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Using Chinese provincial data from 2008 to 2022, this study constructs a spatial panel data model to empirically analyze the impact of smog pollution on family financial burden, and public health's moderating effect on this relationship and the regional heterogeneity of this moderating effect. The results show that after controlling the economic development, human capital, environmental regulation, and other provincial variables, smog pollution significantly positively (negatively) affects family financial burden (public health). Furthermore, public health partially mediates the relationship between smog pollution and family financial burden. Thus, the impact of smog pollution on family financial burden can be partially realized through public health. Regionally, the impact of smog pollution on family financial burden in central and western China is higher than that in eastern China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

1. Due to seasonal breeding, geese breeds from Southern China have low egg yield. The genetic makeup underlying performance of local breeds is largely unknown, and few studies have investigated this problem. This study integrated 21 newly generated and 50 publicly existing RNA-seq libraries, representing the hypothalamus, pituitary and testis, to identify candidate genes and importantly related pathways associated with seasonal breeding in male Lion-Head geese. 2. In total, 19, 119 and 302 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were detected in the hypothalamus, pituitary and testis, respectively, of male Lion-Head geese between non-breeding and breeding periods. These genes were significantly involved in the neuropeptide signalling pathway, gland development, neuroactive ligand-receptor interaction, JAK-STAT signalling pathway, cAMP signalling pathway, PI3K-Akt signalling pathway and Foxo signalling pathway. 3. By integrating another 50 RNA-seq samples 4, 18 and 40 promising DEGs were confirmed in hypothalamus, pituitary and testis, respectively. 4. HOX genes were identified as having important roles in the development of testis between non-breeding and breeding periods of male Lion-Head geese. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To develop low-carbon agriculture, it is necessary to deeply analyze the spatial evolution and regional differences of China's agricultural carbon emission efficiency (ACEE). Clarifying how the carbon emission efficiency differs between and within regions and how it evolves can help achieve a win–win situation for both economy and ecology. This study uses the inter-provincial agricultural industry panel data from 2000 to 2019 and selects the three-stage super-efficiency slack-based measure data envelope analysis (SBM-DEA) model to measure ACEE. Additionally, this study uses the Dagum Gini coefficient and the Kernel density model to analyze the sources of regional differences in ACEE and the internal dynamic evolution, respectively. The empirical results reveal the following: (i) China's ACEE is in a state of "inefficient". Only the ecological protection area is "efficiently optimized". Moreover, the phenomenon of "ACEE agglomeration" appears spatially in Southern and Northern China for a certain periods of time. (ii) The overall Gini coefficient of China's ACEE has shown a gradual decline, which indicates that the overall ACEE is converging, while the intra-group gap and transvariation intensity between regions have primarily contributed to the regional gap in China's ACEE. (iii) The absolute difference of the internal ACEE between regions shows an expanding trend, and the uneven development of the ACEE between regions is obvious. Based on the results, this paper could put forward a basis for effectively formulating regionally differentiated emission reduction policies and better realizes the development of sustainable agriculture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The incidence of infections among cancer patients is as high as 23.2–33.2% in China. However, the lack of information and data on the number of antibiotics used by cancer patients is an obstacle to implementing antibiotic management plans. Aim This study aimed to investigate bacterial infections and antibiotic resistance in Chinese cancer patients to provide a reference for the rational use of antibiotics. Design This was a 5-year retrospective study on the antibiotic resistance of cancer patients. Methods In this 5-year surveillance study, we collected bacterial and antibiotic resistance data from 20 provincial cancer diagnosis and treatment centers and three specialized cancer hospitals in China. We analyzed the resistance of common bacteria to antibiotics, compared to common clinical drug-resistant bacteria, evaluated the evolution of critical drug-resistant bacteria and conducted data analysis. Findings Between 2016 and 2020, 216 219 bacterial strains were clinically isolated. The resistance trend of Escherichia coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae to amikacin, ciprofloxacin, cefotaxime, piperacillin/tazobactam and imipenem was relatively stable and did not significantly increase over time. The resistance of Pseudomonas aeruginosa strains to all antibiotics tested, including imipenem and meropenem, decreased over time. In contrast, the resistance of Acinetobacter baumannii strains to carbapenems increased from 4.7% to 14.7%. Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) significantly decreased from 65.2% in 2016 to 48.9% in 2020. Conclusions The bacterial prevalence and antibiotic resistance rates of E. coli , K. pneumoniae , P. aeruginosa , A. baumannii , S. aureus and MRSA were significantly lower than the national average. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Understanding how plants adjust their requirements for different N forms can help elucidate plant coexistence strategies in N‐limited desert ecosystems. To understand the mechanisms involved, we investigated whether two desert herbs can directly absorb dissolved organic nitrogen (N) and tested whether the patterns changed over different growth stages.Two dominant herbaceous species, Astragalus arpilobus and Arnebia decumbens, from the southern edge of the Gurbantunggut desert, China, were selected. Short‐term (24 h) 15N‐labelled tracer (15N‐NO3, 15N‐NH4, 2‐13C‐15N‐Glycine) treatments were conducted at two soil depths (0–5 cm and 5–15 cm) in the season of rapid growth (June) and in the peak biomass season (July). Enrichment in 13C and 15N was assessed in the two species receiving glycine.The ratio 13C:15N was 0.21–1.39 at the 24‐h harvest, suggesting that approximately 10.5–69.5% of glycine had been absorbed. The amount of absorbed 15N was significantly affected by species, month, soil depth and N form. The two species absorbed most 15N from the 0–5 cm soil layer, and the absorption rate in July was higher than that in June. The absorption of 15N‐NO3 and 15N‐NH4 was significantly higher than that of 2‐13C‐15N‐Glycine.The results indicate that these herbs could use amino acids in the N‐deficient desert ecosystem. The two co‐existing species used different forms of inorganic N for their requirements and maintained a specific preference throughout various growth stages. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yan yu is a traditional fermented fish product produced by the Dong people of Guizhou Province in southwestern China. However, despite its widespread regional consumption, little is known about the chemical characteristics and bacterial community changes involved during yan yu fermentation. Therefore, the present work assessed the changes in both the chemical and microbiota composition of yan yu during its fermentation. Glucose levels gradually decreased after an initial increase at the beginning of fermentation, whereas increase in lactic acid levels continued after 10 d of fermentation. A rapid increase in free amino acid levels was observed at the beginning, but either remained constant or slowly decreased later in the fermentation. In contrast, biogenic amine (BA), TVB-N, and TBARS levels remained low throughout the fermentation. Bacterial community analyses revealed that Lactiplantibacillus and Tetragenococcus dominated the bacterial community. Moreover, O2PLS-based correlation analysis indicated that these two genera significantly affected the chemical composition of yan yu. Furthermore, lactic acid and free amino acid contents (i.e., two major quality parameters of fermented products) were highly correlated with the occurrence of Lactiplantibacillus and Tetragenococcus. These results are expected to establish a basis for the quality improvement of traditional fermentation of yan yu. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• A quantile delta-mapped spatial disaggregation model was developed and employed to downscale summer temperature and precipitation in China. • The compound extreme wet-warm and dry-warm events may be mudulated by Niño 3 and Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation in historical summertime. • Future summer compound extreme events will be influenced by the intensity of geopotential height and anticyclonic anomalies over north Pacific. Accurate climate projections are essential in China. A quantile delta-mapped spatial disaggregation (QDMSD) has been developed to simulate compound extreme dry-warm (CDDW) and wet-warm (CDWW) events in historical and future summertime. Simulations indicated that the frequencies of CDDW would keep an obvious increase in the historical period. The Niño 3 and Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) indirectly regulate compound extreme events by regulating sea surface temperature anomalies (SSTA) in the western Pacific. In the future period, the growth of compound extremes under SSP5-8.5 surpasses that under SSP2-4.5. Under the SSP2-4.5 scenario, the projected changes in compound extremes may be influenced by SSTA in the northwest Pacific. At 850 hPa, the SSTA may cause a weakening of the geopotential height (GHT) anomalies. The rising of warm-humid air would be hindered by the positive GHT anomalies over Siberia and a weakening of negative GHT anomalies over northwestern Pacific. It is difficult to form precipitation in northwestern China. Therefore, the CDDW will be distributed in northwest China. The correlation between compound extremes and the SSTA in the northwest Pacific will increase under SSP5-8.5. The negative GHT anomalies may occur in the northwest Pacific. Additionally, the positive GHT anomalies will weaken over Siberia. These factors may enhance the upward movement of warm-humid air and moisture convergence, thereby leading to the formation of precipitation. Finally, it would promote the occurrence of CDWW in northeastern, eastern and northern China. These findings are beneficial for policymakers in addressing the risks posed by summertime compound extremes across multiple sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The use of trophy hunting as a wildlife management option has been a highly controversial topic, especially in southern Africa, but trophy hunting has historically also taken place also throughout Asia. In China, trophy hunting was the topic of intense public discussion more than a decade ago, leading ultimately to the suspension of this practice in 2006. Yet, this debate was dominated by urban voices, with no formal consultation of rural populations from minorities such as the Tibetan herders who previously benefited financially from commercial trophy hunting acting as guides and who are also concerned about the negative impact of rising blue sheep numbers on livestock grazing. We used a discrete choice experiment econometric method to better understand the trade‐offs made by both urban and rural populations across China in relation trophy hunting as a rural development and wildlife management tool. We find that trophy hunting is supported by the majority of rural residents but opposed by most urban residents, although there is heterogeneity within both these groups. We recommend that policy‐making in this realm should be informed by a better understanding of the preferences of different stakeholders, including the local people who bear the costs of living with wildlife. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Summary: We evaluated the associations of serum insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) with bone mineral density (BMD) and risk of fractures in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D). We found positive associations between IGF-I and BMD and negative associations between IGF-I and all three modified 10-year probabilities of MOFs and HFs in men, but not in women. Introduction: The objective was to investigate the associations of serum insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) with bone mineral density (BMD) and risk of fractures in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) in each gender. Methods: This was a cross-sectional, retrospective study that included men over 50 years and postmenopausal women with T2D without medical conditions or medications known to significantly affect BMD or serum IGF-I levels. Data of IGF-1, bone metabolism markers, lumbar spine (LS), femoral neck (FN), and total hip (TH) BMD were obtained; 10-year probability of major osteoporotic fractures (MOFs) and hip fractures (HFs) was calculated and modified with rheumatoid arthritis, femoral neck T-score, and age. Correlations of IGF-1 levels with bone metabolism and risk of fractures were statistically analyzed in men and women, respectively. Results: A total of 391 patients, including 226 men and 165 women, were included. The age, serum fasting C-peptide, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), bone formation marker, and all three modified 10-year probabilities of MOFs and HFs were higher in women than those in men (all p < 0.05). The levels of 25 hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD), IGF-1, and BMD were lower in women than those in men (all p < 0.05). In men, IGF-1 was positively correlated with FN and TH BMD (FN BMD: r = 0.267, p < 0.001; TH BMD: r = 0.235, p < 0.001) and negatively correlated with all three modified 10-year probabilities of MOFs (RA-modified MOFs: r = - 0.289, p < 0.001; age-modified MOFs: r = - 0.237, p < 0.001; FN T-score−modified MOFs: r = - 0.280, p < 0.001) and HFs (RA-modified HFs: r = - 0.291, p < 0.001; age-modified HFs: r = - 0.271, p < 0.001; FN T-score−modified HFs: r = - 0.270, p < 0.001), while no significant correlations were found between serum IGF-I and BMD and three modified 10-year probability in women. Conclusions: According to this study, we found sex differences in the associations of serum IGF-1 with BMD and risk of fractures in Chinese patients with T2D. These results suggested that increasing serum IGF-1 might be a clinical target for protecting fractures in T2D, especially in men. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Accurate and robust pathological image analysis for colorectal cancer (CRC) diagnosis is time-consuming and knowledge-intensive, but is essential for CRC patients' treatment. The current heavy workload of pathologists in clinics/hospitals may easily lead to unconscious misdiagnosis of CRC based on daily image analyses.Methods: Based on a state-of-the-art transfer-learned deep convolutional neural network in artificial intelligence (AI), we proposed a novel patch aggregation strategy for clinic CRC diagnosis using weakly labeled pathological whole-slide image (WSI) patches. This approach was trained and validated using an unprecedented and enormously large number of 170,099 patches, > 14,680 WSIs, from > 9631 subjects that covered diverse and representative clinical cases from multi-independent-sources across China, the USA, and Germany.Results: Our innovative AI tool consistently and nearly perfectly agreed with (average Kappa statistic 0.896) and even often better than most of the experienced expert pathologists when tested in diagnosing CRC WSIs from multicenters. The average area under the receiver operating characteristics curve (AUC) of AI was greater than that of the pathologists (0.988 vs 0.970) and achieved the best performance among the application of other AI methods to CRC diagnosis. Our AI-generated heatmap highlights the image regions of cancer tissue/cells.Conclusions: This first-ever generalizable AI system can handle large amounts of WSIs consistently and robustly without potential bias due to fatigue commonly experienced by clinical pathologists. It will drastically alleviate the heavy clinical burden of daily pathology diagnosis and improve the treatment for CRC patients. This tool is generalizable to other cancer diagnosis based on image recognition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Northeastern China, the intensive cropping system and increased use of chemical fertilizer has caused severe problems in terms of sustainable agricultural development. Therefore, to improve agricultural sustainability and crop productivity the farming system needs to be modified in the region.A pot experiment was conducted to evaluate the effect of maize–alfalfa intercropping on the physiological characteristics, nitrogen (N) uptake and yield of the maize crops in northeast China in 2017–2018.The study findings showed that intercropping under N fertilization progressively improved the physio‐agronomic indices of the maize crop as compared to mono‐cropping. The grain yield, 100 seed weight and biomass dry matter of maize crop improved in intercropping when it was practiced with N fertilizer. Furthermore, intercropping with N fertilization increased the chlorophyll content of the maize crop at bell‐mouthed, silking, filing and mature stages by 19%, 44%, 12%, and 9% in 2017 and by 23%, 43%, 15%, and 11% in 2018, respectively, as compared with the monocropping system. Unlike monocropping, intercropping with N fertilization increased the photosynthesis rate (14% and 15%), stomatal conductance (74% and 98%) and transpiration rate (74% and 75%) in 2017 and 2018, respectively. However, intercropping reduced intercellular CO2 (Ci). Moreover, intercropping with N fertilization increased the maize N content of grain and leaves as well as total N uptake by 49%, 31% and 93% in 2017 and 53%, 34% and 132%, respectively, in 2018 as compared to monocropping.In conclusion, our results suggest that maize–alfalfa intercropping with optimal N fertilization provides a practical method for improving growth, yield and N accumulation in the maize crop. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For eliminating pine trees infected pine wilt disease in southern China based on remote sensing technique, it is important to ensure the provision of timely information about individual diseased tree. It is not easy to detect and extract the diseased pine trees from conventional remote sensing techniques. This paper proposes a new approach for extracting information about individual diseased tree, without the use of satellite images and aerial hyperspectral images. Field measurements in different leaf infected stages indicates the possibility of extracting diseased trees by using only the three regular bands, red, green and blue. VEG was selected and proved to be the optimal index in 12 vegetation indices from the three visible bands. Using the adaptive local threshold selection methods, VEG grayscale image pixels could be automatically segmented into the diseased trees region. Based on mathematical morphology, the accuracy of individual tree information extraction reached 90%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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The accurate estimation of wind power is crucial not only to conduct wind energy research but also to improve policy and planning decisions for the national government. However, reliable wind speed datasets at turbine height that can be used for wind power estimation in China are very limited. In this study, the simulated wind profile (expressed by a power-law approach) is optimized using radiosonde wind speed measurements. The wind speed at a typical turbine height (80 m) is then constructed using the optimized wind profile and 10-m wind speed measured at each conventional meteorological station throughout the country. Compared with measurements, the constructed wind speed has reasonable errors (0.08 m s−1 in mean bias, 0.89 m s−1 in root mean square error, and 0.90 in correlation coefficient), which are much smaller than the model errors. Further comparison shows the constructing method in the current study outperforms the other similar statistical methods. Therefore, this method and the constructed wind speed dataset are suggested for wind energy research in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In China, irrigation is widespread in 40.7% cropland to sustain crop yields. By its action on water cycle, irrigation affects water resources and local climate. In this study, a new irrigation module, including flood and paddy irrigation technologies, was developed in the ORCHIDEE‐CROP land surface model which describes crop phenology and growth in order to estimate irrigation demands over China from 1982 to 2014. Three simulations were performed including NI (no irrigation), IR (with irrigation limited by local water resources), and FI (with irrigation demand fulfilled). Observations and census data were used to validate the simulations. Results showed that the estimated irrigation water withdrawal (W) based on IR and FI scenarios bracket statistical W with fair spatial agreements (r=0.68±0.07; p<0.01). Improving irrigation efficiency was found to be the dominant factor leading to the observed W decrease. By comparing simulated total water storage (TWS) with GRACE observations, we found that simulated TWS with irrigation well explained the TWS variation over China. However, our simulation overestimated the seasonality of TWS in the Yangtze River Basin due to ignoring regulation of artificial reservoirs. The observed TWS decrease in the Yellow River Basin caused by groundwater depletion was not totally captured in our simulation, but it can be inferred by combining simulated TWS with census data. Moreover, we demonstrated that land use change tended to drive W locally but had little effect on total W over China due to water resources limitation. Key Points: A new irrigation module is developed in ORCHIDEE including drip, flood, and paddy irrigationSimulations can explain broad scale patterns and the trends of irrigation amount from census dataIrrigation efficiency and land use change are key factors affecting the trend of irrigation [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mud ivory whelk (Babylonia lutosa) is one of the most economically important seawater mollusks in China. However, currently, there is no report on the molecular markers related to the growth of Babylonia lutosa, which hinders the its genetic breeding with dominant growth traits. The present study was the first to sequence the transcriptomes of B. lutosa, and then searched for EST-SSR in the growth-related genes. Wild B. lutosa samples were collected from the Lianjiang River, Fujian Province of China. The RNA of gastropods and hepatopancreas tissues from three B. lutosa were measured and mixed, and sequenced by Illumina HiSeq sequencer. A total of 24,829,460 reads containing 5,015,236,064 bp were obtained through sequencing. Eight growth-related genes (TBC-1-A, TBC-1-2B, FGFR-1, GFRBP2, GFR-15, FGFR-1-A, SMAD6, and TGFβR-1) containing EST-SSR sequences were detected in the B. lutosa transcriptomes. Our results would provide theoretical basis for B. lutosa breeding based on growth-related EST-SSRs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Non-engineering flood control measures have gradually become an important part of flood disaster management in the past decades, and it cannot be separated from regional flood risk analyses. Flood risk analyses can be regarded as a complex of three aspects: flood hazard analyses, vulnerability analyses and comprehensive evaluation of both. In this paper, taking Huaihong South Flood Control Protected Area (simplified as HHS) of the Huaihe River Basin in China as an example, a one-dimensional (1-D) and two-dimensional (2-D) coupled hydrodynamic model of the study area was established to simulate the evolution process of the floods with different return periods and acquire inundation data in the flood hazard analysis. Concerning the vulnerability analysis, based on the composition mechanism of vulnerability and the available data of the study region, the vulnerability evaluation index system was established, then the magnitudes of vulnerability of the townships in the research were analyzed through the catastrophe progression method. Combined with the analysis results above, the flood risk of 15 townships in HHS can be classified into 6 magnitudes by factor analysis and hierarchical clustering analysis. The results show that the flood risk is medium or even higher in most zones of HHS. The integrated method used in this research can also be applied to other regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Modifications such as degrading the retrieval quality of mixed pixels in the coastline area and revising surface characterization scheme have been made to the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Collection 6.1 (C6.1) Dark Target (DT) aerosol optical depth (AOD) product to address inaccuracy over urban areas. In this study, comprehensive evaluations of modifications to the MODIS C6.1 DT AOD product, in comparison with Collection 6 (C6), are conducted over mainland China under different spatial distributions, seasons, and air quality for the period 2010–2017, combined with validation against Aerosol Robotic Network (AERONET) AOD measurements. The preliminary result showed that the C6.1 DT AOD product in China displayed an overall good performance with high R2 (0.87) and low root‐mean‐square error (0.23) against ground measurements. Moreover, the C6.1 DT AOD product was an overall improvement over C6, with greater correlation and lower uncertainty against ground measurements, especially for the North China Plain and Central China, although this was not the case for Western China. The improvement was also