Molecular phylogeny supports the paraphyletic nature of the genus Trogoderma (Coleoptera: Dermestidae) collected in the Australasian ecozone

To date, a molecular phylogenetic approach has not been used to investigate the evolutionary structure of Trogoderma and closely related genera. Using two mitochondrial genes, Cytochrome Oxidase I and Cytochrome B, and the nuclear gene, 18S, the reported polyphyletic positioning of Trogoderma was examined. Paraphyly in Trogoderma was observed, with one Australian Trogoderma species reconciled as sister to all Dermestidae and the Anthrenocerus genus deeply nested within the Australian Trogoderma clade. In addition, time to most recent common ancestor for a number of Dermestidae was calculated. Based on these estimations, the Dermestidae origin exceeded 175 million years, placing the origins of this family in Pangaea.

Estudos citogenéticos em populações de Bryconamericus stramines, Eigenmann, 1908(Teleostei, Characidae) em rios das bacias do Tietê e Paranapanema

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Diversidade de Phytophthora parasitica isolados de Citrus usando seqüências de nucleotídeos da região ITS-5.8S rDNA

Realizou-se estudo para caracterização e verificação da diversidade genética de Phytophthora parasitica, agente causador da gomose dos citros. Quatorze isolados de Phytophthora parasitica, provenientes do Estado de São Paulo, foram seqüenciados a partir das regiões internas transcritas (ITS1 e ITS2) do gene 5.8S. Obtiveram-se seqüências de 812 pb a 860 pb que foram comparadas com seqüências de outras espécies de Phytophthora spp depositadas no NCBI. Foram feitos estudos filogenéticos, utilizando-se o método neighbor-joining com 1000 bootstrap e construído o dendrograma mais representativo. Obtiveram-se os resultados de 98,88% a 100% de similaridade genética entre os 14 isolados paulistas, e 99,5% a 98,8% entre estes e a seqüência de P. nicotianae (gi| 8927482) obtida do GenBank NCBI.

Global, regional, and national incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability for 301 acute and chronic diseases and injuries in 188 countries, 1990–2013: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013

Background Up-to-date evidence about levels and trends in disease and injury incidence, prevalence, and years lived with disability (YLDs) is an essential input into global, regional, and national health policies. In the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013 (GBD 2013), we estimated these quantities for acute and chronic diseases and injuries for 188 countries between 1990 and 2013. Methods Estimates were calculated for disease and injury incidence, prevalence, and YLDs using GBD 2010 methods with some important refi nements. Results for incidence of acute disorders and prevalence of chronic disorders are new additions to the analysis. Key improvements include expansion to the cause and sequelae list, updated systematic reviews, use of detailed injury codes, improvements to the Bayesian meta-regression method (DisMod-MR), and use of severity splits for various causes. An index of data representativeness, showing data availability, was calculated for each cause and impairment during three periods globally and at the country level for 2013. In total, 35 620 distinct sources of data were used and documented to calculated estimates for 301 diseases and injuries and 2337 sequelae. The comorbidity simulation provides estimates for the number of sequelae, concurrently, by individuals by country, year, age, and sex. Disability weights were updated with the addition of new population-based survey data from four countries. Findings Disease and injury were highly prevalent; only a small fraction of individuals had no sequelae. Comorbidity rose substantially with age and in absolute terms from 1990 to 2013. Incidence of acute sequelae were predominantly infectious diseases and short-term injuries, with over 2 billion cases of upper respiratory infections and diarrhoeal disease episodes in 2013, with the notable exception of tooth pain due to permanent caries with more than 200 million incident cases in 2013. Conversely, leading chronic sequelae were largely attributable to non-communicable diseases, with prevalence estimates for asymptomatic permanent caries and tension-type headache of 2∙4 billion and 1∙6 billion, respectively. The distribution of the number of sequelae in populations varied widely across regions, with an expected relation between age and disease prevalence. YLDs for both sexes increased from 537∙6 million in 1990 to 764∙8 million in 2013 due to population growth and ageing, whereas the age-standardised rate decreased little from 114∙87 per 1000 people to 110∙31 per 1000 people between 1990 and 2013. Leading causes of YLDs included low back pain and major depressive disorder among the top ten causes of YLDs in every country. YLD rates per person, by major cause groups, indicated the main drivers of increases were due to musculoskeletal, mental, and substance use disorders, neurological disorders, and chronic respiratory diseases; however HIV/AIDS was a notable driver of increasing YLDs in sub-Saharan Africa. Also, the proportion of disability-adjusted life years due to YLDs increased globally from 21·1% in 1990 to 31·2% in 2013. Interpretation Ageing of the world’s population is leading to a substantial increase in the numbers of individuals with sequelae of diseases and injuries. Rates of YLDs are declining much more slowly than mortality rates. The non-fatal dimensions of disease and injury will require more and more attention from health systems. The transition to nonfatal outcomes as the dominant source of burden of disease is occurring rapidly outside of sub-Saharan Africa. Our results can guide future health initiatives through examination of epidemiological trends and a better understanding of variation across countries.

