The multiple dimensions of racial mixture in Rio de Janeiro,Brazil: from whitening to Brazilian negritude

Abstract

The notion that racial mixture is a central feature of Latin American societies has been interpreted in different, if not strictly opposite, ways. On the one hand, scholars have presented it as evidence of weaker racial boundaries. On the other, it has been denounced as an expression of the illusion of harmonic racial relations. Relying on 160 interviews with black Brazilians, we argue that the valorization of racial mixture is an important response to stigmatization, but one that has multiple dimensions and different consequences for the maintenance of racial boundaries. We map out these different dimensions – namely, ‘whitening’, ‘Brazilian negritude’, ‘national identification’ and ‘non-essentialist racialism’ – and discuss how these dimensions are combined in different ways by our interviewees according to various circumstances. Exploring these multiple dimensions, we question any simplistic understanding of racial mixture as the blessing or the curse of Latin American racial dynamics.     

Fungi are involved in the effects of litter mixtures on consumption by shredders

1. Decomposition of litter mixtures in both terrestrial and aquatic ecosystems often shows non‐additive diversity effects on decomposition rate, generally interpreted in streams as a result of the feeding activity of macroinvertebrates. The extent to which fungal assemblages on mixed litter may influence consumption by macroinvertebrates remains unknown. 2. We assessed the effect of litter mixing on all possible three‐species combinations drawn from four tree species (Alnus glutinosa, Betula pendula, Juglans regia and Quercus robur) on both fungal assemblages and the rate of litter consumption by a common shredder, Gammarus fossarum. After a 9‐week inoculation in a stream, batches of leaf discs were taken from all leaf species within litter mixture combinations. Ergosterol, an indicator of fungal biomass, and the composition of fungal assemblages, assessed from the conidia released, were determined, and incubated litter offered to G. fossarum in a laboratory‐feeding experiment. 3. Mixing leaf litter species enhanced both the Simpson’s index of the fungal assemblage and the consumption of litter by G. fossarum, but had no clear effect on mycelial biomass. Specifically, consumption rates of J. regia were consistently higher for mixed‐species litter packs than for single‐species litter. In contrast, the consumption rates of B. pendula were not affected by litter mixing, because of the occurrence of both positive and negative litter‐mixing effects in different litter species combinations that counteracted each other. 4. In some litter combinations, the greater development of some fungal species (e.g. Clavariopsis aquatica) as shown by higher sporulation rates coincided with increased leaf consumption, which may have resulted from feeding preferences by G. fossarum for these fungi. 5. Where litter mixture effects on decomposition rate are mediated via shredder feeding, this could be due to indirect effects of the fungal assemblage.     

片断化生境中滇桐传粉生物学和繁育系统

通过野外观察和人工授粉试验方法,对云南省文山州西畴县法斗分布区片断化生境中濒危植物滇桐(Craigia yunnanensis)的传粉生物学特征和繁育系统进行研究.结果表明:滇桐每个聚伞花序有2～9朵两性花,单花花期为3～4d,单花雌雄蕊在时空上有一定的隔离;杂交指数(OCI) ＞4,花粉-胚珠比(P/O)为1381±53;有效传粉昆虫为大头丽蝇(Chrysomyia megacephala);同株异花授粉结实率低;滇桐的繁育系统属于异交为主,部分自交亲和,传粉过程需要传粉者;自然状态下滇桐的座果率(56.67％±3.85％)和结籽率(6.26％±0.75％)均较低,而异株异花授粉均可显著提高座果率及结籽率(P＜0.01),这与当前片断化生境中传粉昆虫少、效率低下等有关,表明生境片断化正在影响滇桐植株的早期生殖成功.     

