Return to the Moon: New perspectives on lunar exploration.

Lunar exploration is deemed crucial for uncovering the origins of the Earth-Moon system and is the first step for advancing humanity's exploration of deep space. Over the past decade, the Chinese Lunar Exploration Program (CLEP), also known as the Chang'e (CE) Project, has achieved remarkable milestones. It has successfully developed and demonstrated the engineering capability required to reach and return from the lunar surface. Notably, the CE Project has made historic firsts with the landing and on-site exploration of the far side of the Moon, along with the collection of the youngest volcanic samples from the Procellarum KREEP Terrane. These achievements have significantly enhanced our understanding of lunar evolution. Building on this success, China has proposed an ambitious crewed lunar exploration strategy, aiming to return to the Moon for scientific exploration and utilization. This plan encompasses two primary phases: the first crewed lunar landing and exploration, followed by a thousand-kilometer scale scientific expedition to construct a geological cross-section across the lunar surface. Recognizing the limitations of current lunar exploration efforts and China's engineering and technical capabilities, this paper explores the benefits of crewed lunar exploration while leveraging synergies with robotic exploration. The study refines fundamental lunar scientific questions that could lead to significant breakthroughs, considering the respective engineering and technological requirements. This research lays a crucial foundation for defining the objectives of future lunar exploration, emphasizing the importance of crewed missions and offering insights into potential advancements in lunar science.

Rapid Growth of the CO2 Hydrate Induced by Mixing Trace Tetrafluoroethane.

Rapid formation of the CO2 hydrate can be significantly induced by the gaseous thermodynamic promoter 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane(R134a) due to the mild phase equilibrium conditions, although the formation mechanism and dynamic behavior are not clear. Therefore, a visual experimental system was developed to study the effects of different concentrations of R134a on the induction time, gas consumption, and growth morphology of the CO2 hydrate. At the same time, the combined effects under stirring and sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) systems were also studied. In addition, visualization and experimental model diagrams were combined to explain the fast formation mechanism of the R134a/CO2 hydrate. The results show that the CO2 hydrate average conversion rate was increased by more than 63% with the addition of mixed trace R134a(7%). A special phenomenon is found that two temperature peaks appear on the hydrate formation temperature curve, corresponding to two different stages of hydrate formation when stirring or SDS is added to the mixed gas reaction system. Furthermore, the gas consumption in stirring and SDS systems increases by 9 and 44%, respectively. Finally, it is also found that the R134a/CO2 mixed hydrate formed under the action of SDS has a "capillary" mechanism, which provides a gas-liquid phase exchange channel and a large number of nucleation sites for CO2 hydrate, thus promoting the formation of CO2 hydrate. This paper provides a novel, simple, and efficient method for CO2 hydrate gas storage technology.

Highly regioselective synthesis of lactams via cascade reaction of α,ß-unsaturated ketones, ketoamides, and DBU as a catalyst.

Herein, the aldol/Michael cascade reaction on the ß,γ-positions of α,ß-unsaturated ketones with ketoamides to construct bicyclic lactams via DBU catalysis has been developed. The substrates were well-tolerated with high regio- and diastereoselectivities in moderate to good yields (32 examples). The control experiments revealed that the hydrogen of the amide was the key factor.

Switchable multipath cascade cyclization to synthesize bicyclic lactams and succinimides via chemodivergent reaction.

Herein, a novel switchable multipath cascade cyclization via chemodivergent reaction between readily available ketoamides and deconjugated butenolides was developed to efficiently synthesize γ-lactone fused γ-lactams and succinimide fused hemiketals. The Aldol/aza-Michael reaction and Aldol/imidation/hemiketalization reaction were enabled by catalytic amounts of two bases, namely tetramethyl guanidine and NaOAc. A wide range of substrate scope with diverse functional group compatibility was demonstrated to deliver the corresponding products with good yield and excellent diastereoselectivity (>60 examples).

