Colobines are a unique group of Old World monkeys that principally eat leaves and seeds rather than fruits and insects. We report the sequencing at 146× coverage, de novo assembly and analyses of the genome of a male golden snub-nosed monkey (Rhinopithecus roxellana) and resequencing at 30× coverage of three related species (Rhinopithecus bieti, Rhinopithecus brelichi and Rhinopithecus strykeri). Comparative analyses showed that Asian colobines have an enhanced ability to derive energy from fatty acids and to degrade xenobiotics. We found evidence for functional evolution in the colobine RNASE1 gene, encoding a key secretory RNase that digests the high concentrations of bacterial RNA derived from symbiotic microflora. Demographic reconstructions indicated that the profile of ancient effective population sizes for R. roxellana more closely resembles that of giant panda rather than its congeners. These findings offer new insights into the dietary adaptations and evolutionary history of colobine primates.Knowledge of the patterns and processes underlying the evolution of alternative dietary strategies in nonhuman primates is critical to understanding hominin evolution, nutritional ecology and applications in biomedicine 1 . Colobines, a group of Old World monkeys, serve as an important model organism for studying the evolution of the primate diet because of their adaptation to folivory: they primarily eat leaves and seeds rather than fruits and insects as their major food source. In their specialized and compartmentalized stomachs, colobines allow symbiotic bacteria in the foregut to ferment structural carbohydrates and then recover nutrients by digesting the bacteria 2 . This strategy is similar to that used by other foregut fermenters found in an evolutionarily distantly related group of mammals (for example, artiodactyls). Although a number of primate genomes have been sequenced thus far, high-quality genome sequence information is absent for Asian and African colobines, a key group for elucidating the evolution and adaptation of primates as a whole. Snub-nosed monkeys (Rhinopithecus species) are a group of endangered colobines, which were once widely distributed in Asia but are now limited to mountain forests in China and Vietnam 3 (Supplementary Fig. 1).The golden snub-nosed monkey (GSM, R. roxellana) is recognized as an iconic endangered species in China for its golden coat, blue facial coloration, snub nose and specialized life history. Among its congeners, the black-white snub-nosed monkey (R. bieti), endemic to the Tibetan plateau, has the highest altitudinal distribution (>4,000 m above sea level) of any nonhuman primate. Given the above features and the fact that Rhinopithecus species consume difficult-to-digest foods that contain tannins (for example, leaves and pine seeds), we expected to identify genetic adaptations that enhance the breakdown of toxins, improve the regulation of energy metabolism and facilitate the digestion of symbiotic microbacteria. RESULTS Genomic sequences and the accumulation of...

BackgroundThe improvement of bone ingrowth into prosthesis and enhancement of the combination of the range between the bone and prosthesis are important for long-term stability of artificial joints. They are the focus of research on uncemented artificial joints. Porous materials can be of potential use to solve these problems.Objectives/PurposesThis research aims to observe the characteristics of the new porous Ti-25Nb alloy and its biocompatibility in vitro, and to provide basic experimental evidence for the development of new porous prostheses or bone implants for bone tissue regeneration.MethodsThe Ti-25Nb alloys with different porosities were fabricated using powder metallurgy. The alloys were then evaluated based on several characteristics, such as mechanical properties, purity, pore size, and porosity. To evaluate biocompatibility, the specimens were subjected to methylthiazol tetrazolium (MTT) colorimetric assay, cell adhesion and proliferation assay using acridine staining, scanning electron microscopy, and detection of inflammation factor interleukin-6 (IL-6).ResultsThe porous Ti-25Nb alloy with interconnected pores had a pore size of 200 µm to 500 µm, which was favorable for bone ingrowth. The compressive strength of the alloy was similar to that of cortical bone, while with the elastic modulus closer to cancellous bone. MTT assay showed that the alloy had no adverse reaction to rabbit bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells, with a toxicity level of 0 to 1. Cell adhesion and proliferation experiments showed excellent cell growth on the surface and inside the pores of the alloy. According to the IL-6 levels, the alloy did not cause any obvious inflammatory response.ConclusionAll porous Ti-25Nb alloys showed good biocompatibility regardless of the percentage of porosity. The basic requirement of clinical orthopedic implants was satisfied, which made the alloy a good prospect for biomedical application. The alloy with 70% porosity had the optimum mechanical properties, as well as suitable pore size and porosity, which allowed more bone ingrowth.

Wolbachia are maternally inherited, intracellular a-proteobacteria that infect a wide range of arthropods. They manipulate the reproduction of hosts to facilitate their spread into host populations, through ways such as cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI), parthenogenesis, feminization and male killing. The influence of Wolbachia infection on host populations has attracted considerable interest in their possible role in speciation and as a potential agent of biological control. In this study, we used both microinjection and nested PCR to show that the Wolbachia naturally infecting Drosophila simulans can be transferred into a naturally Wolbachiainfected strain of the small brown planthopper Laodelphax striatellus, with up to 30% superinfection frequency in the F 12 generation. The superinfected males of L. striatellus showed unidirectional CI when mated with the original single-infected females, while superinfected females of L. striatellus were compatible with superinfected or single-infected males. These results are, to our knowledge, the first to establish a superinfected horizontal transfer route for Wolbachia between phylogenetically distant insects. The segregation of Wolbachia from superinfected L. striatellus was observed during the spreading process, which suggests that Wolbachia could adapt to a phylogenetically distant host with increased infection frequency in the new host population; however, it would take a long time to establish a highfrequency superinfection line. This study implies a novel way to generate insect lines capable of driving desired genes into Wolbachia-infected populations to start population replacement.

BackgroundHallux valgus (HV) deformity is closely correlated to the hypermobility of the first metatarsal-cuneiform joint, but adequate understanding of the three-dimentional (3D) mobility of this joint in normal or HV feet is lacking. This study was conducted to investigate the mobility of the first metatarsal-cuneiform joint in multiple planes during body weight-bearing conditions for both normal and HV patients.MethodsA total of 10 female volunteers (20 feet) and 10 female HV patients (20 feet) participated in this study. Using a custom-made foot-loading device, computerized tomography (CT) scans of each pair of feet were taken under both unloaded and body weight-bearing conditions. 3D models were reconstructed for the first metatarsal and the medial cuneiform. Rotational and translational motions of the first metatarsal-cuneiform joint in multiple planes from unloaded to loaded conditions were quantitatively evaluated by reverse-engineering software.ResultsDuring body weight-bearing conditions, the first metatarsal-cuneiform joint in HV feet dorsiflexed at an average of 2.91° (standard deviation, SD 1.71) versus 1.18° (SD 0.47) in controls (t = 4.158, P = 0.001); supinated 2.17° (SD 2.28) versus 0.98° (SD 0.81) in controls (t = 2.080, P = 0.045); and internally rotated 2.65° (SD 2.22) versus 0.96° (SD 0.57) in controls (t = 3.114, P = 0.006). Moreover, the joint in HV feet widened significantly compared with the controls (t = 2.256, P = 0.030) and tended to translate more in the dorsal-plantar direction (t = 1.928, P = 0.063); the translation in the medial-lateral direction was not significantly different between the two groups.ConclusionsDuring weight-loading process, the first metatarsal-cuneiform joint turns dorsiflexed, supinated, and internally rotated. For HV feet, hypermobility of the first metatarsal-cuneiform joint can be observed in multiple planes. This study promotes further understanding of the physiological and pathological mobility of the first metatarsal-cuneiform joint.