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Background: Functional dyspepsia (FD) refers to a group of clinical symptoms caused by gastric and duodenal dysfunction. Which is a chronic functional disorder of the gastrointestinal tract with no cure. Zhishixiaopi decoction (ZSXP) is a type of Chinese herbal prescription that for treating FD. Although some randomized controlled trials (RCTs) report that ZSXP can significantly improve FD clinical symptoms and/or laboratory results, the trial design varies greatly among studies, making it challenging to draw a conclusion of the efficacy of ZSXP in treating FD. Design: A systematic review and a meta-analysis. Setting: Mianyang Central Hospital. Objective: We conducted a systematic review and a meta-analysis to evaluate the efficacy and safety of ZSXP for treating FD. Methods: We developed inclusion and exclusion criteria based on FD diagnosed criteria, interventions to treat FD, and outcomes of these interventions. Search strategies combined disease terms, symptom terms, anatomy terms and intervention terms. Literature search was conducted on eight online databases in English or Chinese, including Medline (via PubMed), Embase (via Ovid), The Cochrane Library, Web of Science, China Biology Medicine (CBM), China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), Chinese Scientific Journals Database (VIP), and Wanfang Database. Intervention: The experimental group received oral administration of ZSXP and had a complete treatment process. ZSXP needs to fully contain the key herbal ingredients, regardless of whether the dosage of each herb is consistent with the original prescription. The Control group received monotherapy or combination therapy of other Western medicine and had a complete treatment process. Outcomes: The primary outcomes appraised were Total effective rate (TER), serum levels of Motilin(MOT), Gastrin(GAS) and Somatostatin (SS), Gastric emptying rate (GER) using a Barium meal method (GER(B)) and Gastric half emptying time using an Ultrasonic method (GHET(T1/2)). The Cochrane Bias Risk Tool was used for quality critical appraisal, Review Manager (RevMan) version 5.3 was used for statistical analysis. Results: A total of 21 medium-quality RCTs were included in the meta-analysis. All 21 included studies were conducted and completed in Mainland China from 1998 to 2020. The treatment duration was between two weeks to two months. The meta-analysis suggests that, compared with the Western medicine treatment group, ZSXP treatment was more effective to improving the TER in FD [Odds ratio, OR = 3.54, 95%CI:(2.49, 5.05), Z = 6.99, P<0.00001] without significant increase in adverse events. However, no statistical significance was found between the groups in serum MOT levels [Standard mean difference, SMD = 1.05, 95%CI:(-0.42, 2.53), Z = 1.04, P = 0.16], serum GAS levels [SMD = -0.16, 95%CI:(-1.20, 0.88), Z = 0.31, P = 0.76], serum SS levels [SMD = -0.04, 95%CI:(-1.97, 1.89), Z = 0.04, P = 0.97], GER(B) [SMD = 1.09, 95%CI:(-0.81, 3.00), Z = 1.12, P = 0.26]or GHET(T1/2) [Mean difference, MD = -2.18, 95%CI:(-5.55, 1.19), Z = 1.27, P = 0.20]. Conclusions: The meta-analysis suggests that Zhishixiaopi treatment is a relatively effective and safe traditional Chinese medicine prescription and could be used for functional dyspepsia treatment. Considering the limitations of this study, the conclusion needs to be further confirmed by high-quality, multi-center, and large-sample randomized controlled trials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Under the condition of weakly cemented soft rock in Western China, the surrounding rock deformation of gob-side entry is obvious, especially under the influence of fault, and the problem of surrounding rock control becomes increasingly prominent. To solve this issue, this paper firstly studied and obtained the evolution law of the ground pressure appearance of the gob-side entry in the fault area, then put forward the concept of surrounding rock control in the fault area of the gob-side entry, put forward a targeted pressure relief + increase preload + passive reinforcement parallel to the roadway surrounding rock strengthening control scheme, and carried out field applications. The results show that the roof subsidence and mining side heave of the roadway in the fault area increase significantly, accompanied by the characteristics of broken cables, the length of the broken cable is 0.2 m–0.6 m, and the breaking process is divided into multiple breaks. The stress evolution of gob-side entry in fault area presents a stage characteristic of "rapid growth-stable." The surrounding rock control effect is improved under the bolt cable high pre-tightening support, and the roadway deformation is effectively controlled under the pressure relief + active + passive support, with a good application effect. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Storm surge is one of the most destructive marine disasters, characterized by abnormal and temporary rises in water levels during intense storms, leading to extreme inland flooding in the coastal area. Emergency evacuation planning, based on storm surge risk assessments, plays a crucial role in saving lives and mitigating disasters. Conventional emergency evacuation plans primarily adopt the perspective of administrators, providing evacuees with complete environmental information. However, in practical situations, evacuees often lack access to complete environmental information and need to select appropriate paths based on their limited awareness of their surroundings. This study coupled a risk assessment of storm surges with a road network to optimize evacuation routes in the Daya Bay Petrochemical Industrial Zone, a low-lying coastal region of Huizhou City, China, which is frequently affected by storm surge-driven flooding. A combination of the Deep Q-Network (DQN) model and raster environment was employed to develop real-time evacuation plans based on limited surrounding environments during storm surge events. To address the DQN model's convergence challenges, masked state space, masked action space, and tri-aspect reward mechanism were proposed, profoundly enhancing the model's convergence capabilities. The coupled ADCIRC-SWAN model and the Jelesnianski hurricane model were utilized to simulate storm surges for risk assessments under various typhoon scenarios. Additionally, potential safe shelters were identified to offer alternative evacuation options. Two distinct storm surge scenarios were employed as test environments, evaluating path plans for 1000 randomly selected starting points in each case. The results indicate that the proposed method is highly effective in devising optimal evacuation routes with minimal deviation, offering valuable guidance for evacuees during real-world storm surges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Population aging and migration are two important phenomena in the process of social development in China, which have a significant impact on industrial structure upgrading. This study explores the moderating effect of the population migration on the population aging impacting the industrial structure upgrading based on Chinese provincial panel data from 2000 to 2021. The results demonstrate that the population aging has become a development trend of China's population, and it has a significantly hinder industrial structure upgrading. Furthermore, the population migration resulting diffusion and convergence of economic factors has a meaningful moderating effects on the population aging impacting the industrial structure upgrading. Our study suggests that a reasonable and orderly population migration is critical in achieving stable and sustainable industrial structure upgrading, especially in the context of the China's population aging. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Qaidam Basin is one of the major coal‐bearing basins in northeastern China with the coal seams mainly preserved in the Lower–Middle Jurassic. The Middle Jurassic sedimentary environment, sequence stratigraphy, paleoclimate, and coal accumulation in the Qaidam Basin have been extensively studied, while the sedimentary characteristics and depositional evolution of the Lower Jurassic coal‐bearing series are less well known. We systematically analysed the facies association, depositional system, basin evolution, and coal accumulation of the Early Jurassic Pliensbachian‐aged coal‐bearing series from the Dameigou section in the northern Qaidam Basin. Five lithological types have been identified, ranging from conglomerates, sandstones, siltstones, and mudstones to combustible organic rocks, which were further subdivided into 12 lithofacies. These lithofacies were grouped into four facies associations, representing the braided fluvial, meandering fluvial, lacustrine, and meandering fluvial‐lacustrine transition deposits, respectively. The Pliensbachian Stage mainly developed as a fluvial‐lacustrine depositional system and an evolution history from braided fluvial to meandering fluvial, then to lacustrine, and finally back to meandering fluvial was reconstructed. We suggest that climate change is the major controlling factor for depositional evolution during the Pliensbachian. The transition of the depositional environment from fluvial to lacustrine in the study area can be attributed to the rapid climatic change induced by volcanism at this interval. