Middle Jurassic radiolarians from Jinlang,Zedong, southern Xizang (Tibet), China

Moderately to well-preserved radiolarians have been extracted from nine greyish green and purplish-red bedded cherts in the mud-matrix mélange of the eastern Yarlung-Zangbo Suture Zone (YZSZ) at Jinlang Section, Zedong, southern Xizang (Tibet). Forty-two species belonging to 27 genera, including Middle Jurassic characteristic species such as Laxtorum (?) jurassicum Isozaki and Matsuda, Laxtorum (?) hichisoense Isozaki and Matsuda, Stichocapsa japonica Yao, Stichocapsa robusta Matsuoka, Parahsuum (?) magnum Takemura, Sella chrafatensis (El Kadiri), and Unuma typicus Ichikawa and Yao are recognized and three assemblages, Laxtorum (?) jurassicum Assemblage (Aalenian), Quarticella ovalis Assemblage (late Bajocian), and Stichocapsa robusta Assemblage (middle Bathonian) are established in ascending order. These assemblages can be well correlated to the Middle Jurassic Unitary Association (UA) Zones (Baumgartner et al., 1995) in west Tethys and coeval biozones in Japan and provide reliable age information for the Middle Jurassic stratigraphic correlation of the pelagic sediments along the YZSZ.     

应用GeneXpert MTB/RIF对肺外结核的快速检测及评估

目的评估GeneXpert MTB/RIF检测肺外结核分枝杆菌的准确性,并与传统方法进行比较。方法选取2016年6月至2017年6月在本院就诊的144例疑似肺外结核病患者,对所有标本分别进行金胺“O”荧光染色镜检、液体培养及药敏试验、固体培养及比例法体外药敏试验和Xpert法检测。结果收集的144例疑似肺外结核标本中,确诊108例,以胸水、淋巴结活检和脓液感染较多,另36例阴性患者中,10例为非结核分枝杆菌感染。Xpert试验的敏感性为28.73%,特异性为96.00%,其阳性预测值和阴性预测值均高于其他3种检测方法。在阳性检出率方面,Xpert试验高于涂片镜检(χ~2=17.39,P0.05)、低于液体培养(χ~2=8.64,P0.05),而与固体培养之间差异无统计学意义(χ~2=2.56,P0.05)。固体培养、液体培养和Xpert试验3种方法对结核分枝杆菌利福平耐药率检测差异无统计学意义(P0.05),耐药率分别为8.33%、9.68%和11.11%,且Xpert试验方法检测出2株耐多药结核分枝杆菌,平均耗时2.5 h。结论 GeneXpert MTB/RIF可以作为一种筛选及快速检测工具应用于肺外结核的诊断,同时可作为检测MDR-TB的一种指标。     

基于Illumina HiSeq测序技术研究吡虫啉对意大利蜜蜂雄蜂的影响

[目的]雄蜂对蜂群繁衍有着非常重要的作用.本研究旨在探究吡虫啉对意大利蜜蜂Apis mellifera Ligustica雄蜂生长发育和基因表达产生的影响.[方法]以意大利蜜蜂雄蜂为研究对象,分别以0.00001、0.0001和0.001 μg/μL浓度的吡虫啉对雄蜂幼虫进行连续饲喂处理.每天观察并记录幼虫的发育形态及死亡率,在雄蜂幼虫后期(移虫后6d)测量幼虫体重.利用Illumina HiSeq测序技术对经吡虫啉处理的雄蜂进行转录组测序,进而对差异表达基因进行深入分析.[结果]取食吡虫啉后的雄蜂幼虫,体重低于正常雄蜂,当浓度高于0.0001μg/μL时差异显著;雄蜂幼虫取食吡虫啉后出现死亡现象,且死亡率随吡虫啉浓度的升高而增大;差异表达基因分析结果上调与下调基因数量分别为390个和130个.GO富集分析结果上调基因共分布于55个GO条目,富集基因数量最多的是细胞进程、细胞、细胞组件、细胞膜、细胞膜组件、结合,下调基因共分布于48个GO条目,富集基因数量最多的是细胞进程、细胞、细胞组件.富集在有关生殖功能的差异表达基因中,上调基因数量为21个,下调基因数量为5个.KEGG代谢通路富集分析结果上调基因富集在159个通路上,其中富集基因数最多的是蛋白质消化吸收和神经活性配体-受体相互作用通路.下调基因富集在71个通路上,其中富集基因数最多的是溶酶体、胰液分泌、神经活性配体-受体相互作用通路.[结论]吡虫啉能抑制意大利蜜蜂雄蜂的生长发育,甚至造成幼虫死亡,同时,可以影响雄蜂的神经系统、代谢系统和生殖系统等.本研究结果为蜜蜂资源保护提供理论依据.     

