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Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by cognitive deficits associated with attention. Prior studies have revealed the potential impact of ADHD on basic perception and cognitive ability in patients with ADHD. In this study, bilateral posterior P1 and N1 were measured in 122 Chinese children aged 7-12 years (64 with ADHD) to investigate the developmental characteristics of early perception during visual processing in school-age children with ADHD. For children with ADHD, a larger P1 activity with an atypical developmental pattern was evoked and observed for the visual search performance. These findings offer new insights into the mechanisms of cognitive developmental deficits and intervention techniques in children with ADHD.

Using the China Family Panel Studies, we identify the subjects studied by vocational college and university graduates, with the latter group further divided into ordinary and key universities. While the returns are around 8-10% to attending colleges and ordinary universities, there are higher returns of 12-16% per annum to attending the more prestigious key universities. The recent massive expansion of the higher education sector resulted in reduced returns to all HE types, except for graduates who studied subjects other than LEM (law, economics, and management) or STEM (sciences, technology, engineering and math/medicine) at key universities. We further account for selection on observables into subjects and tiers using the doubly robust Inverse Probability Weighted Regression Adjustment method (IPWRA) approach. While these results are tentative, they suggest that pooled OLS and random-effect models substantially underestimate the effect of attending universities that are more prestigious for graduates of both genders in LEM.

The formation of rodingites has been a continually controversial topic, largely due to the absence of minerals that can be unambiguously dated. Here, we present a case study that utilized LA‐ICPMS garnet U–Pb dating, in conjunction with field investigations, petrology and Raman spectroscopy, to reveal the age and petrogenesis of rodingite in the northern North China Craton. The rodingites are spatially associated with mafic and alkaline rocks. Our findings indicate that rodingitization occurred at ca. 388 Ma, making it about 5–10 Myr younger than its mafic protoliths, but contemporaneous with the adjoining alkaline plutons. These observations suggest that the rodingitization may be attributed to hydrothermal fluids from the alkaline magmas. Our study emphasizes the importance of utilizing garnet U–Pb dating to determine the timing of rodingitization and introduces a novel perspective on the relationship between rodingitization and alkaline magmas in extensional continental settings. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, atmospheric composite pollution has become increasingly serious, and accelerating VOC governance has become the focus of and difficulty in atmospheric governance. Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) come from a wide range of sources, and industrial sources are the main source of anthropogenic VOC emissions in China. Chemicals, oil refining, and solvents are three typical VOC-emitting industries, and their control is an important part of accelerating and optimizing VOC governance. It can be controlled by source control, process control, and pipe end treatment; among these, pipe end treatment is divided into recovery technology and destruction technology. In pipeline end treatment, with the key materials of adsorption, absorption, catalytic oxidation, and catalytic combustion, the research and development of adsorbents, absorbents and catalysts has become a hot spot in recent years. This paper summarizes the chemical materials used in typical VOC pipe end-treatment technology (including adsorbents used in the adsorption method, absorbents used in the adsorption method, and catalysts used in the catalytic oxidation and catalytic combustion methods), summarizes the advantages and disadvantages of various materials and their application range, and looks forward to the direction of future developments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The influence of continental emissions on the origin and formation mechanisms of atmospheric particulate nitrate (ρ‐NO3−) aerosols in the marine boundary layer remains unclear. Here, synchronous observations of nitrogen isotope ratios (δ15N–NO3−) and oxygen isotope anomaly (Δ17O–NO3−) in ρ‐NO3− were conducted across the Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea in Eastern China. Nitrate concentrations, δ15N–NO3− and Δ17O–NO3− exhibited a pronounced north‐to‐south latitudinal gradient. Combined with backward air mass trajectory analysis, the high nitrate concentration and isotopic characteristics in the northern sea area were found to be affected by the continental outflow near China while the low values in the southern sea area were more related to the oceanic inflow. Stable isotope analysis in R (SIAR) indicated that near the northern sea area, the nitrate radicals (NO3) reacted with hydrocarbons (HC) or dimethyl sulfides (DMS) pathway (NO3 + HC/DMS) played a leading role in nitrate production, whereas the NO2 + OH pathway dominated near the southern sea area. Nitrate in the northern seas originated mainly from nitrogen oxides (NOx = NO + NO2, the gaseous precursor of nitrate) emitted from continental sources, especially coal combustion and biomass burning. While closer to the southern seas, the proportion of NOx generated in the marine environment (from ship and biogenic emissions) increased. Overall, the differential relative contributions of continental and marine atmospheric chemistry and NOx sources lead to the spatial distribution characteristics of atmospheric nitrate concentrations and isotopic values over the Yellow and Bohai Seas. Plain Language Summary: This study investigated the impact of emissions from land sources on the formation of nitrate particles in the air above the marine boundary layer. The researchers conducted observations of nitrogen and oxygen isotopes in nitrate particles across the Yellow Sea and Bohai Sea in Eastern China. They found that nitrate concentrations and isotopic ratios showed a clear gradient from north to south. By analyzing the trajectory of air masses, they determined that high nitrate concentrations in the northern sea area were influenced by emissions from the nearby continent, while lower values in the southern sea area were more related to the ocean. The analysis also revealed that different chemical pathways were responsible for nitrate production in these regions. In the northern seas, nitrate production was primarily driven by the reaction of nitrate radicals with hydrocarbons or dimethyl sulfides, while in the southern seas, the dominant pathway involved the reaction of nitrogen dioxide with hydroxyl radicals. The study further showed that nitrate in the northern seas mainly originated from nitrogen oxides emitted by continental sources such as coal combustion and biomass burning, whereas closer to the southern seas, a larger proportion of nitrogen oxides were generated within the marine environment. Key Points: Continental outflow significantly affects the sources and formation mechanisms of atmospheric nitrate in nearshore marine areasAs continental outflow diminishes, local chemistry and marine‐generated NOx become pivotal in producing atmospheric NO3− in the open ocean. In polluted marine boundary layers, NO3 radical‐related chemistry may play a significant role in the formation of nitrate [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: A study in eastern China has found that over 40% of zoo animals are infected with gastrointestinal parasites, which pose a threat to their welfare and the health of visitors and veterinarians. More than 11 parasite species were identified in the study conducted at Zhuyuwan Zoo, including two species of Ascaris, and they detected Paramphistomum spp. eggs in the captive Père David's deer and Fasciola spp. eggs in sika deer, which had not been previously reported in Chinese zoos. The study highlights the need for prevention and control measures to be implemented to tackle parasitic diseases in zoo animals. The burden of gastrointestinal parasites in zoo animals has serious implications for their welfare and the health of veterinarians and visitors. Zhuyuwan Zoo is located in the eastern suburb of Yangzhou city in eastern China, in which over 40 species of zoo animals are kept. In order to understand the infection status of GI parasites in Zhuyuwan Zoo, a total of 104 fresh fecal samples collected randomly from birds (n = 19), primates (n = 19), and non-primate mammals (n = 66) were analyzed using the saturated saline flotation technique and nylon sifter elutriation and sieving method for eggs/oocysts, respectively. Two Ascaris species were molecularly characterized. The results showed that the overall prevalence of parasitic infection was 42.3% (44/104). The parasitic infection rate in birds, primates, and non-primate mammals were 26.3% (5/19), 31.6% (6/19), and 50.0% (33/66), respectively. A total of 11 species of parasites were identified, namely, Trichostrongylidae, Capillaria sp., Trichuris spp., Strongyloides spp., Amidostomum sp., Toxascaris leonina, Baylisascaris transfuga, Parascaris equorum, Paramphistomum spp., Fasciola spp., and Eimeria spp. Paramphistomum spp. eggs were first detected from the captive Père David's deer, and Fasciola spp. eggs were first reported from sika deer in zoo in China. A sequence analysis of ITS-2 and cox1 showed that the eggs isolated from the African lion (Panthera leo Linnaeus, 1758) were T. leonina, and the eggs from the brown bear (Ursus arctos Linnaeus, 1758) were B. transfuga. The public health threat posed by these potential zoonotic parasitic agents requires attention. These results lay a theoretical foundation for prevention and control of wild animal parasitic diseases at zoos in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is a socioeconomic hierarchy by people's migration and hukou status in urban migration destinations in China. Children's education determines to a large extent how that hierarchy evolves into the future. Using a sample of 473 children from the Shanghai Urban Neighborhood Survey, we examine how hukou and migration status stratifies parents' educational aspirations for children in big cities in China. Results suggest that "migrant optimism" exists among permanent migrants and temporary migrants with rural hukou in Shanghai. Everything else being equal, both permanent migrants and temporary migrants with rural hukou have higher educational aspirations for children than native parents. Moreover, adjusting for hukou-based differential treatments in the labor market and unequal information access, the difference in educational aspirations for children between native residents and temporary migrants with rural hukou becomes even larger. To the extent that parents' educational aspirations for children are closely linked with children's eventual educational and occupational attainment, these results suggest that children of permanent migrants are likely to maintain their parents' socioeconomic advantages. Children of temporary migrants with rural hukou have great potentials to achieve upward intergenerational mobility. However, given China's hukou-based educational policies, temporary migrants face enormous difficulties in realizing their educational aspirations in destination cities. Policy implications of our findings are discussed in the end. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