Genome-wide DNA methylation profiling of gastric cardia cancer.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Aberrant DNA methylation has been found in various cancer types including gastric cancer, yet the genome-wide DNA methylation profile of gastric cardia cancer (GCC) remains unclear. Therefore, we aimed to profile the DNA methylation pattern of GCC and identify promising diagnostic epigenetic biomarkers. METHODS: We investigated the genome-wide DNA methylation pattern in eight pairs of GCC and adjacent normal tissues using Illumina 850K microarrays. Subsequently, bisulfite-pyrosequencing and quantitative real-time PCR were performed on eight pairs of GCC-adjacent normal tissues for validation. Finally, we performed immunohistochemistry to examine ADHFE1 expression on 126 pairs of GCC-adjacent normal samples. RESULTS: DNA methylome analysis showed global hypomethylation and local hypermethylation of promoter cytosine-phosphate-guanine (CpG) islands (CGIs) in GCC tissues compared with gastric cardia normal mucosa (P < 2.2 × 10-16 ). Differential methylation analysis identified a total of 91 723 differentially-methylated probes (DMPs), and the candidate gene with the largest average DNA methylation difference mapped to ADHFE1 (mean Δß = 0.53). Subsequently, three DMPs in the ADHFE1 promoter were validated by pyrosequencing. Notably, the mean methylation level of the three candidate DMPs (ADHFE1_cg08090772, ADHFE1_cg19283840, and ADHFE1_cg20295442) was negatively associated with ADHFE1 mRNA expression level (Spearman rho = -0.64, P = 0.01). Moreover, both mRNA (P = 0.0213) and protein (P < 0.0001) expression of ADHFE1 were significantly decreased in GCCs compared with the adjacent normal tissues. CONCLUSIONS: Our results reveal DNA methylation aberrations in GCC and that ADHFE1 gene DNA methylation contributes to the risk of GCC, thus providing novel mechanistic insights into gastric cardia cancer carcinogenesis.

Evaluation of the efficacy, safety and influencing factors of concomitant and sequential administration of viral respiratory infectious disease vaccines: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

Background: There is no clear conclusion on the immunogenicity and adverse events of concomitant administration the viral respiratory infectious disease vaccines. We aimed to evaluate the impact of concomitant administering viral respiratory infectious disease vaccines on efficiencies, safety and influencing factors. Methods: This meta-analysis included studies from PubMed, Embase, Cochrane Central Register of Clinical Trials, Web of Science, WHO COVID-19 Research, and ClinicalTrials.gov databases. Randomized controlled trials of the adult participants concomitant administered with viral respiratory infectious disease vaccine and other vaccines were included. The main outcomes were the seroconversion rate and seroprotection rate of each vaccine. Used the Mantel-Haenszel fixed effects method as the main analysis to estimate the pooled RRs and the corresponding 95% confidence intervals. The risk of bias for each trial was assessed using the Cochrane Handbook for Systematic Reviews of Interventions, while evidence certainty was evaluated using the Grading of Recommendations Assessment, Development, and Evaluation system. Results: A total of 21 studies comprising 14060 participants with two types of vaccines were retained for the meta-analysis. Concomitant immunization reduced the geometric mean titer (RR: 0.858, 95% CI: (0.785 to 0.939)) and the geometric mean fold rise (0.754 (0.629 to 0.902)) in the SARS-COV-2 vaccine group but increased the seroconversion rate (1.033 (1.0002 to 1.067)) in the seasonal influenza vaccine group. Concomitant administration were influenced by the type of vaccine, adjuvant content, booster immunization, and age and gender of the recipient. Conclusion: This meta-analysis suggested that the short-term protection and safety of concomitant administered were effective. Appropriate adjuvants, health promotion and counselling and booster vaccines could improve the efficiency and safety of Concomitant vaccination. Systematic review registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/, identifier CRD42022343709.

Layered subsurface in Utopia Basin of Mars revealed by Zhurong rover radar.

Exploring the subsurface structure and stratification of Mars advances our understanding of Martian geology, hydrological evolution and palaeoclimatic changes, and has been a main task for past and continuing Mars exploration missions1-10. Utopia Planitia, the smooth plains of volcanic and sedimentary strata that infilled the Utopia impact crater, has been a prime target for such exploration as it is inferred to have hosted an ancient ocean on Mars11-13. However, 45 years have passed since Viking-2 provided ground-based detection results. Here we report an in situ ground-penetrating radar survey of Martian subsurface structure in a southern marginal area of Utopia Planitia conducted by the Zhurong rover of the Tianwen-1 mission. A detailed subsurface image profile is constructed along the roughly 1,171 m traverse of the rover, showing an approximately 70-m-thick, multi-layered structure below a less than 10-m-thick regolith. Although alternative models deserve further scrutiny, the new radar image suggests the occurrence of episodic hydraulic flooding sedimentation that is interpreted to represent the basin infilling of Utopia Planitia during the Late Hesperian to Amazonian. While no direct evidence for the existence of liquid water was found within the radar detection depth range, we cannot rule out the presence of saline ice in the subsurface of the landing area.

