Reference values for the concentrations of As,Cd, Co,Cr, Cu,Fe, I,Hg, Mn,Mo, Ni,Pb, Se,and Zn in selected human tissues and body fluids

This report attempts to formulate reference ranges of elemental concentrations for 15 trace elements in selected human tissues and body fluids. A set of samples consisting of whole blood, blood serum, urine, milk, liver, and hair were chosen and considered for 15 elements of biological significance: As, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, F, Fe, I, Hg, Mn, Mo, Ni, Pb, Se, and Zn. The results represent wholly or partially data received from 40 countries of the global regions of Africa, Asia, Europe, North, South, and Central America, Australia, and New Zealand. This survey, even if qualitative, has been useful in demonstrating certain trends of trace-element scenarios around the world. It is of course recognized that both diet and environment exert a strong influence on the distribution pattern of several elements, such as As, Cd, Mn, Pb, Se, and Zn. A limited comparison of the available information on soil status of different countries reflected some interesting associations for elements, such as Mn and Zn. Importantly, this study revealed that only a few countries were in a position to identify a reasonable amount of data on samples requested for this project. Regretably, for a number of countries, any dependable data for even such essential elements as Cu, Fe, and Zn were not available. In view of the nutritional importance of many elements, the time is ripe for concerted efforts by intergovernmental agencies to initiate investigations or commission task forces/projects to generate reliable reference data for selected global regions, which sadly lack data of any kind at present.     

Inflorescences: concepts,function, development and evolution

Background

Inflorescences are complex structures with many functions. At anthesis they present the flowers in ways that allow for the transfer of pollen and optimization of the plant''s reproductive success. During flower and fruit development they provide nutrients to the developing flowers and fruits. At fruit maturity they support the fruits prior to dispersal, and facilitate effective fruit and seed dispersal. From a structural point of view, inflorescences have played important roles in systematic and phylogenetic studies. As functional units they facilitate reproduction, and are largely shaped by natural selection.

Scope

The papers in this Special Issue bridge the gap between structural and functional approaches to inflorescence evolution. They include a literature review of inflorescence function, an experimental study of inflorescences as essential contributors to the display of flowers, and two papers that present new methods and concepts for understanding inflorescence diversity and for dealing with terminological problems. The transient model of inflorescence development is evaluated in an ontogenetic study, and partially supported. Four papers present morphological and ontogenetic studies of inflorescence development in monophyletic groups, and two of these evaluate the usefulness of Hofmeister''s Rule and inhibitory fields to predict inflorescence structure. In the final two papers, Bayesian and Monte-Carlo methods are used to elucidate inflorescence evolution in the Panicoid grasses, and a candidate gene approach is used in an attempt to understand the evolutionary genetics of inflorescence evolution in the genus Cornus (Cornaceae). Taken as a whole, the papers in this issue provide a glimpse of contemporary approaches to the study of the structure, development, and evolution of inflorescences, and suggest fruitful new directions for research.     

Assessing burrowing, nest construction, and hoarding in mice

Deterioration in the ability to perform "Activities of daily living" (ADL) is an early sign of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Preclinical behavioural screening of possible treatments for AD currently largely focuses on cognitive testing, which frequently demands expensive equipment and lots of experimenter time. However, human episodic memory (the most severely affected aspect of memory in AD) is different to rodent memory, which seems to be largely non-episodic. Therefore the present ways of screening for new AD treatments for AD in rodents are intrinsically unlikely to succeed. A new approach to preclinical screening would be to characterise the ADL of mice. Fortuitously, several such assays have recently been developed at Oxford, and here the three most sensitive and well-characterised are presented. Burrowing was first developed in Oxford. It evolved from a need to develop a mouse hoarding paradigm. Most published rodent hoarding paradigms required a distant food source to be linked to the home cage by a connecting passage. This would involve modifying the home cage as well as making a mouse-proof connecting passage and food source. So it was considered whether it would be possible to put the food source inside the cage. It was found that if a container was placed on the floor it was emptied by the next morning., The food pellets were, however, simply deposited in a heap at the container entrance, rather than placed in a discrete place away from the container, as might be expected if the mice were truly hoarding them. Close inspection showed that the mice were performing digging ("burrowing") movements, not carrying the pellets in their mouths to a selected place as they would if truly hoarding them. Food pellets are not an essential substrate for burrowing; mice will empty tubes filled with sand, gravel, even soiled bedding from their own cage. Moreover, they will empty a full tube even if an empty one is placed next to it. Several nesting protocols exist in the literature. The present Oxford one simplifies the procedure and has a well-defined scoring system for nest quality. A hoarding paradigm was later developed in which the mice, rather than hoarding back to the real home cage, were adapted to living in the "home base" of a hoarding apparatus. This home base was connected to a tube made of wire mesh, the distal end of which contained the food source. This arrangement proved to yield good hoarding behaviour, as long as the mice were adapted to living in the "home base" during the day and only allowed to enter the hoarding tube at night.     

