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Informed by Foucault's (1988) notion of ethics and the four axes of ethical self-formation (Clark 2009. 'The Ethico-politics of Teacher Identity'. "Educational Philosophy and Theory" 41 (2): 185-200), this study explores how native-speaking English teachers (NETs) constructed their identities in relation to their lived experiences and practices at a university in mainland China. A multiple case study approach was employed using interviews with focal participants and reflective journals to understand their teaching experiences and practices as well as their meaning-making processes. Findings from the four cases suggest that participants constructed multiple and changing identities composed of various language teaching beliefs and practices. Whilst participants were influenced by dominant discourses which challenged their legitimacy as university teachers, the way individual teachers understood their professional experiences and interpreted the sociocultural constraints also played a critical role. Teacher identity self-practices and technologies of self were found to be important for helping NETs to negotiate favourable identities and liberate themselves from impositions. The article concludes with implications for NETs, host community and policy makers.

The carbon quota allocation rules of China's pilot carbon emissions trading (CET) regions are various, which mainly include benchmarking, historical carbon intensity reduction and auctioning. When the allocation rules change, it is unresolved how to achieve the optimal product prices and effectively allocate the carbon emissions reduction profits of CET-covered enterprises in the cooperative supply chain. Thus, this paper uses the Stackelberg game, Nash equilibrium and the Shapley value based on cost modification to investigate these issues. The results indicate that: (1) The increasing carbon prices can always improve the retail prices only under the auctioning rule. Meanwhile, the growing low-carbon awareness of consumer cannot be always conducive to improving the wholesale and retail prices, and the similar product prices of non-CET-covered enterprises have greater impact on the wholesale prices than that on the retail prices. (2) Only under the free carbon quota allocation rules, can the optimal wholesale and retail prices under the Stackelberg game be always higher than those under the Nash equilibrium. Meanwhile, the auctioning rule can better reduce carbon emissions than the free allocation rules. (3) Improving carbon emissions reduction contribution and emission reduction costs can be conducive to increasing the carbon emission reduction profits of the supplier and retailer, while the impact of carbon emission reduction contribution on improving the carbon emission reduction profits is not always greater than that of the carbon emission reduction costs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Government attention selectively distributed to various issues in policy-making processes is usually reflected in language, such as metaphors in political discourse. In addition, metaphor change may reveal how conceptualizations of major topics such as economy and ecology evolve over time. After self-building a corpus of China's 45-year Government Work Reports, this study explores whether there is a difference in attention to topics of economy and ecology over time and investigates the diachronic change of metaphor use on them based on a modified framework for diachronic metaphor change analysis. Results show that attention to economy has been steadily decreasing while attention to ecology has been growing, and that there is an increasing tendency of using more economy and ecology metaphors. Metaphor change on the use of source domains is arranged on a continuum, ranging from constant use (war for economy and ecology, and journey and object for economy), incremental change (living organism and building for economy and ecology, and object for ecology) to fundamental change (building and living organism for ecology). This study may enrich the understanding of diachronic metaphor change by providing a Chinese perspective on the metaphor use in government discourse over time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four stains were isolated from two fresh twigs of Helwingia himalaica and two dead woods during investigations of micro-fungi in China and Thailand. Phylogenetic analyses of four gene regions LSU, ITS, SSU and tef1-α revealed the placement of these species in Montagnula. Based on the morphological examination and molecular data, two new species, M. aquatica and M. guiyangensis, and a known species M. donacina are described. Descriptions and illustrations of the new collections and a key to the Montagnula species are provided. Montagnula chromolaenicola, M. puerensis, M. saikhuensis, and M. thailandica are discussed and synonymized under M. donacina. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Re-emerging pseudorabies (PR) caused by pseudorabies virus (PRV) variant has been prevailing among immunized herds in China since 2011, indicating that commercially available PR vaccine strains couldn't provide complete protection against novel, epidemic PRV variant. Before this study, a gE/TK-gene-deleted virus (PRV ΔgE/TK) was constructed from PRV QYY2012 variant through homologous recombination and Cre/LoxP system. Here, PRV ΔgE/TK/US3 strain was generated by deleting US3 gene based on PRV ΔgE/TK strain using the same method. The growth characteristics of PRV ΔgE/TK/US3 were analogous to that of PRV ΔgE/TK. Moreover, the deletion of US3 gene could promote apoptosis, upregulate the level of swine leukocyte antigen class I molecule (SLA-I) in vitro, and relieve inflammatory response in inoculated BALB/c mice. Subsequently, the safety and immunogenicity of PRV ΔgE/TK/US3 was evaluated as a vaccine candidate in mice. The results revealed that PRV ΔgE/TK/US3 was safe for mice, and mice vaccinated with PRV ΔgE/TK/US3 could induce a higher level of PRV-specific neutralizing antibodies and cytokines, including IFN-γ, IL-2 and IL-4, also higher level of CD8+ CD69+ Tissue-Resident Memory T cells (TRM). The results show that the deletion of US3 gene of PRV ΔgE/TK strain could induce increased immunogenicity, indicating that the PRV ΔgE/TK/US3 strain is a promising vaccine candidate for preventing and controlling of the epidemic PR in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transport sector proves a major energy consumer in China, but improving energy-saving performance in China's provincial transport sector from the lifecycle perspective remains unresolved. Thus, this study employs the environmentally extended multi-region input–output (MRIO) method, structural path analysis, and the newest MRIO table of China from 2017, to investigate how to improve the energy-saving performance from final demand structure, supply chain, and pathway perspectives. The relevant results are threefold. (1) Regarding the final demand structure level, the embodied energy consumption of China's transport sector is predominantly driven by investment from the production side, while that of the consumption side is primarily caused by exports. (2) At the supply chain level, production-side embodied energy consumption primarily occurs along a three-echelon supply chain, while that from the consumption side mostly occurs via a two-echelon supply chain. (3) At the pathway level, the production-side energy-saving performance of China's provincial transport sector is dominated by two pathways along the construction sector, including transport sector → construction sector → final demands, and transport sector → intermediate inputs → construction sector → final demands, while that of the consumption side is chiefly determined by three pathways along internal transportation chains. • The production-side energy-saving performance is dominated by investment. • The consumption-side energy-saving performance is led by exports. • 30% of production-side energy use occurs via a three-echelon supply chain. • 68% of consumption-side energy use occurs along a two-echelon supply chain. • It discloses the top four significant energy use pathways in each province. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The heavy metals, which derived from accumulated coal gangue, are important source of environmental pollution. In this study, coal gangue dumps, collected in Shaanxi Province, China, were used to evaluate the potential ecological risks and release characteristics of heavy metals, including the chemical forms, release characteristics, and potential ecological risks by using the methods of Tessier's sequential extractions, leaching experiments, gray GM (1, 1) forecasting mode, and potential ecological risk index. The results indicated that gangue samples contained high levels of metals, especially of Pb, which was the 20–31 times of the background value, whereas the sum of exchangeable and carbonate fractions in Co and Cu was a large proportion (4–11%) of the total. Potential ecological risks were at strong level regardless of the type of the coal gangue because of Mo and Pb and the comprehensive ecological risk index of 351.51–412.27. Weathering promotes the release of heavy metals in the gangue. Furthermore, the contents of Cu and Pb in leaching solution and their release times in weathered gangue were significantly higher than those of the fresh one. This research provides a scientific basis for the prevention and control of heavy metal pollution in coal-containing areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Informed by Foucault's (1988) notion of ethics and the four axes of ethical self-formation (Clark 2009. 'The Ethico-politics of Teacher Identity'. Educational Philosophy and Theory 41 (2): 185–200), this study explores how native-speaking English teachers (NETs) constructed their identities in relation to their lived experiences and practices at a university in mainland China. A multiple case study approach was employed using interviews with focal participants and reflective journals to understand their teaching experiences and practices as well as their meaning-making processes. Findings from the four cases suggest that participants constructed multiple and changing identities composed of various language teaching beliefs and practices. Whilst participants were influenced by dominant discourses which challenged their legitimacy as university teachers, the way individual teachers understood their professional experiences and interpreted the sociocultural constraints also played a critical role. Teacher identity self-practices and technologies of self were found to be important for helping NETs to negotiate favourable identities and liberate themselves from impositions. The article concludes with implications for NETs, host community and policy makers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The core nursing outcomes for laryngeal carcinoma in China needed further screening and revision. This study aimed to evaluate and revise a questionnaire according to the "Core Nursing Outcomes for Otorhinolaryngology Head-Neck" of the Nursing Outcomes Classification (NOC, 5th Edition), and determine suitable postoperative nursing outcomes for patients with laryngeal carcinoma in China. Methods: The commonly used postoperative nursing outcomes for laryngeal carcinoma were screened using a questionnaire given to 93 nurses. An initial expert consultation questionnaire was constructed to discuss the indicators for each nursing outcome. A total of 20 experts were identified using the Delphi method, and their recommendations and revisions on the selected nursing outcomes were collected. Results: A total of 14 postoperative core nursing outcomes and 69 indicators were identified for postoperative patients with laryngeal carcinoma, which are subordinate to 4 domains of the NOC: "Physiologic Health", "Psychosocial Health", "Health Knowledge & Behavior", and "Perceived Health". Conclusions: The screening and revision of the NOC outcomes and indicators of the Delphi method could be applied to assess the effect of nursing intervention and the quality of the nursing service in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is no consensus on whether adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) is effective for hepatoid adenocarcinoma of the stomach (HAS). The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between AC and the long-term prognosis of patients with HAS. The clinicopathological data of 239 patients with primary HAS who underwent radical surgery from April 1, 2004 to December 31, 2019 in 14 centers in China were retrospectively analyzed. Patients were divided into the AC group (127 patients) and the nonadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) group (112 patients). Kaplan‒Meier (KM) analysis showed that there were no significant differences in the 1-year3-year overall survival rate (OS) and 1-year, 3-year recurrence-free survival rate (RFS) between the AC group and the NAC group (1-year OS: 85.6% vs. 79.8%, 3-year OS: 59.8% vs. 62.4%, 1-year RFS: 69.8% vs. 74.4%, 3-year RFS: 57.2% vs. 55.9%, all P > 0.05). The subpopulation treatment effect pattern plots (STEPP) did not show treatment heterogeneity of AC in patients with HAS. The proportions of local recurrence and metastasis sites in the two groups were similar. Although the smoothed hazard curves of the NAC and AC groups crossed, the peak hazard time was later in the AC group (5.9 and 4.7 months), and the peak hazard rate was lower (0.032 and 0.038, P = 0.987). The current AC regimen may not significantly improve the survival of patients with HAS after radical surgery. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tet(M)-type proteins confer resistance to tetracycline and related antibiotics by interacting with the ribosome. Genes encoding Tet(M) have been found in a range of bacteria, including Escherichia coli. In the current study, conjugation experiments were performed between seven different tetracycline-resistant, azide-susceptible E. coli strains isolated from ducks and tetracycline-sensitive, azide-resistant E.coli J53. Transconjugants were obtained from two of the strains at a frequency of 1.2 × 10−8. PCR, southern blotting and sequencing demonstrated that tet (M) in the transconjugants was located on a ~50 kb IncHI2-type plasmid and was part of a composite transposon, designated Tn6539. This transposon is flanked by two IS26 elements in opposite orientation and contains the Tn3Δ tnpA +Δ orf13 - lp - tet (M)+gamma delta+ tnpX +Δ tnpR sequences. The Δ orf13 - lp - tet (M) sequence was a highly conserved genetic fragment in E. coli harboring tet (M) and mainly located in the composite transposons flanked by IS6-family elements. In summary, Tn6539 is a new composite transposon capable of horizontal transfer of tet (M) among E. coli isolates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Liao river is one of the seven major rivers in China, and the process of phosphorus (P) cycling and change of water quality in this basin are influenced to a considerable extent human activities. In this work, the traditional net anthropogenic phosphorus inputs (NAPI) model was improved by considering the dynamic change of wastewater treatment capacity and P deposition (PDEP) and reclassifying the sources of phosphorus into human P consumption (PHUM), agriculture P consumption (PAGR), livestock P consumption (PANIM) and PDEP to analyze its dynamic spatio-temporal change in the Liao river basin. The results showed that the annual mean NAPI was 785.53 kg P km−2 yr−1 (2001–2020), the maximum value was 940.49 kg P km−2 yr−1 in 2009, and the minimum value was 586.04 kg P km−2 yr−1 in 2001. The temporal variation of NAPI presented an increasing-fluctuation-increasing trend and was basically in line with that of the water quality throughout the three stages, and the spatial distribution of NAPI gradually increased from upstream to downstream. During the two decades, PANIM was the predominant component of NAPI with a share of 64.32%. PHUM, PAGR, and PDEP accounted for 15.97%, 11.54%, and 8.17%, respectively, and the point source NAPI (NAPIP) contributed to 4.95% of NAPI. Further, the INAPI (Improved NAPI) -MR (Multiple Regression) -SWAT (Soil and Water Assessment Tool) model was developed to predict the spatial distribution of P flux under two scenarios. The results showed that the Liao river basin experienced a reduction in P flux to different degrees due to the improvement of the wastewater treatment system, which was more significant in its downstream area. Long-term water quality monitoring is encouraged to develop refined water quality models in the future. [Display omitted] • Dynamic wastewater phosphorus removal was considered to improve NAPI model. • Spatiotemporal change of NAPI in the Liao river basin was investigated at city level. • INAPI-SWAT-MLR model was developed to describe the P flux across the basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Lower respiratory tract illness is a major cause of morbidity and mortality in children worldwide, however, information about the epidemiological and clinical characteristics of LRTIs caused by HMPV and HBoV in China is limited. Objectives: Human bocavirus (HBoV) and human metapneumovirus (HMPV) are two important viruses for children with lower respiratory tract infections (LRTI). We aimed to assay the correlation between viral load and clinical characteristics of HBoV and HMPV with LRTI in Changsha, China. Methods: Nasopharyngeal aspirates (NPAs) from children with LRTI were collected. Real‐time PCR was used to screen HBoV and HMPV. Analyses were performed using SPSS 16.0 software. Results: Pneumonia was the most frequent diagnosis. There was no significant difference between HBoV‐ and HMPV‐positive patients in age (P = .506) or hospitalization duration (P = .280); 24.1% and 18.2% were positive for HBoV and HMPV. HBoV infections peaked in summer (32.2%), and HMPV infections peaked in winter (28.9%). The HBoV‐positive patients had a shorter hospitalization duration than the HBoV‐negative patients (P = .021), and the HMPV‐positive patients had a higher prevalence of fever than the HMPV‐negative patients (P = .002). The HBoV viral load was significantly higher among patients aged <1 year (P = .006). The mean HBoV and HMPV viral loads were not significantly different between patients with single infections and coinfections. Patients infected with HBoV only were older than those coinfected with HBoV and other respiratory viruses (P = .005). No significant difference was found in the clinical characteristics of patients infected with HMPV only and those coinfected with HMPV and other respiratory viruses. Conclusion: Pneumonia was the most frequent diagnosis caused by HBoV and HMPV. Neither HBoV nor HMPV viral load was correlated with disease severity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The imports dependency of China sharply decreases from 27% to 14% during 2007–2020, but how it affects the energy consumption embodied in final demands is unresolved. With the 2007–2019 time-series input-output (I–O) datasets of China, this study employs environmentally extended I–O analysis and structural decomposition analysis to explore the impact of imports change issue. At national level, the input imports effect is responsible for around 15% of the embodied energy consumption growth over the research period, while no more than 5% of that is contributed by the demand imports effect. At sectoral level, the input imports effect happens chiefly via the metals sector from the supply side but mainly via the electrical and optical equipment sector from the demand side. It also puts forward the critical supply chains which can facilitate the input imports effect. Meanwhile, the demand imports effect occurs primarily via machinery, electrical and optical equipment, and transport equipment sectors. The similar analysis can be employed to other countries and indicators. • Imports effects significantly affected China's energy consumption in 2007–2019. • The input imports effect increased China's energy consumption by around 15%. • Demand imports effect increased China's energy consumption by lower than 5%. • Input imports effect from supply side mainly happened in the metals sector. • Demand inputs effect mainly caused by electrical and optical equipment sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of combined selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and electroacupuncture therapies for the early treatment of primary depression. Methods: Randomized controlled trials (RCTs) were analyzed to compare therapy combining SSRIs and electroacupuncture to SSRI therapy alone. The RCTs were identified by searching, among others, PubMed, the Cochrane Library, the Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure, the Chongqing VIP database for Chinese Technical Periodicals, WANFANG DATA, and the Chinese Biological Medical Literature Database. Scores from Self-Rated Depression Scale (SDS), the Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD), the Side Effect Rating Scale (SERS), and the Treatment Emergent Symptom Scale (TESS) were analyzed and coded by two independent investigators and used to evaluate the safety and efficacy of treatment. Statistical analyses were performed using RevMan 5.2 software. Results: Six RCTs were analyzed. The meta-analysis revealed that the combined therapy of SSRIs and electroacupuncture were associated with superior scores on the HAMD, SDS, and SERS measures compared with SSRIs alone after 1-4 weeks of treatment: HAMD scores, mean difference (MD)1 week, 2.32 (95% confidence interval [CI]1 week, 1.47-3.16, p1 week<0.00001); MD2 weeks, 2.65 (95% CI2 weeks, 1.81- 3.50, p2 weeks<0.00001); MD4 weeks, 2.70 (95% CI4 weeks, 1.90-3.51, p4 weeks<0.00001); SDS scores: MD1 week, 3.13 (95% CI1 week, 1.22-5.03, p1 week = 0.001); MD2 weeks, 4.05 (95% CI2 weeks, 0.22-7.87, p2 weeks = 0.04); MD4 weeks, 5.02 (95% CI4 weeks, 1.61-8.43, p4 weeks = 0.004); SERS scores: MD2 weeks, 2.20 (95% CI2 weeks, 1.43-2.96, p2 weeks<0.00001); MD4 weeks, 2.12 (95% CI4 weeks, 1.42-2.83, p4 weeks<0.00001). However, two of the aforementioned outcomes were rated as medium quality because of heterogeneity, as assessed using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development and Evaluation system. Conclusions: The available