Numerical Taxonomy of Old World Phlebotominae (Diptera: Psychodidae): 2. Restatement of Classification upon Subgeneric Morphological Characters

Numerical analyses (correspondence analysis, ascending hierarchical classification, and cladistics) were done with morphological characters of adult phlebotomine sand flies. The resulting classification largely confirms that of classical taxonomy for supra-specific groups from the Old World, though the positions of some groups are adjusted. The taxa Spelaeophlebotomus Theodor 1948, Idiophlebotomus Quate & Fairchild 1961, Australophlebotomus Theodor 1948 and Chinius Leng 1987 are notably distinct from other Old World groups, particularly from the genus Phlebotomus Rondani & Berté 1840. Spelaeomyia Theodor 1948 and, in particular, Parvidens Theodor & Mesghali 1964 are clearly separate from Sergentomyia França & Parrot 1920.

Cladistic analysis of the subgenus Anopheles (Anopheles) Meigen (Diptera: Culicidae) based on morphological characters

In the present study, we used morphological characters to estimate phylogenetic relationships among members of the subgenus Anopheles Meigen. Phylogenetic analyses were carried out for 36 species of Anopheles (Anopheles). An. (Stethomyia) kompi Edwards, An. (Lophopodomyia) gilesi (Peryassú), Bironella hollandi Taylor, An. (Nyssorhynchus) oswaldoi (Peryassú) and An. (Cellia) maculatus Theobald were employed as outgroups. One hundred one characters of the external morphology of the adult male, adult female, fourth-instar larva, and pupa were scored and analyzed under the parsimony criterion in PAUP. Phylogenetic relationships among the series and several species informal groups of Anopheles (Anopheles) were hypothesized. The results suggest that Anopheles (Anopheles) is monophyletic. Additionally, most species groups included in the analysis were demonstrated to be monophyletic.

Molecular characterisation of hepatitis B virus in the resident Chinese population in Panama City

Despite the effectiveness of current hepatitis B virus (HBV) vaccines, it is estimated that 350 million individuals suffer from chronic HBV infection and more than 50% of these affected individuals live on the Asian continent. Panama is a country with a great diversity of foreign groups; the Chinese community is a large example of this phenomenon. There is an urgent need to perform studies that evaluate the prevalence and the genetic diversity of HBV in this community. This study aimed to evaluate the prevalence of HBV and its genotypes and mutant variants in the Chinese population residing in Panama. In total, 320 subjects were enrolled in the study. Forty-two subjects (13.1%) were positive for HBsAg and HBV-DNA from 18 subjects revealed the presence of genotypes B2 and C1. Secondary mutations associated with drug resistance at positions rtV207L and rtN239T of the reverse transcriptase gene were identified. Additionally, the mutation pair A1762T/G1764A was found in three samples and the mutation G1896A was detected in an HBeAg-negative subject. In conclusion, to our knowledge, this is the first study to report high HBV prevalence rates in resident ethnic Chinese in Central America and the presence of genotypes B2 and C1 in this region.

Wing diagnostic characters for Culex quinquefasciatus and Culex nigripalpus (Diptera, Culicidae)

Wing diagnostic characters for Culex quinquefasciatus and Culex nigripalpus (Diptera, Culicidae). Culex quinquefasciatus and Culex nigripalpus are mosquitoes of public health interest, which can occur sympatrically in urban and semi-urban localities. Morphological identification of these species may be difficult when specimens are not perfectly preserved. In order to suggest an alternative taxonomical diagnosis, wings of these species were comparatively characterized using geometric morphometrics. Both species could be distinguished by wing shape with accuracy rates ranging from 85-100%. Present results indicate that one can identify these species relying only on wing characters when traditional taxonomical characters are not visible.

Chronofunctions of Heilu soil developed from Loess in Luochuan, on the chinese Loess plateau

Soil chronofunctions are an alternative for the quantification of soil-forming processes and underlie the modeling of soil genesis. To establish soil chronofunctions of a Heilu soil profile on Loess in Luochuan, selected soil properties and the 14C ages in the Holocene were studied. Linear, logarithmic, and third-order polynomial functions were selected to fit the relationships between soil properties and ages. The results indicated that third-order polynomial function fit best for the relationships between clay (< 0.002 mm), silt (0.002-0.02 mm), sand (0.02-2 mm) and soil ages, and a trend of an Ah horizon ocurrence in the profile. The logarithmic function indicated mainly variations of soil organic carbon and pH with time (soil age). The variation in CaCO3 content, Mn/Zr, Fe/Zr, K/Zr, Mg/Zr, Ca/Zr, P/Zr, and Na/Zr ratios with soil age were best described by three-order polynomial functions, in which the trend line showed migration of CaCO3 and some elements.