seasonal, being distinct in spring but less pronounced in winter, and negatively correlated with the level of air pollution. Furthermore, the analysis of DT AOD retrievals in different urbanized areas illustrated that the updated DT algorithm worked well in completely urbanized areas, where 97% of C6.1 DT AOD retrievals were an improvement over C6, while approximately 10% of C6.1 DT AOD retrievals were deteriorated in semiurbanized areas. Additionally, the DT AOD retrievals in areas with relatively low enhanced vegetation index and high surface reflectance were significantly improved, mitigating problems associated with the DT algorithm, further improving the reliability of MODIS DT AOD products. Plain Language Summary: Modifications have been made to the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aerosol optical depth (AOD) product to address inaccuracy over urban areas. This study evaluates the MODIS AOD product in comparison with the old version. Specifically, we evaluated products' performance over mainland China under different spatial distributions, seasons, and air quality for the period 2010–2017. It was demonstrated that the updated AOD retrieval algorithm show a visible improvement in highly urbanized areas, as well as areas with relatively low enhanced vegetation index and high surface reflectance. However, because the surface reflectance scheme was trained over the continental United States, it could not effectively describe the complex surfaces in Eastern and Western China, and therefore, further improvement is required in this regard. Key Points: C6.1 DT AOD product is more suitable than C6 for most of seasons and haze period in ChinaThe modified products exhibited differences in regard to the spatial distribution, season variations, and air quality levelThe improvement from C6 to C6.1 is varied along with vegetation index and surface reflectance in urbanized areas [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) play potentially essential roles in maintaining the diversity and functioning of plant communities in Eurasian steppe representing one of the most important terrestrial ecosystems. However, it remains unclear about the symbiotic relationship between AM fungal communities and the dominant grass species in the steppe ecosystem. We thus examined the species diversity and community composition of AM fungi colonizing three dominant plant species (Leymus chinensis, Stipa grandis and Cleistogenes squarrosa), using field sampling and molecular analyses, in Xilinguole steppe, Inner Mongolia. Our results showed all three plants were well colonized by AM fungi, and 51 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) belonging to six genera with members of Glomus dominating in the roots of all the three plants species. By comparison, we found that L. chinensis had the most diverse AM fungi within the roots. OTU richness of AM fungi was higher in the roots of S. grandis than in the roots of C. squarrosa and L. chinensis. However, the community composition of AM fungi in three host plant species showed no significant difference. Based on these findings, we concluded that the dominant plant species held diverse AM fungal taxa in their roots, while the host preference did not significantly drive the differences in AM fungal community composition within their roots and resulted in low host specificity. Findings of this study would broaden the concept of host specificity and its implications on plant succession in the largest grassland ecosystem of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and purpose: The expanded repeat length in ATXN1 negatively correlates with age at onset (AAO) of spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1) but can explain only part of it, indicating that other factors affect AAO. Some studies have explored the influence of non‐causative CAG repeats on the AAO of SCA patients. However, studies on Chinese SCA1 patients regarding candidate modifier factors involved in the variability in AAO are rare. Methods: In all, 152 Chinese SCA1 patients who were genotyped for ATXN1 and nine other (CAG)n‐containing genes were enrolled. Regression analysis was performed to determine the effect of the expanded allele of ATXN1 (linear and quadratic effects) on AAO. Then, different models were used to explore the modulatory effect of nine other (CAG)n‐containing genes. Results: Our results verified the negative effect of the expanded allele in ATXN1 by regression analysis. Some (CAG)n‐containing genes including TBP,ATN1 and HTT modified AAO with variance ranging from 0.8% to 3.8% and tended to decrease or delay AAO. However, no modifier effects of ATXN2,ATXN3,CACNA1A,ATXN7,KCNN3,RAI1 and normal ATXN1 alleles in trans were detected. Conclusion: By using interaction analyses, TBP,ATN1 and HTT were determined to have modifying effects. Our study revealed that differences in modulation may be due to ethnic and geographic diversity across different populations. Furthermore, the variability of AAO was not completely explained by the genetic modifiers examined here, suggesting that other genetic or environmental factors are involved in these diseases. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper measures the regional environmental efficiency in China by using the superefficiency slacks-based measure (SBM). It calculates the environmental efficiency in the presence and absence of the environmental pollution variable respectively, and compares the calculation results of the super-efficiency SBM model with the Banker & Charnes & Cooper’s (BCC) model, one of the traditional data envelopment analysis (DEA) models. By analyzing the environmental efficiencies in all provinces, it analyzes the slack variables to determine in which direction each region should improve. The results show that the addition of the environmental pollution variable has resulted in significant declines in the efficiencies of provinces with DEA inefficiencies. Among the four regions, the eastern one has the highest environmental efficiency, the western region comes next and the northeastern and central regions are the last ones. There are also some economically developed provinces with low environmental efficiency, and different inefficient provinces need to be improved in different directions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ips typographus (Coleoptera, Scolytinae) is a spruce-infesting bark beetle that occurs throughout Europe and Asia. The beetle can cause considerable damage, especially when colonized trees are stressed and beetle populations increase. Although some studies have shown that populations of I. typographus in Europe, China and Japan are genetically distinct, these populations are biologically similar, including a strong association with ophiostomatoid fungi. To date, only two Leptographium spp. have been reported from the beetle in China, while 40 species have been reported from Europe and 13 from Japan. The aims of this study were to identify the ophiostomatoid fungal associates of I. typographus in north-eastern China, and to determine whether the fungal assemblages reflect the different geographical populations of the beetle. Field surveys in Jilin and Heilongjiang provinces yielded a total of 1 046 fungal isolates from 145 beetles and 178 galleries. Isolates were grouped based on morphology and representatives of each group were identified using DNA sequences of the ribosomal LSU, ITS, β-tubulin, calmodulin and elongation factor 1-α gene regions. A total of 23 species of ophiostomatoid fungi were identified, including 12 previously described species and 11 novel species, all of which are described here. The dominant species were Ophiostoma bicolor, Leptographium taigense and Grosmannia piceiperda D, representing 40.5 %, 27.8 % and 17.8 % of the isolates, respectively. Comparisons of species from China, Europe and Japan are complicated by the fact that some of the European and all the Japanese species were identified based only on morphology. However, assuming that those identifications are correct, five species were shared between Europe, Japan and China, two species were shared between China and Japan, five between Europe and China, and two between Europe and Japan. Consequently, Ips typographus populations in these different geographic areas have different fungal assemblages, suggesting that the majority of these beetle-associations are promiscuous. The results also suggested that the symbionts of the bark beetle do not reflect the population structures of the beetle. The use of fungal symbiont assemblages to infer population structures and invasion history of its vectors should thus be interpreted with circumspection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the Majiayao cultural stratum of the Lajia site in