From the creation of the Veterinary Schools to the evolution of the notion of contagion in the 19th and 20th centuries

The creation of the Veterinary Schools in the 18th century would reveal a plethora of scientists, some of whom would be the precursors of Pasteur, some rivals, others followers collaborators or friends of the Master. Among the precursors let us name Chabbert, Huzard, Girard, Delafond, Renault, Toussaint, Galtier ; among the rivals: Chauveau, Arloing, Cornevin and Thomas; among the followers, collaborators or friends of Pasteur: Bouley, at first a resolute spontaneist, then the most fervent in defense of Pasteur (President of the Academy of Medicine and of the Academy of Sciences) and Nocard, Director of the School in Alfort, an important collaborator of Pasteur. Later, there was Leclainche, who created the International Office of Epizootics, and who was President of the Academy of Sciences; Guérin, who with Calmette developed the BCG vaccination; Ramon, the father of anatoxins (vaccines against diphtheria, and tetanus, combined vaccines, adjuvants to immunity). Thus, the creation of the Veterinary Schools contributed not only to the evolution of the notion of contagion, to the amelioration of animal health and the economics of agricultural production, but also to serious advances in human care, and to the protection of public health.     

粤港澳大湾区海岸带生态系统修复框架

粤港澳大湾区是全球四大湾区之一，也是我国重要的战略发展区，具有极强的开放性、经济性、生态性、社会性、海洋性和系统性特征，具有重要的理论和实践研究价值。海岸带生态系统是粤港澳大湾区重要的生态系统类型之一。受快速城市化的影响，粤港澳大湾区海岸带生态系统存在诸多问题，这些问题已成为影响陆海生态安全的重要因素。海岸带生态系统修复是国土空间生态修复的重要组成部分之一。为加快促进粤港澳大湾区海岸带修复，在分析粤港澳大湾区海岸带主要类型与特征基础上，通过剖析其现状海岸带生态修复存在的主要问题，依托山水林田湖草海生命共同体和陆海统筹等系统理念，提出粤港澳大湾区海岸带生态系统修复框架设计思路。基于粤港澳大湾区海岸带生态系统受植被、湿地、水文地质、人类活动、经济发展水平、产业发展特征、香港和澳门特别行政区等影响因素，构建了粤港澳大湾区海岸带生态系统分区、分类、分级修复框架，形成了由珠三角核心区、粤港澳大湾区、珠三角滨海城市群、珠江流域构成的粤港澳大湾区"一核一区一群一流域"海岸带生态系统修复新格局。在此基础上提出了粤港澳大湾区海岸带生态系统修复"十条"。以流域作为生态修复治理的基本单元，将影响海岸带生态系统平衡的多种因素进行分类整理，从生态系统整体性和流域系统性出发，坚持水陆联动、陆海统筹，实施以水为核心的山水林田湖草海一体化修复，从而实现粤港澳大湾区海岸带生态系统修复新目标。通过优化湾区海岸带生态环境，维护湾区海岸带生态平衡，提高湾区海岸带生态安全格局，进而促进粤港澳大湾区的可持续发展和生态文明建设。     

黑河中下游绿洲生态安全评价

生态安全包括自然生态安全、经济生态安全和社会生态安全 ,尤指自然和半自然生态系统的安全 ,即生态系统完整性和健康的整体水平反映。生态安全是维护地区或国家乃至全球的生态环境不受威胁的状态 ,能为整个生态经济系统的持续发展提供生态保障。从水安全、土地安全、经济社会安全出发 ,选取水资源量供需比、地表水质量、地下水埋深和地下水矿化度 4种水安全评价指标 ;土地人口承载度、林地覆盖率、草地载畜度、绿洲面积变化率、绿洲土地沙化率、绿洲土地盐碱化率和抗灾度等 7种土地安全评价指标 ;人均 GDP产值、单位面积农业生产总值、农民人均纯收入、绿洲人口密度、城市化率和文明度等经济社会安全评价指标 ;共计 17项 ,建立了绿洲生态安全评价综合指标体系。然后 ,应用综合评价法、层次分析法和 GIS等多种方法与手段 ,在绿洲尺度上对黑河干流中下游地区的张掖、临泽、高台、鼎新和额济纳 5个绿洲进行绿洲生态安全综合评价。评价结果显示 :自黑河中游至下游 ,各个绿洲的生态安全状况依次降低 ,最下游的额济纳绿洲生态安全仅为 4级的差状态。其中 ,水安全是关键 ,土地安全是载体 ,经济社会安全是保障 ,以上几方面相互关联 ,共同作用导致绿洲的生态安全综合水平。     

