Based on the data from gauging stations, the changes in water discharge and sediment load of the Huanghe (Yellow) River were analyzed by using the empirical mode decomposition (EMD) method. The results show that t...Based on the data from gauging stations, the changes in water discharge and sediment load of the Huanghe (Yellow) River were analyzed by using the empirical mode decomposition (EMD) method. The results show that the periodic oscillation of water discharge and sediment load of the Huanghe River occurs at the interannual, decadal, and multi-decadal scales, caused by the periodic oscillations of precipitation, and E1 Nifio/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) af- fects water discharge by influencing precipitation distribution and contributes to periodic varations in precipitation and water discharge at interannual timescale. The water discharge and sediment load of the Huanghe River have decreased since the 1960s under the influence of precipitation and huamn activities, and human activities attribute more than precipitation to the reduction in the water discharge and sediment load, furthermore, water abstraction and water-soil conservation practices are the main causes of the decrease in water discharge and sediment load, respectively. The reduction in sediment load has directly impacted on the lower reaches of the Huanghe River and the river delta, causing considerable erosion of the river channel in the lower reaches since the 1970s along with River Delta changing siltation into erosion around 2000.展开更多
Wetlands on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP) perform a dazzling array of vital ecological functions and are one of the most fragile ecosystems in the world. Timely and accurate information describing wetland resour...Wetlands on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP) perform a dazzling array of vital ecological functions and are one of the most fragile ecosystems in the world. Timely and accurate information describing wetland resources and their changes over time is becoming more important in their protection and conservation. By using remote sensing data, this study intended to investigate spatial distribution and temporal variations of wetlands on the QTP at different watershed scales from 1970s to 2010s. Results show that wetlands on the QTP have undergone widespread degradation from 1970s to 2010s, with nearly 6.4% of their area being lost. Areas of freshwater marsh, salt marsh and wet meadow declined by 46.6%, 53.9% and 15.6%, respectively, while lake area increased by 14.6%. The most extensive losses of natural wet/ands have occurred in endorheic basins, such as in the Kunlun-Altun-Qilian Drainage Basin and Qiangtang Basin, which shrank by 44.5% and 33.1%, respectively. A pronounced increase in temperature tends to facilitate the evaporation process and reduce water availability for wetlands, One-third of the wetlands on the QTP are under threat of being submerged due to lakes rising in recent years. More research is needed to gain insight into the interaction mechanisms behind observed variations and potential impacts from further warming in the future.展开更多
We analyzed the temporal and spatial variation, and interannual variability of the North Pacific meridional overturning circulation using an empirical orthogonal function method, and calculated mass transport using Si...We analyzed the temporal and spatial variation, and interannual variability of the North Pacific meridional overturning circulation using an empirical orthogonal function method, and calculated mass transport using Simple Ocean Data Assimilation Data from 1958-2008. The meridional streamfunction field in the North Pacific tilts N-S; the Tropical Cell (TC), Subtropical Cell (STC), and Deep Tropical Cell (DTC) may be in phase on an annual time scale; the TC and the STC are out of phase on an interannual time scale, but the interannual variability of the DTC is complex. The TC and STC interannual variability is associated with ENSO (El Nifio-Southem Oscillation). The TC northward, southward, upward, and downward transports all weaken in E1 Nifios and strengthen in La Nifias. The STC northward and southward transports are out of phase, while the STC northward and downward transports are in phase. Sea-surface water that reaches the middle latitude and is subducted may not completely return to the vopics. The zonal wind anomalies over the central North Pacific, which control Ekman transport, and the east-west slope of the sea level may be major factors causing the TC northward and southward transport interannual variability and the STC northward and southward transports on the interannual time scale. The DTC northward and southward transports decrease during strong E1 Nifios and increase during strong La Nifias. DTC upward and downward transports are not strongly correlated with the Nifio-3 index and may not be completely controlled by ENSO.展开更多
Sea level anomalies observed by altimeter during the 1993-2006 period, thermosteric sea level anomalies estimated by using subsurface temperature data produced by Ishii and SODA reanalysis data, tide gauge records and...Sea level anomalies observed by altimeter during the 1993-2006 period, thermosteric sea level anomalies estimated by using subsurface temperature data produced by Ishii and SODA reanalysis data, tide gauge records and HOAPS freshwater flux data were analyzed to investigate the long term sea level change and the water mass balance in the South China Sea, The altime- ter-observed sea level showed a rising rate of (3.5±0.9)mmyr-1 during the period 1993-2006, but this figure was considered to have been highly distorted by the relatively short time interval and the large inter-decadal variability, which apparently exists in both the thermosteric sea level and the observed sea level. Long term thermosteric sea level from 1945 to 2004 gave a rising rate of 0.15±0.06 mmyr-1. Tide gauge'data revealed this discrepancy and the regional distributions of the sea-level trends. Both the 'real' and the ther- mosteric sea level showed a good correspondence to ENSO: decreasing during El Nino years and increasing during La Nina years. Amplitude and phase differences between the 'real' sea level and the thermosteic sea level were substantially revealed on both sea- sonal and interannual time scales. As one of the possible factors, the freshwater flux might play an important role in balancing the water mass.展开更多
Using a 19-year altimetric dataset, the mean properties and spatiotemporal variations of eddies in the Kuroshio recirculation region are examined. A total of 2 001 cyclonic tracks and 1 847 anticyclonic tracks were id...Using a 19-year altimetric dataset, the mean properties and spatiotemporal variations of eddies in the Kuroshio recirculation region are examined. A total of 2 001 cyclonic tracks and 1 847 anticyclonic tracks were identifi ed using a geometry-based eddy detection method. The mean radius was 57 km for cyclonic eddies and was 61 km for anticyclonic eddies, respectively, and the mean lifetime was about 10 weeks for both type eddies. There were asymmetric spatial distributions for eddy generation and eddy termination, which were domain-dependent. Mean eddy generation rates were 2.0 per week for cyclonic eddies and were 1.9 per week for anticyclonic eddies. Both type eddies tended to deform during their lifetime and had different propagation characteristics, which mainly propagated westward and southwestward with velocities 4.0–9.9 cm/s, in the Kuroshio recirculation region. Further discussion illustrates that the eddy westward speed maybe infl uenced by the combined effect of vertical shear of horizontal currents and nonlinearity of eddy. To better understand the evolution of eddy tracks, a total of 134 long-lived tracks(lifetime ≥20 weeks) were examined. Comparison between short-span eddies(lifetime ≥4 weeks and <20 weeks) and long-lived eddies is also conducted and the result shows that the short-span and long-lived eddies have similar time evolution. Finally, eddy seasonal variations and interannual changes are discussed. Correlation analysis shows that eddy activity is sensitive to the wind stress curl and meridional gradient of sea surface temperature on interannual timescales. Besides, the strength and orientation of background fl ows also have impacts on the eddy genesis.展开更多