蛇毒清合剂治疗蝮蛇咬伤的疗效观察

目的观察蛇毒清合剂对蝮蛇咬伤的临床疗效。方法选择2008年11月～2011年11月我院收治的蝮蛇咬伤患者62例,随机分成两组,其中观察组31例,在常规治疗的基础上加服蛇毒清合剂,对照组31例采用常规治疗。比较两组患者血清酶学3项（CK、LDH、AST）、肿胀消退时间、疼痛缓解情况、肾功能衰竭、呼吸衰竭发生率、局部组织坏死发生率、致残率以及住院时间。结果观察组的血清酶学3项（CK、LDH、AST）、肿胀消退时间、疼痛缓解情况、肾功能衰竭、呼吸衰竭发生率、局部组织坏死发生率、致残率以及住院时间均明显优于对照组（均P〈0.05）。结论蛇毒清合剂治疗对蝮蛇咬伤有显著疗效。     

A structural analysis of the catalytic mechanism of methionine sulfoxide reductase A from Neisseria meningitidis

The methionine sulfoxide reductases (Msrs) are thioredoxin-dependent oxidoreductases that catalyse the reduction of the sulfoxide function of the oxidized methionine residues. These enzymes have been shown to regulate the life span of a wide range of microbial and animal species and to play the role of physiological virulence determinant of some bacterial pathogens. Two structurally unrelated classes of Msrs exist, MsrA and MsrB, with opposite stereoselectivity towards the R and S isomers of the sulfoxide function, respectively. Both Msrs share a similar three-step chemical mechanism including (1) the formation of a sulfenic acid intermediate on the catalytic Cys with the concomitant release of the product—methionine, (2) the formation of an intramonomeric disulfide bridge between the catalytic and the regenerating Cys and (3) the reduction of the disulfide bridge by thioredoxin or its homologues. In this study, four structures of the MsrA domain of the PilB protein from Neisseria meningitidis, representative of four catalytic intermediates of the MsrA catalytic cycle, were determined by X-ray crystallography: the free reduced form, the Michaelis-like complex, the sulfenic acid intermediate and the disulfide oxidized forms. They reveal a conserved overall structure up to the formation of the sulfenic acid intermediate, while a large conformational switch is observed in the oxidized form. The results are discussed in relation to those proposed from enzymatic, NMR and theoretical chemistry studies. In particular, the substrate specificity and binding, the catalytic scenario of the reductase step and the relevance and role of the large conformational change observed in the oxidized form are discussed.     

Oxidised LDL up-regulate CD36 expression by the Nrf2 pathway in 3T3-L1 preadipocytes

The effect of oxLDL on CD36 expression has been assessed in preadipocytes induced to differentiate. Novel evidence is provided that oxLDL induce a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma-independent CD36 overexpression, by up-regulating nuclear factor erythroid 2 (NF-E2)-related factor 2 (Nrf2). The nuclear translocation of Nrf2 appeared to depend on PKC pathway activation. In adipocytes, the CD36 up-regulation may indicate a compensation mechanism to meet the demand of excess oxLDL and oxidised lipids in blood, reducing the risk of atherogenesis. Besides strengthening the hypothesis that oxLDL can contribute to the onset of insulin-resistance, data herein presented highlight the significance of oxLDL-induced CD36 overexpression within the cellular defence response.     

Influences of insecticides on toxicity and cuticular penetration of abamectin in Helicoverpa armigera

Synergistic actions for mixtures of abamectin with other insecticides in some insect pests were evaluated, and the possible synergistic mechanism was studied by the comparison in toxicity and cuticular penetration of abamectin between with and without other insecticides or synergists in Helicoverpa armigera larvae. The results of bioassay showed that horticultural mineral oil (HMO), hexaflumuron, chlorpyrifos, and some other insecticides were synergistic to abamectin with 152.0-420.0 of co-toxicity coefficient(CTC) in some agricultural insect pests. In topical application tests, HMO or piperonyl butoxide (PBO) increased the toxicity of abamectin in larvae of H. armigera, but the mortality was not affected by s,s,s-tributylphorotrithioate (DEF) and triphenylphosphate (TPP). The synergistic action of HMO was obviously higher than PBO, and when treated simultaneously with abamectin, HMO gave a more significant synergism than if treated 2 hours ahead. The highest synergistic effect (SE) was found in the mixture of ‘abamectin HMO (1:206)‘. The mortality did not increase or the toxicity drop, when a synergist or HMO was added into the mixture of ‘abamectin HMO‘ or ‘abamectin synergist‘, respectively. Results from the isotope tracing experiments showed that HMO significantly enhanced the penetration of ^3H-abamectin through the cuticle of H.armigera larvae, which resulted in the synergism of the mixture. The cuticular penetration of ^3H-abamectin was not accumulatively affected by chlorpyrifos, nor by hexaflumuron,though there was an inhibition within 30 seconds or 1 hour after treated by these two chemicals respectively. Results suggested that the synergism of abamectin mixed with hexaflumuron or chlorpyrifos might be related to inhibition of metabolic enzymes or target sites in the larvae.     