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Free antiretroviral therapy (ART) has been expanded to all people living with HIV (PLWH) in China since 2016, and adherence to ART has been shown to be the primary determinant of viral suppression. This study aimed to investigate the ART adherence and its associated factors among PLWH in China in the context of a scaling-up of treatment policy. Method: A prospective cohort study was conducted from June 2016 to May 2018 in Guangzhou, China. A total of 400 eligible participants were recruited from the Guangzhou Eighth People's hospital in Guangzhou, China. The Theory of Planned Behavior and the Behavioral Maintenance Theory were applied to guide the questionnaire design. Participants were invited to completed self-administered questionnaire at baseline and months 3 and 6 post-baseline. Logistic regression models were fitted to explore factors associated with ART adherence. Results: Of the 400 participants, the prevalence of optimal ART adherence was 83.6% at month 3 and 83.3% at month 6. The baseline attitude (ORa = 1.11, P < 0.05), behavioral intention (ORa = 1.90, P < 0.05), and outcome expectations (ORa = 1.09, P < 0.001) predicted ART adherence at month 3 in adjusted analyses, but only outcome expectations (ORa = 1.09, P < 0.01) remained significant in the final multivariate model. At month 3, negative experiences (ORa = 0.62, P < 0.05) were the only predictor of adherence at month 6. Conclusion: Approximately 15% of participants reported suboptimal ART adherence. The developments of tailored interventions that target factors such as outcome expectations at baseline and negative experiences during treatment are warranted. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A scientific evaluation of the carbon emission efficiency is crucial for ensuring the sustainable development of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs). In this paper, we applied a non-radial data envelopment analysis (DEA) model to calculate the carbon emission efficiency of 225 WWTPs located in China. The results showed that the average carbon emission efficiency of China's WWTPs was 0.59, indicating that the efficiencies of most samples still require improvement. The carbon emission efficiency of WWTPs from 2015 to 2017 decreased because of the decrease in technology efficiency. Among the influencing factors, different treating scales had positive impact on carbon emission efficiency improvement. WWTPs with anaerobic oxic process and the first-class A standard were likely to have higher carbon emission efficiency in the 225 WWTPs. By incorporating direct and indirect carbon emissions into WWTP efficiency evaluation, this study helped decision-makers and related water authorities to better understand the contribution of WWTPs to the aquatic and atmospheric environments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This retrospective study aimed to characterize the distribution of HIV-1 genotypes and the prevalence of drug resistance mutations in people with antiretroviral treatment (ART) failure in Suzhou City, China. Methods: Pol gene of HIV-1 viruses in blood samples of EDTA anticoagulants from 398 patients with failed antiviral treatment was successfully amplified by using an in-house assay. Drug resistance mutations were analyzed by using the Stanford HIV Drug Resistance Database system (https://hivdb.stanford.edu/hivdb/by-mutations/). HIV-1 genotypes were determined by the REGA HIV subtyping tool (version 3.46, https://www.genomedetective.com/app/typingtool/hiv). Near full-length genomes (NFLG) of HIV-1 viruses were obtained by next generation sequencing method. Results: Sequences analysis of the pol gene revealed that CRF 01_AE (57.29%, 228/398) was the dominant subtype circulating in Suzhou City, followed by CRF 07_BC (17.34%, 69/398), subtype B (7.54%, 30/398), CRF 08_BC (6.53%, 26/398), CRF 67_01B (3.02%, 12/398) and CRF55_01B (2.51%, 10/398). The overall prevalence of drug-resistant mutations in cases with ART failure was 64.57% (257/398), including 45.48% (181/398) for nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTIs) mutations, 63.32% (252/398) for non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) mutations, and 3.02% (12/398) for protease inhibitors (PIs) mutations. Ten near full-length genomes (NFLG) of HIV-1 viruses were identified, including six recombinants of CRF 01_AE and subtype B, two recombinants of CRF 01_AE, subtype B and subtype C sequences, one recombinant of CRF 01_AE and subtype C and one recombinant of CRF 01_AE, subtype A1 and subtype C. Conclusions: The high prevalence of drug-resistant HIV-1 viruses was a serious challenge for HIV prevention and treatment of people with HIV infection. Treatment regimens for ART failure patients should be adjusted over time based on the outcome of drug resistance tests. NFLG sequencing facilitates the identification of new recombinants of HIV-1. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: As the medical undergraduates constitute the future workforce in China, their career preferences hold a significant bearing on the quality of healthcare services, particularly in light of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. We aim to understand the current state of the willingness to practice medicine among medical undergraduates and to analyze the related influential factors. Methods: During the COVID-19 epidemic, we conducted a cross-sectional survey via an online platform from February 15, 2022, to May 31, 2022, to collect participants' demographic information, psychology, and factors influencing their career choices. The general self-efficacy scale (GSES) was used to evaluate medical students' perceptions of their self-efficacy. Futhermore, we conducted multivariate logistic regression analyses to explore the influencing factors of medical undergraduates' willingness to pursure a caree in medicine. Results: A total of 2348 valid questionnaires were included, and 1573 (66.99%) were willing to practice medicine for medical undergraduates after graduation. The mean GESE scores in the willingness group (2.87 ± 0.54) were significantly higher than those of the unwillingness group (2.73 ± 0.49). The multiple logistic regression showed that several factors were positively associated with willingness to practice medicine as a career, including students' GSES score (OR = 1.87), current major, household income, personal ideals (OR = 1.97), family support (OR = 1.44), high income (OR = 1.77), and social respect (OR = 2.19). Compared with those who were very afraid of COVID-19, students who did not express any fear towards the COVID-19 pandemic had a higher preference for choosing the medical profession as a career. Conversely, students thinking of high tension in the doctor-patient relationship, heavy workload, and long training were less likely to choose medical work after graduation. Conclusions: The study highlights a noteworthy prevalence of medical undergraduates who expressed their willingness to pursue medicine as a career post-graduation. Several factors, including but not limited to current major, household income, psychological factors, personal preferences, and career needs or preferences, were significantly associated with this willingness. Moreover, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on medical students' career choices cannot be overlooked. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The superstructure of a coastal bridge is prone to overturn or unseating under a catastrophic tsunami, which seriously affects the post-disaster emergency rescue. In this paper, we establish a safety assessment framework for the superstructure of a bridge with a box girder under a potential landslide tsunami, and apply it to an in-service box girder and Baiyun Slide Complex on the southeast coast of China. First, a meshless numerical approach called Tsunami Squares (TS) is used to predict the movement of landslides and tsunamis. Additionally, we introduce the velocity-weakening basal friction effect in the model to optimize the landslide dynamics. Second, the maximum lateral and vertical wave loads on a box girder can be estimated using the time series of the wave height and velocity in the TS model. Third, we construct a safety evaluation method for the superstructure using the reaction of the bearing as the critical index. The results indicate that the framework developed here provides instructive guidance for evaluating the safety of coastal bridge superstructures during tsunami disasters, and we discuss the influence of the basal friction effect, bridge elevation, and support type on the structural safety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ancient temple heritage space is a subcategory of integrated spaces with profound religious architecture, culture, and landscape. The temporal and spatial characteristics, spatial layouts, and functionalities of ancient temples are gradually transformed during different periods in their development. However, quantitative topological estimation tools, e.g., space syntax and detailed digital spatial models, have seldom been adopted in related studies on ancient temples. Daming Temple is a typical representative of the revitalization of Buddhism monastic building heritage in China. This research studies the spaces of Daming Temple, Yangzhou City, in three different periods and explores its spatio–temporal characteristics based on two space syntax models, i.e., the angle segment analysis (ASA) model and the visibility map analysis (VGA) model. By multi-step quantitative estimation, changes in the mean depth (MD), mean connectivity, and intelligibility of the temple have been observed. The global spatial structure is thoroughly revealed, which indicates the changes in the 'temple-residence-garden' inter-relationship. It is indicated that dynamic spatio–temporal characteristics of the temple have been undergoing changes chronically. Some phenomena are found to be effective in offering reasonable explanations for these changes, i.e., the changes in relationships among spaces, visitors' pathfinding difficulties, and spatial design techniques. It also found that there are certain correlations between temporal–spatial changes and spatial conservation strategies for building heritages. The case study can provide some valuable references for the conservation, reactivation, and redesign of related historical and cultural building heritage in East Asia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Adaptation to selective pressures is crucial for clinically important pathogens to establish epidemics, but the underlying