马王堆汉墓帛书《五十二病方》校读拾遗

马王堆汉墓帛书《五十二病方》是我国最早的汉医验方书。该书载有283个医方,其中几则方子仍有探讨余地,甚至需要借助巫术思维予以解读。“狂犬啮人”方中所谓“恒石”即“常石”,亦即普通石头,取两石相磨而疗狂犬所啮,是以石屑像犬牙之粉为治;“()”方中“毋敢上下”,是早期古人对蝎毒之类毒性善走的朴素认识;“肿囊”方中“酸浆”非本草“酸浆”,乃是古人饮品溲浆;“疣”方中“■楬”即“翦■”,为随手翦取的道旁荏属植物。

Potato Y Potyvirus Helper Component Proteinase Enhances Long-distance Movement of Potato X Potexvirus

To mutagenize two conserved CCCT and PTK motifs in the central domain of Chinese strain of potato Y potyvirus (PVY-C) helper component proteinase (HC-Pro), four mutants of HC-Pro gene were obtained by PCR and site-directed mutagenesis, and then were inserted into the constitutive expression vector pBin438. Leaves from tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum L. cv. K326) were transformed with these four plant expression plasmids by Agrobacterium-mediated transformation, respectively. Southern and Western blotting analyses showed that these four mutants were integrated into tobacco genomic DNA and could express the corresponding proteins in most of die transgenic plants. The challenge of transgenic plants with potato X potexvirus (PVX) revealed that the expression products of PVY-C HC-Pro mutants in transgenic plants greatly abolished functions of HC-Pro in enhancing the accumulation and pathogenicity of PVX, indicating that CCCT and PTK motifs of HC-Pro were required for PVX/PVY synergism. Meanwhile, the results demonstrated that PVY-C HC-Pro had a function in accelerating the long-distance movement of PVX in these transgenic plants for the first time.

Transient Expression of BYDV-MP in Nicotiana benthamiana

[Objective]The aim of this study was to identify transient expression of movement protein （MP） gene in Nicotinana benthaminana rapidly and further investigate the function of this exogenous gene. [Method]The movement protein gene of barley yellow dwarf virus （BYDV） was cloned into potato virus X （PVX） viral vector of pGR107,and PVX-recombinant vector was obtained. After electroporation of Agrobacterium tumefaciens,PVX was inoculated into the lower leaves of tobacco by Agrobacterium infiltration assay to observe the infection of virus on tobacco. [Result]After infection for 7 days,upper non-inoculated leaves of tobacco infected by the PVX-recombinant vector showed the virus infection symptoms,while the control group had no viral infection phenomenon. Daily follow-up observations for two groups revealed that tobacco infected by PVX-recombinant vector had severe symptoms of virus infection and curling leaves,or even led to necrosis both in infiltrated and systemic leaves in late period. However,tobacco infected by PVX vector had only slight symptoms of virus infection and could recover from infection. RT-PCR of the infected tobacco indicated that exogenous gene BYDV-MP had a normal transcription and expression in tobacco. [Conclusion]As a determinant factor for viral disease,BYDV-MP promotes the systemic infection rate of PVX and its symptom. In addition,it is feasible to express exogenous MP gene in Nicotiana benthaminan via PVX expression vector.

A virus vector species of Ceratothripoides new to China(Thysanoptera:Tripidae)

In this paper, the newly recorded species Ceratothripoides claratris （Shumsher） is described and illustrated. This species is an important vector of the Capsicum Chlorosis Virus. Slide-mounted specimens are deposited at Yunnan Agricultural University.

