A Possible Impact of Cooling over the Tibetan Plateau on the Mid-Holocene East Asian Monsoon Climate

By using a 9-level global atmospheric general circulation model developed at the Institute of Atmospheric Physics （IAP9L-AGCM） under the Chinese Academy of Sciences, the authors investigated the response of the East Asian monsoon climate to changes both in orbital forcing and the snow and glaciers over the Tibetan Plateau at the mid-Holocene, about 6000 calendar years before the present （6 kyr BP）. With the Earth＇s orbital parameters appropriate for the mid-Holocene, the IAP9L-AGCM computed warmer and wetter conditions in boreal summer than for the present day. Under the precondition of continental snow and glacier cover existing over part of the Tibetan Plateau at the mid-Holocene, the authors examined the regional climate response to the Tibetan Plateau cooling. The simulations indicated that climate changes in South Asia and parts of central Asia as well as in East Asia are sensitive to the Tibetan Plateau cooling at the mid-Holocene, showing a significant decrease in precipitation in northern India, northern China and southern Mongolia and an increase in Southeast Asia during boreal summer. The latter seems to correspond to the weakening, southeastward shift of the Asian summer monsoon system resulting from reduced heat contrast between the Eurasian continent and the Pacific and Indian Oceans when a cooling over the Tibetan Plateau was imposed. The simulation results suggest that the snow and glacier environment over the Tibetan Plateau is an important factor for mid-Holocene climate change in the areas highly influenced by the Asian monsoon.

Geochemical evidences of dry climate in the Mid-Holocene in Gonghe Basin, northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

Previous research on climatic change in the Mid-Holocene in China indicates that it was a warm and humid period, accompanied by stronger summer monsoons, and it is defined as the Megatherrnal in the Holocene, or the Holocene Optimum period. However, this conclusion is mainly dh＇eeted at the monsoonal region in eastem China. In this research, we chose the Gonghe Basin in the northeastern Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau as the study area. Geochemical analysis of the profiles of paleosols and aeolian sand in the Santala area in the middle of the Gonghe Basin, along with OSL （optically stimulated luminescence） dating, indicates that the regional climate has experienced several warm-humid and cold-dry cycles since 11.8 ka. In particular, the Mid-Holocene （8.14.6 ka） was relatively cold and dry as evidenced by drastic fluctuations in chemical weathering degree and humidity, a higher aridity index, and sparse vegetation, accompanying increased winter monsoonal strength. In order to clarify whether this is an individual or local signal, we compared our geochemical analysis results with lake and peat records and aeolian de- posits of the monsoonal boundary region. The results indicate that the climate deteriorated widely, with declines in temperature and moisture, in the Mid-Holocene in the modem monsoonal boundary zone. Furthermore, the duration of climate deteriora- tion （relatively dry period） generally decreased from west to east in the aforementioned regions. Therefore, this dry phase in Gonghe Basin may be representative of dry events in Mid-Holocene in northem China. In addition, we discuss the reasons for this dry climate from several perspectives： （1） it probably can be attributed to a decline in summer monsoonal strength; （2） the regional evaporation loss （forced by high temperature） was not compensated by regional precipitation; （3） the thermal dynamic effect of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.

Precipitation Pattern of the Mid-Holocene Simulated by a High-Resolution Regional Climate Model

Early proxy-based studies suggested that there potentially occurred a ＂southern drought/northern flood＂ （SDNF） over East China in the mid-Holocene （from roughly 7000 to 5000 years before present）.In this study,we used both global and regional atmospheric circulation models to demonstrate that the SDNF-namely,the precipitation increases over North China and decreases over the the lower reaches of the Yangtze River Valley--could have taken place in the mid-Holocene.We found that the SDNF in the mid-Holocene was likely caused by the lower SST in the Pacific.The lowered SST and the higher air temperature over China's Mainland increased the land-sea thermal contrast and,as a result,strengthened the East Asian summer monsoon and enhanced the precipitation over North China.

