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Purpose: The aim of this study is to discern the role of digital finance in driving rural industrial integration and revitalization. Specifically, it intends to shed light on how the deep development of digital finance can contribute to the optimization and transformation of the rural industrial structure. The research further explores the particular effects of this financial transformation in the central and western regions of China. Design/methodology/approach: This research studies the influence of digital finance on rural industrial integration across 30 Chinese provinces from 2011 to 2020. Utilizing the entropy weight method, a comprehensive evaluation index system is established to gauge the level of rural industrial integration. A two-way fixed effects model, intermediary effect model, and threshold effect model are employed to decipher the relationship between digital finance and rural industrial integration. Findings: Findings reveal a positive relationship between digital finance and rural industrial integration. A single threshold feature was identified: beyond a traditional finance development level, the marginal effect of digital finance on rural industrial integration increases. These effects are more noticeable in central and western regions. Originality/value: Empirical outcomes contribute to policy discourse on rural digital finance, assisting policymakers in crafting effective strategies. Understanding the threshold of traditional finance development provides a new perspective on the potential of digital finance to drive rural industrial integration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: High-dose cytarabine (HDAC) is commonly used for consolidation therapy in young acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients, but the dosage of cytarabine is still controversial in the clinic due to its obvious post-chemotherapy adverse effects. The aim of this study was to contrast the efficacy in different dose groups of cytarabine after consolidation therapy in Chinese AML patients. Methods: AML patients treated with cytarabine consolidation at Qilu Hospital, Shandong University from January 2010 to September 2022 were retrospectively analyzed, from which 346 AML patients with relatively complete follow-up data were selected for this study. We compared the patients' overall survival (OS) rate, relapse-free survival (RFS) rate, and hematologic adverse events in terms of their general characteristics, cytarabine consolidation therapy dose, consolidation course, 2022 European Leukemia Net (ELN) risk stratification, and transplantation. Results: In AML patients under 60 years of age, the 5-year RFS rate with high-dose cytarabine consolidation therapy was superior to that of small-dose cytarabine (P = 0.024), while the 5-year RFS rate was comparable in the high-dose and intermediate-dose groups, and there was no obvious difference among the three groups in the 5-year OS rate (P > 0.05). OS and RFS of those given more than 3 courses of cytarabine consolidation therapy were better than those in the 1–2 courses group (P = 0.060, P = 0.040). OS and RFS were better in patients with cumulative dose of cytarabine ≥ 36g than in patients with cumulative dose < 36g (P < 0.05), but cumulative dose ≥ 54g was comparable in OS and RFS with ≥ 36–< 54g group (P > 0.05). There was no significant difference in hematologic adverse effects among the three treatment groups. In the latest ELN risk stratification favorable-risk group, the cumulative dose of cytarabine ≥ 36g had a better 5-year RFS rate than the < 36g group (P = 0.038), and in the intermediate-risk group the 5-year OS rate and RFS rate were better in the ≥ 36g group than the < 36g group (P = 0.012, 0.025). In addition, the prognosis of transplanted patients was better than that of non-transplanted patients, whereas in non-transplanted patients, consolidation therapy with ≥ 36g cytarabine can effectively improve outcomes. Multivariate analysis indicated that age, fibrinogen (FIB) and the cumulative dose of cytarabine of ≥ 36–< 54g were predictors of OS, while age, white blood cell (WBC) and HDAC were predictors of RFS. Conclusion: The results of the study showed that consolidation therapy with cytarabine up to a cumulative dose of ≥ 36–< 54g in AML patients who did not undergo transplantation significantly improved patient prognosis. In the latest ELN risk stratification, cumulative doses of cytarabine ≥ 36g had a better prognosis in favorable and intermediate-risk patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Education plays a crucial role in promoting green development by shaping environmentally friendly production behaviors and fostering low-carbon lifestyles. This research examines the impact of China's free compulsory education (FCE) policy on agricultural green total factor productivity (AGTFP) using provincial panel data from 2002 to 2015. Additionally, it explores the impact mechanisms and regional heterogeneity. The results indicate that first, the FCE policy has a significantly positive effect on AGTFP, as confirmed through a series of robustness tests. Second, the FCE policy primarily influences AGTFP by increasing farmers' awareness of green production and promoting the development of green technologies in agriculture. Third, the impact of the FCE policy varies across regions. It promotes green technologies in agriculture in developed provinces and fosters ecological awareness among farmers in less developed provinces. These findings offer valuable empirical evidence and policy implications for implementing education popularization projects and reducing agricultural carbon emissions in developing countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corn thrips do serious harm to the yield and quality of corn. In this paper, the Shandong Province of China was taken as the study area. Based on the data of the occurrence of corn thrips in Shandong Province, a risk regionalization model was established by using eight indicators under four categories of hazard, sensitivity, vulnerability and the disaster prevention and mitigation capacity of diseases and pests on a monthly time scale. Firstly, the cloud model was introduced to determine the weight of each indicator, and then the risk regionalization of the corn thrips disaster in Shandong Province was carried out using the weighted percentage method, the weighted comprehensive evaluation method and the natural disaster risk index method. Finally, combined with the collected data, the disaster prediction of corn thrip occurrence degree was realized based on multiple linear regression, genetic algorithm optimized back-propagation neural network and genetic algorithm optimized support vector machine methods. The results show that: (1) the risk of Corn thrips disaster is mainly concentrated in the central and western parts of Shandong Province. Heze City is a high-risk area. Liaocheng City, Dezhou City, Jinan City and Weifang City are relatively high-risk areas. (2) By comparing the prediction accuracy of the three models, it was determined that the genetic algorithm optimized support vector machine model has the best effect, with an average accuracy of 79.984%, which is 7.013% and 22.745% higher than that of the multiple linear regression and genetic algorithm optimized back-propagation neural network methods, respectively. The results of this study can provide a scientific basis for fine prevention of corn thrips in Shandong Province. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the panel data of 29 provinces in China from 2015 to 2018, this paper analyzes the impact of the internet, technological innovation, and their interaction on high-quality economic development. As the results show, the internet and technological innovation promote economic growth efficiency, economic growth stability, industrial structure optimization, and sustainable development level, where technological innovation promotes more significantly but hinders the economic welfare level to some extent; the interaction between the internet and technological innovation has a significant positive correlation with high-quality economic development and strengthens the promotion of technological innovation on high-quality economic development; human capital plays a significant role in promoting all aspects of high-quality economic development, while fiscal expenditure has no significant impact on high quality economic development. therefore, the internet should be leveraged to drive technological innovation capacity, and better play the guiding role of the government. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Improving the low-carbon utilization efficiency of urban land is crucial to the low-carbon transformation and sustainable development of China and the world economy. Innovation-driven development, especially the construction of National Independent Innovation Demonstration Zones (NIIDZs), is an important measure to realize the low-carbon transformation of urban land use and sustainable economic development in China. However, previous studies have neglected to study the impact of the construction of NIIDZs on the low-carbon utilization efficiency of urban land. Based on a theoretical analysis and using the panel data of 283 cities in China from 2006 to 2019, we took NIIDZ construction in China as a quasi-natural experiment and adopted the progressive difference-in-differences method (DID) to evaluate the impact and action mechanism of NIIDZ construction on urban land low-carbon utilization efficiency. We found that NIIDZ construction can significantly promote the improvement of the low-carbon utilization efficiency of urban land, and a series of robustness analysis results support this research conclusion. With the passage of time, this kind of promotion effect shows a trend of increasing fluctuation. NIIDZ construction mainly improves the low-carbon utilization efficiency of urban land by promoting green technology innovation and generating economies of scale. In addition, compared with eastern cities, small-scale cities and resource-based cities, the promotion effect of NIIDZ construction in central and western cities, large cities, and non-resource-based cities is more obvious. This study provides a theoretical basis and practical reference for the low-carbon utilization of urban land from the perspective of innovation in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper reviews the characteristics of leachate produced from municipal solid waste landfills, incineration plants, transfer stations, and food waste anaerobic fermentation plants. In addition, the development of the leachate treatment technology used in China is investigated. The development period of leachate treatment technology in China can be divided into five stages: the early 1990s with simple biological treatment, the mid-to-late 1990s with ammonia stripping + anaerobic + aerobic treatment, from 2000 to 2008 with a two-stage disc tube reverse osmosis (DT-RO) process, from 2008 to 2015 with an anaerobic + aerobic + advanced treatment process, and from 2015 until the present with a diversified and full quantitative process. Furthermore, under the requirements of ecological environmental protection and "dual carbon" development concepts, this paper advises the future development trend of Chinese municipal solid waste leachate, which will enact more scientific emission standards and local standards, become inevitable for the green ecology of the technical route, be more professional and intelligent for construction and operation, and diversify resource utilization of the treatment facilities process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's bond market has been ranked third globally; however, China's corporate bonds are significantly less liquid than its stocks. Liquidity risk is an important component in China's corporate bond spreads. In this paper, we propose a stochastic liquidity discount factor model to evaluate the liquidity risk premium and its term structure in China's corporate bond market. The Monte Carlo simulation technique is used to quantify the impact on the liquidity premium of various liquidity factors: the liquidity level, liquidity volatility, liquidity shock, and the liquidity elasticity. Our findings conclude that the liquidity level is the most significant component of a liquidity premium. The impact on the liquidity premium of other liquidity factors is all conditional on the liquidity level. In addition, the impact of liquidity shocks and volatility is also subject to the market's equilibrium mechanism. Further, the term of a bond affects the premium both directly and indirectly through its influence on a bond's liquidity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 2008 Wenchuan earthquake increased the need for disaster relief and reconstruction projects in China. This disaster created an upsurge of Chinese grant-making foundations, which then increased funding expectations. Many grassroots social organizations (SOs) in China believed that going forward, this level of funding would continue. However, the majority of grassroots SOs in China are currently facing an existential crisis. Their survival is being threatened by a shortage of funding from both local and foreign grant-making foundations. This research uses an empirical analysis of grant-making foundations and in-depth interviews, as well as observational evidence accumulated over a 10-year period, to explore the distribution of funding from foundations to grassroots SOs in China. The findings show that there are a limited number of Chinese grant-making foundations and that the foundations that exist do not include grassroots SOs in their funding scheme. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Compound droughts and heat waves have garnered increasing attentions due to their disastrous impacts on the structure and function of ecosystems and societies. A drought is generally characterized by a precipitation deficit, and its negative impact can be amplified by the simultaneous occurrence of a heat wave. More recent studies have highlighted the multicharacteristics of compound droughts and heat waves, which may call for improved efforts on assessing the impact of compound extremes. In this study, a compound drought and heat wave magnitude index (CDHMI) is built to characterize the severity of compound extremes in the Huai River basin (HRB) during 1961–2017. The CDHMI considers the impact of both drought/extreme heat conditions and the duration of drought/extreme heat. In addition, the magnitude index has been graded according to the degree of severity to detect the most drastic extreme compound events. The results show that from 1961 to 2017, mild and moderate events occurred more often than severe events. A significant increase in all compound events was observed from 2003 to 2017. Compound drought and heat wave events, especially in drought status, have increased significantly with the global climate warming in recent decades. The assessment of the impact for compound drought and heat wave events over the HRB needs to be improved in the context of global climate changing. Therefore, the CDHMI can be used to accurately assess the risk of compound droughts and heat waves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Defects in interleukin 10 (IL10) and its receptors are particularly involved in very early onset inflammatory bowel disease (VEOIBD). However, large fragment deletions of IL10 receptor A (IL10RA) are rare.Methods: VEOIBD patients with confirmed mutations in the IL10RA gene were enrolled from January 1, 2019 to June 30, 2020. The clinical features and endoscopic-radiological findings of the patients with large fragment deletions of the IL10RA gene were determined and followed up.Results: Thirty-five patients with IL10RA gene mutations, namely, 28 compound heterozygous mutations and 7 homozygote mutations, were enrolled in this study. Six patients carried the reported point mutation c.301C > T (p. R101RW) or c.537 G > A (p. T179T) in one locus and a large fragment deletion in exon 1 in another locus, which were novel mutations in this gene. A 333-bp deletion of exon 1 (117857034-11857366 del) was the main mutation in this locus in 85.7% of the patients with large fragment deletions. The time of disease onset ranged from birth to 4 years, and diarrhea was the main initial symptom. In total, 6/7 patients had perianal complications, including perianal abscess, fistula and skin tags. Six patients accepted thalidomide treatment, 5/7 accepted mesalamine, 3/7 accepted hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), and 3/7 were waiting for HSCT.Conclusions: We identified a novel large deletion of exon 1 involving the IL10RA gene for the first time and showed the characteristics of VEOIBD patients. This study expands the spectrum of Chinese VEOIBD patients with IL0RA gene mutations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI) is considered appropriate for drought assessment. In this study, changes in drought characteristics and the sensitivity of SPEI to variations in potential evapotranspiration (PET) and precipitation (P) were detected at different timescales (1, 3, 6, and 12 months) on the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain in China from 1901–2015. The results showed that obvious wetting trends were found in this plain and higher SPEI values that were mostly located in the north. Additionally, the SPEI values showed a wetting trend across 83.4%, 99.6%, 98.6%, and 86.6% of the plain at the 1-month (SPEI-01), 3-month (SPEI-03), 6-month (SPEI-06), and 12-month (SPEI-12) timescales, respectively. Obviously, the SPEI displayed a stronger correlation with P than the PET, which was primarily due to the complicated SPEI calculation process. These findings provide critical guidance for sustainable ecological development with the use of the SPEI to detect the impacts of climate factors on drought. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: This study aimed to explore the motives of clinical nurses for experiencing empathy with patients and their families based on a self-determination theory framework. Methods: Semi-structured face-to-face interviews with twenty-one nurses at four tertiary hospitals in Anhui, China, were conducted, recorded and transcribed. A content analysis with a directed approach was performed. Results: An analysis of the interview transcripts revealed three categories of empathy motivation: autonomous motivation, controlled motivation and a lack of empathy motivation. Autonomous motivation included personal interests, enjoyment and a sense of value, pure altruism, assimilation, and recognition of the importance of empathy. Controlled motivation highlighted pressures from oneself and others, the possibility of tangible or intangible rewards, and avoidance of adverse effects. Finally, a lack of empathy motivation referred to a lack of intention for empathy and denial of the value of empathy. Conclusion: This study provides a deep understanding of the motives underlying empathy in nurses. The results reveal the reasons for empathy and may support the development of effective strategies to foster and promote empathy in nurses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The objective of this study was to evaluate the degradation characteristics and embolic effect of gelatin microspheres (GMSs) produced domestically in China through an experimental study comparing the embolization of rabbit renal arteries using GMSs and tris-acryl microspheres.Materials and Methods: Sixteen healthy adult New Zealand white rabbits were randomly divided into two groups. Group A was embolized with GMSs produced in China with a diameter of 150-200 μm (n = 8), and Group B was embolized with tris-acryl microspheres with a diameter of 100-200 μm (n = 8). The renal arteries were embolized through femoral artery puncture and catheterization. Renal artery angiography rechecks and hematoxylin and eosin staining of tissue sections were performed at 1 day, 4 days, 7 days, and 14 days after embolization, respectively, to observe vascular recanalization, degradation of microspheres, and embolic effect.Results: Group A: Digital subtraction angiography showed complete recanalization at 14 days. The changes in embolic necrotic areas at different time points after embolization were similar in the two groups. At 4 days after embolization, changes in glomerular structure were observed in the kidney on the embolic side. At 7 days after embolization, atrophy, degeneration, and necrosis of the glomeruli, as well as degeneration and inflammatory cell infiltration of the renal tubules, were observed in the kidney on the embolic side. At 14 days after embolization, extensive atrophy and hyalinization of the glomeruli were observed, and local renal tissue showed patchy fibrosis with calcification of internal tissue. Hyperplasia of fibrillar connective tissue was observed in the renal interstitium.Conclusion: The GMSs produced domestically in China can be completely degraded after embolizing blood vessels for 14 days. The GMSs are similar to tris-acryl microspheres in arterial embolization effect and are safe and effective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To analyze the clinical characteristics and prognosis of anorectal malformations (ARMs) and explore the influencing factors of postoperative anal function in Anhui Province of China.Methods: We performed a retrospective study of ARM patients diagnosed from 2013 to 2016 at Anhui Provincial Children's Hospital. A total of 332 infants with ARM were enrolled in the survey. Demographic characteristic and clinical data were collected. Follow-up study was required to evaluate anal function after the operation and Logistic regression analysis was used for analyzing the influencing factors of prognosis.Results: A total of 253 males and 79 females were studied, with a ratio of 3.2:1. Abdominal distention was the most common presenting symptom, followed by vomiting. Of the cases, 53.0% (176/332) combined with other congenital malformations. The incidence of other malformations in intermediate and high ARM group was significantly higher than that in the low ARM group. Of the cases, 280 underwent anoplasty. 188, 73, 19 cases were treated with one-stage perineal anoplasty, posterior sagittal anorectoplasty, laparoscopically assisted anorectal pull-through, respectively. The result of follow-up study showed that the excellent and good rate of postoperative anal function was up to 83.3%. Type of ARM, combined with other malformations and the times of anoplasty were related to the anal function postoperatively.Conclusions: ARM occurs mainly in male infants. The incidence of associated abnormalities in ARM patients was high. Intermediate- and high-type, combined with other malformations and more times of anoplasty increased the risk of anal dysfunction postoperatively. Multicenter, prospective randomized-controlled studies were needed to clarify the curative effect of different surgical approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and objectives: To develop and validate an instrument to measure nurses' empathy motivation in China (See Supporting Information Appendix S1). Background: Nurses are increasingly expected to empathise with patients in clinical settings. However, research investigating nurses' empathy motivation in China is lacking, and no specific instrument exists worldwide. Design: Two‐stage cross‐sectional study, which follows the STROBE guidelines. Instrument development and psychometric evaluation were used (See Supporting Information Appendix S1). Methods: A literature review and qualitative interviews with nurses were conducted to generate the initial items. Convenience samples of 340 (for item analysis) and 640 (for psychometric evaluation) clinical nurses working at four tertiary hospitals in Anhui Province were recruited. The scale was validated by content validity, surface validity and item analysis. A total of 640 participants were randomly divided into two equal groups. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was used with varimax rotation, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) and internal consistency reliability to analyse the psychometric properties of the scale (See Supporting Information Appendix S1). Results: From the initial 90‐item pool, 27 items were retained by the item analysis. The EFA (N = 290) showed the following six factors on the scale explained 71.266% of the overall variance: amotivation, external regulation, introjected regulation, identified regulation, integrative regulation and intrinsic motivation. Furthermore, when limited to three factors, that is autonomy motivation, controlled motivation and amotivation, 56.578% of the variance was explained. The findings showed high internal consistency. The six‐factor solution and three‐factor solution of the scale, including 27 items, were both confirmed by the CFA, for example χ2/df = 1.744, 2.261; RMSEA = 0.051, 0.066; GFI = 0.882, 0.847; TLI = 0.942, 0.902; and RMR = 0.039, 0.049, respectively. Conclusions: The nurses' empathy motivation scale presents good psychometric properties and can be used to explore nurses' empathy motivation in China (See Supporting Information Appendix S1). Relevance to clinical practice: This study offers insight into nurses' complicated reasons for exhibiting empathy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports that non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is an acquired metabolic stress-induced liver disease associated closely with genetic susceptibility and insulin resistance. It notes that major risk factors for NAFLD include obesity-related high-calorie dietary rich in saturated fat and fructose, and sedentary lifestyles. It adds that increased waist circumference and IR have a strong correlation with NAFLD than increased subcutaneous fat deposit and high body mass index.

Background/Aims: Giant peptic ulcers (GPUs) are detrimental for all patients, especially for children. However, few reports have described GPUs in children. This study aims to evaluate the characteristics of GPUs in Chinese children and to identify risk factors. Patients and Methods: We retrospectively analyzed patients at the Children's Hospital of Fudan University from April 2014 to August 2017. Patients with GPUs (>2.0 cm) were included in the study, and the clinical data, pathological characteristics and presence of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection were analyzed to evaluate the outcomes. Results: A total of 19208 children underwent gastroscopic examinations, and 83 patients with GPUs were enrolled. The mean age of onset for GPU patients was 9.7 ± 3.2 years(range, 1-15). The main complaints were abdominal pain (92.7%), anemia (53%), retching (45.8%), hematochezia (21.7%) and hematemesis (16.9%). With respect to the types of GPU, 68 patients (81.9%) had duodenal ulcers, and 15 patients (18.1%) had gastric ulcers. Compared to the group <6 years of age, the group ≥6 years was more susceptible to GPU (P < 0.05). Among GPU patients, 71.1% of cases were H. pylori (*) (59/83), and 16.9% (14/83) of patients were H. pylori (-). Compared to the H. pylori (-) group, the H. pylori (*) group showed inflammatory activity, atrophy and lymphoid follicular formation in the gastric mucosa (P < 0.05). Conclusions: This study suggests that GPUs are strongly associated with H. pylori infection in Chinese children. Duodenal ulcers are the main type of GPU in patients older than 6 years. Appropriate diagnosis, treatment and follow-up are necessary for children with GPUs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We evaluate the performance of Xpert MTB/RIF for the diagnosis of extrapulmonary tuberculosis (EPTB) in China. The performance of Xpert was evaluated compared to the composite reference standard (CRS), drug susceptibility testing (DST), and imaging examination. The overall sensitivity and specificity of Xpert were 64.1% (195/304) and 100% (24/24), respectively, using CRS as the gold standard. The sensitivity was significantly higher than that of culture for pus ( P <0.05). The proportion of EPTB-positive cases diagnosed by imaging was two times more than that diagnosed using Xpert; however, 6 out of 19 cases may have been overdiagnosed by imaging. Compared