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This experiment employed viewing time methods to investigate the effects of individual differences in visuospatial working memory (VWM) on the processing of older adults' bridging inferences in the understanding of visual narratives. The results showed that older adults could make bridging inferences in visual narrative processing, and that VWM had no significant effect on the generation of older adults' bridging inferences in visual narrative comprehension. The findings of this study have the potential to enrich and advance the theories and models related to discourse comprehension and its inference processing, and they would have important implications for using visual media to facilitate training in inference processing.

Aims: The objective of this study is to explore and compare the strength of associations between work‐related potential traumatic events and burnout among operating room nurses based on three different approaches. Design: The study followed a multisite cross‐sectional design. Methods: A stratified sampling method was conducted. Cities in the Shandong Province were divided into four groups, and two tertiary hospitals were randomly selected from all tertiary hospitals in cities of each group. A total of 361 eligible operating room nurses provided valid questionnaires between June and November 2019. Work‐related potential traumatic events questionnaire and the Chinese version of the Maslach Burnout Inventory were conducted. Associations between individual, cumulative potential traumatic events, as well as latent class analysis‐derived patterns of potential traumatic experiences with burnout were examined using logistic regression analysis. Results: Specific traumatic events (e.g., patients' sudden death, bullying and ostracism from colleagues) were independently associated with an increased risk of burnout. Work‐related potential traumatic events had a cumulative effect on burnout, whereby operating room nurses exposed to cumulative potential traumatic events carried a higher risk for burnout than others. The "multiple work‐related potential traumatic events" pattern derived by latent class analysis was related to an increased risk of high depersonalization. Conclusion: Operating room nurses who reported specific or multiple work‐related potential traumatic events were at high risk for burnout. It is of great significance to provide qualified and timely counselling or support. Impact: This study is the first to focus on work‐related potential traumatic events among operating room nurses and examine their relationship with burnout based on three perspectives. The findings could help identify those operating room nurses who are at high risk of burnout in clinical practice. Hospital managers should develop targeted interventions to prevent or mitigate the harmful impact of potential traumatic events on occupational health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Underground water-sealed storage cavern is an important way for petroleum strategic reserve in China, which owns lots of outstanding advantages, such as low operating costs, high safety, and land resource conservation. As the major structure in underground water-sealed storage cavern, its layout parameters and excavation scheme will have significant impact on rock stability and overall project quality. A method is put forward to optimize layout and excavation scheme of main caverns. In this method, the Q system and Hoek–Brown strength criterion is utilized to estimate equivalent mechanical parameters of rock mass based on field survey data. Numerical test analysis is carried out by 3 Dimensions Distinct Element Code (3DEC). Displacement, maximum displacement and plastic zone volume are selected as three indicators for quantitative assessment. Besides, it is applied into a proposed large-scale underground water-sealed storage cavern project in China. Results show that axial direction should adopt NW325°, buried depth of cavern crown should locate at − 100 m, and spacing should be 1.5 times the span (36 m). Scheme two and "jump excavation" mode is recommended in construction, which can effectively reduce the interaction effect between adjacent caverns. This method has the characteristics of easy data acquisition, strong operability and common applicability. The achieved results can not only provide reference for related projects, but also further enrich the research content in this field, which has a certain engineering value and theoretical significance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the cluster analysis (CA), probabilistic methods, and artificial neural networks (ANNs) are used to predict landslide susceptibility. The Geographic Information System (GIS) is used as the basic tool for spatial data management. CA is applied to select non-landslide dataset for later analysis. A probabilistic method is suggested to calculate the rating of the relative importance of each class belonging to each conditional factor. ANN is applied to calculate the weight (i.e., relative importance) of each factor. Using the ratings and the weights, it is proposed to calculate the landslide susceptibility index (LSI) for each pixel in the study area. The obtained LSI values can then be used to construct the landslide susceptibility map. The aforementioned proposed method was applied to the Longfeng town, a landslide-prone area in Hubei province, China. The following eight conditional factors were selected: lithology, slope angle, distance to stream/reservoir, distance to road, stream power index (SPI), altitude, curvature, and slope aspect. To assess the conditional factor effects, the weights were calculated for four cases, using 8 factors, 6 factors, 5 factors, and 4 factors, respectively. Then, the results of the landslide susceptibility analysis for these four cases, with and without weighting, were obtained. To validate the process, the receiver operating characteristics (ROC) curve and the area under the curve (AUC) were