Soil water and nutrient availability interactively modify pollinator-mediated directional and correlational selection on floral display.

The individual and combined effects of abiotic factors on pollinator-mediated selection on floral traits are not well documented. To examine potential interactive effects of water and nutrient availability on pollinator-mediated selection on three floral display traits of Primula tibetica, we manipulated pollination and nutrient availability in a factorial experiment, conducted at two common garden sites with different soil water content (natural vs addition). We found that both water and nutrient availability affected floral trait expression in P. tibetica and that hand pollination increased seed production most when both nutrient content and water content were high, indicating joint pollen and resource limitation. We documented selection on all floral traits, and pollinators contributed to directional and correlational selection on plant height and number of flowers. Soil water and nutrient availability interactively influenced the strength of both pollinator-mediated directional and correlational selection, with significant selection observed when nutrient or water availability was high, but not when none or both were added. The results suggest that resource limitation constrains the response of P. tibetica to among-individual variation in pollen receipt, that addition of nutrients or water leads to pollinator-mediated selection and that effects of the two abiotic factors are nonadditive.

Targeting CXCL5 in Pancreatic Cancer Cells Inhibits Cancer Xenograft Growth by Reducing Proliferation and Inhibiting EMT Progression.

BACKGROUND: Pancreatic cancer (PC) is the most lethal malignant tumor, with average survival period of about 10 months. C-X-C ligand 5 (CXCL5), an important chemokine for immune cell accumulation in tumor tissues, has been reported to be involved in a variety of human cancers. However, the exact role of CXCL5 in PC progression has not been well defined. METHODS: The expression of CXCL5 in PC was analyzed based on online databases and clinical specimens immunohistochemical staining, and Western blotting of CXCL5 in PC cell lines and patient samples. The correlation between CXCL5 expression and prognosis in PC was explored. The role of CXCL5 in PC was investigated through in vitro and in vivo experiments. RESULTS: The expression of CXCL5 was significantly increased in PC tissues compared with that in pancreas tissues, and CXCL5 high expression predicts poor prognosis in PC patients. Further analyses demonstrated that overexpression of CXCL5 in PC cells was positively related to higher proliferation rate, higher migration ability, and higher EMT markers including SNAI2 and TWIST1 of tumor cells in vitro. Consistently, the knockdown of CXCL5 in PC cells harmed the proliferation rate, migration ability, and expression of EMT indexes of tumor cells in vitro. Importantly, knockdown of CXCL5 inhibited the growth of xenograft tumors in vivo. CONCLUSION: CXCL5 high expression predicts poor prognosis in PC patients. CXCL5 promotes PC cell growth and EMT process. Inhibition of CXCL5 may be a potential therapeutic approach for PC.

Architectural effects regulate resource allocation within the inflorescences with nonlinear blooming patterns.

PREMISE: Spatial and temporal resource allocations within inflorescences have been well-studied in many plants based on flowering sequence or floral position. However, there had been few attempts to investigate architectural effects and resource competition in species where the blooming pattern does not follow a linear positional pattern within the inflorescence. Moreover, most flowering plants show female-biased sex allocation in early or basal flowers, but it is unclear in species with inherent and changeless ovule production. METHODS: We investigated intra-inflorescence variation in reproductive traits of Salvia przewalskii, a perennial herb with 4-ouvle ovary flowers and flowering sequence-floral position decoupled inflorescences. To detect the effects of resource competition and architectural effects on reproductive success, we manipulated inflorescence (removed floral buds by position and flowering sequence) and pollination (opened and supplemented pollination). RESULTS: Pollen production and dry mass deceased from bottom to top flowers but did not significantly differ following flowering sequence, resulting in male-biased sex allocation in basal flowers. The seed production, fruit set, and bud development exhibited significant declining trends from proximal to distal positions regardless of the thinning and pollen treatments. Meanwhile, the seed production, fruit set, and bud development success did not significant differ when thinning was conducted according to flowering sequence. CONCLUSIONS: Architectural effects plays a crucial role in resource allocation within decoupled flowering inflorescences. Moreover, our results highlighted that inherent floral traits such as changeless ovule production, may modify architectural effects on sex allocation.

