MARCH5 restores endothelial cell function against ischaemic/hypoxia injury via Akt/eNOS pathway

MARCH5 is a critical regulator of mitochondrial dynamics, apoptosis and mitophagy. However, its role in cardiovascular system remains poorly understood. This study aimed to investigate the role of MARCH5 in endothelial cell (ECs) injury and the involvement of the Akt/eNOS signalling pathway in this process. Rat models of myocardial infarction (MI) and human cardiac microvascular endothelial cells (HCMECs) exposed to hypoxia (1% O₂) were used in this study. MARCH5 expression was significantly reduced in ECs of MI hearts and ECs exposed to hypoxia. Hypoxia inhibited the proliferation, migration and tube formation of ECs, and these effects were aggravated by knockdown of MARCH5 but antagonized by overexpressed MARCH5. Overexpression of MARCH5 increased nitric oxide (NO) content, p-eNOS and p-Akt, while MARCH5 knockdown exerted the opposite effects. The protective effects mediated by MARCH5 overexpression on ECs could be inhibited by eNOS inhibitor L-NAME and Akt inhibitor LY294002. In conclusion, these results indicated that MARCH5 acts as a protective factor in ischaemia/hypoxia-induced ECs injury partially through Akt/eNOS pathway.     

Abundances and host relationships of chigger mites in Yunnan Province,China

This paper reports on ectoparasitic chigger mites found on small mammals in Yunnan Province, southwest China. Data were accumulated from 19 investigation sites (counties) between 2001 and 2009. A total of 10 222 small mammal hosts were captured and identified; these represented 62 species, 34 genera and 11 families in five orders. From the body surfaces of these 10 222 hosts, a total of 92 990 chigger mites were collected and identified microscopically. These represented 224 species, 22 genera and three subfamilies in the family Trombiculidae (Trombidiformes). Small mammals were commonly found to be infested by chigger mites and most host species harboured several species of mite. The species diversity of chigger mites in Yunnan was much higher than diversities reported previously in other provinces of China and in other countries. A single species of rodent, Eothenomys miletus (Rodentia: Cricetidae), carried 111 species of chigger mite, thus demonstrating the highest species diversity and heaviest mite infestation of all recorded hosts. This diversity is exceptional compared with that of other ectoparasites. Of the total 224 mite species, 21 species accounted for 82.2% of all mites counted. Two species acting as major vectors for scrub typhus (tsutsugamushi disease), Leptotrombidium scutellare and Leptotrombidium deliense, were identified as the dominant mite species in this sample. In addition to these two major vectors, 12 potential or suspected vector species were found. Most species of chigger mite had a wide range of hosts and low host specificity. For example, L. scutellare parasitized 30 species of host. The low host specificity of chigger mites may increase their probability of encountering humans, as well as their transmission of scrub typhus among different hosts. Hierarchical clustering analysis showed that similarities between different chigger mite communities on the 18 main species of small mammal host did not accord with the taxonomic affinity of the hosts. This suggests that the distribution of chigger mites may be strongly influenced by the environment in which hosts live.     

基于“无废理念”的纺织服装工业区绿色化改造模式研究

通过对中国工业区，特别是纺织服装工业区"产废"情况的梳理，明确针对污染严重，经济效益不高的工业区进行改造的必要性。为实现对纺织服装工业区绿色化改造，从"无废理念"出发，重点研究纺织服装工业区绿色化改造的可实施路径。在研究方法上将纺织服装工业区作为研究整体，基于可持续发展思想，构建纺织服装工业区经济、社会、环境复合生态系统，运用层次分析法，选取对于该类工业园区具有代表性的经济、社会、环境指标进行评价，通过评价后总的分值，结合生命周期规律，将需要改造的纺织服装工业区进行初步筛选。同时，利用经济、社会、环境各子系统的分值，对具体改造模式加以判别。文章通过对纺织服装工业区不可持续性的内涵挖掘，将工业区绿色化改造模式与改造内容建立关联，可以通过产业绿色化改造和建成空间绿色化改造，来实现工业园区的升级与转型，进而实现可持续发展。最后，根据模式判别结果，针对不同模式在产业与建成空间的不同特征，提出相应的绿色化改造方法和政策建议。在结论中总结基于"无废理念"纺织服装工业区绿色化改造与可持续发展的辩证关系。此方法适用于其他类型的工业区改造模式判别，以促进工业区的可持续发展。     

Effect of Genetic Variants in Two Chemokine Decoy Receptor Genes,DARC and CCBP2, on Metastatic Potential of Breast Cancer

