Assembly of non-natural electron transfer conduits in the cytochrome P450 system: a critical assessment and update of artificial redox constructs amenable to exploitation in biotechnological areas

The high plasticity of the active-site cavity of cytochromes P450, permitting reactivity toward a vast array of compounds, makes these enzymes attractive targets for biotechnological application. Escalating attention in this area is driven by remarkable progress in the rational design by DNA shuffling of self-sufficient, multi-domain P450/electron donor constructs simplifying the composition of biocatalytic systems. Moreover, versatile approaches were undertaken to supersede the well-established, NAD(P)H-steered proteinaceous redox chains by cost-effective alternative electron transfer conduits constituted of organometallic mediators or photoactivatable redox triggers. Electrochemical techniques have proven particularly useful: employing different types of carbon- and metal-based electrodes for the fabrication of biosensors, the continuing challenge was to optimize the conductive properties of these devices by creating biocompatible interfaces for transferring electrons between sensor surfaces and redox proteins. The present review provides a critical update of the most significant breakthroughs in innovative manipulation of the redox machinery, giving an impulse to exploitation of P450s in fields such as the production of fine chemicals, drug processing, medicinal diagnostics and remediation of biotopes contaminated with harmful environmental pollutants.     

广西三江侗族儿童青少年头面部发育指标分析

本文对广西三江侗族自治县的 7— 16岁乡村侗族男女中、小学生 2 0 87名 (男 10 5 5 ,女 10 32 )的头面部9项指标进行测量 ,并计算有关指数 ,分析和比较了儿童青少年容貌特征发育与年龄增长的关系。根据头面部指数分型 ,确定了广西三江侗族自治县侗族儿童青少年的头面部形态。依各项指数 ,侗族儿童青少年多属圆头型 ,高头型 ,阔头型及阔面型。     

云南新植物

发表天南星属(天南星科)一新种苍山南星Arisaema cangshanense X.D.Dong,通泉草一新变种,白花通泉草Mazus japonica(Thunb.)O, Kuntze var.leucanthus X.D.Dong和光叶蔷薇一新变种,重瓣光叶蔷薇Rosa wichuraiana Crep.var.multipetala X.D.Dong     

湖南侗族体质人类学初步研究

对湖南省通道侗族自治县575名侗族成年男(295)女(280)进行了活体测量,根据身高、头面部等测量结果,分析该民族的体质特征。     

董氏指压法治疗积滞患儿的临床疗效及对血清Ghrelin水平和胃肠动力的影响

目的:探讨董氏指压法治疗积滞患儿临床疗效及对血清Ghrelin水平和胃肠动力的影响。方法:选取2015年12月-2016年12月上海中医药大学附属岳阳中西医结合医院儿科收治的积滞乳食内积证患儿120例作为研究对象,按随机数字表法分为两组,其中治疗组60例予以董氏指压法,对照组60例予以针刺四缝,两组均治疗8周。比较两组治疗前后血清Ghrelin水平以及胃半排空时间、胃窦收缩频次,并对比两组的临床疗效。结果:治疗组总有效率为98.33%(59/60),与对照组的95.00%(57/60)比较无统计学差异(P0.05)。两组治疗4周后、8周后胃半排空时间均显著低于治疗前,而胃窦收缩频次以及血清Ghrelin水平均显著高于治疗前(均P0.05),且治疗组治疗4周后、8周后胃半排空时间显著低于对照组(均P0.05),治疗8周后治疗组胃窦收缩频次和血清Ghrelin水平显著高于对照组,差异均有统计学意义(均P0.05)。结论:董氏指压法治疗小儿积滞的疗效良好,可显著升高血清Ghrelin水平,增进食欲,改善胃肠蠕动,值得临床推广。     

Harnessing a methane‐fueled,sediment‐free mixed microbial community for utilization of distributed sources of natural gas

Harnessing the metabolic potential of uncultured microbial communities is a compelling opportunity for the biotechnology industry, an approach that would vastly expand the portfolio of usable feedstocks. Methane is particularly promising because it is abundant and energy‐rich, yet the most efficient methane‐activating metabolic pathways involve mixed communities of anaerobic methanotrophic archaea and sulfate reducing bacteria. These communities oxidize methane at high catabolic efficiency and produce chemically reduced by‐products at a comparable rate and in near‐stoichiometric proportion to methane consumption. These reduced compounds can be used for feedstock and downstream chemical production, and at the production rates observed in situ they are an appealing, cost‐effective prospect. Notably, the microbial constituents responsible for this bioconversion are most prominent in select deep‐sea sediments, and while they can be kept active at surface pressures, they have not yet been cultured in the lab. In an industrial capacity, deep‐sea sediments could be periodically recovered and replenished, but the associated technical challenges and substantial costs make this an untenable approach for full‐scale operations. In this study, we present a novel method for incorporating methanotrophic communities into bioindustrial processes through abstraction onto low mass, easily transportable carbon cloth artificial substrates. Using Gulf of Mexico methane seep sediment as inoculum, optimal physicochemical parameters were established for methane‐oxidizing, sulfide‐generating mesocosm incubations. Metabolic activity required >～40% seawater salinity, peaking at 100% salinity and 35 °C. Microbial communities were successfully transferred to a carbon cloth substrate, and rates of methane‐dependent sulfide production increased more than threefold per unit volume. Phylogenetic analyses indicated that carbon cloth‐based communities were substantially streamlined and were dominated by Desulfotomaculum geothermicum. Fluorescence in situ hybridization microscopy with carbon cloth fibers revealed a novel spatial arrangement of anaerobic methanotrophs and sulfate reducing bacteria suggestive of an electronic coupling enabled by the artificial substrate. This system: 1) enables a more targeted manipulation of methane‐activating microbial communities using a low‐mass and sediment‐free substrate; 2) holds promise for the simultaneous consumption of a strong greenhouse gas and the generation of usable downstream products; and 3) furthers the broader adoption of uncultured, mixed microbial communities for biotechnological use.     