applied. In addition, the results were compared with the existing landslide locations. The validation results showed good agreement between the existing landslides and the computed susceptibility maps. The results with weighting were found to be better than that without weighting. The best accuracy was obtained for the case with 5 conditional factors with weighting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The anisotropy of schist usually has a complex influence on stability of tunnel surrounding rock. In this study, the schist anisotropy and its variation with the confining pressure are analyzed by the triaxial compression test. Then, geological models of tunnel under typical schistose angles α are established based on the highway tunnel project from Shiyan City to Fangxian County in China. Furthermore, the anisotropic failure mechanism, plastic zone distribution and displacement distribution of surrounding rock are investigated to understand its deformation and failure response pattern to the buried depth of tunnel and variable anisotropy. The results show that increased confining pressure weakens deformation anisotropy and weakly strengthens strength anisotropy of the schist. As the buried depth of tunnel changes from 60 to 140 m, the plastic morphology of surrounding rock with α = 0° presents a similar oval and it has a horizontal development trend. When α = 45°, it shows a spiral sector which has oblique extension as well as the increased angle θ between the long and short axis. While a cap shape with vertical development trend when α = 90°. With the weakening deformation anisotropy of surrounding rock, the anisotropic influence coefficient γ 1 decreases gradually, indicating that schistose plane engenders a diminishing effect on the anisotropic deformation of surrounding rock as buried depth of tunnel increases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Persistent economic growth in Chinese southwestern Yunnan Province is setting aquatic ecosystems in its plateau lakes under enormous pressure. While several different systems have previously been used to study these lakes, no existing methodology adequately measures both the chemical and biotic parameters of these water bodies. Here, we present a novel Biotic Monitoring Yunnan Lakes (BMYL) index that provides a general assessment tool for ecological deterioration that is caused by organic pollution. Principal Component Analysis is used to analyze the occurrence of families of macroinvertebrates and chemical properties of the lakes. In brief, families of macroinvertebrates were given a score from 10 to 1 based on sensitivity to organic enrichment and eutrophication. Sampling at each lake yielded an Average Score per Lake (ASPL) which is calculated by dividing the total BMYL by the total number of scoring families. High ASPL values characterize a biologically intact lake containing relatively large numbers of high scoring taxa, while lower ASPL values denote a polluted lake that does not support many high scoring taxa. The results of the BMYL show a notably more accurate characterization of the long-term health of concerned aquatic ecosystems than studies that use abundance levels of species or a simple analysis of chemical parameter. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The nuclear localization of Drosha is critical for its function as a microRNA maturation regulator. Dephosphorylation of Drosha at serine 300 and serine 302 disrupts its nuclear localization, and aberrant distribution of Drosha has been detected in some tumors.Aims: The purpose of the present study was to assess cytoplasmic/nuclear Drosha expression in gastric cancer carcinogenesis and progression.Methods: Drosha expression and its subcellular location was investigated by immunohistochemical staining of a set of tissue microarrays composed of normal adjacent tissues (374), chronic gastritis (137), precancerous lesions (94), and gastric adenocarcinoma (829) samples, and in gastric cancer cell lines with varying differentiation by immunofluorescence and western blot assay.Results: Gradual loss of cytoplasmic Drosha was accompanied by tumor progression in both gastric cancer tissues and cell lines, and was inversely associated with tumor volume (P = 0.002), tumor grade (P < 0.001), tumor stage (P = 0.018), and distant metastasis (P = 0.026). Aberrant high levels of cytoplasmic Drosha were apparent in intestinal metaplasia and dysplasia tissues. The levels of nuclear Drosha were sharply decreased in chronic gastritis and maintained through precancerous lesions to gastric cancer. High levels of cytoplasmic Drosha predicted longer survival (LR = 7.088, P = 0.008) in gastric cancer patients.Conclusions: Our data provide novel insights into gastric cancer that cytoplasmic Drosha potentially plays a role in preventing carcinogenesis and tumor progression, and may be an independent predictor of patient outcome. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A new species of genus Microrasbora Annandale (1918), M. microphthalma, is described from the Nanwan River, a tributary of the Ruili River, Irrawaddy drainage, in southwest Yunnan province, China. This new species is the first record of the genus Microrasbora in China. Microrasbora microphthalma can be distinguished from the other species of Microrasbora by the following combination of characters: 15–16 predorsal scales, eye diameter/head length 27–38%, eye diameter/interorbital width 70–93%, predorsal length/ standard length 60–68%, the preanal length/ standard length 65–71% and the origin of dorsal fin is posterior of that of the ventral fin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article presents information on the fish species Yunnanilus Discoloris. The fish is an endangered variety with a common name Yi se yun nan qiu. The fish has a naked body, with dorsal fin originating at middle of the body and branched caudal rays. It is one of the endangered fish in Lake Dianchi and White Dragon spring, China. Sexual dimorphism is also displayed in the species.

