Means, Advantages and Limits of Merging Biology with Technology

The natural world spent billions of years in solution-finding during evolution, which could benefit Technology. How do we put that in a nutshell? Biological systems are more complex than the most complex current technology. Any given functiofi and effect are simultaneously coordinated and linked with others at many levels of biological organisation-from cell organelle to organism, to population and ecosystem. Technology does not have tools to deal with the complexity and “goalintendedness“ of living systems. But limits for interaction exist on both sides-Biological science itself is also too empirical and not mature enough to provide a solid base for correlating living with technical systems. Moving towards a synthesis, where engineers can utilize the vast amount of available biological data, we suggest using a tool called “Theory of Inventive Problem Solving“ (TRIZ) and clarifying some important methodological issues, which have not previously been recognised in bionic engineering: 1) Requirement for more appropriate definitions of “system“, “effect“, “function“, “law“ and “rule“. 2) Requirement for understanding or even measuring the degree of contradiction or analogy between functions in biological and artificial and/or non-living engineering system-there is no simple direct correlation between what engineers find useful and what biology does.     

In Silico Analysis of Crop Science： Report on the First China-UK Workshop on Chips, Computers and Crops

A workshop on ＂Chips, Computers and Crops＂ was held in Hangzhou, China during September 26-27, 2008. The main objective of the workshop was to bring together China and UK scientists from mathematics, bioinformatics and plant molecular biology communities to exchange ideas, enhance awareness of each others＇ fields, explore synergisms and make recommendations on fruitful future directions in crop science. Here we describe the contributions to the workshop, and examine some conceptual issues that lie at the foundations and future of crop systems biology.     

“Second-generation” stem cells for cardiac repair

Over the last years, stem cell therapy has emerged asan inspiring alternative to restore cardiac function after myocardial infarction. A large body of evidence has been obtained in this field but there is no conclusive data on the efficacy of these treatments. Preclinical studies and early reports in humans have been encouraging and have fostered a rapid clinical translation, but positive results have not been uniformly observed and when present, they have been modest. Several types of stem cells, manufacturing methods and delivery routes have been tested in different clinical settings but direct comparison between them is challenging and hinders further research. Despite enormous achievements, major barriers have been found and many fundamental issues remain to be resolved. A better knowledge of the molecular mechanisms implicated in cardiac development and myocardial regeneration is critically needed to overcome some of these hurdles. Genetic and pharmacological priming together with the discovery of new sources of cells have led to a "second generation" of cell products that holds an encouraging promise in cardiovascular regenerative medicine. In this report, we review recent advances in this field focusing on the new types of stem cells that are currently being tested in human beings and on the novel strategies employed to boost cell performance in order to improve cardiac function and outcomes after myocardial infarction.     

A drug from poison: how the therapeutic effect of arsenic trioxide on acute promyelocytic leukemia was discovered

It is surprising that,while arsenic trioxide(ATO) is now considered as "the single most active agent in patients with acute promyelocytic leukemia(APL)",the most important discoverer remains obscure and his original papers have not been cited by a single English paper.The discovery was made during the Cultural Revolution when most Chinese scientists and doctors struggled to survive.Beginning with recipes from a countryside practitioner that were vague in applicable diseases,Zhang TingDong and colleagues proposed in the 1970s that a single chemical in the recipe is most effective and that its target is APL.More than 20 years of work by Zhang and colleagues eliminated the confusions about whether and how ATO can be used effectively.Other researchers,first in China and then in the West,followed his lead.Retrospective analysis of data from his own group proved that APL was indeed the most sensitive target.Removal of a trace amount of mercury chloride from the recipe by another group in his hospital proved that only ATO was required.Publication of Western replication in 1998 made the therapy widely accepted,though neither Western,nor Chinese authors of English papers on ATO cited Zhang’s papers in the 1970s.This article focuses on the early papers of Zhang,but also suggests it worth further work to validate Chinese reports of ATO treatment of other cancers,and infers that some findings published in Chinese journals are of considerable value to patients and that doctors from other countries can benefit from the clinical experience of Chinese doctors with the largest population of patients.     

