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Background: Internet addiction (IA) among students, worsened by Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, has become a social problem with the digitalization of school learning and many aspects of daily life. However, few studies on IA have been conducted among students after the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions in China. Method: This large-sample, cross-sectional, online survey was conducted to explore the characteristics of IA and the association among IA, academic satisfaction, and mental health problems from December 14, 2022 to February 28, 2023 in Sichuan, China. All participants (N = 22,605) were students in colleges and universities, recruited via their teachers and professors. Results: Of all the participants, 14,921 (66.0%) participants had IA. Participants with IA were more likely to have depression symptom, anxiety symptom, insomnia, and lifetime suicidal ideation. In addition, participants with severe IA had significantly higher rates of mental health problems (e.g., depression, anxiety, insomnia, and suicidal ideation) than those with mild IA. A significant IA-byacademic satisfactory-interaction on mental health was identified: participants with higher level of IA showed particularly severe symptom of depression, anxiety and insomnia when affected by low satisfactory of academy (p < 0.001). Conclusion: This study reveals that IA has a significantly negative impact on mental health among college students after the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions in China. IA and academic satisfaction have interactive impacts on mental health problems among students. Further educational and health policies and psychosocial interventions should be developed to reduce IA and enhance academic satisfaction for improving students' mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

INTRODUCTION Nursing staff's assistance for smokers to quit smoking can increase the rate of quitting. The smoking cessation help can be affected by many factors. This study surveyed the use of the 5As (Asking, Advising, Assessing, Assisting, Arranging) approach to support smoking cessation by the nursing staff in Chongqing, China, and analyzed the corresponding influencing factors. METHODS A stratified random cluster sampling method was used to select nursing staff from 8 tertiary hospitals, 5 secondary hospitals, 12 community health centers, and 35 township health centers in different geographical regions of Chongqing. A questionnaire survey was conducted among the nursing staff to investigate their participation in smoking cessation. Binary logistic regression analysis was employed to analyze the influencing factors of smoking cessation 5As behavior of the nursing staff. RESULTS The 1669 participants were 44 males (2.6%) and 1625 females (97.4%), with an average age of 37.00 ± 10.89 years. Among the participants, 55.2% were from tertiary hospitals, 23.2% from secondary hospitals, 14.2% from township health centers, and 7.4 from community health centers. The often or always used behaviors were: Asking, 69.2%; Advising, 53.0%; Assessing, 39.5%; Assisting, 33.7%; and Arranging, 25.1%. The factors that affected all the 5As were: smoking cessation training (AOR=1.60; 95% CI: 1.22-2.11), knowledge of smoking cessation guidelines (AOR=1.75; 95% CI: 1.32-2.32) and the use of smoking cessation Apps (AOR=1.50; 95% CI: 1.09--2.06), and smokers' willingness to quit (AOR=2.20; 95% CI: 1.60-3.02). CONCLUSIONS Smoker's motivation to quit smoking and nurses' knowledge of tobacco cessation resources affected nurses' participation in smoking control behavior. While encouraging smokers to quit smoking, clinical nursing staff should be provided with related resources to advocate smoking cessation. Guided by the Chinese Clinical Tobacco Cessation Guidelines, smoking control knowledge and skills training should be provided for nursing staff to increase their positive attitude towards smoking control, so as to promote their active participation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although the COVID-19 pandemic has greatly changed the way students studied, it is still unknown about the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on students’ academic performance and mental health. Objective: To explore the academic performance and mental health status of middle and high school students after the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions in China. Methods: An online survey was conducted in Sichuan province, China from Dec 14, 2022 to Feb 28, 2023. All participants were students in middle and high schools, recruited via their teachers. The general information, COVID-19-related information, and academic performance were collected. The Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 (GAD-7), and Internet Addiction Test (IAT) were used to assess the mental health problems. Results: Of 60,268 participants, 36,247 (60.2%) middle and high school students reported that their studies were affected by the COVID-19 pandemic, and 24,864 (41.2%) reported that their academic performance had worsened. The prevalence of depression and anxiety symptoms was 38.4 and 32.7%, respectively. There was a significant association between academic performance change and mental health problems. The logistic regression analysis showed that improved academic performance was a protective factor for depression, and declined academic performance was a risk factor for depression and anxiety. Being COVID-19 infected, family members being infected, with quarantine experience, and with COVID-19-related stigma were risk factors for depression and anxiety. Conclusion: Academic studies and mental health status of middle and high school students in Sichuan, China have been negatively impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, even after the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions. Students’ academic performance, academic concerns, and mental health status should be considered for educational policymakers and institutions to improve students’ academic studies and mental well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The tectonic stress field of the southwestern Ordos Basin