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The psychological quality is a stable, basic and derivative psychological character, and is a dynamic organization composed of four subs-systems of cognition, personality psychology, mental health and social adaptation. Foreign and domestic scholars have done plenty of researches on the relationship between the academic performance and several main sub-dimensions of psychological quality such as responsibility, methods, initiative and confidence. Based on the previous studies, the study aims to investigate the general situation of senior high school students' psychological quality; How does English performance correlate with psychological quality and its eleven dimensions; What is the difference between high-proficient English learners and the low-proficient English learners in terms of the psychological quality and its eleven dimensions? The results show that the middle high school students have a relatively positive psychological quality; there is a positive and strong correlation between psychological quality and English performance. As for its eleven dimensions, the results show that there is a positively and strongly correlation between English performance and initiative, self-confidence, responsibility, self-control, methods, independence and persistence. There is a correlation between English performance and monitoring, frustration endurance and independence, which is not as strong as the above dimensions. And there is no correlation between English performance and thinking ability and innovation; there exist significantly difference between high-proficient and low-proficient English students in psychological quality, initiative, self-confidence, responsibility, self-control, methods, persistence, monitoring and frustration endurance. However,no difference has been found between high-proficient and low-proficient English students in independence, thinking ability and innovation.

Digital transformation is spreading from urban to rural areas, and the construction of digital villages has become a key growth point for rural sustainable development globally. Digital villages improve the level of basic public services delivery in rural areas via the penetration of digital technology. However, few studies have empirically investigated the theoretical mechanisms underlying the impact of digital villages on various aspects of rural basic public services. To address these gaps, this study investigates the impact mechanisms of digital villages on rural basic public services delivery in terms of accessibility, equity, agility, holistic nature and participation. Using 1840 counties in China as the research sample, this study applies the entropy method to extract a composite index of basic public services and performs correlation, regression, and heterogeneity analyses to examine the effects of digital villages on basic public services delivery. Empirical analysis results show that the construction of digital villages is positively associated with the level of basic public services in rural areas. Meanwhile, heterogeneity analysis results confirms that this relationship is mainly observed in eastern counties but not observed in central and western counties. These findings provide a basis for using digital inclusion to improve basic public services delivery in rural areas and achieve balanced development across regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Acute closed midsubstance Achilles tendon rupture(ACMATR) is common, with various treatment methods developed over time. We retrospectively compared the two mini transverse-incision repair (2MTIR) with percutaneous repair (PR) to determine which method yields better results. Methods: All cases meeting criteria from 2018 to 2021 in our hospital were included and followed up for 1 to 5 years. A final questionnaire with multiple indexes was conducted via phone call. Comparative analysis of these indexes between the two groups was performed using IBM SPSS Statistics (V.26). Continuous variables that passed tests for normality and equal variance were compared using the Student's t-test. Ranked data were compared using the Mann-Whitney U test. Categorical variables were tested with the chi-square test or Fisher's exact test. A p-value of less than 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: There was one rerupture in the PR group. The final indexes for "Tightness Feeling", "Heel Rising Strength", and "Foot Numbness" were statistically different (P < 0.05) between the two groups. The "Re-rupture" and "Return to Sports" indexes showed no statistical difference (P > 0.05). Conclusions: The 2MTIR technique provided a technically straightforward, minimally invasive procedure with well-preserved paratenon and direct end-to-end firm fixation in cases of ACMATR. It resulted in very low complications, easy rehabilitation, and full weight-bearing as early as 5–6 weeks postoperatively, yielding better functional outcomes compared to the PR technique in the 1–5 year follow-up. Trial registration: The study was preliminarily registered and approved by the University of Hong Kong-Shenzhen Hospital Ethical Board with Project number: hkuszh2023074 on May 4, 2023. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Many factors contribute to quality of life (QoL) in patients with schizophrenia, yet limited research examined these factors in patients in China. This cross-sectional study explores subjective QoL and its associated factors in patients. Methods: The QoL was assessed using the Schizophrenia Quality of Life Scale (SQLS). Clinical symptoms were evaluated using the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale (BPRS) and seven factors were extracted. Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and Generalized Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD-7) were used to assess depression and anxiety. Cognitive impairment was assessed using the Ascertain Dementia 8 (AD8). The Treatment Emergent Symptom Scale (TESS) and Rating Scale for Extrapyramidal Side Effects (RSESE) were used to evaluate the side effects of medications. Results: We recruited 270 patients (male:142,52.6%, mean age:41.9 ± 9.4 years). Positive correlations were observed between SQLS and its subdomains with the total score of BPRS, PHQ-9, GAD-7, AD8, TESS, and RSESE (all P < 0.005). Patients who were taking activating second-generation antipsychotics (SGAs) had lower scores on total SQLS, Motivation/ Energy domain of SQLS (SQLS-ME) as well as Symptoms/ Side effects domain of SQLS (SQLS-SS) compared to those taking non-activating SGAs (all P < 0.005). Multiple regression analysis showed that depressive/ anxiety symptoms and cognitive impairment had significant negative effects on QoL (P ≤ 0.001), while activating SGAs had a positive effect (P < 0.005). Blunted affect and unemployment were inversely associated with the motivation/energy domain (P < 0.001). Conclusion: Our findings emphasize the important role of depression/anxiety symptoms and cognitive impairment in the QoL of patients with chronic schizophrenia. Activating SGAs and employment may improve the QoL of these individuals. Trial registration: This protocol was registered at chictr.org.cn (Identifier: ChiCTR2100043537). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Tashisayi Li deposit was newly discovered in the eastern part of the Tashisayi batholith, located in the Altyn Tagh region of Northwest China. A Li-rich composite pegmatite-aplite dyke (γ02) displays superimposed relationships among different Li-bearing phases, including lepidolite-albite-quartz pegmatite (LAQ), spodumene-albite-quartz pegmatite (SAQ), and aplite. The timing and conditions of magmatism and Li mineralization in the Tashisayi remain enigmatic. The study involved field observations, U–(Th)–Pb dating of columbite-group minerals (CGM), zircon, and monazite, and geochemical analyses of CGM and quartz. U–Pb dating of CGM of the γ02 dyke revealed formation ages of 471.6±3.5 Ma (LAQ), 439.6±5.0 Ma (SAQ), and 416.3±4.8 Ma (aplite). Zircon U-Pb and monazite U-(Th)-Pb dating of biotite granite, pegmatitic aplite, and muscovite granite yielded ages of ca. 473 Ma, 439 Ma, and 425 Ma, respectively. The dating results indicate that the rare-metal pegmatites and granites in the Tashisayi area were emplaced during various periods from the Early Ordovician to Early Devonian, consistent with other rare-metal deposits in the Tugeman region. The textural and geochemical analyses on the CGM and quartz reveal that the LAQ, SAQ and aplite crystallized from highly evolved magmas under water-poor and relatively low temperature conditions, experiencing distinct evolution trend and forming processes. Additionally, both LAQ and SAQ were influenced by fluid or magma activities and the pegmatitic melt forming LAQ could enrich both Li and Sn. Extensive tectonic events in the Altyn Tagh Orogen, including ocean basin closure and continental collisions, promote the development of Li-rich granitic magmas. Thus, we argue that the multiple magmatic and Li mineralization events in the Tashisayi area are most likely originated from the melting of Proterozoic crustal materials, and the process was controlled by tectonic interactions between the Central Altyn, Southern Altyn, Northern Altyn, and Eastern Kunlun blocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Outburst floods generated by dam breaches associated with debris flow may have long-lasting effects on the formation and development landscape and the safety of human beings, increasing the difficulty of disaster prevention and mitigation. However, little was considered about channel aggradation contributing downstream damage of outburst flood. Therefore, we investigated a debris flow dam's breaching and flooding process triggered by a 50-year heavy rainfall