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Green credit policy (GCP) plays a crucial role in guiding green development through financial resource allocation. It has been extended to various aspects of enterprise development and has a substantial impact on enterprise innovation. However, there is limited research that investigates the relationship between GCP and exploratory innovation. We utilize data from China's listed enterprises from 2007 to 2017 to examine the impact of GCP on exploratory innovation using the PSM-DID method. We find that GCP significantly boosts corporate exploratory innovation, particularly for state-owned enterprises, industries with high capital intensity, and enterprises located in the central region of China. Additionally, GCP facilitates corporate exploratory innovation by effectively increasing R&D investment. Lastly, although higher financing constraints generally have a detrimental effect, the impact of GCP on corporate exploratory innovation becomes more pronounced as the degree of financing constraints increases. These findings have significant value for policymakers in optimizing GCP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The extensive literature has debated the varying effects of factors on carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. However, it has paid little attention to land freight structure (FS), including road and rail freight share, which may have different effects on CO2 emissions. Based on the data from 6 eastern provinces in China during 2005–2019, the panel threshold model is used to explore the dynamic influence mechanism of road and rail freight share on transport carbon emission intensity (CE), respectively. The results show different nonlinear relationships between the share of road and rail freight and transport carbon emission intensity. First, the effect of road freight share on carbon emission intensity is all positive across different stages of trade openness, while such effect goes through a process of increasing and then decreasing with the level of trade openness improving. Second, the driving effect of rail freight share on carbon emission intensity exhibits a "negative–positive-negative" feature as the level of trade openness increases. Third, trade openness generates a double-threshold effect on carbon emission intensity. The differentiated nonlinear effects provide significant evidence of the modal shift from road to rail freight, which would be effective to alleviate transport CO2 emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban garbage has become an important field affecting the healthy development of urban ecology, and urban ecological environment protection has naturally become a crucial part in the process of modern urban development. Deepening the relevant concepts of ecological and environmental protection also makes modern cities pay attention to the recycling and utilization of waste resources. This work is combined with the development status of urban waste recycling industry. Taking urban construction waste and domestic waste as examples, this paper focuses on the operation model and development path of urban waste recycling industry. For example, in the aspect of domestic waste treatment, the resource industrialization path of incineration fly ash is proposed, focusing on the water washing and dechlorination of incineration fly ash, the production of unburned ceramsite from water washed fly ash, and the separation and recovery of inorganic salts in fly ash water washing solution. The results show that the recoveries of NaCl, KCl, and CaCl2 are 96.21%, 95.85%, and 94.72%. Through the analysis of social, environmental, and economic benefits, the government, scientific research institutions, and enterprises are encouraged to make joint efforts to develop the construction waste recycling industry, so as to fundamentally solve the current situation of "mountains of garbage and cities surrounded by garbage" in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the severe air pollution, the Chinese state issued the new Ambient Air Quality Standard (hereafter new AAQS) in 2012, which requires local governments to control pollution and improve air quality. As such, we take that practice as a quasi-natural experiment to examine the effect of government regulation on corporate environmental performance (CEP). We employ the difference-in-differences (DID) method to conduct an empirical investigation using Chinese listed enterprises' data from 2008 to 2018. Our findings indicate that the new AAQS significantly promotes the improvement of CEP. However, for enterprises in provinces with less environmental regulatory enforcement and poor environmental information transparency, this effect is weakened. Besides, the influence of the new AAQS reduces when the enterprises are regulated by the government at a greater administrative hierarchical distance to the central state. Our findings offer some critical implications for developing countries to implement government regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The unprecedented growth of passenger throughput in large airport terminals highlights the importance of analyzing passengers' movement to achieve airport terminal's elaborate management. Based on the theory of original social force model, video data from a departure hall of a large airport terminal in China were analyzed to summarize passengers' path planning characteristics. Then, a double-level model was established to describe passengers' path planning behaviors. At the decision level of the proposed model, the avoiding force model including common avoiding force and additional horizontal avoiding force was established on the basis of setting time and space limitations for taking avoiding action and was used to describe passengers' path planning in close-range space. At the tactical level of the proposed model, the route and node choice models were established to describe passengers' path planning in long-range space. In the route choice model, a distribution of intermediate destination areas was proposed, with detouring distance, pedestrian density, speed difference, and pedestrian distribution considered