Guangxi Region Research Articles

Remarks on the Permian dasycladalean alga Sinoporella leei Yabe, 1949

Sinoporella leei was first described and illustrated by Yabe in 1949 as a new species and was ascribed to a new subgenus of the genus Triploporella (Steinmann). This alga was not illustrated again until Mu published 25-years later a photomicrograph of a longitudinal-tangential section. The recent finding of new specimens in Permian strata of the Guangxi region (South China) allows us to better illustrate this alga, and to improve our understanding of its morphology to the extent that we find it necessary to emend the current diagnosis. The new observations focus mainly on the morphology of the second-order laterals, on their relationship to the first-order laterals, and the connection of the first-order laterals to the main stem. These data suggest that Sinoporella represents a self-standing, discrete genus that differs from Triploporella. We also consider the lack of cystophores (cyst containers sensu De Castro) and the possible occurrence of individual cysts in the first order laterals as characteristics that do not accord with Barttolo's emended diagnosis of Triploporella.

FDI: differential fuel for Guangxi, a poorer Chinese region

This paper explores two issues. The first is the patterns of FDI across China and their allied patterns of growth in regional/provincial economies. This analysis confirms the importance of FDI as a driver of the continuing pattern of growth in the economy. Because of that linkage, a second issue is to answer the question: what is the situation of those cities or regions, such as the autonomous region of Guangxi, who are less fortunate in terms of stocks to date of inward FDI? What might they do to enhance their potential to be local FDI attractors?

Temporal and Spatial Dynamics of Human Immunodeficiency Virus Type 1 Circulating Recombinant Forms 08_BC and 07_BC in Asia

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) CRF08_BC and CRF07_BC are two major recombinants descended from subtypes B' and C. Despite their massive epidemic impact in China, their migration patterns and divergence times remain unknown. Phylogenetic and population genetic analyses were performed on 228 HIV-1 sequences representing CRF08_BC, CRF07_BC, and subtype C strains from different locations across China, India, and Myanmar. Genome-specific rates of evolution and divergence times were estimated using a Bayesian Markov chain Monte Carlo framework under various evolutionary models. CRF08_BC originated in 1990.3 (95% credible region [CR], 1988.6 to 1991.9) in Yunnan province before spreading to Guangxi (south) and Liaoning (northeast) around 1995. Inside Guangxi region, the eastward expansion of CRF08_BC continued from Baise city (west) to Binyang (central) between 1997 and 1998 and later spread into Pingxiang around 1999 in the south, mainly through injecting drug users. Additionally, CRF07_BC diverged from its common ancestor in 1993.3 (95% CR, 1991.2 to 1995.2) before crossing the border into southern Taiwan in late 1990s. Phylogenetic analysis indicates that both CRF08_BC and CRF07_BC can trace their origins to Yunnan. The parental Indian subtype C lineage likely entered China around 1981.2 (95% CR, 1976.7 to 1985.9). Using a multiple unlinked locus model, we also showed that the dates of divergence calculated in this study may not be significantly affected by intrasubtype recombination among different lineages. This is the first phylodynamic study depicting the spatiotemporal dynamics of HIV/AIDS in East Asia.

Wildlife trade, consumption and conservation awareness in southwest China

Commercial trade in wildlife is the major cause of species endangerment and a main threat to animal welfare in China and its neighboring countries. Driven by consumptive use for food and traditional medicine, the large volume of both legal and illegal trade in wildlife has caused great destruction to ecosystems and pushed many species to the brink of extinction. Data gathered from trading hubs at ports, boundary markets, city markets and stores, indicates the large amount of wildlife traded in the region of Guangxi, Yunnan and Qinghai provinces, a direct result of the numerous wildlife markets available. In a survey distributed in various trading places, while about half of the respondents agreed that wildlife should be protected, 60% of them had consumed wildlife at some point in the last 2 years. The results also indicated that law and regulation on wildlife trade control is insufficient. Wildlife trade controls are very limited because of bias on the utilization of wildlife as a natural resource to be exploited by the government agencies. The survey also shows that the current situation of wildlife consumption in key cities in China is serious, especially the consumption for food. The main consumption groups in China are male and young people with high education levels and good incomes. The key in public awareness publicity and education is to give them more information on the negative impacts of wildlife consumption and knowledge of protection.