occurring on 17th June 2020 in Danba, China. The 6-m dam and a concomitant 1.04 × 106 m3 barrier lake were formed by a tributary debris flow blocking the Xiaojin river. We used the dam breach overtopping and two-dimensional hydrodynamic models to simulate the whole process. The dam breach event persisted for 4.5 h with an outburst flood peak discharge of 823.5 m3/s, equal to a 20-year flood. It was noted that numerous sediments of approximately 5 × 106 m3 were transported to the downstream channel, elevating the main channel bed and the terrace by 10–15 m and 2–5 m, respectively. Averaged transportation efficiency of an outburst flood is 1269.73 times greater than a 20-year seasonal flood. We simulated representative seasonal floods and outburst floods based on the pre-beach river geometry, which shows that previous channel capacity is sufficient to convey seasonal floods and the outburst flood. However, the outburst flood could easily submerge terraces and living land using after-breach geometry. Due to river aggradation lifting river elevation, deposited riverbed promotes sediment and flood evolute to living land, resulting in amplified damage. Additionally, we collected 59 dam breaches and demonstrated that local riverbed slopes could increase more than 100 times. During dam breaches, the sharp slope plays a key role in high sediment transportation efficiency. This study can promote understanding the formation and development of channel aggradation triggered by outburst flood and provide more reasonable considerations for disaster prevention and mitigation triggered by outburst flood hazard chain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since China is the largest developing country in the world, its urban reconstruction has significance for countries undergoing rapid urbanization. The recent development of its central cities has gradually changed from large-scale incremental expansion to stock optimization. District boundary reorganization has become a new trend in reforming China's administrative division of central cities. From the perspective of scalar reorganization and regional reconstruction, the adjustment of urban administrative divisions can be regarded as a regional construction strategy initiated by city governments to reshape the spatial structure, improve the governance relationship, and enhance the cities' competitiveness. This study takes Hangzhou, an important central city in eastern China, as a case study to illustrate two ways in which a central city can optimize its urban spaces through district boundary recombination: scale recombination and regional recombination. The findings demonstrate two advantages of district boundary reorganization for China's central cities: it eases the integration of new city districts and urban areas and promotes balanced development within the city. In the future, more Chinese cities will likely choose to reorganize their district boundaries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Insects are a valuable biological resource on Earth, known for their high biodiversity, ease of cultivation, and large populations. In China, the utilization of insects has a long history and has produced significant economic and social benefits. Insect products such as silkworms, silk, and bees are already familiar to the public and have continuously promoted the global economy. Recently, in some ethnic minority areas of China, insect industries have become the main source of fiscal revenue and an essential industrial support for rural revitalization. This has laid a strong foundation for research and development in the insect industry throughout China. It is urgent to utilize national resources to focus on strategic issues related to the high effective development of the insect industry. By gathering related resources for insect research, breakthroughs are expected in the discovery and development of innovative materials, drugs, and proteins based on insect resources. Such advancements will create significant value for human society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Debris flows are capable of rapidly mobilizing and transferring large volumes of sediment downstream, where they can cause severe damage to infrastructure and loss of life. In China, debris flow hazards are widely distributed, but mainly concentrated in the western mountainous area, which has experienced a significant increase in large debris flow occurrences in recent years because of the influence of extreme climate and earthquakes. Our study focused on the Qilian Mountains, on the NE Qinghai–Tibet Plateau, where the geological and meteorological setting provides suitable conditions for the generation of large debris flows: high altitude mountains and deep canyons, strong tectonic uplift, abundant crustal materials formed by earthquakes and weathering, extreme rainfall events, and intense freeze‒thaw cycles. At 18:00 on July 22, 2021, an extreme rainstorm in SE Qilian County, China (up to 50.6 mm of precipitation in 7 h) generated a debris flow in Shenshuicao gully that was the most severe geological hazard to hit the region in 20 years. The debris flow burst out into Shenshuicao gully and destroyed two highway bridges (1–40-m prestressed reinforced concrete T-beam), causing significant economic losses, although fortunately no casualties were reported. Here, we analyzed the "7.22" debris flow using remote sensing, uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) surveying, on-site investigation and sampling, and laboratory analysis to better understand the predisposing and triggering factors of the debris flow. Our findings provide guidance for the prevention and control of sudden debris flow hazards in the Qilian Mountains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The population history of Southeast (SE) China remains poorly understood due to the sparse sampling of present‐day populations and limited modeling with ancient genomic data. We report genome‐wide genotyping data from 207 present‐day Han Chinese and Hmong‐Mien (HM)‐speaking She people from Fujian and Taiwan Island, SE China. We coanalyzed 66 Early Neolithic to Iron Age ancient Fujian and Taiwan Island individuals obtained from previously published works to explore the genetic continuity and admixture based on patterns of genetic variations of the high‐resolution time transect. We found the genetic differentiation between northern and southern East Asians was defined by a north–south East Asian genetic cline and our studied southern East Asians were clustered in the southern end of this cline. The southeastern coastal modern East Asians are genetically similar to other southern indigenous groups as well as geographically close to Neolithic‐to‐Iron Age populations, but they also shared excess alleles with post‐Neolithic Yellow River ancients, which suggested a southward gene flow on the modern southern coastal gene pool. In addition, we identified one new HM genetic cline in East Asia with the coastal Fujian HM‐speaking She localizing at the intersection between HM and Han clines. She people show stronger genetic affinity with southern East Asian indigenous populations, with the main ancestry deriving from groups related to southeastern ancient indigenous rice farmers. The southeastern Han Chinese could be modeled with the primary ancestry deriving from the group related to the Yellow River Basin millet farmers and the remaining from groups related to rice farmers, which was consistent with the northern China origin of modern southeastern Han Chinese and in line with the historically and archaeologically attested southward migrations of Han people and their ancestors. Our estimated north–south admixture time ranges based on the decay of the linkage disequilibrium spanned from the Bronze Age to historic periods, suggesting the recent large‐scale population migrations and subsequent admixture participated in the formation of modern Han in SE Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On July 20, 2013, a landslide-induced debris flow occurred in Dujiangyan city, China. Eleven houses were destroyed with more than 166 fatalities. Previous literature indicated that the 2008 Ms 8.0 earthquake and a long period of heavy rain contributed to this landslide. The rock slide was initiated and 21% of the rupture mass fell from the cliff. These rocks fragmented when impacting the ground and then entrained the base soil. Subsequently, the volume of rockfall increased by 28%. In an area of flow convergence, a short-lived blockage occurred, and the following outburst triggered a debris flow. Previous field investigations have shown that both topography and bed entrainment affect the landslide-debris flow transformation. However, the dynamic process has not been quantified. In this study, the discrete element method (DEM) considering the dragging and rolling effects was used to perform a back numerical analysis to capture the dynamic processes. The computational results indicate two different entrainment scenarios, plowing and shearing. The former occurred when the rock slide detached from the cliff, and the latter occurred when debris material moved above the colluvium. The landslide transformed into a debris flow during a short-term blockage that occurred in the gradually narrowing channel. During flow convergence, the inertial shearing stress developed due to the inter-particle collision. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel avian infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) variant, designated as GX-NN160421, was isolated from vaccinated chicken in Guangxi, China, in 2016. Based on analysis of the S1 gene sequence, GX-NN160421 belonged to the New-type 1 (GVI-1) strain. More importantly, three consecutive nucleotides (AAC) deletions were found in the highly conserved structure gene N. The serotype of GX-NN160421 was different from those of the commonly used vaccine strains. The mortality of the GX-NN160421 strain was 3.33%, which contrasted with 50% mortality in the clinical case, but high levels of virus shedding lasted at least 21 days. In conclusion, the first novel IBV variant with three-nucleotide-deletion in the N gene was identified, and this unique variant is low virulent but with a long time of virus shedding, indicating the continuing evolution of IBV and emphasizing the importance of limiting exposure to novel IBV strains as well as extensive monitoring of new IBVs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have shown that nicorandil has a protective effect on cardiomyocytes. However, there is no study to investigate whether perioperative intravenous nicorandil can further reduce the myocardial infarct size in patients with ST-segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) compared to the current standard of percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) regimen. The CHANGE (China-Administration of Nicorandil Group) study is a multicenter, prospective, randomized, double-blind and parallel-controlled clinical study of STEMI patients undergoing primary PCI in China, aiming to evaluate the efficacy and safety of intravenous nicorandil in ameliorating the myocardial infarct size in STEMI patients undergoing primary PCI and provide evidence-based support for myocardial protection strategies of STEMI patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Synchronously and accurately estimating the flood discharges and dynamic changes in the fluid density is essential for hydraulic analysis and forecasting of flash floods, as well as for risk assessment. However, such information is rare for steep mountain catchments, especially in regions that are hotspots for earthquakes. Therefore, six hydrological monitoring sites were established in the main stream and tributaries of the 78.3‐km2 Longxi River catchment, an affected region of the Wenchuan earthquake region in China. Direct real‐time monitoring equipment was installed to measure the flow depths, velocities, and fluid total pressures of the flood hydrographs. On the basis of field measurements, real‐time mean cross‐sectional velocities during the flood hydrographs could be derived from easily obtainable parameters: cross‐sectional maximum velocities and the calibrated dimensionless parameter Kh. Real‐time discharges were determined on the basis of a noncontact method to establish the effective rating curves of this mountainous stream, ranging from 1.46 to 386.34 m3/s with the root mean square errors of ≤10.22 m3/s. Compared with the traditional point‐velocity method and empirical Manning's formula, the proposed noncontact method was reliable and safe for monitoring whole flood hydrographs. Additionally, the real‐time fluid density during the flood hydrographs was calculated on the basis of the direct monitoring parameters for fluid total pressures and water depths. During the flood hydrograph, transient flow behaviour with higher fluid density generally occurred downstream during the flood peak periods when the flow was in the supercritical flow regime. The observed behaviour greatly increased the threat of damage to infrastructure and human life near the river. Thus, it is important to accurately estimate flood discharge and identify for fluid densities so that people at risk from an impending flash flood are given reliable, advanced warning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. To describe the incidence, risk factors, and potential causes of preterm birth (PTB) in China between 2015 and 2016. Methods. The China Labor and Delivery Survey was a population-based multicenter study conducted from 2015 to 2016. We assigned each birth a weight based on the sampling frame. We calculated the incidence of PTB and the multivariable logistic regression, and we used 2-step cluster analysis to examine the relationships between PTB and maternal, fetal, and placental conditions. Results. The weighted nationwide incidence of PTB was 7.3% of all births and 6.7% of live births at 24 or more weeks of gestation. Of the PTBs, 70.5% were born after 34 weeks and 42.7% were iatrogenic. Nearly two thirds of all preterm births were attributable to maternal, fetal, or placental conditions, and one third had unknown etiology. Conclusions. This study provided information on the incidence of PTB in China and identified several factors associated with PTB. The high frequency of iatrogenic PTB calls for a careful assessment and prudent management of such pregnancies, as PTB has short- and long-term health consequences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Crop residue retention is a main practice for agricultural resource recycling and conservation tillage in China. Cotton production is limited by many factors such as soil properties, resource utilization efficiency, and growth coordination among various organs. These factors will change under long-term residue retention. The purpose of this work was to evaluate the effects of long-term residue management (wheat residue, WR; cotton residue, CR; wheat plus cotton residue, WR+CR; no residue, CK) and potassium (K) fertilization (150 and 300 kg K 2 O ha−1, K150 and K300, respectively) on the coordination between root and shoot growth of cotton, seedcotton yield, and soil quality, as well as to compare the differences in these aspects between residue retention and potassium (K) fertilization. Two ten-year field experiments were carried out at two sites with a wheat-cotton rotation in eastern China. The ratio of root to shoot biomass (R/S), the boll capacity of the root system (BCR), photosynthetic carbon (C) partitioning, and seedcotton yield were investigated. The soil quality index (SQI) was calculated by the main physical, chemical and biological properties of topsoil. The highest value of seedcotton yield occurred under the K300 treatment, followed by WR+CR, K150, WR, CR, and CK at both sites. This trend did not alter with the duration of the experiment. The increments in seedcotton yield under residue treatments peaked in the 8th year. The lower R/S and higher BCR indicated an increased distribution capacity of photosynthetic assimilates to reproductive organs and a higher utilization efficiency of photosynthate under residue retention than under K fertilization. Furthermore, the 13C isotope labeling showed the net assimilation rate and the distribution of 13C to reproductive organs was increased under residue retention. Under K fertilizer application, the seedcotton yield was increased but roots grew redundantly. In addition, residue treatments resulted in notably high SQI compared to K fertilization, and the highest SQI was found under W R +CR. A weak correlation was shown between SQI and seedcotton yield. The long-term residue retention, especially double crop residue retention, can reduce root redundant growth, promote photosynthetic assimilates distribution towards reproductive organs, and synergistically improve seedcotton yield and soil quality. This study provides theoretical basis and management strategy for maintaining the sustainability of wheat-cotton double production. • Accumulation and distribution of photosynthetic carbon were quantified by 13C isotope tracing. • Residue retention effectively balanced assimilate distribution between roots and bolls by reducing redundant growth. • Increment of seedcotton yield under residue retention peaked in the eighth year. • Wheat-cotton double residue retention could maximize soil quality among all treatments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On August 8th, 2017, an Ms 7.0 magnitude earthquake occurred in Jiuzhaigou County, northern Sichuan Province, China. The Jiuzhaigou Valley World National Park was the most affected area due to the epicentre being located in the scenic area of the park. Understanding the distribution characteristics of landslides triggered by earthquakes to help protect the natural heritage sites in Jiuzhaigou Valley remains a scientific challenge. In this study, a relatively complete inventory of the coseismic landslides triggered by the earthquake was compiled through the interpretation of high-resolution images combined with a field investigation. The results indicate that coseismic landslides not only are concentrated in Rize Gulley, Danzu Gully and Zezhawa Gully in the study area but also occur in the front part of Shuzheng Gully along the road network (from the entrance of Jiuzhaigou Valley to Heye Village). The landslides predominantly occur on the east- and southeast-facing slopes in the study area, which is a result of the integrated action of the valley direction and fault movement direction. The back-slope effect and the slope structure caused the difference in coseismic landslide distribution within the three gullies (Danzu Gully, Rize Gully, and Zezhawa Gully) near the inferred fault. In addition, the topographic position index was used to analyse the impact of microlandforms on earthquake-triggered landslides by considering the effect of the slope angle. The study results reveal a higher concentration of landslides in the slope position class of the middle slope (30°-50°) in Jiuzhaigou Valley. These findings can provide scientific guidance for the protection of natural heritage sites and post-disaster reconstruction in Jiuzhaigou Valley. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stevens-Johnson syndrome and toxic epidermal necrolysis (SJS/TEN) are life-threatening disease. However, there are only few epidemiologic studies of SJS/TEN from China. To analyze the clinical characteristics, causality, and outcome of treatment for SJS/TEN in China, we reviewed case reports of patients with SJS/TEN from the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) and Wanfang database from 2006 to 2016 and patients with SJS/TEN who were admitted to the First Affiliated Hospital of Fujian Medical University during the same period. There were 166 patients enrolled, including 70 SJS, 2 SJS/TEN overlap, and 94 TEN. The most common offending drugs were antibiotics (29.5%) and anticonvulsants (24.1%). Carbamazepine, allopurinol, and penicillins were the most common single offending drugs (17.5%, 9.6%, and 7.2%). Chinese patent medicines accounted for 5.4%. There were 76 (45.8%) patients receiving systemic steroid and intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) in combination therapy, especially for TEN (80.3%), and others were treated with systemic steroids alone. Mortality rate of combination treatment comparing with steroid alone in TEN patients had no statistical significance. In conclusion, carbamazepine and allopurinol were the leading causative drugs for SJS/TEN in China. Combination of IVIG and steroids is a common treatment for TEN, but its efficacy in improving mortality needs further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acrylamide content in food market in China was determined with the goal to evaluate related health concern. In this survey, products of rice, potato corn, wheat as well as dried fruit slices and instant foods were analysed. All these types of thermal-processed carbohydrate-rich foods were frequently consumed in China. They were purchased from markets in Zhejiang province and analysed using a liquid chromatography tandem/mass spectrometry method. Acrylamide was detected in 94.3% of 105 investigated samples, ranging from 10 to 3649 μg/kg with an average value of 231 μg/kg and a median of 114 μg/kg. In this study, high levels were found in potato products (564 ± 285 μg/kg), corn products (524 ± 187 μg/kg) and instant foods (180 ± 35 μg/kg) while low levels were measured in rice products (82 ± 17 μg/kg), wheat products (96 ± 29 μg/kg) and dried fruit slices (83 ± 13 μg/kg). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To alleviate congestion, many Chinese cities have adopted either one of the two car ownership policies, namely, license plate auction or license plate lottery, to limit the number of cars on the road. In an effort to address the criticism associated with administering a single car ownership policy, cities are considering the possibility of carrying out both policies simultaneously, so that residents can choose whether to pay for the license plate through an auction or get it for free from a lottery but with a longer wait time. We study residents’ preferences toward the two car ownership policies when both are administered at the same time, a problem that has not been investigated in the literature. We then examine the influence of car ownership policies on the choice of electric cars, which is also new to the literature. Using data collected from a stated preference survey, we estimate mixed logit models using the hierarchical Bayes approach based on the Markov Chain Monte Carlo method. Results show that strong preference heterogeneity exists in respondents’ policy choice. We proceed to conduct regression analysis to explain the variations in the preferences toward license plate auction and electric cars. Our main results include: (1) We find that prospective car buyers in Beijing and Shanghai are willing to bid 27,000 yuan and 49,000 yuan to shorten their wait time to get car license plates by one year, respectively; (2) The subsidy to electric cars can be reduced by 102,000 yuan in Beijing and 85,000 yuan in Shanghai if the wait time for an electric car license plate is shortened by one year; (3) Car buyers in favor of license plate auction are those who are from high-income households, who are not buying their first cars, and who are below 30 or above 40 years old; and (4) When promoting the adoption of electric cars, policy incentives, such as making it easier to obtain an electric car license plate and providing attractive subsidies, are as important as the technological advancement electric car manufacturers strive to make, such as improving the driving range of electric cars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the heterogeneity of vehicle ownership decisions in China is vital to accurately estimating the rate of vehicle ownership in its various provinces. In this study, we employ a latent class model to investigate the heterogeneity of vehicle ownership behavior, based on the China Household Finance Survey (CHFS) data. The results show that the households within the CHFS data can be categorized into two classes, and that households within each class rank the importance of socioeconomic variables in significantly different ways. For instance, with regards to deciding to own a vehicle, the households in Class 1 (the income-based class) rank household income as the most important factor, while the households in Class 2 (the comprehensive considerations class) rank household income, household status, and household size as being almost equally important. Further, the model coefficients also reveal the evolution of vehicle ownership in the near future, and how changes in macroeconomic variables may influence household vehicle ownership decisions. In application, the results can be used to assist policy makers in designing policies that control excessively high levels of vehicle ownership; they can also be used to help auto manufacturers pinpoint specific vehicle models to be sold in different regions of China, so as to drive the highest possible profits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The emergence of colistin-resistance is considered a threat to public health and colistin-resistant bacteria have recently been reported in animal, environmental and human sources. Whereas, the epidemic and dissemination of colistin-resistant bacteria in duck farms have not been surveyed, especially the surrounding environmental contamination from duck farms. We investigated the prevalence and molecular characteristics of mcr-1 -positive E. coli from duck farms in coastal China. 360 mcr - 1 -positive E. coli isolates were collected from 1112 samples from duck farms and surrounding environments. The prevalence of mcr-1 -positive E. coli in Guangdong province was higher than other two provinces we examined. PFGE analysis indicated clonal spread of mcr-1 -positive E. coli between duck farms and surrounding environments, including water and soil. MLST analysis demonstrated that ST10 was more common than ST1011, ST117, and ST48. Phylogenomic analysis also suggested mcr-1 -positive E. coli collected from distinct cities were assigned to the same lineage and mcr-1 was primarily located on IncI2 and IncHI2 plasmids. Genomic environment analysis showed mobile gene elements IS Apl1 most likely plays a key role in the horizontal transmission of mcr-1. WGS further revealed that mcr-1 was found associated with 27 different ARGs. Our findings emphasize the urgent need for effective colistin resistance surveillance in humans, animals and the environment. • High prevalence (32.4 %) of mcr-1 -positive E. coli isolates in ducks and surrounding environments. • Clonal spread of mcr-1- positive E. coli isolates were observed between ducks and surrounding environments. • ST10 was the most prevalent sequence type for 114 mcr-1 -positive E. coli isolates. • mcr-1 was primarily located on IncI2 and IncHI2 plasmids. • IS Apl1 may be an important mobile element for horizontal transmission of mcr-1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. The objective of this study was to investigate the independent and combined effects of maternal prepregnancy body mass index (BMI) and gestational weight gain (GWG) on offspring growth at 0–3 years old. Methods. A total of 826 pairs of nondiabetic mothers and their offspring were recruited in this study. Maternal information was abstracted from medical records and questionnaires. Offspring growth trajectories of weights and BMIs were depicted based on anthropometric measurements. Results. Offspring of mothers who were prepregnancy overweight/obese or obtained excessive GWGs continuously had greater weight and BMI Z-scores throughout the first 3 years of life. Children of prepregnancy overweight/obese mothers with excessive GWGs had a phenotype of higher weight and BMI Z-scores than those prepregnancy overweight/obese ones with nonexcessive GWGs from birth to 18 months. Maternal excessive GWGs increased offspring’s risk of overweight/obesity at 12 months (AOR = 1.43, 95% CI: 1.03–2.00) and 24 months (AOR = 1.51, 95% CI: 1.02–2.25). Combination of excessive prepregnancy BMIs and GWGs was significantly associated with offspring’s overweight/obesity at 30 months (AOR = 2.98, 95% CI: 1.36–6.53). Conclusions. Maternal prepregnancy overweight/obesity and excessive GWG are both significantly associated with rapid offspring growth from birth to 3 years old. Excessive GWGs strengthen the effects of high maternal prepregnancy BMIs on excessive offspring growth during their early life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Dyslipidemia in pregnancy are associated with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM), preeclampsia, preterm birth and other adverse outcomes, which has been extensively studied in western countries. However, similar studies have rarely been conducted in Asian countries. Our study was aimed at investigating the associations between maternal dyslipidemia and adverse pregnancy outcomes among Chinese population.Methods: Data were derived from 934 pairs of non-diabetic mothers and neonates between 2010 and 2011. Serum blood samples were assayed for fasting total cholesterol (TC), triglycerides (TG), high-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (HDL-C), and low-density lipoprotein-cholesterol (LDL-C) concentrations during the first, second and third trimesters. The present study explored the associations between maternal lipid profile and pregnancy complications and perinatal outcomes. The pregnancy complications included GDM, preeclampsia and intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP); the perinatal outcomes included preterm birth, small/large for gestational age (SGA/LGA) infants and macrosomia. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were calculated and adjusted via stepwise logistic regression analysis. Optimal cut-off points were determined by ROC curve analysis.Results: After adjustments for confounders, every unit elevation in third-trimester TG concentration was associated with increased risk for GDM (OR = 1.37, 95% CI: 1.18-1.58), preeclampsia (OR = 1.50, 95% CI: 1.16-1.93), ICP (OR = 1.28, 95% CI: 1.09-1.51), LGA (OR = 1.13, 95% CI: 1.02-1.26), macrosomia (OR = 1.19, 95% CI: 1.02-1.39) and decreased risk for SGA (OR = 0.63, 95% CI: 0.40-0.99); every unit increase in HDL-C concentration was associated with decreased risk for GDM and macrosomia, especially during the second trimester (GDM: OR = 0.10, 95% CI: 0.03-0.31; macrosomia: OR = 0.25, 95% CI: 0.09-0.73). The optimal cut-off points for third-trimester TG predicting GDM, preeclampsia, ICP, LGA and SGA were separately ≥ 3.871, 3.528, 3.177, 3.534 and ≤ 2.530 mmol/L. The optimal cut-off points for third-trimester HDL-C identifying GDM, macrosomia and SGA were respectively ≤ 1.712, 1.817 and ≥ 2.238 mmol/L.Conclusions: Among Chinese population, maternal high TG in late pregnancy was independently associated with increased risk of GDM, preeclampsia, ICP, LGA, macrosomia and decreased risk of SGA. Relative low maternal HDL-C during pregnancy was significantly associated with increased risk of GDM and macrosomia; whereas relative high HDL-C was a protective factor for both of them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To explore the effects of radiofrequency-electromagnetic fields (RF-EMFs) from mobile phones on depression and anxiety after titanium mesh cranioplasty among patients with traumatic brain injury (TBI). Methods: Two hundred and twenty patients with TBI and titanium mesh cranioplasty who were hospitalized from 2008–2012 were recruited in this study. From November–December 2012, the relevant information was surveyed including socio-demographic characteristics, lifestyle variables, injury-related information, RF-EMF exposure of mobile phone, Self-rating Depression Scale (SDS) and Self-rating Anxiety Scale (SAS). Associations of RF-EMFs exposure after titanium mesh cranioplasty with SAS and SDS were respectively estimated by multivariable linear regression models. Results: The patients with long durations of mobile phone use (β = −6.6,p = 0.002), long individual call duration (β= −5.3,p = 0.012), more daily calls (β = −3.6,p = 0.027), invariably answer call immediately (β = −3.9,p = 0.022) and high comprehensive exposure level (β = −4.8,p = 0.003) had a lower score of depression compared with those without a mobile phone. Moreover, an ipsilateral and contralateral answering phone enhanced the protective effect on depression. Individuals with a long duration of mobile phone use had a lower score of anxiety (β = −4.2,p = 0.008), while those with a bilateral answering phone had higher anxiety (β = 3.9,p = 0.012) in comparison to those without a mobile phone. Conclusion: RF-EMFs after cranioplasty were significantly associated with the lower risk of depression and anxiety status among patients with TBI. Chronic and frequent RF-EMFs exposure may improve psychiatric disorders among patients with TBI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, two porcine kobuvirus strains, JS-01-CHN and JS-02a-CHN were detected from piglets with diarrhea and asymptomatic, respectively. The sequences of the two strains were analyzed using a bioinformatics software package. The full-length genome of JS-02a-CHN, was detected in healthy piglets was 8121 nucleotides (nt) long excluding the poly(A) tail. There was a 30 amino acid deletion in the 2B-coding region of JS-02a-CHN. We are the first to report a 30 amino acid deletion in porcine kobuvirus from asymptomatic piglets, indicating that porcine kobuvirus may have evolved differently based on geography and host differences. Fecal samples were obtained from pigs with diarrhea ( n = 91) and healthy ( n = 126) pigs and analyzed using RT-PCR. Of these, 64.8% (59/91) of diarrheic piglets and 19.8% (25/126) of healthy piglets were positive for PKV using VP1 specific primers. Twenty-eight (28) virus positive samples were randomly selected and the VP1 gene was analyzed. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the 15 strains isolated from pigs with diarrhea clustered into different branches, while the VP1 sequences from clinically healthy pigs clustered into a single large group. These results indicate that the VP1 gene is diverse in pigs with diarrhea but conserved in healthy pigs in the Jiangsu Province. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Bladder transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) is one of the most common solid malignancies in China. This study examined the antitumor effect and underlying mechanism of action of sunitinib malate in human bladder TCC in vitro. Methods: Bladder TCC cell lines 5637 and BIU87 were maintained in 1640 medium and T24 cell lines in DMEM/F12 medium. All 3 cell lines were then exposed to graded concentrations (0.625-20 μmol/L) of sunitinib malate, sorafenib and cisplatin for 24-96 hours to determine the sensitivities to each drug. Cell viability was measured by the MTT [3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium] assay, and apoptosis was analyzed by flow cytometry. Cell apoptotic morphology was observed by a fluorescence microscope after DAPI (4',6-diamidino-2-phenylindole) staining. Protein concentrations were measured by western blot. Results: Sunitinib malate showed a concentration-dependent inhibitory effect on the 5637, T24 and BIU87 cell lines with IC50's of 1.74 μmol/L, 4.22 μmol/L, and 3.65 μmol/L, respectively. Cisplatin also exhibited good antitumor activity, but whereas sorafenib suppressed proliferation of the cells at concentrations of 10 μmol/L or higher, there was practically no response at lower concentrations. Sunitinib malate treatment resulted in an accumulation of cells in the sub-G1 phase, especially with the T24 and BIU87 cell lines, which induced apoptosis of the cells. Conclusions: Sunitinib malate exerted marked inhibitory activity against bladder cancer cells. The cell growth inhibitory effect of the drug was related to induction of apoptosis. These results suggest that clinical application of sunitinib-based therapy for advanced bladder cancer is possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The controversy that iodized salt may increase the risk of thyroid disorders has been aroused in China during the past decade. Most of studies focused on adult rather than children. We aimed to explore whether iodized salt was associated with an increased risk of thyroid nodule in Chinese children. Methods: The cross-sectional study was conducted in Hangzhou, China, in 2010. Iodized salt intake, urine iodine concentration (UIC) and thyroid nodule (by ultrasonography) were measured in 3026 children. The associations of iodized salt with thyroid nodule were evaluated using multiple logistic regression models. Results: The prevalence of thyroid nodule was 10.59% among Chinese children. Girls (11.89%) had higher prevalence of thyroid nodule than boys (9.26%). No significant association was observed between type of salt and thyroid nodule in pooled samples, boys and girls, respectively. Similar associations were observed between UIC and thyroid nodule. There was no significant association between milk consumption and thyroid nodule as well. Conclusion: The present study indicated that non-iodized salt may not increase the risk of thyroid nodules among Chinese children. Similar associations were observed between milk consumption, UIC and thyroid nodules. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rise of regional sciences and the development of China's rule of law, the development of regional rule of law has constituted an essential part of as well as a new topic for the construction of China's rule of law. The theory of regional rule of law development is formed against the background of comprehensively promoting the rule of law and building a moderately prosperous society in China. The significance of strengthening theoretical research on regional rule of law is twofold : to develop the theory of law and to help resolve the practical issues. When doing theoretical investigations, we have to put emphasis on the ontological, axiological and methodological dimensions of regional rule of law. The development of the theory of regional rule of law can enrich the theory of socialism with Chinese characteristics and that of rule of law. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ischemic stroke is the most common type of stroke and brings about a big disease burden because of high mortality and disability in China. Tetrandrine, a bisbenzylisoquinoline alkaloid isolated from the Chinese herb Radix Stephania tetrandra, has been demonstrated to possess anti-inflammatory and free radical scavenging effects and even regulate astrocyte activation, but the possible role of tetrandrine in ameliorating cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury of ischemic stroke remains unknown. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of tetrandrine on neurological injury and differential proteomic changes induced by transient reversible middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in mice. Male Balb/c mice were divided into sham (n = 30), MCAO + saline as control (n = 30), and MCAO + Tet as tetrandrine-treated (n = 30) groups. Mice in the control and tetrandrine-treated groups underwent 120 min of MCAO following reperfusion. Immediately and 2 h after MCAO, the mice received either normal saline (sham operated and control groups) or tetrandrine (tetrandrine-treated group) intraperitoneally. Neurological defects, brain water content, and infarct volume at 24 h after stoke were used to evaluate neurological injury extent. Treatment with tetrandrine not only mitigated cerebral neurological deficits ( P < 0.05) and infarct size ( P < 0.01), but also decreased brian edema in the ischemic brain ( P < 0.05). Then, fluorescence two-dimensional difference in gel electrophoresis was used to detect our systematic differential profiling of proteomic changes responding to tetrandrine administration. We validated that the expression of GRP78, DJ-1 and HYOU1 was associated with neuroprotective effect of tetrandrine in MCAO model by Western blotting. These findings indicate a potential neuroprotective role of tetrandrine for ischemic stroke and yield insights into cellular and molecular mechanisms of tetrandrine taking place in ischemic stroke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marriage is the most important part in the relationship between men and women. In many societies, marriage means that a man marries a woman and has her live in his home since then. However, this is not the case when it comes to Chinese Mosuo people who practice "walking marriage" and Nigerian Igbo people who have "female husband". Through comparing these two marriage systems, we have found that in both societies the marital relationship, under the influence of their respective traditional practices, is completely or partially reversed when compared with the common patriarchal marriage: men are only biological fathers while women assume the role of social father. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) is an ancient medical system with a unique cultural background. Nowadays, more and more Western countries due to its therapeutic efficacy are accepting it. However, safety and clear pharmacological action mechanisms of TCM are still uncertain. Due to the potential application of TCM in healthcare, it is necessary to construct a scientific evaluation system with TCM characteristics and benchmark the difference from the standard of Western medicine. Model organisms have played an important role in the understanding of basic biological processes. It is easier to be studied in certain research aspects and to obtain the information of other species. Despite the controversy over suitable syndrome animal model under TCM theoretical guide, it is unquestionable that many model organisms should be used in the studies of TCM modernization, which will bring modern scientific standards into mysterious ancient Chinese medicine. In this review, we aim to summarize the utilization of model organisms in the construction of TCM syndrome model and highlight the relevance of modern medicine with TCM syndrome animal model. It will serve as the foundation for further research of model organisms and for its application in TCM syndrome model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sizeable "free-riders" of exhibition complexes have been dotted in adjacent areas surrounding Guangzhou have been dotted in adjacent areas surrounding Guangzhou International Convention and Exhibition Center. Under the imperfect conditions of infrastructure and supporting facilities, an upsurge in the investments of exhibition hall results in the phenomenon of "free-riders", with rapid value increase of land around Pazhou area. Based on the in depth interviews with 70 personnel and half-a-year survey, we come into the following conclusions: 1. Viewing from the causes, the major object of "free-riders" is Canton Fair, which is regarded as quasi-public goods, with strong positive externality, so being freely ridden is inevitable. The tacit altitude of local government has become it internal power. Meanwhile, strong participating system already formed in Canton Fair has enabled the interest pattern hard to get overcome, thus providing opportunities for "free-riders". 2. Viewing from the effect, the phenomenon of "free-riders" is likely to have adverse effect on the convention and exhibition industry, which will eventually affect its sustainable development. The study is a supplement to existing ones, which is of strong immediate significance to the construction and management of exhibition halls in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV), which reflects the stiffness of both central and peripheral muscular arteries, has been frequently used as a simple index for assessing arterial stiffness. The aim of the present study was to investigate the prevalence of arterial stiffness in North China based on baPWV measurements, and explore the associations between increased arterial stiffness and risk factors of cardiovascular diseases (CVD).Methods: Twenty-three community populations were established in North China. For each participant, parameters for calculating baPWV, including blood pressures and pressure wave forms, were measured using a non-invasive automatic device. All participants were required to respond to an interviewer-led questionnaire including medical histories and demographic data, and to receive blood tests on biochemical indictors.Results: A total of 2,852 participants were finally investigated. Among them, 1,201 people with low burden of CVD risk factors were chosen to be the healthy reference sample. The cut-off point of high baPWV was defined as age-specific 90th percentile of the reference sample. Thus, the prevalence of high baPWV was found to be 22.3%and 26.4% in men and women respectively. After adjusted for age, heart rate (HR), systolic blood pressure (SBP),fasting glucose level, and smoking were significantly associated with high baPWV in men; while level of serum total cholesterol (TC), HR, SBP, and diabetes were significantly associated with high baPWV in women.Conclusions: Based on the age-specific cut-off points, the middle-aged population has a higher prevalence of high baPWV in North China. There exists a difference between men and women in terms of the potential risk factors associated with arterial stiffness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: 39 industry sectors in Shandong province were divided into three societies. In Society II an industrial chain linked with industries most closely was identified. Economical scale and pollutant emission of the industrial chain both had an important position in Shandong province. Ridge regression method was applied for respectively constructing models of industrial waste water, solid waste emissions and 6 manufacturing industries in the chain. The relative largest contribution to industrial waste water and solid waste emissions come from respectively clothing & leather & down product industry, food manufacturing and tobacco processing industry. This is due to common effect from pollutant transfer from upstream industries and industrial pollutant emission of its own. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The Erdaohe deposit is a newly discovered large-sized skarn Pb-Zn-Ag deposit located in the middle segment of the Great Hinggan Range, NE China. Geochronologic and geochemical data for the ore-related diorites in the deposit are presented here to explore the age, petrogenesis and geodynamic setting of these rocks. Zircon U– Pb LA-ICP-MS dating results show that the ore-related diorites were emplaced at 145–142 Ma. Geochemically, the ore-related diorites are generally characterized by high Y (22.5–32.7 ppm) and Yb (2.23–3.28 ppm) contents, low Sr/Y (14–40) ratios, light rare earth element (LREEs) and large ion lithophile element (LILE) (e.g., Rb and K) enrichments, and high field strength element (HFSE) (e.g., Nb, Ta, and Ti) depletions. These geochemical features are similar to those of arc magmas. Furthermore, the diorites have low (87Sr/86Sr) i compositions, fairly variable ε Nd (t) values and positive ε Hf (t) values, corresponding to 0.70604 to 0.70720, −7.8 to +2.6 and +4.5 to +8.0, respectively. These diorites have relatively young Sm– Nd and Hf model ages of 1564 to 721 Ma and 955 to 619 Ma, respectively. The whole-rock Pb isotopes show a narrow range. These isotopic data suggest that the parental magma was sourced mainly from juvenile crustal components, followed by assimilation and fractional crystallization in the crust with limited concomitant input of ancient crustal materials during magma ascent. In the Late Jurassic, the Great Hinggan Range was under compression due to the closure of the Mongol–Okhotsk Ocean, while in the Early Cretaceous, it was under extension related to the influence of the Paleo-Pacific plate. Based on the geochemical evidence and regional geodynamic evolution, we conclude that the formation of the Erdaohe deposit was associated with Paleo-Pacific plate subduction. [Display omitted] • The ore-related diorites from the Erdaohe deposit were emplaced at 145–142 Ma. • The ore-related diorites show an affinity with arc magmas. • The diorites were derived from partial melting of the juvenile lower crust. • The Erdaohe deposit was associated with the subduction of the Paleo-Pacific plate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Avian infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) still causes serious economic losses in the poultry industry. Currently, there are multiple prevalent genotypes and serotypes of IBVs. It is imperative to develop a new diagnosis method that is fast, sensitive, specific, simple, and broad-spectrum. A monoclonal hybridoma cell, N2D5, against the IBV N protein was obtained after fusion of myeloma SP2/0 cells with spleen cells isolated from the immunized Balb/c mice. The