Widespread species that inhabit diverse environments possess large population sizes and exhibit a high capacity for environmental adaptation,thus enabling range expansion.In contrast,narrow-range species are confined ...Widespread species that inhabit diverse environments possess large population sizes and exhibit a high capacity for environmental adaptation,thus enabling range expansion.In contrast,narrow-range species are confined to restricted geographical areas and are ecologically adapted to narrow environmental conditions,thus limiting their ability to expand into novel environments.However,the genomic mechanisms underlying the differentiation between closely related species with varying distribution ranges remain poorly understood.The Niviventer niviventer species complex(NNSC),consisting of highly abundant wild rats in Southeast Asia and China,offers an excellent opportunity to investigate these questions due to the presence of both widespread and narrow-range species that are phylogenetically closely related.In the present study,we combined ecological niche modeling with phylogenetic analysis,which suggested that sister species cannot be both widespread and dominant within the same geographical region.Moreover,by assessing heterozygosity,linkage disequilibrium decay,and Tajima's D analysis,we found that widespread species exhibited higher genetic diversity than narrow-range species.In addition,by exploring the“genomic islands of speciation”,we identified 13 genes in highly divergent regions that were shared by the two widespread species,distinguishing them from their narrow-range counterparts.Functional annotation analysis indicated that these genes are involved in nervous system development and regulation.The adaptive evolution of these genes likely played an important role in the speciation of these widespread species.展开更多
To examine a） the effect of organophosphorus pesticide exposure on activity of carboxylic esterases, namely butyrylcholinesterase （BChE）, carboxylesterase （CarbE） and paraoxonase （PonE）; and b） the association...To examine a） the effect of organophosphorus pesticide exposure on activity of carboxylic esterases, namely butyrylcholinesterase （BChE）, carboxylesterase （CarbE） and paraoxonase （PonE）; and b） the association of polymorphisms of BChE and PonE with individual genetic susceptibility to organophosphorus pesticide exposure. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in 75 workers exposed to organophosphorus pesticides and 100 non-exposed controls. The serum activity of these enzymes was measured. Variant forms of BCHE-K, PON-192, and PON-55 were detected. A symptom score was developed as a proxy measure of clinical outcomes. Results Activities of both BChE and CarbE were lower in exposed workers （27.3±21.65 runol.hl.mL^-l and 235.6±104.03 nmol-min^-l.mL^-l） than in non-exposed workers （78.313±30.354 nmol.h^-l.mL^-1 and 362.681_＋194.997 nmol.min^-1.mL^-1）. The activity of PonE was not associated with exposure status. The AChE activity in the exposed workers with BCHE-K genotype UU （61 cases）, genotype UK （12 cases） and genotype KK （2 cases） was 105.05, 84.42 and 79.00 mmol-h^-1.mL^-1, respectively and the accumulative symptom scores were 3.74, 9.17, and 12.50 accordingly. The AChE activity in the exposed workers with PON-192 genotype BB （37）, genotype AB （27） and genotype AA （11） was 116.8, 91.2, and 72,3 mmol-h^-1.mL^-1, respectively and the symptom scores were 2.00, 6.74, and 9.73 accordingly. The AChE activity in those with PON-55 genotype LL （70） and genotype LM （5） was 102.4 and 82.8 mmol-h^-1.mL^-1 and the symptom scores were 4.53 and 9.20. The symptom score was the highest in individuals with abnormal homozygote for each of the three gene loci. Condusions Long-term exposure to organophosphorus pesticides can inhibit BChE and CarbE activity, but exerts no inhibitory effect on PonE activity. Different genotypes of BCHE-K, PON-192, and PON-55 may be related to the severity of adverse health effects of organophosphorus pesticide exposure. Implications of potentially higher susceptibility of workers with mutant homozygotes should be evaluated to reduce health risks.展开更多
Epidural stimulation of the spinal cord is a promising technique for the recovery of motor function after spinal cord injury.The key challenges within the reconstruction of motor function for paralyzed limbs are the p...Epidural stimulation of the spinal cord is a promising technique for the recovery of motor function after spinal cord injury.The key challenges within the reconstruction of motor function for paralyzed limbs are the precise control of sites and parameters of stimulation.To activate lower-limb muscles precisely by epidural spinal cord stimulation,we proposed a high-density,flexible electrode array.We determined the regions of motor function that were activated upon epidural stimulation of the spinal cord in a rat model with complete