Background and Purpose: Atherogenic index of plasma (AIP) is a newly identified as marker of lipid metabolism and glucose metabolism, showing significant predictive value in individuals with cardiovascular disease. This study aimed to explore the correlation between AIP and early neurological deterioration (END) in ischemic stroke patients after mechanical thrombectomy (MT)., Methods: Patients with anterior circulation large artery occlusive stroke who underwent MT were retrospectively enrolled from 2 stroke center in China. The AIP is a logarithmically transformed ratio of triglycerides to high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. END was defined as an increase of ≥ 4 point in National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale within 24 hours after surgery. Multivariable regression analysis and restricted cubic spline was utilized to determine the association of AIP index with risk of END., Results: Of 601 patients (mean age, 70.2 ± 12.1 years; 62.1 % of male) enrolled, 91 (15.1 %) experienced postoperative END. After adjustment for potential confounders, higher AIP levels were significantly associated with an increased risk of END after MT treatment (Per 1-standard deviation increase; odd ratio, 1.474; 95 % confidence interval, 1.162-1.869, P = 0.001). Similar results were confirmed when the AIP was analyzed as a categorical variable. Restricted cubic spline further demonstrated a linear relationship between AIP and risk of END (P = 0.001 for linearity)., Conclusions: The present study found that a higher AIP index were associated with END in acute ischemic stroke patients following MT treatment for emergent large vessel occlusion., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest All the authors declare that there is no conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)

This article examines how lesbians and gay men imagine and build their 'intimate networks of care' and negotiate moral expectations towards intergenerational family care as they age. To date, little is known about the strength and complexities of different intimate ties or the role of intergenerational dynamics in shaping ageing sexual minority people's care needs and choices. Based on narrative interviews with ageing Chinese lesbians and gay men, the findings reveal their experiences of constantly juggling their ties with families of origin, moral values around intergenerational care and the urge to receive support from and offer support to chosen networks of people. Participants exercised agency in expanding their networks of care by building friendship and (online and offline) community networks for mutual care and support in later life. Nevertheless, as evidenced by the centrality of ageing with(out) children, and the moral obligation of caring for parents in participants' narratives, participants experienced tensions between enacting what was considered morally right/wrong and developing networks of care that were perceived as emotionally intimate. Linking relational sociology with the sociology of morality, we discuss the conceptual utility of 'intimate networks of care' for sociological theorising of the linkages between sexuality, care and relational lives., (© 2023 The Authors. Sociology of Health & Illness published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of Foundation for the Sociology of Health & Illness.)

Old trees have many ecological and socio-cultural values. However, knowledge of the factors influencing their long-term persistence in human-dominated landscapes is limited. Here, using an extensive database (nearly 1.8 million individual old trees belonging to 1,580 species) from China, we identified which species were most likely to persist as old trees in human-dominated landscapes and where they were most likely to occur. We found that species with greater potential height, smaller leaf size and diverse human utilization attributes had the highest probability of long-term persistence. The persistence probabilities of human-associated species (taxa with diverse human utilization attributes) were relatively high in intensively cultivated areas. Conversely, the persistence probabilities of spontaneous species (taxa with no human utilization attributes and which are not cultivated) were relatively high in mountainous areas or regions inhabited by ethnic minorities. The distinctly different geographic patterns of persistence probabilities of the two groups of species were related to their dissimilar responses to heterogeneous human activities and site conditions. A small number of human-associated species dominated the current cohort of old trees, while most spontaneous species were rare and endemic. Our study revealed the potential impacts of human activities on the long-term persistence of trees and the associated shifts in species composition in human-dominated landscapes., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer Nature Limited.)

The rapidly ageing population, the growing rate of divorce, and the longer life expectancy of women compared with men have resulted in a large proportion of older Chinese women being alone. The sexual health and intimacy needs of this group of women are ignored due to traditional Chinese cultural values that undermine older adults' needs for sex and intimacy, and the subordinate position of women in society. The present study used a quantitative survey method to investigate bio-psycho-social factors associated with divorced and widowed older Chinese women's sexual health and intimacy needs in two cities in Shanghai and Wuhan. The conceptual framework of this study was guided by cognitive stress theory, attachment theory, gender theory, socioemotional selectivity theory, objectification theory, and activity theory. We adopted a model involving demographic, biological, psychological, and social factors to unearth the mechanism influencing divorced and widowed older Chinese women's sexual health and intimacy needs. Data were collected between October 2020 and March 2021 via face-to-face surveys. A convenience sample of 278 (N = 278) divorced and widowed older Chinese women was recruited (166 in Shanghai and 112 in Wuhan). Sexual health and intimacy needs were associated with current relationship status, financial status, physical health, attachment style, neuroticism, mental health, social support, prior marital conflict, and gender norm attitude. Sexual behaviour was associated with age, number of children, financial status, physical health, attachment style, neuroticism, prior marital conflict, gender norm attitude, sexual knowledge, sexual attitude, and intimacy attitude as predictors. Most participants in this study seemed to have found new intimate partners with whom to continue participating in sexual activities after their divorce or widowhood. The present study is one of the first examples of empirical research to examine the sexual health and intimacy needs of older Chinese women who are divorced or widowed. The findings generated by this study will inform the design and implementation of appropriate social programs for this demographic, and provide invaluable insight for social workers, educators, sex therapists, healthcare professionals, community workers, and policymakers working with this population.

