Search

Teacher self-efficacy plays an important role in special education; yet, the literature on the measurement of teacher self-efficacy in this field is limited. This study investigated the psychometric properties of the Teachers' Sense of Efficacy Scale with a sample of Chinese special education teachers (N = 401, 24.19% male). Confirmatory factor analysis indicated that the Chinese special educational version of the Teacher's Sense of Efficacy Scale (CS-TSES), modified from the Asian model by Ruan, J., Nie, Y., Hong, J., Monobe, G., Zheng, G., Kambara, H., & You, S. (2015). Cross-cultural validation of teachers' sense of efficacy scale in three Asian countries. "Journal of Psychoeducational Assessment," 33(8), 769-779, showed an excellent fit. Additionally, correlations were observed between the results of the CS-TSES and both the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support and the Satisfaction with Life Scale, providing criterion-related validity. In sum, the findings indicated that the TSES is applicable to special education teachers in the Chinese context.

The redox condition, a key parameter of mineralization, is one of the most difficult parameters to constrain precisely. Here we employ electron probe and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) to analyse sulphur (S) in apatite grains from five granitoid plutons that are differentially related to gold mineralization in the world-class gold fields of Jiaodong, Xiaoqinling, and Wutai-Hengshan within the North China Craton (NCC) to constrain the redox condition of melt. The results show increasing order of the apatite S content and S6+/ΣS ratios in the Linglong (only spatially close the Jiaodong gold deposits), Sunzhuang (related with the Yixingzhai gold deposits), Huashan (weakly related with the Xiaoqinling gold deposits), Wenyu (closely related with the Xiaoqinling gold deposits) and Guojialing plutons (closely related with the world-class Jiaodong gold deposits), indicating that the oxidation state increased from the Linglong pluton to the Guojialing pluton. The S concentrations of Guojialing, Wenyu, Huashan and Sunzhuang plutons, are estimated using previous methods are, 120–208 ppm, 107–138 ppm, 72–77 ppm and 10–74 ppm, respectively. Combined with the regional differences in gold mineralization in the North China Craton, the gradual increase in mineralization scale is consistent with the trend of increasing oxidation state in the granitoid plutons from Wutai-Hengshan to Xiaoqinling to Jiaodong goldfields, thus also underpinning the contribution of Mesozoic granites to gold mineralization in the North China Craton through providing the thermal energy and medium for the activation and migration of ore-forming fluids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The National Chest Pain Center Program (NCPCP) is a nationwide, quality enhancement program aimed at raising the standard of care for patients experiencing acute chest pain in China. The benefits of chest pain center (CPC) accreditation on acute coronary syndrome have been demonstrated. However, there is no evidence to indicate whether CPC accreditation improves outcomes for patients with acute aortic dissection (AAD). Methods: We conducted a retrospective observational study of patients with AAD from 1671 hospitals in China, using data from the NCPCP spanning the period from January 1, 2016 to December 31, 2022. The patients were divided into 2 groups: pre-accreditation and post-accreditation admissions. The outcomes examined included in-hospital mortality, misdiagnosis, and Stanford type A AAD surgery. Multivariate logistic regression was employed to explore the relationship between CPC accreditation and in-hospital outcomes. Furthermore, we stratified the hospitals based on their geographical location (Eastern/Central/Western regions) or administrative status (provincial/non-provincial capital areas) to assess the impact of CPC accreditation on AAD patients across various regions. Results: The analysis encompassed a total of 40,848 patients diagnosed with AAD. The post-accreditation group exhibited significantly lower rates of in-hospital mortality and misdiagnosis (12.1% vs. 16.3%, P < 0.001 and 2.9% vs. 5.4%, P < 0.001, respectively) as well as a notably higher rate of Stanford type A AAD surgery (61.1% vs. 42.1%, P < 0.001) compared with the pre-accreditation group. After adjusting for potential covariates, CPC accreditation was associated with substantially reduced risks of in-hospital mortality (adjusted OR 0.644, 95% CI 0.599–0.693) and misdiagnosis (adjusted OR 0.554, 95% CI 0.493–0.624), along with an increase in the proportion of patients undergoing Stanford type A AAD surgery (adjusted OR 1.973, 95% CI 1.797–2.165). Following CPC accreditation, there were significant reductions in in-hospital mortality across various regions, particularly in Western regions (from 21.5 to 14.1%). Moreover, CPC accreditation demonstrated a more pronounced impact on in-hospital mortality in non-provincial cities compared to provincial cities (adjusted OR 0.607 vs. 0.713). Conclusion: CPC accreditation is correlated with improved management and in-hospital outcomes for patients with AAD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dracaena cambodiana Pierre ex Gagn. (Asparagaceae) is the source plant of Dragon's blood and has high ornamental values in gardening. Currently, this species is classified as the second-class state-protected species in the National Key Protected Wild Plants (NKPWP) of China. However, limited genomic data has hindered a more comprehensive scientific understanding of the processes involved in the production of Dragon's blood and the related conservation genomics research. In this study, we assembled a haplotype-resolved genome of D. cambodiana. The haploid genomes, haplotype A and haplotype B, are 1,015.22 Mb and 1,003.13 Mb in size, respectively. The completeness of haplotype A and haplotype B genomes was 98.60% and 98.20%, respectively, using the "embryophyta_10" dataset. Haplotype A and haplotype B genomes contained 27,361 and 27,066 protein-coding genes, respectively, with nearly all being functionally annotated. These findings provide new insights into the genomic characteristics of D. cambodiana and will offer additional genomic resources for studying the biosynthesis mechanism of Dragon's blood and the horticultural application of Dragon trees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chinese liquor (Baijiu), unique liquor produced in China and among the six world-renowned distilled liquors, is never a follower of others. Flavor is the essential characteristics of Baijiu which largely affect consumers' acceptance and selection. Though the flavor of Baijiu has been widely explored, the majority of research and review mainly focused on the volatile compounds in Baijiu. The research status on detection, source and flavor contribution of nonvolatile compounds in Baijiu is clarified in the article based on available literatures and knowledge. The nonvolatile composition of Baijiu is the result of contributions of different degrees from each step involved in the production process. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry combined with derivatization and ultra-high performance liquid chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry is the generally adopted methods for the characterization of nonvolatile compounds in Baijiu. Certain nonvolatile compounds are taste-active compounds. Cross-modal interactions caused by nonvolatile composition could affect the aroma intensity of flavor compounds in Baijiu. The work provides numerous incompletely explored but useful points for the flavor chemistry of Baijiu and lays a theoretical foundation for the better understanding of Baijiu flavor and rapid development of Baijiu industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To assess the ability of left atrial (LA) strain parameters to discriminate patients with elevated left atrial pressure (LAP) from patients with atrial fibrillation (AF). Methods and results: A total of 142 patients with non‐valvular AF who underwent first catheter ablation (CA) between November 2022 and November 2023 were enrolled in the study. Conventional and speckle‐tracking echocardiography (STE) were performed in all patients within 24 h before CA, and LAP was invasively measured during the ablation procedure. According to mean LAP, the study population was classified into two groups of normal LAP (LAP < 15 mmHg, n = 101) and elevated LAP (LAP ≥ 15 mmHg, n = 41). Compared with the normal LAP group, elevated LAP group showed significantly reduced LA reservoir strain (LASr) [9.14 (7.97–11.80) vs. 20 (13.59–26.96), p <.001], and increased LA filling index [9.60 (7.15–12.20) vs. 3.72 (2.17–5.82), p <.001], LA stiffness index [1.13 (.82–1.46) vs..47 (.30–.70), p <.001]. LASr, LA filling index and LA stiffness index were independent predictors of elevated LAP after adjusted by the type of AF, EDT, E/e′, mitral E, and peak acceleration rate of mitral E velocity. The receiver‐operating characteristic curve (ROC) analysis showed LA strain parameters (area under curve [AUC].794–.819) could provide similar or greater diagnostic accuracy for elevated LAP, as compared to conventional echocardiographic parameters. Furthermore, the novel algorithms built by LASr, LA stiffness index, LA filling index, and left atrial emptying fraction (LAEF), was used to discriminate elevated LAP in AF with good accuracy (AUC.880, accuracy of 81.69%, sensitivity of 80.49%, and specificity of 82.18%), and much better than 2016 ASE/EACVI algorithms in AF. Conclusion: In patients with AF, LA strain parameters could be useful to predict elevated LAP and non‐inferior to conventional echocardiographic parameters. Besides, the novel algorithm built by LA strain parameters combined with conventional parameters would improve the diagnostic efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a massively parallel approach of the multilevel fast multipole algorithm (PMLFMA) on homegrown many-core SW26010 cluster of China, noted as (SW-PMLFMA), for 3-D electromagnetic scattering problems. In this approach, the multilevel fast multipole algorithm (MLFMA) octree is first partitioned among management processing elements (MPEs) of SW26010 processors following the ternary partitioning scheme using the message passing interface (MPI). Then, the computationally intensive parts of the PMLFMA on each MPI process, matrix filling, aggregation and disaggregation are accelerated by using all the 64 computing processing elements (CPEs) in the same core group of the MPE via the Athread parallel programming model. Different parallelization strategies are designed for many-core accelerators to ensure a high computational throughput. In coincidence with the special characteristic of local Lagrange interpolation, the compressed sparse row (CSR) and the compressed sparse column (CSC) sparse matrix storage format is used for storing interpolation and anterpolation matrices, respectively, together with a specially designed cache mechanism of hybrid dynamic and static buffers using the scratchpad memory (SPM) to improve data access efficiency. Numerical results are included to demonstrate the efficiency and versatility of the proposed method. The proposed parallel scheme is shown to have excellent speedup. