Facial expression of patients with Graves' orbitopathy.

PURPOSE: Patients with Graves' orbitopathy (GO) have characteristic facial expressions that are different from those of healthy individuals due to the combination of somatic and psychiatric symptoms. However, the facial expressions of GO patients have not yet been described and analyzed systematically. Thus, the present study aimed to present the facial expressions of GO patients and explore their applications in clinical practice. METHODS: Facial image and clinical data of 943 GO patients were included, and 126 patients answered quality of life (GO-QOL) questionnaires. Each patient was labeled for one facial expression. Then, a portrait was drawn for every facial expression. Logistic and linear regression was performed to analyze the correlation between facial expression and clinical indicators, including QOL, disease activity and severity. The VGG-19 network model was utilized to discriminate facial expressions automatically. RESULTS: Two groups, i.e., the non-negative emotion (neutral, happy) and the negative emotion (disgust, angry, fear, sadness, surprise), and seven expressions of GO patients were systematically analyzed. Facial expression was statistically associated with GO activity (P = 0.002), severity (P < 0.001), QOL visual functioning subscale scores (P = 0.001), and QOL appearance subscale score (P = 0.012). The deep learning model achieved satisfactory results (accuracy 0.851, sensitivity 0.899, precision 0.899, specificity 0.720, F1 score 0.899, and AUC 0.847). CONCLUSIONS: As a novel clinical sign, facial expression holds the potential to be incorporated into GO assessment system in the future. The discrimination model may assist clinicians in real-life patient care.

[The expression of Plakoglobin in residual cancer after neoadjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer and its prognostic impact on patients].

Objective: To investigate the relationship between the expression levels of Plakoglobin protein in residual lesions after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) and the prognosis of breast cancer patients. Methods: Clinical and pathological data from 174 breast cancer patients who underwent surgery after receiving NAC at the Cancer Hospital of Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences from January 2009 to December 2017 were collected. The expression level of Plakoglobin in residual cancer lesions was evaluated by immunohistochemistry. The correlation between Plakoglobin expression level and clinicopathological features was analyzed. Survival analysis was performed using the Kaplan-Meier method, and Cox proportional hazard regression models were used for factor analysis. Results: Among the 174 patients, 140 had low expression of Plakoglobin, and 34 had high expression. The median disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) in the Plakoglobin low expression group were 59.46 and 71.68 months, respectively, both of which were higher than those in the high expression group (36.58 and 47.26 months, respectively, both P<0.05). Univariate analysis showed that Plakoglobin expression, pathological N stage, lymphovascular invasion status, histological grade, Ki-67, and molecular subtypes were associated with OS (all P<0.05), while pathological N stage, histological grade, and Ki-67 were associated with DFS (all P<0.05). Multivariate analysis revealed that Plakoglobin expression (HR=2.438, 95% CI: 1.256-4.735, P=0.008) was an independent predictor for OS, and Ki-67 (HR=2.228, 95% CI: 1.316-3.773, P=0.003) was an independent predictor for DFS. Conclusion: In breast cancer patients with residual lesions after NAC, those with low Plakoglobin expression have relatively longer OS and Plakoglobin is an independent prognostic factor for OS.

[Study on the characteristics of Aspergillus fumigatus-sensitized asthma and allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis].

