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Chinese learners are poor at oral English owing to a lack of practice. There is a high demand for opportunities to practice oral English effectively. This study investigates the use of three educationally significant ways of talking to Chinese learners' meaningful oral English development in one-to-one Computer- and Internet-Based Virtual Classes (CIBVC). It is a qualitative case study including two sets of data that contain 64 video-recorded lessons. One set of data are 32 class recordings from one participant as the primary data and the other are from another four participants as the supplementary data. Thematic analysis is employed to carry out this study and computer-assisted qualitative data analysis software is utilized to assist. The findings of this study discover effective ways of using the three ways of talking to conduct oral English teaching and learning practice. The results contribute to research into relating authentic communication in CIBVC to the discovery of effective oral English practice. Obtained practical implications are valuable references as predictors of successful teaching and learning outcomes.

Background and aims: The impact of lipids on the overall survival (OS) of patients with malignancy has not yet been clarified. This study aimed to evaluate the effect of hyperlipidemia on the OS among Chinese patients based on Body Mass Index (BMI) stratifications and hyperlipidemia types. Method: The patients in this study were derived from the Investigation of the Nutrition Status and Clinical Outcome of Common Cancers (INSCOC) trial. Kaplan–Meier was used to draw the survival curve, and the log-rank test was used to estimate the survival rates between each group. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to estimate the hazard ratios (HR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results: A total of 9054 patients were included in the final study, with a median age of 59 years, and 55.3% (5004) of them were males. Regarding types of hyperlipidemia, only low high-density lipoprotein was an independent risk factor for the prognosis of all patients (HR = 1.35, 95% CI: 1.25–1.45, P < 0.001), while high total cholesterol (HR = 1.01, 95% CI: 0.90–1.15, P = 0.839) and high low-density lipoprotein (HR = 1.03, 95%CI: 0.91–1.16, P = 0.680) were not. In terms of BMI stratification, the effect of triglycerides on prognosis varied; high triglycerides were an independent risk factor for the prognosis of underweight patients (HR = 1.56, 95% CI:1.05–2.32, P = 0.027) and a protective factor for overweight patients (HR = 0.75, 95% CI: 0.63–0.89, P = 0.001). However, for normal-weight patients, there was no significant statistical difference (HR = 0.88, 95%CI: 0.75–1.03, P = 0.108). Conclusions: The impact of hyperlipidemia on the OS among patients with cancer varied by different BMI and hyperlipidemia types. BMI and hyperlipidemia type ought to be considered in combination to estimate the prognosis of patients with malignancy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil and water conservation and protection are of great importance to China, as the source of the Pearl and Xiang Rivers, and the main rare earth mining area, the ecology of Dongjiang River Basin, is very fragile. In this paper, the Chinese soil loss equation and the Geodetector method are used to analyze the spatial and temporal patterns and the impact factors of soil erosion in this area from 2016 to 2020. The results show that (1) Soil erosion intensity in the Dongjiang River Basin from 2016 to 2020 is mainly mild, with the soil erosion intensity in the Dongjiang River Basin in 2016 being the largest in five years. (2) The erosion modulus shows an increasing trend with the increase of slope. In terms of vegetation, when the vegetation cover is <30%, the soil erosion modulus is the largest, which is easy to induce soil erosion. When the vegetation cover is >60%, the soil erosion modulus is the smallest, which effectively slows down the occurrence of soil erosion. Rainfall is proportional to the soil erosion modulus and soil erosion. (3) The results of Geodetector indicate that the single factor sizes are land use > vegetation > slope > precipitation, and interaction factors all show a nonlinear enhancement. (4) The proper allocation of land use types, the prohibition of steep slopes for cultivation, and the restoration of forestry can effectively prevent and control soil erosion in the area. Core Ideas: Chinese soil loss equation enabled us to quantify soil erosion patterns.Geodetector unravels the underlying mechanisms responsible for spatial heterogeneity.The investigation highlighted the significant impact of intense rainfall events on steep slopes.Our analysis illustrates the shifting landscape of soil erosion within the Dongjiang River Basin.Our research sheds light on the key drivers behind this phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessing the role of physical processes in the stratosphere under climate change has been one of the hottest topics over the past few decades. However, due to the limitations of detection techniques, stratospheric disturbance information from in situ observations is still relatively scarce. The round-trip intelligent sounding system (RTISS) is a new detection technology, developed in recent years, that can capture atmospheric fine-structure information about the troposphere and stratosphere via three-stage (rising, flat-floating, and falling) detection. Based on the structure function and singular measure relationships, we quantify stratospheric small-scale gravity waves (SGWs) over China, using the Hurst and intermittency parameters, and discuss their relationship with inertia-gravity waves (IGWs). The results show that the enhancement of SGWs in the stratosphere is accompanied by weakening of the IGWs below, which is related to the Kelvin–Helmholtz instability (KHI), and is conducive to the transport of ozone to higher altitudes from lower stratosphere. The parameter space (H1 , C1) shows sufficient potential in the analysis of stratospheric disturbances and their role in material transport and energy transfer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to explore the relationship between leader and follower psychological capital (PC) congruence, intrinsic safety motivation (ISM), and safety behavior (SB). The construction industry is one of the most dangerous industries, and most safety accidents are determined by human behavior. Exploring the factors influencing construction workers' SB is important for improving construction safety. This study collected 242 paired questionnaires from frontline construction workers and crew leaders in China. The SPSS 22.0 software and PROCESS program were used for analysis, the empirical study was conducted using polynomial regression and response surface analysis, and the block variable method was used to test for mediating effects. The findings show that (a) the level of follower SB is determined by the degree of leader–follower PC congruence; (b) when leader–follower PC was congruent, the impact of both high PCs on follower SB was enhanced compared to each low PC; (c) when leader–follower PC was incongruent, the impact of follower PC (FPC) above leader PC (LPC) was better on follower SB compared to FPC below LPC; (d) the relationship between leader–follower PC congruence and follower SB was mediated by ISM. The promotion of SB should focus on the fit between leaders and followers in addition to the PC of the followers themselves. This study contributes to workgroup safety in the construction industry by improving the fit between workgroup leaders and members, promoting ISM, and thus improving their safety performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Given the increasing longevity of the population, the consolidation of familial structures, and the scarcity of economic resources required to sustain an aging society, the Chinese government faces a complex and urgent challenge in effectively addressing the growing needs of older adults and establishing a long-term care services system that is both sustainable and equitable.Patients and Methods: This study harnesses the comprehensive CLHLS data from 2011 to 2018 and utilizes the "Pilot Industrialization of Old-Age Service in a Market-Oriented Way" policy as a quasi-natural experiment. Employing the Difference-in-Differences (DID) method, our study aims to evaluate the impact of industrializing older adult care services on the physical and mental health outcomes of older adults in China.Results: The findings strongly indicate that the government's adoption of a market-driven fiscal approach within its policies, aimed at attracting social capital and fostering the industrialization of older adult care services, positively influences the physical and mental well-being of the aged population. Furthermore, through heterogeneity analysis, it becomes evident that the health promotion effect is particularly pronounced among older individuals living without a spouse, lacking family care from children or grandchildren, or residing in financially underdeveloped regions.Conclusion: In summary, these results underscore the potential efficacy of employing financial policy instruments to facilitate the industrialization of older adult care services, thereby advancing the promotion of a society characterized by healthy aging and ensuring equitable health outcomes for older people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many of the abandoned mining and industrial land in villages and towns are seriously polluted by heavy