Search

BACKGROUND: In a previous study, more attention has been given to the psychological state of doctors than to that of nurses although the workload, working hours, and patient contact time are generally higher for nurses than doctors. The current status of nurses' perceived stress, work engagement, and perceived professional benefit during the routine management of the Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic and how their perceived stress affects the other two variables are topics that merit research attention. OBJECTIVE: In this study, the status of nurses' perceived stress, work engagement, and perceived professional benefit during the routine management of the COVID-19 pandemic was investigated to explore whether their perceived stress level has any effect on the other two variables. METHODS: The convenience sampling method was adopted, and 669 nurses from the First People's Hospital of Jingzhou were selected to participate in this study. Questionnaires on perceived stress, work engagement, and perceived professional benefit were used in the survey, and the data were processed using the SPSS 20.0 program for the descriptive statistics, independent sample t-test, analysis of variance. RESULTS: The total score of the nurses' perceived stress was 18.58±4.37 points. The total scores of their work engagement (43.32±14.01) and perceived professional benefit (140.23±17.75). CONCLUSION: The nurses' total perceived stress score was at an upper-middle level, and their total work engagement and perceived professional benefit scores were relatively high. Overall, perceived stress has a negative effect on nurses' work engagement and perceived professional benefit. That is, the higher the pressure perception of nurses, the lower the degree of work engagement and perceived professional benefit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The organic-rich shale of the Qingshankou Formation (K2qn) is the most important target in the Songliao Basin. The relationship between lithofacies and source rock quality, however, is still controversial. Core observation, thin section identification, X-ray diffraction, organic geochemistry, and other analytical methods were adopted to investigate the petrology and its effects on hydrocarbon potential of the Qingshankou shale. Based on the differences in minerals, bioclastic, and fabric of laminae, four main lithofacies were defined as: (i) felsic shale (FS), (ii) clay shale (CS), (iii) bio-bearing shale (BS), and (iv) mixed shale (MS). The clay minerals content in the CS (average: 46.72 wt%) and MS (average: 41.11 wt%) was higher than that in FS (average: 39.97 wt%) and BS (average: 35.48 wt%). This classification allows the following comparative quantification of total organic carbon (TOC) content to be differentiated: CS > BS > MS > FS. Geochemical analysis indicated that the oil generation potential of the CS was the best, and the hydrocarbons generated from CS might migrate and accumulate in other lithofacies. All this knowledge could shed light on the lithofacies classification in shale systems with high clay mineral content, and may provide references for sweet spotting of the Qingshankou Formation in the Songliao Basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Atractylodis macrocephalae Rhizoma (AMR) is a famous classical Chinese traditional medicine (CTM), which has been used as a tonic for many diseases for thousands of years. In ancient China, it was used as a supplementary food for beauty in the palace. In preliminary studies, the function of whitening skin and the significant inhibiting effect on tyrosinase (TYR) which is the reactive enzyme in the composition of melanin of AMR were discovered, and the relevant research was rarely reported. In this study, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) along with partial least squares regression analysis (PLS) was applied to survey the coherence between the chemical constituents and the inhibiting activity of 11 batches of AMR on TYR activity. The results of PLS showed that the chromatographic peaks 11 (atractylenolide III) and 15 could be important effective ingredients of the inhibition TYR activity as ascertained by spectrum-activity relationships. Furthermore, TYR inhibitory activity of atractylenolide III was validated by in vitro test by β-arbutin served as a positive control drug. The results of the in vitro test and the molecular docking showed that atractylenolide III has high TYR inhibitory activity and could link to the residues in TYR catalytic pocket. Therefore, bioassay, molecular docking, and spectrum-activity relationships are appropriate for linking the quality of samples with pharmaceutical-related active ingredients. And our studying would lay a theoretical foundation for applying the water extracts of AMR in whitening cosmetics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: As the birth policy has been adjusted from one-child-one-couple to universal two-child-one-couple in China, there is an increasing number of women undergoing a second pregnancy after a previous cesarean section (CS). Undertaking an elective repeat CS (ERCS) has been taken for granted and has thus become a major contributor to the increasing CS rate in China. Promoting trial of labor after CS (TOLAC) can reduce the CS rate without compromising delivery outcomes. This study aimed to investigate Chinese obstetricians' perspectives regarding TOLAC, and the factors associated with their decision-making regarding recommending TOLAC to pregnant women with a history of CS under the two-child policy.Methods: A cross-sectional survey was carried out between May and July 2018. Binary logistic regression was used to determine the factors associated with the obstetricians' intention to recommend TOLAC to pregnant women with a history of CS. The independent variables included sociodemographic factors and perceptions regarding TOLAC (selection criteria for TOLAC, basis underlying the selection criteria for TOLAC, and perceived challenges regarding promoting TOLAC).Results: A total of 426 obstetricians were surveyed, with a response rate of ≥83%. The results showed that 31.0% of the obstetricians had no intention to recommend TOLAC to pregnant women with a history of CS. Their decisions were associated with the perceived lack of confidence regarding undergoing TOLAC among pregnant women with a history of CS and their families (odds ratio [OR] = 2.31; 95% CI: 1.38-1.38); obstetricians' uncertainty about the safety of TOLAC for pregnant women with a history of CS (OR = 0.49; 95% CI: 0.27-0.96), and worries about medical lawsuits due to adverse delivery outcomes (OR = 0.14; 95% CI: 0.07-0.31). The main reported challenges regarding performing TOLAC were lack of clear guidelines for predicting or avoiding the risks associated with TOLAC (83.4%), obstetricians' uncertainty about the safety of TOLAC for women with a history of CS (81.2%), pregnant women's unwillingness to accept the risks associated with TOLAC (81.0%) or demand for ERCS (80.7%), and the perceived lack of confidence (77.5%) or understanding (69.7%) regarding undergoing TOLAC among pregnant women and their families.Conclusion: A proportion of Chinese obstetricians did not intend to recommend TOLAC to pregnant women with a history of CS. This phenomenon was closely associated with obstetricians' concerns about TOLAC safety and perceived attitudes of the pregnant women and their families regarding TOLAC. Effective measures are needed to help obstetricians predict and reduce the risks associated with TOLAC, clearly specify the indications for TOLAC, improve labor management, and popularize TOLAC in China. Additionally, public health education on TOLAC is necessary to improve the understanding of TOLAC among pregnant women with a history of CS and their families, and to improve their interactions with their obstetricians regarding shared decision making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Early life is a critical period for gut microbial development. It is still controversial whether there is placental microbiota during a healthy pregnancy. Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is associated with increased risk of metabolic syndrome in the offspring, and the mechanisms are unclear. We sought to explore whether microbiota in placenta and cord blood may be altered in GDM. Methods: Placenta and cord blood samples were collected from eight GDM and seven euglycemic (control) term pregnancies in cesarean deliveries without evidence of clinical infections. The Illumina MiSeq Sequencing System was used to detect the microbiota based on the V3–V4 hypervariable regions of the 16S ribosomal RNA gene. Results: The microbiota were detectable in all placental samples. Comparing GDM vs. controls, there were more operational taxonomic units (OTUs) (mean ± SE = 373.63 ± 14.61 vs. 332.43 ± 9.92, P = 0.024) and higher ACE index (395.15 ± 10.56 vs. 356.27 ± 8.47, P = 0.029) and Chao index (397.67 ± 10.24 vs. 361.32 ± 8.87, P = 0.04). The placental microbiota was mainly composed of four phyla: Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, Actinobacteria , and Proteobacteria at the phylum level and 10 dominant genera at the genus level in both GDM and controls. Despite the dominant similarity in microbiota composition, at the OTU level, the abundance of Ruminococcus, Coprococcus, Paraprevotella , and Lactobacillus were higher, whereas Veillonella was lower in the placentas of GDM vs. controls. The microbiota was detected in one of the 15 cord blood samples, and its components were similar as to the corresponding placental microbiota at both phylum and genus levels suggesting placental microbiota as the potential source. Conclusions: The most abundant phyla and genus of placental microbiota were similar in GDM and euglycemic pregnancies, but GDM was associated with higher diversity of placental microbiota. Further study is needed to confirm the existence of microbiota in cord blood in pregnancies without clinical infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Thyroid hormones are essential for fetal growth and neurodevelopment, however, data on cord blood thyroid hormones are sparse in China where maternal age at childbearing is increasing in recent decades. We aimed to assess cord blood levels of free triiodothyronine (FT3), free thyroxine (FT4), and thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) in full-term Chinese newborns, and examine potential related perinatal factors. Methods: This study included 922 mother-newborn pairs from a prospective birth cohort enrolled in 2012–2013, Shanghai, China. Cord serum concentrations of FT3, FT4, TSH, and TPOAb were measured in newborns. Results: Newborns born via cesarean section had higher cord serum FT3 (mean ± SD: 1.90 ± 1.16 pmol/L) and lower cord serum TSH (5.15 ± 2.60 mIU/L) than those born via vaginal delivery (FT3: 1.62 ± 0.93 pmol/L; TSH: 9.27 ± 6.76 mIU/L). In cesarean section deliveries, the concentration of cord serum FT3 was 0.15 (95%CI: −0.03, 0.33; p = 0.10) pmol/L lower in infants of mothers aged 30–34 years, and 0.57 (95%CI: 0.22, 0.92; p = 0.002) pmol/L lower in infants of mothers ≥35 years compared to infants of mothers <30 years. Large-for-gestational-age (birth weight >90th percentile) was associated with higher TSH (p = 0.02). Similar results were also found in vaginal deliveries. Conclusions: In this Chinese term birth cohort, newborns born via cesarean section had higher cord serum FT3 and lower TSH than those born via vaginal delivery. Advanced maternal age was associated with lower fetal FT3. Further research is needed to understand whether this association may mediate the adverse impact of advanced maternal age on neurodevelopment in early life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ordos Basin, as the second largest petroliferous basin of China, contains abundant oil and gas resources, oil shale, and sandstone‐type uranium mineral resources. Chang 7 shale is not only the major source rock of the Mesozoic petroliferous system of the Basin, but is also crucial in determining the space‐time distribution relationship of the shale section for the effective exploration and development of the Basin's oil and gas resources. To obtain a highly precise age of the shale development section, we collected tuff samples from the top and bottom profile of the Chang 7 Member, Yishi Village, Yaoqu Town, Tongchuan District, on the southern margin of the Ordos Basin and performed high‐precision chemical abrasion (CA)–isotope dilution (ID)–thermal ionization mass spectrometry (TIMS) zircon U‐Pb dating on the basis of extensive laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA‐ICP‐MS) zircon U‐Pb dating data. Our results show the precise ages of the top and bottom zircon in the Chang 7 shale to be 241.06±0.12 Ma and 241.558±0.093 Ma, respectively. We first obtained Chang 7 age data with Grade 0.1‐Ma precision and then determined the age of the shale development in the Chang 7 Member to be the early‐Middle Triassic Ladinian. This result is supported by paleontological evidence. The deposition duration of the Chang 7 shale is 0.5Ma with an average deposition rate of the shale section being 5.3 cm/ka. Our research results provide time scale and basic data for further investigation of the basin–mountain coupling relation of the shale section, the sedimentary environment and volcanic ash and organic‐matter‐rich shale development relation, and the organism break‐out and organic‐matter enrichment mechanism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ordos Basin is the largest petroliferous basin in China, where the Chang 7 Member shale serves as the major source rock in the basin, with an area of more than 100,000 km2. So far, sedimentary and geochemical characterizations have rarely been conducted on the shale in shallow (< 1000 m) areas in the southeastern part of the basin, but such characterizations can help identify the genesis of organic-rich shale and promote the prediction and recovery of shale oil. In this paper, several outcrop sections of the Chang 7 Member in the Tongchuan area were observed and sampled, and sedimentary and geochemical characterizations were conducted for the well-outcropped YSC section. The study results show that the Chang 7 Member shale is widely distributed laterally with variable thickness. The organic-rich shale is 7–25 m thick in total and exhibits obvious horizontal variation in mineral composition. In the eastern sections, the shale contains organic matter of