Objective: To investigate the clinical characteristics of Aspergillus fumigatus(A.f)-sensitized asthma and allergic bronchopulmonary aspergillosis (ABPA), which provides a foundation for the diagnosis and differential diagnosis of A.f-sensitized asthma and ABPA, as well as the prevention of ABPA. Methods: This was a single-center retrospective case-control study. Collected the clinical data of patients who visited the Department of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine, Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University from December 2018 to May 2022.A total of 122 patients were included, including 64 males (52.5%) and 58 females (47.5%).The age range was 3 to 89 years.The median age was 44 years.The average age was 41.8 years.The patients were divided into three groups (48 ABPA, 35 A.f-sensitized asthma and 39 HDM-sensitized asthma).Analyzed the differences and correlations among clinical indicators in the three groups, and evaluated the risk factors for the development of ABPA in A.f-sensitized asthma.For statistical analysis, metrological data was tested by t-test or Wilcoxon Mann-Whitney. Classification variables by chi-square test or Fisher's exact test. Pearson correlation analysis for normal distribution data.Spearman correlation analysis for skewed distribution data. Influencing factor analysis was performed using multivariate logistic regression analysis. The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was made, the area under the ROC curve (AUC) was calculated, and the sensitivity and specificity of the model were evaluated. Results: Compared with patients with A.f-sensitized asthma, the fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) [75.00(52.00, 87.00)ppb vs. 40.00(32.00, 52.00)ppb], eosinophils% (EO%) [10.60(6.75, 13.05) vs. 4.10(1.20, 7.30)], eosinophils (EO) [1.50(1.07, 2.20)×109/L vs. 0.33(0.10, 0.54)×109/L], A.f-specific Immunoglobulin E (sIgE) [10.24(4.09, 22.88)KU/L vs. 1.13(0.53, 3.72) KU/L], and sIgE to total IgE(tIgE) ratio (sIgE/tIgE) [0.0049(0.0027, 0.0100) vs. 0.0008(0.0004, 0.0017)] were higher in ABPA patients, the differences were statistically significant (P<0.001). In all patients, tIgE was positively correlated with EO% (r=0.206, P<0.05) and EO (r=0.302, P<0.001). sIgE/tIgE was negatively correlated with one-second rate (FEV1/FVC%) (r=-0.256, P<0.01). The percentage of predicted forced vital capacity [FVC(%)] was negatively correlated with FeNO (r=-0.184, P<0.05).In the ABPA group, the percentage of predicted peak expiratory flow [PEF(%)] was negatively correlated with FeNO (r=-0.295, P<0.05). In the HDM-sensitized asthma group, FeNO was positively correlated with EO% (r=0.49, P<0.01) and EO (r=0.548, P<0.001).The results of logistic regression analysis showed that FeNO and EO were the influencing factors for the development of ABPA in A.f-sensitized asthma. ROC curve analysis results showed that A.f-sIgE (cut-off, 4.108; AUC=0.749;95%CI, 0.632-0.867), sIgE/tIgE(cut-off, 0.0026;AUC=0.749;95%CI, 0.631-0.868), FeNO(cut-off, 55.5;AUC=0.794; 95%CI, 0.687-0.900), EO% (cut-off, 8.70;AUC=0.806;95%CI, 0.709-0.903) and EO (cut-off, 0.815;AUC=0.865;95%CI, 0.779-0.950) had differential diagnostic value in A.f-sensitized asthma and ABPA.The combination of FeNO, EO and EO% had good diagnostic efficiency in differentiating A.f-sensitized asthma from ABPA, with a sensitivity of 91.4% and a specificity of 84.4%. Conclusion: Compared with patients with A.f-sensitized asthma, patients with ABPA have more severe eosinophil inflammation. The higher the FeNO and EO, the more likely A.f-sensitized asthma will develop into ABPA.sIgE/tIgE may have differential diagnostic value in A.f-sensitized asthma and ABPA.The combination of FeNO, EO and EO% has good diagnostic efficacy in differentiating A.f-sensitized asthma from ABPA.

[Hereditary pulmonary hypertension family with BMPR2 gene variation: a case report and literature review].

