Bowel preparation protocol for hospitalized patients ages 50 years or older:A randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND The incidence and mortality rate of colorectal cancer progressively increase with age and become particularly prominent after the age of 50 years.Therefore,the population that is≥50 years in age requires long-term and regular colonoscopies.Uncomfortable bowel preparation is the main reason preventing patients from undergoing regular colonoscopies.The standard bowel preparation regimen of 4-L polyethylene glycol(PEG)is effective but poorly tolerated.AIM To investigate an effective and comfortable bowel preparation regimen for hospitalized patients≥50 years in age.METHODS Patients were randomly assigned to group 1(2-L PEG+30-mL lactulose+a lowresidue diet)or group 2(4-L PEG).Adequate bowel preparation was defined as a Boston bowel preparation scale(BBPS)score of≥6,with a score of≥2 for each segment.Non-inferiority was prespecified with a margin of 10%.Additionally,the degree of comfort was assessed based on the comfort questionnaire.RESULTS The proportion of patients with a BBPS score of≥6 in group 1 was not significantly different from that in group 2,as demonstrated by intention-to-treat(91.2%vs 91.0%,P=0.953)and per-protocol(91.8%vs 91.0%,P=0.802)analyses.Furthermore,in patients≥75 years in age,the proportion of BBPS scores of≥6 in group 1 was not significantly different from that in group 2(90.9%vs 97.0%,P=0.716).Group 1 had higher comfort scores(8.85±1.162 vs 7.59±1.735,P<0.001),longer sleep duration(6.86±1.204 h vs 5.80±1.730 h,P<0.001),and fewer awakenings(1.42±1.183 vs 2.04±1.835,P=0.026)than group 2.CONCLUSION For hospitalized patients≥50 years in age,the bowel preparation regimen comprising 2-L PEG+30-mL lactulose+a low-residue diet produced a cleanse that was as effective as the 4-L PEG regimen and even provided better comfort.

Epidemiology of Cardiovascular Mortality in Patients under 60 Years Old in a Cardiology Department in West Africa, Dakar-Senegal

Background: Our study aimed to examine cardiovascular mortality within the working-age population, exploring epidemiological, clinical, and paraclinical features, complications, and identifying etiological factors linked to mortality. Methods: We conducted a descriptive and analytical retrospective study from September 2019 to August 2022 at the General Hospital Idrissa POUYE in Dakar, we reviewed all the medical records of patients from 15 to 60 years old who died while admitted in the cardiology department. Data collected were socioeconomic status, clinical history, type of cardiovascular disaese, length of hospitalization, circumstances and timing of death. The data were analyzed with R. Studio version 2022.12.0 + 353 and Excel 2019, with a P-value Results: The study included 73 patients, indicating a specific mortality rate of 8.8% and a proportional mortality of 39%. Predominantly male (sex ratio 1.2), the average age was 44. Key cardiovascular risk factors identified were sedentarism (76.7%), hypertension (28.8%), and smoking (21.9%). The leading cause for consultation was dyspnea (72.6%). Notable findings included a majority of patients presenting with general condition deterioration (90%) and cardiovascular collapse upon admission (23.3%). Physical exam revealed signs of heart failure in 63%. Echocardiography showed left ventricular ejection fraction impairment (81%) and pulmonary hypertension (78%). Immediate causes of death were primarily cardiogenic shock (45.2%) and septic shock (37%). The analytical study indicates that the data most closely associated with mortality were age, socio-economic level, ischemic heart disease (p = 0.034), rheumatic valvulopathies, pulmonary embolism (p = 0.034), hypertension (HTA) (p = 0.009), smoking (p = 0.011), diabetes (p = 0.011), dyslipidemias, prolonged bedrest (p = 0.001), morbid obesity (p = 0.001), and COVID-19 infection (p = 0.017). Conclusion: The prevalence of ischemic heart diseases, pulmonary embolisms, and valvulopathies in premature mortality statistics underscores the need for enhanced cardiovascular prevention efforts.

