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Purpose: Physical education (PE) in school provides opportunities for physical activity (PA) engagement and reportedly results in improved health-related fitness. This study explored the underlying correlations between PE and activity-related healthy lifestyle practices with current level of cardiorespiratory fitness. Methods: A total of 13,138 students age 14 (boys = 7,094, 54.0%) in Grade 8 from the China National Assessment of Educational Quality - Physical Education & Health 2015 were included in this study. Two independent structural equation modeling (SEM) analyses were conducted to obtained sex-specific results. Data included the results of the 15-m progressive aerobic cardiovascular endurance run (PACER) and questionnaire data regarding PE curriculum implementation, learning and practice, perceived support from PE teachers, PE facilities, PE equipment, activity-related healthy lifestyle practices, habitual physical fitness, appropriate method of physical fitness, and breakfast eating habits. Structural equation modeling was applied to examine the associations between variables, controlling for socioeconomic status, the location of schools, and Body Mass Index. Results: There was a statistically significant relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness and activity-related healthy lifestyle practices, which was somewhat positively impacted by skill learning and practice and perceived support from PE teachers. Together, the boy's model explained 21.8% of the variance in cardiorespiratory fitness, whereas the girl's model explained 15.9%. Conclusions: A well-organized PE program is related to students' activity-related healthy lifestyle practices, and consequently provides an improvement to cardiorespiratory fitness.

Purpose: To summarize the framework and development procedure of the China National Assessment of Education Quality - Physical Education & Health in 2015 (CNAEQ-PEH 2015), an authoritative and evidence-based national surveillance protocol developed by the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China for Grade 4 and Grade 8 students. Methods: The framework of CNAEQ-PEH 2015 included a test battery of physical fitness and health outcomes and self-reported questionnaires regarding facilitators and barriers to physical fitness and health in school settings and family status, completed by students, teachers, and principals. A qualified, standardized, and responsible work procedure was generated to provide insights into the quality of data collection and supervision of large-scale school-based physical fitness testing implementation. Measure development, stratified unequal probability sampling, and implementation were included in the working procedure. Results: In the first circle of the CNAEQ-PEH conducted on June 18, 2015, 111,173 Grade 4 students from 4,015 elementary schools and 72,243 Grade 8 students from 2,461 middle schools, along with their principals (n = 6,447) and physical education (PE) teachers (n = 11,418), were sampled by probability proportionate to size (PPS) across 323 counties in China. Results provided detailed information regarding students' physical fitness outcomes, learning, lifestyle, and educational environment. Conclusions: CNAEQ-PEH 2015 is a large-scale assessment of physical fitness and health outcomes. It helps provide opportunities to understand the physical fitness and health status of Chinese Grade 4 and 8 students and to study the correlations of physical fitness and health, as well as their relationship with education-related indicators and academic performance.

X-ray diffraction (XRD) is extensively used in archaeometric investigation. Herein, we provide a novel XRD spectrum-based untargeted strategy for the classification of ancient painted pottery for various dynasties. It was accomplished using the original spectrum without a phase identification. To eliminate the influence of baseline drift, a new baseline drift correction algorithm was specifically designed for XRD spectra. The algorithm was implemented using local minimum values in the analyzed signal in an iterative optimization manner. The results indicated that with the aid of the algorithm, the baseline drift problem can be successfully resolved, and the classification of ancient painted pottery can be greatly improved. Finally, the developed strategy was successfully used to discriminate ancient painted pottery from the Han and Tang dynasties in the cities of Guyuan and Zhongwei, China. The developed untargeted strategy had the remarkable advantage of almost automatic data analysis. The toolbox of our strategy can be obtained from the authors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The digital economy is gradually becoming a powerful engine for high-quality economic development in China and plays an important role in the construction of digital villages and the integrated development of rural industries. Starting from the mechanism of reducing transaction costs in the digital economy, it is a feasible perspective to analyze the role of the digital economy in promoting the integration and development of rural industries in China. This paper evaluates the impact of the digital economy on the development of rural industries in China, analyzes the current situation and problems in the construction of digital villages in China, and uses transaction cost theory to analyze the role of digital technology applications in reducing transaction costs in agricultural production, sales, and financial services. It finds out various rural industrial integration modes formed in the process of digital rural construction, and proposes policy suggestions to promote the integrated development of digital economy and rural industries in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a carrier of toxic substances, household dust has a great impact on human health. Here we collected 73 household dust samples from 27 provinces and 1 municipality in China to investigate the levels, spatial distribution, sources, and carcinogenic risk of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The total concentrations of 14 detected PAHs (∑14 PAHs) ranged from 3.72 to 60,885 ng g−1. High ∑14 PAHs were found in Northeast and Southwest China. High molecular weights (HMW) PAHs (4–6 rings) were predominant PAHs in most dust samples, accounting for 93.6% of ∑14 PAHs. Household fuel, cooking frequency, air conditioning, and smoking were the main factors influencing PAH concentrations in household dust. Principal component analysis model indicated that fossil combustion (81.5%) and biomass combustion and vehicle exhaust (8.1%) are the primary sources of PAHs. Positive matrix factorization model suggested that household cooking and heating contributed about 70% of ∑14 PAHs, and smoking contributed another 30%. The values of benzo[a]pyrene equivalent in rural dust were found to be higher than those in urban dust. The sum of toxic equivalents (TEQs) of 14 PAHs were in range of 0.372–7241 ng g−1, in which 7 HMW PAHs accounted for 98.0 ± 1.98% of the total TEQs. Monte Carlo Simulation showed a low to moderate potential carcinogenic risk of PAHs in household dusts. This study documents comprehensive information on human exposure to PAHs in household dust at a national-scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

HIV disclosure is crucial for HIV prevention and control, but may also lead to discrimination, insult, and even violence against people living with HIV and AIDS (PLWHAs). In this study, we examined HIV disclosure, its influencing factors, and its association with intimate partner violence (IPV) among 1153 PLWHAs through the sexual route in Jinan, Shandong Province, China. Our results showed that 76.4% (881/1153) PLWHAs had disclosed someone about their HIV infection, the HIV disclosure rates among family members, friends, spouses, and current fixed partners of PLWHAs were 43.5% (501/1153), 47.9% (552/1153), 56.8% (129/227), and 43.2% (336/777), respectively. HIV disclosure was affected by socio-demographics, disease characteristics, and psycho-social factors and varied among family members, close friends, spouses, and current fixed sexual partners. Age ≤ 33 years (aOR 1.79, 95% CI 1.27–2.53), heterosexual infection route (aOR 1.52, 95% CI 1.06–2.17), HIV diagnosis time > 36 months (aOR 1.84, 95% CI 1.30–2.59), with other chronic diseases (aOR 1.87, 95% CI 1.34–2.61), lower self-stigma (aOR 4.03–4.36, 95% CI 1.98–8.74), higher social support (aOR 1.71–1.73, 95% CI 1.03–2.83), no depression (aOR 1.54, 95% CI 1.12–2.11), and no suicidal ideation (aOR 1.79, 95% CI 1.28–2.50) were all independently associated with increased likelihood of HIV disclosure. HIV disclosure was associated with an increased risk of IPV among current fixed sexual partners (aOR 1.87, 95% CI 1.38–2.54) and spouses (aOR 2.54, 95% CI 1.41–4.56). Our findings suggest that the HIV disclosure rate of PLWHAs is still low and is affected by multiple factors. There is an urgent need to design targeted and comprehensive interventions to improve HIV disclosure. IPV prevention should also be incorporated into the intervention system of HIV disclosure to ensure adequate and continuous support for PLWHAs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The occurrence of heavy metals including chromium (Cr), nickel (Ni), copper (Cu), zinc (Zn), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) was investigated in paired samples of hair and nails collected from 121 volunteers in 16 cities, China. Results showed that the mean concentrations of Zn, Cu, As, Pb, Cr, Ni and Cd were 205, 18.0, 7.79, 6.18, 3.54, 2.02, 0.533 μg g−1 in hair and 103, 8.09, 0.760, 7.27, 6.07, 8.81, 0.485 μg g−1 in nails, respectively. The concentrations of Zn, Ni, Cr, Cd and Pb were positively correlated in paired samples of hair and nails, whereas a negative correlation was found for Cu and As between hair and nails. Higher concentrations of heavy metals were found in northern China than southern China. The multivariate analysis of variance revealed that dwelling environment was the dominant factor influencing the levels of Cd in hair (p < 0.05), while age was the dominant factor influencing the levels of Cr in nails (p < 0.05). Moreover, industrial pollution and smoking were also the important factors leading to the accumulation of heavy metals in human body. Principal component analysis (PCA) showed that industrial pollution and decoration material immersion were the main factors for the high concentrations of Cr and Ni in hair, accounting for 62.9% of the total variation; As in hair was dominantly related to groundwater pollution. The concentrations of heavy metals were within the recommended ranges in nails from this study. However, the mean levels of Cr, Ni and As in hair exceeded their recommended reference values, indicating potential health risks from heavy metals for residents in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The HIV/AIDS (human immunodeficiency virus/acquired immune deficiency syndrome) remains a global threat to health. Suicidal ideation has been a serious public health problem among people living with HIV (PLWH). However, the suicide prevention mechanism among PLWH still unclear. This study aims to analyze the suicidal ideation and its related factors in PLWH, and further explore the relationships between suicidal ideation and depression, anxiety and perceived social support. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study. A total of 1146 PLWH were investigated by the general information questionnaire, the perceived social support scale (PSSS), the Beck scale for suicide ideation of Chinese version (BSI-CV), the generalized anxiety disorder scale-2 (GAD-2) and the patient health questionnaire-2 (PHQ-2) though the WeChat in China in 2018. By using statistical description and the binary unconditional logistic regression, we assessed the incidence of suicidal ideation and its related factors in PLWH. Besides, the intermediary effect of social support between anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation were explored by the stepwise test and Bootstrap method. Results: The incidence of suicide ideation was 54.0% (619/1146) among the PLWH in the last week or during the most serious depression. Binary logistic regression analysis results showed that the PLWH who with short time for HIV positive diagnosis (aOR (adjusted odd ratio) = 1.754, 95% CI (confidence interval):1.338–2.299), low monthly income (aOR = 1.515, 95%CI:1.098–2.092), other chronic diseases except HIV (aOR = 1.555, 95%CI:1.134–2.132), irregular lovers (aOR = 1.369, 95%CI:1.021–1.837), anxiety (aOR = 2.711, 95%CI:1.767–4.161), depression (aOR = 1.614, 95%CI:1.078–2.417), low PSSS (aOR = 2.139, 95%CI:1.345–3.399) had high risk of suicide ideation.The social support played a mediating role between the anxiety (the mediating effect accounted for 30.43% of the total effect), depression (the mediating effect accounted for 23.76% of the total effect) and the suicide ideation among PLWH. Conclusion: The incidence of suicide ideation of PLWH was high. Anxiety, depression, and social support are the key factors of suicide ideation of PLWH. Social support plays a partial mediating role between anxiety, depression and suicidal ideation, which provides a new approach for prevention of suicidal ideation in PLWH and should be known widely for people to prevent suicide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Measurement of the Chinese burden of disease with disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) requires disability weight (DW) that quantify health losses for all non-fatal consequences of disease and injury. The Global Burden of Disease (GBD) 2013 DW study indicates that it is limited by lack of geographic variation in DW data and by the current measurement methodology. We aim to estimate DW for a set of health states from major diseases in the Wuhan population. Methods: We conducted the DW measurement study for 206 health states through a household survey with computer-assisted face-to-face interviews and a web-based survey. Based on GBD 2013 DW study, paired comparison (PC) and Population health equivalence (PHE) method was used and different PC/PHE questions were randomly assigned to each respondent. In statistical analysis, the PC data was analyzed by probit regression. The probit regression results will be anchored by results from the PHE data analyzed by interval regression on the DW scale units between 0 (no loss of health) and 1 (loss equivalent to death). Results: A total of 2610 and 3140 individuals were included in the household and web-based survey, respectively. The results from the total pooled data showed health state "mild anemia" (DW = 0.005, 95% UI 0.000–0.027) or "allergic rhinitis (hay fever)" (0.005, 95% UI 0.000–0.029) had the lowest DW and "heroin and other opioid dependence, severe" had the highest DW (0.699, 95% UI 0.579–0.827). A high correlation coefficient (Pearson's r = 0.876; P < 0.001) for DWs of same health states was observed between Wuhan's survey and GBD 2013 DW survey. Health states referred to mental symptom, fatigue, and the residual category of other physical symptoms were statistically significantly associated with a lower Wuhan's DWs than the GBD's DWs. Health states with disfigurement and substance use symptom had a higher DW in Wuhan population than the GBD 2013 study. Conclusions: This set of DWs could be used to calculate local diseases burden for health policy-decision in Wuhan population. The DW differences between the GBD's survey and Wuhan's survey suggest that there might be some contextual or culture factors influencing assessment on the severity of diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Study objectives: Sleep quality is essential to health. The current study aimed to adapt and validate the Sleep Quality Questionnaire (SQQ) into Chinese language. Methods: The Chinese version of the SQQ (SQQ-C) was created following the guidelines for cross-cultural adaptation. Compliant with the COSMIN methodology, baseline data (N = 13,325) examined three validity domains and internal consistency, including content validity using the content validity index (CVI) and the cognitive debriefing and focus group (relevance, comprehensiveness and comprehensibility), construct validity using structural validity and cross‑sectional measurement invariance, and criterion validity using concurrent/convergent validity. Follow-up data (N = 3410) gathered within a mean of 168 (167–207) h interval were used to additionally assess longitudinal measurement invariance and test–retest reliability using intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Results: Scale-level CVI/Average was equal to 0.922; Item-level CVIs ranged from 0.889 to 1.000 (excellent), except for item 2 (0.556-fair). A panel of local experts and local participants during cognitive debriefing and focus group stated that it had sufficient relevance and comprehensibility but a slight deficiency in comprehensiveness. Confirmatory factor analysis indicated a stable two-factor structure encompassing Daytime Sleepiness Subscale and Sleep Difficulty Subscale from baseline to follow-up data. The SQQ-C-9 (without item 2) outperformed the SQQ-C-10 (full form). The SQQ-C-9 provided evidence of measurement invariance (strict) across subgroups (cohorts, gender, and age) and across time. The SQQ-C was negatively correlated with the Chinese Nonrestorative Sleep Scale and the Chinese Sleep Condition Indicator. Cronbach's alpha (α), McDonald's Omega (ω), and ICC, respectively, ranged from 0.712 to 0.838, 0.723 to 0.840, and 0.738 to 0.764 for total scale and each subscale. Conclusion: The SQQ-C exhibits adequate psychometric properties and a stable two-factor structure, and should enable valuable assessments of sleep quality in clinical and research settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lactococcus garvieae (L. garvieae) is a pathogenic gram-positive, catalase-negative (GPCN) bacterium that causes bovine mastitis. A total of 49 L. garvieae isolates were identified from 1441 clinical mastitis (CM) samples. The pathogenic effects of L. garvieae were studied with two infection models: bovine mammary epithelial cells cultured in vitro and murine mammary infections in vivo. The overall farm prevalence was 15.5% (13/84 farms in 9/19 provinces) and sample prevalence was 3.40% (49/1441). Post-treatment somatic cell count (SCC) post L. garvieae infection was significantly higher than the other GPCN pathogens isolated, and the bacteriological cure fraction was 41.94% (13/31) after intramammary antibiotic treatment. All L. garvieae isolates were resistant to rifaximin, 12.24% of isolates were resistant to cephalexin, and 10.20% (5/49) were multidrug-resistant (MDR). The most prevalent virulence genes were Hemolysin 1 (hly1)(100%), Hemolysin 2 (hly2) (97.96%), NADH oxidase (NADHO) (100%), Superoxide dismutase (SOD) (100%), Adhesin Pav (Pav) (100%), Adhesin PsaA (PsaA) (100%), Enolase (eno) (100%), Adhesin cluster 1(AC1) (100%), Adhesin cluster 2 (AC2) (100%), and several exopolysaccharides. L. garvieae rapidly adhered to bovine mammary epithelial cells, resulting in an elevated lactate dehydrogenase release. Edema and congestion were observed in challenged murine mammary glands and bacteria were consistently isolated at 12, 24, 48, 72, and 120 h after infection. We concluded that L. garvieae had good adaptive ability in the bovine and murine mammary cells and tissue. Given the resistance profile, penicillin and ampicillin are potential treatments for CM cases caused by L. garvieae. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the transgenerational associations between exposure to famine in early life and obesity. Methods: This study used the longitudinal data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey from 1989 to 2015. A total of 1113 fathers and 1207 mothers (946 mother–father pairs) born in 1955 to 1966 and 1895 adult offspring were included. Offspring were classified into subgroups according to the famine exposure of their parents (unexposed, maternal exposed, paternal exposed, parental exposed) and exposure timing (during fetal development, childhood). Results: Maternal exposure to famine in early life was associated with elevated levels of BMI, waist circumference, overweight, and central obesity of their children, whereas paternal exposure was inversely associated with these measurements. Compared with children of unexposed parents (P0M0), the maternal exposed group (P0M1) had higher mean BMI, by 1.3 kg/m2 (95% CI: 0.3 to 2.4); waist circumference, by 1.5 cm (−1.0 to 3.9); overweight (odds ratio [OR] [95% CI]: 3.1 [1.6 to 6.1]); and central obesity (OR [95% CI]: 1.9 [1.02 to 3.7]). No significant heterogeneity was observed in the associations by sex of offspring. Conclusions: Fetal and early childhood exposure to famine in parents may be associated with their children's risk of obesity during adulthood. A better understanding of the transgenerational associations is important for developing strategies to reduce obesity risk in future generations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding the driving mechanisms of vegetation development is critical for maintaining terrestrial ecosystem function in mountain areas, especially under the background of climate change. The Qinba Mountains (QBM), a critical north–south transition zone in China, is an environmentally fragile area that is vulnerable to climate change. It is essential to characterize how its ecological environment has changed. Currently, such a characterization remains unclear in the spatiotemporal patterns of the nonlinear effects and interactions between environmental factors and vegetation changes in the QBM. Here, we utilized the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI), obtained from Google Earth Engine (GEE) platform, as an indicator of terrestrial ecosystem conditions. Then, we measured the spatiotemporal heterogeneity for vegetation variation in the QBM from 2003 to 2018. Specifically, the Geodetector method, a new geographically statistical method without linear assumptions, was employed to detect the interaction between vegetation and environmental driving factors. The results indicated that there is a trend of a general increase in vegetation growth amplitude (the average NDVI increased from 0.810 to 0.858). The areas with an NDVI greater than 0.8 are mainly distributed in the Qinling Mountains and the Daba Mountains, which account for more than 76.39% of the QBM area. For the entire region, the global Moran's index of the NDVI is greater than 0.95, indicating that vegetation is highly concentrated in the spatial domain. The Geodetector identified that landform type was the primary factor in controlling vegetation changes, contributing 24.19% to the total variation, while the explanatory powers of the aridity index and the wetness index for vegetation changes were 22.49% and 21.47%, respectively. Furthermore, the interaction effects between any two factors outperformed the influence of a single environmental variable. The interaction between air temperature and the aridity index was the most significant element, contributing to 47.10% of the vegetation variation. These findings can not only improve our understanding in the interactive effects of environmental forces on vegetation change, but also be a valuable reference for ecosystem management in the QBM area, such as ecological conservation planning and the assessment of ecosystem functions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vegetation canopy interception (Ic) of precipitation is a considerable component of the global hydrological cycles. Although the measurement and modeling of canopy interception have been explored worldwide at the individual, stand or ecosystem scale, it is still unclear how to recognize this process at the regional or global scales within the context of global climate change. In this study, a revised Gash model was employed to estimate canopy interception based on remote sensing and meteorological data. The spatial and temporal variations in Ic were investigated and the main environmental factors were explored in China for the 2000–2018 period. The results showed that the revised Gash model performed well in modeling canopy interception at the regional scale compared with the PML_V2 dataset product and the in-situ measurements. The average annual Ic in China from 2000 to 2018 was 166.55 mm, with a significant decreasing spatial pattern from the Southeastern to the Northwestern regions. The ratio of canopy interception to precipitation (Ir) displayed a similar spatial pattern, with an average value of 22.30%. At the temporal scale, the mean annual Ic significantly increased at a rate of 1.79 mm yr−1 (p < 0.01) during the study period, and the increasing trend was more pronounced during the 2000–2009 period, at a rate of 3.34 mm yr−1 (p < 0.01). In most vegetation types, except for the deciduous broad-leaved forest and temperate desert, canopy interception showed a significant increasing trend (p < 0.01). Precipitation, temperature, and the normalized differential vegetation index (NDVI) were considered to be the main factors affecting the variations of Ic in China during the last two decades, with specific dominant factors varying in different areas. Specifically, precipitation was considered to control the variations of Ic in the Northwestern regions, temperature mainly influenced the Southern regions, and the NDVI was identified as the main factor in regions where significant ecological conservation projects are established, such as the Loess Plateau. Our findings are expected to not only contribute to the understanding of regional ecohydrological cycle but also provide valuable insights into the methodology of interception modeling at the regional and global scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: 99mTc bone scintigraphy (BS) is the mainstay and most widely used technique in evaluation of bone metastasis (BM) in China. This study aimed to investigate the value of 99mTc BS in preoperative workup for patients with potentially resectable (cT1−4aN0−3) esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). Methods: This prospective cross‐section clinical trial (ChiCTR1800020304) enrolled a total of 385 patients with ESCC diagnosed at thoracic surgery clinic from October 2018 to September 2020. All patients were diagnosed with stage cT1−4aN0−3 and were potential candidates for surgical resection. BS was performed preoperatively and the treatment strategy was changed after confirmation of BM. The primary endpoint was the rate of change of the treatment regimen because of BM, while the secondary endpoint was the rate of positive BS findings. Results: Out of the 385 patients, only two (0.5%) changed their treatment regimen because of BM. The rate of positive BS findings was 1%, while two patients (0.5%) had false‐positive or false‐negative results. The BS diagnostic performance for BM was sensitivity 50%, specificity 99.5%, positive predictive value 50%, negative predictive value 99.5%, and accuracy 99.0%. There was no significant difference in BM in relation to age, sex, tumor location or clinical stage. Conclusion: Our data demonstrated that 99mTc bone scintigraphy does not significantly affect the preoperative workup in patients with potentially resectable ESCC, especially in early clinical stage patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We investigated the occurrence of Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn in 28 road dust samples collected across China from June to August, 2020. The mean concentrations of Cd, Cr, Cu, Ni, Pb and Zn were 3.16, 24.2, 27.4, 10.4, 49.8 and 608 mg·kg− 1, respectively. The mean levels of Cd and Zn exceeded the Chinese background values by 32.6- and 8.2- fold. Cd, Ni mainly distributed in southern China, whereas Cu, Pb and Zn mainly distributed in central China. Higher concentrations of Cd, Cr, Cu and Pb were found in road dusts from urban areas than those from rural areas. Cu and Ni mainly came from natural sources; Pb and Cd mainly originated from industrial emissions and vehicle exhaust. Hand-mouth ingestion was the most common exposure pathway for both adults and children, followed by dermal contact and inhalation. Pb was found to be the highest risk element via ingestion. No significant non-carcinogenic risks and carcinogenic risks were found for local residents. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: For initial respiratory management, continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) is increasingly used for preterm infants, especially for gestational age less than 32 weeks. However, neonatologists are concerned about the potential risks of CPAP support failure. Objectives: To examine the association between different initial respiratory support modalities and the outcomes of preterm infants at <32 weeks of gestation across multiple neonatal intensive care units (NICU) in China. Methods: This study was carried out over a period of 12 months in 2018. Unadjusted relative risks (RR) for demographic and clinical characteristics were calculated for CPAP failure and CPAP success in the total cohort using log‐linear model based on generalised estimating equations for clustered observations. Results: Among 1560 preterm infants delivered at <32 weeks, the incidence of CPAP failure was 10.3%. After adjustment for demographic and clinical factors, the relative risk of mortality (RR 7.54, 95% CI 5.56, 10.44), pneumothorax (RR 9.85, 95% CI 2.89, 61.53), pulmonary haemorrhage (RR 7.78, 95% CI 4.51, 14.64) and BPD (RR 3.65, 95% CI 3.65, 4.51) were considerably higher for infants in the CPAP failure group than those in the CPAP‐S group. However, the risk of poor outcomes in CPAP failure infants was similar to that of those in the initial mechanical ventilation (MV) group. Conclusions: Continuous positive airway pressure failure was associated with an increased risk of mortality and major morbidities, including BPD, pulmonary haemorrhage and pneumothorax, and was comparable to the risk associated with initial MV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Unfavorable geological phenomena such as fault development and weak surrounding rocks are the common challenges encountered in tunnel excavation. However, the conventional rock mass classification method is complex, and the data obtained through disturbed rock samples cannot be used to dynamically and accurately class the surrounding rock in real time. In this study, discrete element method (DEM) is applied to simulate the rock-breaking process by pneumatic rock drill, and the drilling parameters of the surrounding rocks with different classes including drilling rate, vibration acceleration, and vibration frequency, are acquired during the excavation. The simulation results are verified through the data obtained by field tests in Luoping tunnel and Zilinshan tunnel of the Sandu Expressway in Guizhou province, China. Furthermore, a standard database for the dynamic classification of surrounding rocks is established. The numerical simulations reveal a good correlation between the average drilling rate, vibration acceleration, and vibration frequency of drill bit and the class of surrounding rock, and these factors can be used as dynamic evaluation indices for advanced geological prediction during tunnel construction. Overall, the results can serve as a useful reference for advanced geological prediction and dynamic classification of surrounding rocks during the construction of tunnels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To establish the cost-effectiveness of dacomitinib compared to gefitinib from the Chinese healthcare system perspective. Patients: Advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) harbouring epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mutations. Methods: Partitioned survival analysis was undertaken to examine the cost-effectiveness of dacomitinib utilising individual patient data (IPD) from the pivotal randomised controlled trial (RCT) (ARCHER 1050). The three health states modelled were progression-free, post-progression, and death. Parametric survival distributions were fitted to IPD against the Kaplan-Meier survival curves corresponding to progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) outcomes by randomised groups. Costs included drug acquisition and administration, outpatient management (outpatient consultation and examinations), and best supportive care costs. Utility weights were sourced from the pivotal trial and other published literature. The incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) was calculated with costs and quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) discounted at an annual rate of 5%. Both deterministic and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were undertaken. Results: In the base case, dacomitinib (CNY 265,512 and 1.95 QALY) was associated with higher costs and QALY gains compared to gefitinib (CNY 247,048 and 1.61 QALYs), resulting in an ICER of CNY 58,947/QALY. Using the empirical WTP/QALY threshold, dacomitinib is a cost-effective treatment strategy for patients with EGFR-mutation-positive advanced NSCLC. The probabilistic sensitivity analysis suggested that dacomitinib had a 97% probability of being cost-effective. Conclusions: Dacomitinib is a cost-effective treatment strategy in treating patients with EGFR-mutation-positive NSCLC from the Chinese healthcare system perspective. The uncertainty around the cost-effectiveness of dacomitinib could be reduced if long-term survival data become available. Clinical Trial Registration: NCT01024413 [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

My country's current research on the influencing factors of total factor productivity has problems such as single evaluation method, low efficiency, and poor overall level in terms of evaluation methods and evaluation efficiency. Based on this, this study divides the financial structure into three traditional sections, banking, securities, and insurance, and uses the DEA model to study the temporal and spatial differences of the financial structure's influence on the total factor productivity of the four major political and economic regions of China's eastern, western, central, and northeastern China. First, establish a DEA model based on data mining algorithms, combine financial data comparisons over the years, to achieve a quantitative analysis of the financial structure's impact on China's total factor productivity, calculate financial efficiency, and then combine the DEA analysis data model with the grey correlation method. Analyze its internal influence rules, and design experiments for model verification analysis. The results show that the DEA analysis model can realize 8 iterations of data on the impact of financial structure on China's total factor productivity, and its evaluation accuracy can reach more than 96.2%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the occurrence of 16 polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) was investigated in 31 household dusts that were sampled from 27 areas located in 10 provinces, China. The total concentrations of PAHs (∑ PAHs) were in the range of 613–10,111 ng·g−1 with a median of 2565 ng·g−1. The predominant PAHs were 2 to 3 ringed compounds, accounting for 85.3% of ∑ PAHs. The geographical location had little impact on the contents of PAHs. Higher concentrations of ∑ PAHs and individual homologues of PAHs except for naphthalene (NAP) were observed in rural areas, which is related to the higher usage of coal or biomass for cooking. Cooking method played a major role in contributing to the concentrations of PAHs. Both household cooking and petrogenic sources from outdoors were the primary sources of PAHs in household dust. Cancer risk assessment indicated that dermal contact and ingestion are the main exposure pathways to indoor residents. Furthermore, the average values of sum of incremental lifetime cancer risks (ILCRs) were 2.22 × 10–7 for adults and 2.51 × 10–7 for children, suggesting that there is a low health risk posed by PAHs in indoor dust. The contribution percentage of 4 to 6 rings PAHs to ILCRs was up to 96.3%, indicating that higher molecular weight PAHs in indoor dust, especially benzo[a]pyrene (BaP) and dibenzo[a,h]anthracene (DahA), are major factors contributing to cancer risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this study, the occurrence of heavy metals including cadmium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), lead (Pb), and zinc (Zn) was investigated in indoor dust samples collected from 33 urban and rural areas in 11 provinces, China. The concentrations of the selected heavy metals were determined by an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The mean concentrations of Zn (166 mg kg−1), Pb (40.7 mg kg−1), Cr (19.8 mg kg−1), Cu (16.9 mg kg−1), and Cd (2.29 mg kg−1) in indoor dust are in low or moderate levels compared with other countries or regions. Cd was significantly enriched with the highest enrichment factor of 23.7, followed by Zn, Pb, Cu, and Cr, which were all lower than 3. The concentrations of Pb from Northern China (61.4 mg kg−1) were significantly higher than those from Southern China (8.88 mg kg−1). The concentrations of heavy metals in indoor dusts from rural areas were higher than those from urban areas except for Cu. The multivariate