in choosing an intermediate destination area. In the node choice model, the walking distance, the quantity of people waiting, and luggage were considered in choosing a check-in counter or security check channel. The main parameters of the proposed model were confirmed according to video data. Simulation results show that the proposed model can simulate departure passengers' path planning behaviors at an acceptable accuracy level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to evaluate the efficiency of the powdered formulation with the nematophagous fungi Duddingtonia flagrans against gastrointestinal nematodes of sheep under three feeding systems in Northern China. Each animal in the treatment group received approximately 5×105 spores/kg live weight at twice a week for 6 months. The control group received an equal amount of feeds without fungus. In the grazing system, two herds were selected in the Tongyu County in Northeast China. Among them, 70 sheep as the treatment group and 100 sheep as the control group. These results revealed that fungal group showed a greater reduction in eggs per gram of feces (EPG), infective larvae (L3) per kilogram in pasture and larvae per gram of feces (LPG) after administration and lower parasitic load burden in the tracer lambs compared with the control group (p<0.05). In the semi-confinement system, 20, 15, and 15 sheep from three individual farmers were selected from Zhangye City of Northwestern China; 20 sheep as the control group and the remaining sheep as the treatment group. The fungal group showed a greater reduction in EPG after 150 and 180 days and LGP from 60~180 days after administration (p<0.05). In the confinement feeding system, 40 lambs were randomly divided into the treatment and control groups. The results showed that no differences in EPG and LGP were observed in the two groups (p>0.05). In conclusion, the powder was efficient in controlling sheep gastrointestinal helminths under three feeding systems in Northern China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract To evaluate the occurrence and ecological risk of organic contaminants in aquatic environment in China, a method for simultaneously detecting 130 pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) and 35 pesticides has been established using solid phase extraction-ultra performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (SPE-UPLC-MS/MS) method. In the present survey, a total of 122 target compounds (103 PPCPs and 19 pesticides) were detected in seven major watersheds in China, with average concentrations ranged from 0.02 ng/L (sulfamerazine) to 332.75 ng/L (bisphenol A), revealing that PPCPs and pesticides were widely distributed in surface water of China. Antibiotics and organophosphorus were the most ubiquitously PPCPs and pesticides, respectively; quinolones were the predominant antibiotics, most of which were detected in more than 96% sampling sites, with average concentrations ranged from 2.14 to 309.67 ng/L; six pesticides including isoprocarb, fenobucarb, acetamiprid, imidacloprid, acetochlor and bentazone were detected in more than 80% sampling sites, with average concentrations ranged from 5.62 to 225.93 ng/L; more than half of the non-antibiotic pharmaceuticals were hormones; and diethyltoluamide (DEET) was predominant personal care products; The risk assessment showed that each watershed was at potential medium ecological risk based on their mean concentration (RQ Total > 1), and pesticides were the main compounds arising risks. Graphical abstract fx1 Highlights • A method for simultaneously detecting 130 PPCPs and 35 pesticides in water were established using SPE-UPLC-MS/MS. • 122 PPCPs and 19 pesticides were detected, ranged from 0.02 ng/L to 332.75 ng/L. • Antibiotics and organophosphorus were the most ubiquitously PPCPs and pesticides, respectively. • More than half of the non-antibiotic pharmaceuticals were hormones. • All the surface watersheds were estimated to be potential medium ecological risks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recent evolutionary economic geography studies have stressed technological relatedness as a key explanatory factor for regional industrial diversification. It is further argued that firms that manufacture products with dense connections to regional industrial structure benefit the most from local knowledge spillovers and thus should grow faster. Based on a firm-level dataset on China's manufacturing industry over the 1998-2008 period, our results indicate that the density of links between a firm's products and local industrial structure does yield firm performance enhancing spillovers. We further decompose the overall density indicator and point out the lack of connections between firms of different ownership types in terms of information exchange and technological diffusion. Finally, empirical results confirm that regional institutions play a critical role in the spillover diffusion between firms of different ownership structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We study the determinants of China’s sovereign credit default swap (CDS) spread in a regime-switching framework. This framework allows us to identify potential cross-asset-class contagion from global financial markets to China. To avoid endogeneity biases coming from domestic costs of sovereign default, we model domestic financial indicators as endogenous variables and estimate the regime-switching model with instrumental variables. We find strong evidence of cross-asset-class contagion but no evidence of contagion from sovereign CDS markets of China’s major trade partners (the European Union, Japan, and the United States). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Owing to the growing public awareness on the safety and aesthetics in water sources, more attention has been given to the adverse effects of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) on aquatic organisms and human beings. In this study, 77 target VOCs (including 54 common VOCs, 13 carbonyl compounds, and 10 taste and odor compounds) were detected in typical drinking water sources from 5 major river basins (the Yangtze, the Huaihe, the Yellow, the Haihe and the Liaohe River basins) and their occurrences were characterized. The ecological, human health, and olfactory assessments were performed to assess the major hazards in source water. The investigation showed that there existed potential ecological risks (1.30 × 10 ≤ RQ total s ≤ 8.99 × 10) but little human health risks (6.84 × 10 −7 ≤ RQ total s ≤ 4.24 × 10 −4 ) by VOCs, while that odor problems occurred extensively. The priority contaminants in drinking water sources of China were also listed based on the present assessment criteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pharmaceuticals in drinking water sources (DWSs) have raised significant concerns for their persistent input and potential human health risks. Currently, little is known about the occurrence of pharmaceuticals in DWSs in China. In this study, a survey for multi-class pharmaceuticals in DWSs of five major river watersheds in China was conducted from 2012 to 2013. Samples were collected from 25 sampling sites in rivers and reservoirs. 135 pharmaceuticals were analyzed using solid-phase extraction and ultra-performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry. The results showed that a total of 70 pharmaceuticals were present in the samples, and the most frequently detected ones included sulfonamides, macrolides, antiepileptic drugs, anti-inflammatory drugs, and β-blockers, etc. Amongst these, maximum concentrations of lincomycin, sulfamethoxazole, acetaminophen and paraxanthine were between 44 ng/L and 134 ng/L, and those of metoprolol, diphenhydramine, venlafaxine, nalidixic acid and androstenedione were less than 1 ng/L. Concentrations of the two that were most persistent, DEET and carbamazepine, were 0.8–10.2 ng/L and 0.01–3.5 ng/L, respectively. Higher concentrations of cotinine were observed in warm season than in cold season, while concentrations of lincomycin were the opposite. In a causality analysis, the occurrence of pharmaceuticals in DWSs depends mainly on the detection limits of the methods, their usage and the persistence in the aquatic environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Ethnopharmacological relevance: The roots of Angelica pubescens Maxim. f. biserrata Shan et Yuan (RAP) has been used as Traditional Chinese medicine to treat rheumatic disease in China since ancient times, but its action mechanisms was not well understood. Columbianetin is one of the main active constituents isolated from RAP, which has been shown to have various biological activities, but the absorption characteristics and oral bioavailability dose proportionality of columbianetin in vivo were not studied. Materials and methods: Male Sprague Dawley rats (210–230g) received either an intravenous (i.v. 5, 10 and 20mgkg−1) or oral (5, 10 and 20mgkg−1) dose of columbianetin. The levels of columbianetin in plasma were measured by a simple and sensitive reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method. The simple liquid–liquid extraction with ethyl acetate was used for sample preparation. Osthole was selected as internal standard (IS). Results: The chromatographic separation was accomplished on a C18 column at a flow rate of 1mLmin−1, where water–methanol was used as mobile phase. The calibration curve of the method was linear in the concentration range of 0.05–2000μgmL−1. The intra and inter-day accuracy for columbianetin in rat plasma samples were within 8% and the variation was less than 8.3%. This method was suitable for the determination and pharmacokinetic study of columbianetin in rat plasma after both intravenous and oral administration. The results indicated that maximum plasma concentrations(C max) for the columbianetin (17–42μgmL−1) were achieved at 0.3–0.5h post-oral dosing and the apparent volume of distribution (V/F) ranged from 0.38 to 0.44L. Absolute bioavailability of columbianetin was assessed to be 81.13±45.85, 81.09±33.63 and 54.30±23.19%, respectively. Terminal elimination half-life (T 1/2) of the columbianetin after oral dosing was 60–90min and were 2.5–3.3 fold longer than those observed for the i.v. dosing. Conclusions: The pharmacokinetic properties of columbianetin in rat after oral administration were characterized as rapid oral absorption, quick clearance and good absolute bioavailability. The bioavailability of columbianetin ranged from 54 to 81% for 5, 10 and 20mgkg−1 oral doses. The bioavailability of columbianetin is independent of the doses studied. Columbianetin showed dose proportionality over the dose range 5–20mgkg−1. The results clearly demonstrated that columbianetin was one of the material bases of RAP. Furthermore, an HPLC method was demonstrated in this study for the research of traditional Chinese medicine. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: An investigation of the occurrence of nine nitrosamines in drinking water following different water treatment processes was conducted using samples from seven drinking water treatment plants in three cities and tap waters in one city in China. The total nitrosamine levels ranged from not detected (n.d.) to 43.45ng/L. The species and concentrations of the nine nitrosamines varied with disinfection methods and source waters. N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), which is the nitrosamines of greatest concern, was identified in raw water, disinfecting water, finished water and tap water samples, ranging from 0.8 to 21.6, 0.12 to 24.2, n.d. to 8.8, and n.d. to 13.3ng/L, respectively. Chloramination alone produced the most significant amounts of NDMA, while ozonation followed by chloramination led to moderately reduced levels. Additionally, chlorination produced relatively less NDMA, while low pressure ultraviolet radiation followed by chlorination could also significantly reduce them. Total organic carbon is one of the most important factors influencing nitrosamines formation in disinfecting water. In contrast, the addition of chlorine following any other disinfection was found to increase the formation of the other eight species of nitrosamines. The three nitrosamines recommended for monitoring by the US EPA were detected in the tap water samples, but most were present at levels below those that pose a risk to human health. Nevertheless, the occurrence and concentration of nitrosamines regulated in the Drinking Water Contaminant Candidate List could cause some potential human effects and therefore warrant attention. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

