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Vegetation is extremely important for the ecosystem, it is an important link that connects soil, organisms, and the atmosphere. As plants perform photosynthesis, carbon cycle and energy ex-change, they play a balancing role for global ecological changes. Based on the datasets of MODIS Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) and the daily meteorological data from 25 weather stations in Yunnan province, China, the spatial and temporal distribution characteristics of NDVI over a 21-year-period were studied, and the response relationship between NDVI and climate factors. The monthly and yearly spatial distribution pattern of NDVI was further explored using the standard deviational ellipse. Besides, the changing trend, stability, and characteristics of the future changing trend of the vegetation NDVI were evaluated through Sen+MK, coefficient of variation, and the Hurst index in Yunnan province, China. A partial correlation analysis was carried out using the NDVI data based on the temperature and precipitation from 2000 to 2020. The center of gravity of Yunnan is mainly from south-west to north-east, and the trend for the NDVI during the past 21 years mostly improved. However, in the future, the vegetation may follow the trend of degradation, and the study area is more affected by temperature. In recent years, the average temperature throughout the world has been on the rise due to global warming, which has elicited the response of vegetation to climate change in advance. The vegetation in Yunnan is showing an increasing trend, Moreover, it is particularly important to protect the ecological environment in the protected region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, China is building a historic heritage conservation and management system from upper to lower level. Therefore, as the middle level, provincial level is becoming increasingly important in the management of famous towns and villages. However, due to the excessive quantities of resources, the lagging management skills and other influential factors, the provincial competent authorities still face a series of difficulties in implementing the conservation and management of historic cities, towns and villages. Focusing on the regulatory issues faced by provincial competent authorities, this study combined geospatial information technology with deep learning technology to explore the intelligent auxiliary identification of traditional texture for historic settlements and the provincial planning guidance method based on GIS evaluation. This paper put forward technical optimization suggestions for the stages of declaration and identification, conservation planning, supervision and inspection in provincial conservation and management. The intervention of new technologies provides a reference for provincial competent authorities in enhance conservation and regulatory capacity, and dealing with the situation of "having laws but lacking technology, and difficult to implement". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The production of inlaid porcelain once prevailed in the Northern Song (960–1,127 AD) and Jin Dynasties (1,125–1,234 AD) across the north of China. During that time, the influence of the Cizhou kiln was considerable. However, we know little about the inlaying techniques used in ancient Chinese porcelain. In order to address this gap in knowledge, a total of seven pieces of inlaid porcelain sherds with the Cizhou style of the Northern Song Dynasty were analyzed by optical microscope (OM), X‐ray fluorescence spectrometry (XRF), X‐ray diffraction (XRD), and scanning electron microscope (SEM) in association with energy dispersive spectrometry (EDS). The results reveal that the material of inlay is identical with the slip, and the production process is also clearly shown. In addition, the international ceramic technological interaction of inlaid porcelain in Northeast Asia is discussed according to the analysis results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To evaluate, in a Chinese population, the performance of a screening strategy for preterm pre-eclampsia (PE) using The Fetal Medicine Foundation (FMF)'s competing-risks model and to explore its clinical applicability in mainland China.Methods: This was a prospective, multicenter, observational cohort study including 10 899 women with singleton pregnancy who sought prenatal care at one of 13 hospitals, located in seven cities in mainland China, between 1 December 2017 and 30 December 2019. Mean arterial pressure (MAP), uterine artery pulsatility index (UtA-PI) and maternal serum levels of placental growth factor (PlGF) and pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) at 11 + 0 to 13 + 6 weeks' gestation were measured and converted into multiples of the median using Chinese reference ranges. Individualized risk for preterm PE was calculated using the FMF algorithm. Prior risk was calculated based on maternal demographic characteristics and obstetric history. We evaluated the efficiency of the screening strategy using various combinations of biomarkers and analyzed its predictive performance for a composite of placenta-associated adverse pregnancy outcomes, including PE, placental abruption, small-for-gestational age (SGA) and preterm birth, at fixed false-positive rates for preterm PE.Results: We identified 312 pregnancies that developed PE, of which 117 cases were diagnosed as preterm PE (< 37 weeks' gestation). There were 386 pregnancies complicated by severe composite placenta-associated adverse outcome, including preterm PE, 146 cases of severe SGA (birth weight < 3rd percentile) neonate, 61 cases with placental abruption and 109 cases of early preterm birth < 34 gestational weeks. The triple-marker model containing biomarkers MAP, UtA-PI and PAPP-A achieved, at fixed false-positive rates of 10%, 15% and 20%, detection rates for preterm PE of 65.0%, 72.7% and 76.1%, respectively, and detection rates for severe composite placenta-associated adverse outcome of 34.7%, 41.7% and 46.4%, respectively. Replacing PAPP-A with PlGF or adding PlGF to the model did not improve the performance. Of women screening positive for preterm PE at a fixed 5% false-positive rate, an estimated 30% developed at least one placenta-associated adverse pregnancy outcome, including PE, placental abruption, SGA (birth weight < 10th percentile) and preterm birth < 37 weeks.Conclusions: The FMF competing-risks model for preterm PE was found to be effective in screening a mainland Chinese population. Women who screened positive for preterm PE had increased risk for other placenta-associated pregnancy complications. © 2021 International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to identify accurately the circular object contained in the ceramic pot excavated from Jurou Li's grave of the Jin dynasty (1115–1234 ce) in Xi'an, Shaanxi, China, mass spectrometry was applied to determine the amino acid sequences of the residual proteins extracted from the sample, after preliminary starch grain analysis. The sequences were searched against a standard protein sequence database. The proteins extracted were identified as originating from domesticated barley (Hordeum vulgare), soybean (Glycine max), and fermentative microorganisms (Kluyveromyces lactis, Lipomyces starkeyi, Wickerhamomyces ciferrii, Nadsonia fulvescens and Zygosaccharomyces rouxii). These findings indicate that the extremely degraded object in the ceramic pot was made from barley by fermentation with the addition of soy sauce, providing direct evidence of culinary culture in the Jin dynasty. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/objectives: Dysphagia is relatively common in patients with Parkinson disease (PD) and can have a negative impact on their quality of life; therefore, it is imperative that its prevalence in PD patients is studied. The aim of this study was to explore the prevalence and clinical correlation of dysphagia in Chinese PD patients.Subjects/methods: We recruited 116 Chinese PD patients. A videofluoroscopic study of swallowing (VFSS) was used to identify dysphagia. Assessments, including water drinking test, relative motor symptoms, non-motor symptoms (NMS) and quality of life, were performed to analyze the risks of dysphagia.Results: The prevalence of dysphagia was 87.1%. The comparison of demographic and clinical features between patients with and without dysphagia included sex, education level, disease course, Mini-mental State Examination (MMSE), Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD), Hamilton Anxiety Scale (HAMA), Question 6, 7 of the Unified Parkinson Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS Part II), Hoehn-Yahr stage (H&Y), water drinking test, 39-item Parkinson Disease Questionnaire (PDQ-39) and Non-Motor Symptoms Quest (NMSQ). We found significant correlations between dysphagia and age. Using age, disease course, and H&Y stage as the independent variable in our regression analysis for assessing the risk factors of dysphagia in PD patients, age and H&Y stage displayed a strong correlation as the risk factors. The risk of dysphagia in elderly PD patients is 1.078 times greater than that of younger PD patients. Also, the risk of dysphagia in PD patients of a greater H&Y staging is 3.260 times greater than that of lower staging PD patients.Conclusions: Our results suggest that dysphagia is common in Chinese PD patients. Older patients or those in higher H&Y stages are more likely to experience dysphagia. There is no correlation between dysphagia and PD duration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil pH buffering capacity (pHBC) plays a crucial role in predicting acidification rates, yet its large-scale patterns and controls are poorly understood, especially for neutral-alkaline soils. Here, we evaluated the spatial patterns and drivers of pHBC along a 3600 km long transect (1900 km sub-transect with carbonate-containing soils and 1700 km sub-transect with non-carbonate-containing soils) across northern China. Soil pHBC was greater in the carbonate-containing soils than in the non-carbonatecontaining soils. Acid addition decreased soil pH in the non-carbonate-containing soils more markedly than in the carbonate-containing soils. Within the carbonate soil subtransect, soil pHBC was positively correlated with cation exchange capacity (CEC), carbonate content and exchangeable sodium (Na) concentration, but negatively correlated with initial pH and clay content, and not correlated with soil organic carbon (SOC) content.Within the non-carbonate sub-transect, soil pHBC was positively related to initial pH, clay content, CEC and exchangeable Na concentration, but not related to SOC content. Carbonate content was the primary determinant of pHBC in the carbonate-containing soils and CEC was the main determinant of buffering capacity in the non-carbonate-containing soils. Along the transect, soil pHBC was different in regions with different aridity index. Soil pHBC was positively related to aridity index and carbonate content across the carbonate-containing soil sub-transect. Our results indicated that mechanisms controlling pHBC differ among neutral-alkaline soils of northern China, especially between carbonate- and non-carbonate-containing soils. This understanding should be incorporated into the acidification risk assessment and landscape management in a changing world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The species boundaries and evolutionary relationships of two closely related genera, Megalobrama and Parabramis, were inferred from the partial mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunit I ( COI) gene, NADH dehydrogenase subunit 2 ( ND2) gene and their concatenated segment. Phylogenetic reconstructions showed that among the three breams, Megalobrama amblycephala and Megalobrama skolkovii are more closely related to each other than either is to Megalobrama terminalis. The taxonomy of M. pellegrini should be reconsidered. The divergence time estimation based on the assumption of a global molecular clock indicated that speciation and dispersal of the two genera might have occurred at approximately Pliocene to Late Pleistocene, due to major paleo-environmental events associated with monsoon evolution and the formation of the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a prototype of the Shanghai Laser Electron Gamma Source in the Shanghai Synchrotron Radiation Facility, an x-ray source based on laser-Compton scattering (LCS) has been installed at the terminal of the 100 MeV linac of the Shanghai Institute of Applied Physics. LCS x-rays are generated by interactions between Q-switched Nd:yttrium aluminum garnet laser pulses [with wavelength of 1064 nm and pulse width of 21 ns (full width at half maximum)] and electron bunches [with energy of 108 MeV and pulse width of 0.95 ns (rms)] at an angle of 42° between laser and electron beam. In order to measure the energy spectrum of LCS x-rays, a Si(Li) detector along the electron beam line axis is positioned at 9.8 m away from a LCS chamber. After background subtraction, the LCS x-ray spectrum with the peak energy of 29.1±4.4|stat±2.1|syst keV and the peak width (rms) of 7.8±2.8|stat±0.4|syst keV is observed. Normally the 100 MeV linac operates with the electron macropulse charge of 1.0 nC/pulse, and the electron and laser collision repetition rate of 20 Hz. Therefore, the total LCS x-ray flux of (5.2±2.0)×102 Hz can be achieved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Flooding regimes in arid and semi-arid regions are heavily influenced by climate change and water shortage, water regulations, and increased water demands. Wetlands managed as part of regulated water systems in agricultural landscapes often require external water supplies to sustain or support desired properties or services. Therefore, water resource managers must weigh water requirements necessary to support wetland functions alongside other water demands. This paper presents a simple method of using a modified climate diagram to display net water requirements for a managed wetland in Xi’an, China. The net water requirements were estimated using the DRAINMOD simulation model by assuming that evaporation is the only path for water loss. For this case study, the ratio of water supply to air temperature was adjusted to 1:1. Three water supply estimates were generated to support a desired water table depth of 30cm for 5%, 12.5%, and 25% of the growing season in Xi’an. When water supply reaches or exceeds a curve, it creates a wetter condition than that represented by the curve. The results also indicate that timing of recharge is very important in preserving wetland hydrology in dry regions. This modified climate diagram prompts an intuitive understanding of the relationship between recharge and consequent wetness of a wetland. It may be used as a standard tool for determining adequate water demand in arid regional water resources management that considers wetland protection or restoration. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article presents a study about the characterization of microsatellite loci from an endangered Megalobrama pellegrini or cyprinid fish species in the Yangtze River basin in China. It examines the impact of several factors to the decline population of the fish including water pollution, dam construction and over fishing. It also cites the genetic diversity of Megalobrama pellegrini based on the polymorphic microsatellite loci that contain high polymorphism.

