Physiological, Biochemical, and Molecular Analyses Reveal Dark Heartwood Formation Mechanism in Acacia melanoxylon.

Acacia melanoxylon is highly valued for its commercial applications, with the heartwood exhibiting a range of colors from dark to light among its various clones. The underlying mechanisms contributing to this color variation, however, have not been fully elucidated. In an effort to understand the factors that influence the development of dark heartwood, a comparative analysis was conducted on the microstructure, substance composition, differential gene expression, and metabolite profiles in the sapwood (SW), transition zone (TZ), and heartwood (HW) of two distinct clones, SR14 and SR25. A microscopic examination revealed that heartwood color variations are associated with an increased substance content within the ray parenchyma cells. A substance analysis indicated that the levels of starches, sugars, and lignin were more abundant in SP compared to HW, while the concentrations of phenols, flavonoids, and terpenoids were found to be higher in HW than in SP. Notably, the dark heartwood of the SR25 clone exhibited greater quantities of phenols and flavonoids compared to the SR14 clone, suggesting that these compounds are pivotal to the color distinction of the heartwood. An integrated analysis of transcriptome and metabolomics data uncovered a significant accumulation of sinapyl alcohol, sinapoyl aldehyde, hesperetin, 2', 3, 4, 4', 6'-peptahydroxychalcone 4'-O-glucoside, homoeriodictyol, and (2S)-liquiritigenin in the heartwood of SR25, which correlates with the up-regulated expression of CCRs (evm.TU.Chr3.1751, evm.TU.Chr4.654_667, evm.TU.Chr4.675, evm.TU.Chr4.699, and evm.TU.Chr4.704), COMTs (evm.TU.Chr13.3082, evm.TU.Chr13.3086, and evm.TU.Chr7.1411), CADs (evm.TU.Chr10.2175, evm.TU.Chr1.3453, and evm.TU.Chr8.1600), and HCTs (evm.TU.Chr4.1122, evm.TU.Chr4.1123, evm.TU.Chr8.1758, and evm.TU.Chr9.2960) in the TZ of A. melanoxylon. Furthermore, a marked differential expression of transcription factors (TFs), including MYBs, AP2/ERFs, bHLHs, bZIPs, C2H2s, and WRKYs, were observed to be closely linked to the phenols and flavonoids metabolites, highlighting the potential role of multiple TFs in regulating the biosynthesis of these metabolites and, consequently, influencing the color variation in the heartwood. This study facilitates molecular breeding for the accumulation of metabolites influencing the heartwood color in A. melanoxylon, and offers new insights into the molecular mechanisms underlying heartwood formation in woody plants.

Morphological, Anatomical, and Physiological Characteristics of Heteroblastic Acacia melanoxylon Grown under Weak Light.

Acacia melanoxylon is a fast-growing macrophanerophyte with strong adaptability whose leaf enables heteromorphic development. Light is one of the essential environmental factors that induces the development of the heteroblastic leaf of A. melanoxylon, but its mechanism is unclear. In this study, the seedlings of A. melanoxylon clones were treated with weak light (shading net with 40% of regular light transmittance) and normal light (control) conditions for 90 d and a follow-up observation. The results show that the seedlings' growth and biomass accumulation were inhibited under weak light. After 60 days of treatment, phyllodes were raised under the control condition while the remaining compound was raised under weak light. The balance of root, stem, and leaf biomass changed to 15:11:74 under weak light, while it was 40:15:45 under control conditions. After comparing the anatomical structures of the compound leaves and phyllode, they were shown to have their own strategies for staying hydrated, while phyllodes were more able to control water loss and adapt to intense light. The compound leaves exhibited elevated levels of K, Cu, Ca, and Mg, increased antioxidant enzyme activity and proline content, and higher concentrations of chlorophyll a, carotenoids, ABA, CTK, and GA. However, they displayed a relatively limited photosynthetic capacity. Phyllodes exhibited higher levels of Fe, cellulose, lignin, IAA content, and high photosynthetic capacity with a higher maximum net photosynthetic rate, light compensation point, dark respiration rate, and water use efficiency. The comparative analysis of compound leaves and phyllodes provides a basis for understanding the diverse survival strategies that heteroblastic plants employ to adapt to environmental changes.