This study examined the impact of the preceding boreal summer(June–August) North Atlantic Oscillation(NAO) on early autumn(September) rainfall over Central China(RCC). The results show that a significant positive cor...This study examined the impact of the preceding boreal summer(June–August) North Atlantic Oscillation(NAO) on early autumn(September) rainfall over Central China(RCC). The results show that a significant positive correlation exists between the preceding summer NAO and the early autumn RCC on the interannual timescale. In order to understand the physical mechanism between them, the role of ocean was investigated. It was found that the strong summer NAO can induce a tripole sea surface temperature anomaly(SSTA) in the North Atlantic; this SSTA pattern can persist until early autumn. The diagnostic analysis showed that the tripole SSTA pattern excites a downstream Atlantic-Eurasian(AEA) teleconnection, which contributes to an increase in RCC. The circulation anomalies related to SSTA caused by the weak NAO are opposite, so the RCC is less than normal. The results imply that the preceding summer NAO may be regarded as a forecast factor for the early autumn RCC.展开更多
An analysis of the Ishii ocean heat content(OHC) in the tropical Indian Ocean from the surface to 700-m depth shows that the OHC changes dramatically on the interannual timescale in the Indian Ocean.The first mode of ...An analysis of the Ishii ocean heat content(OHC) in the tropical Indian Ocean from the surface to 700-m depth shows that the OHC changes dramatically on the interannual timescale in the Indian Ocean.The first mode of empirical orthogonal function(EOF1) of the OHC shows that there is a strong air-sea interaction pattern in the Indian Ocean with a positive(negative) loading in the east and a negative(positive) loading in the west.This seesaw oscillation pattern influences the summer precipitation in China with a North-South reversed distribution.Composite analysis shows that during a positive(negative) OHC episode,an anomalous cyclonic(anticyclonic) circulation over the western Pacific and South China weakens(enhances) the monsoonal northward flow in the lower troposphere;meanwhile,anomalous meridional circulation connects the descending(ascending) branch over the Southeast Indian Ocean and the ascending(descending) branch in South China as well as a descending(ascending) branch over North China.Analysis of the mechanism behind these features suggests that(1) the accumulation of OHC-induced vorticity is related to the wave activity over the mid-latitudes and that(2) the meridional teleconnection induced by the Indo-Pacific air-OHC interaction appears over East Asia and the western Pacific.Both of these patterns can cause summer precipitation anomalies in China.展开更多
In this study, three high frequent occurrence regions of tropical cyclones(TCs), i.e., the northern South China Sea(the region S), the south Philippine Sea(the region P) and the region east of Taiwan Island(the region...In this study, three high frequent occurrence regions of tropical cyclones(TCs), i.e., the northern South China Sea(the region S), the south Philippine Sea(the region P) and the region east of Taiwan Island(the region E), are defined with frequency of TC's occurrence at each grid for a 45-year period(1965–2009), where the frequency of occurrence(FO) of TCs is triple the mean value of the whole western North Pacific. Over the region S, there are decreasing trends in the FO of TCs, the number of TCs' tracks going though this region and the number of TCs' genesis in this region. Over the region P, the FO and tracks demonstrate decadal variation with periods of 10–12 year, while over the region E, a significant 4–5 years' oscillation appears in both FO and tracks. It is demonstrated that the differences of TCs' variation in these three different regions are mainly caused by the variation of the Western Pacific Subtropical High(WPSH) at different time scales. The westward shift of WPSH is responsible for the northwesterly anomaly over the region S which inhibits westward TC movement into the region S. On the decadal timescale, the WPSH stretches northwestward because of the anomalous anticyclone over the northwestern part of the region P, and steers more TCs reaching the region P in the greater FO years of the region P. The retreating of the WPSH on the interannual time scale is the main reason for the FO's oscillation over the region E.展开更多
The climate modulation on the sea surface height (SSH) in China seas is investigated using a China Ocean Reanalysis (CORA) dataset from 1958-2008. The dataset is constructed by assimilating the temperature/salinit...The climate modulation on the sea surface height (SSH) in China seas is investigated using a China Ocean Reanalysis (CORA) dataset from 1958-2008. The dataset is constructed by assimilating the temperature/salinity profiles derived from the satellite altimetry data and historical observational temperature/salinity profiles. Based on the Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF), the CORA sea surface height anomaly (SSHa) is decomposed, and the interannual and decadal variability of the first three leading modes are analyzed. On the interannual timescale, the first principal component (PC1) is significant positively correlated with the E1 Nifio/Southern Oscillation (ENSO). On the decadal timescale, North Pacific Gyre Oscillation (NPGO) has significant negative correlation with PC 1 whereas Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) is in phase with PC3. Analysis shows that the decadal variability of SSH is mainly modulated by the wind stress curl variability related to the NPGO and PDO. In addition, the effect of net heat flux associated to the NPGO and PDO on SSH is also investigated, with net heat flux variability in the Luzon strait and tropic Pacific found to influence the decadal variability of SSH.展开更多
The relationship between heat content and the interannual time scale is examined with satellite sea surface height (SSH) in the global ocean on altimeter measurements, historical hydrography, and model assimilation ...The relationship between heat content and the interannual time scale is examined with satellite sea surface height (SSH) in the global ocean on altimeter measurements, historical hydrography, and model assimilation outputs. Results show that correlation between altimetric SSH and heat content in the upper 700 m calculated from Ishii data is geographically nonuniform. In the tropical ocean, heat content and SSH are strongly correlated and exhibit nearly the same interannual variations. In the polar ocean, their correlation is relatively weak. Further analysis with Simple Ocean Data Assimilation outputs shows that such nonuniform distribution is not from dynamical origin but from the limited integral depth selected to calculate heat content. The integral depth of 700 m is inadequate to capture variation of the deep main thermocline in the polar region. The halosteric effect also contributes to the nonuniform pattern of correlation, because saline contraction becomes significant in the polar ocean owing to low temperature.展开更多