Global, regional, and national disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) for 306 diseases and injuries and healthy life expectancy (HALE) for 188 countries, 1990–2013: Quantifying the epidemiological transition

Background The Global Burden of Disease Study 2013 (GBD 2013) aims to bring together all available epidemiological data using a coherent measurement framework, standardised estimation methods, and transparent data sources to enable comparisons of health loss over time and across causes, age–sex groups, and countries. The GBD can be used to generate summary measures such as disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) and healthy life expectancy (HALE) that make possible comparative assessments of broad epidemiological patterns across countries and time. These summary measures can also be used to quantify the component of variation in epidemiology that is related to sociodemographic development. Methods We used the published GBD 2013 data for age-specific mortality, years of life lost due to premature mortality (YLLs), and years lived with disability (YLDs) to calculate DALYs and HALE for 1990, 1995, 2000, 2005, 2010, and 2013 for 188 countries. We calculated HALE using the Sullivan method; 95% uncertainty intervals (UIs) represent uncertainty in age-specific death rates and YLDs per person for each country, age, sex, and year. We estimated DALYs for 306 causes for each country as the sum of YLLs and YLDs; 95% UIs represent uncertainty in YLL and YLD rates. We quantified patterns of the epidemiological transition with a composite indicator of sociodemographic status, which we constructed from income per person, average years of schooling after age 15 years, and the total fertility rate and mean age of the population. We applied hierarchical regression to DALY rates by cause across countries to decompose variance related to the sociodemographic status variable, country, and time. Findings Worldwide, from 1990 to 2013, life expectancy at birth rose by 6·2 years (95% UI 5·6–6·6), from 65·3 years (65·0–65·6) in 1990 to 71·5 years (71·0–71·9) in 2013, HALE at birth rose by 5·4 years (4·9–5·8), from 56·9 years (54·5–59·1) to 62·3 years (59·7–64·8), total DALYs fell by 3·6% (0·3–7·4), and age-standardised DALY rates per 100 000 people fell by 26·7% (24·6–29·1). For communicable, maternal, neonatal, and nutritional disorders, global DALY numbers, crude rates, and age-standardised rates have all declined between 1990 and 2013, whereas for non–communicable diseases, global DALYs have been increasing, DALY rates have remained nearly constant, and age-standardised DALY rates declined during the same period. From 2005 to 2013, the number of DALYs increased for most specific non-communicable diseases, including cardiovascular diseases and neoplasms, in addition to dengue, food-borne trematodes, and leishmaniasis; DALYs decreased for nearly all other causes. By 2013, the five leading causes of DALYs were ischaemic heart disease, lower respiratory infections, cerebrovascular disease, low back and neck pain, and road injuries. Sociodemographic status explained more than 50% of the variance between countries and over time for diarrhoea, lower respiratory infections, and other common infectious diseases; maternal disorders; neonatal disorders; nutritional deficiencies; other communicable, maternal, neonatal, and nutritional diseases; musculoskeletal disorders; and other non-communicable diseases. However, sociodemographic status explained less than 10% of the variance in DALY rates for cardiovascular diseases; chronic respiratory diseases; cirrhosis; diabetes, urogenital, blood, and endocrine diseases; unintentional injuries; and self-harm and interpersonal violence. Predictably, increased sociodemographic status was associated with a shift in burden from YLLs to YLDs, driven by declines in YLLs and increases in YLDs from musculoskeletal disorders, neurological disorders, and mental and substance use disorders. In most country-specific estimates, the increase in life expectancy was greater than that in HALE. Leading causes of DALYs are highly variable across countries. Interpretation Global health is improving. Population growth and ageing have driven up numbers of DALYs, but crude rates have remained relatively constant, showing that progress in health does not mean fewer demands on health systems. The notion of an epidemiological transition—in which increasing sociodemographic status brings structured change in disease burden—is useful, but there is tremendous variation in burden of disease that is not associated with sociodemographic status. This further underscores the need for country-specific assessments of DALYs and HALE to appropriately inform health policy decisions and attendant actions.