Objective: To describe the clinical characteristics, diagnosis, genetic features and treatment of hereditary pulmonary hypertension complicated with suspected hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT). Methods: Firstly, we summarized and analyzed the clinical data of two cases of suspected HHT admitted to the Department of Pulmonary and Critical Care Medicine, the Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University. Secondly, the genes of peripheral blood of patients and their families were completely sequenced and sanger sequencing was performed to verify the variation sites, and then the mRNA deletion caused by the variation was further verified. Thirdly, "HHT" "FPAH" and "BMPR2 gene variation" were used as keywords,and the related literatures of Wanfang database and PubMed database from January 2000 to November 2021 were searched and reviewed. Results: We found two patients in a family from Yiyang, Hunan province, who had symptoms of hemoptysis or pulmonary hypertension without epistaxis or other clinical features of HHT. However, both patients had pulmonary vascular abnormalities and pulmonary hypertension in their lungs. We found that BMPR2 gene variation (NM_001204.7:c.1128+1G>T) was positive and ENG, ACVRL1 and SMAD4 genes were negative. Family analysis and Sanger verification were carried out on 16 individuals in 4 generations of the family (7 of whom were found to carry the mutant gene), and then transcriptional level mRNA sequencing further confirmed that the variation resulted in the deletion of exon 8 and exon 9, and amino acid sequence estimation revealed that the amino acids of the protein from 323 to 425 were deleted. We thought that the incomplete translation of BMPR2 gene could lead to BMPRⅡ dysfunction. Therefore, it was diagnosed as hereditary pulmonary hypertension with suspected HHT. Both patients were suggested to reduce the pulmonary artery pressure, and at the same time, the whole-body imaging examination should be performed to screen other arteriovenous malformations, and the annual cardiac color Doppler ultrasound should be reviewed to evaluate the changes of pulmonary artery pressure. Conclusions: Hereditary pulmonary hypertension (HPAH) is a group of diseases with increasing pulmonary vascular resistance caused by genetic factors, including familial PAH and simple PAH. Variation in the BMPR2 gene is an important pathogenic factor of HPAH. Therefore, we should pay attention to the inquiry of family history when we clinically encounter young patients with pulmonary hypertension. If the cause is unknown, genetic testing is recommended. HHT is a rare autosomal dominant genetic disease. The possibility of this disease should be considered in clinical manifestations such as familial pulmonary vascular abnormality, pulmonary hypertension and recurrent epistaxis. There is no effective specific treatment for HPAH and HHT, which are treated symptomatically (including blood pressure reduction and hemostasis, etc.). It is suggested for these patients that pulmonary artery pressure should be dynamically monitored and have genetic counseling before giving birth.

[Impact of different diagnostic criteria for assessing mild micro-hepatic encephalopathy in liver cirrhosis: an analysis based on a prospective, multicenter, real-world study].

Objective: To compare the differences in the prevalence of mild micro-hepatic encephalopathy (MHE) among patients with cirrhosis by using the psychometric hepatic encephalopathy score (PHES) and the Stroop smartphone application (Encephal App) test. Methods: This prospective, multi-center, real-world study was initiated by the National Clinical Medical Research Center for Infectious Diseases and the Portal Hypertension Alliance and registered with International ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT05140837). 354 cases of cirrhosis were enrolled in 19 hospitals across the country. PHES (including digital connection tests A and B, digital symbol tests, trajectory drawing tests, and serial management tests) and the Stroop test were conducted in all of them. PHES was differentiated using standard diagnostic criteria established by the two studies in China and South Korea. The Stroop test was evaluated based on the criteria of the research and development team. The impact of different diagnostic standards or methods on the incidence of MHE in patients with cirrhosis was analyzed. Data between groups were differentiated using the t-test, Mann-Whitney U test, and χ (2) test. A kappa test was used to compare the consistency between groups. Results: After PHES, the prevalence of MHE among 354 cases of cirrhosis was 78.53% and 15.25%, respectively, based on Chinese research standards and Korean research normal value standards. However, the prevalence of MHE was 56.78% based on the Stroop test, and the differences in pairwise comparisons among the three groups were statistically significant (kappa = -0.064, P < 0.001). Stratified analysis revealed that the MHE prevalence in three groups of patients with Child-Pugh classes A, B, and C was 74.14%, 83.33%, and 88.24%, respectively, according to the normal value standards of Chinese researchers, while the MHE prevalence rates in three groups of patients with Child-Pugh classes A, B, and C were 8.29%, 23.53%, and 38.24%, respectively, according to the normal value standards of Korean researchers. Furthermore, the prevalence rates of MHE in the three groups of patients with Child-Pugh grades A, B, and C were 52.68%, 58.82%, and 73.53%, respectively, according to the Stroop test standard. However, among the results of each diagnostic standard, the prevalence of MHE showed an increasing trend with an increasing Child-Pugh grade. Further comparison demonstrated that the scores obtained by the number connection test A and the number symbol test were consistent according to the normal value standards of the two studies in China and South Korea (Z = -0.982, -1.702; P = 0.326, 0.089), while the other three sub-tests had significant differences (P < 0.001). Conclusion: The prevalence rate of MHE in the cirrhotic population is high, but the prevalence of MHE obtained by using different diagnostic criteria or methods varies greatly. Therefore, in line with the current changes in demographics and disease spectrum, it is necessary to enroll a larger sample size of a healthy population as a control. Moreover, the establishment of more reliable diagnostic scoring criteria will serve as a basis for obtaining accurate MHE incidence and formulating diagnosis and treatment strategies in cirrhotic populations.

