微生物学实验教学考核评价体系的建立及实施

本文阐述了微生物学实验“三多”教学考核评价体系的建立、在教学实践中的实施过程和教学效果。“三多”评价体系主要是指教学考核方面多、角度多、层次多。该评价体系的实施, 促使学生变被动学习为主动学习; 建立了微生物学实践技术操作理念和思维; 激发了学生探究科学、积极创新的热情; “三多”评价体系得到学生肯定, 取得了比较理想的教学效果。     

微生物学课程教学考核方式初探与实践

阐述了微生物学课堂教学中知识竞赛这种新型的考核方式在教学实践中的教学实施与教学效果。这种考核方式的实施,促使学生变被动学习为主动学习;加强了学生检索与整理文献的能力;培养了学生团队交流与合作意识;激发创新思维的科学态度与科研理念。知识竞赛这种新型的考核方式取得了较为理想的教学效果。     

“环境工程微生物学”线上线下混合式教学的改革与实践

“环境工程微生物学”是环境工程专业的一门基础课程,但由于环境微生物学概念抽象、内容繁冗,大部分学生在课堂上注意力不集中,难以理解和应用生物氧化过程、微生物在环境工程中的作用等内容,教学效果较差。为提高学生的学习效果和教师的教学感受,基于超星泛雅网络教学平台,对环境工程微生物学的教学内容、教学方法、考核方式等进行线上线下混合式教学改革与实践。实践结果表明改革后的课程激发了学生内在学习的动力,使学生具有了自学和继续学习的能力,在知识、能力、素质这3个方面取得了成效,并有效提升了学生的专业能力和综合素质;同时,课程教师的教学方法、教学能力、教学感受以及信息技术均得到提升和改进,加强了课程创新实践,提升了环境工程类专业课程的教学质量。     

环境工程微生物学课程教学中存在的问题与对策

环境工程微生物学是我国高等学校环境工程专业的基础核心课程,具有知识更新速度快、知识点繁多、内容分散的特点。在其教学过程如何兼顾传统微生物学内容与现代微生物学研究新进展,合理选择教学内容、实验项目和安排实验时间,引导学生准确掌握基本概念和知识点,培养学生动手能力、创新意识和创新能力,是摆在每位教师面前的难题。围绕上述问题,我们教学团队在课堂与实验教学内容、教学方法和课外大学生实践活动等方面采取了一系列措施,取得了较好的教学效果。     

“因材施教”与“循序渐进”——微生物学教学中的“以人为本”教育观浅析

通过分析提出"因材施教"和"循序渐进"是"以人为本"教育观在高校人才培养过程中的具体贯彻和体现;结合微生物学教学实践,从"教"与"学"两个方面阐述了:课堂教学要以学生为中心因材施教,实施基于学生需求和认知能力的教学内容和方法;学生学习要循序渐进,发挥教师主导作用,建立实验与课堂协调促进机制,实现阶段性提高等具体措施,从而进一步阐明了全面落实"以人为本"教育观于微生物学教学的重要性和现实意义。     

通识教育选修课“微生物与生活”课程教学改革实践

本文介绍了湖北工业大学生物工程系2014-2019年间在全校本科生中开设通识教育选修课"微生物与生活"的教学探索。通过教学方法、情感培养及结课评价等改革实践,采用模块教学,将课堂教学与社会实践相结合以激发学生对微生物知识学习的兴趣,促进学生对微生物学知识的理解。课程打破常规的考试评价机制,采用结课报告与课堂学生现场汇报的评价方式,强化对学生自身的锻炼,提高学生学习的积极性与主动性。5年的教学实践表明,这种改革创新对学生综合素质的提升起到了重要作用,以学生感兴趣的知识为切入点,使学生主动参与,更好、更深入地了解微生物与生活的密切联系,体会在实践中获得知识的成就感,并激发部分学生对科学研究的兴趣,培养学生热爱科学研究的情感。本文将理论教学、学生汇报与生产实践相结合,改变学生对传统课堂教学评价模式的认知,通过启发、引导等形式实现理论与实践环节的有机融合,获得了良好的教学效果。     

体验式教学在食品微生物学教学中的应用探索

本文针对我国高校目前在食品微生物学课程的教学现状,引入体验式教学的理念,结合体验式教学的定义及特征,以学生为中心,通过增加学生的感官体验、互动过程、操作体验、实践经历等促使其主动去探索发现。通过"情境设置—主体体验—评价体验—体验迁移"的模式,而不是单一的知识灌输,提升学生对食品微生物学的认知兴趣和主动性,增加学生的学习积极性和创造性,启发学生进行自主的知识构建,达到更好的教学效果。     

“互联网+”背景下“微生物学实验”课程的改革与实践

"互联网+"技术应用于教育使高校教学在教学场景、教师角色和学生学习特点等方面发生巨大变化。为适应"互联网+"时代的教学特点以及学生个性化学习和创新能力培养的需要,将智慧教学工具引入到"微生物学实验"课程教学以及在互联网学习平台上建设在线开放课程。雨课堂教学工具将智能手机转变为学生的学习工具,提高了学生学习的积极性、加强了师生间的互动、实现了教学效果的及时反馈,学生的学习数据有助于教师更客观地评价学习效果和更好地开展个性化教学。其次,在江苏省在线课程中心平台上开展了江苏省在线开放课程"微生物学模块化实验"的建设工作。课程建设需及时更新教学理念,提高教师参与课程建设的积极性;加强在线开放课程建设的岗前培训;课程内容应考虑大学生的学习特点、制作成本和学习成本等因素。在线课程的建设为开展翻转课堂教学和混合式教学提供支撑条件,为"互联网+"背景下的"微生物学实验"教学改革奠定基础。     

医学微生物学实验技术教学体系的建设与实践

《医学微生物学及实验技术》是医学实验技术专业的一门重要专业主干课程,该课程的实验技术部分是学生必须掌握的基本技能。经过数年的教学实践,本着培养应用型人才的目标和重实践教学的教学理念,引入企业实践教学,逐步形成了"医学微生物学实验技术"教学体系,由基础性实验、综合性实验、企业实践三部分组成,并初步建立和实施了形成性考核评价体系。教学实践表明,学生较为全面地掌握了医学微生物学实验技术,对全面提高学生的实验实践能力和综合素质有所助益,有效提高了医学微生物学实验技术教学效果。     

创建多层次微生物学实验教学体系培养科研创新型人才

"微生物学"课程是高等教育生命科学教学中一门重要的基础课程。微生物学实验作为独立于微生物学理论课的基础实验课,对学生基本实验技能的培养和综合素质的提高,培养学生探索精神、创新意识和创新能力方面起着至关重要的作用。南开大学微生物学教学实验室依托"微生物学"国家重点学科、"教育部分子微生物学重点实验室"和"国家级生物实验教学示范中心",建立了多级别分层次的微生物学实验教学体系;确立了由基础性实验、综合性实验、创新性实验相结合的实验内容;同时充分利用本校教学科研资源优势,为学生搭建了多级别的科研创新训练实践平台,着重培养学生的科研素质、创新意识和创新能力,在微生物学科研创新型人才的培养中发挥了重要的作用。     

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.     

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。     

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.     

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.     

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.     

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.