Global, regional, and national comparative risk assessment of 79 behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks or clusters of risks in 188 countries, 1990–2013: a systematic analysis for the Global Burden of Disease Study 2013

Background The Global Burden of Disease, Injuries, and Risk Factor study 2013 (GBD 2013) is the first of a series of annual updates of the GBD. Risk factor quantification, particularly of modifiable risk factors, can help to identify emerging threats to population health and opportunities for prevention. The GBD 2013 provides a timely opportunity to update the comparative risk assessment with new data for exposure, relative risks, and evidence on the appropriate counterfactual risk distribution. Methods Attributable deaths, years of life lost, years lived with disability, and disability-adjusted life-years (DALYs) have been estimated for 79 risks or clusters of risks using the GBD 2010 methods. Risk–outcome pairs meeting explicit evidence criteria were assessed for 188 countries for the period 1990–2013 by age and sex using three inputs: risk exposure, relative risks, and the theoretical minimum risk exposure level (TMREL). Risks are organised into a hierarchy with blocks of behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks at the first level of the hierarchy. The next level in the hierarchy includes nine clusters of related risks and two individual risks, with more detail provided at levels 3 and 4 of the hierarchy. Compared with GBD 2010, six new risk factors have been added: handwashing practices, occupational exposure to trichloroethylene, childhood wasting, childhood stunting, unsafe sex, and low glomerular filtration rate. For most risks, data for exposure were synthesised with a Bayesian meta-regression method, DisMod-MR 2.0, or spatial-temporal Gaussian process regression. Relative risks were based on meta-regressions of published cohort and intervention studies. Attributable burden for clusters of risks and all risks combined took into account evidence on the mediation of some risks such as high body-mass index (BMI) through other risks such as high systolic blood pressure and high cholesterol. Findings All risks combined account for 57·2% (95% uncertainty interval [UI] 55·8–58·5) of deaths and 41·6% (40·1–43·0) of DALYs. Risks quantified account for 87·9% (86·5–89·3) of cardiovascular disease DALYs, ranging to a low of 0% for neonatal disorders and neglected tropical diseases and malaria. In terms of global DALYs in 2013, six risks or clusters of risks each caused more than 5% of DALYs: dietary risks accounting for 11·3 million deaths and 241·4 million DALYs, high systolic blood pressure for 10·4 million deaths and 208·1 million DALYs, child and maternal malnutrition for 1·7 million deaths and 176·9 million DALYs, tobacco smoke for 6·1 million deaths and 143·5 million DALYs, air pollution for 5·5 million deaths and 141·5 million DALYs, and high BMI for 4·4 million deaths and 134·0 million DALYs. Risk factor patterns vary across regions and countries and with time. In sub-Saharan Africa, the leading risk factors are child and maternal malnutrition, unsafe sex, and unsafe water, sanitation, and handwashing. In women, in nearly all countries in the Americas, north Africa, and the Middle East, and in many other high-income countries, high BMI is the leading risk factor, with high systolic blood pressure as the leading risk in most of Central and Eastern Europe and south and east Asia. For men, high systolic blood pressure or tobacco use are the leading risks in nearly all high-income countries, in north Africa and the Middle East, Europe, and Asia. For men and women, unsafe sex is the leading risk in a corridor from Kenya to South Africa. Interpretation Behavioural, environmental and occupational, and metabolic risks can explain half of global mortality and more than one-third of global DALYs providing many opportunities for prevention. Of the larger risks, the attributable burden of high BMI has increased in the past 23 years. In view of the prominence of behavioural risk factors, behavioural and social science research on interventions for these risks should be strengthened. Many prevention and primary care policy options are available now to act on key risks.

