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This study examines the impact of the Authorized Economic Operator (AEO) certification on export stability. Using a new and unique dataset on AEO certification, combined with the Chinese Customs Enterprise Database and Chinese Industrial Enterprise Database from 2002 to 2013, we find that AEO certification has a positive impact on export stability by employing a staggered difference‐in‐differences empirical strategy. It reduces the likelihood of export failure, enabling certified firms to achieve higher efficiency and maintain competitive advantages in trade risks. The negative effect of AEO certification on export failure is prominent in firms exporting products with higher prices, more physical inspection, and higher requirements of customs clearance time. Along with AEO adoption, certified firms perform better in export stability than non‐certified ones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water demand management adopts economic and non-economic measures to reduce human water use. However, it is argued in this study that water use changes may cause idle water supply facilities and revenue losses, thereby challenging the sustainability of water supply systems in the context of climate change. A co-governance framework was established to inspire practical strategies of sustaining water supply systems by re-evaluating the long-term impacts of water demand changes. This framework adopts a broader view of water demand management by integrating the political, financial, and consumptive needs of the government, the market, and the users in the form of a collaborative strategy coupling both supply-side and demand-side solutions. The proposed framework was applied to the analysis of the sustainability of China's South-to-North Water Diversion Project. It is found that the South-to-North Water Diversion Project is not a simple water supply infrastructure but rather a synthesis of supply-side and demand-side water management solutions. Actively releasing water for ecological and cultural purposes is suggested in this study to maintain the socio-ecological benefits of the project in the context of human water use decline. The economic cost of the water supply could be recovered by ongoing revenues that include not only the water fees charged to users but also the benefits gained from cooperative investment in broader water-related businesses by both the state-owned water transfer company and local governments in water-receiving areas. The proposed framework and strategies are valuable for other water utilities around the world, especially those challenged by reduced water demand caused by climate change, high water prices, and economic depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND: Visual vertigo (VV) is a disease characterized by various visual signal-induced discomforts, including dizziness, unsteady balance, activity avoiding, and so forth. Distinguishing it from other kinds of dizziness is important because it needs the combination of visual training and vestibular rehabilitation together. However, there is no appropriate tool to diagnose VV in China, thus we would like to introduce an effective tool to China. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to establish the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of visual vertigo analogue scale (VVAS-CH) and to achieve its cross-cultural adaptation in order to promote its further usage in China. METHODS: A total of 1681 patients complaining of vertigo or dizziness were enrolled and they were asked to complete the VVAS-CH. The cross-cultural adaptation, reliability and construct validity of the VVAS-CH were determined. RESULTS: Split-half reliability was 0.939, showing a good reliability. Factor analysis identified only one common factor for the nine items that explained 64.83% of the total variance. Most fit indices reached acceptable levels, proving the good fit of the VVAS-CH model. CONCLUSIONS: The VVAS-CH validated in this study can be used as an effective tool for diagnosing and evaluating VV in patients whose native language is Chinese. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Conducting of clinical trials for rare diseases faces multiple challenges. Patients' cognition and attitude toward clinical trials are crucial, which may affect their participation and compliance, and affect the schedule of clinical trials eventually. Objective and Method: This study aims to explore the knowledge and attitudes of clinical trials of patients with rare diseases or patients' guardians. An anonymous cross-sectional survey was conducted from November 1, 2021, to November 30, 2021. A total of 1131 valid questionnaires were included. Among them, 417 were filled in by the patients themselves, and 714 were answered by the patients' guardians. Results: The average score of clinical trial knowledge of the patients (8.25) was lower than that of the guardians (8.85). The willingness of the patients to participate in clinical trials was high (4.28), and the willingness of the patients' guardians was also high for patients to participate in clinical trials (4.35). The main promoting factors of clinical trial participation were the possibility of curing the disease. The main hindering factors of participation in clinical trials were lack of access to clinical trial information and concern about the safety and effectiveness of the trial drug. Conclusions: In conclusion, most respondents had some basic knowledge of clinical trials and high willingness to participate in clinical trials. But there were some cognitive deficiencies about clinical trials and many hindering factors to participate in clinical trials. Clinical trials of rare diseases should be patient-centered and truly meet the unmet clinical, psychological, and social needs of patients with rare diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In order to meet the unmet needs of rare disease patients in China, importing orphan drugs is an important way. The objectives of this study were to investigate the marketing trend of orphan drugs approved by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and imported by China, to examine the orphan drug lag between China and the United States. Methods: This study analyzes the orphan drugs approved by FDA and imported by China from January 2010 to December 2021. The approval lag for orphan drugs between China and the US was calculated and analyzed by approval time. Factors potentially affecting the approval lag, such as target disease, ATC classification, formulation, corporation name, drug type, and whether the indications belong to the first batch of rare diseases catalogue were investigated. Results: The number of FDA-approved orphan drugs imported by China is increasing year by year, and the approval lag of these drugs is gradually decreasing, especially in the classification of Non-L, Injections, Non-United States, and biological product. Compared with 2010–2015, the approval lag of total drugs in the study was significantly improved in 2016–2021 (1977 days) compared with 2010–2015 (3928 days). Conclusion: China's groundbreaking regulatory reforms of drugs since 2015 had made significant progress in reducing orphan drug lags, but there is still considerable room for progress. We should more actively promote the approval of rare disease drugs in China, establish a better approval mechanism, and enable Chinese patients with rare diseases to receive drug treatment in a timely manner. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water demand management adopts economic and non-economic measures to reduce human water use. However, it is argued in this study that water use changes may cause idle water supply facilities and revenue losses, thereby challenging the sustainability of water supply systems in the context of climate change. A co-governance framework was established to inspire practical strategies of sustaining water supply systems by re-evaluating the long-term impacts of water demand changes. This framework integrates the political, financial, and consumptive needs of the government, the market, and the users through a collaborative strategy coupling both supply-side and demand-side solutions. The proposed framework was applied to the analysis of the sustainability of China's South-to-North Water Diversion Project. It is found that the South-to-North Water Diversion Project is not a simple water supply infrastructure but rather a synthesis of supply-side and demand-side water management solutions. Actively releasing water for ecological and cultural purposes is suggested in this study to maintain the socioecological benefits of the project in the context of human water use decline. The economic cost of the water supply could be recovered by ongoing revenues that include not only the water fees charged to users but also the benefits gained from cooperative investment in broader water-related businesses by both the state-owned water-transfer company and local governments in water-receiving areas. The proposed framework and strategies are valuable for other water utilities around the world, especially those challenged by reduced water demand caused by climate change, high water prices, and economic depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Reservoirs are susceptible to interference from inter-basin water transfer projects intended to relieve serious water shortages. The Central Route of the South-to-North Water Division Project in China has altered the hydrological conditions and water storage status of the terminal reservoir, the Miyun Reservoir, thereby affecting the flood control reliability in the Chaobai River Basin. In this study, a dual-objective five-reservoir operation model was developed, in which reservoir releases are obtained through piecewise linear operating rules. The model considers the flooding risks both downstream of the basin and in the Miyun reservoir area. A parameterization-simulation-optimization approach was employed to obtain the Pareto-optimal front, providing decision-makers with a list of optimal rule parameters to select and match their own risk preferences. All optimized rules could ensure safe operation during the designed floods to be expected once (or more than once) every thousand years. In contrast, the current flood operation schemes largely ignore the water transfer between basins but primarily concentrate on storing water from floods. Thus, the Miyun Reservoir, whose design return period is 1000 years, can easily become filled during a 100-year flood, impeding the system's flood control capacity. Compared to the operating rule optimized in this study, the current schemes result in a 10.5% higher upstream inundation loss and an unsatisfactory 17 million CNY of equivalent water transfer loss. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper takes the China's A-share listed companies in the heavy pollution industry from 2010 to 2021 as the research sample and constructs a corresponding model to explore the existence, heterogeneity, and economic consequences of peer effect of green innovation. The results show that the enterprises' green innovation not only has strategic behaviors of direct imitation, but also receives the environmental information disclosed by peer enterprises to correct their own decision-making; that is, there are two types of peer effects: imitation and reference. At the same time, the enterprises tend to imitate and learn from large-scale and high-quality enterprises with high governance level while making decisions on green innovation. External situational characteristics can moderate the peer effects of green innovation. The strengthening of intellectual property protection and the improvement of market competition will promote mutual learning and reference among enterprises, and the improvement of the institutional environment will inhibit the interaction of enterprises. Further analysis shows that the peer effect of imitation amplifies the promoting effect of green innovation on business performance, while the peer effect of reference does not show obvious spillover characteristics. The above analysis is helpful to reveal the more real decision-making motivation and potential driving mechanism for enterprises to take green innovation actions and provides new ideas and experience for green innovation to serve the development of entity enterprises. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Effective measures to improve road accessibility during storms are required as traffic congestion caused by storm floods increasingly constrains the efficiency of urban commuting. However, flood impacts on urban road connectivity are not yet well assessed due to inaccurate simulation of flood processes in urban areas where high-resolution data for drainage networks and gauged hydrological data are insufficient. Thus, this study assesses flood impacts on road network connectivity in an urban area of southern China through joint modeling of 1-D hydrodynamic processes in drainage networks and 2-D flood inundation processes on roads using MIKE Urban and MIKE 21. High-resolution DEM images of 5 m and a drainage network of 5635 pipelines were used for urban hydrological simulation. Flood depths were gauged for model calibration and validation by recruited volunteers in the context of citizen science. The results show that road network connectivity decreases as rainfall increases. More than 40% of road connectivity is lost in the study area when a 1-in-100-year return period rainfall occurs. The study results can help to inform more adaptive strategies for local flood control. The study methods are also applicable to improving urban hydrological modeling in broader regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To support the implementation of China's carbon neutrality target, this study assesses the impact of future climate change on hydroelectricity production (HP) in China. We developed a hydropower database for mainland China, which covers 92% of the installed capacity indicated by national statistics (352 GW in 2018). An HP model was applied to simulate monthly HP by 3,521 conventional plants at different levels of global warming (1°, 1.5°, 2°, and 3°C above preindustrial) using an ensemble of monthly streamflow time series computed by five global hydrological models (GHMs), where each global hydrological model was driven by four global climate models (GCMs). With a probability of 80%, limiting global warming to 1.5°C will constrain changes of national HP to the range of −1.4%–2.5% as compared to near‐present climate (1°C). In case of a 3°C world, this range more than doubles. HP is projected to likely increase in the two provinces Sichuan and Yunnan that encompass more than half of China's installed capacity. However, with a probability of about 10%, HP may decrease in a 3°C world by more than 15% in five provinces, and 40% of the installed capacity may suffer from an HP decrease of more than 5%. The uncertainty of projected HP changes is mainly due to the GCMs. We found that relative changes in annual HP and streamflow often differ in magnitude and direction as HP depends on seasonal streamflow patterns and installed capacities that determine the maximum flow through the turbines. Key Points: A new hydropower database for mainland China was compliedSignificant reductions due to climate change cannot be precluded for 40% of the installed capacityChanges in annual hydroelectricity production and streamflow often differ in magnitude and direction [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the theory of trade added value, this paper discusses the potential actual trade scale and benefit damage degree of the two countries under the background of big country game by measuring the real trade scale of China and the USA, simulating the economic impact of tariffs imposed by China and the USA and utilizing Wang–Wei–Zhu (WWZ) method to decompose the potential changes in Sino-US trade. The results show that: firstly, the size of China-US trade in terms of total value is significantly overestimated and China's overall trade with the USA in 2001–2014 was overestimated by an average of 3.06 percent, of which goods trade was overestimated by 8.06 percent. Secondly, although tariff increases can reduce the degree of trade imbalance between China and the USA to some extent, the adverse effects are mutual and global, and the European Union, the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), Japan and Canada become the main transfer countries of Sino-US trade. Thirdly, the pattern of China's final exports and the US' intermediate exports determines that China's trade interests are more damaged than those of the USA. It is proved that there is a big gap between China and the USA in the depth and breadth of China's participation in the value chain division of labor and the trade scale measured by Gross Domestic Product is more instructive than the total value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

