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Pegmolesatide, a synthetic, polyethylene-glycolylated, peptide-based erythropoiesis-stimulating agent (ESA), has been recently approved in China. Pegmolesatide is derived from the structure of endogenous erythropoietin (EPO), a natural product in mammals. This study compared the in vitro effects and selectivity of pegmolesatide to those of recombinant EPO and carbamylated EPO (CEPO) through computer-aided analyses and biological tests. The findings indicate that pegmolesatide exhibited the same stimulating effect on erythropoiesis as EPO with fewer side effects than EPO and CEPO. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water and energy are mutually reinforcing elements in production and consumption activities, forming an inseparable relationship. This study, conducted at the provincial level, investigates the intricate connections between energy water footprint flow, water shortage, and water pollution. It aims to elucidate the vulnerability of provincial energy sectors to water use, fostering regional coordinated management for sustainable energy and water development. Utilizing a multi-regional input–output model, the research analyzes both the quantity and quality of water resources. The water footprint of China's provincial energy sector is quantified and scrutinized. Furthermore, an evaluation index system is constructed based on the water footprint concept. The entropy weight TOPSIS method is then applied to assess the vulnerability of inter-provincial energy sector water footprints. The key findings are as follows: (1) The energy water footprint has shifted from water resource-deficient areas, such as the northwest, North China, and northeast, to economically developed regions with relatively abundant water resources, such as East China and South China. This reveals that the transfer of water footprints in economic activities does not entirely alleviate water shortages in China and may even exacerbate shortages in certain water-deficient areas. (2) The graywater footprint of the energy sector is significantly larger than the blue water footprint and water shortage footprint. (3) The production and supply departments of power and heat emerge as the largest contributors to the transfer of energy and water footprints from water shortage areas to water-rich areas, followed by coal mining and dressing departments. (4) Top 10 Vulnerable Provinces: Tibet, Zhejiang, Ningxia, Tianjin, Jiangsu, Henan, Hunan, Beijing, Chongqing, and Hebei are identified as the top 10 provinces vulnerable to water footprints in the energy sector. This vulnerability closely correlates with the energy sector's dependence on water footprints and production leverage. Recommendations include optimizing the energy mix and establishing stable external water footprint supply channels for provinces with high water footprint dependence. Provinces with high production leverage are advised to accelerate innovation and application of water-saving technologies in key energy sectors, increase the utilization of clean energy, and enhance resource recycling. National government departments should focus on controlling and reducing water pollutants in the energy sector across regions, addressing water shortages by purifying water bodies and improving water quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Spike length (SL) is one of the most important agronomic traits affecting yield potential and stability in wheat. In this study, a major stable quantitative trait locus (QTL) for SL, i.e., qSl-2B, was detected in multiple environments in a recombinant inbred line (RIL) mapping population, KJ-RILs, derived from a cross between Kenong 9204 (KN9204) and Jing 411 (J411). The qSl-2B QTL was mapped to the 60.06–73.06 Mb region on chromosome 2B and could be identified in multiple mapping populations. An InDel molecular marker in the target region was developed based on a sequence analysis of the two parents. To further clarify the breeding use potential of qSl-2B, we analyzed its genetic effects and breeding selection effect using both the KJ-RIL population and a natural mapping population, which consisted of 316 breeding varieties/advanced lines. The results showed that the qSl-2B alleles from KN9204 showed inconsistent genetic effects on SL in the two mapping populations. Moreover, in the KJ-RILs population, the additive effects analysis of qSl-2B showed that additive effect was higher when both qSl-2D and qSl-5A harbor negative alleles under LN and HN. In China, a moderate selection utilization rate for qSl-2B was found in the Huanghuai winter wheat area and the selective utilization rate for qSl-2B continues to increase. The above findings provided a foundation for the genetic improvement of wheat SL in the future via molecular breeding strategies. Key message: A major stable QTL for spike length was identified in wheat, and its genetic effect on yield related-traits as well as its potential use value in molecular breeding programs were characterized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hemisphere photos are now widely applied to provide information about solar radiation dynamics, canopy structure and their contribution to biophysical processes, plant productivity and ecosystem properties. The present study aims to improve the original 'edge detection' method for binary classification between sky and canopy, which works not well for closed canopies. We supposed such inaccuracy probably is due to the influence of sky pixels on their neighbor canopy pixels. Here, we introduced a new term 'neighbor distance', defined as the distance between pixels participated in the calculation of contrast at the edges between classified canopy and sky, into the 'edge detection' method. We showed that choosing a suitable neighbor distance for a photo with a specific gap fraction can significantly improve the accuracy of the original 'edge detection' method. We developed an ND-IS (Neighbor Distance-Iteration Selection) method that can automatically determine the threshold values of hemisphere photos with high accuracy and reproductivity. It combines the modified 'edge detection' method and an iterative selection method, with the aid of an empirical power function for the relationship between neighbor distance and manually verified gap fraction. This procedure worked well throughout a broad range of gap fractions (0.019–0.945) with different canopy compositions and structures, in five forest biomes along a broad gradient of latitude and longitude across Eastern China. Our results highlight the necessity of integrating neighbor distance into the original 'edge detection' algorithm. The advantages and limitations of the method, and the application of the method in the field were also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Financial reporting quality is critical for businesses, stakeholders, and government to ensure transparency and accountability. The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between corporate governance, financial reporting quality, and ownership structure as a moderating factor for Chinese stock exchange-listed firms. Quantitative data of 550 listed firms from 2012 to 2022 are collected from the annual reports. For investigating the relationship between variables, panel data analysis with random and fixed effect models is used. Our results show that corporate governance's different attributes such as Auditor brand name, Existence of an audit committee, independent board, family ownership, and profitability have a significant negative impact on the audit report lag that decreases the lags and increases the financial reporting quality in China listed firms. Auditor opinion, Board diligence Board size, and CEO duality have a significant positive impact on the audit report lag that increases the lags and decreases the financial reporting quality of China-listed firms. Furthermore, our findings show that ownership concentration has no moderating effect between corporate governance, different attributes, and financial reporting quality. Family ownership, on the other hand, has a strong moderating effect between corporate governance characteristics and financial reporting quality. However, due to limitations, this study provides the opportunity for future research on corporate governance mechanisms in different cultures and environments. Moreover, this study has some important implications for investors, policymakers, and government. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fine roots have been hypothesized to be 'leaves underground' in terms of vascular network, but this hypothesis has rarely been tested within the framework of metabolic scaling theory (MST). We measured average fine‐root (diameter < 1 mm) mass (M), surface area (A), volume (V), diameter (D) and length (L) for 216 soil cores from 24 plots across four successional stages in tropical forests of Xishuangbanna (southwest China), and examined eight scaling relationships between these variables at the individual root scale. We tested whether fine‐root allometries conformed to MST's model for leaf (MSTl) or model (MSTw) for woody organs (e.g. trunk). We also assessed the relative effects of environmental factors, tree size, species composition and diversity, and stand structural factors on allometric relationships using structural equation models (SEMs). Our results showed that: 1) fine‐root scaling exponents rarely conformed to MSTl's predictions. 2) The scaling exponents between fine‐root M, A, V and D all conformed to MSTw's predictions in later successional forests, but showed greater deviation towards early successional stage. 3) The scaling exponents associated with fine‐root length differed markedly from MSTw's predictions. 4) Changes of some fine‐root scaling exponents across successional stage were mainly affected by tree size or soil fertility, and species composition affected allometry only indirectly via tree size. Our results suggested that the allometries of individual fine roots largely conform to the scaling rules governing woody organs instead of leaves, probably because leaves are nearly two‐dimensional objects while the other two are three‐dimensional. We showed that MSTw can well predict some fine‐root allometries in later successional forests, suggesting great potential of utilizing MSTw to better estimate fine‐root biomass and productivity. However, the present MSTw still needs to be improved for predicting the scaling relationships concerning fine‐root length, and also for better quantifying allometric exponents in earlier successional forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analyzing the driving factors of PM2.5 pollution in different industries is of great significance for developing energy conservation and emission reduction policies in China's industries. In this study, the consumption-based PM2.5 emissions of China's industries are estimated by using an input–output model; on this basis, the generalized Divisia index method (GDIM) is used to measure the contributions of driving factors to the changes in PM2.5 emissions from China's six major industries. The results show that China's consumption-based PM2.5 emissions presented a downward trend from 2007 to 2015, the changes in industrial PM2.5 emissions had a much higher impact on China's total PM2.5 emissions changes than other industries and occupied a dominant position. The generalized Divisia index decomposition analysis results show that investment, output and energy consumption scale were the primary contributors to the increase of PM2.5 emissions in six sectors, with investment scale contributing the most. The investment PM2.5 emission intensity, output PM2.5 emission intensity and energy consumption PM2.5 intensity play a major role in suppressing PM2.5 emissions, while investment efficiency and energy intensity have a smaller inhibitory effect. Therefore, the government should guide investments to more high-end, low-emission industries and encourage companies to increase green investments and use renewable energy and clean energy. Avoiding excessive investments and improving investment efficiency in related industries can also effectively alleviate PM2.5 emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As one of the important spike components, spikelet number is closely related to wheat yield. In the present study, a major stable QTL for spikelet number per spike (SNPS), qSnps-7D, was identified using a recombinant inbred line mapping population derived from the cross between Kenong 9204 (KN9204) and Jing 411 (J411) (KJ-RILs). To decipher its genetic effects on yield-related traits and selection effects in wheat breeding process, phenotype data together with genotype data from KJ-RILs and a natural mapping population were collected. qSnps-7D was mapped to the interval of 1.63 Mb on chromosome 7D in the KN9204 genome assembly in 4 of the 6 datasets. The favored alleles from KN9204 could significantly increase SNPS, kernel number per spike (KNPS). The diagnostic markers for SNPS were further developed and validated. The selection utilization rate of the favored haplotype in foreign varieties was lower than that in China, and it showed an increasing trend with time passage, with the ratio reaching more than 50% since the 1990s. In addition, loci for yield-related traits co-located with qSnps-7D were sorted out. Meanwhile, the relationship between SNPS and its components as well as other important yield-related traits were also discussed. Taken together, the studies will lay foundation for gene cloning and molecular breeding utilization of qSnps-7D. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Haze pollution poses a serious threat to residents' health. In this study, a spatial econometric model of environmental health was established to investigate the direction, intensity, and spatial–temporal heterogeneity of the impact of haze pollution and its spillover effects on public health in 26 cities of the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomerations from 2005 to 2018. The study found that (1) PM2.5 pollution and public health level all show the characteristic of positive spatial correlation and spatial clustering. (2) Haze pollution is the main influencing factor of residents' public health level, with significant negative effects and obvious spillover effects. The urbanization rate, the number of health technicians, and the green area per capita have significant positive impacts on public health. (3) The spatial and temporal heterogeneity of the impact of haze pollution and other factors on public health is obvious. The negative correlation between PM2.5 pollution and public health in eastern cities is higher than that in other cities. Both urbanization rate and green area per capita have a greater positive impact on public health in the northeast of the Yangtze River Delta region. The improvement effect of the number of health technicians on the public health is stronger in the cities of Anhui Province. The research results of this paper provide certain support for the city governments to formulate targeted policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psychological suzhi, as a set of comprehensive, integrated, and positive psychological qualities in Chinese culture, is a concept that has emerged in the field of Chinese quality-oriented education and that attempts to serve as a comprehensive overview of a given individual's mental health. More recently, however, researchers have determined that while psychological suzhi is a significant predictor of psychological outcomes, its individual components (cognitive, individuality, and adaptability qualities) all have a distinct impact on these outcomes. The present study was therefore designed to assess whether psychological suzhi and/or components thereof play a mediating role in the relationship between perceived social support (PSS) and life satisfaction among adolescents. In total, 2227 participants (Mage = 15.71 ± 0.82 years, 67.49% male) from western China were recruited for this study, and were assessed using adapted versions of the Multidimensional Scale of Perceived Social Support, the Satisfaction with Life Scale, and the Brief Psychological Suzhi Questionnaire for Middle School Students. Our analyses ultimately revealed that there were significant positive correlations between PSS, psychological suzhi and components thereof, and life satisfaction. We additionally employed a structural equation modeling approach which indicated that overall psychological suzhi partially mediated the relationship between PSS and life satisfaction, whereas the cognitive, individuality, and adaptability components of suzhi did not mediate this same relationship. This suggests that psychological suzhi may be an important regulator of the relationship between PSS and life satisfaction such that educators and legal guardians may be able to improve the life satisfaction of adolescents either via offering social support or via bolstering their psychological suzhi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, severe air pollution has had a serious impact on the health and economy of residents and has attracted great attention. Due to the spatial separation between consumption and production, the transfer of PM2.5 pollution and its health and economic effects caused by interprovincial trade have not been taken seriously. In this study, economic, atmospheric, and epidemiological models were combined to assess air pollution transfer and its health and economic impacts that are attributed to provincial trade in China. The analyses were performed under the PM2.5 transfer scenario in which economically developed areas in eastern China transferred many health and economic impacts to inland areas through interprovincial trade in 2012. As a result of interprovincial trade, 1980 (95% CI 0, 4114) extra deaths and 208,000 (95% CI 74.5, 395.6) additional illnesses accrued, but 0.184 (95% CI 0.017, 0.372) billion USD of residents' economic loss was avoided in China. The results illustrate the serious impact of domestic trade on regional health and economics. It is necessary to comprehensively consider supply chains in designing policies to mitigate the negative health and economic impacts of air pollution across China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Achieving the coordinated development of mineral exploitation and the water environment (the mine–water system, MWS) is an urgent difficulty in the construction of China's ecological civilization. Based on the theory of synergy, a synergetic model was used to construct a network of the MWS, and then, social network analysis was applied to study the network characteristics for ten provinces of the Yangtze River Economic Belt. The research results show that the natural water system has always been at the center of the MWS, and water conservancy construction is particularly critical. However, the synergistic effect is not strong between the water environmental stress system and other systems, and as a result, the water environment is under great pressure. Among the crucial factors, the discharge of wastewater and solid waste is at the core of the network and directly affects the coordinated development trend of the MWS. However, the sustainable development of the water environment is better achieved by the treatment of solid waste than by the control of wastewater discharge. Generally, the synergistic relationship based on the natural water system is very important. At the same time, the core role of the water environmental protection system should be strengthened by adjusting sequence parameters to promote the overall coordinated development of the MWS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose. To compare the patterns of relative peripheral refractions of myopic children who were currently on atropine treatment for myopia control and myopic children who did not use atropine. Methods. Chinese children (n = 209) aged 7 to 12 years participated in the study, 106 used atropine and 103 did not. Participants were also classified into three groups: emmetropes (SE: +0.50 to −0.50 D), low myopes (SE: −0.50 to −3.00 D), and moderate myopes (SE: −3.00 to −6.00 D). The central and peripheral refractions along the horizontal meridians (for both nasal and temporal fields) were measured in 10-degree steps to 30 degrees. Results. There were no statistically significant differences in spherical equivalent and astigmatism of the three refractive groups in either the nasal or temporal retina. The atropine group showed a significant relative myopia in the temporal 30° field in spherical equivalent compared to the emmetropic group (t49 = 3.36, P = 0.02). In eyes with low myopia, the atropine group had significant relative myopia in the nasal 30° and temporal 30° fields (t118 = 2.59, P = 0.01 ; t118 = 2.06, P = 0.04), and it is also observed at 20° and 30° of the nasal field for the moderate myopic group (t36 = 2.37, P = 0.02 ; t2.84 = 2.84, P = 0.01). Conclusion. Significant differences in relative peripheral refraction were found between the atropine group and its controls. The findings suggested that the eyes that received atropine may have a less prolate shape and thus explain why using atropine is effective in controlling myopia progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Choice experiment is applied in Taibai Mountain Nature Reserve, China. • Attributes selection has incorporated policy implementation plans. • Regulating, habitat and information services improvements promote public welfare. • Significant preference heterogeneity exist in habitat and information services. • Socioeconomic characteristics affect local preference for ecosystem services. Nature reserves play a crucial role in providing diverse ecosystem services (ESs) that benefit local residents, but they are also confronted with challenges such as degradation and human-wildlife conflicts. There is limited understanding of the demand for ESs from the public's perspective, although the current nature reserve policy aims to address these issues. Therefore, it is essential to assess the preferences of the public towards ESs in order to ensure sustainable management. In this study, the choice experiment methodology was employed to investigate the preferences of the public for ESs in the Taibai Mountain Nature Reserve (TMNR) in China. Despite its significant benefits to local residents, the TMNR also faces ongoing risks due to unfriendly behavior and conflicting interests among the public. A total of 547 respondents from three counties in the TMNR region were interviewed. Their preferences and marginal willingness to pay (MWTP) for improvements in essential ESs were analyzed using various discrete choice models. The results demonstrate that preference heterogeneity exists in ESs, particularly in habitat and information services. This research demonstrates the policy relevance of attributes related to ESs. It provides valuable empirical evidence that can guide decision-makers in managing nature reserves, enhancing management effectiveness, and promoting local well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forest productivity may be determined not only by biodiversity but also by environmental factors and stand structure attributes. However, the relative importance of these factors in determining productivity is still controversial for subtropical forests.Based on a large dataset from 600 permanent forest inventory plots across subtropical China, we examined the relationship between biodiversity and forest productivity and tested whether stand structural attributes (stand density in terms of trees per ha, age and tree size) and environmental factors (climate and site conditions) had larger effects on productivity. Furthermore, we quantified the relative importance of environmental factors, stand structure and diversity in determining forest productivity.Diversity, together with stand structure and site conditions, regulated the variability in forest productivity. The relationship between diversity and forest productivity did not vary along environmental gradients. Stand density and age were more important modulators of forest productivity than diversity.Synthesis. Diversity had significant and positive effects on productivity in species‐rich subtropical forests, but the effects of stand density and age were also important. Our work highlights that while biodiversity conservation is often important, the regulation of stand structure can be even more important to maintain high productivity in subtropical forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasingly serious air pollution poses a great threat to public health and daily life. Based on the Grossman China health production function, this paper examines the effects of the spatial agglomeration of Chinese public health and the spatial effects of air pollution and other factors on public health considering three aspects. This study employed Chinese macro data on public health and air pollution from 2004 to 2013 to conduct an empirical analysis using a spatial econometrics technique. The main conclusions are as follows. Due to extensive and persistent air pollution, there was a significant spatial agglomeration impact on public health, regional public health presented a convergence effect, and effects of air pollution's negative externalities on public health were significant. Compared with the estimation results obtained when spatial dependence was not considered, the negative effect of the concentration of PM2.5 on public health was higher, implying that the traditional approaches tend to create biases when spatial correlation is ignored; from a regional perspective, the regional differences in the effects of air pollution on public health were significant. Adopting differentiated environmental policies for different regions is the future direction towards which China's environmental governance will develop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In China, Fusarium head blight is caused mainly by the Fusarium graminearum species complex (FGSC), which produces trichothecene toxins. The FGSC is divided into three chemotypes: 3-acetyldeoxynivalenol (3-ADON), 15-acetyldeoxynivalenol (15-ADON), and nivalenol (NIV). In order to predict the geographical changes in the distribution of these chemotype populations in major winter wheat-producing areas in China, the biological characteristics of twenty randomly selected isolates from each of the three chemotypes were studied. No significant difference was exhibited in the growth rate of 3-ADON, 15-ADON, and NIV isolates at 15°C. At 20°C and 25°C, the growth rate of 15-ADON isolates was the highest. At 30°C, the growth rate of NIV and 3-ADON isolates was significantly higher than that of 15-ADON isolates. The 15-ADON isolates produced the highest quantities of perithecia and two to three days earlier than the other two populations at each temperature, and released more ascospores at 18°C. The aggressiveness test on wheat seedlings and ears indicated there was no significant difference between the 3-ADON and 15-ADON isolates. However, the aggressiveness of NIV isolates was significantly lower than that of the 3-ADON and 15-ADON isolates. The DON content in grains from heads inoculated with the 3-ADON isolates was higher than the content of 15-ADON and NIV isolates. The results showed that 15-ADON population had the advantage in perithecia formation and ascospore release, and the 3-ADON population produced more DON in wheat grains. We suggested that distribution of these three chemotype populations may be related to these biological characteristics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The selection of the truncation level (TL) and the control of boundary effect (BE) are critical in regional geomagnetic field models that are based on data fitting. We combine Taylor and Legendre polynomials to model geomagnetic data over mainland China for years 1960, 1970, 1990, and 2000. To tackle the TL and BE problems, we first determine the range of TL by calculating the root-mean-square error (RMSE) of the models. Next, we determine the optimum TL using the Akaike information criterion (AIC) and the normalized rootmean- square error (NRMSE). We use the regional anomaly addition (RAA) and the uniform addition (UA) method to add supplementary point outside the national boundary, and find that the intensities of extreme points gradually decrease and stabilize. The UA method better controls BEs over China, whereas the RAA method does a better job at smaller scales. In summary, we rely on a three-step method to determine the optimum TL and propose criteria to determine the optimum number of supplementary points. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We calculated and analyzed variation of the non-dipole (ND) magnetic field at the millennium scale over the Chinese mainland during 2000 BC-1900 AD using the newest global geomagnetic model, CALS3K.4 (3K.4). The newest-generation IGRF (IGRF11) was used to verify the results. Taking component Z for example, we calculated and analyzed the distribution and annual change rates of the ND field during 1900-1990 AD every 5 yr, using two models. To thoroughly analyze the contributions of field sources, quadrupole and octupole fields, and others within the ND field at the surface and core-mantle boundary (CMB) were investigated. Results show that there were three main variation phases of the field during the period 2000 BC-1900 AD. The mean amplitude roughly reflected the ND field because of the distribution and variation of that field, corresponding somewhat to the mean amplitude change. A magnetic anomaly of the ND field over East Asia (EA) first emerged in 1682 AD, and its extreme intensity had increased a total of 15276.95 nT by 1900 AD. Its location moved continuously southeastward after 1690 AD. The asymmetry between location and intensity of extreme points over EA, particularly during 1740-1760 AD, indicates irregularity of fluid motion inside the outer core. Mean annual changes of Z are generally divided into four phases, which first oscillated between 2000 and 800 BC, then increased, decreased and increased in the periods 800 BC-300 AD, 300-900 AD and 900-1900 AD, respectively. The intensity of mean annual change increased a total of 22.87 nT/yr. Anomaly extreme locations based on 3K.4 and IGRF11 over EA centered around 44°N and 103°E for degree ( n) greater than 5, and intensities continuously increased with n. During 2000 BC-1990 AD, ND energy of Z at the surface and CMB had decreased in total by 18.29% and 23.23%, respectively. The field source of 2-2 pole fields are more or less affected by the lithospheric field. Energies of higher degree at the surface attenuate by almost 99% compared with CMB, but mean attenuation speeds of the low-degree ND field are faster than high-degree, which implies that the low-degree ND field has a deeper source. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Economic contribution rate of education (ECRE) is the key factor of education economics. This article selected China, South Korea, United States and other countries for a total of 15 samples, and put the data of the same period under the framework of soft computing, to simulate the production chain of “education–potential human capital–actual human capital–economic growth”. The basic idea is: Firstly, 15 countries are softly categorized according to the level of science and technology (S&T) progress. Secondly, potential human capital and actual human capital establish the internal correlation (fuzzy mapping) in the same classification, and we conceptualize actual human capital as one production factor, joined with the other two production factors, fixed asset and land, to set up the fuzzy mapping to economic growth., and then calculate economic contribution rate of education of China and foreign by two fuzzy mapping of them. Thirdly, this paper analyzes the present state and differences in the development of education between China and foreign according to different ECRE, and offers proposals for promoting the education in China. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Two new dibenzocyclooctadiene lignans, schinegllignans A and B (1 and 2), together with 11 known (3-13) were isolated from the fruit of Schisandra neglecta. Their structures and stereochemistries were elucidated by spectroscopic methods, including 1D, 2D NMR, and HR-ESI-MS techniques. Compounds 1 and 2 were evaluated for their anti-HIV activities, and they showed moderate anti-HIV-1 activities with therapeutic index values of 18.5 and 24.6. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PM 2.5 emissions has become a serious issue in China with enormous regional variation in economic development, resource endowment, and consumption patterns, which leads to great variations in regional PM 2.5 emissions and embodied PM 2.5 transfer among provinces. The spatial and temporal evolution pattern of PM 2.5 and its influencing factors are important issues in the study of air pollution emissions and control, which could help policy makers allocate emission responsibilities and reduction targets. Based on the perspective of final consumption, this paper uses a multiregional input-output model to estimate PM 2.5 emissions in 30 provinces in different years in China, applies a geographically weighted regression model to analyze different driving factors, and then analyzes the spatial heterogeneity of consumption-based PM 2.5 emissions. The results show that consumption-based PM 2.5 presents a significant reduction trend, although the separation of production and consumption areas of PM 2.5 emission is further intensified. The provinces with rich energy but relatively backward economies and manufacturing industries correspond to the primary net inflow of PM 2.5 , while the provinces with strong consumption ability and the most developed economies and industries present a net outflow of PM 2.5. Moreover, the slowdown of consumption growth and the improvement of consumption quality have a positive impact on PM 2.5 emission reductions. The optimization of industrial structure has a more significant impact on pollution control and haze reduction in the western region, while the improvement of energy utilization efficiency and rational use of construction land are more conducive to the reduction of consumption-based PM 2.5 emissions in the eastern region. From the perspective of temporal and spatial changes, significant spatial differences occur between regions. Energy consumption, environmental protection investment and construction land show the trend of " high value area diffusion and low value area reduction". • Explores the spatial distribution characteristics of PM 2.5 emissions in China from the perspective of consumption. • Consider and analyze the inter-annual variation of pollutant emission transfer. • Clarifies the spatial heterogeneity characteristics of influencing factors. • Emphasizes the importance of further optimizing influencing factors to reduce haze from the consumption end. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Metabolic scaling theory (MST) is still in debate because observed allometric exponents often deviate from MST predictions, and can change significantly depending on environment, phylogeny, and disturbance. We assembled published scaling exponents from literatures for three allometric relationships linked to biomass allocation: leaf biomass-diameter (L-D), stem biomass-diameter (S-D), and root biomass-diameter (R-D). We used data from natural forests and plantations across China to test the following hypotheses: 1) the allometric relationships of trees support the predictions of MST on a broad scale; 2) the observed deviations from MST predictions are caused by climate, biotic factors, and/or phylogeny; 3) abiotic and biotic factors influence allometric relationships in plantations and natural forests differently, and different allometric relationships (i.e. L-D, S-D, and R-D) are affected differently. We related these scaling exponents to geographic climate gradient, successional stage, stand density, leaf form and phenology, and phylogeny. We used mixed-effect models to examine the major factors affecting tree allometries. Results: In natural forests, S-D and R-D scaling exponents were consistent with MST predictions in primary forests, but were significantly lower in secondary forests. Both S-D and R-D scaling exponents in plantations had a medium value that fell between those of the secondary and primary forests, despite plantations being similar in species characteristics and age to secondary forests. The S-D and R-D exponents were significantly affected by factors that are not yet considered in MST, including winter coldness which explained 2.76% – 3.24% of variations, successional stage (7.91% – 8.20% of variations), density (a surrogate for competition, 5.86% – 8.54% of variations), and especially phylogeny (45.86% – 56.64% of variations explained). However, the L-D scaling exponents conformed to MST predictions in primary, secondary, and plantation forests, and was not strongly explained by most factors. Conclusion: MST is only applicable to primary (steady-state) forests, and climate, biotic factors and phylogeny are causes of the observed deviations of allometric relationships from MST predictions. Forest management practices in plantations have a strong influence on tree allometries. L-D allometry is more strongly controlled by biophysical constraints than S-D and R-D allometries, however, the mechanisms behind this difference still need further examinations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a field-development case study of a tight gas sandstone reservoir in China. The gas production well JK1 in the Linxing-Shenfu Gasfield in Eastern Ordos Basin is concurrent producing from three separate layers, and experienced interlayer interference stage in which gas production dropped to 0 rapidly. The purpose of this study is to investigate the influence of interference between different layers on concurrent production, to explore a reasonable adjustment plan, and finally to enhance the productivity of well JK1. The production history of this well was analyzed and a three-dimensional geological model for it was constructed. The interlayer interference of pay zones and zones combination optimization were simulated for field application. The simulation results show that the interlayer interference is obvious when the three layers have commingled production, the fluids even flow backward to the Upper layer. When the Middle layer is produced with other layers, it is the main water production layer with less gas. The Lower layer has always been the main gas production layer with less water. The optimization results indicate that only the Lower formation produces separately, the gas production is the highest. The optimization of field operational practices was based on the introduction of numerical simulation results enabled a gas production increase from vanishingly low to almost 4500 m3/d in the following year. This study can provide an insight on interlayer interference and a good guidance for a production strategy on full field development. • An embedded grid method is applied to perform elaborate simulations of hydraulic fractures. • An intuitive approach is presented to identify the interference between layers. • The interference between production layers is investigated during concurrent production. • The proposed method is applied in a field case to optimize the production strategy of well JK1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four new ent -abietane diterpenoids, isoforrethins A–D (1 – 4), were isolated from the aerial parts of Isodon forrestii var. forrestii by a variety of chromatographic techniques. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic data interpretation, single crystal X-ray diffraction, and quantum chemical calculation. All of these compounds were evaluated for their cytotoxicity against five human tumor cell lines (HL-60, SMMC-7721, A-549, MCF-7 and SW-480), and compound 4 showed significant inhibitory activities against SMMC-7721, A-549, MCF-7, and SW-480. Unlabelled Image [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Six new lignans, schisphenlignans F–K (1–6), together with ten known ones, were isolated from the leaves and stems of Schisandra sphenanthera. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of spectroscopic methods, including extensive NMR, MS and CD spectra. In addition, some compounds were tested for their acute activity on insulin sensitivity in 3T3-L1 differentiated adipocytes and anti-HIV-1 activity. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: According to the new economic growth theory, a new method of computing the contribution rate of scientific and technological (S&T) progress to economic growth based on the Cobb–Douglas production function and the Solow residual value method is proposed in this paper. This method includes three steps: Firstly, according to their levels of S&T progress, fuzzy soft clustering of thirty one Chinese regions is performed to obtain the membership degree of these places to the categories. Secondly, to calculate the contribution rates that different categories of levels of S&T progress contribute to economic growth. Thirdly, to multiply the obtained contribution rate of each category by the membership degree of the place belonging to this category, from which the contribution rate of S&T progress to economic growth in each place is obtained. Finally, this method is used to calculate the contribution rates of S&T progress to economic growth in thirty one Chinese regions during the period from 1998 to 2007. Last but not least, some reasonable suggestions and conclusions are proposed by analyzing the computing results. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Different soil microbial communities play distinct key roles in regulating forest ecosystem processes and functions. However, the differences in spatial variability and assembly mechanisms of various taiga forest soil microbial taxa remain poorly understood. Here, we assessed the spatial patterns of bacterial and fungal communities, their assembly processes, and the influencing factors in taiga forest ecosystems in Xinjiang, China. A significant distance decay pattern was observed in the similarity of bacterial and fungal communities, with bacterial communities exhibiting a more pronounced pattern than fungal communities. Stochastic and deterministic processes governed together to drive soil bacterial community assembly, whereas stochastic processes dominated fungal community assembly. The coexistence networks revealed that the interactions of bacterial and fungal networks in the four regions are primarily based on interspecies symbiosis, with fungal coexistence networks demonstrating greater stability than bacterial networks. Additionally, the study identified a positive relationship between the modularity of bacterial networks and dispersal limitation. Analysis of environmental factors revealed that soil pH primarily affects the characteristics and assembly mechanisms of bacterial communities, while vegetation conditions primarily affect fungal diversity and composition, with other unconsidered environmental variables influencing the fungal community assembly process. This study emphasized the distinct ways in which bacteria and fungi respond to environmental factors and interspecies interactions. Our results suggested that distinct restoration measures should be implemented for bacteria and fungi in future conservation efforts for forest soil microorganisms., 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 Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This research aimed to investigate the characteristics of casein phosphopeptides in Chinese human milk, and their potential relationship to infant growth. Using the liquid chromatography-Orbitrap-mass spectrometry technique, a total of 15 casein phosphopeptides were identified from 200 human milk samples. Also, our results indicate that casein phosphopeptides were phosphorylated with only one phosphate. The relative concentrations of casein phosphopeptides at 6 months postpartum were increased compared with milk at 2 months (FDR < 0.05). Significantly positive correlations were observed between casein phosphopeptides and infant growth, as shown by four casein phosphopeptides were positively correlated with the infants' weight-for-age Z-scores (r s range from 0.20 to 0.29), and three casein phosphopeptides were positively correlated with the infants' length-for-age Z-scores (r s range from 0.19 to 0.27). This study is the first to reveal the phosphorylated level and composition of casein phosphopeptides in Chinese human milk, and their potential relationship with infant growth., 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 Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: The natural disasters and climate anomalies caused by increasing global carbon emissions have seriously threatened public health. To solve increasingly serious environmental pollution problems, the Chinese government has committed itself to achieving the goals of peak carbon emissions and carbon neutrality. The low-carbon patent application is an important means to achieve these goals and promote public health., Methods: This study analyzes the basic situation, spatial network, and influencing factors of low-carbon patent applications in China since 2001 at the provincial and urban agglomeration levels using social network analysis based on data from the Incopat global patent database., Results: The following findings are established. (1) From the number of low-carbon patent applications, the total number of low-carbon patent applications in China increased year by year, while the number of applications in the eastern region was larger than those in the central and western regions, but such regional differences had been decreasing. (2) At the interprovincial level, low-carbon patent applications showed a complex and multithreaded network structure. In particular, the eastern coastal provinces occupied the core position in the network. The weighted degree distribution of China's interprovincial low-carbon patent cooperation network is affected by various factors, including economic development, financial support, local scientific research level, and low-carbon awareness. (3) At the urban agglomeration level, the eastern coastal urban agglomerations showed a radial structure with the central city as the core. Urban innovation capability, economic development, low-carbon development awareness, level of technology import from overseas, and informatization level are highly correlated with the weighted degree of low-carbon cooperation networks of urban agglomerations., Discussion: This study provides ideas for the construction and governance of low-carbon technology innovation system and perspectives for theoretical research on public health and high-quality development in China., 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 © 2023 Hu, Qiu, Xiang, Wei, Sun, Hu, Weng, Mao and Zeng.)