Effects of erosion and deposition on particle size distribution of deposited farmland soils on the chinese loess plateau

Particle size distribution (PSD) in the soil profile is strongly related to erosion, deposition, and physical and chemical processes. Water cycling and plant growth are also affected by PSD. Material sedimented upstream of the dam constructions formed large areas of deposited farmland (DF) soils on the Chinese Loess Plateau (CLP), which has been the site of the most severe soil erosion in the world. Two DFs without tillage on the CLP were chosen to study the combined effect of erosion and check dams on PSD. Eighty-eight layers (each 10 cm thick) of filled deposited farmland (FDF) soils and 22 layers of silting deposited farmland (SDF) soils of each studied soil profile were collected and 932 soil samples were investigated using laser granulometry. The particle sizes were stratified in both DFs based on soil properties and erosion resistance. The obtained results of clay and silt fractions showed similar horizontal distribution, indicating parallel characteristics of erosion and deposition processes. Fine sand represented the largest fraction, suggesting the preferential detachment of this fraction. The most erodible range of particle sizes was 0.25-0.5 mm, followed by 0.2-0.25 mm in the studied soil profiles. The correlation between particle size and soil water contents tended to increase with increasing water contents in FDF. Due to the abundant shallow groundwater, the relationship between particle size and soil water content in SDF was lost. Further studies on PSD in the DF area are needed to enhance the conservation management of soil and water resources in this region.

Microphotometric scanning of chromatid gaps and breaks induced by AluI and BamHI in Chinese hamster ovary cells

Chromatid gaps and breaks induced by the restriction endonucleases AluI and BamHI in the long arm of chromosome 1 of Chinese hamster ovary cells were microphotometrically scanned and mapped to a quantitative G-band map. More than 50% of chromatid breaks appeared as chromatin losses of greater than 5% of the total arm length. The majority of chromatid gaps and breaks as well as chromatin losses induced by both restriction endonucleases were non-randomly located in a region from 0.35 to 0.65 relative length units of the long arm of chromosome 1. We suggest that the access of these endonucleases to chromosomal DNA depends on the local organization of the chromatin.

Genetic control of characters associated with bean golden mosaic geminivirus resistance in Phaseolus vulgaris L.

Bean golden mosaic is the most important viral disease of the bean crop (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) in Latin America. The genetics of resistance to a Brazilian strain of bean golden mosaic virus (BGMV), was studied in a 4 x 4 diallel cross without reciprocals, among the parental genotypes DOR 303, EMGOPA 201 Ouro, Carnaval, and Redlands Greenleaf C. Seedlings of the four parents, six F1 hybrids, 12 backcrosses, and F2 generations for each combination were inoculated on the eighth day after sowing by exposure to a viruliferous whitefly (Bemisia tabaci Genn.) population for 24 h, in a glasshouse, prior to transplantation to field conditions. The full set of two parents, F1, F2 and respective backcrosses for each combination was considered to be a family. Data were recorded and analyzed for foliar yellowing, plant dwarfing, and pod malformation, using a randomized block design, with two replications. Weighted generation mean analysis was performed for each of the six families. An additive gene action model was significant for the three characteristics evaluated. On the other hand, non-additive gene action had greater absolute value in most cases. Resistance to foliar yellowing conferred by genes from DRO 303 was highly heritable and was expressed equally well in the different genetic backgrounds evaluated. Such resistance may be oligogenic. Broad- and narrow-sense heritabilities were relatively high for all response traits. The three traits studied were all positively correlated, indicating that they can be simultaneously selected for enhancement. The highest correlation coefficient was obtained for dwarfing x pod malformation.

Effect of taxol on chromosome aberrations induced by gamma radiation or by doxorubicin in Chinese hamster ovary cells

Combined therapy with radiation and chemotherapy has being increasingly used in cancer treatment. The effect of combinations of taxol (0.08 mug/ml) with doxorubicin (DXR, 0.5 or 1.0 mug/ml) or gamma radiation (20 or 40 cGy) was examined in two different treatment schedules (pretreatment or simultaneous treatment) using Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells treated at the G2 phase of the cell cycle. The results showed that taxol did not have a radiosensitizing effect on the chromosomal aberrations induced by gamma radiation nor did it have a potentiating effect on the chromosomal aberrations induced by DXR in CHO cells treated in the G2 phase of the cell cycle

A fucan from the brown seaweed Spatoglossum schröederi inhibits Chinese hamster ovary cell adhesion to several extracellular matrix proteins

