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Subspecies is used to designate taxa below species but above geographical populations. What patterns of genomic variation are expected if taxa are designated as subspecies? In this study, we carry out such a survey on the mangrove tree Avicennia marina (Forssk.) Vierh. of the Indo‐West Pacific coasts. This species has three subspecies, distinguished by morphological traits and geographical distribution. We collected samples from 16 populations (577 individuals) covering all three subspecies and sequenced 94 nuclear genes. We reveal comprehensive genetic divergence among subspecies, generally higher than among geographical populations within subspecies. The level of genetic diversity differs among the three subspecies, possibly hinting at a degree of separation among their gene pools. We observed that divergence varies from locus to locus across the genome. A small portion of the genome is most informative about subspecies delineation, whereas the rest is undifferentiated or slightly differentiated, hinting at uneven gene flow and incomplete isolation. The three subspecies likely split simultaneously with gene flow among lineages. This reticulate evolution results in some discordance between morphology and genetics in areas of population contact. In short, A. marina subspecies show species‐like patterns in some respects and population‐like patterns in others. We propose that the subspecies designated in A. marina are informative in predicting genetic divergences and useful in making conservation decisions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The first organic–inorganic hybrid tin (II) chlorosulfate [C6N2H14][SnCl2SO4] (I) has been synthesized hydrothermally in the presence of organic amine 1,4-diazobicyclo[2,2,2]octane (DABCO) and characterized by single-crystal X-ray diffraction, IR, ICP and elemental analysis and thermogravimetric analysis and its structure solved by single-crystal X-ray diffraction. The structure of I consists of [SnCl2SO4]2− anions and diprotonated DABCO cations resulting in the formation of a 2D supramolecular network based on hydrogen bonds which contact between diprotonated DABCO cations and [SnCl2SO4]2− anions. Crystal data for compound I, orthorhombic space group C2221, a =9.354(6)Å, b =9.6880(7)Å, c =13.2888(9)Å, V =1204.32(14)Å3, Z =4, M =399.84(1), D calc =2.205gcm−3, Mo Kα, R 1 =0.0254, wR 2 =0.0616, GOF=1.092. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Cadmium phosphite, CdHPO3, was obtained by mild hydro­thermal synthesis. The construction of the three-dimensional framework structure may be viewed as an assembly of distorted CdO6 octa­hedra and HPO3 tetra­hedra which leads to the formation of channels along [001]. The crystal structure is isotypic with CdSO3-III and is a new example of the stereochemical equivalence of the P-bonded H atom in HPO32− and the electron lone pair in XO32− oxoanions ( X = SIV or SeIV). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) stimulation at "Dazhui" (GV 14) and "Mingmen" (GV 4) of the Governor Vessel at different time-points on spinal cord neuronal apoptosis and the expression of c-Jun N-terminal kinases (JNK) protein in spinal cord injury (SCI) rats, so as to reveal its mechanism underlying improving SCI., Methods: A total of 108 male SD rats were randomly divided into normal control, SCI model and EA groups which were further divided into 1, 3 and 7 d subgroups (12 rats/subgroup, 6 rats in each subgroup for TUNEL or Western blot, separately). SCI model was established by using the modified Allen's method. EA was applied to GV 14 and GV 4 for 20 min, once daily, for 1, 3 and 7 days, respectively. Basso-Beattie-Bresnahan (BBB) scale was adopted to assess the locomotor function of rats, the TUNEL method was used to examine neuronal apoptosis of injuried spinal cord, and the expression of phosphorylated (p)-c-Jun protein of T 9 -T 11 spinal cord was detected by using Western blot., Results: After modeling, the BBB scores of SCI rats on day 1, 3 and 7 were signi-ficantly decreased ( P <0.01), while the numbers of apoptotic neuronal cells and the expression levels of p-c-Jun protein in the spinal cord were considerably increased at the 3 time-points in the model group ( P <0.01, P <0.05). Following EA intervention, the decreased BBB scores on day 3 and 7, and the increased numbers of apoptotic neuronal cells on day 1, 3 and 7 and the up-regulated expression levels of p-c-Jun protein on day 3 and 7 were obviously suppressed ( P <0.05, P <0.01)., Conclusions: EA intervention can improve the locomotor function of SCI rats, which Feb be related to its effects in reducing neuronal apoptosis and down-regulating p-c-Jun protein in the injuried spinal cord.