to phenotypic DST, the sensitivity and specificity of Xpert were 80% (12/15) and 100% (75/75), respectively. Considering its high sensitivity and specificity, Xpert MTB/RIF may be used as a rapid initial test for EPTB diagnosis, and may also support a quicker decision on the treatment regimen. The combination of imaging and Xpert testing could provide high efficiency and accurate diagnosis of suspected EPTB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a severe complex rheumatic disease, but good estimate of its prevalence and risk factors is lacking in China. The aim of the study was to explore the prevalence of SLE and risk factors in rural areas of Anhui Province of China. Eleven counties were randomly selected in Anhui Province, and then, 15 % of the villages in selected counties were randomly sampled as study sites. Patients with SLE were identified through two phases. Based on the cases identified, a population-based case-control study was designed to examine risk factors associated with SLE. A total of 1,253,832 individuals and identified 471 SLE cases were surveyed. Crude and age-standardized prevalence were estimated at 37.56 and 36.03 per 100,000 persons, respectively. Gender difference in the prevalence of SLE was significant ( P = 4.62 × 10), and the age-standardized prevalence was 6.17 for males and 67.78 for females per 100,000 persons. The distribution of SLE prevalence was significant by age group ( P = 1.78 × 10), and the peak prevalence was observed at 40-50 years. Multiple environmental factors were associated with SLE, including birth conditions, sweet food, cooking oil, taste, fruit consumption, sunlight exposure, quality of sleep, physical activities, drinking water, residence, negative life events, hepatitis B vaccine, age of menarche, and age at birth of first child ( P < 0.05). Our large population-based epidemiological survey estimated the prevalence of SLE at 37.56 per 100,000 persons. Multiple environmental factors were associated with the development of SLE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Songhua River is the third largest river in China and the primary source of drinking and irrigation water for northeastern China. The distribution of 16 priority polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in water [dissolved water (DW) and suspended particulate matter (SPM)], sediment, and soil in the river basin was investigated, and the associated risk of cancer from these PAHs was also assessed. The total concentration of PAHs ranged from 13.9 to 161 ng L in DW, 9.21 to 83.1 ng L in SPM, 20.5 to 632 ng g dw (dry weight) in sediment, and from 30.1 to 870 ng g dw in soil. The compositional pattern of PAHs indicated that three-ring PAHs were predominant in DW and SPM samples, while four-ring PAHs dominated in sediment and soil samples. The spatial distribution of PAHs revealed some site-specific sources along the river, with principal component analysis indicating that these were from pyrogenic sources (such as coal and biomass combustion, and vehicle emissions) and coke oven emission distinguished as the main source of PAHs in the Songhua River Basin. Based on the ingestion of PAH-contaminated drinking water from the Songhua River, cancer risk was quantitatively estimated by combining the Incremental Lifetime Cancer Risk assessment model and BaP-equivalent concentration for five age groups of people (adults, teenagers, children, toddlers, and infants). Overall, the results suggest that the estimated integrated lifetime cancer risk for all groups was in acceptable levels. This study is the first attempt to provide information on the cancer risk of PAHs in drinking water from the Songhua River. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are 10 pieces of Khara-Khoto documents concerning shuawei (…, the final procedure) of the whole process of zhaoshua (…, inspection and checking). These documents fall into two types: one stamped with the black ink seal of "…" (shuaqi, having been inspected and checked) and the red seal of jianchayushi (…, the official responsible for inspection and checking) and the other without such stamps. The former indicates the inspection work has already been completed, while the other has not. An analysis of the content of these documents reveals that a complete shuawei document consists of conclusion, comments and seals. The concluding part at least includes : the state of affairs recorded by the documents under inspection and the number of the documents; the reason for the inspection; the time of the making of the documents and the number of paper used; and the summary of the inspection work. The procedure of shuawei work reflected by the documents can be as follows: firstly, the staff member drafted the assessing comments; secondly, they signed their names and stamped their seals on the end of the document; thirdly, they stamped the long black seal of "…" ( Hexilongbeidao Suzhenglianfangsi Shuaiqi, inspection completed by Hexilongbeidao Inspection Commission) ; and at last, the head of the inspection team stamped his square red seal of "…" (Hexilongbeidao Suzhenglianfangsi Fensi, Branch of Hexilongbeidao Inspection Commission) in Phags-pa language. These findings are obviously significant for the study on the inspection system in the Yuan Dynasty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comprehensive sampling campaign was carried out to study atmospheric concentration of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in Beijing and to evaluate the effectiveness of source control strategies in reducing PAHs pollution after the 29th Olympic Games. The sub-cooled liquid vapor pressure -based model and octanol-air partition coefficient (K oa)-based model were applied based on each seasonal dateset. Regression analysis among log K P, and log K oa exhibited high significant correlations for four seasons. Source factors were identified by principle component analysis and contributions were further estimated by multiple linear regression. Pyrogenic sources and coke oven emission were identified as major sources for both the non-heating and heating seasons. As compared with literatures, the mean PAH concentrations before and after the 29th Olympic Games were reduced by more than 60%, indicating that the source control measures were effective for reducing PAHs pollution in Beijing. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The spatial and seasonal variation of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) were investigated in water and sediment samples collected from Songhua River, China, from 2007 to 2008. The total concentration of PCB congeners ranged from 1.1 to 14 ng/l in water and 0.26-9.7 ng/g dry weight (dw) in sediment. The results of seasonal variation may suggest an impact to PCB concentration in water from its atmospheric input, the dilution to PCBs concentrations of high stream in summer, and a general trend towards increased volatilization in warmer conditions. From PCBs concentrations comparison between upstream and downstream of industrial urban cities, it was obvious that industrial urban cities reflect an important pollutant source for PCBs in our study, also with the evidences of high concentrations of PCBs occurring in high development industry and residential areas. Meanwhile, the homologue profile of PCBs in Songhua was analyzed, whose comparison with published data indicates that the sources of PCBs accumulated in the sediment may also came from the residue of PCBs production in China. Total five dioxin-like PCBs (CB-77, 81, 105, 114, and 126) and nine (CB-77, 81, 105, 114, 118, 123, 126, 156, and 167) were found in Songhua water and sediment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Whether and how seed mass and shape are related to seed persistence in soil is a controversial topic in plant ecology. There is little information on this relationship in sandy habitats. We tested whether or not this pattern is retained among 141 species within a range of growth forms, from a wide range of families, in the Horqin sandy land of northern China, which belongs to the inland sand ecosystem. We collected information on seed mass, shape and persistence of these species in this region from published articles. Seed mass and shape were found to be significantly and negatively correlated to persistence in the soil in the Chinese flora, in the same way as in most other floras examined, but not in the same way as the Israeli coastal sand dune flora. The value of seed mass and shape as good predictors of persistence in the soil could be applied to the Horqin sandy land. Although many factors affect the relationship between seed mass, shape and persistence, ease of burial appears to be the main potential interpretation in the Horqin sandy land. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polyurethane foam disk passive air samplers were deployed along an urban-rural-background transect in a northeastern Chinese region (Harbin) to investigate the spatial and seasonal variations of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The ∑PAHs concentrations [ng/(sample·day)] were high at urban sites (315 ± 206), followed by rural sites (222 ± 160), suburban site (142 ± 114) and background site (128 ± 107). The urban fractionation effect was observed along the transect with increasing proportions for low molecular weight PAHs and decreasing proportions for high molecular weight PAHs. PAHs were found to be higher in winter and spring than in summer and autumn, most likely due to the combustion of coal and biomass for domestic heating. Sources of PAHs were investigated by principal component analysis in combination with diagnostic ratios, which both indicated that pyrogenic sources were the main sources of PAHs in the air of Harbin, China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Disturbance and management approaches can contribute significantly to restoration of degraded grassland ecosystems. This study has examined the re-establishment of artificial grassland to renew extremely degraded black-soils in an alpine area of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, in China. We evaluated this method for which grassland ecosystem responses to this restoration approach are needed. Here, we evaluated the response of aboveground plant communities and belowground soil nutrient and soil carbon storage to the establishment of artificial grassland in grasslands on black-soils in the eastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau. Three grasslands sites were selected: a degraded grassland on an original black-soil, and 3- and 6-year-old Elymus nutans artificial grasslands. Artificial grassland establishment significantly improved aboveground biomass, but also significantly decreased species richness, diversity and evenness for black-soil-type degraded grassland. Artificial grassland establishment resulted in significantly improved soil total nitrogen and phosphorus, and decreased soil organic matter, available nitrogen, and phosphorus, especially in the depth of 20–30 cm soil layer. Although artificial grassland establishment significantly improved soil organic carbon in the topsoil (0–10 cm), it decreased at depths of 10–20 and 20–30 cm. Six-year artificial grassland significantly increased soil carbon storage compared with black-soil-type degraded grasslands. Accordingly, artificial grassland can be used as effective restoration and rehabilitation approach to improve productivity and regulate community and soil properties in black-soil-type degraded grasslands. Our results suggest that ecosystem functions such as production of aboveground biomass, the provision of soil surface cover, and nutrient accumulation may be provided by artificial grassland. However, more time is needed for plant diversity and soil carbon storage functions to recover fully from degradation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Overgrazing significantly affects alpine meadows in ways similar to grasslands in other areas. Fencing to exclude grazers is one of the main management practices used to protect alpine meadows. However, it is not known if fencing can improve soil properties and soil organic carbon storage by restraining grazing in alpine meadows. We studied the long-term (nine-year) effects of fencing on soil properties, soil organic carbon and nitrogen storage compared with continued grazing in an alpine swamp meadow of the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau, NW China. Our results showed that fencing significantly improved vegetation cover and aboveground biomass. There were significant effects of fencing on pH value, soil bulk density, and soil moisture. Long-term fencing favored the increase of soil total nitrogen, soil organic matter, soil organic carbon, soil microbial biomass carbon and soil carbon storage compared with grazed meadows. Our study suggests that long-term fencing to prevent disturbance could greatly affect soil organic carbon and nitrogen storage with regard to grazed meadows. Therefore, it is apparent from this study that fencing is an effective restoration approach of with regard to the soil’s storage ability for carbon and nitrogen in alpine meadow of the Qinghai–Tibetan Plateau. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A method for the determination of Dechlorane 602 (Dec 602), Dechlorane 603 (Dec 603), D chlorane 604 (Dec 604) and Dechlorane Plus (DP) in wastewater by gas chromatography-negative ion chemical ionization mass spectrometry (GC - NCI/MS) has been developed. The water sample was extracted by classical liquid-liquid extraction method to collect the Dechloranes from both particle phase and water phase, cleaned up using silica gel and then analyzed by GC-NCI/MS under the optimized conditions of 150 °C source temperature, 150 °C quadrupole temperature, 280 °C initial temperature and 1 kV electron multiplier (E offset voltage. The quantitation limits of Dec 602, Dee 603, Dec 604 and DP were 0.01 -0. 1 ng · L-. The correlation coefficients were above 0.99 for the calibration curves. The validity of this method was demonstrated by determination of Dechloranes in wastewater of a municipal wastewater treatment plant in Harbin, China. The results indicate that the recovery rates of all Deehloranes in wastewater are 74% - 122% , the relative standard deviations (DBS are less than 13.2%. The concentrations of Dechloranes in influent and effluent are 3.2 ng · L-and 0.19 ng · L--1, respectively. Dechloranes are dominanted by DP in wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The documents of the Heishui City are related to the Dunhuang Documents in the following aspects: they are highly similar to each other in terms of the writing materials, the time of formation, the time and place of discovery, etc. , thus making the studies on them two neighboring disciplines; they were discovered in the same international cultural context and dispersed in the same manner right after their discoveries. At the same time, there are some differences between them: the objects for study belong to different fields, each constituting the object for an independent discipline; the differences in the version form and the binding form of the representative documents are distinct, reflecting the different characteristics of the times. The Dunhuang studies, however, can set a good example for the studies on the documents of the Heishui City in terms of both academic achievements and discipline construction; their mature methodological experience means a lot for the improvement of the overall Heishui-city studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Optical dating has been used to obtain the ages of fossil-stabilized sand dunes from four sections in the northeastern deserts of China. Our results indicate that the optically stimulated luminescence ages of the four sections correlate well, even though the samples were collected from different deserts about 600 km apart. Our results also indicate that active dune formation in this region lasted from the Last Glacial Maximum to about 10 ka, and that the warm climate of the Holocene was interrupted by a cold/dry dune formation episode about 3.5–1.7 ka. The Holocene Optimum in this region is between 10 and 3.6 ka, and a later warm/humid dune stabilization phase lasted from at least 1.6 to 1.0 ka. The youngest age on the uppermost sand unit yielded an age of only 40 yr, supporting the previous argument that the existence of modern active eolian sands in the regions with a mean annual precipitation of up to 450 mm is not mainly due to drought, but to extensive land cultivation over historic time. From the luminescence properties of the quartz grains, it is hypothesized that the sands in most of the sections are probably derived from more than one source, with a minor source of quartz having a different thermal history before deposition. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Mabinlin II is a sweet protein with the highest known thermostablility and is isolated from the seeds of Capparis masaikai Levl. grown in south China. Two crystal forms of mabinlin II were obtained using the hanging-drop vapour-diffusion method. One of them diffracts to 2.8 Å resolution and belongs to space group P2, with unit-cell parameters a = 50.16, b 50.17, c 76.60 Å, β = 99.6°. There are four molecules per asymmetric unit, with a solvent content of 35.3%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We assessed the safety, immunogenicity and antibody persistence of two- and three-dose schedules of the novel bivalent HPV16/18 vaccine (HPV-2, Walrinvax) in the per-protocol target population of initially seronegative 9–14 year-old girls, including a non-inferiority comparison with the three-dose schedule in 18–26 year-old women. This randomized phase 3b trial in Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region, China, involved healthy Chinese females in two age cohorts; 600 girls aged 9–14 years and 300 women aged 18–26 years. Girls were randomly assigned (1:1) to receive either two (Months 0,6) or three (Months 0,2,6) intramuscular doses of HPV-2. All participants were monitored for immunogenicity as neutralizing antibodies up to 36 months. Primary objectives were non-inferiority analyses of immunogenicity between two- and three-dose girl groups and adult women at Month 7; safety assessments were based on participant-completed diary cards. All groups demonstrated marked increases in neutralizing antibodies against HPV 16 and 18 that persisted above baseline to 36 months. Month 7 responses in both girl groups were non-inferior to those in the women and were statistically higher after two-doses than girls or women who received three doses. GMTs waned after month 7, but then maintained a plateau level until month 36. Vaccination was well tolerated in all groups with no serious adverse events reported. Immune responses to two doses of HPV-2 vaccine in adolescent girls were