党的十七大报告提出的科学发展观重大战略思想，体现了一种深邃的历史意识和对当代人类生存处境的理性自觉，是在对现代历史发展模式和发展观念认真反思的基础上提出的社会发展战略。它既摒弃了对人类发展虚无主义式的否定，也扬弃了现代以“物的依赖”为基础的发展主义同以“物”为尺度的异化发展道路，在以人为本、推动实现人的全面自由发展过程中探索构建一种新型文明形态，实现人类存在方式的伟大转变。科学发展观的深远意义不仅在于使人们明确当代中国究竟应当如何发展以及发展的未来图景，而且其历史价值更加深刻地蕴涵在人类应当选择何种存在方式这一思想高度之上。 The scientific outlook on development, a major strategic line of thought put forward in the report at the CPC Seventeenth National Congress, is a social development strategy based on serious reflection on modern historical development models and views. It exhibits a profound historical consciousness and rational awareness of contemporary human existence in abandoning nihilistic denial of human development, modern developmentalism based on “objective dependence” and the path of alienated development with “objects” as its criterion. This strategy puts people first and promotes man's free and all-round development, with a view to exploring and establishing a new pattern of civilization and realizing a great change in the form of human existence. The far-reaching significance of the scientific outlook on development is to make people clear about how China should develop in modern times and what the path of future development will be. But that is not all; its historical value is yet more deeply embedded in its theoretical exploration of what form of existence human beings should choose. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study investigated contamination of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in sediment and fish samples collected from rivers in Guiyu, China where electronic waste (e-waste) is recycled and disposed. PBDE congeners with mono-to hepta-brominated and deca-brominated substitutions were detected using 13C12 isotope dilution GC/MS/MS and GC/MS methods, respectively. The total PBDE concentrations ranged from 4434 to 16088 ng/g (dry weight) in Nanyang River bank sediment, from 55 to 445 ng/g in Nanyang River bottom sediment and 51.3 to 365 ng/g in Lianjiang River bottom sediment in Guiyu compared with those from 16.1 to 21.4 ng/g in wastewater discharged from a vehicle repairing workshop in Lo Uk Tsuen in Hong Kong. No PBDE congeners were detected in bottom sediment and fish from Mai Po Marshes in Hong Kong. The mean concentrations of total PBDEs in mixed muscles of tilapia (Oreochromis spp) from Lianjiang River were 115 ng/g wet weight (ww) and from wastewater in Hong Kong were 4.1 ng/g ww. Highest mean PBDE concentration was obtained in liver (2687 ng/g ww), followed by abdomen muscle (1088 ng/g ww) of bighead carp (Aristichthys nobilis) collected from Nanyang River. A significant correlation of concentration of each PBDE congener between sediment and muscle from Guiyu was observed. The present results of total PBDEs in sediment and fish were 10 and 1000 times higher than other studies. Open burning and dumping of e-waste are the major causes of PBDE contamination. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Luo, Q. and Tang, X., 2020. Technological IE of MSTSMEs based on DEA model. In: Li, L. and Huang, X. (eds.), Sustainable Development in Coastal Regions: A Perspective of Environment, Economy, and Technology. Journal of Coastal Research, Special Issue No. 112, pp. 352-355. Coconut Creek (Florida), ISSN 0749-0208. High and new technology is the future development direction of technology and industry in China, which is the commanding point of technology competition among countries. With the economic globalization, TI has been paid attention. MSTSMEs has become the decisive factor for the comprehensive national strength competition. With the development of one belt, one road strategy, marine economy and marine technology innovation have become an important part in sustainable economic development. However, marine science and technology small and medium-sized enterprises (Hereinafter referred to as MSTSMEs) play an important role in China's marine economy, which makes an important contribution to China's marine high-tech. This paper selects the data of marine science and technology (Hereinafter referred to as MST) enterprises in the Bohai Rim region in 2018. Through DEA Malmquist index method, this paper analyzes the technological IE of MSTSMEs. Based on the two aspects of input and output, this paper constructs an evaluation index system, which will better analyze the reasons for the differences in technological IE (Hereinafter referred to as IE). Finally, some suggestions are put forward. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Many source waters in China are in high levels of natural organic matter (NOM) and bromide ion (Br−), and the control of the formation of regulated and non-regulated disinfection by-products (DBPs) is a great challenge. This study uses the natural water with substantial NOM and Br− from Weishan Lake to evaluate the formation and species transformation of DBPs in three disinfection scenarios of chlorination, chloramination, and chlorine–chloramine sequential treatment (Cl2–NH2Cl process), and the reaction pathways involved are also proposed. Compared with chlorination, the formation of trihalomethanes and haloacetic acids is reduced by 88% and 85% and by 68% and 65% in chloramination and Cl2–NH2Cl process, respectively. During chloramination, the proportion of brominated-DBPs (Br-DBPs) is lower initially, and then increases afterwards due to the continuous reaction between NOM slow reactive sites and N-bromo amines. Additionally, the ratios of dihalogenated acetic acids to total organic halogen increase continuously from 4.5% to 6.3% with pre-chlorination and from 4.3% to 9.8% without pre-chlorination. The halonitriles (HANs) formation during chlorination is the most significant in the initial 30min at the level of 6.5nM, and then decreases to 2.5nM after 72h. During chloramination, however, the formation of HANs increases steadily with prolonged contact time. After 72-h contact time, the level of HANs in Cl2–NH2Cl process is 3.9 and 2.5 times of that in chlorination and chloramination, respectively. In Cl2–NH2Cl process, HOCl rapidly oxidizes Br− to HOBr, and these two active species react with the fast reactive sites within NOM to form Br-DBPs and the intermediates for nitrogenous DBPs (N-DBPs). The subsequent introduction of ammonia inhibits the hydrolysis and oxidation of the formed N-DBPs and contributes to the most significant formation of N-DBPs. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: A number of approaches have been proposed for screening level ecological risk assessment. In this paper, we first established a mass spectrum library including 50 phenols using retention time locking (RTL) technology and deconvolution reporting software (DRS). Distribution of phenols in surface water of the Taihu Lake was screened. Among the 22 identified phenols, 14 phenols were quantified. The concentrations of total phenols ranged 675.2–3346.1ngL−1. The distributions of ecological effect quotients (EEQs) of 14 phenols were characterized in terms of the exposure concentration distributions (ECDs) and species sensitivity distributions (SSDs). Those phenols with EEQs exceeding the threshold proposed by Water Environment Research Foundation of Alexandria were selected as priorities. As a result, 2-nitrophenol (2-NP), p-chloro-m-xylenol (PCMX) and pyrocatechol were determined as potential ecological risk stressors in surface water of the Taihu Lake. Results of the present study suggested that the proposed approach is feasible for the screening level ecological risk assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Five new unusual C 17 /C 15 sesquiterpene lactone dimers, carabrodilactones A–E (1–5), along with four known common C 15 /C 15 SLDs, carpedilactones A and B (6 and 7), faberidilactone A (8), and faberidilactone C (9), were isolated from the whole plants of Carpesium abrotanoides. The structures of 1–5 featured a flexible C-11/C-13′ linked single bond between two sesquiterpene units and a tailed acetyl connected to the C-13 position. The preferential conformation of 1–5 was elucidated by the diagnostic NMR data of geminal proton of H-13. The biogenetic pathway of 1–5 was proposed to involve Stetter and Michael addition reactions. In addition, compound 1 exhibited significant cytotoxicities against the four cell lines (A549, HCT116, MDA-MB, and BEL7404 cells) with IC 50 value in the range of 3.08–8.05 μM, while compounds 2–5 showed weak cytotoxicities. Unlabelled Image • Five new C 17 /C 15 sesquiterpene lactone dimers, carabrodilactones A–E (1–5), along with four known common C 15 /C 15 SLDs, carpedilactones A and B (6 and 7), faberidilactone A (8), and faberidilactone C (9), were isolated from the whole plants of Carpesium abrotanoides. • The preferential conformation of 1–5 was elucidated by the diagnostic NMR data of geminal proton of H-13. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aims: Physicians' knowledge and practices regarding the diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) infection can impact the effectiveness of eradication therapy. This study aimed to investigate the current state of knowledge and practices concerning H. pylori infection management among physicians in Gansu Province, northwest China., Materials and Methods: From October to November 2023, 557 physicians from 14 cities and prefectures in Gansu Province participated in this multicenter cross-sectional study and completed a survey questionnaire., Results: A total of 519 valid questionnaires were collected. 43.2% of the physicians supported H. pylori screening for high-risk populations or individuals with H. pylori-related diseases. The awareness of target screening populations varied among these physicians, ranging from 69.6% to 98.2%. Most physicians preferred the urea breath test (UBT) as the method for diagnosing H. pylori infection (98.3%) and for follow-up after eradication therapy (98.5%). 89.6% of the physicians preferred bismuth-containing quadruple therapy for initial eradication, with amoxicillin and clarithromycin being the most commonly used antibiotic combination (56.3%). In addition, 84.6% of the physicians indicated that they would inquire about the antibiotic usage history for most patients before treatment, 93.8% would ask patients about their previous eradication history, and 94.2% would inform patients about treatment-related considerations. However, only 43.5%, 27.7%, and 29.7% of the physicians were aware of the high resistance rates of H. pylori to clarithromycin, levofloxacin, and metronidazole, respectively, in Gansu Province. Subgroup analysis revealed that the performance of gastroenterologists, nongastroenterologists, and physicians from different levels of hospitals differed in the diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of H. pylori infection., Conclusions: Knowledge and practices regarding H. pylori infection management among physicians in Gansu Province, China, need further improvement. Strengthening targeted continuing education to increase the overall management level of H. pylori infection is recommended., (© 2024 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

China's power system is highly regulated and uses an "equal-share" dispatch approach. However, market mechanisms are being introduced to reduce generation costs and improve system reliability. Here, we quantify the climate and human health impacts brought about by this transition, modeling China's power system operations under economic dispatch. We find that significant reductions in mortality related to air pollution (11%) and CO 2 emissions (3%) from the power sector can be attained by economic dispatch, relative to the equal-share approach, through more efficient coal-powered generation. Additional health and climate benefits can be achieved by incorporating emission externalities in electricity generation costs. However, the benefits of the transition to economic dispatch will be unevenly distributed across China and may lead to increased health damage in some regions. Our results show the potential of dispatch decision-making in electricity generation to mitigate the negative impacts of power plant emissions with existing facilities in China.

