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Background Immunosuppressed recipients of liver transplantation (LT) are more likely to develop coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and may have an increased risk of developing worse outcomes. Aim To assess the effect of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) on preventing severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection in LT recipients. Design Adult patients (aged ≥ 18 years) who underwent LT between 1 January 2015 and 31 December 2022 were included and categorized into two groups according to their use of UDCA. Methods The prevalence and severity of COVID-19 among transplantation patients between the UDCA and non-UDCA groups were estimated and compared. Results Among the 897 LT patients who met the inclusion criteria, infection rate of SARS-CoV-2 was 78.4%, and the rate of severe illness was 5.1% from January 2022 to January 2023 in China. In the multivariate analysis, only UDCA treatment (P  = 0.006) was found to be a protective factor against SARS-CoV-2 infection. After propensity score matching, the SARS-CoV-2 infection rate in the UDCA group was lower than that in the non-UDCA group (74.1% vs. 84.6%, P  = 0.002). This rate was further reduced to 62.1% (P  = 0.002) when the oral administration dose was >15 mg/kg/day. There was no difference in the rates of severe COVID-19 illness, ICU admission, or ventilation rate or length of hospital stay with or without UDCA treatment (all P  > 0.05). Conclusions The use of UDCA in LT patients significantly reduced the SARS-CoV-2 infection rate and showed a dose-dependent protective effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Muscle strength decline and vitamin D deficiency are coexisting conditions associated with multiple adverse health outcomes. This prospective study aimed to investigate the multiplicative and additive interactions between handgrip strength (HS) and serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] on all-cause mortality in Chinese community-dwelling older adults. This is a population-based cohort study. 2635 older adults (85.15 ± 12.01 years) were recruited from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (2012–2018). Low HS was defined according to the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia 2019 updated consensus (<28 kg for men and <18 kg for women). Serum 25(OH)D < 50 nmol/L were defined as vitamin D deficiency. Cox proportional hazard models were used to examine the association of HS and 25(OH)D with all-cause mortality. Socio-demographics, health status, and clinical characteristics were included as covariates. 1715 (65.09 %) and 1885 (71.54 %) participants had low HS and vitamin D deficiency, respectively. During a median follow-up of 3.52 years, 1107 older people died. After multivariable adjustment, both HS and 25(OH)D levels were inversely associated with all-cause mortality risk (Ps < 0.001). The hazard ratios (HRs) of low HS and vitamin D deficiency for all-cause mortality were 1.73 (95 % CI: 1.41–2.13) and 1.61 (95 % CI: 1.32–1.93), respectively. Although significant multiplicative interactions were not found, the association between low HS and all-cause mortality was attenuated in the higher 25(OH)D subgroup than in the lower 25(OH)D subgroup (stratified by 50 nmol/L). The multiple-adjusted HR of mortality for combined low HS and vitamin D deficiency was 2.18 (95 % CI: 1.73–2.56), which was higher than that for these two conditions alone. Significant additive interactions between low HS and vitamin D deficiency on mortality were observed (relative excess risk due to interaction: 0.71, 95 % CI: 0.37–1.05). Low HS and low 25(OH)D levels synergistically increased the risk of all-cause mortality. Our results added new insights to the priority of early detection for older adults with comorbid muscle strength decline and vitamin D deficiency. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Shallow slope failure often occurs in expansive soil channel slopes because of the strong swelling–shrinkage behaviour of expansive soils and well-developed fissures. In this paper, a repair method for expansive soil channel slopes using soilbags is proposed. Model tests were carried out to illustrate the effect of this repair method. The test results indicate that the assembly of soilbags arranged on the slope limits the deformation of expansive soils after water absorption and reduces infiltration and evaporation during the drying–wetting cycle process. A method for analysing the sliding stability of the repaired slope was suggested and a case study of the repair of a 65 m test expansive soil channel slope with soilbags in the South-to-North Water Transfer Project in China was presented. The monitoring of vertical and lateral displacements of the testing slope demonstrates the effectiveness of using soilbags to repair expansive soil channel slopes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To identify the clinical characteristics, treatment, and prognosis of relapsing polychondritis patients with airway involvement. Methods: Twenty-eight patients with relapsing polychondritis, hospitalised in the First Hospital of Shanxi Medical University between April 2011 and April 2021, were retrospectively analysed. Results: Fifty per cent of relapsing polychondritis patients with airway involvement had a lower risk of ear and ocular involvement. Relapsing polychondritis patients with airway involvement had a longer time-to-diagnosis (p < 0.001), a poorer outcome following glucocorticoid combined with immunosuppressant treatment (p = 0.004), and a higher recurrence rate than those without airway involvement (p = 0.004). The rates of positive findings on chest computed tomography and bronchoscopy in relapsing polychondritis patients with airway involvement were 88.9 per cent and 85.7 per cent, respectively. Laryngoscopy analysis showed that 66.7 per cent of relapsing polychondritis patients had varying degrees of mucosal lesions. Conclusion: For relapsing polychondritis patients with airway involvement, drug treatment should be combined with local airway management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Life expectancy is increasing around the world, and it has been projected that China will have the largest elderly population globally by 2033. This study aimed to examine the association of upper limb strength (ULS) and lower limb strength (LLS) with all-cause mortality based on data from the Chinese Longitudinal Healthy Longevity Survey (2012–2018). This is a prospective cohort study. Participants were 2442 older adults (aged 84.98 ± 11.94 years) recruited from eight regions with a high elderly population in China. Limb muscle strength was evaluated using handgrip strength and objective physical examinations. Cox proportional hazards regression was used to analyse the association of limb muscle strength with all-cause mortality. Demographic characteristics, health status and biological markers were included as confounders. Over a median follow-up period of 42.2 months, 993 participants died. After adjusting for all covariates, low ULS was associated with a higher mortality risk (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.51, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.25–1.84), and the association of low LLS with all-cause mortality was only significant for men (HR = 1.36, 95% CI = 1.04–1.79). Participants with combined low ULS and low LLS had the highest risk of mortality compared with participants with normal limb muscle strength (HR = 2.06, 95% CI = 1.61–2.63). The combined association of ULS and LLS with mortality was robust in subgroup and sensitivity analyses. Low ULS and low LLS were independently and synergistically associated with a higher all-cause mortality risk. Considering the high prevalence of limb muscle weakness among older adults in China, especially in those aged ≥80 years, limb strength could be considered as an easy-to-perform potential mortality predictor in community health care. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global biodiversity is contracting rapidly due to potent anthropogenic activities and severe climate change. Wild populations of Rosa chinensis var. spontanea and Rosa lucidissima are rare species endemic to China, as well as important germplasm resources for rose breeding. However, these populations are at acute risk of extinction and require urgent action to ensure their preservation.We harnessed 16 microsatellite loci to 44 populations of these species and analysed population structure and differentiation, demographic history, gene flow and barrier effect. In addition, a niche overlap test and potential distribution modelling in different time periods were also carried out.The data indicate that: (1) R. lucidissima cannot be regarded as a separate species from R. chinensis var. spontanea; (2) the Yangtze River and the Wujiang River function as barriers in population structure and differentiation, and precipitation in the coldest quarter may be the key factor for niche divergence of R. chinensis var. spontanea complex; (3) historical gene flow showed a converse tendency to current gene flow, indicating that alternate migration events of R. chinensis var. spontanea complex between south and north were a response to climate oscillations; and (4) extreme climate change will decrease the distribution range of R. chinensis var. spontanea complex, whereas the opposite will occur under a moderate scenario for the future.Our results resolve the relationship between R. chinensis var. spontanea and R. lucidissima, highlight the pivotal roles of geographic isolation and climate heterogeneity in their population differentiation, and provide an important reference for comparable conservation studies on other endangered species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

