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With the better understanding of human genome and genetic contributions to human complex diseases, more and more clinical genetic tests have been developed for the prevention, diagnosis, and treatment of human diseases. This has raised new challenges to classroom teaching of medical genetics (MG) in medical education of undergraduates, who are relatively naive about the theory and technology of MG. A clear understanding of genotype-phenotype relationships is critical in MG learning. In the current study, we incorporated a practical approach of classroom MG teaching by using alcohol tolerance, a phenotype that is widely experienced by students and closely related to genetic polymorphism. To verify this teaching approach, which we named as student experience-based teaching (SEBT), undergraduates of two classes were recruited, with one accepting SEBT and the other accepting conventional lecture-based teaching (LBT). Final examination of the MG course indicated that while the two classes showed similar results to multiple-choice questions, the SEBT class showed significantly better performance to short-answer questions about gene polymorphism and phenotype, suggesting that SEBT might improve understanding. Thus, using student experience-based phenotypic instances and explaining the phenotype by practical genetic tests could improve understanding of genotype-phenotype relationships in classroom MG teaching.

Abundant behavioral studies have demonstrated high comorbidity of reading and handwriting difficulties in developmental dyslexia (DD), a neurological condition characterized by unexpectedly low reading ability despite adequate nonverbal intelligence and typical schooling. The neural correlates of handwriting deficits remain largely unknown; however, as well as the extent that handwriting deficits share common neural bases with reading deficits in DD. The present work used functional magnetic resonance imaging to examine brain activity during handwriting and reading tasks in Chinese dyslexic children (n = 18) and age-matched controls (n = 23). Compared to controls, dyslexic children exhibited reduced activation during handwriting tasks in brain regions supporting sensory-motor processing (including supplementary motor area and postcentral gyrus) and visual-orthography processing (including bilateral precuneus and right cuneus). Among these regions, the left supplementary motor area and the right precuneus also showed a trend of reduced activation during reading tasks in dyslexics. Moreover, increased activation was found in the left inferior frontal gyrus and anterior cingulate cortex in dyslexics, which may reflect more efforts of executive control to compensate for the impairments of motor and visual-orthographic processing. Finally, dyslexic children exhibited aberrant functional connectivity among brain areas for cognitive control and sensory-motor processes during handwriting tasks. Together, these findings suggest that handwriting deficits in DD are associated with functional abnormalities of multiple brain regions implicated in motor execution, visual-orthographic processing, and cognitive control, providing important implications for the diagnosis and treatment of dyslexia.

Flavonoids play an important role in forming wine grapes and wine quality characteristics. The flavonoids of three winter red wine grapes, Yeniang No. 2 (YN2), Marselan (Mar), and Guipu No. 6 (GP6), were analyzed by ultra-high-performance liquid chromatography–triple quadrupole mass spectrometry (UPLC-QQQ-MS). Furthermore, the flavonoids in GP6 grapevines using two types of training systems, namely, trellis (T) and espaliers (E), were also compared in this study. Overall, 196 flavonoid metabolites, including 96 flavones, 38 flavonols, 19 flavanones, 18 polyphenols, 15 anthocyanins, 7 isoflavones, and 3 proanthocyanidins, were identified. The flavonoid profiles were remarkably different among these three grape varieties, while they did not change much in the GP6 managed on trellis and espaliers. Grape varieties with different genetic backgrounds have their own unique flavonoid profiles. Compared with Mar-T, isoflavones and flavonols presented higher contents in GP6-T and YN2-T, which mainly contain glycitein, genistin, calycosin, kaempferide, isotrifoliin, and ayanin. The anthocyanin content was significantly higher in YN2-T than in the other two varieties. YN2 and GP6-T present a more stable color, with significantly more acetylated diglucosides and methylated anthocyanins in YN2-T and GP6-T than in Mar-T. Notably, GP6 had more varied flavonoids and the better characteristics to its flavonoid profile out of these three varieties, due to it containing a higher number of anthocyanins, flavone, and flavonols and the greatest number of different flavonoid metabolites (DFMs), with higher contents than YN2 and Mar. Compared with the trellis training system, the espaliers training system increased the content of flavonoids detected in GP6 grape berries; however, the composition of flavonoids strictly depends on the grape variety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Realizing the harmonious coexistence of environmental and economic benefits is an inevitable requirement, and promoting the sustainable development of corporate environmental governance and physical enterprises “from virtual to real” is the essence. Using a sample of Chinese A-share listed heavily polluting enterprises from 2004 to 2020, the impact mechanism of green mergers and acquisitions (M&A) on corporate financialization is investigated through multiple regression analysis. The results show that green M&A can inhibit corporate financialization, with government environmental concerns playing a negative moderating role and corporate governance capabilities playing a positive moderating role. Further results on the transmission mechanism show that financing constraints mediate the relationship between green M&A and corporate financialization. The results of the study not only show that green M&A is a “sincere” behavior of enterprises to promote sustainable development, but also reveal the “dynamic” role of government environmental concerns and corporate governance capabilities. In addition, the “reservoir” effect of corporate financialization is also confirmed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Visual-motor integration is an ability to coordinate the visual information and limb movement, which has direct relevance to Chinese handwriting ability. Interestingly handwriting practice can also improve Chinese reading. However, the relationship between visual-motor integration and reading ability in Chinese is unclear. The present study investigated the role of visual-motor integration skills in reading Chinese among children with and without developmental dyslexia. In the study Chinese children with developmental dyslexia (DD-Group), chronological-age-matched children (CA-Group), and reading-level-matched children (RL-Group) were asked to participate in reading and reading related tasks as well as word-copying and picture-copying (visual-motor integration) tasks. The results revealed that the DD-Group performed significantly worse than the CA-Group on the word copying task, and that the DD-Group performed similarly to the RL-Group on the reading and reading related tasks and the word-copying task. However, the DD-Group performed significantly worse than the CA- and RL-Groups on the visual-motor integration task. Further, when age and intelligence were controlled visual-motor integration and word-copying skills could explain 14 and 16% of the variance in reading skills respectively. When reading-related cognitive skills were controlled, visual-motor integration skills could still explain 8% of variance in reading skills, but word-copying skills did not. The results of the current study indicated for the first time that visual-motor integration skills play an essential role in reading Chinese independent of word copying ability.

Plant invasion and land reclamation have drastically transformed the landscape of coastal wetlands globally, but their resulting effects on soil organic nitrogen (SON) mineralization and nitrous oxide (N2O) production remain unclear. In this study, we examined 21 coastal wetlands across southern China that have undergone habitat transformation from native mudflats (MFs) to Spartina alterniflora marshes (SAs), and subsequently to earthen aquaculture ponds (APs). We determined the SON net mineralization rate and the presence of pertinent enzyme‐encoding genes, namely chiA, pepA, and pepN. The SON net mineralization rate increased by 46.7% following the conversion of MFs to SAs but decreased by 33.1% in response to the transformation of SAs to APs. Nevertheless, there was no significant difference in the estimated mineralization efficiency of soil microbes among the habitat types. The results of structural equation modeling showed that N‐mineralization gene abundance played a major role in regulating SON mineralization. Although less than 20% of the SON was estimated to be labile/semi‐labile, SON mineralization was important in sustaining soil N2O production, with 5.8% of the mineralized N being fed into N2O production. Overall, our findings showed that the presence of S. alterniflora increased both SON content and mineralization rate, which would in turn promote further proliferation of this exotic plant along the coast. The conversion of S. alterniflora marshes to APs partially mitigated the positive effects of exotic plant invasion on SON turnover. Key Points: Spartina invasion and aquaculture reclamation affected soil organic nitrogen (SON) mineralization ratesSON mineralization was strongly driven by substrate and functional microbial genesN2O production potential correlated significantly with SON mineralization [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Among the neurological complications of influenza in children, the most severe is acute necrotizing encephalopathy (ANE), with a high mortality rate and neurological sequelae. ANE is characterized by rapid progression to death within 1–2 days from onset. However, the knowledge about the early diagnosis of ANE is limited, which is often misdiagnosed as simple seizures/convulsions or mild acute influenza-associated encephalopathy (IAE). Objective: To develop and validate an early prediction model to discriminate the ANE from two common neurological complications, seizures/convulsions and mild IAE in children with influenza. Methods: This retrospective case-control study included patients with ANE (median age 3.8 (2.3,5.4) years), seizures/convulsions alone (median age 2.6 (1.7,4.3) years), or mild IAE (median age 2.8 (1.5,6.1) years) at a tertiary pediatric medical center in China between November 2012 to January 2020. The random forest algorithm was used to screen the characteristics and construct a prediction model. Results: Of the 433 patients, 278 (64.2%) had seizures/convulsions alone, 106 (24.5%) had mild IAE, and 49 (11.3%) had ANE. The discrimination performance of the model was satisfactory, with an accuracy above 0.80 from both model development (84.2%) and internal validation (88.2%). Seizures/convulsions were less likely to be wrongly classified (3.7%, 2/54), but mild IAE (22.7%, 5/22) was prone to be misdiagnosed as seizures/convulsions, and a small proportion (4.5%, 1/22) of them was prone to be misdiagnosed as ANE. Of the children with ANE, 22.2% (2/9) were misdiagnosed as mild IAE, and none were misdiagnosed as seizures/convulsions. Conclusion: This model can distinguish the ANE from seizures/convulsions with high accuracy and from mild IAE close to 80% accuracy, providing valuable information for the early management of children with influenza. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have shown that boletes are abundant and diverse in China, especially in tropical and subtropical regions. In the present study, morphological, ecological, host relationship, and a four-locus (28S, tef1, rpb1, and rpb2) molecular phylogenetic analyses were used to study the family Boletaceae in subtropical and tropical China. Four new bluing species are described from three genera, viz. Boletellus verruculosus (Chinese name疣柄条孢牛肝菌), Xerocomellus tenuis (Chinese name细柄红绒盖牛肝菌), Xer. brunneus (Chinese name褐盖红绒盖牛肝菌), and Xerocomus zhangii (Chinese name张氏绒盖牛肝菌). Moreover, the genus Nigroboletus is treated as a synonym of Xerocomellus, and a new combination, namely Xer. roseonigrescens (Chinese name玫瑰红绒盖牛肝菌), is proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To summarize the clinical features of infection-associated autoimmune encephalitis (IAE) with different antibodies in Xinjiang region, and to explore the diagnostic value of relevant laboratory indicators for IAE. Methods A total of 47 patients with IAE diagnosed and treated in People's Hospital of Xinjiang Uiger Autonomous Region from January 2018 to October 2023 were enrolled, including 18 cases (38.30%) of anti-leucine-rich glioma-inactivated 1 (LGI1) antibody-associated encephalitis, 16 cases (34.04%) of anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NMDAR) encephalitis, 8 cases (17.02%) of anti-myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) antibody-associated encephalitis, and 5 cases (10.64%) of anti-γ-aminobutyric acid receptor type B (GABABR) encephalitis. Social demographic data, clinical manifestations, laboratory and other examinations were collected, and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was drawn to evaluate the diagnostic value of relevant laboratory indicators for IAE. Results The age of onset (χ² = 9.500, P = 0.023), myasthenia (χ² = 9.967, P = 0.019), vision loss (χ² = 9.967, P = 0.019) and seizures (χ² = 8.046, P = 0.045), cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) white blood cell count (χ² = 15.237, P = 0.002) and chloride (F = 4.156, P = 0.011) in patients with anti-LGI1 antibody-associated encephalitis, anti-NMDAR encephalitis, anti-MOG antibody-associated encephalitis and anti-GABABR encephalitis were statistically significant. The age of onset in patients with anti-LGI1 antibody-associated encephalitis was larger than that in patients with anti-NMDAR encephalitis (Z =-2.384, P = 0.017) and anti-MOG antibody-associated encephalitis (Z =-2.420, P = 0.016). The CSF white blood cell count in patients with anti-NMDAR encephalitis was higher than that in patients with anti-LGI1 antibody-associated encephalitis (Z =-3.307, P = 0.001) and anti-MOG antibody-associated encephalitis (Z =-2.835, P = 0.005). CSF chloride was higher in patients with anti-NMDAR encephalitis (t = 3.159, P = 0.007) and anti-GABABR encephalitis (t =-4.592, P = 0.007) than in patients with anti-LGI1 antibody-associated encephalitis. ROC curve showed that the area under the curve (AUC) of age of onset for diagnosis of anti-LGI1 antibody-associated encephalitis was 0.722 (95%CI: 0.569-0.875, P = 0.012), the sensitivity was 0.556, the specificity was 0.821, and the cut-off value was 54.50 years old. The AUC of CSF white blood cell count in the diagnosis of anti-LGI1 antibody-associated encephalitis was 0.706 (95%CI: 0.558-0.855, P = 0.019), the sensitivity was 0.889, the specificity was 0.571, and the cut-off value was 4.50 x 106/L. The AUC in the diagnosis of anti-NMDAR encephalitis was 0.790 (95%CI: 0.643-0.937, P = 0.002), the sensitivity was 0.600, the specificity was 0.967, and the cut-off value was 13.50 x 106/L. The AUC of CSF chloride for the diagnosis of anti-LGI1 antibody-associated encephalitis was 0.748 (95%CI: 0.598-0.898, P = 0.005), with a sensitivity of 0.722 and a specificity of 0.714, and a cut-off value of 122.70 mmol/L. Conclusions IAE with different antibodies in Xinjiang region has specific clinical features. Age of onset, CSF white blood cell count and chloride have important value in the diagnosis of anti-LGI1 antibody-associated encephalitis, and CSF white blood cell count has important value in the diagnosis of anti-NMDAR encephalitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study explains the process of learners' listening comprehension within Halliday's information theory in functional grammar, including the skills of identifying focuses while listening in college English teaching. Identifying information focuses in listening is proved to improve the students' communicative listening ability by the means of a classroom research, in which 87 students were involved. (Contains 1 figure.)

Objective: This study aimed to translate and culturally adapt the standardized outcomes in nephrology–hemodialysis fatigue (SONG–HD fatigue) scale and to assess the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the SONG–HD fatigue (C-SONG–HD fatigue) scale. Methods: Forward and back translations were used to translate the SONG–HD fatigue scale into Chinese. We used the C-SONG–HD fatigue scale to survey Chinese patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD) in China. We examined the distribution of responses and floor and ceiling effects. Cronbach's alpha and McDonald's omega coefficient, intraclass coefficients, and Spearman correlations were used to assess internal consistency reliability, test–retest reliability, and convergent validity, respectively. Responsiveness was also evaluated. Results: In total, 489 participants across southeast China, northwest China, and central China completed the study. The C-SONG–HD fatigue scale had good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha coefficient 0.861, omega coefficient 0.916), test–retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient 0.695), and convergent validity (Spearman correlation 0.691). The analysis of all first-time HD patients did not show notable responsiveness, and only patients with temporary vascular access had good responsiveness with an effect size (ES) of 0.54, a standardized response mean (SRM) of 0.85, and a standard error of measurement (SEM) of 0.77. Conclusion: The Chinese version of the SONG–HD fatigue scale showed satisfactory reliability and validity in patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD) in China. It could be used as a tool to measure the fatigue of Chinese HD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To assess the clinical effect of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in combination with laparoscopic surgery in treating progressive colorectal cancer. Methods: 90 patients with colorectal cancer admitted to Hebei Yanda Hospital, Hebei Langfang, China between December 2020 and December 2021 were enrolled. The patients were randomly grouped into control and study groups. Control group underwent laparoscopic surgery while the study group underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy in addition to laparoscopic surgery. Gastrointestinal function recovery time, tumor control effect, tumor marker level, and adverse reactions were investigated and compared between the two groups. Results: Time to anal exhaust, time to first defecation, time to first solid food intake, and time to recover to normal bowel sounds were earlier in the study group compared to control group (p < 0.05). Study group exhibited a greater overall rate of tumor control response., while the rate of tumor lymphatic metastasis was also significant (p < 0.05). After treatment, the study group exhibited significantly lower levels of tumor markers compared to control group (p < 0.05). The occurrence of adverse reactions was not significant between the two groups (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Neoadjuvant chemotherapy in conjunction with laparoscopic surgery in the treatment of progressive rectal cancer improves patient outcomes and enhances prognosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dysmenorrhea, classified as primary dysmenorrhea and secondary dysmenorrhea, is a common gynecological symptom that seriously affects female daily life. At present, studies on dysmenorrhea are numerous and complex. To better reflect the trend and innovative progress of dysmenorrhea-related research, this study screened papers on the Web of Science from January 1, 1992, to December 31, 2022. A total of 1012 papers were selected and analyzed for their affiliated countries, institutions, authors, keywords, etc. China is the country with the most academic output, Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine is the most influential institution, and Yang Jie, from Chengdu University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, China, is the scholar with the most papers. We consider that the current research focus is on pathogenesis, treatment, epidemiology, and self-management. With increasing research on functional connectivity between dysmenorrhea and various brain regions, functional connectivity has gradually become the forefront of research. We hope our study can promote the further study of dysmenorrhea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the interactional effects and fit of internal and external collaboration on supply chain performance based on the fit theory. Data collected from 205 firms located in China was used to test the hypotheses via partial least squares structural equation modelling, polynomial regression and response surface methodology. The results demonstrate that there is an interactive effect, i.e. fit between internal collaboration and external collaboration on supply chain performance – a phenomenon not previously well understood. The results indicate that not all firms implementing internal collaboration and external collaboration can attain the desired goals. Only when the strength and balance of the two are similar, and at a moderate to upper level, can the supply chain performance be achieved the best; and once a certain threshold value of internal collaboration and external collaboration is achieved, further enhancement in internal and external collaboration will cause the decline of supply chain performance. Our study emphasises the importance of balancing internal constraints and external requirements across the whole supply chain, and provides insights into supply chain collaboration by suggesting that internal collaboration and external collaboration must be fit in the pursuit of supply chain performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study explored the developmental trend of orthographic awareness in Chinese-speaking preschoolers. A total of 184 children between 3 and 5 years of age participated in the study. Two developmental patterns of orthographic awareness were obtained. One pattern was dependent on a traditional Chinese orthographic hierarchy, with a sequence of writing system specificity, radical, whole character, radical combination rules, and stroke. Three-year-olds fully understood the writing-system-specific features of Chinese characters, and could distinguish characters from alphabetic scripts and drawings; the average accuracy was >80%. Five-year-olds were able to distinguish radicals from numbers, as well as regard non-characters with rotated radicals and missing radicals as illegal; the average accuracy was 87%. At 5 years of age, children could detect whole character rotated non-characters with an average accuracy of 78%, but were not proficient in identifying non-characters with absent strokes (the average accuracy was 69%). The 5-year-old children did not know well about radical combination rules; the average accuracy was 67%. The other pattern was associated with violation means of non-characters, which could be characterized as progressing from form types, to spatial formats, and finally to combination conventions. Children grasped legal form types of scripts (Chinese characters and radicals) at 3 years of age, with an average accuracy approaching 80%. Five-year-old children detected illegal spatial characteristics of characters, such as up-down reversal, with an average accuracy of 78%. However, children were unable to understand radical combination conventions even at 5 years of age; average accuracy was 67%.