Earth system models are implementing soil phosphorus dynamic and plant functional traits to predict functional changes in global forests. However, the linkage between soil phosphorus and plant traits lacks empirical evidence, especially in mature forests. Here, we examined the soil phosphorus constraint on plant functional traits in a mature subtropical forest based on observations of 9943 individuals from 90 species in a 5-ha forest dynamic plot and 405 individuals from 15 species in an adjacent 10-year nutrient-addition experiment. We first confirmed a pervasive phosphorus limitation on subtropical tree growth based on leaf N:P ratios. Then, we found that soil phosphorus dominated multidimensional trait variations in the 5-ha forest dynamic plot. Soil phosphorus content explained 44% and 53% of the variance in the traits defining the main functional space across species and communities, respectively. Lastly, we found much stronger phosphorus effects on most plant functional traits than nitrogen at both species and community levels in the 10-year nutrient-addition experiment. This study provides evidence for the consistent pattern of soil phosphorus constraint on plant trait variations between the species and community levels in a mature evergreen broadleaf forest in the East Asian monsoon region. These findings shed light on the predominant role of soil phosphorus on plant functional trait variations in mature subtropical forests, providing new insights for models to incorporate soil phosphorus constraint in predicting future vegetation dynamics., (© 2022 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Background: Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common endocrine disease leading to infertility in women of childbearing age. Adjuvant therapy with Jinfeng pills (a traditional Chinese medicine) can increase ovarian blood flow, regulate female endocrine levels, and achieve good therapeutic effect. A systematic review and meta-analysis were conducted to examine the efficacy and safety of Jinfeng pills., Methods: The PubMed (2000 to August 2021), Excerpta Medica Database (2000 to August 2021), Chinese Biomedical Literature (2000 to August 2021), and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (2000 to August 2021) databases were searched. All patients with PCOS were included in the randomized controlled study of Jinfeng pills combined with an adjuvant Western medicine treatment. After screening and a risk of bias assessment, Stata16.0 software was used for the analysis., Results: A total 7 of articles (comprising 691 patients; 26-83 participants per group) were included in the meta-analysis. The meta-analysis showed that the effective rate the experimental group treated with Jinfeng pills combined with adjuvant Western medicine was higher than that of the control group treated with Western medicine only [relative risk (RR) =1.15, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.03 to 1.28; P=0.015]. After treatment, the follicle-stimulating hormone level of the experimental group was significantly lower than that of the control group [mean difference (MD) =-5.10, 95% CI: -7.95 to -2.24; P=0.0005], the estradiol level of the experimental group was significantly higher than that of the control group (MD =10.74, 95% CI: 4.19 to 17.29; P=0.001), the testosterone level of the experimental group was significantly lower than that of the control group (MD =-1.17, 95% CI: -2.09 to -0.25; P=0.01), and the pregnancy rate of the experimental group was significantly higher than that of the control group (RR =1.36, 95% CI: 1.13 to 1.64; Z=3.183; P=0.001)., Discussion: The therapeutic effect of Jinfeng pills combined with Western medicine in treating PCOS was better than that of Western medicine alone, and there was no increase in adverse reactions.

Objectives: To examine the association between caregiver (CG) depression and increase in elder mistreatment and to investigate whether change in care recipient (CR) neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPS) and change in CG-perceived burden influence this association., Methods: Using 2-year longitudinal data, we analyzed a consecutive sample of 800 Chinese primary family CGs and their CRs with mild cognitive impairment or mild-to-moderate dementia recruited from the geriatric and neurological departments of 3 Grade-A hospitals in the People's Republic of China. Participatory dyads were assessed between September 2015 and February 2016 and followed for 2 years., Results: CG depression at baseline was associated with a sharper increase in psychological abuse and neglect. For CRs with increased NPS, having a depressed CG predicted a higher level of psychological abuse than for those CRs without NPS. For CGs with decreased burden, the level of depression was associated with a slower increase in neglect than for CGs who remained low burden., Discussion: This study showed the differential impact of CG depression on the increase in elder mistreatment depending on the change in CR NPS and CG-perceived burden. The present findings provide valuable insights into the design of a systematic and integrative intervention protocol for elder mistreatment that simultaneously focuses on treating CG depression and perceived burden and CR NPS., (© The Author(s) 2021. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of The Gerontological Society of America. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.)