evidence suggests that the early treatment of primary depression using both SSRI and electroacupuncture therapies is more efficient than treatments with SSRIs alone and leads to a better and earlier control of depressive symptoms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Environmental problems as well as their related ecosystem stress and human health risk in China have raised wide concerns along with the rapid economic development in recent years. Numerous studies with a sharp increase in publication number have addressed the ubiquitous of anthropogenic chemicals in various environmental compartments and human tissues. However, very few data were available to clarify the temporal trend and to give the retrospective analysis of chemical pollution in China. Environmental Specimen Bank (ESB) is a system for the systematic collection and long-term storage of specimens, which has been established since the 1970s in developed counties and recognized as a fundamental complement for environmental monitoring and scientific research. Currently, the value of ESB is becoming more broadly recognized globally, and China is still at the early stage. This article described the history and status and put forwarded the future key points of Chinese ESB development for illustrating the intensive environmental changes in China and the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The newly diagnosed rate of HCV infection is increasing in China. However, the risk factors have not been fully identified. Here, a survey was performed in Yanbian Prefecture, a high-endemic area in China. Methods: We identified newly diagnosed HCV infection in 2007–2011, using the local National Disease Supervision Information Management System from the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. We determined the risk factors using a case-control survey by questionnaire. Results: Yanbian Prefecture had a rapid increase in the yearly newly diagnosed rate of HCV infection from 32.6 to 72.1/100.000 from the year 2007 to 2011. People aged 50–64 years had a high HCV infection of 43.4%, but only 0.3% of cases were reported in those aged less than 20 years. Cosmetic treatment, family history, blood transfusion, and dental treatment were independent risk factors for HCV infection. Unexpectedly, cosmetic treatments [odd ratio (OR) = 5.15, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.31–11.48, P = 0.00] and family history (OR = 4.68, 95% CI = 2.67–8.75, P = 0.00) showed a higher risk than the conventional risk factors of blood transfusion (OR = 4.49, 95% CI = 1.95–10.37, P = 0.001) and dental treatment (OR = 2.98, 95% CI = 1.42–6.25, P = 0.00). To further analyze the intrafamilial transmission, we found that spouses of HCV patients had an increased risk for acquiring HCV (OR = 5.75, 95% CI: 1.94–17.07), without significant association between either HCV RNA viral load (P = 0.29) or genotype (P = 0.43). Conclusions: HCV infection was increased in Yanbian Prefecture. Cosmetic treatment was a higher risk factor than medical procedure. HCV infection had a clear family clustering phenomenon, especially between spouses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Spinel facies mantle xenoliths from the western North China Craton (NCC) reveal the presence of a Pre-Cambrian protolith (Archean–Proterozoic) modified by recent melt infiltration and refertilisation. Herein we present petrological and geochemical data including highly siderophile elements (HSE) and Re–Os isotopes for a suite of spinel peridotite xenoliths found in the Cenozoic Jining basalts from Sanyitang within the Inner Mongolia Suture Zone (IMSZ), western North China Craton. The mantle harzburgites–lherzolites show low but variable Re (0.02–0.25ppb) and Os (0.5–4.9ppb) abundances and 187Os/188Os (0.1172–0.1598) ratios. They yield a range of present day to Proterozoic Re depletion ages (<1.4Ga) that show a general correlation with olivine Fo values or fertility. The Re–Os age data from the western NCC are remarkably different from those of the eastern NCC where Paleozoic kimberlite-borne peridotitic xenoliths have Archean ages. The present-day SCLM beneath the NCC was not newly-accreted in the Phanerozoic but was transformed from the ancient lithospheric mantle by interaction with melts. This led to the dissolution of the sulfides in the mantle thus accounting for the lower Os abundances and increasing 187Os/188Os ratios. Integration of elemental and isotopic data reveals the presence of multiple melt metasomatic events in the lithospheric mantle and demonstrates the importance of lithospheric refertilization by melt/rock reaction beneath the western NCC. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background. Evidences are accumulating that age and gender have great impact on the distribution of stroke risk factors. Such data are lacking in Chinese population. Methods. 1027 patients with first-ever ischemic stroke (IS) were recruited and divided into young adult (<50 years), middle-aged (50~80 years), and very old (>80 years) groups according to stroke onset ages. Vascular risk factors were collected and compared among groups. Results. Female patients were globally older than male patients at stroke onset and having higher prevalence of diabetes mellitus (DM), heart diseases, and atrial fibrillation (AF). However, females were less likely to drink heavily or smoke than males. Young patients had a much higher proportion of smoking and drinking than middleaged and very old patients and the highest family history of hypertension, while very old patients had the highest prevalence of heart diseases and AF but lowest proportion of positive family history of vascular diseases. Hypertension and DM were equally frequent among three groups. Conclusion. Our study showed that vascular risk factors had a specific age and gender distribution pattern in Chinese IS patients. Secondary prevention strategy should emphasize on the control of different risk factors based on patient's age and gender. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Xihuashan tungsten deposit is one of the earliest explored tungsten deposits in southeastern China. It is a vein type deposit genetically associated with the Xihuashan granite pluton. Here we report new dating and zircon geochemistry results. Re-Os isotopic dating for molybdenite intergrowth with wolframite in the oldest generation of the Xihuashan pluton yielded an isochron age of 157.0 ± 2.5 Ma (2σ). Zircon U-Pb laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) dating shows that the pluton crystallized at 155.7 ± 2.2 Ma (2σ). This age is similar to the molybdenite Re-Os age for the ore deposit within error. This, together with published data, suggests that the major W(Mo)-Sn mineralization occurred between 160-150 Ma in southeastern China. These deposits constitute a major part of the magmatic-metallogenic belt of eastern Nanlin. The lower Re content in molybdenite of the Xihuashan tungsten deposit shows crustal origin for the ore-forming material. The limited direct contributions from the subducting slab for the tungsten mineralization in the Nanling region suggest a change of the style of the paleo-Pacific plate beneath southeastern China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this paper, we present newly obtained molybdenite Re–Os ages for the Chehugou copper–molybdenum deposit and the Yuanbaoshan molybdenum mineral locality from the Chifeng area on the northern margin of the North China block, combined with U–Pb zircon ages of the host granites. The Re–Os isochron age of six molybdenite samples from the Chehugou deposit is 257.5±2.5 Ma and one molybdenite sample from the Yuanbaoshan locality yields a Re–Os model age of 248.0±2.7 Ma. These ages clearly indicate the signature latest Permian to Early Triassic Cu–Mo or Mo mineralization that has not been previously recognized. Zircon LA-ICP-MS U–Pb dating shows that the host granites of the Chehugou deposit and Yuanbaoshan locality formed in the Late Devonian (376±3 Ma) and Late Permian (269±3 Ma), respectively, and is not of Jurassic age, as previously thought. The latest Permian to Early Triassic Cu–Mo mineralization is likely related to extension due to final closure of the Paleo-Asian Ocean and amalgamation of the Mongolian arc terranes with the northern North China block. The establishment of a latest Permian to Early Triassic age for mineralization should encourage renewed exploration aimed at the discovery of new Mo or Cu–Mo resources along the northern margin of the North China block. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The lack of basic water supply and treatment facilities during China's urbanization and industrialization process has resulted in a large amount of wastewater pollution, with the most serious water diseases being water-borne endemic fluorosis and arsenic poisoning, which have affected more than 20 million people. This research therefore uses the improved modified undesirable dynamic network model to analyze data of 31 provincial administrative regions to focus on the associated effects and efficiency evaluation between wastewater pollution and water disease in China. The results show that the efficiency of water pollution disease in all four regions of the country and the total efficiency in the east, west, and central regions all show a decreasing trend, while the efficiency scores and rankings of all provinces and cities within the region fluctuate greatly. The eastern region with the most developed economy has the best overall performance, with higher efficiency in water consumption and water disease control. However, the efficiency of wastewater treatment in northeast China is stable and better. Given the high level of the nation's economic development and the results of efficiency in water pollution and water diseases, improving the efficiency and quality of wastewater treatment in China is regarded as an important factor for achieving the strategic goal of green growth. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, we describe the complete mitochondrial genome sequences of Jining Gray goat, Fushun black goat, Youzhou black-skin goat, and Hechuan white goat. The mitogenome of those four goats consisted of 16,640 nt, consisting of 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNA (tRNA) genes, 2 ribosomal RNA (rRNA) genes and a control region. As in other mammals, most mitochondrial genes are encoded on the heavy strand, except for ND6 and eight tRNA genes, which are encoded on the light strand. The complete mitogenome of these four local breeds of Chinese native goats could provide an important data to further breed improvement and animal genetics resource conservation in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A V-shaped zone with high Vp/Vs ratio and thin crust observed by receiver functions. • Most stations located near the V-shaped zone exhibit significant crustal anisotropy. • Hot fingers grow from the mantle corner flow and result in Moho uplift in SE China. • Mantle corner flow might be a main reason for crustal thinning in the V-shaped zone. The subduction of the Paleo-Pacific and Philippine plates generates large-scale magmatism and crustal thinning in southeastern (SE) China. However, the dynamic process for crustal thinning in this region is still not well understood. In this study, a large number of receiver function data were used to investigate the crustal thickness and Vp/Vs ratio beneath SE China by the H-κ stacking technique. We also apply a comprehensive analysis method on the Moho Ps converted wave in radial and transverse receiver functions to calculate crustal seismic anisotropy with fast polarization direction and splitting time. The measured results show that the high Vp/Vs ratio (∼1.85) was mainly spread around two areas, forming a "V-shaped" zone. The western branch of the "V-shaped" zone was NS-oriented with a thin crustal thickness of ∼29.1 km beneath the Nanxiang-Jianghan basin. The eastern branch extended along the Tanlu fault with a thin crustal thickness of ∼28.8 km. Moreover, the measured crustal seismic anisotropy also shows that most stations located near the "V-shaped" zone exhibit significant crustal anisotropy with splitting times of 0.20–0.72 s. The fast directions of these stations are parallel to the direction of the V-shaped extension. Combining the geological data, we propose that the "hot fingers" may grow from mantle corner flow in the southern part of the V-shaped zone associated with the collision of the Pacific and Philippine plates. We deduce that the V-shaped crustal thinning and Moho uplift in SE China might be attributed to this mantle corner flow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water inrush is a common geological disaster during the tunnel construction in the broken zone of deep buried water-rich faults. In order to improve the exploring accuracy of this water-rich faults, we first design four water-rich fault models with different inclined angle (22.5°, 45°, 67.5° and 90°) in 2D Magnetotelluric (MT) forward modelling using the finite element method. The simulation results show that the contour lines of apparent resistivity and impedance phase in these four models have a sparse concave feature, which increases with the inclined angle of the water-rich fault. However, the lateral resolution for the inclined fault in TM mode is better than that of TE model. We finally arranged two MT exploring lines in rocky mountainous area of southwest China to detect the deep buried water-rich fault. The inversion results show four significant low resistivity zones in the two MT measured lines. Combine with the geological data, we found that each two low resistivity areas are coherence with the fracture fault zone. Moreover, considering the forward modelling of the faults, we infer that two fracture faults spread in our study area. One fault F1 is northwest tilt with the inclined angle ~60°, and the other fault F2 is southeast tilt with the inclined angle ~80°. All these were also confirmed by the drilling data. The detections of two tilt water rich faults can effectively avoid potential hazards at this area and the forward numerical simulation can provide abundant theoretical reference for the field measured data. • Four water-rich fault models with different inclined angle were simulated. • EH4-data processing system was applied for inversion in TM mode. • Four significant low resistivity zone were considered as water-rich fracture zones. • The detections of water rich faults can effectively avoid potential hazards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was employed in the fingerprint analysis of Angelica sinensis (Oliv.) Diels. A chromatographic profile of A. sinensis (Oliv.) Diels from the Dingxi District of Gansu province, China, was established as the characteristic fingerprint. The feasibility and advantages of employing chromatographic fingerprint combined with discriminant analysis were investigated and demonstrated for the evaluation of A. sinensis (Oliv.) Diels for the first time. Our results showed that the chromatographic fingerprint combining with discriminant analysis can efficiently distinguish A. sinensis (Oliv.) Diels from various areas. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Purpose: As a novel hepatokine, fetuin B involves in various functions of energy metabolism. Recent advance reveals a complex interaction between bone and liver via the secretion of hepatokines. The association between serum fetuin B and osteoporosis was evaluated in a 4-year hospital-based prospective study of 1,370 Chinese postmenopausal women.Methods: Bone mineral densities (BMDs) were obtained on femoral neck and lumbar spines by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. Serum fetuin B level was tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay.Results: Of the 1,370 participants in the baseline study (2012), 650 subjects were included in the 4-year follow-up study (2016). Serum fetuin B level presented higher in subjects with osteoporosis (106.7 ± 17.6 μg/ml) than it in controls (86.3 ± 17.5 μg/ml) (P < 0.001). Meanwhile, fetuin B positively correlated with triglycerides (r = 0.227, P = 0.001), femoral BMD (r = -0.426, P < 0.001) and lumbar BMD (r = -0.332, P < 0.001). At the 4-year follow-up, 116 subjects had developed osteoporosis. Serum fetuin B concentration was significantly higher in subjects who developed (P < 0.001). The osteoporosis incidence increased from Q1 9.9%, Q2 14.7%, and Q3 17.8% to Q4 30.2% (P for trend < 0.001), among the quartiles of baseline fetuin B. A higher fetuin B baseline level was linked to the incidence of osteoporosis (adjusted OR = 1.179, 95% CI [1.119 - 1.243], P = 0.009).Conclusion: Serum fetuin B levels increased with the development of osteoporosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: This study reports age, petrologic and geochemical data for andesites and dacites from the Late Triassic sedimentary strata of northern Hohxil, in the Hohxil–Songpan–Ganzi Block (northern Tibet), which constitutes the most voluminous Triassic strata on Earth. LA-ICP-MS zircon U-Pb analysis of dacite (210.4±1.9Ma) and whole rock 40Ar–39Ar analyses for both the andesites and dacites (211±2Ma and 210.9±1.6Ma) show that the rocks were almost contemporaneous. Both rock types are sodium-rich and calc-alkaline. The andesites, characterized by high MgO (up to 10wt.%) or Mg# (~70), TiO2, Al2O3, Cr, Ni, La/Yb and Th/La, but low Nb/Ta ratios, are geochemically similar to sanukitoids in southeastern Japan. The dacites are strongly peraluminous, and have high Al2O3 and La/Yb, low Y and Yb, coupled with negligible to positive Eu and Sr anomalies, comparable to slab-derived adakites in the circum Pacific arc system. Both rocks exhibit strongly fractionated platinum group element patterns, with Pt/Pt* (Pt anomaly), (Pt/Ir)N and Re/Os ratios higher than those of the primitive mantle. They have uniformly low εNd(t) values (−7.57–−9.59) and high (86Sr/87Sr)i ratios (0.7086–0.7106) that imply a continental rather than oceanic type magma source. We suggest that the northern Hohxil dacites were produced by partial melting of subducted sediments on the northward-subducting Songpan–Ganzi oceanic slab, and the high-Mg andesites were formed by subsequent interaction between the sediment-derived melts and mantle wedge peridotites. Taking into account the Triassic magmatic record from nearby regions, we suggest that the Late Triassic high-Mg andesite/dacite suites of northern Hohxil were generated in a forearc setting, and propose that double-sided subduction eventually closed the Songpan–Ganzi ocean during the Late Triassic. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Background: This study aimed to assess the public knowledge regarding Alzheimer's Disease (AD) in Zhuhai, China, focusing on identifying knowledge gaps and the influence of demographic and health factors., Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in Zhuhai, China, from October to November 2022. A total of 1986 residents from 18 communities were selected employing stratified multi-stage equi-proportional sampling. Questionnaires covering general information and the Alzheimer's Disease Knowledge Scale (ADKS) were investigated face-to-face. Ordinal multiclass logistic regression was applied to assess the relationship between AD awareness and demographic and health characteristics., Results: The average ADKS score was 18.5 (SD = 3.36) in Zhuhai. The lowest awareness rates were observed in the "Symptoms" and "Caregiving" subdomains of ADKS, with rates of 51.01% and 43.78%, respectively. The correct rates for the 30 ADKS questions ranged from 16.62 to 92.6%, showing a bimodal pattern with clusters around 80% and 20%. Women (OR = 1.203, 95% CI: 1.009-1.435), individuals aged 60 years or older (OR = 2.073, 95% CI: 1.467-2.932), those living in urban areas (OR = 1.361, 95% CI: 1.117-1.662), higher average monthly household income per capita (OR = 1.641, 95% CI: 1.297-2.082), and without any neurological or mental disorders (OR = 1.810, 95% CI: 1.323-2.478) were more likely to have higher levels of awareness about Alzheimer's disease., Conclusions: Adults in Zhuhai show a limited knowledge of AD, particularly in the 'Symptoms' and 'Caregiving' subdomains. Upcoming health campaigns must focus on bridging the knowledge gaps in different subdomains of AD, especially among subgroups with lower awareness, as identified in our study., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Objectives: This study explored the association between the Frailty Index (FI) and low back pain (LBP) in middle-aged and older Chinese adults. We hypothesised that a higher FI correlates with increased LBP prevalence., Design: Cross-sectional analysis., Setting: The study used data from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS) across various regions of China., Participants: The analysis included 6375 participants aged 45 and above with complete LBP and FI data from the CHARLS for 2011, 2013 and 2015. We excluded individuals under 45, those with incomplete LBP data, participants with fewer than 30 health deficit items and those missing covariate data., Outcome Measures: We constructed an FI consisting of 35 health deficits. Logistic multivariable regression examined the relationship between FI and LBP, using threshold analysis to identify inflection points. Sensitivity analyses were performed to ensure the robustness of the findings., Results: Of the participants, 27.2% reported LBP. A U-shaped association was observed between FI and LBP, with the highest quartile (Q4, FI ≥0.23) showing more than a twofold increased risk of LBP (OR=2.90, 95% CI: 2.45-3.42, p<0.001). Stratified analysis showed a significant association in participants under 60, particularly in the lowest FI quartile (OR=1.43, 95% CI: 1.14 to 1.79). Sensitivity analysis upheld the robustness of the primary results., Conclusions: The findings suggest a complex relationship between frailty and LBP, highlighting the need for early screening and tailored interventions to manage LBP in this demographic. Further research is necessary to understand the mechanisms of this association and to validate the findings through longitudinal studies., Competing Interests: Competing interests: None declared., (© Author(s) (or their employer(s)) 2024. Re-use permitted under CC BY-NC. No commercial re-use. See rights and permissions. Published by BMJ.)

