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Background: Depression is a common chronic debilitating disease with a heavy social burden. single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) can affect the function of microRNAs (miRNAs), which is in turn associated with neurological diseases. However, the association between SNPs located in the promoter region of miR-17-92 and the risk of depression remains unclear. Therefore, we investigated the association between rs982873, rs9588884 and rs1813389 polymorphisms in the promoter region of miR-17-92 and the incidence of depression in a Chinese population. Methods: we used GWAS (Genome-wide association study) and NCBI (National Center for Biotechnology Information) to screen three SNPs in the miR-17-92 cluster binding sites. A case-control study (including 555 cases and 541 controls) was conducted to investigate the relationship between the SNPs and risk of depression in different regions of China. The gene sequencing ii was used to genotype the collected blood samples. Results: the following genotypes were significantly associated with a reduced risk of depression: rs982873 TC (TC vs. TT: OR = 0.72, 95% CI, 0.54–0.96, P = 0.024; TC/CC vs. TT: OR = 0.74, 95% Cl, 0.56–0.96, P = 0.025); CG genotype of rs9588884 (CG vs. CC: OR = 0.74, 95% CI, 0.55–0.98, P = 0.033; CG/GG vs. CC: OR = 0.75, 95% Cl, 0.57–0.98, P = 0.036); and AG genotype of rs1813389 (AG vs. AA: OR = 0.75, 95% CI, 0.57-1.00, P = 0.049; AG/GG vs. AA: OR = 0.76, 95% Cl, 0.59-1.00, P = 0.047). Stratified analysis showed that there was no significant correlation between the three SNPS and variables such as family history of suicidal tendency (P > 0.05). Conclusions: our findings suggest that rs982873, rs9588884, and rs1813389 polymorphisms may be associated with protective factors for depression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chinese citrus fly, Bactrocera minax (Enderlein; Diptera: Tephritidae), which attacks citrus fruits in China is one of the most important international quarantine pests. Understanding the function of visual organs is the basis of trapping and prevention for management of pests such as B. minax. In this study, take-off ability and crawling experiments were conducted using 5 groups of B. minax all with different visual blinding treatments (blind ocelli, blind left compound eye, blind right compound eye, blind compound eyes, blind ocelli and compound eyes) and a corresponding control that was not blinded. We found that both the left and right compound eyes played a critical role in the vertical and horizontal crawling behavior of B. minax, while the ocelli did not. However, the perception of ambient light by ocelli or either compound eye had a significant influence on take-off of B. minax. Elucidating the monocular and compound eye functions of B. minax will help us to develop better visual traps for this important pest of citrus. La mosca china de los cítricos, Bactrocera minax (Enderlein; Diptera: Tephritidae), que ataca las frutas de cítricos en China es una de las plagas cuarentenarias internacionales más importantes. El comprender la función de los órganos visuales es la base del trampeo y la prevención para el manejo de plagas como B. minax. En este estudio, se realizaron pruebas de capacidad de despegue y experimentos de rastreo utilizando 5 grupos de B. minax, todos con diferentes tratamientos de cegamiento visual (ocelli ciego, ojo compuesto izquierdo ciego, ojo compuesto derecho ciego, ojos compuestos ciegos, ocelli ciego y ojos compuestos) y un control correspondiente que no fue cegado. Descubrimos que tanto el ojo compuesto izquierdo como el derecho desempeñaron un papel fundamental en el comportamiento de rastreo vertical y horizontal de B. minax, mientras que el ocelli no lo hizo. Sin embargo, la percepción de la luz ambiental por parte del ocelli o del ojo compuesto tuvo una influencia significativa en el despegue de B. minax. El esclarecer las funciones oculares monoculares y compuestas de B. minax nos ayudará a desarrollar mejores trampas visuales para esta importante plaga de los cítricos. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Depression is among the most common psychiatric disorders, and is a leading cause of the global disease burden. Its pathophysiological mechanism is unclear, which limits the development of therapeutic strategies. Long non-coding RNA (lncRNA) single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPS) may be related. In this study, we aimed to determine the effects of the rs2242385, rs155979, rs3762983, and rs3762984 polymorphisms in the lncRNA NONHSAT102891 on depression susceptibility in a Chinese population. Methods: We conducted a case-control study in a cohort of 480 patients with depression and 329 healthy controls, and performed genotyping by gene sequencing ii. Results: The rs155979 GC genotype was significantly associated with increased risk of depression compared with healthy controls. Stratified analysis showed a 2.08-fold increased risk of suicide in patients with rs155979 GC or GG genotype. The rs2242385, rs3762983, and rs3762984 polymorphisms were not significantly associated with the risk of depression. Haploid analysis showed linkage disequilibrium between rs155979, rs3762983, and rs3762984, and the CCG haplotype reduced the risk of depression. Limitations: The study sample was relatively small, and was restricted to patients from central and southern China. Further, only peripheral blood was used for DNA extraction. Conclusion: The rs155979 polymorphism may be associated with the occurrence of depression in the Chinese population. However, further studies are needed to verify the reliability of our results in large populations and different ethnic groups. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Getah virus (GETV) is a mosquito-transmitted disease that affects animals, causing fever, aseptic meningitis, and abortion. Its prevalence in China poses risks to both animal health and public well-being. Currently, there is a scarcity of seroepidemiological data on GETV due to the absence of commercial antibody detection kits for pigs. The aim of this study is to develop a rapid, accurate, and sensitive ELISA, providing a reliable tool for GETV seroepidemiology and laying the foundation for future commercial assay development. In this study, we removed specific hydrophobic domains and intracellular structures from E2 proteins and constructed the recombinant plasmid pCold-TF-E2. The recombinant protein was expressed using a prokaryotic expression system, and efficient purification of the rE2 protein was achieved using a nickel affinity column. The purified rE2 protein is suitable for the development of an indirect ELISA (rE2 ELISA). Following the optimization of reaction conditions for the rE2-ELISA, the cut-off value was 0.356. Additionally, the rE2-ELISA method showed a positive rate of 37.1% for IgG antibodies against GETV when testing 986 pig clinical serum samples collected from pigs in Sichuan between May 2022 and September 2022. The rE2-ELISA method displayed a 95.1% overall agreement with VNT, boasting a sensitivity of 98.2% and a specificity of 92.6%. These results indicate that IgG ELISA based on rE2 protein is an efficient and economical method for the detection of GETV antibodies in pigs, facilitating the diagnosis and prevention of GETV. • An indirect ELISA method for detecting GETV antibodies in swine was established. • The soluble recombinant E2 protein acts as the coated antigen. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In March 1966, Ms 6.8 and 7.2 earthquakes occurred in Xingtai, North China, resulting in widespread soil liquefaction that caused severe infrastructure damage and economic losses. Using Keyhole satellite imagery combined with aerial images and fieldwork records, we interpreted and identified 66,442 liquefaction points and analyzed the coseismic liquefaction distribution characteristics and possible factors that influenced the Xingtai earthquakes. The interpreted coseismic liquefaction was mainly concentrated above the IX-degree zone, accounting for 80% of all liquefaction points. High-density liquefaction zones (point density > 75 pieces/km2) accounted for 22% of the total liquefaction points. Most of the interpreted liquefaction points were located at the region with a peak ground acceleration (PGA) of >0.46 g. The liquefaction area on 22 March was significantly larger than that on 8 March. The region of liquefaction was mainly limited by sandy soil conditions, water system conditions, and seismic geological conditions and distributed in areas with loose fine sand and silt deposits, a high water table (groundwater level increases before both mainshocks corresponding to the liquefaction intensive regions), rivers, and ancient river channels. Liquefaction exhibited a repeating characteristic in the same region. Further understanding of the liquefaction characteristics of Xingtai can provide a reference for the prevention of liquefaction in northern China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

China's first optical stereo mapping satellite with a sub-meter resolution, GaoFen-7 (GF-7), launched in November 2019, shows significant potential for providing high-resolution topographic and geomorphic data for quantitative research on active tectonics. However, no studies have evaluated the capability of the GF-7-generated digital elevation model (DEM) for quantitatively studying active tectonics. This study aimed to validate the accuracy of the DEMs extracted from GF-7 stereo imagery, with or without ground control points (GCPs), and evaluated the potential of applying GF-7 DEMs to active tectonics. First, GF-7 stereo images were processed to obtain DEMs with a spatial resolution of 2 m, utilizing three different methods, including block adjustment without GCPs, block adjustment with the aid of Google Earth images and SRTM DEM, and block adjustment with GCPs derived from the Ice, Cloud, and land Elevation Satellite-2 (ICESat-2) data. These three generated DEMs were called GF-7 DEMMethod1, GF-7 DEMMethod2, and GF-7 DEMMethod3, respectively, and were verified by the airborne LiDAR data in the Hasishan section of the Haiyuan fault. Second, the capability of the GF-7 DEMs for identifying active faults, fault scarps, and horizontal offsets was evaluated. Finally, 8 vertical and 13 horizontal offsets were measured based on three different GF-7 DEMs, and airborne LiDAR data were used to verify the measurements' accuracies. The results indicated that the accuracy of GF-7 DEMMethod1 was the worst and that of GF-7 DEMMethod3 was superior to that of GF-7 DEMMethod2. The GF-7 DEMs could effectively identify the apparent fault scarps and horizontal offsets. The RMSE values of the vertical offsets measured based on GF-7 DEMMethod1, GF-7 DEMMethod2, and GF-7 DEMMethod3 were 0.55 m, 0.55 m, and 0.41 m, respectively. The horizontal offsets yielded RMSE values of 3.98 m, 2.52 m, and 1.37 m, respectively. These findings demonstrated that vertical and horizontal offsets could be accurately measured using the DEMs generated from GF-7 stereo images. Meanwhile, our study indicated that the GCPs derived from ICESat-2 data could be utilized to improve the accuracies of the GF-7 DEM, and the measurements of vertical and horizontal offsets. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Numerous studies have explored paleoenvironmental conditions in China's dune fields around the mid-Holocene (MH), ∼6000 calendar years ago, often based on individual paleosol-aeolian sand depositional sequences and local-scale landscape dynamics. So far, continent-scale modeling studies have only indirectly assessed dune activation and stabilization processes via changes in simulated precipitation, net precipitation (precipitation minus evaporation), and effective moisture (precipitation divided by evaporation). Here we conducted a comprehensive study using gridded data on potential evapotranspiration, precipitation, and surface wind velocity from 13 climate models participating in the Paleoclimate Modeling Intercomparison Project phases 4 (PMIP4) and compared the model results with geological records. Our evaluation of spatial patterns of dune activity in northern China around the MH reveals that the intensity of annual MH dune activity exhibited significant differences between the eastern and western parts of Chinese deserts compared to those of the preindustrial period (PI). Dune activity was significantly weaker in the eastern region, while in the western part, it was considerably stronger. The key drivers of this disparity were the distinct spatial variations in near-surface wind speed and effective moisture between the two regions. Compared with the optically stimulated luminescence ages of the paleosol-aeolian sand sedimentary sequences derived from a compilation of geological records from 88 sites across northern China, the model results suggest that the weakening of dune activity and the process of dune stabilization in eastern China around the MH were mainly attributed to a significant increase in effective moisture and a concurrent decrease in near-surface wind speed due to the intensified East Asian summer monsoon. Additionally, the weakening of westerlies in western China resulted in reduced effective moisture, contributing to increased sand availability for dune development and subsequent desert expansion. • Mid-Holocene dune activity in Chinese deserts varied regionally, differing from preindustrial period. • Varied wind speed and moisture caused different mid-Holocene aeolian activities in northern China's western and eastern desert belt. • Numerical simulations aid in interpreting field-based geological findings comprehensively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Geochemical characteristics of aeolian sand from two different dune fields were studied. • Spatial differences are primarily caused by surface processes and provenances. • Aeolian sand in the Horqin Sandy Land experienced intense chemical weathering. • Coarse and fine sand fractions move via separate transportation pathways. Geochemical studies examining surface aeolian sediments are significant for understanding Earth's surface processes and determining sediment provenance in arid and semi-arid regions. However, there is limited research on the geochemical comparison of aeolian sediments formed under distinctive tectonic and climatic settings. Surficial sand samples from the Taklamakan Desert and Horqin Sandy Land in northern China were collected, and the major, trace, and rare earth elements (REEs) in the bulk samples, fine fractions (<75 µm) and coarse fractions (>75 µm) of sand were analyzed. This study aimed to explore the spatial variation in the geochemical composition of aeolian sand and its drivers. The results show that differences between the two regions are primarily caused by the intensity of chemical weathering, sedimentary recycling, and provenance. The mean chemical proxy of alteration (72.3 vs. 77.8) and the Parker's weathering values (37.8 vs. 55.8) both suggest the bulk samples from the Horqin Sandy Land experienced more intense chemical weathering, whereas physical weathering is a dominant process in the Taklamakan Desert. These differences may be attributed to the different climatic conditions in the two regions and the exposure time to weathering. A combination of the index of compositional variability and immobile trace element ratios shows that aeolian sand in the Horqin Sandy Land underwent more intense sedimentary recycling than sediments in the Taklamakan Desert. REEs ratios (such as Cr/V and Y/Ni) and the Al 2 O 3 -CaO*+Na 2 O-K 2 O (A-CN-K) diagram indicate aeolian sand in the Taklamakan Desert is probably derived from mixed source rocks of tonalite, granite, and granodiorite. Eu anomaly vs. (La/Yb) N diagrams suggest that the primary source-rocks contributing to the coarse and fine fractions in the Horqin Sandy Land are different but mainly derived from the Great Hinggan Mountains. Differences in the provenance of the fine- and coarse-grained fractions are primarily controlled by interactions between wind and fluvial systems. This study confirms that surface processes and sediment provenance in drylands of northern china have distinct spatial differences, implying that geochemical signatures in aeolian sand need to be interpreted in the specific climatic and tectonic contexts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]