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Word boundary information is not marked explicitly in Chinese sentences and word ambiguity happens in Chinese texts. This introduces difficulty to parse characters into words when reading Chinese sentences, especially for beginning readers. In an eye-tracking study, we tested whether explicit word boundary information as provided by alternating text-colors affects reading performance of Chinese children and how such an effect is influenced by individual differences in word segmentation ability. Results showed that across a number of eye-movement measures, grade three children overall benefited from explicit marking of word boundary. Additionally, children with highest word segmentation ability showed the largest benefits in reading speed. We discuss possible implications for education.

In the present study, we explored the perceptual span of typically developing Chinese children in Grade 3 (G3) during their reading of age-appropriate sentences, utilizing the gaze contingent moving window paradigm. Overall, these Chinese children had a smaller perceptual span than adults, covering only one character leftward and two characters rightward of the currently fixated one. In addition, individual differences in reading ability (i.e., number of characters correctly read aloud per minute) influenced the size of the perceptual span. Fluent readers' reading and eye-movement parameters benefited from previewing the third upcoming characters, whereas non-fluent readers reached their asymptotic performances in a smaller window revealing rightwards by only two characters. These results suggest that the perceptual span is modulated dynamically by reading ability. Non-fluent readers need to focus their attention on foveal words, leading to narrowed perceptual span and reduced parafoveal processing.

Background: Antibiotic resistance has emerged as a global concern. Xiyanping injection (XYP), a traditional Chinese medicine injection, has been extensively utilized for the treatment of suppurative acute tonsillitis (SAT) in China, exhibiting clinical efficacy. Consequently, there is a need for further evaluation of the potential effectiveness and safety of this treatment. This meta-analysis consolidated data from multiple independent studies to assess the overall treatment efficacy of XYP as adjuvant therapy in patients with SAT. Methods: The search for randomized controlled trials (RCTs) encompassed databases from their inception to 1 April 2024, including the Cochrane Library, PubMed, Embase, SinoMed, CNKI, Wanfang, VIP, and CBM. Data extraction, methodological quality assessment, and meta-analysis were performed independently by two researchers. Review Manager 5.4 was used for data analysis. Various tools were employed for assessment, including forest plots to visualize results, funnel plots to detect publication bias, trial sequential analysis to estimate sample size, and GRADE to evaluate evidence quality. Results: A comprehensive analysis of 32 RCTs involving 4,265 cases was conducted. When compared to conventional treatments (CTs; β-lactams/ clindamycin hydrochloride injection/ribavirin) alone, the combination of XYP with CTs demonstrated significant reductions in symptom duration. This included sore throat (MD = -21.08, 95% CI: -24.86 to -17.29, p < 0.00001), disappearance of tonsillar redness and swelling (mean difference [MD] = -20.28, 95% confidence interval [CI]: -30.05 to -10.52, p < 0.0001), tonsil purulent discharge (MD = -22.40, 95% CI: -28.04 to -16.75, p < 0.00001), and normalization of temperature (MD = -19.48, 95% CI: -22.49 to -16.47, p < 0.00001). Furthermore, patients receiving CTs combined with XYP exhibited lower levels of interleukin-6 (MD = -7.64, 95% CI: 8.41 to -6.87, p < 0.00001) and interleukin-8 (MD = -5.23, 95% CI: -5.60 to -4.86, p < 0.00001) than those receiving CTs alone. Additionally, the combination therapy significantly improved the recovery rate (relative risk [RR] = 1.55, 95% CI: 1.37 to 1.77, p < 0.00001), white blood cell count recovery rate (RR = 1.13, 95% CI: 1.04 to 1.23, p = 0.004), and disappearance rate of tonsillar redness and swelling (RR = 0.51, 95% CI: 1.14 to 1.38, p < 0.00001), with no significant increase in adverse events (RR = 0.47, 95% CI: 0.20 to 1.10, p = 0.08). Conclusion: The current systematic review and meta-analysis tentatively suggest that the combination of XYP and CTs yields superior clinical outcomes for patients with SAT compared to CTs alone, with a favorable safety profile. Nonetheless, these findings warrant further confirmation through more rigorous RCTs, given the notable heterogeneity and publication bias observed in the included studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Acute ischemic stroke (AIS) is a significant health burden in China, affecting a sizable portion of the population. Conventional pharmacological treatments frequently fall short of desirable outcomes. Therefore, exploring alternative therapies is crucial. Remote ischemic postconditioning (RIPostC) is a noninvasive and cost-effective adjunctive therapy. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy and safety of RIPostC as an adjunctive therapy for AIS to inform clinical practice. Methods: A comprehensive search was conducted across the PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), WanFang, Weipu (VIP), and China Biology Medicine disc (CBM) databases up to October 2023. All included studies underwent bias risk assessment using the Cochrane risk-of-bias assessment tool. The primary outcome measure was the National Institute of Health Stroke Scale (NIHSS), with secondary outcomes including the Barthel index (BI), D-dimer, C-reactive protein (CRP), fibrinogen (FIB), brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), modified Rankin scale (mRS), interleukin-6 (IL-6), and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) levels. The data were analyzed using fixed-effects and random-effects models in Review Manager, with mean differences (MDs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) calculated for each outcome. The grading of recommendations, assessment, development, and evaluations (GRADE) approach was used to evaluate the level of evidence for each outcome measure. Results: This meta-analysis included 38 studies, encompassing 4334 patients. Compared with the control group, the RIPostC group had significantly lower NIHSS scores, serum CRP, D-dimer, IL-6, TNF-α, and FIB levels, and increased BDNF levels. Moreover, it improved the patient's BI and mRS scores. According to the GRADE approach, the quality of evidence for mRS was deemed "moderate," while the NIHSS, BI, and CRP were rated as "low" quality. IL-6, TNF-α, FIB, D-dimer, and BDNF received "very low" quality ratings. Conclusion: The findings suggest that RIPostC activates endogenous protective mechanisms, providing benefits to patients with AIS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

One major threat to validity in high-stakes testing is construct-irrelevant variance. In this study we explored whether the transition from a paper-and-pencil to a computer-based test mode in a high-stakes test in China, the College English Test, has brought about variance irrelevant to the construct being assessed in this test. Analyses of the test scores, text complexity, language errors, and writing processes revealed that computer-based writing elicited cognitive processes among test takers that were similar to those of traditional paper-based writing; moreover, a high level of computer familiarity had a facilitative effect on test-takers' performances. In considering these results we argue that, in the 21st century, the construct of a computer-based language test needs to be reconceptualized by drawing on Chalhoub-Deville's view of local context-bound constructs: computer literacy should be viewed as an important contextual facet interacting with the construct measured in a computer-based language assessment.

