Rare neurological diseases,while individually are rare,collectively impact millions globally,leading to diverse and often severe neurological symptoms.Often attributed to genetic mutations that disrupt protein functio...Rare neurological diseases,while individually are rare,collectively impact millions globally,leading to diverse and often severe neurological symptoms.Often attributed to genetic mutations that disrupt protein function or structure,understanding their genetic basis is crucial for accurate diagnosis and targeted therapies.To investigate the underlying pathogenesis of these conditions,researchers often use non-mammalian model organisms,such as Drosophila(fruit flies),which is valued for their genetic manipulability,cost-efficiency,and preservation of genes and biological functions across evolutionary time.Genetic tools available in Drosophila,including CRISPR-Cas9,offer a means to manipulate gene expression,allowing for a deep exploration of the genetic underpinnings of rare neurological diseases.Drosophila boasts a versatile genetic toolkit,rapid generation turnover,and ease of large-scale experimentation,making it an invaluable resource for identifying potential drug candidates.Researchers can expose flies carrying disease-associated mutations to various compounds,rapidly pinpointing promising therapeutic agents for further investigation in mammalian models and,ultimately,clinical trials.In this comprehensive review,we explore rare neurological diseases where fly research has significantly contributed to our understanding of their genetic basis,pathophysiology,and potential therapeutic implications.We discuss rare diseases associated with both neuron-expressed and glial-expressed genes.Specific cases include mutations in CDK19 resulting in epilepsy and developmental delay,mutations in TIAM1 leading to a neurodevelopmental disorder with seizures and language delay,and mutations in IRF2BPL causing seizures,a neurodevelopmental disorder with regression,loss of speech,and abnormal movements.And we explore mutations in EMC1 related to cerebellar atrophy,visual impairment,psychomotor retardation,and gain-of-function mutations in ACOX1 causing Mitchell syndrome.Loss-of-function mutations in ACOX1 result in ACOX1 deficiency,characterized by very-long-chain fatty acid accumulation and glial degeneration.Notably,this review highlights how modeling these diseases in Drosophila has provided valuable insights into their pathophysiology,offering a platform for the rapid identification of potential therapeutic interventions.Rare neurological diseases involve a wide range of expression systems,and sometimes common phenotypes can be found among different genes that cause abnormalities in neurons or glia.Furthermore,mutations within the same gene may result in varying functional outcomes,such as complete loss of function,partial loss of function,or gain-of-function mutations.The phenotypes observed in patients can differ significantly,underscoring the complexity of these conditions.In conclusion,Drosophila represents an indispensable and cost-effective tool for investigating rare neurological diseases.By facilitating the modeling of these conditions,Drosophila contributes to a deeper understanding of their genetic basis,pathophysiology,and potential therapies.This approach accelerates the discovery of promising drug candidates,ultimately benefiting patients affected by these complex and understudied diseases.展开更多
A better understanding of genetic bases of growth regulation is essential for bivalve breeding,which is helpful to improve the yield of the commercially important bivalves.While previous studies have identified some c...A better understanding of genetic bases of growth regulation is essential for bivalve breeding,which is helpful to improve the yield of the commercially important bivalves.While previous studies have identified some candidate genes accounting for variation in growth-related traits through genotype-phenotype association analyses,seldom of them have verified the functions of these putative,growth-related genes beyond the genomic level due to the difficulty of culturing commercial bivalves under laboratory conditions.Fortunately,dwarf surf clam Mulinia lateralis can serve as a model organism for studying marine bivalves given its short generation time,the feasibility of being grown under experimental conditions and the availability of genetic and biological information.Using dwarf surf clam as a model bivalve,we characterize E2F3,a gene that has been found to account for variation in growth in scallops by a previous genome-wide association study,and verify its function in growth regulation through RNA interference(RNAi)experiments.For the first time,E2F3 in dwarf surf clam,which is termed as MulE2F3,is characterized.The results reveal that dwarf surf clams with MulE2F3 knocked down exhibit a reduction in both shell size and soft-tissue weight,indicating the functions of MulE2F3 in positively regulating bivalve growth.More importantly,we demonstrate how dwarf surf clam can be used as a model organism to investigate gene functions in commercial bivalves,shedding light on genetic causes for variation in growth to enhance the efficiency of bivalve farming.展开更多
Model organisms have long been important in biology and medicine due to their specific characteristics. Amphibians, especially Xenopus, play key roles in answering fundamental questions on developmental biology, regen...Model organisms have long been important in biology and medicine due to their specific characteristics. Amphibians, especially Xenopus, play key roles in answering fundamental questions on developmental biology, regeneration, genetics, and toxicology due to their large and abundant eggs, as well as their versatile embryos, which can be readily manipulated and developed in vivo. Furthermore, amphibians have also proven to be of considerable benefit in human disease research due to their conserved cellular developmental and genomic organization. This review gives a brief introduction on the progress and limitations of these animal models in biology and human disease research, and discusses the potential and challenge of Microhyla fissipes as a new model organism.展开更多
The improvement of soil productivity depends on a rational input of water and nutrients, optimal field management, and the increase of basic soil productivity(BSP). In this study, BSP is defined as the productive ca...The improvement of soil productivity depends on a rational input of water and nutrients, optimal field management, and the increase of basic soil productivity(BSP). In this study, BSP is defined as the productive capacity of a farmland soil with its own physical and chemical properties for a specific crop season under local field management. Based on 19-yr data of the long-term agronomic experiments(1989–2008) on a fluvo-aquic soil in Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China, the decision support system for agrotechnology transfer(DSSAT ver. 4.0) crop growth model was used to simulate yields by BSP of winter wheat(Triticum aestivium L.) and summer maize(Zea mays L.) to examine the relationship between BSP and soil organic carbon(SOC) under long-term fertilization. Five treatments were included:(1) no fertilization(control),(2) nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers(NPK),(3) NPK plus manure(NPKM),(4) 1.5 times of NPKM(1.5NPKM), and(5) NPK plus straw(NPKS). After 19 yr of treatments, the SOC stock increased 16.7, 44.2, 69.9, and 25.2% under the NPK, NPKM, 1.5NPKM, and NPKS, respectively, compared to the initial value. Among various nutrient factors affecting contribution percentage of BSP to winter wheat and summer maize, SOC was a major affecting factor for BSP in the fluvo-aquic soil. There were significant positive correlations between SOC stock and yields by BSP of winter wheat and summer maize(P〈0.01), and yields by BSP of winter wheat and summer maize increased 154 and 132 kg ha^(–1) when SOC stock increased 1 t C ha^(–1). Thus, increased SOC accumulation is a crucial way for increasing BSP in fluvo-aquic soil. The manure or straw combined application with chemical fertilizers significantly enhanced BSP compared to the application of chemical fertilizers alone.展开更多