Dichotomy in crustal melting on early Mars inferred from antipodal effect.

The Martian crustal dichotomy (MCD) between the southern highlands and the northern lowlands is the planet's most ancient crustal structure, but its origins and evolution remain enigmatic. Understanding of the MCD comes largely from present-day and shallow crustal constraints. Lacking ancient and deeper constraints, hypotheses for the origin of the MCD range from an early giant impact, partial melting from sustained mantle convection, or some combination. We investigate with seismological modeling the best-preserved case of the "antipodal effect"-energy from an impact that concentrates and induces uplift and fracturing promoting volcanism at its antipode-the Hellas crater and the Alba Patera volcano on Mars. The volcano is latitudinally offset âˆ¼2° (∼119 km) from the expected antipode, and we explore whether the MCD can explain this deflection. Variations across the MCD in topography, thickness, and composition have only minor effects. Simulations capable of sufficiently decelerating southern surface waves require the presence of 2%-5% more partial melt in the southern highlands. As the age of impact ca. 4 billion years ago post-dates the formation of the MCD, our partial melting results thus imply that, with or without an early giant impact, the MCD was modified by mantle convection in order to supply enough heat for crustal melts for several hundreds of millions of years after Mars formation.

Evaluation of the Therapeutic Effect of Antibiotics on Scrub Typhus: A Systematic Review and Network Meta-Analysis.

Background: To explore the efficacy and safety of drugs in patients with scrub typhus. Methods: For this systematic review and network meta-analysis, we searched PubMed, Embase, Web of Science, Cochrane Central Register of Clinical Trials, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI), and Wanfang data (WF) up to December 2021. All randomized controlled trials (RCTs) of antibiotics used to treat scrub typhus were included without language or date restrictions. The overall effectiveness was evaluated from 4 perspectives: cure rate (CR), defervescence time (DT), gastrointestinal symptoms-adverse events (GS-AD), and abnormal blood count-adverse events (ABC-AD). The quality of evidence was evaluated using the Cochrane Risk of Bias tool and GRADE system. Results: Sixteen studies involving 1,582 patients were included to evaluate 7 drugs, namely, azithromycin, doxycycline, chloramphenicol, tetracycline, rifampin, moxifloxacin, and telithromycin. In this network meta-analysis, rifampicin (82%) and chloramphenicol (65%) were more effective in terms of CR, and moxifloxacin (3%) from the quinolone family was the worst. Azithromycin caused the fewest events in terms of ABC-AD. No differences were found in this network meta-analysis (NMA) in terms of DT and GS-AD. Conclusions: Rifampicin was associated with the highest CR benefit and the lowest risk of DT when used to treat patients with scrub typhus, except in areas where tuberculosis (TB) was endemic. Azithromycin was found to be better in CR and was associated with a lower probability of GS-AD and ABC-AD; therefore, it may be considered to treat pregnant women and children. Moxifloxacin had a much lower CR than other drugs and is, therefore, not recommended for the management of scrub typhus. Systematic Review Registration: https://www.crd.york.ac.uk/PROSPERO/, identifier: CRD42021287837.

Meta-analysis of the effects of ambient temperature and relative humidity on the risk of mumps.

Many studies have shown that the relationship between ambient temperature, relative humidity and mumps has been highlighted. However, these studies showed inconsistent results. Therefore, the goal of our study is to conduct a meta-analysis to clarify this relationship and to quantify the size of these effects as well as the potential factors. Systematic literature researches on PubMed, Embase.com, Web of Science Core Collection, Cochrane library, Chinese BioMedical Literature Database (CBM) and China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) were performed up to February 7, 2022 for articles analyzing the relationships between ambient temperature, relative humidity and incidence of mumps. Eligibility assessment and data extraction were conducted independently by two researchers, and meta-analysis was performed to synthesize these data. We also assessed sources of heterogeneity by study region, regional climate, study population. Finally, a total of 14 studies were screened out from 1154 records and identified to estimate the relationship between ambient temperature, relative humidity and incidence of mumps. It was found that per 1 °C increase and decrease in the ambient temperature were significantly associated with increased incidence of mumps with RR of 1.0191 (95% CI: 1.0129-1.0252, I2 = 92.0%, Egger's test P = 0.001, N = 13) for per 1 °C increase and 1.0244 (95% CI: 1.0130-1.0359, I2 = 86.6%, Egger's test P = 0.077, N = 9) for per 1 °C decrease. As to relative humidity, only high effect of relative humidity was slightly significant (for per 1 unit increase with RR of 1.0088 (95% CI: 1.0027-1.0150), I2 = 72.6%, Egger's test P = 0.159, N = 9). Subgroup analysis showed that regional climate with temperate areas may have a higher risk of incidence of mumps than areas with subtropical climate in cold effect of ambient temperature and low effect of relative humidity. In addition, meta-regression analysis showed that regional climate may affect the association between incidence of mumps and cold effect of ambient temperature. Our results suggest ambient temperature could affect the incidence of mumps significantly, of which both hot and cold effect of ambient temperature may increase the incidence of mumps. Further studies are still needed to clarify the relationship between the incidence of mumps and ambient temperature outside of east Asia, and many other meteorological factors. These results of ambient temperature are important for establishing preventive measures on mumps, especially in temperate areas. The policy-makers should pay more attention to ambient temperature changes and take protective measures in advance.

