ERRs and cancers: effects on metabolism and on proliferation and migration capacities

ERRs are orphan members of the nuclear receptor superfamily which, at least for ERRα and ERRγ display important roles in the control of various metabolic processes. On other hand, correlations have been found between the expression of ERRα and γ and diverse parameters of tumor progression in human cancers. Whereas it is tempting to speculate that ERR receptors act in tumors through the regulation of metabolism, recent data have suggested that they also may directly regulate tumor proliferation and progression independently of their effects on metabolism. The two aspects of tumoral functions of ERR receptors are the purpose of the present review.     

基于秩和检验与SVM的基因特征选取与分类方法

研究了如何提取基因图谱信息的方法问题,提出一种新的基因"标签"提取方法.该方法采用秩和检验法选取基因"标签",得到不同显著性水平下基因"标签"的数目,然后将秩和检验法和分类信息指数相结合,在与基于SVM建立的分类模型比较后,提取最合适的基因"标签",再结合分类信息指数重复数次对这些基因"标签"选取主基因,最后用SVM检验主基因选取及分类的准确率,发现准确率有所提高,说明该方法的有效性.     

微量元素锌和超氧化物歧化酶对产蛋鸡影响的研究

结果表明：与对照相比,加锌Ⅱ组鸡的产蛋率高（P＜0．05）,破壳率低（P＜0．01）;加锌Ⅱ组鸡的产蛋率高（P＜0．01）,破壳率降低（P＜0．01）,蛋重增加（P＜0．05）饲料消耗减少,Ⅱ组与Ⅲ组比较,生产性无显著差异。Ⅱ组和Ⅲ组肝中GOT和GPT、血清中AKP酶活性显著增加（P＜0．01）肝中AKPⅡ组明显上升（P＜0．05）,Ⅲ组显著提高（P＜0．01）,SOD酶活性Ⅱ明显增加（P＜0．05）,Ⅲ组显著上升（P＜0．01）,Ⅱ组与Ⅲ组比较,肝中GOT和AKP存在显著差异（P＜0．01）。其它酶活性各组间无明显差异（P＜0．05）。鸡蛋中的锌含量Ⅱ和 Ⅲ组大幅度上升（P＜0．01）,Ⅲ组磷脂降低（P＜0．05）,Ⅱ组不受影响（P＜0．05）。铁和各种氨基酸含量无明显变化（P＜0．05）。肝脏、肺脏、肌肉和翅羽中的锌含量Ⅱ组和Ⅲ组显著增加（P＜0．01）能脏中的锌含量Ⅱ组明显上升（P＜0．05）,Ⅲ组显著提高（P＜0．01）,心脏、脾脏和卵巢无显著影响（P＜0．05）。     

乙醇与乙醛对心脏的影响及其可能机制的探讨

通过研究乙醇、乙醛对离体心脏和神经干的影响,探讨乙醇、乙醛对心脏作用的可能机制.用不同浓度的乙醇和乙醛处理牛蛙蛙心灌流标本和坐骨神经标本,用BL-420 系统对给药前后心脏的心率和振幅以及神经干最小刺激强度作记录.乙醇和乙醛可以引起神经兴奋性的改变从而影响神经冲动的传导,而且其影响具有明显的量效依赖关系,低浓度的乙醇和乙醛能使神经的兴奋性增加,高浓度则降低;乙醇对心脏的心率和振幅均有抑制作用,低浓度的乙醛对心脏心率和振幅有促进作用,高浓度的乙醛对心脏造成不可恢复的损伤.乙醇、乙醛对心脏的影响效果不同,但两者均可直接影响及通过神经而间接影响心脏的活动.     

Thoughts on the origin and nature of life and intelligence on earth

Believing, for good reasons, that our Universe engenders the occurrence of Life, it is probable that Life appeared more than once on young planet Earth. The universality of our genetic code indicates though, that only one line produced a population that was cellular, autopoietic, responsive intelligently (i.e., to its advantage) to its environment, and capable of reproduction. Its evolution took time during which other intermediate or incipient forms of life disappeared. Trying to retrace ab initio the preceding chemical evolution on our young planet, we may not repeat the chemistry which led to our line. One can argue that it may be profitable to attempt to construct artificial life forms using the kind of building blocks that we learned to know through studying the chemistry of our life. Independently, computers are being built, or are planned, which possess memory that can be used appropriately (intelligently), and which to some extent can repair and reproduce themselves. Such Life does not depend on our biochemistry. However, these machines do perform as yet only partly along the lines of our human intelligence which is guided by self-awareness and a sense of individual integrity, and are thereby not equipped to search for Understanding and Self-expression.     

Studies on growth and metabolism of Oenococcus oeni on sugars and sugar mixtures

AIMS: To study the effect of sugars and sugar mixtures on the growth kinetics of Oenococcus oeni NCIMB 11648 in batch culture with the aim of producing a high cell productivity system for starter cultures. METHODS AND RESULTS: The growth of O. oeni was investigated on single sugars (glucose, fructose or sucrose) and their mixtures (glucose-fructose, glucose-sucrose or fructose-sucrose). Better growth was obtained on sugar mixtures compared with growth on a single sugar. The production system of O. oeni biomass was investigated in batch culture with or without pH control with respect to kinetics, specific growth rate and biomass yield. The effect of pH and substrate concentration on fermentation balances and ATP yield were determined. The optimal growth of O. oeni was achieved on the glucose-fructose mixture (9 g l(-1), 1 : 1) at pH 4.5 and 25 degrees C with pH control, with highest cell volumetric productivity (7.9 mg cell l(-1) h(-1)), biomass yield (0.041 g cell g(-1) sugar) and specific growth rate (0.066 h(-1)). CONCLUSIONS: The limitations to the growth of O. oeni were pH and inhibition by end product resulting in poor utilization of the medium with low cell yields. The cell productivity of the system can be improved by the appropriate use of mixed sugar growth medium. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY: This study uniquely showed that appropriate sugar mixtures with the correct environmental conditions can significantly improve the productivity of O. oeni cultures.