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The Chinese mitten crab (Eriocheir sinensis) is one of the most commercially important crustacean species in China. The aim of this study was to characterize the toxic effects of butachlor (an herbicide of the acetanilide class) on juvenile E. sinensis crabs. The lethal effects and the acute toxicity of butachlor on juvenile E. sinensis specimens were assessed through a semi-static in vitro experiment. We determined the activities of superoxide dismutase (SOD) and catalase (CAT) as well as the levels of glutathione (GSH) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in the gills and the hepatopancreas of the juvenile crabs, at different time points over a 14-day short-term exposure to butachlor. Moreover, we measured the residual levels of butachlor in three different tissues (gills, hepatopancreas, and muscles) of the juvenile crabs over a longer period. Our findings revealed that butachlor is highly toxic for juvenile E. sinensis crabs. In fact, the median lethal concentration (LC50) values of butachlor at 24, 48, 72, and 96 h were found to be 4.22, 1.84, 0.34, and 0.14 mg/L, respectively, while the safe concentration was 0.014 mg/L. The antioxidant defense ability of the juvenile E. sinensis crabs against butachlor was induced after exposure to the herbicide at a concentration of 0.01 mg/L. After 14 days of exposure to butachlor at 0.04 and 0.16 mg/L, both SOD and CAT were found to be significantly inhibited (p < 0.05), the GSH levels were found to be significantly decreased (p < 0.05) and the MDA levels were identified as significantly increased (p < 0.05). Moreover, after 14 days of exposure to butachlor at 0.16 mg/L, the activities of SOD and CAT as well as the content of GSH in the hepatopancreas were found to be significantly decreased (p < 0.05). Our results revealed that a high concentration of butachlor was capable of inducing oxidative stress and damage in juvenile E. sinensis crabs. The maximal residual value of butachlor was obtained in the gills, with a content of 4.56 μg/kg. Butachlor was not detected after 24 days in the aforementioned three tissues of the juvenile crabs, thereby indicating that it was effectively metabolized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Predatory spider and epigaeic beetle assemblages are major natural enemies (NEs) in agricultural ecosystems. The effects of non-crop natural habitats in supporting predatory NEs are well known for summer crop systems; however, limited attention has been given to summer–winter crop rotation transaction systems and during overwintering periods, especially in small-scale farmland systems. Here, we examine the effect of winter planting regimes and landscape composition on the species diversity and functional diversity of ground predators (spiders and carabids) in eight gradient landscape sites in southern China over two consecutive winters (2019/2020 and 2020/2021). Our work reveal that the spiders were more abundant and had a higher activity density in fallow rice fields (FRs) than oilseed rape fields (OSRs); however, the ground beetles were more abundant in OSRs than that in FRs. The composition of spider assemblages was impacted by semi-natural habitats (SNHs) during overwintering, while ground beetle assemblages were influenced mainly by overwintering planting patterns. The results suggest that different planting regimes and SNHs are a strategic way to enhance these ground predators. To conserve and improve predator diversity during overwintering, we suggest maintaining a diversity of planting regimes and conserving local semi-natural habitats. The rotation patterns of summer rice–winter oil seed rape and summer rice–winter fallow are the main planting regimes in the rice ecosystem in southern China. However, the impact of local rotation patterns and landscape factors on the overwintering conservation of predators in spider and epigaeic beetle assemblages remains poorly understood. Here, we investigate the diversity and density of spiders and beetles over two consecutive winters (2019/2020 and 2020/2021), focusing on the impact of two rotation patterns (rice–fallow and rice–oilseed rape) and surrounding landscape compositions on predator diversity. The main findings of our research were that spiders were more abundant and had a higher activity density in the fallow rice fields (FRs) compared to the oilseed rape fields (OSRs), whereas ground beetles exhibited the opposite pattern. Specifically, fallow rice fields supported small and ballooning spiders (e.g., dominant spider: Ummeliata insecticeps), while OSRs supported larger ground beetles (e.g., dominant beetles: Agonum chalcomus and Pterostichus liodactylus). Moreover, the composition of spider assemblages were impacted by semi-natural habitats (SNHs) during overwintering, while ground beetle assemblages were influenced by overwinter planting patterns. Overall, our results suggest that different planting regimes and preserving semi-natural habitats are a strategic way to enhance species diversity and functional diversity of ground predators. It is, therefore, recommended that to conserve and improve predator diversity during overwintering, land managers and farmers should aim to maintain diverse planting regimes and conserve local semi-natural habitats. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the development of the economy and society, the environmental problems caused by heavy metals have always been the focus of attention. Strong concern has been recently shown for the heavy metal pollution of soils in southwestern China. The heavy metals of surface soils in the Xinping area of Yunnan province, China are surveyed along with some crop samples. There are 3312 surface soils and 95 crop samples collected in about 370 square kilometers. Heavy metals including As, Cd, Cr, Hg, and Pb and pH are analyzed. New single and integrated pollution indices of heavy metals for soils (PI and PIn) and crops (PIc and PInc) based on Chinese criteria (GB15618-2018 and GB2762-2022) are described and presented here and used to assess the pollution status of heavy metals. The results indicate that the background level of surface soils is about 62.1%, the screening level is about 33.4%, and the intervention level is about 4.5%, which is mainly a result from Cr and spatially coincides with the peridotite rock, indicating a geogenic pollution source. Most crop samples are not contaminated with heavy metals. Comparing the results of the two integrated pollution indices between soils and crops, two inconsistent assessments are observed. One is that some contaminated crops are growing in unpolluted areas (or Type I) and the other is that some uncontaminated crops are growing in polluted areas (or Type II). This indicates a new challenge between the assessment criteria on soils and crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fire is a crucial disturbance factor for the structure and function of forest ecosystems, as it directly or indirectly affects plant growth, animal life and soil biogeochemical properties. Here, the effects of different fire severities and key driving environmental factors on soil microbial diversity and biomass were investigated in taiga forests that had undergone light, moderate or heavy fires, more recently or in the past, with unburned taiga forest included as a control (CK). The sample sites were located in the Greater Khingan mountains in the northeast of China. Critical soil parameters were determined, and bacterial and fungal content was inferred from determined phospholipid fatty acids (TPLFAs). The results showed that (1) all three fire severities significantly increased the concentrations of soil microbial carbon (MBC), moisture content (MC) and total nitrogen content (TN), but they significantly decreased soil available potassium (AK) content compared with the CK. (2) Recent light and moderate fires significantly decreased the Simpson and Shannon indices of soil microbial communities compared to CK; moderate fire did not change the Menhinick and Margalef indices. (3) Following moderate fire disturbance, there were no significant differences (p > 0.05) in relative abundance of total soil bacteria (Ba), Gram-positive bacteria (G+), Gram-negative bacteria (G−) and content of TPLFAs compared to the control, either as a result of more recent fires or earlier fires. (4) Redundancy analysis revealed that soil MC, TN, soil organic carbon (SOC), available P (AP) and alkaline N (AN) all strongly significantly affected the composition of the microbial communities, with a total explanation of 85.16% of the data. The species diversity and biomass of Ba, G+, G− and TPLFAs were in accordance with the intermediate disturbance hypothesis. The change pattern of soil fungi was in accordance with their own characteristics of reproduction and growth, which was in line with k-selection and ecological countermeasures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Forest fires are an important disturbance factor in forest ecosystems, and obviously change the soil environment. Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, as a medium and bridge between vegetation and soil, play a crucial role in mediating plant nutrient uptake and regulating the productivity, stability, and succession of vegetation–soil systems. To investigate the effects of forest fires on the community structure and diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi in cold-temperate Larix gmelinii forests, we collected soils from light, moderate, and heavy fire disturbance forests and a natural forest as a control forest in Greater Khingan Larix gmelinii forests, in the northeast of China. The community structure and diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi was sequenced using Illumina MiSeq technology and we analyzed the correlation with the soil physicochemical characteristics. The results showed that the contents of microbial biomass content (MBC), moisture content (MC), total nitrogen (TN), and available phosphors (AP) increased significantly (p < 0.05) with increasing fire intensity (from Light to heavy fire), but available potassium (AK) decreased significantly (p < 0.05). These changes were not significant. A total of 14,554 valid sequences from all sequences were classified into 66 ASVs that belonged into one phylum, one order, four families, and four genera. The genera included Glomus, Ambispora, Paraglomus, and Acaulospora, and Glomus was the dominant genus (the genera with the five most relative abundances) in the control and heavy-fire forests. Non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) analysis showed that forest fires significantly affected the community structure of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (p < 0.01). Redundancy analysis (RDA) showed that MBC, SOC, and AP contents significantly affected the composition structure and diversity of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi communities. This study indicated that forest fires affected the composition and diversity of soil arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi communities through changing the soil physicochemical parameters (MBC, SOC, and AP) in cold-temperate Larix gmelinii forests. The study