Low major histocompatibility complex class II DQA diversity in the Giant Panda (Ailuropoda melanoleuca)

© 2007 Zhu et al; licensee BioMed Central Ltd. This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution Licens

Probing the endosperm gene expression landscape in Brassica napus

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In species with exalbuminous seeds, the endosperm is eventually consumed and its space occupied by the embryo during seed development. However, the main constituent of the early developing seed is the liquid endosperm, and a significant portion of the carbon resources for the ensuing stages of seed development arrive at the embryo through the endosperm. In contrast to the extensive study of species with persistent endosperm, little is known about the global gene expression pattern in the endosperm of exalbuminous seed species such as crucifer oilseeds.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We took a multiparallel approach that combines ESTs, protein profiling and microarray analyses to look into the gene expression landscape in the endosperm of the oilseed crop <it>Brassica napus</it>. An EST collection of over 30,000 entries allowed us to detect close to 10,000 unisequences expressed in the endosperm. A protein profile analysis of more than 800 proteins corroborated several signature pathways uncovered by abundant ESTs. Using microarray analyses, we identified genes that are differentially or highly expressed across all developmental stages. These complementary analyses provided insight on several prominent metabolic pathways in the endosperm. We also discovered that a transcription factor <it>LEAFY COTYLEDON </it>(<it>LEC1</it>) was highly expressed in the endosperm and that the regulatory cascade downstream of <it>LEC1 </it>operates in the endosperm.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The endosperm EST collection and the microarray dataset provide a basic genomic resource for dissecting metabolic and developmental events important for oilseed improvement. Our findings on the featured metabolic processes and the <it>LEC1 </it>regulatory cascade offer new angles for investigation on the integration of endosperm gene expression with embryo development and storage product deposition in seed development.</p

Bis[μ-N′-(adamantan-1-ylcarbon­yl)-2-oxidobenzohydrazidato(3−)]tetra­pyridine­trinickel(II) dimethyl­formamide monosolvate monohydrate

In the title trinuclear NiII compound, [Ni3(C18H19N2O3)2(C5H5N)4]·C3H7NO·H2O, three NiII cations are bridged by two N′-(adamantan-1-ylcarbon­yl)-2-oxidobenzohydrazidate trianions. The central NiII cation has a distorted octa­hedral N4O2 coordination environment where a reverse torsion occurs between the two bridging ligands, whereas the two NiII cations on the sides each adopt an N2O2 square-planar coordination. Weak intra­molecular C—H⋯O and C—H⋯N inter­actions help to stabilize the mol­ecular structure. In the crystal, the lattice water mol­ecule links with the NiII complex and dimethyl­formamide solvent mol­ecule via O—H⋯O hydrogen bonding

Prevalence of syphilis infection in different tiers of female sex workers in China: implications for surveillance and interventions

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Syphilis has made a dramatic resurgence in China during the past two decades and become the third most prevalent notifiable infectious disease in China. Female sex workers (FSWs) have become one of key populations for the epidemic. In order to investigate syphilis infection among different tiers of FSWs, a cross-sectional study was conducted in 8 sites in China.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Serum specimens (n = 7,118) were collected to test for syphilis and questionnaire interviews were conducted to obtain socio-demographic and behavioral information among FSWs recruited from different types of venues. FSWs were categorized into three tiers (high-, middle- and low-tier FSWs) based on the venues where they solicited clients. Serum specimens were screened with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for treponemal antibody followed by confirmation with non-treponemal toluidine red unheated serum test (TRUST) for positive ELISA specimens to determine syphilis infection. A logistic regression model was used to determine factors associated with syphilis infection.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Overall syphilis prevalence was 5.0% (95%CI, 4.5-5.5%). Low-tier FSWs had the highest prevalence (9.7%; 95%CI, 8.3-11.1%), followed by middle-tier (4.3%; 95%CI, 3.6-5.0%, <it>P </it>< 0.001) and high-tier FSWs (2.2%; 95%CI, 1.6-2.9%, <it>P </it>< 0.001). Factors independently associated with syphilis infection included older age, lower education level, geographic location, lower tier of typology, and injection drug use.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This multi-site survey showed a high prevalence of syphilis infection among FSWs and substantial disparities in syphilis prevalence by the tier of FSWs. The difference in syphilis prevalence is substantial between different tiers of FSWs, with the highest rate among low-tier FSWs. Thus, current surveillance and intervention activities, which have low coverage in low-tier FSWs in China, should be further examined.</p