Stress-free state of the red blood cell membrane and the deformation of its skeleton

The response of a red blood cell (RBC) to deformation depends on its membrane, a composite of a lipid bilayer and a skeleton, which is a closed, twodimensional network of spectrin tetramers as its bonds. The deformation of the skeleton and its lateral redistribution are studied in terms of the RBC resting state for a fixed geometry of the RBC, partially aspirated into a micropipette. The geometry of the RBC skeleton in its initial state is taken to be either two concentric circles, a references biconcave shape or a sphere. It is assumed that in its initial state the skeleton is distributed laterally in a homogeneous manner with its bonds either unstressed, presenting its stress-free state, or prestressed. The lateral distribution was calculated using a variational calculation. It was assumed that the spectrin tetramer bonds exhibit a linear elasticity. The results showed a significant effect of the initial skeleton geometry on its lateral distribution in the deformed state. The proposed model is used to analyze the measurements of skeleton extension ratios by the method of applying two modes of RBC micropipette aspiration.     

Molecular Weight and Chemical-Modifications of the Gum from the Seeds of Sesbania cannabina (RETZ.) PERS

The water-soluble polysaccharide is isolated and purified from the seeds of Sesbania cannabina (Retz.) Pers. Its physiochemical properties are investigated. The purified preparation seems to be homogeneous after ultra-centrifugation. The sedimentation coefficient of the gum obtained from alcoholic purification is 4.71 S, its intrinsic viscosity is 5.93 dl/g and its molecular weight is estimated to be 391,000. When it is obtained from copper alcoholic purification, however, its sedimentation coefficient is 2.82 S, its intrinsic viscosity 2.44 dl/g and its molecular weight 206,000. Several derivatives of the gum have been prepared, including carboxymethylated gum, hydroxyethylated gum and carboxymethylhydroxyethylated gum.     

沙冬青淀粉粒及其与叶绿体发育的关系

沙冬青叶绿体中的淀粉粒一般为１－３个,主要有４种类型。第１种外周部分电子密度较高,中央部分较低,但每个部分的电子密度十分均匀。它们近似椭圆形,附近的类囊体形态正常,结构清晰。第２种电子密度由外向内逐渐变低,多为椭圆形,附近的类囊体较清晰。第３种外周部分的电子密度很高,中央部分不均匀,形状多种多样,附近的类囊体有的不清晰。第４种电子密度很低,十分均匀,形状不规则,附近的类囊体已经解体或正在解体。分析表明,淀粉的形态变化明显与叶绿体发育有关。     

Detection of HBs antigen by hemagglutination inhibition tests; experiment with standardization]

The standarization of a reagent for automated detection of HBs antigen by an inhibition of the hemagglutination reaction is described. Its advantages are its specificity, its fast efficiency, its low cost. But, its handling is delicate and requires a good technicity.     

南瓜果肉色素的提取及稳定性的研究

本文研究了从南瓜果肉中提取色素的方法,并对它的光、热、酸、碱稳定性进行了研究,发现其性质较稳定,且原料来源广泛,提取工艺简单,着色效果好,是食品、医药、化妆品等领域的理想添加剂。     

Water? What's so special about it?

What is so special about water? Why does it have the properties it has, and how might these reasons be relevant to its apparent biological importance? By exploring the structure and dynamics of water, from the isolated molecule and its interactions, through its many crystalline phases and to its so-called anomalous liquid phase, some of its apparently unusual behaviour is rationalized. The way in which it interacts with some relatively simple interfaces is also discussed. As a result of this exploration, a checklist of possible molecular-level reasons for its biological importance is devised.     

青天葵野生变家栽的探讨——Ⅰ.生物学特性的观察

青天葵是广西特产药材,过去一直处于野生状态,药源日渐枯竭.供不应求。作者通过调查和研究,掌握了它的生态条件和生物学特性。实践证明,青天葵由野生变为人工栽培是可能的。     

The role of posttranslational modification in moonlighting glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase structure and function

Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) is a moonlighting protein exhibiting distinct activities apart from its classical role in glycolysis. Regulation of its moonlighting functions and its subcellular localization may be dependent on its posttranslational modification (PTM). The latter include its phosphorylation, which is required for its role in intermembrane trafficking, synaptic transmission and cancer survival; nitrosylation, which is required for its function in apoptosis, heme metabolism and the immune response; acetylation which is necessary for its modulation of apoptotic gene regulation; and N-acetylglucosamine modification which may induce changes in GAPDH oligomeric structure. These findings suggest a structure function relationship between GAPDH posttranslational modification and its diverse moonlighting activities.

