[Comparison of four-coagulation-tests values in normal pregnant women during early and late pregnancy and the influence of age].

Objective: To explore and compare the reference ranges of four coagulation tests in normal pregnant women during early and late pregnancy and the influence of age. Methods: Values of four coagulation tests from 4 974 pregnant women, who gave single birth at Peking University First Hospital, Obstetrics and Gynecology Hospital of Fudan University, West China Second University Hospital, Peking University Third Hospital and Shengjing Hospital of China Medical University from February 2017 to July 2020, were measured and analyzed in this study, including prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT), fibrinogen (Fib) and thrombin time (TT). The four normal reference ranges of coagulation during early and late pregnancy phases were expressed as P2.5-P97.5. The difference of two pregnancy phases was compared by non-parametric test of two related samples. And the difference between pregnant women of advanced and non-advanced age in the same pregnancy phase was compared by independent sample non-parametric test. Chi-square test was used to compare the incidence of pregnancy complications in different coagulation reference ranges. Results: The reference ranges of PT of normal pregnant women's early and late pregnancy were 10.0-13.9 s and 9.6-12.3 s, the reference ranges of APTT were 22.6-35.3 s and 22.4-30.9 s, the reference ranges of Fib were 2.4-5.0 g/L and 3.0-5.7 g/L, the reference ranges of TT were 12.0-19.0 s and 11.5-18.4 s. Compared with early pregnancy, PT, APTT and TT shortened significantly, while the Fib significantly increased in late pregnancy (all P<0.001). PT, APTT and TT of advanced and non-advanced age pregnant women were significantly different (all P<0.01). Compared with the ranges of non-pregnant population, more pregnant women were included in the normal pregnant reference ranges of PT in early pregnancy and APTT in the early and late pregnancy, while the incidence of pregnancy complications had no significant differences (all P>0.05). The incidence of fetal distress was higher and the incidence of preterm birth was lower in the reference range of PT in late pregnancy. The incidence of gestational diabetes mellitus was higher in the early and late gestational Fib reference ranges, and the incidence of hypertensive disorders in pregnancy was higher in the late gestational Fib reference range (all P<0.05). Conclusions: The coagulation function of pregnant women increases significantly with the growth of pregnancy, and there is a significant difference between advanced significantly and non-advanced age pregnant women. The recommended ranges of normal pregnant women's early and late pregnancy PT are 10.0-13.9 s and 9.6-12.3 s, the recommended ranges of APTT are 22.6-35.3 s and 22.4-30.9 s, the recommended ranges of TT are 12.0-19.0 s and 11.5-18.4 s. The appropriate ranges of normal pregnant women's early and late pregnancy Fib still need further exploration.

[Clinicopathological features of intestinal mucosal lesions in AIDS patients and their relation with CD4+ T lymphocytes].

Objective: To observe the histopathological features of different opportunistic infections and tumors of the intestinal mucosa in AIDS patients, and to explore the correlation between different lesions and CD4+ T lymphocyte levels. Methods: Colonic mucosal biopsy specimens of 263 patients with clinically diagnosed AIDS and abdominal pain, diarrhea, blood in the stool and other gastrointestinal symptoms were collected from Beijing Ditan Hospital from 2010 to 2018. There were 232 males and 31 females, with age range 10-81 (mean 40±13) years. HE staining, histochemical special staining, immunohistochemical staining, and in-situ hybridization were used to detect the expression of different opportunistic infection pathogens, tumors and CD4+ T lymphocytes. Peripheral blood was also taken for CD4+ T lymphocytes, CD8+ T lymphocytes, HIV viral load and routine indicators. Results: The cohort included 263 intestinal mucosal biopsy specimens. There were 175 cases (66.5%) of non-specific inflammation, and pathogens were detected in 41 cases (15.6%), including 20 cases(7.6%) of cytomegalovirus (CMV) infection, 12 cases (4.6%) of mycobacterial infection, eight cases (3.0%) of amoeba infestation, and one case (0.3%) of talaromycesmarneffei infection; there were also 41 (15.6%) neoplastic lesions including 25 cases (9.5%) of intraepithelial neoplasia, 10 cases (3.8%) of adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma, six cases (2.3%) of lymphoma; and six cases (2.3%) of ulcerative colitis. The peripheral blood CD4+T lymphocyte levels of patients with CMV, mycobacteria and talaromycesmarneffei were less than 200/µL; the peripheral blood CD4+ T lymphocyte level (P<0.01) and intestinal mucosa CD4+T lymphocytes (P<0.01) were all significantly lower than those in patients with non-specific inflammation. The peripheral red blood cells and hemoglobin levels of patients with CMV and mycobacterial infection (P<0.01), adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma (P<0.05) were significantly lower than those of non-specific inflammation patients. Conclusions: Pathologic examination of intestinal mucosa can identify specific infections and neoplastic lesions in AIDS patients; the most common lesions are non-specific inflammation, and CMV infection is the most common opportunistic infections; CMV, mycobacteria and talaromycesmarneffei infections are associated with decreased levels of CD4+ T lymphocytes in peripheral blood and intestinal mucosa; entamoeba histolytica infestation and non-HIV-related neoplastic lesions such as intraepithelial neoplasia, adenocarcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma are not associated with changes in AIDS immune function.