Examines a locus for autosomal dominant Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease type 2 maps to chromosome 12Q24. Recognition of CMT as a neurological disorder; Disorder axonal form; Revelation of CMT2 in provinces in China; Loci responsible for CMT1 and 2; Demonstration of linkage between loci and chromosomes; Representation of a novel genetic entity in CMT2 neuropathy.

As small scale green infrastructures, rain gardens have been widely advocated for urban stormwater management in the contemporary low impact development (LID) era. This paper presents a simple method that consists of hydrological models and the matching plots of nomographs to provide an informative and practical tool for rain garden sizing and hydrological evaluation. The proposed method considers design storms, infiltration rates and the runoff contribution area ratio of the rain garden, allowing users to size a rain garden for a specific site with hydrological reference and predict overflow of the rain garden under different storms. The nomographs provide a visual presentation on the sensitivity of different design parameters. Subsequent application of the proposed method to a case study conducted in a sub-humid region in China showed that, the method accurately predicted the design storms for the existing rain garden, the predicted overflows under large storm events were within 13–50% of the measured volumes. The results suggest that the nomographs approach is a practical tool for quick selection or assessment of design options that incorporate key hydrological parameters of rain gardens or other infiltration type green infrastructure. The graphic approach as displayed by the nomographs allow urban planners to demonstrate the hydrological effect of small scale green infrastructure and gain more support for promoting low impact development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Wetlands in irrigated agricultural areas have great environmental benefits as agricultural pollution sinks; but agricultural development and water resources redistribution have caused these wetlands to diminish rapidly worldwide. This is the case in the YinNan Irrigation District (YNID) in the upper reaches of the Yellow River in China, where wetlands once flourished as the result of large amount of irrigation diversion and low irrigation efficiency. In this paper, we presented an analytical study on the impact of irrigation water saving practices on wetland distribution in YNID; we also discussed the effect of considering wetland water consumption as beneficial or efficient use on the overall water use efficiency. The study area has a maximal wetland to farmland areal ratio of 10.5% during the irrigation season due to recharges from canal seepage and field percolation; and 45% of the wetland area remains as the permanent pool area during the non-irrigation season. The observed maximum water table rise in the irrigation season is 1.5m. The current irrigation system efficiency in YNID is 0.30, which is a product of the field level efficiency of 0.68 and the conveyance efficiency of 0.44. Our analysis presented in this paper shows that improving the application efficiency to 0.90 at the field level will reduce the maximum water table rise by 0.53m, causing the wetland area to shrink by 17% and the subsequent wetland water consumption to decrease by 11%; further improving conveyance efficiency to 0.60 will reduce the maximum water table rise by 0.95m, causing the wetland area to shrink by 30% and the subsequent wetland water consumption to decrease by 19%. These results indicate that water saving at the conveyance level will have greater impact on wetland water use than that at the field level. If wetland water consumption is considered as efficient use, this fraction of the irrigation water loss becomes efficient use, which will increase the system efficiency proportionally by the percentage of wetland water consumption. The amount of wetlands, and thus additional beneficial wetland water use, is directly dependent on the amount of traditional water losses, such as wetland consumption here. The key question then becomes: where lies the optimum level or the acceptable balance between increasing efficiencies at irrigation scheme level while providing optimal beneficial use for wetlands. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Distributed drainage ditches and ponds in agricultural landscape can reduce chemicals export from farmlands; their distributed features, however, result in variations in pollutant removal capacities among different segments. In this paper, we proposed three descriptive indexes to characterize segmental variations of distributed ditches and ponds systems: a size index (α - segmental size vs. system size) to represent the static feature of the system, a flow index (β - segmental flow rate vs. system flow rate) and an initial concentration index (γ - segmental inflow concentration vs. initial field drainage concentration) to represent the dynamic feature of the system. Subsequently, a segmental efficiency indicator (η) was derived from these indexes to represent the pollutant removal differences calculated with and without considering segmental variations of distributed ditch systems. The proposed indexes were tested with two hypothetic ditch layouts first, and then applied to a case study site where 18 segments of ditches and ponds are distributed around paddy fields in southeastern China. The two hypothetical layouts include a 'slender' distribution and a 'square' distribution of ditches; both have the same number of identical segments and serve the same area. The 'slender' layout represents more spread distributions while the 'square' layout represents more concentrated systems. Calculated indexes showed that the 'slender' layout produced greater segmental variations than the 'square' layout. For the case study, the calculated size index and the flow index varied greatly due to segmental size differences and the complex flow connections. This in turn led to greater variation in the pollutant removal efficiencies (η), ranging from 0.021 to 0.63 for low removal rate, and 0.021–0.42 for high removal rate. The results indicate that the proposed indexes can be used to examine the variable nature of the distributed ditch systems and help provide technical guidance for proper management of the distributed buffer systems in agricultural landscapes. • New evaluation indexes to examine water quality functions in distributed ditch systems. • Evaluated the effect of distribution on pollutant removal efficiency with two hypothetical systems. • Applied the new indexes to a field site to examine pollutant removal efficiencies affected by ditch segmental differences. • The lumped approach cannot describe water quality functions of distributedsystems due to large segmental variations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Variation of pollutant removal index values for different monitoring units when compared to the system. • Evaluated representativeness of water quality monitoring units in distributed ditches and ponds buffer systems. • Partial monitoring units normally cannot represent the system's performance accurately. • Selection of monitoring units should refer to research objectives and certain evaluation indexes. • Target-oriented approaches are necessary for monitoring unit selection to well represent the buffer systems. Ditches and ponds in agricultural landscapes act as natural buffers for removing nutrients and pesticides lost from crop fields. The complex hydraulic condition of distributed ditch and pond systems (DDPSs), however, results in distinct pollutant removal capacities of single units. This poses a great challenge to the selection of representative monitoring units (MUs) of a DDPS. Based on a field investigation and theoretical analysis, this paper explored the representativeness of selected MUs in evaluating water quality functions of DDPSs in agricultural landscapes in southeastern China. The adopted evaluation indexes include the proportions of mass removal intensity, specific removal rate, and removal rate constant for designated pollutants. The results showed that the representativeness of a single MU varied with different evaluation indexes, and different combinations of MUs failed to represent the system accurately in the study area. The representativeness of a single MU may be expressed adequately with one evaluation index but poorly with another. This was caused by the size, hydraulic retention time and location of MUs, pollutant removal rate constant, as