The effect of acrylonitrile on gap junctional intercellular communication in rat astrocytes

Rats chronically exposed to acrylonitrile (ACN) have shown a dose-dependent increase in the incidence of astrocytomas in the brain. The mechanism(s) by which ACN induces cancer in rodents has not been established. ACN does not appear to be directly genotoxic in the brain and thus a nongenotoxic mode of action has been proposed. Inhibition of gap junctional intercellular communication (GJIC) has been shown to be a property of many nongenotoxic carcinogens. The present study examined the effects of ACN on GJIC in a rat astrocyte transformed cell line, DI TNC1 cells (a target cell for ACN carcinogenicity) and primary cultured hepatocytes (a nontarget cell for ACN carcinogenicity). ACN inhibited GJIC in rat astrocytes in a dose-dependent manner. Inhibition of GJIC was observed following 2 h treatment with 0.10 mmol/L and 1.00 mmol/L ACN. However, in primary cultured hepatocytes, ACN exposed did not result in inhibition of GJIC even after 48 h of continued treatment. In the astrocytes, GJIC inhibition plateaued after 4 h of treatment and remained blocked throughout the entire experimental period examined. Inhibition of GJIC in DI TNC1 cells was reversed by removal of ACN from the culture medium after 4 or 24 h of treatment. Cotreatment of astrocytes with vitamin E reduced the effect of ACN-induced inhibition of GJIC. Similarly, inhibition of GJIC was prevented by treatment with 2-oxothiazolidine-4-carboxylic acid (OTC), a precursor of glutathione synthesis. Decreasing cellular glutathione by treatment with buthionine sulfoxamine alone (without ACN) did not affect GJIC in astrocytes. Collectively, these results demonstrate that treatment with ACN caused a selective inhibition of GJIC in rat DI TNC1 astrocytes (the target cell type), but not in rat hepatocytes (a nontarget tissue). Inhibition of GJIC in astrocytes was reversed by treatment with antioxidants and suggests a potential role for oxidative stress in ACN-induced carcinogenesis.     

林窗凋落物化感作用对格氏栲幼苗生长的影响

为探讨林窗凋落物化感作用对幼苗更新的影响,通过模拟林窗与非林窗光照强度,以林窗和非林窗凋落物水浸提液（浓度1 ： 10、1 ： 30、1 ： 50和1 ： 100）为化感物质的主要来源,阐述林窗、凋落物化感作用及二者协同效应对格氏栲幼苗高度、叶绿素荧光参数和渗透调节物质的影响。结果表明：（1）非林窗幼苗的叶绿素相对含量、PSⅡ潜在活力（F_v/F_o）、PSⅡ最大光化学效率（F_v/F_m）和可溶性糖含量高于其它林窗,后期幼苗高度和叶片初始荧光（F_o）低于其它林窗。（2）与对照处理相比,不同浓度凋落物浸提液均抑制了幼苗F_v/F_o,而浓度1 ： 50和1 ： 100提高了幼苗后期高度、可溶性蛋白含量和叶绿素相对含量。（3）不同浓度凋落物浸提液中,林窗存在总体上提高了幼苗高度,且小林窗和非林窗幼苗叶绿素相对含量、F_v/F_o和F_v/F_m值高于其它林窗。（4）熵值法结果表明,非林窗格氏栲幼苗生长的综合评价值高于其它林窗,凋落物浸提液浓度对幼苗生长的影响呈"低促高抑"效应,浓度1 ： 50下幼苗生长的综合评价值高于其它浓度。高浓度（1 ： 10和1 ： 30）浸提液下,中林窗幼苗生长的综合评价值高于其它林窗。综上,林窗与凋落物化感作用共同影响格氏栲幼苗,且中林窗（50-100 m²）减弱了高浓度凋落物化感作用对格氏栲幼苗生长的毒害作用。未来,通过人为干扰方式调节林窗面积,适当清理森林凋落物以促进格氏栲幼苗天然更新。     

The effect of K+/H+ antiporter nigericin on gap junction permeability

The K+/H+ antiporter nigericin inhibits the intercellular exchange of the fluorescent dye Lucifer Yellow between DM15-transformed fibroblasts derived from the Djungarian hamster. The efficacy of nigericin action was related to its concentration and time of incubation. The nigericin-induced uncoupling effect on gap junctions was reversible and was shown to be based on its ability to cause cystolic acidification. The effect of nigericin on dye-coupling in intact and 12-O-tetradecanoyl-phorbol-13-acetate (TPA) pretreated cells did not differ, indicating that the uncoupling effect of H⁺ on gap junctions in DM15 cells was not mediated by the TPA-dependent isoform of protein kinase C.Abbreviations: BCECF, 2,7-bis-(2-carboxyethyl)-5(6)carboxyfluoresceine - BS, bovine serum - LY, Lucifer Yellow - pH_i, intercellular pH - PKC, protein kinase C - TPA, 12-0-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate     