During the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic, the full reopening of the economy typically accelerated viral transmission. This study aims to determine whether policy response could contribute to the dual objective of both reducing the spread of the epidemic and revitalising economic activities. This is a longitudinal study of Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) and Brazil, Russia, India, Indonesia, China, and South Africa (BRIICS) from the first quarter (Q1) of 2020 to the same period of 2021. From a health-economic perspective, this study established a framework to illustrate the following outcomes: suppression-prosperity, outbreak-stagnancy, outbreak-prosperity and suppression-stagnancy scenarios. Multinomial logistic models were used to analyse the associations between policy response with both the pandemic and the economy. The study further examined two subtypes of policy response, stringency/health measures and economic support measures, separately. The probabilities of the different scenarios were estimated. Economic prosperity and epidemic suppression were significantly associated with policy response. The effects of policy response on health-economic scenarios took the form of inverse U-shapes with the increase in intensity. 'Leptokurtic', 'bimodal' and 'long-tailed' curves demonstrated the estimated possibilities of suppression-prosperity, outbreak-prosperity and suppression-stagnancy scenarios, respectively. In addition, stringency/health policies followed the inverted U-shaped pattern, whereas economic support policies showed a linear pattern. It was possible to achieve the dual objective of economic growth and epidemic control simultaneously, and the effects of policy response were shaped like an inverse U. These findings provide a new perspective for balancing the economy with public health during the early stages of the pandemic. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

It is difficult to meet the needs of forest investigation and management in different stands using an h-d model with the diameter at breast height (DBH) as the only variable to predict the height (h). To predict h accurately, we tested 12 frequently used h-d models based on 5083 Dahurian larch (Larix gmelinii) in the Great Khing'an Mountains, and constructed a structural equation model (SEM) with 15 factors to verify their effects on h, the main factors were screened as variables to improve the h-d model. The results demonstrated that the Chapman-Richards model was the best predictor of h. The dominant diameter (DD) and total basal area of all trees with a diameter larger than the target tree (LDTBA) had a significant influence on the observed h. By combining them as independent variables with the Chapman-Richards model terms, we found that modified model Equation 20 reduced the differential value from - 0.044 to -0.010 compared with the Chapman-Richards model. The study proved that using SEM to select critical variables is an effective method to improve the accuracy of the h-d model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Most species of the family Cupressaceae are widely distributed throughout China, but Sabina przewalskii f. pendula and Juniperus przewalskii are endemic to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau region. Therefore, they are of great significance to the plateau ecosystem. Sabina przewalskii and J. przewalskii have similar characteristics, but they be distinguished by the presence or absence of drooping branchlets. However, this feature can be difficult to distinguish with the naked eye. In this study, the complete chloroplast (CP) genomes of S. przewalskii and J. przewalskii were determined by highthroughput sequencing, aiming to unveil their differences at the molecular level. The sizes of the CP genomes of J. przewalskii and S. przewalskii are 128,748 bp and 127,315 bp, respectively, sharing the typical structure of conifer species. The GC content of the S. przewalskii plastome is 35.08%, encoding 84 proteins, 32 tRNAs and 4 rRNAs. The GC content of the J. przewalskii CP genome is 34.98%, and one additional rpl32 gene was detected. Phylogenetic analysis proved that J. przewalskii showed a close relationship to Juniperus tibetica and S. przewalskii, both of which belong to the family Cupressaceae. Our results of the plastome of J. przewalskii and S. przewalskii further clarify the evolution of Cupressaceae species. The divergent regions and the repetitive sequences identified could be developed as molecular markers that would benefit breeding and species discrimination. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Accurate assessments of soil organic carbon (SOC) storage beneath impervious surface areas (ISAs, SOCISA) are key for understanding the urbanization impact on carbon pools, but previous studies either ignored the SOCISA pool or overlooked the urbanization impacts on the SOC pool. Based on observations from 152 sampling sites in 43 cities, we show that mainland China has a SOCISA stock of 1,016 Tg to 100‐cm depth, with a mean density of 6.21 ± 3.90 kg m−2. Comparison between SOCISA and the SOC of background soil (SOCbackground) indicates ∼19% SOC loss due to ISA conversion, similar to the effect of cropland conversion. Unlike the vertical pattern of SOCbackground, which declined faster in the upper soil layers, SOCISA decreased linearly with depth. Moreover, the SOCISA is uncorrelated with SOCbackground and decreases with precipitation. These unique patterns indicate the SOC loss mainly caused by topsoil removal during land conversion. The fact that the SOCISA of older ISA was not lower than that of newly converted ISA further confirmed that soil sealing preserved SOC. Finally, both the high correlation between SOCISA and SOCPSA (SOC of the adjacent pervious surfaces) and the converging SOC densities in urban soils showed strong influences from urban greenspace on SOCISA. Based on the findings, we recommend improving greenspace management to increase the presealing SOC stock, preventing ISA construction in wet/warm seasons to mitigate SOC loss, and developing technology to seal carbon stock under ISA. We conclude that SOCISA is a major component of the urban carbon pool. It has a unique spatial pattern and cannot be estimated using surrogate data such as SOCbackground or SOCPSA. Plain Language Summary: Rapid urbanization all over the world could cause severe loss of soil organic carbon (SOC) which is the major part global carbon stock. However, due to the paucity of field observations, we still have no idea of the size and distribution pattern of the SOC pool (SOCISA) under the impervious surface areas (ISAs). This knowledge gap limits our ability to assess the impacts of urbanization on carbon balance. Based on observations from 152 sampling sites in 43 cities, here we show China has a SOCISA stock of 1,037 Tg to 100‐cm depth, with mean density of 6.21 ± 3.90 kg m−2, much higher than most previous estimations. Unlike the vertical pattern of rural SOC which declines faster in the upper soil layers, SOCISA decreases linearly with depth. The spatial distribution of SOCISA is negatively correlated to urbanization rate and precipitation, different from the general pattern of China's SOC which increased with precipitation. ISA expansion may cause 19% SOC loss, and the loss in the South is much severe than the North. The unique pattern indicates soil carbon pool mainly losses during urban land conversion but is preserved after soil sealing. Key Points: The observed soil organic carbon (SOC) density under impervious surfaces is much higher than previous assumptionsAn average 19% SOC loss, mainly due to impervious surface constructionThe SOC density of impervious surfaces decreases with precipitation but is uncorrelated with the background SOC [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this assessment of the sensitivity of resources to oil spill pollution, shorelines and marine functional zones were emphasized. A ranking system was developed based on shoreline exposure, slope, and substrate composition, and this system was used to predict the sensitivity of shoreline-associated natural resources. Shore-associated industries were categorized into marine functional zones. The economic-production values of these industries, as well as the degrees of disturbance potentially exerted by oil spills, were ranked to evaluate the sensitivity of these socioeconomic resources. Shoreline and functional zone