Origin,Differentiation, and Geographic Distribution of the Chenopodiaceae

Numbers of species and genera,endemic genera,extant primitive genera,relationship and distribution patterns of presently living Chenopodiaceae(two subfamilies,12 tribes,and 118 genera)are analyzed and compared for eight distributional areas,namely central Asia,Europe,the Mediterranean region,Africa,North America,South America, Australia and East Asia． The Central Asia,where the number of genera and diversity of taxa are greater than in other areas,appears to be the center of distribution of extant Chenopodiaceae．North America and Australia are two secondary centers of distribution． Eurasia has 11 tribes out of the 12,a total of 70 genera of extant chenopodiaceous plants,and it contains the most primitive genera of every tribe． Archiatriplex of Atripliceae,Hablitzia of Hablitzeae,Corispermum of Corispermeae,Camphorosma of Camphorosmaea,Kalidium of Salicornieae,Polecnemum of Polycnemeae,Alexandra of Suaedeae,and Nanophyton of Salsoleae,are all found in Eurasia,The Beteae is an Eurasian endemic tribe,demonstrating the antiquity of the Chenopodiaceae flora of Eurasia．Hence,Eurasia is likely the place of origin of chenopodiaceous plants． The presence of chenopodiaceous plants is correlated with an arid climate．During the Cretaceous Period,most places of the continent of Eurasia were occupied by the ancient precursor to the Mediterranean,the Tethys Sea．At that time the area of the Tethys Sea had a dry and warm climate．Therefore,primitive Chenopodiaceae were likely present on the beaches of this ancient land．This arid climatic condition resulted in differentiation of the tribes Chenopodieae,Atripliceae,Comphorosmeae,Salicornieae,etc．,the main primitive tribes of the subfamily Cyclolobeae. Then following continental drift and the Laurasian and Gondwanan disintegration, the Chenopodiaceae were brought to every continent to propagate and develop, and experience the vicissitudes of climates, forming the main characteristics and distribution patterns of recent continental floras. The tribes Atripliceae, Chenopodieae, Camphorosmeae, and Salicornieae of recent Chenopodiaceae in Eurasia, North America, South America, southern Africa, and Australia all became strongly differentiated. However, Australia and South America, have no genera of Spirolobeae except for a few maritime Suaeda species. The Salsoleae and Suaedeae have not arrived in Australia and South America, which indicates that the subfamily Spirolobeae developed in Eurasia after Australia separated from the ancient South America-Africa continent, and South America had left Africa. The endemic tribe of North America, the tribe Sarcobateae, has a origin different from the tribes Salsoleae and Suaedeae of the subfamily Spirolobeae. Sarcobateae flowers diverged into unisexuality and absence of bractlets. Clearly they originated in North America after North America had left the Eurasian continent. North America and southern Africa have a few species of Salsola, but none of them have become very much differentiated or developed, so they must have arrived through overland migration across ancient continental connections. India has no southern African Chenopodiaceae floristic components except for a few maritime taxa, which shows that when the Indian subcontinent left Africa in the Triassic period, the Chenopodiaceae had not yet developed in Africa. Therefore, the early Cretaceous Period about 120 million years ago, when the ancient Gondwanan and Laurasian continents disintegrated, could have been the time of origin of Chenopodiaceae plants.The Chinese flora of Chenopodiaceae is a part of Chenopodiaceae flora of central Asia. Cornulaca alaschnica was discovered from Gansu, China, showing that the Chinese Chenopodiaceae flora certainly has contact with the Mediterranean Chenopodiaceae flora. The contact of southeastern China with the Australia Chenopodiaceae flora, however, is very weak.     