The eco-geographic distribution of wild grape germplasm in China

Chinese wild Vitis species are mainly distributed in four major eco-geographic regions: (1) The Changbaishan Mountains and Xiaoxing’anling Mountains Region, (2) The Qinling Mountains Region, (3) The Mid-downstream Yangtze River Region and (4) The Guangxi Region. One, eighteen, thirty-two, and thirteen Vitis species have been found in these four regions, respectively. The Qinling Montains, the Bashan Montains, and the provinces of Jinagxi, Hubei, Hunan, and Guangxi have high Vitis diversity totaling over 30 species, indicating that these regions may be a major center of origin for Vitis . The range of distribution varies much among the species: Vitis pentagona, Vitis flexuosa, Vitis davidii , and Vitis wilsonae have a wide eco-geographic distribution; Vitis hancockii, Vitis bellula , and Vitis sinocinerea distribute more narrowly. The wild Vitis species of China are differentiated and adapted to local climates. We hope that this review familiarizes more researchers with the distribution of the wild grapes of China and will lead to more efficient collection and informed development of this germplasm.

Farmland nutrient cycle and nutrient balances in various cropping systems for subtropical regions

A study on nutrient cycling and nutrient balances at different scales in the autonomous region of Guangxi was carried out. Using data from a survey in representative cropping systems in different counties and nutrient input: output calculations based on published data, the agricultural statistics revealed a detailed knowledge about the nutrient inputs from organic and inorganic resources to the main cropping systems on lowland and upland. The overall consumption of N and K was not sufficient to cover the demand of the crops whereas the P balance showed a positive value. In lowlands, N inputs clearly exceeded outputs whereas on the uplands the balance of N was negative, leading to overall negative balance for nitrogen. Substantially more potash fertilizer is required to overcome the negative balance and the severe K deficit observed. The prediction for future mineral fertilizer consumption indicates 7-10%annual increase to meet the growing demand and to establish balanced nutrient budgets in the farmlands.

P53 Gene Mutations in Sporadic Colorectal Carcinoma in Guangxi Region

To explore the spectrum of p53 gene mutations of sporadic colorectal carcinoma in Guangxi, a Zhuang autonomous region in southern China, we examined exons 2∼ 11 and exon-intron junctions of p53 gene from 48 patients with sporadic colorectal carcinoma by using single strand conformation polymorphism (SSCP) and DNA direct sequencing. As a result, p53 gene mutations were found in 31.25 percent (15/48) of our patients. A total of 13 types of p53 gene mutations were found, namely, c.370T > G, c.524G > A, c.528C > G, c.529_546del18, c.536A > G, c.736A > G, c.743G > A, c.770_771del2, c.772G > T, c.814G > A, c.949delC, c.782+1G > A, and c.919+1G > C. Only a double heterozygote for c.370T > G and c.529_546del18 was found. All the other mutations were heterozygous. No homozygote was found. 524G > A was the most common mutation, accounting for 18.75 percent (3/16). c.370T > G could not be found in the whole somatic mutation section of IARC TP 53 mutation database (2004 version). c.528C > G, c.949delC, c.782+1G > A, and c.919+1G > C could not be found in colorectal carcinomas reported in the somatic mutation section of IARC TP 53 mutation database (2004 version). The frequency (45.83 percent) of p53 gene mutations in ≥60 years old patients was higher than that (16.67 percent) in < 60 year old patients (P < 0.05). The frequency (47.83 percent) of p53 gene mutations in rectal carcinoma was higher than that (16 percent) in colonic carcinoma (P < 0.025).