of soil physicochemical properties and arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi diversity in cold-temperate Larix gmelinii forests in the Greater Khingan Mountains after forest fires provides a reference basis for the revegetation and reconstruction of fire sites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Laboratory experiments were carried out to analyze 39 soil samples collected from four industrial areas in Xuzhou City using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry and atomic fluorescence spectrometry. The descriptive statistics of heavy metals (HMs) in the soil profiles showed that the HM content at three depths was highly variable, and most coefficients of variation (CVs) showed moderate variability. The enrichment of Cd at all depths exceeded the risk screening value, and Cd pollution occurred in four plants. The enrichment of the other HMs at three depths was mainly concentrated in the pharmaceutical plant A and chemical plant C. It was found that the different HMs had different vertical distribution characteristics. For the different industrial plants, the raw materials and products not only made the spatial distribution characteristics of the HMs different, but also caused the HM types and contents to differ. The average single pollution indices of Cd in plant A, iron-steel plant B, and plant C indicated a slight pollution level. The other seven HMs in A, B, and C and all HMs in chemical plant D belonged to the safe category. The mean values of the Nemerow pollution index in the four industrial plants belonged to the warning category. The analysis showed that none of the HMs posed potential noncarcinogenic health risks, and only the carcinogenic health risks of Cr in plants A and C were unacceptable. The carcinogenic effect of Cr through the inhalation intake of resuspended soil particulates and that of Cd, Ni, and As via direct oral ingestion were the main exposure pathways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, a large amount of industrial oil and gas resources have been discovered in the Paleogene Wenchang Formation (WC) of the southern Lufeng sag, confirming that the WC resources are promising prospects for petroleum exploration. However, because of the complex lithology, multiple sources of crude oil and multi-period charging characteristics in the WC, the accumulation process and model have not been clearly understood. Therefore, in this study, the main sources of crude oil and the process of hydrocarbon accumulation in key oil accumulation periods are determined by combining biomarker and geological analyses. Finally, the model of oil and gas accumulation is systematically summarized. The obtained results show that the source rock of the WC is the main source of hydrocarbons in the study area. The crude oil types in the southern Lufeng sag are classified into three types. Type A crude oil comes from source rocks of Wenchang Formation Members 3 and 4. Type B crude oil comes partly from source rocks of Wenchang Formation Members 1, 2, and 3 and partly from source rocks of Wenchang Formation Members 5 and 6. Type C crude oil is a mix of type A and type B crude oil. There are three accumulation periods that typify the study area: in the first period, accumulation was with vertical migration by fault; in the second period, accumulation was with lateral migration by sand body; and in the third period, accumulation was with vertical migration by sand body and adjacent to the source. The methodology and results of the accumulation process in southern Lufeng sag can support offshore oil and gas exploration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The diet of Gymnocypris species and the food web structure in Lake Langcuo (4300 m above sea level) of the southwest Tibetan Plateau of China were investigated by carbon (δ13C) and nitrogen (δ15N) stable isotope analyses. Ephemeropteran and chironomid larvae were the major components of the diet of Gymnocypris chui, making it an omnivore with animals as the majority component, while the Myriophyllum spicatum and ephemeropteran larvae was the most important for Gymnocypris scleracanthus, qualifying it as an omnivore with plants as the majority component. Ephemeropteran larvae also made up the most abundant constituent of the Triplophysa stoliczkae diet. Overall diet changed during development of G. chui, but the dominant food remained unaltered, whereas the major component of G. scleracanthus diet changed. An average trophic enrichment factor of 3.4‰ was used to calculate the trophic levels based on δ15N, with the results indicated that the food web has three trophic levels: primary producers and primary and secondary consumers. The primary consumer trophic level was represented by zooplankton, aquatic insect larvae, and gammarids, with a mean δ15N value of 7.79‰. The secondary consumer level included all fish, with a mean δ15N value of 10.68‰. The primary consumers were chiefly dependent on autochthonous carbon input. This is the first quantitative study of the food web in a lake of the Tibetan Plateau above 4000 m. The study provides information critical to lake management and conservation in the Tibetan Plateau. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Southern China, the co-occurrence of arsenic (As) and antimony (Sb) contamination in soils around Sb mines presents an environmental challenge. During the flooding period of mining-impacted soils, anaerobic reduction of iron (Fe) oxides enhances the mobilization and bioavailability of Sb and As, further elevating the risk of Sb and As entering the food chain. To address this problem, activated carbon (AC) and biochar (BC) were applied to remediate flooded mining-impacted soils. Our results explored that AC can significantly decrease mobilization by 9–97 % for Sb and 9–67 % for As through inhibiting Fe(III) mineral reduction and dissolution in flooded soils. In contrast, there was no significant effect of BC. This was attributed to the strong adsorption of soil dissolved organic matter (DOM) by AC compared to BC, while DOM as electron shuttle is crucial for microbial Fe(III) reduction. Consequently, the DOM sequestration by AC effectively mitigates Sb and As leaching in contaminated mining soils. [Display omitted] • Activated carbon significantly curtails antimony (9-97 %) and arsenic (9-67 %) release from soil. • Activated carbon inhibits iron mineral reduction in flooded soils. • Activated carbon modulates antimony-arsenic reduction genes expression (arrA and arsC). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Miao embroidery of the southeast area of Guizhou province in China is a kind of precious intangible cultural heritage, as well as national costume handcrafts and textiles, with delicate patterns that require exquisite workmanship. There are various skills to make Miao embroidery; therefore, it is difficult to distinguish the categories of Miao embroidery if there is a lack of sufficient knowledge about it. Furthermore, the identification of Miao embroidery based on existing manual methods is relatively low and inefficient. Thus, in this work, a novel method is proposed to identify different categories of Miao embroidery by using deep convolutional neural networks (CNNs). Firstly, we established a Miao embroidery image database and manually assigned an accurate category label of Miao embroidery to each image. Then, a pre-trained deep CNN model is fine-tuned based on the established database to learning a more robust deep model to identify the types of Miao embroidery. To evaluate the performance of the proposed deep model for the application of Miao embroidery categories recognition, three traditional non-deep methods, that is, bag-of-words (BoW), Fisher vector (FV), and vector of locally aggregated descriptors (VLAD) are employed and compared in the experiment. The experimental results demonstrate that the proposed deep CNN model outperforms the compared three non-deep methods and achieved a recognition accuracy of 98.88%. To our best knowledge, this is the first one to apply CNNs on the application of Miao embroidery categories recognition. Moreover, the effectiveness of our proposed method illustrates that the CNN-based approach might be a promising strategy for the discrimination and identification of different other embroidery and national costume patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrocarbon expulsion occurs only when pore fluid pressure due to hydrocarbon generation in source rock exceeds the force against migration in the adjacent carrier beds. Taking the Middle–Upper Ordovician carbonate source rock of Tarim Basin in China as an example, this paper proposes a method that identifies effective carbonate source rock based on the principles of mass balance. Data from the Well YW2 indicate that the Middle Ordovician Yijianfang Formation contains effective carbonate source rocks with low present-day TOC. Geological and geochemical analysis suggests that the hydrocarbons in the carbonate interval are likely self-generated and retained. Regular steranes from GC–MS analysis of oil extracts in this interval display similar features to those of the crude oil samples in Tabei area, indicating that the crude oil probably was migrated from the effective source rocks. By applying to other wells in the basin, the identified effective carbonate source rocks and non-source rock carbonates can be effectively identified and consistent with the actual exploration results, validating the method. Considering the contribution from the identified effective source rocks with low present-day TOC (TOCpd) is considered, the long-standing puzzle between the proved 3P oil reserves and estimated resources in the basin can be reasonably explained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To summarize our pioneering surgical practice and clinical outcome of Crowe type III‐IV developmental dysplasia of the hip (DDH) with a direct anterior approach total hip arthroplasty in a single teaching hospital in Southwest China. Methods: Fourteen patients (15 hips) diagnosed with Crowe type III‐IV developmental dysplasia of the hip were involved in this single‐center retrospective study between 2016 and 2018. A comprehensive surgical procedure, including preoperative planning and algorithms for leg length equalization, intraoperative stepwise soft tissue release, bone defect reconstruction, and an innovative subtrochanteric osteotomy, was described. Furthermore, advancements in intraoperative CT guidance, computer navigation, and nerve monitoring were available for specific demands. The short‐term clinical outcome was evaluated at the endpoint of follow‐up by three patient‐reported functional scales (Harris, WOMAC, and SF‐12 scores), and objective data collected at the clinic, including functional recovery (muscle strength of hip flexor and abductor, correction of the pelvic tilt, leg length discrepancy, and limp), radiographic analysis, and complication occurrence. Results: The intraoperative variables were carefully recorded. The mean operating times in Crowe type III and IV groups were 115.8 min and 156.2 min, and the median blood loss volumes were 520.5 mL and 810.2 mL, respectively. The general changes in the Harris, SF‐12, and WOMAC scores of the two groups were 46.2, 8.7 and 134.3, respectively, at a mean follow‐up of 25.4 months. Enhanced recovery of hip abductor muscle strength was identified in 85.7% of the population at the third postoperative month. The equalization of leg length and correction of the pelvic tile were observed at the sixth postoperative month, with a 36‐mm decrease in leg length discrepancy. No radiographic evidence of the loosening or migration of the components was observed. A self‐innovated subtrochanteric shortening osteotomy was performed in five patients, and they healed after 6 months. Specific complications included two cases of distal femoral cracks and one case of a periprosthetic fracture needing internal fixation. Two patients received a late iliotibial band release at the 3rd month postoperatively due to progressive genu valgum. No records of infection, dislocation, nerve palsy, bone non‐union, or revision surgery were identified. Discussion The direct anterior approach total hip arthroplasty showed potential advantages, including optimum component positioning, improved hip stability, steerable complication rate, and enhanced functional recovery with Crowe type III‐IV DDH. The short‐term outcome is comparable to that of the traditional posterolateral approach. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The northern Lesser Xing'an Range in NE China hosts many gold deposits. However, genesis and tectonic background for the mineralization remain unclear. The newly discovered Yongxin gold deposit in this region provides a good example for understanding the related issues. Two economic orebodies have been recognized at Yongxin and they are mainly hosted in the hydrothermal breccias. Zircon U–Pb ages of granite porphyry and diorite porphyry are 119.3 ± 0.7 Ma and 119.9 ± 0.6 Ma, respectively. These data provide constraints to the upper limit of ore-forming age. The δ34S values of pyrite from orebodies range from 2.3‰ to 5.1‰. The 206Pb/204Pb, 207Pb/204Pb and 208Pb/204Pb ratios of the pyrite are of 18.126–18.255, 15.492–15.537 and 37.880–38.019, respectively. The δ18OH2O and δD values of ore-forming fluids range from −12.5‰ to 1.8‰ and from −124.8‰ to −102.1‰, respectively. The REE compositions of gold-bearing pyrite are similar to those of the volcanic rocks of the Longjiang formation, diorite porphyry and granite porphyry. The combined geological, geochronological and geochemical characteristics of the Yongxin gold deposit indicate that the ore-forming materials were likely sourced from the volcanic rocks of the Longjiang formation, diorite porphyry and granite porphyry, whereas the ore-forming fluids are dominated by meteoric water. The Yongxin gold deposit could be a product of the Early Cretaceous large-scale gold mineralization in northeast China which occurred in an extensional tectonic setting and were related to the rollback of the subducted Paleo-Pacific Oceanic Plate beneath the continental margin of northeast China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The newly discovered Yongxin Au deposit in the Lesser Xing'an Range of north‐eastern Heilongjiang Province, NE China, has a resource of ~20 t with a grade of 4.1 g/t Au. The deposit is hosted by Carboniferous syenogranite and mylonite, and Cretaceous diorite porphyry and granite porphyry. The syenogranite has a LA‐ICP‐MS 206Pb/238U zircon age of 316 ± 2 Ma, and both the granite porphyry and diorite porphyry yield an age of 119 ± 1 Ma. The Rb–Sr isochron age of Au‐bearing pyrite from hydrothermal breccia‐type ore is 107 ± 4 Ma, and this is interpreted as the mineralization age of the Yongxin deposit. In combination with published geochronological data, we argue that epithermal Au mineralization in NE China formed during the period ca. 124 to 107 Ma and was produced during rollback of Palaeo‐Pacific oceanic slab. The Cretaceous epithermal Au deposits are distributed in the Erguna Massif, Lesser Xing'an Range, Zhangguangcai Range, and Jiamusi and Nadanhada terranes. In combination with the coeval porphyry Mo deposits present in these areas, we propose that the Erguna Massif, Lesser Xing'an Range, north‐eastern Great Xing'an Range, and eastern Jiamusi and Nadanhada terranes, where only epithermal gold deposits were discovered up to date, might be prospective for concealed porphyry Cu or Mo deposits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chemical properties of coal have conspicuous impacts on reactivity and thermal conversion of coal. Nevertheless, the quantitative investigation on correlations of coal chemical properties is still insufficient. The quantified correlations between fuel ratio and various indices of coal chemical property is yet lacking, and little research was conducted to quantitatively describe the proximate and ultimate analyses using ternary diagrams. Here, we investigated the correlations of coal chemical properties based on database of real-time (experimental or actual) data in China. Some noteworthy variations and quantified correlations among chemical properties of coal were firstly demonstrated. The majority of coals (∼87%) lie within a range defined by the fuel ratio of 1.0–10.0. Ternary correlations of ultimate and proximate analyses show different distributions with coal rank. The index of coal explosibility is slightly lowered with the increasing carbon content, while the increase of oxygen content leads to certain rise of coal explosibility. In addition, the majority of low-fusion coals have high levels of volatile matter. The occurrence and content of minerals both present considerable influences on ash fusion behaviors. The present study can provide useful information for better understanding the correlations between chemical properties and reactivities of coal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The shales deposited in saline water have lower clay mineral contents than those in fresh water. • The clay minerals mainly fill in the dispersed pores in saline water but occur along the strata to form laminae in fresh water. • Thermal effect controls the clay mineral transformation leading the shale hydrocarbon storage space to alter. As a promising supplement of China's petroleum production, the lacustrine shale, compared with the marine shale, is characterized by higher clay mineral content, which has significant impacts on the hydrocarbon reservoir quality. Controlled by the paleo-lacustrine background and thermal maturity, the clay mineral contents vary tremendously in different shale systems. This study targets on three shale series formed in different basin types, namely the Lucaogou Formation shale (Junggar Basin), the Chang 7 Member shale (Ordos Basin), and the Qingshankou Formation shale (Songliao Basin), where the Junggar Basin was a saline lacustrine basin and the latter two were freshwater-brackish lacustrine basins. We find that the composition and content of clay minerals are considerably varied among the three shales that the clay mineral content of the Lucaogou formation shale is smaller than that of the Chang 7 Member and Qingshankou Formation, and the content of illite in the Chang 7 shale is lower than that in the Qingshankou shale. The occurrence of clay minerals has crucial effects on pore structures, that is the pore-filling clays has indiscernible contribution to the storage space, like in the Lucaogou shale, but those developing along the shale laminae can improve the storage capacities to form inter-granular pores and micro-fractures such as in Chang 7 Member and Qingshankou Formation. The development of clay mineral-related pores and fractures is controlled by thermal maturity (Ro) and affected by the content of terrigenous minerals. This pore structure alteration derived by the clay mineral occurrence types further affects the hydrocarbon contents. In the Lucaogou shale, the oil content is inversely proportional to clay mineral contents, while in Qingshankou Formation, the oil content is even higher than that of the adjacent felsic silt laminae due to the favorable development of micro-fractures and inter-granular pores in clay mineral laminae. The high clay mineral content in lacustrine shales in China make it necessary to investigate the clay mineral evolution to evaluate the hydrocarbon generation potential, pore structures, hydrocarbon contents, and hydrocarbon accumulation mechanisms in shale systems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Background: Toxoplasma gondii infection is a global concern, affecting a wide range of warm-blooded animals and humans worldwide, including poultry. Domestic and companion birds are considered to play an important role in the transmission of T. gondii to humans and other animals. However, little information on T. gondii infection in domestic birds in Lanzhou, northwest China was available. Therefore, this study was performed to determine the seroprevalence of T. gondii infection in domestic birds in Lanzhou, northwest China. Methods: In the present study, the seroprevalence of T. gondii antibodies in 413 (305 caged and 108 free-range) adult chickens, 334 (111 caged and 223 free-range) adult ducks and 312 adult pigeons in Lanzhou, northwest China, were examined using the modified agglutination test (MAT). Results: 30 (7.26%) chickens, 38 (11.38%) ducks and 37 (11.86%) pigeons were found to be positive for T. gondii antibodies at the cut-off of 1:5. The prevalences in caged and free-range chickens were 6.23% and 10.19% respectively, however, statistical analysis showed that the difference was not significant (P>0.05). The seroprevalences in caged and free-range ducks were 6.31% and 13.90% respectively, but the difference was not statistically significant (P>0.05).Conclusions: The results of the present survey indicated the presence of T. gondii infection in adult chickens, ducks and pigeons sold for meat in poultry markets in Lanzhou, northwest China, which poses a potential risk for T. gondii infection in humans and other animals in this region. This is the first seroprevalence study of T. gondii infection in domestic birds in this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Malaria is endemic in Linzhi Prefecture in the Tibet Autonomous Region (TAR), but the vector for malaria transmission had never been identified. Methods: Adult Anopheles spp. were collected in Motuo County, Linzhi Prefecture on the Sino- Indian border in July and August, 2007. Multiplex PCR was adopted for species identification, and a nested PCR approach was used to detect sporozoites in the salivary glands of the mosquitoes. Results: 3,675 mosquitoes of the Anopheles maculatus group were collected and processed for species identification. Among them, 3,602 (98.0%) were Anopheles pseudowillmori and 73 (2.0%) were Anopheles willmori. The Plasmodium vivax SSUrDNA fragment was amplified in two of 360 pooled An. pseudowillmori samples. Conclusion: The local An. maculatus group comprises the species An. pseudowillmori and An. willmori. Anopheles pseudowillmori is considered the sole malaria vector in Motuo County in Linzhi Prefecture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The Nibao dolerite was emplaced during Late Triassic at 213.6 Ma. • The Nibao dolerite was derived from enriched asthenospheric mantle. • The magma underwent fractional