MD simulation study of the diffusion and local structure of <Emphasis Type="Italic">n</Emphasis>-alkanes in liquid and supercritical methanol at infinite dilution

The diffusion coefficients of 14 n-alkanes (ranging from methane to n-tetradecane) in liquid and supercritical methanol at infinite dilution (at a pressure of 10.5 MPa and at temperatures of 299 K and 515 K) were deduced via molecular dynamics simulations. Values for the radial distribution function, coordination number, and number of hydrogen bonds were then calculated to explore the local structure of each fluid. The flexibility of the n-alkane (as characterized by the computed dihedral distribution, end-to-end distance, and radius of gyration) was found to be a major influence and hydrogen bonding to be a minor influence on the local structure. Hydrogen bonding reduces the flexibility of the n-alkane, whereas increasing the temperature enhances its flexibility, with temperature having a greater effect than hydrogen bonding on flexibility.

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Graphical abstract The flexibility of the alkane is a major influence and the hydrogen bonding is a minor influence on the first solvation shell; the coordination numbers of long-chain n-alkanes in the first solvation shell are rather low

     

A snapshot of the Chinese SOL Project

In 2003, the International Solanaceae Project (SOL) was initiated by an international consortium of ten countries including Korea, China, the United Kingdom, India, the Netherlands, France, Japan, Spain, Italy and the United States. The first major effort of the SOL aimed to produce a DNA sequence map for euchromatin regions of 12 chromosomes of tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) before 2010. Here we present an update on Chinese effort for sequencing the euchromatin region of chromosome 3.     

E.O.威尔逊的“博物学家”头衔

威尔逊(Edward O.Wilson,1929-2021)是哈佛大学著名学者,取得多方面的成就,有许多头衔,如昆虫学家、演化生物学家、社会生物学家、思想家等。我特别关注他的博物学家(naturalist,也可译作"博物者")头衔(Nichols,1991;MacGregor,2018),他本人也特别在意这个称号,并把它用作自传《博物学家》的书名(Wilson, 1994)。     

Effects of dietary amylose and amylopectin ratio on growth performance,meat quality,postmortem glycolysis and muscle fibre type transformation of finishing pigs

The present study was conducted to investigate the effects of dietary amylose and amylopectin ratio on growth performance, meat quality, postmortem glycolysis and muscle fibre type transformation of finishing pigs. Twenty-four barrows (Duroc × Landrace × Yorkshire) with an average initial body weight of 61.7 ± 2.01 kg were randomly assigned to four dietary treatments with amylose: amylopectin ratios of 1:1 (HD), 1:2 (MD), 1:3 (CD) and 1:4 (LD). The results showed that the average daily weight gain of finishing pigs tended to reduce with the ratio of amylose and amylopectin decreased (p = 0.09). Diet LD increased the pH_24h value and decreased the shear force in longissimus dorsi (LM) compared with diet HD (p < 0.05). Diet LD decreased the lactate content and the HK-2 mRNA abundance and increased the mRNA abundance of ATP5B in LM compared with diet HD (p < 0.05). Higher mRNA abundance of MyHC I and lesser abundance of MyHC IIb in LM were found in pigs fed diet CD and LD than those fed diet HD (p < 0.05). Furthermore, pigs fed diet LD had higher mRNA abundances of PGC-1α and PPAR δ in LM than other groups (p < 0.05). These results suggested that diet with low amylose and amylopectin ratio could improve meat quality of finishing pigs via delaying muscle glycolysis capacity and shifting muscle fibre types.     

A 1.6-Mb Microdeletion in Chromosome 17q22 Leads to NOG-Related Symphalangism Spectrum Disorder without Intellectual Disability

Microdeletions in chromosome 17q22, where the NOG gene resides, have been reported leading to the NOG-related symphalangism spectrum disorder (NOG-SSD), intellectual disability and other developmental abnormalities. In this study we reported a dominant Chinese Han family segregating with typical NOG-SSD symptoms including proximal symphalangism, conductive hearing loss, amblyopia and strabismus, but not intellectual disability. Sanger sequencing identified no pathogenic mutation in the coding regions of candidate genes NOG, GDF5 and FGF9. SNP genotyping in the genomic region surrounding NOG identified loss of heterozygosity in the affected family members. By array comparative genomic hybridization and quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction, we identified and mapped the breakpoints of a novel 1.6-Mb microdeletion in chromosome 17q22 that included NOG and twelve other genes. It is the first microdeletion reported in chromosome 17q22 that is associated with NOG-SSD only but not with intellectual disability. Our results may help identifying the dosage sensitive genes for intellectual disability and other developmental abnormalities in chromosome 17q22. Our study also suggested that genomic deletions in chromosome 17q22 should be screened in the NOG-SSD patients in which no pathogenic mutation is identified by conventional sequencing methods.     

