Characteristics of the nuclear (18S, 5.8S, 28S and 5S) and mitochondrial (12S and 16S) rRNA genes of Apis mellifera (Insecta: Hymenoptera): structure, organization, and retrotransposable elements

As an accompanying manuscript to the release of the honey bee genome, we report the entire sequence of the nuclear (18S, 5.8S, 28S and 5S) and mitochondrial (12S and 16S) ribosomal RNA (rRNA)-encoding gene sequences (rDNA) and related internally and externally transcribed spacer regions of Apis mellifera (Insecta: Hymenoptera: Apocrita). Additionally, we predict secondary structures for the mature rRNA molecules based on comparative sequence analyses with other arthropod taxa and reference to recently published crystal structures of the ribosome. In general, the structures of honey bee rRNAs are in agreement with previously predicted rRNA models from other arthropods in core regions of the rRNA, with little additional expansion in non-conserved regions. Our multiple sequence alignments are made available on several public databases and provide a preliminary establishment of a global structural model of all rRNAs from the insects. Additionally, we provide conserved stretches of sequences flanking the rDNA cistrons that comprise the externally transcribed spacer regions (ETS) and part of the intergenic spacer region (IGS), including several repetitive motifs. Finally, we report the occurrence of retrotransposition in the nuclear large subunit rDNA, as R2 elements are present in the usual insertion points found in other arthropods. Interestingly, functional R1 elements usually present in the genomes of insects were not detected in the honey bee rRNA genes. The reverse transcriptase products of the R2 elements are deduced from their putative open reading frames and structurally aligned with those from another hymenopteran insect, the jewel wasp Nasonia (Pteromalidae). Stretches of conserved amino acids shared between Apis and Nasonia are illustrated and serve as potential sites for primer design, as target amplicons within these R2 elements may serve as novel phylogenetic markers for Hymenoptera. Given the impending completion of the sequencing of the Nasonia genome, we expect our report eventually to shed light on the evolution of the hymenopteran genome within higher insects, particularly regarding the relative maintenance of conserved rDNA genes, related variable spacer regions and retrotransposable elements

A comparison of the indicators of hand function in early RA populations from the UK and China

Background:Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a universal disease with clinical presentations and impacts varying in different ethnic groups. The process of inflammatory joint damage quantified by ESR, CRP, number of tender and swollen joints can lead to structural impairment and deformity of wrists and hands. However, the relationship between hand impairment and disability in early RA is controversial. A comparison of this relationship in different population groups would add to the understanding of country-specific impacts of RA. This study compared the correlations of disease activity and hand impairment with self-report hand function between two early RA populations from the UK and China. Methods: A cohort comparison study was conducted. 60 Chinese patients recruited from Shanghai, China were matched on gender and age with 60 patients from a prospective early RA cohort from the UK (SARAH trial). The procedures of data collection in China followed the standard operating procedures employed in the SARAH trial. Outcome measures including MHQ, medical history and physical assessments were used to assess disease activity, hand impairment and function.Results:There was no significant association (P?0.05) between hand function with MCP joint deformity in either population group. Correlations between hand function with range of movement measured by active wrist flexion, combined finger flexion and composite finger extension were weak in both the UK and Chinese population (r?0.04, p?0.05). The associations between self-report overall hand function and full grip strength were moderate to weak in Chinese patients (dominant r=0.473 and non-dominant r=0.347, p?0.05). The correlations were weak between overall hand function and pinch grip among Chinese patients (p?0.05). However, correlations between hand function and full grip strength were moderate in UK patients (dominant r=0.582 and non-dominant r=0.555, p?0.05). Moderate relationships were found between hand function and pinch strength in the UK patients (dominant r=0.647 and non-dominant r=0.624, p?0.05). There were strong to moderate negative correlations between hand function and pain in both population groups (UK r=-0.690 and China r=-0.458, p?0.05). A moderate negative correlation was found between hand function and swelling (r=-0.45, p?0.001) and a moderate correlation between dexterity and hand function (dominant r=0.441, non-dominant r=0.440, p?0.05) in Chinese patients. However, no significant association (P?0.05) was found between hand function and swelling or hand function and dexterity among UK patients. Conclusion: In early RA populations in both the UK and China, hand strength, range of movement and pain are indicators of hand function. There is a weaker correlation between hand strength with self-reported hand function in the Chinese population compared with the UK RA patients. Swelling is not an indicator of hand function in the UK population. Test Overall hand function (dominant hand) China (dominant hand) UK (dominant hand) China (non-dominant hand) UK (non-dominant hand) Correlation P-value Correlation P-value Correlation P-value Correlation P-valueSpearman’s rho MCP joint Deformity -0.321 0.221 0.121 0.359 -0.210 0.107 0.055 0.067Pearson r Active wrist extension 0.025 0.850 0.023 0.864 -0.025 0.850 0.864 0.023Pearson r Active wrist flexion 0.290 0.025 0.276 0.033 0.328 0.010 0.338 0.008Spearman’s rho Combined finger flexion -0.381 0.003 -0.350 0.007 -0.357 0.005 -0.361 0.005Pearson r Composite finger extension 0.379 0.003 0.394 0.002 0.405 0.001 0.189 0.152Spearman’s rho Dexterity 0.441 0.000 -0.123 0.354 0.440 0.000 0.086 0.515Spearman’s rho Full grip strength 0.473 0.000 0.582 0.000 0.347 0.007 0.647 0.000Spearman’s rho Pinch grip strength 0.371 0.004 0.647 0.000 0.295 0.022 0.555 0.000Test Overall hand function (both hands) China UK Correlation P-value Correlation P-valuePearson r Pain (both hands) -0.458 0.000 -0.690 0.000Spearman’s rho Swelling (both hands) -0.450 0.000 -0.093 0.479a statistically significant (p?0.05)<br/

