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Rehmannia glutinosa is widely recognized as a prominent medicinal herb employed by practitioners across various generations for the purpose of fortifying kidney yin. Within Rehmannia glutinosa, the compound known as catalpol (CAT) holds significant importance as a bioactive constituent. However, the protective effects of CAT on kidneys, including ameliorative effects on chronic kidney disease — most prominently renal anemia and renal fibrosis — have not been clearly defined. In this study, the kidney injury model of NRK-52E cells and C57BL/6N male mice was prepared by exposure to aristolochic acid I (AA-I), and it was discovered that CAT could ameliorate oxidative stress injury, inflammatory injury, apoptosis, renal anemia, renal fibrosis, and other renal injuries both in vivo and in vitro. Further treatment of NRK-52E cells with Nrf2 inhibitors (ML385) and activators (ML334), as well as NF-κB inhibitors (PDTC), validated CAT's ability to target Nrf2 activation. Furthermore, the expression of phosphorylated NF-κB p65, IL-6, and Cleaved-Caspase3 protein was inhibited. CAT also inhibited NF-κB, and then inhibited the expression of IL-6, p-STAS3, TGF-β1 protein. Therefore, CAT can regulate Nrf2/NF-κB signaling pathway, significantly correct renal anemia and renal fibrosis, and is conducive to the preservation of renal structure and function, thus achieving a protective effect on the kidneys. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long-term fishing bans have spurred extensive debate regarding their impacts on ecosystem structures, functions, and water qualities. However, data on the effects of specific changes induced by fishing bans on ecosystem structures, functions, and water qualities in lakes are still lacking. Therefore, the present study addresses this knowledge gap by employing an Ecopath model to assess alterations in an ecosystem's structure and function before (2011) and after (2021) the implementation of the fishing ban in Caohai Lake and its association with changes in water quality. (1) We observed a substantial reduction in the area covered by submerged aquatic vegetation after the ban, amounting to a 65% decrease in coverage compared with that before the ban, and a 60% reduction in the total ecosystem's biomass. (2) Following the ban, the number of fish species increased from 7 to 14, and this was accompanied by a rise in the fish biomass from 14.16 t·km−2 to 25.81 t·km−2; a 4.5-fold increase in the total system consumption was observed, signifying accelerated energy and material flows within the ecosystem. (3) The fishing ban exhibited no significant impact on the total nitrogen concentration; however, it significantly reduced the water's transparency and increased the total phosphorus, ammonia nitrogen, chemical oxygen demand, and chlorophyll contents (p < 0.05). This shift in nutrient dynamics fostered a transformation from a macrophyte-dominant lake to an alga-dominant lake. The fish abundance and diversity increase in closed-type macrophytic lakes, thereby accelerating energy and material flows within food webs. These findings present novel insights into the effective policy management of fishing bans within the Yangtze River Basin, thus enhancing our understanding of sustainable lake ecosystem management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In China, agricultural non-point source pollution is one of the key factors limiting farmers' income growth, and pro-environmental behavior can address agricultural surface pollution. Based on field survey data from 591 farmers in Xinjiang, China, this study empirically estimates the impact of pro-environmental behavior on farmers' income growth. The results show that pro-environmental behavior plays a significant positive role in increasing farmers' income, and the positive effect continues in the long run. Specifically, pro-environmental behavior can optimize the allocation of agricultural production factors, thus resulting in farmers' income growth. The mechanism analysis shows that pro-environmental behavior affects farmers' income growth by promoting the increase in the size of arable land and farmers' willingness to transfer their land in the future. These findings indicate that a sound reward–punishment system for pro-environmental behavior should be established; training on pro-environmental behavior should be strengthened, and a mechanism for linking the benefits of pro-environmental behavior among stakeholders should be constructed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper tries to discuss how recitation input helps overcome the negative influences on the basis of second language acquisition theory and confirms the important role that recitation input plays in improving college students' oral and written English.

In response to the contrast between the instructional focus of the classroom practice and the actual communicative requirements of campus setting, this paper points out the constructive suggestions for the cultivation of culture awareness in college English education.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a catastrophic condition with few therapeutic options. Astaxanthin (AST), a natural nutritional supplement with powerful antioxidant activities, is finding its new application in the field of SCI. Here, we performed a systematic review to assess the neurological roles of AST in rats following SCI, and assessed the potential for clinical translation. Searches were conducted on PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Library, the Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, WanFang data, Vip Journal Integration Platform, and SinoMed databases. Animal studies that evaluated the neurobiological roles of AST in a rat model of SCI were included. A total of 10 articles were included; most of them had moderate-to-high methodological quality, while the overall quality of evidence was not high. Generally, the meta-analyses revealed that rats treated with AST exhibited an increased Basso, Beattie, and Bresnahan (BBB) score compared with the controls, and the weighted mean differences (WMDs) between those two groups showed a gradual upward trend from days 7 (six studies, n = 88, WMD = 2.85, 95% CI = 1.83 to 3.87, p < 0.00001) to days 28 (five studies, n = 76, WMD = 6.42, 95% CI = 4.29 to 8.55, p < 0.00001) after treatment. AST treatment was associated with improved outcomes in spared white matter area, motor neuron survival, and SOD and MDA levels. Subgroup analyses indicated there were differences in the improvement of BBB scores between distinct injury types. The trial sequential analysis then firmly proved that AST could facilitate the locomotor recovery of rats following SCI. In addition, this review suggested that AST could modulate oxidative stress, neuroinflammation, neuron loss, and autophagy via multiple signaling pathways for treating SCI. Collectively, with a protective effect, good safety, and a systematic action mechanism, AST is a promising candidate for future clinical trials of SCI. Nonetheless, in light of the limitations of the included studies, larger and high-quality studies are needed for verification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Carbon emission (CE) has led to increasingly severe climate problems. The key to reducing CE is to identify the dominant influencing factors and explore their influence degree. The CE data of 30 provinces from 1997 to 2020 in China were calculated by IPCC method. Based on this, the importance order of six factors included GDP, Industrial Structure (IS), Total Population (TP), Population Structure (PS), Energy Intensity (EI) and Energy Structure (ES) affecting the CE of China's provinces were obtained by using symbolic regression, then the LMDI and the Tapio models were established to deeply explore the influence degree of different factors on CE. The results showed that the 30 provinces were divided into five categories according to the primary factor, GDP was the most important factor, followed by ES and EI, then IS, and the least TP and PS. The growth of per capita GDP promoted the increase of CE, while reduced EI inhibited the increase of CE. The increase of ES promoted CE in some provinces but inhibited in others. The increase of TP weakly promoted the increase of CE. These results can provide some references for governments to formulate relevant CE reduction policies under dual carbon goal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Measles-containing vaccine (MCV) has been effective in controlling the spread of measles. Some countries have declared measles elimination. But recently years, the number of cases worldwide has increased, posing a challenge to the global goal of measles eradication. This study estimated the relationship between meteorological factors and measles using spatiotemporal Bayesian model, aiming to provide scientific evidence for public health policy to eliminate measles. Methods: Descriptive statistical analysis was performed on monthly data of measles and meteorological variables in 136 counties of Shandong Province from 2009 to 2017. Spatiotemporal Bayesian model was used to estimate the effects of meteorological factors on measles, and to evaluate measles risk areas at county level. Case population was divided into multiple subgroups according to gender, age and occupation. The effects of meteorological factors on measles in subgroups were compared. Results: Specific meteorological conditions increased the risk of measles, including lower relative humidity, temperature, and atmospheric pressure; higher wind velocity, sunshine duration, and diurnal temperature variation. Taking lowest value (Q1) as reference, RR (95%CI) for higher temperatures (Q2–Q4) were 0.79 (0.69–0.91), 0.54 (0.44–0.65), and 0.48 (0.38–0.61), respectively; RR (95%CI) for higher relative humidity (Q2–Q4) were 0.76 (0.66–0.88), 0.56 (0.47–0.67), and 0.49 (0.38–0.63), respectively; RR (95%CI) for higher wind velocity (Q2–Q4) were 1.43 (1.25–1.64), 1.85 (1.57–2.18), 2.00 (1.59–2.52), respectively. 