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This paper investigates the language fluency problems of skilled immigrants from mainland China to Canada. It capitalises on interview data to explore the relationships between Chinese immigrants' identities, second language practices, and language skills. It reports the informants' difficulty in integrating into their workplaces and their unwillingness to make considerable investments in learning English. Drawing on Bourdieu's (1984) theory of practice and linking it with the issue of identity, this paper explains how the habitus of the informants interact with their milieux, how a marginalised identity emerges, and how this identity negatively impacts on their oral proficiency in English.

Microlesson and flipped classroom, which incorporate the educational information technologies, are a new trend of college English teaching. Exploration on how the flipped classroom and microlesson promote innovation and application of educational information technology are of great significance. According to a survey among teachers, strategies that can improve the quality of college English teaching may include: strengthening teacher training; reforming the previous teaching evaluation system; managing the pre-class and classroom time; correctly understanding the role of modern education technology in college English teaching; paying attention to convergence between teaching materials and teaching software; implementing a variety of teaching methods, and strengthening the interaction inside and outside of the classroom.

Using data from the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) dated from 1991 to 2015, we assess the impact of public bus expansion into villages on income mobility of rural household, particularly, with low income. This paper finds that the income mobility of low-income households is suffered from the expansion of public buses in the rural areas. Due to the 'crowding out' effect, the low-income families are excluded from the non-agricultural employment brought by the public bus expansion, which nevertheless does not improve the agricultural production structure. This can explain why the low-income group has been marginalized during the process of urban-city integration in China. Improvement of the human capital can significantly alleviate the negative impact of public bus expansion on the low-income group in rural areas, while the child-care burden aggravates the issue. These results may also have policy implication for potential solutions to problems such as the 'First Kilometer' to realize common prosperity is not simply about the modernization in the infrastructure but also equalization of opportunities through cultivation of human capital. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: By meticulously tracking the evolving growth, development, and nutritional status of primary and secondary school students in Qiongzhong County from 2014 to 2021 post-implementation of the "Nutrition Improvement Program for Rural Compulsory Education Students"(NIPRCES, This project provides a supplementary food allowance of at least ￥4 per person per day for primary and secondary school students. The project area undergoes annual routine monitoring.), this study aims to offer a scientific basis for enhancing and promoting the project. Through thorough monitoring of students' nutritional status changes influenced by this program, we strive to establish a comprehensive and evidence-based framework for its future advancement. Methods: From 2014 to 2021, this study employed a multi-stage sampling method utilizing cluster sampling to select six primary and six secondary schools in Qiongzhong County, Hainan Province. Data on the growth and development of respondents were collected. This cohort was a dynamic cohort with a total of 18,762 final data recovered. The prevalence of malnutrition was evaluated using the Cochran Armitage Trend Test (CATT) to assess year-to-year changes. Furthermore, height/weight and the prevalence of malnutrition between groups were compared using the t-test, χ2 test, and Bonferroni's corrected analysis. Results: The average height of both boys and girls has increased. In 2021, boys and girls of all ages showed an average height increase of 2.31 cm and 1.98 cm, respectively, compared to 2014. Nevertheless, the growth and development levels, and rate of improvement of these students remain comparatively lower than their rural counterparts across China, who are of the same age. From 2014 to 2021, the prevalence of undernutrition (mainly wasting) showed a significant downward trend (P < 0.05) from 29.30% to 22.19%, and the prevalence of overnutrition showed an upward trend (both P < 0.05). The prevalence of undernutrition was higher among boys, students in grades 1–3 and those of Li nationality. Meanwhile, the prevalence of overnutrition was higher among boys, students in grades 1–3 and those of Han nationality. Conclusions: Over the 8-year period of NIPRCES, there has been progress in the growth and development of students, yet levels still lag behind the national average for rural students of the same age. While malnutrition prevalence have decreased, they remain high, with a concerning rise in overnutrition prevalence. Undernutrition and overweight/obesity are more prevalent among boys and younger students. Li students show higher prevalence of undernutrition, while overnutrition is a growing issue among Han students. Simultaneously, local education and health care departments must acknowledge the disparities in growth and nutritional status among primary and secondary school students residing in rural areas within the tropics and those in rural areas across the entire nation. Nutritional improvement measures should be tailored to local conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change in agriculture has important impacts on human life and health, so it is crucial to explore the process of carbon peaking in China's agricultural resource inputs and to provide data support for greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction in agriculture. The LMDI model and Tapio decoupling model were used in this study, and the interrelationship between carbon emissions from agricultural resource inputs and agricultural output was analyzed deeply. Meanwhile, global and local Moran's I indices were introduced to further analyze the degree of spatially significant correlation. The results showed that China's total agricultural carbon emissions from 2003 to 2021 showed an"inverted U-shaped"curve, indicating a first growth and then a downward trend, and reached a peak in 2015. Carbon emissions in east China have always been in the first place, followed by central China. However, the Northwest region, which has the lowest carbon emissions among the seven regions, has risen significantly to become the third largest source of agricultural carbon emissions by 2021. The use of fertilizers was the major factor contributing to agricultural carbon emissions, with an average annual contribution of 58%. while pesticides, agricultural films and diesel use were secondary factors. The global Moran' s I index showed significant spatial correlation in agricultural carbon emissions, but the degree of spatial aggregation gradually weakened over time. The local Moran' s I showed that the high-high aggregation was mainly concentrated in east China and central China. According to the results of the LMDI model, agricultural production efficiency, regional industrial structure, and the size of the agricultural labor force play an inhibitory role in the growth of agricultural carbon emissions, of which agricultural production efficiency is the main inhibitory factor, with an annual average emission reduction of 6.475 7 million tons. Agricultural industrial structure, the level of regional economic development, and the level of urbanization, on the other hand, promote the growth of agricultural carbon emissions, and the level of regional economic development is the main factor that promotes the growth of agricultural carbon emissions, with an annual average of about 8.91 million tons. The Tapio decoupling model showed that all regions achieved strong decoupling after 2016, and that agricultural economic growth was accompanied by a reduction in agricultural carbon emissions, which reached a desirable state, indicating that the effect of emission reduction after 2016 was significant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We trace the rumour that two undeveloped regions were to be administratively merged into Beijing, which is the capital of China. Applying a difference-in-difference approach, we find that housing listing prices in the two undeveloped regions declined by 25.1% after local governments clarified the rumour. Our results are robust after considering possible confounders such as contemporary housing market policies, business cycles and migrations. The price reduction caused by the rumour collapse averages to 347–396 thousand yuan, a comparable number to the value of 'Hukou' in Beijing. Finally, we show that herding and speculation accelerate the price bust after the rumour collapses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Irrigation, fertilization, and variety are important factors affecting potato production in northwest China. Field experiments (2021 and 2022) were performed to investigate the effects of irrigation and fertilization on the plant growth and soil microbial population of different potato varieties. Three irrigation levels were used, i.e., 100% ETc (W1), 80% ETc (W2), and 60% ETc (W3), with ETc standing for crop evapotranspiration. Three fertilization levels were used (N-P-K), i.e., 240-120-300 kg ha−1 (F1), 180-90-225 kg ha−1 (F2), and 120-60-150 kg ha−1 (F3). Three variety types were used, i.e., Feiurita (V1), Longshu 7 (V2), and Qingshu 9 (V3). These factors significantly influenced tuber yield (TY), net income (NI), and water productivity (WP). TY, NI, WP, total nitrogen accumulation (TNA), and nitrogen use efficiency (NUE) peaked at F2. Fertilization significantly impacted soil bacteria quantity (SBQ), fungi quantity (SFQ), and