长白山红松阔叶林林冠木竞争生长及林冠空隙动态研究

以长白山红松阔叶林林冠木的年龄资料为基础,分析林木冠重叠与年轮径向生长的关系;通过林冠空隙边缘人隙边缘株的干扰释压分析,揭示林冠空隙集中形成的动态规律。红松林相邻林木间理论树冠重叠率与年轮径向生长呈显著负相关,不同树种间存在不同的竞争和协同关系;红松林中除个别小空隙是经过一个集中形成期形成外,大部分空隙是经过２－３个集中形成期形成的,１９００－１９２０和１９１０－１９３０是大部分空隙的集中形成期。     

林窗几何特征的测定方法

林窗面积、形状及边界木高是决定林窗环境异质性的3个林窗几何特征,影响林窗内植物更新。林窗几何特征的快速测量方法是林窗研究的基础,测量方法可分为2类:基于地面实际测量的地面法和基于林窗林冠照片的相片法。地面法费时费力,受人为因素影响大,可测量林冠林窗和扩展林窗的面积,但不能测量林窗形状和边界木高。相片法具有简单、客观、可重复的优点,但仅适用于林冠林窗。相片法共有5种:"平面相片法"、"航片法"、"半球面影像法"、"双半球面影像法"和"改进的半球面影像法"。前3种测量方法只能测量林冠林窗面积;"改进的半球面影像法"可测量林冠林窗面积和形状,且精度高于前3种相片法,但所需参数最多;"双半球面影像法"可测量林窗面积、形状及边界木高这3个林窗几何特征,且精度较高,但拍摄要求较高。     

The effect of eye movement on the control of arm movement to a target

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to investigate the effect of eye movement on the control of arm movement to a target. Healthy humans flexed the elbow to a stationary target in response to a start tone. Simultaneously, the subject moved the eyes to the target (saccade eye movement), visually tracked a laser point moving with the arm (smooth pursuit eye movement), or gazed at a stationary start point at the midline of the horizontal visual angle (non-eye movement—NEM). Arm movement onset was delayed when saccade eye movement accompanied it. The onset of an electromyographic burst in the biceps muscle and the onset of saccade eye movement were almost simultaneous when both the arm and the eyes moved to the target. Arm movement duration during smooth pursuit eye movement was significantly longer than that during saccade eye movement or NEM. In spite of these findings, amplitudes of motor-evoked potential in the biceps and triceps brachii muscles were not significantly different among the eye movement conditions. These findings indicate that eye movement certainly affects the temporal control of arm movement, but may not affect corticospinal excitability in the arm muscles during arm movement.     

The Eskimo isolate of Scoresbysund—an example of the founder effect in anthropology

The east coast of Greenland is inhabited in only two places: in Angmagssalik live the direct descendants of the 413 Eskimo discovered in 1884; 1000 km further north, a small isolated settlement, Scoresbysund, was founded in 1925 by 70 Eskimo from Angmagssalik.Several biological features were studied both on the parent population and its descendants and the founders themselves and their progeny. Moreover, detailed and periodically maintained genealogical records from the time of their discovery provide exceptional complete information on these two groups and make them particularly favourable for the study of certain anthropological and genetic problems.Regarding various hereditary anthropological characteristics (blood groups, finger patterns, anthropometric measurements), the isolate shows certain particularities compared to the parent population. There is a much greater ressemblance between the settlement's founders and their present descendants than between these two groups and the parent population and its descendants. A set of converging elements indicate that this isolate represents a good example of the founder effect for various anthropological characteristics.     