Birth asphyxia causes hypoxia or inadequate perfusion to the organs of newborns, leading to metabolism dysfunctions including blood glucose disorders. Neonates with and without birth asphyxia were retrospectively recruited from 53 hospitals in Hubei Province from January 1 to December 31, 2018. In summary, 875, 1139, and 180 cases in the control group, the mild asphyxia group, and the severe asphyxia group were recruited, respectively. Neonatal blood glucose values at postnatal 1, 2, 6, and 12 h (time error within 0.5 h was allowed) were gathered from the medical records. The incidence rates of hyperglycemia in the control group, the mild asphyxia group and the severe asphyxia group were 2.97%, 7.90%, and 23.33%, respectively (p < 0.001). Additionally, the incidence rates of hypoglycemia in the three groups above were 3.66%, 4.13%, and 7.78%, respectively (p = 0.042). The blood glucose values of neonates with hypoglycemia in the asphyxia group were lower than in the control group (p = 0.003). Furthermore, the blood glucose values of neonates with hyperglycemia were highest in the severe asphyxia group (p < 0.001). There were 778 and 117 cases with blood glucose records at four predefined time points in the mild and severe asphyxia group, respectively. The incidence of blood glucose disorders in the mild asphyxia group significantly decreased from postnatal 6 h (p＜0.05). However, we found no obvious changes of the incidence of glucose disorders within postnatal 12 h in the severe asphyxia group (p = 0.589). Birth asphyxia is likely to cause neonatal blood glucose disorders, both hypoglycemia and hyperglycemia, during the early postnatal life. The neonates with severe asphyxia have higher incidence, worse severity and longer duration of blood glucose disorders than neonates with mild asphyxia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Extensive surface and upper air measurements of a typhoon over the northern part of the South China Sea, namely, Typhoon Talim in July 2023, are documented and analysed in this paper. A number of features have been observed from the upper air measurements. First, the log law and the power law were found to be appropriate in fitting the wind profiles of the typhoon in the first 1000 m or so above the sea surface. Second, a low-level jet with the height of the maximum wind speed of around 1000 m was observed in the lower troposphere from the observations of the radar wind profilers. This paper is also novel from the perspectives that the vertical wind profile from a Doppler LIDAR on an offshore platform over the northern part of the South China sea and ocean radar data are used to analyse the surface wind observations of a typhoon in the region. The results of this paper would be useful in understanding the structure of tropical cyclones, e.g., in wind engineering applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

OBJECTIVE To evaluate the prospective association between cumulative resting heart rate (cumRHR) and rapid renal function decline (RRFD) in a cohort of individuals aged 60 and older. METHODS In the Tianjin Chronic Kidney Disease Cohort Study, the individuals who underwent three consecutive physical examinations between 2014 and 2017, with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) greater than 60 mL/min per 1.73 m2 and aged 60 years or older were enrolled. A total of 27,564 patients were prospectively followed up from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2020. The 3-year cumRHR was calculated. The primary outcome was RRFD, defined as an annualized decline in eGFR of 5 mL/min per 1.73 m2 or greater. Logistic and restricted spline regression models and subgroup analysis were used to investigate the association of cumRHR with RRFD after adjusting for all confounders. RESULTS During a median follow-up of 3.2 years, a total of 4,347 (15.77%) subjects developed RRFD. In fully-adjusted models, compared with the lowest quartile of cumRHR, the odds ratio (OR) for the highest was 1.44 (1.28-1.61), P < 0.001. Furthermore, each 1-standard deviation (27.97 beats/min per year) increment in cumRHR was associated with a 17% (P < 0.001) increased risk of RRFD, with a linear positive correlation (P for non-linear = 0.803). Participants with a 3-year cumRHR = 207 (beats/min) * year (equivalent to = 69 beats/min per year in 3 years) were found to be at a higher risk of RRFD. CONCLUSIONS The cumRHR is significantly associated with a higher risk of RRFD among older adults. These results might provide an effective goal for managing and delaying the decline of renal function in the older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Myofascial pain syndrome (MPS) is a common disease with easy persistence and recurrence. In clinical practice, although many methods have been adopted to prevent and treat MPS, the control of MPS is still not satisfactory. OBJECTIVE: To compare the safety and effectiveness of buccal acupuncture, inactivation of trigger points (MTrPs), and their combination in the treatment of MPS. METHODS: Two hundred MPS patients in the pain clinic were randomly divided into four groups (n = 50) to receive oral drugs (Group A), oral drugs + buccal needle (Group B), oral drugs + MTrP inactivation (Group C), or oral drugs + buccal needle + MTrP inactivation (Group D). RESULTS: The visual analogue scale (VAS) and cervical range of motion (ROM) of Group D were significantly lower than those of the other three groups, and the pressure pain threshold (PPT) value of labelled MTrPs was significantly higher than those of the other three groups (P < 0.05). The excellent rate and total effective rate of Group D were significantly higher than those of the other three groups. Group C had the highest pain score and the lowest acceptance score. The results showed that buccal acupuncture combined with ultrasound-guided dry needle-evoked inactivation of MTrPs can significantly reduce the VAS score of MPS patients, improve the range of motion of the cervical spine, and improve patient satisfaction. CONCLUSIONS: This study provides a highly accepted and satisfactory treatment for MPS, which is worthy of clinical promotion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aimed to examine the association between sleep duration, sleep problems, and depression in Northwest China. Method: Depression was diagnosed at the hospital and self-reported by the participants in the baseline survey. Sleep duration and problems, including difficulty initiating and maintaining sleep, early morning awakening, daytime dysfunction, use of sleeping pills or drugs, and any sleep problems, were obtained by a self-reported questionnaire. Logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) with corresponding 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for exploring the association between sleep duration, sleep problems, and depression, adjusting for demographic and socioeconomic characteristics and health behaviors. The association between depression and sleep duration was also evaluated continuously with restricted cubic spline curves based on logistic models. Results: 36,515 adults from Regional Ethnic Cohort Study in Northwest China were included. About 24.04% of participants reported short sleep duration (<7 h), and 15.64% reported long sleep duration (≥9 h). Compared with standard sleep duration (7-9 h), short sleep duration was associated with a higher risk of depression (OR: 1.69, 95%CI: 1.26-2.27, p = 0.001). Self-reported sleep problems were also related to four times depression risk increased (OR: 4.02, 95%CI: 3.03--5.35, p < 0.001) compared with no sleep problems. In addition, a nonlinear relationship was found between sleep duration and depression after adjusting covariates (p = 0.043). Conclusion: Sleep duration and sleep problems are associated with depression. Enough sleep time and healthy sleep habits in life course might be a practical health promotion approach to reduce depression risk in Northwest Chinese adults. A further study from cohort study is needed to verify the temporal association. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In green chemistry, filamentous fungi are regarded as a kind of robust microorganism for the biotransformation of natural products. Nonetheless, the screening of microorganisms is crucial for the effective biotransformation of natural products, such as phenazine compounds. The precursor metabolite of most phenazine derivatives in Pseudomonas spp. is phenazine-1-carboxylic acid (PCA), the key constituent of shenqinmycin, widely used to control rice sheath blight in southern China. In this study, a new fungus strain Aspergillus sclerotiorum was isolated, which can efficiently convert PCA into 3-hydroxy-phenazine 1-carboxylic acid (3-OH-PCA). Moreover, an effective whole cells biotransformation system was designed by screening optimal reaction conditions and carbon sources. Hence, Aspergillus sclerotiorum exhibited desirable adaptation by the consumption of different carbon sources and maximum whole-cell biomass (10.6 g/L DCW) was obtained as a biocatalyst from glucose. Optimal conditions for whole-cell biocatalysis of PCA were evaluated, including a PCA concentration of 1120 mg/L, a pH of 7.0, a temperature of 25 °C, a rotation rate of 200 rpm, and dry cell weight of 15 g/L for 60 h; thus, 1060 mg/L of 3-OH-PCA was obtained and the conversion efficiency of PCA was 94%. Hence, the results of the repeated batch mood revealed that the biotransformation efficiency of fungus pellets reduced with each subsequent cycle, but remained stable in all five cycles with the provision of a glucose supplement. These findings present the prospect of using filamentous fungi for the whole-cell biocatalysis of phenazine in enormous amounts and the efficient production of 3-OH-PCA. Moreover, these results laid the foundation for further research to disclose the genetic-based mechanism of the strain responsible for PCA biotransformation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The radiance of sky brightness differs principally with wavelength passband. Atmospheric scattering of sunlight causes the radiation in the near-infrared band. The Antarctic is a singular area of the planet, marked by an unparalleled climate and geographical conditions, including the coldest temperatures and driest climate on Earth, which leads it to be the best candidate site for observing in infrared bands. At present, there are still no measurements of night-sky brightness at DOME A. We have developed the Near-Infrared Sky Brightness Monitor (NISBM) in the J ,  H , and K s bands for measurements at DOME A. The instruments were installed at DOME A in 2019 and early results of NIR sky brightness from 2019 January–April have been obtained. The variation of sky background brightness with solar elevation and scanning angle is analysed. The zenith sky flux intensity for the early night at DOME A in the J band is in the 600–1100 μJy arcsec−2 range, that in the H band is between 1100 and 2600 μJy arcsec−2, and that in the K s band is in the range ∼200–900 μJy arcsec−2. This result shows that the sky brightness in J and H bands is close to that of Ali in China and Mauna Kea in the USA. The sky brightness in the K s band is much better than that in Ali, China and Mauna Kea, USA. This shows that, from our early results, DOME A is a good site for astronomical observation in the K s band. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Key Points: Question: Does the use of 10 mg of prednisone, compared with placebo, improve the chances of achieving live birth among women with recurrent implantation failure? Findings: In this randomized clinical trial that included 715 women who had experienced 2 or more unsuccessful embryo transfer cycles, the live birth rate was 37.8% among women who received 10 mg of prednisone vs 38.8% among women who received placebo, a nonsignificant difference. Meaning: The findings do not support the routine use of 10 mg of prednisone in women with recurrent implantation failure. Importance: Implantation failure remains a critical barrier to in vitro fertilization. Prednisone, as an immune-regulatory agent, is widely used to improve the probability of implantation and pregnancy, although the evidence for efficacy is inadequate. Objective: To determine the efficacy of 10 mg of prednisone compared with placebo on live birth among women with recurrent implantation failure. Design, Setting, and Participants: A double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial conducted at 8 fertility centers in China. Eligible women who had a history of 2 or more unsuccessful embryo transfer cycles, were younger than 38 years when oocytes were retrieved, and were planning to undergo frozen-thawed embryo transfer with the availability of good-quality embryos were enrolled from November 2018 to August 2020 (final follow-up August 2021). Interventions: Participants were randomized (1:1) to receive oral pills containing either 10 mg of prednisone (n = 357) or matching placebo (n = 358) once daily, from the day at which they started endometrial preparation for frozen-thawed embryo transfer through early pregnancy. Main Outcomes and Measures: The primary outcome was live birth, defined as the delivery of any number of neonates born at 28 or more weeks' gestation with signs of life. Results: Among 715 women randomized (mean age, 32 years), 714 (99.9%) had data available on live birth outcomes and were included in the primary analysis. Live birth occurred among 37.8% of women (135 of 357) in the prednisone group vs 38.8% of women (139 of 358) in the placebo group (absolute difference, −1.0% [95% CI, −8.1% to 6.1%]; relative ratio [RR], 0.97 [95% CI, 0.81 to 1.17]; P =.78). The rates of biochemical pregnancy loss were 17.3% in the prednisone group and 9.9% in the placebo group (absolute difference, 7.5% [95% CI, 0.6% to 14.3%]; RR, 1.75 [95% CI, 1.03 to 2.99]; P =.04). Of those in the prednisone group, preterm delivery occurred among 11.8% and of those in the placebo group, 5.5% of pregnancies (absolute difference, 6.3% [95% CI, 0.2% to 12.4%]; RR, 2.14 [95% CI, 1.00 to 4.58]; P =.04). There were no statistically significant between-group differences in the rates of biochemical pregnancy, clinical pregnancy, implantation, neonatal complications, congenital anomalies, other adverse events, or mean birthweights. Conclusions and Relevance: Among patients with recurrent implantation failure, treatment with prednisone did not improve live birth rate compared with placebo. Data suggested that the use of prednisone may increase the risk of preterm delivery and biochemical pregnancy loss. Our results challenge the value of prednisone use in clinical practice for the treatment of recurrent implantation failure. Trial Registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry Identifier: ChiCTR1800018783 This randomized clinical trial evaluates whether the administration of prednisone would increase the rate of live birth in women with recurrent implantation failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To clarify the mediating role of burnout and the moderating role of turnover intention in the association between fatigue and job satisfaction among Chinese nurses in intensive care units (ICU) during the COVID-19 pandemic. Methods: A cross-sectional survey of fifteen provinces in China was conducted, using an online questionnaire, from December 2020 to January 2021, during the COVID-19 pandemic. A total of 374 ICU nurses (effective response rate: 71.37%) provided sufficient responses. Sociodemographic factors, job demographic factors, fatigue, burnout, job satisfaction, and turnover intention were assessed using questionnaires. General linear modeling (GLM), hierarchical linear regression (HLR) analysis, and generalized additive modeling (GAM) were performed to examine all the considered research hypotheses. Results: Fatigue was found to be negatively and significantly associated with job satisfaction. Moreover, burnout played a partial mediating role and turnover intention played a moderating role in the relationship between fatigue and job satisfaction. Conclusion: Over time, a state of physical and mental exhaustion and work weariness among Chinese ICU nurses potentially results in job burnout and consequently promotes the level of job dissatisfaction. The results also found that turnover intention played a moderating role in the relationship between burnout and job satisfaction. Specific policies could be considered to eliminate nurses' fatigue and negative attitudes during times of public health emergencies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rationale and Objectives: We aim to assess the performance of the Gail model and the fifth edition of ultrasound BI‐RADS (Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System) in breast cancer for predicting axillary lymph node metastasis (ALNM). Materials and Methods: We prospectively studied 958 female patients with breast cancer between 2018 and 2019 from 35 hospitals in China. Based on B‐mode, color Doppler, and elastography, radiologists classified the degree of suspicion based on the fifth edition of BI‐RADS. Individual breast cancer risk was assessed with the Gail model. The association between the US BI‐RADS category and the Gail model in terms of ALNM was analyzed. Results: We found that US BI‐RADS category was significantly and independently associated with ALNM (P < 0.001). The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of BI‐RADS category 5 for predicting ALNM were 63.6%, 71.6%, and 68.6%, respectively. Combining the Gail model with the BI‐RADS category showed a significantly higher sensitivity than using the BI‐RADS category alone (67.8% vs. 63.6%, P < 0.001). The diagnostic accuracy of the BI‐RADS category combined with the Gail model was better than that of the Gail model alone (area under the curve: 0.71 vs. 0.50, P < 0.001). Conclusion: Based on the conventional ultrasound and elastography, the fifth edition of ultrasound BI‐RADS category could be used to predict the ALNM of breast cancer. ALNM was likely to occur in patients with BI‐RADS category 5. The Gail model could improve the diagnostic sensitivity of the US BI‐RADS category for predicting ALNM in breast cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objectives are to examine the smoking practice and intention among Chinese college students and to explore the association between cigarette smoking and individual and psychosocial factors. Cross-sectional data were collected from 1874 students from 19 college campuses in Jiangsu province, China. Both bivariate and multivariate analyses were performed to assess the associations of smoking practice and smoking intention with various individual and psychosocial factors. There was a significant gender difference in both smoking practice and smoking intention. Overall, 53% of the participants (70% male and 31% female) reported ever having smoked in their lifetime and 29% of the sample (49% male and 5% female) reported having smoked in the past 30 days. About one-fourth of the sample (44% male and 6% female) thought they were likely to smoke in the next 6 months. Male gender, low family socioeconomic status, perception of more peer smoking, more perceived benefits of smoking, higher level of pro-smoking attitude, higher level of perceived cost of non-smoking and more involvement in other health risk were positively associated with being a past or current smoker. Likewise, male gender, older age, more friends smoking, greater perceived benefits of smoking, higher pro-smoking attitudes and more health risk involvement were associated with the likelihood to smoke in the next 6 months. The data suggest a substantial smoking experimentation among college students in China, which presents both a challenge and an opportunity to prevent a large proportion of experimenters from progressing to regular smokers. The findings in the current study can be used to inform the development of effective smoking intervention prevention programs among college students in China. (Contains 5 tables and 1 figure.)

