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This study centres on the questions and tasks in geography textbooks written before and after the curriculum reform in China. The aim of the study is to reveal the recent changes in amount, learning outcomes and types of questions and tasks in geography textbooks as well as the extent to which the ideas and intentions advocated by the curriculum reform have been actualized in the questioning and tasking practices of geography textbooks. Five geography textbooks written before and after the curriculum reform have been quantitatively and qualitatively analyzed and compared in terms of amount, learning outcomes and type. The findings show that the questioning and tasking practices can be characterized as an increase in amount, more emphasis on the intermediate-order cognitive level of analysis, little concern for the affective and psychomotor abilities, and less diversity of types of questions and tasks. Current textbook writing does not fully and vigorously respond to the ideas and intentions articulated by the curriculum reform. The amount, learning outcomes and types of questions and tasks in the geography textbooks need to be adjusted so as to better meet the aims of the curriculum reform.

This article draws upon the literature showing the benefits of high-quality preschools on child well-being to explore the role of household income on preschool attendance for a cohort of 3-to 6-year-olds in China using data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey, 1991-2006. Analyses are conducted separately for rural (N = 1,791) and urban (N = 633) settings. Estimates from a probit model with rich controls suggest a positive association between household income per capita and preschool attendance in both settings. A household fixed-effects model, conducted only on the rural sample, finds results similar to, although smaller than, those from the probit estimates. Policy recommendations are discussed.

Although geographical fieldwork can be viewed as an integral component of geographical education, it fell out of favor in Chinese secondary schools in the recent past. However, the new junior high school geography standards established in 2001 stress the importance of conducting geographical fieldwork for students' learning of geography. Now nearly 10 years after the implementation of the standards, this study attempted to ascertain teachers' views and attitudes toward geographical fieldwork in the secondary schools that have attempted field activities. Information was gathered via questionnaires and interviews. The results reveal that the teachers in China share many perceptions regarding the importance, value, and cognitive and affective benefits as well as perceptions of constraints such as examination requirements, large class size, limited time, overemphasis on classroom learning, liability for student safety, and lack of software and hardware. However, it is also found that there are some differences in the type and purpose of fieldwork, as well as in certain constraints such as cost, logistics, and attitude of junior students, compared to experiences elsewhere. Moreover, extra constraints such as school location, the teachers' many tasks, and the macro-political climate continue to affect the conduct of geographical fieldwork.

After nearly ten years of implementation of the first junior high school geography standards, Chinese geography educators have been increasingly incorporating fieldwork into their geography teaching. This study examined student perceptions of fieldwork from an international perspective by reviewing student fieldwork reports and administering a questionnaire to 337 junior high school students aged approximately fifteen years. The results demonstrate that the students' perceptions of fieldwork were primarily positive and that they found field experience to be interesting. Fieldwork provided the students with deepened understanding of issues, cognitive and affective benefits, transferable skills and knowledge, social skills, demonstration, and memorable experience. In addition, some factors for improving geographic fieldwork were identified. (Contains 6 tables.)

