West Of China Research Articles

Spatial and temporal variation of particulate matter and gaseous pollutants in China during 2014–2016

China is experiencing severe air pollution due to rapid economic development and accelerated urbanization. High-resolution temporal and spatial air pollution data are imperative to understand the physical and chemical processes affecting air quality of China. The data of PM2.5, PM10, SO2, CO, NO2, and O3 in 187 Chinese cities during January 2014 and November 2016 were collected to uncover the spatial and temporal variation of the pollutants in China. The annual mean concentrations of PM2.5 exceeded the Grade I standard of Chinese Ambient Air Quality (CAAQS) for all of the cities except several cities in Hainan, and more than 100 cities exceeded the CAAQS Grade II standard. The concentrations of PM2.5, PM10, SO2, CO, and NO2 decreased from 2014 to 2016, whereas the O3 level increased dramatically during this period. The concentrations of PM2.5, PM10, SO2, CO and NO2 exhibited the highest levels in winter and the lowest in summer, and evidently decreased from 2014 to 2016, whereas the O3 concentration peaked in spring and summer, and dramatically increased from 2014 to 2016. The non-attainment ratios were highest in winters, while high pollution days were also frequently observed in the Southeast region in autumn and in the Northwest region in spring. Pearson correlation analysis indicated that all of the pollutants exhibited significant correlation one another. PM10 was a major pollutant affecting the air quality of China in all of the seasons. Both SO2 and NO2 exerted significantly adverse effects on the air quality in spring and autumn, but CO played an important role on the air quality in winter. O3 was found to be the dominant species among the pollutants affecting the air quality in summer, suggesting that photochemical O3 formation should be paid more attention to improve the air quality in summer. The results of geographical weight regression (GWR) showed that more significant correlations among the pollutants and the highest air quality index (AQI) appeared in the south of China. The impacts of PM10 and NO2 on the air quality increased from the east to the west of China, while SO2 and O3 exhibited the opposite variation. The data presented herein supplied an important support for the future source apportionment and intra- and inter-regional transport modeling of pollutants.

Analysis on the present deployment of large medical equipments in China

Objective To analyze the overall deployment of Class-A large medical equipments in China. Methods Data of Class A large medical equipments deployed from 2007 to 2015 were collected and classified regionally, for the purpose of measuring the overall deployment, growth level and plan performance. Results There were 403 large medical equipments in China, a rapid rise of deployment, yet still far below developed countries in terms of per capita deployment.Regional differences were significant.With PET-CT as an example, the plan performance in the east(92.19%)was much higher than the west of China(68.57%); plan performance of Class-A equipments was better, conducive to regulating the increase and distribution. Conclusions The deployment level of Class-A equipments in China is low in general, and calls for better regulation regardless of the planning and management progress. Key words: Class-A large medical equipment; Deployment planning; Performance; Public medical institutions; Social medical institutions

AMS 14C dating and wood identification in ancient timber structures in Shanxi Province, China

Shanxi Province in the north west of China is one of the centres of ancient Chinese civilization. Archaeological records from this region are a valuable legacy of ancient culture in China. Many historical buildings have been preserved up to the present time. Forty-one archaeological wood samples were taken from twelve timber structures that are in the northern, central, southern and south-eastern regions of Shanxi Province, China. The AMS 14C dates were calibrated and compared to the dates in the historical records to establish accurate calendar dating of the timbers using radiocarbon analyses, when it came to the construction of the buildings and the times when maintenance work was carried out on them. The reusing of certain timbers was investigated. All the samples were identified using a microscope; they were identified as eleven timber-tree genera. The most common species used for the ancient buildings concerned was Ulmus, followed by Larix, Populus and Quercus. While guaranteeing quality and utility, these taxa were mostly used in the columns, flower arms, cap blocks, bracket sets etc. The principle and trend of the wood selection involved were pointedly restricted by means of transportation, because the ancient timbers used in the buildings were mostly gathered from the local wild wood resources in the areas nearby.

