The Vertical Structure and Composition of Homegarden Plants in the Horqin Sandy Land of the Mongols——A case study in the Horqin Juun Garon County of Inner Mongolia

Used the random sampling and recommendation, 30 households of Mongolian in Horqin Juun Garon Country were selected to compare with 10 households of Han nationality which lives in the region of nearby. Forty sampling plots of homegardens were investigated. The results indicates that the perpendicular structure of homegarden plants in Mongolian and Han nationality can be classified to 0-1m, 1-2m, 2-5m, 5-10m, and higher than 10m. The perpendicular structure lower than 5m is predominance in both large and small homegardens. Comparing the cultivation pattern in two nationality, Mongolia still stay in the level of vegetable cultivation which relaled to the daily life, the plants for view and admire are very few at present. But Han nationality have started attaching importance to the view and admire homegarden plants. Besides, this research applied the software MVSP to analyze the type of homegardens and indacates that the homegarden of Mongolian in Horqin Juun Garon Country have four categories, and Han nationality have three categories. The results indicate that there are many differences between Mongolian and Han nationality. This is caused by the differences between the two nationalities in traditional farming culture, animal husbandry culture, the area of homegarden, the history of homegarden, the management of homegarden, and the traditional botanical knowledge on plant species utilization.     

SERUM ENZYMES—Variations of Activity in Disease of Muscle

In a study of 58 patients with various diseases of muscle or of the neuromuscular system, the serum activity of various enzymes was measured. Abnormal elevation of serum activities of aldolase, lactic dehydrogenase and, to a lesser extent, glutamic-oxalacetic transaminase and phosphohexose isomerase, was an almost constant feature in patients with progressive muscular dystrophy. These elevations were very frequent in dermatomyositis, common in acute cerebral vascular accidents, and rarely seen in other neurological disorders. Abnormal serum activity of iso-citric dehydrogenase was not observed in the course of the present study.Supplementary protein feeding of patients with muscular dystrophy had no effect on serum enzyme activity, no consistent effect on urinary creatine excretion and no effect on the strength of the patient or the course of the disease.Dystrophic muscles from a dystrophic strain of mice showed a decrease in activity of lactic dehydrogenase and aldolase below that of control muscle and an increase of iso-citric dehydrogenase activity. These findings, taken with the differences in serum activities of lactic dehydrogenase, aldolase and isocitric dehydrogenase in the dystrophic animals, support the conclusion that dystrophic animals handle these soluble enzymes in quite different ways.     

MD — Simulation of Diffusion of Methane in Zeolites of Type LTA

Using molecular dynamical computer simulations (MD) the dynamics of kinetic processes in zeolites will be discussed on a molecular level. Small changes in lattice parameters can cause dramatical changes in the diffusion coefficient. The presence of cations Na⁺, Ca²⁺ also strongly influences the diffusion. Changes of the self-diffusivities will be discussed that appear if a vibrating lattice instead of a rigid one is used. Nonequilibrium simulations show the correlation between transport-diffusion and self-diffusion in zeolites.     

Floristics of Higher Plants in China——Report from Catalogue of Life: Higher Plants in China Database

Biodiversity research increasingly relies on distribution networks for dealing with large-scale primary data. Up-to-date information on biodiversity is critical for the proper management and conservation of any area. The first step towards conservation should be to compile an authoritative species inventory or checklist. Catalogue of Life: Higher Plants in China (CNPC) is an ongoing biodiversity informatics project with the aim to integrate existing higher plants inventory data, and provide access via an internet based web service to public user and the scientific community. The CNPC, for the first time, provides integrated and authoritative taxonomic information on higher plant species found in China, and this database will be permanent, free and continously updated. Presently, a total of 34377 species have been included in the database. Among of them, 16620 species are only found in China. Taxa are classified into 432 families and 3941 genera. The CNPC will be an important source for scientists working on Chinese flora, and will play an important role in helping to achieve the targets set under the Global Strategy for Plant Conservation in the future.     

Graviresponse of Physarum — Investigations in actual weightlessness

The graviresponse of Physarum plasmodia was investigated in actual weightlessness during a Space Shuttle Mission, where the contractile activity of plasmodial strands was observed. The simultaneous and subsequent inductions of the opposing light and gravity responses and their mutual influences on one another provided insights into the acceleration-stimulus reaction chain in this non-sensory cell.     

Changes of macromolecular organizations in nonjunctional sarcolemmas after cross—innervation—a study of fast—and slow—twitch muscle fiberes in rats

The purpose of the present study was to analyse the changes of macromolecular organizations in nonjunctional sarcolemmas of different types of skeletal muscle fibres after cross-innervation.In normal rate the mean density of square arrays(6nm particles organized in orthogonal of square arrays(6nm particles organized in othogonal arrays)was 9.02/μm^2 for the nonjunctional sarcolemmas of fast-twitch extensor digitorum longus(control EDL,CE)muscle fibres and 0.34/μm^2 for the nunjunctional sarcolemmas of slow-twitch soleus(control SOL,CS)muscle fibres.After cross-innervation between the fast-twitch EDL and slow-twitch SOL muscle fibres by slow and fast muscle nerves respectively for three months ,the mean density was 0.45/μm^2 for the nonjunctional sarcolemmas of the operated EDL(OE)and 8.3/μm^2 for the nonjunctional sarcolemmas of the operated SOL(OS).This indicates that the cross-innervation causes a reciprocal transformation of the number and distribution of such macromolecular organizations in the electrically excitable nonjunctional sarcolemmas.     

