Molecular and phylogenetic analyses of a new Amphotropic murine leukemia virus (MuLV-1313)

Abstract Background The amphotropic murine leukemia viruses (MuLV-A's) are naturally occurring, exogenously acquired gammaretroviruses that are indigenous to the Southern California wild mice. These viruses replicate in a wide range of cell types including human cells in vitro and they can cause both hematological and neurological disorders in feral as well as in the inbred laboratory mice. Since MuLV-A's also exhibit discrete interference and neutralization properties, the envelope proteins of these viruses have been extremely useful for studying virus-host cell interactions and as vehicles for transfer of foreign genes into a variety of hosts including human cells. However, the genomic structure of any of the several known MuLV-A's has not been established and the evolutionary relationship of amphotropic retroviruses to the numerous exogenous or endogenous MuLV strains remains elusive. Herein we present a complete genetic structure of a novel amphotropic virus designated MuLV-1313 and demonstrate that this retrovirus together with other MuLV-A's belongs to a distinct molecular, biological and phylogenetic class among the MuLV strains isolated from a large number of the laboratory inbred or feral mice. Results The host range of MuLV-1313 is similar to the previously isolated MuLV-A's except that this virus replicates efficiently in mammalian as well as in chicken cells. Compared to ENV proteins of other MuLV-A's (4070A, 1504A and 10A-1), the gp70 protein of MuLV-1313 exhibits differences in its signal peptides and the proline-rich hinge regions. However, the MuLV-1313 envelope protein is totally unrelated to those present in a broad range of murine retroviruses that have been isolated from various inbred and feral mice globally. Genetic analysis of the entire MuLV-1313 genome by dot plot analyses, which compares each nucleotide of one genome with the corresponding nucleotide of another, revealed that the genome of this virus, with the exception of the env gene, is more closely related to the biologically distinct wild mouse ecotropic retrovirus (Cas-Br-E) isolated from another region of the Southern California, than to any of the 15 MuLV strains whose full-length sequences are present in the GenBank. This finding was corroborated by phylogenetic analyses and hierarchical clustering of the entire genomic sequence of MuLV-1313, which also placed all MULV-A's in a genetically distinct category among the large family of retroviruses isolated from numerous mouse strains globally. Likewise, construction of separate dendrograms for each of the Gag, Pol and Env proteins of MuLV-1313 demonstrated that the amphotropic retroviruses belong to a phylogenetically exclusive group of gammaretroviruses compared to all known MuLV strains. Conclusion The molecular, biological and phylogenetic properties of amphotropic retroviruses including MuLV-1313 are distinct compared to a large family of exogenously- or endogenously-transmitted ecotropic, polytropic and xenotropic MuLV strains of the laboratory and feral mice. Further, both the naturally occurring amphotropic and a biologically discrete ecotropic retrovirus of the Southern California wild mice are more closely related to each other on the evolutionary tree than any other mammalian gammaretrovirus indicating a common origin of these viruses. This is the first report of a complete genomic analysis of a unique group of phylogenetically distinct amphotropic virus.</p

Readability Assessment of Textbooks in Low Resource Languages

Readability is a fundamental problem in textbooks assessment. For low re-sources languages (LRL), however, little investigation has been done on the readability of textbook. In this paper, we proposed a readability assessment method for Tibetan textbook (a low resource language). We extract features based on the information that are gotten by Tibetan segmentation and named entity recognition. Then, we calculate the correlation of different features using Pearson Correlation Coefficient and select some feature sets to design the readability formula. Fit detection, F test and T test are applied on these selected features to generate a new readability assessment formula. Experiment shows that this new formula is capable of assessing the readability of Tibetan textbooks

IS LIFE IMPRISONMENT WITHOUT PAROLE OR COMMUTATION AN EFFECTIVE ANTI-CORRUPTION MEASURE FOR CHINA?

New legislation adopting a tough criminal stance on the crimes of corruption and bribery responds to the need for strengthening Chinese anti-corruption work. The ninth amendment to the Chinese Criminal Law Code, which adds life imprisonment without parole or commutation, has received broad support from all sectors of society. The aim of the amendment, as stated by the legislature, is to safeguard judicial fairness and prevent criminals convicted of the most serious corruption offences from having their prison sentences shortened through commutation. This stated legislative aim is not acceptable. Whether from the perspective of deterrence or alternative measures to the death penalty, the approach of adding life imprisonment without parole or commutation in order to punish the corrupt is not ideal. This article argues that, given the particular nature of crimes of corruption and given the disadvantages of life imprisonment without parole or commutation, restraint in the use of the death penalty does not mean that life&nbsp;imprisonment has to be used as an alternative measure. Moreover, the death penalty with a two-year reprieve is sufficient for realising retribution and prevention as aims of punishment

Programmable Hamiltonian engineering with quadratic quantum Fourier transform

Quantum Fourier transform (QFT) is a widely used building block for quantum algorithms, whose scalable implementation is challenging in experiments. Here, we propose a protocol of quadratic quantum Fourier transform (QQFT), considering cold atoms confined in an optical lattice. This QQFT is equivalent to QFT in the single-particle subspace, and produces a different unitary operation in the entire Hilbert space. We show this QQFT protocol can be implemented using programmable laser potential with the digital-micromirror-device techniques recently developed in the experiments. The QQFT protocol enables programmable Hamiltonian engineering, and allows quantum simulations of Hamiltonian models, which are difficult to realize with conventional approaches. The flexibility of our approach is demonstrated by performing quantum simulations of one-dimensional Poincar\'{e} crystal physics and two-dimensional topological flat bands, where the QQFT protocol effectively generates the required long-range tunnelings despite the locality of the cold atom system. We find the discrete Poincar\'{e} symmetry and topological properties in the two examples respectively have robustness against a certain degree of noise that is potentially existent in the experimental realization. We expect this approach would open up wide opportunities for optical lattice based programmable quantum simulations.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figure