during the Late Triassic is controversial. The major controversy is whether the southwestern Ordos Basin was a compressional basin throughout the Late Triassic or whether it transformed from an extensional into a compressional basin during this period. We divided the Late Triassic into the early to middle and late to terminal periods. Two paleotectonic stress field simulation models of the southwestern Ordos Basin were constructed using finite-element software (ANSYS 10). Our results showed high consistency with regional geologic correlations, suggesting the credibility of the models. We found that the southwestern Ordos Basin was dominated by NE-SW extensional stress and strain during the early to middle Late Triassic, associated with strike-slip faulting along the western margin of the Ordos block. This is consistent with the development of syndepositional normal faults and was probably induced by the scissor collision from east to west between the North China craton and Yangtze block. The tectonic stress field of the southwestern Ordos Basin during the late to terminal Late Triassic mainly manifested as NE-SW compressive stress and strain. The dominant tectonic dynamics for the Ordos block during this period may have changed to northward compression of the Songpan-Ganzi and Qiangtang terranes. The southwestern Ordos Basin was characterized by compressional deformation and northeastward migration of the depocenter. The southwestern Ordos Basin transformed from an extensional basin associated with strike-slip faulting during the early to middle Late Triassic into a compressional depression basin during the late to terminal Late Triassic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: While the cities in China in which spinal cord injury (SCI) studies have been conducted previously are at the forefront of medical care, northwest China is relatively underdeveloped economically, and the epidemiological characteristics of SCI have rarely been reported in this region. Methods: The SCI epidemiological survey software developed was used to analyze the data of patients treated with SCI from 2014 to 2018. The sociodemographic characteristics of patients, including name, age, sex, and occupation, were recorded. The following medical record data, obtained from physical and radiographic examinations, were included in the study: data on the cause of injury, fracture location, associated injuries, and level of injury. Neurological function was evaluated using the American Spinal Injury Association (ASIA) impairment scale. In addition, the treatment and complications during hospitalization were documented. Results: A total of 3487 patients with SCI with a mean age of 39.5 ± 11.2 years were identified in this study, and the male to female ratio was 2.57:1. The primary cause of SCI was falls (low falls 47.75%, high falls 37.31%), followed by traffic accidents (8.98%), and impact with falling objects (4.39%). Of all patients, 1786 patients (51.22%) had complications and other injuries. According to the ASIA impairment scale, the numbers of grade A, B, C, and D injuries were 747 (21.42%), 688 (19.73%), 618 (17.72%), and 1434 (41.12%), respectively. During the hospitalization period, a total of 1341 patients experienced complications, with a percentage of 38.46%. Among all complications, pulmonary infection was the most common (437, 32.59%), followed by hyponatremia (326, 24.31%), bedsores (219, 16.33%), urinary tract infection (168, 12.53%), deep venous thrombosis (157, 11.71%), and others (34, 2.53%). Notably, among 3487 patients with SCI, only 528 patients (15.14%) received long-term rehabilitation treatment. Conclusion: The incidence of SCI in northwest China was on the rise with higher proportion in males; fall and the MCVs were the primary causes of SCI. The occupations most threatened by SCI are farmers and workers. The investigation and analysis of the epidemiological characteristics of SCI in respiratory complications are important factors leading to death after SCI, especially when the SCI occurs in the cervical spinal cord. Finally, the significance of SCI rehabilitation should be addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aims The role of psychosocial factors on irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) in adolescents is incompletely understood. The aim of this study is to investigate the association between the psychosocial factors and the risk of developing IBS in college freshmen. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted in a randomly selected freshmen population in Wuhan China (n = 2449). Questionnaire evaluated demographics and psychosocial risks. The population was divided into 3 groups: non-discomfort, chronic abdominal discomfort and IBS. The association between the development of IBS and psychosocial factors was analyzed by ordinal and multiple logistic regression analysis. Results A total of 2053 (83.8%) completed this survey (mean age, 18.2 ± 0.9 years; female, 35.6%). Among them, 82 (4.0%) fulfilled the Rome III criteria for IBS. Female (odds ratio [OR], 3.31; 95% confidence interval [CI], 2.47-4.45), experience of abuse (OR, 2.44; 95% CI, 1.10-5.56), and suicidal intention (OR, 2.17; 95% CI, 1.15-4.17) were more likely to have IBS. Compared with chronic abdominal discomfort, however, depression (OR, 5.55; 95% CI, 1.36-22.71) was the only dependent risk factor for IBS. Conclusion The prevalence of IBS in college freshmen is 4.0%, and to the freshmen, psychosocial factors such as experience of abuse, depression, and suicidal intention were associated with high risk of developing IBS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A significant proportion of China's coast has been developed for aquaculture, salt industry, ports and harbors, industry, reclamation, and so on. The stated target, of keeping at least 35% mainland coast in natural status until 2020, in the National Marine Functional Zoning Plan (2011–2020) is unlikely to be realized. This article analyzes the current protection and utilization of mainland coast and discusses effects of coastal over-development. The use of the “redline” policy in natural resources protection, including forests, cultivated land, freshwater and marine ecology is reviewed, and the “redline” policy is advised to be adopted in natural coast protection through such measures as total length control, buffer zones, regional control, inter-region engagement, and efficient artificial coastal areas use and restoration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Two novel dimeric indole alkaloids were isolated from the leaves and twigs of Psychotria henryi. Their structures were established by chemical and spectroscopic methods. Compound 1 was a novel dimeric tryptamine-related alkaloid that contained an unprecedented decacyclic ring system, and compound 2 featured a pyrido[3,4-b]indole moiety adjacent to a pyrrolidinoindole skeleton. The absolute configurations of compounds 1 and 2 were determined by calculation of electronic circular dichroism (ECD) using density functional theory (DFT). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: Both insufficient and excess iodine may produce thyroid disease. After salt iodization in China, the median urine iodine concentration (UIC) of children aged 8-10 years appeared adequate. However, it is unknown whether dietary changes due to rapid economic development in Shanghai have affected whole population iodine nutrition. Objective: To assess dietary iodine intake, UIC and the prevalence of thyroid disease in the general population of Shanghai. Design: A cross-sectional survey was conducted with general participants aged 5-69 years (n = 7,904) plus pregnant and lactating women (n = 380 each) selected by stratified multistage sampling. The iodine concentrations in their salt, drinking water and urine were measured. Daily iodine intake was estimated using the total diet study approach. Serum thyroid hormone concentrations and thyroid-related antibodies were measured and thyroid ultrasonography was performed. Results: The median iodine concentration in salt was 29.5 μg/kg, and 12.8 μg/L in drinking water. Iodized salt, used by 95.3% of participants, contributed 63.5% of total dietary iodine. Estimated daily iodine intake was 225.96 μg. The median UIC of general participants was 146.7 μg/L; UIC ,100 μg/L (iodine insufficiency) was seen in 28.6%; UIC .300 μg/L (iodine excess) in 10.1%. Pregnant women had a median UIC of 135.9 μg/L, with UIC ,150 μg/L in 55.4%. Thyroid nodules and subclinical hypothyroidism were found in 27.44% and 9.17%, respectively. Conclusions: According to published criteria, the current dietary iodine intake in Shanghai was generally sufficient and safe, but insufficient in pregnant women. Thyroid nodules and subclinical hypothyroidism were the commonest thyroid diseases identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The residents' consumption tilting motive is one of the most important factors that determine the balance of current accounts. If the residents of a country are comparatively patient in consumption and tend to tilt their income for future consumption, current accounts will increase. Conversely, if the residents are relatively impatient and tend to consume in advance, current accounts will drop. Based on a co-integration analysis of the balance of current accounts and the value of net foreign assets in China, we have found that in our country the subjective discount factor of the residents is larger than the discount factor in the world market, so the Chinese residents are more patient in consumption. It can be concluded that the consumption tilting motive is one of the important factors affecting the current account surplus in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Environment protection is the premise and basis for sustainable urban development. The key environment problems of Kiaochow Bay Rim in Qingdao were analyzed in this paper and an environmental protection strategy was proposed, including spatial pattern construction, water environment protection, eco-river construction and pollution control of offshore operation. This strategy can promote the harmony of environment protection and exploitation of Kiaochow Bay Rim, which is favorable to reasonable, scientific and sustainable city development mode. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Ethnopharmacological relevance: Huang-Lian-Jie-Du decoction (HLJDD) (Oren-gedoku-to in Japanese) as a famous traditional Chinese recipe is composed of Rhizoma coptidis, Radix scutellariae, Cortex phellodendri and Fructus gardeniae. It has been used to treat inflammation for nearly two thousand years. Aim of the study: To explore the material base for the anti-inflammatory activity of formula HLJDD, its extract was fractionated on D101 macroporous resin to afford two fractions, HLJDD-1 and HLJDD-2. The whole formula, HLJDD-1 and HLJDD-2, and four typical component compounds were then evaluated for their effects on inflammation-related parameters using lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced RAW264.7 cells as a model system. Materials and methods: The effect of HLJDD on carrageenan-induced mice paw edema was first evaluated. A series of inflammation-related parameters including malondialdehyde (MDA), nitric oxide (NO), superoxide dismutase (SOD), prostaglandin E2 (PGE2), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6) and interleukin-10 (IL-10) were then measured in LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells treated with HLJDD, its two fractions, and four typical component compounds (geniposide, baicalin, berberine and baicalein). Results: With the help of principal component analysis (PCA) technique, the data obtained revealed that the two fractions and the major group of compounds in HLJDD (iridoids, flavonoids and alkaloids) complement each other with particular emphasis to synergistically exert anti-inflammatory effects. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that HLJDD exhibited anti-inflammatory effect as a “whole”, which justified the combined use of the four component herbs forming the compound prescription and suggested quality control of HLJDD based on its three types of components. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Danggui-Shaoyao-San (DSS), a traditional Chinese medicinal prescription, is clinically used for the treatment of vascular dementia (VD). This study compared the pharmacokinetics of paeoniflorin, the main active ingredients in Paeonia lactiflora Pall, in VD and normal rats administrated with DSS or pure paeoniflorin. The absorptions of paeoniflorin in both VD and normal group of rats were better when orally administrated with DSS than that with pure paeoniflorin, which justified the combined use as formula DSS. Moreover, a better absorption of paeoniflorin in rats of the VD than in normal group was observed, which is helpful for the treatment of VD. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Shrubs play different key roles in arid regions. Comparisons of shrubs and their site adaptability are essential for correct selection of candidates in developing restoration theory and practice. A survey of topography, soil properties and shrub composition was conducted in fifty-seven 5-m × 5-m plots in an arid valley of the upper Minjiang River, Southwest China. With cluster analysis and critical examinations based on edaphic properties, soil was classified into three groups: dry cinnamon soils (DCS), calcareous cinnamon soils (CCS) and eluvial-accumulation cinnamon soils (EACS). EACS had the highest fertility level, DCS the next and CCS the lowest level. For non-N fixers, soil moisture is the primary limiting factor, and nitrogen the next. However, N-fixers are weakly constrained by soil moisture and nitrogen, the extent of which is species-specific. N-fixers had a significantly higher cumulative relative importance value (44.4%) in CCS than in DCS (34.0%) and EACS (17.3%). The results suggest that it would be reasonable to restore non-N fixers in DCS and EACS and that N-fixers are appropriate for CCS. Compared with grass, shrubs significantly enhanced the availability of nitrogen and phosphorus and soil electric conductivity, and significantly decreased the soil C/N ratio. The median fertility level of soil dominated by N-fixers indicates that N-fixers are suitable driver candidates from grassland to non-N-fixing shrub land. Four native shrubby legumes ( Indigofera amblyantha, Sorphora viciifolia, Desmodium podocarpum and Bauhinia faberivar) and one soil-conserving shrub ( Ajania potaninii) are the top-priority pioneers for ecological restoration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Ecological footprint (EF), as one of the sustainable development indicators, has received considerable attention. However, it has mostly been used as a static indicator. The accurate quantitative analysis on its development trend is still rare. Thus, the autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) model was introduced to enhance the forecasting capacity of EF indicator. Taking Henan Province of China as a study area, we firstly computed the EF and the ecological carrying capacity (EC) in 1949–2006. Based on the computed results, the simulating process of the ARIMA model and the fitting and forecasting results were explained in detail. The final results demonstrated that ARIMA model could be used effectively in the simulation and prediction of EF and the predicted EF could help the decision-makers make a package of better planning for regional ecological balance or sustainable future. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Land use is one of the key factors affecting soil erosion in the Loess Plateau of China. This paper examines soil erosion under different land uses and land-use combinations using 137Cs tracing in the Yangjuangou Catchment, a tributary of the Yan River in the Loess Plateau of Northern Shaanxi Province. The results show that the order of 137Cs activity in different land uses decreases sequentially from mature forest to grass to young forest to orchard to terrace crop, indicating that the mature forests had the lowest erosion rates while the terraced cropland produced the highest erosion amount. The majority of 137Cs is distributed in the top 0-10 cm of the soil layer. The 137Cs activity in mature forest and grass soil is significantly higher than in other land uses. Three land-use combinations on the hillslope were selected to study the relationship between land-use combination and soil erosion. The mixtures of 'grass (6 years old) + mature forest (25 years old) + grass (25 years old)' and 'grass (6 years old) + young forest (6 years old) + mature forest (25 years old) + grass (25 years old)' are better for soil erosion control, lowering soil erosion amount by 42% compared with a land-use combination of 'grass (6 years old) and shrub (6 years old)'. The results provide an important basis for optimizing land-use combinations to control soil erosion on slopes and may also result in important ecological benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate factors that most influence urban road traffic injuries (RTI) mortality and morbidity. The study used linked police and hospital records of RTI patients in the city of Hangzhou during the 3-year period 2004–2006. Three RTI outcome groups were included: (1) fatally injured; (2) severely injured; and (3) mildly injured persons. High risks for fatal road traffic accidents (RTA) were found on urban links, over weekend, during night hours, in male drivers who drove old vehicles without using seat belts, and at exceeding speeds, or with night time accidents and bad weather condition. In case of higher risk for all urban road users on urban junctions, the numbers on mildly injury cases were increasing. The highest combined risk for dying or being severely injured was found in male drivers driving at excessive speed, on urban links, and with night time accidents. Intensifying safety education of motor vehicle drivers, enhancing traffic management and keeping balance of “person–vehicle–road” system will greatly reduce the urban traffic accidents and casualties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epistasis has sometimes been reported in qualitative and quantitative traits of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.]