This study compared percentages of elder abuse reported by older adults and their family caregivers, using reports from attending medical professionals to triangulate the reports. Percentages were also compared using different criteria proposed in the literature. In total, 1,002 older Chinese aged 55 years or above and their primary family caregivers were recruited from three leading public hospitals in Guangdong, People's Republic of China. Caregivers and care recipients were separately interviewed and provided information on their demographic characteristics and past year percentages of abuse. A clinical team including a chief physician, two attending physicians, three resident physicians, and two senior nurses provided observer measures through reviewing the medical records and their daily observations. Regardless of the informants and operational definitions used, caregiver neglect was the most commonly reported (35.4% to 65.0%), followed by psychological abuse (11.1% to 51.1%), financial exploitation (17.9% to 40.8%), and physical abuse (0.8% to 2.2%). This study found huge variations in percentages of elder abuse by different informants and operational definitions. Depending on the types of abuse concerned, different informants should be consulted to yield more reliable estimates.

Backgrounds: Elder abuse is a public health issue associated with increased morbidity and mortality. Its impact on victims' health at the cellular level, however, remains unknown. This study assessed the association between abuse exposure and shortening of telomere length (TL), a promising molecular marker for biological aging, in older victims., Setting: The geriatric departments of three Grade-A hospitals in the People's Republic of China (PRC)., Participants: Six hundred Chinese older adults, including 300 abused victims and 300 non-abused controls were randomly drawn respectively from a larger sample of 467 abused and 518 non-abused older adults recruited at baseline. Participants were assessed for physical and psychological abuse exposure at baseline between September 2015 and February 2016 and assessed for TL 2 years after the abuse assessment., Measurements: TL was quantified using a quantitative PCR method and expressed as T/S ratio (the ratio of telomere repeat copy numbers to single-copy gene numbers). Physical and psychological abuse was measured using the Revised Conflicts Tactics Scale., Results: Adjusting for demographic, medical, and behavioral confounders, physical and psychological abuse exposure at baseline were independently associated with shorter TL at follow-up. The association was the most significant between multiple forms of abuse (physical and psychological) exposure and shorter TL., Conclusion: This study provides the first evidence on the relationship between abuse and shortened TL in older victims, implying the potential effect of elder abuse on accelerated cellular aging. The findings suggest the importance of routinely assessing and intervening abuse in older adults by healthcare professionals, to promote and maintain physical health in older adults., (© 2020 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Objectives: To investigate whether caregiver neuroticism affects the level of elder abuse and whether changes of caregiver perceived burden alter this relationship., Methods: Using 2-year longitudinal data, a consecutive sample of 800 Chinese family caregivers and their care recipients with dementia were recruited from the geriatric and neurological departments of 3 grade-A hospitals in the People's Republic of China. All the participatory dyads were assessed between September 2015 and February 2016 and followed up for 2 years., Results: Significant increase in the prevalence was found for physical abuse, psychological abuse, and caregiver neglect. Caregiver neuroticism was associated with an increased level of physical and psychological abuse over the 2-year observation period; however, change in the level of caregiver perceived burden altered this association. Specifically, the absence and decrease of perceived care burden prevented an increase in the level of physical and psychological abuse among caregivers high in neuroticism. Although caregiver neuroticism was also associated with an increased level of caregiver neglect, caregiver perceived burden did not appear to have an impact on this relationship., Discussion: This study provided evidence that caregiver neuroticism was associated with an increased level of physical and psychological abuse, while changes in the level of caregiver perceived burden may alter this trajectory. These findings suggest the importance of implementing caregiver-centered intervention and prevention programs for elder abuse by specifically targeting caregivers' behaviors related to their neurotic personality trait and cognitive appraisal of caregiving stressors associated with such personality traits., (© 2021 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Increasing the area of planted forests is rather important for compensation the loss of natural forests and slowing down the global warming. Forest growing stem volume (GSV) is a key indicator for monitoring and evaluating the quality of planted forest. To improve the accuracy of planted forest GSV located in south China, four L-band ALOS PALSAR-2 quad-polarimetric synthetic aperture radar (SAR) images were acquired from June to September with short intervals. Polarimetric characteristics (un-fused and fused) derived by the Yamaguchi decomposition from time series SAR images with different intervals were considered as independent variables for the GSV estimation. Then, the general linear model (GLM) obeyed the exponential distribution were proposed to retrieve the stand-level GSV in plantation. The results show that the un-fused power of double bounce scatters and four fused variables derived from single SAR image is highly sensitive to the GSV, and these polarimeric characteristics derived from the time series images more significantly contribute to improved estimation of GSV. Moreover, compared with the estimated GSV using the semi-exponential model, the employed GLM model with less limitations and simple algorithm has a higher saturation level (nearly to 300 m 3 /ha) and higher sensitivity to high forest GSV values than the semi-exponential model. Furthermore, by reducing the external disturbance with the help of time average, the accuracy of estimated GSV is improved using fused polarimeric characteristics, and the estimation accuracy of forest GSV was improved as the images increase. Using the fused polarimetric characteristics (Dbl×Vol/Odd) and the GLM, the minimum RRMSE was reduced from 33.87% from single SAR image to 24.42% from the time series SAR images. It is implied that the GLM is more suitable for polarimetric characteristics derived from the time series SAR images and has more potential to improve the planted forest GSV.

