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This study aims to explore whether the creativity of university students in Higher Vocational Education in China can enhance their creative performance through autonomous motivation. The theoretical foundation of this study is interactionist model of creativity, the study employs structural equation modeling for analysis and validation. A survey assessing creativity, creative performance, and autonomous motivation was administered to students from higher vocational schools in China, yielding a valid sample of 392. The overall model results indicate that the creativity of vocational college students has a significant positive impact on creative performance, creativity positively predicted autonomous motivation, which enhanced creative performance. The autonomous motivation partially mediates the relationship between creativity and creative performance. The findings recommend that higher vocational institutions initiate creative activities to foster students' creativity and continuously bolster their autonomous motivation, thus enhancing the creative performance of future technical and skilled professionals -- vocational college students.

The cultivation of innovative ability is an important part of China's current long-term education planning and innovative development-driven strategy, as well as an important issue of university teaching reform. The cultivation of innovative ability of dance professionals in colleges and universities is a problem of great concern for dance majors in terms of innovative teaching and new curriculum reform. The purpose of this study is to analyze the relationship between innovative self-efficacy and innovative ability of dance majors, as well as the gender differences between the two. Through a questionnaire survey of dance majors in 6 universities in central China, 565 valid questionnaires were collected, and the relationship between variables was tested by difference analysis and Structural Equation Model model. The research results show that there are significant differences between genders in terms of innovative self-efficacy and innovative ability of dance majors; the innovative self-efficacy of dance majors has a positive impact on their innovative ability.

Critical thinking represents one of the most absolutely vital talents for every individual, both in the workplace and in their personal lives. Critical thinking has become a primary concern for all educational institution students in recent decades, particularly Chinese undergraduates. The intention of this study was to investigate the needs analysis of Chinese international college undergraduates' perceptions of critical thinking skills incorporated into a cross-cultural communication course, as well as their expectations of critical thinking skills instructional coursework throughout the cross-cultural communication context. Throughout this mixed-methods investigation, 78 Chinese international college students volunteered to complete a critical thinking disposition inventory (CTDI) as the primary research instrument, in addition to a semi-structured interview. The research uncovered that Chinese international undergraduates exhibited unclear notions of critical thinking abilities. As a byproduct of China's education system, the majority of Chinese international college undergraduates were flooded with dismissive attitudes toward critical thinking abilities. In order to control their academic advancement in a more critical and analytical fashion, Chinese students expressed a pressing need for critical thinking skills to be included in their cross-cultural communication course.

Considering job resources of college teachers as a mediating variable, this study analyzed the relationship between job crafting and job engagement and established a model of the mechanism underlying the effects of job crafting on job engagement. This theoretical hypothesis model was empirically validated using 300 valid questionnaires completed by college teachers in Hebei Province, China, who were selected through convenience sampling. Job crafting directly affected job resources, and job resources exerted a direct effect on job engagement. However, job resources played a full mediating role in the relationship between job crafting and job engagement after it was added as a mediating variable.

Based on institutional theory, this study explores the causal relationship between teacher professional identity, perceived institutional norms, and teachers' conformity behavior in colleges and universities in Hunan Province. A questionnaire survey was conducted on 500 teachers from two universities in Hunan Province. The reliability and validity test results and structural equation modeling analysis show that the professional identity of college teachers positively affects their conformity behavior, and that perceived institutional norms partially mediate the relationship between teacher professional identity and teacher conformity behavior. The research enriches the application of institutional theory in university organization and provides an empirical basis for universities to improve teachers' conformity behavior.

This study aims to explore the impact of perceived transformational leadership on knowledge sharing behavior among university teachers in Anhui Province, China. Using a questionnaire survey method, convenient sampling was conducted among college teachers in Anhui Province. With 326 teachers as the research subjects, SPSS software was used to analyze the relationship between teachers' perception of transformational leadership and knowledge sharing behavior in the context of colleges and universities. Additionally, this study compared the impact of demographic variables such as age, teaching experience, and professional title on teachers' knowledge sharing behavior. The research results indicate that Anhui university teachers' perception of transformational leadership has a significant positive impact on knowledge sharing behavior. Moreover, there are significant differences in teachers' knowledge sharing behavior based on their age, teaching experience, and professional titles.

Physical education teachers in colleges and universities have the crucial responsibility of acting as mentors and guides for the healthy growth of students. The work engagement of these teachers affects the quality of higher education personnel training and health education. Based on the job demand-resource model, this study conducted a questionnaire survey on 500 physical education teachers in 20 colleges and universities in Hebei Province, China. The subjects were selected through convenience sampling. Out of the total, 456 valid questionnaires were recovered. The intermediary effect was tested through the AMOS model analysis and the Bootstrap method. The results revealed that the perceived organizational support of the participating physical education teachers in colleges and universities can positively affect their sense of teaching efficacy, which in turn positively affects work engagement and has a partial mediating effect on the relationship between perceived organizational support and work engagement.

Physical education teachers are the practitioners of physical education curriculum reform who work at the front line of teaching, and their innovation behavior play a crucial role in promoting the smooth implementation of physical education curriculum reform. This study uses goal orientation theory as a theoretical basis to explore the mediation effect of learning goal orientation in the influence of perceived organization support on physical education teachers' innovation behavior. A total of 402 valid questionnaires were collected from physical education teachers in 40 schools at the basic education level in China, and the relationship between the variables was tested using structural equation modeling. The findings showed that physical education teachers' perceived organizational support had a positive effect on learning goal orientation and innovation behavior. Physical education teachers' learning goal orientation significantly influenced their innovation behavior. Additionally, learning goal orientation partially mediated the relationship between perceived organizational support and innovation behavior.

Strengthening the cultivation of students' innovation ability is an urgent requirement for the construction of China's innovation system, and vocational colleges are a crucial driving force for cultivating technical innovation talents. Therefore, this study aims to explore the influence of metacognition on innovative behavior among vocational college students in Hainan, China and the differences between the behavior of boys and girls. Five vocational colleges were selected by purposive sampling. A total 600 students and 577 valid questionnaires were obtained, with 285 male and 292 female respondents. The results of the study found that the metacognition of boys and girls in vocational colleges has a positive and substantial impact on innovative behavior, and that the effect of metacognition on the innovative behavior of girls is higher than that of boys.

This study aimed to investigate the effects of Jiangsu University teachers' competency and engagement on their job performance and determine whether teacher competency affects job performance through the mediating role of engagement. We constructed a theoretical model based on self-determination theory (SDT) and the job demand-resource model and validated it using structural equation modeling (SEM). The study sample comprised teachers from 8 types of undergraduate colleges and universities in Jiangsu Province, China. Three hundred and fifty-four university teachers were surveyed using the Teacher Competency Scale, the Utrecht Work Engagement Scale, and the Job Performance Scale. The results showed a significant positive effect of university teachers' competency on their engagement and job performance. Additionally, SEM analysis showed a partial mediation effect of engagement in the relationship between teacher competency and job performance. The findings not only enrich our understanding of the mechanisms underlying the relationship between university teachers' competency and job performance but also extend the scope of SDT and suggest practical discussions and recommendations.

