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Clarifying the relationship between urbanization and farmland abandonment in urban agglomerations (UAs) is crucial to guide the formulation of arable land management policies and strategies for sustainable urban development. Despite numerous studies confirming the correlation between farmland abandonment and certain urbanization factors, the exploration of the patterns and underlying mechanisms of farmland abandonment in China's UAs remains worthy of systematic investigation. In this study, we conducted an analysis of the spatiotemporal trends in farmland abandonment and examined the key drivers of farmland abandonment in four representative Chinese UAs—Beijing–Tianjin–Hebei (BTH), Chengdu–Chongqing (CC), Pearl River Delta (PRD), and Yangtze River Delta (YRD). Our findings reveal that farmland abandonment has been intensified with increasing fragmentation and aggregation patches across these UAs. Abandonment experience was the main driver of continuous abandonment. Moreover, natural conditions persistently influenced farmland abandonment in the BTH, while land urbanization and economic urbanization were predominant drivers in the CC. The abandonment in the PRD was mainly driven by population urbanization, while the abandonment in the YRD was primarily driven by economic urbanization and land urbanization. The research findings provide data support and scientific explanation for land policy-making in these typical UAs under different development strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alternaria foliar diseases are important factors that pose a significant threat to yield in solanaceous crops. To clarify the diversity of large‐spored Alternaria species in China, diseased leaves of three solanaceous vegetables (potato, tomato and eggplant) were collected and used for fungal isolation. In total, 67 strains representing six species in section Porri of Alternaria were isolated, based on morphological characterizations and multilocus phylogenetic analyses. There were three known species (A. blumeae, A. linariae and A. solani), one new record of A. argyroxiphii and two new species, A. melongenicola sp. nov. and A. yichangensis sp. nov. The sequence analyses encompassed the internal transcribed spacer region of rDNA (ITS), glyceraldehyde‐3‐phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), Alternaria major allergen (Alt a 1), translation elongation factor 1‐α (TEF1) and RNA polymerase second largest subunit (RPB2). To confirm pathogenicity, 15 representative strains were evaluated for their virulence under greenhouse conditions. The results revealed that they were able to induce leaf spot symptoms on potato, tomato and eggplant plants with a range of aggressive abilities. The present study provides a basis for the recognition and management of Alternaria foliar diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Apple geminivirus 1 (AGV) in the genus Maldovirus of the family Geminiviridae was first identified infecting apple trees in the year 2015 in China. In this work, we characterized three isolates of the AGV in the Chinese pearleaf crabapple (Malus asiatica) in Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region. The viruses were detected by Illumina sequencing and its existence was confirmed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) amplification of an AGV fragment. Between the three AGV isolates and the initially characterized AGV isolate PL2015, the nucleotide sequence identities of the complete genome ranged from 91.2 to 91.7%, of the coat protein gene (V1) ranged from 95.4% to 97.3%, and of the replicase gene (C1) ranged from 87.3% to 88.0%. Phylogenetic analysis indicated that the three isolates formed a monophyletic group together with the AGV, separated from the current genera in the family Geminiviridae. This is the first description of the AGV infecting crabapples. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this present study, 195 cow milk, 100 goat milk, 50 buffalo milk, 50 camel milk, and 50 yak milk samples were collected in China in May and October 2016. The presence of aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) was determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method. For all cow milk samples, 128 samples (65.7%) contained AFM1 in concentrations ranging from 0.005 to 0.191 µg/L, and 6 samples (3.1%) from Sichuan province in October were contaminated with AFM1 above 0.05 µg/L (EU limit). For all goat milk samples, 76.0% of samples contained AFM1 in concentrations ranging from 0.005 to 0.135 µg/L, and 9 samples (9.0%) from Shanxi province in October were contaminated with AFM1 above 0.05 µg/L. For all buffalo milk samples, 24 samples (48.0%) contained AFM1 in concentrations ranging from 0.005 to 0.089 µg/L, and 2 samples collected in October were contaminated with AFM1 above 0.05 µg/L. Furthermore, 28.0% of samples contained AFM1 in concentrations ranging from 0.005 to 0.007 µg/L in camel milk samples, and 18.0% of samples contained AFM1 in concentrations ranging from 0.005 to 0.007 µg/L in yak milk samples. Our survey study has expanded the current knowledge of the occurrence of AFM1 in milk from five dairy species in China, in particular the minor dairy species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Streptococcus agalactiae is an important zoonotic pathogen that affects milk production and quality and poses a threat to public health. Treatment of infections with this bacterium exploits antimicrobials, to which the resistance of S. agalactiae is a growing problem. Addressing the possibility of a correlation between this pathogen's genetic factors for antimicrobial resistance and virulence, this study attempted to identify the relevant genes. Antimicrobial resistance of S. agalactiae isolated from 497 Chinese bovine mastitic milk samples was detected by the broth microdilution method. Eight drug resistance genes and eleven virulence genes were detected using PCR. Streptococcus agalactiae was 100% susceptible to rifampicin and vancomycin, 93.33% susceptible to sulfisoxazole and sulfamethoxazole, but 100% resistant to ≥3 of the 16 antimicrobial agents, thereby being multidrug resistant, with resistance to oxacillin, tetracycline, erythromycin, clindamycin, and gentamicin being common. The ermB, ermA and lnuA genes were carried by 73.33%, 66.67% and 60.00% of the strains, respectively. The carriage rates of the glnA, clyE, hylB, bibA, iagA, and fbsA virulence genes were greater than 40%, lmb and bac were not observed in any strain, and glnA+hylB+bibA+iagA+fbsA+clyE combined virulence gene patterns were the most commonly detected. Antimicrobial resistance of S. agalactiae is still a great concern for cattle health in China, and multidrug resistance coupled with the high positive rates of this bacterium's strains for virulence genes indicates the importance of S. agalactiae surveillance and susceptibility tests. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To promote Chinese children participation in sports training and acquisition of sports skills, we combined a social ecological research framework with parental support to develop the Parental Support for Children's Sports Training Scale (PSCSTS). Methods: The scale was initially developed based on literature review, group interviews, and expert evaluations. A complete reliability and validity test was conducted on 1,594 parents of primary and secondary schools in Shanghai. Results: The PSCSTS has 37 questions, and exploratory factor analysis has formed 10 factors: policy support, parents' financial support, community support, media support, sports development, school activity participation, parents' exercise habits, training quality support, development of school sports activities, learning skills. The higher-order models constructed by validated factor analysis fit well (χ 2/ df = 2.130, RMSEA = 0.038, SRMR = 0.042, GFI = 0.911, CFI = 0.928). The Parents of children of different sexes have measurement invariance in the PSCSTS. Conclusion: The PSCSTS developed in this study based on a social-ecological framework has high reliability and validity, and can be used as a comprehensive measure of parental support for their children's sports training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is one of the main pathogens in different raw milk and dairy products, which may lead to economic losses. Staphylococcus aureus is a significant and costly public health concern because it may enter the human food chain and contaminate milk causing foodborne illness. This study aimed to investigate the prevalence, antimicrobial susceptibility and virulence genes of S. aureus in raw milks. In total, 125 raw milk samples collected from goat (n = 50), buffalo (n = 25), camel (n = 25), and yak (n = 25) were collected from 5 provinces in China in 2016. Out of 125 samples, 36 (28.8%) S. aureus were isolated (16 from goat, 9 from buffalo, 6 from camel, and 5 from yak). Out of 36 S. aureus , 26 strains (26/36, 72.2%) showed antibiotics resistance, and 6 strains isolated from goats were identified as methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA). The antimicrobial resistance against Penicillin G, tetracycline and gentamicin was 50% (18/36), 41.7% (15/36), and 36.1% (13/36), respectively. 19 S. aureus (52.8%) were considered as multidrug resistant. The highest prevalence of resistant S. aureus was observed in goat milk (13/36, 36.1%). Among the 36 strains, 16 isolates harbored three or more resistant genes. The resistance genes were detected in 25 S. aureus , including 13 strains in goat, 5 strains in buffalo, 4 strains in camel, and 3 strains in yak. Among the 26 resistant strains, 61.5% of isolates harbored three or more resistant genes. The resistance genes were detected in 25 S. aureus , including 13 strains in goat milk, 5 strains in buffalo milk, 4 strains in camel milk, and 3 strains in yak milk. The most predominant resistance genes were bla Z (18/26, 69.2%), aac6 ′- aph2″ (13/26, 50.0%), and tet (M) (10/26, 38.5%). The mec A, ant(6)- Ia and fex A gene were only detected in S. aureus from goat milk. The most predominant toxin gene were sec (8/26, 30.8%). The majority of S. aureus were multidrug resistant and carried multiple virulence genes, which may pose potential risk to public health. Our findings indicated that the prevalence and antimicrobial resistance of S. aureus was a serious concern in different raw milks in China, especially goat milks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Escherichia coli is a common bacterium in the intestines of animals, and it is also the major important cause of toxic mastitis, which is an acute or peracute disease that causes a higher incidence of death and culling of cattle. The purpose of this study was to investigate E. coli strains isolated from the raw milk of dairy cattle in Northern China, and the antibacterial susceptibility of these strains and essential virulence genes. From May to September 2015, 195 raw milk samples were collected from 195 dairy farms located in Northern China. Among the samples, 67 (34.4%) samples were positive for E. coli. About 67 E. coli strains were isolated from these 67 samples. The prevalence of Shiga toxin-producing E. coli (STEC), enterotoxigenic E. coli (ETEC), enteropathogenic E. coli (EPEC), and enteroinvasive E. coli (EIEC) were 9, 6, 4.5, and 1.5%, respectively. Among the virulence genes detected, stx 1 was the most prevalent (6/67, 9%) gene, followed by eae (3/67, 4.5%), and est B (2/67, 3%). Moreover, the strains exhibited different resistance levels to ampicillin (46.3%), amoxicillin-clavulanic acid (16.4%), trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole (13.4%), tetracycline (13.4%), cefoxitin (11.9%), chloramphenicol (7.5%), kanamycin (7.5%), streptomycin (6.0%), tobramycin (4.5%), azithromycin (4.5%), and ciprofloxacin (1.5%). All of the E. coli isolates were susceptible to gentamicin. The prevalence of β-lactamase-encoding genes was 34.3% in 67 E. coli isolates and 45% in 40 β-lactam-resistance E. coli isolates. The overall prevalence of bla SHV, bla TEM, bla CMY, and bla CTX-M genes were 1.5, 20.9, 10.4, and 1.5%, respectively. Nine non-pathogenic E. coli isolates also carried β-lactamase resistance genes, which may transfer to other pathogenic E. coli and pose a threat to the farm's mastitis management projects. Our results showed that most of E. coli were multidrug resistant and possessed multiple virulence genes, which may have a huge potential hazard with public health, and antibiotic resistance of E. coli was prevalent in dairy herds in Northern China, and ampicillin should be used cautiously for mastitis caused by E. coli in Northern China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• TP represses CYP3A4 function through blocking transcriptional activation of PXR. • TP represses detoxification of ATR and itself through inhibiting CYP3A4 expression. • Combination of TP and ATR synergistically promote hepatotoxicity. • Drug combination associated with detoxification inhibition is key to liver injury of TP. Triptolide (TP), an active component of Tripterygium wilfordii Hook. F, has been widely used in China for treating autoimmune and inflammatory diseases, and has also been validated by modern science and developed as a candidate anti-cancer treatment. However, liver toxicity of TP has seriously hindered its use and development, the clinical features and primary toxicological mechanism have been unclear. Considering the major target regulation mechanism of TP is the suppression of global transcription regulated by RNAPII, which is closed related with the detoxification of drugs. This paper tries to verify the synergistic liver injury and its mechanism of TP when co-administered with CYP3A4 substrate drug. The experiments showed that TP dose-dependently blocked transcriptional activation of CYP3A4 in both hPXR and hPXR-CYP3A4 reporter cell lines, lowered the mRNA and protein expression of PXR target genes such as CYP3A1, CYP2B1, and MDR1, and inhibited the functional activity of CYP3A in a time- and concentration-dependent manner in sandwich-cultured rat hepatocytes (SCRH) and female Sprague-Dawley (f-SD) rats. Furthermore, TP combined with atorvastatin (ATR), the substrate of CYP3A4, synergistically enhanced hepatotoxicity in cultured HepG2 and SCRH cells (CI is 0.38 and 0.29, respectively), as well as in f-SD rats, with higher exposure levels of both drugs. These results clearly indicate that TP inhibits PXR-mediated transcriptional activation of CYP3A4, leading to a blockade on the detoxification of itself and ATR, thereby greatly promoting liver injury. This study may implies the key cause of TP related liver injury and provides experimental data for the rational use of TP in a clinical scenario. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pumpkin plants showing symptoms of witches' broom (PuWB) were observed in Xinjiang Uyghur autonomous region, China, in September 2018. A phytoplasma was detected in symptomatic plants by PCR amplifying portions of the 16S ribosomal and tuf genes. In addition, the phylogeny based on these genes sequencing indicated that the PuWB strain clusters with 'Candidatus Phytoplasma solani' (subgroup 16SrXII-A). Furthermore, based on in silico and in vitro restriction fragment length polymorphism analyses, the PuWB phytoplasma was confirmed as a 'Ca. P. solani'-related strain. This was the first record of the occurrence of phytoplasma presence in pumpkins in China, and the first record of 16SrXII phytoplasma infecting pumpkins in the world. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objectives of this study were to determine the antimicrobial susceptibility, phylotype, and virulence genes of Escherichia coli (E. coli) from cows with clinical mastitis. A total of 497 mastitis samples were collected and 92 E. coli isolates were identified. E. coli isolates were highly resistance to ampicillin (41.3%), followed by piperacillin (36.9%) and tetracycline (34.7%). Five intimin types, namely μR-ι2, λ, ξR/β2, νR-ε2, η, were observed among 75 EPEC strains with eae gene, with all the intimins were first detected in bovine mastitis milk. And 65 E. coli strains (70.7%) belonged to seven different O serotypes (O121, O91, O22, O26, O128, O111, and O113). For the phylogroup assignment, only 87 E. coli isolates could be assigned into phylogroup B1, A, C, and E. This study suggested the prevailing among EPEC strains isolated from mastitis in five provinces was important to understand the etiology of E. coli. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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In September 2019, two diseased plants of Campsis grandiflora showing the main symptom of witches' ‐broom (CgWB) were found in a nursery garden in Yangling, Shaanxi province, China. Partial 16S ribosomal RNA (F2nR2 region) and ribosomal protein (rp) genes of phytoplasmas were generated from the symptomatic plants by PCR amplification, and phytoplasma bodies were observed in the sieve tube elements of the CgWB samples under a transmission electron microscope, indicating phytoplasma infection in the two CgWB plants. Restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of the F2nR2 region and similarity coefficient results suggested that the two associated phytoplasmas belong to two novel subgroups of 16SrI (aster yellows) group, designated as AK and AL. On the reconstructed phylogenetic trees based on F2nR2 regions and rp genes of phytoplasmas, respectively, the CgWB‐associated phytoplasmas clustered together with members of 16SrI subgroups. This was the first record of phytoplasmas infecting C. grandiflora worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prune dwarf virus (PDV; Ilarvirus, Bromoviridae), is a common virus infecting stone fruit trees (Prunus spp.). The complete genome sequence of a sweet cherry isolate of PDV (PDV-DL) from Dalian, Liaoning Province, China, was determined. The RNA1, RNA2 and RNA3 of PDV-DL are, respectively, 3,376 nt, 2,594 nt and 2,129 nt in size, and have the same genome organization as those previously reported. When compared to the available sequences of PDV, isolate PDV-DL shares pairwise identities between 91.1 to 97.4% for the RNA1, 87.2 to 99.0% for the RNA2, and 88.1 to 96.9% for the RNA3. Phylogenetic analyses based on near full-length RNA3 sequences clustered 14 PDV isolates into three groups, and PDV-DL showed the closest relationship with a peach isolate PCH4 from Australia and an experimental isolate CH137 from the United States of America. Nine recombination events were predicted in genomic RNA1-3 among all of the PDV isolates. This is the first report of the complete genome sequence of PDV from China, which provides the basis for further studies on the molecular evolution of PDV, and will assist help molecular diagnostics and management of the diseases caused by PDV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fertilisation datasets collected from field experiments (n = 21) in tea-producing areas from 2016 to 2018 were used to build a quantitative evaluation of the fertility of tropical soils (QUEFTS) model to estimate nutrient uptake of tea plants, and to investigate relationships between tea yield and nutrient accumulation. The production of 1000 kg spring tea (based on one bud with two young expanding leaves) required 12.2 kg nitrogen (N), 1.2 kg phosphorus (P), and 3.9 kg potassium (K), and the corresponding internal efficiencies (IEs) for N, P, and K were 82.0, 833.3, and 256.4 kg kg−1. To produce 1000 kg summer tea, 9.1 kg N, 0.8 kg P, and 3.1 kg K were required, and the corresponding IEs for N, P, and K were 109.9, 1250.0, and 322.6 kg kg−1. For autumn tea, 8.8 kg N, 1.0 kg P, and 3.2 kg K were required to produce 1000 kg tea, and the corresponding IEs for N, P, and K were 113.6, 1000.0, and 312.5 kg kg−1. Field validation experiments performed in 2019 suggested that the QUEFTS model can appropriately estimate nutrient uptake of tea plants at a certain yield and contribute to developing a fertiliser recommendation strategy for tea production. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Prunus necrotic ringspot virus (PNRSV) is an important virus of stone fruit trees (Prunus sp.). In this study, complete genomic sequences of five PNRSV isolates from P. persica (Pea1 and Pea4), P. avium (Che1 and Che2) and P. cerasifera (P.cerasifera1) in Inner Mongolia of China were determined and analyzed together with other previously published PNRSV sequences in the world. Phylogenetic analysis based on RNA3 sequences divided the five isolates into PV32 (Che1, Che2 and P.cerasifera1) and PV96 (Pea1 and Pea4) group, and re-grouped PNRSV isolates in the world into six groups including a new proposed group (PchMx-Azt) composed of two flowering peach isolates from Mexico. Distinct origins for RNAs of isolate P.cerasifera1 suggested potential reassortment in evolution of PNRSV. In addition, nine recombination events were predicted in RNA1–3 among the isolates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Triptolide (TP) has been widely used in China for more than 40 years as an immunosuppressive agent. Recently, serious concerns have been raised over TP‐induced liver injury, though the real hepatotoxic mechanism is still unclear, particularly in terms of the initial cause. To our knowledge, this study is the first to screen systematically the mechanism of TP‐induced toxicity through a global cytotoxicity profile high‐content analysis using three independent cytotoxic assay panels with multiple endpoints of cytotoxicity, including cell loss, mitochondrial membrane potential, nuclear membrane permeability, manganese superoxide dismutase, phosphorylated gamma‐H2AX, light chain 3B, lysosome, reactive oxygen species and glutathione. We assessed nine parameters and four stress response pathway models by labeling nuclear factor erythroid 2‐related factor 2, activating transcription factor 6, hypoxia inducible factor 1α and nuclear factor κB and found that all testing parameters except glutathione and manganese superoxide dismutase showed concentration‐ and time‐dependent changes, as well as increased cell loss after TP treatment. Considering that RNA polymerase II is the molecular target of TP, we quantified transcription from inducible genes, bromodeoxyuridine incorporation, and expression from transiently transfected green fluorescence protein plasmids in HepG2 cells. The results show that inhibition of global transcription by TP took place at earlier times and at lower concentrations than those observed for cell death. Therefore, global transcriptional suppression and the cell dysfunction it drives play a central role in TP‐induced hepatotoxicity. This provides valuable information for the safe use of TP in the clinic. Recently, triptolide (TP)‐induced liver injury has caused serious concern, although the real hepatotoxic mechanism is still unclear, particularly in terms of the initial cause. To our knowledge, this is the first to screen systematically the mechanism of TP‐induced toxicity through a global cytotoxicity profile high‐content analysis against three independent cytotoxic assay panels with multiple endpoints of cytotoxicity. Global transcriptional suppression and the cell dysfunction it drives play a central role in TP‐induced hepatotoxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sunflowers (Helianthus annuus L.) exhibiting symptoms of stem fasciation and cluster of multiple inflorescences were observed in Baicheng, Jilin province, China. Coincidently, cockleburs (Xanthium strumarium L.), a weed in the sunflower fields, showing similar symptoms were observed as well. Based on successful amplification of 16S rRNA and secY genes of phytoplasmas, the sunflower fasciation disease (SFD) and cocklebur fasciation disease (CFD) were determined to be associated with phytoplasmas. Based on virtual and actual RFLP analysis of the F2nR2 region of the 16S rRNA genes, the SFD and CFD associated phytoplasmas were classified into a novel 16SrI subgroup, designated 16SrI-AI. This was the first report of SFD associated phytoplasma in China, and the first evidence of phytoplasma infecting cocklebur worldwide. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In this article, we present a theoretical approach to conceptualizing the global news arena as a structure of relations formed across media systems worldwide, relations mapped by hyperlinked connections across online news platforms, including professional news sites, blogs, and other social media. Specifically, we argue that bridge blogs serve as the ‘weak ties’ (in Granovetter’s terms), linking cultural spheres formed by the ‘strong ties’ among traditional national media. Using China as the national context, we provide an overview of the phenomenon of bridge blogs, presenting an illustrative example to show how bridge blogs are positioned to provide contextual information and interpretation of events and issues in China to be better understood by overseas audiences. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: A major hand-foot-and-mouth disease (HFMD) pathogen, coxsackievirus A16 (CVA16), has predominated in several of the last 10 years and caused the largest number of HFMD outbreaks between 2011 and 2018 in China. We evaluated the efficacy of maternal anti-CVA16 antibody transfer via the placenta and explored the dynamics of maternal and natural infection-induced neutralizing antibodies in children.Methods: Two population-based longitudinal cohorts in southern China were studied during 2013-2018. Participants were enrolled in autumn 2013, including 2475 children aged 1-9 years old and 1066 mother-neonate pairs, and followed for 3 years. Blood/cord samples were collected for CVA16-neutralizing antibody detection. The maternal antibody transfer efficacy, age-specific seroprevalence, geometric mean titre (GMT) and immune response kinetics were estimated.Results: The average maternal antibody transfer ratio was 0.88 (95% CI 0.80-0.96). Transferred maternal antibody levels declined rapidly (half-life: 2.0 months, 95% CI 1.9-2.2 months). The GMT decayed below the positive threshold (8) by 1.5 months of age. Due to natural infections, it increased above 8 after 1.4 years and reached 32 by 5 years of age, thereafter dropping slightly. Although the average duration of maternal antibody-mediated protection was < 3 months, the duration extended to 6 months on average for mothers with titres ≥ 64.Conclusions: Anti-CVA16 maternal antibodies are efficiently transferred to neonates, but their levels decline quickly. Children aged 0-5 years are the main susceptible population and should be protected by CVA16 vaccination, with the optimal vaccination time between 1.5 months and 1 year of age. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to its brief form and growing popularity, microblogging is becoming people’s favorite choice for seeking information and expressing opinions. Messages received by a user mainly depend on whom the user follows. Thus, recommending users with similar interests may improve the experience quality for information receiving. Since messages posted by microblogging users reflect their interests, and the keywords in the messages indicate their main focus to a large extent, we can discover users’ preferences by analyzing the user-generated contents. Moreover, users’ interests are not static, on the contrary, they change as time goes by. Based on such intuitions, in this paper, we propose a temporal-topic model to analyze users’ possible behaviors and predict their potential friends in microblogging. The model learns users’ latent preferences by extracting keywords on aggregated messages over a period of time via a topic model, and then the impact of time is considered to deal with interest drifts. The experimental results of friend recommendations on Sina Weibo, one of the most popular microblogging sites in China, have demonstrated the effectiveness of our model. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pepper witches' broom (PWB) disease was observed in a field in Yangling, Shaanxi Province, China. The result of mechanical inoculation test for this disease was negative. Phytoplasma-like bodies were observed in ultrathin sections of petiole tissues of symptomatic samples. 16S rRNA gene and tuf gene of phytoplasma were amplified from the total DNA of symptomatic samples. Phylogeny analysis of the 16S rRNA gene and tuf gene suggested that the pepper witches' broom associated phytoplasma belongs to the subgroup 16SrI-B, which was confirmed by the RFLP analysis of the 16S rRNA gene. The phytoplasma subgroup 16SrI-B was also detected in the vector Cicadella viridis trapped from the infected field. To our knowledge, this is the first report of 16SrI-B phytoplasma causing pepper witches' broom in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) is the only mycotoxin that has a legal limit in milk all over the world. In the present study, 360 raw milk samples were collected from Beijing, Hebei, Shanxi, Shanghai and Guangdong provinces in China in September 2010, and their AFM1 levels were determined by using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). More than three-fourths (78.1%) of the 360 raw milk samples contained AFM1 at concentrations of 5–123 ng L−1. AFM1 contents in all positive samples were far below the Chinese and US legal limit of 500 ng L−1, but 10% of the raw milk samples exceeded the EU legal limit of 50 ng L−1. Moreover, both incidence and content of AFM1 in milk collected from the southern provinces, including Shanghai and Guangdong, were higher than those collected from the northern provinces, including Beijing, Hebei and Shanxi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the present study, 199 raw milk samples were analysed for beta-lactams, tetracyclines, sulfonamides and quinolones. They were obtained from collection tanks of milk routes in 10 provinces of China. The occurrence and concentration range of the four antibiotics were investigated by competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay methods. At the detectable level, 0.5%, 47.2% and 20.1% of samples were positive for beta-lactams, quinolones and sulfonamides, respectively. No sample was positive for tetracyclines. Beta-lactams were positive only in Beijing while quinolones and sulfonamides were positive in all provinces. One (0.5%) sample for beta-lactams was above the maximum residue limits (MRLs, regulated by EU, CAC and China). The maximum concentrations for sulfonamides and quinolones were 16.28 µg kg–1and 23.25 µg kg–1which were under their maximum residue limits. More precaution should be taken on antibiotic controls because of the high detection rate of some antibiotics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective To evaluate the usefulness of needle biopsy in the diagnosis of early sacroiliitis to improve the diagnostic level and outcome of ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Methods One hundred nine patients in whom early AS was highly suspected, but in whom only sacroiliitis of grade I or lower on radiography/computed tomography (CT) was seen, were recruited for study. CT-guided needle biopsy of the sacroiliac joints was performed, and the patients were followed up for 5-10 years. Results Of the 109 patients, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used to confirm the presence or absence of sacroiliitis in 77 patients. Of these, 23 patients were determined to have sacroiliitis on MRI, and 54 had no sacroiliitis on MRI. Needle biopsy was performed on all 109 patients. Features of inflammation were found in 85 patients, which included all 23 patients with MRI evidence of sacroiliitis and 38 of the 54 patients without MRI evidence of sacroiliitis. No features of inflammation were found on needle biopsy in 24 of the patients, including the remaining 16 patients who did not have sacroiliitis on MRI. The sensitivity and specificity of MRI for the early diagnosis of sacroiliitis in these patients were 37.7% and 100%, respectively. Thirty-four patients with pathologic evidence of sacroiliitis were followed up for 5-10 years. At the study end point, 16 of these 34 patients continued to show grade I or lower changes on CT, and 18 had changes of grade II or higher. These 18 patients included 7 of the 8 patients with evidence of sacroiliitis on MRI and 6 of the 20 patients confirmed not to have MRI evidence of sacroiliitis at baseline. Conclusion MRI, though of low sensitivity, is specific for the diagnosis of early sacroiliitis. Sacroiliitis can be detected earlier by needle biopsy than by MRI. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban wetland parks are a new type of urban park that have developed rapidly in recent years and have caught the attention of multiple governmental departments. The objective of this paper was to describe the trophic states of creeks and their relationship to water levels in an urban wetland park in Xixi, China. The study was based on temporal and spatial data collected monthly between March 2009 and March 2010. The results indicated that: (1) water quality significantly changed from upstream to downstream in study creeks. From upstream to downstream, water quality of creeks I and III improved; however, the water quality of creek IV and V declined; (2) trophic states in Xixi creeks differed according to seasons. Overall, the nutrition in creeks was measured at the slight eutrophication level. Nutrition was highest in summer and lowest in winter; (3) the relationship between water quality and water level differed dramatically between creeks. Water quality and water level in creek I was significantly negatively correlated, while no obvious trends were observed in other creeks. In order to improve water quality in creeks, the valid technique is to strengthen the management of inflowing water quality and then control water levels. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2010 and 2011, the Puna chicory flat stem (PCFS) symptom was observed in an experimental field around Yangling, Shaanxi Province, China. Pleomorphic phytoplasma-like bodies were observed in the phloem sieve tube elements of symptomatic plants under transmission electron microscope (TEM). The presence of phytoplasma was further confirmed by a nested polymerase chain reaction (PCR), which amplified a 1.2 kb fragment using universal primer pairs P1/P6 followed by further amplification using primer pairs R16F2n/R16R2. The 1.1 kb 16S rRNA gene fragments were obtained by nested PCR with primer pairs P1/P6 followed by 16SrV group-specific primer pairs R16(V)F1/R16(V)R1 and indicated that the PCFS phytoplasma was closely related to the elm yellows (EY) group (16SrV). Phylogenetic analysis and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis demonstrated that the PCFS phytoplasma belongs to subgroup 16SrV-B. This is the first report of Puna chicory disease associated with a subgroup 16SrV-B of phytoplasma in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

X-ray diffractometry was utilized to study the mineralogical characteristics of the inhalable particles (PM10) sampled during two dust storms in Beijing city on March 18th and May 21st, 2008. We confirm, for the first time, that there stably exists ammonium chloride in the atmosphere when temperature is low. The total sulfates particles were affected by relative humidity. Both species and concentration of sulfates decreased first and then grew back by the end of each dust storm. Koninckite, a phosphate mineral never reported as particulate aerosol before, was identified. Meanwhile, our result shows that a chemical modification on dust minerals occurs during long range transportation. PM10 samples collected during the period of dust storms were dominated by crustal minerals such as quartz, illite/ smectite, illite, chlorite, feldspar and calcite, and were notably higher in concentration than that in normal periods of time. The amounts of total sulfates, calcite and feldspar altered in each dust storm. It is derived from 24-hour isentropic backward trajectories that two dust events in spring 2008 originated in different sources. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: An ecological survey was carried out to determine the water body concentrations of nutrients and its factors in Xixi National Wetland Park, China. According to the intensities of human activities, water body was classified into natural ponds, ornamental ponds, natural creeks and sight-seeing creeks. Based on calculated Trophic State Index (TSI), we can get conclusion that the trophic status of different water body types all exceeded the eutrophic level in the Xixi National Wetland Park. The natural creeks showed the highest TSI, followed by ornamental ponds, sight-seeing creeks and natural ponds, suggesting that natural creeks should be considered as priority sites for the implementation of water quality improvement. The main factors for trophic status in Xixi Wetland Park were discussed using canonical correspondence analysis (CCA) and multiple linear regression analysis (MLR). As a result, the trophic states in ponds were mainly controlled by hydrophyte cover. The trophic states in creeks made great relation to creek width and water quality of inflows. So we can find that human management can improve water quality by planting macrophytes of wetlands and controlling sewage water inflows from surrounding areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study evaluated chromium (Cr), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd), and lead (Pb) contamination in raw milk from industrial areas in China, identified the possible pathways of heavy metals from the environment to raw milk, and made a risk assessment of the consumption of heavy metals from milk consumption. The Cr, As, Cd, and Pb concentrations in raw milk, water and silage were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The Cr and As in soil were analyzed by flame atomic absorption spectrometry and atomic fluorescence spectrometry, respectively. Cd and Pb in soil were determined by a Graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometer. The Cr and As concentrations in milk from industrial areas were 2.41 ± 2.12 and 0.44 ± 0.31 μg/kg, respectively, which were significantly higher (p < 0.01) than those from non-industrial areas, which had levels of 1.10 ± 0.15 and 0.25 ± 0.09 μg/kg, respectively. Chromium was mainly transferred through the soil-silage-milk pathway, As was transferred through the water-silage-milk pathway, while Cd was mainly transferred through the soil (water)-silage-milk pathway. The contributions of each metal to the overall hazard index (HI) followed a descending order of As, Cr, Pb, and Cd, with values of 46.64%, 25.54%, 24.30%, and 3.52%, respectively. Children were at higher risk than adults. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to the Chinese Association of Automotive Industry, China produced over 4 million vehicles in the first 11 months of 2003, an increase of more than 35 percent over the same period in 2002. Of these vehicles, over 2 million are passenger cars, an increase of 85 percent in production and 75 percent in sales. Furthermore, the Forecast Department of the National Information Center of China has predicted that the Chinese automotive industry will produce over 5 million vehicles in 2004 and is entering a long, steadily growing era. A major problem associated with such rapid growth in automotive production is an increase in traffic congestion and accidents, especially in big cities such as Beijing, Shanghai, and Guangzhou. According to China's Ministry of Public Safety, 667,507 traffic accidents were reported in 2003, resulting in 104,372 deaths, 494,174 injured people, and a direct economic cost of 3.37 billion U.S. dollars. In China, traffic accidents cause on average one injury every minute and one death every 5 minutes. INSET: Editor's Perspective..

