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A heavy nocturnal warm sector rainfall occurred over the western coastal region of South China in June 2020, of which the precipitation magnitude was seriously underestimated by the operational TRAMS (Tropical Regional Atmosphere Model System) model. In this study, by improving the configuration of initial conditions (ICs) and lateral boundary conditions (LBCs) in offline nesting, the simulation of the convection initiation (CI) process can be well improved. The CI simulation is found to be sensitive to the vertical resolution in ICs in this case. When the low‐level vertical resolution of ICs is increased, the nocturnal near‐surface cold layer caused by inland mountains can be resolved better, which is necessary to form the convergence line along the coastline. Another important impact of increasing the vertical resolution of ICs is the successful simulation of horizontal convective rolls (HCRs) over the northern South China Sea. The HCRs apparently increase the depth of the warm‐moist marine boundary layer jet (MBLJ), and finally lead to the CI along the coastline. The increased vertical resolutions of LBCs can reduce the discontinuity of simulated moist tongue across the southern lateral boundary of the TRAMS model, which provides more moisture for the warm sector rainfall through MBLJ. LBCs with Higher temporal frequency help to alleviate the western position bias of rain belt by reducing the temporal interpolation error. Our study highlights the importance of finer ICs and LBCs in offline nesting for regional operational NWP systems in the South China region. Plain Language Summary: Warm‐sector heavy rainfall in South China usually develops under weakly forced weather condition, numerical forecasting of its initiation and intensification process is a difficult problem. To investigate its sensitivity to the configuration of initial conditions (ICs) and lateral boundary conditions (LBCs), a simulation study is carried out for a nocturnal warm sector rainfall event happened in western Guangdong. When the low‐level vertical resolution of ICs is increased, the nocturnal near surface cold layer from inland mountains can be resolved better. Another important impact of increasing vertical resolution of ICs is the successful simulation of horizontal convective rolls (HCRs) over the northern South China Sea. The HCRs apparently increase the depth of warm‐moist marine boundary layer jet (MBLJ), and finally lead to the CI along coast line. Additionally, the vertical resolution and the updating frequency of the lateral boundary conditions also have important effects on the simulation of the rainstorm intensification process. This paper emphasizes the importance of accurate ICs and LBCs to improve the predictability of warm‐sector rainfall in South China, which can provide practical reference for the design of operational systems. Key Points: Increasing low‐level vertical resolution of initial conditions is critical to the convection initiation (CI) simulation of warm‐sector rainfall caseThe increased vertical resolutions of lateral boundary conditions (LBCs) can provide more moisture for the CI and upscale convective growth process through marine boundary layer jetHigher temporal frequency LBCs is help to alleviate the western position bias of rain belt by reducing the temporal interpolation error [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. Due to seasonal breeding, geese breeds from Southern China have low egg yield. The genetic makeup underlying performance of local breeds is largely unknown, and few studies have investigated this problem. This study integrated 21 newly generated and 50 publicly existing RNA-seq libraries, representing the hypothalamus, pituitary and testis, to identify candidate genes and importantly related pathways associated with seasonal breeding in male Lion-Head geese. 2. In total, 19, 119 and 302 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were detected in the hypothalamus, pituitary and testis, respectively, of male Lion-Head geese between non-breeding and breeding periods. These genes were significantly involved in the neuropeptide signalling pathway, gland development, neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, JAK-STAT signalling pathway, cAMP signalling pathway, PI3K-Akt signalling pathway and Foxo signalling pathway. 3. By integrating another 50 RNA-seq samples 4, 18 and 40 promising DEGs were confirmed in hypothalamus, pituitary and testis, respectively. 4. HOX genes were identified as having important roles in the development of testis between non-breeding and breeding periods of male Lion-Head geese. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The biomonitoring of atmospheric element deposition often uses a single composite sample to test the local mean lichen element concentrations, so as to reduce the expenditure. However, further study is needed to test the composite sample representativeness on the mean element concentration (CSRMC) and its lichen species specificity and element specificity. In this study, we compare the concentration differences of 55 elements between three lichens (Evernia mesomorpha Nyl., EVM; Usnea aciculifera Vain., UAC; Ramalina sinensis Jatta., RSI) from a remote forest site of Hebei, northern China. The results show that the differences of element concentrations between lichens have strong element specificity. Composite samples can well represent the local mean element concentrations in three lichens. CSRMC is the highest in RSI in comparison with EVM and UAC. It is usually ranking 1 for most elements in three lichens except Al, Ca, Hg, P and Si. Therefore, when we use the composite samples with a small sample size for lichen biomonitoring, it is necessary to carefully select lichen species and the number of composite samples according to the CSRMC of the elements of interest. This method is especially suitable for sites with small spatial heterogeneity in atmospheric element depositions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The global warming, decline in wind speed and extreme rainfall have been documented to promote the expansion of bloom area. However, few studies focus on the effect of wind direction on bloom area. The monthly data between May and September from 2011 to 2018 were collected to analyze the relationship between environmental factors and bloom area. Pearson correlation analysis indicated that bloom area was negatively correlated with monthly proportion of consecutive unidirectional wind days (PCUWD) but positively correlated with chlorophyll a (Chl-a). During the whole studied period, wind speeds were lower than 3.1 m/s and Chl-a concentrations were higher than 20 μg/L in all months. In this case, the sufficient Microcystis biomass could aggregate into large-scale bloom area only by vertical floating. This could explain why no significant relationship between wind speed and bloom area was found in our study. Except for August, wind speed declined each month which promoted the increase of total phosphorus (TP) and Chl-a concentrations. The low value of PCUWD insufficiently transported cyanobacterial patches from other zones to accumulate with the existing cyanobacterial patches in the downwind area of the lake into dense and small-scale surface scum. In May and June, the decreased PCUWD was conducive to maintain a large-scale bloom area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To investigate plasma cytokines (interferon gamma, interleukin-4, and interleukin-17) in patients with viral myocarditis (VMC) and evaluate their predictive value in the progression from VMC to dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Methods. A prospective, multicenter, observational study included 536 patients with newly diagnosed VMC admitted in cardiology departments of 24 tertiary super specialised university-affiliated hospitals in the China registry from January 2012 to June 2016. Demographics and clinical characteristics at baseline and after three months were collected, including laboratory blood tests, ECG, echocardiography, and drug treatment in each participating site. The plasma anti-viral antibodies (Abs), anti-heart autoimmune Abs, and cytokines were detected by ELISA. Results. Of the 536 patients, 534 were included for analysis after two patients died in