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Background: Hirschsprung disease (HSCR) is a hereditary defect, which is characterized by the absence of enteric ganglia and is frequently concurrent with Hirschsprung-associated enterocolitis (HAEC). However, the pathogenesis for HSCR is complicated and remains unclear. Recent studies have shown that pro-inflammatory cytokines such as interleukin-11 (IL-11) are involved in the enteric nervous system's progress. It was found that IL-11 SNPs (rs8104023 and rs4252546) are associated with HSCR in the Korean population waiting for replication in an independent cohort. This study evaluated the relationship between IL-11 and the susceptibility of patients to HSCR by performing subphenotype interaction examination, HAEC pre-/post-surgical patient-only association analysis, and independence testing. Methods: In this study, a cohort consisting of children from Southern China, comprising 1470 cases and 1473 controls, was chosen to examine the relationship between two polymorphisms (rs8104023 and rs4252546 in IL-11) and susceptibility to HSCR by replication research, subphenotype association analysis, and independence testing. Results: The results showed that IL-11 gene polymorphisms (rs8104023 and rs4252546) are not associated with the risk of HSCR in the Chinese population. The results of both short-segment and long-segment (S-HSCR and L-HSCR) surgery (3.34 ≤ OR ≤ 4.05, 0.02 ≤ P ≤ 0.04) showed that single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) rs8104023 is associated with susceptibility to HAEC. Conclusions: This study explored the relationship between genetic polymorphisms and susceptibility to HAEC in HSCR subtypes for the first time. These findings should be replicated in a larger and multicentre study. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The plume of the Changjiang River in the East China Sea is the site of many interesting oceanographic and hydraulic processes. The improved COHERENS model is used to understand the dispersal and mixing processes, stratification, and circulation within the plume of the partially-mixed Changjiang River estuary during the spring tide under 6 m s−1 of prevailing south–southeasterly steady winds in the flood season. Modeled results show: (i) a part of the surface Changjiang River plume expands eastwardly and southeastwardly in the form of cloudy patchiness; (ii) the low salinity patch in the east offshore area, which is enhanced by winds; (iii) there is an increase in the thickness of the upper buoyant plume within the partially-mixed Changjiang River estuary; (iv) the stratification is enhanced by winds within the plume of the partially-mixed Changjiang River estuary; (v) modeled stratification parameter (ϕ) ranges from 50 to 450 J m−3; and (vi) the longitudinal landward and seaward estuarine circulations. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

As a member of BRIC, Brazil arose out of a colony historically and the way of her economic development was different from that of China, though either of them is a newly-emerging developing country making much of what role the government should play in technological innovation to which the policy is of great significance to national rejuvenation. In Brazil there was an evolution process of the policy of technological innovation, i.e., starting from industrial policy to sci-tech policy and, finally, forming a systematic policy of technological innovation. The policies of technological innovation in different developmental periods in Brazil and what role the government played in the different periods of technological innovation are analyzed, which may be of far reaching importance to the transformation of Chinese governmental functions, by which our policy of technological innovation is possibly systematically perfected so as to cope with the financial crisis and revitalize China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]