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Infusing undergraduate curricula with authentic research training is an important contemporary challenge. Such exposure typically occurs through mentored research (MR) or course-based undergraduate research experiences (CUREs). In Asian contexts, CURE implementation is rare, while MR is often a graduation requirement. In this study, mentor interviews and mentee focus groups were used to characterize the learning challenges associated with this requirement at a Chinese university. An intensive 6-week CURE was then implemented as an MR preparatory program to help mitigate the identified challenges. This program contained seven site-specific features not typically included in other CUREs, each designed to improve different aspects of student readiness for MR. Post-CURE surveys, focus groups, and interviews demonstrated CURE enrollment significantly improved subsequent MR outcomes. Almost 90% of all enrollees, for example, began their first MR experience in their second year, more than twice the rate of non-enrollees. Enrollees also reported greater confidence in their research skills and more frequent experiences working in multiple labs. This study reports both immediate CURE and downstream MR outcomes, using the former to help explain the latter. A comprehensive CURE implementation process is described, offering a potential model for the design of other programs with similar research enhancement goals.

Background: Rickettsia and related diseases have been identified as significant global public health threats. This study involved comprehensive field and systematic investigations of various rickettsial organisms in Yunnan Province. Methods: Between May 18, 2011 and November 23, 2020, field investigations were conducted across 42 counties in Yunnan Province, China, encompassing small mammals, livestock, and ticks. Preliminary screenings for Rickettsiales involved amplifying the 16S rRNA genes, along with additional genus- or species-specific genes, which were subsequently confirmed through sequencing results. Sequence comparisons were carried out using the Basic Local Alignment Search Tool (BLAST). Phylogenetic relationships were analyzed using the default parameters in the Molecular Evolutionary Genetics Analysis (MEGA) program. The chi-squared test was used to assess the diversities and component ratios of rickettsial agents across various parameters. Results: A total of 7964 samples were collected from small mammals, livestock, and ticks through Yunnan Province and submitted for screening for rickettsial organisms. Sixteen rickettsial species from the genera Rickettsia, Anaplasma, Ehrlichia, Neoehrlichia, and Wolbachia were detected, with an overall prevalence of 14.72%. Among these, 11 species were identified as pathogens or potential pathogens to humans and livestock. Specifically, 10 rickettsial organisms were widely found in 42.11% (24 out of 57) of small mammal species. High prevalence was observed in Dremomys samples at 5.60%, in samples from regions with latitudes above 4000 m or alpine meadows, and in those obtained from Yuanmou County. Anaplasma phagocytophilum and Candidatus Neoehrlichia mikurensis were broadly infecting multiple genera of animal hosts. In contrast, the small mammal genera Neodon, Dremomys, Ochotona, Anourosorex, and Mus were carrying individually specific rickettsial agents, indicating host tropism. There were 13 rickettsial species detected in 57.14% (8 out of 14) of tick species, with the highest prevalence (37.07%) observed in the genus Rhipicephalus. Eight rickettsial species were identified in 2375 livestock samples. Notably, six new Rickettsiales variants/strains were discovered, and Candidatus Rickettsia longicornii was unambiguously identified. Conclusions: This large-scale survey provided further insight into the high genetic diversity and overall prevalence of emerging Rickettsiales within endemic hotspots in Yunnan Province. The potential threats posed by these emerging tick-borne Rickettsiales to public health warrant attention, underscoring the need for effective strategies to guide the prevention and control of emerging zoonotic diseases in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Societal Impact Statement: Crop wild relatives represent precious genetic resources for crop improvement. Investigating their local adaptation to marginal environments is important for the utilization of wild genetic resources. Oryza officinalis and Oryza granulata are wild relatives of cultivated rice and possess genes that convey resistance to insects, disease, and tolerance to shade and drought. The northern edge for the distribution of these two lies in China where populations are facing habitat destruction. This study found that the northern marginal populations of both species have adapted to local conditions, with specific implications for the conservation and utilization of wild rice. Summary: O. officinalis and O. granulata, wild relatives of cultivated rice, represent important gene reservoirs with the potential to improve rice with respect to insect resistance and stress tolerance. However, the northern marginal populations of these two species in China are facing habitat destruction.Here, we investigated the genetic diversity and divergence of northern marginal populations of O. officinalis and O. granulata. The genomic variation of two species was examined by whole‐genome sequencing on 357 individuals. Generalized dissimilarity modeling was applied to investigate the effects of geographic and environmental isolation on population differentiation. Genetic‐environment association analysis and genome‐wide FST outlier scans were used to identify environmentally driven signals of selection.The marginal populations of both species exhibited low genetic diversity and obvious genetic differentiation stemmed from the joint effects of isolation by geographic distance and the environment. Both genomes exhibited specific signals of adaptation to cold environments in the north.Investigation of the divergence and adaptation of marginal populations of O. officinalis and O. granulata will help us to determine how wild rice can adapt to local environments, thus allowing for the development of scientific conservation policies and the identification of new genetic resources for rice with improved resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess the use of evidence-based research (EBR) approach in randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of acupuncture-related therapies for primary dysmenorrhea (PD). Methods: PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wanfang Database, Chinese Biomedical Database, and China Science and Technology Journal Database were searched from January 2013 to December 2022 for RCTs of acupuncture on PD. The full text and references of each RCT were read to assess whether systematic reviews (SRs) or other types of studies with similar research questions and end-users' perspectives were cited to justify and design the trial. In addition, the discussion section were analyzed to evaluate whether trials placed the new result in the existing SRs to draw a conclusion. Multivariable logistic regression was used to find variables that associated with 3 aspects of EBR approach: (1) citing clinical studies for justification, (2) citing relevant studies that obtain the perspectives of end users, and (3) citing clinical studies for results discussion. Results: Of 473 RCTs included, 45.67% (216) of the trials cited relevant similar studies, 21.56% (102) referenced to the studies that collected end-users' perspectives, and 10.99% (52) placed result in the context of the previous research. Few RCTs appropriately applied EBR approach. Among all the included studies, 3.17% (15) of the trials used SRs to inform study questions but none of them used updated SRs with acceptable quality; 1.05% (5) of the trials cited SRs of end-user's perspectives in the justification and design of the study, and only 1 trial added results in existing SR to draw a conclusion. Year of publication, language, funding, registration, ethical approval and number of sites were significantly associated with 1 of the 3 aspects of EBR approach. Conclusions: Few RCTs in acupuncture-related therapies for PD used the EBR approach to minimize research redundancy. Researchers, research institutes, funding agencies, ethics committees, journals and peer reviewers in acupuncture should make efforts to use and promote the EBR approach to ensure the value of new trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background. In patients with stage III melanoma carrying BRAF mutations, the risk of melanoma recurrence is relatively high even after complete resection of the primary melanoma and regional lymph nodes. Methods. We collected data from patients with stage III cutaneous and acral melanoma who received adjuvant trametinib combined with dabrafenib from three cancer centres in China between August 2019 and December 2022. Results. A total of 55 patients were included in this study. The one-year recurrence-free survival (RFS) rate was 79.8% (95% CI 73.6–86.0%). The one-year RFS rate was 79.8% (95% CI 72.8–86.8%) in the cutaneous melanoma subgroup, while the one-year RFS rate was 74.1% (95% CI 58.0–90.2%) in the acral melanoma subgroup. Six (46.2%) patients experienced recurrence during adjuvant therapy; 7 (53.9%) patients recurred after completion of the regimen. At the time of the first recurrence, distant metastasis occurred in 10 patients, local recurrence occurred in 2 patients, and one patient experienced both distant metastasis and local recurrence. Conclusions. This study confirmed the good tolerability and short-term benefits of adjuvant therapy with dabrafenib and trametinib in Chinese patients with stage III melanoma with BRAF V600 mutation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Since reforms were introduced to incentivize drug innovation in 2015, the Chinese pharmaceutical market has experienced unprecedented prosperity, with more new drugs than ever before, especially anticancer treatments. In 2021, Chinese regulatory agencies issued the new guideline for clinical research and development of antitumor drugs, triggering a series of responses on the drug market. Limited research has outlined the nature of the original new drugs in China to understand the dynamic response of the market. Methods: The objective of this article was to map the clinical development of approved new oncology drugs