crystallization and crustal contamination. • This Late Triassic magmatic event was driven by the break-off of Song Ma oceanic slab. The relationship between gold mineralization and magmatism within the Youjiang Basin of SW China remains poorly constrained as a result of the lack of outcropping igneous units in this region. This study presents new geological, geochronological, and geochemical data for recently discovered dolerite dykes associated with the Nibao gold deposit, which is located within the NW Youjiang Basin of SW China. Zircon laser ablation-inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (LA–ICP–MS) U-Pb dating of these dykes yielded an age of 213.6 ± 2.5 Ma, indicating that these dykes were emplaced during the Late Triassic and providing new evidence for Late Triassic magmatism within the study area. The dykes also represent an opportunity to investigate the petrogenesis of mafic rocks and the tectonic setting of the Late Triassic magmatism in the Youjiang Basin. These Nibao dolerite dykes contain relatively low concentrations of SiO 2 (46.03–47.66 wt%), have moderate total alkali contents (K 2 O + Na 2 O = 2.71–3.15 wt%) and high total Fe as Fe 2 O 3 (TFe 2 O 3) contents (13.49–14.96 wt%). Their trace element compositions are indicative of an OIB-like geochemical affinity barring depletion in the high field strength elements (HFSE) such as Nb, Ta and Th. The Nibao dolerites have homogeneous Lu-Hf and Sr-Nd isotopic compositions with (87Sr/86Sr) i and (143Nd/144Nd) i values of 0.70562–0.70677 and 0.51233–0.51239, respectively. These dykes have a narrow range in associated ε Nd (t) and ε Hf (t) values from –0.70 to +0.51 and from +0.04 to +3.24, respectively. These geochemical data indicate that the dolerites associated with the Nibao gold deposit were derived from an enriched region of the asthenopheric mantle (>90 km depth) and the magmas that formed these dykes were generated by 5–10% partial melting of ∼75% garnet peridotite and ∼25% spinel peridotite material. The ascending magmas underwent both crustal contamination and the fractional crystallization of olivine, clinopyroxene and Fe oxides (e.g., magnetite or ilmenite) prior to emplacement. The Nibao dolerites are geochemically distinct from mafic rocks related to the Emeishan large igneous province, suggesting that they are not linked to this mantle plume event. Instead, they formed in an extensional setting generated by the subduction of the Song Ma oceanic plate beneath South China Block and the subsequent collision between the Indochina and South China blocks. The breakoff of the Song Ma oceanic slab caused the partial melting of the mantle source region for the Nibao dolerite dykes. These relationships suggest that the post-collision extensional environment associated with this breakoff contributed to the deeply sourced, mantle-derived Late Triassic magmatism in this area and, perhaps as well, the gold mineralization in the Youjiang Basin. Most importantly, combining the new geochronological data presented in this study with the timing of extension in this region and the results of previous research suggest that the Carlin-like gold deposits in the Youjiang Basin formed at around 213 Ma (i.e., the Late Triassic). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The alteration zone patterns have been identified based on the SWIR data at Demingding. • The relationship between Pos2200 and compositions of white mica has been demonstrated by EPMA and determined the subspecies in the ore and barren zone. • We predicted the center of hydrothermal/mineralization based on the spatial variations of the white mica SWIR scalars. The Demingding Cu–Mo deposit, found in the eastern Gangdese metallogenic belt in China, has a significant exploration potential. Detailed field studies coupled with short-wavelength infrared (SWIR) spectroscopy and electron probe micro analyses (EPMA) identified a total of 15 alteration minerals such as white mica group minerals, chlorite, kandite, and smectite groups. The study also discovered the spatial distribution of alteration zone patterns, including phyllic, propylitic, and intermediate argillic alterations. Furthermore, variations were observed in the Al-OH absorption position (Pos2200) of the white mica group with variable Al-Si-Fe-Mg content. Most of the white micas in the ore zone were muscovitic series, whereas the barren zone contained phengitic series micas. Some micas have undergone a transition to illite due to low-temperature alteration overprinting. The western part of the deposit exhibited lower Pos2200, higher SWIR-IC, and higher Dep2200 values, implying an intense phyllic alteration and higher paleotemperatures. These characteristics suggest that the area is in close proximity to the hydrothermal center and fluid channel. Therefore, it was identified as an exploratory target for buried copper ore bodies. The SWIR spectra of the white mica group can be used for exploration in other similar porphyry deposits. Under acidic conditions, shorter Pos2200 and higher SWIR-IC can be used as indicators for hydrothermal or mineralization centers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Toxoplasma gondii is an important cosmopolitan opportunistic protozoan parasite, which threatens the health of human beings and animals. Genetic characterization of isolates from South America has revealed high genetic diversity. In contrast, isolates from North America and Europe were highly clonal, with 3 major lineages known as the Types I, II, and III. However, limited information on T. gondii genotypes has been reported in The People's Republic of China. Here we conducted a survey to determine genetic diversity of this parasite in wild birds of China. In total, tissues from breast muscle of 178 wild birds, including 98 common pheasants (Phasianus colchicus), 35 tree sparrows (Passer montanus), 22 house sparrows (Passer domesticus), 20 saxaul sparrows (Passer ammodendri), and 1 cinnamon sparrow (Passer rutilans), were tested for T. gondii infection, 4 of which were found to be positive for the T. gondii B1 gene by PCR amplification. These positive DNA samples were typed at 10 genetic markers, including 9 nuclear loci, i.e., SAG1, 5'- and 3'-SAG2, alternative SAG2, SAG3, GRA6, L358, PK1, c22-8, c29-2, and an apicoplast locus Apico. Of these, 3 isolates were genotyped with complete data for all loci, and 2 genotypes (Type I and Type II variant) were identified. This is the first report of genetic typing of T. gondii isolates from wild birds from difterent regions in China. The results suggest that the Type I and II variant strains are circulating in wild birds in China, and these birds are potential reservoirs for T. gondii transmission. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies have demonstrated that the preference for online social interaction (POSI) is one of the most important factors affecting problematic Internet use (PIU). As self-worth orientation theory suggests, however, only-child could buffer the effect of POSI on PIU, given the fact that children without siblings (the only-child) typically enjoy more resources from parents than do children with siblings. As children grow, particularly after school age, they would become more susceptible to the peers' influence than parents'. Thus, the buffering effect of only-child would decrease along with age due to the lessening effect of parents. To examine the moderating effect of sibling condition (only-child vs. children with siblings) and moderated moderating effect of age cohort (adolescent vs. emerging adult) on the relationship between POSI and PIU, we collected data from 12,051 Chinese students and measured their POSI, PIU, sibling condition, age and other demographics. The results showed that (a) the PIU score of only-child was significantly lower than that of children with siblings; (b) the POSI significantly predicted the PIU; (c) sibling condition moderated the relationship between POSI and PIU, and age cohort further moderated the moderation of sibling condition; (d) age cohort moderated the relationship between POSI and PIU. The implications for the prevention of Internet addictive behaviors among adolescents were discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The purpose of this paper is to investigate the possibilities and methods of applying the IFC (Industry Foundation Classes) standard, i.e. the mainstream standard of BIM (Building Information Modeling) data to the construction cost estimating for tendering in China. Through analyzing the existing standards and the IFC standard, the problems of using the IFC standard are identified and the solutions are explored. An information requirement model for construction cost estimating for tendering in China was established, which includes seven aspects of information entities. Then each aspect of the information was expressed by using the IFC standard to verify the completeness of the IFC standard and to establish the IFC-based information model. As a conclusion, the IFC standard can be used to express the information for the construction cost estimating for tendering in China as a whole, but some extensions in the form of proxy elements and property sets are needed. The established information model can be applied to the development of a construction cost estimating software. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Objectives: Social identity salience affects group-reference effect in memory. However, limited studies have examined the influence of ethnic identity salience on group-reference effect among minority group people in conditions where the minority group dominates. In the present research, we aim to investigate, in a Tibetan-dominant context, whether the salience of ethnic identity among Tibetan students could display an influence on their group-reference effect via priming method.Method: We recruited 50 Tibetan and 62 Han Chinese students from Tibetan University in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet Autonomous Region, where Tibetans were the majority. A month before the experiment, we tested the baseline of ethnic identity salience of both Tibetan and Han Chinese students using the Twenty Statements Test. In the formal experiment, we assessed the effectiveness of priming method first and then conducted a recognition memory test 2 week later via priming approach.Results: The results showed that the ethnic identity both of Tibetan and Han Chinese participants was not salient in the baseline assessment. However, it was successfully induced via priming among Tibetan students. Tibetan students showed a significant group-reference effect in recognition memory task when their ethnic identity was induced via priming. On the contrary, Han Chinese students did not show increased ethnic awareness and superiority of ethnic in-group reference memory after being primed.Conclusions: Current research provides new evidence for the influence of salience of ethnic identity on group-reference effect, contributing to the application and extension of social identity theory among minority group people. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Giant (e.g., Qulong and Jiama) and large (e.g., Chongjiang, Tinggong, and Dabu) porphyry Cu±Mo±Au deposits in the eastern part of the Gangdese belt, southern Tibet have high Cu concentrations (120–7116ppm), while large Zhunuo porphyry Cu deposit in the western part of the belt have low Cu concentrations (<40ppm) in the small-scale (about 1 sample per 16km2) stream sediment geochemical data. Many statistical methods including [mean±2standard deviation (Std)], [median±2median absolute deviation (MAD)], boxplot and factor analysis were applied to delineate the anomaly, showing that there is marked Au and no Cu concentration anomaly in the Zhunuo area. Composite analysis indicates that this strong Au concentration anomaly in the Zhunuo area relates to Cu mineralization which was demonstrated by the large-scale (about 1 sample per 1km2) stream sediment data. The absence of Cu concentration anomaly in the Zhunuo area is due to the low sampling density. Our recent analysis of these small-scale stream sediment data using the local singularity method indicates that there is one weak Cu singularity anomaly in the Zhunuo area. However, the local singularity method seems to be unsuitable to the small-scale stream sediment data and not good for targeting further investigation since values of α-Cu<2 almost occupy 70% of the total data. We hope that our results will not only raise awareness of reanalyzing those anomalies without characteristics of high element concentrations, large size, and marked coincidence of element assemblages (HLCAs) but also be useful for evaluation of prospecting potential in areas where only small-scale steam sediment survey was conducted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psoriasis is a recurrent autoimmune disease characterized by seasonal and latitudinal variations. Double-stranded DNA (dsDNA) is a crucial component of nucleic acids and nucleosomes that provoke innate immune responses. Given the potential influence of climate on immunity and the development of autoimmune diseases, a comprehensive quantitative analysis of dsDNA levels in the population is warranted. In this case-control study conducted from 2016 to 2020, 10,110 psoriasis patients and matched controls from 12 regions in China were included. This study examined variations in serum dsDNA levels based on season and latitude. The results revealed significant associations between geographical location, climatic conditions, and season with serum dsDNA concentration. Individuals residing in Northern China exhibited significantly higher serum dsDNA levels compared to those in the South (1.00 vs. 0.96 ng/ml), and those in medium latitude regions had higher levels than their counterparts in areas with extreme latitudes (0.98 vs. 0.96 ng/ml). Furthermore, individuals in regions with low to medium ultraviolet exposure demonstrated higher serum dsDNA concentrations than those in areas with high ultraviolet levels (1.03 vs. 0.93 ng/ml), and individuals in winter showed higher levels than those in summer (1.03 vs. 0.92 ng/ml). Factors such as sex, UV index, humidity, and sunshine duration were inversely related to serum dsDNA levels, while age and daylight hours showed a positive association. These findings suggest that meteorological and climatic factors play a role in influencing serum dsDNA levels., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: TCbHP (taxane + carboplatin + trastuzumab + pertuzumab) is the preferred neoadjuvant therapy regimen for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer. However, no consensus exists regarding whether specific populations may be exempt from carboplatin, allowing for de-escalation to the THP (taxane + trastuzumab + pertuzumab) regimen. Additionally, the optimal number of cycles for neoadjuvant THP remains unclear. We compared the efficacy and safety of neoadjuvant TCbHP and THP regimens, providing clinicians with a nuanced perspective to guide their treatment regimen selection., Methods: This multicenter real-world study included patients with HER2-positive breast cancer undergoing neoadjuvant TCbHP or THP between March 2019 and February 2023. Efficacy was assessed through the pathological complete response (pCR) rate, while safety was evaluated through monitoring adverse events., Results: Among 220 patients, 103 received 6 cycles of TCbHP (TCbHP×6), 83 received 6 cycles of THP (THP×6), and 34 received 4 cycles of THP (THP×4). The TCbHP×6 cohort exhibited a 66% pCR rate compared with 53% in the THP×6 cohort (P = 0.072). Subgroup analysis revealed that in patients aged ≤ 50 years, those with hormone receptor (HR)-negative status, and those with clinical stage T2, the pCR rate of the TCbHP×6 regimen was significantly higher than the THP×6 regimen (P < 0.05). The TCbHP×6 cohort reported higher frequencies of any-grade adverse events (99% versus 86.7%) and grade 3-4 events (49.5% versus 12%) than the THP×6 cohort. Propensity score matching identified 27 patient pairs between the THP×6 and THP×4 cohorts, indicating a significantly higher pCR rate for the THP×6 regimen than the THP×4 regimen (63% versus 29.6%, P = 0.029)., Conclusions: The TCbHP×6 regimen is favored for individuals aged ≤ 50 years and those aged > 50, ≤60 years with HR-negative status or clinical stage T2-4. For patients in compromised general condition or lacking the specified indications, the THP×6 regimen emerges as a lower-toxicity alternative with satisfactory efficacy. To ensure treatment efficacy, a minimum of 6 cycles of neoadjuvant THP is required., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Triple-negative breast cancers display heterogeneity in molecular drivers and immune traits. We previously classified triple-negative breast cancers into four subtypes: luminal androgen receptor (LAR), immunomodulatory, basal-like immune-suppressed (BLIS), and mesenchymal-like (MES). Here, we aimed to evaluate the efficacy and safety of subtyping-based therapy in the first-line treatment of triple-negative breast cancer., Methods: FUTURE-SUPER is an ongoing, open-label, randomised, controlled phase 2 trial being conducted at Fudan University Shanghai Cancer Center (FUSCC), Shanghai, China. Eligible participants were females aged 18-70 years, with an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0-1, and histologically confirmed, untreated metastatic or recurrent triple-negative breast cancer. After categorising participants into five cohorts according to molecular subtype and genomic biomarkers, participants were randomly assigned (1:1) with a block size of 4, stratified by subtype, to receive, in 28-day cycles, nab-paclitaxel (100 mg/m 2 , intravenously on days 1, 8, and 15) alone (control group) or with a subtyping-based regimen (subtyping-based group): pyrotinib (400 mg orally daily) for the LAR-HER2 mut subtype, everolimus (10 mg orally daily) for the LAR-PI3K/AKT mut and MES-PI3K/AKT mut subtypes, camrelizumab (200 mg intravenously on days 1 and 15) and famitinib (20 mg orally daily) for the immunomodulatory subtype, and bevacizumab (10 mg/kg intravenously on days 1 and 15) for the BLIS/MES-PI3K/AKT WT subtype. The primary endpoint was investigator-assessed progression-free survival for the pooled subtyping-based group versus the control group in the intention-to-treat population (all randomly assigned participants). Safety was analysed in all patients with safety records who received at least one dose of study drug. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT04395989)., Findings: Between July 28, 2020, and Oct 16, 2022, 139 female participants were enrolled and randomly assigned to the subtyping-based group (n=69) or control group (n=70). At the data cutoff (May 31, 2023), the median follow-up was 22·5 months (IQR 15·2-29·0). Median progression-free survival was significantly longer in the pooled subtyping-based group (11·3 months [95% CI 8·6-15·2]) than in the control group (5·8 months [4·0-6·7]; hazard ratio 0·44 [95% CI 0·30-0·65]; p<0·0001). The most common grade 3-4 treatment-related adverse events were neutropenia (21 [30%] of 69 in the pooled subtyping-based group vs 16 [23%] of 70 in the control group), anaemia (five [7%] vs none), and increased alanine aminotransferase (four [6%] vs one [1%]). Treatment-related serious adverse events were reported for seven (10%) of 69 patients in the subtyping-based group and none in the control group. No treatment-related deaths were reported in either group., Interpretation: These findings highlight the potential clinical benefits of using molecular subtype-based treatment optimisation in patients with triple-negative breast cancer, suggesting a path for further clinical investigation. Phase 3 randomised clinical trials assessing the efficacy of subtyping-based regimens are now underway., Funding: National Natural Science Foundation of China, Natural Science Foundation of Shanghai, Shanghai Hospital Development Center, and Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals., Translation: For the Chinese translation of the abstract see Supplementary Materials section., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests Y Xia and QL are employees of Jiangsu Hengrui Pharmaceuticals. All other authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: The Omicron variant of SARS-CoV-2, currently the most prevalent strain, has rapidly spread in Jingzhou, China, due to changes in the country's epidemic prevention policy, resulting in an unprecedented increase in cases. Previous studies reported hematological parameters' predictive value in COVID-19 severity and prognosis, but their relevance for early diagnosis in patients infected by the Omicron variant, particularly in high-risk pneumonia cases, remains unclear. Our study aimed to evaluate these parameters as early warning indicators for Omicron-infected patients in fever clinics and those with pulmonary infections (PI)., Methods: A total of 2,021 COVID-19 patients admitted to the fever clinic and infectious disease department of Jingzhou Hospital Affiliated to Yangtze University from November 1, 2022, to December 31, 2022, were retrospectively recruited. Demographic and hematological parameters were obtained from the electronic medical records of eligible patients. These hematological parameters were analyzed by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves to determine whether they can be used for early diagnosis of COVID-19 patients in fever clinics and the presence of PI in COVID-19 patients., Results: Statistical differences in hematological parameters were observed between COVID-19 patients with fever and PI and control groups (P < 0.01). The ROC curve further demonstrated that lymphocyte (LYM) counts, neutrophil (NEU) counts, monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratios (MLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratios (PLR), white blood cell counts (WBC), and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) were the top 6 indicators in diagnosing Omicron infection with fever, with area under the curve (AUC) values of 0.738, 0.718, 0.713, 0.702, 0.700, and 0.687, respectively (P < 0.01). Furthermore, the mean platelet volume (MPV) with an AUC of 0.764, red blood cell count (RBC) with 0.753, hematocrit (HCT) with 0.698, MLR with 0.694, mean corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH) with 0.676, and systemic inflammation response indexes (SIRI) with 0.673 were the top 6 indicators for the diagnosis of COVID-19 patients with PI (P < 0.01)., Conclusions: LYM, NEU, MLR, PLR, WBC, and MCHC can serve as potential prescreening indicators for Omicron infection in fever clinics. Additionally, MPV, RBC, HCT, MLR, MCH, and SIRI can predict the presence of PI in COVID-19 patients infected by the Omicron variant., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