N2D5 monoclonal antibody (mAb) and the previously prepared mouse polyclonal antibody against the IBV N protein were used to target IBV as a colloidal gold–mAb conjugate and a captured antibody, respectively, in order to develop an immunochromatographic strip. The optimal pH and minimum antibody concentration in the reaction system for colloidal gold–mAb N2D5 conjugation were pH 6.5 and 30 μg/mL, respectively. Common avian pathogens were tested to evaluate the specificity of the strip and no cross-reaction was observed. The sensitivity of the strip for detecting IBV was 10−1.4522 EID50/mL. The strip showed a broad-spectrum cross-reactive capacity for detecting IBV antigens, including multiple IBV genotypes in China and all of the seven serotypes of IBV that are currently prevalent in southern China. Additionally, the result can be observed within 2 min without any equipment. The throat and cloacal swab samples of chickens that were artificially infected with three IBV strains were tested using the developed strip and the qPCR method; the strip test demonstrated a high consistency in detecting IBV via qPCR gene detection. In conclusion, the immunochromatographic strip that was established is rapid, sensitive, specific, simple, practical, and broad-spectrum; additionally, it has the potential to serve as an on-site rapid detection method of IBV and can facilitate the surveillance and control of the disease, especially in resource-limited areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The mineralization in the Dongbulage deposit occurred at 162.1 ± 1.3 Ma. • The early sulfide minerals were derived mainly from magmatic–hydrothermal fluids. • The late sulfide minerals were strongly affected by the surrounding strata materials. • Fluid boiling and mixing were key factors in ore precipitation. The Dongbulage porphyry Mo–Pb–Zn deposit is located in the Huanggang–Ganzhuermiao polymetallic district (HGD) in the southern part of the Great Hinggan Range in northeast China. The Dongbulage deposit is hosted by granite porphyry, and the wall rock alteration can be divided into quartz–potassic, quartz–sericite, and propylitic zones. The hydrothermal activity in the deposit can be divided into five stages, with molybdenite and Pb–Zn ore occurring mainly as veins and veinlets in stages II and III, respectively. The fluid inclusion (FI) types include liquid-rich (L-type), vapor-rich (V-type), and daughter mineral-bearing (S-type) FIs. Based on the combination of FI types and their temperatures and salinities, it is inferred that fluid boiling and incorporation of meteoric water were key factors in the precipitation of Mo and Pb–Zn, respectively. Hydrogen and O isotope data for quartz, and C and O isotope data for calcite indicate that the ore-forming fluids were primarily magmatic in origin, and were mixed with meteoric waters during their evolution. The S and Pb isotope data, along with the mineral paragenesis, suggest that molybdenite and chalcopyrite which precipitated during stage II were derived mainly from magmatic–hydrothermal fluids, whereas arsenopyrite, sphalerite, and pyrite that precipitated during stage III were strongly affected by the incorporation of surrounding strata materials. Rhenium–Os dating of molybdenite indicates that mineralization in the Dongbulage deposit occurred at 162.1 ± 1.3 Ma (n = 6; MSWD = 1.4). The results, combined with data from other deposits in the region of this age, indicate that important mineralization occurred in the HGD during 165–155 Ma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Graphical abstract Abstract Tripterygium wilfordii Hook. F. is a plant used in traditional Chinese medicine to treat rheumatoid arthritis, lupus erythematosus, and psoriasis in China. However, its main active substance, triptolide, has toxic effects on the heart, liver, and kidneys, which limit its clinical application. Therefore, determining the mechanism of cardiotoxicity in triptolide and identifying effective early-warning biomarkers is beneficial for preventing irreversible myocardial injury. We observed changes in microRNAs and aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) as potential biomarkers in triptolide-induced acute cardiotoxicity by using techniques such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay. The results revealed that triptolide increased the heart/body ratio and caused myocardial fiber breakage, cardiomyocyte hypertrophy, increased cell gaps, and nuclear dissolution in treated male rats. Real-time PCR array detection revealed a more than 2-fold increase in the expression of 108 microRNA genes in the hearts of the male rats; this not only regulated the signaling pathways of ErbB, FOXO, AMPK, Hippo, HIF-1α, mTOR, and PI3K-Akt but also participated in biological processes such as cell adhesion, cell cycling, action potential, locomotory behavior, apoptosis, and DNA binding. Moreover, triptolide reduced the circulatory and cardiac levels of AhR protein as a target of these microRNAs and the messenger RNA expression of its downstream gene CYP1 A1. However, decreases in myocardial lactate dehydrogenase, creatine kinase MB, catalase, and glutathione peroxidase activity and an increase in circulating cardiac troponin I were observed only in male rats. Moreover, plasma microRNAs exhibited dynamic change. These results revealed that circulating microRNAs and AhR protein are potentially early-warning biomarkers for triptolide-induced cardiotoxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to examine whether social relationships were associated with sleep status in Chinese undergraduate students. A cross-sectional questionnaire survey was conducted in November 2012 at Huzhou Teachers College, China. The questionnaire involved demographic characteristics, personal lifestyle habits, social relationships and Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). The associations between social relationships and sleep status were analyzed by using regression models after adjustment for potential factors. Poor sleep quality was prevalent among Chinese undergraduate students. Men tended to have better sleep than women. Lower social stress, better management of stress and good social support were correlated with better sleep status, and stress or support from friends, family and classmates were all related with sleep variables. While only weak associations between number of friends and sleep were detected. The results were consistent in men and women. Educators and instructors should be aware of the importance of social relationships as well as healthy sleep in undergraduates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: To evaluate the psychometric properties of the Chinese Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA-C) and assess cross-cultural differences in a community-based cohort residing in the Eastern China. The study included 72 patients with Alzheimer''s disease (AD), 84 patients with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and 146 cognitively normal controls. Sensitivities and specificities were calculated using the recommended cut-off scores. Receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were performed to determine optimal sensitivity and specificity. Criterion validity, inter-rater, test–retest reliability and internal consistencies of the MoCA-C were examined, and clinical observations made. The influence of age, education level and gender on MoCA score was examined. Using the recommended cut-off score of 26, the area under the ROC (AUC) for predicting MCI groups using the MoCA-C was 0.930 (95%CI: 0.894; 0.965). The MoCA-C demonstrated 92% sensitivity and 85% specificity in screening for MCI. Cultural differences from the original MoCA affected the test response rate. The MoCA-C appears to have utility as a cognitive screen for early detection of AD and for MCI and warrants further investigation regarding its applicability in primary care settings in elderly Chinese people. It will be necessary to revise the contents of the questionnaire to account for by local characteristics. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

[Display omitted] • The large Erdaohe Pb-Zn-Ag deposit is a typical skarn deposit. • Boiling clearly occurred during the evolution of the ore-forming fluid. • The ore-forming fluid was derived from magma and underwent intense degassing. • Sulfur originated from the mixing of magma and surrounding rocks. • Fluid boiling and mixing were key factors in ore precipitation. The large Erdaohe Pb-Zn-Ag deposit is an important and representative skarn deposit in the middle segment of the Great Hinggan Range. The Pb-Zn ore bodies are mainly hosted in and among different lithological layers of volcaniclastic and carbonate rocks. The Si–Ca interface with abrupt changes in rock chemical properties and the bedding detachment faults played important roles in controlling mineralization. The mineralization of the deposit can be divided into three stages: (1) pre-ore skarn stage (I); (2) syn-ore quartz–sulfide stage (II); and (3) post-ore quartz–carbonate stage (III). Here, we present a combined study of geology, fluid inclusions (FIs), laser Raman analysis and H–O–S isotopes to constrain the origin and evolution of ore-forming fluids and the source of ore-forming materials. Four types of FIs are identified in the Erdaohe deposit, including liquid-rich (L-type), vapor-rich (V-type), CO 2 (C-type) and daughter mineral-bearing (S-type) FIs. The L-type, V-type, C-type and S-type FIs appear simultaneously in stages I and II, and their homogenization temperatures (Th) are similar, indicating that boiling of the ore-forming fluids occurred. From stages I to III, Th varies from 338 to 475 °C, 194 to 383 °C and 157 to 323 °C, with salinities ranging from 3.87 to 50.72 wt% NaCl equiv., 0.35 to 39.05 wt% NaCl equiv. and 0.18 to 6.88 wt% NaCl equiv., respectively. The main ore-forming fluid was a H 2 O–NaCl ± CO 2 system. From stages I to III, the variations in δ18O fluid range from −2.3 to 7.2‰, −8.8 to 1.0‰, and −13.6 to −3.8‰; the ranges of δD are −141 to −208‰, −133 to −161‰, and −126 to −142‰, respectively. H–O isotope studies reveal that the initial ore-forming fluid was mainly derived from magma and underwent intense degassing, followed by mixing with meteoric water. The δ34S values of sulfide minerals vary in a small range, are concentrated from 5.2 to 10.0‰, and are characteristic of deep-sourced magmatic sulfur. The high δ34S values in the Erdaohe deposit are probably the result of magmatic sulfur mixing with sulfur from the surrounding Duobaoshan Formation. The alteration style related to mineralization, combined with FIs, laser Raman analysis, and H–O–S isotopes, suggests that the Erdaohe Pb-Zn deposit is a typical skarn deposit associated with magmatic activity. The boiling of ore-forming fluids and mixing with meteoric water played crucial roles in ore precipitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

