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Basic medical laboratory courses (BMLCs) play an important role in medical educational courses helping the student acquire three important skills of surgical operating, collaborative learning, and problem solving. The outcome-based student assessment (OBSA) is a learning evaluation method that establishes specific evaluation points based on performance of students in three aspects: surgical operating, collaborative learning, and problem solving in the BMLC curriculum practices. The purpose of the present randomized controlled trial study is to explore the efficiency of OBSA program in BMLCs. The 233 students attending BMLCs were randomly divided into 2 groups, 118 in the OBSA group and 115 in the control group. We conducted multiple-choice examination questions (MCQs) test and two questionnaires with the method of two-sample t test for statistics. The results of MCQs in total eight BMLC blocks showed that the academic performance of the OBSA group was significantly better than that of the control group (P < 0.05). In addition, the average scores of direct observation of procedural skills (DOPS) and mini-experimental evaluation exercise in OBSA group were significantly higher than those in control group (P < 0.05). The majority of the medical students preferred the OBSA and considered OBSA could effectively improve their surgical operating skills (83.9%), collaborative learning skills (92.1%), and problem-solving skills (91.1%). From the above, OBSA is an effective evaluation method for the implementation of the BMLC curriculum

Background: Investigating emotion sequence patterns in the posts of discussion forums in massive open online courses (MOOCs) holds a vital role in shaping online interactions and impacting learning achievement. While the majority of research focuses on the relationship between emotions and interactions in MOOC forum discussions, research on identifying the crucial difference in emotion sequence patterns among different interaction groups remains in its infancy. Objectives: This research utilizes deep learning and sequential pattern mining to investigate whether there are differences in emotion sequence patterns across different groups of learners who exhibit various types of interactions in online discussion forums. Methods: Data from a comprehensive array of sources, including log files, discussion texts and scores from 498 learners in online discussion forums, were collected for this study. The agglomerative hierarchical algorithm is used to classify learners into groups with different levels of interactions. Additionally, we implement and evaluate multiple deep learning models for detecting different emotions from online discussions. Relevant emotion sequence patterns were identified using sequence pattern analysis and the identified emotion sequence patterns were compared across different groups with different levels of interactions. Results and Conclusions: Using an agglomerative hierarchical algorithm, we classified learners into three distinct groups characterized by different levels of interactions: high, average and low level. Leveraging the bi‐directional long short‐term memory model for emotion detection yielded the highest predictive performance, with an impressive F‐measure of 94.01%, a recall rate of 93.83% and an accuracy score of 95.01%. The results also revealed that learners in the low‐level interaction group experienced more emotion transition from boredom to frustration than the other two groups. Therefore, the aggregation of students into groups and the utilization of their MOOC log data offer educators the capability to provide adaptive emotional feedback, customize assessments and offer more personalized attention as needed. Lay Description: What is currently known about the subject matter: Emotions are dynamic over time when learners experience cognitive disequilibrium/equilibrium.Online interactions are critical components, which influence learners' emotional state, cognitive processes and learning achievement.It is not clear what are differences in emotion sequence patterns across the groups with different interaction types. What the paper adds: An agglomerative hierarchical algorithm was implemented to cluster learners into three groups by analysing behavioural data.We explore possibilities for automated classification of emotions using deep learning approaches.Learners in the low‐level interaction group experienced more emotion transition from boredom to frustration. Implications for practitioners: A considerable amount of effort should be expended to identify and respond to learners who experience boredom and frustration emotions.Designing interventions or scaffolding to facilitate learners' interaction and promote favourable emotions.Educators could provide more personalized support based on learners' online interaction cluster. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The available evidence regarding the role of fruit and vegetable consumption in the development of colorectal polyps remains inconclusive, and there is a lack of data on different histopathologic features of polyps. We aimed to evaluate the associations of fruit and vegetable consumption with the prevalence of colorectal polyps and its subtypes in a high-risk population in China. Methods: We included 6783 Chinese participants aged 40–80 years who were at high risk of colorectal cancer (CRC) in the Lanxi Pre-colorectal Cancer Cohort (LP3C). Dietary information was obtained through a validated food-frequency questionnaire (FFQ), and colonoscopy screening was used to detect colorectal polyps. Dose–response associations of fruit and vegetable intake with the prevalence of polyps were calculated using multivariate-adjusted regression models, which was reported as odds ratios (ORs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: 2064 cases of colorectal polyps were ascertained in the LP3C during 2018–2019. Upon multivariable adjustments, including the diet quality, fruit consumption was inversely associated with the prevalence of polyps (P trend = 0.02). Participants in the highest tertile of fruit intake had a 25% lower risk (OR: 0.75; 95% CI 0.62‒0.92) compared to non-consumers, while vegetable consumption had no significant association with polyp prevalence (P trend = 0.86). In terms of colorectal histopathology and multiplicity, higher fruit intake was correlated with 24, 23, and 33% lower prevalence of small polyps (OR: 0.76; 95% CI 0.62‒0.94; P trend = 0.05), single polyp (OR: 0.77; 95% CI 0.62‒0.96; P trend = 0.04), and distal colon polyps (OR: 0.67; 95% CI 0.51‒0.87; P trend = 0.003), respectively. Conclusions: Fresh fruit is suggested as a protective factor to prevent colorectal polyps in individuals at high risk of CRC, and should be underscored in dietary recommendations, particularly for high-risk populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has created significant challenges to the global economy, especially within the tourism industry. Economic downturns and psychological barriers make it even more challenging to attract tourists back. This paper explores the stimulating effect of digital travel vouchers on tourist mobility, as well as the heterogeneous effects of different vouchers modes. Using monthly data on tourist inflows in 306 cities from September 2020 to December 2021, collected by a web-crawling tool, and manually gathered information of digital travel vouchers issued during this period, our analyses show that digital travel vouchers can boost tourist inflows. Their effectiveness, however, depends on the method of issuance and the total number distributed. Furthermore, significant spillover effects among neighboring cities are found