Environmental changes in Lake Taihu during the past century as recorded in sediment cores

The Lake Taihu drainage basin is an economically developed area with some of the highest population densities in China. The lake has deteriorated due to ecological destruction and eutrophication. Three short sediment cores from eastern, northeastern and southwestern Lake Taihu were collected. Total organic carbon (TOC), total nitrogen (TN), pigments, elements and particle size were analyzed for the purpose of understanding past trophic status and pollution levels. Sedimentation rates were based on ¹³⁷Cs or ²¹⁰Pb methods. Results indicated that sediment particle size became coarser since the 1920s, and the lake was contaminated by heavy metals, such as Cu and Zn, since the 1970s. A remarkable increase in eutrophication since the 1980s due to increased loading of untreated effluents from industry, agriculture and urbanization is reflected by total organic carbon, total nitrogen and pigments in the studied cores. However the onset times of eutrophication in different parts of Lake Taihu were not synchronous.     

Magnetic investigation of two helical frameworks derived from mixed ligands

Although the 2,2′-biphenyldicarboxylate ligand (2,2′-dpa) has been widely used to construct metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) with helical sub-structure, the effect of the helical arrangement of spin carriers on the magnetic properties remains rarely scarce. In this article, two unique magnetic metal-organic supramolecular frameworks with different structural features, [Cu₂(dpa)₂(H₂O)₂(4,4′-dpdo)_0.5]_n (1) and [Ni(H₂O)₄(dpa)] · (4,4′-dpdo)(H₂O) (2) (dpdo = 4,4′-dipyridine-N,N′-dioxide), have been isolated from the direct reaction of H₂dpa with their corresponding salts in the presence of dpdo. In complex 1, the Cu-dpa double-helical chains, which are bridged by long flexible μ₂-dpdo ligands to give rise to a regular 6³ covalent layer, exhibit strong antiferromagnetic coupling interactions. Whereas the 1D [Ni(dpa)]_n helical chains in complex 2 exhibit weak antiferromagnetic coupling interactions. Rich hydrogen bonds between perpendicular 1D [Ni(dpa)]_n helical chains and quasi-1D (dpdo)_n chains result in an intricate 3D supramolecular network.     

Ketonization of methylene of bis(benzimidazol-2-yl)methane by molecular oxygen under the catalysis of cobalt(II) ion

A cobalt(II) complex [Co((bnzim)₂CO)Cl₂] (1) (where (bnzim)₂CO; bis(benzimidazol-2-yl)methanone), was obtained by reacting cobalt(II) chloride with bis(benzimidazol-2-yl)methane ((bnzim)₂CH₂) in CH₃OH/CH₃CN and characterized using EA, IR, XRD and X-ray single crystal diffraction. The process of ketonization of methylene of (bnzim)₂CH₂ was investigated using spectroscopy and electrochemistry method. The experimental results reveal that there were new species forming in the reaction system and the formation of new species was related to the dissolving oxygen in the mixture. Oxygenation mechanism was thus proposed, in which oxygen atom transfer from a superoxo intermediate species {((bnzim)₂CH₂)Co(III)-O-O} to the methylenic carbon of (bnzim)₂CH₂, and then goes O-O hemolytic cleavage and hydrogen migration to give intermediate species [Co((bnzim)₂CHOH)]²⁺. The ketonization was achieved after [Co((bnzim)₂CHOH)]²⁺repeating the process.     

Chronic sodium hydrosulfide treatment decreases medial thickening of intramyocardial coronary arterioles, interstitial fibrosis, and ROS production in spontaneously hypertensive rats