Characteristics of the HIV/AIDS Epidemic among People Aged≥50 Years in China during 2018–2021

Objective This study aimed to determine the current epidemiological status of PLWHA aged≥50 years in China from 2018 to 2021.It also aimed to recommend targeted interventions for the prevention and treatment of HIV/AIDS in elderly patients.Methods Data on newly reported cases of PLWHA,aged≥50 years in China from 2018 to 2021,were collected using the CRIMS.Trend tests and spatial analyses were also conducted.Results Between 2018 and 2021,237,724 HIV/AIDS cases were reported among patients aged≥50 years in China.The main transmission route was heterosexual transmission(91.24%).Commercial heterosexual transmission(CHC)was the primary mode of transmission among males,while non-marital non-CHC([NMNCHC];60.59%)was the prevalent route in women.The proportion of patients with CHC decreased over time(Z=67.716,P<0.01),while that of patients with NMNCHC increased(Z=153.05,P<0.01).The sex ratio varied among the different modes of infection,and it peaked at 17.65 for CHC.The spatial analysis indicated spatial clustering,and the high-high clustering areas were mainly distributed in the southwestern and central-southern provinces.Conclusion In China,PLWHA,aged≥50 years,were predominantly infected through heterosexual transmission.The primary modes of infection were CHC and NMNCHC.There were variations in the sex ratio among different age groups,infected through various sexual behaviors.HIV/AIDS cases exhibited spatial clustering.Based on these results,the expansion of HIV testing,treatment,and integrated behavioral interventions in high-risk populations is recommended to enhance disease detection in key regions.

Effect of a Nutrition Education Intervention on Food Safety Knowledge, Attitudes and Practices of Mothers of Children under 5 Years in the Peri-Urban Areas of Bobo-Dioulasso: Before and after Study

Background: This study assessed the effect of a nutrition education intervention. This intervention aimed to improve the knowledge, attitudes, and practices of mothers on food safety in the peri-urban areas of Bobo-Dioulasso in Burkina Faso. Methods: A total of 243 mothers of children under 5 years in the peri-urban of Bobo-Dioulasso were administered the FAO questionnaire for food safety knowledge, attitudes, and practices assessment during two cross-sectional surveys, before and after the intervention, in January and October 2017. The intervention included two components consisting of a theoretical phase (counselling and discussion) and cooking demonstrations implemented for ten months. To account for the before-and-after design of the study, the McNemar’s test was used to assess the effect of the intervention on food safety KAP of mothers of children under 5 years. Results: The mean age of mothers was 29 ± 6.2 years and 50.6% of them were between 20 and 29 years old. One for knowledge (cooking thoroughly with, p-value = 0.0001) and another for attitudes (perceived benefits of reheating leftovers before eating them, p-value = 0.0001), significantly increased after the intervention. In terms of food safety practices, all the indicators (cleaning of dirty surfaces, plates and utensils and storage of perishable foods) significantly increased (all p = 0.0001 Conclusion: This study provided some evidence of an effective nutrition education intervention for improving maternal KAP on food safety for their child’s feeding.

Review of Two Years of Surgical Activities of the General Surgery Department of the Reference Health Center of Commune I of Bamako Mali

The objectives of this work were to evaluate the surgical activities carried out in the general surgery department of the Reference Health Center of Commune I of Bamako, to describe the sociodemographic characteristics of the operated patients, to determine the main pathologies encountered and to evaluate qualitatively the result of the treatment. In order to improve performance, and the quality of care, and to identify common pathologies in the surgical department, we undertook a retrospective study on surgical activities from January 2009 to December 2010. At the end of this study, out of 474 men and 187 women (equal sex ratio 2.53);we were able to determine the frequency of surgical pathologies. Farmers, housewives and pupils/students were the most represented with 25.9% respectively;20% and 13.3%. The most frequently observed pathologies were wall hernia (44.8%), prostate adenoma (12%) and acute appendicitis (10.5%). The average length of hospitalization was 3.43 days. Infectious complications affected 25 patients (3.8% of cases) and a death rate of 0.45% (i.e. 3 patients). The average cost of care was 53,500 FCFA. Indeed, the reality of surgical practice in health centers was not the same because of the level of skills of practicing surgeons.