[Inflammatory myofibroblastic tumour of thyroid: a case report].

A elderly woman patient，with a unclear boundary,solid,smooth surface,moderately active mass that estimated 0.4 cm at its greatest diameter in the left lobe of thyroid. Ultrasonography revealed a hypoechoic mass in the left lobe and Computed Tomography showed a 38 mm×25 mm×23 mm oval lesion with uniform density in the left lobe also. The surgical findings revealed tumor located in the inner side of left thyroid lobe near the isthmus,with unclear boundary. Pathological examination showed unclear boundaries between thyroid and tumor,the tumor cells attack into the muscle tissue,braided/ fascicles spindle shaped or star shaped myofibroblasts cells in the tumor area with myxedema inflammatory background and the lesion did not have any mitotic figures. Immunohistochemical analysis indicated that the spindle cells were positive for Vim,ACT,SMA,Bcl2 and ClyD1,and focal lesion histiocytes showed focal positive for CD68,CK and S-100,but negative for DES,Mgo,CD99,CD34,CD117,IgG4,ALK-1.The pathological diagnosis supports inflammatory myofibroblastic tumor of thyroid. Imaging and immunohistochemistry and others are useful in differential diagnosis.

[NELL-1: a novel highly efficient and specific growth factor].

Regeneration of bone tissue, as well as other tissues, requires involvement and interaction of cells, scaffolds and relevant growth factors, among which growth factors play a crucial role in maintaining the stability of microenvironment. Nel-like-type 1 molecule (NELL-1), a novel growth factor in tissue engineering, has been studied intensively in recent years. Researches mainly covered gene and protein structure and their expression profiling, biological function, molecular mechanisms and disease relevance. NELL-1 expressed in embryonic tissue is essential for growth and development of bone tissue. NELL-1 presents excellent abilities of inducing bone and cartilage regeneration,especially with high specificity to chondrocyte lineage. Compared with classic osteogenic growth factor bone morphogenetic protein 2 (BMP-2), the process of osteogenesis interacted with NELL-1 exhibits stronger specificity, higher bone density and fewerside effects. Furthermore, a recent study shows synergistic effects of NELL-1 and BMP-2. NELL-1 enhances the osteogenic reaction induced by BMP-2 of cells and notably declines inflammation response caused by BMP-2. This review evaluates the current research progress of the function and application of NELL-1 by the systematic method of evidence-based medicine.

Study of the obp5 gene in Apis mellifera ligustica and Apis cerana cerana.

Apis mellifera ligustica and A. cerana cerana exhibit differences in olfactory sensitivity to odors from nectariferous plants and diseased broods. It is presumed that the differences in odorant-binding proteins (OBPs) between these 2 species contribute to their olfactory sensitivity. We compared the sequences, temporal expression pattern, and binding properties of the 2 OBP-encoding genes. We cloned the Amobp5 and Acobp5 genes. Among the ligands tested, phenethyl acetate was the most variable, with AcOBP5 showing high affinity and AmOBP5 having no apparent affinity for this ligand. While AmOBP5 had high affinity to both benzyl alcohol and 2-phenylethanol, the binding affinity of AcOBP5 to these compounds was moderate. However, the fluorescence intensity of these compounds was not decreased below 50%; thus, the dissociation constants could not be calculated. The Amobp5 gene showed significantly higher expression in 10- and 15-day-old workers than in other stages, while the Acobp5 gene had the highest expression in 30-day-old workers. Both the Amobp5 and Acobp5 genes had the lowest expression level in 1-day-old workers. These results suggest that the binding properties and temporal expression patterns of the obp5 genes in A. mellifera and A. cerana play a critical role in the olfactory sensitivity of workers.

