Isolation of Five Sterols from the Liverwort,Scapania parvitexta Steph.

Castasterone (1), teasterone (2), and 6-deoxocastasterone (3), as well as monoolein, monolinolein, and monopalmitin, have been identified in immature seeds of rice (Oryza sativa) as active principles in the rice lamina inclination bioassay. Castasterone, as well as monoolein and monopalmitin, were likewise identified in immature seeds of Perilla frutescens, while monopalmitin was identified as a major active principle in cultured cells of Nicotiana tabacum. It seems that the occurrence of monoglycerides in higher plants as biologically active principles might be a general feature.     

Looking back, looking beyond: revisiting the ethics of genome generation

This paper will explore some of the ethical imperatives that have shaped strategic and policy frameworks for the use of new genetic technologies and how these play a role in shaping the nature of research and changing attitudes; with an attempt to conceptualize some theories of genetic determinism. I analyse why there is a need to put bioethical principles within a theoretical framework in the context of new technologies, and how, by doing so, their practical applications for agriculture, environment medicine and health care can be legitimized. There are several theories in favour of and against the use of genetic technologies that focus on genes and their role in our existence. In particular the theory of geneticisation is commonly debated. It highlights the conflicting interests of science, society and industry in harnessing genetic knowledge when the use of such knowledge could challenge ethical principles. Critics call it a ‘reductionist’ approach, based on arguments that are narrowed down to genes, often ignoring other factors including biological, social and moral ones. A parallel theory is that there is something special about genes, and it is this “genetic exceptionalism” that creates hopes and myths. Either way, the challenging task is to develop a common ground for understanding the importance of ethical sensitivities. As research agendas become more complex, ethical paradigms will need to be more influential. New principles are needed to answer the complexities of ethical issues as complex technologies develop. This paper reflects on global ethical principles and the tensions between ethical principles in legitimizing genetic technologies at the social and governance level.     

Structural Biology of the T-cell Receptor: Insights into Receptor Assembly, Ligand Recognition, and Initiation of Signaling

The T-cell receptor (TCR)-CD3 complex serves as a central paradigm for general principles of receptor assembly, ligand recognition, and signaling in the immune system. There is no other receptor system that matches the diversity of both receptor and ligand components. The recent expansion of the immunological structural database is beginning to identify key principles of MHC and peptide recognition. The multicomponent assembly of the TCR complex illustrates general principles used by many receptors in the immune system, which rely on basic and acidic transmembrane residues to guide assembly. The intrinsic binding of the cytoplasmic domains of the CD3ε and ζ chains to the inner leaflet of the plasma membrane represents a novel mechanism for control of receptor activation: Insertion of critical CD3ε tyrosines into the hydrophobic membrane core prevents their phosphorylation before receptor engagement.     

Spice active principles as the inhibitors of human platelet aggregation and thromboxane biosynthesis

Spice active principles are reported to have anti-diabetic, anti-hypercholesterolemic, antilithogenic, anti-inflammatory, anti-microbial and anti-cancer properties. In our previous report we have shown that spices and their active principles inhibit 5-lipoxygenase and also formation of leukotriene C4. In this study, we report the modulatory effect of spice active principles viz., eugenol, capsaicin, piperine, quercetin, curcumin, cinnamaldehyde and allyl sulphide on in vitro human platelet aggregation. We have demonstrated that spice active principles inhibit platelet aggregation induced by different agonists, namely ADP (50 μM), collagen (500 μg/ml), arachidonic acid (AA) (1.0 mM) and calcium ionophore A-23187 (20 μM). Spice active principles showed preferential inhibition of arachidonic acid-induced platelet aggregation compared to other agonists. Among the spice active principles tested, eugenol and capsaicin are found to be most potent inhibitors of AA-induced platelet aggregation with IC50 values of 0.5 and 14.6 μM, respectively. The order of potency of spice principles in inhibiting AA-induced platelet aggregation is eugenol>capsaicin>curcumin>cinnamaldehyde>piperine>allyl sulphide>quercetin. Eugenol is found to be 29-fold more potent than aspirin in inhibiting AA-induced human platelet aggregation. Eugenol and capsaicin inhibited thromboxane B2 (TXB2) formation in platelets in a dose-dependent manner challenged with AA apparently by the inhibition of the cyclooxygenase (COX-1). Eugenol-mediated inhibition of platelet aggregation is further confirmed by dose-dependent decrease in malondialdehyde (MDA) in platelets. Further, eugenol and capsaicin inhibited platelet aggregation induced by agonists—collagen, ADP and calcium ionophore but to a lesser degree compared to AA. These results clearly suggest that spice principles have beneficial effects in modulating human platelet aggregation.     