Based on the concept of sustainability and the aim of addressing China?s great need for talent with green skills, a green skills scale was designed with the help of Chinese university students. Students from four institutions of higher education who had agreed to the Principles for Responsible Management Education (PRME) participated as research subjects. With reference to the reviewed literature, a green skills scale was developed for Chinese university students. The scale was reviewed by experts and scholars and subjected to a reliability and validity analysis, and 900 students were selected to be included in the sample. The green skills of university students are divided into four dimensions: cognition of green knowledge, mastery of green skills, application of green skills, and green skills development, resulting in a total of 16 questions. The overall reliability of the scale is 0.845, the reliability of the dimensions lies between 0.813 and 0.880, the correlation coefficients between the dimensions lie between 0.185 and 0.497, and the root-mean-square values of the AVE of the corresponding coefficients are all larger than the correlation coefficients of the corresponding row and column variables, demonstrating that the green skills scale for university students has good reliability and validity.

The professional development of teachers is fundamental to educational reform and promotion, and such a development includes teachers' aesthetic experiences. This study aims to explore the impact of Chinese teachers' aesthetic experiences on their professional development and the differences between male and female teachers in terms of the impact of aesthetic experiences on professional development. In total, 500 teachers from 20 universities in Hainan and Guangzhou, China, were surveyed, and 488 valid questionnaires were collected. A multivariate regression analysis was conducted to examine the impact of each variable. The results of the study indicate that "aesthetic attitude," "understanding of beauty," and "full experience" all have a significantly positive impact on the professional development of both male and female teachers, whereas "pleasure of beauty" has no significant impact on teachers' professional development. The findings also demonstrate that no difference exists between male and female teachers in terms of the impact of aesthetic experiences on professional development, and the more practical conceptions of aesthetic experience have a direct impact on teachers' development.

In China, higher education increasingly emphasizes innovation and entrepreneurship, recognizing its pivotal role in enhancing college students' entrepreneurial skills. While extensive research exists on entrepreneurship education for undergraduate students in Chinese universities and vocational colleges, there is a notable gap in studies specifically addressing entrepreneurship coaching for vocational art and design students. This investigation addresses this gap by examining the development of entrepreneurship coaching indicators for vocational art and design majors through a comprehensive literature review. By employing the fuzzy Delphi method, a questionnaire survey involving 12 experts was conducted to establish entrepreneurship coaching indicators for vocational art and design majors in Guangdong, China. The findings reveal a framework comprising entrepreneurship knowledge, practical skills, entrepreneurial dispositions, and intentions, organized into 4 dimensions, 15 principal indicators, and 46 sub-indicators.

This research's aim was to explore the role of cognitive flexibility in mediating the effect of intrinsic motivation on the creativity of junior high school students. A creativity scale, an intrinsic motivation inventory and a cognitive flexibility inventory were utilized to investigate a sample of junior high school students in Shaanxi Province in western China. 765 valid questionnaires were collected and analyzed using the structural equation model (SEM). The SEM analysis showed that intrinsic motivation and cognitive flexibility have significantly positive impacts on junior high school students' creativity. Furthermore, a full model revealed that cognitive alternatives and cognitive control mediate the relationship intrinsic motivation and creativity, and the mediation effect of cognitive alternatives is significantly greater than that of cognitive control. In general, the current research suggests that the impact of intrinsic motivation on junior high school students' creativity is mediated by cognitive flexibility, and its results amplify prior scholars' research results and give educators an inspiration how to cultivate creativity for the middle school students.

This study aims to explore the effect of savoring of teachers at universities in Shandong, China, on their creative behaviors, using creative self-efficacy and aesthetic experience as mediators. This study adopted the use of questionnaires to investigate teachers at 32 universities in Shandong, China. 822 valid questionnaires were retrieved and were analyzed using structural equation model (SEM). Findings from this study include: 1. teachers' savoring has a negative effect on creative behaviors; 2. teachers' creative self-efficacy has a positive effect on creative behaviors; 3. teachers' aesthetic experience has a positive effect on creative behaviors; 4. teachers' savoring, mediated by creative self-efficacy, has a positive effect on creative behaviors; 5. teachers' savoring, mediated by aesthetic experience, has a positive effect on creative behaviors.

