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Purpose: As the world's largest emerging market, the evidence of momentum effect in China is also mixed. Meanwhile, prior studies mainly examined individual stock momentum in China, with little concern for industry momentum and its relationship with trading volume. The motivation of this study is to investigate industry momentum in China and examine whether trading volume can enhance its profitability. Design/methodology/approach: Firstly, the authors test the existence of industry momentum in China; secondly, the authors test the correlation between trading volume and momentum returns using the double ranking method; finally, the authors test whether trading volume enhances the momentum returns using Fama–French five-factor model. Findings: The authors find that there is a significant industry momentum effect in China, and the momentum returns jointly come from winner and loser portfolios. The intervals between the formation and holding periods have an impact on the performance of momentum portfolios. In terms of trading volume, the authors find that high-volume industries have industry momentum effects while low-volume industries do not. The industry momentum strategies achieve higher excess returns in high-volume industries. Practical implications: Prior literature found higher momentum returns in low-volume stocks in China, but the research in this study suggests that implementing an industry momentum strategy in low-volume industries will miss out on higher returns or even bring losses, and instead the investors should invest in high-volume industries to get the best performance. Originality/value: This study extends existing research by focusing on industry momentum and its relationship with trading volume in the Chinese stock market and finds an interesting relationship between industry momentum returns and trading volume, which is different from related studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Business parks account for 30% of China's total carbon emissions. Exploring emissions reduction approaches for business parks is crucial to achieve a net-zero emissions target, as well as for achieving a representative example for all types of emissions entities. Business parks mainly adopt two types of emissions reduction approaches: energy-saving renovations and purchasing carbon reduction products. However, there are limited studies focusing on the optimal combinations of the two approaches for reaching net-zero emissions and evaluating the cost effectiveness. To find a feasible and quantified way to build net-zero business park, a comprehensive path decision model is proposed. The problem is broken down into two parts: the optimal carbon reduction portfolio and the optimal electricity saving were researched. For the optimal product portfolio, the Markowitz theory is employed to balance the risk of carbon reduction products with the expected cost. In the part of optimal electricity saving, considering a ten-year life cycle, the total cost includes renovation investment, carbon reduction products cost, and cost saving of electricity consumption reduction. Based on the energy consumption, technical, and price data, the combination of energy-saving renovations and carbon reduction products is optimized. The model suggests a business park can save 24% of energy consumption through renovation investment and purchase CCER as 66% of the carbon reduction product portfolio. Taking only purchasing carbon reduction products as a benchmark to assess economic efficiency, implementing an optimized level of energy-saving renovation is found to save 16% of the comprehensive cost for the life cycle required to achieve zero carbon emissions. This model provides a new comprehensive optimization idea that will help future parks make decisions to achieve zero-carbon emission targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The prevalence of erectile dysfunction (ED) in ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients was reported rarely and with small sample. Aim The study sought to explore the prevalence of ED in men with AS and to determine whether AS is a risk factor for ED. Methods A systematic search was conducted in the China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang, VIP Database, CBM, PubMed, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library. The search was restricted to the articles published up to October 2022. Assessment tools adapted for prevalence studies were used to evaluate the quality of cross-sectional studies, and the quality of case-control studies was assessed by Newcastle–Ottawa scale. The relative risk (RR) and the standard mean difference (SMD) were used to evaluate the association between AS and ED. The subgroup analyses were conducted to identify the resources of heterogeneity. The sensitivity analysis was performed to assess the stability of the pooled estimates. Data were analyzed and graphed using STATA 16.0. Outcomes The pooled prevalence of ED in AS patients was calculated and the RR and the SMD were used to evaluate the association between AS and ED. Results A total of 393 AS patients, enrolled in the 8 included studies, were assessed for the prevalence of ED. The pooled ED prevalence estimate was 44% (95% confidence interval [CI], 25% to 63%, P <.001) with the statistical heterogeneity (I2 = 95.1%, P <.001). After pooling the data for RR, the results showed that men with AS were at a significantly higher risk for ED when compared with the general population without AS (RR, 2.04; 95% CI, 1.28 to 3.25, P =.003; heterogeneity: I2 = 72.6%, P =.003). The pooled results of 5 studies, which provided the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) score, demonstrated that patients with AS had significantly lower values in the IIEF erectile function domain as compared with the healthy control subjects (SMD, −0.60; 95% CI, −0.80 to −0.41; P <.001; heterogeneity: I2 = 34.4%, P =.192). Additionally, the other domain of the IIEF also showed lower values when compared with the general population without AS (P <.05). Clinical Implications The present meta-analysis provides evidence of the management of ED in men with AS. Strengths and Limitations This is the first meta-analysis to provide the prevalence of ED in AS patients and to demonstrate that AS is a risk factor for ED. However, the results after pooling the included studies showed significant heterogeneity. Conclusion Our meta-analysis demonstrated the high prevalence of ED in men with AS and that AS is a potential risk factor for ED. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil structure and its change are good indicators for soil quality and environmental stability, and land-use change is known to be an important factor that affects soil structure. We investigated the seasonal and temporal variability in the soil structure and evaluated soil erodibility under different land-use and land-management practices in the Mollisols region of Northeast China. We considered five land-use and land-management modes in the sloping land (5°), i.e., bare land (BL), natural vegetation restoration (NVR), artificial forest (AF), no-tillage (NT), and conventional tillage (CT). The bulk density (BD), aggregate size distribution, and aggregate stability (AS) were determined for each mode. Meanwhile, we estimated the runoff depth (RD) and sediment yield (SY) to assess the soil erodibility. The lowest BD in CT occurred in May, but no seasonal change in BD was observed in other treatments. After 15 years, the NVR and CT had increased BD values, while the BD of NT declined significantly over time. The >2 mm size fractions and the AS of NVR, NT, and CT were the largest in August, while those of BL decreased during the growing season. Furthermore, the >2 mm size fractions and the AS of BL, NT, and CT decreased over the long-term study period, but NVR and AF exhibited no significant inter-annual changes in the AS. The BD and AS in NVR and AF were greater than those in BL. After 15 years, the BD of NT and CT were not significantly different, but NT had a greater AS. The AS was greater in the subsurface soil than in the topsoil of NT and CT. Moreover, the NVR and NT had significantly reduced RD and SY compared with BL and CT. These results provide a scientific basis for choosing sustainable agriculture and land development modes to control soil erosion in Northeast China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper concerns an investigation on the multifractal features of liquidity in China's stock markets based on multifractal detrended fluctuation analysis, and an analysis on multifractal features of market liquidity and fractal degree by determining the generalized Hurst exponent. Also involved in this paper are the identification of the trended fluctuations by tendency entropy dimension and a study on the validity of the correct rate of identification by stochastic correct rate. The results show that the multifractal features of liquidity are obvious in China's stock markets and that the multifractal liquidity degree of the large-cap stock is lower than those of the medium and small-cap stocks. The trend entropy dimension can be used to identify the trend of liquidity effectively, serving as an effective method to identify the fluctuation trend of fractal market. