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Several cross-sectional studies indicated a positive association between school bullying and homicidal ideation during early adolescence. However, few longitudinal studies investigated this association. This study examined whether a bi-directional relationship exists within the longitudinal association between bullying victimization or bullying perpetration and homicidal ideation among early adolescents using a Random Intercept Cross-Lagged Panel Model. A total of 1611 early adolescents (39.5% girls; Mage = 12.50 years, SD = 0.50) were recruited from the Chinese Early Adolescents Cohort study. Data on bullying victimization, bullying perpetration, and homicidal ideation collected during three time points (September 2019, September 2020, and September 2021) were used. Bullying victimization showed a significant positive association with homicidal ideation at the between-person level. Bullying victimization and bullying perpetration had a bi-directional relationship with homicidal ideation at the within-person level. Additionally, this study considered the impact of biological sex-based differences and bullying types on adolescents' homicidal ideation. Based on these findings, school bullying might exhibit unique reciprocal associations with homicidal ideation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Apoprotein A-I (ApoA-I) and Apoprotein B (ApoB) have emerged as novel cardiovascular risk biomarkers influenced by feeding behavior. Hypothalamic appetite peptides regulate feeding behavior and impact lipoprotein levels, which effects vary in different weight states. This study explores the intricate relationship between body mass index (BMI), hypothalamic appetite peptides, and apolipoproteins with emphasis on the moderating role of body weight in the association between neuropeptide Y (NPY), ghrelin, orexin A (OXA), oxytocin in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and peripheral ApoA-I and ApoB. Methods: In this cross-sectional study, we included participants with a mean age of 31.77 ± 10.25 years, categorized into a normal weight (NW) (n = 73) and an overweight/obese (OW/OB) (n = 117) group based on BMI. NPY, ghrelin, OXA, and oxytocin levels in CSF were measured. Results: In the NW group, peripheral ApoA-I levels were higher, while ApoB levels were lower than in the OW/OB group (all p < 0.05). CSF NPY exhibited a positive correlation with peripheral ApoA-I in the NW group (r = 0.39, p = 0.001). Notably, participants with higher CSF NPY levels had higher peripheral ApoA-I levels in the NW group and lower peripheral ApoA-I levels in the OW/OB group, showing the significant moderating effect of BMI on this association (R2 = 0.144, β=-0.54, p < 0.001). The correlation between ghrelin, OXA and oxytocin in CSF and peripheral ApoB in both groups exhibited opposing trends (Ghrelin: r = -0.03 and r = 0.04; OXA: r = 0.23 and r=-0.01; Oxytocin: r=-0.09 and r = 0.04). Conclusion: This study provides hitherto undocumented evidence that BMI moderates the relationship between CSF NPY and peripheral ApoA-I levels. It also reveals the protective role of NPY in the NW population, contrasting with its risk factor role in the OW/OB population, which was associated with the at-risk for cardiovascular disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Rickettsia and related diseases have been identified as significant global public health threats. This study involved comprehensive field and systematic investigations of various rickettsial organisms in Yunnan Province. Methods: Between May 18, 2011 and November 23, 2020, field investigations were conducted across 42 counties in Yunnan Province, China, encompassing small mammals, livestock, and ticks. Preliminary screenings for Rickettsiales involved amplifying the 16S rRNA genes, along with additional genus- or species-specific genes, which were subsequently confirmed through sequencing results. Sequence comparisons were carried out using the Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST). Phylogenetic relationships were analyzed using the default parameters in the Molecular Evolutionary Genetics Analysis (MEGA) program. The chi-squared test was used to assess the diversities and component ratios of rickettsial agents across various parameters. Results: A total of 7964 samples were collected from small mammals, livestock, and ticks through Yunnan Province and submitted for screening for rickettsial organisms. Sixteen rickettsial species from the genera Rickettsia, Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, Neoehrlichia, and Wolbachia were detected, with an overall prevalence of 14.72%. Among these, 11 species were identified as pathogens or potential pathogens to humans and livestock. Specifically, 10 rickettsial organisms were widely found in 42.11% (24 out of 57) of small mammal species. High prevalence was observed in Dremomys samples at 5.60%, in samples from regions with latitudes above 4000 m or alpine meadows, and in those obtained from Yuanmou County. Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Candidatus Neoehrlichia mikurensis were broadly infecting multiple genera of animal hosts. In contrast, the small mammal genera Neodon, Dremomys, Ochotona, Anourosorex, and Mus were carrying individually specific rickettsial agents, indicating host tropism. There were 13 rickettsial species detected in 57.14% (8 out of 14) of tick species, with the highest prevalence (37.07%) observed in the genus Rhipicephalus. Eight rickettsial species were identified in 2375 livestock samples. Notably, six new Rickettsiales variants/strains were discovered, and Candidatus Rickettsia longicornii was unambiguously identified. Conclusions: This large-scale survey provided further insight into the high genetic diversity and overall prevalence of emerging Rickettsiales within endemic hotspots in Yunnan Province. The potential threats posed by these emerging tick-borne Rickettsiales to public health warrant attention, underscoring the need for effective strategies to guide the prevention and control of emerging zoonotic diseases in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The climate benefit of blue carbon sequestered by mangrove forests can be partially offset by CH4 emission, but this offset is rarely assessed using multi‐year high‐frequency measurements. Here, four‐year eddy covariance measurements were used to examine temporal patterns of CH4 flux and its blue carbon offset (i.e., reduced climate benefit) in a subtropical estuarine mangrove in China. We found both diel and seasonal CH4 fluxes were mainly driven by soil temperature and tidal activities, showing greater nighttime emission. On average, one‐tenth of CO2 uptake was offset by CH4 emission using the sustained‐flux global warming potential metric at a 20‐year time horizon, while this offset could vary over an order of magnitude due to asynchronous fluxes of CH4 and CO2 across diel and seasonal cycles. These results highlight the significant contribution of nighttime emission to mangrove CH4 budget and the importance of asynchronous flux variations in assessing mangrove's climate benefit. Plain Language Summary: Mangrove forests also emit CH4 into besides absorbing CO2 from the atmosphere, leading to reduced climate benefit of blue carbon sequestration or "blue carbon offset". To assess the temporal patterns of mangrove CH4 flux and blue carbon offset, we analyzed a four‐year time series of high‐frequency measurements of CH4 and CO2 fluxes in a subtropical estuarine mangrove in China. The results showed mangrove forests emitted more CH4 at night than in the daytime and the temporal variability of CH4 flux was co‐regulated by soil temperature and tidal activities. Mangrove CH4 emission on average offset one‐tenth of blue carbon sequestration based on the sustained‐flux global warming potential metric at a 20‐year time horizon, while this offset varied over an order of magnitude across time scales. Future studies on mangrove CH4 budget and climate benefit should pay more attentions to nighttime emission and the asynchronous variability between CH4 and CO2 fluxes. Key Points: Four‐year eddy covariance mangrove CH4 and CO2 fluxes were presented to examine temporal patterns of CH4 flux and its blue carbon offsetBoth diel and seasonal CH4 fluxes were mainly driven by soil temperature and tidal activities with greater nighttime emissionThe blue carbon offset by CH4 emission varied significantly across time scales due to asynchronous CH4 and CO2 flux variations [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The wet bulb temperature (Tw) has gained considerable attention as a crucial indicator of heat-related health risks. Here we report south-to-north spatially heterogeneous trends of Tw in China over 1979-2018. We find that actual water vapor pressure (Ea) changes play a dominant role in determining the different trend of Tw in southern and northern China, which is attributed to the faster warming of high-latitude regions of East Asia as a response to climate change. This warming effect regulates large-scale atmospheric features and leads to extended impacts of the South Asia high (SAH) and the western Pacific subtropical high (WPSH) over southern China and to suppressed moisture transport. Attribution analysis using climate model simulations confirms these findings. We further find that the entire eastern China, that accommodates 94% of the country's population, is likely to experience widespread and uniform elevated thermal stress the end of this century. Our findings highlight the necessity for development of adaptation measures in eastern China to avoid adverse impacts of heat stress, suggesting similar implications for other regions as well. Attributing spatially heterogeneous heat stress trends to water vapor pressure changes driven by climate change-induced rapid warming in high-latitudes of East Asia, the authors predict widespread and uniform future heat stress in eastern China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: To evaluate the psychometric properties of the Advance Care Planning Readiness Scale (ACPRS‐C) within the context of community‐dwelling older adults with chronic diseases residing in suburban counties in China. Design: Descriptive, cross‐sectional survey. Method s : The research method employed in this study is characterized as a methodological study. Self‐reported survey data were collected among community‐dwelling older adults with chronic diseases residing in suburban counties in China. Including the following psychometric characteristics, item analysis was performed using the decision value method and Pearson's correlation analysis. Content validity was assessed through expert panel evaluation. The internal consistency of the questionnaire was determined by calculating Cronbach's alpha coefficient and corrected item‐total correlation. Additionally, confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was utilized to assess the construct validity of the ACPRS‐C. Results: A total of 228 older adults participated in this psychometric study from August to October 2023. The item content validity index ranged from 0.80 to 1.00, while the scale content validity index was 0.945. The scale demonstrated excellent internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha = 0.931), and the correlation between items and total score was satisfactory. The structural validity was deemed robust (CFA model fit: chi‐square/df = 1.121, comparative fit index = 0.992). Conclusion: The ACPRS‐C is a scale with strong psychometric properties to assess the ACP readiness within the context of community‐dwelling older adults with chronic diseases residing in suburban counties in China. Its reliability and validity hold considerable significance for both research and clinical practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

