Taxonomy and distribution of Sargassum (Phaeophyceae) in the Gulf of Thailand

Ten species of Sargassum (Sargassaceae, Phaeophyceae) were found along the Gulf of Thailand. Morphological characteristics of Sargassum baccularia (Mertens) C.A. Agardh, S. binderi Sonder, S. cinereum J.G. Agardh, S.crassifolium J.G. Agardh, S. longifructum Tseng et Lu, S. oligocystum Montagne, S. polycystum C.A. Agardh, S. siliquosum J.G. Agardh, S. swartzii (Turner) C.A. Agardh and one unidentified species were examined and are described in detail. The most common species were S. polycystum distributed widely in almost all the study sites, S. crassifolium restricted to Prachuap Khirikhan Province, S. longifructum restricted to Chumphon Province, S. siliquosum restricted to Surat Thani Province and one unidentified species restricted to Songkhla Province. Three species (S. cinereum, S. longifructum and S. swartzii) are new records for the algal flora of Thailand. Five species (S. baccularia, S. cinereum, S. longifructum, S. polycystum and the unidentified species) belong to the section Zygocarpicae (J.G. Agardh) Setchell.     

Cloning and Expression of EGFR Tyrosine Kinase and Construction of the Screening Model for the Enzymatic Inhibitors

表皮生长因子受体(Epidermal growth factor receptor,EGFR)属受体酪氨酸激酶(Tyrosine kinase,TK)家族,其胞内的酪氨酸激酶在细胞信号转导通路中具有十分重要的作用。许多肿瘤的发生、发展都与EGFR胞内酪氨酸激酶的异常表达密切相关。因此,EGFR胞内酪氨酸激酶的抑制剂有可能成为治疗肿瘤的有效药物。本研究从人脐静脉内皮细胞(HUVEC) 提取总RNA,采用RT-PCR获得EGFR酪氨酸激酶催化域的编码基因。将其克隆至载体pET-30a,在E.coli BL21(DE3)中进行了成功表达,采用Ni-NTA亲和层析对其进行了纯化。通过对酶的活性的测定,证明重组EGFR酪氨酸激酶蛋白具有利用ATP催化底物发生磷酸化反应的激酶活性。以该重组激酶为靶位构建了酶抑制剂筛选模型,拟对微生物代谢产物进行筛选。     

New reproductive anomalies in fruitless‐mutant Drosophila males: Extreme lengthening of mating durations and infertility correlated with defective serotonergic innervation of reproductive organs

Several features of male reproductive behavior are under the neural control of fruitless (fru) in Drosophila melanogaster. This gene is known to influence courtship steps prior to mating, due to the absence of attempted copulation in the behavioral repertoire of most types of fru‐mutant males. However, certain combinations of fru mutations allow for fertility. By analyzing such matings and their consequences, we uncovered two striking defects: mating times up to four times the normal average duration of copulation; and frequent infertility, regardless of the time of mating by a given transheterozygous fru‐mutant male. The lengthened copulation times may be connected with fru‐induced defects in the formation of a male‐specific abdominal muscle. Production of sperm and certain seminal fluid proteins are normal in these fru mutants. However, analysis of postmating qualities of females that copulated with transheterozygous mutants strongly implied defects in the ability of these males to transfer sperm and seminal fluids. Such abnormalities may be associated with certain serotonergic neurons in the abdominal ganglion in which production of 5HT is regulated by fru. These cells send processes to contractile muscles of the male's internal sex organs; such projection patterns are aberrant in the semifertile fru mutants. Therefore, the reproductive functions regulated by fruitless are expanded in their scope, encompassing not only the earliest stages of courtship behavior along with almost all subsequent steps in the behavioral sequence, but also more than one component of the culminating events. © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Neurobiol 47: 121–149, 2001     

Human Organs in Oil Tank Trucks: An Extractology

ABSTRACT

Since the 1980s the northern part of Shaanbei (northern Shaanxi Province) and neighbouring areas of Inner Mongolia have been experiencing a huge economic boom, thanks to the discovery and successful extraction of coal, oil, and natural gas. While conducting fieldwork on the revival of popular religion in this region in the mid- and late 1990s, I came across various stories relating to suspicions of human organs being transported in large oil tank trucks going out of Shaanbei. Could there have been a link between what is invisible that lies underneath the surface of the earth (coal and oil) and those that lie within human bodies but then allegedly taken out and transported in oil tank trucks (human organs)? This article proposes an ‘extractological’ approach that brings together yet diverges from the methodological and theoretical concerns in anthropological studies on extractive industries and the commercialisation of human organ transplants. In analysing the image of ‘human organs in oil tank trucks’ in juxtaposition with various other pertinent extractological scenarios, an analytical tack emerges, crucially drawing upon Carlo Severi’s work on images and pictography, that goes beyond (or by-passes?) the anti-extraction politics of indignation and points towards an anthropology of conceptual interfacing and articulation (through investigating various kinds of ‘conceptual clutches’).     

