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Objective: This study aimed to provide clinical evidence for lineage replacement and genetic changes of High-Risk Human Papillomavirus (HR-HPV) during the period of vaccine coverage and characterize those changes in eastern China. Methods: This study consisted of two stages. A total of 90,583 patients visiting the Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University from March 2018 to March 2022 were included in the HPV typing analysis. Another 1076 patients who tested positive for HPV31, 33, 52, or 58 from November 2020 to August 2023 were further included for HPV sequencing. Vaccination records, especially vaccine types and the third dose administration time, medical history, and cervical cytology samples were collected. Viral DNA sequencing was then conducted, followed by phylogenetic analysis and sequence alignment. Results: The overall proportion of HPV31 and 58 infections increased by 1.23% and 0.51%, respectively, while infection by HPV33 and 52 decreased by 0.42% and 1.43%, respectively, within the four-year vaccination coverage period. The proportion of HPV31 C lineage infections showed a 22.17% increase in the vaccinated group, while that of the HPV58 A2 sublineage showed a 12.96% increase. T267A and T274N in the F-G loop of HPV31 L1 protein, L150F in the D-E loop, and T375N in the H-I loop of HPV58 L1 protein were identified as high-frequency escape-related mutations. Conclusions: Differences in epidemic lineage changes and dominant mutation accumulation may result in a proportional difference in trends of HPV infection. New epidemic lineages and high-frequency escape-related mutations should be noted during the vaccine coverage period, and regional epidemic variants should be considered during the development of next-generation vaccines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grassland provides multiple ecosystem services and plays a key role in preventing desert encroachment and maintaining oasis stability. In China, the area of cropland in oases has expanded significantly in recent decades, which results in a rapid increase in agricultural water demand and encroachment on grassland subsistence space. However, our knowledge about how the expansion of cropland affects oasis grasslands remains limited. We used machine learning, temporal segmentation of spectral trajectories, and maximum covariance analysis to generate an annual oasis grassland aboveground biomass (AGB) data set at 30‐m resolution from 1989 to 2021 based on multiple remotely sensed and ground observation data sets, and investigated the dynamics of grassland AGB under cropland expansion in oases. We found that overall oasis grassland AGB increased significantly (0.3 gm−2 yr−1, P < 0.01) during 1989–2021, but trends in AGB were not consistent across basins. In the Yellow River, Turpan Hami, Qaidam, and southern Altai Mountains River Basins, AGB was dominated by a significant increase. Conversely, in all basins in southern Xinjiang, AGB showed a decreasing trend due to the rapid cropland expansion. Spatially, cropland expansion and AGB dynamics were strongly coupled. In regions characterized by agricultural concentration, grassland AGB benefitted from resource spillover via edge effects. However, in downstream areas or those with a low proportion of cropland, where most grasslands are distributed, the relationship between the two shifted to a trade‐off. Our study provides a scientific basis for identifying priority areas for ecological restoration and for science‐based planning of the scale of cropland in oases. Plain Language Summary: The rapid expansion of cropland in China's oases inevitably increases agricultural water demand, leading to a gradual reduction in water resources available for grasslands. We assessed the dynamic trends of aboveground biomass (AGB) in oasis grasslands and revealed the impact of cropland expansion on grasslands. We found that although AGB had increased significantly across the region, AGB across all basins of southern Xinjiang showed a decreasing trend due to continuous cropland expansion. Cropland expansion negatively impacts grassland AGB in downstream areas of basins and in areas with a low proportion of cropland. These findings identify hotspots of vegetation loss in Chinese oases and underscore the necessity of science‐based planning of the cropland scale. Key Points: Aboveground biomass (AGB) decreased in 46.0% of grasslands in Chinese oases from 1989 to 2021The river basins in southern Xinjiang are hotspots of grassland AGB loss in Chinese oasesGrassland AGB was more strongly coupled with cropland expansion than with climate factors [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To assess the prevalence and exacerbating factors of intimate partner violence in people with human immunodeficiency virus (PWH) in China, we conducted a cross-sectional study, involving 2792 PWH in 4 provinces in China from 1 September 2020 to 1 June 2021. The categories of intimate partner violence (IPV) included physical violence, sexual violence, emotional abuse, and controlling behavior. The severity of a violent act was divided into mild, moderate, and severe. Among PWH, the prevalence of IPV was 15.4% (95% confidence interval, 14.1%–16.8%). The severity of physical violence was mainly moderate, and the severity of sexual violence, emotional abuse, and controlling behavior was mainly mild. The prevalence of IPV in men was higher than that in women. Results from the multivariable logistic regression showed that age, ethnic, registered residence, education, and duration of HIV antiretroviral therapy were factors related to IPV in PWH (P <.05). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although numerous studies have linked asthma to air temperature and pollution, few studies have examined their interactive effects on asthma outpatient visits. This study investigated how air pollutants and their interactions with temperature affect asthma outpatient visits in a city in northern Chinaduring the time period 2018 - 2020.. As the results, 24,163 asthma outpatients were recorded, a 10-μg/m3 increase in PM10, PM2.5, SO2, and NO2 concentrations was associated with significant increases in visits of 3.47% (95% CI: 2.35%–4.60%), 0.83% (95% CI: 0.36%–1.30%), 3.17% (95% CI: 1.47%–4.90%), and 8.90% (95% CI: 6.09%–11.79%), respectively. The effect was stronger in females than males, and stronger in the elderly (≥65 years) than among the young. The interaction between low temperatures and high air pollution levels significantly increased the number of asthma outpatient visits. This study emphasizesthe importance of reducing air pollution in order to lessen the effects of cold. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aims to characterize the genetic variability of HPV58, identify novel lineages and sublineages, and explore the association between persistent/multiple HPV58 infections and genetic variation. In this study, samples from 124 women with HPV58 infection in Eastern China were collected and 81 isolates of E6 and L1 full‐length genes were successfully amplified from 55 samples. We evaluated the diversity of genetic variants and performed correlation analyses between genetic variability and pathology, vaccination, multiple infections, and persistent infections. Among the E6 and L1 gene sequences collected, the dominant prevailing sublineages were A1 (46.2%) and A2 (23.1%). In addition, we found two potential novel sublineages denoted as the A4 and A5 sublineage. A total of 50 nucleotide substitutions, including 28 synonymous substitutions and 22 nonsynonymous substitutions, were observed in the E6 and L1 genes. Among them, variants with A388C/K93N substitutions in the E6 gene correlated with persistent infection (≥1 and ≥2 years) (p < 0.005), and C307T/C66C was associated with persistent infection (≥2 years) (p < 0.005). Notably, two mutations above were detected in the isolate from the patient with breakthrough vaccine infection. Our study found two novel sublineages and sites of genetic variability in multiple and persistent infection variants. In addition, we identified two mutational sites associated with persistent infection. This study provides new insight into the clinical characteristics of HPV 58 genetic variations and offers new ideas for research on next‐generation vaccines in Eastern China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, the COVID-19 pandemic is still ongoing globally and the virus is constantly mutating. The herd immunity barrier established by past infections or vaccinations is gradually weakening and reinfections are occurring. To evaluate the pandemic fatigue and vaccine hesitancy among people who have recovered from COVID-19 in the post-pandemic era, we conducted an anonymous cross-sectional survey study in China from 4 July to 11 August 2023, nearly 6 months after the last large-scale nationwide infection. Basic sociodemographic characteristics, health-related factors (smoking, drinking, and chronic disease history), COVID-19 vaccination history, and self-reported long COVID were obtained as potential covariates. A series of logistic regression models were performed to examine the association between pandemic fatigue and vaccine hesitancy toward the next dose of COVID-19 vaccines via crude relative risks (cORs) and adjusted relative risks (aORs) with 95% CIs. According to our results, of the 2942 participants, 1242 (42.2%) were hesitant (unwilling or not sure) to receive the next dose of COVID-19 vaccines. The average score on the Pandemic Fatigue Scale was 21.67 ± 8.86, in which the scores of all items in the vaccine-hesitant group