Background: The extensive involvement of dendritic cells (DCs) in immune contexture indicates their potent value in cancer immunotherapy. Understanding DC diversity in patient cohorts may strengthen the clinical benefit of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs)., Methods: Single-cell profiling of breast tumors from two clinical trials was performed to investigate DC heterogeneity. Multiomics, tissue characterization, and pre-clinical experiments were used to evaluate the role of the identified DCs in the tumor microenvironment. Four independent clinical trials were leveraged to explore biomarkers to predict ICI and chemotherapy outcomes., Findings: We identified a distinct CCL19-expressing functional state of DCs associated with favorable responses to anti-programmed death (ligand)-1 (PD-(L)1), which displayed migratory and immunomodulatory phenotypes. These cells were correlated with antitumor T cell immunity and the presence of tertiary lymphoid structures and lymphoid aggregates, defining immunogenic microenvironments in triple-negative breast cancer. In vivo, CCL19 + DC deletion by Ccl19 gene ablation dampened CCR7 + CD8 + T cells and tumor elimination in response to anti-PD-1. Notably, high circulating and intratumoral CCL19 levels were associated with superior response and survival in patients receiving anti-PD-1 but not chemotherapy., Conclusions: We uncovered a critical role of DC subsets in immunotherapy, which has implications for designing novel therapies and patient stratification strategies., Funding: This study was funded by the National Key Research and Development Project of China, the National Natural Science Foundation of China, the Program of Shanghai Academic/Technology Research Leader, the Natural Science Foundation of Shanghai, the Shanghai Key Laboratory of Breast Cancer, the Shanghai Hospital Development Center (SHDC), and the Shanghai Health Commission., Competing Interests: Declaration of interests The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The present study investigated the differences in clinical characteristics, treatments, and outcomes of patients with acute aortic dissection (AAD) in different age groups., Methods: The present single-center retrospective study was conducted from August 2014 to August 2020. The patients were divided into three groups: age <45 years (young group), age 45 to 59 years (middle-age group), and age >59 years (elderly group). Type A (TAAD) and type B (TBAD) aortic dissection were evaluated separately using the latest definitions., Results: The mean age at onset was 52.4 years in our cohort of 602 patients. The young group included a large proportion of male patients (86%). The body mass index and body surface area were higher in the young group. The proportion of non-true lumen blood supply of branches on the abdominal aorta in the young group (27%-55%) was greater than that in the others. In the young group, the distal extent of dissection in 84% of TAAD and 89% of TBAD exceeded the abdominal aortic branch cluster (AABC) compared with 36% of TAAD and 58% of TBAD in the elderly group. The multivariate analysis revealed that age <45 years (odds ratio, 5.15; P < .001) and D-dimer level (odds ratio, 1.05; P = .001) were risk factors for intimal flap tear exceeding the AABC. The proportion of visceral and lower limb malperfusion increased from 4.8% to 36.9% as the intimal flap tear exceeded the AABC., Conclusions: Compared with middle-age and elderly patients, young patients with AAD had two characteristics (ie, obesity and an intimal flap that had frequently exceeded the branches of the aorta). These two factors resulted in a greater proportion of non-true lumen blood supply, increased visceral and lower limb malperfusion, and an increase in potential associated risks., (Copyright © 2021 Society for Vascular Surgery. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Agricultural products are a primary pathway for humans to accumulate heavy metals (HMs) via the soil-crop system and should therefore should be included as a crucial part of the food security in our country. Given that previous studies on protection zoning for preventing farmland HM pollution rarely considered agricultural products as a basic element, this study attempted to establish a zoning system for farmland HM prevention, which was based on the perspective of agricultural product pollution. We subsequently took a representative peri-urban area in the black soil region, which was provided with a higher risk of being polluted, as an empirical case. The results indicated that:① the comprehensive quality index of agricultural products (IICQ AP ) was 1.09, illustrating only a mild HM pollution, with Pb and Ni having the highest accumulation levels; ② the human health risk index ( Q HI ) was 0.61, showing no risk for human health; and ③ the designed zoning method revealed 89.45% of the farmlands to be risk-free at the moment and 10.55% of the farmlands to be under low risk of HM pollution in agricultural products. According to the zoning results, we suggested prioritized protection and an early-warning strategy, respectively, and further recommended prevention methods such as accumulation intervention, crop restructuring, and in-situ passivation. The results served to enrich the theoretical basis for preventing farmland HM pollution, to reinforce the management standards for agricultural products in the black soil region, and also to build a differentiated urban-rural farmland protection system.

The Genome Warehouse (GWH) is a public repository housing genome assembly data for a wide range of species and delivering a series of web services for genome data submission, storage, release, and sharing. As one of the core resources in the National Genomics Data Center (NGDC), part of the China National Center for Bioinformation (CNCB; https://ngdc.cncb.ac.cn), GWH accepts both full and partial (chloroplast, mitochondrion, and plasmid) genome sequences with different assembly levels, as well as an update of existing genome assemblies. For each assembly, GWH collects detailed genome-related metadata of biological project, biological sample, and genome assembly, in addition to genome sequence and annotation. To archive high-quality genome sequences and annotations, GWH is equipped with a uniform and standardized procedure for quality control. Besides basic browse and search functionalities, all released genome sequences and annotations can be visualized with JBrowse. By May 21, 2021, GWH has received 19,124 direct submissions covering a diversity of 1108 species and has released 8772 of them. Collectively, GWH serves as an important resource for genome-scale data management and provides free and publicly accessible data to support research activities throughout the world. GWH is publicly accessible at https://ngdc.cncb.ac.cn/gwh., (Copyright © 2021 Beijing Institute of Genomics. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background and Aims: Serum calcium abnormality is associated with adverse cardiovascular outcomes, but the effects of serum calcium level on stroke outcomes remain unknown. We aimed to assess the relationship between serum calcium level and 1-year outcomes in patients with acute ischemic stroke and transient ischemic attack., Methods: We included 9375 stroke patients from the China National Stroke Registry III for analysis. Participants were divided into 4 groups according to albumin corrected-calcium quartiles. Composite end point comprised recurrent stroke, myocardial infarction, other ischemic vascular events, and all-cause mortality. Multivariable Cox or logistic regression was used to evaluate the independent association of albumin corrected-calcium with all-cause mortality, recurrent stroke, composite end point, and poor functional outcome (modified Rankin Scale score ≥3)., Results: Compared with the lowest calcium quartile (<2.16 mmol/L), the adjusted hazard ratio (95% CI) of the top quartile (≥2.31 mmol/L) was 1.56 (1.11-2.18) for all-cause mortality, 1.06 (0.87-1.28) for recurrent stroke and 1.08 (0.90-1.01) for composite end point, and the adjusted odds ratio for poor functional outcome was 1.18 (0.96-1.44). The addition of serum calcium to conventional risk factors improved risk prediction of all-cause mortality, leading to a small but significant increase in C-statistics and reclassification with non-significant integrated discrimination improvement (C-statistics, p = 0.02; net reclassification index 11.8%, p = 0.038; integrated discrimination improvement 0.08%, p = 0.42)., Conclusions: High serum calcium levels at baseline were associated with all-cause mortality at 1-year after ischemic stroke, suggesting that serum calcium may be a potential prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for ischemic stroke., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Background: The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) has become a global public health concern. Many inpatients with COVID-19 have shown clinical symptoms related to sepsis, which will aggravate the deterioration of patients' condition. We aim to diagnose Viral Sepsis Caused by SARS-CoV-2 by analyzing laboratory test data of patients with COVID-19 and establish an early predictive model for sepsis risk among patients with COVID-19., Methods: This study retrospectively investigated laboratory test data of 2,453 patients with COVID-19 from electronic health records. Extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) was employed to build four models with different feature subsets of a total of 69 collected indicators. Meanwhile, the explainable Shapley Additive ePlanation (SHAP) method was adopted to interpret predictive results and to analyze the feature importance of risk factors., Findings: The model for classifying COVID-19 viral sepsis with seven coagulation function indicators achieved the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) 0.9213 (95% CI, 89.94-94.31%), sensitivity 97.17% (95% CI, 94.97-98.46%), and specificity 82.05% (95% CI, 77.24-86.06%). The model for identifying COVID-19 coagulation disorders with eight features provided an average of 3.68 (±) 4.60 days in advance for early warning prediction with 0.9298 AUC (95% CI, 86.91-99.04%), 82.22% sensitivity (95% CI, 67.41-91.49%), and 84.00% specificity (95% CI, 63.08-94.75%)., Interpretation: We found that an abnormality of the coagulation function was related to the occurrence of sepsis and the other routine laboratory test represented by inflammatory factors had a moderate predictive value on coagulopathy, which indicated that early warning of sepsis in COVID-19 patients could be achieved by our established model to improve the patient's prognosis and to reduce mortality., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2021 Tang, Luo, Lu, Li, Liu, Nan, Ren, Liao, Wu, Jin, Zomaya and Sun.)

