North Part Of China Research Articles

Somatic and germline aberrations in homologous recombination repair genes in Chinese prostate cancer patients.

Somatic and germline aberrations in homologous recombinant repair (HHR) genes are associated with increased incidence and poor prognosis for prostate cancer. Through next-generation sequencing of prostate cancer patients across all clinical states from north China, here the authors identified a somatic mutational rate of 3% and a germline mutational rate of 3.9% for HRR genes using 200 tumor tissues and 714 blood specimens. Thus, mutational rates in HRR genes were lower compared with previous studies. Homologous recombination repair deficiency is associated with higher risk and poorer prognosis for prostate cancer. However, the landscapes of somatic and germline mutations in these genes remain poorly defined in Chinese patients, especially for those with localized disease and those from north part of China. In this study, we explore the genomic profiles of these patients. We performed next-generation sequencing with 200 tumor tissues and 714 blood samples from prostate cancer patients at Peking University First Hospital, using a 32 gene panel including 19 homologous recombination repair genes. TP53, PTEN, KRAS were the most common somatic aberrations; BRCA2, NBN, ATM were the most common germline aberrations. In terms of HRR genes, 3% (6/200) patients harbored somatic aberrations, and 3.8% (28/714) patients harbored germline aberrations. 98.0% (196/200) somatic-tested and 72.7% (519/714) germline tested patients underwent prostatectomy, of which 28.6% and 42.0% had Gleason scores ≥8 respectively. Gleason scores at either biopsy or prostatectomy were predictive for somatic aberrations in general and in TP53; while age of onset <60 years old, PSA at diagnosis, and Gleason scores at biopsy were clinical factors associated with positive germline aberrations in BRCA2/ATM. Our results showed a distinct genomic profile in homologous recombination repair genes for patients with prostate cancer across all clinical states from north China. Clinicians may consider to expand the prostate cancer patients receiving genetic tests to include more individuals due to the weak guiding role by the clinical factors currently available.

Green Space Compactness and Configuration to Reduce Carbon Emissions from Energy Use in Buildings

Building sector consists of a major part of global energy consumption and carbon emission. Reducing energy consumption in buildings can make a substantial contribution towards the strategic goal of carbon neutrality. Building energy consumption carbon emission (BECCE) is highly correlated with microclimate. Green space has long been recognized as the natural way to improve the microclimate and reduce BECCE. However, the effective distance and optimized configuration of green space for the reduction in BECCE are hardly known. To this purpose, we developed a green space compactness (GSC) index as an indicator of microclimate around the People’s Bank, located in 59 cities across China, and used statistical, deep learning, and spatial analysis methods to obtain the most effective distance with respect to the effect of GSC on BECCE. We used hot and cold spot spatial analysis methods to detect the spatial heterogeneity of BECCE and analyzed the corresponding GCS to discover the optimal way for BECCE reduction. The results clearly showed that BECCE was highly correlated with the GSC, and the influence of GSC on BECCE was the highest at the distance of 250 m from the building. The hot and cold spots analysis suggested that BECCE has a significant spatial heterogeneity, which was much higher in the north part of China. Improving the configuration of green space for certain cities could lead to considerable emission reductions. If the BEECE is reduced from 4675 tons to 486 tons, the GSC needs to be increased from 0.39 to 0.56. The study suggests that 250 m is the most effective distance to reduce BECCE, and optimal green space configuration can provide a feasible way to mitigate carbon emissions and valuable information for the development of low-carbon cities.