analysis of variance revealed that wall cover, fuel types, and air conditioning were dominant factors influencing the levels of heavy metals in indoor dust. Principal component analysis showed that outdoor dust and wall paint were main factors for the high concentrations of Cd, Pb, and Cr, accounting for 40.6% of the total contribution; traffic sources contributed to the high levels of Cu and Zn explained 20.6% of the total variance. The hazard indexes of selected heavy metals were less than 1 and carcinogenic risk value of Cr were between 1.01 × 10–6 and 1 × 10–4, indicating minor noncarcinogenic and carcinogenic risks from heavy metals in indoor dust for residents in China. Pb contributed 72.0% and 86.9% to the sum of noncarcinogenic risk values of selected heavy metals for adults and children, respectively. The carcinogenic risk value of Cr was approximately 13-fold higher than that of Cd for both adults and children. Children endured higher risks from heavy metals in indoor dust compared with adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introductionand Aim. Patients with cirrhosis are often hospitalized repeatedly for a variety of complications. This retrospective study aimed to assess the effects of minimal hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) and Biejia-Ruangan (BR) on first hospital readmission in nonalcoholic cirrhosis patients without previous overt hepatic encephalopathy (OHE) or hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Materials and Methods. A total of 176 hospitalized patients with nonalcoholic cirrhosis were included in this retrospective study. Patients who were first admitted to Beijing Ditan Hospital of Capital Medical University from January 2017 to September 2019 were enrolled. The primary endpoint was their first liver-related hospital readmission. The risk factors for readmission were analyzed by Cox proportional hazard regression analysis. Results. A total of 176 nonalcoholic cirrhosis patients without previous OHE or HCC were included; 57 patients (32.4%) were diagnosed with MHE, and 63 patients (35.8%) were administered BR (2 g, three times a day). Multivariate analysis revealed that nonalcoholic cirrhosis patients with MHE (HR, 5.805; 95% CI, 3.007–11.206; x, P < 0. 001) and a higher Model for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score (HR, 1.145; 95% CI, 1.068–1.227; P < 0. 001) had an increased risk of first hospital readmission, and patients treated with BR (HR, 0.318; 95% CI, 0.151–0.670; P = 0.003) had a decreased risk of first hospital readmission. Conclusion. MHE increased the risk of hospital readmission in nonalcoholic cirrhosis patients without previous OHE or HCC, and this risk was decreased by BR administration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Influenced by various random factors, such as a ship's size, arrival time and anchoring spot, the number of ships that can be practically accommodated by the anchorage of a coastal port is generally far lower than the designed anchorage capacity. To address the shortage problem, this article applies a redundancy optimization theory to realize a reasonable and practical design of the anchorage capacity. A new concept of anchorage capacity reliability and its calculation method, via an anchorage capacity probability evaluation model, are proposed. A multi-objective optimization model with maximum anchorage capacity reliability and minimum anchorage redundant area is established. Furthermore, a case study of a container terminal in northern China is adopted to verify the performance of the proposed concept and methodology. Model results show that anchorage capacity reliability can effectively reflect the anchorage capacity uncertainty, and the redundancy optimization model can help to reasonably determine the anchorage capacity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Majiagou landslide, a major ancient landslide in Three Gorges Reservoir region, is located in the high earthquake area of southwest China. The 2013 Badong earthquake caused an obvious deformation of landslide monitored by the sliding inclinometer. A strong earthquake may induce the reactivation of ancient landslide. So, it is necessary to research the seismic dynamic response of Majiagou landslide. For this purpose, discontinuous deformation analysis (DDA), improved by introducing the artificial joint and viscous boundary, is applied in this study. The displacements at monitoring points caused by Badong earthquake are calculated and compared with the field data, verifying the numerical method and model. Further, a strong earthquake with the peak acceleration of 1 g is assumed to act on the landside, the initiation and evolution process of landslide is simulated, and the movement features of landslide are discussed. The dynamic failure of landslide and the local amplification of seismic wave can be embodied, indicating that the improved DDA provides an alternative approach for analyzing the seismic dynamic response of jointed rock. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The phenolic compound contents, antioxidant capacities, and α‐amylase and tyrosinase inhibitory activities of 10 wild and 19 cultivated blueberries grown in northeast China were evaluated. The results showed that the α‐amylase inhibitory activities of the blueberries represented, by 1/IC50, correlated with their total phenolic contents (TPCs). Moreover, the tyrosinase inhibitory activities correlated with the total anthocyanin contents (TACs). High‐performance liquid chromatography and electrospray mass spectrometry were conducted to determine and identify seven phenolic acids. The average caffeic acid contents of the cultivated and wild blueberries were 277.37 and 17.71 μg/g, respectively. The total phenolic, anthocyanin, and flavonoid contents were determined. Wild blueberries have higher TPCs, α‐amylase inhibitory activities, and antioxidant capacities. Cultivated blueberries have higher TACs and exhibit tyrosinase inhibitory activities similar to those of the wild ones. Practical applications: This study revealed that wild blueberries have high α‐amylase inhibitory activities and are effective as natural α‐amylase inhibitors for the treatment of diabetes. In addition, wild blueberries were found to be rich in phenolics and have high antioxidant capacities. Thus, because of these properties, wild blueberry products with antidiabetic and antioxidant potential can be developed for use in biomedical and pharmaceutical industries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ambient air pollution (AAP) has been widely associated with increased morbidity of ischemic heart disease (IHD). However, no prior studies have investigated the effects of AAP exposure on the length of stay (LOS) due to IHD. Hospital data during 2015–2017 were obtained from hospital information system in five cities of Hubei province, China. We collected daily mean concentrations of air pollutants, including PM2.5, PM10, SO2, NO2, O3, and CO, and meteorological data during the same time period. Poisson regression was applied to estimate the acute impacts of AAP on the LOS of IHD inpatients. A total of 42,114 inpatients with primary diagnosis of IHD were included, 50.63% of which were chronic IHD inpatients. Annual average concentrations of PM2.5, PM10, SO2, NO2, O3, and CO were 61.93 μg/m3, 95.47 μg/m3, 18.59 μg/m3, 35.87 μg/m3, 100.30 μg/m3, and 1.117 mg/m3, respectively. After adjusting for temperature, relative humidity, gender, age group, payment method, number of hospital beds, location of hospital, and surgery or not, exposures to PM2.5, PM10, SO2, O3, and CO were associated with increased LOS for all IHD patients in both single- and multi-pollutant models, and stronger associations were observed among chronic IHD patients. In addition, subgroup analyses demonstrated that males and the group aged 65+ years were more vulnerable to air pollution, and the adverse effects were also promoted by low temperature in cold season. This study provides the first investigation of the adverse effects of AAP on the LOS for IHD patients. In order to shorten the LOS of IHD, measures should be taken to strengthen the AAP management and protect the high-risk population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Strict medication guidance and lifestyle interventions to manage blood pressure (BP) in hypertensive patients are typically difficult to follow. Objective: To evaluate the 1-year effectiveness of lifestyle and drug intervention in the management of rural hypertensive patients. Design: Randomized community intervention trial. Participants: The control group comprised 967 patients who received standard antihypertensive drug intervention therapy from two communities, whereas the intervention group comprised 1945 patients who received antihypertensive drug and lifestyle intervention therapies from four communities in rural China. Main Measures: Data on lifestyle behaviors and BP measurements at baseline and 1-year follow-up were collected. A difference-in-difference logistic regression model was used to assess the effect of the intervention. Key Results: BP control after the 1-year intervention was better than that at baseline in both groups. The within-group change in BP control of 59.3% in the intervention group was much higher than the 25.2% change in the control group (P < 0.001). Along with the duration