Estimates and Predictions of Coal Workers’ Pneumoconiosis Cases among Redeployed Coal Workers of the Fuxin Mining Industry Group in China: A Historical Cohort Study

This research was aimed at estimating possible Coal workers’ pneumoconiosis (CWP) cases as of 2012, and predicting future CWP cases among redeployed coal workers from the Fuxin Mining Industry Group. This study provided the scientific basis for regulations on CWP screening and diagnosis and labor insurance policies for redeployed coal workers of resource-exhausted mines. The study cohort included 19,116 coal workers. The cumulative incidence of CWP was calculated by the life-table method. Possible CWP cases by occupational category were estimated through the average annual incidence rate of CWP and males’ life expectancy. It was estimated that 141 redeployed coal workers might have suffered from CWP as of 2012, and 221 redeployed coal workers could suffer from CWP in the future. It is crucial to establish a set of feasible and affordable regulations on CWP screening and diagnosis as well as labor insurance policies for redeployed coal workers of resource-exhausted coal mines in China.     

Identification of compound heterozygous DNAH11 variants in a Han-Chinese family with primary ciliary dyskinesia

Primary ciliary dyskinesia (PCD) is a group of genetically and clinically heterogeneous disorders with motile cilia dysfunction. It is clinically characterized by oto-sino-pulmonary diseases and subfertility, and half of the patients have situs inversus (Kartagener syndrome). To identify the genetic cause in a Han-Chinese pedigree, whole-exome sequencing was conducted in the 37-year-old proband, and then, Sanger sequencing was performed on available family members. Minigene splicing assay was applied to verify the impact of the splice-site variant. Compound heterozygous variants including a splice-site variant (c.1974-1G>C, rs1359107415) and a missense variant (c.7787G>A, p.(Arg2596Gln), rs780492669), in the dynein axonemal heavy chain 11 gene (DNAH11) were identified and confirmed as the disease-associated variants of this lineage. The minigene expression in vitro revealed that the c.1974-1G>C variant could cause skipping over exon 12, predicted to result in a truncated protein. This discovery may enlarge the DNAH11 variant spectrum of PCD, promote accurate genetic counselling and contribute to PCD diagnosis.     

Pattern analysis of stem cell differentiation during <Emphasis Type="Italic">in vitro Arabidopsis</Emphasis> organogenesis

Plant somatic cells have the capability to switch their cell fates from differentiated to undifferentiated status under proper culture conditions, which is designated as totipotency. As a result, plant cells can easily regenerate new tissues or organs from a wide variety of explants. However, the mechanism by which plant cells have such remarkable regeneration ability is still largely unknown. In this study, we used a set of meristem-specific marker genes to analyze the patterns of stem cell differentiation in the processes of somatic embryogenesis as well as shoot or root organogenesis in vitro. Our studies furnish preliminary and important information on the patterns of the de novo stem cell differentiation during various types of in vitro organogenesis.     

Saussurea baoxingensis sp. nov. (Compositae,Cardueae) from Sichuan,China

Saussurea baoxingensis Y. S. Chen (Compositae, Cardueae), a new species of snow lotus from the Sichuan province, China is described and illustrated. It belongs to subgenus Amphilaena and is allied to S. muliensis. Morphological characteristics that distinguish the new species from S. muliensis are presented and discussed.     

The partition of glycosaminoglycan-quarternary ammonium complexes II. The effects of polymer molecular weight and sulfation

Previous results have shown the possibility for obtaining high-resolution separations of glycosaminoglycans by partition in butanol/aqueous two-phase systems containing quarternary ammonium salts. In this paper, the effects on partition behavior of both polymer molecular weight and sulfation were examined. Two series of fractioned chondroitin sulfate polymers were isolated in which the molecular weight and sulfation varied systematically. In the molecular weight series the six samples, spanned the range from 3200 ± 300 to 19 700 ± 500 and each sample carried 0.8 sulfate groups per uronic acid residue. In the sulfation series, each sample had an essentially constant molecular weight of 13 000, but the sulfation varied from 0.58 to 0.88 sulfate groups per uronic acid. The $\text{C}{}_{50}{}^1$ of each of these samples was determined in the 1-butanol/aqueous NaCl phae system containing 1% hexadecylpyridinium chloride. In the series wherein the molecular weight varied, the C₅₀ increased with molecular weight up to 12 000 where a limiting value was reached. In the series wherein the sulfation varied, a linear relationship was found between the C₅₀ and the square of the number of anionic substituents per disaccharide. These results show that fractionation by partition techniques will be sensitive to the anionic nature of the polymer, but for the common connective tissue glycosaminoglycan, there will be no fractionation according to molecular weight.     

Functional analysis of a miRNA‐like small RNA derived from Bombyx mori cytoplasmic polyhedrosis virus

Bombyx mori cytoplasmic polyhedrosis virus (BmCPV) is a major pathogen of the economic insect silkworm, Bombyx mori. Virus‐encoded microRNAs (miRNAs) have been proven to play important roles in host–pathogen interactions. In this study we identified a BmCPV‐derived miRNA‐like 21 nt small RNA, BmCPV‐miR‐1, from the small RNA deep sequencing of BmCPV‐infected silkworm larvae by stem‐loop quantitative real‐time PCR (qPCR) and investigated its functions with qPCR and lentiviral expression systems. Bombyx mori inhibitor of apoptosis protein (BmIAP) gene was predicted by both target prediction software miRanda and Targetscan to be one of its target genes with a binding site for BmCPV‐miR‐1 at the 5′ untranslated region. It was found that the expression of BmCPV‐miR‐1 and its target gene BmIAP were both up‐regulated in BmCPV‐infected larvae. At the same time, it was confirmed that BmCPV‐miR‐1 could up‐regulate the expression of BmIAP gene in HEK293T cells with lentiviral expression systems and in BmN cells by transfecting mimics. Furthermore, BmCPV‐miR‐1 mimics could up‐regulate the expression level of BmIAP gene in midgut and fat body in the silkworm. In the midgut of BmCPV‐infected larvae, BmCPV‐miR‐1 mimics could be further up‐regulated and inhibitors could lower the virus‐mediated expression of BmIAP gene. With the viral genomic RNA segments S1 and S10 as indicators, BmCPV‐miR‐1 mimics could up‐regulate and inhibitors down‐regulate their replication in the infected silkworm. These results implied that BmCPV‐miR‐1 could inhibit cell apoptosis in the infected silkworm through up‐regulating BmIAP expression, providing the virus with a better cell circumstance for its replication.     

A NEW SPECIES OF GENUS ARENETRA HOLMGREN FROM CHINA: (HYMENOPTERA: ICHNEUMONIDAE)

Abstract In this paper a new species, namely Arenetra genangustu , collected from Tonghua, Jilin Province, is described.