Neoaplectana glaseri: essential amino acids

Required for a nematode's reproduction in a chemically defined medium are the nine mammalian essential amino acids (sensu strictu). Needed in addition to lysine, tryptophane, histidine, phenylalanine, leucine, isoleucine, threonine, methionine, and valine is arginine which is marginally essential for mammals. Tyrosine, nonessential for mammals, is not absolutely required by the nematode but is beneficial in terms of onset time and quantity of reproduction. Aspartic acid, nonessential for the nematode and mammals, is toxic for adult nematodes at and above 4.8 mg/ml medium. The nematode, Neoaplectana glaseri, is parasitic in insect grubs but the strain used has been cultivated in species isolation on kidney slices continuously since (1944).     

Electron transfer reactions between quinols and quinones in aqueous and aprotic media

The pathways of redox equilibration of quinols and quinones have been investigated. The rate-limiting reaction involves the couple QH^?/QH^· of the reducing quinol and the couple Q^?/Q of the oxidising quinone. Three general mechanistic points may be surmised: (i) protonation/deprotonation reactions are not rate-limiting; (ii) all transfers occur in one-equivalent steps; (iii) electron transfers, but not hydrogen atom transfers, are the dominant features. In aprotic media, no rapid route of equilibration is available since the ionic species which are necessary for thermodynamically feasible routes of electron transfer cannot exist to any great extent. The relation of these results to models of biological quinone systems is discussed.     

Experiences with the dominant lethal test in female mice: effects of alkylating agents and artificial sweeteners on pre-ovulatory oocyte stages.

Pre-ovulatory oocytes are especially sensitive to mutagenic influences. Since post-dictyotene oocytes are not subject to selection and elimination before fertilization, they may reveal mutagenic effects directly and unrestrictedly. Presuming that a chemical is administered at pro-estrus to female mice one can conclude that the substance or its active metabolite has the chance to reach the gamete during the sensitive pre-fertilization stages. We proved the usefulness of the test system by investigating the effects of alkylating agents. A second step was to investigate other substances. The following treatments induced dominant lethal effects: methyl methanesulfonate 100 mg/kg i.m., cyclophosphamide 200 mg/kg per os, triaziquone 0.25 mg/kg i.p. In contrast, the following agents were ineffective and can be classified as not mutagenic in this method: sodium cyclamate 10 000 mg/kg per os, saccharine sodium, 10 000 mg/kg per os, cyclohexamine sulfate 150 mg/kg per os, ethanol 5 ml/kg per os.     

Towards automation: Radiata pine shoot hedges in vitro

A novel system for in vitro shoot production has been developed whereby shoot hedges are maintained in one vessel. Monthly crops of shoots are produced for rooting. Radiata pine shoot hedges were maintained on Lepoivre (LP) nutrient agar medium for 18 months using a weekly liquid-nutrient replenishment system. In a separate experiment liquid-LP-nutrient replenishment of shoots twice weekly without transfers (D) resulted in better shoot growth and health than monthly transfers to fresh agar medium (B), monthly transfers to fresh agar medium plus aeration twice weekly (C), or no transfers and no liquid nutrient addition (A). Liquid nutrient replenishment twice weekly was better than 2 weekly or 4 weekly replenishment. The percentage of normal waxy (abundant tubular epicuticular wax) shoots harvested monthly increased significantly over the culture period from 41% at the first harvest to 93% at the eight harvest, and remained high at 97% from the ninth to twelfth harvest. The percentage of wet (no tubular epicuticular wax, small amounts of globular epicuticular wax) shoots harvested showed a corresponding decline—from 59%, to 7% at the eighth harvest. Shoots were harvested at a rate of 672/h (1.19 cents/shoot at a labour cost of NZ$8.00/h) and approximately 1100 shoots were produced per square metre of agar surface per month. Initial problems of contamination and crowding were overcome. These results will greatly facilitate progress towards automation of shoot production and reduction of costs of micropropagated trees. An automated system used in combination with other cost-saving techniques or robotics could potentially result in a substantial reduction in costs. This is the first report of a method of culturing shoots as hedges for a period of up to 18 months without manual subculturing.     

Hydraulic acclimation in a Mediterranean oak subjected to permanent throughfall exclusion results in increased stem hydraulic capacitance

Stem water storage capacity and hydraulic capacitance (C_S) play a crucial role in tree survival under drought-stress. To investigate whether C_S adjusts to increasing water deficit, variation in stem water content (StWC) was monitored in vivo for 2 years and related to periodical measurements of tree water potential in Mediterranean Quercus ilex trees subjected either to permanent throughfall exclusion (TE) or to control conditions. Seasonal reductions in StWC were larger in TE trees relative to control ones, resulting in greater seasonal C_S (154 and 80 kg m⁻³ MPa⁻¹, respectively), but only during the first phase of the desorption curve, when predawn water potential was above −1.1 MPa. Below this point, C_S decreased substantially and did not differ between treatments (<20 kg m⁻³ MPa⁻¹). The allometric relationship between tree diameter and sapwood area, measured via electrical resistivity tomography, was not affected by TE. Our results suggest that (a) C_S response to water deficit in the drought-tolerant Q. ilex might be more important to optimize carbon gain during well-hydrated periods than to prevent drought-induced embolism formation during severe drought stress, and (b) enhanced C_S during early summer does not result from proportional increases in sapwood volume, but mostly from increased elastic water.     

