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To determine the status of sibling relations among first-born children aged 4-6 years and the influence of parenting style on sibling relationships among rural children, the Sibling Relationship Questionnaire and Parenting Style Questionnaire were used to survey 373 parents of children with sibling relationships who were between 4 and 6 years old and lived in rural areas in northern China. We found that the sibling relations among first-born children in rural areas in northern China had moderate quality and were typically warm. There was a degree of correlation between the sibling relations of these children and parenting style, and the democratic parenting style was the most commonly used. The data confirm that the parenting style of rural parents can predict rural children's sibling relations.

Simple Summary: Siganus oramin, as a commercial species, is a well-received table fish in southeastern China. However, valuable reproduction-related data are still scarce. In the present study, gonad transcriptome analysis was first performed using Illumina Novaseq technology. Comparative transcriptome analysis of adult male and female gonads identified a large number of differentially expressed genes. Among them, many reproduction-related genes that play important roles in gonad differentiation and development were found. These data may contribute greatly to the regulation of rabbitfish reproduction. The rabbitfish, Siganus oramin, is a commercially important table fish in southeastern China. However, there have been few studies on its gonad development and reproduction regulation. Comparative transcriptome analysis was first performed on adult male and female gonads of S. oramin. In total, 47,070 unigenes were successfully assembled and 22,737 unigenes were successfully annotated. Through comparative transcriptome analysis of male and female gonads, a total of 6722 differentially expressed genes were successfully identified, with 3528 upregulated genes and 3154 downregulated genes in the testes. In addition, 39 differentially expressed reproduction-related genes were identified. Finally, quantitative real-time PCR was used to validate the expression levels of several differentially expressed genes. These results provide important data for further studying the function of reproduction-related genes and the molecular mechanism regulating gonad development and reproduction in S. oramin. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Zig-zag eel (Mastacembelus armatus) is an economically important species in southern China. Its natural resources have declined year by year due to overfishing. Understanding its genetic diversity and population structure is very important for resource conservations. Here, we first successfully developed 28 polymorphic microsatellite markers for zig-zag eels and ten of them were used to examine the genetic diversity and differentiation of 7 populations collected from the major river systems of south China. In total, 224 alleles were found with the 10 microsatellite loci in 7 populations, ranging from 4.6 (Nandujiang: NDJ) to 11.1 (Xijiang, XJ), with an average of 8.871 alleles. The average observed and expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.550 (NDJ) to 0.964 (Yuangjiang, YJ) and from 0.537 (NDJ) to 0.775 (Tanjiang, TJ), respectively. The average polymorphism-information content ranged from 0.472 (NDJ) to 0.757 (TJ). Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium test results revealed the loci showed differing deviation in different populations. In total, low level of genetic diversity was only found in HJ (Hanjiang) and NDJ populations. Besides, evidence of recent bottleneck was found in the HJ populations. Analysis of molecular variation showed that the percent variation within individuals (75.00%) was higher than that among populations (25%). In addition, population structure and the pairwise FST revealed that there was low differentiation among XJ, TJ and YJ populations. These data provide important genetic resources for understanding the population differentiation and facilitating genetic conservation and utilization of this species. Article highlights: A total of 28 polymorphic microsatellite markers were successfully developed for zig-zag eels. Low level of genetic diversity was only found in HJ and NDJ populations. Low differentiation was found among XJ, TJ and YJ populations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Spinibarbus hollandi has been recognized as an economically important aquaculture species in southeastern China. However, the information on its reproductive regulation is scarce. The long maturity period and low egg laying amount remain a major challenge for large-scale breeding of S. hollandi. In the current study, the gonad transcriptomes of S. hollandi were first obtained through Illumina Novaseq technology. By transcriptome comparing of ovary and testis, a lot of differential expression genes were identified and most of them were supposed to participate in gonad formation, differentiation and gametogenesis. Moreover, the expression levels of some typic reproductive genes indicated they might play similar roles in gonad differentiation and development of S. hollandi. Finally, the gonad