After mastering the key technologies of manufacturing spaceborne Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR), China's SAR satellites have been successfully launched into space. As the only civil microwave satellite listed in the "National High-resolution Earth Observation System Major Project," the Gaofen-3 (GF-3) 01 satellite is the first C-band multi-polarization SAR satellite with a resolution of 1 m. GF-3 series satellites stand out among civil SAR satellites worldwide because of their high resolution, wide swath, high geometric radiation quality, multiple imaging modes, and long operation time. Taking GF-3 series satellites as an example, this study introduces the development of China's civil SAR satellites, as well as their processing strategies and applications. The success of the GF-3 series satellites shows that China's SAR remote sensing technology has stepped into a new era of high-quality and high-precision Earth observations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Now, no recommendations of gestational weight gain (GWG) after gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) diagnosis for Chinese women was made. This study aimed to explore the optimal GWG after oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT) for Chinese women with GDM. The GWG status of 11,570 women was retrospectively analyzed. Binary regression model and restricted cubic spline were used to estimate the association between GWG after OGTT and the predicted probability of adverse outcomes. Based on above, the optimal GWG was defined as the range that not exceed 1% increase in the predicted probability from the lowest point. Results shown that every increased one unit GWG after OGTT was associated with higher risks of macrosomia, cesarean section and LGA, and lower risk of preterm birth. According to the WHO and Working Group on Obesity in China (WGOC) recommended pre-pregnancy BMI category, the optimal GWG were proposed: 3.66 to 6.66 kg/3.66 to 6.66 kg in underweight group, 3.07 to 6.50 kg/3.02 to 6.40 kg in normal weight group, 1.06 to 2.73 kg/0 to 1.99 kg in overweight group, and not applicable/− 0.22 to 2.53 kg in obese group, respectively. Therefore, it is necessary to classified Chinese population based on the WGOC recommended pre-pregnancy BMI category, that influenced the contribution of pre-pregnancy BMI groups and the optimal GWG recommendation for GDM women with overweight or obesity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: In China, an increasing number of rural mothers participate in urban labour markets, but little is known about their decisions regarding childcare while living in these cities. Why do some rural mothers migrate to the cities with their children, whereas others leave their children behind in the countryside? Methods: This study analysed 1852 samples from the 2016 China Migrant Dynamic Survey of rural migrant mothers collected in the Pearl River Delta (PRD). These mothers were registered with agricultural hukou outside of the PRD and had at least one child under 18 years of age. Results: The results indicated that 57.8% of these mothers migrated together with their children. Rural migrant mothers who were self‐employed, had a higher level of household income on a log10 scale and had a longer duration of migration were more willing to adopt closely performing motherhood than rural migrant mothers who were not self‐employed. Additionally, rural working mothers who were intra‐provincial migrants and had a smaller number of children were more likely to bring their children to the cities than rural working mothers who were inter‐provincial migrants. Conclusions: This study works to strengthen the understanding of rural migrant working mothers' childcare strategies, provide insights for future policy studies and contribute to evidence‐based recommendations for policymakers regarding internal rural‐to‐urban migration, migrant women and the wellbeing of the families of migrants. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-moisture corn silage presents a novel approach to reduce forage feeding expenses and enhance animal performance. Nevertheless, given corn's proclivity for starch, suboptimal fermentation quality in high-moisture corn silage can lead to spoilage, posing risks to livestock well-being. Therefore, the objective of this study is to evaluate the effects of different additives on the fermentation profile, chemical composition, nutrient digestibility of high-moisture corn (HMC) silage. All treatments improved the quality of high-moisture corn silage fermentation, as demonstrated by a decrease in pH and increase in lactic acid (LA) content. The high-moisture corn silage had a low content of trans fatty acids (TFA). Fermentation effectively decreased prolamin content while increasing 48-h in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD), estimated total tract starch digestibility (eTTSD), total digestible nutrient (TDN), and relative grain quality (RGQ) of highmoisture corn silage. Nonetheless, no effect was observed on the 48-h IVDMD of high-moisture corn silage among the different treatments. Pearson's correlation analysis indicated that neutral detergent fiber (aNDF), neutral detergent insoluble protein (NDIP), crude protein (CP), zein, and prolamin closely correlated with the digestibility of high-moisture corn. The study's findings demonstrate that inoculating L. buchneri and potassium sorbate can improve the quality of highmoisture corn silage fermentation and digestibility in different hybrids. The results will provide insights for enhancing farm productivity and profitability in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gastrointestinal (GI) cancers (gastric cancer, oesophageal cancer, liver cancer, colorectal cancer, etc.) are the most common cancers with the highest morbidity and mortality in the world. The therapy for most GI cancers is difficult and is associated with a poor prognosis. In China, upper GI cancers, mainly gastric cancer (GC) and oesophageal cancer (EC), are very common due to Chinese people's characteristics, and more than half of patients are diagnosed with distant metastatic or locally advanced disease. Compared to other solid cancers, such as lung cancer and breast cancer, personalized therapies, especially targeted therapy and immunotherapy, in GC and EC are relatively lacking, leading to poor prognosis. For a long time, most studies were carried out by using in vitro cancer cell lines or in vivo cell line-derived xenograft models, which are unable to reproduce the characteristics of tumours derived from patients, leading to the possible misguidance of subsequent clinical validation. The patient-derived models represented by patient-derived organoid (PDO) and xenograft (PDX) models, known for their high preservation of patient tumour features, have emerged as a very popular platform that has been widely used in numerous studies, especially in the research and development of antitumour drugs and personalized medicine. Herein, based on some of the available published literature, we review the research and application status of PDO and PDX models in GC and EC, as well as detail their future challenges and prospects, to promote their use in basic and translational studies or personalized therapy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose: To comprehensively summarize the incidence and risk factors of drug-induced kidney injury (DIKI) in children. Methods: We systematically searched seven databases from inception to November 2022. Two independent reviewers selected studies, extracted data, and assessed the risk of bias. Meta-analyses were conducted to quantify the incidence and risk factors of DIKI in children. Results: A total of 69 studies comprising 195,894 pediatric patients were included. Overall, the incidence of DIKI in children was 18.2% (95%CI: 16.4%-20.1%). The incidence of DIKI in critically ill children (19.6%, 95%CI: 15.9%-23.3%) was higher than that in non-critically ill children (16.1%, 95%CI: 12.9%-19.4%). Moreover, the risk factors for DIKI in children were intensive care unit (ICU) admission (OR = 1.59, 95% CI: 1.42–1.78, P = 0.000), treatment days (OR = 1.04, 95% CI: 1.03–1.05, P = 0.000), surgical intervention (OR = 1.43, 95% CI: 1.00–2.02, P = 0.048), infection (OR = 2.30, 95% CI: 1.44–3.66, P = 0.000), patent ductus arteriosus (OR = 4.78, 95% CI: 1.82–12.57, P = 0.002), chronic kidney disease (OR = 2.78, 95% CI: 1.92–4.02, P = 0.000), combination with antibacterial agents (OR = 1.98, 95% CI: 1.54–2.55, P = 0.000), diuretics (OR = 1.97, 95% CI: 1.51–2.56, P = 0.000), combination with antiviral agents (OR = 1.50, 95% CI: 1.11–2.04, P = 0.008), combination with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (OR = 1.79, 95% CI: 1.40–2.28, P = 0.000), and combination with immunosuppressive agents (OR = 2.84, 95% CI: 1.47–5.47, P = 0.002). Conclusion: The incidence of DIKI in children is high, especially in critically ill children. Identifying high-risk groups and determining safer treatments is critical to reducing the incidence of DIKI in children. In clinical practice, clinicians should adjust medication regimens for high-risk pediatric groups, such as ICU admission, some underlying diseases, combination with nephrotoxic drugs, etc., and regularly evaluate kidney function throughout treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study is reported of the performance and attainment of 32 students from overseas studying elementary Chinese as a foreign language (CFL) in a Chinese university. With an AB-BA design, they were asked to use two forms of writing media to present two essays: one a word-processed essay entitled "My Favourite Female" and the other a conventional hand-written essay entitled "My Favourite Male". The essays were marked by experienced Chinese language experts and the learners' impression of using each type of writing medium was gathered via questionnaires and interviews. Inferential statistics showed that the students performed significantly better when using a word-processor, and they thought that completing writing tasks using pencil-and-paper and word-processors were markedly different. Most of them felt that their work was more professional when produced on a word-processor. A small number of students considered that writing by hand in Chinese was aesthetically pleasing, but they appreciated the convenience of writing in words spelled and written correctly by the computer. Inter-marker consistency was more homogeneous for essays written on the computer. In conclusion, word-processors are suggested as the preferred writing medium for beginning learners of CFL.