less than a month. The plasma levels of IFN-γ, IL-4, and IL-17 were continually higher in patients with incident DCM than in those without incident DCM at baseline, from the 1st month and the 3rd month; all had a P value of <0.0001. There was a positive correlation between IL-4 and LVEDd (r = 0.30 , P < 0.0001) and between IL-17 and LVEDd (r = 0.11 , P = 0.02). When all these covariates have entered the model simultaneously, elevated IL-4 and IL-17 were still significantly associated with DCM incidence. The RR (95% CI) of DCM incidence were 1.04 (1.02-1.06) for IL-4 and 5.24 (2.81-9.79) for IL-17. Conclusion. The continued elevation of plasma IL-4 and IL-17 in VMC patients were associated with a high incidence of DCM at three months, and these two cytokines were independent predictors for the progression from VMC to DCM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: We established a multi-centre online registry for primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS) in China, and compared Chinese patients with those from other countries. Methods: Data were from 87 rheumatology centres in 27 provinces. All 2986 patients had pSS according to the 2002 American-European Consensus Group or the 2016 American College of Rheumatology/European League Against Rheumatism. All centres used the same methods. Data on demographics, clinical parameters, laboratory results, disease activity and treatments were examined. Results: The female:male ratio was 22.9:1, and the mean age at onset was 46.31 years. A total of 332 (11.1%) patients had thyroid disease, including hyperthyroidism (1.2%), hypothyroidism (6.0%) and subacute thyroiditis (3.9%). Dry eye had a prevalence of 68.59% in Chinese patients, 93.7–96% in European patients and 97.3% in American patients. Dry mouth had a prevalence of 86.5% in Chinese patients, 93.2–96% in European patients and 97.9% in American patients. Fewer Chinese than European patients had arthritis (6.9% vs. 15–19.3%). ANA positivity was 90.7% in Chinese, 81.3% in European and 77.6% in American patients. Anti-SSA antibody positivity was 84.6% in Chinese, 71% in European and 68.2% in American patients. The most commonly used drugs in Chinese patients were hydroxychloroquine (n = 1818; 67.5%), glucocorticoids (n = 1720; 63.9%) and total glucosides of paeony (n = 1120; 41.7%). Conclusions: This study provided information on the phenotypes of Chinese patients with pSS, and identified several differences with patients from other geographical regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A large area of rainfed maize (Zea mays L.) is planned to be replaced by maize under drip irrigation with plastic mulching (MDI) in Heilongjiang, northeast China, through a "water-saving and grain-increasing action" project. However, knowledge is lacking on the water requirements of maize under MDI. On the basis of a locally developed crop coefficient for a site, the spatial and temporal variations in crop water requirement (ETc) and net irrigation requirement (Nir) of maize under MDI in Heilongjiang were evaluated. The average ETc and Nir of maize under MDI in the period from 1960 to 2017 for 29 meteorological stations were 279 to 388 mm and 73 to 198 mm, respectively, which are approximately 10% and 15% lower than the ETc and Nir under conventional surface irrigation (NSI). The differences in ETc and Nir between the two irrigation technologies are significant in the southwestern region, which demonstrates that the intensive planning of MDI in the southwest is justified. The gross irrigation requirement of maize under MDI in an excessive drought year is estimated as 437 million m3 for the project, which is 137 million m3 less than the irrigation requirement using NSI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To examine the associations between BMI and the risks of all‐cause, cardiovascular disease (CVD)‐specific and cancer‐specific mortality among people with Type 2 diabetes, and thus provide recommendations for weight management in the population. Methods: This retrospective cohort study was conducted among 52 763 people with newly diagnosed Type 2 diabetes between 1 January 2004 and 31 December 2014 in Shanghai, China. All cases of death were identified by linking to the Shanghai Vital Statistics. Some 52 488 people were included in the analysis. Survival curves for people with different BMI categories were plotted using the Kaplan–Meier method. Cox proportional hazard models within or without restricted cubic spline functions were applied to examine the potential non‐linear or linear relationship between BMI and the risk of mortalities respectively. Results: A total of 4777 deaths were identified during an average of 6‐year follow‐up. An L‐shaped association was observed between BMI and all‐cause mortality in men (P for overall association < 0.001 and P for non‐linearity < 0.001) while a U‐shaped association was found in women (P for overall association < 0.001 and P for non‐linearity< 0.001). In men, no significant association was observed for BMI with cancer‐specific and CVD‐specific mortality. In women, an increased risk of cancer‐specific mortality was observed with increasing BMI, whereas decreasing BMI was associated with the increased CVD‐specific mortality rate. Conclusion: The increased all‐cause mortality in men with low BMI and in women with either low or high BMI indicate the importance of keeping BMI in a normal range for Chinese adults with Type 2 diabetes. What's new?: Evidence on the association between BMI and all‐cause mortality in people with Type 2 diabetes remains inconsistent and few studies have investigated the possible sex‐specific associations.This retrospective cohort study using an electronic health record database examined the associations of BMI with all‐cause, cancer‐specific and cardiovascular disease‐specific mortality by sex among Chinese adults with newly diagnosed Type 2 diabetes.The major finding of this study is an increased all‐cause mortality in men with low BMI and in women with either low or high BMI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although numerous multicentre studies have estimated the association between ozone exposure and mortality, there are currently no nationally representative multicentre studies of the ozone-mortality relationship in China.Objective: To investigate the effect on total (nonaccidental) and cause-specific mortality of short-term exposure to ambient ozone, and examine different exposure metrics.Methods: The effects of short-term exposure to ozone were analysed using various metrics (daily 1-h maximum, daily 8-h maximum and daily average) on total (nonaccidental) and cause-specific (circulatory and respiratory) mortality from 2013 to 2015 in 34 counties in 10 cities across China. We used distributed lag nonlinear models for estimating county-specific relative risk of mortality and combined the county-specific relative rates by conducting a random-effects meta-analysis.Results: In all-year analyses, a 10 μg m-3 increase in daily average, daily 1-h maximum and daily 8-h maximum ozone at lag02 corresponded to an increase of 0.6% (95% CI: 0.33, 0.88), 0.26% (95% CI: 0.12, 0.39) and 0.37% (95% CI: 0.2, 0.55) in total (nonaccidental) mortality, 0.66% (95% CI: 0.28, 1.04), 0.31% (95% CI: 0.11, 0.51) and 0.39% (95% CI: 0.16, 0.62) in circulatory mortality, and 0.57% (95% CI: -0.09, 1.23), 0.11% (95% CI: -0.22, 0.44) and 0.22% (95% CI: -0.28, 0.72) in respiratory mortality, respectively. These estimates had a different seasonal pattern by cause of death. In general, the seasonal patterns were consistent with the times of year when ozone concentrations are highest.Conclusions: Our findings suggest that in China, the acute effects of ozone are more closely related to daily average exposure than any other metric. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Objective: IRX3 expression has been functionally associated in obesity‐associated long‐distance susceptibility loci, but the effect of the IRX3 genetic variants on human obesity and obesity‐related metabolism remains uncertain. Methods: To determine the genetic role of IRX3, we conducted a molecular epidemiological analysis using three haplotype tagging single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs; rs8053360, rs3751723 and rs12445085) and one nonsynonymous SNP (rs1126960) at the IRX3 locus in 333 junior and senior high school students from a northeast Chinese population. Results: We identified significant associations between IRX3 SNPs and birth weight, body mass index (BMI), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and AST/ALT ratio. The rs8053360 CC and rs1126960 GG genotypes were associated with increased birth weight and BMI, especially in females. Individuals with the rs12445085 TT genotype had significantly higher levels of AST and ALT, whereas individuals with the rs1126960 GG genotype had a significantly lower AST/ALT ratio than did individuals with other genotypes. However, no significant relationships were found between any of the IRX3 SNPs and metabolic syndrome or diabetes. Conclusions: IRX3 genetic variants associate with birth weight, BMI and AST/ALT‐related transaminase metabolism, supporting the role of IRX3 as an obesity‐associated susceptibility gene. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of the fractional extraction with petroleum ether (PE), carbon disulfide (CS2), methanol, acetone, and tetrahydrofuran (THF) on the combustion characteristics of four Chinese coals were investigated using thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The maximum extraction yield of 6.9% from Yujialiang coal (YJLC) and the minimum extraction yield of 2.6% from Hulunbuir coal (HLBC) were obtained. Although the difference of extraction yield is obvious, the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) results imply that the extracts have analogous functional groups, and aromatics are dominations in extractable components. Compared with subbituminous coals, the HLBC is more prone to ignite according to the ignition temperature from the TGA results. The pretreatment of extraction changes the combustion behaviors and increases the burning temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction To determine the polymorphism at position 247 of the β 2 -glycoprotein I (β 2 GPI) gene in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus ( SLE) and healthy controls in the Chinese Han Population and elucidate the relationship between β 2 GPI polymorphisms and anti-β2 GPI levels, and furthermore investigate the correlation between β 2 GPI polymorphisms and thrombosis in patients with SLE. Methods The β 2 GPI polymorphisms of 300 patients with SLE and 300 healthy controls were examined by single-specific-primer polymerase chain reaction ( SSP- PCR), the efficacy of which was confirmed by sequencing technology. Anti-β2 GPI antibodies were tested by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. β 2 GPI polymorphisms associated with thrombosis and the presence of anti-β2 GPI antibodies were also statistically evaluated with SPSS software. Results The genotype expressions and the allele frequencies were obtained in both patients with SLE and healthy controls. The SLE patients with thrombosis had significantly higher frequencies of the VV genotype and V allele than those without thrombosis and the controls, and there were no differences in VV genotype and V allele expression between the SLE patients without thrombosis and the controls. In contrast, the presence of anti-β2 GPI antibody was related to the VV genotype of β 2 GPI, and the anti-β2 GPI-positive patients had obviously higher frequencies of the VV genotype than the negative ones and the controls. Conclusion The study results suggested that the V/V genotype and the V-encoding allele at position 247 of the β 2 GPI gene had strong correlation with the occurrence of thrombosis and the production of the anti-β2 GPI antibodies, showing that the Val247 β 2 GPI allele may be one of the genetic risk factors for the development of thrombosis in patients with SLE. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Association between 22 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the TNFSF11, TNFRSF11A, and TNFRSF11B genes in the RANKL/RANK/OPG pathway with bone mineral density (BMD) in 881 post-menopausal women. Our results suggest that TNFSF11 and TNFRSF11A, but not TNFRSF11B, genetic polymorphisms influence BMD mainly in the femoral neck in post-menopausal Chinese women. Introduction: The aim of this study was to assess the relationship of polymorphisms in the TNFSF11, TNFRSF11A, and TNFRSF11B genes in the RANKL/RANK/OPG pathway with bone mineral density (BMD) in a cohort of Chinese post-menopausal women. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in 881 post-menopausal women aged 50-89 years. All participants underwent lumbar spinal (LS) and femoral neck (FN) BMD evaluation by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Twenty-two TNFSF11, TNFRSF11A, and TNFRSF11B SNPs were genotyped. We tested whether a single SNP or a haplotype was associated with BMD variations. Results: Two SNPs in the TNFSF11 gene (rs2277439 and rs2324851) and one in the TNFRSF11A gene (rs7239261) were found to be significantly associated with FN BMD ( p = 0.014, 0.013, and 0.047, respectively). Haplotype TGACGT of TNFSF11 rs9525641-rs2277439-rs2324851-rs2875459-rs2200287-rs9533166 was a genetic risk factor toward a lower FN BMD (beta = −0.1473; p = 0.01126). In contrary, haplotype TAGCGT of TNFSF11 rs9525641-rs2277439-rs2324851-rs2875459-rs2200287-rs9533166 was genetic protective factor for LS BMD (beta = 0.3923; p = 0.04917). Conclusions: Our findings suggest that TNFSF11 and TNFRSF11A, but not TNFRSF11B, genetic polymorphisms influence BMD mainly in the femoral neck in post-menopausal Chinese women. This contributes to the understanding of the role of genetic variation in this pathway in determining bone health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/objectives:In Hebei province, China, over six million people are potentially exposed to excessive iodine through consumption of high iodine underground drinking water and consumption of iodized salt. The aim of this study is to evaluate the contributions of drinking water and iodized salt on children's iodine nutrition in one area of Hebei province in order to refine strategies to correct the excessive iodine intake in these areas.Subjects/methods:To investigate the relationships between iodine content in water, iodized salt and urinary iodine content (UIC) in children (8-10 years), we randomly sampled three towns with a known median water iodine (MWI) of 150-300 μg/l in Hengshui City, Hebei province and collected water, salt and urine samples.Results:The median UIC was 518.1 μg/l, the overall MWI was 247.0 μg/l, and 83% of children sampled were found to have urinary iodine concentrations higher than the WHO criterion of 300 μg/l. There was a significant and positive correlation between the median UIC of the children and the MWI in the 12 villages where the children lived (Spearman R=0.79, P=0.002), but the UIC was not significantly correlated with the median salt intake (MSI) (Spearman R=−0.17, P=0.6). A multiple linear regression analysis indicated that 68.7% of the variability in median UIC is associated with variability in MWI in the 12 villages.Conclusions:Iodine in drinking water was identified to be the key contributor to this excessive iodine in children indicating that in these areas, intervention should focus on providing alternative drinking water supplies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Infectious brain lesions (IBLs) are life-threatening in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of IBL in SLE patients and the clinical characteristics of SLE patients with IBL. Methods: Medical charts of 15 consecutive SLE patients with IBL admitted to Peking Union Medical College Hospital (PUMCH) from January 1995 to October 2010 were reviewed systematically. A total of 150 cases were randomly selected as controls from 4115 SLE inpatients without IBL in PUMCH during the same period. Results: The prevalence of IBL in SLE patients was 0.4%. Significant differences were observed between SLE patients with and without IBL in the following manifestations (p < 0.05): arthritis/musculoskeletal involvement (66.7% vs. 32.0%), C-reactive protein (CRP) elevation (84.6% vs. 28.0%), anti-dsDNA antibody positivity (13.3% vs. 42.9%), and elevated SLE Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI) score (> 5) (13.3% vs. 71.3%). Fever was the most common manifestation (80%), followed by headache and focal neurological signs (73.3%). Twelve