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Introduction: The rapid spread of plasmid-mediated tet(X4) conferring high tigecycline resistance poses a significant threat to public health. Escherichia coli as the most common pathogen which carries tet(X4) has been widely disseminated in China. Thus, comprehensive investigations are required to understand the mechanism of transmission of tet(X4)-positive E. coli. Methods: In this study, a total of 775 nonduplicate samples were collected in Guangdong, China from 2019 to 2020. We screened for tet(X4)-positive E. coli by PCR amplification and species identification. Furthermore, we analyzed the phylogenetics and genetic context of tet(X4)-positive E. coli through wholegenome sequencing and long-reads sequencing. Results: Overall, 146 (18.84%) tet(X4)-positive E. coli were isolated, comprising 2 isolates from humans and 144 isolates from pigs. The majority of tet(X4)-positive E. coli exhibited resistance to multiple antibiotics but all of them were susceptible to amikacin and colistin. Phylogenetic analysis showed that ST877, ST871, and ST195 emerged as the predominant sequence types in tet(X4)-positive E. coli. Further analysis revealed various genetic environments associated with the horizontal transfer of tet(X4). Notably, a 100-kbp large fragment insertion was discovered downstream of tet(X4), containing a replicon and a 40-kbp gene cluster for the bacterial type IV secretion system. Discussion: The high colonization rate of tet(X4)-positive E. coli in animals suggests that colonization as a key factor in its dissemination to humans. Diverse genetic context may contribute to the transfer of tet(X4). Our findings underline the urgent need for controlling the spread of plasmid-mediated tigecycline resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Given the high cost of endoscopy in gastric cancer (GC) screening, there is an urgent need to explore cost-effective methods for the large-scale prediction of precancerous lesions of gastric cancer (PLGC). We aim to construct a hierarchical artificial intelligence-based multimodal non-invasive method for pre-endoscopic risk screening, to provide tailored recommendations for endoscopy. Methods: From December 2022 to December 2023, a large-scale screening study was conducted in Fujian, China. Based on traditional Chinese medicine theory, we simultaneously collected tongue images and inquiry information from 1034 participants, considering the potential of these data for PLGC screening. Then, we introduced inquiry information for the first time, forming a multimodality artificial intelligence model to integrate tongue images and inquiry information for pre-endoscopic screening. Moreover, we validated this approach in another independent external validation cohort, comprising 143 participants from the China-Japan Friendship Hospital. Results: A multimodality artificial intelligence-assisted pre-endoscopic screening model based on tongue images and inquiry information (AITonguequiry) was constructed, adopting a hierarchical prediction strategy, achieving tailored endoscopic recommendations. Validation analysis revealed that the area under the curve (AUC) values of AITonguequiry were 0.74 for overall PLGC (95% confidence interval (CI) 0.71–0.76, p < 0.05) and 0.82 for high-risk PLGC (95% CI 0.82–0.83, p < 0.05), which were significantly and robustly better than those of the independent use of either tongue images or inquiry information alone. In addition, AITonguequiry has superior performance compared to existing PLGC screening methodologies, with the AUC value enhancing 45% in terms of PLGC screening (0.74 vs. 0.51, p < 0.05) and 52% in terms of high-risk PLGC screening (0.82 vs. 0.54, p < 0.05). In the independent external verification, the AUC values were 0.69 for PLGC and 0.76 for high-risk PLGC. Conclusion: Our AITonguequiry artificial intelligence model, for the first time, incorporates inquiry information and tongue images, leading to a higher precision and finer-grained pre-endoscopic screening of PLGC. This enhances patient screening efficiency and alleviates patient burden. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To explore the perception of good death of patients with end-stage cancer by nurses in the oncology department. Method: In the study we used a phenomenological approach and semi-structured interviews. A total of 11 nurses from the oncology department of a Grade A hospital in Taizhou were interviewed on the cognition of good death from July 1 to September 30, 2022. Colaizzi's analysis method was used to analyse the interview data. This study followed the consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (COREQ). Result: Four themes were identified: a strong sense of responsibility and mission; To sustain hope and faith; The important role of family members; Improve patients' quality of life. Conclusion: The nurses in the department of oncology have a low level of knowledge about the "good death", and the correct understanding and view of the "good death" is the premise of the realization of " good death". The ability of nursing staff to improve the "good death", attention, and meet the needs and wishes of individuals and families, is the guarantee of the realization of "good death". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: As a chronic metabolic disease, diabetes poses a serious threat to human health and has become a major public health problem in China and worldwide. In 2020, 30% of Chinese people (aged ≥ 60 years) reported having diabetes mellitus. Moreover, individuals with diabetes living in rural areas face a significantly higher mortality risk compared to those in urban areas. In this study, we explored the inner experience of self-management behaviors in elderly patients with type 2 diabetes in rural areas to inform targeted interventions. Methods: A phenomenological research design was used to explore the inner experience of self-management in rural elderly diabetes. Ten elderly diabetic patients were sampled from December 2022 to March 2023 in rural areas of Yangcheng County, Jincheng City, ShanXi Province, China. The seven-step Colaizzi phenomenological was used to analyze the interview data and generate themes. Results: Four themes emerged: "Insufficient self-management cognition", "Negative self-management attitude", "Slack self-management behavior", and "No time for self-management". Conclusion: The level of self-management among elderly patients with type 2 diabetes in rural areas is low. Healthcare professionals should develop targeted interventions aimed at enhancing their cognitive levels, modifying their coping styles, and improving their self-management abilities to improve their quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complex relationship between aboveground and belowground diversity and whether they act as surrogates for one another remains unresolved. Increasing evidence suggests that investigating phylogenetic diversity could provide valuable insights into the interplay between plants and soil microbes, but the proliferation of phylogenetic diversity metrics has hindered comparative studies and the identification of general patterns. To overcome this challenge, we implemented a multi‐dimensional framework that classifies phylogenetic diversity metrics into three dimensions: richness, divergence, and regularity, each of which captures different ecological aspects of species differences. Then we applied this framework to investigate the relationship between above and belowground diversity in a subtropical forest in eastern China. We found that phylogenetic diversity of plant and soil microbes, including bacteria and fungi, were more strongly correlated at the richness and regularity dimensions compared with divergence dimension. Further analyses revealed that these observed correlation patterns align with variations in soil total phosphorus content, a key factor influencing both plant and microbial phylogenetic diversity at richness and regularity dimensions. Together, our study demonstrated the necessity of using a multi‐dimensional approach to advance our understanding of the complex relationships between plant and soil microbial biodiversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development in uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) technologies over the past decade has led to a plethora of platforms that can potentially enable greenhouse gas emission quantification. Here, we report the development of a new air sampler, consisting of a pumped stainless coiled tube of 150 m in length with controlled