Factors Associated with Mortality in Children Aged 1 Month to 15 Years Hospitalized in the Pediatric Ward of the Kalaban-Coro Reference Health Center: Cross-Sectional Study

Introduction: Infant and child mortality is a worldwide concern, but developing countries such as Mali are more affected. The aim of this study was to investigate morbidity and factors associated with mortality in children aged 1 month to 15 years. Methodology: This was a cross-sectional study which took place from January 1 to December 31, 2020 covering children aged 1 month to 15 years hospitalized at the Kalaban-Coro CSRéf. Data were entered into Excel and analyzed using SPSS version 20 software. Results: Five hundred children aged 1 months to 15 years were included. The age range 1 to 5 years (53.6%) and male sex (58.2%) were the most represented. Malaria (72.2%), acute respiratory infections (6.2%) and diarrhea/dehydration (3%) were the main morbidities. Mortality was estimated at 10.6%, and the two main causes of death were malaria (56.6%) and acute respiratory infections (7.54%). Univariate analysis revealed a statistically significant association between the dependent variable (death) and age (p Conclusion: This study confirms the high rate of infant and child morbidity and mortality in our health facilities. Strengthening human resources and intensifying behavior-change communication can help reverse the trend.

Quality-adjusted life years and surgical waiting list:Systematic review of the literature

BACKGROUND The quality-adjusted life year(QALY)is a metric that is increasingly used today in the field of health economics to evaluate the value of different medical treatments and procedures.Surgical waiting lists(SWLs)represent a pressing problem in public healthcare.The QALY measure has rarely been used in the context of surgery.It would be interesting to know how many QALYs are lost by patients on SWLs.AIM To investigate the relationship between QALYs and SWLs in a systematic review of the scientific literature.METHODS The study was conducted in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses Statement.An unlimited search was carried out in PubMed,updated on January 19,2024.Data on the following variables were investigated and analyzed:Specialty,country of study,procedure under study,scale used to measure QALYs,the use of a theoretical or real-life model,objectives of the study and items measured,the economic value assigned to the QALY in the country in question,and the results and conclusions published.RESULTS Forty-eight articles were selected for the study.No data were found regarding QALYs lost on SWLs.The specialties in which QALYs were studied the most in relation to the waiting list were urology and general surgery,with 15 articles each.The country in which the most studies of QALYs were carried out was the United States(n=21),followed by the United Kingdom(n=9)and Canada(n=7).The most studied procedure was organ transplantation(n=39),including 15 kidney,14 liver,5 heart,4 lung,and 1 intestinal.Arthroplasty(n=4),cataract surgery(n=2),bariatric surgery(n=1),mosaicplasty(n=1),and septoplasty(n=1)completed the surgical interventions included.Thirty-nine of the models used were theoretical(the most frequently applied being the Markov model,n=34),and nine were real-life.The survey used to measure quality of life in 11 articles was the European Quality of Life-5 dimensions,but in 32 articles the survey was not specified.The willingness-to-pay per QALY gained ranged from$100000 in the United States to€20000 in Spain.CONCLUSION The relationship between QALYs and SWLs has only rarely been studied in the literature.The rate of QALYs lost on SWLs has not been determined.Future research is warranted to address this issue.

Effects of Different Planting Years on Physicochemical Properties and Enzyme Activities in Soil of Rice-Cherry Tomato Rotation

