High-density genetic linkage mapping reveals low stability of QTLs across environments for economic traits in .

Introduction: , and their hybrids are the most important commercial forest tree species in South China where they are grown for pulpwood and solid wood production. Construction of a fine-scale genetic linkage map and detecting quantitative trait loci (QTL) for economically important traits linked to these end-uses will facilitate identification of the main candidate genes and elucidate the regulatory mechanisms.

Method: A high-density consensus map (a total of 2754 SNPs with 1359.

Advanced Bacterial Cellulose Ionic Conductors with Gigantic Thermopower for Low-Grade Heat Harvesting.

Ionic conductors such as polymer electrolytes and ionic liquids have high thermoelectric voltages several orders of magnitude higher than electronic thermoelectric materials, while their conductivity is much lower than the latter. This work reports a novel approach to achieve high-performance ionic conductors using calcium ion (Ca) coordinated bacterial cellulose (CaBC) through molecular channel engineering. Through the coordination of Ca with cellulose molecular chain, the distance between the cellulose molecular chains is widened, so that ions can transport along the cellulose molecular chain.

A novel H129-based anterograde monosynaptic tracer exhibits features of strong labeling intensity, high tracing efficiency, and reduced retrograde labeling.

Background: Viral tracers are important tools for mapping brain connectomes. The feature of predominant anterograde transneuronal transmission offers herpes simplex virus-1 (HSV-1) strain H129 (HSV1-H129) as a promising candidate to be developed as anterograde viral tracers. In our earlier studies, we developed H129-derived anterograde polysynaptic tracers and TK deficient (H129-dTK) monosynaptic tracers.

Virus Injection to the Pituitary Transsphenoidal Approach and the Innervation of Anterior and Posterior Pituitary of Rat.

The theory holds that the anterior pituitary in mammals receives humoral regulation. Previous studies have reported that the pars distalis of the anterior pituitary of several mammalian species contains substance P-, calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP)-, and galanin-like immunoreactive nerve fibers, but the origins of these nerve fibers are unclear. Removal of the pituitary gland, also called hypophysectomy, involves methods that access the pituitary gland the transauricular or parapharyngeal pathways.

Shank3 contributes to neuropathic pain by facilitating the SNI-dependent increase of HCN2 and the expression of PSD95.

Neuropathic pain is a very complex chronic pain state, the detailed molecular mechanisms of which remain unclear. In the present study, Shank3 was found to play an important role in neuropathic pain in rats following spared nerve injury (SNI). Shank3 was upregulated in the spinal dorsal horn of rats subjected to SNI, and mechanical hypersensitivity to noxious stimuli in these rats could be alleviated by knock down of Shank3.

Visualization of gene therapy with a liver cancer-targeted adeno-associated virus 3 vector.

: To evaluate the feasibility of a self-complementing recombinant adeno-associated virus 3 (scrAAV3) vector targeting liver cancer and non-invasively monitor gene therapy of liver cancer. : An scrAAV3-HSV1-TK-kallistatin (ATK) gene drug was constructed, which contained the herpes virus thymidine kinase (HSV1-TK) reporter gene and human endogenous angiogenesis inhibitor (kallistatin) gene for non-invasive imaging of gene expression. Subcutaneous xenografted tumors of hepatoma in nude mice were generated for positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) imaging.

Promotion of bone cancer pain development by decorin is accompanied by modification of excitatory synaptic molecules in the spinal cord.

Bone cancer pain is refractory to currently available clinical treatment owing to its complicated underlying mechanisms. Studies found that extracellular matrix molecules can participate in the regulation of chronic pain. Decorin is one of the most abundant extracellular matrix molecules, and the present study evaluated the effect of decorin on the development of bone cancer pain.

[Unconstrained detection of ballistocardiogram and heart rate based on vibration acceleration].

The requirement for unconstrained monitoring of heartbeat during sleep is increasing, but the current detection devices can not meet the requirements of convenience and accuracy. This study designed an unconstrained ballistocardiogram (BCG) detection system using acceleration sensor and developed a heart rate extraction algorithm. BCG is a directional signal which is stronger and less affected by respiratory movements along spine direction than in other directions.

Interpreting the Raman OH/OD stretch band of ice from isotopic substitution and phase transition effects.

Understanding the OD/OH stretch band (ODSB/OHSB) features for the Raman spectra of ice remains a challenge. This study measures the ODSB/OHSB for isotopically substituted D2O/H2O (with volume ratio VD2O/VH2O of 1/0, 4/1, 1/1, 1/4 and 0/1) ice Ih, and compares them with those for liquid water and ices in various phases. The data show that istopic substitution (IS) narrows the ODSB/OHSB of ice from both the low-frequency and the high-frequency side to the middle of the OD/OH stretch regions, but in contrast, IS enhances the high-frequency part of the ODSB/OHSB for liquid water.

Understanding water structure from Raman spectra of isotopic substitution HO/DO up to 573 K.

The OH/OD stretch band on Raman spectra of water is complex, and understanding the spectral features based on water structure needs further study. This study investigates Raman spectra of isotopic substitution (IS) of water (with volume ratio V/V of 0/1, 1/4, 1/1, 4/1 and 1/0) at temperatures from 303 to 573 K. The data show that the OH and OD stretch band profiles are similar in their dependences on temperature and IS ratio.

Recombinant protein transduction domain-Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase alleviates bone cancer pain via peroxiredoxin 4 modulation and antioxidation.

Bone cancer pain (BCP) is a serious chronic clinical condition and reactive oxygen species (ROS) were considered to be involved in its development and persistency. Normally, superoxide dismutase (SOD) converts superoxide anions to hydrogen peroxide (HO) and HO is then naturalized to be water by peroxiredoxin 4. We reported previously that recombinant protein transduction domain (PTD)-Cu/Zn SOD effectively scavenged excessive ROS and prevented cardiomyocytes from hypoxia-reoxygenation damage.

Attosecond chirp effect on the transient absorption spectrum of laser-dressed helium atom.

We theoretically investigate the attosecond transient absorption spectrum of helium atom in the presence of an infrared-dressed laser pulse upon scanning their relative delay, with the particular emphasis on the chirp effect of the attosecond pulse. By numerically solving the fully three-dimensional time-dependent Schrödinger equation, we identify the attoscecond chirp can induce the temporal shift of the absorption spectrogram along the delay axis. Additionally, it is found that the extent of the temporal shift is dependent on both the position of the absorption line and the infrared pulse wavelength, which is well confirmed and reproduced by a three-level model.

Assessing plasma levels of selenium, copper, iron and zinc in patients of Parkinson's disease.

Trace elements have been recognized to play an important role in the development of Parkinson's disease (PD). However, it is difficult to precisely identify the relationship between these elements and the progression of PD because of an insufficient number of patients. In this study, quantifications of selenium (Se), copper (Cu), iron (Fe) and zinc (Zn) by atomic absorption spectrophotometry were performed in plasma from 238 PD patients and 302 controls recruited from eastern China, which is so far the largest cohort of PD patients and controls for measuring plasma levels of these elements.