Comparative Genomic Analysis of Asian Cultivated Rice and Its Wild Progenitor (Oryza rufipogon) Has Revealed Evolutionary Innovation of the Pentatricopeptide Repeat Gene Family through Gene Duplication.

The pentatricopeptide repeat (PPR) gene family is one of the largest gene families in land plants. However, current knowledge about the evolution of the PPR gene family remains largely limited. In this study, we performed a comparative genomic analysis of the PPR gene family in O. sativa and its wild progenitor, O. rufipogon, and outlined a comprehensive landscape of gene duplications. Our findings suggest that the majority of PPR genes originated from dispersed duplications. Although segmental duplications have only expanded approximately 11.30% and 13.57% of the PPR gene families in the O. sativa and O. rufipogon genomes, we interestingly obtained evidence that segmental duplication promotes the structural diversity of PPR genes through incomplete gene duplications. In the O. sativa and O. rufipogon genomes, 10 (~33.33%) and 22 pairs of gene duplications (~45.83%) had non-PPR paralogous genes through incomplete gene duplication. Segmental duplications leading to incomplete gene duplications might result in the acquisition of domains, thus promoting functional innovation and structural diversification of PPR genes. This study offers a unique perspective on the evolution of PPR gene structures and underscores the potential role of segmental duplications in PPR gene structural diversity.

[Determinants of Drinking Relapse after Treatments in Patients with Alcohol Dependence in Sichuan Province].

OBJECTIVE: To identify factors that influent drinking relapse after treatments in patients with alcohol dependence in Sichuan province. METHODS: Data were collected in 10 cities of Sichuan province from September 2014 to June 2015,involving 599 patients who received treatments for alcohol dependence. A questionnaire survey was administered on these patients one year after discharge through face to face interviews,collecting data in relation to their demographic characteristics,drinking over the past year,smoking,mood and level of stress. Ordinal polytomous logistic regression analyses were performed to determine the association of these factors with drinking relapse. RESULTS: All of the 599 patients started drinking again after treatments: 18 having low-risk drinking,92 having hazardous drinking,103 having harmful drinking,and 386 having alcohol dependence. Younger patients [odds ratio (OR)=0.978,P=0.009],those who experienced less positive events (OR=0.978,P<0.001) or more negative events (OR=1.014,P=0.003),and those with depression (OR=1.121,P=0.001) were more likely to resume a higher level of alcohol drinking than their counterparts. CONCLUSION: High relapse with alcohol dependence is evident. So does hazardous and harmful drinking. Negative life events and depression are risk factors of drinking relapse,while older age and positive life events are protective factors.

Pharmacokinetics and bioequivalence evaluation of two different atorvastatin calcium 10-mg tablets: A single-dose, randomized-sequence, open-label, two-period crossover study in healthy fasted Chinese adult males.

BACKGROUND: Atorvastatin calcium is a 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A reductase inhibitor indicated for the prevention of cardiovascular disease and for the treatment of dyslipidemia. Information on the pharmacokinetics of atorvastatin in a Chinese population is lacking, and regulatory requirements necessitate a bioequivalence study for the marketing of a generic product in China. OBJECTIVE: The aim of the present study was to assess the pharmacokinetics and bioequivalence of a test and branded reference formulation of atorvastatin calcium 10-mg tablets in healthy fasted Chinese male volunteers. METHODS: This was a single-dose, randomized-sequence, open-label, 2-period crossover study with a 2-week washout period between doses. Healthy Chinese males were randomly assigned to receive 20 mg of either the test or reference formulation, and 13 blood samples were obtained over a 48-hour interval. Plasma concentrations of parent atorvastatin and ortho-hydroxy-atorvastatin (primary active metabolite) were simultaneously determined using a validated liquid chromatography-isotopic dilution mass spectrometry method. Pharmacokinetic parameters, including C(max), T(max), t((1/2)), AUC(0-t), and AUC(0-infinity)), were calculated. The 2 formulations were to be considered bioequivalent if 90% CIs for the log transformed ratios of AUC and C(max) of atorvastatin were within the predetermined bioequivalence range (0.80-1.25 for AUC and 0.70-1.43 for C(max)) as established by the State Food and Drug Administration of China. Tolerability was evaluated throughout the study by vital signs monitoring, physical examinations, 12-lead ECGs, and subject interviews on adverse events (AEs). RESULTS: A total of 66 subjects were assessed for inclusion; 20 were excluded prior to study initiation. Of the 46 healthy subjects (mean [SD] age, 24.1 [2.5] years; height, 170.8 [5.1] cm; weight, 64.6 [6.4] kg; body mass index (BMI), 22.1 [1.7] kg/m(2)) who completed the study, 45 subjects (mean [SD] age, 24.1 [2.5] years; height, 171.1 [4.9] cm; weight, 64.8 [6.3] kg; BMI, 22.1 [1.7] kg/m(2)) were included in the pharmacokinetic and bioequivalence analyses; 1 subject was excluded from these analyses because he mistakenly received the same formulation in both periods. No period or sequence effect was observed. The mean values of C(max), AUC(0-t), and AUC(0-infinity)) for the test and reference formulations of atorvastatin (8.78 and 10.76 ng/mL, 38.22 and 40.02 ng/mL/h, 42.73 and 44.51 ng/mL/h, respectively) and ortho-hydroxy-atorvastatin (5.78 and 5.77 ng/mL, 47.32 and 48.47 ng/mL/h, 52.36 and 53.14 ng/mL/h) were not significantly different. The 90% CIs for natural log-transformed ratios of C(max), AUC(0-t), and AUC(0-infinity)) of both atorvastatin (0.73-0.91, 0.92-1.02, and 0.91-1.01, respectively) and ortho-hydroxy-atorvastatin (0.83-1.05, 0.92-1.02, and 0.93-1.02) were within the bioequivalence acceptance limits. Three subjects (6.5%) reported a total of 4 mild AEs (1 abdominal discomfort and 3 venipuncture syncope), which were not considered to be associated with administration of the study drug. CONCLUSIONS: This single-dose (20 mg) study found that the test and reference formulations of atorvastatin calcium 10-mg tablet met the regulatory definition for assuming bioequivalence in these healthy fasted Chinese male volunteers. Both formulations were generally well tolerated in the population studied. Chinese National Registry Code: 2007L02512.