Porcine epidemic diarrhea (PED), caused by porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV), has been frequently occurring in the southwestern region of China over the past few years, continuously affecting the development of the swine industry. However, the genetic diversity and prevalence of PEDV strains circulating in the swine population in southwestern China in recent years have not been well studied. To address this gap, a total of 478 clinical samples were collected from 125 pig farms experiencing piglet diarrhea in 18 cities in southwestern China. The detection results revealed that 227 out of 478 samples tested positive for PEDV nucleic acid, with a positivity rate of 47.49%. Complete S gene sequences of 28 PEDV strains were obtained and classified into four subgroups, G1-a subgroup (classical strain), G1-b subgroup (S-INDEL), and two G2 subgroups (G2-a and G2-b), accounting for 17.86% (5/28), 3.57% (1/28), 35.71% (10/28), 42.86% (12/28) of the total sequenced strains, respectively. The coexistence of multiple genotypes indicates the complex genetic background and prevalence of PEDV in southwest China. Amino acid comparisons of the S proteins showed that the 28 PEDV strains sequenced in the study showed different patterns of variation in the epitope domains compared to vaccine strains belonging to different genotypes and contained many unique amino acid mutations compared to the reference strains, which might lead to immune escape of PEDV. The complex epidemiology of PEDV with multiple subgroups co-circulating in Southwest China underscores the importance of selecting appropriate vaccine strains based on locally prevalent strains and the ongoing need for epidemiological surveillance of PEDV. The emergence of new variant strains also highlights the urgency of developing updated vaccines, and effective management practices remain crucial for controlling PED outbreaks in pig farms. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The investigation into the impact of gravel on water infiltration process and hydraulic parameters in stony soil could offer a theoretical basis to enhance water availability in rocky mountain area. A one-dimensional vertical infiltration experiment was used in this study. Six groups of gravel content of 0% (CK), 10% (W1), 20% (W2), 30% (W3), 40% (W4) and 50% (W5) were established to explore the changes in the wetting front, cumulative infiltration volume and infiltration rate. Then the accuracy of four infiltration models in simulating soil water infiltration processes was evaluated. Finally, Hydrus-1D was used to perform numerical inversion of the soil water content after infiltration. The findings revealed that: (1) When the infiltration time reached 300 min, the wetting front of the W1, W2, W3, W4 and W5 treatments was 11.00%, 17.00%, 32.25%, 38.75% and 54.50% lower than CK, the cumulative infiltration volume was 29.80%, 38.97%, 45.62%, 54.74% and 73.17% lower than CK, and the stable infiltration rate was 50.98%, 52.94%, 66.67%, 68.63% and 86.27% lower than CK. (2) The soil–water infiltration processes were accurately described by the Horton model, the coefficient of determination (R2) > 0.935. (3) The simulation results of Hydrus-1D showed that with the increase of gravel content, the values of the retention water content (θr), saturated water content (θs), shape coefficient (n) and saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ks) were decreased, the values of the reciprocal of air-entry (α) were increased. The value of R2 was more than 0.894, the root mean square error (RMSE) and mean absolute error (MAE) were less than 2%, which demonstrated that the Hydrus-1D model exhibited superior capability in simulating the changes of water content in stony soil in rocky mountain area. The findings of this study demonstrated that gravel could decrease the water infiltration process and affect the water availability. It could provide data support for the water movement process of stony soil and rational utilization of limited water resources in mountainous area. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Student voice behavior is an important aspect of school culture. Raising awareness of student voice can support academic achievement and deepen school reforms, and this study explored the influence of college students' perception of teacher-parent leadership on their voice behavior based on the Chinese cultural background. Based on social exchange theory, a convenience sampling method was applied to conduct a questionnaire survey on 709 college students from 5 universities in Hebei Province, China. After analyzing by SEM (Structural Equation Modeling), the study showed that: In teacher paternalistic leadership, benevolent leadership and moral leadership have a significant positive impact on voice behavior while authoritarian leadership has a meaningful negative impact. Therefore, teacher paternalistic leadership can provide psychological care and academic support for students, set a fair and moral example, and avoid making authoritarian decisions, providing a supportive voice environment for students. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Panax notoginseng saponins (PNS) are commonly used first-line drugs for treating cerebral thrombosis and stroke in China. However, the synchronized and targeted delivery of active ingredients in traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) poses a significant challenge for modern TCM formulations. Methods: Bovine serum albumin (BSA) was modified using 2-methacryloyloxyethyl phosphorylcholine (MPC), an analog of acetylcholine, and subsequently adsorbed the major PNS onto the modified albumin to produce MPC-BSA@PNS nanoparticles (NPs). This novel delivery system facilitated efficient and synchronized transport of PNS across the blood–brain barrier (BBB) through active transport mediated by nicotinic acetylcholine receptors. Results: In vitro experiments demonstrated that the transport rates of R1, Rg1, Rb1, and Rd across the BBB were relatively synchronous in MPC-BSA@PNS NPs compared to those in the PNS solution. Additionally, animal experiments revealed that the brain-targeting efficiencies of R1 + Rg1 + Rb1 in MPC-BSA@PNS NPs were 2.02 and 7.73 times higher than those in BSA@PNS NPs and the free PNS group, respectively. Conclusions: This study presents a simple and feasible approach for achieving the targeted delivery of complex active ingredient clusters in TCM. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

