaluation framework, Strategic benchmarking model, Conceptual infrastructure planning and Investment project appraisal scheme. Integration between municipal infrastructures and underground infrastructures is beneficial for the long-term operation of megacities, where utility systems and municipal facilities keep sizing up to meet future demand. Infrastructure integration becomes a must rather than an option. Developing Special Transport Systems in the Deep Underground Space (DUS) will allow a megacity to scale up its infrastructure stock, save surface land resources, protect societal assets, mitigate calamity losses, sustain operability and improve livability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the effects of sons versus daughters on parental joint time allocation between the labor market and the household. Using data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey from 1989 to 2006, we apply a fixed-effects model to control for cross-household heterogeneity in son preference. We find that the birth of sons rather than daughters significantly reduces maternal time spent on household chores, which we argue represents an increase in maternal intra-household bargaining power. However, the effects of sex composition of children on paternal time allocation and maternal time on labor-market activities are weak or mixed. Results are robust to a series of sensitive analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Breast cancer (BC) patients in China suffered from a variety of psychology stress such as perceived stress and anxiety, posttraumatic growth (PTG) as a positive factor could promote their psychology health and quality of life. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of mindfulness-based stress reduction (MBSR) on promoting PTG, decreasing perceived stress and anxiety of Chinese BC patients. A randomized controlled trial of 60 BC patients (Stages I–III) was conducted. They were randomly divided to the 8-week MBSR group or usual care (UC) group. PTG inventory, Perceived Stress Scale of Chinese version (CPSS) and State Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI) evaluated the PTG level, perceived stress and anxiety at three times(before intervention-T1, after intervention-T2 and follow up at 3 months-T3). A repeated-measures analysis of variance model was used to compare each outcome measure of two groups at the three times. There was one patient discontinued the intervention and one lose to follow up in MBSR group, finally 58 BC patients completed the research. There was no difference between two groups before the intervention. The results showed significant improvements in MBSR group comparing with the UC group that PTG level was much higher after the 8-week intervention and the follow up (F = 34.73,p < .00). At the same time, CPSS (F = 14.41,p < .00) and STAI (F = 15.24,p < .00) scores were significant decreased at T2 and T3. The results showed that MBSR promoted the level of PTG and decreased perceived stress and anxiety state of Chinese BC patients, and the results persisted at three months after intervention. The research preliminary proved that MBSR was suitable to Chinese BC patients. MBSR should be recommending to BC survivors in China. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: There is scant information on characteristics, treatment, functional outcome and case fatality of ischemic stroke with atrial fibrillation (AF) in China. Methods: For this study, first-ever ischemic stroke patients who were admitted within 1 month of stroke onset during the period of March 2002 through December 2008 were included. Data on ischemic stroke patients were collected which included: demographics, risk factors, treatment administered, stroke-related complications and 3-month, 6-month and 1-year death and disability. Multivariate regression models were used to analyze predictors for death and disability. Results: Of the 2,683 patients included in this study, 366 (13.6%) had AF. In this group, valvular AF was observed in 153 (41.8%) patients. Compared to patients without AF, patients with AF were older (66.1 vs. 63.6, p = 0.001) and had a higher NIHSS score on admission (median 10 vs. 4, p < 0.001) and more frequently suffered from hemorrhagic transformation (7.3 vs. 2.8%, p < 0.001), pulmonary infection (27 vs. 10.6%, p < 0.001), urinary tract infection (8.5 vs. 3.0%, p < 0.001), acute gastrointestinal tract hemorrhage (4.1 vs. 1.9%, p = 0.008), electrolyte disturbance (5.2 vs. 1.8%, p < 0.001), acute renal failure (1.1 vs. 0.5%, p = 0.005) and urinary incontinence (3.8 vs. 0.6%, p < 0.001) during hospitalization. The percentages of patients with AF who received oral anticoagulants were 3.3% before stroke onset and 14.2% at discharge. Moreover, patients with AF had a higher proportion of disability (determined as modified Rankin Scale score 3-5) in 3-month, 6-month and 1-year follow-ups (46.6, 41.9 and 37.6 vs. 29.1, 24.0 and 19.3%, respectively, p < 0.001) and higher case fatality in hospitalization, 3-month, 6-month and 1-year follow-ups (10.1, 25.5, 29.1 and 34.0 vs. 2.0, 7.4, 8.8 and 11.6%, respectively, p < 0.001). Multivariate logistic regression determined that AF, age and NIHSS score were the independent predictors for the 3-month, 6-month and 1-year death. Conclusions: Ischemic stroke patients with AF have a poorer outcome, a higher frequency of stroke-related complications and a higher case fatality than patients without AF. Oral anticoagulants were underused in AF patients. Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