through a spatial econometric model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to overcome the difficulty of conducting the horizontal-well cavity leaching test in the field and to investigate the long-term stability of the horizontal-well salt-cavity natural gas storage. The simulation test design is combined with the similarity theory to study the cavity expansion characteristics and the influence law of cavity leaching parameters. Through the design of a rubber hose connection, an integrated closed test system for multi-stage horizontal-well cavity leaching and brine drainage was built. The test system also realises the repeatable backward movement of the injection well during the test. A similarity simulation of the test design was carried out, and the test platform was constructed to carry out multi-stage horizontal-well leaching tests with a nitrogen cushion. In the horizontal-well leaching tests with a nitrogen cushion, the influence laws of the well spacing, flow rate and liquid level position on cavity expansion were investigated. Based on the morphological characteristics of the horizontal-well cavity, a numerical model of the horizontal-well salt cavity was developed, which reflects the real cavity morphology leached in the test. The long-term stability of the horizontal-well salt-cavity natural gas storage under different internal pressures was investigated through numerical simulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We examine the risk spillovers in the Chinese financial system by adopting a time-varying copula-CoVaR approach. We first identify the systemically important financial institutions for each industry group in China's financial sector in a dynamic context. We then find strong evidence of upside and downside risk spillovers between these key institutions and the financial system, by quantifying value at risk (VaR), conditional VaR (CoVaR) and delta CoVaR (ΔCoVaR) through time-varying copulas. The empirical results further reveal asymmetric downside and upside risk spillover effects, indicating asymmetric hedging strategies for investors during market upturns and downturns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Very few developed economies have a full free trade agreement (FTA) with China. This study employs one GTAP model and builds an extended environmental multi-region input–output model to investigate a hypothetical China-UK FTA, concerning embodied industrial emissions of SO2, PM2.5, NOX, and NH3. The economic sectors are also classified based on their embodied pollution intensity and trade advantage index under various FTA scenarios. Results show that the UK's GDP and welfare and China's welfare will increase, along with changes in their trade structures. Overall, this FTA brings about larger net impacts on embodied emissions of SO2 than on PM2.5, NOX and NH3, and both countries are net importers of the latter three pollutants. Key sectors such as non-metallic mineral products, chemical products, and agriculture are inclined to become less competitive and less polluting under the FTA. The inclusion of agri-food sectors exhibits slight counteracting effects in general. The findings are of policy importance as they provide insights into how best to target key sectors, seeking a balance between trade development and environmental protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study focused on casual sex motivation to explore why some users tend to have more sexual partners and are more likely to take risks in sexual practices, thereby raising their chances of contracting sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Methods: We recruited Chinese heterosexual dating app users (N = 582) online to investigate the serial mediation model. Results: Casual sex motivation for dating app use was not directly related to the diagnoses of STIs. Number of sexual partners and frequency of risky sexual behavior serially mediated the relationship between casual sex motivation and STI diagnoses. Conclusions: Using dating apps for casual sex motivation is not necessarily associated with higher incidences of STIs, provided that users do not engage in risky sexual practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chinese brush calligraphy is a valuable civilization legacy and a high art of scholarship. It is still popular in Chinese banners, newspaper mastheads, university names, and celebration gifts. There are Web sites that try to help people enjoy and learn Chinese calligraphy. However, there lacks advanced services such as content-based retrieval or vivid writing process simulation for calligraphy learning. This article proposes a novel Chinese calligraphy learning approach: First, the scanned calligraphy pages were segmented into individual calligraphy characters using minimum-bounding box. Second, the individual character's feature information was extracted and kept. Then, a corresponding database was built to serve as a map between the feature data and the original raw data. Finally, a retrieval engine was constructed and a dynamic writing process was simulated to help learners get the calligraphy character they were interested in and watch how it was generated step by step.

The impact of built environment features on tourists' walking behaviors has received growing attention. Although many researchers have observed the effects of micro-scale factors, the impact of culture-related factors on walking behaviors has been frequently overlooked. Therefore, it is vital to synthesize those micro-scale variables to develop a more holistic picture, and incorporating a cultural perspective is an imperative for the preservation and vitality enhancement of historic streets. In our study, a micro-scale built environment (MiBE) variable system was constructed to capture the features of historic streets, and 109 visitors were tracked in Wudaoying Hutong to record their walking-stopping behaviors. The results revealed four primary components affecting walking-stopping behaviors, among which transparency was the most influential factor, followed by the transitional space between streets and buildings, contributing to 49.8% and 21.6%, respectively. Notably, the non-negligible impact of two culture-related factors, including the contrast between Chinese and Western styles and traditional Chinese features, was also revealed, contributing to 28.6% of the total observed activities. We further compared four different types of micro-scale factors of the built environment and the corresponding walking-stopping behaviors, providing both scientific and theoretical reflections for preserving and renewing historic streets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: With adult patients, the measurement of [TIMP-2]*[IGFBP7] can predict the risk of moderate to severe AKI within 12 h of testing. In pediatrics, however, the performance of [TIMP-2]*[IGFBP7] as a predictor of AKI was less studied and yet to be widely utilized in clinical practice. This study was conducted to validate the utility of [TIMP-2]*[IGFBP7] as an earlier biomarker for AKI prediction in Chinese infants and small children. Methods: We measured urinary [TIMP-2]*[IGFBP7] using NEPHROCHECK® at eight perioperative time points in 230 patients undergoing complex cardiac surgery and evaluated the performance of [TIMP-2]*[IGFBP7] for predicting severe AKI within 72 h of surgery. Results: A total of 50 (22%) of 230 developed AKI stages 2–3 within 72 h after CPB initiation. In the AKI stage 2–3 patients, two patterns of serum creatinine (SCr) elevations were observed. The patients with only a transient increase in SCr within 24 h (< 24 h, early AKI 2–3) did not experience a worse outcome than patients in AKI stage 0–1. AKI stage 2–3 patients