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Background: Shengxuebao mixture (SXBM) is a novel herbal drug approved by China State Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of Leukopenia and iron deficiency anemia caused by radiotherapy and chemotherapy. Methods: To explore the mechanism of SXBM in treating blood deficiency syndrome (BDS). Firstly, network pharmacology and in vivo experiments were used to screen candidate targets and important signaling pathways of SXBM, GO functional enrichment and KEGG pathway analysis were performed. Secondly, a BDS rat model was established to verify the results of the analysis of network pharmacological enrichment. Histopathology and routine peripheral blood examination were observed. The expressions of tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL)-6, HIF-1α and NF-κB were detected by Western blot, and the expressions of IL-6, IL-1β were detected by ELISA. Results: 62 bioactive components, 66 potential targets and 131 signaling pathways of BDS were successfully identified by network pharmacology. Molecular docking simulation techniques showed that key targets tumor necrosis factor-α, IL-6, IL-1β can dock well with crucial components, and the BDS-related signaling pathways HIF-1 and JAK-STAT play a vital role. The combined model experiment of acetylphenylhydrazine and cyclophosphamide showed that the model group had obvious blood deficiency, and the histopathology and blood routine were effectively restored after administration. Our findings indicate that SXBM's therapeutic effect on BDS primarily involves the mediation of the HIF-1α/NF-κB signaling pathway and the regulation of hematopoietic factor expression. Conclusion: This study not only affirmed the protective properties of SXBM against BDS but also provided insights into a potential mechanism for blood replenishment in the treatment of BDS using SXBM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the foundational elements that contribute to effective emergency management in urban settings, with a particular focus on experiences from Chinese municipalities. Drawing on resource dependence theory and attention allocation theory, this research develops an analytical framework encompassing four pivotal factors: environmental resources, information sharing, social participation, and leadership attention allocation. Utilizing Qualitative Comparative Analysis (QCA), we examine these factors across sixteen critical incidents of urban accidents and disaster responses in China. Our findings reveal that a high degree of leadership attention allocation is an essential prerequisite for municipal governments to exhibit robust emergency management capabilities during crises. Furthermore, two primary pathways affecting emergency management capacity were identified: the "resource–leadership attention type" and the "social participation–resource coordination type". These findings contribute to a nuanced understanding of the complexities of emergency management and enlighten the local governments to take some effective measures to enhance emergency management capacities to mitigate disaster losses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Articular cartilage and cartilage matrix degradation are key pathological changes occurring in the early stage of knee osteoarthritis (KOA). However, currently, there are limited strategies for early prevention and treatment of KOA. Duhuo Jisheng Decoction (DHJSD) is a formula quoted in Bei Ji Qian jin Yao Fang, which was compiled by Sun Simiao in the Tang Dynasty of China. As a complementary therapy, it is widely used to treat early-stage KOA in China; however, its mechanism has not been completely elucidated. Objective: This study investigated the potential role of DHJSD in preventing cartilage degradation and the underlying mechanism. Methods: A rat model of KOA model was established via the Hulth method. Subsequently, 25 rats were randomized into sham (saline), model control (saline), high-DHJSD (1.9g/mL of DHJSD), medium-DHJSD (1.2g/mL of DHJSD), and low-DHJSD groups (0.6g/mL of DHJSD). After 4 weeks of treatment, all rats were sacrificed and the severity of the cartilage degeneration was evaluated by a series of histological methods. The autophagosome was observed using transmission electron microscopy, and the related functional proteins were detected by the western blotting and real-time polymerase chain reaction. Next, the mechanism by which DHJSD improves knee cartilage degeneration was further clarified the in vitro by gene silencing technology combined with a series of functional experiments. The proteins levels of PTEN, Akt, p-Akt, mTOR, and p-mTOR, as well as the marker proteins of autophagy and apoptosis were determined. Zinc levels in chondrocytes were determined using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Results: Histopathological staining revealed that DHJSD had a protective effect on the cartilage. DHJSD increased autophagosome synthesis and the expression of autophagy proteins LC3 and Beclin-1 in chondrocytes. Moreover, it reduced the phosphorylation levels of Akt and mTOR and the levels of zinc, MMP-13, Bax, and Bcl-2. Following PTEN silencing, this DHJSD-mediated reduction in Akt and mTOR phosphorylation and Bax, Bcl-2, and zinc levels were further decreased; in addition, DHJSD-mediated increase in LC3 and Beclin-1 levels was decreased. Conclusion: DHJSD inhibits the Akt/mTOR signaling pathway by targeting PTEN to promote autophagy in chondrocytes, which may help reduce MMP-13 production by regulating zinc levels in chondrocytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

More than three decades after Jessie Bernard's argument on marriage is good for men, but not for women, the post-millennium marriage and family literature has largely shown that men's reported marital satisfaction is higher than women's across socio-cultural contexts. This study examines gender differences in marital satisfaction from a social network perspective, investigating the role of 'known friendship network' using cross-sectional, large-N samples in mainland China, Taiwan, and the United States. The 'known friendship network' concept captures the cognitive component of an individual's perception of their knowledge of the spouse's 'interactive networks' [Milardo, R. M. (1989). Theoretical and methodological issues in the identification of the social networks of spouses. Journal of Marriage and the Family, 51(1), 165–174. https://doi.org/10.2307/352377. We found that knowing more of one's spouse's friends enhances marital satisfaction in an incremental fashion, especially in Taiwan and the United States. The lower importance in China may reflect China's predominantly kinship-based social networks. Regarding how 'known friendship network' patterns explain marital satisfaction, the United States has the least pronounced gender differences, while the gender gap is most significant in Taiwan. This study contributes to the cross-cultural literature on relationship satisfaction, social networks, and global family change. Our findings have complex implications for marital selectivity and the gendered connotations of marriage, suggesting a marital expectations mismatch among heterosexual couples in some low fertility contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Participation in the farmland transfer market provides farmers with diversified opportunities which would generate a range of social and economic benefits to improve their overall well-being. However, the previous studies have disproportionately focused on the income increase of farmers' participation while ignoring its impact on other dimensions significantly contributing to the well-being gap of farmers with different social and economic characteristics. Based on the capability approach, this study constructed a multi-dimensional well-being assessment framework and employed the fuzzy method to evaluate the well-being level of rural households. By employing the national rural survey data from China, this paper examined the impact of farmland transfer participation on the well-being of farmers with different livelihoods. Further, it explored the influence of farmland transfer participation on the well-being gap of farmers by using the quantile regression method. Our results suggest that farmland transfer participation played a positive role in increasing farmers' well-being, while farmland transfer participation has no significant impact on farmers' well-being inequality. Meanwhile, the heterogeneity of farmers' livelihoods is the key factor for the differentiation of farmers' well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sinocyclocheilus longicornus sp. nov. is described from the Pearl River basin in Hongguo Town, Panzhou City, Guizhou Province, Southwest China. Based on the presence of the long horn-like structure on the back of the head, Sinocyclocheilus longicornus sp. nov. is assigned to the Sinocyclocheilus angularis species group. Sinocyclocheilus longicornus sp. nov. is distinguished from its congeners by a combination of morphological characters: (1) presence of a single, relatively long horn-like structure on the back of the head; (2) pigmentation absent; (3) reduced eyes; (4) dorsal-fin rays, ii, 7; (5) pectoral-fin rays, i, 13; (6) anal-fin rays, iii, 5; (7) pelvic-fin rays, i, 7; (8) lateral line pores 38-49; (9) gill rakers well developed, nine on first gill arch; and (10) tip of adpressed pelvic fin not reaching anus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To explore the role of vaginal microecology in cervical cancer, so as to increase the understanding of cervical cancer and lay a foundation for future large‐sample clinical trials. Methods: We reviewed and summarized the literature comprehensively, and discussed the relationship between vaginal microecology and HPV infection, CIN progression and cervical cancer, as well as the potential molecular mechanism and the prospects of probiotics and prebiotics in future cancer treatments. Results: With the popularization of high‐throughput sequencing technology and the development of bioinformatics analysis technology, many evidences show that the increase in the diversity of the bacterial community in the vaginal microecological environment and the decrease in the number of Lactobacilli are associated with the continuous infection of HPV and the further development of CIN, cervical cancer‐related. Conclusions: Vaginal microecological imbalance has an important impact on the occurrence and development of cervical cancer. However, the pathogenesis is not completely clear, and more high‐level basic research and longitudinal clinical studies are needed to verify. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: Attitudes toward older persons could affect services that are provided to them and change the value of the care they receive. The attitude of nursing students toward older persons is very important as it will affect their care of older patients in future. However, in China, the attitude of higher vocational nursing students toward older persons has not been widely studied. The purpose of this study is to explore the attitudes and factors toward older people among nursing students in higher vocational colleges in Heilongjiang Province. Design: A cross‐sectional study. Methods: A cross‐sectional study was conducted using cluster sampling. A total of 1106 nursing students from two higher vocational colleges in Heilongjiang Province participated. Multiple linear regression analysis was conducted to identify the factors influencing nursing students' attitudes toward older people. Conclusion: This study showed that the vocational college nursing students have a positive attitude towardolder persons. However, the proportion of respondents taking care of older persons as their first choice in their future career needs to be increased. Advanced vocational colleges should pay attention to the attitudes of nursing students toward older persons, and strengthen the education of career development planning, which has practical significance in meeting the diversified health needs of older persons and ensuring healthy aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Purpose: Leptomeningeal metastases (LM) is the end-event of lung cancer and the prognosis is dismal. Few studies explored the prognostic performance of systematic immunological levels in lung cancer patients with LM. Our study aimed to explore the possible relationship between the prognosis of LM and systematic immunological level and other clinical characteristics. Methods: This retrospective, multi-institutional, observational study was conducted in 4 tertiary centers in China. Patients were screened from January 2009 to May 2019. Patients with radiographically or histologically confirmed LM were enrolled. The data of systematic immunological level and other clinical characteristics of each patient were extracted and statistically analyzed to establish a prognostic model based on statistical analysis results. The predictive accuracy and discriminative capability of the model were evaluated by the calibration curve and concordance index (C-index). Results: A total of 109 patients were enrolled in the study. Patients with adenocarcinoma, tumors harboring EGFR mutation, at their age of 50– 59, with either bone, brain, or lung metastases, were enriched in this cohort. The median overall survival (OS) was 20.4 months (95% CI: 15.2– 25.6). Cox univariate and multivariate analysis revealed better PS (0– 1), no distant lymph nodes metastasis (DLNM), simultaneous diagnosis of lung cancer and leptomeningeal metastasis (SDLL), and lower neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio (NLR), were associated with better OS. Based on these independent prognostic variables, a prognostic nomogram model with a C-index for OS prediction of 0.71, was constructed. The actual probability of survival at 1-, 2- and 3-year showed good concordance with the prediction curve of our nomogram. Conclusion: The systematic immunological level was an independent prognostic factor of lung cancer patients with LM. The prognostic model based on statistical analysis had a good ability to predict the OS of patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Digital finance has the transformative power to realise financial inclusion. However, evidence on the relationship between digital finance and poverty reduction remains limited. This study examines the mitigating effects of digital financial inclusion (DFI) on vulnerability to poverty in rural China, explores potential mechanisms at the micro-level, and investigates the external conditions for DFI to validate these effects. Design/methodology/approach: Rural household data from the China Labour Force Dynamics Survey and the regional DFI index compiled by Peking University are used. The probit and mediation effect models are employed to assess the impacts of the DFI on vulnerability to poverty and explore its mechanisms, with an appropriate instrumental variable to mitigate potential endogeneity. Findings: DFI can mitigate vulnerability to poverty in Chinese rural households. Specifically, both sub-indices – coverage breadth and depth of use – have a significant effect. Further analyses based on the mediation model show that improving agricultural productivity, stimulating entrepreneurial activities and promoting non-agricultural employment are the core mechanisms for alleviating poverty vulnerability. Heterogeneity analysis shows that DFI is pro-poor and benefits those who lack economic opportunities. Moreover, adequate endowment in rural households, such as production and human capital, is an external condition for digital finance to mitigate vulnerability to poverty. Originality/value: This study is among the first to examine the vulnerability-mitigation effects from the perspective of digital finance development, relying on data from a large-scale, nationwide household survey and the regional DFI index. It also checks for the mechanisms and heterogeneity of the effects, which prove the effects can help balance efficiency and equity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interactions among multiple nutrients uptake certainly have a great effect on their retention in headwater streams, yet little research has been made to explore the quantitative characteristics of their interactions, especially in mesotrophic streams. In response, we conducted an identical series of instantaneous nutrient addition experiments, using ammonium nitrogen (NH4-N) and phosphate phosphorus (PO4-P) alone or together, in two mesotrophic agricultural headwater streams in Chaohu Lake Basin, China, to quantify the relationships between nutrient concentrations and uptake rates, and examine how NH4-N and PO4-P interact to affect their individual uptake. Both the Michaelis-Menten (M-M) equation and response surface model were utilized to analyze coupled NH4-N and PO4-P uptake patterns across a range of nutrient concentrations, by fitting the kinetic processes of NH4-N and PO4-P uptake in single- and dual-nutrient additions. The capacity of both NH4-N and PO4-P uptake was increased in different degrees in dual-nutrient additions. Response surface models could quantitatively characterize the three-dimensional dynamic evolution trend of NH4-N or PO4-P uptake rates at different concentrations. The influence of PO4-P additions on NH4-N uptake was generally greater than that of NH4-N on PO4-P uptake in the five tracer tests. In addition, results of correlation analysis indicated that water temperature might be the main factor affecting the coupling of N and P uptake in mesotrophic streams and followed by hydrological factors (e.g., discharge) and channel geomorphology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is significantly associated with the invasion and development of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). However, the importance of EMT-related long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) is little known in ESCC. Methods. GSE53624 (N = 119) and GSE53622 (N = 60) datasets retrieved from the Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) database were used as training and external validation cohorts, respectively. GSE53624 and GSE53622 datasets were all sampled from China. Then, the prognostic value of EMT-related lncRNA was comprehensively investigated by weighted coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) and COX regression model. Results. High expression of PLA2G4E-AS1, AC063976.1, and LINC01592 significantly correlated with the favorable overall survival (OS) of ESCC patients, and LINC01592 had the greatest contribution to OS. Importantly, ESCC patients were divided into low- and high-risk groups based on the optimal cut-off value of risk score estimated by the multivariate COX regression model of these three lncRNA. Patients with high risk had a shorter OS rate and restricted mean survival time (RMST) than those with low risk. Moreover, univariate and multivariate COX regression revealed that risk stratification, age, and TNM were independent prognostic predictors, which were used to construct a nomogram model for individualized and visualized prognosis prediction of ESCC patients. The calibration curves and time-dependent ROC curves in the training and validation cohorts suggested that the nomogram model had a good performance. Interestingly, clear trends indicated that risk score positively correlated with tumor microenvironment (TME) scores and immune checkpoints TIGIT, CTLA4, and BTLA. In addition, the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) showed that PLA2G4E-AS1, AC063976.1, and LINC01592 were primarily associated with TNF signaling pathway, NF-kappa B signaling pathway, and ECM-receptor interaction. Conclusion. We developed EMT-related lncRNA PLA2G4E-AS1, AC063976.1, and LINC01592 for prognostic prediction and risk stratification of Chinese ESCC patients, which might provide deep insight for personalized prognosis prediction in Chinese ESCC patients and be potential biomarkers for designing novel therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant phenology under changing climate is a critical factor controlling terrestrial vegetation productivity. However, large uncertainties exist due to different data sources and phenological parameter extraction methods. In this study, we took advantage of a suite of long-term field observational data in northern grassland of China to investigate the drivers of phenological shifts and their effect on the maximum aboveground net primary productivity (ANPPmax) across four representative grassland types during 1984–2017. Results showed that drivers of phenological events (i.e., start (SOS), end (EOS), and length (GSL) of the growing season) with warming influence dramatically differed among grassland types, indicating that the synergistic effect of temperature and precipitation should be highlighted. For temperate desert steppe and alpine meadow, GSL of dominant species was both significantly lengthened with temperature rising with averaged 0.94 days year−1 (P < 0.001) and 1.15 days year−1 (P < 0.001), respectively, while for typical temperate grassland, GSL was considerably shortened by an average of 0.58 days year−1 (P < 0.01) as a result of water deficit caused by sharp warming and precipitation decreasing in summer and autumn. For most grassland types in our study, both SOS and GSL were significantly correlated with ANPPmax under different precipitation gradients with SOS advanced and GSL extended leading to higher ANPPmax. Only the typical temperate grassland presents a relatively poor correlation between phenological events and productivity. Furthermore, compared with GSL, ANPPmax was more sensitive to the advancement of SOS for every 1-day phenological change. However, the effect of EOS on ANPPmax across the four grassland types was much weaker and unstable. There were spatial response differences between ANPPmax and phenological transition events, with the temperate meadow grassland tending to be more sensitive compared with three other grassland types. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A novel geopolymer-based inorganic SDRC coating was developed. • The optimized SDRC could retain optical stability up to 1000 ℃ exposure. • A sub-ambient cooling effect of 3.8 ℃ under direct sunlight in Hong Kong was achieved. • The simulation results demonstrated great cooling energy saving potential under different climates in China. Passive sub-ambient daytime radiative cooling (SDRC) is an energy-free method enabling heat dissipation away from buildings or infrastructures to cold outer space (∼3 K). However, although organic coatings (based on polymer matrices) have been proven to be a cost-effective means to achieve the SDRC effect by incorporating various functional fillers, organic coatings may have environmental concerns and aging problems. Herein, an inorganic phosphate activated geopolymer-based (PAGP) SDRC coating was synthesized using nano-silica (SiO 2) particles and barium sulfate (BaSO 4) sheets as the modifiers. The synthesized coating could achieve high infrared emissivity of 0.9634 and solar reflectance of 0.9471, which was also found to exhibit high-temperature resistance and optical stability up to 1000 °C due to its covalently bonded structure and electrically neutral system. The chemical composition, surface morphology, and elemental distribution of the coating were characterized by XRD, FTIR, SEM, BET, and EDS. The evolution of condensed structures and weight loss analysis during the high-temperature treatment was conducted by TGA and XRD to analyze the dehydration process and phase change during the heat process. The outdoor field tests showed a maximum sub-ambient temperature reduction of 3.8 °C by the developed coating without any energy input under direct sunlight in Hong Kong. Furthermore, the energy-saving performance of the PAGP-based SDRC coating is analyzed under different climatic conditions in China with the aid of EnergyPlus. Simulation results demonstrated that the PAGP-based SDRC coating can significantly save the cooling load in all five selected cities, which shows great potential in building energy conservation and carbon emission reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although there have been studies investigating the relationship between information disclosure and voluntary compliance behaviors, the terrain of such research is largely fragmented and has been rarely tested empirically in the pandemic contexts. This article reviewed the intervention and control of the pandemic from the perspective of information disclosure with reflections on the experience in China. Furthermore, the authors propose a comprehensive framework demonstrating the overall landscape of information disclosure and voluntary compliance behaviors with highlights on (a) the tensions between privacy and information transparency; (b) the trade-offs between policy rigorousness and compliance behaviors; (c) different sources of information and how they influence public behaviors differently; and most importantly, (d) how the variegated configurations and contextualization of factors result in different influencing and moderating mechanisms between information disclosure and voluntary compliance behaviors. In the end, the authors call for future research and reforms in pandemic control practice to focus on the dynamics of information disclosure, government actions, and public compliance behaviors, which has been largely neglected so far. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The clinical characteristics of novel coronavirus disease (COVID‐2019) patients outside the epicenter of Hubei Province are less understood. Methods: We analyzed the epidemiological and clinical features of all COVID‐2019 cases in the only referral hospital in Shenzhen City, China, from January 11, 2020, to February 6, 2020, and followed until March 6, 2020. Results: Among the 298 confirmed cases, 233 (81.5%) had been to Hubei, while 42 (14%) did not have a clear travel history. Only 218 (73.15%) cases had a fever as the initial symptom. Compared with the nonsevere cases, severe cases were associated with older age, those with underlying diseases, and higher levels of C‐reactive protein, interleukin‐6, and erythrocyte sedimentation rate. Slower clearance of the virus was associated with a higher risk of progression to critical condition. As of March 6, 2020, 268 (89.9%) patients were discharged and the overall case fatality ratio was 1.0%. Conclusions: In a designated hospital outside Hubei Province, COVID‐2019 patients could be effectively managed by properly using the existing hospital system. Mortality may be lowered when cases are relatively mild, and there are sufficient medical resources to care and treat the disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Five Curvularia strains isolated from diseased leaves of lemongrass (Cymbopogon citratus) in Guangxi Province, China, were examined. NCBI-Blast searches of ITS sequences suggested a high degree of similarity (99-100%) to Curvularia akaii, C. akaiiensis, C. bothriochloae, C. heteropogonis and C. sichuanensis. To accurately identify these strains, we further analysed their morphology and phylogenetic relationships based on combinations of ITS, GAPDH, and tef1 gene sequences. Morphological observations indicated that the key character differing from similar species was conidial size, whereas phylogenetic analyses indicated that the five strains represent one species that is also distinct from C. akaii, C. akaiiensis and C. bothriochloae by conidial size and conidiophore length. Thus, the strains examined are found to represent a new species described herein as Curvularia nanningensis. The pathogenicity test on the host and detached leaves confirmed the new species to be pathogenic on Cymbopogon citratus leaves. Standardised requirements for reliable identification of Curvularia pathogens are also proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transient storage has been studied intensively in small streams, but some processes and mechanisms are not yet entirely understood regarding this issue, especially in chronically nutrient-enriched streams. The exploration of transient storage dynamics in nutrient-rich headwater streams has great significance for stream nutrient management in China and other developing countries, which are suffering from eutrophication. In the present study, we conducted five instantaneous slug additions composed of a conservative tracer dissolved with two nonconservative nutrients injections in a suburban small stream (Guanzhen Creek), Lake Chaohu Basin, China. Transient storage metrics were estimated using the model-fitted hydrologic parameters from the one-dimensional transport with inflow and storage (OTIS) model. Regression analyses were performed to examine the relationship between hydraulic parameters and transient storage metrics. Moreover, nitrogen and phosphorus retention efficiency was qualitatively evaluated based on the OTIS model-fitted nutrient parameters. Our results showed that the OTIS model-fitted hydrologic parameters in Guanzhen Creek were within the range of previously published literature. The transient storage metrics of Guanzhen Creek were generally comparable to those in streams with low-to-moderate nutrient levels in other catchments. Moreover, most of the transient storage metrics showed a strong relationship with stream discharge, while only hydrological retention factor showed a markedly negative correlation with flow rate. Given the negative uptake rates for NH4-N and SRP in half cases, we reasonably concluded that Guanzhen Creek was hardly incapable of retaining nitrogen and phosphorus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The purpose of the present study was to obtain information on the use of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors by oncologists in China through a national questionnaire survey.Methods: Between the 7th and 25th of July in 2019, a questionnaire designed by the Chinese Society of Clinical Oncology Immuno-Oncology (CSCO IO) Committee on the current status of the use of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors was distributed online and offline to cancer-related medical departments in thirty different provinces and autonomous regions of China. The national questionnaire consisted of three sections as follows: general information, current status of the application of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors in the clinic, and oncologists' concerns regarding utilization.Results: The valid response rate of the current status survey was 76.3%. The proportion of senior doctors (physician-in-charge or a more superior position for more than 3 years) among the respondents was relatively high (67.0% in 588). Of the respondents, 59.2% had prescribed PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors during clinical treatment, and the most frequent reason for not prescribing these inhibitors was the choice "do not understand the mechanism and the efficacy of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors". In addition, 77.9% of the prescribers used the medications in an off-label situation, and the most important motivation for this use was the fact that "there were indications abroad but not domestically". In addition, 77.9% of the prescribers believed that "immunotherapy-related adverse effects could be controlled or intervened through follow-up management". The prescribers were mostly concerned about "how to identify pseudoprogression and hyperprogression" and "immunity-related adverse effects management".Conclusion: The present study highlights the current status of PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors in China. Increasing numbers of medical oncologists are interested in PD-1/PD-L1 inhibitors, and they are in need of immunotherapy education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Interactive relationships between various multi-level actors in sustainability transition. • Inter-scalar dynamics in transition management in ordinary cities. • Challenges for the national campaign for sustainable urbanism. • Competing and congruent interests from different scales in sustainable urban experiments. Abstract China has been undergoing a boom of sustainable urban new town projects against the background of urban rescaling and regional integration. Most current research focuses on flagship projects and mega-cities, failing to disentangle the interactions between cross-scale actors and the dynamic patterns of institutional and social-techno innovations in rank-and-file cities. Applying sustainability transition theory and the Multi-level Perspective (MLP) framework, this paper takes Zhuhai's Western Central Eco New District (Town) as a case study to investigate the interactive relationships between various actors and institutional niches. Through intensive interviews with government officials, developers, professionals and local villagers, as well as an analysis of government planning and regulation archives, we argue that the interests of actors from different scales are split in the transition process and may pose a threat to the reconfiguration of the niche-regime dynamics. This may lead to a dilemma in the sustainability transition of new towns. Institutional fragmentation from lower scales might be another obstacle for the transition management and niche development of the eco new town. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: China is the largest developing country with a relatively developed public health system. To further prevent and eliminate the spread of infectious diseases, China has listed 39 notifiable infectious diseases characterized by wide prevalence or great harm, and classified them into classes A, B, and C, with severity decreasing across classes. Class A diseases have been almost eradicated in China, thus making class B diseases a priority in infectious disease prevention and control. In this retrospective study, we analyze the spatial distribution patterns of 12 class B notifiable infectious diseases that remain active all over China. Methods: Global and local Moran’s I and corresponding graphic tools are adopted to explore and visualize the global and local spatial distribution of the incidence of the selected epidemics, respectively. Inter-correlations of clustering patterns of each pair of diseases and a cumulative summary of the high/low cluster frequency of the provincial units are also provided by means of figures and maps. Results: Of the 12 most commonly notifiable class B infectious diseases, viral hepatitis and tuberculosis show high incidence rates and account for more than half of the reported cases. Almost all the diseases, except pertussis, exhibit positive spatial autocorrelation at the provincial level. All diseases feature varying spatial concentrations. Nevertheless, associations exist between spatial distribution patterns, with some provincial units displaying the same type of cluster features for two or more infectious diseases. Overall, high–low (unit with high incidence surrounded by units with high incidence, the same below) and high–high spatial cluster areas tend to be prevalent in the provincial units located in western and southwest China, whereas low–low and low–high spatial cluster areas abound in provincial units in north and east China. Conclusion: Despite the various distribution patterns of 12 class B notifiable infectious diseases, certain similarities between their spatial distributions are present. Substantial evidence is available to support disease-specific, location-specific, and disease-combined interventions. Regarding provinces that show high–high/high–low patterns of multiple diseases, comprehensive interventions targeting different diseases should be established. As to the adjacent provincial units revealing similar patterns, coordinated actions need to be taken across borders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid urbanization has generated an increasing number of dispossessed farmers in China, with the issues and problems involved gaining extensive attention by the government and academia. Some of them are turning to entrepreneurial activities as an alternative means to earn a living that can solve their long-term livelihood. This study has identified the factors influencing their choices of self-employed industry based on the Grounded theory. Then four hypotheses are developed and quantitatively tested by the Multinomial Logit regression analysis method with 219 observations collected in Zhejiang Province. The empirical results indicate that the four hypotheses receive different levels of support. The decision-making of specific industry is the result of synergistic effects exerted by both internal and external factors. Dispossessed farmers with similar characteristics tend to choose similar industries. The entrepreneurial, adjustment and protective, policies are put forward to facilitate the likelihood of dispossessed farmers' successful startups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Of all sustainable city concepts, eco-cities and low-carbon cities have received a national endorsement in China, with such pilot towns under construction nationwide. However, the performance of eco and low-carbon cities in China has long been heatedly debated, with many negative arguments delineating them as profit-seeking and image-building projects simply capped with impressive names. In reality, while some projects have not fulfilled expectations, most are still at the first stage of construction, so it is too early to regard eco and low-carbon cities as a failure. In this paper, the question of how eco and low-carbon new towns differ from conventional ones in their social, environmental and economic characteristics is posed. Compared to conventional new town plans, the eco and low-carbon city plans incorporate more of a focus on sustainability principles. We examine such perceptions by comparing the master plans of eco, low-carbon and conventional new towns in various aspects ranging from general principles to specific design. The analysis indicates the master plans of the three groups of new towns vary in different ways. The eco-cities and low-carbon cities reflect two trends to promote urban sustainability. The eco new towns are more concerned with the promotion of a sustainable way of life, with its planning focus evenly distributed among all aspects. They particularly stress the creation of an aesthetically pleasing livable environment. In contrast, low-carbon new towns are concerned with the promotion of a sustainable way of production, with an uneven emphasis on the economic sectors such as industrial integration and transformation. However, the master plans only reveal how eco/low-carbon cities are originally intended to differ from non-eco/low-carbon-cities when they start and more comprehensive studies are needed for it to be possible to predict where they will go in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Precipitation is a key environmental factor in determining ecosystem structure and function. Knowledge of how soil and ecosystem respiration responds to climate change (e.g., precipitation) and human activities (e.g., grazing or clipping) is crucial for assessing the impacts of climate change on terrestrial ecosystems and for improving model simulations and predictions of future global carbon (C) cycling in response to human activities. In this study, we examined the spatial patterns of soil and ecosystem respiration along a precipitation gradient from 167.7 to 398.1 mm in a semi-arid grassland. Our results showed that soil and ecosystem respiration increased linearly with increasing mean annual precipitation. The trends were similar to those of shoot biomass, litter and soil total C content along the precipitation gradient. Our results indicated that precipitation was the primary controlling factor in determining the spatial pattern of soil and ecosystem respiration in semi-arid grasslands in China. The linear/nonlinear relationships in this study describing the variations of the ecosystem carbon process with precipitation can be useful for model development, parameterization and validation at the regional scale to improve predictions of how carbon processes in grasslands respond to climate change, land use and grassland management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As the largest component of the global water cycle, precipitation plays a critical role in determining available water in the terrestrial ecosystems. Numerous precipitation products have been generated during the last decades, but they differ substantially in terms of their spatial and temporal variations. In this study, we compared seven precipitation products covering ten major river basins of China from 1980 to 2007 and found large differences among the products. Overall, the Global Precipitation Climatology Center (GPCC) product shows the highest correlation with rain gauge measurements and lowest estimation errors over the ten basins. The performances of other products also clearly differ over the ten basins, and the maximum estimates were 1.27 ± 0.21 times the minimum estimates in terms of interannual variability in precipitation. Based on the seven products, we generated a new precipitation dataset using the Bayesian model averaging method. Compared with all the individual products, the new dataset indicates the decreased root mean square error and increased coefficient of correlation. In the statistical analysis of the weight for each of the products, the GPCC product contributed the maximum weight among almost all river basins. Both the ERA-Interim and MERRA products contributed the minimum weights, being less than 10 %. Our results highlight the need to investigate and improve the performance of precipitation products when evaluating the regional water balance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cordyceps taii, an entomogenous fungus native to south China, is a folk medicine with varieties of pharmacological activities including anticancer effect. To validate the ethnopharmacological claim against cancer, the antitumor and antimetastatic activities of chloroform extract of C. taii (CFCT) were investigated in vivo. Methods: The in vitro cytotoxic activities of CFCT against human lung cancer (A549) and gastric cancer (SGC-7901) cells were evaluated using the Sulforhodamine B (SRB) assay. In vivo anti tumor and antimetastatic activities, Kunming mice bearing sarcoma 180 and C57BL/6 mice bearing melanoma B16F10 were employed, respectively. The antitumor effects of CFCT were completely evaluated on the basis of the tumor weight, survival time, histologic analysis, and immune organ indices. The histopathological change, metastatic foci and malignant melanoma specific marker HMB45 in the lung tissue were detected for the evaluation of the antimetastatic activity of CFCT. Results: CFCT exhibited dose- and time-dependent cytotoxicities against A549 and SGC-7901 cells with the IC50 values of 30.2 and 65.7 µg/mL, respectively. Furthermore, CFCT at a dose of 50 or 100 mg/kg could significantly in- hibit the tumor growth in vivo and prolonged the survival time in two different models as compared with the model group, especially when combined with the CTX at a low dose rate. And it also increased spleen index of Kunming mice and thymus index of C57BL/6 mice. Meanwhile, histologic analysis illustrated that CFCT alone or in combination with CTX could induce tumor tissue necrosis of both models. In addition, CFCT at a dose of 50 or 100 mg/kg inhibited the lung metastasis of melanoma B16F10 in tumor-bearing C57BL/6 mice. The antimetastatic effect was also observed when CFCT was used in combination with CTX. In comparison to any other groups, CFCT at a dose of 100 mg/kg could effectively enhance the GSH-Px activities of various tissues in tumor-bearing C57BL/6 mice. Conclusions: These findings demonstrate that CFCT has potent in vivo antitumor and antimetastatic activities, and may be helpful to the development of anticancer chemopreventive agents from C. taii. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study which examined the biogeochemical characterization and reclamation strategies for ecosystem in the saline sodic soil of the western part of the Songnen plain, Northeastern China. Findings indicated that the physical and chemical qualities of saline sodic soil can be improved by applying farm yard manure, regenerating salt tolerant grasses and leaching with groundwater. Statistics of nutrients in the saline sodic soils are presented.