A single extremely halophilic strain was isolated from salt brine produced when a fresh water lake flooded a large salt mine located beneath the lake. The water that entered this mine contained less than 0.34 M NaCl, but over time, this sealed brine became saturated by Cenozoic age salt (121-125 million-year BCE). The isolated strain requires at least 1.7 M NaCl for survival and grows optimally in 3.1 M NaCl. Therefore, it could not have survived or been present in the waters that flooded this salt mine. The strain grows at a pH range from 6.5 to 9.0 and has a wide tolerance to temperatures from 25 ℃ to at least 60 ℃. The comparison of 16S rRNA and rpoB' genes revealed that strain 1-13-28 T is related to Halorubrum tebenquichense DSM 14210 T showing 98.6% and 98.1% similarities, respectively. Phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA, rpoB' genes and 122 concatenated archaeal genes show that the strain 1-13-28 T consistently forms a cluster with Halorubrum tebenquichense of the genus Halorubrum. Strain 1-13-28 T contained sulfated mannosyl glucosyl diether, and the polar lipid profile was identical to those of most Halorubrum species. Based on the overall combination of physiological, phylogenetic, polar lipids and phylogenomic characteristics, strain 1-13-28 T (= ATCC 700083 T  = CGMCC 1.62627 T ) represents a newly identified species within the genus Halorubrum for which the name Halorubrum hochsteinianum is proposed., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Japan KK, part of Springer Nature.)