patients presented with infections in other sites, including pulmonary infection (66.7%) and meningitis (40.0%). Enhanced cranial magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) revealed point-enhancing or ring-enhancing lesions in all patients evaluated (12/12, 100%). Mycobacterium tuberculosis was the most common pathogen (10 cases, 66.7%). After administration of antibiotics targeting the pathogens, 11 patients (73.3%) recovered. Conclusions: IBL is not common in SLE patients. In stable SLE patients with fever, focal neurological signs, and CRP elevation, IBL should be suspected. Enhanced cranial MRI and a thorough check-up should be performed in a timely manner. It is very important to identify the pathogens and initiate treatment as early as possible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A survey of Sugarcane yellow leaf virus (SCYLV) in China showed infection rates of 1·1-42·4% in six different sugarcane growing provinces, with an average rate of 20·3% (129/634), and no infection in one province. The majority of the infected plants showed yellowing of the midrib on the abaxial surface of leaves. Genotypic diversity of the 129 SCYLV isolates was analysed by a reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RT-PCR-RFLP) assay and nucleotide sequencing. Sixty-six isolates from Guangxi, Yunnan, Hainan, Fujian and Guizhou provinces were of the genotype BRA, whereas another 63 isolates from Guangdong province consisted of five genotypes, BRA, CHN1, CUB, PER and a novel genotype, CHN2. Among these genotypes, BRA was the predominant one identified in 43 samples (68·3%). Mixed infection of BRA and PER was also found in two samples. Phylogenetic analysis based on a 1·3-kb nucleotide sequence (including ORFs 3-4 and partial ORF 5) supported the identification of the novel CHN2 genotype. CHN2 shared 91·9-97·8% identity with five other known genotypes and was most closely related to the CHN1 genotype (97·6-97·8% identities). The nearly complete genomic sequences of seven isolates representing genotypes BRA, CUB and PER were determined, and they shared nucleotide sequence identities of 97·2-97·5%, 98·4-98·9% and 98·4%, respectively, with previously reported sequences of the corresponding genotypes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Runoff formation at an experimental plot (1600m²), a field (0.06 km²), and a small catchment (1.36 km²) with a shallow groundwater table and a dense drainage system in the agricultural North Huaihe River Plain (China) was analysed based on the observed rainfall, runoff, and groundwater table data of 30 storm events that occurred during the 1997 to 2008 flood seasons. The surface runoff was collected and measured at the outlet of the furrow of the experimental plot, whereas the total runoff was collected and measured at the outlets of the drainage ditches of the field and the small catchment. The present study showed that the relatively narrow range of rainfall amounts resulted in significantly different runoff amounts at the 3 scales. When the groundwater is close to the surface, the runoff amount is a large percentage of the total rainfall. The difference in rainfall and runoff amounts was regressed against changes in the groundwater table, and a significant linear relationship was determined. Significant rainfall-runoff relationships were indicated for the events divided into 3 groups according to the initial groundwater table depths (as indicators of the antecedent moisture conditions): less than 0.5 m, more than 2.1 m, or between 0.5m and 2.1 m. These findings suggest that saturation excess surface flow dominated the runoff response, particularly when the groundwater table was shallow. For almost all events, the groundwater table rose above the bottom of the drainage ditch. The total runoff amounts were larger both at the field and at the catchment than at the plot with only the surface runoff collected, which shows a considerable contribution of subsurface flow. Groundwater table depth, which indicates antecedent moisture conditions and influences lateral sub-surface flow to the drainage ditches, is an important parameter that influences runoff formation in catchments, including the study area with a shallow groundwater table and a dense drainage system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the role of poliovirus type 1 in the etiology of Severe Acute respiratory Syndrome (SARS). SARS-associated coronavirus (SARS-CoV) is necessary and sufficient for the causation of SARS in humans. Studies have indicated the existence of oral polio vaccine (OPV)-like poliovirus 1 in adult cases of SARS, along with SARS-CoV. However, the exact relationship between OPV-like poliovirus 1 and SARS/SARS-CoV remains unknown.

Two Burkholderia strains 8111 and 8201 were isolated from root nodules of Dalbergia odorifera, an endemic woody legume in southern China. Phylogenetic analysis of 16S rRNA gene and 16S-23S gene intergenic spacer (ITS) showed that these two bacterial strains were closely related to Burkholderia cepacia and they were also similar in carbon source utilization using Biolog GN2 plate tests. The DNA G+C content of strains 8111 and 8201 were 65.8 and 65.5 mol%. Inoculation tests demonstrated that both strains 8111 and 8201 formed functional root nodules in their original host D. odorifera, and significantly enhanced plant growth (as measured by plant biomass and nitrogen content), compared to the no-inoculated control plants. Sequencing of 16S rRNA gene in nodules of D. odorifera seedlings inoculated with strains 8111 and 8201 confirmed their identity. However, these two strains did not induce root nodulation in Acacia auriculiformis and Erythrophleum fordii. This implies that the nodulation capacity between Burkholderia strains 8111 or 8201 and their legume hosts may be specific. Our results show that both Burkholderia strains 8111 and 8201 are able to form functional nodules on D. odorifera and are potentially beneficial inoculants for seedling propagation to be used in large scale D. odorifera plantations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary Swine influenza viruses H1N1 and H3N2 have been reported in the swine population worldwide. From June 2008 to June 2009, we carried out serological and virological surveillance of swine influenza in the Hubei province in central China. The serological results indicated that antibodies to H1N1 swine influenza virus in the swine population were high with a 42.5% (204/480) positive rate, whereas antibodies to H3N2 swine influenza virus were low with a 7.9% (38/480) positive rate. Virological surveillance showed that only one sample from weanling pigs was positive by RT-PCR. Phylogenetic analysis of the hemagglutinin and neuraminidase genes revealed that the A/Sw/HB/S1/2009 isolate was closely related to avian-like H1N1 viruses and seemed to be derived from the European swine H1N1 viruses. In conclusion, H1N1 influenza viruses were more dominant in the pig population than H3N2 influenza viruses in central China, and infection with avian-like H1N1 viruses persistently emerged in the swine population in the area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In this study, we assessed the prognostic value of the lymph node ratio (LNR), established a hypothetical tumor–ratio–metastasis (TRM) staging system and compared it with the 7th edition International Union Against Cancer pathological N (pN) and tumor–node–metastasis (TNM) system.Patients and methods: A total of 1343 gastric cancer patients undergoing D2 resection were staged using the TRM staging system and the 7th edition TNM system. Optimal cut points of LNR were calculated using X-tile software and validated by bootstrapping. Homogeneity, discriminatory ability, and monotonicity of gradients of the TRM and TNM systems were compared using linear trend χ2, likelihood ratio χ2 statistics, and Akaike information criterion (AIC) calculations.Results: Optimal cut points classified patients into LNR0 (0%), LNR1 (1%–30%), LNR2 (31%–60%), and LNR3 (61%–100%) groups. In univariate, multivariate and stratified analyses, the LNR staging showed superiority to the 7th edition pN staging. The TRM staging system had higher linear trend and likelihood ratio χ2 scores and smaller AIC values compared with those for the TNM system, which represented the optimum prognostic stratification.Conclusions: The novel TRM staging system predicts survival of gastric cancer more accurately than the 7th edition TNM system. It may be considered as an alternative to TNM system. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Instrumentation of anterior vertebral body screws has become an important approach for treatment of unstable fracture or curvature of the spine, but little attention has been paid to the starting point of placing the screws and variability of the rib head position. We analyzed the variability of rib head position in a Chinese population in terms of the spinal canal and vertebral body using computed tomography (CT). Images from transverse CT scan of the T4-TI 2 vertebral bodies of 30 normal individuals were 3D reconstructed, and analyzed for measurement of parameters, which included: 1 ) distance between the left (or right) anterior border of the rib head and the posterior (or anterior) margin of the vertebral body [L(R )ARHP(A)VB], 2) left (or right) transverse dimension [L(R)TD], 3) left (or right) posterior (or anterior) safe angle [L(R)P(A)SA], and 4) distance between the inferior border of the left (or right) rib head and the superior (or inferior) end-plate in the sagittal plane [IL(R)RHS(1)EP]. The ARHPVB, PSA, and IRHIEP gradually decrease, but ARHAVB, TD, ASA, and IRHSEP gradually increase from T4 to TI2, indicating that the position of the rib head changes from a more anterior position to a more posterior position and from a more superior position to a more inferior position as the number of the vertebra increases. Our study has provided comprehensive reference guide for accurate and sate instrumentation of vertebral body screws in treating related spine diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study investigated the hepatitis B virus (HBV) genotypic resistance profile in 1803 nucleos(t)ide analogue (NA)-experienced Chinese patients with chronic HBV infection. Serum HBV DNA was extracted, and the reverse transcriptase region was analysed by a high-sensitive direct PCR sequencing and verified by clonal sequencing if necessary. Drug-resistant mutations were detected in 560 of the 1803 patients, including 214 of 490 patients who received lamivudine (LAM), 35 of 428 patients who received adefovir (ADV), five of 18 patients who received telbivudine and 306 of 794 patients who received various sequential/combined NA therapies. ADV-resistant mutations were detected in 36 of 381 patients who received LAM and then switched-to ADV in contrast to one of 82 patients who received ADV add-on LAM. Entecavir (ETV)-resistant mutations were detected not only in LAM- and ETV-treated patients but also in LAM-treated ETV-naïve patients. Double mutations rtM204I and rtL180M were detected more frequently in genotype C than in genotype B virus, and patients infected with this mutant had higher alanine transaminase levels than those infected with mutant containing the rtM204I substitution alone. Multidrug-resistant HBV strains were identified in eight patients, including two novel strains with mutational patterns rtL180M + A181V + S202G + M204V + N236T and rtL180M + S202G + M204V + N236T. The results provide new information on HBV genotypic resistance profiles in a large cohort of Chinese patients with chronic HBV infection and may have important clinical implication for HBV drug resistance management in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interleukin 1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) is an important anti-inflammatory molecule encoded by the IL1RN gene. The polymorphism of IL1RN characterized by variable numbers of an 86 bp tandem repeat (VNTR) sequence in intron 2 has been described. Moreover, frequencies of the IL1RN alleles vary among different ethnics. In the present study, we analysed the IL1RN polymorphism in intron 2 in 256 Chinese Han and 252 Chinese She individuals. Four alleles including IL1RN*1, *2, *3 and IL1RN*4 were identified in this study. Data revealed that the distribution of the IL-1RN genotypes and allele was significantly different between the two Chinese populations ( P < 0.001). Among them, 66.8% (171/256) and 86.5% (218/252) were homozygous for the allele IL-1RN*1 in Chinese Han and She individuals respectively. Homozygosity for allele IL-1RN*2 was only observed in Chinese Han with the percentage of 0.8% (2/256). Heterozygosity for IL-1RN*1/2, IL1RN*1/3 and IL1RN*1/4 was 30.9% (79/256), 0.4% (1/256) and 1.2% (3/256) in Chinese Han, whereas only heterozygosity for IL-1RN*1/2 was found in Chinese She (13.5%, 34/252). Frequencies of the most common allele IL-1RN*1 and IL-1RN*2 were 83.0% and 16.2% for Chinese Han and 93.3% and 6.7% for Chinese She respectively. The rare allele IL-1RN*3 and IL-1RN*4 was only observed in the Chinese Han population with the frequency of 0.2% and 0.6% respectively. Our findings suggested that the ethnic background plays an important role in IL-1Ra gene variation in different populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra) has been supposed to play important roles in pregnancy. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between the polymorphisms of IL-1Ra gene ( IL1RN) variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) in intron 2 with idiopathic recurrent spontaneous abortion (RSA). Ninety-two RSA patients and hundred normal women with at least one live birth and no history of miscarriage were included in the study. Frequencies of the IL1RN alleles and genotypes were determined. Data revealed that the prevalence of IL1RN allele and genotype was not significant between the RSA and control group (all P > 0.05). Our finding indicated that the polymorphism VNTR of IL1RN gene in intron 2 may not be a risk factor for RSA in the Chinese Han population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection has a high prevalence in China. Entecavir has shown superior efficacy over lamivudine in Chinese nucleoside-naive chronic hepatitis B (CHB) patients over 48 weeks, with continued clinical benefit to 96 weeks. The present study evaluates the long-term efficacy of entecavir in Chinese CHB patients who continued entecavir treatment for 144 weeks. Patients receiving either entecavir 0.5 mg/day ( n = 258) or lamivudine 100 mg/day ( n = 261) entered the initial 96-week randomized, double-blind, controlled efficacy study. Patients who did not achieve a consolidated response [HBV DNA <0.7 MEq/mL; alanine aminotransferase (ALT) <1.25 × upper limit of normal; and if hepatitis B e antigen (HBeAg) positive at baseline, loss of HBeAg for ≥24 weeks] or who experienced viral breakthrough or relapse entered a 48-week entecavir rollover study. A total of 160 patients received continuous entecavir for 144 weeks; of these, 89% had undetectable serum HBV DNA, 86% showed ALT normalization, 20% reported HBeAg loss and 8% experienced HBeAg seroconversion. The cumulative rates of HBeAg loss and seroconversion were 36% and 27% at Week 144, respectively. The development of resistance was low, with three patients up to Week 96 and an additional two patients in Weeks 96–144 showing evidence of associated genotypic mutations. Entecavir was well tolerated. Adverse event rates were similar to those in lamivudine-treated patients, but patients receiving entecavir experienced fewer ALT flares. This study demonstrates that entecavir provides durable, long-term suppression of HBV DNA and ALT normalization in Chinese CHB patients, and is associated with low rates of emerging resistance. The results are consistent with the findings using entecavir globally and in Japan. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses a study that analyzed baseline concentrations and spatial distribution of trace metals in surface soils of Guangdong Province, China. It is hoped that the information obtained in this study will help identify the potential hotspots of heavy metal contamination and establish proper soil cleanup standards for toxic trace metals in the region. Results showed that the concentrations of most trace metals except for lead (Pb) and mercury (Hg) were lower than those in Chinese soils and worldwide soils. Spatial variability of trace metal concentrations revealed that spatial distributions of trace metal concentrations are correlated to the regional geological characters with high concentrations of trace metals.