贵州凯里药市的侗族药用植物

凯里药市最初由当地少数民族自发组织,药市中不仅有大量的苗族传统药用植物,而且侗族传统药用植物十分丰富,为了掌握该药市侗族药用植物的现状,该研究运用民族植物学和植物分类学等方法于2014—2017年对凯里药市交易的侗族药用植物进行了6次详细调查。结果表明:该药市出售的侗族药用植物种类较多,共有65科100属111种,其中以广义百合科(Liliaceae)植物(6种,5.4%)为主,其次为伞形科(Umbelliferae)、菊科(Compositae)、天南星科(Araceae)植物(各5种,各占4.5%),再次为苦苣苔科(Gesneriaceae)植物(4种,3.6%)。从植物生活型来看,草本占有绝对优势,共有88种,占79.3%;用药部位具有多样化,但全草类药材占总数的一半。该研究还对药市中侗族和苗族交易的药用植物进行了比较分析,得出凯里药市交易的侗族药材具有独特的地域性和民族性,尤以治疗风湿关节、跌打损伤等常见疾病为主,并对凯里药市的可持续发展提出了建议。     

Association of PD-L1 and HIF-1α Coexpression with Poor Prognosis in Hepatocellular Carcinoma

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the correlation between the expression of PD-L1 and HIF-1α in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissue and further analyze the association with clinical parameters and the prognostic value of coexpression in HCC patients. METHODS: We assessed the expression of PD-L1 and HIF-1α by immunohistochemistry in tumor tissue from 90 HCC patients who underwent curative hepatectomy. The results were validated in an independent cohort of additional 90 HCC patients. RESULTS: PD-L1 and HIF-1α exhibited in tumor tissue high expression rates of 41.11% (37/90) and 43.33% (43/90), respectively, and their expressions were positively correlated (r = 0.563, P < .01). High expression of PD-L1 was significantly associated with low albumin levels (P < .05); high expression of HIF-1α was significantly correlated with high alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels and low albumin levels (P < .05); high expression of both PD-L1 and HIF-1α was also significantly associated with high AFP levels and low albumin levels (P < .05). High expression of PD-L1, HIF-1α, as well as both PD-L1 and HIF-1 α was respectively significantly associated with worse overall survival (OS) and disease-free survival (DFS) (P < .05). Patients with co-overexpression of PD-L1 and HIF-1α had the worst prognosis compared with other groups. Additionally, multivariate Cox regression models suggested that high expression of PD-L1, HIF-1α, as well as both PD-L1 and HIF-1α was an independent prognostic factor for OS and DFS (P < .05). Furthermore, the positive correlation and prognostic values of PD-L1 and HIF-1α were validated in an independent data set. CONCLUSION: We demonstrated that HCC patients with co-overexpression of PD-L1 and HIF-1α in tumor tissue had a significantly higher risk of recurrence or metastasis and death compared with others. Therefore, more frequent follow-up is needed for patients with co-overexpression of PD-L1 and HIF-1α. At the same time, a combinational therapy with HIF-1α inhibitors in conjunction with PD-L1 blockade may be beneficial for HCC patients with co-overexpression in the future.     

湖南通道侗族自治县传统聚落的空间构建

湘西传统聚落作为一种为数不多的、保存完好的聚落景观之一,其保护研究是我国文化生态及其生物多样性保护研究的重要组成部分。以怀化市侗族传统聚落为研究对象,从传统风水学理念与现代生态位出发,探索传统聚落空间格局的构建方法和驱动因素,以期为传统聚落合理的生态位扩充和空间结构演变提供理论依据。研究表明:湘西传统聚落形成了东、南、西、北四面山林围护、中间宽敞开阔的独立地理空间结构,构建了符合大众追求的"山-林-屋-水-林"的理想聚落空间模式,而且民居建筑大多都"坐西朝东,背风向阳,靠山面水而建"。这种聚落是在自然、经济和文化三大因素共同影响下构成的复合生态系统,有其独特的运行机制。在传统聚落空间系统不断发展的过程中,应遵从其演变发展的客观规律,根据不同传统聚落的生产力水平条件,合理推进经济社会空间结构的转型,并适度加以调控,以稳步实现传统聚落的空间演变和生态位扩充。     

Rapid detection of a minute amount of lipopolysaccharide from Salmonella in large volumes by poly(ethyleneimine)-cloth enzyme immunoassay

Utilizing the rapidity in capturing Salmonella lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and the macroporous nature of poly(ethyleneimine) immobilized polyester cloth (PEI-cloth), a PEI-cloth disk set in a Swinnex cartridge joined at both ends with 10 ml plastic syringes was repeatedly passed through with an LPS sample in large volumes. The captured LPS on the disk were detected at up to 1 pg, which is equivalent to the amount produced of 16 cells, by cloth enzyme immunoassay.