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The agro-pastoral transitional zone (APTZ) in northern China is a typical ecologically vulnerable zone and a comprehensive geographical transitional zone. Its land use pattern has significant type diversity and spatial interlocking, which is always related to the play of ecological barrier functions and the sustainability of social-ecological systems. Accurately grasping the spatial competition relationship and comprehensive geographical effects of land types of APTZ in northern China is a key proposition for achieving coordinated and sustainable development between humans and land. To explore the spatial competition mechanism and comprehensive geographical effects of land use in the research area, this study focuses on revealing the evolutionary characteristics of land use patterns based on the center of gravity migration model. Based on the process of land use center of gravity migration, the spatial competition relationship of land types is explored to reveal the evolutionary trend and basic characteristics of land use in the APTZ. The results show the following: (1) Cultivated land and meadow are the main land types of the APTZ in northern China, accounting for up to 70% of the total regional area. The spatial competition between the two land types is the main contradiction in regional land use competition. (2) Drifting of the center of gravity of cultivated land towards the northwest direction is an important land use migration feature of the APTZ in northern China. Between 1980 and 2020, the center of gravity of cultivated land shifted by about 2 km to the northwest, and the center of gravity of grassland shifted by 8–10 km to the southwest. (3) The center of gravity of arable land and grassland in the entire region is constantly approaching, which has decreased from 70.95 km in 1980 to 61.38 km in 2020. The intensification of their interweaving has led to more intense land use competition. Grasping the basic characteristics and driving mechanisms of land type competition is an important means to achieve sustainable spatial governance. (4) The scale differentiation and regional differentiation characteristics of gradient effects are significant, and it is essential to prevent the risk of mismatch between land use and natural endowments in the northeast and north China sections. The research has surpassed the traditional method of analyzing land use competition, and by introducing a centroid model to analyze the spatial mechanism of land use competition, it has expanded the methodology for expanding research in the field of land science and provided basic references for regional sustainable development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In power systems with high penetration of renewable energy, traditional physical model-based optimal dispatch methods suffer from modeling difficulties and poor adaptability, while data-driven dispatch methods, represented by reinforcement learning, have the advantage of fast decision making and reflecting long-term benefits. However, the performances of data-driven methods are much limited by the problem of distribution shift under insufficient power system scenario samples in the training. To address this issue, this paper proposes an improved scenario division method by integrating the power system's key physical features and the data-driven variational autoencoder (VAE)-generated features. Next, based on the scenario division results, a multi-scenario data-driven dispatch model is established. The effectiveness of the proposed method is verified by a simulation conducted on a real power system model in a province of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The unique natural geographical conditions and land use patterns in semiarid sandy areas have resulted in a distinct cultivated landscape. Identifying and classifying the morphological characteristics of cultivated land are key to improving land utilization efficiency. This study focuses on the semiarid sandy areas of China. We obtained information on cropland morphology by judging high-precision remote sensing images and landscape pattern analysis, and then determined the spatial clustering characteristics of different plot morphologies through local spatial autocorrelation analysis. The results are as follows: cultivated land can be classified into five main types: simple large plots, complex large plots, simple small plots, complex small plots, and scattered plots, and there are significant differences in morphology between eastern and western plots. In addition, different morphology types of plots formed a variety of aggregation patterns; clustered plots are surrounded by scattered plots, showing a staggered distribution pattern. Farmers and land managers can make more informed decisions regarding irrigation, fertilization, and crop selection, and this knowledge can provide a basis for further optimizing the layout of cultivated land, identifying fragmented cultivated land, and scientifically recovering farmland to ensure more scientific and refined classification management and zoning protection of cultivated land. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Psychological distress is an important mental health problem in college students. Insomnia may be a major factor contributing to psychological distress. This study aimed to explore the indirect relationship between insomnia and psychological distress through the five PERMA wellbeing variables (i.e., positive emotions, engagement, relationships, meaning in life, and achievement) among nursing college students. Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted in China using an online survey design. Mediation analyses were examined using the PROCESS macro version 4.1 for SPSS 27.0. A total of 1741 nursing college students completed the online survey. Results: Insomnia was positively associated with psychological distress (p < 0.01, r = 0.673), while negative associations were detected between PERMA wellbeing variables and insomnia (p < 0.01, r range = −0.176 and −0.272), as well as psychological distress (p < 0.01, r range = −0.196 and −0.386). The association between insomnia and psychological distress was partially mediated by the participants' positive emotions (indirect effect = 0.137, SE = 0.024, 95% CI boot = [0.094, 0.188]), engagement (indirect effect = −0.033, SE = 0.010, 95% CI boot = [−0.054, −0.017]), and meaning in life (indirect effect = 0.027, SE = 0.014, 95% CI boot = [0.001, 0.055]) but not their relationships or achievement of the PERMA wellbeing variables. Conclusions: The findings of this study suggest that the PERMA wellbeing variables, especially positive emotions, engagement, and meaning in life, could be potential mechanisms by which insomnia is associated with psychological distress. The mediating roles of PERMA wellbeing variables between insomnia and psychological distress could be incorporated into the health management of university administrations to promote the health and wellbeing of nursing college students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective. To explore the efficacy of Internet-based chronic disease management model combined with the modified therapy of Bushenyiliu decoction in treating patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and prostate cancer and its effect on disease control rate (DCR). Methods. 120 patients with T2DM and prostate cancer admitted to the Affiliated Hospital of Yangzhou University, Yangzhou First People's Hospital, from February 2019 to February 2020, were retrospectively analyzed and equally divided into the experimental group and the control group according to their admission order. Conventional treatment combined with the modified therapy of Bushenyiliu decoction was performed on all patients for 3 months, and the Internet-based chronic disease management model was adopted for patients in the experimental group additionally, so as to compare their short-term effect, survival time, disease progression, blood glucose indicators, immune function indicators, and type 2 Diabetes Self-Care Scale (2-DSCS) scores. Results. Compared with the control group, the experimental group obtained significantly higher DCR and objective remission rate (ORR) (P < 0.05), higher survival time and disease progression (P < 0.001), better blood glucose indicators and immune function indicators (P < 0.001), and higher 2-DSCS scores (P < 0.001) after treatment. Conclusion. Combining the Internet-based chronic disease management model with the modified therapy of Bushenyiliu decoction can effectively enhance the self-care ability of patients with T2DM and prostate cancer, improve their blood glucose level, promote their body immunity, and comprehensively optimize the cancer control effect, which should be promoted in practice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study of activity patterns is important for understanding the capacity of animals for adapting their behavior based on their habitat conditions. Among bears, daily activity patterns are considered to be strongly influenced by regional climate conditions. We monitored the activity patterns (active vs. inactive) of the Asiatic black bear (Ursus thibetanus) using infrared camera traps (from May 2013 to November 2016) in the Qinling Mountains, China. We used 125 photos, with 19,132 camera days from 55 camera locations. Based on relative independent capture (RIC), bears were found to be intensively active during June (5.86 ± 1.05 SE), July (8.45 ± 2.74), September (14.83 ± 6.13), and October (8.70 ± 3.43), with activity levels gradually decreasing beyond October. After this decline, activities eventually come to a halt when the bears enter in hibernation. We found that their hibernation period was shorter in the Qinling bears, with only 3 months of denning from January to March. Based on their daily patterns, bears were predominantly active during the daytime both in spring (70.83 ± 35.41%) and summer (52.09 ± 28.89%), but more active at twilight during autumn (51.12 ± 42.88%). We assumed that food preferences and food availability (due to warmer regional climatic conditions) might be responsible for such deviations in daily and monthly activity patterns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The platform is developed for the management of crop