Resolving the Conflicts Between Biodiversity Conservation and Socioeconomic Development in China: Fuzzy Clustering Approach

Resolving the conflicts between biodiversity conservation and socioeconomic development is a global pursuit for the long-run prospects of the human species. Based on Wenchuan County, a typical county in southwestern China, a group of 20 indicators quantifying regional biodiversity and socioeconomic development was established to classify and evaluate the county area spatially. A fuzzy c-means clustering (FCM) algorithm was used as the classification method. Three indices including BD, DL and DR characterizing the value of biodiversity, the level and rate of socioeconomic development of the delineated regions were formulated. The results indicated that Wenchuan County was optimally classified into 4 types of regions (region I to IV). The area percentages of the regions vary widely from 4.3 to 65.7%. The sequences of the regions on biodiversity, socioeconomic development level, and socioeconomic development rate were, respectively, IV > II > III > I, I > III > II > IV and III >I >II >IV. The spatial strategy on coordinating biodiversity conservation and regional development is to develop mainly from the east(I, II, III) and to conserve mainly in the west(IV). Eco-industry, such as eco-tourism and eco-agriculture, need to be emphasized in the process of regional development. The quantitative methods used here may have a wide applicability.     

Quantification and analysis of reverse mutations at the hgprt locus in Chinese hamster ovary cells

We describe an assay for the quantification of reverse mutations at the hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (hgprt) locus in Chinese hamster ovary cells utilizing the selective agent L-azaserine (AS). Conditions are defined in terms of optimal AS concentration, cell density, and phenotypic expression time. After treatment, replicate cultures of 10⁶ cells are allowed a 48-h phenotypic expression time in 100-mm plates. AS (10 μM) is then added directly to the growing culture and AS-resistant (AS^r) cells form visible colonies. This assay is used to quantify ICR-191-, ICR-170-, and N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea-induced reversion of independently isolated HGPRT^? clones. The AS^r phenotype is characterized both physiologically and biochemically. All AS^r clones isolated are stably resistant to AS and aminopterin but sensitive to 6-thioguanine. They also have re-expressed HGPRT enzyme. In addition, several revertants are shown to contain altered HGPRT. The data provide further evidence that ICR-191 and ICR-170 cause structural gene mutations in mammalian cells and also suggest that ICR-191, ICR-170, and N-ethyl-N-nitrosourea induce similar types of mutations in Chinese hamster ovary cells.     

Novel dual-reporter transgenic rodents enable cell tracking in animal models of stem cell transplantation

In the present study, we have established a novel transgenic mouse and transgenic rats with dual reporters of EGFP and ELuc. In these transgenic (Tg) rodents, both GFP fluorescent and luciferase luminescent signals were ubiquitously detected in the heart, liver, kidney and testis, while only the GFP signal was detected in the brain. This expression system is based on a P2A linked EGFP/ELuc protein allowing both signals to be generated simultaneously. Microscopy experiments, FCM, and luciferase assays showed strong expression in freshly isolated ADSCs from Tg rodents upon transplantation of Tg rat-derived ADSCs into wild-type-mice. The ELuc transgene signal was observed and traced in vivo, and EGFP positive cells could be recovered from ELuc positive tissues in engraftment sites of wild-type mice for multiple analysis. These dual reporter Tg rodents are a useful reconstituted model system of regenerative medicine and are a valuable tool to study stem cells.     

三维肺部图像中疑似肺结节结构的自动提取

本文提出了一种肺部CT图像三维数据中自动提取疑似结节区域的方法。首先结合阈值分割、种子填充等方法,在三维体数据上分割出肺实质。进而利用改进的模糊C均值聚类,提取出结节及具有结节特征的血管、支气管等感兴趣区域。该工作对感兴趣区域的特征提取有重要意义,是早期肺癌计算机辅助诊断重要的一步。     

The JNK inhibitor SP600125 enhances dihydroartemisinin-induced apoptosis by accelerating Bax translocation into mitochondria in human lung adenocarcinoma cells

The C-Jun N-terminal Kinase (JNK) inhibitor SP600125 is widely used to inhibit the JNK-mediated Bax activation and cell apoptosis. However, this report demonstrates that SP600125 synergistically enhances the dihydroartemisinin (DHA)-induced human lung adenocarcinoma cell apoptosis by accelerating Bax translocation and subsequent intrinsic apoptotic pathway involving mitochondrial membrane depolarization, cytochrome c release, caspase-9 and caspase-3 activation. The dynamical analysis of GFP-Bax mobility inside single living cells using fluorescence recovery after photobleaching revealed that SP600125 aggravated the DHA-induced decrease of Bax mobility and Bax translocation. These results for the first time present a novel pro-apoptotic action of SP600125 in DHA-induced apoptosis.     