Biochemical and immunological approaches to the study of gap junctional communication

Summary Studies on gap junctions isolated from rat liver by a procedure that avoids exogenous proteolysis (Hertzberg, E. L.; Gilula, N. B.; J. Biol. Chem. 254: 2138–2147; 1979) are described. The original isolation procedure was modified to increase the yield and has been extended to the preparation of gap junctions from mouse and bovine liver. Peptide map studies showed that the 27,000-dalton polypeptides present in liver gap junction preparations from all three sources are homologous and are not derived from other polypeptides of higher molecular weight that are observed in cruder preparations. Similar studies with lens fiber junctions demonstrated no homology between liver and lens junction polypeptides. Antibodies to the lens junction polypeptide did not cross-react with the liver gap junction polypeptide, further supporting this conclusion. Presented in the symposium on Molecular and Morphological Aspects of Cell-Cell Communication at the 31st Annual Meeting of the Tissue Culture Association, St. Louis, Missouri, June 1–5, 1980. This symposium was supported in part by Contract 263-MD-025754 from the National Cancer Institute and the Fogarty International Center. Research in the laboratory was supported by grants to Dr. Gilula from the National Institute of Health (HL 16507 and GM 24753).     

The influence of cartilage surface topography on fluid flow in the intra-articular gap

Self-lubrication of a diarthrodial joint is largely attributed to interstitial fluid pressurisation. However, the retention of synovial fluid within the intra-articular gap may also contribute to lubrication. Fluid flow in the intra-articular gap between two micro-rough cartilage surfaces was simulated with a three-dimensional numerical model. Representative surface roughness parameters were incorporated and their relative influence on gap flow resistance was quantified. Resistance changes with decreasing gap height were explored. Cartilage surface micro-topography improves the retention of viscous synovial fluid in the gap, through increased resistance to tangential flow. Local asperity contact greatly increases resistance through tortuosity of the flow path.     

Cell death and the creation of regional differences in neuronal numbers

Regional variations in cell death are ubiquitous in the nervous system. In the retina, cell death in retinal ganglion cells is elevated in the retinal periphery and may be important in setting up the initial conditions that produce central retinal specializations such as an area centralis or visual streak. In central visual system structures, pronounced spatial and spatiotemporal inhomogeneities in cell death are seen both in layers and regions of the lateral geniculate nucleus and superior colliculus; similar indications of inhomogeneities are seen in those nonvisual structures that have been examined. Cell death in the cortex is highly nonuniform, by layer and by cortical area. A variety of possible functions for these regional losses are proposed, in the context of a uniform mechanism for cell death that allows it to assume multiple functions. © 1992 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

马尾松人工林林窗边缘效应对樟和红椿凋落叶难降解物质分解的影响

采用凋落物分解袋, 以四川低山丘陵区马尾松人工林人工砍伐形成的7个不同面积的林窗边缘(100、225、400、625、900、1225、1600 m²)为研究对象, 以林下为对照, 研究了2种乡土树种——樟和红椿凋落叶难降解物质(木质素、纤维素、总酚、缩合单宁)在不同大小林窗边缘的降解动态特征.结果表明:马尾松人工林林下与不同大小林窗边缘相比较,红椿凋落叶中除纤维素外,其余难降解物质的降解率以及樟凋落叶木质素降解率均显著高于林下.在全年分解过程中, 2种凋落叶4种难降解物质的降解率总体均呈现持续上升的趋势.其中,缩合单宁降解最快,其次是总酚和纤维素,而木质素降解最慢.随林窗面积的增大, 红椿凋落叶除纤维素外,其余难降解物质在中型林窗边缘(400、625 m²)具有相对较高的降解率,而樟凋落叶的木质素在625 m²林窗边缘时也表现出较高的降解率.在凋落叶分解过程中,难降解物质降解率与凋落叶袋内温度和凋落物质量均呈显著相关.中型林窗(400～625 m²)对凋落物分解过程中难降解物质的降解具有更显著的边缘效应, 而这种边缘效应与物种有一定关联.     

The effect of roughness on biophysical stimuli at the bone-cartilage interface

Numerical simulations are often used to investigate the effect of mechanical environment on fracture healing. Although these models exhibit biologically relevant mechanical parameters at the bone-callus interface, this interface is modelled as perfectly smooth when in fact it is rough. In this study, a macro-micro-two-scale finite element model was used to determine if roughness significantly alters calculated local mechanical parameters. An idealized fracture healing poroelastic model with a small micro-modelled sub-domain of cartilaginous callus adjacent to rough bone was subjected to cyclic loading. The shear stress, tangential fluid velocity, and pore pressure were investigated. With roughness similar to that at the growth plate, solid matrix shear stress differed substantially with interface roughness, whereas interstitial fluid velocity and pore pressure were only slightly affected. Hence, when modelling local micro-mechanical environments near hard-soft tissue interfaces, interface roughness should be considered.     