spinal cord,which was established by a transection method.For evaluating the effect of stimulation,the evoked potentials were recorded from bilateral lowerlimb muscles,including the vastus lateralis,semitendinosus,tibialis anterior,and medial gastrocnemius.To determine the appropriate stimulation sites and parameters of the lower muscles,the stimulation characteristics were studied within the regions in which motor function was activated upon spinal cord stimulation.In the vastus lateralis and medial gastrocnemius,these regions were symmetrically located at the lateral site of L1 and the medial site of L2 vertebrae segment,respectively.The tibialis anterior and semitendinosus only responded to stimulation simultaneously with other muscles.The minimum and maximum stimulation threshold currents of the vastus lateralis were higher than those of the medial gastrocnemius.Our results demonstrate the ability to identify specific stimulation sites of lower muscles using a high-density and flexible array.They also provide a reference for selecting the appropriate conditions for implantable stimulation for animal models of spinal cord injury.This study was approved by the Animal Research Committee of Southeast University,China(approval No.20190720001) on July 20,2019.展开更多
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD)is a heterogeneous disease characteristic of small airway inflammation,obstruction,and emphysema.It is well known that spirometry alone cannot differentiate each separate com...Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD)is a heterogeneous disease characteristic of small airway inflammation,obstruction,and emphysema.It is well known that spirometry alone cannot differentiate each separate component.Computed tomography(CT)is widely used to determine the extent of emphysema and small airway involvement in COPD.Compared with the pulmonary function test,small airway CT phenotypes can accurately reflect disease severity in patients with COPD,which is conducive to improving the prognosis of this disease.CT measurement of central airway morphology has been applied in clinical,epidemiologic,and genetic investigations as an inference of the presence and severity of small airway disease.This review will focus on presenting the current knowledge and methodologies in chest CT that aid in identifying discrete COPD phenotypes.展开更多
Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD)has recently become the third leading cause of death following heart disease and cancer.Acute exacerbation of COPD(AECOPD)can be prevented by early detection of deterioration...Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD)has recently become the third leading cause of death following heart disease and cancer.Acute exacerbation of COPD(AECOPD)can be prevented by early detection of deterioration and timely treatment,which can effectively lower the severity of exacerbation and prevent hospitalization.展开更多
基金supported by the Guangdong Provincial Key R&D Program (2022B1111040001)the Second Tibetan Plateau Scientific Expedition and Research Program (2019QZKK0402/2019QZKK0501)National Natural Science Foundation of China (32170426)。
文摘Widespread species that inhabit diverse environments possess large population sizes and exhibit a high capacity for environmental adaptation,thus enabling range expansion.In contrast,narrow-range species are confined to restricted geographical areas and are ecologically adapted to narrow environmental conditions,thus limiting their ability to expand into novel environments.However,the genomic mechanisms underlying the differentiation between closely related species with varying distribution ranges remain poorly understood.The Niviventer niviventer species complex(NNSC),consisting of highly abundant wild rats in Southeast Asia and China,offers an excellent opportunity to investigate these questions due to the presence of both widespread and narrow-range species that are phylogenetically closely related.In the present study,we combined ecological niche modeling with phylogenetic analysis,which suggested that sister species cannot be both widespread and dominant within the same geographical region.Moreover,by assessing heterozygosity,linkage disequilibrium decay,and Tajima's D analysis,we found that widespread species exhibited higher genetic diversity than narrow-range species.In addition,by exploring the“genomic islands of speciation”,we identified 13 genes in highly divergent regions that were shared by the two widespread species,distinguishing them from their narrow-range counterparts.Functional annotation analysis indicated that these genes are involved in nervous system development and regulation.The adaptive evolution of these genes likely played an important role in the speciation of these widespread species.
基金This work was supported by the grant from National 973 Project (2002CB512902) and the grant from Shanghai Shuguang Program.