HBXIP drives metabolic reprogramming in hepatocellular carcinoma cells via METTL3-mediated m6A modification of HIF-1α.

Cancer cells sustain high levels of glycolysis and glutaminolysis via reprogramming of intracellular metabolism, which represents a driver of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) progression. Understanding the mechanisms of cell metabolic reprogramming may present a new basis for liver cancer treatment. Herein, we collected HCC tissues and noncancerous liver tissues and found hepatitis B virus X-interacting protein (HBXIP) was found to be upregulated in HCC tissues and associated with poor prognosis. The N6-methyladenosine (m6A) level of hypoxia-inducible factor-1α (HIF-1α) in HCC cells was evaluated after the intervention of METTL3. The possible m6A site of HIF-1α was queried and the binding relationship between METTL3 and HIF-1α was verified. The interference of HBXIP suppressed HCC malignant behaviors and inhibited the Warburg effect in HCC cells. METTL3 was upregulated in HCC tissues and positively regulated by HBXIP. Overexpression of METTL3 restored cell metabolic reprogramming in HCC cells with partial loss of HBXIP. HBXIP mediated METTL3 to promote the metabolic reprogramming and malignant biological behaviors of HCC cells. The levels of total m6A in HCC cells and m6A in HIF-1α were increased. METTL3 had a binding relationship with HIF-1α and mediated the m6A modification of HIF-1α. In conclusion, HBXIP drives metabolic reprogramming in HCC cells via METTL3-mediated m6A modification of HIF-1α.

Global distribution and evolutionary transitions of angiosperm sexual systems.

Angiosperm sexual systems are fundamental to the evolution and distribution of plant diversity, yet spatiotemporal patterns in angiosperm sexual systems and their drivers remain poorly known. Using data on sexual systems and distributions of 68453 angiosperm species, we present the first global maps of sexual system frequencies and evaluate sexual system evolution during the Cenozoic. Frequencies of dioecy and monoecy increase with latitude, while hermaphrodites are more frequent in warm and arid regions. Transitions to dioecy from other states were higher than to hermaphroditism, but transitions away from dioecy increased since the Cenozoic, suggesting that dioecy is not an evolutionary end point. Transitions between hermaphroditism and dioecy increased, while transitions to monoecy decreased with paleo-temperature when paleo-temperature >0℃. Our study demonstrates the biogeography of angiosperm sexual systems from a macroecological perspective, and enhances our understanding of plant diversity patterns and their response to climate change.

Speciation along the elevation gradient: Divergence of Roscoea species within the south slope of the Himalayas.

The Himalayas with dramatic elevation gradient is one of the global biodiversity hotspots. Although origin of biodiversity of the Himalayas is of great concern, the speciation process within the Himalayas is poorly known. Roscoea within the Himalayas serve as a good model system to test the speciation process along an elevation gradient. 32,375 unlinked SNPs were used to reconstruct phylogenetic relationships and introgression analyses in D-statistics and Fastsimicoal2. Species distribution modeling (SDM) was used to simulate habitat shift of Roscoea species during climate changes. Phylogeny suggested that the speciation order, except R. capitata, was from highland to lowland. D-statistics analyses suggested significant bidirectional ancient introgression between elevation-neighboring clades but no introgression between R. capitata and othern clades and no introgression among extant species. Fastsimicoal2 suggested interspecific introgressions were asymmetric. SDM predicted that habitats of Roscoea shifted to low elevation during cooling age. These results suggested that the sudden uplift of the Himalayas likely promoted speciation by vicariance, and climate cooling drove species divergence towards lower elevation. This study provides explanations for the origin of biodiversity within the Himalayas, and an insight to understand speciation along elevation in the mountainous regions.

A novel internal cold circulation radiofrequency-assisted device for liver transection.