Residents' health is the basic condition for economic and social development. At present, China's environmental pollution problem is becoming increasingly serious, which not only hinders sustainable economic and social development, but also poses a major threat to public health. Therefore, based on the carbon emissions trading policy implemented in China, this paper explores this policy's impact on residents' health using the DID model and illustrates the moderating effect of environmental pollution. The results show that (1) carbon emissions trading policies can promote the improvement of residents' health; (2) the effect is stronger for western regions and provinces with smaller population sizes after taking control variables into consideration; and (3) environmental pollution has a significant moderating effect on the relationship between carbon emissions trading and residents' health. This research serves as an important reference for expanding the scope of the policy pilot, reducing pollutant emissions, and improving the health of the population., 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 Guo, Feng, Wang, Lin, Zhang, Wu, Jia, Zhang, Sun, Zhang, Li, Hu and Jiang.)

The metabolomic profiles of Chinese human milk have been poorly documented. The objective of the study was to explore associations between human milk metabotypes, maternal adiposity, infant growth patterns, and risk of allergies. Two hundred mother−infant dyads from seven cities were randomly selected from the Chinese Human Milk Project (CHMP). Untargeted human milk metabolomic profiles were determined using HPLC-MS/MS. Two human milk metabotypes were identified using principal component analysis. Principal component (PC) 1 was characterized by high linoleic acid metabolites with low purine nucleosides and metabolites of glutamate and glutathione metabolism. PC 2 was characterized by high glycerophospholipids and sphingomyelins content. Higher PC1 scores were associated with slower infant growth rate and higher ambient temperature (p < 0.05). Higher PC 2 scores were related to higher maternal BMI and increased risk of infant allergies (p < 0.05). Future work is needed to understand the biologic mechanisms of these human milk metabotypes.