A comparison of DALYs for periodontal disease in China between 1990 and 2013: insights from the 2013 global burden of disease study

BackgroundChina has undergone a rapid demographic and epidemiological transition with fast ecomonic development since the 1980s. Oral health is becoming a major public health problem as the prevalence of non-communicable diseases has greatly increased. Periodontal disease (PD) and caries are among the most prevalent oral diseases. PD accounts for the majority of tooth loss and increases with age. China’s third national epidemiological investigation on oral diseases (2005) revealed that periodontitis affected >50% of the adult population. The Global Burden of Disease Study 2013 (GBD2013) have been used to estimate DALYs for 301 acute and chronic diseases and injuries in 188 countries for 1990–2013. The estimation of burden of PD between 1990 and 2013 will provide a unique perspective for planning interventions and developing public health policies for PD even chronic diseases in China.MethodsWe used the GBD 2013 results for Years of Life Lost (YLLs) and Years Lived with Disability (YLDs) to calculate Disability Adjusted Life Years (DALYs) for PD in China. PD standardized DALYs rate (SDR) per 100,000 persons, the percentage of PD standardized DALYs rate (% PD SDR) in all diseases DALYs, and variance ratio of these two indexes between the years of 1990 and 2013 were compared by province, gender and age groups.ResultsNationwide, compared to 1990, the SDR in 2013 increased slightly from 24.7 to 25.7, while the variance ratio of SDR for provinces in the middle, west and south of China showed a greater variation(4.8–6.2%). The % PD SDR in all disease DALYs increased from 0.06 to 0.11% for all groups. The four highest variance ratios % PD SDR in all diseases DALYs between 1990 and 2013 occurred in the west of China (97, 98.6, 108.4 and 112.8%). The PD SDR changed slightly in the women (20.3 to 21.7), meanwhile the variance ratio of PD SDR and % PD SDR in all diseases DALYs for the women (6.7 and 94.5%) was also higher than for men (2.1 and 60.6%). The highest variance ratio % PD SDR in all oral diseases DALYs occurred between 1990 and 2013 in ages 20 to 24 (50.7%) and 25 to 29 years (50.5%).ConclusionThe PD standardized DALYs rate and % PD SDR in all diseases DALYs in China in 2013 has increased from 1990. Especially, the variance ratio of % PD SDR in all disease DALYs among Young population and women, in the west provinces of China have been becoming the highest in all age groups and national wide. Future intervention measurements should include young women of child-bearing age because women’s health impacts infant health. Periodontal disease has risk factors in common with a number of other non-communicable diseases (NCD) and conditions, and focusing on the common behavioral and environmental risk factors would be instrumental in the effective prevention of periodontal disease.

Spatiotemporal Assessment of Drought Related to Soybean Production and Sensitivity Analysis in Northeast China

AbstractDrought is a typical disaster in the main soybean production area of northeast China. The spatiotemporal variations of drought related to soybean production based on a crop water deficit index (CWDI) and sensitivity to meteorological variables were investigated in northeast China using daily meteorological data from 87 weather stations from 1981 to 2010. Statistical analysis revealed that precipitation could not meet the water demands of soybeans during the seedling–branching, filling, and maturing stages, and excessive drought occurred more often in northeast China. The Mann–Kendall test indicated that the soybean CWDI significantly increased during the filling stage. Kriging spatial analysis showed that the most drought-prone area was located in the west of northeast China. Explanations for the spatiotemporal variations of the drought for soybean production were explored in terms of meteorological variables. Statistical analysis showed that the crop evapotranspiration, air temperature, wind speed, and number of sunshine hours were significantly higher and the precipitation and relative humidity were significantly lower in the drought-prone area than in the dry area less prone to droughts. An explored method of sensitive analysis quantitatively revealed that precipitation and humidity negatively affected the CWDI, whereas temperature, wind speed, and number of sunshine hours positively affected the CWDI. The CWDI was most sensitive to precipitation. These results not only provide valuable information for soybean planning and management but also produce important background and physical evidence for the influence of climate on the drought related to soybean production in northeast China.

