Phylogeography of the Asian lesser white-toothed shrew, <Emphasis Type="Italic">Crocidura shantungensis</Emphasis>, in East Asia: role of the Korean Peninsula as refugium for small mammals

Many peninsulas in the temperate zone played an important role as refugia of various flora and fauna, and the southern Korean Peninsula also served as a refugium for many small mammals in East Asia during the Pleistocene. The Asian lesser white-toothed shrew, Crocidura shantungensis, is a widely distributed species in East Asia, and is an appropriate model organism for exploring the role of the Korean Peninsula as a refugium of small mammals. Here, we investigated phylogenetic relationships and genetic diversity based on the entire sequence of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene (1140 bp). A Bayesian tree for 98 haplotypes detected in 228 C. shantungensis specimens from East Asia revealed the presence of three major groups with at least 5 subgroups. Most haplotypes were distributed according to their geographic proximity. Pairwise F_ST’s and analysis of molecular variance (AMOVA) revealed a high degree of genetic differentiation and variance among regions as well as among populations within region, implying little gene flow among local populations. Genetic evidence from South Korean islands, Jeju-do Island of South Korea, and Taiwan leads us to reject the hypothesis of recent population expansion. We observed unique island-type genetic characteristics consistent with geographic isolation and resultant genetic drift. Phylogeographic inference, together with estimates of genetic differentiation and diversity, suggest that the southern most part the Korean Peninsula, including offshore islands, played an important role as a refugium for C. shantungensis during the Pleistocene. However, the presence of several refugia on the mainland of northeast Asia is also proposed.     

调亏灌溉对菘蓝水分利用及产量的影响

通过探究水分调亏对河西地区膜下滴灌菘蓝(Isatis indigotica)各项生理指标、产量和水分利用的影响, 为菘蓝高效节水种植提供理论指导。于2016年在河西走廊中部张掖市民乐县益民灌溉试验站进行菘蓝水分调亏研究, 在保持苗期和肉质根成熟期充分灌溉的情况下, 在菘蓝营养生长期和肉质根生长期分别进行轻度、中度和重度的水分亏缺处理, 并测定各项光合生理指标、产量和水分利用率。结果表明, 营养生长期和肉质根生长期的中度与重度水分亏缺显著降低了菘蓝叶片净光合速率、叶面积指数、株高及主根长, 并且随水分亏缺程度加重降幅增大; 而轻度水分亏缺与对照组的差异不显著。营养生长期和肉质根生长期轻度水分亏缺处理的菘蓝产量与水分利用效率最高, 分别达到8 239.56 kg·hm^-2和24.11 kg·hm^-2·mm^-1; 其它水分亏缺处理组产量和水分利用效率均有所降低, 与对照组之间差异显著(P<0.05), 重度水分亏缺处理各项指标均最低。因此, 最优的菘蓝水分调控处理为营养生长期和肉质根生长期的轻度水分调亏, 能够降低菘蓝耗水量, 提高水分利用效率且其产量不会降低。     

短尾鼩江西省分布新纪录及其地理分布范围的探讨

<正>短尾鼩(Anourosorex squamipes Milne-Edwards,1872)隶属鼩形目(Soricomorpha)鼩鼱科(Soricidae)鼩鼱亚科(Soricinae)短尾鼩属,其模式产地为中国四川宝兴(Milne-Edwards,1872)。短尾鼩属的物种分布于亚洲中南部,共有4种,即A.assamensis、A.schmidi、A.squamipes和A.yamashinai(Wilson and Reeder,2005)。短尾鼩     

A cross-study gene set enrichment analysis identifies critical pathways in endometriosis

Background  

Endometriosis is an enigmatic disease. Gene expression profiling of endometriosis has been used in several studies, but few studies went further to classify subtypes of endometriosis based on expression patterns and to identify possible pathways involved in endometriosis. Some of the observed pathways are more inconsistent between the studies, and these candidate pathways presumably only represent a fraction of the pathways involved in endometriosis.     

猪尾鼠(Typhlomys cinereus) 广东省新纪录

We collected a specimen of Chinese Pygmy Dormouse (Typhlomys cinereus)from Nanling Nature Reserve in Guangdong Province in August 2012,analyzed the specimen’s morphological and skull indices,and compared them with the published data for other T. cinereus subspecies located throughout China. The skull of our specimen had four pairs of palatal holes:among them,the two posterior pairs merged together to form two large and long holes,and the posterior edge of the nasals was located vertically below the frontopremaxillary suture. Based on these two unique characteristics,we identified the specimen as the subspecies T. c. daloushanensis. This is the first time this species has been recorded in Guangdong Province.     