time stamping, and its deployment from an industrial UAV to quantify CO 2 and CH 4 emissions from the main coking plant stacks of a major steel maker in eastern China. Laboratory tests show that the time series of CO 2 and CH 4 measured using the sampling system is smoothed when compared to online measurement by the cavity ring-down spectrometer (CRDS) analyzer. Further analyses show that the smoothing is akin to a convolution of the true time series signals with a heavy-tailed digital filter. For field testing, the air sampler was mounted on the UAV and flown in virtual boxes around two stacks in the coking plant of the Shagang Group (steel producer). Mixing ratios of CO 2 and CH 4 in air and meteorological parameters were measured from the UAV during the test flight. A mass-balance computational algorithm was used on the data to estimate the CO 2 and CH 4 emission rates from the stacks. Using this algorithm, the emission rates for the two stacks from the coking plant were calculated to be 0.12±0.014 t h -1 for CH 4 and 110±18 t h -1 for CO 2 , the latter being in excellent agreement with material-balance-based estimates. A Gaussian plume inversion approach was also used to derive the emission rates, and the results were compared with those derived using the mass-balance algorithm, showing a good agreement between the two methods. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T) is a multisystem genetic disorder involving ataxia, oculocutaneous telangiectasia, and immunodeficiency caused by biallelic pathogenic variants in the ATM gene. To date, most ATM variants have been reported in the Caucasian population, and few studies have focused on the genotype-phenotype correlation of A-T in the Chinese population. We herein present a Chinese patient with A-T who carries compound heterozygous variants in the ATM gene and conducted a literature review for A-T in China. Case presentation: A 7-year-old Chinese girl presented with growth retardation, ataxia, medium ocular telangiectasia, cerebellar atrophy, and elevated serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) level, which supported the suspicion of A-T. Notably, the serum levels of immunoglobulins were all normal, ruling out immunodeficiency. Exome sequencing and Sanger sequencing revealed two likely pathogenic ATM variants, namely NM_000051.4: c.4195dup (p.Thr1399Asnfs 15) and c.6006 + 1G>T (p.), which were inherited from her father and mother, respectively. From the Chinese literature review, we found that there was a marked delay in the diagnosis of A-T, and 38.9% (7/18) of A-T patients did not suffer from immunodeficiency in China. No genotype-phenotype correlation was observed in this group of A-T patients. Conclusion: These results extend the genotype spectrum of A-T in the Chinese population and imply that the diagnosis of A-T in China should be improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The purpose of this study is to reveal the mechanism of action of Yi Qi Tong Qiao Pill (YQTQP) in the treatment of allergic rhinitis (AR), as well as establish a paradigm for the researches on traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) from systematic perspective. Methods: Based on the data collected from TCM-related and disease-related databases, target profiles of compounds in YQTQP were calculated through network-based algorithms and holistic targets of TQTQP was constructed. Network target analysis was performed to explore the potential mechanisms of YQTQP in the treatment of AR and the mechanisms were classified into different modules according to their biological functions. Besides, animal and clinical experiments were conducted to validate our findings inferred from Network target analysis. Results: Network target analysis showed that YQTQP targeted 12 main pathways or biological processes related to AR, represented by those related to IL-4, IFN-γ, TNF-α and IL-13. These results could be classified into 3 biological modules, including regulation of immune and inflammation, epithelial barrier disorder and cell adhesion. Finally, a series of experiments composed of animal and clinical experiments, proved our findings and confirmed that YQTQP could improve related symptoms of AR, like permeability of nasal mucosa epithelium. Conclusion: A combination of Network target analysis and the experimental validation indicated that YQTQP was effective in the treatment of AR and might provide a new insight on revealing the mechanism of TCM against diseases. Trial registration Name of the registry: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry: Trial registration number: ChiCTR-TRC-13,003,137: Date of registration: Registered 29 March 2013 - Retrospectively registered: URL of trial registry record: https://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.html?proj=6422. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Screening patients with precancerous lesions of gastric cancer (PLGC) is important for gastric cancer prevention. The accuracy and convenience of PLGC screening could be improved with the use of machine learning methodologies to uncover and integrate valuable characteristics of noninvasive medical images related to PLGC. In this study, we therefore focused on tongue images and for the first time constructed a tongue image-based PLGC screening deep learning model (AITongue). The AITongue model uncovered potential associations between tongue image characteristics and PLGC, and integrated canonical risk factors, including age, sex, and Hp infection. Five-fold cross validation analysis on an independent cohort of 1995 patients revealed the AITongue model could screen PLGC individuals with an AUC of 0.75, 10.3% higher than that of the model with only including canonical risk factors. Of note, we investigated the value of the AITongue model in predicting PLGC risk by establishing a prospective PLGC follow-up cohort, reaching an AUC of 0.71. In addition, we developed a smartphone-based app screening system to enhance the application convenience of the AITongue model in the natural population from high-risk areas of gastric cancer in China. Collectively, our study has demonstrated the value of tongue image characteristics in PLGC screening and risk prediction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With its high mountains, deep valleys, and complex geological formations, the Jiuzhaigou County has the typical characteristics of a disaster-prone mountainous region in southwestern China. On August 8, 2017, a strong Ms 7.0 earthquake occurred in this region, causing some of the mountains in the area to become loose and cracked. Therefore, a survey and evaluation of landslides in this area can help to reveal hazards and take effective measures for subsequent disaster management. However, different evaluation models can yield different spatial distributions of landslide susceptibility, and thus, selecting the appropriate model and performing the optimal combination of parameters is the most effective way to improve susceptibility evaluation. In order to construct an evaluation indicator system suitable for Jiuzhaigou County, we extracted 12 factors affecting the occurrence of landslides, including slope, elevation and slope surface, and made samples. At the core of the transformer model is a self-attentive mechanism that enables any two of the features to be interlinked, after which feature extraction is performed via a forward propagation network (FFN). We exploited its coding structure to transform it into a deep learning model that is more suitable for landslide susceptibility evaluation. The results show that the transformer model has the highest accuracy (86.89%), followed by the random forest and support vector machine models (84.47% and 82.52%, respectively), and the logistic regression model achieves the lowest accuracy (79.61%). Accordingly, this deep learning model provides a new tool to achieve more accurate zonation of landslide susceptibility in Jiuzhaigou County. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Depression in childhood negatively affects the growth and development, school performance, and peer or family relationships of affected children, and may even lead to suicide. Despite this, its etiology and pathophysiology remain largely unknown. Increasing evidence supports that gut microbiota plays a vital role in the development of childhood depression. However, little is known about the underlying mechanisms, as most clinical studies investigating the link between gut microbiota and depression have been undertaken in adult cohorts. In present study, a total of 140 school-aged children (6-12 years) were enrolled, including 92 with depression (male/female: 42/50) and 48 healthy controls (male/female: 22/26) from Lishui, Zhejiang, China. Illumina sequencing of the V3-V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene was used to investigate gut microbiota profiles while Bio-Plex Pro Human Cytokine 27-plex Panel was employed to explore host immune response. We found that, compared with healthy controls, children with depression had greater bacterial richness and altered b-diversity. Pro-inflammatory genera such as Streptococcus were enriched in the depression group, whereas anti-inflammatory genera such as Faecalibacterium were reduced, as determined by linear discriminant analysis effect size. These changes corresponded to altered bacterial functions, especially the production of immunomodulatory metabolites. We also identified the presence of a complex inflammatory condition in children with depression, characterized by increased levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines such as IL-17 and decreased levels of anti-inflammatory cytokines such as IFN-γ. Correlation analysis demonstrated that the differential cytokine abundance was closely linked to changes in gut microbiota of children with depression. In summary, key functional genera, such as Streptococcus and Faecalibacterium, alone or in combination, could serve as novel and powerful non-invasive biomarkers to distinguish between children with depression from healthy ones. This study was the first to demonstrate that, in Chinese children with depression, gut microbiota homeostasis is disrupted, concomitant with the activation of a complex proinflammatory response. These findings suggest that gut microbiota might play an important role in the pathogenesis of depression in school-aged children, while key functional bacteria in gut may serve as novel targets for non-invasive diagnosis and patient-tailored early precise intervention in children with depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: CD4+ T cell counts in certain human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients called immunological non-responders (INRs) could not return to a normal level even with sustained antiretroviral therapy (ART) because of persistent immune activation, which is associated with pro-inflammatory cytokines production and an altered intestinal microbiome profile. Changes in gut bacterial composition have been linked to low CD4+ T cell counts in HIV-infected individuals. However, the association between CD4+ T cell counts and gut microbiota community composition and cytokines levels in INRs (CD4+ T cell counts < 500 cells/μL) from Yunnan Province, China, has not been previously investigated.Methods: To address this issue, we carried out a cross-sectional study of 34 HIV-infected INRs. The patients were divided into CD4 count > 200 cells/μL group and CD4 count < 200 cells/μL group. The gut microbiota composition of each subject was analyzed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. We also compared CD8+ T cell counts, pro-inflammatory cytokines levels, and nutritional status between the two groups.Results: Compared to INRs with CD4 count > 200 cells/μL, those with CD4 count < 200 cells/μL had a lower CD4/CD8 ratio, lower nutritional status and higher serum levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interferon-γ-inducible protein (IP)-10 and interleukin (IL)-1α. Ruminococcaceae was less abundant in the CD4 count < 200 cells/μL group than in the CD4 count > 200 cells/μL group, and difference in alpha diversity was observed between the two groups. Moreover, CD4+ T cell counts were negatively associated with TNF-α and IL-1α levels and positively associated with the relative abundance of Ruminococcaceae.Conclusions: Our study demonstrated that lower CD4+ T cell counts in INRs are associated with a reduced abundance of Ruminococcaceae in the gut and elevated serum pro-inflammatory cytokines levels. Thus, interventions targeting gut microbiota to increase CD4+ T cell counts are a potential strategy for promoting immune reconstitution in HIV-infected INRs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The population of patients with huge hepatocellular carcinoma (H‐HCC diameter > 10.0 cm) is an odd group that is not well adjudicated in the current staging systems, whose prognosis after curative resection varies. We aimed to develop novel models to predict the long‐term outcomes of patients with H‐HCC without portal vein tumor thrombus after hepatectomy. There were 1076 H‐HCC patients enrolled who underwent curative liver resection in five institutions in China. In total, 670 patients were recruited from our center and randomly divided into the training cohort (n = 502) and internal validation (n = 168) cohorts. Additionally, 406 patients selected from other four centers as the external validation cohort. Novel models were constructed based on independent preoperative and postoperative predictors of postsurgical recurrence (PSR) and postsurgical mortality (PSM) determined in multivariable cox regression analysis. The predictive accuracy and discriminative ability of the model were measured using Harrell's concordance index (C index) and calibration curve and compared with five conventional HCC staging systems. PSR model and PSM model were constructed based on tumor number, microscopic vascular invasion, tumor differentiation, preoperative alpha‐fetoprotein level, albumin‐bilirubin grade, liver segment invasion, neutrophil‐to‐lymphocyte ratio or platelet‐to‐neutrophil ratio, and surgical margin or intraoperative blood transfusion. The C‐indexes were 0.84 (95% CI, 0.78‐0.90) and 0.85 (95% CI, 0.78‐0.91) for the PSR and PSM models, respectively, which were substantially higher than those of the five conventional HCC staging systems (0.63‐0.75 for PSR; 0.66‐0.77 for PSM). The two novel models achieved more accurate prognostic predictions of PSR and PSM for H‐HCC patients after curative liver resection. What's new? There is no individual prognostic score or tool to predict the prognosis of patients with huge hepatocellular carcinoma (H‐HCC, diameter > 10.0 cm) after hepatectomy. In this large retrospective cohort study, the authors developed two novel models which could accurately and objectively predict postsurgical recurrence and mortality for patients with H‐HCC after curative liver resection. The models, which are publicly available, are based on eight conventional and easily obtainable clinicopathological and surgical variables. The models could be used to guide postoperative monitoring for patients with a high risk of recurrence, and may thus potentially contribute to improving survival in these patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Talaromyces marneffei (T. marneffei) infection has been associated with adult-onset immunodeficiency due to anti-IFN-γ autoantibodies. We aimed to investigate the clinical features of non-HIV-infected patients with T. marneffei infection in southern China.Methods: Between January 2018 and September 2020, we enrolled patients with T. marneffei infection who were HIV-negative (group TM, n = 42), including anti-IFN-γ autoantibody-positive (group TMP, n = 22) and anti-IFN-γ autoantibody-negative (group TMN, n = 20) patients and healthy controls (group HC, n = 40). Anti-IFN-γ autoantibodies were detected by ELISA. Clinical characteristics and clinical laboratory parameters were recorded.Results: Compared with anti-IFN-γ autoantibody-negative patients with T. marneffei infection, anti-IFN-γ autoantibody-positive patients did not have underlying respiratory disease; more frequently exhibited dissemination of systemic infections with severe pleural effusion; had higher WBC counts, C-reactive protein levels, erythrocyte sedimentation rates, and neutrophil and CD8+ T cell counts; had lower hemoglobin levels; and were more likely to have other intracellular pathogen infections. Most of these patients had poor outcomes despite standardized antimicrobial therapy.Conclusion: T. marneffei-infected patients with higher anti-IFN-γ autoantibody titers have more severe disease and complex clinical conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Few data on recurrent bacterial meningitis (RBM) in children are available. Here, we estimated the frequency of RBM in children and investigated the predisposing conditions, etiology, and clinical characteristics of RBM in children. Methods Cases of RBM in the Beijing Children's Hospital medical record database between January 2006 and December 2019 were collected. Results In total, 1905 children with bacterial