Assessment of prey overlap between a native (Polistes humilis) and an introduced (Vespula germanica) social wasp using morphology and phylogenetic analyses of 16S rDNA

In newly invaded communities, interspecific competition is thought to play an important role in determining the success of the invader and its impact on the native community. In southern Australia, the native Polistes humilis was the predominant social wasp prior to the arrival of the exotic Vespula germanica (Hymenoptera: Vespidae). Both species forage for similar resources (water, pulp, carbohydrate and protein prey), and concerns have arisen about potential competition between them. The aim of this study was to identify the protein foods that these wasps feed on. As many prey items are masticated by these wasps to the degree that they cannot be identified using conventional means, morphological identification was complemented by sequencing fragments of the mitochondrial 16S rRNA gene. GenBank searches using blast and phylogenetic analyses were used to identify prey items to at least order level. The results were used to construct complete prey inventories for the two species. These indicate that while P. humilis is restricted to feeding on lepidopteran larvae, V. germanica collects a variety of prey of invertebrate and vertebrate origin. Calculated values of prey overlap between the two species are used to discuss the implications of V. germanica impacting on P. humilis. Results obtained are compared to those gained by solely 'conventional' methods, and the advantages of using DNA-based taxonomy in ecological studies are emphasized.

Initiation of transcription of rDNA in rice

Three direct repeats of 320, 340 and 238 nucleotides were detected upstream to the 5′ end of the 18S rRNA gene of an rDNA unit present on a 9.8 kb EcoRT fragment of the rice DNA. The primer extension analysis showed that the site of initiation of transcription is in the 1st repeat at an A, the 623rd nucleotide upstream to the 5′ end of the 18S rRNA gene. Different stretches of the intergenic spacer DNA linked to the Chloramphenicol acetyl transferase gene were transcribed in the intact nuclei of rice embryos. The S1 nuclease protection analysis of the transcripts using [32P]-labelled Chloramphenicol acetyl transferase gene as the probe showed the presence of multiple promoters for rDNA transcription.

Gene enrichment using antibodies to DNA/RNA hybrids : mapping the ribosomal DNA of slime mold and rat

A novel method for gene enrichment has been developed and applied to mapping the rRNA genes of two eucaryotic organisms. The method makes use of antibodies to DNA/RNA hybrids prepared by injecting rabbits with the synthetic hybrid poly(rA)•poly(dT). Antibodies which cross-react with non-hybrid nucleic acids were removed from the purified IgG fraction by adsorption on columns of DNA-Sepharose, oligo(dT)-cellulose, and poly(rA)-Sepharose. Subsequent purification of the specific DNA/RNA hybrid antibody was carried out on a column of oligo(dT)-cellulose to which poly(rA) was hybridized. Attachment of these antibodies to CNBr-activated Sepharose produced an affinity resin which specifically binds DNA/RNA hybrids.

In order to map the rDNA of the slime mold Dictyostelium discoideum, R-loops were formed using unsheared nuclear DNA and the 178 and 268 rRNAs of this organism. This mixture was passed through a column containing the affinity resin, and bound molecules containing R- loops were eluted by high salt. This purified rDN A was observed directly in the electron microscope. Evidence was obtained that there is a physical end to Dictyostelium rDN A molecules approximately 10 kilobase pairs (kbp) from the region which codes for the 268 rRNA. This finding is consistent with reports of other investigators that the rRNA genes exist as inverse repeats on extra-chromosomal molecules of DNA unattached to the remainder of the nuclear DNA in this organism.