variety test in China. • The platform is designed based on the three-tier browser/server architecture model. • The platform has been fully applied to all China's national-level variety tests of rice, wheat, cotton, and soybean. • The platform greatly improved the work efficiency and management ability of variety test in China. A crop variety test is an important way to evaluate the high yield, adaptability, and resistance of potential crop varieties, and it is the cornerstone of the commercialization of new crop varieties. In China, variety tests are performed on five major crops (rice, wheat, maize, cotton, and soybean) by national or provincial agricultural departments every year. However, a large-scale, high-throughput, widely adaptable, and low-cost information platform that supports the management of all the business processes of crop variety tests is lacking, and thus the development of the crop seed industry in China is restricted. In this study, a cloud-based online information platform called Golden Seed Variety Test Platform (GSVTP) was designed and developed for the management of the national variety test of major crops on the basis of our proposed three-tier browser/server architecture model. The platform provides many functional modules for automatic and intelligent data collection, processing, analysis, and report preparation. The platform has been fully applied to all national-level and some provincial-level variety tests on five major crops in China and has been run safely and stably for more than three years. It is by far the most widely used information platform for variety test management in China, covers all the ecological zones of China's five major crops, and has the largest number of users. The presented platform has greatly improved the work efficiency and data quality of variety tests and reduced the workload, labor, and materials cost. The successful application of our platform has greatly improved the precision of China's crop variety test at the management level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Graphical user interfaces offering an accessible way to see and understand trends, patterns, and connotations in breeding data. • Statistical tools providing convenient experimental design and data analysis support which may reduce the professional demand for statistics skills of breeders. • Intelligent decision support tools for heterosis prediction and cultivar evaluation improving the decision-making ability with multi-dimensional breeding data. Plant breeding is an effective guarantee of agriculture production and food security, whereas information technologies are effective ways to promote plant variety improvement. Although breeding information technologies provide a convenient and scientific means for breeding, it also leads to the problem of massive data processing with multidimensional breeding data in multiple granularities across generations. Therefore, decision support tools that help breeders extract relevant and valuable information are necessary and important. This paper introduces the decision support tools of the golden seed breeding cloud platform at three levels: (i) graphical user interfaces; (ii) statistical tools; and (iii) intelligent decision support tools. The advantages have effectively improved the breeding efficiency as well as the data management and application capabilities in more than 150 breeding institutions in China. The successful application of our system confirms the effectiveness of our work and provides data and support for future research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Coupling ecosystem services is a methodological innovation. • The spatial–temporal variation of landscape ecological risk is significant. • Urbanization, mineral development and policies are important influencing factors. The study aims to clarify the temporal and spatial evolution characteristics of landscape ecological risk in Hailar River basin in recent 30 years, and to serve for scientific formulation of ecological management strategies. In the study, ecosystem services were used to improve the traditional landscape ecological risk assessment method, and the theoretical basis of landscape ecological risk was clarified using the human-nature system method. The results show that, on the spatial scale, the overall landscape ecological risk of Hailar River basin is characterized by high in the middle and low around. The high-risk areas are mainly located in the transition zone of "urban-grassland" and "urban-forest" in the middle of the basin and the main mining areas, which are distributed in strips along the main roads and rivers. Low risk areas are mainly distributed in the Great Khingan Mountains forest area in the east and north of the basin. In terms of time scale, the landscape ecological risk in the edge of the watershed has always maintained a high proportion of low-risk areas (75.35 %), while the area of high-risk areas in the middle of the watershed has experienced a process of first increasing and then decreasing. In terms of ecological governance, high-risk areas should achieve orderly urban construction and orderly development of mineral