Phylogenetic data matrix (TNT format) from New information on the Cretaceous sauropod dinosaurs of Zhejiang Province, China: impact on Laurasian titanosauriform phylogeny and biogeography

Titanosaurs were a globally distributed clade of Cretaceous sauropods. Historically regarded as a primarily Gondwanan radiation, there is a growing number of Eurasian taxa, with several putative titanosaurs contemporaneous with, or even predating, the oldest known Southern Hemisphere remains. The early Late Cretaceous Jinhua Formation, in Zhejiang Province, China, has yielded two putative titanosaurs, Jiangshanosaurus lixianensis and Dongyangosaurus sinensis. Here, we provide a detailed re-description and diagnosis of Jiangshanosaurus, as well as new anatomical information on Dongyangosaurus. Previously, a ‘derived’ titanosaurian placement for Jiangshanosaurus was primarily based on the presence of procoelous anterior caudal centra. We show that this taxon had amphicoelous anterior-middle caudal centra. Its only titanosaurian synapomorphy is that the dorsal margins of the scapula and coracoid are approximately level with one another. Dongyangosaurus can clearly be differentiated from Jiangshanosaurus, and displays features that indicate a closer relationship to the titanosaur radiation. Revised scores for both taxa are incorporated into an expanded phylogenetic data matrix, comprising 124 taxa scored for 548 characters. Under equal weights parsimony, Jiangshanosaurus is recovered as a member of the non-titanosaurian East Asian somphospondylan clade Euhelopodidae, and Dongyangosaurus lies just outside of Titanosauria. However, when extended implied weighting is applied, both taxa are placed within Titanosauria. Most other ‘Middle’ Cretaceous East Asian sauropods are probably non-titanosaurian somphospondylans, but at least Xianshanosaurus appears to belong to the titanosaur radiation. Our analyses also recover the Early Cretaceous European sauropod Normanniasaurus genceyi as a ‘derived’ titanosaur, clustering with Gondwanan taxa. These results provide further support for a widespread diversification of titanosaurs by at least the Early Cretaceous

Phylogenetic data matrix (nexus format) from New information on the Cretaceous sauropod dinosaurs of Zhejiang Province, China: impact on Laurasian titanosauriform phylogeny and biogeography

Titanosaurs were a globally distributed clade of Cretaceous sauropods. Historically regarded as a primarily Gondwanan radiation, there is a growing number of Eurasian taxa, with several putative titanosaurs contemporaneous with, or even predating, the oldest known Southern Hemisphere remains. The early Late Cretaceous Jinhua Formation, in Zhejiang Province, China, has yielded two putative titanosaurs, Jiangshanosaurus lixianensis and Dongyangosaurus sinensis. Here, we provide a detailed re-description and diagnosis of Jiangshanosaurus, as well as new anatomical information on Dongyangosaurus. Previously, a ‘derived’ titanosaurian placement for Jiangshanosaurus was primarily based on the presence of procoelous anterior caudal centra. We show that this taxon had amphicoelous anterior-middle caudal centra. Its only titanosaurian synapomorphy is that the dorsal margins of the scapula and coracoid are approximately level with one another. Dongyangosaurus can clearly be differentiated from Jiangshanosaurus, and displays features that indicate a closer relationship to the titanosaur radiation. Revised scores for both taxa are incorporated into an expanded phylogenetic data matrix, comprising 124 taxa scored for 548 characters. Under equal weights parsimony, Jiangshanosaurus is recovered as a member of the non-titanosaurian East Asian somphospondylan clade Euhelopodidae, and Dongyangosaurus lies just outside of Titanosauria. However, when extended implied weighting is applied, both taxa are placed within Titanosauria. Most other ‘Middle’ Cretaceous East Asian sauropods are probably non-titanosaurian somphospondylans, but at least Xianshanosaurus appears to belong to the titanosaur radiation. Our analyses also recover the Early Cretaceous European sauropod Normanniasaurus genceyi as a ‘derived’ titanosaur, clustering with Gondwanan taxa. These results provide further support for a widespread diversification of titanosaurs by at least the Early Cretaceous