文摘To examine a） the effect of organophosphorus pesticide exposure on activity of carboxylic esterases, namely butyrylcholinesterase （BChE）, carboxylesterase （CarbE） and paraoxonase （PonE）; and b） the association of polymorphisms of BChE and PonE with individual genetic susceptibility to organophosphorus pesticide exposure. Methods A cross-sectional study was conducted in 75 workers exposed to organophosphorus pesticides and 100 non-exposed controls. The serum activity of these enzymes was measured. Variant forms of BCHE-K, PON-192, and PON-55 were detected. A symptom score was developed as a proxy measure of clinical outcomes. Results Activities of both BChE and CarbE were lower in exposed workers （27.3±21.65 runol.hl.mL^-l and 235.6±104.03 nmol-min^-l.mL^-l） than in non-exposed workers （78.313±30.354 nmol.h^-l.mL^-1 and 362.681_＋194.997 nmol.min^-1.mL^-1）. The activity of PonE was not associated with exposure status. The AChE activity in the exposed workers with BCHE-K genotype UU （61 cases）, genotype UK （12 cases） and genotype KK （2 cases） was 105.05, 84.42 and 79.00 mmol-h^-1.mL^-1, respectively and the accumulative symptom scores were 3.74, 9.17, and 12.50 accordingly. The AChE activity in the exposed workers with PON-192 genotype BB （37）, genotype AB （27） and genotype AA （11） was 116.8, 91.2, and 72,3 mmol-h^-1.mL^-1, respectively and the symptom scores were 2.00, 6.74, and 9.73 accordingly. The AChE activity in those with PON-55 genotype LL （70） and genotype LM （5） was 102.4 and 82.8 mmol-h^-1.mL^-1 and the symptom scores were 4.53 and 9.20. The symptom score was the highest in individuals with abnormal homozygote for each of the three gene loci. Condusions Long-term exposure to organophosphorus pesticides can inhibit BChE and CarbE activity, but exerts no inhibitory effect on PonE activity. Different genotypes of BCHE-K, PON-192, and PON-55 may be related to the severity of adverse health effects of organophosphorus pesticide exposure. Implications of potentially higher susceptibility of workers with mutant homozygotes should be evaluated to reduce health risks.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China,Nos.61534003 (to ZGW) and 61874024 (to ZGW)。
文摘Epidural stimulation of the spinal cord is a promising technique for the recovery of motor function after spinal cord injury.The key challenges within the reconstruction of motor function for paralyzed limbs are the precise control of sites and parameters of stimulation.To activate lower-limb muscles precisely by epidural spinal cord stimulation,we proposed a high-density,flexible electrode array.We determined the regions of motor function that were activated upon epidural stimulation of the spinal cord in a rat model with complete spinal cord,which was established by a transection method.For evaluating the effect of stimulation,the evoked potentials were recorded from bilateral lowerlimb muscles,including the vastus lateralis,semitendinosus,tibialis anterior,and medial gastrocnemius.To determine the appropriate stimulation sites and parameters of the lower muscles,the stimulation characteristics were studied within the regions in which motor function was activated upon spinal cord stimulation.In the vastus lateralis and medial gastrocnemius,these regions were symmetrically located at the lateral site of L1 and the medial site of L2 vertebrae segment,respectively.The tibialis anterior and semitendinosus only responded to stimulation simultaneously with other muscles.The minimum and maximum stimulation threshold currents of the vastus lateralis were higher than those of the medial gastrocnemius.Our results demonstrate the ability to identify specific stimulation sites of lower muscles using a high-density and flexible array.They also provide a reference for selecting the appropriate conditions for implantable stimulation for animal models of spinal cord injury.This study was approved by the Animal Research Committee of Southeast University,China(approval No.20190720001) on July 20,2019.
基金This work was supported by the grants from the National Key Research and Development Program of China(No.2018YFC1313602)Major International(Regional)Joint Research Project(No.81820108001)+5 种基金National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.81670029)Jiangsu Key Principal Investigator of Medicine(No.ZDRCA2016018)Project 333 for Cultivation of Young and Middle-aged Leading Talents(No.BRA2019078)Jiangsu Key Program of Social Development(No.BE2015651)Nanjing Key Project of Science and Technology(No.2019060002)(to L.Zhou)Xuzhou Administration of Science and Technology(No.KC20082).
文摘Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD)is a heterogeneous disease characteristic of small airway inflammation,obstruction,and emphysema.It is well known that spirometry alone cannot differentiate each separate component.Computed tomography(CT)is widely used to determine the extent of emphysema and small airway involvement in COPD.Compared with the pulmonary function test,small airway CT phenotypes can accurately reflect disease severity in patients with COPD,which is conducive to improving the prognosis of this disease.CT measurement of central airway morphology has been applied in clinical,epidemiologic,and genetic investigations as an inference of the presence and severity of small airway disease.This review will focus on presenting the current knowledge and methodologies in chest CT that aid in identifying discrete COPD phenotypes.
基金Project supported by the China Scholarship Council(No.201806320236)the Zhejiang University Academic Award for Outstanding Doctoral Candidates(No.2018071)the Ningxia Provincial Key Research and Development Program of China(No.2018BCE01004)
基金Project supported by the 2017 Science&Technology Innovation Project Along the Yellow River of Chinathe Major Project of Key R&D Programs of the Ningxia Hui Autonomous Region,China(No.2018BCE01004)
基金supported by grants from the National Key Research and Development Program of China(No.2018YFC1313602)Major International(Regional)Joint Research Project(No.81820108001)+4 种基金National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.81670029)Jiangsu Key Principal Investigator of Medicine(No.ZDRCA2016018)Project 333 for Cultivation of Young and Middle-aged Leading Talents(No.BRA2019078)Jiangsu Key Program of Social Development(No.BE2015651)Nanjing Key Project of Science and Technology(No.2019060002)to L.Zhou.
文摘Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD)has recently become the third leading cause of death following heart disease and cancer.Acute exacerbation of COPD(AECOPD)can be prevented by early detection of deterioration and timely treatment,which can effectively lower the severity of exacerbation and prevent hospitalization.