22 medium-to-high risk counties were identified, mainly in northwestern, southwestern and central Shandong Province. The trend was basically same in the effects of meteorological factors on measles in subgroups, but the magnitude of the effects was different. Conclusions: Meteorological factors have an important impact on measles. It is crucial to integrate these factors into public health policies for measles prevention and control in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The aim of this study was to compare the pathological and perioperative outcomes of extracorporeal versus intracorporeal anastomosis after laparoscopic transverse colon cancer resection. Methods In this retrospective study, patients from seven institutions in China who underwent laparoscopic resection of transverse colon cancer between 2019 and 2021 were selected and included. Either extended right hemicolectomy or transverse colectomy/extended left hemicolectomy was performed. The clinical characteristics and the pathological and perioperative outcomes were compared between patients undergoing extracorporeal or intracorporeal anastomosis. Resection margin lengths were measured on formalin-fixed specimens and an inadequate margin was defined as less than 4.2 cm between the division and the tumour. The outcome of interest was the prevalence of specimens with an inadequate margin. Length of incision, bowel function recovery, hospital stay, early postoperative pain (first day after surgery), 30-day complications, and nodal harvest were investigated as secondary outcomes. Results Of 411 patients treated during the study interval, 370 patients with transverse colon cancer were included (23.2 per cent treated with intracorporeal anastomosis and 76.8 per cent treated with extracorporeal anastomosis). The prevalence of specimens with inadequate margins was lower in the intracorporeal anastomosis group compared with the extracorporeal anastomosis group in patients undergoing extended right hemicolectomy (P = 0.045) and in patients undergoing transverse colectomy/extended left hemicolectomy (P = 0.030). In multivariate analysis, extracorporeal anastomosis (OR 2.94 (95 per cent c.i. 1.33 to 6.49), P = 0.008) and transverse colectomy/extended left hemicolectomy (OR 1.75 (95 per cent c.i. 1.03 to 2.96), P = 0.038) were independent risk factors for specimens with an inadequate margin. Intracorporeal anastomosis was associated with a shorter incision length (P < 0.001), an earlier recovery of bowel function (P = 0.035), a shorter postoperative hospital stay (P = 0.042), less early postoperative pain (P < 0.001), a longer specimen length (P = 0.042), a longer resection margin (P = 0.007), and a greater lymph node harvest (P = 0.036). There was no statistically significant difference in 30-day complications. Conclusion Patients with transverse colon cancer have better perioperative outcomes, fewer margins of less than 4.2 cm, and larger lymph node harvests when the anastomosis is performed intracorporeally. Further studies are needed to confirm these findings. Registration number NCT05061199 (www.clinicaltrials.gov). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Granitoids, an important part of the continental crust, are the direct and indelible evidence of the accretion and reworking process of the continental crust in different tectonic settings. Therefore, these early geodynamic mechanisms can be roughly reconstructed by analysing the geochemical characteristics of granitoids. In this study, the Permian–Triassic Granitoids widely distributed in the East Kunlun Orogenic Belt (EKOB) are studied to determine their chronology and petrogenesis to restrict their source regions and establish the significance of their geodynamic and crustal growth. Zircon inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP–MS) dating results show that the crystallization ages of these granitoids are between 252–240 Ma, during the early and middle Triassic. These granitoids have high SiO2 and medium Na2O + K2O contents, plotting into the granite region, and calc-alkaline to high-K calc-alkaline series on the SiO2–Na2O + K2O and SiO2–K2O diagrams, respectively. All the samples have aluminium saturation index (A/CNK) values from 1.00 to 1.25 showing peraluminous characteristics. In terms of trace and rare earth elements, the samples are depleted in high field strength elements (HFSEs) such as Nb, Ta, P, and Ti and are enriched in large ion lithophile elements (LILEs) such as Rb, K, Ba, and U. Moreover, all granitoids show right-inclined rare earth element (REE) distribution patterns with weak to moderate Eu anomalies (δEu = 0.50–0.93). In addition, the samples have low P2O5 contents, 10,000*Ga/Al ratios (1.65–2.39), and Zr + Nb + Ce + Y (212–262 ppm) displaying affinities to I-type granite. Combined with their εHf (t) values of −2.31 to 4.44, with 1.0–1.4 Ga two stage model ages (TDM2), they are considered to be the products of the reworking of the Mesoproterozoic lower crust; therefore, they are not related to the continental net growth in the EKOB. On the tectonic discrimination diagrams of granitoids, all the samples fall into the area of volcanic arc granite (VAG) and continental margin arc; this suggests that the Paleo-Tethys Ocean slab was still in the subduction stage during 252–240 Ma, and the continental collision had not yet started. Based on the plenty of magmatic rock dating results published previously, it appears there are two magmatic peak periods (260–240 Ma and 230–210 Ma) and one magmatic intermittence period (240–230 Ma) during the late Permian to Triassic of the EKOB, corresponding to three geodynamic evolution stages of subduction, post-collision extension, and syn-collision, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigated the influence of illness perceptions and other risk factors related to poor asthma control and quality of life in adult outpatients with asthma in China. Methods: Patients with a confirmed asthma diagnosis were recruited from the outpatient clinic at Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University in Shanghai. Sociodemographic, psychological, and asthma related variables were assessed in all participants. Patients' illness perceptions, medication adherence, asthma control, and quality of life were assessed using validated questionnaires, such as the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire, Medication Adherence Rating Scale (MARS-A), the Asthma Control Test, and the Mini Asthma Quality of Life Questionnaire. Multiple linear regressions and logistic regressions were used to examine the associations between illness perceptions, medication adherence behaviors, and disease outcome (i.e., asthma control and quality of life). Results: A total of two hundred thirty-one (231) outpatients with asthma were included in this cross-sectional study, 80 of whom (34.6%) had asthma that was uncontrolled. Patients who perceived their life (β = − 0.197, p < 0.001) and emotions (β = − 0.294, p < 0.001) as severely affected by the illness were more likely to have a lower quality of life, findings that were statistically significant. Also, patients who believed they had a higher degree of personal control over their illness (β = 0.333, p < 0.001), and had better medication adherence (β = 0.250, p < 0.001) were found to have a better quality of life. Conclusion: Our study indicated that illness perceptions and medication adherence have a significant impact on disease outcome. Both of these factors should be considered when determining the best health care practices or constructing a predictive intervention model for patients with uncontrolled asthma. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Ecohydrological separation (ES) phenomenon, whereby two compartmentalized soil reservoirs supply either plant water uptake or stream/groundwater recharge, provides a novel mentality for hydrological model simulation and water resource management. However, it remains uncertain whether the ES phenomenon exists in subtropical forests, especially in different types of forests at the regional scale. Methods: We employed stable hydrogen and oxygen isotopes (δD and δ18O) to explore the relationship between tree xylem water, soil water and groundwater in two types of forests (wetland and mountain forests, respectively) from six sites across subtropical China. Furthermore, we also calculated the precipitation offset and soil/xylem water δ source values to clarify whether the ES phenomenon exists in both wetland and mountain forests of subtropical China. Results: δD and δ18O of tree xylem water were similar to that in soil water rather than groundwater across six subtropical forests. Ulteriorly, precipitation offsets showed a significant difference between soil/tree xylem water and groundwater, whether in mountain forests or wetland forests. In addition, soil and tree xylem water δD/δ18O source values were significantly higher than groundwater δD/δ18O in these forests. Conclusion: Three lines of evidence indicated that the ES phenomenon existed in both wetland and mountain forests of subtropical China. The ES phenomenon should be further used to hydrological models for projecting runoff formation, surface water retention time and evaporation-transpiration partitioning in subtropical forests, which could largely improve the simulation accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As one of the power auxiliary services, peak shaving is the key problem to be solved in the power grid. With the rapid development of DGs, the traditional peak shaving scheduling method for centralized adjustable energy is no longer applicable. Thus, this paper proposes two-layer optimization methods of allocating the peak shaving task for DGs. Layer 1 mainly proposes four evaluation indexes and the peak shaving priority sequence can be obtained with modified TOPSIS, then the DG cluster's task is allocated to the corresponding DGs. On the basis of dynamic evaluation and the self-renewal mechanism, layer 2 proposes a peak shaving optimization model with dynamic constraints which assigns peak shaving instructions to each cluster. Finally, the effectiveness of the method is verified by using the real DGs data of a regional power grid in China based on the MATLAB simulation platform. The results demonstrate that the proposed methods can simply the calculation complexity by ranking the DGs in the peak shaving task and update the reliable aggregate adjustable power of each cluster in time to allocate more reasonably. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Follow-up and immunosuppressive medication (ISM) adherence are both important for kidney transplant recipients postoperatively and whether follow-up factors affect the ISM adherence remains unclear. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between follow-up factors and ISM adherence, and the factors associated with ISM adherence. Patients and Methods: An internet-based cross-sectional survey was conducted in a single kidney transplant center in China. The participants completed the internet-based questionnaire and the Basel Assessment of Adherence to Immunosuppressive Medication Scale (BAASIS©) from January 12 to January 26, 2021. Results: Finally, 288 (66.7%) participants responded to this survey. The percentage of full adherence to immunosuppressant was 51.7% (149/288), with 33.3% of the participants reporting a problem in timing dimension. We found that follow-up with a fixed doctor was significantly positive to good adherence (OR=2.124, 95% CI=1.111– 4.062, P=0.023) after analyzing the survey data. Time since kidney transplantation and number of non-immunosuppressants were both associated with immunosuppressant adherence. No significant difference was found regarding the effect of the follow-up adherence on ISM adherence. Conclusion: Our study demonstrated an insufficient prevalence of adherence to immunosuppressant in Chinese renal transplant recipients and revealed that follow-up with a fixed doctor may be a way to improve the patients' ISM adherence. This anonymous internet-based survey provides valuable insight into the actual adherence rate, factors associated with non-adherence, and situations that may improve medication-taking. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Diatoms are responsible for approximately 40% of the global primary photosynthetic production and account for up to 20% of global carbon fixation. Coscinodiscus granii is a red tide forming species of the phylum Bacillariophyta that has been detected in a wide range of coastal regions, suggesting the possibility of the existence of high genetic diversity with differential adaptation. Common molecular markers including 18S rDNA, 16S rDNA, ITS, cox1, and rbcL do not provide sufficient resolution for distinguishing intra-species genetic diversity, hindering in-depth research on intra-species genetic diversity and their spatial and temporal dynamics. In this project, we aimed to develop molecular markers with high resolution and specificity for C. granii, attempting to identify different taxa of this species, which will set up a stage for subsequent functional assays. Comparative genomics analysis of the mtDNAs of C. granii strains identified a genomic region with high genomic variations, which was used to guide the development of a molecular marker with high resolution and high specificity. This new molecular marker, which was named cgmt1 (C. granii mitochondrial 1), was 376 bp in size and differentiated C. granii samples collected in coastal regions of China into three different clades. Preliminary analysis of field samples collected in various coastal regions in China revealed that C. granii clades were almost exclusively found in the Bohai Sea and the north Yellow Sea. This newly developed molecular marker cgmt1 could be used for tracking intra-species genetic diversity and biogeographic distribution of C. granii in different ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: For community-dwelling elderly individuals without enough clinical data, it is important to develop a method to predict their dementia risk and identify risk factors for the formulation of reasonable public health policies to prevent dementia.Objective: A community elderly survey data was used to establish machine learning prediction models for dementia and analyze the risk factors.Methods: In a cluster-sample community survey of 9,387 elderly people in 5 subdistricts of Wuxi City, data on sociodemographics and neuropsychological self-rating scales for depression, anxiety, and cognition evaluation were collected. Machine learning models were developed to predict their dementia risk and identify risk factors.Results: The random forest model (AUC = 0.686) had slightly better dementia prediction performance than logistic regression model (AUC = 0.677) and neural network model (AUC = 0.664). The sociodemographic data and psychological evaluation revealed that depression (OR = 3.933, 95% CI = 2.995-5.166); anxiety (OR = 2.352, 95% CI = 1.577-3.509); multiple physical diseases (OR = 2.486, 95% CI = 1.882-3.284 for three or above); "disability, poverty or no family member" (OR = 1.859, 95% CI = 1.337-2.585) and "empty nester" (OR = 1.339, 95% CI = 1.125-1.595) in special family status; "no spouse now" (OR = 1.567, 95% CI = 1.118-2.197); age older than 80 years (OR = 1.645, 95% CI = 1.335-2.026); and female (OR = 1.214, 95% CI = 1.048-1.405) were risk factors for suspected dementia, while a higher education level (OR = 0.365, 95% CI = 0.245-0.546 for college or above) was a protective factor.Conclusion: The machine learning models using sociodemographic and psychological evaluation data from community surveys can be used as references for the prevention and control of dementia in large-scale community populations and the formulation of public health policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The precipitation changes induced by climate warming have substantially increased extreme precipitation and seasonal drought events. Different plant functional types (PFTs) could exert an important role in resisting extreme climate. However, the patterns of plant water uptake in different PFTs remain uncertain, especially under different magnitudes of rainfall events. Here, we employed a stable hydrogen isotope (δD) to determine the water sources of different PFTs, including Castanopsis chinensis in the canopy layer, Schima superba in the canopy sublayer, Psychotria asiatica in the shrub layer, and Blechnum orientale on the forest floor in the monsoon evergreen broad-leaved forest in Dinghushan Biosphere Reserve, China. We further used a two-end linear mixing model to explore the water utilization among different PFTs. Our results revealed that precipitation and soil water before rainfall were the water sources of different PFTs. Furthermore, the proportions of precipitation utilized by S. superba in the canopy sublayer under light and moderate rainfalls were 6.9%–59.4% and 30.5%–66.3%, respectively, which were significantly higher than those of other species in both the dry and wet seasons. After heavy rainfall, the proportion of precipitation utilized by S. superba was the lowest (4.7%–26.5%), while B. orientale had the highest proportion of precipitation utilization (31.6%–91.5%), whether in the dry or wet season. These findings imply that different PFTs would compete with one another for water uptake. Especially under climate warming, the uneven distribution of precipitation would intensify the water competition among species, ultimately resulting in the plant community structure becoming much more unstable than before. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Earlier studies have reaffirmed the pivotal role played by the private sectors in China's development, so the growth of private enterprises deserves more attention. This paper carries out a series of empirical studies based on the motives for holding cash. It is found that private enterprises were forced to maintain a high level of cash holdings to deal with financing constraints, while SOEs accumulate cash proactively for larger financial flexibility. In such context, credit discrimination remains an urgent problem pending Chinese financial system reform solutions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the relationship between illness perceptions, medication beliefs, and self-reported adherence to inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) therapy in adult Chinese patients with asthma. A cross-sectional survey was conducted in the asthma outpatient clinic of Zhongshan Hospital, Fudan University (Shanghai, China) between October 2018 and September 2019. Illness perceptions, medication beliefs, and medication adherence were assessed using validated scales, specifically the Medication Adherence Report Scale for Asthma, Beliefs about Medicines Questionnaire -Specific, and the Brief Illness Perception Questionnaire. Spearman correlation and multiple logistic regression were used to determine the relationship among these factors. Results: A total of 234 patients were included in this study. Of this group, 99 (42.3%) participants were non-adherent to their ICS medication. Medication adherence correlated negatively with 'illness identity' (perceived symptom), 'emotional response' (perceived emotional effect) and concerns about medication (r=-0.16, −0.16 and −0.15, respectively, p < 0.05). After adjusting for illness perceptions, medication beliefs and demographics, beliefs about the necessity of medication (odds ratio [OR]: 1.14, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.01–1.30), and emotional response to the disease (OR: 0.89, 95% CI: 0.80–0.99) were significantly associated with medication adherence in patients with asthma. Beliefs about the necessity of medication and emotional response to the illness have a strong influence on self-reported medication adherence in adult patients with asthma in China. Interventions targeted adherence improvement among patients with asthma may be tailored to the