actinomycetes quantity (SAQ). TY, NI, SBQ, SFQ, and SAQ were highest at W2. Soil microbial population was strongly correlated with TY, NI, WP, TNA, and NUE. Comprehensively, this study suggests that irrigation that is varied from 248 to 266 mm, and fertilization (N-P-K) that is varied from 149.09-74.55-186.36 to 212.73-106.36-265.91 kg ha−1 can promote the potato industry's sustainable development and provide important references for the optimal field management of potato cultivation in northwest China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To compare the clinical characteristics, virus serotype, and outcome in cases of mild and severe enteroviral infection at a tertiary neonatal intensive care unit in China. Methods: A retrospective analysis of cases hospitalized between June and August 2019. Samples (stool or throat swabs) were examined using reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Positive cases were divided into two groups: mild infection and severe infection. Results: A total of 149 cases were assigned to one of two groups: mild infection (n = 104) and severe infection (n = 45). There were no significant differences between the groups in terms of sex, gestational age, birth weight, mode of delivery, and onset within 7 days. Clinical symptoms in both groups mostly resembled sepsis (fever, rash, poor feeding, and lethargy); however, there were significant variations in concomitant symptoms such as hepatitis, thrombocytopenia, encephalitis, coagulopathy, and myocarditis. Severe cases were more likely to have abnormal complete blood counts, biochemical parameters, and cerebrospinal fluid markers. The predominant serotypes implicated in neonatal enterovirus infections were echoviruses and Coxsackievirus B. Invasive ventilation, intravenous immunoglobulin, vasoactive medications, and blood product transfusions were often required, with high mortality rates among severe cases. Conclusion: We found significant differences between mild and severe cases of neonatal enterovirus infection with respect to complications, laboratory findings, and enterovirus serotypes. It is crucial to exercise caution when newborns exhibit symptoms of sepsis, during an enterovirus outbreak. Anemia, thrombocytopenia, abnormal liver function, and coagulation dysfunction should be monitored closely as they could indicate the presence of a severe enteroviral infection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Scientifically evaluating China's black soil protection policy and exploring its evolution characteristics are crucial for promoting high-quality and efficient black soil protection projects worldwide. Utilizing the Policy Modeling Consistency (PMC) index model, the effectiveness of China's black soil protection policy system is assessed. Building upon this evaluation, the research delves into the evolution process of the black soil protection policy system, examining its dynamic characteristics across different government levels. Through the application of text mining technology and visual analysis techniques, the study explores four dimensions: keyword co-occurrence, vertical synergy calculation, policy theme identification, and policy tool analysis. The results show the following: (1) The PMC index showed a phased growth trend, and various indicators gradually improved and tended to be stable. (2) Government policies at the same level exhibit progressive evolution patterns in terms of policy keywords and themes. (3) Across different levels of government, there are hierarchical lag evolution rules observed in policy keywords and provincial policy tools. Additionally, policy keywords display vertical synergy evolution patterns. In conclusion, future black soil conservation policies need to reduce hierarchical delays, enhance the coverage and comprehensiveness of policy content, and establish a sound policy feedback mechanism. The conclusions of the study are significant for improving management approaches throughout the black soil zones of the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ephedra herb (EH), an important medicine prescribed in herbal formulas by Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners, has been widely used in the treatment of viral pneumonia in China. However, the molecular basis of EH in viral pneumonia remains unclear. In this study, a ternary correlation multi‐symptom network strategy was established based on in vivo chemical profile identification and metabolomics to explore the molecular basis of EH against viral pneumonia. Results showed that 143 compounds of EH and 70 prototype components were identified in vivo. EH could reduce alveolar‐capillary barrier disruption in rats with viral pneumonia and significantly downregulate the expression of inflammatory factors and bronchoalveolar lavage fluid. Plasma metabolomics revealed that EH may be involved in the regulation of arachidonic acid, tryptophan, tyrosine, nicotinate, and nicotinamide metabolism. The multi‐symptom network showed that 12 compounds have an integral function in the treatment of viral pneumonia by intervening in many pathways related to viruses, immunity and inflammation, and lung injury. Further verification demonstrated that sinapic acid and frambinone can regulate the expression of related genes. It has been shown to be a promising representative of the pharmacological constituents of ephedra. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Here, we report the discovery of two viruses associated with a disease characterized by severe diarrhea on a large-scale goat farm in Jilin province. Electron Microscopy observations revealed two kinds of virus particles with the sizes of 150–210 nm and 20–30 nm, respectively. Detection of 276 fecal specimens from the diseased herds showed the extensive infection of peste des petits ruminants virus (63.77%, 176/276) and caprine enterovirus (76.81%, 212/276), with a co-infection rate of 57.97% (160/276). These results were partially validated with RT-PCR, where all five PPRV-positive and CEV-positive specimens yielded the expected size of fragments, respectively, while no fragments were amplified from PPRV-negative and CEV-negative specimens. Moreover, corresponding PPRV and CEV fragments were amplified in PPRV and CEV double-positive specimens. Histopathological examinations revealed severe microscopic lesions such as degeneration, necrosis, and detachment of epithelial cells in the bronchioles and intestine. An immunohistochemistry assay detected PPRV antigens in bronchioles, cartilage tissue, intestine, and lymph nodes. Simultaneously, caprine enterovirus antigens were detected in lung, kidney, and intestinal tissues from the goats infected by the peste des petits ruminants virus. These results demonstrated the co-infection of peste des petits ruminants virus with caprine enterovirus in goats, revealing the tissue tropism for these two viruses, thus laying a basis for the future diagnosis, prevention, and epidemiological survey for these two virus infections. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Non‐anemic thalassemia trait (TT) accounted for a high proportion of TT cases in South China. Objective: To use artificial intelligence (AI) analysis of erythrocyte morphology and machine learning (ML) to identify TT gene carriers in a non‐anemic population. Methods: Digital morphological data from 76 TT gene carriers and 97 controls were collected. The AI technology‐based Mindray MC‐100i was used to quantitatively analyze the percentage of abnormal erythrocytes. Further, ML was used to construct a prediction model. Results: Non‐anemic TT carriers accounted for over 60% of the TT cases. Random Forest was selected as the prediction model and named TT@Normal. The TT@Normal algorithm showed outstanding performance in the training, validation, and external validation sets and could efficiently identify TT carriers in the non‐anemic population. The top three weights in the TT@Normal model were the target cells, microcytes, and teardrop cells. Elevated percentages of abnormal erythrocytes should raise a strong suspicion of being a TT gene carrier. TT@Normal could be promoted and used as a visualization and sharing tool. It is accessible through a URL link and can be used by medical staff online to predict the possibility of TT gene carriage in a non‐anemic population. Conclusions: The ML‐based model TT@Normal could efficiently identify TT carriers in non‐anemic people. Elevated percentages of target cells, microcytes, and teardrop cells should raise a strong suspicion of being a TT gene carrier. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Land use and land cover change (LUCC) prediction of cities in Western China requires higher accuracy in quantitative demand and spatial layout because of complex challenges in balancing relationships between urban constructions and ecological developments. Considering city-level areas and various types of land use and land cover, existing LUCC models without constraint or with only loose demand constraints were impractical in providing evidence of high accuracy and high-resolution predictions in areas facing fierce land competition. In this study, we proposed a two-layer SD-ANN-CA model to simulate and explore the LUCC trend and layout predictions for 2018, 2028, and 2038 in Ya'an City, Western China. The two-layer structure with an upper layer of the SD model and a lower layer of the ANN-CA model, as well as the advantages of all three methods of system dynamics (SD), artificial neural network (ANN), and cellular automata (CA), have allowed us to consider the macro-level demand constraints, meso-level driving factors constraints, and the micro-level spatial constraints into a unified model framework. The simulation results of the year 2018 have shown significant improvement in the accuracy of the ANN-CA model constructed in our earlier work, especially in types of forest land (error-accuracy: 0.08%), grassland (error-accuracy: 0.23%), and construction land (error-accuracy: 0.18%). The layout predictions of all six types of land use in 2028 and 2038 are then carried out to provide visual evidence support, which may improve the efficiency of planning and policy-making processes. Our work may also provide insights into new ways to combine quantitative methods into spatial methods in constructing city-level or even regional-level LUCC models with high resolution. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fertilization has a significant impact on soil nutrients and microbiological properties, which, in turn, affect crop yield. However, the specific effects of organic and inorganic fertilizers on soil fertility and microbial characteristics in maize fields, as well as the key soil factors influencing changes in crop yield, remain largely unknown. A study was conducted over two years (2021–2022) to investigate the impact of various nitrogen fertilization rates and types on maize yield and soil properties in the Loess Plateau. Field experiments with five nitrogen levels (60, 90, 120, 150, and 180 kg N ha−1) and two fertilizer types (chemical and organic) were conducted. The optimal yield was achieved with 150 kg N ha−1, significantly surpassing that of other treatments by 4.5−45.7%. Compared with the organic fertilizers, the chemical fertilizers increased soil salt and catalase levels, with soil nitrate and ammonium content being higher at the jointing stage but lower at maturity. Organic fertilization improved soil potassium, organic matter, urease and phosphatase activities, and microbial populations. Yield correlated with several soil indicators, including salt content, nitrate, available potassium, and enzyme activities. Notably, soil nitrate also correlated with actinomyces quantity. A principal component analysis showed that the organic fertilizer was more beneficial to soil health than the chemical fertilizer. Consequently, this study recommends 150 kg N ha−1 of organic fertilizer for sustainable maize farming and soil health in China's northwest arid region, providing a theoretical framework for agricultural practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Misconceptions about male nurses not only exacerbate the gender imbalance in the nursing profession but also negatively impact male nurses embarking on their careers. Currently, no tool exists to measure the gender biases toward males in nursing among nursing students in China. Consequently, the primary objective of this study is to assess the validity and reliability of the Chinese translation of the Gender Misconceptions of Men in Nursing (GEMINI) scale among nursing students. Methods: This cross-sectional study involved 1,102 nursing students from China who participated online. We utilized the Brislin translation technique with a forward-backward approach. To determine the factor structure within the Men in Nursing Gender Misconceptions Scale's Chinese version, both exploratory (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were applied. The scale's internal consistency was measured through the Cronbach's alpha coefficient, corrected item-total correlation, and a retest reliability assessment. Results: The scale showed a content validity index of 0.938 and a retest reliability of 0.844. EFA indicated a two-factor structure for the translated instrument. CFA revealed a chi-square/degree of freedom of 3.837, an incremental fit index (IFI) of 0.952, a goodness-of-fit index (GFI) of 0.910, a comparative fit index (CFI) of 0.952, and an RMSEA of 0.073, all of which were within acceptable limits. The scale's Cronbach's α was 0.953, and the corrected item-total correlations ranged between 0.539 and 0.838. Gender-based misconceptions about men in nursing among students appeared to be influenced by their gender and whether they considered a nursing program as their first choice when applying for a major. Misconceptions about male nurses are greater among men and those who do not consider nursing programs as their first choice when applying for a major. Conclusions: The Chinese adaptation of the GEMINI scale showcased high reliability and validity. It stands as a potential instrument to gauge gender misconceptions concerning male nurses among Chinese nursing students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Macrofungi play important roles in the soil elemental cycle of terrestrial ecosystems. Fungal viruses are common in filamentous fungi, and some of them can affect the growth and development of hosts. However, the composition and evolution of macrofungal viruses are understudied. In this study, ninety strains of Trametes versicolor, Coprinellus micaceus, Amanita strobiliformis, and Trametes hirsuta were collected in China. Four mixed pools were generated by combining equal quantities of total RNA from each strain, according to the fungal species, and then subjected to RNA sequencing. The sequences were assembled, annotated, and then used for phylogenetic analysis. Twenty novel viruses or viral fragments were characterized from the four species of macrofungi. Based on the phylogenetic analysis, most of the viral contigs were classified into ten viral families or orders: Barnaviridae, Benyviridae, Botourmiaviridae, Deltaflexiviridae, Fusariviridae, Hypoviridae, Totiviridae, Mitoviridae, Mymonaviridae, and Bunyavirales. Of these, ambi-like viruses with circular genomes were widely distributed among the studied species. Furthermore, the number and overall abundance of viruses in these four species of macrofungi (Basidiomycota) were found to be much lower than those in broad-host phytopathogenic fungi (Ascomycota: Sclerotinia sclerotiorum, and Botrytis cinerea). By employing metatranscriptomic analysis in this study, for the first time, we demonstrated the presence of multiple mycoviruses in Amanita strobiliformis, Coprinellus micaceus, Trametes hirsute, and Trametes versicolor, significantly contributing to research on mycoviruses in macrofungi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This study aimed to evaluate the characteristics and prognostic factors for coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients on maintenance hemodialysis (HD). Methods: All admitted HD patients who were infected with SARS-CoV-2 from December 1, 2022, to January 31, 2023, were included. Patients with pneumonia were further classified into the mild, moderate, severe, and critical illness. Clinical symptoms, laboratory results, radiologic findings, treatment, and clinical outcomes were collected. Independent risk factors for progression to critical disease and in-hospital mortality were determined by the multivariate regression analysis. The receiver operating characteristic analysis with the area under the curve was used to evaluate the predictive performance of developing critical status and in-hospital mortality. Results: A total of 182 COVID-19 patients with HD were included, with an average age of the 61.55 years. Out of the total, 84 (46.1%) patients did not have pneumonia and 98 (53.8%) patients had pneumonia. Among patients with pneumonia, 48 (49.0%) had moderate illness, 26 (26.5%) severe illness, and 24 (24.5%) critical illness, respectively. Elder age [HR (95% CI): 1.07 (1.01–1.13), p <0.01], increased levels of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) [1.01 (1.003–1.01), p <0.01], and C-reactive protein (CRP) [1.01 (1.00–1.01), p = 0.04] were risk factors for developing critical illness. Elder age [1.11 (1.03–1.19), p = 0.01], increased procalcitonin (PCT) [1.07 (1.02–1.12), p = 0.01], and LDH level [1.004 (1–1.01), p = 0.03] were factors associated with increased risk of in-hospital mortality. Conclusion: Age, CRP, PCT, and LDH can be used to predict negative clinical outcomes for HD patients with COVID-19 pneumonia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: This trial assessed the efficacy and safety of 2.24 g intragastric expandable capsules twice per day versus placebo for weight management in adults with overweight or obesity. Methods: This double‐blind, placebo‐controlled study included adults with a body mass index of at least 24 kg/m2 and no more than 40 kg/m2. In total, 280 participants were recruited from six hospitals in China and were assigned in a 1:1 ratio to receive 2.24 g oral intragastric expandable capsules or placebo for 24 weeks. Coprimary endpoints were the percentage change in body weight from baseline and the rate of weight reduction of ≥5%, assessed using both the full analysis set and per protocol set. Results: At baseline, the mean body weight was 81.8 kg, and the mean body mass index was 29.4 kg/m2. The mean body weight change at week 24 was −4.9% with intragastric expandable capsules versus −1.9% with placebo [estimated treatment difference (ETD) −3.0%, 95% confidence interval (CI) −4.1 to −1.9; p <.001] using the full analysis set and −6.1% versus −2.5% (ETD −3.6%, 95% CI −5.0 to −2.3; p <.001), respectively, using the per protocol set. The percentage of participants who had weight loss exceeding 5% was 45.0% in the intragastric expandable capsule group versus 19.7% in the placebo group (ETD 25.3%, 95% CI 14.7‐35.9; p <.001) in the full analysis set and 55.9% versus 26.2% (ETD 29.6%, 95% CI 17.1‐42.2; p <.001), respectively, in the per protocol set. Waist circumference significantly decreased at week 24 (intragastric expandable capsules vs. placebo: −5.6 ± 8.3 cm vs. −2.9 ± 4.8 cm; p =.003). The most common adverse events associated with the use of intragastric expandable capsules were gastrointestinal disorders (intragastric expandable capsule vs. placebo, 25.0% vs. 21.9%), and most were mild and transient. Conclusions: In this 24‐week trial including participants with overweight or obesity, 2.24 g of intragastric expandable capsules twice daily led to a clinically meaningful reduction in body weight compared with placebo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mandatory use of low-sulfur fuel according to global sulfur limit regulation has reduced the emissions of SO2 and PM significantly on ships, while it also leads to very large uncertainty on VOCs emission. Therefore, on-board test of VOCs from 9 typical cargo ships with low-sulfur fuels in China were carried out in this study. Results showed that emission factor of VOCs (EFVOCs) varied largely from 0.09 to 3.01 g kg-1 fuel, with domestic coastal cargo ships (CCSs) had the