transcriptome information can help researchers understand the regulatory functions of sex-related genes in S. hollandi. Spinibarbus hollandi is an important commercial aquaculture species in southeastern China, but with long maturity period and low egg laying amount. However, there has been little study of its gonad development and reproductive regulation, which limits aquaculture production. Here, for the first time, gonadal transcriptomes of male and female S. hollandi were analyzed. A total of 167,152 unigenes were assembled, with only 48,275 annotated successfully. After comparison, a total of 21,903 differentially expressed genes were identified between male and female gonads, of which 16,395 were upregulated and 5508 were downregulated in the testis. In addition, a large number of differentially expressed genes participating in reproduction, gonad formation and differentiation, and gametogenesis were screened out and the differential expression profiles of partial genes were further validated using quantitative real-time PCR. These results will provide basic information for further research on gonad differentiation and development in S. hollandi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Mastacembelus armatus , also known as the zigzag eel, is an economically important species of freshwater fish that is very popular with consumers as a high-grade table fish in China. Recently, the wild population of this fish has declined gradually due to overfishing and various types of ecological imbalance. Meanwhile, the aquaculture of this spiny eel has flourished in southern China. To understand the immune response of zigzag eel to Aeromonas veronii , we carried out transcriptome sequencing of zigzag eel spleens after artificial bacterial infection. After assembly, 110,328 unigenes were obtained with 44.42% GC content. A total of 27,098 unigenes were successfully annotated by four public protein databases, namely, Nr, UniProt, KEGG and KOG. Differential expression analysis revealed the existence of 1278 significantly differentially expressed unigenes at 24 h post infection, with 767 unigenes upregulated and 511 unigenes downregulated. After GO and KEGG enrichment analyses, many immune-related GO categories and pathways were significantly enriched. The typical significantly enriched pathways included toll-like receptor signaling pathway, cytokine-cytokine receptor interaction and TNF signaling pathway. In addition, 40,027 microsatellites (SSRs) and 52,716 candidate single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were identified from the infection and control transcriptome libraries. Overall, this transcriptomic analysis provided valuable information for studying the immune response of zigzag eels against bacterial infection. Highlights • First transcriptome profile of Zigzag eel in response to A. veronii. • 110,328 unigenes were obtained through de novo assembly of spleen transcriptome. • 1278 differentially expressed genes were identified after infection with A. veronii. • Many pathways participating in immunoregulation were significantly enriched. • A total of 40,027 SSRs and 52,716 SNPs were detected. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sex-specific markers are critical for understanding sex determination mechanism and development of unisexual breeding in fish. Spinibarbus hollandi is an important commercial aquaculture species in southeastern China. Here, through whole genome sequencing of three female and six male individuals of S. hollandi , we first screened out a total of 88 candidate male-specific sequences. After PCR validation, three male-specific markers were proved to be able to realize male-specific amplification in S. hollandi. Subsequently, the three markers were also examined in another 24 female and 24 male individuals of S. hollandi , and the accuracy was 100%. Moreover, several male-specific genes that participate in sex determination process were identified by NR annotation, which might act as sex determining genes in S. hollandi. In general, the male-specific markers suggested an XY sex determination system in S. hollandi and would contribute a lot to understanding of sex determination mechanisms and development of unisexual breeding. • A total of 88 candidate male-specific sequences were identified through whole genome sequencing. • Three candidate male-specific DNA markers were developed to distinguish the female (XX) and male (XY) individuals. • Several male-specific genes might act as sex determining genes in S. hollandi. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Grade ≥ 3 radiation pneumonitis (RP) is generally severe and life-threatening. Predictors of grade ≥ 2 are usually used for grade ≥ 3 RP prediction, but it is unclear whether these predictors are appropriate. In this study, predictors of grade ≥ 2 and grade ≥ 3 RP were investigated separately. The increased risk of severe RP in elderly patients compared with younger patients was also evaluated. Material and methods. A total of 176 consecutive patients with locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer were followed up prospectively after three-dimensional conformal radiotherapy. RP was graded according to Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events version 3.0. Results. Mean lung dose (MLD), mean heart dose, ratio of planning target volume to total lung volume (PTV/Lung), and dose-volume histogram comprehensive value of both heart and lung were associated with both grade ≥ 2 and grade ≥ 3 RP in univariate analysis. In multivariate logistic regression analysis, age and MLD were predictors of both grade ≥ 2 RP and grade ≥ 3 RP; receipt of chemotherapy predicted grade ≥ 3 RP only; and sex and PTV/Lung predicted grade ≥ 2 RP only. Among patients who developed high-grade RP, MLD and PTV/Lung were significantly lower in patients aged ≥ 70 years than in younger patients (p < 0.05 for both comparisons). Conclusions. The predictors were not completely consistent between grade ≥ 2 RP and grade ≥ 3 RP. Elderly patients had a higher risk of severe RP than younger patients did, possibly due to lower tolerance of radiation to the lung. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sex-specific markers are the prerequisite for interpreting the mechanisms of sex determination and sex control breeding in fish. Here, we provided a simple next generation sequencing strategy to identify potential sex-specific sequences in mandarin fish (Siniperca chuatsi) that is a greatly important freshwater fish in China. Through genome assembly, reads mapping, sequencing depth and coverage analysis of sequenced genomes of three males and three females, we identified 212 potential male-specific sequences. After two rounds of verification, a total of eight primer pairs were identified as potential candidate markers to be able to distinguish the genetic sex of mandarin fish. Subsequently, the best three markers were further tested in another four different farmed populations of mandarin fish, and the authenticity was 100%. Moreover, based on these markers, eight neomales were demonstrated to be genetic females and about 1: 1 sex ratio was observed in 215 juvenile offspring from two full-sib families. Notably, a duplicate of anti-Müllerian hormone, a gene participating in sex determination process in fish, was identified from the verified male-specific sequences. Overall, this study provided a simple and effective next generation sequencing method to identify sex-specific sequences and the male-specific molecular markers suggested an XY sex determination system in mandarin fish. • A simple next generation sequencing strategy were used to identify potential sex-specific sequences in mandarin fish. • Eight candidate sex-specific DNA markers were first developed to distinguish the genetic sex of mandarin fish. • A male-specific duplicate of anti-Müllerian hormone were identified in mandarin fish. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Zig-zag eel (Mastacembelus armatus), with male growing faster and larger than female, is a popular farmed fish in China due to its delicious taste and rich nutritional value. The culture of mono-sex M. armatus has great value and is the best choice for aquaculture industry. However, the high feminization rate in aquaculture severely limits the application of sex control in the breeding process of M. armatus. In this study, by analyzing the early gonadal development and sex differentiation process, as well as the expression profiles of male and female pathway genes in the early XX and XY gonads, we determined that the critical period for sex differentiation and gonadal differentiation in M. armatus was 10–30 dpf. In addition, we confirmed for the first time that the feminization of M. armatus is related to feeding Limnodilus spp., as only Limnodilus spp. are fed during 10–30 dpf. Replacing Limnodilus spp. with Artemia salina to feed M. armatus fry can completely block the feminization. These results lay a solid foundation for understanding the sex determination mechanism of M. armatus , and the method of blocking the feminization of M. armatus can be used for the development of all-male breeding. • The critical period for sex determination and gonadal differentiation in Zig-zag eel (Mastacembelus armatus) is 10–30 dpf. • Feeding M. armatus with Limnodilus spp. during early development stages is responsible for its feminization. • Replacing Limnodilus spp. with Artemia salina to feed M. armatus can completely prevent their feminization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The transboundary transport of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and nitro-PAHs (NPAHs) aggravated by the East Asian winter monsoon is a major atmospheric environmental issue in East Asia. To thoroughly elucidate the role of the East Asian monsoon on regional PAH and NPAH pollution in East Asia, PM 2.5 -bound PAHs and NPAHs were investigated concurrently at five sites in Beijing and Shenyang in China and Tsukuba, Kanazawa, and Wajima in Japan in autumn (November 2018) and spring (March 2019). During both autumn and spring sampling periods, the concentrations of PM 2.5 , PAHs, and NPAHs at sites in China were 1-2 orders of magnitude higher than those at sites in Japan, and showed an opposite temporal variation, with higher concentrations during the autumn sampling period due to intensive emissions and unfavourable weather conditions. During the sampling periods, PAHs at the Beijing and Shenyang sites had mixed sources of traffic emissions and coal and biomass combustion, while those at the Tsukuba, Kanazawa, and