Identification of commonly dysregulated genes in colorectal cancer by integrating analysis of RNA-Seq data and qRT-PCR validation.

The progression of colorectal cancer (CRC) is a multistep process and metastatic CRC is always incurable; consequently, CRC is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths. There is therefore an urgent need for identifying useful biomarkers with enough sensitivity and specificity to detect this disease at early stages, which will significantly reduce the mortality for this malignancy. In this study, we performed an integrating analysis of different RNA-Seq data sets to find new candidate biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis and as therapeutic targets for this malignancy, as well as to elucidate the molecular mechanisms of CRC carcinogenesis. We identified 883 differentially expressed genes (DEGs) across the studies between CRC and normal control (NC) tissues by combining five RNA-Seq data sets. Gene function analysis revealed high correlation with carcinogenesis. The top 10 most significantly DEGs were further evaluated by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) in both rectal cancer (RC) and colon cancer (CC), and the results matched well with integrating data, suggesting that the method of integrating analysis of different RNA-seq data sets is acceptable. Therefore, integrating analysis of different RNA-seq data sets may be a useful way to overcome the limitation of small sample size in a single RNA-seq study. In addition, our study showed that some genes, such as SIM2, ADAMTS6, FOXD4L4 and DNAH5, may have an important role in the development of CRC, which could be applied for diagnosis, prognosis and as therapy for this malignancy. Our findings would also help to understand the pathology of CRC.

HIV and aging: insights from the Asia Pacific HIV Observational Database (APHOD).

OBJECTIVES: The proportion of people living with HIV/AIDS in the ageing population (>50 years old) is increasing. We aimed to explore the relationship between older age and treatment outcomes in HIV-positive persons from the Asia Pacific region. METHODS: Patients from the Australian HIV Observational Database (AHOD) and the TREAT Asia HIV Observational Database (TAHOD) were included in the analysis. We used survival methods to assess the association between older age and all-cause mortality, as well as time to treatment modification. We used regression analyses to evaluate changes in CD4 counts after combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) initiation and determined the odds of detectable viral load, up to 24 months of treatment. RESULTS: A total of 7142 patients were included in these analyses (60% in TAHOD and 40% in AHOD), of whom 25% were >50 years old. In multivariable analyses, those aged > 50 years were at least twice as likely to die as those aged 30-39 years [hazard ratio (HR) for 50-59 years: 2.27; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.34-3.83; HR for > 60 years: 4.28; 95% CI 2.42-7.55]. The effect of older age on CD4 count changes was insignificant (p-trend=0.06). The odds of detectable viral load after cART initiation decreased with age (p-trend=< 0.0001). The effect of older age on time to first treatment modification was insignificant (p-trend=0.21). We found no statistically significant differences in outcomes between AHOD and TAHOD participants for all endpoints examined. CONCLUSIONS: The associations between older age and typical patient outcomes in HIV-positive patients from the Asia Pacific region are similar in AHOD and TAHOD. Our data indicate that 'age effects' traverse the resource-rich and resource-limited divide and that future ageing-related findings might be applicable to each setting.

Identification of the man-made barium copper silicate pigments among some ancient Chinese artifacts through spectroscopic analysis.

This article describes the complementary application of non-invasive micro-Raman spectroscopy and energy dispersive X-ray fluorescence spectrometry to the characterization of some ancient Chinese silicate artifacts. A total of 28 samples dated from fourth century BC to third century AD were analyzed. The results of chemical analysis showed that the vitreous PbO-BaO-SiO2 material was used to sinter these silicate artifacts. The barium copper silicate pigments including BaCuSi4O10, BaCuSi2O6 and BaCu2Si2O7 were widely identified from colorful areas of the samples by Raman spectroscopy. In addition, other crystalline phases such as Fe2O3, BaSi2O5, BaSO4, PbCO3 and quartz were also identified. The present study provides very valuable information to trace the technical evolution of man-made barium copper silicate pigments and their close relationship with the making of ancient PbO-BaO-SiO2 glaze and glass.