Objective To forecast the future burden and its attributable risk factors of infective endocarditis(IE).Methods We analyzed the disease burden of IE and its risk factors from 1990 to 2019 using the Global Burden of Di...Objective To forecast the future burden and its attributable risk factors of infective endocarditis(IE).Methods We analyzed the disease burden of IE and its risk factors from 1990 to 2019 using the Global Burden of Disease 2019 database and projected the disease burden from 2020 to 2030 using a Bayesian age-period-cohort model.Results By 2030,the incidence of IE will increase uncontrollably on a global scale,with developed countries having the largest number of cases and developing countries experiencing the fastest growth.The affected population will be predominantly males,but the gender gap will narrow.The elderly in high-income countries will bear the greatest burden,with a gradual shift to middle-income countries.The incidence of IE in countries with middle/high-middle social-demographic indicators(SDI) will surpass that of high SDI countries.In China,the incidence rate and the number of IE will reach 18.07 per 100,000 and 451,596 in 2030,respectively.IEassociated deaths and heart failure will continue to impose a significant burden on society,the burden on women will increase and surpass that on men,and the elderly in high-SDI countries will bear the heaviest burden.High systolic blood pressure has become the primary risk factor for IE-related death.Conclusions This study provides comprehensive analyses of the disease burden and risk factors of IE worldwide over the next decade.The IE-associated incidence will increase in the future and the death and heart failure burden will not be appropriately controlled.Gender,age,regional,and country heterogeneity should be taken seriously to facilitate in making effective strategies for lowering the IE disease burden.展开更多
This paper provides evidence that the variation of boreal winter sea level pressure (SLP) over the North Pacific is out-of-phase with SLP fluctuation over the tropical Indian Ocean on both the interdecadal and interan...This paper provides evidence that the variation of boreal winter sea level pressure (SLP) over the North Pacific is out-of-phase with SLP fluctuation over the tropical Indian Ocean on both the interdecadal and interannual time scales.Subsequently,a SLP between tropical Indian Ocean and North Pacific (TIO-NP) oscillation index is defined to indicate the variation of such out-of-phase fluctuation.Moreover,the simultaneous surface air temperature and precipitation anomalies in China are closely related to TIO-NP oscillations.Below-normal surface air temperature anomalies in the northern and the eastern part of China,and less rainfall in southern China,correspond to positive TIO-NP oscillation phase with negative SLP anomalies in tropical Indian Ocean and positive anomalies in North Pacific.The TIO-NP oscillation affects China's winter climate anomalies,possibly through modulating the northeast East Asia winter monsoon.展开更多
AIM: To demonstrate that age does not influence the choice of treatment for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). We hypothesized that the outcome of total fun-doplication in patients > 65 years is similar to tha...AIM: To demonstrate that age does not influence the choice of treatment for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). We hypothesized that the outcome of total fun-doplication in patients > 65 years is similar to that of patients aged ≤ 65 years.METHODS: Four hundred and twenty consecu-tive patients underwent total laparoscopic fun-doplication for GERD. Three hundred and fifty-five patients were younger than 65 years (group Y), and 65 patients were 65 years or older (group E). The following elements were considered: pres-ence, duration, and severity of GERD symptoms; presence of a hiatal hernia; manometric evalu- ation, 24 h pH-monitoring data, duration of operation; incidence of complications; and length of hospital stay. RESULTS: Elderly patients more often had atypical symptoms of GERD and at manometric evaluation had a higher rate of impaired esophageal peristalsis in compari-son with younger patients. A mild intensity of heartburn often leads physicians to underestimate the severity of erosive esophagitis. The duration of the operation was similar between the two groups. The incidence of intra-operative and postoperative complications was low and the difference was not statistically significant between the two groups. An excellent outcome was observed in 92.9% young patients and 91.9% elderly patients. CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic antireflux surgery is a safe and effective treatment for GERD even in elderly pa-tients, warranting low morbidity and mortality rates and a significant improvement of symptoms comparable to younger patients.展开更多
Reclamation is one of the fastest-growing land use type developed in coastal areas and has caused degradation and loss of coastal wetlands as well as serious environmental problems. This paper was aimed at monitoring ...Reclamation is one of the fastest-growing land use type developed in coastal areas and has caused degradation and loss of coastal wetlands as well as serious environmental problems. This paper was aimed at monitoring the spatiotemporal patterns of coastal wetlands and reclamation in the Yangtze Estuary during the 1960s and 2015. Satellite images obtained from 1980 to 2015 and topography maps of the 1960 s were employed to extract changes of reclamation and coastal wetlands. Area-weight centroids were calculated to identify the movement trend of reclamation and coastal wetlands. The results show that from the 1960 s to 2015, the net area of natural wetlands declined by 574.3 km^2, while man-made wetlands and reclamation increased by 553.6 and 543.9 km^2, respectively. During the five study phases, the fastest areal change rate natural wetlands was –13.3 km^2/yr in the period of 1990–2000, and that of man-made areas was 24.7 km^2/yr in the same period, and the areal change rate of reclamation was 27.6 km^2/yr in the period of 2000–2010. Conversion of coastal wetlands mainly occurred in the Chongming Island, Changshu City and the east coast of Shanghai Municipality. Reclamation was common across coastal areas, and was mainly attributed to settlement and man-made wetlands in the Chongming Island, Lianyungang City and the east coast of Shanghai Municipality. Natural wetlands turned into farmlands and settlement, and man-made wetlands gained from reclamation of farmlands. The centroid of natural wetlands generally moved towards the sea, man-made wetlands expanded equally in all directions and inland, and the centroid of reclamation migrated toward Shanghai Municipality. Sea level rise, erosion-deposition changes, and reclamation activities together determine the dynamics of the Yangtze Estuary wetlands. However, reclamation activities for construction of ports, industries and aquaculture are the key causes for the dynamics. The results from this study on the dynamics of coastal wetlands and reclamation are valuable for local government to put forward sustainable land use and land development plans.展开更多