Energy efficiency and potentials of cassava fuel ethanol in Guangxi region of China

The Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region has plentiful cassava resources, which is an ideal feedstock for fuel ethanol production. The Guangxi government intends to promote cassava fuel ethanol as a substitute for gasoline. The purpose of this study was to quantify the energy efficiency and potentials of a cassava fuel ethanol project in the Guangxi region based on a 100 thousand ton fuel ethanol demonstration plant at Qinzhou of Guangxi. The net energy value (NEV) and net renewable energy value (NREV) are presented to assess the energy and renewable energy efficiency of the cassava fuel ethanol system during its life cycle. The cassava fuel ethanol system was divided into five subsystems including the cassava plantation/treatment, ethanol conversion, denaturing, refueling and transportation. All the energy and energy related materials inputs to each subsystem were estimated at the primary energy level. The total energy inputs were allocated between the fuel ethanol and its coproducts with market value and replacement value methods. Available lands for a cassava plantation were investigated and estimated. The results showed that the cassava fuel ethanol system was energy and renewable energy efficient as indicated by positive NEV and NREV values that were 7.475 MJ/L and 7.881 MJ/L, respectively. Cassava fuel ethanol production helps to convert the non-liquid fuel into fuel ethanol that can be used for transportation. Through fuel ethanol production, one Joule of petroleum fuel, plus other forms of energy inputs such as coal, can produce 9.8 J of fuel ethanol. Cassava fuel ethanol can substitute for gasoline and reduce oil imports. With the cassava output in 2003, it can substitute for 166.107 million liters of gasoline. With the cassava output potential, it can substitute for 618.162 million liters of gasoline. Cassava fuel ethanol is more energy efficient than gasoline, diesel fuel and corn fuel ethanol but less efficient than biodiesel.

Detection of oxidative DNA damage, hOGG1 expression and polymorphisms in hepatocellular carcinoma at endemic regions in Guangxi

目的 研究广西肝癌高发区未成年人的氧化性DNA损伤情况.方法采用流式细胞技术检测外周血白细胞DNA 7,8-dihydro-8-oxoGuanine(8-oxoG)及其修复酶hOGG1的水平,采用PCR-SSCP 技术检测hOGG1-Cys326Ser多态性.结果 8-oxoG 与hOGG1表达水平高度相关(0.48<r<0.88,P<0.001).高发区肝癌户未成年人(n=21)与对照(n=63)相比,hOGG1表达水平较高(P<0.01)但8-oxoG水平较低(P<0.05).城市对照被动吸烟者hOGG1表达水平较高(P<0.05).8-oxoG 和hOGG1水平与体重指数负相关;hOGG1与年龄正相关.在12岁附近有一8-oxoG水平峰.hOGG1 326Ser携带者较hOGG1 326Cys携带者8-oxoG水平高.结论人群模型的氧化性DNA损伤研究,可从新的角度为了解环境-基因相互作用提供资料。

Analysis of the different results of the PHI in high school students of the Zhuang Nationality, Yao Nationality, Dong Nationality and Han Nationality in the parts of Guangxi regions

目的 探讨广西部分地区壮、瑶、侗、汉族中学生心理健康水平及个性特点.方法对741例不同民族中学生进行心理健康测查表(PHI)测查.结果男性:壮、瑶、侗族Q、L分低于常模(P <0.01或0.001),F及其余量表分均高于常模(P <0.001),汉族Q、L、F分低于常模(P <0.01或0.001),PSD、UNR、HMA分均高于常模(P <0.01或0.001),壮族Q分低于瑶、侗族(P <0.01),SOM、HYP、UNR分低于侗族(P <0.05或0.001),F、SOM、DEP、ANX分高于汉族(P <0.01),瑶族SOM、HYP分高于侗族(P <0.01),瑶、侗族Q、F、SOM、DEP、ANX、UNR分高于汉族,侗族HYP高于汉族(P <0.01).女性:壮、瑶、侗族Q、L分均低于常模(P <0.01或0.001),除壮族HYP外,其余各临床量表分均高于全国常模(P <0.01或0.001),汉族Q、L分低于常模(P <0.05或0.001),DEP、PSD、HMA分高于常模(P <0.01).壮族HYP分高于侗族(P <0.05),SOM、ANX高于汉族(P <0.05或0.01),瑶族SOM、ANX、UNR分高于汉族(P <0.05或0.01),侗族SOM、ANX、HYP分高于汉族(P <0.05或0.01).结论壮、瑶、侗族学生心理健康水平较低,汉族也存在一些心理问题;各民族学生有各自的心理特点。