Background: Although the common risk factors were identified and controlled for many years, the overall prevalence of chronic diseases continued to increase in China., Objective: We presumed the leisure sedentariness as a latent but pivotal factor of chronic diseases, and examined its distribution and changing trend, analysed its interaction effects on common risk factors, which could provide a new perspective for the prevention and management., Methods: A total of 5013 participants were screened out from China Health and Nutrition Survey. Random-effects ordered logistic models were used for ordinal dependent variables, and fixed-effects or random-effects logit models were used for binary dependent variables., Results: From 2004 to 2011, the prevalence of high leisure sedentary time (LSED) increased by 58.58%. Members of the high LSED group were likely to choose fast food, salty snacks, soft drinks and more likely to smoke or drink alcohol compared with those of the low LSED group. However, they preferred walking, sports and body building more than those of the low LSED group., Conclusions: For the unhealthy dietary, tobacco and alcohol consumption, more targeted introduction and guidance related to sedentary time should be promoted. Meanwhile, the appeal for physical exercise as well as adequate facilities should be initiated., (© 2020 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

The microbial community is one of the most important factors in shaping the characteristics of fermented food. Nuodeng ham, traditionally produced and subjected to 1-4 years of fermentation, is a dry fermented food product with cultural and economic significance to locals in southwestern China. In this study, we aimed to characterize the microbiota and physicochemical profiles of Nuodeng ham across different stages of fermentation. Ham samples from each of the four years were analyzed by sequencing bacterial 16S rRNA gene and fungal internal transcribed spacer sequence, in order to characterize the diversity and composition of their microflora. A total of 2,679,483 bacterial and 2,983,234 fungal sequences of high quality were obtained and assigned to 514 and 57 genera, respectively. Among these microbes, Staphylococcus and Candida were the most abundant genera observed in the ham samples, though samples from different years showed differences in their microbial abundance. Results of physicochemical properties (pH, water, amino acid, NaCl, nitrate and nitrite contents, and the composition of volatile compounds) revealed differences among the ham samples in the composition of volatile compounds, especially in the third year samples, in which no nitrite was detected. These results suggest that the structure and diversity of microbial communities significantly differed across different stages of fermentation. Moreover, the third year hams exhibits a unique and balanced microbial community, which might contribute to the special flavor in the green and safe food products. Thus, our study lends insights into the production of high quality Nuodeng ham.

Langcuo Lake is a typical plateau lake in the southern Tibet, with an altitude of 4300 m. Gymnocypris chui and Gymnocypris scleracanthus coexisted in this lake. In this study, we investigated the food composition and trophic niche of two Gymnocypris fishes in autumn by carbon and nitrogen stable isotopes technique in 2018. We further analyzed their interspecific diet relationship, including the diet similarity index and overlap coefficient. The results showed that G. chui mainly feed on ephemeroptera larvae, chironomidae larvae, periphytic algae, gammarus and plankton, while G. scleracanthus mainly feed on ephemeroptera larvae, periphytic algae, chironomidae larvae, gammarus and aquatic vascular plants. Two Gymnocypris fishes had trophic niche overlap. The δ 13 C range value (CR=1.60), δ 15 N range value (NR=1.89), and total area of convex hull (TA=1.80) of G. chui were lower than those of G. scleracanthus , with the difference values being 0.09, 0.57 and 1.29, respectively. The diet similarity index and overlap coefficient of those two species were higher, with a value of 94.2% and 91.5%, respectively. Our results suggested that the interspecific diet competition may be intense between the G. chui and G. scleracanthus in Langcuo Lake in autumn.

Prostate cancer is the second most common cancer in men worldwide 1 . Over the past decade, large-scale integrative genomics efforts have enhanced our understanding of this disease by characterizing its genetic and epigenetic landscape in thousands of patients 2,3 . However, most tumours profiled in these studies were obtained from patients from Western populations. Here we produced and analysed whole-genome, whole-transcriptome and DNA methylation data for 208 pairs of tumour tissue samples and matched healthy control tissue from Chinese patients with primary prostate cancer. Systematic comparison with published data from 2,554 prostate tumours revealed that the genomic alteration signatures in Chinese patients were markedly distinct from those of Western cohorts: specifically, 41% of tumours contained mutations in FOXA1 and 18% each had deletions in ZNF292 and CHD1. Alterations of the genome and epigenome were correlated and were predictive of disease phenotype and progression. Coding and noncoding mutations, as well as epimutations, converged on pathways that are important for prostate cancer, providing insights into this devastating disease. These discoveries underscore the importance of including population context in constructing comprehensive genomic maps for disease.

Based on the theory of planned behavior (TPB), this article analyses how conscientiousness and risk perception influence consumers' behavior intentions in regard to smartphone recycling. We carried out field research in Anhui Province, China and collected 802 valid questionnaires as basic data for this study. The empirical results of structural equation model (SEM) indicate that conscientiousness is positively related to attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control towards smartphone recycling, while attitude, subjective norm, and past behavior are positively related to smartphone recycling intention. Attitude and subjective norm mediate the relationship between conscientiousness and smartphone recycling intention. In addition, we found that risk perception moderates the relationships between conscientiousness and attitude, subjective norm, perceived behavioral control, and past behavior. Theoretical and practical implications, limitations of the study, and future directions are discussed., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To review systematically the safety and effectiveness of acupuncture-related therapies on ovulation rate and pregnancy rate in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS)., Methods: From PubMed, EMbase, the Cochrane Library, China Biology Medicine disc (CBM), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang database and VIP database, the randomized controlled trials (RCTs) on PCOS were retrieved in the period from the date of database establishment to January 8, 2018. Two researchers screened the articles, extracted the data and assessed the bias risk of the eligible trials independently. Using Stata 13.0 and WinBUGS 1.4.3 software, the data were analyzed., Results: A total of 39 RCTs were collected, including 4605 cases of PCOS and 14 kinds of acupuncture-related therapies and the comprehensive therapies. The short-term therapeutic effects were observed. The results of mesh meta-analysis showed: regarding the ovulation rate, the effects of the acupuncture-medication therapy were better than western medication. The top 6 therapeutic measures were the treatment with acupoint thread-embedding therapy and medication (93.3%), the treatment with moxibustion and Chinese herbal medicine (91.4%), moxibustion (74.5%), the treatment with acupuncture and medication (65.7%), the treatment with acupuncture-moxibustion and auricular point therapy (61.9%) and the treatment with acupuncture and auricular point therapy (49.6%). Regarding the pregnancy rate, the effects of the acupuncture-medication therapy were better than western medication. The top 6 therapeutic measures were the treatment with acupuncture and auricular point therapy (91.5%), the treatment with moxibustion and Chinese herbal medication (86.9%), the treatment with acupuncture-moxibustion and auricular point therapy (81.1%), the treatment with acupoint thread-embedding therapy and medication (69.4%), the treatment with acupuncture and medication (66.1%) and the treatment with placebo and western medication (58.7%)., Conclusion: Among acupuncture-related therapies, the combined treatment is more advantageous than single therapy and its safety is superior to western medication. The combined therapies are various in advantages. Because of the limitation of the present researches, it needs a large scale of RCTs with rational design, high quality and proper methods to verify this research conclusion.