Type II2–III and is low in thermal maturity, with high clay mineral content, low K-feldspar content, and no pyrite. In the western sections, the shale contains Type II1 organic matter and is low in thermal maturity, with high clay mineral, K-feldspar, and pyrite contents. The YSC section reveals three obvious intervals in vertical mineral composition and organic abundance. The Chang 7 Member organic-rich shale (TOC > 10%) contains mainly sapropelite and liptinite, with Type II kerogen. It is generally characterized by a hydrocarbon potential of more than 70 mg/g, low maturity, and shallow–semideep lacustrine facies. In the western sections, the shale, still in a low maturity stage, has a higher hydrocarbon potential and is optional for shale oil recovery. However, the Chang 7 Member shale in the study area is highly heterogeneous and its shale oil recovery is practical only in the organic-rich intervals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Bisphenol A (BPA) has been associated with variable metabolic effects in animal models. It is unknown whether BPA exposure affects glucose tolerance in pregnancy. We aimed to investigate whether maternal urinary BPA concentration is associated with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).Methods: This study included 620 pregnant women from Shanghai, China 2012-2013. Maternal urinary BPA concentration was measured by high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC-MS/MS). GDM (n = 79) was diagnosed according to the criteria of the International Association of Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Groups (IADPSG). Multivariate regressions were used to explore the relationships of urinary BPA with GDM, plasma glucose levels in the 75-g 2-hour oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT), birth weight, and ponder index.Results: The geometric mean of BPA was 1.32 μg/L. After adjustment for maternal age, education, husband smoking status, prepregnancy body mass index (BMI), and urinary creatinine concentration, plasma glucose at 2 hours in the 75-g OGTT was 0.36 mmol/L lower (95% confidence index [CI] = -0.73, 0.01) for women with urine BPA in the high versus the low tertile. For each unit increase in natural log-transformed BPA, the odds of GDM was reduced by 27% (odds ratio (OR) = 0.73; 95% CI = 0.56, 0.97), the birth weight decreased by 25.70 g (95% CI = -54.48, 3.07), and ponder index was decreased by 0.02 (100 g/cm) (95% CI = -0.03, 0.00).Conclusions: Higher maternal urinary BPA concentrations were associated with reduced risk of GDM and marginally lower birth weight and ponder index. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A novel strain of infectious bronchitis virus (CK/CH/FJ/202005) caused severe air sacculitis in 1- and 15-day-old challenged SPF chickens. • Tracheal and air-sac lesions were first evident at 5 DPI, and persisted throughout the 30-day experiments. • In the 1-day-old infected group, the viral titer in the trachea was above 104 at 5, 7, 10, and 15 DPI, and then dropped rapidly during the third week. Infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) has a significant impact on the poultry industry, and genogroup VI (GVI) IBVs, such as the TC07−2 strain, were reported in China since 2007. We isolated a novel strain, CK/CH/FJ/202005 (henceforth 202005), from broilers that were vaccinated with different attenuated IBV strains (H120, 4/91, or QX) in Fujian, China during 2020. Based on comparison with the SNU8065 strain (GI-22), the 1ab genes were the locations of recombination in this new isolate. Pathogenicity testing of 1-day-old and 15-day-old specific pathogen-free (SPF) chickens indicated varying severities of air sacculitis beginning 5 days-post-inoculation (DPI). Histopathological analysis indicated that tracheal lesions started at 5 DPI and persisted throughout the 30-day experiments in 1-day-old infected chickens. Virus re-isolation and viral load tests indicated this strain was mainly in the trachea, and not the kidneys. Our findings showed that the 202005 strain was pathogenic in 1-day-old and 15-day-old chickens. These results should be considered when developing strategies to control IBV infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ramie is a fibre crop originating from China that has great ability to tolerate and accumulate heavy metals. This study has analysed the capacity of ramie cultivars to absorb and accumulate cadmium (Cd) through two years of micro-regional field study and shown that stress under high concentration of Cd significantly affects the biomass of ramie; 25 mg kg-1 Cd treatment promotes the growth and development of ramie cultivars B. nivea 1 and 9. The Cd contents retained in different parts of ramie are ranked as the following: bast > stems > leaves. Cd concentrations in shoot systems among different ramie cultivars are significantly different and increase dramatically in association with the increasing Cd concentration in the soil. Ramie has the ability to accumulate large amounts of Cd; under the treatment with 25 and 100 mg kg-1 of Cd, three times of ramie harvest annually remove 0.76 and 0.97 kg hm-2 a-1 of Cd respectively. The results from this study demonstrate the feasibility of phytoremediation of Cd-contaminated farmland by ramie cultivars that have obtained Cd accumulating capacity through screening and training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shallow-lacustrine delta deposits of the Upper Triassic Yanchang Formation form the most important petroleum reservoir sandstone units in the Ordos Basin, China. Recent hydrocarbon exploration and outcrop studies demonstrated that shallow-lacustrine sand-rich deltas developed extensively along the gentle flanks and central part of the basin. The vertical succession of facies indicates that the Yanchang Formation records the entire lacustrine life cycle of the Late Triassic Ordos Basin. Four third-order transgressive–regressive cycles and two larger shallow-lacustrine deltaic cycles have been recognized. A process-based depositional model, derived in part from the modern Ganjiang delta in Poyang Lake, China, is used to infer the origins of the sand-rich lacustrine delta deposits. Slow basin subsidence, abundant sediment supply, autocyclic processes and a hydrologically open (overfilled) lake setting were the four main controls on the development of basin-wide sand-rich deltaic sequences. Recognition that inter-connected delta-plain sand bodies lying above the lower sequence boundary of the Yanchang Formation act as important migration pathways for oil, gas and other basin fluids, aids in exploration for stratigraphic and diagenetic traps in the delta plain area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The adjustment of primary hydrocarbon reservoirs in marine formations is an important feature of the oil pools in the Tarim Basin. Large-scale hydrocarbon adjustment is related to the strong regional tectonic movements, which is always accompanied by extensive migration of basin fluids including diagenetic and mineralizing fluids. Organic fluid inclusions are well developed in hydrothermal minerals, such as fluorite, which have been found in the dissolution-enlarged fractures or karstification caves in the Ordovician in the central Tarim Basin. Proved by well drilling, the fluorite deposit is good reservoir for oil and gas. So the peculiar accompanied or superimposed relationship between fluorite hydrothermal fluid mineralization and hydrocarbon migration and accumulation exists in the Ordovician in the central Tarim Basin. Considering regional tectonic setting and mineralization condition, through different kinds of analytic methods including electron spin resonance dating, fluid inclusion laser Raman and colonial inclusions hydrocarbon fossil analysis, we proposed that extensive mineralizing fluids and hydrocarbon migration occurred in late Yanshan-Himalayan (110.4-30.8 Ma) period, and Himalayan, especially, is an important period for hydrocarbon accumulation from 34.3 Ma to present. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Soil C:N:P stoichiometry of Chinese fir and Phoebe bournei forests were monitored. • The P. bournei monoculture had higher soil C, N, and P levels than Chinese fir monoculture. • SOC increased with the age of P. bournei stands. • P. bournei forests might be co-limited by N and P over time. Chinese fir (Cunninghamia lanceolata), a fast-growing conifer, has been widely planted in south China and is commonly managed in successive monocultures, resulting in severe ecosystem degradation. To recover the degraded lands, forest managers are now replacing C. lanceolata monocultures with slow-growing broadleaved trees, including Phoebe bournei. However, whether P. bournei prevents soil degradation and improves soil fertility are poorly known. In this research, we studied the effects of monoculture and mixed culture of C. lanceolata × P. bournei (experiment 1) and the effects of P. bournei stand age (monoculture and early, middle, and late stages) (experiment 2) on soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), total phosphorus (TP), and dissolved organic matter (i.e., DOC, DON, and DOP), and C:N:P stoichiometry at different soil depths in different seasons. In experiment 1, we found that SOC, TN, and TP at 0–30 cm depth or at one or two of the soil depths (i.e. 0–10, 10–20, and 20–30 cm) were significantly higher in the P. bournei monoculture and the C. lanceolata × P. bournei mixed culture than in the C. lanceolata monoculture. The C:N ratio at 10–20 cm depth and the C:P and N:P ratios at 0–30 cm depth were significantly higher in the P. bournei monoculture than in the C. lanceolata monoculture. The C:P and N:P ratios at 0–30 cm depth were significantly higher in the C. lanceolata × P. bournei mixed culture than in the C. lanceolata monoculture. Among the three kinds of plantations in experiment 1, soil DOC and DON were generally lowest in the C. lanceolata monoculture. In experiment 2, SOC and TN at 0–45 cm soil depth increased but TP decreased with the stage (age) of the P. bournei forest. C:N, C:P, and N:P ratios were often higher in the late or middle stages than in the early stage or in the P. bournei monoculture. DON at 0–45 cm depth was lower in the late stage than in the other three stages of P. bournei forests. The results indicate that the P. bournei plantation maintained higher soil C, N, and P levels than the C. lanceolata plantation, suggesting that forest conversion from C. lanceolata to P. bournei monoculture or to C. lanceolata × P. bournei mixed culture should help prevent soil degradation in south China. Although soil C sequestration increases with the age of P. bournei stands, limitation of forest growth by N and P also increases with the age of P. bournei stands. These results increase our understanding of soil C:N:P stoichiometry in subtropical forest ecosystems and offer insight into subtropical forest management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pleuromeia Corda is an iconic lycopod genus in the Early Triassic floras of the world. Pleuromeia fossils are very significant in stratigraphy and palaeoenvironmental interpretation and have been regarded as an important Lower Triassic index fossil. Although some recent studies show that the genus occurred in the lower part of the Middle Triassic, no definite Pleuromeia has been reported from the late Middle Triassic and the younger strata so far. In this paper, some reproductive organ fossils of Pleuromeia from the upper Middle Triassic Tongchuan Formation in Shaanxi Province (belonging to the Ordos Basin), North China, are described for the first time, belonging to the new species Pleuromeia obovata Deng nov. sp. Highly accurate dating results of tuff layers indicate that the age of the new species is between 241.06 ± 0.12 Ma and 241.558 ± 0.093 Ma, equivalent to the early Ladinian. This is the youngest species of genus Pleuromeia so far. Spatiotemporal distribution of Pleuromeia indicates that the genus first appeared in the Induan (Early Triassic) in North China, occurred widespread and flourished in both Laurasia and Gondwana during the Olenekian (late Early Triassic), declined from the Anisian (early Middle Triassic), survived in the Ladinian in North China, and may have gone extinct as early as the end of the Middle Triassic. North China may well have included the place of origination and the last habitats of this genus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbonate concretion is an authigenic aggregation of minerals commonly found in sandstone and shale, especially in organic-rich shale. In the outcrop, large number of carbonate concretions developed in Chang 7 member in Tongchuan. Those concretions were studied in terms of stable isotope, clumped isotope to delineate its origin and sedimentary environment. Two types of concretions are identified. Type A concretionsmainly distribute in organic-rich shale. This concretion was divided into the inner circular layer and the outer circular layer. In the inner circular layer, the value of δ13C‰(VPDB) is 9.98‰~14.19‰, and the value of δ18O‰(VPDB) is −13.32‰~-10.07‰. On the contrary, the δ13C and δ18O value of outer circular layer are4.74‰~-0.59‰,-17.86‰~-15.59‰ respectively. The formation palaeotemperature of different parts of concretion ranged from 28.6 to 76.5 °C. This may be due to methanogenesis arising from bacterial activities in the fermentation zone, and the fractional distillation of carbon isotope of organic matter was caused by the methane bacterial activities. The calcite and dolomite spherulites in carbonate concretions may be due to the calcilization and dolomitization of cyanobacteria in the early diagenesis. The type B concretions were distributed in the fine sandstone, silty sandstone, and silty mudstone. The internal structure of concretions is uniform. The carbon isotopic values were negative, and δ13C was −5.019~-12.013‰, and the δ18O values was −17.6~-19.281‰. The value of 87Sr/86Sr was in the range of 0.710072–0.710392. The temperature was established at 60.4 °C through clumped isotopes analysis. Based on isotopic analysis, the formation palaeotemperature at different parts of concretion was 55.4–65.6 °C. The origin of the concretion may be related to dehydroxylation in diagenesis, formed in the early-middle stage of diagenesis. • Carbon, Oxygen and Strontium isotope are used in the article. • The origin of two kinds of concretions is discussed. • The formation temperature of concretions is determined by clumped isotope. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract An extract prepared from species of Paris is the most widely consumed herbal product in China. The genus Paris includes a variety of genotypes with different medicinal component contents but only two are defined as official sources. Closely related species have different medicinal properties because of differential expression of proteins and metabolites. To better understand the molecular basis of these differences, we examined proteomic and metabolomic changes in rhizomes of P. polyphylla var. chinensis , P. polyphylla var. yunnanensis , and P. fargesii var. fargesii using a technique known as sequential window acquisition of all theoretical mass spectra as well as gas chromatography–time-of-flight mass spectrometry. In total, 419 proteins showed significant abundance changes, and 33 metabolites could be used to discriminate Paris species. A complex analysis of proteomic and metabolomic data revealed a higher efficiency of sucrose utilization and an elevated protein abundance in the sugar metabolic pathway of P. polyphylla var. chinensis. The pyruvate content and efficiency of acetyl-CoA-utilization in saponin biosynthesis were also higher in P. polyphylla var. chinensis than in the other two species. The results expand our understanding of the proteome and metabolome of Paris and offer new insights into the species-specific traits of these herbaceous plants. Significance The traditional Chinese medicine Paris is the most widely consumed herbal product for the treatment of joint pain, rheumatoid arthritis and antineoplastic. All Paris species have roughly the same morphological characteristics; however, different members have different medicinal compound contents. Efficient exploitation of genetic diversity is a key factor in the development of rare medicinal plants with improved agronomic traits and malleability to challenging environmental conditions. Nevertheless, only a partial understanding of physiological and molecular mechanisms of different plants of Paris can be achieved without proteomics. To better understand the molecular basis of these differences and facilitate the use of other Paris species, we examine proteomic metabolomic changes in rhizomes of Paris using the technique known as SWATH-MS and GC/TOF-MS. Our research has provided information that can be used in other studies to compare metabolic traits in different Paris species. Our findings can also serve as a theoretical basis for the selection and cultivation of other Paris species with a higher medicinal value. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • A total of 419 proteins and 33 metabolites exhibited significant changes among different Paris species. • A higher efficiency of sucrose utilization and an elevated protein abundance in the sugar metabolic pathway of PPC • The pyruvate content and efficiency of acetyl-CoA-utilization were higher in PPC than in PPY and PFF. • The proteins related to terpenoid backbone and steroid biosynthetic pathways were up-regulated in PPC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lepacyclotes Emmons is one of the most important Early-Middle Triassic lycopsids, a genus that became extinct during the Late Triassic-Jurassic. Due to its relatively short geological ranges, fairly wide geographic distributions, and strict palaeoecological requirements, this genus is important in stratigraphical correlation and palaeoenvironmental interpretation. Although this lycopsid has been studied for more than a century, there are less than 20 species of Lepacyclotes are known. In this paper, we report abundant new materials from the upper Middle Triassic of the Ordos Basin, North China for the first time. Two species are identified: Lepacyclotes zeilleri (Fliche) Retallack and L. ordosensis Deng sp. nov., with the former species yielding numerous in situ megaspores. Precise absolute dating of tuff layers intercalated in the strata bearing Lepacyclotes point to the early Ladinian (Middle Triassic). A comprehensive analysis of the previous data shows that the genus Lepacyclotes originated during the Early Triassic in multiple areas, flourished in late Early Triassic to early Middle, and strongly declined in the Middle Triassic. A few relicts survived in the Late Triassic and Early Jurassic. Lepacyclotes was adapted to salty, seawater-associated, or evaporative environments. Additionally, the generic diagnosis of Lepacyclotes is emended, and the relationships between the genus and its related genera have been discussed. • New materials of lycopsid Lepacyclotes zeilleri and a new species L. ordosensis are reported for the first time. • Lepacyclotes is of great stratigraphy significance due to its narrow geological range and wide geography distribution. • Lepacyclotes is adapted to salt-tolerant, seawater-associated or evaporative environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• First documentation of the Pagoda Positive Carbon Excursion (PPCE) on Upper Yangtze Platform. • Astronomical tuning of 3 sections yielded similar PPCE durations of 4.0 ± 0.3 Myr. • PPCE is coeval with regional transgression-highstand and oscillating climate. The continuous and well exposed sections of the Upper Ordovician on the Upper Yangtze Platform were surveyed and sampled for δ13C and δ18O isotope and conodont fossils. The geochem-stratigraphic work in the Pagoda Formation has resulted in the recognition of a positive δ13C excursion, the Pagoda Positive δ13C Excursion (PPCE). The PPCE is a distinctive positive excursion occurring in the Middle-Late Katian, consists of three minor excursions ranging from 1.5 ‰ to 3 ‰, which has been identified in all the study sections on the Upper Yangtze Platform. The PPCE interval ranges through the conodont Hamarodus brevirameus and Protopandeordus inscrulptus conodont zones in ascending order, which indicates that the PPCE develops in the Middle-Late Katian of the Late Ordovician, while the Guttenberg δ13C Excursion (GICE) in the Baltoscandia and America extended from the Late Sandbian to the Early Katian. Spectral analysis of high-resolution magnetic susceptibility (MS) logs for the four study sections shows consistent wavelengths of ca. 2.0, 0.5, 0.18 and 0.15 m. The outcrop depth-series were tuned using 405-kyr long-eccentricity cycles and the astronomical tuning yields the duration of 3.7 to 4.4 myr for the PPCE event in different sections. This is the first documentation of the PPCE event on the Upper Yangtze Platform according to the geochemo-bio-cyclostratigraphy evidences, being identified within all portions of this platform in South China. It revised the previous description of the positive δ13C excursion of the Pagoda Formation on the Upper Yangtze Platform. The trigger of the PPCE was also briefly discussed in this paper. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• First precise zircon U-Pb age from the Cuizhuang Formation in the Xiong'er Basin. • Abundant organic wall microfossils found from the Paleoproterozoic red mudstones. • Oxygenated water is a possible key factor for the eukaryote preservation as fossil. North China Craton is one of the old cratons preserved continues recording of the early evolution of eukaryotes. Organic wall microfossils (OWMs) of eukaryotic affinity have been found in the late Paleoproterozoic sediments from the Yanliao and Xiong'er basins that located in the northern and southern margins of the North China Craton. However, accurate Paleoproterozoic stratigraphic correlation of these two basins still lacks precise chronological and convincing paleontological evidence. Here, we report a SIMS zircon U-Pb age (1647.8 ± 4.3 Ma) from a tuffite layer at the bottom of the Cuizhuang Formation of the Xiong'er Basin, which provides direct chronological evidence for its isochronous deposition with the Chuanlinggou Formation in the Yanliao Basin. Besides, abundant OWMs were recovered from red shales of the Chuanlinggou Formation from the present Taihang Mountains, which is located in the southern branch of the Yanliao Basin and close to the Xiong'er Basin. They are primarily spheroidal microfossils and contain at least one unambiguous unicellular eukaryotic taxa (Valeria lophostriata) and three probable eukaryotic taxa (Schizofusa sinica , Dongyesphaera tenuispina ?, large Leiosphaeridia spp.). Our finding further confirms the appearance of unicellular eukaryotes in the Paleoproterozoic ocean and the expanding of their living scopes from the cratonic marginal basin to the intracratonic basin. However, the absence of eukaryotic OWMs in black shales and green shales with more hypoxic depositional waters than those of red shales, indicates that the oxygenated water is probably a key factor to the survival of eukaryotes and even their preservation as OWMs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The Qinyu Uplift was constrained to occur between 1432 Ma and 1418 Ma. • The Qinyu Uplift caused large-scale but different types of unconformity. • Milankovitch cycles were recognized from the Mesoproterozoic Tieling carbonate rocks. In the Yanliao Basin of the North China Craton, the Mesoproterozoic Xiamaling Formation contacted unconformably with the underlying Tieling Formation. This unconformity was caused by the Qinyu Uplift. Underneath this unconformity, the Tieling Formation experienced variably weathering with more extensive erosion of carbonates in the west than in the northeast of the basin. To constrain the timing of the Qinyu Uplift and the duration of subsequent unconformity, cyclostratigraphic analysis was conducted on the Tieling carbonate rocks. Referencing the periodicities of the eccentricity, obliquity and precession obtained from the Mesoproterozoic Xiamaling and Hongshuizhuang Formations, Milankovitch cycles during the Tieling Formation were recognized. A bentonite located at the middle of the Tieling Formation was recognized from the core at the Beizhangzi section, and was considered to be contemporaneous with those found at the Jixian and Liujiagou sections, which had a consistent age of 1441 Ma. Then a deposition rate from the bentonite layer to the top interface of the Tieling Formation was calculated to be 1.65 ± 0.22 cm kyr−1, and the duration time were ca. 9 million years. So the minimum age of the Tieling Formation was ca. 1432 Ma. Combined with our new 207Pb/206Pb weighted average age of 1418 ± 14 Ma obtained from the bottom of the Xiamaling Formation, the Qinyu Uplift was constrained to occur between 1432 Ma and 1418 Ma, older than the previously suggested age of 1400 Ma. The duration of this unconformity was suggested to be no less 14 million years, and might be longer in the western part. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As one of three cratonic basins in China, the Tarim Basin has the most abundant oil and gas resource, and its Precambrian petroleum system is a new region for hydrocarbon exploration. After conducting numerous field investigations in the Tarim Basin, we discovered the Sinian source rocks with 150m of thickness in Kuruktag area. These source rocks have total organic carbon (TOC) contents between 0.6% and 1.6%, with equivalent vitrinite reflectance (%Ro) between 1.23% and 1.42%. In addition, dark mudstone and a large amount of reservoir bitumen is present in the Upper Sinian outcrops in Aksu region. Biomarkers analysis indicates that reservoir bitumens in the Sinian and Cambrian strata were derived from the Sinian dark mudstones. Meanwhile, biomarkers of the reservoir bitumens from well ST1 in the Lower Cambrian Xiaoerbulake Formation indicate that the bitumen was originated from the Sinian source rocks and subsequently experienced biodegradation influence. Furthermore, a special hydrocarbon charging event with homogenization temperature of 50–60 °C has been elucidated from coeval aqueous phase of oil inclusions from in well ZS5, indicating that the oil and gas charging event in the Sinian source rocks occurred throughout the basin. As a result, the Sinian petroleum system in the Tarim Basin may contain high-quality source rocks, which contribute to the massive amount of Lower Paleozoic oil and gas resources in the basin. This study has important practical significance for oil and gas exploration of the Precambrian petroleum system in the Tarim Basin. • Hydrocarbon generation from Sinian source rocks has been found in the Tarim Basin. • Low-temperature fluid inclusion in Cambrian can only originate from precambrian. • Biomarkers confirm that Sinian source rocks once generated hydrocarbons in history. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: It remains unclear which early gestational biomarkers can be used in predicting later development of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). We sought to identify the optimal combination of early gestational biomarkers in predicting GDM in machine learning (ML) models., Methods: This was a nested case-control study including 100 pairs of GDM and euglycemic (control) pregnancies in the Early Life Plan cohort in Shanghai, China. High sensitivity C reactive protein, sex hormone binding globulin, insulin-like growth factor I, IGF binding protein 2 (IGFBP-2), total and high molecular weight adiponectin and glycosylated fibronectin concentrations were measured in serum samples at 11-14 weeks of gestation. Routine first-trimester blood test biomarkers included fasting plasma glucose (FPG), serum lipids and thyroid hormones. Five ML models [stepwise logistic regression, least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO), random forest, support vector machine and k-nearest neighbor] were employed to predict GDM. The study subjects were randomly split into two sets for model development (training set, n = 70 GDM/control pairs) and validation (testing set: n = 30 GDM/control pairs). Model performance was evaluated by the area under the curve (AUC) in receiver operating characteristics., Results: FPG and IGFBP-2 were consistently selected as predictors of GDM in all ML models. The random forest model including FPG and IGFBP-2 performed the best (AUC 0.80, accuracy 0.72, sensitivity 0.87, specificity 0.57). Adding more predictors did not improve the discriminant power., Conclusion: The combination of FPG and IGFBP-2 at early gestation (11-14 weeks) could predict later development of GDM with moderate discriminant power. Further validation studies are warranted to assess the utility of this simple combination model in other independent cohorts., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