were significantly higher than those in the vaccine-accepting group. Additionally, the higher the pandemic fatigue level among people who have recovered from COVID-19, the more likely they were to be hesitant to receive the next dose of the COVID-19 vaccines (moderate: aOR = 2.94, 95% CI: 2.46–3.53; high: aOR = 6.88, 95% CI: 5.49–8.64). Overall, more than 40% of the recovered participants were unwilling or uncertain about the next vaccine dose, with varying degrees of pandemic fatigue. Pandemic fatigue is a potentially relevant factor for vaccine hesitancy and may hinder the translation of vaccination intention into behavior. Considering the ongoing reinfection situation, implementing a health education plan to reduce pandemic fatigue and prioritizing vaccination issues for people who have recovered from COVID-19 may be key to promoting the reduction of the COVID-19 disease burden and ensuring the health and well-being of the population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Multimorbidity of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) is increasingly prevalent among older adults around the world, leading a higher risk of household catastrophic health expenditure (CHE). As current powerful evidence was insufficient, we aimed to estimate the association between multimorbidity of NCDs and the risk of CHE in China. Methods: We designed a cohort study using data investigated in 2011–2018 from the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study, which is a nationally-representative study covering 150 counties of 28 provinces in China. We used mean ± standard deviation (SD) and frequencies and percentages to describe baseline characteristics. Person χ2 test was employed to compare the differences of baseline characteristics between households with and without multimorbidity. Lorenz curve and concentration index were used to measure the socioeconomic inequalities of CHE incidence. Cox proportional hazards models were applied to estimate adjusted hazard ratios (aHRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the association between multimorbidity and CHE. Results: Among 17,708 participants, 17,182 individuals were included for the descriptive analysis of the prevalence of multimorbidity in 2011, and 13,299 individuals (8029 households) met inclusion criteria and were included in the final analysis with a median of 83 (interquartile range: 25–84) person-months of follow-up. 45.1% (7752/17,182) individuals and 56.9% (4571/8029) households had multimorbidity at baseline. Participants with higher family economic level (aOR = 0.91, 95% CI: 0.86–0.97) had lower multimorbidity prevalence than those with lowest family economic level. 82.1% of participants with multimorbidity did not make use of outpatient care. The CHE incidence was more concentrated among participants with higher socioeconomic status (SES) with a concentration index of 0.059. The risk of CHE was 19% (aHR = 1.19, 95% CI: 1.16–1.22) higher for each additional NCD. Conclusions: Approximately half of middle-aged and older adults in China had multimorbidity, causing a 19% higher risk of CHE for each additional NCD. Early interventions for preventing multimorbidity among people with low SES could be intensified to protect older adults from financial hardship. In addition, concerted efforts are needed to increase patients' rational healthcare utilization and strengthen current medical security for people with high SES to reduce economic disparities in CHE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study establishes an economic financial support model for the improvement of environmental quality through the development rural revitalization based on the extended Cobb–Douglas production function. Using statistical data from Shaanxi Province, China, from 2004 to 2019, a vector autoregressive (VAR) model is used to empirically analyze the development effect of financial support for rural revitalization and to give the focus points and optimization paths for financial support for environmental quality, rural revitalization and sustainable development. The research results show that financial support plays an active and long-term role in improving environmental quality and promoting rural revitalization and sustainable development. Specifically, the effect of financial instruments in supporting rural revitalization and sustainable development is continuous. In the insurance system, increasing the scale of agricultural insurance support and expanding the coverage of agricultural insurance are key to improving environmental quality and promoting rural revitalization and sustainable development. Therefore, financial policy makers should improve the targeting of financial instruments to provide the right guidance for improving the quality of rural environment and enhancing rural economy, so as to ultimately realize rural revitalization in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vaccines against coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) have been in use for over two years, but studies that reflect real-world vaccination coverage and demographic determinants are lacking. Using a multistage stratified random cluster sampling method, we planned to directly explore vaccination coverage and the demographic determinants of different doses of COVID-19 vaccines in Beijing, especially in older populations. All 348 community health service centers in 16 districts were involved. We performed multivariable logistic regression analyses to identify demographic determinants of different coverage rates via adjusted odds ratios (aORs) and 95% CIs. Of the 42,565 eligible participants, the total vaccination coverage rates for ≥1 dose, ≥2 doses, ≥3 doses, and 4 doses were 93.3%, 91.6%, 84.9%, and 13.0%, respectively, but decreased to 88.1%, 85.1%, 76.2%, and 3.8% in the older population. Among all participants, younger (aOR = 1.77, 95% CI: 1.60–1.95), male (aOR = 1.15, 95% CI: 1.06–1.23), and better-educated residents (high school and technical secondary school aOR = 1.58, 95% CI: 1.43–1.74; bachelor's degree aOR = 1.53, 95% CI: 1.37–1.70) were more likely to be fully vaccinated. People who lived in rural areas (aOR = 1.45, 95% CI: 1.31–1.60) and held the new rural cooperative health insurance (aOR = 1.37, 95% CI: 1.20–1.57) established a higher rate of full vaccination coverage. No history of chronic disease was positively associated with a higher coverage rate (aOR = 1.81, 95% CI: 1.66–1.97). Occupation also affected vaccination coverage. Demographic factors influencing the rate of vaccination with at least one or three doses were consistent with the results above. Results remained robust in a sensitivity analysis. Given the highly transmissible variants and declining antibody titers, accelerating the promotion of booster vaccination coverage, especially in high-risk groups such as the elderly, is a top priority. For all vaccine-preventable diseases, rapidly clarifying vaccine-hesitant populations, clearing barriers, and establishing a better immune barrier can effectively safeguard people's lives and property and coordinate economic development with epidemic prevention and control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the acceleration of urbanization, domestic waste has become one of the most inevitable factors threatening the environment and human health. Waste classification is of great significance and value for improving urban environmental quality and promoting human well-being. Based on the theory of planned behavior, we added external and socio-economic factors to systematically examine how they affect residents' waste classification behavior (WCB). We collected 661 valid data through a questionnaire survey conducted in Jinan, a pilot city for waste classification in China. Key driving factors were identified by combining binary logistic regression and the principal component analysis. The results showed that the elderly, women, and people with higher education are more likely to participate in waste classification. Attitude, collaborative governance, and institutional pressure positively affect WCB, while subjective norm and infrastructure have a negative effect. Knowledge mastery and degree of publicity are positively and significantly related to WCB, but other perceived behavioral control sub-variables negatively affect WCB. Based on the results and status of waste classification in Jinan, we propose the multi-agent linkage governance pattern from various dimensions to explore a powerful guiding incentive that can enhance WCB and provide a reference for waste management policymakers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In China, exploring the relationship between human capital and green economy in the context of economic transformation can promote the construction of an ecological civilization and high-quality economic development. This paper is dedicated to assessing the impact of human capital stock, human capital structure, and the difference between the two on China's green economy. Using the super-efficiency slack-based measure (SBM) model, this paper evaluated the green total factor productivity (GTFP) of 30 Chinese provinces to assess the greenness of its economy and analyzed its spatiotemporal evolution from 2000 to 2017. A spatial error model (SEM) was established to explore the impact of human capital on green economy. The results show that (1) the GTFP of China increased continuously from 0.219 to 0.457, showing a regional spatial differentiation of "eastern region > central region > western region." The spatial gaps of the green economy in the east-west and north-south directions are narrowing. (2) Moran's I index and Moran's I scatter plot indicate a significant spatial correlation between human capital and China's green economy. The local spatial correlation between human capital and green economy is mainly characterized by "high-high" and "low-low" types of agglomeration. (3) The effects of human capital stock and human capital structure on green economy were both positive, with coefficients of 0.0005 and 0.1601, respectively, but the effects of human capital structure were not significant. (4) The results of regional regression show that the difference between the human capital impact coefficients on green economy in the eastern and midwestern regions is small. The impact of human capital stock and human capital structure on green economy is consistent with the national level results. It can be preliminarily concluded that the development of China's green economy relied more on improving the human capital stock than on the improvement of the human capital structure. This study further enriches the literature on the green economy and provides information that can support government policy-making. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore the synergistic effects of modified biochar in the purification of herbicide-containing wastewater, the effect of biochar addition on the removal effect of the herbicide atrazine in wastewater was verified by the addition of biochar bags in a small reed bed-constructed wetland in the laboratory. The results showed that the addition of sulfuric acid-modified biochar could increase the removal rate of atrazine in wastewater from 50% to 70%, and the COD elimination rate in wastewater was from 66.7% to 86.7%. The addition of biochar to the constructed reed bed wetland improved the removal efficiency of total nitrogen and total phosphorus in the wastewater, and the outlet water from the constructed wetland reached the Class III level of China's surface water quality standard (the inlet water was inferior to Class V). The experimental design met the requirements of low-cost, generalized atrazine-containing wastewater treatment and thus could have the potential for wide application. The results reflected the application potential of modified biochar as a synergist in the treatment of herbicide wastewater in constructed wetlands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. An important feature of aging cells is the gradual loss of physiological integrity. As aging progresses, MSCs change preferring to differentiate toward adipocytes rather than osteoblasts. Oxidative stress accumulation is an important factor in age-related bone loss. Many experiments have demonstrated the good therapeutic effect of Ginsenoside (Rg1) on oxidative stress injury. In this study, we investigated the effect of Rg1 on the osteogenic-adipogenic differentiation balance of bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells (BMMSC). Objective. To analyze the potential application value of Rg1 in the treatment of senile osteoporosis. Methods. BMMSCs were isolated from healthy donors of different ages and identified based on isotype and by multi-differentiation induction. Rg1 was used to treat BMMSCs, The differentiation propensity was analyzed by induction of differentiation assay. Antioxidant capacity of BMMSCs as measured by oxidative stress product assay Related mechanism studies were confirmed by quantitative real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (qRT‐PCR), immunofluorescence, western blotting, and inhibitor treatment. Moreover, Observation of the effects of Rg1 on aging BMMSCs under in vivo conditions by treatment of aged mice with Rg1 injections. Results. Rg1 treatment rescued age‐induced switch of BMMSCs differentiation fate in vitro. In elderly people, Rg1 markedly increased osteogenic differentiation of BMMSCs by decreasing oxidative stress, while inhibiting adipogenic differentiation. However, this effect was abolished in BMMSCs by an Nrf2-inhibitor. Notably, aging mice showed a reduction in adipocyte distribution in the bone marrow and a decrease in oxidative stress products after a 3-month period of Rg1 treatment. Conclusion. We have uncovered a novel function for Rg1 that involves attenuating bone loss via Nrf2 antioxidant signaling, which in turn may potentially be utilized as a therapeutic agent for improving osteogenic differentiation in aging BMMSCs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the constraints on light‐use efficiency (LUE) induced by high evaporative water demand (vapour–pressure deficit; VPD) and soil water stress (soil moisture content; SMC) is crucial for understanding and simulating vegetation productivity, particularly in the arid and semi‐arid regions. However, the relative impacts of VPD and SMC on LUE are unclear, as we lack a mechanistic understanding of impacts and their interactions. In this study, we quantified the relative roles of VPD and SMC in limiting LUE and analysed the interactions among VPD, SMC and LUE using data from CO2 and water flux stations and weather stations along a climatic gradient in the Heihe River Basin, China. We found a threshold of VPD constraint on LUE; above the threshold, LUE decreased at only 3.6% to 23.1% of the rate below the threshold. As SMC decreased, however, the VPD threshold increased, and the reduction of LUE caused by VPD decreased significantly, which is more than half of that in moister regions. Therefore, both VPD and SMC played essential roles in LUE limitation caused by water stress. A threshold also existed for heat flux and the correlation between SMC and LUE; the strength of the correlation first decreased and then increased with increasing VPD. Our results clarified the relative impacts of VPD and SMC on LUE, and can improve simulation and prediction of plant productivity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Grass carp are an important farmed fish in China that are infected by many pathogens, especially grass carp reovirus (GCRV). Notably, grass carp showed age-dependent susceptibility to GCRV; that is, grass carp not older than one year were sensitive to GCRV, while those over three years old were resistant to this virus. However, the underlying mechanism remains unclear. Herein, whole genome-wide DNA methylation and gene expression variations between susceptible five-month-old (FMO) and resistant three-year-old (TYO) grass carp were investigated aiming to uncover potential epigenetic mechanisms. Results: Colorimetric quantification revealed that the global methylation level in TYO fish was higher than that in FMO fish. Whole-genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) of the two groups revealed 6214 differentially methylated regions (DMRs) and 4052 differentially methylated genes (DMGs), with most DMRs and DMGs showing hypermethylation patterns in TYO fish. Correlation analysis revealed that DNA hypomethylation in promoter regions and DNA hypermethylation in gene body regions were associated with gene expression. Enrichment analysis revealed that promoter hypo-DMGs in TYO fish were significantly enriched in typical immune response pathways, whereas gene body hyper-DMGs in TYO fish were significantly enriched in terms related to RNA transcription, biosynthesis, and energy production. RNA-seq analysis of the corresponding samples indicated that most of the genes in the above terms were upregulated in TYO fish. Moreover, gene function analysis revealed that the two genes involved in energy metabolism displayed antiviral effects. Conclusions: Collectively, these results revealed genome-wide variations in DNA methylation between grass carp of different ages. DNA methylation and gene expression variations in genes involved in immune response, biosynthesis, and energy production may contribute to age-dependent susceptibility to GCRV in grass carp. Our results provide important information for disease-resistant breeding programs for grass carp and may also benefit research on age-dependent diseases in humans. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Strong evidence has linked overweight and obesity to increased risks of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality in Chinese populations. Menopause is considered associated with increased obesity and central body fat distribution. However, the correlation between obesity and menopausal symptoms has not been well studied. Objective: To examine the associations between obesity or abdominal obesity and menopausal symptoms as women progressed from premenopausal to postmenopausal status. Design: This study included 430 midlife Chinese women who had experienced natural menopause and were followed up for 10 years. Physical examinations and questionnaires should be completed annually. The questionnaires include the Menopause-Specific Quality of Life questionnaire, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and other physical and behavioral factors. Results: Among women who were not obese (n=345) or not abdominal obese (n=372) at baseline, 5.8% and 31.7% became obese or abdominal obese at the recent follow-up visit, respectively. Women at the recent follow-up visit had an increased body mass index (BMI) by 0.14%, and the waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) increased by 5.2% compared with the data at baseline. In multivariate analysis, more frequent hot flashes, moderate/severe bothered vasomotor symptoms (VMS), mild bothered sexual functioning, and less anxiety symptoms were significantly associated with obesity. Increasing age, moderate/severe bothered VMS, and less anxiety symptoms were independently associated with abdominal obesity. Multivariable analysis also showed that less education level is independently associated with both obesity and abdominal obesity. Conclusion: Our findings suggest that the proportion of obesity and abdominal obesity increased gradually during menopause. The increase of abdominal obesity is more rapidly than obesity in middle-aged women. Both obesity and abdominal obesity are related with severe or frequent VMS and anxiety symptoms in Chinese women. Although the proportion of obese women in China is lower than in western countries, the problem of abdominal obesity and related complications cannot be ignored. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The water and organic carbon stored within unsaturated zones are crucial in terrestrial ecosystems; however, the coupling effects of deep soil water and organic carbon are still poorly documented. To explore the water-carbon coupling effects within soils under tree plantations, we investigated the water and organic carbon content to 20 m deep under cultivated farmland and orchards with apple trees of varying ages (5, 10, 15, 20, and 24 years) in the loess-covered region of China. A conditional process model was used to explore the impacts of vegetation and edaphic factors on the water-carbon coupling processes. Compared with farmland, young apple orchards (0–10 years) showed lower water deficit, but the soil water storage reduced by 21%− 32% under old apple orchards (15–24 years). The organic carbon content exhibited negligible variation among apple trees of different ages. However, the water-carbon coupling effects varied with apple tree ages. A positive correlation existed between water storage and organic carbon density under young apple orchards (p < 0.05), but a negative correlation was found between water deficit and organic carbon sequestration under old apple orchards (p < 0.01). The conditional process model suggested that the water-carbon coupling relationship under young apple orchards was primarily controlled by clay content due to lower root biomass, while that under old apple orchards was concurrently shaped by silt content and coarse roots because of the developed root system of apple trees. This study offers novel insights into the sustainable management of agriculture and tree plantations in regions with deep-rooted vegetation and thick unsaturated zones. [Display omitted] • We analyzed water and carbon coupling effects within 0–20 m under apple orchards. • Apple trees triggered large water deficit but little organic carbon variation. • Soil texture led to positive water and carbon effects under young apple orchards. • Plant root caused negative water and carbon effects under old apple orchards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yaks (Bos grunniens) live primarily in high-altitude hypoxic conditions and have a unique intestinal micro-ecosystem, remarkable adaptability, and strong climatic resistance. Accumulating evidence revealed the importance of probiotics in host metabolism, gut microbiota, growth performance, and health. The goal of this study was to screen out probiotics with excellent probiotic potential for clinical application. In this study, four strains of Bacillus , i.e., Bacillus proteolyticus (named Z1 and Z2), Bacillus amyloliquefaciens (named J), and Bacillus subtilis (named K), were isolated and identified. Afterward, their probiotic potential was evaluated. Antioxidant activity tests revealed that Z1 had the highest DPPH and hydroxyl radical scavenging activity, whereas Z2 had higher reducing power and inhibited lipid peroxidation. Additionally, the antibacterial testing revealed that all strains were antagonistic to three indicator pathogens, Escherichia coli C83902, Staphylococcus aureus BNCC186335, and Salmonella enteritidis NTNC13349. These isolates also had a higher hydrophobicity, autoaggregation, and acid and bile tolerance, all of which helped to survive and keep dangerous bacteria out of the host intestine. Importantly, all strains could be considered safe in terms of antibiotic susceptibility and lack of hemolysis. In conclusion, this is the first study to show that B. proteolyticus and B. amyloliquefaciens isolated from yaks have probiotic potential, providing a better foundation for future clinical use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Diarrhea is an important ailment limiting the production of the Tibetan pig industry. Dynamic balance of the intestinal microbiota is important for the physiology of the animal. The objective of this work was to study fungal diversity in the feces of early weaning Tibetan piglets in different health conditions. Results: In the present study, we performed high-throughput sequencing to characterize the fungal microbial diversity in healthy, diarrheal and treated Tibetan piglets at the Tibet Autonomous Region of the People's Republic of China. The four alpha diversity indices (Chao1, ACE, Shannon and Simpson) revealed no significant differences in the richness across the different groups (P > 0.05). In all samples, the predominant fungal phyla were Ascomycota, Basidiomycota and Rozellomycota. Moreover, the healthy piglets showed a higher abundance of Ascomycota than the treated ones with a decreased level of Basidiomycota. One phylum (Rozellomycota) showed higher abundance in the diarrheal piglets than in the treated. At genus level, compared with that to the healthy group, the proportion of Derxomyces and Lecanicillium decreased, whereas that of Cortinarius and Kazachstania increased in the diarrheal group. The relative abundances of Derxomyces, Phyllozyma and Hydnum were higher in treated piglets than in the diarrheal ones. Conclusions: A decreased relative abundance of beneficial fungi (e.g. Derxomyces and Lecanicillium) may cause diarrhea in the early-weaned Tibetan piglets. Addition of probiotics into the feed may prevent diarrhea at this stage. This study presented the fungal diversity in healthy, diarrheal and treated early-weaned Tibetan piglets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grass carp (Ctenopharyngodon idellus) is an important aquaculture species in China that is affected by serious diseases, especially hemorrhagic disease caused by grass carp reovirus (GCRV). Grass carp have previously shown age-dependent susceptibility to GCRV, however, the mechanism by which this occurs remains poorly understood. Therefore, we performed transcriptome and metabolome sequencing on five-month-old (FMO) and three-year-old (TYO) grass carp to identify the potential mechanism. Viral challenge experiments showed that FMO fish were susceptible, whereas TYO fish were resistant to GCRV. RNA-seq showed that the genes involved in immune response, antigen presentation, and phagocytosis were significantly upregulated in TYO fish before the GCRV infection and at the early stage of infection. Metabolome sequencing showed that most metabolites were upregulated in TYO fish and downregulated in FMO fish after virus infection. Intragroup analysis showed that arachidonic acid metabolism was the most significantly upregulated pathway in TYO fish, whereas choline metabolism in cancer and glycerophospholispid metabolism were significantly downregulated in FMO fish after virus infection. Intergroup comparison revealed that metabolites from carbohydrate, amino acid, glycerophospholipid, and nucleotide metabolism were upregulated in TYO fish when compared with FMO fish. Moreover, the significantly differentially expressed metabolites showed antiviral effects both in vivo and in vitro. Based on these results, we concluded that the immune system and host biosynthesis and metabolism, can explain the age-dependent viral susceptibility in grass carp. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Severe malnutrition evaluated by patient-generated subjective global assessment results in poor outcome among adult patients with acute leukemia: a retrospective cohort study. Moreover, although no statistically significant difference was observed, patients with malnutrition tended to have lower EFS than those without malnutrition at diagnosis (86.7 ± 7.4% vs. 94.7 ± 2.1%, I p i = 0.301) (Figure 2(c)). Over the past several decades, the 5-year relative survival for childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) has exceeded 90% due to improvements in treatment and support care [[1]]. The prevalence of patients with malnutrition (undernutrition and overnutrition) increased from 20.3% to 36.6% during induction therapy. [Extracted from the article]