Background: The worldwide prevention of gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) is a significant health challenge. Plant-based dietary patterns are a series dietary habits that emphasized foods derived from plant sources more and from animal foods less. Now, no consensus exists on the effects of plant-based dietary patterns on the incident of GDM. Objective: This study aimed to estimate the effects of plant-based dietary patterns on the risk of developing GDM. Methods: This systematic review was conducted following the checklist of PRISMA. Six electronic databases including PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, China National Knowledge Infrastructure, Wangfang, and Chinese Scientific Journals Database were searched from inception to November 20, 2022. A fixed or random effect model was used to synthesize results of included studies. Then, subgroup analysis, meta-regression and sensitivity analysis were performed to assure the reliability and stability of the results. Results: Ten studies including 32,006 participants were identified. The results of this study showed that the better adherence to the plant-based dietary patterns was related to the lower risk of developing GDM (RR = 0.88[0.81 to 0.96], I2 = 14.8%). The slightly stronger association between plant-based diets and the risk of developing GDM was found when healthy plant-based dietary pattern index was included in pooled estimate (RR = 0.86[0.79 to 0.94], I2 = 8.3%), compared with that unhealthy one was included (RR = 0.90[0.82 to 0.98], I2 = 8.3%). Conclusion: The plant-based dietary patterns are associated with a lower risk of developing GDM. Furthermore, healthy plant-based dietary patterns are more recommended than unhealthy one. It is significant to help medical staff to guide pregnant women to choose reasonable diets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim. To examine the state of sleep quality among maternal and child health (MCH) nurses and explore the associations between chronotype, night shift work schedule, quality of work life, and sleep quality among MCH nurses. Background. MCH nurses, who play an important role in protecting the health of women and children, often experience poor sleep quality. However, research on the sleep quality of MCH nurses has been scarce following implementation of the three-child policy in China. Methods. A multicentre cross-sectional study was conducted with 1426 MCH nurses. Data were collected using a demographic questionnaire, participants' self-reported chronotype, the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index, and the Work-Related Quality of Life-2 scale. A chi-squared test, independent samples t-test, Pearson correlation test, and binary logistic regression analysis were used to analyse the data. Results. Of the 1426 respondents, 57.9% reported poor sleep quality. Binary logistic regression analysis indicated that chronotype, including intermediate-morning, intermediate-evening, and evening (reference: morning), and quality of work life, including stress at work, control at work, and general well-being, had effects on sleep quality among MCH nurses. Older age, frequent caffeine intake, and irregular meals were also associated with poor sleep quality. However, night shift work schedule did not affect sleep quality in the adjusted model. Conclusions. Poor sleep quality was common among MCH nurses. The findings of this study also illustrate that chronotype and quality of work life are closely related to sleep quality. Implications for Nursing Management. Nursing managers should be aware of MCH nurses' chronotype and quality of work life and tailor interventions to address both modifiable and nonmodifiable factors associated with sleep to improve MCH nurses' sleep quality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Qinghai–Tibet Plateau is the highest and largest permafrost area in the middle and low latitudes of China. In this region, permafrost thaw settlement is the main form of expressway subgrade disaster. Therefore, the quantitative analysis and regionalization study of permafrost thaw settlement deformation are of great significance for expressway construction and maintenance in the Qinghai–Tibet region. This paper establishes a thaw settlement prediction model using the thaw settlement coefficient and thaw depth. The thaw depth was predicted by the mean annual ground temperatures and active-layer thicknesses using the Radial Basis Function (RBF) neural network model, and the thaw settlement coefficient was determined according to the type of ice content. Further, the distribution characteristics of thaw settlement risk of the permafrost subgrade in the study region were mapped and analyzed. The results showed that the thaw settlement risk was able to be divided into four risk levels, namely significant risk, high risk, medium risk and low risk levels, with the areas of these four risk levels covering 3868.67 km2, 1594.21 km2, 2456.10 km2 and 558.78 km2, respectively, of the total study region. The significant risk level had the highest proportion among all the risk levels and was mainly distributed across the Chumar River Basin, Beiluhe River Basin and Gaerqu River Basin regions. Moreover, ice content was found to be the main factor affecting thaw settlement, with thaw settlement found to increase as the ice content increased. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is an increasing interest in non-pharmacological treatments for children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (AD/HD), especially digital techniques that can be remotely delivered, such as neurofeedback (NFT) and computerized cognitive training (CCT). In this study, a randomized controlled design was used to compare training outcomes between remotely delivered NFT, CCT, and combined NFT/CCT training approaches. A total of 121 children with AD/HD were randomly assigned to the NFT, CCT, or NFT/CCT training groups, with 80 children completing the training program. Pre- and post-training symptoms (primary outcome), executive and daily functions were measured using questionnaires as well as resting EEG during eyes-closed (EC) and eyes-open (EO) conditions. After 3 months of training, the inattentive and hyperactive/impulsive symptoms, inhibition, working memory, learning and life skills of the three groups of children were significantly improved. The objective EEG activity showed a consistent increase in the relative alpha power in the EO condition among the three training groups. Training differences were not observed between groups. There was a positive correlation between pre-training EO relative alpha power and symptom improvement scores of inattention and hyperactivity/impulsivity, as well as a negative correlation between pre-training inattention scores and change in EO relative alpha. This study verified the training effects of NFT, CCT, and combined NFT/CCT training in children with AD/HD and revealed an objective therapeutic role for individual relative alpha activity. The verified feasibility and effectiveness of home-based digital training support promotion and application of digital remote training. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Questions: How does long‐term, moderate‐intensity mowing affect plant community diversity, biomass, and composition in semi‐arid grasslands? And what are the underlying mechanisms that drive differences in plant community structure and functions between mowed and unmowed grasslands? Location: A semi‐arid grassland in Jilin Province, northeastern China. Methods: In a 30‐year experiment, we investigated long‐term effects of mowing on the grassland ecosystem in northeastern China by comparing plant community diversity, biomass, and composition between mowed and unmowed permanent plots across six grasslands. Results: Long‐term mowing did not affect plant species richness, but increased species evenness by 29%. Mowing had little effects on above‐ground (shoot) and below‐ground (root) biomass. The unchanged above‐ground biomass in the mowed areas was attributed to a trade‐off between biomass of grasses and forbs: mowing significantly increased forb biomass by 50%, but reduced grass biomass by 20% and the grass to forb biomass ratio by 46%. Mowing also reduced biomass of the dominant Leymus chinensis grass by 24% and litter biomass by 56%. Regression analyses indicated that the species evenness was negatively affected by L. chinensis biomass and litter biomass. Conclusions: This study demonstrates that, although long‐term moderate mowing has limited effects on plant species richness and plant biomass, such a managed strategy can greatly reduce the dominance of grass species and allow the growth of forb species, leading to a higher species evenness in the plant community. This win–win situation promotes forage production for farmers while increasing plant diversity for conservation, suggesting that current mowing tactics can be a sustainable management practice in this ecosystem. However, the continuous loss of plant litter because of mowing may have negative influences on soil nutrient availability in the long run. From this perspective, a short‐term halt in mowing or fertilization that allows plants and soil nutrients to recover could represent a more optimal protocol for management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Over the last two decades, airborne light detection and ranging (LiDAR) has been developed into an advanced tool for practical forest resource inventory monitoring over large areas. Nonetheless, improving the accuracy of forest inventory attribute estimations remains an ongoing challenge. This paper introduces a novel framework for estimating forest inventory attributes based on the stratification of vertical forest structures (VFS). According to the composition and spatial arrangement of the