Karyotypic evolution in family Hipposideridae (Chiroptera, Mammalia) revealed by comparative chromosome painting, G- and C-banding

Comparing to its sister-family （Rhinolophidae）, Hipposideridae was less studied by cytogenetic approaches. Only a few high-resolution G-banded karyotypes have been reported so far, and most of the conclusions on the karyotypic evolution in Hipposideridae were based on conventional Giemsa-staining. In this study, we applied comparative chromosome painting, a method of choice for genome-wide comparison at the molecular level, and G- and C-banding to establish comparative map between five hipposiderid species from China, using a whole set of chromosome-specific painting probes from one of them （Aselliscus stoliczkanus）. G-band and C-band comparisons between homologous segments defined by chromosome painting revealed that Robertsonian translocations, paracentric inversions and heterochromatin addition could be the main mechanism of chromosome evolution in Hipposideridae. Comparative analysis of the conserved chromosomal segments among five hipposiderid species and outgroup species suggests that bi-armed chromosomes should be included into the ancestral karyotype of Hipposideridae, which was previously believed to be exclusively composed of acrocentric chromosomes.

Characterization of Two Human Lung Adenocarcinoma Cell Lines by Reciprocal Chromosome Painting

Lung cancer is a leading cause of cancer death worldwide. Some lung cancer patients correlate with a gas of radon besides smoking. To search for common chromosomal aberrations in lung cancer cell lines established from patients induced by different factors, a combined approach of chromosome sorting, forward and reverse chromosome painting was used to characterize karyotypes of two lung adenocarcinoma cell lines： A549 and GLC-82 with the latter line derived from a patient who has suffered long-term exposure to environmental radon gas pollution. The chromosome painting results revealed that complex chromosomal rearrangements occurred in these two lung adenocarcinoma cell lines. Thirteen and twenty-four abnormal chromosomes were identified An A549 and GLC-82 cell lines, respectively. Almost half of abnormal chromosomes in these two cell lines were formed by non-reciprocal translocations, the others were derived from deletions and duplication/or amplification in some chromosomal regions. Furthermore, two apparently common breakpoints, HSA8q24 and 12q14 were found in these two lung cancer cell lines.

Plant species with extremely small populations(PSESP) in China:A seed and spore biology perspective

Approximately one fifth of the world's plants are at risk of extinction.Of these,a significant number exist as populations of few individuals,with limited distribution ranges and under enormous pressure due to habitat destruction.In China,these most-at-risk species are described as 'plant species with extremely small populations'(PSESP).Implementing conservation action for such listed species is urgent.Storing seeds is one of the main means of ex situ conservation for flowering plants.Spore storage could provide a simple and economical method for fern ex situ conservation.Seed and spore germination in nature is a critical step in species regeneration and thus in situ conservation.But what is known about the seed and spore biology(storage and germination) of at-risk species? We have used China's PSESP(the first group listing) as a case study to understand the gaps in knowledge on propagule biology of threatened plant species.We found that whilst germination information is available for 28 species(23%of PSESP),storage characteristics are only known for 8%of PSESP(10 species).Moreover,we estimate that 60%of the listed species may require cryopreservation for long-term storage.We conclude that comparative biology studies are urgently needed on the world's most threatened taxa so that conservation action can progress beyond species listing.

Coronary artery anomalies overview: The normal and the abnormal

The aim of this review is to give a comprehensive and concise overview of coronary embryology and normal coronary anatomy, describe common variants of normal and summarize typical patterns of anomalous coronary artery anatomy. Extensive iconography supports the text, with particular attention to images obtained in vivo using non-invasive imaging. We have divided this article into three groups, according to their frequency in the general population: Normal, normal variant and anomaly. Although congenital coronary artery anomalies are relatively uncommon, they are the second most common cause of sudden cardiac death among young athletes and therefore warrant detailed review. Based on the functional relevance of each abnormality, coronary artery anomalies can be classified as anomalies with obligatory ischemia, without ischemia or with exceptional ischemia. The clinical symptoms may include chest pain, dyspnea, palpitations, syncope, cardiomyopathy, arrhythmia, myocardial infarction and sudden cardiac death. Moreover, it is important to also identify variants and anomalies without clinical relevance in their own right as complications during surgery or angioplasty can occur.