Circularity,evolution, systematics … and circularity

Many have argued strongly that incorporation of evolutionary theory into systematics is dangerously circular, while others have maintained that such an integrated approach increases the accuracy of phylogenetic inference. Here, it is demonstrated that such blanket statements regarding exclusion or inclusion of evolutionary principles in systematics fail to distinguish between two very different types of principles. ‘Phylogeny-neutral’ evolutionary principles are those inferred without any recourse to specific phylogenetic hypotheses (e.g. via developmental genetics, biomechanics). In contrast, ‘phylogeny-dependent’ principles are those which can only be inferred on the basis of specific phylogenetic hypotheses (e.g. character associations detected via ‘comparative methods’). Inclusion of phylogeny-neutral principles in systematic studies as a priori assumptions can be justified, since these principles have (often strong) external empirical support from other spheres of investigation. However, inclusion of phylogeny-dependent principles in systematic studies is circular, since such principles have no external empirical support but are themselves derived from systematic studies. Advocating inclusion or exclusion of all (or as many as possible) evolutionary principles from phylogenetic analysis is therefore misguided. Rather, phylogeny-neutral principles are independently supported and can be included, while phylogeny-dependent principles are unjustified assumptions and should be excluded to avoid circularity. However, integration of complex phylogeny-neutral principles in systematics can create operational problems, even though there are no methodological reasons against their inclusion.     

在生理学研究中如何严格遵循试验设计四原则

目的：为从事生理学研究的科研工作者严格遵循试验设计四原则（以下简称四原则）提供一些有效的技术方法。方法：通过简单介绍"四原则的概念"、举例阐述"生理学研究中在落实四原则方面出现的常见错误和案例"和简单介绍"生理学研究中如何遵循四原则"来阐述遵循四原则的具体做法。结果：需要根据实际情况,选择合适的随机化方法,分层随机化是常用的好方法;应力求设置合理的对照组,才能真正体现出对照原则的价值;有根据地给出每个小组合适的样本含量,是试验结果具有重现性的基本保证;严格遵循随机、对照和重复原则,最终才能实现对比组之间达到极好的均衡效果,这说明均衡原则是一个把关的原则。结论：在生理学科研中,严格遵循四原则对保证生理学研究结果准确可靠至关重要。     

MicroRNAs and the Operon paper

The “Operon paper” by F. Jacob and J. Monod started 50 years of research into understanding how the expression of genes is regulated on a molecular level. Ten years ago, microRNAs (miRNAs) emerged as major regulators of eukaryotic gene expression. Here, I will review the basic principles of gene regulation by miRNAs and how these principles can be linked to insights from the Operon paper. A lot of what is understood about miRNAs required a combination of computational and experimental methods. I will discuss some examples that illustrate the power of this approach.     

Principlism and the ethical appraisal of clinical trials

For nearly two decades, the process of reviewing the ethical merit of research involving human subjects has been based on the application of principles initially described in the U.S. National Commission's Belmont Report, and later articulated more fully by Beauchamp and Childress in their Principles of Biomedical Ethics. Recently, the use of ethical principles for deliberating about moral problems in medicine and research, referred to in the pejorative sense as "principlism", has come under scrutiny. In this paper we argue that these principles can provide a foundation for the source of ethical appraisal of human research, but are not themselves wholly adequate for this purpose. Therefore, we further propose that (1) principles should be understood as heuristics that can be "specified" as described by De Grazia (1992), and (2) that the principle-based approach should be supplemented by formally incorporating "sensitivity to context" into the evaluation of clinical trials.     