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Inaccurate, untimely diagnoses of fundus diseases leads to vision-threatening complications and even blindness. We built a deep learning platform (DLP) for automatic detection of 30 fundus diseases using ultra-widefield fluorescein angiography (UWFFA) with deep experts aggregation. Methods: This retrospective and cross-sectional database study included a total of 61,609 UWFFA images dating from 2016 to 2021, involving more than 3364 subjects in multiple centers across China. All subjects were divided into 30 different groups. The state-of-the-art convolutional neural network architecture, ConvNeXt, was chosen as the backbone to train and test the receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) of the proposed system on test data and external test date. We compared the classification performance of the proposed system with that of ophthalmologists, including two retinal specialists. Results: We built a DLP to analyze UWFFA, which can detect up to 30 fundus diseases, with a frequency-weighted average area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.940 in the primary test dataset and 0.954 in the external multi-hospital test dataset. The tool shows comparable accuracy with retina specialists in diagnosis and evaluation. Conclusions: This is the first study on a large-scale UWFFA dataset for multi-retina disease classification. We believe that our UWFFA DLP advances the diagnosis by artificial intelligence (AI) in various retinal diseases and would contribute to labor-saving and precision medicine especially in remote areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mild cognitive impairment (MCI), as a neurodegenerative disease characterized by a moderate decline in one or more cognitive functions with a preserved autonomy in daily life activities, is the early stage and a high-risk state of Alzheimer's disease (AD). The adenosine triphosphate-binding cassette transporter A1 (ABCA1) is a cell membrane transporter protein involved in cholesterol reverse transport, sterol metabolism, and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) metabolism. The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between polymorphism of C/T (rs4149268) in ABCA1 gene with MCI in a Chinese population. Methods: This study involved 1,654 subjects, including 278 MCI patients and 1376 healthy subjects. Genotypes of 1,616 samples were measured using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time of flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS) technique. Results: The analysis of rs4149268 polymorphism of ABCA1 gene showed that therewere significant differences between MCI and controls (p < 0.05). When adjusting for age, sex, marital status, education, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), and alcohol drinking, results showed that rs4149268 polymorphism was significantly correlated with MCI in codominant, dominant, and log-additive models. Logistic regression analysis showed that rs4149268 T/T carriers were 1.761 times more susceptible than C/C carriers (95% confidence interval: 1.108--2.800). Conclusions: Rs4149268 polymorphism of ABCA1 gene was shown to be a genetic risk factor for MCI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Responding to the necessity of scarcity and uniqueness in the digital format, NFTs (Non-Fungible Tokens) have recently gained much attention in cultural industries, especially video games and the art market. Faced with the digital paradigm shift and the challenge of dematerialization, creators started to use NTFs in order to emulate the concept of rarity for displaying, promoting, and monetizing their works in digital environments. An NFT is a certificate of ownership implemented through encrypted metadata pointing to a unique copy of a digital file. Likewise, NFTs enable the tokenization of a large array of digital, or even physical, assets. For this reason, they are used to facilitate the digitalization of contents heavily dependent on copyright and scarcity. Non-Fungible Tokens represent an emerging reality of significant economic, social, and cultural importance, which also raises important legal issues especially concerning the very nature of the NFT, as property or license, and the usage of copyrighted contents or trademarks. Indeed, the most frequent legal issues with NFTs are related to the attribution and exploitation of the Intellectual Property (IP) rights of the underlying content or litigations about non-contractual matters (i.e., theft). Litigious cases affecting NFTs most often take on an international dimension due to the decentralized nature of the technology on which they are developed, distributed on servers hosted in a multitude of countries, as well as the business practices of trading platforms that connect users from all over the world. Consequently, the principles of Private International Law (PIL) are applied to solve legal conflicts. This study focuses on the resolution of litigations related to NFTs in the three countries leading the global art markets: the US, the UK, and China. The analysis focuses on the application of international private law in relation to recent jurisprudence concerning conflicts involving NFTs and artworks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 2017, human encephalitis caused by pseudorabies virus (PRV) has been reported in 28 cases in China. The clinical symptoms include fever, headache, seizures, focal neurological loss, disturbance of consciousness, etc.. This disease has the high disability rate and fatality rate. PRV is mainly transmitted through close contact with infected pigs or their excrement, or spread via blood-borne. Patients are mostly practitioners in the live pig industry chain. Early diagnosis and treatment are critical to the prognosis of patients. Therefore, this article reviews the progress on diagnosis and treatment of human encephalitis caused by PRV, in order to improve the clinical diagnosis and treatment of this disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the progress of medical and health conditions, the incidence and mortality of encephalitis and meningitis caused by traditional pathogens have decreased. However, due to the change of pathogen spectrum of neurological infection, the improvement of detection methods of neurological infection pathogens and the emergence of new evidence of pathogens causing neurodegenerative diseases, it is necessary to rethink the clinical characteristics and diagnosis and treatment of neurological infectious diseases (NID). At the same time, post-infectious/para-infectious nervous system diseases (PPINDs) that do not directly enter the central nervous system are increasing after the SARS-CoV-2 epidemic. Therefore, we propose to attach importance to the disciplinary characteristics and discipline construction of Infectious Neurology with NID and PPINDs as the two major themes, and to improve the diagnosis and treatment of NID and PPINDs through multi-disciplinary cooperation and specialized training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Citrus plants are prone to phosphorus (P) deficiency, especially in acidic soil, making them more dependent on root-associated endophytic fungi for growth and development. Beni-Madonna, a hybrid of Citrus nanko × C. amakusa, is a citrus known as "tangor" that is highly popular in China and other parts of the world due to its deep red color and jelly-like flesh. In this study, the inoculation response to two arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (Diversispora versiformis, Dv; Funneliformis mosseae, Fm) and an endophytic fungus (Serendipita indica, Si) with regard to the growth, leaf gas exchange, light energy efficiency, P levels, acid phosphatase activity, and expression of the purple acid phosphatase (PAP) and phosphate transporter (PT) genes through a potted experiment using Beni-Madonna (tangor) citrus plants grafted on trifoliate orange (Poncirus trifoliata) was studied. Two years following inoculation, the root fungal colonization rates of inoculated plants were significantly increased, accompanied by an increase in plant height and stem diameter, with Si presenting the best effect. Fungal inoculations also significantly increased the leaf chlorophyll index, nitrogen-balance index, photosynthesis rate, stomatal conductance, transpiration rate, photosynthetic efficiency, and quantum yield of PSII, while it reduced photoinhibition and heat dissipation, with Si having the best effect on light energy efficiency. Si significantly increased leaf and root P levels, as well as root CsPAP1‒3, CsPT2, CsPT3, and CsPT7 expression and soil acid phosphatase activity; Fm in mycorrhizal fungi significantly increased leaf and root P levels, as well as root CsPT1 and CsPT7 expression and root/soil acid phosphatase activity. These observations suggested an advantage