Hemolytic Disease of the Newborn—Review of Deaths in California

In order to find ways to decrease mortality from hemolytic disease of the newborn, a study was undertaken by physicians of the California Medical Association in cooperation with the California State Department of Public Health. Neonatal deaths during a two and a half year period were investigated and analyzed by review committees with the view of evaluating presumed deficiencies in management.The findings indicate that proper prenatal prediction and preparation by the physician for the management of HDN calls for earlier and more comprehensive use of warning signals, as well as a constant reappraisal of current technology. New advances in the management of HDN require increasingly close cooperation between patients, their physicians and consultants.     

Biosynthesis of phloroglucinol compounds in microorganisms—review

Phloroglucinol derivatives are a major class of secondary metabolites of wide occurrence in biological systems. In the bacteria kingdom, these compounds can only be synthesized by some species of Pseudomonads. Pseudomonas spp. could produce 2,4-diacetylphloroglucinol (DAPG) that plays an important role in the biological control of many plant pathogens. In this review, we summarize knowledge about synthesis of phloroglucinol compounds based on the DAPG biosynthetic pathway. Recent advances that have been made in understanding phloroglucinol compound biosynthesis and regulation are highlighted. From these studies, researchers have identified the biosynthesis pathway of DAPG. Most of the genes involved in the biosynthesis pathway have been cloned and characterized. Additionally, heterologous systems of the model microorganism Escherichia coli are constructed to produce phloroglucinol. Although further work is still required, a full understanding of phloroglucinol compound biosynthesis is almost within reach. This review also suggests new directions and attempts to gain some insights for better understanding of the biosynthesis and regulation of DAPG. The combination of traditional biochemistry and molecular biology with new systems biology and synthetic biology tools will provide a better view of phloroglucinol compound biosynthesis and a greater potential of microbial production.     

Peculiarities of digestive function of proteinases in invertebrates—Inhabitants of cold seas

Digestive proteinases of various taxa of invertebrates of the boreal seas have been studied: crustaceans Paralithodes camtchaticus, Pandalus borealis; molluscs Chlamys islandicus, Buccinum undatum, Serripes groenlandicus, and echinoderms Strongylocentrotus droebachiensis, Cucumaria frondosa, Asterias rubens, and Crossaster papposus. The presence of two proteolytic activity peaks in the acidic (pH 2.5–3.5) and lower alkaline ranges (pH 7.5–8.5) and a similar proteinase spectrum have been revealed in digestive organs of the studied animals. The proteolytic activity in digestive organs of the Barents Sea invertebrates exceeds significantly that of terrestrial homoiothermal animals, which seems to be an extensive compensation for poor differentiation of the digestive system and for low substrate specificity of the enzymes as well as for cold conditions of the habitat. The principal qualitative difference between vertebrates and invertebrates consists in that the latter have no pepsin activity, but do have the cathepsin activity that is absent in vertebrate digestive organs. Contribution to the acid proteolysis is made by lysosomal cathepsins, rather than by pepsins. Activity in the alkaline and neutral pH ranges is provided by serine proteinases. In digestive cavities of invertebrates, hydrolysis of proteins and mechanical processing of food occur only in the lower alkaline pH range, whereas acid proteolysis has intracellular lysosomal localization.     

Peculiarities of Formation of the Wakefulness—Sleep Cycle in Ontogenesis of Rats

Electrophysiological changes in the wakefulness—sleep cycle were studied in early postnatal ontogenesis of rat pups. EEG was recorded and its spectral power was determined, as well as spatial-temporal synchronization between the brain cortex zones (visual and sensomotor) and hippocampus in the process of sleep at various periods of ontogenesis. These data were compared with the literature data on studying of cytoarchitectonics and ultrastructure of rat neocortex as well as on formation of neuronal activity and maturation of transmitter systems at the same periods. Based on time of formation of interneuronal and interstructural connections and of maturation of transmitter systems, 3 stages of functional development of sleep in ontogenesis were identified: the first stage—undifferentiated sleep, the interneuronal connections are absent; the second stage—partially differentiated sleep, interneuronal connections function and control from subcortical structures appears; the third stage—differentiated sleep, clear division into sleep phase, additional control from all three transmitter systems: noradrenergic, cholinergic, and serotoninergic, action of the latter providing inhibitory mechanisms in CNS.__________Translated from Zhurnal Evolyutsionnoi Biokhimii i Fiziologii, Vol. 41, No. 2, 2005, pp. 154–159.Original Russian Text Copyright © 2005 by Titkov, Aristakesyan, Oganesyan.     

