Diversity of Bmp15 and Gdf9 Genes in White Goat of Guizhou Province and Evolution of the Encoded Proteins

Members of the transforming growth factor-beta superfamily, growth differentiation factor 9 （GDF9） and bone morphogenetic protein 15 （BMP 15）, have crucial roles in fecundity of sheep. Our previous investigation confirmed that the fecundity mutations of sheep presented in highly prolific White goat individuals of Guizhou province. To illuminate other polymorphisms in Bmpl5 and Gdfl） genes and the relationship of these mutations with function, we cloned and characterized the coding region of Bmp15 and Gdfl）. Molecular models of BMP15 and GDF9 mature peptide of White goat were constructed based on the homology of human BMP7 experimental tertiary structure. Two exons encoded prepropeptide of 394 amino acids in BMPI5 and 453 residues in GDF9, respectively. Apart from the FecXs mutation （S99I） in BMP15 and V791 mutation in GDF9 confirmed in White goat previously, other seven and three polymorphism sites were detected from BMP15 and GDF9 mature peptides, respectively. S32G, N66H, S99I/P99I and G107R in BMP15 could be important for the binding of dimer to receptors. Changes of P78Q and V79I in GDF9 might affect the binding of dimer to receptor type t. Comparing the length of BMP 15 and GDF9 prepropeptide in vertebrates, an increase in length of BMP 15 presented along with the protein evolution from fish to mammal and the divergence of the N-terminus residues in matured BMP15 peptide might contribute to the sensitive control on the fertility of animal species with low ovulation rate. These findings gave a valuable explanation for the correlation of mutations in Bmpl5 and Gdfl） genes with the control on fecundity of White goat and supported the notion that they were the pivotal factors in female fertility of White goat in Guizhou province.

Discovery of Triploid Allium macrostemon Bunge in Laizhou City of Shandong Province

[Objective]The study was to analyze the karyotype of Allium macrostemon Bunge in Laizhou City of Shandong Province.[ Method] The root tip of A. macrostemon was pretreated with 8-hydroxyquinoline solution, fixed, dissociated and stained for preparing the glass slide to reveal the chromosome number via the microscopic examination; the sparse cells with good chromosome morphology were photographed under microscope. [ Result ]Allium macrostemon Bunge in Laizhou City introduced in this study was tdploid; its somatic chromosome number was 24 and karyotype formula was K（2n） =3x=24m（2SAT） ＋ 1Bs, thus the karyotype belongs to 1A type. One of the chromosome No. 3 contained satellite, and chromosome deletion may be existed in one of the chromosome No. 5. In addition, B chromosome was observed in some cells.[ Conclusion] This introduction of triploid A. macrostemon found in China was the first time.

让小城镇造就更多新市民

从“八五”到“九五”，大理州的12县市通过调整城乡结构，加快了城市化进程，有35个乡实现撤乡建镇，全州128个乡镇中的建制镇增加到51个，占39.8%，新增城市建成区面积22平方公里，全州城市建成区面积达到50平方公里，高楼拔起于阡陌。在田野，繁华的街道、林立的商铺不再是都市独有的风景，世纪之初，募然回望，人们惊喜起发现，“农民家门口的城市”-小城镇，这些小城镇里，居住着本地农转非与外地人入主的新市民，城乡二元结构下的经济社会，构筑了一道亮丽的风景线，为民族自治州的改革开放谱写了壮丽煌的新篇章。

