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Machine learning methods have improved in recent years and provide increasingly powerful tools for understanding landscape evolution. In this study, we used the random forest method based on Google Earth Engine to evaluate the desertification dynamics in northern China from 1995 to 2020. We selected Landsat series image bands, remote sensing inversion data, climate baseline data, land use data, and soil type data as variables for majority voting in the random forest method. The method's average classification accuracy was 91.6% ± 5.8 [mean ± SD], and the average kappa coefficient was 0.68 ± 0.09, suggesting good classification results. The random forest classifier results were consistent with the results of visual interpretation for the spatial distribution of different levels of desertification. From 1995 to 2000, the area of aeolian desertification increased at an average rate of 9977 km2 yr−1, and from 2000 to 2005, from 2005 to 2010, from 2010 to 2015, and from 2015 to 2020, the aeolian desertification decreased at an average rate of 2535, 3462, 1487, and 4537 km2 yr−1, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Setaria italica is an important crop in China that plays a vital role in the Chinese dietary structure. In the last several decades, high temperature has become the most severe climate issue in the world, which causes great harm to the yield and quality formation of millet. In this study, two main cultivated varieties (ZG2 and AI88) were used to explore the photosynthesis and yield index of the whole plant under heat stress. Results implied that photosynthesis was not inhibited during the heat stress, and that the imbalance in sugar transport between different tissues may be the main factor that affects yield formation. In addition, the expression levels of seven SiSUT and twenty-four SiSWEET members were explored. Sugar transporters were heavily affected during the heat stress. The expression of SiSWEET13a was inhibited by heat stress in the stems, which may play a vital role in sugar transport between different tissues. These results provide new insights into the yield formation of crops under heat stress, which will provide guidance to crop breeding and cultivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study employs bibliometric analysis through CiteSpace to comprehensively evaluate the status and trends of MANF (mesencephalic astrocyte-derived neurotrophic factor) research spanning 25 years (1997–2022). It aims to fill the gap in objective and comprehensive reviews of MANF research. MANF-related studies were extracted from the Web of Science database. MANF publications were quantitatively and qualitatively analyzed for various factors by CiteSpace, including publication volume, journals, countries/regions, institutions, and authors. Keywords and references were visually analyzed to unveil research evolution and hotspot. Analysis of 353 MANF-related articles revealed escalating annual publications, indicating growing recognition of MANF's importance. High-impact journals such as the International Journal of Molecular Sciences and Journal of Biological Chemistry underscored MANF's interdisciplinary significance. Collaborative networks highlighted China and the USA's pivotal roles, while influential figures and partnerships drove understanding of MANF's mechanisms. Co-word analysis of MANF-related keywords exposed key evolutionary hotspots, encompassing neurotrophic effects, cytoprotective roles, MANF-related diseases, and the CDNF/MANF family. This progression from basic understanding to clinical potential showcased MANF's versatility from cellular protection to therapy. Bibliometric analysis reveals MANF's diverse research trends and pathways, from basics to clinical applications, driving medical progress. This comprehensive assessment enriches understanding and empowers researchers for dynamic evolution, advancing innovation, and benefiting patients. Bibliometric analysis of MANF research. The graphical abstract depicts the bibliometric analysis of MANF research, highlighting its aims, methods, and key results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Few studies have investigated the combined impact of healthy lifestyle factors on glycemic control. Our study aimed to examine the associations of a healthy lifestyle score (HLS) with glycemic control and to explore the interactive effects of lifestyle factors among patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in China. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted among T2DM patients based on the health management of residents from Guangzhou, China. Good glycemic control was defined as fasting plasma glucose < 7.0 mmol/L. HbA1c < 7.0% was also defined as good glycemic control in sensitivity analysis. The HLS was defined as including physical activity, waist circumference, body mass index, dietary habit, smoking, and alcohol consumption. Logistic regression models were used to examine the associations and interactions between the lifestyle factors and glycemic control. Results: Compared with participants with an HLS ≤ 2, the odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) for an HLS of 3, 4, 5, and 6 were 0.82 (0.77–0.87), 0.74 (0.70–0.79), 0.61 (0.57–0.65), and 0.56 (0.53–0.60), respectively. Significant interactions of healthy lifestyle factors in relation to glycemic control were shown (Pinteraction < 0.05). Conclusions: A healthier lifestyle was significantly associated with good glycemic control in patients with T2DM, and combined healthy lifestyle factors had a better effect than considering them individually. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increasing studies have reported temperature modification effects on air pollutants–induced respiratory diseases. In the current study, daily data of respiratory emergency room visits (ERVs), meteorological factors, and concentrations of air pollutants were collected from 2013 to 2016 in Lanzhou, a northwest city in China. Daily average temperature was stratified into low (≤ 25 percentile, P25), medium (25–75 percentile, P25–P75) and high (≥ 75 percentile, P75) to explore how temperature modifies the effects of air pollutants (PM2.5, PM10, SO2, and NO2) on respiratory ERVs by using generalized additive Poisson regression model (GAM). Seasonal modification was also investigated. Results showed that (a) PM10, PM2.5, and NO2 had the strongest effects on respiratory ERVs in low temperature; (b) males and 15-and-younger were more vulnerable in low temperature while females and those older than 46 years were highly affected in high temperature; (c) PM10, PM2.5, and NO2 were mostly associated with the total and both males and females in winter, while SO2 resulted in the highest risk for the total and males in autumn and females in spring. In conclusion, this study found significant temperature modification effects and seasonal differences on the risks of respiratory ERVs due to air pollutants in Lanzhou, China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Early euarthropod evolution involved a major transition from lobopodian-like taxa to organisms featuring a segmented, well-sclerotized trunk (arthrodization) and limbs (arthropodization). However, the precise origin of a completely arthrodized trunk and arthropodized ventral biramous appendages remain controversial, as well as the early onset of anterior–posterior limb differentiation in stem-group euarthropods. New fossil material and micro-computed tomography inform the detailed morphology of the arthropodized biramous appendages in the carapace-bearing euarthropod Isoxys curvirostratus from the early Cambrian Chengjiang biota. In addition to well-developed grasping frontal appendages, I. curvirostratus possesses two batches of morphologically and functionally distinct biramous limbs. The first batch consists of four pairs of short cephalic appendages with robust endites with a feeding function, whereas the second batch has more elongate trunk appendages for locomotion. Critically, our new material shows that the trunk of I. curvirostratus was not arthrodized. The results of our phylogenetic analyses recover isoxyids as some of the earliest branching sclerotized euarthropods, and strengthens the hypothesis that arthropodized biramous appendages evolved before full body arthrodization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The quantity and quality of cropland plays an important role in ensuring