关于小长梁石制品的进步性

小长梁遗址发现于1978年。尤玉柱等研究后认为其时代属于早更新世。石制品被一些学者认为相当进步 ,甚至怀疑已经达到了黄土时期的式样。于是出现了年代古老和石制品进步的矛盾。笔者检查和分析了小长梁发现的石制品 ,认为细小的不规范的石制品并不说明技术的进步 ;小长梁石制品的原料利用率并不高 ;几件不规则的石叶状的石片也不足以说明打片技术的进步 ;所谓修理台面的石片亦难于肯定 ;至于所谓极精细的加工痕迹似乎用使用痕迹来解释更为合理。总之 ,小长梁发现的石制品从打片和第二步加工的技术水平看来 ,加工简单粗糙 ,并未显示出任何明显的进步性质。小长梁的石器类型并不复杂。比较起来 ,小长梁的石制品没有北京人的石制品进步 ,也没有达到晚更新世的石制品的技术类型水平。就目前已经发表的材料看来 ,小长梁的石制品所表现出来的特点与生物地层学及古地磁测年提供的论断是大致协调的。     

吉林桦甸仙人洞旧石器遗址1993年发掘报告

1993年5—6月,仙人洞旧石器遗址发掘获得石制品197件,打制骨器18件,磨制骨器1件以及大量的动物骨骼化石。遗址分为上、下两个文化层,时代属旧石器时代早期之末或中期至晚期。石制品具有以小石制品为主的中国北方主工业的特点。     

小长梁石工业研究

根据小长梁遗址1998年和1990-1997年间5次发掘所获得的石制品,本文采用操作链（chaine opera-toire)分析概念,从石料、打制技术,二次加工、微痕观察,废片分析和认知考古学的角度,对小长梁石工业的结构及所反映的人类行为和智慧进行了综合分析。分析表明,小长梁石工业受劣质石料的影响很大,碎屑块比例极高,打片技术简单,仅采用锤击和砸击法,二次加工制品比例很低,不存在概念型板的规范制品,微痕分析显示,遗址的经济活动主要为处理肉类以及植物,对石核剥片和二次加工的空间概念分析,小长梁古人类在打片过程中仅采用前运算智力和初级的具体运算智力,考虑到石料质地,数量和适应等因素,石工业并不反映古人群体的全部智慧,而表现了一种权宜性行为方式,但是他们的认知水平不会超过12岁儿童的智力。     

泥河湾盆地南山边遗址发现的旧石器

南山边遗址位于泥河湾盆地东缘、大田洼台地北缘,于2013年的旧石器调查中发现。随后的试掘中,出土石制品38件,动物化石3件,石制品包括石核、石片、刮削器、残片、断块等,属于中国北方以小石制品为主的主工业类型。石制品位于泥河湾层中下部,根据地层对比,与大长梁地点、小长梁遗址、照坡遗址、葡萄园遗址等属于同一层位,时代相同,由此在台地北缘形成一处面积广阔、时代接近、分布集中的遗址区,为探讨早更新世古人类的活动范围、栖居模式、遗址功能分析等提供有益线索。     

泥河湾盆地大长梁旧石器地点

大长梁旧石器地点位于泥河湾盆地东端 ,埋藏在泥河湾层里。它东距小长梁遗址170米 ,野外观测和地层对比显示 ,二者的地层层位及文化层一致 ,应为同时期遗址。该地点试掘近 7平方米 ,共获得33件石制品和一些动物化石。出土石制品以小型为主 ,原料剥片利用率高 ,成器率低 ,动物化石多为哺乳类肢骨。其年代大于107万年 ,属旧石器时代早期。     

泥河湾盆地葡萄园旧石器遗址

本文报道的葡萄园石制品79件,发现在泥河湾盆地东端河北省阳原县官厅村北小长梁更新世早期旧石器遗址东侧的后石山基部,文化层由下更新统湖滨相冲-洪积砾石层构成,层位与小长梁文化层大致相当,位于Matsuyama负极性时的Jaramillo正极性亚时层段之下,而靠近Olduvai正极性亚时层段顶面,推断其年龄为150~160万年。     