Specificity of membrane specializations in mechanoreceptors of birds—A freeze-etching study

The detailed knowledge of the molecular process of mechanotransduction is still an unsolved question. The investigation of the intramembranous structure of the cutaneous mechanoreceptors may play an important role in elucidating this problem. In this relation, Herbst sensory corpuscles in ducks were studied for the first time using the freeze-etching and thin sectioning techniques. Herbst corpuscles have the basic structural components valid for most of the encapsulated mechanoreceptors in mammals: a capsule made of perineural cells, a lamellar complex of modified Schwann cells, surrounding the non-myelinated part of the receptor nerve fiber and its ending. Freeze-etching replicas reveal that the plasmalemmae of the capsule cells, modified Schwann cells and axolemmae of parts of the nerve fiber differ in both density and pattern of distribution of intramembranous particles (IMPs) as well as IMP size. On all the plasmalemmae the IMP density is higher on the P-face (2000–3300?µm^?2) than the respective E-face (800–1500?µm^?2). The axolemma of the ending of the receptor nerve fiber expresses higher density of IMPs than its shaft. The mean IMP size for all the plasmalemmae varies between 5.5 and 7.5?nm. Many tight junctions occur between the capsule cells. These results indicate that the non-myelinated axolemma as well as the plasmalemmae of other components of Herbst corpuscles are specialized in terms of content and distribution of IMPs. The IMPs may represent various kinds of mechanosensitive channel proteins or related membrane-bound proteins participating in the process of mechanotransduction.     

Bioavailability of enterai yeast—selenium in preterm infants

There is no data or literature on the effects of supplementing infants with yeast selenium, although its intestinal absorption and bioavailability are higher in adults compared with other selenium compounds. The aim of the present investigation was to study the impact of selenium enriched yeast on the serum selenium concentration of preterm infants living in a low selenium area (Hungary). Twenty-eight preterm infants with mean ± SD birth weight of 962 ± 129 g and gestational age 27 ± 1 wk were randomized into two groups at birth with respect to selenium supplementation. In the supplemented group (n = 14) infants received 4.8 mg yeast selenium containing 5 μg selenium daily via nasogastric drip during the first 14 postnatal days. The nonsupplemented infants were used as a reference group. In the supplemented group, the serum selenium concentration increased from 32.1 ± 8.5 μg/L to 41.5 ± 6.5 μg/L and in the nonsupplemented group it decreased from 25.9 ± 6.8 μg/L to 18.2 ± 6.4 μg/L from birth in two weeks time. Compared with previous studies, our results suggest that the bioavailability of selenium in the form of yeast selenium is higher than that of other selenium compounds used for preterm infants. We did not observe any complications or side-effects owing to enterai yeast selenium supplementation. We conclude that selenium enriched yeast is a safe and an effective form of short-term enterai selenium supplementation for infants.     

Mechanism of meiotic recombination in eukaryotes—A theory

It is proposed that in meiotic chromosomes single strand breaks of DNA originate either in the delayed regions of replicons or as a result of the excision activity of DNA polymerase during zygotene DNA synthesis. Rejoining of the break points belonging to non-sister chromatids takes place by switching over of the polymerase from one strand of DNA to another non-sister strand of the same polarity and gives rise to recombination intermediates (half-chromatid chiasmata). Strand migration in a recombination intermediate or copying of the same parental strand twice during zygotene as a consequence of a delay in copying the homologous strand would lead to gene conversion. Nicking of the cross strands (parental strands) in any recombination intermediate and subsequent repair leads to recombination for flanking markers. A possible way in which three-strand double crossovers occur and the process of recombination are discussed.     

A Scientist Guerilla Fighter in the Frontiers of Bioinformatics——In Memory of Bailin Hao

正The well-known physicist and bioinformaticist, Professor,Academician of Chinese Academy of Sciences (the Academy),and the former director of Institute of Theoretical Physics (the Institute; 1990–1994), Mr. Bailin Hao, passed away early this year (March 7, 2018). In the cover of this issue of Genomics,ProteomicsBioinformatics (GPB), the Editorial Board has decided to publish his art-processed portrait in memory of     

Genotype — environment interaction in tissue cultures of birch

Summary In vitro culture experiments were carried out with three birch genotypes characterized by certain genealogical relationships which serve as indicators of genetic similarity or dissimilarity. Each genotype was grown in each of six different environments (medium types), and callus growth and colour were observed. The aim was to improve our understanding of the operation of genetic and environmental effects at the early stages of regeneration in vitro. For this purpose we tried to answer the question as to whether genetic differences exert effects that are consistently distinguishable under different environments or whether environmental differences exert effects that are consistently distinguishable between different genotypes. Since conventional analytical methods, such as the analysis of variance, are inappropriate for providing satisfactory answers to this question, we applied a new concept of interpretation. With the help of this concept we obtained the following results which appear to be unique among their kind. 1) For both characters, callus growth and callus colour, genetic differences are masked only slightly by the environments while environmental differences are almost completely masked by the genotypes. Thus, in the present experiment, interaction is one-sided in the sense that environmental effects interact strongly with genotypic effects but genotypic effects interact only slightly with the environmental ones. 2) Nuclear effects seem to be responsible for the differences observed in callus growth, while the differences in callus colour can be explained by the joint action of nuclear and extranuclear effects.