Chinese Mainland Research Articles

Population genetics and genetic variation of Pomacea canaliculata (Gastropoda: Ampullariidae) in China revealed bysequence analyses of three mitochondrial genes.

The Golden apple snail, Pomacea canaliculata, is one of the world's 100 worst invasive alien species that is best known for its damage to wetland agriculture. It also acts as an intermediate host of some zoonotic parasites such as Angiostrongylus cantonensis, posing threats to human public health and safety. Despite is beingan important agricultural pest, the genetic information and population expansion history of this snail remains poorly understood in China. In this study, we analyzed the genetic variation and population genetics of P. canaliculata populations in seven regions of China based on molecular markers of three mitochondrial (mt) genes. A total of 15 haplotypes were recognized based on single mt cox1, nad1, and nad4, and eight haplotypes were identified using the concatenated genes. High haplotype diversity, moderate nucleotide diversity, low gene flow, and high rates of gene differentiation among the seven P. canaliculata populations were detected. Shanghai and Yunnan populations showed higher genetic flow and very low genetic differentiation. The results of Tajima's D, Fu's F s, and mismatch distribution showed that P. canaliculata did not experience population expansion in China. Genetic distance based on haplotypes suggested that nad1 gene was more conserved than cox1 gene within P. canaliculata. The phylogenetic analyses showed there may be two geographical lineages in the Chinese mainland. The present study may provide a new genetic marker to analyze P. canaliculata, and results support more evidence for studying the genetic distribution of P. canaliculata in China and contribute to a deeper understanding of its population genetics and evolutionary biology.

Incidence, outcome, and prognostic factors of prolonged mechanical ventilation among children in Chinese mainland: a multi-center survey.

To evaluate the incidence, outcome, and prognostic factors of prolonged mechanical ventilation (PMV) in children in Mainland China. A prospective study was conducted in 11 pediatric intensive care units (PICUs) from May 1, 2021, to April 30, 2022. All pediatric patients on mechanical ventilation meeting the criteria for PMV were included in the study. Out of 5,292 patients receiving mechanical ventilation, 278 children met the criteria for PMV (5.3%). After excluding case with incomplete data or lost to follow-up, the study included 250 patients. Among them, 115 were successfully weaned from mechanical ventilation, 90 died, and 45 were still on mechanical ventilation. The 6-month survival rate was 64%. The primary associated conditions of PMV were lower airway diseases (36%), central nervous system diseases (32%), and neuromuscular diseases (14%). The stepwise multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that the utilization of vasoactive agents and an elevated pediatric logistic organ dysfunction-2 (PELOD-2) score on the day of PMV diagnosis were significantly associated with an increased of PMV death. Specifically, the odds ratio (OR) for vasoactive agent use was 2.86; (95% CI: 0.15-0.84; P = 0.018), and for the PELOD-2 score, it was 1.37; 95% CI: 1.17-1.61; P < .001). Conversely, early rehabilitation intervention was negatively associated with the risk of PMV death (OR = 0.45; 95% CI: 0.22-0.93; P = .032). Furthermore, the tracheotomy timing emerged as an independent predictor of failure to wean from PMV, with an OR of 1.08, (95% CI: 1.01-1.16; P = .030). The study revealed a 5.3% incidence of PMV in children requiring mechanical ventilation in China. The use of vasoactive agents and a higher PELOD-2 score at PMV diagnosis were significantly associated with an increased risk of PMV death, whereas early rehabilitation intervention was identified as crucial for improving patient outcomes. The timing of tracheostomy was identified as a high-risk factor for failure to wean from mechanical ventilation.

Studying the impacts of variant evolution for a generalized age-group transmission model.