The entire genome of the A/Chicken/Hubei/C1/2007 (H9N2) virus, isolated from central China in 2007, was completely sequenced and phylogenetically analyzed. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that A/Chicken/Hubei/C1/2007 (H9N2) virus represents multiple reassortant lineages, with genes coming from the early mainland China strain (Ck/Bejing/1/94), an H9N2 virus with special genotype (Ck/shanghai/F/98) and other lineages from poultry in Asia. Infection studies indicated that A/Chicken/Hubei/C1/2007 (H9N2) virus replicated efficiently in MDCK cells and in BALB/c mice. The H9N2 virus also replicated to high titers in chicken respiratory tracts and caused overt clinical signs in chickens. Our results suggest that attention should be paid to the natural evolution of H9N2 influenza viruses and to the control of H9N2 influenza viruses in animals. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The metabasites in Tunchang area, East-central Hainan Island, South China generally display strongly LREE-depleted patterns, extremely low HFSE concentrations and relatively high LILE contents; a few boninite-like samples have a concave-up, slightly LREE-enriched pattern. The low but variable Ti/V ratios between 6 and 20, and the high mg-numbers and Cr, Co, Ni contents, are indicative of plume-influenced intraoceanic arc magmas. It accord with this model are moderately high ɛNd( t) values ranging from +2.16 to +6.75, and 87Sr/86Sri values ranging from 0.70239 to 0.70824. These geochemical features imply that the protoliths for the Tunchang area metabasites are relics of an intra-oceanic island arc and the parental melts of these rocks were generated from a depleted, primitive mantle arc source rather than from a N-MORB source in a supra-subduction zone-like setting. The minor geochemical differences between the two identified groups of metabasites are due to a combined result of the variable degree of partial melting and the crystal fractionation of clinoproxene ± olivine ± plagioclase. The Tunchang area metabasites are distinctive in geochemical and isotopic compositions, and likely also in age from the Bangxi area metabasites in the northwestern part of Hainan Island. We assume that the NE–SW trending Baisha Fault Zone likely marks an early suture zone due to the collision of an Early Paleozoic intra-oceanic arc with the South China continent. In contrast, the Bangxi area metabasites more likely are formed in an extensional back-arc basin due to subduction of the Paleo-Tethys beneath the South China continental margin during the Late Paleozoic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BackgroundSuicide is the most common cause of death among youth in China.MethodA case-control psychological autopsy study in 23 geographically representative disease surveillance points around China collected information from family members and close associates of 114 persons aged 15?24 years who died by suicide (cases) and 91 who died of other injuries (controls).ResultsAmong the 114 suicides 61% were female, 88% lived in rural villages, 70% died by ingesting pesticides (most commonly stored in the home), 24% previously attempted suicide, and 45% met criteria of a mental illness at the time of death. Multivariate logistic regression identified several independent risk factors: severe life events within 2 days before death (OR 31.8, 95% CI 2.6?390.6), presence of any depressive symptoms within 2 weeks of death (OR 21.1, 95% CI 4.6?97.2), low quality of life in the month before death (OR 9.7, 95% CI 2.8?34.1), and acute stress at time of death (moderate: OR 3.1, 95% CI 0.8?11.9; high: OR 9.1, 95% CI 1.2?66.8). A significant interaction between mental illness at time of death and gender indicated that diagnosis was an important predictor of suicide in males (OR 14.0, 95% CI 2.6?76.5) but not in females (OR 0.3, 95% CI 0.0?3.6). Prior suicide attempt was related to suicide in the univariate analysis (OR 57.5) but could not be included in the multivariate model because no controls had made prior attempts.ConclusionsSuicide prevention efforts for youth in China must focus on restricting access to pesticides, early recognition and management of depressive symptoms and mental illnesses, improving resiliency, and enhancing quality of life. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major public health problem worldwide. The mechanism of susceptibility to chronic persistent HBV infection is not well clarified, while the outcome of HBV infection mainly depends on the host immune response. Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class II molecule is an integral component of the immune response on which majority of host genetic studies have concentrated. Many different HLA class II alleles have been demonstrated to play roles in HBV infection. In this study, the association between HBV infection and HLA-DRB1 alleles in Han individuals in northwestern China was studied for the first time. Two hundred and fifty Shaanxi Han individuals were categorized into three different groups: the HBV-infected patient group ( n = 108), the spontaneously cleared control group ( n = 108) and the unexposed group ( n = 34). DRB1*04, DRB1*09, DRB1*12 and DRB1*15 were the most common genotypes in all the groups. The allele frequencies of HLA-DRB1*03 [10.6% of HBV-infected patients vs 3.7% of spontaneously cleared controls, odds ratios (OR) = 3.10, Pc = 0.008, P < 0.05] and HLA-DRB1*07 (17.6% of HBV-infected patients vs 9.3% of spontaneously cleared controls, Pc = 0.016, OR = 2.09, P < 0.05) were markedly higher in the HBV-infected group. But the allele frequencies of HLA-DRB1*15 (6.9% of HBV-infected patients vs 13.4% of spontaneously cleared controls Pc = 0.039, OR = 0.48, P < 0.05) were obviously lower than that of the spontaneously cleared controls. The above data indicate that HLA-DRB1*03 and HLA-DRB1*07 are related to susceptibility to chronic HBV infection, and DRB1*15 is negatively related to persistence to chronic HBV infection among people in northwestern China. Similar results were got for DRB1*03 and 15 alleles between the HBV-infected patients ( n = 108) and 46 HBV seronegative spouses of the HBV patients, who were high-risk group for HBV infection. The above results suggest that host HLA class II gene is an important factor in determination of the outcome of HBV infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PM10 and PM2.5 samples were collected simultaneously in Beijing, China, and analyzed by INAA and ICP-MS. Seasonal variations of the concentrations of ambient particles and their elemental compositions were found. The main sources of PM10 and PM2.5 in spring were the crust, coal burning and vehicle exhaust, in which the former was significant. During a strong dust storm, the concentrations of the crustal elements in PM10 and PM2.5 increased remarkably, but the concentrations of some anthropogenic elements decreased. The enrichment factors of these anthropogenic elements also decreased sharply during the dust storm, which indicated that they were mostly originated from local anthropogenic pollution and diluted by the huge amount of dust. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Air samples were collected at a downtown site in Beijing from January to July 2004 and analyzed by instrumental neutron activation analysis (INAA) combined with organic solvent extraction method for the concentrations and distributions of extractable organohalogens (EOX), including extractable organochlorinated (EOCl), organobrominated (EOBr) and organoiodinated compounds (EOI). The concentrations of EOX were increasing in the order of EOCl >> EOBr ~ EOI in both gaseous and particulate phase. EOCl accounted for 75.8-100% and 83.7-100% of EOX in particulate and gaseous phase, respectively, suggesting that EOCl was the major component of the organohalogens in the atmosphere. In the plots of the logarithm of the EOX concentrations versus the reciprocal temperature, their linear relations were observed for EOCl (R = -0.9), for EOBr (R = -0.6) and EOI (R = -0.7) in gaseous phase, which indicated that the concentrations of EOCl, EOBr and EOI in gaseous phase exhibited a strong temperature dependence, i.e., their concentrations increased with increasing of temperature. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Application of superphosphate at establishment as basal fertilizer increased tree growth and survival of Eucalyptus urophylla in a 4.5-year-old trial near Gaoyao, Guangdong, China. It also increased P and N concentrations in young fully expanded leaves at one year and biomass in all tree components. The addition of 20, 50 and 200 kg P ha-1 increased stand volume by five to seven times of the mean annual increment of trees without P. The more P applied, the higher the percentage of stem-wood and the lower the relative allocation of biomass belowground. The low P concentrations in leaves and roots at 20 kg P ha-1 at year 4.5 suggested the withdrawal of P from the biomass, through internal cycling. The addition of P increased N, P, K, Ca and Mg uptake. The 200 kg P ha-1 treatment was optimal both for wood chip production and economic return. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The recent H5N1 avian influenza outbreaks in Asia spread over more than 8 countries. It has caused enormous economic loss and grand challenges for the public health. During these breakouts we isolated three strains of H5N1 Avian Influenza Virus (AIV) from chickens and one from duck in different farms of Southern China. We completely sequenced these four AIVs. Molecular characterization demonstrated that these strains retain the reported H5N1 AIV sequence properties relevant to virus virulence and host adaptation. Phylogeny results demonstrated that three of these isolates (except A/Chicken/Guangdong/174/04) were closely linked to other H5N1 AIVs isolated from the recent H5N1 outbreaks in Asia. Six of 8 segments (except PA and M) of A/Chicken/Guangdong/174/04 also shares a close linkage to other H5N1 AIVs isolated from the recent H5N1 outbreaks. However, the PA gene of A/Chicken/Guangdong/174/04 and another H5N1 strain forms a distinct subgroup along with an H6N1 AIV, and the M gene of A/Chicken/Guangdong/174/04 shows a close linkage to some H5N1 AIVs from aquatic species in China. Our findings suggest that a new genotype of AIV (in addition to previous reported ones) was present during the 2003-04 Asian bird flu outbreaks and that continuing virus surveillance of AIVs be conducted to monitor the evolutionary paths of the A/Chicken/Guangdong/174/04-like AIVs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The chemical composition of the essential oil obtained from pine cones of Pinus koraiensis and Pinus sylvestris from northeast China was analyzed by gas chromatography (GC) and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/ MS), and 35 and 31 components were identified, respectively. α-pinene (35.2%), limonene (18.4%), β-pinene (8.7%), b-caryophyllene (3.5%) and myrcene (3.0%) were the main components in P. koraiensis cone oil. Aromadendrene (20.2%), a-pinene (18.5%), α-longipinene (10.5%) and α-terpineol (5.5%) were the main components in P. sylvestris cone oil. The antioxidant activity of the oils from P. koraiensis and P. sylvestris was evaluated using the DPPH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Allele frequencies of the 15 STR loci were determined in 208 unrelated individuals from Han population living in Henan, China (central China). All loci except D5S818 were found no deviation from Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium. The combined power of discrimination (PD) and the combined chance of exclusion (CE) for the 15 studied loci were >0.9999999 and 0.999996119, respectively. Our data were statistically compared with the previously reported data from other Chinese population groups, and significant difference was found between central Han Chinese (n =208) and eastern Chinese (n =100) at vWA, or between central Han Chinese (n =208) and southeast Chinese (n =122) at D13S317. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

A letter to the editor is presented regarding Beckwith-Wiedemann syndrome (BWS) as first case report in China.