Motorcycle ownership and injury in China

Background. China has made tremendous progress in its economic development in the past two decades. Accompanying this economic development has been an evident shift in the modes of transport, from walking and cycling to the use of motorcycles and, increasingly, four-wheel vehicles. Such changes are likely to have also produced changes in the patterns and numbers of road traffic injuries, including increases in motorcycle injuries. However, such changes have not been well documented. The work described in this paper sought, therefore, to document the changes in motorcycle ownership, motorcyclist mortality and injury rates in China since 1987. Methods. National traffic ownership and injury data from 1987 to 2001 were obtained from the National Bureau for Traffic Administration. Additionally, traffic ownership and injury records from 1997 to 2001 were collected from local police offices from 20 counties in Guangxi Region. Population data were obtained from the national and county statistics bureaus. Motorcycle ownership, fatality and injury trends over time were calculated. Results. Nationally, motorcycles accounted for 23.4% of all registered motor vehicles in 1987, increasing to 63.2% in 2001. Motorcyclist fatalities and injuries increased 5.5-fold and 9.3-fold, respectively, between 1987 and 2001. In 1987, 7.5% of all traffic fatalities and 8.8% of all traffic injuries were sustained by motorcyclists, with the corresponding proportions increasing to 18.9% and 22.8%, respectively, in 2001. The changing proportions of both traffic fatalities and injuries sustained by motorcyclists were positively correlated with the change in the proportion of motorcycles among all motor vehicles. In the 20 counties in Guangxi, motorcyclist fatality and injury rates also increased between 1997 and 2001. Moreover, these rates were considerably higher than the national rates. Conclusions. Motorcyclist injury in China is a serious public health problem. Motorcyclist fatalities and injuries are likely to continue to increase unless appropriate intervention programmes are implemented.

Degussa Has Big Plans For China

In the course of festivities held in Beijing last week to mark the inauguration of Degussa (China) Holding Co., Degussa Chairman Utz-Hellmuth Felcht (center of photo) set out ambitious plans for growth in China. The new holding company becomes the parent of all of Degussa's operations in China. Degussa employs more than 1,000 people in the country and had sales of about $210 million in 2001. But it plans to double that within the next few years through investments totaling more than $100 million. Among Degussa s current Chinese projects are a $10 million R&D center it expects to open in Shanghai at the end of this year. Additionally, the firm has begun construction of a plant to make the amino acid L-methionine in Wuming, near Nanning, the capital of the southern Guangxi region. The plant will have capacity of about 350 metric tons per year when it opens early in 2004. At the ...

Core promoter mutations (A(1762)T and G(1764)A) and viral genotype in chronic hepatitis B and hepatocellular carcinoma in Guangxi, China.

Hepatitis B viruses (HBV) with core promoter mutations (A(1762)T, G(1764)A) were found in a previous study to be highly prevalent in patients from Guangxi, China with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The aim of this study was to determine whether the mutations are prevalent in areas of Guangxi with high and lower incidences of HCC and whether they are associated with other severe sequelae of chronic hepatitis B, including the development of cirrhosis. In addition, the genotypes of the various HBV sequences were determined. Core promoter mutations were significantly more common in HCC patients than asymptomatic carriers from both regions of Guangxi and also were common in patients with cirrhosis and chronic hepatitis. The data also support the hypothesis that genotype C HBV causes more severe liver disease than does genotype B.

Maintaining low HIV type 1 env genetic diversity among injection drug users infected with a B/C recombinant and CRF01_AE HIV type 1 in southern China.

HIV-1 outbreaks in Guangxi Province, southern China were initiated from two separate border cities in 1996 and 1997. Drug users in Pingxiang City, which borders Vietnam, were infected with CRF01_AE HIV-1, and drug users in Baise City, which borders Yunan Province, were infected with a novel B/C recombinant HIV-1. Since 1997, HIV-1 has been rapidly spreading in Guangxi, including its capital city Nanning. Survey data indicated that HIV-1 prevalence among IDUs in new outbreak regions increased 8 to 42% within 1 year. The B/C recombinants obtained from five separate regions in Guangxi, which span a 4-year time frame, were remarkable for their low intersubject env V3 diversity, less than 0.2%. Similarly, the CRF01_AE from IDUs over a 3-year time frame had low intersubject env V3 diversity of less than 1.6%. Different patterns of sequence variations in the V3 and V4 regions were observed for the B/C recombinant and the CRF01_AE HIV1. The rapid spreading of homogeneous HIV-1 strains in Guangxi may have important implications for HIV transmission as well as vaccine development and evaluation.