The differences of SARS-CoV-2 variants brought the changes of transmission characteristics and clinical manifestations during the prevalence of COVID-19. In order to explore the evolution mechanisms of SARS-CoV-2 variants and the impacts of variant evolution, the classic SIR (Susceptible-Infected-Recovered) compartment model was modified to a generalized SVEIR (Susceptible-Vaccinated-Exposed-Infected-Recovered) compartment model with age-group and varying variants in this study. By using of the SVEIR model and least squares method, the optimal fittings against the surveillance data from Fujian Provincial Center for Disease Control and Prevention were performed for the five epidemics of Fujian Province. The main epidemiological characteristics such as basic reproduction number, effective reproduction number, sensitivity analysis, and cross-variant scenario investigations were extensively investigated during dynamic zero-COVID policy. The study results showed that the infectivities of the variants became fast from wild strain to the Delta variant, further to the Omicron variant. Meanwhile, the cross-variant investigations showed that the average incubation periods were shortened, and that the infection scales quickly enhanced. Further, the risk estimations with the new variants were performed without implements of the non-pharmaceutical interventions, based on the dominant variants XBB.1.9.1 and EG.5. The results of the risk estimations suggested that non-pharmaceutical interventions were necessary on the Chinese mainland for controlling severe infections and deaths, and also that the regular variant monitors were still workable against the aggressive variant evolution and the emergency of new transmission risks in the future.

New records of powder-post beetles (Coleoptera, Bostrichidae) from China.

The Bostrichidae is a small family of Coleoptera, with up to 600 described species all over the world. Almost 90 species of the family have been recorded in China at present and several new species of powder-post beetles have been described in recent years. Since the 1940s, the family Bostrichidae has become a neglected group in the taxonomy research of the Chinese mainland compared with its extensive territorial and super complex ecological diversity. Thus, there is need for more field specimen collection and in-depth taxonomic study. In this study, two powder-post beetles species Trogoxylonspinifrons (Lesne, 1910) and Mintheabivestita Lesne, 1937, are recorded for the first time from China. New provincial distribution records of another 18 Bostrichidae also listed.

Factors enhancing the intention to migrate from more developed to less developed areas

Despite the prevalence of global migration flows from more developed to less developed areas, few studies have been conducted on this phenomenon. This research utilizes data recently collected in 2020 regarding migration intentions among residents of Hong Kong considering moving from Hong Kong to the Chinese mainland. Our study aims to understand the role of social networks and perceptions of destinations in migration intentions. The results suggest that social networks, perceptions of governance quality, and perceived knowledge of the overall development plan for destinations are significantly related to the intention to migrate from more developed to less developed areas. The analysis further indicates an indirect relationship where strong social networks enhance the perception of governance quality and the understanding of development plans to reinforce migration intentions. These findings underscore the complexity of migration dynamics and highlight the need for a nuanced understanding of migration drivers beyond economic factors.

Reactivation Risk of Latent Tuberculosis or Inactive Hepatitis B Virus Infection and Effectiveness of Ustekinumab in Chinese Plaque Psoriasis Patients: A 28-Week Retrospective, Observational Study.

This study observed the effectiveness of ustekinumab and reactivation risk of concurrent latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) and inactive hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in Chinese mainland psoriasis patients on ustekinumab treatment. This retrospective, multicenter, observational study was conducted in three centers in China. Adult patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis were treated with ustekinumab for 28 weeks. The effectiveness endpoint included 75% and 90% improvement in Psoriasis Area Severity Index (PASI75/90) response rate, percentage of PASI improvement, change of absolute PASI score and body surface area involvement (BSA) score, absolute PASI ≤1/3 and Physicians' Global Assessment (PGA)=0/1, as well as Dermatology life quality index (DLQI)=0/1 response rate at week 4, 16 and 28. Screening of tuberculosis and hepatitis were performed at baseline and week 28. A total of 82 patients were enrolled between March 2021 and May 2023 and the number of patients combined with LTBI and inactive HBV infection was 20 and 21 respectively. The PASI75 and PASI90 response rate at week 28 was 95.1% and 81.7% respectively. The mean PASI score decreased from 14.93 ± 12.07 at baseline to 0.78 ± 1.86 at week 28, and the mean BSA score decreased from 21% ± 18% at baseline to 1% ± 2% at week 28 (both P<0.001 compared with baseline). DLQI 0/1 response rate at week 28 was 73.2%. No reactivation of LTBI and inactive HBV infection and also no new-onset tuberculosis and hepatitis B occurred in patients without LTBI and inactive HBV infection at baseline. Ustekinumab demonstrated great effectiveness in Chinese plaque psoriasis patients and good safety in psoriasis concurrent with LTBI and inactive HBV infection under the real-world setting.

