Search

Background: Accumulating evidence suggests that altered immunity contributes to the development of major depressive disorder (MDD).Aims: To examine whether complement factor H (CFH), a regulator of activation of the alternative pathway of the complement cascade, confers susceptibility to MDD.Method: Expression analyses were tested in 53 unmedicated people with MDD and 55 healthy controls. A two-stage genetic association analysis was performed in 3323 Han Chinese with or without MDD. Potential associations between CFH single nucleotide polymorphisms and age at MDD onset were evaluated.Results: CFH levels were significantly lower in the MDD group at both protein and mRNA levels (P = 0.009 and P = 0.014 respectively). A regulatory variant in the CFH gene, rs1061170, showed statistically significant genotypic and allelic differences between the MDD and control groups (genotypic P = 0.0005, allelic P = 0.0001). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that age at onset of MDD was significantly associated with the C allele of rs1061170 (log rank statistic χ(2) = 6.82, P = 0.009). The C-allele carriers had a younger age at onset of MDD (22.2 years, s.d. = 4.0) than those without the C allele (23.6 years, s.d. = 4.3).Conclusions: CFH is likely to play an important role in the development of MDD. rs1061170 has an important effect on age at onset of MDD in Han Chinese and may therefore be related to early pathogenesis of MDD, although further study is needed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• China is divided into four regions each for wheat, rice, maize straw, respectively. • The total available quantity of the three straw types in REFERENCE is 242 Mt in 2030. • The three types of straw have the highest bioenergy production potential in Region-I. • The total bioenergy in FULLUSE is more than twice that in REFERENCE. • The highest CO 2 emission reduction is 1654.2 Mt from briquette fuel. Bioenergy is recognized as a promising alternative for future energy demand and decarbonization development. Crop straw, especially wheat, rice, and maize straw, is one of the significant feedstocks for bioenergy production. However, the production potential of different types of bioenergy from crop straw, and its potential to reduce CO 2 emissions are poorly understood. Thus, we collected crop straw utilization data at the provincial level via face-to-face field surveys to estimate straw quantity until 2030, dividing the 31 provincial regions in mainland China into four regions each for wheat (W-I, II, III, IV), rice (R-I, II, III, IV), and maize (M-I, II, III, IV), respectively, based on their quantity and distribution. The results show that if all three types of straw are used for bioenergy production, the bioenergy production potential is 75.1 Mtce for electricity, 151.5 Mtce for bioethanol, 182.1 Mtce for biomethane, and 329.1 Mtce for briquette fuel in 2030. Substituting electricity, bioethanol, biomethane, and briquette fuel for fossil fuels could reduce CO 2 emissions by 562.9, 362.4, 220.4, and 1654.2 Mt, respectively. Our study indicates that wheat straw should be used for bioethanol and electricity production, maize straw for electricity and briquette fuel, and rice straw for biomethane. This research provides a good reference for local and national governments for policy formulation regarding straw utilization, and it will also help bioenergy plants select the best plant locations, bioenergy types, and feedstock types to obtain a high quantity of bioenergy and realize decarbonization development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The 32-item Hypomania Checklist (HCL-32), a questionnaire for screening bipolar disorders, has been utilised in several countries, but it unclear if the Chinese version of the HCL-32 is valid. Methods: Consecutive patients with bipolar disorders (BP, N = 300) and unipolar major depression (UP, N = 156) completed the Chinese version of the HCL-32. The subjects underwent a structured clinical interview for DSM-IV Axis-I disorders (SCID). Results: The eigenvalues for the first three factors in the HCL-32 were calculated as 5.16 (active/elated), 2.72 (risktaking) and 2.48 (irritable) using factor analysis. Cronbach's alpha for the HCL-32 was calculated to be 0.88. Positive responses to twenty-eight items were significantly more frequent by patients with BP than those with UP, and the other four items (7th, 21st, 25th and 32nd) showed no such trend. Fourteen was the optimal cut-off for discriminating between BP and UP. The HCL-32 distinguished between BP-II and UP, with 13 being the optimal cut-off. A cut-off of 13 yielded a sensitivity of 0.77 and a specificity of 0.62 between BP and UP. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that the simplified Chinese version of HCL-32 was valid for patients with mood disorders. The optimal cut-off of 13 for distinguishing between BP-II and UP was valid and could be used to improve the sensitivity of screening BP-II patients when the HCL-32 is used in psychiatric settings in China. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Two new eriophyid mite species (Acari: Prostigmata: Eriophyoidea) were described from the host plants of the genus Callerya Endl. during a field survey in China: Tetra nitidae sp. nov. vagrant on leaves ofCallerya nitida (Bentham) R. Geesink (Leguminosae),and Calepitrimerus calleryus sp. nov. vagrant on leaves ofCallerya tsui (F. P. Metcalf) Z. Wei & Pedley. Both species caused no apparent symptoms in their host plants. Additionally, this paper provides a supplementary morphological description and illustrations of Fujianacarus wisterianis Song, Xue & Hong, 2008 (Eriophyoidea).