Stoichiometric characteristics of carbon,nitrogen and phosphorus of Sibiraea angustata shrub on the eastern Qinghai-Xizang Plateau

Aims Little is known about the stoichiometric characteristics of carbon (C), nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) in plateau shrubs across China. Sibiraea angustata is a typical and representative shrub species on the eastern Qinghai- Xizang Plateau, and exploring its C, N and P distribution patterns and stoichiometric properties in different organs (including root, shoot, leaf, twig and fruit) would help us better understand the mechanisms of C, N and P cycling and balance in the S. angustata dominated shrub ecosystem.
Methods Sixteen sampling sites were selected on the eastern Qinghai-Xizang Plateau by the stratified sampling method. The height and coverage of the dominant shrubs, latitude, longitude and altitude of the sites were recorded. Three 5 m × 5 m plots were selected at each site. At least 128 biological samples of plant organs of S. angustata were collected and measured, respectively. The C and N concentrations of plant samples were analyzed using an elemental analyzer (2400 II CHNS). The P concentration was analyzed using the molydate/ascorbic acid method after H₂SO₄-H₂O₂ digestion.
Important findings The C, N and P concentrations of different organs followed the order of: shoot (495.07 g·kg^-1) > twig (483.37 g·kg^-1) > fruit (480.35 g·kg^-1) > root (468.47 g·kg^-1) > leaf (466.33 g·kg^-1); leaf (22.27 g·kg^-1) > fruit (19.74 g·kg^-1) > twig (7.98 g·kg^-1) > shoot (4.54 g·kg^-1) > root (4.00 g·kg^-1) and fruit (2.85 g·kg^-1) > leaf (1.92 g·kg^-1) > twig (0.96 g·kg^-1) > root (0.52 g·kg^-1) > shoot (0.45 g·kg^-1), respectively. The ranges of the coefficient of variation (CV) for C, N and P concentrations were 1.71%-4.44%, 14.49%-25.50% and 11.46%-46.15%, respectively. Specifically, the C concentration was relatively high and stable, and the maximum CV values for N and P were found in roots. The N:P value of different organs varied from 7.12-12.41 and the minimum CV for N:P was found in twig, which indicated that N:P in twig had higher internal stability. In addition, correlation analysis indicated that the C concentration was significantly negatively correlated with N and P concentrations and correlation coefficients were -0.407 and -0.342, respectively. However, N concentration had dramatically positive correlation with P concentration and the correlation coefficient was 0.814. These results also could indicate that the C, N and P stoichiometric characteristics in the S. angustata shrub accorded with the homeostatic mechanism and growth rate hypothesis to some extent, the distributions of C, N and P concentrations were closely related to the function of the organs and it should be prudent to use ecological stoichiometric ratios to judge the condition of nutrient limitation at the species level.     

Doubly estranged: racism,the body and reflection

This paper introduces the concept of “double estrangement”. Drawing on a large qualitative dataset it will argue that young migrant group boys in Dublin’s north inner city suffer from a break with their embodied selves as they are pushed between habitual and reflective action. The dual elements of “double estrangement” will be outlined, firstly, through the contention that visible difference and dispositions of the body mark minority boys out as not belonging within peer exchanges in three primary schools. Secondly, by arguing this has the effect of heightening a boy’s self-consciousness of their body as an object of value estranging them from their habitual embodied being.     

From insulin synthesis to secretion: Alternative splicing of type 2 ryanodine receptor gene is essential for insulin secretion in pancreatic β cells

Increases in the intracellular Ca²⁺ concentration in pancreatic islets, resulting from the Ca²⁺ mobilization from the intracellular source through the ryanodine receptor, are essential for insulin secretion by glucose. Cyclic ADP-ribose, a potent Ca²⁺ mobilizing second messenger synthesized from NAD⁺ by CD38, regulates the opening of ryanodine receptor. A novel ryanodine receptor mRNA (the islet-type ryanodine receptor) was found to be generated from the type 2 ryanodine receptor gene by the alternative splicing of exons 4 and 75. The islet-type ryanodine receptor mRNA is expressed in a variety of tissues such as pancreatic islets, cerebrum, cerebellum, and other neuro-endocrine cells, whereas the authentic type 2 ryanodine receptor mRNA (the heart-type ryanodine receptor) was found to be generated using GG/AG splicing of intron 75 and is expressed in the heart and the blood vessel. The islet-type ryanodine receptor caused a greater increase in the Ca²⁺ release by caffeine when expressed in HEK293 cells pre-treated with cyclic ADP-ribose, suggesting that the novel ryanodine receptor is an intracellular target for the CD38-cyclic ADP-ribose signal system in mammalian cells and that the tissue-specific alternative splicing of type 2 ryanodine receptor mRNA plays an important role in the functioning of the cyclic ADP-ribose-sensitive Ca²⁺ release.     

