Nutrients Other than Selenium Are Important for Promoting Children’s Health in Kashin-Beck Disease Areas

Overall nutritional status has been proved associated with people’s health. The overall nutritional status of children in Kashin-Beck disease (KBD) areas has been overlooked for decades. Therefore, it is worth investigating in the current generation to gather evidence and make suggestions for improvement. A cross-sectional study with three 24-h dietary recalls was conducted to collect raw data on the daily food intake of children. Recorded food was converted into daily nutrient intakes using CDGSS 3.0 software. WHO AnthroPlus software was used to analyse the BMI-for-age z-score (BAZ) for estimating the overall nutrition status of children. All the comparisons and regression analyses were conducted with SPSS 18.0 software. Multiple nutrient intakes among children from the Se-supplemented KBD-endemic were under the estimated average requirement. The protein-to-carbohydrate ratio (P/C ratio) was significantly higher in children from the non-Se-supplemented KBD-endemic area than the other areas (P < 0.001). The children’s BAZ was negatively associated with age (B = ?0.095, P < 0.001) and the number of KBD relatives (B = ?0.277, P = 0.04), and it was positively associated with better housing conditions, receiving colostrum, and daily intakes of niacin and zinc by multivariate regression analysis (F = 10.337, R = 0.609, P < 0.001).Compared to non-Se-supplemented KBD-endemic area and non-endemic areas, children in Se-supplemented KBD-endemic areas have an insufficient intake of multiple nutrients. School breakfast and lunch programmes are recommended, and strict implementation is the key to ensuring a positive effect.     

Production of 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromones in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Aquilaria sinensis</Emphasis> calli under different treatments

2-(2-Phenylethyl)chromones are main classes of aromatic compounds isolated from agarwood, the resinous portion derived from Aquilaria sinensis used as traditional medicine, incense and perfume. However, the mechanisms of biosynthesis of 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromones and agarwood formation are still unknown. Previous studies indicated that 6,7-dimethoxy-2-[2-(4′-methoxyphenyl)ethyl]chromone (AH₈) and 6,7-dimethoxy-2-(2-phenylethyl)chromone (AH₆) were more sensitive to salt stress and can be used as markers to analyze the production of 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromones. In this study, the content of AH₆ and AH₈ was analyzed by an AB Sciex 5500 Qtrap mass spectrometer and the congeners of 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromones were detected by LC-DAD-IT-TOF-MS system in A. sinensis calli under various abiotic stresses and hormone treatments. Among the abiotic stresses, salt and drought stress remarkably increased the production of AH₆ and AH₈, and could induce 41 and 23 species of 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromones, respectively. However, cold treatment has little influence on the production of 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromones. Ion stresses induced by KNO₃, CaCl₂, and (NH₄)₂SO₄ also significantly increased the content of AH₆ and AH₈, and could induced 14, 18, and 14 congeners of 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromones, respectively. Exogenous hormones including MeJA, SA and ABA induced a small amount of 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromones in calli within 20 days, while 6, 5, and 7 species of 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromones were detected after MeJA, SA and ABA treatment, respectively. Our study would provide solid basis for further research on biosynthesis of 2-(2-phenylethyl)chromones and agarwood formation.     

Auricular Vagus Nerve Stimulation Exerts Antiinflammatory Effects and Immune Regulatory Function in a 6-OHDA Model of Parkinson’s Disease

According to epidemiologic studies, smoking appears to downregulate the prevalence of Parkinson’s disease (PD), possibly due to antiinflammatory mechanisms via activation of α7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (α7 nAChRs). This receptor also appears to play a role in T-cell differentiation. Recently, it has become apparent that the innate immune system participates in PD pathogenesis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of auricular vagus nerve stimulation (aVNS) on substantia nigra (SN) dopaminergic neurodegeneration and the associated neuroinflammation and immune responses in a rat PD model. Adult male Wistar rats were unilaterally administered 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) to the medial forebrain bundle, followed by aVNS treatment after surgery. Following motor behavioral tests, the expression of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) in the SN and the levels of inflammatory cytokines in the ventral midbrain were evaluated. In addition, changes in the trends of subsets of CD4+ T lymphocytes in the SN were measured by immunofluorescence staining. Western blotting was used to evaluate the α7 nAChR protein level. Compared with 6-OHDA treats rats, aVNS treatment significantly improved motor deficits, increased TH and α7 nAChR expression, and reduced the levels of inflammatory cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-a (TNF-α) and interleukin-1β (IL-1β)) (p?<?0.05). Additionally, aVNS increased the numbers of regulatory T (Treg) cells while decreasing T helper (Th)17 cells. aVNS exerted neuroprotective effects against dopaminergic damage, possibly by suppressing the evolution of inflammation and modulating innate immune responses. Thus, aVNS may be a potential promising therapy in the future.     

