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Introduction: Restrictive eligibility criteria in cancer drug trials result in low enrollment rates and limited population diversity. Relaxed eligibility criteria (REC) based on solid evidence is becoming necessary for stakeholders worldwide. However, the absence of high‐quality, favorable evidence remains a major challenge. This study presents a protocol to quantitatively evaluate the impact of relaxing eligibility criteria in common non‐small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) protocols in China, on the risk–benefit profile. This involves a detailed explanation of the rationale, framework, and design of REC. Methods: To evaluate our REC in NSCLC drug trials, we will first construct a structured, cross‐dimensional real‐world NSCLC database using deep learning methods. We will then establish randomized virtual cohorts and perform benefit–risk assessment using Monte Carlo simulation and propensity matching. Shapley value will be utilized to quantitatively measure the effect of the change of each eligibility criterion on patient volume, clinical efficacy and safety. Discussion: This study is one of the few that focuses on the problem of overly stringent eligibility criteria cancer drug clinical trials, providing quantitative evaluation of the effect of relaxing each NSCLC eligibility criterion. This study will not only provide scientific evidence for the rational design of population inclusion in lung cancer clinical trials, but also establish a data governance system, as well as a REC evaluation framework that can be generalized to other cancer studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To identify the effectiveness and safety of inactivated SARS‐CoV‐2 vaccines in rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMDs) patients. Methods: RMD patients with COVID‐19 in Jiangsu Province were polled between December 8, 2022, and February 1, 2023. Information on demographics, disease characteristics, antirheumatic drug use, vaccination status and survival state were collected. COVID‐19‐associated pneumonia was the primary outcome. The effect of COVID‐19 immunization on RMD patients was assessed using multivariate logistic regression, and the adverse events (AEs) following vaccination were evaluated. Results: Among 592 RMD patients with COVID‐19, 276 (46.6%) individuals experienced COVID‐19‐associated pneumonia, and 290 (49.0%) patients were injected with inactivated vaccines. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, vaccines reduced the incidence of COVID‐19‐associated pneumonia, and receiving booster vaccine was an independent protective factor for COVID‐19‐associated pneumonia in RMD patients (OR 0.64, 95% CI 0.41–0.98, p =.034). In particular, inactivated vaccines have a protective impact on RMD patients with a high risk of developing pneumonia, including those aged 45 years and older (OR 0.53, 95% CI 0.34–0.83), and who have lung involvement (OR 0.43, 95% CI 0.23–0.82). The total AEs rate of vaccines was 13.9% (40/290), only 11 (3.8%) experienced the recurrence or deterioration of RMDs, and no serious AEs occurred. Conclusion: Inactivated COVID‐19 vaccines were safe and effective in reducing the risk of COVID‐19‐associated pneumonia of RMD patients in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mucopolysaccharidosis type IIIC (MPS IIIC) is one of inherited lysosomal storage disorders, caused by deficiencies in lysosomal hydrolases degrading acidic mucopolysaccharides. The gene responsible for MPS IIIC is HGSNAT, which encodes an enzyme that catalyses the acetylation of the terminal glucosamine residues of heparan sulfate. So far, few studies have focused on the genetic landscape of MPS IIIC in China, where IIIA and IIIB were the major subtypes. In this study, we utilized whole‐exome sequencing (WES) to identify novel compound heterozygous variants in the HGSNAT gene from a Chinese patient with typical MPS IIIC symptoms: c.743G>A; p.Gly248Glu and c.1030C>T; p.Arg344Cys. We performed in silico analysis and experimental validation, which confirmed the deleterious pathogenic nature of both variants, as evidenced by the loss of HGSNAT activity and failure of lysosomal localization. To the best of our knowledge, the MPS IIIC is first confirmed by clinical, biochemical and molecular genetic findings in China. Our study thus expands the spectrum of MPS IIIC pathogenic variants, which is of importance to dissect the pathogenesis and to carry out clinical diagnosis of MPS IIIC. Moreover, this study helps to depict the natural history of Chinese MPS IIIC populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the increasing uncertainty of urban development, urban shrinkage in the rapid urbanization process in China has become increasingly serious. While many studies have explored urban shrinkage from the economic and population perspectives, they often ignore the essence of the phased evolution of economic and population factors. Thus, this study introduces the theory of economic resilience into the field of urban shrinkage and constructs a theoretical method for identifying urban shrinkage by integrating economic resilience and population change to reveal the evolutionary trajectory of regional urban growth and shrinkage. The results show that urban economic resilience and population change in the Shanxi-Shaanxi-Inner Mongolia region (SSIMR) exhibit strong volatility, highlighting the importance of conducting urban shrinkage studies within specific crisis disturbance scenarios. In the context of the "new normal of the economy", the economic resilience of cities in the SSIMR has significantly declined, and the problem of economic recession is gradually intensifying. The population change trend of cities in the SSIMR is relatively stable, with population loss being a common problem in urban development in the area and its scope and intensity increasing daily. Urban development in the SSIMR is evolving from global growth to widespread shrinkage, with 56.67% of the cities experiencing relative shrinkage, showing a spatial pattern of "western growth–eastern shrinkage". Factors such as the agglomeration effect, industrial structure, and policy system collectively shape the evolution of urban growth and shrinkage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To investigate the application value of combining the Demirjian's method with machine learning algorithms for dental age estimation in northern Chinese Han children and adolescents. Methods Oral panoramic images of 10 256 Han individuals aged 5 to 24 years in northern China were collected. The development of eight permanent teeth in the left mandibular was classified into different stages using the Demirjian's method. Various machine learning algorithms, including support vector regression (SVR), gradient boosting regression (GBR), linear regression (LR), random forest regression (RFR), and decision tree regression (DTR) were employed. Age estimation models were constructed based on total, female, and male samples respectively using these algorithms. The fitting performance of different machine learning algorithms in these three groups was evaluated. Results SVR demonstrated superior estimation efficiency among all machine learning models in both total and female samples, while GBR showed the best performance in male samples. The mean absolute error (MAE) of the optimal age estimation model was 1.246 3, 1.281 8 and 1.153 8 years in the total, female and male samples, respectively. The optimal age estimation model exhibited varying levels of accuracy across different age ranges, which provided relatively accurate age estimations in individuals under 18 years old. Conclusion The machine learning model developed in this study exhibits good age estimation efficiency in northern Chinese Han children and adolescents. However, its performance is not ideal when applied to adult population. To improve the accuracy in age estimation, the other variables can be considered. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, medium- and low-speed maglev trains have been put into use in China. It was discovered during testing that the electric shoegear and conductor rail system generate significant vibration and noise when the electric shoegear passes through expansion and intermediate joints. By analyzing the sound pressure level (SPL) of the noise signal, it was found that the A-weighted SPL of the noise was between 77.83 dBA and 91.80 dBA, when the maglev trains were running normally, which reached the level of annoyance. Based on the theory of self-excited frictional vibrations, the finite element models of an electric shoegear and conductor rail system (shoe–rail system) were established. The main frequency of the vibration signal calculated by the transient dynamic analysis method was 1510.05 Hz. The self-excited frictional vibrations of the system were further studied using the complex eigenvalue analysis (CEA), and the causes of the noise are analyzed. The results show that the system has unstable vibration when the friction coefficient was greater than or equal to 0.21. The parameter sensitivity analysis showed that the slip shoe material of the electric shoegear, vertical damping of the suspension device, and tuned mass damper (TMD) structure have an important influence on the generation of vibration and noise of the system. Installing an appropriately tuned mass damper structure can suppress or eliminate the unstable vibration of the system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The combination of tislelizumab and gemcitabine plus cisplatin (GP) in the first‐line treatment of patients with recurrent or metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (R/M NPC) has yielded significant results. However, it is not clear whether this treatment option is cost‐effective in China. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the cost‐effectiveness of tislelizumab plus GP for the first‐line treatment of R/M NPC from the perspective of the Chinese healthcare system. Methods: A partitioned survival model with three discrete health states was constructed to evaluate the cost‐effectiveness of tislelizumab plus GP versus GP in patients with R/M NPC. The target population enrolled in the RATIONALE‐309 trial had previously not treated for R/M NPC. Drug costs were obtained from relevant databases, and the remaining cost and health utility data were collected from the literature. The main outcomes include the expected life years, quality‐adjusted life years (QALYs), total cost, and incremental cost–benefit ratio (ICER). Results: The tislelizumab plus GP regimen produced an additional cost ($18392.76) and additional 1.57 QALYs compared with GP used alone. The ICER was $18392.75/QALYs. Sensitivity analysis showed that the analysis was robust and the utility of PD status was most sensitive to the model results. The possibility of tislelizumab plus GP being cost‐effective at the willingness‐to‐pay (WTP) threshold of $37 653/QALY was 99.8%. Subgroup analysis showed that high PD‐L1 expression had little impact on the ICER of this regimen. Conclusion: In patients with R/M NPC, the regimen of tislelizumab plus GP, as the first‐line treatment, is more cost‐effective than the GP regimen in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Human-perceived temperature (HPT) describes the joint effects of multiple climatic factors such as temperature and humidity. Extreme HPT events may reduce labor capacity and cause thermal discomfort and even mortality. These events are becoming more frequent and more intense under global warming, posing severe threats to human and natural systems worldwide, particularly in populated areas with intensive human activities, e.g., the North China Plain (NCP). Therefore, a fine-scale HPT dataset in both spatial and temporal dimensions is urgently needed. Here we construct a daily high-resolution (~1 km) human thermal index collection over NCP from 2003 to 2020 (HiTIC-NCP). This dataset contains 12 HPT indices and has high accuracy with averaged determination coefficient, mean absolute error, and root mean squared error of 0.987, 0.970 °C, and 1.292 °C, respectively. Moreover, it exhibits high spatiotemporal consistency with ground-level observations. The dataset provides a reference for human thermal environment and could facilitate studies such as natural hazards, regional climate change, and urban planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Southwest China is an ecologically fragile area with a high proportion of karstland and large variations in terrain, and it can be greatly affected by land use change. From 2000 to 2020, with the acceleration of urbanization in the whole country, the macro-scale Grain-for-Green Program (GFGP) has been developed in the karstland of southwest China. This has resulted in the expansion of forest and construction land with a reduction in cultivated land. The response of ecosystem services (ESs) to these changes needs to be investigated. However, there is a lack of in-depth analysis of the karstland of southwest China, and current studies mostly focus on the spatio-temporal variation in individual ESs or how the whole land use change affects ESs. Thus, our study uses an InVEST model and geographically and temporally weighted regression (GTWR) to examine the spatio-temporal variation in land use associated with four ESs, namely water conservancy (WC), soil conservancy (SC), carbon sequestration (CS), and habitat quality (HQ). We found that the GFGP area first increased and then decreased, aggregating to 4.48 × 104 km2 from 2000 to 2020. We also observed that from 2000 to 2020, ESs remained stable or gradually increased (despite fluctuations), SC was the most stable, whereas WC, CS, and HQ first decreased and then fluctuated more. This may be related to the destruction of topsoil in the early stages of the GFGP and the relatively weak ES supply capacity of the young trees. Moreover, the response of ecosystem services to the GFGP was spatially heterogeneous, suggesting a strong driving influence of the local environment, mainly caused by the distribution of karstland and terrain, differentiated urbanization levels, and the intensity of the GFGP. Specifically, the relatively significantly positive effects of WC, SC, and CS were found in western and northern cities, and so was the HQ in southeastern cities. On the contrary, the negative impacts of urbanization were found to weaken over time, suggesting the trade-off effect of the GFGP. Our findings would contribute to the development of effective forest management strategies and provide valuable insights for policymakers and stakeholders involved in ecosystem restoration and conservation efforts by exploring the impacts of the GFGP and urbanization on ESs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scedosporium apiospermum (S. apiospermum) is typically reported to be involved in superficial and subcutaneous fungal infections but overlooked in invasive infections, which is associated with a high mortality rate. It poses a diagnostic challenge due to its confusable characteristics to other hyaline hyphomycetes. Here, we reported a psoriasis patient with an invasive S. apiospermum infection. The patient presents an abscess at the intermuscular space of the left hip and an increased C-reactive protein level. Pus culture showed white-greyish, cottonlike colonies with aerial mycelium and terminal oval conidia, suggesting S. apiospermum. This rare fungus was rapidly confirmed by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry and RNA sequencing. The patient was successfully treated with voriconazole with no recurrence of the abscesses despite delayed treatment. This is the first such case infection report from China that described an unusual case of intermuscular space abscesses due to S. apiospermum. This report highlights the possibility of fungal infections in deeper tissue, as well as the necessity of thorough evaluation and microbiological diagnosis for invasive infections, particularly in immunocompromised patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Sintilimab combined with IBI305 treatment regimen had potential clinical benefits than sorafenib in the first‐line treatment of patients with unresectable hepatic cell carcinoma (HCC). However, whether sintilimab plus IBI305 has economic benefits in China remains unclear. Methods: From the perspective of Chinese payers, we used the Markov model to simulate patients with HCC receiving treatment with sintilimab plus IBI305 and sorafenib. The transition probability between health states was estimated using the parametric survival model, and the cumulative medical costs and utility of the two treatment methods were estimated. Considering the incremental cost‐effectiveness ratios (ICERs) as the evaluation index, sensitivity analyses were performed to explore the impact of uncertainty on the results. Results: Compared to sorafenib, sintilimab plus IBI305 generated an additional $17552.17 and 0.33 quality‐adjusted life years, resulting in an ICER of $52817.89. The analysis outcomes were most sensitive to the total cost of sintilimab plus IBI305. With a willingness‐to‐pay threshold of $38,334, sintilimab plus IBI305 showed a 1.28% probability of being cost‐effective. The total cost of sintilimab plus IBI305 should be reduced by at least 31.9% to be accepted by Chinese payers. Conclusions: Regardless of whether the price of sintilimab plus IBI305 and sorafenib is covered by Medicare, sintilimab plus IBI305 is unlikely to be cost‐effective for first‐line treatment of patients with unresectable HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is vital to evaluate the effects of China's farmland certification programme on farmers' economic welfare and clarify the impact mechanism. This paper uses the China Labour Dynamics Survey (2014, 2016),1 building endogenous switching regression and endogenous switching probit models to test the impact of the farmland certification programme on farmers' net agricultural income and poverty status after correcting for endogeneity. A robustness analysis is conducted applying instrumental variable and propensity score matching methods. The results indicate that the farmland certification programme can significantly increase farmer households' economic welfare, including an 83.10% improvement in agricultural net income and a 3.17% reduction in poverty. Farmland certification also prompts farmers to allocate more resources to agriculture and reduces poverty by increasing farmers' agricultural income. This study presents a constructive evaluation of the performance of China's farmland certification policy, providing a strong theoretical and empirical foundation and a useful policy reference for consolidating the achievements of poverty alleviation and effectively linking rural revitalisation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To evaluate the effectiveness of donor in vitro fertilization (IVF-D) and donor artificial insemination (AI-D) in clinical outcomes, risks, and costs. Methods: This study analyzed the cycle changes and clinical outcomes in 20,910 IVF-D and 16,850 AI-D cycles between 2013 and 2021 in the Reproductive and Genetic Hospital of CITIC-Xiangya. A cost-effectiveness analysis was performed to evaluate the costs per couple and per live birth cycle in the two treatment groups. Results: IVF-D had higher pregnancy and live birth rates than AI-D (p < 0.001). The cumulative pregnancy and live birth rates for three AI-D cycles were 41.01% and 32.42%, respectively, higher than the rates for one or two AI-D cycles. The multiple birth and birth defect rate of AI-D was lower than that of IVF-D significantly. IVF-D mean cost per couple was higher than that of AI-D (CNY32,575 vs. CNY11,062, p < 0.001), with a mean cost difference of CNY21,513 (95% confidence interval, CNY20,517–22,508). The mean costs per live birth cycle for IVF-D and AI-D were CNY49,411 and CNY31,246, respectively. Conclusion: AI-D is more cost-effective and poses a lower risk for infertility couples than IVF-D, and patients should undergo three AI-D cycles to obtain the highest success rate. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Importance: There are a variety of musculoskeletal malformations and injuries that can occur in newborns. These can be a significant cause of perinatal death or a reason for miscarriage and can lead to long‐term functional issues if not managed appropriately. There is no systematic and well‐established screening program for neonatal musculoskeletal malformations and injuries in China now. Objective: To report the incidence and types of congenital musculoskeletal malformations in two hospitals in Shenzhen City, to explore and discuss the details of the screening procedure and improve future prevention and treatment. Methods: From October 2013 to May 2014, 2564 one‐day‐old newborns were screened by a pediatric orthopedic physical examination, in combination with ultrasonography when required, and the incidence and variety of diseases were recorded statistically. Results: Among 2564 screened newborns, the following musculoskeletal conditions were identified: congenital muscular torticollis (CMT) (seven cases, 0.27%), hip subluxation (four cases, 0.16%), hip dysplasia (47 cases, 1.83%), congenital talipes equinovarus (CTEV) (two cases, 0.08%), congenital talipes calcaneovalgus (15 cases, 0.58%), polydactyly (nine cases, 0.35%), syndactyly (one case, 0.04%), and spinal hemivertebra (one case, 0.04%). Additionally, there were five (0.19%) neonates with birth injuries. Interpretation: It is feasible to carry out neonatal screening and identification of musculoskeletal malformations and birth injuries in China. This is helpful as timely detection and early intervention for many of these conditions can avoid permanent functional impairment in these children. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Comprehensive evaluation of the geological disaster risk of super long tunnels is significant for safety construction. In this paper, we establish a comprehensive evaluation system based on the cloud model and analytic hierarchy process (AHP) theory, considering four kinds of geological hazards, such as water and mud inrush, large deformation, rock burst, and collapse. Then, based on a super long highway tunnel of the Chizhou-Qimen expressway in China, the construction risk evaluation is carried out. The results show that the evaluation system can accurately judge the disaster risk level of the tunnel under different conditions surrounding a rock. The cloud model theory can realize the mutual transformation of qualitative indicators and quantitative indicators and avoid the problem of intense subjectivity of evaluation indicators. The evaluation system can be used as a new approach to evaluate tunnel risks in similar projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Fractures are the most common type of unintentional injury in children, with traumatic upper limb fractures accounting for approximately 80% of all childhood fractures. Many epidemiological investigations of upper limb fractures in children have been conducted, but with the development of society, the patterns of childhood fractures may have changed. This study aimed to analyze the epidemiology and economic cost factors of upper limb fractures in Chinese children. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed children with upper limb fractures or old upper limb fractures hospitalized between December 1, 2015, and December 31, 2019, in 22 tertiary children's hospitals, under China's Futang Research Center of Pediatric Development. We used the ICD10 codes on the front sheet of their medical records to identify cases and extracted data on age, sex, injury cause, fracture site, treatment, the year of admission and discharge, visiting time, and various costs during hospitalization from the medical record. Results: A total of 32,439 children (21,478 boys and 10,961 girls) were identified, of whom 32,080 had fresh fractures and 359 had old fractures. The peak age was 3–6 years in both sexes. A total of 4788 were infants, 14,320 were preschoolers, 10,499 were in of primary school age, and 2832 were adolescent. Fractures were most frequent in autumn (August to October). Admissions peaked at 0 o'clock. Among the 32,080 children with fresh upper limb fractures, the most common fracture site was the distal humerus, with a total of 20,090 fracture events including 13,134 humeral supracondylar fractures and 4914 lateral humeral condyle fractures. The most common cause of injuries was falling over. The most common joint dislocation accompanying upper limb fractures occurred in the elbow, involving 254 cases. Surgery was performed in 31,274 children, and 806 did not receive surgery. Among those with clear operative records, 10,962 children were treated with open reduction and 18,066 with closed reduction. The number of cases was largest in the East China region (Anhui Province, Shandong Province, Jiangsu Province, Zhejiang Province, and Fujian Province), with 12,065 cases overall. Among the 359 children with old fractures, 118 were admitted with a diagnosis of "old humerus fracture," accounting for the highest proportion; 244 underwent surgical open reduction, 16.16% of whom had osteotomy. For the children with fresh fractures, the average total hospital cost was 10,994 yuan, and the highest average total hospital cost was 14,053 yuan, for humeral shaft fractures. For the children with old fractures, the average total hospital cost was 15,151 yuan, and the highest average total hospital cost was 20,698 yuan, for old ulna fractures. Cost of materials was the principle factor affecting total hospital cost, followed by surgery and anesthesia costs, both in children with fresh fractures and those with old fractures. Significant differences were observed in all hospital costs (P < 0.001) except treatment costs (P = 0.702), between children with fresh fractures and those with old fractures. Among the 32,439 children, full self-payment accounted for the highest proportion of all payment methods, involving 17,088 cases, with an average cost of 11,111 yuan. Conclusion: Information on the epidemiological characteristics of childhood fractures suggests that health and safety education and protective measures should be strengthened to prevent upper limb fractures in children. For both fresh and old fractures, the cost of materials was the principal factor affecting total hospital cost, followed by surgery and anesthesia costs. The overall average total hospital cost is higher in children with old fractures than in children with fresh fractures. Among all children, full self-payment, at 53% of children, accounted for the highest proportion of all payment methods. Hospital costs are a headache for those families who will pay on their own. It can lead to a delayed treatment and unhealed fractures or malunion in some children. Therefore, the child trauma care system and training on fractures need to be improved, to reduce the late presentation of fractures. These combined measures will improve children's quality of life, reduce the expenditure of families, and decrease the public health burden. To provide better medical services for children, authorities must improve the allocation of health resources, establish a comprehensive medical security system for children, and set up more child trauma centers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common type of liver cancer and causes many cancer-related deaths worldwide; in China, it is the second most prevalent cause of cancer deaths. Most patients are diagnosed clinically with advanced stage disease. Summary: For more than a decade, sorafenib, a small-molecular-weight tyrosine kinase inhibitor (SMW-TKI) was the only molecular targeted drug available with a survival benefit for the treatment of advanced HCC. With the development of novel TKIs and immune checkpoint inhibitors for advanced HCC, the management of patients has been greatly improved. However, though angiogenic-based targeted therapy remains the backbone for the systemic treatment of HCC, to date, no Chinese guidelines for novel molecular targeted therapies to treat advanced HCC have been established. Our interdisciplinary panel on the treatment of advanced HCC comprising hepatologists, hepatobiliary surgeons, oncologists, radiologists, pathologists, orthopedic surgeons, traditional Chinese medicine physicians, and interventional radiologists has reviewed the literature in order to develop updated treatment regimens. Key Messages: Panel consensus statements for the appropriate use of new molecular -targeted drugs including doses, combination therapies, adverse reaction management as well as efficacy evaluation, and predictions for treatment of advanced HCC with evidence levels based on published data are presented, thereby providing an overview of molecular targeted therapies for healthcare professionals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbonate gas reservoirs in China are rich in reserves. In the development process, there are many reserves with low permeability, low efficiency and low recovery degree. It is difficult to stabilize gas well production and prolong its life cycle. Under the condition of original water saturation (Sw) of 0%, 20%, 40%, 55% and 65%, respectively, the physical simulation experiment of gas reservoirs depletion development was carried out by using long core multi-point embedded pressure measuring system. The long cores with average gas permeability of 2.300 mD, 0.485 mD and 0.046 mD (assembled from 10 carbonate cores) were used to carry out this experiment. During the experiment, the pressure dynamics at different positions inside the long core and the gas production dynamics at the outlet were recorded in real time to reveal the production performance and reserves utilization law of carbonate gas reservoirs. The results show that the stable production period of tight reservoir in carbonate gas reservoirs is short, and the low production period is relatively long. The stable production time and recovery rate of gas reservoir increase with the increase of reservoir permeability and decrease with the increase of water saturation. The production of tight carbonate gas reservoirs with permeability less than 0.1 mD is greatly affected by pore water, and the reservoir pressure distribution shows a steep pressure drop funnel, and the reserves far from well are rarely used. Therefore, the reserves far from well should be utilized by closing well to restore formation pressure balance, densifying well pattern or transforming reservoir. The variation range of water saturation in the development of carbonate gas reservoirs is influenced by reservoir permeability and water saturation, and closely related to formation pressure gradient in production process. It decreases with the increase of reservoir permeability and increases with the increase of original water saturation. The research results provide a theoretical basis for understanding the relationship between physical properties of carbonate gas reservoirs and production performance, reserves utilization law, and realizing balanced utilization, efficient development and long-term stable production of carbonate gas reservoirs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The neoadjuvant and adjuvant anti-PD-1/PD-L1 treatment has been increasingly noticed. To summarize the global landscape of these clinical trials will provide essential data for all the stakeholders of drug development. Based on the Trialtrove database, a total of 668 clinical trials initiated by the end of 2020 were retrospectively analyzed. We found that a rising capability of global neoadjuvant and adjuvant anti-PD-1/PD-L1 clinical development has been achieved. High prevalent cancer types were extensively studied though the priorities in China and the United States were different. However, a lack of phase III trials and industry-sponsored trials was addressed. The confirmatory neoadjuvant trials were particularly insufficient, and the combination strategy mainly focused on chemotherapy. Thus, more public funding and accelerated regulatory strategies are needed in this field. Efforts should be made to confirm the benefit of neoadjuvant treatment and explore novel combination strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To clarify the effect of postmastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT) on pT 1-2 N 1 breast cancer patients with different molecular subtypes. We retrospectively analyzed the data of 5442 patients with pT 1-2 N 1 breast cancer treated using modified radical mastectomy in 11 hospitals in China. Univariate, multivariate, and propensity score matching (PSM) analyses were used to evaluate the effect of PMRT on locoregional recurrence (LRR). With a median follow-up duration of 63.8 months, the 5-year LRR rates were 4.0% and 7.7% among patients treated with and without PMRT, respectively (p < 0.001). PMRT was independently associated with reduced LRR after adjustments for confounders (p < 0.001). After grouping the patients according to the molecular subtype of cancer and conducting PSM, we found that the 5-year LRR rates among patients treated with and without PMRT (in that order) were as follows: luminal HER2-negative cancer, 1.9% and 6.5% (p < 0.001); luminal HER2-positive cancer, 3.8% and 13.7% (p = 0.041); HER2-overexpressing cancer, 10.2% and 15.5% (p = 0.236); and triple-negative cancer, 4.6% and 15.9% (p = 0.002). Among patients with HER2-overexpressing and triple-negative cancers, the LRR hazard rate displayed a dominant early peak, and was extremely low after 5 years. However, patients with luminal cancer continued to have a long-lasting high annual LRR hazard rate during follow-up. PMRT significantly reduced the LRR risk in patients with pT 1-2 N 1 luminal and triple-negative breast cancers, but had no effect on the LRR risk in patients with HER2-overexpressing cancer. Patients with different molecular subtypes displayed different annual LRR patterns, and the late recurrence of the luminal subtype suggests the necessity of long-term follow-up to evaluate the efficacy of PMRT. • PMRT reduces LRR of pT 1-2 N 1 luminal and triple-negative breast cancers. • PMRT has no effect on the LRR of HER2-overexpressing breast cancer. • Different molecular subtypes display different annual LRR patterns. • Late LRR beyond 5 years is observed in luminal breast cancers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To systematically evaluate the efficacy, safety, and precision of TMTP for COVID-19. Methods. Randomized controlled trials and retrospective studies were searched in 11 electronic databases. This network meta-analysis included trials using TMTP to treat patients with COVID-19. The traditional pairwise meta-analysis was done by using Stata 15, and Bayesian network meta-analysis was done with WinBUGS. Results. 