The PMIP3 Simulated Climate Changes over Arid Central Asia during the Mid-Holocene and Last Glacial Maximum

In this study, the climate changes over Arid Central Asia(ACA) during the mid-Holocene(approximately 6,000 calendar years ago, MH) and the Last Glacial Maximum(approximately 21,000 calendar years ago, LGM) were investigated using multimodel simulations derived from the Paleoclimate Modelling Intercomparison Project Phase 3(PMIP3). During the MH, the multimodel median(MMM) shows that in the core region of ACA, the regionally averaged annual surface air temperature(SAT) decreases by 0.13°C and annual precipitation decreases by 3.45%, compared with the preindustrial(PI) climate. The MMM of the SAT increases by 1.67/0.13°C in summer/autumn, whereas it decreases by 1.23/1.11°C in spring/winter. The amplitude of the seasonal cycles of the SAT increases over ACA due to different MH orbital parameters. For precipitation, the regionally averaged MMM decreases by 5.77%/5.69%/0.39%/5.24% in spring/summer/autumn/winter, respectively. Based on the analysis of the aridity index(AI), compared with the PI, a drier climate appears in southern Central Asia and western Xinjiang due to decreasing precipitation. During the LGM, the MMM shows that the regionally averaged SAT decreases by 5.04/4.36/4.70/5.12/5.88°C and precipitation decreases by 27.78%/28.16%/31.56%/27.74%/23.29% annually and in the spring, summer, autumn, and winter, respectively. Robust drying occurs throughout almost the whole core area. Decreasing precipitation plays a dominant role in shaping the drier conditions, whereas strong cooling plays a secondary but opposite role. In response to the LGM external forcings, over Central Asia and Xinjiang, the seasonal cycle of precipitation has a smaller amplitude compared with that under the PI climate. In the model-data comparison, the simulated MH moisture changes over ACA are to some extent consistent with the reconstructions, further confirming that drier conditions occurred during that period than during the PI.

The late Early-Paleozoic granitic magmatism in Northwestern Fujian, China: constraints on intraplate orogeny in the South China block

The Early Paleozoic tectono-thermal event was a significant orogenic activity during the Phanerozoic era,which had a profound impact on the early crust of the South China Block(SCB) and established the foundation for later tectonic activity.The Wuyi-Yunkai orogenic belt in Southeastern China was extensively exposed to Early Paleozoic magmatism,the genetic mechanism of which remains controversial.To shed light on this issue,detailed petrological,geochemical,and zircon U-Pb-Hf isotopic studies were carried out on two granitoids,namely the Yuntongshan pluton and the Gaoqiao pluton,identified in the central Wuyishan.Zircon U-Pb chronology of the Yuntongshan and Gaoqiao bodies yielded ages of437±4 Ma(MSWD=2.2) and 404±2 Ma(MSWD=12),respectively,indicating that they were emplaced during the Early Silurian and Early Devonian periods.These granitoids are primarily composed of biotite-granite and biotite-monzonitic-granites,with high concentrations of S_(i)O_(2)(73.59-75.91 wt%),K_(2)O+Na_(2)O(8.31-8.73wt%),and low contents of MgO,CaO,Cr,Ni.They are classified as high-K calc-alkaline and weakly metaluminous-strongly peraluminous S-type granites.These granitoids are enriched in light rare earth elements(LREEs) and large ion lithophile elements(LILEs) and depleted in heavy rare earth elements(HREEs) and high field strength elements(HFSEs) with arc affinity.The εHf(t) values of-3.3 to-15.4 with two-stage Hf model ages ranging from 2829 to 1644 Ma,combined with the presence of Neoproterozoic inherited zircons,suggest that the primary magma of these granitoids was derived from the partial melting of Neoproterozoic crust with a Paleoproterozoic crustal model age.These findings,combined with the spatio-temporal distribution of regional magmatism,reveal that the late Early-Paleozoic granitoids formed in the intraplate orogenic background originating from the subduction of the proto-Tethys Ocean and proto-Pacific Ocean around the margin of the east Gondwana supercontinent.

