Bioorganic Chemistry and the Origin of Life

Summary A challenging theme in bioorganic chemistry is the unification of established theories of biochemistry and organic chemistry to provide new patterns for interpretation and experimentation. Especially relevant examples of such interactions can be drawn from the field of enzyme catalysis and, in particular, the role of cofactors therein.Knowledge of the chemical mechanisms by which some of the cofactors function has progressed rapidly with the aid of studies of the cofactors themselves (or compounds of related structure, models) stripped of the accompanying apoenzyme. The striking successes in this field likely arise from a fundamental resemblance between bioorganic chemistry (especially coenzyme models) and chemical evolution before the appearance of coded polypeptide enzymes.     

O.V. Palladin Institute of Biochemistry of the Ukrainian National Academy of Sciences--75 years

The article deals with a short record including the information about the history of creation and main developmental stages of the first and presently the single in Ukraine Palladin Institute of Biochemistry of National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. The record contains the main achievements of the Institute scientific subdivisions for the 75 years period of their creative work in the field of the most urgent problems of fundamental and applied biochemistry. As well it displays the information about comprehensive and extensive publishing and educational activity conducted by the staff,, the work on training the scientific manpower of the highest qualification--Doctors of Science (D.Sc.) and Philosophy Doctors (Ph. D.), active participation of the research scientists in attracting to science the talented young people representing the students and school-children taking interest in the biological chemistry. The article shows the great role of the Institute famous scientists-biochemists in forming some scientific schools on functional biochemistry acknowledged in the world biochemistry. There are also some data about the each of nine scientific departments of the Institute for the period of last 20-25 years of their activity in the field of the most urgent problems of the contemporary biochemistry. These are the following Departments: Neurochemistry, Metabolism Regulation, Muscular Biochemistry, Protein Structure Functions, Coenzymes Biochemistry, Enzymes Chemistry and Biochemistry, Molecular Immunology, Biochemistry of Lipids, Sensor and Regulator Systems Biochemistry. There is also a short review regarding the history of foundation, development and scientific achievements of the Institute division in L'viv including four scientific departments: Biochemistry of Cellular Differentiation, Biochemical Genetics, Regulation of Low Molecular Compounds Synthesis, Regulation of Cells Differentiation.     

Our "Collegium Antropologicum" officially the most improved social science journal in the world for mid-2002

Thomson ISI's bimonthly web-product ISI Essential Science Indicators (ESI) is an in-depth analytical tool that regularly reports quantitative analyses of research performance and science trends, covering about 8,500 scientific journals from the entire world. In each issue ESI lists the scientists, institutions, countries and journals that are most improved from one update to the next, i.e. that show the largest percentage increase in total citations. In its edition of January 2003, it reported that our "Collegium Antropologicum" was the most improved journal in the field of Social Sciences during the period from July 2002 to September 2002. The field of Social Sciences is one of 22 categories of science regularly analyzed by ESI. It includes anthropology, public health, sociology, social work and policy, political science, law, education, communication, library and information sciences, environmental studies and rehabilitation. Due to journal's success, which is based on publications of predominantly Croatian scientists within the past seven post-war years, Croatia was also officially the most improved among more than 200 countries, and University of Zagreb was the most improved in the field of Social Science among thousands of other institutions. We hope that this is an early sign of revival of the scientific activity in our country after the War in Croatia (1991-1995).     

Bioorganic Fertilizer Enhances Soil Suppressive Capacity against Bacterial Wilt of Tomato

