Effect of total flavonoid in rabdosia rubescens on tolerant mice models under cerebral anoxia

ObjectiveTo study the protective effect of total flavonoid in rabdosia rubescens on BIT model by brain ischemic tolerance (hereinafter BIT) model of mice.MethodBIT model is used to block bilateral common carotid arteries and to copy BIT model of mice. After 10 min of transient ischemia for rats in preconditioning group, the mice in the nimodipine group and naoluotong capsule group were given the total flavonoid in rabdosia rubescens (300 mg/kg, 150 mg/kg, 75 mg/kg) for gavage, sham operation group, ischemia/reperfusion injury (hereinafter IRI) group and BIT group were fed with the same volume of 0.5% sodium carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC) once a day for 5 days. After administration for 1 h on day 5 (120 h), the rats in the other groups except for the sham operation group were treated with blood flow block for 30 min and reperfusion for 22 h. The serum NSE level were measured and the brain NO content and NOS activity changes was measured to observe the histopathological changes of brain tissue.ResultsBIT models of mice and in rats were both successfully replicated. The total flavonoid in rabdosia rubescens can decrease the mortality of mice, decrease serum NSE level, increase the content of NO and the activity of NOS in the brain tissue of mice, and improve the pathological damage of cortex and hippocampus of mice.ConclusionThe total flavonoid in rabdosia rubescens can stimulate an endogenous protective mechanism by inducing the release of low levels of cytokines NO and NOS, which reduces the release of serum NSE, relieves the brain tissue ischemia-reperfusion injury, and further improves the protection effect of ischemic preconditioning on brain injury. The damage of brain tissue ischemia and reperfusion, and further improve the ischemia Protective effect of preconditioning on brain injury.     

Analyses of landuse change impacts on catchment runoff using different time indicators based on SWAT model

Previous researches mainly focused on the runoff responses to landuse change based on annual, seasonal or monthly time scales, there are few studies based on daily scale. We conducted a comprehensive investigation into runoff responses on the daily scale as well as annual and monthly time scales using SWAT, and compared the impacts of time scales with different time indicators quantitatively. Jinjiang, a coastal catchment of southeast China with a humid sub-tropical climate, was used for simulations. A calibrated SWAT model produced satisfactory reproduction of annual, monthly and daily runoff processes over a nine-year (2002–2010) period at three gauging stations. Runoff was then simulated and compared using the same meteorological input but two different landuse scenarios (1985 and 2006, with reduced forest and increased cropland and urbanized area). The results showed varying change in runoff among three time scales and three catchments. The annual runoff had the smallest increase between two scenarios, monthly runoffs had medium rates (increasing in all months except October–November), and daily runoff had the largest rates with the increase in flood peaks but decrease in drought flows, because of the variable influence on interception/evapotranspiration loss, percolation and antecedent soil water storage. Indicators of different time scales (annual runoff, monthly runoff, maximum 1-day and 5-day flood runoff, minimum 1-day and 7-day runoff) proved appropriate for analysing landuse change impacts.     

Integrating the porcine physical and linkage map using cosmid-derived markers

An essential part in the development of informative linkage maps is to include genetic markers that have been anchored by physical mapping. Here a set of 18 porcine cosmid-derived genetic markers are reported that have been mapped by linkge analysis, and that also have been physically localized by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). Three different strategies were used to establish polymorphic markers from the cosmid clones. Firstly, dinucleotide microsatellite loci were derived by sequencing cosmid subclones containing (CA), repeats. Secondly, variable SINE 3′ poly(A) tracts (SINEVA) were identified by direct SINE-PCR amplification of cosmid clones. Thirdly, the cosmids were used in Southern blot hybridization to detect restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs). Compared with the most recent consensus compilation of the porcine gene map, the present assignment of markers to chromosomes Zp, 3, 4, 10, 12q, and 16 represents the first loci mapped to these chromosomes, for which linkage as well as in situ data are now available.     

COMPARISON OF VERTICAL AERIAL PHOTOGRAPHIC AND GROUND CENSUSES OF STELLER SEA LIONS AT AÑO NUEVO ISLAND, JULY 1990-1993

Counts of Steller sea lion ( Eumetopias jubatus ) pups and non-pups (adults and juveniles) from aerial photographs of rookeries at Año Nuevo Island between 1990 and 1993 were significantly higher than those made on the ground. Based on regression of natural logs of photographic counts versus year, the number of pups declined at a rate of −0.099yr while non-pup numbers declined at −0.315/yr. Examination of ground count data for the same period revealed a significant decline in non-pups (−0.139/yr), but no trend was detected in the ground counts of pups. The regression coefficients from photographic and ground counts of non-pups did not differ significantly. Power analyses using the program TRENDS indicated that detectable rates of change in abundance from four annual surveys were much lower for counts of pups than counts of non-pups where sampling precision was based on fits to linear models.     

Ultrafine Metal Nanoparticles/N‐Doped Porous Carbon Hybrids Coated on Carbon Fibers as Flexible and Binder‐Free Water Splitting Catalysts

By employing in situ reduction of metal precursor and metal‐assisted carbon etching process, this study achieves a series of ultrafine transition metal‐based nanoparticles (Ni–Fe, Ni–Mo) embedded in N‐doped carbon, which are found efficient catalysts for electrolytic water splitting. The as‐prepared hybrid materials demonstrate outstanding catalytic activities as non‐noble metal electrodes rendered by the synergistic effect of bimetal elements and N‐dopants, the improved electrical conductivity, and hydrophilism. Ni/Mo₂C@N‐doped porous carbon (NiMo‐polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP)) and NiFe@N‐doped carbon (NiFe‐PVP) produce low overpotentials of 130 and 297 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm^?2 as catalysts for hydrogen evolution reaction and oxygen evolution reaction, respectively. In addition, these binder‐free electrodes show long‐term stability. Overall water splitting is also demonstrated based on the couple of NiMo‐PVP||NiFe‐PVP catalyzer. This represents a simple and effective synthesis method toward a new type of nanometal–carbon hybrid electrodes.     

In Vitro Cultivation of Borrelia duttonii on Cultures of SflEp Cells

Borrelia duttonii strain 406 K, a causative agent of relapsing fever, could not be cultivated in vitro in currently available media for borreliae. We have developed an in vitro cultivation system by using SflEp cell cultures. The average increases of the number of borreliae, when inoculated with 1.0 × 10⁵ organisms per ml from infected mice, were 23-fold and 150-fold in the primary culture and the 3rd subculture, respectively. Even a single borrelia could propagate in this cultivation system. This system will be useful for immunological and physiological studies on uncultivable Borrelia strains.     

Accuracies in Po-210 determination for lead-210 dating

Various laboratory techniques have been utilized worldwide for measuring lead-210 in sub-recent deposits through its grand-daughter product polonium-210. Isotope dilution alpha spectrometry proved a suitable tool for absolute determination of lead-210 for the dating of aquatic deposits. Moreover, isotope dilution alpha spectrometry along with speciation experiments can be used to resolve depositional anomalies arising from supported lead-210/Ra-226 disequilibrium levels and unsupported lead-210 mobile fractions. Isotope dilution alpha spectrometry of sub-recent sediment and peat deposits has been critically evaluated for more than ten years. Our results show that type, size and composition of deposits analyzed as well as radiochemical procedures used, together with alpha counting techniques, are important factors influencing lead-210 determinations and tailing corrections using its granddaughter product polonium-210. Optimization of these parameters is of prime importance to achieve economic and accurate analyses, especially at low lead-210 concentrations and small sample sizes.