Wajima sites were mainly characterized by domestic traffic emissions. In addition, NPAHs at the five sites were jointly affected by primary combustion sources and atmospheric generation, with a greater contribution of atmospheric generation to the Beijing and Shenyang sites. Based on backwards trajectory clustering and concentration-weighted trajectory analysis, external contributions to PM 2.5 , PAHs, and NPAHs at each site were relatively stable during the two sampling periods, and potential source areas were mainly distributed in domestic cities and nearby sea areas. Therefore, the apparent temporal differences in the characteristics and sources of pollutants between sites in the two countries indicate that transboundary pollution dominated by the East Asian winter monsoon was unobvious in autumn and spring. The results of the study provide a time-specific solution for the effective management of regional air pollution during the East Asian winter monsoon., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Biofilms play a significant role in the biogeochemical processing of organic matter and the environmental fate of emerging pollutants. In this study, we investigated the occurrence and distribution of 32 endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), including 24 environmental corticosteroids (ECs) and 8 environmental estrogens (EEs), in natural biofilms from the Pearl River system. Their association between biofilms and water and environmental risk were assessed. The ECs and EEs ubiquitously occurred in the biofilms, ranging from <0.61-6.57 ng/g and <0.8-2535 ng/g, respectively. Temporally, there was no obvious variance in either ECs or EEs in the biofilms during the winter and summer, and their concentrations exhibited a spatial trend of upward to midstream, descending downstream, and then seaward attenuation at the estuary. For ECs and EEs, the similar levels of field-derived bioconcentration factors (BCFs) (logarithm values: 2.42-2.86 and 2.72-2.98, respectively) and biofilm organic carbon-normalized partitioning coefficients (K boc ) (3.39-3.69 and 3.35-3.95) suggest the comparable potential of accumulation and sorption by biofilms between these two classes of EDCs. In addition, higher values of BCF and K boc for the EEs were found in winter and were correspondingly comparable to their distribution coefficients (K d ) and K oc derived from suspended particles and sediment, revealing that biofilms are a competitive environmental compartment for capturing EDCs, particularly during the mature period. A positive logK boc -logK ow relationship suggests hydrophobic partitioning as a primary interaction mechanism between the biofilm and EEs. Moreover, high risks from biofilm-associated ECs and EEs might have posed to the fluvial ecosystem. This study provides original insights into the occurrence, fate, and risk of ECs in natural biofilms for the first time and demonstrates that biofilms may not only serve as reservoirs but also serve as sentinels for fluvial EDC contamination. These results contribute to the further understanding of the behavior and fate of EDCs in aquatic environments., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Suspended particulate matter (SPM) plays an important role in the geochemical behavior and fate of organic micropollutants in aquatic environments. However, the presence of trace emerging endocrine disruptors such as environmental corticosteroids (ECs) in SPM is less well understood. This study focused on the occurrence, distribution, and partitioning of SPM-associated ECs in the Pearl River system, China. Ubiquitous particulate ECs were found in the surface water of the rivers at average concentrations (dry weight) between 0.46 ng/g (flumethasone) and 8.83 ng/g (clobetasone butyrate). The total EC (∑ECs) concentrations of the 24 selected target compounds varied from <1.03 ng/g to 62.3 ng/g, with an average and median of 17.6 ng/g and 13.7 ng/g, respectively. Higher SPM-bound EC levels were commonly observed in winter (dry season), and spatially, their relatively high contamination in urban tributary networks decreased while flowing to mainstreams and then gradually attenuated from upstream to the estuary. Despite the approximately 90 % mass distribution of ∑ECs in the aqueous phase, approximately 50 % of their effect burden was derived from the suspended particulate fractions. For the first time, in situ SPM-water partitioning coefficients (K p ) and their organic carbon-normalized ones (K oc ) of ECs were determined in surface waters, and a field-derived preliminary linear equation was proposed to estimate K oc for ECs using basic physicochemical parameters n-octanol/water partitioning coefficient (K ow ), which is of importance with regard to the assessment of transport, fate, and risk of these emerging hazardous chemicals. Furthermore, the significant logK oc -logK ow relationship for ECs reveals that nonspecific hydrophobic partitioning is a major association mechanism between SPM and ECs. Moreover, hydrogen bonding is suggested to be a prevailing specific binding mechanism and provides more contribution to nonhydrophobic interactions between ECs and particulate organic matter than environmental estrogens., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.)