Cloning of Potato POTHR-1 Gene and Its Expression in Response to Infection by Phytophthora infestans and Other Abiotic Stimuli

A complete cDNA of potato Phytophthora infestans-induced hypersensitive response-related protein gene (POTHR-1) was cloned using rapid amplification of cDNA ends (RACE) strategy according to a fragment sequence which we had cloned using suppression subtractive hybridization (SSH) technique. The potato POTHR-1 gene encodes a protein of 225 amino acids, which shares 81% identity with tobacco hin1 gene-enoded protein (harpin-induced protein). Southern blot revealed that there are two to three copies of POTHR-1 in potato genome. The POTHR-1 gene expression in potato leaves showed that its transcripts accumulated remarkably in leaves after 36 h inoculation with P. infestans. Mechanical wounding and jasmonic acid (JA) could induce the POTHR-1 gene expression and osmotic stress just induce a slight accumulation of POTHR-1 gene mRNA, while salicylic acid (SA) had no detectable function on the induction accumulation of POTHR-1 gene transcripts. The potato POTHR-1 gene may preferentially associate with hypersensitive response (HR) or biotic cell death during interaction between host and pathogen.

Control Effect of 35% Thiamethoxam-prochloraz FS to Plant Diseases and Insect Pests at Rice Seedling Stage and Safety Evaluation

The prevention and control effect of 35% thiamethoxam-prochloraz FS to rice thrips and rice bakanae disease and its influence on the quality of rice seedlings were studied. The results show that when 100 kg of rice seeds were coated with 200 g of 35% thiamethoxam-prochloraz FS,the control effects to rice thrips were 93.0% and 84.7% 15 and 20 days after sowing, and the control effect to rice bakanae disease was 90.8% 30 days after sowing. As 100 kg of rice seeds were coated with 250 g of 35% thiamethoxam-prochloraz FS, the control effects to rice thrips were 98.2% and 94.9% 15 and 20 days after sowing, and the control ef- fect to rice bakanae disease was 94.6% 30 days after sowing. 35% thiamethoxam- prochloraz FS is safe to rice seedlings and can effectively promote the growth of rice seedlings.

Variations in Antioxidase Activities and MDA Content in Potato Tubers Infected by Fusarium trichothecioides

[Objective] This study was conducted to determine the physiological and biochemical characteristics of potato tubers infected by Fusarium trichothecioides. [Method] The soluble protein content, SOD activity, POD activity and malondialdehyde （MDA） content of the tubers of two potato varieties Atlantic and Keshan 1 infected by F. trichothecioides were measured 0, 3, 6, 9, 12, 24 and 48 h later. [Result] Com- pared with the control uninfected, the contents of soluble protein and MDA in the tu- bers of both potato varieties infected with F. trichothecioides decreased, while the SOD activity increased, indicating that SOD activity had a certain relationship with the resistance of potato to dry rot. The POD activity in Keshan 1 which is resistant to F. trichothecioides was higher than in Atlantic, which is susceptible to F. trichothe- cioides, indicating that POD activity was closely related with potato＇s resistance to Fusarium dry rot. [Conclusion] The physiological and biochemical characteristics of potato tubers infected by F. trichothecioides will provide some references for the early waming and prevention of Fusariurn dry rot.

Casein kinase 2 interacts with and phosphorylates ataxin-3

Objective Machado-Joseph disease （MJD）/Spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 （SCA3） is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder caused by an expansion of polyglutamine tract near the C-terminus of the MJD1 gene product, ataxin-3. The precise mechanism of the MJD/SCA3 pathogenesis remains unclear. A growing body of evidence demonstrates that phosphorylation plays an important role in the pathogenesis of many neurodegenerative diseases. However, few kinases are known to phosphorylate ataxin-3. The present study is to explore whether ataxin-3 is a substrate of casein kinase 2 （CK2）. Methods The interaction between ataxin-3 and CK2 was identified by glutathione S-transferase （GST） pull-down assay and co-immunoprecipition assay. The phosphorylation of ataxin-3 by CK2 was measured by in vitro phosphorylation assays. Results （1） Both wild type and expanded ataxin-3 interacted with CK2α and CK2β in vitro. （2） In 293 cells, both wild type and expanded ataxin-3 interacted with CK2β, but not CK2α. （3） CK2 phosphorylated wild type and expanded ataxin-3. Conclusion Ataxin-3 is a substrate of protein kinase CK2.