Electroacupuncture at Dazhui (GV14) and Mingmen (GV4) on the Governor Vessel has been shown to exhibit curative effects on spinal cord injury; however, the underlying mechanism remains poorly understood. In this study, we established rat models of spinal cord injury using a modified Allen's weight-drop method. Ninety-nine male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into three equal groups: sham (only laminectomy), SCI (induction of spinal cord injury at T 10 ), and EA (induction of spinal cord injury at T 10 and electroacupuncture intervention at GV14 and GV4 for 20 minutes once a day). Rats in the SCI and EA groups were further randomly divided into the following subgroups: 1-day ( n = 11), 7-day ( n = 11), and 14-day ( n = 11). At 1, 7, and 14 days after electroacupuncture treatment, the Basso, Beattie and Bresnahan locomotor rating scale showed obvious improvement in rat hind limb locomotor function, hematoxylin-eosin staining showed that the histological change of injured spinal cord tissue was obviously alleviated, and immunohistochemistry and western blot analysis showed that Wnt1, Wnt3a, β-catenin immunoreactivity and protein expression in the injured spinal cord tissue were greatly increased compared with the sham and SCI groups. These findings suggest that electroacupuncture at GV14 and GV4 upregulates Wnt1, Wnt3a, and β-catenin expression in the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway, exhibiting neuroprotective effects against spinal cord injury., Competing Interests: Conflicts of Interest: None declared.

Objective: To observe the effect of electroacupuncture (EA) on the differentially expressed proteins in the spinal cord at different time courses after acute spinal cord injury (ASCI) in the rat, so as to study its underlying mechanism in im-proving spinal traumatic injury., Methods: A total of 105 male SD rats were randomized into normal control, model-6 h, EA-6 h, model-24 h, EA-24 h, model-48 h, EA-48 h groups, with 15 cases in each. ASCI model was established by using modified Allen's method. EA (2 Hz, 2-5 mA) was applied to "Mingmen" (GV 4) and "Dazhui" (GV 14) for 30 min. The injured spinal cord tissue (T10 -T11) was collected 6 h, 24 hand 48 h after ASCI and EA treatment, weighted and stored under -80 degrees D till detection. Two-dimensional gel electrophoresis (2-DE) was used to separate total proteins of the spinal tissue, followed by protein extraction and quantitation, 2-D gel image analysis, matrix assisted laser desorption ionisation time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF-MS), and databases-searching for identification of the differentially-expressed proteins., Results: A total of 10 differentially expressed proteins were identified in the present study. At 6 h, compared with control group, of the 5 types of spinal differential proteins, 4 were upregulated in the expression after ASCI, and the rest one was downregulated; while after EA, ASCI-induced expression changes in 4 of the 5 differential proteins were reversed. At 24 h after ASCI, 7 types of differential proteins were identified. Compared with control group, 6 differential proteins were upregulated, and the rest one was downregulated in model group. Compared with model group, ASCI-induced expression changes in 6 of the 7 differential proteins were reversed by EA. At 48 h after ASCI, a total of 8 types of differential proteins were identified. Compared with control group, 6 differential proteins were upregulated in the expression, and the rest two downregulated in model group. Compared with model group, ASCI-induced expression changes in 5 of the 8 differential proteins were reversed by EA. Along with the increased time and treatment, 24 h vs 6 h, two more differential proteins were identified, i.e., nucleoside diphosphate kinase and triosephosphate isomerase 1 (TPI 1). 48 h vs 24 h, 3 more differential proteins were identified, i.e., dihydrolipoamide dehydrogenase, malate dehydrogenase 1, and glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH); but two proteins disappeared, i.e., nucleoside diphosphate kinase, and ubiquitin-conjugating enzyme E2N. The identified differential proteins involving the effects of EA in regulating cellular energy metabolism, DNA repair, cellular generation, differentiation, apoptosis, etc., Conclusion: Proteome analysis indicates that in ASCI rats, some differentially expressed proteins involving energy metabolism, neuronal apoptosis reduction, protein-degradation inhibition may contribute to the effect of EA in repairing the traumatic spinal tissue.

The Nuclear Ribosomal DNA internal transcribed spacers (ITS) region sequences from a putative natural hybrid species Meconopsis x cookei and its possible parents M. punicea and M. quintuplinervia were obtained by using direct sequencing method. The sequence length of ITS region (including ITS1, 5.8S and ITS2) is 667 bp for M. punicea, 668 bp for M. x cookei, and 668 bp for M. quintuplinervia. The sequences were aligned by the software Clustal X, and the bases per locus were compared by using software with manual method. The aligned sequence length is 688 bp, of which ITS1 is 254 bp, 5.8S is 162 bp, and ITS2 is 252 bp. 16 variable loci were detected from the aligned sequence, approximately 2.40% to the whole sequence length, of which ITS1 has nine variable loci (56.25%), ITS2 has six variable loci (37.50%), and 5.8S has one variable locus (6.25%). The results show that M. x cookei have two kinds of ITS sequences contributed from two species M. puniceaa and M. quintuplinervia, i.e. the variation of ITS gene among M. x cookei, M. punicea and M. quintuplinervia is congruence with the Mendel's genetics law. Therefore, the molecular evidences indicate that M. x cookei is a hybrid origin from M. punicea and M. quintuplinervia.