Biogeochemistry of sedimentary organic matter in the Yongjiang River estuary in the southern part of Hangzhou Bay,China,since the Late Pleistocene

A sediment core(YJK19-02)collected from the southern outlet of Hangzhou Bay near the Yongjiang River estuary in East China was analyzed for grain size,lignin,bulk elemental composition,stable carbon isotope,and rare earth elements(REEs)to determine the sources and diagenesis of sedimentary organic matter(OM)of the estuary and adjacent areas since the Late Pleistocene.δ^(13)C values(-24.80‰–-23.60‰),total organic carbon/total nitrogen(TOC/TN)molar ratios(8.00–12.14),and light rare earth element/heavy rare earth element ratios(LREE/HREE=8.34–8.91)revealed the predominance of terrestrial sources of OM,mainly from the Changjiang(Yangtze)River.The lignin parameters of syringyl/vanillyl(S/V=0.20–0.73)and cinnamyl/vanillyl(C/V=0.03–0.19)ratios indicate the predominance of nonwoody angiosperms,and the vanillic acid/vanillin ratios[(Ad/Al)_(V)=0.32–1.57]indicate medium to high degrees of lignin degradation.An increasing trend ofΛ(total lignin in mg/100-mg OC)values from ca.14500 a BP to ca.11000 a BP reflected the increase in temperature during the Late Pleistocene.However,a time lag effect of temperature on vegetation abundance was also revealed.The relatively higher and stableΛvalues correspond to the higher temperature during the mid-Holocene from ca.8500 a BP to ca.4500 a BP.Λvalues decreased from ca.4000 a BP to the present,corresponding to historical temperature fluctuations during this time.Our results show that the vegetation abundance in the Yongjiang River Basin since the Late Pleistocene was related to the temperature fluctuation duo to climate change.

A Comparison between Late Preterm and Term Infants with Respiratory Distress Syndrome, Early-Onset Sepsis, and Neonatal Jaundice in Ecuadorian Newborns

Background: To examine the differences in prevalence of respiratory distress syndrome, early-onset sepsis and jaundice, between late preterm infants versus term infants in Ecuadorian newborns. Methods: Study design: Epidemiological, observational, and cross-sectional, with two cohorts of patients. Settings: IESS Quito Sur Hospital at Quito, Ecuador, from February to April of 2020. Participants: This study included 204 newborns, 102 preterm infants, 102 term infants. Results: There are significant differences between late preterm infants and term infants, with a p-value of 0.000 in the prevalence of early sepsis, 70.59% vs. 35.29%. In respiratory distress syndrome between late and term premature infants, significant differences were observed with a p-value of 0.000, the proportion being 55.58% vs. 24.51% respectively. The prevalence of jaundice is higher in term infants with a p value of 0.002, 72.55%, versus 51.96% in late preterm infants, and the mean value of bilirubins in mg/dL was higher in term infants 14.32 versus 12.33 in late preterm infants;this difference is statistically significant with a p value of 0.004. Admission to the NICU is more frequent in late preterm infants with a p-value of 0.000, being 42.16% for late preterm infants vs. 7.84% in term infants;the mean of the hospital days with p-value 0.005, was higher in late preterm infants 4.97 days vs. 3.55 days for term newborns. Conclusion: Due to the conditions of their immaturity, late preterm infants are 2.86 times more likely to present early sepsis than full-term newborns. It is shown that late preterm infants are 2.69 times more likely to have respiratory distress syndrome compared to term infants, therefore, late preterm infants have a longer hospital stay of 4.97 days versus 3.55 days in term infants. Jaundice and mean bilirubin levels are higher in term infants due to blood group incompatibility and insufficient breastfeeding.