Forest succession is a central ecological topic due to the importance of its dynamic process for terrestrial ecosystems. However, we have limited knowledge of the relationship between forest succession and belowground microbiota, particularly regarding interactions in the rhizosphere. Here, we determined microbial community structure and biomass using phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) biomarkers and microbial activity using extracellular enzyme activity in bulk and rhizosphere soils from three successional stages of subtropical forests in eastern China. Principal component analysis of PLFAs indicated distinct soil microbial communities among different successional stages and habitat locations. Specifically for the topsoil, we found the total microbial biomass, bacterial biomass and enzyme activities showed higher levels in the late than early stage, with a significant succession-induced accentuated rhizosphere effect. The increase in total microbial biomass and activity coincided with a net growth in bacterial rather than fungal biomass, indicating a model in which microbial biomass carrying capacity and activity could be affected by the creation or expansion of niches for certain functional group rather than by a rebalancing of competitive interactions among these groups. Furthermore, we demonstrated that forest succession significantly influenced enzyme activity via the changes in microbial biomass, as driven by edaphic factors. Overall, our study deepens the mechanistic understanding of forest recovery by linking soil microbial community and activity along successional chronosequences., (© FEMS 2019.)

Background: The subject of sexuality in older adults has remained grossly understudied in China, despite the country having the largest older population in the world., Objective: Guided by the Sexual Script Theory and the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), this study used path analysis to test an integrated path model for sexual activity with sexual interest as a mediator., Methods: Survey data was collected from a representative sample of 688 community-dwelling older Chinese adults aged 60 or above residing in Tianjin, China., Results: The final integrated model yielded a satisfactory model fit. Sexual knowledge, sexual attitude and perceived sexual control have direct positive effects on sexual interest in sample older Chinese. Furthermore, sexual interest mediated the effect of sexual knowledge, sexual attitude, perceived sexual control, available sexual partner, male gender and education level on sexual activities. Age was found negatively associated with sexual activities, while a non-significant relationship for sexual interest was observed. Male gender positively associated with sexual activities and sexual interest. In addition, education level has a positive effect on sexual interest., Conclusion: The integrated model highlighted the mediating role of sexual interest on sexual activities, thereby contributes to advancements of understanding of sexuality in older Chinese population.The current study also provides empirical evidence to the development of intervention and education programmes on sexuality among older Chinese adults. These programmes should pay attention to address the issues of sexual interest and partnership in older adults. Frontline health professionals should be sensitive to the needs of sex education in older population., (Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Objectives: Elder abuse poses a major public health threat considering the ongoing rapid aging of the global population. This study investigates the association between elder abuse by family caregivers and medical outcomes among older Chinese patients with cognitive and physical impairments in the People's Republic of China., Methods: Using cross-sectional design, 1002 older patients (aged 55 y and older) and their family caregivers were recruited from 3 grade A hospitals in Guangdong Province. The major independent variable is caregiver-reported elder abuse, while outcome variables include cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, peptic ulcer, digestive disorder, chronic hepatic disease, chronic renal disease, metabolic disease, acute inflammation, joint disease, tumor, and general injury. The prevalence of these medical conditions among patients who were abused and those who were not were compared using descriptive analyses and chi-square tests, and logistic regression was used to establish the relevant independent associations., Results: A total of 429 (42.8%) older persons have experienced physical or psychological abuse over the past 12 months. After adjusting for potential confounders, abused older persons were more susceptible to cardiovascular disease, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, peptic ulcer, digestive disorder, metabolic disease, acute inflammation, tumor, and injuries., Conclusion: Elder abuse is associated with various major medical morbidities. Interdisciplinary cooperation is necessary to identify and reduce the adverse physiological consequences in victims., (Copyright © 2018 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