with SCr elevation after 24 h (24–72 h, late AKI 2–3), as well as AKI dialysis patients (together designated severe AKI), did experience worse outcomes. Compared to AKI stages 0–1, significant elevations of [TIMP-2]*[IGFBP7] values were observed in severe AKI patients at hours T2, T4, T12, and T24 following CPB initiation. The AUC for predicting severe AKI with [TIMP-2]*[IGFBP7] at T2 (AUC = 0.76) and maximum T2/T24 (AUC = 0.80) are higher than other time points. The addition of the NEPHROCHECK® test to the postoperative parameters improved the risk assessment of severe AKI. Conclusions: Multiple AKI phenotypes (early versus late AKI) were identified after pediatric complex cardiac surgery according to SCr-based AKI definition. Urinary [TIMP-2]*[IGFBP7] predicts late severe AKI (but not early AKI) as early as 2 h following CPB initiation. A higher resolution version of the Graphical abstract is available as Supplementary information [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mounting observational records demonstrate human‐caused faunal decline in recent decades, while accumulating archaeological evidence suggests an early biodiversity impact of human activities during the Holocene. A fundamental question arises concerning whether modern wildlife population declines began during early human disturbance. Here, we performed a population genomic analysis of six common forest birds in East Asia to address this question. For five of them, demographic history inference based on 25–33 genomes of each species revealed dramatic population declines by 4‐ to 48‐fold over millennia (e.g. 2000–5000 thousand years ago). Nevertheless, summary statistics detected nonsignificant correlations between these population size trajectories and Holocene temperature variations, and ecological niche models explicitly predicted extensive range persistence during the Holocene, implying limited demographic consequence of Holocene climate change. Further analyses suggest high negative correlations between the reconstructed population declines and human disturbance intensities and indicate a potential driver of human activities. These findings provide a deep‐time and large‐scale insight into the recently recognized avifaunal decline and support an early origin hypothesis of human effects on biodiversity. Overall, our study sheds light on the current biodiversity crisis in the context of long‐term human–environment interactions and offers a multi‐evidential framework for quantitatively assessing the ecological consequences of human disturbance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The relationship between SFA consumption and the risk of overweight/obesity remains unclear. Epidemiological evidence is lacking among Chinese population. This study aimed to investigate the association between individual dietary SFA intake and the risk of overweight/obesity in Chinese adults. Data from 8465 adults with BMI < 24 kg/m2 at entry in the China Health and Nutrition Survey (1989–2011) were analysed. Three-day 24-h dietary records were used to collect dietary data. Cox proportional hazards regression models were constructed to estimate hazard ratios (HR) and 95 % CI for the risk of developing overweight or obesity. A total of 3171 incident cases of overweight/obesity were identified (1649 for women and 1522 for men) during a median of 11 years of follow-up. Compared with the lowest category, the intake of total SFA (TSFA) showed no significant association with the risk of overweight/obesity. However, an increased risk of overweight/obesity was observed with a higher intake of medium chain SFA (MCSFA) (Ptrend = 0·004), especially decanoic acid (10:0) (HR was 1·25 (95 % CI 1·10, 1·42) comparing the highest category with the reference group; Ptrend < 0·001), whereas an inverse relationship was observed for hexanoic acid (6:0) consumption; compared with non-consumers, 6:0 intake was associated with 32 % lower risk of overweight/obesity (HR: 0·68 (95 % CI 0·56, 0·84); Ptrend < 0·001). Overall, the intake of subtypes of MCSFA but not TSFA was associated with the risk of overweight/obesity. Increasing hexanoic acid (6:0) and limiting decanoic acid (10:0) consumption may be protective for overweight/obesity among Chinese population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using comprehensive transaction-level data from China, we document that institutional investors that have participated into the IPO pricing process trade at more profitable prices in the post-IPO market than other institutional investors do, resulting in higher profitability. The outperformance is more pronounced for firms with higher information asymmetry. We also document that participating institutions are able to identify more good trading opportunities ahead of others and that this ability become stronger when trading firms with higher information asymmetry. The outperformance and trading ability of participating institutions alleviates in periods before the expiration of lock-up and when retail sentiment is higher. Overall, our results imply that participating institutions possess information advantages over other institutions in post-IPO trading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a major disturbance to forest ecosystems, wildfires pose a serious threat to the ecological environment. Monitoring post-fire vegetation recovery is critical to quantifying the effects of wildfire on ecosystems and conducting forest resource management. Most previous studies have analyzed short-term (less than five years) post-fire recovery and limited the driving factors to temperature and precipitation. The lack of long-term and multi-faceted observational analyses has limited our understanding of the long-term effects of fire on vegetation recovery. This study utilized multi-source remote sensing data for a long time series analysis of post-fire vegetation recovery in China based on Google Earth Engine (GEE) cloud computing platform. Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), Enhanced Vegetation Index (EVI), Normalized Burn Ratio (NBR), and Normalized Difference Moisture Index (NDMI) were selected to quantify the low, moderate, and high severity of burned areas. Ridge Regression Model (RRM) was used to analyze the relationship between 15 driving factors and the vegetation regeneration process. The results show that it took at least 7–10 years for the vegetation index to recover to the pre-fire level after a forest fire. The recovery rate of high severity combustion areas was the fastest within the first two years. From the results of Ridge Regression, it came out that the overall fitting degree of the model with NDVI as the dependent variable was superior than that with EVI. The four variables of temperature, precipitation, soil temperature, and soil moisture were able to explain the change in more detail in vegetation indices. Our study enriches the research cases of global forest fires and vegetation recovery, provides a scientific basis for the sustainable development of forest ecosystems in China, and provides insight into environmental issues and resource management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Studying the pollen morphology of this remnant and endemic wild species of Cathaya argyrophylla can be of use for paleobiologists. During this study, 23 genotypes sampled from four natural populations in two regions of Hunan Province, China. A total of 460 pollen grains were analyzed for seven quantitative and seven qualitative traits (including five new traits). Three quantitative traits (B, P, and A) (Width of the saccus (B); Length of the polar axis (P); Length of the saccus (A)) and four qualitative traits (O-CO, B-SD, O-CSR, and B-SU) (Pollen corpus outlined in the