Language anxiety in Chinese dialects and Putonghua among college students in mainland China: the effects of sociobiographical and linguistic variables

This paper examined language anxiety (LA) in Chinese dialects and Putonghua among college students in mainland China and explored the links between their LA in the first language and a range of sociobiographical variables (i.e. gender and geographical background) as well as linguistic variables (i.e. mother tongue, age of onset of acquisition, context of learning, self-perceived oral proficiency, and frequency of use). Participants were 778 Beijing university students who speak Chinese dialects and Putonghua. Statistical analyses revealed that participants reported significantly higher levels of LA in dialects than in Putonghua across a variety of situations. Geographical background and gender had scattered effects on LA in Putonghua and in dialects. Early bilinguals whose mother tongue were both a dialect and Putonghua reported the least LA in both. Later age of onset and acquisition of Putonghua in an instructed context were linked to increased LA in Putonghua. The negative relationships between self-perceived oral proficiency, frequency of use and LA were stronger in Putonghua than in dialects. The higher levels of LA in dialects combined with their language practices in dialects suggest a relatively lower confidence in the use of dialects among in this group of highly educated young Chinese adults

The C. elegans Dosage Compensation Complex Propagates Dynamically and Independently of X Chromosome Sequence

The C. elegans Dosage Compensation Complex (DCC) associates with both X chromosomes of XX animals to reduce X-linked transcript levels. Five DCC members are homologous to subunits of the evolutionarily conserved condensin complex, while two non-condensin subunits are required for DCC recruitment to X. Here, we investigated the molecular mechanism of DCC recruitment and spreading along X by examining gene expression and the binding patterns of DCC subunits in different stages of development, and in strains harboring X;autosome fusions. We show that DCC binding is dynamically specified according to gene activity during development, and that the mechanism of DCC spreading is independent of X-chromosome DNA sequence. Accordingly, in X;A fusion strains DCC spreading propagates from X-linked recruitment sites onto autosomal promoters as a function of distance. Quantitative analysis of spreading suggests that the condensin-like subunits spread from recruitment sites to promoters more readily than subunits involved in initial X-targeting. Via these mechanisms, a highly conserved chromatin complex is appropriated to accomplish domain-scale transcriptional regulation during development. Similarities to the X-recognition and spreading strategies used by the Drosophila DCC suggest mechanisms fundamental to chromosome-scale gene regulation

Lack of association between RNASEL Arg462Gln variant and the risk of breast cancer

Background: The RNASEL G1385A variant was recently found to be implicated in the development of prostate cancer. Considering the function of RNase L and the pleiotropic effects of mutations associated with cancer, we sought to investigate whether the RNASEL G1385A variant is a risk factor for breast cancer. Patients and Methods: A total of 453 breast cancer patients and 382 age- and sex-matched controls from Greece and Turkey were analyzed. Genotyping for the RNASEL G1385A variant was performed using an Amplification Refractory Mutation System (ARMS). Results: Statistical evaluation of the RNASEL G1385A genotype distribution among breast cancer patients and controls revealed no significant association between the presence of the risk genotype and the occurrence of breast cancer. Conclusion: Although an increasing number of studies report an association between the RNASEL G1385A variant and prostate cancer risk, this variant does not appear to be implicated in the development of breast cancer

Amendment for increased methane production rate in municipal solid waste landfill gas collection systems

Optimization of methane production rate can potentially decrease the operational lifetime of the landfill site and assist with better management of methane harvesting from the landfill cells. Increased moisture content in landfill cells is known to increase the rate of methane production. Several natural biopolymers can sustain moisture content in a solid matrix while providing a scaffolding for microbial communities to grow. This research examined the effect of the biopolymer, produced by Rhizobium tropici, on bench-scale methane generation from municipal solid waste. The addition of the R. tropici biopolymer increased the rate of methane production from 27% to 78% when compared to the control study for low and high concentrations of biopolymer amendment, respectively. R. tropici biopolymer shortened the lag phase by up to six days over the control, depending on the level of biopolymer amendment added to the solid waste. The mechanism appears to be facilitating biofilm formation through the combination of increased moisture retention and surface modification of the solid waste. Incorporation of biopolymer amendment in the alternative daily cover activities at commercial landfills could provide a viable approach for full scale application. Published by Elsevier B.V

Apelin, Omentin-1, and Vaspin in patients with essential hypertension: association of adipokines with trace elements, inflammatory cytokines, and oxidative damage markers

PMID = 3258331