[Reversible bilateral blindness associated with alcoholic ketoacidosis: a case report].

A 51-year-old male with a history of chronic alcoholism presented to the emergency department with an abrupt onset of complete bilateral blindness lasting for one hour. Funduscopic examination yielded unremarkable findings. Systemic evaluations revealed the presence of severe ketoacidosis. The patient spontaneously regained light perception after experiencing total blindness for 3 hours; however, he subsequently developed hypothermia and entered a state of shock. Following treatment with sodium bicarbonate and aggressive fluid resuscitation, his condition stabilized, and there was a rapid improvement in his visual acuity. The diagnosis of alcoholic ketoacidosis was established based on the patient's history of chronic alcohol abuse, physical examination findings, and blood analysis results.

Role of carbon nanoparticle suspension in sentinel lymph node biopsy for early-stage cervical cancer: a prospective study.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the clinical diagnostic validity of carbon nanoparticle suspension (CNS) in sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) for assessing lymphatic spread of early-stage cervical cancer. DESIGN: A prospective study. SETTING AND POPULATION: 356 cases. METHODS: We enrolled 356 stage Ia2-IIa2 cervical cancer patients to undergo SLNB using CNS, followed by systematic pelvic lymphadenectomy. All lymph node specimens were assessed using conventional histopathologic ± pathologic ultrastaging analyses. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Sentinel lymph node detection rate (DR), clinical diagnostic validity and various related factors were analysed. RESULTS: CNS identified 1456 SLNs in 325 patients. The overall SLN DR was 91.29%. A significantly higher DR was found for patients with tumours <20 mm (97.75% versus 71.91%; P < 0.001). Two patients had false-negative results. SLNB with CNS had sensitivity of 96.65%, false-negative rate (FNR) of 4.35% and negative predictive value (NPV) of 99.29%. Importantly, sensitivity (100%), NPV (100%) and FNR (0%) were improved when testing the subgroup of patients with tumours <20 mm (267 cases). There were no observed differences in DR based on pathological type or grade, stage, depth of stromal invasion, surgical approach, menopausal status or prior treatment with chemotherapy (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: Sentinel lymph node biopsy with CNS results in favourable DR, sensitivity and NPV for women with early-stage cervical cancer with small tumour sizes. SLNB with CNS is safe, feasible and relatively effective for guiding precise surgical treatment of early-stage cervical cancer. TWEETABLE ABSTRACT: Sentinel lymph node biopsy with carbon nanoparticle suspension is safe and feasible for early-stage cervical cancer.

Genetic diversity of mitochondrial cytochrome b gene in swamp buffalo.

