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The agro-pastoral transitional zone (APTZ) in northern China is a typical ecologically vulnerable zone and a comprehensive geographical transitional zone. Its land use pattern has significant type diversity and spatial interlocking, which is always related to the play of ecological barrier functions and the sustainability of social-ecological systems. Accurately grasping the spatial competition relationship and comprehensive geographical effects of land types of APTZ in northern China is a key proposition for achieving coordinated and sustainable development between humans and land. To explore the spatial competition mechanism and comprehensive geographical effects of land use in the research area, this study focuses on revealing the evolutionary characteristics of land use patterns based on the center of gravity migration model. Based on the process of land use center of gravity migration, the spatial competition relationship of land types is explored to reveal the evolutionary trend and basic characteristics of land use in the APTZ. The results show the following: (1) Cultivated land and meadow are the main land types of the APTZ in northern China, accounting for up to 70% of the total regional area. The spatial competition between the two land types is the main contradiction in regional land use competition. (2) Drifting of the center of gravity of cultivated land towards the northwest direction is an important land use migration feature of the APTZ in northern China. Between 1980 and 2020, the center of gravity of cultivated land shifted by about 2 km to the northwest, and the center of gravity of grassland shifted by 8–10 km to the southwest. (3) The center of gravity of arable land and grassland in the entire region is constantly approaching, which has decreased from 70.95 km in 1980 to 61.38 km in 2020. The intensification of their interweaving has led to more intense land use competition. Grasping the basic characteristics and driving mechanisms of land type competition is an important means to achieve sustainable spatial governance. (4) The scale differentiation and regional differentiation characteristics of gradient effects are significant, and it is essential to prevent the risk of mismatch between land use and natural endowments in the northeast and north China sections. The research has surpassed the traditional method of analyzing land use competition, and by introducing a centroid model to analyze the spatial mechanism of land use competition, it has expanded the methodology for expanding research in the field of land science and provided basic references for regional sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The unique natural geographical conditions and land use patterns in semiarid sandy areas have resulted in a distinct cultivated landscape. Identifying and classifying the morphological characteristics of cultivated land are key to improving land utilization efficiency. This study focuses on the semiarid sandy areas of China. We obtained information on cropland morphology by judging high-precision remote sensing images and landscape pattern analysis, and then determined the spatial clustering characteristics of different plot morphologies through local spatial autocorrelation analysis. The results are as follows: cultivated land can be classified into five main types: simple large plots, complex large plots, simple small plots, complex small plots, and scattered plots, and there are significant differences in morphology between eastern and western plots. In addition, different morphology types of plots formed a variety of aggregation patterns; clustered plots are surrounded by scattered plots, showing a staggered distribution pattern. Farmers and land managers can make more informed decisions regarding irrigation, fertilization, and crop selection, and this knowledge can provide a basis for further optimizing the layout of cultivated land, identifying fragmented cultivated land, and scientifically recovering farmland to ensure more scientific and refined classification management and zoning protection of cultivated land. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Coupling ecosystem services is a methodological innovation. • The spatial–temporal variation of landscape ecological risk is significant. • Urbanization, mineral development and policies are important influencing factors. The study aims to clarify the temporal and spatial evolution characteristics of landscape ecological risk in Hailar River basin in recent 30 years, and to serve for scientific formulation of ecological management strategies. In the study, ecosystem services were used to improve the traditional landscape ecological risk assessment method, and the theoretical basis of landscape ecological risk was clarified using the human-nature system method. The results show that, on the spatial scale, the overall landscape ecological risk of Hailar River basin is characterized by high in the middle and low around. The high-risk areas are mainly located in the transition zone of "urban-grassland" and "urban-forest" in the middle of the basin and the main mining areas, which are distributed in strips along the main roads and rivers. Low risk areas are mainly distributed in the Great Khingan Mountains forest area in the east and north of the basin. In terms of time scale, the landscape ecological risk in the edge of the watershed has always maintained a high proportion of low-risk areas (75.35 %), while the area of high-risk areas in the middle of the watershed has experienced a process of first increasing and then decreasing. In terms of ecological governance, high-risk areas should achieve orderly urban construction and orderly development of mineral resources, and establish a classified management system of natural resources. Low risk areas should continue to promote measures to prohibit logging and limit grazing, and establish a supporting ecological compensation mechanism. The conclusion shows that