Background: Antiretroviral therapy (ART) is currently the most effective way to treat people living with human immunodeficiency virus (PLHs) and reduce HIV transmission. While there are many factors that reduce adherence to ART, PLHs' knowledge about ART may determine the level of adherence. It is necessary to design and assess an instrument scale that measures the knowledge of antiretroviral therapy among PLHs. Method: A cross-sectional study was conducted among PLHs in Honghe Hani and Yi Autonomous Prefecture, China. Both exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were used to examine the latent factors of antiretroviral therapy knowledge scale. Internal consistency was assessed separately for the scale and its dimensions by estimating Cronbach's alphas, split-half reliability and Spearman's correlation coefficient. ANOVAs were used to compare the scores of different dimensions with sociodemographic characteristics. Results: Four factors were extracted according to factor loadings. They had high internal consistency reliability (Cronbach's alpha: 0.70–0.95) and good construct validity (standardized factor loading range: 0.46–0.86) in the scale. Goodness of fit indices indicated that a four-factor solution fit the data at an accepted level (χ2/degree ratio = 1.980, RMSEA = 0.069, GFI = 0.909, CFI = 0.957, NFI = 0.917, TLI = 0.944). ANOVAs indicated that the score was higher among PLHs who were Han, had spouses/partners, were non-famers or migrant workers, initiated ART, and had a high school or above education. Conclusion: The psychometric assessment indicated that this ART knowledge scale had accepted internal consistency and discriminant construct validity. It can be used to assess the knowledge of antiretroviral therapy for PLHs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The blue-crowned laughingthrush Pterorhinus courtoisi (Ménégaux, 1923) is listed as a critically endangered species on the International Union for Conservation of Nature Red List. This species occupies an extremely small known breeding range in China. In this study, we obtain the complete mitochondrial genome of the blue-crowned laughingthrush by using Illumina NovaSeq sequencing. The total length of the genome is 17,875 bp, containing 13 protein-coding genes, 22 transfer RNA genes, 2 ribosomal RNA genes and 2 control regions, with a slight A-T preference (52.84%) in base composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Leaves at different heights in a canopy have differential roles on photosynthetic characteristics and yield but have not been compared systematically under plastic film mulching with drip irrigation. Aims: To determine the temporal and spatial variation of morpho-physiological characteristics in relation to the benefit of mulched drip irrigation in spring maize growth. Methods: Field experiments were conducted in northeastern China during 2017 and 2018 that included mulched drip irrigation (MD), non-mulched drip irrigation (ND), and traditional non-mulched rain-fed (CK) treatments. Key results: MD significantly increased lower leaf area by 13.1–62.3%, upper leaf N content (N mass) by 6.3–13.0%, and upper leaf photosynthetic capacity (A max) and maximum carboxylation rate (V cmax) by 13.4–42.3% and by 4.7–11.6%, respectively. There were close correlations between leaf physiological parameters (N mass, carbon isotope discrimination (Δ), A max, and V cmax), and also between morphological parameters (leaf area (LA) with leaf mass per area (LMA), and LMA with leaf dry matter content (LDMC). As for time scale, leaf morphological parameters (LA, LMA, and LDMC) in the reproductive stage (R-stage) were higher than those in the vegetative stage (V-stage), while physiological parameters (N mass, A max, and V cmax) were higher in the V-stage. This study indicated that MD treatment increased the photosynthetic area of lower leaves and the photosynthetic capacity of upper and middle leaves compared with non-mulched rainfed CK. In addition, an increase of net radiation absorbed by the canopy in MD was likely to correspond to a higher net photosynthetic rate, which was beneficial to yield accumulation in the treatment. Conclusions: This study provided relevant information for the simulation of water and carbon flux under mulched drip irrigation. Implications: The research explained that the morpho-physiological characteristics of leaves at different canopy heights played different role on affecting maize yields under plastic film mulched drip irrigation. To determine the temporal and spatial variation of maize leaf morpho-physiological characteristics, field experiments were conducted that included mulched drip irrigation (MD), non-mulched drip irrigation (ND), and traditional non-mulched rain-fed (CK) treatments in northeastern China. Results showed that MD treatment increased the photosynthetic area of lower leaves and the photosynthetic capacity of upper and middle leaves, which was beneficial to yield accumulation. This study can also provide a reference for the simulation of water carbon flux under mulched drip irrigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reasonable quantitative assessment on urban ecosystem health is conducive to the sustainable development of the economy and human society. This paper quantitatively evaluated the impact of land use change on ecosystem services and ecosystem health by building a comprehensive evaluation system (vigor–organization–resilience–ecosystem services), and then analyzed the spatial-temporal pattern, evolution characteristics, and driving factors in the Shanghai–Hangzhou Bay area (SHB) over the 2000–2015 period. The results show that: the area of cropland and forest accounted for more than 65% and was mainly converted into built-up land in the past 15 years. The overall ESV showed a trend of first increasing and then decreasing. Forest accounted for the largest proportion of the total ESV, more than 60% in each year. The ecosystem health value of SBH decreased from 2000 to 2015. At the city scale, the ecosystem health was significantly deteriorated. All cities reached the lowest value by 2015. At the districts/counties scale, the number with the relatively well or well level decreased from 32 in 2000 to 20 in 2015 by 24.64% of the total area. Overall, inland regions of SBH had better ecosystem health situation than coastal areas. The rapid urbanization of population and economy were driving factors for the decline of the ecosystem health. The indicator system of integrating the vigor, organization, resilience, and ecosystem service for ecosystem health assessment is a potential method which could provide a quantitative and comprehensive way for evaluating ecological and environmental effects in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article presents new experimental estimates of the impact of low-ability peers on own outcomes using nationally representative data from China. We exploit the random assignment of students to junior high school classrooms and find that the proportion of low-ability peers, defined as having been retained during primary school ("repeaters"), has negative effects on nonrepeaters' cognitive and noncognitive outcomes. An exploration of the mechanisms shows that a larger proportion of repeater peers is associated with reduced after-school study time. The negative effects are driven by male repeaters and are more pronounced among students with less strict parental monitoring at home. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: In China, 61 million children have been left behind in their original rural communities by migrant-labor parents, among whom 60% live apart from their migrant mother. This study examined the associations of mother versus father absence with adolescents' academic achievement, cognitive ability, and emotional well-being in rural China as well as explored parenting practices (i.e., parental regulation, parent-child communication, parent-child co-activities) as mechanisms to explain the hypothesized different maternal and paternal roles in relation to adolescent development. Method: Using a recent nationally representative dataset with 7419 adolescents, fixed effects models and propensity score weighting were used to assess the association between parental migration and adolescent development. Multiple regressions with the Sobel tests were employed to explore the mediating role of parenting practices. Results: The analyses revealed that living in mother-absent households was negatively associated with adolescents' test scores and depressive symptoms, whereas living in father-absent households was rarely associated with negative outcomes. Results also indicated that the differences between the child development in mother- versus father-absent households were partially explained by disparities in parenting practices. Conclusions: Our study suggested that parental absence and parenting practices were jointly related to youth development among types of migrant families. Given the massive level of labor migration in China as well as the growth of labor migration in many other developing countries, both scholars and policy makers will want to take note. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: In this study, a novel framework was proposed by incorporating fuzzy MCDM (multi-criteria decision-making) methods into the SWOT (strength-weakness-opportunity-threat) analysis for diagnosing China's modern CTC (coal-to-chemical) industry. In the framework, the SWOT analysis was employed to systematically identify the critical factors and then formulate the strategies for promoting the development of this industry. Subsequently, the weights of the factors were accurately determined by using the fuzzy DANP method (decision-making trial and evaluation laboratory-based analytic network process), which tackles the uncertainty in the subjective judgments and the interrelationships among the affecting factors, while the sequence of the strategies was rigorously determined by developing a fusion approach, which reconciles the conflicting rankings derived from four fuzzy MCDM methods for offering a compromised decision. The obtained results were confirmed by performing the sensitivity analysis, which provides two key explanations for the China's CTC industry. First, two factors from the opportunity perspective, i.e., "clean utilization of coal" and "energy transformation," and a threat factor of "policy uncertainty" were identified as the most critical factors among the twelve candidates, demonstrating that the external factors (opportunities and threats) play more important roles than the internal drivers (strengths and weaknesses) in affecting the current status of China's CTC industry. Second, two competitive strategies including drafting national development plan and preferential development of demonstration projects are more favored than the other six strategies, implying that the measures by taking advantage of the strengths to avoid the threats could be effective to promote the development of CTC in China.Graphical Abstract: [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Quantifying the relationship between urbanization and public health is essential to understanding the impact of the urbanization process on environment and public health. However, there are few data linking features of cities to the public health. We apply a statistical frame to explore the feature of urbanization that affects public and environment health. Then the night light data are adopted to reveal the urbanization process in China from 1992 to 2012. The development of small cities dominated the process of urbanization in China from 1992 to 2002, and large, middle and small cities develop dominantly from 2002 to 2012. There is negative relation between the proportion of night light value above 5 and the birthrate and natural increase rates. The intensity of night light has a positive relation with health index for the elder population (age >60), cancer rate and land surface temperature, but urbanization reduces the positive relation between night light and cancer rate. There is no relation between night light intensity and mortality. The important factors of urbanization affect public health can be considered from social policy (inequality? economy, education, medical resources and insurance system) and the physical environment (air, water, soil, green space, waste, food safety and urban planning). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Analyzing spatiotemporal dynamics of land use and land cover over time is widely recognized as important to better understand and provide solutions for social, economic, and environmental problems, especially in ecologically fragile region. In this paper, a case study was taken in Zhenlai County, which is a part of farming-pastoral ecotone of Northeast China. This study seeks to use multi-temporal satellite images and other data from various sources to analyze spatiotemporal changes from 1932 to 2005, and applied a quantitative methodology named intensity analysis in the time scale of decades at three levels: time interval, category, and transition. The findings of the case study are as follows: 1) the interval level of intensity analysis revealed that the annual rate of overall change was relatively fast in 1932-1954 and 1954-1976 time intervals. 2) The category level showed that arable land experienced less intensively gains and losses if the overall change was to have been distributed uniformly across the landscape while the gains and losses of forest land, grassland, water, settlement, wetland and other unused land were not consistent and stationary across the four time intervals. 3) The transition level illustrated that arable land expanded at the expense of grassland before 2000 while it gained intensively from wetland from 2000 to 2005. Settlement targets arable land and avoids grassland, water, wetland and other unused land. Besides, the loss of grassland was intensively targeted by arable land, forest land and wetland in the study period while the loss of wetland was targeted by water except for the time interval of 1976-2000. 4) During the early reclamation period, land use change of the study area was mainly affected by the policy, institutional and political factors, followed by the natural disasters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spectral properties and surface temperature of land cover influences the urban environmental conditions. This research takes the Nanjing city in Jiangsu Province of China as a case. The urban reflectance is grouped into three types (substrate, vegetation and water) by linear spectral mixture. The substrate surface in Nanjing is expanding from the central urban area to the suburbs during, but the intensity of substrate surface in the central urban has weakened since 2007. The land surface temperature mainly has negative relation with vegetation surface at the rate of Y = − X and Y = −2.5 X . There is mainly positive relation between land surface temperature and substrate surface at the rate as Y = X and Y = 2.5 X . The land surface temperature has mainly negative relation with dark surface at the rate of Y = −3 X . Some abnormal phenomenon is caused by the mixed pixels and moisture soil. At the same time, the intensity of land surface temperature also influences the population number and precipitation as the equator of Y = 4.2503 X + 590.7 and y = 2.3811 x + 14.986. The linear quantitative relation between land surface temperature and vegetation, substrate and dark surface are potential to apply for ecologic, hydrologic and climate models and for a reasonable land planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives. To investigate the potential association of a set of serum cytokines with the severity of coronary artery disease (CAD). Methods. A total of 201 patients who underwent coronary angiography for chest discomfort were enrolled. The concentrations of serum IFN-γ, TNF-α, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-9, and IL-17 were determined by xMAP multiplex technology. The CAD severity was assessed by Gensini score (GS). Results. The serum levels of TNF-α, IL-6, IL-9, IL-10, and IL-17 were significantly higher in high GS group (GS ≥ 38.5) than those in low GS group (GS < 38.5). Positive correlations were also found between these cytokines and the severity of CAD. After adjustment for other associated factors, three serum cytokines (IL-6, IL-9, and IL-17) and two clinical risk factors (creatinine and LDL-C) were identified as the independent predictors of increased severity of CAD. ROC curve analysis revealed that the logistic regression risk prediction model had a good performance on predicting CAD severity. Conclusions. Combinatorial analysis of serum cytokines (IL-6, IL-9, and IL-17) with clinical risk factors (creatinine and LDL-C) may contribute to the evaluation of the severity of CAD and may help guide the risk stratification of angina patients, especially in primary health facilities and in the catheter lab resource-limited settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The fragile ecosystems of plateau lakes are in face of ecological risks from emerging toxic elements. Beryllium (Be) and thallium (Tl) have been considered priority control metals in recent years owing to their persistence, toxicity, and bioaccumulation. However, the toxic factors of Be and Tl are scarce and ecological risks of them in the aquatic environment were seldom investigated. Hence, this study developed a framework for calculating the potential ecological risk index (PERI) of Be and Tl in aquatic systems and used it to assess the ecological risks of Be and Tl in Lake Fuxian, a plateau lake in China. The toxicity factors of Be and Tl were calculated to be 40 and 5, respectively. In sediments of Lake Fuxian, the concentrations of Be and Tl were between 2.18 and 4.04 mg/kg and 0.72−0.94 mg/kg, respectively. The spatial distribution indicated that Be was more abundant in the eastern and southern regions, and Tl had higher concentrations near the northern and southern banks, consistent with the distribution of anthropogenic activities. The background values were calculated as 3.38 mg/kg and 0.89 mg/kg for Be and Tl, respectively. In comparison with Be, Tl was more enriched in Lake Fuxian. The increasing Tl enrichment has been attributed to anthropogenic activities (e.g., coal burning and non-ferrous metal production), especially since the 1980s. Generally, Be and Tl contamination has decreased over the past several decades, from moderate to low, since the 1980s. The ecological risk of Tl was low, whereas Be might have caused low to moderate ecological risks. In the future, the obtained toxic factors of Be and Tl in this study can be adopted in assessing the ecological risks of them in sediments. Moreover, the framework can be employed for the ecological risk assessment of other newly emerging toxic elements in the aquatic environment. [Display omitted] • The toxic factors of Be and Tl were calculated as 40 and 5, respectively. • RGBs of toxic elements can be identified using the statistical iterative 2σ method. • Tl was more enriched than Be in sediments of Lake Fuxian. • Potential ecological risks of Be and Tl were at low levels in Lake Fuxian. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Multi-scale Spatio-temporal characteristics of LST and six pollutants were examined. • A positive correlation between the LST and O 3 , and a negative with other pollutants. • Significant seasonal effect in the correlation strength between LST and pollutants. The urban heat island effect and air pollution have become widespread environmental problems in urban areas. We investigated the spatial-temporal distributions of the daytime and nighttime LST and air pollutant concentrations and their interactions in the Yangtze River Delta urban agglomeration (YRDUA) from 2015 to 2020. We found that the LST of the southern cities was higher than the north, and the heat island shows a "Z" pattern of distribution. O 3 pollution occurs in the warm summer, while other air pollutant concentrations are higher in the winter. Air pollution concentrations are higher in the northern cities than in the south. The daytime and nighttime LST were positively correlated with O 3 concentrations, with the correlation being strongest in spring and autumn. The PM 2.5 , PM 10 , SO 2 , NO 2 , and CO concentrations show negative correlations with the daytime and nighttime LST, with the strongest interactions in winter. This study provides a better reference for understanding the relationship between LST and air pollutant concentrations. In addition, the issue of air pollution and integrated urban heat island mitigation strategies in the region deserve further study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This project examines the practice of taking red-envelope cash in contemporary Chinese journalism, which involves journalists accepting cash wrapped in an envelope that is provided by sources or other social agents. On the basis of focus group interviews, in-depth interviews, and personal communication, this project brings journalists’ perceptions on this practice to the fore. Journalists predominantly attribute the practice to Chinese cultural factors, especially the Chinese emphasis onguanxi. However, this research argues that culture alone is an insufficient explanation. This project incorporates sociological studies of “informal relationships” to enrich our understanding of the practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Despite growing public attention to access to preschool education in rural China, there is limited evidence about its potential long-term impacts on child development. Using a nationally representative dataset from China Family Panel Studies, this paper is the first rigorously estimating the long-term effects of preschool attendance on multiple domains of child development in rural China for a sample of 11–15 year olds. Results based on ordinary least squares analysis, county fixed effects, and propensity score matching point to a consistent positive association between preschool attendance and individual social skills, although no association was found between attendance and cognitive skills. Directions for future research and policy recommendations related to early education development in China are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper explores the dynamics between journalistic practices and the mechanisms of internet control in the Chinese context. Principally drawing on interviews and focus group discussions with journalists, this paper investigates in detail the key tactics employed by journalists to counter online censorship, which include: journalists working undercover; the use of “transformed words” or alternatives to “sensitive” words to evade blocking filters; and de-verification on microblogs (Weiboin Chinese) where critical alternative accounts on social media oblige officials to recant earlier versions of events reported on traditional media. Informed by Scott's research, this paper argues that journalists employ these strategies as weapons against the party-state's censorship. Such strategies avoid direct confrontation with the authorities, and are conducted on a “quiet” but substantial scale. Consequently, it is not easy to apply sanctions against particular individuals. The strategies have a profound impact on the dynamics of the relationships between journalists and the powerful party-state. On the one hand, the strategies can empower journalists with psychological gains. On the other, these strategies weaken the party-state's authority. But such strategies are not new and can also be found in traditional journalistic practices. However, one phenomenon worthy of note is the association between journalists and scholars facilitated by microblogs, since increased associations among various professional groups may spark resistance to the party-state's information monopoly. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

