Opportunity for marine fisheries reform in China

China's 13th Five-Year Plan, launched in March 2016, provides a sound policy platform for the protection of marine ecosystems and the restoration of capture fisheries within China's exclusive economic zone. What distinguishes China among many other countries striving for marine fisheries reform is its size- accounting for almost one-fifth of global catch volume-and the unique cultural context of its economic and resource management. In this paper, we trace the history of Chinese government priorities, policies, and outcomes related to marine fisheries since the 1978 Economic Reform, and examine how the current leadership's agenda for "ecological civilization" could successfully transform marine resource management in the coming years. We show how China, like many other countries, has experienced a decline in the average trophic level of its capture fisheries during the past few decades, and how its policy design, implementation, and enforcement have influenced the status of its wild fish stocks. To reverse the trend in declining fish stocks, the government is introducing a series of new programs for sustainable fisheries and aquaculture, with greater traceability and accountability in marine resource management and area controls on coastal development. As impressive as these new plans are on paper, we conclude that serious institutional reforms will be needed to achieve a true paradigm shift in marine fisheries management in China. In particular, we recommend new institutions for science-based fisheries management, secure fishing access, policy consistency across provinces, educational programs for fisheries managers, and increasing public access to scientific data.Additional co-authors: Yingqi Zhou, Ping Zhuang, and Rosamond L. Naylo

Incidence and Etiology of Drug-Induced Liver Injury in Mainland China

Background & Aims: We performed a nationwide, retrospective study to determine the incidence and causes of drug-induced liver injury (DILI) in mainland China.Methods: We collected data on a total of 25,927 confirmed DILI cases, hospitalized from 2012 through 2014 at 308 medical centers in mainland China. We collected demographic, medical history, treatment, laboratory, disease severity, and mortality data from all patients. Investigators at each site were asked to complete causality assessments for each case whose diagnosis at discharge was DILI (n=29,478) according to the Roussel Uclaf Causality Assessment Method.Results: Most cases of DILI presented with hepatocellular injury (51.39%; 95% CI, 50.76–52.03), followed by mixed injury (28.30%; 95% CI, 27.73–28.87) and cholestatic injury (20.31%; 95% CI, 19.80–20.82). The leading single classes of implicated drugs were traditional Chinese medicines or herbal and dietary supplements (26.81%) and anti-tuberculosis medications (21.99%). Chronic DILI occurred in 13.00% of the cases and, although 44.40% of the hepatocellular DILI cases fulfilled Hy’s Law criteria, only 280 cases (1.08%) progressed to hepatic failure, 2 cases underwent liver transplantation (0.01%), and 102 patients died (0.39%). Among deaths, DILI was judged to have a primary role in 72 (70.59%), a contributory role in 21 (20.59%), and no role in 9 (8.82%). Assuming the proportion of DILI in the entire hospitalized population of China was represented by that observed in the 66 centers where DILI capture was complete, we estimated the annual incidence in the general population to be 23.80 per 100,000 persons (95% CI, 20.86–26.74). Only hospitalized patients were included in this analysis, so the true incidence is likely to be higher.Conclusions: In a retrospective study to determine the incidence and causes of drug-induced liver injury (DILI) in mainland China, the annual incidence in the general population was estimated to be 23.80 per 100,000 persons—higher than that reported from western countries. Traditional Chinese medicines, herbal and dietary supplements, and anti-tuberculosis drugs were the leading causes of DILI in mainland Chin

Finishing the euchromatic sequence of the human genome

The sequence of the human genome encodes the genetic instructions for human physiology, as well as rich information about human evolution. In 2001, the International Human Genome Sequencing Consortium reported a draft sequence of the euchromatic portion of the human genome. Since then, the international collaboration has worked to convert this draft into a genome sequence with high accuracy and nearly complete coverage. Here, we report the result of this finishing process. The current genome sequence (Build 35) contains 2.85 billion nucleotides interrupted by only 341 gaps. It covers ∼99% of the euchromatic genome and is accurate to an error rate of ∼1 event per 100,000 bases. Many of the remaining euchromatic gaps are associated with segmental duplications and will require focused work with new methods. The near-complete sequence, the first for a vertebrate, greatly improves the precision of biological analyses of the human genome including studies of gene number, birth and death. Notably, the human enome seems to encode only 20,000-25,000 protein-coding genes. The genome sequence reported here should serve as a firm foundation for biomedical research in the decades ahead