highest levels and ocean-going vessels (OGVs) the lowest. The switch of fuels from heavy fuel oil (HFO) to diesel increased EFVOCs by 48 % on average, which enhanced both O3 and secondary organic aerosol (SOA) formation potentials, especially for OGVs. Besides, the use of low-sulfur fuels for OGVs also lead to significant increase of naphthalene emission. These indicated the implementation of globally ultra-low-sulfur oil policy in the near future needs to be optimized. Moreover, aromatics were the most important common contributors to O3 and SOA in ship exhausts, which need to be controlled with priority. It was also found that benzene, toluene, and ethylbenzene ratio of 0.5:0.3:0.2 on average could be considered as a diagnostic characteristic to distinguish ship emission from other emission sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Depression is a major health condition among the aging population. Previous studies indicated that edentulism was a risk factor for depression. The link between edentulism and depression has not been fully clarified. Objectives: This study aimed to estimate whether chewing difficulties play a mediating role in the association between edentulism and depression among middle‐aged and older populations with national cross‐sectional data. Methods: Data were obtained from the latest fourth wave of the China Health and Retirement Longitudinal Study (CHARLS). The outcome variable was set as depression, which was measured by the Center for Epidemiologic Studies Depression Scale (CES‐D‐10). Independent and mediated variables were separately set as self‐assessed edentulism and chewing difficulties. The nearest neighbour propensity score matching (PSM) method was used to construct a matching group to balance the basic characteristics of individuals with and without edentulism with minimised bias in the estimation. Causal mediation analysis was performed to estimate the degree of contribution of chewing difficulties to the association between edentulism and depression. Several sensitivity analyses were performed to evaluate the robustness of the primary result. Results: A total of 15 853 individuals remained for analysis. After PSM, 809 individuals with edentulism and 2628 without edentulism remained for analysis. Among the matched individuals, the mean age was 66.3 ± 9.2 years, 58.5% were female, 78.8% lived in rural areas, 23.5% had edentulism, 51.1% had depressive symptoms, and 50.1% had chewing difficulties. Logistic regression results showed that a higher incidence of edentulism was associated with a higher rate of depression (OR: 1.39, 95% CI: 1.19–1.63) in the matching group. Causal mediation analysis results indicated that the average mediation effect of chewing difficulties on the association between edentulism and depression was 0.010 (95% CI: 0.005–0.015), and the average direct effect was 0.072 (95% CI: 0.036–0.11). The mediation proportion of chewing difficulties was 11.7% (95% CI: 0.079–0.21). Conclusion: A higher prevalence of edentulism was associated with a higher rate of depression among middle‐aged and elderly populations. Chewing difficulties moderately mediated the association between edentulism and depression. Fundamental oral function should not be neglected to improve mental health among the aging population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A linchpin to realizing the internal circulation (referring to the domestic cycle of production, distribution and consumption) is reducing residents' saving rate and expanding the domestic needs. However, rural residents in China demonstrate a strong propensity to save money. Methods: In light of practical characteristics of urban-rural health integration promoted in different places, the three-phase data (from 2014 to 2018) and the dual difference-in-differences model of the China Labor-force Dynamics Survey (CLDS) are used to empirically investigate the impact of urban-rural health insurance integration on rural household savings. Results: Research reveals that urban-rural health integration can reduce the health risks and medical risks facing rural households, thus weakening the motivation of precautionary savings. The analysis of heterogeneity reveals that the integration of urban-rural health insurance significantly influences the savings rates of households headed by older individuals, particularly women, with lower levels of educational attainment. Besides, the single-tier health insurance system can have a more significant impact, whereas the multi-tier insurance system may not significantly affect the savings rate. Conclusion: Based on the aforesaid research conclusions, this article believes that in order to reduce the savings rate of rural households and expand consumption, the health insurance system should be further improved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This ethnographic article focuses on the performance of Alce Lhamo (Sister Goddess) in Lithang, a Tibetan town on the western tip of Sichuan Province in China. It explores the linkages between local ways of residing in the world, the cosmological universe, and cosmopolitan centers. With an analysis of the two local Sister Goddess troupes and their competing claims to authority and authenticity, interactions with the local government, manipulation of state policies, and engagement with the global world, it sheds light on how people incorporate merit, karma, profit, power, the state, and the market in their vision of the good life, and how aspirations to the good life extend beyond the local and the social to include the cosmopolitan and cosmological scales. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The analysis of familial relationships among individuals co‐buried in a shared tomb is crucial for understanding burial practices and the underlying social organization of ancient human society. However, archaeological interpretation of these relationships has traditionally relied on conjecture and circumstantial evidence. The development of next‐generation sequencing technologies makes it possible to obtain genomic data from ancient individuals and thus can further estimate the genetic relatedness among these individuals in an accurate manner. In this study, we obtained the genomes of four individuals excavated from a single tomb in northern China. We found that three out of the four individuals were from a nuclear family, including the parents and their son, while the remaining female individual was genetically unrelated to the others. Our study not only shows that the burial custom was organized based on both biological relatedness and social kinship ties but also suggests the presence of likely female exogamy in ancient China. Finally, we find the genetic profile of these individuals carried a majority ancestry from the sedentary agriculturalists from the Central Plains of China and subtle ancestry that derived a gene pool associated with nomadic pastoralism, implying a long‐standing genetic continuity among ancient populations in northern China, but with genetic and cultural connections with nomadic groups during the 11th to 13th centuries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In arid agriculture, the effective allocation of scarce water resources and the assessment of irrigation shortage risks are critical water management practices. However, these practices are faced with inherent and unignorable uncertainties affecting multiple variables. This study aims to model the typical uncertainties in these practices and understand how they impact the allocation of scarce water resources. We advocate for a nuanced consideration of variable characteristics and data availability, variation, and distribution when choosing uncertainty representation methods. We proposed a comprehensive framework that integrates the cloud model to delineate scenarios marked by subjective vagueness, such as "high" or "low" prices. Simultaneously, the stochastic method was used for modeling meteorological and hydrological variables, notably precipitation and crop evapotranspiration. Additionally, to navigate subjectivity and imprecise judgment in standards classification, this framework contains a cloud-model-based assessment method tailored for evaluating irrigation shortage risks. The proposed framework was applied to a real-world agricultural water management problem in Liangzhou County, northwest China. The results underscored the efficacy of the cloud model in representing subjective vagueness, both in the optimization process and the subsequent assessment. Notably, our findings revealed that price predominantly influences net benefits, and that precipitation and crop evapotranspiration emerge as decisive factors in determining optimal irrigation schemes. Moreover, the identification of high water storage risks for maize in the Yongchang and Jinyang districts serves as a reminder for local water managers of the need to prioritize these areas. By adeptly modeling multiple uncertainties, our framework equips water managers with tools to discern sensitive variables. We suggest that enhanced precipitation and evapotranspiration forecasts could be a promising way to narrow the uncertainties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Playing a crucial role in China's socialist public ownership economy, the rural collective economy not only organizes farmers and facilitates rural development but also serves as a key governance mechanism in rural areas. Understanding the impact of the rural collective economy on improving the living environment is essential for rural revitalization and the modernization of agriculture and rural areas. This study used data from the 2020 China Rural Revitalization Survey conducted by the Rural Development Institute of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences and the Mvprobit model to empirically analyze the relationship and mechanisms between the rural collective economy and the behavior of rural households in enhancing the living environment. The key findings were as follows: (J) The expansion and advancement of the rural collective economy significantly increased the likelihood of rural households adopting