[Ecosystem's soil conservation function and its spatial distribution in Lancang River Basin, Southwest China].

Based on the RUSLE model, this paper analyzed the ecosystem's soil conservation function and its spatial distribution in Lancang River Basin. This Basin could be one of the regions having the highest ecosystem' s soil conservation capability in China, with an annual ecosystem's soil conservation amount being 2.36 x 10(10) t x a(-1) and the soil conservation amount per unit area being 1453.

Association study of a (TG)n dinucleotide repeat at chromosome 15q13.3 and schizophrenia in the Chinese population.

Linkage studies have suggested that chromosome 15q13-q14 may harbor a susceptibility locus for schizophrenia. In the current study, the association between a (TG)n dinucleotide repeat polymorphism at D15S976 and schizophrenia was investigated using two independent samples from the Han Chinese population. In a population-based study, no significant difference was found between the genotype and allele frequency distributions in schizophrenia patients and control subjects.

[Association study of an (AC)n dinucleotide repeat and schizophrenia in Asian and European populations].

Linkage studies have suggested that chromosome 15q13-q14 may harbor a susceptibility locus for schizophrenia. In the current study, the association between a (AC)n dinucleotide repeat polymorphism at D15S118 and schizophrenia was investigated using three independent samples from the Han Chinese population and the Scotland population. In the population-based study, a significant difference was found between the allele frequency distributions in schizophrenia patients and control subjects in the Scottish samples (P = 0.

Population-based and family-based association studies of an (AC)n dinucleotide repeat in alpha-7 nicotinic receptor subunit gene and schizophrenia.

The human alpha-7 neuronal nicotinic receptor subunit (CHRNA7) gene, located at chromosome 15q13.2, represents a strong candidate gene for schizophrenia. We have examined an (AC)n dinucleotide repeat in intron 2 of the CHRNA7 gene, which was previously shown to be strongly linked with schizophrenia, using both population-based and family-based association studies.

Catechol-O-methyltransferase gene Val/Met functional polymorphism and risk of schizophrenia: a large-scale association study plus meta-analysis.

Background: A common functional polymorphism (Val/Met) in the catechol-O-methyltransferase gene (COMT) that markedly affects enzyme activity has been shown to affect executive cognition and the physiology of the prefrontal cortex in humans. It is hypothesized that the high activity Val allele slightly increases risk for schizophrenia through its effect on dopamine-mediated prefrontal information processing.

Methods: We compared the allele/genotype frequencies of the Val/Met polymorphism in a large independent patient-control sample (862 patient and 928 healthy control subjects) from Han Chinese population, and an update meta-analysis was performed to assess the collective evidence across individual studies.

Polymorphism of Prodynorphin promoter is associated with schizophrenia in Chinese population.

Aim: To investigate the correlation between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of functional candidate gene Prodynorphin (PDYN) and schizophrenia.

Methods: SNPs in the promoter and exon regions of PDYN were screened and genotyped for association study in a cohort of Chinese Han schizophrenia cases and controls.

Results: Two SNPs PDYN-1576C>T and PDYN-946C>G were identified in the promoter region but PDYN-946C>G showed significant differences of allele distribution (x2=6.

A family-based association study of T1945C polymorphism in the proline dehydrogenase gene and schizophrenia in the Chinese population.

Previous studies have reported genetic linkage evidence for a candidate gene of schizophrenia on chromosome 22q11 but no genes in this region have been really confirmed to be involved in the etiology of schizophrenia so far. Very recently, the proline dehydrogenase gene (PRODH), located in the most centromeric part of the 22q11 microdeletion region, has been reported to be strongly associated with schizophrenia from three sets of independent samples and the most significant evidence for association was derived from a single nucleotide polymorphism-PRODH*1945(T/C). We genotyped this polymorphism in 166 Chinese family trios with schizophrenia from East China.