Apoptosis commitment- translating survival signals into decisions on mitochondria

Most defective and unwanted cells die by apoptosis, cells without damaging the surrounding tissue. Once a an exquisitely controlled genetic programme for removing such cell has committed to apoptosis, the process is remarkably efficient, and is completed within a few minutes of initiation. This point of no retum for an apoptotic cell is commonly held to be the point at which the outer mitochondrial membrane is permeabilised, a process regulated by the Bcl-2 family of proteins. How these proteins regulate this decision point is central to diseases such as cancer where apoptotic control is lost. In this review, we will discuss apoptotic signalling and how a cell makes the irreversible decision to die. We will focus on one set of survival signals, those derived by cell adhesion to the extracellular matrix （ECM）, and use these to highlight the complexities of apoptotic signalling. In particular, we will illustrate how multiple signalling pathways converge to determine critical cell fate decisions.

Harnessing the HDAC–histone deacetylase enzymes,inhibitors and how these can be utilised in tissue engineering

There are large knowledge gaps regarding how to control stem cells growth and differentiation.The limitations of currently available technologies,such as growth factors and/or gene therapies has led to the search of alternatives.We explore here how a cell’s epigenome influences determination of cell type,and potential applications in tissue engineering.A prevalent epigenetic modification is the acetylation of DNA core histone proteins.Acetylation levels heavily influence gene transcription.Histone deacetylase (HDAC) enzymes can remove these acetyl groups,leading to the formation of a condensed and more transcriptionally silenced chromatin.Histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACis) can inhibit these enzymes,resulting in the increased acetylation of histones,thereby affecting gene expression.There is strong evidence to suggest that HDACis can be utilised in stem cell therapies and tissue engineering,potentially providing novel tools to control stem cell fate.This review introduces the structure/function of HDAC enzymes and their links to different tissue types (specifically bone,cardiac,neural tissues),including the history,current status and future perspectives of using HDACis for stem cell research and tissue engineering,with particular attention paid to how different HDAC isoforms may be integral to this field.

Distinct mechanisms of FAK mechanoactivation by different extracellular matrix proteins

Introduction Cells can sense and respond to the mechanical microenvironment by converting forces into biochemical signals inside the cells,i.e.mechanotransduction[1-3].Focal adhesions are the major sites of interaction between a cell and its extracellular matrix（ECM）microenvironment,thus outside mechanical signals can be sensed at focal adhesions through transmembrane receptor integrins.In particular,it has been shown that matrix elasticity can control the cell fate[4]by modulating the interactions between ECM proteins and their receptor integrins[5,6].For example,different rigidity of polyacrylamide（PA）gels can lead to different density of ECM ancho-

Candidate genes underlying QTL for flowering time and their interactions in a wide spring barley(Hordeum vulgare L.) cross

Response to vernalization and photoperiod are the main determinants controlling the time to flowering in temperate cereals. While the individual genes that determine a plant's response to these environmental signals are well characterized, the combinatorial effect on flowering time of allelic variants for multiple genes remains unresolved. This study investigated the genetic control of flowering-time in a biparental population of spring barley, derived from a wide cross between a late-flowering European and an early-flowering North-American cultivar. While the major flowering time genes are not segregating in the Beka ×Logan cross, large variation in flowering was observed. We identified five QTL, with both parents found to contribute early alleles. The catalog of QTL discovered aligns with several candidate genes affecting flowering time in barley. The combination of particular alleles at HvCEN, HvELF3 and HvFT1 in Logan are responsible for the earliness of this cultivar. Interestingly, earliness for flowering could be further enhanced, with Beka found to contribute three early alleles, including a QTL colocating with a HvFD-like gene, suggesting that there are diverse aspects of the flowering-time pathway that have been manipulated in these two cultivars. Epistatic interactions between flowering-time QTL or candidate genes were observed in field data and confirmed under controlled conditions. The results of this study link photoperiod-dependent flowering-time genes with earliness per se genes into a single model, thus providing a unique framework that can be used by geneticists and breeders to optimize flowering time in barley.

