Natural selection on ecophysiological traits of a fern species in a temperate rainforest

Unlike other species of the genus Blechnum, the fern Blechnum chilense occurs in a wide range of habitats in Chilean temperate rainforest, from shaded forest understories to abandoned clearings and large gaps. We asked if contrasting light environments can exert differential selection on ecophysiological traits of B. chilense. We measured phenotypic selection on functional traits related to carbon gain: photosynthetic capacity (A _max), dark respiration rate (R _d), water use efficiency (WUE), leaf size and leaf thickness in populations growing in gaps and understorey environments. We assessed survival until reproductive stage and fecundity (sporangia production) as fitness components. In order to determine the potential evolutionary response of traits under selection, we estimated the genetic variation of these traits from clonally propagated individuals in common garden experiments. In gaps, survival of B. chilense was positively correlated with WUE and negatively correlated with leaf size. In contrast, survival in shaded understories was positively correlated with leaf size. We found positive directional fecundity selection on WUE in gaps population. In understories, ferns of lower R _d and greater leaf size showed greater fecundity. Thus, whereas control of water loss was optimized in gaps, light capture and net carbon balance were optimized in shaded understories. We found a significant genetic component of variation in WUE, R _d and leaf size. This study shows the potential for evolutionary responses to heterogeneous light environments in functional traits of B. chilense, a unique fern species able to occupy a broad successional niche in Chilean temperate rainforest.     

Childhood brain tumours,early infections and immune stimulation: A pooled analysis of the ESCALE and ESTELLE case-control studies (SFCE,France)

BackgroundFew studies have investigated whether early infections and factors potentially related to early immune stimulation might be involved in the aetiology of childhood brain tumours (CBT). In this study, we investigated the associations between CBT with early day-care attendance, history of early common infections, atopic conditions (asthma/wheezing, eczema, allergic rhinitis), early farm residence/visits and contact with animals.MethodsWe pooled data from two nationwide French case-control studies, the ESCALE and ESTELLE studies. Children with a CBT diagnosed between 1 and 14 years of age were identified directly from the French National Registry of Childhood Cancers, while population controls were recruited from telephone subscribers. Odds-ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) were estimated using logistic regression adjusted for potential confounders.ResultsThe analyses included 469 cases and 2719 controls. We found no association between attending a day-care centre (OR: 0.9, 95%CI: 0.7–1.2) or having had repeated common infections (OR: 0.9, 95%CI: 0.7–1.2) in the first year of life and the risk of CBT. There was also no association with a history of asthma/wheezing (OR: 0.8, 95%CI: 0.56–1.1). Farm visits (OR: 0.6, 95%CI: 0.5–0.8) as well as contact with pets (OR: 0.8, 95%CI: 0.6–1.0) in the first year of life were inversely associated with CBT.ConclusionsOur findings suggest a protective effect of early farm visits and contact with pets, but not with other markers of early immune stimulation. This might be related to immune stimulation but needs further investigation.     

Mechano-electric feedback and arrhythmias

The mechanical state of the heart feeds back to modify cardiac rate and rhythm. Mechanical stretch of myocardial tissue causes immediate and chronic responses that lead to the common end point of arrhythmia. This review provides a brief summary of the author's personal choice of contributions that she considers have fostered our understanding of the role of mechano-electric feedback in arrhythmogenesis.

Acute mechanical stretch reversibly depolarises the cell membrane and shortens the action potential duration. These electrophysiological changes are related to the activation of mechano-sensitive ion channels. Several different ion channels are involved in the sensing of stretch, among them K⁺-selective, Cl⁻-selective, non-selective, and ATP-sensitive K⁺ channels. Sodium and Ca²⁺ entering the cells via non-selective ion channels are thought to contribute to the genesis of stretch-induced arrhythmia. Mechano-sensitive channels have been cloned from non-vertebrate and vertebrate species.

Chronic stress on the heart activates gene expression in cardiomyocytes and non-myocytes. The signal transduction involves atrial natriuretic peptides and growth factors that initiate remodelling processes leading to hypertrophy which in turn may contribute to the electrical instability of the heart by increasing the responsiveness of mechano-sensitive channels. Selective block of these channels could provide some new form of treatment of mechanically induced arrhythmias, although at present there are no drugs available with sufficient selectivity. Detailed understanding of how mechanical strain on myocardial cells is translated into channel activation will allow to identify new targets for putative antiarrhythmic drugs.     