AIM: To evaluate the safety, efficacy and management of double balloon enteroscopy (DBE) carried out in those aged individuals with suspicious small intestine diseases. METHODS: DBE is a wonderful invention of the pas...AIM: To evaluate the safety, efficacy and management of double balloon enteroscopy (DBE) carried out in those aged individuals with suspicious small intestine diseases. METHODS: DBE is a wonderful invention of the past decade and is widely used as an examination tool for the gastrointestinal tract. From January 2003 to July 2011, data from patients who were ≥ 65 years old and underwent DBE examination in the Nanfang Hospital were included in a retrospective analysis.RESULTS: Fifty-nine individuals were found and subsequently analyzed. The mean age was 69.63 ± 3.89 years (range 65-84), 34 were males. Indications for DBE were melena/hematochezia (36 cases), abdominal pain (15 cases), diarrhea (3 cases), stool change (1 case), weight loss (1 case), vomiting (2 cases), and debilitation (1 case). The average duration of symptoms was 33.34 ± 64.24 mo. Twenty-seven patients suffered from age-related diseases. Severe complications were not found during and after DBE. Comparison between systolic and diastolic blood pressure before and after DBE was statistically significant (mean ± SD, P < 0.01, P < 0.05, respectively). Small bowel pathologies were found by DBE in 35 patients, definite diagnoses were made in 31 cases, and detection rate and diagnostic yield for DBE were 68.6% and 60.8%, respectively. CONCLUSION: DBE is a safe and effective method for gastrointestinal examination in the aged population. Aging alone is not a risk factor for elderly patients with suspicious gastrointestinal diseases and thorough preparation prior to the DBE procedure should be made for individuals with multiple diseases especially cardiopulmonary disorders.展开更多
Using wavelet analysis,regression analysis and the Mann-Kendall test,this paper analyzed time-series(1959-2006) weather data from 23 meteorological stations in an attempt to characterize the climate change in the Tari...Using wavelet analysis,regression analysis and the Mann-Kendall test,this paper analyzed time-series(1959-2006) weather data from 23 meteorological stations in an attempt to characterize the climate change in the Tarim River Basin of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region,China.Major findings are as follows:1) In the 48-year study period,average annual temperature,annual precipitation and average annual relative humidity all presented nonlinear trends.2) At the 16-year time scale,all three climate indices unanimously showed a rather flat before 1964 and a detectable pickup thereafter.At the 8-year time scale,an S-shaped nonlinear and uprising trend was revealed with slight fluctuations in the entire process for all three indices.Incidentally,they all showed similar pattern of a slight increase before 1980 and a noticeable up-swing afterwards.The 4-year time scale provided a highly fluctuating pattern of periodical oscillations and spiral increases.3) Average annual relative humidity presented a negative correlation with average annual temperature and a positive correlation with annual precipitation at each time scale,which revealed a close dynamic relationship among them at the confidence level of 0.001.4) The Mann-Kendall test at the 0.05 confidence level demonstrated that the climate warming trend,as represented by the rising average annual temperature,was remarkable,but the climate wetting trend,as indicated by the rising annual precipitation and average annual relative humidity,was not obvious.展开更多
Brugada syndrome is a primary arrhythmia syndrome characterized by loss-of-function mutations in the SCN5A gene, which encodes for the cardiac Na^+ channel. In affected individuals, the risk of developing malignant v...Brugada syndrome is a primary arrhythmia syndrome characterized by loss-of-function mutations in the SCN5A gene, which encodes for the cardiac Na^+ channel. In affected individuals, the risk of developing malignant ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death are increased.展开更多
Fashion changes frequently, on monthly, seasonal to yearly basis. In different periods of time, people tried to use different theories to explain the concept of fashion change. Traditional views including trickle down...Fashion changes frequently, on monthly, seasonal to yearly basis. In different periods of time, people tried to use different theories to explain the concept of fashion change. Traditional views including trickle down theory, collective selection theory, mass market theory and subculture leadership theory. From the viewpoint of contemporary thoughts, symbolic interactionist theory of fashion and the power of the fashion industry were discussed and used to examine fashion images prevailing in Hong Kong. Hong Kong young consumers were selected as study samples. Focus group interviews and questionnaire survey were used as qualitative and quantitative method. Results shows that to accept fashion change, status (working or studying) had influence in interpreting fashion images. In addition, male and female students had different opinion on selected statements of the symbolic interactionist theory of fashion but no difference was found between working subjects. Marketing implications are discussed with reference to the findings.展开更多
There is a consensus that sediment delivery ratio in the Chinese Loess Plateau is close to 1at the inter-annual timescale. However, little information is available about the sediment delivery at finer timescales. We e...There is a consensus that sediment delivery ratio in the Chinese Loess Plateau is close to 1at the inter-annual timescale. However, little information is available about the sediment delivery at finer timescales. We evaluated the sediment delivery from plots to watersheds at the event or intra-annual, annual, and inter-annual timescales within the Wudinghe river basin, a 30,261 km2 basin in the Loess Plateau. We calculated the ratio of sediment output to sediment input and presented the temporal change of the channel morphology to determine whether sediment deposition occurs.Although a single flood event frequently has a sediment yield exceeding 10,000 t km-2, sediment deposition rarely occurs except during some small runoff events(sediment yield < 5000 t km-2) or dry years(sediment yield < 10,000 t km-2) when moving from slopes up to the main channels of the Wudinghe River. This observation suggests a sediment delivery ratio close to 1 even at the event or intra-annual and the annual timescales, but not necessarily at the interannual timescale. Such a high sediment delivery ratio can be related to hyper-concentrated flows, which have very strong sediment transport capacity even at low flow strength. Because hyper-concentrated flows are well-developed in the whole Loess Plateau, a sediment delivery ratio close to 1 below the interannual timescale possibly remains true for other rivers in the Loess Plateau.展开更多
基金Under the auspices of Major State Basic Research Development Program of China(No.2010CB951202)Ocean Public Welfare Scientific Research Project,State Oceanic Administration of the People's Republic of China(No.200805063)
文摘Based on the data from gauging stations, the changes in water discharge and sediment load of the Huanghe (Yellow) River were analyzed by using the empirical mode decomposition (EMD) method. The results show that the periodic oscillation of water discharge and sediment load of the Huanghe River occurs at the interannual, decadal, and multi-decadal scales, caused by the periodic oscillations of precipitation, and E1 Nifio/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) af- fects water discharge by influencing precipitation distribution and contributes to periodic varations in precipitation and water discharge at interannual timescale. The water discharge and sediment load of the Huanghe River have decreased since the 1960s under the influence of precipitation and huamn activities, and human activities attribute more than precipitation to the reduction in the water discharge and sediment load, furthermore, water abstraction and water-soil conservation practices are the main causes of the decrease in water discharge and sediment load, respectively. The reduction in sediment load has directly impacted on the lower reaches of the Huanghe River and the river delta, causing considerable erosion of the river channel in the lower reaches since the 1970s along with River Delta changing siltation into erosion around 2000.