Inactivation of infectious bursal disease virus by binary ethylenimine and formalin

In this experiment conducted to study the inactivation dynamics of infectious bursal disease virus （IBDV） by binary ethylenimine （BEI） in comparison with formalin, IBDV was isolated from the bursa of infected chickens and its confirmation was done by agar gel precipitation test. Viral suspensions were subjected to inactivation with BEI and formalin for pre-set time in- tervals. BEI was employed at concentrations of 0.001 and 0.002 mol/L while formalin was used at 0.1% and 0.2%. Sampling was done at 6, 12, 24, 36 and 48 h of incubation and samples were tested for their inactivation status in 9-day-old embryonated eggs and 3-week-old broiler chickens. IBDV was completely inactivated by 0.001 and 0.002 mol/L BEI after 36 h of incubation at 37℃, whereas formalin at 0. 1% and 0.2% concentrations inactivated IBDV in 24 h.

Comparative Experiments of Potato Resistance to Potato Late Bright in Zhaotong City

A comparative test was conducted on 6 potato varieties in Songshan Vil- lage in Zhaoyang District during 3 years, and PB06, a new variety, was selected, which provides references for selecting highly-yielding, highly-qualified and late blight- tolerant potatoes.

Musculoskeletal disorders in oil palm fruit bunches harvesting in Malaysia

Malaysia is the biggest crude palm oil exporter to the world market for the last 16 years. However this achievement is still be overshadowed by the harvesting method which is conventional and labor intensive. An attempt to use mechanization into the harvesting system, in particular the cutting process of tall palm trees, has been unsuccessful. At the beginning of the oil palm＇s fruit bearing fife, i.e. 3 to 4 years of age, fi＇uit bunches are still accessible. For these palms, a chisel is used to cut the fiuit bunches. Growth is such 8-10 years, and the trees have already reached substantial height. In these cases a sickle mountedon flexible telescopic aluminum tube （pole） is used. This, however, exposes plantation worker to the risk of musculoskeletal discomfort and injury. This paper examines the problems by assessing the task posture and tool, and their implications for operators, using questionnaire survey and videotape analysis techniques. The result prevails that there is evidence to associate the problems of musculoskeletal disorders among the operators.

Anti-hepatitis A seroprevalence among chronic viral hepatitis patients in Kelantan,Malaysia

AIM:To determine the seroprevalence of anti-hepatitis A virus (HAV) antibodies in patients with chronic liver disease (CLD) and to justify the need for hepatitis A vaccination.METHODS:Patients (n=119) were enrolled between July and September 2009.The diagnosis of CLD was based on the presence of viral markers for more than 6 mo.The diagnosis of liver cirrhosis was based on clinical,biochemical and radiological profiles.Patient serum was tested for anti-HAV IgG.RESULTS:The overall anti-HAV seroprevalence was 88.2%.The aetiology of CLD was hepatitis B in 96 patients (80.7%) and hepatitis C in 23 patients (19.3%).Mean age was 44.4 ± 14 years.Patients were grouped according to age as follows:24 (20.2%) patients in the 21-30 years age group,22 (18.5%) in the 31-40 years age group,31 (26.1%) in the 41-50 years age group,23(19.3%) in the 51-60 years age group and 19 (16.0%) patients aged greater than 60 years,with reported seroprevalences of 66.7%,95.5%,93.5%,91.3% and 94.7%,respectively.There was a marked increase of seroprevalence in subjects older than 30 years (P=0.001).CONCLUSION:Our study demonstrated that patients aged greater than 30 years of age were likely to have natural immunity to hepatitis A.Therefore,hepatitis A vaccination may not be routinely required in this age group.

Susceptibility of Newly Introduced Potato Cultivars to Libya to Infection with Bacterial Soft Rot and the Associated Physiological Changes