Total suspended particulate matter and fine particulate matter were collected in five East Asian cities (Sapporo, Sagamihara, Kirishima, Shenyang, and Vladivostok) during warm and cold periods from 2017 to 2018. Nine polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and three nitro-polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (NPAHs) were detected by high-performance liquid chromatography with a fluorescence detector. The average concentrations of ∑PAHs and ∑NPAHs differed significantly both temporally and spatially and were the lowest in Kirishima during the warm period (∑PAHs: 0.11 ± 0.06 ng m -3 ; ∑NPAHs: 1.23 ± 0.96 pg m -3 ) and the highest in Shenyang during the cold period (∑PAHs: 49.7 ± 21.8 ng m -3 ; ∑NPAHs: 357 ± 180 pg m -3 ). The average total benzo[a]pyrene-equivalent concentrations were also higher in Shenyang and Vladivostok than in Japanese cities. According to the results of source apportionment, traffic emissions impacted these cities in both the warm and cold periods, whereas coal combustion-generated effects were obvious in Shenyang and Vladivostok during the cold period. Furthermore, PAHs and NPAHs originating from the Asian continent, including Shenyang and Vladivostok, exerted some influence on Japanese cities, especially in the cold period. Compared to Japanese cities and Vladivostok, yearly variations in ∑PAHs and 1-nitropyrene in Shenyang showed that their concentrations were considerably lower than those reported in past studies, indicating the positive effects of air pollutant control policies in China. These results not only describe the current characteristics and yearly variations of PAHs and NPAHs in typical urban cities in East Asia but also, more importantly, reveal that the effects of the East Asian monsoon play an important role in the analysis of atmospheric behaviours of PAHs and NPAHs. Furthermore, this study supports the role of multinational cooperation to promote air pollution control in East Asia., (Copyright © 2021 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Eleven years (2005-2015) of data from long-term monitoring at a Japanese remote background site in Wajima, were analyzed to investigate temporal trends and sources. Water-soluble inorganic ions (WSIIs) were analyzed for aerosol chemical composition. The total WSIIs concentration was 7.93 ± 3.93 μg/m 3 , accounting for 42.3% of TSP mass, ranged from 11.4 to 93.9%. SO 4 2- is the most abundant ion, contributing a total WSII mass from 18.0 to 79.8%, and non-sea-salt (nss-) SO 4 2- contributed from 63.6% to 99.6% of total SO 4 2- , which was related to human activities on the Asian continent and the effects of marine precursors in spring and summer, respectively. NO 3 - and NH 4 + contribute 6.3 and 7.4% of the total WSIIs and were affected by long-range transport and local sources as well. The increasing trend of Na + and Cl - indicates the increased influence of sea salt, which is caused by more frequent strong winds. K + is mainly produced from biomass burning with a stable seasonal variation, Ca 2+ as the characteristic ion of dust has the highest concentration in spring. Mg 2+ comes from minerals and marine sources during spring and summer, respectively. This work describes in detail the annual change trend of the WSIIs of atmospheric particles in the Wajima area, seasonal characteristics, and source contributions, provide a comprehensive understanding of long-term variation in atmospheric particulate., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2020 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

This study aimed to evaluate the linguistic and cultural equivalency of two Chinese-version instruments measuring sexual knowledge, attitudes, and behaviors among 10 bilingual and 2 monolingual Chinese immigrant youth aged 13-19 years. We used a rigorous design to translate, back-translate, and pilot test the instruments. Kappa coefficient, percentage agreement, and qualitative feedback from participants were used to examine reliability and validity of the instruments. Telephone interviews revealed that answer discrepancies in different language versions were due to external factors rather than lack of linguistic and cultural equivalency. This study offers preliminary evidence supporting the cultural and linguistic equivalence of two Chinese-version sexual scales.