What hurdles lie in the path of the Chinese government's plan to introduce water trading? This question is addressed by reviewing lessons from establishing water markets in Australia, and then assessing an early scheme to create them in China. In Australia, markets in water opened up over several decades, with gradual recognition of what was needed to avoid negative third-party effects. Trading there is now crucial: in drought years nearly half the water used by farmers is traded. Australia's experience throws light on the key requirements for a water market – though markets in China will, naturally, be fashioned to suit its own conditions. The pilot work by Tsinghua University in Gansu Province has led the way in having trading at the local level in China. Compared with Australia, however, rights are not as tradeable, metering is poor, and plots are tiny. Trading has mostly been by water user associations, made up of several hundred farmers, but this dampens the incentives that make markets effective – and can upset individual farmers. Possible ways past these hurdles are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deep learning methods, which have strong capabilities for mapping highly nonlinear relationships with acceptable calculation speed, have been increasingly applied for water quality prediction in recent studies. However, it is argued that the practicality of deep learning methods is limited due to the lack of physical mechanics to explain the prediction results of water quality changes. A knowledge gap exists in rationalizing the deep learning results for water quality predictions. To address this gap, an interpretable deep learning framework was established to predict the spatiotemporal variations of water quality parameters in a large spatial region. Mereological, land-use, and socioeconomic variables were adopted to predict the daily variations of stream water quality parameters across 138 sub-catchments in a total of over 575,250 km2 in southern China. The coefficients of determination of chemical oxygen demand (COD), total phosphorus (TP), and total nitrogen (TN) predictions were over 0.80, suggesting a satisfactory prediction performance. The model performance in terms of prediction accuracy could be improved by involving land-use and socioeconomic predictors in addition to hydrological variables. The SHapley Additive exPlanations method used in this study was demonstrated to be effective for interpreting the prediction results by identifying the significant variables and reasoning their influencing directions on the variation of each water quality parameter. The air temperature, proportion of forest area, grain production, population density, and proportion of urban area in each sub-catchment as well as the accumulated rainfall within the previous 3 days were identified as the most significant variables affecting the variations of dissolved oxygen, COD, ammoniacal nitrogen(NH 3 –N), TN, TP, and turbidity in the stream water in the case area, respectively. [Display omitted] • An innovative interpretable deep learning method on water quality predictions. • The SHapley Additive exPlanations method could interpret the prediction results. • Economic categorical data could explain water quality variations at a large scale. • The prediction accuracy could be improved by involving land-use predictors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Optimal scheduling of water pumping reduces energy uses of a water transfer project. • Using lateral inflows along the transfer route reduces the water pumping. • Water supplies in the middle section of the transfer route are more vulnerable. • Flexible water pricing is required in the context of hydrological variability. Energy efficiency plays an important role in the sustainable operation of the world's largest water transfer project, i.e., China's South-to-North Water Transfer Project, by reducing its energy-related operating costs. However, effective energy-saving measures are still under development for the project due to its huge scale and complexity. An optimized operational model was established in this study to reduce the energy use of the eastern route of the South-to-North Water Transfer Project by optimally scheduling the water-pumping process of the different pumps along the transfer route in the context of hydrological variability. The optimized operational rules and recommended operational parameters were obtained. The results show that the proposed operational rules in the form of piecewise functions can reduce the water pumping of the project, thus providing a basis for reducing energy consumption. The energy use of the project's water pumping could also be reduced in the wet years by using the local water in midstream lakes along the transfer route rather than the pumped water from the Yangtze River at the southern terminus of the route. In addition, it was also found that the initial water storage of the lakes along the southern part of the route has a greater impact on the volume of the water pumping. Raising the water levels of these southern lakes using local runoff at the beginning of a year would help reduce the subsequent water pumping from the Yangtze River and the relative energy use of the project. In addition. the key areas for energy-saving along the eastern route of the South–North Water Transfer Project were identified, providing new insights for understanding the water-energy nexus behaviors of a long-distance water transfer project. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Physicians play an important role in clinical trials, but attitudes toward clinical trials among physicians with different levels of experience have seldom been studied. The objective of this study was to assess the different attitudes toward clinical trials among junior, intermediate, and senior physicians. Methods: An anonymous cross-sectional survey was conducted between April 1 and May 1, 2015. A total of 217 physicians (66 junior, 86 intermediate, and 65 senior positions) completed and submitted the validated questionnaires. Results: The surveyed physicians responded with a high degree of agreement on the necessity of conducting clinical trials. Senior and intermediate physicians considered most about helping patients with new treatments in conducting a clinical trial. For junior physicians, the opportunity to have access to clinical trial methodology and enhancing their reputation in society or in the hospital were the 2 most significant factors. In addition, physicians with lower titles perceived greater difficulties in conducting clinical trials, especially in communicating with the Good Clinical Practice (GCP) office and the trial sponsor, enrolling trial participants, and obtaining informed consent. Conclusions: Our results revealed that physicians with different positional titles perceived different benefits and difficulties in conducting clinical trials. Junior physicians need more administrative assistance in clinical trials and related training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Water rights management modeling was considered the useful measure to ensure efficient water resources allocation and to avoid intensifying conflicts over water rights. Regarding to the two major patterns of water rights across the world, namely, quantitative water rights (QWR) and duration-based water rights (DWR), the corresponding measures are fastidious. Since QWR was established to set water entitlements instead of DWR in Heihe River Basin, China, the disability of usual DWR tool, managing water diversion by water intakes closing (WIC) during a certain period, has arisen increasingly. The historical data also reflected the low reliability of DWR in allocating water resources quantitatively without modeling guidelines. Aimed at the challenge, a modeling framework and a mixed integer optimization model (MIOM) combing QWR objectives and DWR tools were developed, by which the optimal schemes in Pareto frontier were found to improve the water intake on/off events, including WIC stages, duration days, and starting date through long term series probability analysis and historical data. Results showed