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The International Convention on Salvage 1989 established the basic framework on the "no cure, no pay" principle and also allowed for freedom of contract. Employment salvage is defined as services performed under a contract to pay a given sum or per diem or horam wages, payable at all events, regardless of the salvage is successful or unsuccessful. This study provides a thorough analysis of the differences between employment salvage payments and "no cure, no pay" salvage rewards, identifying key distinctions in their legal natures, principles for calculating remuneration, and conditions of payment. By comparing the legal frameworks in the United Kingdom, the United States, and China, it is determined that claims for employment salvage payments should not be entitled to maritime liens. Moreover, if such claims satisfy the criteria of general average, they should be allowed in general average and contributed to by the relevant beneficiaries. To prevent the dilution of the "no cure, no pay" principle in maritime salvage due to the increased freedom of contract, this study advocates for a stricter scrutiny of contractual freedom in employed salvage to avoid potential abuses by salvors. It is crucial to balance the interests of salvors and other maritime stakeholders, ensuring that while salvors are incentivized for their risky work, other parties are also safeguarded against excessive or unwarranted financial burdens. Additionally, to reduce legal conflicts among nations, it is advisable for countries to coordinate their legislation and establish appropriate international guidelines to promote a greater harmonization of international maritime law. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Basketball is a skill-oriented group sport, which has been popularized and developed in China. However, the research on physical fitness training of basketball in China mostly focused on strength quality and speed quality, and less research was done on sensitive quality. Based on this, this paper aims to explore the important role of agility in basketball and put forward reasonable and scientific training suggestions in order to enrich the content of basketball training, complete the training system and to improve the level of basketball players as a whole. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study examines the causal relationship between road transportation and economic growth in 31 provinces and municipalities in China by using province-level panel data covering the period from 1980 to 2015. This study adopts the Granger causality analysis based on meta-analysis in heterogeneous mixed panels. The empirical model also considers the heterogeneity of the coefficients and the cross-sectional correlations of the panel data. The empirical results confirm that the bi-directional causal relation between road transportation and economic development is the dominant type in various provinces and municipalities in China. Moreover, the results reveal a unidirectional causality running from road transportation to economic growth in Beijing, Shanghai, Heilongjiang; a unidirectional causality running from economic growth to road transportation in Tianjin, Fujian and Hunan; and no causal relation in Tibet. The results imply that road transportation and economic growth in most parts of China are mutually coordinated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The rapid development of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak has brought great harm to physical and mental health of the public. This study aims to investigate the psychological status and sleep quality of the Chinese public during the outbreak of the COVID-19 and its related factors. The survey was conducted from February 17th to February 26th, 2020 in southwestern China. The snowball sampling method was used to invite subjects. Demographic data were collected, and mental status and sleep quality were assessed by the Generalized Anxiety Disorder-7 Scale (GAD-7), the Patient Health Questionnaire-9 (PHQ-9), and the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Descriptive, univariate, and correlation analyses were used to investigate risk factors for psychological status and sleep patterns. A total of 1509 adults (713 males and 796 females) were enrolled in this study. The overall prevalence of anxiety, depression, and decreased sleep quality were 22.3%, 32.2% and 35.4%, respectively. Compared with females, male population has witnessed a higher prevalence of anxiety symptoms (25.1% vs 20.4%, P= 0.007) and depressive symptoms (34.6% vs 30.0%, P= 0.027). In addition, age, marital status, living situation, involvement in anti-pandemic work, basic health status and work status were significant risk factors for anxiety or depression (P< 0.05). During the COVID-19 outbreak, psychological problems and sleep disorders were prevalent among the Chinese public. More attention should be paid to males, the elderly, the solitary, the unemployed, front-line workers in pandemic prevention, and patients with chronic diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The boundaries between art and handicrafts are rarely clear-cut. Today, in the age of heritage protection in contemporary China, the transition from craftsmen to artist is particularly noticeable and fraught. Usually it is the attributes of products (i.e., tradition or indigenousness, creativity or innovation) that determines whether the products' producers are artists or craftspeople. However, the producer's background and the general cultural contexts in which the products are made are also important factors that influence the crossing between these boundaries. An ethnographic field study of folk root carving in the central China highlands reveals three key dimensions concerning the transition from handicrafts to art in this context: increasing one's intellectual capital; paying less heed to craft-rigidity (jiangqi), or deskilling; and developing relationships with well-known public figures; all of which have been spurred on by current heritage protection projects. While assisting individual craftsmen in crossing the boundary from handicrafts to art at a micro level, these heritage projects have contributed to the maintenance of such a boundary at the macro level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• An analysis was conducted on the temporal and spatial variation of water quality in urban river. • The ARIMA method was utilized to establish a water pollution emergency prediction model. • An adaptive purification strategy for urban river water quality was formulated in accordance with characteristics of water quality changes. The water quality of urban rivers is subject to fluctuation caused by rainstorm flood. The uncertainty of flooding in a dynamic environment brings about changes in river quality, presenting a significant challenge. Water samples were collected at 7 sampling sites in Handan City of China from January 2020 to August 2023, and 9 water quality parameters (WT, pH, Cond, Do, COD, BOD, NH 3 -N, TP, and TP) were analyzed. Specifically, the spatial and temporal variation of water quality in the Qingzhang River was analyzed. In terms of season, the concentration of water quality parameters in spring and winter was found to be significantly higher than that in summer and autumn. Spatially, the concentration of water quality parameters was lower in the upstream compared to the downstream. Furthermore, it was discovered that the reservoir had a purifying effect on the water quality of the river. Additionally, a comparison of water quality during flood and non-flood periods revealed that the concentration of water quality parameters in the upstream, midstream, and downstream of the Qingzhang River were higher during non-flood periods. These findings indicated that, in comparison to the urbanization factor, the hydrological factor, which results in the runoff carrying nutrients into the Qingzhang River, plays a crucial role in the change of its water quality. Moreover, the autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA) method was employed to create a water pollution emergency prediction model for the different sections of the Qingzhang River, and an adaptive urban river water purification strategy was formulated based on its variation patterns. The research results contribute to the theoretical basis for the management of urban rivers and water resources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The pancreatic islet specific microRNA-375 (miR-375) is overexpressed in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients suppressing the glucose-induced insulin secretion. Thus, miR-375 may serve as a biomarker for the early prediction of T2DM among high-risk individuals. We conducted this clinical study to assess the significance of miR-375 among type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients and their first-degree relatives. Patients and Methods: We included 56 Han Chinese individuals (N: NGT = 21, T2DM = 10, FD-NGT =13 and FD-T2DM = 12) who received medical health check-ups from January 2018 to September 2018 at The Third Hospital of Yunnan Province, China. They were categorized as normal glucose tolerance (NGT), T2DM, first-degree relatives with normal glucose tolerance (FD-NGT) and first-degree relatives with T2DM (FD-T2DM). OGTT, C-peptide and Insulin tests were performed to confirm the diagnosis. The miR-375 levels were determined by Quantitative real-time RT-PCR (qRT-PCR). Results: The OGTT test showed a significant difference in T2DM and FD-T2DM groups compared with NGT and FD-NGT (p< 0.05). Similar results were observed during C-peptide and insulin tests. Interestingly, the 2-hour insulin test showed FD-NGT group having a significantly higher mean ± standard error of (64.240 ± 12.775) compared to NGT (28.836 ± 10.875). Assessment of miR-375 expression levels in 4 groups showed a significant up-regulation in T2DM and FD-T2DM compared with NGT and FD-NGT groups. A slight increase in miRNA expression was observed in FD-NGT compared with NGT group but was not statistically significant. Conclusion: The OGTT, C-peptide and insulin tests revealed a statistically significant difference in T2DM and FD-T2DM compared with NGT and FD-NGT groups. A significantly higher miR-375 expression was also observed in T2DM and FD-T2DM groups