Crop rotation periodicity has always been one of the research focuses currently. In this study, the physicochemical properties, nutrient contents and enzyme activities were investigated in soils from rice-cherry tomato rotation for one year (1a), three years (3a), five years (5a), seven years (7a) and ten years (10a), respectively. The major objective was to analyze the optimal rotation years of rice-cherry tomato from soil perspective, so as to provide theoretical basis for effectively avoiding continuous cropping obstacles of cherry tomato via studying the response characteristics of soil physicochemical properties, nutrient contents and enzyme activities to planting years of rice-cherry tomato rotation system. The results were as follows: 1) Soil pH value was increased year by year during 1a to 5a, reached the highest value 5.32 at 5a. However, soil acidity was sharply enhanced during 7a to 10a (P P •kg-1 at 5a. 3) The content of soil available phosphorus was increased year by year with increasing of crop rotation years, and increased by 110% to 173% during 3a to 10a (P P P < 0.05). In conclusion, long-term single rotation pattern of rice-cherry tomato would aggravate soil acidification, prompt soil nutrient imbalance and reduce soil enzyme activity. 5a to 7a would be the appropriate rotation period for rice-cherry tomato, or else it would reduce soil quality, resulting in a new continuous cropping obstacle of cherry tomato.

Improving the Use of Insecticide-Treated Nets among Children under Five Years Old in Benin, West Africa

Background: In Benin, malaria represents the first cause of consultation and hospitalization (48% for children under 5 years old) in health units. It also accounts for 23.1% of deaths recorded in health facilities (MoH, 2019). Between the two main components of vector control adopted by Benin government, the mass distribution campaigns of Insecticide-Treated Nets (ITNs) remained the only proven cost-effective way to rapidly achieve high and equitable coverage (WHO, 2017). After the fourth mass distribution campaign conducted in 2017, the Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) data indicated that the percentage of children who slept under an ITN has increased from 20% in 2006 to 70% in 2011-2012 and to 76% in 2017-2018 while the incidence of malaria (tested positive) is increasing rapidly among children under 5 years old, growing from 36.5% in 2009 to 28.8% in 2012 and then to 51.4% in 2019. This study aims to understand this contrast by identifying the origin of the increase in ITN use over time among children under five years old and the factors which determine this use. Methods: Data from the Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) conducted in Benin respectively in 2006 and in 20018 were used during the analysis, which covered 13,445 children under five years old from 2006 DHS and 12,255 children from 2017-2018 DHS. Firstly, the data were analyzed using decomposition method to highlight the origin of the increase of ITN use over time among children under five years old. Secondly, the chi-square test analysis estimated the association between ITN use and some characteristics (wealth index, maternal or caregiver education level and child age). Finally, the logistic regression model was used to identify the main factors, which influence the net use over the study period. Results: This study shows that the improvement of basic conditions is the main origin of behavior change in the use of ITNs among children under five years old. This improvement of the basic conditions consists of making ITNs available in households and informing household members about the benefits of ITN use. So, the free ITN distribution campaigns, routine distribution, awareness campaigns about the benefits of ITN use are the strategies, which increase the household capacities and knowledge, allowing household members to make their children sleep under net. The analysis also shows that region of residence, wealth index of household, household size, religion, and child age continue to determine the ITN use among children under age 5 years old and MNCP will integrate the factors in malaria prevention strategies in order to achieve universal use of ITNs. Conclusions: Although, sleeping under ITN behavior has indeed spread among children under 5 years old, policymakers and other stakeholders should design strategies to maintain and improve the current level of ITN use to reach the collective protection threshold (80% according to WHO). Therefore, to address the challenges of universal use of ITN, the study recommends expanding the routine distribution system to private sector health centers;discussing issues related to health service utilization (particularly ITN use) within a consultation framework at the communal level. In addition, collecting qualitative and quantitative data in the Oueme region will allow better understanding of all aspects of the ITN use gap among children under 5 years.

The Prevalence and Risk Factors Associated with Otitis Media in Children under Five Years of Age in Mogadishu, Somalia: A Hospital-Based Cross-Sectional Study