西南鼠耳蝠广东新纪录及其核型

<正>西南鼠耳蝠(Myotis altarium Thomas,1911),因峨眉山为其模式产地,又称峨眉鼠耳蝠或者四川鼠耳蝠。隶属于翼手目(Chiroptera)蝙蝠科(Vespertilionidae)鼠耳蝠属(Myotis),主要分布     

Facile synthesis and characterization of μ-chloro, azido, thiocyanato bridged cyclometallated Pd(II) containing Schiff-base ligands

μ-Chloro bridged dinuclear cyclometallated Pd(II) complexes [Pd{(4-R)C₆H₃CHNC₆H₃-2,6-i-Pr₂}(μ-Cl)]₂ (R = H, OMe) were prepared by reaction of Na₂PdCl₄ with benzylideneanilines. Unexpectedly, Na₂PdCl₄ reacted with Schiff-bases bearing a furyl or a thienyl ring to give N-coordinated non-cyclometallated Pd(II) species [Pd(C₄H₃XCHNC₆H₃-2,6-i-Pr₂)₂Cl₂] (X = O, S). Treating [Pd{(4-R)C₆H₃CHNC₆H₃-2,6-i-Pr₂}(μ-Cl)]₂ (R = H, OMe) with an excess of NaN₃ or NH₄SCN generated μ-N₃ bridged or μ-SCN bridged cyclometallated Pd(II) complexes [Pd{(4-R)C₆H₃CHNC₆H₃-2,6-i-Pr₂}(μ-Y)]₂ (R = H, OMe; Y = N₃, NCS). The complexes were characterized by FTIR, NMR spectroscopy, elemental analysis and X-ray crystallography.     

A genome‐wide scan for selection signatures in Yorkshire and Landrace pigs based on sequencing data

Pigs have experienced dramatic selection due to domestication, which has led to many different phenotypes when compared to their wild counterparts, especially in the last several decades. Currently, genome‐wide scans in both cattle and humans showing positive selection footprints have been investigated. However, few studies have focused on porcine selection footprints, particularly on a genome‐wide scale. Surveying for selection footprints across porcine genomes can be quite valuable for revealing the genetic mechanisms of phenotypic diversity. Here, we employed a medium sequencing depth (5–20x/site per individual, on average) approach called genotyping by genome reducing and sequencing (GGRS) to detect genome‐wide selection signatures of two domestic pig breeds (Yorkshire and Landrace) that have been under intensive selection for traits of muscle development, growth and behavior. The relative extended haplotype homozygosity test, which identifies selection signatures by measuring the characteristics of haplotypes’ frequency distribution within a single population, was also applied to identify potential positively selected regions. As a result, signatures of positive selection were found in each breed. However, most selection signatures were population specific and related to genomic regions containing genes for biological categories including brain development, metabolism, growth and olfaction. Furthermore, the result of the gene set enrichment analysis indicated that selected regions of the two breeds presented a different over‐representation of genes in the Gene Ontology annotations and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes pathways. Our results revealed a genome‐wide map of selection footprints in pigs and may help us better understand the mechanisms of selection in pig breeding.     

Awareness,Treatment, Control of Diabetes Mellitus and the Risk Factors: Survey Results from Northeast China

Background

The awareness, treatment and control of diabetes mellitus (DM) can effectively reflect on the social status of diabetes conditions. Although several researchers have investigated the awareness, treatment and control rates of diabetes mellitus in China, little is known about their association with risk factors. This study aims to examine the relationship between risk factors and awareness, treatment and control of diabetes mellitus in northeast China.

Methods

A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2012. Multistage stratified random cluster sampling design was used to select participants aged 18 to 79 years old. The analysis was based on a representative sample of 1,854 adult subjects. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was used to examine socio-demographic factors associated with the levels of awareness, treatment and control of diabetes mellitus.

Results

The awareness, treatment, and control rates of diabetes mellitus were 64.1%, 52.9% and 44.2%, respectively. In the multivariable logistic regression analysis, family history of diabetes was significantly positively associated with awareness (OR, 2.145; 95% CI, 1.600–2.875) and treatment (OR, 2.021; 95% CI, 1.559–2.619) of diabetes mellitus, while negatively associated with control (OR, 0.671; 95% CI, 0.529–0.951). Cigarette smokers and alcohol drinkers were less likely than non-smokers and non-drinkers to be aware of their blood glucose levels (OR, 0.895, 0.614; 95% CI, 0.659–1.216, 0.446–0.844, respectively). Participants who frequently exercise were more likely to be aware of their diabetic conditions than people who never or rarely exercise (OR, 2.003; 95% CI, 1.513–2.651).

Conclusions

We found that the awareness and treatment of diabetes mellitus were positively associated with age and were high in participants with a family history of diabetes and those who exercise frequently, but low for cigarette smokers and alcohol drinkers. Participants with a family history of diabetes had their diabetic condition poorly controlled.