Taxonomic data supporting differences between Allium elmaliense and Allium cyrilli

The first specimens of Allium elmaliense were collected in Elmal? (Antalya/Turkey) in 2001 and were described as new species in 2004. However, Allium elmaliense was claimed as synonym of Allium cyrilli in 2006. This study was undertaken to reveal the differences between these taxa utilizing morphological, palynological, and chromosome characters and genomic differences based on the DNA analyses along with the ecological preference studies conducted during 2006 and 2011. The results clearly indicated differences between these two taxa in terms of morphological characters, pollen, seed surfaces and niche preferences. Chromosome morphology and Td-DAMD-PCR fingerprinting studies revealed that Allium elmaliense Deniz & Sümbül is a distinct species and not a synonym of A. cyrilli Ten.     

超积累植物与丛枝菌根真菌共生及其联合吸收积累重金属的效应

利用超积累植物进行重金属污染土壤修复是应对全球大面积分布无机污染问题的重要解决方法之一。超积累植物虽然具有超量积累重金属的能力,但其定植、生长和提取功能的发挥都受到重金属胁迫的显著影响。利用丛枝菌根真菌 (Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi,AMF) 强化超积累植物功能可联合发挥二者的功能优势,提升修复效率、缩短修复周期、保持修复效果的稳定性和长期性,在日益复杂、严峻的重金属污染治理领域具有重要的研究价值和广阔的应用前景。文中首先给出了超积累植物的概念、中国本土首次报道的典型重金属元素超积累植物和能与AMF形成共生体系的超积累植物名录,系统深入地探讨了AMF对超积累植物生长和吸收累积重金属的影响,以及超积累植物+AMF联合吸收积累重金属的效应与作用机制,认为AMF可通过调节根围理化与生物条件、元素平衡状况、生理代谢和基因表达等途径,增强超积累植物吸收积累重金属的效应,超积累植物+AMF构建的共生体系具备联合修复重金属污染生境的潜力。最后指出了超积累植物+AMF共生联合修复技术当前面临的关键问题、发展方向和应用前景。     

基于rDNA ITS序列探讨粉煤灰污染对萼花臂尾轮虫种群遗传多样性的影响

本文通过rDNA ITS序列测定和分析, 比较研究了粉煤灰污染水体(灰湖)与未污染水体(凤鸣湖和汀棠湖)萼花臂尾轮虫(Brachionus calyciflorus)的种群遗传多样性。结果表明, 灰湖萼花臂尾轮虫仅有1个姐妹种, 而两对照湖泊均存在2个姐妹种, 粉煤灰污染使萼花臂尾轮虫种复合体内姐妹种数量减少。就三个湖泊共有的姐妹种I而言, 灰湖轮虫种群单倍型多样性最低(h= 0.9516), 核苷酸多样性(π = 0.0066)低于汀棠湖(π = 0.0073)却高于凤鸣湖种群(π = 0.0052), 粉煤灰污染对萼花臂尾轮虫种群遗传多样性表现出一定的破坏作用; 凤鸣湖轮虫种群核苷酸多样性最低, 可能是由于水体中晶囊轮虫(Asplanchna)和桡足类动物捕食压力较高以及周围农田污染的联合作用造成的。三湖泊间, 仅汀棠湖与凤鸣湖轮虫种群间基因交流值较低(N_m = 1.95), 种群分化指数较高(F_st = 0.11358); 而灰湖与汀棠湖以及灰湖与凤鸣湖轮虫种群间基因交流水平较高(N_m均大于4), 种群分化指数较低(F_st分别为0.03535和0.00276)。AMOVA分析显示汀棠湖与凤鸣湖轮虫种群间变异所占比例较高, 为12.87%; 而灰湖与汀棠湖以及灰湖与凤鸣湖轮虫种群间变异所占比例较低, 分别为3.78%和2.78%。粉煤灰污染水体与未污染水体萼花臂尾轮虫种群间保持较高水平的基因交流, 种群分化不明显。     

Saksenaea vasiformis infections: Case report and literature review

Since the first human infection by Saksenaea vasiformis in 1976 another 26 cases have been reported. Here is a report of a new case which involved an Ecuadorian adolescent who suffered serious burns after a car accident. It developed as a localized cutaneous infection which was successfully treated with surgical debridement and amphotericin B. This is the second report of this infection from South America and the third involving a burn patient. The previously reported 27 cases are reviewed.     