superior, middle, and inferior strata in the tree layer, the forest stand was classified into six distinct VFS classes. Subsequently, the multiplicative power models were established for the stratification-based estimations of the forest inventory attributes, including stand volume (VOL), basal area (BA), and above-ground biomass (AGB), by using a rule-based exhaustive combination approach, and their performances were comparatively analyzed. The result indicated that: compared to the accuracy (relative root mean squared error, rRMSE) of the species-based estimation, the weighted average rRMSE of stratumbased VOL, BA, and AGB estimations of four forest types (Chinese fir, Masson pine, eucalyptus, and broadleaf forests) decreased by 0.3%–7.3%, +3.6%–9.4%, and 0.7%–8.7%, respectively, and the accuracy was significantly improved after stratification. Even after clustering the VFS into two or three classes using cluster analysis, the accuracy of forest attribute estimations remained superior to that of the species-based estimations. Notably, the coefficients of variation for both forest attributes and LiDAR metrics experienced a substantial decrease, and their statistical relationship considerably strengthened within most strata post-VFS classification, which led to an improvement in the accuracy of the forest attribute estimations. The methodology presented in this paper provides a significant advance in improving the accuracy of forest inventory attributes for large areas using airborne LiDAR data. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The shoal area of the lower Yellow River in China is not flooded with water during the dry season, so various plants can grow. When floods overflow the plains in the flood season, the complexity of water resistance is increased due to the resistance to water flow by vegetation, which directly affects flood discharge in the beach area. The drag force coefficient (CD), Manning's roughness coefficient (n), and Darcy-Weisbach resistance coefficient (f) are commonly used to characterize vegetation drag force. Such studies are commonly conducted in clear water, but flood water in the lower Yellow River is generally muddy. In order to study the effect of the same sediment content and different sedimentation thicknesses on the resistance of muddy waters containing vegetation, this study conducted experiments in a flume (length = 28 m, width = 0.5 m, and height = 0.5 m) under different deposition thicknesses. The results showed that the vegetation drag force coefficient (CD), vegetation roughness (nb), and Darcy-Weisbach drag coefficient (f) all decreased logarithmically with increasing Reynolds number (Re) and Froude number (Fr). When Re > 30,000, under the conditions of different siltation thicknesses of vegetation, the vegetation roughness tended to stabilize near its minimum value. When the Reynolds number of the water flow is large (Re > 20,000), the variation of the Darcy-Weisbach drag coefficient f slows down with the Reynolds number Re. Logarithmic functions were established for the above resistance coefficients and flow coefficients, and the corresponding correlation coefficients were high, indicating that the conclusions were reliable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The landscape pattern of the Black‐necked Crane (Grus nigricollis) habitat in China changed at different spatial scales and long‐term periods due to natural factors and human activities, and habitat reduction and fragmentation threatened the survival of Black‐necked Cranes. The factors driving the habitat landscape pattern and individual population changes of Black‐necked Cranes remain to be studied. In this paper, based on remote sensing data of land use from 1980 to 2020, the changes in landscape pattern and fragmentation of the Black‐necked Crane habitat in China over 40 years were analyzed from two different spatial scales using the land cover transfer matrix and landscape index. The correlation between landscape and Black‐necked Crane individual population was analyzed. The most obvious observations were as follows: (1) Although transformation between landscapes occurred to varying degrees, the area of wetlands and arable land in the breeding and the wintering areas (net) increased significantly from 1980 to 2020. (2) Habitat fragmentation existed in the breeding and the wintering area and was more obvious in the wintering area. (3) The number of individuals of Black‐necked Cranes increased period by period, and habitat fragmentation did not inhibit their population growth. (4) The number of individuals of Black‐necked Crane was closely related to the wetland and arable land. The increasing area of wetlands and arable and the increasing landscape shape complexity all contributed to the growth of the individual population. The results also suggested that the number of individuals of Black‐necked Crane was not threatened by the expanding arable land in China, and they might benefit from arable landscapes. The conservation of Black‐necked Cranes should focus on the relationship between individual Black‐necked Cranes and arable landscapes, and the conservation of other waterbirds should also focus on the relationship between individual waterbirds and other landscapes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on the analytical framework of the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB), this paper decomposed the driving factors under institutional logic and technological logic, and empirically tested the driving path of the low-carbon behavior (LCB) of contractors from the perspective of corporate cognition. Moreover, this study further explored the differences in driving factors under different logic orientations and the formation mechanism of decoupling of heterogeneous LCB. The findings of this paper are as follows. Firstly, institutional logic and technological logic jointly drive the LCB of contractors. Perceived behavior control is not a sufficient condition. Secondly, institutional logic is more effective than technological logic in terms of the direction and coefficient of the driving path. Thirdly, institutional pressure does not directly lead to the decoupling of LCB of contractors but is mediated by intrinsic motivation. These findings provide support and help to the decision makers to cultivate and improve the level of contractors' LCB in China and many other such countries that are similarly involved. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alfalfa is harvested two or three times a year in central and western Inner Mongolia, China. However, the variations in bacterial communities as affected by wilting and ensiling, and the ensiling characteristics of alfalfa among the different cuttings, are not fully understood. To enable a more complete evaluation, alfalfa was harvested three times a year. At each time of cutting, alfalfa was harvested at early bloom, wilted for 6 h, and then ensiled in polyethylene bags for 60 days. The bacterial communities and nutritional components of fresh alfalfa(F), wilted alfalfa(W) and ensiled alfalfa(S), and the fermentation quality and functional profile of bacterial communities of the three cuttings alfalfa silage, were then analyzed. Functional characteristics of silage bacterial communities were evaluated according to the Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes. The results showed that all nutritional components, fermentation quality, bacterial communities, carbohydrate, amino acid metabolism and key enzymes of bacterial communities were influenced by cutting time. The species richness of F increased from the first cutting to the third cutting; it was not changed by wilting, but was decreased by ensiling. At phylum level, Proteobacteria were more predominant than other bacteria, followed by Firmicutes (0.063-21.39%) in F and W in the first and second cuttings. Firmicutes (96.66-99.79%) were more predominant than other bacteria, followed by Proteobacteria (0.13-3.19%) in S in the first and second cuttings. Proteobacteria, however, predominated over all other bacteria in F, W, or S in the third cutting. The third-cutting silage showed the highest levels of dry matter, pH and butyric acid (p < 0.05). Higher levels of pH and butyric acid were positively correlated with the most predominant genus in silage, and with Rosenbergiella and Pantoea. The third-cutting silage had the lowest fermentation quality as Proteobacteria were more predominant. This suggested that, compared with the first and second cutting, the third cutting is more likely to result in poorly preserved silage in the region studied. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Universities, research institutes, and firms are the main entities in the national innovation system. Owing to the heterogeneity of their outputs, prior studies have focused on their independent efficiency evaluation. This study adopts the nonhomogeneous data envelopment analysis model to assess the efficiency of three innovation entities in 30 provinces in China on a common platform. Results show that firms have the highest efficiency, and research institutes have the lowest efficiency. Innovation entities perform poorly due to the inefficiency of their subunits. Additionally, the 30 provinces are divided into three clusters by using the hierarchical clustering method. Moreover, Tobit regressions are used to estimate the impact of five environmental factors on the innovation efficiency of the three entities. The regression results show that the more open the region, the stronger the positive impact on the innovation efficiency of research institutes and firms. The regional economic environment has different degrees of negative impact on the three innovation entities. The direction and intensity of the impact of education input, government support, and information infrastructure on the three entities exhibit a large dispersion. The results provide important information for improving the efficiency of innovation entities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Livestock overgrazing has led to worldwide grassland degradation, posing a significant threat to plant and soil microbial diversity. However, little is known about whether livestock overgrazing influences plant and soil microbial diversity linkages. We examined relationships between plant and soil microbial beta diversity in eight pairs of ungrazed and overgrazed sites across temperate steppes in northern China. Our results revealed a positive correlation between plant and microbial beta diversity across ungrazed grasslands, and overgrazing did not change this relationship. However, different mechanisms underlay the correlations between plant and microbial beta diversity in ungrazed and overgrazed grasslands. In ungrazed grasslands, plant and microbial diversity associations were maintained mainly due to their similar responses to the shared environmental factors. While in overgrazed grasslands, the maintenance of plant and microbial diversity associations was primarily due to their functional associations. Furthermore, the positive links between plant species and microbial taxa increased in overgrazed grasslands, indicating that more soil microbial taxa form close associations with plant species in overgrazed grasslands. Our work provides new insights regarding the mechanisms of plant and microbial communities that associate under different ecological contexts, ultimately suggesting that the functional associations of plant and microbial communities are tighter as grazing intensifies in grasslands. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The continuous challenge of existing vaccine systems by porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) variant strains in recent years, it caused significant economic losses in the global swine industry. A PEDV virulent strain CH/HLJBQL/2022 was successfully isolated in China in this study. A genome-wide based phylogenetic analysis suggests that CH/HLJBQL/2022 belongs to the GII subtype, and 96.3%–99.6% homology existed in the whole genomes of other strains. For the first time, simultaneous mutations of four amino acids were found in the highly conserved membrane (M) and nucleocapsid (N) proteins, as well as five amino acid mutations that differed from the vast majority of strains in the spike (S) protein. Mutations in the M and S proteins were found to produce coils with different angles by building 2D and 3D structural models. Epitope analysis indicated that the isolates produced specific changes and that the transmembrane function of the M protein had not been affected. In addition, typing markers exist during strain evolution, but isolates are using the fusion of specific amino acids from multiple variant strains to add additional features, as also demonstrated by protein alignments and 3D models of numerous subtype strains. These results suggest that aa mutations in the M and S proteins may have changed the structure and antigenic epitope of the isolates and PEDV is evolving again on the basis of variants that have been found to counteract the immune network of the new vaccine. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aims: To examine the mediating effect of resilience between social support and compassion fatigue among intern nursing and midwifery students during COVID-19. Background: Compassion fatigue has become exceedingly common among intern nursing and midwifery students, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. Social support and resilience can help intern nursing and midwifery students control their negative emotions, reduce compassion fatigue, and increase their well-being. However, the mediating effect of resilience between social support and compassion fatigue remains unclear. Design: A multicentre cross-sectional survey. Methods: A total of 307 intern nursing and midwifery students were recruited from November 2020 to February 2021 in tertiary grade A hospitals in China. Structural equation modelling was applied to analyse the mediating effects of resilience between social support and compassion fatigue. The Social Support Rating Scale, the 10-item Connor-Davidson Resilience Scale, and the Chinese version of the Compassion Fatigue Short Scale were used to collect data. The hypothetical path model was tested by using IBM SPSS version 26.0 and AMOS version 26.0 software. Results: Intern nursing and midwifery students had moderate compassion fatigue. Social support positively affected resilience (β = 0.514, p < 0.01). Social support negatively affected compassion fatigue (β = − 0.310, p < 0.01), while resilience negatively affected compassion fatigue (β = − 0.283, p < 0.01). Resilience played a mediating role between social support and compassion fatigue. Conclusion: Social support can directly affect the compassion fatigue of intern nursing and midwifery students during COVID-19 and indirectly through resilience. Stronger resilience can reduce compassion fatigue. Accordingly, resilience-based interventions should be developed to reduce compassion fatigue. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The environment of healthcare institutes (HCIs) potentially affects the internal microecology of medical workers, which is reflected not only in the well-studied gut microbiome but also in the more susceptible oral microbiome. We conducted a prospective cross-sectional cohort study in four hospital departments in Central China. Oropharyngeal swabs from 65 healthcare workers were collected and analyzed using 16S rRNA gene amplicon sequencing. The oral microbiome of healthcare workers exhibited prominent deviations in diversity, microbial structure, and predicted function. The coronary care unit (CCU) samples exhibited robust features and stability, with significantly higher abundances of genera such as Haemophilus, Fusobacterium, and Streptococcus, and a lower abundance of Prevotella. Functional prediction analysis showed that vitamin, nucleotide, and amino acid metabolisms were significantly different among the four departments. The CCU group was at a potential risk of developing periodontal disease owing to the increased abundance of F. nucleatum. Additionally, oral microbial diversification of healthcare workers was related to seniority. We described the oral microbiome profile of healthcare workers in different clinical scenarios and demonstrated that community diversity, structure, and potential functions differed markedly among departments. Intense modulation of the oral microbiome of healthcare workers occurs because of their original departments, especially in the CCU. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A comprehensive understanding of the spatial-temporal evolution and driving forces on ecosystem services (ES) is essential for the agro-pastoral ecotone's ecological security in northern China. However, the land-use pattern (LULC) agglomeration with spatial differentiation in the pastoral and agricultural areas has been rarely concerned. Taking distinct LULC (1980–2018) in Chifeng as an example, we compared four crucial categories of ESs with InVEST. Using SEM, we further contrasted the effects of several variables on regional ES variations in pastoral-dominated (North) and agriculture-dominated (South) regions, respectively. Results revealed the conversion between forest and grassland oriented the LULC transformation in the North. In contrast, human-activitiy-oriented land tended to occupy environmentally sensitive places in the South. Similar ES variations were supplied with the North outperforming the South when soil conservation was omitted. As for the impacts of regional ES variations, the natural and LULC policies both showed positive effects, whereas the anthropogenic factors showed positive in the North, which was negative in the South. Therefore, the ecologically-maintained-dominant and ecologically-restored-dominant strategies should be separately adopted in the North and South. Our study provided appropriate regional ecological management suggestions for balancing the LULC-driven conflicts between ecological protection and regional development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impacts of drought and/or warming on forests have received great attention in recent decades. Although the extreme drought and/or warming events significantly changed the forest demography and regional carbon cycle, the seasonality quantifying the impacts of these climate extremes with different severities on the productivity of subtropical coniferous forests remains poorly understood. This study evaluated the effects of seasonal drought and/or warming on the net primary productivity (NPP) of subtropical coniferous forests (i.e., Cunninghamia lanceolata and Pinus massoniana forests) from Hengyang–Shaoyang Basin in southern China using the Ecosystem Demography model, Version 2.2 (ED-2.2) and based on the datasets from forest inventory, meteorological reanalysis, and remotely sensed products. The results showed that the goodness of fit of the DBH-height allometric equations was better than that of the default in ED-2.2 after model calibration; the ED-2.2 model qualitatively captured the seasonality of NPP in the subtropical coniferous forests; and the mismatch between simulated annual NPP and MODIS-NPP (MOD17A3HGF) became smaller over time. The effect of seasonal drought on NPP was greater than that of warming; the decline rate of NPP gradually increased and decreased with time (from July to October) under the seasonal drought and warming scenarios, respectively; NPP decreased more seriously under the combined drought-warming scenario in October, with an average decrease of 31.72%, than the drought-only and warming-only scenarios; seasonal drought had an obvious legacy impact on productivity recovery of subtropical coniferous forests, but it was not the case for warming. With the increase in drought severity, the average values of soil available water and NPP together showed a downward trend. With the increase in warming severity, the average values of canopy air space temperature increased, but NPP decreased. Seasonal drought and/or warming limit forest production through decreasing soil moisture and/or increasing canopy air space temperature, which impact on plant photosynthesis and productivity, respectively. Our results highlight the significance of taking into account the impacts of seasonal warming and drought when evaluating the productivity of subtropical coniferous forests, as well as the significance of enhancing the resistance and resilience of forests to future, more severe global climate change. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Owing to the scarcity of land resources, commitment to sustainable land use is particularly critical to human development and environmental protection. As a characteristic and powerful means for China to deal with the excessive expansion and inefficient use of construction land, construction land reduction (CLR) is performing a significant role in the economic, ecological and social sustainability of land use. Nevertheless, being a product of the new policy, CLR has inevitably encountered multiple barriers in meeting multifaceted sustainability requirements. In order to holistically recognize and effectively manage interactive CLR barriers with limited management resources from a time dimension, this study designs an integrated approach based on qualitative research methods, multi-criteria decision-making and strategic planning matrix for tackling the identification, evaluation and planning of CLR barriers, respectively. From an empirical study of Shanghai's CLR practice, 18 CLR barriers are summarized with their direct and indirect impacts on sustainability assessed. Based on their overall impacts and planning periods, the 18 barriers are categorized into four strategic planning zones corresponding to different types of strategies in a strategic planning matrix. Results indicate that seven barriers (deficient regulations and policies, ineffective implementation of existing regulations and policies, inadequate incentive mechanism, limited funding, contradiction of benefit distribution, incomplete information disclosure, and lack of support from subjects involved) are grouped into the priority zone where all the required resources should be allocated with the highest priority, with three (internal conflicts at all levels of governments, lack of sustainability awareness, and lack of available experience) placed into the long-term zone, requiring a sustained investment of appropriately scaled resources. Research outcomes can provide support for policy makers and practitioners to allocate their resources and efforts to better manage and overcome these CLR barriers for sustainable land use. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The complete genome of a novel virus, provisionally named "Camellia sinensis badnavirus 1" (CSBV1), was identified in tea plant (Camellia sinensis) leaves collected in Anhui Province, China. The genome of CSBV1 consists of 8,195 bp and possesses three open reading frames (ORFs), sharing 68.6 % nucleotide sequence identity with the genome of Camellia lemon glow virus (CLGV) from Camellia japonica. The genome organization of CSBV1 is highly similar to that of members of the genus Badnavirus (family Caulimoviridae). Phylogenetic analysis revealed that CSBV1, CLGV, and cacao swollen shoot virus form a separate clade within the genus Badnavirus, suggesting that CSBV1 is the first badnavirus infecting C. sinensis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A fiber-optic gyroscope (FOG) with lower precision but higher cost advantage is typically selected according to working conditions and engineering budget. Thermal drift is the main factor affecting FOG precision. External thermal calibration methods by algorithms can effectively weaken the influence of thermal drift. This paper presents a thermal calibration method of a two-dimensional N-order polynomial (TDNP) and compares it with artificial neural network (ANN) methods to determine a software FOG thermal calibration method for landslide displacement monitoring. The TDNP thermal calibration coefficient matrix was established, and the thermal calibration capability of the TDNP method with different orders N was evaluated on the basis of error analysis. The ANN model with 1 to 18 hidden neural layers was established on the basis of LM, BR, and SCG algorithms to choose a suitable ANN. Finally, the mean absolute errors of FOG thermal calibration through the TDNP with different orders and the LM were compared. This method was applied in the Huangtupo landslide area, China. The results highlight that the TDNP method with order 5 had better performance and satisfied the requirements of landslide displacement monitoring. The research results can compensate for the lack of adaptability of the FOG thermal calibration method in landslide displacement monitoring. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Rapid change of climate in vertical and considerable geomorphologic features form a typical diversity and distribution of biota in mountain ecosystems, i.e., the subalpine forest zone (SFZ), the valley savanna zone (VSZ), and the transition zone between them. The arid hot valley in the middle and lower reaches of Jinsha River, China represents a well target area to study distribution and the driving factors in these typical mountain ecosystems. Therefore, this study selects four sub-sample areas in the arid-hot valley to explore the distinctive changes of vegetation during 1990 to 2020, and their driving factors in the three different vegetation zones on spatiotemporal scales. On the spatial scale, the Moran's index was applied to identify the transition zone between the SFZ and the VSZ. Results show that the VSZ at low altitudes (less than 600–1000 m from the valley bottom) is mainly affected by geomorphologic features, especially the slope aspect. With increase in altitude, the climate factors (e.g., humidity, temperature, etc.) play a more significant role in the development of the SFZ, while the effect of geomorphologic features gradually weakens. On the time scale, The SFZ at higher altitudes experienced more rapid changes in temperature (temperature increase of 1.41°C over the last 60 years) than the VSZ at lower altitudes (temperature increase of 0.172°C over the past 60 years). It caused the forest cover increase faster than that of savanna grassland. Humidity and heat conditions are altered by topography and climate conditions, which shapes the development and physiology of plants as they adapt to the different climatic zones. Furthermore, according to the driving factors (geomorphologic and climate factors) of vegetation distribution found in this study, it suggests that suitable tree species should be planted in the transition zone to evolve into the forest zone and making the forest zone to recover from high to low altitudes gradually. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Invasive Salmonella infections result in a significant burden of disease including morbidity, mortality, and financial cost in many countries. Besides typhoid fever, the clinical impact of non-typhoid Salmonella infections is increasingly recognized with the improvement of laboratory detection capacity and techniques. A retrospective multicenter study was conducted to analyze the clinical profiles and antimicrobial resistance patterns of invasive Salmonella infections in hospitalized children in China during 2016–2018. A total of 130 children with invasive Salmonella infections were included with the median age of 12 months (range: 1–144 months). Seventy-nine percent of cases occurred between May and October. Pneumonia was the most common comorbidity in 33 (25.4%) patients. Meningitis and septic arthritis caused by nontyphoidal Salmonella (NTS) infections occurred in 12 (9.2%) patients and 5 (3.8%) patients. Patients < 12 months (OR: 16.04) and with septic shock (OR: 23.4), vomit (OR: 13.33), convulsion (OR: 15.86), C-reactive protein (CRP) ≥ 40 g/L (OR: 5.56), and a higher level of procalcitonin (PCT) (OR: 1.05) on admission were statistically associated to an increased risk of developing meningitis. Compared to 114 patients with NTS infections, 16 patients with typhoid fever presented with higher levels of CRP and PCT (P < 0.05). The rates of resistance to ampicillin, sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim, ciprofloxacin, and ceftriaxone among Salmonella Typhi and NTS isolates were 50% vs 57.3%, 9.1% vs 24.8%, 0% vs 11.2%, and 0% vs 9.9%, respectively. NTS has been the major cause of invasive Salmonella infections in Chinese children and can result in severe diseases. Antimicrobial resistance among NTS was more common. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (ARSs) are enzymes responsible for attaching amino acids to tRNA, which enables protein synthesis. Mutations in isoleucyl-tRNA synthetase (IARS1) have recently been reported to be a genetic cause for growth retardation, intellectual disability, muscular hypotonia, and infantile hepatopathy (GRIDHH).Case Presentation: In this study, we reported an additional case of compound heterozygous missense variations c.701 T > C (p.L234P) and c.1555C > T (p.R519C) in IARS1, which were identified using medical exome sequencing; c.701 T > C (p.L234P) was a novel variant, and c.1555C > T (p.R519C) was found in GnomAD. Unlike other reported patients, this individual presented prominently with recurrent liver failure, which led to her death at an early age of 19 months. She also had significant growth retardation, muscular hypotonia, chubby and flabby face, recurrent loose stools, and abnormal brain computed tomography (CT), while zinc deficiency and hearing loss were not present. Studies in zebrafish embryo modeling recapitulated some of the key phenotypic traits in embryo development, neurodevelopment, liver development, and myogenesis, demonstrating that these variations caused a loss of gene function in IARS1.Conclusions: We have found a novel mutation point c.701 T > C (p.L234P) in IARS1. Compound heterozygous mutations of c.701 T > C (p.L234P) and c.1555C > T (p.R519C) in IARS1 are pathogenic, which can cause GRIDHH in child. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Increasing evidence suggests a link between vitamin D and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). However, whether vitamin D is related to hyperandrogenemia in PCOS is still inconclusive. The aim of our study is to elucidate the relationship between vitamin D and hyperandrogenemia in women with PCOS in China. Methods: This is a cross-sectional study including 625 Chinese women with PCOS and 217 controls from January 2016 to June 2020. The anthropometric and biochemical parameters related to 25(OH)D, sex steroids, glucose and lipid profiles were measured. Results: Serum 25(OH)D levels were lower in women with PCOS than controls (33.99 ± 15.05 vs 36.58 ± 16.49 nmol/L, P = 0.034), especially lower in hyperandrogenic women with PCOS (32.79 ± 14.24 vs 36.21 ± 16.27 nmol/L, P = 0.007). Higher 25(OH)D levels were independently associated with lower risks of hyperandrogenemia after adjusting demographic, metabolic and hormonal confounders (OR = 0.982, 95% CI: 0.969 - 0.995, P = 0.006). Consistent results were observed in subgroup analyses. Among PCOS women with vitamin D deficiency, females with age ≥ 26 years had lower risks of hyperandrogenemia (OR = 0.611, 95% CI = 0.389 - 0.958, P = 0.032), while overweight patients had higher risks of hyperandrogenemia (OR = 2.202, 95% CI = 1.130 - 4.293, P = 0.020) after adjusting multiple confounders. Conclusions: Our study reported lower vitamin D levels in Chinese women with PCOS, especially in those with hyperandrogenemia. An independent negative correlation between 25(OH)D and hyperandrogenemia was noted in PCOS. For PCOS women with vitamin D deficiency, females that have higher BMI with age < 26 years may be prioritized for hyperandrogenemia assessment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to the deep valleys, steep mountains and the influence of the Indian monsoon on the Mainri Mountains (Yunnan Province, China), it is difficult to estimate glacier change from microwave and optical remote sensing. To bridge the gap between low-quality space-borne remote sensing and scarce in situ measurements, airborne remote sensing, such as unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), may provide a remarkable opportunity to monitor glacier change with high-quality tools. To determine monsoon temperate glacier change, three UAV surveys were conducted on the Melang Glacier in the Mainri Mountains in November 2019, April 2020 and November 2020. Then, glacier surface elevation changes were estimated from UAV orthophotos and DSMs. High accumulation and high ablation (+10.5 m and −13.5 m) were observed in the accumulation period and ablation period, with a mean surface elevation change of −3.0 m in the surveyed glacier area from November 2019 to November 2020. The avalanche, debris cover, ice cliffs and proglacial lake resulted in a heterogeneous pattern of glacier surface elevation changes. Given that the glacier is more sensitive to temperature, the Melang Glacier may have experienced a substantial recession and mass loss in the past few decades. This study provides a more appropriate approach for monitoring the changes in a temperate glacier in the Mainri Mountains. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Western China locates in the eastern section of the Tethys domain, granitic rocks in this region with variable formation ages and geochemistry record key information about the crust‐mantle structure and thermal evolution during the convergent process of Tethys. In this study, we focus on some crucial granitic magmatism in the western Yangtze, Qinling orogen, and western Sanjiang tectonic belt, where magma sequence in the convergent orogenic belt can provide important information about the crust‐mantle structure, thermal condition and melting regime that related to the evolution processes from Pre‐ to Neo‐Tethys. At first, we show some features of Pre‐Tethyan magmatism, such as Neoproterozoic magmatism (ca. 870–740 Ma) in the western margin of the Yangtze Block were induced by the assembly and breakup of the Rodinia supercontinent. The complication of voluminous Neoproterozoic igneous rocks indicated that the western Yangtze Block underwent the thermodynamic evolution from hot mantle‐cold crust stage (ca. 870–850 Ma) to hot mantle and crust stage (ca. 850–740 Ma). The Neoproterozoic mantle sources beneath the western Yangtze Block were progressively metasomatized by subduction‐related compositions from slab fluids (initial at ca. 870 Ma), sediment melts (initial at ca. 850 Ma), to oceanic slab melts (initial at ca. 825–820 Ma) during the persistent subduction process. Secondly, the early Paleozoic magmatism can be well related to three distinctive stages (variable interaction of mantle‐crust to crustal melting to variable sources) from an Andeans‐type continental margin to collision to extension in response to the evolution of Proto‐Tethys and final assembly of Gondwana continent. Thirdly, the Paleo‐Tethys magmatism, Triassic granites in the Qinling orogenic display identical formation ages and Lu‐Hf isotopic compositions with the related mafic enclaves, indicate a coeval melting event of lower continental crust and mantle lithosphere in the Triassic convergent process and a continued hot mantle and crust thermal condition through the interaction of subducted continental crust and upwelling asthenosphere. Finally, the Meso‐ and Neo‐Tethyan magmatism: Early Cretaceous magmatism in the Tengchong Block are well responding to the subduction and closure of Bangong‐Nujiang Meso‐Tethys, recycled sediments metasomatized mantle by subduction since 130 Ma and subsequently upwelling asthenosphere since ca. 122 Ma that causes melting of heterogeneous continental crust until the final convergence, this process well recorded the changing thermal condition from hot mantle‐cold crust to hot mantle and crust; The Late Cretaceous to Early Cenozoic magmatism well recorded the processes from Neo‐Tethyan ocean slab flat subduction, steep subduction, to initial collision of India‐Asia, it resulted in a series of continental arc magmatism with enriched mantle to crustal materials at Late Cretaceous, increasing depleted and/or juvenile materials at the beginning of early Cenozoic, and increasing evolved crustal materials in the final stage, implying a continued hot mantle and crust condition during that time. Then we can better understand the magmatic processes and variable melting from the mantle to crust during the evolution of Tethys, from Pre‐, Paleo‐, Meso‐, to Neo‐, both they show notably intensive interaction of crust‐mantle and extensive melting of the heterogeneous continent during the final closure of Tethys and convergence of blocks, and thermal perturbation by a dynamic process in the depth could be the first mechanism to control the thermal condition of mantle and crust and associated composition of magmatism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Vegetation restoration can affect the process of soil organic carbon (SOC) decomposition, but how this effect is related to soil moisture and temperature remains uncertain. Thus, we performed an incubation of 120 days using soils of degraded land, plantation forest, and secondary natural forest, at two levels of temperature under two moisture levels. We found that the amount of cumulative SOC decomposition in the plantation and secondary natural forest soil was ca. 11.7 times higher than that in the soil from degraded land. Higher soil moisture and temperature treatment increased SOC decomposition in the plantation and secondary natural forest soils. However, in the soil from degraded land, higher soil moisture did not increase SOC decomposition, and higher temperature only increased SOC decomposition in the 60%WHC treatment. The amount of cumulative SOC decomposition was positively correlated with soil MBC and DOC content. The responses of SOC decomposition and the decomposability of DOC to moisture and temperature along the vegetation restoration gradient were highly consistent. Furthermore, in the 60%WHC treatment group, the temperature sensitivity (Q10) of SOC decomposition declined with vegetation restoration age increase. Higher soil moisture did not affect Q10 in the plantation and secondary natural forest soil, but increased Q10 in the soil from degraded land. Our results indicate that higher soil temperature and moisture would stimulate SOC decomposition, but it is highly dependent on labile carbon supply and microbial metabolic activity along the vegetation restoration gradient. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China experienced a 47% expansion in higher education enrolment between 1998 and 1999 and a sixfold expansion in the decade to 2008. Using a fuzzy discontinuity in the months of births, we show that the 1999 expansion increased education by roughly 1 year around the cut-off point. Importantly, each additional year of university education induced by the expansion increases monthly earnings by 24%, whereas the corresponding OLS estimate is only 8%. Our findings are insensitive to alternative window widths, functional forms or the exclusion of the self-employed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