Forecasts of China Mainland New Energy Index Prices through Gaussian Process Regressions

Energy index price forecasting has long been a crucial undertaking for investors and regulators. This study examines the daily price predicting problem for the new energy index on the Chinese mainland market from January 4, 2016 to December 31, 2020 as insufficient attention has been paid to price forecasting in the literature for this crucial financial metric. Gaussian process regressions facilitate our analysis, and training procedures of the models make use of cross-validation and Bayesian optimizations. From January 2, 2020 to December 31, 2020, the price was properly projected by the created models, with an out-of-sample relative root mean square error of 1.8837%. The developed models may be utilized in investors’ and policymakers’ policy analysis and decision-making processes. Because the forecasting results provide reference information about price patterns indicated by the models, they may also be useful in building of similar energy indices.

New Models of Zenith Tropospheric Delay for Chinese Mainland and Surrounding Areas Based on Convolutional Neural Network and Random Forest

New Models of Zenith Tropospheric Delay for Chinese Mainland and Surrounding Areas Based on Convolutional Neural Network and Random Forest

Distinguished Faculty Transfer in Chinese Mainland Higher Education Institutions: Factors of Academicians&amp;#8217; Job Mobility by CV Analysis

Distinguished Faculty Transfer in Chinese Mainland Higher Education Institutions: Factors of Academicians&amp;#8217; Job Mobility by CV Analysis

Assessment of Drought and Desertification Outlook in China Using Meteorological Drought Indices

Changing land use patterns in China may result in adverse impacts on the climate in Northeast Asia. In particular, desertification of the Chinese mainland can also have a significant influence on the climate in South Korea, such as the occurrence of yellow dust storms. This study aimed to forecast the desertification in China through a comprehensive drought analysis. Three drought indices namely, SPI, GEVI, and SPEI, were determined for eight cities in China namely, Beijing, Guangzhou, Shanghai, Xianyang, Urumqi, Chongqing, Wuhan, and Weihai. There was a strong correlation between SPI and SPEI, while GEVI showed a slightly lower correlation. The long-term droughts that can trigger desertification exhibited high correlations among the considered indices. To assess the impact of climate change, periods of severe drought occurrence were compared in ten-year intervals since 1970. It was observed that severe droughts occurred throughout China in the 1970s and 1990s. However, there was no apparent trend in increasing drought days or worsening drought conditions. Desertification in China can be influenced not only by the rainfall but also by the changes in land use pattern and exploitation of water resources. Therefore, additional research is deemed necessary to evaluate desertification in China.

Research in the Peoples Attitudes Towards Love and Marriage in Chinese Mainland

With the advancement of the economy and social development, these social changes would impact peoples attitudes towards love and marriage. This research is intended to investigate the factors that impact peoples attitude and their romantic relationship and marriage choice. The analysis uses descriptive statistics and empirical study. Empirical study is conducted by using OLS method. The research find that people would like to get into fewer times of romantic relationships as their age increases. Moreover, the research notice that people with a higher number of years of education would have slightly more positive attitude (expectation) towards marriage. Lastly, working in the public sector, such SMEs, would discourage peoples positive attitude (expectation) towards marriage. The study has practical significance for improving social practices, such as enhancing the marriage rate and birth rate. In addition, this research is advantaged by that the data is expand to all the age groups and all regions in Chinese mainland. As for policy suggestion, improving the overall level of education on the whole population and making a stable employment environment will be good ways to encourage people to hold positive attitude.

