Statures in Han populations of China

<正>Dear Editor,Shortly after initiating the"Physical Anthropological Research on Han Chinese"research project,we applied uniform sampling methods as well as methods and instruments of measurement to obtain a complete set of measurements of physical anthropological indicators among Han populations across China.Among these measurements,body stature was a key indicator.Currently,there should be reliable     

基于InVEST模型的疏勒河流域碳储量时空变化研究

研究区域土地利用方式与生态系统服务碳储量的关系，对于区域生态系统保护及经济社会可持续发展具有重要意义。利用InVEST模型碳储量模块和CA-Markov模型，探究并预测疏勒河流域1990-2015及2015-2040年流域生态系统碳储量时空变化特征及其与土地利用方式之间的关系。结果表明：疏勒河流域1990、1995、2000、2005、2010、2015年碳储量分别为7.994×10⁸、7.996×10⁸、7.998×10⁸、8.038×10⁸、8.064×10⁸、8.071×10⁸t，呈逐年增加趋势，累计增加7.7×10⁶t。土地利用类型变化是导致生态系统碳储量变化的主要因素，未利用地向耕地和草地转化有利于碳储量增加，而草地向耕地和未利用地的转化则导致碳储量减少。疏勒河流域碳储量存在显著的空间格局，碳储量较高区域呈现"北部点状-中部带状-南部点状片状"特征，这种分布格局与流域土地利用类型紧密联系。预测表明至2040年疏勒河流域碳储量为9.128×10⁸t，较2015年增加13.1%，主要原因是草地、耕地和林地面积较大幅度增长，提高了流域内的碳储量。     

YAP regulates periodontal ligament cell differentiation into myofibroblast interacted with RhoA/ROCK pathway

During orthodontic tooth movement (OTM), periodontal ligament cells (PDLCs) receive the mechanical stimuli and transform it into myofibroblasts (Mfbs). Indeed, previous studies have demonstrated that mechanical stimuli can promote the expression of Mfb marker α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA) in PDLCs. Transforming growth factor β1 (TGF-β1), as the target gene of yes-associated protein (YAP), has been proven to be involved in this process. Here, we sought to assess the role of YAP in Mfbs differentiation from PDLCs. The time-course expression of YAP and α-SMA was manifested in OTM model in vivo as well as under tensional stimuli in vitro. Inhibition of RhoA/Rho-associated kinase (ROCK) pathway using Y27632 significantly reduced tension-induced Mfb differentiation and YAP expression. Moreover, overexpression of YAP with lentiviral transfection in PDLCs rescued the repression effect of Mfb differentiation induced by Y27632. These data together suggest a crucial role of YAP in regulating tension-induced Mfb differentiation from PDLC interacted with RhoA/ROCK pathway.     

Effects of hydrogen peroxide on the content of major volatile halogenated compounds in the red alga <Emphasis Type="Italic">Asparagopsis taxiformis</Emphasis> (Bonnemaisoniaceae)

The genus Asparagopsis is a prolific source of halogenated metabolites. Due to its commercial applications, it has been intensively cultivated in southern Portugal. In the present study, we assess if the internal levels of the major halogenated metabolites (bromoform and dibromoacetic acid) in Asparagopsis taxiformis can be increased with hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) addition. Previous studies with red algae showed that the production/release of bromoform can be enhanced by exogenously supplying H₂O₂. However, no study has assessed if H₂O₂ supply enhances the content of secondary metabolites within the biomass. This detail is important as the objective of the proposed research is to enhance the content of these valuable metabolites in the produced biomass. Both the activity of the haloperoxidase enzyme and the metabolite content were assessed on short-term and long-term incubation periods to H₂O₂. To determine the susceptibility of A. taxiformis photosynthetic performance to the imposed oxidative stress, the in vivo fluorescence of photosystem II was monitored. A. taxiformis was shown to be physiologically vulnerable to H₂O₂, given the observed decrease of the maximum quantum yield of photosynthesis (F _v/F _m). Contrary to what was expected, the presence of H₂O₂ inhibited the activity of the iodoperoxidase enzyme. Nevertheless, the extracted halogenated metabolites were higher over the first hours of exposure to H₂O₂, decreasing after 48 h. These results are probably related to the prosthetic group of the halogenated enzyme in A. taxiformis and the long-term oxidative stress damage of H₂O₂ exposure. Considering the objective of the proposed research, addition of H₂O₂ to the cultures, prior (3 h) to biomass harvesting, increases the metabolite content.     