resources, and establish a classified management system of natural resources. Low risk areas should continue to promote measures to prohibit logging and limit grazing, and establish a supporting ecological compensation mechanism. The conclusion shows that urbanization, mineral development and management, and the implementation of forest and grass policies are the main driving factors for the change of landscape ecological risks in Hailar River basin. The basic principles of zoning control and human land coordination should be adhered to, and the size of cities and towns should be adjusted reasonably to promote the orderly development of mineral resources and the orderly construction of projects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although insomnia has been shown to play an important role in psychological distress among gastrointestinal cancer patients, little is known about the internal mechanisms underlying this relation. Coping styles have been shown to moderate the effect of sleep on emotion, and this moderating effect may be age-dependent. Objective: The aim of this study was to test how age and coping styles moderate the role of insomnia on psychological distress among gastrointestinal cancer patients. Methods: This was a descriptive cross-sectional study with a convenience sample. A total of 352 patients with gastrointestinal cancer from two tertiary hospitals were recruited to participate in this study. The Kessler Psychological Distress Scale, the Insomnia Severity Index, and the Simplified Coping Style Questionnaire were used to assess patients' psychological distress, insomnia, and coping styles, respectively. We performed hierarchical multiple regression and Johnson–Neyman statistical analysis to probe the moderating effect of coping styles and age. Results: The mean age of the participants was 58.32 years. Nearly half of the participants reported psychological distress, and many reported insomnia. Insomnia was significantly positively associated with psychological distress. Coping styles and age moderated the relationship between insomnia and distress. Specifically, positive coping buffered the effect of insomnia on psychological distress only for subjects aged 34 years and younger; negative coping exacerbated the above relationship in patients aged 68 years and older while weakening the relationship in participants aged 51 years and younger. Discussion: There are age differences in the moderating role of coping styles on the relationship between insomnia and distress among gastrointestinal cancer patients. This study provides preliminary evidence to inform tailored guidance on coping styles by age groups to attenuate the risk for psychological distress related to insomnia in the cancer population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The animal species richness in four forest types were very similar to each other. • Low-elevation primary forest had the largest relative abundant index of animals. • Low-elevation primary forest preferred by most species while secondary forest by one. • Plantation and secondary forest played important roles of supporting animal species. China's primary forest has gone through the extensive deforestation and further restoration since 1950s. However, little is known about how animal diversity responds to restoration. Here, we used camera trapping to monitor diversity of large-and-medium mammals for three years (2014–2017) in four forest habitat types in the Qinling Mountains: high-elevation primary forest, low-elevation primary forest, secondary forest, and plantation forest. The species richness did not vary between forest types (n = 17–18). But the relative abundant index (RAI) was higher in low-elevation primary (3.00%), followed by plantation forest (1.77%), secondary forest (0.89%), and high-elevation primary forest (0.74%), respectively. In term of habitat using, low-elevation primary forest was the most preferred habitat by the animals (11 species), followed by high-elevation forest (5 species), and plantation forest (4 species), while secondary forest was only preferred by 1 species. Species' preferences on forest habitat types were stable during daytime and night-time but significantly changed in different seasons. Our study indicated that both plantation forest and secondary forest in the Qinling Mountains played important roles of supporting animal species. Thus a comprehensive management is required for biodiversity conservation in the Qinling Mountains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Forecast crop yield accurately by using dataset expanded and corrected by yield data compensation method. • Calculate the effects of different environmental factors on yield of different crop varieties and identify the key growth periods affecting crop yield. • Promote crop varieties according to comprehensive analysis of the promoted variety yield, preferences for different meteorological factors and the climatic characteristics of the target ecological regions. Forecasting crop variety yield, selecting suitable ecological regions for designated crop varieties, and finding high-yield crop varieties for designated ecological regions are all