Cuban Calisto (Lepidoptera, Nymphalidae, Satyrinae), a review based on morphological and DNA data

The Cuban species of Calisto are reviewed based on the morphology of adult and immature stages, as well as DNA sequences of six genes (COI, EF1α, wingless, GAPDH, RpS5, CAD). A new species, Calisto occultasp. n., is described from the northeastern Cuban mountains. Calisto smintheus Bates, 1935 and Calisto bruneri, Michener 1949 are revised and revalidated. A new status, the species level, is proposed for Calisto brochei, Torre 1973, Calisto muripetens, Bates 1939 and Calisto bradleyi, Munroe 1950. The immature stages of Calisto smintheus, Calisto brochei,and Calisto occulta are described for the first time, and those of Calisto herophile, Hübner 1823 are redescribed. Useful morphological characters for adults are the shape and conspicuousness of androconial patch, the number and relative size of white dots on underside of hindwing, the shape of aedeagus, the shape of digitiform projection of genitalia valve, the shape and relative size of tegumen and uncus, the relative size of female genitalia, the height of sterigmal ring dorsal crown of the latter, and the relative size of corpus bursae and ductus bursae. For the immature stages, the most important characters are the color pattern of head capsule, the number and width of longitudinal lines of body, in the larvae; and the color pattern and the absence or presence of dorsal ridges on the abdomen of pupae. The phylogenetic relationships between the Cuban Calisto species are quite robust and well-supported; however, conflict between mitochondrial and nuclear datasets was detected in Calisto brochei, Calisto muripetens and to a lesser degree in Calisto bradleyi.     

电活性微生物胞外聚合物的特征与应用

电活性微生物是一类能够通过直接接触、导电菌毛或氧化还原介质与电极或者其他细胞进行胞外电子传递的微生物。而在这个过程中,胞外聚合物(extracellular polymeric substances, EPS)扮演着重要的角色。EPS是微生物生长过程中通过细胞裂解、水解分泌的高分子聚合物的混合物,主要由蛋白质、多糖和腐殖质等物质组成。来自电活性微生物的EPS的不同组成成分和特性会对EPS的电活性以及电活性微生物胞外电子传递产生一定的影响,同时在环境应用方面发挥重要作用。因此,为了更全面了解电活性微生物EPS的电活性及其对电活性微生物胞外电子传递的作用,本文总体介绍了电活性微生物EPS的电活性的直接表征方法,再从组成成分、化学性质、物理性质和空间分布4个方面综述了其对EPS电活性的影响及其在电子传递中的作用,介绍了当前电活性微生物EPS在染料废水脱色、重金属吸附、有机污染物的生物转化和渗滤液管理等方面的环境应用,并从表征方法、试验规模和互作机理研究等角度展望了未来的研究方向。     