A variant in IL6ST with a selective IL-11 signaling defect in human and mouse

The GP130 cytokine receptor subunit encoded by IL6ST is the shared receptor for ten cytokines of the IL-6 family. We describe a homozygous non-synonymous variant in IL6 ST(p.R281 Q) in a patient with craniosynostosis and retained deciduous teeth. We characterize the impact of the variant on cytokine signaling in vitro using transfected cell lines as well as primary patient-derived cells and support these findings using a mouse model with the corresponding genome-edited variant Il6 st p.R279 Q. We show that human GP130 p.R281 Q is associated with selective loss of IL-11 signaling without affecting IL-6, IL-27, OSM, LIF, CT1, CLC, and CNTF signaling. In mice Il6 st p.R279 Q lowers litter size and causes facial synostosis and teeth abnormalities. The effect on IL-11 signaling caused by the GP130 variant shows incomplete penetrance but phenocopies aspects of IL11 RA deficiency in humans and mice. Our data show that a genetic variant in a pleiotropic cytokine receptor can have remarkably selective defects.

Utilization of eye care services among those with unilateral visual impairment in rural South India：Andhra Pradesh Eye Disease Study(APEDS)

AIM：To report on the utilization of eye care services and its associated factors among those with unilateral visual impairment（VI）in a rural South Indian population.METHODS：A population based cross-sectional study was conducted in three districts（Adilabad,Mahbubnagar and West Godavari）in the state of Andhra Pradesh,India.A detailed interview and a comprehensive eye examination were conducted. Those with unilateral VI were asked questions about noticing any change in vision and on utilization of eye care services. The most important reason reported by the participant for not utilizing the services was used for the analysis. Multiple logistic regression models were used to examine the association between noticing a change in vision and socio-demographic variables such as age,gender,education and area of residence,severity and causes of VI.RESULTS：Among the 4456 participants aged ≥16y who were administered the questionnaire,53.2% were women,and 54.7% had no education. Of the 489（11%; 95% CI：10.1-11.9）people with unilateral VI,399（81.6%）participants reported noticing a change in their vision over the last five years but only 136（34.1%）participants had soughteye care consultation. Those who had any education（OR：1.9; 95% CI：1.1-3.2）,had blindness（OR：2.7; 95% CI：1.4-5.2）,and cataract（OR：2.1; 95% CI：1.0-4.3）as a cause of unilateral VI were more like to seek eye care consultations. The most commonly reported reasons for not seeking eye care services were ＂do not have money for eye checkup＂ in 30.7% of the participants followed by ＂do not have a serious problem＂（30.0%）.CONCLUSION：A large proportion of rural population though noticed a change in their vision did not seek eye care due to financial and person-related reasons. Eye care service providers need to address these barriers to enhance the uptake of eye care services among those with unilateral VI.

Unravelling the story of protein misfolding in diabetes mellitus

Both environmental and genetic factors contribute to the development of diabetes mellitus and although monogenic disorders are rare,they offer unique insights into the fundamental biology underlying the disease.Mutations of the insulin gene or genes involved in the response to protein misfolding cause early onset diabetes.These have revealed an important role for endoplasmic reticulum stress in β-cell survival.This form of cellular stress occurs when secretory proteins fail to fold efficiently.Of all the professional secretory cells we possess,β-cells are the most sensitive to endoplasmic reticulum stress because of the large fluctuations in protein synthesis they face daily.Studies of endoplasmic reticulum stress signaling therefore offer the potential to identify new drug targets to treat diabetes.

Identification of Genetic Variants Underlying Anxiety and Multiple Sclerosis in Heterogeneous Stock Rats

Identifying genetic variants that contribute to phenotypic variation is expected to provide insights into the etiology of complex traits. Here we show how combining genetic mapping in an outbred population of rats with sequence data from the progenitors of the population made it possible to identify causal variants and genes for a large number of phenotypes. We identified 355 genomic loci contributing to 122 measures relevant to six models of disease, including fear-related behaviors and experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis. At 35 of those loci we identified the responsible gene, and in some cases, the responsible variant.

Towards an open grapevine information system

Viticulture,like other fields of agriculture,is currently facing important challenges that will be addressed only through sustained,dedicated and coordinated research.Although the methods used in biology have evolved tremendously in recent years and now involve the routine production of large data sets of varied nature,in many domains of study,including grapevine research,there is a need to improve the findability,accessibility,interoperability and reusability(FAIR-ness)of these data.Considering the heterogeneous nature of the data produced,the transnational nature of the scientific community and the experience gained elsewhere,we have formed an open working group,in the framework of the International Grapevine Genome Program(www.vitaceae.org),to construct a coordinated federation of information systems holding grapevine data distributed around the world,providing an integrated set of interfaces supporting advanced data modeling,rich semantic integration and the next generation of data mining tools.To achieve this goal,it will be critical to develop,implement and adopt appropriate standards for data annotation and formatting.The development of this system,the GrapeIS,linking genotypes to phenotypes,and scientific research to agronomical and oeneological data,should provide new insights into grape biology,and allow the development of new varieties to meet the challenges of biotic and abiotic stress,environmental change,and consumer demand.