BACKGROUND The current understanding of the magnitude and consequences of multimorbidity in Chinese older adults with coronary heart disease (CHD) is insufficient. We aimed to assess the association and population-attributable fractions (PAFs) between multimorbidity and mortality among hospitalized older patients who were diagnosed with CHD in Shenzhen, China. METHODS We conducted a retrospective cohort study of older Chinese patients (aged = 65 years) who were diagnosed with CHD. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate the associations between multimorbidity and all-cause and cardiovascular disease (CVD) mortality. We also calculated the PAFs. RESULTS The study comprised 76,455 older hospitalized patients who were diagnosed with CHD between January 1, 2016, and August 31, 2022. Among them, 70,217 (91.9%) had multimorbidity, defined as the presence of at least one of the predefined 14 chronic conditions. Those with cancer, hemorrhagic stroke and chronic liver disease had the worst overall death risk, with adjusted HRs (95% CIs) of 4.05 (3.77, 4.38), 2.22 (1.94, 2.53), and 1.85 (1.63, 2.11), respectively. For CVD mortality, the highest risk was observed for hemorrhagic stroke, ischemic stroke, and chronic kidney disease; the corresponding adjusted HRs (95% CIs) were 3.24 (2.77, 3.79), 1.91 (1.79, 2.04), and 1.81 (1.64, 1.99), respectively. All-cause mortality was mostly attributable to cancer, heart failure and ischemic stroke, with PAFs of 11.8, 10.2, and 9.1, respectively. As for CVD mortality, the leading PAFs were heart failure, ischemic stroke and diabetes; the corresponding PAFs were 18.0, 15.7, and 6.1, respectively. CONCLUSIONS Multimorbidity was common and had a significant impact on mortality among older patients with CHD in Shenzhen, China. Cancer, heart failure, ischemic stroke and diabetes are the primary contributors to PAFs. Therefore, prioritizing improved treatment and management of these comorbidities is essential for the survival prognosis of CHD patients from a holistic public health perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and Aim: With the increasing burden of colorectal cancer (CRC), the practice of colonoscopy is gaining attention worldwide. However, it exhibits distinct trends between developing and developed countries. This study aims to explore its development and identify influencing factors in China. Methods: The Chinese Digestive Endoscopy Censuses were conducted twice in mainland China under the supervision of health authorities. Information regarding the practice of colonoscopy was collected through a structured online questionnaire. The authenticity of the data was evaluated through logical tests, and a random selection of endoscopic reports underwent manual validation by Quality Control Centers. Potential factors associated with colonoscopy were analyzed using real-world information. Results: From 2012 to 2019, the number of hospitals that performed colonoscopy increased from 3,210 to 6,325 (1.97-fold), and the volume increased from 5.83 to 12.92 million (2.21-fold). The utilization rate rose from 436.0 to 914.8 per 100,000 inhabitants (2.10-fold). However, there was an exacerbation of regional inequality in the adequacy of colonoscopy. Regions with higher incidence of CRC, higher gross domestic product per capita, more average numbers of endoscopists and tertiary hospitals tended to provide more accessible colonoscopy (P<0.001). Nationwide, the cecal intubation rate improved from 83.9% to 94.4% and the unadjusted adenoma detection rate (ADR) improved from 16.3% to 18.1%. Overall, hospital grading, educational background of endoscopists, economic income, and colonoscopy volume were observed as the significantly positive factors affecting ADR (P<0.05), but not the incidence of CRC or the number of endoscopists. Conclusions: Tremendous progress in colonoscopy has been made in China, but some issues needed timely reflection. Our findings provide timely evidence for better colonoscopy strategies and measures, such as quality control and medical education of endoscopists. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The herb Fissistigma oldhamii var. longistipitatum has been used for a long time in Asian folk medicine in the treatment of several diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory conditions. Researchers in China and elsewhere have analyzed and characterized its chemical content. In this study, a UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS method, run in both positive and negative modes, was used to identify the main chemical compounds in dichloromethane extracts of this F. oldhamii variant. A total of 64 compounds, including 44 alkaloids and 20 flavonoids, were rapidly identified or tentatively characterized by comparing the molecular ion peaks and MS2 mass spectrometry fragment ions, combined with the mass spectrometry information of reference substances, appropriate fragmentation ions and related literatures. For the first time, the developed UHPLC-Q-TOF-MS/MS analysis method allows for the determination of 64 compounds from extracts of the F. oldhamii variant. The method presented here produced results that will be useful in further studies of this herb. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: The bacterium Elizabethkingia miricola is a multispecies pathogen associated with meningitis-like disease that has been isolated from several amphibian species, including the bullfrog, but this is the first isolation in Guangxi. In the present study, the dominant bacteria were isolated from the brains of five bullfrogs with meningitis-like disease on a South China farm in Guangxi. Methods: The NFEM01 isolate was identified by Gram staining; morphological observations; 16S rRNA, rpoB, and mutT-based phylogenetic tree analysis; and physiochemical characterization and was subjected to drug sensitivity and artificial infection testing. Results and discussion: As a result of identification, the NFEM01 strain was found to be E. miricola. An artificial infection experiment revealed that NFEM01 infected bullfrogs and could cause symptoms of typical meningitis-like disease. As a result of the bacterial drug sensitivity test, NFEM01 is highly sensitive to mequindox, rifampicin, enrofloxacin, nitrofural, and oxytetracycline and there was strong resistance to gentamicin, florfenicol, neomycin, penicillin, amoxicillin, doxycycline, and sulfamonomethoxine. This study provides a reference to further study the pathogenesis mechanism of E. miricola-induced bullfrog meningitislike disease and its prevention and treatment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porcine transmissible gastroenteritis virus is the major pathogen that causes fatal diarrhea in newborn piglets. In this study, a TGEV strain was isolated from the small intestine of diarrhea piglets in Sichuan Province, China, and designated SC2021. The complete genomic sequence of TGEV SC2021 was 28561 bp, revealing a new natural deletion TGEV strain. Based on phylogenetic analyses, TGEV SC2021 belonged to the Miller cluster and was closely related to CN strains. The newborn piglets orally challenged with TGEV SC2021 showed typical watery diarrhea. In addition, macro and micropathological changes in the lungs and intestines were observed. In conclusion, we isolated a new natural deletion virus strain and confirmed that the virus strain has high pathogenicity in newborn piglets. Moreover, macroscopic and microscopic lesions were observed in the lungs and intestines of all TGEV SC2021-infected piglets. In summary, we isolated a new natural deletion TGEV strain and demonstrated that the natural deletion strain showed high pathogenicity in newborn piglets. These data enrich the diversity of TGEV strains and help us to understand the genetic evolution and molecular pathogenesis of TGEV. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Recently, research has increasingly focused on environmental aesthetics and the professional development of teachers. By improving aesthetic quality, including perceptions and experiences, teachers can effectively master and develop professional knowledge and skills. Based on the ecological systems theory of environmental aesthetics, this study primarily explores the impact of the perceptions of Chinese teachers of environmental aesthetics and the impact of aesthetic experience on the professional development of teachers, as well as the mediating effects of aesthetic experience. The study sample consisted of 1800 teachers from 30 universities across China. A total of 1479 valid questionnaires were returned, and a structural equation model was used for validation. The results of the study found that the perception of Chinese teachers about the environmental aesthetics of schools exerted a positive effect on aesthetic experience and professional development and that aesthetic experience exerted a positive effect on professional development. Last, aesthetic experience exerted a mediating effect on the relationship between the perception of teachers about the environmental aesthetics of schools and professional development. The findings suggest that schools promote the professional development of teachers through their environmental aesthetics and the aesthetic experience of teachers, highlighting the importance of school environmental aesthetics for professional development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Porcine circovirus 4 (PCV4) was identified in 2019 as a novel circovirus species and then proved to be pathogenic to piglets. However, there is a lack of its prevalence in the Southwest of China. To investigate whether PCV4 DNA existed in the Southwest of China, 374 samples were collected from diseased pigs during 2021–2022 and detected by a real-time PCR assay. The results showed that the positive rate of PCV4 was 1.34% (5/374) at sample level, and PCV4 was detected in two of 12 cities, demonstrating that PCV4 could be detected in pig farms in the Southwest of China, but its prevalence was low. Furthermore, one PCV4 strain (SC-GA2022ABTC) was sequenced in this study and shared a high identity (98.1–99.7%) with reference strains at the genome level. Combining genetic evolution analysis with amino acid sequence analysis, three genotypes PCV4a, PCV4b, and PCV4c were temporarily identified, and the SC-GA2022ABTC strain belonged to PCV4c with a specific amino acid pattern (239V for Rep protein, 27N, 28R, and 212M for Cap protein). Phylogenetic tree and amino acid alignment showed that PCV4 had an ancient ancestor with mink circovirus. In conclusion, the present study was the first to report the discovery and the evolutionary analysis of the PCV4 genome in pig herds of the Southwest of China and provide insight into the molecular epidemiology of PCV4. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Based on social contagion theory, this study examines the mediating role of formalization of organizational structure between organizational identification and faculty conformity. It also analyzes the moderating role of conflict management style between organizational identification and faculty conformity, and formalization of organizational structure and faculty conformity in universities in Hunan province, China. Convenience sampling was employed to select the subjects, and 1,024 Chinese faculty members including teaching staff and administrative staff were surveyed online with the questionnaire consist of organizational identification scale, organizational formalization scale, conflict management style scale, and faculty conformity scale. 