scientific methods for treating domestic sewage and using sanitary toilets. This conclusion remained valid under various variable settings and the influence of confounding factors and was verified through endogeneity tests, demonstrating its robustness. Therefore, developing the rural collective economy is a critical strategy for improving the rural living environment. © The development of the rural collective economy led to an increase in village public expenditure and household income, meeting the requirements for two-part-payment club goods attributes necessary for improving the living environment by both the public and private sectors. Additionally, the development of the rural collective economy enhanced villagers' trust in village officials and their participation in public affairs, thereby increasing the enthusiasm of rural households to participate in living environment improvement. In essence, the rural collective economy could transform economic resources into governance resources, promoting rural construction and beautification. © In village collectives overly relying on government transfer payments, the probability of rural households adopting scientific methods to treat domestic sewage and improve sanitary conditions was comparatively lower. Furthermore, the higher the degree of aging in households, the more limited the role of the village collective economy in incentivizing rural households to improve their living environment. These research findings highlight the necessity of increasing rural collective economic income through various means, especially operational income, to convert economic resources into governance resources and build a livable, business-friendly, and beautiful countryside in the process of rural living environment governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An affective priming task was used with two cohorts of college students, one deaf or hard of hearing (D/HH), the other hearing, in two experiments. The same set of affective-word targets, preceded by "[Chinese characters omitted]" in Experiment 1 but by affective-word primes of the same valence as the targets in Experiment 2, were presented vertically above or below the screen center. Stimuli that preceded the targets were shown at the screen center. D/HH participants generally performed more poorly than hearing participants, but both groups performed similarly in that both did better on the positive targets than on the negative in both experiments, and on supporting metaphorical associations between valence and vertical positions (Meier & Robinson, 2004), as indicated by reaction times, in Experiment 2. The researchers concluded that D/HH and hearing college students perform similarly in developing cognition-grounded representations of affective words in written language.

Cephalotaxus diterpenoids are attractive natural products with intriguing molecular frameworks and promising biological features. As a structurally unusual member, (−)‐cephalotanin B possesses an extraordinarily congested heptacyclic skeleton, three lactone units, and nine consecutive stereocenters. Herein, we report an enantioselective total synthesis of (−)‐cephalotanin B based on a divergent asymmetric Michael addition reaction, a novel Pauson–Khand/deacyloxylation process discovered in the development of a second‐generation stereoselective Pauson–Khand reaction protocol, and an epoxide‐opening/elimination/dual‐lactonization cascade to construct the challenging propeller‐shaped A–B–C ring system as key transformations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Knoxia roxburghii is a well-known medicinal plant that is widely distributed in southern China and Southeast Asia. Its dried roots, known as hongdaji in traditional Chinese medicine, are used to treat a range of diseases, including cancers, carbuncles, and ascites. In this study, we report a de novo chromosome-level genome sequence for this diploid plant, which has a length of approximately 446.30 Mb with a contig N50 size of 42.26 Mb and scaffold N50 size of 44.38 Mb. Approximately 99.78% of the assembled sequences were anchored to 10 pseudochromosomes and 3 gapless assembled chromosomes were included in this assembly. A total of 24,507 genes were annotated, along with 68.92% of repetitive elements. Overall, our results will facilitate further active component biosynthesis for K. roxburghii and provide insights for future functional genomic studies and DNA-informed breeding. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The size of snow grains is an important parameter in cryosphere studies. It is the main parameter affecting snow albedo and can have a feedback effect on regional climate change, the water cycle and ecological security. Larger snow grains increase the likelihood of light absorption and are important for passive microwave remote sensing, snow physics and hydrological modelling. Snow models would benefit from more observations of surface grain size. This paper uses an asymptotic radiative transfer model (ART model) based on MOD09GA ground reflectance data. A simulation of snow grain size (SGS) in northeast China from 2001 to 2019 was carried out using a two-channel algorithm. We verified the accuracy of the inversion results by using ground-based observations to obtain stratified snow grain sizes at 48 collection sites in northeastern China. Furthermore, we analysed the spatial and temporal trends of snow grain size in Northeastern China. The results show that the ART model has good accuracy in inverting snow grain size, with an RMSD of 65 μm, which showed a non-significant increasing trend from 2001 to 2019 in northeast China. The annual average SGS distribution ranged from 430.83 to 452.38 μm in northeast China, 2001–2019. The mean value was 441.78 μm, with an annual increase of 0.26 μm/a, showing a non-significant increasing trend and a coefficient of variation of 0.014. The simulations show that there is also intermonth variation in SGS, with December having the largest snow grain size with a mean value of 453.92 μm, followed by January and February with 450.77 μm and 417.78 μm, respectively. The overall spatial distribution of SGS in the northeastern region shows the characteristics of being high in the north and low in the south, with values ranging from 380.248 μm to 497.141 μm. Overall, we clarified the size and distribution of snow grains over a long time series in the northeast. The results are key to an accurate evaluation of their effect on snow–ice albedo and their radiative forcing effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction To date, the role of deficient mismatch repair (dMMR) remains to be proven in gastric cancer, and it is difficult to judge its value in clinical application. Our study aimed to investigate how MMR status affected the prognosis in patients with gastrectomy, as well as the efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy and adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with dMMR with gastric cancer. Materials and Methods Patients with gastric cancer with certain pathologic diagnosis of dMMR or proficient MMR (pMMR) using immunohistochemistry from 4 high-volume hospitals in China were included. Propensity score matching was used to match patients with dMMR or pMMR in 1:2 ratios. Overall survival (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) curves were plotted using the Kaplan-Meier method and compared statistically using the log-rank test. Univariate and multivariate Cox proportional hazards models based on hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were used to determine the risk factors for survival. Results In total, data from 6176 patients with gastric cancer were ultimately analyzed, and loss of expression of one or more MMR proteins was observed in 293 patients (293/6176, 4.74%). Compared to patients with pMMR, patients with dMMR are more likely to be older (≥66, 45.70% vs. 27.94%, P  < .001), distal location (83.51% vs. 64.19%, P  < .001), intestinal type (42.21% vs. 34.46%, P  < .001), and in the earlier pTNM stage (pTNM I, 32.79% vs. 29.09%, P  = .009). Patients with gastric cancer with dMMR showed better OS than those with pMMR before PSM (P  = .002); however, this survival advantage was not observed for patients with dMMR after PSM (P  = .467). As for perioperative chemotherapy, results of multivariable Cox regression analysis showed that perioperative chemotherapy was not an independent prognostic factor for PFS and OS in patients with dMMR with gastric cancer (HR = 0.558, 95% CI, 0.270-1.152, P  = .186 and HR = 0.912, 95% CI, 0.464-1.793, P  = .822, respectively). Conclusion In conclusion, perioperative chemotherapy could not prolong the OS and PFS of patients with dMMR with gastric cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This article examines the effect of high-speed rail (HSR) on haze pollution using a panel data set covering 276 Chinese cities in 2010–2019 using the GS2SLS approach. It is found that HSR accessibility can significantly reduce haze pollution in China, which has important policy implications on HSR development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Biodiversity and ecosystem services (ESs) are closely linked. Human activities have caused critical damage to the habitat and ecosystem function of organisms, leading to decline in global biodiversity and ecosystem services. To ensure sustainable development of local ecological environments, it is critical to analyze the spatial matching degree of biodiversity and ESs and identify ecologically vulnerable areas. Taking Xishuangbanna, southern China, as an example, we constructed a pixel-scale matching degree index to analyze the spatial matching degree of endangered plant diversity (EPD) and four ESs and classified the matching degree into low-low, low-high, high-low, and high-high four types. The results revealed a mismatch relationship of EPD and ESs in more than 70% of areas. Under the influence of altitude and land use/land cover (LULC) type, the matching degree of EPD and ESs showed obvious spatial heterogeneity. In low-altitude areas in the south of Xishuangbanna, EPD and ESs mainly showed mismatch, while