18 trials were included with 2036 participants and 7 drugs. The results showed that LHQW had the most significant effects on improving expectoration, shortness of breath, sore throat, nausea, emesis, inappetence, muscle soreness, and headache, and it could produce the least adverse reactions. XBJ was the best drug for fever, fatigue, and diarrhea, which showed great advantages in lowering WBC levels. XFBD was the most effective drug for cough and chest distress, which had the least exacerbation rate. JHQG was the most effective for rhinobyon and rhinorrhea, while QFPD was the best drug in decreasing CRP levels. Conclusion. This study was the first most large-scale and comprehensive research of TMTP for COVID-19. The results showed that LHQW had good efficacy without obvious adverse reactions. Therefore, we believe that it should be firstly recommended for COVID-19 treatment. In addition, XBJ is recommended for patients with a severe fever, fatigue, and diarrhea, and JHQG is recommended for patients with obvious rhinobyon and rhinorrhea; then, XFBD is recommended for patients with cough and chest tightness as the main manifestation. Our findings will help experts develop new COVID-19 treatment guidelines to better guide clinical medication for protecting the health of COVID-19 patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To investigate the potential mechanism and molecular characteristics of linezolid-non-sensitive Enterococcus faecium from a tertiary hospital in southwest China and characterize the relevant plasmids. Patients and Methods: Linezolid-non-sensitive Enterococcus faecium (LNSEFM) isolates collected from January 2014 to December 2018 were screened for resistant genes 23s rRNA, rplC, rplD, rplV, optrA, cfr, poxtA, by PCR. Molecular epidemiological analysis was performed by multilocus sequence typing (MLST). The optrA-and-poxtA co-harboring strain EFM_7150 was subjected to the whole genome sequencing (WGS) by Illumina HiSeq and Oxford Nanopore MinION. Results: A total of 15 LNSEFM with linezolid MICs ranging from 4 to 16 mg/L were identified. About 66.7% (10/15) of isolates were linezolid-resistant. About 46.7% (7/15) of strains were positive for optrA. Two types of optrA variants (P and EYDNDM) were identified. About 13.3% (2/15) of isolates had poxtA. 1 harbored a L22 protein alteration (Ser77Thr). One isolate coharbored optrA (EYDNDM variant) and poxtA. There was no mutation in the gene that encoded the ribosomal protein L3/L4 or the domain V of 23S rRNA. No cfr gene was detected. Based on WGS data, optrA was associated with Tn558 inserted to radC gene and poxtA was flanked by IS1216E. Conclusion: OptrA is primary mechanism in linezolid-resistant Enterococcus faecium. This is the first report ofoptrA variants P and EYDNDM identified in Enterococcus faecium and optrA-and-poxtA co-harboring Enterococcus faecium clinically in southwest China. Besides, Tn558 and IS1216Es may play an important role in the dissemination of optrA and poxtA, respectively. The findings revealed the potential threat to nosocomial infection by optrA and coexistence of optrA and poxtA in Enterococcus faecium. Thus, clinical surveillance of linezolid-resistant Enterococcus is urgently needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and aim: Autoantibody production are the main risk factors for inflammation of rheumatoid arthritis (RA). This study aimed to investigate differences in B lymphocyte subsets (native B, memory B, and plasmablasts) and several cytokines in RA patients and their correlation with the clinical parameters. Methods: In total, 81 RA patients (active RA and inactive RA) and 40 healthy subjects were recruited between September 2018 and October 2020. The distribution of B lymphocyte subsets in peripheral blood samples was measured via flow cytometry and the plasma cytokines were detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay. The receiver operating characteristic curve (ROC) was used to evaluate the value of each index for RA diagnosis and activity prediction. Results: The percentages of native B and memory B cells in RA patients did not differ significantly from the percentages of those in healthy controls. However, the percentage of plasmablasts in active RA patients was significantly higher compared with healthy subjects and inactive RA patients. The percentage of plasmablasts was significantly related to C reaction protein. ROC curve analysis showed that when the best cutoff value of plasmablasts/B cell was 1.08%, the area under the curve (AUC) for diagnosing RA was 0.831 (95% CI 0.748 ~ 0.915), the specificity was 91.4%, and the sensitivity was 67.5%. The AUC predicted by the combination of plasmablast and anti-CCP for active RA patients was 0.760, which was higher than that of plasmablast and anti-CCP. Conclusion: In conclusion, the percentage of plasmablast varies among RA patients in different stages. The percentage of plasmablasts can be used as an early diagnosis marker for RA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The phase 3 NCT00793962 trial demonstrated that postmastectomy hypofractionated radiation therapy (HFRT) was noninferior to conventional fractionated radiation therapy (CFRT) in patients with high-risk breast cancer. This study assessed the cost-effectiveness of postmastectomy HFRT vs CFRT based on the NCT00793962 trial. A Markov model was adopted to synthesize the medical costs and health benefits of patients with high-risk breast cancer based on data from the NCT00793962 trial. Main outcomes were discounted lifetime costs, quality-adjusted life-years (QALYs), and incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER). We employed a time-dependent horizon from Chinese, French and USA payer perspectives. Model robustness was evaluated with one-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses. Patients receiving CFRT versus HFRT gained an incremental 0.0163 QALYs, 0.0118 QALYs and 0.0028 QALYs; meanwhile an incremental cost of $2351.92, $4978.34 and $8812.70 from Chinese, French and USA payer perspectives, respectively. Thus CFRT versus HFRT yielded an ICER of $144,281.47, $420,636.10 and $3,187,955.76 per QALY from Chinese, French and USA payer perspectives, respectively. HFRT could maintain a trend of >50% probabilities of cost-effectiveness below a willingness-to-pay (WTP) of $178,882.00 in China, while HFRT was dominant relative to CFRT, regardless of the WTP values in France and the USA. Sensitivity analyses indicated that the ICERs were most sensitive to the parameters of overall survival after radiotherapy. Postmastectomy HFRT could be used as a cost-effective substitute for CFRT in patients with high-risk breast cancer and should be considered in appropriately selected patients. • HFRT is a cost-effective substitute for CFRT for women with high-risk breast cancer. • The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio varied in a time-dependent manner and increased with the time horizon. • Overall survival were the most influential parameter on the incremental cost-effectiveness ratio. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rural land consolidation (RLC) is beneficial to rural development to a certain extent. While acknowledging this relationship, little is known about the extent of the impact of RLC on rural vitalization at the village level and its change. Based on the theoretical analytical framework and multi-source data, this study adopts field investigation and GIS technology in Jinzhuang Village, China, to qualitatively reveal how RLC affects rural development and quantitatively analyze the effectiveness of RLC on local vitalization. The results show that greenhouse-led RLC promotes the spatial restructuring and industrial transformation of Jinzhuang Village. In this process, the restructuring of production-living-ecological space is mutually reinforced and restrictive, and compared with the decrease of the ecological space, the production space has gradually expanded and the living space has increased slightly. On the whole, RLC has boosted the development level of Jinzhuang Village. However, its main contribution lies in the socio-economic aspects, at the expense of the ecological environment, and its positive and negative effects, based on the quantitative analysis, on cultural development almost cancel each other out. Additionally, working in greenhouses for years poses a health risk to tomato farmers. Based on the above analysis and discussion, policy recommendations are provided. • An analysis framework concerning the impact of RLC on rural vitalization at the village level is established. • RLC promotes local spatial restructuring and industrial transformation. • We found the greenhouse-led RLC promotes socio-economic development rather than eco-environmental and cultural development. • Simple RLC led by economic benefits should be transformed into comprehensive RLC with coordination between multi-functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of explosives in cities is under strict control due to the risks associated with blasting. It is difficult to perform nonexplosive continuous excavation on hard rock connecting passage in crowded cities with dense high buildings and populations safely and rapidly. Therefore, a new method of rock fracturing through high-pressure gas expansion is proposed. The method was applied for the excavation of a connecting passage on the Hangzhou-Lin'an Intercity Railway in China. Analysis was conducted on the parameters of rock fracturing, rock fracturing effects of this method, and its impact on the vibration of surrounding buildings. Overall, when the compressive strength of rock reaches 100 MPa, and the surrounding rocks are dense, this method of rock fracturing can fully meet the requirements of rapid excavation in a connecting passage, and the vibration resulting from rock fracturing causes only a slight disturbance to the adjacent buildings. After optimizing the rock fracturing parameters, better, smoother rock fracturing effects are obtained, and a set of safe and efficient solutions to the excavation of hard rock in cities are created. It can provide a new approach for rock fracturing in similar projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Artificial ground freezing (AGF) technology is sometimes adopted to reinforce the surrounding soil to ensure the safety of subway tunnels during construction in the eastern coastal areas of China. The mechanical characteristics of frozen soil are subjected to change due to the incorporation of chlorine salt, and the soil strength decreases significantly with an increase of salt content. The mechanical properties of frozen silty clay have been rarely investigated due to the coupling effect of temperature, strain rate, and salt content. In this study, before the application of AGF, a series of unconfined compressive strength (UCS) tests