The adsorb model of formic acid on NaX derived from TPD was discussed. It was showed that the adsorb sites were various exposed framework O2- centers bearing different basic intensity and spatial resistance. The h-pea...The adsorb model of formic acid on NaX derived from TPD was discussed. It was showed that the adsorb sites were various exposed framework O2- centers bearing different basic intensity and spatial resistance. The h-peak was attributed to O2- near S-III in supercage and l-peak to O2- near S-II in beta-cage of faujusite zeolite. The model can explain the experimental results. Meanwhile, a relative standard of basic intensity based on TPD of formic acid was founded.展开更多
People continue to recognize the important role of Chinese medicine in the treatment of diseases,and there is an urgent need to clarify the mechanism of Chinese medicine.Because of the multi-target and multi-component...People continue to recognize the important role of Chinese medicine in the treatment of diseases,and there is an urgent need to clarify the mechanism of Chinese medicine.Because of the multi-target and multi-component characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine,it is difficult to elaborate from a single perspective.As a high-quality animal model,Caenorhabditis elegans with the characteristics of small size and fast reproduction,has been widely used in traditional Chinese medicine activity experiments.In this article,Caenorhabditis elegans,as model organisms used to screen the active components of traditional Chinese medicine were reviewed.展开更多
A low-viscosity emulsion of crude oil in water can be believed to be the bulk of a flow regime in a pipeline.To differentiate which crude oil would and which would not counter the blockage of flow due to gas hydrate f...A low-viscosity emulsion of crude oil in water can be believed to be the bulk of a flow regime in a pipeline.To differentiate which crude oil would and which would not counter the blockage of flow due to gas hydrate formation in flow channels,varying amount of crude oil in water emulsion without any other extraneous additives has undergone methane gas hydrate formation in an autoclave cell.Crude oil was able to thermodynamically inhibit the gas hydrate formation as observed from its hydrate stability zone.The normalized rate of hydrate formation in the emulsion has been calculated from an illustrative chemical affinity model,which showed a decrease in the methane consumption(decreased normalized rate constant) with an increase in the oil content in the emulsion.Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR) of the emulsion and characteristic properties of the crude oil have been used to find the chemical component that could be pivotal in selfinhibitory characteristic of the crude oil collected from Ankleshwar,India,against a situation of clogged flow due to formation of gas hydrate and establish flow assurance.展开更多
This paper first introduces the basic connotation of China’s whole-process engineering consulting.Immediately,analyze the organization model,service procurement model and charging standards of foreign whole-process e...This paper first introduces the basic connotation of China’s whole-process engineering consulting.Immediately,analyze the organization model,service procurement model and charging standards of foreign whole-process engineering consulting(international terminology full-life cycle engineering consultant).Second,discuss the government’s role in the development of engineering consulting from two aspects:service management and market access.Finally,combined with the above analysis,the specific problems faced in the implementation process of the whole process engineering consulting are compared.Provide relevant suggestions on how companies and individuals respond to industry development trends.展开更多
The technology of three-dimensional(3D)printing emerged in the late 1970s and has since undergone considerable development to find numerous applications in mechanical engineering,industrial design,and biomedicine.In b...The technology of three-dimensional(3D)printing emerged in the late 1970s and has since undergone considerable development to find numerous applications in mechanical engineering,industrial design,and biomedicine.In biomedical science,several studies have initially found that 3D printing technology can play an important role in the treatment of diseases in hepatopancreatobiliary surgery.For example,3D printing technology has been applied to create detailed anatomical models of disease organs for preoperative personalized surgical strategies,surgical simulation,intraoperative navigation,medical training,and patient education.Moreover,cancer models have been created using 3D printing technology for the research and selection of chemotherapy drugs.With the aim to clarify the development and application of 3D printing technology in hepatopancreatobiliary surgery,we introduce seven common types of 3D printing technology and review the status of research and application of 3D printing technology in the field of hepatopancreatobiliary surgery.展开更多
MicroRNAs(miRNAs)are important regulators in gene expression.The dysregulation of miRNA expression is widely reported in the transformation from physiological to pathological states of cells.A large number of differen...MicroRNAs(miRNAs)are important regulators in gene expression.The dysregulation of miRNA expression is widely reported in the transformation from physiological to pathological states of cells.A large number of differentially expressed miRNAs(DEMs)have been identified in various human cancers by using high-throughput technologies,such as microarray and miRNAseq.Through mining of published studies with high-throughput experiment information,the database of DEMs in human cancers(dbDEMC)was constructed with the aim of providing a systematic resource for the storage and query of the DEMs.Here we report an update of the dbDEMC to version 3.0,which contains two-fold more data entries than the second version and now includes also data from mice and rats.The dbDEMC 3.0 contains 3268 unique DEMs in 40 different cancer types.The current datasets for differential expression analysis have expanded to 9 generalized categories.Moreover,the current release integrates functional annotations of DEMs obtained by using experimentally validated targets.The annotations can be of great benefit to the intensive analysis of the roles of DEMs in cancer.In summary,dbDEMC 3.0 provides a valuable resource for characterizing molecular functions and regulatory mechanisms of DEMs in human cancers.The dbDEMC 3.0 is freely accessible at https://www.biosino.org/dbDEMC.展开更多