Rational Design of Cancer-Targeted BSA Protein Nanoparticles as Radiosensitizer to Overcome Cancer Radioresistance

Radiotherapy displays curative potential for cervical cancer management, but radioresistance occurs during long-term therapy. To overcome this limitation, tumor-targeted nanotechnology has been proposed to enhance the radiosensitivity of solid tumors. Herein, we used biocompatible bovine serum albumin nanoparticles (BSANPs) as carriers of organic selenocompound (PSeD) with folate (FA) as the targeting ligand to fabricate a cancer-targeted nanosystem. The combination of PSeD and BSANPs endowed the nanosystem with higher light absorption and reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation owing to their properties of surface plasmon resonance (SPR) effect, heavy metal effect, high refractive index and nanoparticulate interfacial effect. The combined treatment drastically increased the ROS overproduction, VEGF/VEGFR2 inactivation and inhibition of XRCC-1-mediated repair of DNA damage, thus triggering G2/M phase arrest and apoptosis. Taken together, our findings demonstrate the utility of FA-BSANPs as a promising radiosensitizer to improve cancer radiotherapy

ISAV-NP:RNA complexes.

<p>(A–F) EM images of the free NP (A, B), NP bound to a 24-nt RNA (C, D), and NP bound to a 48-nt RNA (E, F). (G) Molecular weights of NP and NP:RNA complexes as determined by DLS. Molecular interpretations were made for each figure with blue handcuffs for the NP dimers and grey curves for RNA molecules.</p

ISAV-NP RNA binding.

<p>(A–C) RNA binding affinity measurements for the <i>wt</i> NP (A), ΔN111 (B) and ΔC16 (C). FA was performed using three RNA oligos each containing 20, 24, and 28 nts. The binding curves are plotted using the same protein concentration range. For the ΔC16 mutant, an inset is added in (C) to provide a more spread-out view at lower protein concentrations. Fully saturated curves for the 20-nt RNA are shown in <a href="http://www.plospathogens.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.ppat.1003624#ppat.1003624.s003" target="_blank">Fig. S3</a> in Supporting Information. (D–G) RNA binding stoichiometry measurements for the <i>wt</i> NP and the ΔLOOP monomeric mutant. NP:RNA complexes assembled in each experiments are schematically shown with blue handcuffs for NP dimers and grey curves for RNA molecules.</p

ISAV-NP crystal structure.

<p>(A) Three orthogonal views of an NP dimer. One subunit is colored in green, whereas the other subunit is colored by domains with blue for the N-terminal domain, yellow for the head, red for the body, and magenta for the tail loop. In the last panel, the magenta tail loop is shown by space-filling model to highlight the extensive interaction mediated by the tail loop. (B) ISAV-NP (red) superimposed onto the influenza A virus NP (cyan, PDB ID: 2IQH) <a href="http://www.plospathogens.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.ppat.1003624#ppat.1003624-Ye1" target="_blank">[23]</a>. (C) ISAV-NP monomer. The molecule is colored continuously from blue to red for the N-terminus to C-terminus, respectively. Secondary structural elements are numbered. (D) Calculated electronic potential for an NP monomer. Positively charged residues are highlighted. (B–D) are shown in the same orientation by viewing into the putative RNA binding groove, same as the middle panel in (A). (E) ISAV-NP secondary structure assignment. α-helices are shown by cylinders and the β-strands are represented by arrows. Conserved charged residues from the RNA binding groove are highlighted in blue. The conserved aromatic residue F274 in the groove is shown in red. The NP sequences from ISAV and the influenza A virus were manually aligned, based on tertiary structures.</p

Comparison of outline drawings of ankylosaur ischia.