and the consolidated-undrained static triaxial compression tests were conducted on frozen silty clay to investigate the influence of salt content, temperature, and strain rate on the mechanical properties of frozen soil. From the stress-strain curves of the UCS test, strain-hardening and strain-softening behavior were identified as a result of the influence of different temperatures and salt contents. Regression analysis was performed to discriminate the effect of each individual factor and their coupling effect. The results reveal that soil UCS logarithmically increased with a decrease in relative temperature and strain rate. Both UCS and static triaxial strength linearly decreased with an increase in salt content. The influence of salt content on the strength of frozen soil was discussed and compared with previous researches. Furthermore, an elastic-plastic constitutive model was proposed to characterize the stress-strain behavior in which the effects of strain rate and salt content were included. At last, with consideration of salt content, a modified constitutive model was proposed to describe the strength and deformation behavior of frozen silty clay. • UCS was extracted and constitutive model was established with consideration of temperature, strain rate, and salt content • The frozen chloride soil strength is predicted by superimposing the coupling effect of salt content and confining pressure • The sensitivities of the strength and deformation behavior of NaCl saline soils to salt content are characterized [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Paeonia lactiflora 'Hangshao' is widely cultivated in China as a traditional Chinese medicine 'Radix Paeoniae Alba'. Due to the abundant unsaturated fatty acids in its seed, it can also be regarded as a new oilseed plant. However, the process of the biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acids in it has remained unknown. Therefore, transcriptome analysis is helpful to better understand the underlying molecular mechanisms. Results: Five main fatty acids were detected, including stearic acid, palmitic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid and α-linolenic acid, and their absolute contents first increased and then decreased during seed development. A total of 150,156 unigenes were obtained by transcriptome sequencing. There were 15,005 unigenes annotated in the seven functional databases, including NR, NT, GO, KOG, KEGG, Swiss-Prot and InterPro. Based on the KEGG database, 1766 unigenes were annotated in the lipid metabolism. There were 4635, 12,304, and 18,291 DEGs in Group I (60 vs 30 DAF), Group II (90 vs 60 DAF) and Group III (90 vs 30 DAF), respectively. A total of 1480 DEGs were detected in the intersection of the three groups. In 14 KEGG pathways of lipid metabolism, 503 DEGs were found, belonging to 111 enzymes. We screened out 123 DEGs involved in fatty acid biosynthesis (39 DEGs), fatty acid elongation (33 DEGs), biosynthesis of unsaturated fatty acid (24 DEGs), TAG assembly (17 DEGs) and lipid storage (10 DEGs). Furthermore, qRT-PCR was used to analyze the expression patterns of 16 genes, including BBCP, BC, MCAT, KASIII, KASII, FATA, FATB, KCR, SAD, FAD2, FAD3, FAD7, GPAT, DGAT, OLE and CLO, most of which showed the highest expression at 45 DAF, except for DGAT, OLE and CLO, which showed the highest expression at 75 DAF. Conclusions: We predicted that MCAT, KASIII, FATA, SAD, FAD2, FAD3, DGAT and OLE were the key genes in the unsaturated fatty acid biosynthesis and oil accumulation in herbaceous peony seed. This study provides the first comprehensive genomic resources characterizing herbaceous peony seed gene expression at the transcriptional level. These data lay the foundation for elucidating the molecular mechanisms of fatty acid biosynthesis and oil accumulation for herbaceous peony. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Songyuan is the most earthquake prone area in northeast China. Since 2006, earthquakes have occurred in the area in the form of swarms, with a maximum magnitude of ML5.8. There is much controversy about the cause of the Songyuan earthquakes. We attempted to determine the cause using a three-dimensional electrical conductivity structure inverted from a regional network of magnetotelluric data in the Songyuan area. The L-BFGS inversion method was applied, with a full-impedance tensor data set used as the inversion input. Combined with an evaluation of the earthquake locations, the resistivity model revealed a northeast-oriented hidden fault running through the Songyuan earthquake area (SEA), which was speculated to be the preexisting Fuyu-Zhaodong Fault (FZF). Our resistivity model also found an apparent lithospheric low-resistivity anomaly beneath the earthquake area, which breached the high-resistivity lithospheric mantle and stalled at the base of the crust. A petrophysical analysis showed that this lower crustal low-resistivity anomaly was most likely attributed to hydrated partial melting, which could release water into the lower crust during later magma emplacements. While weakening the strength of the FZF, these ascending fluids also increased the pore pressure in the fault, further reducing the shear strength of the fault. Shear stress action (a fault strike component of the east-west regional compress), together with possible near-surface disturbances, may drive the fault to slip and trigger the earthquakes in Songyuan. It is possible that the continuous replenishment of fluids from the deeper mantle forces the Songyuan earthquakes into the form of swarms. We infer that the Songyuan earthquakes could be attributed to a combination of preexisting faults, regional stress, and deep fluids associated with plate subduction, and near surface disturbances might induce the earthquakes in advance. The Songyuan earthquakes are inherently induced earthquakes, fed by deep fluids. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbonate burial dissolution is generally associated with faults and fractures, accompanied by formation of the fracture–vug system that can provide important reservoir space for oil and gas accumulation. Taking the Lower Triassic Daye Formation in the Huandiqiao Section, Huangshi Area, Middle Yangtze Paraplatform, China, as an example, this study elaborates genetic mechanisms of faults and fractures, features of burial dissolution and cementation, and properties of karst water, accompanied by establishment of a genetic model that illustrates the whole process of burial dissolution and cementation. There are a total of nine reverse faults with dominant northwest dips in the study section. Fractures are selectively developed in hanging walls of the nine faults, with tensile features and dominant north–northeast and north–northwest strikes. Dendritic dissolution and subsequent cementation is prevalent in the hanging wall, while they are rare in the footwall. Most of the cements in the fractures of the hanging walls are calcites, with a fluid inclusion homogenization temperature range of 70∼120 °C, overgrowth bands at the pore edge with different luminous intensities, low contents of Na, Ba, K, and Sr, and high contents of Fe, Mn, and Mg. All these characteristics indicate the karst fluid to originate from calcium-rich formation water with hydrothermal genesis. The formation of the dendritic vug and fracture system is ascribed to the upward migration of hydrothermal fluids along the fault planes and fractures that result in selective dissolution. As the water circulation weakens, CaCO3 is gradually supersaturated in the distal zone with reference to the fault as well as the stagnant and weak-circulation zone, eventually forming a complex vug and fracture system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to observe and compare the clinical efficacy of active acupuncture and placebo acupuncture in the treatment of insomnia and mood disorders. 96 patients with insomnia in Chengdu were randomly divided into two groups (1:1). The active acupuncture group (AA group n = 48) received the tube of Park sham device with deep needle insertion. The placebo acupuncture group (PA group n = 48) received the tube of Park sham device with a retractable needle shaft and a blunt tip. The same acupuncture points and treatment cycles were used in both groups. The overall score for the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) is the primary outcome. Secondary outcomes recorded sleep rate, self-reported depression scale (SDS), self-assessment anxiety scale (SAS), the 'six component' scores of PSQI, and 'Deqi' scale scores. Eventually, 90 patients completed the study. After 2 weeks of treatment, the total score of PSQI in the AA group was 4.6 ± 2.4 and in the PA group was 12.9 ± 1.8 (ES = 3.91, p <.1). The SAS, SDS score in the AA group were 39.9 ± 5.6/39.9 ± 5.9 and in the PA group were 59.7 ± 6.1/61.2 ± 4.4 (ES = 3.38/4.9, p <.1). The sleep rate were 93.8% and 25.0% (p <.1). During the 1 month follow-up period, the PSQI total score in the AA group (5.2 ± 1.9) was superior to the PA group (13.1 ± 1.8) (ES = 4.27, p <.1). The SAS, SDS score in the AA group were 40.4 ± 5.1/42.7 ± 6.6 and in the PA group were 63.7 ± 6.6/63.5 ± 4.8 (ES = 3.95/3.60, p <.1). Throughout the study period, the 'six component' scores of PSQI in the AA group was superior to the PA group (each p <.1). Except for tingling and cooling, other acupuncture sensations were significant differences (each p <.1). Compared to the placebo acupuncture, active acupuncture can significantly improve insomnia, and clinical efficacy is maintained for at least 6 weeks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Hypervirulent klebsiella pneumoniae (hvKP) is responsible for various invasive diseases and associated with high mortality. However, the clinical and microbiological factors of hvKP infection that influence prognosis have not been well studied. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prognostic factors for in-hospital mortality of patients with hvKP infections, mainly focusing on clinical and microbiological characteristics. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted in hvKP strains which positive for iucA and string test. According to the clinical outcomes during hospitalization, hvKP-infected patients were divided into non-survivor and survivor groups. The clinical characteristics, capsule types, multi-locus sequence types (MLST), virulence genes and antimicrobial susceptibility were compared between those of the two groups. Results: A total of 135 patients were demonstrated to be with hvKP infections, with a prevalence rate of 22% among all the klebsiella pneumoniae infected cases. Sixteen of these patients died during hospitalization, with an in-hospital mortality rate of 11.9%. Univariate analysis confirmed that admission to the intensive care unit (ICU) (p=0.008), antimicrobial resistance of hvKP to ampicillin/sulbactam (p=0.028), cefepime (p=0.033), aztreonam (p=0.049) and harboring iroN gene (p=0.023) were associated with in-hospital mortality. On the contrary, the rmpA gene showed an inverse association with in-hospital mortality (p=0.017). Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that ICU admission (odds ratio [OR]=3.452, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.052– 11.329; P=0.041) and iroN carriage (OR=9.278, 95% CI=1.654– 52.035; P=0.011) were independent prognostic factors for the in-hospital mortality of patients with hvKP infections. Conclusion: Emerging hvKP infection may lead to relatively high in-hospital mortality. ICU admission and iroN carriage were independent prognostic factors for the in-hospital mortality of patients with hvKP infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The role of postmastectomy radiotherapy (PMRT) in women with pT1-T2N1 breast cancer is controversial. The authors developed a nomogram that was predictive for overall survival (OS) and identified patients who derived no benefit from PMRT.Methods: The authors retrospectively evaluated 4869 patients with pT1-T2N1 breast cancer who were treated with mastectomy between 2000 and 2014 in 11 Chinese hospitals. Rates of locoregional recurrence and distant metastasis were calculated using competing risk analysis, and disease-free survival and OS rates were calculated using the Kaplan-Meier method. Based on the risk factors identified from Cox regression analysis in 3298 unirradiated patients, a nomogram predicting OS was developed. The benefit of PMRT was evaluated in different risk groups stratified by the nomogram model.Results: After a median follow-up of 65.9 months, the 5-year OS, disease-free survival, locoregional recurrence, and distant metastasis rates were 93.3%, 84.3%, 5.2%, and 8.3%, respectively. A total of 1571 patients (32.3%) underwent PMRT. On multivariable analyses, PMRT was found to increase OS significantly (hazard ratio, 0.61; P = .002). An OS prediction nomogram evaluated the effect of age; tumor location; tumor size; positive lymph node ratio; estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 status; and treatment with trastuzumab. Based on nomogram scores, the entire patient cohort was classified into 3 risk groups. PMRT significantly improved the OS of patients in the intermediate-risk (P < .001) and high-risk groups (P = .004), but not in the low-risk group (P = .728).Conclusions: The authors developed a nomogram that is predictive of OS among women with pT1-T2N1 breast cancer after mastectomy. This nomogram may help to select a subgroup of patients with a good prognosis who will not benefit from PMRT. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Constraining the distribution of water in different regions of the mantle remains one of the significant challenges to comprehend the global deep water cycle. Geomagnetic depth soundings can provide such constraint through the electrical conductivity structure. Hence, this study aims to propose a regularization technique that can estimate previously unavailable C -response. In the method, the objective function comprised an L 1-norm measured data prediction error and a spectral smoothness constraint term. We used the data error of C -response to weight the predicted error. The L-BFGS method was introduced to determine the minimum point of the objective function, and the regularization parameter decreased adaptively during inversion. Thus, the geomagnetic data processed yielded high-quality C -responses in 31 stations in Eastern China. In addition, we obtained 1-D electrical conductivity profiles in the mantle transition zone (MTZ) beneath Eastern China from C -responses using the L-BFGS method. Compared with the global 1-D model, the conductivity–depth profiles revealed that the MTZ beneath Eastern China is more conductive in the east but more resistive in the west. The conversion of these conductivities to water content based on the mineral physics suggested that the MTZ beneath Eastern China is characterized by a high water concentration, approximately 0.2 and 1 wt per cent in the upper and lower MTZ, respectively. Owing to the inclusion of more stations, the water-rich region could be constrained roughly to the east of the North–South Gravity Lineament (NSGL). Further considering seismic images in the same area, this water content distribution pattern suggested that the front of the stagnant Pacific Plate in the lower MTZ might have reached the NSGL. However, the dehydration reactions in the stagnant slab were more active in the eastern part. Perhaps, some of these fluids migrated into the upper MTZ and could be the source of the trapped water found in the xenoliths from the deep upper mantle beneath Eastern China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China is a sexually conservative country compared with Western countries. To evaluate the psychological characteristics of Chinese erectile dysfunction (ED) patients, we conducted a cross‐sectional study of 153 ED outpatients. Patients were interviewed with the Structured Interview on Erectile Dysfunction (SIEDY) for pathogenic quantification. ED was measured by International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF). Depression and anxiety were evaluated with 9‐item Patient Health Questionnaire (PHQ‐9) and 7‐item Generalised Anxiety Disorder Scale (GAD‐7) respectively. Most patients (74.5%) were <40 years old. IIEF‐5 were significantly correlated with SIEDY scale 3 (r =.16, p =.040) and GAD‐7 (p =.15, p =.033). The SIEDY scale 1 increased with age, but the IIEF‐5, SIEDY scale 3, PHQ‐9 and GAD‐7 decreased with age. A negative correlation was observed between ED and psychological stress, which conflicts with many Western‐country studies. Younger patients were characterised by milder ED but more psychological stress, while older patients were characterised by worse ED but less psychological stress. Which may be responsible for the conflicting result. Meanwhile, the much younger age distribution among Chinese ED outpatients may indicate that quite a few older ED patients (≥40 years) in China do not seek outpatient service which should merit more attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Children's social-emotional competence is constructed in the relationships between the subsystems of the family. • The role of marital support in the development of children's social-emotional competence is often overlooked. • Relational and behavioral interactions in the family contribute to the development of children's social-emotional competence. • The study provided large-scale data from the East. Mother-father relationships, as one of the key elements of the marriage subsystem, play an essential function in the improvement of social-emotional competence. The study used social learning theory as an analytic framework to consider the potential mechanisms by which mother-father relationships influence social-emotional competence. Therefore, 802 children and their parents from 54 classes in 27 preschools in China were selected to research the chain-mediating function of parental emotional expression and parent–child attachment in mother-father relationships affecting social-emotional competence. The results indicated that (1) Mother-father relationships significantly and positively predicted social-emotional competence. (2) Parental emotional expression and parent–child attachment separately fully mediated the relationship between mother-father relationships and social-emotional competence. (3) Parental emotional expression and parent–child attachment were chain mediators between mother-father relationships and social-emotional competence. This study highlights the important contribution of mother-father relationships in the improvement of social-emotional competence. Hence, parents are supposed to realize the significance of mother-father relationships in the cultivation of social-emotional competence. Meanwhile, parents should express emotions rationally in the family. They should give their children effective support and companionship to form a high-quality parent–child attachment, which ultimately affects the improvement of social-emotional competence. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• ST11 KPC- Kp was clonally heterogeneous and comprised several sublineages. • Five Tn 1721 variants carrying bla KPC-2 gene located on IncFII-like plasmids of clinical Klebsiella pneumonia ST11 isolates. • IncFII-like plasmid appears to function as a good carrier of Tn 1721 - bla KPC and promotes the spread of bla KPC. • HGT mediated by IncFII-like plasmids contributed significantly to further dissemination of bla KPC-2 among K. pneumonia ST11. The aim of this study was to investigate the spread of the bla KPC-2 gene among Klebsiella pneumoniae and to illustrate the mechanism of dissemination of K. pneumoniae carbapenemase-producing K. pneumoniae (KPC- Kp) ST11 in China. A total of 354 K. pneumoniae isolates were collected from four hospitals in China and were characterized by multilocus sequence typing (MLST). Mobile genetic elements (MGEs) and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) analysis were used to identify the subtypes of K. pneumoniae ST11. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-based amplification and sequencing were performed to analyse Tn 1721 transposons and IncFII-like plasmids. Electroporation experiments and whole-genome sequencing (WGS) were used to reveal the genetic environment of the bla KPC-2 gene. As the primary type (87.1%) of KPC- Kp, K. pneumoniae ST11 was not predominant in non-KPC- Kp (3.1%). ST11 KPC- Kp was clonally heterogeneous and could be further classified into 11 MGE types and 14 PFGE subtypes. Five Tn 1721 - bla KPC-2 variants were identified on IncFII-like plasmids. The detection rate of IncFII-like plasmids was much higher in ST11 KPC- Kp (100%) compared with non-ST11 KPC- Kp (16.0%) and the non-KPC- Kp group (7.5%). Moreover, the IncFII plasmid (with II a replicon) was primarily detected on the MGE-F type (61.7%). The IncFII k plasmid (with II k replicon) was clustered into two subtypes: MGE-A (28.3%) and -F (41.5%). The detection of the IncFII and IncFII k plasmids on MGE-A was 57.1% (20/35) and 42.9% (15/35), respectively. A close correlation was shown between ST11 KPC- Kp and IncFII-like plasmids. Horizontal transfer mediated by IncFII-like plasmids plays an important role in the pandemic expansion of bla KPC-2 among K. pneumoniae ST11 in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research is restricted regarding impacts of biomass burning (BB) on fine aerosol (PM 2.5), due mainly to lack of specific BB tracers. This study aims to characterize the variability, distributions, and contributions of BB and fungal spores as sources of PM 2.5 using a multiple organic tracer approach. PM 2.5 samples were collected at four representative sites in Yangtze River Delta (YRD), China every 6 days for one year. In the laboratory, samples were analyzed for three anhydrides (levoglucosan, mannosan, and galactosan), two sugar alcohols (arabitol and mannitol), water-soluble inorganic ions, and elemental/organic carbon (EC/OC). Levoglucosan was the most abundant BB tracer (mean concentration = 81 ng/m3), and fungal spore tracers arabitol and mannitol had similar abundances (5.6 and 5.7 ng/m3, respectively). Anhydrides and sugar alcohols had high within-group correlations, indicating their respective common sources. Concentrations of tracers displayed large temporal variations but small spatial variations, suggesting strong seasonality in BB and fungal spore sources. BB sources were burning of grass, pine needles, hardwood and crop straw, which were originated from transboundary/cross-region transport and local fire spots. PCA analyses revealed that the common sources of fine aerosols in YRD were secondary inorganic aerosols, soil dust, BB and fungal spores. Image 1 • Multiple organic tracers were measured for biomass burning (BB) and fungal spores. • Tracers displayed large