Examining the association between delay discounting, delay aversion and physical activity in Chinese adults with type-2 diabetes mellitus.

BACKGROUND: The role of physical activity in diabetes is critical, influencing this disease's development, man-agement, and overall outcomes. In China, 22.3% of adults do not meet the minimum level of physical activity recommended by the World Health Organization. Therefore, it is imperative to identify the factors that contributing to lack of physical activity must be identified. AIM: To investigate the relationship among delay discounting, delay aversion, glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c), and various levels of physical activity in Chinese adults diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). METHODS: In 2023, 400 adults with T2DM were recruited from the People's Hospital of Linxia Hui Autonomous Prefecture of Gansu Province. A face-to-face questionnaire was used to gather demographic data and details on physical activity, delay discounting, and delay aversion. In addition, HbA1c levels were measured in all 400 participants. The primary independent variables considered were delay discounting and delay aversion. The outcome variables included HbA1c levels and different intensity levels of physical activity, including walking, moderate physical activity, and vigorous physical activity. Multiple linear regression models were utilized to assess the relationship between delay discounting, delay aversion, and HbA1c levels, along with the intensity of different physical activity measured in met-hours per week. RESULTS: After controlling for the sample characteristics, delay discounting was negatively associated with moderate physical activity (ß = -2.386, 95%CI: -4.370 to -0.401). Meanwhile, delay aversion was negatively associated with the level of moderate physical activity (ß = -3.527, 95% CI: -5.578 to -1.476) in the multiple linear regression model, with statistically significant differences. CONCLUSION: Elevated delay discounting and increased delay aversion correlated with reduced levels of moderate physical activity. Result suggests that delay discounting and aversion may influence engagement in moderate physical activity. This study recommends that health administration and government consider delay discounting and delay aversion when formulating behavioral intervention strategies and treatment guidelines involving physical activity for patients with T2DM, which may increase participation in physical activity. This study contributes a novel perspective to the research on physical activity in adults with T2DM by examining the significance of future health considerations and the role of emotional responses to delays.

Exploring the complex trade-offs and synergies of global ecosystem services.

The trade-off and synergy relationship of ecosystem services is an important topic in the current assessment. The value of each service provided by the ecosystem is substantially affected by human activities, and conversely, its changes will also affect the relevant human decisions. Due to varying trade-offs among ecosystem services and synergies between them that can either increase or decrease, it is difficult to optimize multiple ecosystem services simultaneously, making it a huge challenge for ecosystem management. This study firstly develops a global Gross Ecosystem Product (GEP) accounting framework. It uses remote sensing data with a spatial resolution of 1 km to estimate the ecosystem services of forests, wetlands, grasslands, deserts, and farmlands in 179 major countries in 2018. The results show that the range of global GEP values is USD 112-197 trillion, with an average value of USD 155 trillion (the constant price), and the ratio of GEP to gross domestic product (GDP) is 1.85. The trade-offs and the synergies among different ecosystem services in each continent and income group have been further explored. We found a correspondence between the income levels and the synergy among ecosystem services within each nation. Among specific ecosystem services, there are strong synergies between oxygen release, climate regulation, and carbon sequestration services. A trade-off relationship has been observed between flood regulation and other services, such as water conservation and soil retention services in low-income countries. The results will help clarify the roles and the feedback mechanisms between different stakeholders and provide a scientific basis for optimizing ecosystem management and implementing ecological compensation schemes to enhance human well-being.

Framework construction and application of China's Gross Economic-Ecological Product accounting.

In order to integrate resource consumption, environmental damage and ecological benefits into the evaluation system of social and economic development, and practice the green concept of "Lucid waters and lush mountains are invaluable assets", this research was based on the Green GDP and Gross Ecosystem Product accounting to develop comprehensive accounting indicators for Gross Economic-Ecological Product (GEEP). At the same time, the 2016 GEEP of 31 provinces in China is calculated. The results show that: 1) GEEP is a comprehensive ecological-economic accounting system based on weak sustainable development theory and welfare economics. GEEP follows the principle of GDP accounting and carries out value accounting for the final products of ecological and economic systems. Based on GDP, GEEP considers the ecological-environmental damage caused by human beings in economic product activities and the benefits of the ecological system to the economic system. 2) In 2016, China's GEEP was 126.6 trillion RMB, 1.6 times of GDP, among them, the cost of pollution damage was 2.1 trillion RMB, the ecological degradation cost was 0.69 trillion RMB, and the ecosystem regulating service was 51.4 trillion RMB. 3) The regional Gini coefficient based on GEEP was 0.44, which was 0.07 smaller than the regional Gini coefficient calculated based on GDP in 2016, thus GEEP accounting would benefit to shrink regional disparity. 4) Compared GEEP ranking with GDP ranking of all provinces, GEEP rankings in Inner Mongolia, Heilongjiang, Yunnan, Qinghai and Tibet have increased by more than 10 ranks compared with GDP, and Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin, Hebei and Shaanxi, their GEEP ranking compared with the GDP ranking has descending more than 10 places.

The valuation of China's environmental degradation from 2004 to 2017.