individual's baseline perceptions and medication beliefs, and focus on modifying inaccurate illness perceptions and medication beliefs as the main targets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study explores the impact of social pensions on risky household financial asset holding, taking the Urban and Rural Residents Pension Scheme (URRPS) in China as an example. We combine regression discontinuity with the difference-in-difference approach to analyze the 2015 and 2017 China Household Finance Survey (CHFS) data. The results show that the URRPS has significantly increased the likelihood of holding risky financial assets among Chinese households. Furthermore, the effect is larger for urban households than for rural households. Apart from social pensions, marital and health status, education, risk attitude, household size, asset value, and urban residence also affect the households' risky financial asset holdings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Species mixing improved the water absorption of Pinus massoniana from shallow soils. • Species mixing reduced the water uptake proportion of P. massoniana from deep soils. • Plant rather than soil properties mainly regulated P. massoniana water uptake in well-watered conditions. Tree species mixtures have been identified as an effective strategy to cope with global climate change. Global climate change not only triggers extreme drought, but also stimulates extreme precipitation, resulting in frequent floods and subsequent tree mortality. However, previous studies concentrated primarily on the response of mixed species to extreme drought, with limited studies involving their response to extreme precipitation, especially at the regional scale. Here, we used δ D and δ 18O coupled with the MixSIAR model to analyze the water use pattern of Pinus massoniana between pure and mixed stands following different magnitudes of rainfall events across southern, central, and northern subtropical China. We further employed partial correlation analysis, variation partitioning analysis and a random forest model to discern the dominant factor affecting plant water absorption. Our results indicated that the proportion of water uptake by P. massoniana from the 0–40 cm soil layers in the mixed stand was significantly higher than that in the pure stand (56.5–81.4 % vs. 44.3–61.7 %), while the proportion of water uptake from the 60–100 cm soil layers exhibited the opposite pattern (9.0–25.0 % vs. 24.1–32.2 %), whether in light, moderate or heavy precipitation. Furthermore, our results revealed that the difference in P. massoniana water absorption between pure and mixed stands was mainly due to the shifts in plant attributes (i.e., root biomass, leaf biomass and predawn leaf water potential). These findings imply that mixed tree species distributions could optimize water uptake patterns by altering plant properties for interspecific niche complementarity, which could effectively increase forest water conservation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The long-term stability and sustainability of offshore wind energy resources are very important for wind energy exploration. In this study, the Cyclostationary Empirical Orthogonal Function (CSEOF) method, which can determine the time varying spatial distributions and long-term fluctuations in the cyclostationary geophysical process, was adopted to investigate the geographical and temporal variability of offshore wind resources in China Seas. The CSEOF analysis was performed on wind speeds at 70 m height above the sea surface from a validated combined Quick Scatterometer (QuikSCAT) and Advanced Scatterometer (ASCAT) wind product (2000–2016) with high spatial resolution of 12.5 km, and Climate Forecast System Reanalysis (CFSR) wind data (1979–2016) with a grid size of 0.5° × 0.5°. The decomposition results of the two datasets indicate that the first CSEOF mode represents the variability of wind annual cycle signal and contributes 77.7% and 76.5% to the wind energy variability, respectively. The principal component time series (PCTS) shows an interannual variability of annual wind cycle with a period of 3–4 years. The second mode accounts for 4.3% and 4.7% of total wind speed variability, respectively, and captures the spatiotemporal contribution of El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) on regional wind energy variability. The correlations between the mode-2 PCTS of scatterometer or CFSR winds and the Southern Oscillation Index (SOI) are greater than 0.7, illustrating that ENSO has a significant impact on China's offshore wind resources. Moreover, the mode-1 or mode-2 spatial pattern of CFSR winds is basically consistent with that of scatterometer data, but CFSR underestimates the temporal variability of annual wind speed cycle and the spatial changes of wind speed related to ENSO. Compared with reanalysis data, scatterometer winds always demonstrate a finer structure of wind energy variability due to their higher spatial resolution. For ENSO events with different intensities, the impact of ENSO on regional wind resources varies with time and space. In general, El Niño has reduced wind energy in most regions of China Seas except for the Bohai Sea and Beibu Bay, while La Niña has strengthened the winds in most areas except for the Bohai Sea and southern South China Sea. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study presented an intuitive approach to derive large‐scale tidal flat's Digital Elevation Model (DEM). We first developed an automated method for accurately extracting the waterline from Synthetic Aperture Radar images acquired in Subei Sandbanks along the Yellow Sea coast of China between 2015 and 2020 based on deep convolutional neural networks. The statistical results show this method has appreciable accuracy for efficient waterline extraction even under complex imaging conditions with a mean recall and precision of 0.90 and 0.80, respectively. Then the pixel‐level extracted waterlines are calibrated with a global tide model to construct the large‐scale tidal flat's DEM in the study region. The comparison against in situ topographic data shows an error of 29 cm, demonstrating the usefulness of monitoring the morpho‐sedimentary evolution in intertidal areas. Furthermore, the Subei Sandbanks remained stable from 2015 to 2020, while the coastal region changed drastically due to human activities. Plain Language Summary: Monitoring the geomorphological evolution of tidal flats is critical for coastal development and wetland conservation. Compared to traditional surveying approaches, the waterline method can provide topographic maps more frequently with a lower cost and higher coverage. However, both the signal returned from the sea surface and the exposed tidal flats on radar images change drastically under different sea conditions. Benefiting from the development of deep learning, especially the deep convolutional neural networks, waterlines of tidal flats on complex Synthetic Aperture Radar images can now be automatically and accurately extracted. Furthermore, with a calibrated ocean tide model that can make the tidal evaluation instantly, we develop an automatic approach to topographic map the large‐scale tidal flats, which may provide timely information for stakeholders related to coastal management and ecosystem protection. Key Points: A deep‐learning‐based technique was developed to extract waterline from synthetic aperture radar imagesA combination of the deep‐learning model and tidal analysis is used for automatic topographic mapping of large‐scale tidal flatsMulti‐year digital elevation model series in the study region are obtained with morpho‐sedimentary evolution analysis [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Skeletonema species are prominent primary producers, some of which can also cause massive harmful algal blooms (HABs) in coastal waters under specific environmental conditions. Nevertheless, genomic information of Skeletonema species is currently limited, hindering advanced research on their role as primary producers and as HAB species. Mitochondrial genome (mtDNA) has been extensively used as "super barcode" in the phylogenetic analyses and comparative genomic analyses. However, of the 21 accepted Skeletonema species, full-length mtDNAs are currently available only for a single species, S. marinoi. Results: In this study, we constructed full-length mtDNAs for six strains of five Skeletonema species, including S. marinoi, S. tropicum, S. grevillei, S. pseudocostatum and S. costatum (with two strains), which were isolated from coastal waters in China. The mtDNAs of all of these Skeletonema species were compact with short intergenic regions, no introns, and no repeat regions. Comparative analyses of these Skeletonema mtDNAs revealed high conservation, with a few discrete regions of high variations, some of which could be used as molecular markers for distinguishing Skeletonema species and for tracking the biogeographic distribution of these species with high resolution and specificity. We estimated divergence times among these Skeletonema species using 34 mtDNAs genes with fossil data as calibration point in PAML, which revealed that the Skeletonema species formed the independent clade diverging from Thalassiosira species approximately 48.30 Mya. Conclusions: The availability of mtDNAs of five Skeletonema species provided valuable reference sequences for further evolutionary studies including speciation time estimation and comparative genomic analysis among diatom species. Divergent regions could be used as molecular markers for tracking different Skeletonema species in the fields of coastal regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vehicle to vulnerable road user (VRU) crashes occupy a large proportion of traffic crashes in China, and crash injury severity analysis can support traffic managers to understand the implicit rules behind the crashes. Therefore, 554 VRUs-involved crashes are collected from January, 2017, to February, 2021, in a city