food security. In order to explore spatiotemporal patterns of the extent to which cropland satisfies people's grain need, we integrate multi-source heterogeneous data to investigate in which era, and in which region, the cultivated land can meet people's food demands. It turns out that in the past 30 years, with the exception of the late 1980s, the amount of cropland could satisfy people's grain needs at the nation scale. However, more than 10 provinces (municipality/autonomous region), mainly located in western China and southeast coastal areas, have been unable to meet the grain needs of local people. We projected the guarantee rate to the late 2020s. Our study concludes that the guarantee rate of cropland is estimated to be higher than 150% in China. Compared to 2019, except Beijing, Tianjin, Liaoning, Jilin, Ningxia, as well as Heilongjiang in the Sustainability scenario, and Shanghai in the Sustainability and the Equality scenarios, the guarantee rate of cultivated land will increase in every province (municipality/autonomous region) in 2030. This study has reference value for the study of China's cultivated land protection system, as well as important significance for China's sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of temperature variation on health has attracted increasing attention under global climate change. A distributed lag non-linear model (DLNM) was performed to estimate the risk of two indicators of temperature change (diurnal temperature range (DTR) and temperature change between neighboring days (TCN)) on respiratory hospital visits in Lanzhou, a semi-arid climate city in western China from 2012 to 2018. The whole year is divided into two different temperature change periods according to the TCN of each solar term. The results showed that extreme high DTR can apparently enlarge respiratory risk, and it indicated strong cumulative relative risk (RR) in the temperature drop period. Extreme low TCN had strong adverse effects on respiratory diseases especially in temperature rise period, with the greatest RR of 1.068 (95% CI 1.004, 1.136). The effect of extreme high TCN was more obvious in temperature drop period, with a RR of 1.082 (95% CI 1.021, 1.148) at lag 7. Females were more affected by extreme temperature changes. Young people were more vulnerable to DTR, while TCN has a greater impact on the elderly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Port foreland, serves as the maritime mirror of the hinterland, encompasses the ports and overseas markets interconnected through shipping services. During major global events, understanding port foreland structures becomes imperative for nations and port authorities to anticipate future trade trends and potential coastal management risks. However, systematic approaches for accurately identifying foreland structures remain lacking, particularly given liner shipping complexities. In response, this paper develops two algorithms to analyze changes in the foreland structure of five port clusters in China for the years 2019 and 2022, leveraging over 2.1 billion global vessel AIS trajectory signals. We aim to understand the foreland dynamics of China's ports amidst the broader impacts of the China-US trade war, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the Russia-Ukraine (RU) conflict, and provide insights for maintaining the global trade continuity. Our findings show that geopolitical events and bilateral relations highly influence port foreland structures, yet global supply chain requirements prompt stakeholders to adopt alternative transport strategies. In 2022, China's foreland structures remain stable despite its strict epidemic control measures. Positive developments in China's port forelands with the US are driven by improving bilateral relations and reduced impacts of the US-China trade war, while conflicts in RU cause shrinkage in Europe. On this basis, we provide three constructive opinions on the development of China's port clusters. • Despite China's strict COVID-19 measures in 2022, foreland shows positive progress. • China-US trade war impact fades, driving China's port foreland expansion in the US. • The Russia-Ukraine conflict affects China's port foreland expansion in Europe. • Geopolitical events and bilateral relations highly affect port foreland sstructures. • Global supply chain demands drive stakeholders to adopt alternate transport strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Research has shown that feed and feed ingredients can be one of the potential routes of transmitting viral pathogens into swine farms. In this short communication, we report two cases of Porcine Epidemic Diarrhea (PED) in two sow farms located in eastern China. Immediately after the outbreaks, extensive sampling and testing for genetic materials of PEDV was carried out on farms, and at the feed mill, in an effort to identify possible sources of infection based on field observations of local area viral spread and interventions already implemented to lower risk of this spread. Samples collected from personnel or supplies entering the farms were inspected and proved as low risk factors. In contrast, feed and feed ingredient samples collected at the on‐farm feed bins, and at the feed mill, tested positive for PEDV RNA. Based on these data, multiple interventions to lower viral spread via feed were implemented including (1) simplification of diet formulation excluding high‐risk ingredients, (2) extension of thermal treatment during pellet conditioning and (3) maximising feed quarantine on farm up to 7 days from feed delivery to consumption. Collectively, these interventions appeared to have a positive effect as the prevalence of PED‐related disease and the number of PEDV‐positive feed or feed ingredient samples decreased considerably following implementation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. medicaginis (Fom) and Rhizoctonia solani (Rs) are the major soil-borne fungal pathogens that pose severe threats to commercial alfalfa production in China. However, the effects of Fom and Rs co-infection on alfalfa and whether co-infection alters disease resistance responses among diverse varieties remain unknown. A collection of 80 alfalfa varieties (Medicago sativa) originated from seven countries were used to study the effects of Fom and Rs co-infection on alfalfa and host resistance responses. The co-infection resulted in more severe disease and reductions in growth and biomass allocation across varieties in comparison with either single infection by Fom or Rs; in addition, root morphology was much more strongly altered by the co-infection. Principal component analysis based on all plant traits showed that varieties under the co-infection were related to the single infection by Rs, being separated from Fom, and hierarchical clustering found differential response patterns among varieties upon co-infection compared with either single infection, with most varieties being highly susceptible to the co-infection. Furthermore, varieties that were most resistant to either single infection were not effective to co-infection, and there was no individual variety with resistance to both pathogens singly and co-infected. This study reveals for the first time that the co-infection by Fom and Rs alters disease resistance responses among diverse alfalfa varieties and provides useful information for developing alfalfa varieties with resistance to the co-occurrence of different soil-borne pathogens. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Data is lacking on the characteristics of drug-related problems in Chinese elderly inpatients and the impacts of clinical pharmacy activities in the geriatric ward in China. Objective To describe the nature of drug-related problems in elderly inpatients based on the Pharmaceutical Care Network Europe classification, and identify the correlates of the drug-related problems. Setting Geriatric ward of a tertiary hospital in Beijing, China. Method Pharmacists reviewed medication orders over a 12-month period with drug-related problems and interventions documented. Drug-related problems were categorized respectively according to the Pharmaceutical Care Network Europe classification. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was carried out to determine factors associated with drug-related problems. Main outcome measure The causes, interventions proposed and risk factors of potential drug-related problems. Results A total of 335 interventions associated with possible drug-related problems for 184 older patients were recorded. The incidence of patients experiencing at least one drug-related problem was 34.5%. Drug therapy problems were most commonly classified within the treatment effectiveness domain. Drug selection accounted for most cause of possible drug-related problems. The most common intervention was starting a drug and the acceptance rate was 91.9%. The factors associated with drug-related problems were the number of prescribed medications, Charlson Comorbidity Index and length of stay (P < 0.05). Conclusion Drug-related problems are common in elderly inpatients. Clinical pharmacy service is necessary to the optimization of drug therapy in older inpatients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What is known and objective: The aim of this study was to compare the prevalence of potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) and potential prescribing omissions (PPOs) in elderly Chinese patients identified by the Screening Tool of Older Persons' Prescriptions/Screening Tool to Alert to Right Treatment (STOPP/START) version 2 (v2) and version 1 (v1). The secondary objective was to analyse the risk factors associated with the PIMs/PPOs. Methods: This was a retrospective cross‐sectional study, and all patients were aged ≥65 years and discharged from internal medical wards of Beijing Chaoyang Hospital in December 2018. STOPP/START v2 and STOPP/START v1 were used to detect PIMs/PPOs. The concordance between the two versions was calculated using kappa tests. A logistic regression analysis was carried out to determine variables independently associated with PIM/PPO use. Results and discussion: In the 662 patients included, the median age was 73 years and 361 were male (54.53%). PIMs were present in 36.1% and 47.7% of participants according to the STOPP v1 and STOPP v2, respectively. The prevalence of PPOs was 42.0% and 64.2% according to the START v1 and START v2, respectively. Drug prescribed without indication was the most common item in PIMs, whereas ACEIs were the drugs most frequently involved with PPOs according to the STOPP/START v2. Two versions of the STOPP criteria indicated a moderate coherence, whereas two versions of the START criteria showed poor accordance. Age (OR 1.029, 1.004‐1.054), gender (OR 1.536, 1.103‐2.138) and the number of prescribed medications (<5: OR 1; 5‐9: OR 2.503, 1.173‐5.342; ≥10: OR 4.324, 2.204‐9.235) were associated factors with PIMs identified by the STOPP v2, whereas PPOs identified by the START v2 were independently associated with age (OR 1.039, 1.012‐1.066), activities of daily living (ADL) score (OR 2.713, 1.818‐4.048), the number of prescribed medications (<5: OR 1; 5‐9: OR 2.704, 1.524‐4.795; ≥10: OR 3.075, 1.704‐5.549) and Charlson Comorbidity Index (OR 1.302, 1.110‐1.529). What is new and conclusion: This study showed a high prevalence of PIMs/PPOs in aged internal medical ward inpatients in China, which was associated with various correlates. The STOPP/START v2 had a higher detection rate than v1. Our study demonstrated that PIMs/PPOs were common in hospitalized geriatric patients. The updated version of STOPP/START criteria detected more PIMs/PPOs than the first version. Polypharmacy was a risk factor not only for PIMs but also for PPOs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summer precipitation in the north fringe of East Asian Summer Monsoon (NFEASM) accounts for the majority of annual regional precipitation and plays an important role in regional climatology and agriculture development. Here we analyze variations in summer precipitation in the NFEASM over the past millennium using several simulations with Earth System Models and compare with two dendroclimatological hydroclimate reconstructions that partly cover the past millennium. Both reconstructed records show good agreement on past hydroclimate variations but do not show overly anomalous hydroclimate periods, except for clear drying trends in the second half of the twentieth century. The reconstructed decadal hydroclimate variations are not correlated with any of the simulations, and the simulations are not correlated among themselves either, which strongly suggests that the decadal variability is not linked to the external climate forcing. In addition, the superposed epoch analysis also does not identify a response of simulated precipitation to volcanic eruptions. Therefore, precipitation variability in this region over the past millennium seems to have been driven by internal climate processes. In the simulations, regional summer precipitation is positively and significantly correlated with sea-level-pressure (SLP) over the North Pacific and is negatively and significantly correlated with SLP in southwestern China at both interannual and decadal time scales. This agrees with the teleconnection patterns identified from meteorological reanalysis datasets, indicating that this dipole correlation pattern is robust. Therefore, the SLP difference between these two areas is used as an index to identify the atmosphere circulation pattern favorable to summer precipitation in the NFEASM. This SLP index shows spatial variable correlations with sea-surface-temperature (SST) in the North Pacific: there is a significant positive correlation in the northern North Pacific, while a significant negative correlation in the southern North Pacific. Although the underlying mechanisms for these correlations likely differ between two subareas, it appears that the atmosphere drives SST anomalies in the both subareas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The record of the Holocene millennial‐scale climate variations from the aeolian deposit around the monsoonal boundary zone in northern China is poorly understood because the desert sediments are usually scattered and geological archives are discontinuous. Here, we conducted magnetic, sedimentological, and geochemical analyses of the palaeosol‐aeolian sand sequence from the eastern Horqin dune field in northeastern China, which documented the detailed history of climatic variations during the past 7.0 ka. The results indicate that the climate became more humid around 7.0−5.0 ka and approached an optimal humid condition around 5.0–3.6 cal ka BP. Afterward, the moisture condition clearly declined in 3.6–1.3 cal ka BP and was replaced by dry climate at the end. Additionally, we discovered that 10 periodically dry events that punctuated the overall pattern of climatic variations in the region, with times of more than 7.0, 5.7–5.5, 5.5–5.0, 4.6–4.2, 4.2–3.7, 3.6, 3.5–3.3, and 1.3 cal ka BP. These intervals were not only very consistent with the dry/cold events in the monsoonal boundary zone of northern China, owing to weak summer monsoonal strength forced by solar radiation, but were also accordant with the increased Asian winter monsoon strengths induced by environment variations of the high latitude area. This phenomenon probably implies the antiphase relationship between Asian summer and winter monsoons on the Holocene millennial‐scale around the monsoonal boundary zone of northern China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: We performed a meta-analysis to assess the association and possible dose–response relationship between dietary inflammation index (DII)™ and colorectal cancer (CRC).Methods: A literature search was performed in PubMed, Web of Science and Chinese National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) database for all relevant studies. The pooled relative risks (RRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated by random effects model.Results: A total of eight studies were included in this meta-analysis. The pooled RRs of CRC, colon and rectal cancer for the highest versus lowest DII categories were 1.43 (95% CI 1.25–1.63), 1.37 (95% CI 1.16–1.62) and 1.44 (95% CI 1.23–1.69), respectively. A significant positive association was observed both in cohort studies (RR = 1.26, 95% CI 1.14–1.38) and case–control studies (RR = 1.81, 95% CI 1.48–2.22). Nonlinear associations between DII scores and the risk of CRC, colon and rectal cancer were found in the dose–response analyses, the results showed that the risks of CRC, colon and rectal cancer increased slowly when the DII score was above 1.30, 2.21, and 1.30, respectively.Conclusion: Higher DII scores might increase CRC risk. Thus, people should adopt more anti-inflammatory diets such as those high in vegetables, fruits, whole grains, herbs, and spices. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Material components and geochemical behaviour of desert deposits are closely related with the level and degree of the desertification. In this research, we systematically carried out a grain size and geochemical study of the surface sediments from fixed, semi-fixed, semi-mobile and mobile sand dunes and discussed their link with the desertification in the Mu Us Desert, northern China. Grain size results indicated that the main components of the different sandy sediments were predominantly 200-300-µm coarse grain size. Along with the stronger desertification, the fine material content (clay and silt) and mean grain size (Φ) became lessened, while the coarse particle is remarkably increased due to the repeated wind sorting during that process. These sandy deposits were mainly transported by saltation and creep; the increased creep and decreased saltation and suspended components were probably a response to the lessened fixation degree of the dunes. Geochemical analysis demonstrated that the surface sandy deposits were mainly composed of SiO2, Al2O3 and Na2O, which was very similar to the geochemical constituents of the other deserts in northern China. These sandy surface sediments, with their relatively high Ca and Na content, incur little or no geochemical weathering, which is probably attributable to the arid conditions and the lack of effective weathering. Additionally, an A-CNK-FM diagram indicated that decreased Fe and Mg contents were possibly related to the stronger abrasion and sorting during the desertification process. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the third-generation normalized difference vegetation index and a multiple-timescale drought index [standardized precipitation and evapotranspiration index (SPEI)], the relationships between vegetation activity in the growing season and drought occurrences during various seasons and at different timescales were investigated in northern China. Although poorly understood previously, knowledge of these relationships is crucial for climate, vegetation and hydrological studies. Our results show that over the past three decades, vegetation activity during the growing season was significantly correlated ( p < 0⋅05) with drought occurrences over 78⋅5% of northern China and highly significantly correlated ( p < 0⋅001) in semi-arid regions. In addition, there were spatially variable responses of vegetation activity to the seasonality of drought events across northern China. When drought events occurred in pre-season in the northern part of Inner Mongolia and Heilongjiang, parts of Shaanxi and Shanxi, and the western part of Xinjiang, they appear to have impacted vegetation activity, as indicated by the short and medium timescales of the drought indices (SPEI-3 and SPEI-6, with 3 and 6 months of accumulation, respectively). In the eastern part of Inner Mongolia, eastern part of Gansu and Qinghai, and southern parts of Ningxia, droughts during the growing season played a key role in vegetation growth, as recorded by the drought indices at all four timescales (SPEI-3, SPEI-6, SPEI-12 and SPEI-24). In addition, we also observed spatial variations in the responses of vegetation activity to droughts in northern China. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The palaeosol-loess-aeolian sand sequence in the eastern Gonghe Basin, which is located at the convergence of the Asian summer monsoon, winter monsoon and the westerlies, reveals detailed moisture changes in the northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (NETP) during the last 17 ka. Analysis of magnetic susceptibility (MS), total organic carbon, carbonate content, grain size and geochemical parameters indicate that the region was dominated by an extremely dry climate during ~17.0-15.82 ka, accompanying large-scale desert expansion in the last glacial maximum (LGM). Subsequently, the climate became generally dry during 15.82-14.6 ka, an interval in which loess rapidly accumulated. Enhanced humidity occurred at 14.6 ka, probably associated with increased strength of the East Asian summer monsoon. The region experienced slightly decreased moisture at around 6.5 and 5.8 ka. After 2.7 ka, the climate became wetter. This interpretation correlates with climatic records from lacustrine and aeolian deposits in the NETP during the LGM, the last deglaciation and the early-middle Holocene. High climatic moisture in the Late Holocene facilitated the formation of a well-developed palaeosol in the NETP. The effective moisture change in the Gonghe Basin is not simply ascribed to the influences of Asian summer monsoons; instead, it was possibly influenced by the interaction of evaporation and monsoonal precipitation forced by solar insolation variation. The balance between these variables was very influential on the effective moisture change in the closed inland basin of the NETP. Copyright © 2016 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In China's arid regions, aeolian salts are transported along with dust aerosols, but their contents and the emission rates are poorly understood. Using samples with undisturbed surfaces and artificially disrupted surfaces (to simulate human disturbances such as reclamation, planting, trampling by animals, and other activities), the transport rates for windblown material and the salt contents of clay playa surfaces were investigated in a wind tunnel. The results showed that under wind velocities ranging from 8 to 22 m/s, wind erosion rates ranged between 0.009 and 0.066 g/m/s for the undisturbed surfaces and between 0.011 and 0.048 g/m/s for the artificially disrupted playa surfaces. Although the amount of wind-transported material that was captured was too small to allow an analysis of individual salt contents using the available equipment, electrical conductivity measurements and correlation analysis revealed mean total salt contents of 9.59 g/kg in the transported materials collected above the sealed playa surfaces versus 3.38 g/kg in materials from the same surfaces that were artificially cracked after testing the sealed surfaces. Given the large areas containing clay playas in China's arid regions, these results will improve our understanding of aeolian salt transport in arid China and will facilitate interpretation of the sources of aeolian salts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Thornthwaite Memorial, Synthetic, and Carnegie Ames Stanford Approach (CASA) models, with inputs from SPOT-VGT-S10 NDVI data, meteorological data (precipitation, temperature, solar radiation), and land use data were used to estimate the values of net primary productivity (NPP) from 1999 to 2007 in China's Shiyanghe Basin. The human appropriation of NPP, which represents the difference between potential NPP predicted using the climatic models and actual NPP calculated using the CASA model, served as the indicator of human intervention in the evolution of productivity of the land. Analysis showed that 78.9% (~9,172 km) of the degradation occurring in the Shiyanghe Basin was caused by human activities versus 15.0% (~1,752 km) that was caused by climatic factors, whereas 16.9% (~6,404.5 km) of the vegetation restoration resulted from human activities versus 49.7% (~18,881 km) that resulted from climate changes. Human activity played a key role in vegetation restoration in the central areas of the basin and in determining land degradation in the southwestern and northeastern areas. In addition, climate significantly controlled the vegetation restoration in the southwestern and northeastern areas and controlled land degradation in the central area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A series of experiments to determine the direct emission of dust-sized particles from Gobi surfaces by clean wind (wind without sand), and the potential for aeolian abrasion of Gobi surfaces and beds of gravel and mobile sand to produce fine (<100 μm) and dust-sized (<10 μm, PM) particles under sand-laden winds were conducted. Parent material was obtained from Gobi areas of the Ala Shan Plateau, the region with high dust emissions in arid China. The fine particles produced by aeolian processes were collected using sand traps and sieved the captured materials to exclude particles >100 μm in diameter and then PM by sedimentation was acquired. The Gobi surface provided most of the emitted fine particles during the initial dust emission processes, but subsequently, release of the clay coatings of particles