"China's Approach to Addressing International Hotspot Issues: Concepts, Principles and Practices" explores China's role in resolving global hotspot issues. The article discusses China's motives and strategies in conflict resolution, emphasizing its desire to enhance global influence and its adherence to traditional Chinese culture. China's approach is based on principles such as impartiality, non-interference, and constructive engagement. It seeks to harmonize differences, maintain inclusiveness, and promote cooperation. China's practices have been widely supported and applauded, and its approach is seen as a fundamental change from previous military approaches. China advocates for dialogue, consultation, and improved relations among countries to foster peace and stability. [Extracted from the article]

Tomato is the vegetable with the largest greenhouse area in China, and low temperature is one of the main factors affecting tomato growth, yield, and quality. Hydrogen sulfide (H2S) plays an important role in regulating plant chilling tolerance, but its downstream cascade reaction and mechanism remain unclear. Mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPK/MPKs) are closely related to a variety of signaling substances in stress signal transmission. However, whether H2S is related to the MPK cascade pathway in response to low-temperature stress is rarely reported. In this study, NaHS treatment significantly decreased the electrolyte leakage (EL), superoxide anion (O2−) production rate, and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) content of seedlings at low temperatures. In addition, the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT) were obviously increased; and the photochemical efficiency of PSII (Fv/Fm) was enhanced with treatment with NaHS, indicating that NaHS improved the seedlings' cold tolerance by alleviating the degree of membrane lipid peroxidation and oxidative damage. However, H2S scavenger hypotaurine (HT) treatment showed the opposite effect. We found that H2S content, L-cysteine desulfhydrase (LCD) activity, and mRNA expression were increased by chilling stress but reduced by MPK inhibitor PD98059; PD98059 reversed the alleviating effect of H2S via increasing the EL and H2O2 contents. The expression levels of MPK1–MPK7 at low temperatures showed that SlMPK4 was significantly induced by exogenous NaHS and showed a trend of first increasing and then decreasing, while the expression level of SlMPK4 in HT-treated seedlings was lower than that of the control. After SlMPK4 was silenced by virus-induced gene silencing, the H2S-induced upregulation of C-repeat-Binding Factor (CBF1), inducer of CBF expression 1 (ICE1), respiratory burst oxidase homologs (RBOH1, RBOH2) at low temperatures disappeared, and tomato cold tolerance decreased. In conclusion, H2S improves the cold tolerance of tomato plants by increasing the activity of antioxidant enzymes and reducing reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and membrane lipid peroxidation. MPK4 may act as a downstream signaling molecule in this process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The onset of the South China Sea summer monsoon (SCSSM) has profound impacts on meteorological conditions over East Asia. However, whether the interannual variability in monsoon onset date impacts ozone (O3) pollution remains unclear. Here, we investigate the relationship between early onset of SCSSM and late spring O3 in southern China. Our results show notable differences in surface O3 concentrations before and after SCSSM onset during early onset events in southern China. The enhanced O3 of 11.1 μg m−3 is supported by increased air temperature and solar radiation of 1.1 K and 30.9 W m−2 and reduced relative humidity of −5.7%. Both observation and model simulations confirm that O3‐favorable meteorological conditions modulated by early SCSSM onset can be found in May. It increases the boundary layer height and biogenic emissions of volatile organic compounds, enhancing O3 by 10 μg m−3 over southern China. Chemical processes dominate such increases in O3 with enhanced chemical production of 0.27 Tg month−1. Descending motion in southern China vertically transports O3 to surface by 0.10 Tg month−1, whereas horizontal advection reduces O3 concentration by 0.12 Tg month−1. The meteorological responses to colder sea surface temperature (SST) in the central equatorial Pacific are pronounced, leading to higher O3 concentrations over the Yangtze River Delta, while warmer SST in the Philippine Sea contributes O3 over the Pearl River Delta and eastern China. This study highlights the importance of SCSSM onset with respect to O3 in southern China, with promising applications in management of air pollution and agriculture. Plain Language Summary: The onset of the South China Sea summer monsoon (SCSSM), a spectacular feature of the Asian summer monsoon, has significant impacts on meteorological conditions over East Asia. It remains unclear whether the interannual variability in monsoon onset date affects ozone (O3) pollution. In this study, we demonstrated that the early onset of SCSSM can create warmer and drier conditions with enhanced solar radiation in May, which increases boundary layer height, boosts biogenic emissions of volatile organic compounds and worsens O3 pollution in southern China. By integrating reconstructed O3 data set and meteorological reanalysis together with model simulations, we found that increased O3 concentrations of approximately 10 μg m−3 over southern China were dominated by enhanced chemical production. Both sea surface temperature anomalies in the central equatorial Pacific and Philippine Sea contributed to the O3‐favorable meteorological conditions modulated by early SCSSM onset. Our study emphasizes the importance of considering the SCSSM onset in understanding O3 pollution in southern China, with promising applications in air pollution management and agriculture. Key Points: Early onset of the South China Sea summer monsoon can create warmer and drier conditions with enhanced solar radiation in MayEnhanced chemical production dominates the worsening late spring ozone pollution in southern China during early onset eventsBoth sea surface temperature anomalies in the central equatorial Pacific and Philippine Sea contribute to higher ozone in southern China [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The present study aimed to examine the bidirectional relationship between indigenous psychological capital (i.e., task-oriented psychological capital and guanxi-oriented psychological capital) and adolescent problematic Internet use (PIU) in the context of Chinese culture. The participants were 980 adolescents (Mage = 14.99, SD = 1.69) recruited from two middle schools in southern China. They provided self-report data on indigenous psychological capital and PIU as well as demographic variables at the beginning and the end of a school year. After controlling for gender and stressful life events, the results showed that (1) Task-oriented psychological capital and guanxi-oriented psychological capital at the beginning of the school year respectively predicted adolescent PIU at the end of the school year. (2) PIU at the beginning of the school year negatively predicted individuals' task-oriented and guanxi-oriented psychological capital at the end of the school year. (3) There were no gender differences in bidirectional relationship between indigenous psychological capital and Chinese adolescents' PIU. These findings help us understand the causes and results of PIU among Chinese adolescents and inspire related interventions for PIU and psychological capital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate estimation of tree stem form and merchantable volume is an important prerequisite for forest management and economic evaluation. A system of compatible taper-volume equations was constructed for estimating the upper stem diameter and merchantable volume of different larch species in northeast China using Larix olgensis (LO) and Larix kaempferi (LK) as examples. Five common compatible taper-volume systems were evaluated by using the diameter, height, and cumulative volume data of 262 LO and 86 LK trees. The seemingly unrelated regression (SUR) was used for parameter estimation of the nonlinear simultaneous equations, and the power function was applied to eliminate the heteroscedasticity of the volume equations. Subsequently, the tree species were used as dummy variables to construct generalized equations suitable for the two species. Finally, the adjusted coefficient of determination ( R a 2 ), root mean square error (RMSE), Akaike information criterion (AIC), RMSE%, condition number (CN), mean absolute bias (MAB) and mean percentage of bias (MPB) were used to evaluate the performance of the model. The segmented model outperformed the simple model, and in particular, the model presented by Fang (FS 46:1–12, 2000) exhibited the best performance in predicting diameter and volume. The Fang (FS 46:1–12, 2000) model explained the difference in stem form between both larch species, that is, LO had a higher upper inflection point and a lower inflection point than LK. The dummy variable model provides an effective approach to accurately predict stem diameter and volume variables for both species. The generalized equation can be used for simultaneous estimation of stem taper and merchantable volume for LO and LK in northeast China. Under the same conditions, LO has longer middle segments and better stem form than LK. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Droughts or floods are usually attributed to precipitation deficits or surpluses, both of which may become more frequent and severe under continued global warming. Concurring large-scale droughts in the Southwest and flooding in the Southeast of China in recent decades have attracted considerable attention, but their causes and interrelations are not well understood. Here, we examine spatiotemporal changes in hydrometeorological variables and investigate the mechanism underlying contrasting soil dryness/wetness patterns over a 54-year period (1965–2018) across a representative mega-watershed in South China—the West River Basin. We demonstrate that increasing rainfall intensity leads to severe drying upstream with decreases in soil water storage, water yield, and baseflow, versus increases therein downstream. Our study highlights a simultaneous occurrence of increased drought and flooding risks due to contrasting interactions between rainfall intensification and topography across the river basin, implying increasingly vulnerable water and food security under continued climate change. Increasing rainfall intensity produces opposite hydrological effects across a large river basin in South China (drying in the uplands vs. wetting in the lowlands) due to spatially contrasting interactions between rainfall intensification and topography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Local emergency cooperation agreements (LECA) led by local governments have increasingly become an important measure to address public crisis. In China, local governments have also launched such LECA to deal with occupational accidents and diseases. In this study, a quasi‐experimental design was used to evaluate the effects and spatial spillover of LECA on work safety performance improvements. Several econometric models were applied based on provincial panel data (2001–2019). The results show that: (1) LECA reduce both the number and mortality rate of workplace accidents in signatory provinces. (2) LECA can also induce a scale effect, which means that signatories can induce positive spillover effects on work safety performance in neighboring signatory provinces. (3) The analysis also identified negative spillover effects for neighboring non‐signatory provinces, indicating that LECA may lead to spatial spillover of industrial risks. (4) Further analysis indicated that the comprehensive effect of LECA is positive but not significant. (5) The spatial spillover of industrial risks due to LECA mainly occurs in the midwestern region, and positive spillover effect exists between the eastern and western regions due to the economic correlation factors. In addition, general recommendations for regional crisis cooperation among subnational governments are provided. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pharmacogenomics (PGx) implementation into clinical care is rapidly increasing in China. However, the extent to which the public understands PGx testing and important knowledge domains requiring patient education or counseling remains unclear. To address this, we created and validated the Chinese version of the Minnesota Assessment of Pharmacogenomic Literacy (MAPL‐CTM). The MAPL‐C was developed by translating the English MAPL to Chinese following cross‐cultural translation guidelines. An online survey validated the MAPL‐C and assessed Chinese individuals' PGx literacy. Validation analyses were performed and associations of PGx literacy with participants' characteristics were quantified. Of 959 high‐quality responses, the majority of respondents were Han Chinese (96.3%), men (54.5%), aged 18–29 years (70.9%), residing in China (97.3%), and had received college or higher education (95.0%). Out of 15 starting items developed to query specific predefined knowledge domains, two uninformative items were excluded, resulting in a 13‐item MAPL‐C. Chinese participants' MAPL‐C performance was best explained by a three‐factor model, encompassing PGx concepts and function, testing limitations, and privacy. Higher MAPL‐C performance was associated with younger age, higher education, and previous genetic testing experience. Correct response rates for questions related to testing limitations were lower than those in other domains. The creation and validation of the MAPL‐C fills a gap in determining PGx knowledge among Chinese speakers, quantifying PGx literacy within a Chinese cohort, and identifying response patterns and knowledge gaps. The MAPL‐C can be useful in clinical practice to guide patient counseling, assess PGx education interventions, and quantify PGx knowledge in relation to outcomes in research studies involving Chinese participants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, accurate estimation and spatial mapping of above-ground carbon (AGC) storage in forests have been crucial for formulating carbon trading policies and promoting sustainable development strategies. Forest structure complexities mean that during their growth, trees may be affected by the surrounding environment, giving rise to spatial autocorrelation and heterogeneity in nearby forest segments. When estimating forest AGC through remote sensing, data saturation can arise in dense forest stands, adding to the uncertainties in AGC estimation. Our study used field-measured stand factors data from 138 forest fire risk plots located in Fenglin County in the Northeastern region, set within a series of temperate forest environments in 2021 and Sentinel-2 remote sensing image data with a spatial resolution of 10 m. Using ordinary least squares (OLS) as a baseline, we constructed and compared it against four spatial regression models, spatial lag model (SLM), spatial error model (SEM), spatial Durbin model (SDM), and geographically weighted regression (GWR), to better understand forest AGC spatial distribution. The results of local spatial analysis reveal significant spatial effects among plot data. The GWR model outperformed others with an R2 value of 0.695 and the lowest rRMSE at 0.273, considering spatial heterogeneity and extending the threshold range for AGC estimation. To address the challenge of light saturation during AGC estimation, we deployed traditional linear functions, the generalized additive model (GAM), and the quantile generalized additive model (QGAM). AGC light saturation values derived from QGAM most accurately reflect the actual conditions, with the forests in Fenglin County exhibiting a light saturation range of 108.832 to 129.894 Mg/ha. The GWR effectively alleviated the impact of data saturation, thereby reducing the uncertainty of AGC spatial distribution in Fenglin County. Overall, accurate predictions of large-scale forest carbon storage provide valuable guidance for forest management, forest conservation, and the promotion of sustainable development strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How the United States pursues its decoupling policies towards China is an essential topic in studying U.S.‒China relations. Although the U.S. policy orientation towards China can be examined from several perspectives, this study uses a text-mining approach by extracting the China-related legislation in the 115th–117th Congress to observe the activities of the U.S. Congress regarding the affairs of China. Our analysis shows that Congress has seen a surge in China-related legislation since the introduction of decoupling policies. At the same time, it has not improved its negative view of China and maintained a competitive attitude in the economic, scientific and technological, and military fields after party rotation. It is worth noting that Congress under the Biden administration has placed greater emphasis on ideological competition, requiring allies who share common values to work together to counter the 'Chinese threat' in various areas. In this article, it is found that congressional legislation, as important political texts, conceal value judgements and institutional orientations that guide and constrain diplomatic practice. Political texts, ideology, and power are intertwined and shape the current U.S. congressional diplomatic strategy towards China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Machine learning is widely used to infer ground-level concentrations of air pollutants from satellite observations. However, a single pollutant is commonly targeted in previous explorations, which would lead to duplication of efforts and ignoration of interactions considering the interactive nature of air pollutants and their common influencing factors. We aim to build a unified model to offer a synchronized estimation of ground-level air pollution levels. We constructed a multi-output random forest (MORF) model and achieved simultaneous estimation of hourly concentrations of PM2.5, PM10, O3, NO2, CO, and SO2 in China, benefiting from the world's first geostationary air-quality monitoring instrument Geostationary Environment Monitoring Spectrometer. MORF yielded a high accuracy with cross-validated R2 reaching 0.94. Meanwhile, model efficiency was significantly improved compared to single-output models. Based on retrieved results, the spatial distributions, seasonality, and diurnal variations of six air pollutants were analyzed and two typical pollution events were tracked. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clarifying the constituent elements of agricultural land quality, carrying out multi-dimensional quality evaluation of agricultural land, and implementing precise land consolidation and utilization zoning all have important guiding significance for achieving efficient utilization of agricultural land in China. This work analyzed the multi-dimensional evaluation framework of agricultural land based on its comprehensive quality elements and the production, ecological, and health functions. This paper constructed a multi-dimensional agricultural land "production–ecology–health" quality evaluation index system and evaluation criteria, and carried out a multi-dimensional quality evaluation of agricultural land in Huanghua City, Hebei Province, China. The spatial superposition of each dimension′s evaluation results, combined with the logical relationship between agricultural land use and each dimension′s quality, realized the renovation and utilization zoning of agricultural land. The results are as follows: (1) The production, ecological, and health qualities of agricultural land in Huanghua City were below the average and there is spatial variability, whose proportions of grade III and below were 63.12, 66.23, and 69.32%, respectively. In addition, low score areas are mainly located in the south and northwest of the study area. (2) The obstacle factors to quality in different dimensions were different: The obstacle factors to production quality were matter content, soil pH, irrigation guarantee rate, and alkaline hydrolysis nitrogen; groundwater salinity and depth, soil pH, and chemical fertilizers consumption for ecological quality; and groundwater salinity and depth and soil pH for health quality. (3) Agricultural land in Huanghua city is divided into five types of remediation, including 30,277.34 hm2 for high efficiency utilization area, 10,576.54 hm2 for production quality cultivation area, 34,387.86 hm2 for health quality cultivation area, and 56,311.22 hm2 for comprehensive consolidation and restoration area; special remediation measures are proposed for different types of zones. The work improves the multi-objective quality evaluation index system for agricultural land and implements differentiated land remediation strategies by identifying obstacle factors through zoning. It provides methodological ideas to improve the efficiency of land remediation and utilization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The use of digital technology in firms has drawn attention of innovation management scholars and policy-makers, especially the imitation of digital technology and competition among peer firms. Drawing on dynamic competition theory, this paper examines how firms react to their peers' digital innovation behavior and the effect of external environment mechanisms on the magnitude of peer effects. Design/methodology/approach: This paper utilizes a text mining method to construct a baseline model with a Tobit estimator using data obtained for Chinese listed firms. Findings: The findings suggest that peer effects on digital innovation behavior are robust and significant positive in China. Moreover, peer effects on digital innovation participation are positively magnified by firms' strong social network and high Fintech development. However, peer effects are relatively higher in non-state-owned enterprises (non-SOEs), low-profitability and high R&D firms. Research limitations/implications: The authors' findings contribute to the digital management literature by showing that firms need digital technological imitation and diffusion of innovations in the digital era. Practical implications: Managers should provide insights into firms' imitation of their peers' acts to preserve competitive parity. Besides, firms should integrate employees within the organization and communicate digital innovation concepts and behaviors to external peer firms. Originality/value: First, this paper contributes to explaining how firms change their digital innovation strategy through the influence of peers' digital innovation behavior. Second, this paper fills the literature gaps related to the moderating effects of external environment factors in peer effects of digital innovation behavior. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, there are very few remaining cases of wooden buildings of the Tang Dynasty preserved in China, and what have been left of these buildings do not show an overall layout. Information on the preserved buildings and their groups in the southwestern grottoes themed on sukhabati is a key historical source to support the study. However, the sources of architectural elements, the evolution of composition rules and the components of artistic processing have not been systematically and fully explained. Taking the grottoes themed on sukhabati as the object, this paper explores the adaptive development process of the architectural image and the complex relationship of Chinese wooden architecture in the artistic conception of expressing sukhabati, sorts out the real and valid architectural information between them, and establishes a new perspective and historical basis for "demonstrating history through images". [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective A succession of cases have reported flares of adult-onset Still's disease (AOSD) after vaccination against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), raising concerns. We aimed to investigate the impact of inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccines on disease activity in patients with AOSD. Methods We prospectively enrolled clinically inactive AOSD patients visiting the outpatient clinics of our department. The patients received SARS-CoV-2 vaccines (BBIBP-CorV, Sinopharm, Beijing, China) voluntarily. The occurrence of relapse in the participants was recorded during the follow-up period, and a propensity score matching (PSM) method was used to compare the relapse rates between vaccinated and unvaccinated patients. Localized and systemic symptoms were assessed in the vaccinated patients. Results A total of 122 patients with inactive AOSD were included, of which 49.2% (n  = 60) voluntarily received the inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine. The relapse rate did not increase significantly in vaccinated patients in comparison with unvaccinated patients (after PSM: 6.8% vs 6.8%), and no relapse occurred within 1 month after vaccination. No obvious adverse reactions were reported in 75.0% of the participants, and none of the patients reported severe reactions. Conclusion Increased disease activity or relapse following vaccination with inactivated SARS–CoV-2 was rare in patients with inactive AOSD. Local and systemic adverse reactions were found to be mild and self-limiting. These safety profiles of inactivated SARS–CoV-2 vaccines in patients with AOSD may assist in eliminating vaccine hesitancy and increase the vaccination rate against SARS-CoV-2. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Green finance is a key institutional framework supporting China's newly publicized "Ecological Civilization Construction" initiative, and studies have analyzed the influencing factors of green growth from multiple perspectives; there are few studies that have examined the effectiveness of China's multidimensional green finance goals. This study analyzes panel data of 30 provinces in China from 2008 to 2020 and uses the Super Slacks-Based Measure (Super-SBM) model to calculate China's green finance efficiency (GFE) and discusses its dynamic evolution characteristics in spatiotemporal dimensions. The main conclusions are as follows: First, there is a steady upward trend in China's overall GFE value, despite a low level of GFE in general. Second, there is a curse of "Hu Huanyong line," with highs in the eastern region and lows in the central and western regions as the overall distribution pattern. Third, GFE has a positive spatial spillover effect, and green finance development in nearby regions is closely related. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This cross-sectional investigation examines the message strategies employed by the CDC and the NHC regarding the COVID-19 pandemic and established that messages sent by the CDC via Twitter differed significantly from the messages posted by the NHC via Weibo. Within a random sample (n = 200) of CDC and NHC messaging, six common themes emerged. They were: offering general advice, offering advice for professionals, pandemic progress, organizational efforts, knowledge popularization, and event notification. Results suggest the CDC offered advice to the general public (n = 50) more often than the NHC (n = 19). Similarly, the CDC offered more advice oriented toward professionals (n = 20) than the NHC (n = 9). The NHC, was more likely to discuss the role of government in remedying the pandemic (n = 12) than the CDC (n = 0) and more likely to employ a narrative style in their messaging (n = 35) than the CDC (n = 1). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Methane (CH4) is the second most potent greenhouse gas (GHG), and China emerges as the largest anthropogenic CH4 emitter by country. Current limited CH4 monitoring systems in China are unfortunately inadequate to support carbon management. Here we use the Weather Research and Forecasting model (WRF) coupled with a GHG module and satellite constrained emissions to simulate the spatiotemporal distribution of CH4 over East Asia in 2017. Model evaluations using both satellite retrievals and ground-based observations indicate reliable performance. We further inter-compare four proper orthogonal decomposition (POD)-based sensor placement algorithms and find they are able to capture main spatial features of surface CH4 under an oversampled condition. The QR pivot algorithm exhibits superiority in capturing high CH4, and it offers the best reconstruction with both high efficiency and accuracy. Areas with high CH4 concentrations and intense anthropogenic activities remain underrepresented by current CH4 sampling studies, leading to notable reconstruction error over central and eastern China. Optimal planning of 160 sensors guided by the QR pivot algorithm can yield reasonable reconstruction performance and costs of site construction. Our results can provide valuable references for future planning of CH4 monitoring sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil organic carbon (SOC) is an important indicator for soil quality evaluation. It is closely associated with soil fertility, and also has a great impact on the terrestrial carbon cycle. In this study, the distribution and storage of SOC were evaluated at the different reclamation chronosequences [(a) 2004–2007, (b) 1995–2004, (c) 1955–1995, (d) 1024–1955, and (e) < 1024)] in Dongtai City of Jiangsu Province, Eastern China. The results showed that the average SOC content ranged between 3.98 and 8.49 g/kg, which declined with the increase of soil depth. The soil bulk density exhibited the opposite trend, and had only a slight change throughout the entire study area. Both the SOC content and soil density decreased as the reclamation age increased. The SOC content were significantly higher under the 1024–1955 and < 1024 reclamation stages than the other reclamation stages. The storage of SOC in the study area was 8.03 × 105 kg at the 0–40 cm soil depth, with a SOCD of 3.07 kg/m2, which was markedly lower than the mean