in northern China, including 322 vehicle-pedestrian crashes and 232 vehicle-bicycle crashes. First, a descriptive statistical analysis is conducted to investigate the characteristics of VRUs-involved crashes. Second, the extreme gradient boosting (XGBoost) model is introduced to identify the importance of risk factors (i.e., time of day, day of week, rushing hour, crash position, weather, and crash involvements) of VRUs-involved crashes. The statistical analysis demonstrates that the risk factors are closely related to VRUs-involved crash injury severity. Moreover, the results of XGBoost reveal that time of day has the greatest impact on VRUs-involved crashes, and crash position shows the minimum importance among these risk factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: Mixed-species plantations are generally thought to increase soil carbon stocks, but it is unclear whether they can enhance soil water-holding capacity. By quantifying the contribution of rainwater to soil water (CRSW) following three different scales of rainfall events in Pinus massoniana and Schima superba monoculture plantations and a mixed P. massoniana and S. superba plantation, we aimed to examine the variations in CRSW and influencing factors for different plantations. Methods: Stable hydrogen isotope compositions of rainwater, soil water and groundwater were analyzed to assess the CRSW of three plantations following three rainfall events in a subtropical monsoon region in China. We further used regression analysis to quantify the relative importance of canopy openness, litter characteristics, soil physical properties and root biomass to the CRSW. Results: The CRSW in the P. massoniana monoculture plantation and mixed plantation was higher than that in the S. superba monoculture plantation following the three rainfall events. No significant difference in the CRSW was found between the P. massoniana plantation and the mixed plantation within nine days following the 8.7 mm rainfall event. Furthermore, the CRSW was significantly higher in the mixed plantation than in the two monoculture plantations within 11 days following the 15.3 mm and 36.9 mm rainfall events. The most important factors affecting the CRSW were canopy openness and root biomass after the 8.7 mm rainfall event, whereas root biomass and litter characteristics acted as the primary regulatory factors after the 15.3 mm rainfall event. Under the 36.9 mm rainfall event, dry weight and saturation moisture capacity within the semi-decomposed litter layer had the greatest influence on the CRSW. Conclusion: Mixed-species plantations in humid subtropical regions have a higher capacity to intercept and maintain heavy rainfall than their respective monoculture plantations, and thus can enhance their adaptation to extreme rainfall events, as well as after frequent droughts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a common malignant tumour in Southeast Asia, especially in southern China. ABO blood groups have been proven to play an important role in many cancers. However, it is still controversial whether the ABO blood group has a definite relationship to susceptibility to NPC and the prognosis of NPC patients. This meta-analysis was performed to elucidate the correlation between ABO blood group and NPC to provide more data for clinical practice. Methods: A systematic search was performed of the Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Wanfang, Web of Science, EMBASE, and PubMed databases up to December 31, 2020. Stata 11.0 statistical software was used for this meta-analysis. Results: According to the inclusion and exclusion criteria, a total of 6 studies including 6938 patients with NPC were selected. Blood group O was relevant to Chinese NPC patients, and patients with blood group O had a significantly lower incidence of NPC, while blood group A had no correlation with susceptibility to NPC. There was no difference in the 3-year overall survival (OS), locoregional relapse-free survival (LRRFS) or distant metastasis-free survival (DMFS) rates between patients with blood group O and those with non-O blood groups; worse 5-year OS, LRRFS and DMFS rates were found in patients with blood group O, whereas blood group A was not related to prognosis. Conclusion: Blood group O in Chinese patients with NPC seems to be a protective factor for morbidity. However, once patients with blood group O are diagnosed with NPC, this blood group often indicates unfavourable OS, LRRFS and DMFS rates. It is recommended that more attention should be paid to the influence of blood group factor on patients in the treatment of NPC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), the second leading cause of cancer death worldwide, alone accounts for over half (466,100) of new cancer cases and 422,100 deaths based on the average year incidence rates of 2009 to 2011 in China. Due to unclear and complex underlying mechanisms for HCC development, effective therapy for HCC is still unavailable. The Wnt–β-catenin pathway is a critical contributor of HCC pathogenesis: 40–70% of HCCs from patients harbor the nuclear accumulation of β-catenin protein. However, the mechanisms for β-catenin activation are not fully understood. Methods: The deletion of EHMT2 in Hep3B and Huh1 cells was achieved by transiently transfecting cells with pX459 plasmids, which carry EHMT2 specific small guide RNA (sgRNA) sequences for Cas9 protein. All experiments were performed in triplicate and repeated more than three times. Results: In the present study, we observed that EHMT2 (but not EHMT1) mRNA and protein levels were significantly elevated in HCC compared with normal controls. Next, the results of Ki67 staining, as well as MTT, soft-agar and xenograft assays, in wild-type and EHMT2−/− Hep3B and Huh1 cancer stem cells collectively revealed that the elevation of EHMT2 expression is required for the tumorigenesis of HCC. Meanwhile, we found that elevated EHMT2 expression contributes to the activation of Wnt–β-catenin signaling: deletion of EHMT2 in Hep3B or Huh1 cells promoted the cytoplasmic localization of β-catenin and restrained the expression of Wnt–β-catenin signaling targets such as Myc, CCND1, MMP-7, etc. We demonstrated that EMHT2 directly mediates the H3K9me2 methylation of the APC promoter to epigenetically silence its expression. More intriguingly, our findings also showed that UNC0642, a specific inhibitor of EHMT2, exhibits anti-tumorigenesis effects in HCC both in vitro and in vivo, which were largely abolished by deletion of EHMT2 or overexpression of APC in Hep3B and Huh1 cells. Conclusion: Altogether, our observations emphasize that the EHMT2–APC axis is a critical contributor to Wnt–β-catenin pathway activation in HCC, and UNC0642 may be a potential candidate for target drug treatment of HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to corruption and limited oversight, philanthropy in China has come under increasing scrutiny by both the Chinese government and public. In particular, corruption has impacted charities, resulting in operational funding declines that have also impacted legitimate charities serving the vulnerable. Hence, an increase in the number of Chinese charities without adequate transparency and needed good governance threatens the health of these organizations and their service groups. In response, the Chinese government enacted the 2016 Charity Law, implemented on September 1, 2016. Yet the impact of this law, if any, is unknown. We therefore conducted a literature review of the academic and gray literature to assess characteristics of the law, its strengths and limitations, and to explore anti-corruption case studies. In addition, we reviewed publicly available secondary data on the transparency status—complete financial information and responsible staff—of Chinese charity organizations and a group of health-related specific charities before and after the Law's enactment. This included the transparency scores of the top 100 charities and top 30 health-related charities in China. The academic literature we reviewed focused on general governmental corruption and little on charity-related corruption. However, the gray literature reflected a poor view of charities in China due to publicized claims of fund and abuse. Based on our secondary data analysis, we found charity organizations' transparency shows some variation but as a total continues to score low overall across the top net asset holding charities. Importantly, based on a regression analysis, the transparency scores of Chinese charities did not experience a significant change despite the Charity Law's enactment. In response, strengthening the Charity Law by enhancing enforcement of financial regulations and implementing systemic good governance measures is needed. Further, efficiency initiatives such as philanthropy de-administration, e-government, and outsourcing monitoring of Chinese charities to external agencies would promote trustworthiness and credibility of Chinese charity organizations now and in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: Gastroesophageal varices (GEV) present in compensated advanced chronic liver disease (cACLD) and can develop into high‐risk varices (HRV). The gold standard for diagnosing GEV is esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD). However, EGD is invasive and less tolerant. This study aimed to develop and validate radiomics signatures based on noncontrast‐enhanced computed tomography (CT) images for non‐invasive diagnosis of GEV and HRV in patients with cACLD. Methods: The multicenter trial enrolled 161 patients with cACLD from six university hospitals in China between January 2015 and September 2019, who underwent both EGD and noncontrast‐enhanced CT examination within 14 days prior to the endoscopy. Two radiomics signatures, termed rGEV and rHRV, respectively, were built based on CT images in a training cohort of 129 patients and validated in a prospective validation cohort of 32 patients (ClinicalTrials. gov identifier: NCT03749954). Results: In the training cohort, both rGEV and rHRV exhibited high discriminative abilities on determining the existence of GEV and HRV with the area under receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) of 0.941 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.904–0.978) and 0.836 (95% CI 0.766–0.905), respectively. In validation cohort, rGEV and rHRV showed high discriminative abilities with AUCs of 0.871 (95% CI 0.739–1.000) and 0.831 (95% CI 0.685–0.978), respectively. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that rGEV and rHRV could serve as the satisfying auxiliary parameters for detection of GEV and HRV with good diagnostic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of apolipoprotein C3 (APOC3) play important role in lipid metabolism, and dyslipidemia underlies nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). But the correlation of serum lipidomics, APOC3 SNPs, and NAFLD remains limited understood. Enrolling thirty-four biopsy-proven NAFLD patients from Tianjin, Shanghai, Fujian, we investigated their APOC3 genotype and serum lipid profile by DNA sequencing and ultraperformance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-MS/MS), respectively. Scoring of hepatocyte steatosis, ballooning, lobular inflammation, and liver fibrosis was then performed to reveal the role of lipidomics-affecting APOC3 SNPs in NAFLD-specific pathological alterations. Here, we reported that APOC3 SNPs (rs4225, rs4520, rs5128, rs2070666, and rs2070667) intimately correlated to serum lipidomics in NAFLD patients. A allele instead of G allele at rs2070667, which dominated the SNPs underlying lipidomic alteration, exhibited downregulatory effect on triacylglycerols (TGs: TG 54 : 7, TG 54 : 8, and TG 56 : 9) containing polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA). Moreover, subjects with low-level PUFA-containing TGs were predisposed to high-grade lobular inflammation (TG 54 : 7, rho = − 0.454 and P = 0.007 ; TG 54 : 8, rho = − 0.411 and P =0.016; TG 56 : 9, rho = − 0.481 and P = 0.004). The significant correlation of APOC3 rs2070667 and inflammation grading [G/G vs. G/A+A/A: 0.00 (0.00 and 1.00) vs. 1.50 (0.75 and 2.00), P = 0.022 ] further confirmed its pathological action on the basis of lipidomics-impacting activity. These findings suggest an inhibitory effect of A allele at APOC3 rs2070667 on serum levels of PUFA-containing TGs, which are associated with high-grade lobular inflammation in NAFLD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and objectives: To understand the factors that influence nurses empathy towards patients and to explore its influence on effort–reward imbalance involving empathy. Background: Empathy is highly valued in nurse–patient relationships. However, currently, little evidence currently exists on the impact of work‐related stress measured by effort–reward imbalance and empathy. Design: An anonymous, cross‐sectional online survey using a sample of convenient was conducted. Methods: Convenient online sampling was conducted with select nurses from seven cities in Shandong province, China. The nurses worked in clinical settings in 10 different hospitals. Two questionnaires, for example the Effort‐Reward Imbalance Questionnaire and the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy, were used. Medians, percentages, related analysis and regression analysis were used to measure the relationship between Effort‐Reward Imbalance and empathy levels among nurses in China. In addition, this study adhered to the EQUATOR checklist, STROBE (see Supplementary file 1). Results: Among 1,077 participants, 26.5% stated experiencing an Effort‐Reward Imbalance, with a mean empathy score among Chinese nurses, was 109.78 ± 13.98. Multiple regression analysis revealed that females and head nurses had higher levels of empathy, and that those who had no experience learning about empathy‐related courses and an Effort‐Reward Imbalance ratio were negatively associated with empathy. Conclusions: Gender, department, position, experience learning about empathy‐related courses and Effort‐Reward Imbalance ratio were significant elements related to nurses' empathy levels. Relevance to clinical practice: As we all know, empathy can affect the relationship between nurse and patient. If nurses are in an Effort‐Reward Imbalance, they may have less empathy. It is advised to improve the reward level of nurses, so that the level of empathy towards patients is enhanced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To explore whether plasma circular RNAs (circRNAs) can diagnose hepatitis B virus (HBV)‐related hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), microarray and qPCR were used to identify plasma circRNAs that were increased in HBV‐related HCC patients compared to controls (including healthy controls, chronic hepatitis B and HBV‐related liver cirrhosis). A logistic regression model was constructed using a training set (n = 313) and then validated using another two independent sets (n = 306 and 526, respectively). Area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) was used to evaluate diagnostic accuracy. We identified a plasma circRNA panel (CircPanel) containing three circRNAs (hsa_circ_0000976, hsa_circ_0007750 and hsa_circ_0139897) that could detect HCC. CircPanel showed a higher accuracy than AFP (alpha‐fetoprotein) to distinguish individuals with HCC from controls in all three sets (AUC, 0.863 [95% confidence interval, CI: 0.819–0.907] vs. 0.790 [0.738–0.842], p = 0.036 in training set; 0.843 [0.796–0.890] vs. 0.747 [0.691–0.804], p = 0.011 in validation set 1 and 0.864 [0.830–0.898] vs. 0.769 [0.728–0.810], p < 0.001 in validation set 2). CircPanel also performed well in detecting Small‐HCC (solitary, ≤3 cm), AFP‐negative HCC and AFP‐negative Small‐HCC. What's new? To date, one limitation in the treatment of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the lack of serum biomarkers with satisfactory diagnostic accuracy. Here, the authors explored whether plasma circRNAs can be biomarkers to diagnose hepatitis B virus‐related HCC in 1155 participants from three hospitals in China. They identified a plasma circRNA panel (CircPanel, including hsa_circ_0000976, hsa_circ_0007750, and hsa_circ_0139897) that showed higher accuracy than the clinically‐used serum biomarker AFP in distinguishing individuals with HCC or Small‐HCC from controls and performed well in diagnosing AFP‐negative HCC and AFP‐negative Small‐HCC. Altogether, the findings point to CircPanel as a promising potential biomarker in HCC diagnosis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A recent study based on gonad histology revealed that the existence of the spawning grounds for Gray's grenadier anchovy (Coilia grayii) and Osbeck's grenadier anchovy (C. mystus) in the Min River Estuary, the largest in Fujian Province, southern China. Further confirming their natal sources and migratory patterns is essential to understand their life histories. We used otolith microchemistry to assess the origins and habitat uses of 23 C. grayii and 22 C. mystus , collected the Min River Estuary and the adjacent waters. The results showed that C. grayii spawned in both freshwater (n‍ = 14) and brackish water (n = 9), and C. mystus spawned mainly in brackish water (n‍ = 20) with minor in freshwater (n‍ = 1) and marine water (n‍ = 1). The migratory patterns of C. grayii (four types) and C. mystus (five types) were diverse, mainly exhibiting anadromous and semi-anadromous behaviors. The first migratory behavior of C. grayii and C. mystus occurred within the age of the first year. The findings have significant implications for fishery stock management of the Min River Estuary and its adjacent waters. • Movements between the Min River Estuary and the adjacent waters were studied for Coilia grayii and C. mystus (Engraulidae). • Otolith microchemistry was used to assess natal sources and migratory patterns. • C. grayii and C. mystus have different natal sources and migratory patterns. • The ages of the first migratory behavior were assessed for C. grayii and C. mystus. • Understanding fish movements are important for effective fishery management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Overlying sediment and pore waters were collected in summer and winter at upstream (Jintang) and downstream (Neijiang) sites of the Tuohe River, which is one of the five largest tributaries of the Yangtze River in China. Phosphorus species, including soluble reactive phosphorus (SRP), soluble unreactive phosphorus (SUP), and total dissolved phosphorus (TDP), and some diagenetic constituents including dissolved Fe(II), Mn(II), and sulfide in overlying and pore waters, were measured systematically. The seasonal variations and vertical distributions of phosphorus species in overlying and pore waters at both sampling sites were obtained to elucidate some aspects of the transport and transformations of phosphorus. Based on the profiles of pore and overlying waters as well as the TDN/TDP data during an algal bloom in 2007, it was clearly demonstrated that phosphorus was the main factor limiting the phytoplankton growth in the Tuohe River. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Target fish were identified after investigation and sample ecological analysis. • Different indicators of the fishway are assigned to determine the optimal fishway. • Simulate the flow velocity of the river and ensure that is suitable for target fish. • Simulate fishway with different partition spacings and determine the suitable one. Abstract In order to mitigate the threat that hydraulic engineering will have on the fish's living environment, fish migration can be accomplished by building fishway. This paper takes the Diversion Dahaerteng River to Danghe Reservoir project in Gansu, China as an example. Through field investigation and data analysis, it was found that the main fish in the study area was Triplophysa. Through the comparison of the advantages and disadvantages of the fishways, it is determined that the fishway and the nature-like fishway are suitable. By constructing the evaluation method, the 19 indicators of the fishway were scored from the aspects of ability to lure fish, ability to pass fish, fish adaptability, engineering quantity, operation and maintenance, and the nature-like fishway was determined to be the best choice. The surface runoff from March to August is calculated by the P-III curve to simulate the flow field of the Dahaerteng River under the conditions of maximum, minimum and average runoff. The flow velocity of the simulation results is suitable for the Triplophysa migration, and the right bank is suitable for building nature-like fishway. The fishway section is rectangular, with a slope of 1%, a width of 2 m, and a total length of 520 m. It is arranged with a staggered baffle, and the revetment is rough masonry stones. The inside of the fishway is inlaid with pebbles so that the roughness of the fishway is more than 0.03. Then, numerical simulation calculations were carried out for the fishways composed of the partitions of 10 m and 5 m apart. The comparison shows that the fishway with the partition gap 5 m is closer to the right bank of the river, which is suitable for Triplophysa migration and survival. For later evaluation and adjustment, an observation room and a fish collection pool are provided near the entrance of the fishway, and an observation room is provided near the exit. This paper can provide reference for the planning, construction and post evaluation of fishways. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights • Plants from the Lower Cretaceous Linbuzong Formation of Lhasa, Tibet, China is reported. • Bennettitales and Coniferopsida are dominant components while Ginkgoales are absent. • The plants might live in a lowlands and seashore salt marsh-mangrove forest. • The assemblage shows a general relation to the floras of the Tethys area. Abstract New fossil plants are reported from the lower part of the Linbuzong Formation at Qubsang, Doilungdeqen, Lhasa, Tibet. The assemblage comprises Neocalamites sp., Ptilozamites tibetica Yang, Ptilozamites sp., ? Ptilozamites sp., Zamites sp. 1, Zamites sp. 2, ? Zamites (? Otozamites) sp. 1, ? Zamites sp. 2., Ptilophyllum sp. 1, Ptilophyllum sp. 2, Ptilophyllum sp. 3, Geinitzia sp. and Elatocladus (? Torreyites) sp. Among these plants at least two of them, Ptilozamites tibetica and Elatocladus (? Torreyites) sp. are firstly discovered in this area, and the others occured frequently in the Mesozoic flora in Tibet. Associated miospores suggests an Early Cretaceous age for the assemblage. The abundance of Ptilophyllum and conifer Geinitzia sp. and the absence of Ginkgoales might indicate a palaeoenvironment with both a low latitude and high temperatures, and a tropical arid to semi-arid climate predominating in this coastal area. The Qubsang assemblage, composed mainly of Bennettitales and Coniferopsida, does not resemble any contemporaneous ones known from Gondwanaland or Eurasia. Although the flora lacks characteristic Wealden ferns, such as Weichselia , the plant assemblage shows a general relation to Tethyan floras of the area and might roughly correspond in age to the Wealden floras of Western Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to analyze the association between bleeding events and coagulation assays including activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) and prothrombin time (PT), and to determine the risk factors for bleeding in Chinese patients with non-valvular atrial fibrillation (NVAF) receiving dabigatran.Methods: We conducted a retrospective cohort study including NVAF patients receiving dabigatran 110 mg twice daily between March 2016 and November 2017. We obtained the clinical features and demographic data from the medical records and compared the baseline characteristics of the bleeding group and the no bleeding group. Receiver operating characteristic(ROC) curves and a logistic regression model were used to determine the relation between APTT and bleeding events and the predictors of bleeding. Model performance was evaluated using the derivation cohort and an independent validation cohort by area under the ROC curve (AUC).Results: A total of 346 patients were included and bleeding events occurred in 39 (11.2%) patients. Patients with age over 65 years (OR = 2.56 [95% CI 1.20-5.43]), hypertension (OR = 2.42 [95% CI 1.11-5.26]), decreased renal function (OR = 4.27 [95% CI 1.22-14.91]) and with concomitant use of an antiplatelet drug (OR = 3.53 [95% CI 1.28-9.74]) showed higher risk for bleeding, and APTT value of the bleeding group was higher than the no bleeding group (P = 0.014). By ROC analysis we found that the appropriate overall cut-off value the of APTT ratio was 1.30, with a sensitivity of 72% and specificity of 58%. Multivariate logistic regression showed that higher age (P = 0.003; OR = 1.05 [95% CI 1.02-1.09]) and APTT ratio > 1.30 (P = 0.002; OR = 3.20 [95% CI 1.23-6.73]) were independent risk factors for bleeding in patients with dabigatran therapy. The logistic regression model exhibited moderate discrimination ability, with an AUC of 0.73 [95% CI 0.65-0.81] and 0.77 [95% CI 0.59-0.96] in the derivation cohort (n = 346) and the validation cohort (n = 71) respectively.Conclusions: Our study demonstrated that APTT ratio > 1.30 (at trough level) and higher age were independent risk factors for bleeding, and the logistic regression model based on these two predictors showed moderate performance, which may be useful for assessment of bleeding risk in NVAF patients with dabigatran therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Length‐weight relationships (LWRs) were estimated for 11 fish species from the Min River Estuary and its adjacent waters, Fujian Province, China. All samples were collected using gillnets (mesh size 45 mm) and bottom trawls (mesh sizes 45 mm at the main webbing and 25 mm at the cod end) seasonally in 2017 and 2018. The parameters for the LWRs were estimated, along with the basic Statistical analyses for total length and weight ranges as well as the 95% confidence intervals for the intercept (a) and the slope (b) of the regression lines. Further, the coefficient of correlation indicated that the LWRs were highly significant (all r2 >.95, p <.001). This study provides the new maximum total lengths (TLmax) for Coilia grayii (33.0 cm), Johnius taiwanensis (20.9 cm), Johnius trewavasae (22.0 cm) and Cynoglossus sibogae (22.0 cm). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two rock topples with the opposite dip direction, observed in the Ribangliangzi hill and facing the China Provincial Highway S211, are located on the upper stream of the planned dam of Jinchuan Hydropower Station in China. The new site for submerged part of Highway due to reservoir impoundment is designed to be a tunnel crossing the Ribangliangzi hill. However, at this hill, the stratum facing the Dadu River dips southwestward, whereas the stratum facing the Xinzha Gully dips northeastward. Therefore, it's regarded as an important slope structure that may lead to an occurrence of landslide directly threatening the future tunnel excavation stability and slope stability along the highway. This paper reports for the geologic structures of the overturned strata, formative processes and mechanism for toppling on cataclinal slopes. It was concluded that the toppling on cataclinal slopes was caused by a combination of toppling and sliding. Furthermore, to analyse the conditions for toppling on cataclinal slope, the cantilever beam model was established and analyzed the minimum strata dip angle required for toppling more prone to occur on cataclinal slope and the critical length of rock stratum. The results reveal that the toppling will be more prone to occur on cataclinal slope while the strata dip angle is greater than 60°even if under a very small external force or without the assistance of external forces. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Otolith microchemistry allows reconstructing the life histories and understanding the habitat uses of fishes. In this study, the relationship of Sr:Ca ratios and salinity from various environments, i.e. freshwater of the Min River, brackish water of the estuary and seawater of the coastal marine (Fujian Province, China), were built, revealing a significant positive correlation (p < 0.05). A total of 29 adult Chinese gizzard shad Clupanodon thrissa were collected in 2017–2020 for otolith (sagitta) microchemistry. The specimens were only collected from the Min River and the estuary, with none from the coastal marine regions despite same efforts input. The results confirmed that all 29 individuals hatched in either freshwater or brackish water. Four contingents were recognized based on various life histories, including three migratory contingents (Types A-C, N = 26) and one freshwater residential contingent (Type D, N = 3). The three migratory contingents were the freshwater-brackish migratory contingent (Type A, N = 12), the brackish-freshwater migratory contingent (Type B, N = 10) and the brackish-variable migratory contingent (Type C, N = 4). Only a small proportion of C. thrissa individuals (N = 4) migrated to seawater habitat during the first few months of lifetime, and most individuals preferred freshwater habitat during the first year. There were no significant differences between life history pattern and sex (p = 1.00), and between the number of fish migratory times crossing different habitats and age (p = 0.84). The lower reaches of the Min River and the estuary are confirmed to be important spawning grounds for C. thrissa , based on otolith microchemistry of this study and gonad histology of a previous examination. The findings have significant implications for the Min River and the estuary protection and fishery stock management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Recombinant human lymphotoxin-α derivative (rhLTα-Da) is a lymphotoxin-α derivative that is missing 27 N-terminal amino acid residues. Previous studies indicated a benefit from the