An accurate estimation of crop evapotranspiration ( ET) is very useful for appropriate water management; hence, an accurate and user-friendly model is needed to support related irrigation decisions. In this view, a study was developed aimed at estimating the ET of winter wheat-summer maize crop sequence in the North China through eddy covariance measurements, to calibrate and validate the SIMDualKc model, to estimate the basal crop coefficients ( K) for both crops and to partition ET into soil evaporation and crop transpiration. Two years of field experimentation of that crop sequence were used to calibrate and validate the SIMDualKc model and to derive K using eddy covariance measurements. Various indicators have shown the goodness of fit of the model, with estimated values very close to the observed ones and estimate errors close to 0.5 mm d. The initial, mid-season and end basal crop coefficients for wheat were 0.25, 1.15 and 0.30, respectively, and those for maize were 0.15, 1.15 and 0.45, thus close to those proposed in FAO56 guidelines. The soil evaporation represented near 80 % of ET for the initial stages of winter wheat and summer maize and decreased to only 5-6 % during the mid-season period. Evaporation during the full crop season averaged 28 % for winter wheat and 40 % for summer maize. The importance of wetting frequency and crop ground coverage in controlling soil evaporation was evidenced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The potential evaporation trends in stations in China with varying agricultural influences from 1956 to 2005 were evaluated. The decreasing trends in potential evaporation are accelerated for stations in regions with significant agricultural influences. A total of 244 stations, whose cultivated land area ratio within a 5km radius is larger than 50%, are categorized as having significant agricultural influence and designated as agricultural stations, whereas 195 stations, whose sum of cultivated, residential, industrial, and traffic land area ratio within a 5km radius is smaller than 30%, are categorized as having little anthropogenic influence and designated as natural stations. The decreasing trends in potential evaporation are more significant in agricultural stations with a more significant decrease in the aerodynamic term in the arid/semi-arid region and a more significant decrease in the radiation term in the humid region. In the arid/semi-arid region, the significant decrease in potential evaporation in the agricultural stations is attributed to the significant decrease in wind speed, significant increase in relative humidity, and smaller increase in air temperature compared with those in the natural stations. In the semi-humid and humid regions, the more significant decrease in potential evaporation in the agricultural stations is attributed to the significant decrease in solar radiation and wind speed compared with those in the natural stations. According to the analysis of the complementary relationship between actual and potential evaporation, the decrease in potential evaporation is accelerated in the agricultural stations with a more significant increase in water availability induced by irrigation in the arid/semi-arid region and a more significant decrease in solar radiation in the humid region. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Microtopography is among the most important factors affecting the performance of basin irrigation system due to its influence on the advance and recession processes. This study is based on field-measured surface elevation of 116 basins in North China. The spatial variability of basins microtopography was analyzed using geostatistics; the spatial structure of basins microtopography can be characterized by a spherical semivariogram model. The correlations between selected basin geometry parameters, mainly the standard deviation ( S d) of surface elevation differences (SED), and the semivariogram parameters were calculated and allow estimating the semivariogram parameters from basin characteristics. Considering the randomness of SED and, simultaneously, its spatial dependence, a procedure was developed to model the spatial distribution of SED using Monte-Carlo generation and kriging interpolation techniques. The required number of SED generations was also estimated depending upon the S d of SED. The SED stochastic generation model was tested by comparing the advance, recession, flow water depths and performance parameters observed in an experimental basin with those simulated using measured and model generated SED data. Results show that estimation errors from using generated data are similar to those resulting from observations. Thus, SED generated data may be used for assessing the impacts of microtopography on irrigation performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nowadays, the ubiquitous distribution and increasing abundance of P+III in waterbodies have caused serious concerns regarding its bioavailability and potential toxicity. However, our knowledge on these issues is relatively limited. We addressed previously unknown effects of P+III on three dominate algae species i.e. Microcystic aeruginosa (M. aeruginosa), Chlorella pyrenoidesa (C. pyrenoidesa) and Cyclotella. sp in eutrophic waterbodies in China. Remarkable declines in biomass, specific growth rate and Chl-a of algae cells treated with 0.01–0.7 mg/L P+III as sole or an alternative P source were observed, indicating P+III had an inhibitory effect on the algal growth. Besides, the intracellular enzyme activities e.g superoxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) were significantly increased with P+III stress. M. aeruginosa and Cyclotella. sp cells seemed to be more sensitive to P+III toxicity than C. pyrenoidesa since cell membrane suffered more serious stress and destruction. These findings combined, it confirmed P+III could not be utilized as bioavailable P, but had certain toxicity to the tested algae. It indicated that the increased P+III abundance in eutrophic waterbodies would accelerate the algal cell death, which could have a positive effect against algal blooms. Our results provide new insights into assessing the ecological risks of P+III in aquatic environments. [Display omitted] • Responses of three dominant algae under various P+III regimes were investigated. • P+III was unable to support any growth of three tested algae as a P source. • M. aeruginosa and Cyclotella. sp were more sensitive to P+III toxicity. • Increased P+III in waterbodies could have a positive effect against algal blooms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• UN decades on ecosystem restoration calls for effective and innovative ways of land restoration. • Ant Forest as a new land restoration approach facilitated by Fintech in China was studied. • The effect of Ant Forest on sustainable development goals in China were analyzed. • The Fintech facilitated restoration has the potential to be scaled up in the digital age. • Ant Forest platform needs to maintain its user group and attracts more new users. Land degradation is a global issue that affects the livelihood of billions of people worldwide. Various responses have emerged to achieve the land degradation neutrality target, including the UN one billion tree campaign and Decade on Ecosystem Restoration. Ant Forest, a land restoration approach initiated by China's largest Fintech company Alibaba, has made substantial progress on land restoration in degraded areas in China, especially in desert areas. It represents a new model of transforming environmental protection intentions and activities of users into actual environmental benefits by planting trees. The lessons and implications of Ant Forest can contribute to ecosystem restoration globally. However, the effects and effectiveness of Ant Forest are not fully understood. Here we use the data from official reports from Alibaba's ant financial, as well as remote sensing data, to examine how the Ant Forest contributes to land restoration and its socio-economic effects. We found that Ant Forest has many potential roles for achieving sustainable development goals, ranging from land restoration, carbon emission reduction, poverty reduction, human health improvement and many more. While its innovation has brought its international reputation at home and abroad, whether the project itself can sustain is still a question that needs to be concerned. The Fintech facilitated restoration has the potential to be scaled up, but it still needs to continue updating its platform, keep the intentions of the existed users and encouraging more new users to join in the effort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The broadcast fertilization method is widely used under basin irrigation in China. A reasonable broadcast fertilization method can effectively improve application performance of fertilization and reduce pollution from non-point agricultural sources. In this study, firstly, a non-uniform broadcast fertilization method and a non-uniform application coefficient were proposed. The value of non-uniform application coefficient is defined in this paper. It represents the ratio of the difference between the maximum and the average fertilization amount of fertilizer applied on the basin surface to the average fertilization amount of fertilizer applied on the basin surface. Secondly, field experiments were conducted to study the movement characteristics of fertilizer under non-uniform broadcast fertilization for basin irrigation. Field experiment results showed that under the condition of basin irrigation, the non-uniform broadcast fertilization method could weaken the non-uniform distribution of fertilizer due to erosion and transport capacity of solid fertilizer by irrigation water flow, which could significantly improve the uniformity of soil solute content. Thirdly, the solute transport model for broadcast fertilization was corroborated by the field experiment results. The variation rule of fertilization performance with non-uniform application coefficient under different basin length and inflow rate was achieved by simulation. The simulation results showed that fertilization uniformity and fertilization storage efficiency increased first and then decreased with the increase of non-uniform application coefficient. In order to be practically applicable, suitable irrigation programs of non-uniform application coefficient under different basin length and inflow rate conditions were proposed by numerical simulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increasingly serious energy crisis and environmental pollution caused by the excessive use of fossil fuels have been prompting China to aggressively seek a clean and self-sufficient energy source in the future. In the past decades, hydrogen has emerged as a promising alternative due to its advantages of cleanliness, abundance, high energy density, and high conversion efficiency. However, several challenges have to be overcome for China's successful transition to hydrogen economy. In this paper, the hydrogen supply chain is firstly described to help the readers to clearly understand the hydrogen economy. Subsequently, the feasibility of hydrogen economy is discussed by reviewing viewpoints from the literature. Finally, the challenges of China's transition to hydrogen economy are detailed summarized and discussed, and the strategies for China to develop hydrogen economy were compared with that of Japan and Australia. • Hydrogen economy is feasible with many challenges. • Hydrogen and electricity should clearly have the same strategic position in China. • Geographic differences in resources and demands should be addressed. • It is necessary to diversify the application of hydrogen. • CCS technology is significance to the medium-term development of China's hydrogen economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Landscape dynamics of wetland are critical for understanding coastal ecosystem health and sustainability. The paper characterizes the spatiotemporal dynamics of the wetland landscape in the Zhoushan Islands during 1985–2015 to reveal the spatially explicit influential indicators. Wetland distribution in four periods (1985, 1995, 2005 and 2015) was derived from Landsat Images via artificial visual interpretation and support vector machine. Landscape pattern indices were then used to quantify landscape changes and statistical data was employed to identify the drivers. During 1985–2015, the total area of the Zhoushan Islands had been increased from 1277.15 km2 in 1985 to 1368.12 km2, and the total area of wetlands gradually increased from 123.31 km2 to 195.88 km2. The two-subtype wetlands presented opposite trends: the natural wetland decreased from 68.15 km2 to 62.08 km2 while the artificial wetland increased from 55.16 km2 to 133.80 km2. Since 1995, the area of artificial wetlands has exceeded that of natural wetlands. Moreover, natural wetland gradually became fragmented. The dominant transition of wetland types in the Zhoushan Islands was from natural wetlands to artificial wetlands. Moreover, some other transitions include artificial wetlands transferred to non-wetlands and new reclamation lands from the ocean transferred to construction and aquaculture lands were also identified. The wetland landscape pattern changes were not only affected by natural and socioeconomic factors, but also influenced by urbanization level and reclamation projects. Furthermore, the increasing artificial wetlands also played an important role in protecting the local ecological environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

