Correlation of urinary inflammatory and oxidative stress markers in very low birth weight infants with subsequent development of bronchopulmonary dysplasia

Abstract

Currently, bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) occurs almost exclusively in pre-term infants. In addition to prematurity, other factors like oxygen toxicity and inflammation can contribute to the pathogenesis. This study aimed to compare urinary inflammatory and oxidative stress markers between the no/mild BPD group and moderate/severe BPD group and between BPD cases with significant early lung disease like respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) (‘classic’ BPD) and with minimal early lung disease (‘atypical’ BPD). A total of 60 patients who were a gestational age < 30 weeks or a birth weight < 1250 g were included. Urine samples were obtained on the 1^st, 3^rd and 7^th day of life and measured the levels of leukotriene E₄ (LTE₄) and 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG). The 8-OHdG values on the 3^rd day showed significant correlation to duration of mechanical ventilation. The 8-OHdG levels on the 7^th day were the independent risk factor for developing moderate/severe BPD. In ‘classic’ BPD, the 8-OHdG values on the 3^rd day were higher than those of ‘atypical’ BPD. In ‘atypical’ BPD, the LTE₄ values on the 7^th day were higher than the values in ‘classic’ BPD. These results suggest that oxidative DNA damage could be the crucial mechanism in the pathogenesis of current BPD and the ongoing inflammatory process could be an important mechanism in ‘atypical’ BPD.     

No Evidence‐Based Restoration Without a Sound Evidence Base: A Reply to Guldemond et al.

Evidence‐based practice is not possible without an evidence base. Guldemond et al. confuse our attempt at assessing the status of the evidence base of restoration programs in South Africa with attempting to assess whether restoration is evidence‐based. While we fully agree with them that there is a need to assess whether practitioners use evidence in their decision‐making, we assert that use of evidence is the last step in the evidence‐based approach. It is preceded by the generation (and documentation) of evidence through baseline condition assessment, proper goal setting, sound monitoring of the impacts of the chosen intervention as well as effective dissemination of resulting evidence. To answer the question whether restoration is evidence‐based would require the assessment of all stages from generation to use. We chose to start at the beginning, a logical place to start.     

植物夜间液流的发生、生理意义及影响因素研究进展

植物夜间液流是指在夜间通过植物根、茎、叶的液流量。通过对不同物种、生境条件和生态系统的野外观测,发现植物普遍存在夜间液流现象。阐述了夜间液流的大小和组成,并从夜间液流的生理意义、影响因素以及生态水文效应方面对已有的研究进展进行了综述和分析。夜间液流占到全天液流量的比例一般为5%—20%。夜间液流包括夜间的茎干补水和夜间的蒸腾作用两个过程,但是目前没有确切的研究或技术将两个过程区分开来。虽然总体上夜间液流占全天液流量的比例较少,但是夜间液流的储水作用和蒸腾作用对植物生长有重要的生理意义:夜间储水作用提高了夜间茎干水势,减少了木质部栓塞化的形成,加强了植物对干旱环境的适应;而蒸腾作用在营养物质和氧气的运输,以及水力提升等方面有重要的作用。影响夜间液流的因素较多,气象因素是主要的环境驱动因子,而土壤水分对夜间液流的影响与生境有关;夜间液流还受到物种和生境条件的影响。由于夜间液流的发生,对不同尺度的生态水文过程产生了影响。未来的研究可进一步探索在全球气候变化条件下,夜间液流与植物生理过程的关系,定量评估夜间液流对生态水文过程的影响,深入研究夜间液流对环境变化的响应。     

臭柏叶绿体基因组结构与系统进化分析

以臭柏为研究材料,利用高通量测序技术对臭柏的叶绿体基因组进行测序,分析了臭柏叶绿体基因组结构特征及系统进化关系。结果表明:(1)臭柏叶绿体基因组由大单拷贝区、小单拷贝区和2个反向重复区构成,但反向重复区只有261bp;基因组全长157 739bp,包含119个基因,即82个蛋白编码基因、4个rRNA基因和33个tRNA基因,其中trnI-CAU和trnQ-UUG基因有2个拷贝,其他基因均为单拷贝,且多拷贝基因中仅trnQ-UUG位于反向重复区。(2)生物信息学分析表明,臭柏叶绿体基因组共有42 579个密码子,其中编码亮氨酸Leu的数量最多,相对同义密码子使用度最高的为AGA/UUA;在臭柏叶绿体基因组中共预测到47个SSR位点,单核苷酸、二核苷酸和三核苷酸数目分别为38、1和3个;臭柏与其他刺柏属植物相比较,其基因组大小、基因组成及GC含量相近。(3)采用RAxML软件最大似然法对杨柳科、松科、蔷薇科和柏科等共31种植物构建的系统进化树表明,臭柏与刺柏属内Juniperus bermudiana亲缘关系相对较近,整个刺柏属植物分支为单系类群。该研究丰富了臭柏的遗传信息,为臭柏种质资源评价和保育、分子育种、SSR分子标记的开发、遗传多样性和群体谱系地理研究等奠定了理论基础,同时也为构建柏科植物的系统进化提供了支持。     