well as field drainage flow schemes. Strategies for selecting appropriate MUs to represent the whole system were recommended for using different evaluation indexes. Understanding the variations in MU selection may help improve water quality monitoring of DDPSs in agricultural landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study Objective: Difficult airway management is a significant challenge in clinical anesthesia, critical care, and emergency medicine. Inadequate management can lead to severe complications including organ damage and death. This study assessed the variability in difficult airway management across China and focused on how patient and operator factors influenced outcomes in operating rooms., Design: A multicenter observational cross-sectional study., Setting: This study was conducted from November 2022 to November 2023 and included 25 secondary and tertiary hospitals across various regions in China., Patients: In the total of 181,399 general anesthesia patients, 384 (0.21 %) were identified as having difficult airways., Interventions: Data were gathered from a specialized questionnaire comprising four sections with 27 questions and analyzed using logistic regression in SPSS to identify key factors that influenced effective management of difficult airways., Measurements: This study focused on preoperative assessment, anesthesia selection, intubation attempts, and contingency planning for difficult airway management practices among anesthesiologists., Main Results: In anticipated difficult airways, rapid sequence induction was used in 51.7 % of the cases, maintaining spontaneous breathing under general anesthesia in 11.1 %, and awake intubation in 36 %. For unanticipated difficult airways, 95.9 % of the anesthesiologists opted for rapid sequence induction. Limited mouth opening was the most common cause of difficult airways and obesity and ankylosing spondylitis were identified as significant factors. The logistic regression analysis identified the type of difficult airway, anesthesiologist experience, and assessment methods as key factors influencing the first attempt intubation success., Conclusions: The accuracy of difficult airway assessment and first attempt intubation success is influenced by both patient-related factors and the anesthesiologist's expertise. Regional and institutional variability in decision-making and tool selection underscores the critical need for standardized guidelines and comprehensive training to enhance airway management outcomes across diverse clinical settings in China., 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 © 2025 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background and Aim: The relationship between the systemic inflammatory response index (SIRI) and carotid atherosclerosis has not yet been assessed in a longitudinal investigation. Our current study aimed to investigate whether SIRI is related to an increased risk of incident carotid plaque., Methods and Results: Our study included individuals who did not have carotid atherosclerosis and had undergone yearly health check-ups at the Department of Health Management of Nanfang Hospital between 2011 and 2018 (total n = 3927). SIRI was computed by a composite value of neutrophils, monocytes, and lymphocytes. Over a median follow-up time of 4.42 years, 872 (22.21 %) participants developed carotid plaque in the entire cohort. The adjusted hazard ratio (HR) for the continuous SIRI was 1.093 (95 % CI: 1.021-1.223) in our present study. In the general population, individuals belonging to the highest quartile of SIRI had an elevated risk of carotid plaque, as compared to those within the lowest quartile (HR 1.122, 95 % CI: 1.011-1.391, P for trend = 0.041). Furthermore, this trend was even more pronounced among participants without hypertension, diabetes and hyperlipidemia in the highest SIRI quartile, who demonstrated a markedly increased risk of carotid plaque when contrasted with those in the lowest quartile (HR 1.277, 95 % CI: 1.041-1.568, P for trend = 0.006)., Conclusions: Our research findings suggest an association between increased SIRI levels and a higher incidence of carotid atherosclerosis, especially among the people without a history of hypertension, diabetes and hyperlipidemia., 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 © 2024 The Italian Diabetes Society, the Italian Society for the Study of Atherosclerosis, the Italian Society of Human Nutrition and the Department of Clinical Medicine and Surgery, Federico II University. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To understand the prevalence of food neophobia in preschool children and the factors that influence it., Methods: This is a cross-sectional study based on attribution theory with 575 parents of preschool children aged 3 to 6 years in two public kindergarten in Yangzhou City, Jiangsu Province from December 2021 to January 2022. Parents completed the General Information Questionnaire, the Child Food Neophobia Scale, the Parent Temperament Questionnaire, and the Caregiver Feeding Style Questionnaire., Results: The results of our study showed that the prevalence of severe food neophobia in preschool children was 20.69%. Childhood food allergy was a positive predictor of food neophobia; parents' own willingness to consume new foods was a negative predictor of childhood food neophobia. Authoritarian feeding style (compared to uninvolved parenting style), and easy temperament are protective factors for severe food neophobia in children. Difficult, slow to warm up temperament are risk factors for severe food neophobia in children., Conclusions: Parental feeding style, child temperament, parents' own willingness to try new foods and food preparation, and children's history of food allergies are important factors influencing food neophobia. The results of the study can be used in the future to explore more variables related to food neophobia in children and to seek effective targets for intervention., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: The study was carried out following the principles of the Declaration of Helsinki and approved by the Ethics Committee of the School of Nursing, Yangzhou University (approval number: YZUHL2021073). All participants gave informed consent prior to the survey. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2025. The Author(s).)

Context: The putative association between pro-inflammatory and hyperinsulinemic dietary patterns and susceptibility to gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) remains unclear., Objective: We aimed to compare the risk associated with the Mediterranean diet, as well as insulinemic and pro-inflammatory dietary patterns, in relation to the occurrence of GDM, and evaluate their predictive value., Methods: We prospectively followed 8495 women from the Maternal and Infant Health cohort in Hefei, China (2015-2021). Using a food frequency questionnaire, we calculated the empirical dietary inflammatory pattern (EDIP), the empirical dietary index for hyperinsulinemia (EDIH) score, and the Mediterranean diet (MD) score. GDM was diagnosed based on a 2-hour 75-gram oral glucose tolerance test conducted between 24 to 28 weeks of gestation. Logistic regression was used to estimate the risk of GDM, while receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed to evaluate the predictive performance of the empirical dietary index for GDM., Results: Participants who followed hyperinsulinemic or pro-inflammatory dietary patterns to the greatest extent had a higher risk of developing GDM. The odds ratio (OR) for the highest quartile compared to the lowest quartile were 1.39 (95% CI, 1.30-1.49) for EDIH and 2.40 (95% CI, 1.88-3.01) for EDIP. The OR for the lowest quartile compared to the highest quartile was 1.33 (95% CI, 1.14-1.55) for MD. The ROC curve analysis indicated that the combination of EDIP and EDIH (AUC = 0.81; 95% CI, 0.78-0.82; P = .003) can effectively predict the occurrence of GDM., Conclusion: Utilizing both empirical dietary indexes, EDIP and EDIH, might offer a potentially more effective approach in preventing GDM when compared to solely focusing on adherence to the MD pattern., (© The Author(s) 2024. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Endocrine Society. All rights reserved. For commercial re-use, please contact reprints@oup.com for reprints and translation rights for reprints. All other permissions can be obtained through our RightsLink service via the Permissions link on the article page on our site—for further information please contact journals.permissions@oup.com.)