PURPOSE: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of a new internal cold circulation bipolar radiofrequency compared with Habib-4X bipolar radiofrequency device in the resection of liver tumors. METHODS: A total of 85 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma who received radiofrequency-assisted liver resection from February 2017 to January 2020 were retrospectively enrolled in our study, in which 45 patients received the new internal cold circulation bipolar radiofrequency (New-RF) and 40 patients received Habib-4X bipolar radiofrequency (Habib-4X). Primary outcome measures were the speed of liver transection, the width of coagulation tissue, hemorrhage volume, blood transfusion rate, and operation time. RESULTS: The baseline characteristics of patients in the New-RF and Habib-4X groups had no significant difference (p > 0.05). Compared to Habib-4X, the New-RF had a faster average speed of liver transection (4.81 ± 1.20 cm2/min vs 3.64 ± 1.08 cm2/min, p < 0.001), a narrower width of coagulation tissue (1.42 ± 0.23 cm2 vs 1.81 ± 0.20 cm2, p < 0.001), a less operation time (55.04 ± 16.12 min vs 64.02 ± 15.09 min, p = 0.010), a lower rate of needle path bleeding (13.3% vs 35.0%, p = 0.019), and a lower carbonization rate of electrode needle (22.2% vs 77.8%, p < 0.001). Hemorrhage during the transection (85.0 ml vs 105.0 ml, p = 0.438) and hemorrhage per square centimeter (3.28 ± 0.86 ml/cm2 vs 3.60 ± 1.12 ml/cm2, p = 0.141) in the New-RF group were smaller than those in Habib-4X group with no significant difference. CONCLUSION: The new internal cold circulation bipolar radiofrequency was a safe and efficacious auxiliary device for liver resection with a faster speed of resection, lower carbonization rate of electrode needle, and more precise range of coagulation.

Development of an ultrasensitive fluorescent immunochromatographic assay based on multilayer quantum dot nanobead for simultaneous detection of SARS-CoV-2 antigen and influenza A virus.

Rapid and accurate diagnosis of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) and influenza A virus (FluA) antigens in the early stages of virus infection is the key to control the epidemic spread. Here, we developed a two-channel fluorescent immunochromatographic assay (ICA) for ultrasensitive and simultaneous qualification of the two viruses in biological samples. A high-performance quantum dot nanobead (QB) was fabricated by adsorption of multilayers of dense quantum dots (QDs) onto the SiO2 surface and used as the highly luminescent label of the ICA system to ensure the high-sensitivity and stability of the assay. The combination of monodispersed SiO2 core (∼180 nm) and numerous carboxylated QDs formed a hierarchical shell, which ensured that the QBs possessed excellent stability, superior fluorescence signal, and convenient surface functionalization. The developed ICA biosensor achieved simultaneous detection of SARS-CoV-2 and FluA in one test within 15 min, with detection limits reaching 5 pg/mL for SARS-CoV-2 antigen and 50 pfu/mL for FluA H1N1. Moreover, our method showed high accuracy and specificity in throat swab samples with two orders of magnitude improvement in sensitivity compared with traditional AuNP-based ICA method. Hence, the proposed method is a promising and convenient tool for detection of respiratory viruses.

Performance characterization of a self-made terahertz photoconductive antenna.

A terahertz (THz) photoconductive antenna is prepared using, to the best of our knowledge, a novel method, which has high yield and strong stability. It eliminates the stripping process of a thin-film THz antenna and effectively prevents the toxicity of the corrosion solution, the easy damage in the transfer process, and the weak bonding with the substrate. First, a 200 µm copper wire is bundled on a low-temperature GaAs epitaxial wafer, and then the electrode of the photoconductive antenna is fabricated using the vacuum evaporation method. Finally, the THz time-domain signal with a high signal-to-noise ratio and good repeatability is obtained using an 800 nm laser. Additionally, the influence of pump light and detection light power on THz signal intensity is studied when the total optical power is unchanged. Results show that when the total power of the laser is greater than a certain value, there is an optimal ratio between the pump power and the detection power, which can maximize the signal-to-noise ratio of the THz wave. This provides a basis for the effective application of a THz antenna and lays a foundation for improving the detection sensitivity of samples.

Full-length transcriptome analysis of Phytolacca americana and its congener P. icosandra and gene expression normalization in three Phytolaccaceae species.