Comparison of digital panoramic radiography versus cone beam computerized tomography for measuring alveolar bone

BackgroundCone beam computerized tomography (CBCT) has been widely used in dental implanting. However, the local hospitals usually don’t have access to CBCT due to the cost and medical investment, especially in West of China. The doctors in local hospitals have to make reasonable dental planting using orthopantomography (OPG) to reduce risks. Therefore, it is clinically meaningful to determine the magnification rate of OPG to obtain correct diagnosis. This study investigated the magnification rate of OPG in measuring different maxillofacial loci compared with CBCT.MethodsEighty-six patients demanding dental implanting were scanned by CBCT and OPG. The vertical distance between the alveolar ridge crest of the maxillary first molar and the sinus bottom of the upper jaw, the distance between the alveolar ridge crest of the mandibular first molars and the top of nerviduct in the mandibular alveolar, and the distance between the alveolar ridge crest of the maxillary central incisors and the bottoms of the nasal cavities were measured. The horizontal distance in those loci were also measured. The distances derived from CBCT were used as reference. The distances between the two methods were compared using paired t-test. The magnification rates at these positions were calculated. The relationship between the data acquired from the two methods was analyzed Pearson correlation.ResultsThe correlation coefficients (R) between the paired samples obtained from OPG and CBCT were highly related (P < 0.05) with R values varying from 0.840 and 0.959 in vertical distances and R values varying from 0.703 and 0.904 in horizontal distances. Compared with data obtained from CBCT, the mean vertical magnification rates were 11.38% and 12.95% vertically and 8.55% and 9.43% horizontally for the first molars in the right and left maxilla respectively; 7.26% and 6.35% vertically and 5.33% and 4.96% horizontally for the first molars in the right and left mandible respectively; and 5.55% and 4.84% vertically and 6.53% and 7.47% horizontally for the central incisors in the upper right and left jaws respectively.ConclusionThe magnification rates of OPG at these teeth are different. The distances measured by OPG were highly correlated with that measured by CBCT.

Provenance study for the Paleozoic sedimentary rocks from the west Yangtze Block: Constraint on possible link of South China to the Gondwana supercontinent reconstruction

The early Paleozoic and Devonian sedimentary rocks in the western part of the Yangtze Block were suggested to be derived from an exotic source that was once connected to South China. This conclusion was mainly based on that detrital zircons from these rocks give U-Pb age populations of 2400–2600Ma, 1750–1850Ma, 900–1000Ma, 750–870Ma and 500–680Ma, but corresponding magmatic rocks of such late Archean, Grenvillian and latest Neoproterozoic-Cambrian ages do not outcrop in this area or adjacent regions. Zircons from the Cambrian sedimentary rocks of this study show the youngest age peak at ca. 550Ma, and these zircons are mostly euhedral with positive εHf(t) values of +0.6 to +7.4. Because the unconformity between the Cambrian and Ordovician is evident in both west and south sides of South China, which is synchronous with its counterpart along the northern margin of the East Gondwana blocks (e.g. Himalaya region, Qiangtang, Western Australia), it is possible that these zircons were likely derived from a late Neoproterozoic-early Cambrian accretionary orogen (e.g. Bhimphedian orogeny) associated with the initial subduction of a proto-Tethys ocean beneath the margins of Gondwana continents. In contrast, the 500–680Ma zircon population of the Silurian-Devonian sedimentary rocks give an older age peak at ca. 650Ma and their εHf(t) values for the <540Ma grains are all negative (−27.8 to −0.3). These detrital zircons are rounded and could be possibly sourced from ‘Pan-African’ orogenic belts that formed during the amalgamation of the Gondwana, such as the East African and Prydz-Darling orogens between the segments of Gondwana. Early Neoproterozoic ages are dominant in the above sedimentary rocks of this study and correlate well with the large volume of 900–1000Ma magmatism in Grenville-age provinces (e.g. Rayner-Eastern Ghats belt in India-East Antarctica) formed from ocean closure and collision tectonics during the Rodinia assembly. Our Hf isotopic data for detrital zircons of above ages suggest different origins, i.e. crustal reworking and growth at episodes of ca. 2.5Ga, 0.9–1.0Ga, 0.75–0.87Ga and 0.6–0.68Ga. Coupled with the stratigraphic relationship, these age and Hf isotopic data support a South China-North India-Qiangtang continental margin system along the northern margin of the East Gondwana. The west portion of South China was possibly connected to the uplifted Himalaya region in the early Cambrian with continuous detrital inputs from India and surrounding orogenic belts.