1,000 valid respondents were collected and SPSS was used to analyze the data through descriptive analysis, analysis of variance, correlation analysis, and hierarchical multiple regression. The results showed that faculty members' organizational identification had a positive effect on faculty conformity; formalization of organizational structure partially mediated the relationship between organizational identification and faculty conformity; and conflict management style positively moderated the relationship between organizational identification and faculty conformity and between formalization of organizational structure and faculty conformity. University administrators are often the initiators of conformity as they are responsible for formulating internal regulations. Therefore, they must monitor and coordinate workplace conflicts, resolve and guide faculty conformity, promote individual faculty members' self-improvement, and foster steady organizational development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Acupuncture has been used to treat numerous diseases such as obesity in China for thousands of years. Several mechanisms of acupuncture on obesity have been surveyed based on metabolomics, but the effects of acupuncture on the alterations in the gut flora are still unclear. In this study, an integrated approach based on 16S rRNA gene sequencing combined with high-performance liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry (HPLC–MS) metabolic profiling was conducted to investigate the effects of acupuncture on high-fat-diet-induced obesity through the regulation of the relative abundances of gut microbiota and their relationships with biomarker candidates. A total of 10 significantly altered bacterial genera and 11 metabolites were recognized, which recovered to normal levels after electroacupuncture treatment. The relative abundances of the bacterial families Muribaculaceae,Lachnospiraceae,Desulfovibrionaceae,Helicobacteraceae, Prevotellaceae,Ruminococcaceae,Rikenellaceae,Deferribacteraceae,Bacteroidaceae andTannerellaceaewere remarkedly changed among the three groups. Potential biomarkers, including LysoPC(0:0/16:0) (F 1),PC(0:0/18:0) (F 2),Cholic acid(F 3),LysoPC(16:0) (F 4), 3 a ,6 a ,7 b -Trihydroxy-5 b -cholanoic acid(F 5), 5beta-Cyprinolsulfate(F 6),PC(18:0/0:0) (F 7), 1-Nitro-5-hydroxy-6-glutathionyl-5,6-dihydronaphthalene(F 8),Glycocholic acid(F 9), L -Arginine(F 10) andGulonic acid(F 11), were involved in several metabolic pathways, such as the glycerophospholipid metabolism and primary bile acid biosynthesis. Interestingly, there was a strong correlation between the perturbed gut flora in Bilophila and Bifidobacterium and the altered intestinal metabolite of 3 a ,6 a ,7 b -Trihydroxy-5 b -cholanoic acid and Cholanoic acid and L -Arginine. This finding suggested that the effects of electroacupuncture might change the proportions of Bilophila and Bifidobacterium by regulating the constituents of the functional metabolite of 3 a ,6 a ,7 b -Trihydroxy-5 b -cholanoic acid and Cholanoic acid and L -Arginine. These results indicated that the effects of electroacupuncture focused on custom metabolic pathways as well as depend on the changes in the gut microbiota in obesity. These findings suggest that the 16S rRNA gene sequencing and HPLC–MS-based metabolomics approach can be applied to comprehensively assess the effects of traditional Chinese medicines. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant impact on education worldwide. The disease first hit China and numerous Chinese cities then started to conduct online courses. Therefore, this study aims to explore the effect of the Shanghai students' emotional intelligence, learning motivation, and self-efficacy on their academic achievement when they participated in online English classes during the latter phase of the pandemic in China. Furthermore, the research also examines whether the students' emotional intelligence can influence their academic achievement through the mediation effect of their learning motivation and self-efficacy. Social Cognitive Theory (SCT) and the social cognitive Expectancy-Value Model were employed to build the research framework, and the method of structural equation modeling (SEM) was utilized to conduct the model verification. Ten universities in Shanghai, China were selected for sampling. In total, 450 students were surveyed of which 404 questionnaires were valid. The results show that the students' emotional intelligence did not directly affect their academic achievement. Nevertheless, the students' emotional intelligence had a positive effect on their learning motivation and self-efficacy. In addition, mediation analysis showed that the relation between emotional intelligence and academic achievement was sequentially mediated by learning motivation and self-efficacy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Context: Although metabolic profiles appear to play an important role in menopausal bone loss, the functional mechanisms by which metabolites influence bone mineral density (BMD) during menopause are largely unknown.Objective: We aimed to systematically identify metabolites associated with BMD variation and their potential functional mechanisms in peri- and postmenopausal women.Design and Methods: We performed serum metabolomic profiling and whole-genome sequencing for 517 perimenopausal (16%) and early postmenopausal (84%) women aged 41 to 64 years in this cross-sectional study. Partial least squares regression and general linear regression analysis were applied to identify BMD-associated metabolites, and weighted gene co-expression network analysis was performed to construct co-functional metabolite modules. Furthermore, we performed Mendelian randomization analysis to identify causal relationships between BMD-associated metabolites and BMD variation. Finally, we explored the effects of a novel prominent BMD-associated metabolite on bone metabolism through both in vivo/in vitro experiments.Results: Twenty metabolites and a co-functional metabolite module (consisting of fatty acids) were significantly associated with BMD variation. We found dodecanoic acid (DA), within the identified module causally decreased total hip BMD. Subsequently, the in vivo experiments might support that dietary supplementation with DA could promote bone loss, as well as increase the osteoblast and osteoclast numbers in normal/ovariectomized mice. Dodecanoic acid treatment differentially promoted osteoblast and osteoclast differentiation, especially for osteoclast differentiation at higher concentrations in vitro (eg,10, 100 μM).Conclusions: This study sheds light on metabolomic profiles associated with postmenopausal osteoporosis risk, highlighting the potential importance of fatty acids, as exemplified by DA, in regulating BMD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Interactions between aerosols and gases in the atmosphere have been the focus of an increasing number of studies in recent years. Here, we focus on aerosol effects on tropospheric ozone that involve meteorological feedbacks induced by aerosol–radiation interactions. Specifically, we study the effects that involve aerosol influences on the transport of gaseous pollutants and on atmospheric moisture, both of which can impact ozone chemistry. For this purpose, we use the UK Earth System Model (UKESM1), with which we performed sensitivity simulations including and excluding the aerosol direct radiative effect (ADE) on atmospheric chemistry, and focused our analysis on an area with a high aerosol presence, namely China. By comparing the simulations, we found that ADE reduced shortwave radiation by 11 % in China and consequently led to lower turbulent kinetic energy, weaker horizontal winds and a shallower boundary layer (with a maximum of 102.28 m reduction in north China). On the one hand, the suppressed boundary layer limited the export and diffusion of pollutants and increased the concentration of CO , SO2 , NO , NO2 , PM2.5 and PM10 in the aerosol-rich regions. The NO/NO2 ratio generally increased and led to more ozone depletion. On the other hand, the boundary layer top acted as a barrier that trapped moisture at lower altitudes and reduced the moisture at higher altitudes (the specific humidity was reduced by 1.69 % at 1493 m on average in China). Due to reduced water vapour, fewer clouds were formed and more sunlight reached the surface, so the photolytical production of ozone increased. Under the combined effect of the two meteorology feedback methods, the annual average ozone concentration in China declined by 2.01 ppb (6.2 %), which was found to bring the model into closer agreement with surface ozone measurements from different parts of China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background The prognostic values of preoperative neutrophil/ lymphocyte ratio ( NLR), monocyte/lymphocyte ratio ( MLR), and platelet/lymphocyte ratio ( PLR) in non-small cell lung cancer ( NSCLC) have been previously described. This study assessed the prognostic values of other pretreatment complete blood cell parameters in Chinese patients with curatively resected NSCLC. Methods A total of 1466 consecutive NSCLC patients who received curative surgery from January 1, 2005 to December 31, 2009 with complete data from pretreatment blood tests were enrolled in this retrospective study. Correlations between each blood test parameter and overall survival were examined by Kaplan- Meier method or Cox proportional hazards regression, followed by a stratification analysis of significant variables. Results Optimal cut-off values of 0.55 for neutrophil/ white blood cell ratio ( NWR), 0.28 for lymphocyte/ white blood cell ratio ( LWR), 0.09 for monocyte/ white blood cell ratio ( MWR), 2.06 for NLR, 0.35 for MLR, 204.00 for PLR, and 38.25 for platelet/ white blood cell ratio ( PWR) were identified using X-tile software. Univariate analysis suggested that NWR ≥ 0.55, LWR < 0.28, MWR ≥ 0.09, NLR ≥ 2.06, MLR ≥ 0.35, and PLR ≥ 204.00 predicted a poor prognosis in NSCLC patients. However, only NWR and MLR were identified as independent significant prognostic factors in multivariable analysis, especially in tumor node metastasis stage I and I/II/III NSCLCs. Conclusion Pretreatment NWR, MWR, LWR, NLR, MLR, and PLR values are associated with poor overall survival for patients with curatively resected NSCLC. NWR and MLR are independent prognostic factors in curatively resected NSCLC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research investigates the antecedents of the price-leadership strategy (PLS), and its impacts on export performance with the moderating role of export target markets. Drawing from the contingency theory and strategy management framework, the authors adopt structural equation modelling (SEM) to analyse the survey data collected from 155 Chinese manufacturer exporters. The empirical results suggest that the PLS negatively affects export performance. Firms are more likely to adopt the PLS when competitive intensity and technological intensity are high but less likely to adopt the PLS when product popularity is high. The negative impact of the PLS on export performance is stronger when firms export to other emerging (vs. developed) markets. With the unique perspective from emerging markets, the authors theoretically discuss and empirically examine the antecedents-PLS-performance link. This research suggests that emerging-market firms rationally adopt the PLS and actively cultivate technology and innovation capability, product popularity and international marketing competence on export businesses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China, the largest developing country in the world, has achieved rapid development of insurance market since the reform and opening up, and the demand for insurance has significantly increased in recent years. Using the provincial data between 2000 and 2012, this article attempts to examine the factors that affect the demand for overall insurance, life insurance and nonlife insurance in China. Empirical results indicate that level of income, development of insurance market and level of marketization are the common factors; level of education, development of social security pension, children dependency ratio and elderly dependency ratio mainly affect the demand for life insurance; and inflation mainly affects the demand for nonlife insurance. Furthermore, we particularly investigate the regional differences in the effects of affecting factors between Eastern China, Central China and Western China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the economic condition of the Republic of China in the international trade and foreign exchange along with the increase of overseas assets and its efforts towards extending foreign aid to less developed countries.

