Animal cells in culture are microorganisms

Pick up any textbook with ‘Microbiology’ in the title and observe the scant to nonexistent treatment of animal cells in culture. Viruses do not suffer from such an exclusion. Chapters abound regaling the molecular niceties of the complex dances their components undergo while infecting bacteria or animal cells in culture. Indeed, it is normally in the latter sense only that any recognition is given to the existence of animal cells in culture. Such views pervade even the minds of those who initiate and direct activities of societies whoseraison d’être is the growth and exploitation of animal cells in culture. The author of this editorial was appointed to a Chair in Microbiology at the University of Surrey in 1983 and has worked on the growth and use of animal cells in culture continuously since 1970; he, therefore, had to reconcile his position in the university with his chosen calling. In this he was helped by undergraduates too numerous to mention who struggled mightily with essays which asked the question; are animal cells in culture microorganisms? What follows is a digest of their efforts and the views of the author.     

Design of a phosphinate‐based bioluminescent probe for superoxide radical anion imaging in living cells

Superoxide radical anion (O₂˙^?) as an important member of reactive oxygen species (ROS) plays a vital role both in physiology and pathology. Herein we designed and synthesized a novel phosphinate‐based bioluminescence probe for O₂˙^? detection in living cells, which exhibited good sensitivity for capturing O₂˙^? at the nanomole level and high selectivity against other ROS. The probe was further found to be of low toxicity for living cells and was then successfully employed for sensing endogenous O₂˙^? by using phorbol‐12‐myristate‐13‐acetate (PMA) as a traditional O₂˙^? stimulator in Huh7 cells. Moreover, the increasing production and use of nanoparticles, has given rise to many concerns and debates among the public and scientific authorities regarding their safety and final fate in biological systems. Herein it was found that mondisperse polystyrene particles could stimulate O₂˙^? generation in Huh7 cells. Overall, the probe was demonstrated to have a great potential as a novel bioluminescent sensor for detecting O₂˙^? in living cells. To our knowledge, this is the first small‐molecule phosphinate‐based bioluminescence probe that will open up great opportunities for unlocking the mystery of O₂˙^? in human health and disease.     

核心稳定性训练对痉挛型脑性瘫痪患儿爬行能力及日常生活活动能力的影响

目的:研究核心稳定性训练(CST)对痉挛型脑性瘫痪(SCP)患儿爬行能力及日常生活活动能力的影响。方法:选择从2015年1月到2017年2月期间在我院接受治疗的SCP患儿134例纳入本次研究,根据随机数字表法将患儿分成观察组及对照组,各67例,对照组给予常规训练,观察组则给予CST,两组均治疗3个月。对比两组疗效、治疗前及治疗3个月后的爬行能力评分以及日常生活活动能力评分。结果:观察组的总有效率是95.52%,明显高于对照组的85.07%,差异有统计学意义(P0.05)。治疗3个月后两组的爬行能力评分均分别高于治疗前,且观察组高于对照组,差异均有统计学意义(均P0.05)。治疗3个月后两组的日常生活活动能力各项评分均分别高于治疗前,且观察组高于对照组,差异均有统计学意义(均P0.05)。结论:CST对SCP患儿的爬行能力及日常生活活动能力具有较好的改善作用,临床治疗过程中可应用此种训练措施强化患儿的运动功能,从而促进其获得更好的预后,值得给予推广。     

中国海绵城市——一座巨型绿色屋顶实验室

绿色屋顶是雨洪管理中一项重要的低影响开发（LID）措施。由于气候变化和城市快速发展,LID雨洪管理策略对于当下全球的城市设计都至关重要,尤其是在经济蓬勃发展历来又饱受洪水灾害的中国。气候变化导致降水事件及雨水径流峰值流速难以准确预测。面对建筑布局日益稠密、不透水下垫面日益增多的中国城市,设计师们需要随时做好应对城市雨洪问题的准备。2015年提出的“海绵城市”战略为在城市尺度下应用和监测绿色屋顶效益提供了机会。目前业内大多数国际性绿色屋顶的研究应用都局限于小型控制实验区,借海绵城市建设之东风有机会将应用实验扩展到城市规模。中国雨洪管理智慧的历史可以追溯至5 000年前,现今中国正处于成为大尺度绿色屋顶实践世界领先者的机遇期。因此,LID应是城市设计的驱动力量而非事后补救措施。景观设计师不仅能够从场地、城市和区域3个层面上对场地及其周围环境进行全面解读,而且对需要实施LID的其他因素也有全面认知。为探究中国雨洪管理结构提供了新的视角,对景观设计师如何参与LID实践提出了建议。     

旧石器时代考古与栖居及生计形态分析

由于打制石器本身所含的人类行为信息比较有限,我国旧石器时代考古研究应该引入文化生态学的理论方法,从宏观的生态位、中观的遗址域和微观的居住面分析来充分提炼古人类觅食方式和资源利用的信息。本文介绍了栖居(聚落)形态和遗址域概念的方法论及意义,并用墨西哥瓦哈卡河谷圭拉那魁兹的研究案例来说明这些概念在人地关系研究和农业起源研究中的重要性。文章呼吁旧石器时代考古研究要从低端的分类描述转向人类环境和行为的重建,以期令我们的研究水准跻身世界先进水平。     

Shoaling with infected conspecifics does not improve resistance to trematode infection

