Various magmatisms during the subduction-collision process are crucial to reveal the long-term tectonic evolution of the eastern Central Asian Orogenic Belt. In this paper, we present major and trace elements of whole-rock, zircon U-Pb dating and Hf isotope of the Shanmen pluton. Results imply that the Shanmen pluton consists of quartz diorite and mylonitic granite, with zircon U-Pb ages of 263.7–259.6 Ma. The studied quartz diorite contains high Sr/Y (51.19–90.87) and (La/Yb)N (7.82–13.62) ratios, and belongs to adakitic rocks. Coupled with the positive εHf(t) values of +5.71 to +12.8 with no obvious Eu anomaly, we propose that quartz diorite is the product of the interaction between different degrees of slab melt and the overlying mantle wedge. In contrast, the mylonitic granite has lower MgO (0.28 wt% – 0.47 wt%) contents and positive εHf(t) values of +7.79 to +10.15, indicating an affinity with I-type granite originated by partial melting of the intermediate-basic lower crust. The geochemical characteristics and lithological assemblages, along with the Permian magmatic rocks in the Changchun-Kaiyuan area displaying arc rocks affinity, propose their formation is related to the southward subduction of the Paleo-Asian Ocean (PAO). Based on this study and previous evidence, we lean towards adopting a middle-late Permian slab break-off model, wherein the PAO did not close until the late Permian.

The aim of the present study was to compare the rate of preterm birth (PTB) and growth from birth to 18 years between twins conceived by in vitro fertilization (IVF) and twins conceived by spontaneous conception (SC) in mainland China. The retrospective cohort study included 1164 twins resulting from IVF and 25,654 twins conceived spontaneously, of which 494 from IVF and 6338 from SC were opposite-sex twins. PTB and low birth weight (LBW), and growth, including length/height and weight, were compared between the two groups at five stages: infancy (0 year), toddler period (1–2 years), preschool (3–5 years), primary or elementary school (6–11 years), and adolescence (10–18 years). Few statistically significant differences were found for LBW and growth between the two groups after adjusting for PTB and other confounders. Twins born by IVF faced an increased risk of PTB compared with those born by SC (adjusted odds ratio [aOR] 8.21, 95% confidence interval [CI] [3.19, 21.13], p < .001 in all twins and aOR 10.12, 95% CI [2.32, 44.04], p = .002 in opposite-sex twins). Twins born by IVF experienced a similar growth at five stages (0–18 years old) when compared with those born by SC. PTB risk, however, is significantly higher for twins conceived by IVF than those conceived by SC.

Parakmeria omeiensis is a Critically Endangered tree species in the family Magnoliaceae, endemic to south-west China. The tree is functionally dioecious, but little is known about the species’ status in the wild. We investigated the range, population size, age structure, habitat characteristics and threats to P. omeiensis. We located a total of 74 individuals in two populations on the steep slopes of Mount Emei, Sichuan province, growing under the canopy of evergreen broadleaved forest in well-drained gravel soil. A male-biased sex ratio, lack of effective pollinating insects, and habitat destruction result in low seed set and poor seedling survival in the wild. We have adopted an integrated conservation approach, including strengthening in situ conservation, cultivation of saplings, ex situ conservation and reintroduction, to protect this species. The successful conservation of P. omeiensis has important implications for the conservation of the genus Parakmeria and the family Magnoliaceae.

The Chinese National Twin Registry (CNTR), initiated in 2001, has now become the largest twin registry in Asia. From 2015 to 2018, the CNTR continued to receive Chinese government funding and had recruited 61,566 twin-pairs by 2019 to study twins discordant for specific exposures such as environmental factors, and twins discordant for disease outcomes or measures of morbidity. Omic data, including genetics, genomics, metabolomics, and proteomics, and gut microbiome will be tested. The integration of omics and digital technologies in public health will advance our understanding of precision public health. This review introduces the updates of the CNTR, including study design, sample size, biobank, zygosity assessment, advances in research and future systems epidemiologic research.

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD) is a neurodevelopmental disorder that is characterized by deficits in social interactions and perseverative and stereotypical behavior. Growing evidence points toward a critical role for synaptic dysfunction in the onset of ASD, and synaptic function is influenced by glial cells. Considering the evidence that neuroinflammation in ASD is mediated by glial cells, one hypothesis is that reactive glial cells, under inflammatory conditions, contribute to the loss of synaptic functions and trigger ASD. Ongoing pharmacological treatments for ASD, including oxytocin, vitamin D, sulforaphane, and resveratrol, are promising and are shown to lead to improvements in behavioral performance in ASD. More importantly, their pharmacological mechanisms are closely related to anti-inflammation and synaptic protection. We focus this review on the hypothesis that synaptic dysfunction caused by reactive glial cells would lead to ASD, and discuss the potentials of antineuroinflammatory therapy for ASD.