The previous compact hydrogen maser with sapphire microwave cavity at the Beijing Institute of Radio Metrology and Measurement was not suitable for a space application in navigation systems with limitations on volume and weight. To resolve this problem, we present a new design of the sapphire-loaded cavity with optimal parameters in the minimization of volume and maximization of the quality factor. Methods of theoretical calculations, finite element simulation, and related experiments were performed in designing the sapphire-loaded cavity. Based on the analysis, a miniaturized sapphire microwave cavity with the total volume of 3.04 dm³, the quality factor 67 500, and frequency-temperature coefficient -59.7 kHz/°C is developed. The experimental results are completely consistent with calculation values. In addition, the theoretical calculation result shows that the product of the z-component of the magnetic energy filling factor in the bulb region and the cavity TE011-mode Q-factor is 40 800 at 50°C in the miniaturized sapphire cavity. In addition, 2 sapphire-loaded cavities in the Japanese National Institute of Information and Communications Technology and in the Microwave and Optical Communication Research Institute at the University of Limoges, France, are compared with that of our designs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Suitability evaluation for land is a complex task due to tensions between the need to develop residential and industrial areas and the wish to preserve high biodiversity and heterogeneous landscapes. We proposed an integrated method for land suitability evaluation (LSE) based on geographic information systems (GIS) under uncertainty. The method of grey relational analysis (GRA) was incorporated into analytic hierarchy process (AHP) to address the uncertainty during the process of evaluation. The systematic evaluation approach was tested by using urban expansion land in Changsha City as a case study. Based on the land–environmental information system database, the evaluation indicator system was established, which consisted of three subsystems criteria (biological and water resources, soil resource, and society and economy) and eight factors. Results show that the sum of highly suitable, moderately suitable, and marginally suitable land covers an area of 6,561.27 km2, 55.48% of the total land area in Changsha City. However, 44.52% of the total area (approximately 5,265.45 km2) is currently not suitable land or permanently not suitable land, which illustrates that most areas in Changsha City are suitable for urban development. These outcomes can be used as a basis for policy makers, urban and regional planners, and researchers to deal with the development of cities and their surroundings in regions of highly ecological and environmental sensitivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the ever-increasing trade between China and the rest of the world, commercial disputes have risen dramatically. Many foreign companies choose to resolve these disputes through arbitration to circumvent the Chinese courts and to retain more autonomy and control. Arbitration itself can also be a problem because rules and laws differ, depending on the jurisdiction and the institution involved. Under China's civil law tradition, arbitrators are restricted in their ability to force parties to disclose evidence that may be detrimental to their case. Additionally, arbitrators have no authority to obtain evidence from uncooperative third parties. This Article seeks to provide some guidance for parties engaged in arbitration proceedings in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pilot scheme of low-carbon cities was first introduced in 2006 in China and now three rounds of over a hundred cities have been listed as pilots. There have been studies arguing that the policy has significantly reduced carbon emission in the pilot cities. However, with greater policy leverage and resource input, it is not difficult for the pilot cities to reduce their overall carbon emissions. The more important question is: Do the low-carbon cities reduce carbon emission efficiently considering various input and output indicators? Does the policy really make a difference by reducing carbon emission at the city level from a cost-effectiveness perspective? This research addresses the gap by introducing the Malmquist-Luenberger productivity index in DEA and the quasi-experimental method of Difference in Difference with Propensity Score Matching (PSM-DID) to evaluate the impacts of the low-carbon city pilot scheme in China. Beyond the results that the policy did improve the overall carbon emission efficiency of pilot cities, the article generates several intriguing findings: (1) Although existing researches argue that the policy helps reduce the carbon emission of pilot cities immediately, our findings suggest that it takes longer time to improve the carbon emission efficiency; (2) The proportion of secondary industry and energy intensity of the cities are negatively related to the carbon emission efficiency while capital-labor ratio and the investment in research work the other way around; (3) The policy might further deepen the urban divide between the eastern and western regions since it is more effective on eastern pilot cities; and (4) The mechanisms through which the policy takes effects have also been discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to explain why different policy instruments are selected and how different configurations of factors influence the policy selection in waste management in China. Firstly, we perform content analysis with Nvivo 11 to illustrate the regional variance in policy instrument choice among the 46 cities selected as pilots to enforce the separation of municipal solid waste (MSW). While some local governments mainly resort to regulatory instruments, some others show inclination toward incentive instruments. The authors then explore the mechanisms shaping local government's policy instrument choice with the configurational approach of fussy-set Qualitative Comparative Analysis (fsQCA), which has been seldom conducted empirically. The analysis generates several significant implications for policy instrument choice in waste management in China. It reveals how combinations of factors influence the instrument choice, which is difficult for regression analysis to capture. Second, it identifies equifinal causal paths to both incentive and regulatory instruments. Third, the fsQCA analysis also demonstrates the asymmetry of causality. • A systematic content analysis of waste separation policies in 46 pilot cities in China is conducted. • Different categories of waste separation policies are summarized and compared. • A configurational approach is employed to explain why waste separation policies differ in the pilot cities. • Implications for better waste separation policies and practices are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's carbon trading pilot programs are proceeding gradually, and play a positive role in promoting the development of a domestic carbon market. Because of the late start, deficiencies still exist in the understanding, modeling, and exploration of China's carbon trading pilot market. Our goal is to model the carbon price dynamics and explore the regularities of seven city-based carbon trading pilots. Based on the daily carbon price time series, we analyzed the behavior of the carbon log-returns from 2013 to 2018, modeled them with the ARMA–EGARCH–SGED process, assessed the impact of news on volatility, and carried out the backtesting Value-at-Risk (VaR) analysis. Statistical analysis shows that the log-returns are skewed kurtosis, fat tail, non-normal distribution, and have significantly volatility clustering. The estimated models perform well and capture the asymmetric impact of news on volatility. Positive news increases bigger volatility than a negative one, except for Hubei and Chongqing. The Shenzhen pilot shows the best performance in resisting markets' risk, while lower-capability in that are found in Hubei and Tianjin. Moreover, the estimated models for seven pilots have adequate capital to cope with large unexpected losses and VaR estimates give a good prediction of market risk at 99%, 97.5%, and 95% confidence level. • We analyzed the behavior characteristics of China's carbon-trading market. • We explored the influence of news on the dynamics of China's carbon-trading market. • The anti-leverage effect was found in five pilot projects. • The Shenzhen pilot ETSs showed the best performance in resisting markets' risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The spatiotemporal characteristics of shrinking cities were identified from 1990 to 2010 in China. • The number of shrinking cities and the shrinking degree were continuously increasing. • The aging population was a key factor pushing city shrinkage. • A negative correlation between economic level and city shrinkage was observed. City shrinkage characterized by population loss is a difficult issue challenging urban planning and regional development policy. China has been experiencing rapid urbanization over the past several decades. Although numerous studies have identified the characteristics and factors of urban expansion in China, city shrinkage has been widely ignored. This paper measured prefecture-level city shrinkage from the regional dimension based on the fourth (1990), fifth (2000) and sixth (2010) national census data in China. The spatiotemporal characteristics of shrinking cities were analyzed in different economic regions, and the relevant factors contributing to city shrinkage were explored based on the Pearson