value in Jiangsu Province. It was concluded that the SOC storage increased proportionally to the reclamation age, and notable potential for carbon sequestration was expectable in the coastal farming area, Eastern China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Snakebite envenoming adversely affects human health and life worldwide. Presently, no suitable diagnostic tools for snakebite envenoming are available in China. Therefore, we sought to develop reliable diagnostic tests for snakebite management. We conducted affinity purification experiments to prepare species-specific antivenom antibody (SSAb). In brief, affinity chromatography with an antibody purification column (Protein A) was conducted to purify immunoglobulin G from Bungarus multicinctus (BM) venom hyperimmunized rabbit serum. The cross-reactive antibodies were removed from commercial BM antivenin by immune adsorption on the affinity chromatography columns of the other three venoms, Bungarus Fasciatus (FS), Naja atra (NA), and O. hannah (OH), generating SSAb. The results of western blot analysis and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) showed the high specificity of the prepared SSAb. The obtained antibodies were then applied to ELISA and lateral flow assay (LFA) to detect BM venom. The resulting ELISA and LFA could specifically and rapidly detect BM venom in various samples with the limits of quantification as 0.1 and 1 ng/ml, respectively. This method could effectively detect snake venom in experimentally envenomed rats (simulating human envenomation), which could distinguish positive and negative samples within 10–15 min. This method also showed promise in serving as a highly useful tool for a rapid clinical distinguishing of BM bites and rational use of antivenom in emergency centers. The study also revealed cross-reactivity between BM and heterogenous venoms, suggesting that they shared common epitopes, which is of great significance for developing detection methods for venoms of the snakes belonging to the same family. Author summary: The abundance of snake species and snakebites is a prominent issue in many tropical and subtropical developing countries. Thus, rapid diagnosis and selection of appropriate and effective antivenoms are the concomitant challenges that must be addressed. Neurotoxic snakebites, such as BM bites, usually occur late at night or accidentally, and local symptoms are not obvious after the bite, which results in difficulty in identifying the biting species. Administering a specific antivenom remains the most effective treatment for snakebite envenoming, thereby necessitating reliable, sensitive, and rapid diagnostic kits for BM bites. We constructed a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and a lateral flow assay (LFA) using two antibodies from different species to increase the sensitivity for venom detection and specifically identified BM venom. We found the device to be highly effective in samples of experimentally envenomed rats. The application of LFA will be conducive to appropriate antivenom administration and prevent adverse reactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the influence of complex regional climate, water quality perturbation factors of lakes in cold regions are complicated, and the uncertainty of each factor needs further study. This study coupled two algorithms (clustering and EM) to establish a water quality uncertainty model of Chagan Lake, a typical cold region lake in China. A BN model containing nine influencing factors (including water temperature (WT), total phosphorus (TP), total nitrogen (TN), etc.) was established and optimized, and sensitivity analysis was also performed. The results indicate that the water quality status of the lake is class III and 27.47% risk of exceeding the standard. The water quality of the lake is more susceptible to disturbance during the freezing period (WT < 1 °C). TP is the most sensitive factor for water quality disturbance in the lake followed by chemical oxygen demand (COD), TN, and fluoride (F). Parameter control result displays, and the multifactor synergistic control scheme could reduce the water quality risk of the lake by 36.47%. This study demonstrates that our proposed method can be used to predict both sudden water quality events and the overall trend of water quality fluctuation, which is important for rapid water quality evaluation and management decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As an important part of urban livable environment construction, urban streets are of great significance for daily social interaction and urban vitality. Enhancing walkability is considered an effective design measure to connect places and promote physical health. Compared with previous studies that focused on spatial physical characteristics or transportation infrastructure (such as zebra crossings) of streets, this study aims to identify and analyze walkability indicators that are closely related to subjective perception at the microscale. A questionnaire survey was conducted face to face to collect pedestrians' perception of walkability indicators, and an exploratory factor analysis was used to extract the main influencing factors. Structural equation models were constructed to verify the stability of the dominating factors and further explore the disparities in different walking intentions and different gender groups. According to the results, Access Safety, Stop Friendliness, and Visual Richness have a great impact on walkability, and women generally have a stronger perception of traffic disturbance and traffic safety than men. Ultimately, based on the results, some useful strategies are proposed for future street renewal. However, the study is limited to the geographical scope of Shinan District of Qingdao. Therefore, the longitudinal comparative analysis of other urban areas of Qingdao or intercity comparative analysis can be carried out in the future so as to provide extensive improvement recommendations. Walking is a choice. In order to create an environment that encourages people to walk more, we need to understand how environmental factors affect people's travel choice. In the context of ultrahigh-density Asian cities in particular, this paper is a scientific attempt to explore the relationship between walkability indicators to guide the construction of a livable neighborhood environment under the concept of Park City. The research results can be used as the basis for urban planning and managers to carry out urban renewal construction. Informed decisions in favor of a walkable environment will be made at a certain cost. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Snakebite is a global public health concern, which often occurs in tropical and subtropical underdeveloped areas, but it is often neglected. In the southern China, Naja naja atra (Chinese cobra) is a common venomous snake that causes swelling and necrosis of local tissues, even amputation and death. Currently, the main therapy is the administration of Naja atra antivenom, which greatly reduces mortality. However, the antivenom is not particularly effective in the improvement of local tissue necrosis. Clinically, antivenom is mainly administered intravenously. We speculated that the method of injection influences the efficacy of antivenom. In this study, the rabbit model was used to explore the effects of different antivenom injection methods on systemic and local poisoning symptoms. If topical injection of antivenom contributes to ameliorate tissue necrosis, then we need to reconsider the use of Naja atra antivenom. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, Kuakua has gained great popularity on Chinese social networking sites. It is a popular phenomenon in which young Chinese netizens proactively request praise from others in praising groups. However, this speech act seems unconventional as it flouts Leech's (1983) modesty maxim of politeness principle and Gu's (1990) self-denigration maxim. Therefore, this study aims to investigate the self-presentation strategies employed by Kuakua users on Douban and the underlying motivation of Kuakua by analyzing 400 posts quantitatively and qualitatively. These posts were collected using netnography and analyzed via grounded theory. We found that young Chinese netizens tend to use three pragmatic strategies when proactively requesting others' praise, namely, self-praise, self-disclosure, and self-denigration, in order of decreasing frequency. The result indicates a changing perception and attitude towards Chinese politeness among young Chinese netizens. In addition, the popularity of Kuakua in China also suggests an underlying yet intense conflict between the traditional values of politeness and the growing desire of young Chinese for recognition and affection. • Investigates Kuakua from a linguistic perspective for the first time. • Employs netnography and grounded theory for data collection and analysis. • Reflects a conflict between politeness and self-identity in contemporary China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The link between Obesity and Hypertension is among the most popular topics which have been explored in medical research in recent decades. However, it is challenging to establish the relationship comprehensively and accurately because the distribution of BMI and blood pressure is usually fat tailed and severely tied. In this paper, we propose a data-driven copulas selection approach via penalized likelihood which can deal with tied data by interval censoring estimation. Minimax Concave Penalty is involved to perform the unbiased selection of mixed copula model for its convergence property to get un-penalized solution. Interval censoring and maximizing pseudo-likelihood, inspired from survival analysis, is introduced by considering ranks as intervals with upper and lower limits. This paper describes the model and corresponding iterative algorithm. Simulations to compare the proposed approach versus existing methods in different scenarios are presented. Additionally, the proposed method is also applied to the association modeling on the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) data. Both numerical studies and real data analysis reveal good performance of the proposed method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Patients with infective endocarditis (IE) may present rheumatic manifestations concurrent with various autoantibodies and thus mimic antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis (AAV). This study aims to characterize