Pico-/nanoeukaryotes (P/NEs) comprise both primary producers and bacterial predators, playing important biogeochemical and ecological roles in the marine microbial loop. Besides the difference in size, these small-sized fractions can be distinguished from microplankton by certain functional and ecological traits. Nevertheless, little information is available regarding patterns of their taxonomic and functional diversity and community composition along environmental gradients in coastal marine ecosystems. In this study, we applied high-throughput sequencing of 18S rRNA gene to assess the taxonomic species richness and community composition of P/NEs in surface waters of Bohai Sea and North Yellow Sea, northern China spanning a 600-km distance during summer and winter of 2011. The richness of operational taxonomic units (OTUs) formed a U-shaped relationship with concentration of chlorophyll a (Chl- a , a proxy of primary productivity), but a stronger, negative relationship with concentration of dissolved oxygen (DO). These two factors also significantly co-varied with the OTU-based community composition of P/NEs. The effect of geographic distance on community composition of P/NEs was negligible. Among the three functional groups defined by trophic traits, heterotrophs had the highest OTU richness, which exhibited a U-shaped relationship with both DO and Chl- a. The community of P/NEs was dominated by heterotrophs and mixotrophs in terms of read numbers, which showed a trade-off along the gradient of phosphate, but no significant changes along DO and Chl- a gradients, indicating functional redundancy. Similarly, the proportion of phototrophs was significantly and positively correlated with the concentration of silicate. Our results indicate that taxonomic and functional composition of P/NEs are decoupled on a regional scale, and limiting nutrients are important factors in modulating functional composition of these microorganisms in the studied area. These findings contribute toward gaining a better understanding of how diversity of small eukaryotes and their functions are structured in coastal oceans and the effect of environmental changes on the structuring process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ecosystems respond to climatic and anthropogenic forcings with regime shifts and reorganizations of their system structures. In river basins, changes in sediment transport can have cascading effects that cause ecosystem regime shifts. The Yellow River, once the world's most sediment-rich river, has experienced dramatic regime shifts. Although recent intervention has returned sediment discharge in the Yellow River to pristine levels, our understanding of previous regime shifts remains inadequate, particularly for the regime shift to a sediment rich period during early historical time. We reanalyzed previous datasets to clarify the first historical sediment transport regime shift in the Yellow River. Our results show that while historical climatic changes (e.g., the Medieval Warm Period, about 900–1100 AD) caused changes in sediment transport, a regime shift occurred only under increased forcing from anthropogenic stresses (started from about 1350 AD, reached the tipping point after 1900 AD). This unique behavior of the Yellow River under increasing anthropogenic forces may provide perspective for sustainable river basin management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Digitalization has become an engine driving industrial transformation and social change; however, the impact on carbon emissions during digital transformation remains poorly understood. We used the Tencent Digitalization Index based on big data to explore the effects of digital development on carbon emissions in China's 281 cities. The results show that the impact of digitization on carbon emissions follows an inverted U-curve in China, supported by a series of robustness tests. Considering city geographical location and resource endowment, this non-linear effect of digitalization on carbon emissions is more significant in eastern and non-resource-based cities. The inverted U-shaped impact of digitalization in central and western cities is not significant and resource-based cities have not yet reached the carbon reduction inflection point. Spatial spillover analysis indicates that digitalization will reduce carbon emissions of neighboring cities in the mature digital period. Digitalization also affects carbon emissions by promoting industrial structure upgrading and economic development. Understanding the relationship between digitalization and carbon emissions is a key ingredient for urban sustainable transformation, representing crucial knowledge for building climate-resilient cities and for policy-making. • A big data-based index is used to measure digitization from four dimensions. • The impact of digitization on carbon emissions presents an inverted U-shaped curve. • Heterogeneous effects are explored in terms of geographic location and resource endowment. • Digitalization has an inverted U-shaped spatial spillover effect on carbon emissions. • Identify digitalization affects carbon emissions through two channels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: During the menopausal transition, there is a greater likelihood of the prevalence of various bothersome symptoms, including vasomotor symptoms (VMS) and mood symptoms.Objective: To investigate the association among bothersome VMS and symptoms of anxiety and depression in Chinese women during perimenopause and early in menopause.Design, Patients, Setting, and Interventions: This study included 430 midlife Chinese women who had experienced natural menopause and were followed up for 10 years. A structured questionnaire was provided annually, comprising the VMS Bother Score (range 1-8) from the Menopause-Specific Quality of Life questionnaire, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, and other physical and behavioral factors.Results: Among the 430 women evaluated, 78.8% had experienced VMS during long-term follow-up. The overall level of VMS bother score was relatively low (1.92 ± 1.32). Both anxiety and depressive symptoms were significantly associated with VMS bother. After adjusting for potential covariates, the association between anxiety or depression symptoms and VMS bother remained highly significant. Menopausal stage, body mass index, general health, follicle-stimulating hormone, and estradiol were independent contributors to VMS. In time-lagged (1-year) models, VMS bother scores significantly predicted the risk of symptoms of both anxiety and depression the following year. In contrast, anxiety symptoms, rather than depressive symptoms, could predict VMS bother the following year.Conclusion: The prevalence of VMS in our cohort was higher than has been previously reported; however, the overall level of bother was relatively low. This study demonstrated a strong relationship between VMS bother and mood symptoms in Chinese women progressing from perimenopause through natural menopause. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grass carp is an important commercial fish widely cultivated in China. A wide range of temperatures, particularly extremely low temperatures, have dramatic effects on the aquaculture of this teleost. However, relatively few studies have characterized the molecular responses of grass carp exposed to acute cooling in natural environment. Here, we investigated the transcriptome profiles of the grass carp brain in response to cooling. Through regulation pattern analyses, we identified 2,513 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) that responded to moderate cold stress (12°C), while 99 DEGs were induced by severe low temperature (4°C).The pathway analyses revealed that the DEGs sensitive to moderate cold were largely enriched in steroid biosynthesis, spliceosome, translation, protein metabolism, phagosome, gap junction and estrogen signaling pathways. Additionally, we discerned genes most likely involved in low temperature tolerance, of which the MAPK signaling pathway was dominantly enriched. Further examination and characterization of the candidate genes may help to elucidate the mechanisms underpinning extreme plasticity to severe cold stress in grass carp. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Injuries are of growing public health concern in China, and the trends of urban-rural injury mortality disparity for the last decade are still being explored. This study aims to analyze trends in injury mortality disparity between urban and rural areas of China by region, sex, and age from 2010 to 2016.Methods: Using data from the Disease Surveillance Points system (DSPs) collected by the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) from 2010 to 2016, injury age-standardized mortality rates (ASMRs) and rate ratios (RRs) were calculated for different groups. Chi-square tests were used to compare differences in rates between urban and rural residents. The time trends of injury ASMRs were assessed via the annual percentage change (APC), and RRs were used to analyze urban-rural mortality disparity.Results: The crude injury mortality rate of rural areas was 1.5 times higher than that of urban areas. The urban-rural RR of injury ASMR decreased from 1.8 to 1.5 (APC = 5.0%) over time, from 2.0 to 1.7 (APC = 4.7%) for eastern regions, from 1.9 to 1.5 (APC = 5.4%) and from 1.6 to 1.3 (APC = 4.5%) among males and females, respectively. Further decreases were from 2.0 to 1.4 (APC = 7.8%), from 1.9 to 1.6 (APC = 6.4%), and from 1.8 to 1.2 (APC = 5.7%) in the 5-14, 45-64, and 65+ year age groups, respectively. The urban-rural RRs of ASMRs for fall, drowning and suicide decreased from 1.3 to 1.2 (APC = - 3.0%), from 2.3 to 1.6 (APC = - 13.8%) and from 2.1 to 1.6 (APC = - 9.9%,), respectively.Conclusions: The urban-rural injury mortality disparity was large, but showed a significant decreasing trend in China. Residents of eastern regions, males/females, 5-14/45+ year age groups in the urban-rural injury mortality disparity all decreased gradually during the investigated period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A survey was conducted in the summer monsoon transition region of China. By combining data from the Cloud-Aerosol Lidar and Infrared Pathfinder Satellite Observations (CALIPSOs) and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS), the effects of East Asian summer monsoon circulation on the spatial distribution of aerosol, as well as the response mechanisms of different aerosols in an abundant and a deficient summer monsoon year, were analyzed. It was found that, in the summer monsoon transition region, the aerosol optical depth (AOD) in abundant monsoon years was lower than that in deficient years. Only in the Gobi Desert region of the Loess Plateau, the AOD in abundant monsoon years was significantly larger than that in deficient