sensitivity was graded as extreme, high, moderate, or slight. The results indicated that shorelines with estuaries, swamps, mangroves, and cays were extremely sensitive and that tourism and fisheries were extremely sensitive industries. The developed assessment method was applied to the Bohai Sea as a case study. The results indicated that most of the Bohai Sea shoreline was moderately or highly sensitive to potential oil spill pollution; only a few shorelines were identified as extremely sensitive. These extremely sensitive areas predominated in locations where fisheries and tourism are common. Fewer slightly and moderately sensitive maritime spaces were identified in this region, primarily consisting of mining, town, and special utilization zones. This study supports oil spill disaster prevention and mitigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the relatively complex construction and demolition waste (C&DW) spectrum and texture, it is difficult to identify C&DW by simply constructing a remote sensing index. Therefore, this study proposes an automatic identification method of C&DW based on deep learning and the Gaofen-2 (GF-2) Data. Pingdingshan City and Jining City in China were selected as the research areas in the study. The dataset used for deep learning training and testing in the study area was captured by the GF-2 Data. On the basis of this dataset, the deep learning model DeepLabv3+ is used to identify C&DW. The overall accuracy rate of the deep learning model for identifying C&DW is 82.02%, and the overall mIoU is 82.39%. The accuracy of the model for the identification of C&DW areas is further verified by ground verification. The results of this study are helpful for the survey and management of C&DW, which is beneficial to the study of spatial and temporal distribution of urban C&DW, resource utilization and environmental pollution risk reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: The present study was the first prospective cohort evaluated the efficacy and safety of different doses of calcitriol in XLH children. The results suggested that a dose of 40 ng/kg/day calcitriol, compared with 20 ng/kg/day, was more effective in relieving the rickets, with similar safety outcomes. Further investigations were expected to set more dose groups. Introduction: Dose recommended for calcitriol in X-linked hypophosphatemia (XLH) varies in different studies. Therefore, we aimed to compare the efficacy as well as the safety of 20 ng/kg/d and 40 ng/kg/d calcitriol in Chinese XLH pediatrics population. Methods: A 2-year, randomized, open-label, prospective study recruited 68 XLH children, which were randomized to receive either 40 ng/kg/day or 20 ng/kg/day calcitriol. Efficacy endpoints were the total Thacher ricket severity score (RSS) change from baseline to month 12 and 24, the difference in serum TALP level, fasting serum phosphate level, body height Z-score, and frequency of dental abscess. Safety assessments were done using renal ultrasound nephrocalcinosis grades (0–4), fasting serum and 24 h urine calcium level, and the occurrence of hyperparathyroidism. Results: The decrease in the total RSS from baseline was more significant in the high-dose group at 12 (difference 0.87, p = 0.049) and 24 month (difference 1.23, p = 0.011). The serum TALP level was significantly lower in the high-dose group at 6 months. Pi level, height Z-score change, frequency of dental abscess and ratio of de novo nephrocalcinosis were comparable. A lower incidence of secondary hyperparathyroidism was seen in the high-dose group (p < 0.0001). Conclusion: For the first time in this prospective cohort, 40 ng/kg/d calcitriol was shown to be the more effective therapy in XLH children than the 20 ng/kg/d. Moreover, 40 ng/kg/d calcitriol was not associated with increasing adverse events. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT 03,820,518. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: Native plants can be used as additives to replace antibiotics to improve ruminant feed utilization and animal health. An experiment was conducted to evaluate the effects of Gentiana straminea (GS) on nutrient digestibility, methane emissions, and energy metabolism of Simmental calves. Methods: Thirty-two (5-week-old) male Simmental clves, with initial body weight (BW) of 155±12 kg were fed the same basal diet of concentrates (26%), alfalfa hay (37%), and oat hay (37%) and were randomly separated into four treatment groups according to the amount of GS that was added to their basal diet. The four different groups received different amounts of GS as a supplement to their basal diet during whole experiment: (0 GS) 0 mg/kg BW, the control; (100 GS) 100 mg/kg BW; (200 GS) 200 mg/kg BW; and (300 GS) 300 mg/kg BW. Results: For calves in the 200 GS and 300 GS treatment groups, there was a significant increase in dry matter (DM) intake (p<0.01), average daily gain (ADG) (p<0.05), organic matter intake (p<0.05), DM digestibility (p<0.05), neutral detergent fibre (NDF) digestibility (p<0.05), and acid detergent fibre (ADF) digestibility (p<0.05). Dietary GS supplementation result in quadratic increases of DM intake (p<0.01), ADG (p<0.05), NDF intake (p<0.05), and ADF intake (p<0.05). Supplementing the basal diet with GS significantly increased nitrogen (N) retention (p<0.001) and the ratio of retention N to N intake (p<0.001). Supplementing the basal diet with GS significantly decreased methane (CH4) emissions (p<0.01), CH4/BW0.75 (p<0.05) and CH4 energy (CH4-E) (p<0.05). Dietary GS supplementation result in quadratic increases of CH4 (p<0.01) and CH4/DM intake (p<0.01). Compared with 0 GS, GS-supplemented diets significantly improved their gross energy intake (p<0.05). The metabolizable energy and digestive energy intake were significantly greater for calves in the 100 GS and 200 GS calves than for 0 GS calves (p<0.05). Conclusion: From this study, we conclude that supplementing calf diets with GS could improve utilization of feed, energy, and N, and may reduce CH4 emissions without having any negative effects on animal health. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The forest ecosystem in Greater Khingan Mountains (GKM) is the largest primary forest in northern China. Accurate assessment of the regional carbon (C) pool of soils and analysis of the control factors are essential for setting appropriate forest management policies. Our study was designed to prove the hypothesis that forest soil acts as a C sink owing to continuous C accumulation, which results from constant biomass production within the GKM forests. We investigated topsoil (0-20 cm) C dynamics and diving force in GKM forests (both the Inner Mongolia and Heilongjiang sectors) based on field data from 2000 to 2019. The mean soil organic C density (SOCD) in the topsoil was 10.64 ± 0.83 kg C m-2 across the GKM, and the increase rate was 0.15±0.05 kg C m-2 y-1. Our results also demonstrated the critical role of precipitation and under vegetation diversity in shaping soil organic C dynamics across the GKM, suggesting that the relationship between the soil C cycle and temperature is unstable in northern ecosystems. Our results provided a new reference range for estimating surface soil C pools in GKM forests ecosystems based on field measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Runoff estimations play an important role in water resource planning and management. Existing hydrological models can be divided into physical models and data-driven models. Although the physical model contains certain physical knowledge and can be well generalized to new scenarios, the application of physical models is limited by the high professional knowledge requirements, difficulty in obtaining data and high computational costs. The data-driven model can fit the observed data well, but the estimation may not be physically consistent. In this letter, we propose a hybrid physical data (HPD) model combining physical model and deep learning model for runoff estimation. The model uses the output of a physical hydrological model together with the driving factors as another input of the neural network to estimate the monthly runoff of the upper Heihe River Basin in China. We show that the use of the HPD model improves the quality of runoff estimation, and results in high R2, NSE values of 0.969, and a low RMSE value of 9.645. It is indicated that the new model had an excellent learning capability to simulate runoff and flexible ability to extract complex relevant information; At the same time, the estimation capacity of peak runoff is optimized. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Asian deltas are densely populated and richly bio-diversified regions with significant social, economic, ecological and environmental importance across the globe. These low-lying and fertile floodplains support substantial food production. Because of sediment supply reductions, sea-level rising, subsidence, and frequent storm surges, many deltas are rapidly sinking and shrinking, which will threaten survival of millions of populations. It's of great significance to monitor the delta morphological evolution and understand the relationship between their shoreline migrations and sediment supplies. However, quantifying the delta morphological changes is challenging due to its nature of high dynamics. In this study, we developed a methodology integrated by a time-series algorithm of water frequency and a spatial analysis to track the morphological changes of 11 major Asian deltas from 1986 to 2018.The results show that the deltas of Yellow, Yangtze, Pearl, Red, Mekong, Ganges-Brahmaputra, and Chao Phraya have experienced a net land gain at the total of 1829.3 km2, with China's three major deltas accounting for 73 percent of all. The deltas of Mahanadi, Irrawaddy, Indus, and Godavari-Krishna have undergone a net land loss at the total of 295.1 km2, of which the Indus River Delta accounted for 65 percent. Most of the shorelines in the Yangtze River Delta were constantly advancing seaward at a rate of over 30 m/year, whereas, many ones in the rest of Asian deltas were significantly being eroded at a rate of over 20 m/year. These changes in delta morphology are closely related to sediment supplies and management policies. These results also suggest that rational wetland reclamation with auxiliary projects of ecological restoration can enhance the deltaic ability of sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