polar distal view (O-CO); Whether the outline of two sacci was distinct or not in the polar proximal view (B-SD); Roughness degree between corpus from the polar proximal view and the sacci from the polar distal view (O-CSR); Whether the overall size of two sacci was uniform or not (B-SU)) were the diagnostic pollen features that could possible to differentiate one population and classified 23 samples into two, three, or four clusters. Furthermore, 24 environmental factors were evaluated and precipitation factors effected more on pollen morphology than geographic and temperature factors, which including annual precipitation (bio12), precipitation of wettest month and driest month (bio13, bio14), precipitation seasonality (bio15) and monthly averaged precipitation in May (05-precip). The main precipitation and temperature factors exhibited positive and negative correlation with pollen size (B and E (Equatorial diameter (E))), respectively. This article provides deeper insight into intraspecific variability of pollen grains of C. argyrophylla, which have been investigated for the first time. In addition, the insights gained from this study could assist with the seed breeding and population reproduction of the endangered C. argyrophylla tree. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Building on the short‐term nature of interim CEO contracts, this paper examines the effect of interim CEO appointment on corporate long‐term investment measured by a firm's R&D spending. We find robust evidence that the corporate R&D investment level is significantly lower during the interim CEO appointment period. The negative association between R&D investments and the interim CEO appointment is most pronounced when interim CEOs exhibit a myopic tendency. The primary findings disappear in the subsample of state‐owned companies, highlighting the bright side of state ownership in ameliorating managerial myopia. Finally, we document that appointing an interim CEO is costly for shareholders in the short run as well as in the long run. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bocaviruses are typical zoonotic pathogens with a wide range of hosts. Here, we report the detection of human bocavirus (HBoV) in Rattus norvegicus captured in China and the results of sequencing and phylogenetic analysis based on the partial VP1 region and the entire viral genome. A total of 357 fecal samples from rats were collected in 2015-2017 and analyzed for HBoV using PCR. The detection rate of HBoV was 0.84% (3/357). Phylogenetic analysis revealed that this virus is genetically closely related to HBoV-2. R. norvegicus may be a carrier of HBoV, and its impact on public health merits attention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Some scholars have shown that the machine learning methods based on a single-source data can successfully monitor the risks of formal financial activities, but not those of informal financial activities. This is because the data generated by formal financial activities, whether it is the structured or unstructured data, are of high quality and quantity, while the data generated by informal financial activities are not. Therefore, multi-source data are the key to monitor the risks of informal financial activities through machine learning. Although a few studies attempted to use multi-source data for financial risk prediction, they simply stack the obtained multi-source data, but ignore the original sources, heterogeneity, mutual redundancy and other characteristics of the data, so that the improvement of the prediction effect is not obvious. Therefore, TSAIB_RS method based on the two-stage adaptive integration of multi-source heterogeneous data was constructed in the paper, in which the data with different sources and different distributions were adaptively integrated. In order to test the reliability of TSAIB_RS method, the paper takes the default risk of microcredit in China as the test target and compares the prediction results of various test methods. It concludes that TSAIB_RS method can significantly improve the prediction effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Municipal solid waste (MSW) management and recycling has become an emerging issue in developing countries. Shanghai, the largest megacity in China, is well-known nationwide due to leading China's MSW separation and recycling. Therefore, this paper introduces the Shanghai mode for MSW management and its current situation to enrich existing MSW management studies. Results show that the total generation volume of MSW and amount of MSW generation per capita were 9.00 million tons and 372.16 kg in 2017, increased approximately eight-fold and four-fold compared with the data in 1978, respectively. The MSW treatment rate reached 100% since 2014, with incineration rate increased to 48.56% in 2017. The cost of MSW management after implementing MSW sorting regulation is increased to 985 CNY/ton, including 390 CNY/ton of MSW sorting cost. Then three key features and innovative MSW management modes, namely, mandatory MSW sorting legislation, Green Account program, and the Combined Network program are introduced. Meanwhile, two main challenges are urgent to be responded, including inadequate collecting vehicles and limited wet waste treatment capacity. Finally, policy recommendations on strengthening MSW recycling process, constructing complete terminal treatment industry, and making systematic policies were provided to respond existing challenges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFAs) are typical components of various plant-sourced and animal-sourced foods. However, the associations of MUFA consumption from different sources with mortality remain unclear. This study aimed to investigate the relationships between MUFA intakes from plant and animal sources and mortality. Methods: A total of 14,305 participants from China Health and Nutrition Survey were prospectively followed up for 14 years. Dietary intake of MUFAs was assessed by 3-day 24-h dietary records in each round. Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to compute hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results: A total of 1006 deaths occurred during 199,091 person-years of follow-up. Intake of total MUFAs was not associated with mortality (P-trend = 0.17). The plant-sourced MUFA intake was strongly associated with lower mortality [HRQ4vsQ1 (95% CI) 0.72 (0.58–0.89); P-trend = 0.008], whereas animal-sourced MUFA intake showed no significant association. Likewise, oleic acid (OA) and palmitoleic acid (PA) intakes from plant sources were also inversely associated with mortality [HRQ4vsQ1 (95% CI) 0.66 (0.52–0.84) for OA and 0.73 (0.59–0.91) for PA], while animal-sourced OA and PA were not related to mortality. Theoretically replacing saturated fatty acids (SFAs) (5% of total energy) with isocaloric plant-sourced MUFAs was associated with 15% (95% CI 5–25%) lower mortality. In addition, 18% (95% CI 10–26%) lower mortality was observed when theoretically replacing the sum of SFAs and animal-sourced MUFAs with isocaloric plant-sourced MUFAs. Conclusions: Intakes of MUFAs, including OA and PA, from plant but not animal sources were associated with lower total mortality. These findings suggested the importance of consuming MUFAs from plant-based foods for overall health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Evidence suggests that the relations between intakes of individual fatty acids and risk of type 2 diabetes (T2D) vary. However, associations between intakes of different cooking oils as sources of fatty acids and incident T2D remain largely unknown.Objectives: We aimed to evaluate relations between intakes of individual cooking oils and incident T2D in a nationwide