Minhe County, Qinghai Province, much earthenware of rich variety and strong character has been found, among which the most special item is a suspected glazed white ceramic fragment. This study investigates this ceramic sherd and many other overfired objects. Energy‐dispersive X‐ray fluorescence spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy – energy‐dispersive X‐ray spectroscopy, X‐ray diffraction and thermodilatometry were employed to analyse the composition, microstructure, phase composition and firing temperature of the white ceramic. In addition to large condensed glaze droplets, the white ceramic showed a thin and uneven glaze layer, which might represent the earliest results of the exploration of glaze‐making technology by Lajia inhabitants, and provide a new perspective on the study of the origin of Chinese proto‐porcelains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Drought is one of the most widespread and destructive hazards over the Loess Plateau (LP) of China. Due to climate change, extremely high temperature accompanied with drought (expressed as hot drought) may lead to intensive losses of both properties and human deaths in future. A hot drought probabilistic recognition system is developed to investigate how potential future climate changes will impact the simultaneous occurrence of drought and hot extremes (hot days exceeding certain values) on the LP. Two regional climate models, coupled with multiple bias‐correction techniques and multivariate probabilistic inference, are innovative integrated into the hot drought probabilistic recognition system to reveal the concurrence risk of droughts and hot extremes under different Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) scenarios. The hot‐day index, TX90p, indicating the number of days with daily maximum temperature (Tmax) exceeding the 90th percentile threshold, and the Standardized Precipitation Index are applied to identify the joint risks on the LP using copula‐based methods. The results show that precipitation will increase throughout most of the LP under both RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 scenarios of 2036–2095, while Tmax may increase significantly all over the LP (1.8–2.7 °C for RCP4.5 and 2.7–3.6 °C for RCP8.5). The joint return periods of Standardized Precipitation Index and TX90p show that fewer stations will experience severe drought with long‐term hot extremes in two future scenarios. However, some stations may experience hot droughts that are more frequent and extreme, particularly certain stations in the southwest and south‐central regions of the LP with recurrence period less than 10 years. Key Points: A modeling system is developed to investigate future characteristics of simultaneous occurrence of drought and hot extremesPrecipitation projections from PRICIS and RegCM models were jointly corrected by the multidimensional copula modelResults show that some stations in partial area of Loess Plateau may experience hot droughts that are more frequent and extreme in future [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The study aimed to understand the effects of nitrogen (N) and soil types on maize (Zea mays L.). Grain yield (GY) is essential for identifying optimal N fertilizer management practices and agricultural policies. In this study, we report results from an on-farm experiment carried out from 2009 to 2012 with five N levels and three soil types in Northeast China. Results revealed that the GY was affected significantly by soil types, with loam soil having an average GY of 10225 kg ha–1, followed by clay soil (9218 kg ha–1) and sandy soil (6434 kg ha–1). The optimal N rates required to achieve maximum GY were on average 182, 173, and 160 kg ha−1, and the corresponding maximum GYs were 10872, 9999, and 7266 kg ha−1 for loam, clay, and sandy soils, respectively. The optimum N treatment (168 kg N ha-1) reduced residual nitrate N content and N losses by 97 and 451 kg N ha–1, respectively, and improved N recovery efficiency (REN) by 17%. In conclusion, within-field soil management zones based on soil textural classes could be used to guide soil sampling and establish soil-specific N fertilizer recommendations to achieve high GY with high REN in Northeast China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Summary: In this study, we investigated an outbreak of peste des petits ruminants (PPR) at a Hydropotes inermis (water deer) farm in Anhui Province, China. These results demonstrated that PPR viruses (PPRVs) can infect H. inermis and also revealed that virulent lineage II PPRVs exist in China, where they have been responsible for the deaths of wild animals. The government should pay close attention to the threat of PPRV epidemiology in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We determined the high-resolution allele and haplotype frequencies at the human leucocyte antigen ( HLA)A, B and DRB1 loci in the Han population of Hubei province, the TB endemic area of Central China, with pulmonary tuberculosis ( PTB), and established the relationship between HLA-A, B and DRB1 alleles as well as haplotypes and susceptibility to multidrug-resistant and rifampicin-resistant tuberculosis ( MDR/ RR- TB). Blood samples were drawn from 174 patients with MDR/ RR- TB and 838 patients with drug-susceptible PTB in ethnic Han population from Hubei province (central China). Four-digit allele genotyping of HLA- A, B and DRB1 loci was performed using polymerase chain reaction with sequence-specific oligonucleotide probes (PCR- SSOP). The allele and haplotype frequencies of HLA-A, B and DRB1 were determined and compared between patients with MDR/ RR- TB and patients with drug-susceptible PTB. Statistical analysis of the generated data indicated no departure from expectation of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium ( HWE) at all loci of the control group. Multivariate analysis identified allele DRB1*08:01 ( p < .0001; OR = 174.5, 95% CI 15.3-1987.2) as independent predictor of MDR/ RR- TB, except for old age ( p < .0001; OR = 10. 9, 95% CI 7.6-15.8), previous treatment history ( p < .0001; OR = 11.0, 95% CI 7.2-16.7) and poor compliance to treatment ( p < .0001; OR = 12.9, 95% CI 8.4-20.0). While in the subgroup of new TB cases, DRB1*08:01 ( p < .0001; OR = 80.3, 95% CI 7.0-917.1) and older age ( p < .0001; OR = 3.9, 95% CI 2.4-6.4) were independent susceptibility factors for primary MDR/ RR- TB. Our results suggest that a combination of clinical and host genetic information about tuberculosis patients may contribute to prediction and early detection of MDR/ RR- TB. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the 1990s ecological early warning research began with the aim of elucidating the effect of drought in dry regions of the world. Drought has been a prevalent natural disaster, ravaging the Yun'nan province of China for over 5 years since 2009. Due to the extensive range, depth and devastating losses, the drought has reached a once-in-a-century severity. Yun'nan province suffered particularly badly from the drought, which took its toll on both the ecological environment and the sustainable economic development of the province. We chose to study Pu'er city in Yun'nun province for this research, and analysed the drought traits of Pu'er city utilizing geographic information technology. We applied the Mann-Kendall test for trend, linear tendency estimation and percentage of precipitation anomalies, as well as using combinations of monthly data searches of meteorological reports from 1980-2010. The results showed that except for a small rise in spring precipitation, the overall rainfall of Pu'er city showed a decreasing trend. The results of this study can provide an adequate and reliable theoretical basis and technological methods for use in government decision making, and promote research into early warning ecology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Karst caves are distinctly characterised by darkness, low to moderate temperatures, high humidity, and scarcity of organic matter. During the years of 2014-2015, we explored the mycobiota in two unnamed Karst caves in Guizhou province, China, and obtained 563 fungal strains via the dilution plate method. Preliminary ITS analyses of these strains suggested that they belonged to 246 species in 116 genera, while 23.5% were not identified to species level. Among these species, 85.8% (211 species) belonged to Ascomycota; 7.3% (18 species) belonged to Basidiomycota; 6.9% (17 species) belonged to Mucoromycotina. The majority of these species have been previously known from other environments, mostly from plants or animals as pathogens, endophytes or via a mycorrhizal association. We also found that 59% of these species were discovered for the first time from Karst caves, including 20 new species that are described in this paper. The phylogenetic tree based on LSU sequences revealed 20 new species were distributed in six different orders. In addition, ITS or multi-locus sequences were employed to infer the phylogenetic relationships of new taxa with closely related allies. We conclude that Karst caves encompass a high fungal diversity, including a number of previously unknown species. Novel species described include: Amphichorda guana, Auxarthronopsis guizhouensis, Biscogniauxia petrensis, Cladorrhinum globisporum, Collariella quadrum, Gymnoascus exasperatus, Humicola limonisporum, Metapochonia variabilis, Microascus anfractus, Microascus globulosus, Microdochium chrysanthemoides, Paracremonium variiforme, Pectinotrichum chinense, Phaeosphaeria fusispora, Ramophialophora globispora, Ramophialophora petraea, Scopulariopsis crassa, Simplicillium calcicola, Volutella aeria, and Wardomycopsis longicatenata. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is now a growing interest in early-life influences on adult diseases in China. A number of birth cohorts have been established. This systematic review provided a better understanding of the development of mother–baby cohorts in China. Systematic review. We conducted a systematic review for research or profile papers in English/Chinese that reported data from mother–baby cohorts in mainland China, with ≥1y follow-up after birth. We identified 315 papers, corresponding to 31 cohorts from 19 provinces/megacities. All cohorts started in 1999–2017 (21 after 2010) and were set up with broad objectives or specific scientific focus. The baseline sample size varied, from <500 to >300,000 mothers. A majority of cohorts were initiated during pregnancy and followed children to <10y, only six to adolescence and none into adulthood. These cohorts mostly collected samples from mothers and babies, in addition to using interviews/questionnaires to collect information about pregnancy, birth and child health. Most cohorts were recruited from a single province/city. The large western region was understudied. Mother–baby cohorts have developed rapidly in China, but usually with a short follow-up duration. Extending the follow-up of children and developing cross-cohort collaboration will increase the diversity, size and coverage of the sample, allow studying early influences on life-course health and identify targets for early intervention in the Chinese population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previously, we identified three porcine circovirus type 2 (PCV2) strains in buffalo meat samples from southern China. In this study, we confirmed the reappearance of those buffalo-origin-like PCV2 strains in swine herds in this region, which supported the possible cross-species infection of PCV2 between buffalos and pigs under field conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background In China, there are around 274 million rural-urban migrants, an estimated 61 million children left behind in rural areas by parents, and 29 million children who accompany their parents to cities. The aim of this study was to compare the psychosocial adjustment and behaviours of left-behind children and migrant children. Methods Full data were available for 761 left-behind children and 1,392 migrant children aged 11 to 17 in Zhejiang Province, eastern China. Participants completed a questionnaire focusing on migration status, risks behaviours, and psychological well-being, measured with the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Results There were more left behind girls and more urban migrant boys ( p < .001). The mean scores on the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire were all higher in left-behind children than migrant children: for emotional symptoms (3.82 vs. 3.03, p < .001), conduct problems (2.55 vs. 2.41, p = .048), hyperactivity (4.25 vs. 3.81, p < .001), and total difficulties (13.46 vs. 12.00, p = .020), whereas the prosocial score was lower (6.68 vs. 6.90, p < .001), all indicating lower levels of well-being in left-behind children. Overall, 11.4% of left-behind children and 8.8% of migrant children scored in the abnormal range for total difficulties. Left behind girls were particularly vulnerable to emotional problems. Left-behind children were more likely to admit to stealing and cheating on exams, but there were no differences in other risks behaviours, such as smoking and drinking. Conclusions Migration with parents, rather than separation from parents, was associated with better psychological well-being and fewer behavioural problems. Our findings have relevance for migrant parents in helping to inform decisions about where to raise their children as well as for policymakers in countries where migration is a major issue. When children are left behind, models of community support need to be considered, especially for those who are most vulnerable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The polymorphism of human leucocyte antigen (HLA)-A, -B and -DRB1 genes and their computed haplotype analysis results from a population of Jiangsu province of China are presented here. The data consist of 20 248 unrelated peripheral blood stem cell donors in Jiangsu Branch of Chinese National Marrow Donor Program registry. In total, 18 different HLA-A alleles, 34 different HLA-B alleles and 13 different HLA-DRB1 alleles were found in Jiangsu Han population. The most frequent alleles in HLA-A, -B and -DRB1 loci were A*02 (29.55%), B*15 (14.40%), and DRB1*09 (16.15%), respectively. The most common haplotype in A-B-DRB1 loci was A*30-B*13- DRB1*07 (6.92%), in A-B loci was A*30-B*13 (8.05%), in B-DRB1 loci was B*13-DRB1*07 (8.17%), and in A-DRB1 loci was A*02-DRB1*09 (8.30%). The dendrogram study indicated that the distribution of HLA genes in Jiangsu Han population, as expected, represented a mixture of Northern and Southern Han population in China. These findings could shade new lights in population genetics and anthropology studies of Han-Chinese. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background Modernisation, urbanisation and the globalisation of food markets have exposed Chinese children to an obesogenic environment. With the dramatic increase in the prevalence of overweight and obesity among Chinese children, there are now over 2000 weight loss camps for children. The aim of this study was to investigate how one typical weight loss camp operates and to explore the experiences and perceptions of children attending the camp. Methods This study utilised ethnographic techniques and semi-structured interviews with children attending a 28-day summer weight loss camp in Hangzhou, China. All children attending at the time of the study were included. Field notes were taken, and interviews with children were recorded, transcribed and analysed into themes. Results Nine boys and 10 girls aged 7-18 years with a body mass index ranging from 21 to 37 kg/m2 were interviewed. The weight loss programme combined dietary restriction (<350 calories/meal) and a daily schedule of 8 h of exercise in outdoor temperatures of around 40 °C. Field observation and interviews showed that the regime was distressing for all the children who suffered hunger and exhaustion leading to crying, squabbling, fighting and desperate phone calls to parents. All felt their weight loss could not be sustained. Conclusions The extreme conditions and total absence of health and nutrition education at the camp were of great concern. Parents should be aware of the potential dangers and long-term ineffectiveness of such interventions. At the very least, these camps must be subject to regulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yellow leaf curl disease was observed in tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) plants in Yunnan Province, China. Analysis of the full-length viral DNA isolated from an infected tomato plant indicated that the viral genome contained 2759 nucleotides (nt) and had the typical genome structure of begomoviruses. Further analysis of the viral sequence showed that it shared the highest nt sequence identity (86.0%) with Tomato yellow leaf curl Vietnam virus (TYLCVNV) previously identified in Vietnam. The virus is therefore a new Begomovirus species for which the name Tomato yellow leaf curl Yunnan virus (TYLCYnV) has been proposed. The betasatellite was also obtained and showed the highest nt sequence identity (70.1%) with Tomato yellow leaf curl China betasatellite (TYLCCNB). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