Impaired implicit emotion regulation in patients with panic disorder:An event-related potential study on affect labeling

BACKGROUND Panic disorder(PD)involves emotion dysregulation,but its underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood.Previous research suggests that implicit emotion regulation may play a central role in PD-related emotion dysregulation and symptom maintenance.However,there is a lack of studies exploring the neural mechanisms of implicit emotion regulation in PD using neurophysiological indicators.AIM To study the neural mechanisms of implicit emotion regulation in PD with eventrelated potentials(ERP).METHODS A total of 25 PD patients and 20 healthy controls(HC)underwent clinical evaluations.The study utilized a case-control design with random sampling,selecting participants for the case group from March to December 2018.Participants performed an affect labeling task,using affect labeling as the experimental condition and gender labeling as the control condition.ERP and behavioral data were recorded to compare the late positive potential(LPP)within and between the groups.RESULTS Both PD and HC groups showed longer reaction times and decreased accuracy under the affect labeling.In the HC group,late LPP amplitudes exhibited a dynamic pattern of initial increase followed by decrease.Importantly,a significant group×condition interaction effect was observed.Simple effect analysis revealed a reduction in the differences of late LPP amplitudes between the affect labeling and gender labeling conditions in the PD group compared to the HC group.Furthermore,among PD patients under the affect labeling,the late LPP was negatively correlated with disease severity,symptom frequency,and intensity.CONCLUSION PD patients demonstrate abnormalities in implicit emotion regulation,hampering their ability to mobilize cognitive resources for downregulating negative emotions.The late LPP amplitude in response to affect labeling may serve as a potentially valuable clinical indicator of PD severity.

Early proactive monitoring of DNA-thioguanine in patients with Crohn’s disease predicts thiopurine-induced late leucopenia in NUDT15/TPMT normal metabolizers

BACKGROUND Thiopurine-induced leucopenia significantly hinders the wide application of thiopurines.Dose optimization guided by nudix hydrolase 15(NUDT15)has significantly reduced the early leucopenia rate,but there are no definitive biomarkers for late risk leucopenia prediction.AIM To determine the predictive value of early monitoring of DNA-thioguanine(DNATG)or 6-thioguanine nucleotides(6TGN)for late leucopenia under a NUDT15-guided thiopurine dosing strategy in patients with Crohn’s disease(CD).METHODS Blood samples were collected within two months after thiopurine initiation for detection of metabolite concentrations.Late leucopenia was defined as a leukocyte count<3.5×10^(9)/L over two months.RESULTS Of 148 patients studied,late leucopenia was observed in 15.6%(17/109)of NUDT15/thiopurine methyltransferase(TPMT)normal and 64.1%(25/39)of intermediate metabolizers.In patients suffering late leucopenia,early DNATG levels were significantly higher than in those who did not develop late leucopenia(P=4.9×10^(-13)).The DNATG threshold of 319.43 fmol/μg DNA could predict late leucopenia in the entire sample with an area under the curve(AUC)of 0.855(sensitivity 83%,specificity 81%),and in NUDT15/TPMT normal metabolizers,the predictive performance of a threshold of 315.72 fmol/μg DNA was much more remarkable with an AUC of 0.902(sensitivity 88%,specificity 85%).6TGN had a relatively poor correlation with late leucopenia whether in the entire sample(P=0.021)or NUDT15/TPMT normal or intermediate metabolizers(P=0.018,P=0.55,respectively).CONCLUSION Proactive therapeutic drug monitoring of DNATG could be an effective strategy to prevent late leucopenia in both NUDT15/TPMT normal and intermediate metabolizers with CD,especially the former.