Spatiotemporal shifts in key hydrological variables and dominant factors over China

AbstractQuantitatively and physically understanding changes in land surface hydrology is a hot topic in the hydro‐meteorological research, especially over China with high population density but uneven distribution of water resources. Therefore, the spatiotemporal dynamics (i.e., the 1980s [1981–1990] and 1990s [1991–2000] relative to the baseline of 1961–1980) in evapotranspiration (ET) and streamflow/runoff (Q) were examined across 426 hydrological divisions (HDs) of China. Both the 1980s and 1990s ET decreased over roughly 50% HDs mainly in the central and southeast parts of China, while the 1980s (1990s) Q decreased over slightly higher than 50% (63%) HDs generally in north and southwest China (the central and north parts of China). Relative to the 1980s, more HDs had strong changes in ET and Q in 1990s. Based on the separated contributions of precipitation (P), reference ET and Budyko‐type equation parameter n (an integrated variable of catchment property) to ET and Q changes, we found that in 1980s and 1990s, n dominated ET changes over about 60% HDs mainly in the south, with the dominant of P around 35% HDs generally in the north and northeast, while for Q changes, nearly 60% (slightly less than 40%) HDs were dominated by n (P). Moreover, the dominants for ET (Q) changes have shifted from 1980s to 1990s over 36% (45%) HDs, mainly changing from P to n. This study provides a framework for quantitatively understanding land surface hydrological dynamics from the perspectives of climatic and physiographic controls over regions.

Dynamic heat transfer model of flat plate solar water collectors with consideration of variable flow rate

The dynamic thermal model of the collector could serve as a useful tool for the thermal prediction. Normally, collectors’ thermal prediction models are developed based on the dynamic thermal process, and then the thermal output or the mean temperature of the fluid would be obtained from the mathematical derivation. The critical parameters in the equations are fitted from the test data. In which, the heat loss coefficient F′UL has a close relationship with the flow rate, and thus the fitting formula could only be used for a given flow rate. In this paper, a dynamic heat transfer model of the normal flat plate solar collector is introduced, with consideration of the mass flow rate variations. Matrix is employed for solving the heat transfer equations. The analytical solution of the model indicates that the temperatures at timeτ are determined by the initial value and the accumulated effect of the ambient environment. The model is validated by the on-site experiment carried out in Zhangjiakou, Hebei Province, in the north part of China. The main trend of the simulation and measurement was in accordance continually in the initialization, operation, and halt phase for around 24 h. While, the thermal mass of the duct connected to the collector is not included in the model, leading to the accuracy reduction of the model prediction. The modification with consideration of the pipeline’s thermal mass will be conducted in future work.

Abstract 1570: Genome-wide association study identifies variants at 3p26.1 linked to survival in ovarian cancer patients among Chinese women

Abstract Survival rates for ovarian cancer varies considerably among patients, and some of this variation could be explained by germline genetic variation. In order to identify genetic markers associated with ovarian cancer-specific survival, we performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) of ovarian cancer survival among Chinese women. In a meta-analysis of 2,130 ovarian cancer patients from the southeast and north part of China, we found a significant association between SNPs at the 3p26.1 and overall survival (lead SNP rs3804994; combined P=9.8×10-9). Patients with the minor allele are at increased risk for mortality (HR: 1.55; 95% CI: 1.33-1.80) relative to patients with the major allele. Statistical fine-mapping and functional prioritization recommend a potential casual SNP rs9311399 that locates in the active chromatin region of ovarian tissue. Using EMSA, luciferase assay and ATAC-seq, we demonstrated that risk allele of rs9311399 could alter the regulatory activity of DNA sequence. Our findings suggest that genetic variants at the 3p26.1 may be promising prognostic biomarkers for ovarian cancer patients. Citation Format: Hongji Dai, Xinlei Chu, Wei Wang, Huijun Yang, Qiong Wang, Mulin Jun Li, Qingyi Wei, Kexin Chen. Genome-wide association study identifies variants at 3p26.1 linked to survival in ovarian cancer patients among Chinese women [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 1570.