Presence of superantigen genes and antimicrobial resistance in Staphylococcus isolates obtained from the uteri of dairy cows with clinical endometritis.

Clinical endometritis is an important disease of dairy cattle and results in decreased reproductive performance. This disease is caused by contamination of the uterus with a broad spectrum of microorganisms after calving. In this study, staphylococcal isolates from the uterus of dairy cows with clinical endometritis were tested for their distribution of superantigen (SAg) genes and antimicrobial resistance. Between the 127 staphylococcal isolates collected in this study, 10 species were identified. The predominant strain identified was Staphylococcus aureus (n=53), followed by Staphylococcus saprophyticus (n=38) and Staphylococcus chromogenes (n=22). PCR analysis demonstrated that most isolates (63.0 per cent) harboured at least one SAg gene. The most commonly observed SAg gene and genotype was selj (38.6 per cent) and sec-selj-seln (24.0 per cent), respectively. Most isolates were resistant to penicillin (79.5 per cent), ampicillin (71.7 per cent), erythromycin (56.7 per cent), and tetracycline (52.0 per cent). PCR analysis demonstrated that the antimicrobial resistance determinants ermA, ermB, ermC, tetK, tetM and blaZ were detected in 0 per cent, 44.4 per cent, 51.4 per cent, 68.2 per cent, 13.6 per cent and 86.1 per cent of the erythromycin, tetracycline and ß-lactam resistant isolates, respectively. There were 22 (17.3 per cent of all isolates) coagulase-negative staphylococci shown to be methicillin resistant. In the methicillin-resistant isolates, significant resistances to ampicillin, erythromycin and penicillin were observed (P<0.01). The results of this study demonstrate that staphylococci recovered from dairy cows with clinical endometritis contain an extensive and complex prevalence of SAg genes. Significant resistances to antibiotics were also seen, highlighting the need for the rational appliance of antibiotics in veterinary medicine.

Usefulness of ultrasonography in assessment of laryngeal carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the usefulness of ultrasonography in assessing laryngeal cancer. METHODS: 72 patients with laryngeal carcinoma proven by surgery and pathology were enrolled. The pre-therapeutic ultrasonography and CT images were retrospectively evaluated, including tumour detection, localisation and invasion of intra- and extralaryngeal structures. A comparative assessment was made between the detection rate, correspondence rate of localisation and sensitivity and specificity of ultrasonography and CT. The mobility of the larynx was observed on real-time ultrasonography and compared with laryngoscopy. RESULTS: The detection rate of ultrasonography [63 (87.5%)/72] was lower than that of CT [72 (100.0%)/72] (p=0.006). The primary foci were accurately located in 59 (93.7%) of 63 lesions using ultrasonography compared with 70 (97.2%) of 72 lesions using CT (p=0.392). In the evaluation of invasion, the sensitivity and specificity of ultrasonography were similar to that of CT in most of the intra- and extralaryngeal structures (p=0.059-1.000). A higher specificity was obtained during the assessment of the paraglottic space involvement when using ultrasonography than CT (94.9% vs 66.7%, p=0.001). For vocal cord fixation, no statistical difference was found between ultrasonography and laryngoscopy (p=0.223). CONCLUSION: Ultrasonography could be used as a valuable supplementary imaging method to CT and laryngoscopy in the assessment of laryngeal carcinoma, even in male adults with some calcifications of the thyroid cartilage. ADVANCES IN KNOWLEDGE: Our study demonstrates that ultrasonography, which has been used scarcely in the larynx, could supply useful information on the detection, localisation and intra- and extralaryngeal invasion of laryngeal carcinoma.

Microarray-based gene expression profiles in rabbit retina due to negative pressure suction.