. Our objective was to determine the extent to which epistasis occurred in crosses between soybean lines adapted to similar latitudes in Liaoning, China, and in Ohio, USA. We crossed 'Tiefeng #27' x HS97-4534 and 'Ohio FG1' x 'Shennong #6', and developed random F4-derived lines from each cross and BC1F3- derived lines from the backcross to each parent. We tested the lines, along with parents and their checks, at Plain City, OH, in 2005 to 2007, and at Shenyang, Liaoning, in 2005 and 2006. Comparison of the means of parents, biparental lines, and both backcrosses revealed significant epistasis for plant height, maturity, 100-seed weight, yield, internode length, number of branches, harvest index, and content of protein and oil, but the epistasis was not expressed consistently across environments or parental combinations. Further, in some cases simple digenic epistasis did not account for the results, implying higher-order interactions among loci. Some of the results could be explained by inter- actions of loci controlling timing of reproductive stages and interactions between such loci and the environment. Breeders who make crosses between soybean lines adapted to northeastern China and the midwestern United States should be prepared for a high frequency of poorly adapted progeny. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Five species of sea turtles, including leatherback (Dermochelys coriacea), loggerhead (Caretta caretta), green (Chelonia mydas), hawksbill (Eretmochelys imbricata), and olive ridley turtles (Lepidochelys olivacea), were found in the waters east and south of mainland China and the associated islands. Decades of harvesting and habitat degradation have led to a drastic decline in the sea turtle population in the last century. Many foraging grounds and nesting sites have been degraded or have disappeared as a result of human activities. Nowadays, there are only a few nesting sites and even fewer foraging grounds for sea turtles in China. Fishery bycatch is also believed to have been a major cause of sea turtle mortality in recent years. There is an urgent need for more efforts to be focused on the conservation of sea turtles in the region. However, limited information is available, which has impeded the formulation of effective conservation measures. The goal of this paper is to provide an overview on the current population and conservation status of sea turtles, as well as recommendations for their effective management in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prenant's schizothoracin, Schizothorax prenanti, an endemic fish to China, has undergone a dramatic decline in numbers due to human impacts. We studied its genetic diversity in three tributaries of the Yangtze River: the Qingyi River, which has many hydropower dams, and the Dadu River and Muli River where many hydropower dams are being proposed. Using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP), 621 loci were amplified with seven AFLP primer combinations in 45 individuals. The loci were highly polymorphic and heterozygous (87% polymorphism, 30% heterozygosity). The genetic distances within populations were large. The analysis of molecular variance demonstrated that most variation occurred within populations. The estimated fixation index (Φst) value averaged over all polymorphic loci across the three rivers was 0.0837, indicating a moderate genetic differentiation. The differentiations between populations were significant, and population structure was strong. The results suggested that China had wild populations of Prenant's schizothoracin with considerable genetic diversity in the Muli, Dadu and Qingyi rivers. The proposals to dam these rivers should take into account the importance of conserving their genetic quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A letter to the editor is presented wherein the author discusses the crisis of medical journals in China relevant as of August 30, 2014, with attention paid to the preference expressed by Chinese researchers to use international medical journals instead of Chinese.

Land-use/land-cover change (LUCC) is an important issue of research into global change. To identify the spatiotemporal change and the driving mechanism of land use at the regional scale is of great significance to environmental preservation and economic development in the whole locality. In order to analyze the spatiotemporal change of land cover in Fuxian Lake watershed for the last four decades, our paper extracted the information of land use and land cover in the area using the method of combining supervised classification with visual interpretation. The process of extraction referred to a total of 10 time series remotesensing images (namely the 1974, 1977, 1987, 1990, 1996, 2000, 2006, 2009, 2012, and 2014 phases) as the main data source, and drew on the achievement data from the China Geography Census as an ancillary source. Accordingly, we obtained the spatiotemporal characteristics of the land-cover type change in Fuxian Lake watershed for the last 40 years. Finally, based on the socioeconomic data in the locality, using principal component analysis and multiple regression analysis, this paper analyzed the driving forces of LUCC in the watershed to acquire the major driving force factors, and built up a corresponding multiple linear regression model. The same kind of model was established for the local cultivated land and its driving force factors. The result shows that: 1) In terms of changing trends, along with the increasing human activities in the socioeconomic domain of the catchment, the last four decades has seen a mounting local number of gardens, building regions (districts), roads, structures, artificial piling and digging of land, as well as wastelands and bare surface. As a contrast, there has been a decreasing trend for cultivated land, woodland, grassland, and water for the same term. 2) The variation degree of land cover was higher during the period 1990-96 and 2000-06, and was the lowest in 1974-77. 3) During 1974-77, 1987-2000, 2006-14, and 1974-2014, there was a noticeable discrepancy between the converted areas of various land-use types, which was higher for woodland, grassland, and arable land, and was lower for water by comparison. 