Two novel halophilic archaeal strains, Gai3-17 T and XZYJT26 T , were isolated from the sediment of Gaize salt lake and the saline soil of Mangkang ancient solar saltern in Tibet, PR China, respectively. Strains Gai3-17 T and XZYJT26 T were related to each other (96.5 and 89.7% similarity, respectively) and showed 97.5-95.4 and 91.5-87.7% similarities to the current members of Halobacterium based on 16S rRNA and rpoB' genes. The phylogenomic analysis indicated that strains Gai3-17 T and XZYJT26 T formed two distinct clades and clustered with the Halobacterium species. The two strains can be differentiated from the type strains of the six species with validly published names based on several phenotypic characteristics. The phospholipids of the two strains were phosphatidic acid, phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylglycerol phosphate methyl ester. One major glycolipid, sulphated galactosyl mannosyl glucosyl diether, was detected in strain Gai3-17 T , while four glycolipids, mannosyl glucosyl diether, sulphated mannosyl glucosyl diether, disulphated mannosyl glucosyl diether and sulphated galactosyl mannosyl glucosyl diether were observed in strain XZYJT26 T . The average nucleotide identity, digital DNA-DNA hybridization and amino acid identity values among the two strains and the members of Halobacterium were no more than 81, 25 and 77 %, respectively. These overall genome-related indices were below the threshold values for species boundary, indicating that strains Gai3-17 T and XZYJT26 T represent two novel species of Halobacterium . Thus, two novel species, Halobacterium wangiae sp. nov. and Halobacterium zhouii sp. nov., are proposed to accommodate strains Gai3-17 T (=CGMCC 1.16101 T =JCM 33551 T ) and XZYJT26 T (=CGMCC 1.16682 T =JCM 33556 T ), respectively.