Chinese cohort.Methods: Overall 15,022 Chinese adults aged ≥20 y from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) without self-reported T2D at entry in the 1997, 2000, 2004, 2006, or 2009 rounds were followed up until 2011. Consumption of various cooking oils/fats including lard, peanut oil, soybean oil, canola oil, sesame oil, and refined blended plant oil was assessed using 3-d 24-h records in each survey and the cumulative mean intake was calculated. Multivariable-adjusted Cox proportional hazards regression models were constructed to estimate the HRs of T2D.Results: A total of 1014 cases were recorded after a median follow-up of 14 y. The intakes of animal and plant cooking oils/fats were both associated with higher T2D risk. Compared with nonconsumers, multivariable-adjusted HRs and 95% CIs for the highest tertiles were 1.31 (1.03, 1.67) for lard, 1.36 (1.10, 1.66) for peanut oil, 1.14 (0.91, 1.43) for soybean oil, 1.11 (0.87, 1.43) for canola oil, 1.02 (0.79, 1.32) for sesame oil, and 1.42 (1.12, 1.82) for refined blended plant oil. Substituting 1 tablespoon/d (8 g · 2000 kcal-1 · d-1) of soybean oil for the sum of lard, peanut oil, refined blended plant oil, and other plant oils was associated with a 3% (HR: 0.97; 95% CI: 0.95, 0.99) lower risk of T2D.Conclusions: Intakes of lard, peanut oil, and refined blended plant oil but not soybean oil, canola oil, and sesame oil are associated with higher T2D risk. Reducing the consumption of cooking oils in general may be protective against T2D among the Chinese population.This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT03259321. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The existing studies on environmental efficiency evaluation generally have the problem of efficiency overestimation. To solve this problem, a new data envelopment analysis (DEA) cross‐efficiency approach with undesirable outputs is developed to evaluate environmental efficiency from the perspectives of both self‐evaluation and peer evaluation. Then, three new evaluation strategies, namely, economic development strategy, environmental protection strategy, and win–win strategy, are proposed to reflect the needs of decision makers under different policy objectives. The proposed cross‐efficiency approach with different evaluation strategies not only realizes the cross evaluation of environmental efficiency, but also guarantees the relative uniqueness of the optimal solution on the basis of the preferences of decision makers. Combining the metafrontier DEA approach and DEA window analysis, a new cross‐efficiency analytical framework is constructed to gradually analyse the influences of policy objectives, technology heterogeneity, and dynamic correlation on the environmental efficiency. Subsequently, the environmental efficiency of China's economic development during 2006–2015 is in‐depth analysed on the basis of the proposed analytical framework, and some interesting conclusions, and some useful suggestions are obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The safety of two kinds of post-marketing enterovirus 71 (EV71) vaccine in China was evaluated in this study. Fourteen vaccination clinics were randomly assigned in a 1:1 ratio, and both children in two groups were administered according to a two-dose schedule (on a 0 and 28 day schedule). Written informed consent was obtained, and recipients in this study were observed for 30 min after inoculation in the clinic, and then followed via phone or on-site follow-up at day 3 and 30. No severe EV71-associated adverse event was reported. No significant difference was noticed between Group Sinovac and Group CAMS (χz = 0.346, p = 0.556). There was no significant difference in the occurrence of adverse events among recipients aged less than 24 months; however, the proportion of adverse events was higher in Group CAMS than in Group Sinovac among the subjects aged 24-35 months (5.3% vs. 2.5%, p < 0.001). The two kinds of EV71 vaccines showed satisfactory safety. Adverse events after vaccination were normal and acceptable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The parasites from buffaloes in Guizhou province, southwest China, were suspected to be sarcocysts through morphologic observation. 18S rRNA and the subunit I of cytochrome oxidase (cox1) sequences were amplified, then implemented by phylogenetic analysis. Phylogenetic analyses of 18S rRNA and cox1 genes both indicated the low degree of genetic diversity among the isolated sequences and other sequences of Sarcocystis fusiformis. The result shows that the sarcocysts from these buffaloes in Guizhou province S. fusiformis. This study is the first molecular characterization of S. fusiformis from Chinese buffaloes that used two genetic markers (18S rRNA and cox1 sequences) in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Received human resource management (HRM) studies have paid much attention to the relationship between high-performance work systems (HPWS) and employees’ attitudes and behaviours, but they lack deep understanding on how such HRM systems work for ‘new generation’ employees and accommodate ‘new generation’ preferences and characteristics. Embracing ‘new generation’ workforce characteristics, we collected two waves of data from 561 employees who were based in 23 Chinese firms. Our findings reveal that, first, HPWS is positively related to ‘new generation’ employees’ engagement; second, hindrance-related stressors partially mediate the relationship between HPWS and ‘new generation’ employee engagement, but the mediation role of challenge-related stressors is not evident; third, procedural justice negatively affects the relationship between HPWS and hindrance-related stressors; finally, HPWS and procedural justice jointly affect ‘new generation’ employee engagement partly through hindrance-related stressors. We conclude that the study not only contributes to the link between HPWS and employee engagement in a ‘new generation’ workforce context, but also argues for the importance of having occupational stress- management for a ‘new generation’ employee workforce. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China and Japan share numerous similarities other than their geographical proximity. Facing the great challenges of non-communicable diseases (NCDs), China and Japan have developed different preventive strategies and systems. While Japan has made great progress in primary prevention of NCDs through strong legislation, the 'Specific Health Check and Guidance System' and a unique licensed health professional system, China is attempting to catch up by changing its strategies in NCDs control. In this manuscript, we compared disease burden of NCDs, health care systems and preventive strategies against NCDs between China and Japan. In this light, we summarized the points that the two countries can learn from each other, and proposed recommendations for the two countries in NCDs control. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Manual acupuncture (MA) manipulations are one of the key factors influencing acupuncture effects in traditional Chinese medicine theory. Different MA manipulations contain different stimulating parameters, thus generating different acupuncture responses or effects. Evidence has demonstrated that acupuncture is effective for functional dyspepsia (FD). However, the effects of different stimulating parameters of MA manipulations on FD remain unclear.Methods/design: This study is a randomized controlled trial with a four-arm, parallel-group structure. Patients with FD with epigastric pain syndrome (EPS) will be included and randomly allocated into four groups: three MA manipulation groups (separately treated with a frequency of 1 Hz, 2 Hz, or 3 Hz) and a control group. All groups will receive omeprazole as a basic treatment and acupuncture: in the MA manipulation groups, the needles will be manipulated manually with three different frequencies on the basis when de qi is reached, while in the control group, the needles will be inserted without any manipulation. All patients will receive acupuncture treatment of five consecutive sessions per week for 2 weeks and be followed up at 4, 8, and 12 weeks. The primary outcomes of the study include patients' response to the treatment. The secondary outcomes include dyspeptic symptoms, quality of life, mental status, fasting serum gastrin, motilin, and ghrelin concentrations, and adverse events. The protocol was approved by the Ethics committee of the First Affiliated Hospital of Zhejiang Chinese Medical University (2016-K-057-01).Discussion: The aim of this study is to evaluate the efficacy and safety of MA manipulations with different stimulating parameters (different frequencies) on EPS in patients with FD.Trial Registration: Chinese Clinical Trial Registry, ChiCTR-IOR-16008189 . Registered on 30 March 2016. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this study was to explore Chinese Christians’ sense of self-worth, well-being, locus of control and the correlations between these variables. One hundred and two Chinese Christians with a range of 18–40 years old were surveyed by the Scale of Self-worth, Chinese version of General Well-Being Scale and internal–external Locus of Control Scale. A control group of 134 Chinese non-Christians participated in the same survey. Christians scored lower on locus of control and higher on self-worth than the non-Christians. No significant general well-being difference was between the Christian and non-Christian samples. The correlations were significant between locus of control and self-worth/general well-being (negative) and between self-worth and general well-being (positive). Results suggest that Christians experience better self-worth and tend to be internals on locus of control. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Nephrotoxicity is a frequent severe side effect of cisplatin chemotherapy, limiting its clinical use despite being one of the most potent chemotherapy drugs. Dihydromyricetin is a highly abundant compound purified from the leaves of Ampelopsis grossedentata. Previous studies have demonstrated the anti-inflammatory and antioxidative effects of Dihydromyricetin both in vitro and in vivo, but little is known about the effects of Dihydromyricetin on cisplatin-induced nephrotoxicity and its underlying mechanisms. In the present study, we investigated its potential renoprotective effect and found that Dihydromyricetin ameliorated the renal functional impairment and structural damage caused by cisplatin. Moreover, Dihydromyricetin markedly attenuated cisplatin-induced oxidative stress, as well as protecting against cisplatin-induced inflammation and apoptotic cell death in mouse kidney tissues. These results collectively highlight the potential of DMY as a rational renoprotective agent against cisplatin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HIV stigma occurs among peers in social networks. However, the features of social networks that drive HIV stigma are not well understood. The objective of this study is to investigate anticipated HIV stigma within the social networks of people living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHA) (N= 147) and the social networks of PLWHA's caregivers (N= 148). The egocentric social network data were collected in Guangxi, China. More than half of PLWHA (58%) and their caregivers (53%) anticipated HIV stigma from their network peers. Both PLWHA and their caregivers anticipated that spouses or other family members were less likely to stigmatise them, compared to friend peers or other relationships. Married network peers were believed to stigmatise caregivers more than unmarried peers. The association between frequent contacts and anticipated stigma was negative among caregivers. Being in a close relationship with PLWHA or caregivers (e.g., a spouse or other family member) was associated with less anticipated stigma. Lower network density was associated with higher anticipated stigma among PLWHA's alters, but not among caregivers' alters. Findings may shed light on innovative stigma reduction interventions at the social network level and therefore improve HIV/AIDS treatment utilisation. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Recent discussions of Mandarin phonology have appealed to various aspects of phonetic duration as support for hypotheses concerning the structure of the syllable. But the actual empirical evidence for these claims is based on early studies typically conducted with a limited number of speakers (often just one) using varied methods of data collection and analysis. This paper provides a more firm empirical foundation for various durational reflections of the Mandarin syllable based on the analysis of 960 monosyllabic words recorded by five female speakers. Our main findings are as follows. We find no statistically significant difference between CV and CVN syllables, supporting the bimoraic analysis of the former. We replicate the Tone 3 > Tone 2 > Tone 1 > Tone 4 duration hierarchy of earlier studies with a larger variety of syllable types. Relative to CV syllables, the nuclear vowel is shortened in both CGV and CVN structures suggesting that the prenuclear glide is associated to the syllable rhyme. The vowel is shortest in CGVN syllables supporting the analysis of the Cjan > Cjen low vowel raising process as motivated by phonetic undershoot. Finally, in Cuan syllables the nuclear vowel's backness is determined more by the coda than the prenuclear glide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A SVR model was proposed to provide accurate moisture estimation for saline soil. • It does not require prior information like soil surface roughness and soil salinity. • The new SVR model outperformed RFR and MLR in soil moisture estimation. • Sentinel-1A provides a SAR data source to timely map coastal saline soil moisture. Accurate and timely information on soil moisture (SM) is crucial for better understanding the hydrological and ecological processes in humid saline regions. This study investigated the potential of using Sentinel-1A Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) imagery and Machine Learning Algorithms for SM mapping in China's east coast. This study used the recursive feature elimination (RFE) technique to select optimum SAR indices from the backscattering coefficients of the sampling date as well as the averaged backscattering coefficients of the neighbouring dates. The newly developed support vector regression (SVR) model provided more accurate SM estimation than that from the random forest regression (RFR) and multivariate linear regression (MLR) models. By using the leave-one-out cross-validation (LOOCV), the achieved coefficient of determination (R2), root mean square error (RMSE), and the relative RMSE (RRMSE) in SM estimation were 0.77, 1.82%, and 10.29%, respectively. The SVR model was able to map the SM effectively over a large area under the condition that the information of soil surface roughness, soil salinity, and land cover types was unknown. Results from this study demonstrate that high-temporal-resolution Sentinel-1A SAR, with its free-accessibility, offers a great source for the SVR model to provide frequent and accurate SM mapping over coastal saline regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A letter to the editor regarding the clinical characteristics of prenatal dengue infections in a dengue outbreak in Guangzhou City, China is presented.

