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A deep understanding of the dynamics and mechanisms of male reproductive tract development is necessary for adoption of either genetic techniques or environmental management practices for improving fertility and hatchability in poultry. However, compared with other poultry such as chickens and ducks, less is known about the age- and breed-related changes in the reproductive tract development of domestic goose ganders exhibiting relatively poor reproductive performance as well as the regulatory mechanisms. In the present study, by taking 2 Chinese domestic goose breeds (Sichuan White goose, SW and Gang goose, GE; Anser cygnoides) and one European goose breed (Landes goose, LD; Anser anser) as the experimental objects, we comprehensive analyzed the morphological, histological, and genome-wide transcriptomic variations in their testicular and external genital development during the period from hatching to sexual maturity. Results from histomorphological analysis demonstrated that the reproductive tract of all goose breeds developed in both age- and breed-dependent manners, and the left and right testis developed asymmetrically throughout posthatch development. The tenth week posthatch was a critical developmental stage for all goose ganders, because both the testicular and external genital histomorphological parameters significantly changed before and after this period. During the first 10 wk posthatch, the weight, organ index, or size of male reproductive organs developed more rapidly in SW than in LD, and so were the testicular parenchymal-to-interstitial ratio and the external genital lymphatic lumen diameter. However, the testicular seminiferous epithelium thickness, seminiferous tubule diameter, and Leydig cell number, as well as the external genital keratinized epithelium thickness were significantly higher in LD than in SW at 10 wk of age. Through comparative transcriptomics analysis and RT-qPCR validation, several pathways related to germ and somatic cell function, organ remodeling, and energy metabolism were thought to be responsible for the developmental variations in the early testicular development between Chinese and European domestic ganders, where 10 hub genes involved in the cell cycle, RNA polymerase II-dependent transcription, and mitotic cell division pathways might play essential roles. These data shed new light on the interbreed differences in the male goose reproductive tract development and the molecular mechanisms regulating male goose testicular functions and fertility.

In this paper, as a step towards a unified mathematical treatment of the gauge functionals from quantum field theory that have found profound applications in mathematics, we generalize the Seiberg–Witten functional that in particular includes the Kapustin–Witten functional as a special case. We first demonstrate the smoothness of weak solutions to this generalized functional. We then establish the existence of weak solutions under the assumption that the structure group of the bundle is abelian, by verifying the Palais–Smale compactness.

ObjectivesTo examine the association of exposure to secondhand smoke (SHS) and tobacco advertising with unassisted smoking cessation among Chinese male smokers.MethodsA questionnaire was administered to 6500 male adult smokers from six cities in China selected in a cross-sectional multistage sampling design. The survey collected self-reported demographic characteristics, smoking and cessation status, SHS exposure and tobacco advertising exposure, with 5782 valid questionnaires included in this study. Multiple logistic regression analysis was used to assess the association of unassisted smoking cessation with exposure to SHS and tobacco advertising.Results42.1% of smokers who made unassisted quit attempts achieved abstinence (95% CI 32.5% to 51.7%). SHS (adjusted OR (aOR) 0.36; 95% CI 0.18 to 0.71; p=0.033) and tobacco advertising exposure (aOR 0.63; 95% CI 0.37 to 0.95; p=0.039) were negatively associated with unassisted smoking cessation.ConclusionThe vast majority of Chinese male smokers rely on unassisted methods to quit smoking. Success prevalence is high, which is very beneficial to health. This study suggests that exposure to secondhand smoking and tobacco advertising hinders the success of unassisted cessation. These findings speak to the need for environmental tobacco control measures to promote unassisted smoking cessation among Chinese adult male smokers.

To examine the association between life stress, uncertainty stress and self-reported illness among Chinese college students. Participants were 11,942 students who were identified through a multistage survey sampling process that included 50 universities. Stress and illness status were obtained by self-report. Both unadjusted and adjusted methods were considered in the analyses. Self-reported short- and long-term illness prevalences were 27.4% (95% CI: 23.9%–30.8%) and 20.0% (95% CI: 17.0%–23.1%), respectively. The logistic regression model found that while uncertainty stress was associated with both categories of illness, life stress was not related to either category of illness. These findings underscore the importance of controlling uncertainty stress and can be used to inform future policies and reinforce the need for uncertainty stress management in China.

The present study examines individual and regional influences on household smoking restrictions (HSR) in China. Participants were 16,866 urban residents, who were identified through a multistage survey sampling process conducted in 21 Chinese cities. The data collection instrument was a self-administered questionnaire. The sample was characterized in terms of the prevalence of complete HSRs. Multilevel logistic regression models were used to examine individual and environmental influences on HSR. Almost 22 % of respondents reported HSR. Both individual and regional-level restrictions on smoking in the workplace were associated with HSR. There was a negative association between individual household income and HSR, and positive associations between HSR awareness of secondhand smoking (SHS), and smoking in smoke-free public places, respectively. This study revealed individual and regional influences on HSR in China. Findings underscore that efforts to restrict smoking in Chinese households should emphasize environmental smoking restrictions, while simultaneously raising public awareness of the perils of SHS. This information should be considered in designing interventions to sustain and promote the adoption of HSR in Chinese and other populations.

Driving restriction is used to mitigate traffic congestion and improve air quality. A partial bridge restriction policy is created in Chongqing, China since the bridges are natural network bottlenecks due to the local river system. Is such a strategy really capable of reducing air pollution and further improving local air quality? Employing an integration of principal component analysis and a regression-discontinuity design approach, this study examines the short-run effect of the partial driving restrictions on the local air quality index in Chongqing, China. The examination is first conducted to the city level, and then its eight administrative districts are tested separately. The findings reveal that the air quality index of the whole city area has experienced deterioration after the introduction of restrictions in Chongqing. Among eight districts, Yuzhong is the only one experiencing an improvement of air quality index.