by abrasion becomes the dominant source of fine materials. Under sand-laden winds, PM production rates produced by aeolian abrasion of Gobi surfaces ranged between 0.002 and 0.244% of blown materials. After removal of sand, silt, or clay with low resistance to erosion from the Gobi surfaces by the wind, the PM production rates caused by aeolian abrasion were similar to those from gravel and sand beds. The results also indicated that after the dust-sized particles with low resistance to erosion were removed, the production of dust-sized particles was unrelated to wind velocity. Under aeolian processes, Gobi deserts in this region therefore play a major role in dust emissions from arid and semiarid China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Sediments of Chinese tamarisk (Tamarix chinensis Lour.) nebkhas in China''s arid Ala Shan Plateau document both the formation processes of these vegetated dunes and the environmental changes and geomorphological evolution in this region. Dating of the nebkhas showed that after surface water disappeared, the wadis and playas evolved into gobi deserts (desert pavements) within two centuries. The δ13C trends in the litter deposited within the nebkhas revealed three stages of fluctuating moisture conditions during the past five centuries: before the 1580s, between the 1580s and the late 1990s, and from the early 2000s to the present. However, changes in the coarse fraction of the nebkha sediments show that this region experienced at least five phases of aeolian sediment transport during the same period. The early stages of nebkha formation coincided with the initial stage, when the wadis and playas evolved into gobi deserts and nebkha sizes increased rapidly due to the abundant sediment supply provided by the playas. However, after the playa surfaces stabilized, the nebkha sediments documented environmental changes in adjacent regions. Our results also show that the formation of the Tamarix nebkhas in this region was not controlled by the groundwater table, because in most periods, the water table depth remained above the depth that limits Tamarix survival. In the Ala Shan Plateau, nebkha formation was mainly controlled by aeolian processes, and revealed the integrated effects of environmental changes, thereby providing possibilities for climate and environment reconstructions with a relatively high resolution in extremely arid areas. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: As one of the important non-grain energy crops, sweet sorghum has attracted the attention of scientific community and decision makers of the world since decades. But insufficient study has been done about the spatial suitability distribution and ethanol potential of sweet sorghum in China. This paper attempts to probe into the spatial distribution and ethanol potential of sweet sorghum in China by ArcGIS methods. Data used for the analysis include the spatial data of climate, soil, topography and land use, and literatures relevant for sweet sorghum studies. The results show that although sweet sorghum can be planted in the majority of lands in China, the suitable unused lands for large-scale planting (unit area not less than 100hm2) are only as much as 78.6×104 hm2; and the productive potentials of ethanol from these lands are 157.1×104–294.6×104 t/year, which can only meet 24.8–46.4% of current demand for E10 (gasoline mixed with 10% ethanol) in China (assumption of the energy efficiency of E10 is equivalent to that of pure petroleum). If all the common grain sorghum at present were replaced by sweet sorghum, the average ethanol yield of 244.0×104 t/year can be added, and thus the productive potentials of sweet sorghum ethanol can satisfy 63.2–84.9% of current demand for E10 of China. In general, Heilongjiang, Jilin, Inner Mongolia and Liaoning rank the highest in productive potentials of sweet sorghum ethanol, followed by Hebei, Shanxi, Sichuan, and some other provinces. It is suggested that these regions should be regarded as the priority development zones for sweet sorghum ethanol in China. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• The aridity index was used as an indicator of the climate dryness. • 64%, 28%, 83%, and 70% of the reversion related to climate. • 63%, 72%, 19%, and 36% of development related to climate. • The process of desertification should be defined before its causes assessment. At present, there is no consensus regarding the degree to which climate change and human activity affect aeolian desertification in northern China. The purpose of this study is to assess quantitatively the temporal and spatial impacts of climate change on aeolian desertification. The aridity index (AI) was used as an indicator of climate change and its relationship with regional aeolian desertification was analyzed over the period 1975–2010. Three different scenarios were set up on the basis of possible combinations of variations induced by human intervention and climate change. Results indicate that between 1975 and 1990, climatic factors triggered aeolian desertification development across an area of 49,423 km2, which accounts for 63% of the total area affected by aeolian desertification, whereas climate-related reversion of aeolian desertification occurred across 919 km2, accounting for 64% of the area that experienced aeolian desertification reversal. Between 1990 and 2000, climate-triggered aeolian desertification covered an area of 58,737 km2, which was 72% of the total development area, and aeolian desertification reversion related to climatic factors occurred across 7698 km2, or 28% of the total reversion area. Between 2000 and 2005, climate-triggered aeolian desertification covered an area of 821 km2, accounting for 19% of the total development area, and aeolian desertification reversion occurred across 45,125 km2, which was 83% of the total reversion area. Finally, between 2005 and 2010, climate-related aeolian desertification occurred across 2893 km2, accounting for 36% of the total development area, whereas aeolian desertification reversion occurred across 31,839 km2, accounting for 70% of the total reversion area. These results indicate that the effect of climate change on aeolian desertification development weakened between 1975 and 2010, whereas its effect on aeolian desertification reversion strengthened. In the future, it is suggested that the aeolian desertification process (development or reversion) should be referred first, before considering the relative effects of climate change and human interventions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Desertification and its causes are dynamic processes. • Desertification is driven by a combination of climate change and human factors. • Main driving factors can be determined based on scenarios establishment. • Desertification driving factors should be analyzed in a spatiotemporal sense. Desertification and its causes are dynamic processes, which therefore make it necessary to discuss the factors that drive desertification in a specific spatiotemporal sense. Here the temporal trends in potential evapotranspiration (PE) and precipitation were selected as climate change indicators, five possible scenarios were established and relationships between desertification and the climate change indicators were examined for different time periods across northern China. The results indicate that climate change was the primary or one of drivers of desertification reversion in the northeastern and northwestern regions of China between 1975 and. 1990, whereas the desertification reversion near Mu Us Desert was influenced primarily by human intervention. Climate change triggered desertification variation across the entire region, including the Hulenbur, Otigdag, Horqin, Horbq, and Mu Us deserts and the Sounite Grassland between 1990 and 2000. However, the desertification reversion near the Otindag, Mu Us and Horqin deserts was due primarily to human intervention. Desertification reversion occurred across 54,609 km2 between 2000 and 2005 in northern China and climate change was thought to be related to majority reversion, whereas the regions that experienced desertification development and aggravation, including the areas near the Hulunbuir and Nengjiang deserts, were influenced primarily by human intervention. Broad desertification reversion occurred across the North China region between 2005 and 2010, with 45,787 km2 experiencing desertification reversion compared with only 8026 km2 experiencing desertification development and aggravation, however, climate change had a limited effect on desertification in this period. The study provides a new understanding of the causes of desertification, and an easier and more effective framework for determining the role of climate change on desertification. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Loess and dust deposits are the longest and best-preserved terrestrial record of climate changes available, and one of the most important records is the Chinese Loess Plateau. Ascertaining the provenance of the wind derived dust material is critical in our understanding of climate variations, atmospheric dust transport and controls on dust generation. To determine the dust sources of the CLP, major and trace element data have been obtained from 202 dust samples and compared to 122 published data of dust source regions throughout northwestern China. The results demonstrate that the northeastern Tibetan Plateau is the major dust source for the depositional desert, sandy land and loess regions (e.g. Badain Jaran Desert, Alxa Plateau, CLP). However, the Qilian Mountains causes some differences of dust sources for Lanzhou, Xi'an when compared with the CLP. The most important finding is that not all gravel deserts in north China are dust sources for loess sequences at Lanzhou, Xi'an and CLP, which means that previous dust emission quantity assessments may be overestimations. The northeastern Tibetan Plateau, Tarim, the middle and eastern area of the Hexi Corridor Desert, Heihe River Basin, Badain Jaran Desert, and the middle and east area of the Alxa Plateau are the main dust sources, supported by the geochemical characteristics of the samples, regional geomorphology, and near surface wind dynamics. •Aeolian sediment geochemical characteristics are good indexes to identify dust sources. ● Dust sources in northwestern China is multiple sources. ● Wind dynamic system, geomorphology and hydrodynamic force all control dust transportation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A source analysis to characterize the composition of dust fallout in arid and semiarid North China, an important source area of dust for East Asia, was performed. Monthly samples were obtained from April 2001 to March 2002 at 29 sites in sandy and gobi deserts, steppes, and loess areas, and the following elements were analyzed: Ce, Co, Cs, Eu, Fe, Hf, Lu, Nd, Rb, Sc, Ta, Tb, Th, As, La, Na, Sb, Sm, U, Yb, Al, Ca, Mg, Mn, Ti, and V. Although the dust compositions differed, it was difficult to determine the potential dust source areas based solely on the elemental fingerprints of the dust. Principal components analysis showed that at most sites Sm, Sc, La, Ce, Eu, and Th were most strongly correlated (r >0.7) with other elements, whereas crustal elements such as Al, Fe, and Ti were only strongly correlated with the other elements at a few sites. Of the 26 elements that we analyzed, maybe only Sb was representative of anthropogenic pollution, but pollutant sources were unclear because at most sites, in different months, the crustal-derived elements and those derived from anthropogenic pollutants always appeared synchronously, creating difficulties and high uncertainties in source identification. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Dry lacustrine beds provide sand for smaller dunes. • Sand experienced a weaker weathering process. • The Qilian Mountains provide sand for dry lacustrine beds. • Geochemistry identifies the provenance of sand. The Hexi Corridor Desert is in Gansu Province, northwestern China. The material provenance of desert formation and development is the primary factor of aeolian geomorphology, and it is still not fully understood in the Hexi Corridor Desert. To identify sources of aeolian sand in the formation of dunes in the Hexi Corridor Desert, we investigated 12 sites and collected 70 samples from the dune surface. This study used ratios between Na 2 O/Al 2 O 3 versus K 2 O/Al 2 O 3 and SiO 2 /Al 2 O 3 , Ba/Sr versus Rb/Sr and Rb/Sr versus Ce/Sr as well as CaO and Cl composition to identify sediment provenance. CaO was enriched relative to the composition of the upper continental crust (UCC), consistent with a previous study conducted in the Taklamakan and Badain Jaran deserts on adjacent fluvial, lacustrine and gravel deserts, but it differed from one study conducted in the Kumtagh and Tengger deserts. Cl concentrations differed in lacustrine and sand sediments, being higher in lacustrine sediments, followed by sand sediment. Sand sample geochemistry was similar throughout, indicating that sources of sand formation were also similar, which was confirmed by the multidimensional scaling (MDS) and principal component analysis (PCA) methods. Additionally, based on regional topography, the Hexi Corridor acts as a sediment sink not only for sediment from the Qilian Mountains but also for sediment from the Beishan Mountains. The MDS and PCA approaches also indicated that sediment provenance was similar in the Hexi Corridor and the Tengger, Badain Jaran and Kumtagh deserts. Therefore, it can be concluded that dry fluvial deposits, alluvial deposits and lacustrine sediments that combined comprised sand dune provenance were the sources of sand in the Hexi Corridor Desert, and these deposits derived from the Qilian Mountains in the southwest and the Beishan Mountains in the north through alluvial processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Topsoil geochemical–precipitation climofunction established for the Ordos Plateau. • Geochemical weathering of aeolian sequences was controlled by palaeo-precipitation. • Mean annual precipitation (MAP) of Mid-Holocene was ∼ 20–30% higher than modern. Quantitative precipitation reconstructions are important for studies of past Earth surface processes and for predicting future trends, especially in the semi-arid region of northern China, where the dune fields landscape is dominated by shifts of the Asian summer monsoonal boundary. However, the relationships between desert deposits and climatic factors are controversial and it remains unclear how these relationships can be used for quantitative paleoenvironmental reconstruction. We investigated the relationship between the degree of chemical weathering of surface soil, quantified using the Chemical Index of Alteration (CIA) and modern climatic variables, along transects across the Ordos Plateau. The relationship was then used to obtain quantitative estimates of Holocene mean annual precipitation (MAP) from aeolian sand-palaeosol sequences in this region. The results reveal that MAP is the dominant climatic variable controlling the chemical weathering of surface soil, accounting for ∼ 69–91% of the total explained variance. This robust relationship enabled us to establish a regional CIA-based transfer function to reconstruct the MAP. This relationship was confirmed by a study of Holocene climate change and chemical weathering of aeolian sequences across the Ordos Plateau, which indicated that paleo-precipitation explained ∼ 76–88% of the total explained variance. The reconstruction demonstrates that the MAP was respectively ∼ 60–103 mm and ∼ 21–63 mm lower in the early and late Holocene than the modern MAP, while it was ∼ 34–77 mm (∼20–30%) higher in the middle Holocene than the modern MAP. Our results also demonstrate the latitudinal zonality of MAP evolution across the Ordos Plateau during the mid-Holocene. Overall, our findings provide new insights into the chemical weathering of surface soils and the response of Holocene aeolian deposits to climate change, and they confirm the utility of a geochemical proxy for quantitative environmental reconstruction in the semi-arid desert region of northern China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Most areas of arid and semiarid China are covered by aeolian sand dunes, sand sheets, and desert steppes, and the existence of the nearly 80 million people who live in this region could be seriously jeopardized if climate change increases desertification. However, the expected trends in desertification during the 21st century are poorly understood. In the present study, we selected the ECHAM4 and HadCM3 global climate models (after comparing them with the results of the GFDL-R30, CGCM2, and CSIRO-Mk2b models) and used simulations of a dune mobility index under IPCC SRES climate scenarios A1FI, A2a, A2b, A2c, B1a, B2a, and B2b to estimate future trends in dune activity and desertification in China. Although uncertainties in climate predictions mean that there is still far to go before we can develop a comprehensive dune activity estimation system, HadCM3 simulations with most greenhouse forcing scenarios showed decreased desertification in most western region of arid and semiarid China by 2039, but increased desertification thereafter, whereas ECHAM4 simulation results showed that desertification will increase during this period. Inhabitants of thecentral region will benefit from reversed desertification from 2010 to 2099, whereas inhabitants of the eastern region will suffer from increased desertification from 2010 to 2099. From 2010 to 2039, most regions will not be significantly affected by desertification, but from 2040 to 2099, the environments of the western and eastern regions will deteriorate due to the significant effects of global warming (particularly the interaction between precipitation and potential evapotranspiration), leading to decreased livestock and grain yields and possibly threatening China''s food security. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Dust emissions triggered by desertification in China are evaluated. • From 1970 to 2015, the mean PM 10 emitted in desertified lands is 29.40 Tg yr−1. • After the 2000s dust emissions in desertified lands decreased by 75%. • Spatio-temporal variations in dust emissions triggered by desertification existed. The spatial and temporal trends of potential dust emissions from severe aeolian desertified lands and Gobi desert surfaces in China were investigated based on field sample collections, wind tunnel experiments, and historical wind records. The results showed that aeolian desertified lands and Gobi desert surfaces are both key landscapes for dust emissions. The dust emission rate in Gobi deserts was approximately 19% of what originated from desertified lands at the beginning of the 1970s but this ratio increased to 26% in 2015. Considering temporal variations of dust emission over aeolian desertified lands and the Gobi desert surfaces, from the 1980s to the present, the contribution of the Gobi desert surfaces on dust emissions decreased from 71% to 31% of that originating in desertified lands. From the 1970s to 2015, the average amounts of PM 2.5 (particulate matter with diameter less than 2.5 μm), PM 5 , PM 10 , and PM 50 emitted from desertified lands are 17.6, 29.4, 39.6, and 65.2 Tg yr−1, while that of PM 5 , PM 10 , and PM 50 emitted from the Gobi desert surfaces are 18.4, 26.5, 40.4 Tg yr−1, respectively. Compared with that in the 1970s, potential dust emissions after 2000 from desertified lands and the Gobi desert surfaces decreased by 75% and 71%, respectively. In addition, the wind tunnel experiment results and statistics indicate that the potential dust emissions in China are far lower than that of model simulations. There are significant spatio-temporal variations in the potential dust aerosol source areas and intensities of dust emissions in China over the past decades. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examining the association between dietary patterns and colorectal cancer (CRC) risk can provide valuable insights beyond the assessment of individual foods or nutrients. However, there is a lack of in-depth analysis of dietary patterns and CRC risk in Chinese populations, and few studies have compared dietary patterns derived from different posteriori methods with the aim of predicting disease risk. The aim of this study was to derive dietary patterns using both principal component analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis (CA) and to assess their respective associations with CRC risk. A large-scale case-control study was conducted in Guangdong Province, China, including 2799 incident colorectal cancer cases and an equal number of frequency-matched controls. Dietary intake information was gathered through the use of a validated food frequency questionnaire. PCA and CA were used to derive dietary patterns. A multivariable logistic regression model was used to calculate the adjusted odds ratio (aOR) and 95% confidence interval (CI). Four major dietary patterns were identified by PCA. CA identified two dietary patterns, referred to as the "Balanced dietary pattern" and the "Refined grain dietary pattern". Notably, there were significant inverse associations between the milk-egg-nut-soy dietary pattern (aOR, 0.51; 95% CI, 0.42, 0.62), the vegetable-fruit dietary pattern (aOR, 0.61; 95%CI, 0.51, 0.74), and the poultry-fish dietary pattern (aOR, 0.81; 95%CI, 0.68, 0.97) and CRC risk. However, the red meat-preserved food dietary pattern was associated with an increased risk of CRC (aOR, 2.99; 95%CI, 2.43, 3.67). When compared with the Refined grain dietary pattern, the Balanced dietary pattern showed a decreased risk of CRC (aOR, 0.59; 95%CI, 0.52, 0.66). The results from the comparison of the two methods indicate that both CA and PCA derived remarkably similar patterns. The combined use of PCA and CA identified consistent underlying patterns, showing comparable associations with CRC risk. These findings suggest that individuals who prefer dietary patterns characterized by a high intake of red meat, preserved food, and refined grains should be cautious about their increased CRC risk. Conversely, dietary patterns rich in fruits, vegetables, and high-quality protein sources are advisable for the prevention of CRC in the Chinese population.

Objective: This study aimed to explore erb-b2 receptor tyrosine kinase 2 ( ERBB2 ) gene mutations in patients with non-small cell lung cancers (NSCLC) in Northeast China, and to analyze ERBB2 mutation subtypes and clinicopathological characteristics related to the presence of ERBB2 mutations., Methods: In this study, 1087 tissue samples, 368 whole blood samples, and 68 pleural effusion samples from 1349 NSCLC were collected. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) was used to perform genetic testing on the samples. The proportion of patients with ERBB2 mutations and related clinicopathological characteristics were analyzed., Results: The mutation rate of ERBB2 in NSCLC was 5.58% (85/1523). Of the patients with ERBB2 mutations, 27.63% (21/76) were over 65 years old, 59.21% (45/76) were women, and 68.42% (52/76) were non-smokers. The majority of tumors were adenocarcinomas (92.1%, 70/76) and stage III and IV diseases accounted for 81.58% (62/76) of all cases. There were 14 subtypes of ERBB2 mutations; the most frequently seen were ERBB2 copy number alteration (41.76%, 38/91) and ERBB2 exon 20 in-frame insertion (36.26%, 33/91). Of the patients with ERBB2 mutations, 24 had concurrent epidermal growth factor receptor mutations, seven had mesenchymal epithelial transition factor amplifications, and three had anaplastic lymphoma kinase mutations. The agreement between tissue and paired blood samples in the presence of ERBB2 mutations was 64.3% (9/14)., Conclusion: ERBB2 mutations in Northeast China NSCLC patients have a unique molecular spectrum. Our work can provide guidance for the clinical diagnosis and treatment of patients with ERBB2 mutations in Northeast China.

Associations of dietary fatty acids with the risk of colorectal cancer (CRC) remain controversial. The objective of this study was to examine whether dietary-derived fatty acid patterns were related to CRC risk among Chinese people. A total of 2806 CRC patients and 2806 frequency-matched controls were interviewed in this case-control study between July 2010 and May 2021. A food frequency questionnaire was used to gather information on dietary intake. Four fatty acid patterns were identified using factor analysis. The even-long-chain fatty acid pattern had no statistically significant association with CRC risk (adjusted Odds ratio (aOR), 1.16; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.97-1.39; p trend = 0.129). However, significant inverse associations were found between the medium-chain and long-chain saturated fatty acid (SFA) pattern (aOR, 0.34; 95%CI, 0.27-0.42), the highly unsaturated fatty acid pattern (aOR, 0.73; 95%CI, 0.60-0.88), the odd-chain fatty acid pattern (aOR, 0.69; 95%CI, 0.57-0.83), and CRC risk. The interaction between fatty acid patterns and sex was observed, and the association between the highly unsaturated fatty acid pattern and CRC risk differed by subsite. In conclusion, increasing the intakes of foods rich in medium-chain SFAs, highly unsaturated fatty acids, and odd-chain fatty acids may be related to a lower risk of CRC.