In this study, the content of chromium (Cr), arsenic (As), cadmium (Cd) and lead (Pb) in domestic and imported infant formulas from Beijing, China were analyzed using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. The content of Cr, As, Cd and Pb was 2.51–83.80, 0.89–7.87, 0.13–3.58 and 0.36–5.57 μg/kg, respectively. Even though there were no significant differences in toxic elements content between domestic and imported infant formulas, Cd content was slightly lower in domestic samples. The estimated daily intake (EDI), target hazard quotient (THQ) and hazard index (HI) were calculated for infants between 0.5 and 5 y of age. The EDIs were lower than the oral reference doses. THQ of As, Cr, Cd and Pb was 0.027–0.103, 0.024–0.093, 0.0025–0.0090 and 0.0015–0.0046, respectively. HI values were 0.055–0.192 for boys and 0.056–0.209 for girls and were inversely associated with age with a threshold < 1. The non-carcinogenic risk value were in the safe range, indicating that exposure of As, Pb, Cr and Cd from infant formulas do not represent a health risk in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Energy sustainable development is of strategic importance across the world. This is especially the case in China as it is the world's largest energy consumer. However, renewable energies such as wind and solar energy are characterized with high intermittence and fluctuation. As the penetration of renewable power in the energy system increases, it is getting more challenging in power dispatch. In this paper, an adaptive time division power dispatch strategy based on numerical characteristics of net loads is proposed. In this strategy, a dispatch time division method is introduced in detail to divide the dispatching time according to the numerical characteristics of net loads. The sample entropy theory is utilized to calculate the complexity of the net loads, depending on which a specific thermal generating mode is provided. The experiment simulation is developed on an actual provincial power system in the northeast of China. The test results have confirmed that in the adaptive time division power dispatch strategy, the ramping power of thermal generators are decreased, the continuous and steady operation time of thermal generators are improved. As a result, this new strategy, can lead to improved energy efficiency of power systems as well as significant environmental benefits. • A dispatch time division method is proposed according to the numerical feature of the net loads. • A complexity calculation method of each net load subsequence based on SampEn is introduced. • The specific net load numerical characteristic fitted thermal operation mode is introduced. • An adaptive time division power dispatch strategy based on the complexity of net loads is provided. • An actual provincial power grid in the northeast of China is developed to illustrate the effectiveness and practicability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Dyslipidaemia has always been regarded as the cornerstone of arteriosclerosis and is related to the pathogenesis of renal insufficiency. However, it is unclear which routinely available lipid parameter is related to urinary albumin to creatinine ratio (UACR). The purpose of this study was to examine the lipid abnormalities associated with UACR in the general population in China. Methods: The present study was nested in an ongoing Risk Evaluation of cAncers in Chinese diabetic Individuals: A lONgitudinal (REACTION) study, which was designed to demonstrate the association of abnormal glucose metabolism with the risk of cancer in the Chinese population. This cross-sectional study included 34, 569 subjects (11, 390 males and 23, 179 females) from 8 different regional community cohorts, with an average age of 57.9 years. The UACR data were divided into the < 25% group, the 25–49% group, the 50–74% group, and the ≥ 75% group according to the quartile division of the centre where the subjects visited. The lipid classes were defined according to the guidelines for the prevention and treatment of dyslipidaemia in Chinese adults. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to evaluate the association of the lipid parameters and UACR. Results: Multivariable regression analysis revealed that compared with the other lipid parameters, triglycerides (TG) showed an adjusted odds ratio that was significant in model 1–4. This relationship was attenuated after adjusting for Haemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) and blood pressure (BP), but TG ≥ 2.3 mmol/L was still significantly associated with UACR in total subjects and in both men and women (OR: 1.131, 95% CI 1.065–1.203, P < 0.001 in total subjects; OR: 1.134, 95% CI 1.022–1.258, P = 0.017 in men; OR: 1.129, 95% CI 1.046–1.219, P = 0.002 in women). In the stratified analysis, elevated TG was significantly associated with increased urinary albumin in subjects with eGFR ≥ 90 mL/min per 1.73 m2, 5.6 ≤ FBG < 7.0 or 7.8 ≤ PBG < 11.1 mmol/L, 24 ≤ BMI < 28 kg/m2, 120 ≤ SBP < 140 and/or 80 ≤ DBP < 90 mmHg. Conclusions: We conclude that high TG levels rather than total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, or non-high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels are associated with UACR in the general population in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, there is a lack of data related to the growth and development regulations of male Eriocheir sinensis (E.sinensis) in rice field in northern China, which prevents timely adjustment of the nutritional structure of the feed. This has led to the poor quality of male E.sinensis , which has seriously constrained the cultivation of rice crab. Therefore, the purpose of this experiment was to study the growth, development and nutritional composition of male E.sinensis in rice field. Tissue samples from male E.sinensis were randomly collected on the 0, 15, 31, 46 and 62 days of culture for detection. The results showed that the growth performance of male E.sinensis was faster from 31 to 46 days. The levels of crude protein, crude lipid and EAA in hepatopancreas decreased from 46 to 62 days, whereas gonadal changes were not significant. The PUFA levels of muscle, hepatopancreas and gonad decreased in varying degrees from 46 to 62 days. To sum up, nutrients in hepatopancreas and gonads of male E.sinensis accumulated rapidly from July 15 to August 30. From August 30 to September 15, the nutritional quality of hepatopancreas and gonad of male E.sinensis decreased. • The nutritional components of male crabs from rice fields in northern China were analyzed. • PUFA content in hepatopancreas and gonads was higher from August 15th to August 30th. • EAA content in hepatopancreas was the highest on August 15th. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sediment is recognized as the largest reservoir and source of methane (CH 4) in the ocean, especially in the shallow coastal areas. To date, few data of CH 4 concentration in sediment have been reported in the China shelf seas. In this study, we measured CH 4 concentration in sediment and overlying seawater columns, and conducted an incubation experiment in the Bohai Sea in May 2017. CH 4 concentration was found to be ranged from 3.075 to 1.795 μmol/L in sediment, which was 2 to 3 orders of magnitude higher than that in overlying seawater columns. The surface sediment was an important source of CH 4 , while bottom seawater acted as its sink. Furthermore, the net emission rate via sediment water interface (SWI) was calculated as 2.45 μmol/(m2∙day) based on the incubation experiment at station 73, and the earthquake may enhance CH 4 release from sediment to seawater column in the eastern Bohai Sea. [Display omitted] [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This survey was performed to determine the frequency with which raw milk from the major milk-producing areas of China was contaminated with aflatoxin M1 (AFM1) in 2016. In total, 5650 raw milk samples produced during the four seasons of 2016 were collected from the major milk-producing areas of China, including Hebei, Heilongjiang, Henan, Inner Mongolia, Shandong, and Xingjiang provinces. Contamination of AFM1 was detected in 267 of the 5650 raw milk samples in totally, with the incidence of 4.7%. Only 1.1% of raw milk samples exceeded the European Union legal limit (50 ng/L), and none of samples exceeded the Chinese and United States legal limit (500 ng/L). The incidence of AFM1 contamination in raw milk samples was much higher during winter (10.2%) than in spring, summer, or autumn (3.0%, 2.1%, and 4.4%, respectively) in China. Thus, it is particularly important to monitor AFM1 contamination in raw milk during the winter season. This comprehensive study will facilitate future risk analysis and the management of AFM1 contamination in raw milk in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Since 2000, solar thermal utilization (STU) has a great process in China, not only with a large scale commercial development, but also with an increasing number of scientific publications and patent applications. In this paper, several representative technologies of STU in China are