BIOGEOGRAPHY OF INDO-PACIFIC CICADOIDEA: A TENTATIVE RECOGNITION OF AREAS OF ENDEMISM

Abstract— The biogeography of the cicadas of the Indo-Pacific is discussed in relation to paleogeography and compared with distribution patterns found in other groups of organisms. The cicadas show a low degree of endemism in the mainland of southeast Asia and the Greater Sunda Islands, and a high degree of endemism in Sulawesi, New Guinea, and the islands of the west Pacific. The biogeography of the cicadas of these regions with high endemism is analyzed for four groups: the subtribe Cosmopsaltriaria, the tribe Prasiini, the genus Baeturia , and the Pacific Cryptotympanini. A review of the paleogeography of the Indo-Pacific, specifying the relevant barriers, island arcs, and land connections, is provided. The recognized areas of endemism are tentatively related to the geological history of the Indo-Pacific. Areas of endemism are the Sulawesi Arcs and the Outer and Inner Melanesian Arcs. New Guinea appears to be a composite of areas of different origin: the central mountains of the Inner Melanesian Arc, the north-coast mountains of the Outer Melanesian Arc, and the Vogelkop area, which is of uncertain origin. The Papuan Peninsula of New Guinea seems to be a zone of overlap between the Outer and the Inner Melanesian Arcs. The Pacific archipelagos of the Outer Melanesian Arcs (viz., the Bismarck Archipelago, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, and the Fiji, Tonga, and Samoa Islands) represent distinct areas of endemism. The taxon-area cladogram of the Cosmopsaltriaria gives some indication of the relationships among the areas of endemism. The discussion is extended to groups of bats, frogs, psocids, butterflies, and moths of the Melanesian Arcs, as their patterns of distribution seem equally relevant for the recognition of the biogeographic interrelationships in the Indo-Pacific.     

Origin of feathers: Feather beta (beta) keratins are expressed in discrete epidermal cell populations of embryonic scutate scales

The feathers of birds develop from embryonic epidermal lineages that differentiate during outgrowth of the feather germ. Independent cell populations also form an embryonic epidermis on scutate scales, which consists of peridermal layers, a subperiderm, and an alpha stratum. Using an antiserum (anti-FbetaK) developed to react specifically with the beta (beta) keratins of feathers, we find that the feather-type beta keratins are expressed in the subperiderm cells of embryonic scutate scales, as well as the barb ridge lineages of the feather. However, unlike the subperiderm of scales, which is lost at hatching, the cells of barb ridges, in conjunction with adjacent cell populations, give rise to the structural elements of the feather. The observation that an embryonic epidermis, consisting of peridermal and subperidermal layers, also characterizes alligator scales (Thompson, 2001. J Anat 198:265-282) suggests that the epidermal populations of the scales and feathers of avian embryos are homologous with those forming the embryonic epidermis of alligators. While the embryonic epidermal populations of archosaurian scales are discarded at hatching, those of the feather germ differentiate into the periderm, sheath, barb ridges, axial plates, barbules, and marginal plates of the embryonic feather filament. We propose that the development of the embryonic feather filament provides a model for the evolution of the first protofeather. Furthermore, we hypothesize that invagination of the epidermal lineages of the feather filament, namely the barb ridges, initiated the formation of the follicle, which then allowed continuous renewal of the feather epidermal lineages, and the evolution of diverse feather forms.     

Enhancement by catechols of hydroxyl-radical formation in the presence of ferric ions and hydrogen peroxide

The effect of caffeic acid, a kind of catechol, on the Fenton reaction was examined by using the ESR spin trapping technique. Caffeic acid enhanced the formation of hydroxyl radicals in the reaction mixture, which contained caffeic acid, hydrogen peroxide, ferric chloride, EDTA, and potassium phosphate buffer. Chlorogenic acid, which is an ester of caffeic acid with quinic acid, also stimulated the formation of the hydroxyl radicals. Quinic acid did not stimulate the reaction, suggesting that the catechol moiety in chlorogenic acid is essential to the enhancement of the hydroxyl-radical formation. Indeed, other catechols and related compounds such as pyrocatechol, gallic acid, dopamine, and noradrenaline effectively stimulated the formation of the hydroxyl radicals. The above results confirm the idea that the catechol moiety is essential to the enhancement. Ferulic acid, 4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzoic acid, and salicylic acid had no effect on the formation of the hydroxyl radicals. The results indicate that the enhancement by the catechols of the formation of hydroxyl radicals is diminished if a methyl ester is formed at the position of the hydroxyl group of the catechol. In the absence of iron chelators such as EDTA, DETAPAC, desferrioxamine, citrate, and ADP, formation of hydroxyl radicals was not detected, suggesting that chelators are essential to the reaction. The enhancement of the formation of hydroxyl radicals is presumably due to the reduction of ferric ions by the catechols. Thus, the catechols may exert deleterious effects on biological systems if chelators such as EDTA, DETAPAC, desferrioxamine, citrate, and ADP are present.     

