Abstract We present brief highlights and updates on some newer projects, both in operation/construction and in preparation stages, of astronomical research on Mainland China, with an emphasis on those involving international collaborations. Limited by the scope of this paper, this sample is not meant to be uniform nor comprehensive, and in some cases it may not be fully up to date. For more specific and detailed information on these or other projects, we refer the readers to the official websites of these projects and those of the National Astronomical Observatories, Chinese Academy of Sciences.

In this paper, we reported the preparation of carrageenan/reduced graphene oxide/Ag composite (CA-RGO-Ag) by a wet chemical method at room temperature using carrageenan, graphene oxide and silver nitrate as starting materials. As-prepared composite was characterized by UV-vis spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, FTIR, SEM, EDX and XRD. Results showed that the reduction of graphene oxide (GO) and silver nitrate was achieved simultaneously by addition of NaBH4. Surface-enhanced Raman scattering study showed that the obtained composite give an intensive and enhanced Raman scattering when Rhodamine B was used as a probing molecule.

ABSTRACT ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) were synthesized via a green biochemical method using Corymbia citriodora leaf extract as a reducing and stabilizing agent. The biosynthesized ZnO NPs were characterized by SEM and XRD. An electrochemical H2O2 biosensor was fabricated by modification of a glassy carbon electrode using our proposed ZnO NPs. The electrochemical sensor showed excellent detection performance towards trace amounts of H2O2, demonstrating that it could potentially be used in clinical applications.

RESUMO CONTEXTO E OBJETIVO: Enzimas dimetilarginina dimetilaminohidrolase (DDAH), codificadas por genes DDAH1 e DDAH2, desempenham papel fundamental na manutenção da função endotelial. Realizamos estudo tipo caso-controle na população chinesa, com três grupos étnicos (han, kazakh e uygur) para investigar sistematicamente a associação entre a variação de genes DDAH1 e DDAH2 e a hipertensão. DESENHO E LOCAL: Estudo tipo caso-controle no Departamento de Medicina Interna e Diagnóstico Genético, Hospital de Tongji, Tongji Medical College, Universidade de Ciência e Tecnologia de Huazhong. MÉTODOS: Este estudo incluiu 1.224 pacientes com hipertensão e 967 indivíduos saudáveis, sem parentesco, como controles. DDAH1 -396 4 N (GCGT) del > ins, rs3087894, rs805304 and rs9267551 foram genotipados usando o ensaio nuclease TaqMan 5'. RESULTADOS: O genótipo G/C de rs3087894 no DDAH1 foi um fator de risco para a hipertensão arterial no grupo kazakh em modelo codominante (G/C versus G/G; OR 1,39; IC 95%: 1,02-1,88; P < 0,05), com o mesmo resultado no modelo dominante (G/C + C/C versus G/G; OR 1,38; IC 95%: 1,03-1,84; P < 0,05). Em contraste, o genótipo C/C de rs3087894 parecia ser um fator de proteção para a hipertensão no grupo uygur no modelo recessivo (C/C versus G/G + G/C; OR 0,62; IC 95%: 0,39-0,97; P < 0,05). Achado semelhante para rs3087894 também foi observado depois de se ajustar a variante à covariante idade. CONCLUSÃO: Os nossos resultados indicaram que o C-alelo de rs3087894 no DDAH1 foi fator de risco para a hipertensão no grupo de kazakh, mas fator de proteção no grupo de uygur.

CONTEXT AND OBJECTIVE: Dimethylarginine dimethylaminohydrolase enzymes (DDAH), which are encoded by the genes DDAH1 and DDAH2, play a fundamental role in maintaining endothelial function. We conducted a case-control study on a Chinese population that included three ethnic groups (Han, Kazakh and Uygur), to systemically investigate associations between variations in the genes DDAH1 and DDAH2 and hypertension. DESIGN AND SETTING: Experimental study at the Department of Internal Medicine and Genetic Diagnosis, Tongji Hospital, Tongji Medical College, Huazhong University of Science and Technology. METHODS: This case-control study included 1,224 patients with hypertension and 967 healthy unrelated individuals as controls. DDAH1 -396 4N (GCGT) del>ins, rs3087894, rs805304 and rs9267551 were genotyped using the TaqMan 5' nuclease assay. RESULTS: The G/C genotype of rs3087894 in DDAH1 was a risk factor for hypertension in the Kazakh group in the co-dominant model (G/C versus G/G) (OR 1.39; 95% CI: 1.02-1.88; P < 0.05), with the same result in the dominant model (G/C + C/C versus G/G) (OR 1.38; 95% CI: 1.03-1.84; P < 0.05). In contrast, the C/C genotype of rs3087894 seemed to be a protective factor against hypertension in the Uygur group in the recessive model (C/C versus G/G + G/C) (OR 0.62; 95% CI: 0.39- 0.97; P < 0.05). Similar findings for rs3087894 were also observed after adjusting the variable for the age covariate. CONCLUSION: Our results indicated that the C-allele of rs3087894 in DDAH1 was a risk factor for hypertension in the Kazakh group but a protective factor in the Uygur group.