The swamp buffalo (Bubalus carabanensis) is mainly bred for meat, transport and rice cultivation in China and Southeast Asian countries. In the current study, we investigated the genetic diversity, maternal origin and phylogenetic relationship of swamp buffalo by analyzing 1,786 mitochondrial cytochrome b (cytb) sequences from China, Vietnam, Laos, Thailand, India and Bangladesh. Our results indicated that the swamp buffalo can be divided into two major lineages (SA and SB with the sublineages) and three rare lineages (SC, SD and SE), which showed strong geographic differentiation. The SA1 lineage represented a major domestication event, which involved population expansion. Regions III and V showed higher haplotype diversity than the other regions, indicating that the regions of Southwest China and IndoChina are potential domestication centers for the swamp buffalo. In addition, the swamp buffalo showed a closer phylogenetic relationship to tamaraw. In conclusion, our findings revealed a high level of genetic diversity and the phylogenetic pattern of the swamp buffalo.

A SNP in PLAG1 is associated with body height trait in Chinese cattle.

Stature is an important quantitative trait for cattle performance, which influences herd productivity. Previous studies have reported that an SNP (AC_000171.1:g.25015640G>T, rs109815800) in Pleomorphic adenoma gene 1 (PLAG1) on chromosome 14 (CHR14) is associated with bovine stature. To validate whether rs109815800 is associated with the body height of Chinese cattle, we carried out an association analysis using 558 adult cattle samples from seven populations. Then, 1038 samples from 38 Chinese cattle breeds were used to show the geographical distribution of this variant in China. The results showed that the Q allele (G allele) increased the height of cattle. Furthermore, the frequencies of Q allele in Chinese native breeds tend to decrease from northern China to southern China, and the frequency of Q allele in two Chinese beef cattle breeds is much higher than that in another 36 Chinese local cattle breeds. Our data suggest that the prevalence of the Q allele is correlated with latitude in China.

Management of Challenging Cardiopulmonary Bypass Separation.

SEPARATION from cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) after cardiac surgery is a progressive transition from full mechanical circulatory and respiratory support to spontaneous mechanical activity of the lungs and heart. During the separation phase, measurements of cardiac performance with transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) provide the rationale behind the diagnostic and therapeutic decision-making process. In many cases, it is possible to predict a complex separation from CPB, such as when there is known preoperative left or right ventricular dysfunction, bleeding, hypovolemia, vasoplegia, pulmonary hypertension, or owing to technical complications related to the surgery. Prompt diagnosis and therapeutic decisions regarding mechanical or pharmacologic support have to be made within a few minutes. In fact, a complex separation from CPB if not adequately treated leads to a poor outcome in the vast majority of cases. Unfortunately, no specific criteria defining complex separation from CPB and no management guidelines for these patients currently exist. Taking into account the above considerations, the aim of the present review is to describe the most common scenarios associated with a complex CPB separation and to suggest strategies, pharmacologic agents, and para-corporeal mechanical devices that can be adopted to manage patients with complex separation from CPB. The routine management strategies of complex CPB separation of 17 large cardiac centers from 14 countries in 5 continents will also be described.

Influence of green light illumination at night on biological characteristics of the oriental armyworm, Mythimna separata (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae).

The oriental armyworm, Mythimna separata is an important crop pest in eastern Asia. Nocturnal insects, including nocturnal moths, have phototactic behavior to an artificial light source. Phototactic behavior in insects is species-specific in response to different wavelengths of light sources. Our previous study showed that green (520 nm) light emitting diode (LED) light resulted in a significantly higher phototactic behavior in M. separata moths compared to the other wavelength LED lights. The goal of the present study is to investigate the influence of green light illumination on biological characteristics of different developmental stages in M. separata. Our results revealed that when different developmental stages of M. separata were exposed to the green light illumination in a dark period, several biological characteristics in all developmental stages except for egg stage were positively changed, but those of F1 generation M. separata which are next generation of the adults exposed to the green light did not significantly change compared with the control level. These findings suggest that green light illumination at night (or dark period) has a positive effect on the development and longevity of M. separata.

[Epidemiology, clinical characteristics and treatment in 278 patients with coronavirus disease 2019 in Guangzhou].