Lonicerae Japonicae Caulis is the aboveground stem part of the Lonicera Japonica Thunb, which belongs to the medicine food homology species in China. It has the effects of clearing away heat, toxic material, dredging wind and unblocking collaterals. Modern research shows that it contains various active metabolites and a wide range of pharmacological effects, which is of great research and clinical application value. It mainly contains organic acids, volatile oils, flavonoids, triterpenes, triterpene saponins and other active metabolites. Its pharmacological effects mainly include anti-inflammatory, antibacterial, antitumor, antioxidant, and repairing bone and soft tissue. Based on the literature reports in recent years, the active metabolites, pharmacological effects and mechanisms of Lonicerae Japonicae Caulis were sorted out and summarized. It lays a foundation for explaining the efficacy material basis and application value of Lonicerae Japonicae Caulis. It aims to provide a reference for the in-depth research, development and utilization of Lonicerae Japonicae Caulis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Building interprofessional working relationships between general practitioners (GPs) and pharmacists is essential to ensure high-quality patient care. However, there is limited Chinese literature on GP–pharmacist collaboration, and few studies have explored GPs' experiences with pharmacist integration into general practices. This study aimed to investigate GPs' attitudes towards and frequency of collaboration with pharmacists in China. Methods: This cross-sectional study used an online self-administered questionnaire integrating two scales, ATCI-GP and FICI-GP, which had been translated and validated to investigate 3,248 GPs from February 15 to March 15, 2023 across Zhejiang Province, China. Descriptive analyses were used, and the factors associated with GPs' frequency of collaboration with pharmacists were explored using logistic regression analysis. Results: A total of 2,487 GPs (76.6%) responded and consented to participate in the survey; 52.3% were male and the mean age was 35.4 years. Most GPs agreed that they shared common goals and objectives with pharmacists when caring for patients (90.0%), and pharmacists were open to working with them on patients' medication management (80.8%). However, half of the GPs did not change or seldom changed the patient's medication on the pharmacist's advice (51.4%). Logistic regression analysis showed that GPs who were older and had more years of practice were more likely to agree that pharmacists were willing to collaborate, had common goals for treatment and that they would change the patient's medication on the advice of the pharmacist. GPs who had regular communication protocols (adjusted odds ratio1 [aOR1] = 1.88, 95% CI 1.45–2.45; aOR2 = 3.33, 95% CI 2.76–4.02), participated in joint continuing education (aOR1 = 1.87, 95% CI 1.44–2.43; aOR2 = 2.27, 95% CI 1.91–2.70), provided recommendations for medication review (aOR1 = 3.01, 95% CI 2.07–4.38; aOR2 = 3.50, 95% CI 2.51–4.86), and communicated with pharmacists during resident training (aOR1 = 2.15, 95% CI 1.78–2.60; aOR2 = 1.38, 95% CI 1.18–1.62) were associated with a more positive attitude towards and higher frequency of cooperation. Conclusions: GPs in China displayed a positive attitude towards cooperating with pharmacists, but they did not demonstrate a similar level of practice. As environmental determinants impact interdisciplinary collaboration, healthcare managers and policy-makers need to implement measures that foster a supportive environment conducive to interdisciplinary collaboration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, China's urban smart water management has focused on enhancing the quality, efficiency, energy conservation, flood prevention, and control of combined sewer overflow (CSO) and urban waterlogging. To evaluate the combined sewer system's operation efficiency effectively, a comprehensive evaluation system was established. This system incorporated expert scoring and the coefficient of variation method, considering 31 specific indexes to assess six key aspects: CSO control, waterlogging control, stable wastewater transportation, pipeline management and maintenance, energy conservation, and smart water affairs. The AHP—Fuzzy comprehensive evaluation was employed for evaluation, combining AHP for index weighting and fuzzy comprehensive evaluation for quantitative scoring. The system was applied to assess the operation efficiency of a specific area in Shanghai from 2020 to 2022. Results showed progress in CSO control and energy conservation, with operation efficiency improving from low in 2020 to moderate in 2021 and good in 2022. However, waterlogging control and pipeline management still require improvement in the combined sewer area. Overall, the evaluation system provides valuable insights into the system's performance, identifying areas for targeted enhancement and emphasizing the need for further improvements to achieve optimal operation efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prosodic boundaries can be used to guide syntactic parsing in both spoken and written sentence comprehension, but it is unknown whether the processing of prosodic boundaries affects the processing of upcoming lexical information. In 3 eye-tracking experiments, participants read silently sentences that allow for 2 possible syntactic interpretations when there is no comma or other cue specifying which interpretation should be taken. In Experiments 1 and 2, participants heard a low-pass filtered auditory version of the sentence, which provided a prosodic boundary cue prior to each sentence. In Experiment 1, we found that the boundary cue helped syntactic disambiguation after the cue and led to longer fixation durations on regions right before the cue than on identical regions without prosodic boundary information. In Experiments 2 and 3, we used a gaze-contingent display-change paradigm to manipulate the parafoveal visibility of the first constituent character of the target word after the disambiguating position. Results of Experiment 2 showed that previewing the first character significantly reduced the reading time of the target word, but this preview benefit was greatly reduced when the prosodic boundary cue was introduced at this position. In Experiment 3, instead of the acoustic cues, a visually presented comma was inserted at the disambiguating position in each sentence. Results showed that the comma effect on lexical processing was essentially the same as the effect of prosodic boundary cue. These findings demonstrate that processing a prosodic boundary could impair the processing of parafoveal information during sentence reading.

Objective To explore the efficacy and safety of endoscopic transnasal approach combined with microscopic craniotomy in the stimultaneous resection of complex skull base tumors with nasal cranial communication, and the protective effect of vascular anastomosis technology in the internal carotid artery (ICA). Methods and Results From January 2020 to December 2022, the Department of Neurosurgery of Tianjin Huanhu Hospital used endoscopic transnasal approach combined with microscopic craniotomy to treat 9 patients with complex skull base tumors with nasal cranial communication at the same time, while 6 patients were protected by identifying, exposing and shifting the ICA during the craniotomy, and 3 patients underwent petrosal segment of the ICA-radial artery (RA)-bed segment of the ICA bypass on the basis of ICA protection. Among the 9 patients, 8 cases underwent total tumor resection, and one case underwent partial tumor resection; 8 cases [Glasgow Outcome Scale (GOS) level 5] resumed daily life and work at 2 weeks after surgery, one case (GOS level 4) had decreased vision on the affected side but had self-help, and only one case developed intracranial infection 3 d after surgery. Conclusions Endoscopic transnasal approach combined with microscopic craniotomy for simultaneous resection of complex skull base tumors with nasal cranial communication has a definite therapeutic effect and no serious complications, the application of intraoperative ICA protection and vascular anastomosis technology can effectively reduce intraoperative bleeding and postoperative complications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How to fit a properly nonlinear classification model from conventional well logs to lithofacies is a key problem for machine learning methods. Kernel methods (e.g., KFD, SVM, MSVM) are effective attempts to solve this issue due to abilities of handling nonlinear features by kernel functions. Deep mining of log features indicating lithofacies still needs to be improved for kernel methods. Hence, this work employs deep neural networks to enhance the kernel principal component analysis (KPCA) method and proposes a deep kernel method (DKM) for lithofacies identification using well logs. DKM includes a feature extractor and a classifier. The feature extractor consists of a series of KPCA models arranged according to residual network structure. A gradient-free optimization method is introduced to automatically optimize parameters and structure in DKM, which can avoid complex tuning of parameters in models. To test the validation of the proposed DKM for lithofacies identification, an open-sourced dataset with seven conventional logs (GR, CAL, AC, DEN, CNL, LLD, and LLS) and lithofacies labels from the Daniudi Gas Field in China is used. There are eight lithofacies, namely clastic rocks (pebbly, coarse, medium, and fine sandstone, siltstone, mudstone), coal, and carbonate rocks. The comparisons between DKM and three commonly used kernel methods (KFD, SVM, MSVM) show that (1) DKM (85.7%) outperforms SVM (77%), KFD (79.5%), and MSVM (82.8%) in accuracy of lithofacies identification; (2) DKM is about twice faster than the multi-kernel method (MSVM) with good accuracy. The blind well test inWell D13 indicates that compared with the other three methods DKM improves about 24% in accuracy, 35% in precision, 41% in recall, and 40% in F1 score, respectively. In general, DKM is an effective method for complex lithofacies identification. This work also discussed the optimal structure and classifier for DKM. Experimental results show that (m1, m2, 0) is the optimal model structure and linear SVM is the optimal classifier. (m1, m2, 0) means there are m1 KPCAs, and then m2 residual units. A workflow to determine an optimal classifier in DKM for lithofacies identification is proposed, too. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Inorganic nitrate (NO3−) is a crucial component of fine particulate matter (PM2.5) in haze events in China. Understanding the formation mechanisms of nitrate and the sources of NOx was critical to control the air pollution. In this study, measurements of multiple isotope compositions of nitrate (δ18O‐NO3−, δ17O‐NO3−, and δ15N‐NO3−) in PM2.5 were conducted in Hangzhou from 9 October 2015 to 24 August 2016. Our results showed that oxygen anomaly of nitrate (Δ17O‐NO3−: 20.0‰–37.9‰) and nitrogen isotope of nitrate (δ15N‐NO3−: −2.9‰ to 18.1‰) values were higher in winter and lower in summer. Based on Δ17O‐NO3− observation and a Bayesian model, NO3 radical chemistry was found to dominate the nitrate formation in winter, while photochemical reaction (NO2 + OH) was the main pathway in summer. After considering the nitrogen isotopic fractionation in the NOx(g)‐NO3−(p) conversion, the average contributions of coal combustion, vehicle exhausts, biomass burning, and soil emission were 50% ± 9%, 19% ± 12%, 26% ± 15%, and 5% ± 4%, respectively, to nitrate aerosols during the whole sampling period. Coal combustion was the most important nitrate source in Hangzhou, especially in winter (∼56%). The contribution of soil emission increased significantly in summer due to active soil microbial processes under high temperature environment. Plain Language Summary: Inorganic nitrate is a crucial component of fine particulate matter in haze events in China. Understanding the formation mechanisms and sources of nitrate was critical to control the air pollution. In this study, measurements of multiple isotope compositions of nitrate showed that oxygen anomaly and nitrogen isotope of nitrate are distinct in winter and summer. Then, nitrate radical chemistry was found to dominate the nitrate formation in winter, while photochemical reaction (nitrogen dioxide with hydroxyl radical) was the main pathway in summer. After considering the nitrogen isotopic fractionation in the conversion from nitrogen oxides to nitrate particle, coal combustion was the most important nitrate source in Hangzhou, especially in winter (56%) and the contribution of soil emission increased significantly in summer under high temperature environment. Key Points: NO3 radical chemistry was dominant in nitrate production in the polluted atmosphere in HangzhouThe isotopic fractionation effect in the NOx(g)‐NO3−(p) conversion showed a greater impact on the source apportionment of nitrate aerosolsCoal combustion was the main source of nitrate aerosols in Hangzhou [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Growing public awareness of the importance of protecting biodiversity requires the development of forest practices that increase the complexity of stand structure. Understanding the ecological processes of different forest vegetation provide insights into community coexistence mechanisms. In this paper, the spatial patterns of three different communities, evergreen broadleaf forest, deciduous broadleaf forest, and mixed needleleaf and broadleaf forest at Mt. Huangshan, China, were quantified with four structural parameters, the mingling index, the uniform angle index, the diameter dominance index and the crowdedness index. All trees with a diameter at breast height of more than 5 cm were measured. Our analyses highlighted that most trees in the three communities were extremely dense and slightly clumped, with a moderate size differentiation and high mixed structure. In mixed needleleaf and broadleaf forest, the distribution pattern of tree species was better than the other two forests. Overall, spatial patterns in mixed needleleaf and broadleaf forest exhibited a strong stability-effect, that is, the stand had a suitable environment for the stable survival of the forest. With the increasing of elevation, the degree of the mingling index and the crowdedness index increased, however, there was no influence on the uniform angle index and the diameter dominance index. Further, at the same elevation, four structural parameters of shady slope were larger than that of sunny slope. Then we found the relationship between stand spatial structure and environment factors had important influence on forest structure. Our work contributes to the knowledge of population structure, and further provide theoretical basis for the sustainable development of forest resources and protecting biodiversity of Huangshan Mountain. In future studies, it is necessary to explore the limiting factors of community spatial distribution by combining species diversity and functional traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To explore the general characteristics, traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) syndromes and medication of patients with rectal cancer in China. Methods: The clinical data of inpatients with rectal cancer from the information system of 17 tertiary A-level traditional Chinese medicine hospitals in China were collected. After data standardization, descriptive analysis was performed on the general information, syndrome distribution and medication characteristics of the included patients, and association rule analysis was performed on the drug usage. Results: A total of 15 424 hospitalized patients with rectal cancer were included. The ratio of male to female patients was 1.6:1, the average age was 60.87 years old, and the age was mainly in the range of 50 to 79 years old. Among the 12 146 patients with rectal cancer, the top 5 TCM syndromes were Qi and Yin deficiency syndrome (25%), phlegm and blood stasis syndrome (19%), spleen deficiency syndrome (14%), Qi stagnation and blood stasis syndrome (7%) and Qi and blood deficiency syndrome (6%). After excluding the anti-tumor western medicine recommended by the guidelines, adrenal corticosteroids (43.55%), antibiotics (42.94%) and immunomodulatory drugs (42.66%) ranked the top three in the frequency of western medicine use. Dexamethasone (38.15%), metoclopramide tablets (20.51%) and furosemide injection (19.71%) were the three most commonly used western medicines. Among the three western medicines combined, cimetidine, granisetron hydrochloride dextrose injection + dexamethasone were the most common (support 8.23%, confidence 96.4%, and improvement 2.48%). Heat-clearing and detoxifying agents (53.72%), Yiqi-fuzheng agents (49.76%) and blood-activating and stasis-removing agents (15.68%) ranked the top 3 in the frequency of use of traditional Chinese medicine.Shenqi Fuzheng injection, Shenqi Fuzheng injection (21.59%), Compound Kushen injection (17.52%) and Aidi injection (11.96%) were the three most commonly used Chinese patent medicines. Conclusion: The main syndromes of patients with rectal cancer may be Qi and Yin deficiency syndrome, phlegm and blood stasis syndrome, and spleen deficiency syndrome, etc. The treatment needs to focus on the supplementation of vital essence, combination of dredging and tonifying method, and the integration of traditional Chinese and western medicine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Loess landslides represent an important geohazard in relation to the deformation of unstable loess structures occurred on the slope of loess-covered area. It has become one of the important topics to accurately identify the distribution and activity of loess landslides and describe the spatio-temporal kinematics in the western-project construction in China. Interferometric synthetic aperture radar (InSAR) proves to be effective for landslides investigation. This study proposes an improved InSAR-based procedure for large-area landslide mapping in loess-hilly areas, including tropospheric-delay correction based on quadtree segmentation and automatic selection of interferograms based on minimum-error boundary. It is tested in Dingbian County in Shaanxi Province, China. More than 200 SAR images were processed and a total of 50 potential loess landslides were detected and mapped. Results show that the landslides are mainly distributed along the river basins and concentrated in areas with elevation ranging from 1450 m to 1650 m, and with slope angles of 10–40°. Then, a total of eight (16%) loess landslides are classified as active ones based on three parameters derived from InSAR-deformation rates: activity index (AI), mean deformation rate, and maximum deformation rate. Moreover, we characterize the segmentation of detected landslides and describe the discrepancy of local topography and deformation rates by coupling the peak in probability-density curves of deformation rates and profiles of the elevation and deformation rates. Finally, correlation