基金Under the auspices of the National Key Research and Development Program of China(No.2016YFC050040106,2016YFA060230302)the National Science Foundation of China(No.41671087,41671081,41471081)the Technological Basic Research Program of China(No.2013FY111800)
文摘Wetlands on the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau (QTP) perform a dazzling array of vital ecological functions and are one of the most fragile ecosystems in the world. Timely and accurate information describing wetland resources and their changes over time is becoming more important in their protection and conservation. By using remote sensing data, this study intended to investigate spatial distribution and temporal variations of wetlands on the QTP at different watershed scales from 1970s to 2010s. Results show that wetlands on the QTP have undergone widespread degradation from 1970s to 2010s, with nearly 6.4% of their area being lost. Areas of freshwater marsh, salt marsh and wet meadow declined by 46.6%, 53.9% and 15.6%, respectively, while lake area increased by 14.6%. The most extensive losses of natural wet/ands have occurred in endorheic basins, such as in the Kunlun-Altun-Qilian Drainage Basin and Qiangtang Basin, which shrank by 44.5% and 33.1%, respectively. A pronounced increase in temperature tends to facilitate the evaporation process and reduce water availability for wetlands, One-third of the wetlands on the QTP are under threat of being submerged due to lakes rising in recent years. More research is needed to gain insight into the interaction mechanisms behind observed variations and potential impacts from further warming in the future.
基金Supported by the National Basic Research Program of China(973 Program)(Nos.2012CB417402,2007CB816002)
文摘We analyzed the temporal and spatial variation, and interannual variability of the North Pacific meridional overturning circulation using an empirical orthogonal function method, and calculated mass transport using Simple Ocean Data Assimilation Data from 1958-2008. The meridional streamfunction field in the North Pacific tilts N-S; the Tropical Cell (TC), Subtropical Cell (STC), and Deep Tropical Cell (DTC) may be in phase on an annual time scale; the TC and the STC are out of phase on an interannual time scale, but the interannual variability of the DTC is complex. The TC and STC interannual variability is associated with ENSO (El Nifio-Southem Oscillation). The TC northward, southward, upward, and downward transports all weaken in E1 Nifios and strengthen in La Nifias. The STC northward and southward transports are out of phase, while the STC northward and downward transports are in phase. Sea-surface water that reaches the middle latitude and is subducted may not completely return to the vopics. The zonal wind anomalies over the central North Pacific, which control Ekman transport, and the east-west slope of the sea level may be major factors causing the TC northward and southward transport interannual variability and the STC northward and southward transports on the interannual time scale. The DTC northward and southward transports decrease during strong E1 Nifios and increase during strong La Nifias. DTC upward and downward transports are not strongly correlated with the Nifio-3 index and may not be completely controlled by ENSO.
基金supported by the National Basic Research Program of China through Grant No. 973-2007CB- 411807
文摘Sea level anomalies observed by altimeter during the 1993-2006 period, thermosteric sea level anomalies estimated by using subsurface temperature data produced by Ishii and SODA reanalysis data, tide gauge records and HOAPS freshwater flux data were analyzed to investigate the long term sea level change and the water mass balance in the South China Sea, The altime- ter-observed sea level showed a rising rate of (3.5±0.9)mmyr-1 during the period 1993-2006, but this figure was considered to have been highly distorted by the relatively short time interval and the large inter-decadal variability, which apparently exists in both the thermosteric sea level and the observed sea level. Long term thermosteric sea level from 1945 to 2004 gave a rising rate of 0.15±0.06 mmyr-1. Tide gauge'data revealed this discrepancy and the regional distributions of the sea-level trends. Both the 'real' and the ther- mosteric sea level showed a good correspondence to ENSO: decreasing during El Nino years and increasing during La Nina years. Amplitude and phase differences between the 'real' sea level and the thermosteic sea level were substantially revealed on both sea- sonal and interannual time scales. As one of the possible factors, the freshwater flux might play an important role in balancing the water mass.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.41230420)the Knowledge Innovation Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences(No.KZCX3-EW-201)the Basic Research Program of Science and Technology Projects of Qingdao(No.11-14-95-jch)
文摘Using a 19-year altimetric dataset, the mean properties and spatiotemporal variations of eddies in the Kuroshio recirculation region are examined. A total of 2 001 cyclonic tracks and 1 847 anticyclonic tracks were identifi ed using a geometry-based eddy detection method. The mean radius was 57 km for cyclonic eddies and was 61 km for anticyclonic eddies, respectively, and the mean lifetime was about 10 weeks for both type eddies. There were asymmetric spatial distributions for eddy generation and eddy termination, which were domain-dependent. Mean eddy generation rates were 2.0 per week for cyclonic eddies and were 1.9 per week for anticyclonic eddies. Both type eddies tended to deform during their lifetime and had different propagation characteristics, which mainly propagated westward and southwestward with velocities 4.0–9.9 cm/s, in the Kuroshio recirculation region. Further discussion illustrates that the eddy westward speed maybe infl uenced by the combined effect of vertical shear of horizontal currents and nonlinearity of eddy. To better understand the evolution of eddy tracks, a total of 134 long-lived tracks(lifetime ≥20 weeks) were examined. Comparison between short-span eddies(lifetime ≥4 weeks and <20 weeks) and long-lived eddies is also conducted and the result shows that the short-span and long-lived eddies have similar time evolution. Finally, eddy seasonal variations and interannual changes are discussed. Correlation analysis shows that eddy activity is sensitive to the wind stress curl and meridional gradient of sea surface temperature on interannual timescales. Besides, the strength and orientation of background fl ows also have impacts on the eddy genesis.
