A single positively selected West Nile viral mutation confers increased virogenesis in American crows

West Nile virus (WNV), first recognized in North America in 1999, has been responsible for the largest arboviral epiornitic and epidemic of human encephalitis in recorded history. Despite the well-described epidemiological patterns of WNV in North America, the basis for the emergence of WNV-associated avian pathology, particularly in the American crow (AMCR) sentinel species, and the large scale of the North American epidemic and epiornitic is uncertain. We report here that the introduction of a T249P amino acid substitution in the NS3 helicase (found in North American WNV) in a low-virulence strain was sufficient to generate a phenotype highly virulent to AMCRs. Furthermore, comparative sequence analyses of full-length WNV genomes demonstrated that the same site (NS3-249) was subject to adaptive evolution. These phenotypic and evolutionary results provide compelling evidence for the positive selection of a mutation encoding increased viremia potential and virulence in the AMCR sentinel bird species.     

The peptidoglycan recognition proteins LCa and LCx

Infection of bacteria triggers innate immune defense reactions in Drosophila. So far, the only bacterial component known to be recognized by the insect innate immune system is peptidoglycan, one of the most abundant constituents of the bacterial cell wall. Insects use peptidoglycan recognition proteins to detect peptidoglycan and to activate innate immune responses. Such specialized peptidoglycan receptors appear to have evolved from phage enzymes that hydrolyze bacterial cell walls. They are able to bind specific peptidoglycan molecules with distinct chemical moieties and activate innate immune pathways by interacting with other signaling proteins. Recent X-ray crystallographic studies of the peptidoglycan recognition proteins LCa, and LCx bound to peptidoglycan have provided structural insights into recognition of peptidoglycan and activation of innate immunity in insects. Received 28 December 2006; received after revision 2 February 2007; accepted 21 February 2007     

An Empirical Study of Effects of Chinese Government＇s Tax Revenue and Expenditure on Its GDP＇s Growth

Public spending is a major policy tool for the government to adjust the macro economic progress. This paper characterizes the effects of shocks in government spending and taxes on Chinese economy growth since 1978. It does so by using a mixed structural VAR （SVAR） approach. Identification is achieved by using institutional information about the tax and spending to identify automatic and discretionary response, and by implication, to infer fiscal shocks. The results show positive government spending shocks as having a positive effect on output, and positive tax shocks as having a negative effects.     

The Difference of the Pulmonary-Artery Pressure of the Migrants from Difference Elevation at the 4636 - 4907 m Altitude

Study Objective： To compare and analyze the changes of the pulmonary-artery pressure of the migrants coming from different elevation in the hypoxic environment of 4636 - 4907 m extreme altitude. To explore the susceptibility to hypoxic pulmonary-artery hypertension （PH） in the subjects from different altitude and profession. Methods： By using Color Doppler Ultmsonography （CDU）, measuring the pulmonary-artery pressure of 207 healthy men, who had continuously being lived and worked at the extreme altitude for more than six months, and then were divided into three groups according to their profession and the altitude of original living place. Results： There was a significant difference in the outcomes of pulmonary-artery pressure from the 3 groups. Conclusions： Altitude of original living place, labor intensity are some of factors that impact the pulmonary-artery pressure of the people who exposure to a hypoxic environment. The pulmonary- artery pressure of person without strenuously physical work experience was more sensitive to hypoxic surroundings than that of labor workers. It was not always the fact at an extreme altitude that the moderate altitude mountaineers were superior to other migrants from a lower altitude or plain. The higher PH was found in the groups of the moderate altitude mountaineers and labor workers. It is unlikely certain that one with PH would surfer from HAPE.     

反渗透系统的设计思路探讨

反渗透作为一种重要的水处理技术,越来越广泛地应用到各种领域,其处理水源也变得复杂多样化,因此要求在反渗透系统和反渗透预处理设计时予以高度关注。本文主要讨论针对不同水源时反渗透系统的设计思路。     

Association scan of 14,500 nonsynonymous SNPs in four diseases identifies autoimmunity variants

We have genotyped 14,436 nonsynonymous SNPs (nsSNPs) and 897 major histocompatibility complex (MHC) tag SNPs from 1,000 independent cases of ankylosing spondylitis (AS), autoimmune thyroid disease (AITD), multiple sclerosis (MS) and breast cancer (BC). Comparing these data against a common control dataset derived from 1,500 randomly selected healthy British individuals, we report initial association and independent replication in a North American sample of two new loci related to ankylosing spondylitis, ARTS1 and IL23R, and confirmation of the previously reported association of AITD with TSHR and FCRL3. These findings, enabled in part by increased statistical power resulting from the expansion of the control reference group to include individuals from the other disease groups, highlight notable new possibilities for autoimmune regulation and suggest that IL23R may be a common susceptibility factor for the major 'seronegative' diseases.     

基于VB的课件制作研究与实践

介绍课件及其特点,通过对各类课件制作工具的比较与讨论, 阐述了使用VB制作课件的优势,并介绍了使用VB制作课件的基本方法.     

Therapeutic applications of bone marrow-derived stem cells in liver transplantation for end-stage liver diseases

Today, liver transplantation (LT) is the only established treatment for end-stage liver diseases. The de- velopment of LT, including OLT, cadaveric LT, split LT, living donor LT (LDLT), brings hopes to patients with these diseases. However, increasing donor shortage, rejection and life-long immunosuppression with its side effects are the major limitations of this therapy strategy. Bone marrow-derived stem cells (BMDSCs) are capable of differentiating into hepatocyte-like cells and contribute to liver injury repair. The microenvironment of liver injury caused by rejection, ischemia/reperfusion, loss of liver mass, recurrence of HCV and "small-for-size syndrome" after LT can attract a variety of bone marrow-derived stem cell population to the peripheral circulation and then migration to the injury liver to promote the hepatic function restoration. Additionally, BMDSCs can also take part in the functional regeneration of living donor liver after LDLT. This participation in liver regeneration may be associated to the interac- tion between SDF-1and its receptor CXCR4, involving HGF, IL-8, MMP9, and VEGF/VEGFR-2. BMDSC with its bio-characteristics could maintain the allograft tolerance from different angles and in different ways. In conclusion, BMDSCs transplantation, as a new assistant therapeutic method for LT, will ex- pand the space of LT, and provide more survival opportunities for the patients suffering liver diseases in the future.