years. When the AOD was less than 0.06, the frequency of dust aerosol was higher than that of polluted aerosol in both the abundant and deficient monsoon years. When the AOD was over 0.06, the frequency of polluted aerosol was higher than that of dust aerosol in both the abundant and deficient monsoon years. In summer, the AOD was larger and the frequency of polluted aerosol in abundant monsoon years was higher than that in deficient years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Case-based learning (CBL) is now used as a teaching strategy to promote clinical problem-solving ability. The purpose of this study was to determine whether CBL is superior to the traditional teaching method in teaching lung cancer curriculum to oncology students. Methods: This study was a randomized controlled trial, enrolled 80 first-year oncology postgraduates from Bengbu medical college in the past 3 years. They were randomized to divide into 2 groups, had courses with the same lung cancer contents and timing. The experimental group (n = 40) utilized the CBL method while the control group (n = 40) used the traditional lecture-based teaching method. A questionnaire was used to attain the students' learning satisfaction and self-efficacy of the course, and a post-study examination was used to assess end-of-course performance. Results: Complete data were obtained from participating students (n = 40 in CBL; n = 40 in traditional teaching). The CBL group performed significantly better in questionnaire and examination compared to traditional teaching groups. Students showed high levels of satisfaction and problem-solving ability in the CBL group. Conclusion: Compared with the traditional teaching method. The case teaching method is a more effective teaching method to improve the ability of problem-solving for graduate students in medical oncology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In a migration network system, any change of regional characteristics may affect outflows and inflows from and to the region itself and potentially its neighbouring regions. To explore the impact of spatial spillovers on interprovincial migration flows in China, we proposed four spatial autoregressive interaction models by introducing different network structures to gravity models. The results indicate that the model taking account of dependence structure among origins, destinations and flows is more accurate than the other models. Population size is the most critical determinant in interprovincial migration from 2005 to 2010 in China and is greatly strengthened by spatial spillovers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The processing of Chinese materia medica is an important part for the preparation of traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) which has been believed that can change the chemical composition and physiological function. Velvet antler is a kind of precious TCM and widely used after hot processing as folk medicines in China. However, no strategy has been presented to reveal the processing principle of velvet antler. Objective: The aim of this study is to develop a method for exploring the mechanism of hot processing on velvet antler. Materials and Methods: In this study, the chemical compositions of fresh velvet antler (FVA) and hot processed velvet antler (HPVA) were compared based on the 1H nuclear magnetic resonance (1H NMR) and multivariate statistical analysis methods to explore the mechanism of hot processing on velvet antler. Results: It showed that hot processing increased phosphorylcholine, taurine, alanine, uridine, phenylalanine, uracil, tyrosine, accompanied by decreased bile acid, choline, lipid 2 and succinic acid in comparison to the FVA, which changed significantly in 52 common metabolites of FVA and HPVA. In addition, a clear separation between FVA and HPVA was obtained by using principal component analysis and 11 "chemical markers" were found by using orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) approaches. Particular attention was given to the "chemical markers" with potentially beneficial bioactivities. Conclusion: The study demonstrated that 1H NMR-based chemometric approach could be a promising tool for investigation of the hot processing of velvet antler in a holistic way of TCM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Connections between meteorological and hydrological droughts (CMHDs) were assessed. • HD exhibited steeper downward trend, smaller number, and longer duration compared with MD. • Human activities weakened multiple aspects of CMHDs in the Yellow River basin. • Weakening CMHDs featured smaller correlation, larger difference, and less propagation rate. Connections between meteorological and hydrological droughts (CMHDs) have changed due to increasingly intensified human activities. Understanding such changes from an anthropogenic perspective is, therefore, of critical importance for drought monitoring, early warning, and adaptation. As the second-longest river system in China, the Yellow River basin (YRB) has been seriously impacted by humans and has a high risk of drought due to its dry climate, dense population and massive water demand. However, the effects of human activities on CMHDs in the YRB are still unclear. We thus used the standardized precipitation evapotranspiration index (SPEI) and the standardized streamflow index (SSI) to indicate meteorological drought (MD) and hydrological drought (HD), respectively, and analysed CMHDs with multiple indicators including trends, correlation, difference, and drought propagation characteristics. Our results highlighted the heterogeneity of CMHDs in terms of subregions and indicators and showed that this heterogeneity was impacted by humans by quantifying the effects of human activities (mainly referring to water abstraction and regulation) on CMHDs in each subregion. We found that 1) human activities aggravated the disconnections between MD and HD by sharpening the downward trend in the SSI and weakening the correlation (amplifying the difference) between the SPEI and SSI, and 2) human activities reduced the drought propagation rate from MD to HD, manifested by a decreased number of HD but a lengthening of the HD duration. In addition to the abovementioned effects that were consistent for most of the YRB, there were also some effects, for example, on HD intensity and drought propagation time, that differed among subregions, and these kinds of diverse responses of CMHDs might be related to the various human activities in terms of intensities, types, and regions. By analysing human effects on CMHDs, this study may be helpful in understanding drought and drought propagation in the Anthropocene, which is beneficial to watershed management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose The purpose of the paper is to examine the impact of investor sentiment on managers’ decisions to provide CSR disclosures. The core issue focuses on whether, why and how managers adjust their approach to CSR disclosure to cater to the investor sentiment.Design/methodology/approach On the basis of 13,488 observations of A-share listed companies, the authors examine the impacts of investor sentiment on CSR disclosure, which is measured separately by the propensity to issue a standalone CSR report and the quality of CSR reports. Furthermore, the authors examine the moderating role of institutional factors in China.Findings The authors find that during low-sentiment periods, managers are more likely to issue a standalone CSR report and the quality of CSR reports is higher, and vice versa. Additionally, the authors find that the negative correlations between CSR disclosure and investor sentiment are stronger in state-owned enterprises.Research limitations/implications First, the measurement of investor sentiment reflects only a part of characteristics of investor sentiment. Second, the authors pay less attention to the specific items of a CSR report.Originality/value The study contributes to the literature on CSR disclosure and investor sentiment by combining the two fields together. Furthermore, the study deepens the understanding of the institutional context in China and contributes to research on the predictors of CSR disclosure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two types of water allocation scenarios were proposed for reasonably utilizing water resources and improving water quality in a two-river network in Tongzhou District. Water circulation and quality were selected as two important indexes to evaluate the two scenario. Meanwhile, one-dimensional water amount and quality model was set up on the basis of the MIKE11 model to compare the two scenarios in terms of improving water environment. The results showed that both scenarios changed the hydrodynamic conditions, and consequently the river flow reached 0.05 m/s or higher in the central part of river stream. In addition, we also found that the two plans have similar effects on water quality, with first scenario producing larger area of water class III and IV than the second scenario. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glyphosate is a widely used herbicide worldwide and its prevalent presence in aquatic ecosystems poses a threat to living organisms. This study evaluated potential ecological risk of glyphosate to sediment-dwelling organisms and assessed the probable effect of glyphosate on structure and predicated function of sediment-attached bacterial communities from a large shallow lake in northern China based on 16S rRNA high-throughput sequencing. Results suggested that glyphosate showed a medium to high concentration (up to 8.63 mg/kg) and chronic risk to sediment-dwelling organisms (10% samples exhibiting medium to high risk quotient), especially in sites nearby farmland and residential areas in August. Bacterial community identification based on 16S rRNA sequence indicated some species of dominant phylum Proteobacteria and Campilobacterota (e.g., Steroidobacteraceae , Thiobacillus, Gallionellaceae, Sulfurimonadaceae) were stimulated while some species of dominant phylum Actinobacteriota, Acidobacteriota and Firmicutes (e.g., Nocardioidaceae, Microtrichales, Vicinamibacteraceae, Paenisporosarcina) were inhibited by glyphosate accumulation. The stimulating species were related to sulfur-oxidizing, sulfate-, iron-, or nitrate-reducing bacteria; The inhibiting species were related to plant bacterial endophytes, polyphosphate-accumulating organisms (PAOs) and denitrifers. Correspondingly, promoted bacterial metabolic functions of "sulfite respiration", "nitrogen respiration", "aromatic compound degradation" and "nitrification" but suppressed "cellulolysis", "manganese oxidation", "anoxygenic photoautotrophy S oxidizing" and "nitrate denitrification" were predicated on functional annotation of prokaryotic taxa. Although these results could only partly suggest the impacts of glyphosate on the bacterial communities due to the lack of actual results from control experiments, the identified Steroidobacteraceae could be thought as a bioindicator in the future mechanism study for the ecological effect and bioremediation of glyphosate. This work intends to arise the concern about the depletion of biodiversity and bacterial metabolic functions with contribution of glyphosate in part in eutrophic lakes. [Display omitted] • Glyphosate (Gly) showed a medium to high level of concentration and risk quotient. • Relatively higher abundance of Steroidobacteraceae and Sulfurimonadaceae in Gly-High group. • Relatively higher abundance of Nocardioidaceae and Nitrosomonadaceae in Gly-Low group. • Significantly higher predicted "sulfite respiration" but lower "denitrification" in Gly-High group. • Current field findings partly revealed the glyphosate effect on N and S cycling in lake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/Aims: Cytokines IL-2 and IL-8 both participate in immune regulation. However, the relationship between polymorphisms in these two cytokines and the risk of acquired aplastic anemia (acquired AA) has not been explored. Methods: We selected five SNPs including rs11575812, rs2069772 and rs2069762 of IL-2, rs2227306 and rs2227543 of IL-8. SNaPshot genotyping was used to test the genotypes of IL-2 and IL-8 polymorphisms in a population of 101 acquired AA patients and 165 healthy controls. Results: The rs2069762 G allele appeared to be a protective mutation, but no significant differences were found in other four SNPs. We also found that rs2069762 had an impact on the transcriptional regulation. Conclusions: It could be assumed that the rs2069762 polymorphism might reduce the risk of acquired aplastic anemia, while the remaining four SNPs might not contribute to susceptibility to acquired AA in a Chinese population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Lower Cambrian Longwangmiao Formation shoal dolostone reservoir in Sichuan Basin is currently an exploration and research highlight in China. Reservoir rocks mainly consist of crystalline dolomite with residual grain texture, and dolarenite of which the arene is mainly composed of muddy to micritic dolomite with some crystalline grain directionally aligned. The trace element indicates that the dolomites of Longwangmiao Formation may be related to the high salinity of sea water. The oxygen isotope values of crystalline dolomite and dolarenite are both similar to that of the Early Cambrian marine dolomites, and the carbon isotope values of every kind of dolomites are completely overlapped with that of the seawater in Early Cambrian, indicating the dolomitization fluid is originated from the Early Cambrian sea water. The restricted marine biological communities and a small amount of gypsum pseudonodule seen in muddy to micritic dolomite indicate that the sea water in Early Cambrian was restricted and evaporated. However, the general lack of massive evaporite mineral and gypsum karst breccia indicates that the salinity of sea water during dolomitization was lower than the value of gypsum's precipitation. The Longwangmiao Formation consists of several high-frequency sedimentary cycles, indicating frequent sea level changes. This study indicates that massive dolomitiza-tion may also occur in underwater palaeohigh in carbonate platform through the reflux of penesaline sea water driven by a combination of high- and low-frequency sea-level changes. This kind of dolomiti-zation can explain the generation of massive dolomites in the absence of evaporite precipitation, and further indicates that replacement dolomites can be produced by sea water with a wide range of salinity (normal, penesaline to hypersaline). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Management ownership has ethical consequences because it has an interest alignment effect or an entrenchment effect. In this paper, we investigate the ethical consequences of management ownership in China using accounting conservatism as the direct measure of entrenchment and alignment between shareholders and managers. We argue and find that the ethical effect of management ownership differs significantly in firms with different ultimate controlling shareholders. Specifically, management ownership in non-state-owned enterprises (NSOEs) has an alignment effect, while management ownership has less of an alignment effect in state-owned enterprises than in NSOEs. These results show that the ethical consequences of management ownership are moderated by the nature of ultimate controlling ownership. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine the effect of corporate ownership structure on the market value of excess cash in Chinese listed firms. We find that state ownership has a positive effect, as the market value of excess cash is greater in state-owned firms (SOEs) than in privately controlled firms. Furthermore, we show that expropriation by controlling shareholders is significantly higher in privately controlled firms than in SOEs and increases with excess cash. The evidence is consistent with the view that the market believes private controlling shareholders are more likely to extract the private benefits associated with cash reserves. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Runoff is more sensitive to its driving factors over time. • Variation of runoff sensitivity contributed about 20% to the change in runoff. • Controls other than long-term average climate were the major contributors to sensitivity variation. With great changes, such as climate and land use/cover, occurring in hydrological processes over the last decades, runoff sensitivity, here defined as proportional changes in runoff caused by a given proportional change in its driving factors (including precipitation, P , potential evapotranspiration, PET, and parameter m), has also been changing over time. However, few studies have focused on this sensitivity change, and runoff sensitivity is always considered to be constant in runoff attribution analysis with an elasticity-based method. In this study, we attempt to examine the temporal variation of runoff sensitivity in the middle reaches of the Yellow River basin, China, and quantify its effects on the changes in runoff so that the existing attribution method can be improved. We found that runoff sensitivity showed statistically significant trend, and runoff became more sensitive to changes in long-term average P , PET, and m. Parameter m , largely affected by land use/cover change resulting from large scale ecological projects, was the major contributor to change in runoff sensitivity, followed by P , and lastly PET. Runoff sensitivity variation contributed approximately 20% to the proportional runoff change, and by allowing runoff sensitivity to change over time, relative contributions of P , PET, and m to runoff would range from −5.05% to 9.94%. Our study supplements research focusing on hydrological changes and interactions, and we suggest that temporal variation in runoff sensitivity should be considered when quantifying the impacts of driving factors on changes in hydrological processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The existing literature provides conflicting results on the association between firm performance and corporate social responsibility ( CSR) disclosure. This paper empirically examines the effect of firm performance on CSR disclosure in terms of disclosure frequency and quality among Chinese listed firms and the possible mediating effect of corporate ownership on the relationship between firm performance and CSR disclosure. Our findings show that better-performing firms are more likely than worse-performing ones to disclose CSR information and to produce higher quality CSR reports. In addition, the link between firm performance and CSR disclosure is found to be weaker among state-owned enterprises compared with non-state-owned ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate whether endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress was involved in apoptosis induced by cyanobacteria-blooming water, healthy male ICR mice were fed with water samples from cyanobacteria-blooming regions of Lake Taihu (China), including Meiliang Bay (M1 and M2), central lake region (H), macrophyte-dominated Xukou Bay (X), and tap water (control group) for three consecutive months. Hepatic and renal mRNA and protein expression of ER stress signaling molecules were measured with quantitative real-time PCR and western blotting. Compared to macrophyte-dominated and control water samples, cyanobacteria-blooming water changed hepatic ER stress signaling molecules. M1 water treatment increased the mRNA and protein levels of glucose regulation protein 78 (GRP78) and C/EBP homologous protein (CHOP), and decreased the mRNA levels of B-cell lymphoma 2 (Bcl-2). M2 water treatment up-regulated GRP78 mRNA and protein expression, whereas H water treatment up-regulated mRNA and protein expression of GRP78 and caspase-12. Cyanobacteria-blooming water exposure also changed mRNA and protein expression of ER stress signaling molecules in the kidneys. M1 water exposure up-regulated GRP78 mRNA and protein expression and CHOP mRNA expression, whereas M2 water treatment up-regulated caspase-12 and Bcl-2 mRNA expression. M1 and M2 cyanobacteria-blooming water exposure significantly increased relative liver weights, and induced hepatic cell apoptosis. However, cyanobacteria-blooming water treatment did not change kidney weights, and did not induce renal apoptosis compared to macrophyte-dominated and control water samples. Hence, cyanobacteria-blooming water induces hepatic apoptosis via ER stress, and ER stress may play an important role in the apparent anti-apoptotic effects on renal cells exposed to cyanobacteria-blooming water. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Political cost theory and political power theory are two views on the effect of firm size on effective tax rate (ETR) in extant literature. The size effect of ETR can be investigated further by focusing on the relationship between firms and the government. This paper uses state ownership and tax status to capture this relationship and examines how firm size, state ownership and tax status jointly affect effective tax rates. It is found that, when firms do not enjoy a preferential tax status, firm size is positively associated with effective tax rates for privately controlled firms and negatively associated for state-controlled firms. The results show that political cost theory explains the relationship between size and effective tax rate for privately controlled firms, whereas political power theory explains this relationship for state-controlled firms. For those firms that already enjoy a preferential tax status, there is no significant relationship between their size and their tax burdens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neo-liberalism has dominated policy formulation and implementation for three decades and been influential in reshaping urban housing provision in different countries. However, the nature and impact of neo-liberal housing policy developments are also affected by previous arrangements, the exact nature, timing and pace of policy change and by how governments and markets have responded to emerging global and local challenges. This paper examines neo-liberal urban housing reform and market development in China and focuses on market performance and government responses following initial reform. The era of neo-liberal housing policy has been associated with turbulence, market changes and unequal housing and asset distribution. Housing reform and regulation policies have changed frequently in response; and this maturation of the neo-liberal system has important implications for policy and the structure and operation of the market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In recent years, the increased pressure of saltwater intrusion in the Modaomen Estuary, one of the outlets in the Pearl River Delta (PRD), China, has threatened the freshwater supply for the surrounding regions. The estuary has complex geometry and bathymetry and branches into three waterways, Madaomen Waterway, Hongwan Waterway, and Hezhou Waterway, entering into the coastal sea. In this study, a three-dimensional baroclinic model (EFDC) was used to investigate salt transport among these branches and saltwater intrusion in the mainstem of the estuary. The salt transport at selected cross sections was decomposed into three components: advection, steady shear, and tidal oscillatory, following the method of Lerczak et al. (Lerczak, J.A., Geyer, W.R., Chant, R.J., 2006. Mechanisms driving the time-dependent salt flux in a partially stratified estuary. Journal of Physical Oceanography 36, 2296–2311). Results from this study indicate that the Hongwan Waterway serves as a salt source for the mainstem of the estuary, especially during spring tides, while the Hezhou Waterway mainly acts as a salt sink for the mainstem. The down-estuary wind increases the steady shear transport in the Modaomen Waterway and the advection transport in the Hongwan Waterway, which alters the saltwater intrusion in the estuary. Closure of the Hongwan and the Hezhou Waterways could result in a 20% decrease of saltwater intrusion in the estuary. These results provide scientific basis for water resource management in the region. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The dramatic changes in urban housing provision in China after 1980 have been widely described and assessed. This paper updates earlier accounts of policy change in China and reflects upon the significance of these changes for theoretical and conceptual frameworks used in comparative housing studies. Housing privatisation and commercialisation transformed the Chinese socialist housing system into a dynamic housing market but new housing problems characteristic of market economies have emerged. Government at the national level has responded by developing new policies to support affordable and social housing; and at local level various new housing provision schemes have been tested, but their scale and impact have been limited because of the priority given by the local state to economic growth and securing local land related revenues. This paper suggests that the new phase of policy involves a distinctive hybrid approach rather than convergence on familiar market based, residual or corporatist approaches. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Missense mutations in MLH1 have frequently been detected in patients with Lynch syndrome, but their genetic significance has not been extensively assessed. In this study, we attempt to evaluate the etiological role of eight MLH1 missense variants. The variants were analyzed for their ability to affect MLH1 protein interaction with its partner PMS2 in vivo employing a yeast two-hybrid system. In addition, a SIFT (sorting intolerant from tolerant) algorithm was adopted to predict the effects of amino acid substitutions. Finally, scanning of mutations in a normal Chinese population and assay of the clinical characteristics have all been taken into account. Our results demonstrated that the MLH1 variants D485E and L653R cause functional alterations of the human MutLα complex significantly. The R265C, D304V, A586P, and R755S variants affect partial interaction. The remaining two variants, N38D and L559R, could be nonfunctional polymorphisms or might affect the mismatch repair system through other mechanisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two types of guanxi have a close association with auditor independence in China: firm-level connections derived from state ownership and personal connections developed through management affiliations with external auditors. This article examines the effects of these two types of connection and their joint effect on audit quality. We find that state ownership and management affiliations with the external auditor both increase the probability of receiving a clean audit opinion in China. Furthermore, the probability increment brought by management affiliations for non-state-owned enterprises (NSOEs) is greater than that for state-owned enterprises (SOEs). These results suggest that state ownership and management affiliations are two important types of connection that impair auditor independence, and that management affiliations are of greater importance to private-sector firms than to SOEs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An MIDAS-400 Customised Data Acquisition System was deployed to obtain current velocity and suspended sediment concentration profiles over the intertidal flat at Wanggang, on the Jiangsu coast (China). At the same time, seawater temperature, conductivity and pressure were measured. Using a data sampling rate of 4 Hz, the high-frequency pressure signals in response to water surface fluctuations were recorded and subsequently transformed into wave parameters. The analytical results show that the apparent bed roughness length has a magnitude close to the height of sand ripples, which is much larger than the grain size diameter. The bottom shear stress associated with current-wave interaction is higher than the tidally-induced stress and intensified turbulent mixing and resuspension. Furthermore, several suspended sediment concentration peaks occurred during a tidal cycle, which can be related to strong turbulence near the bed caused by frontal tidal currents and the enhanced resuspension; advection and extreme weather conditions (e. g. storms and strong winds) also played an important role. Finally, large net suspended sediment fluxes were observed to present when the flood or ebb currents prolonged, i.e. the flow became quasi-unidirectional during a tidal cycle. In general, the MIDAS-400 is a suitable tool for high-resolution data collection for the situations of combined current-wave action over intertidal flats; the data obtained can be used to analyze the processes and mechanisms of material transport. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]