Relationship between lightning activity and tropospheric nitrogen dioxide and the estimation of lightning-produced nitrogen oxides over China

To better understand the relationship between lightning activity and nitrogen oxides (NO X ) in the troposphere and to estimate lightning-produced NO X (LNO X ) production in China more precisely, spatial and temporal distributions of vertical column densities of tropospheric nitrogen dioxide (NO2 VCDs) and lightning activity were analyzed using satellite measurements. The results showed that the spatial distribution of lightning activity is greater in the east than in the west of China, as with NO2 VCDs. However, the seasonal and annual variation between lightning and NO2 density show different trends in the east and west. The central Tibetan Plateau is sparsely populated without modern industry, and NO2 VCDs across the plateau are barely affected by anthropogenic sources. The plateau is an ideal area to study LNO X . By analyzing 15 years of satellite data from that region, it was found that lightning density is in strong agreement with annual, spatial and seasonal variations of NO2 VCDs, with a correlation coefficient of 0.79 from the linear fit. Combining Beirle’s method and the linear fit equation, LNO X production in the Chinese interior was determined to be 0.07 (0.02–0.27) TgN yr−1 for 1997–2012, within the range of 0.016–0.384 TgN yr−1 from previous estimates.

Гнездовая биология чёрного грифа в Тянь-Шане, Китай

During 2016 and 2017, we observed 4 nests of the Cinereous Vulture ( Aegypius monachus ) in the middle of the Tien Shan Mountains, the west of China, and tried to follow them by the GPS/GSM dataloggers. We continuously observed nesting birds and recorded their behavior. The duration of the field works was about 40 days that makes in total more than 500 hours. The results showed that all nests of the vultures were located on the eastern slope of cliffs on the altitude of 2 300 – 2 900 meters, with the distance between nests is 1–3 km. Nests were built on the open and steep ledges with the outer diameter of the nest is 1.1–1.6 m. All clutches consists of only one egg (n=4), the incubation period was 52–56 days, and the nestlings hatched in the middle of April; the medium weight of newly hatched nestlings was 160 g. In May 17th, their weight increased to 1.50 kg, in June 14th – to 5.65kg, and in July 14th the weight of young birds was about 8.56kg (close to the adult’s weight). The brooding period in this species is very long – nestlings stayed for 90–105 days in the nest, and continued to be fed by adult birds till October. Lack of food is one of the main reasons for low reproductive success in this species.

Flavobacterium orientale sp. nov., isolated from lake water.

