Nonparametric and semiparametric estimation with sequentially truncated survival data

In observational cohort studies with complex sampling schemes, truncation arises when the time to event of interest is observed only when it falls below or exceeds another random time, that is, the truncation time. In more complex settings, observation may require a particular ordering of event times; we refer to this as sequential truncation. Estimators of the event time distribution have been developed for simple left-truncated or right-truncated data. However, these estimators may be inconsistent under sequential truncation. We propose nonparametric and semiparametric maximum likelihood estimators for the distribution of the event time of interest in the presence of sequential truncation, under two truncation models. We show the equivalence of an inverse probability weighted estimator and a product limit estimator under one of these models. We study the large sample properties of the proposed estimators and derive their asymptotic variance estimators. We evaluate the proposed methods through simulation studies and apply the methods to an Alzheimer's disease study. We have developed an R package, seqTrun , for implementation of our method.     

LEP and LEPR are possibly a double-edged sword for wound healing

Wound healing is a complex and error-prone process. Wound healing in adults often leads to the formation of scars, a type of fibrotic tissue that lacks skin appendages. Hypertrophic scars and keloids can also form when the wound-healing process goes wrong. Leptin (Lep) and leptin receptors (LepRs) have recently been shown to affect multiple stages of wound healing. This effect, however, is paradoxical for scarless wound healing. On the one hand, Lep exerts pro-inflammatory and profibrotic effects; on the other hand, Lep can regulate hair follicle growth. This paper summarises the role of Lep and LepRs on cells in different stages of wound healing, briefly introduces the process of wound healing and Lep and LepRs, and examines the possibility of promoting scarless wound healing through spatiotemporal, systemic, and local regulation of Lep levels and the binding of Lep and LepRs.     

Effects of compound sodium nitrophenol on microspore embryogenesis and plantlet regeneration in flowering Chinese cabbage (Brassica campestris L. ssp. chinensis var. utilis Tsen et Lee)

Isolated microspore culture has been implemented in breeding programs to produce doubled haploid (DH) lines and thus accelerates the breeding process. However, low microspore embryogenesis frequency in flowering Chinese cabbage remains a key obstacle to the practical application of this technique. This study aimed to establish an efficient microspore culture protocol for flowering Chinese cabbage that would be applied for heterosis breeding. Microspores of five genotypes, 19AY05, 19AY06, 19AY10, 19AY12, and 19AY15, were successfully induced to produce embryos in NLN-13 medium. Microspores of two genotypes, 19AY05 and 19AY15, were cultivated in NLN-13 medium supplemented with different concentrations (0, 0.01, 0.05, 0.1, or 0.2 mg·L⁻¹) of compound sodium nitrophenol (sodium nitrophenol, 5-nitrophenol) to enhance microspore embryogenesis and plant regeneration without an intervening callus phase. The results showed that 0.05 ~ 0.1 mg· L⁻¹ sodium nitrophenol and 0.01 ~ 0.2 mg· L⁻¹ of 5-nitrophenol significantly promoted the induction of microspore embryogenesis of two genotypes, and the best concentrations required for different genotypes are different. Moreover, 0.1 mg· L⁻¹ sodium nitrophenol can significantly increase the plant regeneration rate of the two genetypes. The 5-nitrophenol at 0.01 mg·L⁻¹ significantly increased rate of embryos directly convert to plant in 19AY15. In addition, the average doubled haploid rates in the five genotypes were close to 63%. Horticultural traits of DH lines from 19AY05 were identified and all of them were self-incompatible lines. They showed a high uniformity and consistency that can be directly used for hybrid breeding. Furthermore, the hybrid combination was prepared with the selected DH lines and the Guangdong nucleus genic sterile line GMS019 to screen the excellent hybrid combination for the flowering Chinese cabbage breeding program. This method accelerates the application of microspore culture in hybrid breeding of flowering Chinese cabbage.

     

Investigation of <i>GhFAT</i> Genes Related to Seed Oil Content and Fatty Acid Composition in <i>Gossypium hirsutum</i> L.

Fatty Acyl-ACP thioesterase (FAT) is a key enzyme controlling oil biosynthesis in plant seeds. FATs can be divided into two subfamilies, FATA and FATB according to their amino acid sequences and substrate specificity. The Upland cotton genome contains 20 GhFAT genes, amongst which 6 genes were of the GhFATA subfamily and 14 of the GhFATB subfamily. The 20 GhFAT genes are unevenly distributed on 14 chromosomes. The GhFATA genes have 5 or 7 exons and the GhFATB genes have 6 or 7 exons. All GhFAT proteins have the conserved Acyl-ACP_TE domain and PLN02370 super family, the typical characteristics of plant thioesterases. Analyses of the expression level of GhFATs and the compositions of fatty acid in 5–60 days-post-anthesis seeds showed that the ratio of saturated fatty acids to unsaturated fatty acids was consistent with the expression profile of GhFATB12, GhFATB3, and GhFATB10; the ratio of monounsaturated fatty acid to polyunsaturated fatty acids was consistent with the expression profile of GhFATA3. The oil contents of mature cottonseeds were positively correlated with the contents of palmitic acid and linolenic acid as well as seed vigor. These results provide essential information for further exploring the role(s) of the specific GhFATs in determining oil biosynthesis and cottonseed compositions.     