between landslide deformation and rainfall is given through wavelet analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To explore the main factors of renal function injury caused by the combination of elemene emulsion injection in the real world. Methods: Based on the hospital information system medical database constructed by the Institute of Clinical Basic Medicine of Chinese Academy of Traditional Chinese Medicine, taking the patient information of elemene emulsion injection used in 21 top three hospitals in China as the research object, the nested case control study method was used to compare the combined medication of patients with renal function injury group and control group, The main factors that may lead to renal function injury were screened by MCP variable selection method, and the above main factors were further analyzed by classical logistic regression and propensity score logistic regression method. Results: The analysis found that the combined use of potassium chloride within 7 d before the use of elemene emulsion injection or the combined use of furosemide during the use of elemene emulsion injection may be the main factor leading to renal function injury. Conclusion: The combination of elemene emulsion injection and the above main factors that may lead to renal injury should be avoided. If it must be used, clinical monitoring should be strengthened, and abnormal reactions should be treated immediately. The results of this study have certain clinical significance, and the clinical mechanism can be further studied and explored in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wheat straw (WS) was considered the most abundant agricultural residue in China. Therefore, it was meaningful to explore the effective utilization of WS. Thus far, WS has been considered a potential raw material to produce lignocellulose nanofibrils (LCNFs) with the rapid development of nanotechnology. Unfortunately, the existing methods of LCNFs preparation directly from WS still faced some hurdles. Herein, screw extrusion and ball milling considered the common mechanical pretreatments were employed to directly prepare LCNFs from WS. The different impacts of screw extrusion and ball milling pretreatments on the properties of LCNFs were revealed by systematically comparing physicochemical analyses. The results showed that the crystalline and chemical structure of samples was little affected by the mechanical pretreatment. However, the mechanical pretreatment caused a change in the morphology, yield, and chemical composition of LCNFs. LCNFs prepared by screw extrusion with a high yield of 73% had the narrowest diameter distribution (0 ~ 80 nm), the most cellulose content (51.1%), and the maximum crystallinity degree (44.7%). LCNF samples all exhibited good thermal stability. This work could not only offer theoretical guidance on the preparation of LCNFs by mechanical pretreatments but also expand the high‐value application of WS in polymer composites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The potentially destructive effects of informal communication in the form of negative workplace gossip have recently attracted scholars' interest. Beyond the perspectives of prior studies (e.g., the conservation of resources (COR) and self-consistency theories), we offer a new account based on social identity theory and propose that negative workplace gossip is related to target employees' decreased organizational citizenship behavior (OCB) by undermining their identification with the organization. We also theorize that collectivism influences the extent to which employees identify with the organization when being targeted by negative gossip. By collecting three-wave supervisor–subordinate dyadic data from China, we demonstrated that organizational identification mediates the negative relationship between negative workplace gossip and OCB when the effects of other mediators studied by previous perspectives (i.e., organization-based self-esteem (OBSE) and emotional exhaustion) were controlled. In addition, we found that collectivism moderates the indirect effect of negative workplace gossip on OCB through organizational identification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The highly virulent and antigenic variant of Pseudorabies virus (PRV) that emerged from classical Bartha-K61-vaccinated pig herds has caused substantial economic losses to the swine industry in China since 2011. A safe and more effective vaccine is most desirable. In this study, a gE/TK gene-deficient PRV, namely, HD/c, was constructed based on a PRV type II DX strain isolated from a commercial vaccine-immunized farm and the HD/c-based inactivated vaccine was formulated and evaluated for its safety, immunogenicity, and protective efficacy inmice and piglets. The resulting PRV HD/c strain has a similar growth curve to the parental DX strain. After vaccination, the inactivated HD/c vaccine did not cause any visible gross pathological or histopathological changes in the tissues of mice and piglets and provided rapid and potent protection against the challenge of the classical and variant PRVs at day 21 post-vaccination in mice. A single immunization of 108.5TCID50 inactivated PRV HD/c strain-elicited robust immunity with high titer of neutralizing antibody and provided complete protection from the lethal challenge of PRV DX strain in piglets. These results indicated that the inactivated PRV HD/c vaccine with the deletion of gE/TK genes was a safe and effective PRV vaccine candidate for the control of PRV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new spikemoss species, Selaginella wuyishanensis, is described and illustrated based on materials collected from Fujian Province, East China. The new species can be distinguished from S. lutchuensis Koidzumi and S. albociliata P. S. Wang by its leaves with extremely long cilia (up to 8 mm) and distinctly white margins, ovate ventral sporophylls, and sporophyll-pteryx completely inverted on dorsal sporophylls. In the present work, a molecular phylogeny, taxonomic description, distribution information, line drawing, and photographs of this new species are presented. A morphological comparison is also given to distinguish it from morphologically similar species in Selaginella sect. Tetragonostachyae (Hook. & Grev.) Hieron. & Sadeb. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To delineate the onset and recurrence characteristics of noncardiogenic ischemic stroke patients in China. Methods: A prospective, multicenter and registry study was carried out in 2,558 patients at 7 representative clinical sub-centers during November 3, 2016 to February 17, 2019. A questionnaire was used to collect information of patients regarding CM syndromes and constitutions and associated risk factors. Additionally, stroke recurrence was defined as a primary outcome indicator. Results: A total of 327 (12.78 %) patients endured recurrence events, 1,681 (65.72%) were men, and the average age was 63.33 ± 9.45 years. Totally 1,741 (68.06%) patients suffered first-ever ischemic stroke, 1,772 (69.27%) patients reported to have hypertension, and 1,640 (64.11%) of them reported dyslipidemia, 1,595 (62.35%) patients exhibited small-artery occlusion by The Trial of Org 10172 in Acute Stroke Treatment (TOAST) classification. Specifically, 1,271 (49.69%) patients were considered as qi-deficient constitution, and 1,227 (47.97%) patients were determined as stagnant blood constitution. There were 1,303 (50.94%) patients diagnosed as blood stasis syndrome, 1,280 (50.04%) patients exhibited phlegm and dampness syndrome and 1,012 (39.56%) patients demonstrated qi deficiency syndrome. And 1,033 (40.38%) patients declared intracranial artery stenosis, and 478 (18.69%) patients reported carotid artery stenosis. The plaque in 1,508 (41.36%) patients were of mixed. Particularly, 41.09% of them demonstrated abnormal levels of glycated hemoglobin levels. Conclusions: Recurrence in minor and small-artery stroke cannot be ignored. Hypertension, dyslipidemia, abnormal HbA1c, intracranial artery stenosis and carotid plaque were more common in stroke patients. Particularly, phlegm-dampness and blood stasis syndromes, as well as qi deficiency and blood stasis constitutions, were still the main manifestations of stroke. (Trial registration at ClinicalTrials.gov No. NCT03174535) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While numerous studies have revealed the beneficial effects of job crafting for crafters, little is known about its interpersonal consequences. Drawing upon role theory, we take a unique recipient-focused approach to investigate how and when engaging in task crafting may elicit responses from coworkers. Utilizing a three-wave field survey design, we collected data from 304 dyads of frontline service workers and their immediate supervisors in hotels located in the south of China. The results suggest that task crafting is positively associated with interpersonal conflict, which in turn triggers workplace victimization from coworkers. Furthermore, the indirect effect of task crafting on workplace victimization by coworkers is significant only when task interdependence is high. Our research contributes to the job crafting literature by advancing our understanding of the coworker-related outcomes of task crafting. • Employees' task crafting not only can bring a range of benefits to themselves, but it could also trigger negative interpersonal consequences. • Task crafting is positively associated with interpersonal conflict, which, in turn, leads to workplace victimization from coworkers. • Task