CETP genotype and changes in lipid levels in response to weight-loss diet intervention in the POUNDS LOST and DIRECT randomized trials

Little is known about whether cholesteryl ester transfer protein (CETP) genetic variation may modify the effect of weight-loss diets varying in fat content on changes in lipid levels. We analyzed the interaction between the CETP variant rs3764261 and dietary interventions on changes in lipid levels among 732 overweight/obese adults from a 2 year randomized weight-loss trial [Preventing Overweight Using Novel Dietary Strategies (POUNDS LOST)], and replicated the findings in 171 overweight/obese adults from an independent 2 year weight-loss trial [Dietary Intervention Randomized Controlled Trial (DIRECT)]. In the POUNDS LOST, participants with the CETP rs3764261 CC genotype on the high-fat diet had larger increases in HDL cholesterol (P = 0.001) and decreases in triglycerides (P = 0.007) than those on the low-fat diet at 6 months, while no significant difference between these two diets was observed among participants carrying other genotypes. The gene-diet interactions on changes in HDL-cholesterol and tri­glyc­erides were replicated in the DIRECT (pooled P for interaction ≤ 0.01). Similar results on trajectory of changes in HDL cholesterol and triglycerides over the 2 year intervention were observed in both trials. Our study provides replicable evidence that individuals with the CETP rs3764261 CC genotype might derive greater effects on raising HDL cholesterol and lowering triglycerides by choosing a low-carbohydrate/high-fat weight-loss diet instead of a low-fat diet.     

住院期间老年2型糖尿病患者低血糖原因分析及对策

目的:探讨住院期间老年2型糖尿病患者发生低血糖的原因及相关对策。方法:选择2012年12月~2013年12月住院治疗的老年2型糖尿病患者150例。根据是否发生低血糖将其分为未发生低血糖组80例(对照组)和发生低血糖组70例(研究组)。对两组患者的临床数据资料进行统计学比较。结果:1研究组患者的平均年龄、病程、体重指数、住院天数和对照组患者比较差异均具有统计学意义(P0.05);2研究组患者血肌酐(Cr)水平和尿微量清蛋白定量(UMA)均显著高于对照组患者(P0.05);3低血糖在夜间02:00~05:59发生的频率明显较高;4研究组二甲双胍的应用比例明显低于对照组(P0.05),胰岛素的使用率和OAD+胰岛素联合应用的情况明显高于对照组(P0.05)。结论:老年2型糖尿病患者病程长、BMI低;血肌酐(Cr)水平和尿微量清蛋白定量(UMA)高;胰岛素的使用率及胰岛素联用OAD应用率高均会增加低血糖的发生风险。老年2型糖尿病患者应注意饮食治疗、运动治疗、药物治疗、血糖监测以及心理护理和健康指导。医护人员需为患者制定个体化的血糖控制目标,将老年2型糖尿病患者的血糖控制在适当水平。     

The impact of lockdown strategies on the basic reproductive number of coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in Saudi Arabia

Background & ObjectivesIn late December 2019, an outbreak of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS COV-2) occurred in the city of Wuhan, the capital of the Hubei province in the central part of the People’s Republic of China (Ren et al., 2020). In Saudi Arabia, the first case of COVID-19 was reported in March 2, 2020. In March 8, 2020, the Saudi authorities adopted the lockdown strategy to contain the disease. The aim of this study was to determine the effectiveness of the various phases of the lockdown strategy in Saudi Arabia and its impact on the basic reproductive number (R0) of the COVID-19 outbreak.Material and MethodsThe timeline of the COVID-19 outbreak in Saudi Arabia was divided into three-time intervals. Google Mobility Community Reports (2020) was used to estimate the changes in community mobility during the various phases of the lockdown. The basic reproductive number (R0) of the COVID-19 outbreak was calculated daily using the Susceptible, Infected and Recovered (SIR) model based on the Saudi Ministry of Health (MOH) daily reports. This is a standard system to determine the spread of the virus on the basis of infection rate, quarantine rate as well as confirmation rate. The mean values of the calculated R0 during each interval were compared using one-way ANOVA test.ResultsThere was no statistically significant difference between the mean values of the different phases of the lockdown (P > 0.05). Moreover, mean R0 value of the second interval was 0.09 higher than the initial interval with free community mobility. Furthermore, the mean R0 values of the third interval with the full lockdown was 0.28 higher than the initial interval.ConclusionEarly implementation of lockdown strategy combined with other social distancing strategies help in containing infectious outbreaks in their early phases. Continuous assessment of such strategies’ effectiveness provides decision makers with precious information needed to justify their application when considering their economic impact.     

阿维拉霉素生物合成研究进展

阿维拉霉素是由绿色产色链霉菌生产的寡糖类抗生素,对革兰氏阳性致病菌具有极强抗性,是一种新型饲料添加剂,广泛应用于肉鸡、仔猪等畜禽养殖中。以阿维拉霉素最新国内外研究进展为基础,综述了阿维拉霉素的抑菌机制、结构改造、菌种选育及发酵优化等方面的研究进展,重点阐述了阿维拉霉素的生物合成基因簇、合成途径及生物合成转录调控机制,探讨了提高阿维拉霉素产量的基因工程改造策略,为阿维拉霉素高效合成及工业化高产工程菌株构建等相关研究提供一定的理论参考。     

Plant Conservation in the Future:New Challenges,New Opportunities

Throughout the world,plant diversity is being reduced rapidly by the extinction of species and of local differentiated populations.In presenting possible solutions to this very serious problem I will first briefly describe the factors that have led to the development of China’s wealth of biodiversity;then examine the causes of extinction,with an emphasis on the situation in China;and conclude with recommendations on how to most effectively conserve plants in this huge and botanically diverse country.     

