Understanding the fluid mechanics behind transverse wall shear stress

The patchy distribution of atherosclerosis within arteries is widely attributed to local variation in haemodynamic wall shear stress (WSS). A recently-introduced metric, the transverse wall shear stress (transWSS), which is the average over the cardiac cycle of WSS components perpendicular to the temporal mean WSS vector, correlates particularly well with the pattern of lesions around aortic branch ostia. Here we use numerical methods to investigate the nature of the arterial flows captured by transWSS and the sensitivity of transWSS to inflow waveform and aortic geometry. TransWSS developed chiefly in the acceleration, peak systolic and deceleration phases of the cardiac cycle; the reverse flow phase was too short, and WSS in diastole was too low, for these periods to have a significant influence. Most of the spatial variation in transWSS arose from variation in the angle by which instantaneous WSS vectors deviated from the mean WSS vector rather than from variation in the magnitude of the vectors. The pattern of transWSS was insensitive to inflow waveform; only unphysiologically high Womersley numbers produced substantial changes. However, transWSS was sensitive to changes in geometry. The curvature of the arch and proximal descending aorta were responsible for the principal features, the non-planar nature of the aorta produced asymmetries in the location and position of streaks of high transWSS, and taper determined the persistence of the streaks down the aorta. These results reflect the importance of the fluctuating strength of Dean vortices in generating transWSS.     

Unraveling the Novel Structure and Biosynthetic Pathway of O-Linked Glycans in the Golgi Apparatus of the Human Pathogenic Yeast Cryptococcus neoformans

Cryptococcus neoformans is an encapsulated basidiomycete causing cryptococcosis in immunocompromised humans. The cell surface mannoproteins of C. neoformans were reported to stimulate the host T-cell response and to be involved in fungal pathogenicity; however, their O-glycan structure is uncharacterized. In this study, we performed a detailed structural analysis of the O-glycans attached to cryptococcal mannoproteins using HPLC combined with exoglycosidase treatment and showed that the major C. neoformans O-glycans were short manno-oligosaccharides that were connected mostly by α1,2-linkages but connected by an α1,6-linkage at the third mannose residue. Comparison of the O-glycan profiles from wild-type and uxs1Δ mutant strains strongly supports the presence of minor O-glycans carrying a xylose residue. Further analyses of C. neoformans mutant strains identified three mannosyltransferase genes involved in O-glycan extensions in the Golgi. C. neoformans KTR3, the only homolog of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae KRE2/MNT1 family genes, was shown to encode an α1,2-mannosyltransferase responsible for the addition of the second mannose residue via an α1,2-linkage to the major O-glycans. C. neoformans HOC1 and HOC3, homologs of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae OCH1 family genes, were shown to encode α1,6-mannosyltransferases that can transfer the third mannose residue, via an α1,6-linkage, to minor O-glycans containing xylose and to major O-glycans without xylose, respectively. Moreover, the C. neoformans ktr3Δ mutant strain, which displayed increased sensitivity to SDS, high salt, and high temperature, showed attenuated virulence in a mouse model of cryptococcosis, suggesting that the extended structure of O-glycans is required for cell integrity and full pathogenicity of C. neoformans.     

Differentiation and wall chemistry of Agaricus bisporus vegetative and aggregated micelia

Changes in the chemical composition of isolated cell walls and fractions were encountered during the differentiation of vegetative and aggregated mycelia of Agaricus bisporus.Differentiation was accompanied by quantitative variations of the wall polysaccharidic components. Neutral carbohydrates were composed of glucose, galactose, mannose and xylose and glucosamine as the only amino sugar. Differences in wall chemistry were correlated to the secondary and tertiary mycelial forms.     

Down-Regulation of ZmEXPB6 (Zea mays β-Expansin 6) Protein Is Correlated with Salt-mediated Growth Reduction in the Leaves of Z. mays L.