To elucidate the characteristics of VOCs chemical components during heavy pollution episodes, hourly online VOCs data derived from 11 heavy pollution events in Tianjin from 2019 to 2020 were employed. The positive matrix factorization （PMF） and conditional bivariate probability function （CBPF） were employed to analyze the sources of VOCs during heavy pollution episodes. The results indicated that the average VOCs volume fraction during these episodes was recorded at 35.7×10 -9 . Furthermore, it was observed that during the winter emergency response period, there was a discernible increase in the volume fraction of VOCs when compared to that during the autumn season. Specifically, there was a notable upswing of 48% in the olefins category, whereas alkanes registered a 4% increase. Additionally, the VOCs component structure changed significantly during the heavy pollution episodes. During the orange warning period, the proportion of alkanes increased by 36%, and the proportion of acetylene decreased by 32%. During the yellow warning period, the proportion of alkanes increased by 14%, and the proportion of acetylene decreased by 5%. During the emergency response period, motor vehicle emission sources, natural gas evaporative sources, and solvent use sources were the main contributors of VOCs in environmental receptors, contributing 17.5%, 15.4%, and 15.2%, respectively. Compared with that during the period antecedent to the emergency response, the contribution of vehicle emission sources and diesel volatile sources to VOCs in environmental receptors decreased by 2.0% to 5.5% and 2.1% to 6.6%, respectively, and the contribution of solvent use sources decreased by 0.2% to 2.4% during the yellow warning period. During the orange warning period, the contribution of motor vehicle emission sources was reduced by 0.1% to 8.3%, and the contribution of solvent use sources was reduced by 0.5% to 6.2%.