Evaluation of Resting State Networks in Patients with Gliomas: Connectivity Changes in the Unaffected Side and Its Relation to Cognitive Function

In this study, we investigated changes in resting state networks (RSNs) in patients with gliomas located in the left hemisphere and its relation to cognitive function. We hypothesized that long distance connection, especially between hemispheres, would be affected by the presence of the tumor. We further hypothesized that these changes would correlate with, or reflect cognitive changes observed in patients with gliomas. Resting state functional MRI datasets from 12 patients and 12 healthy controls were used in the analysis. The tumor’s effect on three well-known RSNs including the default mode network (DMN), executive control network (ECN), and salience network (SN) identified using independent component analysis were investigated using dual regression analysis. Scores of neuropsychometric testing (WAIS-III and WMS-R) were also compared. Compared to the healthy control group, the patient group showed significant decrease in functional connectivity in the right angular gyrus/inferior parietal lobe of the ventral DMN and in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex of the left ECN, whereas a significant increase in connectivity in the right ECN was observed in the right parietal lobe. Changes in connectivity in the right ECN correlated with spatial memory, while that on the left ECN correlated with attention. Connectivity changes in the ventral DMN correlated with attention, working memory, full IQ, and verbal IQ measures. Although the tumors were localized in the left side of the brain, changes in connectivity were observed in the contralateral side. Moreover, these changes correlated with some aspects of cognitive function indicating that patients with gliomas may undergo cognitive changes even in the absence of or before the onset of major symptoms. Evaluation of resting state networks could be helpful in advancing our hodological understanding of brain function in glioma cases.     

Growth-related changes in prehistoric Jomon and modern Japanese mandibles with emphasis on cortical bone distribution

Cortical bone distribution of the anthropoid mandibular symphysis has been addressed in relation to mechanical stress generated by mastication. To examine whether or not bone mass and distribution patterns of the human mandibular symphysis could be interpreted as an example of functional adaptation, we compared the skeletal growth series of two populations, prehistoric Jomon, considered to represent a "robust" mandibular morphology associated with a presumed heavier masticatory load, and modern Japanese. Results showed that the adult Jomon symphysis possessed significantly greater bone mass and thicker cortical bone compared to the modern Japanese condition. However, the second moments of area did not differ significantly between the two, indicating comparable rigidity against bending. Furthermore, the Jomon mandibles of the infant to juvenile stages exhibited most of the adult characteristics, in both bone mass/distribution of the symphysis and in mandibular corpus/ramus morphologies. The present study also demonstrated the presence of a growth pattern of symphyseal cortical thickness, common to both the Jomon and the modern Japanese series. In both populations, subsequent to deciduous molar occlusion, cortical bone tends to be thickest at the inferolingual symphysis, at the location where the highest tensile stresses presumably occur during mastication. These findings suggest that the "robust" characteristics of the Jomon mandible are initially manifested early in development, and that the effect of mechanical stimulus to bone mass formation in the human symphysis is largely confined to a regulatory role during growth modeling.     

Influence of oxygen starvation on the respiratory capacity of Penicillium chrysogenum

Summary The sensitivity of Penicillium chrysogenum to oxygen starvation and to azide was investigated on cells taken from different phases of a penicillin process. These treatments caused irreversible inhibition of the oxygen uptake rate during the tropophase while the idiophase cells were resistant to either treatment. The azide resistance is supposed to depend only on the dissociation of the hydrazoic acid when the process pH increases, but the shift from sensitive to resistant cells with respect to oxygen starvation was neither caused by the pH-change nor by the glucose limitation. Inactivation (I _OUR, percentage) of tropophase cells followed 1st order kinetics according to ln (1-I _OUR/100)^-1=0.048·t, where t is given in minutes. This means that the 1st minute of oxygen starvation may reduce the metabolic capacity by 4.7%.     

Effectiveness and Complications of Percutaneous Needle Tenotomy with a Large Needle for Muscle Contractures: A Cadaver Study

Background

Twenty-two percent of institutionalised elderly persons have muscle contractures. Contractures have important functional consequences, rendering hygiene and positioning in bed or in a chair difficult. Medical treatment (such as botulinum toxin injections, physiotherapy or positioning) is not very effective and surgery may be required. Surgery is carried out in the operating theatre, under local or general anaesthesia but is often not possible in fragile patients. Mini-invasive tenotomy could be a useful alternative as it can be carried out in ambulatory care, under local anaesthesia.

Objective

To evaluate the effectiveness of percutaneous needle tenotomy and the risks of damage to adjacent structures in cadavers.

Method

Thirty two doctors who had never practiced the technique (physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists, geriatricians and orthopaedic surgeons) carried out 401 tenotomies on the upper and lower limbs of 8 fresh cadavers. A 16G needle was used percutaneous following location of the tendons. After each tenotomy, a neuro-orthopaedic surgeon and an anatomist dissected the area in order to evaluate the success of the tenotomy and any adjacent lesions which had occurred.

Results

Of the 401 tenotomies, 72% were complete, 24.9% partial and 2.7% failed. Eight adjacent lesions occurred (2%): 4 (1%) in tendons or muscles, 3 (0.7%) in nerves and 1 (0.2%) in a vessel.

Conclusion

This percutaneous needle technique effectively ruptured the desired tendons, with few injuries to adjacent structures. Although this study was carried out on cadavers, the results suggest it is safe to carry out on patients.     

Characterization of a recombinant Akabane mutant virus with knockout of a nonstructural protein NSs in a pregnant goat model

正Dear Editor,Akabane virus(AKAV),an orthobunyavirus,is transmitted primarily by biting midges and is widely distributed throughout the world except the Europe.AKAV was first isolated from mosquitoes in Japan(Oya et al.,1961).Although pregnant cows,ewes,and goats infected with AKAV exhibit no clinical signs of disease,in utero infections result in abortion,premature birth,stillbirth,and