With the gradual transformation of global energy, photovoltaic power generation, wind power generation, and other renewable energy have attracted countries around the world. Western China has excellent wind and solar energy resources, which are highly vulnerable to external factors and have severe limitations. Considering the gradual maturity of storage and energy storage technology of abandoned mine reservoirs, the combination of storage and energy storage technology of abandoned coal mines and wind-solar power generation technology can realize the reasonable allocation of electric energy in the time dimension. This paper studies the regulation capability of the mine pumped-hydro energy storage system proposed by scholars and uses the wind-photoelectric field model to predict the output power of wind farms and solar power stations. Taking the Lingxin coal mine as an example, the optimization algorithm is used to optimize the dispatching ability of the entire PHS joint system. The results prove that the system proposed in this paper can significantly improve the instability of the generation power curve (In terms of variance, volatility decreases to 18.76%), and improve the overall system revenue to some extent (economic efficiency increased by 15.47%). This provides certain technical support for the better utilization of new energy in the future. • A energy dispatching system based on the underground reservoir of mine is presented. • The output power of the electric field is predicted based on proposed means. • GA-dog leg algorithm is used to optimize the system scheduling. • Discuss the robustness and rationality of the optimization method. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background China has recently adopted methadone maintenance treatment (MMT) as a national strategy to address the problem of drug abuse and related public health issues such as HIV and HCV infections. However, low enrollment and retention rates suggest that barriers may exist in MMT utilization. This study examined both patients’ perceptions and service providers’ perceptions of challenges in MMT implementation in China. Methods Four focus groups were conducted in two Chinese cities, Shanghai and Kunming, to explore the perceived and experienced barriers in MMT participation in China. All focus group discussions with participants were audio taped and transcribed. Atlas.ti 5.1 was used to analyze data. Results Service providers and patient participants reported positive experiences (e.g. effects of MMT in curbing withdrawal symptoms) but also expressed concerns about side effects and continued heroin use during MMT. They also identified barriers in participating and remaining in MMT, including affordability (fee requirement), acceptability (methadone as a substitution, dose, long-term nature), accommodation and accessibility (inconvenient operation hours, lack of transferability to other MMT clinics during travel) and competition between public health and public security. Conclusions The present findings have implications for reconsidering the current MMT policies and practices in order to improve access, utilization and, ultimately, the effectiveness of MMT in China. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The correlation between forest decline and calcium (Ca) depletion under long-term acid deposition remains elusive in China due to the high level of Ca deposition. We compared two species ( Abies fabri and Rhododendron calophytum) for their growth pattern and base elements concentration in both polluted (Mt. Emei) and unpolluted (Mt. Gongga) sites in Sichuan, southwestern China. A. fabri grown at Mt. Emei had poorer crown condition, slower radial growth rate, and lower seedling density under long-term acid deposition, which correlated closely with the reduced Ca concentration in foliage and tree-ring, in comparison with those at Mt. Gongga. In contrast, R. calophytum showed a stable Ca level and thus displayed normal growth between the two sites. The differential capability of these two species to acclimate to poor Ca environment is one of the keys to understanding the long-term ecological effect of changing atmospheric acid and Ca deposition in the subalpine forest in southwestern China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The development of digital technology and computer networks has enabled many kinds of online collaboration. This article examinesZimuzu, a Chinese case of online peer production that produces and distributes online Chinese subtitles of foreign media content.Zimuzuprovides an opportunity to extend our understanding of how the tensions between the commodity and commons production models are being articulated in an online setting. Using empirical evidence collected from face-to-face interviews, online posts and online ethnographic observation, our analysis demonstrates that there is constant negotiation over which aspects of the two seemingly opposing models will be adopted by the community. We argue that it is important to conceptualize the peer production process as being influenced by power relations within and between the translation groups as well as between the groups and other commercial organizations. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The study sought to analyze the association between dental caries and obesity in Chinese children, and to investigate the protective and risk factors of dental caries. A total of 280 children aged 7-12 years voluntarily answered the caries examination and questionnaire. Caries was measured using the International Caries Detection and Assessment System. According to the Chinese body mass index, the participants were grouped overweight or normal-weight. The logistic regression model showed no correlation between dental caries and obesity. Drinking yogurt and chewing gum are protective factors, whereas oral breathing and genetic predisposition to caries are risk factors. Copyright © 2012 S. Karger AG, Basel [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: Traditional medicines or ethnic remedies, such as Ayurvedic drug of India, have been reported in numerous cases to be one of the main exposure risks for severe lead poisoning. Methods: We describe the poisoning of 2 young children from a Chinese family in Guangzhou as a result of the use of traditional Chinese medicine instead of baby powder. Results: A 3-y-old boy with blood lead levels (BLLs) of 303μg/l and his 6-month-old sister with BLLs of 385μg/l were hospitalized. Laboratory tests showed that the powder, which was purchased in Ganzhou during a family visit, contained a lead concentration of 214,000mg/kg. A subsequent inspection revealed that the lead contamination was in fact achieved by the addition of Hongdan to talcum. In Ganzhou, it was a popular practice for young children to apply this leaded powder on their skins in order to treat and prevent dermatitis. We sampled 16 Hongdans and observed an average lead content of 817,000mg/kg that was comprised mainly of lead tetraoxide (Pb3O4). Lead tetraoxide is also an accessible raw material for paint and battery industries. Conclusions: The health authority of China should reevaluate the safety of such traditional remedy and weigh its toxicity versus its potential benefits. Clinicians should be aware of this leaded powder when treating a lead poisoning case that shows no explainable cause. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