Theory of polygonal phases self-assembled from T-shaped liquid crystalline polymers

Extensive experimental studies have shown that numerous ordered phases can be formed via the self-assembly of T-shaped liquid crystalline polymers (TLCPs) composed of a rigid backbone, two flexible end chains and a flexible side chain. However, a comprehensive understanding of the stability and formation mechanisms of these intricately nano-structured phases remains incomplete. Here we fill this gap by carrying out a theoretical study of the phase behaviour of TLCPs. Specifically, we construct phase diagrams of TLCPs by computing the free energy of different ordered phases of the system. Our results reveal that the number of polygonal edges increases as the length of side chain or interaction strength increases, consistent with experimental observations. The theoretical study not only reproduces the experimentally observed phases and phase transition sequences, but also systematically analyzes the stability mechanism of the polygonal phases

Simultaneous bilateral hypertensive basal ganglia hemorrhage

Context Hypertension is the single most important risk factor for intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and often leads to solitary hematoma. Multiple spontaneous simultaneous ICH is not common, and bilateral hemorrhages occurred in symmetrical basal ganglia is extremely rare. Most reported cases accepted conservative treatment and suffered extremely poor outcome. Case report A 57-year-old male became unconscious when having supper and was transported to our emergency room immediately. Non-contract CT brain scanning showed simultaneous bilateral hypertensive basal ganglia hemorrhage; he was treated by stereotactic aspiration and thrombolysis for both sides, with subsequent thrombolysis and clot aspiration through hematoma-indwelling catheter. The hematomas were almost totally cleared within a week. His condition improved gradually. Nearly 10 months after onset, he could chow and swallow food, controlling bowels and bladder all by himself, but need some help when feeding and using toilet. Conclusion Simultaneous bilateral hypertensive basal ganglia hemorrhage is a devastating cerebrovascular disease with significant high morbidity and mortality. Stereotactic aspiration and thrombolysis is a safe and effective way to clear hematomas within short time, thus reducing the neurological impairment from hematoma mass effect and secondary brain injury, improving prognosis

Commodifying Non-English Foreign Language via Chinese University Websites

This paper examines the commodification of non-English foreign languages through the official websites of 42 China’s double first-class universities. Informed by the concepts of language as commodity (Heller 2010), this study examines how non-English foreign languages are ideologically constructed as valued resources exchange for decent job, advanced education and China’s regional integration. However, the study also finds that even these websites try their best to portray non-English foreign languages as valuable commodity, the concept of English as the default language still permeates in the whole promoting process. Therefore, there is still some tensions between ideal promoting vision and actual practices. This study can shed lights on the valorization of multilingual education in China and the promotion of non-English foreign languages to the world

Quantitative volumetric analysis of primary glioblastoma multiforme on MRI and 11C-methionine PET: initial study on five patients

To investigate the discrepancy between 11C-methionine (MET) positron emission tomography (PET) and MRI results in primary glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) through three-dimensional (3D) volumetric analysis, we retrospectively analysed patients with primary GBM who underwent preoperative 3D MRI and MET PET and were operated between June 2016 and January 2017. Tumour delineation and volumetric analysis were conducted using MRIcron software. Tumour volumes defined by MRI (VMRI) were manually drawn slice by slice in axial and sagittal or coronal images of enhanced T1 sequence, while metabolic tumour volumes were automatically segmented in MET PET (VMET) based on three (frontal, occipital and temporal) 3D reference volumes of interest (VOI). Discrepancies were evaluated in terms of both absolute volume and percentage on the combined images. MET PET contours contained and extended beyond MRI contours in all five patients; in a subset of cases, MET PET contours extended to the contralateral hemisphere. The discrepancy between MET uptake and MRI results was 27.67 cm3 (4.20–51.20 cm3), i.e. approximately 39.0% (17.4–64.3%) of the metabolic tumour volume was located outside the volumes of the Gd-enhanced area. Metabolic tumour volume is substantially underestimated by Gd-enhanced area in patients with primary GBM. Quantitative volumetric information derived from MET uptake is useful in defining tumour targets and designing individualised therapy strategies in primary GBM

Effects of ectopic HER-2/neu gene expression on the COX-2/PGE2/P450arom signaling pathway in endometrial carcinoma cells: HER-2/neu gene expression in endometrial carcinoma cells

Abstract Objectives To investigate the role of HER-2/neu-mediated COX-2/P450arom signal in estrogen-dependent endometrial carcinoma. Methods The recombinant eukaryotic expression vector, pcDNA3.1-HER-2/neu, was constructed and transfect to Ishikawa endometrial carcinoma cells. The expression of COX-2 and P450arom in transfected cells were detected by real-time PCR and western blotting. The levels of estrogen in cell supernatants were detected by ELISA. Results Over-expression of HER-2/neu in transfected cells was confirmed by real-time PCR and western blotting. The levels of autocrine estrogen in transfected cells was significantly increased which combination with the enhancement of COX-2 and P450arom expression in transfected cells. Conclusion HER-2/neu induced the improvement of autocrine estrogen in endometrial carcinoma cell through triggering the COX-2/P450arom signal. </jats:sec