珠穆朗玛地区伞形科植物的分类学研究

Five species new for Chinese flora have been shown on the basis of the gatherings from northern slopes of Qomolangma Feng (Everest Mt. ). They belong to the genera Physospermopsis, Pleurospermum, Pimpinella, and Schulzia. A new genus, Oreocomopsis and its new species, O. xizangensis, have been described. Critical comments on these and some other South Xizang Umbelliferae are presented.     

Impact of insect-resistant transgenic rice on target insect pests and non-target arthropods in China

Progress on the research and development of insect-resistant transgenic rice, especially expressing insecticidal proteins from Bacillus thuringiensis （Bt）, in China has been rapid in recent years. A number of insect-resistant transgenic rice lines/varieties have passed restricted and enlarged field testing, and several have been approved for productive testing since 2002 in China, although none was approved for commercial use until 2006. Extensive laboratory and field trials have been conducted for evaluation of the efficiency of transgenic rice on target lepidoteran pests and potential ecological risks on non-target arthropods. The efficacy of a number of transgenic rice lines currently tested in China was excellent for control of the major target insect pests, the rice stem borers （Chilo suppressalis, Scirpophaga incertulas, Sesamia inferens） and leaffolder （ Cnaphalocrocis medinalis）, and was better than most insecticides extensively used by millions of farmers at present in China. No significantly negative or unintended effects of transgenic rice on non-target arthropods were found compared with non-transgenic rice. In contrast, most of the current insecticides used for the control of rice stem borers and leaffolders proved harmful to natural enemies, and some insecticides may directly induce resurgence of rice planthoppers. Studies for developing a proactive insect resistance management of transgenic rice in the future are discussed to ensure the sustainable use of transgenic rice.     

印尼爪哇动物群与周口店地区及华南动物群对比

Recently the vertebrate faunal succession established by von Koenigswald in 1930s was replaced by a new one which was proposed by Sondaar (1984), which arose some problems in regional correlations, because the relationship between the two schemes are not very clear,and some of the guide fossils mentioned by von Koenigswald were not included in the new scheme. In China, we used to compare the Jetis Fauna with Gongwangling fauna, Trinil Fauna with Zhoukoudian and Yanjinggou Faunas, but at the present time, both of the faunal names were given up. The new dating works changed the old scheme of faunas, the oldest mammalian fossil record in Java is only 1.5 Ma, which had been thought to be Middle Pliocene in the past half century. The new results from the dating works are not well correlated yet with the turnover of faunal assemblages. It's sure that the Java Faunas have close relationship with that of China, but how we can correlate them precisely is still to be done in the future.
     

STATUS OF LUCIOCYPRINUS AND FUSTIS(OSTEICHTHYE:CYPRINIDAE)

Fustis Lin, 1932 is a synonym of Luciocyprinus Vaillant, 1904,F. virus Lin,1932 and Barbus normani Tchang,1935 are synonyms of L.langsoni Vaillant, 1904. The holotype of L. langsoni is illustrated for the first time. Although the first fish species from the Indochinese area (sensu Kottelat, in press) was described some 150 years ago, this area is still badly known from the ichthyological point of view. This is more particularly the case of the fish fauna of the northern part of Viet Nam for which we only have a few scarce data, this being essentially due to both difficulties of access and independance wars. Most of the work done on fishes of that area has been done by French scientists (e. g. Bocourt, Sauvage, Vaillant, Pellegrin, Chevey). The Works of some of them have often been overlooked or are hardly usable due to very poor standards. In 1904, Vaillant described a large cyprinid from the Song-Ki-Kong River at Lang-Son(Viet Nam) near the Chinese border. The Song-Ki-Kong Riverat Lang-Son(Viet Nam)nea     