The Beidou System (BDS) started functioning at the end of 2012. The Yaw-Steering (YS) attitude mode for Inclined Geosynchronous Orbit (IGSO) and Medium Earth Orbit (MEO) satellites in BDS ensures that the solar panels face the Sun. The orbit radial accuracies for IGSO/MEO satellites are 0·5 m and the User Equivalent Range Errors (UERE) are 1·5 m in YS mode. BDS-2 satellites adopt Orbit-Normal (ON) mode to meet the power supply and thermal control requirements of the satellite during deep Earth eclipse periods. In ON mode, long-term orbit ephemeris accuracy monitoring in the Operational Control System (OCS) of BDS indicates that the orbit accuracies for IGSO/MEOs are reduced to a few hundreds of metres, seriously affecting the positioning accuracy and navigation service capability of the BDS system. Solar Radiation Pressure (SRP) is difficult to model in ON mode. Continuous Yaw-Steering (CYS) mode is available for new generation Beidou satellites launched since 2015. The orbit accuracies for these new generation Beidou (BDS-3) satellites were estimated based on BDS monitoring station data and SRP models including ECOM 9/5/3. The evaluation method consisted of four steps, namely, orbit internal consistency analysis, UERE calculation, Satellite Laser Ranging (SLR) data fitting Root Mean Square (RMS) determinations and positioning performance analysis; the data gathering period lasted for more than 60 days and included two CYS periods and one ON period. The experiments showed that the orbit accuracy of the radial component in CYS mode for the BDS-3 satellites degrades by 2 to 3 cm and positioning accuracy degrades only by 1 cm over that in YS mode which is just a small reduction in accuracy compared with the decimetre-level BDS orbit accuracy and the metre-level single point positioning accuracy with BDS pseudorange data. This overcomes declining orbit and positioning accuracy issues in ON mode for BDS-2 satellites. Other results also show that the reliability of BDS has been improved.

The prevalence of overweight and obesity is growing rapidly in many countries. Socioeconomic inequalities might be important for this increase. The aim of this study was to determine associations of body mass index (BMI), overweight and obesity with educational level and marital status in Chinese twins. Participants were adult twins recruited through the Chinese National Twin Registry (CNTR), aged 18 to 79 years, and the sample comprised 10,448 same-sex twin pairs. Current height, weight, educational attainment, and marital status were self-reported. Regression analyses and structural equation models were conducted to evaluate BMI, overweight, and obesity associated with educational level and marital status in both sexes. At an individual level, both educational level and marital status were associated with higher BMI and higher risk of being overweight and obesity in men, while in women the effects of educational level on BMI were in the opposite direction. In within-Monozygotic (MZ) twin-pair analyses, the effects of educational level on BMI disappeared in females. Bivariate structural equation models showed that genetic factors and shared environmental confounded the relationship between education and BMI in females, whereas marital status was associated with BMI on account of significant positive unique environmental correlation apart in both sexes. The present data suggested that marital status and BMI were associated, independent of familiar factors, for both sexes of this study population, while common genetic and shared environmental factors contributed to education-associated disparities in BMI in females.

This paper investigates the thermal characteristics of typical Micro Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs) with a reliable thermal test procedure. Test results show that MEMS sensor errors, not only biases, but also scale factors and non-orthogonalities, may vary significantly with temperature. Also, MEMS sensor errors can have significant inconsistent curves under different temperature changing profiles. The existence of such inconsistencies posed a challenge to the following assumption of thermal calibration: the thermal drift of a sensor error is only related to the temperature of the sensor core. A robust way to mitigate this issue is given by using the sensor data during both heat-and-stay and cool-and-stay processes to establish the final thermal models. The performance of both IMUs and inertial navigation systems improved significantly after compensation with the established thermal models. Additionally, the variation of the IMU thermal parameters with time was observed, which suggests that periodical thermal calibration is necessary for MEMS IMUs.

Twins reared apart provide a fascinating experiment to distinguish genetic from environmental influences. However, there is as yet no broad report on distribution of twins reared apart, especially in the Chinese population. In this study, information on 18,295 volunteer twin pairs of all age groups was compiled in nine provinces or cities of China, and questionnaires were used for zygosity determination. It was discovered that twins reared apart from 0 to 10 years of age accounted for 2.2% of all twin interviewees, with the proportion of this 0–10 group separated before 1, 2, and 5 years old, accounting for 65.3%, 76.1%, and 91.3%, respectively. The proportion of twins reared apart is not significantly related to zygosity or gender, but it is related to region and twin age. As the age of twins lowers, the proportion of those reared apart gradually decreases. Twins reared apart will become rarer in the future and therefore should be cherished as a resource.