correlation coefficient. The results showed that the number of shrinking cities and the shrinking degree continuously increased from 1990 to 2010 in China. City shrinkage showed a significant positive correlation in space and was highly related to the regional economic level and population structure. Specifically, the aging population was a key factor responsible for city shrinkage, and a negative correlation was observed between the economic level and city shrinkage. These findings contribute to our understanding of the relationship between city shrinkage and economic development and provide important information for governments and planners formulating scientifically-based city development policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has a heavy impact on the mental health of elderly surgical patients worldwide. In particular, the elderly patients faced considerable psychological stress due to various environmental and medical factors during the outbreak. This study aims to examine changes in mental health trends among non-cardiac surgical patients aged 65 and above in China during the COVID-19 pandemic. This multi-center, convenient sampling, longitudinal observational study was conducted from April 1, 2020 to April 30, 2022. Primary outcome was the prevalence of postoperative depression. Secondary outcome was the prevalence of postoperative anxiety. Follow-up was conducted separately at 7 days and 30 days after surgery. Depression symptoms were assessed using the Patient Health Questionnaire 9 (PHQ-9) scale. Anxiety symptoms were assessed using Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7) scale, with scores of ≥5 defining positive depression or anxiety symptoms. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was used to investigate risk factors of mental health status in more elderly patients undergoing non-cardiac surgery. A total of 4639 patients were included, of whom 2279 (46.0 %) were male, 752 (15.2 %) were over the age of 75, and 4346 (93.7 %) were married. The monthly prevalence trends demonstrated that compared to the outbreak period, a significant reduction in the prevalence of depression and anxiety symptoms in elderly patients who underwent surgery during the post-pandemic period. In post-pandemic period, a statistically significant decrease in the prevalence of all severity depression and anxiety patients was noted at the 7-day follow-up, but no significant decrease was observed for severe depression and anxiety in the 30-day follow-up. In COVID-19 low-risk area, a significant overall decrease in prevalence of mental health was observed during the post-pandemic period compared to the outbreak period, including 7-day depression, 7-day anxiety, 30-day depression, and 30-day anxiety (all with P < 0.001). Female and patients with ≥2 comorbidities appeared to be more susceptible to postoperative depression and anxiety during the pandemic. The absence of data from the early days of the COVID-19 outbreak. This study analyzed the prevalence of depression and anxiety in elderly non-cardiac patients during and after the COVID-19 pandemic, focusing on dimensions such as severity, risk-areas, gender, and comorbidity. Our findings revealed a significant decrease in the prevalence of depression and anxiety in elderly surgery patients during the post-pandemic period. • This study was a multi-center, convenient sampling, longitudinal observational study which focused on the changes in mental health symptoms in the post-pandemic era of elderly patients in China. • We found that female and patients with more comorbidities were more likely to experience symptoms of depression and anxiety during the pandemic. • We showed a significant decrease in depression and anxiety prevalence of postoperative 7-day and 30-day compared to during the epidemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we investigate Holocene precipitation changes in northern China to improve the understanding of the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM) and provide an environmental context for the development of Chinese civilisation. Our study is based on an analysis of 260 pollen samples from Holocene lacustrine sediments at Ningjinpo in northern China, and employs the biomisation method to reconstruct regional vegetation types and vegetation changes, and to decipher their driving factors, by incorporating regional climatic data and information on human activities. Results indicate that, in the early Holocene (10,000–8100 cal yr B.P.), regional climate was dry, with annual precipitation of 470 mm. In the middle Holocene (8100–3000 cal yr B.P.), a rapid increase was observed in precipitation, reaching 580 mm. During the late Holocene (2600–600 cal yr B.P.), climate became drier again, with annual precipitation decreasing to 480 mm. Between 10,000–600 cal yr B.P., vegetation exhibited distinct successional patterns dominantly influenced by climate, transitioning from meadow-steppe to forest, and then back to meadow-steppe. After 600 cal yr B.P., vegetation succession decoupled from climate change, with human activities emerging as the primary driving force, as indicated by the substantial increase in anthropogenic pollen and charcoal concentrations. In the future, under the combined influence of global warming and intensified human activity, the implementation of scientific environmental planning measures will become increasingly important for the restoration and sustainable development of regional vegetation ecosystems. • Unambiguous high-resolution precipitation record from the North China Plain. • Human activities variedly impact vegetation evolution since 2600 cal yr B.P. • A shift from natural to anthropogenic vegetation change happened at 600 cal yr B.P. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The Indian rhesus macaque is the established animal model for HIV infection and vaccine research. Growing evidence suggests that the more readily available Chinese rhesus macaque may be a more relevant option. As increasing numbers of novel Chinese rhesus MHC alleles are reported, we decided to explore potential HIV vaccine epitopes in this model. We immunized forty Chinese rhesus macaques with three different HIV vaccine candidates either individually or following a prime/boost strategy. We used ELISPOT to measure immune response in vitro to HIV-1 p24C and HIV-1 gp160 peptide libraries. We identified five putative epitopes with associations to HLA-I alleles including HLA*B-2705 and HLA-B*5101 (associated with slow disease progression and low viral set point) and HLA-B*18 (associated with rapid disease progression and high viral set point). This suggests the possible use of Chinese rhesus macaques to model different disease progressions. We also explored the use of fusion proteins as stimulators in ELISPOT assays. While PBMCs from 6 monkeys responded to peptide stimulation, PBMCs from 28 monkeys responded to the anthrax lethal factor fusion proteins LFn p24C and/or LFn gp140C. Our results support the use of Chinese rhesus macaques in HIV vaccine studies. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In the recent decades, calling activities have been studied from different perspectives in social physics field. In diverse studies, call frequencies and call durations have been widely used to quantify calling activity. However, they have been rarely studied. In this work, long-term correlations as well as the multifractality of toll-free call frequency (TFCF) and toll-free call duration (TFCD) time series were investigated with multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis (MFDFA). The results show that these two time series have a similar crossover, which is approximately 36 h, and they have different long-term correlations as well as sophisticated multifractality below and above the crossover. The TFCF time series below the crossover is non-stationary and small fluctuations contribute more to its strong multifractality than large fluctuations. The TFCF time series above the crossover is stationary with long-term anti-correlation and its weak multifractality is only caused by small fluctuations. The TFCD time series below the crossover is non-stationary and large fluctuations contribute more to its strong multifractality than small fluctuations. The TFCD time series above the crossover is stationary with long-term correlation and its weak multifractality is mainly caused by small fluctuations. Moreover, we found that the multifractality of the TFCF time series is primarily caused by correlations, but that of the TFCD time series is caused by a combination of correlations and broad distribution of data. We also discussed the possible factors in the sophisticated multifractality with comparative analysis. • TFCF and TFCD time series have a similar crossover (36 h).. • For blow the crossover, they have strong multifractality with opposite sided multifractal spectra. • For above the crossover, they have weak multifractality and inverse long-term correlations. • Sources of multifractality have been found. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The bidirectional influence between emotional language and inhibitory processes has been studied in alphabetic languages, highlighting the need for additional investigation in nonalphabetic languages to explore potential cross-linguistic differences. The present ERP study investigated the bidirectional influence in the context of Mandarin, a language with unique linguistic features and neural substrates. In Experiment 1, emotional adjectives preceded the Go/NoGo cue. The ERPs revealed that negative emotional language facilitated inhibitory control. In Experiment 2, with a Go/NoGo cue preceding the emotional language, the study confirmed that inhibitory control facilitated the semantic integration of negative language in Chinese, whereas the inhibited state may not affect deeper refinement of the emotional content. However, no interaction was observed in positive emotional language processing. These results suggest an interaction between inhibitory control and negative emotional language processing in Chinese, supporting the integrative emotion-cognition view., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: Research has indicated some women were in a state of uncertainty about pharmacological pain management decisions, which may lead to maternal anxiety and decisional regret. However, little is known about decisional conflict in the choice of epidural labour analgesia amongst Chinese women., Aim: This study aimed to investigate the level of and reasons underlying decisional conflict in Chinese women during their late pregnancy when making a decision on the use of epidural analgesia in labour., Methods: A convergent parallel mixed methods study was undertaken, that included a quantitative survey (n = 323) and qualitative interviews (n = 17) with women recruited from a tertiary general hospital in Hangzhou, China. The quantitative survey assessed the level of and its influencing factors of women's decisional conflict, while the qualitative interview further explored experiences of and reasons underlying the conflict., Findings: Participants reported a high level of decisional conflict (mean±SD, 39.59±15.92), which related to decision delay and/or negative perceptions about the decision. Multiple stepwise linear regression analysis identified that highest level of education and knowledge of epidural were negatively associated with decisional conflict (p<0.05). Four decision-making styles (rational, dependant, intuitive and avoidant decision-making) associated with different levels of decisional conflict, and four underlying reasons (personal characteristics, informational provision, emotional support and participation in decision-making) of the conflict were thematized., Conclusion: Decisional conflict related to epidural labour analgesia is a noteworthy issue amongst women during their late pregnancy. This study suggests a need for provision of family-centred shared decision-making practice about the use of epidural analgesia in labour., 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. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Revegetation is accelerating globally because of its benefits in terms of ecosystem restoration, desertification prevention, and warming mitigation. The Yellow River Basin (YRB), as an ecological barrier in northern China, has implemented revegetation projects (such as the 'Grain for Green' program) for over two decades. However, a consensus on whether a significant change in greenness has been achieved and to what extent have environmental factors contributed to this change, as well as their importance ranking, is lacking. Leaf area index (LAI) is a critical indicator for estimating global greenness and projecting the dynamics of climate change. Herein, we apply four methods (Geodetector, random forest, multiple linear regression, and structural equation models) to explore the contribution of different environmental factors to greenness using the LAI in the YRB. We found that greenness has been increasing (greening over 67.22% (p < 0.05; 47.7%) of the YRB) with great spatial heterogeneity in the entire basin since 2000. Specifically, the greening process differed with elevation and slope. Temperature vegetation dryness index (TVDI) and water-use efficiency (WUE) dominated the greening; however, the three subregions evaluated revealed differing performance. In the upstream region, LAI increased by 0.031 y -1 . The primary positive factors of greening change were WUE and the annual highest value of daily minimum temperature; the negative factors were TVDI and the highest number of consecutive days when precipitation <1 mm. In the midstream region, LAI increased by 0.025 y -1 ; greenness was mainly affected by the negative interaction of TVDI and the positive interaction of WUE. Annual maximum consecutive 5-day precipitation and annual count when daily minimum temperature < 0 °C had a great indirect impact on greenness, mainly through TVDI and WUE. In the downstream region, LAI increased by 0.045 y -1 , and the main driving factors were the annual lowest value of daily minimum temperature with a negative influence and the annual lowest value of daily maximum temperature with a positive influence. In addition, we found that the effect of the interaction of any two driving factors on greenness was greater than or equal to the single effect of a driving factor. This study concludes that drought and WUE are important predictors to evaluate the greenness in arid and semi-arid regions. We emphasise that the selection and assessment of greenness factors should follow a scientific and rigorous process rather than experience, and increased attention should be paid to the interaction of multiple factors. Furthermore, the perspective of system analysis will deepen our understanding of vegetation change in a vulnerable ecosystem., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: to explore the nature of ascending-descending-floating-sinking of Traditional Chinese Medicine on normal rats using gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRh)., Methods: Normal male Sprague-Dawley rats were orally administered six floating Chinese medicines and seven sinking Chinese medicines for 14 d. then, GnRh and relevant indicators were detected. Initially, the different effects of floating and sinking drugs on the body were explored. To verify the effects of floating and sinking drugs on the body, normal rats were orally administered Mahuang (Herba Ephedra Sinica) and Tinglizi (Semen Lepidii Apetali) for 14 d. Then, GnRh antagonists were administered. We observed the changes of relevant indicators and clarified the correlation between GnRh and the laws of floating and sinking., Results: Floating Chinese medicines significantly increased the testicular coefficients; GnRh level in the serum; the protein level of GnRh receptor (GnRhR) in the testis; and the mRNA levels of androgen receptor (AR), small C-terminal domain phosphatase (SCP) 3, SCP2, SYCE1, SMC1B, SMC3, and Rec8 (P < 0.01 or < 0.05). Sinking Chinese medicines did not react similarly, while GnRh antagonists blocked the regulatory effect of Mahuang (Herba Ephedra Sinica) but did not affect Tinglizi (Semen Lepidii Apetali)., Conclusions: GnRh may be closely related to the nature of ascending-descending-floating-sinking of Chinese medicine. Floating Chinese medicines may promote their medicinal properties by regulating GnRH level; however, sinking Chinese medicines did not affect GnRh level.

Lipid deposition in the kidney can cause serious damage to the kidney, and there is an obvious epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and fibrosis in the late stage. To investigate the interventional effects and mechanisms of phenolic compounds from Mori Cortex on the EMT and fibrosis induced by sodium oleate-induced lipid deposition in renal tubular epithelial cells (NRK-52e cells), and the role played by CD36 in the adjustment process, NRK-52e cells induced by 200 μmol/L sodium oleate were given 10 μmoL/L moracin-P-2″- O -β-d-glucopyranoside (Y-1), moracin-P-3'- O -β-d-glucopyranoside (Y-2), moracin-P-3'- O -α-l-arabinopyranoside (Y-3), and moracin-P-3'-O-[β-glucopyranoside-(1→2)arabinopyranoside] (Y-4), and Oil Red O staining was used to detect lipid deposition. A Western blot was used to detect lipid deposition-related protein CD36, inflammation-related protein (p-NF-κB-P65, NF-κB-P65, IL-1β), oxidative stress-related protein (NOX1, Nrf2, Keap1), EMT-related proteins (CD31, α-SMA), and fibrosis-related proteins (TGF-β, ZEB1, Snail1). A qRT-PCR test detected inflammation, EMT, and fibrosis-related gene mRNA levels. The TNF-α levels were detected by ELISA, and the colorimetric method was used to detects SOD and MDA levels. The ROS was measured by flow cytometry. A high-content imaging analysis system was applied to observe EMT and fibrosis-related proteins. At the same time, the experiment silenced CD36 and compared the difference between before and after drug treatment, then used molecular docking technology to predict the potential binding site of the active compounds with CD36. The research results show that sodium oleate can induce lipid deposition, inflammation, oxidative stress, and fibrosis in NRK-52e cells. Y-1 and Y-2 could significantly ameliorate the damage caused by sodium oleate, and Y-2 had a better ameliorating effect, while there was no significant change in Y-3 or Y-4. The amelioration effect of Y-1 and Y-2 disappeared after silencing CD36. Molecular docking technology showed that the Y-1 and Y-2 had hydrogen bonds to CD36 and that, compared with Y-1, Y-2 requires less binding energy. In summary, moracin-P-2″- O -β-d-glucopyranoside and moracin-P-3'- O -β-d-glucopyranoside from Mori Cortex ameliorated lipid deposition, EMT, and fibrosis induced by sodium oleate in NRK-52e cells through CD36.

To introduce the historical origin of five element acupuncture and its development after returning to China, including the domestic inheritance mode, the clinical application, the establishment and operation of the Society of Five Element Acupuncture. This paper analyzed the challenges and opportunities faced by the development of five element acupuncture in China, which provides reference for the further development and expansion of the five element acupuncture.