Three novel filamentous halophilic archaea, strains DFN5 T , RDMS1, and QDMS1, were isolated from the coastal saline soil samples of the intertidal zones located in different regions of Jiangsu Province, China. The colonies of these strains were pinkish-white due to the presence of white spores. These three strains are extremely halophilic and grew optimally at 35-37 °C and pH 7.0-7.5. Based on 16S rRNA and rpoB' gene analysis, strains DFN5 T , RDMS1, and QDMS1 gathered together in phylogenetic trees and then clustered with the current species of the genus Halocatena showing 96.9-97.4% and 82.2-82.5% similarities, respectively. Both the 16S rRNA gene-based and rpoB' gene-based phylogenies were fully supported by the phylogenomic analysis, and the overall genome-related indexes indicated that strains DFN5 T , RDMS1, and QDMS1 should be a novel species of the genus Halocatena. Genome mining revealed that there are considerable differences in the genes related to β-carotene synthesis among these three strains and the current species of Halocatena. The major polar lipids of strains DFN5 T , RDMS1, and QDMS1 are PA, PG, PGP-Me, S-TGD-1, TGD-1, and TGD-2. The minor polar lipids, S-DGD-1, DGD-1, S 2 -DGD, and S-TeGD may be detected. According to the phenotypic characteristics, phylogenetic analysis, genomic and chemotaxonomic features, strains DFN5 T (= CGMCC 1.19401  T  = JCM 35422  T ), RDMS1 (= CGMCC 1.19411) and QDMS1 (= CGMCC 1.19410) were classified as a novel species of the genus Halocatena with the proposed name, Halocatena marina sp. nov. This is the first report of the description of a novel filamentous haloarchaeon isolated from marine intertidal zones., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Japan KK, part of Springer Nature.)

A filamentous cell-shaped halophilic archaeon (strain AD-1 T ) was isolated from Aiding Salt Lake, PR China. Its colonies on HCM7 agar plates were pinkish white, 1-4 mm (diameter), elevated and round. The optimum conditions for growth were observed at 42 °C, 4.3 M NaCl, 0.01 M MgCl 2 and pH 7. Strain AD-1 T could hydrolyse Tween 60, Tween 80, starch and gelatin. Phylogenetic analysis based on 16S rRNA gene, rpoB' and the concatenated 484 single-copy orthologous proteins revealed that strain AD-1 T formed a clade with Halocatena pleomorpha SPP-AMP-1 T . The average nucleotide identity and in silico DNA-DNA hybridization values between strain AD-1 T and Halocatena pleomorpha SPP-AMP-1 T were both below the species delineation thresholds (95~96 and 70 %, respectively). The major phospholipids of strain AD-1 T were phosphatidic acid, phosphatidylglycerol and phosphatidylglycerol phosphate methyl ester, while the major glycolipids were sulphated galactosyl mannosyl glucosyl diether, galactosyl mannosyl glucosyl diether and glucosyl mannosyl glucosyl diether. The phenotypic, phylogenetic and genome-based analyses suggested that strain AD-1 T (=CGMCC 1.13724 T =JCM 32960 T ) represents a novel species, for which the name Halocatena salina sp. nov. is proposed.

