Enhancing Causal Assessment of Estuarine Fishkills Using Graphical Models

It is not possible to determine the causal relationship between fishkills and the toxic dinoflagellate Pfiesteria piscicida in the Neuse River Estuary, North Carolina, using observational data on these two variables alone. However, consideration of a third variable, indicating the presence of a broader class of more easily measured Pfiesteria-like organisms (PLOs), leads to causal model structures from which the nature of this relationship can be distinguished. We use reported field data to evaluate alternative models and find that the suggestion that toxic Pfiesteria cause fishkills is inconsistent with observation. The data are more indicative of a model in which PLOs (including potentially toxic Pfiesteria) are stimulated to become actively toxic by the presence of already dead or dying fish. Laboratory experiments performed to date do not provide evidence contradictory to this finding. However, neither can the existence of a common cause of both Pfiesteria toxicity and fishkills be ruled out. The differing implications for ecosystem management suggest that these causal associations should be further investigated through additional modeling and data collection efforts. Graphical methods of model construction and evaluation can assist in this process. Received 22 May 2002; accepted 3 October 2002.     

Assessing the Relationship Between Serum Ghrelin Levels and Metabolic Parameters and Autoimmunity in Patients with Euthyroid Hashimoto's Thyroiditis

ObjectivesHashimoto’s thyroiditis (HT) may affect metabolic parameters and increase predisposition to obesity. In this study, we aimed to assess the relationships among serum ghrelin concentrations, metabolic parameters, and thyroid autoimmunity in euthyroid HT patients.MethodsThe study included 48 euthyroid HT patients and 41 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. We assessed serum ghrelin, free triiodothyronine (T3), free thyroxine (T4), thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH), thyroid peroxidase antibody (anti-TPO), thyroglobulin antibody (anti-Tg), fasting blood glucose (FBG), insulin, lipid levels, and homeostasis model assessment insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) in all subjects.ResultsSex distribution, mean age, and body mass index (BMI) were similar in HT patients and controls (female/male, 42/6 vs. 33/8, 46.8 ± 14.7 vs. 45 ± 12.5 years,28.5 ± 6.1 vs. 28.4 ± 4.9 kg/m², respectively; P>.05 for all). The mean waist circumference (WC) of the HT group was significantly higher than that of the control group (100.6 ± 14.6 vs. 93.2 ± 13.2 cm, P = .015). While FBG, low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), and triglyceride levels in the HT group were significantly higher than in the control group, insulin levels and HOMA-IR were similar. Ghrelin levels were lower in HT patients compared to controls (416.9 ± 224.4 and 689.9 ± 191.6 pg/mL, respectively; P<.001). Ghrelin levels were similar in patients with low and high anti-TPO titers. Negative correlations were observed between ghrelin levels and BMI, WC, and anti-TPO levels. Regression analysis revealed that HT was the most important predictor of ghrelin levels.ConclusionEuthyroid HT is associated with a decrease in plasma ghrelin levels. Altered body fat distribution and increased anti-TPO levels do not seem to be directly involved in lower ghrelin levels in euthyroid HT patients.     

细胞自噬与肿瘤发生的关系

细胞自噬(autophagy)是将细胞内受损、变性或衰老的蛋白质以及细胞器运输到溶酶体进行消化降解的过程.正常生理情况下,细胞自噬利于细胞保持自稳状态;在发生应激时,细胞自噬防止有毒或致癌的损伤蛋白质和细胞器的累积,抑制细胞癌变;然而肿瘤一旦形成,细胞自噬为癌细胞提供更丰富的营养,促进肿瘤生长.因此,在肿瘤发生发展的过程中,细胞自噬的作用具有两面性.尽管大多数抑癌蛋白可以激活细胞自噬这一结论被广泛接受,但p53作为重要的抑癌蛋白,在细胞核和细胞浆不同的亚细胞定位中对细胞自噬有着截然相反的调控.对于细胞自噬和癌症发生之间关系亟待深入的研究,这将会有助于人类更好地认识并最终攻克癌症.本文将针对细胞自噬与肿瘤发生过程中主要的信号调节通路展开介绍.     