metals in China, it is necessary for sustainable development to adopt efficient and economical ways to restore the ecology of abandoned mining and industrial land. Pollution level of topsoil contaminated with metallurgical slag from non-ferrous metal smelting waste site in Baoding, North China and the heavy metals (HMs) accumulation behavior of Bidens pilosa L. (B. pilosa, native pioneer plant) were studied. Two selected study sites were mainly contaminated by As (270∼434 mg/kg), Cd (63∼95 mg/kg), Pb (5496∼24504 mg/kg) and Zn (4500∼21300 mg/kg), which exceed the national standard severely. Investigation of multi-metal accumulation in different parts of B. pilosa indicated that the absorption of toxic metals varied by types, concentration and species of HMs under stress conditions, soil property and plant tissues. The results showed that B. pilosa had excellent ability to accumulate HMs under different HMs stress condition, with the highest accumulation concentration of 85 mg/kg for As, 380 mg/kg for Cd, 4000 mg/kg for Pb, and 7500 mg/kg for Zn in roots under experimental conditions, respectively. The growth trend of B. pilosa declined with the increase of HMs stress concentration in tested soils. HMs stress led to different degrees of plant toxicity and obstruction of physiological metabolism. Among the plant physiological index, Chla and ChlT decreased 28.0% and 28.1%, 37.3% and 35.5% under different stress treatments, respectively. Indicators related to physiological metabolic strength and stress resistance of plant, such as MDA (Malondiadehyde), CAT (catalase), SOD (superoxide dismutase) and SP (soluble protein), all increased with the increase of HMs stress concentration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The technology and service modes of logistics industry are changing greatly in smart economy, and innovation is becoming new development engine, which promotes the urgent transformation requirement of teaching system of logistics engineering majors in universities. Based on the data from logistics engineering majors in Chinese universities in 2021, a relevant study on the undergraduate logistics engineering major is carried out. Along with 'ability-motivation-opportunity' (AMO) theory, this paper analyses the influence of ability, motivation and opportunity on the transformation. The current situation of teaching system, the existing problems and the improvement measures are investigated. Based on the above analysis, this paper puts forward the relevant suggestions to promote the cultivation of innovative talents, mainly including planning and designing the training programme system for logistics engineering major, placing more emphasis on logistics practice courses, promoting undergraduate students' participation in various logistics contests, and increasing the level of teaching investment and guarantee. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assessing the role of physical processes in the stratosphere under climate change has been one of the hottest topics over the past few decades. However, due to the limitation of detection technique, the stratospheric disturbance information from in situ observation is still relatively scarce. The round-trip intelligent sounding system (RTISS) is a new detection technology developed in recent years, which can capture atmospheric fine structure information of the troposphere and stratosphere through the three-stage (rising, flat-floating, and falling) detection. Based on the structure function and singular measure, we quantify the stratospheric small-scale gravity wave (SGW) over China by Hurst parameter and intermittency parameter, and discuss its relationship with inertia-gravity wave (IGW). The results show that the enhancement of the SGWs in the stratosphere is accompanied by the weakening of the IGWs below, which is closely related to the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability (KHI), and is conducive to the transport of ozone to higher altitudes from lower stratosphere. The parameter space (H1, C1) shows sufficient potential in the analysis of stratospheric disturbances and their role in material transport and energy transfer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We analyze the effects of local government debt on the proliferation of zombie firms. With aggregated prefecture-level debt data and firm-level data from 2006 to 2013, the empirical evidence demonstrates that the local government debt significantly exacerbates the "zombification" of local firms, mainly through the credit-favoritism to state-owned enterprises and capital misallocation. Our analysis also shows that the magnitude of zombification effects is influenced by debt liquidity and the primary functions of local government financing vehicles. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A history of child sexual abuse (CSA) is associated with a variety of psychological issues and conduct disorders in adolescents. However, little is known about the association between CSA and its characteristics and murderous behaviors in young adults. The purpose of this study was to examine this relationship and explore the mediating effect of psychological adjustment (PA). A cross-sectional study was conducted with 4034 college students in Anhui Province, China. The participants were invited to complete self-report questionnaires regarding the history of CSA, self-perceived PA and murderous behaviors. PA was evaluated by two of the most important indicators: resilience and emotional release. Mediation analyses were computed via parallel mediation models. Of the participants, 14.1% reported experiencing CSA. After controlling for potential confounders, CSA victimization was robustly and positively associated with murderous ideation (OR: 2.36, 95% CI: 1.77–3.14), murderous plans (OR: 4.02, 95% CI: 2.63–6.12), murderous preparation (OR: 3.87, 95% CI: 2.37–6.31), and murderous attempts (OR: 5.35, 95% CI: 3.11–9.21). CSA victimization that was persistent and of the combined contact or noncontact types greatly increased the risk of murderous behaviors. A dose–response relationship was observed between the duration of experienced CSA and murderous behaviors. Furthermore, the results of the mediation analysis revealed that PA partially mediated the relationship between CSA victimization and murderous behaviors. Therefore, PA protects against the development of murderous behaviors in abused individuals. These findings have important implications for the prevention and intervention of murderous behaviors in adolescents who experienced CSA, highlighting the importance of considering PA as a protective role in this relationship. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tengchong snow, which has white feathers and black meat, is one of the most important black-bone chicken breeds and a genetic treasure of black food in China. Although the black meat traits are dominant, there are some chickens with white meat traits born in the process of folk selection and breeding. The purpose of this study was to compare the differences in skeletal muscle development between Tengchong snow black meat chickens (BS) and white meat chickens (WS), as well as whether excessive melanin deposition has an effect on skeletal muscle development. The BS and WS groups were selected to determine their muscle development difference at stages of 1, 7, 14, 21, and 42 days, using histological stain methods to analyze the development and composing type of breast and leg muscle fibers, as well as the count of melanin in BS muscle fibers. Finally, we were validated key candidate genes associated with muscle development and melanin synthesis. The results showed that BS breast muscle development was inhibited at 7, 14, and 21 days, while the leg muscle was inhibited at 7, 14, 21, and 42 days, compared to WS. Melanin deposition was present in a temporal migration pattern and was greater in the leg muscles than in the breast muscles, and it focused around blood vessels, as well as the epithelium, perimysium, endomysium, and connective tissue. Additionally, melanin produced an inhibitory effect similar to MSTN during skeletal muscle fiber development, and the inhibition was strongest at the stage of melanin entry between muscle fibers, but the precise mechanisms need to be confirmed. This study revealed that melanin has an inhibitory effect on the early development of skeletal muscle, which will provide new insights into the role of melanin in the black-boned chicken and theoretical references for the future conservation and utilization of black-boned chicken. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Reproductive tract infection has become a major public health issue all over the world for its high and growing prevalence. It can cause adverse pregnancy outcomes in pregnant women and their foetuses. This study aimed to investigate the trends and risk factors of the prevalence of reproductive tract infections among women who prepared to conceive in the Chongqing Municipality (China) from 2012 to 2016. Methods: A multi-center cross-sectional study was conducted between January 2012 and December 2016. Women aged 20–49 years who intended to get pregnant were recruited for this study. All participants underwent preconception examination, which included testing for Neisseria gonorrhoeae, Chlamydia trachomatis, Trichomonas vaginalis, syphilis, bacterial vaginosis and candidiasis according to the national diagnostic standard. A total of 439,372 women with testing results for all six types of reproductive tract infections were included in our final analyses. Logistic regression and factor analysis were used to determine the possible sociodemographic factors associated with prevalence trends. Results: In our study, the overall positive rate of RTIs among the 439,372 women of reproductive age was 5.03%. Candidiasis was the most common infection in our population (2.47%), followed by bacterial vaginosis (1.28%), syphilis (0.73%), T. vaginalis (0.49%), C. trachomatis (0.20%) and N. gonorrhoeae (0.06%). The prevalence of reproductive tract infections was highest among women aged 35 years and above, with a primary or lower education level, history of pregnancy, delivery, induced abortion, or spontaneous abortion. From 2012 to 2016, the trend of the overall prevalence of reproductive tract infections was V-shaped, decreasing steadily from 2012 to 2015, with a slight rise in 2016. Our results suggest that the distribution change of age, education level, gravidity, parity, and history of induced abortion influenced this trend. Conclusion: Since the number of high-risk women who intend to become pregnant is growing in the Chongqing Municipality, pre-conception positive preventions including health education, regular screening, and timely treatment of reproductive tract infections are needed to prevent the impact of reproductive tract infections on maternal health and infant safety. Plain Language Summary: Reproductive tract infections (RTIs) can cause serious health problems, such as spontaneous abortion and congenital diseases in pregnant women and their foetuses. However, there is a lack of studies focusing on the prevalence of RTIs and their trends among women who intend to conceive. This cross-sectional study examined data collected from 439,372 women during their preconception care to investigate the trend and related risk factors of the prevalence of RTIs, thereby providing essential data for their prevention. Participants were women from all 39 counties in the Chongqing Municipality of China, and data were collected between 2012 and 2016. We found that the overall prevalence of the six types of RTIs among these women was 5.03%, which was relatively lower than that in other populations in previous studies. Age, education level, history of pregnancy or delivery, and history of abortion were all associated with the prevalence of RTIs. The prevalence trend from 2012 to 2016 was V-shaped decreased steadily from 2012 until 2015 and rose slightly in 2016. Our data suggested that this trend might be influenced by changes in the proportion of 'high-risk' women, that is, women with higher age, lower education level, and a history of pregnancy or induced abortion. This study suggests that health education and regular screening are necessary to face new challenges experienced by older women or women with previous pregnancies who intended to get pregnant in recent years in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Evidence for the association between subclinical thyroid dysfunction before conception and its pregnancy outcomes is inconsistent. Thus, we evaluated the relationship between preconception thyroid‐stimulating hormone (TSH) levels and adverse pregnancy outcomes. Design: Retrospective cohort study. Methods: A total of 50,217 women without prior thyroid disease who became pregnant within 1 year after undertaking a routine TSH test in the Chongqing Municipality of China (2010–2016) were studied. Restricted cubic spline regression and logistic regression were used to estimate the association between preconception TSH levels and pregnancy outcomes. The main outcomes were individual and composite adverse pregnancy outcomes (CAPOs) comprising pregnancy loss, small for gestational age, large for gestational age, and preterm birth. Results: Incidence of CAPO was 24.19%. Increased preconception TSH level was positively associated with CAPO (odds ratio [OR]/SD: 1.04, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.01–1.07) when TSH was ≥2.1 mIU/L, positively associated with pregnancy loss (OR/SD: 1.06, 95% CI: 1.01–1.12) when TSH was <2.1 mIU/L, negatively and positively associated with preterm delivery when TSH levels were <1.3 mIU/L (OR/SD: 0.90, 95% CI: 0.83–0.97) and >3.0 mIU/L (OR/SD: 1.08, 95% CI: 1.00–1.17), respectively. Women with subclinical hypothyroidism before conception were at a higher risk for CAPO (adjusted odds ratio [aOR]: 1.12, 95% CI: 1.04–1.22), while those with subclinical hyperthyroidism had a higher risk of preterm delivery (aOR: 1.31, 95% CI: 1.01–1.70). Conclusions: Nonlinear associations were indicated between preconception TSH levels and pregnancy outcomes. Subclinical thyroid dysfunction before conception was associated with an increased risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Leiomyosarcoma of the inferior vena cava (IVC) is rare. The study reviewed patients with IVC leiomyosarcoma in our hospital in the past ten years. Methods: Twenty patients diagnosed with IVC leiomyosarcoma between October 2010 and October 2020 were enrolled. Their clinical manifestations, treatments, and follow-up results were analyzed. Results: The sarcoma was located in the lower IVC segment in six patients, with 13 in the middle and one in the upper IVC segment. Eighteen patients underwent R0 resection. After resection, 16 patients (80%) had primary repair of the IVC, while four patients underwent ligation. During a mean follow-up of 37.7 months, seven patients died due to tumor metastasis, four patients were alive with the tumor recurrence and other nine patients were alive without recurrence. Conclusion: The management of the IVC after tumor resection depended on the tumor location and size. R0 resection provided a chance for long term survival. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Teaming up photovoltaic (PV) with agriculture or aquaculture, namely, the agrivoltaics and aquavoltaics, create novel energy-food-(land or water) nexus offering mutual benefits potentially. At present, the profitability of these nexuses is still not well quantified, but it is usually what investors are most concerned about. Hence, an economic analysis framework is proposed to benchmark the profitability of both agrivoltaics and aquavoltaics systems, and further prioritize the most influencing factors for the project economy. The framework is applied in China indicating that the average simple payback period (SPP) ranges between 6.2–6.6 years for agrivoltaics projects, and 9.5–10.1 years for aquavoltaics projects. Capital cost of PV, solar resource richness, and feed-in-tariff are top three influencing factors for the profitability of both agrivoltaics and aquavoltaics systems. The national implementing potential of agrivoltaics and aquavoltaics would be up to 112 GW for agrivoltaics and 564 GW for aquavoltaics in China. Overall, compared to PV-only configuration, agrivoltaics and aquavoltaics contribute to more terms of Sustainable Development Goals to a greater extent, which could be emerging PV deployment patterns during the era of no subsidy on PV feed-in-tariff. • GSA for parametric uncertainties in economic analysis of Agri- and Aqua-voltaics. • PV investment, feed-in-tariff, and solar resource richness are vital for Agrivoltaics. • Feed-in-tariff, PV investment, and solar resource richness are vital for Aquavoltaics. • Payback as short as 6.2 and 9.5 years for Agrivoltaics and Aquavoltaics in China. • Projected potential up to 112 GW Agrivoltaics and 564 GW Aquavoltaics in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background & Aims: Primary hyperparathyroidism(PHPT) has been evolving into a milder asymptomatic disease. No study has assessed the association between famine exposure and such a shift. We aim to explore the effects of China's Great Famine exposure on the changing pattern of PHPT phenotypes. Methods: 750 PHPT patients diagnosed from 2000 to 2019 were studied. The clinical presentations were compared between them in recent 10 years (2010-2019) and previous 10 years (2000-2009). Participants were then categorized into fetal, childhood, adolescent, adult exposure, and unexposed groups. Logistic regression was used to estimate the odds ratios (ORs) and confidence intervals (CIs) of famine exposure as factors contributing to the changes in the clinical presentations of PHPT. Results: Serum levels of PTH, albumin-corrected Ca, tumor size, eGFR, BMDs (all P<0.001), and clinical symptoms became milder in recent 10 years. Famine exposure (72.6% vs 58.4%, P<0.001), especially the adult exposure (18.8% vs 4.1%, P<0.001)was significant less in recent 10 years. The ORs (95%CIs) of having upper 3rd tertile PTH were 2.79(1.34,5.8), 2.07(1.04,4.11), 3.10(1.15,8.38) and 8.85(2.56,30.56) for patients with fetal, childhood, adolescent and adult famine exposure, respectively. The ORs (95%CIs) of upper 3rd tertile albumin-corrected Ca and upper 3rd tertile of tumor size was 4.78(1.39, 16.38) and 4.07(1.12,14.84) for participants with adult famine exposure, respectively. All these associations were independent of age, sex, disease duration and other confounders. Conclusions: The clinical manifestations of PHPT in China continue to be milder. Exposure to famine is associated with PHPT. Less famine exposure might be responsible for the mile form of PHPT in recent years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Preliminary explorations have been conducted on the SO2 emission trading system (ETS) in China, but existing studies have paid little attention to the system's emission reduction effect and the effect mechanism. Based on panel data of Chinese cities, this paper empirically examines the influence and mechanism of the SO2 ETS on urban SO2 emission. In addition, considering the