Based on the analysis of element geochemistry and total organic carbon(TOC),this study investigates the main factors controlling organic matter(OM)enrichment,reconstructs the evolution process of the sedimentary envir...Based on the analysis of element geochemistry and total organic carbon(TOC),this study investigates the main factors controlling organic matter(OM)enrichment,reconstructs the evolution process of the sedimentary environment,and proposes a dynamic OM enrichment model of the Jurassic Da’anzhai(D)Formation,Sichuan Basin.The results indicate that the Sichuan Basin was generally dominated by a warm and oxidizing sedimentary environment,but with some peculiarities,such as a hotter climate in the D1 member and more anoxic lake water in the D2a member.The sedimentary evolution of the Da’anzhai Formation can be divided into a fluctuating sedimentary stage,a stable sedimentary stage and a reef-building stage.The D2a member showed the strongest hypoxia,the weakest weathering,the largest amount of terrestrial inputs,and the highest TOC content.The TOC is positively correlated with reducing conditions and terrestrial inputs,negatively correlated with weathering.Based on these findings,it is suggested that the global climate in the Early Jurassic period had a complex regional effect and the global oceanic anoxic events of the Toarcian did not spread to the Sichuan Basin.Thus,the anoxic deep water,high terrestrial inputs,and weak weathering were conducive to rapid deposition and preservation of lacustrine OM.展开更多
The aquatic ferns of the genus Azolla are nitrogen-fixing plants that have great potentials in agricultural production and environmental conservation. Azolla in many aspects is qualified to serve as a model organism f...The aquatic ferns of the genus Azolla are nitrogen-fixing plants that have great potentials in agricultural production and environmental conservation. Azolla in many aspects is qualified to serve as a model organism for genomic studies because of its importance in agriculture, its unique position in plant evolution, its symbiotic relationship with the N2-fixing cyanobacterium, Anabaena azollae, and its moderate-sized genome. The goals of this genome project are not only to understand the biology of the Azolla genome to promote its applications in biological research and agriculture practice but also to gain critical insights about evolution of plant genomes. Together with the strategic and technical improvement as well as cost reduction of DNA sequencing, the deciphering of their genetic code is imminent.展开更多
Comprehending the diversity of the regenerative potential across metazoan phylogeny represents a fundamental challenge in biology. Invertebrates like Hydra and planarians exhibit amazing feats of regeneration, in whic...Comprehending the diversity of the regenerative potential across metazoan phylogeny represents a fundamental challenge in biology. Invertebrates like Hydra and planarians exhibit amazing feats of regeneration, in which an entire organism can be restored t^om minute body segments. Vertebrates like teleost fish and amphibians can also regrow large sections of the body. While this regenerative capacity is greatly attenuated in mammals, there are portions of major organs that remain regenerative. Regardless of the extent, there are common basic strategies to regeneration, including activation of adult stem cells and proliferation of differentiated cells. Here, we discuss the cellular features and molecular mechanisms that are involved in regeneration in different model organisms, including 14ydra, planarians, zebrafish and newts as well as in several mammalian organs.展开更多
Eusocial bumble and honey bees are important pollinators for global ecology and the agricultural economy.Although both the bumble and honey bees possess similar and host-restricted gut microbiota,they differ in aspect...Eusocial bumble and honey bees are important pollinators for global ecology and the agricultural economy.Although both the bumble and honey bees possess similar and host-restricted gut microbiota,they differ in aspects of morphology,autonomy,physiology,behavior,and life cycle.The social bee gut bacteria exhibit host specificity that is likely a result of long-term co-evolution.The unique life cycle of bumblebees is key for the acquisition and development of their gut microbiota,and affects the strain-level diversity of the core bacterial species.Studies on bumblebee gut bacteria show that they retain less functional capacity for carbohydrate metabolism compared with that of the honeybee.We discuss the potential roles of the bumblebee gut microbiota against pathogenic threats and the application of host-specific probiotics for bumblebees.Given the advantages of the bumblebee microbiome,including the simple structure and host specificity,and the ease of manipulating bumblebee colonies,we propose that bumblebees may provide a valuable system for understanding the general principles of host-microbe interactions,gut-brain axis,and vertical transmission.展开更多
In this paper, the online Weather Research and Forecasting and Chemistry (WRF/CHEM) model, coupled with urban canopy (UCM) and biogenic-emission models, is used to explore impacts of urban expansion on secondary o...In this paper, the online Weather Research and Forecasting and Chemistry (WRF/CHEM) model, coupled with urban canopy (UCM) and biogenic-emission models, is used to explore impacts of urban expansion on secondary organic aerosols (SOA) formation. Two scenarios of urban maps are used in WRF/CHEM to represent early 1990s (pre-urbanization) and current urban distribution in the Pearl River Delta (PRD). Month-long simulation results using the above land-use scenarios for March 2001 show: (1) urbanization can increase monthly averaged temperatures by about 0.63 ℃, decrease monthly averaged 10-m wind speeds by 38%, increase monthly averaged boundary-layer depths by 80 m, and decrease monthly aver- aged water mixing ratio by 0.2g/kg. (2) Changes in meteorological conditions can result in detectable concentration changes of NOx, VOC, O3 and NO3 radicals. Urbanization decreases surface NOx and VOC concentrations by a maximum of 4 ppbv and 1.5 ppbv, respectively. Surface O3 and NO3 radical concentrations over major cities increase by about 2-4 ppbv and 4-12 pptv, respectively; areas with increasing O3 and NO3 radical concentrations generally coincide with the areas of temperature increase and wind speed reduction where NOx and VOC decrease. (3) Urbanization can induce 9% increase of SOA in Foshan, Zhongshan and west Guangzhou and 3% decrease in Shenzhen and Dongguan. Over PRD major cities, SOA from Aitken mode reduces by 30% but with more than 70% SOA from accumulate mode. Urbanization has stronger influence on SOA formation from Aitken mode. (4) Over the PRD, 55-65% SOA comes from aromatics precursors. Urbanization has strongest influence on aromatics precursors to produce SOA (14% increase), while there is less influence on alkane precursors. Alkene precursors have negative contribution to SOA formation under urbanization situation.展开更多