The inhibitory effect of two chemokine decoy receptors (CDRs), DARC and D6, on breast cancer metastasis is mainly due to their ability to sequester pro-malignant chemokines. We hypothesized that genetic variants in the DARC and CCBP2 (encoding D6) genes may be associated with breast cancer progression. In the present study, we evaluated the genetic contributions of DARC and CCBP2 to metastatic potential, indicated by lymph node metastasis (LNM). Ten single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (potentially functional SNPs and block-based tagging SNPs) in DARC and CCBP2 were genotyped in 785 breast cancer patients who had negative lymph nodes and 678 patients with positive lymph nodes. Two non-synonymous SNPs, rs12075 (G42D) in DARC and rs2228468 (S373Y) in CCBP2, were observed to be associated with LNM in univariate analysis and remained significant after adjustment for conventional clinical risk factors, with odds ratios (ORs) of 0.54 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.37 to 0.79) and 0.78 (95% CI, 0.62 to 0.98), respectively. Additional functional experiments revealed that both of these significant SNPs could affect metastasis of breast cancer in xenograft models by differentially altering the chemokine sequestration ability of their corresponding proteins. Furthermore, heterozygous GD genotype of G42D on human erythrocytes had a significantly stronger chemokine sequestration ability than homozygous GG of G42D ex vivo. Our data suggest that the genetic variants in the CDR genes are probably associated with the varied metastatic potential of breast cancer. The underlying mechanism, though it needs to be further investigated, may be that CDR variants could affect the chemokine sequestration ability of CDR proteins.     

不同含湿率及加载条件对人皮质骨纳米压痕测试的影响

目的:探讨不同含湿率及加载条件对人皮质骨纳米压痕测试的影响。方法:采用美国Hysitron纳米压痕仪,设定不同加载模式(高峰载荷分别为300、400、500 nm;加载速度分别为6、8、10 nm/s)对不同含湿率(20‰、30‰、40‰、50‰、60‰)人皮质骨进行弹性模量及硬度测量。结果:在同一加载模式下,不同含湿率标本的测试值随着含湿率增高,弹性模量及硬度值均显著降低(P0.01);三种不同加载模式对含湿率为20‰标本测试值无明显变化;对含湿率60‰标本测试值有显著性影响(P0.02)。结论:纳米压痕仪测试骨微观力学特性时,测试值不仅受标本本身含湿率的影响,当测试条件改变,对湿润标本测试结果也完全不同。当使用纳米压痕技术时,通常采用脱水包埋处理的标本测试出的机械性能,对我们在微观层面认识人体骨在湿润的生理环境下的机械性能是不够全面的。     

Myrothins A–F from Endophytic Fungus Myrothecium sp. BS-31 Harbored in Panax notoginseng

Endophytic fungi play important roles for host's stress tolerance including invasion by pathogenic microbes. Small molecules are common weapons in the microbe–microbe interactions. Panax notoginseng is a widely used traditional Chinese medicinal plant and harbors many endophytes, some exert functions against pathogens. Here, we report six new compounds named myrothins A–F ( 1 – 6 ) produced by Myrothecium sp. BS-31, an endophyte isolated from P. notoginseng, and their antifungal activities against pathogenic fungi causing host root-rot disease. Their structures were elucidated with analysis of spectroscopic data including 1D and 2D NMR, HR-ESI-MS. Myrothins B ( 2 ) and E ( 5 ) showed the weak activity against Fusarium oxysporum and Phoma herbarum, and myrothins F ( 6 ) showed weak activity against F. oxysporum.     

不同方法治疗飞行人员慢性失眠症的疗效比较

目的:飞行人员中睡眠问题发生率高,影响白天工作效能,危及飞行安全,寻找安全有效治疗方法为保证飞行十分必要,本实验观察不同治疗方法在治疗飞行人员慢性失眠的临床疗效,为飞行人员慢性失眠的临床治疗提供一种安全有效的措施。方法:将我院自2007年至2013年收治的52例飞行人员中的慢性失眠患者,排除严重影响睡眠的器质性疾病,随机分为舒乐安定组、中药治疗组和耳针及生物反馈联合治疗组。分别在治疗前、治疗结束后第2天采用匹兹堡睡眠质量指数(PSQI)对患者的睡眠质量进行评价。结果:治疗结束后3组PSQI均较治疗前均有所改善,其中舒乐安定治疗组优于中成药及耳针及生物反馈联合治疗组,差别有统计学意义(P0.05),中成药物治疗组与耳针及生物反馈联合治疗组无明显统计学差异(P0.05)。但对于重度的睡眠障碍,单独采用舒眠胶囊或生物反馈治疗,治疗效果欠佳。结论:舒乐安定治疗失眠疗效确切,但由于其影响工作效能,危及飞行安全较少使用,中成药物、耳针及生物反馈治疗安全有效,病人易于接受,是较好的治疗飞行人员慢性失眠的方法。     