Modification of the catalytic subunit of plasma fibrin-stabilizing factor under induced oxidation

For the first time, by using mass-spectrometry method, the oxidation-mediated modification of the catalytic FXIII-A subunit of plasma fibrin-stabilizing factor, pFXIII, has been studied. The oxidative sites were identified to belong to all structural elements of the catalytic subunit: the β-sandwich (Tyr104, Tyr117, and Cys153), the catalytic core domain (Met160, Trp165, Met266, Cys328, Asp352, Pro387, Arg409, Cys410, Tyr442, Met475, Met476, Tyr482, and Met500), the β-barrel 1 (Met596), and the β-barrel 2 (Met647, Pro676, Trp692, Cys696, and Met710), which correspond to 3.9%, 1.11%, 0.7%, and 3.2%, respectively, of oxidative modifications as compared to the detectable amounts of amino acid residues in each of the structural domains. Lack of information on some parts of the molecule may be associated with the spatial unavailability of residues, complicating analysis of the molecule. The absence of oxidative sites localized within crucial areas of the structural domains may be brought about by both the spatial inaccessibility of the oxidant to amino acid residues in the zymogen and the screening effect of the regulatory FXIII-B subunit.     

中华弓鳍鱼在吉林东部的发现

本文扼要记述了发现于吉林东部罗子沟地区大拉子组的中华弓鳍鱼属一新种——Sinamialuozigouensis,推测它可能生存于早白垩世早期;并且认为我国学者早先提出的关于北美现生弓鳍鱼类的起源理论是可以相信的。     

Early Cretaceous Palynofloras from Tarim Basin,Xinjiang

One hundred and eight species of fossil spores and pollen referred to 55 genera found from the Lower Cretaceous Kapushaliang (Kizilsu) Group in the Tarim Basin of Xinjiang have been studied in this paper. The Kapushaliang Group may be divided into the Yageliemu Formation, the Shushanhe Formation and Baxigai Formation in ascending order. The Yageliemu palynoflora is characterized by the predominance of gymnospermous pollen, the relative abundance of pteridophytic spores and the absence of angiospermous pollen. Coniferae is dominant, while Lygodiaceae and Schizaeaceae are important in the flora. The most common species of palynomorphs are Todisporites minor, Cicatricosisporites dorogensis, C. australiensis, Lygodiumsporites subsimplex, Schizaeoisporites cretacius, S. zizyphinus, S. certus. Cibotiumspora paradoxa, Cyathidites australis, C. minor, Biretisporites potoniael, Cycadopites minimus, Pseudowalchia hiangulina, Parvisaccites radiatus, Podocarpidites multesimus, P. canadensis, Alisporites bilateralis, Cedripites cretaceus, C. canadenris, Abietineaepollenites microalatus, Clarsopollis classoides, C annulatus, C. xinjiangensis (sp. nov.), Ephedripites multicostatus, E. tarimensis (sp. nov.), etc . The palynoflora is comparable with those of the lower part of the Lower Xinminbu Formation in northwestern China and the lower part of the Lower Mannville Formation in western Canada, which is considered corresponding from Berriasian to Valanginian in age. The Shushanhe palynoflora is also characterized by dominance of gymnosperms and subdominance of pteridophyta. Some primitive angiospermons pollen grains are found in the upper part of the formation. In addition to the most common species of the above mentioned palynoflora, the important species in the present palynoflora comprise Cicatricosisporites potomacensis, C. orbiculatus, C. subrotundus, Concavissimisporites punctatus, C. verrucosus, C. globosus, lmpardecispora apiverrucata, Trilobosporites crassus, T. trioreticulosus, Pilosisporites verus, P. trichopapillosus, Klukisporites pseudoreticulatus, Verrucosisporites obscurilaesuratur, Converrucosisporites saskatchewanensis, Foraminisporis wonthaggiensis, Cingulatisporites valdensis, C. ruginosus, Jiaohepollis verus, Pityosporites constrictus, etc. More than 40 in dicative species of Early Cretaceous occur in the assemblage. The palynoflora compares clcsely with those of the middle part of the Lower Xinminbu Formation and the Quartz Sand Member of the Lower Mannville Formatton. It is suggested that the Shushanhe Formation should belong to Hauterivian of Barremian in age. The Baxigai palynoflora is basically similar to the Shushanhe palynoflora. But the palynoflora shows an obvious increase in abundance of lygodiaceous spores and angiospermous pollen accompanied by a great reduction of Classopollis and Ephedripltes. Most of the Early Cretaceous species occurring in the above mentioned palynofloras are present. In addition, some Cretaceous species recorded from Aptian and Albian Stages in Europe, North America and Australia, such as Trilobosporites tribotrys, T. trioreticulosus, Coptospora paradoxa, Camarozonosporites insignis, Crybelosporites punctatus, etc., appear in the assemblage. In comparison with the microfloras of the upper part of the Lower Xinminbu Formation, the Upper Mannville Formation and the lower part of the Lower Colorado Group, the Baxigai Forma- tion should be referred to Aptian to Albian in age. Judging from the palynofloras, the early Cretaceous palaeoclimate in the basin should belong to the arid or semi-arid type of the subtropic zone. However, from Barremtan through Albian the climatic conditions might appear relatively wet.     