On the parametrization of lateral dose profiles in proton radiation therapy

PurposeThe accurate evaluation of the lateral dose profile is an important issue in the field of proton radiation therapy. The beam spread, due to Multiple Coulomb Scattering (MCS), is described by the Molière's theory. To take into account also the contribution of nuclear interactions, modern Treatment Planning Systems (TPSs) generally approximate the dose profiles by a sum of Gaussian functions. In this paper we have compared different parametrizations for the lateral dose profile of protons in water for therapeutical energies: the goal is to improve the performances of the actual treatment planning.MethodsWe have simulated typical dose profiles at the CNAO (Centro Nazionale di Adroterapia Oncologica) beamline with the FLUKA code and validated them with data taken at CNAO considering different energies and depths. We then performed best fits of the lateral dose profiles for different functions using ROOT and MINUIT.ResultsThe accuracy of the best fits was analyzed by evaluating the reduced χ², the number of free parameters of the functions and the calculation time. The best results were obtained with the triple Gaussian and double Gaussian Lorentz–Cauchy functions which have 6 parameters, but good results were also obtained with the so called Gauss–Rutherford function which has only 4 parameters.ConclusionsThe comparison of the studied functions with accurate and validated Monte Carlo calculations and with experimental data from CNAO lead us to propose an original parametrization, the Gauss–Rutherford function, to describe the lateral dose profiles of proton beams.     

基于多尺度协同的长沙市生态网络构建与层级优化

城市化背景下人类与自然环境的矛盾呈现出多尺度、层级化特征，而传统生态网络的构建方式较少考虑不同尺度下生态要素的关系，无法从区域落实到中心城区，难以形成系统性的解决方案。研究在综合梳理各尺度生态网络构建方法的基础上，以长沙市为例，基于形态学空间格局分析（Morphological Spatial Pattern Analysis，MSPA）、景观连通性原理和生态斑块重要性评价识别生态源地，并通过多层级生态阻力面的确定，综合运用最小费用路径（Least-cost path method，LCP）、电路理论、层级传导理论、尺度嵌套等方法对市域、都市区、中心城区的生态网络进行了协同构建和层级优化，最后基于不同尺度生态网络的特点应用并落实到多层级的国土空间规划体系中。研究结果表明：（1）长沙市域生态网络和都市区生态网络具有较好的层级嵌套特征；共识别两尺度生态叠合源地14个、生态叠合廊道15条，主要通过中心城区内的湘江、浏阳河和捞刀河部分河段与外围生态绿圈相衔接，形成"外环内楔"的空间格局。（2）确定市域重要廊道、市域潜在廊道、生态叠合廊道、都市区重要廊道、都市区潜在廊道的核心保护面积共501.14 km²，并提取位于生态廊道核心保护区范围内的生态夹点和生态障碍点，以进一步落实生态保护修复策略。（3）得到具有重要生态连通功能的中心城区生态绿道长度441.2 km，生态修复单元56个，并结合生态阻力值划分为5级进行针对性修复。（4）基于不同尺度生态网络的衔接、嵌套，最终构建"市域总体生态安全格局-都市区城市生态空间发展格局-以城市绿道为基础的中心城区生态修复单元"，并与不同层级的国土空间规划体系相对应。研究结果将为以大城市为中心的跨尺度生态系统修复和生态安全格局构建提供科学参考。     

Effect of shoulder model complexity in upper-body kinematics analysis of the golf swing

The golf swing is a complex full body movement during which the spine and shoulders are highly involved. In order to determine shoulder kinematics during this movement, multibody kinematics optimization (MKO) can be recommended to limit the effect of the soft tissue artifact and to avoid joint dislocations or bone penetration in reconstructed kinematics. Classically, in golf biomechanics research, the shoulder is represented by a 3 degrees-of-freedom model representing the glenohumeral joint. More complex and physiological models are already provided in the scientific literature. Particularly, the model used in this study was a full body model and also described motions of clavicles and scapulae. This study aimed at quantifying the effect of utilizing a more complex and physiological shoulder model when studying the golf swing. Results obtained on 20 golfers showed that a more complex and physiologically-accurate model can more efficiently track experimental markers, which resulted in differences in joint kinematics. Hence, the model with 3 degrees-of-freedom between the humerus and the thorax may be inadequate when combined with MKO and a more physiological model would be beneficial. Finally, results would also be improved through a subject-specific approach for the determination of the segment lengths.     

Development and optimization of a new synthetic process for lorcaserin

A two-step process to synthesize racemic lorcaserin was developed from 2-(4-chlorophenyl)ethanol via formation of bromide or tosylate derivatives. These derivatives were reacted with allylamine in neat conditions to provide pure N-(4-chlorophenethyl)allylammonium chloride. This compound was cyclized in neat conditions using aluminum or zinc chloride to give racemic lorcaserin. After resolution of enantiomers, the wrong enantiomer was racemized and recycled to give new R-lorcaserin.