in China from 2015 to 2021 and differed from previous studies by focusing on original new drugs, using the United States as a benchmark, and elaborating the endogenous features of clinical trials. Results: Clinical trials conducted in China have risen to a level similar to that of the United States in many aspects of trial design, but there is still distance between the implementation and operational details of clinical trials. In the meantime, China has made significant breakthroughs in drug approval. Greater than 60% of novel anticancer drugs in China received accelerated approved for their first listing. Approximately 90% of the pivotal clinical trials supporting initial drug approval used surrogate measures as end points, and one half were nonrandomized or did not have a control group. However, duplicate development without evidence of a clinical advantage compared with current therapies was widely observed. Conclusions: By presenting a multidimensional landscape of clinical trials and approvals in the real world, this review allows interested researchers, developers, and even regulators to understand what has been done and what should be done next in anticancer drug development in China. The availability of oncology therapeutic drugs in China has increased significantly since 2015, not only because of the amelioration of drug lag issues but also because of the accelerated approval of original new drugs. By using the United States as a benchmark to depict the characteristics of these original new drugs and their clinical development status, the authors report that the development of original new drugs in China shares clinical designs similar to those used in the United States; however, the Chinese designs lack international plans, and the excess of me‐too strategies needs to be further improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to translate and culturally adapt the standardized outcomes in nephrology–hemodialysis fatigue (SONG–HD fatigue) scale and to assess the psychometric properties of the Chinese version of the SONG–HD fatigue (C-SONG–HD fatigue) scale. Methods: Forward and back translations were used to translate the SONG–HD fatigue scale into Chinese. We used the C-SONG–HD fatigue scale to survey Chinese patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD) in China. We examined the distribution of responses and floor and ceiling effects. Cronbach's alpha and McDonald's omega coefficient, intraclass coefficients, and Spearman correlations were used to assess internal consistency reliability, test–retest reliability, and convergent validity, respectively. Responsiveness was also evaluated. Results: In total, 489 participants across southeast China, northwest China, and central China completed the study. The C-SONG–HD fatigue scale had good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha coefficient 0.861, omega coefficient 0.916), test–retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficient 0.695), and convergent validity (Spearman correlation 0.691). The analysis of all first-time HD patients did not show notable responsiveness, and only patients with temporary vascular access had good responsiveness with an effect size (ES) of 0.54, a standardized response mean (SRM) of 0.85, and a standard error of measurement (SEM) of 0.77. Conclusion: The Chinese version of the SONG–HD fatigue scale showed satisfactory reliability and validity in patients undergoing hemodialysis (HD) in China. It could be used as a tool to measure the fatigue of Chinese HD patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Satellite and reanalysis precipitation estimates of high quality are widely used for hydrological modeling, especially in ungauged or data-scarce regions. To improve flood simulations by merging different precipitation inputs or directly merging streamflow outputs, this study comprehensively evaluates the accuracy and hydrological utility of nine corrected and uncorrected precipitation products (TMPA-3B42V7, TMPA-3B42RT, IMERG-cal, IMERG-uncal, ERA5, ERA-Interim, GSMaP, GSMaP-RNL, and PERSIANN-CCS) from 2006 to 2018 on a daily timescale using the Coupled Routing and Excess Storage (CREST) hydrological model in two flood-prone tributaries, the Beijiang and Dongjiang Rivers, of the Pearl River Basin, China. The results indicate that (1) all the corrected precipitation products had better performance (higher CC, CSI, KGE', and NSCE values) than the uncorrected ones, particularly in the Beijiang River, which has a larger drainage area; (2) after re-calibration under Scenario II, the two daily merged precipitation products (NSCE values: 0.73–0.87 and 0.69–0.82 over the Beijiang and Dongjiang Rivers, respectively) outperformed their original members for hydrological modeling in terms of BIAS and RMSE values; (3) in Scenario III, four evaluation metrics illustrated that merging multi-source streamflow simulations achieved better performance in streamflow simulation than merging multi-source precipitation products; and (4) under increasing flood levels, almost all the performances of streamflow simulations were reduced, and the two merging schemes had a similar performance. These findings will provide valuable information for improving flood simulations and will also be useful for further hydrometeorological applications of remote sensing data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The majority of melanoma patients experience relapse during adjuvant therapy or after the end of therapy. Sixty-one patients from 3 melanoma centres who experienced recurrence and received adjuvant pembrolizumab for resected stage III/IV melanoma were enrolled. Disease characteristics, recurrence characteristics, subsequent management and outcomes were retrospectively analysed. Sixty-one patients were enrolled in this study. The median time to first relapse from the commencement of adjuvant pembrolizumab was 8 months (1–22 months). The first recurrences were locoregional alone in 25 patients (41%), distant alone in 29 (47.5%) and concurrent locoregional and distant relapse in 7 (11.5%). At the first recurrence, 4 patients (80%) who underwent resection alone experienced further relapse of disease. Three (60%) patients who were treated with adjuvant pembrolizumab following surgery, 2 (100%) patients who were treated with adjuvant chemotherapy, 2 (66.7%) patients who were treated with adjuvant chemotherapy and pembrolizumab combined and 3 (100%) patients who were treated with adjuvant radiotherapy and pembrolizumab combined had further recurrence. Of the three patients treated with adjuvant BRAF/MEKi following the first relapse, none had yet recurred. Of the 8 patients treated with pembrolizumab alone, only one patient (12.5%) who recurred after ceasing adjuvant PD1 had a partial response. The overall response rate to BRAF/MEKi was 75%, 3/4; to pembrolizumab in combination with an oral multitargeted receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitor, it was 22.2%, 2/9; to chemotherapeutic agents alone, it was 33.3%, 1/3; and to chemotherapeutic agents combined with pembrolizumab, it was 37.5%, 3/8. The patient treated with imatinib had progressive disease after 3 months of treatment. Of the 6 patients who received temozolomide combined with pembrolizumab, 3 (3/6, 50%) had a partial response. The median OS of the patients who relapsed locoregionally only was longer than that of the patients who relapsed distally at the first recurrence (35 months and 14 months, respectively; P < 0.01). The outcomes of the patients with disease recurrence during or after the completion of 1 year of adjuvant anti-PD1 therapy were poor despite multimodality treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Southeast China is one of the core areas of the Sino‐Japanese floristic region and a hotspot of biodiversity in East Asia. This region has been considered as both a museum and a cradle of woody genera in China. Why a region with highly stable topography and climate could be a cradle of species diversity remains unclear. In this study, the phylogeographic pattern and genetic structure of Wikstroemia monnula, an endemic species to southeast China, were analyzed by sequencing four chloroplast DNA fragments (4679 bp in total) of 836 individuals from 39 populations. Extremely high diversity and endemism of chlorotypes were found. Out of 54 chlorotypes, 51 (94.44%) were private, with genetic diversity index (HT) near 1 (HT = 0.992), and 96.51% of the genetic variation occurring among populations, indicating that this species has undergone strong intraspecific differentiation and very limited migration. The correlational analysis showed that the population differentiation of W. monnula was driven not only via isolation by distance (IBD), but more importantly via isolation by environment (IBE). A significant phylogeographic structure was not found (NST = 0.979, GST = 0.833, P > 0.05); however, the spatial pattern of the sublineages of chlorotypes was largely consistent with the biogeographic boundaries on a smaller scale in the region. These results suggest that habitat heterogeneity in southeast China not only promoted speciation on a long time‐scale, but still continues to impact population differentiation in recent times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, we examine the evolution of ice‐phase microphysics [polarimetric radar signatures and identified graupel and hail (GH) (hereafter, GH) distributions] and raindrop characteristics [drop size distribution (DSD) and rainfall intensity] in a warm‐sector extreme rainfall case during the Meiyu period in Eastern China. Deep convection is identified in this rainstorm, raindrop characteristics are found to be deeply affected by the GH distribution condition, heavy rainfall (rain rate >20 mmh−1 $\mathrm{m}\mathrm{m}\,{\mathrm{h}}^{-1}$) is basically contributed by convective samples with GH identified aloft. As GH height rises, number concentration and mean size of raindrops increase accordingly, leading to the growth of rainfall intensity. Extreme rainfall (rain rate >100 mmh−1 $\mathrm{m}\mathrm{m}\,{\mathrm{h}}^{-1}$) is majorly induced by deep convection with hail or widespread (over 10 km level) graupel, melting of the abundant highly‐rimed particles plays a dominant role in generating high concentration raindrops. By revealing the link between GH distribution conditions and raindrop characteristics, the study helps to understand the specific role of ice‐phase processes to the formation of low‐level raindrops in deep