封面植物简介——丽江杓兰(英文)

Cypripediumlichiangense S.C.Chen & P.J.Cribb (Orchidaceae),endemic to China,is an endangered species according to I UCN Red List criteria (IUCN,2001:I UCN Red List Categories and Criteria,Version     

Identification of differential genes in the ovary relative to the testis and their expression patterns in half-smooth tongue sole (Cynoglossus semilaevis)

Half-smooth tongue sole (Cynoglossus semilaevis) is a rare marine flatfish whose mature ovary and testis greatly differ in volume and weight. The length and weight of mature females are over twice greater than those of mature males. To obtain sufficient information on gonad differentiation and the relationship between gonad development and growth in the fish, we compared gene expression between the ovary and testis using suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH). Testis cDNAs are subtracted from...     

双歧杆菌影响肌醇三磷酸的实验研究

本实验首次发现双歧杆菌可降低大肠癌细胞内肌醇三磷酸水平，且存在时间依赖关系，提示双歧杆影响脂代谢通路的信息传递过程，这种影响是通过关闭亚细胞器上钙离子通道实现的。     

Characterization and mapping of a novel mutant sms1 (senescence and male sterility 1) in rice

Plant senescence plays diverse important roles in development and environmental responses.However,the molecular basis of plant senescence is remained largely unknown.A rice spontaneous mutant with the character of early senescence and male sterility (sms) was found in the breeding line NT10-748.In order to identify the gene SMS1 and the underlying mechanism,we preliminarily analyzed physiological and biochemical phenotypes of the mutant.The mutant contained lower chlorophyll content compared with the wild t...     

中国叉茎管蚜蝇属及一新种记述(双翅目:食蚜蝇科)(英语)

叉茎管蚜蝇属Tigridemyia与墨管蚜蝇属 Mesembrius和美管蚜蝇属 Mallota形态相似,过去曾被作为后二属的亚属.但此属的雄性外生殖器阳茎的射精管端部4分叉与墨管蚜蝇属和美管蚜蝇属区别明显,因此,其属地位应予肯定.作者在整理中国的食蚜蝇标本时,发现该属1新种,刺腿叉茎管蚜蝇Tigridemyia acanthogemurilis sp.nov,加之过去已记录的1种,我国已知叉茎管蚜蝇属2种.本文描述了新种,并给出了中国已知2种的检索表和形态特征图及其分布.模式标本保存于华南农业大学植保系昆虫标本室.     

Gender-Specific Association between Tobacco Smoking and Central Obesity among 0.5 Million Chinese People: The China Kadoorie Biobank Study

Objectives

Lifestyle factors are well-known important modifiable risk factors for obesity; the association between tobacco smoking and central obesity, however, is largely unknown in the Chinese population. This study examined the relationship between smoking and central obesity in 0.5 million Chinese adults, a population with a low prevalence of general obesity, but a high prevalence of central obesity.

Subjects

A total of 487,527 adults (200,564 males and 286,963 females), aged 30-79 years, were enrolled in the baseline survey of the China Kadoorie Biobank (CKB) Study conducted during 2004-2008. Waist circumference (WC) and WC/height ratio (WHtR) were used as measures of central obesity.

Results

The prevalence of regular smokers was significantly higher among males (60.6%) than among females (2.2%). The prevalence of central obesity increased with age and BMI levels, with a significant gender difference (females>males). Of note, almost all obese adults (99.4%) were centrally obese regardless of gender. In multivariable regression analyses, adjusting for age, education, physical activity, alcohol use and survey site, regular smoking was inversely associated with BMI in males (standardized regression coefficients, β= -0.093, p<0.001) and females (β= -0.025, p<0.001). Of interest, in the BMI stratification analyses in 18 groups, all βs of regular smoking for WHtR were positive in both genders; the βs showed a significantly greater increasing trend with increasing BMI in males than in females. In the analyses with model adjustment for BMI, the positive associations between regular smoking and WHtR were stronger in males (β= 0.021, p<0.001) than in females (β= 0.008, p<0.001) (p<0.001 for gender difference). WC showed considerably consistent results.

Conclusions

The data indicate that tobacco smoking is an important risk factor for central obesity, but the association is gender-specific and depends on the adjustment for general obesity.     

Control of stem cell fate by engineering their micro and nanoenvironment

Stem cells are capable of long-term self-renewal and differentiation into specialised cell types, making them an ideal candidate for a cell source for regenerative medicine. The control of stem cell fate has become a major area of interest in the field of regenerative medicine and therapeutic intervention. Conventional methods of chemically inducing stem cells into specific lineages is being challenged by the advances in biomaterial technology, with evidence highlighting that material properties are capable of driving stem cell fate. Materials are being designed to mimic the clues stem cells receive in their in vivo stem cell niche including topographical and chemical instructions. Nanotopographical clues that mimic the extracellular matrix(ECM) in vivo have shown to regulate stem cell differentiation. The delivery of ECM components on biomaterials in the form of short peptides sequences has also proved successful in directing stem cell lineage. Growth factors responsible for controlling stem cell fate in vivo have also been delivered via biomaterials to provide clues to determine stem cell differentiation. An alternative approach to guide stem cells fate is to provide genetic clues including delivering DNA plasmids and small interfering RNAs via scaffolds. This review, aims to provide an overview of the topographical, chemical and molecular clues that biomaterials can provide to guide stem cell fate. The promising features and challenges of such approaches will be highlighted, to provide directions for future advancements in this exciting area of stem cell translation for regenerative medicine.