high-altitude areas in the west had a better match. Natural forest was the main land cover in which EPD and ESs showed high-high match and its areal proportion was much larger than that of rubber plantation, tea plantation, and cropland. Our findings also stress the need to concentrate conservation efforts on areas exhibiting a low-low match relationship, indicative of potential ecological vulnerability. The pixel-scale spatial matching degree analysis framework developed in this study for EPD and ESs provides high-resolution maps with 30 m × 30 m pixel size, which can support the implementation of ecological protection measures and policy formulation, and has a wide range of applicability. This study provides valuable insights for the sustainable management of biodiversity and ESs, contributing to the strengthening of local ecological environment protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The current National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines recommend that at least 16 lymph nodes should be examined for gastric cancer patients to reduce staging migration. However, there is still debate regarding the optimal management of examined lymph nodes (ELNs) for gastric cancer patients. In this study, we aimed to develop and test the minimum number of ELNs that should be retrieved during gastrectomy for optimal survival in patients with gastric cancer. Methods: We used the restricted cubic spline (RCS) to identify the optimal threshold of ELNs that should be retrieved during gastrectomy based on the China National Cancer Center Gastric Cancer (NCCGC) database. Northwest cohort, which sourced from the highest gastric cancer incidence areas in China, was used to verify the optimal cutoff value. Survival analysis was performed via Kaplan-Meier estimates and Cox proportional hazards models. Results: In this study, 12,670 gastrectomy patients were included in the NCCGC cohort and 4941 patients in the Northwest cohort. During 1999–2019, the average number of ELNs increased from 17.88 to 34.45 nodes in the NCCGC cohort, while the number of positive lymph nodes remained stable (5–6 nodes). The RCS model showed a U-curved association between ELNs and the risk of all-cause mortality, and the optimal threshold of ELNs was 24 [Hazard ratio (HR) = 1.00]. The ELN ≥ 24 group had a better overall survival (OS) than the ELN < 24 group clearly (P = 0.003), however, with respect to the threshold of 16 ELNs, there was no significantly difference between the two groups (P = 0.101). In the multivariate analysis, ELN ≥ 24 group was associated with improved survival outcomes in total gastrectomy patients [HR = 0.787, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.711–0.870, P < 0.001], as well as the subgroup analysis of T2 patients (HR = 0.621, 95%CI: 0.399–0.966, P = 0.035), T3 patients (HR = 0.787, 95%CI: 0.659–0.940, P = 0.008) and T4 patients (HR = 0.775, 95%CI: 0.675–0.888, P < 0.001). Conclusion: In conclusion, the minimum number of ELNs for optimal survival of gastric cancer with pathological T2-4 was 24. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The incidence of stroke in China is increasing, along with a clear trend in the prevalence of risk factors. Alcohol consumption is also a risk factor for stroke. Many cohort studies have explored the relationship between alcohol consumption and stroke risk. However, findings have been inconsistent. Methods: We used cluster sampling to select 13 districts and counties (at the same level) in Chongqing, China. Then, we used stratified random sampling to distribute the number of people in each district and county. 23,308 adults aged 30–79 were recruited between October 2018 and February 2019. Follow-up was conducted through a monitoring system and questionnaires until September 2022. Information on alcohol consumption and other covariates was collected using a standardized questionnaire. Participants were asked to report their weekly frequency of drinking over the past year and weekly intake of various alcoholic beverages in general. The frequency of drinking was divided into three categories: 1–2 d/week, 3–5 d/week, and 6–7 d/week. The average daily alcohol consumption is calculated based on the amount of alcohol contained in different alcoholic beverages. It is classified as nondrinker (0 g/day), light (0 to 12 g/day), moderate (13 to 36 g/day), and high (> 36 g/day). Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to estimate the association between alcohol consumption and stroke risk. Results are shown as multivariate-adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs). Results: With an average follow-up of 3.80 years, there were 310 new stroke events. The incidence of total stroke was 368.69 per 100,000 person-years. Overall, after adjusting for covariates, moderate alcohol consumption (average daily alcohol consumption 13–36 g/d) was associated with a lower risk of total stroke (HR: 0.48; 95% CI: 0.25–0.92) compared with nondrinkers. The adjusted HR and 95% CI for total stroke and ischemic stroke for those who drank alcohol 6–7 days per week were 0.60(0.37, 0.96) and 0.53(0.30, 0.94), respectively. The risk of total stroke (HR: 0.39; 95% CI: 0.17–0.89) was reduced in a pattern of drinking 6–7 days per week but with a mean alcohol consumption of less than 36 g/d. There was no significant association between alcohol consumption and hemorrhagic stroke. Conclusion: This study suggests moderate alcohol consumption is associated with a lower risk of total stroke. And healthy drinking patterns should be of more significant concern. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Multidisciplinary research on human remains can provide important information about population dynamics, culture diffusion, as well as social organization and customs in history. In this study, multidisciplinary analyses were undertaken on a joint burial (M56) in the Shuangzhao cemetery of the Tang Dynasty (618–907 AD), one of the most prosperous dynasties in Chinese history, to shed light on the genetic profile and sociocultural aspects of this dynasty. The archaeological investigation suggested that this burial belonged to the Mid-Tang period and was used by common civilians. The osteological analysis identified the sex, age, and health status of the three individuals excavated from M56, who shared a similar diet inferred from the stable isotopic data. Genomic evidence revealed that these co-buried individuals had no genetic kinship but all belonged to the gene pool of the ancient populations in the Central Plains, represented by Yangshao and Longshan individuals, etc. Multiple lines of evidence, including archaeology, historic records, as well as chemical and genetic analyses, have indicated a very probable familial joint burial of husband and wives. Our study provides insights into the burial customs and social organization of the Tang Dynasty and reconstructs a scenario of civilian life in historic China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims and Objectives: The aim of this study was to assess the sleep quality in dialysis patients during the COVID‐19 epidemic and explore the association between negative psychology (including depression, anxiety, and stress) and sleep quality in this population. Design: A cross‐sectional study including three centres. Methods (Patients or Public Contribution): This cross‐sectional study included 378 dialysis patients from April to May 2022 in three dialysis centres in Shanghai. Methods. Depression, anxiety, stress, and sleep quality were measured by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS), Perceived Stress Scale‐14 (PSS‐14), and Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), respectively. With a threshold of 5 to classify participants into good and poor sleep quality, with HADS/PSS‐14 scores as independent variables (per standard deviation (SD) increment), respectively and binary Logistic regression model was constructed to explore the association between the three negative psychological aspects of depression, anxiety, and stress and sleep quality. Results: The median PSQI score was 11.0 (mean ± SD: 11.8 ± 4.8). Among them, poor sleep quality (i.e., PSQI >5) was reported by 90.2% of participants. After adjusting for sociodemographic and disease‐related information, HADS‐depression was associated with a significant 49% (odds ratio (OR): 1.49; 95% CI 1.02–2.18) increase in the risk of poor sleep quality for each additional SD (2.4). Correspondingly, for each SD (7.1) increase in PSS‐14, the risk of poor sleep quality was significantly increased by 95% (OR: 1.95; 95% CI 1.35–2.82). Conclusion: During the COVID‐19 pandemic, there was a significant negative association between negative psychology, such as depression and stress, and sleep quality in dialysis patients, and this relationship was independent of the dialysis modality. Relevance to Clinical Practice: In the context of the rampant COVID‐19, the vast majority of dialysis‐dependent chronic kidney disease presents with severe sleep quality problems, and negative psychology is a potential influencing factor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Few studies have compared urban and rural adolescents' mental health problems, especially in developing countries. The purpose of this study was to investigate the mental health problems and coping styles of adolescents in urban and rural areas in China. A total of 927 urban and rural high school students in Shandong Province of China were recruited for the study. The results of the study are as follows: (a) students in rural low-socioeconomic status (SES) areas, especially females, had more mental health problems than did those in rural high-SES and urban areas; (b) rural low-SES students were more likely to cope by venting and fantasizing than did the other two groups; (c) regardless of residence and SES, mental health problems were inversely related to the use of problem solving as a coping strategy, but positively related to fantasizing; and (d) urban-rural differences in mental health problems were not entirely accounted for by group differences in coping strategies. (Contains 4 tables and 1 figure.)