Group‐living animals can gain protection against parasitic infections through social contacts with previously infected conspecifics (social immunization). Recent research suggests that such protective effects can be induced through visual or chemical cues released by infected individuals, resulting in anticipatory immune upregulation among group members. Here, we study cue‐induced social resistance in rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss exposed to a trematode parasite, the eye‐fluke Diplostomum pseudospathaceum. We established groups of naïve individuals (receivers) that were paired with previously infected individuals (donors) at different ratios of donors to receivers and at different time points since donor exposure to capture varying concentrations of the anticipated cues. While the pre‐infection elevated resistance among the donors, there was no evidence of social transfer of resistance, regardless of the ratio of donors and receivers in a group or the time since the pre‐infection. The results suggest that resistance through social signalling may be system‐specific and requires further study into the generality of the phenomenon as well as the nature of the cues involved.     

Sappinia sp. (Amoebozoa: Thecamoebida) and Rosculus sp. (SAR: Cercozoa) Isolated From King Penguin Guano Collected in the Subantarctic (South Georgia,Salisbury Plain) and their Coexistence in Culture

Two amoeboid organisms of the genera Sappinia Dangeard, 1896 and Rosculus Hawes, 1963 were identified in a sample containing king penguin guano. This sample, collected in the Subantarctic, enlarges the list of fecal habitats known for the presence of coprophilic amoebae. The two organisms were co‐isolated and subcultured for over 6 mo, with continuous efforts being invested to separate each one from the mixed culture. In the mixed culture, Rosculus cells were fast growing, tolerated changes in culturing conditions, formed cysts, and evidently were attracted by Sappinia trophozoites. The separation of the Rosculus strain was accomplished, whereas the Sappinia strain remained intermixed with inseparable Rosculus cells. Sappinia cell populations were sensitive to changes in culturing conditions; they improved with reduction of Rosculus cells in the mixed culture. Thick‐walled cysts, reportedly formed by Sappinia species, were not seen. The ultrastructure of both organisms was congruent with the currently accepted generic characteristics; however, some details were remarkable at the species level. Combined with the results of phylogenetic analyses, our findings indicate that the ultrastructure of the glycocalyx and the presence/absence of the Golgi apparatus in differential diagnoses of Sappinia species require a critical re‐evaluation.     

Large‐scale distribution patterns of mangrove nematodes: A global meta‐analysis

Mangroves harbor diverse invertebrate communities, suggesting that macroecological distribution patterns of habitat‐forming foundation species drive the associated faunal distribution. Whether these are driven by mangrove biogeography is still ambiguous. For small‐bodied taxa, local factors and landscape metrics might be as important as macroecology. We performed a meta‐analysis to address the following questions: (1) can richness of mangrove trees explain macroecological patterns of nematode richness? and (2) do local landscape attributes have equal or higher importance than biogeography in structuring nematode richness? Mangrove areas of Caribbean‐Southwest Atlantic, Western Indian, Central Indo‐Pacific, and Southwest Pacific biogeographic regions. We used random‐effects meta‐analyses based on natural logarithm of the response ratio (lnRR) to assess the importance of macroecology (i.e., biogeographic regions, latitude, longitude), local factors (i.e., aboveground mangrove biomass and tree richness), and landscape metrics (forest area and shape) in structuring nematode richness from 34 mangroves sites around the world. Latitude, mangrove forest area, and forest shape index explained 19% of the heterogeneity across studies. Richness was higher at low latitudes, closer to the equator. At local scales, richness increased slightly with landscape complexity and decreased with forest shape index. Our results contrast with biogeographic diversity patterns of mangrove‐associated taxa. Global‐scale nematode diversity may have evolved independently of mangrove tree richness, and diversity of small‐bodied metazoans is probably more closely driven by latitude and associated climates, rather than local, landscape, or global biogeographic patterns.     

钩梢强度对麻竹生物量分配和生理特性的影响

以不钩梢为对照,对笋期内麻竹进行轻度、中度、重度钩梢处理,研究各钩梢处理立竹构件生物量分配、当年生枝条和商品叶生长,以及净光合速率(P_n)、蒸腾速率(T_r)、水分利用效率(WUE)和叶片水势(LWP)等的变化,分析麻竹对营林措施中钩梢强度的适应机制和生存策略.结果表明: 与对照相比,钩梢处理对麻竹生物量及分配影响显著,3个处理麻竹立竹的叶/枝、叶/秆、枝/秆生物量比均显著高于对照.轻度钩梢和中度钩梢处理当年生枝条数量、基径、长度均显著大于对照,其中,中度钩梢处理当年生枝条基径、数量、长度和商品叶数量分别比对照增加43.0%、53.3%、29.8%和39.5%.各钩梢处理麻竹P_n、T_r、WUE、LWP在笋期内大小为出笋盛期>末期>初期;钩梢后麻竹的P_n、T_r和WUE显著提高,其中,各处理出笋盛期和末期的P_n大小为中度钩梢>轻度钩梢>重度钩梢>对照,且出笋盛期和末期的P_n分别是对照的1.4和1.3倍.各处理出笋初期、盛期和末期的T_r均为重度钩梢>中度钩梢>轻度钩梢>对照.中度钩梢处理对麻竹立竹的生物量分配、商品叶产量和生理特性均有明显优势,并能有效提高麻竹立竹的水分可获得性.