of Si over the other two AMF in terms of improved plant growth and P acquisition, while Fm displayed prominent effects on increased photosynthetic efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To understand the detection rate and distribution characteristics of Linezolid-nonsusceptible Enterococcus (LNSE) and analyze the molecular typing and main drug resistance mechanisms of LNSE, providing a theoretical basis for the precision prevention and control of LNSE hospital infections. Methods: A total of 40 LNSE strains isolated from clinical specimens between January 1, 2012, and December 31, 2022, were collected. The LNSE isolates identified by instrument detection were confirmed using a microbroth dilution method. The WHONET 5.0 software was used for statistical analysis of LNSE detection rate, and the LNSE judgment was based on the 2022 CLSI criteria. PCR methods were used to detect 23S rRNA, cfr, optrA, and L3, L4 ribosomal RNA sites for linezolid resistance genes, and gene sequencing was used to verify the amplified PCR products. Multiple locus sequence typing (MLST) was performed to analyze the homology of LNSE strains. Results: A total of 6924 Enterococcus isolates were separated and identified from January 1, 2012, to December 31, 2022, of which 40 were LNSE strains (26 Enterococcus faecalis, 14 Enterococcus faecium), with a detection rate of 0.58% (40/6924). Among them, 28 Linezolid-intermediated Enterococcus(LIE) were detected, accounting for 0.4% (28/6924), and 12 Linezolid-resistant Enterococcus(LRE) were detected, with a detection rate of 0.17% (12/6924). Among the LNSE strains, 23 were resistant to genes. The 40 LNSE strains could be divided into 20 different ST types, with ST16 being the main type, accounting for 12.5% (5/40). Conclusion: The detection of LNSE strains was dominated by Enterococcus faecalis, and the main resistance mechanism of LRE strains was carrying the optrA gene, with 23S rRNA gene mutations also contributing to resistance. New resistance gene phenotypes (optrA +/23S rRNA+) emerged. Most LRE cases were sporadic, and clonal dissemination was observed in some strains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Solitary fibrous tumor (SFT) represents a fibroblastic neoplasm exhibiting NAB2::STAT6 gene rearrangement, displaying diverse clinical manifestations, spanning from benign to malignant. To predict prognosis, the modified (four-variable) Demicco (mDemicco) model was introduced. This investigation aims to authenticate the mDemicco risk model's precision in Asian patients while investigating the clinicopathological and molecular factors linked to the prognosis of extrameningeal SFTs. Methods: Clinicopathological data from 111 extrameningeal SFT cases in East China, covering the period from 2010 to 2020, were thoroughly analyzed. The tumors were classified using the mDemicco model . Immunohistochemical evaluation of P16 and P53, molecular detection of TP53 and TERT promoter mutation, and fluorescence in situ hybridization for CDKN2A gene alterations were performed. Statistical methods were utilized to assess the associations between clinicopathological or molecular factors and prognosis. Results: Histologically, only one parameter, the mitotic count, exhibited a statistical correlation with progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). During the Kaplan-Meier analysis, the variation in PFS among the different risk groups exhibited a notable trend towards statistical significance. Nevertheless, 3 out of 74 patients classified as low-risk SFTs and 7 out of 21 patients classified as intermediate-risk exhibited disease progression. Among the 5 patients with TP53 mutations and/or mutant-type P53 immunophenotype, 3 experienced disease progression, including 2 intermediate-risk patients. Additionally, among the 4 patients with TERT promoter mutations who were followed up, 3 showed progression, including 2 intermediate-risk patients. Moreover, it was observed that hemizygous loss of CDKN2A was detected in more than 30% of one case, yet the patient exhibited a favorable survival outcome. Conclusion: The mDemicco risk model exhibits certain limitations when dealing with smaller tumor sizes, younger age groups, and occurrences of malignant and dedifferentiated SFTs. Furthermore, molecular factors, such as TP53 or TERT promoter mutations, may identify intermediate-risk SFTs with poorer prognoses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Baricitinib, a JAK1/JAK2 inhibitor, is approved for treatment of moderate-to-severe rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in China. This single-arm, prospective, multi-center, post-marketing safety study (PMSS) evaluated the safety and effectiveness of baricitinib in Chinese patients. Methods: This study included adult patients with moderate-to-severe active RA who received baricitinib over periods of approximately 12 and 24 weeks. The primary endpoint was safety, defined as week 12 adverse event (AE)/serious AE incidence. Secondary endpoints were week 24 safety and effectiveness (disease activity score with 28 joints/C-reactive protein [DAS28-CRP] and simplified/Clinical Disease Activity Index [SDAI/CDAI]). Results: Safety analyses included 667 patients (female, 82.3%; mean age, 53.3 years; mean RA duration, 86.9 months); 106/667 (15.9%) were 65–74 years old and 19/667 (2.8%) were ≥ 75 years old; 87.0% received baricitinib 2 mg QD. Total exposure was 262.1 patient-years (PY). At week 12, AEs had occurred in 214 (32.1%; exposure-adjusted incidence rate [EAIR], 172.5 per 100 PY) patients (serious AEs: 22 [3.3%; EAIR, 15.0]). At week 24, AEs had occurred in 250 (37.5%; EAIR, 125.9) patients (serious AEs: 28 [4.2%; EAIR, 10.9]). Two patients (0.3%) died (of pneumonia and unknown cause); EAIR for death, 0.77. Serious infection occurred in 1.2% of patients (EAIR, 3.1). Hepatotoxicity occurred in 3.4% of patients (EAIR, 9.0). No patients met potential Hy's law laboratory criteria (alanine/aspartate aminotransferases ≥ 3 × upper limit of normal (ULN) and total bilirubin ≥ 2 × ULN). Malignancy occurred in one patient. No patients experienced venous thromboembolism (VTE) or major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). At week 24, 52.4%, 27.5%, and 27.6% of patients achieved remission per DAS28-CRP, SDAI, and CDAI, respectively. Conclusions: This PMSS investigated the safety and effectiveness of baricitinib in clinical practice in China. No VTE/MACE or new safety signals were reported and there was promising effectiveness, supporting the use of baricitinib in Chinese patients with moderate-to-severe active RA. Trial Registration: EU PAS Register: EUPAS34213. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The concurrent observation of the Hainan COherent Scatter Phased Array Radar (HCOPAR) and the 630 nm all‐sky airglow imager was carried out on the night of 13 April 2015 in low‐latitudes of China. The plasma bubble recorded by the airglow imager and the Field‐Aligned Irregularities (FAIs) observed by the HCOPAR kept a good consistency. At the beginning, the FAIs were found to fill the entire plasma bubble, and they were drifting eastward together. During the dissipation process, the plasma bubble became wider and wider in zonal direction, while the airglow gray gradient on the eastern and western walls of the bubble had no much changes. Simultaneously, the echo Signal‐to‐Noise Ratio (SNR) of the irregularities in the bubble became lower and lower. The SNR at the depletion center decreased fastest, and the SNR of the FAIs on the western wall of the bubble fell more slowly than those in other parts. Polarization electric field in the bubble is suggested to have influence on the distribution of the FAIs. Gradient drift instability on the western wall supported the FAIs to live longer, and the FAIs on the eastern wall, namely on the front edge of the bubble, dissipated more rapidly. Key Points: The irregularities were generated inside the plasma bubble and concentrated at the locations with steep gradientsWhile the bubble became wider and wider, the echo Signal‐to‐Noise Ratio (SNR) of the irregularities inside decreased quicklyIrregularities at the depletion center vanished first, and the echo SNR on the eastern wall fell faster than that on the western wall [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The human papillomavirus (HPV) vaccine is the first vaccine developed specifically targeting the prevention of cervical cancer. For more than 15 years, China has expedited a series of efforts on research and development of the domestically manufactured HPV vaccines, producing local population-based evidence, promoting free HPV vaccination from pilots, and launching action plans to tackle barriers in the scale-up of HPV vaccination. To further roll out the HPV vaccination program in China, several challenges should be addressed to support the steps forward. The availability of more locally manufactured HPV vaccines, pricing negotiation and local evidence supporting the efficacy of one-dose schedule would greatly alleviate the continued supply and financial constraints in China. Meanwhile, more attention should be paid to girls living in low-resource areas and males to ensure equal access to the HPV vaccination. Furthermore, linkage to secondary prevention and further real-world monitoring and evaluation are warranted to inform effective cervical cancer prevention strategies in the post-vaccine era. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shedding light on the response of oceanic dimethyl sulfide flux (FDMS) on the sea shelf to multi‐pressures (intensified terrigenous nutrient inputs and climate change) is of great importance for regional aerosol budget. Here, we designed 4‐group experiments in scenario (the 1980s, 2010s, 2050s, and 2090s) for the Yellow and East China seas (YECS) based on climate change signals gained from CMIP6 and a 3‐dimension biophysical and geochemical model. Results show that the climatological annual mean of YECS's FDMS will rise from ∼6 μmol m−2 day−1 in the 1980s to >9 μmol m−2 day−1 in the 2090s under Shared Socioeconomic Pathway (SSP) 2−4.5/5−8.5 scenario, and with multi‐pressures, the FDMS peak in the 2050s is one season earlier when compared to that in the 1980s. The elevated terrigenous inputs affect the phytoplankton biomass and/or community on the inner shelf, leading to the rise and phenology change in the YECS's FDMS between the1980s and 2010s, while climate change has little impact. The influence of climate change on the FDMS is projected to increase in the 2050s; climate change will change seasonal pattern of the FDMS on the central part (middle and outer shelves) of East China Sea (CECS) under every SSP scenario. Thereinto, wind change exerts a crucial role, it will enhance summertime offshore transport and, accordingly, stimulate phytoplankton growth in summer changing the phenology of FDMS on the CECS. Key Points: Dimethyl sulfide flux (FDMS) rises during the 1980s–2090s in the Yellow and East China seas accompanying by a change in FDMS phenologyElevated riverine nutrient inputs affect phytoplankton biomass and/or community on the inner shelf, triggering the past phenology changeClimate change enhances summertime offshore transport, promoting the phytoplankton biomass and changing FDMS phenology on offshore waters [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are concerns about the risk of injuries caused by marathons in China. Since male and female runners have different injury risks, gender differences in running shoe functionality should be further complemented. A supervised questionnaire survey of 626 marathon runners was collected. The questionnaire was categorized into four sections: (1) participant profile, (2) importance of shoe properties, (3) functional evaluation of shoe properties and (4) importance ranking of shoe properties. The Mann–Whitney U test, Fisher's exact test of cross tabulation and Chi-square test, and two-way ANOVA were used to analyze the results of this survey. The significance level was set at P < 0.05. The full marathon participants were older than the half marathon participants. There was no gender difference in the importance of shoe features to elite runners. In addition, women are more concerned about upper elasticity and have higher requirements for running shoes than men. Women were more focused on injury prevention, while men were more focused on running performance. Heel cushioning was identified by all participants as the most important running shoe feature. There were no gender differences between elite players' demand for running shoes, but significant gender differences were found between genders at other running levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modes of climate variability can affect weather extremes, posing intractable challenges to our environment. However, to what extent climate modes can modulate heatwaves in China under a warming background remains poorly understood. Here, we examine the changes in heatwave intensity in seven distinct regions: three East, two middle, and two west regions over China and systematically explore the impacts of climate modes, by analyzing observations and performing model experiments using a Bayesian dynamic linear model and an atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM). Abrupt increases in heatwave intensity are detected across China during a transition period of 1993–2000, and the intensification remains robust in northern and western China after the warming trend being removed. The combined impacts of the El Niño–Southern Oscillation (ENSO), Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO), and Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) explain 62.35–70.01% of the observed heatwave intensification in East I, Middle I, West I, and West II regions. Decadal changes of atmospheric circulations associated with the negative phase transition of the Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation (IPO), which is highly correlated with the decadal variability of ENSO, combined with the positive phase transition of the AMO around the mid-1990s increase surface air temperature and enhance atmospheric internal variability and climate modes' impacts, resulting in the abrupt increase of heatwaves in the past two decades. These results highlight the importance of the concurrent phase transitions of decadal climate modes in regulating heatwaves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbapenem-resistant (CR) Klebsiella oxytoca complex can be associated with high mortality, emerging as a new threat to the public health. K. oxytoca complex is phylogenetically close to K. pneumoniae, one of most common species associated with multidrug resistance in Enterobacterale. The latest research showed that K. oxytoca is a complex of six species. Currently, the epidemiological and genomic characteristics of CR K. oxytoca complex in China are still unclear. Here, we conducted a multi-center study on 25 CR K. oxytoca complex collected from five representative regions in China. These isolates were, respectively, recovered from respiratory tract (12 cases, 48.0%), abdominal cavity (5 cases, 20.0%), blood (4 cases, 16.0%), urine tract (3 cases, 12.0%) and skin or soft tissue (1 cases, 4.0%). Among them, 32.0% (8/25) of patients infected with K. oxytoca complex had a poor prognosis. In this study, three K. oxytoca complex species were detected, namely K. michiganensis, K. oxytoca and K. pasteurii, among which K. michiganensis was the most common. Three carbapenemase genes were identified, including blaNDM-1 (10, 38.5%), blaKPC-2 (9, 34.6%) and blaIMP (6 blaIMP-4 and 1 blaIMP-8; 7, 26.9%). Subsequent multilocus sequence typing identified various sequence types (STs), among which ST43, ST92 and ST145 were relatively common. Different from the clonal dissemination of high-risk carbapenem-resistant K. pneumoniae strains, our research revealed a polyclonal dissemination characteristic of CR K. oxytoca complex in China. S1-nuclease PFGE and Southern blot experiment showed that carbapenemase genes were encoded in plasmids of different sizes. Two blaNDM-harboring plasmids were subsequently sequenced, and were characterized to be IncX3 and IncC incompatibility groups, respectively. This is the first multi-center study of CR K. oxytoca complex in China, which improved our understanding of the prevalence and antimicrobial resistance characteristics of CR K. oxytoca complex in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yunnan Province of China is located in the southwest frontier, with high altitude, fragile geological environment, uneven spatial and temporal distribution of rainfall, and more localized rainfall and landslide geological hazards caused by rainfall are extremely common. Therefore, based on saturated–unsaturated seepage theory, it is of great engineering significance to deeply study the change law of internal seepage of slopes under different rainfall conditions and the influence of dynamic seepage on slope stability. In this paper, based on the saturated–unsaturated seepage theory, the soil–water characteristic curve and unsaturated permeability coefficient prediction model are determined, and GEO-Studio finite element software is used to explore the changes of seepage field, stress field, displacement field, and stability coefficient of the slope under different rainfall conditions from the perspectives of seepage mechanics and rock mechanics, and to reveal the changes of unsaturated soil The mechanical response mechanism of unsaturated soil slopes in the process of dynamic seepage and the influence of seepage on the stability of slopes. The results show that: (1) the volumetric water content and saturation of the shallow soil will increase rapidly when the unsaturated soil slope is affected by rainfall, and the pore water pressure, maximum shear stress, and total displacement in the corresponding area will increase with the increase of rainfall time; (2) the stability of the slope is closely related to the rainfall time, and the longer the rainfall time, the lower the stability coefficient. At the same time, it provides theoretical support for the study of similar landslide mechanisms and prevention engineering. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fault grouting is important in preventing groundwater inrush into coal mines from aquifers underlying the coal seams. However, evaluating the effect of grouting in the coal mine is difficult and expensive; hence, the region is sparsely explored. Therefore, we propose a more economical and efficient method for investigating grouting in the coal mine, which utilizes a real-time microseismic monitoring system. A system is an integrated approach involving a deep neural network phase picker method, grid search location method, and double-difference seismic tomography method for enhanced real-time processing of the microseismic data of 1613A working face in Zhangji coal mine, China. The velocity structure of the 1613A working face has been inverted using the microseismic events in September 2020. We found that the grouting treatment area is considerably perturbed during mining, with the 50-m area below the mining floor characterized by a high seismic velocity of up to 4.3 km/ s, showing optimal grouting. The checkerboard resolution test shows that the seismic velocity results in concern have high reliability. The effect of grouting is well evaluated by machine learning-based microseismic catalog and passive seismic tomography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Acta Oto-Laryngologica is the property of Taylor & Francis Ltd and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Objectives: Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is a rare disease characterized by intrahepatic cholestasis, whereas gallstone disease (GD) is common. In this study, we aimed to investigate the prevalence and impact of GD on the prognosis of PBC in China. Methods: Medical records of the PBC patients were retrospectively reviewed and their follow‐up data were obtained via regular structured, standardized telephone interviews. GD was defined as gallstones on ultrasonography or a history of cholecystectomy for gallstones. Propensity