A multi-modal clustering method for traditonal Chinese medicine clinical data via media convergence

Media convergence is a media change led by technological innovation.Applying media convergence technology to the study of clustering in Chinese medicine can significantly exploit the advantages of media fusion.Obtaining consistent and complementary information among multiple modalities through media convergence can provide technical support for clustering.This article presents an approach based on Media Convergence and Graph convolution Encoder Clustering(MCGEC)for traditonal Chinese medicine(TCM)clinical data.It feeds modal information and graph structure from media information into a multi-modal graph convolution encoder to obtain the media feature representation learnt from multiple modalities.MCGEC captures latent information from various modalities by fusion and optimises the feature representations and network architecture with learnt clustering labels.The experiment is conducted on real-world multimodal TCM clinical data,including information like images and text.MCGEC has improved clustering results compared to the generic single-modal clustering methods and the current more advanced multi-modal clustering methods.MCGEC applied to TCM clinical datasets can achieve better results.Integrating multimedia features into clustering algorithms offers significant benefits compared to single-modal clustering approaches that simply concatenate features from different modalities.It provides practical technical support for multi-modal clustering in the TCM field incorporating multimedia features.

Prevalence and Factors Associated with Risky Sexual Behaviors among Patients with Severe Mental Illness in Uganda: A Descriptive Cross Sectional Study

Background: Persons living with severe mental illness (SMI) which includes schizophrenia, bipolar affective disorder and recurrent major depressive disorder are predisposed to risky sexual behavior (RSB). There is a paucity of data on this problem in sub-Saharan Africa and where research has been undertaken, only a limited range of risk factors have been considered and most of it was undertaken before antiretroviral therapy was universally available, hence the need for this study. The objective of this study was to determine the prevalence and factors associated with risky sexual behavior among individuals with SMI attending care in central and south western Uganda. Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted among 393 persons with SMI attending two psychiatric out-patient facilities in Uganda. Psychiatric disorder was confirmed using MINI International Neuropsychiatric Interview version 7.2. RSB was defined as engaging in at least one of four risky sexual behaviours that have been associated with HIV infection in the Ugandan psychosocial environment in the last three months using an 8 item RSB questionnaire used for assessment of RSB. Prevalence of RSB and associated correlates were determined using multiple logistic regression. Results: The Prevalence of RSB in last 3 months’ periods was 24.2% (95% CI: 20.2% - 28.7%). The factors that were independently significantly associated with RSB were: trauma related (history of childhood trauma, past and current sexual abuse, past and current physical abuse) current psychosocial challenges (mental health stigma) and psychiatric illness factors (history of a past manic episode, current psychotic episode, severity of depressive symptoms and severity of manic symptoms). Conclusions: One quarter of clinic attending respondents with severe mental illness in Uganda practice risky sexual behaviour. Factors associated with risky sexual behaviour fall under the domains of past and present trauma, current psychosocial challenges and psychiatric illness factors. This calls for a multi-sectoral approach that includes community awareness about the nature of SMI and the rights of persons with SMI and measures to improve Psychiatric symptom management.

毛细血管再灌注:对肯尼亚患儿的预后评估价值

目的:收集肯尼亚住院患儿病例,研究毛细血管再灌注时间延迟(dCRT,】3 s)作为预测患儿预后指标的价值。方法:研究Kilifi区医院4 160例患儿病例,其疾病类型包括:疟疾、疟源性贫血、急性呼吸道感染(ARI)、重度贫血(血红蛋白【50 g/L)、胃肠炎、营养不良、脑膜炎和脓毒症。结果:346例发生dCRT,占8%

肯尼亚婴幼儿使用庆大霉素每日1次给药与每日多次给药的随机对照试验

目的:在监测对婴幼儿不能进行常规剂量给药的情况时,采用每日1次剂量(OD)给予庆大霉素的方法是否合适。方法:采用开放、随机对照试验,受试婴儿为肯尼亚农村地区医院新近收治的、怀疑为严重脓毒症的患儿,庆大霉素治疗分为1日1次给药和常规的1日多次(MD)给药两组。结果:在297例随机分组的患儿中。