'Public Participation Monitoring and Warning System' (PPMWS) refers to involve the local residents to participate in monitoring and warning geological disasters (mainly landslides, debris flows, and rockfalls). It is an active method originally created by China and has become an essential tool to reduce related casualties in geological disasters. On July 19, 2018, a huge landslide (7.19 Landslide) occurred in the Boli Village, Sichuan Province, China. This landslide destroyed 186 houses and 200,000 m2 arable land in total and caused 13 million RMB (about 1.9 million USD) direct economic loss. However, no people died or missing during the landslide largely due to the PPMWS. Under the instruction from the local government, 437 villagers were evacuated before the landslide and 281 potential casualties were avoided. This article took the 7.19 landslide as a case study to describe the effective function of PPWMS in terms of reducing casualties when residents are exposure to geological disasters. By analyzing the data from the local government (Liangshan Geological Environment Monitoring Station), this case study explained the PPWMS management patterns from the roles of both the government and local people to monitor and make the emergency response and finally reduce potential casualties. Its experiences of involving the public into monitoring and warning geological disasters are valuable and can be utilized by other countries with similar physical and social context as China. Meanwhile, this study provided some suggestion to the improvement of PPMWS in future for better involvement of local residents integrated with the community-based disaster risk management by noted its limitation in this phase. Keywords: Geological Disaster; Monitoring and Warning; Public Participation; Reduce Casualties; China [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Since severe fever with thrombocytopenia syndrome virus (SFTSV) was first reported in 2009, a large number of relevant studies have been published. However, no bibliometrics analysis has been conducted on the literature focusing on SFTSV. This study aims to evaluate the research hotspots and future development trends of SFTSV research through bibliometric analysis, and to provide a new perspective and reference for future SFTSV research and the prevention of SFTSV., Methods: We retrieved global publications on SFTSV from the Web of Science Core Collection (WoSCC) and Scopus databases from inception of the database until 2022 using VOSviewer software and CiteSpace was used for bibliometric analysis., Results: The number of SFTSV-related publications has increased rapidly since 2011, peaking in 2021. A total of 45 countries/regions have published relevant publications, with China topping the list with 359. The Viruses-Basel has published the most papers on SFTSV. In addition, Yu et al. have made the greatest contribution to SFTSV research, with their published paper being the most frequently cited. The most popular SFTSV study topics included: (1) pathogenesis and symptoms, (2) characteristics of the virus and infected patients, and (3) transmission mechanism and risk factors for SFTSV., Conclusions: In this study, we provide a detailed description of the research developments in SFTSV since its discovery and summarize the SFTSV research trends. SFTSV research is in a phase of explosive development, and a large number of publications have been published in the past decade. There is a lack of collaboration between countries and institutions, and international collaboration and exchanges should be strengthened in the future. The current research hotpots of SFTSV is antiviral therapy, immunotherapy, virus transmission mechanism and immune response., 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 © 2023 Zhang, Tan, Jin, Qian, Wang, Zhou, Yuan and Wu.)

Understanding disaster risk perception is vital for community-based disaster risk reduction (DRR). This study was set to investigate the correlations between disaster risk perception and the population at risk. To address this research question, the current study conducted an interdisciplinary approach: a household survey for measuring variables and constructed an Agent-based model for simulating the population at risk. Therefore, two correlations were defined, (1) between risk perception and willingness to evacuate, and (2) between willingness to evacuate and the population at risk. The willingness to evacuate was adopted as a mediator to determine the relationship between risk perception and the population at risk. The results show that the residents generally have a higher risk perception and willingness to evacuate because the study area frequently suffered from debris flow and flash floods. A positive correlation was found between risk perception and willingness to evacuate, and a negative correlation to the population at risk. However, a marginal effect was observed when raising public risk perception to reduce the number of the population at risk. This study provides an interdisciplinary approach to measuring disaster risk perception at the community level and helps policymakers select the most effective ways to reduce the population at risk.

Objective: In 2017, China launched a new round of medical reform (NMR) to address the inaccessibility of high-priced drugs for patients with serious diseases. This study explored the impact of the NMR on the accessibility and affordability of high-priced monoclonal antibodies (mAbs), and the effective promotion policies after the NMR., Methods: We used a standard method developed by the World Health Organization to conduct two surveys on the availability of mAbs and their prices before and after the NMR in the public hospitals in Hubei province, China. By interviewing hospital pharmacy experts, we identified the potential value of the current NMR in improving the access to therapeutic mAbs., Results: The average availability of 13 mAbs increased by 8.1% in the surveyed hospitals of Hubei province after the NMR. The median unit price of 10 mAbs dropped by 34.3%. The average affordability of a treatment cycle of 10 mAbs dropped from 680 days to 298 days of the disposable daily income for a middle-income resident (56.2% reduction). The drug price negotiation of medical insurance inclusion and the promotion of consistent evaluation of generic and original drugs could effectively promote the accessibility of mAbs. However, the zero markup of drug pricing and the limit on the proportion of drug revenues in public hospitals showed certain negative effects on the availability of mAbs., Conclusion: Not all current NMR policies play a positive role in promoting the accessibility of mAbs. To further improve the accessibility of mAbs in the future in China, it is therefore critical to increase the investment in independent research and development of high-quality mAbs, establish localized guidelines for the rational use of mAbs in clinical practice, and have a cost-sharing mechanism for high-priced drugs with multiple stakeholders., (© 2022. Huazhong University of Science and Technology.)

The eutrophication of coastal water has been a critical environmental problem in China's offshore areas. How to effectively assess the status of coastal waters is key for pollution treatment and environmental protection. In recent years, eutrophication-symptom-based and multi-indicator methods, termed "phase II" methods, have been gradually adopted to assess the eutrophication status in some coastal waters in China and have achieved success. The cumulative quantile is typically selected to determine the characteristic value of an indicator in "phase II" methods. The influence of small-scale damaged water bodies on eutrophication assessment may be exaggerated, which often leads to the overassessment of the eutrophication status. In this study, the area ratio method was integrated into the assessment of the estuarine trophic status (ASSETS) method in order to assess the eutrophication status of Xiamen Bay in 2016. The results indicated that, in 2016, the eutrophication status of Xiamen Bay coastal waters was moderate and exhibited spatiotemporal variation. The area ratio method can effectively reduce the effect of small-scale coastal waters with extremely high eutrophication on the overassessment of eutrophication at the broader scale, allowing the eutrophication status to be better reflected, even with limited observation data. The centralized distribution of pollution sources and poor hydrodynamic conditions are the main reasons for the aforementioned phenomenon. Controlling the pollution discharge from the Jiulong River in flood seasons is key to reducing eutrophication in Xiamen coastal waters.