Recent advances in gene‐enhanced bone tissue engineering

The loss of bone tissue represents a critical clinical condition that is frequently faced by surgeons. Substantial progress has been made in the area of bone research, providing insight into the biology of bone under physiological and pathological conditions, as well as tools for the stimulation of bone regeneration. The present review discusses recent advances in the field of gene‐enhanced bone tissue engineering. Gene transfer strategies have emerged as highly effective tissue engineering approaches for supporting the repair of the musculoskeletal system. By contrast to treatment with recombinant proteins, genetically engineered cells can release growth factors at the site of injury over extended periods of time. Of particular interest are the expedited technologies that can be applied during a single surgical procedure in a cost‐effective manner, allowing translation from bench to bedside. Several promising methods based on the intra‐operative genetic manipulation of autologous cells or tissue fragments have been developed in preclinical studies. Moreover, gene therapy for bone regeneration has entered the clinical stage with clinical trials for the repair of alveolar bone. Current trends in gene‐enhanced bone engineering are also discussed with respect to the movement of the field towards expedited, translational approaches. It is possible that gene‐enhanced bone tissue engineering will become a clinical reality within the next few years.     

城市生态用地分类及其规划的一般原则

城市生态用地的规划布局是城市规划的难点之一,也是急待解决的问题.本文根据城市生态系统的特点,给出了城市生态用地定义,指出城市生态用地同时具有自然属性和社会属性,依据这个特点,将城市生态用地划分为服务型生态用地和功能型生态用地两大类型,并结合具体的城市生态规划对各种类型的生态用地规划进行了定性分析.     

CRISPR/Cas系统在抗病毒研究中的应用

近年来,CRISPR/Cas系统因其效率高、靶向性强、易操作等优势,已被广泛应用于多种病毒研究中。本文首先简单介绍了CRISPR/Cas系统的分类,并比较了Cas9和Cas12a与Cas13a的特点;其次重点介绍了CRISPR/Cas9通过靶向破坏病毒基因组,或编辑宿主关于病毒生命周期的关键因子的策略在抗病毒方面的各种应用,CRISPR/Cas13a采用靶向破坏病毒基因组方法在抗病毒中的应用,以及CRISPR/Cas12a和CRISPR/Cas13a在病毒基因检测中的应用。最后讨论了CRISPR/Cas在病毒研究中面临的挑战,并讨论了CRISPR/Cas12a作为抗病毒工具的潜在应用前景。由于CRISPR/Cas系统自身的优势,预计该系统将会给病毒相关的疾病诊断和控制带来革命性的变化。     

Opsonizing properties of natural antibodies of rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum)

In order to confirm previous observations in which a protective effect of rainbow trout natural antibodies against furunculosis was suspected, phagocytosis studies wereconducted in vitro , using combinations of rainbow trout sera with high or low levels of natural antibodies and active or inactivated complement as opsonizing factors. Opsonization was observed in all the cases where complement was present, and to a lesser degree with sera containing only natural antibodies. The results confirm the prime importance of the complement system and provide additional evidence for a possible role of natural antibodies in antimicrobial defences.     

Host factors associated with serologic inflammatory markers assessed using multiplex assays

Chronic systemic inflammation contributes to the development of adverse health conditions, yet the influence of fixed and modifiable risk factors on many serologic biomarkers of inflammation remains largely unknown. Serum concentrations of twenty-three biomarkers, including C-reactive protein (CRP), cytokines (CXCL11, CXCL8, CXCL10, CCL2, CCL13, CCL4, CCL17, CXCL13, IL-10, IL-12p70, IL-6, TNF-α, IL-2, IFN-γ, IL-1β, GM-CSF, BAFF), and soluble immune receptors (sCD14, sIL-2Rα, sCD27, sgp130, sTNF-R2) were measured longitudinally using multiplexed immunometric assays in 250 HIV-uninfected men followed in the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study (1984–2009). Generalized gamma regression was used to determine the statistical significance of factors associated with each biomarker. After accounting for age, race, and education, and for analysis of multiple biomarkers, higher concentrations of specific individual biomarkers were significantly (P < 0.002) associated with hypertension, obesity, hepatitis C infection, stimulant use, and diabetes and lower concentrations with hypercholesterolemia. These associations should be taken into account in epidemiological studies of these biomarkers, and may provide potential targets for disease prevention and treatment.