interdependence strengthens the positive linkage between task crafting and workplace victimization from coworkers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Fecal carriage of extended-spectrum β-lactamase-producing Escherichia coli (ESBL-EC) and carbapenemase-producing E. coli (CP-EC) is well reported among hospitalized adults and children. However, there are few studies on the carriage prevalence and ESBL-EC and CP-EC genotypes among healthy children in China. Patients and Methods: Stool samples were collected from 330 students in 2021 from three randomly selected primary schools in Changsha, China. ESBL-EC and CP-EC were screened using CHROMagarTM chromogenic plates. ESBL and carbapenemase production was confirmed using the double-disc synergy test and a modified carbapenem inactivation method, respectively. Antimicrobial susceptibility was tested using the broth microdilution method. Resistance determinants, virulence factors, and phylogenetic groups were determined by PCR and sequencing. Multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) was performed (seven housekeeping genes were amplified and sequenced) on the phylogenic group B2 E. coli to detect high-risk clonal strains such as ST131 E. coli. Then, ST131 E. coli were characterized based on ST131 clades, O-type, and fimH alleles. Results: In total, 118 (35.8%) ESBL-EC and 3 (0.9%) CP-EC were isolated. blaCTX-M was the most common genotype (27.1%), identified in all ESBL-EC, except one, which carried blaSHV-12. One isolate with mcr-1 was found amongst ESBL-EC, whereas all three CP-EC carried blaNDM-1. The predominant sequence type (ST) clones in group B2 were ST131 and ST1193. The prevalence of ST131 E. coli was 9.9%, displaying serotypes O16 and O25b, fimH alleles 30, 41, and 89, and ST131 clades A and C1-M27. Conclusion: In this study, high carriage rate of ESBL-EC was found among healthy children, and the dominant ESBL was CTX-M-14. In addition, high-risk clones (ST131 and ST1193) were also detected. This emphasizes the importance of monitoring ESBL-EC in community settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study explores the level of stigma among Chinese nasopharyngeal carcinoma survivors, its influencing factors and relationship with self‐efficacy. Methods: In total, 281 nasopharyngeal carcinoma survivors were recruited from China, who completed the demographic, disease‐related and late toxicities questionnaire, as well as the General Self‐Efficacy Scale and Social Impact Scale. Results: The mean scores for stigma and self‐efficacy were 57.22 ± 9.58 and 28.06 ± 3.97, respectively, both showing a moderate level. The late toxicities with the highest incidence were xerostomia (91.8%), fatigue (78.3%) and hearing loss (63.0%). Stigma was significantly and negatively related to self‐efficacy (r = −0.295, P < 0.001). Multivariable linear regression showed that self‐efficacy, number of children, educational level, perceived support from spouse and other family members and some late toxicities (nasal obstruction and toothache) were influencing factors of stigma, accounting for 49.4% of the variance. Conclusion: Medical staff should be more aware of stigma among Chinese nasopharyngeal carcinoma survivors, especially those with more children and weaker educational backgrounds who are at a higher risk of stigma. They should take effective measures to alleviate stigma by improving patients' self‐efficacy, relieving late toxicities and encouraging spouses and family members to provide more support for them. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ephemeral plants are a crucial vegetation component in temperate deserts of Central Asia, and play an important role in biogeochemical cycle and biodiversity maintenance in desert ecosystems. However, the nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) status and interrelations of leaf-root-soil of ephemeral plants remain unclear. A total of 194 leaf-root-soil samples of eight ephemeral species at 37 sites in the Gurbantunggut Desert, China were collected, and then the corresponding N and P concentrations, and the N:P ratio were measured. Results showed that soil parameters presented no significant difference among the eight species. The total soil N:P was only 0.116 (geomean), indicating limited soil N, while the available soil N:P (4.896, geomean) was significantly larger than the total N:P. The leaf N (averagely 30.995 mg g−1) and P (averagely 1.523 mg g−1) concentrations were 2.64–8.46 and 0.93–3.99 times higher than the root N (averagely 8.014 mg g−1) and P (averagely 0.802 mg g−1) concentrations, respectively. Thus, leaf N:P (averagely 21.499) was 1.410–2.957 times higher than root N:P (averagely 11.803). Meanwhile, significant interspecific differences existed in plant stoichiometric traits. At the across-species level, N content scaled as the 3/4-power of P content in both leaves and roots. Leaf and root N:P ratios were mainly influenced by P; however, the leaf-to-root N or P ratio was dominated by roots. Leaf and root N, P contents and N:P were generally unrelated to soil nutrients, and the former presented lower variation than the latter, indicating a strong stoichiometric homeostasis for ephemerals. These results demonstrate that regardless of soil nutrient supply capacity in this region, the fast-growing ephemeral plants have formed a specific leaf-root-soil stoichiometric relation and nutrient use strategy adapting to the extreme desert environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To evaluate multidrug resistant loop-mediated isothermal amplification (MDR-LAMP) assay for the early diagnosis of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis and to compare the mutation patterns associated with the rpoB, katG, and inhA genes at the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention. MDR-LAMP assay was evaluated using 100 Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mtb) isolates obtained from the National Reference Laboratory for Tuberculosis in China. Phenotypic resistance to isoniazid and rifampicin and whole-genome sequencing served as reference standards. The sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value (PPV), and negative predictive value (NPV) of MDR-LAMP were 85.5%, 93.6%, 96.7%, and 74.4% for the detection of resistance to isoniazid and rifampicin, respectively, and 80.5%, 92.3%, 98.6%, and 41.4% for the detection of Mtb cultured from smear-positive sputum samples, respectively. When DNA sequencing was used as the reference standard, the sensitivity, specificity, PPV, and NPV of MDR-LAMP were 93.1%, 92.3%, 97.2%, and 82.8% for the detection of katG and inhA gene mutations, respectively, and 89.1%, 88.9%, 93.4%, and 81.1% for the detection of rpoB gene mutation, respectively. MDR-LAMP is a rapid and accessible assay for the laboratory identification of rifampicin and isoniazid resistance of Mtb isolates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although the inactivated SARS-CoV-2 vaccine (CoronaVac) has undergone preclinical tests and clinical trials evaluating its efficacy and safety, few data have been reported in the post-licensure real-world setting. We aimed to assess the safety of the vaccine among healthcare workers. Methods: A self-administered online survey on monitoring adverse reactions post vaccination was conducted among the staff who worked at and were vaccinated in a tertiary hospital in Taizhou, China, from February 24 to 7 March 2021. A total of 1526 subjects responded to the questionnaire when they received an e-mail or an e-poster on WeChat. Results: The incidences of overall adverse reactions after the first and second injections were 15.6% (238/1526) and 14.6% (204/1397), respectively. The most common adverse reaction was localized pain at the injection site, with an incidence of 9.6% and 10.7% after each dose, accounting for 61.8% and 73.0% of adverse reactions, respectively. Fatigue, muscle pain, and headache were the most common systemic adverse reactions. Conclusions: These findings implied that the inactivated CoronaVac vaccine has an acceptable safety profile among healthcare workers due to the low incidence of self-reported adverse reactions. This may boost public confidence in nationwide mass vaccination campaigns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• In around 95 % of cities in China, TCE tends to be underestimated. • Urban heterogeneity plays a crucial role in the accurate evaluation of TCE. • RTCE can minimize the impacts of heterogeneous urban landscapes. • Heat mitigation potential of trees in high-rise urban environments is undervalued. As cities worldwide grapple with the escalating challenges of extreme heat events, afforestation can serve as an effective adaptation measure to mitigate heat stress. This study presents a comprehensive nationwide assessment of urban tree-induced cooling effects and provides a more accurate and robust methodology that accounts for the influence of spatial heterogeneity within the complex urban environment. Results reveal that the conventional method for assessing cooling efficiency (TCE) is substantially influenced by urban heterogeneity, in terms of both horizontal and vertical structures. The revised tree cooling efficiency (RTCE), designed to minimize the impacts of other land cover types on surface temperature variations, was proved to be a more accurate estimation. In 362 out of 379 cities across China, TCE tended to underestimate the cooling effects as a result of spatial heterogeneity. The nationwide average disparity between RTCE and TCE was approximately 0.047±0.0145 ℃ per percent (95 % confidence interval). The largest differences were observed among high-rise environments, highlighting the undervalued heat mitigation potential of urban trees in compact and densely populated urban settings. This study emphasizes the considerable potential of urban tree-cooling effects in mitigating heat stress in the face of a warming planet. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Information on the prevalence and resistance spectrum of nontuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) in China is mainly based on regional or local data. To estimate the proportion of NTM cases in China, a national survey of NTM pulmonary disease was carried out based on acid-fast positive sputum samples collected in 2013. Methods: Sputum samples collected from enrolled presumptive cases in 72 nationwide tuberculosis surveillance sites from the 31 provinces in the mainland of China were cultured using L-J medium at the National tuberculosis reference laboratory (NTRL). MALDI-TOF MS identified the species of re-cultured strains, and minimal inhibitory concentrations (MICs) were determined to evaluate the drug susceptibility of NTM isolates. Data analysis used statistical software SPSS version 22.0 for Windows statistical package. Results: Of 4917 mycobacterial isolates cultured, 6.4% [317/4917, 95% confidence interval (CI) 5.8%–7.2%] were confirmed as NTM, among which 7.7% (287/3709, 95% CI 6.9%–8.6%) were from the southern region. In inland and coastal China, 87.7% (95% CI 78.7%–93.2%) and 50.0% (95% CI 43.7%–56.3%) of isolates, respectively, were slow-growing mycobacteria (SGM), with the remaining rapid growing mycobacteria (RGM). A total of 29 species were detected, Mycobacterium abscessus had higher clarithromycin-inducible resistance rates than M. massiliense (65.67% vs 2.22%). M. kansasii presented lower resistance rates in linezolid and moxifloxacin than M. avium-intracellulare complex (3.23% vs 66.67%, 0 vs 47.22%) and other SGM (3.23% vs 38%, 0 vs 26%). Conclusions: More NTM pulmonary disease was observed in the south and coastal China (P < 0.01). SGM was widely distributed, and more RGM are present in southern and coastal China (P < 0.01). The antimicrobial resistance spectrum of different NTM species was significantly different and accurate species identification would be facilitated to NTM pulmonary disease treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Cytomegalovirus retinitis (CMVR) is an important opportunistic infection (OI) occurring mainly in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and has the potential to cause severe visual impairment and blindness among AIDS patients. Subsequent to the adoption and implementation of widespread antiretroviral therapy (ART), the prognosis of AIDS-associated CMVR has been substantially improved. Nevertheless, the equivocal clinical evidence as regards the optimal timing for ART initiation in patients with an established CMVR diagnosis is required. We therefore designed the present study in order to investigate the optimal timing for ART initiation in AIDS/CMVR patients.Methods: This will be a prospective, randomized controlled trial to be performed at 17 hospitals in mainland China. A total of 300 participants with CMVR will be randomly assigned to an early ART initiation group (ART initiation within 2 weeks after anti-CMV therapy), or a deferred ART initiation group (initiation of ART more than 2 weeks after anti-CMV therapy) at a 1:1 ratio. All participants will receive 48 weeks of follow-up after anti-CMV therapy initiation. Our primary outcome will be the incidence of visual loss (to a visual acuity worse than 20/40 or 20/200) in the two groups during the 48-week follow-up period. Secondary outcomes will include changes in HIV virological suppression and serum CD4+ T-cell counts, the incidence of mortality, retinitis progression (movement of the peripheral border of a CMV lesion ≥ ½ disc diameter, or occurrence of a new CMV lesion), retinal detachment, immune recovery uveitis (IRU), and other OIs and adverse events between the two study groups during the 48 weeks of follow-up.Discussion: The study aims to investigate the optimal timing for ART initiation in AIDS/CMVR patients. We hope to be able to extract robust clinical evidence for use in optimal AIDS/CMVR management should our trial be successful.Trial Registration: This research was registered as one of the twelve clinical trials under the name of a general project "A study for precision diagnosing and treatment strategies in difficult-to-treat AIDS cases and HIV-infected patients with highly fatal or highly disabling opportunistic infections", ChiCTR1900021195. Registered on 1 February 2019, http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=35362 . [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The sequence polymorphisms of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) are valuable in forensic medicine and anthropological genetics. We analysed the sequences of the mtDNA control region in 207 unrelated Tibetan individuals from the Naqu region, Tibet Autonomous Region in the People's Republic of China, and investigated the population structure of the region by population comparison with other groups. Genomic DNA was extracted and hypervariable regions (HVS-I and HVS-II) were amplified and sequenced. Subsequently, sequences were aligned and compared with the revised Cambridge sequence. Moreover, population comparison was performed between the Naqu Tibetan group and the other groups. Our study provided available data for exploring the mtDNA haplotype of the Tibetan population in the Naqu region, and population comparisons found that the Naqu Tibetan population has its own unique structure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Antinuclear antibodies (ANAs) can be detected in about 30% of patients with primary immune thrombocytopenia (ITP), yet their relationship with treatment response to rituximab remains elusive. Methods: we retrospectively reviewed the clinical records of hospitalized adult ITP patients who were treated with rituximab from three medical centers across China. Rituximab was given intravenously at 100 mg weekly for 4 weeks, or at a single dose of 375 mg/m2. All included patients had their ANAs tested before rituximab treatment. Results: A total of 287 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria and were eligible for analysis. ANAs were positive in 98 (34.1%) of the included patients. The incidence of overall response and complete response (CR) in ANA-positive patients was significantly higher than that in ANA-negative patients (overall response: 76.5% vs. 55.0%, P < 0.001; CR: 46.9% vs. 29.1%, P = 0.003). However, sustained response (SR) rates in ANA-positive patients at 6, 12 and 24 months were all lower compared with ANA-negative patients (all P < 0.05). The overall duration of response (DOR) estimated by Kaplan–Meier analysis in ANA-negative patients was greater than that in ANA-positive patients (P < 0.001). Conclusion: ITP patients with positive ANA test were likely to achieve a better initial response to rituximab treatment, while their long-term outcome was unfavorable. Therefore, ANA test could be useful for predicting rituximab response in ITP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The schizothoracine fishes, an excellent model for several studies, is a dominant fish group of the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau (QTP). However, species populations have rapidly declined due to various factors, and infection with Echinorhynchus gymnocyprii is cited as a possible factor. In the present study, the molecular characteristics of E. gymnocyprii in four species of schizothoracine fishes from the QTP were explored. Methods: We investigated the infection status of E. gymnocyprii in 156 schizothoracine fishes from the upper Yangtze River, upper Yellow River, and Qinghai Lake in Qinghai Province, China. The complete internal transcribed spacer (ITS) of the ribosomal RNA (rRNA) gene and part of the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit 1 (cox1) gene of 35 E. gymnocyprii isolates from these fishes were sequenced and their characteristics analyzed. In addition, we inferred phylogenetic relationships of the E. gymnocyprii populations based on the rRNA-ITS and cox1 sequences. Results: The total prevalence of E. gymnocyprii in schizothoracine fishes was 57.69% (90/156). However, the prevalence among different species as well as that across the geographical locations of the schizothoracine fishes was significantly different. The results of sequence analysis showed that the four E. gymnocyprii populations from different hosts and regions of Qinghai Province were conspecific, exhibiting rich genetic diversity. Phylogenetic analysis based on rRNA-ITS and cox1 sequences supported the coalescence of branches within E. gymnocyprii; the cox1 gene of E. gymnocyprii populations inferred some geographical associations with water systems. In addition, three species of schizothoracine fishes were recorded as new definitive hosts for E. gymnocyprii. Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first molecular description of E. gymnocyprii populations in schizothoracine fishes from the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau that provides basic data for epidemiological surveillance and control of acanthocephaliasis to protect endemic fish stocks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The climate is the dominant factor that affects the distribution of plants. Cuscuta chinensis is a stem holoparasitic plant without leaves or roots, which develops a haustorium and sucks nutrients from host plants. The potential distribution of the parasitic plant C. chinensis has not been predicted to date. This study used Maxent modeling to predict the potential global distribution of C. chinensis, based on the following six main bioclimatic variables: annual mean temperature, isothermality, temperature seasonality, precipitation seasonality, precipitation of the warmest quarter, and precipitation of the coldest quarter. Results: The optimal annual average temperature and isothermality of C. chinensis ranged from 4 to 37 °C and less than 45, respectively, while the optimal temperature seasonality and precipitation seasonality ranged from 4000 to 25,000 and from 50 to 130, respectively. The optimal precipitation of the warmest season ranged from 300 to 1000 mm and from 2500 to 3500 mm, while that of the coldest season was less than 2000 mm. In Asia, C. chinensis is mainly distributed at latitudes ranging from 20° N to 50° N. During three specific historical periods (last glacial maximum, mid-Holocene, and 1960–1990) the habitats suitable for C. chinensis were concentrated in the central, northern, southern, and eastern parts of China. From the last glacial maximum to the mid-Holocene, the total area with suitability of 0.5–1 increased by 0.0875 million km2; however, from the mid-Holocene to 1960–1990, the total area with suitability of 0.5–1 decreased by 0.0759 million km2. The simulation results of habitat suitability in the two representative concentration pathways (RCP) 2.6 (i.e., the low greenhouse gas emissions pathway) and 8.5 (i.e., the high greenhouse gas emissions pathway) indicate that the habitat suitability of C. chinensis decreased in response to the warming climate. Compared with RCP2.6, areas with averaged suitability and high suitability for survival (RCP8.5) decreased by 0.18 million km2. Conclusion: Suitable habitats of C. chinensis are situated in central, northern, southern, and eastern China. The habitat suitability of C. chinensis decreased in response to the warming climate. These results provide a reference for the management and control of C. chinensis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present study investigated whether word-boundary information, provided by alternating colors (consistent or inconsistent with word-boundary information) in a Chinese sentence would facilitate the reading of second-language (L2) learners. Thirty-three Korean students were recruited in the eye-movement experiment. Relative to a baseline (i.e., mono-colors) condition, incorrect word segmentation produced closer fixation location toward the beginning of words, longer fixation duration, higher refixation rate, and slower reading speed. In contrast, word segmentation with alternating colors produced further fixation location toward the center of words, shorter fixation duration, lower refixation rate, and faster reading speed. These results indicate that L2 readers are capable of making use of word-boundary knowledge for saccade generation, which can result in a facilitation of reading efficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the advancement of the times, robotics technology is also developing rapidly. Some large enterprises in China use robots to work in manufacturing and handling positions, and also make robots more and more widely used. This paper focuses on the trajectory planning strategy for three-degree-of-freedom high-speed parallel manipulator of Delta robot in Cartesian space under high-speed operation handling, the point-to-point "door" type handling operation trajectory under the condition of ensuring control accuracy and increasing productivity in intelligent packaging is established based on the inverse kinematics model of the manipulator. The 4–3–3-4 degree polynomial interpolation is presented to control height of obstacle avoidance and trajectory length, on this basis, the mapping relationship between the motion features in operation space and those in joint space is established. Taking into account the complexity of trajectory optimization due to multiple constraints, in order to reduce the difficulty of trajectory optimization, it is necessary to ensure smoothness and constrains of angular displacement, angular velocity and angular acceleration of each joint in space, an improved particle swarm optimization algorithm is proposed to optimize trajectory running time of the 4–3–3-4 degree polynomial interpolation. The simulation results by using Matlab indicate that the accurate and stable time-optimal trajectory planning of 4–3–3-4 degree polynomial interpolation can be achieved by means of the improved particle swarm optimization algorithm. Compared with other trajectory planning algorithms, the proposed algorithm is easier to implement, which not only improves the local convergence of particle swarm optimization algorithm, achieves the time optimal trajectory planning of Delta robot, but also realizes the controllability of obstacle avoidance height, therefore which realizes the fast, accurate and safe operation in intelligent packaging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

When Taylorism was discarded long ago, job enrichment emerged as a good alternative. Recent research, however, has pointed out the ineffectiveness of job enrichment. This study suggests that both approaches could be effective and looks at job nature as the moderator that can affect how the two approaches are applied. The authors' longitudinal quasi-experimental field study in China found a significant interaction between worker type (knowledge workers [KWs] versus manual workers [MWs]) and job characteristics on employee outcomes. After enrichment, KWs experienced higher satisfaction and task performance, whereas for MWs, satisfaction and performance declined. This pattern of results suggests that both job enrichment and Taylorism are applicable depending on the job nature. In addition to contributing to job design theory, the present study also explored the unique attributes of KWs and provides practical suggestions as to how human resource managers can better motivate KWs. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The Mushroom Stone Forest, which consists of granite boulders looking like mushrooms with flared sidewalls, is located in eastern Guangdong, China, and is a famous scenic spot that draws many tourists each year. The Mushroom Stone Forest has been traditionally recognized as a collection of wave erosion landforms and used for the reconstruction of palaeo-sea-level changes along the coastal areas of eastern Guangdong in previous coastal researches. By combining in situ measurements of the aspect, vertical profile and height of boulder sidewalls, palaeo-coastal wave direction estimation, rock density determination, major elemental analysis, and petrographic thin section analysis, this paper presents an alternative origin for the Mushroom Stone Forest. Our results suggest that wave or wind erosion cannot offer a satisfactory explanation for the formation of the Mushroom Stone Forest; The boulders that make up the Mushroom Stone Forest originated from the corestones in the granite weathering crusts of the Little Sangpu Mountain; When the debris of the weathering crust was removed, the corestones are perched on rocky outcrops or half-buried by weathering debris beneath the natural land surface; The flared sidewall (concave vertical profile) of the boulders is a particular form developed in the foot zone of a half-buried boulder through increased chemical weathering beneath the land surface. A recent exposed half-buried boulder found in the study area provides convincing evidence to support this argument. Sea water reached the foot of the Sangpu Mountain during the Holocene transgression, but it merely provided a mechanism to erode the weathering debris from the bottom of the mushroom rocks and enhanced salt weathering that created tafoni on the boulders. These findings demonstrate that the boulders of the Mushroom Stone Forest are not sea stacks and cannot be served as a palaeo-sealevel indicator. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gently dipping fractures subjected to river incision are widely distributed on rock slopes. In this paper, a rock slope on the Nujiang River (China) is investigated to study the role of gently dipping fractures in the rock slopes evolution. Detailed field surveys indicate that gentle fractures are concentrated in four main zones. Moreover, the kinematics of the fracture system suggest that the genesis of these fractures can be synthesized into a progressive evolution model. This model indicates that the joints begin with the formation of an array of en echelon cracks that are subjected to continued crack elongation and shearing before ultimately approaching one another and interacting to form a complex joint system. Geomechanical analysis is performed to reveal the mechanisms of this genesis, and three main fracture patterns are identified based on the slope stress and are classified with respect to the slope evolution. Based on the detail field investigations and the evolutionary history of the river valley, we propose that intermittent incision by the river was the main factor contributing to the concentrated distribution of gently dipping joints. [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]