compared with NGT and FD-NGT and thus, miR-375 may serve as a stable biomarker for the early prediction of T2DM among high-risk individuals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The autosomal short tandem repeat (STR) plays a unique role in population comparisons, phylogenetic reconstruction and migration history tracing. This study investigated the frequencies of 17 autosomal STR loci in the Han population from Wuxi, Eastern China, with the aim of expanding the available population information in human genetic databases and for forensic DNA analysis. The genetic polymorphisms of 17 STR loci were analysed in 5358 individuals of the Han population from Wuxi, Eastern China. Population comparisons including genetic distances, the neighbour-joining tree and multidimensional scaling plot were carried out between the Wuxi Han population and different ethnic groups. A total of 777 alleles at 17 autosomal STR loci were observed, with the corresponding allelic frequencies ranging from 0.0001–0.5210. The combined power of discrimination and exclusion for the 17 autosomal STR loci were 0.0000 and 0.000, respectively. Moreover, the phylogenetic analysis was performed between the Wuxi Han population and other relevant populations. The neighbour-joining tree and multidimensional scaling plot were generated based on Nei's standard genetic distance. Population comparisons indicated that the Wuxi Han population had the closest genetic relationship with the Hubei Han population, relative to the other populations, which mirrors the historical and geographical background of the populations compared. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Understanding the water sources and physiological responses to soil moisture pulses for plantation species, particularly in mixed plantations, are essential to assess the water use strategy and vegetation restoration in semiarid regions. We used hydrogen stable isotopes in plant and soil water to determine the potential water sources for Pinus tabuliformis and Hippophae rhamnoides in both pure and mixed plantations in the semiarid Chinese Loess Plateau during the vigorous growing season (June–August) in 2016. Stomatal conductance (gc), midday leaf water potential (Ψm) and photosynthetic rate (Pr) were measured concurrently to analyse the physiological response. The P. tabuliformis in the pure plantation depended largely on shallow and middle soil layers regardless of precipitation amount, permitting this species to maintain stable Ψm at the expense of Pr through stomatal control. In contrast, H. rhamnoides in the pure plantation shifted its water source from shallow to deep soil layers following decreases in precipitation, allowing this species to maintain stable gc and Pr at the expense of Ψm. Thus, P. tabuliformis and H. rhamnoides displayed isohydric and anisohydric behaviour, respectively. Additionally, both species in mixed plantations largely absorbed water from shallow soil layers and shifted to deep soil layers when precipitation decreased. Mixed afforestation significantly reduced (p < .05) Pr for P. tabuliformis and Ψm for H. rhamnoides. Although contrasting physiological responses were adopted by these species, the major proportion of water resources were competitively obtained from similar soil depths—indicating that their mixed afforestation requires further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Isoflavones are important components of soybean seeds, and the contents affect the nutritional value of soybean products. To further reveal and improve the regulation mechanism of soybean isoflavones content, it is an effective way to construct a large enough germplasm combination and explore the genetic loci related to soybean isoflavone traits. In this study, 179 local soybean germplasms mainly from China were selected to analyze the phenotypic diversity and genetic basis of isoflavone content in soybean seeds. The genome-wide association studies (GWAS) using 3VmrMLM model combined the isoflavone phenotype with 23,131 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), we identified 97 genetic loci related to isoflavone traits in single environment and 20 genetic loci related to isoflavone traits in multiple environments, after that screened 6 potential genes related to total isoflavone content, daidzein, glycitein and genistein. Glyma.09G037300 and Glyma.18G111200 related to multiple traits of soybean isoflavones are highly expressed in soybean seeds. Haplotype analysis shows that Glyma.09G037300 and Glyma.18G111200 are higher expression in the high isoflavone populations than low isoflavone populations. Transient overexpression of Glyma.18G111200 increased the content of total isoflavones in hairy roots by 30–51%. These results revealed the genetic basis of soybean isoflavones, provided a series of predictable potential genes affecting the synthesis and accumulation of soybean isoflavones, and updated the research on soybean isoflavone related genes and genetic related loci. This provide a valuable basis for the functional study of soybean isoflavones. • Screening for excellent soybean germplasms with high isoflavones content. • The genetic structure of the isoflavones content of the test sample was identified. • Haplotypes significantly associated with isoflavones content were detected. • The effect of Glyma.18G111200 (GmGSTF13) on isoflavones content was preliminarily verified by transient transformation of soybean hairy roots. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The monthly accumulated precipitation and monthly average temperature of 117 meteorological stations in Song-Liao River Basin (SLRB) were used to calculate the Standardized Precipitation Evapotranspiration Indices (SPEI) to analyze the drought characteristics, including long-term trends, drought affected area, climate abrupt change, intensive drought occurrence regions, and drought durations during 1964–2013 with the support of GIS. The Area Drought Severity (ADS), a comprehensive index, is proposed to assess both the variations of drought degree and the extent of the drought affected area. The results revealed that (1) the drought happening probability and degree are rising and the affected areas of all degrees of drought have an increasing trend during the last 50 years; (2) there is a climate abrupt change which occurred in around 1994, and the area with declining SPEI is larger than that with declining SPI, which could be due to the rising temperature after the climate abrupt change; (3) all degrees of drought occurrence probability increased, and the intensive drought occurrence regions altered from the northern SLRB to the southwestern SLRB after the climate abrupt change; (4) the drought duration increased from 1994, and the increased drought durations occurred in most parts of SLRB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Variations of streamflow were investigated in 9 catchments of RB7 across China. • Budyko hypothesis-based elasticity method was adopted to attribution analysis. • The smaller the runoff coefficient, the higher streamflow elasticities. • Compared to ET 0 , streamflow had a higher sensitivity to P and ω. • Human disturbances dominated streamflow changes in most catchments. 1.2 billion people and 90% of the national GDP are concentrated in China's seven river basins (RB7). Streamflow variation of RB7 caused by climate change and human disturbance posing a severe challenge to the water resources security situation in China. Quantifying streamflow changes under these two stresses is crucial for deeply understanding hydrologic process and reasonably utilizing water resource. The present study analyzed the trends of data series with Sen's slope estimator and Mann-Kendall test, and quantified the influences of precipitation (P), potential evapotranspiration (ET 0) and underlying surface parameter (ω) on streamflow variation by Budyko hypothesis-based elasticity coefficient method in 9 catchments controlled by mainstream hydrological stations from seven major river basins across China. Results showed that: Annual streamflow in LRB, YRB1, and HaiRB displayed significant downward trends of −0.16, −0.67 and −0.53 mm·y−1 during 1961–2020. Except for HuaiRB, the annual streamflow series of other catchments experienced significant mutations during 1984–2000. The elasticity coefficient ε P ranged from 1.65 to 3.56, ε ET 0 ranged from −2.56 to −0.65, and ε ω ranged from −3.79 to −0.52. A higher sensitivity of streamflow to P and ω , comparing to ET 0. Streamflow in the north basins was more sensitive to driving factors than in the south basins across China. Variations in annual streamflow in LRB and YZRB were mainly ascribed to the changes in P , with the contribution rates ranging 65.1–162%, while the underlying surface change dominated the streamflow reduction in SHRB, HaiRB, HuaiRB, YRB, and PRB, with the contribution rates ranging 60.0–163%. ET 0 had a weak effect on streamflow change in most basins. The change of underlying surface ω was largely due to vegetation cover changing, urbanization expanding, water consumption increasing and water conservancy constructing. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is still controversial as to whether intensive agriculture increases or decreases carbon emissions compared to conventional farming. Carbon flux changes induced by the conversion of agricultural practices in different climatic regions have long been a scientific focus. As an intensive cultivation practice, vegetable cultivation within plastic greenhouses (PGVC) has been reported to reduce net carbon emissions following the conversion from conventional vegetable cultivation (CVC). However, it remains uncertain to what degree the carbon flux changes following the conversion in different climatic regions. Based on 637 paired soil data points and 189 vegetable data points from five major climatic regions in China, we used a full carbon cycle analysis to estimate the carbon flux changes when converting from CVC to PGVC. Results showed that the conversion reduced net carbon emissions in four climatic regions (middle temperate, warm temperate, south subtropical and north subtropical regions) but increased net carbon emissions in the Tibet Plateau region. This regional variation was attributable to the differences between soil carbon sequestration and fossil fuel emissions. The highest reduction (1.46 Mg C ha −1 yr −1 ) occurred in the middle temperate region while the Tibet Plateau region acted as a net carbon source (−0.24 Mg C ha −1 yr −1 ). This suggests that the conversion can increase carbon benefits within the four climatic regions. PGVC in these regions could be considered as a promising option for carbon-smart intensive agriculture and would be worth expanding in countries with similar weather conditions, to mitigate carbon emissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nine major music libraries in China act as critical role to serve the academic music information needs from both inside and outside China. Each of the libraries' collection represents its geographical, ethnic and folk music cultural characteristic. This article briefs key sources of Chinese music literature and its distribution, discusses, from personal perspective, the collaborative endeavors and the problems facing both individual music library and the community in China. The lack of music librarianship training needs to be addressed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Catalytic oxidation is widely used in the treatment of refractory wastewater. However, catalytic oxidation has some problems such as high cost and limited production of radicals. To improve these, in this study, a new process of O 3 /H 2 O 2 /Fe-shavings which coupled catalytic ozonation and Fenton-like oxidation with Fe-shaving wastes reused, was used in the treatment of coking wastewater secondary biochemical effluent (CWSBE). The effects of the environmental conditions on the degradation of CWSBE were studied and the response surface method was used to optimise the parameters. The performances in organic pollutant removal from CWSBE were systematically analysed by a couple of methods such as gas chromatography mass spectrometry and three-dimensional fluorescence. The results showed that macromolecular organics were degraded into small molecules pollutants after treatment by the O 3 /H 2 O 2 /Fe-shavings process. At an ozone concentration of 27.5 mg/L, with the hydrogen peroxide concentration being 10.7 mmol/L, the reaction time 60 min, the initial pH value 3.6, and the pump speed 150 rpm, the COD removal degradation efficiency was 77.5%, and the effluent COD met relevant wastewater discharge standards in China (GB 16171-2012). The mechanism research showed that·OH plays an important role in the degradation of organic pollutants. [Display omitted] • The COD removal efficiency when using the O 3 /H 2 O 2 /Fe-shavings process was 77.5%. • Response surface method was suitable for parameter prediction (R2 Adj >0.97). • The molecular weights of the treated pollutants were majorly <1 kDa (86%). • Fe-shavings improve the concentration of·OH in the O 3 /H 2 O 2 /Fe-shavings process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Tea plantations are rapidly expanding in China and other countries in the tropical and subtropical zones, driven by relatively high private economic benefit. However, the impact of tea plantations on the regional environment, including ecosystem services and disservices are unclear. In this study, we developed an assessment framework for determining the private economic benefits and environmental externalities (the algebraic sum of the regulating services and disservices) of tea plantations in China. Our results showed that tea plantations provided private economic benefits of 5,652 yuan ha year (7.6 yuan = 1 USD in 2007) for tea farmers, plus positive environmental externalities of 6,054 yuan ha year for the society. The environmental externalities were calculated as the sum of the value of four regulating services, including carbon sequestration (392 yuan ha year); soil retention (72 yuan ha year); soil fertility protection (3,189 yuan ha year) and water conservation (2,685 yuan ha year), and three disservices, including CO emission (−39 yuan ha year), NO emission (−137 yuan ha year) and nonpoint source pollution (−108 yuan ha year). Before the private optimal level, the positive environmental externalities can be maintained by private economic benefits; if a social optimal level is required, subsidies from government are necessary. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, plastic greenhouse vegetable cultivation (PGVC) has expanded worldwide, particularly in China, where it accounts for more than 90% of all global PGVC operations. As compared with conventional agricultural methods, PGVC has doubled crop yields by extending growing seasons and intensifying agriculture. PGVC also offers more ecosystem services relative to conventional approaches, including greater soil carbon sequestration, lower water consumption, and improved soil protection at regional scales. The economic benefits of this easily implemented agricultural method are attractive to small-holder farmers. However, greater environmental impacts (eg greenhouse-gas emissions, generation of large amounts of plastic waste) are associated with PGVC than with conventional approaches. Here, we review what is currently known about PGVC and identify future research priorities that will comprehensively assess the ecosystem services offered by this method of cultivation, as well as its environmental impacts and socioeconomic benefits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As physical and chemical tests alone are not sufficient enough for the assessment of potential effects on aquatic organisms, bioassays are required for the integrated evaluation of water pollution. In this study, invertebrate crustacean Artemia salina (brine shrimp) was applied as an indicator to assess the water quality of Hangzhou Section of Beijing-Hangzhou Grand Canal. The percentage mortality of brine shrimp was recorded after 24-h exposure to the Canal water. The water samples were collected from five typical sites during October 2008 and April 2009. It exhibited 11% ± 8.3%, 26.7% ± 17%, 31.7% ± 8.5%, 28.0% ± 11.7%, and 4% ± 4.3% percentage mortality for the sample from Tangxi Bridge, Yi Bridge, Gongchen Bridge, Maiyu Bridge, and Gujia Bridge in 2008, respectively. And it exhibited 5.7% ± 4.2%, 10.3% ± 8.2%, 24.3% ± 12.3%, 16.0% ± 12.3%, and 0%, percentage mortality in 2009, respectively. According to the results, a relative improvement in water quality was observed, although the results were not significantly different at the p < 0.05 level. It suggested that 24-h A. salina exposure trials represent an acceptable bioassay for water toxicity when alternative bioassays were unavailable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Quantifying carbon (C) storage is an essential task when assessing the particular C budget of a specific ecosystem. Tea is an important cash crop, and tea plantations commandeer large amounts of arable land throughout the world. In China, 1.3 million hectares dedicated to tea plantation cultivation have been established throughout the last five decades, resulting in a current total of 1.6 million hectares countrywide. For this study, C density and C pools related to biomass as well as the soil and the litter layer were estimated based upon 563 biomass and 255 soil samples procured from both field survey data and data obtained from literature. Subsequent estimations reveal that the total amount of C stored within biomass, the litter layer, and the soil of tea plantations in China is 83.3Tg C (1Tg=1012 g C), 8.0Tg C and 225.0Tg C, respectively, and the average C density of biomass, the litter layer, and the soil is 50.90Mg, 4.91Mg, and 137.5Mg C ha−1, respectively. Despite varying climatic conditions and tea plant types specific to the three separate zones, no significant differences were found in biomass C densities. This suggests that the similar managerial (e.g., pruning) practices applied in their maintenance may in fact be the primary factor that shapes tea plantation C storage. Although tea plantations store less C than do resident mature forests, the considerable C storage of tea plantations makes them a factor of critical importance in regional C accounting that cannot be ignored in future research and policymaking initiatives. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Plastic greenhouse vegetable cultivation is rapidly expanding in China and elsewhere worldwide. In order to comprehensively understand the impacts of plastic greenhouse vegetable cultivation on agricultural ecosystem services and dis-services, we developed an assessment framework for the net ecosystem services and used China as a case study. Our results showed that, compared to conventional vegetable cultivation, plastic greenhouse vegetable cultivation has higher fresh vegetable production, greater CO2 fixation (3.61t CO2 ha−1 yr−1), better soil retention (23.1tha−1 yr−1), and requires less irrigation (2132m3 waterha−1 yr−1), maintains similar soil fertility, but also has higher NO3 − accumulation and N2O emissions. In 2004, plastic greenhouse vegetable cultivation in China provided an overall net economic benefit of 67,956yuanha–1 yr−1 (8.28yuan=1 USD in 2004), where 68,240yuanha−1 yr−1 represented ecosystem services and 284yuanha−1 yr−1 for dis-services. The transition from conventional vegetable cultivation to plastic greenhouse vegetable cultivation resulted in a net economic benefit of 24,248yuanha−1 yr−1. A cost-benefit analysis suggests that plastic greenhouse vegetable cultivation in China has the potential to optimize social benefits in addition to increasing annual economic income to farmers directly. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Rice stripe disease is one of the most serious diseases in rice (Oryza sativa L.) production area in Jiangsu Province, China since 2002. A highly susceptible rice cultivar with excellent food-tasted quality, Wuyujing 3, was improved through the molecular marker-assisted selection in a backcross of Zhendao 88 (with resistance gene Stvb-i). In each backcross generation, the progenies with Stvb-i were selected based on its closely flanking markers. In the advanced backcross generations, marker genotyping of the target gene and visual selection for the phenotype of the recurrent parent were conducted in the selected progeny plants during backcrossing. As a result, a novel cultivar, Wulingjing 1, was fleetingly bred in the BC3F4 generation, whose resistance to the disease was significantly enhanced and the main agronomic traits and characteristics, especially the excellent food-tasted quality were consistent with that of the recurrent parent. In the resistance tests in multiple locations organized by the Seed Management Department of Jiangsu Province, the diseased plant ratio of Wulingjing 1 was only 4.4%, which was significantly lower than that of the recurrent parent (53.2%). [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Mixed-species tree plantations have additional ecological benefits over single-species tree plantations, such as habitat restoration and increasing biodiversity. However, changes in the soil carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorus storages and stoichiometry after mixed afforestation with the N-fixing tree species under the "Grain for Green Project" in the Loess Plateau of China are not well understood. Typical restoration types, including the mixed plantations of Pinus tabuliformis with Hippophae rhamnoides (HrPt) and Robinia pseudoacacia with H. rhamnoides (HrRp), as well as the pure forests of P. tabuliformis (Pt) and R. pseudoacacia (Rp), were chosen to examine changes in the storages and stoichiometry of soil organic carbon (SOC), total nitrogen (TN), and total phosphorus (TP) in 0–100 cm soil layers. The results showed that compared with the corresponding pure forest, HrRp significantly increased the SOC content in the 0–20 cm soil layer and the SOC storage in the 0–100 cm layer, while HrPt significantly increased the SOC content in the 0–10 cm layer, but there was no significant difference for SOC storage in the 0–100 cm layer between Pt and HrPt. Similarly, HrRp significantly increased the TN content in the 0–10 cm layer and the TN storage in the 0–100 cm layer, but there was no significant difference in TN storage between Pt and HrPt. Furthermore, HrRp significantly increased the TP content in the 0–100 cm layer and TP storage was higher than that of Rp, while there were no significant differences in TP content and storage between Pt and HrPt. In the 0–10 cm soil layer, HrRp significantly reduced C:N and increased N:P, but HrPt significantly increased C:P. In addition, compared with the pure forest, the soil physical and chemical properties had a stronger control effect on the soil storages and stoichiometric ratios in the mixed forests. In summary, compared with P. tabuliformis, the introduction of N-fixing tree species into the R. pseudoacacia forest was more conducive to the accumulation of SOC, TN, and TP reserves and the improvement of the N and P utilization efficiency. These results have important implications for the restoration of degraded vegetation and scientific management of mixed plantations on the Loess Plateau and can provide basic data for the assessment of soil quality at the regional scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A nation's media order is the fundamental structure, management strategy, and operational pattern of all the media organizations within one country. In this paper, through stylizing China's online media development in the past decade, and interviewing with insiders in several major online media in China, the author analyzed the evolution of China's new online media order and its major characteristics. The implications of this newly established online media order were also discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a clinical collective term for kidney disease with glomerular filtration rate GFR < 60 mL/min for more than three months due to various factors and is usually associated with coronary heart disease and is also an independent risk factor for coronary heart disease. This study is aimed at systematically reviewing the influence of CKD on the outcomes of patients after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) for chronic total occlusions (CTOs). Methods. The Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase, China biomedical literature database (SinoMed), China National Knowledge Infrastructure, and Wanfang database were searched for case-control studies on the influence of CKD on outcomes after PCI for CTOs. After screening the literature, extracting data, and evaluating the quality of literature, RevMan 5.3 software was used for meta-analysis. Results. There were 11 articles with a total of 558,440 patients included. Meta-analysis results indicated that left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) level, diabetes, smoking, hypertension, coronary artery bypass grafting, angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEI)/angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB), β-blockers, age, and renal insufficiency were the factors affecting outcomes after PCI for CTOs [risk ratio and 95% confidence interval were: 0.88 (0.86, 0.90), 0.96 (0.95, 0.96), 0.76 (0.59, 0.98), 1.39 (0.89, 2.16), 0.73 (0.38, 1.40), 0.24 (0.02, 3.9), 0.78 (0.77, 0.79), 0.81 (0.80, 0.82), and 1.50 (0.47, 4.79)]. Conclusion. LVEF level, diabetes, smoking, hypertension, coronary artery bypass grafting, ACEI/ARB, β-blockers, age, renal insufficiency, etc. are important risk factors for outcomes after PCI for CTOs. Controlling these risk factors is of great significance for the prevention, treatment, and prognosis of CKD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Seasonal variations in stoichiometry are a crucial regulatory mechanism for plant communities that respond to environmental changes. However, the seasonal characteristics of stoichiometry in plants, litter, and soil are poorly understood, especially in plantation ecosystems. Therefore, we explored the seasonal variations of C, N, and P contents and ratios between plants, litter, and soil of a Robinia pseudoacacia plantation on the Loess Plateau in China in 2017. The results indicate that the C, N, P contents and ratios in plants, litter and soil showed different seasonal patterns. The N and P contents of tree and shrub leaves substantially decreased over the growing season, while the C:N, C:P, and N:P ratios exhibited the opposite trend. The utilization efficiency of the N and P elements by trees and shrubs gradually increased with the change of the growing season. These results suggest that the C:N:P stoichiometry of plants was more sensitive to seasonal changes than the litter and soil; therefore, the potential impacts of time should be considered when using stoichiometry to explore the utilization of plant nutrients. Additionally, the P content between tree leaves and soil and the N content between herb leaves and soil were significantly positively correlated, indicating that the growth of the tree and herb layer in the R. pseudoacacia plantation in the area was restricted by P and N, respectively. Meanwhile, the N content in the leaves between trees and herbs showed a significant negative correlation, indicating that N competition existed between R. pseudoacacia and understory herbs, which was not conducive to the effective use of environmental resources by the R. pseudoacacia plantation ecosystem. This study contributes to vegetation restoration and plantation management on the Loess Plateau and provides basic information for global stoichiometric analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Four main factors driving the freight transport change were identified. • Economic growth is the major driving force to the increase of freight transport. • Complete decomposition and decoupling analysis methods are combined. • Transport intensity is the most important contributor to the decoupling progress. • The adjustment of industrial structure came into contribute to decoupling since 2012. Freight transport industry plays a significant role in boosting economic growth, while also creating many negative externalities for social welfare and the environment. Using data from 1997 to 2017, this study employs the complete decomposition technique to identify the driving forces of freight transport and explores its internal relations with economic growth in China. The decomposition analysis focuses on four factors that are responsible for freight transport: economic activity, industrial structure, transport intensity, and haulage distance. Then, the decoupling index is adopted to examine the decoupling relationship between freight transport and economic growth in China. The results showed that weak decoupling between freight transport and economic growth was the main state during the study period. A strong decoupling effect was identified in 1997–1998, 2012–2013, and 2014–2015, whereas no decoupling effect was observed in 1998–1999, 2008–2009, and 2011–2012. The transport intensity was the most important contributor to the decoupling progress, the industrial structure effect played a role in promoting the decoupling progress over half of the years during the research period, and the haulage distance effect facilitated the decoupling progress in more