Southwest China is an important biodiversity hotspot in the world and is controlled by the Pacific and Indian Ocean monsoon in the east and west part respectively. However, how abiotic and biotic factors affect the response of vegetation to climate change in different monsoon regions is still not clear. Here we used the annual change rate of growing-season normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI trend) during 1982-2015 to explore the vulnerability of vegetation (forests and shrubs) activity to climate change in southwest China. We examined NDVI trend in relation to: 1) climate change trends, i.e. annual change rate of water and energy availability, indicated by the Palmer Drought Index (PDSI) and potential evapotranspiration (PET), respectively; 2) climatic condition, i.e. mean PDSI and PET during 1982-2015; 3) vegetation height; 4) biome type; 5) monsoon region. The results showed that NDVI generally increased in the Pacific monsoon region, especially in the southern areas, probably because the vegetation under more productive climate were more resistant to climate change, and also because decreased temperature lead to lower evapotranspiration which alleviated the slight drought trend in this region. In contrast, NDVI generally decreased in the Indian Ocean monsoon region which showed more pronounced drought trend, especially in the tall subalpine and tropical forests of Southeast Tibetan Mountains, which supports the "hydraulic limitation hypothesis" that vegetation height interacted with climate change in affecting vegetation vulnerability. Our analysis highlighted the critical roles of different monsoon systems, climate condition and vegetation height in affecting ecosystem vulnerability. We suggest that the (sub)tropical forests in the Pacific monsoon region may have act as an important carbon sink during the past decades, while the tall forests in Southeast Tibetan mountains (a biodiversity center with high carbon stock) are highly vulnerable to climate change and should have priority in ecosystem protection., 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 © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