convection. Plain Language Summary: Ice‐phase microphysics governs surface rainfall intensity and drop size distribution of raindrops in deep convection. Owing to the lack of direct observation in deep convection, the specific role of ice‐phase microphysics to raindrop formation remains a struggle. Here we use polarimetric radar and surface instruments, to link ice‐physics microphysics to raindrop characteristics from a warm‐sector deep convection case producing extreme rainfall in Eastern China. We found that the contribution of ice‐phase microphysics to raindrop formation is enhanced as the growth of graupel and hail (GH) distribution depth. To a certain extent, low‐level drop size distribution characteristics and rainfall intensity are dependent on the distribution condition of GH. These current findings are helpful to improve the microphysical understanding of deep convection. Key Points: Microphysics of a warm‐sector extreme rainfall rainstorm caused by deep convection in Eastern China is revealedLow‐level drop size distribution and rainfall intensity are deeply affected by graupel and hail distribution condition in the deep convectionLink between ice‐phase microphysics and raindrop characteristics in deep convection is preliminarily established [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding how a plant allocates biomass for reproduction and the effect of location position on twigs' biomass partitioning provides essential information on how to maximise fruit yields through pruning. Fengdan (Paeonia ostii) is a variety of oil Peony newly developed in China. In this paper, the pattern of biomass allocation and allometric growth of the modules within twig (fruit twigs) of five populations of Fengdan were investigated by using standardised major axis (SMA) analyses. The ANOVA results showed that the biomass of stem, seed, husk and fruit per twig significantly varied among populations and among twigs growing at different positions within an individual plant. The top twig had the largest stem and fruit biomass. Twig showed an allometric growth relationship between reproduction and growth (SMA slope b ≠ 1). An obvious trade‐off was found between seed number and 100‐seed weight in fruits. These findings demonstrate that the seated position of the Fengdan twig significantly influences its resource allocation pattern and fruit (seed) yield, implying the efficiency of creating a suitable growth environment and optimising tree architecture in increasing oil Peony yield. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coprinus comatus, widely known as "Jituigu", is an important commodity and food in China. The yield of C. comatus, however, is substantially reduced by the autolysis of the fruiting bodies after harvest. To gain insight into the molecular mechanism underlying this autolysis, we divided the growth of C. comatus fruiting bodies into four stages: infant stage (I), mature stage (M), discolored stage (D), and autolysis stage (A). We then subjected these stages to de novo transcriptomic analysis using high-throughput Illumina sequencing. A total of 12,946 unigenes were annotated and analyzed with the Gene Ontology (GO), Clusters of Orthologous Groups of proteins (COG), and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG). We analyzed the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) between stages I and M, M and D, and D and A. Because the changes from M to D are thought to be related to autolysis, we focused on the DEGs between these two stages. We found that the pathways related to metabolic activity began to vary in the transition from M to D, including pathways named as autophagy—yeast, peroxisome, and starch and sucrose metabolism. This study also speculates the possible process of the autolysis of Coprinus comatus. In addition, 20 genes of interest were analyzed by quantitative real-time PCR to verify their expression profiles at the four developmental stages. This study, which is the first to describe the transcriptome of C. comatus, provides a foundation for future studies concerning the molecular basis of the autolysis of its fruiting bodies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Feralization of crop plants has aroused an increasing interest in recent years, not only for the reduced yield and quality of crop production caused by feral plants but also for the rapid evolution of novel traits that facilitate the evolution and persistence of weedy forms. Weedy rice (Oryza sativa f. spontanea) is a conspecific weed of cultivated rice, with separate and independent origins. The weedy rice distributed in eastern and northeastern China did not diverge from their cultivated ancestors by reverting to the pre-domestication trait of seed dormancy during feralization. Instead, they developed a temperature-sensing mechanism to control the timing of seed germination. Subsequent divergence in the minimum critical temperature for germination has been detected between northeastern and eastern populations. An integrative analysis was conducted using combinations of phenotypic, genomic and transcriptomic data to investigate the genetic mechanism underlying local adaptation and feralization. A dozen genes were identified, which showed extreme allele frequency differences between eastern and northeastern populations, and high correlations between allele-specific gene expression and feral phenotypes. Trancing the origin of potential adaptive alleles based on genomic sequences revealed the presence of most selected alleles in wild and cultivated rice genomes, indicating that weedy rice drew upon pre-existing, "conditionally neutral" alleles to respond to the feral selection regimes. The cryptic phenotype was exposed by activating formerly silent alleles to facilitate the transition from cultivation to wild existence, promoting the evolution and persistence of weedy forms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To explore the characteristics of 18F-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (18F-FDG) PET in Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (CJD). Methods and Results The manifestations of 18F-FDG PET of 8 cases confirmed as CJD were analyzed retrospectively from August 2018 to January 2020. Five patients were male and 3 were female, with a mean age of (49.63 ± 13.19) years. There were 7 sporadic CJD (sCJD) patients and one genetic CJD (gCJD) patient. All 8 patients were characterized by rapid progressive dementia. DWI hyperintensity in brain MRI were observed in all 8 patients. 18F - FDG PET analysis revealed frontal, parietal and temporal regions hypometabolism in all 8 cases. Occipital region hypometabolism was observed in 7 cases (7/8). For subcortical regions, hypometabolism were identified in thalamus (5/8), basal ganglia (3/8), brainstem (3/8) and cerebellum (3/8). Compared with the DWI hyperintensities, there were 40 hyperintense on DWI in the 50 cortical regions that were hypometabolic on 18F-FDG PET, especially in the frontal lobe. For subcortical regions, there were only 9 hyperintense on DWI in the 25 regions that were hypometabolic on 18F-FDG PET, especially the basal ganglia region. The brain stem and cerebellum hypometabolic regions showed no hyperintense on DWI. Conclusions The higher sensitivity of 18F-FDG PET is conducive to the differential diagnosis of CJD, especially in patients with rapid progression. 18F-FDG PET hypometabolism may indicate severe focal neurological impairment. The diagnosis of CJD should be considered for patients with rapidly progressive dementia accompanied with obvious symptoms of extra pyramidal system or cerebellum, cortical hypometabolism in 18F-FDG PET, and without obvious DWI hyperintensity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biotinidase deficiency is a rare hereditary metabolic disease. Only a few cases have been reported in China, almost all of which have been in the pediatric population. We report a case of a girl with characteristic skin and hair findings with a negative family history, although her grandparents were consanguineous. The metabolites in the proband's blood and urine increased prominently, and the percentage of biotinase was 1.168%, much lower than normal. Genotyping identified two heterozygous mutations, which were C.1457T>A (p.L486Q) and C.1491dupT (p.L498Ffs*13) in the BTD gene. The diagnosis of biotinidase deficiency was established. No relevant reports about the missense mutation at the mutation site C.1457T>A (p.L486Q) of the BTD gene have been retrieved. Biotin replacement therapy was administered in the dose of 20 mg/d. The dermatitis subsided after 1 month, and the hair color was almost normal after 3 months. This reminds dermatologists to include biotinidase deficiency in their clinical differential when faced with children's intractable dermatitis, yellow hair, and alopecia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using 5 years of operational Doppler radar, cloud-to-ground (CG) lightning observations, and National Centers for Environmental Prediction reanalysis data, this study examined the spatial and temporal characteristics of and correlations between summer storm and lightning activity over the Yangtze River Delta (YRD), with a focus on subseasonal variability and diurnal cycles. The spatiotemporal features of storm top, duration, maximum reflectivity, size, and cell-based vertical integrated liquid water were investigated using the Storm Cell Identification and Tracking algorithm. Our results revealed that there was high storm activity over the YRD, with weak diurnal variations during the mei-yu period. Specifically, storms were strongly associated with mei-yu fronts and exhibited a moderate size, duration, and intensity. On average, afternoon storms exhibited stronger reflectivity and higher storm tops than morning storms, as evidenced by the afternoon peak in CG lightning. The storm intensity strengthened in the post-mei-yu period, due to an increase in atmospheric instability; this was accompanied by a higher frequency of CG lighting. The diurnal cycles of storm frequency and CG lightning in the post-mei-yu period followed a unimodal pattern with an afternoon peak. This is attributable to increased thermodynamic instability in the afternoon, as little diurnal variation was observed for wind shear and moisture. An inverse correlation between lightning occurrence and mean peak current (MPC) for negative CG lightning was evident during the pre-mei-yu and mei-yu periods. The diurnal variation in MPC for negative CG lightning