Reservoirs located in middle and high latitudes freeze for months in winter, where the accumulation characteristics of pollutants are changed by superimposed influence of salt exclusion from ice on the surface and pollution release from sediments at the bottom. Taking total nitrogen (TN) of Biliuhe reservoir in Northeast China as an example, we developed a model to simulate TN accumulation characteristics influenced by ice and sediments during the freezing period (NACISF), and quantified contributions of TN from ice and sediments. Model parameters of ice and sediments were determined by laboratory freeze-up simulation experiment and sediment release flux simulation experiment, and water quality data were obtained from field investigations. Results showed that the annual average amount of TN input during the ice-covered period from 2015 to 2020 was 220.77 t, the output was 400.11 t, and the accumulated amount was 589.52 t. TN excluded from ice and released from sediments contributed 8.12% and 7.17% of the total TN inputs in winter, respectively. Analysis showed that the TN excluded from ice was positively correlated with ice thickness and initial TN concentration. The maximum ice thickness of Biliuhe reservoir had a 13 year cyclic feature, and the proportion of TN excluded from ice to the total TN inputs in different periods ranged from 10.68% to 17.30% (mean 13.18%). Meanwhile, TN accumulated seasonally as summer > autumn > winter > spring. The TN exclusion effect in 2050 would be weakened when considering the combined effects of climate change and human activities, with a reduction of about 40.85% compared to the current. It is concluded that the NACISF model took into account the influences of both ice and sediments, which provided a detailed understanding of the accumulation characteristics of TN during freezing period, and had important reference significance for water quality management in winter., 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 © 2022 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Six novel halophilic archaeal strains of XZYJT10 T , XZYJ18 T , XZYJT40 T , XZYJT49 T , YCN54 T and LT46 T were isolated from a solar saltern in Tibet, a salt lake in Shanxi, and a saline soil in Xinjiang, China. Sequence similarities of 16S rRNA and rpoB' genes among strains XZYJT10 T , XZYJ18 T , XZYJT40 T , XZYJT49 T , YCN54 T , LT46 T and current members of Halorussus were 90.6-97.8% and 87.8-96.4%, respectively. The average nucleotide identity and in silico DNA-DNA hybridization values among these six strains and current Halorussus members were in the range of 76.5-87.5% and 21.0-33.8%, respectively. These values were all below the species boundary threshold values. The phylogenomic tree based on 122 conserved archaeal protein marker genes revealed that the six novel strains formed individual distinct branches and clustered tightly with Halorussus members. Several phenotypic characteristics distinguished the six strains from current Halorussus members. Polar lipid analysis showed that the six novel strains contained phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylglycerol phosphate methyl ester, phosphatidylglycerol sulfate and two to three glycolipids. Phenotypic, chemotaxonomic and phylogenetic properties showed that the six strains represented six novel species within the genus Halorussus, for which the names Halorussus vallis sp. nov., Halorussus aquaticus sp. nov., Halorussus gelatinilyticus sp. nov., Halorussus limi sp. nov., Halorussus salilacus sp. nov., and Halorussus salinisoli sp. nov. are proposed., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Japan KK, part of Springer Nature.)

It is of great significance to clarify the influence of soil temperature and moisture on soil respiration rate and its characteristics in ecologically fragile regions under the background of climate change for the accurate assessment and prediction of carbon budgets in this region. The average CO 2 concentration and soil temperature and moisture at different soil depths (10, 50, and 100 cm) were measured using a CO 2 analyzer and temperature and moisture sensors. The soil respiration rate was calculated using Fick's first diffusion coefficient method. The dynamic characteristics of soil temperature, soil moisture, and soil respiration rate in different soil depths were explored, and the response of soil respiration rate to soil temperature and moisture were further analyzed. The results showed that the diurnal variation in soil respiration rate decreased significantly with the increase in soil depth ( P <0.05), and the peak time lagged behind. Soil respiration rate in adjacent soil depths (10, 50, and 100 cm) lagged 1 h from top to bottom. The monthly variation in soil respiration rate was a multi-peak curve, in which the maximum soil respiration rates of 10, 50, and 100 cm soil depths were on July 25 th , August 6 th , and August 10 th , reaching 13.96, 2.96, and 1.47 μmol·(m 2 ·s) -1 , respectively. The effect of soil temperature on soil respiration rate decreased with the increase in soil depth. Soil temperature at 50 cm and below had no significant effect on soil respiration rate ( P >0.05). The fitting index of 10 cm soil depth was the best ( R 2 =0.96), but the fitting indexes of 50 cm and 100 cm soil depths were poor ( R 2 =0.00 and R 2 =0.01, respectively). The temperature sensitivity coefficient Q 10 decreased with the increase in soil depth. Soil moisture in different soil depths had significant effects on soil respiration rate ( P <0.05), and the quadratic fitting indicated that 50 cm ( R 2 =0.35)>10 cm ( R 2 =0.22)>100 cm ( R 2 =0.31). The combined effects of soil temperature and moisture in different soil depths could explain 96%, 6%-50%, and 22%-24% of soil respiration rate, respectively. In summary, the effects of soil temperature and moisture at different soil depths of the Caragana korshinskii plantation in the loess-hilly region on soil respiration rate differed. The soil respiration rate of the 10 cm soil depth was affected by the comprehensive effect of soil temperature and moisture; however, the relative contribution of soil temperature was higher, and soil moisture at and below a soil depth of 50 cm was the key factor. These results could help improve predictions on the impact of future climate change on the carbon cycle of terrestrial ecosystems in the region and provide a theoretical basis for greenhouse gas regulation in the future.

Three halophilic archaeal strains, NEN8 T , GDY88 T and ZY14 T , were isolated from a salt lake in Tibet and coarse sea salt samples from Guangdong and Hebei, China, respectively. These strains formed three separate clades (showing 94.4-95.8% and 87.1-89.4% similarities, respectively) and then clustered with the current Halorientalis members (showing 90.7-97.6% and 87.0-91.2% similarities, respectively), as revealed by phylogenetic analyses based on 16S rRNA and rpoB' genes. The overall genome-related index, average nucleotide identity (ANI), in silico DNA-DNA hybridization (DDH), average amino acid identity (AAI) and the percentage of conserved proteins (POCP) values, among the three strains and members of the genus Halorientalis were 76.0-88.0%, 21.3-37.2%, 69.0-88.3% and 57.7-78.1%, clearly below the threshold values for species demarcation. Strains NEN8 T , GDY88 T and ZY14 T could be distinguished from current Halorientalis species according to differential phenotypic characteristics. The major polar lipids of the three strains were phosphatidylglycerol (PG), phosphatidylglycerol phosphate methyl ester (PGP-Me), sulfated mannosyl glucosyl diether (S-DGD-1) and disulfated mannosyl glucosyl diether (S 2 -DGD). In addition, mannosyl glucosyl diether (DGD-1) was detected in strain NEN8 T and phosphatidic acid (PA), posssulfated galactosyl mannosyl glucosyl diether (S-TGD-1) and sulfated mannosyl glucosyl diether-phosphatidic acid (S-DGD-PA) were observed in strain ZY14 T . These results revealed that strains NEN8 T (= CGMCC 1.17213 T  = JCM 34155 T ), GDY88 T (= CGMCC 1.18548 T  = JCM 34481 T ) and ZY14 T (= CGMCC 1.17178 T  = JCM 34154 T ) represent three novel species of the genus Halorientalis, for which the names Halorientalis salina sp. nov., Halorientalis marina sp. nov. and Halorientalis litorea sp. nov. are proposed., (© 2022. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Japan KK, part of Springer Nature.)

China recently launched healthcare reforms to reduce disparities in healthcare resources between urban and rural areas. However, few studies have determined how admission to rural hospitals has affected patient care and outcomes. This study aims to determine whether admission to a rural hospital is associated with changes in treatment and outcomes. Using a province-wide, administrative database of 62,380 patients (51,355 urban patients vs. 11,025 rural patients) with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) in Shanxi from 2015 to 2017, we identified the differential distance from the patient’s residential address to the nearest hospital and the nearest percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)-capable hospital as instrumental variables. We estimated the risk-adjusted differences in outcomes and treatments for patients admitted to rural hospitals versus urban hospitals using a two-stage least squares instrumental variable analysis method. Based on instrumental variable analysis, admission to a rural hospital was associated with a 5.3% (95% CI, 0.012 to 0.093; p = 0.011) increase in mortality. There was a 59.8% (95% CI, −0.733 to −0.463; p-values < 0.0001) decrease in receiving PCI, an 18.8% (95% CI, −0.231 to −0.146; p-values < 0.0001) decrease in receiving fibrinolysis, and a 71.8% (95% CI, 0.586 to 0.849; p-values < 0.0001) increase in receiving medication-only treatment for patients admitted to rural hospitals. Rural hospitals in China thus offer relatively poor care for myocardial infarction. Hospital facilities and reperfusion therapies must be improved.