Preferential parental investment in daughters over sons

Female-biased parental investment is unusual but not unknown in human societies. Relevant explanatory models include Fisher’s principle, the Trivers-Willard model, local mate and resource competition and enhancement, and economic rational actor models. Possible evidence of female-biased parental investment includes sex ratios, mortality rates, parents’ stated preferences for offspring of one sex, and direct and indirect measurements of actual parental behavior. Possible examples of female-biased parental investment include the Mukogodo of Kenya, the Ifalukese of Micronesia, the Cheyenne of North America, the Herero of southern Africa, the Kanjar of south Asia, the Mundugumor of New Guinea, contemporary North America, and historical Germany, Portugal, and the United States. Lee Cronk is Assistant Professor of Anthropology at Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas. His main research interests are in human behavioral ecology, reproductive strategies, and East African hunter-gatherers and pastoralists.     

大肠杆菌无痕重组的策略与应用

Red同源重组技术发展迅速,已经广泛应用于大肠杆菌基因的敲除、插入与替换。与传统的DNA有痕重组技术相比,基于Red重组原理的DNA无痕重组技术,能够更为精确、快速、高效地修饰大肠杆菌基因组中的目标基因,且在基因组中不残留任何外源片段,因此不会影响后续的基因操作与基因表达。从Red同源重组的原理出发,简要综述了近年来在大肠杆菌中广泛使用的无痕重组技术的原理及操作策略,并对比分析了各种方法的优势与不足;同时,还介绍了DNA无痕重组技术在大肠杆菌基因修饰中的应用情况。     

Conservation of freshwater fish resources of India: new approaches, assessment and challenges

The freshwater resources of India are currently experiencing an alarming decline in fish biodiversity due to several factors and as a result, a sizeable portion of fresh water fishes have been categorized as threatened. This emphasizes an immediate need for initiating research and actions for alternative management techniques to protect these aquatic systems. One such option that has potential to protect freshwater ecosystem from numerous threats is the creation of freshwater aquatic sanctuary (FAS) within protected area network. Though similar conservation practices are well established in the terrestrial and marine ecosystem, however, the work on freshwater systems has been very slow and negligible. In the present communication we conceptualized the need and approach for developing FAS within the protected area network based on our observations in the water bodies of the selected wildlife sanctuaries in Northern India as well as success stories of some other countries. In this study we assessed the fish diversity in the selected protected areas of Northern India. The assessment indicated that these sanctuaries harbor 28.26–31.13% of freshwater fishes, which are threatened in other areas. Apart from Indian Major Carps, Tor putitora, Chitala chitala, Pangasius pangasius, Clupisoma gerua, Ailia coila, Aorichthys aor, Wallago attu, Rhinomugil corsula, Ompok pabda, Ombok pabo etc. were the important species encountered in the protected waters. The various issues related to FAS including objectives, approach, potential tools, implementation and management are discussed towards saving endangered fish germplasm resources. Approaches, tools and modus operandi proposed in this communication could be utilized by other developing countries in the region.     

The Use of Entomopathogenic Fungi for Control of Termites

Termites are major pests of timber and timber products which live in warm, humid environments that are conducive to the development and spread of entomopathogenic fungi. Laboratory studies have shown that termite species are highly susceptible to entomopathogenic fungi from genera including the most commonly studied species, Metarhizium anisopliae and Beauveria bassiana . There appears to be very little host specificity among fungal isolates with many isolates being highly virulent to many species of termites. The grooming and other social interactions between termites are seen to have the potential to spread the fungus through the colony, allowing for colony control by the treatment of remote feeding sites. However, factors such as avoidance of the fungus conidia by the termites, the removal and burial of fungus-killed termites, together with defensive secretions and inhibitory components in termite frass and the possibility of humoral resistance may limit the spread of the disease in the colony. Field studies have shown mixed results. Direct application of fungi to nests has resulted in complete colony mortality, but studies where feeding sites or bait stations have been treated with fungus have yet to show similar success. The effectiveness of termite control in urban pest management, particularly in structural timber and dwellings, has yet to be reported in detail. Such studies require the examination of the complex relationships between dose, speed of kill, virulence, horizontal transmission and ultimate colony death, combined with avoidance and recognition factors, and survival of the fungi under field conditions. There is currently one commercial product available in the USA.     

Upstream and downstream strategies to economize biodiesel production

In recent years biodiesel has drawn considerable amount of attention as a clean and renewable fuel. Biodiesel is produced from renewable sources such as vegetable oils and animal fat mainly through catalytic or non-catalytic transesterification method as well as supercritical method. However, as a consequence of disadvantages of these methods, the production cost increases dramatically. This article summarizes different biodiesel production methods with a focus on their advantages and disadvantages. The downstream and upstream strategies such as using waste cooking oils, application of non-edible plant oils, plant genetic engineering, using membrane separation technology for biodiesel production, separation and purification, application of crude glycerin as an energy supplement for ruminants, glycerin ultra-purification and their consequent roles in economizing the production process are fully discussed in this article.