Physiological and molecular mechanisms of Acacia melanoxylon stem in response to boron deficiency.

Boron is an essential micronutrient for plant growth as it participates in cell wall integrity. The growth and development of Acacia melanoxylon stem can be adversely affected by a lack of boron. To explore the mechanism of boron deficiency in A. melanoxylon stem, the changes in morphological attributes, physiological, endogenous hormone levels, and the cell structure and component contents were examined. In addition, the molecular mechanism of shortened internodes resulting from boron deficiency was elucidated through transcriptome analysis. The results showed that boron deficiency resulted in decreased height, shortened internodes, and reduced root length and surface area, corresponding with decreased boron content in the roots, stems, and leaves of A. melanoxylon. In shortened internodes of stems, oxidative damage, and disordered hormone homeostasis were induced, the cell wall was thickened, hemicellulose and water-soluble pectin contents decreased, while the cellulose content increased under boron deficiency. Furthermore, plenty of genes associated with cell wall metabolism and structural components, including GAUTs, CESAs, IRXs, EXPs, TBLs, and XTHs were downregulated under boron deficiency. Alterations of gene expression in hormone signaling pathways comprising IAA, GA, CTK, ET, ABA, and JA were observed under boron deficiency. TFs, homologous to HD1s, NAC10, NAC73, MYB46s, MYB58, and ERF92s were found to interact with genes related to cell wall metabolism, and the structural components were identified. We established a regulatory mechanism network of boron deficiency-induced shortened internodes in A. melanoxylon based on the above results. This research provides a theoretical basis for understanding the response mechanism of woody plants to boron deficiency.

Assessment of ForenSeq mtDNA Whole Genome Kit for forensic application.

Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) is an indispensable genetic marker in forensic genetics. The emergence and development of massively parallel sequencing (MPS) makes it possible to obtain complete mitochondrial genome sequences more quickly and accurately. The study evaluated the advantages and limitations of the ForenSeq mtDNA Whole Genome Kit in the practical application of forensic genetics by detecting human genomic DNA standards and thirty-three case samples. We used control DNA with different amount to determine sensitivity of the assay. Even when the input DNA is as low as 2.5 pg, most of the mitochondrial genome sequences could still be covered. For the detection of buccal swabs and aged case samples (bloodstains, bones, teeth), most samples could achieve complete coverage of mitochondrial genome. However, when ancient samples and hair samples without hair follicles were sequenced by the kit, it failed to obtain sequence information. In general, the ForenSeq mtDNA Whole Genome Kit has certain applicability to forensic low template and degradation samples, and these results provide the data basis for subsequent forensic applications of the assay. The overall detection process and subsequent analysis are easy to standardize, and it has certain application potential in forensic cases.

Metabolic outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus after metabolic management center.

The Chinese Medical Doctor Association has initiated metabolic management center (MMC) program for 6 years since 2016 nationwide. It is worth investigating the level of control metabolic outcomes in patients with type2 diabetes (T2DM) after MMC model in Yan'an, northwest China. Patients with T2DM was admitted to MMC in Yan'an University Affiliated Hospital from November 2018 to July 2021. They were asked to revisit hospital every 3 months. Blood glucose, blood pressure and blood lipids at baseline were compared to its counterparts after 1 year MMC management. Glycosylated hemoglobin and low density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) level in T2DM patients after 1 year management were lower than their baseline level (glycosylated hemoglobin 7.74 ±â€…1.94% vs 8.63 ±â€…2.26%, P < .001; LDL-C 1.81 ±â€…0.73mmol/L vs 2.18 ±â€…1.49mmol/L, P < .001). Mean HOMA-ß increased after management (65.89 ±â€…90.81% vs 128.38 ±â€…293.93%, P < .05). After 1 year of management, patients in high school or above group achieved higher control rate of body mass index than those in middle school or below group (71.82% vs 28.18%, P = .043). high density lipoprotein cholesterol control rate was higher in high income group (42.86% vs 34.97%, 16.28%, P = .012), while LDL-C control rate was higher in low-income group (97.67% vs 78.57%, 84.51%, P = .018). fasting plasma glucose control rate in new diagnosis group was higher than that of the middle and long course groups (71.43% vs 52.38%, 42.44%, P = .002). The comprehensive control rate increased from 9.83% at baseline to 26.15% after 1 year MMC management. The metabolic outcomes and their control rate in T2DM patients were improved after 1 year MMC management. It indicated that patients may achieve more benefits with MMC management.