than one-third of the years examined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ketamine, as a non-competitive antagonist of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors, was originally used in general anesthesia. Epidemiological data show that ketamine has become one of the most commonly abused drugs in China. Ketamine administration might cause cognitive impairment; however, its molecular mechanism remains unclear. The glymphatic system is a lymphoid system that plays a key role in metabolic waste removal and cognitive regulation in the central nervous system. Focusing on the glymphatic system, this study evaluated the behavioral performance and circulatory function of the glymphatic system by building a short-term ketamine administration model in mice, and detected the expression levels of the 5-HT2c receptor, ΔFosb, Pten, Akt, and Aqp4 in the hippocampus. Primary astrocytes were cultured to verify the regulatory relationships among related indexes using a 5-HT2c receptor antagonist, a 5-HT2c receptor short interfering RNA (siRNA), and a ΔFosb siRNA. Ketamine administration induced ΔFosb accumulation by increasing 5-HT2c receptor expression in mouse hippocampal astrocytes and primary astrocytes. ΔFosb acted as a transcription factor to recognize the AATGATTAAT bases in the 5′ regulatory region of the Aqp4 gene (−1096 bp to −1087 bp), which inhibited Aqp4 expression, thus causing the circulatory dysfunction of the glymphatic system, leading to cognitive impairment. Although this regulatory mechanism does not involve the Pten/Akt pathway, this study revealed a new mechanism of ketamine-induced cognitive impairment in non-neuronal systems, and provided a theoretical basis for the safety of clinical treatment and the effectiveness of withdrawal. [Display omitted] • Ketamine administration causes circulatory dysfunction of glymphatic system. • Ketamine administration induces cognitive impairment in mice. • Ketamine induces ΔFosb accumulation by increasing the expression of 5-HT2c receptor. • ΔFosb acts as a transcription factor to recognize and inhibit Aqp4 expression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Nitrogen (N) is the limiting factor for current biofuel production. Enormous quantities of waste N from agricultural, industrial and domestic use have been lost to the environment resulting in serious negative consequences. In this study, we discuss biofuel production using waste N (BPWN) on untilled or marginal land. Taking China as an example, the total waste N lost to surface water was estimated at 11.3Tg N (1Tg=1012 g) in 2008, accounting for 40% of total fertilizer N applied to China''s cropland. The total potential biofuel produced by waste N was estimated at 16,436.3PJyear−1 (1PJ=1015 J), accounting for ∼20% of China''s total energy consumption, or five times China''s total gasoline demand in 2008. The net energy balance (Output–Input) of BPWN is 570GJha−1 year−1 (1GJ=109 J) in China, about 15–30 times that of current major biofuel production systems (e.g. corn, switchgrass, low-input high-diversity grassland). The feasibility analysis shows that, although the land resources for BPWN are not sufficient in one-fifth of China''s provinces if considering all of the potential waste N supply, the total maximum land requirement is only 17.5% of China''s total untilled land resource. Further research on the imbalance between land requirement and waste N supply on the regional and local scales will help to refine the estimate of biofuel production potential. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In the backdrop of carbon peaking and carbon neutrality, carbon emissions have always been a major concern. The approach of the heterogeneity grey model is proposed, aiming to predict carbon emissions of 30 provinces in China. This model combines the manta ray foraging optimization algorithm to search for the optimal heterogeneity coefficient. By using the heterogeneity grey model, the carbon emissions are analyzed in 30 provinces of China from 2022 to 2030 considering different environmental protection investment scenarios. The results indicate that in 19 provinces from 2022 to 2030, there is a significant decrease in carbon emissions as government investment increases. In 11 provinces during the same period, there is a rising trend in carbon emissions with the increase of government investment. Hence, achieving a reduction in carbon emissions necessitates not only relying on government investment in environmental protection but also exploring alternative approaches to mitigate carbon emissions. The methodologies and conclusions proposed in this study can provide technical references and making decision references for provincial carbon emission efforts. • The carbon emissions are analyzed in 30 provinces of China considering environmental protection investment. • The approach of the heterogeneity grey model is proposed. • There is a rising trend in carbon emissions with the increase of government investment in 11 provinces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The isotope variation characteristics of atmosphere, plant and soil water reservoirs were analyzed during non-rainfall events. • Both air temperature and events size affected the isotope composition of rainfall and non-rainfall. • Non-rainfall had similar origin with rainfall and participated in the local water recycling. • Evaporated water was a significant water source of different water reservoirs in this area. • Non-rainfall was an important supplement water source of leaf water and contributed near 12% of Artemisia ordosica plant water reservoir. The formation and utilization of non-rainfall water can modulate isotope variation characteristics of the atmosphere, plants and soil water reservoirs. This is especially significant for water resource management in arid desert areas where non-rainfall is an important supplemental water source. In this study, we analyzed the isotope variation and interaction characteristics of rainfall, non-rainfall, atmospheric water vapor, xylem water, leaf water and shallow soil water during non-rainfall events over two years in a revegetation desert area in northwest China. The results indicated that air temperature was the most important meteorological factor influencing isotope characteristics of rainfall, non-rainfall and atmospheric water vapor. The isotope composition was also affected by rainfall and non-rainfall amounts, which decreased with event quantity. Back trajectory analysis showed that the variation of rainfall d values were induced by different moisture sources from arid Gobi and local evapotranspiration. The non-rainfall water line is close to local meteoric water line, with both having similar origins. Non-rainfall was mainly formed by radiative cooling of evaporated water produced shortly after rain and participated in the local water recycling. The atmospheric, plant and soil water all had high d values which indicated that evaporated water was a significant water source of different water reservoirs in this area. The leaf water of Artemisia ordosica was largely replenished by non-rainfall water compared to xylem water during non-rainfall events, so foliar water uptake was an important survival mechanism for Artemisia ordosica to adapt to drought environment during non-rainfall formation. Non-rainfall water contributed to 8–16% of the xylem water and the less rainfall, the higher the contribution rate. Our results are especially meaningful for arid desert regions where global climate change increases the importance of non-rainfall water. [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]

[Display omitted] • The analysis of ecological networks drills down to the town scale. • The width and priority of ecological corridors were analyzed. • The optimal ecological network was selected through the network analysis method. Rapid urbanization has led to increasingly fragmented urban habitat patches, and the biodiversity within these patches and in their surrounding areas is severely threatened. This ecological problem is spreading from cities to counties dominated by villages and towns, and is especially prevalent in economically developed areas. Constructing a reasonable ecological network is an effective way to balance the contradiction between regional development and ecological protection. Taking Anji County of the Zhejiang Province, China as an example, this study first identified ecological sources based on morphological spatial pattern analysis (MSPA) and connectivity analysis, and then extracted and constructed ecological networks by using a minimum cumulative resistance (MCR) model and network analysis. Finally, the results were optimized by adding additional ecological sources and setting stepping stones. The priority of the corridor is determined by the gravity model, and the analysis of the ecological networks in this study drills down to the town scale. The results show that the initially constructed ecological network includes 10 ecological sources and 22 ecological corridors, of which six are important ecological corridors that need priority construction. However, the ecological networks were less distributed in the central and northern regions, so four supplementary ecological sources and two stepping stones were added to optimize the ecological network. The connectivity of the optimized ecological network improved, and the values of α (the closure), β (line-point rate) and γ (network connectivity) increased by 4.6%, 10.45% and 2.18%, respectively. In addition, there were obvious differences in the area and land use types of ecological networks among towns, so it is necessary to formulate targeted construction strategies. Through an in-depth analysis from county to town, this study makes the construction and management of ecological networks more operable for country