that the reliability of DWR allocation was enhanced and WIC duration was reduced significantly compared with current regulation. Scenario analyses indicated that MIOM was powerful for assisting DWR tool to manage QWR and the proposed framework was able to manage water rights efficiently in comparable basins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In China, the allocation of water rights in river basins is customarily determined by annual mean volumes of water resources. However, seasonal variability of water availability should be considered for an effective and flexible allocation policy. This paper summarizes a framework for seasonal water allocation. It proposes a modified rule for seasonal water allocation on the basis of the traditional rule used in China and introduces a risk analysis model to assess the performance improvement of the proposed rule when dealing with hydrologic variability in the context of a water rights system. The framework and models were applied to the Shiyang River Basin, Gansu Province, China, and they indicated that seasonally allocated water under the modified rule is more stable and has a lower risk for water use than a rule based on annual mean volumes. This leads to more reliable supplies over the seasons and could provide an effective method for water rights operation in the Shiyang River Basin. It also presents a useful reference for water resource management in other water-deficient regions of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Granitic pegmatites and associated rare-metal deposits, unique features in the Altay orogen, are located in a key tectonic position of the southern Central Asian Orogenic Belt (CAOB) and document the tectonic evolution of the Paleo-Asian Ocean. The Kelumute No. 112 pegmatite, which intruded into the Jideke two-mica granites, hosts abundant rare-metal (e.g., Li, Be, Nb, Ta) ore deposits and ranks only second to the Koktokay No. 3 pegmatite in both size and reserves. To explore the evolution time limitation of magmatic, magmatic–hydrothermal and hydrothermal stages in the pegmatite magma system, the tectonic setting and the genetic relationship between pegmatites and granites, this study presents zircon U isotopic compositions of the Kelumute No. 112 pegmatite and the wall rocks (two-mica granite and biotite granite) as determined by LA-ICPMS and LA-MC-ICPMS. The weighted mean 206Pb/238U ages of the internal textural zones of the pegmatite, including zones I, II, III, V and VI, are 238.3±2.0Ma, 233.5±3.7Ma, 188.3±1.7Ma, 218.8±1.9Ma and 210.7±1.6Ma, respectively. Wall rocks of two-mica granite and biotite granite are dated at 445.6±4.3Ma and 455.6±5.4Ma, respectively. Zircons from the Kelumute No. 112 pegmatite have lower positive εHf(t) values (+0.03 to +2.35), with TDM model ages of 1112–1225Ma. Wall rocks show similar zircon εHf(t) values (−1.41 to +4.13) and TDM model ages (1172 to 1515Ma). However, three xenocrystic zircons from the granites are characterized by larger negative εHf(t) values (−5.85 to −9.83) and older TDM model ages (1839 to 2090Ma). Thus, the following conclusions can be drawn: 1) the Kelumute No. 112 pegmatite and its wall rocks (Jideke two-mica granite and biotite granite) have no genetic relationship, as indicated by the large gaps between their formation ages. However, they did originate from a common source composed of ancient crust and mantle-derived materials under two different tectonic settings; 2) the magmatic, magmatic–hydrothermal transition and hydrothermal stages of the No. 112 pegmatite magma lasted for ~5Ma, ~23Ma and ~22Ma, respectively; and 3) the No. 112 pegmatite magma was most likely formed in a post-collision tectonic setting, indicating that block amalgamation and collisional orogeny of the CAOB continued into the Triassic. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Pubic water rights allocation, in which water resources are allocated to users administratively as shared public property, is an effective and powerful policy for water resource management. Dozens of public water right allocation systems have been established in China since 1998 without any unified standard across the country. An indicator-based assessment approach, based on equity, efficiency and sustainability, is proposed in this study to evaluate the performance of public water rights allocation systems in China in a quantitative way. The approach was applied in 11 river basins of China in which water rights have been defined. The results show that the performance of the allocation systems depends on the spatial density and exploitation ratio of the water resources. The performance of allocated water rights systems is better in river basins with greater resource densities and smaller water exploitation ratios. This assessment approach is very useful for evaluating policy options for public water rights allocation with appropriate consideration of the local conditions of the river basins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Chinese colleges, there exist many problems on the guiding principle, content of courses, methods of psychological experiment teaching (PET), which influence the efficiency of teaching negatively. After the thorough analysis on the need and characteristics of psychological experiment teaching, the researchers propose that the innovation of PET should be implemented with the guidance of research-based teaching theory, understand the targets of experiment teaching holistically, unscramble the relation between the experimentation curriculums, carry out the aim of PET in three phases, utilize the apparatus sufficiently and explore creative method of teaching. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In order to supply water for growing industrial needs in Ordos City, Hangjin Irrigation District on the south bank of the Yellow River, Inner Mongolia has traded some of its irrigation water to downstream factories. The trading is termed “irrigation water-saving supported by industrial investment, with saved water traded to industry”. At the same time, Hangjin Irrigation District has conducted a comprehensive reform of irrigation water management focused on water rights. This paper describes the current status of water management in the district, outlines some of the problems water trading has produced, and presents a framework for further water rights reform focused on rights allocation, the granting of volumetrically-capped water certificates and tickets, water use planning and monitoring, and the responsibilities of water user associations in ensuring that individual farmers receive fair allocations. The paper then summarizes key recommendations of relevance to Hangjin and other irrigation districts in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper summarizes water rights allocation principles based on the experience of international and domestic water rights allocation, and presents a water rights allocation model based on the principles of security, sustainability, fairness and efficiency. Applying the model to the Shiyang River Basin in Gansu Province, China, surface water and the groundwater rights in the basin are defined and allocated for current and future years. A comparison between allocation results from this study and water allocation plans set out in the “Focus Restoration Plan of Shiyang River Basin” demonstrates that water allocation based on current levels and patterns of water use is relatively straightforward, but that defining and allocating rights according to future demands and management needs is more uncertain. Nevertheless, to address the serious problem of water resource over-exploitation in the Shiyang River Basin, an initial water rights allocation based on future projections of planned water use is proposed. This will help support water conservation efforts in areas such as Minqin County, a downstream area of the Shiyang River where water resources degradation is particularly severe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Shuangshan alkaline complex located in the Henan province of China is a newly discovered, potentially giant niobium (Nb) deposit. A variety of Nb-bearing minerals including pyrochlore, zircon, and titanite have been identified in this deposit. Distinct textural and chemical differences of pyrochlore and zircon indicate that both have different origins. The magmatic pyrochlore and zircon both have euhedral grains with small sizes. On the other hand, hydrothermal pyrochlore is mainly intergrown on the edge or inside of hydrothermal zircon in the form of an aggregate. Compared with magmatic pyrochlore, the contents of F, Ca, and Na in hydrothermal pyrochlore are obviously high. The texture and composition of hydrothermal pyrochlore and zircon indicate that Ca-bearing hydrothermal alteration resulted in the migration of Nb from Nb-bearing zircon and the reprecipitation of Nb to form aggregate pyrochlore. However, the quantitative calculation shows that the amount of Nb migrated from zircon is very small. Therefore, this study suggests that hydrothermal alteration plays a certain role in the redistribution of Nb, but the enrichment of Nb is limited. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• The spatial–temporal and source-differentiation relationships between the Fanjingshan granite and pegmatite are proved. • The Fanjingshan granite and pegmatite could be sourced from the Taojinhe Formation. • The Neoproterozoic granitoids in the western JO have larger ore-forming potential than those in the eastern JO. • The multiple generations of rare metal ore deposits in South China have a common source from the Paleoproterozoic crust. • The western JO shows source inheritance from the Cathaysia Block. Recent studies have demonstrated the Mesozoic explosive metallogeny of rare metals in China; however, Precambrian rare metal mineralization event is rarely reported or studied. The Jiangnan Orogen (JO) is a well-preserved Neoproterozoic orogenic belt in South China, and although it abounds with a huge amount of Neoproterozoic granitoids, lacks the equivalent amount granitic pegmatite. In this study, the geology, mineralogy, whole-rock composition, zircon U-Pb age and Hf isotope compositions of the Fanjingshan granite and surrounding rare metal pegmatites, and bulk composition of sedimentary wall rocks of the Taojinhe Formation in Guizhou province, western Jiangnan Orogen (JO), were studied to reveal the petrogenesis of the granite and pegmatite and the source relationship of the pegmatite with the Paleozoic and Mesozoic rare metal ore deposits in South China. The Fanjingshan granite and pegmatite both show Sn-Ta-Nb mineralization and have consistent zircon U-Pb ages of ca. 830 Ma, indicating the existence of the Neoproterozoic rare metal granite-pegmatite suite in the JO. The geology, mineralogy, whole-rock composition and zircon U-Pb age and Hf isotope study results demonstrate that the Fanjingshan rare metal pegmatite belongs to the Li-P-B-Sn-Ta-Nb granitic pegmatite in the Chemical composition-Mineral assemblage-Structural geology (CMS) classification (Dill, 2016), and has close spatial–temporal and source-differentiation connections with the Fanjingshan granite. The petrography and whole-rock composition studies revealed that the Taojinhe formation was formed by the deposition of mature and immature source materials from acidic igneous rocks in a continental arc setting. Comparison of the Hf isotope compositions of the Fangjingshan granite-pegmatite suite with those of the Fangjinshan Group and the high Li, Sn, Rb, W, Ta and Nb background concentrations in the Taojinhe Formation support the conclusion that the Taojinhe Formation was a contributing source to the granite-pegmatite suite. A comparative study of the Fanjingshan granite with synchronous S-type granitoids revealed that the granitoids in the eastern and western JO have distinct sources and degrees of differentiation, indicating the limited ore-forming potential of the Neoproterozoic granitoids in the eastern JO. The Fanjingshan rare-metal granite-pegmatite suite has consistent Hf isotope model ages of 1.6–2.3 Ga with the Paleozoic and Mesozoic Nb-Ta ± Sn-W ± Be-Li ore deposits in South China, indicating a common origin from the Paleoproterozoic crust and the source inheritance of the western JO from the Cathaysia Block. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The LCT pegmatites were formed at early Cretaceous, with decreasing ages from the barren pegmatite to the Li-rich pegmatite. • The pegmatites have an inherited source from the back-arc sedimentary rocks of the Neoproterozoic Jiangnan Orogenic Belt; • A parallel differentiation model was proposed for origin of the LCT type pegmatite. According to the classical petrogenesis model, Li-, Cs-, and Ta-rich (LCT) pegmatites juxtaposed in the same regional zonation are generally formed by unidirectional successive crystallization differentiation of the common parental granitic melt. However, this model cannot explain the origin of the Mesozoic LCT pegmatites from the East Jiangnan Orogenic Belt (JOB), South China. Herein, we studied the geology, zircon U–Pb ages, Hf isotope compositions, monazite U–Th–Pb ages, and Nd isotope compositions of three types of pegmatites in Renli, East JOB, South China to reveal their petrogenesis. The Renli pegmatites distributed in or around the Mufushan batholith, show mineralization zoning with distance from the batholith. The studied pegmatites were formed at the Early Cretaceous, with a decreasing trend from ca. 141 Ma for two-mica microcline pegmatite (type I) to 134 Ma for muscovite–albite–spodumene pegmatite (type III). The Renli pegmatites have coupled Hf–Nd isotope compositions and consistent Hf isotope compositions with the Mufushan granites. From the spatial–temporal, source and differentiation relationships between the Renli pegmatites and the Mufushan granites, we propose that type I pegmatites originates from biotite monzogranite while type II (muscovite–microcline–albite pegmatite) and type III pegmatites originate from the two-mica monzogranite and muscovite monzogranite, respectively, indicating a new model of parallel differentiations of triple granitic melts for the origin of LCT pegmatites in South China. The Renli pegmatites have a similar Hf isotope composition to the Neoproterozoic granitoids and the backarc sedimentary rocks of the Lengjiaxi Group formed during the Jiangnan orogeny. Combining with previous studies, we suggest that the Mesozoic Renli LCT pegmatites originated from reworking materials of the Neoproterozoic JOB caused by slab roll back of the paleo-Pacific Ocean plate during subduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Organophosphate esters (OPs) are substitutes for polybrominated diphenyl ether (PBDE) flame retardants. China is the largest producer of OPs globally, with the production rate increasing at 15% annually. Since some OPs are neurodevelopmental and/or carcinogenic toxicants, human exposure is a concern. In this study, concentrations of eight OP metabolites (mOPs) were measured in human urine samples collected from 13 cities located in Northern, Eastern, Southern, and Southwestern China. All target mOPs were frequently detected with detection rates of 50% to 100%, indicating widespread human exposure to OPs. Bis(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (BCEP; median: 0.68 ng/mL), bis(1-chloro-2-propyl) phosphate (BCIPP; 0.30 ng/mL), diphenyl phosphate (DPHP; 0.30 ng/mL), and dibutyl phosphate (DBP; 0.29 ng/mL) were the dominant mOPs across all participants. Regional differences in concentrations (ΣmOPs varied from 0.86 to 3.7 ng/mL) and composition profiles (contribution of chlorinated mOPs to ΣmOPs varied from 35% to 95%) of mOPs were observed within China. In comparison to the concentrations reported worldwide, urinary DPHP and bis(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (BDCIPP) levels in China were lower, whereas BCEP and DBP levels were comparable or higher. The total daily intake (TDI) of tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP), tris(1,3-dichloro-2-propyl) phosphate (TDCIPP) and triphenyl phosphate (TPHP) were estimated from daily urine excretion rate and the fraction of OP metabolized in human liver microsomes (TDI HLM) or S9 fraction (TDI S9). The intake estimates showed that Chinese residents were exposed to TCEP from 96.9 to 46,700 (or 52.2 to 25,200) ng/kg bw/day. Depending on the reference dose, we found that approximately 5% of the individuals exceeded the limit (i.e., 2200 ng/kg bw/day) for TCEP intake. To our knowledge, this is the first nationwide baseline survey to determine urinary levels of mOPs in Chinese residents. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • First nationwide baseline survey of urinary mOPs levels in China • Chinese residents are widely exposed to OPs, regardless of sampling locations. • BCEP, BCIPP, DPHP and DBP were the dominated mOPs. • BCEP and DBP levels in China were comparable or higher than those in various countries. • Potential health risk of human TCEP exposure was identified. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • The age of apatite, cassiterite, columbite-tantalite (coltan) from five zones in Nanping No.31Li–Cs–Ta-rich type pegmatite deposit show remarkable two group ages (370–390 Ma and 145–160 Ma). The older age represents the emplacement time of this pegmatite vein, and the much younger age record this pegmatite experienced a severe thermal disturbance event. • Only coltan have a consistent age (380 ± 10 Ma) in five zones. The results show that the sequence of minerals suitable for Li–Cs–Ta-rich type pegmatite is as follows: coltan > cassiterite ≈ zircon > apatite. • The zone dominated by fine-grained sodic plagioclase (zone II in Nanping No.31 pegmatite vein) is more easily disturbed by later geological processes. Accurate dating of the pegmatite is a challenge due to the uncertainty and controversy of crystallization temperature, fractionation model, and cooling mechanism. In this study, the sizable Nanping No.31 pegmatite vein (southeast China) contain five structural zones that is considered as an ideal example for assessing credible dating method on rare metals pegmatite deposit. The CMS (Chemical composition-Mineral assemblage-Structural geology) classification is applied on the Nanping pegmatite. The No. 31 vein is identified as pegmatite by CMS features. New U–Pb dating CGMs (columbite-tantalite group minerals) in five zones have a consistent age (380 ± 10 Ma). Whilst U–Pb dating of apatite and cassiterite from different structural zones show remarkable two group isotopic ages (370–390 Ma and 145–160 Ma). The much younger age indicated the pegmatite vein has experienced a severe Yanshanian tectono-thermal event at Eastern China. By comparison with apatite, cassiterite and zircon, CGMs is the most suitable mineral for accurate dating of the pegmatite because the dating results of the minerals are much stable, even having metamictization caused by high U content or overprinting by late hydrothermal activity. This study provided new insight into the dating methods for rare metals pegmatites to accurate restrict its metallogenetic geodynamical setting. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Li mineralization of spodumene-bearing pegmatites in the Altai is mainly controlled by melt fractional crystallization. • Li gradually accumulates during magmatic-hydrothermal progress from the outer zones to inner zones. • The late-stage hydrothermal fluids mainly composed of Na, K, Ca-rich fluids and Li, F-rich fluids. • The reactivation and migration of Li in the hydrothermal stage would destroy Li mineralization in the magmatic stage. Pegmatite lithium (Li) deposits are usually associated with high fractionation and complex evolution of the magmatic–hydrothermal system. However, the mechanism that accounts for the evolution of the magmatic–hydrothermal system and Li mineralization remains unclear. The Li-mineralized pegmatites in the Altai orogenic belt in northwest of China, including the Koktokay No.3 pegmatite, Xiaohusite No.91 pegmatite, and Talati No.1 pegmatite used in this study, show different rock-formation ages and ore deposit scales but similar magmatic–hydrothermal evolution and ore mineral assemblage. This study focuses on the relative contributions of magmatic and hydrothermal processes to the formation of Li deposits. Therefore, the texture and compositions of Li-rich minerals (micas, spodumene, montebrasite, and holmquistite) were systematically analyzed in these three pegmatites. From the outer to the inner zones of the studied pegmatites, micas varied from muscovite to Li-bearing muscovite and Li-bearing phengite to zinnwaldite to lepidolite, with decreasing K/Rb ratios (27.4–5.3, 27.0–4.1, and 15.5–5.0, respectively, in Koktokay No.3 pegmatite, Xiaohusite No.91 pegmatite and Talati No.1 pegmatite) and increasing Li (545–12540, 652–35519, and 627–2599 ppm), Rb (3388–16820, 3447–20970, and 5930–17096 ppm), Cs, Ta, and F concentrations, showing that fractional crystallization is the most important factor controlling Li mineralization in the magmatic stage. However, primary muscovite, spodumene, and montebrasite were altered by subsequent hydrothermal fluids, forming F, Li-rich mica rims, secondary montebrasite, secondary spodumene, and other secondary minerals. The occurrence of holmquistite indicated that Li-rich hydrothermal fluids entered into wall rock. These processes indicate that Li reactivation and migration during the hydrothermal stage would destroy Li mineralization in the pegmatite. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Thus far, the effect of environmental antibiotics exposure to offspring's growth remains unclear. Here we aimed to evaluate whether and to what extent environmental antibiotics exposure is associated with fetal and postnatal growth. A total of 735 pregnant women and their full-term offspring from the Shanghai Obesity Birth Cohort were involved in the study. Maternal urine specimen was collected during the third trimester, and urinary concentration of fifteen environmental antibiotics was measured by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and enzymatic method. Children were followed at birth, 12, 24 and 60 months, and growth parameters of the weight and height of children were recorded. Linear regression model was applied, and it was found that maternal veterinary antibiotic (VA) concentration was negatively associated with birth weight and ponderal index [per natural-logarithm (ln)-unit: adjusted β (95% confidence interval, CI) = – 42.1 (– 74.0, – 10.3) for birth weight, –0.11 (– 0.19, – 0.02) for birth weight z-score, and – 0.03 (– 0.05, – 0.002) for ponderal index]. Regarding specific VA, each ln-unit increment of florfenicol concentrations was likely to be associate with 39.7 g (95%CI: – 69.3, – 10.1) reduced birth weight, 0.10 (95%CI: – 0.18, – 0.02) reduced birth weight z-score, and 0.02 g/cm3 (95%CI: – 0.04, – 0.00) reduced ponderal index. Ciprofloxacin, a preferred-as-veterinary antibiotic, showed a similar dose-response relationship with neonatal anthropometric parameters to florfenicol. However, these adverse effects diminished as children grew up to 12-, 24- and 60-month-old. Larger prospective cohort studies and animal experiments are warranted to verify the hypothesis that environmental antibiotics exposure in early life, even at low doses, may cause fetal growth restriction. [Display omitted] • Nearly three quarters of fetuses were exposed to low-dose veterinary antibiotics. • Prenatal veterinary antibiotics exposure may be inversely associated with birth weight. • Ciprofloxacin and florfenicol were the main contributors to the decreased fetal growth. • The adverse effects of veterinary antibiotics diminished as children grew up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Visual vertigo (VV) is a disease characterized by various visual signal-induced discomforts, including dizziness, unsteady balance, activity avoiding, and so forth. Distinguishing it from other kinds of dizziness is important because it needs the combination of visual training and vestibular rehabilitation together. However, there is no appropriate tool to diagnose VV in China, thus we would like to introduce an effective tool to China., Objective: The aim of this study was to establish the reliability and validity of the Chinese version of visual vertigo analogue scale (VVAS-CH) and to achieve its cross-cultural adaptation in order to promote its further usage in China., Methods: A total of 1681 patients complaining of vertigo or dizziness were enrolled and they were asked to complete the VVAS-CH. The cross-cultural adaptation, reliability and construct validity of the VVAS-CH were determined., Results: Split-half reliability was 0.939, showing a good reliability. Factor analysis identified only one common factor for the nine items that explained 64.83% of the total variance. Most fit indices reached acceptable levels, proving the good fit of the VVAS-CH model., Conclusions: The VVAS-CH validated in this study can be used as an effective tool for diagnosing and evaluating VV in patients whose native language is Chinese.

