Ammonite aptychi: Functions and role in propulsion

Seven previous proposals of aptychus (sensu stricto) function are reviewed: lower mandible, protection of gonads of females, protective operculum, ballasting, flushing benthic prey, filtering microfauna and pump for jet propulsion. An eighth is introduced: aptychi functioned to actively stabilize the rocking produced by the pulsating jet during forward foraging and backward swimming. Experiments with in-air models suggest that planispiral ammonites could lower their aperture by the forward shift of a mobile cephalic complex. In the experiments, the ventral part of the peristome is lowered from the lateral resting (neutral) position by the added “ballast” of a relatively thin Laevaptychus to an angle < 25° from horizontal with adequate stability to withstand the counter-force produced by the jet of the recurved hyponome. However, of the shell forms tested, only brevidomes with thick aptychi, e.g., the Upper Jurassic Aspidoceratidae with Laevaptychus and average whorl expansion rates, were stable enough to swim forward by jet propulsion at about Nautilus speed (∼ 25 cm/s). We propose that aptychus function most commonly combined feeding (jaw, flushing, filtering) with protection (operculum), and, more rarely, with locomotion (ballast, pump, diving and stabilizing plane). Aptychi may thus have been multi-functional.     

Ribo-, Xylo-, and Arabino-Configured Adenine-Based Nucleoside Phosphonates: Synthesis of Monomers for Solid-Phase Oligonucleotide Assembly

Abstract

Adenine-based, regioisomeric nucleoside phosphonates with ribo, xylo and arabino configuration were synthesized in the protected form suitable for the phosphotriester-like, solid-phase synthesis of oligonucleotides. Phosphonate moiety was protected by 4-methoxy-1-oxido-2-picolyl group and the furanose hydroxyl by the dimethoxytrityl group.     

Reproductive biology and morphology of Apis mellifera jemenitica (Apidae) queens and drones

The current study aimed to investigate the important reproductive biology and morphology of A.m. jemenitica queens and drones through measuring the weight of virgin and mated queens, size and weight of spermathecae, weight of ovaries, number of ovarioles, quantity and viability of semen in queen and drones. Accordingly, the average weights of 0.139 ± 0.01 g and 0.143 ± 0.013 g recorded for virgin and mated queens respectively. The sizes of spermathecae were 1.248 ± 0.103 mm and 1.25 ± 0.022 mm for virgin and mated queens respectively. The mean weight of ovaries was 0.013 ± 0.003 g and the numbers of ovarioles varied from 124 to 163 with the mean of 142.9 ± 9.47 and with no significant difference between virgin and mated queens. The average number of stored sperm per spermathecae of mated queen was estimated to be 4.202 ± 0.613 million with the viability of 80.39%. The average number of sperm per drone recorded was 8,763,950 ± 1,633,203.15 with viability of 79.54 ± 6.70%. In general, the current study revealed that the values recorded for reproductive biology and morphological characters of A. m. jemenitica queens and drones were relatively lower than values recorded for other Apis mellifera races. This mainly could be associated with the body size of the race which is known to be the smallest race among A. mellifera races. Moreover, the harsh environmental conditions of the regions, high temperature, low humidity and limited resources may have contributed for the smaller biological and morphological values. The information will serve as a base in future selection and breeding of program of the race.     

医学干预对武警某部军事训练伤的影响

目的：探讨医学干预对南方某武警部队战士训练伤发生情况的影响。方法：随机将南方某武警部队的一大队,按照干预措施施训,作为干预组;另一大队按照以往常规方法进行训练,不加任何干预措施,作为对照组。观察6个月内的两大队（干预组和对照组）的训练伤发生情况。结果：骨关节和软组织损伤为常见。实施医疗干预可有效降低军事训练伤的发生率（17．95％〈29．18％）,其主要效果在于大幅度降低了骨关节损伤的发生率（6．53％〈10.31％）和软组织损伤的发生率（5．59％〈9．92％）。结论：实施医学干预可有效降低我武警部队军事训练伤的发生率。     

乌司他丁对非停跳冠脉搭桥术患者的心肺保护作用研究

目的:探讨乌司他丁对非停跳冠脉搭桥术患者的心肺保护作用。方法:选取2017年12月-2019年4月我院收治的非停跳冠脉搭桥术患者76例,根据使用的药物不同分为两组,对照组应用常规方法,研究组应用乌司他丁,在麻醉之后切皮之前为T1,旁路血管开放时时间点为T2,手术结束为T3,手术之后的8 h为T4。比较两组治疗前后的心肺功能指标、动脉血气分析及血浆炎症因子、氧合指数术后恢复。结果:和T1进行对比时,两组T3、T4中的气道阻力(Air way Resistance,Raw)、呼吸指数(Respiratory Index,RI)、肺泡-动脉血氧分压差P(A-a)DO2均有所升高,在T2、T4中(PVR)有所升高,在T2、T3、T4中肺顺应性(Compliance of Lung,CL)有所降低。和对照组进行对比时,研究组在T3、T4中肺循环阻力(pulmonary vascular resistance, PVR)、RI、P(A-a)DO2有所降低,在T2、T3、T4中通气死腔百分比(VD/VT)有所降低(P0.05),在T2中CL有所升高(P0.05);治疗前,两组BNP、TNF-α、IL-6、IL-8无统计学意义(P0.05),治疗后BNP、肿瘤坏死因子(tumor necrosis factor-α,TNF-α)、白细胞介素-6 (Interleukin-6,IL-6)、白细胞介素-8 (Interleukin-8,IL-8)在T1、T2、T3、T4中低于对照组(P0.05),肌钙蛋白(cardiac troponin,cTnI)在T1中和对照组没有明显差异(P0.05),T2、T3、T4中研究组明显低于对照组(P0.05),研究组氧合指数高于对照组(P0.05);研究组T1、T2、T3、T4时平均动脉压(mean artery pressure,MBP)均高于对照组(P0.05),T1、T2、T3、T4时心率均低于对照组(P0.05);研究组ICU停留时间、ICU带气管插管时间、ICU机械通气时间、肺部并发症均低于对照组(P0.05)。结论:乌司他丁用于非停跳冠脉搭桥术的效果较好,可以保护患者的心肺功能。     