Two Gram-stain-negative, obligately aerobic, non-motile, rod-shaped bacterial strains, designated SP3T and SP38, were isolated from a cold-water lake in the west of China. A polyphasic taxonomic study was performed for the strains. Alignment of 16S rRNA gene sequences indicated that strains SP3T and SP38 were associated with the genus Flavobacterium and were most closely related to Flavobacterium lacus NP180T (96.4 % sequence similarity), Flavobacterium ponti GSW-R14T (95.6 %) and Flavobacterium yanchengense hgT (95.3 %). The genomic DNA G+C contents of strains SP3T and SP38 were 34.9 and 34.6 mol%, respectively. The major fatty acids were iso-C15 : 0, iso-C15 : 1 G, summed feature 9 (iso-C17 : 1ω9c and/or 10-methyl C16 : 0), iso-C17 : 0 3-OH and iso-C15 : 0 3-OH. The unique respiratory quinone was menaquinone 6 (MK-6). The polar lipid profile consisted of phosphatidylethanolamine, one unidentified aminolipid and several unidentified polar lipids. Based on physiological, biochemical and phylogenetic data for these isolates, it was confirmed that strains SP3T and SP38 were affiliated to the genus Flavobacterium and represented a novel species, for which the name Flavobacterium orientale sp. nov. is proposed. The type strain is SP3T (=CGMCC 1.12506T=NBRC 109717T).

Phylogenetic analysis of HSP70 and cyt b gene sequences for Chinese Leishmania isolates and ultrastructural characteristics of Chinese Leishmania sp.

Leishmaniasis is a worldwide epidemic disease caused by the genus Leishmania, which is still endemic in the west and northwest areas of China. Some viewpoints of the traditional taxonomy of Chinese Leishmania have been challenged by recent phylogenetic researches based on different molecular markers. However, the taxonomic positions and phylogenetic relationships of Chinese Leishmania isolates remain controversial, which need for more data and further analysis. In this study, the heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) gene and cytochrome b (cyt b) gene were used for phylogenetic analysis of Chinese Leishmania isolates from patients, dogs, gerbils, and sand flies in different geographic origins. Besides, for the interesting Leishmania sp. in China, the ultrastructure of three Chinese Leishmania sp. strains (MHOM/CN/90/SC10H2, SD, GL) were observed by transmission electron microscopy. Bayesian trees from HSP70 and cyt b congruently indicated that the 14 Chinese Leishmania isolates belong to three Leishmania species including L. donovani complex, L. gerbilli, and L. (Sauroleishmania) sp. Their identity further confirmed that the undescribed Leishmania species causing visceral Leishmaniasis (VL) in China is closely related to L. tarentolae. The phylogenetic results from HSP70 also suggested the classification of subspecies within L. donovani complex: KXG-918, KXG-927, KXG-Liu, KXG-Xu, 9044, SC6, and KXG-65 belong to L. donovani; Cy, WenChuan, and 801 were proposed to be L. infantum. Through transmission electron microscopy, unexpectedly, the Golgi apparatus were not observed in SC10H2, SD, and GL, which was similar to previous reports of reptilian Leishmania. The statistical analysis of microtubule counts separated SC10H2, SD, and GL as one group from any other reference strain (L. donovani MHOM/IN/80/DD8; L. tropica MHOM/SU/74/K27; L. gerbilli MRHO/CN/60/GERBILLI). The ultrastructural characteristics of Leishmania sp. partly lend support to the phylogenetic inference that Chinese Leishmania sp. is in close relationship with reptilian Leishmania.

Reliability and validity of Parkinson's disease sleep scale-Chinese version in the south west of China

Objective: To evaluate the reliability and validity of Parkinson's disease sleep scale-Chinese version (CPDSS) through a study of a large PD population in southwest China, and to explore the prevalence and characteristics of sleep disorders in Parkinson's disease (PD) patients from southwest China. Methods: A total of 544 PD patients and 220 control subjects were enrolled in our study. Demographic data, CPDSS, ESS, PDQ39, HAMD and H-Y stage were assessed in all subjects. Statistical description, Cronbach's alpha coefficient, intra-class correlation coefficient (ICC), Spearman rank correlation coefficient and Mann-Whitney U test were used for statistical analyses. Result: The Cronbach's alpha coefficient for CPDSS was 0.79, ICC of the total scale was 0.94 and ICC of each item ranged from 0.73 to 0.97. The factor analysis yielded a five-factor solution, which explained 63.4% of the total variance. Total and each item scores of CPDSS in PD patients were lower than those in healthy controls. 69.3% of PD patients had sleep disorder, while prevalence in the control group was only 29.6%. Negative correlation was found between CPDSS and ESS. Daytime sleepiness was the most common factor (35.9%) leading to sleep disorders. The sleep disorders of PD patients in Southwest China were significantly related with the course of disease, the severity of disease, the quality of life, depression, cognitive level and motor symptoms. Conclusion: CPDSS has good feasibility, reliability and validity in PD population from southwest China. CPDSS is considered as an effective tool for the assessment of sleep disorder in PD patients.