Spatial Copula Model for Imputing Traffic Flow Data from Remote Microwave Sensors

Issues of missing data have become increasingly serious with the rapid increase in usage of traffic sensors. Analyses of the Beijing ring expressway have showed that up to 50% of microwave sensors pose missing values. The imputation of missing traffic data must be urgently solved although a precise solution that cannot be easily achieved due to the significant number of missing portions. In this study, copula-based models are proposed for the spatial interpolation of traffic flow from remote traffic microwave sensors. Most existing interpolation methods only rely on covariance functions to depict spatial correlation and are unsuitable for coping with anomalies due to Gaussian consumption. Copula theory overcomes this issue and provides a connection between the correlation function and the marginal distribution function of traffic flow. To validate copula-based models, a comparison with three kriging methods is conducted. Results indicate that copula-based models outperform kriging methods, especially on roads with irregular traffic patterns. Copula-based models demonstrate significant potential to impute missing data in large-scale transportation networks

Preparation and Property Characterization of In2YSbO7/BiSnSbO6 Heterojunction Photocatalyst toward Photocatalytic Degradation of Indigo Carmine within Dye Wastewater under Visible-Light Irradiation

In2YSbO7 and In2YSbO7/BiSnSbO6 heterojunction photocatalyst were prepared by a solvothermal method for the first time. The structural characteristics of In2YSbO7 had been represented. The outcomes showed that In2YSbO7 crystallized well and possessed pyrochlore constitution, a stable cubic crystal system and space group Fd3m. The lattice parameter of In2YSbO7 was discovered to be a = 11.102698 &Aring; and the band gap energy of In2YSbO7 was discovered to be 2.68 eV, separately. After visible-light irradiation of 120 minutes (VLGI-120M), the removal rate (ROR) of indigo carmine (IC) reached 99.42% with In2YSbO7/BiSnSbO6 heterojunction (IBH) as a photocatalyst. The ROR of total organic carbon (TOC) reached 93.10% with IBH as a photocatalyst after VLGI-120M. Additionally, the dynamics constant k which was taken from the dynamic curve toward (DCT) IC density and VLGI time with IBH as a catalyst reached 0.02950 min&minus;1. The dynamics constant k which came from the DCT TOC density and VLGI time with IBH as a photocatalyst reached 0.01783 min&minus;1. The photocatalytic degradation of IC in dye wastewater (DW) with IBH as a photocatalyst under VLGI was in accordance with the first-order kinetic curves. IBH was used to degrade IC in DW for three cycles of experiments under VLGI, and the ROR of IC reached 98.74%, 96.89% and 94.88%, respectively, after VLGI-120M, indicating that IBH had high stability. Compared with superoxide anions or holes, hydroxyl radicals possessed the largest oxidative ability for removing IC in DW, as demonstrated by experiments with the addition of trapping agents. Lastly, the probable degradation mechanism and degradation pathway of IC were revealed in detail. The results showed that a visible-light-responsive heterojunction photocatalyst which possessed high catalytic activity and a photocatalytic reaction system which could effectively remove IC in DW were obtained. This work provided a fresh scientific research idea for improving the performance of a single catalyst