critical aspects of crop variety popularization. A crop variety yield prediction system based on variety yield data compensation (CVYPS-VYDC) is described in this paper. This novel system is used to predict the yield of designated crop varieties using the large amount of breeding data stored in the Golden Seed Breeding Cloud Platform and meteorological data from the National Meteorological Science Data Center. The prediction system was devised to (a) forecast the yield of designated crop varieties in the target ecological regions, (b) calculate the effects of different environmental factors on the yield of different crop varieties, (c) identify the key growth periods affecting crop yield, and (d) promote crop varieties according to a comprehensive analysis of the promoted variety yield, preferences for different meteorological factors, and climatic characteristics of the target ecological regions. In addition to meteorological factors, soil factors affect crop yield. However, large-scale measurements of soil composition require a large number of sensors and considerable human resources. By using the yield data compensation method, the yield data of predicted varieties across different regions were expanded and corrected, which reduces the yield prediction error caused by soil differences among regions to some extent. In addition, the coefficient of determination (R 2) between actual and predicted yield was improved to 0.82. In addition to predicting the yield of 90 maize varieties in the Huang-Huai-Hai area of China, the preferences of different maize varieties for different environmental factors were analyzed at the same time. CVYPS-VYDC identified the key environmental factors greatly impacting the maize yield, and the proportion by which different factors affected the yield prediction of different maize varieties was determined. Moreover, the growth periods that have great impact on maize yield were identified by analyzing 39 cultivation sites of various maize varieties in the Huang-Huai-Hai area of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: This study aimed to examine the individual and additive-effect relationships between menopausal symptoms and subjective cognitive decline among nurses during menopausal transition., Methods: Between February and September 2019, a convenience sampling strategy was used, involving 1,335 Chinese nurses undergoing menopausal transition. A general information survey that included the Subjective Cognitive Decline Scale and the Menopause Rating Scale was completed. Based on a cut-off point of the subjective cognitive decline score of 7.5, the overall sample was divided into mild and severe groups. Propensity score matching was performed to balance covariates of mild and severe subjective cognitive decline. The individual and cumulative effects of menopausal symptoms and subjective cognitive decline were analyzed using binary logistic regression and the Cochran-Armitage trend test, respectively., Results: After propensity score matching, none of the parameters showed significant differences between the groups. Logistic regression analysis revealed that four menopausal symptoms were closely associated with severe subjective cognitive decline. The Cochran-Armitage trend test indicated odds ratios linking the presence of these symptoms with increased severe subjective cognitive impairment. In addition, nurses simultaneously experiencing two or more core menopausal symptoms were over six times more likely to have severe subjective cognitive decline than nurses experiencing none or one core menopausal symptom during menopausal transition., Conclusions: Individual and additive numbers of menopausal symptoms significantly influenced subjective cognitive decline in nurses during their menopausal transition. These findings suggest that interventions aimed at enhancing the cognitive performance of nurses experiencing menopause should consider menopausal symptoms., Competing Interests: Financial disclosures/Conflicts of interest: None reported., (Copyright © 2024 by The Menopause Society.)

This study investigated the prevalence of the middle mesial canal (MMC) and isthmus in a northern Chinese subpopulation using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). CBCT images of 1060 mandibular first molars (MFMs) were analysed. Data analysis was performed using the chi-square test, t-test, and multiple logistic regression analysis (p < 0.05). The prevalence of MMC and isthmus was 15.2% and 40.6%, respectively. The average dentinal thickness in the danger zone was 1.61 ± 0.14 mm. Patients younger than 40 years were two times more likely to have MMC (odds ratio [OR] = 2.204). Additionally, for every 1 mm reduction in the MB-ML orifice distance, the likelihood of detection of MMC in MFM nearly doubled (OR = 1.738). Furthermore, MFMs with MB-ML isthmus were five times more likely to exhibit MMC than those without it (OR = 4.756). The findings revealed that the prevalence of MMC and isthmus in MFMs is high and suggested that anatomical and demographic variables can serve as valuable indicators for clinicians in anticipating their presence., (© 2023 Australian Society of Endodontology Inc.)