agreed well with that for storm intensity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Freshwater stored on land is an extremely vital resource for all the terrestrial life on Earth. But our ability to record the change of land water storage is weak despite its importance. In this study, we attempt to establish a data‐driven model for simulating terrestrial water storage dynamics by relating climate forcings with terrestrial water storage anomalies (TWSAs) from the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) satellites. In the case study in Pearl River basin, China, the relationships were learned by using two ensemble learning algorithms, the Random Forest (RF) and eXtreme Gradient Boost (XGB), respectively. The TWSA in the basin was reconstructed back to past decades and compared with the TWSA derived from global land surface models. As a result, the RF and XGB algorithms both perform well and could nicely reproduce the spatial pattern and value range of GRACE observations, outperforming the land surface models. Temporal behaviors of the reconstructed TWSA time series well capture those of both GRACE and land surface models time series. A multiscale GRACE‐based drought index was proposed, and the index matches the Standardized Precipitation‐Evapotranspiration Index time series at different time scales. The case analysis for years of 1963 and 1998 indicates the ability of the reconstructed TWSA for identifying past drought and flood extremes. The importance of different input variables to the TWSA estimation model was quantified, and the precipitation of the prior 2 months is the most important variable for simulating the TWSA of the current month in the model. Results of this study highlight the great potentials for estimating terrestrial water storage dynamics from climate forcing data by using machine learning to achieve comparable results than complex physical models. Key Points: A terrestrial water storage (TWS) dynamics model based on climate forcing and machine learning was proposedThe model nicely reproduced GRACE observations and well identified past drought and flood extremes in Pearl River basin, ChinaThe importance of input variables to the TWS dynamics model was quantified and the precipitation of the prior 2 months is the most important one [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biological invasion represents a global issue of concern due to its large negative impacts on native ecosystems and society. Elucidating the evolutionary history and genetic basis underpinning invasiveness is critical to understanding how alien species invade and adapt to novel environments. Smooth cordgrass (Spartina alterniflora , 2n = 6 x = 62) is a notorious invasive species that causes heavily negative effects on native ecosystems worldwide. Here we addressed the evolutionary mechanisms underlying the invasion and dispersal history of this species along the China coast in the past decades. We employed nine microsatellites and three chloroplast fragments to investigate phylogeographic structure and genetic diversity of 11 native US and 11 invasive Chinese S. alterniflora populations. Demographic history simulation was also performed for both the native and invasive populations, respectively. Comparative genetic analyses of these natural populations revealed that although all the Chinese populations were introduced only once, high level of genetic diversity with weak geographic structure was observed. In particular, both the genetic features and mathematical simulation illustrated very recent population expansion in the Chinese populations. We found that genetic variants identified in native US populations were mixed in the Chinese populations, suggesting the recombination of these original variants during the invasion process. These genetic attributes indicate that Chinese populations might not have experienced a genetic bottleneck during the invasion process. High genetic diversity and genetic admixture might have contributed to the success of invasion of S. alterniflora in China. Our study provides a framework of how the smooth cordgrass spreads along the China coast as well as its potential genetic mechanisms underlying the invasion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wang, F.; Zong, Y.Q.; Li, J.F.; Tian, L.Z.; Shang, Z.W.; Chen, Y.S.; Jiang, X.Y.; Yang, J.L.; Yang, B., and Wang, H., 2016. Recent sedimentation dynamics indicated by 210Pbexc and 137Cs records from the subtidal area of Bohai Bay, China. To determine sedimentation rate changes across an open marine area along the west coast of Bohai Bay, more than 50 short sediment cores were collected and analyzed with their sedimentation rates estimated by excess 210Pb (210Pbexc) and 137Cs in the sediment. The surveys enabled us to explore the relationship between sediment supply changes from the rivers and the spatial/temporal deposition patterns in the shallow marine areas. Several core records show that sedimentation rates can be overestimated by the conventional constant initial concentration model based on the 210Pbexc curves alone. The overestimation was caused by a change of 210Pbexc in the top layers of these cores and this is confirmed by comparing 210Pbexc curves with the respective 137Cs curves. This phenomenon is likely caused by sediment erosion or redeposition of the surface sediment at the seabed, implying present-day active sedimentary processes as a result of the drastic decrease in sediment supply from the rivers during the last 50 years. The sedimentary boundary where sedimentation rate changed is largely comparable with the timing of sediment supply change according to the river discharge data, which can be used as a local time marker for sedimentation rate comparison. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the extent of genetic diversity in natural populations and the correlations between population structure and environmental heterogeneity is of great importance to estimation of the potential for species to undergo rapid adaptive changes in response to environmental variation. In this study, we systematically sampled 800 individuals from 26 Tamarix chinensis populations distributed throughout the Yellow River Delta (YRD) region in China, where a mosaic of habitat patches varying in soil salinity was detected. By exploring the micro-geographic genetic structure using the co-dominant microsatellite (SSR) markers, we aimed to answer questions as to what extent the populations diverged and how habitat heterogeneity affected the local population structure and dynamics of T. chinensis in YRD. The results demonstrated a moderate high level of genetic diversity and a low level of genetic differentiation in T. chinensis populations. The genetic variation was mainly maintained within populations, with a weak but significant genetic differentiation being detected among populations (Fst = 0.053, P < 0.001). While the overall genetic diversity within populations decreased progressively along with the increasing soil salinity, the locus T1D12 exhibited an elevated variation among populations, with the allele 558 (T1D12) showing a significantly higher frequency in highly saline habitats than in other sites, suggesting that the ecological differences among patchy habitats led to weak but significant adaptive divergence among populations. Local habitat conditions rather than geographic distances determine the genetic structure of T. chinensis populations in YRD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Is the "non-existence" of the Phillips curve in China a truth or just an illusion due to the deficiency of data? Should policy analysis follow the light of New-Keynesian or New-classical economics? These questions require empirical work on the Phillips curve, which has long been limited in China due to an inaccurate unemployment rate and unreliable estimated output gap. Instead of the insignificant or self-contradicting results in previous work, this paper puts forward a significant estimation, creatively using the vacancy-jobseeker ratio instead of the unemployment rate. It is suggested that a robust Phillips curve cannot be ignored and New-Keynesian economics should be employed in policy analysis in the short run. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Henan Province in China has a major epidemic of human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome (HIV/AIDS). Chinese medicine (CM) has been used throughout the last decade, and a management modality was developed, which can be described by unified-planning, graded-administration, and centralized-controlling (UGC). The UGC modality has one primary concept (patient-centered medicine from CM theory), four basic foundations (classifying administrative region, characteristics of CM on disease treatment, health resource conditions, and distribution of patients living with HIV), six important relationships (the 'three uniformities and three combinations,' and the six relationships therein guide the treatment of AIDS with CM), and four key sections (management, operation, records, and evaluation). In this article, the authors introduce the UGC modality, which could be beneficial to developing countries or resource-limited areas for the management of chronic infectious disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