role of government in local environmental governance, this paper also examines synergies between government environmental regulations and the SO2 ETS. The SO2 ETS significantly suppresses urban SO2 emission, but under more extreme levels of urban SO2 pollution, this emission reduction effect gradually weakens until it is no longer significant. The implementation of more stringent environmental regulations by local governments strengthens the emission reduction effect. The analysis of intermediary effects shows that the SO2 ETS promotes the reduction of urban SO2 emission by stimulating green technological innovation, promoting industrial structure adjustment, and channeling investment towards green assets, with the latter intermediary effect being stronger than the former two. This paper affirms the important role of ETSs in the development of the green economy and provides an empirical basis for countries to introduce market mechanisms to solve environmental challenges and leverage the role of government environmental regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A suspected epizootic ulcerative syndrome with a 50–70% morbidity rate broke out in farmed albino‐type (AT) Northern Snakeheads Channa argus at Jinming farm, Chao‐Yang Town, southwest China. To investigate the pathogen, diseased fish were sampled and laboratory examinations were conducted. Three specific staining methods (Grocott's hexamine silver, glycogen–periodic acid–Schiff, and modified Gram's stain) were also applied for a clear observation of fungi in tissues. Histopathological changes were studied to reveal the pathogenic mechanism. Results showed that Aphanomyces invadans was the causative agent of the disease in AT fish, judging from the fungus‐like hyphae, fungal granulomas, and 99% similarity of PCR products to A. invadans (MN814020.1). Among the three fungal staining methods, Grocott's hexamine silver was the best; this method dyed the fungal hyphae black, while the surrounding muscle was dyed brown. Histopathologically, the affected skin and muscle exhibited remarkable dermatitis, myositis, and fungal granulomas, whereas the other tissues (e.g., gills, liver, spleen, kidneys, and intestines) showed histopathological changes related to osmotic imbalance. In conclusion, the causative agent of disease in AT Northern Snakeheads was A. invadans, which invaded the skin and muscle, causing ulcers in the skin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is known about the life course prevalence of bullying among university students. The current study examined the prevalence of bullying in different life periods among multi-university students. Our study included 4,034 university students from four types of universities. Participants self-reported four types of bullying (i.e., physical, verbal, relational, and cyber) with bullies and victims, and four periods (i.e., primary school or earlier, middle school, high school, and postsecondary education). Overall, the percentage of university students experiencing at least one type of bullying victimization (BV) and bullying perpetration (BP) during their lifetime was 59.7% and 31.6%, respectively; the percentage of the university students experiencing more than two types of BV and BP was 16.3% and 7.4%, respectively. The prevalence rates of each type of BV and BP were the highest in elementary school or earlier, and these rates decreased from elementary school or earlier to postsecondary education period. Four latent classes were identified for BV: low BV (73.8%), moderate BV (18.6%), secondary school BV (4.4%), and persistent BV (3.2%). Similarly, four classes for BP were identified: low BP (86.6%), primary school BP (8.1%), high school BP (1.5%), and persistent BP (3.8%). These findings may inform school health practice of bullying prevention by taking prevention programs, especially during elementary school or earlier period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Identifying Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori, Hp) infection in animals before and after artificial infection influences the subsequent experiment. We established effective and noninvasive detection methods, including the gastric fluid nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) method and the 13C-urea breath test, which can detect Hp before modeling Hp infection in Mongolian gerbils. We designed a gas collection equipment for gerbils. Hp nested PCR was also performed on gastric fluid, gastric mucosa, duodenal contents, and faeces of gerbils challenged with Hp. Conventional Hp detection methods, including rapid urease assay and immunohistochemistry, were compared. Moreover, we assessed the natural infection of Hp in 135 gerbils that had never been exposed to Hp artificially from the major laboratory gerbil groups in China. In 10 Hp infected gerbils, the positive detection results were 100%, 100%, 90%, and 10% in gastric fluid, gastric mucosa, duodenal contents, and faeces with nested PCR, respectively. A rapid urease test performed on gastric mucosa showed that all animals were infected with Hp. Immunohistochemical detection and bacteria culture of gastric mucosa samples that were positive by the nested PCR method also confirmed the presence of Hp. 9% (3/35) and 6% (2/31) natural infection rates were found in conventional gerbil groups from the Capital Medical University and Zhejiang Laboratory Animal Center. In conclusion, we established two noninvasive Hp detection methods that can be performed before modelingHp infection, including the gastric fluid nested PCR method and the 13C-urea breath test. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Adolescence is a life stage with a high risk of depression, sleep disorders and school bullying. The aim of this study is to examine the longitudinal relationships between school bullying (bullying victimization and bullying perpetration), depressive symptoms and sleep problems among adolescents and to consider whether the direct pathways vary by gender.Methods: The study included 1687 7th grade students (60.4% boys) recruited from a middle school in southeastern China. We collected self-reports of school bullying, depressive symptoms and sleep problems from 2019 (T1) and 2020 (T2) among adolescents. A series of gender-specified cross-lagged paths in a structural equation model was used for the primary analysis.Results: The models revealed evidence for bidirectional associations between school bullying, depressive symptoms and sleep problems. Among girls, higher bullying perpetration at T1 predicted fewer sleep problems and depressive symptoms at T2, while bullying victimization significantly predicted poor quality of sleep and severe depressive symptoms. Furthermore, sleep problems at T1 positively predicted bullying perpetration and victimization at T2 in boys but not in girls. For both boys and girls, severe depressive symptoms significantly predicted more victimization and sleep problems, and sleep problems were positively associated with depressive symptoms.Limitations: The sample is unrepresentative, as it is from only one middle school.Conclusions: Our findings highlight that school bullying, depressive symptoms and sleep problems were interrelated across time and that acknowledging gender differences is important. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The incidence and mortality of lung cancer rank first among all malignant tumors in China. With the popularization of high resolution computed tomography (CT) in clinic, chest CT has become an important means of clinical screening for early lung cancer and reducing the mortality of lung cancer. Imaging findings of early lung adenocarcinoma often show partial solid nodules with ground glass components. With the development of imaging, the relationship between the imaging features of some solid nodules and their prognosis has attracted more and more attention. At the same time, with the development of 3D-reconstruction technology, clinicians can improve the accuracy of diagnosis and treatment of such nodules. This article focuses on the traditional imaging analysis of partial solid nodules and the imaging analysis based on 3D reconstruction, and systematically expounds the advantages and disadvantages of both. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Through multi-order structure function analysis and singularity measurement, the Hurst index and intermittent parameter are obtained to quantitatively describe the characteristics of atmospheric disturbance based on the round-trip intelligent sounding system (RTISS) in the lower-middle stratosphere. According to the third-order structure function, small-scale gravity waves are classified into three states: stable, unstable, and accompanied by turbulence. The evolution of gravity waves is reflected by the variation of the third-order structure function over time, and the generation of turbulence is also observed. The atmospheric disturbance intensity parameter RT is defined in this paper and contains both wave disturbance (H1) and random intermittency (C1). RT is considered to reflect the characteristics of atmospheric disturbance more reasonably than either of the above two alone. In addition, by obtaining the horizontal wavenumber spectrum from the flat-floating stage and the vertical wavenumber spectrum from the ascending and descending stages at the height range of 18–24 km, we found that when the gravity wave activity is significantly enhanced in the horizontal direction, the amplitude of the vertical wavenumber spectrum below is significantly larger, which shows a significant impact of gravity wave activity on the atmospheric environment below. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the course of screening for bacterial predators, a Gram-stain-negative, non-flagellated, gliding, long rod-shaped, and yellow-pigmented bacterium, designated strain HICWT, was isolated from coastal seawater of China. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strain HICWT represented a member of the genus Muricauda and showed the highest sequence similarity to M. aquimarina JCM11811T (98.8%) and M. ruestringensis DSM13258T (98.1%). The average nucleotide identity (ANI) and digital DNA–DNA hybridization (dDDH) values between strain HICWT and M. aquimarina JCM11811T were 79.2% and 34.1%, respectively. NaCl was required for growth. Optimum growth occurred at 25–30 °C, 2.0–3.0% (w/v) NaCl with pH 7.0. Strain HICWT showed some similar characteristics to the nonobligate bacterial predators, and the cells can attach to the prey cells. Strain HICWT contained MK-6 as the predominant respiratory quinone and had iso-C15:0, iso-C15:1 G, and iso-C17:0 3-OH as the major cellular fatty acids. The polar lipids contained phosphatidylethanolamine (PE), three unidentified phospholipids (PL1–PL3), one unidentified amino lipids (AL), and three unidentified polar lipids (L1–L3). The genome size of strain HICWT was approximately 3.8 Mbp, with a G + C content of 41.4%. Based on the polyphasic evidence, strain HICWT is proposed as representing a new species of the genus Muricauda, for which the name Muricauda chongwuensis sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is HICWT (= JCM 33643 T = MCCC 1K03769T). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The pressure upon local governments to redeem their debt could affect government fiscal ability. It could consequently affect their fiscal policies on corporations, which might distort corporate innovation. Based on the data of Chinese Shanghai and Shenzhen A-share listed companies and the local government implicit short-term debt financed by local government financing vehicles (LGFVs) in 31 provinces, this paper shows that local government debt (LGD) negatively affects corporate R&D investment in China, thereby suggesting a strong crowding-out effect. The crowding-out effect is more pronounced when the firm is a non-state-owned enterprise (NSOE), the firm's size is small, the firm's age is young, or the firm is in the lower market competition. This paper provide evidence by interacting the terms that local government actions, such as consumption of fiscal resources, strengthening tax collection efforts, or consumption of credit resources, might partially account for the crowding-out effect. This study illustrates the innovation costs of local government debt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper introduces the Generalized Argumentation Theory which takes argumentation as a locally rational socio-cultural interaction governed by social norms and carried out through discourse between the members of a socio-cultural community in order to reason things out. Then we bring in the basic structure of generalized argumentation and the localized procedure of Generalized Argumentation Theory for studying the argumentative rules (social norms). On the basis of above introduction, we use the localized procedure to analyze a case of political argumentation by reciting poems in ancient China. By doing so, it's indicated that political argumentation by reciting poems, in essence, takes cultural principle of Li of the Spring and Autumn Period as argumentative rules and uses poems to express ideas, in virtue of which arguments are accepted as locally rational by the politicians at that time. At last, the Little Red Book quotation fight, a similar political activity, is discussed briefly to show the significance that ancient Chinese political argumentation has on contemporary argumentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tanshinone IIa (TSA) has been approved to treat cardiovascular diseases by the China State Food and Drug Administration. TSA has exhibited a variety of pharmacological effects, including vasodilator, antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anti-tumor properties. Endothelial cells play an important physiological role in vascular homeostasis and control inflammation, coagulation, and thrombosis. Accumulating studies have shown that TSA can improve endothelial function through various pathways. The PubMed database was reviewed for relevant papers published up to 2020. This review summarizes the current clinical and pharmaceutical studies to provide a systemic overview of the pharmacological and therapeutic effects of TSA on endothelial cells. TSA is a representative monomeric compound extracted from Danshen and it exhibits significant pharmacological and therapeutic properties to improve endothelial cell function, including alleviating oxidative stress, attenuating inflammatory injury, modulating ion channels and so on. TSA represents a spectrum of agents that are extracted from plants and can restore the endothelial function to establish the beneficial and harmless molecular therapeutics. This also suggests the possible detection of endothelial cells for very early diagnosis of diseases. In future, precise therapeutic methods will be developed to repair endothelial cells injury and recover endothelial dysfunction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To compare the difference of inflammatory cytokines and lymphocyte subsets between deceased patients and survivors with COVID-19. Methods. This retrospective study included 254 confirmed patients from 10 January to 11 March, 2020, at Tongji Hospital of Wuhan, China. Laboratory and immunologic features were collected and analyzed, and the main outcomes focused on inflammatory cytokines and lymphocyte subsets. Results. A trend of markedly higher levels of inflammatory cytokines as well as lower lymphocyte subset levels in deceased patients was observed compared with survivors. ROC curve analyses indicated that inflammatory cytokines and the decrease levels of T cell, Th (helper T cells) cell, Ts (suppressor T cells) cell, B cell, and NK cell along with Th/Ts ratio increase could be used to predict the death of COVID-19. Multivariate analyses showed that higher levels of IL-6, IL-8, and IL-10 remained significantly correlated with shorter survival time and that the amount of Ts cells was negatively associated with the possibility of death in COVID-19 patients. In conclusion, SARS-CoV-2 would cause lymphopenia and result in decreased lymphocyte subset cells, particularly in Ts cell counts, which further induces hyperinflammatory response and cytokine storm. IL-6, IL-8, IL-10, and Ts cell might be independent predictors for the poor outcome of COVID-19. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poultries including chickens, ducks, geese, and pigeons are widely used in the biological and medical research in many aspects. The genetic quality of experimental poultries directly affects the results of the research. In this study, following electrophoresis analysis and short tandem repeat (STR) scanning, we screened out the microsatellite loci for determining the genetic characteristics of Chinese experimental chickens, ducks, geese, and pigeons. The panels of loci selected in our research provide a good choice for genetic monitoring of the population genetic diversity of Chinese native experimental chickens, ducks, geese, and ducks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Information on the burden of disease due to foodborne pathogens in China is quite limited. To understand the incidence of foodborne gastroenteritis due to non-typhoidal Salmonella enterica and Vibrio parahaemolyticus, population survey and sentinel hospital surveillance were conducted during July 2010 to June 2011 in Shanghai, east China, and a model for calculating disease burden was established. The multiplier for gastroenteritis caused by these pathogens was estimated at 59 [95% confidence interval (CI) 30–102]. Annual incidence per 100,000 population in Shanghai was estimated as 48 (95% CI 24–83) and 183 (95% CI 93–317) cases for foodborne non-typhoidal salmonellosis and V. parahaemolyticus gastroenteritis, respectively, illustrating that bacterial gastroenteritis due to these two pathogens poses a substantial health burden. There is a significant difference between our simulated incidence and the data actually reported for foodborne diseases, indicating significant underreporting and underdiagnosis of non-typhoidal S. enterica and V. parahaemolyticus gastroenteritis in the surveillance area. The present research demonstrates basic situation of the health burden caused by major foodborne pathogens in the surveillance area. Enhanced laboratory-based sentinel hospital surveillance is one of the effective ways to monitor food safety in east China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans is a major periodontal pathogen. This research was aimed at investigating the prevalence of A actinomycetemcomitans in Chinese chronic periodontitis patients and periodontally healthy adults. Method and Materials: A total of 116 chronic periodontitis patients and 111 periodontally healthy adults were included. In each periodontitis patient, subgingival plaque samples were collected from 2 molar sites with the deepest pockets and 1 periodontally healthy site. The samples of periodontally healthy adults were obtained from the mesiobuccal site of 1 maxillary first molar. A actinomycetemcomitans was detected by 16S rRNA polymerase chain action. Pocket depth, clinical attachment loss, and bleeding on probing of the