Development of Rapid and Visual Nucleic Acid Detection Methods towards Four Serotypes of Human Adenovirus Species B Based on RPA-LF Test.

OBJECTIVES: Human adenoviruses (HAdV) are classified as 7 HAdV species, and some serotypes in species B like HAdV 3, HAdV 7, HAdV 21, and HAdV 55 caused severe symptoms, even fatalities. Patients may be misdiagnosed and inadequately treated without reliable and practical methods for HAdV serotyping. Developing rapid, sensitive, and specific diagnostic methods for HAdV is critical. METHODS: Detection methods were established based on a recombinase polymerase amplification (RPA) assay and lateral flow (LF) test. Specific target sequence was screened, targeting which, primers and probes were designed, synthesized, and screened for establishing assay with high amplification efficiency. Primer or probe concentrations and amplification time were optimized. Detection limit, sensitivity, and specificity were evaluated. Results and Conclusions. Simple, sensitive, and specific RPA-LF methods for detection of four serotypes of HAdV together or separately were established, which had detection limits of 10 to 280 copies/reaction comparable to real-time PCR without recognizing other pathogens. The sensitivity and specificity were >92% and >98%, respectively, evaluated by limited clinical samples. The detection can be completed in 25 min without requirement of any instrument except a constant temperature equipment, showing superior detection performance and promising for a wide use in the field and resource-limited area.

Clinical correlations and prognostic value of Nudix hydroxylase 10 in patients with gastric cancer.

Gastric cancer (GC) is one of the most common and lethal cancers worldwide. The Nudix hydroxylase (NUDT) genes have been reported to play notable roles in tumor progression. However, the role of NUDT10 in GC has not been reported. In this study, we investigated the expression of NUDT10 in GC and its association with clinicopathological characteristics. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction and analyses of The Cancer Genome Atlas and Human Protein Atlas databases were performed to determine NUDT10 mRNA and protein expression. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to assess the diagnostic value of NUDT10 in patients with GC. We used Cox regression and the Kaplan-Meier method to assess the correlations between clinicopathological factors and survival outcomes of patients with GC. Gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA) was performed to identify the underlying signaling pathways. NUDT10 mRNA and protein expression was significantly lower in GC tissues compared to normal tissues. Interestingly, higher NUDT10 expression was correlated with advanced tumor stage, deeper local invasion, and worse survival outcomes. Patients with higher NUDT10 expression had a significantly worse prognosis than those with lower NUDT10 expression. Multivariate analysis showed that high NUDT10 expression was an independent predictor of survival outcome. Several pathways, including mismatch repair, nucleotide excision repair, extracellular matrix receptor interaction, and cancer signaling, were identified as enriched pathways in GC through GSEA. To our knowledge, this study is the first to characterize NUDT10 expression in GC. Our study demonstrates that NUDT10 is a promising independent biomarker for GC prognosis.

First Identification of Human Adenovirus Subtype 21a in China With MinION and Illumina Sequencers.