Tomato bacterial wilt caused by Ralstonia solanacearum is one of the most destructive soil-borne diseases. Many strategies have been taken to improve soil suppressiveness against this destructive disease, but limited success has been achieved. In this study, a novel bioorganic fertilizer revealed a higher suppressive ability against bacterial wilt compared with several soil management methods in the field over four growing seasons from March 2011 to July 2013. The application of the bioorganic fertilizer significantly (P<0.05) reduced disease incidence of tomato and increased fruit yields in four independent trials. The association among the level of disease incidence, soil physicochemical and biological properties was investigated. The soil treated with the bioorganic fertilizer increased soil pH value, electric conductivity, organic carbon, NH₄ ⁺-N, NO₃ ^--N and available K content, microbial activities and microbial biomass carbon content, which were positively related with soil suppressiveness. Bacterial and actinomycete populations assessed using classical plate counts were highest, whereas R. solanacearum and fungal populations were lowest in soil applied with the bioorganic fertilizer. Microbial community diversity and richness were assessed using denaturing gel gradient electrophoresis profile analysis. The soil treated with the bioorganic fertilizer exhibited higher bacterial community diversity but lower fungal community diversity. Redundancy analysis showed that bacterial community diversity and richness negatively related with bacterial wilt suppressiveness, while fungal community richness positively correlated with R. solanacearum population. We concluded that the alteration of soil physicochemical and biological properties in soil treated with the bioorganic fertilizer induced the soil suppressiveness against tomato bacterial wilt.     

中国森林生物多样性监测网络(CForBio)的研究态势与热点: 基于文献计量分析

中国森林生物多样性监测网络(CForBio)作为我国生物多样性科学综合研究平台, 其发展过程和研究成果对促进我国生物多样性研究具有重要意义, 掌握其研究态势与热点变化可为CForBio的长远发展以及其他生态监测研究提供参考。本文对2007-2017年间CNKI数据库和Web of Science核心合集数据库中CForBio发表的论文进行了较为全面的文献计量分析。结果表明: 2007年以来, CForBio发表论文的数量整体上呈快速上升趋势, 从2007年的3篇增长到2017年的55篇, 其中SCI收录论文的增长较为明显(从2007年的1篇增长到2017年的34篇)。金光泽(70篇)、马克平(68篇)、郝占庆(68篇)等学者发表论文数量较多, 中国科学院的植物研究所(104篇)、沈阳应用生态研究所(67篇)、华南植物园(59篇)等是CForBio中相对活跃的研究机构, 但各样地负责机构和学者间的合作仍较少, 跨机构间的协同研究还有待提高。CForBio的研究热点主要体现在树木空间分布格局、植物功能性状、树木密度制约、群落系统发育等方面, 为揭示我国不同气候带森林群落构建机制提供了大量的理论依据。未来CForBio的研究应加强国内外机构间的合作创新并建立数据共享途径, 注重近地面遥感、多源数据融合等新技术的应用, 在生物多样性格局的多尺度与多维度解析、植物-土壤反馈机制、树木冠层和根系的结构与功能等方向持续开展深入研究。     

Open access :an opportunity for biomedical research

Open access within the scientific community depends on the scientific context and the practices of the field. In the biomedical domain, the communication of research results is characterised by the importance of the peer reviewing process, the existence of a hierarchy among journals and the transfer of copyright to the editor. Biomedical publishing has become a lucrative market and the growth of electronic journals has not helped lower the costs. Indeed, it is difficult for today's public institutions to gain access to all the scientific literature. Open access is thus imperative, as demonstrated through the positions taken by a growing number of research funding bodies, the development of open access journals and efforts made in promoting open archives. This article describes the setting up of an Inserm portal for publication in the context of the French national protocol for open-access self-archiving and in an international context.     

Bioorganic chemistry of cyclic ADP-ribose (cADPR).

The objective of this brief review is to present an overview of the bioorganic chemistry of cyclic-ADP-ribose (cADPR) with special emphasis on the methodology used for the synthesis of analogues of cADPR. New structural analogues of cADPR can be prepared using either the biomimetic method or ADP-ribosyl cyclase from Aplysia californica. For the most part, both procedures give similar product profiles, but higher yields are generally obtained with the enzymatic method. These synthetic methodologies have allowed the transformation of a variety of structurally modified analogues of NAD+ into their corresponding cyclic nucleotides. Several of these novel analogues are more potent than cADPR in inducing calcium release and are also more stable towards degradative enzymes. They could serve as valuable affinity probes for the isolation of cADPR-binding proteins.     