sampled sites were recorded. Results: A actinomycetemcomitans was detected in only 1 site (0.90%) of periodontally healthy subjects. For chronic periodontitis patients, the prevalence of periodontitis sites (33.62%) was significantly higher than that of healthy sites (0.90%) (P < .05); the occurrence showed a decreasing trend as patient age increased: highest in the 20- to 35-year-old group (44.12%), followed by the 36- to 55-year-old group (36.36%) and 56- to 75-year-old group (22.73%) (P < .05). A actinomycetemcomitans was most frequently detected in sites with pocket depth 7 mm or more and clinical attachment loss 6 mm or more (P < .05) and more often detected in sites that exhibited bleeding on probing (37.07%) than those that did not (7.41%) (P < .05). Conclusions: A actinmycetemcomitans was more frequently detected in periodontitis sites than in periodontally healthy sites. For chronic periodontitis patients, a higher prevalence was associated with the severe sites than moderate and mild sites. A actinomycetemcomitans is considered to be a major pathogen in the etiology of chronic periodontitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To examine whether QTc interval prolongation is an independent risk factor of outcomes in patients with diabetic foot ulcers (DFU).Research Design and Methods: 331 patients with type 2 diabetes and DFU hospitalized in a Chinese tertiary hospital were recruited. ECG was done at baseline and QTc interval was calculated through Bazett's formula. Participants were classified into 2 groups according to the QTc interval as prolonged (≥440 ms) or not (<440 ms). These patients were followed-up for an average of 48 months to observe the outcomes, including ulcer healing, ulcer recurrence, nonfatal cerebral or cardiovascular events (NCCVE), cerebral cardiovascular death, cardiac death and all-cause death. The associations between the risk of outcomes and QTc interval prolongation, as well as per 1-SD increase in QTc interval were analyzed by Cox proportional-hazards models.Results: In terms of the univariate Cox proportional hazard models, patients with QTc interval prolongation had a higher all-cause mortality (HR = 1.621, 95%CI: 1.040-2.526, P = .013), higher cardiac mortality (HR = 2.011 95%CI: 1.106-3.657, P = .019), higher cerebral cardiovascular mortality (HR = 1.525, 95%CI: 0.8151-2.852, P = .045). The multivariate analysis showed that QTc prolongation was an independent risk factor for cardiac death (HR = 5.465, 95%CI: 2.818-8.112, P = .039). Similar results were obtained when QTc interval was used as a continue variable, a 1-SD increase in QTc interval was associated with an 5.883 times risk for cardiac mortality (HR = 6.883, 95%CI: 4.153-9.613, P = .012). The association between QTc interval prolongation with ulcer healing, recurrence and NCCVE were not observed either in univariate or multivariate analysis (P > .05).Conclusion: QTc interval prolongation was a plausible predictor for cardiac death in DFU patients, but it cannot accurately predict ulcer healing or recurrence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In China, rural areas are a weak link of HIV/AIDS prevention and control. From September 2011, an innovative 'county-township-village' allied intervention was implemented in Longzhou County, Guangxi, which assigned the tasks of HIV/AIDS prevention and control to the county Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), township hospitals, and village clinics, respectively, instead of traditional intervention in which the county CDC undertook the entire work. A 6-year consecutive cross-sectional survey, including 3-year traditional intervention (2009-2011) and 3-year innovative intervention (2012-2014), was conducted to evaluate the effects of the new intervention. Compared to traditional intervention, the innovative intervention achieved positive effects in decreasing risky behaviors. Among female sex workers, condom use rate in the last month increased from 72.06% to 96.82% ( p < 0.01). Among drug users, having commercial sex rate in the last year reduced from 17.20% to 5.94% and condom use rate increased from 14.06% to 76.09% ( p < 0.01). The risk ratio of HIV infection during innovative intervention was 0.631 (95% confidence interval 0.549-0.726) compared with traditional one. Cost-effectiveness analysis indicates that innovative intervention restores each disability-adjusted life year costing an average of $124.26. Taken together, Longzhou's innovative intervention has achieved good effects on HIV/AIDS prevention and control and provides a good reference for rural China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the influence of microbial wax removal and viscosity reduction technologies on the fluidity of waxy crude oil, this study took the waxy crude oil from China's Daqing Oilfield as the experimental object for microbial wax removal and viscosity reduction experiment. First, utilizing standard strain screening and culture protocols, a high-efficiency microbial strain H-1 (Ochrobactrum intermedium) was proposed from in situ soil. The single factor experiment and multi-factor response surface analysis were then utilized to optimize the temperature, initial pH value of the medium, and NaCl mass concentration needed for the strain's growth. Oil displaced activity and emulsification tests were used to evaluate the biosurfactants produced by the metabolism of strain H-1, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy was used to identify the types of biosurfactants. Finally, the application effect of strain H-1 on wax removal and viscosity reduction of waxy crude oil were clarified through the wax crystal morphology, wax content, and viscosity of waxy crude oil. The research findings indicated that strain H-1 produced best at a temperature of 38.5 °C, pH value was 7.1 and the mass fraction of NaCl was 0.64%. The lipopeptide biosurfactant produced by strain H-1 can displace oil. Additionally, strain H-1 has a high emulsifying capacity, with a 61.25% emulsifying coefficient. After 7 days of treatment with the strain H-1, the wax crystal morphology of the waxy crude oil changed from a large-sized aggregated to a small-sized sparse condition, and the wax content of the waxy crude oil fell by 38.67%. The viscosity reduction rate of strain H-1 to waxy crude oil was consistently greater than 30% over the temperature range of 30–42 °C, with the greatest rate of 42.38% at 39 °C. The preceding results demonstrate that strain H-1 can degrade the wax components of waxy crude oil, lower the crude oil's low temperature viscosity, and then improve the crude oil's low-temperature fluidity. • Response surface methodology was used to optimize the growth conditions of Ochrobactrum intermedium H-1. • Ochrobactrum intermedium H-1 can effectively remove wax components and improve the fluidity of waxy crude oil. • Ochrobactrum intermedium H-1 may improve the low-temperature fluidity of waxy crude oil. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sika deer (Cervus nippon) have different dietary preferences to other ruminants and are tolerant to tannin-rich plants. Because the rumen bacteria in domestic Sika deer have not been comprehensively studied, it is important to investigate its rumen bacterial population in order to understand its gut health and to improve the productivity of domestic Sika deer. Results: The rumen bacterial diversity in domestic Sika deer (Cervus nippon) fed oak leaves- (OL group) and corn stalks-based diets (CS group) were elucidated using 16S rRNA gene libraries and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). Overall, 239 sequences were examined from the two groups, 139 clones from the OL group were assigned to 57 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) and 100 sequences from the CS group were divided into 50 OTUs. Prevotella-like sequences belonging to the phylum Bacteroidetes were the dominant bacteria in both groups (97.2% OL and 77% CS), and sequences related to Prevotella brevis were present in both groups. However, Prevotella shahii-like, Prevotella veroralis-like, Prevotella albensis-like, and Prevotella salivae-like sequences were abundant in the OL group compared to those in the CS group, while Succinivibrio dextrinosolvens-like and Prevotella ruminicola-like sequences were prevalent in the CS group. PCR-DGGE showed that bacterial communities clustered with respect to diets and the genus Prevotella was the dominant bacteria in the rumen of domestic Sika deer. However, the distribution of genus Prevotella from two groups was apparent. In addition, other fibrolytic bacteria, such as Clostridium populeti and Eubacterium cellulosolvens were found in the rumen of domestic Sika deer. Conclusions: The rumen of domestic Sika deer harbored unique bacteria which may represent novel species. The bacterial composition appeared to be affected by diet, and sequences related to Prevotella spp. may represent new species that may be related to the degradation of fiber biomass or tannins. Moreover, the mechanism and biological functions of Prevotella spp. in the rumen ecosystem, and synergistic interactions with other microorganisms should be noticed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The activity concentrations of natural and artificial radionuclides were measured in the eastern region of Sichuan province (China). One hundred and ninety-three soil samples from this region were collected and analysed by high-purity germanium gamma spectrometry. The measured results show that the average radioactivity concentrations of 226Ra, 232Th, 40K and 137Cs in the soil samples are 26, 49, 440 and 6 Bq kg−1, respectively. The calculated average radium equivalent activity is 130 Bq kg−1, which is less than the recommended limit of 370 Bq kg−1. The absorbed dose rate and annual effective dose are 60 nGy h−1 and 74 µSv, respectively. This is the first time the absorbed dose rate in the east region of Sichuan has been mapped. Overall, the environmental radiation background is greater in the southern part of the area studied than in the northern. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The aim of this study was to investigate the potential role of ADAMTS13 analysis in the early recognition and management of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura (TTP) in pregnant women. Five cases of TTP were evaluated retrospectively Clinical and laboratory findings, von Willebrand factor (vWF)-cleaving metalloprotease (ADAMTS13) activity and maternal and neonatal outcome were recorded and analysed. Five cases were all nulliparous. ADAMTS13 assay was performed and the enzyme activity was less than 5% of the normal controls in three cases. Gene mutation in the 9th exon resulting in amino acid exchange 349Arg→Cys in ADAMTS13 was identified in one patient. After treatment including transfusion of fresh-frozen plasma ( n = 5), packed red blood cells ( n = 5), platelet transfusions ( n = 2) and/or continued renal replacement therapy (CRRT) ( n = 1) and plasma exchange ( n = 2), three patients were alive, one died on postpartum day 6 in hospital without plasma exchange and one of familial TTP died three months after discharge. With increasing awareness, extra-attention must be paid to patients with thrombotic microangiopathy and to measurement of ADAMTS13 activity for early diagnosis. Although severe ADAMTS13 deficiency may be helpful for TTP, it may not be sensitive enough to identify all TTP patients. Therefore, despite ADAMTS13 result positive or negative, prompt aggressive management should include early termination of pregnancy, plasma transfusion and/or plasma exchange. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of slag composition on the cleanliness of Al-Ti deoxidized interstitial-free steel produced via basic oxygen furnace (BOF)-ladle furnace (LF)-Ruhrstahl-Heraeus (RH)-continuous casting (CC) process was investigated by the systematic samplings and analyses for four heats in a steel plant in China. Oxygen/nitrogen analyzer, automatic scanning electron microscope, field-emission scanning electron microscope, and energy spectroscopy analysis were used to analyze the variations of number, size, type, and morphology of inclusions in molten steel from RH to tundish, and X-ray fluorescence was used to analyze the slag composition. The relationship between slag composition and inclusion characteristics in molten steel was investigated. The effect of slag composition on the oxygen mass transfer from the slag–metal interface to liquid steel was also studied through a theoretical calculation. The results showed that the cleanliness of molten steel was greatly affected by the slag composition. The deterioration of steel cleanliness was mainly arisen from a serious reoxidation of molten steel by oxidizing components like (T.Fe + MnO) in top slag during RH refining process. A weak ability to absorb inclusions of top slag with high CaO/Al2O3 and CaO/SiO2 mass ratios was confirmed from the inclusions analyses. The size and number of Al2O3 inclusion clusters were larger, and Ti content in Al2O3-TiO x inclusions was higher from RH to tundish in the case of serious reoxidation. The reduction of FeO content and keeping the CaO/Al2O3 and CaO/SiO2 ratios at about 1.6 and 4–7, respectively, in top slag during RH refining process was beneficial to minimize the reoxidation of Al and Ti and increase the inclusion absorption ability of top slag. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Poyang Lake, Dongting Lake, and Taihu Lake are the largest freshwater lakes in the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River, China. In recent years, the eutrophication level of lakes has increased with the development of the social economy and caused many environmental and social problems. The concentrations of total nitrogen (TN) and total phosphorus (TP) are the key indicators of the degree of eutrophication, but the traditional ground monitoring methods are not capable of capturing such parameters in whole lakes with high spatial-temporal resolution. In this paper, empirical models are established and evaluated between the TN and TP and remote sensing spectral factors in the three lakes using Landsat 8 Operational Land Imager (OLI) satellite data and in-situ data. The results show that the inversion accuracy is higher than 75%. The TN and TP concentrations in the three lakes are inversed based on the Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform from 2014 to 2020 and their spatial-temporal variations are analyzed. The results show that the concentrations of TN and TP in Poyang Lake were decreased by 5.99% and 7.13% over 7 years, respectively, and the TN in Dongting Lake was decreased by 5.25% while the TP remained stable. The temporal changes in TN and TP concentrations displayed seasonal variations. A low concentration was observed in summer and high concentrations were in spring and winter. The average concentrations of TN and TP in Taihu Lake were higher than that of the other two lakes. The TP concentration was increased by 17.3% over 7 years, while the TN concentration remained almost stable. The variation in TN in Taihu Lake was the same as the growth cycle of algae, with higher value in spring and winter and lower value in summer, while the concentration of TP was lower in spring and winter and higher in summer. The spatial distribution of TN and TP concentrations in the three major lakes was significantly affected by human activities, and the concentrations of TN and TP were higher in areas near cities and agricultural activities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Objective] This study was aimed to develop the Chinese herbal formula with dysentery arresting and antidiarrheal effect. [Method] The Chinese herbal formulation was used to carry out the clinical curative effect test and pharmacological test for ill livestock. [Results] Curative effect test showed that the formula had good effect on abdominal pain, diarrhea and fecal changes of livestock, and the cure rate reached up to 92%. Pharmacological experiments showed that the formula had significant inhibitory effect on the gastrointestinal motility of the tested animals, and the diarrhea arresting and dysentery treating effect of the formula was also extremely significant. In addition, the formula was safe for tested animals, proving to be reliable. [Conclusion] The formula has distinct curative effect on treating white scour of piglets, yellow scour of piglets, livestock gastroenteritis and lienteric diarrhea, and it can also be used in veterinary clinic, as well as be used as feed additive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Harmful algal blooms (hereafter HABs) pose significant threats to aquatic health and environmental safety. Although satellite remote sensing can monitor HABs at a large-scale, it is always a challenge to achieve both high spatial and high temporal resolution simultaneously with a single earth observation system (EOS) sensor, which is much needed for aquatic environment monitoring of inland lakes. This study proposes a multi-source remote sensing-based approach for HAB monitoring in Chaohu Lake, China, which integrates Terra/Aqua MODIS, Landsat 8 OLI, and Sentinel-2A/B MSI to attain high temporal and spatial resolution observations. According to the absorption characteristics and fluorescence peaks of HABs on remote sensing reflectance, the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) algorithm for MODIS, the floating algae index (FAI) and NDVI combined algorithm for Landsat 8, and the NDVI and chlorophyll reflection peak intensity index (ρchl) algorithm for Sentinel-2A/B MSI are used to extract HAB. The accuracies of the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), floating algae index (FAI), and chlorophyll reflection peak intensity index (ρchl) are 96.1%, 95.6%, and 93.8% with the RMSE values of 4.52, 2.43, 2.58 km2, respectively. The combination of NDVI and ρchl can effectively avoid misidentification of water and algae mixed pixels. Results revealed that the HAB in Chaohu Lake breaks out from May to November; peaks in June, July, and August; and more frequently occurs in the western region. Analysis of the HAB's potential driving forces, including environmental and meteorological factors of temperature, rainfall, sunshine hours, and wind, indicated that higher temperatures and light rain favored this HAB. Wind is the primary factor in boosting the HAB's growth, and the variation of a HAB's surface in two days can reach up to 24.61%. Multi-source remote sensing provides higher observation frequency and more detailed spatial information on a HAB, particularly the HAB's long-short term changes in their area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Intergenerational transmission of parenting styles exists in rural China. • The transmissible parenting style emphasis the role of father in parenting. • There is intergenerational transmission of rejective, hostile parenting style. • The transmission of parenting style is mediated by caregiver's mental health. The quality of parenting is associated with both early childhood development and lifelong negative adult outcomes, and there is evidence to suggest that some aspects of parenting show patterns of