We investigated a possible molecular pathogenesis involving retinal ganglion cell apoptosis following transient high intraocular pressure. Changes in the gene expression profiles of the retina were detected via gene chip methodology. Twelve New Zealand white rabbits were randomly assigned to control and 3-min negative pressure suction groups. The control group was treated only with a laser, and the experimental group was also treated with suction for 3 min, using a negative pressure generator. Total RNA was then extracted from the retinal tissue at different recovery stages to analyze gene expression profiles using the Agilent rabbit one-way gene chip. The groups were then compared. Immediately after negative pressure suction induction, 704 genes were differentially expressed. Among these, 485 genes were upregulated, and 219 were downregulated. Expression of the genes encoding CRYAA, CRYAB, and TLR3 genes, which are involved in apoptosis, was elevated. The KRT18 gene, which is involved in apoptosis, had reduced expression. Seven days after negative pressure suction, 482 genes were differentially expressed. Among these, 178 genes were upregulated, and 304 were downregulated. Expression of the genes encoding CRYAB, IL1-BETA and IL1R1, which are involved in apoptosis, was upregulated. Ten days after negative pressure suction, 402 genes were differentially expressed. Of these, 213 genes were upregulated, and 189 were downregulated. Apoptosis genes CRYAB, CRYBA3, CRYBB2, IL1- BETA, and IL1R1 showed higher expression levels. We concluded that negative pressure suction for long periods of time (for example, 3 min) results in changes in gene expression. Genes with higher fold changes help protect retinal ganglion cells from apoptosis. We suggest that promoting the expression of these genes should be considered as a new means for treating ischemic-hypoxic retinopathy.

Detection of prostate cancer with three-dimensional transrectal ultrasound: correlation with biopsy results.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of three-dimensional transrectal ultrasound in the diagnosis of prostate cancer. METHODS: A total of 112 patients with elevated serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) or a positive digital rectal examination were evaluated using three-dimensional greyscale transrectal ultrasound (3D-GS TRUS) and three-dimensional power Doppler sonography (3D-PDS). Target biopsies were obtained together with 12 core systematic biopsies. Pathological results were correlated with the imaging data. RESULTS: Cancers were detected in 269 biopsy sites from 41 patients. 229 sites of cancer were depicted by 3D-GS TRUS and 213 sites were depicted by 3D-PDS. 30 sites were missed by both 3D-GS TRUS and 3D-PDS. Abnormal prostate images depicted by 3D-GS TRUS and 3D-PDS were associated with lesions with a Gleason score of 6.9 or higher. CONCLUSION: The detection rates of prostate cancer were significantly improved with 3D-GS TRUS and 3D-PDS on serum PSA levels >10 ng ml(-1) or 20 ng ml(-1). 3D-GS TRUS and 3D-PDS may improve the biopsy yield by determining appropriate sites for target and systematic biopsies. The abnormalities detected by 3D ultrasound were associated with moderate- and high-grade prostate cancers. However, based on the number of false-negative TRUS results, the use of systematic prostate biopsies should not be eliminated.

Thermal Effects and Small Signal Modulation of 1.3-µm InAs/GaAs Self-Assembled Quantum-Dot Lasers.

We investigate the influence of thermal effects on the high-speed performance of 1.3-µm InAs/GaAs quantum-dot lasers in a wide temperature range (5-50°C). Ridge waveguide devices with 1.1 mm cavity length exhibit small signal modulation bandwidths of 7.51 GHz at 5°C and 3.98 GHz at 50°C. Temperature-dependent K-factor, differential gain, and gain compression factor are studied. While the intrinsic damping-limited modulation bandwidth is as high as 23 GHz, the actual modulation bandwidth is limited by carrier thermalization under continuous wave operation. Saturation of the resonance frequency was found to be the result of thermal reduction in the differential gain, which may originate from carrier thermalization.

Identification of cytoplasm types in rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) accessions by a multiplex PCR assay.

Cytoplasmic male sterility (CMS) has widely been used as an efficient pollination control system in rapeseed hybrid production. Identification of cytoplasm type of rapeseed accessions is becoming the most important basic work for hybrid-rapeseed breeding. In this study, we report a simple multiplex PCR method to distinguish the existing common cytoplasm resources, Pol, Nap, Cam, Ogu and Ogu-NWSUAF cytoplasm, in rapeseed. Cytoplasm type of 35 F(1) hybrids and 140 rapeseed open pollinated varieties or breeding lines in our rapeseed breeding programme were tested by this method. The results indicated that 10 of 35 F(1) hybrids are the Nap, and 25 the Pol cytoplasm type, which is consistent with the information provided by the breeders. Out of 140 accessions tested, 100 (71.4%), 21 (15%) and 19 (13.6%) accessions possess Nap, Cam and Pol cytoplasm, respectively. All 19 accessions with Pol cytoplasm are from China. Pedigree analysis indicated that these accessions with Pol cytoplasm were either restorers for Pol CMS, including Shaan 2C, Huiyehui, 220, etc. or derived from hybrids with Pol CMS as female parent. Our molecular results are consistent with those of the classical testcross, suggesting the reliability of this method. The multiplex PCR assay method can be applied to CMS "three-line" breeding, selection and validation of hybrid rapeseed.