Tuber slices of newly introduced potato cultivars （cvs） in Libya, namely Spunta, Pamela, Daisy, Daifla, Atlas and Apollina were tested for their susceptibility to soft rot bacterium （Erwinia carotovora subsp, carotovora）. Atlas cv was proved to be the most susceptible cv, meanwhile, Daisy cv was the most resistant one. The activities of pectolytic and oxidative enzymes in diseased tubers were profoundly higher than these in healthy ones. The highest enzymatic activities of pectin methyl esterase （PME） and polygalacturonase （PG） were observed in diseased tubers of Daifla cv. However, diseased tubers of Spunta gave the highest activities of polymethyl galacturonase （PMG）. On the other hand, the highest significant activities of the enzyme PME in healthy tubers was detected in Pamela cv compared to other cvs. Moreover, there were insignificant differences in PG and PMG enzymes activities between healthy tubers of the different cvs. The cv Daisy gave the highest activity of the enzyme peroxidase （PO） in diseased tubers, whereas the highest activity of enzyme polyphenol oxidase （PPO） was detected in infected tubers of Atlas cv. Concerning healthy tubers, the highest activities of enzymes PO and PPO were noticed in Atlas and Pamella cvs respectively as compared to other cvs. Electrolyte leakage from plant cells was estimated by measuring electrical conductivity as indicator for permeability changes in potato tissues. Values of electrolyte leakage in infected tubers of all tested cvs showed significant increase compared with those of healthy ones, especially, with the most susceptible one.

Nephrotoxicity and carcinogenesis of aristolochic acids and their derivates

Aristolochic acids （AAs）, a natural mixture of 8-methoxy-6-nitro-phenanthro-（3,4-d）-1,3-dioxolo-5-carboxylic acid （AAI）and 6-nitro-phenanthro-（3,4-d）-1,3-dioxolo-5-carboxylic acid （AAII）, derived from aristolochiaceae species, has beenreported to cause AAS-induced nephropathy and upper urothelial cancer. In this review, we summarize the informationon the nephrotoxicity and carcinogenesis of AAs and their derivatives. AAs nephrotoxicity can lead to apoptosis andoxidative stress of renal tubular cells, and inhibition of the expression of aquaporins. AAs can also reduce the capabilityfor renal tubular epithelial cell repair after acute injury and further produce renal fibrosis by activating TGF-β-Smadsignaling and promoting the migration of macrophages. Moreover, AAs-induced carcinogenesis may be due to theformation of covalent adducts with DNA which can lead to the mutation in certain tumor suppressor genes orproto-oncogenes and the different catalyzing capacity of the microsomal cytochrome P450 of individuals in AAImetabolism.

The Antiviral Action of Polyhexamethylene Guanidine Derivatives

Although the PHMG （polyhexamethylene guanidine） and other oligomer guanidines are known as highly efficient biocides against a broad spectrum of microorganisms and eukaryotic cells, the cell protection by PHMG derivatives has been established firstly in this study. The antiviral protection was also exhibited after 15 min pretreatment of different cell cultures with low-concentration of PHMG salts. Monolayers of the continuous bovine tracheal cells culture （TCC） and primary culture of chicken embryo fibroblasts （FCE） were treated with aqueous solutions of PHMG chloride salts or PHMG succinate. The molecules of PHMG polycation adhered to the plasma membrane of the cells tested as they were treated with PHMG for 15-30 min. The viral material was added to the cell cultures after the wash-out carried out twice to rid of unbound PHMG. The viruses of Equine herpesvirus type 1, Rhinotracheitis infectious bovine and Equine infectious anemia virus were used. The protective effect from the cytopathic action of herpes and retroviruses was exhibited after 15 min pretreatment of cell monolayer with PHMG chloride at the TCC concentrations of 10^-3 - 10^-2% and FCE concentrations of 10^-5 - 10^-4%. The unique antiviral properties of PHMG salts represented in our research had never been shown before.

Wheat Stripe Rust Virulence and Varietal Resistance in the Foot Hill Himalayas of Nepal