Background: Otitis media (OM) is highly prevalent and is one of the most important causes of preventable hearing loss in developing countries and it may have long-term impacts on the children. Several hospital-based cross-sectional studies have been conducted in East African countries to assess the prevalence of OM;however, no similar studies have been conducted in Somalia. Therefore, we conducted a hospital-based cross-sectional study to identify the prevalence and the underlying risk factors of OM among children under the age of five in Mogadishu, Somalia. Methodology: A hospital-based cross-sectional study was conducted from July 2022 to November 2022 at three main hospitals in Mogadishu, Somalia. A total of 384 children aged less than 5 years were included. Parents of these children were interviewed with a questionnaire and a clinical examination was performed for each child. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences, SPSS (Version 22, IBM, Inc.), was used for the statistical analysis. Result: The prevalence of otitis media among the 384 children recruited was 31.25% (120/384). Otitis media was significantly associated with age less than one year (P = 0.006), malnutrition (P Conclusion: In summary, the present study found that otitis media was highly prevalent (31.25%) in Mogadishu, Somalia. The majority of the affected children were younger than one year. Age of the child, malnutrition, upper respiratory tract infections, feeding in lying position, and dripping something into a child’s ear were found to significantly increase the risk of developing otitis media in children. In contrast, breastfeeding for more than one year has been found to reduce the risk of developing otitis media in children.

A Review on Determinants Affecting Commercialization of Academic Institution Final Year Projects

Final year project is an important training and assessment component incorporated in many courses of academic institution.The ability to translate ideas,research,and creativity into actual products,services,or businesses shows how successful and impactful people or institutions can be in the wider economy.However,in most of the cases,the outcomes of the final year project usually remain as academic discussion without maximizing their potential to be converted into a commercialized product or services.In this review,theory and applications are discussed to understand how entrepreneurial skills and networking abilities,components of individuals’human capital can impact the commercialisation of final year projects.Furthermore,determinants affecting commercialization of final year projects will also be explored namely:entrepreneurial skills,networking ability,access to resources,institutional support as well as creativity and innovation.

A Study on the Pedagogical Application of Chinese New Year Culture in International Chinese Language Education

Culture teaching is an inseparable part of International Chinese Language Education,and it has great significance in international Chinese language teaching.Students can enhance their interest in Chinese language learning and improve their learning effect through understanding the excellent traditional Chinese culture,at the same time,culture teaching can help to disseminate the Chinese culture and promote the development of a multicultural world.Taking the teaching of Chinese New Year culture as an example,we analyze the current teaching materials involving Chinese New Year culture with high popularity and acceptance,put forward effective teaching methods matching the feasibility of teaching Chinese New Year culture,and then present the specific teaching design of Chinese New Year culture,in order to provide references for the teaching of culture in International Chinese Language Education.

Analysis of the Spirit of Struggle in the New Era Based on General Secretary Xi Jinping’s New Year’s Greetings in the Past Decade

In order to realize the national rejuvenation,General Secretary Xi Jinping attaches great importance to the spiritual strength of struggle,and has repeatedly advocated that all people should exalt the spirit of strive on different occasions.According to his New Year’s greetings since 2014,Xi Jinping has illustrated the connotation of the spirit of enterprising,the necessity of carrying forward and the requirements for practicing the spirit of struggle from different perspectives,pointing out that all Chinese must keep in mind both domestic and international situations,strive in unity,work creative and industrious with the enthusiasm of seizing every minute,catch the opportunity and solve the problem,make substantial progress on the new journey to construct China into a great modern socialist country in all respects.

Morphological changes of silver and bighead carp in the Yangtze River over the past 50 years

Multivariate analysis was adopted to analyze 30 morphometrical characteristics of 121 one-year-old juvenile silver carp （Hypophthalmichthys molitrix） and bighead carp （Aristichthys nobilis） bred during the 1950s （＂the former population＂） and 2008 （＂the current population＂） and collected from the middle reach of the Yangtze River. The average discriminant accuracies of the former and current silver and bighead carp population were 94.2% and 98.0%, respectively. Discriminant analysis also revealed that significant differences in morphology occurred between the former and current populations of both carp in overall characteristics. One-way analysis of variance indicated that between former and current populations, silver carp showed highly significant differences （P0.01） in twelve of their characteristics and significant differences （P0.05） in eight of their characteristics, while bighead carp showed highly significant differences （P0.01） in eight of their characteristics and significant differences （P0.05） in eight of their characteristics. Six head morphology variables of the current silver and bighead carp were significantly or highly significantly larger than the former populations; fourteen characteristics of silver carp and ten characteristics of bighead carp of the current populations, mainly reflecting truck and tail morphology, were significantly or very significantly smaller than the former populations. Our results indicate that silver and bighead carp have developed a larger head and smaller truck and tail during the last 50 years. Due to such morphological changes, it seems apparent that the heads of these fish species need to be considered in regards to human diets, particularly in relation to economic and nutritious value.