碳储存变化背景下东营市海岸带生态系统保护修复

生态修复是指在不同人为干预程度下，协助已遭受退化、损伤或破坏的生态系统恢复的过程。我国海岸带地区资源丰富、位置优越，但过度的开发建设活动严重破坏了当地的生态环境，急需对受损的海岸带生态系统进行保护和修复。以东营市海岸带地区为例，运用InVEST模型对其2005、2010、2015和2018年4个时间段的碳储存功能进行评估并分析碳储存及"碳源碳汇"的动态变化，以间接反映出区域生态系统的稳定性和健康程度。结果表明，2005-2018年东营市海岸带碳储存功能持续减弱，13年间碳储存总量减少了1.341×10⁶ t，生态系统碳储存功能受到严重破坏，其中有8.68×10⁴ hm²生态系统碳储存功能评价等级为差和极差，空间上受损最为严重的区域主要分布在岸线附近的北部、东北部和东南部。按照东营市海岸带碳损失空间差异和生态系统演替规律，从3个方面提出相应的修复方案，包括加强恢复区保护力度、稳定碳储存能力，整顿辅助区粗放模式、塑造碳储存廊道和退还重建区滨海湿地、扭转碳损失趋势，以期通过改善和恢复研究区海岸带生态系统碳储存功能，实现对受损生态系统的有效保护和修复。     

Identification and Characterization of a New Erythromycin Biosynthetic Gene Cluster in Actinopolyspora erythraea YIM90600, a Novel Erythronolide-Producing Halophilic Actinomycete Isolated from Salt Field

Erythromycins (Ers) are clinically potent macrolide antibiotics in treating pathogenic bacterial infections. Microorganisms capable of producing Ers, represented by Saccharopolyspora erythraea, are mainly soil-dwelling actinomycetes. So far, Actinopolyspora erythraea YIM90600, a halophilic actinomycete isolated from Baicheng salt field, is the only known Er-producing extremophile. In this study, we have reported the draft genome sequence of Ac. erythraea YIM90600, genome mining of which has revealed a new Er biosynthetic gene cluster encoding several novel Er metabolites. This Er gene cluster shares high identity and similarity with the one of Sa. erythraea NRRL2338, except for two absent genes, eryBI and eryG. By correlating genotype and chemotype, the biosynthetic pathways of 3′-demethyl-erythromycin C, erythronolide H (EH) and erythronolide I have been proposed. The formation of EH is supposed to be sequentially biosynthesized via C-6/C-18 epoxidation and C-14 hydroxylation from 6-deoxyerythronolide B. Although an in vitro enzymatic activity assay has provided limited evidence for the involvement of the cytochrome P450 oxidase EryF^Ac (derived from Ac. erythraea YIM90600) in the catalysis of a two-step oxidation, resulting in an epoxy moiety, the attempt to construct an EH-producing Sa. erythraea mutant via gene complementation was not successful. Characterization of EryK^Ac (derived from Ac. erythraea YIM90600) in vitro has confirmed its unique role as a C-12 hydroxylase, rather than a C-14 hydroxylase of the erythronolide. Genomic characterization of the halophile Ac. erythraea YIM90600 will assist us to explore the great potential of extremophiles, and promote the understanding of EH formation, which will shed new insights into the biosynthesis of Er metabolites.     

A Novel Endogenous Induction of ColE7 Expression in a csrA Mutant of Escherichia coli

Carbon storage regulator A (CsrA) is an important regulator that controls central metabolic pathways and a variety of physiological functions. We found that disruption of csrA in cells containing the ColE7 operon caused a 12-fold increase in colicin E7 production. Moreover, real-time RT-PCR demonstrated a decrease of around 50 % in the lexA mRNA of the csrA mutant. However, the cellular level of RecA protein and its mRNA were not significantly different from the wild type strain. Our results suggest that a novel induction mechanism might exist in E. coli that allows the expression of ColE7 operon in response to a metabolic shift. Proteomic analysis suggested that csrA deficient mutant may adapt PEP-glyoxylate cycle for energy production. Thus, the physiological changes in the csrA mutant may be similar to carbon source limitation for initiating the expression of ColE7 operon in response to stringent environmental conditions.