Stripe rust, caused by Puccinia striiformis f. sp. tritici （Pst） is an important disease of wheat （Triticum aestivum） in Nepal, which is a part of the Himalayas stretching over the North of Nepal, India, Pakistan, Bhutan and beyond. Wheat production plays a crucial role in food security of the marginal hill farmers of Nepal. Frequent epidemics of the rust have caused huge loss in farmer＇s field. Periodic monitoring during 1980-2008 showed that changes in virulence occurred during this period. The objective of this study was to evaluate Pst resistance and its effective genes in wheat genotypes. For this, trap nurseries, wheat stripe rust differentials, commercial cultivars and advanced breeding lines were tested under artificial epiphytotic and natural hot spots conditions during 2005 to 2010. Four genes （Yr5, Yr10, Yr15 and YrSp） consistently showed resistance to the prevailing races. The gene Yr9 and Yr27 in combinations with Yrl8 were found effective. Other lines with combination of minor genes were also found effective. The genotypes Amadina, Kukuna, Tukuru, Kakatsi and Buck Buck widely used in breeding program were resistant. The cultivation of varieties WK1204, Gautam, Gaura and Dhaulagiri have ensured genetic diversity for the rust resistance and slowed down frequent occurrence of epidemics. The findings of these studies could help in developing effective varietal resistance program in the sub-continent.

PolyQ-expanded ataxin-3 interacts with full-length ataxin-3 in a polyQ length-dependent manner

Objective Machado-Joseph disease （MJD）, also known as spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 （SCA3）, is a dominant neurodegenerative disorder caused by an expansion of the polyglutamine （polyQ） tract in MJD-1 gene product, ataxin-3 （AT3）. This disease is characterized by the formation of intraneuronal inclusions, but the mechanism underlying their formation is still poorly understood. The present study is to explore the relationship between wild type （WT） AT3 and polyQ expanded AT3. Methods Mouse neuroblastoma （N2a） cells or HEK293 cells were co-transfected with WTAT3 and different truncated forms of expanded AT3. The expressions of WT AT3 and the truncated forms of expanded AT3 were detected by Western blotting, and observed by an inverted fluorescent microscope. The interactions between AT3 and different truncated forms of expanded AT3 were detected by immunoprecipitation and GST pull-down assays. Results Using fluorescent microscope, we observed that the truncated forms of expanded AT3 aggregate in transfected cells, and the full-length WT AT3 is recruited onto the aggregates. However, no aggregates were observed in cells transfected with the truncated forms of WT AT3. Immunoprecipitation and GST pull-down analyses indicate that WT AT3 interacts with the truncated AT3 in a polyQ length-dependent manner. Conclusion WT AT3 deposits in the aggregation that was formed by polyQ expanded AT3, which suggests that the formation of AT3 aggregation may affect the normal function of WT AT3 and increase polyQ protein toxicity in MJD.

Preservation of Disease-free Shoot Tips of Potato Germplasm through in vitro System

The present investigation was undertaken to find out the best medium composition for medium-term preservation of disease free potato shoot tips in in vitro system.Thirteen potato genotypes and fourteen treatments were taken under consideration for the present experiment.Among fourteen treatments,mannitol and sorbitol containing media proved to be the best for medium-term preservation of potato shoot tips.High concentration of mannitol delayed root formation.

Clinical Characterization and Frequency of Observation of Hereditary Retinal Diseases： Multicentric Study in Panama in 2012-2013

Retinal dystrophies are genetically determined diseases, implying the loss of function of the retina with a wide phenotypic and genotypic variability. There are very few phenotypic, genotypic and epidemiological data on retinal dystrophies in Latin America. The Objective of this study is to describe the epidemioiogical and clinical characteristics of hereditary retinal and choroidal diseases, in retina practices in Panama. A descriptive study, from 2012 to 2013, was performed in the main retina practices in Panama. All detected patients were given a free appointment to gather their phenotypic characteristics and pedigrees. An incidence of five new cases per year, and an accumulated incidence of 5.35 patients per I0,000 was calculated for the public hospitals. A frequency of 2.7 cases per 1,000 patients was observed in the main retina practices, where 69% had rod-cone dystrophies, 14.3% cone-rod dystrophies, 7.1% Stargardt disease, 4.8% Stargardt-like macular dystrophy and two patients presented other dystrophies. Blindness was the main family antecedent （45.2%）. Retinal pigment was present in 59% and strabismus in 21.4% of the patients. Rod-cone and cone-rod dystrophies had similar geographic distribution and the autosomal recessive inheritance pattern was the most frequently observed. This study gives the first phenotypic data of retinal dystrophies in Panama to orient clinicians for a better diagnosis and phenotyping-genotyping correlation for retinal dystrophies in Central America.