BACKGROUND: Phytolaccaceae species in China are not only ornamental plants but also perennial herbs that are closely related to human health. However, both large-scale full-length cDNA sequencing and reference gene validation of Phytolaccaceae members are still lacking. Therefore, single-molecule real-time sequencing technology was employed to generate full-length transcriptome in invasive Phytolacca americana and non-invasive exotic P. icosandra. Based on the transcriptome data, RT-qPCR was employed to evaluate the gene expression stability in the two plant species and another indigenous congener P. acinosa. RESULTS: Total of 19.96 Gb and 19.75 Gb clean reads of P. americana and P. icosandra were generated, including 200,857 and 208,865 full length non-chimeric (FLNC) reads, respectively. Transcript clustering analysis of FLNC reads identified 89,082 and 98,448 consensus isoforms, including 86,989 and 96,764 high-quality ones. After removing redundant reads, 46,369 and 50,220 transcripts were obtained. Based on structure analysis, total 1675 and 1908 alternative splicing variants, 25,641 and 31,800 simple sequence repeats (SSR) as well as 34,971 and 36,841 complete coding sequences were detected separately. Furthermore, 3574 and 3833 lncRNA were predicted and 41,676 and 45,050 transcripts were annotated respectively. Subsequently, seven reference genes in the two plant species and a native species P. acinosa were selected and evaluated by RT-qPCR for gene expression analysis. When tested in different tissues (leaves, stems, roots and flowers), 18S rRNA showed the highest stability in P. americana, whether infested by Spodoptera litura or not. EF2 had the most stable expression in P. icosandra, while EF1-α was the most appropriate one when attacked by S. litura. EF1-α showed the highest stability in P.acinosa, whereas GAPDH was recommended when infested by S. litura. Moreover, EF1-α was the most stable one among the three plant species whenever germinating seeds or flowers only were considered. CONCLUSION: Full-length transcriptome of P. americana and P. icosandra were produced individually. Based on the transcriptome data, the expression stability of seven candidate reference genes under different experimental conditions was evaluated. These results would facilitate further exploration of functional and comparative genomic studies in Phytolaccaceae and provide insights into invasion success of P. americana.

Functional implications of the specialized staminal appendages in alpine ginger (Roscoea spp.: Zingiberaceae).

Floral organs are widely believed to enhance the pollination and reproductive success of angiosperms. However, the functional implication of some floral structures is still unknown. In this study, we explored the functional role of staminal appendages on male and female reproductive success of Himalayan Roscoea spp. and tested if their function differed between species with biotic pollination and autonomous selfing. Phenotypic manipulation is a powerful approach to test the functional effect of a particular trait on plant fitness. We compared various proxies of pollination success between intact flowers and flowers with manually excised staminal appendages. We found that the rate of visitation did not differ between intact and manipulated flowers. Our results revealed that in outcrossing Roscoea spp., the staminal appendages act as triggering devices to facilitate pollen release and deposition and also to manipulate the foraging position of pollinators to ensure both male and female reproductive success. In contrast, in autonomously selfing Roscoea spp., the removal of staminal appendages did not affect any aspect of pollination processes. Our results suggest that the staminal appendages are an integral component of outcrossing in Roscoea spp. and are maintained by selection pressure through both male and female reproductive success. This study provides important insights on how variation in breeding systems can provoke changes in the structure and function of floral organs among congeners.

Water mediates fertilization in a terrestrial flowering plant.

Water-mediated fertilization is ubiquitous in early land plants. This ancestral mode of fertilization has, however, generally been considered to have been lost during the evolutionary history of terrestrial flowering plants. We investigated reproductive mechanisms in the subtropical ginger Cautleya gracilis (Zingiberaceae), which has two pollen conditions - granular and filiform masses - depending on external conditions. We tested whether rain transformed granular pollen into filiform masses and whether this then promoted pollen-tube growth and fertilization of ovules. Using experimental manipulations in the field we investigated the contribution of water-mediated fertilization to seed production. Rain caused granular pollen to form filiform masses of germinating pollen tubes, which transported sperm to ovules, resulting in fertilization and seed set. Flowers exposed to rain produced significantly more seeds than those protected from the rain, which retained granular pollen. Insect pollination made only a limited contribution to seed set because rainy conditions limited pollinator service. Our results reveal a previously undescribed fertilization mechanism in flowering plants involving water-mediated fertilization stimulated by rain. Water-mediated fertilization is likely to be adaptive in the subtropical monsoon environments in which C. gracilis occurs by ensuring reproductive assurance when persistent rain prevents insect-mediated pollination.

