Cheating on Cheaters Stabilizes Cooperation in Pseudomonas aeruginosa

1. Download high-res image (198KB)
2. Download full-size image

     

清代北京皇家园林植物景观与园林经营体系研究

园林的管理与经营是清代皇家园林存续的重要支撑。本研究结合清代宫廷文献,以记录内务府规章制度的《钦定总管内务府现行则例》为主要依据,探讨清代管理机构职责、收入来源与经营方式、支出与盈余管理,归纳出一个以种植生产为核心的管理经营框架。认为清代皇家园林在多次改革基础上,逐渐形成了管理范围清晰的部门划分。各部门除对园林进行日常维护外,主要承担各园以植物生产为核心的经营任务。通过对资源的精细利用以及种植—租赁相结合的土地管理模式,基本实现皇家园林“以园养园”的收支平衡体系。而这种经营方式造就了园林沿水源布局的大面积的作物景观背景以及园林中点缀的生产性植物景观。最终得出结论,认为清代皇家园林植物景观不仅具有观赏功能,更是支持园林存续的物质基础。     

Atp1a3‐deficient heterozygous mice show lower rank in the hierarchy and altered social behavior

Atp1a3 is the Na‐pump alpha3 subunit gene expressed mainly in neurons of the brain. Atp1a3‐deficient heterozygous mice (Atp1a3^+/?) show altered neurotransmission and deficits of motor function after stress loading. To understand the function of Atp1a3 in a social hierarchy, we evaluated social behaviors (social interaction, aggression, social approach and social dominance) of Atp1a3^+/? and compared the rank and hierarchy structure between Atp1a3^+/? and wild‐type mice within a housing cage using the round‐robin tube test and barbering observations. Formation of a hierarchy decreases social conflict and promote social stability within the group. The hierarchical rank is a reflection of social dominance within a cage, which is heritable and can be regulated by specific genes in mice. Here we report: (1) The degree of social interaction but not aggression was lower in Atp1a3^+/? than wild‐type mice, and Atp1a3^+/? approached Atp1a3^+/? mice more frequently than wild type. (2) The frequency of barbering was lower in the Atp1a3^+/? group than in the wild‐type group, while no difference was observed in the mixed‐genotype housing condition. (3) Hierarchy formation was not different between Atp1a3^+/? and wild type. (4) Atp1a3^+/? showed a lower rank in the mixed‐genotype housing condition than that in the wild type, indicating that Atp1a3 regulates social dominance. In sum, Atp1a3^+/? showed unique social behavior characteristics of lower social interaction and preference to approach the same genotype mice and a lower ranking in the hierarchy.     

Global patterns of Rhododendron diversity: The role of evolutionary time and diversification rates

Aim

Understanding the evolution of the latitudinal diversity gradient (i.e. increase in species diversity towards the tropics) is a prominent issue in ecology and biogeography. Disentangling the relative contributions of environment and evolutionary history in shaping this gradient remains a major challenge because their relative importance has been found to vary across regions and taxa. Here, using the global distributions and a molecular phylogeny of Rhododendron, one of the largest genera of flowering plants, we aim to compare the relative contributions of contemporary environment, evolutionary time and diversification rates in generating extant species diversity patterns.

Location

Global.

Time period

Undefined.

Major taxa studied

Rhododendron.

Methods

We compiled the global distributions of all Rhododendron species, and constructed a dated molecular phylogeny using nine chloroplast genes and seven nuclear regions. By integrating these two datasets, we estimated the temporal trends of Rhododendron diversification, and explored the global patterns of its species diversity, net diversification rates, and species ages. Next, we reconstructed the geographical ancestral area of the clade. Finally, we compared the relative contribution of contemporary environment, time‐for‐speciation, and diversification rates on the species diversity pattern of Rhododendron.

Results

In contrast to the predictions of the time‐for‐speciation hypothesis, we found that although Rhododendron originated at a temperate latitude, its contemporary species diversity is highest in the tropics/subtropics, suggesting an into‐the‐tropics colonization for this genus. We found that the elevated diversification induced by heterogeneous environmental conditions in the tropics/subtropics shapes the global pattern of Rhododendron diversity.

Main conclusions

Our findings support tropical and subtropical mountains as not only biodiversity and endemism hotspots, but also as cradles for the diversification of Rhododendron. Our study emphasizes the need of unifying ecological and evolutionary approaches in order to gain comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms underlying the global patterns of plant diversity.     