llogeneic hematopoetic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) remains the only curative therapy for chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML). In this study, the long-term outcomes of HLA-matched sibling donor (MSD) with mismatched related donor (MRD) and unrelated donor (URD) transplantation for CML in the first chronic phase (CML-CP1) using different graft vs. host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis regimens according to donor source and the degree of HLA matching were compared. The data of 91 patients with CML-CP1 were analyzed with respect to GVHD, overall survival (OS), and transplant-related mortality (TRM). The incidence of grade II-IV acute GVHD was 25.5% in the MSD and 40.5% in the MRD/URD group ( P = 0.133). The 1-year cumulative incidence of chronic GVHD was not different between the MSD and the MRD/URD groups, while extensive chronic GVHD was different between the two groups (31.9% vs. 10.8%, P = 0.023). The 5-year cumulative relapse rate was not different between the MSD and the MRD/URD groups, while TRM was different between the two groups (6.6% vs. 26.3%, P = 0.010). The 5-year cumulative OS was 90.9%, 71.5%, and 85.4% in the MSD, the MRD/URD, and the HLA allele-matched URD transplantation, respectively (MSD vs. MRD/URD, P = 0.013; MSD vs. HLA allele-matched URD, P = 0.437). In conclusion, survival in HLA allele-matched URD is equivalent to MSD, but in MRD and mismatched URD is inferior to MSD in patients with CML-CP1 undergoing allo-HSCT using different GVHD prophylaxis regimens according to donor source and degree of HLA matching. Patients undergoing MRD/URD transplantation have an equal quality of life as patients undergoing MSD transplantation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: Controversy exists as to whether posterior circulation infarction (PCI) has a poorer outcome compared to anterior circulation infarction (ACI). We aimed to investigate whether PCI had different clinical outcomes from ACI in Chinese patients with ischemic stroke. Methods: Data on ischemic stroke patients with ACI or PCI were collected including demographics, risk factors and 1-month, 3-month, and 1-year case fatality and disability (defined as modified Rankin Scale 3–5). Multivariate regression models were used to analyze predictors for death and disability. Results: Of the 1,962 enrolled cases, 433 (22.1%) had PCI. The case fatality of PCI at 1-month, 3-month and 1-year follow-up (FU) were lower than that of ACI (3.93, 5.3 and 9.7% vs. 7.26, 9.3 and 13.7%, p <0.05), and the proportion of disability was also lower in PCI at 3-month FU (19.6 vs. 29.1%, p<0.001) and 1-year FU (6.5 vs. 15.2%, p<0.001). The adjusted hazard ratio of death for PCI was 0.52 at 1 month (95% CI 0.29–0.94) and 0.52 at 3 months (95% CI 0.31–0.85), and the adjusted odds of disability in patients with PCI was 0.53 at 1 year (95% CI 0.35–0.81). Conclusions: In our cohort, patients with PCI have a lower risk of death at 1- and 3-month FU and a lower proportion of disability at 1-year FU, which needs to be verified by future studies. Copyright © 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The A2N process with BAF as a nitrification unit was researched aiming at the low carbon and nitrogen ratio domestic wastewater in southern China. According to the problems that effluent ammonia exceeded the standard because of the ammonia carried in surpass sludge and total phosphate couldn't reach the discharge standard when SS of secondary settling tank was high, a secondary BAF was set up, and the total treatment effect of A2N/BAF process was studied. Results showed that the average removal rates of COD, ammonia and TP of A2N stage were 82.0%, 70.9% and 90.0% , respectively. Effluent ammonia concentration of secondary settling tank exceeded 10 mg/L when influent was more than 40 mg/L. Average concentration of COD, TP, ammonia, nitrate and SS in final effluent were 35, 0. 35, 1.06, 8.01 and 7 mg/L, respectively, which had satisfied the A-level of the national standards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background and aim: Hyperin, a flavonol compound extracted from the Chinese herb Abelmoschus manihot L. Medic, is reported to exert protective actions in cerebral ischemic injury. The specific aim of the present study was to study the relaxation of Hyperin in rat isolated basilar artery and identify the underlying cellular mechanisms. Methods: Rat isolated basilar artery segments were cannulated and perfused while being superfused with PSS solution. Vessel images were recorded by video microscopy and diameters measured. Membrane potential was recorded using glass microelectrodes to evaluate the basilar artery smooth muscle cell hyperpolarization. Results: Perfusion of Hyperin (1~100μM) elicited a concentration-dependent relaxation of basilar artery segments preconstricted with 0.1μM U46619. The response was significantly inhibited by the removal of the endothelium. Hyperin also elicited marked and concentration-dependent hyperpolarization of smooth muscle cells. 