Proteomics of osteoarthritic chondrocytes and cartilage

Osteoarthritis (OA) is characterized by irreversible destruction of the articular cartilage. OA affects more than 100 million individuals worldwide and has a major impact on patients’ quality of life. The lack of effective therapy that prevents, inhibits or reverses the progress of OA often leaves only the option of surgical interventions. Thus, identification of the factors that contribute to OA pathogenesis is necessary for better understanding of OA pathobiology and discovery of effective therapies. Recent proteomic studies have been conducted to identify pathological mediators and biomarkers of OA, which have pinpointed novel pathways involved in cartilage degeneration. This article summarizes the recent findings, compares major techniques used in OA proteomics and discusses key proteins in OA and their potential use as therapeutic targets.     

实时荧光定量PCR及其在传染性疾病检测中的应用

实时荧光定量PCR技术被广泛应用于实验研究、临床检测中。与普通的PCR相比,实时荧光定量PCR技术具有特异性强、灵敏度高、重复性好、定量准确、速度快、全封闭反应等优点。我们综述了实时荧光定量PCR技术的原理、定量方法,及其在传染性疾病检测研究中的应用。     

Beyond existence and aiming outside the laboratory: estimating frequency-dependent and pay-off-biased social learning strategies

The existence of social learning has been confirmed in diverse taxa, from apes to guppies. In order to advance our understanding of the consequences of social transmission and evolution of behaviour, however, we require statistical tools that can distinguish among diverse social learning strategies. In this paper, we advance two main ideas. First, social learning is diverse, in the sense that individuals can take advantage of different kinds of information and combine them in different ways. Examining learning strategies for different information conditions illuminates the more detailed design of social learning. We construct and analyse an evolutionary model of diverse social learning heuristics, in order to generate predictions and illustrate the impact of design differences on an organism's fitness. Second, in order to eventually escape the laboratory and apply social learning models to natural behaviour, we require statistical methods that do not depend upon tight experimental control. Therefore, we examine strategic social learning in an experimental setting in which the social information itself is endogenous to the experimental group, as it is in natural settings. We develop statistical models for distinguishing among different strategic uses of social information. The experimental data strongly suggest that most participants employ a hierarchical strategy that uses both average observed pay-offs of options as well as frequency information, the same model predicted by our evolutionary analysis to dominate a wide range of conditions.     

数量性状发育遗传模型及其分析方法的研究进展

发育遗传模型是同时反映性状遗传和发育本质、提供影响遗传变异及调整发育进程的有关因素的信息的模型。建立在群体遗传学基础上的直接效应模型适用于单一基因控制的简单性状。渐成模型将遗传变异分解成直接分量和渐成分量(母体效应和互作效应),能更好地反映有机体遗传和发育的生物学机制。生长轨迹模型有效地综合了复杂性状各分量的发育动态,可获得连续的、综合的、详细的、动态的发育信息。条件遗传分析方法不仅可以估算特定时间段的净效应,且可将净效应分解为不同遗传分量,了解各效应分量的相对贡献。Abstract：Developmental genetic models and analysis methods for quantitative traits are presented.Developmental genetic models should reflect the genetic and developmental essence,and provide the information of the factors influencing the genetic variation and the developmental process.Direct effect models,which based on the population genetics,may be suitable to analyze simple traits with single gene.Epigenetic models can decompose the whole genetic variation into direct and epigenetic components (maternal effects and epigenetic interaction effects),so that biological mechanism can be better understood.Growth trace models effectively synthesize the developmental dynamics of components of complex traits.With them,continuous,compositive,detailed,and dynamic information of development is available.Conditional analysis method can not only estimate the net effects in a specific time interval,but also depose them into genetic components and help to appreciate the contributions of different effects.     

群落二维格局分析的两种方法

群落二维空间格局研究能够更好地揭示群落的特征,但在分析方法上有较大的困难。用垂直相交的两条样带在两个方向上同时取样的二维取样法,获得数据,用DCA排序与格局分析相结合的方法,得到群落不同格局规模斑块的长、宽及面积,实现二维格局研究。在亚高山草甸群落格局研究中应用表明,两个方法均是有效的。     

Alveolar bone loss in wild baboons

Radiograph-based methods were used to assess alveolar bone loss in 12 juvenile and 18 adult baboons (Papio hamadryas, sensu lato) living in the Awash National Park, Ethiopia. Alveolar bone loss, as measured from the cementoenamel junction to the alveolar crest, averaged about 1 mm in juveniles and about 1.5 mm in adults. Densitometry of alveolar bone from the radiographs provides a baseline for comparisons with other adult baboons. Periodontal disease surveys of baboon populations using such methods may identify potential etiological agents. Such knowledge may contribute to a better understanding of periodontal disease etiology in humans. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

The development of new purification methods to assess the circadian rhythm of body temperature in Mongolian gerbils

Six Mongolian gerbils were studied for 8-10d while housed in separate cages in a 12:12h light-dark (L-D) cycle (lights on at 07:00h). Recordings of body temperature, heart rate, and spontaneous activity were made throughout. The temperature and heart rate rhythms were “purified” to take into account the effects of activity, and then the rhythm of temperature was further purified to take into account other masking influences (“non-activity masking effects” or NAME,). The methods employed in the purification processes involved linear regression analysis or analysis of covariance, the latter using functions of activity and NAME as covariates. From these methods, it was possible to obtain not only an estimate of the endogenous component of the temperature rhythm but also a measure of circadian changes in the sensitivity of temperature to masking effects.