Background: Globally, the prevalence of allergic diseases remains high, as does the level of environmental antibiotics. It has been found that clinical antibiotic application may increase preschool allergy risk. However, few biomonitoring studies have been conducted about the association between early life environmental trace dose antibiotic exposure and preschool allergy., Objective: To analyze the association between prenatal environmental antibiotic levels and allergic diseases using logistic regression models., Methods: A total of 743 pregnant women and their offspring from the Shanghai Allergy Birth Cohort completed five years follow-up, and 251 mother-infant pairs were finally included. Maternal urine samples were collected for 15 antibiotic quantitative measurements using liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry. The high-antibiotic group was defined as having at least half of antibiotics exceeding the median concentration. Allergic diseases were assessed by clinicians through clinical history, standardized questionnaires, and annual physical examinations until the age of five. Skin-prick-test (SPT) was performed at 5 years old., Results: The incidence of allergic diseases was generally higher in the high-antibiotic than that in the low-antibiotic group. Compared to the low-comprehensive antibiotic group, children in the high-antibiotic group were weakly associated with allergic diseases but had a 6-fold increased risk of food allergens sensitivity (OR: 7.09, 95% CI: 1.59, 31.74). Association of above-median single prenatal antibiotic concentration exposure and allergic diseases was also observed (azithromycin and asthma, OR: 2.72, 95% CI: 1.15, 6.42; enrofloxacin and wheeze, OR: 2.22, 95% CI: 1.22, 4.05; trimethoprim and atopic dermatitis, OR: 2.00, 95% CI: 1.08, 3.71). Moreover, children with higher prenatal norfloxacin levels were more sensitive to food allergens (OR: 5.52, 95%CI: 1.54, 19.71)., Conclusion: Early-life environmental antibiotic exposure may be correlated with an increased risk of asthma, wheeze, atopic dermatitis, and SPT positivity for food allergens in 5-year-old children., Competing Interests: The authors declare that the research was conducted in the absence of any commercial or financial relationships that could be construed as a potential conflict of interest., (Copyright © 2022 Zheng, Zeng, Xie, Wu, Liu, Chen, Huang and Zhang.)

Based on social network and regression analyses, this study conducted research with regard to the spatial correlation and effect of carbon emissions in urban agglomerations of the Pearl River Delta (PRD) with the data of prefecture-level cities in Pearl River Delta urban agglomerations from 2001 to 2019. As the results suggested, ① the carbon emission links among cities in PRD urban agglomerations were relatively loose, the subordinate structure changed frequently, and the carbon emission exchanges and cooperation among cities need to be strengthened. ② The core-periphery structure of the spatial correlation network of carbon emissions was loose to a certain extent, the control ability of the central city to the overall network structure was weakened, and the marginal cities gradually changed from being controlled to adopting a controlling role. ③ The improvement in the overall network tightness and stability and the breaking of the network hierarchical structure significantly reduced regional carbon emissions, whereas the improvement in individual network centrality significantly promoted urban carbon emission reduction. The above analysis will help to provide reference for coordinating carbon dioxide emission reduction and low-carbon city development policies.

Background: Rare diseases have been increasingly recognized as unmet medical and health needs worldwide; a growing demand for the development of orphan drugs emerges subsequently. Therefore, it is of great interest for both the Chinese regulatory agency and pharmaceutical companies to keep tract on the clinical development of orphan drugs in China., Objective and Method: This study aims to reveal the current situation and trend of the clinical development of orphan drugs in China, based on the data collected from the Chinese official platform, dating from January 1, 2013 to December 31, 2021., Results: A total of 331 clinical trials for orphan drugs were extracted from the platform, covering 31 rare diseases and 124 drugs. Increases were seen in the annual number of clinical trials and drugs being tested, with a sharp increase after 2018. About the disease types of the 331 trials, Parkinson disease (young-onset, early-onset) (86, 26%), hemophilia (70, 21%), homozygote hypercholesterolemia (60, 18%) were the most common. Furthermore, it was also observed that the largest number of clinical trial units for rare disease in east China (90, 41%) and the smallest number located in northwest China (18, 6%) and northeast China (18, 6%)., Conclusions: The growth trends illustrate the progress in clinical trial and drug development of rare diseases from 2013 to 2021. However, promoting orphan drugs development still is an important issue in China; at the same time, further efforts should be made for meet the unmet needs of disease types and balance the uneven distribution of medical resources for clinical trial on rare diseases., (© 2022. The Author(s).)