A multimodal cell census and atlas of the mammalian primary motor cortex

ABSTRACT We report the generation of a multimodal cell census and atlas of the mammalian primary motor cortex (MOp or M1) as the initial product of the BRAIN Initiative Cell Census Network (BICCN). This was achieved by coordinated large-scale analyses of single-cell transcriptomes, chromatin accessibility, DNA methylomes, spatially resolved single-cell transcriptomes, morphological and electrophysiological properties, and cellular resolution input-output mapping, integrated through cross-modal computational analysis. Together, our results advance the collective knowledge and understanding of brain cell type organization: First, our study reveals a unified molecular genetic landscape of cortical cell types that congruently integrates their transcriptome, open chromatin and DNA methylation maps. Second, cross-species analysis achieves a unified taxonomy of transcriptomic types and their hierarchical organization that are conserved from mouse to marmoset and human. Third, cross-modal analysis provides compelling evidence for the epigenomic, transcriptomic, and gene regulatory basis of neuronal phenotypes such as their physiological and anatomical properties, demonstrating the biological validity and genomic underpinning of neuron types and subtypes. Fourth, in situ single-cell transcriptomics provides a spatially-resolved cell type atlas of the motor cortex. Fifth, integrated transcriptomic, epigenomic and anatomical analyses reveal the correspondence between neural circuits and transcriptomic cell types. We further present an extensive genetic toolset for targeting and fate mapping glutamatergic projection neuron types toward linking their developmental trajectory to their circuit function. Together, our results establish a unified and mechanistic framework of neuronal cell type organization that integrates multi-layered molecular genetic and spatial information with multi-faceted phenotypic properties

Regional specialization under a planning economy

1. Statement of problem. The purpose of this dissertation research is to apply Ricardo\u27s international trade theory of comparative advantage to the regional specialization problem under a planning economy, and then establish a theoretical framework and mathematical model for regional specialization. Results from this research should explain the recent changes in the regional pattern of and contribute to the understanding of the nature of regional specialization. This research is intended to answer some important theoretical questions, such as: (A) Is regional specialization always desirable from both national point of view and the regional point of view? (B) Is there any conflict between national interest and regional interest? (C) What is the gain from regional specialization if it is desirable? What is the loss if it is undesirable? 2. Methods. The basic model is developed with linear programming method and comparative advantage analysis; in chapter 5, supply-side input-output analysis is added. 3. Structure of the research. Chapter 1 contains discussion of pre-reform regional patterns and the new regional pattern in China, the modeling considerations from this background, as well as the reviews of both Western and Chinese literatures concerning international trade theory, spatial division of labor theory and the reality in China. In Chapter 2 we introduce the assumptions, and the regional specialization patterns under two policies. Chapters 3 and 4 expand the policy domain. Chapter 5 considers one extension: supply-side input-output. Conclusions are drawn in Chapter 6. 4. Results and conclusions. We reached a series of conclusions regarding the mechanism of regional specialization formation, the major factors determining regional specialization, and the role of interregional trade and interregional investment. Application of these theoretical conclusions to the reality of China suggest that the regional policies undertaken during the economic reform are better than the policies before reform in terms of economic efficiency and consumption level

Prevalence of physical fitness in Chinese school-aged children: Findings from the 2016 Physical Activity and Fitness in China—The Youth Study

Purpose: This study was to present the 2016 prevalence estimates of Chinese school-aged children meeting physical fitness standards and to examine differences by sex and residence locales in children who did not meet fitness standards. Methods: We conducted cross-sectional analyses of 171,991 children and adolescents (boy: 50.0%, Grades 1–12) who participated in the 2016 Physical Activity and Fitness in China—The Youth Study. The main outcomes were fitness measures, assessed by the 2014 revised Chinese National Student Physical Fitness Standard (CNSPFS), covering areas of aerobic capacity, upper body strength, flexibility, body mass index, abdominal strength, and trunk strength. Children's overall physical fitness performance was categorized, per CNSPFS standards, as excellent, good, pass, or no pass. Data on the prevalence of physical fitness categories and not meeting fitness standards (i.e., among children who received a “no pass” mark) were analyzed, through logistic regression, by sex (boy, girl) and residence locales (urban, rural) across 3 school grades (primary, junior middle, and junior high). Results: In 2016, 5.95% of Chinese children and adolescents achieved an “excellent” mark, 25.80% received a “good” rating, 59.90% received a “pass”, and 8.35% received a “no pass”. Overall, boys were more likely to not pass the fitness standards compared with girls (adjusted odds ratio (aOR) = 1.710; 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.708–1.712) and children living in urban areas were more likely to not pass the standards than those living in rural areas (aOR = 1.298; 95%CI: 1.296–1.299). Consistent patterns of not meeting fitness standards were also found by sex and residence locales across all 3 school grades. Conclusion: In the Chinese school-aged population, about 3 in 10 children achieved an “excellent” or “good” fitness standard in 2016, and about 8% of this population did not meet CNSPFS standards. Children living in urban areas were more likely to not meet minimum fitness performance levels, and boys in school were more likely to not meet minimum fitness performance levels than girls