Even though all purification methods removed many of the effects of spontaneous activity from the temperature record, there remained temperature fluctuations at the L-D and D-L transitions that appeared to be independent of activity. The NAME was of only very marginal value in the purification process. Comparison of the purification methods indicated that the linear methods were inferior (both from a biological viewpoint and when the results were compared mathematically) to those that allowed the rate of rise of temperature due to increasing amounts of activity to become progressively less. The sensitivity of temperature and heart rate to the masking effects of activity showed a circadian rhythm, with sensitivities in the resting phase being greater than those in the active phase. These findings are compatible with the view that thermoregulatory reflexes are induced by spontaneous activity of sufficient amount, and that there is a circadian rhythm in the body temperature at which these reflexes are initiated and in their effectiveness.     

转基因玉米双抗12-5转化体特异性PCR方法验证结果分析

抗虫和耐除草剂玉米双抗12-5是我国自主研发的转基因品种,该品种于2020年1月21日获得农业转基因生物安全证书,具有广阔的应用前景。转化体特异性PCR方法是进行转基因生物安全监管的最有效的技术手段之一,可以对转基因产品进行身份鉴定。本研究组织8家实验室对研发单位提供的的双抗12-5转化体特异性定性、定量PCR方法进行了验证,验证结果显示定性与定量PCR检测方法均具有稳定性好、特异性强和灵敏度高的特点,定量PCR方法能精确地定量检测质量分数为5%和0.5%的双抗12-5样品,并且具有良好的重复性和再现性,符合相关标准的要求。本研究有助于后续标准方法的建立和完善,为我国转基因生物安全监管提供技术支撑和决策依据。     

Detection of Botrytis cinerea by loop-mediated isothermal amplification

Aims: To develop a sensitive, rapid and simple method for detection of Botrytis cinerea based on loop‐mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) that would be suitable for use outside a conventional laboratory setting. Methods and Results: A LAMP assay was designed based on the intergenic spacer of the B. cinerea nuclear ribosomal DNA (rDNA). The resulting assay was characterized in terms of sensitivity and specificity using DNA extracted from cultures. The assay consistently amplified 65 pg B. cinerea DNA. No cross‐reactivity was observed with a range of other fungal pathogens, with the exception of the closely related species Botrytis pelargonii. Use of a novel real‐time LAMP platform (the OptiGene Genie I) allowed detection of B. cinerea in infected rose petals, with amplification occurring in <15 min. Conclusions: The LAMP assay that was developed is suitable for rapid detection of B. cinerea in infected plant material. Significance and Impact of the Study: The LAMP method combines the sensitivity and specificity of nucleic acid‐based methods with simplified equipment and a reduced reaction time. These features make the method potentially suitable for on‐site use, where the results of testing could help to inform decisions regarding the storage and processing of commodities affected by B. cinerea, such as cut flowers, fruit and vegetables.     

水生态功能分区研究中的基本问题

重点流域水生态功能一级二级分区研究是当前我国正在开展的一项重要工作,如何进行科学、合理的分区是值得深入探讨且亟待回答的重要问题。从水生态功能分区与水生态区划的关系、水生生物在分区中的应用、以及如何选取合适的定量分析方法等方面入手,阐述了对分区目的、指标体系和技术方法等关键问题的理解。并建议:(1)统一选用流域水生态系统结构、功能空间差异的环境驱动因子作为分区指标体系;(2)用生境尺度的水环境、水生生物指标来验证分区结果;(3)尽可能统一定量分析方法,以便为不同流域间分区结果的比较,以及为将来在全国尺度上开展分区工作奠定基础。     

Indian time for nature? A multi-level approach to American Indian outdoor time in everyday life

Social scientists have utilized daily time use studies as one method of understanding everyday lives. The bulk of this research, usually quantitative, identifies broad racial, ethnic and gender differences. Yet, certain groups and questions are typically excluded in daily time use research. One such group is American Indians. To address this lacuna, we look at the deeply discussed view that American Indians are closer to nature than other US ethnic groups. We use a nationally representative sample of individual daily time use (American Time Use Survey; n?=?136,960) to look at leisure time outdoors. Our results show that American Indians report greater time spent outdoors but that this is only statistically significant for those who identify as exclusively American Indian (not for American Indians that are multi- and bi-racial). This study confirms previous qualitative research that suggests American Indians have a distinct relationship with nature.