In this study, we investigated the associations between cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) co-exposure, and serum ion levels in two populations living near a mining/smelting area and a nature reserve (control area), respectively. A total of 445 participants were included in this study. Their blood cadmium (BCd), blood lead (BPb), and serum ion levels were determined, and the association between exposure levels and serum ion levels was analyzed. The exposure levels of subjects living in the polluted area were significantly higher (p < 0.001). Lower levels of potassium, inorganic phosphorus, and iron were observed in subjects from the polluted area, whereas their sodium and chloride levels were higher (p < 0.01). The anion gap in their serum was also significantly lower. We observed positive dose-effect relationships between Cd and/or Pb exposure and serum sodium and chloride, and negative dose-effect relationships between Cd and/or Pb exposure and serum inorganic phosphorus, iron, as well as the anion gap. High Cd-Pb, high Cd, and high Pb exposure led to modification effects in potassium, calcium, inorganic phosphorus, and iron levels, and the anion gap. No synergistic effects were observed in our results. In conclusion, our data demonstrate that Cd and Pb exposure, alone or in combination, can lead to serum ion imbalances., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Purpose: Genetic factors have been studied to be associated with diabetic retinopathy (DR). This study aimed to investigate the association between the polymorphisms in the osteoproterin ( OPG ) gene and DR in a Han Chinese population., Methods: There were 475 patients with diabetic retinopathy (DR), 478 type 2 diabetes mellitus without retinopathy (DNR) and 469 healthy controls collected in this study. OPG single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) rs2073618 and rs3134069 were genotyped by Mass ARRAY MALDI-TOF system. The genotype and allele frequencies were evaluated using the χ 2 tests. Odds ratio (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated for the risk of genotype and allele., Results: There was a statistically significant difference for OPG SNP rs3134069 between DR cases and healthy controls in the allelic model ( P = .036, OR = 1.33, 95% CI = 1.02-1.73). The C allele frequency of this polymorphism was 0.154 in the DR cases, whereas it was 0.120 in healthy controls, suggesting a risk effect for DR. SNP rs3134069 had a significant association with DR in the dominant model ( P = .038, OR = 1.37, 95% CI = 1.02-1.84), indicating that the CC/AC genotype was more likely to suffer from DR. For rs2073618, no significant difference was identified in the allelic model ( P = .632, OR = 0.95, 95% CI = 0.78-1.16) and the four genetic models., Conclusions: This study showed that OPG SNP rs3134069 was associated with DR in the dominant model, suggesting that the OPG gene variant may be involved in the development of DR.

