A Set of Novel Microsatellite Markers Developed for a Distylous Species Luculia gratissima (Rubiaceae)

Luculia gratissima (Wall.) Sweet (Rubiaceae) is a perennial shrub distributed in the southeast margin of the Tibetan Plateau in southwest China and adjacent region of Nepal and Myanmar. The plant is a distylous species with reciprocally placed stigmas and anthers in each floral morph. By using the Fast Isolation by Amplified Fragment Length Polymorphism (AFLP) of Sequences Containing (FIASCO) repeats protocol, 19 primer sets were identified in two wild populations. Of these primers, 10 displayed polymorphisms and nine were monomorphic. The number of alleles per locus ranged from two to five, values for observed and expected heterozygosities ranged from 0.000 to 1.000 and from 0.289 to 0.760, with averages of 0.303 and 0.555, respectively. These microsatellite loci will facilitate further studies on breeding system, gene flow patterns, and population structure of L. gratissima and its allied species

A generalized deceptive pollination system of Doritis pulcherrima (Aeridinae: Orchidaceae) with non-reconfigured pollinaria

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>As one of largest angiosperm families, orchids have long fascinated evolutionary biologists with their staggering diversity in floral design and display to promote outcrossing. Two of the most intriguing aspects of orchid pollination that promote cross-pollination are pollinarium reconfiguration (PR) and deceptive pollination. PR and generalized food deception employ virtually antagonistic methods of promoting cross-pollination: PR occurs through delayed pollination, involving the relatively long visitation periods that are typically observed for the pollinators of one flower or inflorescence; conversely, generalized food deception leads to reductions in the visitation periods of pollinators to one flower or inflorescence. Thus, it is logical to hypothesize that PR is unnecessary or PR happens soon in generalized food-deceptive orchids in the promotion of cross-pollination. Using <it>Doritis pulcherrima</it> as a model, the aim of this study was to understand the following: (1) the pollination and breeding system of <it>D. pulcherrima</it>; (2) the morphological interactions between orchids and their pollinators; and (3) whether PR is necessary in the promotion of cross-pollination in <it>D. pulcherrima</it>.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Our observations indicated that <it>Doritis pulcherrima</it> is pollinated almost exclusively by <it>Amegilla nigritar</it> (Hymenoptera: Apidae) and possesses pollinia that are deposited on the “occiputs” (cervical membranes) of these insects. All of evidences are indicated that <it>D. pulcherrima</it> is a generalized food-deceptive orchid. Our morphometric measurements of the flowers and pollinators show that the heights of the “occiputs” with un-oriented pollinaria were equal to the distances between stigmas and surfaces of the middle lobes, suggesting that pollinarium reconfiguration is not necessary in <it>Doritis pulcherrima</it>.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our observation and analyses supported the hypothesis that pollinarium reconfiguration is unnecessary in generalized food-deceptive orchids, such as <it>Doritis pulcherrima</it>, for the promotion of cross-pollination. This conclusion was indirectly supported by the abundance of deceptive orchids that do not exhibit pollinarium reconfiguration. There are two mechanisms (i.e. clone-growing characteristics and a long flowering season) that promote fruit sets in the epiphytic food-deceptive orchids in tropical regions.</p

Modeling, Calibration, and Evaluation of a Tendon-Actuated Planar Parallel Continuum Robot

In this work, a novel planar parallel continuum robot (PCR) is introduced, consisting of three kinematic chains that are coupled at a triangular end-effector platform and include tendon-actuated continuum segments. The kinematics of the resulting structure are derived by adapting the descriptions for conventional planar parallel manipulators to include constant curvature bending of the utilized continuous segments. To account for friction and non-linear material effects, a data-driven model is used to relate tendon displacements and curvature of the utilized continuum segments. A calibration of the derived kinematic model is conducted to specifically represent the constructed prototype. This includes the calibration of geometric parameters for each kinematic chain and for the end-effector platform. During evaluation, positioning repeatability of 1.0% in relation to one continuum segment length of the robot, and positioning accuracy of 1.4%, are achieved. These results are comparable to commonly used kineto-static modeling approaches for PCR. The presented model achieves high path accuracies regarding the robot's end-effector pose in an open-loop control scenario