基金supported jointly by the National Basic Research Program of China(973 program,Grant No.2013CB340203)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(NSFC)(Grant Nos.41290255 and 41205046)
文摘This study examined the impact of the preceding boreal summer(June–August) North Atlantic Oscillation(NAO) on early autumn(September) rainfall over Central China(RCC). The results show that a significant positive correlation exists between the preceding summer NAO and the early autumn RCC on the interannual timescale. In order to understand the physical mechanism between them, the role of ocean was investigated. It was found that the strong summer NAO can induce a tripole sea surface temperature anomaly(SSTA) in the North Atlantic; this SSTA pattern can persist until early autumn. The diagnostic analysis showed that the tripole SSTA pattern excites a downstream Atlantic-Eurasian(AEA) teleconnection, which contributes to an increase in RCC. The circulation anomalies related to SSTA caused by the weak NAO are opposite, so the RCC is less than normal. The results imply that the preceding summer NAO may be regarded as a forecast factor for the early autumn RCC.
基金supported by the National Basic Research Program of China(973 Program):The impact of Southern Ocean-Indian Ocean air-sea processes on East Asia and the global climate change(Grant No.2010CB950300)National Foundation of the Indian Ocean Opening Voyage Project(Grant Nos. 41149903 and 41049908)+2 种基金the Knowledge Innovation Project for Distinguished Young Scholar of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No.KZCX2-EW-QN203)the Knowledge Innovation Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(Grant No.KZCX2-YWQ11-02)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant No.40906010)
文摘An analysis of the Ishii ocean heat content(OHC) in the tropical Indian Ocean from the surface to 700-m depth shows that the OHC changes dramatically on the interannual timescale in the Indian Ocean.The first mode of empirical orthogonal function(EOF1) of the OHC shows that there is a strong air-sea interaction pattern in the Indian Ocean with a positive(negative) loading in the east and a negative(positive) loading in the west.This seesaw oscillation pattern influences the summer precipitation in China with a North-South reversed distribution.Composite analysis shows that during a positive(negative) OHC episode,an anomalous cyclonic(anticyclonic) circulation over the western Pacific and South China weakens(enhances) the monsoonal northward flow in the lower troposphere;meanwhile,anomalous meridional circulation connects the descending(ascending) branch over the Southeast Indian Ocean and the ascending(descending) branch in South China as well as a descending(ascending) branch over North China.Analysis of the mechanism behind these features suggests that(1) the accumulation of OHC-induced vorticity is related to the wave activity over the mid-latitudes and that(2) the meridional teleconnection induced by the Indo-Pacific air-OHC interaction appears over East Asia and the western Pacific.Both of these patterns can cause summer precipitation anomalies in China.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos. 41106018, 40975038)Program 973 (Nos. 2012CB417402, 2010CB950402, 2012CB955604)
文摘In this study, three high frequent occurrence regions of tropical cyclones(TCs), i.e., the northern South China Sea(the region S), the south Philippine Sea(the region P) and the region east of Taiwan Island(the region E), are defined with frequency of TC's occurrence at each grid for a 45-year period(1965–2009), where the frequency of occurrence(FO) of TCs is triple the mean value of the whole western North Pacific. Over the region S, there are decreasing trends in the FO of TCs, the number of TCs' tracks going though this region and the number of TCs' genesis in this region. Over the region P, the FO and tracks demonstrate decadal variation with periods of 10–12 year, while over the region E, a significant 4–5 years' oscillation appears in both FO and tracks. It is demonstrated that the differences of TCs' variation in these three different regions are mainly caused by the variation of the Western Pacific Subtropical High(WPSH) at different time scales. The westward shift of WPSH is responsible for the northwesterly anomaly over the region S which inhibits westward TC movement into the region S. On the decadal timescale, the WPSH stretches northwestward because of the anomalous anticyclone over the northwestern part of the region P, and steers more TCs reaching the region P in the greater FO years of the region P. The retreating of the WPSH on the interannual time scale is the main reason for the FO's oscillation over the region E.
基金Supported by the National Basic Research Program of China(973 Program)(No.2013CB430304)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.41176003,41206178,41376013,41376015,41306006)+1 种基金the National High Technology Research and Development Program of China(863 Program)(No.2013AA09A505)the Global Change and Air-Sea Interaction of China(No.GASI-01-01-12)
文摘The climate modulation on the sea surface height (SSH) in China seas is investigated using a China Ocean Reanalysis (CORA) dataset from 1958-2008. The dataset is constructed by assimilating the temperature/salinity profiles derived from the satellite altimetry data and historical observational temperature/salinity profiles. Based on the Empirical Orthogonal Function (EOF), the CORA sea surface height anomaly (SSHa) is decomposed, and the interannual and decadal variability of the first three leading modes are analyzed. On the interannual timescale, the first principal component (PC1) is significant positively correlated with the E1 Nifio/Southern Oscillation (ENSO). On the decadal timescale, North Pacific Gyre Oscillation (NPGO) has significant negative correlation with PC 1 whereas Pacific Decadal Oscillation (PDO) is in phase with PC3. Analysis shows that the decadal variability of SSH is mainly modulated by the wind stress curl variability related to the NPGO and PDO. In addition, the effect of net heat flux associated to the NPGO and PDO on SSH is also investigated, with net heat flux variability in the Luzon strait and tropic Pacific found to influence the decadal variability of SSH.