GRADIENT DISTRIBUTION OF ACID RAIN IN THE SCENIC RESORT OF THE BAIYUN MOUNTAIN IN GUANGZHOU

This paper analyzes the samples of rainwater from January to October 1999 at three monitoring sites of Baiyun Mountain and of aerosol composition in near-surface layer in January and June 1999 at two sites. The results suggest that (1) The pH value of rainwater is between 3.13 and 7.18, and the frequency of acid rain is more than 58 %. With the ascent of the monitoring sites, the pH value of rainwater decreases, and the frequency of acid rain increases. (2) In January, the chemical aerosol compositions at different altitudes are similar, but in June the acidity of aerosol rises at the higher site because of the increase of SO42-. (3) In rainwater, the proportion is such that SO42- is the most significant anion and Ca2+ is the most important cation, but both of them decrease as the altitude ascends. The proportion of NO3- and NH4+ rise at the higher site and have more contribution to the acidity of rainwater. (4) As the impact of automobile emissions around Baiyun Mountain, the proportion of NO3-/SO42-molecular concentration reaches 0.40, and NO3- is relatively more important to the rain acidity at the higher site.

Element geochemical characteristics of a soil profile developed on dolostone in central Guizhou, southern China: implications for parent materials

This study presents bulk chemical compositions of the Tongmuling soil profile, which developed on dolostone, and the overlying strata covering the bedrock in the central Guizhou province(southern China). The chemical weathering characteristics of the studied profile were investigated and the inheritance relationships between the terra rossa and overlying strata were discussed. The results show that there is no remarkable variation in the major elements and weathering indices from the rock–soil interface to the topsoil, indicating that the studied profile was not typical for in situ crustal chemical weathering. The terra rossa were mainly composed of Si O_2, Al_2O_3 and Fe_2O_3. Compared with the insoluble residues and overlying strata, the terra rossa are characterized by an enrichment of Y and Cs and depletion of Ba and Sr. The subsoil shows a notable Ce negative anomaly, characterized by heavy rare earth element enrichment(L/H = 1.55–3.74), whereas the topsoil shows a positive Ce anomaly with light rare earth element enrichment(L/H = 5.93–9.14). According to Laterite-forming capacity estimates, the terra rossa could not have only been formed from acid-insoluble residues from the bedrock; Al_2O_3 versus Fe_2O_3and Nb plotted against Ta show significant positive correlations between the terra rossa and overlying strata. The Eu/Eu* versusGd_N/Yb_Nand ternary diagrams for Sc, Th, Zr, and Ta suggest that the overlying strata could also provide parent materials for the genesis of terra rossa.

On paleoecology of carnivorous dinosaurs(Tyrannosauridae,Dromaeosauridae) from Late Cretaceous fossil deposits of Amur region,Russian Far East

Present article is on Russian Far East carnivorous dinosaur paleoecology.Described summary is based on detailed study and comparison of isolated shed teeth morphology.

Different Characters and Destines of Four Sisters in Little Women

Little Women is a novel published in1868 and written by American author Louisa May Alcott. The story concerns the lives and loves of four sisters growing up during the American Civil War. It was based on Alcott＇s own experiences as a child in Concord, Massachusetts with her three sisters, Anna, May, and Elizabeth. It is a story about love, faith, fortitude, and devotion. And this paper aims at analyzing the four sisters＇ different characters and destinies and tries to give readers a new understanding about this novel.

Renal impairment in multiple myelomas

Objective: The aim of the study was to investigate the clinic manifestation, diagnosis and treatment on multiple myeloma (MM) with the onset of renal impairment. Methods: The 27 cases of multiple myeloma with the onset of renal impair-ment were collected in Department of Nephrology, Wuhan General Hospital of Guangzhou Command, China, from January 2007 to January 2011. All cases were divided into the groups with renal dysfunction (n = 16) and normal renal function (n = 11). The clinic manifestations, treatments and prognosis of all patients were analyzed. Results: Of all the patients in normal renal function group, 5 suffered nephrotic syndrome, 4 had abnormal results of routine urinalysis (hematuria or proteinuria) which were not caused by nephrotic syndrome, and 1 suffered urinary tract infection. Five pathological specimens of renal biopsy revealed that light chain protein, immunoglobulin and complement C3 were deposited mainly in the glomerular base-ment membrane and mesangia, tubular basement membrane and arteriolar walls. Two pathological specimens were proved to be renal amyloidosis. Patients with renal dysfunction had poorer prognosis, severer anemia, higher values of serum lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and β2-microglobulin (β2-MG), worse responses to chemotherapy. Of 16 patients with renal dysfunc-tion, 14 (87.5%) were stage III, which were significantly higher than that in the group of normal renal function [63.6% (7/11)]. Of 16 cases with renal dysfunction, 9 were treated with blood purification, and 5 of 9 cases were treated with plasma exchange. Conclusion: Multiple myeloma with the onset of renal impairment was easily misdiagnosed. Hemodialysis concomitant with chemotherapy could contribute to recovery of renal function.