Clinical characteristics of patients with early-and late-onset optic neuromyelitis optica spectrum disease

Objective:To analyze the different clinical features of patients with early-onset(EO-NMOSDs)and late-onset neuromyelitis optica spectrum diseases(LO-NMOSDs).Methods:A total of 51patients with neuromyelitis optica spectrum disease who were diagnosed in our hospital for the first time from January 2015 to December 2022 were included in the First Affiliated Hospital of Hainan Medical College and divided into 22 cases in the EO-NMOSDs group and 29 cases in the LO-NMOSDs group according to whether the age of onset was 50 years old.The basic data,Extended Disability Status Scale(EDSS)score,blood and cerebrospinal fluid test indicators of the two groups were statistically analyzed.Results:There were no significant differences in demographic characteristics,clinical features and serum AQP-4 antibody positivity rate between the two groups(all P>0.05),and there were significant differences in triglycerides(TG),low-density lipoprotein(LDL),apolipoprotein A(APOA),apolipoprotein B(APOB)and lipoprotein a(P=0.010,P=0.048,P=0.014,P=0.061,P=0.001,respectively),and cerebrospinal fluid LDH,There were significant differences between microprotein quantification and EDSS score(P=0.018,P=0.034,P=0.025,respectively),and the level of microprotein quantification in cerebrospinal fluid of LO-NMOSDs had a certain correlation with the degree of disability(r=0.52,P<0.03).Conclusion:LO-NMOSDs and EO-NMOSDs group patients have similar demographic characteristics,serum AQP-4 antibody positive rate and clinical features,but compared with EO-NMOSDs,patients in LO-NMOSDs group are prone to abnormal lipid metabolism,higher trace proteins in cerebrospinal fluid and more likely to be disabled,and among LO-NMOSDs,the higher the trace protein in the cerebrospinal fluid,the more severe the disability status of patients.

Tracheostomy-related data from an intensive care unit for two consecutive years before the COVID-19 pandemic

BACKGROUND Tracheostomy is commonly used in intensive care unit(ICU)patients who are expected to be on long-term mechanical ventilation or suffer from emergency upper airway obstruction.However,some studies have conflicting findings regarding the optimal technique and its timing and benefits.AIM To provide evidence of practice,characteristics,and outcome concerning tracheostomy in an ICU of a tertiary care hospital.METHODS This was a retrospective cohort study including adult critical care patients in a single ICU for two consecutive years.Patients’demographic characteristics,severity of illness(APACHE II score),level of consciousness[Glasgow Coma Scale(GCS)],comorbidities,timing and type of tracheostomy procedure performed and outcome were recorded.We defined late as tracheostomy placement after 8 days or no tracheotomy.RESULTS Data of 660 patients were analyzed(median age of 60 years),median APACHE II score of 19 and median GCS score of 12 at admission.Tracheostomy was performed in 115 patients,of whom 63 had early and 52 late procedures.Early tracheostomy was mainly executed in case of altered level of consciousness and severe critical illness polyneuromyopathy,however there were no significant statistical results(47.6%vs 36.5%,P=0.23)and(23.8%vs 19.2%,P=0.55)respectively.Regarding the method selected,early surgical tracheostomy(ST)was conducted in patients with maxillofacial injuries(50.0%vs 0.0%,P=0.033),whereas late surgical tracheostomy was selected for patients with goiter(44.4%vs 0.0%P=0.033).Patients with early tracheostomy spent significantly fewer days on mechanical ventilation(15.3±8.5 vs 22.8±9.6,P<0.001)and in ICU in general(18.8±9.1 vs 25.4±11.5,P<0.001).Percutaneous dilatation tracheostomy(PDT)vs ST was preferable in older critical care patients in the case of Central Nervous System underlying cause of admission(62.5%vs 26.3%,P=0.004).ST was the method of choice in compromised airway(31.6%,vs 7.3%P=0.008).A large proportion of patients(88/115)with tracheostomy managed to wean from mechanical ventilation and were transferred out of the ICU(100%vs 17.4%,P<0.001).CONCLUSION PDT was performed more frequently in our cohort.This technique did not affect mechanical ventilation days,ventilator-associated pneumonia(VAP),ICU length of stay,or survival.No complications were observed in the percutaneous or surgical tracheostomy groups.Patients undergoing early tracheostomy benefited in terms of mechanical ventilation days and ICU length of stay but not of discharge status,presence of VAP,or survival.