intergenerational transmission. However, the mediating mechanisms of the intergenerational transmission of parenting style are not fully understood. This study aims to examine whether intergenerational transmission of parenting style occurs among caregivers in rural China, and whether the mental health of caregivers is a critical mediator in the transmission process across generations. The sample consists of 194 caregivers who were recruited from an investigation in rural Jiangxi Province, China. Parenting style of both father and mother of the caregiver were self-reported by the caregiver using the simplified version of Egna Minnen av Barndoms Uppfostran (s-EMBU) inventory. The current parenting style of the caregiver is assessed by using the Parenting Practice Questionnaire (PPQ). We use multivariate regression to predict the intergenerational transmission of parenting style and examine the potential mediation effects. We found that 'emotional warmth' and 'rejective' parenting style of caregiver's parents are positively and significantly associated with 'warm' and 'hostile' parenting style of the caregiver, respectively. The transmission of rejective, hostile parenting style across generation is fully mediated by the mental health status of the caregiver. Specifically, the mediation effect of caregiver's depression, anxiety, and stress are all statistically significant. Findings in this paper support the existence of intergenerational transmission of parenting styles in rural China. Caregiver's mental health mediate the transmission process of rejective, hostile parenting style. This raises the possibility that parenting services may benefits across generations, and provides empirical evidence for preventive services aimed at improving caregiver's mental health and parenting styles at the early stage of child development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The chemical constituents from Aconitum richardsonianum var. pseudosessiliflorum were investigated. The roots of this plant were extracted three times with 90% EtOH at the room temperature. The ethanol extracts were combined and concentrated under reduced pressure to yield residue, which was suspended in water and successively partitioned with chloroform. The chloroform extraction was isolated and purified by silica gel and Sephadex LH-20 column chromatography. Six compounds were isolated and elucidated as delelatine (1), isodelpheline (2), 3-acetylaconitine (3), isoatisine (4), nordhagenine A (5) and yunaconitine (6). Compounds 1–5 were obtained from Aconitum Brunneum for the first time. Compound (1) showed significant cytotoxic activities (IC50=4.36μM) against the human tumor cell line P388. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A new diterpene alkaloid named delphatisine C (1) has been isolated from aerial parts of Delphinium chrysotrichum along with three known norditerpenoid alkaloids delpheline (2), delbrunine (3), and delectinine (4). Their structures were characterized on the basis of their spectral data. All of them were determined by SRB assay for their cytotoxicity, and compound (1) showed significant cytotoxic activities (IC50 =2.36μmol/L) against the A549 cell line. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The process of soil freezing and thawing refers to the alternating phase change of liquid water and solid water in the soil, accompanied by a large amount of latent heat exchange. It plays a vital role in the land water process and is an important indicator of climate change. The Tibetan Plateau in China is known as the "roof of the world", and it is one of the most prominent physical characteristics is the freezing and thawing process of the soil. For the first time, this paper utilizes the spaceborne GNSS-R mission, i.e., CYGNSS (Cyclone Global Navigation Satellite System), to study the feasibility of monitoring the soil freeze-thaw (FT) cycles on the Tibetan Plateau. In the theoretical analysis part, model simulations show that there are abrupt changes in soil permittivities and surface reflectivities as the soil FT occurs. The CYGNSS reflectivities from January 2018 to January 2020 are compared with the SMAP FT state. The relationship between CYGNSS reflectivity and SMAP soil moisture within this time series is analyzed and compared. The results show that the effect of soil moisture on reflectivity is very small and can be ignored. The periodic oscillation change of CYGNSS reflectivity is almost the same as the changes in SMAP FT data. Freeze-thaw conversion is the main factor affecting CYGNSS reflectivity. The periodical change of CYGNSS reflectivity in the 2 years indicates that it is mainly caused by soil FT cycles. It is feasible to use CYGNSS to monitor the soil FT cycles in the Tibetan Plateau. This research expands the current application field of CYGNSS and opens a new chapter in the study of cryosphere using spaceborne GNSS-R with high spatial-temporal resolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper constructs a spatial association network of carbon emissions from the electricity sector in Chinese provinces by using an improved gravity model and the data on carbon emissions in 2005–2016 from the electricity sector. Social network analysis and the quadratic assignment procedure were used to analyse spatial association characteristics and influential factors. It is found that the overall structure of the carbon emission spatial network in China's electricity sector was relatively stable and provinces were closely linked. Shanghai, Jiangsu, Tianjin, Beijing and Zhejiang all played a leading role in the network centre position. Spatial adjacency relationships and per capita GDP were positively correlated with carbon emissions from the electricity sector, but electricity intensity and industrial structure were negatively correlated. Urbanisation level does not affect the spatial correlation network of carbon emissions from electricity sector. Based on the results, some policy recommendations are finally made for reducing the carbon emissions from the electricity sector in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• 66.6% mothers in rural Guizhou did not supplement micronutrients during pregnancy. • First study on the relation of prenatal supplements to child competence in Guizhou. • Prenatal supplements are positively associate with early language development. Maternal nutrition has been shown to positively impact the pregnancy outcomes of women, as demonstrated by a decreased rate of infants born with below-average weight and size for gestational age. However, current evidences supporting the association between prenatal micronutrient supplementation and the early development of children is limited and mixed. This study investigates the association between prenatal micronutrient supplementation and the development of children under age two in rural area of Guizhou province, China. We interviewed the primary caregivers of 446 children 6–24 months old in the study area. Based on the caregivers' self-reported information about micronutrient supplementation of the child's mother during pregnancy, we divided their children into the supplemented group and the non-supplemented group. The interviews also collected sociodemographic information about the mother, the child, other family members and the households. We used the Bayley Scales of Infant Development III (BSID-III) to measure children's cognitive, language, motor, and socioemotional abilities and employed a multivariate linear regression model adjusted for confounding variables to estimate the association of interest. Our data shows that 33.4% of mothers received micronutrient supplementation during pregnancy. Children in the supplemented-group had significantly higher mean scores in language (3.27; 95% CI: 0.42–6.13; p = 0.03) domain compared to children in the non-supplemented group. This study provides additional evidence for the association between prenatal micronutrient supplementation and improved language development of rural children in the first two years of life. The conclusion is of certain value to the local and even national policy makers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, sensors mounted on a new type of round-trip airborne flat-floating sounding system (RTAFSS) were used to obtain the observation data of the three stages of "rising, flat-floating and falling". This new sounding method has a good application prospect. We performed spectrum analysis on the normalized temperature fluctuation, and the vertical wavenumber spectrum from the rising and falling stages and the horizontal wavenumber spectrum from the flat-floating stage were obtained. This is the first time the complete gravity wave spectrum characteristics were obtained from three consecutive stages: rising, flat-floating and falling. The results show that the gravity wave spectrum of the three stages can be well obtained by RTAFSS. For the horizontal wavenumber spectrum, the spectral slope is basically around −2, and the difference in the spectral structure of the horizontal wave number spectrum may be due to the intermittent turbulent activity and the variable intensity of the gravitational wave during its propagation. This study aims to make experimental exploration of the spectrum characteristics of gravity waves by this new type of observation data. It is expected to reveal the spectrum characteristics of horizontal wavenumber in the stratosphere region of China, providing a theoretical basis for spectrum analysis in a wider space–time range after further network observation of RTAFSS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]