An intercomparison of organic carbon (OC) and elemental carbon (EC) measurements was conducted based on ambient aerosol samples collected during four seasons in Beijing, China. Dependence of OC and EC values on the temperature protocol and the charring correction method is presented and influences of aerosol composition are investigated. EC was found to decrease with the peak inert mode temperature (Tpeak) such that EC determined by the IMPROVE (the Interagency Monitoring of Protected Visual Environments)-A protocol (Tpeak was 580 °C) was 2.85 ± 1.31 and 3.83 ± 2.58 times that measured by an alternative protocol with a Tpeak of 850 °C when using the transmittance and reflectance correction, respectively. It was also found that reflectance correction tends to classify more carbon as EC compared with transmittance; results from the IMPROVE-A protocol showed that the ratio of EC defined by reflectance correction (ECR) to that based on transmittance (ECT) averaged 1.50 ± 0.42. Moreover, it was demonstrated that emissions from biomass burning would increase the discrepancy between EC values determined by different temperature protocols. On the other hand, the discrepancy between ECR and ECT was strongly associated with secondary organic aerosol (SOA) which was shown to be an important source of the organics that pyrolyze during the inert mode of thermal-optical analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: To investigate the validity of the Chinese version of Mood Disorder Questionnaire (C-MDQ) in China. Patients with bipolar disorders (BP, N=284) and patients with unipolar depressive disorder (UP, N=134) were assessed with the C-MDQ. The Eigenvalues of the first two factors were 3.15 and 2.09, respectively. The Cronbach’s alpha of the C-MDQ was 0.79. The frequency of positive responses of UP patients was significantly lower than those of BP patients for 12 items except the seventh item. A C-MDQ screening score of seven or more was the best cutoff between BP and UP. The C-MDQ could distinguish between bipolar II disorder (BP-II) and UP, and the best cutoff was five. A cutoff of five had a sensitivity of 0.80 and a specificity of 0.54 between BP and UP. This study demonstrated the good validity of C-MDQ in China. The best cutoff between BP-II and UP can be regarded as the optimal cutoff between BP and UP to improve the sensitivity of screening for BP-II. Five should be the optimal cutoff between the BP and UP when only the 13 items of the questionnaire are used in China. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