Decratonic gold deposits

The North China Craton(NCC) hosts numerous gold deposits and is known as the most gold-productive region of China. The gold deposits were mostly formed within a few million years in the Early Cretaceous(130–120 Ma), coeval with widespread occurrences of bimodal magmatism, rift basins and metamorphic core complexes that marked the peak of lithospheric thinning and destruction of the NCC. Stable isotope data and geological evidence indicate that ore-forming fluids and other components were largely exsolved from cooling magma and/or derived from mantle degassing during the period of lithospheric extension. Gold mineralization in the NCC contrasts strikingly with that of other cratons where gold ore-forming fluids were sourced mostly from metamorphic devolatization in compressional or transpressional regimes. In this paper, we present a summary and discussion on time-space distribution and ore genesis of gold deposits in the NCC in the context of the timing, spatial variation, and decratonic processes. Compared with orogenic gold deposits in other cratonic blocks, the Early Cretaceous gold deposits in the NCC are quite distinct in that they were deposited from magma-derived fluids under extensional settings and associated closely with destruction of cratonic lithosphere. We argue that Early Cretaceous gold deposits in the NCC cannot be classified as orogenic gold deposits as previously suggested, rather, they are a new type of gold deposits, termed as "decratonic gold deposits" in this study. The westward subduction of the paleo-West Pacific plate(the Izanagi plate) beneath the eastern China continent gave rise to an optimal tectonic setting for large-scale gold mineralization in the Early Cretaceous. Dehydration of the subducted and stagnant slab in the mantle transition zone led to continuous hydration and considerable metasomatism of the mantle wedge beneath the NCC. As a consequence, the refractory mantle became oxidized and highly enriched in large ion lithophile elements and chalcophile elements(e.g., Cu, Au, Ag and Te). Partial melting of such a mantle would have produced voluminous hydrous, Au- and S-bearing basaltic magma, which, together with crust-derived melts induced by underplating of basaltic magma, served as an important source for ore-forming fluids. It is suggested that the Eocene Carlin-type gold deposits in Nevada, occurring geologically in the deformed western margin of the North America Craton, are comparable with the Early Cretaceous gold deposits of the NCC because they share similar tectonic settings and auriferous fluids. The NCC gold deposits are characterized by gold-bearing quartz veins in the Archean amphibolite facies rocks, whereas the Nevada gold deposits are featured by fine-grained sulfide dissemination in Paleozoic marine sedimentary rocks. Their main differences in gold mineralization are the different host rocks, ore-controlling structures, and ore-forming depth. The similar tectonic setting and ore-forming fluid source, however, indicate that the Carlin-type gold deposits in Nevada are actually analogous to decratonic gold deposits in the NCC. Gold deposits in both the NCC and Nevada were formed in a relatively short time interval(<10 Myr) and become progressively younger toward the subduction zone. Younging of gold mineralization toward subduction zone might have been attributed to retreat of subduction zone and rollback of subducted slab. According to the ages of gold deposits on inland and marginal zones, the retreat rates of the Izanagi plate in the western Pacific in the Early Cretaceous and the Farallon plate of the eastern Pacific in the Eocene are estimated at 8.8 cm/yr and 3.3 cm/yr, respectively.