河北阳原岑家湾发现的旧石器

岑家湾地点的石制品埋藏在下泥河湾层棕红色粘土中,地质时代属早更新世,文化层可能低于小长梁和东谷坨,是泥河湾层内发现的又一处较重要的旧石器地点。岑家湾的石器仅刮削器一类,加工简单,显得粗糙、古朴。岑家湾的石制品均较细小,当属华北地区小石器文化传统。     

许昌灵井遗址2005年出土石制品的初步研究

本文是灵井遗址2005年出土石制品的初步研究成果。文化遗物埋藏于上、下两套湖相沉积层内。在90m2范围内,共出土石制品2 452件,动物化石(包括人工骨器)约3 000件。石制品采用大石英岩和小脉石英砾石为原料,类型包括石器、石核、石片、断块和石器等。打片和加工采用锤击法,少量采用砸击法。石器毛坯多为断片和断块,多数器型不规则,但也有一些精致加工的小石器。脉石英石器以刮削器为主,还有尖状器、雕刻器、钻器等。石英岩石器以砍砸器为主,兼有手镐和石球。两种石料石器类型形成互补。由于脉石英质石料占主导,石器总体以小型为主。灵井石器工业具有中国北方旧石器时代主工业的特点,部分砾石制作的砍砸器等反映了南方主工业的因素。从地层、遗物和古环境判断,2005年出土的石制品属于旧石器时代晚期,根据上下地层关系分析,本地区不存在中石器文化遗存。     

石料力学性能分析在旧石器考古学研究中的应用

石料是石器制作过程中的重要因素,石料本身的力学性能不仅与古人类的原料利用方式密切相关,还会影响到石器打制方法、器物组合、甚至石器工业面貌。长期以来,旧石器考古学界对于石料力学性能的判断多基于简单的岩石矿物硬度和结构特征,实际上岩石的力学性能涵盖的内容远远超过其硬度和结构的范畴。本文使用力学研究的方法,通过对石料的单轴抗压强度测试,了解不同原料的力学性能,并将其与遗址出土石制品进行比较研究,尝试探讨岩石本身力学性能与石制品面貌之间的关系。     

泥河湾盆地旧石器中晚期石制品原料初步分析

本文通过对泥河湾盆地旧石器时代中晚期诸遗址中石料产地的调查和石制品颜色、质地及表面状况的分析后认为：泥河湾盆地旧石器中晚期人类选择石料方式变化主要发生在旧石器晚期的早段和晚段之间,在此之前的旧石器时代中期,人类选择石料主要在遗址附近,各遗址的石料表现出强烈的地方色彩,但遗址中的一些优质石料可能来源于10多公里之外的地区;而在旧石器晚期早段,在基本继承这一特点的前提下,仅有很少量的石料输送距离达数10km;石料被带到遗址之前一般并不进行粗选,多是直接进行打片。在此之后,人类对石料的选择则表现出刻意的追求,优质石料大量被输送到数10公里之外,而且石料在输入到遗址之前一般要经过精心选择,与前一阶段形成鲜明对照。     

A Unique Protease Cleavage Site Predicted in the Spike Protein of the Novel Pneumonia Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) Potentially Related to Viral Transmissibility

正Dear Editor,In December 2019, a novel human coronavirus caused an epidemic of severe pneumonia(Coronavirus Disease 2019,COVID-19) in Wuhan, Hubei, China(Wu et al. 2020; Zhu et al. 2020). So far, this virus has spread to all areas of China and even to other countries. The epidemic has caused 67,102 confirmed infections with 1526 fatal cases     

Curcuminoids as inhibitors of thioredoxin reductase: A receptor based pharmacophore study with distance mapping of the active site

Curcumin is the yellow pigment of turmeric that interacts irreversibly forming an adduct with thioredoxin reductase (TrxR), an enzyme responsible for redox control of cell and defence against oxidative stress. Docking at both the active sites of TrxR was performed to compare the potency of three naturally occurring curcuminoids, namely curcumin, demethoxy curcumin and bis-demethoxy curcumin. Results show that active sites of TrxR occur at the junction of E and F chains. Volume and area of both cavities is predicted. It has been concluded by distance mapping of the most active conformations that Se atom of catalytic residue SeCYS498, is at a distance of 3.56 from C13 of demethoxy curcumin at the E chain active site, whereas C13 carbon atom forms adduct with Se atom of SeCys 498. We report that at least one methoxy group in curcuminoids is necessary for interation with catalytic residues of thioredoxin. Pharmacophore of both active sites of the TrxR receptor for curcumin and demethoxy curcumin molecules has been drawn and proposed for design and synthesis of most probable potent antiproliferative synthetic drugs.     

