The timing of formation of the low‐gradient, internally drained landscape of the Tibetan Plateau is fundamental to understanding the evolution of the plateau as a whole. Well‐dated sedimentary ...records of internal drainage of rivers into lakes are used to reveal the timing of this evolution. Here we redate the youngest continental sedimentary successions of central Tibet in the Lunpola Basin and propose a new age range of ca. 35 to 9 Ma, significantly younger than previously thought. We demonstrate long‐standing internal drainage in central Tibet since the late Eocene and stable sedimentary environments, source regions, and low topographic relief since at least the early Miocene. We suggest that sediment aggradation of internal drainage and reduction of hillslope gradients by erosion dominate the formation of low‐relief landscapes and that the late Cenozoic drainage basins in central Tibet developed in response to flow in the lower crust and/or mantle lithosphere.
Plain Language Summary
Internal drainage of rivers into lakes is a characteristic of the high plateaus of the world and, most notably, the Tibetan Plateau. Internal drainage generates local perched base levels for Tibetan rivers, enabling geomorphic isolation from the rapidly incising rivers of the Himalaya and surrounding regions. However, the question of when the low‐relief plateau topography was initiated has been largely ignored, and its formation mechanism is controversial. Here we report a detailed investigation in the Lunpola Basin of central Tibet and propose a new depositional age range of ca. 35–9 Ma. We demonstrate that the internal drainage kept eroding the mountain ranges and filling the surrounding lowlands since at least the late Eocene. By no later than the early Miocene, a gentle landscape formed in central Tibet. The late Cenozoic basins in central Tibet developed in response to deep crustal or mantle flow and associated upper crustal deformation.
Key Points
Robust age constraints of the youngest continental stratigraphic unit from the Lunpola Basin in central Tibet are reported
Aggradation and erosion of internal drainage dominated the formation of low‐relief topography in central Tibet by the early Miocene times
Late Cenozoic drainage basins in central Tibet developed in response to flow in the lower crust and/or mantle lithosphere
The Danjiang River basin is an important water source for the Middle Route of the South-to-North Water Diversion Project. With the shortage of water resources and the increase in pollution pressure, ...it is of great significance to study the hydrochemical characteristics of surface water in the Danjiang River basin and the risk to human health posed by polluted water bodies for the protection and utilization of water resources. In this paper, 40 surface water samples were collected and analyzed by innovatively adopting the sampling principle of “geological structure unit + landform unit + small watershed unit”. Comprehensive mathematical statistical analysis, Piper trilinear diagrams, Gibbs diagrams, and ion ratio coefficients were used to analyze the hydrochemical composition, spatial distribution characteristics and influencing factors of surface water in the Danjiang River. The entropy weight comprehensive index method (EWQI) and the health risk assessment model recommended by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (HHRA model) were used to evaluate the water quality and potential non-carcinogenic risk of surface water in the Danjiang River source basin. The results showed that the pH of surface water in the study area was 7.02~8.77, with an average value of 8.26; and the TDS was ranged from 134 to 388 mg/L, with an average value of 252.75 mg/L. The main cations in the surface water were Ca2+ and Mg2+, accounting for 71% and 20% of the total cations, respectively, while the main anions were HCO3− and SO42−, accounting for 74% and 19% of the total anions, respectively. The hydrochemical type was HCO3− Ca·Mg. The hydrochemical genesis was mainly controlled by the weathering of carbonate rocks, while some ions were influenced by the weathering of silicate rocks, and human activities were also an important factor affecting the chemical characteristics of the water. The EWQI of surface water in the whole region was 8.95~25.69, and the health risk index (HI) of nitrate pollution ranged from 0.0122 to 0.2118, in which the HI ranges for children and adults were 0.0217~0.2118 and 0.0122~0.1333, respectively, indicating that the water quality of the entire study area met the Class I water standards, and the potential non-carcinogenic risk of nitrate was low. However, its impact on children was significantly higher than on adults, so it is recommended to monitor the water quality downstream of urban areas in the study area to reduce agricultural non-point source pollution and urban domestic sewage discharge and thereby reduce the potential health risks for young populations.