Recent Progress on Rice Genetics in China

Through thousands of years of evolution and cultivation, tremendously rich genetic diversity has been accumulated in rice （Oryza sativa L.）, developing a large germplasm pool from which people can select varieties with morphologies of Interest and other important agronomic traits. With the development of modern genetics, scientists have paid more attention to the genetic value of these elite varieties and germplasms, and such rich rice resources provide a good foundation for genetic research in China. Approximately 100 000 accessions of radiation-, chemical- or insertion-induced mutagenesis have been generated since the 1980s, and great progress has been made on rice molecular genetics. So far at least 16 variant/mutant genes Including MOC1, BC1, SKC1, and Rfgenes have been isolated and characterized in China. These achievements greatly promote the research on functional genomics, understanding the mechanism of plant development and molecular design breeding of rice in China. Here we review the progress of three aspects of rice genetics in China： moving forward at the molecular level, genetic research on elite varieties and germplasms, and new gene screening and genetic analysis using mutants. The prospects of rice genetics are also discussed.     

Endogenous DNA Damage and Repair Enzymes—A short summary of the scientific achievements of Tomas Lindahl,Nobel Laureate in Chemistry 2015

Tomas Lindahl completed his medical studies at Karolinska Institute in 1970. Yet, his work has always been dedicated to unraveling fundamental mechanisms of DNA decay and DNA repair. His research is characterized with groundbreaking discoveries on the instability of our genome, the identification of novel DNA repair activities, the characterization of DNA repair pathways, and the association to diseases, throughout his 40 years of scientific career.     

太原土堂发现的旧石器

土堂旧石器地点位于太原盆地的北端,是太原境内汾河中游的一处旧石器时代早期地点,埋藏在太原西山山前黄土台地中。共获得石制品20件,包括石核、石片、砍砸器、刮削器、石球以及石锤等,其中砾石砍砸器最具特色。地质时代属于中更新世早期。     

广西百色田东坡西岭旧石器时代遗址发掘简报

坡西岭遗址发掘共出土 2 4 4件石制品 ,其中石器 4 6件 ,类型分为砍砸器、手镐、刮削器 3种 ,制作简单、粗糙 ,极少经过细致加工。这与百色盆地其它旧石器时代遗址所发现的石器具有相似的特征。其年代为旧石器时代早期。     

三峡地区枣子坪旧石器遗址

枣子坪旧石器遗址埋藏于三峡地区长江右岸的第Ⅱ级基座阶地内。2000和2002年经历了两次抢救性发掘,揭露面积1000m2,出土石制品101件。石制品类型包括石器、石核、石片、石锤和断块等。古人类选取河卵石为原料进行剥片和加工石器;石器以中型为主,毛坯多为完整石片,刮削器是石器的主要类型;石器加工较简单,多数单向加工,且以正向为主。石器工业具有中国南方旧石器时代主工业鲜明特点,同时蕴含了向长宽等比小型化发展的趋势。地貌和地层对比显示,该遗址可能与井水湾遗址同时,属旧石器时代中期。     

泥河湾盆地中部东坡旧石器时代早期遗址的发现

东坡遗址发现于泥河湾盆地中部的泥河湾层, 东距虎头梁村约800m。该遗址于2001年试掘了4㎡, 出土石制品32件和少量破碎的动物化石。石制品以小型为主; 类型包括石核、石片、工具、断块等, 以石片和断块居多。石制品原料采自遗址附近的砾石层, 主要有流纹岩、石英闪长岩、燧石、石英和板岩等, 以流纹岩和石英闪长岩居多。经ESR方法测定, 遗址的年代为321±15ka BP, 属于旧石器时代早期偏晚。该遗址是泥河湾盆地中部地区首次发现的旧石器早期文化遗址, 具有重要的科研价值。     

许昌灵井遗址2005年出土石制品的初步研究

本文是灵井遗址2005年出土石制品的初步研究成果。文化遗物埋藏于上、下两套湖相沉积层内。在90m2范围内,共出土石制品2 452件,动物化石(包括人工骨器)约3 000件。石制品采用大石英岩和小脉石英砾石为原料,类型包括石器、石核、石片、断块和石器等。打片和加工采用锤击法,少量采用砸击法。石器毛坯多为断片和断块,多数器型不规则,但也有一些精致加工的小石器。脉石英石器以刮削器为主,还有尖状器、雕刻器、钻器等。石英岩石器以砍砸器为主,兼有手镐和石球。两种石料石器类型形成互补。由于脉石英质石料占主导,石器总体以小型为主。灵井石器工业具有中国北方旧石器时代主工业的特点,部分砾石制作的砍砸器等反映了南方主工业的因素。从地层、遗物和古环境判断,2005年出土的石制品属于旧石器时代晚期,根据上下地层关系分析,本地区不存在中石器文化遗存。     