Fourteen seedlots of five species of Rhus were surveyed for presence/absence of physiological dormancy and/or for germination requirements of non-dormant seeds. Physiological dormancy was present in the four seedlots of R. aromatica studied, but not in either of the two seedlots of its close relative R. trilobata, which is in contrast to previous reports. Neither were seeds of R. glabra, R. typhina, nor R. virens physiologically dormant. Stratification at 5oC for 1 week or incubation in 500 or 1000 mg/l solutions of gibberellic acid broke physiological dormancy in > 90% of the R. aromaticaseeds. Maturation desiccation acted as a switch from a developmental to a germinative mode in R. aromatica embryos, whereas it was not required for germination of R. glabra or R. virens (R. trilobata and R. typhinanot tested). Seeds of all five species incubated on a moist substrate became fully imbibed in 2 d, at which time moisture content was approx. 70–80%of their initial weight. In general, germination of non-dormant seeds was rather insensitive to temperature and light. Seeds germinated equally well in light and in darkness over a daily (12 h/12 h) temperature range of 15/6–35/20oC. Over a 4 week period, the best germination percentages were obtained at 25/15 and 20/10oC, whereas 35/20oC appeared to be supraoptimal, though not always significantly so. If the incubation period was extended to 30 weeks, germination percentages were as high at 15/6oC as at 25/15 and 20/10oC.

Seed (= seed plus endocarp) morphology and physical dormancy were studied in seven North American Rhus species: R. copallina, R. glabra, R. typhina, R. aromatica (var. aromatica), R. microphylla, R. trilobata, and R. virens (var. virens). Seeds of Rhus glabra and R. typhina, of subgenus Rhus, were gray, approx. 3 mm long, 2 mm wide, and weighed approx. 7 mg, whereas those of R. aromatica, R. trilobata, and R. virens, of subgenus Lobadium, were brown, >4 mm long, approx. 4 mm wide, and weighed approx. 14.5 mg (R. trilobata) to approx. 23 mg (R. aromaticaand R. virens). Dormancy in all seeds was due to a water-impermeable endocarp, but depth of dormancy varied greatly among species and seedlots. After 4 weeks, 29–34% of the seeds from all five seedlots of R. trilobata, R. microphylla, and R. virens incubated on moist substrate had imbibed, compared to 0–14% of the seeds of all 16 seedlots of R. aromatica, R. copallina, R. glabra, and R. typhina. After 1 yr, imbibition among seedlots of R. aromaticavaried from 28 ± 2% to 69 ± 5%, whereas 93 ±2% to 100 ± 0% of the seeds from all seedlots of R. microphylla, R. trilobata, and R. virens did so. Neither dry laboratory storage for up to 4 yr (even 29 yr in R. aromatica) nor dry heating at 100oC or at 120oC effectively broke dormancy in any of the species tested (R. aromatica, R. glabra, R. trilobata, R. virens). Immersion in boiling water was the best method to render seeds of R. glabra and R. typhinapermeable, yet it was ineffective for those of R. aromatica, R. trilobata, and R. virens. In contrast, a 1 h-soaking in concentrated H2SO4 led to complete loss of endocarp impermeability in the latter three species, but mostly was ineffective in R. glabra and R. typhina. Thus, there seems to be a tendency for seeds of subgenus Rhusto respond well to boiling in water, but not to soaking in H2SO4, whereas the opposite is true for those of subgenus Lobadium.

Nonsense-mediated decay (NMD), also called mRNA surveillance, is an evolutionarily conserved pathway that degrades mRNAs that prematurely terminate translation. To date, the pathway in mammalian cells has been shown to depend on the presence of a cis-acting destabilizing element that usually consists of an exon–exon junction generated by the process of pre-mRNA splicing. Whether or not mRNAs that derive from naturally intronless genes, that is, mRNAs not formed by the process of splicing, are also subject to NMD has yet to be investigated. The possibility of NMD is certainly reasonable considering that mRNAs of Saccharomyces cerevisiae are subject to NMD even though most derive from naturally intronless genes. In fact, mRNAs of S. cerevisiae generally harbor a loosely defined splicing-independent destabilizing element that has been proposed to function in NMD analogously to the spliced exon–exon junction of mammalian mRNAs. Here, we demonstrate that nonsense codons introduced into naturally intronless genes encoding mouse heat shock protein 70 or human histone H4 fail to elicit NMD. Failure is most likely because each mRNA lacks a cis-acting destabilizing element, because insertion of a spliceable intron a sufficient distance downstream of a nonsense codon within either gene is sufficient to elicit NMD.