The increasing global concern regarding plastic pollution has prompted the research into the consequences of microplastics(MPs)on aquatic ecosystems.Fairy shrimp Branchinella kugenumaensis are freshwater planktonic or...The increasing global concern regarding plastic pollution has prompted the research into the consequences of microplastics(MPs)on aquatic ecosystems.Fairy shrimp Branchinella kugenumaensis are freshwater planktonic organisms that have existed for 250 million years.This study aimed to uncover the harmful effects of MPs,with a particular focus on their size variations(0.1,1,and 5μm),on the fairy shrimp.We focused on how MPs could significantly affect the survival and growth of fairy shrimp.Notably,larger MPs,especially those measuring 5μm,caused higher mortality rates and hindered the growth compared to smaller ones.The impact of MPs continued even subsequent to depuration in clean water.The accumulation of MPs within the intestines of fairy shrimp resulted in intestinal blockages,disrupted excretory functions,and harmed intestinal epithelial cells.Examinations at the histological,cellular,and molecular levels showed that exposure to MPs triggered necroptosis in intestinal cells,accompanied by alterations in pathways related to transcription,translation,digestion,energy metabolism,and neurological functions.Furthermore,the effects of MPs on gene expression and pathways varied based on particle size,with larger MPs having a more significant effect and causing a strong response in xenobiotic biodegradation and metabolism pathways.We suggest that the increasing severity of MPs pollution could pose a significant threat to the survival of fairy shrimp.This study provided vital insights into the complex relationship between microplastics and aquatic organisms,and highlighted the urgent need to address the potential devastating impact of plastic pollution on freshwater ecosystems.Additionally,due to their rapid growth,strong reproductive capacity,sensitivity,and ease of cultivation,fairy shrimp hold the potential candidate to serve as a model organism for studying the effects of MPs and other pollutants on freshwater ecosystems.展开更多
At present, robot embedded systems have some common problems such as closure and poor dynamic evolution. Aiming at resolving this situation, our paper focuses on improvements to the robot embedded system and sets up a...At present, robot embedded systems have some common problems such as closure and poor dynamic evolution. Aiming at resolving this situation, our paper focuses on improvements to the robot embedded system and sets up a new robot system architecture, and we propose a syncretic mechanism of a robot and SoftMan (SM). In the syncretic system, the structural organization of the SoftMan group and its modes are particularly important in establishing the task coordination mechanism. This paper, therefore, proposes a coordination organization model based on the SoftMan group, and studies in detail the process of task allocation for resource contention, which facilitates a rational allocation of system resources. During our research, we introduced Resource Requirement Length Algorithm (RRLA) to calculate the resource requirements of the task and a resource conformity degree allocation algorithm of Resource Conformity Degree Algorithm (RCDA) for resource contention. Finally, a comparative evaluation of RCDA with five other frequently used task allocation algorithms shows that RCDA has higher success and accuracy rates with good stability and reliability.展开更多
This paper describes a method based on an energy minimizing deformable model applied to the 3D biomechanical modeling of a set of organs considered as regions of interest (ROI) for radiotherapy. The initial model cons...This paper describes a method based on an energy minimizing deformable model applied to the 3D biomechanical modeling of a set of organs considered as regions of interest (ROI) for radiotherapy. The initial model consists of a quadratic surface that is deformed to the exact contour of the ROI by means of the physical properties of a mass-spring system. The exact contour of each ROI is first obtained using a geodesic active contour model. The ROI is then parameterized by the vibration modes resulting from the deformation process. Once each structure has been defined, the method provides a 3D global model including the whole set of ROIs. This model allows one to describe statistically the most significant variations among its structures. Statistical ROI variations among a set of patients or through time can be analyzed. Experimental results are presented using the pelvic zone to simulate anatomical variations among structures and its application in radiotherapy treatment planning.展开更多
A mechanistic understanding of biology requires appreciating spatiotemporal aspects of gene expression and its functional implications.Conditional expression allows for (ir)reversible switching of genes on or off,with...A mechanistic understanding of biology requires appreciating spatiotemporal aspects of gene expression and its functional implications.Conditional expression allows for (ir)reversible switching of genes on or off,with the potential of spatial and/or temporal control.This provides a valuable complement to the more often used constitutive gene (in)activation through mutagenesis,providing tools to answer a wider array of research questions across biological disciplines.Spatial and/or temporal control are granted primarily by(combinations of) specific promoters,temperature regimens,compound addition,or illumination.The use of such genetic tool kits is particularly widespread in invertebrate animal models because they can be applied to study biological processes in short time frames and on large scales,using organisms amenable to easy genetic manipulation.Recent years witnessed an exciting expansion and optimization of such tools,of which we provide a comprehensive overview and discussion regarding their use in invertebrates.The mechanism,applicability,benefits,and drawbacks of each of the systems,as well as further developments to be expected in the foreseeable future,are highlighted.展开更多
Objective:Under the guidance of model organism Caenorhabditis elegans with fine olfactory system,small molecular metabolites sensitive to high dose radiation were screened as biomarkers of acute radiation-induced inju...Objective:Under the guidance of model organism Caenorhabditis elegans with fine olfactory system,small molecular metabolites sensitive to high dose radiation were screened as biomarkers of acute radiation-induced injury,and their metabolic pathways were elucidated by enrichment.Methods:Rats were irradiated with 12 Gyγ-rays to establish an acute radiation injury model,and their urine was fingerprinted using UPLC-Q/TOF-MS.Further,under the guidance of Caenorhabditis elegans as olfactory-sensitive model organism,the key differential metabolites in urine were found as biomarkers of radiation-induced injury.Results:After rats were irradiated,the radiation injury urine showed a difference from control(sham-irradiated)urine,which could be distinguished by Caenorhabditis elegans.Based on metabolomics analysis,a total of 21 key differential metabolites with P value<0.05 and fold change either>2 or<0.5 were identified,which can be used as sensitive and reliable biomarkers of radiation-induced injury.The pathways were further enriched,and it was found that disorders of five metabolic pathways,including citric acid cycle and amino acid metabolism,play an important role in radiation-induced injury.Conclusions:Due to radiation injury,the metabolites in urine will change significantly.The study on biomarkers guided by model organism Caenorhabditis elegans provides a new perspective to explain the details of metabolic disorders,and also provides experimental basis for the development of new biological dosimeters.展开更多
基金supported by Warren Alpert Foundation and Houston Methodist Academic Institute Laboratory Operating Fund(to HLC).