In recent years, severe air pollution has had a serious impact on the health and economy of residents and has attracted great attention. Due to the spatial separation between consumption and production, the transfer of PM 2.5 pollution and its health and economic effects caused by interprovincial trade have not been taken seriously. In this study, economic, atmospheric, and epidemiological models were combined to assess air pollution transfer and its health and economic impacts that are attributed to provincial trade in China. The analyses were performed under the PM 2.5 transfer scenario in which economically developed areas in eastern China transferred many health and economic impacts to inland areas through interprovincial trade in 2012. As a result of interprovincial trade, 1980 (95% CI 0, 4114) extra deaths and 208,000 (95% CI 74.5, 395.6) additional illnesses accrued, but 0.184 (95% CI 0.017, 0.372) billion USD of residents' economic loss was avoided in China. The results illustrate the serious impact of domestic trade on regional health and economics. It is necessary to comprehensively consider supply chains in designing policies to mitigate the negative health and economic impacts of air pollution across China., (© 2021. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

The aim of this systematic review was to summarize concentrations of human milk oligosaccharides (HMOs) in the Chinese population. We searched articles originally published in both Chinese and English. When compiling data, lactation was categorized into five stages. We found that 6'-sialyllactose, lacto- N -tetraose, and lacto- N -neotetraose decreased over lactation. Conversely, 3'-fucosyllactose increased over lactation. Our study represents the first systematic review to summarize HMO concentrations in Chinese population. Our findings not only provide data on HMO profiles in Chinese population but suggest future directions in the study of the metabolism of HMOs.

Schisdilactones K-U (1-11), a series of previously unreported 16,17-secopreschisanartane-type schinortriterpenoids (SNTs), were isolated from the leaves and stems of Schisandra neglecta A. C. Smith. Their structures were mainly established through analysis of their spectroscopic data. Besides, schisdilactones K (1), O (5) and R (8) were confirmed by single-crystal X-ray crystallographic analysis, and the configurations of schisdilactones T and U (10 and 11) were elucidated via quantum chemical calculation of their NMR chemical shifts and electronic circular dichroism (ECD) spectra. Schisdilactones L-S (2-8) and U (11) were found to exhibit moderate protective activities against corticosterone-induced apoptosis of PC12 cells at 20 μM, with cell viability in the range of 62.95-66.97%., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

An investigation of an endolichenic Beauveria sp. led to the discovery of seven new cyclotetradepsipeptides, beauveamides A-G ( 2 - 8 ), along with the known beauverolide Ka ( 1 ). All incorporate a 3-hydroxy-4-methyldecanoic acid (HMDA) moiety in their structures. Their configuration was determined through Marfey's, J -based configuration analysis, and NMR computational methods, representing the first time that the stereostructures of HMDA-moiety-containing cyclotetradepsipeptides have been established. Compounds 1 and 2 exhibited protecting effects on HEI-OC1 cells at 10 μM, while 1 , 4 , and 5 could stimulate glucose uptake in cultured rat L6 myoblasts at 50 μM. Compound 1 showed dose-dependent activity in both L6 myoblasts and myotubes.