Background: Accumulating evidence suggests that altered immunity contributes to the development of major depressive disorder (MDD)., Aims: To examine whether complement factor H (CFH), a regulator of activation of the alternative pathway of the complement cascade, confers susceptibility to MDD., Method: Expression analyses were tested in 53 unmedicated people with MDD and 55 healthy controls. A two-stage genetic association analysis was performed in 3323 Han Chinese with or without MDD. Potential associations between CFH single nucleotide polymorphisms and age at MDD onset were evaluated., Results: CFH levels were significantly lower in the MDD group at both protein and mRNA levels (P = 0.009 and P = 0.014 respectively). A regulatory variant in the CFH gene, rs1061170, showed statistically significant genotypic and allelic differences between the MDD and control groups (genotypic P = 0.0005, allelic P = 0.0001). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed that age at onset of MDD was significantly associated with the C allele of rs1061170 (log rank statistic χ(2) = 6.82, P = 0.009). The C-allele carriers had a younger age at onset of MDD (22.2 years, s.d. = 4.0) than those without the C allele (23.6 years, s.d. = 4.3)., Conclusions: CFH is likely to play an important role in the development of MDD. rs1061170 has an important effect on age at onset of MDD in Han Chinese and may therefore be related to early pathogenesis of MDD, although further study is needed., (© The Royal College of Psychiatrists 2016.)

Marine biofouling has a major economic impact, especially when it occurs on ship hulls or aquaculture facilities. Since the International Maritime Organization (IMO) treaty to ban the application of organotin-based paints to ships went into effect in 2008, there is an urgent demand for the development of efficient and environmentally friendly antifouling agents. Marine microorganisms have proved to be a potential source of antifouling natural compounds. In this study, six dihydroquinolin-2-one-containing alkaloids, three monoterpenoids combined with a 4-phenyl-3,4-dihydroquinolin-2(1H)-one (1-3) and three 4-phenyl-3,4-dihydroquinolin-2(1H)-one alkaloids (4-6), were isolated from the gorgonian coral-derived fungus Scopulariopsis sp. collected in the South China Sea. These dihydroquinolin-2-one-containing alkaloids were evaluated against the larval settlement of barnacle Balanus amphitrite, and antifouling activity was detected for the first time for this class of metabolites. All of them except 6 showed strong antifouling activity. Compounds 1 and 2 were discovered to be the most promising non-toxic antilarval settlement candidates. Especially, compound 1 is the strongest antifouling compound in nature until now which showed highly potent activity with picomolar level (EC50 17.5 pM) and a very safety and high therapeutic ratio (LC50/EC50 1200). This represents an effective non-toxic, anti-larval settlement structural class of promising antifouling lead compound.

A survey was carried out in three main maize production regions in Northeast, North, and Southwest China, including 720 villages of 125 counties, with the purpose of investigating the present situation of maize straw resource utilization and its effect. Among the present utilization ways of maize straw resource, the main ones were returning to soil, feeding livestock, and using as fuel, their proportions being 30.8%, 26.2%, and 24.6%, respectively. In Northeast China, the top three utilization ways were fuel, livestock feed, and returning to soil, with the proportions being 35.4%, 30.8% and 19.8%; in North China, the top three were returning to soil, livestock feed, and fuel, with the proportions being 43.6%, 19.9%, and 17.9%; and in Southwest China, they were returning to soil, livestock feed, and fuel, with the proportions being 29.0%, 27.9%, and 20.5%, respectively. In the survey areas, the proportion of using maize straw as fuel was smaller (12.8%), and that of using as industrial raw material was only 0.7%. Returning maize straw to soil increased maize yield (the increment in Northeast, North, and Southwest China was 632.0, 371.6, and 290.4 kg x hm(-2), respectively), improved soil condition, and decreased the application rates of manure, nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium fertilizers by 20% -30%, 16%-30%, 24%-34%, and 33%-38%, respectively. The maize yield increased with increasing straw mass and its returning amount and proportion. However, because of wanting complete sets of available machines, straw returning was low in quality, which increased the difficulty in weed controlling and promoted the occurrence of some diseases and insect pests, giving impacts on maize seedlings growth. It would be necessary to strengthen the researches on the related complete set maize straw returning techniques.

Objective: To describe the epidemiological characteristics and related factors of SARS in Shanxi in order to provide scientific basis for prevention and control of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS)., Methods: Data on clinically-diagnosed SARS cases reported to Shanxi Center for Disease Control and Prevention through SARS reporting system of Shanxi province and epidemiological reports were collected from early March to 20 May, 2003. The characteristics of SARS distribution in time, place and population in Shanxi were described. The epidemiological characteristics and related influential factors were analyzed with EPI info 6.0 software., Results: Since the first imported SARS case was diagnosed clinically on 7 March and till 20 May in Shanxi province, the number of cumulative clinically-diagnosed SARS cases were 445 with an attack rate of 1.34/10,000. 20 deaths occurred in that period with the mortality rate 4.49%. The number of cases increased from 28 March and formed the first peak. However, the number continued to increase until 18 April to have formed the second peak. Since then, the number of cases has gradually decreased gradually. Since 19 May, there has been no clinically-diagnosed cases being reported. SARS cases were mostly seen in urban areas of the city (83.82% of the total SARS cases) with sporadic cases found in rural areas. Students and medical staff and people from 20 - 59 years of age occupied the large part of the cases. Age specific mortality rate increased with age and the male/female ratio was 1:0.87., Conclusion: In Shanxi province, the SARS epidemic seemed to have had the following stages: importation of the first case, gradual increase of the number of cases to reach the peak and decreasing. Case identification at early stage as well as taking measures to decrease the chance of transmission were strategically crucial for controlling the spread of SARS virus in the community.