Stochastic modelling of wall stresses in abdominal aortic aneurysms treated by a gene therapy

A stochastic mechanical model using the membrane theory was used to simulate the in vivo mechanical behaviour of abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) in order to compute the wall stresses after stabilisation by gene therapy. For that, both length and diameter of AAAs rats were measured during their expansion. Four groups of animals, control and treated by an endovascular gene therapy during 3 or 28 days were included. The mechanical problem was solved analytically using the geometric parameters and assuming the shape of aneurysms by a ‘parabolic–exponential curve’. When compared to controls, stress variations in the wall of AAAs for treated arteries during 28 days decreased, while they were nearly constant at day 3. The measured geometric parameters of AAAs were then investigated using probability density functions (pdf) attributed to every random variable. Different trials were useful to define a reliable confidence region in which the probability to have a realisation is equal to 99%. The results demonstrated that the error in the estimation of the stresses can be greater than 28% when parameters uncertainties are not considered in the modelling. The relevance of the proposed approach for the study of AAA growth may be studied further and extended to other treatments aimed at stabilisation AAAs, using biotherapies and pharmacological approaches.     

The K-Segments of the Wheat Dehydrin DHN-5 are Essential for the Protection of Lactate Dehydrogenase and β-Glucosidase Activities In Vitro

The wheat dehydrin DHN-5 has been previously shown to exhibit heat protecting effect on enzymatic activities. In order to understand the molecular mechanism by which DHN-5 exerts its protective function, we performed an approach to dissect the functional domains of DHN-5 responsible for this feature. In two distinct enzymatic assays, we found that the truncated forms of DHN-5 containing only one K- or two K-segments are able to protect albeit to less extent than the wild type protein, lactate dehydrogenase and β-glucosidase against damage induced by various stresses in vitro. However, the YS- and Φ-segments alone have no protective effects on these enzymes. Therefore, our study provides the evidence that the protective function of DHN-5 seems to be directly linked to its K-segments which through their amphipatic α-helical structure, may act to prevent protein aggregation.     

Polyamines affect the cellular growth and structure of pro‐embryogenic masses in Araucaria angustifolia embryogenic cultures through the modulation of proton pump activities and endogenous levels of polyamines

Polyamines (PAs) are abundant polycationic compounds involved in many physiological processes in plants, including somatic embryogenesis. This study investigates the role of PAs on cellular growth and structure of pro‐embryogenic masses (PEMs), endogenous PA and proton pump activities in embryogenic suspension cultures of Araucaria angustifolia. The embryogenic suspension cultures were incubated with putrescine (Put), spermidine (Spd), spermine (Spm) and the inhibitor methylglyoxal‐bis(guanylhydrazone) (MGBG), respectively (1 mM). After 24 h and 21 days, the cellular growth and structure of PEMs, endogenous PA contents and proton pump activities were analyzed. The addition of Spm reduced the cellular growth and promoted the development of PEMs in embryogenic cultures, which could be associated with a reduction in the activities of proton pumps, such as H⁺‐ATPase P‐ and V‐types and H⁺‐PPases, and alterations in the endogenous PA contents. Spm significantly affected the physiology of the A. angustifolia somatic embryogenesis suspension, as it potentially affects cellular growth and structure of PEMs through the modulation of proton pump activities. This work demonstrates the involvement of exogenous PAs in the modulation of cellular growth and structure of PEMs, endogenous PA levels and proton pump activities during somatic embryogenesis. To our knowledge, this study is the first to report a relationship between PAs and proton pump activities in these processes. The results obtained in this study offer new perspectives for studies addressing the role of PAs and proton pump on somatic embryogenesis in this species.     

