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Abstract Background Genetic analysis of gene expression level is a promising approach for characterizing candidate genes that are involved in complex economic traits such as meat quality. In the present study, we conducted expression quantitative trait loci (eQTL) and allele-specific expression (ASE) analyses based on RNA-sequencing (RNAseq) data from the longissimus muscle of 189 Duroc × Luchuan crossed pigs in order to identify some candidate genes for meat quality traits. Results Using a genome-wide association study based on a mixed linear model, we identified 7192 cis-eQTL corresponding to 2098 cis-genes (p ≤ 1.33e-3, FDR ≤ 0.05) and 6400 trans-eQTL corresponding to 863 trans-genes (p ≤ 1.13e-6, FDR ≤ 0.05). ASE analysis using RNAseq SNPs identified 9815 significant ASE-SNPs in 2253 unique genes. Integrative analysis between the cis-eQTL and ASE target genes identified 540 common genes, including 33 genes with expression levels that were correlated with at least one meat quality trait. Among these 540 common genes, 63 have been reported previously as candidate genes for meat quality traits, such as PHKG1 (q-value = 1.67e-6 for the leading SNP in the cis-eQTL analysis), NUDT7 (q-value = 5.67e-13), FADS2 (q-value = 8.44e-5), and DGAT2 (q-value = 1.24e-3). Conclusions The present study confirmed several previously published candidate genes and identified some novel candidate genes for meat quality traits via eQTL and ASE analyses, which will be useful to prioritize candidate genes in further studies.

The study explores the refusal patterns of Chinese-Australian from a cross-cultural perspective. By analyzing the manifestations of pragmatic failures of refusal patterns between 30 Chinese students and 30 Australian university students in intercultural communication. Data were collected through questionnaires, interviews, and reflective journals and analyzed through thematic analysis using the framework of the Discourse Completion Test (DCT) as the focal research dimension in measuring the Chinese and Australian refusal realization patterns. The results show that because of the different cultural perspective, Chinese and Australian university students always have different responses in the same situation when they refuse others. To increase the chances in cross-cultural communication, we have to apply the refusal strategy based on the cultural background of the communicative object.

At present, the lack of both supply and theory in children tourism is due to the long-term habit of placing children in the opposite or attached state of ethics of adults, and the “scenery” in the eyes of children haven’t received due attention. Therefore, to link and verify children’s naïve psychology and tourism behavior in many dimensions substantially, to study children’s preference characteristics for types, landscape, recreation of tourism destinations and other self-constructed preference characteristics and causality with tourism behavior, can provide concrete and reliable empirical basis for children’s tourism academic research, industry practice and policy design.

Improving the evaluation index system for environmental impact assessment engineers is one of the important tasks in the current environmental protection talent training. According to the basic requirements of the professional qualification examination for environmental impact assessment engineers, the professional quality evaluation index system of environmental impact assessment engineers has been constructed from three levels of basic requirements, relevant knowledge and practical skills, and the index weight set is established through Yaahp software, with the aim of being an environmental protection talent The construction of the evaluation system provides thinking.

The South-to-North Water Transfer Project plays an important role in guaranteeing the sustainable development of economy and society in North China. The first phase of the middle route of the South-to- North Water Transfer Project (m-SNWTP) has been running safely in the past three years, and the dispatched water amount is increasing. This paper mainly describes the water operation of the m-SNWTP and the groundwater protection in the water-receiving areas. Up to the end of June 2018, more than 1.4×1010 m3 water had been supplied to the m-SNWTP benefited regions, including 8.65×108 m3 environmental water. In addition, the m-SNWTP provides water source guarantee for the environment restoration. Over 1.326 ×109 m3 overexploited groundwater has been reduced in the urban areas of the water-receiving areas, and the continuous decline of groundwater level has been effectively curbed.

Cet article analyse la manière dont les syndicats ont tenté, depuis le début des années 2010, de trouver des formes autoritaires de négociations collectives leur permettant de mieux faire valoir les intérêts des ouvriers sans remettre en cause leur appartenance à l'appareil d'État. Il oppose le cas de la zone industrielle de Dalian et de la zone pilote de Shenzhen pour comprendre comment les syndicats tentent de reconquérir efficacité et légitimité en l'absence d'une évolution de la représentation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The provenance of the Upper Carboniferous Benxi Formation in North China Craton (NCC) has been considered as the northern margin of the NCC, not the North Qinling Orogenic Belt. To understand the provenance and the tectonic-sedimentary evolution during the sedimentary period of the Benxi Formation, the zircon U–Pb geochronology analysis was conducted on eleven clastic sandstone samples. The south of the NCC received clastic sediments from the North Qinling Orogenic Belt. The orogenic movements around the NCC in the Late Carboniferous period had significant impacts on the changes in paleotopography. During the early sedimentary period of the Hutian member of the Benxi Formation, the north of the Qinling Orogenic Belt was rapidly uplifted, and paleotopography was south-uplifting and north-dipping; thus, the clastic source was the North Qinling Orogenic Belt. From the late sedimentary period of the Benxi Formation Hutian member to the sedimentary period of the Jinci member, paleotopography was reversed. The northern margin of the NCC quickly uplifted, and paleotopography was north-uplifting and south-dipping. Two distinct provenances were present in the sediments of the Benxi Formation. The sediments were supplied predominately by the provenance in the north.