Human adenoviruses (HAdVs) have been demonstrated to cause a diversity of diseases among children and adults. The circulation of human adenovirus type 21 (HAdV21) has been mainly documented within closed environments in several countries. Nonetheless, respiratory infections or outbreaks due to HAdV21 have never been reported in China. MinION and Illumina platforms were employed to identify the potential pathogen from a throat swab. Discrepancies between MinION and Illumina sequencing were validated and corrected via polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Genomic characterization and recombinant event detection were then performed. Among the 35,466 high-quality MinION reads, a total of 5,999 reads (16.91%) could be aligned to HAdV21 reference genomes (genome sizes ≈35.3 kb), among which 20 had a length of >30 kb. A genome sequence assembled from MinION reads was further classified as HAdV subtype 21a. Random downsampling revealed as few as 500 nanopore reads could cover ≥96.49% of current genome. Illumina sequencing displayed good consistency (pairwise nucleotide identity = 99.91%) with MinION sequencing but with 31 discrepancies that were further validated and confirmed by PCR coupled with Sanger sequencing. Restriction enzymes such as BamHI and KpnI were able to distinguish the present genome from HAdV21 prototype and HAdV21b. Phylogenetic analysis employing whole-genome sequences placed our genome with members only from subtype 21a. Common features among HAdV21a strains were identified, including polymorphisms discovered in penton and 100 kDa hexon assembly-associated proteins and a recombinant event in the E4 gene. Using MinION and Illumina sequencers, we identified the first HAdV21a strain from China, which could provide key genomic data for disease control and epidemiological investigations.

Olivine-norite rock detected by the lunar rover Yutu-2 likely crystallized from the SPA-impact melt pool.

Chang'E-4 landed in the South Pole-Aitken (SPA) basin, providing a unique chance to probe the composition of the lunar interior. Its landing site is located on ejecta strips in Von Kármán crater that possibly originate from the neighboring Finsen crater. A surface rock and the lunar regolith at 10 sites along the rover Yutu-2 track were measured by the onboard Visible and Near-Infrared Imaging Spectrometer in the first three lunar days of mission operations. In situ spectra of the regolith have peak band positions at 1 and 2 µm, similar to the spectral data of Finsen ejecta from the Moon Mineralogy Mapper, which confirms that the regolith's composition of the landing area is mostly similar to that of Finsen ejecta. The rock spectrum shows similar band peak positions, but stronger absorptions, suggesting relatively fresh exposure. The rock may consist of 38.1 ± 5.4% low-Ca pyroxene, 13.9 ± 5.1% olivine and 48.0 ± 3.1% plagioclase, referred to as olivine-norite. The plagioclase-abundant and olivine-poor modal composition of the rock is inconsistent with the origin of the mantle, but representative of the lunar lower crust. Alternatively, the rock crystallized from the impact-derived melt pool formed by the SPA-impact event via mixing the lunar crust and mantle materials. This scenario is consistent with fast-cooling thermal conditions of a shallow melt pool, indicated by the fine to medium-sized texture (<3 mm) of the rock and the SPA-impact melting model [Icarus 2012; 220: 730-43].

Differences in oncological outcomes and inflammatory biomarkers between right-sided and left-sided stage I-III colorectal adenocarcinoma.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate the differences in oncological outcome and inflammatory biomarkers between right-sided colon cancer (RCC) and left-sided colorectal cancer (LCRC). METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed 339 patients with stage I-III colorectal cancer, including 125 RCC patients and 214 LCRC patients, who underwent radical resection from January 2012 to January 2014. Comparison of neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and lymphocyte-to-monocyte ratio (LMR) between RCC and LCRC was evaluated using the Mann-Whitney U test. Overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier analysis and compared using the log-rank test. Univariate and multivariate Cox regression analyses were used to identify the prognostic value of inflammatory markers. RESULTS: Patients with RCC had higher NLR (P = .002) and PLR (P < .001) but lower LMR (P = .002) compared to LCRC. In stage I-III, RCC showed poorer OS and DFS than LCRC (61.6% vs 71.5%, P = .018; 64.8% vs 76.2%, P = .006). Univariate and multivariate analyses indicated that NLR, PLR, and LMR were independent predictors for both OS and DFS in RCC, whereas only PLR was found to be an independent prognostic predictor in LCRC. CONCLUSION: The prognosis and prognostic value of inflammatory biomarkers were significantly different between RCC and LCRC. Novel therapeutic strategies are needed, and proper prognostic predictors should be selected according to colorectal tumor location.