Our investigations into the water consumption patterns of maize (Zea mays L.) grown using surface drip irrigation with and without plastic mulching were based on three consecutive years (2014-2016) of field experiments in a typical area of northeastern China. We evaluated seasonal crop evapotranspiration (ETc) and how it was partitioned into soil evaporation (Es) and plant transpiration (Tp) during the season. Development of crop coefficient (Kc) prediction models was based on the growth day (GD) and leaf area index (LAI) of the crop, as well as the growing degree-days of air (GDDair) and soil (GDDsoil). Results showed that plastic mulching significantly reduced Es by 41.6 to 53.5 mm (p < 0.05) compared to not mulching, while it increased Tp by 23.2 to 40.4 mm (p > 0.05) for spring-planted maize. While plastic mulching normally reduced ETc during the crop growth period, the change was not significant (p > 0.05). The three-year mean Kc for the maize growth period declined by 3.0% under plastic mulching. The mean Kc was lower for the plastic mulching treatment than for the non-mulching treatment in both the early and late season, while it was slightly higher at mid-season. The threeyear means of mid-season Kc (Kc-mid) under plastic mulching and non-mulching were 1.06 and 1.05 lower, respectively, than the FAO-56 recommended value. In addition, the Kc estimation model based on GDDsoil achieved the best fitting accuracy. We recommend applying this GDDsoil model to mulched drip irrigation of maize in northeastern China to obtain more accurate Kc estimation for optimizing and developing mulched drip irrigation in this region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An abstract of the article "First Report of Nectria haematococca Causing Stem Rot of Soybean in China," by Y. Gai, R. Pan, and D. Xu is presented.

The article discusses the presence of the eucalypt species Phaeophleospora destructans in China. The P. destructans is considered as one of the major eucalypt pathogens and are known to cause disease on eucalypts. The P. destructans, the most aggressive eucalypt, causes leaf blights and discoloration of the lower crowns that leads to reduced growth and vigor and, in some instances, death within plantations. It has been reported that P. destructans appears to be restricted to South-East Asia and China.

Background: Left-behind children(LBC) in rural China are at increased risk for mental health problems, including depression. This study aimed to estimate the prevalence of depression and identify key associate factors among Chinese rural LBC., Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted using data from 36,612 LBC aged 6 to 18 years old across 596 data collection sites in Nanchong, Sichuan Province, China. Participants completed questionnaires assessing individual factors, family parenting situation, living events, and health-related data. Depression was measured using the Center for Epidemiological Studies-Depression Scale (CES-D). T-tests, chi-square, and logistic regression were performed to identify factors associated with depression., Results: The overall prevalence of depression among LBC was 6.75%. Logistic regression analysis revealed that family parenting situations, such as being from blended families (OR = 1.45) or being cared for by other family members (OR = 1.64), and dissatisfaction with the parenting situation (OR = 1.57) were significantly associated with higher odds of depression. Living events, including being misunderstood (OR = 1.82) and having disputes (OR = 1.48), and health-related factors, such as chronic diseases and regular medication use (OR = 2.38), also increased the risk of depression., Conclusions: This study highlights the high prevalence of depression among Chinese rural LBC and identifies key associate factors, including family parenting situation, negative living events and health-related factors. Targeted interventions and policies addressing these factors are needed to promote the mental health of this vulnerable population., Competing Interests: Declarations Ethics approval and consent to participate The authors assert that all procedures contributing to this work comply with the ethical standards of the relevant national and institutional committees on human experimentation and with the Helsinki Declaration of 1975, as revised in 2008. All procedures involving human subjects/patients were approved by IRB in Wenzhou Seventh People’s Hospital (EC-KY-2022048). Consent for publication Not applicable. Competing interests The authors declare no competing interests., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Overweight and obesity pose a huge burden on individuals and society. While the relationship between lifestyle factors and overweight and obesity is well-established, the relative contribution of specific lifestyle factors remains unclear. To address this gap in the literature, this study utilizes interpretable machine learning methods to identify the relative importance of specific lifestyle factors as predictors of overweight and obesity in adults., Methods: Data were obtained from 46,057 adults in the China Health and Nutrition Survey (2004-2011) and the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (2007-2014). Basic demographic information, self-reported lifestyle factors, including physical activity, macronutrient intake, tobacco and alcohol consumption, and body weight status were collected. Three machine learning models, namely decision tree, random forest, and gradient-boosting decision tree, were employed to predict body weight status from lifestyle factors. The SHapley Additive exPlanation (SHAP) method was used to interpret the prediction results of the best-performing model by determining the contributions of specific lifestyle factors to the development of overweight and obesity in adults., Results: The performance of the gradient-boosting decision tree model outperformed the decision tree and random forest models. Analysis based on the SHAP method indicates that sedentary behavior, alcohol consumption, and protein intake were important lifestyle factors predicting the development of overweight and obesity in adults. The amount of alcohol consumption and time spent sedentary were the strongest predictors of overweight and obesity, respectively. Specifically, sedentary behavior exceeding 28-35 h/week, alcohol consumption of more than 7 cups/week, and protein intake exceeding 80 g/day increased the risk of being predicted as overweight and obese., Conclusion: Pooled evidence from two nationally representative studies suggests that recognizing demographic differences and emphasizing the relative importance of sedentary behavior, alcohol consumption, and protein intake are beneficial for managing body weight status in adults. The specific risk thresholds for lifestyle factors observed in this study can help inform and guide future research and public health actions., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Coastal hypoxia, exacerbated by the combined influence of eutrophication and global warming, presents a significant environmental challenge. However, the lag correlation between organic matter (OM) export from the upper layers and bottom dissolved oxygen (DO BOT ) reduction still lack clear elucidation. This study investigated the coupling between net ecosystem production (NEP, representing the maximum OM export) and DO BOT in the Changjiang River plume (CRP), using a wave-driven profiler system. The high-resolution profiles revealed rhythmic fluctuations in water column NEP, with sediment-water exchange (-74.6%) and NEP (-4.0%) dominating DO BOT reduction. Notably, surface NEP impacts DO BOT with a lag time of 25.65 h, indicating an OM sinking speed of 1.32 mm s -1 . NEP at a depth of 3.4 m exerted the most significant influence on DO BOT , explaining a 12% reduction. These findings elucidate the response mechanism of DO BOT reduction to upper OM export and provide insights for hypoxia prediction in coastal and estuarine areas., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Background: Sepsis is one of the major causes of morbidity and mortality in burn patients. However, the optimal timing of admission which can minimize the probability of sepsis is still unclear. This study aims to determine the optimal time period of admission for severely burned patients and find out the possible reasons for it., Method: 185 victims to the Kunshan factory aluminum dust explosion accident, which happened on August 2nd, 2014, were studied. The optimal cutpoint for continuous variables in survival models was determined by means of the maximally selected rank statistic. Univariate and multivariate analyses were further conducted to verify that admission time was not a risk factor for sepsis. Subgroup analyses were performed to find out possible contributing factors for the result., Result: The cutoff point for admission time was determined as seven hours, which was supported by the survival curve (p < 0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that, in our study population, delayed admission time was not a risk factor for sepsis (HR = 0.610, 95 %CI = 0.415 - 0.896, p = 0.012). Subgroup analyses showed that "Tracheotomy before admission" (p = 0.002), "Whole blood transfusion" (p < 0.001), "Hemodynamic instability before admission" (p = 0.02), "Has a burn department in the hospital" (p = 0.009), "Has a burn ICU in the hospital" (p < 0.001), "Acute heart failure (AHF)" (p = 0.05), "acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)" (p = 0.05) and "GI bleeding" (p = 0.04) were all statistically significant., Conclusion: In our study population, we found that delayed admission time was not a risk factor associated with a reduced incidence of sepsis among severely burned patients. This might be attributed to variations in prehospital treatments (whole blood transfusion and tracheotomy), whether the hospital had a burn department/ICU, and certain complications (AHF, ARDS and GI bleeding). It can be inferred that early prehospital care plays a crucial role in reducing sepsis risk among severe burn patients., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd and International Society of Burns Injuries. All rights reserved.)