How long-term nitrogen (N) deposition affects plant growth in N-rich subtropical forest ecosystems, and whether there are interactive effects between N and phosphorous (P) addition on physiological performances remain unclear. To address these questions, an eight -year nutrient addition experiment was conducted to examine the chronic effects on trees in a secondary Castanopsis sclerophylla forest in subtropical China. Our key results showed that (1) Long-term N deposition could stimulate mature C. sclerophylla growth mainly by increasing the net photosynthetic rate (Pn), soluble sugars (SS) and total non-structural carbohydrates (NSCs). Furthermore, there were significant interactive effects on growth between N and P addition. (2) Leaf chlorophyll a + b, SS and total NSCs under N, P and NP addition were all increased in two years (except the chlorophyll a + b in 2020 and total NSCs in 2019). The positive impacts of P or NP addition on leaf chlorophyll a + b, SS and total NSCs were stronger compared to N addition. (3) Compared to N addition, P addition had a positive stimulation on leaf Pn. These conclusions demonstrated that P addition either alone or together with the addition of N have positive effects on the physiological performances of mature C. sclerophylla trees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The accurate modeling of zenith troposphere delay (ZTD) is significant for data processing of radio‐space‐geodetic techniques such as GNSS. The delay can be estimated by classic tropospheric models, which need the surface meteorological parameters. Considering the difficulty of obtaining meteorological data caused by various environment factors and the modeling errors in the models themselves, the above methods are often difficult to provide accurate products for GNSS data processing. Based on continuously updated NWP data from the European Centre for Medium‐Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF), the Vienna Mapping Functions (VMF) data server provides a widely used data‐source for achieving ZTD with two types of models, that is, the discrete (VFM3) and empirical model (GPT3). Little or no accuracy comparison of these two models with different horizontal resolutions in GNSS community has been conducted over China. This study investigates the performance of the models in terms of calculation of ZHD, ZWD and ZTD, using the hourly values derived from the ERA5 and IGS data as references. The results show that the discrete model outperforms the empirical model and the increasing of horizontal resolution can improve the accuracy of the models. The performance of the empirical model in ZHD/ZWD calculation shows obvious influences of latitude changes and land‐sea differences, while the discrete model improves this phenomenon. The empirical distribution function and boxplot well indicate the accuracy differences of the two models in different seasons. We also found that the diurnal variation can only be detected in the ZHD calculation by the discrete model. The ZTD comparison gives the details of the two types of models at GNSS stations. Key Points: The troposphere product provided by Vienna Mapping Functions Data Server is comprehensibly compared and validated over ChinaThe discrete model outperforms the empirical model, and the horizontal resolution affects the accuracy of the modelsEach model shows different characteristics in the comparison of different troposphere products [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silver pomfret (Pampus argenteus) is an important economic fish for aquaculture industry in China and Southeast Asian countries.The relationship between twelve morphological traits of P. argenteus were studied at different growth stages [60-, 90-, 120-, and 360-days post hatching (dph)] by usingcorrelation, path analyses, and multiple linear regression tools. The results showed that coefficient of variation of the body weight and trunk length traits remained stable and at a high level across all age groups (all above 20%), while other traits were the opposite. The body length and tail length traits had great direct effect on the body weight of P. argenteus at the first three growth stages (60, 90, and 120 dph). However, body length and body height traits had great direct effect in 360 dph, and the direct effect coefficient of caudal length was negative, indicating that the trait had a negative effect on body weight. Multiple linear regression analysis between morphological traits and body weight indicated that R2 was greater than 0.84 across all age groups (P < 0.05).The optimal multiple linear regression equations, as determined with stepwise regression, were constructed with morphological traits as independent variables and body weight as dependent variables.These results elucidated the linear relationship between the body weight and various main morphological traits of P. argenteus at different growth stages. In actual production, during mass selection of P. argenteus with body weight as the main objective, the recommended as auxiliary selection traits were the body length, body height, tail length, and caudal length traits. These results can provide a reference basis for the measurement of target traits for the selective breeding of new varieties of P. argenteus. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Indoor experiments were conducted to fully understand soil metal contamination around coal mines in Pingdingshan, Henan province, China. Forty-three paired soil and wheat product samples were collected from three main mining areas in Pingdingshan. Soil Cd, Zn and Pb were assessed using the diffusive gradients in thin films (DGT) and pentetic acid or diethylene triamine penlaacetic acid (DTPA). The pollution levels were evaluated. The Nemero comprehensive pollution index shows the soil heavy metal pollution is slight; the single coefficient of potential ecological hazard indicates the soil pollution degree of heavy metals ranks as Cd > Pb > Zn, which is the most serious pollution. Cd is close to medium ecological hazard, and other heavy metals are minor ecological hazards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sugarcane parental lines (Saccharum spp. hybrids) serve as a gene pool for sugarcane breeding and genetic improvement. Phenotypic evaluation is the most direct method to study genetic diversity among sugarcane parental lines. Morphological data of 31 phenotypic traits were collected from 130 major sugarcane parental lines for multivariate genetic analysis. The analysis revealed relatively high coefficients of variation and a wide range of frequencies. The extent of genetic diversity among the morphological traits reached a high level with the Shannon-Weiner index (퐻푠=0.858±0.026). The average genetic diversity index was greater for plant height and stem traits than all other traits. Relatively large genetic distances averaging 0.151 were observed among the 11 series of sugarcane parental lines, with the Guitang-series parental lines exhibiting the most genetic diversity (퐻푠=0.970±0.078). A dendrogram based on similarity coefficients clustered 130 major parental lines into three groups and six subgroups. The results provided key information on genetic diversity useful for the screening and selection of potential parents and the design of potential intercrosses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Traffic control devices (TCDs) play an important role in ensuring tunnel safety and efficiency in China, but they lack effective evaluation methods and consideration of human factors in practical application. In this study, a driving simulator experiment was conducted to investigate the comprehensive effectiveness of TCDs. Six alternatives, including artificial skylight, tunnel mural, tunnel retro-reflective arch (white), tunnel retro-reflective arch (color), tunnel delineation and integrated aesthetic and delineation design were designed and compared with the basic tunnel. A total of 33 drivers participated in the driving simulator experiment. The average speed, SD of speed, acceleration, SD of acceleration and accelerator power were used to evaluate the TCDs through statistical analysis and factor analysis. The results indicate that tunnel TCDs do significantly affect the driving behavior, but too many tunnel TCDs may have a negative effect on tunnel safety. Factor analysis reveals that the tunnel retro-reflective arch (color), tunnel mural, tunnel retro-reflective arch (white) and tunnel delineation have a better effect on the tunnel safety. This study will lay a foundation for the installation and optimization of tunnel TCDs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The 12-item Chinese Health Questionnaire (CHQ-12) has been widely used for screening mental disorders. This study aims to examine the internal consistency and factor structure of CHQ-12 and its suitability for use in the elderly Chinese population. This is a cross-sectional study. A total of 8526 elderly people aged ≥60 years from 11 cities in Shanxi Province were selected for participation in this study by stratified random cluster sampling. Cronbach's alpha was employed to assess internal consistency. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) was performed to explore the underlying factor structure of the CHQ-12 in the elderly. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was then conducted to test and compare the goodness-of-fit between possible factor structure obtained from the EFA and the unidimensional structure, which was originally recommended. The Cronbach's alpha for CHQ-12 was 0.838. The EFA extracted three factors, which explained 55.985% of the total variance of the data. The CFA of the three-factor model resulted in an acceptable model fit (Comparative Fit Index = 0.98, Tucker–Lewis Index = 0.97, Normed Fit Index = 0.98, Expected Cross-Validation Index = 0.28, Root-Mean-Square Error of Approximation = 0.071). The item loadings ranged from 0.58 to 0.82. Correlation coefficients among the three factors ranged from 0.40 to 0.75. The CHQ-12 presented satisfactory internal consistency and structural validity in the Chinese elderly population. The CFA of the three-factor structure expressed a preferred model fit in comparison to the unidimensional model. The three-factor structure of the CHQ-12 interpreted three different aspects of mental health: somatic symptoms, anxiety and worry, and depression/poor family relationship. • First study to explore the factor structure of CHQ-12 in a large sample of the elderly Chinese population. • CHQ-12 had satisfactory internal consistency and structural validity among the elderly population. • Exploratory factor analysis generated three factors - somatic symptoms, anxiety, and depression/poor family relationship. • The three-factor structure of CHQ-12 showed the preferred fit to the data in comparison to the unidimensional model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To assess whether vaginal secretions and breast milk of women with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) contain severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2).Design: Single centre cohort study.Setting: Renmin Hospital of Wuhan University, Wuhan, Hubei province, China.Population: We studied 13 SARS-CoV-2-infected pregnant women diagnosed between 31 January and 9 March 2020.Methods: We collected clinical data, vaginal secretions, stool specimens and breast milk from SARS-CoV-2-infected women during different stages of pregnancy and collected neonatal throat and anal swabs.Main Outcomes and Measures: We assessed viral presence in different biosamples.Results: Of the 13 women with COVID-19, five were in their first trimester, three in their second trimester and five in their third trimester. Of the five women in their third trimester who gave birth, all delivered live newborns. Among these five deliveries, the primary adverse perinatal outcomes included premature delivery (n = 2) and neonatal pneumonia (n = 2). One of nine stool samples was positive; all 13 vaginal secretion samples, and five throat swabs and four anal swabs collected from neonates, were negative for the novel coronavirus. However, one of three samples of breast milk was positive by viral nucleic acid testing.Conclusions: In this case series of 13 pregnant women with COVID-19, we observed negative viral test results in vaginal secretion specimens, suggesting that a vaginal delivery may be a safe delivery option. However, additional research is urgently needed to examine breast milk and the potential risk for viral contamination.Tweetable Abstract: New evidence for the safety of vaginal delivery and breastfeeding in pregnant women infected with SARS-CoV-2, positive viral result in a breast-milk sample. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The thrust-nappe belt in the Western Ordos Basin is located in the northern segment of the North‒South structural belt in the mainland China. It is the junction of different tectonic units. The structural evolution of the region is significant to the knowledge of regional geology as well as to oil and gas exploration initiatives. However, due to insubstantial data, the structural evolution of the region is still controversial. In our study, the stratigraphic age was constrained via new drilling data, which allowed newly acquired 2D high-precision seismic data to be interpreted, revealing the tectonic evolution history of the thrust-nappe belt on the Southwestern Ordos Basin. Our results show that the thrust-nappe belt originated from the south‒north trending aulacogen developed during the Meso-Neoproterozoic age. The main fault in the aulacogen experienced two stages of compressional inversion deformation at the end of Triassic and in the Late Jurassic. At the Late Triassic, pre-existing extensional faults experienced the low intensity compressional inversion, and the low-amplitude fold deformation occurred on the western margin of the basin, which was strong in the south and it was weak in the north. The Late Jurassic compression deformation resulted in the large-scale inversion and thrust-decollement of preexisting main faults, and produced a large number of new thrust faults and several thrust nappes, resulting in the strong uplift and denudation on the front of the nappes. Comparing the two stages of compression, we reveal that the Late Jurassic compression was the main tectonic event that created the thrust-nappe system and the present basin-mountain system in the southwestern Ordos Basin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Lymphocytes can affect the proliferation and migration of muscle satellite cells, which may be associated with reduced muscle mass in patients with sarcopenia. The present study aimed to further enrich understandings of the changes of blood lymphocytes and explore the relationship between peripheral lymphocyte subsets and muscle mass in patients with sarcopenia. Design: A cross-sectional study. Setting: Geriatrics department of Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, China. Methods: Eighty-five subjects were enrolled in this study, and were divided into two groups: the sarcopenia group (n=60) and the non-sarcopenia group (n=25). The diagnosis of sarcopenia was based on the diagnostic criteria updated by the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia (AWGS) in 2014. Complete blood count, peripheral lymphocyte subsets, and body composition of all patients were measured. Results: Skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) was negatively correlated with CD4+CD28null T lymphocytes in peripheral blood in patients with sarcopenia. Conclusion: The result of our study may point out the role of CD4+CD28null T lymphocytes in the pathogenesis of sarcopenia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Flood-risk is affected by both climatic and anthropogenic factors. In this study, we assess changes in flood risk induced by a combination of climate change and flood prevention sets in the Baiyangdian (BYD) Lake area of China. Extreme storm events are analysed by the bias-corrected climate data from global climate models. A hydrological model is implemented and integrated with a hydrodynamic model to assess flood risk under three scenarios. The streamflow into the BYD was validated against historical flash-flood events. The results indicate that the changing climate increased extreme precipitation, upstream total inflow and the flood risk at the core region of Xiong'an New Area (XNA), the newly announced special economic zone in the BYD area. However, flood prevention measures can effectively mitigate the climatic effect. The research highlights the severe flash-flood risk at BYD and demonstrates the urgent need for a climate-resilient plan for XNA. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The dwarf musk deer, or Chinese forest musk deer (Moschus berezovskii) is an endangered artiodactyl species native to a narrow region in southern and central China as well as northernmost Vietnam. This species is well known for the habit of male musk deer to secrete musk from the musk gland. Unmated male forest musk deer secrete a greater amount of musk than mated males, which probably allows them to attract a greater number of females. However, transcriptome data for this species are deficient, and the potential transcriptional pathways of musk production remain unknown. In this study, we used RNA-sequencing (RNA-Seq) to perform an in-depth survey of transcriptome data from musk gland and to compare the transcriptome differences between mated- and unmated sexually mature Chinese forest musk deer. There were 13,009 and 12,995 genes were expressed in unmated and mated musk glands tissue. In addition to analyzing these genes, we analyzed the differentially expressed genes in musk gland tissue between mated and unmated Chinese forest musk deer males. One hundred and thirty seven genes were found differentially expressed. We found that some genes in "PPAR signaling pathway", "PI3K-Akt signaling pathway" and "Thyroid hormone synthesis" pathways may be associated with musk production and the secretion of the musk deer. The annotated genes and differentially expressed genes in this study can be applied in conservation or utilization study of musk deer in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effective heavy metal content of soil indicates ecological environmental risks. The study takes the typical watershed area in northwestern China as a research area. The real-time and rapid risk assessment of ecological environment can be achieved through the monitoring value of normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) of remote sensing information and environmental factors, and a heavy metal ecological risk assessment model (HMER) for the evaluation of the watershed is built. The research results show that the change of the effective heavy metal content in different areas of the watershed is affected to some extent by the influence of geographical location and human activities. Among them NDVI and the content of heavy metals, precipitation and temperature, and a nonlinear relationship between the average heavy metal content and the ecological risk index HRI. The establishment of HMER research model is applied to different land use types to evaluate the ecological risk level of the watershed, explore the ecological risk level of different land use types in the same region, and in different regions. The results of the study emphasize that the risk assessment of the watershed can be carried out through remote sensing information and environmental factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The marine clastic rock of the Silurian in the Tabei Area is a favorable reservoir. Based on an analysis of geological data such as core, logging, and seismic information, this study investigated the characteristics and differences of the Silurian rocks in the Tabei area main sedimentary system types. Both tidal flat and littoral have been meticulously depicted. In addition, the paleogeographic environment and depositional evolution features of the Silurian rocks in this area have been remodeled. The obtained results show that: (1) according to the difference in sedimentary environment, tidal flat facies have been subdivided into shallow tidal flat and bay tidal flat. (2) During the Early Silurian stage, the center-western region of the study area developed an incised channel with curved characteristics, which was associated with the coastal plain. (3) The whole Silurian deposition was significantly controlled by tectonic movement. Consequently, under the background of Late Caledonian orogeny, the Tabei area was gradually uplifted, and its depocenter constantly migrated southward. This resulted in the vertical transformation of sedimentary types from an incised channel-coastal plain-shallow tidal flat system to a littoral-bay tidal flat system. Moreover, Backshore and supratidal zone were generally denuded due to uplifting at a later stage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increased number and capacity of municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in China has driven the emission of methane (CH4). Few studies have focused on quantification of CH4 emissions from municipal WWTPs of different cities and analysis of socioeconomic factors influencing the quantity of emissions. Here we estimated CH4 emissions from WWTPs in China for 229 prefectural‐level cities, based on data from 2,019 working municipal WWTPs. The results show the total CH4 emissions to be 1,169.8 thousand tons (29.2 MtCO2e) in 2014, which is over three times that of the municipal WWTPs in the United States in 2016. Large cities along the east coast regions had larger CH4 emissions in absolute and per capita terms. Correlation analysis shows that cities with higher gross domestic product, household food consumption expenditure, or household consumption expenditure produced more degradable organics in wastewater, thus more CH4 emissions. Measures to control the sources of degradable organics and regulate WWTP processes with less emission factor are key to mitigate CH4 emissions. In addition to aerobic or anaerobic wastewater treatment systems, factors such as wastewater temperature, length of sewer, and the addition of nitrate that influencing emission factor are suggested to be involved in CH4 emission modeling. Plain Language Summary: The increased number and capacity of municipal wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) in Chinese cities has driven the emission of methane, a potent greenhouse gas. Understanding and balancing the trade‐offs between increased municipal wastewater treatment capacity and the demands for greenhouse gas emissions reduction is a big challenge for cities in developing countries like China. We estimated methane emissions from 2,019 working municipal WWTPs in China for 229 cities. The results show the total methane emissions to be 1,169.8 thousand tons in 2014, which is over three times that of the municipal WWTPs in the United States in 2016. Large and wealth cities along the east coast regions had larger methane emissions in absolute and per capita terms. Cities with higher gross domestic product, household food consumption expenditure, or household consumption expenditure produced more degradable organics in wastewater, thus more methane emissions. Measures to control the sources of degradable organics and regulate WWTP processes are key to mitigate methane emissions. Key Points: The methane emissions from municipal wastewater treatment plants of 229 Chinese cities were 29.2 MtCO2e in 2014Large cities located in the prosperous eastern China had larger methane emissions in absolute and per capita termsCities with higher GDP, household food consumption expenditure, or household consumption expenditure tend to emit more methane [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The conversion of exotic germplasm into domestic maize breeding materials is essential to solve the narrow genetic base for maize improvement in China. The present study applied SSR markers and three complementary cluster methods (STRUCTURE, UPGMA and PCoA) to 98 foreign hybridselected lines for effective hybrid breeding. A total of 450 alleles, with an average of 3.98 alleles per locus, were detected. Among 10 chromosomes, there were 13-19 loci and 33-59 alleles with averaged alleles 2.54~3.43 per chromosome. The polymorphism information content (PIC) among 10 chromosomes ranged from 0.4504~0.5582 and 69.4% PIC variation were explained by allele number/Locus. The highest PIC was observed in chromosome 7 (0.5582) and the lowest in chromosome 8 (0.4965). The STRUCTURE clustering analysis grouped the test lines into four subpopulations (i.e. REID, Lancaster, P and Domestic) in accordance with UPGMA and PCoA clustering. The higher genetic diversity were detected among the inbred lines in P and Domestic subpopulations. The allele frequencies, gene diversity and population structure obtained in the present study lead us to conclude that the 98 inbred lines derived from foreign hybrid-selected lines contain extensive genetic variation and are a valuable resource for Chinese maize breeding. The result obtained in the present study will assist in effective utilization of the lines in Chinese hybrid maize breeding programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims To examine the association between sleep disturbances during pregnancy and risk of gestational diabetes mellitus. Methods From 2010 to 2012, 12 506 women in Tianjin, China, were screened using a 50-g 1-h glucose challenge test at 24-28 weeks' gestation. Those with glucose challenge test values of ≥ 7.8 mmol/l were invited to further undergo a 75-g 2-h oral glucose tolerance test. Gestational diabetes was determined according to the International Association of Diabetes and Pregnancy Study Group's definition. Self-reported sleep duration and sleep quality during pregnancy was documented using a modified questionnaire. Logistic regression was used to obtain odds ratios and 95% CIs. Results A total of 919 women (7.3%) had gestational diabetes. Sleep duration was found to have an approximate J-shaped association with gestational diabetes risk