evolutionary drivers remain poorly understood. The current epidemic of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP) poses a significant threat to public health. In this study we analyzed the genome sequences of 794 CRKP bloodstream isolates collected in 40 hospitals in China between 2014 and 2019. We uncovered a subclonal replacement in the predominant clone ST11, where the previously prevalent subclone OL101:KL47 was replaced by O2v1:KL64 over time in a stepwise manner. O2v1:KL64 carried a higher load of mobile genetic elements, and a point mutation exclusively detected in the recC of O2v1:KL64 significantly promotes recombination proficiency. The epidemic success of O2v1:KL64 was further associated with a hypervirulent sublineage with enhanced resistance to phagocytosis, sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim, and tetracycline. The phenotypic alterations were linked to the overrepresentation of hypervirulence determinants and antibiotic genes conferred by the acquisition of an rmpA-positive pLVPK-like virulence plasmid and an IncFII-type multidrug-resistant plasmid, respectively. The dissemination of the sublineage was further promoted by more frequent inter-hospital transmission. The results collectively demonstrate that the expansion of O2v1:KL64 is correlated to a repertoire of genomic alterations convergent in a subpopulation with evolutionary advantages. Authors carry out a genomic analysis of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae bloodstream isolates, noting subclonal expansion, associated with the emergence of a hypervirulent subpopulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: People living with HIV (PLHIV) relied on community-based organizations (CBOs) in accessing HIV care and support during the COVID-19 pandemic in China. However, little is known about the impact of, and challenges faced by Chinese CBOs supporting PLHIV during lockdowns. Methods: A survey and interview study was conducted among 29 CBOs serving PLHIV in China between November 10 and November 23, 2020. Participants were asked to complete a 20-minute online survey on their routine operations, organizational capacity building, service provided, and challenges during the pandemic. A focus group interview was conducted with CBOs after the survey to gather CBOs' policy recommendations. Survey data analysis was conducted using STATA 17.0 while qualitative data was examined using thematic analysis. Results: HIV-focused CBOs in China serve diverse clients including PLHIV, HIV high-risk groups, and the public. The scope of services provided is broad, ranging from HIV testing to peer support. All CBOs surveyed maintained their services during the pandemic, many by switching to online or hybrid mode. Many CBOs reported adding new clients and services, such as mailing medications. The top challenges faced by CBOs included service reduction due to staff shortage, lack of PPE for staff, and lack of operational funding during COVID-19 lockdowns in 2020. CBOs considered the ability to better network with other CBOs and other sectors (e.g., clinics, governments), a standard emergency response guideline, and ready strategies to help PLHIV build resilience to be critical for future emergency preparation. Conclusion: Chinese CBOs serving vulnerable populations affected by HIV/AIDS are instrumental in building resilience in their communities during the COVID-19 pandemic, and they can play significant roles in providing uninterrupted services during emergencies by mobilizing resources, creating new services and operation methods, and utilizing existing networks. Chinese CBOs' experiences, challenges, and their policy recommendations can inform policy makers on how to support future CBO capacity building to bridge service gaps during crises and reduce health inequalities in China and globally. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The precise point positioning service on B2b signal (PPP-B2b) is a real-time decimeter-level positioning service provided by the BeiDou-3 Global Navigation Satellite System (BDS-3). The service provides users with high-precision orbit and clock corrections through geostationary orbit (GEO) satellites, which means that the PPP-B2b service would be unusable if GEO satellites were blocked. In this study, the performance of PPP-B2b corrections and real-time positioning results during outages of the PPP-B2b service are comprehensively investigated. The results showed that PPP can achieve satisfactory accuracy during outages of the PPP-B2b service by extending the nominal validity of the received PPP-B2b corrections. After extending the PPP-B2b corrections for 10 min, for BDS-3 medium earth orbit (MEO) satellites, the mean root-mean-square error (RMSE) values of the extended orbit were 0.16 m, 0.26 m, and 0.23 m in the radial, along-, and cross-track directions, respectively. The accuracy of the BDS-3 inclined geostationary orbit (IGSO) satellites was slightly worse than that of the BDS-3 MEO satellites; for Global Positioning System (GPS) satellites, the mean RMSE values of the extended orbit were 0.11 m, 0.45 m, and 0.33 m in the radial, along-, and cross-track directions, respectively. In terms of the extended clock, the mean standard deviation (STD) reached 0.17 ns, 0.20 ns, and 0.22 ns after 10 min for the BDS-3 MEO, BDS-3 IGSO, and GPS satellites, respectively. The positioning performance maintained with the extended corrections during the PPP-B2b service outage was evaluated based on five stations in and around China. Our experiments showed that, as long as the interruption time does not exceed 10 min, the real-time positioning with extended PPP-B2b corrections can achieve a comparable accuracy with that obtained following PPP-B2b correction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrothermal oxidation is an effective approach to reduce leaching toxicity of fly ash from municipal solid waste incineration during utilization process. Herein, the effects of temperature, time, pH and Ce–Mn catalyst dosage on the stabilization of heavy metals in fly ash during hydrothermal oxidation were studied. The temperature of hydrothermal oxidation was positively correlated to the stabilization effect. However, the reaction time and pH emerged unstable effect. The amount of Ce–Mn catalyst had a slightly positive effect on the stabilizing at low doses, but it can be inhibited by excessive dose. The leaching concentrations of all heavy metals accorded with National Wastewater Discharge Standard of China (GB 8978–1996) under the optimal parameters, especially for Pb, Ni and Cu. The heavy metals were transformed from unstable fractions to residue fractions during hydrothermal process, among which the proportion of Cu and Zn residue fractions significantly increased and further reduced leaching toxicity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: The Chinese government has authorized the emergency use of an inactivated vaccine for COVID-19 in children and adolescents aged 3 to 17 years. This study aimed to investigate parents' attitudes towards vaccinating their children against COVID-19 and influencing factors. Patients and Methods: Through an online questionnaire survey, we collected self-reported children's demographic characteristics, physical conditions and parents' attitudes towards COVID-19 vaccination for children. The parents in the unwilling group received online consultation about the benefits and risks of COVID-19 vaccine and were asked to complete the questionnaire again. Results: A total of 868 participants were recruited from July 2021 to August 2021 in Nanjing, China. Overall, 76.0% of parents were willing to accept vaccination for children. Parents' willingness increased with children's age (P=0.018) and height (P=0.034), but decreased if the children fell sick within previous one month (P=0.030). Most of the unwilling parents gave a higher score to the risk of vaccination (53.76 VS 40.18). Unsafety (63.8%) and unfamiliarity (24.0%) were their major concerns. After consultation with a health worker, 24% of the unwilling parents turned willing. Conclusion: Children's age and recent physical condition are related to parents' attitudes towards vaccination for children against COVID-19. The major concerns of parents are unsafety and unfamiliarity. Parents view health workers as a reliable source of vaccine information. A successful consultation with health workers to understand the benefits and risks of vaccination can increase parents' willingness. This study provides insight into parents' attitudes towards vaccination for children against COVID-19 in China and related influencing factors. Our findings could be referenced in establishing policies for vaccinating children against COVID-19 in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aztreonam/avibactam (AZA), as one of the novel β-lactamases and β-lactamase inhibitor combinations, is considered to be a promising option for bloodstream infection (BSI) of carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CR-Kp). However, decreased susceptibility of AZA activity in Enterobacterales has been reported. The aim of this study was to identify the mechanisms of BSI CR-Kp with decreased susceptibility of AZA (minimal inhibitory concentration above 16/4 mg/L) (AZAH-Kp). Nine BSI AZAH-Kp isolates were screened from 317 CR-Kp isolates in Blood Bacterial Resistant Investigation Collaborative System (BRICS) program. Whole genome sequencing, bioinformatics analysis, and the relative expression of blaKPC , ompK35 , and ompK37 were explored for CR-Kp with decreased susceptibility to AZA. The results revealed that elevated inhibitory concentration of AZA has emerged in CR-Kp before previous clinical exposure. In addition, decreased AZA susceptibility was associated with higher KPC expression and changes in OmpK35-37. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Marine litter pollution poses a significant threat to offshore ecosystems, eliciting widespread concern. We investigated seafloor litter patterns in the Pearl River Estuary and adjacent coastal waters of China in 2023 via bottom trawl survey. Average number and weight densities were found to be 154.34 ± 30.95 n/km2 and 2384.63 ± 923.98 g/km2, respectively. Plastic was the most abundant material by number density (79.07 %), and rubber the highest by weight density (22.93 %). Overall number density varied from 40.50 ± 22.50 to 221.13 ± 52.44 n/km2, with the highest in Daya Bay and the lowest in Guanghai Bay. Weight density varied from 189.93 ± 71.94 to 5386.70 ± 3050.30 g/km2, with the highest in Qiao Island and the lowest in Honghai Bay. The main source was plastic bags and wrappers. The Pearl River Delta and Daya Bay were identified as seafloor litter distribution hotspots. Controlling plastic waste input is crucial for reducing seafloor litter in the Pearl River Estuary. [Display omitted] • Seafloor litter distribution and composition in Pearl River Estuary and adjacent coastal waters were found in concentrations up to 154.34 ± 30.95 n/km2 and 2384.63 ± 923.98 g/km2 • Plastic and rubber were the most common by number and weight density, accounting for 79.07% and 22.93%, respectively • Qiao Island waters showed the highest litter number and weight density, which were probably derived from human activity and nearshore currents • Take-out consumer items was the most abundant class of seafloor litter found in DYW [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This work investigated the microbial community in Kantuan‐sliced chicken during retail storage at different temperatures (4 ± 1°C and 25 ± 1°C). Compared with the samples stored at 25°C, a lower storage temperature (4°C) could prolong the shelf life of Kantuan‐sliced chicken, as revealed by a lower change rate in pH value, total volatile basic nitrogen, and total viable counts. For the freshly prepared chicken sample, the microbial community was mainly dominated by the genus of Psychrobacter (71.67%), which is a member of Moraxellaceae family. During refrigerated storage, the genus of Brochothrix (belonging to Listeriaceae family) occupied the dominant position with a relative abundance at a level of ≥50% throughout the whole storage period, accompanied by the phenomenon that Psychromonas ranged from 12.32% to 22.54%. In the 25°C group, the samples presented rich microbial diversity. Enterococcus, Fusobacterium, Maccoroccus, and Lactococcus were the main components of the microbial community in the middle and late stages of storage. The microbial community of Kantuan‐sliced chicken was quite sensitive to storage temperature. The results indicated that the spoilage bacteria of refrigerated samples were mainly composed of Gram‐positive bacteria when compared to the samples stored at 25°C. It seems that the combination of low storage temperature with preservatives for Gram‐positive bacteria would be useful for Kantuan‐sliced chicken. Novelty impact statement: Kantuan‐sliced chicken is a popular food product (ready‐to‐eat food) in middle China, which is easy to deteriorate. This study clarified the microbial community diversity and dynamics in the Kantuan‐sliced chicken during storage at 4°C and 25°C to solve the unclear spoilage process. Our results extend the understanding of microbial spoilage of Kantuan‐sliced chicken and provide valuable microbial management information for both researchers and the food industry, which is helpful for further improving product quality management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The xenoliths in host rocks of hydrothermal gold deposits can generally provide much geochemical information of the deep rocks, which may have an implication for the sources of ore‐forming materials. Geochronology and geochemical characteristics are reported for a granite xenolith, which is enclosed by the lamprophyre in the Zhenyuan gold deposit (Yunnan Province, SW China). This granite xenolith mainly consists of K‐feldspar, quartz, and plagioclase with trace amounts of magnetite, titanite, apatite, zircon, and sulfides. Zircons from the granite xenolith yield a weighted average U‐Pb age of 281.1 ± 1.3 Ma (MSWD = 2.1), which could represent the crystallization age of this granite xenolith. The Ti‐in‐zircon geothermometer and the Mn concentration in apatite calculate that this granite xenolith formed at 685 ± 43°C with the logfO2 values ranging from NNO + 3.7 to NNO + 6.4. The zircons in the granite xenolith have a restricted range of positive ∊Hf(t) values ranging from +9.4 to +10.8, and the corresponding Hf TDM2 model ages range from 588 to 678 Ma. The zircon U‐Pb age and the Hf isotopic compositions indicate this granite xenolith within the lamprophyre is mainly derived from partial melting of juvenile crustal rocks before the completed closure of the Ailaoshan Ocean. The pyrites in the granite xenolith have higher Bi concentrations, and lower As, Sb, and Tl concentrations than the gold‐bearing pyrites of the ores in the Zhenyuan gold deposit. The low Au concentrations of the pyrites together with the ore‐forming age of the Zhenyuan gold deposit (Oligocene) indicate the granite xenolith may have limited contribution to the gold mineralization of the Zhenyuan gold deposit. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Mental health problems (e.g., depression and anxiety) are among the most commonly reported comorbidities of HIV. Antiretroviral therapy (ART) coverage has increased sharply. The purposes of this prospective cohort study were to investigate the ART-related experiences and whether they were associated with mental health problems among a sample of people living with HIV undergoing ART in China. Methods: The participants were 400 people living with HIV who had started ART for the first time in Guangzhou city. They were followed-up 1-year after ART initiation. Probable depression and moderate/severe anxiety were measured at baseline and Month 12, while experiences related to ART (e.g., side effects and regained self-confidence) were measured at Month 6. Univariate and multivariate logistic regressions were used to explore the associations between baseline characteristics, ART-related experiences and mental health status. Results: Among the 300 participants (75.0%) who completed all three surveys, a significant decline in prevalence of probable depression (23.0% at baseline vs. 14.0% at Month 12, P = 0.002) and moderate/severe anxiety (14.7% at baseline vs. 8.7% at Month 12, P = 0.023) was observed during the follow-up period. After adjustment for mental health status and potential confounders at baseline, a number of ART-related experiences at Month 6 were associated with probable depression and/or moderate/severe anxiety measured at Month 12. Improved physical health, relationships with sexual partners, and self-confidence were associated with decreased mental health issues, while the side effects of ART, AIDS-related symptoms, and inconvenience in daily life due to ART use were associated with increased mental health issues. Conclusions: ART-related experiences were associated with mental health problems, tailored mental health promotion interventions targeting these experiences are needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The water dropworts Oenanthe linearis Wall. ex DC. and O. javanica (Blume) DC. are aquatic perennial herbs that have been used in China as vegetables and traditional medicines. However, their phylogenetic relationships and genetic diversity are poorly understood. Here, we presented the phenotypic traits and genome-wide DNA marker-based analysis of 158 water dropwort accessions representing both species. The analysis revealed that Oenanthe linearis was readily segregated into linear-leaf and deep-cleft leaf water dropworts according to their leaf shapes at flowering. Oenanthe javanica was classified by clustering analysis into two clusters based mainly on the morphological characteristics of their ultimate segments (leaflets). A set of 11 493 high-quality single-nucleotide polymorphisms was identified and used to construct a phylogenetic tree. There was strong discrimination between O. linearis and O. javanica, which was consistent with their phenotype diversification. The population structure and phylogenetic tree analyses suggested that the O. linearis accessions formed two major groups, corresponding to the linear-leaf and deep-cleft leaf types. The most obvious phenotypic differences between them were fully expressed at the reproductive growth stage. A single-nucleotide polymorphism-based analysis revealed that the O. javanica accessions could be categorized into groups I andII. However, this finding did not entirely align with the clusters revealed by morphological classification. Landraces were clustered into one group along with the remaining wild accessions. Hence, water dropwort domestication was short in duration. The level of genetic diversity for O. linearis (π = 0.1902) was slightly lower than that which was estimated for O. javanica (π = 0.2174). There was a low level of genetic differentiation between O. linearis and O. javanica (Fst = 0.0471). The mean genetic diversity among accessions ranged from 0.1818 for the linear-leaf types to 0.2318 for the groupII accessions. The phenotypic traits and the single-nucleotide polymorphism markers identified here lay empirical foundation for future genomic studies on water dropwort. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Blanching is a technique used in blocking sunlight for the production of tender, sweet, and delicious stems in the field. This technique is also used in water dropwort (Oenanthe javanica), an important vegetable in East Asia. In China, the steamed stems of water dropwort are prepared with boiled rice. However, the effect of blanching on the nutritional level and antioxidant capacity of water dropwort has not been explored yet. The current study aims to determine the nutrient contents and antioxidant capacities of five cultivars and select the best cultivar. They were mainly compared in terms of phenotypic, physiological, nutritional, and antioxidant levels after blanch cultivation. Results indicate that blanching significantly influenced the phenotype, physiology, and nutritional level of water dropwort in all cultivars. Although few parameters decreased with blanching, starch, sugars, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidant activities increased significantly in the blanched stems in mid- and post-blanching periods. The most noticeable changes were detected in post-blanching samples. Furthermore, the best cultivar (V11E0012) was identified among them. Therefore, blanched water dropwort could be consumed for achieving more nutraceuticals and antioxidants, and cultivar V11E0012 could be recommend for blanching cultivation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Middle Jurassic Aalenian–Bajocian stages represent the tectonic transition period for the group of Jurassic sedimentary basins in northwestern China and include accumulation of the most important recoverable coal seams. Geological data from borehole cores, well loggings and rock‐mineral determination in the Aalenian to Bajocian‐aged Dameigou Formation in the Yuqia coalfield, Northern Qaidam Basin were employed to unveil the relationship between coal accumulation and changes in palaeoclimates and provenance tectonic activity. The results identify six kinds of lithofacies from fluvial and lacustrine sedimentary systems, and allow the Dameigou Formation to be divided into two third‐order sequences (SIII1–SIII2) and their corresponding system tracts by regional unconformity surfaces, forced regression surfaces and their correlative conformity surfaces, and the abrupt shift surfaces of depositional facies. The main coals, the #7 and #6 seams, were deposited in a lake and swamp environments during lake transgression system tracts of SIII1 and SIII2, respectively. The varying trend of the Tectonic Index values indicate that the source area experienced strong tectonic activity from the SIII1 to the lowstand system tract of SIII2, and then gradually stabilized. The Mineral Alteration Index reveals that the climate during SIII1 was from dry‐hot to humid‐warm, and there is a climate cycle from dry‐hot to humid‐warm then a return to dry‐hot in SIII2. During the faulting stage, the occurrence and termination of coal accumulation was in response to weakening and strengthening periods of tectonic activity respectively, while during the depression stage it was in response to the humid‐warm and dry‐hot climate respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The resurgence of Bordetella pertussis infections leading to whooping cough is a concern in many parts of the world. The number of pertussis cases in China has increased significantly since 2013. In this study, whole-genome sequencing analysis was performed for 388 B. pertussis strains isolated in China from the 1970s to 2018, combining 594 published strains from around the world. This study revealed that lineage V diverged about 50 years ago in China, while lineage IV is dominant in the other countries. It also revealed that the erythromycin-resistant sub-lineages Va, Vb, and Vc with limited genomic variation emerged 11 ~ 12 years ago. These three sub-lineages were identified after the co-purified acellular vaccines (cp-ACVs) completely replaced the previous whole cell vaccines (WCVs) after the national immunization program of 2012. It suggests that the cp-ACVs cannot induce immunity that is potent enough to restrict the spread of the lineage V, antibiotic abuse further favors the spread of this lineage in China. These findings demand a reassessment of the immunization strategy and development of new vaccines in China to stop the resurgence and drug resistance of B. pertussis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In view of the miniaturization and decentralization characteristics of agricultural equipment factories in China, agricultural equipment manufacturing is well suited to the cloud manufacturing model, but there is no specific research on cloud services optimization for it. To fill the research gap, a cloud service optimization method is proposed in this paper. For the optimization model, the dynamic coefficient strategy and the reliability feedback update strategy are added to the mathematical model to strengthen the applicability of farming season. As optimization algorithm, a dynamic artificial ant-bee colony algorithm (DAABA) based on artificial ant colony algorithm and bee colony algorithm is presented. The optimal fusion evaluation strategy is used to save optimization time by reducing the useless iteration, and the iterative adjustment threshold strategy is adopted to improve the accuracy of cloud service by increasing the size of bee colony. Finally, the performance of DAABA is verified to be more superior by comparing with other algorithms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated the prevalence of intention to start antiretroviral therapy (ART) immediately among people living with HIV (PLWH) in China and associated perceptions toward ART based on behavioral theories. The study was initiated after the launch of an expanded ART strategy. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 450 PLWH who were ART naive in the city of Guangzhou, China, from June 2016 to February 2017. Among the participants, 311 (69.1%) showed intention to start ART immediately. The summary logistic regression analysis indicated that intention to start ART immediately was significantly associated with perceived severity [multivariate odds ratios (ORm) = 1.62, 95%CI = 1.15–2.28, p < 0.01], perceived barriers (ORm=0.56, 95%CI = 0.38–0.84, p < 0.01), self-efficacy (ORm=2.90, 95%CI = 2.05–4.09, p < 0.001), and subjective norms (ORm=1.95, 95%CI = 1.17–3.25, p < 0.05). The intention to start ART immediately among PLWH in Guangzhou was below the 90-90-90 target. Further promotion research should focus on these perceptional factors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: This study was performed to assess the role of the histone-like nucleoid-structuring (H-NS)-like protein, carried by blaNDM-1-encoding IncX3-type plasmids, in the dissemination of IncX3 plasmids.Methods: The blaNDM-1-encoding IncX3 plasmids were analyzed using southern blot, conjugation, and competition assays. Virulence was evaluated with a Galleria mellonella infection model. An hns-knockout IncX3 plasmid was also constructed to identify the functions of plasmid-borne H-NS-like protein in Escherichia coli.Results: The assasys detected blaNDM-1-encoding IncX3-type plasmids with similar fingerprint patterns in all New Delhi metallo-β-lactamase (NDM) 1-producing carbapenem-resistant Enterobacteriaceae. The IncX3 plasmid conferred a fitness advantage to E. coli J53 but had no effect on host virulence. Moreover, the transconjugation frequency of the hns-null IncX3 plasmid pHN330-△hns was increased by 2.5-fold compared with the wild type. This was caused by up-regulation of conjugation-related plasmid-borne genes and the partition-related gene, in the J330-pHN330-△hns strain. In addition, decreased virulence was detected with this variant.Conclusions: Our results highlight the important role of IncX3 plasmids in the dissemination of blaNDM-1 in south China. Plasmid-encoded H-NS-like protein can inhibit plasmid conjugation, partition, and the expression of related genes, in addition to promoting virulence in the host. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: An antimicrobial stewardship campaign was launched in 2011 by the Ministry of Health. This study aimed to assess the achievements and trends in the clinical use of antibiotics in secondary and tertiary hospitals following this campaign in China.Methods: This observational study analyzed nationwide hospital antibiotic procurement and consumption data and antibiotic-resistance surveillance data based on claims filed in 2010-2016.Results: After a 6-year national campaign, the proportion of outpatients and surgical patients who received antibiotic treatment decreased from 19.5% to 8.5% and from 97.9% to 38.3%, respectively. The intensity of antibiotic use among inpatients decreased from 85.3±29.8 defined daily dosage (DDD) per 100 patient days to 48.5±8.0 DDD per 100 patient days. Moreover, the antibiotic procurement expenditure among hospitals declined from 22.3% of total drug procurement costs in 2010 to 12.1% in 2016, although total drug procurement costs doubled during that time. The incidence of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus isolates also dropped (from 54.4% in 2010 to 34.4% in 2016), as did the proportion of carbapenem-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa isolates (from 30.8% to 22.3%).Conclusions: The 6-year campaign successfully reduced antibiotic consumption and irrational drug use in Chinese hospitals which was associated with declines in the prevalence of common antibiotic-resistant bacteria. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We aimed to clarify the epidemiologic and clinical importance of evolutionary events that occurred in carbapenem-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae (CRKP). We collected 203 CRKP causing bloodstream infections in a tertiary hospital in China during 2013-2017. We detected a subclonal shift in the dominant clone sequence type (ST) 11 CRKP in which the previously prevalent capsular loci (KL) 47 had been replaced by KL64 since 2016. Patients infected with ST11-KL64 CRKP had a significantly higher 30-day mortality rate than other CRKP-infected patients. Enhanced virulence was further evidenced by phenotypic tests. Phylogenetic reconstruction demonstrated that ST11-KL64 is derived from an ST11-KL47-like ancestor through recombination. We identified a pLVPK-like virulence plasmid carrying rmpA and peg-344 in ST11-KL64 exclusively from 2016 onward. The pLVPK-like-positive ST11-KL64 isolates exhibited enhanced environmental survival. Retrospective screening of a national collection identified ST11-KL64 in multiple regions. Targeted surveillance of this high-risk CRKP clone is urgently needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