China's economic development in the past three years (1997-99) has been affected by the Asian financial crisis and the rapid changes in the PRC's social and economic institutions. The combined effect has been a sharp decline in exports and foreign direct investment (FDI) and a slowdown of growth in gross domestic product (GDP). Although the implementation of a whole array of monetary and fiscal policies helped to lift the economy in late 1999 and the first half of 2000, the growth rate of GDP still lies below the 1990-96 record. Despite the recent slowdown, China under the twenty years of reform and opening-up policy has significantly enlarged the industrial base and improved infrastructure and market operations. The long-term outlook on the Chinese economy projected by the World Bank and many Western experts remains optimistic. While some gloomier projections exist, on balance the optimists prevail In the journey toward becoming a world-class economic power, the Chinese economy also faces such obstacles as the decay of state-owned-enterprises (SOEs), the existence of a huge surplus labor, and the rapid deterioration of the environment. Whether or not solutions to these problems are found will determine China's chance of becoming a major player in the twenty-first century world economy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Assesses the economic conditions in China. Policies which help to sustain the economic growth; Increase in investments for high profit industries; Growth in the durable consumer goods production; Agricultural productivity; Constraints and obstacles facing the economy; Steps taken to rally the individual economy in urban areas.

In this article, we study patterns of intergenerational mobility in modern China. We use data from the Social Structure in Modern China Survey, which was conducted in 1988 among urban and rural populations of two municipalities and four provinces in mainland China. Both absolute mobility and relative mobility rates are examined with regard to theoretical propositions relevant to industrialism and socialism. Of emerging patterns, we find no evidence in support of increasing upward mobility of the working population. Instead, total mobility and upward mobility from farm origins into manual destinations, and from farm and manual origins into non-manual destinations reflect changing state policies in economic development, control over population movement and sponsorship of farm and working class origins. Trends of social fluidity show no monotonically increasing openness for three ten year cohorts of men and women. Compared with men, class allocation is more strongly related to class origin for women. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents a single fossil specimen of probable arrow worm Eognathacantha ercainella from the Lower Cambrian Maotianshan Shale in Haikou, China. Description of the head; Presence of expanded base of spine; Interpretation of several body parts.