To identify and characterize aetiologic agent(s) associated with an outbreak of a severe diarrhoea in piglets in Jiangxi, China, in March 2015, a nested reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction ( RT- PCR) for the detection of porcine deltacoronavirus ( PDCoV) was developed. A survey based on the nested RT- PCR established indicated that the monoinfection of PDCoV (33.71%) and coinfection of PDCoV (19.66%) with porcine epidemic diarrhoea virus ( PEDV) were common in diarrhoeal pigs in Jiangxi, China. A high prevalence of PDCoV (58.33%) in diarrhoeal samples which were PEDV negative was observed. The complete genome sequence of a representative PDCoV strain, PDCoV/ CHJXNI2/2015, was determined. Phylogenetic analysis of complete genome and S protein sequences of PDCoV/ CHJXNI2/2015 demonstrated that it was most closely related to Hong Kong and US PDCoVs. To our knowledge, this is the first report on the identification, prevalence, complete genome sequencing and molecular characterizations of PDCoV in diarrhoeal samples in pigs in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Yellow (or stripe) rust, caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici ( Pst), is an important wheat disease worldwide. The development of wheat cultivars with adult plant resistance (APR) has been given increasing emphasis in recent years because of the reputed durability of APR compared to all-stage resistance. Wheat landrace Caoxuan 5 showed a high level of APR in field nurseries from 2008 to 2014. Bulked segregant analysis using resistance gene analog polymorphism, simple sequence repeat and sequence-tagged site markers identified molecular markers linked to resistance genes. A total of 176 F lines were evaluated for stripe rust response in field nurseries at two sites for 2 years. Broad sense heritability of APR in the population was estimated as 0.81. Inclusive composite interval mapping identified quantitative trait loci (QTL) QYrcx.nafu- 3BS and QYrcx.nafu- 6AL conferring adult plant resistance and they explained 17.3-38.1 % and 9.7-19.8 % of the phenotypic variations, respectively. Based on molecular markers, both QTL appear to be different from previously identified stripe rust resistance genes. The resistance QTL and their molecular markers identified in Caoxuan 5 should be useful in breeding for stripe rust resistance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hydrogeochemistry of 10 hot springs in the Kangding district was investigated by analyzing cation and anion concentrations in the spring water. The water samples were collected in the 5 days after the Lushan MS D7.0 earthquake, which occurred on 20 April 2013. The spring waters are classified into seven chemical types based on their hydrochemical compositions. Compared with hydrochemical data before the Lushan earthquake, concentrations of Ca2+, HCO3- and total dissolved solid (TDS) in water samples from the Guanding, Erdaoqiao, Gonghe, Erhaoying, Tianwanhe and Caoke springs significantly increased, which may be the result of a greater increase in groundwater from carbonate rocks, and water-carbonate rock interactions, enhanced by the increment of CO2. Concentrations of Na+, Cl- and SO42- in water samples from the Guanding, Zheduotang, Xinxing and Gonghe springs decreased, indicating a dilution of shallow waters. Concentrations of Na+ and SO42- in water samples from the Erhaoying spring water increased, which may be attributed to water-granite interactions enhanced by H2S. The results indicated that hydrochemical components of spring water could be used as an effective indicator for earthquakes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study aimed to investigate the effects of planting patterns and pre-sowing soil moisture on the yield of summer soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] in northern China from 2009 to 2010. The experiment comprised three planting patterns, namely, 30 cm uniform row spacing pattern (U), "20 + 40" wide-narrow row planting pattern (WN), and "20 + 40" furrow planting pattern (F). Three pre-sowing soil moisture treatments were performed at 90, 135, and 180 mm and involved irrigation during the winter wheat growth season. The leaf area index and chlorophyll content index of F were higher than those of U and WN under the same pre-sowing soil moisture treatment (P < 0.05). The accumulation of dry matter and the grain yield of F were significantly higher than those of U and WN (P < 0.05) irrespective of water content. The increase in grain yields of summer soybean was significant in 2009 (P < 0.05) but not in 2010 (P > 0.05) for 135 and 180 mm pre-sowing soil moisture under F. In conclusion, F and 180 mm pre-sowing soil moisture treatments were good agronomic measures to increase the yield of summer soybean in northern China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim To clarify the diabetes prevalence trends among the rural population in northern China. Methods All eligible permanent residents aged ≥ 35 years in selected rural villages of Liaoning province were invited to participate in the study. A total of 11 600 people completed all questionnaires and were included in the study. The response rate was 85.3%. Fasting plasma glucose levels were measured after at least 12 h of fasting and diabetes was diagnosed according to WHO criteria, i.e. fasting plasma glucose ≥ 7 mmol/l and/or being on treatment for diabetes. Impaired fasting glucose was defined according to the 1997 and the 2010 American Diabetes Association ( ADA) criteria (6.1-6.9 and 5.6-6.9 mmol/l, respectively). Previous diagnoses of diabetes were assessed on the basis of self-reports. Results The prevalence of diabetes among adults in the rural population was 10.6% (10.0% in men and 11.1% in women). The prevalence of impaired fasting glucose was 13.0 and 36.1% according to the 1997 and the 2010 ADA criteria, respectively. The prevalence of previously diagnosed diabetes was 4.3% among the whole population (3.3% in men and 5.1% in women). The prevalence of previously diagnosed diabetes was 34.8% in men and 50.2% in women. Only 29.6% of men and 42% of women with diabetes had taken oral hypoglycaemic agents or insulin to lower their blood sugar. In multivariate analysis, age, drinking habits, BMI, dyslipidaemia and family history of diabetes were identified as independent risk factors for diabetes, and occupational physical activity, smoking and lean meat intake were identified as independent protective factors for diabetes. Conclusions The prevalence of diabetes and impaired fasting glucose were found to be high in this rural population. Although the rate of treatment of people with diabetes has increased, the glycaemic control rate was still at a low level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Objective Human beta-defensins ( hBDs) are a group of antimicrobial peptides important in epithelial innate immunity, and their differential expression is associated with periodontal diseases. The aim of this study was to explore relationships among hBDs, total subgingival bacteria and periodontopathogens in healthy subjects and in patients with chronic periodontitis. Material and Methods The periodontal clinical parameters of 29 healthy subjects and 25 patients with chronic periodontitis were recorded. The relative expression of hBD1, hBD2 and hBD3 genes in gingival biopsies was measured using real-time PCR. The numbers of total bacteria and of Treponema denticola, Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans, Porphyromonas gingivalis, Fusobacterium nucleatum and Tannerella forsythia in subgingival plaque were quantified by real-time PCR. Data were analyzed using the Mann-Whitney U-test and Spearman's rank correlation test. Results No significant differences in expression of the hBD genes were found between the group of healthy subjects and the group of patients with chronic periodontitis. Total bacteria and T. denticola were detected in all participants. F. nucleatum and T. forsythia were detected in all patients with chronic periodontitis and in 86.21% and 51.72%, respectively, of healthy volunteers. P. gingivalis and A. actinomycetemcomitans were detected in 24.14% and 17.24%, respectively, of the healthy group and in 84.00% and 12.00%, respectively, of the chronic periodontitis group. The prevalence of all bacteria, except A. actinomycetemcomitans, was significantly higher in the group of patients with chronic periodontitis than in the group of healthy subjects ( p < 0.05). A significant, negative correlation was observed between total bacteria and hBD-2 ( r = −0.384, p = 0.011). Upon analyzing the data in different groups, total bacteria and hBD-2 were significantly correlated ( r = −0.492, p = 0.026) only in the group of healthy subjects. Conclusion The negative correlations between hBD-2 and total bacteria, especially in the group of healthy subjects, indicate that hBDs may play an important role by limiting an increase of bacterial load at the initial stage of periodontitis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