According to the government of China, reported cases of pertussis have increased remarkably and are still increasing. To determine the genetic relatedness of Bordetella pertussis strains, we compared multilocus variable-number tandem-repeat analysis (MLVA) results for isolates from China with those from Western countries. Among 335 isolates from China, the most common virulence-associated genotype was ptxA1/ptxC1/ptxP1/prn1/fim2-1/fim3A/tcfA2, which was more frequent among isolates from northern than southern China. Isolates of this genotype were highly resistant to erythromycin. We identified 36 ptxP3 strains mainly harboring ptxA1 and prn2 (35/36); ptxP3 strains were sensitive to erythromycin and were less frequently from northern China. For all isolates, the sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim MIC was low, indicating that this drug should be recommended for patients infected with erythromycin-resistant B. pertussis. MLVA of 150 clinical isolates identified 13 MLVA types, including 3 predominant types. Our results show that isolates circulating in China differ from those in Western countries. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: Most vancomycin-intermediate Staphylococcus aureus (VISA) and heterogeneous VISA (hVISA) are derived from hospital-associated MRSA due to treatment failure; however, the prevalence of hVISA/VISA in community settings remains unclear.Methods: Four hundred and seventy-six community-associated isolates were collected between 2010 and 2011 during national surveillance for antimicrobial resistance in 31 county hospitals across China. Drug susceptibility evaluation and mecA detection were performed by using broth microdilution and PCR analysis, respectively. hVISA/VISA were identified by using macro-Etest and a modified population analysis profile (PAP)-AUC method. The genetic features of all hVISA/VISA isolates were genotyped.Results: Among 476 isolates, MRSA and MSSA accounted for 19.7% (n = 94) and 80.3% (n = 382), respectively. Two VISA and 36 hVISA isolates were identified by PAP-AUC testing. The VISA isolates and 29 of the hVISA isolates were MRSA. The proportion of hVISA/VISA was significantly higher in MRSA (30.9%) than in MSSA (1.8%). The hVISA/VISA isolates were assigned to 18 STs classified into seven clonal complexes (CCs). CC121 (n = 12) followed by ST239 (n = 11) was the most prevalent hVISA/VISA clone. All ST239-hVISA/VISA were MRSA, while 12 CC121-hVISA isolates included 6 MSSA and 6 MRSA isolates. SCCmec III was predominant among MRSA-hVISA/VISA isolates. agr I and agr IV were detected in ST239 and CC121, respectively. All except two strains were positive for Panton-Valentine leucocidin genes.Conclusions: To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of CC121 as a prevalent hVISA clone in community settings, highlighting the necessity of surveillance and stricter infection control measures for this globally disseminated lineage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The global dissemination of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii clonal complex (CC) 92 has become an urgent public health concern. Methods A. baumannii isolates were collected in 5 tertiary hospitals in south China during 2012–2015, and their clinical data were obtained. The clinical characterization was studied by statistical analysis. Whole-genome sequencing and a Galleria mellonella infection model were used to investigate the genetic characterization and pathogenicity of isolates, respectively. Results Sequence type (ST)457, following ST195, become the second-most prevalent clone in our collection. Patients infected by ST457 had significantly higher 7-day mortality rates (44.4% vs 14.3%; P =.01) and proportions of 7-day deaths (70.6% vs 26.7%; P =.01) than those infected by the other STs of CC92, except for ST195 and ST208. Consistently, the day of death after culture was significantly sooner in patients infected with ST457 than those with the non-ST195/208 members of CC92 (8.71 ± 15.27 vs 25.20 ± 6.51; P =.02). This is accordant with results that ST457 had enhanced virulence with a high mortality rate through use of the G. mellonella larvae infection model. Genomic analysis suggests that ST457 evolved distinctly from the other CC92 members mainly via recombinations. This clone exclusively shared a few virulence factors with the hypervirulence strain LAC-4, including a capsule biosynthesis locus (KL49) that is supposed to be important for the hypervirulence in LAC-4. Conclusions The rising trends in prevalence and enhanced virulence of ST457 highlight the urgent need for tailored surveillance to control the further dissemination of this clone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives: To investigate the population structure, drug resistance mechanisms and plasmids of community-associated Enterobacter cloacae complex (CA-ECC) isolates in China.Methods: Sixty-two CA-ECC isolates collected from 31 hospitals across China were typed by hsp60 typing and MLST. ESBL and AmpC-overexpression phenotype was determined by double-disc synergy test. Replicon typing and conjugation were performed for plasmid analysis. All ESBL-positive isolates and representative conjugants were subjected to detailed characterization by WGS.Results: Enterobacter hormaechei and Enterobacter kobei were predominant in our collections. MLST distinguished 46 STs with a polyclonal structure. ST591 was the most prevalent clone detected in northern China. Twenty-two isolates (35.5%) were ESBL positive and half of them were E. kobei. ESBL positivity was related to ESBL production (15/22) and to AmpC overexpression (18/22). Core-genome phylogenetic analysis identified intra- and inter-regional dissemination of ESBL-producing E. kobei clones. ESBL producers were exclusively classified as E. hormaechei and E. kobei, and blaCTX-M-3 was the most prevalent ESBL genotype (10/15) detected in four different environments. In the ESBL-positive population, the ESBL producers encoded more drug resistance genes (8-24 genes) by carrying more plasmids (1-3 plasmids) than the non-ESBL-producing isolates, resulting in an inter-group difference in drug susceptibilities. IncHI-type plasmids were prevalent in the ESBL producers (12/15). All IncHI2-type plasmids (n = 11) carried ESBL genes and shared a similar backbone to p09-036813-1A_261 recovered from Salmonella enterica in Canada.Conclusions: The species-specific distribution, species-dependent ESBL mechanism and endemic plasmids identified in our study highlight the necessity for tailored surveillance of CA-ECC in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • A data-driven model is proposed to predict the suitability of incineration plants. • Machine learning models integrated with oversampling boost model performance. • The stacking technique aids in bolstering the model's generalization ability. • The data-driven model is reusable and can predict new alternative locations. China's tiered strategy to enhance county-level waste incineration for energy aligns with the sustainable development goals (SDGs), emphasizing the need for comprehensive assessments of waste-to-energy (WtE) plant suitability. Traditional assessment methodologies face challenges, particularly in suggesting innovative site alternatives, adapting to new data sets, and their dependence on strict assumptions. This study introduced enhancements in three pivotal dimensions. Methodologically, it leverages data-driven machine learning (ML) approaches to capture the complex relationships essential for site selection, reducing dependency on strict assumptions. In terms of predictive performance, the integration of oversampling with stacked ensemble models enhances the diversity and generalizability of ML models. The area under curve (AUC) scores from four ML models, enhanced by the oversampled dataset, demonstrated significant improvements compared to the original dataset. The stacking model excelled, achieving a score of 92%. It also led in overall Precision and Recall, reaching 85.2% and 85.08% respectively. Nevertheless, a noticeable discrepancy existed in Precision and Recall for positive classes. The stacking model topped Precision scores at 83.1%, followed by eXtreme Gradient Boosting (XGBoost) (82.61%). In terms of Recall, XGBoost recorded the lowest at 85.07%, while the other three classifiers all marked 88.06%. From an industry applicability standpoint, the stacking model provides innovative location alternatives and demonstrates adaptability in Hunan province, offering a reusable tool for WtE location. In conclusion, this study not only enhances the methodological aspects of WtE site selection but also provides practical and adaptable solutions, contributing positively to sustainable waste management practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The CD36 gene encodes a membrane glycoprotein (type B scavenger receptor, SR-B2) that plays a crucial role in lipid sensing, innate immunity, atherogenesis, and glycolipid metabolism. In this study, we aimed to investigate the association between CD36 gene polymorphisms and intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) in a Han Chinese population. We performed genotype and allele analyses for eleven single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of CD36 in a case-controlled study involving 292 ICH patients and 298 control participants. Eleven SNPs were genotyped by the Improved Multiple Ligase Detection Reaction (iMLDR) method. The results indicated that the SNP rs1194182 values were significantly different between ICH group and control group in a dominant model after adjusting for confounding factors. The subgroup analysis conducted for rs1194182 showed that the allele G frequencies were significantly different between ICH patients and controls in hypertension group via a dominant model. We then analyzed the rs1194182 genotype distributions among different groups of