Autologous platelet-rich gel in the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers: A retrospective study.

This study retrospectively investigated the effectiveness and safety of autologous platelet-rich gel (APRG) for the treatment of diabetic foot ulcers (DFU). In this retrospective study, we reviewed the electronic medical records (EMR) of 72 patients with DFU. The patients were allocated to a treatment group (n = 36) or a control group (n = 36). The patients in both groups received standard care (SC) and dressing change. In addition, patients in the treatment group also received APRG. Patients in both groups were treated for 12 weeks. The outcomes were DFU healing time (days), length of hospital stay (days), healing rate of DFU, DFU surface area reduction (cm2), and adverse events. We assessed and analyzed the outcomes before and after the 12-week treatment period. After treatment, there were significant differences in DFU healing time (P = .04), length of hospital stay (P = .04), DFU healing rate, and DFU surface area reduction (P < .01). Regarding safety, no EMR reported adverse events in this study. The results of this study showed that the APRG may benefit patients with DFU. However, high-quality prospective randomized controlled trials are required to verify these findings.

The impact of Traditional Chinese Medicine on mouse gut microbiota abundances and interactions based on Granger causality and pathway analysis.

Objectives: The intestinal microbiota is essential in absorbing nutrients and defending against pathogens and is associated with various diseases, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, and hypertension. As an alternative medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has long been used in disease treatment and healthcare, partly because it may mediate gut microbiota. However, the specific effects of TCM on the abundance and interactions of microbiota remain unknown. Moreover, using TCM ingredients and data detailing changes in the abundance of gut microorganisms, we developed bioinformatic methods that decipher the impact of TCM on microorganism interactions. Methods: The dynamics of gut microorganisms affected by TCM treatments is explored using a mouse model, which provided the abundance of 70 microorganisms over time. The Granger causality analysis was used to measure microorganism interactions. Novel "serial connection" and "diverging connection" models were used to identify molecular mechanisms underlying the impact of TCM on gut microorganism interactions, based on microorganism proteins, TCM chemical ingredients, and KEGG reaction equations. Results: Codonopsis pilosula (Dangshen), Cassia twig (Gui Zhi), Radices saussureae (Mu Xiang), and Sijunzi Decoction did not cause an increase in the abundance of harmful microorganisms. Most TCMs decreased the abundance of Bifidobacterium pseudolongum, suggesting a Bifidobacterium pseudolongum supplement should be used during TCM treatment. The Granger causality analysis indicated that TCM treatment changes more than half the interactions between the 70 microorganisms, and "serial connection" and "diverging connection" models suggested that changes in interactions may be related to the reaction number connecting species proteins and TCM ingredients. From a species diversity perspective, a TCM decoction is better than a single herb for healthcare. The Sijunzi Decoction only significantly increased the abundance of Bifidobacterium pseudolongum and did not cause a decrease in the abundance of other species but was found to improve the alpha diversity with the lowest replacement rate. Conclusions: Because most of the nine TCMs are medicinal and edible plants, we expect the methods and results presented can be used to optimize and integrate microbiota and TCMs into healthcare processes. Moreover, as a control study, these results can be combined with future disease mouse models to link variations in species abundance with particular diseases.