meningitis (BM) were documented in the Beijing Children's Hospital medical record database. A total of 43 patients had RBM. The rate of RBM in children was 2.3% (43/1905). Forty (93.0%) patients had predisposing conditions, including 15 (34.9%) cases of inner ear malformations, 5 (11.6%) cases of dermal sinus tracts, 9 (20.9%) cases of head injury, 5 (11.6%) cases of congenital cranial meningocele, 3 (7.0%) cases of congenital skull base defects, 3 (7.0%) cases of immunodeficiency, and other 3 (7.0%) cases of unknown reason. Among all the 121 BM episodes, a total of 64 episodes were etiologically confirmed BM and the other 57 episodes were probable BM. Streptococcus pneumoniae (n = 52) was accounted for 81.3% of confirmed BM episodes. Thirty-four of the 37 patients with congenital or acquired anatomical defects were available to follow up after surgeries, and all of them had no BM after surgeries. Three patients with antibody deficiencies got intravenous immunoglobulin therapy and they did not suffer BM anymore. Conclusions RBM is rare in children. The majority of children with RBM had predisposing conditions including congenital/acquired anatomical defects and immunodeficiency. Interventions should be implemented to solve the underlying conditions to avoid RBM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Social capital has been linked to health behaviours, but the underlying mechanism is unclear. Previous studies have found that health literacy played the role of a mediator in the relationships among social capital, individual physical activity and nutrition. But it is not clear whether eHealth literacy mediates the impact of social capital on health behaviours. Therefore, our research aimed to explore the relationships among social capital (structural and cognitive social capital), eHealth literacy, and the health behaviours of elderly people, and to analyse the mediating effect of eHealth literacy, while providing a theoretical basis for a health behaviour intervention for elderly people.Methods: From January to February 2019, we conducted a cross-sectional survey of 1201 Chinese people aged over 60 years using the Chinese Shortened Social Capital Scale (contains two subscales of structural social capital and cognitive social capital), eHealth Literacy Scale, and Health-Promoting Lifestyle Profile. We used structural equation modelling to test a hypothetical mediation model.Results: The mean scores of social capital was 72.07 (SD = 13.03), 17.24 (SD = 9.34) for eHealth literacy, and 112.23 (SD = 23.25) for health behaviours. Social capital and eHealth literacy were significantly correlated with health behaviours, and social capital and structural social capital were significantly correlated with eHealth literacy. Lastly, eHealth literacy mediated the relationship between structural social capital and health behaviours.Conclusions: eHealth literacy was an important mediating factor for elderly people's structural social capital and health behaviours. Therefore, social capital and eHealth literacy must be considered when designing and implementing health behaviour intervention programmes for elderly people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plant community may provide products and services to humans. However, patterns and drivers of community stability along a precipitation gradient remain unclear. A regional‐scale transect survey was conducted over a 3‐year period from 2013 to 2015, along a precipitation gradient from 275 to 555 mm and spanning 440 km in length from west to east in a temperate semiarid grassland of northern China, a central part of the Eurasian steppe. Our study provided regional‐scale evidence that the community stability increased with increasing precipitation in the semiarid ecosystem. The patterns of community stability along a precipitation gradient were ascribed to community composition and community dynamics, such as species richness and species asynchrony, rather than the abiotic effect of precipitation. Species richness regulated the temporal mean (μ) of aboveground net primary productivity (ANPP), while species asynchrony regulated the temporal standard deviation (σ) of ANPP, which in turn contributed to community stability. Our findings highlight the crucial role of community composition and community dynamics in regulating community stability under climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An unstable wedge block with a volume of approximately 1,200,000 m3, intersected by an anti-dipped large fault and two outward-dipped faults, has been identified on the high-steep slope at the entrance of the tunnel spillway of the Shuangjiangkou hydropower station in China, a region characterized by high tectonic stresses. In this study, kinematic analysis was first conducted to preliminarily assess the possibility of block sliding, and then a three-dimensional discrete element code (3DEC) was utilized to analyze the mechanism of block instability during sequential excavation and reinforcement. The results showed that block sliding is caused by continuous excavation and deterioration of the mechanical properties of the bottom sliding surface. The failure behavior of the slope is primarily governed by the wedge block, which slides along the intersection line of two outward-dipped faults. After the excavation of Layers 1–4, the shear displacements of the faults exhibited accelerated and abrupt characteristics. Finally, the pretension cable proved effective in restraining block sliding, increasing the factor of safety for the slope from 1.16 to 1.28 after complete excavation and reinforcement. This study offers significant insights into the analysis of failure mechanisms in similar engineering challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phytochemical investigation on the roots of Swietenia macrophylla yielded one new pharagmalin-type limonoid named 2-dehydroxyl-swietephragmin C (1) and one new xanthone, 1,5-dihydroxy-6-methoxy-6′,6′-dimethyl-2H-pyrano[2′,3′:3,2]xanthone (2), in addition to three known compounds. The structures of the new compounds were unambiguously determined by comprehensive spectroscopic methods (NMR, UV, IR, MS), as well as by comparison with the reported data in the literature. Xanthones were reported from Swietenia genus for the first time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tourism symbiosis is a social phenomenon consisting of many complex factors, and the reciprocal cooperation among multiple tourist agents at tourist destinations is the crux of the sustainable development of tourism. This study is from the perspective of tourist enterprises, and introduces the Symbiosis Theory of genecology. A quantitative evaluation is used to analyze both the equilibrium state of the combined symbiotic behavior routes and the behavior patterns of tourist enterprises with local governments, community residents, tourists and tourist enterprises around Qinghai Lake. The findings reveal: (1)the symbiotic behavior routes of the multiple tourist agents "E→G-R-T-E" in the Qinghai Lake area are constituted of intense symbiotic indications, while the maximum dimensionality of symbiotic interest of "E→G-R-T-E" is still in the state of disequilibrium and dissymmetry; (2)the symbiotic model of multiple tourist agents "E→G-R-T-E" in the Qinghai Lake area is an asymmetrically positive symbiotic model. It is proposed that, by establishing symbiotic mechanisms for guidance, decisions, supervisory control and profit distribution, the participation mechanism for multiple agents "E-G-R-T" can be further standardized. Moreover, tourist enterprises should be regarded as the primary agents to optimize the symbiotic model for "E→G-R-T-E" through the reinforcement of integrative supply and the construction of integrative effect, and finally promote the integrative symbiotic model of symmetrical reciprocity of the E-R-G-T model "driven by scenic areas, responsive to community residents, affected by local governments and enjoyed by tourists." [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Winter snowfall is an important water source for plants during summer in semiarid regions. Snow, rain, soil water, and plant water were sampled for hydrogen and oxygen stable isotopes analyses under control and increased snowfall conditions in the temperate steppe of Inner Mongolia, China. Our study showed that the snowfall contribution to plant water uptake continued throughout the growing season and was detectable even in the late growing season. Snowfall versus rainfall accounted for 30% and 70%, respectively, of the water source for plants, on the