Magnesium,calcium, copper,and zinc in meals

Meals of 12 diets were prepared from conventional foods with precautions against contamination by metallic elements because of epidemiologic associations between ischemic heart disease and the metabolism of magnesium, calcium, copper, and zinc. Magnesium, calcium, copper, and zinc were measured by atomic absorption spectrometry with satisfactory accuracy and precision. The mean daily amount of copper in the diets was less than the apparent adult requirement. Mean amounts of magnesium and zinc were close to apparent requirements; however, adults consuming amounts less than one standard deviation below these means may be depleting body stores and be at risk of pathology. Magnesium and copper were highly correlated (r=0.849,P=0.0001) in meals. This and other significant correlations probably will prevent the relationships of these elements to ischemic heart disease from being elucidated by epidemiology. Metabolic experiments will be necessary to differentiate among several hypotheses.     

植物乳杆菌、苹果醋酸杆菌和酿酒酵母三种微生物对黑腹果蝇行为和发育的影响

【目的】肠道微生物在宿主的多种生命活动中发挥重要作用。本研究旨在通过研究植物乳杆菌Lactobacillus plantarum, 苹果醋酸杆菌Acetobacter malorum和酿酒酵母Saccharomyces cerevisiae 3种微生物对黑腹果蝇Drosophila melanogaster觅食、产卵和发育的影响,进一步阐明肠道微生物与宿主的互作调控机制。【方法】采用引诱实验检测体外培养的植物乳杆菌、苹果醋酸杆菌和酿酒酵母对交配前后黑腹果蝇成虫的引诱力以及这3种微生物的单一微生物和其中2种或3种微生物的混合物对非处女蝇的引诱力。采用产卵选择实验检测黑腹果蝇非处女蝇对单一微生物和其中2种或3种微生物的混合物的产卵偏好。将黑腹果蝇卵在接种分别含有植物乳杆菌、苹果醋酸杆菌和酿酒酵母的培养基和正常培养基(对照)上培养,测量幼虫体重;同时将卵在分别含有活菌或灭活的这3种单一微生物的培养基上和正常培养基上培养,统计化蛹数,以检测不同微生物对黑腹果蝇幼虫发育的影响。将黑腹果蝇幼虫在分别含有植物乳杆菌、苹果醋酸杆菌和酿酒酵母的培养基及正常培养基中培养72 h,qRT-PCR检测胰岛素信号通路的关键基因InR在黑腹果蝇幼虫中的相对表达量变化。【结果】苹果醋酸杆菌主要影响黑腹果蝇的产卵,酿酒酵母和植物乳杆菌则可同时影响黑腹果蝇觅食和产卵,且与单一微生物相比,非处女黑腹果蝇更趋向于含有2种或3种微生物的混合物。产卵选择实验表明,3种单一供试微生物及其中2种或3种微生物的混合物对黑腹果蝇的产卵选择具有显著的吸引力,其中混合物的影响最大,然后依次是苹果醋酸杆菌、酿酒酵母、植物乳杆菌。3种微生物均可促进黑腹果蝇幼虫的发育,活菌在接种早期加快幼虫到蛹的发育,灭活菌的促进作用则相对滞后。与对照比较,InR在接种苹果醋酸杆菌的培养基上培养的黑腹果蝇幼虫中的表达量显著降低,而在分别接种植物乳杆菌和酿酒酵母的培养基上培养的幼虫中则被显著促进表达。【结论】苹果醋酸杆菌可引诱黑腹果蝇的产卵,酿酒酵母和植物乳杆菌对黑腹果蝇的觅食和产卵都有具有引诱力;同时微生物的多样性可增加黑腹果蝇的觅食和产卵偏好。植物乳杆菌、苹果醋酸杆菌和酿酒酵母可能通过不同的调控机制影响黑腹果蝇幼虫的生长发育。     