New species of Epitoniidae (Gastropoda: Epitonioidea) from the Red Sea

Based on material stored in the Zoological Museum of the University of Bologna (MZB), four new species of epitoniids from the shallow waters of the Red Sea are described: Epitonium (Laeviscala) yemenita n. sp., Epitonium (Laeviscala) morassii n. sp., Epitonium (Labeoscala) zabargadense n. sp. and Epitonium (Labeoscala) aranea n. sp. Scanning electron microscope illustrations of type specimens of Scalaria gracilis Sowerby, 1844, Scalaria fucata Pease, 1861, Graciliscala histricosa Jousseaume, 1912, Graciliscala rostrata Jousseaume, 1912, Scala rissoinaeformis Melvill, 1903 and Scala thelcteria Melvill & Standen, 1903 are given. Systematic remarks on some species belonging to the subgenus Laeviscala are treated in additional notes. A lectotype of Graciliscala histricosa is designated.

http://zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:8304A24D-5985-43D5-AEBF-1A7ED39A1F1C     

Sound the alarm: A meta‐analysis on the effect of aquatic noise on fish behavior and physiology

The aquatic environment is increasingly bombarded by a wide variety of noise pollutants whose range and intensity are increasing with each passing decade. Yet, little is known about how aquatic noise affects marine communities. To determine the implications that changes to the soundscape may have on fishes, a meta‐analysis was conducted focusing on the ramifications of noise on fish behavior and physiology. Our meta‐analysis identified 42 studies that produced 2,354 data points, which in turn indicated that anthropogenic noise negatively affects fish behavior and physiology. The most predominate responses occurred within foraging ability, predation risk, and reproductive success. Additionally, anthropogenic noise was shown to increase the hearing thresholds and cortisol levels of numerous species while tones, biological, and environmental noise were most likely to affect complex movements and swimming abilities. These findings suggest that the majority of fish species are sensitive to changes in the aquatic soundscape, and depending on the noise source, species responses may have extreme and negative fitness consequences. As such, this global synthesis should serve as a warning of the potentially dire consequences facing marine ecosystems if alterations to aquatic soundscapes continue on their current trajectory.     

Evolution of Oligo-Miocene talpids (Mammalia,Talpidae) in Europe: focus on the genera Myxomygale and Percymygale n. gen.

Abstract

New material recovered in the Oligocene locality St-Martin-de-Castillon (Vaucluse, France; MP24) provides a better knowledge of the characteristics of the species vauclusensis in its type-locality, hitherto assigned to the genus Myxomygale (Talpinae, tribe Urotrichini). In Europe, the species assigned to Myxomygale range from Late Eocene/Early Oligocene to the end of the Middle Miocene (MN 7/8). However noticeable differences can be observed in mandibles of these taxa, sometimes even coexisting in the same localities. We propose for the plesiomorphic branch (including M. vauclusensis and M. minor) a new genus, Percymygale, closely related to Myxomygale. Percymygale is consequently also assigned to the tribe Urotrichini. Today, the tribe Urotrichini (American and Japanese shrew-moles) is composed of terrestrial, semi-fossorial species, not well adapted to digging but able to climb small bushes, and foraging in grasslands, forests and covered landscapes. As a result, their limbs protrude laterally from the body (unlike in moles) and their humeri are usually longer with very limited adaptations to digging. Humeri are poorly known for Myxomygale and only fragmentary humeri are known for Percymygale n. gen. making comparisons difficult. However the muzzle development in Percymygale and Myxomygale suggests that Myxomygale was perhaps a better burrower than Percymygale.

http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:pub:E0BDC0FC-ABA2-4A84-AE76-06B3433B432E

http://www.zoobank.org/urn:lsid:zoobank.org:act:17E4DD37-24A4-4C7A-A7FEB421CF90F89C