Importance: Few studies have examined the clinicopathological characteristics and prognoses of patients with hepatoid adenocarcinoma of the stomach (HAS)., Objective: To explore the clinicopathological characteristics and prognoses of patients with HAS and develop a nomogram to predict overall survival (OS)., Design, Setting, and Participants: This prognostic study involved a retrospective analysis of data from 315 patients who received a diagnosis of primary HAS between April 1, 2004, and December 31, 2019, at 14 centers in China., Main Outcomes and Measures: OS and prognostic factors. Patients were randomly assigned to a derivation cohort (n = 220) and a validation cohort (n = 95). A nomogram was developed based on independent prognostic factors identified through a multivariable Cox mixed-effects model., Results: Among 315 patients with HAS (mean [SD] age, 61.9 [10.2] years; 240 men [76.2%]), 137 patients had simple HAS (defined as the presence of histologically contained hepatoid differentiation areas only), and 178 patients had mixed HAS (defined as the presence of hepatoid differentiation areas plus common adenocarcinoma areas). Patients with simple HAS had a higher median preoperative α-fetoprotein level than those with mixed HAS (195.9 ng/mL vs 48.9 ng/mL, respectively; P < .001) and a higher rate of preoperative liver metastasis (23 of 137 patients [16.8%] vs 11 of 178 patients [6.2%]; P = .003). The 3-year OS rates of patients with simple vs mixed HAS were comparable (56.0% vs 60.0%; log-rank P = .98). A multivariable Cox analysis of the derivation cohort found that the presence of perineural invasion (hazard ratio [HR], 2.13; 95% CI, 1.27-3.55; P = .009), preoperative carcinoembryonic antigen levels of 5 ng/mL or greater (HR, 1.72; 95% CI, 1.08-2.74; P = .03), and pathological node category 3b (HR, 3.72; 95% CI, 1.34-10.32; P = .01) were independent risk factors for worse OS. Based on these factors, a nomogram to predict postoperative OS was developed. The concordance indices of the nomogram (derivation cohort: 0.72 [95% CI, 0.66-0.78]; validation cohort: 0.72 [95% CI, 0.63-0.81]; whole cohort: 0.71 [95% CI, 0.66-0.76]) were higher than those derived using the American Joint Committee on Cancer's AJCC Cancer Staging Manual (8th edition) pathological tumor-node-metastasis (pTNM) staging system (derivation cohort: 0.63 [95% CI, 0.57-0.69]; validation cohort: 0.65 [95% CI, 0.56-0.75]; whole cohort: 0.64 [95% CI, 0.59-0.69]) and those derived using a clinical model that included pTNM stage and receipt of adjuvant chemotherapy (derivation cohort: 0.64 [95% CI, 0.58-0.69]; validation cohort: 0.65 [95% CI, 0.56-0.75]; whole cohort: 0.64 [95% CI, 0.59-0.69]). Based on the nomogram cutoff of 10 points, the whole cohort was divided into high-risk and low-risk groups. The 3-year OS rate of patients in the high-risk group was significantly lower than that of patients in the low-risk group (29.7% vs 75.9%, respectively; log-rank P < .001), and the 3-year prognosis of high-risk and low-risk groups could be further distinguished into pTNM stage I to II (33.3% vs 80.2%; exact log-rank P = .15), stage III (34.3% vs 71.3%; log-rank P < .001), and stage IV (15.5% vs 70.3%; log-rank P = .009)., Conclusions and Relevance: This study found that perineural invasion, preoperative carcinoembryonic antigen levels of 5 ng/mL or greater, and pathological node category 3b were independent risk factors associated with worse OS. An individualized nomogram was developed to predict OS among patients with HAS. This nomogram had good prognostic value and may be useful as a supplement to the current American Joint Committee on Cancer TNM staging system.

Reservoirs play an important role in the urban water supply, yet reservoirs receive an influx of large amounts of pollutants from the upper watershed during flood seasons, causing a decline in water quality and threatening the water supply. Identifying major pollution sources and assessing water quality risks are important for the environmental protection of reservoirs. In this paper, the principal component/factor analysis-multiple linear regression (PCA/FA-MLR) model and Bayesian networks (BNs) are integrated to identify water pollution sources and assess the water quality risk in different precipitation conditions, which provides an effective framework for water quality management during flood seasons. The deterioration of the water quality of rivers in the flood season is found to be the main reason for the deterioration in the reservoir water quality. The nonpoint source pollution is the major pollution source of the reservoir, which contributes 53.20%, 48.41%, 72.69%, and 68.06% of the total nitrogen (TN), phosphorus (TP), fecal coliforms (F.coli), and turbidity (TUB), respectively. The risk of the water quality parameters exceeding the surface water standard under different hydrological conditions is assessed. The results show that the probability of the exceedance rate of TN, TP, and F.coli increases from 91.13%, 3.40%, and 3.34%, to 95.75%, 25.77%, and 12.76% as the monthly rainfall increases from ≤68.25 mm to >190.18 mm. The risk to the water quality of the Biliuhe River reservoir is found to increase with the rising rainfall intensity, the water quality risk at the inlet during the flood season is found to be much greater than that at the dam site, and the increasing trend of TP and turbidity is greater than that of TN and F.coli. The risk of five-day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD 5 ) does not increase with increasing precipitation, indicating that it is less affected by nonpoint source pollution. The results of this study can provide a research basis for water environment management during flood seasons.

Groundwater resources are important sources of water in the arid region of northwestern China, but their overexploitation and utilization has led to a series of ecological and environmental problems. Exploring the characteristics and mechanism of groundwater chemical evolution is important for the rational use of groundwater resources. The characteristics of groundwater chemical evolution were studied in the Yongji Irrigation Area of Hetao Irrigation District and the formation mechanism of the chemical compounds in groundwater were investigated using cluster analysis, factor analysis, and other statistical methods. The influence degree of different factors was calculated. The results showed that the major cations in groundwater in the study area were Na + and K + , and the major anions were Cl - and HCO 3 - . Moreover, Na + , K + , and Cl - showed high spatial variability and were the main factors contributing to groundwater salinization. The major chemical compounds in the groundwater in the study area were Cl-Na, HCO 3 ·Cl ·SO 4 -Na, and HCO 3 -Na. Based on the cluster analysis results, the groundwater was divided into four categories (A 1 , A 2 , B 1 , and B 2 ), of which A 1 was highly mineralized by Cl-Na type water, while A 2 , B 1 , and B 2 were mainly HCO 3 ·Cl ·SO 4 -Na and HCO 3 -Na type water. Principal component analysis results suggest that groundwater chemistry was mainly affected by salinization, carbonate karstification, and human activities with the influence degrees of 45.976%, 23.853% and 16.678%, respectively. Evaporation, salt rock dissolution, and cation exchange were important sources of Na + and Cl - accumulation in the irrigation area. Agricultural irrigation (leaching of soil salts) and drought (intense transpiration) were the key drivers of groundwater salinization in the irrigation area.

Background/aims: The aim of this study was to investigate the relationship between the triglyceride (TG) level and the severity of acute hypertriglyceridemic pancreatitis (AHTGP) in Chinese patients., Materials and Methods: On the basis of clinical data on AHTGP, patients from the period 2015-2018 were enrolled retrospectively and grouped according to the 2012 revised Atlanta classification. Kruskal-Wallis test was performed to evaluate differences among groups. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were generated to assess the ability of parameters to distinguish mild acute pancreatitis (MAP)/moderately severe acute pancreatitis (MSAP) from severe acute pancreatitis (SAP)., Results: A total of 104 patients with AHTGP were enrolled and divided into three groups: 61 patients with MAP, 29 patients with MSAP, and 14 patients with SAP. The median values for the MAP, MSAP, and SAP groups were as follows: TG level 48 h after admission, 3.4, 4.5, and 14.2 mmol/L, respectively (p<0.001); ratio of TG level 48 h after admission to that 0 h after admission (48:0-h ratio), 19.4, 32.1, and 65.9, respectively (p<0.001). ROC curves showed that the areas under the curves for the TG level 48 h after admission and the TG 48:0-h ratio for predicting SAP were 0.965 and 0.917, respectively (p<0.001), and the optimal cut-off values were 7.8 mmol/L and 37.7, respectively., Conclusion: The TG level 48 h after admission and the TG 48:0-h ratio may predict the severity of AHTGP, and a high TG level 48 h after admission may be correlated with the progression of SAP.