Cardiac copper,magnesium, and zinc in recent and old myocardial infarction

X-ray fluorescence spectrometry and atomic absorption spectrometry were used in a quantitative study of zinc, copper, and magnesium in 71 postmortal human hearts. Samples were obtained from individuals who had demonstrated no previous clinical or subsequent pathological findings of myocardial infarction and from victims of a recent or an old infarction. A significant difference (p<0.001) in the elemental levels was observed between the noninfarct and the recent infarct groups. The noninfarct group had higher cardiac levels of all three elements. However, the difference in elemental concentrations between the noninfarct and the old-infarct groups was not significant. Cardiac levels of zinc (p<0.001) and copper (p<0.01) were significantly greater in the old-infarct group than in the recent-infarct group. Magnesium levels were higher in the recent-and-old-infarct group than in the recent infarct group (p<0.01). It is possible that the elements are redistributed during myocardial infarction, and that uptake of these elements (from the serum pool) by the heart may be important in maintaining myocardial integrity and function.     

Cadmium,cobalt, chromium,and experimental myocardial infarction

In the case of experimental heart muscle infarction, the infarcted tissue of 18 pigs had a cadmium content of 0.38 μg/g dry weight and a cobalt content of 0.45 μg/g dry weight. In 25 non-infarcted pig hearts, the cadmium concentration amounted to 0.27 μg/g dry weight and the cobalt concentration to 0.37 μg/g dry weight. Thus, as far as the infarcted heart muscle tissue is concerned, there is a highly significant increase in the cadmium content (p<0.01) and a significant increase in cobalt content (p<0.05) compared to a non-infarcted heart. No differences were established with regard to chromium concentrations.     

Helix periodicity, topology, and dynamics of membrane-associated alpha-synuclein

The protein alpha-Synuclein (aS) is a synaptic vesicle-associated regulator of synaptic strength and dopamine homeostasis with a pathological role in Parkinson's disease. The normal function of aS depends on a membrane-associated conformation that is adopted upon binding to negatively charged lipid surfaces. Previously we found that the membrane-binding domain of aS is helical and suggested that it may exhibit an unusual structural periodicity. Here we present a study of the periodicity, topology, and dynamics of detergent micelle-bound aS using paramagnetic spin labels embedded in the micelle or attached to the protein. We show that the helical region of aS completes three full turns every 11 residues, demonstrating the proposed 11/3 periodicity. We also find that the membrane-binding domain is partially buried in the micelle surface and bends toward the hydrophobic interior, but does not traverse the micelle. Deeper submersion of certain regions within the micelle, including the unique lysine-free sixth 11-residue repeat, is observed and may be functionally important. There are no long-range tertiary contacts within this domain, indicating a highly extended configuration. The backbone dynamics of the micelle-bound region are relatively uniform with a slight decrease in flexibility observed toward the C-terminal end. These results clarify the topological features of aS bound to membrane-mimicking detergent micelles, with implications for aS function and pathology.     

Agra, arboreal beetles of Neotropical forests: pusilla group and piranha group systematics and notes on their ways of life (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Lebiini, Agrina)

Revisions of two new species groups of the genus Agra Fabricius are presented with the following species described as new: pusilla group - Agra cruciariasp. n. (Brazil), Agra gracesp. n. (Ecuador,Perú), Agra maxsp. n. (Brazil), Agra minasianussp. n. (Brazil),Agra notpusillasp. n. (Brazil), Agra pseudopusillasp. n. (Brazil); piranha group - Agra cesp. n. (Perú), Agra risserisp. n. (Bolivia,Brazil), Agra maiasp. n. (Bolivia), Agra piranhasp. n. (Ecuador); Agra tiputinisp. n. (Ecuador). Species of these two groups have adults that are the smallest in the entire genus, although this does not indicate they are closely related based on other attributes. All species are Amazonian in distribution.     

Esterase Allozymes of Soybean Cyst Nematode,Heterodera glycines,from China,Japan, and the United States

Individual females from 19 populations of Heterodera glycines from China, Japan, and the United States were analyzed for esterase allozyme polymorphism. Eight esterase electrophoretic phenotypes were resolved. Four putative loci, est-1, est-2, est-3, and est-4, were identified, having one, one, two, and one allele, respectively. The four loci expressed six genotypes in the four Chinese populations. Loci est-2, est-3, and est-4 were identified in five Japanese populations and expressed five genotypes, whereas only loci est-2 and est-3 were identified in 10 populations from the United States and expressed four genotypes. Putative alleles at each locus were defined as characters for data analysis. Phylogenetic analysis using parsimony (PAUP) was utilized to determine relationships among the 19 populations. More loci and alleles in populations from China and phylogenetic similarities among populations from Japan and the United States are consistent with a founder effect resulting from dissemination of progenitor H. glycines from China to Japan and subsequent introductions of founder populations from Japan to the United States.     