non-inferior to those after three doses in young women, an age cohort in which clinical efficacy of HPV-2 against cervical cancer has been demonstrated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The construction and optimization of ecological networks in urban–rural areas are carried out. • A novel comprehensive ecological network optimization strategy with spatial zoning and multi-scenario coupling is proposed. • The optimized ecological network is conducive to promoting the circulation of ecological processes between urban and rural gradients. • The optimization strategy can guarantee the maximization of the integrated benefits of regional urbanization and ecological protection. Ecological network construction and optimization is an effective way to balance the contradiction between regional development and ecological protection in the process of urbanization. The urban–rural fringe is both a frontier zone in the direction of urban expansion and an important space for improving the urban ecological environment. However, there are few studies on how to construct and optimize the ecological networks in urban–rural fringe. In this paper, the morphological spatial pattern analysis (MSPA) and the minimum cumulative resistance model (MCR) were firstly employed to initially construct the ecological network and reveal the characteristics and problems of ecological security pattern in the study area. Then, a new ecological network optimization strategy with a multi-scenario coupling of urban–rural gradient spatial zoning was proposed to meet the maximization of integrated benefits of future urban development and ecological protection. The study results show that: (1) Urbanization caused a high fragmentation of ecological patches, and exerted a strong spatial hindrance to ecological processes. (2) The spatial distribution of the initially constructed ecological network was extremely uneven, and ecological communication in the north–south direction was severely difficult. The optimized ecological network was significantly improved in this respect, and the priority construction of important corridors will also help to strengthen ecological communication in the direction of urban–rural gradient. (3) The proposed optimization strategy improved the connectivity and accessibility of the ecological network in Licheng District, and enhanced its structure, which will promote the overall ecological process cycle and better balanced the urban development and ecological protection. (4) Policy makers should strengthen the construction and implementation of ecological green corridors and forest belts in urban–rural fringe to achieve a balance between urban development and ecological protection. This study can provide scientific references for biodiversity conservation, green infrastructure planning, and sustainable development in the process of urbanization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims Most research on the widespread phenomenon of nectar robbing has focused on the effect of the nectar robbers behaviour on host-plant fitness. However, attention also needs be paid to the characteristics of host plants, which can potentially influence the consequences of nectar robbing as well. A system of three sympatric Corydalis species sharing the same nectar-robbing bumble-bee was therefore studied over 3 years in order to investigate the effect of nectar robbing on host reproductive fitness. Methods Three perennial species of Corydalis were studied in the Shennongjia Mountain area, central China. Observations were conducted on visitor behaviour and visitation frequencies of nectar-robbers and legitimate pollinators. Key Results The results indicated that the effect of nectar robbing by Bombus pyrosoma varied among species, and the three species had different mating systems. Seed set was thus influenced differentially: there was no effect on seed set of the predominantly selfing C. tomentella; for the facultative outcrossing C. incisa, nectar robbing by B. pyrosoma had a positive effect; and nectar robbing had a significant negative effect on the seed set of outcrossing C. ternatifolia. Conclusions A hypothesis is proposed that the type of host-plant mating system could influence the consequences of nectar robbing on host reproductive fitness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Ethnopharmacological relevance: Zhen-Wu-Tang (ZWT), the modified formulation of a classical Chinese prescription from “Treaties on Febrile Disease”, was clinically employed to treat Parkinson''s disease. Aim of the study: To investigate the neuroprotective effect of ZWT on intra-striatum injection of MPTP-induced Parkinson''s disease in rats. Materials and methods: The effect of ZWT on the behavioral changes (open-field test, Ladder walking, spontaneous alternation in Y maze), the dopamine transmitter systems of substantia nigra, striatum and frontal cortex of rats by HPLC-ECD, mRNA expression of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), dopamine transporter (DAT) and vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT 2) of the above three brain regions was investigated. Results: This study showed that ZWT not only ameliorated the behavior induced by the administration of MPTP in striatum, but also increased DA in the brain, prevented the decreasing of TH and balanced the ratio of VMAT 2/DAT in mRNA level. Conclusions: These results suggest that ZWT possesses neuroprotective and anti-parkinsonism properties. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Metamorphic fluids produced by dehydration of subducting crust transport mass and energy at the slab-mantle interface in subduction channels. It is commonly assumed that fluid flow is significant in oceanic subduction channels but insignificant in continental subduction channels. This assumption is challenged by a combined study of whole-rock geochemistry, Mg and O isotopes, zircon U-Pb ages and trace elements in coesite-bearing jadeite quartzites from the Dabie orogen, China. Although the target samples were collected from different outcrops in an area of ∼50 km2, zircon U-Pb dating yields similar discordia lines with not only consistent upper intercept ages of 1.9–2.0 Ga but also consistent lower intercept ages of 224–235 Ma. This indicates the same Paleoproterozoic protolith and the same Triassic metamorphism for these jadeite quartzites. The O isotope analysis of mineral separates and whole-rock yields variable δ18O values from 6.3‰ to 9.4‰, indicating involvement of supracrustal components. Except for one outlier at −0.43‰, all the other rocks give variable δ26Mg values from −0.16‰ to 0.61‰, much higher than normal mantle values. The whole-rock Mg isotopes show significant positive correlations not only with MgO contents but also with Rb/La, Rb/Gd and Rb/Nb ratios, but a negative correlation with Na 2 O contents. These observations indicate that the middle Paleoproterozoic protolith of jadeite quartzites was weathered to produce a kind of sedimentary rocks in a passive continental margin and then underwent significant metasomatism by metamorphic fluids with high δ26Mg values during the continental subduction in the Triassic. The metamorphic fluids were produced by the breakdown of biotite in the metasedimentary rocks during their subduction to subarc depths for ultrahigh-pressure metamorphism. They would have acquired their geochemical compositions not only from the biotite breakdown but also through leaching reaction with the TTG provenance. In view of the spatial occurrences of the target samples, the metamorphic fluids would have flowed inside the continental subduction channel on a large scale. This is the first report of the large-scale fluid flow in the continental subduction zone and therefore demonstrates that fluid flow can be significant in continental subduction channels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban carbon emissions lead to increases in global carbon emissions; consequently, meeting targets for low carbon emissions is a difficult problem in the context of urbanization. Improving urban carbon emissions efficiency (UCEE) in the new-type urbanization (NTU) process is key to reducing urban carbon and enhancing sustainable urban development. However, the potential of NTU in facilitating improved UCEE remains unclear. Thus, we investigated the effect and transmission mechanisms of NTU on UCEE in China. A set of spatial econometric models was used, with panel data from 283 cities across China from 2006 to 2019. The results showed that NTU significantly promoted the improvement of UCEE, and UCEE improved strongly during the later stage of NTU construction. In China's central and western cities, large cities, and non-natural resource–based cities, the promotion effect of NTU on UCEE was more significant. Overall, the economic agglomeration effect had the most significant influence, followed by the government leading effect and resource allocation effect. Moreover, the NTU pilot policies of civilized city, low-carbon city, innovative city, smart city, and green finance city significantly promoted the improvement of UCEE. These findings provide theoretical and empirical evidence for the effective achievement of the "dual carbon" goal with respect to NTU in China. • New type urbanization (NTU) can promote urban carbon emissions efficiency (UCEE). • Effect and transmission mechanisms of NTU on UCEE in China were investigated. • Mechanism between NTU and UCEE was tested at