Glaciers retreat rapidly and create newly exposed terrestrial and aquatic habitats in glacier forefields, where primary succession proceeds synchronously in glacier forefields. Here, we introduced the "Dual-Domain Primary Succession" concept to examine the parallel yet distinct primary succession processes in soil and stream ecosystems within glacier forefields, by focusing on Hailuogou Glacier and Urumqi Glacier No.1 in China. Findings showed that soil bacterial communities exhibited higher α-diversity with a decreasing pattern in Hailuogou Glacier, in contrast to Urumqi Glacier No.1, which displayed lower and unimodally distributed α-diversity along the glacier forefield chronosequence (GFC). A similar pattern emerged in streams, except for an increasing α-diversity trend in Urumqi Glacier No.1 stream along the GFC. Additionally, α-diversity in streams changed more rapidly than in soils for Hailuogou Glacier, but more slowly for Urumqi Glacier No.1. Along GFC, both soil and stream bacterial communities experienced spatial variations, primarily due to species turnover. The succession of community composition was evident at the OTU level, with each module in the co-occurrence network consisting of OTUs enriched at specific successional stages. A substantial number of OTUs shared between paired soil and stream samples showed a decreasing trend along the GFC, while β-diversity increased. The results suggested that bacterial communities have a similar succession pattern but in different pace between soil and stream while having distinct successional trajectories between the studied glaciers. This study highlighted the "Dual-Domain Primary Succession" in glacier forefields, but further studies with more glaciers are necessary to make broader generalizations., Competing Interests: Declarations. Competing Interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2025. The Author(s).)

The presence and distribution of antibiotics and antibiotic resistance genes (ARGs) in rivers have attracted significant global concern. However, research on the contamination of typical rivers in Sichuan Province, China, remains limited. This study aimed to assess the residual levels of antibiotics across 42 national and provincial monitoring sites in nine rivers within Sichuan using UPLC-MS/MS. Ecological risk levels were evaluated through established risk assessment methods, and antibiotic resistance in Escherichia coli(E.coli) isolated from these waters was determined using the Kirby-Bauer disk diffusion method. Additionally, redundancy analysis (RDA) was conducted to explore the impact of residual antibiotics on the microbial community structure in the Minjiang River basin. Antibiotics were detected in all nine rivers studied, with the Minjiang, Tuojiang, and Jialingjiang rivers exhibiting particularly severe contamination, with concentrations ranging from 0.29 to 2233.71 ng/L. The level of antibiotic pollution in the Sichuan Basin was significantly higher than in other regions of Sichuan, likely due to the area's high population density. Furthermore, 9.77% of E. coli isolates from the nine rivers exhibited antibiotic resistance, with over 5.8% demonstrating multidrugs resistance. Norfloxacin, amoxicillin, ampicillin, and tetracycline were identified as the primary contributors to the high ecological risk at 26 of the 42 monitoring sites. A strong correlation was observed between residual antibiotics and changes in microbial community structure. These findings provide critical insights into the distribution of antibiotics and ARGs in the rivers of Sichuan Province and highlight the urgent need for targeted strategies to mitigate antibiotic pollution. Addressing this issue is essential to protect both ecological integrity and public health., Competing Interests: he authors have declared that no competing interests exist., (Copyright: © 2025 Sha et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Clonal demographic traits play important roles in regulating community dynamics. Yet, it remains unclear how the responses of these clonal traits to drought might depend on previous drought exposure, and how drought responses vary among grasslands. We conducted a repeated drought experiment across four grasslands along an aridity gradient in northern China. We assessed the effects of single (precipitation reduction in 2021-2022) versus recurrent (precipitation reduction in 2015-2018 and 2021-2022) drought on bud density, shoot density, and the ratio of bud to shoot density. Drought reduced bud density at all grasslands and shoot density at most grasslands. Drought reduced the ratio of bud-to-shoot density only in the most arid grasslands. Recurrent drought had larger negative effects than a single drought on bud density and composition of bud and shoot at only one of four grasslands, and on shoot density at two of four grasslands. Our results suggest that previous drought exposure can alter the response of plant clonal demographic traits to subsequent drought in some but not all grasslands, and that responses can vary with mean climate., (© 2025 The Ecological Society of America.)

Biodiversity loss caused by biological invasions is an ecological problem on a global scale, and understanding the mechanism of biological invasion is the basis for managing non-native species. The biotic resistance hypothesis proposes that species-rich native communities are less susceptible to invasion because of the limited resources available to non-native species, therefore comparing the resource utilization patterns of different communities can reveal the invasion mechanisms of specific non-native species at the community level. We selected Lake Taihu, where icefish (Neosalanx taihuensis Chen) originated, and Lake Fuxian, where icefish invaded, as the research objects. We calculated the fish functional diversity indexes, including functional richness (FRic), functional evenness (FEve), and functional divergence (FDiv), to reflect differences in ecological niche and resource utilization based on four quarterly fish survey data from two lakes. The random forests model explored the relationship between functional diversity indexes and biotic and environmental variables. Our results showed that more diverse resource utilization (high FRic), more niche space (low FEve), and less competitive pressure (high FDiv) in Lake Fuxian were identified as the critical important factors for maintaining the current equilibrium state after successful invasion of icefish. The bottom-up effects mainly affected the functional diversity indexes in Lake Fuxian. They differed from those in Lake Taihu and were primarily influenced by top-down effects. Enhancing the top-down effects in Lake Fuxian and limiting the zooplankton available to icefish are critical to controlling the invasion of icefish. This study offers a new perspective for studying the non-native fish invasion mechanism, and provides scientific guidance for managing non-native fish in Lake Fuxian., (© 2024 Fisheries Society of the British Isles.)

Introduction: Gestation is a critical period for fetal brain development, and extreme heat exposure during this stage may have adverse impact on neurodevelopment in children. However, current evidence is scarce., Methods: We examined the associations between maternal exposure to heat wave during pregnancy and neurodevelopmental delay in young children in a birth cohort study of 67,453 child-mother pairs from Foshan, China. Specifically, temperature data (spatial resolution: 0.0625° × 0.0625°) were assigned to study participants based on residential addresses. Then, heat wave events were defined by combining the intensity (temperature thresholds: ≥90th, 92.5th or 95th percentile) and duration (number of consecutive days: 2, 3 or 4 days). Neurodevelopmental status was assessed using a five-domain scale by trained medical professionals. Logistic regression was used to investigate the associations between gestational heat wave exposure and neurodevelopmental delay in children., Results: We found that exposure to heat wave during early and late pregnancy was associated with increased risks of neurodevelopmental delay in children. By contrast, the results for mid-pregnancy heat wave exposure were mixed. The observed associations remained stable in a group of sensitivity analyses., Conclusions: Our study adds some suggestive evidence that prenatal exposure to heat wave may have detrimental impact on children's neurodevelopment. More investigations are needed to verify our findings., 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 © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: With the increasing utilization of anticoagulants, the selection of appropriate anticoagulants has emerged as a significant quandary. The objective of this study was to evaluate recent trend in the utilization and expenditure of anticoagulants within a specific region, aiming to provide valuable insights into the optimal choice of anticoagulants across other healthcare facilities., Methods: The utilization of anticoagulants was retrospectively analyzed. The data on anticoagulant utilizations in tertiary-care hospitals within a district were collected from January 2019 to December 2023. The expenditure, defined daily doses (DDDs), and defined daily cost (DDC) were calculated. The trends in the utilization and expenditure of anticoagulants were examined using linear regression analysis., Results: From 2019 to 2023, the DDDs of rivaroxaban demonstrated a significant annual increase in most hospitals (p < 0.05). Only a few hospitals exhibited a gradual rise in the consumption of low molecular weight heparin (LMWH) over the same period (p < 0.05). The trend of heparin sodium and warfarin varied across different hospitals. The implementation of the centralized procurement policy, however, resulted in a decline in the consumption of rivaroxaban and LMWH in 2021 and 2022 respectively. The DDC value of rivaroxaban experienced a substantial decrease over the past five years (p = 0.020), declining from 55.20 Chinese Yuan (CNY) in 2019 to 4.28 CNY in 2023. Conversely, there was a slight increase noted in the DDC of heparin sodium during this time frame (p = 0.042)., Conclusion: Over the past five years (2019-2023), there has been an increase in the utilization of rivaroxaban and LMWH. However, their expenditure has decreased. In addition, the utilization and expenditure of warfarin and heparin sodium remained relatively stable. The application prospects of rivaroxaban and LMWH are promising., Competing Interests: The authors declare there are no conflicts of interest., (Copyright: © 2025 Luo et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.)