score matching (PSM) and Cox regression analysis were performed. The primary end‐point was liver‐related death and/or liver transplantation. Results: A total of 985 ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA)‐treated PBC patients were enrolled with a median follow‐up duration of 5.3 years (range 1.0–20.9 years). Among them, 258 (26.2%) had GD, including 157 (22.9%) of non‐cirrhotic and 101 (33.8%) of cirrhotic patients. Compared with PBC without GD, those with GD were older, more often had type 2 diabetes mellitus, and had a more severe liver disease at baseline. After PSM (1:2), 229 PBC patients with GD were matched with 458 PBC patients without GD based on age, sex, cirrhosis, and total bilirubin level. The transplant‐free survival and incidence of hepatic events were similar between the two groups. Furthermore, multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that concomitant GD was not independently associated with a worse prognosis for PBC patients. Conclusion: Concomitant GD was common but was not associated with long‐term outcomes in patients with UDCA‐treated PBC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Construction accidents occur frequently in China because the supervision of safety standards mandated by the government has not had its intended effect. In this paper, the authors propose a model to incentivize the management of safety during construction that involves the government as well as the owners and contractors in the industry. This study analyzes the principal–agent relationship involving each participant to determine their utility function and the minimum constraints on their participation, and uses this to obtain the optimal parameters to incentivize the management of safety during construction by solving for the ones related to the contractor's effort and reward for their performance in the proposed model of incentives. Through the design of contractor incentive parameters and owner incentive parameters to further influence the government contractor and owner tripartite safety incentive model to make the model more perfect and in line with the development status of China. This study tested the proposed model using simulations. The results indicated that increasing the cost coefficient and level of the contractor's effort increases their expected safety-related benefits, and increasing the coefficients of reward and punishment by the government reduces the contractor's expected safety-related benefits. Moreover, the government can motivate the management of safety during construction by offering appropriate rewards and punishments. In particular, if the government increases incentives for safety, the safety-related benefits for owners and contractors decrease in the short term but increase significantly in the long term. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we discovered a new virus named Quanzhou mulberry virus (QMV), which was identified from the leaves of an ancient mulberry tree. This tree is over 1300 years old and is located at Fujian Kaiyuan Temple, a renowned cultural heritage site in China. We obtained the complete genome sequence of QMV using RNA sequencing followed by rapid amplification of complementary DNA ends (RACE). The QMV genome is 9256 nucleotides (nt) long and encodes five open reading frames (ORFs). Its virion was made of icosahedral particles. Phylogenetic analysis suggests that it belongs to the unclassified Riboviria. An infectious clone for QMV was generated and agroinfiltrated into Nicotiana benthamiana and mulberry, resulting in no visible disease symptoms. However, systemic movement of the virus was only observed in mulberry seedlings, suggesting that it has a host-specific pattern of movement. Our findings provide a valuable reference for further studies on QMV and related viruses, contributing to the understanding of viral evolution and biodiversity in mulberry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to analyze the impact of home bias on China's trade border effects by constructing a pure exchange computable general equilibrium model. The results indicate that the border effects of external import, export, and trade in China are 6.96 times, 4.62 times, and 5.60 times their respective counterparts in interregional trade. On elimination of national bias, the border effects of China's external import, export, and trade fell by 96.37%, 93.71%, and 95.18%, respectively, while border effects of China's interregional trade became 8.06%. By eliminating regional bias, the border effects of China's external imports, exports, and trade decreased by 3.63%, 6.29%, and 4.82%, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study measured the lifecycle carbon emissions of buildings in 30 Chinese provinces from 2005 to 2020 and decomposed the drivers of carbon emissions in the materialization stage and operation stage of building, respectively, using the Stochastic Impacts with the Regression on Population, Affluence, and Technology (STIRPAT) model in order to investigate the drivers of carbon emissions and their spatial influence effects in the building sector. The spatial Durbin model (SDM) was used to thoroughly investigate the spatial effects of carbon emissions and their drivers in the building sector under geographic and economic distances. According to the findings, China's building sector has a high concentration of carbon emissions in the east and a low concentration in the west. There is also a sizable spatial autocorrelation, and the spatial spillover effects in the materialization and operation stages shift in opposite directions. To help the building sector to achieve the carbon peaking and neutrality goals, specific policy recommendations are made based on the study's findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Panax ginseng, as a kind of rare and valuable Chinese materia medica with the largest global trade volume, has been widely applied in many fields, such as medicine, food, health care, and production of daily chemical products. It is widely used in Asia, Europe, and America. However, its global trade and standardization present different features and an uneven development in different countries or regions. As the main country for its production and consumption, Panax ginseng in China is characterized by its large cultivation area and high total yield and is mainly sold as a raw material or primary processed product. By contrast, Panax ginseng produced in South Korea is mainly sold in manufactured products. Besides, European countries, as another consumption market of Panax ginseng, pay more attention to the research and development of its products. Although Panax ginseng has been widely recorded in various national pharmacopoeias and regional standards, the current standards of Panax ginseng differ in quantity, composition, and distribution, and the existing standards cannot be enough to meet the demands of its global trade. Based on the above issues, we systemically summarized and analyzed the status and features of Panax ginseng standardization and put forward suggestions on the development needs of international standardization of Panax ginseng to guarantee its quality and safety, regulate the order of its global trade, and resolve trade disputes, thereby promoting the high-quality development of the Panax ginseng industry. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study aimed to investigate the relationship between chronotypes and aggression in adolescents. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted on 755 primary and secondary school students aged 11–16 years in rural areas of Ningxia Province, China. The Chinese version of the Buss-Perry Aggression Questionnaire (AQ-CV) and the Chinese version Morningness-Eveningness Questionnaire (MEQ-CV) were used to assess the aggressive behavior and chronotypes of the study subjects. The Kruskal-Wallis test was then used to compare the differences in aggression among adolescents with different chronotypes, and Spearman correlation analysis to determine the relationship between chronotypes and aggression. Further linear regression analysis was used to investigate the effects of chronotype, personality traits, family environment, and class environment on adolescent aggression. Results: There were significant differences in chronotypes between different age groups and different sexes. Spearman correlation analysis showed that the MEQ-CV total score was negatively correlated with the AQ-CV total score (r = -0.263) and score of each AQ-CV subscale. In Model 1, chronotypes were negatively associated with aggression when controlling for age and sex, and evening-type adolescents might be more likely to exhibit aggressive behavior (b = -0.513, 95% CI: [-0.712, -0.315], P < 0.001); in Model 2, the negative association remained after controlling for family and class environment on the basis of Model 1 (b = -0.404, 95% CI: [-0.601, -0.208], P < 0.001); and in Model 3, the negative association still existed after controlling for personality traits on the basis of Model 2 (b = -0.383, 95% CI: [-0.577, -0.190], P < 0.001). Conclusion: Compared to morning-type adolescents, evening-type adolescents were more likely to exhibit aggressive behavior. Given social expectations for MT adolescents, adolescents should be actively guided to develop a good circadian rhythm that may be more conducive to their physical and mental development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding future variations and trends of heatwave events has critical implications for the ecosystem and human health. However, the diverse metrics of heatwave affect the comparable assessment of heatwave evolution at regional scales. The inadequate consideration of the enhanced warming trend and local antecedent heat conditions at different climate zones undermines the comprehensive understanding of future heatwave changes. Here, we systematically assess variations and trends in duration, frequency, and intensity of heatwave events in China from 1961 to 2100, using historical observations and climate model simulations from Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 