This research aims to explore how environmental pollution events affect total factor productivity in related industries in China. The results of the research found that (1) Cadmium-contaminated rice cases had negative impacts on the related industry after a time delay by reducing the production scale and investment in R&D to improve productive efficiency, therefore decreasing the total factor productivity. Rising public awareness significantly expanded the negative impact of environmental pollution events. (2) The more sophisticated environmental regulations at the provincial level, the more obvious the total factor productivity decreased after cadmium-contaminated rice cases. The effect of existing environmental regulations at the municipal and county levels was not satisfactory. (3) Cadmium-contaminated rice cases had a greater negative impact on East and Central China than other regions. The result also indicates cross-regional pollution transfer for the purpose of regulation evasion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China faces a critical economic structural transformation with increasing financial instability and uncertainty, necessitating a greater need for accurate measurement of systemic financial risk. In the paper, this work analyses the systemic financial risk in China between 2011 and 2020 based on financial development, fragility and risk indicators and the world economy to construct a comprehensive index of systemic financial risk (CISFR). The results show an upward trend in China's financial risk in the past 10 years and a mid-to-high level fluctuation in the past five years, mainly driven by risks in the banking system, securities market and real estate market. In 2021–2022, China's financial system is still in a high-risk stage, and high systemic risks are still an important economic issue. The study's comprehensive index method can be extended to emerging economies. It reflects the main driving factors of financial risk by assigning weights to basic indicators from a multidimensional perspective, thus providing a reference for policymakers to prevent and control financial risk. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Talazoparib, a poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitor, has demonstrated efficacy in the treatment of advanced breast and prostate cancers in Western populations. This open-label, phase 1 study investigated the pharmacokinetics, safety, and antitumor activity of talazoparib monotherapy in Chinese patients with advanced solid tumors. Molecularly unselected patients (≥18 years) with advanced solid tumors resistant to standard therapy received talazoparib (oral, 1 mg once daily). Primary endpoint was characterization of single-dose and steady-state pharmacokinetics. Secondary endpoints evaluated safety, unconfirmed objective response rate (ORR), and duration of response. The safety population comprised 15 Chinese patients (median [range] age 53.0 [31.0–72.0] years). Single-dose median time to first occurrence of maximum observed concentration was 1.9 h; concentrations then declined with a mean terminal half-life (t1/2) of 67 h. Following multiple dosing, median Tmax was approximately 1.85 h with steady state generally achieved by Day 21. Treatment-related treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) occurred in 86.7% (13/15) of patients (grade 3, 20.0%; grade 4, 13.3%). Two patients (13.3%) experienced serious treatment-related TEAEs. ORR (investigator-assessed) was 6.7% (95% CI: 0.2–31.9); one patient (6.7%) had a partial response. In patients with measurable disease at baseline, the ORR was 9.1% (1/11; 95% CI: 0.2–41.3; duration of response: 114 days); stable disease was achieved by 36.4% (4/11) of patients, and 54.5% (6/11) progressed by data cut-off. In Chinese patients with advanced solid tumors, the pharmacokinetic profile of talazoparib monotherapy (1 mg/day) was consistent with other patient populations. TEAEs were generally manageable with no unexpected safety findings. (ClinicalTrials.gov: NCT04635631 [prospectively registered November 19, 2020]) [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness of learning blood cell morphology by learning on our Artificial intelligence (AI)-based online platform. Our study is based on mixed-methods sequential explanatory design and crossover design. Thirty-one third-year medical students were randomly divided into two groups. The two groups had platform learning and microscopy learning in diferent sequences with pretests and posttests, respectively. Students were interviewed, and the records were coded and analyzed by NVivo 12.0. For both groups, test scores increased significantly after online-platform learning. Feasibility was the most mentioned advantage of the platform. The AI system could inspire the students to compare the similarities and differences between cells and help them understand the cells better. Students had positive perspectives on the online-learning platform. The AI-based online platform could assist medical students in blood cell morphology learning. The AI system could function as a more knowledgeable other (MKO) and guide the students through their zone of proximal development (ZPD) to achieve mastery. It could be an effective and beneficial complement to microscopy learning. Students had very positive perspectives on the AI-based online learning platform. It should be integrated into the course and curriculum to facilitate the students. Practice points The AI-based online platform could assist medical students in blood cell morphology learning. The AI system could function as an MKO and guide the students through their ZPD to achieve mastery. The AI-based online platform could be an effective and beneficial complement to microscopy learning. The AI-based online platform should be integrated into the curriculum to facilitate the students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Light climate environment (LCE) has a significant impact on human health, behavioral characteristics, and the safety of life and property due to the high albedo of snow on the ground cover type, which in turn affects the regional climate and socio-economic development, but less relevant studies have been found. In this study, the effect of snow on daytime and nighttime light levels was quantified using comparative field observations and controlled experiments in artificial climate chambers, combined with analysis of variance and model fitting. The results of the study found that there was a significant difference between the presence and absence of snow on both daytime and nighttime light levels. During daytime, the ambient light level on the ground with snow is 5.68 times higher than without snow, an improvement of 12,711.06 Lux. At night, with moonlight, the nighttime illuminance with and without snow is 0.213 Lux and 0.01 Lux, respectively. When there is no moonlight, the snow has no significant effect on the light level. In addition, significant differences in LCE intensity with different snow depths, snow densities and black carbon (BC) pollution. At the same background light intensity, the LCE intensity varies significantly with increasing snow depth, snow density and BC pollution. The results reveals the quantitative impact of snow on LCE, providing scientific support for regional natural light energy use, human health and safety, urban environmental management and economic development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Convection is the main contributor to heavy rainfall over China's Yangtze‐Huai River Basin (YHRB) during Meiyu season; however, the mechanisms of convection initiation (CI) associated with the Meiyu front are still not well understood. In this study, a large set of 86,099 CI events, identified from composite reflectivity data in YHRB over six Meiyu seasons, were used to investigate the characteristics of the spatiotemporal distribution of CI in YHRB. The result showed that the overwhelming majority of CI events (∼90%) occurred in the region of existing stratiform clouds. Meanwhile, CI tended to concentrate in mountainous areas and exhibited two triggering modes. By relating the CI events with an objective analysis of ERA5 reanalysis data, it was also revealed that the characteristics of CI occurrence varied with patterns of Meiyu circulation and their interactions with local topography, and the warm air advection pattern dominated the Meiyu CI. We further illustrated that CI on the plains occurred with a morning peak corresponding to environments of high 0–3 km shear (SHR3) and low most unstable convective available potential energy (MUCAPE), while the CI near or over mountains had an afternoon peak corresponding to low SHR3 and high MUCAPE environments. Plain Language Summary: Convection occurs frequently in East Asian summer monsoon regions and brings a large amount of rainfall, especially over