Circular RNA (circRNA) is a novel noncoding RNA that is mostly found in humans and animals. Although the flux of circRNA research has increased in recent years, its precise function is still unclear. Some studies demonstrate that circRNAs can function as microRNA (miRNA) sponges involved in the regulation of competitive endogenous RNAs networks and play a crucial role in many biological processes. Other studies show that circRNAs play multiple biological roles in gastrointestinal diseases. However, the expression characteristics and function of circRNA in intestinal mucosal injury and repair after severe burn have not been reported. This study aims to screen differentially expressed circRNAs in intestinal mucosal injury and repair after severe burns and understand their underlying mechanisms. To test our hypothesis that circRNA may play a role in promoting repair in intestinal mucosa injury after severe burns, we collected the intestinal tissues of three severely burned mice and three pseudo-scalded mice and evaluated the expression of circRNAs via microarray analysis. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction was also used to validate the circRNA microarray data by selecting six based on different multiples, original values, and p values. The host genes of all differentially expressed circRNAs and the downstream target genes of six selected DEcircRNAs were identified by Gene Ontology and the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathway analysis. Meanwhile, we also created a circRNA-miRNA-mRNA network to predict the role and function of circRNAs in intestinal mucosal injury and repair after severe burns., (© 2020 International Federation of Cell Biology.)

Maternal factors such as the diet can impact human milk fatty acid profiles. We hypothesized that mature human milk fatty acid profiles differ among regions of China. To test our hypothesis, we conducted a systematic review to calculate regional average contents of fatty acids and the statistical significance of regional differences in fatty acids. We searched both Chinese and English literature databases and selected 21 articles, including 11 in Chinese and 10 in English. We categorized regions of China by 3 ways: 1) north vs. south; 2) inland vs. coastal; 3) socioeconomic development levels. The ratios of ΣSFAs:ΣMUFAs:ΣPUFAs were similar between regions and the average was 1:1:0.7. Contents of palmitic, oleic, and linoleic acids were also similar between regions and together they accounted for more than 70% of all fatty acids in mature human milk. Conversely, concentrations of ALA and DHA differed more than palmitic, oleic, and linoleic acids. We also found that it might be necessary to reduce maternal dietary contents of potentially harmful fatty acids such as erucic acid to minimize detrimental effects on infant health. To our knowledge, this study represents the first systematic review that quantitatively investigated the regional similarities and differences in mature human milk fatty acid contents and is therefore significant for academia and policy makers., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: COVID-19 started spreading widely in China in January 2020. Outpatient fever clinics (FCs), instituted during the SARS epidemic in 2003, were upgraded to serve for COVID-19 screening and prevention of disease transmission in large tertiary hospitals in China. FCs were hoped to relieve some of the healthcare burden from emergency departments (EDs). We aimed to evaluate the effect of upgrading the FC system on rates of nosocomial COVID-19 infection and ED patient attendance at Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH)., Design: A retrospective cohort study., Participants: A total of 6365 patients were screened in the FC., Methods: The FC of PUMCH was upgraded on 20 January 2020. We performed a retrospective study of patients presenting to the FC between 12 December 2019 and 29 February 2020. The date when COVID-19 was declared an outbreak in Beijing was 20 January 2020. Two groups of data were collected and subsequently compared with each other: the first group of data was collected within 40 days before 20 January 2020; the second group of data was collected within 40 days after 20 January 2020. All necessary data, including patient baseline information, diagnosis, follow-up conditions and the transfer records between the FC and ED, were collected and analysed., Results: 6365 patients were screened in the FC, among whom 2912 patients were screened before 21 January 2020, while 3453 were screened afterward. Screening results showed that upper respiratory infection was the major disease associated with fever. After the outbreak of COVID-19, the number of patients who were transferred from the FC to the ED decreased significantly (39.21% vs 15.75%, p<0.001), and patients generally spent more time in the FC (55 vs 203 min, p<0.001), compared with before the outbreak. For critically ill patients waiting for their screening results, the total length of stay in the FC was 22 min before the outbreak, compared with 442 min after the outbreak (p<0.001). The number of in-hospital deaths of critically ill patients in the FC was 9 out of 29 patients before the outbreak and 21 out of 38 after the outbreak (p<0.05). Nineteen cases of COVID-19 were confirmed in the FC during the period of this study. However, no other patients nor any healthcare providers were cross-infected., Conclusion: The workload of the FC increased significantly after the COVID-19 outbreak. New protocols regarding the use of FC likely helped prevent the spread of COVID-19 within the hospital. The upgraded FC also reduced the burden on the ED., 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.)

Objective: More than 20% of the world population live in China, which has made significant achievement in human milk research. Part of the data that were published in Chinese were, however, unavailable to non-Chinese speakers. There was also no comprehensive overview of crude protein and amino acid levels in human milk in Chinese population. This systematic review aimed to compile the data on human milk crude protein and amino acid levels in Chinese population., Methods: After searching for and screening original research articles in both English and Chinese, 23 published from 1987 to 2019 were identified (18 in Chinese and 5 in English). The data were pooled into 9 defined lactation stages., Results: Crude protein and amino acids (protein bound plus nonprotein bound) concentrations gradually decreased during the first 60 postpartum days and remained relatively static thereafter. The concentrations and dynamic change of crude protein and amino acids were similar to those in other populations. By contrast, the longitudinal changes in free amino acids (nonprotein bound) were less clear due to the limited data available. Several common weaknesses were identified in these studies., Conclusions: Our study represented the most comprehensive overview on crude protein and amino acid concentrations in human milk in Chinese population, and enhanced the knowledge of protein and amino acid intakes and requirements by Chinese infants.

Objective: To investigate the role of the application of role-play in endodontic study in improving the communication skills of Chinese dental undergraduates prior to their direct interactions with patients at the Fourth Military Medical University’s School of Stomatology, China. Methods: Students were recruited from the 5-year bachelor’s programme (n = 36) and randomly divided into six groups, and from the 8-year DDS programme (n = 10) and randomly divided into two groups to participate in the role-play training. Cases selected randomly from the case pool were distributed to the groups. The teacher gave an outline of the roles in the simulation. Each member of each group randomly selected their own role for the role-play. Four types of surveys were distributed to students and faculty members at different points after the role-plays had taken place, to evaluate their attitude towards the use of role-plays in endodontic study. Frequency analysis and a one sample t test were used to describe and analyse students’ acceptance of role-play as a teaching technique. The level of statistical significance was set at P < 0.05. Results: Students’ performance and satisfaction as well as the supporting faculty responses were very favourable towards role-playing. In total, 93.5% of students responded favourably to the role-play, answering ‘strongly agree’ or ‘agree’ to the positive statements about their role-play performance. A total of 95.1% of students stated that they had benefited psychologically and technically from the role-play (‘strongly agree’ or ‘agree’) after their 1-year rotating internship. Conclusion: The application of role-play in endodontic study is an effective way of educating Chinese dental undergraduates and can be beneficial for their transition from students to dentists.