administration, and provides reference for the balance of ecological protection and regional development at the county level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A comprehensive quality evaluation strategy was developed for Zishen Yutai Pills. • Charged aerosol detector could provide more peaks and greater sensitivity than that of UV. • 281 compounds were identified or tentatively identified based on accurate mass and fragments. • Positive-negative conversion MRM technique was used to get best quantitative sensitivity. Zishen Yutai Pills (ZYP) is a well-known Chinese patent medicine which has been used to prevent recurrent miscarriage and treat threatened abortion in China. In this study, a comprehensive strategy combining ultrahigh performance liquid chromatography coupled with charged aerosol detector (UHPLC-CAD) fingerprint and multi-components quantitative analysis was developed and validated for quality evaluation of ZYP. For fingerprint analysis, a total of 52 characteristic peaks were selected to evaluate the similarities of 16 batches of ZYP. In addition, combining the chemical fingerprint profile with an advanced hybrid LTQ-Orbitrap mass spectrometer, 281 compounds were identified or tentatively identified in ZYP based on chemical standards, accurate mass and fragmentation information. Moreover, 18 chemical markers were simultaneously determined within 13 min by ultra-performance liquid chromatography couple to tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS) with positive-negative conversion multiple reaction monitor (+/-MRM) technique. This method has been validated and exhibited satisfactory sensitivity, precision, reproducibility and accuracy. The validated quantitative method was successfully applied to the analysis of 16 batches of ZYP samples. The combination of UHPLC-CAD fingerprint and multi-components quantification has been proved to be an efficient and reliable strategy for quality control of ZYP and could be considered as a reference for quality evaluation of Chinese patent medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Epidemiological and toxicological studies on neonicotinoids and obesity have been relevant to adults and young children, but data are limited in adolescents. This study aimed to examine the association between urinary neonicotinoid concentrations and obesity measures among Chinese adolescent. A total of 524 urine samples from 300 boys (11.3-16.1 years) and 224 girls (12.1-15.8 years) were collected to detect the concentrations of eleven neonicotinoids. Generalized linear regression, weighted quantile sum regression (WQS) and Bayesian kernel machine regression (BKMR) were used to estimate covariate-adjusted associations between detectable neonicotinoids and ten indicators of obesity. Nitenpyram concentration was associated with increased body mass index z-score (β = 0.170, 95% CI: 0.041, 0.299) and greater odds of being general obesity (OR = 2.46, 95% CI: 1.11, 5.46). N-desmethyl- acetamiprid concentration was associated with an increase in waist-to-height ratio (β = 0.102, 95% CI: 0.029, 0.176) and waist-to-hip ratio (β = 0.083, 95% CI: 0.011, 0.155). The concentrations of clothianidin (OR = 2.06, 95% CI: 1.10, 3.88) and flonicamid (OR = 2.39, 95% CI: 1.07, 5.32) were associated with greater odds of being abdominal obesity. In contrast, the concentrations of imidacloprid (OR = 0.35, 95% CI: 0.14, 0.88) and thiacloprid (OR = 0.28, 95% CI: 0.08, 0.99) were associated with lower odds of being general obesity. The estimates of general obesity and abdominal obesity increased significantly when concentrations of neonicotinoids mixture were at or above the 55th and 65th percentiles, respectively, compared to the 50th percentile concentration. Sex modified the association between nitenpyram and clothianidin and the risk of obesity with a positive association among boys, and a nonsignificant inverse association among girls. The findings suggest that these associations may be mixed and sex-specific., 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 Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Older individuals are priority coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine recipients. Our aim was to investigate the prevalence of and factors influencing vaccine hesitancy in older individuals living in nursing homes and communities., Methods: A self-administered COVID-19 vaccine hesitancy survey was conducted from September 2021 to December 2021 among people aged ≥ 60 years in eight nursing homes (382 participants) and the community (112 participants) in Taizhou, China. The response rate was 72.1% (382/530) for older adults in nursing homes and 68.7% (112/163) for older adults in the community., Results: We found that 58.1% of the older individuals in nursing homes and 36.6% of those in the community were hesitant to receive the COVID-19 vaccine and that there was a statistically significant difference (P < 0.001). Multiple logistic regression results indicated that the main factors influencing hesitation among the older individuals in nursing homes were being male (Odds Ratio (OR) = 1.67, 95% Confidence Interval (CI): 1.01-2.76); their cognitive level, including having a high perceived risk of COVID-19 infection (OR = 3.06, 95% CI: 1.73-5.43) or the perception of low vaccine safety (OR = 3.08, 95% CI: 1.545- 6.145); anxiety (OR = 3.43, 95% CI: 1.96-5.99); and no previous influenza vaccination (OR = 1.82, 95% CI: 1.13-2.93); whereas those for older individuals in the community were comorbid chronic diseases (OR = 3.13, 95% CI: 1.11- 8.78) and community workers not recommending the vaccine (OR = 8.223, 95% CI: 1.77-38.27)., Conclusion: The proportion of older individuals in nursing homes who were hesitant to receive the COVID-19 vaccine was significantly higher than for older individuals in the community. Targeted measures should be implemented to reduce vaccine hesitancy and improve vaccination rates in response to the special environment of nursing homes and the characteristics of this population., (© 2023. The Author(s).)

As an important bridge connecting aboveground communities and belowground biological processes, soil microorganisms play an important role in regulating belowground ecological processes. The altitudinal changes and driving factors of soil microbial community in mountain ecosystem in arid region are still unclear. We measured soil physicochemical properties at seven altitudes in the range of 1300-2800 m in Helan Mountains, and investigated the understory community composition, soil physicochemical properties, and soil microbial community. The driving factor for soil microbial community was explored by variance partitioning analysis and redundancy analysis. The results showed that the total amount of soil microorganisms and bacterial biomass first increased and then decreased with the increases of altitude, fungi, actinomyces, arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi, Gram-positive bacteria, and Gram-negative bacteria groups showed a gradual increase. The variation of fungal-to-bacterial ratio (F/B) along the altitude showed that the cumulative ability of soil bacteria was stronger than that of fungi at low altitudes, while the pattern is opposite at high altitudes. The ratio of Gram-positive bacteria to Gram-negative bacteria (GP/GN) showed an overall decreasing trend with the increases of altitude, indicating that soil bacteria and organic carbon availability changed from "oligotrophic" to "eutrophication" and from "low" to "high" transition as the altitude increased. Vegetation properties, soil physical and chemical properties jointly accounted for 95.7% of the variation in soil microbial community. Soil organic carbon (SOC), soil water content (SWC), and total nitrogen (TN) were significantly correlated with soil microbial community composition. Our results revealed the distribution pattern and driving factors of soil microbial communities at different elevations on the eastern slope of Helan Mountain, which would provide theoretical basis and data support for further understanding the interaction between plant-soil-microorganisms in arid areas.

Introduction: Ulcerative colitis (UC) is a chronic recurrent idiopathic disease characterized by damage to the colonic epithelial barrier and disruption of inflammatory homeostasis. At present, there is no curative therapy for UC, and the development of effective and low-cost therapies is strongly advocated., Objectives: Multiple lines of evidence support that tannic acid (TA) and berberine (BBR), two active ingredients derived from Chinese herb pair (Rhei Radix et Rhizoma and Coptidis Rhizoma), have promising therapeutic effects on colonic inflammation. This study aims to develop a targeted delivery system based on BBR/TA-based self-assemblies for the treatment of UC., Methods: TA and BBR self-assemblies were optimized, and hyaluronic acid (HA) was coated to achieve targeted colon delivery via HA-cluster of differentiation 44 (CD44) interactions. The system was systematically characterized and dextran sodium sulfate (DSS)-induced mouse colitis model was further used to investigate the biodistribution behavior, effect and mechanism of the natural system., Results: TA and BBR could self-assemble into stable particles (TB) and HA-coated TB (HTB) further increased cellular uptake and accumulation in inflamed colon lesions. Treatment of HTB inhibited pro-inflammatory cytokine levels, restored expression of tight junction-associated proteins and recovered gut microbiome alteration, thereby exerting anti-inflammatory effects against DSS-induced acute colitis., Conclusion: Our targeted strategy may provide a convenient and powerful platform for UC and reveal new modes of application of herbal combinations., 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 © 2022. Production and hosting by Elsevier B.V.)