国内外生物信息学数据库服务新进展

生物信息学是生命科学中最活跃的领域之一. 各类生物信息学数据库在近年不断出现,其规模呈爆炸趋势增长,同时数据结构日趋复杂. 目前生物信息学数据库服务已实现了高度的计算机和网络化. 算法和软件的进步、数据库的一体化、服务器-客户模式的建立使之成为生物、医药、农业等学科的强有力工具. 在国内北京大学物理化学研究所于1996年建立了第一家生物信息学网络服务器. 现已为国内外科学家提供了7万余次服务,在国际上具有一定影响.     

The founding of the American Institute of Nutrition, including commentaries on the founders.

The conception of the American Institute of Nutrition in 1926 culminated in the publication of the first issue of the Journal of Nutrition in September 1928. It was nearly 5 years later--April 1933--before the organizational meeting of the AIN as the future scientific society was convened. At this meeting, 172 persons were declared to be charter members, among whom were the original founders--10 men and 1 woman. These 11 pointers of AIN were rather unique. They had diverse backgrounds, different professional aspirations, and a dissimilarity of scientific objectives. Notwithstanding, they "were motivated by a desire to build a competent science of nutrition out of the rather chaotic mass of fragments of knowledge then in existence."     

V.N. Karazin Kharkov National University as the foundation of biochemistry in Ukraine

The paper deals with the data on foundation and development of physiological chemistry (biochemistry) as independent science and education subject in the V. N. Karazin Kharkov National University before and after the organization of the Department of Physiological Chemistry. Studying the chemistry of natural compounds, their qualitative and quantitative content and transformations in living organisms both by foreign and home researchers made the basis for the appearance of physiological chemistry as static biochemistry. The improvement of the investigation methods and further discoveries caused the appearing of new branches--dynamic and functional biochemistry. The attention is paid to the fact that biochemistry arised at the Kharkov University as the education subject (A. I. Khodnev) and then developed as independent science due to efforts of A. Ya. Danilevskiy as well as biochemical school created by him. The Kazan' and Kharkov periods of scientific activity of A.Ya. Danilevskiy are described. The leading role of A. Ya. Danilevskiy in development of the home school of biochemistry is considered. Important role of A. V. Palladin in the foundation of Kharkov biochemists' school and organization of the Scientific-research Institute of Biochemistry in Kharkov is considered as well. It is stated that the Institute of Biochemistry after its arrival to Kiev and joining the Academy of Sciences became the center of Ukrainian biochemistry. The role of A. V. Nagorny and I. N. Bulankin in further development of biochemistry and foundation of a new scientific branch--age-related physiology and biochemistry--at the Kharkov University after its re-organization is discussed.     

The great interest in small RNA

A review of data concerned with studies on low molecular weight RNA, a rapidly developing field of molecular biology and bioorganic chemistry, is given. The analytical approach allowed to estimate the initial steps of establishment of the problem, to determine the geographical distribution of these studies at present, to reveal the main laboratories involved and to give prognosis on future development.     

氮肥农学效应与环境效应国际研究发展态势

分析国内外农田氮素农学效应和环境效应研究的发展动态、研究热点,为以后研究农田氮素效应提供参考。基于ISI Web of Science数据库,检索出以"农田氮肥施用"为主题的所有SCI论文(1957—2014年8月),并分别提取出与"农学效应"、"环境效应"、"适宜施氮量"相关的文献,采用计量学方法,分析各研究方向的主要热点、研究机构、发文期刊和高被引论文等。共检索出关于农田施氮研究的SCI文献7460篇,其中与"农学效应"研究相关的文献2773篇,主要涉及到施氮肥对小麦、玉米、水稻、大豆等作物产量、氮素利用率和土壤有机碳的影响;与"环境效应"研究相关的文献1609篇,主要涉及到氮肥施用对氨挥发、硝化反硝化、温室气体排放、硝酸盐淋失、地下水水质等环境因素的影响;与"适宜施氮量"研究相关的文献408篇,主要涉及氮肥施用量、氮肥管理等。刊发各类研究成果最多的机构主要来自欧美发达国家,影响力大的期刊与高被引论文也主要来自欧美国家,中国在该领域的研究发展迅速,以中国科学院、中国农业大学、南京农业大学和中国农业科学院等为代表的中国研究机构的研究水平逐渐进入世界前列。文献计量学可用于分析农田氮素效应主题的研究热点和发展态势,目前氮素农学效应仍是研究的重点,随着当前环境污染问题日益突出,农田氮素环境效应研究越来越多,特别是氮流失对水体水质的影响备受关注,而基于氮素综合效应确定农田适宜施氮量是同时保障粮食安全和环境安全的有效措施。中国在相关研究领域的研究起步较晚,高影响力论文偏少,优秀国际期刊不足,但研究实力不断增加,研究成果也逐渐被国际社会所认可。     