Edge effects of forest gap in Pinus massoniana plantations on the ecological stoichiometry of Cinnamomum longepaniculatum

Aims Pinus massoniana is one of the major plantation tree species in the low hilly lands along the upper reaches of the Yangtze River Valley in China’s “Grain for Green” project. The objective of this study was to explore the edge effects of forest gap on the ecological stoichiometry of dominant tree species in a P. massoniana plantation forest.Methods We collected Cinnamomum longepaniculatum leaves in a 39-year-old P. massoniana plantation forest with seven forest gap sizes (G1: 100 m²; G2: 225 m²; G3: 400 m²; G4: 625 m²; G5: 900 m²; G6: 1 225 m²; G7: 1 600 m², and the control: closed canopy) located in Gao County, south Sichuan Province during different seasons. The contents of C, N and P in leaves were measured, and the effects of edges, seasons and their interaction on leaf C, N and P contents and C:N:P stoichiometry were evaluated.Important findings The leaf C content, C:N and C:P of C. longepaniculatum at the edge of forest gaps in different seasons were all significantly higher than those of understory plants in P. massoniana plantation. With increasing size of forest gaps, leaf C content and C:N ratio, C:P and N:P of C. longepaniculatum increased initially and then decreased with the maximum at medium size (400-900 m²). From spring to winter, leaf N and P contents of C. longepaniculatum increased after an obvious decrease; and the C:N and C:P increased first but then decreased. However, the inflection point all appeared in the summer. The nutrient utilization of C. longepaniculatum at the edge of forest gaps was more efficient in summer and autumn than in spring and winter, indicating significant edge effects. The results of principal component analysis (PCA) suggested that gap size, relative light intensity and monthly average air temperature were the main environmental factors affecting the stoichiometry of C. longepaniculatum at the different edge of forest gaps in the P. massoniana plantation. These results indicated that forest gap with size 625 m² had the highest organic matter storage and nutrient utilization efficiency in the edge areas in all seasons, and therefore had the most significant edge effect on leaf element stoichiometry.     

The effect of sweet stimuli on oral behaviour in the chicken

The oral behaviour of the chicken was investigated in responseto a variety of concentrations of fructose, sucrose and carboxymethylcellulosesolutions. Both fructose and sucrose produced a similar increasein beak and tongue movements whereas an equivalent increasewas only elicited by carboxymethylcellulose at much higher viscosities.An increase in head shaking behaviour only occurred when thebirds were stimulated with sucrose solutions. Increases in beakwiping behaviour occurred only with sucrose and carboxymethylcellulosesolutions. It was concluded that no single characteristic ofthe stimulus chemical was responsible for all the differentbehaviours shown.     

武夷山槠栲林光照、温度和湿度与林隙结构及年龄的回归分析

对武夷山天然槠栲林光照、温度和湿度与林隙结构和年龄的关系进行了回归分析。结果表明：光照、温度及湿度指数均与林隙面积关系不密切;光照指数、温度指数均与1．5m以上植物种密度、平均高和优势度,均与每个林隙的边界木优势度和平均高、单位边界木优势度及林隙年龄都存在显著或极显著负相关关系;湿度指数与1．5m以上植物种密度、平均高和优势度,与每个林隙的边界木优势度和平均高、单位边界木优势度和林隙年龄都存在显著或极显著正相关关系。随着林隙年龄的增大和结构特征的改变,光照指数和温度指数下降,而湿度指数却上升。应根据不同年龄林隙的环境特征进行森林经营。     

The gender gap in the biological living standard in Spain. A study based on the heights of an elite migration to Mexico, 1840-1930

This paper examines the evolution of the statures of Spanish male and female migrants who entered Mexico between the mid-nineteenth and the mid-twentieth century. Using the information contained in the National Registry of Foreigners created by the Mexican government, the paper also estimates the evolution of the gap between male and female migrants’ heights. The inclusion of women and their heights in the registry allows the estimation of both male and female heights and the analysis of their evolution for a group of comparable individuals. The results show that Spanish migrants to Mexico grew taller between 1840 and 1930, and also reveal their character as a highly qualified group, with heights similar to those of the Latin-American elites and considerably higher than the statures of those who remained in Spain. In the long term, the differences between men and women decreased from more than 10 cm in the cohorts born in the mid-nineteenth century, to around 8–9 centimetres in the early twentieth century, coinciding with a period of profound economic and social transformations.