30μM nitro-L-arginine (an inhibitor of nitric oxide synthase) and indomethacin (an inhibitor of cyclooxygenase), partially inhibited Hyperin-induced relaxation and hyperpolarization leaving an attenuated, but significant, endothelium-dependent relaxation and hyperpolarization. This remaining effect was almost completely blocked by 1mM tetraethylammonium (an inhibitor of Ca2+-activated K+ channels), or by 100μM DL-propargylglycine, an inhibitor of cystathionine-γ-lyase (a synthase of the endogenous H2S). Conclusion: These findings show that Hyperin produces significant hyperpolarization in rat basilar artery smooth muscle cells and relaxation through both endothelium-dependent and endothelium-independent mechanisms. The underlying mechanisms appeared to be multi-factorial involving nitric oxide, prostacyclin, and endothelium-derived hyperpolarizing factor (EDHF). Our data further suggest that endogenous H2S is a component of the EDHF-mediated hyperpolarization and relaxation to Hyperin. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objective To use visualization methods to illustrate and compare major subjects, domains, and developments in evidence-based medicine (EBM) in recent years. Method We analyzed MeSH terms and keywords in EBM articles in the MEDLINE and CNKI databases, and developed subject charts, research field relationship charts, and strategy coordination charts using word co-occurrence, PFNET algorithms, and visualization methods. Result Rapid developments and growth are taking place in EBM in China and around the world. Studies on humans comprised 94.4% of the EBM studies that we identified, while animal studies accounted for 2.6% (three quarters of these animal studies were on primates). The six countries with the largest number of EBM articles and the eight host nations for the 108 journals with the most EBM publications were from high-income countries. In China, 31 provinces, municipalities, and autonomous regions have published EBM articles, although most of these publications come from the more highly-developed areas of the country. The investigation of word co-occurrence showed that EBM articles outside of China involve seven main fields: 'Therapy', 'Methods', 'Standards', 'Research', 'Education', 'Nursing' and 'Organization and Administration'. Five of these fields ('Therapy', 'Nursing', 'Research', 'Education' and 'Management') were common to China but the top seven fields for this country included 'Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM)' and 'Information resources'; and did not include 'Methods' and 'Standards'. Furthermore, studies on 'Nursing' and 'Research' were not as advanced in China as in other countries. Conclusion There are similarities between China and the rest of the world in several areas in the EBM literature but also some important differences. Throughout the world, the most resource-rich regions o organizations tend to have the most well-developed EBM. These regions and organizations are pdocuing more evidence and conducting more methodology research than the less resourced regions and organizations. There is an urgent need for these regions and organizations to strengthen their use of evidence, to learn more about the philosophy that underpins EBM, and to improve accessibility to, and use of, evidence in choices about health care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose To identify patterns in information sharing between a series of Chinese evidence based medicine (EBM) journals and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, to determine key evidence dissemination areas for EBM and to provide a scientific basis for improving the dissemination of EBM research. Method Data were collected on citing and cited from the Chinese Journal of Evidence-Based Medicine (CJEBM), Journal of Evidence-Based Medicine (JEBMc), Chinese Journal of Evidence Based Pediatrics (CJEBP), and the Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews (CDSR). Relationships between citations were visualized. High-frequency key words from these sources were identified, to build a word co-occurrence matrix and to map research subjects. Result CDSR contains a large collection of information of relevance to EBM and its contents are widely cited across many journals, suggesting a well-developed citation environment. The content and citation of the Chinese journals have been increasing in recent years. However, their citation environments are much less developed, and there is a wide variation in the breadth and strength of their knowledge communication, with the ranking from highest to lowest being CJEBM, JEBMc and CJEBP. The content of CDSR is almost exclusively Cochrane intervention reviews examining the effects of healthcare interventions, so it's contribution to EBM is mostly in disease control and treatment. On the other hand, the Chinese journals on evidence-based medicine and practice focused more on areas such as education and research, design and quality of clinical trials, evidence based policymaking, evidence based clinical practice, tumor treatment, and pediatrics. Conclusion Knowledge and findings of EBM are widely communicated and disseminated. However, citation environments and range of knowledge communication differ greatly between the journals examined in this study. This finds that Chinese EBM has focused mainly on clinical medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine, pediatrics, tumor treatment, nursing, health economic and management, and medical education. Internationally, EBM research topics have begun to shift, from drug treatment to surgery or other non-pharmacological treatments; from therapy to diagnosis, rehabilitation, and prevention; from evidence based clinical practice to evidence based management and policymaking. The philosophy and method of EBM, evidence production and translation are also shifting from well resourced settings to low- and middle-income countries, especially those in which English is not a major language. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To investigate the output of evidence-based medicine (EBM) researchers in China and elsewhere by examining the EBM domains they work within and the networks that exist among them; using visualization methods to analyze these relationships. This maps the current situation and helps with the identification of areas for future growth. Methods We used co-citation matrixes with Pathfinder networks and hierarchical clustering algorithms, and constructed a co-author matrix which were analyzed with a whole network approach. The analyzed matrixes were visualized with the UCINET program. Results Much of the development of EBM has been centered around three authors, David Sackett, Gordon Guyatt and L Manchikanti, within three different clusters. The main authors of EBM articles in China were divided into nine academic domains. The relations among core authors of articles indexed by the Science Citation Index (SCI) was loose. There was a stronger co-authorship network among core authors in the Chinese literature, with three groups and 21 cliques. Nine distinct academic communities appeared to have formed around Li Youping, Liu Ming and Zhang Mingming. Conclusion The EBM literature contains several key clusters, with universities in high-income countries being the source of the majority of articles. Outside China, McMaster University in Canada, the original home of EBM, is the dominant producer of EBM publications. In China, Sichuan University is the main source of EBM publications. The EBM cooperation network in China is comprised of three major groups, the largest and most productive in this sample is led by Li Youping with Liu Ming, Zhang Mingming, Li Jing, Wang Li, Wu Taixiang, and Liu Guanjian as central members. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Source rocks in trough facies of the Upper Permian Dalong Formation of the Sichuan Basin were assessed by field observations and measurements in outcrop areas as well as from logging and core/cutting analysis from drilling sites. The results show that in the Dalong Formation, the black shale and sapropelite facies have an average TOC of 5.86%, with the maximum value up to 24.31%, making them high quality hydrocarbon source rocks. Dark cryptite, with a TOC of 0.77% (on average) is also a good hydrocarbon source rock. A dark silicate, with TOC of only 0.13% on average, has no potential to generate hydrocarbons. Since the source rocks are much evolved, the content of chloroform bitumen “A” extracts tend not to be high. The (S1+S2) value of source rocks in the Dalong Formation are low, with only 4.36 mg/g on average. The major macerals of Kerogen of the Dalong Formation are sapropels, averaging 71.5%. Kerogen is mainly Type II1, and a little belongs to II2. The flourishing of pelagic organisms during deposition of the Late Permian Changxing Formation, slow deposition rate of the Dalong Formation and an anoxic and calm deep water depositional environment are the key controlling factors for accumulation, preservation and generation of organic matter in this part of the basin. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Farmers' perceptions of the different ecosystem services varied. • Satisfaction with basic material needs was highest on the well-being assessment. • The overall state of ecosystem service perceptions and farmers' well-being coupling was good. • The coupling of the dimensions of ESP and FWB was poorly coordinated from the perspective of dimensional differentiation. • Both environmental and household characteristics influenced the coupling relationship. Understanding the coupling relationship between ecosystem service perceptions (ESP) and farmers' well-being (FWB) in the ore-agriculture zone plays an important strategic role in maintaining regional ecological security and improving the well-being of regional farmers. Based on field research, questionnaire surveys and other methods, this study took farmers around the coal mining development zone as research subjects and used a comprehensive multi-index assessment method to evaluate the level of ESP and the FWB in the research area. A coupling coordination degree model was used to analyze the coupling relationship between ESP and FWB, and the random forest model was used to explore the influencing factors of the coupling relationship between the two. The results showed: (1) The FWB index was moderate and the ESP index was low. Farmers' perceptions of the different ecosystem services varied, with provisioning services being perceived most strongly and supporting services least strongly. Satisfaction with basic material needs was highest on the well-being assessment. (2) The overall state of ESP and FWB coupling was good, with most of them in the state of coordination improvement. From the perspective of dimensional