脑型疟疾引发持久性神经和认知功能障碍的危险因素

Background: Persisting neurological and cognitive impairments are common after cerebralmalaria. Although risk factors for gross deficits on discharge have been described, few studies have examined those associated with persistent impairments. Methods: The risk factors for impairments following cerebral malaria were determined by examining hospital records of 143 children aged 6-9 years, previously admitted with cerebral malaria, who were assessed at least 20 months after discharge to detect motor, speech and language, and other cognitive (memory, attention, and non-verbal functioning) impairments. Results: The median age on admission was 30 months (IQR 19-42) and the median time from discharge to assessment was 64 months (IQR 40-78). Thirty four children (23.8% ) were defin-ed as having impairments: 14 (9.8% ) in motor, 16 (11.2% ) in speech and language, and 20 (14.0% ) in other cognitive functions. Previous seizures (OR 5.6, 95% CI 2.0 to 16.0), deep coma on admission (OR 28.8, 95% CI 3.0 to 280), focal neurological signs observed during admission (OR 4.6, 95% CI 1.1 to 19.6), and neurological deficits on discharge (OR 4.5, 95% CI 1.4 to 13.8) were independently associated with persisting impairments. In addition, multiple seizures were associated with motor impairment, age < 3 years, severe malnutrition, features of intracranial hypertension, and hypoglycaemia with language impairments, while prolonged coma, severe malnutrition, and hypoglycaemia were associated with impairments in other cognitive functions. Conclusions: Risk factors for persisting neurological and cognitive impairments following cerebral malaria include multiple seizures, deep/prolonged coma, hypoglycaemia, and clinical features of intracranial hypertension. Although there are overlaps in impaired functions and risk factors, the differences in risk factors for specific functions may suggest separate mechanisms for neuronal damage. These factors could form the basis of future preventive strategies for persisting impairments.

The Identification of a Novel, High Frequency Variant in the Cytochrome b Gene in an Isolated Population of a Rare Fish, Spined Loach <i>Cobitis taenia</i>, in England: A Population Worth Protecting?

The spined loach Cobitis taenia, is listed as a protected species under Appendix 3 of the Bern Convention and Annex II of the European Council Directive (92/43/EEC) on the conservation of natural habitats and of wild fauna and flora. It is desirable therefore to understand the genetic diversity within European populations. In a molecular genetic analysis of the cytochrome b gene in Cobitis taenia from three sites in the upper reaches of the River Trent catchment, a novel high frequency variant was identified which has not been previously reported in any European or Non-European population.

人类免疫缺陷病毒1型对结核病传染性的影响

背景:发展中国家三级转诊医院及其服务社区。目的:确定染有人类免疫缺陷病毒1型(HIV-1)的、经培养证实的肺结核病人的传染性。设计:HIV-1阳性和阴性的肺结核病例的家庭内接触者中结核病发病率和结核菌素皮肤试验阳性率的比较。结果:在255名HIV-1阴性索引病例(index case)的接触者中,2名为HIV-1阳性,在102名HIV-1阳性索引病例的接触者中,14名为HIV-1阳性(让步比[odds ratio,OR,一个事件发生的概率对其不发生的概率之比。译注。]=20.0,95％置信区间(CI)4.4—193),接触者中共诊断结核病21例,其中3例为HIV-1阳性。患结核病的HIV-1阳性索引病例接触者与HIV-1阴性索引病例接触者相比,总的未经校正的OR为1.6(95％CI0.6—4.3)。单独在HIV-1阴性接触者中,OR为1.5(95％CI0.4—4.4)。在该组中,接触者中结核病的最佳预报者是索引病例中的女性(OR=3.4,95％CI1.1—12),与索引病例同睡一床者(OR=2.6,95％CI0.9—1.4),和接触者年龄小于5岁者(OR=3.3,95％CI1.1—9.5),HIV-1阳性接触者比HIV-1阴性接触者更容易发生结核病(OR=4.1,95％CI0.7—17),HIV-1阳性和阴性索引病例的HIV-1阴性接触者的结核素皮肤试验阳性率相同(OR=1.1,95％CI0.7—1.6)。结论:与HIV-1联合的肺结核并不比单独患结核病的传染性强。社区中有了HIV-1。