FCST法与ATB法在酵母样真菌药敏试验中的对比研究

目的探讨ATB（Automatic testing bacteriology）法和FCST（Flow Cytometry Susceptibility Testing）法在检测常见几类酵母样真菌对抗生素敏感性中的一致性。方法应用ATB法和FCST法检测153株酵母样真菌氟胞嘧啶、氟康唑、伏立康唑、伊曲康唑和两性霉素的敏感性。结果白假丝酵母菌对氟胞嘧啶、氟康唑、伏立康唑、伊曲康唑和两性霉素的Kappa检验值分别为0．593、1．000、0．542、0．624、0．467（P〈0．01）;其他酵母样真菌一致性较好。结论相对于ATB常规药敏试验,FCST具有快速、准确、稳定等优点,有着广泛的临床应用前景。     

Rapid induction of large chromosomal deletions by a Cre/inverted loxP system in mouse ES Cell hybrids

Loss of heterozygosity by whole or partial loss of chromosomal regions is crucial to genetic disorders, cancers and diseases. It is difficult to analyze the mechanisms of pathogenesis caused by large-scale chromosomal abnormalities due to the extreme rarity of this mutagenesis. Using a Cre/inverted loxP system, we have generated a chromosome elimination cassette (CEC) that induces a selective loss of embryonic-stem-cell-derived chromosomes in undifferentiated embryonic stem cell-somatic cell hybrids. Here, due to the increased expression of Cre, rapid formation of Cre recombination products and immediate loss of CEC-tagged chromosomes were detected by fluorescence in situ hybridization. Cre also initiated intrachromosomal recombination between identical short sequences outside loxP, leading to large chromosomal deletions of CEC-tagged regions. The Cre-mediated antiparallel synapses likely act as a scaffold to bring the identical short sequences into close proximity for recombination. This CEC technology might allow better understanding of the modulator sequences responsible for the tangled structure formation and its solution mechanism, inducing mitotic recombination leading to chromosomal deletions.     

HIV—lgag／IFNα—2b表达产物的生物活性研究

目的 :将艾滋病病毒核心蛋白 (gag)与干扰素 (IFNα - 2b)融合基因表达的融合蛋白作为免疫原免疫小鼠 ,动态观察小鼠的体液免疫、细胞免疫与CTL应答。方法 :将IFNα - 2b基因片段插入到gag基因的nt5 31位点 ,经脂质体转染与血凝素阴性蚀斑筛选 ,挑出重组痘苗病毒。经SDS -PAGE和Westernblot鉴定表达产物。以小鼠为实验对象 ,用重组痘苗病毒vJ38gag/IFNα - 2b免疫小鼠 ,用ELISA方法检测血清IgG抗体含量。用流式细胞仪测定小鼠外周血CD 4 、CD 8T淋巴细胞计数。 3H -TdR掺入法检测细胞毒性T淋巴细胞杀伤活性。结果 :血清IgG抗体含量逐渐增高 ,实验组与对照组比较差异有显著性意义 (p <0 .0 5 )。CD 4 、CD 8T淋巴细胞计数、CTL检测实验组与对照组比较差异均有显著性意义 (p <0 .0 5 )。结论 :重组痘苗病毒vJ38gag/IFNα - 2b能增强小鼠的体液免疫、细胞免疫和CTL应答。IFNα - 2b可以作为免疫佐剂增强机体的免疫状态。     

LipofectAMINE和Vigofect转染特点的比较研究

目的 :评估新型转染试剂Vigofect介导gfp - 2mar基因转染BHK细胞的转染效率及其对细胞的毒性作用 ,并与传统转染试剂LipofectAMINE进行比较。方法 :将适量的gfp - 2mar分别用等量的LipofectAMINE和Vigofect转染BHK细胞 ,于转染后 4 8h用MTT比色法检测活细胞数 ,以GFP为报告基因 ,在荧光显微镜下观察并用流式细胞仪计数荧光细胞 ,检测转染效率。结果 :Lipo fectAMINE转染组细胞存活率为 96 .5 1± 3.12 % ,显著大于Vigofect转染组 6 1.4 3± 16 .89% (P <0 .0 1) ;Vigofect转染效率为 5 9.2±19 .5 1% ,显著高于LipofectAMINE 10 .72± 8.17% (P <0 .0 2 )。结论 :与LipofectAMINE相比较 ,Vigofect对细胞毒性较大 ,但转染效率较高     

FISH-FCM方法检测酵母-细菌二元体系中微生物数量

以废水生物处理系统和生物发酵系统出现的酵母-细菌二元体系作为研究对象,探讨了二元体系生物样品的最佳超声分散条件以及同时检测酵母和细菌数量时荧光原位杂交（FISH）-流式细胞术（FCM）技术的测量精度。染色-FCM检测表明：同时适用于混合酵母样品（酵母假菌丝）和混合细菌样品（活性污泥絮体）的最佳超声分散条件为100W、60～90s,但过强超声条件（120s）对酵母Candida tropicalis纯培养物（或细菌Escherichia coli纯培养物）的超声粉碎效果完全不同于混合酵母样品（或混合细菌样品）。在此基础上,以C．tropicalis和E．coli分别作为酵母和细菌的模式微生物,采用双探针杂交的FISH—FCM技术检测了背景微生物（C．tropicalis或Ecoll）浓度为10^7个／ml时二元体系中目标微生物（10^2～10^7个／ml）的数量。流式细胞仪能够明显区分噪音和二元体系中的酵母和细菌,因而一次进样时能够同时分析两种微生物数量,并且目标微生物浓度可以精确到10^4个／ml,此时微生物含量仅为0．1％,其中细菌浓度甚至可以精确到10^3个／ml（相应含量仅为0．01％）。然而,当二元体系中目标微生物浓度过低时（〈10^4个酵母／ml或〈10^4个细菌／ml）,背景微生物的存在会严重影响FISH—FCM技术的测量准确性。