Comparative Performance of the LUR, ANN, and BME Techniques in the Multiscale Spatiotemporal Mapping of PM2.5 Concentrations in North China

Fine particle matter (PM2.5) has been receiving increasing attention by the government due to its considerable adverse health effects, especially in the north part of China. Even though a number of techniques of estimating PM2.5 exposure have been developed, what is still lacking is a systematic comparison of commonly used techniques based on classical statistics, artificial intelligence, and geostatistics. To address this need, the land use regression (LUR), the artificial neural networks (ANN), and the Bayesian maximum entropy (BME) techniques were all used to map the space–time PM2.5 concentration distribution in the highly polluted Jing-Jin-Ji region (Huabei plain of North China) during the period June 2015–May 2016. The tenfold cross-validation analysis and the entropic information theory were used to evaluate numerically the performance of the three techniques at monthly, seasonal, and annual time scales. Our results showed that the performance of each mapping technique was affected by the temporal scale and the degree of spatial heterogeneity. All three techniques were suitable for low temporal resolution (annual) datasets with low spatial variability. BME also showed a noticeable ability to analyze higher temporal resolution (monthly) datasets exhibiting high spatial heterogeneity. BME involved a single dependent variable (PM2.5) and generated complete (full-coverage) space–time PM2.5 maps, whereas LUR and ANN produced incomplete maps because of lacking independent variables (such as satellite data). Due to its self-learning feature, ANN showed better modeling performance than LUR and produced more informative maps. Overall, the ANN and BME techniques perform better than the LUR technique.

Human health impact and economic effect for PM2.5 exposure in typical cities

Cities have been suffering from severe air pollution for decades due to intensive energy related production and consumption activities. Exposure to hazardous PM2.5 would not only trigger human health impact, but also result in an economic loss for both society and individual. In this study, the PM2.5-related health impact and corresponding economic loss are assessed in typical cities from north part of China. In these cities, huge amount of energy is consumed for space heating during the cold days, which has been proven to be the major contributor to PM2.5 emissions. Considering the remarkable difference of space heating utilization and average PM2.5 concentration, the study examines the health and welfare impact of PM2.5 exposure in both winter season and summer season from 2013 to 2016. Adjusted human capital method and the cost of illness are applied to assess the economic loss of premature death and medical expenses on PM2.5-related diseases, respectively. Welfare loss is proposed to quantify the financial damages caused by PM2.5 to the individual, which is calculated based on the proportion of health care expenses in disposable personal income. The results show that the number of cases for PM2.5-related mortality and morbidity during the winter season is about three times as much as that in summer season in 28 cities. If the annual average PM2.5 concentration has decreased from the current polluted condition to 35 μg/m3 (national health standard), about 16.46 billion Yuan, 0.54% of gross domestic product in 28 cities can be saved annually during the study period. The welfare loss in cities of provincial capital is obviously higher than other cities from the same province, which is associated with the higher consumption level and living quality of capital cities. Moreover, patients requiring hospital admission from rural household are more likely to be impoverished than that from urban household, which aggravates the economic burden of rural residents to recover from the suffer of PM2.5-related diseases. Estimation of the health impact and economic losses for the society and individual represent an integral part of a full analysis of the consequences of PM2.5 exposure to human beings, which can provide some insightful observations for policy makers to keep the social equality, welfare and environment conservation.

Indoor thermal environments in Chinese residential buildings responding to the diversity of climates

China has a diversity of climates and a unique historic national heating policy which greatly affects indoor thermal environment and the occupants’ thermal response. This paper quantitatively analyzes the data from a large-scale field study across the country conducted from 2008 to 2011 in residential buildings. The study covers nine typical cities located in the five climate zones including Severe Cold (SC), Cold (C), Hot Summer and Cold Winter (HSCW), Hot Summer and Warm Winter (HSWW) and Mild (M) zones. It is revealed that there exists a large regional discrepancy in indoor thermal environment, the worst performing region being the HSCW zone. Human’s long-term climate adaptation leads to wider range of acceptable thermal comfort temperature. Different graphic comfort zones with acceptable range of temperature and humidity for the five climate zones are obtained using the adaptive Predictive Mean Vote (aPMV) model. The results show that occupants living in the poorer thermal environments in the HSCW and HSWW zones are more adaptive and tolerant to poor indoor conditions than those living in the north part of China where central heating systems are in use. It is therefore recommended to develop regional evaluation standards of thermal environments responding to climate characteristics as well as local occupants’ acclimatization and adaptation in order to meeting dual targets of energy conservation and indoor thermal environment improvement.