Cross-sectional data were gathered from 1,625 children (M age = 12.85, SD = 2.21) which included 755 AIDS orphans, 466 vulnerable children, and 404 comparison children. Participants completed self-report measures of exposure to traumatic events, and psychosocial adjustment including behavior problems, depression, self-esteem, and future orientation. AIDS orphans and vulnerable children reported experiencing a higher total occurrence, density, duration, initial impact and lasting impact of traumatic events compared to comparison children. Scores reflecting adjustment were lower among orphans and vulnerable children than among comparison children. Both orphan status and traumatic events contributed unique variance in the expected direction to the prediction of psychosocial adjustment. The data in the current study suggested that children affected by HIV/AIDS in China are exposed to more trauma and suffer more adjustment problems than children who do not experience HIV/AIDS in their families. (Contains 5 tables.)

The effect of structure of gut microbes on the health of host has attracted increasing attention. Sea bass Lateolabrax japonicus is an important farmed fish in China. The relationship of the dynamic changes of intestinal bacterial communities in L. japonicus and the cultural water environment is very important for healthy culture. Here, the diversity and abundance of the gut microbial communities of L. japonicus were evaluated during the culture using 16S rRNA Illumina sequencing. Both the opportunistic pathogens Aeromonas (1.68%), Vibrio (1.59%), and Acinetobacter (1.22%); and the potential probiotics Lactobacillus (2.27%), Bacillus (1.16%), and Lactococcus (0.37%) were distributed in the gut of L. japonicus. The increasing concentration of nitrogen of water environments with the increase of culture time significantly correlated with shifts in the microbial community structure: 40.04% of gut microbial changes due to nitrogen concentration. Higher concentrations of nitrogen showed a significantly negative correlation with intestinal probiotics in L. japonicus. The results indicate that the abundance of intestinal bacteria of L. japonicus is mainly driven by the changes of environmental factors (e.g., nitrogen), and it's very important that the linking environmental parameters with bacterial data of guts could be used as an early warning indicator in L. japonicus heath culture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the modern era, urban freshwater bodies play a significant role in global carbon (C) budgeting, therefore, impacting climate change under rising global mean temperature. However, the trend, magnitude and drivers of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions in these urban freshwater bodies of China remain uncertain. This study investigated temporal changes in GHG emissions in urban water bodies, including artificial lakes, reservoirs, aquaculture ponds and rivers, within a year in Nanjing city in the areas of the Yangtze River delta of China. In addition, meteorological and hydrochemical parameters were measured to elucidate the key drivers of GHG emissions. The results showed that the average annual flux of carbon dioxide (CO2) and methane (CH4) in aquaculture ponds was estimated to be 1355.6 mg CO2 m−2 day−1 and 116.6 mg CH4 m−2 day−1, followed by that of artificial lakes were 1172.2 mg CO2 m−2 day−1 and 44.1 mg CH4 m−2 day−1, rivers reached 775.9 mg CO2 m−2 day−1 and 23.9 mg CH4 m−2 day−1 and reservoirs were 170.1 mg CO2 m−2 day−1 and 7.2 mg CH4 m−2 day−1, respectively. The results further suggest that although artificial lakes and aquaculture ponds occupied only 23% of the cumulative area under lakes and ponds in the Yangtze River delta, contribute approximately 43%, about 27.5 Gg C, of total fluxes. Furthermore, high concentrations of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) and low dissolved oxygen (DO) coincided with the high GHG emissions. The study suggests that DO, DOC, temperature and wind speed are the key factors impacting the potential of GHG emissions in urban freshwater ecosystems. Strategic mitigation measures in the vicinity of the urban freshwater bodies could efficiently reduce carbon emissions in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate the trend of notified incidence of pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) in China at different periods by population and region and to explore the effect of TB prevention and control in recent years. Using pooled data on TB cases reported by the TB Information Management Reporting System (TBIMS) from 2005 to 2020, we calculated the annual percentage change (APC) using the Joinpoint regression model. From 2005 to 2020, a total of 16.2 million cases of PTB were reported in China, with an average notified incidence of 75.5 per 100,000 population. The age standardization rate (ASR) continued to decline from 116.9 (/100,000) in 2005 to 47.6 (/100,000) in 2020, with an average annual decrease of 5.6% [APC = –5.6, 95% confidence interval (CI): –7.0 to –4.2]. The smallest decline occurred in 2011–2018 (APC = –3.4, 95% CI : –4.6 to –2.3) and the largest decrease in 2018–2020 (APC = –9.2, 95% CI : –16.4 to –1.3). From 2005 to 2020, the ASR in males (159.8 per 100,000 in 2005, 72.0 per 100,000 in 2020) was higher than that in females (62.2 per 100,000 in 2005, 32.3 per 100,000 in 2020), with an average annual decline of 6.0% for male and 4.9% for female. The average notified incidence was the highest among older adults (65 years and over) (182.3/100,000), with an average annual decline of 6.4%; children (0–14 years) were the lowest (4.8/100,000), with an average annual decline of 7.3%, but a significant increase of 3.3% between 2014 and 2020 (APC = 3.3, 95% CI : 1.4 to 5.2); middle-aged (35–64 years) decreased by 5.8%; and youth (15–34 years) decreased by an average annual rate of 4.2%. The average ASR in rural areas (81.3/100,000) is higher than that in urban areas (76.1/100,000). The average annual decline in rural areas was 4.5% and 6.3% in urban areas. South China had the highest average ASR (103.2/100,000), with an average annual decline of 5.9%, while North China had the lowest (56.5/100,000), with an average annual decline of 5.9%. The average ASR in the southwest was 95.3 (/100,000), with the smallest annual decline (APC = –4.5, 95% CI : –5.5 to –3.5); the average ASR in the Northwest China was 100.1 (/100,000), with the largest annual decline (APC = –6.4, 95% CI : –10.0 to –2.7); Central, Northeastern, and Eastern China declined by an average of 5.2%, 6.2%, and 6.1% per year, respectively. From 2005 to 2020, the notified incidence of PTB in China continued to decline, falling by 55%. For high-risk groups such as males, older adults, high-burden areas in South, Southwest, and Northwest China, and rural regions, proactive screening should be strengthened to provide timely and effective anti-TB treatment and patient management services for confirmed cases. There is also a necessity to be vigilant about the upward trend of children in recent years, the specific reasons for which need to be further studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Birth weight is closely related to infant survival and future health, growth and development. In developing countries, the incidence of low birth weight is twice as high as in developed countries. Due to the low economic and medical level in northwest China, the problem of low birth weight needs to be solved urgently. Methods We developed the predictive model based on data sets from a cross-sectional study conducted in northwest China, and data were collected from August 2013 to November 2013. A total of 27,233 patients were included in the study. Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) regression was used to select the optimal predictive characteristics among risk factors. The selected characteristics in the LASSO regression were used in multivariate logistic regression to build the prediction model. C-index and calibration plot were used to evaluate the degree of discrimination and calibration of the model. The decision curve is used to evaluate the net benefit rate of the application of the predictive tool. Bootstrapping validation was used for internal validation. Results Nomogram included gestational age, the sex of the attendance, the mother's education level, antenatal care, the mother's occupation, pregnancy-induced hypertension, family income, exposure to pesticides and nutritional supplements. The C-index of the predicted nomogram was 0.698(95% confidence interval: 0.671–0.725), C-index of internal verification was 0.694, indicating that the model had a good identification ability. Calibration plot showed that the model had good calibration. Decision curve indicated that patients with a threshold probability of low birth weight between 1% and 71% would benefit more from using the prediction tool. Conclusion The use of this predictive model will contribute to clinicians and pregnant women to make personalized predictions easily and quickly so that early lifestyle detection and medical intervention can be undertaken by physicians and patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Bronchiectasis is a highly heterogeneous chronic airway disease with marked geographic and ethnic variations. Most influential cohort studies to date have been performed in Europe and USA, which serve as the examples for developing a cohort study in China where there is a high burden of bronchiectasis. The Establishment of China Bronchiectasis Registry and Research Collaboration (BE-China) is designed to: (1) describe the clinical characteristics and natural history of bronchiectasis in China and identify the differences of bronchiectasis between the western countries and China; (2) identify the risk factors associated with disease progression in Chinese population; (3) elucidate the phenotype and endotype of bronchiectasis by integrating the genome, microbiome, proteome, and transcriptome with detailed clinical data; (4) facilitate large randomized controlled trials in China.Methods: The BE-China is an ongoing prospective, longitudinal, multi-center, observational cohort study aiming to recruit a minimum of 10,000 patients, which was initiated in January 2020 in China. Comprehensive data, including medical history, aetiological testing, lung function, microbiological profiles, radiological scores, comorbidities, mental status, and quality of life (QoL), will be collected at baseline. Patients will be followed up annually for up to 10 years to record longitudinal data on outcomes, treatment patterns and QoL. Biospecimens, if possible, will be collected and stored at - 80 °C for further research. Up to October 2021, the BE-China has enrolled 3758 patients, and collected 666 blood samples and 196 sputum samples from 91 medical centers. The study protocol has been approved by the Shanghai Pulmonary Hospital ethics committee, and all collaborating centers have received approvals from their local ethics committee. All patients will be required to provide written informed consent to their participation.Conclusions: Findings of the BE-China will be crucial to reveal the clinical characteristics and natural history of bronchiectasis and facilitate evidence-based clinical practice in China. Trial registration Registration Number in ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT03643653. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: It is difficult to accurately assess the health literacy(HL) level of Mongolians by using Chinese conventional HL questionnaire, due to their particularity in language, culture and living environment. Therefore, it is very important to design an exclusive HL questionnaire for them. In addition, the existing statistical models cannot meet the requirement of HL assessment with high precision, so it is necessary to study a new HL assessment model. Methods: A HL questionnaire with 68 questions is designed by combing the HLS-EU-Q47and the characteristics of Mongolians in China. 742 Mongolians aged 18 to 87 in Inner Mongolia of China answered the questionnaire. A data set with 742 samples is constructed, where each sample has 68 features and 1 target. Based on it, the XGB and LGBM regression models are respectively constructed to assess the HL levels of respondents, and their evaluation effects are compared. The impact of each question on the HL level is quantitatively analyzed by using the feature-importance function in LGBM model to verify the effectiveness of the questionnaire and to find the key factors for affecting HL. Results: The HL questionnaire has the high reliability, which is reflected by the high internal consistency (Cronbach's coefficient=0.807) and test-retest reliability (Mutual Information Score= 0.803). The validity of the HL questionnaire is obtained by solving KMO and Bartlett Spherical Test Chi-square Value, which are 0.765 and 2486 ( p < 0.001 ), respectively. R 2 index and the absolute error obtained by using the HL assessment model based on LGBM are 0.98347 and 11, which are better than ones by applying the model based-XGB, respectively. The quantitative analysis results show that all 68 questions have influence on HL level, but their degree are different. The first three factors are age, salary level, the judgment ability for the HL information in media, respectively. The HL level distribution of the respondents was 66.71 % excellent, 25.74 % good and 7.54 % poor, respectively. Conclusions: The presented HL questionnaire with 68 questions and LGBM regression model can obtain the HL level assessment results with high precision for Mongolians in China. The impact of each question in the questionnaire on the final assessment results can be quantified by using the feature-importance function in LGBM model, which is better than the existing qualitative analysis methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To assess the subjective perception of residents on the built environment in hygienic cities and its relation to the self-rated health (SRH) status of residents, providing a basis for a better promotion on construction of health-supportive environments. The online survey was adopted with the respondents recruited from residents living in Chaoyang District of Beijing in January 2021. With SRH level as the dependent variable, two-category logistic regression analysis was conducted to analyze the impact of the built environment in hygienic cities on the SRH status of residents. A total of 1,357 respondents were enrolled in this study. After controlling confounding factors, four aspects in the built environment in hygienic cities were detected remarkable influences on the SRH level of residents, including enough green space in the living area [odds ratio (OR) = 1.395, 95% confidence interval (95% CI): 1.055–1.845], clean and hygienic living environment (OR = 1.472, 95% CI : 1.107–1.956), residents' confidence in drinking water safety in the living area (OR = 1.856, 95% CI : 1.354–2.544) and residents' confidence in food safety in the living area (OR = 1.405, 95% CI : 1.027–1.921). Regarding city construction, the government should focus more on the subjective perception of residents on built environments to build a supportive environment benefiting the health of residents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant invasion and aquaculture activities have drastically modified the landscape of coastal wetlands in many countries, but their impacts on soil organic carbon (SOC) mineralization and greenhouse gas production remain poorly understood. We measured SOC mineralization rate and soil CO2 and CH4 production rates in three habitat types from 21 coastal sites across the tropical and subtropical zones in China: native mudflats (MFs), Spartina alterniflora marshes (SAs), and aquaculture ponds (APs). Landscape change from MFs to SAs or APs increased total and labile fraction of SOC, as well as carbon mineralization rate and greenhouse gas production, but there were no discernible differences in SOC source‐sink dynamics between SAs and APs. SOC mineralization rate was highest in SAs (20.4 μg g−1 d−1), followed by APs (16.9 μg g−1 d−1) and MFs (11.9 μg g−1 d−1), with CO2 as the dominant by‐product. Bioavailable SOC was less than 2% and was turned over within 60 days in all three habitat types. Proliferation of S. alterniflora marshes and expansion of AP construction had resulted in a net increase in soil CO2‐eq production of 0.4–4.3 Tg yr−1 in the last three decades. Future studies will benefit from better census and monitoring of coastal habitats in China, complementary in situ measurements of greenhouse gas emissions, and more sampling in the southern provinces to improve spatial resolution. Plain Language Summary: Wetlands are one of the largest reservoirs of soil carbon and play an importance role in the global terrestrial biogenic carbon cycle. Coastal wetlands are major sinks for carbon due to high sedimentation rate and burial of organic matter. However, landscape modifications due to invasive plants and aquaculture activities have profoundly impacted the carbon source‐sink dynamics in coastal wetlands. We compared the soil organic carbon turnover and greenhouse gas (CO2 and CH4) production between native mudflat, Spartina marshes, and aquaculture ponds in five coastal provinces across the tropical‐subtropical gradient in China. Landscape modification of native mudflats increased soil carbon mineralization rate and greenhouse gas production, predominantly as CO2, and the effect was consistent across the large geographical and climate gradients. Our results provide a better insight into the carbon dynamics in impacted wetlands across a large geographical range. Key Points: Landscape change in coastal mudflats increased soil carbon turnover and emissionLandscape change effect was consistent across tropical and subtropical zonesVery small fraction of soil carbon was bioavailable to microbes [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the prevalence of depression and anxiety in patients undergoing maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) in Hohhot, a large city on the northern border of China, and to identify independent risk factors for depression and anxiety in these patients. Patients receiving MHD for >3 months were enrolled in the four largest hemodialysis centers between September 2020 and December 2020. Depression and anxiety were assessed using the Zung self-rated depression scale (SDS) and Zung self-rated anxiety scale (SAS), respectively, with demographic and other data collected for logistic regression analyses. Among 305 MHD patients included in this study, the prevalence of depression was 55.1%, including 27.5%, 21.0%, and 6.6% with mild, moderate and severe cases, respectively. The prevalence of anxiety was 25.9%, with 20.0%, 4.6%, and 1.3% having mild, moderate, and severe cases, respectively. An independent protective factor for depression was family income of ≥1415 US dollars/month relative to <157 US dollars/month (odds ratio [OR] 0.209, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.065–0.673), and predictors of depression included ≥3 comorbidities (OR 18.527, 95% CI 1.674–205.028) and severe pruritus (OR 15.971, 95% CI 5.173–49.315). Independent predictors of anxiety included infrequent exercise (OR 3.289, 95% CI 1.411–7.664) and severe pruritus (OR 5.912, 95% CI 1.733–20.168). The correlation between depression and anxiety in these patients was significant (rs = 0.775, p < 0.001). MHD patients in Northern China had high prevalence rates of depression (55.1%) and anxiety (25.9%). Lower family income, more comorbidities, and a higher degree of pruritus were predictors of depression, while infrequent exercise and severe pruritus were predictors of anxiety. Depression correlated significantly with anxiety. Attention should be given to family income, comorbidity, exercise, and pruritus severity for improved management of depression and anxiety among MHD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To investigate the current situation of self-perceived burden in patients with urostomy, analyze the correlation between self-perceived burden and quality of life, and explore the intermediary role of resilience and social support. Methods. The convenience sampling method was used to select 303 patients with urostomy of outpatient departments of the three tertiary hospitals in Yinchuan, Ningxia region, China, from April 1, 2020, to October 1, 2020, who then completed a survey questionnaire. The survey questionnaire contained a general data questionnaire and self-perceived burden scale, city of hope-quality of life-ostomy questionnaire, Connor-Davidson resilience scale, and social support rating scale. Results. Self-perceived burden was present among 89.8% patients with urostomy; the quality of life of patients with urostomy is low. The results showed that the self-perceived burden and quality of life, resilience, and social support are related in pairs; self-perceived burden was significantly negatively correlated with quality of life，resilience, and social support; there was a significant positive correlation between quality of life, resilience, and social support; resilience and social support were parallel mediators. Conclusions. Patients with urostomy had a heavy self-perceived burden and low quality of life. Reducing the self-perceived burden of patients with urostomy by improving the level of resilience and social support, could raise the level of quality of life. This study could provide empirical basis for nurses to take continuous nursing intervention measures in order to reduce the self-perceived burden of patients with urostomy and ultimately to improve the quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Guanzhong Plain of Shaanxi Province is a severely afflicted hemorrhagic fever with renal syndrome (HFRS) epidemic area, while HFRS prevalence has decreased in most epidemic areas in China. Little information is available regarding the leading fine-scale influencing factors in this highly HFRS-concentrated area and the roles of natural environmental and socioeconomic factors. To investigate this, two regions in the Guanzhong Plain, that is, the Chang'an District and Hu County, with similar geographical environments, different levels of economic development, and high epidemic prevalence, were chosen as representative areas of the HFRS epidemic. Maximum entropy models were constructed based on HFRS cases and fine-scale influencing factors, including meteorological, natural environmental, and socioeconomic factors, from 2014 to 2016. More than 95% of the HFRS cases in the study area were located in the northern plains, which has an altitude of less than 800 m, with topography contributed 84.1% of the impact on the spatial differentiation of the HFRS epidemic. In the northern plains, precipitation and population density