Introduction: Since 2016, a highly lethal visceral gout induced by infection with the novel goose astrovirus (GoAstV) resulted in an ongoing outbreak in goslings in China, with a mortality rate ranging from 10% to 50%, and causing considerable economic losses in the goose industry. However, the pathogenesis of GoAstV and the molecular mechanism by which kidney lesions are induced by GoAstV infection are unclear., Methods: In the present study, a GEK cell infection model for GoAstV was established, and the apoptosis, inflammatory and innate immune responses induced by GoAstV were investigated in GEK cells., Results: The results shown that the expression of proapoptotic proteins, including Bax, caspase-3, caspase-9 and cytochrome c , increased in the infection group; however, the expression of the antiapoptotic protein Bcl-2 decreased, indicating that apoptosis was induced by GoAstV infection in GEK cells. Besides, the activation of the RIG-I/MDA5 pathway and the downstream upregulation of proinflammatory cytokines, including the adapter proteins MAVS, IRF7 and NF-κB and the proinflammatory cytokines IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-α, were detected in GEK cells infected with GoAstV. In addition, GoAstV infection induces the activation of the NLPR3 pathway and further stimulates the increased production of IL-1β. In summary, the present study revealed that GoAstV infection could induce apoptosis and the activation of the RIG-I/MDA5 and NLRP3 pathways in GEK cells, as well as the massive release of proinflammatory cytokines., Discussion: These results are helpful for elucidating the molecular mechanism of pathological lesions in the kidney in gout goslings infected with GoAstV and the interaction between GoAstV and the innate immune system of the host., Competing Interests: The authors declare the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Hou, Jin, Liang, Wang, Jiang, Cao, Sun, Tian, Liu, Xu and Fu.)

Solid fuel combustion exposure is a leading global health risk factor, yet evidence on its effects, especially on vulnerable children, is sparse. This large-scale, multi-center prospective study aimed to address this gap by involving 9997 schoolchildren across China between 2013 and 2015. Here we show that lung function levels exhibited a marginally significant decline among children exposed to solid fuel usage. Specifically, FVC and FEV1 decreased by 21.2 mL (95% CI: -15.7, 58.1) and 24.1 mL (-8.4, 56.6), respectively. Additionally, PEF, FEF 25 and FEF 75 decreased by 25.7 mL/s (-46.5, 98.0), 32.7 mL/s (-42.7, 108.2), and 35.4 mL/s (-5.9, 76.7), respectively. Persistent exposure to solid fuel usage in children led to greater lung damage. Children with allergy history were more susceptible to solid fuel exposure. Our study highlights the adverse impact of solid fuel usage on children and the need to promote clean fuel usage for this vulnerable population., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

Background: Although it is well established that obesity is a risk factor for hypertension, the effect of distinct long-term patterns of body mass index (BMI) on blood pressure (BP) in later life is poorly understood., Methods: Based on the China Health and Nutrition Survey, we analyzed 2920 participants aged 3-17 years with initial normal BP at baseline (1991-2011), who were followed up for the development of hypertension (1993-2015). The group-based trajectory model was applied to identify BMI trajectories, and Cox regression was used to assess their associations with hypertension risk. Stratified analyses were conducted to explore differences across subgroups., Results: During an average follow-up time of 11.20 (7.69) years for males and 7.20 (5.21) years for females, 339 males and 212 females were identified with hypertension, respectively. Three BMI trajectories were identified: low-increasing (60.58% of males and 73.03% of females), moderate-increasing (33.08% of males and 24.22% of females), and high-increasing (6.34% of males and 2.76% of females). Our study found a significant positive association between a higher BMI trajectory and hypertension risk in males (all P for trend < 0.05). Specifically, males in the high-increasing BMI group had a higher risk of hypertension compared with those in the low-increasing group (HR = 1.76, 95% CI: 1.04-2.97). Stratified analyses revealed stronger associations among smokers, drinkers, and inactive individuals., Conclusion: Our findings suggest that maintaining a normal BMI and healthy lifestyle from childhood may lower subsequent risk of hypertension., (© 2024. The Author(s).)

The escalating concern of perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS), particularly at contaminated sites, has prompted extensive investigations. In this study, samples of multimedia including air, rhizosphere soil, and tissues of wheat at various growing stages were collected near a mega fluorochemical industrial park in China. Perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA) was predominant in both air and soil with a strong correlation, highlighting air deposition as an important source in the terrestrial system. PFAS concentrations in wheat decreased in the stem and ear but increased in the leaves as wheat matured. Specifically, perfluorobutanoic acid (PFBA) dominated in the aboveground tissues in the full-life-cycle, except that PFOA surpassed and became predominant in leaves during the filling and maturing stages, hinting at an airborne source. For all PFAS, both bioaccumulation factors and translocation factors (TFs) were inversely correlated with the carbon chain length during the full-life-cycle. The obtained TF values were considerably higher than those obtained from ambient sites reported previously, further suggesting an unneglectable foliar uptake from air, which was estimated to be 25% for PFOA. Moreover, spray irrigation remarkably enhanced the absorption of PFAS in wheat via foliar uptake relative to flood irrigation. The estimated daily intake of PFBA via wheat consumption and air inhalation was 0.50 μg/kg/day for local residents, at least one magnitude higher than the corresponding threshold, suggesting an alarmingly high exposure risk.