differentiation, the coupling of the dimensions of ESP and FWB was poorly coordinated, and all of them were in the state of dysfunction regression. (3) The coupling relationship between ESP and FWB was influenced by both environmental and household characteristics, with the former having a stronger effect. The results of this study can serve as a reference for promoting the coordination of ESP and FWB in the ore-agriculture zone, and ultimately realize the sustainable development of ecology and human in the ore-agriculture zone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bats, the second largest order of mammals worldwide, harbor specific characteristics such as sustaining flight, a special immune system, unique habits, and ecological niches. In addition, they are the natural reservoirs of a variety of emerging or re-emerging zoonotic pathogens. Rhabdoviridae is one of the most diverse families of RNA viruses, which consists of 20 ecologically diverse genera, infecting plants, mammals, birds, reptiles, and fish. To date, three bat-related genera are described, named Lyssavirus, Vesiculovirus, and Ledantevirus. However, the prevalence and the distribution of these bat-related rhabdoviruses remain largely unknown, especially in China. To fill this gap, we performed a large molecular retrospective study based on the real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) detection of lyssavirus in bat samples (1044 brain and 3532 saliva samples, from 63 different bat species) originating from 21 provinces of China during 2006–2018. None of them were positive for lyssavirus, but six bat brains (0.6%) of Rhinolophus bat species, originating from Hubei and Hainan provinces, were positive for vesiculoviruses or ledanteviruses. Based on complete genomes, these viruses were phylogenetically classified into three putative new species, tentatively named Yinshui bat virus (YSBV), Taiyi bat virus (TYBV), and Qiongzhong bat virus (QZBV). These results indicate the novel rhabdoviruses circulated in different Chinese bat populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Père David's deer (Elaphurus davidianus) is an emblematic endangered species and regarded as a national treasure, toxoplasmosis is a serious zoonotic parasitic disease for wild animals. Little is known about the prevalence of antibodies to this parasite in Père David's deer. In this study, sera from 43 wild Père David's deer, from Dafeng nature reserve China were tested for antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii by MAT. The investigation showed that antibodies to toxoplasma were detected in 8 of 43 (18.60%, 95% CI 6.97–30.24) samples. Seroprevalence ranged from 15.00% to 21.74% between the different genders, but the difference was not significant according to SPSS analysis (P > 0.05). This report of seroprevalence of antibodies to T. gondii in Père David's deer provides basic data of T. gondii infection data, which is important for controlling and preventing toxoplasmosis in Père David's deer. • Firstly reported T. gondii infection in the Père David's deer in Dafeng reserve. • The prevalence of T. gondii in serum samples from Père David's deer was 18.6%. • This result is an alert about the potential risk in Père David's deer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Fasciola hepatica is an important zoonotic parasite that causes fasciolosis in a broad range of animals. No information is available about the prevalence of F. hepatica in Père David's deer (Elaphurus davidianus), an endangered species in the world. Therefore, the purpose of the study was to evaluate the prevalence of fasciolosis in Père David's deer in the Dafeng Elk National Natural Reserve, Jiangsu province, China. Results: In this study, 142 fecal samples from Père David's deer were analyzed for F. hepatica by microscopy and nest-PCR. Only one sample was positive for F. hepatica according to microscopy examination, while 18 of 142 (12.68, 95%CI: 2.841–22.45%) samples were positive for F. hepatica according to nest-PCR results. Conclusions: This is the first report of prevalence of F. hepatica in Père David's deer. The prevalence data indicated that F. hepatica was also present in this endangered animal, which may cause a potential threat to this precious species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• First time that mini-channel panels are combined with vapor injection heat pump. • Both heating and cooling performances throughout the year are estimated. • Technology demonstration with panels of 36 m2 and heat pump of 40 kW has been done. • The payback time of the novel system is about 6.52 years. • The annual carbon emission is reduced by 12.1tons for a rural house in northern China. An efficient low-carbon system is proposed to meet the heating and cooling demands of rural houses in cold regions. Mini-channel solar panels incorporating a novel multiple-throughout-flowing loop are used for heat collection, whilst a vapour injection air source heat pump (VI-ASHP) is innovatively combined with an underfloor heating and cooling system. To demonstrate the system, a multiple-throughout-flowing mini-channel solar thermal panel array of 36 m2 and a VI-ASHP of 40 kW heating capacity have been built and tested. Subsequently, mathematical models of the solar-assisted VI-ASHP system are established and compared with the