ABSTRACT Aims Methadone maintenance treatment has been made available in China in response to the rapid spread of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), but high rates of dropout and relapse are problematic. The aim of this study was to apply and test if a contingency management (or motivational incentives) intervention can improve treatment retention and reduce drug use. Design Random assignment to usual care with ( n = 160) or without ( n = 159) incentives during a 12-week trial. Incentives participants earned draws for a chance to win prizes on two separate tracks targeting opiate-negative urine sample or consecutive attendance; the number of draws increased with continuous abstinence or attendance. Setting Community-based methadone maintenance clinics in Shanghai and Kunming. Participants The sample was 23.8% female, mean age was 38, mean years of drug use was 9.4 and 57.8% had injected drugs in the past 30 days. Measurements Treatment retention and negative drug urine. Findings Relative to the treatment-as-usual (control) group, better retention was observed among the incentive group in Kunming (75% versus 44%), but no difference was found in Shanghai (90% versus 86%). Submission of negative urine samples was more common among the incentive group than the usual care (74% versus 68% in Shanghai, 27% versus 18% in Kunming), as was the longest duration of sustained abstinence (7.7 weeks versus 6.5 in Shanghai, 2.5 versus 1.6 in Kunming). The average total prize amount was 371 Yuan (or $55) per participant (527 for Shanghai versus 216 in Kunming). Conclusions Contingency management improves treatment retention and drug abstinence in methadone maintenance treatment clinics in China, although there can be considerable site differences in magnitude of effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The diurnal variation of nitric oxide (NO) emission fluxes from a Kandelia obovata and Avicennia marina mangrove wetland were studied in the Zhangjiang River Estuary Mangrove National Nature Reserve using a dynamic chamber-based technique and a chemiluminescent analyzer. Results from field experiments show that NO emission from K. obovata and A. marina sampling sites reached maximal values of 1.07ngNm−2 s−1 and 1.23ngNm−2 s−1, respectively after the night tide. Meanwhile NO emission maintained at a steady lower level in daytime for both wetland sites. In laboratory experiments, NO emission from the mangrove wetland soil samples treated with simulated tides in the darkness exhibited higher values than those in the light, therefore it seems that tides and darkness could increase NO emission from mangrove wetlands, while intensive light, high temperature, and dryness in the daytime decreased NO emission. Compared with K. obovata soil samples, the diurnal average NO emission rate of the A. marina site was significantly higher, which was closely related to relatively higher diurnal average CO2 emission rate, soil available nitrogen content and soil net nitrification rate of the A. marina site. Moreover, soil samples of the A. marina site were more responsive to simulated tides and the addition of nitrogen than those of the K. obovata site. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To assess the suitability of dendrochemistry as an indicator of soil acidification, soil chemistry and tree ring information of Abies fabri were measured at two distinct sites (severe acid deposition site-Emei Mountain and clean site-Gongga Mountain) of the subalpine forest ecosystems of western Sichuan, southwest China. The actual soil acidity (pH) was significantly correlated with some of the recent xylem cation (Ca, Mg, Mn, Al, Sr and Ba) concentrations and their molar ratios. Xylem Ca/Mg and Ca/Mn of A. fabri were ultimately selected to reconstruct the historical changes of soil pH in Emei Mountain and Gongga Mountain, respectively. The validity of those rebuild was also verified to a certain extent. We conclude that xylem cation molar ratios of A. fabri were superior to the single cation concentrations in soil acidity rebuild at the study sites due to normalizing for concentration fluctuations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

This paper introduces Beijing-1 and its applications in researching the eco-environment after the Wenchuan Earthquake on 12 May 2008. The land use/cover types of a study area close to the epicentre of the earthquake, taken before and after the earthquake, were classified using Beijing-1 small satellite multispectral images. Based on the land use/cover change, several eco-environmental problems were studied, including biotope change, vegetation cover change, hydro-ecology change and land degradation. The eco-environmental status change was also evaluated. The conclusion is that the Wenchuan Earthquake affected the land use/cover and eco-environment of the research area acutely, and the eco-environmental status change was observable. Habitats have become fragmented. The vegetation has been greatly destroyed. The dammed lakes which were produced were threatening to cause floods in the downriver region. The land degradation was obvious and there was a large decrease in the Eco-environmental Index (EI). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Stock returns in China exhibit significant co-movement with provincial return indices after controlling for the industry effect, consistent with local co-movement findings in the United States. The magnitude of such co-movement increases with participation in trading by local investors. Trading activities of individual stocks also co-vary with provincial volume. The last two findings support the roles of investor behaviour in explaining the local return co-movement phenomenon. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hunnivirus is a novel member of the family Picornaviridae. A single species, Hunnivirus A, is currently described. However, there is limited information on the identification of Hunnivirus to date, and thereby the circulation of Hunnivirus is not fully understood. Thus, the objective of this study was to investigate the prevalence, genomic characteristics, and evolution of rat hunnivirus in southern China. A total of 404 fecal samples were subjected to detection of Hunnivirus from urban rats (Rattus norvegicus and Rattus tanezumi) using PCR assay based on specific primers targeted to partial 3D regions, with the prevalence of 17.8% in Rattus norvegicus and 15.6% in Rattus tanezumi. An almost full-length rat hunnivirus sequence (RatHuV/YY12/CHN) and the genome structure were acquired in the present study. Phylogenetic analysis of the P1 coding regions suggested the RatHuV/YY12/CHN sequence was found to be within the genotype of Hunnivirus A4. The negative selection was further identified based on analysis of non-synonymous to synonymous substitution rates. The present findings suggest that hunniviruses are common in urban rats. Further research is needed for increased surveillance and awareness of potential risks to human health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corrigendum to "Assessing sustainability of soybean supply in China: Evidence from provincial production and trade data" [J. Clean. [Extracted from the article]

An introduction is presented in which the editors discuss various reports within the issue on topics including the relationship of China's financial contagion in international markets, the mutual fund flow in China, and capital structure.

• Based on Analytic Hierarchy Process, an evaluation model of healing landscape plants was built. • In this model, the importance order of evaluation index was: psychological healing, physiological healing, plant scenery. • Selected 86 species of plants which are suitable for healing landscape for in northern China; Pointed out four factors which need to be considered in the plant design of healing landscape. The scientific evaluation system of plants is an important premise in the design of healing landscapes (HLs) for improving the quality of life of the elderly. Based on the Analytic Hierarchy Process (AHP), the weights of the HL evaluation indicators for the elderly were calculated, and the comprehensive values of 150 species of plants in northern China were evaluated using this model. The results showed the following: (1) The model selected 16 representative and objective indicators as the sub-criteria level; (2) The results of the relative weights of the vector of criteria level to the focus level were as follows: Psychological Rehabilitation C 1 (0.5537) > Physiological Rehabilitation C 2 (0.2570) > Plant Scenery C 3 (0.1893); (3) The comprehensive evaluation value results showed that the values of 86 plants were higher than the standard value that was suggested to be applied in HL for older adults in northern China. Of these plants, 55 species have superior values for application while 31 species have high values. The values of a further 64 plants were lower than the standard value, among which 41 species had a general application value, while 23 species should be selectively applied. (4) Using a questionnaire survey, the elderly participants expressed high preferences for the top 55 species of plants, and the favorite characteristics of the plants for the elderly included well-known traditional Chinese flowers with large and rich colors, as well as edible flowers. Factors that require consideration in planting designs, including the climatic conditions, the physiological and psychological characteristics of the elderly, cultural aspects of the plants, the relationship between the plant and five senses, and horticultural therapy activities, are discussed. This evaluation of HL plants provides a theoretical basis for plant selection in landscape design in nursing institutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]