Backgroud: Given the increasing morbidity and mortality of colorectal cancer (CRC), it is urgent to develop a noninvasive screening strategy for early diagnosis of CRC. Altered IgG glycosylation is associated with CRC progression, whereas the association of IgG isomeric glycosylation with CRC were not investigated., Methods: Methylamidation of IgG N-glycans was conducted prior to PGC-based nanoLC-ESI-MS/MS analysis. Data processing was operated by a self-developed application based on MATLAB solution. Statistical analysis including K-S test, t-test, ROC curve and OPLS-DA were successively performed. Additionally, an independent set was utilized to validate the results., Results: Total 28 IgG glycans and 79 compositional isomers were identified, over half of which are firstly identified so far. Statistical analysis showed that CRC associates with increase in IgG agalactosylation, decrease in IgG sialylation and fucosylation of sialylated glycans. Additionally, it was found that three compositional isomers (H3N4F1-a, H3N4F1-b and H4N3S1F1-e) could distinguish CRC and early stages from controls with an accurate area under the receiver operating characteristic curve. Significantly, these results were validated in an independent set by multivariate statistical analysis., Conclusions: This is the first comprehensively profiling of isomer-specific IgG N-glycosylation, which could differentiate normal controls from colorectal disease patients. The candidate IgG glyco-biomarkers provide important screening indicators for early diagnosis of CRC., General Significance: Colorectal cancer progression is strongly associated with isomer-specific IgG N-glycosylation., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Understanding the patterns of species richness across elevational gradients is a key concept for contemporary research in ecology and evolution, and critical to understanding large-scale trends in biodiversity, global change and conservation. However, patterns of elevational species richness between taxonomic groups, regions and latitudes are inconsistent, so that various, sometimes conflicting hypotheses exist. Several scholars have pointed out that research on elevational distribution patterns is often biased by the sampling design employed. To test this hypothesis, we analyzed species richness of Nematode-Trapping Fungi (NTF) across an elevation gradient at two mountainous sites in western Yunnan Province, P.R. China. We tested for potential differences in the results when using different sampling designs., Results: A total of 3 genera, 17 species, 222 strains of NTF were isolated and identified from Gaoligongshan and Cangshan. Species accumulation curves for both sites and sampling modes had acceptable leveling, demonstrating sufficient sampling effort. At Gaoligongshan, the elevation distribution patterns of NTF were different under two sampling patterns. When reducing the analyzed altitude range in Gaoligongshan, the elevation distribution pattern of the NTF changed. A similar elevation distribution pattern was observed in Cangshan when testing the same altitude range. In general, when treating the same dataset using different sampling designs, the resulting distribution patterns of species richness and occurrence frequencies were clearly different. Moreover, after removal of the samples located within lower-altitude zones affected by anthropogenic interferences, the distribution pattern of NTF in the two sites tended to become uniform., Conclusion: The sampling design, and in particular the elevation interval between plots, has a significant effect on the assessment of species distribution in mountainous regions. Other factors such as human activities and the multi-dimensionality of biodiversity also contribute to result biases. It is recommended that sampling design is given careful consideration in future studies on the elevational gradients of species richness, using stratified approaches according to the most relevant factors.

In this study we evaluated children with newly diagnosed advanced (stage III and stage IV) mature B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma (B-NHL) or mature B-cell acute leukemia (B-AL), who were treated with Berlin-Frankfurt-Münster (BFM)95-based protocol combined with rituximab (R+BFM95). Our study recruited 46 patients who were treated with BFM95 protocol combined with rituximab. There are 23 patients as the historical control treated with BFM90 protocol. Compared with patients treated with BFM90 protocol, the 5-year event-free survival (EFS) rate of patients under R+BFM95 was higher (83.7%±5.7% vs. 69.6%±9.6%; P=0.1062). Among subgroups of our patients, the 5-year EFS of patients with stage III was 87.3%±6.1% vs. 77.8%±9.8% (P=0.2998), stage IV/B-AL was 72.7%±13.4% versus 40.0%±21.9% (P=0.0878) between patients treated with R+BFM95 and BFM90, respectively. Among patients whose lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) level were <500 U/L at diagnosis, R+BFM95 protocol reached 100% survival, nevertheless the 5-year EFS of patients in this group was not statistically different from that of patients treated with BFM90 (92.3%±7.4%; P=0.2994). Among patients had LDH≥500 U/L at diagnosis, the 5-year EFS in R+BFM95 group was 77.2%±7.7% (32 patients) and significantly higher than that of BFM90 group (40.0%±15.5%, 10 patients; P=0.0048). We found that rituximab has improved the EFS of childhood B-NHL/B-AL with LDH≥500U/L. Our results require validation from future studies with large cohort.

Objective: To evaluate efficacy, safety and feasibility of targeted intracoronary injection using pro-urokinase combined with anisodamine (TCA) versus thrombus aspiration (TA) in ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients with high thrombus loads., Background: The best method of avoiding thrombus detachment and stroke in PCI patients with high thrombus loads has not yet been established., Methods: STEMI patients receiving coronary artery angiography or percutaneous coronary intervention (CAG/PCI) with thrombus grade ≥ 3 from January 1, 2017 to June 30, 2018 were randomly assigned to targeted intracoronary thrombolysis (pro-urokinase and anisodamine via catheter (TCA) group), or the TA group which followed the standard thrombus aspiration procedure. Parameters compared included thrombus grade, index of microcirculatory resistance (IMR), postoperative myocardial SPECT, thrombosis in myocardial infarction (TIMI) scores including flow grade, corrected TIMI frame counts (CTFCs), and TIMI myocardial perfusion grade (TMPG). Adverse events were followed up within 3 months., Results: Thirty-nine patients were finally enrolled. In primary CAG/PCI, the TCA group had higher percentages of TIMI 3 flow and lower IMR values compared with the TA group. The ratio of TMPG 3 grade in the TCA group was higher in repeat CAG, and the perfusion descending area (PDA) presented by SPECT was lower than in the TA group. No significant difference was seen in major adverse coronary events (MACEs) or bleeding events at follow-up., Conclusions: TCA appears to be effective, safe, and feasible for repatency and reduction of high thrombus burden in primary PCI and may protect myocardial microcirculation with improved outcomes., (© 2019 The Authors. Catheterization and Cardiovascular Interventions published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Background: Health workforce misdistribution leads to severe inequity and low-efficiency in health services in the developing countries. Targeting at China, this research aims to reveal, visualize and compare the geographical distribution patterns of different subtypes of urban and rural health workforce and identify the priority regions for health workforce planning and allocation policies designing., Methods: The health workforce density (workforce-to-population ratio) is adopted to represent the accessibility to health workforce in each geographical unit. Besides a descriptive geography of health workforce as a whole, the local indicators of spatial association (LISA) are used to explore the spatial clusters of different subtypes of health workforce, which are visualized by geographical tools., Results: Results reveal that regional disparities and spatial clusters exist in China's health workforce distribution, with different types of workforce exhibiting relatively different spatial distribution characteristics. Besides, huge urban-rural disparities are found in the distribution of health workforce in China. Unexpectedly but intriguingly, most of the high-high and high-low cluster area of urban health workforce are concentrated in the western China (Xinjiang, Xizang etc.), indicating the relative abundant stock of urban health workforce in these units, while the low-low and low-high cluster area of different types of urban health workforce are mainly distributed in middle China. Regarding the rural health workforce, there is an obvious and similar low-low and low-high clustering pattern in western provinces (Sichuan, Yunnan) for the licensed doctors, pharmacists, technologists, which play a critical role in health services delivery., Conclusions: Different types of health workforce displayed distinct spatial distribution patterns, while the misdistribution of rural health workforce imposed more challenges to the Chinese health sector due to its poorer stock and more disadvantaged positions of backward regions (i.e., low-low and low-high cluster area). Subtype-specific and region-oriented health workforce planning and allocation policies are suggested to be made, aiming at the urban and rural health workforce respectively, by prioritizing the identified low-low and low-high cluster areas.