DNA from liver samples of 17 free-ranging wild Reeves' muntjac (Muntiacus reevesi) was used for PCR amplification of piropalsm 18S rRNA gene. Of 17 samples, 14 (82.4%) showed a specific PCR product which were cloned and sequenced. BLAST analysis of the sequences obtained showed similarities to Babesia sp., Theileria capreoli, Theileria uilenbergi and Theileria sp. BO302-SE. Phylogenetic analysis showed that the Babesia sp. detected in the present study was distantly separated from known Babesia species of wild and domestic animals. Six sequences showed 100% similarity to T. capreoli while five sequences were separated from all known Theileria species and constituted an independent clade with Theileria sp. BO302-SE derived from roe deer in Italy; two sequences were close to T. uilenbergi with 97% similarity. This is the first description of hemoparasite infection in free-ranging wild Reeves' muntjac in China. Our results indicate that wild Reeves' muntjac may play an important reservoir role for hemoparasites. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Leaves are important vegetative organs of plants. However, our knowledge of fossil conifer leaves has been mostly obtained from compression or impression specimens. Compared with the abundant impression and compression leaf fossils, permineralized conifer leaf fossils with preserved cellular details are extremely rare. Therefore, leaf anatomies of fossil conifers remain poorly understood. Here, we describe permineralized leaves of a fossil conifer, Ningxiaites specialis Feng, 2012 , from the Lopingian Sunjiagou Formation of Northwest China. The leaves are linear and helically arranged on shoot axis. They are characterized by a single vascular bundle surrounded by transfusion tissue, a single-layered endodermis, a thick mesophyll, and a single-layered epidermis. Tracheids in the vascular bundle exhibit helical and scalariform thickenings. The transfusion tissue is of the Pinus -type and composed of transfusion tracheids and transfusion parenchyma. The mesophyll comprises palisade and spongy tissues. The palisade mesophyll consists of thin-walled elongate cells, and is present on the adaxial side of the leaf. The spongy mesophyll comprises subcircular to subrectangular shaped cells and is present on the abaxial side. The hypodermis is discontinuously present beneath the adaxial epidermis and possesses two to three layers of sclerenchyma cells. The epidermis consists of a single layer of rectangular parenchyma covered by a thick cuticle with abundant cylindrical papillae. Stomata are predominantly present on the adaxial leaf surface and are arranged in parallel rows. This is the first report on the leaf anatomy of a Paleozoic conifer from the North China Block and sheds new light on the evolutionary history of conifers. • Leaf anatomy of Ningxiaites specialis is described from the Lopingian of northern China. • It shows a single vascular bundle enclosed by a Pinus-type transfusion tissue. • Its endodermis is single-layered, and its mesophyll includes palisade and spongy tissues. • N. specialis represents an intermediate evolutionary status from walchians to extant conifers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phragmites australis is a cosmopolitan clonal species, but one haplotype from Eurasia has become highly invasive in North America. This article describes an investigation of the phylogeographic composition of 77 populations from China, based on the sequencing of two chloroplast non-coding DNA regions. A total of 11 haplotypes were detected, based on the sequence alignments of two chloroplast DNA fragments from 421 sampled individuals. Six of these haplotypes were completely new, and did not correspond to any of this species' 27 previously known haplotypes. The invasive haplotype M and haplotypes O and P were shown to occur frequently. Haplotype O is widely distributed across all regions and probably represents the primitive haplotype of this species. In contrast, P is mainly distributed in the humid eastern and northeastern regions of China, whereas M is more frequent in western and northwestern China-arid habitats with low precipitation. Between eastern and northeastern and western and northwestern regions, there was distinct genetic differentiation; the former region has a higher genetic diversity than the latter. The high occurrence of haplotype M in western China suggests that it prefers more arid habitats. These findings shed new light on the native distribution, adaptation, and habitat preference of haplotype M, which invaded North America. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The occurrence of four classes of 17 commonly used antibiotics (including fluoroquinolones, tetracycline, sulfonamides, and macrolides) was investigated in the sediments of the Yellow River, Hai River and Liao River in northern China by using rapid resolution liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. Higher concentrations were detected for most antibiotics in the sediments of the Hai River than in the sediments of the other rivers. Norfloxacin, ofloxacin, ciprofloxacin and oxytetracycline in the three rivers were most frequently detected with concentrations up to 5770, 1290, 653 and 652 ng/g, respectively. High frequencies and concentrations of the detected antibiotics were often found in the downstream of large cities and areas influenced by feedlot and fish ponds. Good fitted linear regression equations between antibiotic concentration and sediment physicochemical properties (TOC, texture and pH) were also found, indicating that sediment properties are important factors influencing the distribution of antibiotics in the sediment of rivers. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The distribution and occurrence of 15 antibiotics in surface water of the Pearl River System (Liuxi River, Shijing River and Zhujiang River) and effluents of four wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) were investigated in two sampling events representing wet season and dry season by using rapid resolution liquid chromatography-electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (RRLC-MS/MS) in positive ionization mode. Only eight antibiotics (sulfadiazine, sulfapyridine, sulfamethazine, sulfamethoxazole, trimethoprim, roxithromycin, erythromycin-H2O and norfloxacin) were detected in the water samples of the three rivers and the effluents. The detection frequencies and levels of antibiotics in the dry season were higher than those in the wet season. This could be attributed to the dilution effects in the wet season and relatively lower temperature in the dry season under which antibiotics could persist for a longer period. The levels of the detected antibiotics in different sites are generally in a decreasing order as follows: Shijing River ≥ WWTP effluent ≥ Zhujiang River ≥ Liuxi River. Risk assessment based on the calculated risk quotients showed that only erythromycin-H2O and roxithromycin detected in the Pearl Rivers might have adverse effects on aquatic organisms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A simultaneous extraction and analysis method was developed for four classes of antibiotics: sulfonamides (SAs), macrolides (MLs), fluoroquinolones (FQs) and tetracyclines (TCs) in sediment. The antibiotics in the sediment were extracted by using an optimized mixed solution (citric buffer: acetonitrile, 50:50v/v), and analyzed by rapid resolution liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (RRLC–MS/MS) equipped with electrospray ionization source in the positive mode. The recoveries for the antibiotics in the spiked sediment were: 66.3–123.5%, 48.2–72.0%, 61.8–160.4% and 60.6–151.9% for the SAs, TCs, FQs and MLs, respectively. The LOD ranged from 0.08µg/kg to 4.2µg/kg and LOQ from 0.26µg/kg (erythromycin–H2O) to 14.01µg/kg (norfloxacin). The developed analytical method was applied in the determination of the antibiotics in sediment samples collected from the Pearl Rivers, China. The antibiotics were found at the levels of μg/kg in the sediments of the three rivers. Ofloxacin was found to have the highest concentration of 1560µg/kg in sediment. However, no significant seasonal variation could be found for the antibiotics in the sediments between wet season and dry season. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In the People's Republic of China (PRC) market oriented reforms have resulted in several initiatives that promote entrepreneurial activities within state enterprises. One of these is the Contract Responsibility System (CRS) which provides the financial structure for allocating the profits of state enterprises between the government and the enterprises. The objective of the CRS is to increase the profits of state enterprises by transforming them into self-supporting economic cells. It is the purpose of this study to examine the operation of the CR5. This study profiles two state enterprises operating under the CR5 and discusses the reasons for their success or failure. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lung cancer is the most prevalent and observed type of cancer in Xuanwei County, Yunnan, South China. Lung cancer in this area is called Xuanwei lung cancer. However, its pathogenesis remains largely unknown. To date, a number of studies have shown that microRNA (miR)-218 functions as a tumor suppressor in multiple types of cancer. However, the role of miR-218 and its regulatory gene network in Xuanwei lung cancer have yet to be investigated. The current study identified that the expression levels of miR-218 in XWLC-05 cells were markedly lower compared with those in immortalized lung epithelial BEAS-2B cells. The present study also demonstrated that overexpression of miR-218 could decrease cell proliferation, invasion, viability and migration in Xuanwei lung cancer cell line XWLC-05 and NSCLC cell line NCI-H157. Additionally, the results revealed that overexpression of miR-218 could induce XWLC-05 and NCI-H157 cell apoptosis by arresting the cell cycle at G2/M phase. Finally, the present study demonstrated that overexpression of miR-218 could lead to a significant increase in phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) and YY1 transcription factor (YY1), and a decrease in B-cell lymphoma 2 (BCL-2) and BMI1 proto-oncogene, polycomb ring finger (BMI-1) at the mRNA and protein level in XWLC-05 and NCI-H157 cell lines. However, we did not observe any remarkable difference in the roles of miR-218 and miR-218-mediated regulation of BCL-2, BMI-1, PTEN and YY1 expression in the progression of Xuanwei lung cancer. In conclusion, miR-218 could simultaneously suppress cell proliferation and tumor invasiveness and induce cell apoptosis by increasing PTEN and YY1 expression, while decreasing BCL-2 and BMI-1 in Xuanwei lung cancer. The results demonstrated that miR-218 might serve a vital role in tumorigenesis and progression of Xuanwei lung cancer and overexpression of miR-218 may be a novel approach for the treatment of Xuanwei lung cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The interception of rainfall by vegetation canopies plays an important role in the hydrologic process of ecosystems. Most estimates of canopy rainfall interception in present studies are mainly through field observations at the plot region. However, it is difficult, yet important, to map the regional rainfall interception by vegetation canopy at a larger scale, especially in the southern rainy areas of China. To obtain a better understanding of the spatiotemporal variation of vegetation canopy rainfall interception with regard to the basin scale in this region, we extended a rainfall interception model by combining the observed rainfall data and