Some genetic consequences of ice ages, and their role, in divergence and speciation

The genetic effects of pleistocene ice ages are approached by deduction from paleoenvironmental information, by induction from the genetic structure of populations and species, and by their combination to infer likely consequences. (1) Recent palaeoclimatic information indicate rapid global reversals and changes in ranges of species which would involve elimination with spreading from the edge. Leading edge colonization during a rapid expansion would be leptokurtic and lead to homozygosity and spatial assortment of genomes. In Europe and North America, ice age contractions were into southern refugia, which would promote genome reorganization. (2) The present day genetic structure of species shows frequent geographic subdivision, with parapatric genomes, hybrid zones and suture zones. A survey of recent DNA phylogeographic information supports and extends earlier work. (3) The grasshopper Chorthippus parallelus is used to illustrate such data and processes. Its range in Europe is divided on DNA sequences into five parapatric races, with southern genomes showing greater haplotype diversity - probably due to southern mountain blocks acting as refugia and northern expansion reducing diversity. (4) Comparison with other recent studies shows a concordance of such phylogeographic data over pleistocene time scales. (5) The role that ice age range changes may have played in changing adaptations is explored, including the limits of range, rapid change in new invasions and refugial differentiation in a variety of organisms. (6) The effects of these events in causing divergence and speciation are explored using Chorthippus as a paradigm. Repeated contraction and expansion would accumulate genome differences and adaptations, protected from mixing by hybrid zones, and such a composite mode of speciation could apply to many organisms.     

Phytochemical study,cytotoxic, analgesic,antipyretic and anti-inflammatory activities of Strychnos nux-vomica

The strychnine tree (Strychnos nux-vomica L.) (S. nux-vomica) belonging to family Loganiaceae has been a very promising medication for certain disorders. Different chromatographic methods were used to isolate the phenolic compounds from the aqueous methanolic extract of the S. nux-vomica leaves. Their identification was achieved through spectroscopic techniques. Cytotoxicity, analgesic, antipyretic and anti-inflammatory activities of S. nux-vomica leaves extract were evaluated. Five phenolic compounds were isolated and identified; Kaempferol-7 glucoside 1, 7-Hydroxy coumarin 2, Quercetin-3-rhamnoside 3, Kaempferol 3-rutinoside 4, and Rutin 5. Furthermore, the cytotoxic activity of the extract was evaluated against different cancer cell lines. The extract showed potential cytotoxic activity against human epidermoid larynx carcinoma cells (Hep-2) and against breast carcinoma cell line (MCF-7). Colon carcinoma cells (HCT) were the least one affected by the extract. In addition, the extract exhibited promising analgesic, antipyretic as well as anti-inflammatory activities. It is concluded that, leaves extract of S. nux vomica possess potent cytotoxic, analgesic, antipyretic and anti-inflammatory activities. These activities could be due to the presence of phenolic compounds revealed by our phytochemical investigations.     

Review of subtribe Singilina Jeannel, 1949, of the Middle East and Central Asia (Coleoptera, Carabidae, Lebiini)

Species of the genus Singilis Rambur, 1837 (Phloeozeteus Peyron, 1856, syn. n., Agatus Motschulsky, 1845, syn. n.), occurring in the Middle East and Central Asia are reviewed, with 24 species now recognized in the region, including ten species described as new: Singilis makarovi sp. n. (Tajikistan), Singilis jedlickai sp. n. (Afghanistan), Singilis kolesnichenkoi sp. n. (Iran), Singilis kabakovi sp. n. (Afghanistan, Iran), Singilis timuri sp. n. (Uzbekistan), Singilis klimenkoi sp. n. (Iran), Singilis saeedi sp. n. (Iran), Singilis felixi sp. n. (UAE), Singilis kryzhanovskii sp. n. (Iran, Turkmenistan), and Singilis timidus sp. n. (Iran); Singilis libani (Sahlberg, 1913) is recognized as a valid species; and Singilis solskyi nom. n. is proposed as a replacement name for Agatus bicolor (Solsky, 1874, not Rambur 1837), now placed in Singilis as junior homonym. New synonymies include: Singilis cingulatus (Gebler, 1843) = Singilis jakeschi Jedlička, 1967, syn. n.; Singilis mesopotamicus Pic, 1901 = Singilis apicalis Jedlička, 1956, syn. n. A key to species is provided. Habitus and aedeagal illustrations are provided for all species. Distributional data include many new country records.     