the specific features in a long-term cohort of ANCA-positive IE patients and to perform comparative analysis with primary AAV patients. Methods: We performed a retrospective thorough review of 475 consecutive IE patients over 23 years, identifying 22 patients positive for proteinase 3 and/or myeloperoxidase and 36 treatment-naïve AAV patients. The clinical, laboratory, and follow-up data were collected to perform comparative analysis. Results: Our study illustrated that ANCA-positive IE patients were younger and had a shorter duration than AAV patients. Pulmonary lesions, ENT signs, peripheral neuropath, and proteinuria were more commonly seen in AAV patients, while heart valve involvement, spleen enlargement, and cerebral hemorrhage were more typical for IE patients (all p < 0.05). Besides, ANCA-positive IE patients presented a higher level of PR3-ANCA but lower C3 (both p < 0.05). Hyperleukocytosis and thrombocytopenia were more frequently found in AAV patients (both p < 0.05). No significant difference was noticed in the survival rate. Conclusions: Our study urges the early differential diagnosis of IE in ANCA-positive patients. It supports the claim that ANCA-positive IE patients and AAV patients do not share the same clinical spectrum. Echocardiography, serological profiles, and evaluation of multi-organ involvement might be required to improve diagnostic accuracy. Key Points •Early differential diagnosis of ANCA-positive IE from AAV is challenging even for expert rheumatologists. •Our study is so far one of the largest to include 22 ANCA-positive IE patients in one single center and spanning over 23 years. It is also the first study to include both ANCA-positive IE patients and AAV patients in one center. •Our study aides to identify a clinical picture to differentiate ANCA-Positive IE Patients from AAV Patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Mangrove ecosystems can help mitigate climate change by sequestering significant amounts of carbon (C) from the atmosphere and ocean, contributing to regional "blue carbon" stocks. However, it is unclear whether non-native species introduced in coastal wetlands can function as a more efficient carbon sink. Methods: By examining two dominant mangrove species, native Kandelia obovata (KO) and exotic Sonneratia apetala Buch.-Ham. (SA), at the Qi'ao Island, China, we quantified and compared ecosystem C storage, C sequestration rate, source and stability of soil organic carbon (SOC) under different vegetation covers. Results & conclusion: Our results showed that both species acted as strong carbon sinks relative to mudflat reference, with overall ecosystem C storage being comparable under KO (410 Mg C ha−1) and SA with different stand ages (224–452 Mg C ha−1), but a few times higher than corresponding unvegetated mudflat. However, by excluding SOC accumulation from prior land use (i.e., unvegetated mudflat), non-native species (i.e., SA) showed a significantly higher ecosystem carbon sequestration rate (8.2–16.4 Mg C ha−1 yr−1) than native KO (4.5 Mg C ha−1 yr−1), owing largely to fast biomass carbon sequestration in SA ecosystem. Relative to mudflat reference, the input of autochthonous source (mangrove tissues) contributed substantially to additional carbon sequestration under mangroves. It should be noted that the relative size of carbon sequestration in non-native mangroves is also affected by factors related to ecosystem, climate, soil properties and land use, the differences still exist among locations, and ecosystem modeling with field validation is desirable for regional estimation of carbon stocks and sequestration rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urbanization took place rapidly over recent decades and is expected to continue in the future, producing a series of environmental issues, including heat stress. Cool roof and green roof strategies have been adopted in a number of megacities to mitigate urban heat and carbon emissions, yet China is lagging behind developed countries in the implementation. One reason is the lack of careful and thoughtful assessment of potential effects of roof strategies, including their influences on winter PM2.5. With numerical simulations in this study, we assess how cool and green roof strategies affect winter PM2.5 pollution in North China, and we find that adoptions of cool roofs tend to aggravate PM2.5 pollution in lightly polluted regions. When PM2.5 pollution worsens, the negative effects of cool roofs are likely to be diminished. Green roofs cause less enhancements of PM2.5 pollution as a result of inhibited evapotranspiration in winter. We demonstrate that the effects of roof strategies are regulated by pollution severity and conclude that green roofs with suppressed evapotranspiration and thus weaker penalty on winter PM2.5 pollution seem to be better choices given the current pollution severity level in China, especially for regions suitable for growth of broadleaf plants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lipid profiles are influenced by both noise and genetic variants. However, little is known about the associations of occupational noise and genetic variants with age-related changes in blood lipids, a crucial event in the initiation and evolution of atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases. We aimed to evaluate the associations of blood lipid change rates with occupational noise and genetic variants in stress hormone biosynthesis-based genes. This cohort was established in 2012 and 2013 and was followed up until 2017. A total of 952 participants were included in the final analysis and all of them were categorized to two groups, the exposed group and control group, according to t he exposed noise levels in their working area. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in stress hormone biosynthesis-based genes were genotyped. Five physical examinations were conducted from 2012 to 2017 and lipid measurements were repeated five times. The estimated annual changes (EACs) of blood lipid were calculated as the difference in blood lipid levels between any 2 adjacent examinations divided by their time interval (year). The generalized estimating equations for repeated measures analyses with exchangeable correlation structures were used to evaluate the influence of exposing to noise (versus being a control) and the SNPs mentioned above on the EACs of blood lipids. We found that the participants experienced accelerated age-related decline in high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) levels as they were exposed to noise (β = −0.38, 95% confidence interval (CI), −0.66 to −0.10, P = 0.007), after adjusting for work duration, gender, smoking, alcohol consumption, and pack-years. This trend was only found in participants with COMT -rs165815 TT genotype (β = −1.19, 95% CI , −1.80 to −0.58, P < 0.001), but not in those with the CC or CT genotypes. The interaction of noise exposure and rs165815 was marginally significant (P interaction = 0.010) after multiple adjustments. Compared with DDC -rs11978267 AA genotype carriers, participants carrying rs11978267 GG genotype had decreased EAC of triglycerides (TG) (β = −5.06, 95% CI , −9.07 to −1.05, P = 0.013). Participants carrying DBH -rs4740203 CC genotype had increased EAC of total cholesterol (TC) (β = 1.19, 95% CI , 0.06 to 2.33, P = 0.039). However, these findings were not statistically significant after multiple adjustments. These results indicated that Occupational noise exposure was associated with accelerated age-related decreases in HDL-C levels, and the COMT -rs165815 genotype appeared to modify the effect of noise exposure on HDL-C changes among the occupational population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chinese olive trees (Canarium album L.) are broad-leaved species that are widely planted in China. Accurately obtaining tree crown information provides important data for evaluating Chinese olive tree growth status, water and fertilizer management, and yield estimation. To this end, this study first used unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) images in the visible band as the source of remote sensing (RS) data. Second, based on spectral features of the image object, the vegetation index, shape, texture, and terrain features were introduced. Finally, the extraction effect of different feature dimensions was analyzed based on the random forest (RF) algorithm, and the performance of different classifiers was compared based on the features after dimensionality reduction. The results showed that the difference in feature dimensionality and importance was the main factor that led to a change in extraction accuracy. RF has the best extraction effect among the current mainstream machine learning (ML) algorithms. In comparison with the pixel-based (PB) classification method, the object-based image analysis (OBIA) method can extract features of each element of RS images, which has certain advantages. Therefore, the combination of OBIA and RF algorithms is a good solution for Chinese olive tree crown (COTC) extraction based on UAV visible band images. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Borrelia burgdorferi sensu lato (BBSL), the causative agent of Lyme disease, is commonly found in wild and domestic mammals and ticks worldwide. In China, human cases of Borrelia burgdorferi infections have been identified across a wide geographic range including Yunnan Province, but few studies have examined BBSL in reservoirs and vectors in southwestern China. Here we conducted a thorough and broad-range investigation of BBSL in small mammals, domestic mammals, and ticks collected from 159 sample sites across 42 counties in Yunnan Province. DNA was extracted from spleen tissue of small mammals, blood from domestic mammals, and homogenized ticks. Nested PCR targeting the 5S-23S rRNA intergenic spacer gene of BBSL was used for screening, with amplicons sequenced directly and analyzed using a BLAST algorithm. A total of 8,478 samples were collected, which were composed of 5,044 mammals belonging to 68 species, 1,927 livestock belonging to five species, and 1, 507 ticks belonging to 14 species. BBSL was detected in 147 mammals (2.9%) from 30 different species, 20 of which represent the first reported detection in that species. A total of 52 (2.7%) livestock samples were positive for BBSL, with dogs having the highest detection rate (6.3%, 43/687), and 103 ticks (6.8%) tested positive with high prevalence in Ixodes granulatus (44.2%, 23/52) , Haemaphysalis nepalensi (33.3%, 3/9) and Haemaphysalis kolonini (19.0%, 31/163). Sequence analysis revealed six genospecies of BBSL including B. afzelii , B. burgdorferi sensu stricto , B. japonica , B. garinii , B. sinica, and B. valaisiana. Significant differences in prevalence rates of BBSL were observed by species, landscape types, altitude, and season. Our findings indicate a wide distribution of multiple endemic BBSL genospecies based on a large-scale survey within Yunnan, which underline the need to expand surveillance efforts for human in southwestern China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To rapidly rehabilitate mangrove forests, exotic mangrove species characterized by high growth rates have been introduced in China, which would undoubtedly affect the nutrient status, nutrient acquisition and utilization strategies of mangrove plants, but the mechanism remains unclear. Qi'ao Island (a suburb of Zhuhai City) has the largest continuous exotic mangrove forests in China, where a mass collection of mangrove soils, plant tissues and tidewater was conducted. Ecological stoichiometric ratios and isotopic compositions were then analyzed to evaluate the ecosystem-scale nutrient status and compare the nutrient acquisition and utilization strategies of native Kandelia obovata (KO) and exotic Sonneratia apetala (SA) species. Soil and foliar C:N:P stoichiometries indicated that there is high P availability but N limitations, while further isotopic evidence indicated that native KO and exotic SA responded differently to the N limitation status. First, native KO seemed to prefer NO3−, while exotic SA preferred NH4+, according to the Δ15Nleaf–root (leaf–root δ15N difference) as well as the relationships between foliar δ15N and soil-extracted NH4+ δ15N, and between N and heavy metal contents. This suggested possible inter-specific competition between native KO and exotic SA, leading to different N species' preferences to maximize resource utilization. Next, native KO likely adopted the "conservative" strategy to ensure survival with reduced investment in N-rich growth components but root systems leading to lower growth rates and higher N use efficiency (NUE) and intrinsic water use efficiency (iWUE), while exotic SA adopted the "aggressive" strategy to ensure fast growth with heavy investment in N-rich growth components, leading to rapid growth and lower NUE and iWUE, and showing signs of invasiveness. Further, native KO is more responsive to aggravated N limitation by enhancing NUE. This study will provide insights into the adaptation of different mangrove species to nutrient limitations and the risks associated with large-scale plantations of exotic mangrove species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change and air pollution are two intimately interlinked global concerns. The frequency, intensity, and duration of heat waves are projected to increase globally under future climate change. A growing body of evidence indicates that health risks associated with the joint exposure to heat waves and air pollution can be greater than that due to individual factors. However, the cooccurrences of heat and air pollution extremes in China remain less explored in the observational records. Here we investigate the spatial pattern and temporal trend of frequency, intensity, and duration of cooccurrences of heat and air pollution extremes using China's nationwide observations of hourly PM2.5 and O3, and the ERA5 reanalysis dataset over 2013–20. We identify a significant increase in the frequency of cooccurrence of wet-bulb temperature (Tw) and O3 exceedances (beyond a certain predefined threshold), mainly in the Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (BTH) region (up by 4.7 days decade−1) and the Yangtze River delta (YRD). In addition, we find that the increasing rate (compared to the average levels during the study period) of joint exceedance is larger than the rate of Tw and O3 itself. For example, Tw and O3 coextremes increased by 7.0% in BTH, higher than the percentage increase of each at 0.9% and 5.5%, respectively. We identify same amplification for YRD. This ongoing upward trend in the joint occurrence of heat and O3 extremes should be recognized as an emerging environmental issue in China, given the potentially larger compounding impact to public health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ERBB4 is related to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in patients with a family history and is thought to cause ALS-19. We screened 448 ALS patients, including 364 sporadic ALS (sALS) and 84 familial ALS (fALS) patients with ERBB4 variants, in a Chinese cohort. In total, 12 missense variants were identified in this study. Of these, 3 (p.Arg106His, p.Gln164Pro, and p.Val212Leu) were absent from the in-house healthy control cohort and population databases and predicted to be likely pathogenic. Genetic burden analysis did not reveal an increase in damaging variants of the ERBB4 gene. We considered that most of the missense variants in ERBB4 were not pathogenic, but certain variants, such as p.Arg106His, p.Gln164Pro, and p.Val212Leu, were likely pathogenic. The phenotype of these three patients carrying ERBB4 variants revealed the typical clinical manifestations of ALS without cognitive dysfunction. We concluded that ERBB4 likely pathogenic variants account for ~0.67% of ALS patients in China. It is necessary to interpret the relationship between the disease and variants carefully for ALS patients with ERBB4 gene variants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the deterioration of the global climate, there is consensus that the environment and economy must develop in coordination. Effective environmental regulation (ER) is an important incentive of environmental protection, and there is a clear interaction mechanism between it and the economic growth quality (EGQ). In order to explore the intrinsic link between ER and EGQ, this study establishes a comprehensive evaluation index system from the research perspective of the coupling coordination degree (CCD). Based on the panel data of 30 provincial administrative regions in mainland China (excluding Tibet), from 2004 to 2017, the entropy method, coupling coordination model, and spatial econometric model are used to explore the CCD and the factors influencing the CCD of ER and EGQ. The key findings of this study were as follows: (1) The CCD of ER and EGQ system showed an upward trend in the fluctuation from 2004 to 2017. (2) In 2017, Beijing showed good coordination, Yunnan and Qinghai showed primary coordination, and the rest of the provinces showed moderate coordination. (3) The CCD of different regions in China is uneven. (4) Per capita GDP, per capita FDI, ER intensity, and industrial structure adjustment have promoting effects on the CCD, while per capita investment in fixed assets and environmental pressure have inhibiting effects on the CCD. Our conclusions are significant for promoting the integrated development of regional economy and ecological civilization, and provide a theoretical reference for other countries and regions to explore the relationship between ER and EGQ. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Since December 2019, coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), caused by severe adult respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2, occurred in Wuhan, and rapidly spread throughout China. This study aimed to clarify the characteristics of patients with refractory COVID-19. Methods In this retrospective single-center study, we included 155 consecutive patients with confirmed COVID-19 in Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University from 1 January to 5 February. The cases were divided into general and refractory COVID-19 groups according to the clinical efficacy of treatment after hospitalization, and the differences between groups were compared. Results Compared with patients with general COVID-19 (45.2%), those with refractory disease were older, were more likely to be male, and had more underlying comorbid conditions, a lower incidence of fever, higher maximum temperatures among patients with fever, higher incidences of shortness of breath and anorexia, more severe disease assessment at admission, higher neutrophil, aspartate aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase, and C-reactive protein levels, lower platelet counts and albumin levels, and higher incidences of bilateral pneumonia and pleural effusion (P <.05). Patients with refractory COVID-19 were more likely to receive oxygen, mechanical ventilation, expectorant, and adjunctive treatment, including corticosteroids, antiviral drugs, and immune enhancers (P <.05). Considering the factors of disease severity at admission, mechanical ventilation, and intensive care unit transfer, patients with refractory COVID-19 were also more likely to be male, have manifestations of anorexia on admission, and receive oxygen, expectorant, and adjunctive agents (P <.05). Conclusion In nearly 50% of patients with COVID-19 obvious clinical and radiological remission was not achieved within 10 days after hospitalization. Male, anorexia, and no fever at admission was predictive of poor treatment efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A blueberry anthocyanin extract was obtained from Brightwell blueberry fruits cultivated in eastern China and the extraction and purification conditions were optimized. The components of the anthocyanin extract were identified using ultra-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization interface-mass spectrometer. The antioxidant and antibacterial activities of the blueberry fruit supernatant (BFS), blueberry anthocyanin crude extract (BCE), and blueberry anthocyanin rich extract (BRE) were evaluated. The extraction yield was 1.79 ± 0.0014 mg/g under the following optimal conditions: 1:20 solid-to-liquid ratio (v/w), 24 h, 34 °C, and 90% ethanol containing 0.21% (v/v) hydrochloric acid. With regard to purification, anthocyanin purity increased 19.1-fold. Nine fractions were identified as the glycosides of delphinidin, cyanidin, petunidin, and malvidin. The biological activities of the blueberry anthocyanin extract were improved through extraction and purification. Compared with BFS and BCE, BRE had a higher DPPH radical scavenging activity (EC50 = 0.51 mg/mL), ABTS antioxidant capacity (EC50 = 0.32 mg/mL), and oxygen radical absorbance capacity (0.43 mmol Trolox/g). Furthermore, BRE (2 mg/mL) showed a maximum of 84.64 ± 0.35% reduction in the biofilm biomass of Listeria monocytogenes