studied based on an analysis of the relationship between patents and policies. Patent information of STU is collected and analyzed in terms of the time distribution, type distribution and technical trends. The main driving factor—energy policy—was discussed through the patent analysis. STU patents took off after the millennium and 85.8% of them came from the solar water heater. For conventional technologies, 94.2% of the granted patents were from companies and individuals, and the patents proposed by various research institutions were mainly in the technological beginning and technological maturity. Advanced technologies are still at a growth stage in China, and they have 412 patents in all and 70.5% of the patents were from systematic design and test method. Energy policies have played a significant role in promoting the progress of STU in China. Based on a patent analysis, it can be expected that STU will enter the age of medium-high temperature in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antibiotics are increasingly found in dairy products. To ensure consumer safety, rapid screening methods which are accurate and cost-effective are highly in demand. A multiplexed detection technology was tested for quantification of these four kinds of antibiotics simultaneously in milk. The visual microarray technology based on enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays was utilized in this method, which can detect multiple target molecules simultaneously. This colorimetric technology provides direct results that can be detected using common commercial microplate scanners. The limit of detection (LOD) were calculated as 3.30, 3.39, 2.42 and 4.88 μg kg−1 for quinolones, tetracycline, lincomycin and streptomycin, respectively. The limits of quantity (LOQ) were defined as 8.97, 8.43, 5.36 and 10.97 μg kg−1 for quinolones, tetracycline, lincomycin and streptomycin, respectively. The accuracy of method was also adequate for these four substances with the recovery rates ranging from 77.6% to 116.4% were obtained for the detection of practical samples. According to our evaluation, this methodology can be used for rapid screening of antibiotics in internal quality control programs in dairy industry. • The multiplexed detection method for testing veterinary antibiotics in milk were evaluation. • The ELISA-based visualization microarray chip technique using 96-well microplate. • The limit of detection are less than the MRL established in China, the CAC and the EU. • The accuracy of method was adequate for these four veterinary antibiotics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Psychrophilic bacteria, the dominant spoilage organisms in raw milk, secrete heat-stable extracellular proteases and lipases that lead to the decomposition of milk and dairy products. In this study, we investigated psychrophilic bacteria in 165 raw milk samples collected across four seasons and six regions in China using shotgun metagenomic sequencing and traditional culture methods. The isolated psychrophilic bacteria were classified into 40 genera and 185 species. Pseudomonas was the most prevalent, accounting for 51.13 % of the genera, while Lactococcus and Chryseobacterium were also notably abundant (> 6.0 %). Metagenomic sequencing revealed that Pseudomonas (47.9 %), Stenotrophomonas (9.75 %), Sphingomonas (6.73 %), Latilactobacillus (6.38 %) and Lactococcus (5.16 %) were the dominant genera in the raw milk samples. The diversity of psychrophilic bacteria in raw milk was strongly influenced by seasonal variations, with the sampling region being a less significant factor. KEGG annotation indicated that carbohydrate and amino acid metabolism were the primary metabolic pathways in these bacteria. Metagenomic sequencing not only accurately identifies species but also provides functional insights into psychrophilic bacteria in raw milk, aiding in understanding their activities, promoting their control on farms, and ultimately improving raw milk quality., 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 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Seawater calcium ion (Ca 2+ ) concentration was investigated based on the potentiometric titration method during the summer of 2018 in the Bohai Sea, China. The measured Ca 2+ concentration ranged from 7760 to 9739 μmol kg -1 and deviated from the theoretical Ca 2+ values, which were estimated from the calcium/salinity ratio. The excess calcium (Ca 2+ excess ) ranged from 186 to 1229 μmol kg -1 , showing a decreasing trend from the estuary to the nearshore, and then the offshore areas. Riverine input was an important source of seawater Ca 2+ excess in the Bohai Sea. Biological activity was another factor in regulating seawater Ca 2+ excess by precipitation in the Yellow River estuary and dissolution in other area of the Bohai Sea. Furthermore, the aragonite saturation state (Ω arag ) values calculated from the measured Ca 2+ concentrations showed a significant deviation from the values calculated from the theoretical Ca 2+ concentrations, especially in the estuarine area with a maximum difference of 18.5%. Therefore, the disregard of the calcium addition would lead to an underestimation of the calcium carbonate saturation state and a deviation in the assessment of ocean acidification in marginal seas., 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 Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: To analyze the changes in the disease burden of prostate, testis, kidney and bladder cancers among urinary and reproductive system tumors in Chinese men from 1990 to 2019 with a prediction of the future trend., Methods: We retrieved the data on the incidence, mortality and disease burden of prostate, testis, kidney and bladder cancers in Chinese men between 1990 and 2019 from the database of Global Burden of Disease Study 2019. Using the Joinpoint regression model, we analyzed the trend of changes in the disease burden, and predicted the prevalence of the tumors with the ARIMA model., Results: From 1990 to 2019, the standardized incidence and prevalence of prostate, testis, kidney and bladder cancers were on the rise in Chinese men, and those of testis cancer increased most significantly, by 326.79% and 1070.93% respectively. The disease burden of PCa was the highest, with standardized incidence, prevalence and mortality ratios of 17.34/100 000, 117.65/100 000 and 7.79/100 000 respectively in 2019. The standardized mortality and disability-adjusted life years (DALY) of kidney cancer were increased by 103.59% and 103.17% respectively. The highest incidence, mortality and DALY of prostate, kidney and bladder cancers in 2019 were found in 90－94 years old males, the highest prevalence rates of prostate, kidney and bladder cancers in the 70－89-year-olds, and the highest prevalence of testis cancer in the 25－49-year-olds. ARIMA model prediction showed that the standardized incidence rates of prostate, testis, kidney and bladder cancers in Chinese men kept rising from 2020 to 2029., Conclusion: The disease burden of prostate, testis, kidney and bladder cancers in Chinese men is on the rise, and their standardized incidence rates will be even higher by 2029, with a significant increase in the disease burden in young men, which suggests the need of more attention to the prevention and treatment of genitourinary system tumors in young males.

Objective To analyze the trends of disease burden of cervical cancer,uterine cancer,and ovarian cancer among Chinese women from 1990 to 2019,and to provide a basis for formulating precise prevention and control measures in China. Methods The global disease burden data in 2019 were used to describe the changes in indicators such as incidence,mortality,years of life lost due to premature mortality(YLL),years lived with disability(YLD),and disability-adjusted life year(DALY) of cervical,uterine,and ovarian cancers in China from 1990 to 2019.Furthermore,the Bayesian age-period-cohort model was adopted to predict the incidence and mortality of the cancers from 2020 to 2030. Results From 1990 to 2019,the incidence rates and mortality of cervical,uterine,and ovarian cancers in Chinese women showed an upward trend,and the age-standardized incidence rate of ovarian cancer increased the most(0.78%).In 2019,the incidence of cervical cancer and uterine cancer concentrated in the women of 55-59 years old,and ovarian cancer mainly occurred in the women of 70-74 years old.The DALY,YLL,and YLD of cervical,uterine,and ovarian cancers all presented varying degrees of growth at all ages.The Bayesian age-period-cohort model predicted that from 2020 to 2030,the incidence and mortality of cervical cancer in China showed a decreasing trend,while those of uterine cancer and ovarian cancer showed an increasing trend.There was no significant change in the age with high incidence of the three cancers. Conclusions From 1990 to 2019,the overall disease burden of cervical,uterine,and ovarian cancers in China increased,while the disease burden of cervical cancer decreased after 2020.It is recommended that the efforts should be doubled for the prevention and control of cervical,uterine,and ovarian cancers.