井水湾旧石器遗址初步研究

井水湾遗址是三峡地区一处重要的旧石器时代遗址。遗址埋藏于长江右岸的第Ⅱ级基座阶地内,在1998—2002年间经历了5次系统发掘,揭露面积2121m2,出土石制品910件,动物化石58件。古人类因地制宜地选取河卵石为原料进行剥片和加工石器;石制品类型包括石器、石核、石片、石锤和断块等;剥片技术为锤击法;石器以大型和中型为主,石器毛坯多为完整石片,砍砸器和刮削器是石器的主要类型;石器加工较简单,多数单向加工,且以正向为主。石器工业具有中国南方旧石器时代主工业鲜明特点。环境分析显示古人类生活在温暖湿润的针叶、阔叶混交林-草原环境条件下。光释光年代测定表明,井水湾遗址使用者生活在距今约8万年前,属旧石器时代中期。     

石人沟林场旧石器地点试掘报告

2007年8月, 对吉林延边和龙石人沟旧石器遗址周边进行考古调查时, 在石人沟林场东北的红旗河第2级阶地发现了该地点, 并进行了试掘, 面积为69m2。共获116件石制品, 其中出土86件, 采集30件。石制品包括石核、石片、细石叶、工具、断块及废片。根据地层堆积、石制品特征组合及与周边旧石器遗址对比分析, 推测该遗址的地质年代为晚更新世晚期。     

百色大梅遗址第一地点发掘简报

大梅遗址位于百色右江区东南的右江北岸,最初发现于1982年。该遗址包括三个地点,分别位于Ⅱ、Ⅲ、Ⅳ级河流阶地上。2005年8月至2006年1月,广西文物保护与考古研究所对该遗址进行抢救性考古发掘,其中第一地点(A区)发掘面积1100m~2,第二地点(包括B、C、E区)发掘面积1900m~2,第三地点(D区)发掘面1000m~2,总揭露面积4000m~2。该点出土石制品314件,包括砾石、石核、石片、石锤、石器等。石制品原料以石英岩为主,剥片和修理主要采用锤击法,工具多用砾石直接加工而成,类型有砍砸器、手镐、刮削器、尖状器等,刮削器数量最多。根据地层和出土石制品的特征推断,第一地点的时代应为旧石器时代晚期。     

百色六怀山遗址周边新发现的旧石器

六怀山遗址是百色盆地内一处重要的旧石器时代早期遗址, 2008年12月在其周边进行考查时, 新发现旧石器地点3处, 采集石制品37件。石制品类型包括石核、石片、砍砸器、手镐等; 原料主要为石英岩、石英砂岩、粉砂岩等; 石器毛坯主要为砾石, 器型粗大, 具有南方砾石石器工业的鲜明特征。初步分析显示, 新发现地点属同一时段人类活动的结果, 进一步的工作将有助于了解旷野遗址人类行为特点, 丰富中国旧石器时代考古学研究的内涵。     

高家镇旧石器遗址1998年出土的石制品

高家镇遗址是三峡地区一处重要的旧石器时代遗址。遗址埋藏于长江右岸第Ⅲ级基座阶地内。1995年和1998年经过两次发掘,揭露面积456m2,出土石制品2500余件,其中1998年在B区发掘出土石制品719件。石制品类型包括石器、石核、石片和断块等。古人类选取河卵石为原料运用锤击法剥片和加工石器;石器以大型为主,毛坯多为石核和完整石片,砍砸器是石器的主要类型;石器加工较简单,多数单向加工。石器工业具有中国南方旧石器时代主工业鲜明特点。地貌和地层对比,显示该遗址可能与冉家路口遗址同时,处于中更新世晚期。