jointly affected the spatial differentiation of the HFRS epidemic, with contribution rates of 60.7% and 28.0%, respectively. By comparing the influencing factors of the northern plains of Chang'an District and Hu County, we found that precipitation and the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) dominated the HFRS epidemic in the relatively developed Chang'an District, while land-use type, temperature, precipitation and population density dominated the HFRS epidemic in the relatively undeveloped Hu County. Topography was the primary key factor for HFRS prevalence in the Chang'an District and Hu County, and the spatial differentiation of HFRS was dominated by precipitation and population density in the northern plains. Compared with the influencing factors of the relatively developed Chang'an District, the developing Hu County was more affected by socioeconomic factors. When formulating targeted HFRS epidemic prevention and control strategies in the targeted areas, it is crucial to consider the local economic development state and combine natural environmental factors, including the meteorological environment and vegetation coverage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecological factors have received increasing attention as drivers of speciation but also in the maintenance of postspeciation divergence. However, the relative significance of the responses of species to climate oscillations for driving niche divergence or conservatism in the evolution of many species that pass through diverse environments and limited geographical boundaries remains poorly understood. Paeonia rockii (one of the ancient species of Paeonia) comprising two subspecies called Paeonia rockii subsp. rockii and Paeonia rockii subsp. taibaishanica is an endemic, rare, and endangered medicinal plant in China. In this study, we integrated whole chloroplast genomes, and ecological factors to obtain insights into ecological speciation and species divergence in this endemic rare peony. RAxML analysis indicated that the topological trees recovered from three different data sets were identical, where P. rockii subsp. rockii and P. rockii subsp. taibaishanica clustered together, and molecular dating analyses suggested that the two subspecies diverged 0.83 million years ago. In addition, ecological niche modeling showed that the predicted suitable distribution areas for P. rockii subsp. rockii and P. rockii subsp. taibaishanica differed considerably, although the predicted core distribution areas were similar, where the population contracted in the last interglacial and expanded in the last glacial maximum. Under the emissions scenarios for the 2050s and 2070s, the suitable distribution areas were predicted to contract significantly, where the migration routes of the two subspecies tended to migrate toward high latitudes and elevations, thereby suggesting strong responses of the distributions of the two subspecies to climate change. These findings combined with the phylogeographic relationships provide comprehensive insights into niche variation and differentiation in this endemic rare peony, and they highlight the importance of geological and climatic changes for species divergence and changes in the population geographic patterns of rare and endangered medicinal plants in East Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1) Background: Chinese physicians have encountered serious physical and verbal attacks in recent decades due to poor patient–physician relationships, leading to a broad spectrum of negative consequences. This study aims to assess the status of intergroup threats perceived by physicians and explore its association with organizational psychology, behavior, and well-being during the COVID-19 pandemic. (2) Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional online survey with physicians from November to December 2020 in three provinces: Heilongjiang Province, Henan Province, and Zhejiang Province, in China. A total of 604 physicians were recruited to complete an anonymous questionnaire. There were 423 valid questionnaires. (3) Results: We developed a 25-item intergroup threat scale with four dimensions: interest damage, performance impairment, value derogation, and unjust sentiment. Internal consistency reliability analyses showed that the four dimensions and overall scale exhibited high internal consistency (0.756–0.947). Additionally, the average scores for physicians' perceived overall intergroup threat, interest damage, performance impairment, value derogation, and unjust sentiment were 4.35 ± 0.51, 4.24 ± 0.73, 4.33 ± 0.58, 4.22 ± 0.65, and 4.53 ± 0.55, respectively. Moreover, this study shows that the intergroup threats perceived positively by physicians were associated with psychological stress (β = 0.270, p < 0.01), emotional exhaustion (β = 0.351, p < 0.01), turnover intention (β = 0.268, p < 0.01), and defensive medical behavior (β = 0.224, p < 0.01), and were negatively associated with job satisfaction (β = −0.194, p < 0.01) and subjective well-being (β = −0.245, p < 0.01). (4) Conclusions: The newly developed scale in this study is a reliable tool for measuring intergroup threats perceived by Chinese physicians. Physicians in China were suffering high-level intergroup threats during the anti-COVID-19 pandemic, which has a significant impact on damage to organizational psychology, behavior, and well-being. Intergroup threats perceived by physicians not only enlarged the risk of emotional exhaustion and psychological stress but also threatened organizational well-being. Moreover, greater intergroup threats were associated with a lower job satisfaction, more frequent defensive medical behavior, and a higher turnover intention for physicians. The results of this study suggest that essential intervention and governance measures should be considered to protect physicians' well-being and benefits in China, which are urgently needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since the implementation of the compulsory sorting of domestic waste policy in China, the participation rate of residents is low, which leads to the unsatisfactory result of terminal reduction of domestic waste. Therefore, the problem of domestic waste reduction still needs to rely on source reduction. Based on the panel data of 29 provincial capitals in China from 2009 to 2018, this study conducts a comprehensive threshold effect test on per capita GDP and other influencing factors of domestic waste production, conducts panel threshold regression for the factors with threshold value, and explores the nonlinear relationship between per capita GDP and domestic waste production under the influence of different threshold variables. The results show that when the urban population density is less than 272 people/km2, the increase of 1% of per capita GDP will lead to a decrease of 0.251% in the domestic waste production, otherwise, it will lead to an increase of 0.249%; when the per capita consumption expenditure is less than the threshold value of 10,260 yuan/year, the influence coefficient of per capita GDP is 0.155, which increases to 0.207 above the threshold. When the share of tertiary industry is taken as the threshold variable, the two threshold values are 61% and 71% respectively. Through the analysis of control variables, it has been found that population size and amount of courier per capita have significant positive effects on domestic waste production, while gas permeability and the number of non-governmental organizations have significant negative effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Nurses working in the intensive care unit (ICU) clung tenaciously to their job during the COVID-19 pandemic in spite of enduring stressed psychological and physical effects as a result of providing nursing care for the infected patients, which indicates that they possessed a high degree of professionalism and career calling. The aim of this study was to explain the associations between resilience, thriving at work, and ethical leadership influencing the calling of ICU nurses. Methods: From December 2020 to January 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic, a cross-sectional survey of 15 provinces in China was conducted using an online questionnaire. A total of 340 ICU nurses (effective response rate: 64.89%) completed sufficient responses to be used in the study. Sociodemographic factors, job demographic factors, resilience, calling, thriving at work, and ethical leadership were assessed using the questionnaire. General linear modeling (GLM), hierarchical linear regression (HLR) analysis, and generalized additive model (GAM) were performed to examine all the considered research hypotheses. Results: Resilience was positively and significantly associated with calling. Moreover, thriving at work partially mediated the relationship between resilience and calling. The indirect effect of resilience on calling was 0.204 (p < 0.0001), and the direct effect of resilience on calling through thriving at work was 0.215 (p < 0.0001). The total effect of resilience on calling was 0.419 (p < 0.0001). In addition, ethical leadership played a moderating role in the relationship between resilience and calling (β = 0.16, p < 0.05). Conclusion: Greater resilience can positively predict increased calling among Chinese ICU nurses during the COVID-19 pandemic. Moreover, thriving at work is a mechanism that partly transmits the positive effects of resilience on calling. Overall, nurses possessing greater resilience tend to maintain thriving at work in the face of such adversity, further resulting in subsequently increased calling. Besides, findings suggest that there is stronger influence of resilience on calling among nurses working in an organization managed by an ethical leader. The current findings may offer two insights for nursing practitioners and policymakers in the postpandemic world. First, resilience training and intervention are necessary to foster nurses' sense of thriving at work in the nursing industry, further promoting career calling. Second, better training and effort on the development of ethical leadership for leaders in nursing practice are essential to encourage followers to engage in social learning of ethical behaviors and abiding by normatively appropriate conduct, further enacting prosocial values and expressing moral emotions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Little is known about the pattern, influencing factors of peer relationships, or their interplays amongst community‐dwelling older people. This qualitative study was undertaken to understand and present these issues under the guidance of existing Adams‐Blieszner‐Ueno integrative conceptual framework for friendship in the context of China. Semi‐structured interviews were undertaken with 20 older adults in Chongqing, China. Interview transcripts were then analysed by performing content analysis under the guidance of existing categories of Adams‐Blieszner‐Ueno integrative conceptual framework for friendship and developing separate categories inductively to ensure all data was captured. The results revealed four themes—context, individual characteristics, interactive motifs and peer relationship patterns—and 16 categories. Based on the original Adams‐Blieszner‐Ueno integrative conceptual framework for friendship, the revised framework for peer relationships modified two dimensions (from structural context to social context, friendship