and the inhibition zone given by BRE against Escherichia coli was 16.04 ± 0.38 mm. BRE showed the highest antioxidant capacities and obvious antibacterial effects against food-related microorganisms than the other samples. Therefore, BRE can be used as a natural antioxidant and antibacterial agent and has potential health advantages and food industry applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The association between dietary Fe intake and diabetes risk remains inconsistent. We aimed to explore the association between dietary Fe intake and type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) risk in middle-aged and older adults in urban China. This study used data from the Guangzhou Nutrition and Health Study, an on-going community-based prospective cohort study. Participants were recruited from 2008 to 2013 in Guangzhou community. A total of 2696 participants aged 40–75 years without T2DM at baseline were included in data analyses, with a median of 5·6 (interquartile range 4·1–5·9) years of follow-up. T2DM was identified by self-reported diagnosis, fasting glucose ≥ 7·0 mmol/l or glycosylated Hb ≥ 6·5 %. Cox proportional hazard models were used to estimate hazard ratios (HR) and 95 % CI. We ascertained 205 incident T2DM cases during 13 476 person-years. The adjusted HR for T2DM risk in the fourth quartile of haem Fe intake was 1·92 (95 % CI 1·07, 3·46; Ptrend = 0·010), compared with the first quartile intake. These significant associations were found in haem Fe intake from total meat (HR 2·74; 95 % CI 1·22, 6·15; Ptrend = 0·011) and haem Fe intake from red meat (HR 1·86; 95 % CI 1·01, 3·44; Ptrend = 0·034), but not haem Fe intake from processed meat, poultry or fish/shellfish. The association between dietary intake of total Fe or non-haem Fe with T2DM risk had no significance. Our findings suggested that higher dietary intake of haem Fe (especially from red meat), but not total Fe or non-haem Fe, was associated with greater T2DM risk in middle-aged and older adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global trends of fertility decline, population aging, and rural out-migration are creating pressures to consolidate school systems, with the rationale that economies of scale will enable higher-quality education to be delivered in an efficient manner, despite longer travel distances for students. Yet few studies have considered the implications of system consolidation for educational access and inequality outside of the context of developed countries. We estimate the impact of educational infrastructure consolidation on educational attainment, using the case of China's rural primary school closure policies in the early 2000s. We use data from a large household survey covering 728 villages in seven provinces and exploit variation in villages' year of school closure and children's ages at closure to identify the causal impact of school closure. For girls exposed to closure during their primary school ages, we find an average decrease of 0.60 years of schooling by 2011, when children's mean age was 17 years old. Negative effects strengthen with time since closure. For boys, there is no corresponding significant effect. Different effects by gender may be related to greater sensitivity of girls' enrollment to distance and greater responsiveness of boys' enrollment to quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives To describe the detailed characteristics and explore the potential risk factors of relapses in patients with adult-onset Still's disease (AOSD). Methods We enrolled patients with AOSD admitted to the Department of Rheumatology and Immunology, Ruijin Hospital from August 2016 to September 2019. Kaplan–Meier curves and the log rank test were used to estimate the cumulative relapse probability and persistent remission rate before the first occurrence of relapse. The multivariate Cox proportional hazard method was utilized to identify risk factors associated with relapses of AOSD. Results A total of 122 patients with AOSD were enrolled with a median follow-up of 12.6 months. Among them, 26 (21.3%) patients had at least one relapse. The cumulative relapse rates of AOSD patients were 14.42%, 21.79%, 24.81% and 28.57% at 6, 12, 18 and 36 months, respectively. According to the multivariate analysis, intensive treatment (odds ratio: 6.848; 95% CI: 2.441, 19.211) and macrophage activation syndrome (odds ratio: 4.020, 95% CI: 1.564, 10.322) were associated with increased risk of relapse. Conclusion Our study indicated that relapses occurred in at least one-fifth of patients with AOSD, and patients with high disease severity at initial attack may have an increased risk of relapse, which needs more intensive therapy and close follow-up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and purpose: The aim was to determine the transitional patterns in the clinical characteristics, treatments and comorbidities in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients over the past 14 years using data from a large clinical cohort in mainland China. Methods: Sporadic ALS patients who visited the Peking University Third Hospital from January 2005 to December 2018 were included in this study. The 14 years were divided into three periods, and changes in the baseline characteristics of the participants were analyzed at 5‐year intervals. Results: In total, 3410 patients with sporadic ALS were recruited: 2181 were men and 1229 were women. The proportion of patients with bulbar‐onset ALS increased from 13.0% in 2005–2009 to 19.5% in 2015–2018 (p < 0.001). The mean (standard deviation) age at onset increased from 49.5 (11.4) years in 2005–2009 to 53.0 (11.0) years in 2015–2018 (p < 0.001). ALS patients with diabetes or hypertension showed a delay in ALS onset, and the delay was even more apparent when the patients had both comorbidities. The proportion of riluzole users in 2015–2018 was approximately 2.5‐fold of that in 2005–2009 (p < 0.001). Conclusions: In the context of a lack of clinical data on ALS in mainland China, this study evaluated a large cohort of patients diagnosed over a 14‐year period. The age at onset and percentage of patients who used riluzole both increased over the study period. Additionally, it was found that patients with comorbidities such as diabetes and hypertension had a delayed age of ALS onset. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Given the high prevalence of adolescent mental health problems, promoting understanding and implementation of protective factors is crucial for prevention and intervention efforts addressing adolescent mental health problems. This study aims to investigate whether consistency and inconsistency in protective factors are associated with adolescent mental health problems and to inform adolescent mental health interventions that target the unique needs of adolescents and promote adolescent mental health. We used multistage cluster sampling to conduct psychological resilience, social support, and mental health questionnaires from April to June 2023 among 10,653 Chinese adolescents (52.3 % were boys). Data were analyzed using polynomial regressions with response surface analysis. The higher levels of psychological resilience and social support in adolescents were associated with fewer mental health problems (anxiety: a1 = −1.83, P < 0.001; depression: a1 = −2.44, P < 0.001; and perceived stress: a1 = −1.20, P < 0.001). When the level of psychological resilience was greater than social support, the greater the discrepancy the higher the perceived stress among adolescents (a3 = 1.19, P < 0.001). Moreover, the consistency of psychological resilience and social support had a greater impact on girls' mental health (anxiety: a1 = −1.97, P < 0.001; depression: a1 = −2.71, P < 0.001; perceived stress: a1 = −1.23, P < 0.001). The cross-sectional study design limited the inference of causal relationships between variables. These results emphasize that adolescents need a balanced development of protective factors and targeted intervention programs for different mental health problems. • China's early adolescents have higher prevalence of anxiety, depression and perceived stress. • Consistency between resilience and social support levels is associated with fewer mental health problems in adolescents. • The lower the level of social support is than resilience, the higher the adolescent's perceived stress. • Consistency of psychological resilience and social support has a greater impact on girls' mental health. • This study emphasizes the importance of balanced developmental protective factors for adolescent mental health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the soil substitutes in land reclamation following mining activities. This study revealed different reconstructed soil materials have different effects on the chemical properties of reconstructed soil and explored the appropriate proportions of reconstructed soil materials. Using topsoil, coal gangue, fly ash, and rock and soil stripping material from the Shengli Mining Area of Inner Mongolia in China as raw materials, potting experiments were carried out according to different proportions. The variance analysis method was used to analyze the difference in the soil pH values, soil organic matter (SOM) content, soil total nitrogen (STN) content, soil available phosphorus (SAP) content and soil available potassium (SAK) content of the reconstructed soil, and the reasons for the difference were discussed. The results showed that in the treatment group where the topsoil substitute material was coal gangue, when the coal gangue content was 30%, 40%, and 50%, the pH values of reconstructed soil were lower than that of the control scheme. When the coal gangue content exceeded 10%, the soil nutrient status was obviously improved. In the treatment group where the topsoil substitute material was fly ash, the chemical properties of reconstructed soil tended to deteriorate. In the treatment group where the topsoil substitute material was rock and soil stripping material, when the content of rock and soil stripping material exceeded 20%, the chemical properties of reconstructed soil were mostly better than those of the control scheme. The study of the different proportions of coal gangue, fly ash, and rock and soil stripping material as topsoil substitute materials provide support for reclamation work in mining areas where topsoil is scarce, as well as a reference for ecological restoration projects in grassland open-pit mining areas around the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]