Zhang Xin-yu

Characterization and comparative analyses of transcriptomes for in vivo and in vitro produced peri-implantation conceptuses and endometria from sheep.

An increasing number of reports indicate that in vitro fertilization (IVF) is highly associated with long‑term side effects on embryonic and postnatal development, and can sometimes result in embryonic implant failure. While high‑throughput gene expression analysis has been used to explore the mechanisms underlying IVF-induced side effects on embryonic development, little is known about the effects of IVF on conceptus–endometrial interactions during the peri-implantation period. Using sheep as a model, we performed a comparative transcriptome analysis between in vivo (IVO; in vivo fertilized followed by further development in the uterus) and in vitro produced (IVP; IVF with further culture in the incubator) conceptuses, and the caruncular and intercaruncular areas of the ovine endometrium. We identified several genes that were differentially expressed between the IVO and IVP groups on day 17, when adhesion between the trophoblast and the uterine luminal epithelium begins in sheep. By performing Gene Ontology enrichment analysis and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analysis, we found that, in the conceptus, differentially expressed genes (DEGs) were associated mainly with functions relating to cell binding and the cell cycle. In the endometrial caruncular area, DEGs were involved in cell adhesion/migration and apoptosis, and in the intercaruncular area, they were significantly enriched in pathways of signal transduction and transport. Thus, these DEGs are potential candidates for further exploring the mechanism underlying IVF/IVP-induced embryonic implant failure that occurs due to a loss of interaction between the conceptus and endometrium during the peri-implantation period.

Carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratioanalysis of Bronze Age humans from the Xiabandi cemetery, Xinjiang,China: Implications for cultural interactions between the East andWest

The Andronovo culture of Central Asia is characterized by wheat agriculture and sheep/goat and cattle animal husbandry. Sometime during the beginning to the middle of the 2nd millennium BC, the Andronovo migrated from the Kazakh Steppe into the modern-day Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China and became one of the most important archaeological complexes in this area. At about the same time or earlier, populations from the East characterized by: millet agriculture, Mongolian race, and painted pottery spread westward from northern China along the mountain ranges of the Gansu Corridor and met the Andronovo culture in the central part of Xinjiang. It is not known how and when these cultures originating from the East and West first started to interact with each other in Xinjiang, and this is especially true in the southwest region of Xinjiang, which is a crucial transport corridor between the Eurasian Steppe and the populations of Central Asia. The analysis of stable isotope ratios of carbon ( δ 13C) and nitrogen ( δ 15N) permits an investigation of human diets and lifeways and has the potential to shed light on cultural interactions between the East and the West. Here δ 13C and δ 15N results of human bone collagen ( n =27) are presented to reconstruct dietary patterns and cultural communications at the Xiabandi cemetery site in the Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region of China.

Effects of anthropogenic activities on long-term changes of nitrogen budget in a plain river network region: A case study in the Taihu Basin

Over recent decades, Taihu Lake, the third largest freshwater lake in China, has borne the brunt of intensive human activities. Non-point source pollutants and discharges of domestic wastewater are now the main cause of eutrophication. To control non-point source pollution, it is useful to have a good understanding of the spatial and temporal distribution of N (nitrogen). In this study, we applied Export Coefficient Model (ECM) and the Net Anthropogenic Nitrogen Inputs (NANI) method to estimate the N loads in the Taihu Basin at county scale since 1980. We found that N inputs and exports had increased from 6432 and 3170 kg N km-2 yr-1 in 1980 to 9722 and 4582 kg N km-2 yr-1 in 2010, respectively. The 151% increase of N inputs, but 144% increase of riverine N outputs suggested the more N was retained within the Taihu Basin. Both the population density and the urban areas were strongly correlated with N inputs and exports. Approximately 38% of the N inputs were exported in 2010, but only 19% were exported in 1980. This ratio illustrated that human activities, especially urbanization and population growth, have upset N budget in the Taihu Basin. This study supported by empirical models provides a case to demonstrate the N cascade in the Taihu Basin and can also be used to support decision making and to facilitate the development of measures to control N in the future.

Numerical analysis on the heat transfer of three types of nozzles for the hypersonic long-run wind tunnel

The hypersonic long-run scramjet test tunnel is one of the key ground facilities for the studies of ramjet/scramjet and hypersonic thermal management. Due to the significantly large heat loading, the nozzle of the tunnel facility demands effective cooling protection. In this work, the two-dimensional, three-dimensional and axisymmetric Mach 6.5 nozzles at an inlet total temperature of 1840 K and a total pressure of 6.4 MPa were studied with main focuses on the properties of aerodynamic heating of nozzles. The present work aims to provide insights into the design of an effective cooling system for the nozzle and other components of the hypersonic long-run wind tunnel.