Objectives: This study aimed to analyze the influencing factors of hospitalization cost of hypertensive patients in TCM (traditional Chinese medicine, TCM) hospitals, which can provide a scientific basis for hospitals to control the hospitalization cost of hypertension., Methods: In this study, 3,595 hospitalized patients with a primary diagnosis of tertiary hypertension in Tianshui City Hospital of TCM, Gansu Province, China, from January 2017 to June 2022, were used as research subjects. Using univariate analysis to identify the relevant variables of hospitalization cost, followed by incorporating the statistically significant variables of univariate analysis as independent variables in multiple linear regression analysis, and establishing the path model based on the results of the multiple linear regression finally, to explore the factors influencing hospitalization cost comprehensively., Results: The results showed that hospitalization cost of hypertension patients were mainly influenced by length of stay, age, admission pathways, payment methods of medical insurance, and visit times, with length of stay being the most critical factor., Conclusion: The Chinese government should actively exert the characteristics and advantages of TCM in the treatment of chronic diseases such as hypertension, consistently optimize the treatment plans of TCM, effectively reduce the length of stay and steadily improve the health literacy level of patients, to alleviate the illnesses pain and reduce the economic burden of patients., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Hou, Cong, Cai, Ba, Chen, Yang and Luo.)

The impact of maternal exposure to Bisphenol A on child cognitive development as well as its sex dimorphism remains uncertain. This study used data of 215 mothers and their children from a birth cohort in Shanghai. Urinary BPA were measured in spot urine samples of mothers at late pregnancy and children at age 2 years. Cognitive development was evaluated by Ages & Stages Questionnaires, Third Edition (ASQ-3) at age 2 years. Urinary BPA was detectable in 98.9% of mothers (geometric mean, GM: 2.6 μg/g. creatinine) and 99.8% children (GM: 3.4 μg/g. creatinine). Relative to the low and medium BPA tertiles, high tertile of maternal urinary BPA concentrations were associated with 4.8 points lower (95% CI: -8.3, -1.2) in gross motor and 3.7 points lower (95% CI: -7.4, -0.1) in problem-solving domain in girls only, with adjustment for maternal age, maternal education, pre-pregnancy BMI, passive smoking during pregnancy, parity, delivery mode, birth-weight for gestational age, child age at ASQ-3 test. This negative association remained with additional adjustment for child urinary BPA concentrations at age 2 years. No association was observed in boys. These results suggested the sex-dimorphism on the associations of maternal BPA exposure with gross motor and problem-solving domains in children at age 2 years. This study also indicated that optimal early child development should start with a healthy BPA-free "in utero" environment., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Early growth has long-lasting associations with adult metabolic health. However, the association of adiposity with cardiometabolic risk factors in toddlers remains poorly understood. This study aimed to examine the association of maternal prenatal factors and child adiposity with child cardiometabolic risk factors among boys and girls aged 2 years. This was a birth cohort study of 549 term-born children in Shanghai, China, with follow-up data at the age of 2-years. Child anthropometric and adiposity measurements included weight, length, and skinfold thickness (triceps, subscapular, and abdominal). Child cardiometabolic risk factors included random morning plasma glucose, serum insulin, lipids, and systolic and diastolic blood pressure (SBP, DBP). At 2 years, overweight/obesity (weight-for-length z score, ZWFL > 2) was associated with 12.6 (95%CI 7.7, 17.4) mmHg higher SBP, and 7.9 (4.1, 11.8) mmHg higher DBP in boys, with similar results observed in girls. Maternal hypertensive disorders of pregnancy were associated with 3.0 (0.1, 5.8) higher SBP, 3.17 (0.90, 5.44) mmHg higher DBP, 0.24 (0.01,0.47) mmol/L higher plasma glucose, and 0.26 (0.01,0.51) mmol/L higher serum triglycerides after adjustment for child age, sex, and ZWFL. Maternal hypertensive disorders of pregnancy and child overweight/obesity were associated with higher SBP and DBP at the age of 2 years.

Ambient air pollution is a dominant determinant of health. The health effects and economic losses due to air pollution are very important for decision-making. Since the implementation of the "Air Pollution Prevention and Control Action Plan" and "blue sky defense war" policies, the air quality of Tianjin has changed significantly. Here, the health effects and economic losses attributable to ambient air pollution in Tianjin from 2013 to 2020 wereestimated. For the particulate matter which has complex components, we assessed the inhalation health risks of heavy metals and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) in PM 2.5 . The variation in the concentration of the main components of PM 2.5 was also analyzed. The results showed that improved air quality had positive health benefits. The health benefits from SO 2 were the highest among the six air pollutants, and 3786 deaths were avoided in 2020 compared to in 2013 due to lower SO 2 concentration. The economic losses caused by air pollutants ranged from several billion to ten billion yuan. Among the six air pollutants, particulate matter and ozone had higher health losses in recent years. The health risks of heavy metals and PAHs in PM 2.5 showed a decreasing trend. However, Cr(Ⅵ), As, Cd, and Ni in PM 2.5 in the winter of 2020 still had respiratorysystem carcinogenic risk, whereas there was no health risk of PAHs in PM 2.5 in 2019-2020. The concentrations of main components of PM 2.5 have decreased significantly. In the future, the reduction of health loss caused by air pollution depends on synergy governance of particulate matter and ozone and further research on health effects.