Relationship between Helicobacter pylori infection and osteoporosis: a systematic review and meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVES: Many studies have explored the association between Helicobacter pylori infection and osteoporosis. However, the results remain controversial. Therefore, we performed this systematic review and meta-analysis to evaluate the association between H. pylori infection and osteoporosis. DESIGN: Systematic review and meta-analysis of case-control studies. DATA SOURCES: Databases, including PubMed, Embase, Web of Science and Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, were screened from inception to 30 April 2018. ELIGIBILITY CRITERIA: Case-control studies aimed at assessing the association between H. pylori infection and osteoporosis. DATA EXTRACTION AND ANALYSIS: Study characteristics and study quality sections were reviewed. Studies were selected, and data were extracted by two reviewers. Pooled ORs and 95% CIs were calculated using random effects model if heterogeneity existed; otherwise, fixed effects model was used. Subgroup analyses were performed to explore the source of heterogeneity. Publication bias and sensitivity analyses were also tested. RESULTS: A total of 21 studies with 9655 participants were included in our analyses. Taking together, we found that H. pylori infection was associated with increased odds of osteoporosis (OR (95% CI): 1.39 (1.13 to 1.71)); there was no significant difference between osteoporosis and osteopaenia; the association between osteoporosis and H. pylori infection was relatively higher in men than women but did not reach significant level. However, the decrease of bone mineral density in H. pylori-positive patients was not significant when compared with H. pylori negative controls, which may due to the sample size. CONCLUSIONS: Our meta-analysis suggests an association between osteoporosis and H. pylori infection. The clinicians should pay more attention to the patients infected with H. pylori. Further studies were still needed to exploring the confounding factors among studies and to elucidate the underlying biological mechanisms.

Prevalence of hepatitis G virus infection among 67,348 blood donors in mainland China.

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis G virus (HGV) infection transmitted from blood donors is a concern in China, as many articles about HGV infection in Chinese blood donors from different provinces have been published. This study aimed to evaluate the overall prevalence of HGV infection in Chinese blood donors and analyse the potential risk of HGV infection through blood transfusion in China. METHODS: We performed a literature search in PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, the Chinese BioMedical Literature Database (CBM) and the China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) up to October 2018 regarding the prevalence of HGV in Chinese blood donors. Eligibility assessment and data extraction were conducted independently by 2 researchers, and meta-analysis was performed to synthesize the data. Heterogeneity was evaluated using Cochran's Q test and quantified using the I2 statistic. Subgroup analyses were performed to identify the possible sources of heterogeneity. Publication bias was assessed using both funnel plot and Egger's tests. RESULTS: A total of 102 studies with 67,348 blood donors published from 1996 to 2016 and covering 26 provinces or municipalities were included for further analyses. The pooled prevalence of HGV was 3.91% (95%CI: 3.18-4.71%) by enzyme immune assay/enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (EIA/ELISA) and 3.25% (95%CI: 2.35-4.26%) by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The prevalence of HGV may be significantly affected by region, province or municipality and potentially by the paid/voluntary status of the blood donors. No significant difference was found between plasma and full blood donation. CONCLUSIONS: The prevalence of HGV in blood donors from China was similar to that in blood donors from many other countries and higher than that of some other hepatitis viruses, such as hepatitis B virus. The risk of transfusion-transmitted HGV still exists after routine blood donor screening, especially in those patients coinfected with other hepatitis viruses and/or HIV. On the basis of our study, we may suggest adding HGV screening for blood transfusions in mainland China in the future.

Evidence for diurnal periodicity of earthquakes from midnight to daybreak.

Previously, inadequate earthquake catalogs and the lack of method made it challenging, if not impossible, to determine the dominant period of earthquake occurrence. With the advent of densely distributed seismic stations in Japan since 2002, 410 642 M1.0+ earthquakes have been cataloged under the mainland within 30-km depth, which provide a superb dataset to identify the periodicity of earthquakes. We processed this catalog using time-frequency analyses and daily stacking, which are powerful in extracting weak periodical signal from strong random noises. We concentrated on the time sector from 0:00 to 6:00 (i.e. from midnight to daybreak), which is a reliable time window for much higher detectability of weak earthquakes, since it has the lowest affects from cultural noises. We successfully observed two apparent periodicities of 12- and 24-hour, which are much smaller than the fortnightly periodicity presented previously in the literature. Synthetic earth tides, after intentionally ignoring the contribution from the Moon, present similar dominant periods as the earthquakes. This may indicate that the dominant period of earthquakes is statistically associated with the Sun rather than the Moon. The daily stacking number of earthquakes using a 15-minute or 1-hour interval shows a peak around 1:30, rather than usually expected 3:00 to 4:00. In addition, bigger earthquakes show more evident variations in the stacking results, and the trend is very consistent for various lower limits of earthquake magnitude from M1.0 to M4.0. These discoveries settled the disputes on the existence of the periodicity of earthquakes since 1886 and may open a window to unravel the mystery of earthquakes.