Hydrogen sulfide (H(2)S) is a gasotransmitter that regulates cardiovascular functions. The present study aimed to examine the hypothesis that chronic treatment with sodium hydrosulfide (NaHS, an H(2)S donor) is able to prevent left-ventricular remodeling in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR). Four-week-old SHR were treated with NaHS (10, 30, and 90 micromol x kg(-1) x day(-1)), a combination of NaHS (30 micromol x kg(-1) x day(-1)) and glibenclamide (5 mg x kg(-1) x day(-1)), glibenclamide alone (5 mg x kg(-1) x day(-1)), hydralazine alone (10 mg x kg(-1) x day(-1)), and placebo for 3 mo. At the end of the treatment period, variables such as cardiac geometry and function, intramyocardial arterioles ranging in diameter from 25 to 100 microm, perivascular and interstitial collagen content, reactive oxygen species (ROS), thiol groups, conjugated dienes, and DNA base modification were examined. The novel finding of the present study is that chronic NaHS treatment prevented the hypertrophy of intramyocardial arterioles and ventricular fibrosis, as well as decreased myocardial ROS and conjugated diene levels. The cardioprotective effects were blunted by coadministration of glibenclamide, suggesting a role of ATP-sensitive potassium channels in mediating the action of NaHS. Hydralazine caused a comparable reduction of blood pressure compared with NaHS treatment; however, it exerted no effect on the remodeling process or on ROS and conjugated diene levels. Moreover, NaHS treatment caused an increase in myocardial thiol group levels, whereas DNA base modification was not altered by NaHS treatment. In conclusion, the superior cardioprotective effects of NaHS treatment are worthy to be further explored to develop novel therapeutic approaches for the treatment of cardiac remodeling in hypertension.     

日本血吸虫信号转导蛋白Sjwnt_4基因的克隆、表达及功能分析

由Wnt基因家族产物与其它相关基因产物构成的Wnt信号通路,是细胞发育和生长调节的一个关键途径,对动物的发育特别是生殖系统的发育起重要的调节作用。在人类和小鼠中,Wnt4蛋白是性腺分化过程中主要调节因子,在胚胎发育中起着关键作用。利用RACE技术从日本血吸虫19d童虫中首次扩增到一个Wnt家族基因,序列分析表明该基因的完整编码框含1311bp,编码436个氨基酸,理论分子量49.6kD。同源性分析结果表明,该基因的氨基酸序列具有典型Wnt家族蛋白特征,与日本三角涡虫、人Wnt4的氨基酸序列相似性分别达43％、37％,推测为血吸虫的Wnt4基因,命名为Sjwnt4（GenBank登陆号DQ643829）。实时定量PCR分析显示该基因在14d童虫、19d童虫、31d虫体、44d雌虫及44d雄虫中均有表达,其中19d童虫中的表达量明显高于其它发育阶段,44d雌虫中的表达量明显高于雄虫。构建了该基因的原核表达载体pGEX_4T_2_Sjwnt4,应用大肠杆菌系统进行了表达,表达蛋白以包涵体形式存在,Western印迹显示表达产物能被日本血吸虫成虫粗抗原免疫血清所识别。Sjwnt4基因及其表达产物的获得,为探索Wnt信号通路对血吸虫发育、生殖的调节提供了重要基础。     

插网网目尺寸及采样时间对潮沟游泳动物采样的影响

在长江河口九段沙盐沼湿地的一条潮沟中,我们比较了两种不同网目尺寸（4mm和8mm）的插网（fyke net）及日夜潮对游泳动物群落采样效率的影响。共捕获鱼类16种5476尾、虾2种4982只。采用方差分析、柯尔莫诺夫-斯米尔诺夫非参数检验法和无度量多维标定分析对两种网目插网的捕获效率,样品的体长分布,群落结构及日夜潮间的差异进行了分析。结果表明,网目尺寸对样品中游泳动物的物种数和鱼类的多度没有影响,但是小网目的插网对虾类有较高的捕获率。两种网目尺寸的插网均在夜潮中捕获较多的鱼类个体,但虾类在日潮捕获较多。在日潮中,网目尺寸对捕获物中五种优势游泳动物的体长分布无显著影响。在夜间,小网目的插网对斑尾复缎虎和脊尾白虾的较大个体具有较高的捕获率,但对较大个体鲅的捕获率不如大网目的插网。样品中游泳动物的群落组成在日夜潮间存在明显差异,大网目捕获物的样本间差异比小网目小。     

一氧化氮对不同耐旱性杨树幼苗抗旱性的影响

以乡土树种小青杨(Populus pseudo-simonii Kitag)和速生品种欧美杨107杨(Populus × euramericana cv."74/76")幼苗为试验材料,在水分胁迫条件下研究不同浓度的外源NO供体硝普纳(sodium nitroprusside, SNP)对2种杨树抗旱性的影响.结果表明,经不同浓度SNP处理后,2种杨树叶片水势对干旱胁迫的敏感程度下降,气孔导度降低,蒸腾作用减弱,叶片含水量升高,保水能力增强.同时,SNP处理能提高杨树叶片可溶性糖和可溶性蛋白含量,降低杨树叶片相对电导率,使杨树在干旱条件下的抗脱水能力提高,减轻了干旱胁迫对细胞膜的伤害.从品种间作用效果看,SNP对107杨的抗旱性提高的幅度高于小青杨,表明SNP更有利于提高速生杨的抗旱能力.     