Introduction: Currently, nearly one-third of newly diagnosed Colorectal cancer (CRC) cases and associated deaths worldwide are from China. Among Chinese provinces, Fujian exhibited the highest CRC mortality rate. This study aims to analyze long-term trends of CRC epidemiology in Xiamen, Fujian, China., Methods: Data were obtained from various cancer surveillance systems, including the Xiamen Cancer Register system, the Xiamen Death Register system, and the household registration system. Trends in incidence, mortality and survival rates from 2011 to 2020 were analyzed using annual percent changes (APC) and average annual percent changes (AAPC), stratified by sex and residency status., Results: A total of 7,406 new cases and 3,726 CRC-related deaths were reported from Xiamen. The age-standardized of incidence and mortality rates were 26.09 per 100,000 and 12.70 per 100,000, respectively. The observed 5-year survival rate was 46.65%, with an age-standardized survival of 51.24%. CRC incidence in Xiamen is significantly increasing (AAPC = 4.90%). In contrast, trends in CRC mortality and survival rates are not significant. Urban areas exhibited higher rates of CRC incidence, mortality, and survival rate compared to rural areas, though rural areas showed a more marked upward trend., Conclusions: The burden of CRC in Xiamen is notably high, with a concerning increasing in incidence. This underscores the urgent need for targeted strategies to address this public health challenges., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: The study was undertaken in accordance with the Declaration of Helsinki. Data used in this study were obtained from Xiamen Cancer Register system, the Xiamen Death Register system, and the household registration system, all of which were unidentified. The study was reviewed and approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of Xiamen Centre for Disease Prevention and Control [approval no: XJX/LLSC(2023)004], and it is found that utilization of disease surveillance did not require informed consent and waiver of informed consent was granted by the ethics committee. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2025. The Author(s).)

Epidemiological studies combining taxonomic and clinical data have been limited globally, particularly Guiyang, the most under-developed economic provincial capital city in southwestern China. A retrospective analysis was performed of dermatophyte epidemiology involving all culture-positive cases received between May 2017 and May 2023 at the Affiliated Hospital of Guizhou Medical University. Phylogenetic analysis was conducted on 391 dermatophyte isolates collected from patients using the rDNA internal transcribed spacer sequences. Clinical relevance information was analyzed statistically using T-test, one-way ANOVA, Kruskal-Wallis H test, and Chi-square test. Eight species were recognized, and their identity was confirmed on the basis of phylogenetics. Trichophyton rubrum (n = 308, 78.77%) ranked first, followed by T. mentagrophytes (n = 39, 9.97%) and Microsporum canis (n = 32, 8.18%). Tinea unguium (48.56%) was the most common type of dermatophytosis in this study, rates of detection being impacted by the host population's attention for dermatophyte infections. The hypothesized patterns of evolution in the M. canis series, T. mentagrophytes series and T. rubrum series, i.e. from zoophilic to a preponderantly anthropophilic nature, was reflected in clinical parameters such as host age, occupational background, infection pattern, degree of skin involvement and site preference. To the best of our knowledge, we provide the first detailed analysis of epidemiological characteristics and pathogenic patterns of dermatophytosis in Guiyang., Competing Interests: Declarations. Conflict of interest: 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., (© 2025. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature B.V.)

Pesticide contamination in the river basins is closely associated with land covers. However, the impact of land covers on the pesticide contamination remains unclear. In this study, concentrations of 14 pesticides (10 insecticides, 3 fungicides, and 1 herbicide) in water were investigated along a major tributary of the Pearl River in wet and dry seasons in 2023. Thirteen pesticides were found in wet season, while all for dry season. Correlation analyses indicated that herbaceous cropland and grassland covers predominantly positively affected the overall pesticide concentrations in both seasons. Irrigated cropland cover positively affected the concentrations of 3 pesticides only in wet season, suggesting their use for the crops. Closed evergreen broadleaved forest cover negatively affected the overall pesticide concentration in only wet season, indicating the mitigation effect of forest. In dry season, positive effect of open evergreen broadleaved forest was found only for malathion, suggesting its usage in the forest. Additionally, ecological risks of the pesticides were low to moderate, with similar dominant pesticides in both seasons. Finally, the investigation of pesticide used in croplands, grasslands, and forests, and forest protection are recommended for pesticide contamination management. These outcomes will deepen our understanding of pesticide contamination control in the river basins., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no competing known interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

This study explores the interplay between microbial activity and sediment lithology in influencing fluoride release from sediments. Sediment samples, collected from Yuncheng Basin: a region known for significant groundwater fluoride contamination, exhibit fluoride concentrations well above the global average, ranging from 206.2 mg/kg to 780.9 mg/kg. These samples comprising silt, silt loam, and sandy loam, are enriched with minerals such as quartz, calcite, albite, chlorite, and illite. Microbial batch incubation reveals that microbial activity significantly enhances fluoride release, particularly in silt loam sediments. The results from sequential extraction first timely identified that the carbonate-bound and Fe-Al-bound fluoride fractions are the most affected forms of fluoride by microbial activity, highlighting the roles of mineral dissolution and desorption in fluoride mobilization. Further batch incubation experiments demonstrate significant increases in fluoride concentrations, especially in silt loam sediments, indicating the role of microbial processes in accelerating fluoride release. Additionally, the study unveils diverse patterns of dissolved elemental concentrations during incubation, with varying release patterns for calcium, magnesium, iron, aluminum, and manganese. These findings illustrate the complex biogeochemical interactions that govern fluoride mobilization in these sediments. Sequential extraction studies further elucidate the intricate mechanisms of fluoride release, with microbial activity primarily influencing the release of carbonate-bound and Fe-Al-bound fluoride. This study also sheds light on the co-dissolution of fluoride and calcium, offering valuable insights into geochemical processes driven by microbial interactions within the sediment matrix., 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 © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