addition of rhLTα-Da to cisplatin-based treatment in patients with metastatic esophageal squamous cell carcinoma. The current study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and safety of rhLTα-Da plus cisplatin and fluorouracil (PF) in patients with mESCC.Methods: Patients from 15 centers in China were randomly assigned (1:1:1) to 3 arms (arm A, PF plus 10 μg/m2 daily rhLTα-Da; arm B, PF plus 20 μg/m2 daily rhLTα-Da; arm C, PF alone). The primary endpoints included progression-free survival (PFS) and the confirmed overall response rate (ORR). An exploratory analysis was performed to evaluate the role of serum tumor necrosis factor receptor II (TNFR II) in predicting the efficacy of rhLTα-Da.Results: Between September 2010 and May 2013, 150 patients were enrolled. No significant differences in either PFS or ORR were observed between the 3 arms. However, in a small subset of patients who had low serum TNFR II levels, the median PFS was significantly longer for those in arm B than for these in other 2 arms (7.2 months [95% confidence interval, 5.1-8.6 months] for arm B vs 3.5 months [95% confidence interval, 1.7-5.5 months] for arm A [P = .022] and 4.0 months [95% confidence interval, 3.2-6.3 months] for arm C [P = .027]). The addition of rhLTα-Da significantly increased the incidence of chills (P < .001).Conclusions: rhLTα-Da combined with the PF regimen failed to improve PFS and ORR in patients with mESCC, except in a small subset that had low serum TNFR II concentrations. Cancer 2017;123:3986-94. © 2017 American Cancer Society. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this paper, we construct a multi-stage coordinated programming model under tax system to control SO emission. The model is based on an explicitly formulated SO abatement cost function created under Chinese condition. Analysis of the effectiveness and impact on the economy of the model is carried out with consideration of game theory. By solving the model, theoretical results show that the volume-based multi-stage SO tax system has two properties: effectiveness and equal-rate. Based on these theoretical results, empirical study is also performed using Chinese historical data. Compared with yearly single-stage programming model, the tax rate generated by the coordinated multi-stage programming model is time-invariant and rather moderate in scale. The total abatement cost among planning years in our model is 21.03 % less than the actual number and 6.68 % less than that in the single-stage situation. The tax payment suggested by our model is 10.62 % less than by the single-stage model. In general, a coordinated multi-stage programming model helps reduce the overall costs of environmental protection while achieving the same emission control target with less burden added to the economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The aim of this study was to investigate whether any of the single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the POR gene were significantly associated with CYP activity and expression, and could contribute to the total variability in stable warfarin maintenance doses in Han Chinese. Methods: A total of 408 patients treated at the First Affiliated Hospital of Sun Yat-Sen University were eligible for the study and had attained a stable warfarin maintenance dose at the start of the investigation. Demographics, warfarin maintenance doses, and concomitant medications were documented. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood samples and genotyped for ten SNPs ( CYP 2C9*2 and *3, CYP4F2 rs2108622, VKORC1 −1639C>T, and potential POR genes of rs10239977, rs3815455, rs41301394, rs56256515, rs1057868, and rs2286823) using the Sequenom MassARRAY genotyping system. Results: A predictive model of warfarin maintenance dose was established and indicated that age, gender, body surface area, aspirin use, CYP2C9*3, CYP4F2 rs2108622, VKORC1 −1639C>T, and POR*37 831-35C>T accounted for 42.4 % of dose variance in patients undergoing anticoagulant treatment. The contribution of POR*37 831-35C>T to warfarin dose variation was only 3.9 %. Conclusions: For the first time, the SNP POR*37 831-35C>T was confirmed as a minor but statistically significant factor associated with interindividual variation in warfarin maintenance dose in Han Chinese. The POR*37 gene polymorphism should be considered in future algorithms for faster and more reliable achievement of stable warfarin maintenance doses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To investigate the impact of nutritional support on clinical outcomes in patients at nutritional risk who receive nutritional support that meets guideline standards and those who do not.Methods: This prospective cohort study enrolled hospitalized patients from the Second Affiliated Hospital of Kunming Medical University from February 2010 to June 2012. The research protocols were approved by the university's ethics committee, and the patients signed informed consent forms. The clinical data were collected based on nutritional risk screening, administration of enteral and parenteral nutrition, surgical information, complications, and length of hospital stay.Results: During the study period, 525 patients at nutritional risk were enrolled in the cohorts. Among patients who received nutritional support that met the guideline standards (Cohort 1), the incidence of infectious complications was lower than that in patients who did not meet guideline standards (Cohort 2) (17.1 % vs. 26.9 %, P = 0.01). Subgroup analysis showed that individuals who received a combination of parenteral nutrition (PN) and enteral nutrition (EN) for 7 or more days had a significantly lower incidence of infectious complications (P = 0.001) than those who received only PN for 7 or more days or those who received nutritional support for less than 7 days or at less than 10 kcal/kg/d. Binary logistic regression analysis showed that, after adjusting for confounding factors, nutritional support that met guideline standards for patients with nutritional risk was a protective factor for complications (OR: 0.870, P < 0.002).Conclusions: In patients at nutritional risk after abdominal surgery, nutritional support that meets recommended nutrient guidelines (especially regimens involving PN + EN ≥ 7 days) might decrease the incidence of infectious complications and is worth recommending; however, well-designed trials are needed to confirm our findings. Nutritional support that does not meet the guideline standards is considered clinically undesirable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotypes and subgenotypes may vary in geographical distribution and virological features. Previous investigations, including ours, showed that HBV genotypes B and C were respectively predominant in South and North China, while genotypes A and D were infrequently detected and genotype G was not found. In this study, a novel A/C/G intergenotype was identified in patients with chronic HBV infection in Guilin, a city in southern China. Initial phylogenetic analysis based on the S gene suggested the HBV recombinant to be genotype G. However, extended genotyping based on the entire HBV genome indicated it to be an A/C/G intergenotype with a closer relation to genotype C. Breakpoint analysis using the SIMPLOT program revealed that the recombinant had a recombination with a arrangement of genotypes A, G, A and C fragments. Compared with the HBV recombinants harboring one or two genotype G fragments found in Asian countries, this Guilin recombinant was highly similar to the Vietnam (98–99%) and Long An recombinants (96–99%), but had a relatively low similarity to the Thailand one (89%). Unlike those with the typical genotype G of HBV, the patients with the Guilin recombinant were seropositive for HBeAg. Moreover, a relatively high HBV DNA viral load (>2×106 IU/ml) was detected in the patients, and the analysis of viral replication capacity showed that the Guilin recombinant strains had a competent replication capacity similar to genotypes B and C strains. These findings can aid in not only the clarification of the phylogenetic origin of the HBV recombinants with the genotype G fragment found in Asian countries, but also the understanding of the virological properties of these complicated HBV recombinants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Oil spill monitoring with multi satellite images. [•] Oil spill tracking with GNOME oil spill model. [•] Operational wind and current are used to drive the spill model. [•] Satellite observations and model simulations agree well in the case study. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Many colonies of macaques ( Macaca fascicularis and Macaca mulatta) are maintained in China, especially in Guangxi and Guizhou. A total of 803 fresh stool samples infected with Entamoeba were obtained from three big colonies of macaques located in southwest China. The samples were examined for the presence of five Entamoeba species using PCR. Entamoeba nuttalli, Entamoeba dispar, Entamoeba coli, and Entamoeba chattoni infections were detected, but Entamoeba histolytica infection was not. This study is the first to report on the prevalence of E. nuttalli in wild macaques from China. Eighteen E. nuttalli isolates and five E. dispar isolates were obtained by culturing the samples in Tanabe-Chiba medium. The serine-rich protein (SRP), ribosomal RNA (rRNA), hexokinase (HXK), glucose-6-phosphate isomerase (GPI), and phosphoglucomutase (PGM) genes of E. nuttalli isolates were compared with other reported isolates. The results showed clear differences among the Chinese E. nuttalli isolates and other isolates based on the SRP gene sequences. However, HXK, GPI, and PGM genes of these strains were similar to those of other isolates. The rRNA genes of E. coli and E. chattoni were also amplified and analyzed from these samples. The results suggested that host species might be a more important factor than geographic location in amebic genetic diversity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]