Background: Patient-derived tumor organoid culture has emerged as a preclinical model that has the potential to predict individual drug response. However, the predictive accuracy of patient-derived tumor organoid culture models for responses to chemotherapy regimens in stage IV colorectal cancer remains unknown., Objective: The purpose of this study was to evaluate the predictive accuracy of the patient-derived tumor organoid culture model for responses to chemotherapy regimens in stage IV colorectal cancer., Design: A pilot study was performed to define the half-maximal inhibitory concentration of the response to chemotherapy regimens in the patient-derived tumor organoid culture model. Then, a blinded study was performed to evaluate the predictive accuracy of the patient-derived tumor organoid culture model for responses to chemotherapy regimens., Settings: Cancer samples were collected from patients with stage IV colorectal cancer at Nanfang Hospital of Southern Medical University in China., Patients: In the pilot study, 30 patients were enrolled, and 43 samples were collected. In the blinded study, 71 patients were enrolled, and 96 samples were collected., Intervention: Patient-derived tumor organoid culture and chemotherapy regimens were tested., Main Outcome Measures: The predictive accuracy of the patient-derived tumor organoid model for responses to chemotherapy regimens was measured., Results: The median (range) time of organoid culture and drug testing was 9 days (range, 7-14 d). In the pilot study, 30 samples (69.77% [30/43]) were successfully cultured. The half-maximal inhibitory concentration of the chemotherapy response was 10 µmol/L according to clinical chemotherapy outcomes. In the blinded study, 77 samples (80.21% [77/96]) from 57 patients were successfully cultured. The sensitivity, specificity, and accuracy of the patient-derived tumor organoid model for predicting responses to chemotherapy regimens were 63.33%, 94.12%, and 79.69%., Limitations: This was a blinded study rather than a prospective randomized controlled study., Conclusions: The patient-derived tumor organoid culture model effectively predicts responses to existing chemotherapy regimens for individual patients. Video Abstract at http://links.lww.com/DCR/B511., Precisin En El Uso De Modelos De Cultivo De Organoides Tumorales Derivados De Pacientes Para Predecir La Respuesta Del Rgimen De Quimioterapia En Cncer Colorrectal Estadio Iv Estudio Ciego: ANTECEDENTES:El cultivo de organoides tumorales derivado del paciente ha surgido como un modelo preclínico que tiene el potencial de predecir la respuesta a un fármaco individual. Sin embargo, la exactitud predictiva en los modelos de cultivo de organoides tumorales derivados de pacientes para las respuestas a los regímenes de quimioterapia en el cáncer colorrectal en estadio IV sigue siendo desconocida.OBJETIVO:Evaluar la exactitud predictiva del modelo de cultivo organoide tumoral derivado de pacientes para las respuestas a los regímenes de quimioterapia en el cáncer colorrectal en estadio IV.DISEÑO:Se realizó un estudio piloto para definir la concentración inhibitoria media máxima de la respuesta a los regímenes de quimioterapia en el modelo de cultivo organoide tumoral derivado de pacientes. Luego, se realizó un estudio ciego para evaluar la exactitud predictiva del modelo de cultivo organoide tumoral derivado de pacientes para las respuestas a los regímenes de quimioterapia.AJUSTE:Se recolectaron muestras de cáncer de pacientes con cáncer colorrectal en estadio IV en el Hospital Nanfang de la Universidad Médica del Sur en China.PACIENTES:En el estudio piloto, se inscribieron 30 pacientes y se recolectaron 43 muestras. En el estudio ciego, se inscribieron 71 pacientes y se recolectaron 96 muestras.INTERVENCIÓN:Se probaron cultivos de organoides de tumores derivados del paciente y regímenes de quimioterapia.PRINCIPALES MEDIDAS DE RESULTADO:La precisión predictiva del modelo organoide tumoral derivado del paciente para las respuestas a los regímenes de quimioterapia.RESULTADOS:La mediana (rango) de tiempo de cultivo organoide y prueba de drogas fue de 9 (7-14) días. En el estudio piloto, se cultivaron con éxito 30 (69,77% [30/43]) muestras. La concentración inhibidora media máxima de la respuesta a la quimioterapia fue de 10 µmol / L según los resultados de la quimioterapia clínica. En el estudio ciego, se cultivaron con éxito 77 muestras (80,21% [77/96]) de 57 pacientes. La sensibilidad, especificidad y precisión del modelo organoide tumoral derivado del paciente para predecir las respuestas a los regímenes de quimioterapia fueron 63,33%, 94,12% y 79,69%, respectivamente.LIMITACIONES:Este fue un estudio ciego en lugar de un estudio prospectivo, aleatorizado y controlado.CONCLUSIONES:El modelo de cultivo organoide tumoral derivado de pacientes predice eficazmente las respuestas a los regímenes de quimioterapia existentes para pacientes individuales. Consulte Video Resumen en http://links.lww.com/DCR/B511., (Copyright © The ASCRS 2021.)

Background: Enterocytozoon bieneusi, the most commonly identified microsporidian species in humans, is also identified in livestock, birds, rodents, reptiles, companion animals, even wastewater. However, there is no information available on occurrence of E. bieneusi in pet chipmunks. The aim of the present study was to determine the genotypes, molecular characterization of E. bieneusi in pet chipmunks, and assess the zoonotic potential., Results: A total of 279 fecal specimens were collected from chipmunks from seven pet shops and one breeding facility in Sichuan province, China. The prevalence for E. bieneusi was 17.6% (49/279) based on nested PCR targeting the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) region. The prevalence of E. bieneusi in chipmunks < 90 days of age was significantly higher than that in older chipmunks; however, differences among different sources and between genders were not significant. Eight genotypes of E. bieneusi were identified, including four known genotypes (D, Nig7, CHG9, and CHY1) and four novel genotypes (SCC-1 to 4). Phylogenetic analysis classified these genotypes into four distinct groups as follows: genotypes D and CHG9 clustered into group 1 of zoonotic potential; genotypes Nig7 and CHY1 clustered into group 6 and a new group, respectively; the four novel genotypes (SCC-1 to 4) formed a separate group named group 10., Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first study reporting the prevalence and genotypes of E. bieneusi in pet chipmunks in China. Genotypes D and Nig7, found in chipmunks in this study, have also been previously identified in humans, which suggests that chipmunks might play a role in the transmission of this pathogen to humans.

Background: Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a multi-factorial malignancy closely associated with environmental factors, genetic factors and Epstein-Barr virus infection. Human leukocyte antigen (HLA) complex, specially the region near HLA-A locus, was regarded as a major candidate region bearing NPC genetic susceptibility loci in many previous studies including two recent genome-wide association (GWA) studies. To provide further evidence for the NPC susceptibility in the region near HLA-A locus based on other previous studies, we carried out a two-stage hospital-based case control association study including 535 sporadic NPC patients and 525 cancer-free control subjects from Guangdong, a high prevalence area of NPC in China., Methods: 38 tag SNPs were initially selected by Heploview from the segment around HLA-A locus (from D6S211 to D6S510) and genotyped on GenomeLab SNPstream platform in 206 cases and 180 controls in the stage 1. Subsequently, the stage 1 significant SNPs and 17 additional SNPs were examined on another platform (Sequenom iPlex Assay) in another independent set of study population including 329 cases and 345 controls., Results: Totally eight SNPs from the segment from D6S211 to D6S510 within HLA complex were found to be significantly associated with NPC. Two of the most significant SNPs (rs9260734 and rs2517716) located near to HLA-A and HCG9 respectively were in strong LD with some other SNPs of this region reported by two previous GWA studies. Meanwhile, Meanwhile, novel independent susceptibility loci (rs9404952, Pcombined = 6.6 × 10-5, OR combined = 1.45) was found to be close to HLA-G., Conclusion: Therefore, our present study supports that the segment from D6S211 to D6S510 in HLA complex region might contain NPC susceptibility loci which indeed needs to be fully investigated in the future.