At the end of 2012 and beginning of 2013, the authors conducted a nationwide survey of sturgeon aquaculture in China from 2010 to 2012. The survey results, combined with previous data, show that the dominant cultured species are Acipenser baerii, Huso dauricus♀ × A. schrenckii♂, A. baerii♀ × A. schrenckii♂, A. schrenckii, and A. gueldenstaedtii, accounting for 90% of the total production. Sturgeon farms have grown to include almost all provinces except Xizang, and are grouped principally in Shandong, Hubei, Sichuan and Chongqing, Beijing. The main culture systems are cage culture, and cement pond culture with running water. Sturgeon production rose from 34800 tonnes (t) in 2010 to 44500 t in 2012. The commercial sturgeon price dropped from 45 yuan per kg (5.5€/7.3$) in 2010 to 25 yuan per kg (3€/4$) in 2012. Nine caviar-processing enterprises qualified for or were striving to process caviar, for a total production of 56.6 t caviar in 2012, of which 90% was exported. Major problems were also identified during the survey, including: disorderly hybridization and germplasm degradation; a stagnant domestic consumption demand; dramatic price fluctuations in different regions and at different times. Specialized sturgeon cooperatives had obtained government support to a certain extent, but did not use this to their advantage because of a lack of policy guidance and technical support. The processing of sturgeon products developed slowly. In view of the existing problems, certain proposals are discussed: publication of propagation standards, culture and processing to define the parental source of the commercial sturgeon and their by-products; promulgate sturgeon consumption to expand market demand; establish a 'Sturgeon Industry Association' to constrain bad competition and cultivate good competitive mechanisms; build a protective pricing system to secure effectively the interests of some of the weaker farms; and conduct professional technical training courses on culture improvement and deep processing technology. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The current study was to investigate the features of hospitalized patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) at different altitudes. The correlation between SLE activity and altitudinal variations was also explored. Medical records of 1029 patients were retrospectively reviewed. Activity of SLE in each organ system was recorded using the Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index (SLEDAI). There was no significant correlation between SLE activity and altitudes (r = 0.003, p = 0.159). Age at onset for SLE patients at high altitudes was significantly younger than that at low and moderate altitudes (p = 0.022 and p = 0.004, respectively). Age at SLE admission at low altitudes was significant older than those at moderate and high altitudes (p = 0.011 and p < 0.001, respectively). Patients at high altitudes had shorter duration from disease onset to admission than those at moderate altitudes (p = 0.009). Incidence of Sm antibodies-positive for resident patients at high altitudes was 36.4%, which were higher than that at moderate altitudes (p = 0.003). We found increasing trends of CNS activity in active patients; immunological and renal activities in inactive patients were correlated with elevated altitudes (p = 0.024, p = 0.004, p = 0.005), while arthritis scores in active patients showed the tendency of decreasing with the rise of elevation (p = 0.002). Hemoglobin level, red blood cell and platelet counts at high altitudes were significantly lower than those at low altitudes (p < 0.05, respectively). There was no significant difference in hemoglobin level between moderate- and low-altitude groups (p > 0.05). No significant difference in platelet counts between moderate- and high-altitude groups was observed (p > 0.05). Our findings suggest that some clinical features, laboratory tests and activity of main organs in SLE are influenced by altitudes. Furthermore, organ activities of active and inactive SLE patients have different patterns of altitudinal variations. These distinctive variations likely reveal that peculiar environmental factors at high altitudes can affect the development of SLE. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

Summary: Based on an evaluation of vertebral fracture prevalence on lateral radiographs across all age groups in a large cohort, mild or wedge-shaped vertebral body changes identified among adults should be managed as osteoporosis or at least considered as a risk factor for osteoporotic fracture, since they are rare among young subjects. Introduction: Radiographic assessment of vertebral fractures is limited by the inability to distinguish mild fractures from congenital mild wedge deformities or vertebrae of short vertebral height. We attempted to quantify the expected background prevalence of these deformities by measuring vertebral fracture prevalence across all age groups in a large hospital-based retrospective Chinese cohort. Methods: We reviewed eligible lateral chest radiographs from patients admitted to Peking Union Medical College Hospital during 2011 using the Genant semiquantitative method for vertebral fracture assessment (T4-L2). We evaluated fracture prevalence among subjects by sex, 10-year age group, and fracture severity grades subjectively. We further analyzed characteristics of subjects with mild (grade I) fractures to estimate the relative contribution of congenital mild wedge deformities. Results: A total of 10,720 subjects (5,396 men and 5,324 women) with lateral chest radiographs were evaluated. Subjects ranged in age from 0.5 to 97 years with a mean of 51.8 ± 17.4 years (men 52.8 ± 17.6 years; women 50.8 ± 17.2 years). When stratified by 10-year age groups, the prevalence of vertebral fractures was relatively low until about 40 years of age, after which prevalence increased for both genders. Fractures (13 fractures for 9 males and 6 fractures for 5 females) seen in subjects younger than 40 years of age were almost exclusively mild grade fractures. No fractures were identified in subjects younger than 20 years of age. Conclusions: Mild or wedge-shaped vertebral body changes on lateral radiographs are rare among young subjects, indicating that when mild vertebral deformities are found among adults, they are likely to be the product of aging and not congenital variation. Clinically, therefore, mild vertebral body changes should be managed as osteoporosis or at least considered as a risk factor for osteoporotic fracture. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The present work is proposed to investigate the spatiotemporal variations in soil gas Rn and CO2 across the active faults in the capital area of China in order to understand fault activities and assess seismic hazard. A total of 342 soil gas sampling sites were measured twice in 2011 and 2012 along seven profiles and across four faults. The results of soil gas surveys show that, in each profile, due to the variation in gas emission rate, the concentrations of Rn and CO2 changed in the vicinity of faults. Spatial distributions of Rn and CO2 in the study areas were different from each other, which was attributed to soil types affecting the existence of Rn and CO2. Compared with the measurement result of 2011, the increasing amplitude of average concentration value of Rn and CO2 in profiles in 2012 ranged from 30.2 to 123.4% and 66.3 to 131.7%, respectively, which were coincident with the enhancement of seismic activities in the capital area of China. Our results indicate that special attention with regard to seismic monitoring should be paid to the Xinbaoan--Shacheng Fault and the northeastern segment of the Tangshan Fault in the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Ankylosing spondylitis (AS) is a chronic inflammatory disease with complex genetic traits. Multiple sequence variations have been associated with AS, but explained only a proportion of heritability. The studies herein aimed to explore potential associations between genomic copy number (CN) variation (CNV) and AS in Han Chinese. Five AS patients were examined with the high-density comparative genomic hybridization microarrays in the first screen test for AS-associated CNVs. A total of 533 AS patients and 792 unrelated controls were examined in confirmation studies with the AccuCopy assays. A significant association was observed between the CNV of HLA-DQA1 and that of AS. Compared with controls, AS patients showed an aberrant CN, and a significantly increased number of patients had more than two copies of HLA-DQA1. Therefore, the CNV of HLA-DQA1 may have an important role in susceptibility to AS in the Han Chinese population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]