While COVID-19 becomes periodical, old individuals remain vulnerable to severe disease with high mortality. Although there have been some studies on revealing different risk factors affecting the ...death of COVID-19 patients, researchers rarely provide a comprehensive analysis to reveal the relationships and interactive effects of the risk factors of COVID-19 mortality, especially in the elderly. Through retrospectively including 1917 COVID-19 patients (102 were dead) admitted to Xiangya Hospital from December 2022 to March 2023, we used the association rule mining method to identify the risk factors leading causes of death among the elderly. Firstly, we used the Affinity Propagation clustering to extract key features from the dataset. Then, we applied the Apriori Algorithm to obtain 6 groups of abnormal feature combinations with significant increments in mortality rate. The results showed a relationship between the number of abnormal feature combinations and mortality rates within different groups. Patients with "C-reactive protein > 8 mg/L", "neutrophils percentage > 75.0 %", "lymphocytes percentage < 20%", and "albumin < 40 g/L" have a 2
mortality rate than the basic one. When the characteristics of "D-dimer > 0.5 mg/L" and "WBC >
/L" are continuously included in this foundation, the mortality rate can be increased to 3
or 4
. In addition, we also found that liver and kidney diseases significantly affect patient mortality, and the mortality rate can be as high as 100%. These findings can support auxiliary diagnosis and treatment to facilitate early intervention in patients, thereby reducing patient mortality.
Objectives
Our aim was to systematically review published evidence on the construct validity, test-retest reliability and responsiveness of generic preference-based measures (PBMs) used in East and ...South-East Asia.
Methods
This systematic review was guided by the COSMIN guideline. A literature search on the MEDLINE, EMBASE, PsycINFO and PubMed databases up to August 2019 was conducted for measurement properties validation papers of the EuroQol-5 Dimensions (EQ-5D), Short Form-6 Dimensions (SF-6D), Health Utilities Index (HUI), Quality of Well-Being (QWB), 15-Dimensional (15D) and Assessment of Quality of Life (AQOL) in East and South-East Asian countries. Included papers were disaggregated into individual studies whose results and quality of design were rated separately. The population-specific measurement properties (construct validity, test-retest reliability and responsiveness) of each PBM were assessed separately using relevant studies. The overall methodological quality of the studies used in each of the assessments was also rated.
Results
A total of 79 papers containing 1504 studies were included in this systematic review. The methodological quality was ‘very good’ or ‘adequate’ for the majority of the construct validity studies (99%) and responsiveness studies (61%), but for only a small portion of the test-retest reliability studies (23%). EQ-5D was most widely assessed and was found to have ‘sufficient’ construct validity and responsiveness in many populations, while the SF-6D and EuroQol-Visual Analog Scale (EQ-VAS) exhibited ‘inconsistent’ construct validity in some populations. Scarce evidence was available on HUI and QWB, but current evidence supported the use of HUI.
Conclusions
This systematic review provides a summary of the quality of existing generic PBMs in Asian populations. The current evidence supports the use of EQ-5D as the preferred choice when a generic PBM is needed, and continuous testing of all PBMs in the region.
The tectonic evolutionary history of the Lhasa and Qiangtang collision zones remains hotly debated because of the lack of pivotal magmatic records in the southern Qiangtang subterrane, central Tibet. ...We present zircon U–Pb dating, whole-rock major and trace-element geochemical analyses, and Sr–Nd isotopic data for the newly discovered Biluoco volcanic rocks from the southern Qiangtang subterrane, central Tibet. Zircon U–Pb dating reveals that the Biluoco volcanic rocks were crystallized at ca. 95 Ma. The samples are characterized by low SiO2 (50.26–54.53 wt%), high Cr (109.7–125.92 ppm) and Ni (57.4–71.58 ppm), and a high Mg# value (39–56), which plot in the magnesian andesites field on the rock classification diagram. They display highly fractionated rare earth element patterns with light rare earth element enrichment (La/YbN = 21.04–25.24), high Sr/Y (63.97–78.79) and no negative Eu anomalies (Eu/Eu* = 0.98–1.04). The Biluoco volcanic rocks are depleted in Nb, Ta and Ti and enriched in Ba, Th, U and Pb. Moreover, the eight samples of Biluoco volcanic rocks display constant (87Sr/86Sr)i ratios (0.70514–0.70527), a positive εNd(t) value (2.16–2.68) and younger Nd model ages (0.56–0.62 Ga). These geochemical signatures indicate that the Biluoco volcanic rocks were most likely derived from partial melting of the mantle wedge peridotite metasomatized by melts of subducted slab and sediment in the subducted slab, invoked by asthenospheric upwelling resulting from the slab break-off of the northward subduction of the Bangong–Nujiang oceanic lithosphere. Identification of ca. 95 Ma Biluoco magnesian andesites suggests they were a delayed response of slab break-off of the northward subduction of the Bangong–Nujiang oceanic lithosphere at ca. 100 Ma.