The same general procedure was used to map the rRNA genes of the rat. Molecules of DNA which contained R-loops formed with the 188 and 288 rRNAs were enriched approximately 150- fold from total genomal rat DNA by two cycles of purification on the affinity column. Electron microscopic measurements of these molecules enabled the construction of an R-loop map of rat rDNA. Eleven of the observed molecules contained three or four R-loops or else two R-loops separated by a long spacer. These observations indicated that the rat rRNA genes are arranged as tandem repeats. The mean length of the repeating units was 37.2 kbp with a standard deviation of 1.3 kbp. These eleven molecules may represent repeating units of exactly the same length within the errors of the measurements, although a certain degree of length heterogeneity cannot be ruled out. If significantly shorter or longer repeating units exist, they are probably much less common than the 37.2 kbp unit.

The last section of the thesis describes the production of antibodies to non-histone chromosomal proteins which have been exposed to the ionic detergent sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS). The presence of low concentrations of SDS did not seem to affect either production of antibodies or their general specificity. Also, a technique is described for the in situ immunofluorescent detection of protein antigens in polyacrylamide gels.

Keys to the larvae of the species of the genera Diamesa, Eukiefferiella, Orthocladius, Cricotopus, Psectrocladius and Chaetocladius. [Translation from: Larvae and pupae of midges of the subfamily Orthocladiinae of the fauna of the USSR (Diptera, Chironomidae = Tendipedidae) (ed. V.Y. Pankratova) p76-8,151-152,173-174,188-189. Leningrad, Nauka, 1970. ]

Eudiaptomus vulgaris Schmeil is the most abundant copepod in Lake Maggiore and forms also, in respect to other entomostraca, the most important element, through its average biomass and because it is fairly numerous throughout the year. Plankton samples collected in a systematic and quantitative way, gave the opportunity to study some aspects of the dynamics of the population of this copepod, in safety in view of the uncertainty which in this kind of study can ensue when samples are taken only at a single station - in consequence of the changes in size of population between different water masses. The results of the biometrical observations are of the population of Eudiaptomus vulgaris is presented.

木薯良种南植188及其组培快繁研究

中国科学院华南植物研究所从1981年开始，先后从哥伦比亚国际热带作物研究中心引进去病毒的试管苗木薯品种25个，经应用生物工程技术进行试管苗微型繁殖和试管苗移栽成功，移栽成活率达95%以上。通过比较筛选试验，又从25个试管苗品种中选出了“南植188”木薯新品种，经连续试验证实，该新品种具有抗性强、叶色浓绿、植株高大、枝叶繁茂、结薯早、薯块大、纤维少、产量高等特点。在同等栽培和管理条件下，其单位面积产量比现植的面包木薯、竹叶薯等品种高60～150%，属于高产、优质、低毒的甜种类型。列入“星火计划”，在广州市和省内有关县进行南植188良种木薯苗的生产。