Novel mutation breeding method for Streptomyces avermitilis using an atmospheric pressure glow discharge plasma.

AIMS: Avermectins are major antiparasitic agents used commercially in animal health, agriculture and human infections. To improve the fermentation efficiency of avermectins, for the first time a plasma jet generated by a novel atmospheric pressure glow discharge (APGD) was employed to generate mutations in Streptomyces avermitilis. METHODS AND RESULTS: The APGD plasma jet, driven by a radio frequency (RF) power supply with water-cooled and bare-metallic electrodes, was used as a new mutation method to treat the spores of S. avermitilis. The plasma jet yielded high total (over 30%) and positive (about 21%) mutation rates on S. avermitilis, and a mutated strain, designated as G1-1 with high productivity of avermectin B1a and genetic stability, was obtained. CONCLUSIONS: Because of the low jet temperature, the high concentrations of the chemically reactive species and the flexibility of its operation, the RF APGD plasma jet has a strong mutagenic effect on S. avermitilis. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: This is a proof-of-concept study for the use of an RF APGD plasma jet for inducing mutations in microbes. We have shown that the RF APGD plasma jet could be developed as a promising and convenient mutation tool for the fermentation industry and for use in biotechnology research.

Development of a synthetic PCB mixture resembling the average polychlorinated biphenyl profile in Chicago air.

Studies of environmental and toxic effects of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are ideally performed with PCB mixtures reflecting the composition of environmental PCB profiles to mimic actual effects and to account for complex interactions among individual PCB congeners. Unfortunately, only a few laboratory studies employing synthetic PCB mixtures have been reported, in part because of the challenges associated with the preparation of complex PCB mixtures containing many individual PCB congeners. The objective of this study was to develop a PCB mixture that resembles the average PCB profile recorded from 1996 to 2002 at a satellite station of the Integrated Atmospheric Deposition Network located at the Illinois Institute of Technology (IIT) in Chicago, Illinois, using commercial PCB mixtures. Initial simulations, using published Aroclor profiles, showed that a mixture containing 65% Aroclor 1242 and 35% Aroclor 1254 was a good approximation of the target profile. A synthetic Chicago air mixture (CAM) was prepared by mixing the respective Aroclors in this ratio, followed by GC/MS/MS analysis. Comparison of the PCB profile of the synthetic mixture with the target profile suggests that the synthetic PCB mixture is a good approximation of the average IIT Chicago air profiles (similarity coefficient cos θ = 0.82; average relative percent difference = 84%). The synthetic CAM was also a reasonable approximation of the average of 184 PCB profiles analyzed in 2007 at 37 sites throughout Chicago as part of the University of Iowa Superfund Basic Research Program (isbrp), with a cos θ of 0.70 and an average relative percent difference of 118%. While the CAM and the two Chicago air profiles contained primarily di- to pentachlorobiphenyls, higher chlorinated congeners, including congeners with seven or eight chlorine atoms, were underrepresented in the synthetic CAM. The calculated TCDD toxic equivalency quotients of the synthetic CAM (2.7 ng/mg PCB) and the IIT Chicago air profile (1.6 ng/mg PCB) were comparable, but lower by two orders of magnitude than the isbrp Chicago air profile (865 ng/mg PCB) due to surprisingly high PCB 126 levels in Chicago air. In contrast, the calculated neurotoxic equivalency quotients of the CAM (0.33 mg/mg PCB) and the two Chicago air profiles (0.44 and 0.30 mg/mg PCB, respectively) were similar. This study demonstrates the challenges and methods of creating and characterizing synthetic, environmental mixtures of PCBs.

H22, a major resistance gene to the Hessian fly (Mayetiola destructor), is mapped to the distal region of wheat chromosome 1DS.