after adjusting for covariates. Compared with a sleep duration of 7-9 h/day (43% of 12 506 women), the adjusted odds ratios for sleep duration of ≥ 9 h/day (55%) and < 7 h/day (2%) for gestational diabetes were 1.21 (95% CI 1.03-1.42) and 1.36 (95% CI 0.87-2.14), respectively. Compared with good sleep quality (37.9% of 12 506 women), the adjusted odds ratios of moderate (59.9%) and poor sleep quality (2.2%) for gestational diabetes were 1.19 (95% CI 1.01-1.41) and 1.61 (95% CI 1.04-2.50), respectively. Conclusion In pregnant Chinese women, poor sleep quality, and shorter and longer duration of sleep during pregnancy were independently associated with an increased risk of gestational diabetes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims To investigate the trend in the prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus during 1999-2008 in women living in urban Tianjin, China. Methods A universal screening for gestational diabetes mellitus has become an integral part of the antenatal care in Tianjin, China from 1998. A total of 105 473 pregnant women living in the six urban districts of Tianjin, China, participated in the gestational diabetes mellitus screening programme between December 1998 and December 2008. The screening test consisted of a 50-g 1-h glucose test. Women who had a glucose reading ≥ 7.8 mmol / l at the initial screening were invited to undergo the standard 2-h oral glucose tolerance test with a 75-g glucose load. Gestational diabetes mellitus was confirmed using the World Health Organization's diagnostic criteria. Results The adjusted prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus increased by 2.8 times during 1999-2008, from 2.4 to 6.8% (P < 0.0001 for linear trend). In 2008, the age-specific prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus was the highest among women aged 30-34 years (11.3%) and lowest among women aged 25 and under (1.2%). In women aged 35 years and more, the prevalence was 5.3%. Conclusions The prevalence of gestational diabetes mellitus has markedly been increasing in a universally screened urban Chinese female population and has become an important public health problem in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Auditory neuropathy spectrum disorder ( ANSD) is one of the most common diseases leading to hearing and speech communication barriers in infants and young children. The OTOF gene is the first gene identified for autosomal recessive non-syndromic ANSD, and patients with OTOF mutations have shown marked improvement of auditory functions from the cochlear implantation, but the true involvement of OTOF mutations in Chinese ANSD patients is still unknown which precludes the effective management of this disease. Here, we investigated the contribution of OTOF mutations to congenital ANSD patients in China. In all, 37 infants and young Children with ANSD were screened for all the exons of OTOF gene, of them 34 patients had no neonatal risk factors who were considered as congenital ANSD. The clinical manifestation and audiometric features were also investigated and compared in patients with and without OTOF mutations. In all, 14 of these subjects were shown to carry two or three mutant alleles of OTOF with the high frequency of 41.2% in congenital ANSD patients. In total, 15 novel pathogenic mutations and 10 reported mutations were identified. Our results confirmed that mutations in OTOF gene were a major cause of congenital ANSD in China. Identification of OTOF mutations can facilitate diagnosis, clinical intervention and counseling for congenital ANSD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To explore whether nutritional risk is associated with poor outcomes independent of complicated clinical status in older patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). Design: Cohort study. Setting: Patients referred for coronary angiography in West China Hospital, Sichuan University, China. Participants: 1772 patients with angiographic documented CAD whose age was above 65 years. Measurements: Nutritional state was appraised using geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI). Nutritional risk was defined as the GNRI below 98. The event rate of all-cause death was observed among patients with nutritional risk and those without. Results: During a median follow-up period of 27 months, 224 patients died. Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that nutritional risk was associated with all-cause death (adjusted hazard ratio 1.99; 95% confidence interval 1.35-2.95; P=0.001). Subgroup analysis verified the association between nutritional risk and death among patients with distinct clinical features, comorbidities, and medication. There was no interaction between nutritional risk and clinical characteristics with regard to all-cause death. Conclusion: Nutritional state is independently associated with the risk of all-cause death in geriatric patients with CAD. Whether nutritional support in appropriate patients improves clinical outcomes deserves further investigation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: Postmenopausal osteoporosis is a major health problem with important genetic factors in postmenopausal women. We thoroughly evaluated the relationship of CNR2 polymorphisms with osteoporosis in a cohort of 1032 osteoporosis patients and 2089 healthy controls from Han Chinese postmenopausal women. Statistically significant differences, depending on different genotypes, were presented. Introduction: Osteoporosis is a major health problem in postmenopausal women, which is a multifactorial disease in which genetic determinants are modulated by hormonal, environmental, and nutritional factors. An important clinical risk factor in the pathogenesis of osteoporosis is the presence of genetic polymorphism in susceptibility genes. The aim of our study was to investigate whether CNR2 gene, which attributes to osteoporosis susceptibility in some populations, is associated with bone mineral density (BMD) or osteoporosis in Han Chinese postmenopausal women. Methods: We examine 39 SNPs covering the region of CNR2 gene in 3121 Han Chinese postmenopausal women, consisting of 1032 osteoporosis patients and 2089 healthy controls, to evaluate the association with BMD and osteoporosis. Results: We found that rs4237 and rs2501431 were significantly associated with BMD and osteoporosis (corrected p = 0.020085 and 0.017199) in our sample, and the TT genotype of rs2501431 and the AA genotype of rs4237 had lower lumbar spine BMD and femoral neck BMD compared with the other genotypes. Additionally, analyses by haplotypes indicated that two haplotype blocks, containing rs4237 and rs2501431 respectively, in the CNR2 gene significantly associated with BMD and osteoporosis (both global permutation p < 0.001), and a risk haplotype (ATTT) in the block of rs3003336-rs2501431-rs2502992-rs2501432 had almost 4-fold increase in the cases. Conclusions: Our results provide further supportive evidence for an important role of CNR2 gene in the etiology of osteoporosis and suggest that it may be a genetic risk factor for BMD and osteoporosis in Han Chinese postmenopausal women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What is known and objective The Adverse Drug Reaction Information Bulletin ( ADRIB), issued by China Food and Drug Administration ( CFDA), is a major source of information on drugs causing safety concerns in China. As the publication is only published in Chinese, we undertook an analysis of the reports in the ADRIB since its first publication in 2001 to give international readers a better appreciation of the pharmacovigilance issues addressed. Methods Every issue of the ADRIB was scrutinized, and the issues addressed as well as the drugs involved are summarized and discussed. Results and discussion From 2001 to 2014, 109 items of ADR information have been reported. The antimicrobial agents were most often the subject of discussion. There were 28 traditional Chinese medicines ( TCMs) discussed. Among the ADRs addressed, the adverse reactions of the skin and its appendages were most frequent. About two-fifths of the ADRs arose from the inherent properties of the active substance, and a majority of the ADRs were caused by off-label use, irrational drug combinations and misuse in special populations. What is new and conclusion Many of the pharmacovigilance issues addressed were similar to those considered by Western Drug Regulatory Agencies. The pharmacovigilance issues relating to Chinese traditional medicines are less well addressed internationally, and these would be of particular value as the use of such medicines increases in the West. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background/objectives: Folic acid supplementation has been suggested to reduce the risk of preeclampsia. However, results from few epidemiologic studies have been inconclusive. We investigated the hypothesis that folic acid supplementation and dietary folate intake before conception and during pregnancy reduce the risk of preeclampsia.Subjects/methods: A birth cohort study was conducted in 2010-2012 at the Gansu Provincial Maternity & Child Care Hospital in Lanzhou, China. A total of 10,041 pregnant women without chronic hypertension or gestational hypertension were enrolled.Results: Compared with nonusers, folic acid supplement users had a reduced risk of preeclampsia (OR=0.61, 95% CI: 0.43-0.87). A significant dose-response of duration of use was observed among women who used folic acid supplemention during pregnancy only (P-trend=0.007). The reduced risk associated with folic acid supplement was similar for mild or severe preeclampsia and for early- or late-onset preeclampsia, although the statistical significant associations were only observed for mild (OR=0.50, 95% CI: 0.30-0.81) and late-onset (OR=0.60, 95% CI: 0.42-0.86) preeclampsia. The reduced risk associated with dietary folate intake during pregnancy was only seen for severe preeclampsia (OR=0.52, 95% CI: 0.31-0.87, for the highest quartile of dietary folate intake compared with the lowest).Conclusions: Our study results suggest that folic acid supplementation and higher dietary folate intake during pregnancy reduce the risk of preeclampsia. Future studies are needed to confirm the associations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objective Emerging evidence shows that tooth loss is associated with cognitive impairment and dementia. Vascular cognitive impairment ( VCI) is a common consequence of ischemic stroke. This study investigated the association of tooth loss with VCI in patients with acute stroke. Material and Methods A total of 161 subjects with acute ischemic stroke were recruited. Within 1 wk after admission, fasting blood tests were undertaken and the number of teeth present was recorded. VCI was evaluated with the Montreal Cognitive Assessment (Mo CA). Results The patients with loss of ≥ 8 teeth exhibited significantly lower Mo CA values as compared to those with loss of ≤ 7 teeth (13.2 ± 6.6 vs. 17.3 ± 6.0, p < 0.001). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that loss of ≥ 8 teeth ( OR = 3.1, 95% CI: 1.2-7.9, p = 0.02) and stroke history ( OR = 3.8, 95% CI: 1.1-14.1, p = 0.04) were significantly associated with VCI (Mo CA score ≤ 20.0). Conclusion Within the limitations of this study, the current findings provide the first evidence that multiple tooth loss is independently associated with VCI in patients with acute ischemic stroke. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective:To evaluate the effects of gestational subclinical hypothyroidism (SCH) on early neurodevelopment of offspring.Study Design:A prospective study included 106 infants born to mothers with gestational SCH and 106 infants born to mothers who were euthyroid during pregnancy. The neurodevelopment of 12 to 24-month-old infants was assessed and compared using the Gesell developmental test (revised version).Results:Infants born to mothers with gestational SCH and those born to euthyroid mothers had similar scores on the Gesell development test. No correlations were observed between maternal TSH concentration and Gesell developmental test scores of offspring. Infants born to mothers who had gestational SCH during the first trimester specifically and those born to euthyroid mothers had similar scores on the Gesell development test. No significant correlations were detected between maternal TSH concentration during the first trimester and offspring neurodevelopment.Conclusions:No detectable neurodevelopment deficit was observed in offspring up to 24 months old from mothers who had gestational SCH. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigates the effectiveness of a sensitivity-informed method for multi-objective operation of reservoir systems, which uses global sensitivity analysis as a screening tool to reduce computational demands. Sobol's method is used to screen insensitive decision variables and guide the formulation of the optimization problems with a significantly reduced number of decision variables. This sensitivity-informed method dramatically reduces the computational demands required for attaining high-quality approximations of optimal trade-off relationships between conflicting design objectives. The search results obtained from the reduced complexity multi-objective reservoir operation problems are then used to pre-condition the full search of the original optimization problem. In two case studies, the Dahuofang reservoir and the inter-basin multi-reservoir system in Liaoning province, China, sensitivity analysis results show that reservoir performance is strongly controlled by a small proportion of decision variables. Sensitivity-informed dimension reduction and pre-conditioning are evaluated in their ability to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of multi-objective evolutionary optimization. Overall, this study illustrates the efficiency and effectiveness of the sensitivity-informed method and the use of global sensitivity analysis to inform dimension reduction of optimization problems when solving complex multi-objective reservoir operation problems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global warming will stimulate primary production, which is likely to drive shifts in litter production and lead to an increase in carbon (C) inputs to soil. However, the effects of such changes on soil C cycling in subtropical forests remain largely unknown. In a typical subtropical evergreen broadleaved forest in Southwestern China we conducted a controlled experiment that included addition and removal of litter, and trenching. Annual soil respiration in control, trenching, litter addition, and litter removal treatments were 1083.47, 521.50, 1363.30, and 896.15 g C m y, respectively. Soil respiration was significantly related to temperature in all treatments, but was independent of soil moisture, except in control plots. Q values in control, trenching, litter addition, and litter removal treatments were 3.46, 6.36, 2.72, and 4.85, respectively. Litter addition reduced Q, but litter removal and trenching increased it. Average heterotrophic soil respiration produced C in the amount equivalent to 48% of the efflux from the soil. Soil respiration in the litter addition treatment was 25% higher than in the control treatment; this increase is about 8% larger than the 17% decrease in soil respiration caused by litter removal. This implies a priming effect on soil respiration. Our results suggest that increases in litter production in response to human disturbances and global warming could have rapid and important consequences on soil respiration in subtropical evergreen broadleaved forests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background There is debate regarding the predictive value of interventricular septum ( IVS) wall thickness for adverse events. Aims The study investigated the association between the severity of thickened IVS and all-cause death in Chinese patients with coronary artery disease ( CAD). Methods A total of 2297 CAD patients verified by angiography was consecutively included. Patients were grouped according to the severity of thickened IVS. Cox regression analysis was conducted to determine the independent prognostic value of thickened IVS for all-cause death. Results During a median follow up of 25 months, 149 patients died. A gradient increase in the risk of death was observed across thickened IVS groups. Compared to patients with normal IVS thickness, the adjusted hazard ratio ( HR) was 1.49 (95% confidence interval ( CI) 1.00-2.23, P = 0.05) and 2.13 (95% CI 1.29-3.54, P = 0.003) for all-cause death in those with mildly and moderately/severely thickened IVS respectively. For one unit increase in IVS thickness, the risk of all-cause death was elevated by 14% (adjusted HR 1.14, 95% CI 1.05-1.24, P = 0.003). In patients with normal indexed left ventricular mass, thickened IVS was also demonstrated as an independent risk factor for all-cause death. Conclusion Thickened IVS can be served as a reliable marker for predicting all-cause death in Chinese patients with CAD, even in those with normal left ventricular mass. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of morphological characters and otolith weight as predictors of fish age has proven to be an efficient, objective and precise method, but studies were heretofore focused primarily on fast-growing fish species. In the present study, Belanger's croaker, Johnius belangerii (Cuvier, 1830), is presented as a model species for slow-growing fish where it is hypothesized that age has a significant effect on the otolith shape , and that the otolith weight has the potential to predict individual fish age as an alternative and objective method. Discriminant function analysis ( DFA) of shape variables and cross-validation were applied to a total of 359 sagittal otoliths in the age groups 0, 1 and 2. The shape variables demonstrated 64.1% correct age classification, and a 93.5% correct age classification with the inclusion of otolith weight in the discriminant function. Results show that a combination of shape variables and otolith weight work well in age determination of Belanger's croaker, and demonstrate its application potential for sciaenids that are distributed throughout the coastal waters of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]