PHP129 - Analysis on the Regional Distribution of Telemedicine in China

Analyze the regional distribution of telemedicine in diferent districts. According to the directories of National Health Committee telemedicine center network hospitals , collecting the hospital ownership in different regions.And analyzing the circumstances of telemedicine from the view of population distribution in China. there are 1220 hospitals in the directories, which from 28 provinces ,it can be divided into three parts. 1.there are 13 region from the west of China, contained 760 medical units, accounting for 62.30%, Among the 760 hospitals, tertiary hospitals accounted for 11.84%,secondary hospitals accounted for 35.28%, community hospital accounted for 3.28%, unrated hospital accounted for 49.60%. And there are 471 hospitals in the poorest areas among 760 medical units, 8.5% are tertiary hospitals, secondary hospitals accounted for 22% ,community hospital accounted for 2.55%, unrated hospital accounted for 66.88% . 2. there are 6 provinces from the central and northeast old industrial regions regions,contained 135 hospitals and institutions, accounted for 11.06%.Among the 135 hospitals, tertiary hospitals accounted for 17.78% , secondary hospitals accounted for 40.74%, community hospital accounted for 20.74% ,unrated hospital accounted for 20.74%.3. there are 9 provinces from the economically developed regions,contained 327 hospitals and institutions,accounting for 26.8%.Among the 327 hospitals ,the ertiary hospitals accounted for 14.68% , secondary hospitals accounted for 45.87%, community hospital accounted for 4.28%, unrated hospital accounted for 35.17%. 1.Most of hospitals of the telemedicine are distributed in the west of China which are vast sparsely populated, and many of them are in the poorest and most extensive areas of west. 2.some of them are in the central and northeast old industrial areas ,3 .Less of them are distributed in economically developed regions. so, we predict telemedicine will have a better development in China.

Impact of Public Goods on Economic Growth Gaps among Regions of China - from the Perspective of Public Finance

Based on the economic growth model of public expenditures, this paper assesses the contribution of public expenditures to economic growth among the East, Centre and West of China from 2007 to 2014. This paper attempts to explain the differences of the output per capita in these three regions from the perspective of disparities of investment in public goods determined by public finance and finds that public expenditures have effects on regional differences so that proper types of fiscal expenditures should be invested based on the regional economic characteristics.