GaoFen-3 (GF-3) is a C-band multipolarization synthetic aperture radar (SAR) satellite with 12 imaging modes. However, its initial positioning accuracy remains unsatisfactory, thereby hindering its use for large-area surveying and mapping. This study proposes a block orthorectification method without ground control points (GCPs) using the GF-3 Fine strip II (FSII) mode. To address the challenges with the accuracy and efficiency of this method, an integrated block orthorectification method was developed to conduct integrated processing of large-scale GF-3 satellite images without GCPs. Geometric calibration was used to improve the absolute positioning accuracy of each SAR image. Then, several tie points (TPs) were extracted using the SAR scale-invariant feature transform (SIFT) operator. A parallel matching strategy was used in the block images registration. The block adjustment model was constructed to solve the orientation parameter of all SAR images. The experimental results of 1,468 GF-3 images of China’s entire land area show a TPs root-mean-square error of 0.724 pixel and 8.014 m for the independent checkpoint, suggesting that the proposed method can effectively improve the geometric accuracy of GF-3 satellite images and demonstrate the feasibility of large-scale SAR mapping without GCPs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2013, the government of Zhejiang Province put forward a strategic project named "Five Water Cohabitation" (FWC) by integrating five water treatments: "sewage treatment," "flood prevention," "drainage system improvement," "water supply guarantee," and "water saving promotion." It has been eight years since the project was proposed and launched. The primary purpose of the present study is to investigate the performance and significant effects of the project on the sustainable development of agriculture. This study investigates the project's implementation from four aspects: environmental sustainability, resource sustainability, social sustainability, and economic sustainability. Furthermore, the difference-in-differences approach is applied to verify the treatment effect. Liaoning Province is chosen as the control group because it is also the traditionally agricultural province, and it has not implemented any large-scale water management projects. This study selects six sustainable variables, i.e., per capita GDP, urban-rural disparity, total water resources, domestic waste clearance, urbanization level, and health security level. The results show that the FWC project positively affects the sustainable development of agriculture for Zhejiang Province in economic sustainability, ecological sustainability, and social sustainability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Microbiological confirmation is rare in children with active tuberculosis; therefore, a more accurate test is needed to detect pulmonary tuberculosis in children. In this multicenter study, we evaluated the utility of the Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra (Ultra) on sputum, an assay recommended by the World Health Organization to test for childhood tuberculosis in high-burden settings. Children with symptoms suggestive of tuberculosis were enrolled at three hospitals in China and categorized as having active tuberculosis or nontuberculosis. The sensitivity and specificity of Ultra were 42.1% (48/114) and 99.0% (208/210), respectively. Using three MTB culture results as the reference, the sensitivity of Ultra in the subset of 38 children with culture-positive and 76 children with culture-negative was 68.4% (26/38) and 28.9% (22/76), respectively(p < 0.001). A single MTB culture combined with a single Ultra could detect 54 (54/114,47.4%) cases with active TB, while repeated MTB culture combined with a single Ultra detected 60 (60/114, 52.6%) cases with active TB(p = 0.427). Among 155 children (58 with TB and 97 with RTIs) simultaneously tested with the Ultra and Xpert MTB/RIF (Xpert), the sensitivity of the Xpert (24.1%, 14/58) was lower than that of the Ultra (41.4%, 24/58; p = 0.048). Eight children were found to have rifampin-resistant MTB strains. The Xpert MTB/RIF Ultra assay should be implemented to test for pulmonary tuberculosis in children to achieve higher confirmation rates. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The impact of international electronic commerce (IEC) on export trade increases along with its expanding scale. Based on relevant data and the gravity model of China's IEC export trade, this paper develops a theoretical model that can be used in IEC scenarios, applies regression equations, a Hausman test, and other empirical methods to verify relevant data, and performs a robustness test. The purpose of this paper is to explore the mechanism of IEC impact on China's trade, and hopefully to study the temporal structural changes of the impact of IEC activities on China's export trade based on the financial crisis and European debt crisis variables. The innovation of this paper is mainly reflected in the large sample of China's trade selected in this paper. It can also determine the changes in the distance effect of international trade in the era of IEC, and reveal the mechanism by which IEC applications help foreign trade enterprises overcome economic crises. Four key conclusions are obtained as follows. First, the development of IEC has significantly promoted the expansion of China's export trade scale. Second, in the context of the global financial crisis and European debt crisis, the positive promotion effect of IEC on exports is not significant. Third, the promotion effects of IEC on China's exports to both developing and industrialized countries are significant, with the impact on developed country exports being slightly greater. Fourth, although the geographical distance for measuring transportation costs has a negative effect on China's exports, such effect has been greatly weakened. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's massive internal migration is no longer simply rural–urban and circular, but increasingly diversified. Hence, we overview current research into the emerging transition in China's internal migration, present a critique of salient existing studies, and outline how a China variant of Zelinsky's mobility transition theory might, with new sophistication and analytical power, account for the distinctive Chinese features of that momentous transition: its spatio-temporal patterns, and its causes and effects. The proposed thesis will show how parallels and distinctive differences that mark China's internal circular migration have evolved over the last decade. We argue that factors adapted to Chinese circumstances should incorporate appropriate perspectives on demographic transition, social space, trans -locality and multi-locality in migration, socio-spatial inequality, and new-style urbanisation. We highlight also the need for more sophisticated methods, and propose the use of 2020 China Census and longitudinal and time-series survey datasets to analyse the scale, processes, causal mechanisms, and outcomes of the transition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Using the China Family Panel Studies, we identify the subjects studied by vocational college and university graduates, with the latter group further divided into ordinary and key universities. While the returns are around 8–10% to attending colleges and ordinary universities, there are higher returns of 12–16% per annum to attending the more prestigious key universities. The recent massive expansion of the higher education sector resulted in reduced returns to all HE types, except for graduates who studied subjects other than LEM (law, economics, and management) or STEM (sciences, technology, engineering and math/medicine) at key universities. We further account for selection on observables into subjects and tiers using the doubly robust Inverse Probability Weighted Regression Adjustment method (IPWRA) approach. While these results are tentative, they suggest that pooled OLS and random-effect models substantially underestimate the effect of attending universities that are more prestigious for graduates of both genders in LEM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) first broke-out in Wuhan China in December 2019, and spread throughout the entire country within a short time. This cross-sectional study investigated the prevalence of depression and anxiety and associated risk factors were analysed in patients with COVID-19. This single-center cross-sectional study focussed on measuring depression and anxiety using self-report scales. Linear regression was used to determine independent predictors for depression and anxiety. A total of 78 patients who were confirmed to have COVID-19 were enrolled in the study. Prevalence of depression and anxiety symptoms were diagnosed in 35.9% and 38.5% of the patients, respectively. Multivariate linear regression analysis found female gender was an independent predictor for higher depression severity index. Having family members who were diagnosed with COVID-19 and family members who died from COVID-19 were independently associated with higher depression severity index and anxiety score. Patients with COVID-19 especially those who had family members diagnosed with COVID-19 or died from COVID-19 were more susceptible to depression and anxiety than were other patients. Effective strategies should be pursued to improve the mental health of this patient population. Patients with COVID-19 showed a significantly high prevalence of depression and anxiety. Female patients were associated with higher risk of depression. Patients with family members diagnosed as COVID-19 or died from this disease were associated with higher risk of depression and anxiety. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]