Fucans, a family of sulfated polysaccharides present in brown seaweed, have several biological activities. Their use as drugs would offer the advantage of no potential risk of contamination with viruses or particles such as prions. A fucan prepared from Spatoglossum schröederi was tested as a possible inhibitor of cell-matrix interactions using wild-type Chinese hamster ovary cells (CHO-K1) and the mutant type deficient in xylosyltransferase (CHO-745). The effect of this polymer on adhesion properties with specific extracellular matrix components was studied using several matrix proteins as substrates for cell attachment. Treatment with the polymer inhibited the adhesion of fibronectin to both CHO-K1 (2 x 10(5))()and CHO-745 (2 x 10(5) and 5 x 10(5)) cells. No effect was detected with laminin, using the two cell types. On the other hand, adhesion to vitronectin was inhibited in CHO-K1 cells and adhesion to type I collagen was inhibited in CHO-745 cells. In spite of this inhibition, the fucan did not affect either cell proliferation or cell cycle. These results demonstrate that this polymer is a new anti-adhesive compound with potential pharmacological applications.

Validation of the Beck Depression Inventory for a Portuguese-speaking Chinese community in Brazil

The objective of the present study was to investigate the psychometric properties and cross-cultural validity of the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) among ethnic Chinese living in the city of São Paulo, Brazil. The study was conducted on 208 community individuals. Reliability and discriminant analysis were used to test the psychometric properties and validity of the BDI. Principal component analysis was performed to assess the BDI's factor structure for the total sample and by gender. The mean BDI score was lower (6.74, SD = 5.98) than observed in Western counterparts and showed no gender difference, good internal consistency (Cronbach's alpha 0.82), and high discrimination of depressive symptoms (75-100%). Factor analysis extracted two factors for the total sample and each gender: cognitive-affective dimension and somatic dimension. We conclude that depressive symptoms can be reliably assessed by the BDI in the Brazilian Chinese population, with a validity comparable to that for international studies. Indeed, cultural and measurement biases might have influenced the response of Chinese subjects.

A high-carbohydrate diet enhances the adverse effect of the S2 allele of APOC3 SstI polymorphism on the TG/HDL-C ratio only in young Chinese females

Both genetic background and diet have profound effects on plasma lipid profiles. We hypothesized that a high-carbohydrate (high-CHO) diet may affect the ratios of serum lipids and apolipoproteins (apo) differently in subjects with different genotypes of the SstI polymorphism in the apoCIII gene (APOC3). Fifty-six healthy university students (27 males and 29 females, 22.89 ± 1.80 years) were given a washout diet of 54% carbohydrate for 7 days, followed by a high-CHO diet of 70% carbohydrate for 6 days without total energy restriction. Serum triglyceride (TG), total cholesterol (TC), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), apoB100, apoAI, and the APOC3 SstI polymorphism were analyzed. The ratios of serum lipids and apoB100/apoAI were calculated. At baseline, the TG/HDL-C ratio was significantly higher in females, but not in males, with the S2 allele. The differences in the TG/HDL-C ratio between genotypes remained the same after the washout and the high-CHO diet in females. When compared with those before the high-CHO diet, the TC/HDL-C (male S2 carriers: 3.13 ± 1.00 vs 2.36 ± 0.65, P = 0.000; male subjects with the S1S1 genotype: 2.97 ± 0.74 vs 2.09 ± 0.55, P = 0.000; female S2 carriers: 2.68 ± 0.36 vs 2.24 ± 0.37, P = 0.004; female subjects with the S1S1 genotype: 2.69 ± 0.41 vs 2.09 ± 0.31, P = 0.000) and LDL-C/HDL-C (male S2 carriers: 1.44 ± 0.71 vs 1.06 ± 0.26, P = 0.012; male subjects with the S1S1 genotype: 1.35 ± 0.61 vs 1.01 ± 0.29, P = 0.005; female S2 carriers: 1.18 ± 0.33 vs 1.00 ± 0.18, P = 0.049; female subjects with the S1S1 genotype: 1.18 ± 0.35 vs 1.04 ± 0.19, P = 0.026) ratios were significantly decreased after the high-CHO diet regardless of gender and of genotype of the APOC3 SstI polymorphism. However, in female S2 carriers, the TG/HDL-C (1.38 ± 0.46 vs 1.63 ± 0.70, P = 0.039) ratio was significantly increased after the high-CHO diet. In conclusion, the high-CHO diet has favorable effects on the TC/HDL-C and LDL-C/HDL-C ratios regardless of gender and of genotype of the APOC3 SstI polymorphism. Somehow, it enhanced the adverse effect of the S2 allele on the TG/HDL-C ratio only in females.