The utility of inflammation and platelet biomarkers in patients with acute coronary syndromes

Introduction

Thrombotic and inflammatory mechanisms are involved in the pathophysiology of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). The aim of the study was the evaluation of inflammation (white blood cells count/WBC, C-reactive protein/CRP, interleukin-6/IL-6) and platelet (platelet count/PLT, mean platelet volume/MPV, large platelet/LPLT, beta-thromboglobulin/β-TG) biomarkers in the groups of ACS patients depending on the severity of signs and symptoms and compared to controls without coronary artery disease.

SL-R柄人工股骨头置换术与股骨近端防旋髓内钉治疗老年不稳定型骨质疏松性股骨粗隆间骨折的疗效比较研究

目的:探讨股骨近端防旋髓内钉、SL-R柄人工股骨头置换术两种术式治疗老年不稳定型骨质疏松性股骨粗隆间骨折的应用效果。方法:选取2015年1月-2017年6月间于河北医科大学附属秦皇岛市第一医院行手术治疗的老年不稳定型骨质疏松性股骨粗隆间骨折患者98例,以数表法将患者随机均分为对照组(n=49)和观察组(n=49)。其中对照组采用股骨近端防旋髓内钉,观察组采用SL-R柄人工股骨头置换术。比较两组患者临床各项指标、手术前后髋关节功能评分以及术后并发症发生情况。结果:观察组手术时间、术中失血量均高于对照组,但住院时间、开始负重时间则低于对照组(P0.05)。观察组术后并发症发生率为4.08%(2/49),低于对照组的18.37%(9/49)(P0.05)。术后1个月、3个月时患者髋关节各项评分相比术前均有升高,术后3个月的各项评分高于术后1个月(P0.05);观察组术后1个月、3个月各项评分均高于对照组(P0.05)。结论:在老年不稳定型骨质疏松性股骨粗隆间骨折患者治疗过程当中,采用SL-R柄人工股骨头置换术可减少住院时间,疗效确切,无严重并发症,且可改善髋关节各项功能评分。     

Molecular and cellular basis of ornithine δ-aminotransferase deficiency caused by the V332M mutation associated with gyrate atrophy of the choroid and retina

Gyrate atrophy (GA) is a rare recessive disorder characterized by progressive blindness, chorioretinal degeneration and systemic hyperornithinemia. GA is caused by point mutations in the gene encoding ornithine δ-aminotransferase (OAT), a tetrameric pyridoxal 5′-phosphate-dependent enzyme catalysing the transamination of l-ornithine and α-ketoglutarate to glutamic–γ-semialdehyde and l-glutamate in mitochondria. More than 50 OAT variants have been identified, but their molecular and cellular properties are mostly unknown. A subset of patients is responsive to pyridoxine administration, although the mechanisms underlying responsiveness have not been clarified. Herein, we studied the effects of the V332M mutation identified in pyridoxine-responsive patients. The Val332-to-Met substitution does not significantly affect the spectroscopic and kinetic properties of OAT, but during catalysis it makes the protein prone to convert into the apo-form, which undergoes unfolding and aggregation under physiological conditions. By using the CRISPR/Cas9 technology we generated a new cellular model of GA based on HEK293 cells knock-out for the OAT gene (HEK-OAT_KO). When overexpressed in HEK-OAT_KO cells, the V332M variant is present in an inactive apodimeric form, but partly shifts to the catalytically-competent holotetrameric form in the presence of exogenous PLP, thus explaining the responsiveness of these patients to pyridoxine administration. Overall, our data represent the first integrated molecular and cellular analysis of the effects of a pathogenic mutation in OAT. In addition, we validated a novel cellular model for the disease that could prove instrumental to define the molecular defect of other GA-causing variants, as well as their responsiveness to pyridoxine and other putative drugs.     

Differential effects of FXR or TGR5 activation in cholangiocarcinoma progression

Background and aims

Cholangiocarcinoma (CCA) is an aggressive tumor type affecting cholangiocytes. CCAs frequently arise under certain cholestatic liver conditions. Intrahepatic accumulation of bile acids may facilitate cocarcinogenic effects by triggering an inflammatory response and cholangiocyte proliferation. Here, the role of bile acid receptors FXR and TGR5 in CCA progression was evaluated.