Directionality theory and the evolution of body size

Directionality theory, a dynamic theory of evolution that integrates population genetics with demography, is based on the concept of evolutionary entropy, a measure of the variability in the age of reproducing individuals in a population. The main tenets of the theory are three principles relating the response to the ecological constraints a population experiences, with trends in entropy as the population evolves under mutation and natural selection. (i) Stationary size or fluctuations around a stationary size (bounded growth): a unidirectional increase in entropy; (ii) prolonged episodes of exponential growth (unbounded growth), large population size: a unidirectional decrease in entropy; and (iii) prolonged episodes of exponential growth (unbounded growth), small population size: random, non-directional change in entropy. We invoke these principles, together with an allometric relationship between entropy, and the morphometric variable body size, to provide evolutionary explanations of three empirical patterns pertaining to trends in body size, namely (i) Cope's rule, the tendency towards size increase within phyletic lineages; (ii) the island rule, which pertains to changes in body size that occur as species migrate from mainland populations to colonize island habitats; and (iii) Bergmann's rule, the tendency towards size increase with increasing latitude. The observation that these ecotypic patterns can be explained in terms of the directionality principles for entropy underscores the significance of evolutionary entropy as a unifying concept in forging a link between micro-evolution, the dynamics of gene frequency change, and macro-evolution, dynamic changes in morphometric variables.     

Neuroprotective Efficacy of Eugenol and Isoeugenol in Acrylamide-Induced Neuropathy in rats: Behavioral and Biochemical evidence

The primary objective of this investigation was to assess the neuroprotective efficacy of spice active principles namely Eugenol (Eug) and isoeugenol (IE) in an acrylamide (ACR) neuropathy model in rats. In the present study, ACR administration (50 mg/kg bw, i.p. 3 times/week) for 5 weeks to growing rats caused typical symptoms of neuropathy. We found that treatment of ACR rats with spice active principles (10 mg/kg bw, for 5 weeks) caused marked improvement in gait score and responses in a battery of behavioral tests. Terminally, both spice active principles markedly attenuated ACR-induced markers of oxidative stress viz., reactive oxygen species (ROS), malondialdehyde (MDA) and nitric oxide (NO) in sciatic nerve (SN) as well as brain regions (cortex Ct, cerebellum Cb). Treatment with Eug restored the reduced glutathione levels in SN and brain regions. Interestingly, both spice active principles effectively diminished ACR-induced elevation in cytosolic calcium levels and acetylcholinesterase activity in SN and Ct. Further, the diminished activity of ATPase among ACR rats was enhanced in SN and restored in brain regions. Furthermore, Eug treatment significantly offset ACR-induced depletion in dopamine levels in brain regions. Collectively our findings suggest the propensity of these spice active principles to attenuate ACR-induced neuropathy. Further studies are necessary to understand the precise molecular mechanism/s by which these spice active principles attenuate neuropathy. Nevertheless, our data clearly demonstrate the beneficial effects of spice active principles in ACR-induced neuropathy in rats and suggest their possible therapeutic usage as an adjuvant in the management of other forms of neuropathy in humans.     

The role of organizational culture in compliance with the principles of the 3Rs

In order for their research to be legitimate, scientists carrying out research using animals must comply with rules and regulations. The 3Rs (replacement, reduction and refinement) are one set of guidelines that help to promote the ethical use of animals for research. An important question is whether implementing the principles of the 3Rs in legal regulations, such as a Directive of the European Parliament and of the Council on the protection of animals used for scientific purposes, will increase compliance with the principles of the 3Rs in research organizations. Previous work suggests that organizational culture is just as important for directing behavior as are formalized rules and regulations. This article introduces the concepts of compliance and organizational culture and discusses their consequences on the implementation of the principles of the 3Rs.     