New requirements are put forward for agricultural drainage system due to frequent floods and cultivated land shortage in Huaibei plain, China. The improved subsurface drainage is a more efficient drainage system by laying high permeability materials as filter above the drains based on conventional subsurface drainage whose function is limited by soil hydraulic conductivity. Field experiments was used to evaluate the performance of the improved subsurface drainage preliminarily and numerical experiments was used to explore the capacity of the improved subsurface drainage deeply. Based on calibration and validation by field experiment data, HYDRUS model was used to evaluate the impacts of design parameters of filter hydraulic conductivity, filter width and height, drain spacing and depth on improved subsurface drainage discharge with constant ponding depth. Then, water table depths at different distances from the pipe drain for improved and conventional subsurface drainage were simulated under initial conditions of saturated soil and no surface ponding. Besides, the daily water balance under improved subsurface drainage had been also studied. The result of field experiment showed that the discharge of improved subsurface drainage was about 1.9 times of the conventional subsurface drainage discharge under conditions of same surface ponding depths. The results of numerical experiments indicated that the improved subsurface drainage had a real-time drainage function for the reason that cumulative outflow increased by about 87% than conventional subsurface drainage within 12 h after beginning draining. The improved subsurface drainage lowered water table to an appropriate depth faster than conventional ones, which could provide a more favourable soil moisture condition for crop growth. Furthermore, through daily water balance analysis of improved and conventional subsurface drainage with different rainfalls and initial water table depths, the results showed that subsurface drainage could reduce surface runoff effectively, especially for improved subsurface drainage. Good drainability of the improved subsurface drainage was beneficial to decrease the amount of soil water storage after rainfall and helpful to shorten subsequent draining time of water table drawdown. The research results could provide scientific basis for improved subsurface drainage design and lay a good foundation for its application. Meanwhile, it would be beneficial to enrich agricultural drainage technologies and promote development of agricultural drainage in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses various issues concerning the transformation and development of the national economy of China. The author claims that the socialist relations of production led to the development of the productive forces in China. He argues that transforming the relations of production should not be the focus. He also cites the need to advance science and technology, along with management method when transforming the economy.