Wells评分、Geneva评分和YEARS法对疑似肺栓塞住院患者诊断价值的对比研究

目的探讨Wells评分、Geneva评分和YEARS法对疑似肺栓塞(PE)住院患者的诊断价值。方法回顾性分析2017年1月至2020年6月因胸痛、呼吸困难和咯血于湖南省人民医院住院治疗的946例疑似PE患者。记录所有入组患者病史、临床表现和辅助检查结果等指标。入组患者均接受Wells评分、Geneva评分和YEARS法评估。以CT肺血管造影(CTPA)为标准,分析3种评分诊断PE的灵敏度、特异度、准确度和Youden指数,同时将3组评分结果与CTPA结果进行一致性分析,并绘制受试者工作特征曲线(ROC),计算曲线下面积(AUC),评估3种评分系统诊断PE价值。结果 946例患者中CTPA确诊为PE患者257例(27.2%)。Wells评分、 Geneva评分、YEARS法诊断PE灵敏度分别为88.72%、75.88%、93.00%,特异度分别为35.37%、59.36%、25.11%,准确度分别为50.11%、63.85%、43.55%,Youden指数分别为0.24、0.35、0.18。Wells评分、Geneva评分、YEARS法与CTPA的Kappa值分别为0.16、0.28、0.11。3种评分准确度两两比较差异均有显著统计学意义(P<0.01)。Wells评分、Geneva评分、YEARS法诊断PE的AUC分别为0.622±0.019、0.676±0.019、0.591±0.020,其中Geneva评分AUC最大,与Wells评分、YEARS法差异均有统计学意义(P<0.0167),Wells评分与YEARS法差异无统计学意义(P>0.0167)。结论 3种评分对疑似PE住院患者均有一定的诊断价值,Geneva评分整体诊断价值最高,Wells评分和YEARS法诊断均不理想。

Wells评分和YEARS法对肺栓塞诊断价值的比较

目的:探讨深静脉血栓可能性评分(Wells评分)和简便诊断处理可疑肺栓塞(YEARS法)对肺栓塞患者的诊断价值,应用受试者工作特征(ROC)曲线对比Wells评分和YEARS法诊断肺栓塞的曲线下面积(AUC),以期发现更适用于临床的肺栓塞评分方法。方法:选取因疑似肺栓塞的住院患者139例,其中临床确诊肺栓塞患者48例,收集所有入选患者的病史、临床表现和辅助检查等结果,所有入选研究对象均进行Wells评分和YEARS法评估,将肺动脉血管造影(CTPA)作为诊断的金标准,应用SPSS 22.0统计软件分析2组患者Wells评分和YEARS法诊断肺栓塞的灵敏度、特异度、误诊率、漏诊率和准确度,并对Wells评分、YEARS法和CTPA的结果进行一致性分析,进一步绘制Wells评分和YEARS算法诊断肺栓塞的ROC曲线,计算并比较AUC。结果:与YEARS法比较,Wells评分对肺栓塞诊断的特异度和准确度明显升高(P<0.05),误诊率明显降低(P=0.037),而灵敏度和漏诊率差异无统计学意义(P>0.05)。Wells评分与CTPA的Kappa值为0.45,一致性强度为中度;YEARS法与CTPA的Kappa值为0.22,一致性强度尚可;Wells评分与YEARS法的Kappa值为0.11,一致性较差。Wells评分方法诊断肺栓塞的AUC为0.753±0.044 (P<0.01),YEARS法诊断肺栓塞的AUC为0.585±0.049 (P=0.101)。结论:Wells评分在肺栓塞诊断评估方面总体上优于YEARS法。