急性ST段抬高型心肌梗死患者直接介入治疗门-囊时间及影响因素探讨

目的:探讨在急性ST段抬高型心肌梗死(STEMI)患者中采用直接经皮冠状动脉介入治疗(PCI)方案所用的门-囊(D_2B)时间及其影响因素。方法:选取2014年1月至2016年4月我院收治的行PCI术治疗的180例STEMI患者为研究对象,经患者同意行介入治疗。记录患者院前延迟时间和D_2B时间。通过问卷调查患者的人口统计学资料、临床因素、疾病发生的背景及心理因素等相关资料。以D_2B时间≤126 min为短D_2B组(n=96),126 min为长D_2B组(n=84),采用单因素与多因素logistic回归方法分析D_2B时间的影响因素。结果:所有患者D_2B时间的中位数为126 min,仅有26.7%的患者D_2B时间控制在90 min以内;单因素分析显示,两组患者的突然发作、重视症状、发病时有人在场、症状进展快、节假日住院、入CCU时无症状、门诊就医、应用急救医疗服务体系(EMSS)转运、入CCU时间(6 am-10 pm)、梗前心绞痛及院前延误时间比较,差异有统计学意义(P0.05);多因素logistic回归分析结果显示,节假日住院、门诊就医、入CCU无症状、重视症状、应用EMSS转运、入CCU时间(6 am-10 pm)等均为D_2B时间的影响因素(OR=2.62,2.04,1.59,0.52,0.28,0.61,P0.05)。结论:多数STEMI患者的D_2B时间均未达到指南要求,患者、医生、院内接诊机制等因素均与D_2B时间有关。     

Does salt stress constrain spatial distribution of dune building grasses Ammophila arenaria and Elytrichia juncea on the beach?

Rising sea levels threaten coastal safety by increasing the risk of flooding. Coastal dunes provide a natural form of coastal protection. Understanding drivers that constrain early development of dunes is necessary to assess whether dune development may keep pace with sea‐level rise. In this study, we explored to what extent salt stress experienced by dune building plant species constrains their spatial distribution at the Dutch sandy coast. We conducted a field transplantation experiment and a glasshouse experiment with two dune building grasses Ammophila arenaria and Elytrigia juncea. In the field, we measured salinity and monitored growth of transplanted grasses in four vegetation zones: (I) nonvegetated beach, (II) E. juncea occurring, (III) both species co‐occurring, and (IV) A. arenaria dominant. In the glasshouse, we subjected the two species to six soil salinity treatments, with and without salt spray. We monitored biomass, photosynthesis, leaf sodium, and nutrient concentrations over a growing season. The vegetation zones were weakly associated with summer soil salinity; zone I and II were significantly more saline than zones III and IV. Ammophila arenaria performed equally (zone II) or better (zones III, IV) than E. juncea, suggesting soil salinity did not limit species performance. Both species showed severe winter mortality. In the glasshouse, A. arenaria biomass decreased linearly with soil salinity, presumably as a result of osmotic stress. Elytrigia juncea showed a nonlinear response to soil salinity with an optimum at 0.75% soil salinity. Our findings suggest that soil salinity stress either takes place in winter, or that development of vegetated dunes is less sensitive to soil salinity than hitherto expected.     

Detecting latitudinal and altitudinal expansion of invasive bamboo Phyllostachys edulis and Phyllostachys bambusoides (Poaceae) in Japan to project potential habitats under 1.5°C–4.0°C global warming

Rapid expansion of exotic bamboos has lowered species diversity in Japan's ecosystems by hampering native plant growth. The invasive potential of bamboo, facilitated by global warming, may also affect other countries with developing bamboo industries. We examined past (1975–1980) and recent (2012) distributions of major exotic bamboos (Phyllostachys edulis and P. bambusoides) in areas adjacent to 145 weather stations in central and northern Japan. Bamboo stands have been established at 17 sites along the latitudinal and altitudinal distributional limit during the last three decades. Ecological niche modeling indicated that temperature had a strong influence on bamboo distribution. Using mean annual temperature and sun radiation data, we reproduced bamboo distribution (accuracy = 0.93 and AUC (area under the receiver operating characteristic curve) = 0.92). These results infer that exotic bamboo distribution has shifted northward and upslope, in association with recent climate warming. Then, we simulated future climate data and projected the climate change impact on the potential habitat distribution of invasive bamboos under different temperature increases (i.e., 1.5°C, 2.0°C, 3.0°C, and 4.0°C) relative to the preindustrial period. Potential habitats in central and northern Japan were estimated to increase from 35% under the current climate (1980–2000) to 46%–48%, 51%–54%, 61%–67%, and 77%–83% under 1.5°C, 2.0°C, 3.0°C, and 4.0°C warming levels, respectively. These infer that the risk areas can increase by 1.3 times even under a 1.5°C scenario and expand by 2.3 times under a 4.0°C scenario. For sustainable ecosystem management, both mitigation and adaptation are necessary: bamboo planting must be carefully monitored in predicted potential habitats, which covers most of Japan.