Towards fast focal mechanism inversion of shallow crustal earthquakes in the Chinese mainland

We have developed an automatic regional focal mechanism inversion system based on the Earthquake Rapid Report (ERR) system and the real-time three-component seismic waveform stream of 1 000 broadband seismic stations provided by the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC). The system can rapidly provide a double couple solution and centroid depth within 5–15 ​min after receiving earthquake information from the ERR system. The data processing is triggered by earthquake information obtained from the ERR system. The system is capable of determining the focal mechanism of all shallow-depth earthquakes in the Chinese mainland with a magnitude of 5.5–6.5. It utilizes waveform data recorded by seismic stations located within 500 ​km from the epicenter, enabling the reporting of a focal mechanism solution within 5–15 ​min of an earthquake occurrence. Additionally, the system can assign a corresponding grade (A B C) to the focal mechanism solution. We processed a total of 301 earthquakes that occurred from 2021 to June 2022, and after the quality control, 166 of them were selected. These selected solutions were manually checked, and 160 of them were compiled in a focal mechanism catalog. This catalog can be conveniently downloaded online via the Internet. The automatic focal mechanism solution of earthquakes in eastern China exhibits a good agreement with that provided by the Global Centroid Moment Tensor (GCMT), when available. The average Kagan angle between this catalog and GCMT is 22°, and the average difference in MW is 0.17. Furthermore, compared with GCMT, the minimum magnitude of our catalog has been reduced from approximately 5.0 to 4.0. The correlation between the centroid depth and crustal thickness in the Chinese mainland confirms the distribution of the centroid depth.

The Criminal Justice Practice and Experience of Corporate Compliance in China

In the 21st century, because ZTE Corporation was subject to US sanctions and penalties in the first half of 2018, which caused widespread concern in the international community and heated discussion in the domestic legal community, the Enterprise Compliance Plan was highly concerned and warmly responded in Chinese Mainland.[5] Looking at the response and implementation of corporate compliance in China, it has gone through a process of introduction and standardization by central and state-owned enterprises, and acceptance and institutionalization by private enterprises. In the process of handling criminal cases, the Supreme People's Procuratorate actively promotes the implementation and development of corporate compliance in China through the procuratorial work mechanism, accumulating rich judicial experience, and transforming the "imported" corporate compliance mechanism into an important part of China's economic development and legal implementation. Currently, the Supreme People's Court is also gradually considering the positive significance of corporate compliance in specific cases in its judicial work, and making reasonable considerations in specific judgments accordingly. Against this backdrop, it is obviously of positive significance to summarize the practical experience of criminal justice in the implementation of corporate compliance, analyze and look forward to the future legal mechanism for implementing corporate compliance plans, and promote the implementation of corporate compliance in China from the perspective of socialist rule of law concept and system, so that it can serve China's economy and enterprise development.

Long-term ozone exposure and all-cause mortality: Cohort evidence in China and global heterogeneity by region

BackgroundCohort evidence linking long-term ozone (O3) exposure to mortality remained largely mixed worldwide and was extensively deficient in densely-populated Asia. This study aimed to assess the long-term effects of O3 exposure on all-cause mortality among Chinese adults, as well as to examine potential regional heterogeneity across the globe. MethodsA national dynamic cohort of 42153 adults aged 16+ years were recruited from 25 provinces across Chinese mainland and followed up during 2010–2018. Annual warm-season (April–September) O3 and year-round co-pollutants (i.e., nitrogen dioxide [NO2] and fine particulate matter [PM2.5]) were simulated through validated spatial-temporal prediction models and were assigned to each enrollee in each calendar year. Cox proportional hazards models with time-varying exposures were employed to assess the O3-mortality association. Concentration-response (C-R) curves were fitted by natural cubic spline function to investigate the potential nonlinear association. Both single-pollutant model and co-pollutant models additionally adjusting for PM2.5 and/or NO2 were employed to examine the robustness of the estimated association. The random-effect meta-analysis was adopted to pool effect estimates from the current and prior population-based cohorts (n = 29), and pooled C-R curves were fitted through the meta-smoothing approach by regions. ResultsThe study population comprised of 42153 participants who contributed 258921.5 person-years at risk (median 6.4 years), of whom 2382 death events occurred during study period. Participants were exposed to an annual average of 51.4 ppb (range: 22.7−74.4 ppb) of warm-season O3 concentration. In the single-pollutant model, a significantly increased hazard ratio (HR) of 1.098 (95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.023−1.179) was associated with a 10-ppb rise in O3 exposure. Associations remained robust to additional adjustments of co-pollutants, with HRs of 1.099 (95% CI: 1.023−1.180) in bi-pollutant model (+PM2.5) and 1.093 (95% CI: 1.018−1.174) in tri-pollutant model (+PM2.5+NO2), respectively. A J-shaped C-R relationship was identified among Chinese general population, suggesting significant excess mortality risk at high ozone exposure only. The combined C-R curves from Asia (n = 4) and North America (n = 17) demonstrated an overall increased risk of all-cause mortality with O3 exposure, with pooled HRs of 1.124 (95% CI: 0.966−1.307) and 1.023 (95% CI: 1.007−1.039) per 10-ppb rise, respectively. Conversely, an opposite association was observed in Europe (n = 8, HR: 0.914 [95% CI: 0.860−0.972]), suggesting significant heterogeneity across regions (P < 0.01). ConclusionsThis study provided national evidence that high O3 exposure may curtail long-term survival of Chinese general population. Great between-region heterogeneity of pooled O3-mortality was identified across North America, Europe, and Asia.