With a shifting climate pattern and enhancement of human activities, coastal areas are exposed to threats of groundwater environmental issues. This work takes the eastern coast of Laizhou Bay as a research area to study the response of a coastal groundwater system to natural and human impacts with a combination of statistical, hydrogeochemical, and fuzzy classification methods. First, the groundwater level dynamics from 1980 to 2017 were analyzed. The average annual groundwater level dropped 13.16 m with a descent rate of 0.379 m/a. The main external environmental factors that affected the groundwater level were extracted, including natural factors (rainfall and temperature), as well as human activities (irrigated area, water-saving irrigated area, sown area of high-water-consumption crops, etc.). Back-propagation artificial neural network was used to model the response of groundwater level to the above driving factors, and sensitivity analysis was conducted to measure the extent of impact of these factors on groundwater level. The results verified that human factors including irrigated area and water-saving irrigated area were the most important influencing factors on groundwater level dynamics, followed by annual precipitation. Further, groundwater samples were collected over the study area to analyze the groundwater hydrogeochemical signatures. With the hydrochemical diagrams and ion ratios, the formation of groundwater, the sources of groundwater components, and the main hydrogeochemical processes controlling the groundwater evolution were discussed to understand the natural background of groundwater environment. The fuzzy C-means clustering method was adopted to classify the groundwater samples into four clusters based on their hydrochemical characteristics to reveal the spatial variation of groundwater quality in the research area. Each cluster was spatially continuous, and there were great differences in groundwater hydrochemical and pollution characteristics between different clusters. The natural and human factors resulted in this difference were discussed based on the natural background of the groundwater environment, and the types and intensity of human activity.

Genetic variations of cytochrome P450 (CYP) influence the inter-individual differences in drug response. Here, we collected 8682 variants of 57 CYP genes and cytochrome P450 oxidoreductase (POR) from a large-scale sequencing project in Chinese, Chinese Millionome Database (CMDB). In addition, 52 294 variants from the Genome Aggregation Database (gnomAD) had been simultaneously identified and analysed. Rare variants with a variant allele frequency (VAF) < 0.01 comprised 41.4% (3594/8682) of identified variations in the CMDB, while 98.1% (51 320/52 294) in the gnomAD were rare. Out of 8682 variants in the CMDB, 66.9% (5808/8682) were in introns and only 4.3% (377/8682) were missense variants. In contrast, 36.2% (18 929/52 294) variants in the gnomAD were missense. The common alleles with a VAF over 0.1 were found in CYP1A2*1C, CYP1A2*1F, CYP2C19*2, CYP2D6*2, CYP2D6*10, CYP3A5*3 and CYP4F2*3, with a VAF of 0.161, 0.6, 0.27, 0.274, 0.678, 0.92 and 0.233, respectively. The growing number of genetic variations in CYP genes as more genomes are sequenced would increase the power to predict drug metabolism and response based on the genotype of the particular individual., (© 2019 Nordic Association for the Publication of BCPT (former Nordic Pharmacological Society).)

Water level fluctuation zone (WLFZ) with changeable environmental conditions would affect the transport and release of nutrients in the sediment. To investigate the influence of long-term water level fluctuations on sediment phosphorus (P), a reservoir sediment partitioning method based on historical water level was developed and applied in the Biliuhe Reservoir. The reservoir sediment was divided into frequent fluctuation zone (FFZ), fluctuation zone of continuous droughts (DFZ), and continuously submerged zone (CSZ). Sediment cores in different zones were collected and P was analyzed. TP content in the surface sediment progressively increased from FFZ, DFZ, to CSZ except the 0-10-cm samples of D1, and TP content of sediment cores increased gradually with decreasing depth except D1 core. Ferric iron-bound P (Fe-P) and organic P (OP) exhibited uniform spatial variation with TP, while no clear patterns were found with regard to the other forms. Fe-P composed most of TP (54.67 ± 10.15%) and had a significant positive correlation with stable OP (5.55 ± 2.07%). The contributions of Fe-P, detrital apatite P (Det-P), and OP are stable among the four cores, indicating that the relationship between the various P forms is relatively stable despite variations in environmental conditions of WLFZ. The alternation of deposition and erosion under long-term water level fluctuation can promote P transport down-flow, which can be prevented by the continuous growth of plants in WLFZ. Thus, the reasonable use of the plant growth in WLFZ can control the P load of the reservoir.

The variation of soil enzyme activity and relevance with soil nutrients was examined in multistable grazing alpine Kobresia grassland, including Gramineae-Kobresia humilis community, K. humilis community, K. pygmaea community at thickened stage, K. pygmaea community at cracked stage and forb-black soil type secondary bare land. The results showed that the vegetation coverage and aboveground biomass successively decreased with degenerative succession. The belowground biomass was the highest in the K. pygmaea community at thickened and cracked stages. The activities of soil sucrase, urease, cellulase, alkaline phosphatase and aryl sulfatase were higher at the surface soil layer (0-10 cm) than those at the subsurface soil layer (10-20 cm), while the pattern of chitinase activity was contrary. The activities of cellulase, alkaline phosphatase and aryl sulfatase were the highest in the Gramineae-K. humilis community and the lowest at the forb-black soil type secondary bare land, and they slightly increased during the thickened stage of K. pygmaea community. Chitinase activity was relatively high at the middle three stages, while urease and sucrase activity had an obvious increase in the forb-black soil type secondary bare land. Soil moisture, ammonium, alkali-hydrolyzable nitrogen, total nitrogen, total carbon and organic carbon successively decreased with degenerative succession, whereas the concentrations of nitrate and available phosphorus increased at the latter two succession stages. The activities of the other enzymes, except for chitinase, were significantly positively correlated with the soil available phosphorus, ammonium, alkali-hydrolyzed nitrogen, total carbon, and organic carbon, and negatively correlated with soil pH. The activities of cellulose, alkaline phosphatase and aryl sulfatase were significantly positively correlated with soil moisture and total nitrogen. The main factors affecting soil enzyme activity were available phosphorus and ammonium. Soil enzymes showed different evolutionary trends influenced by grazing degradation succession in the alpine grassland, with a synergistic effect with soil nut-rients. Moreover, severely degraded extreme environments may stimulate soil enzyme activities related to nitrogen and carbon transformation.

Artificial underground reservoirs have changed the hydrological cycle from its natural condition. This modification may trigger a series of negative environmental effects both at the local and regional levels. This study investigated the impact of the Wanghe artificial underground reservoir on groundwater flow and quality in the reservoir and its downstream area. Wanghe is a typical artificial underground reservoir scheme in China, which assumes the dual function of fresh-water preservation and control of seawater intrusion. The groundwater flow pattern has changed after the reservoir construction, and the water level in the reservoir rose rapidly. Evaluation of long-term groundwater level fluctuation suggested that the reservoir deprived the downstream aquifer of the runoff, which it received under the natural flow regime. A preliminary isotopic evaluation using 3 H was developed to understand the groundwater flow and renewal rates in the study area. The uniform distribution of tritium levels in the reservoir indicated that the stored water was well-mixed in both horizontal and vertical directions. The intervention on groundwater circulation also made differences in groundwater renewal rates between stored and downstream water. Field investigations on groundwater nitrogen pollution showed that the construction of the artificial underground reservoir resulted in nitrate accumulation in the stored water. Agriculturally derived nitrate was the largest contributor, and NO 3 - concentration varied considerably over time due to fertilization and irrigation activities, rainfall, and denitrification. NO 3 - -N distributed homogeneously in the reservoir, which was attributed to the construction of the subsurface dam, land use pattern and artificial groundwater flow.

Rapid and accurate estimation of soil nutrient content based on hyperspectral data is an optimal method for the monitoring of soil nutrient and inversion of soil physical and chemical characters. The relationship between soil nutrient content and spectral reflectance was analyzed with soil samples being collected from the loess hilly-gully region of northern Shaanxi Province. The prediction models of the content of soil organic matter, total nitrogen, total phosphorus and total potassium were constructed by the combination of three techniques, including partial least squares (PLS), multiple linear regression (MLR), and support vector machine (SVM). Then, the optimal model was selected by comparison analysis. The results showed good correlations between the content of soil nutrients and spectral reflectance in visible region (400-760 nm) and near infrared region (760-1100 nm). The maximum values of correlation coefficient located in both spectral regions. The SPA-SVM model had the best applicability and highest inversion accuracy for the contents of all soil nutrients, with simple and efficient modeling process. Our results provided a reference for applying machine learning algorithm in the construction of hyperspectral prediction model of soil nutrient content in the loess hilly-gully region.