     

Naturapotheke Mistel

The mistletoe in the un‐conventional and the molecular medicine The mistletoe is an evergreen semi‐parasite which is growing on trees. It is impressive by its unique appearance, its world‐wide dissemination and the great variety of its chemical components and active substances. Only in newer times the mistletoe with its ingredients have found a way into the un‐conventional, and finally into the molecular medicine. The spectrum of the active ingredients is rather well‐known now based on the extensively investigated European mistletoe (Viscum album).     

Acetylcholinesterase: how is structure related to function?

In accordance with its biological role, termination of neurotransmission at cholinergic synapses by rapid hydrolysis of the neurotransmitter, acetylcholine, acetylcholinesterase is one of nature's most efficient enzymes. Solution of its three-dimensional structure revealed that its active site is located at the bottom of a deep and narrow gorge. Such an architecture was unanticipated in view of its high turnover number. The present review examines how the highly specialized structure of acetylcholinesterase, with its sequestered active site, contributes to its catalytic efficacy, and discusses how the traffic of substrate and products to and from the active site is controlled.     

High-frequency P element loss in Drosophila is homolog dependent

P transposable elements in Drosophila melanogaster can undergo precise loss at a rate exceeding 13% per generation. The process is similar to gene conversion in its requirement for a homolog that is wild type at the insertion site and in its reduced frequency when pairing between the homologs is inhibited. However, it differs from classical gene conversion by its high frequency, its requirement for P transposase, its unidirectionality, and its occurrence in somatic and premeiotic cells. Our results suggest a model of P element transposition in which jumps occur by a "cut-and-paste" mechanism but are followed by double-strand gap repair to restore the P element at the donor site. The results also suggest a technique for site-directed mutagenesis in Drosophila.     

世界麦双尾蚜研究进展：分布、

The Russian wheat aphid (RWA), Diuraphis noxia (Mordvilko), has become a worldwide cereal pest with its dispersion to over 30 countries in this century. According to the natural history of its occurrence around the world, it is postulated RWA originated from western or central Asia. The aphid dispersed gradually to Europe and northern Africa, but its big jump across the ocean to North America is still a mystery. There are two overwintering strategies in RWA. The anholocyclic biotype, often reproducing earlier and more offsprings than the holocyclic one, has greater impact on crops in South Africa and United States. According to the experiments on its thermal response, RWA could withstand temperatures below -20℃, while temperatures above 30℃ would be harmful to its survival. The preference to colder condition may determine its distribution on the world. RWA has made great damages to cereal crops worldwide. It caused loss in crop yield by directly feeding on plant nutrition and disturbing the plant metabolism. But its status as plant virus transporter is open to question. By now, the aphid is still a serious pest in many countries and its invasion to more countries and areas maybe continues. Therefore, the research on its biological characteristics as well as its dispersion apparently needs to be enhanced in the future.     

The periplasmic modifier protein for methanol dehydrogenase in the methylotrophs Methylophilus methylotrophus and Paracoccus denitrificans.

A modifier protein (M-protein), which increases the affinity of methanol dehydrogenase (MDH) for alcohols but decreases its affinity for formaldehyde, has been partially purified from Methylophilus methylotrophus and Paracoccus denitrificans. Analysis was complicated by non-protein factors in bacterial extracts that are able to mimic M-protein in one of its functions-that of increasing the activity of MDH with butane-1,3-diol in the dye-linked assay system. The 67 kDa polypeptide, previously identified as a subunit of the M-protein, is an unrelated cytoplasmic protein. The M-protein is exclusively periplasmic and is a multimeric protein with subunits of 45 kDa. The M-protein is active in the 'physiological' assay system with the specific cytochrome c electron acceptor for MDH, lowering its affinity for formaldehyde. It has its maximum effect when the ratio of M-protein:MDH is 1:5 but its concentration in the periplasm is much lower than 20% of that of MDH.     