鄂尔多斯高原植物群落季节生长格局模拟

影响大尺度空间生态模型模拟结果与资源管理整合的因素主要有两种:一是一些模型生态学意义不明确,二是一些模型所需要的生态输入信息过于复杂。建立一个基于基本的生态学公理且输入较为简单的生态学模型,便于更加有效地服务于资源环境管理。该模型用于模拟发生严重荒漠化的鄂尔多斯高原植物群落的季节及年生长、叶片投影盖度、蒸发系数。模型首先基于降雨、蒸散、渗漏及土壤水分特性与蒸发系数(k)的关系,采用迭代的计算方法,模拟植物群落蒸散与土壤可利用水分达到平衡状态时的k值,进而采用得到广泛验证的经验公式计算植物群落的其它参数。野外N PP观察数据对模型的验证表明:模拟结果与观察值相符较好。模拟结果表明:蒸发系数小于0 .35×10 - 2 ,显示鄂尔多斯高原气候较为干燥;叶片投影盖度低于5 0 % ;除东部的准格尔旗外,植物群落净第一性生产力均低于1t/(hm2·a) ,近90 %的N PP累积集中于5至8月份。根据该文的模拟结果,在进行植被恢复时,恢复植被密度必须低于5 0 % ,放牧密度以0 .8～2 .0个/hm2 羊单位为宜     

Biomoleculs purification by the method of the expanded bed adsorption chromatography. II. Design of the experiment

This review introduces the principles of the Expanded Bed Adsorption (EBA) and serves as a practical guide to the use of STREAMLINE adsorbent and columns available on the market. Critical operating parameters will be discussed as well as principles for the method design and optimization which will ensure maximum exploitation of this unique operation stage. The review is illustrated with examples of different types of biological molecules which have been purified using Expanded Bed Adsorption.     

Effects of neolignans from the stem bark of Magnolia obovata on plant pathogenic fungi

Aims:  To characterize antifungal principles from the methanol extract of Magnolia obovata and to evaluate their antifungal activities against various plant pathogenic fungi.
Methods and Results:  Four neolignans were isolated from stem bark of M. obovata as antifungal principles and identified as magnolol, honokiol, 4-methoxyhonokiol and obovatol. In mycelial growth inhibition assay, both magnolol and honokiol displayed more potent antifungal activity than 4-methoxyhonokiol and obovatol. Both magnolol and honokiol showed similar in vivo antifungal spectrum against seven plant diseases tested; both compounds effectively suppressed the development of rice blast, tomato late blight, wheat leaf rust and red pepper anthracnose. 4-Methoxyhonokiol and obovatol were highly active to only rice blast and wheat leaf rust respectively.
Conclusions:  The extract of M. obovata and four neolignans had potent in vivo antifungal activities against plant pathogenic fungi.
Significance and Impact of the Study:  Neolignans from Magnolia spp. can be used and suggested as a novel antifungal lead compound for the development of new fungicide and directly as a natural fungicide for the control of plant diseases such as rice blast and wheat leaf rust.     

Neuronal encoding of sound, gravity, and wind in the fruit fly

The fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster responds behaviorally to sound, gravity, and wind. Exposure to male courtship songs results in reduced locomotion in females, whereas males begin to chase each other. When agitated, fruit flies tend to move against gravity. When faced with air currents, they ‘freeze’ in place. Based on recent studies, Johnston’s hearing organ, the antennal ear of the fruit fly, serves as a sensor for all of these mechanosensory stimuli. Compartmentalization of sense cells in Johnston’s organ into vibration-sensitive and deflection-sensitive neural groups allows this single organ to mediate such varied functions. Sound and gravity/wind signals sensed by these two neuronal groups travel in parallel from the fly ear to the brain, feeding into neural pathways reminiscent of the auditory and vestibular pathways in the human brain. Studies of the similarities between mammals and flies will lead to a better understanding of the principles of how sound and gravity information is encoded in the brain. Here, we review recent advances in our understanding of these principles and discuss the advantages of the fruit fly as a model system to explore the fundamental principles of how neural circuits and their ensembles process and integrate sensory information in the brain.     