Relationships Between Environmental Factors, Bacterial Indicators, and the Occurrence of Enteric Viruses in Estuarine Sediments

Current standards for evaluation of the public health safety of recreational and shellfish-harvesting waters are based upon bacteriological analysis, but do not include an evaluation of the number of viruses. The objective of this study was to determine the occurrence of enteric viruses in estuarine sediments and to find a relationship, if any, between the presence of viruses in seawater or sediment or both and various biological and physicochemical characteristics of the environment. Viruses were found in greater numbers in sediment than in overlying seawater on a volume basis. Several types of enteroviruses were isolated: coxsackievirus types A16, B1, and B5, echovirus type 1, and poliovirus type 2. On several occasions, viruses were isolated from sediments when overlying seawaters met bacteriological water quality standards for recreational use. Statistical analysis of the relationship between viruses in seawater or in sediment and other variables measured yielded only one significant association: the number of viruses in sediment was found to be positively correlated with the number of fecal coliforms in sediment. No other physical, chemical, or biological characteristic of seawater or sediment that was measured showed statistically significant association with viral numbers. No correlation was found between bacterial indicators and virus in the overlying waters. The data indicated that evaluation of the presence of bacteria and viruses in sediment may provide additional insight into long-term water quality conditions and that indicator bacteria in water are not reflective of the concentration of enteric viruses in marine waters.     

生产力与生物多样性之间的相互关系研究概述

生态系统生产力与生物多样性是人们普遍关心的二个中心问题。文章论述二者的相互关系及进行研究的主要内容,评述已有研究的几种假说,指出在进行生态学比较时,应该考虑生产力的因素相似而多样性不同的生态系统系列,才能客观地分析其原因。     

Relationship of cellular phosphorus in the cyanobacterium Nodularia to phosphorus availability in the Peel-Harvey Estuarine System

A laboratory-determined critical concentration of phosphorus in the cyanobacterium Nodularia spumigena was used to assess the phosphorus sufficiency of field populations in the Peel-Harvey Estuarine System, Western Australia. Nutrient addition bioassays indicated that phosphorus was the limiting nutrient. Since river flow, and thus phosphorus input, to the estuary ceases 1–2 months before the onset of Nodularia blooms, the phosphorus contained in these blooms was derived from sediment release and nutrient recycling. A progressive increase in the mean cellular phosphorus concentration of Nodularia from 1981 to 1983 indicated that sediments were releasing a greater amount of phophorus each year. Although evidence suggests that the biomass of recent Nodularia blooms is now limited by physical factors, the additional phosphorus contained in each bloom will increase the supply of phosphorus to other organisms. Cellular phosphorus concentrations in Nodularia appeared to be correlated with river phosphorus loadings in the Peel Inlet but not in the Harvey Estuary.     

丙型肝炎病毒感染与肝细胞癌相关关系的研究进展

世界上有数亿的人口患有丙型肝炎,而丙型肝炎病毒(HCV)的感染易转为慢性,引起肝细胞炎性坏死及再生,导致肝纤维化、硬化甚至肝细胞癌(HCC),是危害人类健康的一个重要卫生问题。HCV的感染可导致HCC的发生,但HCV相关性HCC的发生机制尚不清楚。免疫逃避机制是感染慢性化的一个重要原因,病毒通过其基因组编码的蛋白使肝细胞发生转化,可能是肝细胞癌变的重要机制。     

The Relationship Between Psychology and Physiology

A major theoretical problem for Soviety psychophysiologists, many of whom base their work on Pavlovian research and theory, is the integration of Pavlovian doctrine into contemporary knowledge from neurophysiology and the burgeoning theoretical work on cybernetics. Neither modern electrophysiological techniques nor cybernetic ideas were available to Pavlov.     

嗜肝病毒家族成员间进化关系的初步研究

比较分析了嗜肝病毒家族四成员间的全基因核苷酸序列,得出了它们之间的相对进化距离,DHBV 分野最早,GSHV,WHV 次之,HBV 最晚;其进化方式属趋 异性进化.进一步比较各 ORF 的保守性,发现各 ORF 间及同一 ORF 内的不同区域核苷酸发生替换的频率有明显差别;讨论了各 ORF 的特点及意义.     

左卡尼汀与肾脏疾病的关系

左卡尼汀是人体脂类代谢的重要介质,它主要在肾脏代谢,因此肾脏功能与体内左卡尼汀水平直接相关。慢性肾病、终末期肾病及其临床上所采用的血液透析、腹膜透析和肾脏移植等治疗方法对人体内左卡尼汀水平均有影响;人体内左卡尼汀缺乏,易导致在透析过程中出现低血压、贫血、肌无力和疲劳等临床症状,补充左卡尼汀能有效改善这些症状,并能有效减少EPO用量和降低群体反应性抗体水平,减轻环孢素A的肾毒性。因此,本文就肾脏疾病与左卡尼汀的关系和左卡尼汀在肾脏疾病治疗中的应用做一综述。     

丙型肝炎病毒感染与肝细胞癌相关关系的研究进展

世界上有数亿的人口患有丙型肝炎,而丙型肝炎病毒（HCV）的感染易转为慢性,引起肝细胞炎性坏死及再生,导致肝纤维化、硬化甚至肝细胞癌（HCC）,是危害人类健康的一个重要卫生问题。HCV的感染可导致HCC的发生,但HCV相关性HCC的发生机制尚不清楚。免疫逃避机制是感染慢性化的一个重要原因,病毒通过其基因组编码的蛋白使肝细胞发生转化,可能是肝细胞癌变的重要机制。     

Discovery of the toxic dinoflagellate Pfiesteria in northern European waters.