土鳖虫与其混淆品的微性状鉴别研究

为对目前药材市场流通的中药材土鳖虫进行微性状特征研究,探究土鳖虫与其混淆品的区别。实验通过查阅资料,对市场土鳖虫品种进行调查,运用中药微性状鉴定法对土鳖虫的不同部位采用体视显微镜、生物显微镜、扫描仪等仪器进行图像采集,并利用Photoshop CS5软件景深合成高清晰度微性状特征图片来对其进行鉴别研究。实验结果表明,土鳖虫口器、腹背板边缘、肛上板、生殖板、触角、单眼间距与复眼间距比例、单眼、复眼、前足胫节、跗节、爪、尾须、背甲及腹甲刚毛等方面与混淆品有比较明显的区别。     

The tree, the network, and the species

To enrich the Hennigian internodal conception of species, a new formalization of the definition of the species concept is proposed. This rigorous definition allows for considerable unification of the various, and sometimes conflicting, techniques of species delimitation used in practice. First, the domain of such a definition is set out, namely, the set of all organisms on Earth, past, present, and future. Next, the focus is on the genealogical relationship among organisms, which provides the key to analysing the giant or global genealogical network (GGN) connecting all these organisms. This leads to the construction of an algorithm revealing the topological structure of the GGN, from families to lineages, ending up with a definition of species as equivalence classes of organisms corresponding to branches of the 'tree of life'. Such a theoretical definition of the species concept must be accompanied by various recognition criteria to be operational. These criteria are, for example, the ill-named 'biological species concepts', 'phylogenetic species concepts', etc., usually, but wrongly, presented as definitions of the species concept. Besides clarifying this disputed point, the definition in the present study displays the huge diversity of the scales (time-scale and population size) involved in actual species, thus explaining away the classical problems raised by previous attempts at defining the species concept (uniparental reproduction, temporal depth of species, and hybridization).  © 2006 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society , 2006, 89 , 509–521.     