experimental data. Based on the validated models, the energetic, economic and environmental performance is investigated under the typical weather conditions for a northern Chinese city (Taiyuan). The results indicate that, for a common rural house employing the proposed novel system, the proportion of the annual heat requirement, cooling load and hot water heating energy provided by solar thermal energy, photovoltaic energy and electricity from the power grid is 74.6%, 6.9%, and 18.5% respectively, thus giving a total energy supply proportion of 81.5% from solar energy. In addition, compared with a coal-powered system, our system has a cost payback period of 6.52 years and a life-cycle net cost saving of 56328.4RMB, thus the proposed system provides a greater economic performance. Furthermore, it can save 5tons of anthracite coal and reduce carbon emissions by 12.1tons annually. The proposed solar-assisted VI-ASHP has the potential to fulfil heating and cooling demands whilst reducing carbon emissions in northern China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Toxoplasma gondii, an intracellular zoonotic parasite, infects all mammalian and birds. Understanding the prevalence of Toxoplasma in bird is important for evaluating the transmission of this parasite. No information about the seroprevalence of T. gondii in Java sparrows (Lonchura oryzivora) is available. Results: In this study, from 2014 to 2015, 350 serum samples from Java sparrows were collected in Beijing and Shangqiu, Henan province, and the antibodies against T. gondii were evaluated with MAT. The seroprevalence in Java sparrows was 34.29% (CI95% 29.31–39.26). A phenomenon of seropositivity tended to increase with age were observed, but the difference is not significant. The prevalence was significant different in gender and color, which could be risk factors. Conclusions: This study firstly reported T. gondii seroprevalence in Java sparrows, which extended the host range of T. gondii. Java sparrows may pose significant transmission medium, accelerating the spread of T. gondii diffusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Peking Gazette, as a widespread and effective medium for the dissemination of important information from the Qing government, played a significant role in the internal governance of the empire. In the 19th century, Western missionaries, diplomats, and businessmen in China respected the authenticity and authority of the content in the Gazette, and carried out large-scale translations of political, social, cultural, economic, and military-diplomatic information into English. Western transmission of the Peking Gazette to some extent promoted cultural exchanges between China and the West and also provided the Western powers, which were in a period of expansion, with a wealth of political and military intelligence. The internally focused Qing dynasty was initially unaware of the Western transmission of the Peking Gazette and later took a series of doomed measures, leading to severe damage to national information security and political safety. The historical lessons of the Qing empire are enlightening for countries worldwide today: there is a need not only for openness and transparency but also for balancing the relationship between information disclosure and national security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hārītī is the first female deity in Buddhism that was credited with responsibility for protecting women during childbirth and protecting children. Since her introduction to China from India, her image has undergone multiple changes, and the rise and fall of her cult is closely related to the social culture around her reception. However, previous research on Hārītī has focused mainly on historiographical aspects, and little attention has been given to image evolution after her introduction into China. Therefore, this paper mainly utilizes iconographic methods to systematically review the characteristics of Hārītī's image in different periods and investigate the social causes and religious meanings behind her evolution. The study revealed that the image of Hārītī has experienced five development phases: Hellenization, Sinicization, demonization, confusion, and parasitization. The most fundamental reason for her rise in China was the strong demand for fertility among the people. The most important reasons for her decline in China include the deep-rooted negative popular view of her yaksha identity and the prevalence of images and stories of the child-giving Avalokitesvara, who replaced her core functions entirely. In this way, Hārītī worship underwent gradual marginalization in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since E.A. Nida's translation theory was introduced into China in 1981, it has undergone dramatic ups and downs in China's translation studies circles. First welcomed but later questioned, criticized or even denied, it is nonetheless the most popular among the imported translation theories in China. The article argues that, in addition to the appropriate time of migration and theoretical glamour, Nida's popularity in China should ultimately be attributed to the fact that his theory has much in common with traditional Chinese translation theory and it caters to the traditional Chinese emphasis on pragmatism and practicality. Moreover, the similarities between Nida's translation theory and traditional Chinese translation theory have been emphasized by Chinese scholars in their reception of Nida's theory. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A key input to quantitative evaluations of transport infrastructure projects is their impact on transport costs. We propose a new method of estimating this impact relying on widely accessible customs data: by using the route choice of exporters. We combine our method with a spatial equilibrium model to study the effects of the massive expressway construction in China between 1999 and 2010. We find transport costs are 20% lower on expressways than on regular roads. The expressways construction increases aggregate exports by 10% and domestic trade by 14%. It generates 5.1% welfare gains, implying a 150% net return to investment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the mass movement of sending urban youth to the countryside during China's Cultural Revolution, many families with multiple age-eligible children were forced to make a send-down choice among the siblings. We exploit this rare social experiment and employ data on urban twins in China to investigate the effect of childhood send-down experience on children's old-age support to parents. We find that compared with their twin siblings who had stayed in the city, send-downs were less likely to make a monetary transfer to parents and also tended to transfer less. We show that the inferior transfer behavior of send-downs was not due to any income disadvantage or selection of family's send-down choice in terms of children's altruism endowment. After ruling out the income and selection channel explanations, we posit that the inferior transfer behavior of send-downs is driven by the adverse effect of childhood send-down experience on children's willingness to provide old-age support to parents, which could work through both pure altruism and warm glow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The traditional approach to studying intergenerational influences has been limited to a single-stranded framework, with a focus on the transmission of socioeconomic status across two generations. In this paper, we develop a theoretical model of dual-pathway intergenerational influence over multiple generations and test the model by utilizing recent high-quality three-generation panel data from China. The model consists of two intertwined pathways: a socioeconomic pathway measured with educational attainment and a psychological pathway measured with mindset. We show that mindset is a fundamental psychological factor strongly associated with multiple outcomes, including cognitive skills, personalities, and attitudes. Intergenerational influences operate via the transmissions of both mindset and socioeconomic status as well as the cross-domain pathways between the two. Our results offer new insights for a better understanding of intergenerational mobility and immobility. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How is word meaning established, and how do individuals acquire it? What ensures the uniform understanding of word meaning in a linguistic community? In this paper I draw from cultural attraction theory and use folk biology as an example domain and address these questions by treating meaning acquisition as an inferential process. I show that significant variation exists in how individuals understand the meaning of inclusive biological labels such as "plant" and "animal" due to variation in their salience in contemporary ethnic minority groups in southwest China, and I present historical textual evidence that the meaning of inclusive terms is often unstable but can be sustained by such cultural institutions as religion and education, which provide situations in which the meaning of linguistic labels can be unambiguously inferred. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The lacustrine source rocks of the upper member of the lower Ganchaigou Formation ( E 3 2 ) in the Yingxi area are considered to be important source rocks in the Qaidam Basin in northwestern China. In this study, we investigated the organic geochemical characteristics of the source rocks by selecting representative samples of the Eocene lacustrine succession spanning 200 m. The results show that the source rock quality is at a fair to good level, and the organic matter (OM) is in the immature–low-maturity stage. The OM originated from plankton/algae and bacteria, with a fluctuating input of terrigenous plants. The source rocks were deposited in a reducing saline-hypersaline environment, with water-column stratification associated with a variable chemocline related to a fluctuating salinity. The vertical variability of the OM abundance is accompanied by simultaneous changes in the source of the OM and the lake water environment parameters, which is caused by the oscillations between drier and wetter conditions in inland Asia in the Late Eocene. The drier periods had strong evaporation and low fluvial input, which facilitated the formation of widespread water anoxia and enhanced OM preservation, while the wetter periods had higher fluvial input and moderate OM preservation conditions because the higher sedimentation rate led to a strong terrestrial dilution effect, which in turn limited the accumulation of OM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]