Trajectory of Walking Function in Late-Stage Older Individuals Managed with a Regular Exercise Program: A 5-Year Longitudinal Tracking with an IoT Gait Analysis System Using Accelerometers

Purpose: This study focused on maintaining and improving the walking function of late-stage older individuals while longitudinally tracking the effects of regular exercise programs in a day-care service specialized for preventive care over 5 years, using detailed gait function measurements with an accelerometer-based system. Methods: Seventy individuals (17 male and 53 female) of a daycare service in Tokyo participated in a weekly exercise program, meeting 1 - 2 times. The average age of the participants at the start of the program was 81.4 years. Gait function, including gait speed, stride length, root mean square (RMS) of acceleration, gait cycle time and its standard deviation, and left-right difference in stance time, was evaluated every 6 months. Results: Gait speed and stride length improved considerably within six months of starting the exercise program, confirming an initial improvement in gait function. This suggests that regular exercise programs can maintain or improve gait function even age groups that predictably have a gradual decline in gait ability due to enhanced age. In the long term, many indicators tended to approach baseline values. However, the exercise program seemingly counteracts age-related changes in gait function and maintains a certain level of function. Conclusions: While a decline in gait ability with aging is inevitable, establishing appropriate exercise habits in late-stage older individuals may contribute to long-term maintenance of gait function.

The Immediate Analgesic Effect and Impact on Gait Function of Transcutaneous Electrical Nerve Stimulation in Late-Stage Elderly Individuals with Knee Pain: Examination of Gait Function Using an IoT-Based Gait Analysis Device

Purpose: This study verified the effects of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS), which can be worn during walking and exercise, in elderly individuals with late-stage knee pain who exercise regularly. Methods: Thirty-two late-stage elderly individuals were evaluated for knee pain during rest, walking, and program exercises, with and without TENS. Gait analysis was performed using an IoT-based gait analysis device to examine the effects of TENS-induced analgesia on gait. Results: TENS significantly reduced knee pain during rest, walking, and programmed exercises, with the greatest analgesic effect observed during walking. The greater the knee pain without TENS, the more significant the analgesic effect of TENS. A comparison of gait parameters revealed a significant difference only in the gait cycle time, with a trend towards faster walking with TENS;however, the effect was limited. Conclusion: TENS effectively relieves knee pain in late-stage elderly individuals and can be safely applied during exercise. Pain management using TENS provides important insights into the implementation of exercise therapy in this age group.

A Possible Role of Solar Radiation and Ocean in the Mid-Holocene East Asian Monsoon Climate

An atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM) and an oceanic general circulation model (OGCM) are asynchronously coupled to simulate the climate of the mid-Holocene period. The role of the solar radiation and ocean in the mid-Holocene East Asian monsoon climate is analyzed and some mechanisms are revealed. At the forcing of changed solar radiation induced by the changed orbital parameters and the changed SST simulated by the OGCM, compared with when there is orbital forcing alone, there is more precipitation and the monsoon is stronger in the summer of East Asia, and the winter temperature increases over China. These agree better with the reconstructed data. It is revealed that the change of solar radiation can displace northward the ITCZ and the East Asia subtropical jet, which bring more precipitation over the south of Tibet and North and Northeast China. By analyzing the summer meridional latent heat transport, it is found that the influence of solar radiation change is mainly to increase the convergence of atmosphere toward the land, and the influence of SST change is mainly to transport more moisture to the sea surface atmosphere. Their synergistic effect on East Asian precipitation is much stronger than the sum of their respective effects.

