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Abstract: Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in surface water collected from the Jinzhou Bay in North China were analyzed using gas chromatography to reveal their horizontal distribution tendencies and trace their sources. Total PCB concentrations ranged from 215.4 to 3161 ng/L. The level of PCB in the opening of the Bay was higher than the inner Bay. The predominated components were 5- and 6-chlorinated PCBs, indicating these residual PCBs derived from paint additives. Total OCP concentrations ranged from 4.165 to 136.8 ng/L, whose isomer concentrations’ ratios implied the usage of technical HCH and lindane. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: Objective: Non-syndromic cleft lip with or without cleft palate (NSCLP) is one of the most common birth defects all over the world. Both genetic and environmental factors may contribute to NSCLP. Recent studies have demonstrated that Wnt/β-catenin signalling pathway is required for lip and palate formation. WNT family may play an important role in the development of NSCLP. This study aimed to evaluate the association between Wnt3A gene polymorphisms and NSCLP in Chinese population from Northwest China. Design: 216 patients with NSCLP and 233 normal controls were genotyped for two SNPs of Wnt3A by PCR-RFLP. Both SNPs genotype frequencies were analysed between cases group and controls group. Results: The frequencies of rs752107 TT and rs3121310 AA were significantly higher in NSCLP cases group (7.4%, 15.3%) than that in controls group (2.1%, 9.5%) with p-value=0.013, 0.014, corrected p value (p-corr) <0.05 and with odds ratio (OR)=3.49, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.244–9.79, OR=2.27, 95% CI: 1.17–4.38, respectively; the frequency of rs3121310 GA was also higher in NSCLP cases group (57.4%) than in controls group (52.0%) with p-value=0.042 and OR=1.56 (95% CI: 1.02–2.39). And the frequency of rs752107 TT of Wnt3A showed higher risk in female patients, while the frequency of A allele of rs3121310 showed stronger association in male patients. Conclusions: This is the first report that two SNPs of Wnt3A (rs752107 and rs3121310) are significantly associated with NSCLP in Chinese population. These findings provide a context for understanding the genetic aetiology of NSCLP. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Corn straw and corncobs contain large amounts of crude fibers and are widely used in mutton sheep husbandry in northwest China. The aim of this study was to determine whether feeding with corn straw or corncobs affects lamb testis development. A total of 50 healthy Hu lamb at two-month-old (average body weight of 22.3 ± 0.1 kg) were randomly and equally divided into two groups, and the lambs were equally allocated to five pens in each group. The corn straw group (CS) received a diet containing 20% corn straw, whereas the corncobs group (CC) received a diet containing 20% corncobs. After a 77-day feeding trial, the lambs, except the heaviest and lightest in each pen, were humanely slaughtered and investigated. Results revealed no differences in body weight (40.38 ± 0.45 kg vs. 39.08 ± 0.52 kg) between the CS and CC groups. Feeding diet containing corn straw significantly (P < 0.05) increased testis weight (243.24 ± 18.78 g vs. 167.00 ± 15.20 g), testis index (0.60 ± 0.05 vs. 0.43 ± 0.04), testis volume (247.08 ± 19.99 mL vs. 162.31 ± 14.15 mL), diameter of seminiferous tubule (213.90 ± 4.91 μm vs. 173.11 ± 5.93 μm), and the number of sperm in the epididymis (49.91 ± 13.53 × 108/g vs. 19.34 ± 6.79 × 108/g) compared with those in the CC group. The RNA sequencing results showed 286 differentially expressed genes, and 116 upregulated and 170 downregulated genes were found in the CS group compared with the CC group. The genes affecting immune functions and fertility were screened out. Corn straw decreased the mtDNA relative copy number in the testis (P < 0.05). These results suggest that compared with corncobs, feeding corn straw in the early reproductive development stage of lambs increased the testis weight, diameter of seminiferous tubule and the number of cauda sperm. [Display omitted] • There were 286 DEGs in testis between corn straw and corncobs groups. • The genes closely related to testis function were screened out. • Feeding corn straw in the early reproductive development stage of lambs increased the number of sperm in the epididymis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Human longevity has been associated with mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) coding region polymorphisms, as well as the C150T polymorphism in the non-coding region in previous studies especially in Europeans. This study investigated the potential association between the mtDNA C150T polymorphism and longevity in a Han Chinese population. Leukocyte mtDNAs from two groups of a Han Chinese population living in Dujiangyan city of Sichuan province, including 556 longevous individuals (90–108years-old) and 403 unrelated controls, were analyzed and mtDNA haplogroups were determined by sequencing control regions and restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) in coding regions. Our results did not show a universal association between the mitochondrial C150T polymorphism and longevity in this population. Even when mtDNA haplogroups defined by C150T and gender were taken into account, there was no significant association with longevity. In conclusion, the mtDNA C150T polymorphism could not present an accumulation in an elderly Han Chinese population. Previous association studies might have been influenced by nuclear DNA and/or environment factors. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Nitrogen oxides (NO x) and ozone (O 3) are important air pollutants that are associated with adverse health effects. Land-use regression (LUR) models have been widely developed to estimate air pollution concentrations. Due to data availability, however, such models are usually not applied in developing countries. We aimed to characterize NO x and O 3 concentrations and develop LUR models to predict their spatial and temporal distributions using publicly-available data in Tianjin, a heavily polluted city in China. Seasonal samples were collected across Tianjin at 29 locations for O 3 and 49 locations for NO x. Heavy-duty vehicle counts estimated from 0.5 m × 0.5 m satellite images correlated well with field-measured counts, thus supporting the use of high-resolution satellite images to assess vehicle traffic. Concentrations of NO x were highest in winter, while the opposite pattern was observed for O 3. The majority of the variance in NO x was explained by season (36.2%) and heavy vehicle traffic (19.8%). For O 3 , the variance was explained by season (80.7%) in a pooled model, and by distance to roads (43.4%) and distance to coal plants (26.2%) in a summer model. Cross-validation showed reasonable practicability for NO x (R2 = 0.53 with field-measured heavy-duty vehicle count; R2 = 0.46 with satellite-based heavy-duty vehicle count) and O 3 (R2 = 0.90 for pooled model; R2 = 0.70 for summer model) models. This study provides utility for researchers investigating air pollution in regions where field-measured vehicle traffic data are not available, as well as for policy makers and public health officials seeking to understand the sources and spatial distribution of air pollution in Tianjin. • Ambient NO x mostly explained by season and heavy-duty vehicle traffic. • Ambient O 3 mostly explained by season and by distance to roads. • Concentration of NO x was highest in winter while O 3 was highest in summer. • Satellite images can be used to count vehicles for air pollution modeling. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study used a computer-based teaching system to investigate the effectiveness of stroke-order learning and writing exercises in promoting the ability of Chinese-as-a-foreign-language (CFL) learners to recognize and write Chinese characters. This study included a 2 (stroke-order and non-stroke-order) × 2 (writing exercise and non-writing exercise) × 2 (test point) mixed factorial design involving a total of 91 participants. We compared the difference in their Chinese character learning, including Chinese character recognition and handwriting, based on the learning conditions. We found that CFL learners who practiced writing the characters had improved accuracy in their Chinese writing assignments and meaning assignments compared with students who did not practice writing, indicating that writing exercises helped students to memorize the orthography and output of Chinese characters. Writing exercises also helped improve memorization of the meaning of Chinese characters. However, the traditional emphasis on the correct stroke order, which has been considered helpful for learning Chinese characters, demonstrated no significant impact on the effectiveness of recognizing and writing Chinese characters. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The composition and yield of secondary metabolites of Eucommia ulmoides are important indices of the quality of medicinal materials, and their synthesis and accumulation are affected by both internal and external factors. However, the influential extent and mechanism of these factors on the pharmacologically active ingredients of E. ulmoides are still being elucidated. In this study, we selected 72 of E. ulmoides from 24 regions in China, and investigated the genetic diversity, pharmacologically active ingredients, soil physicochemical properties, and bark bacterial communities, along with the effects of genotypes and environmental factors on pharmacologically active ingredients. Results showed that genetic characteristics among the 24 regions there were no significant different, however, 12 different haplotypes were clearly revealed based on haplotype network analysis. The contents of pinoresinol diglucoside and geniposide acid were mainly affected by different climate and soil physiochemical factors, while aucubin was only sinificantly affected by soil organic matter. All of, the three pharmacologically active ingredients mentioned above were significantly correlated with the dominant genus Lactobacillus , Escherichia , Bacteroides and Faecalibacterium , suggesting that the active ingredients were affected by bark microorganisms. In conclusion, our analysis indicated that the accumulation of pharmacologically active ingredients of E. ulmoides were comprehensively affected genotype, environmental factors (biological and abiotic factors), and their interaction, with genotype had the greatest impact. These results provide important basic information for the future breeding, selection of cultivation conditions and assistance of microbial technology of E. ulmoides. • Index ingredients were more sensitive to host evolution. • Microorganisms were important biological factors affecting active ingredients. • Active ingredients had different responses to environmental factors. • Genotypes have the greatest influence on the accumulation of active ingredients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]