of the follow-up period, systolic and diastolic BP decreased rapidly in the early stages and then gradually after 6 months in the intervention group (P < 0.001). In the intervention group, drug therapy adherence was increased by 39.5% (from 48.1% at 1 month to 87.6% at 1 year) (P < 0.001), more in women (45.6%) than in men (31.2%; P < 0.001). The net effect of the lifestyle intervention improved the rate of BP control by 56.1% (70.8% for men and 44.7% for women). For all physiological and biochemical factors, such as body mass index, waist circumference, lipid metabolism, and glucose control, improvements were more significant in the behavioral intervention group than those in the control group (all P < 0.001). Conclusion: The addition of lifestyle intervention by physicians or nurses helps control BP effectively and lowers BP better than usual care with antihypertensive drug therapy alone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil-rock mixtures containing macropore (SRMCM) is a kind of geological material with special mechanical properties. Located in the project area of Lenggu hydropower station on the Yalong River, Sichuan Province, China, there is an extremely unstable Mahe talus slide with a total volume of nearly 160 million cubic meters, which is mainly composed of SRMCM. The study on the mechanical properties of SRMCM is of great significance for the engineering construction and safe operation. In this paper, laboratory tests and discrete element numerical tests based on three-dimensional scanning technology were conducted to study the influence of stone content, stone size, and the angle of the macropore structure on shear characteristics of SRMCM. The failure mechanism of SRMCM was discussed from a microscopic perspective. This work explains the internal mechanism of the influence of stone content, stone size, and the angle of the macropore structure on the strength of SRMCM through the microscopic level of stone rotation, force chain distribution, and crack propagation. As the macropore structure that intersects with the preset shear plane at a large angle could act as a skeleton-like support to resist the shear force, the fracture of the weak cemented surface of soil and stone in the macropore structure is an important cause of SRMCM destruction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The objective of this prospective, multicentre, observational cohort study was to evaluate the association between admission hypothermia and neonatal outcomes in very low-birth weight (VLBW) infants in multiple neonatal intensive care units (NICUs) in China.Methods: Since January 1, 2018, a neonatal homogeneous cooperative research platform-Shandong Neonatal Network (SNN) has been established. The platform collects clinical data in a prospective manner on preterm infants with birth weights (BWs) < 1500 g and gestational ages (GAs) < 34 weeks born in 28 NICUs in Shandong Province. These infants were divided into normothermia, mild or moderate/severe hypothermia groups according to the World Health Organization (WHO) classifications of hypothermia. Associations between outcomes and hypothermia were tested in a bivariate analysis, followed by a logistic regression analysis.Results: A total of 1247 VLBW infants were included in this analysis, of which 1100 infants (88.2%) were included in the hypothermia group, 554 infants (44.4%) in the mild hypothermia group and 546 infants (43.8%) in the moderate/severe hypothermia group. Small for gestational age (SGA), caesarean section, a low Apgar score at 5 min and intubation in the delivery room (DR) were related to admission hypothermia (AH). Mortality was the lowest when their admission temperature was 36.5 ~ 37.5 °C, and after adjustment for maternal and infant characteristics, mortality was significantly associated with AH. Compared with infants with normothermia (36.5 ~ 37.5 °C), the adjusted ORs of all deaths increased to 4.148 (95% CI 1.505-11.437) and 1.806 (95% CI 0.651-5.009) for infants with moderate/severe hypothermia and mild hypothermia, respectively. AH was also associated with a high likelihood of respiratory distress syndrome (RDS), intraventricular haemorrhage (IVH), and late-onset neonatal sepsis (LOS).Conclusions: AH is still very high in VLBW infants in NICUs in China. SGA, caesarean section, a low Apgar score at 5 min and intubation in the DR were associated with increased odds of hypothermia. Moderate/severe hypothermia was associated with mortality and poor outcomes, such as RDS, IVH, LOS. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the levels, spatial distribution, sources, and ecological risks of 16 perfluorinated compounds (PFCs) in 68 surface soil samples (0–20 cm) from 7 cities in the Pearl River Delta (PRD), China. Sixteen target PFCs, including perfluoroalkyl carboxylic acids (PFCAs, C5–C14, C16, and C18) and perfluoroalkyl sulfonic acids (PFSAs, C4, C6, C8, and C10), were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography-negative electrospray ionization-tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC/ESI-MS/MS). Concentrations of total PFCs (∑PFCs) ranged from 2.19 to 98.5 μg kg−1 (dry weight, dw), with an average of 5.97 μg kg−1 dw. Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) was the dominant PFC, accounting for 23.9% of ∑PFCs. The highest ∑PFCs was found in the soil sample collected from Dongguan with a large number of manufacturing industries. There were no significant differences of ∑PFCs among unban, industrial, and agricultural soils, indicating similar pollution sources in soil of the PRD. More than 70% of ∑PFCs in soil of the PRD could be attributed to the four principal components, represented by PFOS and perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluoropentanoic acid (PFPeA) and perfluorohexanoic acid (PFHxA), perfluorodecanoic acid (PFDA), and perfluoroundecanoic acid (PFUdA). Ecological risk assessment indicated that PFOA had low risk to soil plants and animals. However, the risk of PFOS to soil plants was relatively high in some studied regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fomesafen, a long-lived protoporphyrinogen-oxidase inhibitor, specially developed for post-emergence control of broad-leaf weeds, is used widely in soybean fields in northern China (Dayan and Duke, 2010). The impact of fomesafen on microbial communities in rhizosphere soils, however, is unknown. In this study we examined fomesafen degradation as well as its effects in the rhizosphere of soybean plants grown in a greenhouse. Fomesafen had shorter half-life in rhizosphere soil than previously reported for bulk soil from the same location (87 vs 120 days). The enzyme activity of soil extracts and the microbial community composition of 16S rRNA genes (16S) amplified from soil DNA were also investigated. Although not immediately apparent, both the high (37.5 mg kg−1) and low (18.75 mg kg−1) doses of fomesafen significantly decreased urease and invertase activities in the rhizosphere soil from days 30 and 45 respectively until the end of the experiment (90 days). Analysis of 16S amplicons demonstrated that fomesafen had a dose dependent effect, decreasing alpha diversity and altering beta diversity. Significant phylum level decreases were observed in five of the ten phyla that were most abundant in the control. Proteobacteria was the only phylum whose relative abundance increased in the presence of fomesafen, driven by increases in the genera Methylophilacaea, Dyella, and Sphingomonas. The functional implications of changes in 16S abundance as predicted using PICRUSt suggested that fomesafen enriched for enzymes involved in xenobiotic metabolism and detoxification (cytochrome P450s and glutathione metabolism). Our data suggest that, despite being degraded more rapidly in the rhizosphere than in bulk soil, fomesafen had long-lasting functional impacts on the soil microbial community. Image 1 • The activities of urease and invertase were affected by fomesafen. • Fomesafen significantly decreased bacterial richness and diversity. • Only Proteobacteria increased in response to fomesafen treatment. • Sphingomonas , Methylophilaceae and Dyella were enriched by fomesafen treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: Physical education (PE) in school provides opportunities for physical activity (PA) engagement and reportedly results in improved health-related fitness. This study explored the underlying correlations between PE and activity-related healthy lifestyle practices with current level of cardiorespiratory fitness.Methods: A total of 13,138 students age 14 (boys = 7,094, 54.0%) in Grade 8 from the China National Assessment of Educational Quality - Physical Education & Health 2015 were included in this study. Two independent structural equation modeling (SEM) analyses were conducted to obtained sex-specific results. Data included the results of the 15-m progressive aerobic cardiovascular endurance run (PACER) and questionnaire data regarding PE curriculum implementation, learning and practice, perceived support from PE teachers, PE facilities, PE equipment, activity-related healthy lifestyle practices, habitual physical fitness, appropriate method of physical fitness, and breakfast eating habits. Structural equation modeling was applied to examine the associations between variables, controlling for socioeconomic status, the location of schools, and Body Mass Index.Results: There was a statistically significant relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness and activity-related healthy lifestyle practices, which was somewhat positively impacted by skill learning and practice and perceived support from PE teachers. Together, the boy's model explained 21.8% of the variance in cardiorespiratory fitness, whereas the girl's model explained 15.9%.Conclusions: A well-organized PE program is related to students' activity-related healthy lifestyle practices, and consequently provides an improvement to cardiorespiratory fitness. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To summarize the framework and development procedure of the China National Assessment of Education Quality - Physical Education & Health in 2015 (CNAEQ-PEH 2015), an authoritative and evidence-based national surveillance protocol developed by the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China for Grade 4 and Grade 8 students.Methods: The framework of CNAEQ-PEH 2015 included a test battery of physical fitness and health outcomes and self-reported questionnaires regarding facilitators and barriers to physical fitness and health in school settings and family status, completed by students, teachers, and principals. A qualified, standardized, and responsible work procedure was generated to provide insights into the quality of data collection and supervision of large-scale school-based physical fitness testing implementation. Measure development, stratified unequal probability sampling, and implementation were included in the working procedure.Results: In the first circle of the CNAEQ-PEH conducted on June 18, 2015, 111,173 Grade 4 students from 4,015 elementary schools and 72,243 Grade 8 students from 2,461 middle schools, along with their principals (n = 6,447) and physical education (PE) teachers (n = 11,418), were sampled by probability proportionate to size (PPS) across 323 counties in China. Results provided detailed information regarding students' physical fitness outcomes, learning, lifestyle, and educational environment.Conclusions: CNAEQ-PEH 2015 is a large-scale assessment of physical fitness and health outcomes. It helps provide opportunities to understand the physical fitness and health status of Chinese Grade 4 and 8 students and to study the correlations of physical fitness and health, as well as their relationship with education-related indicators and academic performance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Comprehensive utilization of abandoned mine has become a hot issue in the recycling of world resources. The Dawangshan Pit in Changsha, China is an abandoned limestone quarry operated for over 40 years. This pit has always been a potential risk to the urban environment and ecological safety as it covers a large area and stores much water near downtown. The Changsha government has been recovering the landscape around the pit since 2014, and finally the project to construct a huge recreational building (the Ice World & Water Park, IWWP) in the pit was determined. This project faces three big challenges: unstable walls of the pit due to the poor geological conditions; huge size of the pit and the structures of the IWWP; and a fragile geological unit as basement. Settlements of these three challenges have been introduced one by one in this paper. This project benefits the Changsha city with a full utilization of land resource and improvement of the quality of land surrounding the quarry. Meanwhile, the recreational building will become a new landmark of Changsha. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, we collected 16 species (n = 298) from Laizhou Bay, China to investigate the trophodynamics, bioaccumulation and cancer risks of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Results demonstrated that naphthalene was the most abundant PAH, followed by phenanthrene and fluorene in the marine organisms. The sum of 16 PAHs concentrations (Ʃ 16 PAHs) ranked with algae (19,435 ng·g−1 lipid weight, lw) > benthonic animals (6599 ng·g−1 lw) > fish (1760 ng·g−1 lw). Combustion and oil spill are two primary sources, contributing 60.3 % and 39.7 % of Ʃ 16 PAHs, respectively. High values of log BAF were found for 4–6 rings PAHs. Algae and benthonic animals showed a high ability to accumulate 2–4 rings PAHs and 5–6 rings PAHs, respectively. A biodilution pattern for PAHs was found in the marine food web. The carcinogenic risks of some benthos and fish were higher than 1 × 10−6, threatening resident health by consumption of these seafoods. [Display omitted] • High concentrations of 2–3 rings PAHs are found in marine organisms. • Combustion and ship emissions contribute 60.3 % and 39.7 % of Ʃ 16 PAHs. • Algae and benthos strongly accumulate 2–3 and 5–6 rings PAHs, respectively. • A biodilution pattern is observed for 16 PAHs in marine food web. • Consumption of some benthos and fish may lead to a potential cancer risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To investigate the occurrences of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in suburban vegetable soils of Changchun area, Northeast China, 106 urban vegetable soil samples were collected from Changchun City, Nongan County, Dehui City, Yushu City, Jiutai City, Shuangyang District. We analyzed the concentrations, compositions and sources of 7 PCBs in top soils of Changchun area, and evaluated the non-carcinogenic and carcinogenic risk of PCBs pollution to exposed population. The total concentrations of 7 PCBs ranged from 1.31 to 148 ng/g dry weight (dw) with a mean value of 42.0 ng/g and dominated by Hepta-CBs and Penta-CBs. Principal component analysis (PCA) revealed that PCB pollution in soils of Changchun area mainly related to transportation, vehicle emissions, paints and other industries. Human health risk assessment showed that the cumulative non-carcinogenic and the cumulative carcinogenic risk in children and adults in the industrial land and residential land were acceptable, considering only 7 PCBs homologues were analyzed in this study, the actual risk could be higher. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We retrospectively analyzed a large study to investigate the association of hepatitis B virus (HBV) with aggressive B cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (aggressive B-NHL) in China, where HBV is endemic. HBV was present in 39 aggressive B-NHL patients (10.46%), 13 indolent B-NHL patients (5.09%), 12 multiple myeloma (MM) patients (3.67%), and 5 solitary plasmacytoma (SP) patients (6.67%). HBV infection was significantly associated with increased risks for aggressive B-NHL (P < 0.01). HBV seems to have a very important role in the pathogenesis of aggressive B-NHL in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: This study aims to evaluate the role of dynamic change in total bilirubin after portal vein embolization (PVE) in predicting major complications and 30-day mortality in patients with hilar cholangiocarcinoma (HCCA).Methods: Retrospective analysis of prospectively maintained data of 64 HCCA patients who underwent PVE before hepatectomy in our institution was used. Total bilirubin and other parameters were measured daily in peri-PVE period. The difference between them and the baseline value from days 0-5 to day -1 (∆D1) and days 5-14 to day -1 (∆D2) were calculated. The relationship between ∆D1 and ∆D2 of total bilirubin and major complications as well as 30-day mortality was analyzed.Results: Out of 64 patients, 10 developed major complications (15.6 %) and 6 patients (9.3 %) had died within 30 days after surgery. The ∆D2 of total bilirubin after PVE was most significantly associated with major complications (P < 0.001) and 30-day mortality (P = 0.002). In addition, it was found to be an independent predictor of major complications after PVE (odds ratio (OR) = 1.050; 95 % CI 1.017-1.084). ASA >3 (OR = 12.048; 95 % CI 1.019-143.321), ∆D2 of total bilirubin (OR = 1.058; 95 % CI 1.007-1.112), and ∆D2 of prealbumin (OR = 0.975; 95 % CI 0.952-0.999) were associated with higher risk of 30-day mortality after PVE. Receiver operating characteristic curves showed that ∆D2 of total bilirubin were better predictors than ∆D1 for major complications (AUC (∆D2) 0.817; P = 0.002 vs. AUC (∆D1) 0.769; P = 0.007) and 30-day mortality (ACU(∆D2) 0.868; P = 0.003 vs. AUC(∆D1) 0.721;P = 0.076).Conclusion: Patients with increased total bilirubin in 5-14 days after PVE may indicate a higher risk of major complications and 30-day mortality if the major hepatectomy were performed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Most studies on air pollution exposure and its associations with human health in China have focused on the heavily polluted industrial areas and/or mega-cities, and studies on cities with comparatively low air pollutant concentrations are still rare. Only a few studies have attempted to analyse particulate matter (PM) for the vibrant economic centre Shenzhen in the Pearl River Delta. So far no systematic investigation of PM spatiotemporal patterns in Shenzhen has been undertaken and the understanding of pollution exposure in urban agglomerations with comparatively low pollution is still limited.Methods: We analyze daily and hourly particulate matter concentrations and all-cause mortality during 2013 in Shenzhen, China. Temporal patterns of PM (PM2.5 and PM10) with