玫瑰种群生物学研究进展

玫瑰(Rosa rugosa Thunb.)原产于我国东部沿海、日本、朝鲜半岛和俄罗斯远东地区,18世纪作为园艺种引入欧洲后逃逸并入侵至北海和波罗的海周边多个国家以及北美沙质海岸,而中国野生种群却在过去30年间持续萎缩,成为珍稀濒危物种。从玫瑰种群生物学角度,通过文献比较和综合,在阐明玫瑰生态学特性和野生分布变化的基础上,全面论述了玫瑰种群在我国的生境退化、种群动态、种子繁殖、遗传多样性、濒危机理、保育方面的成果和悬疑问题;并结合欧洲入侵种群分布范围和敏感生境、对本地群落和物种的影响、种子繁殖、遗传变异、种群扩张和模拟预测、管理和控制方面的研究进展,分析了濒危种群和入侵种群数量动态、群落组成、幼苗更新、遗传变异、管理策略方面的差异及其影响因素;进而提出未来的玫瑰研究可从濒危种群和入侵种群的比较研究、种群和灌丛的动态监测、适合度相关性状的变异及其遗传基础、基于种群生物学的保育或控制4个方面为切入点,集中探索玫瑰种群濒危和入侵动态的规律、遗传基础和主要驱动力,为玫瑰保育和管理提供理论依据,为相似物种的适应和进化机制研究提供例证。     

西南大西洋阿根廷滑柔鱼生物学年间比较

将2007年2—5月、2008年3—5月、2010年1—3月我国鱿钓船在西南大西洋公海海域采集的阿根廷滑柔鱼样本,比较其不同年间的生物学特性。结果表明,渔获物雌雄比为1.14—1.50:1;3a雌性个体的胴长(体重)分别为188—346mm(110—856g)、200—364mm(145—950g)、124—276mm(72—425g),雄性个体的胴长(体重)为178—298mm(102—703g)、193—314mm(145—680g)、104—335mm(70—374g)。2010年渔获个体明显比2007和2008年小。各年间及雌、雄个体间的体重与胴长关系均存在差异(P<0.001),渔获物中年间性成熟组成差异明显,此外各年3月份渔获个体也存在显著差异。雌、雄个体的胴长平均生长率分别为0.53—1.07 mm/d、0.47—0.68 mm/d,相对生长率分别为0.24—0.41%d-1、0.23—0.33%d-1;雌、雄个体的体重平均生长率在1.70—5.25 g/d、1.64—4.59 g/d,相对生长率分别为0.92—1.37%d-1、0.86—1.40%d-1。渔汛期间,胴长、体重与时间的关系均符合指数生长曲线,但生长指数年间差异明显。综合分析认为:2007年渔获物基本上为南巴塔哥尼亚种群;2008年以南巴塔哥尼亚种群为主,但也有少量较小个体的夏季产卵种群;2010年则以夏季产卵种群为主,并有少量的南巴塔哥尼亚种群。     

The self-diffusion and hydrogen bond interaction in neat liquid alkanols: a molecular dynamic simulation study

Self-diffusion of methanol, ethanol, 1-propanol and 2-propanol has been studied by molecular dynamics simulation in the temperature range between the melting pressure curve and 478 K at pressures up to 300 MPa. The simulation results on self-diffusion of methanol, ethanol and 2-propanol (for 2-propanol, at high temperatures) agree well with experiment, which suggests that the simulation method is a powerful tool to obtain self-diffusion coefficients over wide range of temperature and pressure, under which it is rather difficult for experiments. The local structures of methanol, ethanol and 2-propanol are investigated by calculating the radial distribution functions, H-bond numbers, coordination numbers and the ratios of H-bond number divided by coordination number. The correlation between self-diffusion and structural properties, and the influence of temperature and pressure on them are discussed. The degree of forming H-bond space network in methanol, ethanol and water is higher than that in 2-propanol, and they are all higher than those in ammonia and methylamine. The simulation results demonstrate that the effect of hydrogen bonding on the translational dynamics in methanol and ethanol is more pronounced than that in 2-propanol.     

Diagnostic Performance of Magnetic Resonance Cholangiopancreatography in Malignant Obstructive Jaundice

Malignant obstructive jaundice is caused by tumors arising from the head of the pancreas and biliary tree, or seen due to secondary metastases in the porta hepatis lymph nodes. Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) is a non-invasive diagnostic technique that can be used for imaging the entire biliary tree and pancreatic duct system. The objective of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of MRCP in the diagnosis of malignant obstructive jaundice. The methods used involved comparative review of the images obtained by using magnetic resonance imaging and MRCP as well as comparison between MRCP- and pathology-based diagnoses. The accuracy of MRCP-based diagnosis of malignant obstructive jaundice was analyzed. Our data show that the positive rate of anatomical diagnosis and the detection rate of bile ducts on the proximal side of obstruction are 100%. The diagnostic accuracy of malignant obstruction was 82.9%. MRCP was found to have high diagnostic specificity for determining the location and extent of obstruction. We, therefore, concluded that MRCP had significance for clinical diagnosis of malignant obstructive jaundice. The positive rate of localization diagnosis was 100%. Distinguishing the quality of obstruction was also important. The diagnostic accuracy of MRCP for malignant obstructive jaundice was remarkably higher.