Ovarian development is a complex physiological process for crustacean reproduction that is divided into the oogonium proliferation stage, endogenous vitellogenic stage, exogenous vitellogenic stage, and oocyte maturation stage. Proteomics analysis offers a feasible approach to reveal the proteins involved in the complex physiological processes of any organism. Therefore, this study performed a comparative proteomics analysis of the ovary and hepatopancreas at three key ovarian stages, including stages I (oogonium proliferation), II (endogenous vitellogenesis) and IV (exogenous vitellogenesis), of the Chinese mitten crab Eriocheir sinensis using a label-free quantitative approach. The results showed that a total of 2,224 proteins were identified, and some key proteins related to ovarian development and nutrition metabolism were differentially expressed. The 26 key proteins were mainly involved in the ubiquitin/proteasome pathway (UPP), cyclic AMP-protein kinase A (cAMP-PKA) signaling pathway, and mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway during oogenesis. Fifteen differentially abundant proteins (DAPs) were found to participate in vitellogenesis and oocyte development, such as vitelline membrane outer layer protein 1 homolog, vitellogenin, vitellogenin receptor, heat shock 70 kDa protein cognate 3 and farnesyl pyrophosphate synthase. Forty-seven DAPs related to nutrition metabolism were identified, including the protein digestion, fatty acid metabolism, prostaglandin metabolism, lipid digestion and transportation, i.e. short-chain specific acyl-CoA dehydrogenase, acyl-CoA desaturase, fatty acid-binding protein, long-chain fatty acid CoA ligase 4, and hematopoietic prostaglandin D synthase. These results not only indicate proteins involved in ovarian development and nutrient deposition but also enhance the understanding of the regulatory pathways and physiological processes of crustacean ovarian development., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

The dysregulation of Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK pathway governs occurrence and progression of cancers. In previous studies, genome-wide association studies (GWAS) have identified multiple gene loci related to gastric cancer. However, a great many genetic loci have been missed due to multiple statistical comparisons of GWAS. In this study, Multi-marker Analysis of GenoMic Annotation (MAGMA) was applied to analyze genes in Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK pathway and their single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) based on Chinese GWAS including 1625 gastric cancer cases and 2100 controls. The SNP effects on gastric cancer susceptibility were calculated on the basis of a logistic regression model. Expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) analysis was performed based on the genotype-tissue expression (GTEx) project. We identified that three SNPs in MAP2K1, rs4287513, rs76906202 and rs11631448 were markedly associated with gastric cancer risk (rs4287513: OR = 1.30, 95% CI = 1.10-1.54, P = 1.92 × 10 -3 ; rs76906202: OR = 0.87, 95% CI = 0.79-0.96, P = 3.72 × 10 -3 ; rs11631448: OR = 1.21, 95% CI = 1.05-1.39, P = 6.74 × 10 -3 ). All the loci were eQTLs for MAP2K1 in normal gastric samples. Moreover, the low expression of MAP2K1 was significantly associated with poor survival in gastric cancer patients. Thus, MAP2K1 might represent a key gene related to gastric cancer in Ras/Raf/MEK/ERK pathway, whereas SNPs in MAP2K1 confer gastric cancer susceptibility by having biological effects on the MAP2K1 expression.

China's universal two-child policy was released in October of 2015. How would this new policy influence the rate of overall cesarean delivery (CD) in China? The objective of this paper is to investigate the trend of overall CD rate with the increase of number of multiparous women based on a big childbirth center of China (a tertiary hospital) in 2016. In this study, 22 530 cases from the medical record department of a big childbirth center of China from January 1 to December 31 in 2016 were enrolled as research objects. Electronic health records of these selected objects were retrieved. According to the history of childbirth, the selected cases were divided into primiparous group containing 16 340 cases and multiparous group containing 6190 cases. Chi-square test was carried out to compare the rate of CD, neuraxial labor analgesia, maternity insurance between the two groups; t-test was performed to compare the in-hospital days and gestational age at birth between the two groups. Pearson correlation coefficient was used to evaluate the relationship among observed monthly rate of multiparas, overall CD rate, and Elective Repeat Cesarean Delivery (ERCD) rate. The results showed that the CD rate in multiparous group was 55.46%, which was higher than that in primiparous group (34.66%, P<0.05). The rate of neuraxial labor analgesia in multiparas group was 9.29%, which was lower than that in primiparas group (35.94%, P<0.05). However, the rate of maternity insurance was higher in multiparas group (57.00%) than that in primiparas group (41.08%, P<0.05). The hospital cost and in-hospital days in multiparas group were higher, and the gestational age at birth in multiparas group was lower than in primiparas group (P<0.05). The overall CD rate slightly dropped in the first 4 months of the year (P<0.05), then increased from 36.27% (April) to 43.21% (December) (P<0.05). The rate of multiparas women and ERCD had the same trend (P<0.05). There were linear correlations among the rate of overall CD, the rate of multiparas women and the rate of ERCD rate (P<0.05). With the opening of China's two-child policy, the increasing rate of overall CD is directly related with the high rate of ERCD. Trials of Labor After Cesarean Section (TOLAC) in safe mode to reduce overall CD rate are warranted in the future.

High-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) infection plays an important role in the development of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia and cervical cancer. A total of 11 549 women were enrolled from the Maternal and Child Health Hospital of Hubei Province. Each participant accepted hrHPV testing and completed a self-administered questionnaire about basic information and potential risk factors. The univariable and multivariable logistic regression model was used to explore the associations between variants and hrHPV infection. Our results showed that hrHPV prevalence was 16.09% in Hubei Province, among which, hrHPV was more likely to be positive in women aged 51 years or above (OR=1.65, 95% CI: 1.28-2.14), and in women who had symptoms of bleeding after intercourse (OR=1.32, 95% CI:1.17-1.50), had first sexual intercourse at the age of 18 years or below (OR=1.33, 95% CI:1.07-1.64), had at least three male sexual partners (OR=2.50, 95% CI:2.07-3.03), and who had been diagnosed with sexually transmitted infections (OR=1.50, 95% CI:1.12-2.03). Married women (OR=0.66, 95% CI: 0.55-0.78) and women who frequently used condoms (OR=0.75, 95% CI:0.67-0.84) had a relatively lower hrHPV prevalence. This study confirms that hrHPV infection was associated with age, marital status, symptoms of intercourse bleeding, history of sexually transmitted infections, and sex-related behaviors. Above all, this study provides a baseline database prior to obtaining vaccinations for dynamic tracking of the changes in hrHPV prevalence.

Mitten crab (Eriocheir sensu stricto) is an indigenous and economically important species in East Asia. The genetic diversity and population structure of four wild native Eriocheir s. s. populations, from Yangtze (YZ), Oujiang (OJ), Minjiang (MJ), and Nanliujiang (NLJ) River basin, were studied. Genetic diversity of the four populations was evaluated by eight microsatellite and mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase subunits I (COI) markers. The polymorphism information content (PIC) values ranged from 0.7827 to 0.8580 and Shannon Wiener index (I) values varied from 2.0722 to 2.4088 respectively, according to microsatellite markers analysis. The haplotype diversity (h) values ranged from 0.52101 to 0.87097, while the values of nucleotide diversity (π) varied from 0.00139 to 0.02796 based on mitochondrial COI gene sequence. Four wild Eriocheir s. s. populations all showed high genetic diversity. As microsatellite analysis results, pair-wise F ST values of YZ, OJ, MJ and NLJ populations were 0.1347, 0.1103 and 0.0943 respectively, which indicated that they were in medium genetic differentiation (0.05 < F ST  < 0.15). This was consistent with mitochondrial COI gene's conclusion. The bottleneck analysis was a hint that Eriocheir s. s. experienced bottleneck effect under SMM models of Sign Test and Wilcoxon Sign-rank Test. Based on genetic structure, YZ, OJ and MJ populations were in the same cluster separated from NLJ population. In summary, by microsatellite and mitochondrial COI markers analysis, all four Eriocheir s. s. populations had high genetic diversity, and genetic differentiation was consistent with geographical distance. Populations OJ and MJ were closer to population YZ genetically, and they had large genetic distance with NLJ population. This study provides a particularly important basis for mitten crab resources conservation and utilization in south China., (Copyright © 2019 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)