Technology-enabled bike-sharing services are increasingly being regarded as effective means of reducing air pollution. However, their actual impact on urban air pollution, especially the factors that might amplify these environmental benefits, is still not well understood. Taking advantage of Ofo and Mobike's staggered entry into 98 major Chinese cities as a quasi-natural experiment, this study empirically examines the impact of technology-enabled dockless bike-sharing services on air pollution and its heterogeneity using a difference-in-differences approach. The results show that there is significant heterogeneity in the impact of the entry of bike-sharing services on urban air pollution, while the overall effect is not significant. Specifically, the reduction effect of dockless bike-sharing service entry on air pollution is greater in cities with larger urban populations, longer average commute times, and higher public transit use, and the increase in traffic congestion further amplifies such effects. This study serves as the first empirical analysis of the impact of bike-sharing services on air pollution, providing important and valuable references for policymakers to better utilize these services to improve air quality and develop sustainable urban transport systems. • Empirically examines the air pollution reduction effect of bike-sharing services. • Notable heterogeneity effects are observed, but overall effect is not significant. • Pollution reduction effect of DBS is greater in large cities with heavy traffic. • Urban commuting features also moderate the pollution reduction effect of DBS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The water uptake of a 6-year-old cherry tree is closely related to the moisture of 0–60 cm soil layer. • Micro-irrigation with mulch film can decrease the ET of cherry trees without reducing yield. • Parallel drip irrigation with mulch film at a designed wetting depth of 60 cm is a suggested strategy. Extensive irrigation strategies are commonly and widely used for orchards in Northern China, leading to low water-use efficiency (WUE) and potential fertilizer pollution of underground water. Effective micro-irrigation strategies for orchards remain unclear and require further investigation to assist in developing orchard water-saving irrigation systems. In this study, compared with local traditional furrow irrigation, six micro-irrigation strategies (with or without mulch film) were applied to a 6-year-old cherry (Prunus avium L.) field for three years (2015–2017). The moisture spatial distribution of soil profile, water consumption, yield, and fruit quality were measured to evaluate the effectiveness of different irrigation strategies on growth and WUE of cherry trees. The results showed that the strongest variability of moisture in soil profile was in the 0–60 cm soil layer, indicating the water uptake of cherry trees is closely related to the soil moisture content in this region. Compared with furrow irrigation, micro-irrigation strategies can significantly (P < 0.05) reduce the water consumption of cherry trees without reducing yield, and treatments with mulch film will further enhance this effect. Ring drip irrigation with mulch film and parallel drip irrigation with mulch film significantly (P < 0.05) improved WUE. Furthermore, parallel drip irrigation with mulch film at a designed wetting depth of 60 cm was suggested irrigation strategy for a 6-year-old cherry field in terms of WUE, yield, fruit quality, and maintenance cost. The findings of this study provide a typical reference for further research on water-saving irrigation systems of perennial fruit trees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Straw mulching (SM) increased summer maize yield in this region. • SM increased LAI, photosynthetic capacity and apparent quantum efficiency. • The liner regressions between A max and N mass were affected by SM treatment. • Higher leaf N use efficiency of SM were first found in field experiment. • The lower leakiness of the bundle-sheath cells to CO 2 (L) were found of SM. Better understanding on the photosynthetic regulation of yield will be useful to improve agricultural water use efficiency under straw mulching. The yield, photosynthetic parameters and related leaf traits were measured and compared between straw mulching (SM) and non-mulching (NM) treatments in a maize field of North China Plain in 2013–2015. Total aboveground biomass of the SM treatment increased by 7.1%, 11.2% and 14.7%, and grain yield increased by 11.5%, 6.8% and 12.1%, respectively for the three years, comparing to those of the NM treatment. Such increases were related to higher leaf area index (LAI) and leaf area duration, photosynthetic capacity per unit of area (A max) and the apparent quantum efficiency (α) for the SM treatment. Maximum LAI of the SM treatment were 17.2%, 19.2% and 20% higher than those of the NM treatment, respectively, for the three years. A max and α of the SM treatment were 7.9%–36.8% and 7.7%–16.7% higher than those of the NM treatment during different growth stages in the three years. A max and α were linearly correlated to leaf nitrogen content on mass basis (N mass). Liner regressions between A max and N mass , and between α and N mass were affected by straw mulching treatment, under which the slopes were similar but the intercepts were higher. With no significant increase of N mass in most measurements, the results suggested that the SM treatment improved N-use efficiency, which may be due to lower leakiness of the bundle-sheath cells to CO 2 (L) under the SM treatment. Collectively, the results help understanding the physiological basis of positive effect of the straw mulching on yield and quantified the photosynthetic parameters of summer maize in this area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A systematic study has been carried out to assess the contamination of endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDCs) in five highly urbanized coastal cities spanning from temperate to subtropical environments along the coastline of China. In each of these cities, species of native mussels ( Mytilus galloprovincialis , M. coruscus or Perna viridis ) were deployed alongside with semipermeable membrane devices (SPMDs) for one month at a reference site and a polluted site. The level of 4-nonylphenol (4-NP), bisphenol A (BPA), 17β-estradiol (E2) and 17α-ethynylestradiol (EE2) in SPMDs and transplanted mussels were determined and compared. The concentration of EDCs in mussels from polluted sites of Qingdao and Shenzhen ranged from 99.4 ± 9.40 to 326.1 ± 3.16 ng/g dry wt. for 4-NP, Dalian and Shanghai from 170.3 ± 4.00 to 437.2 ± 36.8 ng/g dry wt. for BPA, Dalian and Shenzhen from 82.9 ± 3.03 to 315.6 ± 6.50 ng/g dry wt. for E2, and Shenzhen and Shanghai from 124.5 ± 3.25 to 204.5 ± 9.26 ng/g dry wt. for EE2, respectively. These results demonstrate that concentrations of EDCs in mussels along the coastline of China are substantially higher than levels reported in mussels and seafood elsewhere. Despite high levels of EDCs and per capita seafood consumption in China, analysis indicated that 4-NP and BPA intake from mussels at polluted sites per se are still below the Tolerable Daily Intake (TDI). In contrast, the daily intake of E2 and EE2 (6.5 and 5.5 μg/person/day, respectively) from mussel consumption exceeded the Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) established by the WHO, USA and Australia by large margins, suggesting significant public health risks. A strong correlation was found between EDC concentrations in SPMDs and transplanted mussels, and the advantages of using mussels and SPMDs for monitoring EDCs in the aquatic environment are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