4) The cultivated area in Fuxian Lake watershed was positively correlated with such factors as overall population, natural population growth rate, the production value of the primary industry, the production value of the tertiary industry, industrial production value, GDP, fiscal expenditure, living expenditure per capita, and annual average temperature. It was negatively correlated with some other factors, including agricultural population, agricultural production value, rural income per capita, total retail sales of consumer goods, grain total output, the per unit area yield of grain, the amount of fertilizer used in agriculture, the amount of pesticide used in agriculture, and annual average precipitation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Matrine and sophocarpine are two major matrine-type alkaloids included in the traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) Kushen (the root of Sophora flavescens Ait.). They have been widely used clinically in China, however with few reports concerning their potential toxicities. This study investigated the developmental toxicity and neurotoxicity of matrine and sophocarpine on zebrafish embryos/larvae from 0 to 96/120 h post fertilization (hpf). Both drugs displayed teratogenic and lethal effects with the EC50 and LC50 values at 145 and 240 mg/L for matrine and 87.1 and 166 mg/L for sophocarpine, respectively. Exposure of matrine and sophocarpine significantly altered spontaneous movement and inhibited swimming performance at concentrations below those causing lethality and malformations, indicating a neurotoxic potential of both drugs. The results are in agreement with most mammalian studies and clinical observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Salviae miltiorrhizae is one of the most commonly used herbal plants in the treatment of numerous ailments including cardiovascular diseases for hundreds of years. According to the theory of traditional Chinese herbal medicine, S. miltiorrhizae is always used in combination with borneol to obtain better pharmacological effects. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of borneol on the pharmacokinetic and bioavailability of S. miltiorrhizae. The pharmacokinetics studying on rosmarinic acid, salvianolic acid A and salvianolic acid B which are the main active compounds of S. miltiorrhizae in rat plasma, was achieved using a optimal high-performance liquid chromatographic technique coupled with liquid–liquid extraction method. After administration of either single salvianolic acids or salvianolic acids in combination with borneol, plasma concentrations of rosmarinic acid, salvianolic acid A and salvianolic acid B of male Sprague–Dawley rats were determined at different time points (5, 10, 20, 30, 45, 60, 90, 120, 180, 240, 300, and 360min). In comparison with salvianolic acid extract alone, there were statistically significant differences in pharmacokinetic parameters of rosmarinic acid, salvianolic acid B and salvianolic acid A, and the bioavailability of the three salvianolic acids increased by different degrees when the salvianolic acid extract and borneol were administered together. These results indicated that borneol could enhance the intestinal absorption, decrease the distribution and inhibit the metabolism of salvianolic acids. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background and Objectives: Malnutrition in elderly individuals is extremely common. In China, Nutritional Risk Screening 2002 (NRS-2002) is often used to assess malnutrition in hospitalized elderly patients, although a gold standard for elderly outpatients is lacking. The Nutrition Screening Initiative Checklist (NSI) and Malnutrition Screening Tool (MST) have seldom been validated in elderly outpatients. This open, parallel, multi-center, cross-sectional study evaluated the performance of NRS-2002, the NSI, and the MST in estimating malnutrition risk in elderly outpatients.Methods and Study Design: This study included 986 elderly outpatients, with 53.2% being women, from five clinical teaching hospitals in Beijing. The sensitivity, specificity, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of the tools were estimated using a body mass index (BMI) of <18.5 kg/m2 as a reference.Results: The mean (range) age of the patients was 69.6±6.8 (60-100) years. Overall, 4.3% had BMI <18.5 kg/m2, 16.8% scored ≥3 points in NRS-2002, 9.8% scored ≥2 points in the MST, and 37.0% scored ≥3 points in the NSI. NRS-2002 had the highest sensitivity and the best AUC (0.934 vs. 0.642 for the NSI and 0.660 for the MST, p<0.05), and the MST had the highest specificity. The sensitivity and specificity of the NSI were 0.64 and 0.64, respectively.Conclusions: NRS-2002 had the highest validity, and the MST had the highest specificity in estimating the risk of malnutrition in elderly outpatients. However, the accuracy of the NSI should be further verified with large samples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel aporphine alkaloid, magnofficine (1), has been isolated from the root barks of the Chinese medicinal plant Magnolia officinalis, along with seven known compounds. Elucidations of their structures were achieved by spectroscopic methods. Magnofficine is the first example of an adduct of aporphine alkaloid and 4-hydroxyphenethylamino bridged by a methylene. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

With the combination of airborne Lidar and panchromatic images in 1981 and 2021, we investigated the canopy height structure of tropical forests in Menglun sub-reserve in the Xishuangbanna National Nature Reserve of Yunnan Province, and analyzed its relationship with environmental factors by using multiple regression tree (MRT) method. The results showed that forests in the Menglun sub-reserve could be clustered into seven types based on canopy height structures, with tropical rainforest, monsoon evergreen broad-leaved forest, secondary forest, and flood plain forest as the main types. The potential solar radiation, altitude, terrain profile curvature, slope and the brightness value of imageries in 1981 and 2021 were main factors that drove the classification. The tropical seasonal rainforest dominated by Pometia pinnata occupied the largest area in valley and low-land. The monsoon evergreen broad-leaved forest dominated by Castanopsis echinocarpa mainly distributed in the ridge and disturbed areas. The secondary forests had homogeneous canopy surface, which was significantly different from the primary forests. The activities of swidden agriculture about three decades ago had legacy impacts on the physiognomy of secondary forests.