Context: Thyroid hormones are essential for fetal brain development. The potential effects of maternal gestational thyroid dysfunction on offspring neuropsychological development remain inconclusive., Objective: This work aimed to estimate effects of maternal thyroid dysfunction during pregnancy on offspring neuropsychological development in the first 2 years., Methods: We prospectively examined 1903 mothers and their children from the Shanghai Birth Cohort. Thyroid hormones were assessed at about 12 gestational weeks. Maternal thyroid function was classified into 7 categories: euthyroid, overt/subclinical hyperthyroidism, overt/subclinical hypothyroidism, hyperthyroxinemia, and hypothyroxinemia. Neuropsychological development was assessed by the Ages and Stages Questionnaire at age 6 months, and Bayley Scales at age 24 months., Results: Compared with children of euthyroid mothers, maternal overt hypothyroidism was associated with 7.0 points (95% CI, 1.7-12.4) lower scores in personal-social domain in girls aged 6 months, 7.3 points (95% CI, 2.0-12.6) lower in motor domain, and 7.7 points (95% CI, 1.1-14.2) lower social-emotional scores in boys at age 24 months; maternal subclinical hypothyroidism was associated with 6.5 points (95% CI, 1.0-12.1) poorer social-emotional domain in boys at age 6 months, and 7.4 points (95% CI, 0.1-14.8) poorer adaptive behavior domain in boys at age 24 months; maternal hypothyroxinemia was associated with 9.3 points (95% CI, 3.5-15.1) lower motor scores in boys at age 24 months; and maternal subclinical hyperthyroidism was associated with 6.9 points (95% CI, 0.1-13.7) lower language scores in girls at age 24 months., Conclusion: Maternal overt hypothyroidism, subclinical hypothyroidism/hyperthyroidism, and hypothyroxinemia during early pregnancy were associated with weakened neuropsychological development in infancy, and some effects may be sex specific., (© The Author(s) 2022. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Endocrine Society. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Objective: To examine the effects of prenatal maternal depression, anxiety and stress, and postnatal depression on infant early neurodevelopment, and the sex dimorphism., Study Design: We used data from 3379 mother-infant pairs from the Shanghai Birth Cohort. Maternal mental health was assessed using the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale, Zung Self-Rating Anxiety Scale, Perceived Stress Scale at mid-pregnancy, and the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale at postpartum. Infant neurodevelopment was evaluated using the Ages & Stages Questionnaires and Bayley Scales at ages 6, 12, and 24 months, respectively. Linear mixed models and linear regression models were used., Results: Among 3379 mothers, 11.07 %, 5.42 %, and 34.85 % of women experienced depression, anxiety, and elevated stress, separately. As maternal prenatal mental scores increased per 1SD, infant social-emotional scores decreased -2.82 (-3.86, -1.79) vs -2.86 (-3.94, -1.79) for depression, -2.34 (-3.38, -1.31) vs -2.72 (-3.81, -1.64) for anxiety, and -2.55 (-3.60, -1.50) vs -3.41 (-4.48, -2.35) for stress among boys and girls at age 24 months, respectively. Associations were also observed on social-emotional and communication scores in boys and girls, and fine motor in girls at age 6 and 12 months. These associations were not observed for postpartum depression., Limitation: Generalizability of the results to other population remains to be determined., Conclusions: Prenatal maternal depression, anxiety, and stress were negatively associated with infant early neurodevelopment, which were not observed for postpartum depression. We underscore the importance of maternal prenatal mental health in optimizing infant neuropsychiatric development., Competing Interests: Conflict of interest The authors have no conflicts of interest relevant to this article to disclose., (Copyright © 2022 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) "program" an elevated risk of metabolic syndrome in the offspring. Epigenetic alterations are a suspected mechanism. GDM has been associated with placental DNA methylation changes in some epigenome-wide association studies. It remains unclear which genes or pathways are affected, and whether any placental differential gene methylations are correlated to fetal growth or circulating metabolic health biomarkers. In an epigenome-wide association study using the Infinium MethylationEPIC Beadchip, we sought to identify genome-wide placental differentially methylated genes and enriched pathways in GDM, and to assess the correlations with fetal growth and metabolic health biomarkers in cord blood. The study samples were 30 pairs of term placentas in GDM vs. euglycemic pregnancies (controls) matched by infant sex and gestational age at delivery in the Shanghai Birth Cohort. Cord blood metabolic health biomarkers included insulin, C-peptide, proinsulin, IGF-I, IGF-II, leptin and adiponectin. Adjusting for maternal age, pre-pregnancy BMI, parity, mode of delivery and placental cell type heterogeneity, 256 differentially methylated positions (DMPs,130 hypermethylated and 126 hypomethylated) were detected between GDM and control groups accounting for multiple tests with false discovery rate <0.05 and beta-value difference >0.05. WSCD2 was identified as a differentially methylated gene in both site- and region-level analyses. We validated 7 hypermethylated (CYP1A2, GFRA1, HDAC4, LIMS2, NAV3, PAX6, UPK1B) and 10 hypomethylated (DPP10, CPLX1, CSMD2, GPR133, NRXN1, PCSK9, PENK, PRDM16, PTPRN2, TNXB) genes reported in previous epigenome-wide association studies. We did not find any enriched pathway accounting for multiple tests. DMPs in 11 genes (CYP2D7P1, PCDHB15, ERG, SIRPB1, DKK2, RAPGEF5, CACNA2D4, PCSK9, TSNARE1, CADM2, KCNAB2) were correlated with birth weight (z score) accounting for multiple tests. There were no significant correlations between placental gene methylations and cord blood biomarkers. In conclusions, GDM was associated with DNA methylation changes in a number of placental genes, but these placental gene methylations were uncorrelated to the observed metabolic health biomarkers (fetal growth factors, leptin and adiponectin) in cord blood. We validated 17 differentially methylated placental genes in GDM, and identified 11 differentially methylated genes relevant to fetal growth., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Wang, Huang, Zheng, Du, Yang, Xu, Liu, Tao, He, Fang, Li, Fan, Zhang, Briollais, Ouyang and Luo.)

Background: Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) has been associated with adverse health outcomes for mothers and offspring. Prevalence of GDM differs by country/region due to ethnicity, lifestyle and diagnostic criteria. We compared GDM rates and risk factors in two Asian cohorts using the 1999 WHO and the International Association of Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Groups (IADPSG) criteria., Methods: The Shanghai Birth Cohort (SBC) and the Growing Up in Singapore Towards healthy Outcomes (GUSTO) cohort are prospective birth cohorts. Information on sociodemographic characteristics and medical history were collected from interviewer-administered questionnaires. Participants underwent a 2-h 75-g oral glucose tolerance test at 24-28 weeks gestation. Logistic regressions were performed., Results: Using the 1999 WHO criteria, the prevalence of GDM was higher in GUSTO (20.8%) compared to SBC (16.6%) (p = 0.046). Family history of hypertension and alcohol consumption were associated with higher odds of GDM in SBC than in GUSTO cohort while obesity was associated with higher odds of GDM in GUSTO. Using the IADPSG criteria, the prevalence of GDM was 14.3% in SBC versus 12.0% in GUSTO. A history of GDM was associated with higher odds of GDM in GUSTO than in SBC, while being overweight, alcohol consumption and family history of diabetes were associated with higher odds of GDM in SBC., Conclusions: We observed several differential risk factors of GDM among ethnic Chinese women living in Shanghai and Singapore. These findings might be due to heterogeneity of GDM reflected in diagnostic criteria as well as in unmeasured genetic, lifestyle and environmental factors., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Objectives: Dietary ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω-3 PUFAs) may affect infants' executive function (EF), although it remains unclear whether this may be the effect of total ω-3 PUFAs or any specific ω-3 PUFA. We assessed the associations between ω-3 PUFAs in breast milk and EF in infants at 8 mo of age., Methods: Milk samples from the mothers of 120 breast-fed infants were collected at 42 d and 8 mo postpartum in Beijing, China. Infant's EF was evaluated by planning tasks and A-not-B tasks, including working memory, distractibility, and inhibition of prepotent response at age 8 mo., Results: Eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) concentrations in breast milk were significantly higher at 42 d than 8 mo postpartum. Breast milk EPA levels at both 42 d (P = 0.037) and 8 mo (P = 0.005) postpartum were negatively associated with infant distractibility when EPA levels were low (< 0.05%). No significant association was observed for other ω-3 PUFAs with infant EF scores., Conclusions: Our results suggest a beneficial effect of higher EPA in breast milk (improving infant's attention) when its levels are below a certain threshold., (Copyright © 2021 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Childhood overweight and obesity (OWO) is a primary global health challenge. Childhood OWO prevention is now a public health priority in China. The Sino-Canadian Healthy Life Trajectories Initiative (SCHeLTI), one of four trials being undertaken by the international HeLTI consortium, aims to evaluate the effectiveness of a multifaceted, community-family-mother-child intervention on childhood OWO and non-communicable diseases risk., Methods and Analysis: This is a multicentre, cluster-randomised, controlled trial conducted in Shanghai, China. The unit of randomisation is the service area of Maternal Child Health Units (N=36). We will recruit 4500 women/partners/families in maternity and district level hospitals. Participants in the intervention group will receive a multifaceted, integrated package of health promotion interventions beginning in preconception or in the first trimester of pregnancy, continuing into infancy and early childhood. The intervention, which is centred on a modified motivational interviewing approach, will target early-life maternal and child risk factors for adiposity. Through the development of a biological specimen bank, we will study potential mechanisms underlying the effects of the intervention. The primary outcome for the trial is childhood OWO (body mass index for age ≥85th percentile) at 5 years of age, based on WHO sex-specific standards. The study has a power of 0.8 (α=0.05) to detect a 30% risk reduction in the proportion of children with OWO at 5 years of age, from 24.4% in the control group to 17% in the intervention group. Recruitment was launched on 30 August 2018 for the pilot study and 10 January 2019 for the formal study., Ethics and Dissemination: The study has been approved by the Medical Research Ethics Committee of the International Peace Maternity and Child Health Hospital in Shanghai, China, and the Research Ethics Board of the Centre Intégré Universitaire de Santé et Services Sociaux de l'Estrie-CHUS in Sherbrooke, Canada. Data sharing policies are consistent with the governance policy of the HeLTI consortium and government legislation., Trial Registration Number: ChiCTR1800017773., Protocol Version: November 11, 2020 (Version #5)., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2021. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic has caused more than 462,417 deaths worldwide. A large number of patients with severe COVID-19 face death in hospital. Hospice care is truly a philosophy of care that delivers patient-centred care to the terminally ill and their families. Hospice care could provide many benefits for patients, families, and for hospice caregivers. The aim of this study is to investigate hospice care self-efficacy and identify its predictors among Chinese clinical medical staff in COVID-19 isolation wards of designated hospitals., Methods: A cross-sectional design was used. The Hospice Care Self-Efficacy, Self-Competence in Death Work Scale, Positive Aspects of Caregiving, and Simplified Coping Style Questionnaires were administered between February and April 2020. A total of 281 eligible medical staff responded to the questionnaires, with a response rate of ≥78.9%., Results: The mean score of hospice care self-efficacy was 47.04 (SD = 7.72). Self-efficacy was predicted by self-competence in death work (B = 0.433, P < 0.001), positive aspects of caregiving (B = 0.149, P = 0.027), positive coping (B = 0.219, P < 0.001), giving hospice care to dying or dead patients before fighting against COVID-19 (B = -1.487, P = 0.023), occupational exposure while fighting against COVID-19 (B = -5.244, P = 0.004), holding respect for life and professional sentiment as motivation in fighting against COVID-19 (B = 2.372, P = 0.031), and grade of hospital employment (B = -1.426, P = 0.024). The variables co-explained 58.7% variation of hospice care self-efficacy., Conclusion: Clinical nurses and physicians fighting COVID-19 reported a moderate level of hospice care self-efficacy during this pandemic. Exploring the traditional Chinese philosophy of life to learn from its strengths and make up for its weaknesses and applying it to hospice care may provide a new framework for facing death and dying during the COVID-19 pandemic. Continuous hospice care education to improve self-competence in death work, taking effective measures to mobilize positive psychological resources, and providing safer practice environments to avoid occupational exposure are also essential for the improvement of the hospice care self-efficacy of clinical nurses and physicians. These measures help caregivers deal effectively with death and dying while fighting against the COVID-19 pandemic.