松属单维管束亚属植物rDNA的染色体定位研究

松属植物的基因组十分庞大（大于20000Mbp），其中约90%是由重复序列组成的，我们对其结构和组成仍知之甚少。松属在系统分类上分为两个亚属:单维管束亚属和双维管束亚属。基因组大小研究发现单维管束亚属植物的基因组更大。rDNA作为一类有功能的多基因家族重复序列，其自身特性决定了它在基因组研究中的重要性。FISH技术为rDNA在染色体上物理定位提供了有力的工具。尽管现在对松属rDNA FISH已有不少报道，但主要集中在双维管束亚属，对单维管束亚属的研究几乎是空白。本研究选择5个单维管束亚属松属植物P. bungeana, P. koraiensis, P. armandii, P. wallichiana, P. strobus，进行rDNA FISH研究。旨在弄清18S-25S rDNA和5S rDNA在单维管束亚属植物染色体上的位点数目和分布模式。结合前人对松属双维管束亚属植物的工作，对单、双维管束亚属植物之间rDNA FISH结果进行比较，从而可以从整体上认识松属植物的18S-25S rDNA和5S rDNA在染色体上的分布式样。在此基础上进一步探讨18S-25S rDNA和5S rDNA这些重复序列在松属植物基因组结构和组成中的地位和作用。本研究主要结果如下： 1.rDNA FISH在松属染色体核型分析中的作用 本研究中5种松属单维管束亚属植物染色体数目均为2n=24，除最短一条染色体为亚中部着丝粒染色体外，其余11条均为中部着丝粒染色体，长度和臂比也十分接近，同源染色体的不容易鉴定，很难排出精确的核型。在我们的研究结果中，5个松属植物中，除了白皮松外，18S-25S rDNA和5S rDNA分布在12对染色体中的10对染色体上，这些位点可作为染色体标记，大大提高了同源染色体鉴定的准确度，但是染色体之间排序问题依然没有很好地解决。核型比较认为种间是否存在部分同源染色体关系也不是十分明确，仅Ⅺ号和Ⅻ号染色体有这种关系，这主要由于Ⅺ号和Ⅻ号染色体容易准确地鉴别出来。核型分析的精确仍有待增加标记来提高。 2．rDNA位点数目在松属两个亚属间的比较及其与基因组大小的关系 松属植物18S-25S rDNA位点通常为5-10个，5S rDNA位点为1-4个。其中单维管束亚属18S-25S rDNA位点通常为9-10个（除白皮松为4个外），5S rDNA位点为2- 4个;双维管束亚属为18S-25S rDNA位点通常为5-10个，5S rDNA位点通常为1-2个。而二倍体被子植物18S-25S rDNA位点通常为1-5个5S rDNA位点为1-3个。暗示18S-25S rDNA和5S rDNA位点数目多少和基因组大小还是有一定的相关性。因为松属植物的基因组比典型的二倍体被子植物大得多，单维管束亚属植物的的C-值又普遍比双维管束亚属植物的高。白皮松虽有些例外，18S-25S rDNA位点数目少，但信号强度大得多，代表拷贝数高，因此其基因组大小可以从rDNA拷贝数上得到解释。 3．18S-25S rDNA和5S rDNA位点在松属两个亚属之间的分布模式比较 18S-25S rDNA和5S rDNA位点在松属两个亚属染色体上的分布方式有明显不同，每个亚属均有两种分布形式，并形成各自稳定的分布模式。在单维管束植物中，18S-25S rDNA和5S rDNA位点或相邻分布于同一染色体同一臂上，5S rDNA位于臂的远端;或两位点分布于不同的染色体。而在双维管束植物中18S-25S rDNA和5S rDNA或相邻分布于同一染色体同一臂上，18S-25S rDNA在臂的远端;或两位点分布于同一染色体两条臂上。在两个亚属中，当18S-25S rDNA和5S rDNA位点位于同一条染色体臂上时，相对位置正好相反。这完全不同的rDNA分布模式的形成，可能与松属这两个亚属植物的物种形成和分化过程中染色体发生倒位或易位有关，暗示这两个亚属的基因组结构存在分化。但这各自的分布模式是否可以作为判断亚属的特征依据仍有待加大样本量证实。 4．rDNA 位点分布及变异具有系统学意义 rDNA FISH 结果符合分类中亲缘关系越近，分布模式越相似的原则，因而认为rDNA 位点在染色体上的分布模式，具有系统学意义。基于已知的松属植物rDNA FISH结果构建的系统关系，符合传统分类系统中对亚组划分。rDNA FISH结果与分子系统学的研究结果相比较认为，松属单维管亚属5种松中，以乔松和北美乔松关系最近，与同一个亚组的华山松稍远，与另一个亚组的红松更远。而白皮松作为一个特有的孑遗类群，系统位置比较特殊，分子系统学研究认为其处于基部的位置，本研究表明其rDNA位点有明显的特点：位点数目少，但信号强，反映了拷贝数多。那是否它就代表了祖先类群的位点分布模式，需要更多的基部类群的rDNA FISH结果支持。