Peroxiredoxin I and II in Human Eyes: Cellular Distribution and Association with Pterygium and DNA Damage

Peroxiredoxin I and II are both 2-Cys members of the peroxiredoxin family of antioxidant enzymes and inactivate hydrogen peroxide. On western blotting, both enzymes appeared as 22-kD proteins and were present in the sclera, retina and iris. Immunohistochemistry showed strong cytoplasmic labeling in the basal cells of the corneal epithelial layer and the corneoscleral limbus. The melanocytes within the stroma of the iris and the anterior epithelial cells of the lens also showed strong cytoplasmic labeling. The fibrous structure of the stroma and the posterior surface of the ciliary body were also labeled. There was also strong labeling for both enzymes in the photoreceptors and the inner and outer plexiform layers of the retina. There was increased labeling of peroxiredoxin I and II in pterygium. In normal conjunctiva and cornea, only the basal cell layer showed labeling for peroxiredoxin I and II, whereas, in pterygia, there was strong cytoplasmic labeling in most cells involving the full thickness of the epithelium. Co-localization of the DNA oxidation product 8-hydroxy-2’-deoxyguanosine antibody with the nuclear dye 4’,6’-diamidino-2-phenylindole dihydrochloride indicated that the majority of the oxidative damage was cytoplasmic; this suggested that the mitochondrial DNA was most affected by the UV radiation in this condition.     

参苓白术散与诺氟沙星治疗慢性肠炎的临床疗效比较研究

目的:比较中药参苓白术散与西药诺氟沙星治疗慢性肠炎的临床疗效。方法:收集100例确诊为慢性肠炎的患者,将其随机分为诺氟沙星治疗组(对照组)与参苓白术散治疗组(治疗组)。对照组口服诺氟沙星,治疗组口服参苓白术散加减,治疗两个疗程(10天为一疗程),采用统计学方法观察两组疗效与半年复发率。结果:对照组总有效率为84%,治疗组总有效率为92%,差异显著(P0.05);对照组半年复发率为50%,治疗组半年复发率为10%,差异极显著(P0.01)。结论:采用参苓白术散治疗慢性肠炎的临床疗效要优于诺氟沙星,且不易复发,建议在临床上优先选择参苓白术散治疗慢性肠炎。     

扬子地台西南缘早石炭世早期有孔虫化石带

扬子地台西南缘是早石炭世有孔虫动物群主要发育地区之一。本文通过滇东沾益、黔南独山、桂北罗城、环江、桂林、阳朔及灵川等10条剖面系统研究,首次从泥盆系顶部至维宪统底部建立了Quasiendothyra带,Bisphaera带,Chernyshinella带,Nodochernyshinella带(进而又分为N.tumulosa亚带和S pinotournayellina亚带）,Tuberendothyra带,Spinoendothyra带(分为Paradainella亚带和Psudodainella亚带Dainella带,Globoendothyra带,Palaeopaastaffella带及Eoparastaffella带等10个带和4个亚带,对每个带（及亚带）进行了有孔虫动物群详细分析。本文阐述了以N.tumulosa为代表的节结状次生沉积物有孔虫类出现,是早石炭早期有孔虫演化的一个重要阶段。通过Spinotournayellina,原始的tuberendothyrid,进化的tuberendothyrid至Spinoendothyra的出现。结合其它节结状和无节结状有孔虫层序特征详细分析了Tn2b-Tn3a间隔的有孔虫类一次次更新、演替关系,本文描述Spinotournayellina,Palaeospinoendothyra,Pseudoinflatoendothyra及Pseudodainella等4个新属及它们的模式种,简述了这些分类单位宏演化关系。对沿袭了半个世纪的岩关阶涵义作了修正,正限即为石炭系底界,始于Bisphaera带底界,上限止于Eoparastaffella带底界,并扼要地阐述了与西欧狄南盆地,北美同期地层对比关系。     

The use of territorial gardening versus kleptoparasitism by a subtropical reef fish (Kyphosus cornelii) is influenced by territory defendability

Many territorial herbivorous animals increase the productivityor quality of the prey community on their territory. However,this gardening tactic may be vulnerable to kleptoparasitismunless gardeners can exclude others from the patch. We investigatedthe influence of territory defendability on the decision ofwestern buffalo bream (Kyphosus cornelii) to defend an algalgarden or to leave their territories and invade those of conspecifics.Fish monitored while away from their territories did kleptoparasitizethe gardens of conspecifics. We manipulated the structural complexityof territories through the addition of short or tall simulatedvegetation. Increasing the height of simulated vegetation onthe territory decreased the defendability of territories butincreased their safety for fish; territories with tall vegetationwere more easily invaded by conspecifics, but fish returnedmore rapidly to these territories after being disturbed. Ina paired experiment, fish spent more time away from their territories(roving) when tall vegetation was added than when short vegetationwas added. However, this effect was influenced by depth, witha greater difference between treatments on deeper territories,and by body size, with a greater difference for larger fish.These results support the prediction that territory-holdingindividuals faced with a trade-off between defending their owngarden or kleptoparasitizing from others adjust their use ofthese tactics based on the defendability of resources.     

