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Enhancing soil stability through the incorporation of straw and biochar is well documented. Nevertheless, the combined impact of straw, biochar, and nitrogen supplementation on soil aggregates and organic carbon still needs to be explored, with limited attention given to various sieving methods in the existing literature. Therefore, the current experiment used four sieving methods—routine wet sieving (RoutW), fast-wetting sieving (FastW), slow-wetting sieving (SlowW), and wetting–stirring sieving (WetS)—to investigate the effects of adding straw (0 or 4.5 t ha−1), biochar (from maize straw, 0 or 15 t ha−1), and N (0 or 100 kg ha−1) on soil aggregate stability and soil organic C in silt–loam soil of rainfed farmland in northwest China. The field experiment was started in 2014; soil samples were collected in 2021. The results revealed that straw returned, biochar, and N addition significantly increased soil mean weight diameter (MWD) and soil organic C (SOC). Compared to CN0 (zero-amendment) plots, straw returned with nitrogen addition (SN100) significantly increased the MWD of aggregates by 130.3% (RoutW), 121.66% (FastW), 73.94% (SlowW), and 91.78% (WetS) in the 0–30 cm soil layer. The addition of biochar and nitrogen (BN100) treatment showed the most significant effects on the relative slaking index (RSI), relative mechanical breakdown index (RMI), and SOC; compared with CN0 treatment, BN100 plots can reduce RSI and RMI by 42.90% and 54.66% and increase SOC by 53.27% for all soil layers. Therefore, adding organic materials with N can enhance the stability of soil aggregates and SOC of silt–loam soils in northwest China. Integrating biochar as an organic soil amendment in the agricultural practices of northwest China presents a multifaceted solution that addresses soil health, crop productivity, and environmental sustainability. The current study provides valuable insights that support adopting this innovative approach, paving the way for future sustainable agricultural practices that can benefit both the region and the global community. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modern analogues of Archaean charnockite are important because they facilitate investigations into processes of early crustal formation and tectonic transition. Herein, we present the results of the petrography, geochemistry, and isotope geochronology of Late Neoarchean charnockites in the Daqingshan terrane at the northern margin of the North China Craton. The sources, petrogenesis, and tectonic implications of the samples obtained are determined based on their geochemical characteristics. Charnockites mainly exhibit magnesian and calc–alkaline characteristics; furthermore, they contain high amounts of light rare-earth elements, with slightly positive Eu anomalies. Analysis of zircon U–Pb dating using a sensitive high-resolution ion microprobe reveals that Hademengou–Xiwulanbulang (HDMG–XWLBL) charnockites were emplaced during the (i) Late Neoarchean (ca. 2500 Ma), with zircon εHf(t) values ranging from 1.57 to 7.81; (ii) single-stage model ages (TDM1) from 2529 to 2637 Ma; and (iii) two-stage model ages (TDM2) from 2710 to 2820 Ma. A comparative study has performed on the petrography, geochemistry, and geochronology of charnockite and granulite shown that the parent magma of the charnockites is the product of the partial melting of granulite. Combining our results with geological data pertaining to the Archaean structural evolution of the Daqingshan terrane, we speculate that the Late Neoarchean HDMG–XWLBL charnockite was formed during a subduction-related thermo-tectonic event in the northern margin of the North China Craton. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous studies suggested odor stimulation may influence feeding of premature neonates. Therefore, this systematic review and meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials was conducted to assess the effect of human milk odor stimulation on feeding of premature infants. All randomized controlled trials related to human milk odor stimulation on feeding in premature infants published in PubMed, Cochrane, Library, Medline, Embase, Web of science databases and Chinese biomedical literature databases, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, China Science and Technology Journal Database (VIP) and Wanfang Chinese databases were searched, and The Cochrane Handbook 5.1.0 was used to evaluate the quality and authenticity of the literature. Relevant information of the included studies was extracted and summarized, and the evaluation indexes were analyzed using ReviewManager5.3. The retrieval time was from the establishment of the database to July 28, 2022.12 articles were assessed for eligibility, and six randomized controlled studies were eventually included in the meta-analysis (PRISMA). A total of 6 randomized controlled studies with 763 patients were finally included in the study, and the quality evaluation of literatures were all grade B. Human milk odor stimulation reduced the transition time to oral feeding in premature infants [SMD = − 0.48, 95% CI (− 0.69, − 0.27), Z = 4.54, P < 0.00001] and shortened the duration of parenteral nutrition [MD = − 1.01, 95% CI (− 1.70, − 0.32), Z = 2.88, P = 0.004]. However, it did not change the length of hospitalization for premature infants [MD = − 0.03, 95% CI (− 0.41, 0.35), Z = 0.17, P = 0.86]. The implementation of human milk odor stimulation can reduce the transition time to oral feeding and the duration of parenteral nutrition in premature infants, but further studies are needed to determine whether it can reduce the length of hospital stay in premature infants. More high-quality, large-sample studies are needed to investigate the effect of human milk odor stimulation on the feeding process and other outcomes in premature infants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The large Mo isotopic fractionations between diferent geological reservoirs make this isotopic system a potentially useful tool for constraining the origins of magmatism. However, the efect of magmatic diferentiation on Mo isotopes is still controversial. In this study, we obtained Mo isotope data for the Panzhihua gabbroic intrusion (i.e., including mineral separates of clinopyroxene, plagioclase, magnetite, and ilmenite). The whole-rock samples and mineral separates exhibit large Mo isotopic fractionations with δ98/95Mo values as follows: magnetite (–0.73‰ to –0.32‰) < clinopyroxene (–0.32‰ to –0.10‰) < ilmenite (0.06‰ to 0.36‰) < plagioclase (0.33‰ to 0.83‰). Iron-Ti oxides have Mo contents that are one order of magnitude higher than those of clinopyroxene and plagioclase. Mass balance calculations based on Mo isotopes and contents are consistent with an accumulated origin for the Panzhihua intrusion. Rayleigh fractionation modeling shows that the removal of magnetite and ilmenite results in significant Mo isotopic fractionation in the residual magma. Due to the low Mo contents of clinopyroxene and plagioclase, Mo isotopes are not significantly fractionated by the removal of these minerals. Therefore, our study highlights that fractionation of Fe-Ti oxides can cause considerable Mo isotopic fractionation; consequently, caution is needed when using Mo isotopes to infer magma origins. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper methodically investigates the influence of inclusive income growth on city size, examining it through the dual lenses of "income" and "distribution." The analysis leverages meticulously collected panel data encompassing 276 Chinese cities at the prefecture level and above, spanning the period from 2005 to 2019. Theoretical analysis indicates that the effect of city size expansion on per capita income adheres to a 'U'-shaped trajectory, while its influence on the urban-rural income gap manifests an 'inverted U' pattern. Moreover, the inclusive income growth stemming from city size demonstrates notable heterogeneity across various geographic locations and city hierarchies. The findings reveal that human capital serves as the primary mechanism through which city size influences inclusive income growth. After decomposing the income inclusiveness index, it becomes evident that the expansion of city size exerts a more potent direct driving effect on the income of urban residents. On the one hand, city size expansion directly increases rural residents' income levels by improving labor productivity. On the other hand, it facilitates leapfrog income development by inducing the rural labor force to move to cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Olivine compositions are widely used to constrain magmatic thermodynamic conditions such as magmatic temperature, oxygen fugacity, and H2O content. However, elemental diffusion may change the initial compositions and lead to large uncertainty on the estimation of these thermodynamic conditions. In this study, we conducted LA-ICP-MS elemental mapping and EPMA analysis of olivine phenocrysts and olivine-hosted spinel from the Jiagedaqi (JGD) alkaline basalts in northeast China to evaluate the influence of elemental difusion on olivine-composition-based geothermometry, oxybarometry, and hygrometry. The JGD olivines show normal Fo [Mg/(Mg + Fe) × 100 in moles] zoning, with cores having Fo of 77–87 and rims having Fo of 67–73. The constant P contents from core to rim indicate that these compositional zonings were caused mainly by difusion. Because Al is a slow-diffusing element and its content is relatively constant from core to rim, the temperature calculated by the Al-in-olivine thermometer is not influenced by elemental difusion and preserves the JGD olivine crystallization temperature up to 1150 °C. The temperatures calculated using the Sc/Y-in-olivine thermometer, the oxygen fugacity calculated using the olivine–spinel oxybarometer, and the H2O content calculated on the basis of Ca partitioning between olivine and melt are strongly influenced by the diffusion of Fo, Sc/Y, and Ca. However, the compositional plateaus in olivine cores, which were not influenced by elemental diffusion, preserve the magmatic temperature (1150 °C), oxygen fugacity (QFM+1.4), and H2O content (4 wt%) that applied during the formation of the JGD olivines. Together, these findings suggest that the mantle source of the JGD basalts was metasomatized by fluids released from the subducted slab. This study highlights that elemental difusion in olivine phenocrysts can strongly afect the application of olivine-composition-based geothermometers, oxybarometers, and hygrometers. However, primitive olivine cores that have not been influenced by difusion preserve the initial magmatic thermodynamic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Shaolang River metallogenic belt in Inner Mongolia is one of the main lead‐zinc polymetallic belt on the northern margin of the North