Background: Up to now, there is controversy over the effect of delivery mode cesarean delivery and spontaneous vaginal delivery on sexual function. Therefore, we did a systematic review and meta-analysis in postpartum women to explore the mode of delivery, cesarean delivery, and spontaneous vaginal delivery and differences in postpartum sexual function (short- and long-term) in Chinese primiparous women., Methods: Comprehensive electronic searches of PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Elsevier Science Direct, Cochrane Library, the Chinese Biological Medical Literature database and the Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure database were conducted to identify any study in each database published to August 31, 2017. The primary outcome was the sexual satisfaction and the secondary outcomes were resumed intercourse and sexual pain in the postpartum., Results: We identified 10 studies with a total population of 2851 in the present meta-analysis. Five and six eligible articles were respectively included for sexual satisfaction in postpartum at 3- and 6 months. Compared with vaginal delivery group, two time points were all not found statistically significance (OR 1.53, 95%CI 0.93-2.49; OR 1.15, 95%CI 0.95-1.39, respectively) in cesarean and spontaneous vaginal delivery group; in resumed intercourse and sexual pain domains, they were all significantly, with an overall OR of 2.05 (95%CI 1.36-3.11) at 3 months, 1.50 (95%CI 1.04-2.16) at 6 months and 0.29 (95%CI 0.24, 0.36) at 3 months, 0.73 (95%CI 0.58, 0.93) at 6 months, respectively. With the passage of time, the gap was closing. Sensitivity analysis was indicated a good stability of the meta-analysis in each domain., Conclusions: In conclusion, this meta-analysis indicated that the mode of delivery, cesarean and spontaneous vaginal delivery did not affect postpartum sexual satisfaction (short- and long-term) and appeared to have minimal effect on the long-term resumed intercourse and sexual pain in Chinese primiparous women. Primiparous women should be more cautious to choose cesarean section in order to preserve sexual function.

Tumour suppressor protein 53 (p53) plays a central role in apoptosis, cell proliferation and death. Previously studies found contribution of functional p53 Arg72Pro polymorphism (TP53 rs1042522G/C polymorphism) in the development of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) remains controversial. In this study, for the first time, we evaluated its association with SLE in a Chinese Han population. This case-control study enrolled 1470 SLE patients and 2283 healthy controls. The genotyping of TP53 rs1042522 polymorphism was determined by Sequenom Mass ARRAY technology. Statistical analysis was conducted by Chi-square test (χ 2 test). Odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence interval (CI) was calculated using unconditional logistic regression with adjusting age and sex. Allele and genotype frequencies of TP53 rs1042522G/C polymorphism showed statistically significant difference between the SLE patients and the normal controls (C vs. G: OR = 0.89, 95% CI 0.89-0.97, p = 0.01; (GC + CC) vs. GG using recessive model: OR = 0.84, 95% CI 0.73-0.96, p = 0.01; GC vs. GG using co-dominant model: OR = 0.86, 95% CI 0.74-0.99, p = 0.04; CC vs. GG using co-dominant model: OR = 0.80, 95% CI 0.66-0.96, p = 0.02; GC vs. GG using co-dominant model: OR = 0.86, 95% CI 0.74-0.99, p = 0.02). In addition, there was weak association between discoid rash and distribution of TP53 rs1042522G/C polymorphism in SLE patients (C vs. G: OR = 1.25, 95% CI 1.00-1.55, p = 0.04; CC vs. GG using co-dominant model: OR = 1.54, 95% CI 1.10-2.36, p = 0.04). Our finding suggests a significant relationship between the TP53 rs1042522G/C polymorphism and SLE. TP53 rs1042522G/C polymorphism would be promising as an indicator of SLE as well as the therapeutic target if its functions and mechanisms could be further investigated.

Objectives: Social identity salience affects group-reference effect in memory. However, limited studies have examined the influence of ethnic identity salience on group-reference effect among minority group people in conditions where the minority group dominates. In the present research, we aim to investigate, in a Tibetan-dominant context, whether the salience of ethnic identity among Tibetan students could display an influence on their group-reference effect via priming method., Method: We recruited 50 Tibetan and 62 Han Chinese students from Tibetan University in Lhasa, the capital of Tibet Autonomous Region, where Tibetans were the majority. A month before the experiment, we tested the baseline of ethnic identity salience of both Tibetan and Han Chinese students using the Twenty Statements Test. In the formal experiment, we assessed the effectiveness of priming method first and then conducted a recognition memory test 2 week later via priming approach., Results: The results showed that the ethnic identity both of Tibetan and Han Chinese participants was not salient in the baseline assessment. However, it was successfully induced via priming among Tibetan students. Tibetan students showed a significant group-reference effect in recognition memory task when their ethnic identity was induced via priming. On the contrary, Han Chinese students did not show increased ethnic awareness and superiority of ethnic in-group reference memory after being primed., Conclusions: Current research provides new evidence for the influence of salience of ethnic identity on group-reference effect, contributing to the application and extension of social identity theory among minority group people., ((c) 2016 APA, all rights reserved).)

To develop a routine and effectual procedure of detecting bladder cancer (BlCa), an optimized combination of epigenetic biomarkers that work synergistically with high sensitivity and specificity is necessary. In this study, methylation levels of seven biomarkers (EOMES, GDF15, NID2, PCDH17, POU4F2, TCF21, and ZNF154) in 148 individuals-which including 58 urothelial cell carcinoma (UCC) patients, 20 infected urinary calculi (IUC) patients, 20 kidney cancer (KC) patients,20 prostate cancer (PC) patients, and 30 healthy volunteers (HV)-were quantified by qMSP using the urine sediment DNA. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were generated for each biomarker. The combining predictors of possible combinations were calculated through logistic regression model. Subsequently, ROC curves of the three best performing combinations were constructed. Then, we validated the three best performing combinations and POU4F2 in another 72 UCC, 21 IUC, 26 KC and 22 PC, and 23 HV urine samples. The combination of POU4F2/PCDH17 has yielded the highest sensitivity and specificity of 90.00% and 93.96% in all the 312 individuals, showing the capability of detecting BlCa effectively among pathologically varied sample groups.

Background: Many epidemiology studies have indicated that several functional polymorphisms of the IL-27 gene may contribute to individual susceptibility to cancer. Nevertheless, the data arising from these studies were inconclusive. Therefore, we conducted the current meta-analysis aiming to elucidate the effects of IL-27 polymorphisms (rs153109, rs17855750, and rs181206) on cancer susceptibility., Material and Methods: We searched the CNKI (Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure), Wanfang database, PubMed, Web of Science, and Google Scholar for all eligible publications. We used odds ratios (ORs) corresponding with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) by using the random/fixed-effects model to evaluate the association. Finally, a total of 12 publications, including 27 case-control studies comprising of 7570 patients and 9839 controls, were enrolled in our meta-analysis., Results: Our work demonstrates that IL-27 rs17855750 polymorphism is significantly associated with cancer susceptibility, particularly for bladder cancer. However, no association between IL-27 rs153109 and rs181206 polymorphisms and cancer susceptibility was identified. When a stratification analysis was performed by cancer type, we identified an increased susceptibility of bladder cancer in rs153109 polymorphism. Moreover, in the stratification analysis by genotyping method, we identified an increased susceptibility for PCR-RFLP group in rs17855750 polymorphism, whereas a decreased susceptibility was identified in rs153109 polymorphism., Conclusions: Our study shows that IL-27 rs17855750 polymorphism is significantly associated with increased susceptibility to cancer in Chinese.

Hereditary multiple exostosis (HME) is an autosomal inherited skeletal disease whose etiology is not fully understood. To further understand the genetic spectrum of the disease, we analyzed a five-generation Chinese family with HME that have observable inheritance. Exome sequencing was performed on three HME individuals and three unaffected individuals from the family. A downstream study confirmed a new C deletion at codon 442 on exon 5 of the exostosin-1 (EXT1) gene as the only pathogenic site which generated a stop codon and caused the truncation of the protein. We rediscovered the deletion in other affected individuals but not in the unaffected individuals from the family. Upon immunohistochemistry assay, we found that the EXT1 protein level of the patients with the novel mutation in our study was less than the level in the patients without the EXT1 mutation from another unrelated family. For a deeper understanding, we analyzed the mutation spectrum of the EXT1 gene. The present study should facilitate a further understanding of HME.

Familial hypophosphatemic rickets (HR), the most common inherited form of rickets, is a group of inherited renal phosphate wasting disorders characterized by growth retardation, rickets with bone deformities, osteomalacia, poor dental development, and hypophosphatemia. The purpose of this study was to identify the genetic defect responsible for familial HR in a four-generation Chinese Han pedigree by exome sequencing and Sanger sequencing. Clinical features include skeletal deformities, teeth abnormalities, hearing impairments and variable serum phosphate level in patients of this family. A novel deletion mutation, c.1553delT (p.F518Sfs*4), was identified in the X-linked phosphate regulating endopeptidase homolog gene (PHEX). The mutation is predicted to result in prematurely truncated and loss-of-function PHEX protein. Our data suggest that exome sequencing is a powerful tool to discover mutation(s) in HR, a disorder with genetic and clinical heterogeneity. The findings may also provide new insights into the cause and diagnosis of HR, and have implications for genetic counseling and clinical management.