Association of Obesity and Hypertension: A Cohort Study in China.

The prevalence of general and central obesity has increased rapidly in China for decades, while little is known on obesity-normal weight-central obesity (NWCO) in China. In this study, we aim to depict the trend of the three kinds of obesity and to explore their associations with hypertension in a cohort study in China. We used data from eight waves of the China Health and Nutrition Survey (CHNS) in 1993, 1997, 2000, 2004, 2006, 2009, 2011, and 2015 for analysis. The Cochran-Armitage test was used for trend of the three kinds of obesity or hypertension. Mixed logistic regression was used to explore their relationship. In this study, we found the prevalence of general obesity increased from 20.81% in 1993 to 50.57% in 2015 in China, which was from 19.23% to 56.15% for central obesity and from 27.20% to 49.07% for NWCO, respectively. Males had the highest increase among all the subgroups. The RR for hypertension and general obesity was 3.71 (95%CI: 3.26-4.22), 3.62 (95%CI 3.19-4.12) for central obesity, and 1.60 (95%CI 1.23-2.06) for NWCO after adjusted for age, sex, education, smoking, alcohol drinking, marriage status, urbanicity and income. Both prevalence of obesity and hypertension have increased significantly in China for the two decades. The general obesity was most likely to develop hypertension compared to central or NOCWO in this study.

Associations between NLRC4 Gene Polymorphisms and Autoimmune Thyroid Disease.

BACKGROUND: Many studies have shown that NLRC4 inflammasome polymorphisms are associated with a variety of autoimmune diseases, but the associations between NLRC4 polymorphisms and autoimmune thyroid diseases (AITDs) are unclear. Our research was aimed at identifying the correlations between NLRC4 polymorphisms and AITDs. METHODS: Hi-SNP high-throughput genotyping technology was used for detecting four single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of NLRC4 in 1005 AITDs patients (including 629 Graves' disease and 376 Hashimoto's thyroiditis) and 781 healthy controls. RESULTS: Compared with healthy controls, the allele frequencies and genotype distribution of rs385076 were statistically related to AITDs (P = 0.016 and P = 0.048, respectively) and Hashimoto's thyroiditis (P = 0.022 and P = 0.046, respectively). Before adjusting for age and gender, rs385076 and AITDs had a significant association in three models of allele model, dominant model, and homozygous model. After adjusting for age and gender, in the above three models, there is still a clear relationship between them. Before adjusting for age and gender, there were prominent discrepancy between rs385076 and Hashimoto's thyroiditis in the allele model (OR = 0.81, 95% CI 0.67-0.97; P = 0.021) and the dominant model (OR = 0.73, 95% CI 0.57-0.94; P = 0.014), after adjusting for age and gender, rs385076 and Hashimoto's thyroiditis were significantly related to allele model, dominant model, and homozygous model. However, rs455060, rs212704, and rs675712 were not related to AITDs in our study. CONCLUSION: NLRC4 rs385076 was found to have a significant association with Hashimoto's thyroiditis for the first time. It laid a foundation for the disclosure of the pathogenesis of AITDs, and provided a possible treatment prospect for HT.

NAIGO: An Improved Method to Align PPI Networks Based on Gene Ontology and Graphlets.