Ferricytochrome c. Refolding and the methionine 80-sulfur-iron linkage

The refolding of urea-denatured horse heart ferricytochrome c in the presence of imidazole, 0.5 M, pH 7.0, has been examined using stopped-flow and equilibrium measurements at 407.5 nm. Thermodynamically, imidazole-cytochrome c folds and unfolds via a single transition with [urea]1/2 of 5.9 M. Kinetically, the refolding is a triphasic process: (i) a slow, urea-independent phase, time constant of 22 +/- 6 s, and an amplitude of 10-13%; (ii) an intermediate reaction, with a slightly positive urea-dependent rate constant, average time constant of 150 ms; and (iii) a fast phase with negative urea dependence of the rate constant from 4-6 M urea and positive dependence above the 6 M concentration, with the largest time constant, 25 +/- 6 ms, at 5.8 M urea, the midpoint of the transition. The amplitudes of the intermediate and the fast phases exhibit inverse dependence on the final urea concentrations, favoring the intermediate form at higher concentrations, while maintaining an almost constant sum of the two amplitudes throughout the range. The temperature dependence of the three apparent rate constants for the refolding from denatured base-line to midpoint of the transition, 9 to 6.03 M urea, yields linear Arrhenius plots with activation energies of 14, 19, and 23 +/- 3 kcal/mol for the slow, intermediate, and rapid reactions, respectively. These findings show that the slow reaction, time constant in decaseconds , does not require, directly or indirectly, the coordination of Met-80-S to heme iron. The formation of this linkage during the folding of the urea-denatured protein in the absence of extrinsic ligand, however, does alter the course of the refolding process. From a comparison of the proposed mechanisms and of the kinetic parameters for the folding of urea-denatured and of guanidine hydrochloride-denatured ferricytochrome c, it has been suggested that the two systems are distinct in detail, although both systems exhibit the slow, decasecond process.     

Illusions and realities of the ecosystem approach to the study and management of marine and oceanic biological resources

The scientific and applied problem of the ecosystem approach to the management of marine biological resources arose during the last quarter of the 20th century as a component of the Rational Nature Use Concept. This occurred mostly because the existing fishery rules and concepts of the optimum yield theory, which were introduced in the practice of fishery regulations, have proven to be insufficiently effective to conserve biological resources and provide stability of the fishery resource base. The ecosystem approach to biological-resource management implies a change of the autecological studies of commercial stock units (populations) and the managerial single-species models for the sustainable-sized management, taking the impacts of the fishery on marine ecosystems into account, as well as those of marine ecosystems on the fishery. At present, the ecosystem-based biological-resource management includes a complex of ecological topics and issues, such as biodiversity conservation, effect of climate changes, sustainability of stocks and communities, interspecies relationships, multi-species fishery, conservation of rare species, protection of especially important water bodies and landscapes, biotope degradation, anti-pollution measures, invasive species, ranching aquaculture, genetic diversity, etc. The main current problem, besides insufficient knowledge of many of these issues, is how to practically integrate such a large number of parameters into the management system. Thus, the complicated and long-term problem of ecosystem management of marine biological resources should be solved step-by-step, following the progress in the technical capabilities and concepts of natural processes. As well, certain better-studied elements of the ecosystem approach should be implemented first in the practice of management, while taking the regional specifics into account.     

小鼠基因组中的微卫星重复序列的数量、分布和密度

作者分析了老鼠基因组中各染色体及其内含子、外显子和基因间区上各种类型的微卫星(1-6个碱基的重复序列)的数量及其密度。SSR约占老鼠基因组的2.85%,其中46.2%存在于基因间区,4.75%存在于外显子,49.05%在内含子区域,即非编码区富含微卫星。微卫星的数量与染色体或基因区域的大小有关,但密度与染色体或基因区域的大小的关系并不十分密切。第4染色体的外显子区域中6种类型的SSR含量都比其它区域少。A,T,AC,AG,AT,AAC,AAG,AGG,AAAC,AAAG,AAAT,AACC,AAAAC,AAAAG,AAAAT,AAACC,AAAGG,AAGAG,AAAAAC,AAAAAG,AAAAAT,AAAGAG,ACACAT,ACAGAG,ACAGGC,ACATAT是老鼠基因组中主要的SSR类型,而一些5碱基重复单元的SSR在老鼠基因组的某一条甚至某几条染色体都不存在     

Characterization of suspended solids in Lake Biwa by measuring their elemental composition of Al,Si, P,S, K,Ca, Ti,Mn, and Fe