GEOPHYSICAL ANALYSIS OF ABNORMAL SEISMIC (OCEANOGRAPHY) REFLECTION CHARACTERISTICS OF OCEANIC BOTTOM BOUNDARY LAYER

AbstractTraditional seismic oceanography researches dominantly pay attention to the oceanographic phenomena within the water column, such as internal wave, eddy, thermohaline fine structure, water mass boundaries, internal tide, thermohaline staircase, lee wave and so on, and could provide extra information quantitatively and qualitatively as compared with physical oceanography method. So far, very few researches try to study the water column near the seafloor, which is a significant boundary layer where water‐sediment dynamic interaction, cold seepage, hydrothermal vents, biochemical activities and energy dissipation of many oceanic processes may occur. To be different from previous seismic oceanography researches, this paper mainly focuses on seismic reflections of seawater columns near the seafloor, by reprocessing a large amount of seismic sections acquired in the west and north of the South China Sea.In this paper, conventional seismic facies analysis method is used to analyze, classify and summarize the external geometry, internal configuration, continuity, amplitude and apparent frequency of some complex seismic reflections of seawater column near the seafloor. Combined with the past research results of seismic oceanography, theory of bottom boundary layer and other various processes near the seafloor, this article not only classifies the reflection characteristics of meso‐scale eddies, internal solitary wave and Lee wave, but also speculates that some possible processes could result in a few of the newly discovered abnormal seismic reflections. For example, sheet seismic facies unit may reflect turbulent bottom boundary layer; hair‐like reflection configuration can be caused by the sediment resuspension, resulted from the interaction of bottom current and high frequency undulating seafloor, such as sand dunes; plume seismic facies unit indicates the characteristic of seep plume; and broom seismic facies unit could be associated with the upwelling currents and sediment resuspension in pockmarks. Results indicate that seismic oceanography can image not only processes of the ocean water column, such as internal wave and eddy, but also some complex processes near the seafloor, which greatly expands the research field of seismic oceanography and provides a new method and research perspective for the field observation of processes near the seafloor. Here, bottom boundary layer refers to the water column near the seafloor, and we call all the processes of this region “seafloor processes”.

Monilinia Species Associated with Brown Rot of Cultivated Apple and Pear Fruit in China.

Monilinia isolates were collected from major apple and pear production regions in China from 2004 to 2011 and identified based on their morphological characteristics and three highly conserved loci. The 247 isolates belonged to three species: Monilinia fructicola, Monilia yunnanensis, and Monilia polystroma. M. yunnanensis was the most prevalent (77%), followed by M. polystroma (20%) and Monilinia fructicola (3%). Monilia yunnanensis is primarily distributed in the south, north, and west of China; M. polystroma is limited to the north and east; and Monilinia fructicola was detected only from a few samples from the north and east. Phylogenetic analysis based on internal transcribed spacer, β-tubulin, and laccase (lcc2) genes suggested that Monilia yunnanensis, M. polystroma, and Monilinia fructigena are closely related, and Monilia yunnanensis is more distantly related. We also found that these three species do not show consistent differences in morphological characteristics, including colony morphology, colony expansion rate, conidial characteristics, and the amount of stroma produced in culture. Thus, these three species are more like phylogenetic species in the process of speciation. In addition, a set of species-specific primers based on single-nucleotide polymorphisms and deletions in the lcc2 gene region were designed and a conventional polymerase chain reaction method successfully developed for differentiating Monilinia fructicola, Monilia yunnanensis, M. polystroma, and Monilinia laxa from the other species.

Heterogeneous effects of inter- and intra-city transportation infrastructure on economic growth: Evidence from Chinese cities

This article studies the heterogeneous effects of inter- and intra-city transportation infrastructure on the growth of cities using a panel dataset comprising 219 Chinese cities over 1999–2012. According to panel FMOLS estimates, the long-term contribution of inter-city infrastructure (highways or railways) accounts for 6% of city growth, that of intra-city public transit being 2%. The core cities are found to benefit more from these infrastructures than peripheral cities. The short-run dynamic analyses using VECM reveal asymmetric bidirectional causal effects between transportation and economic growth. Notably, the impacts of transport infrastructures on economic growth are most pronounced in the west but least in central China. Eastern China benefits strongly from investments in transportation infrastructure even though such infrastructure is abundant.