With the development of high throughput technologies, there are more and more protein-protein interaction (PPI) networks available, which provide a need for efficient computational tools for network alignment. Network alignment is widely used to predict functions of certain proteins, identify conserved network modules, and study the evolutionary relationship across species or biological entities. However, network alignment is an NP-complete problem, and previous algorithms are usually slow or less accurate in aligning big networks like human vs. yeast. In this study, we proposed a fast yet accurate algorithm called Network Alignment by Integrating Biological Process (NAIGO). Specifically, we first divided the networks into subnets taking the advantage of known prior knowledge, such as gene ontology. For each subnet pair, we then developed a novel method to align them by considering both protein orthologous information and their local structural information. After that, we expanded the obtained local network alignments in a greedy manner. Taking the aligned pairs as seeds, we formulated the global network alignment problem as an assignment problem based on similarity matrix, which was solved by the Hungarian method. We applied NAIGO to align human and Saccharomyces cerevisiae S288c PPI network and compared the results with other popular methods like IsoRank, GRAAL, SANA, and NABEECO. As a result, our method outperformed the competitors by aligning more orthologous proteins or matched interactions. In addition, we found a few potential functional orthologous proteins such as RRM2B in human and DNA2 in S. cerevisiae S288c, which are related to DNA repair. We also identified a conserved subnet with six orthologous proteins EXO1, MSH3, MSH2, MLH1, MLH3, and MSH6, and six aligned interactions. All these proteins are associated with mismatch repair. Finally, we predicted a few proteins of S. cerevisiae S288c potentially involving in certain biological processes like autophagosome assembly.

A protocol of systematic review and meta-analysis of continuous vacuum sealing drainage for diabetic foot ulcer.

BACKGROUND: Although continuous vacuum sealing drainage (CVSD) is often reported for the management of diabetic foot ulcer (DFU), its effectiveness has been evaluated primarily via clinical outcomes with limited attention. This study will aim to assess the effectiveness of CVSD for the treatment of patients with DFU. METHODS: We will carry out a search in Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, Embase, CINAHL, PsycINFO, Web of Science, Allied and Complementary Medicine Database, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure from their inceptions to the March 1, 2020. We will exert the searches in those electronic databases without restrictions of language, and the use of validated filters to obtain eligible studies. In addition to the search in electronic databases, we will retrieve studies from conference proceedings, and reference lists of included trials. We will use Cochrane risk of bias tool to assess study quality for each eligible study. All statistical analysis will be conducted using RevMan 5.3 software. RESULTS: This study will systematically summarize the most present evidence to assess the effectiveness and safety of CVSD for the management of DFU. CONCLUSION: The results from this study will contribute to obtain a genuine understanding of perspective from evidence-based medicine and a scientific basis for the effectiveness and safety of CVSD for the treatment of DFU. PROSPERO REGISTRATION NUMBER: PROSPERO CRD42020170723.

Impact of ultrasound angiography combined with fine needle aspiration for the diagnosis of thyroid nodules.

BACKGROUND: This study aims to systematically investigate the impact of ultrasound angiography (UA) combined with fine needle aspiration (FNA) for the diagnosis of thyroid nodules (TNs). METHODS: The following electronic databases will be searched: MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, PsycINFO, Web of Science, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Allied and Complementary Medicine Database, Chinese Biomedical Literature Database, and China National Knowledge Infrastructure. We will search them from their inceptions to the present without language limitations. We will consider all case-controlled studies on investigating the impact of diagnosis UA combined FNA for TNs. We will apply Quality Assessment of Diagnostic Accuracy Studies tool to assess methodological quality for all eligible studies. RESULTS: In this study, outcomes consist of sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio, negative likelihood ratio, and diagnostic odds ratio. All these outcomes will be analyzed to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of UA combined with FNA for TNs. CONCLUSION: This study will provide evidence of the diagnostic accuracy of UA combined with FNA for TNs. SYSTEMATIC REVIEW REGISTRATION: PROSPERO CRD42019138884.

Population genetic analysis of 30 insertion-deletion (INDEL) loci in a Qinghai Tibetan group using the Investigator DIPplex Kit.