Purpose: To explore the challenges of parents caring for early-stage schizophrenia (ESS) children/adolescents in China., Design and Methods: Thirteen parents of ESS subjects completed semi-structured interviews. Thematic analysis was used to analyze data., Findings: Seven themes emerged from the data: psychological shock and emotional burden; lack of disease knowledge and care skill; poor treatment compliance of the patient; difficulty getting along with the patient; conflict within the family or in the workplace; financial burden; and need sufficient social support. Each challenge was produced and influenced under the Chinese special social context., Practice Implications: Professional support was needed to help patients with schizophrenia to cope with their situation promptly. Education initiatives should focus on mental health to prevent discrimination from society and enable people to recognize the early symptoms of schizophrenia in children. Telemedicine should be explored for application in the treatment of mental illness. Also, a broader nationwide healthcare policy would be needed to help to reduce the individual and societal financial burdens associated with schizophrenia., (© 2020 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Fetuin-A is a multifunctional glycoprotein that has been implicated in insulin resistance and bone metabolism. We assessed whether fetuin-A is associated with poor or excessive fetal growth. In the Shanghai Birth Cohort, we conducted a nested case-control study of 60 trios of small-for-gestational-age (SGA, birth weight <10th percentile), optimal-for-gestational-age (OGA, 25-75th, the reference) and large-for-gestational-age (LGA, >90th percentile) infants matched by sex and gestational age. Cord plasma concentrations of fetuin-A and fetal growth factors [insulin, proinsulin, insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I and IGF-II] were measured. Cord plasma fetuin-A concentrations were higher in SGA (809.4 ± 306.9 μg/ml, P = 0.026) and LGA (924.2 ± 375.9 μg/ml, P < 0.001) relative to OGA (680.7 ± 262.1 μg/ml) newborns, and were not correlated to insulin, proinsulin, IGF-I and IGF-II (all P > 0.2). Higher fetuin-A concentrations were associated with increased risks of SGA [OR = 1.67 (1.08-2.58) per SD increment, P = 0.024] and LGA [OR = 2.36 (1.53-3.66), P < 0.001]. Adjusting for maternal and neonatal characteristics and fetal growth factors, the elevated risk changed little for LGA [adjusted OR = 2.28 (1.29-4.01), P = 0.005], but became non-significant for SGA ( P = 0.202). Our study is the first to demonstrate that fetuin-A may be involved in excessive fetal growth. This association is independent of fetal growth factors., (Copyright © 2020 Wang, Wang, Yang, Dong, He, Fang, Huang, Yu, Zhang, Zhao, Zheng, Huang, Zhang, Ouyang and Luo.)

Introduction: Gestational diabetes (GD) is associated with impaired insulin sensitivity in newborns. Adiponectin and retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP-4) are involved in regulating insulin sensitivity. Females are more likely to develop diabetes at young ages than males. We tested the hypothesis that GD may affect RBP-4 and adiponectin levels in early life, and there may be sex-dimorphic associations., Research Design and Methods: In a nested case-control study of 153 matched pairs of neonates of mothers with GD and euglycemic pregnancies in the Shanghai Birth Cohort, we evaluated cord plasma leptin, high molecular weight (HMW) and total adiponectin and RBP-4 concentrations., Results: Comparing GD versus euglycemic pregnancies adjusted for maternal and neonatal characteristics in female newborns, cord plasma total adiponectin (mean±SD: 30.8±14.3 vs 37.1±16.1 µg/mL, p=0.048) and HMW adiponectin (14.6±7.7 vs 19.3±8.3 µg/mL, p=0.004) concentrations were lower, while RBP-4 concentrations were higher (21.7±5.4 vs 20.0±4.8 µg/mL, p=0.007). In contrast, there were no differences in male newborns (all p>0.2). RBP-4 concentrations were higher in female versus male newborns (21.7±5.4 vs 18.8±4.5 µg/mL, p<0.001) in GD pregnancies only. HMW adiponectin concentrations were significantly higher in female versus male newborns in euglycemic pregnancies only (19.3±8.3 vs 16.1±7.4 µg/mL, p=0.014)., Conclusions: GD was associated with lower cord plasma HMW adiponectin and higher RBP-4 concentrations in female newborns only. The study is the first to reveal a sex-dimorphic early life impact of GD on metabolic health biomarkers in the offspring. GD may alter the normal presence (HMW adiponectin) or absence (RBP-4) of sex dimorphism in some insulin sensitivity regulation-relevant adipokines in early life., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2020. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: Retinol-binding protein 4 (RBP-4) is an adipokine involved in regulating insulin sensitivity which would affect fetal growth. It is unclear whether RBP-4 is associated with fetal overgrowth, and unexplored which fetal growth factor(s) may mediate the association., Methods: In the Shanghai Birth Cohort, we studied 125 pairs of larger-for-gestational-age (LGA, birth weight >90th percentile, an indicator of fetal overgrowth) and optimal-for-gestational-age (OGA, 25-75th percentiles) control infants matched by sex and gestational age. We measured cord blood concentrations of RBP-4, insulin, proinsulin, insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), and IGF-II., Results: Cord blood RBP-4 concentrations were elevated in LGA vs. OGA infants (21.9 ± 6.2 vs. 20.2 ± 5.1 µg/ml, P = 0.011), and positively correlated with birth weight z score (r = 0.19, P = 0.003), cord blood proinsulin (r = 0.21, P < 0.001), IGF-I (r = 0.24, P < 0.001), and IGF-II (r = 0.15, P = 0.016). Adjusting for maternal and neonatal characteristics, each SD increment in cord blood RBP-4 was associated with a 0.28 (0.12-0.45) increase in birth weight z score (P < 0.001). Mediation analyses showed that IGF-I could account for 31.7% of the variation in birth weight z score in association with RBP-4 (P = 0.01), while IGF-II was not an effect mediator., Conclusions: RBP-4 was positively associated with fetal overgrowth. IGF-I (but not IGF-II) may mediate this association.