• The annual frequency of the near-surface in thawing period was greater than that in the freezing period, however, the freeze-thaw intensity was opposite. • The freeze-thaw frequency and intensity were significantly affected by the temperature difference. • Except for forest land, the inter-annual variation of freeze-thaw frequency and intensity on different land use types was small. The Northeast region of China is located in mid-latitudes, characterized by large annual and diurnal temperature variations. This climatic characteristic creates conditions for frequent freeze-thawing erosion during the autumn freezing period and spring thawing period. An analysis of the freeze–thaw alternation process near the surface soil was conducted firstly. Based on this analysis, freeze–thaw frequency, intensity, temperature difference, and average soil moisture were calculated by utilizing reanalysis data of near-surface soil temperature, soil moisture, and daily maximum/minimum temperatures from 1990 to 2020, along with land use data for four periods. Sen's slope and partial correlation coefficient methods were employed to determine spatial trends and correlations. The research results indicated that in the Northeast region, the annual intensity and frequency of near-surface soil freeze–thaw in the western region were significantly higher than those in the eastern region at the same latitude. Thawing frequency (5–50 cycles) was higher than freezing period (5–30 cycles), while freeze–thaw intensity during the freezing period (7–40 °C) was higher than the thawing period (2–40 °C). Regarding the correlation between freeze–thaw characteristics and driving factors, the partial correlation coefficients of freeze–thaw frequency and intensity with temperature difference were mainly positive, while the negative partial correlation coefficients with soil moisture were mostly distributed in regions with high or low soil moisture values. Among the seven main land use types in the study area, the magnitude of freeze–thaw frequency was as follows: water area > unutilized land > grass land > dry fields > paddy fields > marshy land > forest land, and the magnitude of freeze–thaw intensity was as follows: unutilized land > grass land > water area > dry fields > marshy land > paddy fields > forest land. These results are of significant importance for understanding the characteristics and changes of soil freeze–thaw in the Northeast region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Getah virus (GETV) is a mosquito-transmitted disease that affects animals, causing fever, aseptic meningitis, and abortion. Its prevalence in China poses risks to both animal health and public well-being. Currently, there is a scarcity of seroepidemiological data on GETV due to the absence of commercial antibody detection kits for pigs. The aim of this study is to develop a rapid, accurate, and sensitive ELISA, providing a reliable tool for GETV seroepidemiology and laying the foundation for future commercial assay development. In this study, we removed specific hydrophobic domains and intracellular structures from E2 proteins and constructed the recombinant plasmid pCold-TF-E2. The recombinant protein was expressed using a prokaryotic expression system, and efficient purification of the rE2 protein was achieved using a nickel affinity column. The purified rE2 protein is suitable for the development of an indirect ELISA (rE2 ELISA). Following the optimization of reaction conditions for the rE2-ELISA, the cut-off value was 0.356. Additionally, the rE2-ELISA method showed a positive rate of 37.1% for IgG antibodies against GETV when testing 986 pig clinical serum samples collected from pigs in Sichuan between May 2022 and September 2022. The rE2-ELISA method displayed a 95.1% overall agreement with VNT, boasting a sensitivity of 98.2% and a specificity of 92.6%. These results indicate that IgG ELISA based on rE2 protein is an efficient and economical method for the detection of GETV antibodies in pigs, facilitating the diagnosis and prevention of GETV. • An indirect ELISA method for detecting GETV antibodies in swine was established. • The soluble recombinant E2 protein acts as the coated antigen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the aim of understanding the impact of aerosol particle size and chemical composition on CCN activity, the size-resolved cloud condensation nuclei (CCN) number concentration (N CCN ), particle number size distribution (PSD) (10–600 nm), and bulk chemical composition of particles with a diameter < 1.0 μm (PM 1 ) were measured simultaneously at Xinzhou, a suburban site in northern China, from 22 July to 26 August 2014. The N CCN was measured at five different supersaturations ( SS ) ranging from 0.075%–0.76%. Diurnal variations in the aerosol number concentration (N CN ), N CCN , the bulk aerosol activation ratio (AR), the hygroscopicity parameter ( κ chem ), and the ratio of 44 mass to charge ration ( m/z 44) to total organic signal in the component spectrum ( f 44 ), and the PSD were examined integrally to study the influence of particle size and chemical composition on CCN activation. We found that particle size was more related to the CCN activation ratios in the morning, whereas in the afternoon (~ 1400 LST), κ chem and f 44 were more closely associated with the bulk AR. Assuming the internal mixing of aerosol particles, N CCN was estimated using the bulk chemical composition and real-time PSD. We found that the predicted CCN number concentrations were underestimated by 20–30% at SS < 0.2% probably due to the measurement uncertainties. Estimates were more accurate at higher SS levels, suggesting that the hygroscopicity parameter based on bulk chemical composition information can provide a good estimate of CCN number concentrations. We studied the impacts of new particle formation (NPF) events on size-resolved CCN activity at the “growth” stage and “leveling-off” stage during a typical NPF event by comparing with the case during non-NPF event. It has been found that CCN activation was restrained at the “growth” stage during which larger particle diameters were needed to reach an activation diameter( D a ), and the bulk AR decreased as well. However, during the “leveling-off” stage, a lower D a was observed and CCN activation was greatly enhanced. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: This study determines Chinese body segment parameters based on a magnetic resonance imaging method. Methods: Fifty young Chinese men (21.5 ± 1.52 yr) participated in this study. Magnetic resonance images were obtained using a GE magnetic resonance imaging 1.5-T scanner with 10-mm thickness. The magnetic resonance digital images were analyzed using medical imaging software. This study separated the human body into 14 segments, including the head and neck, trunk, upper arm, forearm, hand, thigh, shank, and foot to calculate the percentage of mass of total body mass (%M), center of mass location (%CM), and moments of inertia (I) for each segment. Results: The study results showed %M and %CM of the head and neck (8.21 and 52.69), trunk (42.28 and 41.96), upper arm (3.25 and 47.16), forearm (1.36 and 40.98), hand (0.54 and 32.60), thigh (13.50 and 48.56), shanks (4.63 and 41.68), and foot (1.47 and 47.51). Compared with other cadaver-based and in vivo studies, our findings indicate a lower %M and %CM at the hand, forearm, and trunk but higher %M and %CM at the head. The differences may be due to the race, lifestyle, age, and level of participants. The discrepancies in segment boundaries and coordinate system may also contribute to these differences. Most previous studies have either used cadavers from older Caucasian men or drawn conclusions from a limited sample size. Conclusions: This study establishes a new model to provide thorough information of Chinese body segment parameters for enhanced ergonomic design and more accurate human movement studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: A comprehensive investigation was conducted to the urban soil in the megacity Shanghai in order to assess the levels of PAHs and potential risks to human health, to identify and quantitatively assess source contributions to the soil PAHs. A total of 57 soil samples collected in main urban areas of Shanghai, China were analyzed for 26 PAHs including highly carcinogenic dibenzopyrene isomers. The total concentrations ranged from 133 to 8650ngg−1 for Σ26PAHs and 83.3 to 7220ngg−1 for Σ16PAHs, with mean values of 2420 and 1970ngg−1, respectively. DBalP and DBaeP may serve as markers for diesel vehicle emission, while DBahP is a probable marker of coke tar as distinct from diesel emissions. Six sources in Shanghai urban area were identified by PMF model; their relative contributions to the total soil PAH burden were 6% for petrogenic sources, 21% for coal combustion, 13% for biomass burning, 16% for creosote, 23% for coke tar related sources and 21% for vehicular emissions, respectively. The benzo[a]pyrene equivalent (BaPeq) concentrations ranged from 48.9–2580ngg−1 for Σ24PAHs, 7.02–869ngg−1 for Σ16PAHs and 35.7–1990ngg−1 for Σ4DBPs. The BaPeq concentrations of Σ4DBPs made up 72% of Σ24PAHs. Nearly half of the soil samples showed concentrations above the safe BaPeq value of 600ngg−1. Exposure to these soils through direct contact probably poses a significant risk to human health from carcinogenic effects of soil PAHs. The index of additive cancer risk (IACR) values in almost one third of urban soil samples were more than the safe value of 1.0, indicating these urban soil PAHs in the study area may pose a potential threat to potable groundwater water quality from leaching of carcinogenic PAH mixtures from soil. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Aim: To investigate the results of the Hypomania Checklist-32 (HCL-32) administered as a screening instrument in clinical settings to mood disorders patients in the depressive phase. Methods: A total of 1487 patients diagnosed and being treated for major depressive disorder (MDD) in 13 mental health centers across China were self-rated by the HCL-32 and independently examined by the Mini International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI). Results: After examination by the MINI, 309 (20.8%) of the 1487 patients clinically diagnosed as having MDD satisfied DSM-IV criteria for bipolar disorder (BD): 118 (7.9%) for bipolar I disorder (BD-I) and 191 (12.8%) for bipolar II disorder (BD-II). The mean HCL-32 score of the BD patients was statistically higher than that of patients with unipolar depression (UD, major depressive disorder), BD-II higher than UD, while no significant difference between BD-I and BD-II. The HCL-32 distinguished between BD and UD (best cutoff score 14), between BD-II and UD (best cutoff 12). At the optimum cutoff of 12 between BD and UD, the sensitivity was 0.86, specificity 0.69. Limitations: No standardized instruments were used to measure the severity of depressive symptoms. Depressed patients with a previous history of BD were excluded from this study. Conclusions: The HCL-32 results in this multicenter study of patients in the depressive phase were similar to those of earlier, generally smaller-scale studies which subjects could be in any mood phases. A score of 12 could be used as the optimum cutoff between BD and UD to improve screening for BD-II if the HCL-32 was applied in clinical settings in China. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Eighty road dust-fall (DF) monitoring sites and 14 background monitoring sites were established in the Beijing metropolitan area, and monitoring was conducted from January 2006 to December 2008. The dust-fall attributable to roads (ΔDF) showed a clear decline from 2006 to 2008. Dust-fall levels decreased across different road types from freeway > major arterial roads > minor arterial roads > collector roads > background sites. The ΔDF showed declines of 65%, 55%, 65% and 84% respectively for freeways, major arterial, minor arterial and collector roads from August 2007 to August 2008, and declines of 77%, 76%, 82% and 82% between August 2006 and August 2008. The ΔDF declined by 80%, 79%, 82% and 69% for freeways, major arterial, minor arterial and collector roads respectively between September 2007 and September 2008, and declined by 84%, 88%, 80% and 81% between September 2006 and September 2008. Eighty samples were collected in August 2007 and August 2008 and analyzed for silt loading. PM10 emission factors and emission strengths were calculated using the AP-42 model. The silt loading reduced by 77%, 35%, 61%, 59% and 75% for freeways, major arterial, minor arterial, collector and local roads respectively. The PM10 emission factors were reduced by 57%, 15%, 36%, 51% and 61% and the PM10 emission strength declined by 70%, 40%, 55%, 65% and 72% for freeways, major arterial, minor arterial, collector and local roads respectively between August 2007 and August 2008. The decline is consistent with the reduction in road dust-fall. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The rapid urbanization in China has brought about serious air pollution problems, which are likely to persist for a considerable period as the urbanization process continues. In urban areas, the spatial distribution of air pollutants represented by PM 2.5 has been proved mainly affected by emission, urban landscape pattern (short as ULP), as well as meteorological conditions. However, the contributions of these factors can seriously vary with different periods of urban development. Based on multi-source data, 304 prefecture-level cities in China were chosen as study areas, and we used the Geographically and Temporally Weighted Regression (GTWR) model to quantify the relative contributions of three factors-emission, ULP, and meteorological condition-to PM 2.5 concentration variation in different periods, namely, the Slow Ascending Period (SAP, 2000-2007), the Stable High-level Period (SHP, 2007-2013), and the Rapid Decline Period (RDP, 2013-2020). During SAP, the relative contribution of emission remained low and the relative contribution of ULP decreased, while the contribution of meteorological factors to PM 2.5 concentration variation becoming the dominant factor. During SHP and RDP, the relative contribution of emission notably increased (The largest increase is 28 %), while the relative contribution of meteorological factors significantly decreased (The largest decrease is 16 %). Spatially, the key regions for air pollution control in China, such as the Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, the Fenwei Plain, the Yangtze River Delta, and the Pearl River Delta, experienced a significantly greater decrease (The largest decrease is 39 %) in the meteorological contribution and increase in the emission contribution (The largest increase is 66 %) compared to other regions. In general, we found that 27 cities in southwest China become increasingly sensitive to meteorological conditions, while the majority of cities (277 in total), particularly in key regions, have shown a growing sensitivity to emission during the whole period. These results prove that the ability of anthropogenic influence on air quality is gradually more effective, indicating the air pollution prevention and control policies in China in recent years have achieved satisfactory results. It is worthy to notice that the PM 2.5 level in most cities is still sensitive to emissions. Therefore, strict emission reduction measures still needs to implemented in the future to further improve air quality., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2025 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Ltd.. All rights reserved.)