miR-96 exerts carcinogenic effect by activating AKT/GSK-3ß/ß-catenin signaling pathway through targeting inhibition of FOXO1 in hepatocellular carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this research was to investigate the mechanism of miR-96 affecting hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). METHODS: mRNA and protein expression was detected by qRT-PCR and Western blot, respectively. HepG2 cells were transfected and grouped as follows: miR-NC group, miR-mimics group, NC + Vector group, mimics + Vector group, mimics + FOXO1 group. Luciferase reporter assay was performed. MTT and Transwell assay was conducted. In vivo studies by nude mice were performed. Immunohistochemistry and immunofluorescence was executed. RESULTS: Up-regulated miR-96 and down-regulated FOXO1 was found in tumor tissues and HepG2 cells (P < 0.01). FOXO1 was directly suppressed by miR-96. Compared with NC + Vector group, mimics + Vector group has higher OD495 value (P < 0.05), higher migration and invasion cells (P < 0.01), larger transplanted tumor volume (P < 0.01), lower FOXO1 positive cell numbers (P < 0.01), higher p-AKT and p-GSK-3ß expression (P < 0.01), lower p-ß-catenin expression (P < 0.01), more ß-catenin expression in the nucleus (P < 0.01). Compared with mimics + Vector group, mimics + FOXO1 group has lower OD495 value (P < 0.05), lower migration and invasion cells (P < 0.01), smaller transplanted tumor volume (P < 0.01), higher FOXO1 positive cells (P < 0.01), lower p-AKT and p-GSK-3ß expression (P < 0.01), higher p-ß-catenin expression (P < 0.01), less ß-catenin expression in the nucleus (P < 0.01). CONCLUSION: miR-96 exerts carcinogenic effect by activating AKT/GSK-3ß/ß-catenin signaling pathway through targeting inhibition of FOXO1 in HCC.

Epidemiological characteristics and risk factors of T2DM in Chinese premenopausal and postmenopausal women.

OBJECTIVE: This study was to analyse the prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in premenopausal and postmenopausal women. METHODS: A total of 3227 women met the requirements from June to December in 2014, including 207 cases of premenopausal women and 3020 cases of postmenopausal women. The prevalence of T2DM and the associated risk factors in the two groups were analysed. RESULTS: The prevalence of premenopausal women with T2DM was 12.1%, while the prevalence in postmenopausal women was 19.4% (P < 0.05). Total serum protein (TP) (OR = 1.164 95% CI = 1.023-1.324) (P = 0.021) is a major risk factor for premenopausal women with T2DM. The prevalence of T2DM increased with the increase in TP. In postmenopausal groups, the prevalence of T2DM was associated with age (OR = 1.037 95% CI = 1.024-1.051) (P < 0.001), BMI (OR = 1.076 95% CI = 1.044-1.109) (P < 0.001), blood pressure (OR = 1.521 95% CI = 1.234-1.875) (P < 0.001), triglycerides (TG) (OR = 1.106 95% CI = 1.027-1.190) (P = 0.008), blood urea nitrogen (BUN) (OR = 1.065 95% CI = 1.004-1.129) (P = 0.036), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (OR = 1.009 95% CI = 1.003-1.016) (P = 0.004) and TP (OR = 1.031 95% CI = 1.005-1.057) (P = 0.018). CONCLUSIONS: Postmenopausal women have a higher rate of type 2 diabetes than premenopausal women. TP is a major risk factor for premenopausal women with T2DM. TP, ALT, and BUN are postmenopausal risk factors in addition to traditional risk factors such as obesity, lipidaemia and blood pressure. We should monitor risk factors and take early prevention and intervention measures to reduce the prevalence of diabetes and improve the quality of life of postmenopausal women. TRIAL REGISTRATION: ChiCTR, ChiCTR-TRC-14005029. Registered 29 July 2014, http://www.chictr.org.cn/showproj.aspx?proj=4545.