Peculiarities of the Molecular Structure and Functions of Metallothioneins in the Central Nervous System

This review presents modern concepts on the structure and principles of classification of low-molecular-weight proteins capable of binding with metal ions, metallothioneins (MTs). The mechanism underlying the binding of metals with these biopolymers is characterized; the main functions of MTs in the CNS, their role in defense reactions of neurons and other cells, as well as of those of the organism in general are reviewed.     

Principles of Rodent Surgery for the New Surgeon

For both scientific and animal welfare reasons, training in basic surgical concepts and techniques should be undertaken before ever seeking to perform surgery on a rodent. Students, post-doctoral scholars, and others interested in performing surgery on rodents as part of a research protocol may not have had formal surgical training as part of their required coursework. Surgery itself is a technical skill, and one that will improve with practice. The principles of aseptic technique, however, often remain unexplained or untaught. For most new surgeons, this vital information is presented in piecemeal fashion or learned on the job, neither of which is ideal. It may also make learning how to perform a particular surgery difficult, as the new surgeon is learning both a surgical technique and the principles of asepsis at the same time. This article summarizes and makes recommendations for basic surgical skills and techniques necessary for successful rodent surgery. This article is designed to supplement hands-on training by the user''s institution.     

FAIR degree assessment in agriculture datasets using the F-UJI tool

For the agricultural scientific community, data sharing is crucial both for the advancement of the discipline and ability to meet global challenges, such as the target no. 2, i.e., “Zero Hunger,” of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 2030). In this context, FAIR (Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable) principles play an important role, as they guarantee the findability, accessibility, interoperability, and reusability of shared data. To improve the practice of data sharing, institutions, funders, and publishers are increasingly demanding data be shared as well as be of an acceptable level of quality, including compliance with FAIR principles. Therefore, the objective of this work is twofold: first, this research aims to determine the degree of compliance with the FAIR principles exhibited by a number of datasets; and second, it aims to explore useful and valid methodologies and procedures that can be used to perform this evaluation quickly, automatically, and effectively. For this purpose, the Data Citation Index (DCI) was used to obtain many datasets in the field of agriculture, which were further grouped by repositories and evaluated using the automated assessment tool F-UJI provided by the FAIRsFAIR project. The results indicated that the principle that exhibited the highest scores was “Findable”, while “Reusable” received the lowest scores, as none of the analysed repositories achieved a 50% compliance score in this respect. The datasets published in the Zenodo and Dryad repositories exhibited better overall results in terms of the FAIR principles, and the AG Commons repository was the third best rated repository, representing only one of the first three repositories belonging to the agricultural sector. Regarding the use of F-UJI as an automated assessment tool and DCI as a source for obtaining datasets, we conclude that this methodology is useful, and that although it can be improved, it is easy to use and implement by other scientific groups and agents of interest.     

Quantification of ecosystem-internal proton production from the ion balance of the soil

Many biogeochemical ion-transfer reactions are connected with a transfer of protons or OH^? (resp HCO₃ ^?)-ions. These reactions are governed by two fundamental physical principles: conservation of matter and electroneutrality. Applying these principles to the balance of input and output fluxes of major ions in defined systems or compartments, the system internal net proton production/consumption and total acid load can be quantified. Four experimental forest ecosystems in northwestern Germany studied here considerably differ in acid deposition, internal net proton production and total acid load. At all sites, however, total proton loading seems to exceed the maximum rate of proton buffering due to silicate weathering.     

The olfactory circuit of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster

The olfactory circuit of the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster has emerged in recent years as an excellent paradigm for studying the principles and mechanisms of information processing in neuronal circuits. We discuss here the organizational principles of the olfactory circuit that make it an attractive model for experimental manipulations, the lessons that have been learned, and future challenges.