Reference value of brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity for the eastern Chinese population and potential influencing factors

The present study was conducted to obtain reference values for brachial-ankle pulse wave velocity (baPWV) and to evaluate influencing factors of baPWV according to gender. Using automatic devices, baPWV was measured simultaneously in 2095 subjects. A total of 647 healthy subjects, none of whom presented atherosclerotic risk factors, were analyzed in the present study. Two different statistical methods were used to obtain reference values for baPWV according to subject gender and age. The association between baPWV value and gender, as well as other features, were analyzed. For male subjects, multiple stepwise analysis showed that age, systolic blood pressure (SBP), heart rate (HR), and plasma levels of triglycerides (TG) were independent predictors of baPWV. For female subjects, age, SBP, HR, and plasma levels of uric acid (UA) were independent predictors of baPWV. In male subjects, the upper limits of baPWV values were 1497.43/1425.00, 1518.67/1513.25, 1715.97/1726.50, 1925.20/1971.90, and 2310.18/2115.00 cm/s, obtained using two different statistical methods for the age ranges of 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, and 70 and older, respectively. For females, the upper limits of baPWV values were 1426.70/1411.13, 1559.15/1498.95, 1733.50/1739.00, 1958.63/1973.78, and 2720.80/2577.00 cm/s for the age ranges of 30-39, 40-49, 50-59, 60-69, and 70 and older, respectively. Aging is the most important influencing factor for baPWV value and its effect is more prominent in females. The reference values of baPWV according to age and gender may be useful for the clinical diagnosis and preventive therapy of cardiovascular diseases.

CHRNA5 polymorphism and susceptibility to lung cancer in a Chinese population

Polymorphisms in the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunit CHRNA5 gene have been associated with lung cancer positive susceptibility in European and American populations. In the present hospital-based, case-control study, we determined whether polymorphism in rs503464 of CHRNA5 is associated with lung cancer risk in Chinese individuals. A single nucleotide polymorphism in CHRNA5 rs503464, c.-166T>A (hereafter T>A), was identified using TaqMan-MGB probes with sequencing via PCR in 600 lung cancer cases and 600 healthy individuals. Genotype frequencies for rs503464 (T>A) were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium for the control population. However, genotype frequencies were significantly different between cases and controls (P < 0.05), while allele frequencies were not significantly different between groups. Compared to homozygous genotypes (TT or AA), the risk of lung cancer in those with the heterozygous genotype (TA) was significantly lower (OR = 0.611, 95%CI = 0.486-0.768, P = 0.001). Using genotype AA as a reference, the risk of lung cancer for those with genotype TA was increased 1.5 times (OR = 1.496, 95%CI = 1.120-1.997, P = 0.006). However, no difference in risk was observed between T allele carriers and A allele carriers (OR = 0.914, 95%CI = 0.779-1.073, P = 0.270). Stratification analysis showed that the protective effect of TA was more pronounced in those younger than 60 years, nonsmokers, or those without a family history of cancer, as well as in patients with adenocarcinoma or squamous cell carcinoma in clinical stages III or IV (P < 0.05). Therefore, the heterozygous genotype c.-166T>A at rs503464 of CHRNA5 may be associated with reduced risk of lung cancer, thus representing a susceptibility allele in Chinese individuals.

Association of MDR1 gene polymorphisms with the risk of hepatocellular carcinoma in the Chinese Han population

The multidrug resistance 1 gene (MDR1) is an important candidate gene for influencing susceptibility to hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The objective of the present study was to evaluate the association ofMDR1 polymorphisms with the risk of HCC in the Chinese Han population. A total of 353 HCC patients and 335 healthy subjects were enrolled in the study. Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP), created restriction site-PCR (CRS-PCR) and DNA sequencing methods were used to identify MDR1 gene polymorphisms. Two allelic variants (c.335T>C and c.3073A>C) were detected. The CC genotype of the c.335T>C polymorphism was associated with an increased risk of developing HCC compared to the TT genotype (OR = 2.161, 95%CI = 1.350-3.459, χ2 = 10.55, P = 0.0011). The risk of HCC was significantly higher for the CC genotype in the c.3073A>C polymorphism compared to the AA genotype in the studied populations (CCvs AA: OR = 2.575, 95%CI = 1.646-4.028, χ2 = 17.64, P < 0.0001). The C allele of the c.335T>C and c.3073A>C variants may contribute to the risk of HCC (Cvs T of c.335T>C: OR = 1.512, 95%CI = 1.208-1.893, χ2 = 13.07, P = 0.0003, and Cvs A of c.3073A>C: OR = 1.646, 95%CI = 1.322-2.049, χ2 = 20.03, P < 0.0001). The c.335T>C and c.3073A>C polymorphisms of the MDR1 gene were associated with the risk of occurrence of HCC in the Chinese Han population. Further investigations are needed to confirm these results in larger different populations.