Comparative aspects of the area postrema: fine-structural considerations help to determine its function

The area postrema is a circumventricular organ of the fourth ventricle of the mammalian brain. Although there are distinct gross anatomical differences in the appearance of this organ between "lower" mammals such as rodents and lagomorphs and "higher" mammals such as carnivores and primates, its fine structure is remarkably similar in all species studied. There are many suggestions in the literature for a specific function for this area of the brain, ranging from its being a chemoreceptive trigger zone for the emetic response to its being a regulatory nucleus for the sleep cycle. The present report describes some comparative studies on the ultrastructure of this organ. This information is discussed in relation to what is known about the neurochemistry of the area postrema and its connections with other brain regions and visceral structures. A suggestion is offered that our current knowledge of the area postrema is consistent with its performing many of its proposed functions in the context of a regulatory ("fine-tuning") center for many autonomic functions.     

A club-shaped hair found on the first-instar nymphs of Schistocerca gregaria

A receptor found mainly on the antero-dorsal regions of the first-instar nymph of Schistocerca gregaria is described. The fine structure of the sensillum and its associated cells is described and its possible functions discussed in relation to its unusual structure.     

Physiology and Nutrition of Lampropedia hyalina

A detailed study of the physiology and nutrition of Lampropedia hyalina revealed that it is an aerobic, cytochrome-containing chemoheterotroph which is limited in its energy sources to a few intermediates (and close derivatives) of the Krebs cycle. Reducing compounds at low levels are potent growth inhibitors. The microbe has no photosynthetic ability (despite its previous taxonomic position with the sulfur purple bacteria). The results of a general investigation of its physiology are reported. Added biotin and thiamine are needed for growth in defined media; pantothenate is strongly stimulatory. Alanine, arginine, and tyrosine, as well as NH(4)Cl, serve as sole nitrogen sources. A unique motion exhibited by cells of a rapidly growing culture is described. Aspects of its metabolism of poly-beta-hydroxybutyrate and limiting aspects of its physiology as related to its ecology are discussed.     

The postcranial dimensions of the La Chapelle-aux-saints 1 Neandertal

The La Chapelle-aux-Saints 1 Neandertal has figured prominently in considerations of Neandertal body size and proportions. In this context, a reassessment of its major long bones and a reassembly of its principal pelvic elements (sacrum and right ilium) was undertaken. There are secure measurements for its humeral and radial lengths and its femoral head diameter, but the femoral and tibial lengths were almost certainly greater than previous values. The resultant humeral, femoral and tibial lengths are similar to those of other male Neandertals, its femoral head diameter is among the largest known for Middle and Late Pleistocene humans, but its radial length is relatively short. The pelvic assembly provides modest bi-iliac and inlet transverse diameters compared with the few sufficiently complete and undistorted Middle and Late Pleistocene archaic human pelves, but its dimensions are similar to those of large male early modern humans.     

Biological activity of usnic acid and its derivatives: Part 2. effects on higher organisms. Molecular and physicochemical aspects

Usnic acid (UA) is a commercially available lichen metabolite. Its biological activity is diverse, and it is of interest for pharmacopoeia. The second part of the review is dedicated to the biological action of UA and its derivatives on higher organisms. Effects exhibited by UA at the cellular level and the molecular and physicochemical aspects of its biological activity are considered. Special attention is placed on the possibility of modifying the biological activity of UA by change of its bioavailability or modification of its molecular structure.     

螺旋藻抗疲劳保健功能的检验与评价

本研究对螺旋藻产品的抗疲劳功能进行了检验和评价。小鼠实验结果显示：饲喂螺旋藻可以显著提高小鼠的运动耐力。疲劳小鼠的生化指标测定表明：运动后处理小鼠肝糖原含量比同等情况下的对照小鼠高,同时,运动后处理小血血液中乳酸含量明显较对照组的低,这是处理小鼠不易疲劳的原因。因此,螺旋藻具有显著的抗疲劳保健功效。     

Test reduction: I--Introduction and review of published work.

The word "test" is used in a more general sense to describe the process of eliciting evidence of any kind from a patient, and this paper explores the thesis that much evidence is unnecessary and that therefore much test reduction is possible. The value of test reduction can be measured by its efficiency--that is, its effect on the misclassification of disease--or, preferably, by some measure of its cost-effectiveness.