Background: Currently, diabetes has become one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Fasting plasma glucose (FPG) levels that are higher than optimal, even if below the diagnostic threshold of diabetes, can also lead to increased morbidity and mortality. Here we intend to study the magnitude of the genetic influence on FPG variation by conducting structural equation modelling analysis and to further identify specific genetic variants potentially related to FPG levels by performing a genome-wide association study (GWAS) in Chinese twins., Results: The final sample included 382 twin pairs: 139 dizygotic (DZ) pairs and 243 monozygotic (MZ) pairs. The DZ twin correlation for the FPG level (r DZ  = 0.20, 95% CI: 0.04-0.36) was much lower than half that of the MZ twin correlation (r MZ  = 0.68, 95% CI: 0.62-0.74). For the variation in FPG level, the AE model was the better fitting model, with additive genetic parameters (A) accounting for 67.66% (95% CI: 60.50-73.62%) and unique environmental or residual parameters (E) accounting for 32.34% (95% CI: 26.38-39.55%), respectively. In the GWAS, although no genetic variants reached the genome-wide significance level (P < 5 × 10 - 8 ), 28 SNPs exceeded the level of a suggestive association (P < 1 × 10 - 5 ). One promising genetic region (2q33.1) around rs10931893 (P = 1.53 × 10 - 7 ) was found. After imputing untyped SNPs, we found that rs60106404 (P = 2.38 × 10 - 8 ) located at SPATS2L reached the genome-wide significance level, and 216 SNPs exceeded the level of a suggestive association. We found 1007 genes nominally associated with the FPG level (P < 0.05), including SPATS2L, KCNK5, ADCY5, PCSK1, PTPRA, and SLC26A11. Moreover, C1orf74 (P = 0.014) and SLC26A11 (P = 0.021) were differentially expressed between patients with impaired fasting glucose and healthy controls. Some important enriched biological pathways, such as β-alanine metabolism, regulation of insulin secretion, glucagon signaling in metabolic regulation, IL-1 receptor pathway, signaling by platelet derived growth factor, cysteine and methionine metabolism pathway, were identified., Conclusions: The FPG level is highly heritable in the Chinese population, and genetic variants are significantly involved in regulatory domains, functional genes and biological pathways that mediate FPG levels. This study provides important clues for further elucidating the molecular mechanism of glucose homeostasis and discovering new diagnostic biomarkers and therapeutic targets for diabetes.

Objectives: This study aimed to compare the prevalence of potentially inappropriate medications (PIMs) among Chinese aged patients using the Beers criteria of 2015, the Screening Tool of Older Persons' Prescriptions (STOPP) of 2014 and the criteria of PIMs for older adults in China (Chinese criteria), and to identify the correlates of the PIMs' use., Methods: A retrospective, cross-sectional study was conducted among geriatric patients at Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital between January 2018 and March 2018. Three criteria (the Beers criteria of 2015, the STOPP criteria of 2014 and the Chinese criteria) were used to detect PIMs. A multivariate logistic regression analysis was carried out to determine factors associated with the use of PIMs. Leading PIMs for each set of criteria were also listed. The concordance among the three PIM criteria was calculated using kappa tests., Results: Totally, 863 inpatients aged ≥65 years were included. The prevalence of patients receiving at least one PIM was 80.2%, 58.1% and 44.0% according to the Chinese criteria, 2015 Beers criteria and 2014 STOPP criteria, respectively. The Beers and the STOPP criteria indicated a moderate coherence, whereas the Chinese criteria showed poor concordance with the other two criteria. Proton-pump inhibitors in the Beers and STOPP criteria and clopidogrel in the PIM-Chinese accounted for most leading PIMs. The most important factor associated with PIM use by all three sets of criteria was the number of prescribed medications., Conclusion: Data showed a high PIM prevalence among older adults in China, which was associated with the number of prescribed medications. The Chinese criteria had the highest detection rate but a poor concordance with the Beers and STOPP criteria ( P <0.001)., Competing Interests: Disclosure The authors report no conflicts of interest in this work.

Interferon-induced protein with tetratricopeptide repeats (IFIT) 2 is associated with various viral infections and pathogenesis in humans and mice. However, there are few reports on IFIT2 in pigs and the polymorphic information remains unclear. Here, by using a direct PCR sequencing method, we identified four single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs), c.259G>A (p.Gly87Ser), c.520T>G (p.Phe174Val), c.571C>T (p.Pro191Ser), and c.879A>G (p.Glu293Glu), for the first time in the coding sequence of the porcine (p) IFIT2 gene from a Chinese local breed (Hebao pig), Western commercial pig breeds (Yorkshire and Landrace), and a Chinese developed breed (Beijing Black pig). SNP c.520T>G (p.Phe174Val) leads to the addition of a tetratricopeptide repeat motif, characteristic structure of the IFIT family. SNPs c.259G>A and c.520T>G are medium polymorphic loci (0.25 < polymorphic information content < 0.5) and distributed differently in Western pig breeds and the Chinese local pig, Hebao, which is well known for its strong resistance to disease. Additionally, they are completely linked. The four SNPs constituted five haplotypes with GTCA and AGCA as dominant. The haplotype variant AGCA, which is mainly present in Hebao pigs, significantly synergized the poly(I:C)-induced activation of transcription factors, including NF-κB and IFN-stimulated response element (ISRE)-binding factors, and the expression of interferon β, indicating that the variant contributes to the induction or magnitude of the immune response upon viral infection. The data showed that variant AGCA might be useful in improving the resistance of pigs to viruses through marker-assisted selection.

Objective: To identify modifiable family and school environmental factors associated with Chinese adolescent smoking behaviors including never-smoking, experimental smoking, regular smoking, and attempting to quit., Methods: A cross-sectional survey using self-reported questionnaires was conducted in Huangpu, Guangzhou in December of 2004. A total of 3957 pupils agreed to complete the questionnaires. The prevalence odds ratio (risk) of experimental smoking was compared to never-smoking, adjusting for gender and age in unconditional logistic regression analysis. The risk of regular smoking was compared to experimental smoking, and the risk of attempting quitting was analyzed in regular smokers., Results: The cigarette smoking of peers, mothers, fathers, brothers, and supervising teachers, passive smoking, and seeing someone smoking on campus increased the risk of experimental smoking vs. nonsmoking, while no-smoking signs, perceived anti-tobacco atmosphere in school, and being taught smoking-related health knowledge decreased the risk. The factors associated with regular smoking compared to experimental smoking included the smoking of peers, brothers, fathers and supervising teachers, teacher's tolerance, and passive smoking. Being taught smoking-related knowledge, perceived anti-tobacco atmosphere and no-smoking signs in school were positively associated with regular smoker's attempt to quit, while supervising teacher's smoking, parents' and teachers' tolerance could delay it., Conclusions: These modifiable family and school environmental factors as well as their interaction with gender and age should be highly considered in adolescent smoking prevention in China.