Objective: To retrospective analyze the epidemiology, clinical characteristics, treatment and prognosis in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Methods: A total of 278 patients with COVID-19 admitted to Guangzhou Eighth People's Hospital from January 20 to February 10, 2020 were selected. The general demographic data, epidemiological data, clinical symptoms, laboratory examinations, lung CT imaging, treatment and prognosis were analyzed. Results: There were 130 male patients (46.8%) and 148 females (53.2%) with age (48.1±17.0) years and 88.8% patients between 20-69 years. Two hundred and thirty-six (84.9%) patients had comorbidities. Two hundred and eleven cases (75.9%) were common type. The in-hospital mortality was 0.4% (1/278). The majority (201, 72.3%) were imported cases mainly from Wuhan (89, 44.3%). The most common clinical manifestations were fever (70.9%) and dry cough (61.5%). In some patients, hemoglobin (10.4%), platelets (12.6%) and albumin (55.4%) were lower than the normal range. Other biochemical tests according to liver and function were normal, while lactic dehydrogenase (LDH) was elevated in 61 patients (21.9%), creatine kinase increased in 26 patients (9.4%). Prolonged activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) was seen in 52 patients (18.7%), D-dimer higher than normal in 140 patients (50.4%), while 117 patients (42.1%) had elevated high-sensitivity C-reactive protein. Typical CT manifestations included single or multiple ground glass shadows especially in lung periphery in early disease which infiltrated and enlarged during progressive stage. Diffuse consolidation with multiple patchy density in severe/critical cases and even "white lung" presented in a few patients. Two hundred and forty-two patients (87.1%) received one or more antiviral agents, 242 (87.1%) combined with antibacterials, 191 (68.7%) with oxygen therapy. There were 198 patients (71.2%) treated with traditional Chinese medicine. Conclusions: COVID-19 could attack patients in all ages with majority of common type and low mortality rate. Clinical manifestations involve multiple organs or systems. Progression of the disease results in critical status which should be paid much attention.

Influences of position of ytterbium-doped fiber and ASE pump on spectral properties of random fiber laser.

The influences of the position of the ytterbium-doped fiber and the parasitic lasing in the amplified spontaneous emission (ASE) pump source on the spectral properties of the random fiber laser are analyzed and discussed in this paper. The experimental results show that putting ytterbium-doped fiber in the random fiber laser's cavity and using an ASE pump source with parasitic lasing are beneficial for the generation of high-order Stokes. A near-infrared supercontinuum with 20 dB bandwidth of more than 500 nm can be generated directly from a random fiber laser, which proved that a random laser fiber cannot only works as a traditional random fiber laser, but also can be a novel, simple, low-cost, low-coherence and robust near-infrared supercontinuum generation method.

The AT1/Raf/ERK1/2 signaling pathway is involved in Angiotensin II-enhanced proliferation of hepatic carcinoma cells.

Angiotensin II (Ang II) has been strongly associated with biological behavior in human malignant tumors; nevertheless, its function in hepatic carcinoma growth and progression is still not well understood. This study investigates the effect and mechanism of Ang II on the HepG2 and Hep3B hepatic carcinoma cell lines in vitro. The effect of Ang II on HepG2 and Hep3B cell viability was examined by cell counting kit-8 assay (CCK-8). Quantitative real-time PCR and Western blot analysis detected the expression of angiotensin type 1 and type 2 receptors (AT1 and AT2), total extra-cellular signal-regulated kinases 1/2 (ERK1/2), phospho-ERK1/2 (p-ERK1/2) and Bcl-2 and c-Myc. Ang II significantly promoted HepG2 cell proliferation by affecting AT1 and AT2 expression and induced ERK1/2 pathway activation. This was reversed by treating HepG2 and Hep3B cells with AT1 blockers; candesartan, Raf inhibitor sorafenib, and ERK1/2 inhibitor PD98059. Ang II also up-regulated the expression of Bcl-2 and c-Myc in HepG2 cells, and our results suggest that Ang II has a positive role in HepG2 and Hep3B cell proliferation through the AT1/Raf/ERK1/2 signaling pathway.