可疑肺栓塞诊断新策略--YEARS评分

肺栓塞是一种误诊率、漏诊率极高的常见肺血管病,早期识别、早期诊治对改善患者预后至关重要。肺动脉造影是确诊肺栓塞的“金标准”,因其昂贵、有创、有辐射暴露风险,在临床已经逐渐被CT肺血管造影取代。但可疑肺栓塞的患者如果未经有效评估,可能导致过度检查及不必要的医疗资源浪费,也增加了患者辐射暴露的风险。为了有效筛查可疑肺栓塞,目前有多种评分模型对可疑肺栓塞进行评估,但传统评分法相对较复杂,不易在临床工作广泛推广使用。YEARS评分是近年来针对可疑肺栓塞进行评估的新型评分模型,其是一种简单、快速的评估肺栓塞可能性的工具,可以安全有效排除可疑肺栓塞患者,该评分标准更为简便,易于记忆和临床推广。但因目前其临床应用研究有限,有待进一步在临床验证该评分的诊断价值。本文就YEARS评分的临床研究做一综述,以期为肺栓塞的诊断提供新思路、新方法。

Forest change of China in recent 300 years

Based on historical documents, modern survey and statistics, as well as the result of predecessor studies, the trend and main process of forest dynamics are recognized. The forest area and forest coverage rates for each province of China from 1700 to 1949 are estimated backward by every 50 years. Linking the result with modern National Forest Inventory data, the spatial-temporal dynamics of Chinese forest in recent 300 years （AD 1700-1998） is quantitatively analyzed. The study shows that in recent 300 years, the forest area in current territory of China has declined by 0.95×10^8 hm^2 （or 9.2% of the coverage rate） in total, with a trend of decrease and recovery. Before the 1960s, there was a trend of accelerated descending. The forest area was reduced by 1.66×10^8 hm^2 （or 17% of the coverage rate） in 260 years. While after the 1960s, there has been a rapid increase. The forest area increased by 0.7×10^8 hm^2 （or 8% of the coverage rate） in 40 years. The study also shows that there is a significant spatial difference in the dynamics of forest. The amplitudes of increasing and decreasing in western China are both smaller than the ones in eastern China. During the rapid declining period from 1700 to 1949, the most serious decrease appeared in the Northeast, the Southwest and the Southeast, where the coverage rate in most provinces dropped over 20%. In Heilongjiang Province, the coverage rate dropped by 50%. In Jilin Province, it dropped by 36%. In Sichuan Province and Chongqing Municipality, it dropped by 42%. In Yunnan Province, it dropped by 35%. During the recovery period 1949-1998, the western provinces, municipality and autonomous regions, including Ningxia, Gansu, Inner Mongolia, Sichuan-Chongqing, Yunnan, Tibet, Xinjiang and Qinghai, etc, the increase rates are all below 5%, while the eastern provinces, municipality and autonomous regions （except Heilongjiang, Hubei, Jiangsu-Shanghai） have achieved an increase over 5%, among which the Guangdong-Hainan, Guangxi, Anhui, Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei, Shandong, Henan, Zhejiang, and Fujian have an increase over 10%.

The ostracod assemblages and their environmental significance in the Chen Co area, southern Tibet in recent 1400 years

The CC1 core, with a length of 216 cm, was drilled in the west part of the Chen Co (Lake) in southern Tibet Plateau. The210Pb and137Cs measurement indicated that it was a consecutive sedimentary sequence since ca. 1400 years. The ostracoda and their assemblages under the level of 1 cm samples’ cutting interval were finished for this core to reveal the past environmental changes in the lake area. A total of 15 species of ostracods belonging to 7 genera in the core sediments had been identified. According to the ostracod distributions, abundances and preservations in the core, seven ostracod assemblages had been distinguished. The ostracod assemblages and their ecological features, together with the sediments dating decision were used to infer the past ca. 1400 years environmental changes of the Chen Co environmental evolutions in three stages, which had responded to the Medieval Ages Warm-period (MAW), the Little Ice Age (LIA) and modern warm period. The results show that the changes of the Chen Co environment had been mainly influenced by the climatic variations. The trend of the lake level fluctuations had been accorded with that of climatic variation during the past 1400 years.