RASSF7 promotes cell proliferation through activating MEK1/2-ERK1/2 signaling pathway in hepatocellular carcinoma.

The Ras-association domain family (RASSF) proteins have been involved in many important biological processes. RASSF7 is recently reported to be up-regulated in several types of cancer. However, the function of RASSF7 remain unknown in human cancers. To explore the role of RASSF7 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) cells proliferation and molecular mechanism. RASSF7 expression was examined using public database TCGA, qRT-PCR and Western blot. The correlation between RASSF7 and clinicopathological features was measured. Overexpression and silencing of RASSF7 were performed to measure the impact on HCC cell proliferation, cell cycle and apoptosis. Futhermore, the molecular mechanism of MEK1/2-ERK1/2 signaling pathway regulation by RASSF7 was explored. RASSF7 was significantly up-regulated in HCC tissues and cell lines, and correlated with AFP, poor tumor histology and T stage. Overexpression of RASSF7 promoted HCC cell proliferation, drived G1-S phase cell cycle transition and inhibited apoptosis. Knockdown of RASSF7 suppressed cell growth, induced G1-S phase cell cycle arrest and cell apoptosis. Furthermore, our findings also demonstrated that RASSF7 promoted HCC cell proliferation through activating MEK1/2-ERK1/2 signaling pathway. Taken together, this study provides a novel evidence for clinical significance of RASSF7 as a potential biomarker, and demonstrates that RASSF7- MEK1/2-ERK1/2 signaling pathway might be a novel pathway involved in HCC progression.

Development and Application of a No-Clog Surgical Suction Tip Using 3D Printing Technology.

BACKGROUND Clogging of the suction tip frequently occurs during orthopedic surgery. We developed a novel anti-clog suction tip using 3D printing technology to improve orthopedic surgery efficiency. MATERIAL AND METHODS We studied the root causes of obstructions in suction tips currently employed in orthopedic surgery during actual surgical cases. CAD software and 3D printer was used to design, modify, and print the novel suction tip. The frequency of clogging, the frequency of replacement of the suction tip, the time lost in replacing suction tips or connecting tubes, surgical duration, intraoperative surgical blood loss, and the satisfaction scores for the suction tips as rated by the surgeons were compared between the novel suction tip and the conventional suction tip. Comparisons were made first in laboratory experiments using a simulant liquid and then during total hip replacement surgeries. RESULTS In the simulant liquid experiments, the novel suction tips showed significantly reduced frequency of complete clogging and decreased time spent removing all fluid in comparison to the conventional suction tips (p<0.05). In the clinical trials, the novel suction tips exhibited significantly reduced frequency of complete clogging, shorter surgical duration, and reduced intraoperative surgical blood loss compared to the conventional suction tips (p<0.05). Surgeon satisfaction scores were higher for the novel tips than for the conventional tips (p<0.05). CONCLUSIONS Our surgeon-designed and -produced surgical suction tip utilizing 3D desktop printing technology was highly effective in resolving the problem of clogged suction tips during orthopedic surgery and yielded high surgeon satisfaction.

Construction of an adherence rating scale for exercise therapy for patients with knee osteoarthritis.