multiple levels using empirical model. • NTU had significant heterogeneous effect on UCEE with respect to several factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Endocrine-disrupting effects on aquatic organisms caused by wastewater discharging have raised extensive concerns. However, the efficiency of various wastewater treatment processes to remove estrogenic activity in effluents and the association with organic micropollutants was not well known. We evaluated the estrogenic activity using a well-characterized in vivo bioassay featuring the Chinese rare minnows (Gobiocypris rarus) and analyzed 886 semi-volatile organic compounds (SVOCs) in effluents from four secondary wastewater treatment plants (SWTP A-D) and a tertiary wastewater treatment plant (TTP E) that utilized various common treatment processes in northern China. The final effluents from SWTPs and TTP E all exhibited estrogenic effects, increasing male fish plasma vitellogenin (VTG) contents and estradiol/testosterone (E 2 /T) ratios. Key regulating genes in the male fish liver including vtg1 , vtg3 , era , erβ , and cyp19a were upregulated. TTP E demonstrated high performance in reducing estrogenic activity in the effluents, with a reduction of 64% in integrative biomarkers of estrogenic response (IBR). UV disinfection at SWTPs removed IBR by 14%− 33%, while ozone disinfection at TTP E did not reduce IBR. Several SVOCs including alkanes, chlorobenzenes, and phthalates, detected at ng/L to µg/L level, significantly correlated with effluent estrogenic activity. Our findings suggest the necessity and the potential means to improve the efficiency of current wastewater treatment approaches to achieve better protection for aquatic organisms against the joint effects of mixtures of various categories of micropollutants in effluents. [Display omitted] • Effluents induced increasing plasma VTG contents and E2/T in male rare minnows. • Genes regulating sex hormones and VTG production in male fish livers were upregulated. • UV disinfection at secondary treatment removed estrogenic effects by 14%− 33%. • Tertiary treatment removed estrogenic effects of the secondary effluent by 64%. • Organic micropollutant profile and correlation with estrogenic effects were analyzed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Dechlorane plus (DP) was quantified by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) in soil and ambient air (collected from Harbin City, a typical northeastern Chinese urban region), water and sediment samples (collected in the segment within Harbin of Songhua River, located in northeast of China). The average concentrations of DP in sediment and soil samples were 123.6pgg−1 dry weight (dw), and 11.3pgg−1 dw, respectively. However, the concentration of DP in water was below the method detection limit (MDL). The inter-media comparison between water and sediment suggested that the sediment may be a receptor for DP. For air samples, two methods were used for collecting air in order to compare, active air sampling (AAS) and passive air sampling (PAS). The average concentrations of DP were 0.4pgm−3 and 6.9pgm−3 for AAS and PAS samples, respectively. Discrepancies of deployment period and different calculated method for DP concentration may help to explain the remarkable difference between PAS and AAS. Overall, DP in all matrices in Harbin City showed lower concentrations than that in the Great Lakes region. The anti-DP isomer was consistently greater than that of the syn-DP isomer in all matrices. The average fractional abundance of the syn-DP isomer (f syn) was smaller than the technical DP composition (f syn =0.35) according to other studies in the Great Lakes region. As we know, this study is the first attempt to comprehensively study DP concentrations in four different matrices (water, ambient air, sediment and soil) in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Although has been widely used to study geographical problems, case-based reasoning (CBR) method is far less than perfect and research is in great need of to improve CBR-based geographic data representation modeling, as well as spatial similarity computation and reasoning algorithm. This paper reports an improved CBR-based method for studying the spatially complex land use change. Based on a brief summary of advantages and challenges of current existing quantitative methods, the paper first proposes to introduce the CBR approach for land use change study. A three-component model (“problem”, “geographic environment”, and “outcome”) was proposed to represent the land use change cases among which there are complicated and inherent spatial relationships. This paper then presents an algorithm to retrieve the inherent spatial relationships, which are then introduced into the CBR similarity reasoning algorithm to predict land use change. The method was tested by examining the land use change in Pearl River Mouth area in China and yields a similar prediction accuracy of 80% as that derived by applying the Bayesian networks approach to the exact same data. As a result, the CBR-based method proposed in this study provides an effective and explicit solution to represent and solve the complicated geographic problems. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

[Display omitted] • Large-scale multi-stage CWs can effectively remove MPs from the effluent of WWTPs. • Higher removal efficiency of MPs was observed in HSSFCWs and integrated VFCWs. • MPs removal efficiency in SFCWs was relatively lower than that in other CW types. • The characteristics of MPs affected the removal of MPs in key treatment processes. • Microfibers could be easily intertwined to form micro-coils by hydraulic action. Wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) are considered to be an important source of microplastics (MPs) to the aquatic environment. Multi-stage constructed wetlands (CWs) are widely used for the advanced treatment of effluent from the WWTPs. Research on the abundance, characteristics, and removal of MPs in multi-stage CWs is limited. Therefore, we studied two large-scale multi-stage CW systems (Lingang Ecological Wetland Park and Konggang CW system) in Tianjin, China. The removal efficiency of MPs in two CW systems was greater than 89.0% (from 8.4 to 28.9 particles L−1 in the influent to 0.2–0.9 particles L−1 in the effluent). During the treatment, the horizontal subsurface flow CWs (HSSFCWs) in Lingang Ecological Wetland Park and the integrated vertical flow CWs (VFCWs) in Konggang CW system removed 82.8%-88.9% of MPs. 27.3%-60.0% of MPs were removed by surface flow constructed wetland (SFCW) in two CW systems. Among detected MPs, five types of polymers were identified by Attenuated Total Reflectance-Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (ATR-FTIR), including polyvinyl chloride (PVC), polystyrene (PS), polypropylene (PP), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), and polyethylene (PE). The characteristics of MPs, such as sizes, shapes, and types influenced the removal of MPs in various treatment processes in two CW systems. Specifically, microfibers could be intertwined to form coils by hydraulic action, and effectively removed by HSSFCWs. Results of the present study indicated that large-scale multi-stage CW systems could substantially reduce the MP pollution discharged from WWTPs into the aquatic environments, and provided a theoretical basis for understanding the migration and distribution of MPs in the aquatic environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: There is an evidence that the Kato–Katz technique lacks sensitivity and may hence be an unsuitable method for the assessment of the ‘real infection status’ in community with low-intensity infections. In this study, six Kato–Katz thick smears (examination of two stool samples with three thick smears each) were used as the diagnostic ‘gold’ standard for estimating the prevalence of Schistosoma japonicum infection and the results were compared with results based on fewer Kato–Katz thick smear readings. A total of 1055 individuals in 2005 and 725 in 2006 from an endemic village were recruited for the study. The observed prevalence increased gradually with the number of Kato–Katz thick smears examined, and hence the rate of underestimation decreased accordingly. The prevalence based on single Kato–Katz thick smear readings was significantly lower than that obtained using five or six thick smears. The rate of underestimation based on using two and three Kato–Katz thick smears, a typical diagnostic effort in the national schistosomiasis control programme, was about 36.0% (28.4–48.9%) and 25.0% (15.9–40.7%). The number of Kato–Katz thick smears required to secure detection of a S. japonicum infection varies with the infection intensity level. Indeed, examination of a single thick smear was sufficient when the geometric mean of the fecal content of eggs per gram (EPG) was 250 or higher in infected individuals, while six Kato–Katz thick smears were required when the EPG score was lower than 10. In conclusion, our results confirm that the prevalence of S. japonicum infection in a community is generally considerably “underestimated”. Moreover, our findings provide a benchmark for the proper application of the Kato–Katz technique and the rational evaluation of the epidemic situation, as well as a scientific basis for constructing a mathematic diagnostic model. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• A linear spectral mixture model estimates winter wheat planted area. • Using winter wheat planted area as a mask distinguishes crop specific NDVI values. • Indices of winter wheat yield can be improved by consecutive NDVI curve integrals. • The yield model can accurately estimate the yields ahead of the harvesting date. Accurate and timely crop areas monitoring and yield modeling are of great significance for food security and sustainability of agro-ecosystems. This study provides a rapid and robust method for planted area monitoring and yield modeling of winter wheat based on Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) data from 2001 to 2016 in the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain of China. Statistical data at the prefecture level are used for accuracy assessment of MODIS-derived winter wheat planted area and yield. The results show that the overall accuracy of estimated winter wheat planted area is 96.5% from 2001 to 2016. Besides, the winter wheat planted area presents an increasing trend in the Huang-Huai-Hai Plain, especially from 2009 to 2013. In terms of yield modeling, the coefficients of determination (R2) between the estimated yield and statistical data are all higher than 0.86, and the relative errors (RE) are <5%. The models can accurately estimate yield, with adequate NDVI data, before the harvesting dates. The rapid and robust method has the potential to be applied to winter wheat planted area monitoring and yield modeling in other regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study aimed to investigate the satisfaction levels of graduate residents in Guizhou Province and analyse the factors influencing their satisfaction., Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted using a simple random sampling method with all graduate residents from 24 hospitals in Guizhou Province. The survey covered the residents' demographic information, information about the training hospitals and satisfaction survey responses. Statistical analyses were performed using SPSS 29.0, including descriptive statistics using component ratios, binomial distribution tests for specific satisfaction situations, X 2 tests for between-group comparisons and binary logistic regression analyses to analyse the associations between residency satisfaction and related factors. The significance level was set at α=0.05., Results: The survey included 1070 graduate residents of Guizhou Province, China, including 500 males (46.7%) and 570 females (53.3%). The satisfaction questionnaire revealed that 23.8% were very satisfied; 45.4% were somewhat satisfied; and 26.4%, 2.3% and 2.1% were average, somewhat dissatisfied and very dissatisfied, respectively. Factors influencing residency satisfaction included gender, age, training base level, identity type, training participation year and average monthly income., Conclusion: Based on this study, the satisfaction of graduate residents in Guizhou Province, China, is relatively lower than that in other countries and provinces. Therefore, Guizhou Province should take appropriate measures to address these influencing factors and enhance residency training satisfaction, thereby improving the residency training quality., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Objectives: This study aimed to examine the impact of internet usage on physical activity participation among Chinese residents, utilizing data from the 2017 China General Social Survey ( N = 12,264). The objectives were to investigate the relationship between internet usage and physical activity participation and to explore the moderating effects of gender, age, and education level., Methods: Multiple regression models and a binary Probit model were employed to analyze the data. The study focused on exploring the association between internet usage and physical activity participation, considering the moderating effects of gender, age, and education level. The sample consisted of 12,264 participants from the 2017 China General Social Survey., Results: The study found a positive association between increased internet usage and decreased engagement in physical activity, suggesting a negative influence of internet usage on physical activity. Significant age-related moderating effects were observed, indicating varying patterns of the internet-physical activity relationship across different age groups. Gender and education level were also found to significantly moderate this association, highlighting the impact of gender equality and educational attainment on individuals' utilization of the internet for physical activity purposes., Conclusion: This study underscores the evolving role of the internet in shaping physical activity behaviors in the Chinese context. It emphasizes the importance of considering age-related dynamics and societal factors such as gender equality and educational attainment in health promotion strategies., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Ji, Deng and Yang.)

Background: Empathy is a critical component of nursing care, impacting both nurses' and patients' outcomes. However, perceived empathy from spouses during pregnancy and its impact on health-related quality of life (HRQoL) are unclear. This study aimed to examine pregnant women's perceived empathy from their spouses and assess the relation of perceived empathy on HRQoL., Methods: This cross-sectional study, performed in the obstetric clinics or wards of four well-known hospitals in Anhui Province, China, included 349 pregnant women in the second or third trimester; participants were recruited by convenience sampling and enrolled from October to December 2021. A general information questionnaire, the Interpersonal Reactivity Index (IRI), a purpose-designed empathy questionnaire and the Medical Outcomes Study 12-item Short-Form Health Survey (SF-12) were used to evaluate the pregnant women's general information, perceptions of empathy and HRQoL. Data were analysed using SPSS 22 at a threshold of P < 0.05. Descriptive analysis, Pearson correlation analysis, Student's t test, ANOVA, and multiple regression analysis were used for analysis., Results: The pregnant women's total empathy, physical component summary (PCS) and mental component summary (MCS) scores were 41.6 ± 9.0, 41.6 ± 7.6, and 47.7 ± 9.1, respectively. Correlation analysis revealed that the purpose-designed empathy questionnaire items were significantly positively correlated with perspective taking and empathic concern but were not correlated with the personal distress dimension and were only partially correlated with the fantasy dimension. Maternal physical condition during pregnancy, planned pregnancy, and occupational stress were predictors of the PCS score (β = 0.281, P < 0.01; β = 0.132, P = 0.02; β = -0.128, P = 0.02). The behavioural empathy item of our purpose-designed empathy questionnaire and empathic concern were important predictors of the MCS score (β = 0.127, P = 0.02; β = 0.158, P < 0.01), as well as other demographic and obstetric information, explaining 22.0% of the variance in MCS scores totally (F = 12.228, P < 0.01)., Conclusions: Pregnant women perceived lower empathy from their spouses and reported lower HRQoL. Perceived empathy, particularly behavioural empathy, may significantly impact pregnant women's MCS scores but has no effect on their PCS scores. Strategies that foster perceived empathy from spouses among pregnant women are essential for facilitating healthy pregnancies and potentially improving maternal and child health., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Very early-onset inflammatory bowel disease (VEOIBD) with interleukin-10 (IL10R) signaling deficiency usually requires enterostomy in patients who are refractory to traditional treatment. This study aimed to evaluate long-term outcomes after enterostomy for VEOIBD patients with IL10R signaling deficiency., Methods: The medical records of all patients undergoing enterostomy for signaling deficiency were retrospectively assessed during 2012.1-2022.7 in a tertiary teaching hospital, Children's Hospital of Fudan University, Shanghai, China. Data on disease history, diagnosis and details of enterostomy and stoma closure and follow-up were collected. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to evaluate the risk factors associated with the long-term outcome of delayed stoma closure., Results: A total of 46 patients underwent an enterostomy, 19 who required emergency enterostomy and 27 with selective enterostomy. After ten years of follow-up, 35 patients underwent hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT), and 25 patients were alive after HSCT. The median timeframe between HSCT and stoma closure was 19.6 [15.9,26.2] months. Nineteen patients underwent stoma closure and had an average age of 3.9 ± 1.5 years; 6 patients were waiting for stoma closure. Based on a univariate logistic model, risk factors significantly associated with late stoma closure were age at enterostomy and age at HSCT. However, multivariate logistic regression showed no statistically significant factor associated with late stoma closure. There was no significant difference between the stoma closure group and delay closure group in the z scores of weight for age at follow up., Conclusions: This study determined the long-term outcomes after enterostomy for VEOIBD with interleukin-10 signaling deficiency. The appropriate time point of enterostomy and HSCT may improve quality of life in the long term., (© 2023. The Author(s).)