Regional Disparity in Guangxi

This paper investigates the intea-provincial vis-à-vis inter-provincial regional disparities in China. The data used include those on prefectures and other regions in Guangxi, southern China. Compared to its eastern neighbor Guangdong (Canton), Guangxi's economic growth is distinctively lower. Indeed it is one of the poorest areas in China.The results of the principal component analysis suggest that economic conditions in regions that are defined jurisdictionally as ‘prefectures’ are clearly different from those areas more economically classified as ‘cities’. The estimated income distribution structures suggest increasing disparities among prefectures. In fact our empirical tests reject both the β convergence and σ convergence in all prefectures. This implies that regional disparity is expanding in Guangxi. By comparison, the convergence hypothesis is accepted when twelve central cities within each prefecture (as an administrative area) are examined. Thus, regional disparities among cities are diminishing.The regional disparities in Guangxi are specific to its urban part or ‘cities’ and its rural part or ‘prefectures’. While the disparities among the cities are diminishing, their sizes are not large enough to be able to exploit agglomeration effects for further growth. Economic development in many prefectures in Guangxi is even less likely than in its urban areas because local governments often have incentives to allocate resources more to cities than rural areas. Probing deeper into optimal allocation of resources to urban and rural areas will be of particular interest and importance to future research along the lines of the present study.

Equitable utilisation and effective protection of sharing transboundary water resources: international rivers of western China

Western China includes 12 provincial divisions (the 7 provinces of Sichuan, Guizhou, Yunnan, Shaanxi, Gansu, Qinghai and; 5 autonomous regions of Tibet, Ningxia, Xinjiang, Inner Mongolia and Guangxi; and one city of Chongqing), which comprise 71.4% of the national land area, 28.5% of the national population and produce 17.5% of the national GDP in China. There are 17 countries that have riparian relationships with western China, most of which are water-short countries. All are listed by UN ESCAP as countries with potential water crisis. The co-operative development and coordinated management of international rivers in western China is an important step toward the implementation of the national Great Western Development program. Taking into account of the national strategy and object hierarchy, as well as the development demand of the western region, it is necessary to pursue the multi-disciplinary study of the equitable allocation, utilisation, and eco-environment protection of transboundary water resources in the region. Such efforts will undoubtedly provide scientific evidence and support for the decision-making of the environmental protection and ecological construction and management in the western regions, the enforcement of the sub-regional economic co-operation, mitigation of trans-boundary conflicts, and enhancing bio-diversity conservation.

HIV type 1 subtypes in Guangxi Province, China, 1996.