patterns to peer relationship patterns) and added two categories (natural context and health status) that emerge from the data. Besides, different dimensions in the modified framework for peer relationships are explicitly interrelated and not completely independent from each other. In conclusion, this study modified the pre‐existing Adams‐Blieszner‐Ueno integrative conceptual framework for friendship, especially identifying two additional categories, natural context and health status, to understand peer relationships amongst the Chinese community‐dwelling older people through careful examination of the data. All domains concerning the modified conceptual framework of peer relationship may serve as possible targets for developing peer‐involved programs and thus improving social health, well‐being and successful ageing of Chinese older people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The widely recommended fracture prediction tool FRAX was developed based on and for the general population. Although several adjusted FRAX methods were suggested for type 2 diabetes (T2DM), they still need to be evaluated in T2DM cohort. Introduction: This study was undertaken to develop a prediction model for Chinese diabetes fracture risk (CDFR) and compare its performance with those of FRAX. Methods: In this retrospective cohort study, 1730 patients with T2DM were enrolled from 2009.08 to 2013.07. Major osteoporotic fractures (MOFs) during follow-up were collected from Electronic Health Records (EHRs) and telephone interviews. Multivariate Cox regression with backward stepwise selection was used to fit the model. The performances of the CDFR model, FRAX, and adjusted FRAX were compared in the aspects of discrimination and calibration. Results: 6.3% of participants experienced MOF during a median follow-up of 10 years. The final model (CDFR) included 8 predictors: age, gender, previous fracture, insulin use, diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN), total cholesterol, triglycerides, and apolipoprotein A. This model had a C statistic of 0.803 (95%CI 0.761–0.844) and calibration χ2 of 4.63 (p = 0.86). The unadjusted FRAX underestimated the MOF risk (calibration χ2 134.5, p < 0.001; observed/predicted ratio 2.62, 95%CI 2.17–3.08), and there was still significant underestimation after diabetes adjustments. Comparing FRAX, the CDFR had a higher AUC, lower calibration χ2, and better reclassification of MOF. Conclusion: The CDFR model has good performance in 10-year MOF risk prediction in T2DM, especially in patients with insulin use or DPN. Future work is needed to validate our model in external cohort(s). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) poses a severe public health challenge in China and worldwide. This study evaluated the effects of age, period, and birth cohort on reported incidence trends of TB based on population and refined the characteristics of high-risk groups. Methods: Aggregate data that reported pulmonary tuberculosis (PTB) cases from China Tuberculosis Management Information System (TBIMS) from 2006 to 2020 were used to analyze effect coefficients through the age–period–cohort (APC) model based on intrinsic estimator (IE) method, and converted them into relative risk (RR) to estimate trends. Results: A total of 14.82 million cases of PTB were reported in China from 2006 to 2020, showing a continuous downward trend. The reporting rate increased with age by age group, with 70–74 years old being 2–3 times higher than that in 20–24 years old. APC analysis model showed that age effects were bimodal in 20–24 years old [RR = 2.29, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.73–3.03] and 70–74 years old (RR = 1.95, 95% CI: 1.67–2.27), and lower than the overall average in the groups under 15 years old. Stratified results showed that the risk was higher for women under age 40 than men and higher for men over 40. The risk was higher in urban than in rural areas under 30 years old and slightly higher in rural than in urban between 30 and 64 years old. The risk for 15–34 years old was significantly higher in the east than in other regions. The period effects showed a decreasing trend, and the risk was higher in rural in recent years. Except for cohorts born in 1961–1965 and 2001–2005, where the RR increased, the later the cohort was born, the lower the risk. The cohort 1926–1930 in eastern had the highest risk (RR = 3.49, 95% CI: 2.44–4.98). Conclusions: The reported incidence of PTB continued to decline in China from 2006 to 2020. The young (20–24 years old) and the elderly (70–74 years old) were equally at high risk. There were differences in the age, period and cohort effects on PTB incidence among gender, urban–rural and regions. Our findings better reflected the characteristics of high-risk populations, thus contributing to the development of timely and effective intervention strategies, and providing clues for etiological research. [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]

Simple Summary: Sitobion avenae Fabricius is an important wheat aphid species in China, causing significant losses to wheat production. Improving host-plant resistance is an effective and environmentally friendly method of aphid control. Sitobion avenae resistance and the total phenolic and flavonoid content accumulation of six wheat cultivars to S. avenae infestation were investigated to elucidate responses of six wheat varieties against S. avenae. Among the six tested wheat cultivars, Yongliang No.15 and Ganchun No.18 demonstrated high resistance to S. avenae. The correlation analysis revealed a positive relationship between total phenol and flavonoid content accumulation and developmental duration (DD), and a negative relationship between accumulation and weight gain (WG) and mean relative growth rate (MRGR). The correlation between flavonoid and biological parameters was statistically stronger than total phenol. Our findings could serve as a theoretical basis for further research into the resistance mechanism of wheat varieties to S. avenae. Resistant variety screening is widely recommended for the management of Sitobion avenae. The purpose of this study was to assess responses of six wheat varieties (lines) to S. avenae. The aphid quantity ratio (AQR) was used to assess S. avenae resistance. Pearson's correlation coefficient was used to perform a correlation analysis between AQR, biological parameters, and the accumulation of total phenolic and flavonoid content. When compared to the other cultivars, the results showed that two cultivars, Yongliang No.15 and Ganchun No.18, had high resistance against S. avenae. The correlation analysis revealed a positive relationship between total phenol and flavonoid content accumulation and developmental duration (DD), and a negative relationship between accumulation and weight gain (WG) and mean relative growth rate (MRGR). The correlation between flavonoid and biological parameters was statistically stronger than the correlation between total phenol and biological parameters. This research provides critical cues for screening and improving aphid-resistant wheat varieties in the field and will aid in our understanding of the resistance mechanism of wheat varieties against S. avenae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to study the effect of mineral composition on the physical properties of lateritic clays, the mineral compositions of four kinds of lateritic clay from Guangxi province in China were quantitatively analyzed by means of DTA, XRD, SEM, XRF and total chemical element analysis. On this basis, the variation law of macroscopic physical properties of lateritic clay was analyzed from the perspective of mineralogy. The results show that kaolinite and goethite are the main minerals of lateritic clays from Guangxi in China. The mineral compositions of these four samples are quantitatively and accurately analyzed by Bogue's method. According to the study on mineral compositions of soil samples, the physical properties of lateritic clay are related to its clay minerals and cemented substances. The liquid limit (LL) or plastic limit (PL) increases with the increase of the ability and content of clay minerals to adsorb water. The lateritic clay is dominated by kaolinite minerals with low adsorption capacity, so the observed boundary water content (LL and PL) of high value of lateritic clays can be explained by the contribution of "inert water" in soil pores. The iron-bonded cement minerals (the form of existence is goethite) in lateritic clay have great influence on the liquid and plastic limits, which decrease linearly with the increase of goethite, whereas the goethite has relatively smaller effect on shrinkage characteristics. It is believed that the shrinkage characteristics of lateritic clay may also be affected by other factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Baseflow recession is an essential part of the hydrological cycle, as it transfers unconfined aquifer storage to runoff. This study derived the parameterization of the baseflow recession from recession curves extracted from 382 catchments in China. The recession parameters of recession curves in power-law form, which control the shape of the curves and reflect the net effects of hillslope on the runoff decline process, are estimated by the baseflow recession analysis. The results show that the ranges of recession coefficient α and recession exponent β across China are 0–0.70 and 0.57–3, respectively. Most of the α values range between 0 and 0.20, and most of the β values range between 1 and 2. Generally, the α values of relatively dry catchments are higher than that of the wet catchments, and the distribution pattern of β values is opposite to that of α values. Statistical analysis is used to construct parametric equations for the recession parameters, indicating that catchment area, field capacity, etc., are essential for predicting α and β. In addition, the transplantation results of parametric equations show that equations can be applied to the estimation of α and β in other catchments. The results provide data support for storage estimation of data-scarce catchments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome (SFTS), caused by the SFTS virus (SFTSV), is an acute infectious disease transmitted by ticks that has recently been identified. There are no reports of epidemic serotypes in Liaoning Province, PR China. The aim of this study was, therefore, to identify genotypes of SFTSV in this province. Methods: In 2019, quantitative PCR testing was performed on 17 patients suspected of being infected with SFTS in Liaoning Province and on 492 ticks from the counties and cities surrounding the patients' residences. Four samples were subjected to virus isolation and whole-genome amplification. Results: Molecular diagnostic results confirmed SFTSV infection in five of the 17 suspected cases of SFTS and in 12 of the 492 ticks, with a prevalence of 2.4%. Four strains of SFTSV were successfully isolated from patients' blood and ticks. Phylogenetic analysis after whole-genome amplification and sequencing showed that they all belonged to genotype A of SFTSV. Conclusions: This study is the first to determine the genotype of SFTSV in patients and ticks in Liaoning Province, PR China. The results deepen our understanding of the SFTS epidemic and provide information on the variability in mortality rate among genotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]