moderate resolution imaging spectroradiometer leaf area index (MODIS_LAI) data to quantitatively estimate the vegetation canopy rainfall interception rate (CRIR) at small/medium basin scales in Guangdong Province, which is undergoing large changes in vegetation cover due to rapid urban expansion in the area. The results showed that the CRIR in Guangdong declined continuously during 2004–2012, but increased slightly in 2016, and the spatial variability of CRIR showed a diminishing yearly trend. The CRIR also exhibited a distinctive spatial pattern, with a higher rate to the east and west of the mountainous areas and a lower rate in the central mountainous and coastal areas. This pattern was more closely related to the spatial variation of the LAI than that of rainfall due to frequent extreme rainfall events saturating vegetation leaves. Further analysis demonstrated that forest coverage, instead of background climate, has a certain impact on the canopy rainfall interception, especially the proportion of broad-leaved forests in the basin, but more in-depth study is warranted in the future. In conclusion, the results of this study provide insights into the spatiotemporal variation of canopy rainfall interception at the basin scale of the Guangdong Province, and suggest that forest cover should be increased by adjusting the species composition to increase the proportion of native broad-leaved species based on the local condition within the basin. In addition, these results would be helpful in accurately assessing the impacts of forest ecosystems on regional water cycling, and provide scientific and practical implications for water resources management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A hydrometeor classification algorithm is developed by applying Bayes' theorem to C-band polarimetric weather radar measurements. The Bayesian hydrometeor classification algorithm (BHCA) includes eight hydrometeor types: hail, rain, graupel, dry snow, wet snow, crystal, biological scatterers (BS) and ground clutter (GC). The conditional likelihood probability distribution functions (PDFs) for each hydrometeor type are constructed with training data from radar observations. The prior PDFs include not only temperature information but also background information about occurrence frequency of hydrometeor types at each altitude, which is incorporated by a hydrometeor classification algorithm for the first time. The BHCA is evaluated by comparing with the Marzano-Bayesian hydrometeor classification algorithm (MBHC) and NCAR fuzzy logic classifier (NFLC). Results show that wet snow is largely missed in MBHC, while crystals are not adequately identified by NFLC. This may be due to the inappropriate conditional likelihood PDFs or membership functions. The prior PDFs in the MBHC may cause unexpected hail due to unreasonable variation above 0 °C. In addition, the prior PDFs of graupel and dry snow in the MBHC appear below −52 °C, which is not realistic. The BHCA proposed in this study overcomes these shortcomings in the prior PDFs and produces an overall reasonable classification product over the Yangtze-Huaihe River Basin (YHRB), Eastern China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fossil wood not only provides a comprehensive understanding of the ancient floral composition and the evolution history of wood through time, but also sheds light on the paleoclimate, paleoenvironment, and paleoecology. Permineralized conifer wood commonly occurs in the Jurassic of China; however, the detailed anatomical study has been sparsely conducted on the Jurassic wood from Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region (Xinjiang), Northwest China. Here, we describe a unique permineralized stem, Yiwupitys elegans Gou et Feng gen. nov. et sp. nov. from the Middle Jurassic Xishanyao Formation in Naomaohu Town of Yiwu County, Hami City, Xinjiang, Northwest China. The fossil stem is preserved with pith, primary xylem, and secondary xylem. The solid pith is heterocellular and characterized mainly by clustered or isolated secretory cells and pitted parenchymatous cells at the pith periphery. The primary xylem is mesarch showing annular, helical, and scalariform thickenings on the tracheid walls from the protoxylem to the metaxylem. The secondary xylem is pycnoxylic and exclusively composed of tracheids and parenchymatous rays. Growth rings are distinct. The secondary xylem tracheids are featured commonly by bent ends overlapping each other. They have mostly uniseriate or biseriate, or partially triseriate alternately or oppositely arranged bordered pits on the radial walls and uniseriate or biseriate bordered pits on the tangential walls. The rays are uniseriate and up to sixteen cells high. There are four to eight cupressoid pits in each cross-field, arranged in the araucarioid type. Leaf traces initiate from the pith margin and possess a single vascular strand in each trace. The anatomical structures indicate that Yiwupitys elegans has a closer affinity with conifers, although it shows few characteristics of ginkgophytes. Our study shed new light on the plant diversity of the Yiwu Jurassic Forest. • A new fossil stem is described from the Middle Jurassic of Northwest China. • Discussion affinity of Yiwupitys elegans gen. nov. et sp. nov. • Secretory structures features are present in the stem. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two distinctive lycopsid megaspore species, Henrisporites yunnanensis Sui, McLoughlin et Feng sp. nov. and H. qujingensis Sui, McLoughlin et Feng sp. nov., are described from the Lopingian Xuanwei Formation of Yunnan Province, Southwest China, using scanning and transmission electron microscopy. Henrisporites yunnanensis is characterized by prominent membranous triradiate labra with ragged margins, a broad irregularly serrated membranous zona with radiating spiny extensions, and ramified or unbranched spines on the spore surface, those on the distal surface especially having capillate termini. Punctatisporites -type microspores occur adhering to the megaspore surface. The megaspore wall incorporates four layers, viz., from inside to outside: (1) a thin and dense foot layer especially thickened at the laesurae lips; (2) a moderately-thick layer with small circular and loosely distributed sporopollenin grains with parallel arrangement; (3) a thick spongy layer consisting of elongate, curved and interconnected sporopollenin units perpendicular to the inner layers; and (4) an electron-dense outermost layer forming the ornamentation. Henrisporites qujingensis has lower membranous labra, a generally continuous membranous zona with radiate spiny margins but, in some cases, dissected into single fimbria, and bearing sparsely distributed and locally forked stubby spines over the spore surface. Henrisporites qujingensis also has a four-layered wall. The innermost thin foot layer is covered by a loose layer of tiny parallel sporopollenin grains. A thick spongy layer is developed exterior to the second layer and comprises elongate, curved, and intersecting sporopollenin units forming a porous zone. The outermost layer consists of varied sculptural processes with contrasting densities between the proximal and distal surfaces. The morphological and ultrastructural characteristics suggest that these new megaspores belong to Isoetales. Our discovery represents the earliest global occurrence of Henrisporites , which has been documented exclusively from the Mesozoic in previous studies. • Two new lycopsid megaspore species of Henrisporites are described from the Permian of Southwest China. • These are the first records of Henrisporites from upper Paleozoic strata. • Henrisporites yunnanensis is associated with Punctatisporites microspores. • Morphology and ultrastructure indicate the two new megaspores belong to Isoetales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plants can move in various complex ways in response to external stimuli. 1,2 These mechanisms include responses to environmental triggers, such as tropic responses to light or gravity and nastic responses to humidity or contact. 3 Nyctinasty, the movements involving circadian rhythmic folding at night and opening at daytime of plant leaves or leaflets, has attracted the attention of scientists and the public for centuries. 4,5 In his canonical work entitled The Power of Movement in Plants , Charles Darwin carried out pioneering observations to document the diverse range of movements in plants. 6 His systematic examination of plants showing "sleep [folding] movements of leaves" led him to conclude that the legume family (Fabaceae) includes many more nyctinastic species than all other families combined. 3 Darwin also found that a specialized motor organ, the pulvinus, is responsible for most sleep movements of plant leaves, although differential cell division and the hydrolysis of glycosides and phyllanthurinolactone also facilitate nyctinasty in some plants. 7,8 However, the origin, evolutionary history, and functional benefits of foliar sleep movements remain ambiguous owing to the lack of fossil evidence for this process. Here, we document the first fossil evidence of foliar nyctinasty based on a symmetrical style of insect feeding damage (Folifenestra symmetrica isp. nov.) in gigantopterid seed-plant leaves from the upper Permian (∼259–252 Ma) of China. The pattern of insect damage indicates that the host leaves were attacked when mature but folded. Our finding reveals that foliar nyctinasty extends back to the late Paleozoic and evolved independently among various plant lineages. [Display omitted] • Foliar nyctinasty is reported based on insect feeding damage in Permian leaves • The insect-damaged leaves belong to two species of gigantopterid seed plants • Foliar nyctinasty probably evolved independently among various plant lineages Feng et al. describe a symmetrical style of insect feeding damage in gigantopterid leaves from the upper Permian of Southwest China and demonstrate that these leaves were attacked when mature but folded. This is the first evidence of foliar nyctinasty in fossil plants, revealing that foliar nyctinasty evolved independently among diverse plant groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents an abstract of a paper entitled `The Contract Responsibility System in the PRC: A Case Study,' by Richard A. Maschmeyer and Yang Ji Liang.

Presents an abstract of a paper entitled `The Feasibility of Introducing Enterprise Profit Taxation in China,' by Paul R. Johnson and Ji-Liang Yang.