81 HIV-1 INFECTION WAS FIRST DOCUMENTED IN China in 1985; by 1997, the Joint United Nations Programme on HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS) estimated that there were 200,000 to 400,000 HIV-infected persons living in China among a population of 1.2 billion.3 To date, most infections have occurred among injection drug users (IDUs), primarily in ethnic minority communities in Yunnan, a southwestern province bordering Myanmar (Burma), Laos, and Vietnam. This province can be seen as an extension of the a Golden Triangleo region of northern Thailand, Myanmar, and Laos, one of the world’ s foremost opiumand heroin-producing areas. In recent years, HIV-1 transmission has extended to new areas of China, and sexual transmission has increased in importance. The HIV-1 epidemic among IDUs in Yunnan province was primarily due to env subtype B strains, both typical North American/European-like subtype B strains and strains that clustered on phylogenetic analyses with subtype B strains found among IDUs in Thailand, termed B 9 (formerly Thai B).9±11 Subsequently, subtype C viruses were identified among IDUs in Yunnan. More recently, both subtype C and subtype E strains have been reported among geographically separate groups of IDUs in Guangxi province.13 There also appear to have been multiple other introductions of subtype E strains in China10,14 and subtype A has also been identified.10 We investigated the molecular epidemiology of HIV-1 in Guangxi, a southwestern Chinese province bordering Yunnan, Guizhou, Hunan, and Guangdong provinces and northern Vietnam. Guangxi, a mountainous, subtropical area, has a population of approximately 45 million, of whom about a third are ethnic minorities. From April through July 1996, blood samples were collected from HIV-seropositive persons identified at blood donation centers, drug treatment centers, and other testing locations. Specimens were obtained from 44 persons: 25 commercial blood donors (mean age, 24.5 years [range, 18±36]; 21 male and 4 female), 16 IDUs from drug treatment centers (mean age, 22.8 years [range, 16±38]; 14 male and 2 female), 2 men (aged 29 and 35 years) who had traveled to Thailand and reported sex with female sex workers, and 1 female (aged 36) who did not inject drugs and whose husband had AIDS. Fifteen of the 16 IDUs were identified in Pingxiang, a city near the border with Vietnam; the other IDU was located in Nanning, in central Guangxi. The other 28 persons were identified from throughout the province. All specimens were HIV-1 positive by enzyme immunoassay (EIA) and Western blot when tested at the Guangxi AIDS Surveillance and Testing Center, Nanning. Unlinked serum specimens were transferred to Nonthaburi, Thailand, and then to Atlanta, Georgia for further characterization. In Thailand, specimens were tested with 14-amino acid V3loop peptide enzyme immunoassays (PEIAs) highly specific for subtypes B 9 and E from Thailand.15±17 Serum specimens were later sent to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (Atlanta, GA) for genetic characterization. RNA was prepared with a blood kit from Qiagen (Chatsworth, CA). RNA from each sample was reverse transcribed (primer JH35R) and subsequently amplified by nested PCR (outer primers JH44F/JH35R and inner primers JH33F/JH48R). The 525-bp nested C2±V4 PCR product encompasses the V3 loop. The sequences of these HIV-1 group M env (gp120) gene-based degenerate/inosine primers with coordinates on HIV-MNCG sequence (in parentheses) are as follows:

Chemical compounds and sensory assessment of kiwifruit ( Actinidia chinensis (Planch.) var. chinensis): electrochemical and multivariate analyses

This study reports the analytical and sensory analyses made on selected kiwifruit genotypes ( Actinidia chinensis (Planch.) var. chinensis) produced from seeds of fruit gathered in the Guangxi region of the People’s Republic of China. The analytical measurements of some soluble sugars, such as glucose and fructose, and non-volatile acids, such as malic and ascorbic acid, were carried out using innovative analytical procedures based on fast and selective devices that require very little or no sample treatment. The multivariate techniques, Principal Component Analysis and Cluster Analysis, useful when many variables are involved, allowed the classification of kiwifruit genotypes according to sugar and non-volatile acid contents and sensory properties. Citric acid, the major organic acid, ranged from 0.8 to 1.8 g per 100 g of fresh weight and malic acid content was 0.1–0.5 g per 100 g of fresh weight. The levels of fructose and glucose (present in approximately equal amounts in most of the genotypes analysed), were higher than that of sucrose in almost all the genotypes. Ascorbic acid content in kiwifruit samples from genotypes of Actinidia chinensis (Planch.) var. chinensis was higher than the typical mean content in Actinidia chinensis var. deliciosa (A Chev) cv Hayward. Sensory assessment showed that total fruit aroma and flavour were the best discriminating attributes and were highly correlated with overall quality. No consistent correlation was found between overall quality and the sensory attributes of sweetness, juiciness and firmness.

The gender difference in chinese suicide rates

Chinese women have a higher rate of suicide than Chinese men in the regions of mainland China currently reporting mortality data to the World Health Organization. This gender difference is documented. and possible reasons for the gender differences are explored using data from a survey of female suicides in Chuanzhou County in the Guangxi region of China. A definitive explanation for the gender difference must await detailed psychological autopsy studies.

The gender difference in Chinese suicide rates

Chinese women have a higher rate of suicide than Chinese men in the regions of mainland China currently reporting mortality data to the World Health Organization. This gender difference is documented, and possible reasons for the gender differences are explored using data from a survey of female suicides in Chuanzhou County in the Guangxi region of China. A definitive explanation for the gender difference must await detailed psychological autopsy studies.