基于文献计量的植物雌雄异株研究进展

雌雄异株植物是研究植物性别的理想材料,同时作为生态系统的重要组成部分,对生物多样性的维持与保护起着重要作用。该文从文献计量学角度综述了雌雄异株植物相关研究的进展。通过检索Web of Science(WOS)平台的SCI-E数据库和CNKI数据库的有关雌雄异株研究的文献数据,从文献年代分布、期刊分布、研究国家与机构、核心作者和高引论文等方面进行了分析,并借助CitespaceⅢ信息可视化软件绘制雌雄异株植物研究的科学知识图谱,总结了雌雄异株研究的热点和前沿。结果表明:WOS数据库中,雌雄异株植物研究呈现快速上升趋势,就发文总量来看,发文前五的国家为美国、日本、加拿大、英格兰和中国。其中,美国发文量占比为31.03%;中国科学院为发文量最多的机构,发文占比3.36%,其次为牛津大学(2.613%),多伦多大学位列第三(2.427%);中国,巴西和印度三国,西班牙马萨里克大学和北京林业大学两个研究机构近5年来在该领域发文增量较快。论文主要集中在植物科学、环境科学与生态学和遗传学等学科。载文量前十位的期刊累计载文占比高达24.13%,发文量最多的期刊为American Journal of Botany,占总发文量的6.07%,其次为Evolution(2.80%),Annals of Botany(2.52%)排名第三。发文最多的作者为捷克科学院的VYSKOT B,发文占总数的2.57%,高引论文大多出自美国学者之手。从CNKI数据库看,西华师范大学、北京林业大学和河南师范大学发文数量位列前三,发文量最高的期刊为《生命世界》,占总发文量的3.00%。综合Web of Science和CNKI两大数据库的文献来看,青杨和番木瓜作为研究雌雄异株植物的模式植物,近年发文较多。当前的研究热点主要集中在雌雄性别决定,繁殖代价,雌雄个体对环境因子的响应差异等方面。     

2016年中国植物科学若干领域重要研究进展

2016年中国植物科学持续稳步发展, 表现在中国植物科学家在国际主流高影响力学术期刊发表文章的数量稳中有升, 中国植物科学领域的期刊逆风出行, 进入研究性期刊世界前三甲行列。中国科学家在植物学诸多领域取得了丰硕的成果。水稻(Oryza sativa)产量性状杂种优势的分子遗传机制解析入选2016年中国科学十大进展; 植物受精过程中雌雄配子体信号识别机制的研究和独脚金内酯的受体感知机制入选2016年生命科学十大进展。我国植物科学, 特别是以水稻为代表的作物研究在国际学术界已占有一席之地。例如, 在水稻组学(如基因组和转录组等)资源和技术平台的建立、重测序的开发及功能基因的克隆和调控网络的解析方面取得了系列重要成果(如揭示了独脚金内酯信号转导的“去抑制化激活”机制、从分子水平上阐释了水稻籼粳杂种不育和广亲和性基因S5的作用机理及发现了控制水稻耐冷的基因组位点), 已经引领世界水稻乃至作物科学研究。该文对2016年中国本土植物科学若干领域取得的重要研究进展进行了概括性评述, 旨在全面追踪当前中国植物科学领域的发展前沿和研究热点, 与读者共享我国科学家所取得的杰出成就。     