Several dinoflagellate strains of the genus Pfiesteria were isolated by culturing techniques from sediment samples taken in the Oslofjord region of Norway. Pfiesteria piscicida, well known as a fish killer from the Atlantic coast of America, was identified by genetic methods and light microscopy. The related species Pfiesteria shumwayae was attracted from the sediment by the presence of fish, and has proved toxic. This present survey demonstrates the wide distribution of these potentially harmful species, but so far they have not been connected with fish kills in Europe.     

Detection and quantification of Pfiesteria piscicida by using the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene

Mitochondrial cytochrome b was isolated from the dinoflagellate Pfiesteria piscicida, and the utility of the gene for species identification was examined. One of the primer sets designed was shown to be highly specific for P. piscicida. A time step PCR protocol was used to demonstrate the potential of this primer set for quantification of this species.     

Relationship Between the Tissue and Epimorphic Regeneration of Muscles

Entire muscles in vertebrate extremities can regenerate fromminced muscle fragments implanted into the bed of the removedmuscle. The histological course of regeneration of muscle fibersin this system is the same as that described in damaged mammalianmuscle. This type of regeneration has been called the tissueregeneration of muscle, and entire muscles have been regeneratedby this mode in urodelan and anuran amphibians, birds, and mammals.Entire muscles are also formed in a regenerating limb (an epimorphicregenerative process). It is postulated that there are two fundamentallydifferent modes of regeneration of muscles. Epimorphic regenerationis relatively slow, and the blastema seems to play an importantrole. The end product is morphologically and functionally perfect.Morphogenesis seems to be controlled in a manner analogous tothat in the embryonic limb. The tissue regeneration of musclesis rapid, occurring without the mediation of a blastema. Theend product is smaller and less well organized than a normalmuscle, and its morphogenesis seems to require the functionof the limb. A possible parallel reaction of skeletal elementsis discussed.     

Identification of amoebae implicated in the life cycle of Pfiesteria and Pfiesteria-like dinoflagellates

This study was undertaken to assess whether amoebae commonly found in mesohaline environments are in fact stages in the life cycles of Pfiesteria and Pfiesteria-like dinoflagellates. Primary isolations of amoebae and dinoflagellates were made from water and sediment samples from five tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay. Additional amoebae were also cloned from bioassay aquaria where fish mortality was attributed to Pfiesteria. Electron microscopy and small subunit (SSU) rRNA gene sequence analysis of these isolates clearly demonstrated that the commonly depicted amoeboid form of Pfiisteria is very likely a species of Korotnevella and is unrelated to Pfiesteria or Pfiesteria-like dinoflagellates. We have determined that the Pfiesteria and Pfiesteria-like dinoflagellates examined in this study undergo a typical homothallic life cycle without amoeboid stages. Furthermore, we have demonstrated that cloned amoebae sharing morphological characteristics described for stages in the life cycle of Pfiesteria do not transform into dinozoites. The strict clonal isolation and cultivation techniques used in this study substantially support the conclusion that the amoebae and some of the flagellates depicted in the life cycle of Pfiesteria are environmental contaminants of the Pfiesteria culture system and that the Ambush Predator Hypothesis needs to be rigorously reevaluated.     

Assessing Statistical Significance in Microarray Experiments Using the Distance Between Microarrays

We propose permutation tests based on the pairwise distances between microarrays to compare location, variability, or equivalence of gene expression between two populations. For these tests the entire microarray or some pre-specified subset of genes is the unit of analysis. The pairwise distances only have to be computed once so the procedure is not computationally intensive despite the high dimensionality of the data. An R software package, permtest, implementing the method is freely available from the Comprehensive R Archive Network at http://cran.r-project.org.     

Rho蛋白和细胞骨架的关系

Rho蛋白作为细胞信号转导的分子开关之一,在细胞骨架动态变化中发挥着极其重要的作用。Rho蛋白对细胞骨架动态变化的调节是一个复杂的信号传递过程,涉及到Rho蛋白介导的信号通路中不同效应物间和Rho蛋白介导的多条信号通路间的相互作用。在Rho蛋白介导的信号通路中,上游调控因子、Rho蛋白、效应物在细胞中的正确定位对信号传递有着决定性的作用。