Genetic diversity of Toona sinensis Roem in China revealed by ISSR and SRAP markers.

Toona sinensis Roem has an important value as a type of traditional vegetable and Chinese medicinal herb, and is also a valuable source of wood in China. In this study, we used the inter-simple sequence repeat (ISSR) and sequence-related amplified polymorphism (SRAP) markers to assess the level and pattern of genetic diversity in five domesticated T. sinensis populations in China. Our results indicated a relatively low level of genetic diversity both at species (Hs = 0.1662, 0.2098, respectively) and population levels (Hs = 0.0978, 0.1145, respectively). Molecular variance analyses revealed a relatively high degree of differentiation among populations (GST = 0.3901, 0.4498), and low levels of gene flow (Nm = 0.7816 and 0.6116). We divided the five populations into two groups by cluster analysis: group one consists of populations collected from the south part of China (e.g., Yuxi, Yunan Province and Zuanjiang, Chongqing Municipality), and group two contains those cultivated in north part of China (e.g., Hengshui, Hebei Province, Jinan and Rizhao, Shandong Province). The correlation of genetic relationships among populations fits well with their geographical distribution (Mantel test; r = 0.7236 and 0.6789, respectively). Asexual propagation, limited gene flow and geographic isolation are most likely the key factors associated with the observed genetic structure of T. sinensis grown in China. The present study indicated that both ISSR and SRAP markers were effective and reliable for assessing the degree of T. sinensis genetic variations.

The potential geographic distribution of Bactrocera correcta (Diptera: Tephrididae) in China based on eclosion rate model

The guava fruit fly, Bactrocera correcta (Bezzi) (Diptera: Tephritidae), is an invasive pest of fruit and vegetable crops that primarily inhabits Southeast Asia and which has the potential to become a major threat within both the Oriental and Australian oceanic regions, as well as California and Florida. In light of the threat posed, it is important to know the potential geographic distribution of this pest in quarantine work in order to provide an early warning and to prevent its widespread invasion effectively. In this study, the eclosion rate model was constructed from empirical biological data and analyzed using stepwise regression, based on the soil temperature and moisture data of Chinese meteorological stations, and mapped with ArcGIS. Using this information, the potential geographic distribution of B. correcta from January to December in China was predicted. The results showed that most regions in China were optimally suitable for B. correcta from May to September. Monitoring measures in the north parts of China should be taken from April to October, and as for Guangdong, Guangxi, Yunnan, and Hainan provinces, the measures should be strengthened through the whole year.

Numerical Simulation and Structural Mechanical Analysis of Asphalt Pavement due to Abrupt Temperature Drop

Due to the natural condition of the sudden temperature drop when the cold wave strikes the north part of China in winter, especially XinJiang province, the asphalt pavement structures need to be compared. Based on the pavement structures of the test road sections andthe domestic major pavement structures in other provinces, seven pavement structures were chosen. The numerical simulation of these seven pavement structures was performed and the force situations were analyzed respectively under the condition of extreme climate environment, which is the condition of cooling 40 °C from 0 °C in winter. The analysis of the temperature-load coupling of these pavement structures from seven different base forms were conducted. The comprehensive comparison was also made, such as stresses and strains at the bottom layer of asphalt, the stresses of the base, the shear stresses of the asphalt layer, and the compressive strains of the top of base, etc., in order to choose the preferred and most adapted asphalt pavement structure form.

Influence Study of Energy Consumption in Different Flats of a High Residential Building in North Part of China

In this study, a high level residential building, Building 1 (Block 1) of Qingheju low-rent community in Jinan, China is used as case for studying energy performance in its different flats under different conditions (levels, positions, opening directions, etc.). IES Virtual Environment (IES VE) is applied as main tool of simulating the building energy performance. The result reveals that flats at lower level, flats on the east side, flats with less area of external walls and openings can save more energy in both cooling and heating in this area.