Targeting KRAS Mutant Cancers with a Covalent G12C-Specific Inhibitor

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大理苍山洱海自然保护区的小型兽类

１９９２－１９９５年间,我们对苍山洱海自然保护区的小型兽类进行了生态区系的调查,共获标本３５种１６００余只,参考以往的有关资料,已知当地小兽５目１２科３０属５３种。通过８种主要生态环境的调查结果看出,小兽的物种多样性指数最高为针阔混交林,最低为农耕区,但密度最高为农耕区,最低为高山灌丛草甸。     

原甲藻染色体中核糖核蛋白和银染蛋白的研究

关于染色体的研究到目前为止已经过去了一个多世纪,就染色体的高级结构已提出了许多不同的模型,尽管目前尚未达成统一认识,但染色体骨架的研究已引起人们的普遍关注,许多学者都认为在染色体中存在一个由非组蛋白或核糖核蛋白(RNP)组成的骨架结构,进一步研究染色体骨架的组成、结构特点对于认识染色体的高级结构无疑是十分必要的。蔡树涛等在甲藻染色体中观察到骨架结构并证明其主要成分是酸性蛋白,他们认为这些成分在甲藻染色体高级结构的组建和维持上可能起支架作用。本文用RNP优先染色和银染的方法对甲藻染色体中的RNP和银染蛋白进行初步研究,这对于进一步研究甲藻染色体的结构和组成以及真核生物染色体的高级结构具有一定的理论意义。     

一种快速非同位素测定2',5'-寡聚腺苷酸合成酶活性的方法

介绍一种新的非同位素测定２′,５′－寡聚腺苷酸合成酶（２′,５′－ＯＡＳＥ）活性的方法．反应液经已糖激酶处理,点样于ＰＥＩ－纤维素薄层层析板上,经甲醇浸泡与预层析和在０．７５ｍｏｌ／ＬＫＨ２ＰＯ４（ｐＨ３．５）缓冲液中的层析可使ＡＤＰ和２′,５′－Ａｎ分离开,系统偏差和２′,５′－ＯＡＳＥ测活分析表明,本方法可用于粗酶液及部分纯化酶液的２′,５′－ＯＡＳＥ活性测定,并可用于临床生化分析     

CHROMOSOMES IN TWENTY-FIVE SPECIES OF CHINESE MEM-BRACIDS (HOMOPTERA: MEMBRACIDAE)*

Abstract Chromosomes in 25 species of Membracidae are recorded. Numbers, size and behaviors of the chromosomes during meiosis and mitosis are used as specific or generic features for the taxonomy of this group. Chromosome numbers vary from n=5 to 12, and sex mechanism are of XO type except two species with neo-XY system. The histogram indicates that 2n=11 with XO sex mechanism is the modal chromosome number, and another type n=10 is also commonly found in this family.     

Activity identification of chimeric anti-caspase-3 mRNA hammerhead ribozyme in vitro and in vivo

To study the expression activity of various vectors containing anti-caspase-3 ribozyme cassettesin vivo, and to further study the role of caspas-3 in the apoptotic pathway, we constructed anti-caspase-3 hammerhead ribozyme embedded into the human snRNA U6, and detected the activity of the ribozymein vitro andin vivo. Meanwhile we compared it with the self-cleaving hammerhead ribozymes that we previously studied, and with the general ribozyme, cloned into RNA polymerase II expression systems. The results showed that the three ribozymes, p1.5RZ107, pRZ107 and pU6RZ107 had the correct structure, and that they could cleave caspase-3 mRNA exactly to produce two fragments: 143nt/553nt. p1.5RZ107 has the highest cleavage efficiencyin vitro, almost 80%. However, the U6 chimeric ribozyme, pU6RZ107, has the highest cleavage activityin vivo, almost to 65%, though it has lower cleavage activityin vitro. The cleavage results demonstrated that the pU6RZ107, the U6 chimeric ribozyme, could more efficiently express and downregulate the level of caspase-3in vivo, and the ribozyme could provide an alternative approach to the research into the mechanism of apoptosis and human gene therapy also.