复合益生菌对白羽肉鸡肌肉品质的影响及作用机理

【目的】探究饮水中添加复合益生菌制剂(地衣芽孢杆菌、枯草芽孢杆菌和丁酸梭菌)对肉鸡肌肉品质的影响及作用机理。【方法】试验随机选取360只1日龄白羽肉仔鸡,随机分为3个处理组：对照组(CON),正常饮水;低剂量益生菌组(LG),饮水添加0.2%复合益生菌;高剂量益生菌组(HG),饮水添加0.4%复合益生菌,试验为期42d。【结果】与CON组相比,LG组和HG组显著增加肉鸡7、35和42 d平均体重,显著提高HG组肉鸡21-28、28-35、35-42阶段的平均日增重(P<0.05),LG组仅显著提高35-42阶段平均日增重;显著提高胸肌45 min、24 h、48 h红度和24 h黄度,降低24 h和48 h亮度及48 h滴水损失和蒸煮损失。HG组胸肌粗蛋白和粗脂肪含量显著高于CON组,而LG组差异不显著;两组均可降低胸肌灰分含量。添加复合益生菌可显著提高总抗氧化能力(total antioxidant capacity,T-AOC),而总超氧化物歧化酶(total-superoxide dismutase,T-SOD)、过氧化氢酶(catalase,CAT)含量有上升趋势;显著上...     

Species introduction through seeds from an old,species‐rich hay meadow: Effects of management

Abstract. A local seed mixture from plants growing in a species‐rich, traditionally managed hay meadow site at Varaldsoy, Hardanger, western Norway, where many endangered hay meadow species of the region are growing, was sown in a newly harrowed experimental field 1 km from the source meadow in order to increase the habitat area for the endangered species. Of 25 endangered species recorded in the source meadow, only one (Holcus lanatus) was present in the target meadow. After sowing, 16 of the endangered species in addition to Holcus lanatus were recorded in the new site. Six species were only present in sown plots and seven others were more frequent there, while three species might have arrived by chance or originated from the seed bank. Replacing the traditional management regime, including one late cut and grazing in spring and in autumn, with three cutting times and the creation of gaps in the sward, resulted in a higher number of endangered species in plots which were only cut, possibly because the grazing was too intensive in the small enclosures.     

Temporal changes of mechanical signals and extracellular composition in human intervertebral disc during degenerative progression

In this study, a three-dimensional finite element model was used to investigate the changes in tissue composition and mechanical signals within human lumbar intervertebral disc during the degenerative progression. This model was developed based on the cell-activity coupled mechano-electrochemical mixture theory. The disc degeneration was simulated by lowering nutrition levels at disc boundaries, and the temporal and spatial distributions of the fixed charge density, water content, fluid pressure, Von Mises stress, and disc deformation were analyzed. Results showed that fixed charge density, fluid pressure, and water content decreased significantly in the nucleus pulposus (NP) and the inner to middle annulus fibrosus (AF) regions of the degenerative disc. It was found that, with degenerative progression, the Von Mises stress (relative to that at healthy state) increased within the disc, with a larger increase in the outer AF region. Both the disc volume and height decreased with the degenerative progression. The predicted results of fluid pressure change in the NP were consistent with experimental findings in the literature. The knowledge of the variations of temporal and spatial distributions of composition and mechanical signals within the human IVDs provide a better understanding of the progression of disc degeneration.