The contents of heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Cr, As, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn) in sediments from 20 representative sections of the ancient town of Suzhou were analyzed to determine the pollution degree and potential ecological risk, and pollution sources were identified. The results showed that the average concentrations of Cd, Cu, Cr, As, Mn, Ni, Pb, and Zn in river sediments from the ancient town of Suzhou were 1.1, 142.6, 90.2, 17.2, 800.1, 63.3, 199.1, and 384.2 mg·kg -1 , respectively, and the proportions of sampling points that exceeded the soil background value of Jiangsu Province were 100%, 100%, 65%, 95%, 70%, 100%, 95%, and 100%, respectively. The geo-accumulation index indicated that the pollution degree of heavy metals followed the order of Pb > Cd > Cu > Zn > Cr > Ni > As > Mn. In general, high Pb pollution, moderate Cd, Cu, Zn, and Cr pollution, slight Ni and As pollution, and no Mn pollution were observed. The potential ecological risk index for heavy metals was determined to follow the order of Cd > Pb > Cu > As > Ni > Zn > Cr > Mn. Generally, Cd, Pb, and Cu presented moderate potential ecological risk, and the others presented low potential ecological risk. The average concentration of heavy metals, geo-accumulation index, and potential ecological risk index of river sediments in the northern and southern of ancient town were all higher than that of Ganjiang River and Huancheng River, indicating that the control of heavy metals should focus on the inner part of the ancient town. According to correlation analysis and principal component analysis, Cd, Cu, Cr, As, Ni, Pb, and Zn might be derived from man-made factors such as fertilizer, road aging, tire wear, exhaust emissions and so on, which Mn was mainly derived from natural factors.

Background: Lipid abnormality and obesity have been proposed to be associated with lumbar disc degeneration, but little is known about the effect of 'lipid healthy but obese' (LH-O) and 'lipid abnormal but not obese' (LA-NO) phenotypes on lumbar disc degeneration in Chinese. The study aims to determine the impact and distinction of LH-O and LA-NO phenotypes on lumbar disc degeneration in Chinese, and to identify the association of related factors with risk of lumbar disc degeneration., Methods: A total of 678 individuals were included with lumbar magnetic resonance imaging, serum lipid levels and anthropometric measurements. Obesity was defined on the basis of body mass index or waist to hip ratio (WHR). Pfirrmann score and Weishaupt's scale were utilized to assess the degree of disc degeneration and facet joint degeneration., Results: The incidence of the LH-O and LA-NO phenotypes were 11.4% and 18.1%, respectively. LA-NO phenotype demonstrates a high incidence for disc degeneration (P < 0.05), while LH-O phenotype confers a severe disc degeneration grade (P < 0.05). No statistical difference in the percentage of severe facet joint degeneration grade in each group (P > 0.05). Elevated triglycerides and greater WHR may be the risk factors for lumbar disc degeneration in Chinese., Conclusion: LH-O and LA-NO phenotypes are common with different status of disc degeneration in Chinese. Elevated triglycerides and abdominal obesity appear to play crucial roles in the development of lumbar disc degeneration.