基金Supported by the Knowledge Innovation Program of Chinese Academy of Sciences (No. KZCX2-YW-Q11-02)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Nos. 41006114, 40890151)+1 种基金the National Basic Research Program of China (973 Program) (No. 2012CB417401)the SOA Key Laboratory for Polar Science (No. KP201103)
文摘The relationship between heat content and the interannual time scale is examined with satellite sea surface height (SSH) in the global ocean on altimeter measurements, historical hydrography, and model assimilation outputs. Results show that correlation between altimetric SSH and heat content in the upper 700 m calculated from Ishii data is geographically nonuniform. In the tropical ocean, heat content and SSH are strongly correlated and exhibit nearly the same interannual variations. In the polar ocean, their correlation is relatively weak. Further analysis with Simple Ocean Data Assimilation outputs shows that such nonuniform distribution is not from dynamical origin but from the limited integral depth selected to calculate heat content. The integral depth of 700 m is inadequate to capture variation of the deep main thermocline in the polar region. The halosteric effect also contributes to the nonuniform pattern of correlation, because saline contraction becomes significant in the polar ocean owing to low temperature.
文摘Objective To forecast the future burden and its attributable risk factors of infective endocarditis(IE).Methods We analyzed the disease burden of IE and its risk factors from 1990 to 2019 using the Global Burden of Disease 2019 database and projected the disease burden from 2020 to 2030 using a Bayesian age-period-cohort model.Results By 2030,the incidence of IE will increase uncontrollably on a global scale,with developed countries having the largest number of cases and developing countries experiencing the fastest growth.The affected population will be predominantly males,but the gender gap will narrow.The elderly in high-income countries will bear the greatest burden,with a gradual shift to middle-income countries.The incidence of IE in countries with middle/high-middle social-demographic indicators(SDI) will surpass that of high SDI countries.In China,the incidence rate and the number of IE will reach 18.07 per 100,000 and 451,596 in 2030,respectively.IEassociated deaths and heart failure will continue to impose a significant burden on society,the burden on women will increase and surpass that on men,and the elderly in high-SDI countries will bear the heaviest burden.High systolic blood pressure has become the primary risk factor for IE-related death.Conclusions This study provides comprehensive analyses of the disease burden and risk factors of IE worldwide over the next decade.The IE-associated incidence will increase in the future and the death and heart failure burden will not be appropriately controlled.Gender,age,regional,and country heterogeneity should be taken seriously to facilitate in making effective strategies for lowering the IE disease burden.
基金supported by the National Basic Research Program of China (973 Projects) under Grant 2011CB309704the National Special Scientific Research Project for Public Interest under Grant 201006021the National Natural Science Foundation of China under Grants 40890155,U0733002,and 40810059005
文摘This paper provides evidence that the variation of boreal winter sea level pressure (SLP) over the North Pacific is out-of-phase with SLP fluctuation over the tropical Indian Ocean on both the interdecadal and interannual time scales.Subsequently,a SLP between tropical Indian Ocean and North Pacific (TIO-NP) oscillation index is defined to indicate the variation of such out-of-phase fluctuation.Moreover,the simultaneous surface air temperature and precipitation anomalies in China are closely related to TIO-NP oscillations.Below-normal surface air temperature anomalies in the northern and the eastern part of China,and less rainfall in southern China,correspond to positive TIO-NP oscillation phase with negative SLP anomalies in tropical Indian Ocean and positive anomalies in North Pacific.The TIO-NP oscillation affects China's winter climate anomalies,possibly through modulating the northeast East Asia winter monsoon.
文摘AIM: To demonstrate that age does not influence the choice of treatment for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). We hypothesized that the outcome of total fun-doplication in patients > 65 years is similar to that of patients aged ≤ 65 years.METHODS: Four hundred and twenty consecu-tive patients underwent total laparoscopic fun-doplication for GERD. Three hundred and fifty-five patients were younger than 65 years (group Y), and 65 patients were 65 years or older (group E). The following elements were considered: pres-ence, duration, and severity of GERD symptoms; presence of a hiatal hernia; manometric evalu- ation, 24 h pH-monitoring data, duration of operation; incidence of complications; and length of hospital stay. RESULTS: Elderly patients more often had atypical symptoms of GERD and at manometric evaluation had a higher rate of impaired esophageal peristalsis in compari-son with younger patients. A mild intensity of heartburn often leads physicians to underestimate the severity of erosive esophagitis. The duration of the operation was similar between the two groups. The incidence of intra-operative and postoperative complications was low and the difference was not statistically significant between the two groups. An excellent outcome was observed in 92.9% young patients and 91.9% elderly patients. CONCLUSION: Laparoscopic antireflux surgery is a safe and effective treatment for GERD even in elderly pa-tients, warranting low morbidity and mortality rates and a significant improvement of symptoms comparable to younger patients.
基金Under the auspices of National Program on Key Basic Research Project(No.2013CB430401)
文摘Reclamation is one of the fastest-growing land use type developed in coastal areas and has caused degradation and loss of coastal wetlands as well as serious environmental problems. This paper was aimed at monitoring the spatiotemporal patterns of coastal wetlands and reclamation in the Yangtze Estuary during the 1960s and 2015. Satellite images obtained from 1980 to 2015 and topography maps of the 1960 s were employed to extract changes of reclamation and coastal wetlands. Area-weight centroids were calculated to identify the movement trend of reclamation and coastal wetlands. The results show that from the 1960 s to 2015, the net area of natural wetlands declined by 574.3 km^2, while man-made wetlands and reclamation increased by 553.6 and 543.9 km^2, respectively. During the five study phases, the fastest areal change rate natural wetlands was –13.3 km^2/yr in the period of 1990–2000, and that of man-made areas was 24.7 km^2/yr in the same period, and the areal change rate of reclamation was 27.6 km^2/yr in the period of 2000–2010. Conversion of coastal wetlands mainly occurred in the Chongming Island, Changshu City and the east coast of Shanghai Municipality. Reclamation was common across coastal areas, and was mainly attributed to settlement and man-made wetlands in the Chongming Island, Lianyungang City and the east coast of Shanghai Municipality. Natural wetlands turned into farmlands and settlement, and man-made wetlands gained from reclamation of farmlands. The centroid of natural wetlands generally moved towards the sea, man-made wetlands expanded equally in all directions and inland, and the centroid of reclamation migrated toward Shanghai Municipality. Sea level rise, erosion-deposition changes, and reclamation activities together determine the dynamics of the Yangtze Estuary wetlands. However, reclamation activities for construction of ports, industries and aquaculture are the key causes for the dynamics. The results from this study on the dynamics of coastal wetlands and reclamation are valuable for local government to put forward sustainable land use and land development plans.