S-wave velocities and anisotropy of typical rocks from Yunkai metamorphic complex and constraints on the composition of the crust beneath Southern China

In order to constrain the interpretation of seismic data from receiver functions and deep profiles of the crust beneath southern China (Cathaysia and Yangtze blocks), we have measured S-wave velocities (Vs) and splitting as a function of hydrostatic confining pressure up to 650MPa for 22 representative samples (i.e., granite, diorite, felsic gneiss and mylonite, amphibolite, schist, and marble) from the Yunkai metamorphic complex (China) that represent the crystalline basement beneath the region. The experimental data were combined with electron backscattering diffraction (EBSD) analysis of rock-forming minerals to constrain variations of Vp/Vs ratios and understand the origin of seismic anisotropy. The crusts beneath the Yangtze and Cathaysia blocks have different average thicknesses (H=35.4±6.3km and 29.8±1.8km, respectively) but display almost the same Vp/Vs values (1.73±0.08 and 1.74±0.04, respectively). These ratios correspond to an average of bimodally distributed granitic and gabbroic lithologies which are dominant, respectively, in the upper and lower crusts, instead a homogeneous andesitic composition of the overall crust. Positive and negative correlations between H and Vp/Vs occur in west and east parts of southern China, respectively. The negative correlation indicates basaltic underplating from a partially molten mantle wedge above the subducting Pacific plate into the southern China crust, whereas the positive correlation implies that much larger thinning strain has taken place in the high temperature mafic lower crust (high temperature) than in the low temperature felsic upper crust during Mesozoic-Cenozoic tectonic extension.

Statistical Report of Central Nervous System Tumors Histologically Diagnosed in the Sichuan Province of China from 2008 to 2013: A West China Glioma Center Report.

Sichuan is a province in the west of China with a population of 81.4million. This is the first statistical report of central nervous system (CNS) tumors surgically treated and histologically diagnosed in a large Chinese population. All the patient data were obtained from 86 medical facilities, which covered the Sichuan province population. Data from patients who underwent surgery between 2008 and 2013 and corresponding histology samples were re-reviewed in the major pathology centers. All the CNS tumors were categorized according to International Classification of Diseases (ICD)-10 and ICD-O-3 classifications and reviewed manually. The tumor distribution was analyzed and stratified by gender, age, race, and tumor sites. Tumors in some ethnic minorities, such as the Tibetan people, also were analyzed. The final analytic dataset included 35,496 records. The top four histologic tumors were meningioma (28.51%), pituitary adenoma (15.00%), nerve sheath (13.77%), and glioblastoma (11.82%). There was a dramatically high incidence of malignant tumor in males. The median age at diagnosis ranged from 13years (pineal region tumors) to 56years (metastatic brain tumors). Most of the tumors in the insular lobe or cerebellum were low grade, whereas those in the thalamus or basal ganglia were likely to be high grade. The incidence of malignant tumors or high-grade gliomas in the Tibetans was significantly lower than in the Chinese Han population. This report is a preliminary statistical analysis of brain and spinal tumors in a large Chinese population and may serve as a useful resource for clinicians, researchers, and patients' families.

Greenhouse gas emissions of motor vehicles in Chinese cities and the implication for China’s mitigation targets

Along with rapid development of economy, urbanization and industrialization in China, the transportation sector especially road transport accounts for the quickest growth of energy consumption and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions across the country. This paper selects four representative cities (Beijing, Shanghai, Guangzhou, and Chongqing) in the north, east, south, and west of China as targets of case study. It predicts future motor vehicle population in various cities using the Gompertz Model, and predicts and analyzes fuel consumption and GHG emissions of different types of motor vehicles in the case cities by 2035. The results indicate that besides gasoline and diesel, in the future uses of various types of vehicle fuels will follow different patterns among these four cities due to diverse resources endowment, economic strength, technology levels and geographical features. Based on predicted vehicle population and fuel consumption, it is found that from 2013 to 2035, GHG emissions from tank to wheel (TTW) and well to wheel (WTW) in all cities will continuously increase yet at different rates. If there is no interference from new policies, around 2020 Chongqing is expected to replace Beijing as the city with the highest volume of GHG emissions of vehicles among four case study cities. Therefore, the four cities especially Chongqing need urgently to develop or adjust low-carbon policies in road transportation sector, in order to achieve China’s future greenhouse gas reduction targets. Some policy implications to reduce GHG emissions of the road transportation sectors of the case cities are suggested based on the analysis results.