An exceptionally well-preserved wood, Ningxiaites shitanjingensis sp. nov., is described from the uppermost Permian Sunjiagou Formation of Northwest China providing new evidence for plant diversity and paleoecological features of the Cathaysian Flora. The new plant is characterized by a eustelic vascular system with thick pycnoxylic woody cylinder. The cylindrical pith is solid and parenchymatous, surrounded by numerous, discrete endarch primary xylem strands and monarch leaf traces. The wood is especially distinctive by the expanded rays at the pith periphery and the pitted tangential walls of ray cells. The tracheids in the primary xylem have annular, helical and scalariform thickenings from protoxylem to metaxylem. The secondary xylem comprises tracheids, rays and axial parenchyma cells. Tracheids in the secondary xylem possess both alternate and opposite bordered pits on the radial walls. Each cross-field displays 1–2 cupressoid bordered pits. Rays are mostly uniseriate, 1–14 cells high. Leaf traces originate individually, bifurcate or not during their horizontal extension through wood, form helical clusters. Two types of arthropod coprolites were recognized in a boring in the pith. The relatively smaller coprolites containing unidentifiable plant tissues are identical with those of oribatid mites, whereas the larger coprolites exhibiting undigested plant cells probably produced by ancient millipedes. In addition to the occurrences of evident fungal hyphae, white-rot pattern and tyloses in the delignificated wood. The current study demonstrates complex ecological relationships and trophic networks occurred during the Lopingian (late Permian). • A new conifer wood is reported from uppermost Permian of Northwest China. • Oribatid mite and probable millipede coprolites are contained in the pith. • Fungi, white-rot pattern and host plant reactions are recognized in the wood. • It reveals complex ecological relationships and trophic networks of late Permian age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Untreated agricultural waste results in significant environmental pollution and reduces economic efficiency in The Three Gorges Reservoir Region. Ensiling is a method used to improve biowaste-to-resource systems and enhance the efficiency of resource recycling. Nutrient-rich citrus waste are suitable raw material for ensiling in China, but unsuitable for large-scale ensiling. In this study, citrus waste and other agricultural by-products were used to ensile as livestock feed in a family-scale silo. Spatial variation in microbiome composition and silage quality was analyzed in the bunker silo. From the top to the bottom of the silo, the crude protein, crude fiber, and pectin contents all increased, while the loss rate of dry matter decreased, indicating that the silage quality was better in the lower section of the silo. Spatial variation in temperature, pH, and moisture significantly influenced silage quality by influencing the composition of the microbiome. Undesirable Enterobacteriaceae and Trichocomaceae were replaced by Lactobacillus , Saccharomycetaceae , Sphingobium , and Pediococcus during ensiling. Proteolysis was mainly due to the decomposition of crude protein and further hydrolysis of soluble protein by Sphingobium , Brevundimonas , and fungi. Crude fiber and pectin were primarily degraded by unclassified_o_Saccharomycetales and norank_o_Eurotiales. The pH of the silage decreased from the top to the bottom of the silo as well from the outside to the center, which is attributed to the presence of Lactobacillus and Pediococcus. More homofermentative lactic acid bacteria should be added to raw materials that are positioned higher in the bunker silo to improve silage quality. The reuse of agricultural waste as silage in Changshou Agricultural Park of the Three Gorges Reservoir Region could result in increase in annual profits of $8,282.50 USD; however, the waste handling expenses totaled $8,416.00 USD. The application of this BTR method will reduce the shortage of fermented feed and result in significant economic benefits. Image 1 • Ensiling of agricultural waste is an effective way to reuse waste as resource in China. • A family-scale silo was better suited for citrus waste ensiling. • The quality of silage decreased from the top to the bottom of the silo. • Temperature, pH, and moisture affect silage quality by influencing the composition of the microbiome. • Lactobacillus and unclassified_o_Saccharomycetales are the main microorganisms present after ensiling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the influence of workplace ostracism (WOS) on counterproductive work behavior (CWB) and the mediating effect of state self-control (SSC) on the above relationship, in a Chinese cultural context. We based our study on the theory of self-control resources. To avoid common method bias, we examined our hypotheses with 356 pairs of supervisor-subordinate dyads and collected data from 26 enterprises in central China. We used structural equation modeling to test the hypotheses. The results indicated that WOS was positively related to both organizational and interpersonal employee CWB. In addition, the results showed that SSC mediated the relationship between WOS and CWB. Implications for theory and management are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Coastal exploitation and urban expansion weaken individual ecosystem services (ESs). • Environmental, socioeconomic, and landscape variables are determinants of ES changes. • Spatial determinants exhibit significant spatial heterogeneity and spillover effects. • A regionally integrated perspective is crucial for regional landscape planning. • Cross-border collaborations are needed to improve efficacy of ecosystem conservation efforts. Coastal ecosystems provide important ecosystem services (ESs) and have been subject to conservation and restoration efforts in China for decades. However, ecosystem responses to coastal exploitation activity and their spatial determinants have not been sufficiently evaluated, which limits the efficacy of ecosystem restoration efforts. To fill these gaps, this study assessed the dominant change trends in ESs in southeastern China since the 1980s using an integrated biophysical model. Moreover, we explored the determinants of ESs, their spatial heterogeneity, and spillover effects via spatial econometrics and geospatial analysis approaches. The results indicate that coastal exploitation, particularly rapid urbanization and land reclamation, profoundly altered landscape composition and further affected ESs. In urbanization hotspots, rapid land use/cover conversion (i.e., wetland, woodland, and grassland losses) and increasingly intensive human activities have substantially lowered carbon stock, soil retention, and habitat quality services while increasing water yield and nitrogen export. Environmental, socioeconomic, and landscape variables were identified as important determinants of ES changes and exhibit significant spatial heterogeneity and spillover effects. Our findings indicate that such indicators are highly useful for ecosystem assessments, modeling, and forecasting for ES management and conservation efforts. The identified spatial determinants and their spillover effects demonstrate that regional landscape planning and ecosystem management must consider environmental, socioeconomic, and landscape indicators from a regionally integrated perspective and coordinate cross-border collaborations from neighboring areas to improve the efficacy of ecological projects. Our findings provide important references for scheme optimization and strategy adjustment for ES management, both in the study region and globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: We investigated two commonly used antimicrobial agents triclosan (TCS) and triclocarban (TCC) in the Pearl River system in China (i.e., Liuxi, Zhujiang and Shijing Rivers) and four sewage effluents during dry and wet seasons. The median values for TCS and TCC were the highest in the surface water and sediments of the Shijing River, followed by the Zhujiang River and Liuxi River. Screening level risk assessment using the risk quotient (RQ) method showed that TCS and TCC in surface water posed median risks in the Zhujiang and Liuxi Rivers (RQs: 0.28–0.62 for TCS, and 0.15–0.80 for TCC) and high risks in the Shijing River (RQs: 5.15–9.55 for TCS, and 3.32–5.83 for TCC). Higher risks (RQs: 3.63–28.47 for TCS, and 3.13–24.54 for TCC) were found in the sediments than in surface water of the Pearl River system. The four sewage effluents and Shijing River as well as other urban streams in Guangzhou metropolitan area were identified as the sources of the two compounds in the main river Zhujiang River. The mass inventories of TCS and TCC in the Pearl River system indicate that the sediments are not only an important sink but also a potential source for the two compounds in surface water. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: In this study, we compared the differences of bacterial abundance and diversity between rhizosphere and surrounding bulk soils under soil salinization and petroleum contamination in the Yellow River Delta on a 110-km-distance scale. In comparison with bulk soils, rhizosphere soils were mainly characterized by lower salinity and higher water content in saline soils. For bacterial abundance, the numbers of total bacteria and hydrocarbon degraders were significantly higher in rhizosphere soils than those in bulk soils. Although there was no significant difference in total petroleum hydrocarbon (TPH) concentration between the two types of soils, TPH had distinctly different effects on bacterial abundance in rhizosphere and bulk soils. TPH concentration was the major determinant of total bacterial abundance and had positive effects on abundances of hydrocarbon degraders. However, the abundances of total bacteria and hydrocarbon degraders in bulk soils were primarily determined by soil salinity and water content. Great abundance of rhizosphere bacteria suggested that plant roots could alleviate the stresses from soil salinization and provide more favorable microhabitats for bacterial growth. TPH had positive effects on bacterial diversity of both rhizosphere and bulk soils. Our results support the view that petroleum in the environments functions as both toxic chemicals and carbon sources to soil bacteria. Great abundance and diversity of total bacteria in plant rhizospheres would potentially improve the roles of bacteria in maintaining ecosystem functioning in the degraded ecosystems. Our results would improve our understanding of the relationships between rhizosphere effects and multiple environmental stresses that control the development of bacterial community in fragile anthropologically-affected ecosystems. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