temporal variations but small spatial variations. • BB tracers peaked in winter, and fungal spore tracers peaked in summer. • BB types were burning of pine needles, hardwood, softwood, and crop straws. • BB accounted for 43% of total variance in PCA analysis on an annual basis. BB and fungal spore tracers exhibited strong seasonality and day-to-day variation, respectively; while their spatial variation was small, indicating larger contributions from regional sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Carbapenemase-producing Klebsiella pneumoniae has emerged and spread widely throughout the world. The mechanisms involved remain unclear. To provide insight, five plasmids were obtained from carbapenemase-producing K. pneumoniae clinical isolates. The five sequences were acquired, aligned and analyzed. In addition to the bla KPC-2 gene, which encodes beta lactamase, essentially all the plasmids contained a putative anti-restriction protein-encoding gene, KlcA HS. The KlcA HS gene was found in 98.2% of the bla KPC-2 -positive, imipenem-resistant K. pneumoniae clinical isolates and in <1% of the bla KPC-2 -negative control group. A searched of the GenBank database indicated that KlcA HS was mainly submitted by Chinese investigators beginning in 2010. Seventeen different KlcA amino acid sequences were found in the database using the restricting words: KlcA and Klebsiella pneumoniae. These sequences were used to generate a phylogenetic tree via MEGA6 software, revealing a distant evolutionary relationship between KlcA HS and other KlcAs. The secondary structure of KlcA HS , predicted with PROMALS3D software, exhibited highly conserved α-helices and β-strands. KlcA HS expressed anti-restriction activity in vivo. In summary, KlcA HS genes are ubiquitous in bla KPC-2 -positive Klebsiella pneumoniae clinical isolates collected at Huashan Hospital, China. The KlcA HS protein possesses a secondary structure similar to that exhibited by anti-restriction proteins and displays anti-restriction activity. As such, KlcA HS is a probable factor in the accelerated spread of bla KPC-2 and carbapenem-resistance among clinical, K. pneumoniae isolates. Highlights • The exact mechanism(s) underlying dissemination of bla KPC-2 in K. pneumoniae is presently unclear. • Multiple factors are implicated in the process. • We report that all five plasmids extracted from bla KPC-2 positive K. pneumoniae clinical isolates harbored the KlcA HS gene. • KlcA HS genes are abundant in bla KPC-2 -positive isolates, they rare in bla KPC-2 negative K. pneumoniae isolates. • KlcA HS is a significant factor in the spread of bla KPC-2 among K. pneumoniae clinical isolates. • This study reveals a novel insight into the enhanced dissemination of the bla KPC-2 gene in hospitals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Di-(2-ethylhexyl) phthalate (DEHP) associated in vitro/vivo toxicity at current environmentally relevant concentration (ERC) with attendant ecological risks in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area (TGRA) is still elusive. Responding to this challenge, a novel integrated study based on analytical and biological assays was designed to elucidate the underlying mechanisms for toxicity of DEHP and its ecological risks at ERC. In this study, GC-MS analysis showed that the highest environmental concentration of DEHP in the TGRA surface water was nearly double that of WHO and USEPA standards. Both distribution and ecological risk decreased from the upper to middle and lower reaches of the TGRA. In vitro toxicity was assessed by cell viability and DNA damage assays: DEHP exposure at ERCs (100–800 μg/L) caused significant reduction in cell viability and elevated DNA damage. Further, DEHP exposure above 400 μg/L resulted in enhanced migration behavior of cancer cells. For in vivo toxicity assessment, short term acute exposure (7 d, 400 μg/L) apparently activated the PI3K-AKT-mTOR pathway, and chronic low-level exposure (3 months, 10–33 μg/L) suppressed the hypothalamus pituitary thyroid (HPT) axis pathway in zebrafish. In addition, acute low-level exposure (5 d, 33–400 μg/L) to DEHP increased aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR) activity in Tg(cyp1a:gfp) zebrafish in a concentration-dependent manner. In short, DEHP at ERC has extended potential to induce diverse in vitro and in vivo toxicity at concentrations that also cause impairment of biochemical function in aquatic species of the TGRA. Graphical abstract Image 1 Highlights • DEHP levels in the reservoir higher than those reported in European rivers. • DEHP can impair biological functions of aquatic species in the reservoir. • DEHP induced DNA damage & cancer cells' migration in vitro at environmental levels. • Acute DEHP exposure at environmental levels activated Pi3k and AhR pathways in vivo. • Chronic DEHP exposure at environmental levels suppressed HPT axis pathway in vivo. This study highlights DEHP mediated in vitro/vivo toxicity at environmentally relevant concentrations and associated ecological risks in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Utilizing the Comprehensive Environmental Administrative Enforcement Reform (CEAER) in China as a quasi-natural experiment, this paper has adopted 179 prefecture-level cities from July 2018 to December 2020 as research sample to assess whether the limited decentralization of environmental enforcement power can improve air quality through a time-varying difference-in-difference (DID) approach. Results show that CEAER can achieve better air quality improving effects, which can not only contribute to the decrease of daily mean values of Air Quality Index (AQI), but also contribute to the decrease of daily mean values of PM 2.5 , PM 10 , SO 2 , and CO. And this promotion is mainly achieved through the micro mechanism of raising environmental penalties strength. Further examination of the heterogeneity in terms of economic factors, city rank, pollution abatement pressure, and political constraints reveals that CEAER's policy effects are mostly insignificant in cities with higher levels of economic development and administrative rank, and positively significant in poor historical air quality cities and key environmental protection cities. These results underscore the positive effects of the limited decentralization of environmental enforcement power and provide ideas for other regions to draw on for environmental management system reform. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Surface water flooding is currently viewed as the most serious water-related issue in many of the China’s large cities due to rapid urbanization, land-use change and the process of rapid socio-economic development. In 2014, the People’s Republic of China established the concept of the ‘Sponge City’, which will be used to tackle urban surface-water flooding and related urban water management issues, such as purification of urban runoff, attenuation of peak run-off and water conservation. The concept is being developed to make use of ‘blue’ and ‘green’ spaces in the urban environment for stormwater management and control. It is envisaged that related practices will enhance natural ecosystems and provide more aesthetically pleasing space for the people that live and work in urban environments, in addition enabling nature-based solutions to improve urban habitats for birds and other organisms. Until recently, grey infrastructure and hard engineering-based management approaches have been adopted in the rapidly developing Chinese urban environment as urban flood and drainage issues are predominantly managed by municipal water engineers. The Sponge City concept and related guidelines and practices will provide multiple opportunities to integrate ideas from eco-hydrology, climate change impact assessment and planning, and consideration of long-term social and environmental well-being, within the urban land-use planning process. This paper aims to explicate the Sponge city concept and its development, and consider the implications of the transformation of urban land-use planning and urban-water management practice in China. To achieve the dual goals of sustainable water-use and better flood control (as targeted by the Sponge City concept), more effective development and implementation of land-use guidance and assessment tools (with explicit integration of urban flood-risk assessment, land-drainage guidance, climate projection methods, and assessment of long-term sustainability) are recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ministry of Environmental Protection of China issued a 3rd draft edition of risk-based Generic Assessment Criteria (the MEP-GAC) in March 2016. Since these will be the first authoritative GAC in China, their implementation is likely to have a significant impact on China’s growing contaminated land management sector. This study aims to determine the potential implementation impact of the MEP-GAC through an in-depth analysis of the management context, land use scenarios, health criteria values adopted and exposure pathways considered. The MEP-GAC have been proposed for two broad categories of land use scenarios for contaminated land risk assessment, and these two categories of land use scenarios need to be further delved, and a MEP-GAC for Chinese cultivated land scenario ought to be developed, to ensure human health protection of Chinese farmers. The MEP-GAC have adopted 10−6 as the acceptable lifetime cancer risk, given the widespread extent and severe level of land contamination in China, consideration should be given to the decision on excess lifetime cancer risk of 10−5. During risk assessment process in practice, it is better to review the 20% TDI against local circumstances to determine their suitability before adopting it. The MEP-GAC are based on a SOM value of 1%, for regions with particularly high SOM, it might be necessary to develop regional GAC, due to SOM’s significant impact on the GAC developed. An authoritative risk assessment model developed based on HJ25.3-2014 would help facilitate the DQRA process in practice. The MEP-GAC could better reflect the likely exposures of China’s citizens due to vapour inhalation by using characteristics of Chinese exposure scenarios, including China-generic building stock, as inputs into the Johnson and Ettinger model as opposed to adoption of the US EPA parameters. The MEP-GAC once implemented will set the trajectory for the development of the investigation, assessment and remediation of land contamination for years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is based on an ongoing research project funded by the World Bank GEF Program, which aims to identify the key barriers to green building development in Ningbo China and suggest policy improvements to the local government. China is undergoing the largest scale of urbanization in history and at an unprecedented pace. The construction and operation of buildings have inevitably brought severe pressures on resource conservation and environmental protection. China has initiated policies, strategies and financial incentive schemes at national level to address these issues. It is also seen that there is a growing interest in recent years at local government level in promoting green buildings. This paper will take a look at the current national policies and targets and then discuss the motivations and opportunities of developing green buildings from a perspective of local governments. Questionnaire