6. The increased rates and trends in the duration and frequency are more evident than those in intensity and severe heatwave days. Regionally, the northern and western regions are projected to suffer longer and more frequent consecutive heatwaves, while southern regions are likely at greater risk of severe heatwave days. A comparison among four scenarios shows that the future heatwave characteristics projected by the high forcing Shared Socioeconomic Pathway (SSP5‐8.5) exhibit substantial intensification than those in other three experiments, imposing intractable dangers to numerous organisms and ecosystems. Under the SSP1‐2.6, the acceleration of all heatwave characteristics is projected to slow down in all regions after 2040. In addition to maximum temperature, temperature advections are projected to contribute to heatwave intensification in western regions. Our results provide a comprehensive assessment of future variations and trends in heatwave events. The comparable future changes across unevenly developed regions are necessary for improving regional adaptive capacity to extreme heat risk. Plain Language Summary: In the past century, China has experienced a clear warming trend. More frequent heatwaves affect crops, vegetations, and water consumption, leading to detrimental impacts on food security and water resource sustainability. Meanwhile, with the rapid development of urbanization and increasing population aging, the high‐temperature vulnerability in China experienced explosive increases. We use historical observations and climate model simulations to quantify the duration, frequency, intensity, and severe heatwave days at regional scales from 1961 to 2100, with consideration of different local antecedent heat conditions at a given station. All regions are projected to experience longer and more frequent heatwaves rather than more intense consecutive heatwaves, while the southern regions will suffer more severe heatwave days compared to those during the historical period. The increased rates of heatwave characteristics are different under a set of future pathways of societal development. The intensification of all heatwave characteristics will be mitigated if the warming is limited below 2°C. Key Points: The increased rates and trends in duration and frequency are more evident than those in intensityThe southern coastal area is projected to suffer more severe heatwave days than other regionsThe acceleration of all heatwave characteristics is projected to slow down in the Shared Socioeconomic Pathway (SSP1‐2.6) scenario after 2040 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. This research intends to investigate the clinical efficacy of radiofrequency ablation and electrocautery in treating grade I or II vaginal intraepithelial neoplasia (VaIN). Methods. This is a single-center retrospective study, which collected the clinical data of 100 patients with VaIN diagnosed by colposcopy and pathological biopsy in the Gynecology and Cervical Center of Xiangzhu Branch of the Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region between January 2020 and June 2021. Patients were divided into the study group (radiofrequency ablation treatment) and the control group (electrocautery) according to differences in treatment approaches. 6- and 12-month follow-ups were performed on all patients. Gynecological examination results, liquid-based thin-layer cytology (TCT), negative conversion of human papillomavirus (HPV), curative effects, and prognosis were recorded. Results. All patients completed regular follow-ups that lasted for 6 and 12 months. The 6- and 12-month cure rates of the study group were 76.0% and 92.0%, respectively, and the data in the control group were 70.0% and 82.0%, respectively. In terms of the 6- and 12-month negative conversion rates of HPV, the data in the study group were 68.0% and 78.0%, versus 60% and 68% in the control group, respectively. The lesion duration rate showed no statistical significance between the study group (8.0%) and the control group (P > 0.05). The analysis of postoperative follow-up complications revealed that the study group had a statistically lower overall incidence of vaginal bleeding, excessive vaginal discharge, vaginal burning sensation, and decreased vaginal elasticity than the control group (8.0% vs. 24.0% P < 0.05). Conclusion. Both radiofrequency ablation and electrocautery have obvious clinical effects in patients with grade I or II VaIN, but the former contributed to fewer operative complications and a good prognosis, which deserves clinical promotion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: The giant panda is an endemic species in China and the flagship species of global wildlife conservation. Habitat studies of the giant panda corridor can reveal their survival status, habitat environment, and the threats they face, which is crucial for giant panda population recovery and habitat conservation. The results of this study show that due to the opening of the National Road 5 (G5) Niba Mountain tunnel and the completion of the Niba Mountain giant panda corridor plan, the recovery of vegetation within the Niba Mountain giant panda corridor has led to the emergence of giant panda activity in the area, which may have spread to the central part of the reserve through the corridor. The habitat selection characteristics of the giant pandas in the corridor were clarified by investigating the microhabitats of the giant panda corridor in Niba Mountain. These findings can provide a reference for scientists to formulate practical habitat conservation and management measures for giant pandas in the study area. Habitat reduction and increased fragmentation are urgent issues for the survival and recovery of the giant panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca). However, changes in the distribution and microhabitat selection of giant panda habitats in different seasons in the same region have rarely been assessed. To further understand giant panda habitat requirements, this study analyzed the giant panda habitat selection characteristics and differences using the sample data of the giant panda occurrence sites collected during 2020–2022. The results showed that the giant panda in both seasons selected medium altitudes (2000–2400 m), southeastern slopes, slopes less than 15°, taller tree layers (8–15 m) with a larger diameter at breast height (17–25 cm) and medium density (25–55%), shorter shrub layers (<4 m) with sparse density (<30%), and taller bamboo (>2 m) with high density (>35%). The giant panda microhabitat survey in the Niba Mountain corridor clarified the characteristics of suitable habitat selection for the giant panda in the corridor. The findings of the study can provide scientific references for the development of practical habitat conservation and management measures for giant pandas in the study area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Escherichia fergusonii is a rare opportunistic pathogen in humans and animals, especially with biofilm. Methods: In one case, E. fergusonii with biofilm was detected in the bile, and silver staining was used to prove it had biofilm. The clinical characteristics and drug susceptibility of eight cases of E. fergusonii retrieved from the literature were also summarized. Results: This is a case of E. fergusonii with biofilm, which has not been reported in China. The 8 cases retrieved from the literature did not specify whether they had biofilm, but we analyzed their clinical characteristics and drug susceptibility. All patients were treated with antimicrobial drugs. 8 cases showed sensitivity to piperacillin/tazobactam and imipenem in 6 cases (75%), but poor sensitivity to levofloxacin and ciprofloxacin. Conclusion: The silver staining method proved biofilm in this case, which is the first case of E. fergusonii with biofilm in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Market integration in China is still progressing, while the border effects of trade among regions still exist. The question of whether eliminating or weakening regional bias can promote of China's agricultural trade still remains an important issue. This paper analyzes the impact of regional bias on China's agricultural trade. Design/methodology/approach: This paper constructs a pure exchange computable general equilibrium model of nine regions and three sectors, and analyzes the impact of regional bias on China's regional agricultural trade; Comparing the differences of regional bias on China's inter-regional and external agricultural trade, the paper especially analyzes the impact of the agricultural imports and exports in eight regions of China. Findings: The results show that regional bias has had substantial impacts on China's agricultural trade. Elimination of regional bias would therefore increase China's agricultural exports and imports by factors of 1.32 and 1.63, respectively while its agricultural trade deficit would increase by 84%. Inter-regional agricultural trade in China would increase by 3.53 times. With the elimination of regional bias, the Northern coastal, Central and Northwestern regions would have the largest increase in inter-regional agricultural trade. Unlike the Northern coastal region, inter-regional agricultural import in the Central and Northwestern regions tends to be greater than inter-regional agricultural exports. Originality/value: This paper thus aims to fill existing gap in investigating the impacts of regional bias on China's agricultural trade. Firstly, the model proposed in this paper does not only consider the linkage between the agricultural and non-agricultural sectors, but also the inter-regional agricultural trade linkages of the different regions in China. Secondly, the authors decompose home bias into national and regional biases and assess how regional bias affects agricultural trade of the various regions of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Guiding and encouraging farmers to adopt low-carbon agricultural technologies is highly significant for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, mitigating climate change, and achieving agricultural production development and food security. This study used survey data from 1843 grain farmers in 14 provinces of China to empirically analyze the impact of non-farm employment experience and risk preferences on grain farmers' low-carbon agricultural technology (LCAT) adoption. The results show that for grain farmers: (1) non-farm employment experience significantly promoted the adopting of LCAT. The probability of adopting LCAT by those with non-farm experience is 23.5% higher than those without. (2) Non-farm employment experience reinforced their risk preferences and promoted the adoption of LCAT. The adoption probability of LCAT of those with high-risk preferences was 6.1% higher than those with low-risk preferences. (3) The impact of non-farm employment experience on adopting LCAT was more significant for those with high education and training. Non-farm employment experience outside the province and employment experience in the tertiary sector while working outside significantly affect grain farmers' LCAT adoption. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. This study aimed to analyze the clinical features, antibiotic susceptibility profiles, and outcomes of patients with invasive pneumococcal disease (IPD) at a hospital in Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region, to provide the basis for improving the clinical treatment effect. Methods. Patients with IPD were retrospectively collected from 2013 to 2021. Clinical manifestations, laboratory tests, antimicrobial susceptibility, antibiotic treatment, and outcomes of the disease were analyzed. Results. In this study, we identified 127 IPD cases, of whom 49 (38.6%) had meningitis and 78 (61.4%) had bacteremia. The median ages of pediatric cases and adult cases were 2 years (IQR: 0–5) and 52.5 years (IQR: 35–62), respectively. There were 27 and 45 males in the pediatric and adult groups, and no significant gender difference in the different age groups (p = 0.584) was found. Of 75 cases with underlying diseases, pneumonia (11%), malignancy (11%), hypertension (9.4%), and hepatic cirrhosis (7.9%) were the most common. The incidence of underlying diseases was even higher in the adult group (67.1%) than in the pediatric group (47.1%) (p = 0.028). The frequency of fever, cough, and seizures was significantly higher in the pediatric group than in the adult group, with p -values of 0.004, 0.004, and 0.001, respectively. The percentage of neutrophils in the blood was significantly higher in the adult cases than in the pediatric cases (p < 0.001). Furthermore, there was a significantly higher WBC count (p < 0.001), percentage of neutrophils (p = 0.012), and protein level (p = 0.019) in the CSF samples in the adult patients compared to pediatric patients. The susceptibility rates of S. pneumoniae isolates to vancomycin, linezolid, and levofloxacin were 100%. The susceptibility rates of penicillin were 98.7% and 34.1% in bacteremia and meningitis patients, respectively. Most isolates were resistant to erythromycin, clindamycin, tetracycline, and azithromycin. The most common antibiotic treatment was β-lactams. Seven (5.5%) patients died during hospitalization, and 38 (29.9%) patients' health deteriorated. Conclusion. These results may provide a reference basis for the diagnosis and empiric treatment of IPD in the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Several polygenic risk scores (PRSs) have been developed to predict the risk of colorectal cancer (CRC) in European descendants. We used genome‐wide association study (GWAS) data from 22 702 cases and 212 486 controls of Asian ancestry to develop PRSs and validated them in two case‐control studies (1454 Korean and 1736 Chinese). Eleven PRSs were derived using three approaches: GWAS‐identified CRC risk SNPs, CRC risk variants identified through fine‐mapping of known risk loci and genome‐wide risk prediction algorithms. Logistic regression was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and area under the curve (AUC). PRS115‐EAS, a PRS with 115 GWAS‐reported risk variants derived from East‐Asian data, validated significantly better than PRS115‐EUR derived from European descendants. In the Korea validation set, OR per SD increase of PRS115‐EAS was 1.63 (95% CI = 1.46‐1.82; AUC = 0.63), compared with OR of 1.44 (95% CI = 1.29‐1.60, AUC = 0.60) for PRS115‐EUR. PRS115‐EAS/EUR derived using meta‐analysis results of both populations slightly improved the AUC to 0.64. Similar but weaker associations were found in the China validation set. Individuals among the highest 5% of PRS115‐EAS/EUR have a 2.52‐fold elevated CRC risk compared with the medium (41‐60th) risk group and have a 12% to 20% risk of developing CRC by age 85. PRSs constructed using results from fine‐mapping and genome‐wide algorithms did not perform as well as PRS115‐EAS and PRS115‐EAS/EUR in risk prediction, possibly due to a small sample size. Our results indicate that CRC PRSs are promising in predicting CRC risk in East Asians and highlights the importance of using population‐specific data to build CRC risk prediction models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, the employment situation in China is very severe, and there are both recruitment and employment difficulties in the society. There are many reasons for this problem, among which, the incompatibility between talents training and social demand in higher vocational colleges is one of the main reasons, and it is necessary for higher vocational colleges to effectively evaluate students' skills training with the real demand. Based on this, this paper studies the study of stochastic algorithm and skill evaluation system based on the combing of the construction mechanism of higher vocational professional clusters and builds a higher vocational skill evaluation system based on a simple analysis of the skill evaluation system and related evaluation algorithms in higher vocational institutions. Principal component analysis was selected to realize the quantitative processing of skill evaluation indexes, and random forest algorithm was used to realize skill evaluation. The simulated annealing algorithm is introduced to realize parameter selection, parameter optimization, and weight setting, and experiments are designed to analyze the performance of the algorithm. The simulation results show that the random forest algorithm is applied to skill evaluation with high accuracy, small error, and better generalization ability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Combination therapy with pegylated interferon (PEG‐IFN) and nucleos(t)ide analogues (NAs) can enhance hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) clearance. However, the specific treatment strategy and the patients who would benefit the most are unclear. Therefore, we assessed the HBsAg loss rate of add‐on PEG‐IFN and explored the factors associated with HBsAg loss in chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients. This was a real‐world cohort study of adults with CHB. Hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg)‐negative NAs‐treated patients with baseline HBsAg ≤1500 IU/ml and HBV DNA < the lower limit of detection, or 100 IU/ml, received 48 weeks of add‐on PEG‐IFN. The primary outcome of the study was the rate of HBsAg loss at 48 weeks of combination treatment. Using multivariable logistic regression analysis, we determined factors associated with HBsAg loss. HBsAg loss in 2579 patients (mean age: 41.2 years; 80.9% male) was 36.7% (947 patients) at 48 weeks. HBsAg loss was highest in patients from south‐central and southwestern China (40.0%). Factors independently associated with HBsAg loss included: increasing age (odds ratio = 0.961); being male (0.543); baseline HBsAg level (0.216); HBsAg decrease at 12 weeks (between 0.5 and 1.0 log10 IU/ml [2.405] and >1.0 log10 IU/ml [7.370]); alanine aminotransferase (ALT) increase at 12 weeks (1.365); haemoglobin (HGB) decrease at 12 weeks (1.558). There was no difference in the primary outcomes associated with the combination regimen. In conclusion, HBsAg loss by combination therapy was higher in patients from southern China than those from the north. An increased chance of HBsAg loss was associated with baseline characteristics and dynamic changes in clinical indicators. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To summarize the clinical features of optic neuritis (ON) complicated with chronic hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, and evaluate the effectiveness of different treatment regimens, recurrence of ON, visual prognosis, HBV reactivation, liver function and liver structure changes. Methods and Results Total 19 patients (23 eyes) with acute ON complicated with chronic HBV infection admitted to Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University from January 2015 to June 2021 were included. There were 13 females and 6 males, 15 cases with monocular onset, 17 cases with unidirectional course of disease, and 6 cases with optic disc edema. The time to the worst visual acuity (peak time) was 3 (2, 7) d after onset, and 16/23 eyes had severe visual impairment. Enhanced MRI showed abnormal intensity in orbital, intraductal or intracranial segments of optic nerve, even involving optic nerve sheath and optic chiasm. Anti-nuclear antibody (ANA) was positive in 5 cases and A type Sjögren's syndrome antibody (SSA) was weakly positive in one case. Cerebrospinal fluid (CBF) pressure decreased in 1/7 cases and white blood cell count increased in 2/7 cases. HBV DNA positive group (HBV DNA ≥ 100 IU/ml, 10 cases and 11 eyes) had more severe visual impairment than negative group (HBV DNA < 100 IU/ml, 9 cases and 12 eyes), the difference was statistically significant (Fisher's exact probability: P = 0.005, 0.003). HBV DNA positive group was treated with entecavir, and the recurrence of ON was ignored during follow-up. HBV DNA negative group didn't receive antiviral therapy, one case progressed to cirrhosis, 3 cases had abnormal liver function, and 2 cases had HBV reactivation. Conclusions The visual function of patients with ON