AquaCrop is a model of crop growth for predicting responses to various scenarios such as climates and irrigation strategies. Few studies, however, have assessed the applicability of AquaCrop for cotton under film-mulched drip irrigation in salt-affected soil. The objectives of this study were to test AquaCrop performance and to determine the appropriate irrigation amounts for cotton under several scenarios of initial soil-water content (SWC) and soil salinity for two typical soils in a saline region of southern Xinjiang of China with film-mulched drip irrigation. A four-year irrigation experiment was conducted in 2012, 2013, 2015, and 2016 growing seasons for cotton, covering full (100%), over (115 and 145% of full) and deficit (55–90% of full) irrigation treatments. Based on the recommended parameters for cotton in AquaCrop manual, the model was calibrated using 2016 data sets and validated using the data sets from the other three years. Simulations of canopy cover, soil water storage of the root zone and aboveground biomass fitted well with the field observations with coefficient of determination r 2 > 0.77 and the index of agreement d > 0.92 and slightly underestimated yield. As for soil salinity, the model gave a reliable simulation for less than 80% of full irrigation treatments, while underestimated for over 80% of full irrigation treatments. Overall, AquaCrop can be used as a feasible tool to predict cotton growth response to water under film-mulched drip irrigation in this region. According to the principle of high yield and WUE, the simulation results showed that the appropriate irrigation amounts were recommended at 358–457 mm for silty loam and 406–462 mm for sandy loam in this region, which can provide a reference for irrigation optimization under film-mulched drip irrigation in southern Xinjiang and other similar regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comprehensive study was carried out to assess metal contamination in five cities spanning from temperate to tropical environment along the coastal line of China with different hydrographical conditions. At each of the five cities, Artificial Mussels (AM) were deployed together with a native species of mussel at a control site and a polluted site. High levels of Cr, Cu and Hg were found in Qingdao, high level of Cd, Hg and Pb was found in Shanghai, and high level of Zn was found in Dalian. Furthermore, level of Cu contamination in all the five cities was consistently much higher than those reported in similar studies in other countries (e.g., Australia, Portugal, Scotland, Iceland, Korea, South Africa and Bangladesh). Levels of individual metal species in the AM showed a highly significant correlation with that in the native mussels (except for Zn in Mytilus edulis and Cd in Perna viridis ), while no significant difference can be found between the regression relationships of metal in the AM and each of the two native mussel species. The results demonstrated that AM can provide a reliable time-integrated estimate of metal concentration in contrasting environments over large biogeographic areas and different hydrographic conditions, and overcome the shortcomings of monitoring metals in water, sediment and the use of biomonitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plateau lakes in China are faced with heavy metal contamination. The present study investigated the concentrations, sources, and ecological risks of 11 heavy metals in sediments of Lake Fuxian over the last 100 years. The concentrations of V (124–244 mg/kg), Cr (69.3–127 mg/kg), Cu (59.4–105 mg/kg), Ni (36.0–66.3 mg/kg), and Co (15.4–25.5 mg/kg) significantly decreased in the last 100 years while Cd, Sb, Pb, and Zn had contrary trends. In the last 100 years, correlations between the heavy metals changed in reverse due to the combined influences of lithogenic and anthropogenic sources. In the last 40 years, the lithogenic sources mainly contributed to the concentrations of As, Hg, V, Cr, Co, Ni, and Cu, with the rates of 55 %− 85 %. Moreover, Cd, Sb, Pb, and Zn were mainly affected by anthropogenic sources (e.g., mining activities and human settlement change), with the contribution rates of 53 %− 80 %. The change of stable Pb isotope in the sediment cores indicated that galena mining was the main source of Pb. With increasing anthropogenic activities, there was a possibility of 90 % that a moderate ecological risk might appear in the last 40 years. Among the heavy metals, Cd should attract attention because it contributed 96 % to the combined ecological risk. [Display omitted] • Correlations between heavy metals changed in reverse among three different periods. • Anthropogenic sources obviously accelerated the accumulation of Cd, Pb, Sb, and Zn. • Smelting and mining of galena was the main source of Pb in the lake sediments. • A moderate ecological risk of metals might happen, with the possibility of 90 %. • Cd was the most sensitive heavy metal in evaluating the combined ecological risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current guidelines encourage large studies in a diverse population to establish normal reference ranges for three-dimensional (3D) echocardiography for different ethnic groups. This study was designed to establish the normal values of 3D-left ventricular (LV) and left atrial (LA) volume and function in a nationwide, population-based cohort of healthy Han Chinese adults. A total of 1117 healthy volunteers aged 18-89 years were enrolled from 28 collaborating laboratories in China. Two sets of 3D echocardiographic instruments were used, and full-volume echocardiographic images were recorded and transmitted to a core laboratory for image analysis with a vendor-independent off-line workstation. Finally, 866 volunteers (mean age of 48.4 years, 402 men) were qualified for final analysis. Most parameters exhibited substantial differences between different sex and age groups, even after indexation by body surface area. The normal ranges of 3D-LV and 3D-LA volume and function differed from those recommended by the American Society of Echocardiography and the European Association of Cardiovascular Imaging guidelines, presented by the World Alliance Societies of Echocardiography (WASE) study, and from the 2D values in the EMINCA study. The normal reference values of 3D echocardiography-derived LV and LA volume and function were established for the first time in healthy Han Chinese adults. Normal ranges of 3D-LV and 3D-LA echocardiographic measurements stratified with sex, age, and race should be recommended for clinical applications., (© 2024. Higher Education Press.)