Revisiting Mid-Holocene Temperature over China Using PMIP3 Simulations

Using the simulations performed by 15 cli mate models under the latest protocol of the Paleoclimate Modeling Intercomparison Project(PMIP)Phase 3(PMIP3),the authors revisited the annual and seasona temperature changes over China during the mid-Holocene Similar to the previous results produced by PMIP Phase 1(PMIP1)and 2(PMIP2)models,14(15)of the 15 PMIP3models reproduced colder annual(boreal winter and spring)temperature in response to mid-Holocene insola tion changes,with an average cooling of 0.33 K(1.31 K and 1.58 K)over China.The mid-Holocene boreal sum mer(autumn)temperature increased in all(13)of the 15PMIP3 models,with an average warming of 1.02 K(0.61K)at the national scale.Those changes simulated by the PMIP3 models were similar to those from the PMIP2simulations but generally weaker than those from the PMIP1 models.A considerable mismatch still existed between the simulated cooling by the PMIP3 models and the reconstructed warming for annual and winter tem peratures over China during the mid-Holocene,as wa also the case between the previous PMIP1/2 simulation and proxy data.

Paleoclimate Simulations of the Mid-Holocene and Last Glacial Maximum by FGOALS

Paleoclimate simulations of the mid-Holocene （MH） and Last Glacial maximum （LGM） by the latest versions of the Flexible Global Ocean-Atmosphere-Land System model, Spectral Version 2 and Grid-point Version 2 （FGOALS-s2 and g2） are evaluated in this study. The MH is characterized by changes of insolation induced by orbital parameters, and the LGM is a glacial period with large changes in greenhouse gases, sea level and ice sheets. For the MH, both versions of FGOALS simulate reasonable responses to the changes of insolation, such as the enhanced summer monsoon in African-Asian regions. Model differences can be identified at regional and seasonal scales. The global annual mean surface air temperature （TAS） shows no significant change in FGOALS-s2, while FGOALS-g2 shows a global cooling of about 0.7~C that is related with a strong cooling during boreal winter. The amplitude of ENSO is weaker in FGOALS-g2, which agrees with proxy data. For the LGM, FGOALS-g2 captures the features of the cold and dry glacial climate, including a global cooling of 4.6℃ and a decrease in precipitation by 10%. The ENSO is weaker at the LGM, with a tendency of stronger ENSO cold events. Sensitivity analysis shows that the Equilibrium Climate Sensitivity （ECS） estimated for FGOALS ranges between 4.23℃ and 4.59℃. The sensitivity of precipitation to the changes of TAS is -2.3%℃-1, which agrees with previous studies. FGOALS-g2 shows better simulations of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation （AMOC） and African summer monsoon precipitation in the MH when compared with FGOALS-gl.0; however, it is hard to conclude any improvements for the LGM.

Mid-Holocene Ocean Feedback on Global Monsoon Area and Precipitation

Mid-Holocene ocean feedback on global monsoon area, global monsoon precipitation(GMP), and GMP intensity(GMPI) was investigated by a set of numerical experiments performed with the Community Climate System Model version 4. Results showed that ocean feedback induced an increase in land monsoon area for northern Africa but a decrease for Asia and North and South America, and led to an increase in ocean monsoon area for the western Indian Ocean and southeastern Pacific but a decrease for the eastern Indian Ocean, tropical western Pacific, and tropical West Atlantic between the mid-Holocene and pre-industrial period. Dynamic oceaninduced changes in GMP and GMPI were 10.9×109 m3 d-1and-0.11 mm d-1 between the two periods, respectively.Ocean feedback induced consistent change between the Northern and Southern Hemisphere land or ocean but opposite change between land and ocean in the Northern or Southern Hemisphere monsoon areas for monsoon precipitation. The mid-Holocene summer changes in meridional temperature gradient and land-sea thermal contrast were the underlying mechanisms.

