Biomass Production and Carbon Stocks in Poplar-Crop Agroforestry Chronosequence in Subtropical Central China.

Agroforest systems have been widely recognized as an integrated approach to sustainable land use for addressing the climate change problem because of their greater potential to sequester atmospheric CO with multiple economic and ecological benefits. However, the nature and extent of the effects of an age-sequence of agroforestry systems on carbon (C) storage remain largely unknown. To reveal the influence of different aged poplar-crop systems on C stocks, we investigated the variation in biomass and C storage under four aged poplar-crop agroforest systems (3-, 9-, 13-, and 17-year-old) in the Henan province of China.

Land Use Changes Influence the Soil Enzymatic Activity and Nutrient Status in the Polluted Taojia River Basin in Sub-Tropical China.

Different land use practices may improve soil quality or lead to soil deterioration. Recently, environmental problems, such as heavy pollution and soil erosion, have led to serious land degradation in the Taojia River basin. In this study, we explored the soil fertility characteristics (mechanical composition; pH; soil organic matter (SOM); soil total nitrogen (TN); and the activity of four enzymes, i.

Premature mortality risk in people with convulsive epilepsy: long follow-up of a cohort in rural China.

Purpose: Detailed data on the mortality of epilepsy are still lacking from resource-poor settings. We conducted a long-term follow-up survey in a cohort of people with convulsive epilepsy in rural areas of China. In this longitudinal prospective study we investigated the causes of death and premature mortality risk among people with epilepsy.

Long-term outcome of phenobarbital treatment for epilepsy in rural China: a prospective cohort study.

Purpose: To evaluate the long-term outcome of phenobarbital treatment for convulsive epilepsy in rural China, and to explore factors associated with overall seizure outcomes.

Methods: We carried out follow-up assessments of people who took part in an epilepsy community management program conducted in rural counties of six provinces in China. People with convulsive epilepsy who were previously untreated (or on irregular treatment) were commenced on regular treatment with phenobarbital.

Changes in knowledge, attitude, and practice of people with epilepsy and their families after an intervention in rural China.

To evaluate the effectiveness of a combined intervention on knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of people with epilepsy and their families in rural areas of China, random samples of people with epilepsy and their family members from the intervention populations completed questionnaires prior to the intervention (2002, N=975) and 2 years later (N=950). There was no significant difference in important demographic variables between the two samples. KAP levels of patients and their family members improved over the study period.

Global campaign against epilepsy: assessment of a demonstration project in rural China.

Objective: The Global Campaign Against Epilepsy demonstration project in rural China aimed: to reduce the treatment gap and morbidity of people with epilepsy by using community-level interventions; to train and educate health professionals; to dispel stigma; to identify potential for prevention and to develop models of integration of epilepsy control into the local health systems. We report the overall results of the demonstration project, focusing on the prevalence and the change in the treatment gap of epilepsy after an intervention.

Methods: Door-to-door epidemiological surveys were carried out before, and 6 months after the end of, an intervention project for epilepsy in rural settings in five provinces of China.

Premature mortality in people with epilepsy in rural China: a prospective study.

Background: In China, few studies have described annual mortality associated with epilepsy in a general population and these have provided a range of 3.0-7.9 deaths per 100,000 people.

[Evaluation of the efficacy of phenobarbital in treatment of epilepsy in rural areas: study of 2455 patients in rural China].

Objective: To evaluate the efficacy of phenobarbital in treatment of patients with convulsive forms of epilepsy in rural areas and to develop a suitable relevant model for rural China.

Methods: A demonstration protocol was conducted in the rural areas of 8 counties from 6 provinces and municipality in China, Heilongjiang, Ningxia, Henan, Jiangsu, Shanxi, and Shanghai from December 2001 to June 2004. Epidemiological investigation of the prevalence and treatment gap of epilepsy was carried out.

[Analysis of 994(G--> T) mutation in the plasma platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolase gene in the patients with cerebral infarction].

Objective: To investigate the relationship between plasma platelet-activating factor acetylhydrolase (PAF-AH) gene 994(G--> T) mutation in exon 9 and the patients with cerebral infarction in Chinese Hans.

Methods: The authors conducted a case-control study including 108 patients in three groups (atherosclerotic cerebral infarction group, lacunar infarction group and cerebral embolism group) and 215 normal subjects as controls. Genomic DNA was analyzed for the mutant allele by a specific polymerase chain reaction.

Age-related increase of plasma platelet-activating factor concentrations in Chinese.

Background: Platelet-activating factor (PAF) is a potent bioactive phospholipid, which may be one of the determinants of atherogenesis. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between the concentrations of plasma platelet-activating factor and age in a common Chinese population.

Methods: Two-hundred seventy-nine Han nation subjects (male: n=162; female: n=117) who had visited two hospitals for overall health survey, as an annual medical check-up or for other reasons by clinical examinations were recruited and divided into six age groups (21-30, 31-40, 41-50, 51-60, 61-70, 71-80 years).

[Epidemiological survey on epilepsy among rural populations in five provinces in China].

Objective: To investigate the prevalence of epilepsy and its treatment gap in rural areas of China.

Methods: A door-to-door epidemiological survey on epilepsy was conducted among 55616 rural residents in 5 counties, each in a province (Heilongjiang, Ningxia, Shanxi, Henan, and Jiangsu) selected by random cluster sampling. All people diagnosed or suspected as epileptic during the screening phase were rechecked by neurologists.