Local adaptation is an important mechanism underlying the adaptation of plants to environmental heterogeneity, and the toxicity of salt results in strong selection pressure on salt tolerance in plants and different ecotypes. Solidago canadensis, which is invasive in China, has spread widely and has recently colonized alkali sandy loams with a significant salt content. A common greenhouse experiment was conducted to test the role of local adaptation in the successful invasion of S. canadensis into salty habitats. Salt treatment significantly decreased the growth of S. canadensis, including rates of increase in the number of leaves and plant height; the root, shoot, and total biomass. Furthermore, salt stress significantly reduced the net photosynthetic rate, stomatal conductance, transpiration rate and relative chlorophyll content but significantly increased peroxidase activity and the proline content of S. canadensis and the root/shoot ratio. Two-way analysis of variance showed that salt treatment had a significant effect on the physiological traits of S. canadensis, except for the intercellular CO2 concentration, whereas the population and the salt × population interaction had no significant effect on any physiological traits. Most of the variation in plasticity existed within and not among populations, excep for the root/shoot ratio. S. canadensis populations from soil with moderate/high salt levels grew similarly to S. canadensis populations from soils with low salt levels. No significant correlation between salt tolerance indices and soil salinity levels was observed. The plasticity of the proline content, intercellular CO2 concentration and chlorophyll content had significant correlations with the salt tolerance index. These findings indicate a lack of evidence for local adaption in the existing populations of invasive S. canadensis in China; instead, plasticity might be more important than local adaptation in influencing the physiological traits and salt tolerance ability across the S. canadensis distribution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The issue of safety evaluation on postmarketing Chinese medicines has become a hot topic in mainland China recently. Researchers and decision-makers can obtain a variety of evidence resources about safety in order to evaluate the safety profile for postmarketing Chinese medicines. A registry study on ten Chinese medicine injections for postmarketing surveillance has come to the end. From such a study observing more than 300,000 patients for more than 4 years, a theoretical research question emerges, that is, how to identify and evaluate safety evidence systematically. We put forward a brand new research paradigm on the theory level, which is to establish a body of evidence on safety evaluation for postmarketing Chinese medicine. Therefore, multiple information sources were explored and extracted from preclinical experiments for toxicity, postmarketing clinical trials for effificacy and safety evaluation, registry study for surveillance, retrospective data analysis from hospital information system and spontaneous response system, and case reports and systematic review from literature. Greater efforts for this idea and cooperation with experts in this fifield both in China and abroad are urgently needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An outbreak of severe pseudorabies virus (PRV) infection in farmed mink occurred in northern China in late 2014, causing significant economic losses in the local fur industry. Here, we report the first case of a PRV outbreak in mink in northeastern China, caused by feeding farmed mink with raw pork or organs contaminated by PRV. Mink infected with virulent PRV exhibited diarrhea, neurologic signs, and higher mortality, which can be misdiagnosed as highly pathogenic mink enteritis virus (MEV), canine distemper virus (CDV), and food poisoning. However, these were excluded as causative agents by PCR or bacteria isolation. The duration of disease was 3-7 days, and the mortality rate was 80-90%. PRV was characterized using indirect immunofluorescence assays (IFA) and electron microscopy (EM). Phylogenetic analysis based on full-length genome sequences and those of individual genes of this novel virus strain showed that it clustered in an independent branch with several other PRV isolates from China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Solidification is a very effective way to alleviate heavy metal impacts to the environment. In this paper, an improved method was adopted herein for the solidification/stabilization (S/S) of sediments with cement-based additives and low content of cement in S/S materials. Sediments in Xiangjiang River, containing high concentrations of Cu, Cd, and Pb, were solidified/stabilized by binders of cement, fly ash, and bentonite. Admixtures such as sodium lignosulfonate, sodium lauryl sulfate, and triethanolamine were used to improve the bonding properties of S/S, which had never been investigated before. Results demonstrated that the addition of concrete admixtures had significant effects on the S/S of sediments. Sequential extraction method indicates that the concentrations of heavy metals changed significantly after solidification and were more stable over time, with the exception of Pb. In addition, SEM images indicated that the main hydrated product was ettringite. Large quantities of calcium silicate hydrates (CSH) formed and filled the solidified sediment in 60 days. The results provide further insights into the transformation of heavy metals during S/S. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To successfully cross the "valley of death" between source innovation and industrialization requires two-way efforts of technological innovation and innovative achievement transformation, which is a socialization process of innovation adoption and diffusion. Industrial clusters are the effective organizational carriers for the diffusion of innovation achievements, therefore, the research aims to explore the transformation mechanism of scientific and technological achievements in industrial clusters, especially considering the influence of network structure and government subsidies in helping industrial clusters to cross the valley of death and improve the efficiency of scientific and technological achievements transformation, so as to put forward targeted transformation countermeasures. Accordingly, a "two-stage and double-driving" innovation diffusion dynamics model was built and applied to the empirical research on China's blockchain industrial cluster by network analysis and system dynamics. It is found that government subsidies play a crucial role in the innovation adoption stage, especially for high innovative industrial clusters. In addition, there is an adoption threshold for the utility of government subsidies, and a reasonable exit mechanism should be established when adoption rates reach a certain proportion. However, for the low innovative industrial clusters, government subsidies continue to be effective. On the contrary, internal factors play a vital role in the stage of innovation diffusion, especially for industrial clusters that have developed close cooperation between upstream and downstream. This study provides the following policy implications for industrial clusters to overcome the valley of death, including carrying out classified guidance and precise implementation, appropriate subsidies and reasonable withdrawal, and improving the cultivation mechanism of "opinion leaders" enterprises. • Exploring the transformation mechanism of innovation achievements in industrial cluster. • Considering the influence of network structure and government subsidies. • Improving the efficiency of achievements transformation to put forward targeted countermeasures. • A "two-stage and double-driving" innovation diffusion dynamics model was built. • The model was applied to the empirical research on China's blockchain industrial clusters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To determine the prevalence of insomnia and its socio‐demographic correlates in Chinese nurses. Design and Methods: Up to 799 nurses were examined. Demographic data, total sleep time (TST), and insomnia were collected. Findings: The mean expected and actual TST were 8.3 ± 1.5 and 6.1 ± 1.1 hr, respectively. The prevalence of at least one type of reported sleep disturbance was 69.7%; the rates of difficulty initiating sleep, difficulty maintaining sleep, and early morning awakening were 54.6%, 54.7%, and 55.9%, respectively. Practice Implications: There is a large discrepancy of actual and expected sleep duration, and insomnia is common among nurses in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Integration of Traditional Chinese medicine, including Chinese materia medica (CMM), into the national healthcare delivery system, is now an essential national policy in China and is increasing rapidly. This case study summarizes the profile of integration of CMM in China, describing markets, industries, management mechanisms, education, research and development, human resources and international cooperation related to Traditional Chinese medicine, and CMM in particular. It provides a basis for policies for integrating TM into national healthcare systems to save costs and improve the general health of the population. By the end of 2014, the overall sale value of CMM exceeded $US120bn, representing 31% of the total pharmaceutical industry markets in China. More than 200 CMM formulated drugs and 1100 prepared CMM are now on the national 'Essential Drug List' and the financial budget for CMM from the Chinese government in 2014 was approximately $US4.66bn, almost double that of 2011, indicating an increasing and long-term commitment to integrated medicine in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]