Background: Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HFpEF) presents a serious risk to human health. The increased prevalence of sarcopenia in the HFpEF population has a negative impact on patient prognosis. Uric acid (UA) is the byproduct of purine metabolism and is harmful to the cardiovascular system. This study aims to establish the potential relationship between sarcopenia and serum UA in HFpEF patients., Methods: Data were obtained from 180 individuals (aged ≥60 years) with HFpEF admitted to the Geriatric Department of Jiangsu Province Hospital between January 2021 and December 2022. The UA values were grouped into 4 quartiles (Q1-Q4). Logistic generalized linear models and restricted cubic spline (RCS) regression were used to analyze the relationship between sarcopenia and UA. Subgroups based on gender were utilised for further analysis., Results: After adjusting for covariates, odds ratios (ORs) and 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) for sarcopenia prevalence in the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th quartiles were 2.56 (0.57-12.65), 4.94 (1.10-24.49), and 6.95 (1.30-44.25), respectively, unlike the 1st quartile (P for trend = 0.022). The RCS plot demonstrated a positive linear relationship between serum UA levels and sarcopenia (P for non-linearity = 0.190). A sex-based subgroup analysis revealed a statistically significant relationship between UA and sarcopenia in males (P < 0.05)., Conclusions: In summary, the prevalence of sarcopenia is positively related to serum UA levels among the elderly diagnosed with HFpEF. Due to the cross-sectional nature of the study design, additional investigations are necessary to validate our findings and identify the optimal range for UA reduction., 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 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) results could be affected by low homogeneity of examiners, non-retrospectiveness of test results, and examiner-cohort effect. In China, many students participate in medical qualification examinations, and this issue is particularly significant. This study aimed to develop a video recording, video-based rating method and compare the reliability of video and on-site ratings to enhance the quality assurance of OSCEs., Methods: The subjects of this study were clinical students one year after graduation participating in the clinical skills portion of the National Medical Licensing Examination. The participants were from four cities in Jiangsu province. Participants were randomly allocated to on-site and video rating groups to evaluate the rating methods consistency. We verified the reliability of recording equipment and evaluability of video recording. Moreover, we compared the consistency and equivalence of the two rating methods and analyzed the impact of video recording on scores., Results: The reliability of recording equipment and evaluability of video recording were high. Evaluation consistency between experts and examiners was acceptable, and there was no difference in evaluation results (P = 0.61). There was good consistency between video and on-site rating; however, a difference between the two rating methods was detected. The scores of video-based rating group students were lower than those of all students (P < 0.00)., Conclusions: Video-based rating could be reliable and offer advantages over on-site rating. The video recording, video-based rating method could provide greater content validity based on its traceability and the ability to view details. Video recording, video-based rating offers a promising mthod for improving the effectiveness and fairness of OSCEs.

Digital technology can be an effective tool to facilitate emergency assistance in a pandemic, but many deaf and hard-of-hearing elders may experience challenges in using and adopting these technologies. In the context of the second wave of the COVID-19 outbreak, this study employs a qualitative research method based on in-depth interviews to explore technology challenges among deaf and hard-of-hearing elders in China. The results showed that this group's technology challenges arose mainly from barriers to the mastery of digital technology tools, among which barriers to the use of smartphones, to the accessibility of online medical consultations, and to the presentation of health codes, were most noteworthy. For the informants, these barriers led to social isolation and technology avoidance. What's more, the expectation of individuals to adopt certain types of digital intelligence technologies can inadvertently create inequities for disadvantaged groups and exacerbate the "digital divide." This study highlights the need for emergency management systems to be inclusive of elders with hearing loss in times of public health crises, by providing effective technology support and training to facilitate individuals' access to services and to safeguard their health, interests, and livelihood., 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 © 2023 Xu, Ma, Yan and Zhao.)

The toxicity of heavy metals in sediments is inseparable from their forms in the environment. Traditional sediment toxicity assessment systems, such as total metals, dissolved metals in pore water, metals extracted by the Community Bureau of Reference procedure, and acid volatile sulphide (AVS)-simultaneously extracted metal (SEM), have their own limitations. This study revealed the horizontal and vertical distribution characteristics of AVS and SEM in Lake Chaohu and three typical groups of two-dimensional profiles of diffusive gradients in thin-film (DGT)-labile S(-II) were obtained at representative sampling sites. There was a positive correlation between DGT-labile S(-II) and AVS due to sulphate-reducing bacteria and a negative correlation due to the high sulphate reduction rate induced by high total organic carbon. Moreover, there was no correlation between DGT-labile S(-II) and AVS when bioturbation was dominant in the sediments. To realise the application of DGT measurement in toxicity assessment of heavy metals in sediment through the sandwich relationship of DGT-labile metals vs. metals speciation vs. sediment toxicity assessment, the key relationship of DGT-labile metals vs. metals speciation was explored. DGT-labile Ni showed potential to reveal this relationship., 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. Published by Elsevier B.V.)

Objective: To investigate the genetic mutation types and ethnic distribution characteristics of thalassemia in Guiyang., Methods: The population underwent physical examination, antenatal examination and pre-pregnancy examination in our hospital from January 2019 to November 2019 was selected, and the thalassemia gene was detected by RDB-PCR., Results: Among the 4 572 samples, 346 were positive , and the total carrying rate was 7.57%. The carrying rate of α-thalassaemia gene was 5.42% (248 cases), while β-thalassemia was 1.99% (91 cases), and α+β-compound thalassemia was 0.15% (7 cases). α-thalassaemia genotype with the lack of right side -α 3.7 /αα (52.82%) was the most common, followed by - SEA /αα (25.00%) and -α 4.2 /αα (10.48%). β-thalassemia genotype was mainly CD17 (A→T) (51.65%), followed by CD41-42 (-TCTT) (25.27%) and IVS-2-654 (C→T) (12.09%). One case of rare αα/ααα anti3.7 and one case of rare HBB:c.-153C>A (-103 C>A) mutation were detected. Among the 346 positive samples, 264 were from the Han nationality and 82 from the ethnic minorities, among which Buyi nationality accounted for the most (35.80%), followed by Miao nationality (20.54%)., Conclusion: The gene types of thalassemia in Guiyang are complex and varied. The -α 3.7 /αα is the most common genotype of α-thalassemia, while CD17 (A→T) (51.65%) is the most common genotype of β-thalassemia. The carrying rate of thalassemia in the Buyi nationality is higher than other nations, it is necessary to carry out regular monitoring and publicity.

The COVID-19 pandemic poses a great risk to older people with hearing impairment, who face a higher threshold of external communication after the implementation of the emergency isolation policy. As part of a study on the optimization of external communication among the deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) population in central China, this study employed a qualitative research method based on in-depth interviews to explore the needs and difficulties faced by the older DHH group in external communication during public health emergencies in Wuhan, China, in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. The results showed that older DHH people had weak reception of critical information about the epidemic, and had suboptimal access to medical care during emergency quarantine, which increased interpersonal communication barriers to this group. The current findings highlight the urgent need for targeted strengthening of the original emergency communication and coordination mechanisms in public health emergencies, and for improving policy inclusiveness for older DHH individuals during the COVID-19 pandemic and emergencies alike.