The Qiagen Investigator® DIPplex Kit multiplexes 30 autosomal INDELs plus amelogenin for forensic use. The aim of this study was to estimate the diversity of 30 INDEL loci in a sample of 530 Tibetan individuals from Qinghai Province, China, and to evaluate the usefulness of these loci for forensic genetics. The observed heterozygosity ranged from 14.3 to 53.4%, and combined power of discrimination, matching probability, and cumulative probability of exclusion were 0.99999999999172, 8.27999 × 10-12, and 0.9897, respectively, in the Qinghai Tibetan group. The results of pairwise genetic distance, principal component analysis, a multi-dimensional scaling plot, and a neighbour-joining tree between the Qinghai Tibetan and 49 reference populations revealed significant genetic differences between continental populations and a close genetic relationship between the Qinghai Tibetan and East Asian populations. This study indicates that the Investigator® DIPplex Kit can serve as an effective supplementary tool for forensic genetic tasks.

Population genetic analysis of a 21-plex DIP panel in seven Chinese ethnic populations.

A 21-plex DIP (deletion and insertion polymorphism) panel has a good performance in analyzing biogeographic ancestry in three main global population groups (European, African, and Asian). This panel was used to investigate 450 unrelated individuals in seven Chinese ethnic groups (Han, Dong, Miao, Zhuang, Uyghur, Tibetan, and Mongolian). Allele frequencies were calculated. Mho (mean value of observed heterozygosity) ranged from 0.3019 to 0.4367, MHe (mean value of expected heterozygosity) ranged from 0.31175 to 0.38341, CMP (combined matching probability) ranged from 3.5834E-07 to 2.5985E-06, CDP (combined power of discrimination) ranged from 0.99999740150 to 0.99999964166, and CPE (combined power of paternity exclusion) ranged from 0.85884504 to 0.97949131. The results suggested the potential of the panel for individual identification and paternity testing in Chinese populations. Pairwise genetic differences Fst values (-0.00091 to 0.05873) and the analysis by STRUCTURE indicated that Chinese populations have good internal consistency.

Genetic polymorphisms of 17 Y-chromosomal STRs in the Chengdu Han population of China.

Chengdu is located at the center of Sichuan Province in southwestern China, and its primary demographic group is the Han population. The aim of this study was to contribute data detailing 17 Y-short tandem repeat (Y-STR) loci from 3291 Chengdu Han male samples analyzed with the AmpFLSTR® Yfiler® PCR Amplification Kit. We observed 2228 different haplotypes, and haplotype diversity (HD) was 0.9992. Gene diversity (GD) values for the 17 Y-STR loci of the Chengdu Han population ranged from 0.4156 to 0.9529. Haplotype match probability (HMC) was 0.0011. Compared with 13 reference populations of six provinces surrounding Chengdu, we observed that the Chengdu Han population was significantly different from each of these populations.

[Research status and prospects of DNA test on difficult specimens].

This paper reviews the advances of DNA detection on three types of difficult biological specimens including degraded samples, trace evidences and mixed samples. The source of different samples, processing methods and announcements were analyzed. New methods such as mitochondrial test system, changing the original experimental conditions, low-volume PCR amplification and new technologies such as whole genome amplification techniques, laser capture micro-dissection, and mini-STR technology in recent years are introduced.