basis of hydrogen stable isotope signature (δD) analysis, and accounted for 12% and 88%, respectively, on the basis of oxygen stable isotope signature (δ18O) analysis. Water use partitioning between topsoil and subsoil was found among species with different rooting depths. Increased snowfall weakened complementarity of plant water use during summer. Our study provides insights into the relationships between precipitation regimes and species interactions in semiarid regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some effective antithyroid drugs (ATDs) have been widely used for patients with Graves' disease (GD) but are associated with ATD-induced agranulocytosis. We selected 29 ATD-induced agranulocytosis patients, 44 ATD-induced neutropenia patients, and 140 GD controls among the Chinese Han population who were recruited at the First Affiliated Hospital of Xi'an Jiao Tong University. We assessed their response to ATDs treatment by performing genotyping for a candidate gene association study of samples from patients receiving treatment. Human flavin-containing monooxygenase 3 (FMO3), which is the major hepatic enzyme involved in the production of N-oxide of trimethylamine, catalyzes the oxygenation of a variety of drug compounds. Six single SNP, genotype, haplotype (HAP), and association analyses of the >italic/italic< gene with ATD-induced agranulocytosis/neutropenia under different models (i.e., additive, dominant, and recessive models) were performed. Rs1736557, which caused an amino acid variation V257M, showed a strong association between ATD-induced agranulocytosis and GD controls after Bonferroni correction (>italic/italic< = 0.011, OR 2.301, 95% CI 1.201–4.409). The presence of HAP 3 (HAP3) in the >italic/italic< gene HAP was statistically associated with ATD-induced agranulocytosis (>italic/italic< = 0.038, permutation >italic/italic< value). Our findings indicate that genetic variations in the >italic/italic< gene are associated with the response to ATDs maintenance treatment in ATD-induced agranulocytosis patients of -Chinese Han population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To study rock spalling in deep tunnels at China Jinping Underground Laboratory Phase II (CJPL-II), photogrammetry method and digital borehole camera were used to quantify key features of rock spalling including orientation, thickness of slabs and the depth of spalling. The failure mechanism was analysed through scanning electron microscope and numerical simulation based on FLAC3D. Observation results clearly showed the process of rock spalling failure: a typical spalling pattern around D-shaped tunnels after top-heading and bottom bench were discovered. The orientation and thickness of the slabs were obtained. The slabs were parallel to the excavated surfaces of the tunnel and were related to the shape of the tunnel surface and orientation of the principal stress. The slabs were alternately thick and thin, and they gradually increased in thickness from the sidewall inwards. The form and mechanism of spalling at different locations in the tunnels, as influenced by stress state and excavation, were analysed. The result of this study was helpful to those rethinking the engineering design, including the excavation and support of tunnels, or caverns, at high risk of spalling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Social media provide a free space for opinion leaders (OPLs) to influence public opinion in contemporary China, where OPLs need to compete with the powerful propaganda machine. So how much influence can OPLs exert on the public under the shadow of authoritarianism? A survey experiment of 1,326 Internet users in Beijing found that OPLs guide respondents' policy opinions and encourage information sharing when the OPLs are not perceived to be a part of the propaganda campaign. However, when audiences believe that OPLs are the agents of propaganda, such effects disappear. The results reveal that the OPLs' effects are conditioned by the authoritarian institutional context in which the public discussion takes place. We conclude that such effects have ambiguous consequences in cultivating critical citizens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To investigate the gut microbiota differences of obese children compared with the control healthy cohort to result in further understanding of the mechanism of obesity development. Methods. We evaluated the 16S rRNA gene, the enterotypes, and quantity of the gut microbiota among obese children and the control cohort and learned the differences of the gut microbiota during the process of weight reduction in obese children. Results. In the present study, we learned that the gut microbiota composition was significantly different between obese children and the healthy cohort. Next we found that functional changes, including the phosphotransferase system, ATP-binding cassette transporters, flagellar assembly, and bacterial chemotaxis were overrepresented, while glycan biosynthesis and metabolism were underrepresented in case samples. Moreover, we learned that the amount of Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus increased among the obese children during the process of weight reduction. Conclusion. Our results might enrich the research between gut microbiota and obesity and further provide a clinical basis for therapy for obesity. We recommend that Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus might be used as indicators of healthy conditions among obese children, as well as a kind of prebiotic and probiotic supplement in the diet to be an auxiliary treatment for obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

From the perspective of the integrative model of organizational trust, this study proposes a multi-level model for whether, how, and when differentiated empowering leadership influences followers' trust in leaders and their work outcomes. Drawing on a sample of 372 followers from 97 teams in China, it was found that the negative effect of differentiated empowering leadership on followers' trust in leaders became salient when followers' Chinese traditionality was low. Moreover, followers' trust in leaders mediated the effect of differentiated empowering leadership and Chinese traditionality on followers' in-role performance, extra-role performance, and counterproductive work behaviors toward the organization. These findings have implications for managerial theory and practice in the domains of trust and differentiated empowering leadership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wet deposition is not only a mechanism for removing atmospheric pollutants, but also a process which reflects loadings of atmospheric pollutants. Our previous study on wet deposition examined the effectiveness of short-term control measures on atmospheric particulate pollution, which were partly effective for organic pollutants of current input sources. In the present study, dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethanes (DDTs) and hexachlorocyclohexanes (HCHs), representative of legacy contaminants, were measured in the same samples collected throughout the entire year of 2010 in Guangzhou, a large urban center in South China. Concentrations of ∑DDT (sum of o,p ′ and p,p ′-DDT, o,p ′ and p,p ′-DDE, o,p ′ and p,p ′-DDD, and p , p ′-DDMU) and ∑HCH (sum of α -, β -, γ -, and δ -HCH) in wet deposition were in the ranges of nd–69 (average: 1.8 ng L −1 ) and nd–150 ng L −1 (average: 5.1 ng L −1 ), respectively. In addition, the results of source diagnostics and backward air mass trajectories appeared to suggest the transport of antifouling paint derived DDTs from the coastal region off South China to Guangzhou. The combined wet and dry deposition flux of ∑HCH in the first quarter (January to March) was greater than that in the fourth quarter (October to December), while those of ∑DDT were comparable in the first and fourth quarters. Similar trends were also observed for the concentrations of ∑HCH and ∑DDT in aerosol samples. These results suggested the short-term pollution control measures implemented during the 16th Asian Games and 10th Asian Para Games (held in November and December 2010, respectively) did not work well for DDTs. The reduced input of HCHs during the fourth quarter was probably associated with the strict ban on lindane for food safety, which also exposed the weakness of control measures focusing mainly on the removal of atmospheric particulate matter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aging oily wastewater (AOW) from Tarim oilfield in China was treated by demulsification/flocculation. A novel sewage treatment agent (YL-7) was developed using a cationic surfactant (LY) and flocculants (polydimethyl diallyl ammonium chloride (PDMDAAC)/polyaluminum chloride (PAC)). At an YL-7 dosage of 320 mg L−1at 323 K for 90 min, the oil content of AOW was reduced from 728.8 mg L−1to 23.7 mg L−1, and oil removal efficiency reached 96.7%. Microorganism flocs (extracted from AOW) with high negative zeta potential enhanced the stability of oil/water emulsion. LY and PDMDAAC neutralized the negative charge on the oil droplet surface. PDMDAAC and PAC mainly bridged and swept flocs during the flocculation process. YL-7 was found to be a suitable sewage treatment agent in removing oil from AOW. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Treatment by auricular acupuncture has a long history. Ear-acupoint research has been advancing step by step in China and also in Europe. Auricles are rich in nerves, therefore a close relationship with different functions of the human body has been proved by the research teams of the two main authors of this article from China and Austria. In recent years, great progress has been made in the research of regulating human body functions through electroacupuncture at the auricular branch of the vagus nerve, which is part of auricular acupuncture therapy. It is well known that the auricular branch of the vagus nerve is the only peripheral pathway to the cerebral cortex. Studies of the Chinese team on hypertension, diabetes, epilepsy and depression have shown that the mechanism of auricular vagus nerve stimulation (VNS) may be comparable with cervical VNS in terms of pathways. Auricular VNS has a broad clinical application prospect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drawing from the cultural self-representation model, we propose a multilevel model to examine when and why empowering leadership elicits followers' taking charge behaviors in China. Data from 310 full-time employees in 81 work groups provide support for the mediating role of role breadth self-efficacy in transforming team-directed empowering leadership into individual taking charge behaviors. In addition, this mediation relationship is found to be attenuated by high differentiated empowering leadership and low individual power distance orientation. Finally, we find support for a three-way moderated mediation-which the moderating effect of differentiated empowering leadership is found to be significant only among followers who have low power distance orientation. We conclude by discussing the theoretical and practical implications of these findings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) doctors always prescribe various herbal formulae tailored to individual patients. However, there is still a lack of appropriate methods to study the rule and potential biological basis underlying the numerous prescriptions. Here we developed an Herb-Compound-Target-Disease coherent network approach to analyze 871 herbal prescriptions from a TCM master, Mr. Ji-Ren Li, in his clinical practice on treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The core herb networks were extracted from Mr. Li’s prescriptions. Then, we predicted target profiles of compounds in core herb networks and calculated potential synergistic activities among them. We further found that the target sets of core herbs overlapped significantly with the RA related biological processes and pathways. Moreover, we detected a possible connection between the prescribed herbs with different properties such as Cold and Hot and the Western drugs with different actions such as immunomodulatory and hormone regulation on treatment of RA. In summary, we explored a new application of TCM network pharmacology on the analysis of TCM prescriptions and detected the networked core herbs, their potential synergistic and biological activities, and possible connections with drugs. This work offers a novel way to understand TCM prescriptions in clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents a study which evaluates the failure mechanism of unbonded prestressed thru-anchor cables (UPTAC) based on a case study of underground caverns in Sichuan Province, China. The study involves observations of several external failure modes of UPTAC including failure depth, break face and working load and installation method. It indicates laboratory experiments and field investigations demonstrating that modes of failed anchor cables can be classified as tensile failure.

Objective: To observe the clinical curative effect of Chinese medicine Bushen Huoxue Granule(补肾活血颗粒, BHG) on Parkinson's disease (PD) patients with depressive state. Methods: Sixty-two PD patients with depressive state were randomly assigned to two groups by using a random number table, 31 in each group. Madopar was given to all as the conventional treatment. The fluoxetine hydrochloride dispersible tablet was given to the patients in the control group and BHG was given to those in the treatment group. The therapeutic course for all was 12 weeks. Before and after treatment, Hamilton depression rating scale (HAMD) was applied to judge the curative effect, and the changes of cerebral neurotransmitters levels in the brain of patients were detected by encephalofluctuograph technique. Results: The scores of HAMD in the two groups were decreased markedly after 12-week treatment. It was lower in the treatment group than that in the control group with significant difference ( P<0.01). The contents of norepinephrine (NE) and 5-serotonin (5-HT) in the PD patients were obviously lower than normal value. There was no significant difference between the two groups before treatment ( P>0.05). The contents of NE and 5-HT were all increased in the two groups after treatment ( P<0.05), with significant differences between the two groups ( P<0.01). Conclusion: BHG could increase the contents of NE and 5-HT in PD patients' brain to improve the depressive state of PD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study is the first to investigate resistance levels ofTetranychus cinnabarinus(Boiduval) in mulberry in southwest China. The toxicity and resistance of seven common acaricides, including dichlorvos, phoxim, methomyl, pyridaben, propargite, abamectin and chlorfenapyr, were assayed for seven mulberry field strains of mites along with a laboratory susceptible strain (SS). The results indicated that most field strains exhibited low to moderate levels of resistance. Mengzi and Xiangyun had moderate resistance to phoxim (RR = 31.45 and 26.22, respectively). The Qiaojia, Luliang, Mengzi and Heqing strains showed moderate resistance to chlorfenapyr (RR = 14.98–22.52). Correlation analysis of resistance ratio in seven acaricides indicated that methomyl and abamectin were negatively correlated. The results provide information for acaricide rotations and resistance management of spider mite in mulberry plantations. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Background: Large-scale analysis of the transmission, mutation characteristics and the relationship between the reading frame and phenotype of the DMD gene has previously been performed in several countries, however, analogous studies have yet to be performed in Chinese populations. Methods: Clinical data from 1053 Chinese patients with DMD/BMD were collected, and the DMD gene was tested by MLPA in all patients and 400 proband mothers. In 20 patients with negative MLPA, sequencing was also performed. Results: We found that 27.50% of cases had a family medical history of DMD/BMD, and large rearrangements were identified in 70.56% of the probands, of which 59.35% and 11.21% were deletions or duplications, respectively. The carrier status of the mothers in the study was determined to be 50.75%, and it was established that the DMD mutation was inherited from the mother in 51.72% of the probands. Exons 45-54 and 3-22 were the most frequently deleted regions, and exons 3-11 and 21-37 were the most prevalently duplicated regions of the gene. Breakpoints mainly occurred in introns 43-55 for deletion mutations and in introns 2 and 7 for duplication mutations. No breakpoints were found at the 5' or 3' end of introns 31, 35, 36, 40, 65, 68, and 74-78 in any of the deletion or duplication mutations. The reading frame rule held true for 86.4% of the DMD patients and 74.55% of the BMD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is emerging evidence for an under-recognized hepatitis E virus (HEV) as a human pathogen. Among different reasons for this neglect are the unsatisfactory performance and under-utilization of commercial HEV diagnostic kits; for