Objective: To assess the effect of early life exposure to famine, as endured during 1959 to 1961 in China, on reproductive aging in adult women., Methods: Between 2011 and 2012, 2,868 women born around the Chinese famine period (1956-1964) were enrolled in this study from three communities in China. Age at natural menopause was obtained retrospectively from a structured questionnaire. The associations of early life famine exposure with reproductive aging during adulthood were estimated, with adjustment of socioeconomic status, lifestyle factors, and body mass index., Results: Women exposed to prenatal famine had a higher risk of early menopause (ie, natural menopause <45 years, odds ratio: 1.59, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.07, 2.36), and a nonsignificant trend of higher risk of premature ovarian failure (ie, natural menopause <40 y, odds ratio: 1.94, 95% CI: 0.93, 4.00), compared to unexposed women. Exposure to famine during childhood was not significantly associated with reproductive aging. In a secondary analysis focusing on the fetal exposure, prenatal famine exposure was associated with a higher risk of premature ovarian failure (odds ratio: 2.07, 95% CI: 1.08, 3.87), and a nonsignificant trend of higher risk of early menopause (odds ratio: 1.37, 95% CI: 0.98, 1.91), compared to those unexposed to prenatal famine., Conclusions: Our study showed that fetal exposure to famine was associated with an increased risk of early menopause. Such findings provided evidence in favor of the thrifty phenotype theory in reproductive aging and helped better understand the etiology of early menopause.

A detailed chemical investigation of the Chinese soft coral Lemnalia flava yielded four new nardosinane-type sesquiterpenoids (1-4), one new neolemnane-type sesquiterpenoid (5), and one new sesquiterpenoid with an uncommon 6/9 fused bicyclic skeleton (6), together with two known related compounds (7 and 8). The structures and absolute configurations of 1-8 were determined on the basis of extensive spectroscopic data analyses, X-ray diffraction analysis, chemical reactions, and computer-assisted structural elucidation including 13 C NMR data calculation, residual dipolar coupling based NMR analysis, and time-dependent density functional theoryelectronic circular dichroism calculation. Plausible biogenetic pathways of two uncommon sesquiterpenoids (4 and 6) were proposed.

Tree radial growth is widely found to respond differently to climate change across altitudinal gradients, but the relative roles of biotic factors (e.g. forest type, height and density) vs. climate gradient remain unclear. We sampled tree rings from 15 plots along a large altitudinal gradient in northeast China, and examined how climate gradient, forest type, height, tree size and density affect: (1) temporal growth variability [mean sensitivity (MS) and standard deviation (SD) of the chronologies], and (2) the relationship of ring width indices (RWI) with historical climate. We used BIC based model selection and variable importance to explore the major drivers of their altitudinal patterns. The results showed that: both growth variability and RWI-climate relationships changed significantly with altitude. Forest height was the most important predictor for altitudinal changes of MS and SD. For RWI-climate relationships, forest type was more important than climate gradient, while height and stem density were weak but necessary predictors. We showed that the altitudinal difference in growth response to climate change cannot be explained by climate gradient alone, and highlight the necessity to examine the influence of biotic factors (which covary with climate across geographic gradient) to better understand forest response to climate change.

A rapid method was developed for discrimination of the geographical origins of rice with pattern recognition technique by near infrared spectrocopy (NIRS). A total of 119 geography signs product Xiangshui rice samples and 90 rice (Non-Xiangshui rice) samples produced from other places were analyzed by NIRS. After first derivative and smooth processing, principal component analysis (PCA) was used to reduce the dimensionality of the spectral data. Through the loading graph of the first three principal components, characteristic wave band (7 700-6 700, 5 700-4 300 cm(-1)) with max-relativity was determined. In whole wave, using agglomerative hierarchical cluster analysis and Fisher's linear discriminant, the discrimination of Xiangshui rice and Non-Xiangshui rice was all 100%. The correct rate of specific geographical origins of Non-Xiangshui rice was 91.9% by cluster analysis and 96.7% by discriminant analysis. For analysis in the characteristic wave bands, the correct rate of discriminant by cluster analysis was higher than the analysis result through the range of the whole band. Therefore, characteristic wave band has strong representativeness. The results indicate that it is feasible to discriminate the geographical origins of rice with pattern recognition technique by NIRS, and selecting characteristic wave band is one of the validated methods to improve the precision of the discrimination mode.

VOC pollution is worsening, not only affects the environment, air quality, but also directly harm human health, and Chinese relevant departments need to improve control measures. U. S. toxic air pollutants (HAPs) control system was studied, and Chinese environment countermeasures were proposed based on pollution features. U. S. recognized sources of hazardous air pollutants in the Clean Air Act (CAA), and reduced their emissions by industrial regulations and regional policies. In urban areas, VOC occupied a great part of toxic air and were controlled as a major project in U. S. Due to relatively weak management and technical base, China should screen some VOC components for priority pollutant control. The feature of Chinese VOC pollution was described as complex components, industry sources widely distributed, strong regional characteristics and processes, and gradual development of regional pollution. It was suggested to carry out investigation assessment activities, enhance cumulative risk assessment and environmental impact assessment management, and strengthen emergency risk prevention.

Objective: Primary mitral valve (MV) tumor is a rare lesion, and to date, there have been few larger surgical series of MV tumors. We retrospectively analyzed 11 cases of primary MV tumors regarding clinical and pathological features, surgical procedure and long-term outcomes., Methods: From November 1983 to December 2008, we operated on 11 patients (age 36.3 ± 17.7 years, weight 55.4 ± 11.2 kg) with primary MV tumors. Symptoms were cardiac in 8 cases (72.7%) and neurologic in 3 (26.3%). Surgical procedures included en bloc excision and MV repair in 8 cases and tumor resection and MV replacement in 3. No radiotherapy or chemotherapy was given to patients with malignant tumors., Results: Pathological diagnosis was papillary fibroelastoma in 3 cases, myxoma in 3, lymphangioma in 1, lipoma in 1, hemangioma in 1 and sarcoma in 2. No early deaths or complications occurred. Late death occurred in 2 patients with sarcoma 1 year postoperatively. At the latest follow-up, with a maximum of 25 years (mean 10.6 ± 8.8), the 9 survivors were in New York Heart Association functional class I with normal MV function and no echocardiographic evidence of local recurrence., Conclusions: The majority of primary MV tumors are benign. They can cause cardiac or neurologic symptoms and should be excised as soon as a diagnosis is made. For benign tumors, valve-sparing resection and valve repair are often possible with excellent long-term outcomes. The prognosis of malignant MV tumors is poor., (Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Three new prenylated phenolic compounds, fornicins A-C (1-3), were obtained from the fruiting bodies of Ganoderma fornicatum. The structure elucidation was achieved by interpretation of spectroscopic data. These compounds exhibited moderate cytotoxic activity with IC(50) values of 15 to 30 microg/mL in Hep-2 cells.