Scientific-Pedagogic School of Biological and Medical Chemistry of the O. O. Bogomolets National Medical University (on the 160th year of its founding)

In this work the most important stages of the scientific-pedagogic school of biologic and medical chemistry formation in Bogomolets National Medical University starting from the period of foundation as early as in 1863 till nowadays the Chair of Medical Chemistry and Physics as a part of Medical Faculty of Saint Volodymyr Emperor University in the city of Kyiv have been estimated and generalized. The especial attention is attracted to the fact, that it was Kyiv University where firstly the Chair of Biochemistry was created in order of stuyding the regularities of biochemical processes running in the human organism and metabolism disturbances inducing the pathologic processes at some diseases. The scientific and scientific-pedagogical trends of the chair work in different periods of its development are presented, simltneously the leading role of famous Ukrainian scientists--biochemicians in foundation and development of biologic and medical chemistry scientific school in the University are emphasized. Nowadays the Chair is the educational and scientific center supporting and developing the best traditions on training the specialists of different qualification levels: physicians Masters of Science, Philosophy Doctors and Doctors of Science in Medicine and Biology. The Chair is considered to be a basic one among the Ukraine higher medic and pharmaceutic educational institutions having the III-IV accreditation rate on the problems of teaching-organizational, educational-methodical and scientific work. On the Chair base there is functioning the Scientific Problem-Solving Commission of Ministry of health Protections of Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine "Biological and medical Chemistry" (the chairman is the Corresponding-Member of Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine, Prof. Yu.I. Gubsky. The Chair personnel compiled and issued the contemporary manuals in Ukraine language on Biologic and Bioorganic Chemistry.     

Recent chinese research on analytical chemistry of the rare earths

The People's Republic of China has the world's largest reserves of rare earths. Recently, the rare earths have been found various applications in different fields of science and technology. The extensive research on analytical chemistry of rare earths has been made by Chinese analysts. The third Chinese Conference on the Analytical Chemistry of Rare Earths was held in 1982. A 2 volume treatise entitled “Analytical Chemistry of the Rare Earths” has been written by Cheng Jai-kai, Tseng Yung-ao, Luo Quing-yaoet al. [1]. The following is a short review of Chinese progress in analytical chemistry of the rare earths. Only developments of the past five years (1978–1983) will be described.     

合成生物学领域专利竞争态势分析

合成生物学是生物学、工程学、化学和信息技术等相互交叉融合的一个新兴领域,在医学、药物、农业、材料、环境和能源等领域具有广阔的应用前景,甚至可能创造出自然界中没有的新生物,被视为生物科技领域的颠覆性技术。分析了合成生物学领域主要国家和地区的相关发展战略、资助项目和政策措施,总结了合成生物学领域专利技术的发展历程,揭示了该领域的专利研发主题分布情况,综合对比分析了该领域的主要国家和主要机构的专利产出情况,以期为我国合成生物学领域的科研工作者和管理决策者提供参考数据。     

Worldwide Topology of the Scientific Subject Profile: A Macro Approach in the Country Level

Background

Models for the production of knowledge and systems of innovation and science are key elements for characterizing a country in view of its scientific thematic profile. With regard to scientific output and publication in journals of international visibility, the countries of the world may be classified into three main groups according to their thematic bias.

Methodology/Principal Findings

This paper aims to classify the countries of the world in several broad groups, described in terms of behavioural models that attempt to sum up the characteristics of their systems of knowledge and innovation. We perceive three clusters in our analysis: 1) the biomedical cluster, 2) the basic science & engineering cluster, and 3) the agricultural cluster. The countries are conceptually associated with the clusters via Principal Component Analysis (PCA), and a Multidimensional Scaling (MDS) map with all the countries is presented.

Conclusions/Significance

As we have seen, insofar as scientific output and publication in journals of international visibility is concerned, the countries of the world may be classified into three main groups according to their thematic profile. These groups can be described in terms of behavioral models that attempt to sum up the characteristics of their systems of knowledge and innovation.