surveys and interviews with relevant stakeholders have been conducted in the case study city. Based on the surveys and interviews, the key barriers to developing green buildings in the case study city have been identified, and recommendations for policy change are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scholars have argued that government attention can exert influence on public policy formulation. Yet the impact and process of how government attention affects regional environmental pollution emission outcomes remains unclear. This study uses the China Provincial Government Environmental Attention Database (2003–2019), constructed by examining environmental keywords in government work reports (GWR), to elucidate how government attention influences environmental quality, and the synergistic mechanisms between government attention and environmental social feedback. Key results include the following, (1) government environmental attention is showing a fluctuating upward trend. (2) Government attention significantly contributes to regional pollutant emissions reductions. Each 1% increase in the government attention index contributes to regional pollution abatement of 0.130 units. (3) Environmental enforcement and environmental fee are the two most effective channels to promote pollution abatement. (4) There exist synergistic effects between environmental social feedback and government attention. Our findings highlight how government attention influences enterprise pollution emissions by the signal and pressure effects, shedding new knowledge on the relationship between government, environmental department, enterprise, and the public. Based on the findings, this paper proposes that keeping government attention stable, implementing multiple environmental instruments, encouraging environmental participation, and raising central government supervision will lead to improved environmental quality. • Government environmental attention contributes to pollution abatement. • Environment enforcement and environmental tax and fee are intermediary channels. • The synergistic effects are identified. • Policy implications for industrial pollution abatement are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impounding level of 175 m for the Three Gorges Reservoir (TGR) is of vital importance for efficient flood control, power generation and convenient navigation in China. However, little is known about the spatial distribution and toxicological risks of major pollutants in the Three Gorges Reservoir Area (TGRA) at that stage. The aim of this study is to probe the ubiquitous polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) contamination and toxicological impacts in the surface water of the TGRA at the highest water impoundment level of 175 m. Our results showed that the ƩPAHs levels ranged from 83 to 1631 ng/L in the upper reaches, 354 to 1159 ng/L in the middle reaches, and 23 to 747 ng/L in the lower reaches of the TGRA. Source apportionment of PAHs indicated that coal combustion, industrial emissions, heavy traffic, agriculture and shipping activities were the primary sources. Compositional pattern highlighted > 85% dominancy of low molecular weight (LMW) PAHs in the reservoir. Risk assessment based on risk quotients (RQs) implied moderate to high ecological risks: the upper reaches > the middle reaches > the lower reaches. However, gene expression profiles portrayed contrary scenario because of the presence of relatively higher footprints of high molecular weight (HMW) PAHs in the middle and the lower reaches, which was confirmed by Cox hazard proportional model. Moreover, the transgenic zebrafish Tg ( cyp1a:gfp ) induced by PAHs also expressed stronger fluorescent signals in the middle and lower reaches. Taken together, different approaches were employed to firstly reveal the real status of ecological toxicity of PAHs and explore the underlying mechanisms at the highest impounding level of 175 m in the TGRA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ContextScutellarin (1) has been widely used in China to treat acute cerebral infarction and paralysis induced by cerebrovascular diseases. However, scutellarin (1) has unstable metabolic characteristics. ObjectiveThe metabolic profile of 6-O-scutellarein was studied to determine its metabolic stabilityin vivo. Materials and methodsIn this study, a method of UFLC/Q-TOF MS was used to study the 6-O-methyl-scutellarein metabolites in rat plasma, urine, bile and faeces after oral administration of 6-O-methyl-scutellarein (3). One hour after oral administration of 6-O-methyl-scutellarein (3) (34 mg/kg), approximately 1 mL blood samples were collected in EP tubes from all groups. Bile, urine and faeces samples were collected from eight SD rats during 0–24 h after oral administration. The mass defect filtering, dynamic background subtraction and information dependent acquisition techniques were also used to identify the 6-O-methyl-scutellarein metabolites. ResultsThe parent compound 6-O-methyl-scutellarein (3) was found in rat urine, plasma, bile and faeces. The glucuronide conjugate of 6-O-methyl-scutellarein (M1,M2), diglucuronide conjugate of 6-O-methyl-scutellarein (M3), sulphate conjugate of 6-O-methyl-scutellarein (M4), glucuronide and sulphate conjugate of 6-O-methyl-scutellarein (M5), methylated conjugate of 6-O-methyl-scutellarein (M6) were detected in rat urine.M1,M2andM3were detected in rat bile.M1was found in rat plasma andM7was detected in faeces. Discussion and conclusionBecause the parent compound 6-O-methyl-scutellarein (3) was found in rat urine, plasma, bile and faeces, we speculate that 6-O-methyl-scutellarein (3) had good metabolic stabilityin vivo.This warrants further study to develop it as a promising candidate for the treatment of ischemic cerebrovascular disease. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

A phytochemical investigation on the MeOH extract of the leaves and twigs of the endangered conifer Torreya jackii Chun led to the isolation and characterization of 21 structurally diverse diterpenoids. Among them, six are previously undescribed, including four abietane-type (torreyins A−D, resp.) and two labdane-type diterpenoids (torreyins E and F). Their structures and absolute configurations were determined by a combination of spectroscopic methods, calculated/experimental electronic circular dichroism (ECD) data, and single-crystal X-ray diffraction analyses. In particular, torreyins A−C are rare 11,12- seco -abietane type diterpenoids possessing a dilactone moiety, and their biosynthetic pathway starting from a co-occurring abietane derivative (i.e., cyrtophyllone B) was briefly proposed. Among the isolates, 7-oxo-dehydroabietic acid and 15-methoxy-7,13-abietadien-18-oic acid showed considerable inhibitory effects against acetyl-coenzyme A carboxylase 1 (ACC1) and protein tyrosine phosphatase 1 B (PTP1B), with IC 50 values of 3.1 and 6.8 μ M, respectively. Six undescribed diterpenoids, torreyins A–F, along with fifteen related known compounds, were isolated and characterized from the endangered conifer Torreya jackii. Some isolates exhibited inhibitory activities against acetyl-Coenzyme A carboxylase 1 (ACC1) and the protein tyrosine phosphatase 1B (PTP1B). [Display omitted] • This is a preliminary phytochemical study on the endangered conifer Torreya jackii. • Previously undescribed diterpenoids, torreyins A–F, were isolated and characterized. • Torreyins A-C are rare 11,12- seco -abietane derivatives possessing a dilactone moiety. • The absolute configuration of torreyin A was secured by X-ray diffraction analysis. • Some isolates were found to have inhibitory effects against ACC1 and/or PTP1B. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Four pesticides with a high detection rate in Pu'er tea have been determined by a QuEChERS (quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, safe) method with multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs), and combined ultrahigh-performance liquid chromatography–triple quadrupole linear ion trap-tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-QTRAP-MS/MS). MWCNs have been compared with other common purification materials, and found to be superior. The matrix effect was systematically studied, and the results show that the MWCNs can quickly and effectively reduce matrix interference values, which were in the range from −17.8 to 13.8. The coefficients (R2) were greater than 0.99, with the limit of quantification ranging from 0.1 to 0.5 μg/kg, and the recovery rate ranging from 74.8% to 105.0%, while the relative standard deviation (RSD) ranged from 3.9% to 6.6%. A total of 300 samples, taken from three areas in which Yunnan Pu'er tea was most commonly produced, tested for four pesticides. The results show that the detection rate of tolfenpyrad in Pu'er tea was 35.7%, which is higher than other pesticides, and the lowest was indoxacarb, with 5.2%. The residual concentrations of chlorpyrifos, triazophos, tolfenpyrad and indoxacarb ranged from 1.10 to 5.28, 0.014 to 0.103, 1.02 to 51.8, and 1.07 to 4.89 mg/kg, respectively. By comparing with China's pesticide residue limits in tea (GB 2763-2021), the over standard rates of chlorpyrifos, tolfenpyrad, and indoxacarb were 4.35%, 0.87% and 0%, respectively. The risk assessment result obtained with the hazard quotient (HQ) method shows that the HQ of the four pesticides was far less than one, indicating that the risk is considered acceptable for the four pesticides in Pu'er tea. The largest HQ was found for tolfenpyrad, 0.0135, and the smallest was found for indoxacarb, 0.000757, but more attention should be paid to tolfenpyrad in daily diets in the future, because its detection rate, and residual and residual median were all relatively high. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land consolidation (LC), as an effective instrument to relieve rural land issues and promote rural sustainability, has already attracted the attention of the Chinese government and academia. Some Chinese scholars have proposed strategies to promote the development of LC by investigating cases in European countries and comparing them with that in China. However, the introduction of LC in Europe as a whole and China has not been done systematically from a comparative perspective. This paper aims to offer a broader view of the development of LC in China and Europe and identify points for improvement based on the current Chinese political system and European experience. Given the special sociocultural background of Europe, it has been divided into Central, Eastern Europe, and Western Europe in the comparison and analysis. The comparison of LC, therefore, was conducted from the aspects of historical background, political will, legislation, procedure, and public participation. This is the first attempt to compare LC between Europe as a whole and China in literature. It identifies reasons behind the differences between China and Europe, and considers possible lessons that China might learn from the experience of LC in Europe. Based on these, the paper puts forward some countermeasures and suggestions for the development of LC in China. • The approaches of land consolidation between China and Europe are compared. • The five elements cover politics and technical perspectives are included in the comparison. • The possible lessons to be learned for policy improvement are recommended. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]