Display omitted
•Newly discovered magnesian andesites (ca. 95 Ma) in the southern Qiangtang subterrane.•Magnesian andesites likely formed by slab break-off after the Lhasa–Qiangtang collision.•Newly evidence for the tectonic evolution of central Tibet during Cretaceous.
Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) is often perceived to be a female-predominant disorder in both research and clinical contexts. Although there is growing recognition of possible sex differences, ...the current literature remains fragmented and inconclusive. This scoping review aimed to synthesize available research evidence on potential sex differences in BPD. PsycINFO, PubMed, Scopus and Web-of-Science were searched from January 1982 to July 2022 surrounding the key concepts of sex and BPD. Data searching and screening processes followed the Joanna Briggs Institute methodology involving two independent reviewers, and a third reviewer if necessary, and identified 118 papers. Data regarding BPD symptoms, comorbid disorders, developmental factors, biological markers, and treatment were extracted. Data was summarized using the vote counting method or narrative synthesis depending on the availability of literature. Males with BPD were more likely to present externalizing symptoms (e.g., aggressiveness) and comorbid disorders (e.g., substance use), while females with BPD were more likely to present internalizing symptoms (e.g., affective instability) and comorbid disorders (e.g., mood and eating disorders). This review also revealed that substantially more research attention has been given to overall sex differences in baseline BPD symptoms and comorbid disorders. In contrast, there is a dearth of sex-related research pertaining to treatment outcomes, developmental factors, and possible biological markers of BPD. The present scoping review synthesized current studies on sex differences in BPD, with males more likely to present with externalizing symptoms in contrast to females. However, how this might change the prognosis of the disorder or lead to modifications of treatment has not been investigated. Most studies were conducted on western populations, mainly North American (55%) or European (33%), and there is a need for future research to also take into consideration genetic, cultural, and environmental concomitants. As the biological construct of 'sex' was employed in the present review, future research could also investigate the social construct 'gender'. Longitudinal research designs are needed to understand any longer-term sex influence on the course of the disorder.
Background
Several observational studies have suggested a potential relationship between gut microbiome and psoriatic arthritis (PsA). However, the causality of this relationship still remains ...unclear. We aim to explore if the specific gut microbiome is causally associated with PsA at the genetic level and offer valuable insights into the etiology of PsA.
Methods
In this study, we employed a bidirectional two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis to investigate the causal effects of the gut microbiome on PsA. Publicly accessible genome-wide association study summary data of gut microbiome were obtained from the MiBioGen consortium (
n
= 14,306), while the summary statistics of psoriatic arthropathies were sourced from the FinnGen consortium R8 release data (2,776 cases and 221,323 controls). The primary analytical method employed was inverse variance weighted (IVW), complemented by supplementary methods including MR-Egger, weighted median, weighted mode, maximum likelihood, MR-PRESSO, and cML-MA. Reverse MR analysis was performed on the bacteria that were found to be causally associated with PsA in forward MR analysis. Cochran’s IVW Q statistic was utilized to assess the heterogeneity of instrumental variables among the selected single nucleotide polymorphisms.