Genetic diversity of Chinese cattle revealed by Y-SNP and Y-STR markers.

With its vast territory and complex natural environment, China boasts rich cattle genetic resources. To gain the further insight into the genetic diversity and paternal origins of Chinese cattle, we analyzed the polymorphism of Y-SNPs (UTY19 and ZFY10) and Y-STRs (INRA189 and BM861) in 34 Chinese cattle breeds/populations, including 606 males representative of 24 cattle breeds/populations collected in this study as well as previously published data for 302 bulls. Combined genotypic data identified 14 Y-chromosome haplotypes that represented three haplogroups. Y2-104-158 and Y2-102-158 were the most common taurine haplotypes detected mainly in northern and central China, whereas the indicine haplotype Y3-88-156 predominates in southern China. Haplotypes Y2-108-158, Y2-110-158, Y2-112-158 and Y3-92-156 were private to Chinese cattle. The population structure revealed by multidimensional scaling analysis differentiated Tibetan cattle from the other three groups of cattle. Analysis of molecular variance showed that the majority of the genetic variation was explained by the genetic differences among groups. Overall, our study indicates that Chinese cattle retain high paternal diversity (H = 0.607 ± 0.016) and probably much of the original lineages that derived from the domestication center in the Near East without strong admixture from commercial cattle carrying Y1 haplotypes.

Comprehensive analysis of the mitochondrial DNA diversity in Chinese cattle.

Complete mitochondrial DNA D-loop sequences of 1105 individuals were used to assess the diversity of maternal lineages of cattle populations in China. In total, 250 taurine and 88 zebu haplotypes were identified. Five main haplogroups-T1a, T2, T3, T4 and T5-were identified in Bos taurus, whereas Bos indicus harbored two haplogroups-I1 and I2. Our results suggest that the distribution of T1a in Asia was concentrated mainly in the northeast region (northeast China, Korea and Japan); haplogroups T2, T3 and T4 were predominant in Chinese cattle; and T5 was sporadically detected in Mongolian and Pingwu cattle. In contrast to the widespread presence of I1, I2 was distributed only in southwestern China (Yunnan-Guizhou Plateau and the Tibet Autonomous Region) and Xinjiang Uygur Autonomous Region. This is the first time that all five taurine haplogroups and two zebu haplogroups have been found in Mongolian cattle. In addition, eight individuals in Tibetan cattle carried the Bos grunniens mtDNA type. The high mtDNA diversity (H = 0.904 ± 0.008) and the weak genetic structure among the 57 Chinese cattle breeds/populations are consistent with their complex historical background, migration route and ecological environment.

Genetic diversity and maternal origin of Northeast African and South American donkey populations.

To investigate the mtDNA variation and origin of maternal lineages in South American donkeys and to reassess the domestication of donkeys in northeast Africa, we analyzed sequences (489 bp of the D-loop) from 323 domestic donkeys sampled from Peru, Brazil, Ethiopia and Egypt. Altogether, the 323 sequences displayed 53 different haplotypes (45 in Ethiopia, 14 in Egypt, eight in Peru and six in Brazil). Among the four populations, Egyptian donkeys possessed the highest haplotype diversity (0.910 ± 0.032), followed by Brazilian donkeys (0.879 ± 0.060). The Clade I haplotypes dominated in Peruvian donkeys (65%), whereas Clade II haplotypes dominated in Brazilian donkeys (67%). Estimates of FST values showed a high genetic differentiation between Peruvian and Brazilian donkey populations (FST  = 0.4066), which could be explained by the complex introduction history of South American donkeys. Phylogeographic analysis indicates that northeast Africa could be the most probable domestication center for Clade I donkeys. Analysis of molecular variance confirmed a weak genetic structure in domestic donkey populations among four continents (Europe, Asia, Africa and South America).