This paper aims to evaluate the cost of environmental degradation by adopting the conventional environmental economic methodology in China from 2004 to 2017 and summarize the change in both the causes and costs of China's environmental degradation. Results from this study revealed the following: i. The environmental degradation cost in China increased from 511 billion yuan to 1,892 billion yuan from 2004 to 2017, and its share in the GDP decreased from 3.05% to 2.23%; ii. The environmental degradation cost growth rate was lower than the GDP growth rate. The environmental degradation cost growth rate decreased sharply, by dropping from 10% in 2014 to 2% in 2017. The environmental benefits of industrial transformation have emerged; iii. The provinces of Shandong, Hebei, Jiangsu, Henan, and Guangdong had the highest environmental degradation costs. The annual average growth rate of the environmental degradation costs in Jiangsu, Guangdong, and Zhejiang were lower than their growth rate of the GDP respectively; iv. Consideration of environmental degradation cost in decision-making could contribute to the high-quality development of China.

Spatial and temporal variations of air quality and six air pollutants in China during 2015-2017.

Air pollution has aroused significant public concern in China, therefore, long-term air-quality data with high temporal and spatial resolution are needed to understand the variations of air pollution in China. However, the yearly variations with high spatial resolution of air quality and six air pollutants are still unknown for China until now. Therefore, in this paper, we analyze the spatial and temporal variations of air quality and six air pollutants in 366 cities across mainland China during 2015-2017 for the first time to the best of our knowledge. The results indicate that the annual mean mass concentrations of PM2.5, PM10, SO2, and CO all decreased year by year during 2015-2017. However, the annual mean NO2 concentrations were almost unchanged, while the annual mean O3 concentrations increased year by year. Anthropogenic factors were mainly responsible for the variations of air quality. Further analysis suggested that PM2.5 and PM10 were the main factors influencing air quality, while NO2 played an important role in the formation of PM2.5 and O3. These findings can provide a theoretical basis for the formulation of future air-pollution control policy in China.

[Health damage assessment due to PM2.5 exposure during haze pollution events in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region in January 2013].

OBJECTIVE: To assess the human health damage due to particulate matter ≤ 2.5 µm (PM2.5) exposure during the haze pollution events in 12 cities of Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region in January 2013. METHODS: The data were collected for urban population, ambient air quality, baseline mortality rate and emergency visits in Beijing, Tianjin, Shijiazhuang, Baoding, Chengde, Handan, Langfang, Hengshui, Qinhuangdao, Tangshan, Xingtai and Zhangjiakou. Then the exposure-response relationship was constructed between short-term PM2.5 exposure and mortality and emergency room visits with meta-analysis. Thus the excess deaths and emergency room visits due to PM2.5 exposure were estimated during the haze pollution events using city-specific exposure population, PM2.5 daily concentration and exposure-response coefficients. RESULTS: Three serious PM2.5 pollution events occurred on January 12, January 19 and January 27 in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region respectively. From January 10 to January 31, the 24 h mean concentrations of PM2.5 in Beijing, Tianjin, Shijiazhuang, Tangshan, Qinhuangdao, Handan, Xingtai, Baoding, Zhangjiakou, Chengde, Langfang, Hengshui were 705, 411, 675, 506, 255, 598, 698, 667, 231, 178, 718 and 405 µg/m(3). Xingtai, Shijiazhuang, Handan, Baoding, Langfang and Beijing were the more polluted areas. And there were 17 days (77.3%), 13 days (59.1%), 12 days (54.5%), 11 days (50.0%), 10 days (45.5%) and 8 days (36.4%) of Air Quality Index reaching the serious level respectively. The short-term PM2.5 exposure caused 2725 excess death including 846 excess deaths duo to respiratory disease and 1878 excess deaths due to circulatory disease in Beijing-Tianjin-Hebei region from January 10 to January 31. CONCLUSIONS: The haze pollution events led to serious public health damage. And it is imperative to take actions of controlling PM2.5 pollution.

Assessment of traffic noise pollution from 1989 to 2003 in Lanzhou City.

On the basis of the continuous traffic noise data observed at 142 sites distributed in 52 roads from 1989 to 2003, the characteristics of traffic noise and effect factors were analyzed through traffic noise indices, such as Lep, L10, L50, L90, TNI, and Pn. Our findings allow us to reach a number of conclusions as follows: Firstly, traffic noise pollution was serious, and its fluctuant characteristic was obvious, resulting in a great intrusion to public in Lanzhou City during last 15 years. Secondly, traffic noise made a distinction between trunk lines and secondary lines, west-east direction roads and north-south direction roads. Thirdly, spatial character and time rule of traffic noise were obvious. In addition, traffic volume, traffic composition, road condition, and traffic management were identified as the key factors influencing traffic noise in this city.

Apidaecin-type peptides: biodiversity, structure-function relationships and mode of action.

Apidaecins (apidaecin-type peptides) refer to a series of small, proline-rich (Pro-rich), 18- to 20-residue peptides produced by insects. They are the largest group of Pro-rich antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) known to date. Structurally, apidaecins consist of two regions, the conserved (constant) region, responsible for the general antibacterial capacity, and the variable region, responsible for the antibacterial spectrum. The small, gene-encoded and unmodified apidaecins are predominantly active against many gram-negative bacteria by special antibacterial mechanisms. The mechanism of action by which apidaecins kill bacteria involves an initial non-specific binding of the peptides to an outer membrane (OM) component. This binding is followed by invasion of the periplasmic space, and by a specific and essentially irreversible combination with a receptor/docking molecule that may be a component of a permease-type transporter system on inner membrane (IM). In the final step, the peptide is translocated into the interior of the cell where it meets its ultimate target. Evidence that apidaecins are non-toxic for human and animal cells is a prerequisite for using them as novel antibiotic drugs. This review presents the biodiversity, structure-function relationships, and mechanism of action of apidaecins.