complicated with chronic HBV infection was seriously impaired, and the response to glucocorticoid therapy was not good. The visual impairment of patients with positive HBV DNA was more serious than patients with negative HBV DNA. Patients with ON complicated with chronic HBV infection should be treated with antiviral drugs in combination with glucocorticoid therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To investigate the risk factors of liver injury in patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (NMOSDs) after intravenous methylprednisolone (IVMP). Methods A total of 195 patients with NMOSDs who received IVMP in Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University from January 2017 to December 2021 were enrolled. The causal relationship between IVMP and liver injury was evaluated according to Roussel Uclaf Causality Assessment Method (RUCAM). Univariate and multivariate stepwise Logistic regression analysis were used to screen the risk factors of IVMP related liver injury. Results Within 14 d after IVMP therapy, 32.31% (63/195) patients developed liver injury [serum alanine aminotransferase (ALT) > 40 U/L, RUCAM score ≥ 3]. Severe injury (ALT > 120 U/L) accounted for 15.87% (10/63) and mild injury 84.13% (53/63). Logistic regression analysis showed age ≥ 50 years old (OR = 0.969, 95%CI: 0.945-0.993; P = 0.011), previous use of immunosuppressants (OR = 3.543, 95%CI: 1.579-7.949; P = 0.002) and history of IVMP related liver injury (OR = 17.043, 95%CI: 3.400-85.423; P = 0.000) were the main risk factors for IVMP related liver injury. Conclusions The main IVMP related liver injury is mild injury. NMOSDs patients aged ≥ 50 years old, previous use of immunosuppressants and history of IVMP related liver injury are more prone to liver injury when treated with IVMP again. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To summarize the clinical features, treatment options and prognosis of late - onset and very late - onset neuromyelitis optica spectrum disorders (LO - NMOSDs and VLO - NMOSDs). Methods Total 68 patients with NMOSDs admitted to Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University from January 2015 to December 2021 were included, while 55 with LO -NMOSDs and 13 with VLO-NMOSDs. The sex, first-onset symptoms, Extended Disability Status Scale (EDSS), complications, anti- aquaporin 4 (AQP4) antibody and autoimmune antibody, imaging examinations (optic nerve and spinal cord), therapeutic schedule and prognosis were compared between 2 groups. Results Compared with LO - NMOSDs group, VLO-NMOSDs group had higher EDSS scores at nadir (Z = - 2.119, P = 0.034), but there were no significant differences in sex, first-onset symptoms, combination with other autoimmune diseases or tumors, anti - AQP4 antibody and autoimmune antibody, optic nerve and spinal cord involvement sites, therapeutic schedule and EDSS scores within 14 d after acute treatment (P > 0.05, for all). Conclusions Patients with VLO - NMOSDs and LO - NMOSDs have similar demographic characteristics, clinical characteristics, therapeutic schedule and short - term prognosis, but the VLO - NMOSDs has more severe disability at nadir, and its long-term prognosis remains to be further explored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the influence of the severe downturn in the global economic situation, China's economy is currently in a difficult and long transition period. How an enterprise maintains high operational efficiency is especially important. As a key management position, the founder has a strong sense of corporate responsibility. Therefore, this study conducted an empirical analysis of the impact of founder management on the enterprises operational efficiency using data on private listed companies in China's from 2010 to 2019. The results showed that founder management could improve the operational efficiency of enterprises compared with non-founder management. The economic gap between China's western region and the central and eastern regions has not significantly improved, which will directly affect the development of private enterprises in the western region. We compared the enterprises in western region with non-western regions, and showed that enterprises managed by founders in the western region, compared with those in non-western regions, have reduced positive effects of founder management on their operating efficiency. In China, these conclusions have important theoretical value and practical significance for clarifying the relationship between founder management and operating efficiency because the system is different from that of western countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The p-type 4H-SiC are ideal materials of substrate for high-power electronic devices. However, p-type 4H-SiC single crystal substrates with high quality, large size and low resistance could not be produced in China due to technological constraints. In this paper, Al doped p-type 4H-SiC single crystal substrates with a diameter of 4-inch were prepared by physical vapor transport (PVT). Dislocation defects were tested by the corrosion of KOH on the substrate. The crystal quality was characterized by high resolution X-ray diffraction (HRXRD), the crystal polytype was determined by Raman spectrum scanning, and the resistivity was measured by non-contact resistivity tester, respectively. It suggest that as-prepared substrates with low overall dislocation density and total resistivity (less than 0.5 Ω·cm) are prepared, meanwhile their crystal quality are good and crystal polytype is stable. Furthermore, the energy band structure and density of states of pristine 4H-SiC and Al doped p-type 4H-SiC were calculated via the first-principles plane wave ultra-soft pseudopotential method. The results show that the gap width decreases and the Fermi level passes through the valence band after the introduction of Al, which is considered as the characteristics of a p-type semiconductor. This elaborate study pave the way for the large-scale production of the p-type 4H-SiC substrate with high quality and low resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Black goji (Lycium ruthenicum Murr.) is a typical salt‐tolerant plant that can maintain normal growth under high NaCl treatment and is distributed in saline areas in northwestern China. The KT/HAK/KUP (KUP) gene family plays an essential role in K absorption and transport process. However, the role of the KUP gene family in the salt tolerance of black goji has not yet been investigated. Therefore, the objective was to identify the members of LrKUPs in black goji by bioinformatics based on Illumina sequencing transcriptome data. Moreover, the expression profiles of LrKUPs under different NaCl treatments were analyzed based on fragments per kilobase of exons per million mapped reads (FPKM) values above 5, using real‐time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT‐qPCR). A total of 31 LrKUPs were identified, and 19 LrKUPs containing the same K+ transporter domain were used to construct a phylogenetic tree and classified into four clusters. Six LrKUPs with full‐length sequences were discovered by open reading frame (ORF). They were localized to the plasma membrane and the predicted transmembrane regions were 12–14. The selected LrKUPs exhibited different expression patterns under NaCl stresses. It is noteworthy that LrKUPs (‐4, ‐9, ‐11, ‐31) from leaves and stems could withstand higher concentration and longer duration of salt stress compared with roots. In the present study, the KUP gene family was discovered as a potential stress resistance regulator for black goji growth and development, this provides candidate genes for future functional research of LrKUPs. Core Ideas: Salt stress is one of the main abiotic factors affecting plant growth and development.Black goji is a typical halophyte.Transcriptome research can study the function and structure of genes at the whole level.Identification of gene families provide us with a new research direction to study black goji. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Concurrent chemoradiotherapy (cCRT) is the mainstay therapy of locally advanced gastric (G) and gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) cancers with a poor prognosis. Programmed cell death receptor-1 (PD-1) inhibitor has been approved and recommended to treat ≥ 3 line G/GEJ patients. A significant clinical benefit of PD-1 inhibitors in addition to cCRT has been observed in locally advanced lung cancer. Sintilimab, a humanized IgG4 monoclonal antibody with high affinity and specificity for PD-1, has shown promising efficacy with an overall response rate of 85% in combination with chemotherapy in gastric cancer in a phase Ib study (NCT02937116). Patients and Methods: SHARED is a prospective, multicentre, single-arm Phase II trial in China, exploring the efficacy of sintilimab in combination with cCRT in locally advanced G/GEJ adenocarcinoma. According to a Simon optimal two-stage clinical design, 34 patients will be enrolled. All the eligible patients will receive one cycle of induction chemotherapy (S-1 plus nab-PTX) combined with sintilimab, followed by cCRT (radiotherapy plus nab-PTX) combined with sintilimab. Prior to the surgery, patients will receive another cycle of chemotherapy (S-1 plus nab-PTX) combined with sintilimab. In the adjuvant setting, all participants will be treated with 3 cycles of chemotherapy (S-1 plus nab-PTX) combined with sintilimab. The primary endpoint is the rate of pathological complete response (pCR). The secondary endpoints include disease-free survival (DFS), major pathological response (MPR), R0 resection rate, surgical AEs, overall survival (OS), event-free survival (EFS), and safety profile. Moreover, the prognostic value of tumor biomarkers and immune biomarkers will be explored. Conclusion: SHARED is designed to primally evaluate the efficacy and safety of sintilimab in combination with cCRT in locally advanced G/GEJ cancers and to prospectively validate the prognostic value of tumor biomarkers and immune biomarkers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]