This article examines the prevalence of victimization among older Chinese living in urban China and its psychological and behavioral impacts. A representative sample of 453 older adults aged 60 or above was recruited from Kunming, the People's Republic of China, using multistage sampling method. Participants were individually interviewed on their demographic characteristics, experience of common crime and domestic violence victimization, fear of common crime and domestic violence, mental health, and constrained behavior. Results showed that 254 participants (56.1%) reported one or more types of common crime and 21 (4.6%) reported experiencing domestic violence in the past. Seventeen participants (3.8%) reportedly experienced both common crime and domestic violence victimization. There was no gender difference in the overall incidence of victimization but in some subtypes. Regression analyses indicated that past experience of common crime victimization was significantly associated with greater fear of common crime (β = .136, p = .004), poorer mental health (β = .136, p = .003), and more constrained behavior (β = .108, p = .025). Fear of common crime predicted increased constrained behavior (β = .240, p < .001) independent of gender, age, education, household finances, living arrangement, and physical health. Domestic violence victimization was not significant in predicting poor mental health and constrained behavior but was significant in predicting fear of domestic violence (β = .266, p < .001), which was related to poorer mental health (β = .102, p = .039). The study suggests the importance of taking older people's risk and experience of victimization into consideration in gerontological research, practice, and policymaking.

Aims and Objectives: This study examines sexual activity and associated psychosocial factors in older Chinese people., Background: Sexuality continues to play a pivotal role in our lives even as we grow old. There is, however, very limited research on the topic in older populations., Design: Cross-sectional survey., Methods: A representative sample of 688 older Chinese people (>60 years old) were individually interviewed on their demographic characteristics; their interest in, knowledge of and perceived control over sexual activities; and their engagement in sexual activity., Results: The results show that 51·32% of men and 41·26% of women reported engaging in some form of sexual activity. Sexual intercourse and caressing were commonly reported. A multiple regression analysis also showed that a higher level of sexual activity was associated with being younger, living with a spouse, having a strong interest in sex, having sufficient knowledge of elder sexuality and a high perceived control over sex. Distinct predictive factors in each gender were observed. A high level of perceived control was associated with a higher level of sexual activity in males but not females. A series of binary logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine the demographic and psychosocial correlates of sexual activity. With the exception of the use of objects (sex toys), sexual activities were consistently associated with being younger; living with a spouse; and having high levels of interest, knowledge and perceived control., Conclusions: A sizable amount of older Chinese people engage in varying degrees of sexual activity, and most are still interested in sex., Relevance to Clinical Practice: Frontline health professionals need to be aware of the growing needs for sex education in older persons, particular attention should be paid to discuss the limitations brought about by various chronic conditions associated with ageing and their relevance to elder sexuality., (© 2015 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.)

Elder abuse is a prevalent phenomenon resulting in physical, emotional, and social costs to individuals, families, and society. Timely and effective intervention is crucial because victims are often involved in relationships where re-victimization is common. Most elder abuse victims, however, are reluctant to seek help from outside their families. The aim of the present study is to explore factors associated with help-seeking behaviors among mistreated elders in Hong Kong. In-depth interviews were conducted with 40 elder abuse survivors. Although almost all of the participants could provide some examples of elder abuse, most denied that their own experience was abusive. Personal and professional social networks were important determinants of help seeking. Social isolation, cultural barriers, self-blame, and lack of knowledge were major barriers to help seeking., (© The Author(s) 2014.)

Objectives: To provide a comprehensive profile of the prevalence of child sexual abuse as well as other forms of child victimization in China and to examine the associations between child sexual abuse, demographic factors, and other forms of child victimization., Study Design: Using a 2-staged stratified sampling procedure, we recruited a total of 18,341 students in grades 9-12 (girls 46.7%, mean age 15.86 years) from 150 randomly sampled schools during November 2009 through July 2010 in 6 Chinese cities. We assessed the students' demographic background and their experience of child sexual abuse and other forms of victimization. The independent effect on child sexual abuse of each demographic factor and form of child victimization was examined after controlling for other variables., Results: The overall lifetime and preceding-year prevalence of child sexual abuse was 8.0% and 6.4%, respectively. Boys were more likely to report child sexual abuse than were girls. Apart from having experienced other forms of child victimization, several characteristics were associated with greater risk of child sexual abuse: being a boy; being older; having sibling(s); having divorced, separated, or widowed parents; or having an unemployed father., Conclusions: This study provides reliable estimates of child victimization to facilitate resource allocation in health care settings in China. The strong associations between child sexual abuse and other forms of child victimization warrant screening for additional forms of child victimization once any one of them has been identified., (Copyright © 2013 Mosby, Inc. All rights reserved.)