Development and Validation of the Home Hospice Care Needs Questionnaire for the Dying Old Adult (HHCNQ-DE) in Mainland China.

Context: Home hospice needs assessment is the key to the development of home hospice services. Therefore, there is a need to develop assessment tools in mainland China to meet the comprehensive needs of the old adult at the end of life. Objective: To develop and validate a tool to assess Chinese mainland palliative care needs of the dying old adult at home. Methods: Using the Harmony Nursing Theory as a theoretical framework, through reference to the China home hospice care needs scale, literature research, in-depth conversations with the dying old adult, and group discussions among members of the research team, 43 original questionnaire items were preliminarily drafted. A 31-item predictive questionnaire was formed through 2 rounds of expert review and small sample testing. From April to September 2023, 199 old adult at the end of life at home in Jinzhou, Liaoning Province were investigated to determine the reliability and validity of the questionnaire. Results: The final questionnaire included 31 items. Exploratory factor analysis extracted 5 common factors, and the cumulative variance contribution rate was 68.811%; the Cronbach's alpha coefficient of the total questionnaire was 0.832, and the re-test reliability was .806; the content validity index of the questionnaire was 0.982, and the content validity index of the items was 0.83-1.00. Conclusion: The construction method of the HHCNQ-DE is scientific and reliable, with good reliability and validity, and it can be used as a tool to measure the needs of home hospice care in mainland China in the future.

Will economic development come at the cost of environmental pollution under fiscal pressure? evidence from resource-based cities in China.

The traditional view is that local governments are inclined to ease environmental regulations in response to fiscal pressure (FP) and alleviate FP by sacrificing the environment for economic development (ED). This paper takes Chinese Mainland resource-based cities (RBC) as the research sample but draws different conclusions. The research results are as follows: firstly, for RBC, although FP reduces environmental pollution (EP), it is not conducive to ED. Compared with non-resource-based cities (NRBC), the economic negative effect of FP in RBC is more obvious. Secondly, FP is detrimental to ED by reducing EP, and RBC have not sacrificed the environment to promote ED in the context of FP. This paper summarizes that the development path of RBC should be "optimizing government behavior → increasing FP → improving environmental quality → reducing ED level." Thirdly, the impact of FP on cities with slower economic growth and smaller economic gap is greater, and the impact of FP on cities with better environment is more obvious. This paper argues that facing FP, RBC in China will not trade EP for ED; at the same time, we suggest RBC in other countries in the face of the FP, not only thinking of promoting ED at the expense of the EP and ease the FP, but also the development of green ecological requirement, overall consideration of the relationship between EP and ED, and then achieve green and sustainable ED without degrading the environment as far as possible.

Differences in the attitudes towards resuscitation of extremely premature infants between neonatologists and obstetricians: a survey study in China.