Context: Although diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN) is predominantly considered a disorder of the peripheral nerves, some evidence for central nervous system involvement has recently emerged. However, whether or to what extent the microstructure of central somatosensory tracts may be injured remains unknown., Objective: This work aimed to detect the microstructure of central somatosensory tracts in type 2 diabetic patients and to correlate it with the severity of DPN., Methods: A case-control study at a tertiary referral hospital took place with 57 individuals with type 2 diabetes (25 with DPN, 32 without DPN) and 33 nondiabetic controls. The fractional anisotropy (FA) values of 2 major somatosensory tracts (the spinothalamic tract and its thalamocortical [spino-thalamo-cortical, STC] pathway, the medial lemniscus and its thalamocortical [medial lemnisco-thalamo-cortical, MLTC] pathway) were assessed based on diffusion tensor tractography. Regression models were further applied to detect the association of FA values with the severity of DPN in diabetic patients., Results: The mean FA values of left STC and left MLTC pathways were significantly lower in patients with DPN than those without DPN and controls. Moreover, FA values of left STC and left MLTC pathways were significantly associated with the severity of DPN (expressed as Toronto Clinical Scoring System values) in patients after adjusting for multiple confounders., Conclusion: Our findings demonstrated the axonal degeneration of central somatosensory tracts in type 2 diabetic patients with DPN. The parallel disease progression of the intracranial and extracranial somatosensory system merits further attention to the central nerves in diabetic patients with DPN., (© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Endocrine Society. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

It is critical to accurately identify patients with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) in a timely manner. This study aimed to develop a new simplified AP scoring system based on data from Chinese population.We retrospectively analyzed a consecutive series of 585 patients diagnosed with SAP at the Changhai hospital between 2009 and 2017. The new Chinese simple scoring system (CSSS) was derived using logistic regression analysis and was validated in comparison to 4 existing systems using receiver operating characteristic curves.Six variables were selected for incorporation into CSSS, including serum creatinine, blood glucose, lactate dehydrogenase, heart rate, C-reactive protein, and extent of pancreatic necrosis. The new CSSS yields a maximum total score of 9 points. The cut-offs for predicting mortality and severity (discriminating moderately SAP from SAP) were set as 6 points and 4 points respectively. Compared with 4 existing scoring systems, the area under the receiver operating characteristic of CSSS for prediction of mortality was 0.838, similar to acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (0.844) and higher than Ranson's score (0.702, P < .001), bedside index of severity in acute pancreatitis (0.615), and modified computed tomography severity index (MCTSI) (0.736). For predicting SAP severity, CSSS was the most accurate (0.834), followed by acute physiology and chronic health evaluation II (0.800), Ranson's score (0.702), MCTSI (0.660), and bedside index of severity in acute pancreatitis (0.570). Further, the accuracy of predicting pancreatic infection with CSSS was the highest (0.634), similar to that of MCTSI (0.641).A new prognostic scoring system for SAP was derived and validated in a Chinese sample. This scoring system is a simple and accurate method for prediction of mortality.

Purpose: A large genome-wide association study showed that five new variants, { EPDR1 (rs3816415), CHAT (rs1258267), GLIS3 (rs736893), FERMT2 (rs7494379), and DPM2-FAM102A (rs3739821)}, were associated primary angle-closure glaucoma (PACG). Considering the shared clinical features between primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) and PACG, this study was conducted to investigate the association of these genetic variants with POAG in a Han Chinese population., Methods: A total 799 POAG patients and 799 controls are enrolled in this case-control study. All individuals were genotyped for the five single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) using ABI SNaPshot method. Four genetic models (homozygous, heterozygous, dominant, and recessive) were applied to further evaluate the possible correlation between the five SNPs and POAG., Results: In our study, rs736893 in the GLIS3 gene was found to be associated with POAG (Bonferroni corrected p = .001, OR = 1.282, 95% CI = 1.103-1.491). Rs736893-AA and rs736893-AA/AG carriers showed an increase risk for POAG compared with rs736893-GG carriers (corrected p = .028, OR = 1.605, 95% CI = 1.137-2.267; corrected p = .012, OR = 1.349, 95% CI = 1.108-1.642; respectively) in homozygous and dominant models. For rs3816415 in the EPDR1 gene, rs3816415-AG and rs3816415-AA/AG carriers have a marginally lower risk than rs3816415-GG carriers (corrected p = .036, OR = 0.710, 95% CI = 0.548-0.919; corrected p = .04, OR = 0.718, 95% CI = 0.557-0.925) in heterozygous and dominant models., Conclusion: Our findings indicated that GLIS3 (rs736893) was associated with POAG in this Chinese population. Further genetic epidemiologic studies and functional work are necessary to reveal their pathogenesis with POAG.