文摘Rare neurological diseases,while individually are rare,collectively impact millions globally,leading to diverse and often severe neurological symptoms.Often attributed to genetic mutations that disrupt protein function or structure,understanding their genetic basis is crucial for accurate diagnosis and targeted therapies.To investigate the underlying pathogenesis of these conditions,researchers often use non-mammalian model organisms,such as Drosophila(fruit flies),which is valued for their genetic manipulability,cost-efficiency,and preservation of genes and biological functions across evolutionary time.Genetic tools available in Drosophila,including CRISPR-Cas9,offer a means to manipulate gene expression,allowing for a deep exploration of the genetic underpinnings of rare neurological diseases.Drosophila boasts a versatile genetic toolkit,rapid generation turnover,and ease of large-scale experimentation,making it an invaluable resource for identifying potential drug candidates.Researchers can expose flies carrying disease-associated mutations to various compounds,rapidly pinpointing promising therapeutic agents for further investigation in mammalian models and,ultimately,clinical trials.In this comprehensive review,we explore rare neurological diseases where fly research has significantly contributed to our understanding of their genetic basis,pathophysiology,and potential therapeutic implications.We discuss rare diseases associated with both neuron-expressed and glial-expressed genes.Specific cases include mutations in CDK19 resulting in epilepsy and developmental delay,mutations in TIAM1 leading to a neurodevelopmental disorder with seizures and language delay,and mutations in IRF2BPL causing seizures,a neurodevelopmental disorder with regression,loss of speech,and abnormal movements.And we explore mutations in EMC1 related to cerebellar atrophy,visual impairment,psychomotor retardation,and gain-of-function mutations in ACOX1 causing Mitchell syndrome.Loss-of-function mutations in ACOX1 result in ACOX1 deficiency,characterized by very-long-chain fatty acid accumulation and glial degeneration.Notably,this review highlights how modeling these diseases in Drosophila has provided valuable insights into their pathophysiology,offering a platform for the rapid identification of potential therapeutic interventions.Rare neurological diseases involve a wide range of expression systems,and sometimes common phenotypes can be found among different genes that cause abnormalities in neurons or glia.Furthermore,mutations within the same gene may result in varying functional outcomes,such as complete loss of function,partial loss of function,or gain-of-function mutations.The phenotypes observed in patients can differ significantly,underscoring the complexity of these conditions.In conclusion,Drosophila represents an indispensable and cost-effective tool for investigating rare neurological diseases.By facilitating the modeling of these conditions,Drosophila contributes to a deeper understanding of their genetic basis,pathophysiology,and potential therapies.This approach accelerates the discovery of promising drug candidates,ultimately benefiting patients affected by these complex and understudied diseases.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.U2106231)the National Key R&D Program of China(No.2022YFD2400303)the Key R&D Project of Shandong Province(No.2022 TZXD003).
文摘A better understanding of genetic bases of growth regulation is essential for bivalve breeding,which is helpful to improve the yield of the commercially important bivalves.While previous studies have identified some candidate genes accounting for variation in growth-related traits through genotype-phenotype association analyses,seldom of them have verified the functions of these putative,growth-related genes beyond the genomic level due to the difficulty of culturing commercial bivalves under laboratory conditions.Fortunately,dwarf surf clam Mulinia lateralis can serve as a model organism for studying marine bivalves given its short generation time,the feasibility of being grown under experimental conditions and the availability of genetic and biological information.Using dwarf surf clam as a model bivalve,we characterize E2F3,a gene that has been found to account for variation in growth in scallops by a previous genome-wide association study,and verify its function in growth regulation through RNA interference(RNAi)experiments.For the first time,E2F3 in dwarf surf clam,which is termed as MulE2F3,is characterized.The results reveal that dwarf surf clams with MulE2F3 knocked down exhibit a reduction in both shell size and soft-tissue weight,indicating the functions of MulE2F3 in positively regulating bivalve growth.More importantly,we demonstrate how dwarf surf clam can be used as a model organism to investigate gene functions in commercial bivalves,shedding light on genetic causes for variation in growth to enhance the efficiency of bivalve farming.
基金supported by a grant from the Key Programs of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(KJZD-EW-L13)2015 Western Light Talent Culture Project of the Chinese Academy of Sciences(Y6C3021)the National Natural Science Foundation of China(31471964)
文摘Model organisms have long been important in biology and medicine due to their specific characteristics. Amphibians, especially Xenopus, play key roles in answering fundamental questions on developmental biology, regeneration, genetics, and toxicology due to their large and abundant eggs, as well as their versatile embryos, which can be readily manipulated and developed in vivo. Furthermore, amphibians have also proven to be of considerable benefit in human disease research due to their conserved cellular developmental and genomic organization. This review gives a brief introduction on the progress and limitations of these animal models in biology and human disease research, and discusses the potential and challenge of Microhyla fissipes as a new model organism.