China Plate. The granodiorites, which are closely coexisting with lead‐zinc veins in deposit, are extensively developed. Previous geochronological research results show that the dikes and veins in the metallogenic belt belong to the products of magmatic hydrothermal activity in the middle Yanshanian, so the genesis of the metallogenic belt deposit is generally considered to be a hydrothermal vein type deposit related to sub‐volcanic dikes. We obtained zircon LA‐ICP‐MS U–Pb ages and Hf isotopic compositions of granodiorites, which are widely distributed in the deposit and were considered to be closely connected with the genesis of the deposits. The zircon U–Pb ages are 419.4 ± 1.4 Ma and 424.5 ± 4.1 Ma for the granodiorites, respectively, and they formed in the late Silurian. The geological and geochemical data indicate that the granodiorites are consistent with the geochemical characteristics of typical adakite. All εHf(t) values of the granodiorites are minus, on the zircon Hf isotope age diagram, εHf(t) are below the evolution curve of chondrite. The two‐stage model ages (tDM2) are 2.45 ~ 2.79 Ga and 1.87 ~ 2.29 Ga, respectively, showing rock‐forming materials mainly derived from the Paleoproterozoic and earlier crustal partial melting, and there may have been mantle‐derived magma underplating of the lower crust. Combining with the previous regional research, it is concluded that the granodiorites were formed during the extinction of the island arc under the background of subduction of the Paleo‐Asian Ocean and North China Craton. Because of the 125 ~ 170 Ma metallogenic age, we concluded that the granodiorites in the ore areas have no obvious relationship with the deposit genesis. However, it provided the advantageous space for the formation of the lead‐zinc veins, it can be regarded as an important prospecting indicator in metallogenic belt. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antisocial personality disorder (ASPD) is a common behavioral pattern that causes sufferers to ignore or violate the rights of others. Though its cause is still unclear, previous studies have shown that childhood maltreatment is closely related to ASPD. The NOS1AP gene is associated with various neuropsychiatric diseases, but a linkage between it and ASPD has not yet been discovered. This study recruited ASPD and non‐ASPD male subjects who had committed violent crimes from a prison in Nanjing, China. By comparing the two groups' genotypes, allele frequencies, and histories of childhood abuse, we explored the interaction between the NOS1AP gene and childhood maltreatment on the pathogenesis of ASPD. The results showed that polymorphism rs945713 in the NOS1AP gene was associated with ASPD and furthermore that this SNP may be involved in regulating the effect of childhood abuse on ASPD. This study found that childhood trauma increases the risk of ASPD in violent adult male inmates; for prisoners with ASPD, it is critical to pay attention to their childhood trauma and take early psychological intervention. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

S-type granites constitute an important component of the Paleoproterozoic Khondalite Belt in the North China Craton. Here we present results from petrography, geochemistry and isotope geochronology on the porphyritic garnet-bearing syenogranite and garnet-bearing monzogranite samples in the Jining-Liangcheng area. The geochemical characteristics of these samples indicate formation through partial anatexis of the khondalites, with heat and material input from mantle-derived magma. Geochemical similarities between the porphyritic garnet-bearing syenogranite, garnet-bearing monzogranite, and metapelitic gneiss suggest their broad affinity. Sensitive high-resolution ion microprobe zircon U–Pb dating revealed that the S-type granites formed at ca. 1.92–1.90 Ga and were subsequently metamorphosed at ca. 1.85 Ga. The ca. 1.92–1.91 Ga porphyritic garnet-bearing syenogranite shows zircon εHf(t) values of −1.94–+3.38 with two-stage Hf crustal model ages (TDM2) ages of ca. 2.42–2.59 Ga. The 1.91–1.90-Ga garnet-bearing monzogranites show zircon εHf(t) values ranging from −4.36 to +0.38, with TDM2 ranging from ca. 2.57 to ca. 2.82 Ga. The geochemical isotopic compositions suggest that the porphyritic garnet-bearing syenogranite and garnet-bearing monzogranite originated from the partial melting of pre-existing crust of heterogeneous compositions with the addition of mantle-derived material. On the basis of our results, combined with geological data on the Paleoproterozoic structural evolution of the Khondalite Belt, we assume that the timing of the metamorphism and anatexis in the Jining–Liangcheng area is correlated with a regional metamorphism and mantle-derived magmatism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Strawberry is a widely cultivated cash crop in China. In order to control pests and diseases on strawberries, there must be sufficient deposits on the abaxial surfaces of the leaves. Air-assisted technology can effectively increase the deposition on the abaxial surfaces of the leaves; however, most air-assisted equipment is not suitable for application due to the pattern of strawberry planting. Therefore, a novel air-assisted strawberry sprayer was developed, the static and dynamic wind fields were measured using a 3D anemometer, and the effectiveness of the application at different spray angles and wind speeds was evaluated. In addition, a comparison of the deposition effect in the strawberry canopy between the air-assisted strawberry sprayer, knapsack sprayer, and spray gun was conducted. The results showed that in the static wind field test, a difference between the center and edge wind fields was obtained, which was correlated with the distance and the outlet wind speed. In the dynamic wind field test, the wind field was found to be rolling backward during the movement, and an inward vortex was obtained. In the field, the data showed that a spray angle of 30° and a wind speed of 16 m·s−1 had the best deposition on the abaxial surface, with a coverage of 36.5% and 38.3% in the upper canopy and 6.2% and 7.9% in the lower canopy, respectively. Moreover, the air-assisted strawberry sprayer was found to have a higher deposition efficiency on abaxial surfaces than the knapsack sprayer and spray gun at a lower spray volume, the values of which in the upper and lower canopies were 42.8% and 29.7%, respectively. In conclusion, the air-assisted strawberry sprayer has the potential for the crop protection of greenhouse strawberries, and more evaluations are needed to improve the sprayer in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two episodes of late Neoarchean-early Paleoproterozoic and late Paleoproterozoic garnet-bearing leucogranite, named the Baotou and Jining–Liangcheng garnet-bearing leucogranite are recognized from the Khondalite Belt in the North China Craton. Geochemical studies show that garnet-bearing leucogranite has high Al2O3 content and FeOT/MgO ratio, with a large variation in the CaO content and K2O/Na2O ratio. Additionally, the garnet-bearing leucogranite is enriched in light rare earth elements and large ion lithophile elements and depleted in Nb, Ta, P, and Ti. However, there are some variations in Eu anomalies, as indicated by the Eu-enriched and Eu-depleted patterns. The sensitive high-resolution ion microprobe (SHRIMP) zircon U-Pb dating of the Baotou garnet-bearing leucogranite and Jining–Liangcheng garnet-bearing leucogranite show that their anatectic ages were 2.35–2.43 Ga and 1.90–1.92 Ga, respectively, with zircon εHf (t) values of −0.01–3.93 and −4.36–1.99, and two-stage model ages (TDM2) of 2.76–3.02 Ga and 2.57–2.83 Ga, respectively. U-Th-Pb SHRIMP analyses on zircon reveal ages of ca. 2.35–2.47 Ga for the Baotou metapelite gneiss and ca. 1.90–1.91 Ga for the Jining–Liangcheng metapelite gneiss, which represent the ages of tectonic metamorphic events related to the anatexis. Our results, combined with geological and petrographical observations, geochemistry, and geochronology, suggest that (1) Garnet-bearing leucogranites formed as a result of anatexis of metapelite gneisses; (2) They are mixtures of leucosomes, residual minerals and mantle-derived materials; (3) Two episodes of garnet-bearing leucogranites have been identified; (4) Both two episodes of garnet-bearing leucogranites corresponded to late Neoarchean-early Paleoproterozoic and late Palaeoproterozoic tectonothermal events, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The largest Precambrian gasfield in China has been found from the Ediacaran (Sinian) carbonates in the central Sichuan Basin. The deep ancient reservoirs were generally attributed to the high-energy mound-shoal body in the carbonate platform. However, there is still little understanding on the distribution of the mound-shoal bodies that hampers further gas exploitation from the deep subsurface. Based on the seismic data, a large strike-slip fault system was identified by new 3D seismic data in the central Sichuan Basin. Further, it was found that the strike-slip fault had some effects on the mound-shoal bodies of the Ediacaran Dengying Formation. First, the platform margin was divided by strike-slip faults into three distinct segments to show two weak-rimmed margins and one interbedded rimmed margin. Second, the platform margin could be offset or migrated with the strike-slip faults. Third, there is varied margin thickness across the strike-slip fault zone. In the inner platform, more carbonate mound-shoal bodies developed behind the weak-rimmed margin that was divided by the strike-slip fault zones. In addition, the mound-shoal bodies may be separated by faulted sag. Further, the mound-shoal bodies may have developed along the faulted higher position in one side of the strike-slip fault zone. These patterns of the mound-shoal bodies suggest that the strike-slip fault had an important role in the sedimentary microfacies' diversity in the intracratonic carbonates. The low displacement of the strike-slip fault is chiefly responsible for a weaker controlling effect on the microfacies change in the intracratonic basin rather than other tectonic settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Real‐life data on guselkumab in psoriasis are limited and not available in China hitherto. This study aimed to evaluate the short‐term effectiveness and safety of guselkumab in patients with psoriasis under Chinese real‐life conditions and to explore the effect of guselkumab on CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (Tregs). A Chinese prospective and real‐life study involving patients with psoriasis in Dermatology Hospital of Southern Medical University, Guangzhou, China from April to September 2020 was conducted. A total of 45 patients with psoriasis were finally enrolled in the study. Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI) 90 and 100 responses at week 16 were achieved by 88.6% and 45.5% of patients, respectively. The analysis of PASI response in different subgroups showed no statistically significant difference. Univariate logistic regression analysis revealed that at week 16, none of the variables were associated with decreasing PASI 90 response, whereas age at onset of disease was a predictor of PASI 100 response. Dynamic detection of CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ Tregs frequency from peripheral blood suggested a stable maintained trend in terms of guselkumab treatment duration. No severe adverse events occurred during the follow‐up period. This study confirmed the short‐term effectiveness and safety of guselkumab, as well as its good tolerance against psoriasis, in the Chinese population. Guselkumab treatment maintains levels of Tregs in patients with psoriasis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The functional activities, such as management, marketing, R&D and fabrication, carried out by a country or industry is of great importance for its governance and upgrading on the global value chains (GVCs). This paper provides a long-term macro-economic analysis on China's functional upgrading in GVCs and its drivers between 1999 and 2011. We combine the world input-output database with the newly compiled labour occupations database to measure China's functional income growth in internationally fragmented production networks, and then incorporate the concept into the chaining structural decomposition analysis (SDA) to explore its drivers. We find that China has achieved functional upgrading to some degree, reflected in the growth of China's domestic value added in headquarter activities, such as R&D, at the aggregate and industrial levels. However, fabrication activity still stands out, indicating that China still has a long way to go on upgrading in GVCs. Finally, through the chaining SDA, we find that among the GVC production, technology and consumption effects, the consumption level (consumer demand) is the main factor driving the growth of China's functional upgrading. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To test the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on air quality, this article matches the city-level real-time air quality monitoring data with the big data on population migration provided by Baidu. The article uses urban samples from the same data sample of the Chinese lunar calendar in 2019 to construct the counterfactual status of the COVID-19 pandemic. Then, the difference-in-differences (DID) model is employed to estimate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on air quality. It is found that the COVID-19 pandemic caused PM2.5 and AQI to decrease by about 7 μg/m3 and 5-points, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Earth's mantle shows large‐scale geochemical heterogeneities bounded by several identifiable end‐member compositions. However, the origin of extreme mantle reservoirs, for example, high 238U/204Pb (HIMU), and their location in the Earth's interior remains poorly constrained. Clinopyroxenes from late Cenozoic Wudi lavas in eastern China have heterogeneous Pb isotopic compositions, even though the erupted lavas are isotopically homogeneous. Our new results provide, to our knowledge, the first evidence for the existence of a HIMU‐like component in the sources of late Cenozoic lavas. Analyses of olivines and their host lavas indicate that the basaltic melts are derived from partial melting of carbonated peridotite. The HIMU source is likely to be younger than 700 Ma old and related to subduction events of the Paleo‐Asian ocean. In addition to deep and ancient recycling, storage of a metasomatically produced mantle reservoir in the mantle transition zone may be an important mechanism for developing extreme isotopic signatures. Key Points: We provide the first evidence for the presence of HIMU component in the magma sourceSubduction‐related, carbonatite‐metasomatized mantle is a likely candidate for the HIMU reservoirThe transition zone may be an important reservoir in the development of mantle heterogeneities [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Matrix‐matched reference materials are necessary for accurate microbeam U‐Pb dating and Hf isotopic determination. This study introduces the RMJG rutile as a new potential reference material, which was separated from Palaeoproterozoic pelitic granulites collected in Hebei Province, China. LA‐ICP‐MS measurements indicate the RMJG rutile has extremely low Th (< 0.003 ± 0.01 µg g−1) and common Pb contents, but high Hf (102 ± 34 µg g−1), U (61 ± 11 µg g−1), and radiogenic Pb (~ 20 µg g−1) contents. Moreover, the rutile yields relatively constant U‐Pb ages and Hf isotopic data. The LA‐ICP‐MS analyses suggest that this rutile has a concordant U‐Pb age with a statistical mean 206Pb/238U and 207Pb/235U ages of 1749.9 ± 32.1 Ma and 1750.0 ± 26.4 Ma, respectively (2s), which are statistically indistinguishable from its ID‐TIMS ages (1750.6 ± 8.4 and 1750.1 ± 4.7 Ma). Precise determination of the 176Hf/177Hf ratio by MC‐ICP‐MS in solution mode (0.281652 ± 0.000006) is in good agreement with the statistical mean of the LA‐MC‐ICP‐MS measurements (0.28166 ± 0.00018). Therefore, the limited variations of RMJG U‐Pb age and Hf isotopic composition together with its extremely low common Pb and high Hf, U and Pb contents make it an ideal calibration and monitor reference material for LA‐ICP‐MS measurements. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Disabilities have a negative effect on mental health and individuals with such conditions are especially susceptible to mental disorders. Previous research has established that in normal population, social support is significantly correlated with subjective well-being (SWB) through mediating variables; however the internal mechanism underlying this in people with physical disability remains unclear. This study aims to examine whether self-esteem and perceived discrimination play a mediating role in the relationship between social support and SWB in a sample of people with physical disability in China. Methods: A total of 210 people with physical disability of Chinese ethnicity were recruited to complete a series of questionnaires. This included the Chinese Social Support Rating Scale (CSSRS), Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale (RSES), Disability Discrimination Perception Questionnaire (DDPQ), and the Chinese Happiness Inventory (CHI). Path analysis was implemented on the data. Results: The model showed excellent fit to data: χ 2 = 2.314, p > 0.05; root-mean-square error of approximation (RMSEA) = 0.079; standardized root-mean residual (SRMR) = 0.035; comparative fit index (CFI) = 0.989; and Tucker-Lewis index (TLI) = 0.936. The results showed that self-esteem significantly mediated the relationship between social support and SWB, and perceived discrimination in people with physical disability. However, there is no mediating effect of perceived discrimination between social support and SWB. Conclusion: These findings demonstrate that self-esteem may be a critical resource in mediating the relationships between social support, SWB, and perceived discrimination in people with physical disability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Empathy is an important element of the physician-patient relationship and is a critical personality trait for medical students. However, research has shown that it declines during undergraduate medical education. It is still unclear how empathy interrelates with the psychological elements of medical students, in particular, self-esteem. This study examined the relationship between empathy and self-esteem to explore other possible methods to improve medical students' empathy. Methods: A stratified sampling strategy was used to select 1690 medical students from 3 medical institutions in Shanghai as study participants. The questionnaires used to collect data included the Jefferson Scale of Physician Empathy-Student Version (JSPE-S), the Rosenberg Self-esteem Scale (RSES), and a self-made inventory on personal information. Descriptive analysis, independent t -test, One-Way ANOVA, and linear regression were used to analyze the data. Results: The mean empathy score among medical students was 102.73 with SD = 12.64. Multiple regression analysis revealed that, "age," "perception of the importance of empathy," "academic pressure," "desire to be a doctor after graduation," and "self-esteem" were significant predictors of empathy (P < 0.05) and the adjusted R 2 was 0.462. The correlation matrix between empathy and self-esteem was significant (r = 0.510, P < 0.01). Self-esteem explained 15.5% of the variation of empathy in the final regression model. Conclusion: There was a positive association between self-esteem and empathy. Self-esteem is one of many factors which contribute to medical students' empathy. Age, academic pressure, attitude toward empathy and future career also play a critical role in medical student empathy. Enhancing medical students' self-esteem may be an efficacious way to improve medical students' empathy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Neoarchean charnockite of Yinshan Block has been a hot topic into understanding the Precambrian geology of the North China Craton. Although there is a broad consensus that the charnockite is usually related to granulite‐facies metamorphism, its petrogenesis and tectonics still remain controversial. We present a comparative study of the petrography, geochemistry, and geochronology of charnockite and intermediate–basic granulite in the Jining area along the northern margin of the North China Craton. Inclusions within hypersthene in charnockite are used to identify the peak granulite facies mineral assemblage, with the formation of charnockite being attributed to anatexis of the protolith associated with this granulite‐facies metamorphism. Anatexis occurred mainly during postpeak isothermal decompression, as inferred from the metamorphic evolution and pressure–temperature conditions (granulite and charnockite record peak pressure–temperature conditions of 750°C–1,000°C and 0.8–1.2 GPa and 850°C–975°C and 0.9–1.0 GPa, respectively) derived from analyses of metamorphic minerals using electron probe microanalysis, combined with previous zircon geochronology. Hypersthene in charnockite is interpreted to be a residual or peritectic mineral phase that was present during anatexis, and the charnockite is inferred to have been crystallized from a melt containing abundant residual minerals. Charnockite has similar geochemical characteristics to those of intermediate–basic granulite but differs in several key ways: (a) The charnockite is strongly depleted in the large‐ion lithophile element Cs, the heat‐producing elements U and Th, and the high‐field‐strength elements Nb, Ta, P, and Ti; (b) it is enriched in Sr; and (c) it exhibits both positive and negative Eu anomalies, which are characteristics of granites formed largely by in situ anatexis. Geochemical constraints indicate that the intermediate charnockite and retrograde metamorphic biotite–hornblende gneiss may both be the product of mantle‐derived magma in a magmatic subduction‐related back‐arc extensional environment. This setting provided a hot spot for metamorphic anatexis, with additional heat being provided by the upwelling of asthenospheric mantle. After the cessation of subduction by ~2,470 Ma, a magmatic arc extensional setting developed in the Jining area. The charnockite was involved in Paleoproterozoic orogenesis in the North China Craton and was strongly modified by a ~1,950‐Ma metamorphism event. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Andrias davidianus ranavirus (ADRV) is an emerging viral pathogen that causes severe systemic hemorrhagic disease in Chinese giant salamanders. There is an urgent need for developing an effective vaccine against this fatal disease. In this study, DNA vaccines containing the ADRV 2L gene (pcDNA-2L) and the 58L gene (pcDNA-58L) were respectively constructed, and their immune protective effects were evaluated in Chinese giant salamanders. In vitro and in vivo expression of the vaccine plasmids were confirmed in transfected cells and muscle tissues of vaccinated Chinese giant salamanders by using immunoblot analysis or RT-PCR. Following ADRV challenge, the Chinese giant salamanders vaccinated with pcDNA-2L showed a relative percent survival (RPS) of 66.7%, which was significant higher than that in Chinese giant salamanders immunized with pcDNA-58L (RPS of 3.3%). Moreover, the specific antibody against ADRV was detected in Chinese giant salamanders vaccinated with pcDNA-2L at 14 and 21 days post-vaccination by indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Transcriptional analysis revealed that the expression levels of immune-related genes including type I interferon (IFN), myxovirus resistance (Mx), major histocompatibility complex class IA (MHC IA), and immunoglobulin M (IgM) were strongly up-regulated after vaccination with pcDNA-2L. Furthermore, vaccination with pcDNA-2L significantly suppressed the virus replication, which was seen by a low viral load in the spleen of Chinese giant salamander survivals after ADRV challenge. These results indicated that pcDNA-2L could induce a significant innate immune response and an adaptive immune response involving both humoral and cell-mediated immunity that conferred effective protection against ADRV infection, and might be a potential vaccine candidate for controlling ADRV disease in Chinese giant salamanders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: 7-Ketocholesterol (7-KC), a major oxidation product of cholesterol, is found in human atherosclerotic plaque and more atherogenic than cholesterol in animal models. This study was designed to investigate the association of plasma 7-KC level with the incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) events in general population.Methods: We measured plasma 7-KC concentrations at baseline in 1944 participants free from CVD in a community-based cohort study. The primary endpoint was incident of a major adverse cardiovascular event. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to calculate the HRs with 95% CI.Results: A total of 101 incident CVD events were recorded during the 5.2 year median follow-up. The baseline plasma 7-KC levels were associated with a higher risk of incident CVD events; compared with quartile 1, participants in quartile 4 had an unadjusted HR of 2.38 (2.03-2.85, p<0.001) and an adjusted HR of 1.70 (1.45-1.91, p=0.004) after adjusting for traditional risk factors. Plasma 7-KC levels improved all of the metrics of discrimination and reclassification when added to the intima-media thickness (C-statistic: p=0.002; net reclassification improvement (NRI): p<0.001; integrated discrimination improvement (IDI): p<0.001), family history of myocardial infarction (C-statistic: p=0.011; NRI: p=0.004; IDI: p=0.003) and elevated high-sensitivity C reactive protein (C-statistic: p=0.008; NRI: p=0.015; IDI: p=0.009).Conclusions: Elevated plasma 7-KC levels are associated with the incident CVD events in a population-based cohort. Further studies are needed to confirm this observation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effectiveness of rapid rail transit system is analyzed using tools of complex network for the first time. We evaluated the effectiveness of the system in Beijing quantitatively from different perspectives, including descriptive statistics analysis, bridging property, centrality property, ability of connecting different part of the system and ability of disease spreading. The results showed that the public transport of Beijing does benefit from the rapid rail transit lines, and the benefit of different regions from RRTS is gradually decreased from the north to the south. The paper concluded with some policy suggestions regarding how to promote the system. This study offered significant insight that can help understand the public transportation better. The methodology can be easily applied to analyze other urban public systems, such as electricity grid, water system, to develop more livable cities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Olivine-hosted melt inclusions provide an archive of the parental magma and early magma history that is unavailable from bulk-rock analyses of cumulates. For those olivine-bearing mafic-ultramafic intrusions, a combined in situ analysis of major elements and Pb isotopic compositions for the melt inclusions and host olivine crystals may provide an effective way to understand the nature of the parental magma of the intrusions. In this study, we take the Nantianwan intrusion in the Emeishan large igneous province (SW China) as an example to analyze the melt inclusions and the host olivine. The Nantianwan intrusion is mainly composed of gabbronorite, with minor olivine gabbro. The olivine crystals in the olivine gabbro have Fo contents varying from 81.1 to 89.2 and Ni from 0.05 to 0.30 wt.%. The melt inclusion hosted in the most Mg-rich olivine has 50.9 wt.% SiO 2 , 1.0 wt.% TiO 2 , 15.1 wt.% MgO and 2.9 wt.% Na 2 O + K 2 O, indicating that the parental magma of the intrusion was of high-Mg basaltic composition. The melt inclusions overall have 208 Pb/ 206 Pb ratios of 2.0567–2.1032 and 207 Pb/ 206 Pb of 0.8287–0.8481, similar to the Pb isotopic compositions of the Emeishan flood basalts and consistent with insignificant crustal contamination. Given that the Nantianwan intrusion contains the most Mg-rich olivine among the Ni-Cu-(PGE) sulfide-bearing mafic-ultramafic intrusions in the Emeishan LIP, we infer that the composition of the melt inclusion in the most Mg-rich olivine from the Nantianwan intrusion may represent the least evolved parental magma of the Ni-Cu-(PGE) sulfide-bearing mafic-ultramafic intrusions in the Emeishan LIP. This can be further used to constrain the magma process related to Ni-Cu-(PGE) sulfide mineralization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives:To investigate the relationship between glycated albumin (GA) to glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) ratio and cognitive impairment in old age. Diabetes is associated with cognitive impairment in older people. However, the link between elevated GA/HbA1c levels and the risk of cognitive impairment in nondiabetic individuals is unclear. Methods:A cross-sectional study of 474 old, nondiabetic adults (192 women, mean age 73.8 years ± 6.9 SD) who had been admitted to our hospital was conducted. Glycemic measures included fasting plasma glucose (FPG), 2-hour post-prandial plasmic glucose (2hPPG), GA and HbA1c. Cognitive function was assessed using Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and Montreal Cognitive Assessment (MoCA) at the same examination visit in which the glycemic measures were determined. Results:When the individuals were divided into two groups according to the median of GA/HbA1c ratio, old adults with GA/HbA1c ratio ≥ 2.53 showed lower MMSE and MoCA scores compared to those with GA/HbA1c ratio < 2.53. Univariate regression analysis showed that MMSE and MoCA scores were not correlated with HbA1c, but were inversely correlated with GA and GA/HbA1c ratio. Linear regression analysis revealed that there was a significant negative correlation between GA/HbA1c and cognitive function (β = −0.77,P< 0.01 for MoCA and β = −0.69,P< 0.05 for MMSE) even after adjustment for age, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, lipoprotein(a) and sex. Conclusion:Our results indicate that even in the absence of manifest type 2 diabetes mellitus, GA/HbA1c ratio levels exert a negative influence on cognition and it may be a better predictor for cognitive impairment in the older population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fish inhabit environments that vary greatly in terms of predation intensity, and these predation regimes are generally expected to be a major driver of divergent natural selection. To test whether there is predator-driven intra-species variation in the locomotion, metabolism and water velocity preference of pale chub (Zacco platypus) along a river, we measured unsteady and steady swimming and water velocity preference among fish collected from both high- and low-predation habitats in the Wujiang River. We also measured the routine metabolic rate (RMR), maximum metabolic rate (MMR) and cost of transport (COT) and calculated the optimal swimming speed (Uopt). The fish from the high-predation populations showed a shorter response latency, elevated routine metabolism, lower swimming efficiency at low swimming speed and lower water velocity preference compared with those from the low-predation populations. Neither of the kinematic parameters fast-start and critical swimming speed (Ucrit) showed a significant difference between the high- and low-predation populations. The fish from the high-predation populations may improve their predator avoidance capacity primarily through an elevated routine metabolism and shorter response latency to achieve advanced warning and escape, rather than an improved fast-start swimming speed or acceleration. Thus, the cost of this strategy is an elevated RMR, and no trade-off between unsteady and steady swimming performance was observed in the pale chub population under various predation stresses. It was interesting to find that the high-predation fish showed an unexpected lower velocity preference, which might represent a compromise between predation avoidance, foraging and energy saving. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The People's Republic of China has nearly the highest incidence of both diabetes mellitus (DM) and tuberculosis (TB) worldwide. DM increases the risk of TB by two to three times and adversely affects TB treatment outcomes. The increasing epidemic of DM in the People's Republic of China is due to decreased physical activity, unhealthy diet, and obesity. Over the last 20 years, the excellent free China National Tuberculosis Program has been set up, and the "DOTS" (directly observed treatment + short-course chemotherapy) model for TB control has successfully reduced the burden of TB, but the disease is still a considerable problem. Given the high burden of TB and DM in the People's Republic of China and the relationship between the two diseases, it is sensible to screen DM patients for TB. A bidirectional screening of the two diseases was conducted in the People's Republic of China from 2011 to 2012, which identified a TB incidence in patients with DM of about 958 per 100,000. Here, we report the findings of our recent study on the incidence of TB among diabetic patients in the People's Republic of China. The data agree with those of previous reports. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To observe the influence of therapy with Chinese medicine Lirukang Granule (利乳康颗粒, LRKG) combined with psychological intervention on anxiety states and sex hormones in patients with cyclomastopathy and menoxenia. Methods: A total of 470 subjects were randomly assigned to three groups by the net-central randomization system, the treatment group (161 patients, treated with LRKG and psychological intervention), the Chinese medicine group (157 patients, treated with LRKG), and the psychological intervention group (152 patients, treated with psychological intervention). The dose of LRKG was 12 g three times per day; psychological intervention included establishing relations, cognitive intervention and psychological persuasion, 30-40 min per session, once a week. The therapy duration for all groups was three months. The efficacy was compared and anxiety state/State-Trait Anxiety Invertory (STAI) scoring was measured before and after treatment. The serum estradiol (E), progesterone (P), prolactin (PRL) and follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) levels of 60 patients selected randomly from each group during the luteal phase were measured before and after treatment, and a group of 20 healthy women were evaluated for comparison. A follow-up was arranged for one year after treatment. Results: Thirty subjects were lost to follow-up. (1) Comparison of efficacy: the markedly effective rate and the total effective rate of the treatment group were 86.67% (131/150) and 98.00% (147/150), respectively; of the Chinese medicine group, 64.58% (93/144) and 90.27% (130/144), respectively; and of the psychological intervention group, 0% (0/146) and 3.42% (5/146), respectively. The markedly effective rate and the total effective rate in the treatment group were significantly higher than those in the Chinese medicine and psychological intervention groups ( P<0.05). (2) Comparison of STAI scoring: STAI scoring was decreased dramatically in the treatment group after treatment compared with that of the Chinese medicine group ( P<0.01), but there was no significant difference compared with the psychological intervention group. (3) Comparison of levels of sex hormones: E, P, PRL and FSH of the three patient groups were disordered before treatment, and significantly different from healthy women ( P<0.01). After treatment, the levels of P and FSH of the treatment group were significantly increased ( P<0.01), E and PRL were significantly reduced, which were also significantly decreased compared with the psychological intervention groups ( P<0.01). (4) Follow-up: the markedly effective rate and the total effective rate of the treatment group remained higher than those of the other two groups after one year of treatment ( P<0.05). (5) Adverse reactions: no obvious adverse reactions were found among the three groups. Conclusions: Therapy with Chinese medicine combined with psychological intervention was effective for short-term and long-term treatment of cyclomastopathy and menoxenia. The mechanism might be related to the regulation of sex hormones. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Automatic severity assessment and progression prediction can facilitate admission, triage, and referral of COVID-19 patients. This study aims to explore the potential use of lung lesion features in the management of COVID-19, based on the assumption that lesion features may carry important diagnostic and prognostic information for quantifying infection severity and forecasting disease progression. A novel LesionEncoder framework is proposed to detect lesions in chest CT scans and to encode lesion features for automatic severity assessment and progression prediction. The LesionEncoder framework consists of a U-Net module for detecting lesions and extracting features from individual CT slices, and a recurrent neural network (RNN) module for learning the relationship between feature vectors and collectively classifying the sequence of feature vectors. Chest CT scans of two cohorts of COVID-19 patients from two hospitals in China were used for training and testing the proposed framework. When applied to assessing severity, this framework outperformed baseline methods achieving a sensitivity of 0.818, specificity of 0.952, accuracy of 0.940, and AUC of 0.903. It also outperformed the other tested methods in disease progression prediction with a sensitivity of 0.667, specificity of 0.838, accuracy of 0.829, and AUC of 0.736. The LesionEncoder framework demonstrates a strong potential for clinical application in current COVID-19 management, particularly in automatic severity assessment of COVID-19 patients. This framework also has a potential for other lesion-focused medical image analyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At present, the weights of most evaluation indexes in fuzzy analysis methods of rock slope are a fixed value. However, the influence of the evaluation indexes on slope stability actually remains uncertain and fuzzy. As a result, if only the fixed weights are employed, it will disagree with the reality. To overcome the current problem, the cloud model method was introduced in the paper. In addition, the analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method for group decision based on confidence indexes was proposed to construct the cloud model of weight. In the meanwhile, the evaluation indexes, grading standards, grading intervals and cloud model characteristic parameters were determined by referring to the recommended China's industry standards and the experiences of previous researchers. On this basis, an application program was developed using Python language. The application was applied in the stability evaluation of a rock slope in Donghu Town, Lianjiang County, Fujian Province, China. According to the results, the slope was generally stable, but very unstable in some local areas. The result was highly or basically consistent with the result of CSMR, FLAC, AHP-TOPSIS, FSMR, or Fuzzy-AHP method as well as the actual situation on site, confirming the effectiveness of this evaluation method. • Comprehensively considering the 22 factors affecting the stability of rock slopes. • The analytic hierarchy process (AHP) method for group decision was proposed to construct the cloud model of weight. • An asymmetric normal cloud model was established. • An application for evaluating the stability of rock slopes was developed by using the Python language. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: An environmental input-output model (EIOM) was introduced to the regional solid waste management sectors, which can reflect the direct and indirect relations between the environment and the regional economy development. Some details about how to use the EIOM was discussed. The EIOM was applied to the Changsha City in China. The example results indicate that much useful information related to the environment and the regional economy development can be gained from the solution of the EIOM. Thus, the EIOM can he used as a useful tool for the sustainable development planning including the solid waste management sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Liquid immiscibility occurred repetitively in the lower crystal mush with the progressively advancing crystallization fronts within the Taihe mafic magma chamber (Fig. a). Immiscible Si-rich droplets were driven upwards due to compaction and the density difference between the two conjugate melts (Fig. a). The separation of the conjugate immiscible melts resulted in the crystallization of large amounts of Fe-Ti oxides in the relatively lower part of the layered unit. Meanwhile, the evolved residual Si-rich melts were generated at the top of the magma chamber through the sustained crystallization of the primocrysts and the addition of the immiscible Si-rich melts expelled from the lower crystal mush; and then, they were displaced and entrained into the subsequently intruding peralkaline granitic magmas during magmatic transgression process (Fig. b). Further crystallization and solidification formed the Taihe layered intrusion with its thick Fe-Ti oxide ore layers and the adjacent peralkaline A-type granitic pluton with its silicic enclaves (Fig. c). • Liquid immiscibility occurred during the evolution of the Taihe magma chamber. • A quantity of Si-rich components were removed from the Taihe layered intrusion. • The missing Si-rich components formed the enclaves in the adjacent granite pluton. The Taihe igneous complex, which is located in the inner zone of the Emeishan Large Igneous Province (ELIP), consists of an Fe-Ti oxide ore-bearing layered gabbroic unit and a silicic enclave-bearing peralkaline A-type granitic unit. The apatite-hosted melt inclusions in the gabbroic unit and the amphiboles in both the gabbroic unit and the granitic unit were used to investigate the relationship between the two units. The apatite-hosted melt inclusions have 32.3–68.3 wt% SiO 2 , 0.51–23.9 wt% FeO t , 0–7.19 wt% TiO 2 , 8.87–19.0 wt% Al 2 O 3 , 2.39–19.5 wt% CaO, 1.70–7.27 wt% Na 2 O, 0.24–5.60 wt% K 2 O, and 0.13–6.83 wt% P 2 O 5. Such a large compositional range is difficult to be achieved through fractional crystallization but can be accounted for by silicate liquid immiscibility developed during the differentiation of the gabbroic unit. The weighted bulk composition of the Taihe gabbroic unit is extremely rich in Fe and poor in Si (17.2 wt% FeO t and 36.2 wt% SiO 2), indicating that some Si-rich components must have been removed. A significant compositional gap in the amphiboles in the gabbroic rocks and the adjacent peralkaline A-type granitoids, i.e., calcic amphibole in the gabbros and apatite-hosted inclusions and sodic-calcic to sodic amphiboles in the granites and their silicic enclaves, was observed. This cannot be explained by the previously suggested differentiation of a common basaltic parental magma from gabbros to silicic enclaves and granites, indicating a sudden change in the physical-chemical conditions of the related magmas. We propose that the silicic enclaves enclosed in the peralkaline A-type granitic pluton represent the missing Si-rich components of the Taihe layered gabbroic unit. The continuous expulsion of immiscible Si-rich melts from the lower crystal mush into the upper main magma body caused the crystallization of large amounts of Fe-Ti oxides in the gabbroic unit. Then, the residual Si-rich magmas in the upper part of the Taihe mafic magma chamber were drawn into the subsequently intruding peralkaline granitic magmas during the magmatic transgression process, forming the silicic enclaves within the adjacent contemporaneous peralkaline A-type granitic pluton. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Quantitative variation of floral organs in plants is caused by an extremely complex process of transcriptional regulation. Despite progress in model plants, the molecular mechanisms of quantitative variation remain unknown in woody flower plants. The Paeonia rockii originated in China is a precious woody plant with ornamental, medicinal and oil properties. There is a wide variation in the number of carpel in P. rockii, but the molecular mechanism of the variation has rarely been studied. Then a comparative transcriptome was performed among two cultivars of P. rockii with different development patterns of carpel in this study. Results: Through the next-generation and single-molecule long-read sequencing (NGS and SMLRS), 66,563 unigenes and 28,155 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were identified in P. rockii. Then clustering pattern and weighted gene coexpression network analysis (WGCNA) indicated that 15 candidate genes were likely involved in the carpel quantitative variation, including floral organ development, transcriptional regulatory and enzyme-like factors. Moreover, transcription factors (TFs) from the MYB, WD, RING1 and LRR gene families suggested the important roles in the management of the upstream genes. Among them, PsMYB114-like, PsMYB12 and PsMYB61-like from the MYB gene family were probably the main characters that regulated the carpel quantitative variation. Further, a hypothetical model for the regulation pattern of carpel quantitative variation was proposed in which the candidate genes function synergistically the quantitative variation process. Conclusions: We present the high-quality sequencing products in P. rockii. Our results summarize a valuable collective of gene expression profiles characterizing the carpel quantitative variation. The DEGs are candidate for functional analyses of genes regulating the carpel quantitative variation in tree peonies, which provide a precious resource that reveals the molecular mechanism of carpel quantitative variation in other woody flower crops. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plantaginis Semen (PS) is widely utilized as a common herb in several Asian countries, particularly China, due to its diuretic, anti-hypertensive, anti-hyperlipidemic, and anti-hyperglycemic properties. Furthermore, it is acknowledged for its ability to mitigate renal complications associated with metabolic syndrome. Despite its extensive usage, there is limited systematic literature elucidating its therapeutic mechanisms, thus emphasizing the necessity for comprehensive investigations in this field. This study aims to comprehensively evaluate the therapeutical potential of PS in treating diabetic kidney disease (DKD) and to elucidate the underlying mechanisms through in vivo and in vitro models. The main composition of PS were characterized using the UPLC-QTOF-MS method. For the in vivo investigation, a mouse model mediated by streptozocin (STZ) associated with a high-fat diet (HFD) and unilateral renal excision was established. The mice were split into 6 groups (n = 8): control group (CON group), DKD group, low-dose of Plantago asiatica L. seed extract group (PASE-L group, 3 g/kg/d), medium-dose of PASE group (PASE-M, 6 g/kg/d), high-dose of PASE group (PASE-H, 9 g/kg/d), and positive drug group (valsartan, VAS group, 12 mg/kg/d). After 8 weeks of treatment, the damage induced by DKD was evaluated by using relevant parameters of urine and blood. Furthermore, indicators of inflammation and factors associated with the SphK1-S1P signaling pathway were investigated. For the in vitro study, the cell line HBZY-1 was stimulated by high glucose (HG), they were then co-cultured with different concentrations of PASE, and the corresponding associated inflammatory and sphingosine kinase 1/sphingosine-1-phosphate (SphK1-S1P) factors were examined. A total of 59 major components in PS were identified, including flavonoids, iridoids, phenylethanol glycosides, guanidine derivatives, and fatty acids. In the mouse model, PS was found to significantly improve body weight, decrease fasting blood glucose (FBG) levels, increased glucose tolerance and insulin tolerance, improved kidney-related markers compared to the DKD group, pathological changes in the kidneys also improved dramatically. These effects showed a dose-dependent relationship, with higher PASE concentrations yielding significantly better outcomes than lower concentrations. However, the effects of the low PASE concentration were not evident for some indicators. In the cellular model, the high dose of PASE suppressed high glucose (HG) stimulated renal mesangial cell proliferation, suppressed inflammatory factors and NF-κB, and decreased the levels of fibrillin-1(FN-1) and collagen IV(ColIV). Our results indicate that PS exerts favorable therapeutic effects on DKD, with the possible mechanisms including the inhibition of inflammatory pathways, suppression of mRNA levels and protein expressions of SphK1 and S1P, consequently leading to reduced overexpression of FN-1 and ColIV, thereby warranting further exploration. [Display omitted] • PASE ameliorate glycation induced diabetic kidney disease. • PASE reduced inflammatory response and extracellular matrix accumulation. • PASE inhibit SphK1-S1P signaling pathway. • Mechanistically, PASE is beneficial to alleviate diabetic kidney disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Petrology, geochemistry and Re–Os isotopes of peridotite xenoliths from Yantai (Shandong Province) are reported in this paper with aims of constraining the age and evolution of the lithospheric mantle beneath eastern North China Craton. The Yantai xenoliths contain predominant harzburgites and subordinate lherzolites. Although their highly incompatible element compositions have been modified by metasomatism, the heavy rare earth element (REE) and Y contents in the Yantai peridotites are primarily governed by partial melting, which started in garnet stability field then continued in spinel stability field after breakdown of garnet to two pyroxenes and spinel. Such a polybaric melting produced a residual mantle in which degree of depletion decreases with depth. Os isotopic ratios of the most refractory peridotites (Al2O3 <1.2wt.%) range from 0.117 to 0.126, yielding T RD model ages between 0.5 and 1.7Ga. This suggests co-existence of Phanerozoic and Proterozoic mantle beneath Shandong Province. Alternatively, the whole lithospheric mantle beneath Yantai was likely formed during the Phanerozoic, given the resemblance of their Os isotopic ratios with those of abyssal peridotites. The latter interpretation is consistent with the fact that all the studied samples plot along the oceanic trend in a plot of forsterite content in olivine versus olivine mode. It also gains further support from the contrasting ε Nd between the late Mesozoic lithospheric mantle and Cenozoic mantle beneath the region. The data presented in this study therefore argue for a complete replacement of the cratonic mantle by upwelling asthenosphere. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract Cycling of elements with multiple valences (e.g., Fe, C, and S) through subduction and magmatism may dictate the redox evolution of the deep mantle and atmosphere. To investigate the potential of Fe isotopes as a tracer of such cycles, here we report Fe isotopic compositions of thirty-seven Cenozoic basalts from eastern China. A nephelinitic melt component with δ 56 Fe up to 0.29 has been identified, which cannot be explained by weathering, alteration, magma differentiation, or chemical diffusion. Its low Fe/Mn ∼58, relatively low TiO 2 and high Na 2 O + K 2 O argue against a significant contribution of pyroxenite melting. Instead, the heavy Fe component requires enhanced isotope fractionation during partial melting of a peridotitic source with Fe3+/ΣFe ≥ 0.15. Low Ba/Th ∼ 50 and depleted 87Sr/86Sr(i) and ε Nd (t) suggest that the source was insignificantly affected by hydrous fluids and recycled terrigenous sediments. The heavy Fe component is known to be unique in its low δ 26 Mg and high δ 66 Zn and indicates hybridization by recycled carbonates. The source Fe3+/ΣFe was most likely enhanced at cost of reduction of recycled carbonates to diamonds in a mantle depth ≥300 km. The origin of the heavy Fe component illustrates a pathway with net transportation of oxidizer back to Earth's surface: CO 2 (in carbonates) → C (as diamond frozen in the deep mantle) + O 2 (ferric Fe being scavenged by melt extraction). Secular cooling of global subduction zones may have stepwisely increased the efficiency of this carbon driven deep oxygen cycle in the past, providing an alternative explanation for the rise of atmospheric O 2. Highlights • Three magma components are identified in Cenozoic basalts from eastern China. • A nephelinitic and heavy Fe component has δ 56 Fe up to 0.29. • Two tholeiitic components have δ 56 Fe typical of MORB and most OIB. • The heavy Fe component from a peridotitic source oxidized by recycled carbonates. • Illustration of a deep oxygen cycle induced by subducted carbonates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Peripherally inserted central catheters (PICCs) are used widely in patients with cancer, but catheter malposition often occurs. Objectives: This study aimed to provide a reference for clinically safe catheterization through multifactor analysis of malposition of PICCs in patients with cancer. Methods: The occurrence of PICC malposition in patients with cancer was retrospectively reviewed, and a multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed. Findings: Of 2,084 patients with PICCs, 170 cases (8%) of malposition occurred. The multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that the risk of adverse events from malposition was higher in the right upper limb than in the left upper limb. The highest risk from malposition was cephalic vein puncture, followed by brachial vein puncture. The risk in the lower part of the elbow joint was higher than that in the upper part of the elbow joint. During PICC insertion, the left upper limb and upper part of the elbow joint should be selected for the puncture, and the basilic vein should be selected as the first-choice vein to reduce the incidence of malposition and adverse events. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Two stages of fluid exsolution are recognized in the Weijia W skarn deposit. • F-rich magmatic fluids are enriched in REEs, Y, Nb, Ta with flat REE patterns. • F consumption is critical for the compositional evolution of F-rich mineralizing fluids. • Combined garnet and scheelite trace elements are powerful in tracking W skarn mineralization. Fluid evolution is an essential subject in the studies of hydrothermal ore-forming processes. Garnet and scheelite prevail in W-bearing skarn deposits and record plentiful information on W skarn mineralization. In-situ LA-ICP-MS trace element analyses have been carried out on the garnet and scheelite from the F-rich Weijia W deposit in South China to constrain the processes of fluid evolution and W skarn mineralization. The Weijia W deposit mainly consists of calcic and magnesian skarns and was formed through six stages of alteration and mineralization. Two stages of fluid exsolution are recognized in the magmatic-hydrothermal system. The earlier exsolved fluids are Cl-rich with rightward-sloping REE patterns and result in pre-ore skarnization. The later exsolved fluids are F-rich with relatively flat REE patterns and are responsible for W mineralization. The pre-ore garnets are LREE-enriched and HREE-depleted whereas the syn-ore garnets are LREE-depleted and HREE-enriched with lower δ Eu values than the former, denoting a transition from wall rock-controlled to magmatic fluid-dominated fluid-rock interaction. Combined with the skarn occurrences, mineral assemblages, and garnet textures, it is revealed that the mechanism of skarn formation shifts from more diffusive metasomatism under lower water/rock ratios to more advective metasomatism at higher water/rock ratios. The advective metasomatism with a high flux of ore-forming fluids is hydrodynamically favorable for the consequent W mineralization. The earliest-formed scheelite is akin to the host granite porphyry in REE patterns and can reflect the features of initial mineralizing fluids. It has high ΣREE (1255–5059 ppm), Y (616–1416 ppm), Nb (585–2629 ppm), Ta (14–248 ppm), Mn (up to 1977 ppm) and low Mo (mostly < 1000 ppm) contents, indicating that the primary F-rich magmatic fluids are reduced and enriched in REEs, Y, Nb, and Ta. The contents of ΣREE, Y, Nb, and Ta in scheelite are decreasing with the evolution of the F-rich mineralizing fluids. The latest-formed scheelites have distinctly lower ΣREE (2.9–140 ppm), Y (0.01–4.1 ppm), Nb (1.7–77 ppm), and Ta (0.04–0.19 ppm) contents and higher (La/Yb) N ratios and δ Eu values. They show 1:1 positive correlation of Eu N vs. Eu N * and have high Mo (up to 129466 ppm) and low Mn (as low as 3.4 ppm) contents, implying involvement of meteoric waters in the evolved ore-forming fluids and an oxidizing condition. Fluid-rock interaction, mineral precipitation, and fluid mixing largely control the process of fluid evolution. Fluorine consumption due to the formation of fluorite and the other F-rich minerals is vital for the compositional evolution of F-rich mineralizing fluids. The decrease of F concentration in fluids will depress the solubilities of REEs, Y, Nb, and Ta and enhance the LREE/HREE fractionation. Greisenization and skarnization induced the neutralization of the acidic W-bearing fluids and the liberation of Ca from the granite porphyry and carbonate strata and then triggered the scheelite precipitation. The carbonate strata contain abundant Ca and the granite porphyry is poor in Ca, and thus the economic W mineralization dominantly occurs in the skarns. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Dachaihu Decoction is a classic prescription with the function of harmonizing Shaoyang and purging away internal stasis of heat, which was specially developed by Master ZHANG Zhongjing for the concurrent disease of Shaoyang and Yangming. A large number of international studies have shown that Dachaihu Decoction has liver protection, gallbladder benefit, anti-inflammatory, and other pharmacological effects and is mostly used in modern clinical treatment of acute pancreatitis, acute cholecystitis, cholelithiasis, and other digestive diseases. This paper combined bibliography and statistics and selected the ancient book database and CNKI database to search the relevant literature on Dachaihu decoction, verify the composition and dosage, processing method, main diseases, and modern clinical application, and predict its quality markers(Q-markers) based on the &quot;five principles&quot; of Q-markers. The results suggest that saikosaponin a, baicalin, and 6-gingerol can be selected as potential Q-markers for Dachaihu Decoction, so as to provide a basis for the clinical research of traditional Chinese medicine and the development and application of compound preparations.

Experimental evidence has demonstrated that neonicotinoids (NEOs) exposure can cause lipid accumulation and increased leptin levels. However, the relationship between NEOs exposure and dyslipidemia in humans remains unclear, and the interactive effects of NEOs and their characteristic metabolites on dyslipidemia remain unknown. We detected 14 NEOs and their metabolites in urine samples of 500 individuals (236 and 264 with and without dyslipidemia, respectively) randomly selected from the baseline of the Yinchuan community-dwelling elderly cohort (Ningxia, China). The NEOs and their metabolites were widely detected in urine (87.2-99.6 %) samples, and the median levels ranged within 0.06-0.55 μg/g creatinine. The positive associations and dose-dependent relationships of thiacloprid, imidacloprid-olefin, and imidacloprid-equivalent total with dyslipidemia were validated using restricted cubic spline analysis. Mixture models revealed a positive association between the NEOs mixture and dyslipidemia risk, with urine desnitro-imidacloprid ranked as the top contributor. The Bayesian Kernel Machine Regression models showed that the NEOs mixtures were associated with increased dyslipidemia when the chemical mixtures were ≥ 25th percentile compared to their medians, and desnitro-imidacloprid and imidacloprid-olefin were the major contributors to the combined effect. Given the widespread use of NEOs and the dyslipidemia pandemic, further investigations are urgently needed to confirm our findings and elucidate the underlying mechanisms., 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 B.V. All rights reserved.)

Background: Patients exhibit considerable variations in gait patterns especially in knee hyperextension in the stance phase after stroke. If knee hyperextension is untreated it may lead to pain, reduced independence in activities of daily living, deformities and instability., Objective: The aim of this study was to investigate the immediate effects of a buffered knee orthosis on gait of stroke patients with knee hyperextension., Methods: A total of nine patients with knee hyperextension after stroke were selected to wear buffered knee orthosis developed by Zhongshan Traditional Chinese Medicine Hospital and Ruike Medical Technology (Shanghai) Co., Ltd during walking training and daily walking. Then the gait analysis system of Motionanalysis was used to analyze and evaluate kinematic and spatiotemporal parameters of the gait in patients with independent walking or walking with a buffered knee orthosis., Results: After wearing the buffered knee brace, initial contact, maximum and minimum angles of support phase, the toe off the ground, maximum and minimum angles of swing phase on the injured side of knee and ankle increased. Minimum angle of support phase and maximum angle of swing phase on the uninjured side of ankle decreased, while the toe off the ground and minimum angles of swing phase increased significantly (all P< 0.05); There was no significant difference in other kinematics, in parameters between time and space, in walking speed among subjective gait parameters (P> 0.05). Walking distance, confidence, sense of security, and the feeling of walking hyperextension were all improved. In addition, the number of asymmetric kinematic parameters and spatiotemporal parameters decreased., Conclusion: The buffered knee orthosis can effectively prevent knee hyperextension after stroke, improve the knee and ankle sagittal motion, gait asymmetry, gait subjective feeling, and does not affect gait space-time parameters.

Background: The morbidity of rifampicin/multidrug-resistant tuberculous meningitis (RR/MDR-TBM) has shown an increasing trend globally. Its mortality rate is significantly higher than that of non-rifampicin/multidrug-resistant tuberculous meningitis (NRR/MDR-TBM). This article aimed to explore risk factors related to RR/MDR-TBM, and compare therapeutic effects of linezolid (LZD)- and non-linezolid-containing regimen for RR/MDR-TB patients in Shenzhen city. Furthermore, we aimed to find a better therapy for pathogen-negative TBM with RR/MDR-TBM related risk factors., Methods: We conducted a retrospective study enrolling 137 hospitalized cases with confirmed TBM from June 2014 to March 2020. All patients were divided into RR/MDR-TBM group (12 cases) and NRR/MDR-TBM group (125 cases) based on GeneXpert MTB/RIF and (or) phenotypic drug susceptibility test results using cerebral spinal fluid (CSF). The risk factors related to RR/MDR-TBM were investigated through comparing clinical and examination features between the two groups. The mortality rate of RR/MDR-TBM patients treated with different regimens was analyzed to compare their respective therapeutic effects. A difference of P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant., Results: Most patients (111/137, 81%) were from southern or southwestern China, and a large proportion (72/137, 52.55%) belonged to migrant workers. 12 cases were RR/MDR-TBM (12/137, 8.8%) while 125 cases were NRR/MDR-TBM (125/137, 91.2%). The proportion of patients having prior TB treatment history in the RR/MDR-TBM group was significantly higher than that of the NRR/MDR-TBM group (6/12 vs. 12/125, 50% vs. 10.5%, P < 0.01). No significant difference was observed on other clinical and examination features between the two groups. Mortality was significantly lower in RR/MDR-TBM patients on linezolid-containing treatment regimen than those who were not (0/7 versus 3/5, 0% versus 60%, P = 0.045)., Conclusions: The main related risk factor of RR/MDR-TBM is the history of anti-tuberculosis treatment. Linezolid-containing regimen appears to lower mortality rate of RR/MDR-TBM significantly in our study. We think Linezolid should be evaluated prospectively in the treatment of RR/MDR-TBM., (© 2021. The Author(s).)