载氢-纳米氧化铈微泡对小鼠造血系统抗辐射作用的分析

为探讨载氢-纳米氧化铈微泡对小鼠辐射损伤的防护作用。本研究检测载氢-纳米氧化铈微泡的表征,并将60只BALB/c小鼠随机分为正常对照组、照射对照组、载氢-纳米氧化铈微泡组。小鼠经6Gy x射线一次性全身照射(剂量率2 Gy/min)。于照射后3 d和8 d处死小鼠,检测其外周血细胞数、脾脏和胸腺指数、骨髓和脾脏组织病理学变化。结果显示,照射后3 d和8 d,与正常对照组相比,载氢-纳米氧化铈微泡组和照射对照组的白细胞均明显下降,相比照射对照组,载氢-纳米氧化铈微泡组有改善(p<0.05或p<0.01);而载氢-纳米氧化铈微泡组和照射对照组的红细胞数和血红蛋白均略有下降,但差异无统计学意义。与正常对照组相比,微泡组的胸腺指数、脾脏指数均有下降,和照射对照组相比,载氢-纳米氧化铈微泡组的胸腺指数明显改善(p<0.05或p<0.01)。照射后3 d,与正常对照组相比,照射对照组的骨髓细胞较少,存在细胞碎片,载氢-纳米氧化铈微泡组骨髓细胞数量略有减少,存在细胞核松散现象。而照射后8 d,与正常对照组相比,照射对照组的骨髓细胞几乎找不到,载氢-纳米氧化铈微泡组骨髓细胞有一定数量,存在细胞凋亡现象。本研究表明,载氢-纳米氧化铈微泡通过保护造血组织、改善造血功能,对机体起到一定的辐射防护作用。     

Long-term stability studies on protection against Newcastle disease by commercial live vaccine used in Brazil

The thermostability (TS) and efficacy offered by live vaccines against Newcastle disease strains B1, La Sota, VG-GA and Ulster, produced or imported by four Brazilian laboratories, were evaluated during their validity period. Kinetic profiles were obtained from samples conserved in refrigerators during 0, 4, 8, 12, 16, 20 and 24 months after their manufacturing. The statistical analysis of the vaccine titre effect obtained by the fresh air (FA) method showed that the vaccine profiles were parallel and coincident, presenting a significant descending trend. The vaccine titres and efficiency proofs at the end of the validity period were above the level of legislation requirements and showed an average loss in titre of 0.40 and 0.66 log_10, within the first and second validity years, respectively. The titre obtained by TS, within the month after manufacturing, had no significant difference from the titre obtained by FA within 24 months after manufacturing, being their pairs of observations positively correlated (r = 0.49, p = 0.0003), showing that the TS method, which anticipates the vaccines' performance at the end of the validity period, can substitute the FA method 24 months after manufacturing.     

中国天然林资源保护工程综合评价指标体系与评估方法

天然林资源是国家重要的战略资源与生态资源,在维护国土生态安全、应对气候变化、保护生物多样性等方面发挥着不可替代的重要作用。作为覆盖范围最广、投资规模最大的天然林资源保护工程（简称天保工程）自2000年正式启动以来,对长江上游、黄河上中游地区以及东北、内蒙古、新疆、海南等重点国有林区的森林资源保护修复、区域生态环境改善及经济社会可持续发展等多方面都产生了巨大、深远影响。天保工程二期于2020年结束,全面定量评估天保工程的生态、经济和社会综合效益和国内外的巨大影响,可为全面推进我国天然林资源保护修复提供科技支撑,为后续政策修订提供决策依据。本文基于空间信息技术、样地调查、生态站观测、比较分析等手段,构建了适用于天保工程的综合评价指标体系与评估方法,涵盖森林资源、生态效益、社会经济效益、生态修复措施和政策设计5个方面,对全面贯彻落实国家生态文明战略和《天然林保护修复制度方案》具有重要的现实意义和深远历史意义,为开展全国性的重大生态工程评估提供借鉴和参考。     

Glycyrrhizin Prevents 7-Ketocholesterol Toxicity Against Differentiated PC12 Cells by Suppressing Mitochondrial Membrane Permeability Change

Defects in mitochondrial function participate in the induction of neuronal cell injury. In neurodegenerative conditions, oxidative products of cholesterol are elevated and oxysterols seem to be implicated in neuronal cell death. The present work was designed to study the inhibitory effect of licorice compounds glycyrrhizin and 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid against the toxicity of 7-ketocholesterol in relation to the mitochondria-mediated cell death process. 7-Ketocholesterol induced the nuclear damage, loss of the mitochondrial transmembrane potential, increase in the cytosolic Bax and cytochrome c levels, caspase-3 activation and cell death in differentiated PC12 cells. Glycyrrhizin and 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid prevented the 7-ketocholesterol-induced mitochondrial damage, leading to caspase-3 activation and cell death. The results obtained show that glycyrrhizin and 18β-glycyrrhetinic acid may prevent the 7-ketocholesterol-induced neuronal cell damage by suppressing changes in the mitochondrial membrane permeability.