the Yangtze‐Huai River Basin in China during Meiyu season. Understanding the convection initiation (CI) process is crucial for forecasting subsequent precipitation and therefore has been an important research topic in regional/global climate and hydrological studies. Here, for the first time, we present a statistical analysis of a large quantity of CI events in the Yangtze‐Huai River Basin selected over six Meiyu seasons. This analysis revealed that about 90% of CI events during Meiyu were embedded in existing stratiform cloud bands, a distinct feature of the Meiyu CI from other types of CI. The hotspots, intensity, and diurnal cycle of CI events varied with large‐scale patterns of the dynamic and thermodynamic environment. These findings provide key information for improving our understanding of how convection initiates in the summer monsoon environment, which may lead to an improved forecast of convection‐related severe weather. Key Points: Convection initiation (CI) under Meiyu circulation occurs typically in the region of existing stratiform rainfall and exhibits two modesPatterns of Meiyu circulation, in conjunction with topography in the Yangtze‐Huai River Basin, regulate CI distributionOrographic CI is enhanced by the thermodynamic forcing in the afternoon while CI in the plains driven by the dynamic forcing in the morning [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The energy sector matters the sustainable development directly and is sensitive to climate change. A few empirical studies concentrate on how climate change influences firm performance. Climate change brings higher production costs and lower efficiency on the supply side and leads to beneficial sale performance and improves profit. However, it is ambiguous to the relationship of supply–demand and revenue‐cost levels, and their change is not consistent. Using panel data of 99 China‐listed firms active in the energy sector over the period 2000–2020, this study aims to identify the causal relation between climate change and the profitability of energy firms while controlling for firm‐specific and energy market‐related factors. The quantile regression results show that temperature deviation (TDEV) positively impacts the profitability of energy firms, and this impact varies at different quantiles of the profitability distribution. These findings remain unchanged by four robustness checks. Moreover, mechanism results indicate that revenue and cost have different interaction effects on the causal relation. The findings of this study can provide forward‐thinking expectations and assess climatic adaptation and risks, particularly inspired stakeholder engagements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rooftop photovoltaics (RPVs) are crucial in achieving energy transition and climate goals, especially in cities with high building density and substantial energy consumption. Estimating RPV carbon mitigation potential at the city level of an entire large country is challenging given difficulties in assessing rooftop area. Here, using multi-source heterogeneous geospatial data and machine learning regression, we identify a total of 65,962 km2 rooftop area in 2020 for 354 Chinese cities, which represents 4 billion tons of carbon mitigation under ideal assumptions. Considering urban land expansion and power mix transformation, the potential remains at 3-4 billion tons in 2030, when China plans to reach its carbon peak. However, most cities have exploited less than 1% of their potential. We provide analysis of geographical endowment to better support future practice. Our study provides critical insights for targeted RPV development in China and can serve as a foundation for similar work in other countries. Potential rooftop photovoltaic in China affords 4 billion tons of carbon mitigation in 2020 under ideal assumptions, equal to 70% of China's carbon emissions from electricity and heat. Yet most cities have exploited the potential to a limited degree. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Particle size distribution is an important characteristic of reclaimed soil in arid and semi-arid mining areas in western China, which is important in the ecological environment protection and control of the Yellow River Basin. Large-scale coal resource mining disturbances have caused serious damage to the fragile ecological environment. The timely and accurate dynamic monitoring of mining area topsoil information has practical significance for ecological restoration and management evaluation. Investigating Wuhai City in the Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region of China, this study uses Landsat8 OLI multispectral images and measured soil sample particle size data to analyze soil spectral characteristics and establish a particle size content prediction model to retrieve the particle size distribution in the study area. The experimental results and analysis demonstrate that: (1) the 6SV (Second Simulation of the Satellite Signal in the Solar Spectrum Vector version) atmospheric correction model is more accurate than the FLAASH (Fast Line-of-sight Atmospheric Analysis of Hypercubes) model in arid and semi-arid areas with undulating terrain; (2) 0–40 cm is the optimum soil thickness for modeling and predicting particle size content in this study; and (3) the multi-band prediction model is more precise than the single-band prediction model. The multi-band model's sequence of advantages and disadvantages is SVM (Support Vector Machine) > MLR (Multiple Linear Regression) > PLSR (Partial Least Squares Regression). Among them, the 6SV-SVM model has the highest precision, and the prediction precision R2 of the 3 particle sizes' contents is above 0.95, which can effectively predict the soil particle-size distribution and provide effective data to support topsoil quality change monitoring in the mine land reclamation area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 2020 Meiyu season has received extensive attention due to its record-breaking rainfall in the Yangtze–River Huai Basin (YHRB) region of China. Although its rainfall features have been well studied on various time scales, the sub-hourly/hourly rainfall features are unknown. In this study, a wavelet analysis was applied to 1 min rainfall data from 480 national rain gauges across the YHRB, and hourly synoptic patterns during the Meiyu season were grouped using an obliquely rotated principal component analysis in T-mode (PCT). The results suggest that variances on the sub-hourly and hourly scales contributed 63.4% of the 2020 Meiyu rainfall. The hourly synoptic variations in the Meiyu season can be categorized into three major patterns: weak synoptic forcing (P1), a convergence line (P2), and a vortex (P3). The rainfalls under P1 were spatially dispersed over the YHRB and on the shortest time scale, with a 70.4% variance from sub-hourly to hourly rainfalls. P2 had a peak wavelet variance around 30 min–1 h, with rainfalls concentrated to the south of the convergent line. The rainfalls under P3 were locally distributed with a longer duration of around 1–4 h. Compared with the climate mean, hourly rainfall frequencies are indispensable to understanding the 2020 accumulated Meiyu rainfall anomaly. This research highlights the dominant role of synoptic patterns on the temporal and spatial features of the Meiyu rainfall. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alfalfa growth and production in China are negatively impacted by high salt concentrations in soils, especially in regions with limited water supplies. Few reliable genetic markers are currently available for salt tolerance selection. As a result, molecular breeding strategies targeting alfalfa are hindered. Therefore, with the continuous increase in soil salinity in agricultural lands, it is indispensable that a salt-tolerant variety of alfalfa is produced. We collected 220 alfalfa varieties around the world for resequencing and performed genome-wide association studies (GWASs). Alfalfa seeds were germinated in saline water with different concentrations of NaCl, and the phenotypic differences in several key root traits were recorded. In the phenotypic analysis, the breeding status and geographical origin strongly affected the salt tolerance of alfalfa. Forty-nine markers were significantly associated with salt tolerance, and 103 candidate genes were identified based on linkage disequilibrium. A total of 2712 differentially expressed genes were upregulated and 3570 were downregulated based on transcriptomic analyses. Some candidate genes that affected root development in the seed germination stage were identified through the combination of GWASs and transcriptome analyses. These genes could be used for molecular breeding strategies to increase alfalfa's salt tolerance and for further research on salt tolerance in general. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]