aerodynamic diameters of 2.5 (10) μm or less (or less (including particles with a diameter that equals to 2.5 (10) μm) are studied, along with the ratio of PM2.5 to PM10. Spatial distributions of PM10 and PM2.5 are addressed and associations of PM10 or PM2.5 and all-cause mortality are analyzed.Results: Annual average PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations were 61.3 and 39.6 μg/m(3) in 2013. PM2.5 failed to meet the Class 2 annual limit of the National Ambient Air Quality Standard. PM2.5 was the primary air pollutant, with 8.8 % of days having heavy PM2.5 pollution. The daily PM2.5/PM10 ratios were high. Hourly PM2.5 concentrations in the tourist area were lower than downtown throughout the day. PM10 and PM2.5 concentrations were higher in western parts of Shenzhen than in eastern parts. Excess risks in the number of all-cause mortality with a 10 μg/m(3) increase of PM were 0.61 % (95 % confidence interval [CI]: 0.50-0.72) for PM10, and 0.69 % (95 % CI: 0.55-0.83) for PM2.5, respectively. The greatest ERs of PM10 and PM2.5 were in 2-day cumulative measures for the all-cause mortality, 2-day lag for females and the young (0-65 years), and L02 for males and the elder (>65 years). PM2.5 had higher risks on all-cause mortality than PM10. Effects of high PM pollution on mortality were stronger in the elder and male.Conclusions: Our findings provide additional relevant information on air quality monitoring and associations of PM and human health, valuable data for further scientific research in Shenzhen and for the on-going discourse on improving environmental policies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The phrase ?made in China? is everywhere, just not in our health care system. China ranks as the world?s third-largest medical device market and is expected to become the second-largest market in the world in five to seven years. However, almost all of China?s hospitals, not to mention its larger first-class hospitals, use imported devices. For a very long time, foreign-made products have dominated the middle- and high-end markets, leaving to Chinese companies the low-end products with low profit margins. According to recent statistics provided by the China Chamber of Commerce for Import and Export of Medicine and Health Products, 90% of value-added high-tech devices, which account for 70% of ?China?s medical device market, are imported. Why can?t Chinese companies compete with multinational biomedical corporations? Is it because of a lack of money or intelligence? [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Deficiency of the organs is a vital pathophysiologic characteristic in the elderly. A core TCM aging theory is known as aging caused by spleen deficiency syndrome (SDS) that can be found in ancient and modern literature.The key objectives of this study were to establish a full-scale trial to evaluate the prevalence, symptom severity, frequency, and distribution of SDS in different age groups as related to health status (healthy, sub healthy, and chronic disease) to elucidate the role of spleen deficiency in the aging process and deterioration of health status. This cross-sectional observational study was conducted in 4 hospitals in China. 1390 participants aged 20-79 were interviewed by investigators who completed questionnaires recording prevalence, severity, and frequency of symptoms as well as other relevant information. The results revealed that prevalence and symptom characteristics of SDS showed regularities with increasing age and deteriorating health status. It supports the TCM concept that spleen deficiency is an important mechanism of aging, subhealth, and chronic diseases. Early recognition of the warning signs and symptoms of SDS may lead to intervention and even prevention strategies for subhealth and chronic diseases as well as promotion of healthy aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Highlights: [•] Predictive models for tunnel convergence were proposed based on ANN and MARS. [•] The models were developed using field data from Daguan tunnels, China. [•] The proposed models exhibit excellent prediction capability. [•] ANN shows lightly higher accuracy but MARS is more interpretable. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The standard coal briquette specimens from Huaxing Mine, in Jilin, were made. The permeability test was performed in ZYS-1 equipment for the measurement of permeability to study the effects of confining stress, axial stress and temperature on permeability of coal briquette specimens. The results show that with the increasing confined stress, the permeability of coal briquette specimen decreases. The permeability of coal is greatly effected by differential stress. Under the condition of confined stress, with increasing differential stress (axial stress) the permeability of the specimen decreases due to the elastic contraction. When the specimen failed due to increasing differential stress their porosity volumes increase due to dilation, and the permeability also increases. Therefore the permeability of samples takes on "V" curve under low confined stress. However the permeability decreases under high confining stress. The flow of methane in coal is greatly effected by temperature. When the temperature increases, on one hand the kinematic viscosity of methane increases. On the other hand the grains of coal swell and lead to contraction of flow space and reduction of permeability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The iron and steel industry is not only an important foundation of the national economy, but also the largest source of industrial air pollution. Due to the current status of emissions in the iron and steel industry, ultra-low pollutant emission control technology has been researched and developed. Liquid-phase proportion control technology has been developed for magnesian fluxed pellets, and a blast furnace smelting demonstration project has been established to use a high proportion of fluxed pellets (80%) for the first time in China to realize source emission reduction of SO 2 and NO x. Based on the characteristics of high NO x concentrations and the coexistence of multiple pollutants in coke oven flue gas, low-NO x combustion coupled with multi-pollutant cooperative control technology with activated carbon was developed to achieve efficient removal of multiple pollutants and resource utilization of sulfur. Based on the characteristics of co-existing multiple pollutants in pellet flue gas, selective non-catalytic reduction (SNCR) coupled with ozone oxidation and spray drying adsorption (SDA) was developed, which significantly reduces the operating cost of the system. In the light of the high humidity and high alkalinity in flue gas, filter materials with high humidity resistance and corrosion resistance were manufactured, and an integrated pre-charged bag dust collector device was developed, which realized ultra-low emission of fine particles and reduced filtration resistance and energy consumption in the system. Through source emission reduction, process control and end-treatment technologies, five demonstration projects were built, providing a full set of technical solutions for ultra-low emissions of dust, SO 2 , NO x , SO 3 , mercury and other pollutants, and offering technical support for the green development of the iron and steel industry. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Many naturally occurring macroalgal beds on the coastal areas of China have been severely degraded by various anthropogenic perturbations. Few attempts have been made to develop restoration techniques for seaweed beds in intertidal ecosystems, owing to the complex and dynamic variations in physical conditions of the habitat. We developed a new Sargassum thunbergii restoration method involving creating intertidal habitat and seeding with artificially collected germlings. In June 2010, artificial rectangular pools constructed of a 4:5:1 rate of high-strength cement, sand and water on a rocky intertidal platform were seeded with S. thunbergii germlings released from fertile thalli during low tide. Artificial pools were covered with a double-layer shading net until the next tidal cycle to prevent germlings from being dislodged by water motion, resulting in a majority of young germlings successfully attaching to the pool bottom by rapid development of rhizoids. Two months after seeding, juvenile sporophytes attained a length of 15–20mm. After one year following seeding, S. thunbergii in the restored bed reached a density of 118.5±13.2 (mean±SE) thalli m−2, covered 32.7±0.1% of the artificial substrate, and grew to an average length of 34.2±1.6cm with 7.3±0.6 laterals per thallus. The proportion of fertile laterals of restored population was 73.6±3.0%, indicating that these fertile thalli may serve as a source of new recruits to enhance the recovery of the algal population. Furthermore, restored S. thunbergii beds facilitated the presence of seven other species of macroalgae with species richness (R), diversity (H′) and evenness (J′) reaching 0.65±0.04, 1.06±0.09 and 0.67±0.05, respectively. Therefore, the construction of artificial pools coupled with seeding germlings in natural habitat may be an effective approach for the restoration of S. thunbergii, and potentially other seaweeds in rocky intertidal habitats. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]