Neonatologists and obstetricians are crucial decision-makers regarding the resuscitation of extremely preterm infants (EPIs). However, there is a scarcity of research regarding the differing perspectives on EPI resuscitation between these medical professionals. We aim to determine the differences and influential factors of their attitudes towards EPIs resuscitation in China. This cross-sectional study was conducted in public hospitals of 31 provinces in Chinese mainland from June to July 2021. Influential factors of binary variables and those of ordinal variables were analyzed by modified Poisson regression models and multinomial logistic regression models due to the invalid parallel line assumption of ordinal logistic regression models. A total of 832 neonatologists and 1,478 obstetricians who were deputy chief physicians or chief physicians participated. Compared with obstetricians, neonatologists delivered a larger proportion of infants of <28-week gestational age (87.74% vs. 84.91%) and were inclined to think it inappropriate to use 28 weeks as the cutoff of gestational age for providing full care to premature infants [63.34% vs. 31.60%, adjusted prevalence ratio = 1.61 (95% CI: 1.46-1.77)], and to suggest smaller cutoffs of gestational age and birth weight for providing EPIs resuscitation. Notably, 46.49% of the neonatologists and 19.01% of the obstetricians believed infants ≤24 weeks' gestation should receive resuscitation. In China, notable disparities exist in attitudes of neonatologists and obstetricians towards resuscitating EPIs. Strengthening collaboration between these two groups and revising the pertinent guidelines as soon as possible would be instrumental in elevating the resuscitation rate of EPIs.

Impact of Economic Growth on International Student Enrollment: A Comparative Analysis of Chinese Mainland and Taiwan

This study conducts a comparative analysis of the impact of economic growth on international student enrollment in Chinese mainland and Taiwan. Through regression analysis, this study discovered a counterintuitive negative relationship between GDP growth rate and international student numbers in China, suggesting additional factors beyond economic indicators influence student attractiveness. Potential variables such as tuition costs, visa regulations, and perceptions of higher education quality warrant further exploration. In Taiwan, the absence of a significant correlation emphasizes the prominence of cultural, educational, and policy-related influences. These findings highlight the need for comprehensive policymaking encompassing economic indicators, academic quality, cultural inclusivity, and support structures. By understanding these complex factors, both Chinese mainland and Taiwan can shape their international education strategies effectively, creating nurturing environments that cater to diverse student cohorts. This research contributes to a deeper understanding of international student mobility dynamics and informs strategies to enhance the attractiveness of higher education destinations.

Translanguaging, transculturality, and the English naming practice for children in China

This study examines Chinese parents’ English naming practices for their children through the analytical lens of translanguaging and transculturality, with the former conceptualised as the linguistic manifestation of the latter. A survey was conducted with 416 Chinese-speaking parents living in four metropolitan cities in the Chinese mainland: Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen, and Guangzhou. Forty of these parents were also interviewed. The results revealed that 89% of the respondents (n = 334) had given English names to their children. Among the 334 English names collected, only 6 names were randomly chosen, demonstrating that most parents put considerable thought into selecting English names for their children. Linguistic analysis of the 328 carefully-selected names revealed that 208 names involved translanguaging, and five subcategories were identified: Pinyin romanisation, translingual rhyming, translingual homophony, literal translation, and meaning association. The remaining 120 names manifested a ‘transcultural recontextualisation’ of English names, mainly including names of movie/book characters and celebrities. The results shed light on boundary-crossing in translanguaging practices and provide new insights into translanguaging creativity as a means of creating transcultural identities. They further show that transculturality is a multi-directional process at the level of cultural flow and a scaled continuum in terms of cultural hybridity.

From “them” to “us”?

Abstract This study provides an account of how the representation of China has changed diachronically in the South China Morning Post (SCMP), the leading liberal English-language broadsheet in Hong Kong, since the sovereignty transfer in 1997. Adopting a corpus-based approach to critical discourse studies, we analyse two corpora of news reports about China in the newspaper, one for 1997–2000 and the other one for 2015–2018. It is found that the representation of China has changed from very negative representations focusing on human right problems in the first period to largely positive representations centring upon China’s global and economic power in the second period. The changes may suggest that the SCMP has to a certain extent shifted its positioning of China from “them” to “us”, though an ambivalent stance is observed. The ambivalence is discussed in relation to the economic convergence and political divergence between Hong Kong and the Chinese mainland.