Male share of provisioning is not influenced by actual or apparent loss of paternity in western bluebirds

Approximately 45% of western bluebird (Sialia mexicana) femaleshave some chicks in the nest that are not sired by their socialmates. Extrapair fertilizations account for 42% of offspringin these nests and 19% of nestlings overall. I tested the hypothesisthat males reduce nestling provisioning when their certaintyof paternity or share of paternity is reduced. Capture and detentionof socially monogamous males for 1 h or 24 h during the layingperiod reduced males' copulatory access and their ability tomate guard, increasing the frequency with which extrapair malesintruded and attempted to copulate with resident females. Malesdetained during laying did not reduce their share of feedingtrips compared to control males detained during incubation,compared to unmanipulated males, or compared to males that werecaptured but not detained. Males detained on territory for 1h during the laying period did not reduce their share of feedingtrips when they observed male intrusion, nor when they observedtheir mates accepting extrapair copulations. Males that witnessedtheir mates accepting extrapair copulations did not reduce theirshare of risk in provisioning. Genetic fingerprinting at nonexperimentalnests indicated that males also failed to reduce their feedingcontributions when their estimated share of paternity was reduced,even when a helper male was present to reduce the impact onnestlings. These results suggest that male western bluebirdsdo not make significant adjustments in their share of provisioningwhen they have evidence of partial paternity loss. Togetherwith prior results, this study suggests that western bluebirdmales use an all-or-none rule, contributing approximately halfof the parental provisioning at nests, as long they have somecopulatory access to the female during egg laying.     

用λZAP Express作载体构建金针菇子实体表达型cDNA文库

采用QuickPrep micro mRNA Purification 试剂盒从新鲜金针菇子实体中快速提取、纯化mRNA,Time Saver cDNA Synthesis试剂盒逆转录成cDNA分子后,通过在cDNA分子两端加上EcoRⅠ/NotⅠ接头,在T4多核苷酸激酶的作用下磷酸化,与表达载体λZAP Express Predigested Vector连接,然后用包装蛋白在体外包装连接产物,感染E.coli XL1-Blue MRF'构建成表达cDNA文库.经检测文库滴度为4.0×106 pfu/ml,文库扩增后,滴度达2.0×1010 pfu/ml,重组率为90%,cDNA分子长度在0.3-3.5 Kb范围.应用原位免疫杂交,初步筛选出火菇素相关基因的阳性克隆.     

The spread of the western flower thrips Frankliniella occidentalis (Pergande)

Abstract 1 Since the late 1970s, the western flower thrips has spread from its original distribution in western North America to become a major worldwide crop pest. 2 A wide range of data sources have been used to map the original distribution in the U.S.A. and Canada, and the progress of the spread in the U.S.A., Canada, Europe, northern Africa and Australia. 3 The possible reasons for the start of the spread are discussed. The most likely reason is that intensive insecticide use in horticulture in the 1970s and 1980s selected an insecticide resistant strain or strains. These then established in glasshouses across North America and spread from there to Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia. 4 The international spread of the western flower thrips occurred predominantly by the movement of horticultural material, such as cuttings, seedlings and potted plants. Within Europe, an outward spread from the original outbreak in the Netherlands is discernible. The speed of spread was 229 ± 20 km/year. 5 The spread has not been restricted to glasshouses. The western flower thrips has established outdoors in areas with milder winters; for example, across the southern U.S.A., southern Europe and Australia. It also overwinters in some regions with colder winters. 6 Polyphagous phytophagous thrips have many factors predisposing them to become worldwide crop pests, particularly in glasshouses. Some other species that might spread in a similar way to the western flower thrips are listed.     

Noncommunicable disease outcomes and the effects of vertical and horizontal health aid

Foreign health aid forms a substantial portion of health spending in many low- and middle-income countries (LMICs). It can be either vertical (funds earmarked for specific diseases) or horizontal (funds used for broad health sector strengthening). Historically, most health aid has been disbursed vertically toward key infectious diseases, with minimal allocations to noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). High NCD burden in LMICs underscores a need for increased assistance toward NCD objectives, but evidence on the outcomes of health aid for NCDs is sparse. We obtained annual data on cause-specific deaths and disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) for four leading NCDs across 116 countries, 2000–2016, and evaluated the relationship between these indicators and vertical and horizontal health aid using country fixed-effects models with 1-to-5-year lagged effects. After adjusting for fixed and time-variant country heterogeneity, vertical assistance for NCDs was significantly associated with subsequent reductions in NCD morbidity and mortality, particularly for persons under age 70 and for cardiovascular and chronic respiratory diseases. An additional dollar in per-capita NCD vertical assistance corresponded to reductions in the average annual NCD burden of 7,459 DALYs/281 deaths after one year, 7,728 DALYs/319 deaths after two years, and 8,957 DALYs/346 deaths after three years. The findings suggest that vertical assistance for NCD programs may be an appropriate mechanism for addressing short-term NCD needs in LMICs, where it may help to fill health sector gaps in NCD care, but longer-term evaluation is needed for assessing the role of horizontal assistance.     

A novel anti-aldolase C antibody specifically interacts with residues 85–102 of the protein

Aldolase C is a brain-specific glycolytic isozyme whose complete repertoire of functions are obscure. This lack of knowledge can be addressed using molecular tools that discriminate the protein from the homologous, ubiquitous paralog aldolase A. The anti-aldolase C antibodies currently available are polyclonal and not highly specific. We obtained the novel monoclonal antibody 9F against human aldolase C, characterized its isoform specificity and tested its performance. First, we investigated the specificity of 9F for aldolase C. Then, using bioinformatic tools coupled to molecular cloning and chemical synthesis approaches, we produced truncated human aldolase C fragments, and assessed 9F binding to these fragments by western blot and ELISA assays. This strategy revealed that residues 85–102 harbor the epitope-containing region recognized by 9F. The efficiency of 9F was demonstrated also for immunoprecipitation assays. Finally, surface plasmon resonance revealed that the protein has a high affinity toward the epitope-containing peptide. Taken together, our findings show that epitope recognition is sequence-driven and is independent of the three-dimensional structure. In conclusion, given its specific molecular interaction, 9F is a novel and powerful tool to investigate aldolase C’s functions in the brain.