We investigated the concentrations of particulate Al, Si, P, S, K, Ca, Ti, Mn, and Fe at various areas of Lake Biwa, such as the limnetic zone in the northern basin, the offshore zone, the dredged area and Akanoi Bay in the southern basin, and reed community areas in the shore. In the wide and deep northern basin, the density of suspended solids was low, and substantial fractions of particulate Si, P, S, and Ca were biogenic matter produced by phytoplankton. In the offshore zone in the narrow and shallow southern basin, the concentration ratios of particulate Si, K, Ca, Ti, and Fe against particulate Al were almost constant throughout the year and were similar to those found in crusts. Therefore, these elements are most likely derived from terrigenous clay matter. In the dredged area where the hypolimnion became anoxic during the stratification period, the concentrations of particulate Fe, Mn, P, S, and Ca increased because of the formation of hydrous Fe and Mn oxides and Fe sulfide. In Akanoi Bay, the ratios of Mn/Al and Fe/Al were high because of the stirring of sediments enriched with Mn and Fe oxides. In the reed community areas, the concentration of suspended solids correlated well with particulate Fe and P, but not with Al or chlorophyll a; therefore these areas seem to be rich in humic organic matter enriched with P and Fe due to microbial activity. Thus, the elemental composition of suspended solids reflects the chemical, biological, and physical processes in the lake and gives us useful indices of the characteristics of the water. Received: February 5, 2001 / Accepted: August 28, 2001     

Features of transfection and expression of cDNA for the human dystrophin gene, delivered into muscles of mdx mice using MF-2 synthetic microspheres]

The number of dystrophin-positive myofibers (DPM), that appeared in different skeletal muscles of mdx mice after a single injection of synthetic microspheres containing the full-length human dystrophin cDNA within the pHSADy expressing vector into femoral quadriceps muscle, was examined on cryostat sections. Injection of 25 micrograms cDNA resulted in the occurrence of 1, 2.4, 5.8 and 4.8% of DPM in the treated muscle in 1, 7, 21, and 60 days after the injection respectively. 7, 21, and 60 days after the treatment, these values comprised 2.1, 4.3 and 1% in the same muscle of the contralateral leg, and 5.5, 8.4, and 1% in the gluteal muscle. Expression of the full-length human dystrophin (427 kDa) in the muscle of the transfected mdx mice was observed. The presence of the transfected construction in skeletal muscles, heart, brain, lungs, and fetuses was demonstrated PCR. Utilization of the FISH technique with biotinilated pHSADy construct as a DNA probe showed that 7 days after the injection, the MF-2 microspheres were present in 70% of myoblast nuclei, in 64% of nuclei of gluteal muscles, and in 62% of the contralateral quadriceps nuclei. 21 days after the treatment, these values were 41, 29, and 45%, respectively. The MF-2 microsphere were detected in the nuclei of the blood, brain, heart, and lung cells, as well as in the placenta and tissues of 18-day-old fetuses. Our results demonstrated the high efficiency of microsphere-mediated transfer of gene constructs into cell nuclei, their long-term intranuclear persistence, and the ability to direct expression for at least 2 months after injection. The MF-2 microspheres attract special interest in respect to the targeted delivery of gene constructs into the nuclei.     

HBe antigen and its antibodies in HBsAg carriers in various regions of the USSR

A total of 300 blood serum samples, containing HBsAg and obtained from donors in three regions of the USSR (the RSFSR, the Uzbek SSR and the Moldavian SSR) differing in the level of HBsAg carriership, were studied for the presence of HBeAg and antibodies to this antigen in the passive hemagglutination (PHA) test and in the enzyme immunoassay (EIA). The occurrence of HBeAg was found to depend on the level of HBsAg carriership in the region. Thus, according to the EIA results, in Gorky, Kishinev and Tashkent HBeAg was detected, respectively, in 5.5%, 12.3% and 13.3% of serum samples, the level of HBsAg carriership in these cities being, according to the results of the PHA test, 1.4%, 5.0% and 9.0%. As shown by the results of EIA, the occurrence of HBeAg increased with the rise of the titer of HBsAg, while regarding the occurrence of antibodies to HBeAg the reverse relationship was observed.