Bamboo heat treatment will cause plenty of release of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the atmosphere which are important precursors for ozone (O 3 ) formation. In this study, dewaxed bamboo was heat-treated at 180 °C for 2 h to investigate the emission characteristics and the formation pathways of VOCs during heat treatment by removing different main components. The results showed that aldehydes (22.61%-57.54%) and esters (14.64%-38.88%) are the primary VOCs released during heat treatment. These compounds mainly originate from the degradation of hemicellulose, lignin, cellulose, and the linkage bonds between them in bamboo. During the bamboo heat treatment, the degradation of CO, CH, and CO bonds in hemicellulose results in the release of 5-hydroxymethylfurfural, 3-furfural, and 1-(+)-ascorbic acid 2,6-dihexadecanoate. The breakage of benzene ring group and the CO and CH bonds of lignin leading to the emission of VOCs including m-Formylphenol, Vanillin, and Syringaldehyde. The degradation of aliphatic CH, CC, and CO bonds in the amorphous region of cellulose contributes to an enhanced release of alcohols, olefins, and alkanes. It is calculated that acids (28.92%-59.47%), esters (10.10%-22.03%) and aldehydes (17.88%-39.91%) released during heat treatment contributed more to Ozone Formation Potential (OFP)., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Purpose: Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) is a dominantly inherited disorder that involves epistaxis, mucocutaneous telangiectases, and visceral arteriovenous malformations (AVMs). This study aims to investigate the genetic causes in a Chinese family with HHT., Methods: HHT was confirmed according to Curaçao's diagnostic criteria. Three patients diagnosed with HHT and healthy members were recruited. Whole-exome sequencing (WES) and sanger sequencing were performed to define the patient's genetically pathogenic factor., Results: The proband presented with recurrent epistaxis, hepatopulmonary arteriovenous malformation, and adenocarcinoma. A novel frameshift mutation (c.1376&#95;1377delAC, p.H459Lfs*41) of the ENG gene was revealed in affected individuals by WES. There was no report of this variant and predicted to be highly damaging by causing truncation of the ENG protein., Conclusion: We report a novel variant in the ENG gene in Chinese that extends the mutational and phenotypic spectra of the ENG gene, and also demonstrates the feasibility of WES in the application of genetic diagnosis of HHT., (© 2023. The Author(s), under exclusive licence to Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature.)

BACKGROUND This study aimed to evaluate the degree of myopia and reduced physical activity in 3600 college students in China between 2018 and 2020. MATERIAL AND METHODS The study included 3600 participants (1742 men and 1858 women) aged 19 to 23 years from a Chinese college. The distribution of the levels of eyesight associated with physical exercise was assessed using the Early Treatment Diabetic Retinopathy Study chart measurement method. RESULTS The rates of myopia of students enrolled students in 2018, 2019, and 2020 were 84.31%, 87.22%, and 89.17%, respectively, which showed an increasing trend (P<0.01). For the students starting in 2018, the rate of myopia showed an upward trend in their 3 years of college (P<0.01). The incidence of myopia was significantly different during the academic year between students who participated and did not participate in sports clubs (P<0.01). CONCLUSIONS The findings from this study showed that between 2018 and 2020 there was a high prevalence of myopia in college students in China, which increased annually and was associated with reduced physical activity while at college. These findings may have public health implications for improving physical activity in this population. Physical exercise could effectively prevent the occurrence of myopia, improve the visual status of students, and alleviate the decline of vision.

Objective of the Study: To identify the pathogenic gene and mutation site of a Chinese family with congenital cataract., Methods: Eight family members and 100 controls were employed, and targeted exome sequencing was used to identify the genetically pathogenic factor of the proband., Results: Targeted next-generation sequencing identified a novel missense mutation c.209A>C (p.Q70P) of CRYBB1 gene in the family. Sanger sequencing results showed that this heterozygous mutation was a causative mutation, which was not found in unaffected family members and healthy controls. Bioinformatics predicts that the effect of this mutation on protein function is probably harmful., Conclusion: We demonstrate that c.209A>C of CRYBB1 gene is a pathogenic mutation in the family of congenital nuclear cataract in this study. This is the first report that this mutation leads to congenital nuclear cataract, which broadens the mutation spectrum of CRYBB1 gene in congenital nuclear cataract.