The salt-sensitive crop Zea mays L. shows a rapid leaf growth reduction upon NaCl stress. There is increasing evidence that salinity impairs the ability of the cell walls to expand, ultimately inhibiting growth. Wall-loosening is a prerequisite for cell wall expansion, a process that is under the control of cell wall-located expansin proteins. In this study the abundance of those proteins was analyzed against salt stress using gel-based two-dimensional proteomics and two-dimensional Western blotting. Results show that ZmEXPB6 (Z. mays β-expansin 6) protein is lacking in growth-inhibited leaves of salt-stressed maize. Of note, the exogenous application of heterologously expressed and metal-chelate-affinity chromatography-purified ZmEXPB6 on growth-reduced leaves that lack native ZmEXPB6 under NaCl stress partially restored leaf growth. In vitro assays on frozen-thawed leaf sections revealed that recombinant ZmEXPB6 acts on the capacity of the walls to extend. Our results identify expansins as a factor that partially restores leaf growth of maize in saline environments.     

显脉旋覆花化学成分的研究(英文)

从显脉旋覆花(Inula nervosaWall.)地上部分的75%乙醇提取物中分离到13个化合物,经波谱鉴定为紫菀酮(1),β-谷甾醇(2),α-菠菜甾醇(3),熊果酸(4),胡萝卜苷(5),bigelovin(6),loliolide(7),24S-乙基-5α-胆甾-7,22E-二烯-3α-醇-β-半乳糖苷(8),菠叶素(9),山萘酚(10),α-菠甾醇-3-O-β-D-葡萄糖苷(11),苄醇-β-D-葡萄糖苷(12)和2-苯乙醇-β-D-葡萄糖苷(13)。其中,化合物1~3和6~13为首次从该植物中分离得到。     

The Essential Oil of Bupleurum fruticosum L. from Corsica: A Comprehensive Study

A detailed analysis of Bupleurum fruticosum oil was carried out by combination of GC (RI), GC/MS, and ¹³C‐NMR analyses. After fractionation by column chromatography, 34 components accounting for 97.8% of the oils were identified. The main component was β‐phellandrene (67.7%), followed by sabinene (9.3%), and limonene (5.6%). The evolution of the chemical composition according to the stages of development of the plant was investigated as well as the composition of leaf, twig, and flower oils. A solvent‐free microwave extraction (SFME) of aerial parts was carried out and the composition of the extract compared with that of the essential oil. Finally, 57 oil samples isolated from aerial parts of individual plants, collected all around Corsica, were analyzed, and the data were submitted to statistical analysis. Although the contents of the main components varied, only one group emerged, accompanied with some atypical compositions.     

北柴胡和狭叶柴胡的萌发试验研究

目的：提高北柴胡和狭叶柴胡种子的发芽率,加大黑龙江省道地药材的开发力度。方法：采用40℃温水浸种8h后,流水冲洗4h;150w微波辐射25s（北柴胡）、20s（狭叶柴胡）;柳枝浸出液为萌发剂;浓H2SO4浸种2s,同时培养未经处理的种子作为对照组。结果流水组两种柴胡的发芽率分别为82%、86%;微波组发芽率分别为77%、75%;柳浸组发芽率分别为67%、72%;浓硫酸组发芽率分别为45%和35%;对照组发芽率41%、47%。结论：大规模播种可采用40℃温水浸种8h,流水冲洗4h,150w微波辐射25s（北柴胡）、20s（狭叶柴胡）,采用柳枝浸出液为萌发剂均可提高发芽率。     

狭叶柴胡根的发育解剖学研究

应用常规石蜡切片法对狭叶柴胡（Bupleurum scorzonerifolium Willd.）根的发育过程进行了解剖学研究,并对其1年生与多年生根的结构进行了比较。结果表明,狭叶柴胡根的发育包括原分生组织、初生分生组织、初生结构和次生生长4个发育阶段。原分生组织由3群原始细胞组成,其细胞具有典型分生组织的细胞学特征;初生分生组织包括根冠原、表皮原、皮层原和中柱原。初生结构由表皮、皮层和中柱组成。初生木质部多为二原型,少数为三原型。次生结构为：从外到内由周皮、中柱鞘薄壁细胞环和次生维管组织组成,次生生长主要是依靠维管形成层和木栓形成层的活动来完成,其木栓形成层由中柱鞘细胞恢复分裂能力而形成。多年生根与一年生根的结构基本相似,但在各部分的细胞数量和组成上存在差异。分泌道在一年生的根中仅分布在中柱鞘薄壁组织中,而在多年生的根中,在中柱鞘薄壁细胞和次生韧皮部中均有分布。