Objective: To evaluate the long-term outcome and prognostic factors of patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) from low-endemic regions of China who received definitive intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT)., Methods: The clinical data from 608 patients with newly-diagnosed non-metastatic NPC who have received initial treatment at our cancer center from January, 2008 to December, 2013 were retrospectively reviewed. All patients received definitive IMRT, and 87.7% received platinum-based chemotherapy., Results: The median follow-up duration was 51 months (follow-up rate, 98.5%; range, 10-106 months) for the entire cohort. The 5-year overall survival rate was 79.7%. The 5-year local relapse-free survival rate, regional relapse-free survival rate, distant metastasis-free survival rate and progression-free survival rate were 92.4%, 93.3%, 79.2% and 74.3%, respectively. A total of 153 patients had experienced treatment failure, with distant metastasis as the primary cause in 77.1% (118/153). Patients with T4 or N3 diseases had a significantly poorer prognosis than other subcategories. Stage T4 and N3 were closely associated with distant metastasis, with the metastatic rate of 29.3% and 45.5%, respectively., Conclusion: IMRT provides patients with non-metastatic NPC with satisfactory long-term survival. Both T stage and N stage are important prognostic factors for NPC patients. Patients with T4 or N3 diseases have significantly increased distant metastatic rates and poor survival time., (© 2021. Huazhong University of Science and Technology.)

Induced water hyacinth with purple roots (PRWH) exerts a significant inhibitory effect on the growth of blue-green algae. Interestingly, its chemical constituents differ from those of wild-type water hyacinth and have not yet been reported. This study aimed to explore the chemical constituents of PRWH and its bioactive components serving as allelopathic agents against blue-green algae. Phytochemical investigation of the bioactive ethyl acetate fraction of a crude methanol extract from PRWH led to the isolation of 56 compounds, including 11 new phenylphenalene derivatives. The structures of these compounds were elucidated by comprehensive analyses through NMR, HRMS, and X-ray techniques. Bioactivity evaluation against Microcystis aeruginosa indicated that compounds 7 , 12 , 15 , 37 , 39 , 45 , and 47 potently inhibited blue-green algae growth.

Mastering the spatial distribution of heavy metals in the soil plays an important supporting role in the scientific formulation of soil pollution risk management and control strategies. Few factors were considered and multiple collinearity between parallel variables existed,resulting in low prediction accuracy. OK (common Kriging method), NRK (regressive Kriging method based on natural factors only), and NARK (regressive Kriging based on natural-human factors)were used to simulate the spatial distribution of soil Cd by selecting 23 natural-artificial influencing factors. The prediction accuracy was evaluated based on an empirical study of the area around Shaoguan Qujiang smelter. The results showed that the above-standard rate of soil cadmium in this area reached 85.93%, and the effect on the spatial heterogeneity of soil cadmium was shown as air emissions from smelters > air emissions from steel plants > pH > organic matter > Euclidean distance to road > Euclidean distance to river. The root-mean-square error and average absolute error of NARK's prediction results for soil cadmium were 26.86% and 30.56% lower than that of the OK method, respectively. The model determination coefficient R 2 increased from 0.78 to 0.88. Compared with that of NRK, it was reduced by 24.15% and 24.23% and R 2 increased from 0.81 to 0.88. The NRK combining natural and human factors significantly improved the simulation accuracy of the spatial distribution of soil cadmium, and the addition of human factors as auxiliary variables, especially atmospheric point source pollution emissions, greatly contributed to the improvement of the model accuracy.

The Chinese sturgeon ( Acipenser sinensis Gray, 1835) is a large anadromous fish species, which is under considerable threat due to dramatic declines in population numbers. In the current study, population genetic diversity and individual reproductive success were assessed using nuclear microsatellite markers (simple sequence repeat, SSR) and complete mitochondrial (mtDNA) genome analysis of juveniles born in 2014. Results showed the existence of size polymorphism in the mtDNA genome of Chinese sturgeon, which was caused by a repeat motif. Population genetic diversity was high based on both SSR ( Ho : 0.728±0.211; He : 0.779±0.122) and mtDNA genome analyses ( H : 0.876±0.0035; Pi : 0.0011±0.0010). A positive inbreeding coefficient ( FIS : 0.066±0.143) was also found, indicating the occurrence of inbreeding. Reconstruction of sibling groups identified 11 mothers and 11 fathers involved in reproduction of Chinese sturgeons in 2014. Variance in individual reproductive success was not significant, with reproductive success of parent fish instead shown to be relatively even ( P =0.997>0.05), thus suggesting the absence of sweepstakes reproductive success (SRS). These results indicate that, in regard to conservation, loss of genetic diversity due to the effects of SRS is not of particular concern. However, we must focus on having an adequate number of adults and suitable environmental conditions to ensure that fish can reproduce.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2), has caused great public concern worldwide due to its high rates of infectivity and pathogenicity. The Chinese government responded in a timely manner, alleviated the dilemma, achieved a huge victory and lockdown has now been lifted in Wuhan. However, the outbreak has occurred in more than 200 other countries. Globally, as of 9:56 am CEST on 19 May 2020, there have been 4,696,849 confirmed cases of COVID-19, including 315,131 deaths, reported to Word Health Organization (WHO). The spread of COVID-19 overwhelmed the healthcare systems of many countries and even crashed the fragile healthcare systems of some. Although the situation in each country is different, health workers play a critical role in the fight against COVID-19. In this review, we highlight the status of health worker infections in China and other countries, especially the causes of infection in China and the standardised protocol to protect health workers from the perspective of an anaesthesiologist, in the hope of providing references to reduce medical infections and contain the COVID-19 epidemic., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare no competing interests., (Copyright © 2020 IJS Publishing Group Ltd. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Objective: The aim of this study was to determine whether low calf circumference (CC) could predict nutritional risk and the cutoff values of CC for predicting nutritional risk in hospitalized patients aged ⪖ 80 years., Methods: A total of 1,234 consecutive patients aged ⪖ 80 years were enrolled in this study. On admission, demographic data, CC, and laboratory parameters were obtained. Patients with Nutritional Risk Screening 2002 (NRS-2002) total score ⪖ 3 were considered as having nutritional risk., Results: CC values were significantly lower in patients with nutritional risk compared to those in patients without nutritional risk [27.00 (24.50-31.00) vs. 31.00 (29.00-33.50], P < 0.001]. CC was negatively correlated with age and nutritional risk scores. Logistic regression analysis of nutritional risk revealed that body mass index, albumin level, hemoglobin level, cerebral infarction, neoplasms, and CC (OR, 0.897; 95% confidence interval, 0.856-0.941; P < 0.001) were independent impact factors of nutritional risk. Nutritional risk scores increased with a decrease in CC. In men, the best CC cutoff value for predicting nutritional risk according to the NRS-2002 was 29.75 cm. In women, the cutoff value was 28.25 cm., Conclusion: CC is a simple, noninvasive, and valid anthropometric measure to predict nutritional risk for hospitalized patients aged ⪖ 80 years., (Copyright © 2019 The Editorial Board of Biomedical and Environmental Sciences. Published by China CDC. All rights reserved.)

Background: A study to evaluate the prevalence of uric acid (UA) nephrolithiasis with dual-energy CT (DECT) and explore the risk factors for kidney stones in primary gout patients., Methods: Eighty-four consecutive gout patients underwent urinary tract ultrasonography or DECT to confirm the existence of kidney stones. Urine and blood samples were also taken for laboratory analysis., Results: Forty-one subjects (48.8%) had nephrolithiasis diagnosed; 38 had a kidney stone. Thirty-two of the 38 patients underwent a DECT scan, and 27 patients had nephrolithiasis in DECT. Among them, 63.0% (17/27) and 14.8% (4/21) of the patients had pure UA and UA-based mixed stone, respectively, and 22.2% (6/27) had a non-UA stone. Those with nephrolithiasis suffered from more frequent acute attacks and had longer disease durations of gout. At least one urine biochemical abnormality was found in 81% of patients. Forty-four (55.0%) patients presented hypomagnesuria. Forty-three (51.8%) patients had low urine volume. Unduly acidic urine (UAU) was present in 36 patients (44.4%). Hyperuricosuria was only found in ten (12.2%) patients. In comparison to the non-lithiasic group, the lithiasic group was more likely to have a UAU. Binary logistic regression showed that female gender was a protective factor, while disease duration of gout and low urine pH were risk factors for nephrolithiasis., Conclusion: Our results indicated that nephrolithiasis, especially UA stones, were more common than previous reports in gout patients indicated, and that disease duration of gout, and low urine pH, were risk factors for nephrolithiasis.