instance, the number of anti-HEV IgM kits marketed in China is about one-fifth of that of hepatitis A kits. Over the last two decades, substantial progress has been achieved in furthering our knowledge on the HEV-specific immune responses, antigenic features of HEV virions, and development of serological assays and more recently prophylactic vaccines. This review will focus on presenting the evidence of the importance of HEV infection for certain cohorts such as pregnant women, the key antigenic determinants of the virus, and immunogenicity and clinical efficacy conferred by a newly developed prophylactic vaccine. Robust immunogenicity, greater than 195-fold and approximately 50-fold increase of anti-HEV IgG level in seronegative and seropositive vaccinees, respectively, as well as impressive clinical efficacy of this vaccine was demonstrated. The protection rate against the hepatitis E disease and the virus infection was shown to be 100 % (95 % CI 75-100) and 78 % (95 % CI 66-86), respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fusarium graminearum clade species are among the main causative agents of Gibberella ear rot (GER) in maize and responsible for the various trichothecene mycotoxins accumulated in contaminated maize grains. In this study, a total of 620 isolates from diseased maize ears collected from 59 districts in 19 provinces throughout China, previously identified morphologically as Fusarium graminearum clade, was genetically characterized at the species level based on SCAR (Sequence Characterized Amplified Region) and for their potential capability of mycotoxin production using the genetic chemotyping assay. The results showed that 359 isolates were F. asiaticum (SCAR 5), which consisted of 97% nivalenol (NIV)-chemotypes, 0.8% 3-acetyldeoxynivalenol (3-ADON)-producing isolates and 2.2% 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol (15-ADON) producers, whereas the remaining 261 isolates were identified as F. graminearum sensu stricto (SCAR 1), all of which produced 15-ADON mycotoxins. This high proportion of NIV producers present in F. asiaticum is different from the chemotype patterns in F. asiaticum populations isolated from wheat and barley, where DON and its acetylated chemotypes were the predominant mycotoxins. Moreover, the majority of NIV producers (59.1%) and all the 3-ADON-producing strains were derived from the warmer regions in southern China, whereas most of the 15-ADON-producing strains (78.4%) were isolated from the colder regions in northern China. Our study is the first report of NIV chemotypes of F. asiaticum and 15-ADON chemotypes of F. graminearum sensu stricto that were associated with the GER of maize in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The awkward situation of morality education courses in China's universities lies in three aspects. First, the definition of morality area is not clear; second, the cultivation of morality practice cannot be applied to reality; third, the transcendence of morality faith cannot be received by people. The reason mainly goes to that the present morality education is not practiced for the genuine meanings of morality; in fact, it is the intrinsic relationship between reason, belief, and morality. It is therefore necessary to reflect on the phenomenon from the basic theoretical level of the relationship between reason and faith, which comes from the theoretical reason, the practical reason, and the transcendental belief of morality. Morality education is a rational science in the sense of morality knowledge definition. It can be described as cultivation practice for nurturing human spirit and nature. It should appeal to a sacred faith in the sense of morality foundation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mass transport budgets of 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis(chlorophenyl)ethane (p,p′-DDT) and decabromodiphenyl ether (BDE-209) in the Pearl River Delta, South China were calculated based on previously collected data. Residual p,p′-DDT, mostly related to historical use, has largely settled into soil (780,000 kg), while the soil BDE-209 inventory (44,000 kg) is considerably smaller. Conversely, large amounts of BDE-209 currently used in numerous commercial products have resulted in a much higher atmospheric depositional flux of BDE-209 (28,100 kg/yr) relative to p,p′-DDT (310 kg/yr). The soil inventory of p,p′-DDT is predicted to decrease to half of its current value after 22 years, and the percent area containing soil p,p′-DDT at levels exceeding the effects range–medium (27 ng/g) will decrease from 40% to 20%. Finally, soil BDE-209 inventory will reach an equilibrium value of 940 tons in ∼60 years, when BDE-209 levels in 50% of soil will be above an equivalent risk guideline value (125 ng/g). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Naturalization (the establishment of a self-sustaining population for at least a decade) is a fundamental precondition for plant invasion and so compiling a complete inventory of naturalized alien species is necessary for predicting and hence preventing such invasion. However, nationwide information on naturalized plants in China is still lacking. We compiled a nationwide list of the naturalized plant species of China, based on various literature reports. The list comprised a total of 861 naturalized plant species belonging to 110 families and 465 genera. The three most dominant families were Compositae, Poaceae, and Leguminosae, accounting for 16, 13 and 12% of naturalized plants, respectively. Among genera, Euphorbia and Solanum had the most naturalized species, followed by Ipomoea, Amaranthus, Oenothera, and Trifolium. Over half of all aliens were of American origin (52%), followed by those with European (14%) and Asian (13%) origins. Annuals and perennial herbs were prevalent among naturalized species; comparison to other studies suggests however that the invasive potential is higher among plants with longer life cycles than those of annuals. The taxonomic pattern of plant naturalization in China is similar to patterns worldwide. However, the low proportion of naturalized plants within the Chinese flora overall suggests that the potential for plant invasions in China may be high. Therefore, greater attention should be focused on naturalization of alien plants in China, especially concerning species of dominant families or genera, and those with a perennial life cycle. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper analyses the social cost of gambling in Macao before and after the liberalisation of the gaming industry from a welfare economic perspective. We identify seven principal items of social cost relating to gambling and, using data from 2003 and 2007, we calculate that the social cost of gambling in Macao rose by 163%, from US$40 million to US$106 million, during this period. We argue that this sharp escalation is the result of both the increasing gambling supply in recent years and the historical effect of the previous underdeveloped monopoly system. We acknowledge that our calculations are underestimations as a result of data limitation and we expect that the social cost of gambling in Macao will continue to rise in the coming years. Moreover, if the calculation is expanded to include the social costs incurred by tourists, the social cost of gambling in Macao should be much higher. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sweetpotato whitefly, Bemisia tabaci, has been a destructive pest in China for over the past two decades. It is an extremely polyphagous insect, being recorded feeding on hundreds of host plants around the world. Potential host plants and natural enemies of B. tabaci in the south, southeast, middle, north and northwest of China were investigated during the last decade. In total 361 plant species from 89 families were recorded in our surveys. Plants in the families Compositae, Cruciferae, Cucurbitaceae, Solanaceae and Leguminosae were the preferred host species for B. tabaci, which therefore suffered much damage from this devastating pest due to their high populations. In total, 56 species of parasitoids, 54 species of arthropod predators and seven species of entomopathogenic fungi were recorded in our surveys. Aphelinid parasitoids from Encarsia and Eretmocerus genera, lady beetles and lacewings in Coleoptera and Neuroptera were found to be the dominant arthropod predators of B. tabaci in China. The varieties of host plant, their distribution and the dominant species of natural enemies of B. tabaci in different regions of China are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Previous studies showed that sex hormone might play a role in the development of oesophageal cancer in Western countries. However, evidence from Chinese populations is still lacking.Methods: We performed a hospital-based case-control study in Guangzhou, China. From June 2006 to May 2009, face-to-face interviews were conducted on 73 cases and 157 controls. Cases were Chinese females with newly diagnosed primary oesophageal cancer. Controls were hospitalized individuals without cancer and frequency matched by age groups. The interviews included questions about childbearing and menarche history, together with potential confounders. Unconditional logistic regression was used to estimate the risk of factors.Results: Women who had given birth before were not at increased risk compared to childless women (adjusted OR = 1.17, 95% CI: 0.48 ~ 2.85). The risk of oesophageal cancer increased with age at first birth: the adjusted OR for women first giving birth at age 25 or later was 2.02 (95% CI: 1.01 ~ 4.04) compared with those reporting their first birth before age 22. History of spontaneous abortion was not significantly associated with increased risk (adjusted OR = 1.37, 95% CI: 0.49 ~ 3.83). No significant association was observed between menstrual variables (age at menarche, age at menopause, and years of menstruation) and risk of oesophageal cancer.Conclusions: Giving birth at later age may increase the risk of oesophageal cancer in women. Further studies in Chinese populations with larger sample sizes are still needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There are four main vitality states of human body in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Eye is the most important part on face for TCM doctors to diagnose patient. In this paper, we present several methods of eye quantification. We quantify eye movement, venation in white part of eye, tears in eye and the shape of upper eyelid, and then use cloud model to deduce volunteers' vitality condition by these measurements. We collect more than one thousand face images and dozens of face videos of patients', and some rules we mined with the highest support and interesting scores are right correspond to TCM diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

β-Thalassemia (β-thal) is one of the most common genetic diseases in southern China. In order to obtain detailed epidemiology data to be used for primary prevention programs, we have analyzed 2,055 independent subjects living in Zhongshan City, Guangdong Province, People's Republic of China (P.R. China), by using hematological biochemical screening and DNA technology. The results indicate a higher prevalence (3.07%) of β-thal and coinheritance of α- and β-thal (0.49%) than previously reported for Guandong Province. Ten β-thal mutations were found in 63 independent chromosomes. The four most common mutations [codons 41/42 (–TCTT), IVS-II-654 (C>T), –28 (A>G), codon 17 (A>T)] accounted for 90.46% of the total. The uncommon mutations profile was different from that of other cities in Guangdong Province and the rare mutation IVS-II-2 (–T), once reported in Hong Kong, was also detected. This study will contribute to the development of prevention strategies in the region, allowing better genetic counseling and prenatal diagnosis of β-thal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The genetic diversities of 72 individuals from three wild Lenok populations of Mudanjiang River (MD), Yalujiang River (YL) and Wusulijiang River (WSL) in the northeast of China were analysed using amplified fragment length polymorphism (AFLP) markers. The results showed that 541 polymorphic loci out of 559 were amplified by 12 primer pairs and the percentage of polymorphic loci was 96.78%. Shannon indices for the MD, YL and WSL populations were 0.3988±0.2913, 0.3254±0.3037, 0.2125±0.2862, respectively, and Nei's gene diversity indices were 0.2737±0.2062, 0.2229±0.2129, 0.1446±0.1985, respectively. The average total genetic diversity (Ht) was 0.3512±0.0.0208 and the average genetic diversity within populations (Hs) was 0.2137±0.0152. Among the three populations, the average genetic distance (Dst) was 0.1375 and the gene differentiation coefficient (Gst) was 0.3914. The genetic diversity was 60.85% within populations and 39.15% among populations. The gene flow index (Nm) was 0.7776. The analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) indicated that the average fixation index (Fst) was 0.55336. The variance was 55.16% within populations and 44.84% among populations. The highest polymorphism ratio was in the MD group and the lowest in the WSL group. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ninety-six riverine runoff samples collected at eight major outlets in the Pearl River Delta (PRD), South China, during 2005–2006 were analyzed for 17 brominated diphenyl ether (BDE) congeners (defined as Σ17PBDE). Fourteen and 15 congeners were detected, respectively, in the dissolved and particulate phases. These data were further used to elucidate the partitioning behavior of BDE congeners in riverine runoff. Several related fate processes, i.e. air–water exchange, dry and wet deposition, degradation, and sedimentation, within the Pearl River Estuary (PRE), were examined to estimate the inputs of Σ10PBDE (sum of the target BDE congeners, BDE-28, -47, -66, -85, -99, -100, -138, -153, -154, and -183) and BDE-209 from the PRD to the coastal ocean based on mass balance considerations. The results showed that annual outflows of Σ10PBDE and BDE-209 were estimated at 126 and 940kg/year, respectively from the PRE to coastal ocean. Besides sedimentation and degradation, the majority of Σ10PBDE and BDE-209 discharged into the PRE via riverine runoff was transported to the coastal ocean. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Guizhi-Fuling capsule (GZFLC), originated from a classical traditional Chinese herbal formula Guizhi-Fuling Wan, has been clinically used for primary dysmenorrhea in China. Nonetheless, the underlying pharmacological mechanisms of GZFLC remain unclear. The integration of computational and experimental methods of network pharmacology might be a promising way to decipher the mechanisms. In this study, the target profiles of 51 representative compounds of GZFLC were first predicted by a high-accuracy algorithm, drugCIPHER-CS, and the network target of GZFLC was identified. Then, potential functional modules of GZFLC on primary dysmenorrhea were investigated using functional enrichment analysis. Potential bioactive compounds were recognized by hierarchical clustering analysis of GZFLC compounds and first-line anti-dysmenorrhea drugs. Furthermore, the potential anti-dysmenorrhea mechanisms of GZFLC were verified through enzyme activity assays and immunofluorescence tests. Moreover, effects of GZFLC on primary dysmenorrhea were evaluated in oxytocin-induced dysmenorrhea murine model. In the network target analysis, GZFLC may act on five functional modules of pain, inflammation, endocrine, blood circulation and energy metabolism. Integrating computational and experimental approaches, we found that GZFLC significantly inhibited the writhing response and reduced the degree of uterine lesions in oxytocin-induced dysmenorrhea murine model. Furthermore, GZFLC may partially alleviate primary dysmenorrhea by inhibiting cyclooxygenase 2 (COX2) and downregulating MAPK signaling pathway. Consequently, GZFLC presented pain relief and sustained benefits for primary dysmenorrhea. This study could provide a scientific approach for deciphering pharmacological mechanisms of herbal formulae through network pharmacology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Polysaccharides with multiple biological activities and health benefit effects are usually considered as one of the major function components in food and medicine dual purposes Chinese herbs (FMDPCH). With the increasing interest in the utilization of FMDPCH, their quality control is very important for ensuring their safety and efficacy. To date, there is no report focus on the analysis of polysaccharides in FMDPCH. Herein, advanced development for quality control approaches, including sample preparation, separation and fraction, qualitative and quantitative analysis, of polysaccharides in MPDPCH were reviewed and discussed. Especially, discrimination and quantification of polysaccharides, respectively, based on novel saccharide mapping and universal refractive index increment were focused. Besides, the perspective for the characterization of polysaccharides has also been described. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]