General early-life bullying victimization has been used as an early-life marker of eating and body image disturbances and poor psychosocial well-being later in life. We expand existing research in this area to Chinese sexual minority (SM) men, a vulnerable and under-researched subgroup, by considering associations of general early-life bullying victimization with current eating and body image disturbances and poor psychosocial well-being. We assessed demographics, general early-life bullying victimization, past appearance teasing, current thinness- and muscularity-oriented eating and body image disturbances, and current psychosocial well-being in Chinese SM men (N = 433). Correlation and hierarchical linear regressions examined the study hypotheses. Beyond covariates (e.g., age) and past appearance teasing, general early-life bullying victimization explained significant, unique variance in all outcome variables. Specifically, higher general early-life bullying victimization was uniquely associated with more current thinness- and muscularity-oriented eating and body image disturbances and poor psychosocial well-being. Consistent with research in the Western context, findings suggest that general early-life bullying victimization is a meaningful, positive correlate of current eating and body image disturbances and poor psychosocial well-being in Chinese SM men. Future research considering sexual minority stress as a theoretical backdrop may help explain associations between general early-life bullying victimization and negative health outcomes., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest None., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Extragenital Chlamydia trachomatis (CT) and Neisseria gonorrhoeae (NG) infections are prevalent among men who have sex with men (MSM). Self-sampling could potentially eliminate barriers to extragenital CT/NG testing for MSM that are hard to reach, who refuse to go for clinician-based testing, or who decline an examination. However, the required evidence to determine whether self-collected specimens are as accurate as clinician-taken specimens in terms of CT/NG diagnostic accuracy was limited in low and middle income countries. We therefore compared self-collected rectal and pharyngeal specimens with clinician-taken specimens for diagnostic accuracy among MSM in China., Methods: This was a prospective convenience sample from 6 sexually transmitted infection (STI) clinics in China. We randomized the order of self-collected and clinician-taken specimens from the pharynx and rectum, plus first-void urine, for CT/NG detection. Self-sampling performance was compared with clinician-sampling as to agreement, sensitivity, and specificity. The acceptability of self-sampling was evaluated by questionnaire., Results: Among the 325 participants, prevalences of rectal CT and NG infections were 13.6% and 5.2% and pharyngeal CT and NG prevalences were 1.5% and 2.8%, respectively. The agreements between the CT tests with the self-collected and clinician-taken specimens were 98.8% (κ = 0.95, 95% CI 0.89-1.00) for rectal site and 99.4% (κ = 0.83, 95% CI 0.60-1.00) for pharyngeal site; and the agreements between NG tests were 99.4% (κ = 0.94, 95% CI 0.86-1.00) for rectal site and 98.2% (κ = 0.72, 95% CI 0.50-0.93) for pharyngeal site. The sensitivity and specificity of self-collected swabs was as follows: rectal CT: 93.0% and 99.6%; pharyngeal CT: 100.0% and 99.4%; rectal NG: 100.0% and 99.4%; pharyngeal NG: 88.9% and 98.4%. Self-collection was highly acceptable, showing that 62.0% MSM preferred self-sampling over clinician-sampling; 90.2% would use self-sampling for detection of CT and NG again., Conclusions: Extragenital screening for CT and NG should be recommended as part of STI services to MSM population. Self-collection of rectal and pharyngeal specimens had good performance for CT and NG tests and acceptability to the target population., Trial Registration: This trial was registered with the Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR2300073473. Registered 12/07/2023., Competing Interests: Declarations. Ethics approval and consent to participate: This study and survey were approved by the Medical Ethics Committee of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences (CAMS) Institute of Dermatology in China (approval number 2022-KY-001). Survey responses were anonymous and participation was voluntary, and informed consent was obtained from all subjects and/or their legal guardian(s). The study was conducted according to the Declaration of Helsinki. Consent for publication: Not applicable. Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Sepsis is a common and severe complication in burn patients and remains one of the leading causes of mortality. This retrospective study aimed to develop a predictive model for the risk of in-hospital sepsis among burn patients treated at Guangzhou Red Cross Hospital between January 2022 and January 2024, with the goal of improving clinical outcomes through early prevention based on risk stratification. A total of 302 eligible patients were randomly divided into training and validation cohorts in a 7:3 ratio for model development and validation, respectively. Predictive factors were initially selected using LASSO regression, followed by logistic regression analysis to establish the prediction model and construct a nomogram. The final model incorporated 4 independent predictors: burn area (odds ratio [OR] = 1.043, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.026-1.062/1%), hemoglobin (OR = 0.968, 95% CI: 0.954-0.980/1 g/L), diabetes (OR = 10.91, 95% CI: 2.563-56.62), and potassium (OR = 3.091, 95% CI: 1.635-6.064/1 mmol/L). The areas under the receiver operating characteristic curve were 0.875 and 0.861 for the training and validation cohorts, with Youden indexes of 0.634 and 0.600, respectively. The calibration curve and decision curve analysis demonstrated good predictive accuracy and clinical utility of the model. These findings suggest that our developed model exhibits robust predictive performance for the risk of in-hospital sepsis in burn patients, and early prevention strategies based on risk stratification may potentially improve clinical outcomes., Competing Interests: The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Most of the species in Paris have important medicinal values in China. Polyphyllins are the key components in Paris, with varying levels and compositions among different species. This study investigated polyphyllin compositions of 206 Paris samples from 16 different producing areas. 9 Paris polyphylla var. yunnanensis, 3 Paris fargesii, and 3 Paris forrestii were selected based on polyphyllin levels and composition for metabolome and transcriptome analysis. A total of 1,243 metabolites were identified among these samples, along with 92.11 Gb of full-length transcriptome data. This study provides potential candidate genes involved in polyphyllins synthesis in Paris, aiming to facilitate the biosynthesis of different polyphyllins., Competing Interests: Competing interests: The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

We conducted a retrospective study of 1055 patients with urinary stones who attended our single center from September 2017 to June 2024. Clinical data and laboratory indicators of patients were evaluated and compared with stone components. The most common type in our study was calcium oxalate (CaOx) stones (76.6%), followed by infection stones (13.2%) and uric acid (UA) stones (7.8%). Among the 1055 specimens, 899 (85.2%) cases were mixed component stones, of which calcium oxalate monohydrate (COM) and calcium oxalate dihydrate (COD) mixture were the most frequent (34.8%). There were only 156 cases (14.8%) of pure-component stones, of which anhydrous UA was the most frequent (7.0%). There were 738 males and 317 females, with a male-to-female ratio of 2.33:1. Male dominance was evident in CaOx stones (79.0 vs. 71.0%, P = 0.005). Female dominance was noted in infection stones (21.1 vs. 9.8%, P < 0.001). The multivariate analysis showed that higher serum albumin level was a risk factor for CaOx stone formation (OR = 2.959; 95% CI 1.470-5.953, P = 0.002). Women were more likely to develop infection stones than men (OR = 1.796; 95% CI 1.150-2.803, P = 0.010). As the urine pH increased, the risk of infection stones formation increased (OR = 2.521; 95% CI 1.809-3.513, P < 0.001). Moreover, a history of hypertension (OR = 2.339; 95% CI 1.409-3.881, P = 0.001), low urine pH (OR = 0.242; 95% CI 0.147-0.399, P < 0.001), and low serum albumin level (OR = 0.351; 95% CI 0.125-0.988, P = 0.047) were risk factors for the formation of UA stones., Competing Interests: Declarations Competing interests The authors declare no competing interests. Statement of ethics This study protocol was reviewed and approved by the Ethical Committee of Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, Zhuhai Hospital (Jinwan Central Hospital of Zhuhai), approval number 2024010 H. Moreover, the study has been granted an exemption from requiring written informed consent by the Ethical Committee of Guangdong Provincial People’s Hospital, Zhuhai Hospital (Jinwan Central Hospital of Zhuhai)., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The breast plumage color of Guangxi Yao chickens shows obvious sexual dimorphism, with roosters showing black and black with red, and hens displaying partridge and red. Black plumage in roosters is considered a sign of quality, necessitating the purification of plumage color. Here, we developed an effective method based on genetic variations within MC1R and plumage characteristics. We clarified the distribution of 5 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) and 3 haplotypes (H1, H2, and H3) of MC1R gene, and revealed potential associations between haplotype H1 and black breast plumage in the F2 resource population derived from a backcross between Guangxi Yao and Yellow chickens. Subsequently, using H1/H1 diplotype roosters and hens to construct families (n = 1,244) notably increased the proportion of offspring with black plumage. Further analysis suggested that red plumage in hens may be the putative phenotype of black plumage in roosters, driven by haplotype H1 of the MC1R gene, as verified by genotype and phenotype analysis. As expected, we found that almost all male offspring of hens with red breast plumage showed black plumage. In short, we established a selection pattern based on the combination of black-plumage roosters and red-plumage hens can significantly purify the sexually dimorphic plumage color and improve the efficiency of breeding programs in Guangxi Yao chickens. Our findings provide a novel technical framework to accelerate the breeding process for plumage trait in poultry., (Copyright © 2024 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Soil microbes have long been recognized to substantially affect the coexistence of pairwise plant species across terrestrial ecosystems. However, projecting their impacts on the coexistence of multispecies plant systems remains a pressing challenge. To address this challenge, we conducted a greenhouse experiment with 540 seedlings of five tree species in a subtropical forest in China and evaluated microbial effects on multispecies coexistence using the structural method, which quantifies how the structure of species interactions influences the likelihood for multiple species to persist. Specifically, we grew seedlings alone or with competitors in different microbial contexts and fitted individual biomass to a population dynamic model to calculate intra- and interspecific interaction strength with and without soil microbes. We then used these interaction structures to calculate two metrics of multispecies coexistence, structural niche differences (which promote coexistence) and structural fitness differences (which drive exclusion), for all possible communities comprising two to five plant species. We found that soil microbes generally increased both the structural niche and fitness differences across all communities, with a much stronger effect on structural fitness differences. A further examination of functional traits between plant species pairs found that trait differences are stronger predictors of structural niche differences than of structural fitness differences, and that soil microbes have the potential to change trait-mediated plant interactions. Our findings underscore that soil microbes strongly influence the coexistence of multispecies plant systems, and also add to the experimental evidence that the influence is more on fitness differences rather than on niche differences., (© 2024 The Ecological Society of America.)