An analytical method for phenolic endocrine disrupting chemicals and acidic pharmaceuticals in river water was developed using gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC–MS) coupled with negative chemical ionization (NCI) technique, and used for the determination of these compounds in the Pearl Rivers (Liuxi, Zhujiang and Shijing Rivers). Derivatization using pentafluorobenzoyl chloride (PFBOCl) and pentafluorobenzyl bromide (PFBBr) before GC–MS analysis were applied and optimized for phenolic compounds and acidic compounds, respectively. The target compounds were analyzed for river waters from the upstream to downstream of the Pearl Rivers. Phenolic compounds 4-tert-octylphenol (4-t-OP), 4-nonylphenol (4-NP), bisphenol-A (BPA), estrone (E1), estradiol (E2) and triclosan (TCS) were detected at trace or low levels in the water samples from Liuxi River and Zhujiang River. Diethylstilbestrol (DES) was not detected in the Pearl Rivers. The highest concentrations of the phenolic compounds were found in Shijing River, and they were 3150 ng/L for 4-t-OP, 11,300 ng/L for 4-NP, 1040 ng/L for BPA, 79 ng/L for E1, 7.7 ng/L for E2 and 355 ng/L for TCS, respectively. Only a few acidic pharmaceuticals were detected at low concentrations in water from Liuxi River and Zhujiang River, but the highest concentrations for the acidic pharmaceuticals were also found in Shijing River. The highest concentrations detected for clofibric acid, ibuprofen, gemfibrozil, naproxen, mefenamic acid and diclofenac were 17 ng/L, 685 ng/L, 19.8 ng/L, 125 ng/L, 24.6 ng/l and 150 ng/L, respectively. The results suggest Liuxi and Zhujiang Rivers are only slightly contaminated and can be used as drinking water sources, but Shijing River is heavily polluted by the wastewater from nearby towns. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• A random forest (RF)-based model to extend GRACE TWSA back to1948 over China. • A spatially moving-window structure is combined with the RF model. • The RF TWSA match well with GRACE results and another reconstructed GRACE data. • Spatial patterns of the variable importance in RF model are quantified. The changes of terrestrial water storage (TWS) is critical for drought monitoring, water and food security, global water cycle and climate change studies. Currently, the Gravity Recovery and Climate Experiment (GRACE) twin satellites are unique means of observing large-scale water storage variations, but the short time series (2002-present) limits their applications in long term climatic and hydrologic studies. Although the TWS can be calculated from global land surface models, large uncertainties arise due to uncertainties of inputs and the limitations of the models. This study developed a reconstruction model for GRACE TWS anomalies (TWSA) based on the Global Land Data Assimilation System (GLDAS) model outputs by using a Random Forest (RF) regression approach. A Spatially Moving Window (SMW) structure was introduced when training the RF model to address the spatial variations of TWSA, and a linear regression approach (LR) was also used for comparison purpose. Long-term TWSA over China land area were generated based on the proposed approaches and results were validated through cross-validation and comparisons with reference datasets. As a result, the RF-based model outperforms the LR-based model, and the reconstructed TWSA by using the two models both well reproduce GRACE dataset and outperform the TWSA that are derived directly from GLDAS models. Moreover, the TWSA produced by using the presented models have good agreements with another global GRACE-based reconstructed TWSA dataset and in-situ soil moisture measurements. Importance value for each variable in the RF model was quantified as well as the spatial coefficients for each variable in the LR model. The importance values and regression coefficients present varying spatial patterns. Rather than modifying the land surface model structure and inputs, this study provides alternative ways of improving the TWS estimations of GLDAS and extending time range of GRACE datasets. The experiments are expected to promote and enrich the methodologies and theories of combining physical and statistical models for optimal simulations in geoscientific research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pregnant women have different thermal preferences during pregnancy. This paper aims to investigate the thermal characteristics of pregnant women in hospitals, addressing a research gap in the field of thermal comfort for this population. This study assessed the thermal environments of the pregnancy examination spaces (i.e., B-ultrasound room and waiting area) in a hospital located in Xi'an during the winter season. Data were collected from 1055 pregnant women at different stages of pregnancy, including demographic characteristics, thermal sensation votes (TSVs), thermal comfort votes (TCVs), and clothing insulation. The results show that the thermal sensation was significantly more influenced by the pregnancy stage than the current weight. Pregnant women in the third trimester reported a higher mean thermal sensation vote (MTSV) than in other pregnancy stages. Furthermore, the clothing insulation of pregnant women exhibited a non-normal distribution, resembling a bimodal structure. Based on this structure, typical clothing insulation values were determined to be 0.9 clo in the B-ultrasound room and 1.3 clo in the waiting area. Given these characteristics in both thermal perception and dressing behaviors of pregnant women via a subjective questionnaire, we advise lowering the temperature to ensure their comfort and save heating energy. Some personalized seats are also provided to compensate for differences in thermal preference at various stages of pregnancy. These findings contribute to the creation of comfortable and healthy pregnancy examination environments., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Hepatolenticular degeneration is a rare treatable autosomal recessive inherited copper metabolism disorder with a diverse clinical phenotype and an exceptionally complex pathogenesis. Early definitive phenotypic diagnosis and targeted treatment are major challenges worldwide. In this study, we strictly followed the "National Standards of the People's Republic of China - Terminology of Traditional Chinese Medicine Clinical Diagnosis and Treatment (Syndrome Part)," "Chinese Medicine Nomenclature," and the clinical investigation-determined traditional Chinese medicine syndrome differentiation standards at Anhui University of Chinese Medicine to select 6 of the most common traditional Chinese medicine syndrome differentiations. This study retrospectively analyzed 107 patients admitted between 2019 and 2023 with Wilson's disease based on real-world data. After testing for normal distribution and homogeneity of variance, corresponding analysis of variance was selected, followed by post hoc multiple comparisons. Of the selected 25 objective influencing factors, 22 exhibited normal distribution, while red blood cells, hemoglobin, and type IV collagen did not pass the homogeneity of variance test. After analysis of variance, the factors ceruloplasmin (CP) and copper oxidase (SCO) showed significant differences among patients with different traditional Chinese medicine syndromes (P < .05), with partial η2 for CP being 0.13 > 0.06 and for SCO being 0.143 > 0.14. Post hoc multiple comparison results indicated significant differences in CP and SCO among patients with certain traditional Chinese medicine syndromes (P < .05). There were significant differences in the factors CP and SCO among patients with different traditional Chinese medicine syndromes. Significant differences were observed in the copper blue protein factor between damp-heat syndrome and liver and kidney deficiency syndrome, liver and kidney deficiency syndrome and liver and kidney yin deficiency syndrome, liver and kidney deficiency syndrome and phlegm heat and wind syndrome, as well as liver and kidney deficiency syndrome and syndrome of phlegm and blood stasis (P < .05). Significant differences were also found in the SCO factor between damp-heat syndrome and liver and kidney deficiency syndrome, liver and kidney deficiency syndrome and liver and kidney yin deficiency syndrome, liver and kidney deficiency syndrome and phlegm heat and wind syndrome, and liver and kidney deficiency syndrome and syndrome of phlegm and blood stasis (P < .05)., Competing Interests: The authors have no funding and conflicts of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2024 the Author(s). Published by Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc.)

Introduction: Objective: this study investigated the effect of sunlight on vitamin D and hemoglobin levels among the residents of Ningbo, China. The impact of gender, age, and season on vitamin D and hemoglobin levels was also explored. Methods: a total of 8,481 research subjects, including 5,146 men and 3,335 women, who were permanent residents of Ningbo and received health checkups at Ningbo Second Hospital, were included in the study. Ningbo City climate bulletin data from 2019 to 2022 was also included. Results: the study subjects received an average of 132.20 ± 40.05 h of sunlight exposure per month and had average vitamin D levels of 19.63 ± 6.61 ng/ml. Hemoglobin levels were adequate in 85.4 % of the participants and deficient in 14.6 %. Sunlight exposure correlated positively with vitamin D and negatively with hemoglobin levels. Regression analysis indicated that gender, age, and season affected vitamin D and hemoglobin levels to different degrees. Conclusion: in Ningbo, vitamin D deficiency was common in adults while hemoglobin levels were mostly normal. The amount of sunlight exposure had a significant effect on vitamin D and hemoglobin levels and this relationship was impacted by gender, age, and season.