废用条件下大鼠和达乌尔黄鼠骨骼肌氧化应激和抗氧化防御能力与肌萎缩的比较研究

有鳞类(蛇和蜥蜴)具有较发达的嗅器和犁鼻器,对其不同种类嗅觉结构的认识有助于阐明爬行动物化学感觉的进化。本文采用组织学方法比较了草原沙蜥(Phrynocephalus frontalis)、荒漠沙蜥(P. przewalskii)、密点麻蜥(Eremias multiocellata)和秦岭滑蜥(Scincella tsinlingensis)的嗅器及犁鼻器。结果发现,草原沙蜥的鼻腔较为狭长,秦岭滑蜥呈梨形,其他两种蜥蜴的鼻腔略成圆形。秦岭滑蜥的嗅上皮最厚,其次是密点麻蜥和草原沙蜥,荒漠沙蜥最薄。犁鼻器主要由犁鼻腔、犁鼻感觉上皮、犁鼻神经及蘑菇体等组成,没有腺体。草原沙蜥和荒漠沙蜥的犁鼻腔较为宽阔,密点麻蜥和秦岭滑蜥的较窄。4种蜥蜴的犁鼻感觉上皮均较嗅上皮厚,蘑菇体向后逐渐缩小至消失,犁鼻感觉上皮成闭环状,包围犁鼻腔。密点麻蜥和秦岭滑蜥的犁鼻感觉上皮位于犁鼻器的背侧,蘑菇体位于腹侧;与此不同,两种沙蜥的犁鼻感觉上皮偏向于犁鼻器的腹内侧,蘑菇体位于背外侧。密点麻蜥的犁鼻感觉上皮最厚,其次为秦岭滑蜥,两种沙蜥最薄;秦岭滑蜥犁鼻感觉上皮的感觉细胞密度最高,其次是密点麻蜥,两种沙蜥最低。这些结果提示,密点麻蜥和秦岭滑蜥对嗅觉信号的依赖和投入较两种沙蜥多;4种蜥蜴犁鼻器的结构差异间接地佐证了有鳞类犁鼻器系统发生的特异性。     

Molecular mimicry in Lyme disease: monoclonal antibody H9724 to b. burgdorferi flagellin specifically detects chaperonin-HSP60

A monoclonal antibody (H9724), specific for the 41-kDa flagellar protein of the Lyme disease pathogen Borrelia burgdorferi, cross-reacts with human axons and detects one major protein in human neuroblastoma cell extracts. The homologous cross-reacting protein has now been isolated from calf adrenal and identified as chaperonin-HSP60 by N-terminal sequencing.     

盐磷胁迫对木麻黄和台湾相思种子萌发及幼苗生长的影响

恶劣环境下,人工海防林因面临养分胁迫而经营困难。为探讨盐、磷胁迫对主要海防林树种木麻黄和台湾相思种子萌发及生长的影响,该研究分别用不同浓度的NaCl(盐)和KH₂PO₄(磷)溶液处理种子和浇灌幼苗,测定种子萌发和幼苗生长指标。结果表明：(1)高盐胁迫显著抑制种子萌发,对幼苗生长有一定影响,但两种植物影响程度不同;台湾相思种子萌发耐盐性高于木麻黄,前者相对盐害率最大值为23.03%,后者为89.15%;随着盐浓度增加,木麻黄和台湾相思种子的发芽率、发芽势、发芽指数和活力指数均降低,对应最大值分别为38.70%、34.67%、18.70、0.055和76.67%、62.22%、48.46、6.11。(2)两种植物的株高和根长随盐浓度增加而降低,木麻黄和台湾相思株高分别为12.29～6.01 mm和48.27～17.33 mm,根长分别为8.57～1.45 mm和33.41～5.88 mm;台湾相思根、茎、叶生物量及根冠比均随盐浓度的增加逐渐减小,木麻黄各处理差异较小。(3)台湾相思的种子和幼苗较木麻黄更耐低磷环境,二者最适磷浓度存在差异;木麻黄种...     

核纤层蛋白B1通过影响端粒酶活性调控肝癌细胞生长

核纤层蛋白B1(nuclear lamina protein B1,LMNB1)高表达于肝癌组织中,通过敲低LMNB1探讨其对肝癌细胞增殖的影响及其机制。利用siRNA在肝癌细胞中敲低LMNB1,Western blotting检测敲低效果,使用端粒重复序列扩增法(telomeric repeat amplification protocol assay,TRAP)检测其端粒酶活性变化。利用实时定量聚合酶链反应(quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction,qPCR)检测其端粒长度变化。并通过CCK-8、克隆形成、Transwell、划痕实验检测其生长,侵袭和迁移能力变化。利用慢病毒系统构建稳定敲低LMNB1的HepG2细胞,检测其端粒长度及端粒酶活性变化,采用SA-β-gal衰老染色检测细胞衰老情况,通过裸鼠皮下成瘤实验及对肿瘤后续的组化染色,SA-β-gal衰老染色,端粒荧光原位杂交(fluorescence in situ hybridization,FISH)检测其对成瘤性的影响。最后利用生物信息分析的方法寻找LMNB1在临床肝癌组织中的表达情况,及其与临床分期、病人生存期的关系。HepG2和Hep3B中敲低LMNB1后端粒酶活性显著降低,细胞增殖、迁移和侵袭能力显著降低,细胞和裸鼠成瘤实验证明稳定敲低LMNB1后端粒酶活性降低的同时端粒长度缩短,细胞发生衰老,此外细胞成瘤性降低,Ki-67表达降低,生物信息分析结果显示,LMNB1高表达于肝癌组织,且与肿瘤分期和患者生存相关。LMNB1在肝癌细胞中过表达,其有望成为评估肝癌患者临床预后的指标和精准治疗的靶点。