The vegetation-runoff relationship remains unclear in karstic regions. The karst landform in southwest China is a focal area where significant changes in vegetation have occurred in the past few decades, which may substantially impact water resources. To date, the effects of these changes on runoff remain uncertain. This study employed statistical analysis, numerical simulation, and scenario analysis to investigate the temporal and spatial patterns of runoff, climate, and vegetation in 20 typical catchments. The study also evaluated the response of runoff to vegetation and climate changes and the underlying factors. The findings revealed precipitation changes dominated changes in runoff in these catchments (mean contribution of 53.03%), whereas the contributions of vegetation and potential evapotranspiration changes were 23.16% and 23.82%, respectively. The study also revealed that the impacts of vegetation changes on runoff were significantly dependent on vegetation and climate factors (R 2  = 0.60, P < 0.01). Furthermore, under the same climate change conditions, a higher distribution of natural vegetation (such as forest) in the catchment resulted in a larger decreasing trend in runoff. The results provide guidelines for the prediction of runoff variation in southwest China, and benefits to decision-making on ecological restoration and water resources development., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

In addition to describing sexual partner preferences, sexual self-labels in gay and bisexual (henceforth, sexual minority) men, such as top, bottom, and versatile, are associated with psychological characteristics (e.g., gendered personality traits). No research has explored the association between sexual self-labels and eating and body image disturbances in sexual minority men. Research in sexual minority men from China is particularly valuable and needed due to recent rises in rates of eating and body image disturbances and unique, minority-specific stressors experienced by Chinese sexual minority populations. We adopted an online, cross-sectional study in a sample of sexual minority men from China (N = 403; tops, n = 256, bottoms, n = 95, versatiles, n = 52). Bottoms reported higher thinness internalization, lower muscularity internalization, higher body fat dissatisfaction, and higher psychological distress than tops. Bottoms' weight bias internalization was higher than tops' and versatiles' reports and, compared to versatiles, bottoms also reported higher psychosocial impairment related to eating disorder psychopathology. Compared to versatiles, tops reported higher drive for muscularity and muscularity-oriented disordered eating. Adjusting for age, psychological distress, and psychosocial impairment, tops reported higher muscularity internalization than bottoms and higher drive for muscularity and muscularity-oriented disordered eating than both bottoms and versatiles. Findings suggested unique relations between sexual self-labels and eating and body image disturbances in Chinese sexual minority men. Replication and validation of the temporal order between sexual self-labels and eating and body image disturbances is needed, including assessment of social factors (e.g., femmephobia, minority stress) that may help explain the links between sexual self-labels and eating pathology., Competing Interests: Declarations. Conflict of interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare. Ethical Approval: The data used in the study were from the project approved by the Institutional Review Board (Applied Psychology) of The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shenzhen (No. EF20221114001). Informed Consent: Informed consent was obtained from all participants., (© 2024. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature.)

Background: Allergen component resolved diagnosis (CRD) is a method for identifying specific protein molecules that cause hypersensitivity. Unlike traditional methods that use crude allergen extracts containing multiple component species, CRD focuses on individual allergen protein molecules for more precise diagnosis. The World Allergy Organization (WAO) recommends CRD as a supplement to clinical history and allergen extract testing, and in some cases, it can replace crude extract tests., Methods: CRD involves the use of natural or recombinant proteins to detect specific IgE antibodies directed at individual allergenic components. This method allows for a more detailed analysis of a patient's allergic response compared to the use of whole allergen extracts. The Allergy Prevention and Control Specialty Committee of the Chinese Preventive Medicine Association, in collaboration with multidisciplinary experts, developed an expert consensus that incorporates the consensus of the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology (EAACI), WAO, and important domestic literature on CRD in recent years., Results: The consensus aims to standardize the algorithm of allergen diagnosis and provides a reference for clinical practice. It also offers guidance for clinicians on the common protein families identified by CRD, the scenarios where CRD is applicable, and the significance of detecting common allergen components., Conclusions: Despite its potential, CRD is not widely used in clinical practice in China due to the lack of allergen component reagents and a general unawareness among clinicians about CRD's application and interpretation of test results. The expert consensus developed by the Chinese Preventive Medicine Association aims to address this gap and enhance the clinical application of CRD in China., (© 2024 The Author(s). Pediatric Allergy and Immunology published by European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Objectives: The study aimed to investigate the interaction of intraoperative stress hyperglycemia with monocyte functions and their impact on major adverse events (MAEs) in acute aortic dissection (AAD) patients who underwent open repair surgery., Methods: A total of 321 adults who underwent open surgery for AAD at two tertiary medical centers in China were enrolled in the study. The primary endpoint was defined as the incidence and characteristics of perioperative stress hyperglycemia. The secondary endpoints included the incidence of postoperative MAEs, postoperative monocyte counts and inflammatory cytokine expression. Multi-logistic, linear regression and receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analyses were used to establish relationships between intraoperative time-weighted average glucose (TWAG), day-one postoperative monocyte counts, serum inflammatory cytokines and postoperative outcomes. In addition, in vitro experiments were conducted to evaluate changes in the inflammatory features of monocytes under high glucose conditions., Results: Intraoperative hyperglycemia, as indicated by a TWAG level over 142 mg/dL, was associated with elevated postoperative monocyte counts and inflammatory cytokines, which correlated with extended intensive care unit (ICU) stays and worsened outcomes. In vitro, high glucose treatment induced mitochondrial impairment in monocytes, increased the release of inflammatory cytokines and the proportion of classical monocytes from AAD patients., Conclusions: Intraoperative stress hyperglycemia, in combination with day-one postoperative monocyte counts, were clinically significant for predicting adverse outcomes in AAD patients undergoing open repair surgery. Elevated glucose concentrations shaped the inflammatory features of monocytes in AAD by impairing mitochondrial functions., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Objective: To investigate the epidemiological characteristics of hypothyroidism in Qinghai Province, analyze its related influencing factors, establish the normal reference range of thyroid function, and explore the relationship between thyroid hormone (THs), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and metabolic syndrome (MS) in Qinghai population within the normal range, so as to provide some scientific basis for the prevention and treatment of hypothyroidism in Qinghai Province., Methods: A total of 2790 residents aged 18 and over from Qinghai were selected through stratified cluster random sampling. Data were collected via questionnaires, physical examinations, and laboratory tests., Results: 1. A total of 2628 eligible residents in Qinghai were included in this study, and the total prevalence of hypothyroidism was 30.25%, among which the prevalence of subclinical hypothyroidism was 29.22%, and the prevalence of clinical hypothyroidism was 1.03%. 2. The prevalence of hypothyroidism in women was significantly higher than that in men (36.69% vs 24.30%); smoking and drinking were risk factors for hypothyroidism. 3. In the excluded subjects, 1544 were abnormal thyroid ultrasound, abnormal thyroid function and/or positive thyroid autoantibodies, and the remaining 1084 were reference populations. According to the reference population data, the 95% reference ranges of TSH, FT4, FT3 were 0.43-5.51 mIU/L, 11.0-20.4 pmol/L, 3.63-5.73 pmol/L, respectively. 4. In the normal thyroid function population in Qinghai, MS and its related components were positively correlated with FT3 and FT4 levels, but not significantly correlated with TSH levels., Conclusion: 1. The prevalence of hypothyroidism in adults in Qinghai is relatively high, accounting for about one-thirtieth of the total population. Smoking and drinking have a certain impact on the incidence of hypothyroidism. 2. It provides a reference range for the diagnosis of thyroid diseases in Qinghai province, which is different from that of reagent suppliers, and has certain promotion significance in the western region. 3. MS and its related components are positively correlated with FT3 and FT4 levels, but not with TSH levels in people with normal thyroid function in Qinghai. Early thyroid function screening is of great significance for the prevention of MS., 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 Fan, Yao, Chai, Wang, Xie, Jiang, Lin, Li, Fan, Luo, Wang, Song, Zhao and Cai.)