H22 is a major resistance gene conferring high-level of antibiosis to Hessian fly [Mayetiola destructor (Say)] larvae. It was previously assigned to wheat chromosome 1D through monosomic analysis (Raupp et al. in J Hered 84:142-145, 1993). The objective of this study was to identify molecular markers that can be used for marker-assisted selection for wheat breeding, and to further map this gene toward map-based cloning. Forty-five simple sequence repeat (SSR) and sequence-tagged site (STS) markers specific to chromosome 1D were evaluated for linkage to H22 using a segregating population consisting of 192 F(2:3) families, which were derived from the cross Tugela-Dn1 x KS85WGRC01(H22). The STS Xhor2kv and SSR Xgdm33 are two flanking markers that are tightly linked to H22 at genetic distances of 0.3 and 1.0 cM, respectively. Five other SSR markers including Xgpw7082, Xwmc147, Xcfd15, Xwmc432 and Xwmc336 were also linked to H22 at the distance from 0.8 to 20.8 cM. Analysis of Chinese Spring (CS) deletion lines revealed that all the H22-linked markers are located distal to the breakpoint of del 1DS-5, indicating that the H22 gene is located at the distal 30% region on the short arm of wheat chromosome 1D. Genomic comparison suggested that the H22 gene is located in the same or similar chromosomal region as the leaf rust resistance genes Lr21 and Lr40 on 1DS, and orthologous to the H9 gene cluster of 1AS.

Functional properties of a new low-molecular-weight glutenin subunit gene from a bread wheat cultivar.

Some allelic forms of low-molecular-weight glutenin subunit (LMW-GS) can greatly influence the end-use of wheat flours, understanding the function of each allele of LMW-GS is important to wheat quality breeding. A LMW-GS gene XYGluD3-LMWGS 1(AY263369) has been cloned from bread wheat cultivar Xiaoyan 6. The deduced protein contained nine cystine residues, one more than that in all other LMW-GSs reported previously, indicating that it is either a new gene or a new allele of a known LMW-GS gene. In this study, the gene was expressed in E. coil in large scale for the testing of its functional property. Reactive Red 120-Agarose resin was used efficiently to purify the expressed LMW-GS proteins from bacteria, with the lactic acid-sodium lactate buffer (pH 4.5) which contained low concentration SDS as elution solution. The purified protein (belonging to the LMW-m family, MW about 35 KDa) was supplemented into a base flour, the results of 10 g dough mixing test indicated that incorporation of the LMW-GS increased the strength of the dough, with significant increases in mixing time (MT) and peak width (PW), and decrease in breakdown in resistance (RBD) compared with the control. In addition, the dough with incorporation of the LMW-GS had more glutenin macropolyeric protein than the control, suggesting that the LMW-GS participated in forming larger glutenin polymers, and greatly contributed to dough strength. The changes in mixing parameters and the amount of glutenin macropolyeric protein were related to the quantity of incorporating subunits.

Analysis of MS2Bnap genomic DNA homologous to MS2 gene from Arabidopsis thaliana in two dominant digenic male sterile accessions of oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.).

PCR technique was employed to isolate gene homologous to the MS2Bnap (X99922.1) from two rapeseed (Brassica napus L.) dominant digenic male sterile lines, namely 220A (male sterile) and 220B (male fertile), 6A (male sterile) and 6C (male fertile). The isolated 2,581 bp sequences from 220A (named 220A-gDNA, GenBank accession number AY288778), 220B (220B-gDNA, AY257490), 6A (6A-gDNA, DQ060318) and 6C (6C-gDNA, DQ060319) all contained six introns. Forty-one single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) sites were detected by alignment of these four sequences, seven of them dispersed in the exon regions. Two SNPs (1247, 1656) were detected between 220A-gDNA and 220B-gDNA, and the one at nucleotide 1247 of 220A-gDNA with A replaced by C was a missense mutation, which may be the putative male sterility site in 220A. All eight SNPs identified between 6A-gDNA and 6C-gDNA were located in the third intron, so the proteins encoded by them are the same. The one SNP between 6A-/6C-gDNA and 220A-/220B-gDNA at nucleotide 2474 of 220A-/220B-gDNA with C replaced by G was a missense mutation. Mutation site of BNMS2PROT (CAA68190.1) encoded by MS2Bnap in 220A(254) and 6A/6C(584) is different, which indicated dominant digenic male sterile line 220AB and 6CA have some difference in the molecular level. Comparison of structure of MS2Bnap in B. napus with that of MS2 in Arabidopsis thaliana revealed that the similarity of exons between these two genes is higher than that of introns.