In vivo antibacterial activity of chinfloxacin, a new fluoroquinolone antibiotic.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the in vivo antibacterial efficacy of chinfloxacin, a novel fluoroquinolone, in murine systemic and local infection models. METHODS: The efficacy of chinfloxacin in systemic infection was evaluated in a mouse peritonitis model using isolates of methicillin-susceptible Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA, n = 3), methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA; n = 1), penicillin-intermediate Streptococcus pneumoniae (PISP; n = 1), penicillin-resistant S. pneumoniae (PRSP; n = 2), vancomycin-susceptible Enterococcus faecalis (VSE; n = 1), vancomycin-resistant E. faecalis (VRE; n = 2), Escherichia coli (n = 3) and Klebsiella pneumoniae (n = 2). The local infections included mouse pulmonary infections caused by penicillin-susceptible S. pneumoniae (PSSP; n = 1), PRSP (n = 1) and K. pneumoniae (n = 2). RESULTS: In the mouse systemic infection model, chinfloxacin demonstrated potent activity against MSSA [50% effective dose (ED(50)) 2.28-4.15 mg/kg], MRSA (ED(50) 14.75 mg/kg), PISP (ED(50) 6.20 mg/kg), PRSP (ED(50) 3.51-5.03 mg/kg), VSE (ED(50) 25.02 mg/kg), VRE (ED(50) 5.18-15.39 mg/kg), E. coli (ED(50) 1.25-1.90 mg/kg) and K. pneumoniae (ED(50) 2.92-8.28 mg/kg). The therapeutic efficacy of chinfloxacin was generally similar to (P > 0.05) that of moxifloxacin, significantly higher (P < 0.01 or P < 0.05) than that of levofloxacin in Gram-positive isolate infections (MSSA, MRSA, PISP, PRSP, VSE and VRE), and less than that of levofloxacin against E. coli and K. pneumoniae infections (P < 0.01). In the mouse pulmonary infection model, chinfloxacin showed potent activity towards S. pneumoniae (higher than levofloxacin and ciprofloxacin) and K. pneumoniae (lower than levofloxacin and similar to or higher than ciprofloxacin) infections. CONCLUSIONS: The results validated the potent efficacy of chinfloxacin in vivo. The high efficacy of chinfloxacin in murine systemic and local infections warrants investigation of its clinical use.

An integrated approach for assessing aquatic ecological carrying capacity: a case study of Wujin District in the Tai Lake Basin, China.

Aquatic ecological carrying capacity is an effective method for analyzing sustainable development in regional water management. In this paper, an integrated approach is employed for assessing the aquatic ecological carrying capacity of Wujin District in the Tai Lake Basin, China. An indicator system is established considering social and economic development as well as ecological resilience perspectives. While calculating the ecological index, the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) is extracted from Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) time-series images, followed by spatial and temporal analysis of vegetation cover. Finally, multi-index assessment of aquatic ecological carrying capacity is carried out for the period 2000 to 2008, including both static and dynamic variables. The results reveal that aquatic ecological carrying capacity presents a slight upward trend in the past decade and the intensity of human activities still exceeded the aquatic ecological carrying capacity in 2008. In terms of human activities, population has decreased, GDP has quadrupled, and fertilizer application and industrial wastewater discharge have declined greatly in the past decade. The indicators representing aquatic ecosystem conditions have the lowest scores, which are primarily attributed to the water eutrophication problem. Yet the terrestrial ecosystem is assessed to be in better condition since topographic backgrounds and landscape diversity are at higher levels. Based on the work carried out, it is suggested that pollutant emission be controlled to improve water quality and agricultural development around Ge Lake (the largest lake in Wujin District) be reduced.

Short-tandem repeat analysis in seven Chinese regional populations.

In the present study, we investigated the application of 13 short tandem repeat (STR) loci (D13S317, D7S820, TH01, D16S539, CSFIPO, VWA, D8S1179, TPOX, FGA, D3S1358, D21S11, D18S51 and D5S818) routinely used in forensic analysis, for delineating population relationships among seven human populations representing the two major geographic groups, namely the southern and northern Chinese. The resulting single topology revealed pronounced geographic and population partitioning, consistent with the differences in geographic location, languages and eating habits. These findings suggest that forensic STR loci might be particularly powerful tools in providing the necessary fine resolution for reconstructing recent human evolutionary history.

Short-tandem repeat analysis in seven Chinese regional populations

In the present study, we investigated the application of 13 short tandem repeat (STR) loci (D13S317, D7S820, TH01, D16S539, CSFIPO, VWA, D8S1179, TPOX, FGA, D3S1358, D21S11, D18S51 and D5S818) routinely used in forensic analysis, for delineating population relationships among seven human populations representing the two major geographic groups, namely the southern and northern Chinese. The resulting single topology revealed pronounced geographic and population partitioning, consistent with the differences in geographic location, languages and eating habits. These findings suggest that forensic STR loci might be particularly powerful tools in providing the necessary fine resolution for reconstructing recent human evolutionary history.