Objective: Fetuin-A is a glycoprotein produced by hepatocytes and has been associated with insulin resistance and bone growth in postnatal life. Gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a condition characterized by insulin resistance. It is unclear whether GDM may affect cord blood fetuin-A levels and whether fetuin-A is associated with fetal growth., Research Design and Methods: In a nested case-control study of 153 matched pairs of neonates of mothers with GDM and euglycemic pregnancies in the Shanghai Birth Cohort, we evaluated cord blood fetuin-A in association with GDM and fetal growth., Results: Comparing the newborns of GDM versus euglycemic mothers, cord blood fetuin-A concentrations were similar (mean±SD: 783.6±320.0 vs 754.8±281.9 µg/mL, p=0.53), while insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I (76.6±27.8 ng/mL vs 68.1±25.1 ng/mL, p=0.008) and IGF-II (195.3±32.5 ng/mL vs 187.5±30.8 ng/mL, p=0.042) concentrations were higher. Cord blood fetuin-A was not correlated with insulin, IGF-I or IGF-II. Cord blood fetuin-A was negatively correlated with birth weight (r=-0.19, p=0.025) and birth length (r=-0.24, p=0.005) z scores in GDM pregnancies, while there were no significant correlations in euglycemic pregnancies (tests for interaction: p=0.014 for birth length, p=0.013 for birth length). Adjusting for maternal and neonatal characteristics, the differential associations remained., Conclusions: GDM was not associated with cord blood fetuin-A levels. Fetuin-A was negatively associated with fetal growth in GDM but not in euglycemic pregnancies. This novel observation suggests a GDM-conditional negative correlation of fetuin-A with fetal growth., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2020. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

Background: Women who had delivered a macrosomic newborn will have a higher risk to deliver another macrosomia. We aimed to examine the recurrence risk of macrosomia in the subsequent pregnancy and the implications in long-term child health., Methods: Data from the Collaborative Perinatal Project, a longitudinal birth cohort with 54,371 singleton births, were used. 401 recurrent macrosomic infants (macro-macro) and 1327 normal weight babies with a macrosomia in the last pregnancy (macro-normal) were selected to explore risk factors for recurrent macrosomia. Furthermore, 768 newly onset macrosomia with normal birthweight infant in previous pregnancies (normal-macro) were identified to examine long-term health effects of recurrent macrosomia., Results: The recurrent rate of macrosomia was 23.2% [95% confidence interval (CI) 21.2%, 25.2%]. White race, higher pre-pregnant body mass index (BMI), more gestational weight gain, male infant and more prior macrosomic infants were significant risk factors for recurrent macrosomia. At 4 years of age, recurrent macrosomic infants had a higher BMI (16.7 vs. 16.1 kg/m 2 , adjusted β: 0.36, 95% CI: 0.12, 0.60) and a higher risk of overweight and obesity (adjusted OR: 1.56, 95% CI: 1.10, 2.23) than infants with normal birthweight after a previous macrosomic sibling. There was no significant difference between recurrent macrosomia and newly onset macrosomia in child outcomes after adjustment for covariates., Conclusions: Fetal macrosomia has a high recurrence rate in the following pregnancy. Higher maternal pre-pregnant BMI and gestational weight gain are still important risk factors for recurrence of macrosomia, which in turn increases the risk for childhood obesity.

Background: Single-stranded non-protein coding small RNAs, 18-25 nucleotides in length, are ubiquitous throughout plants genomes and are involved in post-transcriptional gene regulation. Several types of DNA markers have been reported for the detection of genetic diversity or sequence variation in soybean, one of the most important legume crops in worldwide for seed protein and oil content. Recently, with the available of public genomic databases, there has been a shift from the labor-intensive development of PCR-based markers to sequence-based genotyping and the development of functional markers within genes, often coupled with the use of RNA information. But thus far miRNA-based markers have been only developed in rice and tobacco. Here we report the first functional molecular miRNA marker, miR1511-InDel, in soybean for a specific single copy locus used to assess genetic variation in domesticated soybean (Glycine max [L.] Merr) and its wild progenitor (Glycine soja Sieb. & Zucc.)., Results: We genotyped a total of 1,669 accessions of domesticated soybean (G. max) and its wild progenitor G. soja which are native throughout the China and parts of Korea, Japan and Russia. The results indicate that the miR1511 locus is distributed in cultivated soybean and has three alleles in annual wild soybean. Based on this result, we proposed that miR-InDel marker technology can be used to assess genetic variation. The inclusion of geo-reference data with miR1511-InDel marker data corroborated that accessions from the Yellow River basin (Huanghuai) exhibited high genetic diversity which provides more molecular evidence for gene diversity in annual wild soybean and domestication of soybean., Conclusions: These results provide evidence for the use of RNA marker, miRNA1511-InDel, as a soybean-specific functional maker for the study of genetic diversity, genotyping of germplasm and evolution studies. This is also the first report of functional marker developed from soybean miRNA located within the functional region of pre-miRNA1511.

Objectives: The number of rural-to-urban migrant workers has been increasing rapidly in China over recent decades, but there is a scarcity of data on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) and health service utilization among Chinese rural-to-urban migrant workers in comparison to local urban residents. We aimed to address this question., Methods: This was a cross-sectional study of 2315 rural-to-urban migrant workers and 2347 local urban residents in the Shenzhen-Dongguan economic zone (China) in 2013. Outcomes included HRQOL (measured by Health Survey Short Form 36) and health service utilization (self-reported)., Results: Compared to local urban residents, rural-to-urban migrant workers had lower scores in all domains of HRQOL, and were more likely to report chronic illnesses (9.2% vs. 6.0%, adjusted OR = 1.62, 95% CI 1.28-2.04) and recent two-week morbidity (21.3% vs. 5.0%, adjusted OR = 5.41, 95% CI 4.26-6.88). Among individuals who reported sickness in the recent two weeks, migrant workers were much less likely to see a doctor (32.7% vs. 66.7%, adjusted OR = 0.21, 95% CI 0.13-0.36)., Conclusions: Chinese rural-to-urban migrant workers have lower HRQOL, much more frequent morbidity, but are also much less likely to see a doctor in times of sickness as compared to local urban residents, indicating the existence of significant unmet medical care needs in this population.

Background: Famine provides quasi-experimental conditions for testing the hypothesis of "programming" health effects by poor nutrition in early life. It remains uncertain whether early life exposure to famine increases the risk of hypertension in adulthood. There is a lack of data on the relative impact of exposure to famine during fetal development versus infancy (<2 years postnatal). We sought to assess the impact of exposure to the 1959-1961 Chinese Great Famine (the largest in human history) during fetal development and infancy on the risks of hypertension, short stature and obesity in adulthood., Methodology/principal Findings: We conducted a retrospective cohort study of 12,065 adults (46-53 years of age) born 1957-1964 in the Zhongshan and Nanhai municipalities of Guangdong province, China. Adjusting for socio-demographic and lifestyle characteristics, as compared to subjects who were unexposed to famine, the risk of hypertension was not significantly elevated in subjects exposed to famine during fetal development only overall, but was 1.36-fold higher in those exposed during the first trimester of pregnancy only [adjusted odds ratio (OR) 1.36 (95% confidence intervals 1.03-1.79)], 1.83-fold higher in those exposed during infancy only [adjusted OR 1.83 (1.61-2.08)], and 1.31-fold higher in those exposed during both fetal development and infancy [adjusted OR 1.31 (1.14-1.51)]. Exposure to famine during infancy increased the risk of short stature. Early life exposure to famine did not increase the risk of obesity., Conclusions/significance: Exposure to the Chinese Great Famine during the first trimester of pregnancy only, or during infancy only, or during both fetal development and infancy increased the risk of hypertension in adulthood, suggesting an important role of changes in exposure to famine during fetal development and from prenatal to early postnatal life in developmental "programming" cardiovascular disease risk.

Oxidation treatment on the adsorption and the stability of Hg on activated carbon (AC) was inrestigated. Both MnO2-AC and FeCl3-AC were produced during oxidation treatment. The measurement of modified AC's mercury adsorption capacity was conducted in a simulated coal-fired flue gas by adsorbing test apparatus. TCLP and column leaching methods were used to test the stability of mercury adsorbed on ACs. The results indicate that the oxidation treatment changed the pore structure of the AC and modified the carbon surface by creating chemical components such as MnO4-, Mn4+, O, NO3-, Fe3+, Cl-, etc. The Hg sorption capacity on MnO2-AC or FeCl3-AC was about three times higher than that of untreated carbon. In addition, the mercury control cost of each of the formers was about the half cost of the untreated carbon. The stability of Hg absorption was studied, it found that mercury adsorbed on the oxidation treated AC was not better than that of untreated carbon. It could concluded that the insoluble form of Hg is very important to the stability of mercury adsorbed on AC. This study suggests that the FeCl3-AC is the best absorbent for Hg with high adsorption capacity, better Hg adsorption stability in leaching environment, and lower cost among the three ACs tested.