文摘AIM: To evaluate the safety, efficacy and management of double balloon enteroscopy (DBE) carried out in those aged individuals with suspicious small intestine diseases. METHODS: DBE is a wonderful invention of the past decade and is widely used as an examination tool for the gastrointestinal tract. From January 2003 to July 2011, data from patients who were ≥ 65 years old and underwent DBE examination in the Nanfang Hospital were included in a retrospective analysis.RESULTS: Fifty-nine individuals were found and subsequently analyzed. The mean age was 69.63 ± 3.89 years (range 65-84), 34 were males. Indications for DBE were melena/hematochezia (36 cases), abdominal pain (15 cases), diarrhea (3 cases), stool change (1 case), weight loss (1 case), vomiting (2 cases), and debilitation (1 case). The average duration of symptoms was 33.34 ± 64.24 mo. Twenty-seven patients suffered from age-related diseases. Severe complications were not found during and after DBE. Comparison between systolic and diastolic blood pressure before and after DBE was statistically significant (mean ± SD, P < 0.01, P < 0.05, respectively). Small bowel pathologies were found by DBE in 35 patients, definite diagnoses were made in 31 cases, and detection rate and diagnostic yield for DBE were 68.6% and 60.8%, respectively. CONCLUSION: DBE is a safe and effective method for gastrointestinal examination in the aged population. Aging alone is not a risk factor for elderly patients with suspicious gastrointestinal diseases and thorough preparation prior to the DBE procedure should be made for individuals with multiple diseases especially cardiopulmonary disorders.
基金Under the auspices of the Second-stage Knowledge Innovation Programs of Chinese Academy of Sciences (No KZCX2-XB2-03,KZCX2-YW-127)National Natural Science Foundation of China (No 40671014)Shanghai Academic Discipline Project (Human Geography) (No B410)
文摘Using wavelet analysis,regression analysis and the Mann-Kendall test,this paper analyzed time-series(1959-2006) weather data from 23 meteorological stations in an attempt to characterize the climate change in the Tarim River Basin of Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region,China.Major findings are as follows:1) In the 48-year study period,average annual temperature,annual precipitation and average annual relative humidity all presented nonlinear trends.2) At the 16-year time scale,all three climate indices unanimously showed a rather flat before 1964 and a detectable pickup thereafter.At the 8-year time scale,an S-shaped nonlinear and uprising trend was revealed with slight fluctuations in the entire process for all three indices.Incidentally,they all showed similar pattern of a slight increase before 1980 and a noticeable up-swing afterwards.The 4-year time scale provided a highly fluctuating pattern of periodical oscillations and spiral increases.3) Average annual relative humidity presented a negative correlation with average annual temperature and a positive correlation with annual precipitation at each time scale,which revealed a close dynamic relationship among them at the confidence level of 0.001.4) The Mann-Kendall test at the 0.05 confidence level demonstrated that the climate warming trend,as represented by the rising average annual temperature,was remarkable,but the climate wetting trend,as indicated by the rising annual precipitation and average annual relative humidity,was not obvious.
文摘Brugada syndrome is a primary arrhythmia syndrome characterized by loss-of-function mutations in the SCN5A gene, which encodes for the cardiac Na^+ channel. In affected individuals, the risk of developing malignant ventricular arrhythmias and sudden cardiac death are increased.
基金Hong Kong Polytechnic University for granting the research funding.
文摘Fashion changes frequently, on monthly, seasonal to yearly basis. In different periods of time, people tried to use different theories to explain the concept of fashion change. Traditional views including trickle down theory, collective selection theory, mass market theory and subculture leadership theory. From the viewpoint of contemporary thoughts, symbolic interactionist theory of fashion and the power of the fashion industry were discussed and used to examine fashion images prevailing in Hong Kong. Hong Kong young consumers were selected as study samples. Focus group interviews and questionnaire survey were used as qualitative and quantitative method. Results shows that to accept fashion change, status (working or studying) had influence in interpreting fashion images. In addition, male and female students had different opinion on selected statements of the symbolic interactionist theory of fashion but no difference was found between working subjects. Marketing implications are discussed with reference to the findings.
基金funded by National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 41230746, 41271306)the National Key Technology Research and Development Program (Grant No. 2012BAC09B03)the Open-fund Project of Jiangxi Provincial Key Laboratory of Soil Erosion and Prevention (Grant No. JXSB201301)
文摘There is a consensus that sediment delivery ratio in the Chinese Loess Plateau is close to 1at the inter-annual timescale. However, little information is available about the sediment delivery at finer timescales. We evaluated the sediment delivery from plots to watersheds at the event or intra-annual, annual, and inter-annual timescales within the Wudinghe river basin, a 30,261 km2 basin in the Loess Plateau. We calculated the ratio of sediment output to sediment input and presented the temporal change of the channel morphology to determine whether sediment deposition occurs.Although a single flood event frequently has a sediment yield exceeding 10,000 t km-2, sediment deposition rarely occurs except during some small runoff events(sediment yield < 5000 t km-2) or dry years(sediment yield < 10,000 t km-2) when moving from slopes up to the main channels of the Wudinghe River. This observation suggests a sediment delivery ratio close to 1 even at the event or intra-annual and the annual timescales, but not necessarily at the interannual timescale. Such a high sediment delivery ratio can be related to hyper-concentrated flows, which have very strong sediment transport capacity even at low flow strength. Because hyper-concentrated flows are well-developed in the whole Loess Plateau, a sediment delivery ratio close to 1 below the interannual timescale possibly remains true for other rivers in the Loess Plateau.