urbanization, mineral development and management, and the implementation of forest and grass policies are the main driving factors for the change of landscape ecological risks in Hailar River basin. The basic principles of zoning control and human land coordination should be adhered to, and the size of cities and towns should be adjusted reasonably to promote the orderly development of mineral resources and the orderly construction of projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Immunotherapies can substantially improve treatment efficacy, despite their high cost. A comprehensive overview of the cost-effectiveness analysis (CEA) of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) in patients with non-small cell lung cancer based on different tumor proportion scores (TPSs) was conducted. PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Health Technology Assessment Database, and NHS Economic Evaluation databases were searched from their inception until August 24, 2022. Data relevant to the CEA results were recorded, and quality assessments conducted based on the Quality of Health Economic Studies (QHES) process. Fifty-one original studies from seven countries were included. The mean QHES score was 77.0 (range: 53–95). Twenty-seven studies were classified as high-quality, and the rest as fair quality. Pembrolizumab, nivolumab, ipilimumab, atezolizumab, camrelizumab, cemiplimab, sintilimab, tislelizumab, and durvalumab were identified using three TPS categories. While nivolumab plus ipilimumab and pembrolizumab plus chemotherapy were unlikely to be cost-effective in China, the results for the US were uncertain. Atezolizumab combinations were not cost-effective in China or the US, and tislelizumab and sintilimab were cost-effective in China. For TPSs ≥ 50%, the pembrolizumab monotherapy could be cost-effective in some developed countries. Cemiplimab was more cost-effective than chemotherapy, pembrolizumab, and atezolizumab in the US. For TPSs ≥ 1%, the cost-effectiveness of pembrolizumab was controversial due to the different willingness-to-pay thresholds. None of the atezolizumab combination regimens were found to be cost-effective in any perspective of evaluations. Camrelizumab, tislelizumab, and sintilimab have lower ICERs compared to atezolizumab, pembrolizumab, and nivolumab in China. Cemiplimab may be a more affordable alternative to pembrolizumab or atezolizumab. However, it remains unclear which ICIs are the best choices for each country. Future CEAs are required to select comprehensive regimens alongside randomized trials and real-world studies to help verify the economics of ICIs in specific decision-making settings. [Display omitted] • A total of 51 studies related to nine ICIs, and 21 patient regimes were included. • None of the atezolizumab combination regimens were found to be cost-effective. • Camrelizumab/tislelizumab/sintilimab had lower ICERs than atezolizumab/pembrolizumab/nivolumab in China. • Cemiplimab may be a cheaper alternative to pembrolizumab or atezolizumab. • Country/PD-L1 levels dictate several immune checkpoint inhibitor cost-effectiveness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We established long-term surveillance sites in Jinan city to monitor PM 2.5 particles (PM2.5) and PM2.5-bound PAHs (2014-2020). The range of PM2.5 was 15-230 µg/m 3 . The average annual ƩPAH 16 were 433 ± 271 ng/m 3 (industrial area) and 299 ± 171.8 ng/m 3 (downtown). PAHs captured in winter accounted for 61.5% (industrial area) and 59.1% (downtown) of total PAHs. A hazardous seasonal benzo[a]pyrene level was detected in 2015-2016 winter as 14.03 ng/m 3 (14 folds of EU standard). The dominant PM2.5-bound PAHs were benzo[b]fluoranthene (24-26%), chrysene (19-20%), benzo[g,h,i]perylene (15%), Indeno(1,2,3-cd)pyrene (12%) and Benzo[a]pyrene (10%). Toxic equivalent quotients of PAHs were 4.93 ng/m 3 (industrial area) and 3.13 ng/m 3 (downtown). Excess cancer risks (ECRs) were 4.3 × 10 -4 ng/m 3 and 2.7 × 10 -4 ng/m 3 , respectively. The ECRs exceeded EPA regulatory limit of 1 × 10 -6 ng/m 3 largely. Non-negligible excess lifetime cancer risks were found as 36 and 26 related cancer incidences per 1,000,000 people. Consistently, local prevalence of lung cancer raise from 56.97/100,000 to 72.38/100,000; the prevalence of thyroid cancer raise from 10.12/100,000 to 45.26/100,000 from 2014 to 2020. Our findings suggest an urgent need to investigate the adverse health effects of PAHs on local population and we call for more strictly restriction on coal consumption and traffic tail gas emission., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

The COVID-19 outbreak is becoming a public health emergency. Data are limited on the clinical characteristics and causes of death. A retrospective analysis of COVID-19 deaths were performed for patients' clinical characteristics, laboratory results, and causes of death. In total, 56 patients (72.7%) of the decedents (male-female ratio 51:26, mean age 71 ± 13, mean survival time 17.4 ± 8.4 days) had comorbidities. Acute respiratory failure (ARF) and sepsis were the main causes of death. Increases in C-reactive protein (CRP), lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), D-dimer and lactic acid and decreases in lymphocytes were common laboratory results. Intergroup analysis showed that (1) most female decedents had cough and diabetes. (2) The proportion of young- and middle-aged deaths was higher than elderly deaths for males, while elderly decedents were more prone to myocardial injury and elevated CRP. (3) CRP and LDH increased and cluster of differentiation (CD) 4+ and CD8+ cells decreased significantly in patients with hypertension. The majority of COVID-19 decedents are male, especially elderly people with comorbidities. The main causes of death are ARF and sepsis. Most female decedents have cough and diabetes. Myocardial injury is common in elderly decedents. Patients with hypertension are prone to an increased inflammatory index, tissue hypoxia and cellular immune injury.