Comparative morphology of the carpel in the Liliaceae: Hewardieae, Petrosavieae, and Tricyrteae

The young pistils in the melanthioid tribes, Hewardieae, Petrosavieae and Tricyrteae, are uniformly tricarpellate and syncarpous. They lack raphide idioblasts. All are multiovulate, with bitegmic ovules. The Petrosavieae are marked by the presence of septal glands and incomplete syncarpy. Tepals and stamens adhere to the ovary in the Hewardieae and the Petrosavieae but not in the Tricyrteae. Two vascular bundles occur in the stamens of the Hewartlieae and Tricyrtis latifolia. Ventral bundles in the upper part of the ovary of the Hewardieae are continuous with compound septal bundles and placental bundles in the lower part. Putative ventral bundles occur in the alternate position in the Tricyrteae and putative placental bundles in the opposite. position in the Petrosavieae. The dichtomously branched stigma in each carpel of the Tricyrteae is supplied by a bifurcated dorsal bundle.     

Enterovirus 71 3C proteolytically processes the histone H3 N-terminal tail during infection

Highlights
1. The N-terminal tail of histone H3 is specifically cleaved during EV71 infection.
2. Viral protease 3C is identified as a protease responsible for proteolytically processing the N-terminal H3 tail.
3. Our finding reveals a new epigenetic regulatory mechanism for Enterovirus 71 in virus-host interactions.     

Detection of EBV and HHV6 in the Brain Tissue of Patients with Rasmussen’s Encephalitis

Rasmussen’s encephalitis (RE) is a rare pediatric neurological disorder, and the exact etiology is not clear. Viral infection may be involved in the pathogenesis of RE, but conflicting results have reported. In this study, we evaluated the expression of both Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and human herpes virus (HHV) 6 antigens in brain sections from 30 patients with RE and 16 control individuals by immunohistochemistry. In the RE group, EBV and HHV6 antigens were detected in 56.7% (17/30) and 50% (15/30) of individuals, respectively. In contrast, no detectable EBV and HHV6 antigen expression was found in brain tissues of the control group. The co-expression of EBV and HHV6 was detected in 20.0% (6/30) of individuals. In particular, a 4-year-old boy had a typical clinical course, including a medical history of viral encephalitis, intractable epilepsy, and hemispheric atrophy. The co-expression of EBV and HHV6 was detected in neurons and astrocytes in the brain tissue, accompanied by a high frequency of CD8⁺ T cells. Our results suggest that EBV and HHV6 infection and the activation of CD8⁺ T cells are involved in the pathogenesis of RE.     

Perinatal Vertical Transmission of Chikungunya Virus in Ruili,a Town on the Border between China and Myanmar

正Dear Editor,Chikungunya virus (CHIKV), an arbovirus in the family of Togaviridae, genus Alphavirus, is transmitted by the A.aegyptii or A. albopictus mosquito, and causes disease in humans characterized by fever, rash, and arthralgia (Silva and Dermody 2017; Suhrbier 2019). It was first reported in 1953 in Tanzania, and caused only a few outbreaks and sporadic cases in Africa and Asia in last century. However, in the epidemic in 2004, CHIKV acquired mutations that conferred enhanced transmission by the A. albopictus mosquito(Schuffenecker et al. 2006). Since then, it has successively caused outbreaks in Africa, the Indian Ocean, South East Asia, the South America, and Europe (Zeller et al. 2016).     

Development of a Novel Reverse Transcription Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification Method for Rapid Detection of SARS-CoV-2

In conclusion, the novel visual RT-LAMP assay is a simple, rapid, and sensitive approach for detection of SARS-CoV-2, and it is ready for application in primary care and community hospitals or health care centers, and even patients' own houses in response to the current SARS-CoV-2 epidemic because the assay does not require sophisticated equipment and skilled personnel. Furthermore, it is also ready to be used in fields for screening samples from wild animals and environments to facilitate the identification of potential intermediate hosts that mediate the cross-species transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from bats to humans.