基金supported by the National Basic Research Program of China(973 Program,2011CB100501)the Key Technologies R&D Program of China during the 12th Five-Year Plan period(2015BAD22B03)+1 种基金the National High-Tech R&D Program of China(2013AA102901)the Special Fund for Agro-scientific Research in the Public Interest,China(201203077)
文摘The improvement of soil productivity depends on a rational input of water and nutrients, optimal field management, and the increase of basic soil productivity(BSP). In this study, BSP is defined as the productive capacity of a farmland soil with its own physical and chemical properties for a specific crop season under local field management. Based on 19-yr data of the long-term agronomic experiments(1989–2008) on a fluvo-aquic soil in Zhengzhou, Henan Province, China, the decision support system for agrotechnology transfer(DSSAT ver. 4.0) crop growth model was used to simulate yields by BSP of winter wheat(Triticum aestivium L.) and summer maize(Zea mays L.) to examine the relationship between BSP and soil organic carbon(SOC) under long-term fertilization. Five treatments were included:(1) no fertilization(control),(2) nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium fertilizers(NPK),(3) NPK plus manure(NPKM),(4) 1.5 times of NPKM(1.5NPKM), and(5) NPK plus straw(NPKS). After 19 yr of treatments, the SOC stock increased 16.7, 44.2, 69.9, and 25.2% under the NPK, NPKM, 1.5NPKM, and NPKS, respectively, compared to the initial value. Among various nutrient factors affecting contribution percentage of BSP to winter wheat and summer maize, SOC was a major affecting factor for BSP in the fluvo-aquic soil. There were significant positive correlations between SOC stock and yields by BSP of winter wheat and summer maize(P〈0.01), and yields by BSP of winter wheat and summer maize increased 154 and 132 kg ha^(–1) when SOC stock increased 1 t C ha^(–1). Thus, increased SOC accumulation is a crucial way for increasing BSP in fluvo-aquic soil. The manure or straw combined application with chemical fertilizers significantly enhanced BSP compared to the application of chemical fertilizers alone.
文摘The adsorb model of formic acid on NaX derived from TPD was discussed. It was showed that the adsorb sites were various exposed framework O2- centers bearing different basic intensity and spatial resistance. The h-peak was attributed to O2- near S-III in supercage and l-peak to O2- near S-II in beta-cage of faujusite zeolite. The model can explain the experimental results. Meanwhile, a relative standard of basic intensity based on TPD of formic acid was founded.
基金This work was financially supported by Scientific Research Fund Project of Education Department of Liaoning Province(LJKZ0960)Science Foundation of Shenyang Pharmaceutical University(GGJJ2021105).
文摘People continue to recognize the important role of Chinese medicine in the treatment of diseases,and there is an urgent need to clarify the mechanism of Chinese medicine.Because of the multi-target and multi-component characteristics of traditional Chinese medicine,it is difficult to elaborate from a single perspective.As a high-quality animal model,Caenorhabditis elegans with the characteristics of small size and fast reproduction,has been widely used in traditional Chinese medicine activity experiments.In this article,Caenorhabditis elegans,as model organisms used to screen the active components of traditional Chinese medicine were reviewed.
基金the financial assistance provided by University Grants Commission, New Delhi, India, under Special Assistance Program (SAP) to the Department of Petroleum Engineering, Indian School of Mines, Dhanbad, India
文摘A low-viscosity emulsion of crude oil in water can be believed to be the bulk of a flow regime in a pipeline.To differentiate which crude oil would and which would not counter the blockage of flow due to gas hydrate formation in flow channels,varying amount of crude oil in water emulsion without any other extraneous additives has undergone methane gas hydrate formation in an autoclave cell.Crude oil was able to thermodynamically inhibit the gas hydrate formation as observed from its hydrate stability zone.The normalized rate of hydrate formation in the emulsion has been calculated from an illustrative chemical affinity model,which showed a decrease in the methane consumption(decreased normalized rate constant) with an increase in the oil content in the emulsion.Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy(FTIR) of the emulsion and characteristic properties of the crude oil have been used to find the chemical component that could be pivotal in selfinhibitory characteristic of the crude oil collected from Ankleshwar,India,against a situation of clogged flow due to formation of gas hydrate and establish flow assurance.
文摘This paper first introduces the basic connotation of China’s whole-process engineering consulting.Immediately,analyze the organization model,service procurement model and charging standards of foreign whole-process engineering consulting(international terminology full-life cycle engineering consultant).Second,discuss the government’s role in the development of engineering consulting from two aspects:service management and market access.Finally,combined with the above analysis,the specific problems faced in the implementation process of the whole process engineering consulting are compared.Provide relevant suggestions on how companies and individuals respond to industry development trends.
基金This work was was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.82270599 and 81902431).
文摘The technology of three-dimensional(3D)printing emerged in the late 1970s and has since undergone considerable development to find numerous applications in mechanical engineering,industrial design,and biomedicine.In biomedical science,several studies have initially found that 3D printing technology can play an important role in the treatment of diseases in hepatopancreatobiliary surgery.For example,3D printing technology has been applied to create detailed anatomical models of disease organs for preoperative personalized surgical strategies,surgical simulation,intraoperative navigation,medical training,and patient education.Moreover,cancer models have been created using 3D printing technology for the research and selection of chemotherapy drugs.With the aim to clarify the development and application of 3D printing technology in hepatopancreatobiliary surgery,we introduce seven common types of 3D printing technology and review the status of research and application of 3D printing technology in the field of hepatopancreatobiliary surgery.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 91959106, 31871255, 9173131081827901)+1 种基金the Strategic Priority Research Program of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Grant No.XDB38030100)the Shanghai Municipal Science and Technology (Grant No. 2017SHZDZX01)
文摘MicroRNAs(miRNAs)are important regulators in gene expression.The dysregulation of miRNA expression is widely reported in the transformation from physiological to pathological states of cells.A large number of differentially expressed miRNAs(DEMs)have been identified in various human cancers by using high-throughput technologies,such as microarray and miRNAseq.Through mining of published studies with high-throughput experiment information,the database of DEMs in human cancers(dbDEMC)was constructed with the aim of providing a systematic resource for the storage and query of the DEMs.Here we report an update of the dbDEMC to version 3.0,which contains two-fold more data entries than the second version and now includes also data from mice and rats.The dbDEMC 3.0 contains 3268 unique DEMs in 40 different cancer types.The current datasets for differential expression analysis have expanded to 9 generalized categories.Moreover,the current release integrates functional annotations of DEMs obtained by using experimentally validated targets.The annotations can be of great benefit to the intensive analysis of the roles of DEMs in cancer.In summary,dbDEMC 3.0 provides a valuable resource for characterizing molecular functions and regulatory mechanisms of DEMs in human cancers.The dbDEMC 3.0 is freely accessible at https://www.biosino.org/dbDEMC.