Samples of soil, air, and locally grown crops from around an old e-waste dismantling area (Fengjiang) and a new e-waste dismantling area (Binhai) in Taizhou were analyzed to investigate the behavior of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) released during e-waste dismantling in the soil-crop-atmosphere system. The results indicated that PCB pollution is still widespread in the study area. The PCB concentrations were clearly higher in soil from FJ than in soil from BH, and the concentrations in the functional zones decreased strongly in the order industry park > residential area > farmland. Historical and current emissions during e-waste dismantling processes are probably the main sources of PCBs to soil because PCB production and use are banned. The long half-lives of PCBs have caused the target congener concentrations in soil not to decrease markedly over 10 years. The "halo effect" may have caused PCBs in soil in the heavily polluted FJ area to diffuse into the surrounding area. Soil-air exchange of PCBs in heavily contaminated FJ area may supply PCBs to air because the temperatures in Taizhou are often high. PCBs can accumulate in crops through various pathways. Less-chlorinated PCBs (mainly including Tri-PCBs) can enter crops by root uptake and translocated to the aerial tissues, and more-chlorinated PCBs (including Penta-PCBs and Hexa-PCBs) at high concentrations in soil can enter underground crop tissues through passive transport. More-chlorinated PCBs in underground tissues cannot be transferred to aboveground tissues of tall crops but may be transferred to aboveground tissues of short crops through the root-to-stem pathway and through soil dust being transferred to aboveground external surfaces., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

BACKGROUND With the in-depth development of minimally invasive spine surgery in recent years, robot- and computer-assisted technologies have been increasingly used and successfully applied to spinal surgery. MATERIAL AND METHODS We performed a retrospective analysis of 60 patients with grade I or II lumbar spondylolisthesis who underwent minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (MIS-TLIF) from January 2017 to December 2017. A robot-assisted surgical system was used in 30 patients for pedicle screw placement. The other 30 patients underwent fluoroscopy-guided percutaneous pedicle screw placement. RESULTS There were 130 screws placed under fluoroscopic guidance, with 26.2% penetration of the pedicle wall. There were 130 screws placed in robotic-assisted surgery, with 6.2% penetration of the pedicle wall. Severe screw deviation (Neo grade III) was identified in 4 screws in the fluoroscopy-guided group, while no severe deviation was noted in the robot-assisted group. In the fluoroscopic group, 15.6% of screws penetrated the superior articular process, and 2.1% screws had severe complications (Babu grade III). However, only 5.1% of screws in the robot-assisted group had severe complications. The mean screw insertion angle was significantly greater in the robot-assisted group than in the fluoroscopy-guided group (23.8±6.1° vs. 18.4±7.2°, P=0.017). CONCLUSIONS Compared to fluoroscopy-guided percutaneous pedicle screw placement, robot-assisted percutaneous pedicle screw placement has the following advantages: greater accuracy, lower incidences of screw penetration of the pedicle wall and invasion of the facet joints, and better screw insertion angle. Combined with MIS-TLIF, robot-assisted percutaneous pedicle screw placement is an effective minimally invasive treatment for lumbar spondylolisthesis.

Aim: To explore the role of psychological factors in gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) and their effect on quality of life (QoL) of GERD patients., Methods: A total of 279 consecutive patients with typical symptoms and 100 healthy controls were enrolled in the study. All of the participants were evaluated with the Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale (ZSAS), the Zung Self-Rating Depression Scale (ZSDS) and the SF-36 questionnaire. The scores for anxiety, depression and QoL of the two groups were analyzed. The correlation between psychological factors and QoL was also analyzed., Results: Compared with healthy controls (34.70 ± 8.00), the scores of ZSAS in the non-erosive reflux disease (NERD) group (48.27 ± 10.34) and the reflux esophagitis (RE) group (45.38 ± 10.27) were significantly higher (P < 0.001). The mean ZSAS score of the NERD group was significantly higher than that of the RE group (P = 0.01). Compared with healthy controls (37.61 ± 8.44), the mean ZSDS scores were significantly higher in the NERD group (49.65 ± 11.09, P < 0.001) and the RE group (46.76 ± 11.83, P < 0.001). All dimensions of the SF-36 form were negatively correlated with the SAS and SDS scores in patients with NERD and RE (P < 0.05). According to the SF-36 form, vitality, mental health and social functioning were significantly correlated with symptoms of depression in patients with NERD and RE. General health was obviously affected by symptoms of depression in patients with NERD (P < 0.05)., Conclusion: Anxiety and depression may play an important role in the occurrence of GERD and especially that of NERD. The QoL of patients with GERD is reduced by anxiety and depression.

Glaucogenin E (1), a new C(21) steroid sapogenin, along with three known ones (2-4) were isolated from the rhizomes of Cynanchum stauntonii (Decne.) Schltr. ex Levl. Their structures were established mainly by the spectroscopic analysis, including 2D NMR. All the isolated compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxicity against human cancer cell lines HeLa, Bel-7402, SGC-7901 and BGC-823.

Objective: To investigate factors that most influence urban road traffic injuries (RTI) mortality and morbidity., Methods: The study used linked police and hospital records of RTI patients in the city of Hangzhou during the 3-year period 2004-2006. Three RTI outcome groups were included: (1) fatally injured; (2) severely injured; and (3) mildly injured persons., Results: High risks for fatal road traffic accidents (RTA) were found on urban links, over weekend, during night hours, in male drivers who drove old vehicles without using seat belts, and at exceeding speeds, or with night time accidents and bad weather condition. In case of higher risk for all urban road users on urban junctions, the numbers on mildly injury cases were increasing. The highest combined risk for dying or being severely injured was found in male drivers driving at excessive speed, on urban links, and with night time accidents., Conclusions: Intensifying safety education of motor vehicle drivers, enhancing traffic management and keeping balance of "person-vehicle-road" system will greatly reduce the urban traffic accidents and casualties.