20240208 Comparison of clinical efficacy between laparoscopic total gastrectomy and proximal gastrectomy in the treatment of adenocarcinoma of esophagogastric junction http://zglcyj.ijournals.cn/zglcyj/ch/reader/create_pdf.aspx?file_no=20240208 10.13429/j.cnki.cjcr.2024.02.008 DAI Dezhu, SHI Jin, SONG Xudong, DING Fan, TAO Guoquan Department of Gastrointestinal Surgery, The Affiliated Huai ‘an No.1 People ‘s Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, Huai ‘an，Jiangsu 223300, China Objective To compare the advantages and disadvantages of two different resection margins by observing the clinical efficacy of laparoscopic total gastrectomy (TG) and proximal gastrectomy(PG) for radical resection of adenocarcinoma of esophagogastric junction (AEJ). Methods A total of 90 patients with AEJ who were treated by Huai ‘an No.1 People ‘s Hospital from January 2020 to December 2021 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were divided into PG group ( n=43) and TG group ( n=47) according to the surgical resection range. The general data, surgery related statistical indicators of the two groups were compared. Results The TG group had a longer operation time than the PG group, with significantly more intraoperative blood loss and a greater number of intraoperatively cleared lymph nodes than the PG group (P＜0.05). There was no significant difference in terms of drainage volume of the abdominal drainage tubes in the 3day postoperative period, postoperative period to the drainage removal, the length of hospitalization, and postoperative complications between two groups (P>0.05). Postoperative levels of hemoglobin, albumin, and prealbumin were significant lower in TG group compared with those in PG group (P<0.05). The 1year overall survival rates for the PG group and TG group were 95.3% and 87.2%, respectively, and the difference was not statistically significant (P＞0.05 ). Conclusion Compared with TG, PG is more conducive to the absorption of nutrients and the recovery of nutritional status after surgery, and it is also important to take optimal reconstruction methods to reduce reflux in patients. Adenocarcinoma of esophagogastric junction, Gastric tumor, Proximal gastrectomy, Total gastrectomy, Reflux Esophagitis, Lymph node dissection 201 205 2023/5/10 2024/2/20

Objective To compare the advantages and disadvantages of two different resection margins by observing the clinical efficacy of laparoscopic total gastrectomy (TG) and proximal gastrectomy(PG) for radical resection of adenocarcinoma of esophagogastric junction (AEJ). Methods A total of 90 patients with AEJ who were treated by Huai ‘an No.1 People ‘s Hospital from January 2020 to December 2021 were retrospectively reviewed. Patients were divided into PG group ( n=43) and TG group ( n=47) according to the surgical resection range. The general data, surgery related statistical indicators of the two groups were compared. Results The TG group had a longer operation time than the PG group, with significantly more intraoperative blood loss and a greater number of intraoperatively cleared lymph nodes than the PG group (P＜0.05). There was no significant difference in terms of drainage volume of the abdominal drainage tubes in the 3day postoperative period, postoperative period to the drainage removal, the length of hospitalization, and postoperative complications between two groups (P>0.05). Postoperative levels of hemoglobin, albumin, and prealbumin were significant lower in TG group compared with those in PG group (P<0.05). The 1year overall survival rates for the PG group and TG group were 95.3% and 87.2%, respectively, and the difference was not statistically significant (P＞0.05 ). Conclusion Compared with TG, PG is more conducive to the absorption of nutrients and the recovery of nutritional status after surgery, and it is also important to take optimal reconstruction methods to reduce reflux in patients

Hybrid minigene splicing assay verifies the pathogenicity of a novel splice site variant in the COL1A1 gene of a chinese patient with osteogenesis imperfecta type I

Abstract(#br)Background(#br)Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a rare genetic bone disease associated with brittle bones and fractures. Among all known types, OI type I is the most common type and characterized by increased bone fragility, low bone mass, distinctly blue-gray sclera, and susceptibility to conductive hearing loss beginning in adolescence. Mutations in genes encoding type I collagen ( COL1A1 and COL1A2 ) contribute to the main pathogenic mechanism of OI.(#br)Methods(#br)Subtle mutation of the COL1A1 gene in the proband was detected by targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) and confirmed by Sanger sequencing. We then assessed the effect of the mutation on the splicing of the COL1A1 gene by bioinformatics prediction and hybrid minigene splicing assay (HMSA).(#br)Results(#br)A novel splice site mutation c.1821+1 G > C was discovered in the proband by NGS and further confirmed by Sanger sequencing, which was also simultaneously identified from the proband’s mother and elder sister. Bioinformatics predicted that this mutation would result in a disappearance of the 5′ donor splice site in intron 26, thereby leading to abnormal splicing and generation of premature stop codon. The follow-up experimental data generated by HMSA was consistent with this prediction.(#br)Conclusion(#br)Our study identified a novel splice site mutation that caused OI type I in the proband by abnormal splicing and demonstrated that combined applications of NGS, bioinformatics and HMSA are comprehensive and effective methods for diagnosis and aberrant splicing study of OI

Experimental Study on Damage Breakage Properties of Shaft Lining Concrete under Hydromechanical Coupling

Shaft lining concrete is exposed to a long-term coupled effect of a complex stress environment and high underground water pressure. To study the damage breakage properties under the above specific working conditions, shaft lining concrete specimens meeting the requirements of engineering application were prepared. The triaxial hydraulic coupling permeability test was conducted, and the designed osmotic pressures were 4 MPa, 6 MPa, 8 MPa, and 10 MPa. The results show that as osmotic pressure increases, the peak strength of shaft lining concrete decreases gradually, the surface cracks of specimen increase, and the failure mode is oblique shear failure. According to variation characteristics of permeability-strain and stress-strain curves of shaft lining concrete during loading, it is divided into three stages: compaction stage, sudden increase of permeability stage, and postpeak permeability change stage. In addition, the constitutive model of the shaft lining concrete with the influence of confining pressure and osmotic pressure was established, and the theoretical curve is in good agreement with the test curve. The damage evolution model shows that damage threshold of shaft lining concrete occurs earlier than that of ordinary concrete because of the influence of permeable water, and the damage development of the strain softening stage is particularly rapid