基金he Science and Technology Cooperation Project of the CNPC-SWPU Innovation Alliance(NO.2020CX050000)the Research and Innovation Fund for Graduate Students of Southwest Petroleum University(NO.2019cxyb005)。
文摘Based on the analysis of element geochemistry and total organic carbon(TOC),this study investigates the main factors controlling organic matter(OM)enrichment,reconstructs the evolution process of the sedimentary environment,and proposes a dynamic OM enrichment model of the Jurassic Da’anzhai(D)Formation,Sichuan Basin.The results indicate that the Sichuan Basin was generally dominated by a warm and oxidizing sedimentary environment,but with some peculiarities,such as a hotter climate in the D1 member and more anoxic lake water in the D2a member.The sedimentary evolution of the Da’anzhai Formation can be divided into a fluctuating sedimentary stage,a stable sedimentary stage and a reef-building stage.The D2a member showed the strongest hypoxia,the weakest weathering,the largest amount of terrestrial inputs,and the highest TOC content.The TOC is positively correlated with reducing conditions and terrestrial inputs,negatively correlated with weathering.Based on these findings,it is suggested that the global climate in the Early Jurassic period had a complex regional effect and the global oceanic anoxic events of the Toarcian did not spread to the Sichuan Basin.Thus,the anoxic deep water,high terrestrial inputs,and weak weathering were conducive to rapid deposition and preservation of lacustrine OM.
基金supported by a NSF CAREER Award(DEB 0093012)supported by two grants from Chinese High-tech Program"863"of the Ministry of Science and Technology(2001AA231061 and 2002AA229021)
文摘The aquatic ferns of the genus Azolla are nitrogen-fixing plants that have great potentials in agricultural production and environmental conservation. Azolla in many aspects is qualified to serve as a model organism for genomic studies because of its importance in agriculture, its unique position in plant evolution, its symbiotic relationship with the N2-fixing cyanobacterium, Anabaena azollae, and its moderate-sized genome. The goals of this genome project are not only to understand the biology of the Azolla genome to promote its applications in biological research and agriculture practice but also to gain critical insights about evolution of plant genomes. Together with the strategic and technical improvement as well as cost reduction of DNA sequencing, the deciphering of their genetic code is imminent.
基金supported in part by the grants from the National Basic Research Program of China (Nos.MOST945300 and MOST944500 to TPZ)the National Natural Science Foundation of China (No.31172173 to TPZ)
文摘Comprehending the diversity of the regenerative potential across metazoan phylogeny represents a fundamental challenge in biology. Invertebrates like Hydra and planarians exhibit amazing feats of regeneration, in which an entire organism can be restored t^om minute body segments. Vertebrates like teleost fish and amphibians can also regrow large sections of the body. While this regenerative capacity is greatly attenuated in mammals, there are portions of major organs that remain regenerative. Regardless of the extent, there are common basic strategies to regeneration, including activation of adult stem cells and proliferation of differentiated cells. Here, we discuss the cellular features and molecular mechanisms that are involved in regeneration in different model organisms, including 14ydra, planarians, zebrafish and newts as well as in several mammalian organs.
基金This work was supported by the National Key R&D Pro-gram of China(Grant No.2019YFA0906500)National Natural Science Foundation of China Project 32170495.
文摘Eusocial bumble and honey bees are important pollinators for global ecology and the agricultural economy.Although both the bumble and honey bees possess similar and host-restricted gut microbiota,they differ in aspects of morphology,autonomy,physiology,behavior,and life cycle.The social bee gut bacteria exhibit host specificity that is likely a result of long-term co-evolution.The unique life cycle of bumblebees is key for the acquisition and development of their gut microbiota,and affects the strain-level diversity of the core bacterial species.Studies on bumblebee gut bacteria show that they retain less functional capacity for carbohydrate metabolism compared with that of the honeybee.We discuss the potential roles of the bumblebee gut microbiota against pathogenic threats and the application of host-specific probiotics for bumblebees.Given the advantages of the bumblebee microbiome,including the simple structure and host specificity,and the ease of manipulating bumblebee colonies,we propose that bumblebees may provide a valuable system for understanding the general principles of host-microbe interactions,gut-brain axis,and vertical transmission.
基金supported by the Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 40875076 and U0833001)
文摘In this paper, the online Weather Research and Forecasting and Chemistry (WRF/CHEM) model, coupled with urban canopy (UCM) and biogenic-emission models, is used to explore impacts of urban expansion on secondary organic aerosols (SOA) formation. Two scenarios of urban maps are used in WRF/CHEM to represent early 1990s (pre-urbanization) and current urban distribution in the Pearl River Delta (PRD). Month-long simulation results using the above land-use scenarios for March 2001 show: (1) urbanization can increase monthly averaged temperatures by about 0.63 ℃, decrease monthly averaged 10-m wind speeds by 38%, increase monthly averaged boundary-layer depths by 80 m, and decrease monthly aver- aged water mixing ratio by 0.2g/kg. (2) Changes in meteorological conditions can result in detectable concentration changes of NOx, VOC, O3 and NO3 radicals. Urbanization decreases surface NOx and VOC concentrations by a maximum of 4 ppbv and 1.5 ppbv, respectively. Surface O3 and NO3 radical concentrations over major cities increase by about 2-4 ppbv and 4-12 pptv, respectively; areas with increasing O3 and NO3 radical concentrations generally coincide with the areas of temperature increase and wind speed reduction where NOx and VOC decrease. (3) Urbanization can induce 9% increase of SOA in Foshan, Zhongshan and west Guangzhou and 3% decrease in Shenzhen and Dongguan. Over PRD major cities, SOA from Aitken mode reduces by 30% but with more than 70% SOA from accumulate mode. Urbanization has stronger influence on SOA formation from Aitken mode. (4) Over the PRD, 55-65% SOA comes from aromatics precursors. Urbanization has strongest influence on aromatics precursors to produce SOA (14% increase), while there is less influence on alkane precursors. Alkene precursors have negative contribution to SOA formation under urbanization situation.