Liao ning virus in China.

BackgroundLiao ning virus is in the genus Seadornavirus within the family Reoviridae and has a genome composed of 12 segments of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA). It is transmitted by mosquitoes and only isolated in China to date and it is the only species within the genus Seadornavirus which was reported to have been propagated in mammalian cell lines. In the study, we report 41 new isolates from northern and southern Xinjiang Uygur autonomous region in China and describe the phylogenetic relationships among all 46 Chinese LNV isolates.FindingsThe phylogenetic analysis indicated that all the isolates evaluated in this study can be divided into 3 different groups that appear to be related to geographic origin based on partial nucleotide sequence of the 10th segment which is predicted to encode outer coat proteins of LNV. Bayesian coalescent analysis estimated the date of the most recent common ancestor for the current Chinese LNV isolates to be 318 (with a 95% confidence interval of 30-719) and the estimated evolutionary rates is 1.993 × 10-3 substitutions per site per year.ConclusionsThe results indicated that LNV may be an emerging virus at a stage that evaluated rapidly and has been widely distributed in the north part of China.

Impacts of tectonic changes on the reorganization of the Cenozoic paleoclimatic patterns in China

Geologic studies have illustrated that the planetary-wind-dominant climate in the Paleogene is changed into the monsoon-dominant one near the Oligocene/Miocene boundary in China. The evolution is marked by the changes of regional aridity/humidity contrasts. The contrasts occur between the south and the north part of China in the Eocene, and then between East China and Central Asia near the Oligocene/Miocene boundary, indicating the onset of monsoon-dominant climate in China. The impacts of the Himalaya–Tibetan plateau uplift and/or the Paratethys Sea retreat on the Asian monsoon have been well demonstrated. However, whether or not other factors have affected the above reorganization of paleoclimatic patterns remains a question to be addressed. Additional factors that should be addressed at least include the Indian Peninsular drift, the South China Sea expansion and the East China Sea transgression. Here we use the IAP-AGCM to explore their roles in the above paleoclimatic evolution. Our experiments demonstrate that the South China Sea expansion is another major forcing, in addition to the important roles of the Paratethys retreat and the Himalaya–Tibetan plateau uplift. On the contrary the impacts of the Indian Peninsular drift and the East China Sea transgression are relatively subordinate. The Himalaya–Tibetan plateau uplift plays a crucial role in the magnification of the aridity/humidity contrasts between the south and the north part of China. The Paratethys retreat, the Himalaya–Tibetan plateau uplift and the South China Sea expansion coact to cause the formation of the aridity/humidity contrasts between East China and Central Asia. The retreat and the uplift favor the dynamic condition, and the expansion provides the water vapor condition for the monsoon-dominant climate in China.

Residues and source identification of persistent organic pollutants in farmland soils irrigated by effluents from biological treatment plants