Extensive pyrosequencing reveals frequent intra-genomic variations of internal transcribed spacer regions of nuclear ribosomal DNA

BACKGROUND: Internal transcribed spacer of nuclear ribosomal DNA (nrDNA) is already one of the most popular phylogenetic and DNA barcoding markers. However, the existence of its multiple copies has complicated such usage and a detailed characterization of intra-genomic variations is critical to address such concerns. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In this study, we used sequence-tagged pyrosequencing and genome-wide analyses to characterize intra-genomic variations of internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2)regions from 178 plant species. We discovered that mutation of ITS2 is frequent, with a mean of 35 variants per species. And on average, three of the most abundant variants make up 91% of all ITS2 copies. Moreover, we found different congeneric species share identical variants in 13 genera. Interestingly, different species across different genera also share identical variants. In particular, one minor variant of ITS2 in Eleutherococcus giraldii was found identical to the ITS2 major variant of Panax ginseng, both from Araliaceae family. In addition, DNA barcoding gap analysis showed that the intra-genomic distances were markedly smaller than those of the intra-specific or inter-specific variants. When each of 5543 variants were examined for its species discrimination efficiency, a 97% success rate was obtained at the species level. CONCLUSIONS: Identification of identical ITS2 variants across intra-generic or inter-generic species revealed complex species evolutionary history, possibly, horizontal gene transfer and ancestral hybridization. Although intra-genomic multiple variants are frequently found within each genome, the usage of the major variants alone is sufficient for phylogeny construction and species determination in most cases. Furthermore, the inclusion of minor variants further improves the resolution of species identification.Jingyuan Song, Linchun Shi, Dezhu Li, Yongzhen Sun, Yunyun Niu, Zhiduan Chen, Hongmei Luo, Xiaohui Pang, Zhiying Sun, Chang Liu, Aiping Lv, Youping Deng, Zachary Larson-Rabin, Mike Wilkinson and Shilin Che

Cynaroside ameliorates methotrexate-induced enteritis in rats through inhibiting NLRP3 inflammasome activation

IntroductionCynaroside exhibits various biological properties, including anti-inflammatory, antiviral, antitumor, and cardioprotective effects. However, its involvement in methotrexate (MTX)-induced intestinal inflammation remains inadequately understood. Thus, we investigated the impact of cynaroside on MTX-induced intestinal inflammation and its potential mechanisms.MethodsTo assess the protective potential of cynaroside against intestinal inflammation, Sprague-Dawley rats were subjected to a regimen of 7 mg/kg MTX for 3 days, followed by treatment with cynaroside at varying doses (10, 20, or 40 mg/kg). Histopathological evaluations were conducted alongside measurements of inflammatory mediators to elucidate the involvement of the NLRP3 inflammasome in alleviating intestinal inflammation.ResultsAdministration of 7 mg/kg MTX resulted in decreased daily food intake, increased weight loss, and elevated disease activity index in rats. Conversely, treatment with cynaroside at 20 or 40 mg/kg ameliorated the reductions in body weight and daily food intake and suppressed the MTX-induced elevation in the disease activity index. Notably, cynaroside administration at 20 or 40 mg/kg attenuated inflammatory cell infiltration, augmented goblet cell numbers and lowered serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL)-1β, and IL-18, as well as the CD68-positive cell rate in the intestines of MTX-induced rats. Furthermore, cynaroside downregulated the expression levels of NLRP3, cleaved caspase 1, and cleaved IL-1β in MTX-induced rats.DiscussionCollectively, our findings indicated that cymaroside alleviates intestinal inflammatory injury by inhibiting the activation of NLRP3 inflammasome in MTX-induced rats

Study on mechanical response and crack development law of tunnel

Considering the linear elastic fracture mechanics and complex function theory, considering the non hydrostatic pressure field, the stress solutions of lining and surrounding rock of deep buried circular underground cavern with lining under the action of external internal pressure are studied. The fracture mechanics model of underground cavern supporting structure is established, and the numerical verification is carried out. The analytical solution of circular pressure cavern with lining shows that when the internal pressure is 0, it can degenerate into the existing classical solution. The results of finite element calculation and analytical calculation show that the tensile stress of lining is very large at the vault and arch bottom under the action of strong external supporting force. The calculation shows that the cracks of lining will expand and open under the action of tensile stress, and the lining is in the shape of “flat duck egg”, However, if there is no through rupture, there will be great stress concentration at the top and bottom of the arch, and the tensile stress value is much larger than that calculated by elastic mechanics. Therefore, it is a good method to configure a certain amount of reinforcement to enhance the stiffness and tensile strength of the lining