A Late Cretaceous diversification of Asian oviraptorid dinosaurs: evidence from a new species preserved in an unusual posture

Junchang Lü, Rongjun Chen, Stephen L. Brusatte, Yangxiao Zhu, Caizhi Shen (2016): A Late Cretaceous diversification of Asian oviraptorid dinosaurs: evidence from a new species. Scientific Reports 6 (35780): 1-12, DOI: 10.1038/srep3578

Cropland-scale interaction between maize evapotranspiration and groundwater in a well-irrigation district in Mu Us Sandy Land, Northwest China

The data includes the observed meteorological factors, soil water content, evapotranspiration (ETc), irrigation, depth to the water table, maize growth, and so on

A Late Cretaceous diversification of Asian oviraptorid dinosaurs: evidence from a new species

Junchang Lü, Rongjun Chen, Stephen L. Brusatte, Yangxiao Zhu, Caizhi Shen (2016): A Late Cretaceous diversification of Asian oviraptorid dinosaurs: evidence from a new species. Scientific reports 6 (35780): 1-12, DOI: 10.1038/srep3578

Figure 5 in A Late Cretaceous diversification of Asian oviraptorid dinosaurs: evidence from a new species

Figure 5. An artistic reconstruction, showing the last-ditch struggle of Tongtianlong limosus as it was mired in mud, one possible, but highly speculative, interpretation for how the specimen was killed and buried (Drawn by Zhao Chuang)

Figure 4 in A Late Cretaceous diversification of Asian oviraptorid dinosaurs: evidence from a new species

Figure 4. The photograph (a) and line drawing (b) of the skull: Tongtianlong limosus gen. et sp. nov. in right lateral view. Abbreviations: aof, antorbital fenestra; bc, braincase; d, dentary; emf, external mandibular fenestra; eo, exoccipital; f, frontal; j, jugal; l, lacrimal; ltf: lower temporal fenestra; m, maxilla; n, nasal; nar, narial opening; npc, nasopharyngeal canal; o, orbit; p, parietal; pm, premaxilla; pno, pneumatic opening; po, postorbital; q, quadrate; qj, quadratojugal; sa, surangular; sq, squamosal; stf, supratemporal fenestra. Scale bar = 5 cm

Figure 1 in A Late Cretaceous diversification of Asian oviraptorid dinosaurs: evidence from a new species

Figure 1. Map of the fossil locality near Ganzhou, Iiangxi Province, southern China. The solid five-pointed star represents the fossil site. Modified from Lü et al. 29

Figure 2 in A Late Cretaceous diversification of Asian oviraptorid dinosaurs: evidence from a new species

Figure 2. The whole skeleton of the holotype Tongtianlong limosus gen. et sp. nov. in dorsal view (a) and lateral view (b). Scale bar = 10 cm

Construction of an Aptamer–SiRNA Chimera-Modified Tissue-Engineered Blood Vessel for Cell-Type-Specific Capture and Delivery

The application of tissue-engineered blood vessels (TEBVs) is the main developmental direction of vascular replacement therapy. Due to few and/or dysfunctional endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs), it is difficult to successfully construct EPC capture TEBVs in diabetes. RNA has a potential application in cell protection and diabetes treatment, but poor specificity and low efficiency of RNA transfection <i>in vivo</i> limit the application of RNA. On the basis of an acellular vascular matrix, we propose an aptamer–siRNA chimera-modified TEBV that can maintain a satisfactory patency in diabetes. This TEBV consists of two parts, CD133-adenosine kinase (ADK) chimeras and a TEBV scaffold. Our results showed that CD133-ADK chimeras could selectively capture the CD133-positive cells <i>in vivo</i>, and then captured cells can internalize the bound chimeras to achieve RNA self-transfection. Subsequently, CD133-ADK chimeras were cut into ADK siRNA by a dicer, resulting in depletion of ADK. An ADK-deficient cell may act as a bioreactor that sustainably releases adenosine. To reduce nonspecific RNA transfection, we increased the proportion of HAuCl₄ during the material preparation, through which the transfection capacity of polyethylenimine (PEI)/polyethylene glycol (PEG)-capped gold nanoparticles (PEI/PEG-AuNPs) was significantly decreased and the ability of TEBV to resist tensile and liquid shear stress was greatly enhanced. PEG and 2′-<i>O</i>-methyl modification was used to enhance the <i>in vivo</i> stability of RNA chimeras. At day 30 postgrafting, the patency rate of CD133-ADK chimera-modified TEBVs reached 90% in diabetic rats and good endothelialization was observed