Adaptive Admixture of HLA Class I Allotypes Enhanced Genetically Determined Strength of Natural Killer Cells in East Asians

Human natural killer (NK) cells are essential for controlling infection, cancer, and fetal development. NK cell functions are modulated by interactions between polymorphic inhibitory killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR) and polymorphic HLA-A, -B, and -C ligands expressed on tissue cells. All HLA-C alleles encode a KIR ligand and contribute to reproduction and immunity. In contrast, only some HLA-A and -B alleles encode KIR ligands and they focus on immunity. By high-resolution analysis of KIR and HLA-A, -B, and -C genes, we show that the Chinese Southern Han (CHS) are significantly enriched for interactions between inhibitory KIR and HLA-A and -B. This enrichment has had substantial input through population admixture with neighboring populations, who contributed HLA class I haplotypes expressing the KIR ligands B*46:01 and B*58:01, which subsequently rose to high frequency by natural selection. Consequently, over 80% of Southern Han HLA haplotypes encode more than one KIR ligand. Complementing the high number of KIR ligands, the CHS KIR locus combines a high frequency of genes expressing potent inhibitory KIR, with a low frequency of those expressing activating KIR. The Southern Han centromeric KIR region encodes strong, conserved, inhibitory HLA-C-specific receptors, and the telomeric region provides a high number and diversity of inhibitory HLA-A and -B-specific receptors. In all these characteristics, the CHS represent other East Asians, whose NK cell repertoires are thus enhanced in quantity, diversity, and effector strength, likely augmenting resistance to endemic viral infections.     

Body mass and behavior in Swiss mice subjected to continuous or discontinuous food restriction and refeeding

Food restriction (FR) is hypothesized to decrease body fat content of an animal and thus prevent obesity. However, the response of energy budget to a continuous (CFR) or discontinuous FR (DFR) remains inconsistent. In the present study, effects of CFR or DFR and refeeding on energy budget and behavior were examined in male Swiss mice. CFR significantly decreased the energy expenditure associated with basal metabolic rate (BMR) and activity behavior, but not sufficiently to compensate for energy deficit and thus resulted in lower body mass and fat content. DFR mice had a significantly higher food intake on ad libitum days and showed increases in BMR and activity after 4 weeks’ DFR, which might resulted in lower body mass and less body fat than controls. After being refed ad libitum, both CFR and DFR mice had similar body mass, BMR, and behavioral patterns to controls but had 95% and 75% higher fat content. This suggested that not only CFR but also DFR would be a significant factor in the process of obesity for animals that were refed ad libitum. It also indicated that food restriction interrupted many times by periods of ad libitum feeding had the same long-term effects like continuous underfeeding.     

Is embryo abortion a post‐zygotic barrier to gene flow between Littorina ecotypes?

Genetic incompatibilities contribute to reproductive isolation between many diverging populations, but it is still unclear to what extent they play a role if divergence happens with gene flow. In contact zones between the "Crab" and "Wave" ecotypes of the snail Littorina saxatilis, divergent selection forms strong barriers to gene flow, while the role of post‐zygotic barriers due to selection against hybrids remains unclear. High embryo abortion rates in this species could indicate the presence of such barriers. Post‐zygotic barriers might include genetic incompatibilities (e.g. Dobzhansky–Muller incompatibilities) but also maladaptation, both expected to be most pronounced in contact zones. In addition, embryo abortion might reflect physiological stress on females and embryos independent of any genetic stress. We examined all embryos of >500 females sampled outside and inside contact zones of three populations in Sweden. Females' clutch size ranged from 0 to 1,011 embryos (mean 130 ± 123), and abortion rates varied between 0% and 100% (mean 12%). We described female genotypes by using a hybrid index based on hundreds of SNPs differentiated between ecotypes with which we characterized female genotypes. We also calculated female SNP heterozygosity and inversion karyotype. Clutch size did not vary with female hybrid index, and abortion rates were only weakly related to hybrid index in two sites but not at all in a third site. No additional variation in abortion rate was explained by female SNP heterozygosity, but increased female inversion heterozygosity added slightly to increased abortion. Our results show only weak and probably biologically insignificant post‐zygotic barriers contributing to ecotype divergence, and the high and variable abortion rates were marginally, if at all, explained by hybrid index of females.     

农杆菌介导海洋草酸青霉转化体系及聚酮合酶Pks生物学功能*

为研究南海柳珊瑚共附生草酸青霉SCSGAF0023的聚酮合酶(PKS)生物学功能,采用农杆菌介导法构建草酸青霉SCSGAF0023的Pks敲除株ΔPks,比较野生菌株及ΔPks的生长发育及环境适应性差异。以草酸青霉SCSGAF0023分生孢子为受体,p0380-hygB为双元载体,成功实现草酸青霉SCSGAF0023的遗传转化。结果表明:农杆菌浓度为OD₆₀₀=0.5,在200μmol/L 乙酰丁香酮(AS)诱导下与10⁷个/ml草酸青霉SCSGAF0023孢子于25℃共孵育时转化效率最高。基于上述转化体系,成功获得Pks敲除株ΔPks,并首次证实Pks正向调控草酸青霉SCSGAF0023产孢,但不影响其对环境的适应性。这为进一步系统研究真菌PKSs及聚酮化合物对真菌生长发育与环境适应性的影响提供素材。