Background: This study examined the prevalence and risk factors for intimate partner violence (IPV) among Chinese older couples in Hong Kong., Methods: A population representative sample was surveyed., Results: The prevalence of IPV in older adults was found to be quite high in the present study, with a lifetime prevalence ranging from 1.4% to 53.6%, and a past year prevalence ranging from 0.4% to 36.1% for various forms of aggression. Results of logistic regression analyses showed that older persons who were younger among this "older" group, who were not employed, who had a substance abuse problem, who had witnessed parental violence during their childhood, who had a criminal history, who had a low level of assertiveness, who had an anger management problem, who experienced a low level of social support and/or experienced stressful conditions, were all more likely to fall victims of IPV., Conclusion: It is suggested that IPV in older couples is a complex phenomenon that is closely intertwined with other forms of domestic violence, including spousal violence, child abuse, in-law conflicts, and elderly adult abuse. Thus, before we have more definitive and concrete evidence that IPV in older couples should definitively come under the category of elder abuse or IPV, it is advisable to treat it under its own separate category of family violence.

Objective: This study examined the prevalence and risk factors for elder abuse in older Chinese with dementia by their family caregivers in Hong Kong., Methods: A sample of 122 family caregivers of older persons with dementia was conveniently recruited from local community centers for the elderly. Participants provided information on their demographic characteristics, care recipients' physical functioning and agitated behavior, caregiver burden, and whether they had directed any abusive behavior at the care recipients in the previous month., Results: Sixty-two and 18 per cent of the caregivers reported having verbally or physically abused the care recipients in the past month. Family caregivers who spent more days co-residing with the care recipients, lacked any assistance from a domestic helper, observed more agitated behaviors in the care recipients, and/or reported a higher level of caregiver stress, reported more abusive behaviors. The results of hierarchical regression analysis showed that the number of co-residing days (p < 0.001), lack of any assistance from a domestic helper (p < 0.05), and caregiver burden (p < 0.01) were significant predictors of verbal abuse. Care recipient agitated behavior (p < 0.01) also predicted verbal abuse, with its effect mediated by caregiver burden. For physical abuse, the number of co-residing days (p < 0.01) was the only significant predictor., Conclusions: Verbal and physical abuse were highly prevalent among this population of older Chinese with dementia. A higher level of caregiver stress is related to a higher level of verbal, but not physical abuse inflicted by the caregivers of these older persons with dementia., (Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of cognitive and motor disorders as well as emotional and sleep abnormality in the veterans from military communities in Beijing., Methods: The participants underwent a comprehensive in-person evaluation including detailed neuropsychological testing, Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale and special questionnaires for movement and sleep disorders., Results: The overall prevalence of cognitive impairment, extrapyramidal diseases was 32.7%, 8.8%. The prevalence of mild cognitive impairment, dementia, Parkinson disease, essential tremor, anxiety and depression was 26.2%, 6.5%, 2.0%, 6.1%, 1.4% and 4.1% respectively. Prevalence of all kinds of sleep disorders ranged from 10.3% to 53.9%. The prevalence of cognitive impairment had no significant difference of sex, but were correlated to age and education, the correlation coefficient was 0.326 and -0.221 (P<0.01)., Conclusion: Veterans from military communities had higher prevalence of cognitive impairment, extrapyramidal diseases and sleep disorders and lower that of anxiety and depression relatively.

The primary objective of this research was to validate the short version of the Perinatal Grief Scale (SVPGS) in the Chinese population. The Chinese SVPGS was administered to a sample of Chinese women who had experienced recent reproductive loss (N = 314). The results of the confirmatory factor analysis rejected the original 3-factor model delineated by Potvin (1989). A follow-up exploratory factor analysis suggested an alternative 3-factor model, consisting of a 12-item Sense of Worthlessness subscale, a 7-item Social Detachment subscale, and a 7-item Painful Recollection subscale. Further analysis showed that both the original and Chinese SVPGS demonstrated good internal consistency. Cronbach's alpha equaled .86, .83, .90, and .95, respectively, for the three subscales of Active Grief, Difficulty Coping, and Despair, and the total original SVPGS, and .85, .93, .91, and .95, respectively, for the new subscales of Sense of Worthlessness, Social Detachment, and Painful Recollection, and the total Chinese SVPGS. Both versions demonstrated satisfactory correlations with the participants' psychological distress and spousal emotional support. The authors suggest that both versions are useful in measuring the responses of Chinese women to reproductive loss; the original SVPGS should be used for cross-cultural studies, whereas the Chinese SVPGS should be used for local studies.

According to measuring data of various relative pollution materials such as various nitrides, phosphides and chlorophyll along the Three-Gorges valley, and with introducing a special controlling function of new strong nonlinear coupling dynamics model, in which could used to describe complex behavior and process of green algal bloom to exist in slow flow, we studied algal growth mechanism and found some strong interactions and inherence rules when N and P concentration absorbated by algae body varied with the different N and P concentration in the valley. The ratio factor (wi/cx) of the nutritious absorption coefficient of algae wi to nutritious material concentration cx not only reveals the influence relation about nutrition content absorbated by the algae at different algal concentrations, but also characterizes the some correlations between algal growth and various effects of different nutritious materials absorbated by the algae.