Contribution of Mountain River Materials to the Continental Shelf off Southeastern Hainan Island Since the Mid-Holocene

The concentrations of rare earth elements(REEs)in the bulk sediment of Core X2,which was collected from southeastern Hainan Island,were analyzed to investigate the relative contributions of various provenance regions since mid-Holocene.The results show that sediments in Core X2 were primarily derived from Hainan Island with lesser amounts from Taiwan and limited input from the Pearl River.Based on the application of quantitative inversion to model the REE data,the average contributions of river materials from southeastern Hainan Island and southwestern Taiwan to the study area were 68%and 32%,respectively.Furthermore,starting at 4.0 kyr BP,the transport of fluvial sediments from Taiwan to the study region increased due to enhanced hydrodynamics in South China Sea(SCS).These results indicate that the contributions of mountain river materials from Hainan Island and Taiwan to the continental shelf of northern SCS are non-negligible.Furthermore,these results demonstrate that mountain rivers can play an important role in the material cycle of continental margins and may feature a greater impact than large river systems in specific continental shelf areas.

Predictors of early and late hepatocellular carcinoma recurrence

Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC)is the most frequent liver neoplasm,and its incidence rates are constantly increasing.Despite the availability of potentially curative treatments(liver transplantation,surgical resection,thermal ablation),long-term outcomes are affected by a high recurrence rate(up to 70%of cases 5 years after treatment).HCC recurrence within 2 years of treatment is defined as“early”and is generally caused by the occult intrahepatic spread of the primary neoplasm and related to the tumor burden.A recurrence that occurs after 2 years of treatment is defined as“late”and is related to de novo HCC,independent of the primary neoplasm.Early HCC recurrence has a significantly poorer prognosis and outcome than late recurrence.Different pathogenesis corresponds to different predictors of the risk of early or late recurrence.An adequate knowledge of predictive factors and recurrence risk stratification guides the therapeutic strategy and post-treatment surveillance.Patients at high risk of HCC recurrence should be referred to treatments with the lowest recurrence rate and when standardized to combined or adjuvant therapy regimens.This review aimed to expose the recurrence predictors and examine the differences between predictors of early and late recurrence.

Late sowing enhances lodging resistance of wheat plants by improving the biosynthesis and accumulation of lignin and cellulose

Delayed sowing mitigates lodging in wheat. However, the mechanism underlying the enhanced lodging resistance in wheat has yet to be fully elucidated. Field experiments were conducted to investigate the effects of sowing date on lignin and cellulose metabolism, stem morphological characteristics, lodging resistance, and grain yield. Seeds of Tainong 18,a winter wheat variety, were sown on October 8(normal sowing) and October 22(late sowing) during both of the 2015–2016 and 2016–2017 growing seasons. The results showed that late sowing enhanced the lodging resistance of wheat by improving the biosynthesis and accumulation of lignin and cellulose. Under late sowing, the expression levels of key genes(Ta PAL, Ta CCR, Ta COMT, TaCAD, and TaCesA1, 3, 4, 7, and 8) and enzyme activities(TaPAL and TaCAD) related to lignin and cellulose biosynthesis peaked 4–12 days earlier, and except for the TaPAL, TaCCR, and TaCesA1 genes and TaPAL, in most cases they were significantly higher than under normal sowing. As a result, lignin and cellulose accumulated quickly during the stem elongation stage. The mean and maximum accumulation rates of lignin and cellulose increased, the maximum accumulation contents of lignin and cellulose were higher, and the cellulose accumulation duration was prolonged. Consequently, the lignin/cellulose ratio and lignin content were increased from 0 day and the cellulose content was increased from 11 days after jointing onward. Our main finding is that the improved biosynthesis and accumulation of lignin and cellulose were responsible for increasing the stem-filling degree, breaking strength, and lodging resistance. The major functional genes enhancing lodging resistance in wheat that are induced by delayed sowing need to be determined.