Triple negative (TN) breast cancer is a subtype of breast cancer which is difficult for early detection and the prognosis is poor. In this paper, 910 benign and 934 malignant (110 TN and 824 NTN) B-mode breast ultrasound images were collected. A Resnet50 deep convolutional neural network was fine-tuned. The results showed that the averaged area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of discriminating malignant from benign ones were 0.9789 (benign vs. TN), 0.9689 (benign vs. NTN). To discriminate TN from NTN breast cancer, the AUC was 0.9000, the accuracy was 88.89%, the sensitivity was 87.5%, and the specificity was 90.00%. It showed that the computer-aided system based on DCNN is expected to be a promising noninvasive clinical tool for ultrasound diagnosis of TN breast cancer., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Cadmium (Cd) contamination in the agricultural soils of China is a serious and growing environmental problem that urgently needs to be controlled and completely remediated. The biogeochemical cycles of nitrogen (N), sulfur (S), and iron (Fe), and the coupled cycles of Fe-N and Fe-S have been reported to control Cd transportation in the soil-rice system. Exploring practical remediation strategies for Cd from the perspective of the application of nutrients such as N, S, and Fe for rice growth is expected to obtain farm-specific and state-of-the-art technologies and products to reduce the accumulation of Cd in rice grains. Using our earlier study as a basis, the rhizosphere bag-pot experiment with ferrous sulfate (FeSO 4 ) and ferric nitrate[Fe(NO 3 ) 3 ] treatments was conducted to investigate Cd bioavailability in rhizosphere soil and Cd translocation in rice plants, and to highlight some possible factors and mechanisms controlling Cd accumulation in rice grains. The results showed that both FeSO 4 and Fe(NO 3 ) 3 treatments reduced the bioavailable Cd (NH 4 Ac-Cd) content in rhizosphere soil, with the decreasing extent being significantly lower in the former (55.6%) than in the latter (76.0%). Both FeSO 4 and Fe(NO 3 ) 3 treatments changed the distribution characteristics of Cd in rice tissues, and the FeSO 4 treatment increased the Cd content in brown rice (0.6 mg·kg -1 ), but the Fe(NO 3 ) 3 treatment decreased the Cd content in brown rice (0.1 mg·kg -1 ). Adsorption or co-precipitation of Cd by iron plaque, increased accumulations of Cd in root, stem, and leaf, and enhanced translocations of Cd from root, stem, and nodule to brown rice occurred with the increased Cd content in brown rice of the FeSO 4 treatment. However, the decreased Cd content in brown rice with the Fe(NO 3 ) 3 treatment was ascribed to adsorption or co-precipitation of Cd by poorly crystalline Fe oxides and solid Fe sulfides, decreased accumulations of Cd in stem and nodule, and weakened translocations of Cd from root, leaf, and nodule to brown rice. These findings provide a scientific basis for the exploration and application of nutritive soil amendment, and will have significance in regards to the remediation of Cd-contaminated agricultural soils in China.

Understanding the labile status of phosphorus (P) in sediments is crucial for managing a eutrophic lake, but it is hindered by lacking in situ data particularly on a catchment scale. In this study, we for the first time characterized in situ labile P in sediments with the Zr-oxide diffusive gradients in thin films (Zr-oxide DGT) technique at a two-dimensional (2D), submillimeter resolution in a large eutrophic lake (Lake Taihu, China, with an area of 2338 km(2)). The concentration of DGT-labile P in the sediment profiles showed strong variation mostly ranging from 0.01 to 0.35 mg L(-1) with a considerable number of hotspots. The horizontal heterogeneity index of labile P varied from 0.04 to 4.5. High values appeared at the depths of 0-30 mm, likely reflecting an active layer of labile P under the sediment-water interface (SWI). Concentration gradients of labile P were observed from the high-resolution 1D DGT profiles in both the sediment and overlying water layers close to the SWI. The apparent diffusion flux of P across the SWI was calculated between -21 and 65 ng cm(-2) d(-1), which showed that the sediments tended to be a source and sink of overlying water P in the algal- and macrophyte-dominated regions, respectively. The DGT-labile P in the 0-30 mm active layer showed a better correlation with overlying water P than the labile P measured by ex situ chemical extraction methods. It implies that in situ, high-resolution profiling of labile P with DGT is a more reliable approach and will significantly extend our ability in in situ monitoring of the labile status of P in sediments in the field., (Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Organic phosphorus (nonreactive P, NRP) is a major component of P in sediments, but information about its chemical forms and dynamic transformation is limited. The chemical forms and dynamic behaviors of NRP in a sediment profile from Lake Taihu, a freshwater and eutrophic lake in China, were investigated. Five forms of NRP in the sediments were extracted based on a chemical fractionation technique, including easily labile NRP (NaHCO3-NRP), reactive metal oxide-bound NRP (HCl-NRP), humic acid-associated NRP (NaOH-NRP(HA)), fulvic acid-associated NRP (NaOH-NRP(FA)) and residual NRP (Res-TP). There were notable transformations with increasing sediment depth from the labile NaHCO3-NRP and NaOH-NRP pools to the recalcitrant HCl-NRP and Res-TP pools, which caused the NRP to become increasingly recalcitrant as the early diagenetic processes proceeded. Further analyses showed that the relative changes in contents of organic matter and reactive Fe oxides in the sediment profile triggered a competition for binding NRP fractions and led to the transformation of NRP. The results highlighted the importance of abiotic processes in regulating the diagenesis of organic P and its stability in sediments.

A quantitative multi-class analytical method covering more than 226 veterinary drugs and other contaminants in muscle, belonging to different drug families, was developed. The method is based on liquid-liquid extraction, purification by low-temperature clean-up and dispersive solid-phase extraction (D-SPE), and analysis was conducted in two analytical runs by column-switching UPLC coupled with electrospray ionisation and tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-MS/MS). For most of the target analytes, the optimised pre-treatment processes led to no significant interference from the sample matrix. The limit of quantification varied from 0.05 to 10 µg kg(-1). Statistical evaluation indicated that average recoveries spiked into pork were in the range from 62.4% to 138.8%, and the relative standard deviations were in the range from 2.8% to 26.6% (intra-day precision). The availability of this method will contribute to a better safety assurance of meat with a significant reduction of both effort and time.

Objective: To analyze the distribution characteristics of the main semen parameters of healthy semen donors and normal fertile men in Shanghai, compare the semen quality between the two groups, and investigate the normal reference values of the semen parameters of the fertile population in Shanghai., Methods: We obtained semen samples from 100 healthy donors and 41 fertile men, performed semen analyses according to the WHO (2010) guidelines, and determined the semen volume, sperm concentration, sperm progressive motility, total sperm count and total progressively motile sperm count. We analyzed the distribution of the semen parameters of the normal fertile men, and obtained the lower limits of their normal reference values., Results: There were no statistically significant differences in the main semen parameters between the healthy donors and normal fertile men (P < 0.05). The lower reference limits for the semen parameters of normal fertile men in Shanghai (P < 0.05) were as follows: sperm concentration > or = 27.3 x 10(6)/ml, sperm progressive motility > or = 8.1%, semen volume > or = 0.82 ml, total sperm count > or = 44.73 x 10(6) per ejaculate, and total progressively motile sperm count > or = 24.68 x 10(6) per ejaculate., Conclusion: For the evaluation of male fecundity, total sperm count and total progressively motile sperm count may be two better predictors than others.