the serum lipid groups, including BMI, TC, TG, HDL, and LDL. However, no significant differences were found in the analysis of other subgroups. Taken together, these findings indicate that rs1194182 polymorphism in the CD36 gene was associated with ICH, and genotype GG could be an independent predictor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The high-water content and difficult dehydration of sewage sludge are the main factors restricting its disposal and application in China. In the paper, the sludge-based baking-free brick (SBFB) was made from sludge and fly ash - carbide slag - desulfurization gypsum with a certain amount of aggregate using compaction forming technology. The influence of process parameters (e.g., sludge content, aggregate content, molding pressure, curing method and curing temperature) on the properties of SBFB were investigated. Additionally, the environmental risk assessment of heavy metals and organic pollution of SBFB samples were carried out. The results indicated that when the sludge content was less than 30 %, the SBFB strength reaches 13.7 MPa under wet-heat cycle curing, which can meet the national standard of nonbearing wall for building bricks. According to the analysis of SEM and XRD, mullite and silicalite crystals were needle-like structures, which made the sludge particles closely linked with solid waste and compact structure. The appearance of these crystal structures was the internal driving force for the later strength of SBFB. Values of risk assessment criteria decreased through solidification treatment, in which Cd decreased to no risk, As, Pb, Zn decreased to low risk, Cu, Ni had moderate risk. All heavy metals were within China standards (GB5085.3–2007). Compared with sludge, the degradability of protein under curing conditions was greater than 77.35 % because of the decomposition of proteins in gel reaction system. [Display omitted] • SBFB is made from sewage sludge and solid wastes using compaction forming technology. • Wet-heat cycle curing was taken for the maximum content of raw sludge in SBFB. • Mullite and silicate were internal driving force for the later strength of SBFB. • RAC values decreased through solidification treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coral communities in China's Great Bay Area (GBA) have experienced severe degradation, but only limited information is available about their community structure. We surveyed 20 sites across three regions (Daya Bay, Dapeng Bay, Wanshan Islands) in GBA to provide an updated baseline of these urban coral communities. Live coral cover varied substantially, with the lowest values (<2 %) found inside the highly urbanized Daya Bay, and highest values (40–47 %) from offshore islands that are less affected by human activities. The two sites with the lowest live coral cover had a high percentage of dead coral. Five groups of coral communities could be identified, with most of them characterized by dominance of massive and encrusting coral species. Both coral cover and generic richness were negatively correlated with dissolved inorganic nitrogen in the water column, indicating that nutrient pollution could potentially constrain the development of these urban coral communities. • We aimed to provide a baseline of coral communities along the coasts of Guangdong, China. • We surveyed 20 sites across Daya Bay, Dapeng Bay, and Wanshan Islands. • Live coral cover varied substantially from 1.3 % to 46.5 %. • Most sites were dominated by massive and encrusting coral species. • Coral cover and generic richness were negatively correlated with dissolved inorganic nitrogen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Food risk analysis technique is of great significance in human health and safety. This paper investigates the issue of food safety risk identification and early warning based on heterogeneous graph attention network. First, the selection of food safety risk heterogeneous indicators (such as food category, hazard, region, etc.) is analyzed, since they are the effective factors to describe risk levels, then a food safety risk assessment index system is constructed based on these factors. Second, a heterogeneous graph attention network is proposed to fuse the heterogeneous risk indicators, resulting in the novel risk profile of food safety. Finally, the proposed heterogeneous graph attention network is implemented to the problem of food safety risk early warning, which could provide some basis of risk management decision. A data set of food detection in China is used to verify the proposed method, the case study results suggest that the proposed risk profile is a valuable way to identify the food safety risk. • The main risk factors affecting food safety are analyzed, and a food safety risk evaluation index system is established. • Heterogeneous graph attention network is used to train heterogeneous data and establish food safety risk reasoning model. • The model can accurately predict the risk level of various kinds of food. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Macroalgae has bloomed in the brackish lake of Shenzhen Bay, China continuously from 2010 to 2014. Gracilaria tenuistipitata was identified as the causative macroalgal species. The aim of this study was to explore the outbreak mechanism of G. tenuistipitata, by studying the effects of salinity and nitrogen sources on growth, and the different nitrogen sources uptake characteristic. Our experimental design was based on environmental conditions observed in the bloom areas, and these main factors were simulated in the laboratory. Results showed that salinity 12 to 20 ‰ was suitable for G. tenuistipitata growth. When the nitrogen sources' (NH4+, NO3−) concentrations reached 40 µM or above, the growth rate of G. tenuistipitata was significantly higher. Algal biomass was higher (approximately 1.4 times) when cultured with NH4+ than that with NO3− addition. Coincidentally, macroalgal bloom formed during times of moderate salinity (∼12 ‰) and high nitrogen conditions. The NH4+ and NO3− uptake characteristic was studied to understand the potential mechanism of G. tenuistipitata bloom. NH4+ uptake was best described by a linear, rate-unsaturated response, with the slope decreasing with time intervals. In contrast, NO3− uptake followed a rate-saturating mechanism best described by the Michaelis-Menten model, with kinetic parameters Vmax = 37.2 µM g−1 DM h−1 and Ks = 61.5 µM. Further, based on the isotope 15N tracer method, we found that 15N from NH4+ accumulated faster and reached an atom% twice than that of 15N from NO3−, suggesting when both NH4+ and NO3− were available, NH4+ was assimilated more rapidly. The results of the present study indicate that in the estuarine environment, the combination of moderate salinity with high ammonium may stimulate bloom formation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

li x.-m., zhou k.-n., yan h., wang d.-l. & zhang y.-p. (2011) Effects of music therapy on anxiety of patients with breast cancer after radical mastectomy: a randomized clinical trial. Journal of Advanced Nursing 68(5), 1145-1155. Abstract Aim. This paper is a report of a clinical trial of the effects of music therapy on anxiety of female breast cancer patients following radical mastectomy. Background. There is insufficient evidence on the effects of music therapy on state anxiety of breast cancer patients following radical mastectomy. Methods. A Hall's Core, Care, and Cure Model-based clinical trial was conducted in 120 female breast cancer patients from March to November 2009. A randomized controlled design was utilized. The patients were randomly allocated to the experimental group ( n = 60) received music therapy in addition to routine nursing care, and the control group ( n = 60) only received routine nursing care. A standardized questionnaire and the State Anxiety Inventory were applied. The primary endpoint was the state anxiety score measured at pretest (on the day before radical mastectomy) and at three post-tests (on the day before patients were discharged from hospital, the second and third time of admission to hospital for chemotherapy respectively). Results. The pretest score revealed that the majority of the patients had a moderate level (77·5%) and 15% had severe level of state anxiety. The repeated-measure ancova model analysis indicated that the mean state anxiety score was significantly lower in the experimental group than those in the control group at each of the three post-test measurements. The mean difference between the experimental and control group together with 95% confidence intervals were −4·57 (−6·33, −2·82), −8·91 (−10·75, −7·08) and −9·69 (−11·52, −7·85) at the 1st post-test, 2nd post-test and 3rd post-test respectively. Conclusion. Music therapy is found to have positive effects on decreasing state anxiety score. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Since the Law of the People''s Republic of China on Environmental Impact Assessment was enacted in 2003 and Huanfa 2004 No. 98 was released in 2004, Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) has been officially being implemented in the expressway infrastructure planning field in China. Through scrutinizing two SEA application cases of China''s provincial level expressway infrastructure (PLEI) network plans, it is found that current SEA practice in expressway infrastructure planning field has a number of problems including: SEA practitioners do not fully understand the objective of SEA; its potential contributions to strategic planning and decision-making is extremely limited; the employed application procedure and prediction and assessment techniques are too simple to bring objective, unbiased and scientific results; and no alternative options are considered. All these problems directly lead to poor quality SEA and consequently weaken SEA''s effectiveness. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