Sewage and industrial effluents from biological treatment plant have been widely used for agricultural irrigation in north part of China. However, effluents after biological treatment still contain heavy metals and persistent organic contaminants. The persistent organic contaminants accumulated in soil may transfer through the food chains and cause adverse health effects on human or biological effects on soil fauna and flora after long-term application. In present study, field surveys were carried out in the farmlands irrigated by effluents from biological treatment plants that receive sewage wastewater and industrial discharges. Residues of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) and organochlorine pesticides (OCPs) in the soils irrigated using both ground water and effluents were compared. The origins of PAHs in the soils were discussed. The results showed that wastewater irrigation could cause accumulation of PAHs in soils close to the pollution discharge. Significantly higher concentrations of PAHs were observed in the sampling sites close to the entrance of main channel in contrast to those along branches and the reference sites. There was no significant relationship between the accumulation of persistent organic pollutants and organic matter content in soil (TOC). Soil contamination of these persistent organic pollutants as affected by effluent irrigation was characterized by the dominant accumulation of high-molecular-weight PAHs (HMW-PAHs). In the case study, concentration of benzo[ a]pyrane (BaP, 45.6 ng/g), indeno[1,2,3- cd]pyrene (IcP, 86.3 ng/g), benzo[ g,h,i]perlene (BgP, 66.9 ng/g) could exceed the limits of the soil quality standard for biodegraded soils. In identification of the sources, the IcP/BgP values of PAHs in soils were more close to that in air particulates from coal/coke source (1.09 ± 0.03 ng/g) [Dickhut RM, Canuel EA, Gustafson KE, Liu K, Arzayus KM, Walkers E, et al. Automotive sources of carcinogenic polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons associated with particulate matter in the chesapeake bay region. Environ Sci Technol 2000;34:4635–40]. Therefore, both of the PAHs residues in effluents and emission from a nearby coal/coke plant were responsible. Also in this case study, low levels of the OCPs were observed and were not of significant concern in this wastewater irrigation area. Among the different OCPs analyzed, DDTs (mean 8.41 ng/g) and HCHs (mean 2.91 ng/g) were the major components. From the ratios of DDT/DDTs and β -HCH/HCHs, it indicated that OCPs residues should be from historical usage.

Monthly Variation of Pigment Concentrations and Seasonal Winds in China's Marginal Seas

China's marginal seas extend from temperate, subtropical to tropical zones, which encounter different monsoons. This study investigates the monthly variation of phytoplankton pigment concentrations (PC) from 1978 to 1986, and analyzes seasonal winds with sea surface temperatures (SST) among the Bohai Sea, the Yellow Sea, the East China Sea and the northern South China Sea. Nimbus satellite Coastal Zone Color Scanner (CZCS)-derived PC images were averaged into monthly fields for the entire area; we then emphasize the period of one year from November 1979 to October 1980, when CZCS data availability was relatively good. Monthly variability of PC has been compared among three regions (the outlets of the Yellow River, the Yangtze River and the Pearl River). The results revealed well-defined seasonality of PC, wind and SST from north to south in China's marginal seas. In the northern area (Bohai Sea and Yellow Sea), variability in SST (0–28 °C) and PC (0.5–3.5 mg m−3) was high with two peaks of PC appeared in spring–summer and in fall–winter in each year. In the East China Sea, two peaks of PC (1.2 mg m−3 in March and 1.3 mg m−3 in November) were in evidence, where SST variations were ranged 7–28 °C in one year. However, in the southern area (northern South China Sea), variation in SST (15–29 °C) and PC (0.1–0.4 mg m−3) was relatively low; the monthly variation of PC was not so high compared with north area. OCTS derived ocean color data obtained from April 1997 conformed the spatial pattern of Chl-a and colored dissolved organic matter (CDOM), and showed high CDOM and total suspended material (TSS) in the coast waters in the north part of China's marginal seas. Seasonal variation of PC may be related to the reversed monsoon; and spatial variation of PC may be influenced by river discharge, upwelling and coastal currents. High PC areas match good fishing grounds in terms of season and location in the study waters.

Concept, distribution law and formation machanism of inland saline-alkaline wetland

The paper, taking Songliao Plain for example, studied the concept, distribution law and formation mechanism of inland saline-alkaline wetland. The inland saline-alkaline wetland is distributed over the inland region of arid or semi-arid climate; it is the wet or slightly stagnant environment, forming saline-alkaline soil and salt vegetation and making the geogra phical environment fonming complex with an ecosystem of saline-alkaline wetland. The laws of zone nature and non-zone nature control the distribution of the inland saline-alkaline wetland that extensively spreads in north part of China and other countries. The inland saline-alkaline wetland is formed jointly by atmosphere, hydrosphere, lithosphere and biosphere including intellectual sphere. Under the special condition, the artificial activity is possibly the key function. In order to improve the human environment, it is a great duty confronting the whole world to rationally transform the inland saline-alkaline wetland. Therefore, we presented an anti-inland theory to promote the environment transformation.