<p>A–F, left ischium in lateral view. A, <i>Ankylosaurus magniventris</i> (AMNH 5214), redrawn from <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0104551#pone.0104551-Carpenter5" target="_blank">[28]</a>; B, <i>Scolosaurus cutleri</i> (TMP 2001.42.19), redrawn from <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0104551#pone.0104551-Arbour1" target="_blank">[31]</a>; C, <i>Edmontonia rugosidens</i>, redrawn from <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0104551#pone.0104551-Coombs2" target="_blank">[25]</a>; D, <i>Cedarpelta bilbeyhallorum</i> (CEUM 10266) from <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0104551#pone.0104551-Carpenter7" target="_blank">[44]</a>; E, cf. <i>Pinacosaurus</i>, MPC 100/1305 in lateral view, from <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0104551#pone.0104551-Carpenter4" target="_blank">[22]</a>, <a href="http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0104551#pone.0104551-Arbour4" target="_blank">[66]</a>; F, <i>Chuanqilong chaoyangensis</i> in lateral view; G–H, right ischium in lateral view; G, <i>Chuanqilong chaoyangensis</i>; H, <i>Liaoningosaurus paradoxus</i> (IVPP V12560). Scar bars in A–G equal 10 cm; scale bar in H equals 1 cm. [planned for column width].</p

Gel filtration chromatograms for ISAV-NP proteins.

<p>The eluted positions of three protein standards are marked by arrows.</p

A new juvenile specimen of <i>Yunnanosaurus robustus</i> (Dinosauria: Sauropodomorpha) from Early to Middle Jurassic of Chuxiong Autonomous Prefecture, Yunnan Province, China

<div><p>An almost complete skeleton with partial cranial material (ZMNH-M8739) is recovered from the Early or Middle Jurassic of southwest China. ZMNH-M8739 is identified as a juvenile individual of basal sauropodomorph dinosaur, <i>Yunnanosaurus robustus</i> Young, 1951. The revised diagnoses are as follows: absence of anteroposterior expansion on the medial end of astragalus and dorsoventrally compressed medium shaft of the metatarsal IV. Unfused neural arch and finely grooved long bone surface texture indicate that this individual is in the immature growth stage. ZMNH-M8739 possesses the tooth–tooth wear facet on its mesial maxillary and dentary teeth. However, the distal maxillary teeth have coarse serrations. Such a characteristic dentition could represent a unique feeding mechanism of this animal. Finally, ZMNH-M8739 constitutes a monophyletic group with <i>Y. robustus</i> (holotype), and <i>Y. huangi</i> is nesting this clade in the phylogenetic tree of the present analysis. Comparison of juvenile and adult specimen reveals distinctive growth changes of <i>Y. robustus</i>. This clade is positioned in an unnamed clade at a sister taxon of Sauropoda. Finally, some members of the so-called prosauropod dinosaurs constitute a monophyletic group in the present result.</p></div

Postcranial materials of <i>Chuanqilong chaoyangensis</i>.

<p><b>A</b>, right scapula in lateral view; <b>B</b>, left humerus in cranial view; <b>C</b>, right humerus in lateral view; <b>D</b>, left ulna in medial view; <b>E</b>, left radius in medial view; <b>F</b>, disarticulated left metacarpals and phalanges; <b>G</b>, right femur in caudal view; <b>H</b>, left femur in cranial view; <b>I</b>, articulated left tibia and fibula in cranial view; <b>J</b>, right metatarsals in cranial view; unguals in both cranial and caudal view. Note that due to compression of the right femur, the cranial trochanter is visible in posterior view whereas it would normally be obscured. <b>Abbreviations</b>: <b>dc</b>, deltopectoral crest; <b>fh</b>, femoral head; <b>fi</b>, fibula; <b>fth</b>, fourth trochanter; <b>gt</b>, greater trochanter; <b>lc</b>, lateral condyle; <b>ct</b>, cranial trochanter; <b>mc</b>, medial condyle; <b>ti</b>, tibia. [planned for page width].</p