The prevalence of allergic diseases such as Allergic Rhinitis and Asthma is steadily increasing globally, with pollen allergy being one of the most significant sensitizing factors. However, the cross-reactivity of different pollen allergies remains unclear, posing challenges in the diagnosis and treatment of individuals with multiple sensitivities. In this study, the Component Resolved Diagnosis technique was performed to simultaneously measure the specific IgE concentrations of 52 patients against Art v and its components (Art v 1), Phl p and its components (Phl p 1, Phl p 4, Phl p 5, Phl p 6, Phl p 7, Phl p 12), Bet v and its components (Bet v 1, Bet v 2), Amb a and its component (Amb a 1), and Amb p. Additionally, sIgE inhibition tests were conducted by Art v, Phl p, and Bet v extracts. Among Art v-positive patients, 64.6% showed positivity for Art v 1. In Phl p-positive patients, Phl p 12 had the highest positivity rate (75.0%). Among Bet v-positive patients, 75.6% exhibited positivity for Bet v 2, whereas for Amb a and Amb p-positive patients, 23.7% and 29.0% respectively showed positivity for Amb a 1. The sIgE inhibition assays results revealed that Art v extract had inhibition rates greater than 73.2% against Phl p and its component Phl p 12, as well as Bet v and its component Bet v 2. Simultaneously, Phl p extract showed inhibition rates of 80.70-89.87% against Phl p 12, Bet v and Bet v 2. Bet v extract showed inhibition rates ranging from 21.9 to 59.8% against Phl p and Bet v 2, with a better inhibition rate (76.80%) against Phl p 12. In conclusion, Art v 1 is identified as the principal component of Art v. The profilin proteins of Phl p and Bet v (Phl p 12 and Bet v 2), are implicated as potential cross-reactive elements contributing to polysensitization in patients with respiratory allergies in the Northwest region of China. This cross-reactivity leads to a shared sensitization mechanism among pollen allergens such as Art v, Phl p, and Bet v., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Organic carbon (C) and CO 2 pools are closely interactive in aquatic environments. While there are strong indications linking freshwater CO 2 to dissolved organic matter (DOM), the specific mechanisms underlying their common pathways remain unclear. Here, we present an extensive investigation from 20 subtropical lakes in China, establishing a comprehensive conceptual framework for identifying CO 2 drivers and retrieving CO 2 magnitude through co-trajectories of DOM evolution. Based on this framework, we show that lake CO 2 during wet period is constrained by a combination of biogeochemical processes, while photo-mineralization of activated aromatic compounds fuels CO 2 during dry period. We clearly determine that biological degradation of DOM governs temporal variations in CO 2 rather than terrestrial C inputs within the subtropical lakes. Specifically, our results identify a shared route for the uptake of atmospheric polycyclic aromatic compounds and CO 2 by lakes. Using machine learning, in-lake CO 2 levels are well modelled through DOM signaling regardless of varying CO 2 mechanisms. This study unravels the mechanistic underpinnings of causal links between lake CO 2 and DOM, with important implications for understanding obscure aquatic CO 2 drivers amidst the ongoing impacts of global climate change., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest All authors agree this submission and the authors declare that there is no conflict of interests regarding the publication of this article, (Copyright © 2024. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Objectives: Post-myocardial infarction ventricular septal rupture (PIVSR) is one of the most severe types of mechanical complications after acute myocardial infarction (AMI) with high mortality and poor prognosis. The risk factors for short-term mortality of patients with PIVSR may be not widely recognized. We aimed to assess the prevalence and short-term mortality risk predictors of PIVSR., Methods: A total of 62 patients with a diagnosis of PIVSR were admitted to three top general public hospitals in Chongqing, China. Clinical characteristics and short-term outcomes of patients with PIVSR were compared. Predictors of PIVSR were assessed using logistic regression analysis., Results: Mean age was 70.7 ± 10.7 years (38.7% female). The overall in-hospital mortality of PIVSR remained high (71%). Most (47/62) of the patients were in Killip class III or IV at the time of rupture diagnosis. Logistic regression analysis revealed that white blood cell count (WBC, OR 1.619, 95% CI 1.172-2.237, P = 0.005), cardiogenic shock (OR 47.706, 95%CI 2.859-795.945, P = 0.007) and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF, OR 0.803, 95%CI 0.689-0.936, P = 0.009) were independent risk factors of in-hospital early mortality. The nomogram developed for predicting the risk of short-term mortality showed a robust discrimination, with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.956 (95%CI 0.912-1.000)., Conclusion: The short-term mortality of PIVSR remained high. WBC, cardiogenic shock, and LVEF were the independent predictive factors of short-term mortality. Our nomogram might be used to predict early mortality of patients with PIVSR., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Earlier research has demonstrated a genetic basis for the susceptibility to ankylosing spondylitis (AS) and the severity of AS. By employing a genome-wide association study, recent work has established a correlation between the susceptibility to AS and the ANO6, HAPLN, and EDIL3 genes in a Western study population-though alternative studies have not corroborated these findings. This study aims to examine the effects of ANO6 , HAPLN1 , and EDIL3 polymorphisms on the susceptibility and severity of AS among the predominantly Chinese Han population. Methods: The study involved the collection of blood samples from 497 patients with AS and 498 nonrelated healthy individuals. All participants in the study were human leukocyte antigen (HLA) HLA-B27 positive and of Han Chinese descent. Illness severity was the criteria used for classifying patients with AS. Thirteen tagSNPs in ANO6 , HAPLN1 , and EDIL3 were chosen and then subjected to genetic typing. Analysis was conducted on the occurrence rates of various genotypes and alleles between the control group and patients with varying AS severity. Results: Following Bonferroni correction, it was found that the rs4768085 and rs17095830 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNPs) in ANO6 were related to the susceptibility to AS. Further, the rs6869296 SNP in HAPLN1 and the rs2301071 SNP between EDIL3 and HAPLN1 were also related to AS susceptibility. Regarding AS severity, the rs4768085, rs2897868, rs7965430, and rs11182965 SNPs in ANO6 were found to be associated. Conclusions: Among the Han population in China, the ANO6 and HAPLN1 genes are related to the susceptibility to AS; the ANO6 gene is also associated with the severity of AS.

The effects of high-temperature storage at 37 °C on the crystallinity, pasting, rheological, and thermal properties of adlay seed starches from three famous Chinese varieties were studied. The results showed that high-temperature storage altered the natural structure of adlay seed starch, resulting in increased peak viscosity for all starch pastes after one month of storage at 37 °C. Jinsha adlay seed starch (JSC), which had the highest amylose content (11.21 %), showed increased D 50, relative crystallinity and OD values, demonstrating strong regrowth ability and hydrophobicity, with starch gels having greater hardness and gumminess after storage. In contrast, Pucheng adlay seed starch (PSC) and waxy Ninghua adlay seed starch (WSC), with similar amylose proportions, showed distinct starch gel properties. PSC (with an amylose content of 3.35 %) exhibited better starch gel properties, whereas WSC (amylose content of 5.74 %) demonstrated improved gumminess and chewiness after storage and exhibited stronger anti-starch regrowth capabilities. This study provides valuable insights into the selection of future starches based on their specific processing requirements., 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 © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Exploring efficient and easily implementable prenatal screening strategies aims at birth defect prevention and control. However, there have been limited economic evaluations of non-invasive prenatal screening (NIPS) strategies in China. Furthermore, these studies were predominantly confined to local or geographically proximate provinces and lacked universality and representativeness. This study assesses the health economics of current prenatal screening strategies and NIPS as first-line screening programs, analyzing their efficacy to determine an optimal strategy. From the perspective of health economics, cost-effectiveness, cost-benefit, and single-factor sensitivity were conducted for five different screening strategies using a decision tree model. Among pregnant women aged < 35 years who underwent only one screening for foetal Down syndrome (DS), the detection rate, false positive rate and positive predictive value of NIPS for foetuses with DS were superior to those of the other four serological screening methods. Although applying NIPS as first-line screening method yields the highest efficacy and benefits, it currently lacks cost-effectiveness when compared to serological screening and sequential NIPS screening strategies., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Oligotrophy and hypereutrophy represent the two extremes of lake trophic states, and understanding the distribution of bacterial communities across these contrasting conditions is crucial for advancing aquatic microbial research. Despite the significance of these extreme trophic states, bacterial community characteristics and co-occurrence patterns in such environments have been scarcely interpreted. To bridge this knowledge gap, we collected 60 water samples from Lake Fuxian (oligotrophic) and Lake Xingyun (hypereutrophic) during different hydrological periods., Results: Employing 16S rRNA gene sequencing, our findings revealed distinct community structures and metabolic potentials in bacterial communities of hypereutrophic and oligotrophic lake ecosystems. The hypereutrophic ecosystem exhibited higher bacterial α- and β-diversity compared to the oligotrophic ecosystem. Actinobacteria dominated the oligotrophic Lake Fuxian, while Cyanobacteria, Proteobacteria, and Bacteroidetes were more prevalent in the hypereutrophic Lake Xingyun. Functions associated with methanol oxidation, methylotrophy, fermentation, aromatic compound degradation, nitrogen/nitrate respiration, and nitrogen/nitrate denitrification were enriched in the oligotrophic lake, underscoring the vital role of bacteria in carbon and nitrogen cycling. In contrast, functions related to ureolysis, human pathogens, animal parasites or symbionts, and phototrophy were enriched in the hypereutrophic lake, highlighting human activity-related disturbances and potential pathogenic risks. Co-occurrence network analysis unveiled a more complex and stable bacterial network in the hypereutrophic lake compared to the oligotrophic lake., Conclusion: Our study provides insights into the intricate relationships between trophic states and bacterial community structure, emphasizing significant differences in diversity, community composition, and network characteristics between extreme states of oligotrophy and hypereutrophy. Additionally, it explores the nuanced responses of bacterial communities to environmental conditions in these two contrasting trophic states., (© 2024. The Author(s).)