基金Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(Nos.32371704,32373178)。
文摘The increasing global concern regarding plastic pollution has prompted the research into the consequences of microplastics(MPs)on aquatic ecosystems.Fairy shrimp Branchinella kugenumaensis are freshwater planktonic organisms that have existed for 250 million years.This study aimed to uncover the harmful effects of MPs,with a particular focus on their size variations(0.1,1,and 5μm),on the fairy shrimp.We focused on how MPs could significantly affect the survival and growth of fairy shrimp.Notably,larger MPs,especially those measuring 5μm,caused higher mortality rates and hindered the growth compared to smaller ones.The impact of MPs continued even subsequent to depuration in clean water.The accumulation of MPs within the intestines of fairy shrimp resulted in intestinal blockages,disrupted excretory functions,and harmed intestinal epithelial cells.Examinations at the histological,cellular,and molecular levels showed that exposure to MPs triggered necroptosis in intestinal cells,accompanied by alterations in pathways related to transcription,translation,digestion,energy metabolism,and neurological functions.Furthermore,the effects of MPs on gene expression and pathways varied based on particle size,with larger MPs having a more significant effect and causing a strong response in xenobiotic biodegradation and metabolism pathways.We suggest that the increasing severity of MPs pollution could pose a significant threat to the survival of fairy shrimp.This study provided vital insights into the complex relationship between microplastics and aquatic organisms,and highlighted the urgent need to address the potential devastating impact of plastic pollution on freshwater ecosystems.Additionally,due to their rapid growth,strong reproductive capacity,sensitivity,and ease of cultivation,fairy shrimp hold the potential candidate to serve as a model organism for studying the effects of MPs and other pollutants on freshwater ecosystems.
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China(No.61404069)the National High-Tech Research and Develpment(863)Program of China(No.2015AA015403)
文摘At present, robot embedded systems have some common problems such as closure and poor dynamic evolution. Aiming at resolving this situation, our paper focuses on improvements to the robot embedded system and sets up a new robot system architecture, and we propose a syncretic mechanism of a robot and SoftMan (SM). In the syncretic system, the structural organization of the SoftMan group and its modes are particularly important in establishing the task coordination mechanism. This paper, therefore, proposes a coordination organization model based on the SoftMan group, and studies in detail the process of task allocation for resource contention, which facilitates a rational allocation of system resources. During our research, we introduced Resource Requirement Length Algorithm (RRLA) to calculate the resource requirements of the task and a resource conformity degree allocation algorithm of Resource Conformity Degree Algorithm (RCDA) for resource contention. Finally, a comparative evaluation of RCDA with five other frequently used task allocation algorithms shows that RCDA has higher success and accuracy rates with good stability and reliability.
基金Project partially supported by the VI FP and VII FP of the European Commission through MAESTRO and ENVISIONprojects (Nos. IP CE503564 and SP CE241851)Spanish Junta de Comunidades de Castilla–La Mancha (Nos. PBC06-0019 and PI-2006/01.1)
文摘This paper describes a method based on an energy minimizing deformable model applied to the 3D biomechanical modeling of a set of organs considered as regions of interest (ROI) for radiotherapy. The initial model consists of a quadratic surface that is deformed to the exact contour of the ROI by means of the physical properties of a mass-spring system. The exact contour of each ROI is first obtained using a geodesic active contour model. The ROI is then parameterized by the vibration modes resulting from the deformation process. Once each structure has been defined, the method provides a 3D global model including the whole set of ROIs. This model allows one to describe statistically the most significant variations among its structures. Statistical ROI variations among a set of patients or through time can be analyzed. Experimental results are presented using the pelvic zone to simulate anatomical variations among structures and its application in radiotherapy treatment planning.
基金supported by Horizon 2020 grant 633589FWO Flanders grant G052217NKU Leuven grant C16/19/003。
文摘A mechanistic understanding of biology requires appreciating spatiotemporal aspects of gene expression and its functional implications.Conditional expression allows for (ir)reversible switching of genes on or off,with the potential of spatial and/or temporal control.This provides a valuable complement to the more often used constitutive gene (in)activation through mutagenesis,providing tools to answer a wider array of research questions across biological disciplines.Spatial and/or temporal control are granted primarily by(combinations of) specific promoters,temperature regimens,compound addition,or illumination.The use of such genetic tool kits is particularly widespread in invertebrate animal models because they can be applied to study biological processes in short time frames and on large scales,using organisms amenable to easy genetic manipulation.Recent years witnessed an exciting expansion and optimization of such tools,of which we provide a comprehensive overview and discussion regarding their use in invertebrates.The mechanism,applicability,benefits,and drawbacks of each of the systems,as well as further developments to be expected in the foreseeable future,are highlighted.
基金This work was supported by the grants from the National NaturalScience Foundation of China(Nos.81572969 and 81730086).
文摘Objective:Under the guidance of model organism Caenorhabditis elegans with fine olfactory system,small molecular metabolites sensitive to high dose radiation were screened as biomarkers of acute radiation-induced injury,and their metabolic pathways were elucidated by enrichment.Methods:Rats were irradiated with 12 Gyγ-rays to establish an acute radiation injury model,and their urine was fingerprinted using UPLC-Q/TOF-MS.Further,under the guidance of Caenorhabditis elegans as olfactory-sensitive model organism,the key differential metabolites in urine were found as biomarkers of radiation-induced injury.Results:After rats were irradiated,the radiation injury urine showed a difference from control(sham-irradiated)urine,which could be distinguished by Caenorhabditis elegans.Based on metabolomics analysis,a total of 21 key differential metabolites with P value<0.05 and fold change either>2 or<0.5 were identified,which can be used as sensitive and reliable biomarkers of radiation-induced injury.The pathways were further enriched,and it was found that disorders of five metabolic pathways,including citric acid cycle and amino acid metabolism,play an important role in radiation-induced injury.Conclusions:Due to radiation injury,the metabolites in urine will change significantly.The study on biomarkers guided by model organism Caenorhabditis elegans provides a new perspective to explain the details of metabolic disorders,and also provides experimental basis for the development of new biological dosimeters.