Downregulation of Chilo suppressalis alkaline phosphatase genes associated with resistance to three transgenic Bacillus thuringiensis rice lines.

Insecticidal crystal (Cry) proteins produced by the bacterium Bacillus thuringiensis are highly toxic to lepidopteran pests. Strains of transgenic rice expressing cry genes have been developed that are resistant to rice pests. Understanding the mode of action of Cry toxins in rice pests will improve our ability to use them effectively as insecticides. In this study, we tested the hypothesis that alkaline phosphatases (ALPs) are involved in Cry1A, Cry2Aa and Cry1Ca toxicity in Chilo suppressalis, an important insect pest of rice crops in China. We first cloned three novel C. suppressalis alps (Csalps) from the larval midgut of C. suppressalis. RNA interference knockdown of six different Csalp genes (Csalp1, Csalp2, Csalp3, Csalp4, Csalp5 and Csalp6) showed that knockdown of three of these, Csalp1, Csalp2 and Csalp4, reduced larval mortality to the transgenic rice strain TT51, which expresses a fusion protein of Cry1Ab and Cry1Ac, whereas suppression of Csalp1, Csalp2, Csalp3, Csalp4 and Csalp6 transcripts decreased the susceptibility of larvae to the transgenic rice strain T2A-1, which expresses cry2Aa. Moreover, downregulation of Csalp1, Csalp2, Csalp3, Csalp4 and Csalp5 transcripts conferred significant tolerance to the transgenic rice strain T1C-19, which expresses cry1Ca. These results suggest that these ALPs play a key role in the toxicity of Cry1A, Cry2A and Cry1C to C. suppressalis.

PRLH and SOD1 gene variations associated with heat tolerance in Chinese cattle.

With the proposed global climate change, heat tolerance is becoming increasingly important to the sustainability of livestock production systems. Results from previous studies showed that variants in the prolactin releasing hormone (PRLH) (AC_000160.1:g.11764610G>A) and superoxide dismutase 1 (SOD1) (AC_000158.1:g.3116044T>A) genes play an important role in heat tolerance in African indicine cattle. However, it is unknown whether or not the mutations are associated with heat tolerance in Chinese cattle. In this study, PCR and DNA sequencing were used to genotype two missense mutations in 725 individuals of 30 cattle breeds. Analysis results demonstrated that two classes of base substitution were detected at two loci: AC_000160.1:g.11764610G>A and AC_000158.1:g.3116044T>A or T>C respectively, with amino acid substitutions arginine to histidine and phenylalanine to isoleucine or leucine. The frequencies of the G and T alleles of the two loci gradually diminished from northern groups to southern groups of native Chinese cattle, whereas the frequencies of A and A or C alleles showed a contrary pattern, displaying a significant geographical difference across native Chinese cattle breeds. Additionally, analysis of these two loci in Chinese indigenous cattle revealed that two SNPs were significantly associated with mean annual temperature (T), relative humidity (RH) and temperature humidity index (THI) (P < 0.01), suggesting that cattle with A or C alleles were distributed in regions with higher T, RH and THI. Our results suggest that the two mutations of PRLH and SOD1 genes in Chinese cattle were associated with the heat tolerance.

Population structure and ancestry of Qinchuan cattle.

The aim of this study was to estimate population structure and ancestry of Qinchuan cattle by genotyping 27 individuals using the GeneSeek HD 77k BeadChip, and another 1355 cattle representing breeds distributed worldwide, which had been genotyped using the Illumina Bovine 50k BeadChip. Qinchuan cattle were characterized by a dominant Bos taurus ancestry, accompanied by a considerable proportion of Bos indicus ancestry based on principal components analysis and supervised admixture analysis. A small proportion of Bos javanicus ancestry was detected as well. A similar admixture pattern in both Qinchuan and Turkish cattle breeds reflects their similar degrees of zebu introgression. Our study presents a relatively clear view of the population structure and ancestry of Qinchuan cattle, serving to benefit our understanding of this breed and leading to better targeted conservation approaches moving forward.