China’s EIA Law came into effect in 2003 and formally requires road transport infrastructure development actions to be subject to Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). EIAs (including project EIA and plan EIA, or strategic environmental impact assessment, SEA) have been being widely applied in the expressway infrastructure planning field. Among those applications, SEA is applied to provincial level expressway network (PLEI) plans, and project EIA is applied to expressway infrastructure development ‘projects’ under PLEI plans. Three case studies (one expressway project EIA and two PLEI plan SEAs) were examined to understand currently how EIAs are applied to expressway infrastructure development planning. Through the studies, a number of problems that significantly influence the quality of EIA application in the field were identified. The reasons causing those problems are analyzed and possible solutions are suggested aimed at enhancing EIA practice, helping deliver better decision-making and ultimately improving the environmental performance of expressway infrastructure. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The Late Paleozoic Icehouse (LPI) provides a deep-time perspective for climate-glaciation-environment coevolution and offers potential insights into future climatic and environmental predictions. Most previous studies attributed climatic and environmental changes during the LPI to perturbations of atmospheric p CO 2 , yet the driving mechanism for p CO 2 changes remains controversial. Although the environmental and climatic effects of volcanism have been recognized, its high-resolution geological records and links with changes in atmospheric p CO 2 and climate are rarely reported. We address this by investigating volcanic records (indicating by Hg/TOC ratio) and organic carbon isotope composition (δ13C org) of paralic strata from the latest Gzhelian to Roadian stages in the North China Platform (NCP), China. Four δ13C org negative excursions (latest Gzhelian, middle Artinskian, middle Kungurian and latest Kungurian stages) and two positive isotope plateaus (Asselian and Roadian stages) are identified. Each of the four negative isotope excursions coincides with peaks in Hg/TOC ratio and rising periods of atmospheric p CO 2. The co-occurrence of the negative isotope excursions and Hg/TOC peaks suggests volcanic origins for both the Hg and perturbations in the carbon cycle. The two positive isotope plateaus correspond to the glacial P1 and the climatic transition period to glacial P3 in Australia and to weak periods of volcanism. Our results provide clear insights into volcanism driving perturbations in environment, climate and the carbon cycle in deep time, and support the assertion that volcanism was sufficient to shift global climates from glacial to interglacial through greenhouse gas emissions during the LPI. • Early Permian continental δ13C org record presented from North China Platform. • Negative δ13C org excursions and Hg/TOC ratios identify episodes of volcanism. • Volcanism is important driver for changes in atmospheric p CO 2 and climate. • Two positive δ13C org plateaus correspond to P1 and P3 glaciations in Australia. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: On the basis of the reported air quality index (API) and air pollutant monitoring data provided by the Guangzhou Environment Monitoring Stations over the last twenty-five years the characteristics of air quality prominent pollutants and variation of the average annual concentrations of SO2, NO2 total suspended particulate (TSP) fine particulates (PM10) CO and dustfall in Guangzhou City were analyzed. Results showed that TSP was the prominent pollutant in the ambient air environment of Guangzhou City. Of the prominent pollutants TSP accounted for nearly 62% SO2 12.3% and NOx 6.4% respectively. The average API of Guangzhou over 6 years was higher than that of Beijing Tianjin Nanjing Hangzhou Suzhou and Shanghai and lower than that of Shenzhen Zhuhai and Shantou. Concentrations of air pollutants have shown a downward trend in recent years but they are generally worse than ambient air quality standards for USA Hong Kong and EU. SO2 and NOx pollution were still serious impling that waste gas pollution from all kinds of vehicles had become a significant problem for environmental protection in Guangzhou. The possible causes of worsening air quality were also discussed in this paper. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

In this study, China's virtual water trade was measured on the basis of multi-region input/output tables, and its influencing factors of change were decomposed. The results revealed that virtual water export and import increased from 161.5 billion tons and 114.07 billion tons in 2007 to 193.31 billion tons and 157.1 billion tons in 2014, respectively. Eight economies accounted for more than 50% of China's total virtual water export and import, whereby the total of the United States, Japan, and Europe reached 44% (export) and 31.3% (import). The export scale, export of intermediate products, export industry structure, domestic water consumption coefficient, and domestic intermediate input structure were the main factors of the change in virtual water export. The growth of export scale was the primary reason for the growth of virtual water export. A decline in the domestic water consumption coefficient was the primary reason for the restrained growth of virtual water export. The import scale, import of intermediate products, import industry structure, water consumption coefficient of foreign countries, and the correlation among domestic industries were the main factors affecting the change in virtual water import. The growth of import scale was the primary reason for the growth of virtual water import in most sectors. A decline in the water consumption coefficient abroad was the primary reason for the restrained growth of virtual water import. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Early Jurassic break-up of Pangea and the formation of the Central Atlantic Ocean are associated with changes to the atmosphere, climate, and environment, as recorded in marine carbonates from the western Tethys Ocean. However, the expression of these global changes in terrestrial successions is less well known. To better understand terrestrial-response, we investigated organic carbon isotope composition (δ13C org), weathering trends and geochemistry in Lower Jurassic lacustrine strata in the Qaidam Basin, China, on the northern margin of the eastern Tethys Ocean. Four negative δ13C org carbon isotope excursions are identified in lacustrine black shales during the Pliensbachian to early Toarcian stages. These negative excursions correspond to the early Pliensbachian Warming Interval, the Subnodonus Negative Event at the beginning of the late Pliensbachian, the Pliensbachian–Toarcian Boundary Event, and the early Toarcian Oceanic Anoxia Event (T-OAE), respectively, well documented in western Tethys Ocean successions. In our terrestrial successions from the Qaidam Basin, the first three events occurred under relatively warm and humid climates associated with enhanced weathering, lake transgression, and the prevalence of swamp environments. In contrast, the T-OAE was a period of intense warming and arid climate, expressed by the deposition of red beds, a hiatus in coal deposition, a sharp reduction in plant diversity, and a floristic turnover in palynoflora. Our findings show that each negative excursion is associated with peaks in mercury and nickel concentrations, supporting the hypothesis that magma intrusion into organic-rich rocks and accompanying the volcanic eruption was responsible. • Four negative excursions of δ13C org identified in lacustrine black shales. • Negative δ13C org excursions, Hg and Ni peaks identify Early Jurassic global events. • Volcanism through heating of OM rich sediments drives δ13C org negative excursions. • EPWI, SNE, PTBE and T-OAE events identified in terrestrial setting for first time. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: English education in professional areas has become more and more important with the increasing internationalization of health profession education in countries around the world. In this study, we aimed to evaluate current Chinese stomatology English education based on Chinese participants' ability to apply stomatology English during an international stomatology skill competition called the 'Guanghua Cup activity'. Methods: The registration rate of English and Chinese volunteers and the answer rate and accuracy of Chinese and international contestants on the English knowledge quiz were statistically described. A five-point Likert scale questionnaire was delivered to all participants. The data were analyzed using the Spearman test, Kruskal-Wallis rank sum test and Mann-Whitney U test. Results: Among the 194 students, the English and Chinese volunteer registration rate was 7.73 and 30.93%, respectively. The answer rate of Chinese contestants and international contestants in the English quiz was 25 and 75%, with an accuracy rate of 50 and 66.70%, respectively. The questionnaire was graded by Likert five-level classification. There was a positive correlation between the use of English textbooks in classes and the communication with international teachers and students in the competition (Rs = 0.348, p = 0.016). English volunteers had more preparation in English before the competition, more opportunities to communicate with international peers, and greater improvement in English ability than the contestants and Chinese volunteers (p < 0.001). After the competition, all participants paid more attention to stomatology English (p < 0.001). Conclusions: Chinese stomatology students have difficulty in stomatology English application. The 'Guanghua Cup' helps to improve English proficiency of English volunteers and arouses the interest of stomatology English for all participants. Chinese stomatology school needs to strengthen and reach a consensus in stomatology English education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]