Results
IVW estimates revealed that
Ruminococcaceae_UCG-002
(odds ratio (OR) = 0.792, 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.643–0.977,
p
= 0.029) exhibited a protective effect on PsA. Conversely,
Blautia
(OR = 1.362, 95% CI, 1.008–1.842,
p
= 0.044),
Eubacterium_fissicatena_group
(OR = 1.28, 95% CI, 1.075–1.524,
p
= 0.006), and
Methanobrevibacter
(OR = 1.31, 95% CI, 1.059–1.621,
p
= 0.013) showed a positive correlation with the risk of PsA. No significant heterogeneity, horizontal pleiotropy, or outliers were observed, and the results of the MR analysis remained unaffected by any single nucleotide polymorphisms. According to the results of reverse MR analysis, no significant causal effect of PsA was found on gut microbiome.
Conclusion
This study establishes for the first time a causal relationship between the gut microbiome and PsA, providing potential valuable strategies for the prevention and treatment of PsA. Further randomized controlled trials are urgently warranted to support the targeted protective mechanisms of probiotics on PsA.
Understanding inflammatory and immune responses to Omicron infection based on age is crucial when addressing this global health threat. However, the lacking of comprehensive elucidation hinders the ...development of distinct treatments tailored to different age populations.
1299 cases of Omicron infection in Shanghai were enrolled between April 10, 2022 and June 3, 2022, dividing into three groups by ages: Adult group (18-59 years), Old group (60-79 years), and Elder group (≥ 80 years). Laboratory data including inflammatory cytokines, cellular, and humoral immunity were collected and analyzed.
The mean age of Adult, Old, and Elder groups were 44.14, 69.98, and 89.35 years, respectively, with 40.9% being men. The Elder group patients exhibited higher white blood cell (WBC) counts and elevated levels of inflammatory cytokines, but their lymphocyte counts were relatively lower. In comparison to the Old group patients, the Elder group patients demonstrated significantly lower CD3
T-cell counts, CD3
T-cell proportion, CD4
T-cell counts, CD8
T-cell counts, and CD19
B-cell counts, while the NK-cell counts were higher. Omicron negative patients displayed a higher proportion of CD19
B-cells and higher levels of Complement-3 and IL-17 compared to the positive patients in the Old group. Omicron negative patients had lower WBC counts, CD3
CD8
T-cells proportion, and the levels of serum amyloid A and IgA in the Elder group, but the CD4
/CD8
ratio was higher.
Our study identified the distinct profiles of inflammatory and immune responses to Omicron infection varying with age and highlighted the diverse correlations between the levels of various biomarkers and Omicron infected/convalescent patients.
Located on the south of the Gangdese, the Qiuwu Formation has traditionally been considered as Eocene coal-bearing clastic sediments consisting of sandstone, mudstone and conglomerate, uncon-formably ...on top of Gangdese batholith. However, its precise age and depositional environment remain ambiguous. Here, we present a newly measured stratigraphic section near the Ngamring County, western Xigaze. Detrital zircon U-Pb ages were also applied to trace the provenance of sediments and to constrain the maximum depositional age of the Qiuwu Formation. Sedimentary facies analyses indicate subaqueous fan and alluvial fan depositional environments. Clast composition of the conglomerate is dominated by magmatic rocks at the lower part, while chert and mafic detritus occur in the upper part, suggesting a southern source. Sandstone modal analyses indicate that the compo-sitions of quartz, feldspar and lithic grains changed from transitional arc to dissected arc, implying the unroofing of the Gangdese arc. Detrital zircon U-Pb ages of the Qiuwu Formation are compared with those from Gangdese magmatic rocks and Yarlung-Zangbo ophiolites, suggesting that the Gangdese arc is a main source of the Qiuwu detritus and that the southern source played a role during the later stage. The major peak of detrital zircon ages is at 45-55 Ma, which corresponds to Linzizong volcanic rocks in southern Gangdese arc. The weighted mean age of the five youngest zircons from the lower part of the section is 21.0 ± 2.2 Ma, suggesting that the Qiuwu Formation was deposited in early Miocene, coeval with other conglomerates exposed along the southern margin of Gangdese. Combining new observa-tions with previously published data, we propose that the provenance of the Qiuwu Formation had shifted from a single northern source to double sources from both the north and the south. Activities of Great Counter Thrust were primarily responsible for the shift by making the south area a high elevation to provide sediments for the Qiuwu Formation.
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