Intraspecific molecular phylogeny and phylogeography of the Meriones meridianus (Rodentia: Cricetidae) complex in northern China reflect the processes of desertification and the Tianshan Mountains uplift

The phylogeographical patterns and demographic history of mitochondrial DNA (cytochrome b, N = 327; D‐loop, N = 252) and nuclear DNA (IRBP gene, N = 235) haplotypes were studied for the Meriones meridianus complex in northern China, a desert‐dwelling gerbil species complex. The phylogenetic analyses, which were performed on the separate and combined (mitochondrial + nuclear) datasets, revealed two divergent clades (Clade A and Clade B) corresponding to distinct geographical regions. Clade A contained the haplotypes found mostly in individuals from the Tianshan Mountains area. Clade B contained haplotypes from populations located in other deserts in northern China. The divergence times indicated that the history of the M. meridianus complex was influenced by the uplift of the Tianshan Mountains and climate‐induced habitat fluctuations. In the Pleistocene, the expansion of forests and grasslands during interglacial period led to the isolation of the M. meridianus complex, which preferred to inhabit deserts. Hence, long geological isolation and the M. meridianus complex adaptation to local ecological conditions led to its genetic divergence. Clade A had long‐lasting demographic stability, most likely because the populations of this clade remained in a stable desert environment for a long time. However, the extension of other deserts and disappearance of palaeolakes during the last glacial period resulted in demographic expansion of Clade B. Furthermore, our genetic data indicated that two subspecies may exist within the M. meridianus complex. © 2013 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2013, 110 , 362–383.     

Comparison of three transgenic Bt rice lines for insecticidal protein expression and resistance against a target pest,Chilo suppressalis (Lepidoptera: Crambidae)

Two transgenic rice lines (T2A‐1 and T1C‐19b) expressing cry2A and cry1C genes, respectively, were developed in China, targeting lepidopteran pests including Chilo suppressalis (Walker) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae). The seasonal expression of Cry proteins in different tissues of the rice lines and their resistance to C. suppressalis were assessed in comparison to a Bt rice line expressing a cry1Ab/Ac fusion gene, Huahui 1, which has been granted a biosafety certificate. In general, levels of Cry proteins were T2A‐1 > Huahui 1 > T1C‐19b among rice lines, and leaf > stem > root among rice tissues. The expression patterns of Cry protein in the rice line plants were similar: higher level at early stages than at later stages with an exception that high Cry1C level in T1C‐19b stems at the maturing stage. The bioassay results revealed that the three transgenic rice lines exhibited significantly high resistance against C. suppressalis larvae throughout the rice growing season. According to Cry protein levels in rice tissues, the raw and corrected mortalities of C. suppressalis caused by each Bt rice line were the highest in the seedling and declined through the jointing stage with an exception for T1C‐19b providing an excellent performance at the maturing stage. By comparison, T1C‐19b exhibited more stable and greater resistance to C. suppressalis larvae than T2A‐1, being close to Huahui 1. The results suggest cry1C is an ideal Bt gene for plant transformation for lepidopteran pest control, and T1C‐19b is a promising Bt rice line for commercial use for tolerating lepidopteran rice pests.     

Prolonged Cerebral Circulation Time Is the Best Parameter for Predicting Vasospasm during Initial CT Perfusion in Subarachnoid Hemorrhagic Patients

Purpose

We sought to imitate angiographic cerebral circulation time (CCT) and create a similar index from baseline CT perfusion (CTP) to better predict vasospasm in patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH).

Methods

Forty-one SAH patients with available DSA and CTP were retrospectively included. The vasospasm group was comprised of patients with deterioration in conscious functioning and newly developed luminal narrowing; remaining cases were classified as the control group. The angiography CCT (XA-CCT) was defined as the difference in TTP (time to peak) between the selected arterial ROIs and the superior sagittal sinus (SSS). Four arterial ROIs were selected to generate four corresponding XA-CCTs: the right and left anterior cerebral arteries (XA-CCT_RA2 and XA-CCT_LA2) and right- and left-middle cerebral arteries (XA-CCT_RM2 and XA-CCT_LM2). The CCTs from CTP (CT-CCT) were defined as the differences in TTP from the corresponding arterial ROIs and the SSS. Correlations of the different CCTs were calculated and diagnostic accuracy in predicting vasospasm was evaluated.

Results

Intra-class correlations ranged from 0.96 to 0.98. The correlations of XA-CCT_RA2, XA-CCT_RM2, XA-CCT_LA2, and XA-CCT_LM2 with the corresponding CT-CCTs were 0.64, 0.65, 0.53, and 0.68, respectively. All CCTs were significantly prolonged in the vasospasm group (5.8–6.4 s) except for XA-CCT_LA2. CT-CCT_A2 of 5.62 was the optimal cut-off value for detecting vasospasm with a sensitivity of 84.2% and specificity 82.4%

Conclusion

CT-CCTs can be used to interpret cerebral flow without deconvolution algorithms, and outperform both MTT and TTP in predicting vasospasm risk. This finding may help facilitate management of patients with SAH.