BACKGROUND: Knee osteoarthritis (KOA) is one of the most common chronic diseases in the elderly and is the primary cause of the loss of motor function and disability in this population. Exercise therapy is a core, basic and matureand treatment method of treating patients with KOA. Exercise therapy is "strongly recommended" or "recommended" in the diagnosis and treatment guidelines of osteoarthritis in many countries, and most scholars advocate exercise therapy as the preferred rehabilitation method for KOA patients. However, poor long-term adherence is a serious problem affecting the therapeutic effect of this mature treatment. The objective of this study was to construct a concise and practical adherence rating scale (ARS) based on the exercise therapy adherence prediction model in patients with knee osteoarthritis. METHODS: A binary logistic regression model was established, with the adherence of 218 cases of KOA patients as the dependent variable. The patients' general information, exercise habits, knowledge, attitude, and exercise therapy were independent variables. The regression coefficients were assigned to various variables in the model, and the ARS was constructed accordingly. Receiver operating characteristic curves and curve fitting were used to analyse the effect of the ARS in predicting the adherence and to determine the goodness of fit for the adherence. The external validity of the ARS was examined in a randomized controlled trial. RESULTS: The construction of the adherence model and the ARS included the following variables: age (1 point), education level (1 point), degree of social support (2 points), exercise habits (3 points), knowledge of KOA prevention and treatment (2 points), degree of care needed to treat the disease (1 point), familiarity with exercise therapy (4 points) and treatment confidence (3 points). The critical value of the total score of the ARS was 6.50, with a sensitivity of 87.20% and a specificity of 76.34%. CONCLUSIONS: A KOA exercise therapy adherence model and a simple and practical ARS were constructed. The ARS has good internal validity and external validity and can be used to evaluate the adherence to exercise therapy in patients with KOA.

Natural hybridization and reproductive isolation between two Primula species.

Natural hybridization frequently occurs in plants and can facilitate gene flow between species, possibly resulting in species refusion. However, various reproductive barriers block the formation of hybrids and maintain species integrity. Here, we conducted a field survey to examine natural hybridization and reproductive isolation (RI) between sympatric populations of Primula secundiflora and P. poissonii using ten nuclear simple sequence repeat (SSR) loci. Although introgressive hybridization occurred, species boundaries between P. secundiflora and P. poissonii were maintained through nearly complete reproductive isolation. These interfertile species provide an excellent model for studying the RI mechanisms and evolutionary forces that maintain species boundaries.

Coevolutionary elaboration of pollination-related traits in an alpine ginger (Roscoea purpurea) and a tabanid fly in the Nepalese Himalayas.

Geographical variation in the interacting traits of plant-pollinator mutualism can lead to local adaptive differentiation. We tested Darwin's hypothesis of reciprocal selection as a key driving force for the evolution of floral traits of an alpine ginger (Roscoea purpurea) and proboscis length of a tabanid fly (Philoliche longirostris). We documented the pattern of trait variation in R. purpurea and P. longirostris across five populations. At each site, we quantified pollinator-mediated selection on floral display area, inflorescence height and corolla length of R. purpurea by comparing selection gradients for flowers exposed to natural pollination and to supplemental hand pollination. Reciprocal selection between plant and fly was examined at two sites via the relationship between proboscis length and nectar consumption (fly benefit) and corolla length and pollen deposition (plant benefit). Local corolla tube length was correlated with local fly proboscis length among the five sites. We found strong linear selection imposed by pollinators on corolla tube length at all sites, but there was no consistent relationship of fitness to inflorescence height or floral display area. Selection between corolla length and proboscis length was reciprocal at the two experimental sites examined. The geographical pattern of trait variation and the evidence of selection is consistent with a mosaic of local, species-specific reciprocal selection acting as the major driving force for the evolution of corolla length of R. purpurea and proboscis length of P. longirostris.

[Analysis of PAX6 gene mutation in a family affected with congenital aniridia].

OBJECTIVE: To identify potential mutation of the PAX6 gene in a family affected with congenital aniridia from northeastern China. METHODS: Two patients were collected from the family and underwent full ophthalmologic examinations. Genomic DNA was extracted from all family numbers and 100 healthy controls. The coding regions and flanking sequence of the PAX6 gene were amplified by PCR amplification and subjected to bidirectional DNA sequencing. RESULTS: A nonsense mutation (c.718 C>T) was identified in exon 9 in both patients but not in other unaffected families or the 100 healthy controls. However, obvious difference was noted in the phenotype between the two patients. One of the patient has presented irregular cornea, which was infrequently reported. CONCLUSION: A c.718C>T transitional mutation has been found to underlie the aniridia, which showed an autosomal dominant inheritance pattern in this northeastern Chinese family.