The purpose of this study was to investigate the diagnostic performance of the automated breast ultrasound system (ABUS) compared with hand-held ultrasonography (HHUS) and mammography (MG) for breast cancer in women aged 40 y or older. A total of 594 breasts in 385 patients were enrolled in the study. HHUS, ABUS and MG exams were performed for these patients. Follow-up and pathologic findings were used as the reference standard. Based on the reference standard, 519 units were benign or normal and 75 were malignant. The sensitivity, specificity, accuracy and Youden index were 97.33%, 89.79%, 90.74% and 0.87 for HHUS; 90.67%, 92.49%, 92.26% and 0.83 for ABUS; 84.00%, 92.87%, 91.75% and 0.77 for MG, respectively. The specificity of ABUS was significantly superior to that of HHUS (p = 0.024). The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was 0.936 for HHUS, which was the highest, followed by 0.916 for ABUS and 0.884 for MG. However, the difference was not statistically significant (p > 0.05). In conclusion, the diagnostic performance of ABUS for breast cancer was equivalent to HHUS and MG and potentially can be used as an alternative method for breast cancer diagnosis., (Copyright © 2019. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

The aim of this study was to explore the relationship between different models of sexual morality education and the mental health level of female college students, to provide a scientific basis for college conduct an effective sexual morality education program that can improve the psychologic health level of female college students.The experimental and control groups were comprised of female college students who received different models of sexual morality education. Total and factor scores derived from the Symptom Checklist 90 (SCL90) were compared between these groups.The total mental health SCL90 score for female college students in the control group was 1.48 ± 0.39, and the scores of 3 factors including SCL90-3 (interpersonal sensitivity, P < .01), SCL90-4 (depression, P < .05), and SCL90-5 (anxiety, P < .05) were all significantly higher than the national norm. The total mental health scores for female students in the purely theoretical experimental group and the integrated practical training experimental group were 1.40 ± 0.42 and 1.33 ± 0.39, respectively, both of which were significantly different from the control group (P < .05), while the difference between the 2 groups was near the threshold of significance (P = .052). There were significant differences between the integrated practical training experimental group and the control group for scores of 5 factors including SCL90-2 (obsessive-compulsive symptoms), SCL90-3 (interpersonal sensitivity), SCL90-4 (depression), SCL90-5 (anxiety), and SCL90-6 (hostility) (Ps < .01). There were also significant differences between the purely theoretical experimental group and the control group for scores of 3 factors including SCL90-2 (obsessive-compulsive symptoms), SCL90-3 (interpersonal sensitivity), and SCL90-6 (hostility) (Ps < .05). And, there were also significant differences between the 2 experimental groups for scores for 3 factors including SCL90-3 (interpersonal sensitivity), SCL90-4 (depression), and SCL90-5 (anxiety) (Ps < .05).Different models of sexual morality education have significantly different impacts on the mental health level of female college students. The integrated practical education model can significantly and effectively improve the mental health of female college students, and as such colleges and universities should adopt this integrated model to better improve these students' mental health.

Purpose: Recently, three large genome-wide association studies have identified multiple variants associated with primary open angle glaucoma (POAG) near the ABCA1 gene. Considering that POAG and primary angle closure glaucoma (PACG) share many similar clinical manifestations, the present study was conducted to investigate whether these genetic variants were also associated with PACG in a Han Chinese population., Methods: A case-control association study of 1122 cases (PACG/PAC) and 1311 normal, matched controls was undertaken. Seven single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) near the ABCA1 gene, including rs2422493, rs2487042, rs2472496, rs2472493, rs2487032, rs2472459, and rs2472519, were genotyped. Genotype and allele frequencies were assessed using χ² tests. Linkage disequilibrium (LD) structure was analyzed by computer software., Results: Among the SNPs genotyped, no association was observed between these SNPs and PACG. However, we discovered that two haplotypes, CATTTAC (corrected P = 0.048) and CGCCCGC (corrected P = 0.048), remained significantly associated with PACG/PAC after Bonferroni correction. Subjects with the CATTTAC haplotype have a 1.71-fold increased possibility of having PACG/PAC, whereas subjects with the CGCCCGC haplotype have 0.47-fold decreased possibility of developing PACG., Conclusions: Our findings suggest that the genetic backgrounds of PACG and POAG might be different. However, whether or not ABCA1 plays a role in the development of PACG is still not made certain by this study. Thus, further research is needed to find the role of ABCA1 in the progress of PACG.

Mr. Peng Zemin, a senior leader of the Kuomintang leftist and patriotic overseas Chinese, had acknowledged the famous Guangdong modern TCM masters Chen Botan as his mentor in TCM for six years, and deeply affected by Chen Botan's way of prescribing large dose of classical recipes. Guang-dong Chinese Medicine Museum has collected a number of Mr. Peng Zernin' s letters, which were handwriting works written by Mr. Peng Zemin himself to his nephew Peng Bingtang who worked in the government of Guyang Wulanchabu League, Inner Mongolia. Among them, nine are related to medicine, reflecting Mr. Peng Zemin' s medical activities, medical ethics and medical practice experience, the way he prescribed after Chen Botan's characteristics of prescribing and applying materia medica.

We performed a genome-wide association study for primary open-angle glaucoma (POAG) in 1,007 cases with high-pressure glaucoma (HPG) and 1,009 controls from southern China. We observed genome-wide significant association at multiple SNPs near ABCA1 at 9q31.1 (rs2487032; P = 1.66 × 10(-8)) and suggestive evidence of association in PMM2 at 16p13.2 (rs3785176; P = 3.18 × 10(-6)). We replicated these findings in a set of 525 HPG cases and 912 controls from Singapore and a further set of 1,374 POAG cases and 4,053 controls from China. We observed genome-wide significant association with more than one SNP at the two loci (P = 2.79 × 10(-19) for rs2487032 representing ABCA1 and P = 5.77 × 10(-10) for rs3785176 representing PMM2). Both ABCA1 and PMM2 are expressed in the trabecular meshwork, optic nerve and other ocular tissues. In addition, ABCA1 is highly expressed in the ganglion cell layer of the retina, a finding consistent with it having a role in the development of glaucoma.