Influence of silver,mercury, lead,cadmium, and selenium on glutathione peroxidase and transferase activities in rats

At the levels used in the experiments, mercury and silver significantly depressed the activity of glutathione peroxidase (assayed with either H₂O₂ or cumene-OOH) in rat tissues, whereas cadmium or lead had no effect on this activity. The most pronounced effects of mercury and silver on glutathione peroxidase were found in the liver and kidneys, with much less effect in the testes and erythrocytes. Similar trends for the effects of these metals were noted for tissue selenium levels. Silver and mercury significantly depressed the selenium concentrations, but cadmium and lead had no effect upon the selenium levels. Mercury and silver had no effect upon the activity of glutathione transferase in liver and testes, but mercury caused a significant initial increase of its activity in the kidneys. At no time did silver have any significant effect on its activity in this organ.     

Expression,Isolation, and Purification of Soluble and Insoluble Biotinylated Proteins for Nerve Tissue Regeneration

Recombinant protein engineering has utilized Escherichia coli (E. coli) expression systems for nearly 4 decades, and today E. coli is still the most widely used host organism. The flexibility of the system allows for the addition of moieties such as a biotin tag (for streptavidin interactions) and larger functional proteins like green fluorescent protein or cherry red protein. Also, the integration of unnatural amino acids like metal ion chelators, uniquely reactive functional groups, spectroscopic probes, and molecules imparting post-translational modifications has enabled better manipulation of protein properties and functionalities. As a result this technique creates customizable fusion proteins that offer significant utility for various fields of research. More specifically, the biotinylatable protein sequence has been incorporated into many target proteins because of the high affinity interaction between biotin with avidin and streptavidin. This addition has aided in enhancing detection and purification of tagged proteins as well as opening the way for secondary applications such as cell sorting. Thus, biotin-labeled molecules show an increasing and widespread influence in bioindustrial and biomedical fields. For the purpose of our research we have engineered recombinant biotinylated fusion proteins containing nerve growth factor (NGF) and semaphorin3A (Sema3A) functional regions. We have reported previously how these biotinylated fusion proteins, along with other active protein sequences, can be tethered to biomaterials for tissue engineering and regenerative purposes. This protocol outlines the basics of engineering biotinylatable proteins at the milligram scale, utilizing  a T7 lac inducible vector and E. coli expression hosts, starting from transformation to scale-up and purification.     

Cutinase: Characteristics,preparation, and application

Cutinases (E.C. 3.1.1.74) belong to the α/β-hydrolase superfamily. They were initially discovered because they are secreted by fungi to hydrolyze the ester bonds of the plant polymer cutin. Since then, they have been shown to catalyze the hydrolysis of a variety of polymers, insoluble triacylglycerols, and low-molecular-weight soluble esters. Cutinases are also capable of catalyzing esterification and transesterification reactions. These relatively small, versatile, secreted catalysts have shown promise in a number of industrial applications. This review begins by describing the characteristics of cutinases, pointing out key differences among cutinases, esterases and lipases, and reviewing recent progress in engineering improved cutinases. It continues with a review of the methods used to produce cutinases, with the goal of obtaining sufficient quantities of material for use in industrial processes. Finally, the uses of cutinases in the textile industry are described. The studies presented here demonstrate that the cutinases are poised to become important industrial catalysts, replacing older technologies with more environmentally friendly processes.     

Factors affecting life and death in Serengeti cheetahs: environment, age, and sociality

We examined environmental and social factors affecting reproductivesuccess across a 20-year data set of individually known cheetahson the Serengeti Plains of Tanzania. Because cheetahs are seeninfrequently and are not amenable to mark–recapture techniques,we devised a model to estimate time of death for individualsthat disappeared from our records. We found that males had markedlylower survival than females. Recruitment was negatively affectedby rainfall but positively affected by numbers of Thomson'sgazelles, the cheetahs' chief prey. There was a negative associationbetween recruitment and numbers of lions, demonstrating thatthe high rates of predation observed in previous studies haveimplications for the dynamics of cheetah populations. Recruitmentwas related to mother's age, peaking when she reached 6–7years. Sociality affected survival in two ways. First, adolescentsliving in temporary sibling groups had higher survival thansingletons, particularly males with sisters. Second, adult malesliving in coalitions had higher survival than singletons inperiods when other coalitions were numerous, yet they had lowersurvival when other coalitions were rare. These results corroborateobservations of enhanced prey capture by female adolescentsand antipredator benefits for adolescents in groups, as wellas competitive advantages for adult males in groups. Furthermore,our findings stress the importance of interactions between environmentaland social factors in affecting reproductive success in mammals.