To explore the effects of seawater temperature and biological processes on aragonite saturation state (Ω arag ), eight field surveys were conducted from December 2014 to November 2015 at A4HDYD station in the North Yellow Sea (NYS). Low regional yearly initial values of seawater Ω arag (1.26-1.76) were obtained in winter due to low seawater temperature. During spring to early autumn, surface-water Ω arag increased from 2.02 to 3.47 for the increasing seawater temperature and biological production, whereas bottom-water Ω arag remained as low as 1.44-1.79 due to low seawater temperature, net community respiration and the influence of the North Yellow Sea Cold Water Mass (NYSCWM). Following the collapse of stratification in late autumn, the seawater was well-mixed with an average Ω arag of 2.17. The annual cycle of seawater temperature dominated the seasonal variations of Ω arag , counteracted by biological production increasing Ω arag of 0.49 in surface water in March and strengthened by net community respiration decreasing Ω arag of 0.11-0.41 below the pycnocline during summer and autumn. It is, therefore, mid-to-high latitude coastal areas impacted by human activities are likely subject to ocean acidification due to the combined effects of low seawater temperature and net community respiration., 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 © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Organophosphate esters (OPEs) are widely distributed in surface water systems, but limited information was available on the spatial occurrence and ecological risks of OPEs in the Bohai Sea. In this study, 89 water samples in the Bohai Sea and the five surrounding rivers were investigated for the determination of 15 OPEs. The concentration of ∑ 15 OPEs ranged from 373.20 to 2931.27 ng·L -1 in the river water and 137.81 to 2641.30 ng·L -1 in the seawater, with high levels of OPEs in Liaodong Bay. Tris(2-chloroethyl) phosphate (TCEP, 10- 92 %) and triethyl phosphate (TEP, 5- 64 %) were dominant for OPEs. The correlation analysis, principal component analysis and hierarchical cluster analysis suggested the conjunction of municipal wastewater via river input and maritime shipping was the main source of OPEs in the Bohai Sea. The ecological risk assessment indicated that the individual OPEs arise low ecological risks in the Bohai Sea, while medium ecological risks of ∑ 15 OPEs are in minority river samples., 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 © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

An outbreak of COVID-19 caused by the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron BA.2 sublineage occurred in Shanghai, China from February 26 to June 30, 2022. We use official reported data retrieved from Shanghai municipal Health Commissions to estimate the incidence of infections, severe/critical infections, and deaths to assess the disease burden. By adjusting for right censoring and RT-PCR sensitivity, we provide estimates of clinical severity, including the infection fatality ratio, symptomatic case fatality ratio, and risk of developing severe/critical disease upon infection. The overall infection rate, severe/critical infection rate, and mortality rate were 2.74 (95% CI: 2.73-2.74) per 100 individuals, 6.34 (95% CI: 6.02-6.66) per 100,000 individuals and 2.42 (95% CI: 2.23-2.62) per 100,000 individuals, respectively. The severe/critical infection rate and mortality rate increased with age, noted in individuals aged 80 years or older. The overall fatality ratio and risk of developing severe/critical disease upon infection were 0.09% (95% CI: 0.09-0.10%) and 0.27% (95% CI: 0.24-0.29%), respectively. Having received at least one vaccine dose led to a 10-fold reduction in the risk of death for infected individuals aged 80 years or older. Under the repeated population-based screenings and strict intervention policies implemented in Shanghai, our results found a lower disease burden and mortality of the outbreak compared to other settings and countries, showing the impact of the successful outbreak containment in Shanghai. The estimated low clinical severity of this Omicron BA.2 epidemic in Shanghai highlight the key contribution of vaccination and availability of hospital beds to reduce the risk of death.

Objective: To explore the association between serum leucine (leu) and diabetic retinopathy (DR) in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and then to analyze the influence of gender on the association., Method: The electronic medical records of 1,149 T2D patients who met inclusion and exclusion criteria were retrieved from the Second Affiliated Hospital of Dalian Medical University and the First Affiliated Hospital of Jinzhou Medical University. Serum leu levels of all subjects were measured by liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry. Logistic regression was used to obtain the odds ratio (OR) and CI of leu-DR risk in multiple models. When using these models, restricted cubic spline (RCS) was used to test the potential non-linear relationship between multiple continuous independent variables, such as leu and DR (classification), and dependent variables. We also used the additive interaction method to evaluate the interaction effect between leu and gender on DR., Results: Leu was a protective factor of DR [0.78 (0.66, 0.92)]. When gender was divided into male and female, the above relationship was statistically significant only in men [0.73 (0.58, 0.94)]. Three indicators of additive interaction-RERI, AP, and S-suggested that there is no interaction between gender and leu on the risk of DR., Conclusions: Male T2D patients with high leu levels may have a lower risk of DR., Competing Interests: Authors BH, M-LL, and X-TC were employed by the company Dalian Runsheng Kangtai Medical Lab Co. Ltd. Author Y-FC was employed by Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Reproductive Health Drug and Devices. The remaining 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 Li, Huang, Liu, Cui, Cao and Gao.)

A coupled physical-biogeochemical model is used to investigate the seasonal evolution and controlling factors of oxygen depletion in the Bohai Sea (BS). Comparisons show that the model reproduces observed spatiotemporal variations of important physical and biogeochemical variables well. Bottom oxygen in the BS shows an annual cycle with significant drawdown in summer and enhanced replenishment in fall. Two oxygen-depleted regions off Qinhuangdao (QHD) and the Yellow River estuary (YRE) develop separately and experience higher oxygen depletion rates and longer durations of low-oxygen conditions. The evolution of oxygen depletion is primarily controlled by stratification and biological oxygen consumption but is also modulated by lateral transport. Strong stratification is established earlier than oxygen depletion and maintains its development. The biological oxygen consumption determines the two oxygen-depleted regions under stratified conditions. Lateral transport influenced by anticyclonic circulations favors an expansion of oxygen depletion off QHD but alleviates oxygen depletion off the YRE., (Copyright © 2021. Published by Elsevier Ltd.)

Background: Due to the loss of responsiveness to insulin, diabetes mellitus (DM) patients develop increased platelet reactivity and reduced response to antiplatelet agents. Nevertheless, the relationship between the single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) of the signal pathway gene of insulin secretion and the effect of clopidogrel is elusive., Methods: Blood samples were collected from patients administered with dual-antiplatelet therapy (clopidogrel, 75 mg, once daily and aspirin, 100 mg, once daily) after 5 days and completed test within 4 h. The VerifyNow P2Y12 assay was used to measure the platelet functions, and the results were expressed as a P2Y12 reaction unit (PRU). Notably, the selected SNPs were analyzed to demonstrate the functionality of genetic variants., Results: Analysis of the study population showed that old age, lower plasma albumin (ALB) level, higher creatinine (CREA) level, higher uric acid (UA) level, lower platelet (PLT) count, and lower plateletcrit (PCT) potentially increased the risk of clopidogrel resistance. In a single-nucleotide polymorphism rs6056209 of the PCLB1 gene, the AG genotype was a risk factor for clopidogrel resistance (p < 0.05, OR = 1.574). Similarly, the CC and AG genotype in GNAS rs7121 and CCKAR rs1800857 were protective factors (p < 0.05, OR = 0.094; p <0.05, OR = 0.491). TT was a protective factor in rs10814274 of the CREB3 gene (p < 0.05, OR = 0.444). In the RAPGEF4 gene polymorphism rs17746510, TG was the protective genotype, and the TT genotype was a risk factor for clopidogrel resistance. GCG rs5645 was confirmed; there was a relationship between genotypes containing A or G and clopidogrel resistance., Conclusion: Single-nucleotide polymorphisms of insulin secretion signaling pathway genes trigger clopidogrel resistance., (© 2021 The Authors. Journal of Clinical Laboratory Analysis published by Wiley Periodicals LLC.)