温度对拟小食螨瓢虫捕食皮氏叶螨成螨功能反应的影响

在5个温度(16℃、20℃、24℃、28℃和32℃)条件下,测定了拟小食螨瓢虫雌成虫对皮氏叶螨成螨的捕食功能反应。结果表明,在试验温度范围内,各温度下的功能反应均能用Holling圆盘方程(Ⅱ型)拟合,但各温度间功能反应的参数存在差异。以瞬时攻击率和捕食处理时间为评价指标,在16℃～28℃,拟小食螨瓢虫雌成虫对皮氏叶螨成螨的捕食效能随温度的上升而提高,28℃时达到最高,此时的瞬时攻击率和捕食处理时间分别为0.5899和0.0169d。温度上升至32℃时,捕食效能略为下降,此时的瞬时攻击率和捕食处理时间分别为0.5740和0.0184d,与28℃时的瞬时攻击率和捕食处理时间差异不显著。表明较高温度有利于拟小食螨瓢虫发挥对皮氏叶螨成螨的控制作用。在试验的密度和温度范围内,以三次多项方程描述了在不同猎物密度和温度组合下拟小食螨瓢虫雌成虫对皮氏叶螨成螨的捕食作用,以软件Surfer8.0生成了皮氏叶螨成螨密度和温度组合下的拟小食螨瓢虫雌成虫捕食量模拟值等值线图。同时,还对拟小食螨瓢虫在热带作物害虫生物防治中的应用潜力进行了讨论。     

西藏雪灵芝促进消化作用实验研究

目的：探讨雪灵芝是否具有促进消化的功效。方法：选用雄性大鼠和小鼠各一批：①大鼠灌胃给不同剂量的雪灵芝提取浓缩液和蒸馏水一个月后进行消化酶的测定;并计算体重增重量、摄食量及食物利用率。②小鼠灌胃给不同剂量的雪灵芝提取浓缩液和蒸馏水（2个对照组）15d后进行小肠运动实验。结果：①雪灵芝各剂量组大鼠体重增重量均高于阴性对照组,高、中剂量组与阴性对照组的差异具有显著性（P〈0.05）。各剂量组的食物利用率均高于阴性对照组,且高、中剂量组与阴性对照组的差异有显著性（P〈0.05）。②雪灵芝各剂量组小鼠的墨汁推进率均高于便秘模型对照组,且差异均显著或非常（P〈0.01或P〈0.05）。结论：雪灵芝具有促进消化功能的功效。     

Mitotic phosphorylation of PRC1 at Thr470 is required for PRC1 oligomerization and proper central spindle organization

During cell division, chromosome segregation is orchestrated by the interaction of spindle microtubules with thecentromere. A dramatic remodeling of interpolar microtubules into an organized central spindle between the separatingchromatids is required for the initiation and execution of cytokinesis. Central spindle organization requires mitotic kine-sins, the chromosomal passenger protein complex, and microtubule bundling protein PRC1. PRC1 is phosphorylated byCdc2 at Thr470 and Thr481 during mitosis. However, the functional relevance of PRC1 phosphorylation at Thr470 hasremained elusive. Here we show that expression of the non-phosphorylatable mutant PRC1~(T470A) but not the phospho-mimi-cking mutant PRC1~(T470E) causes aberrant organization of the central spindle. Immunoprecipitation experiment indicatesthat both PRC1~(T470A) and PRC1~(T470E) mutant proteins associate with wild-type PRC1, suggesting that phosphorylationof Thr470 does not alter PRC1 self-association. In addition, in vitro co-sedimentation experiment showed that PRC1binds to microtubule independent of the phosphorylation state of Thr470. Gel-filtration experiment suggested that phos-phorylation of Thr470 promotes oligomerization of PRC1. Given the fact that prevention of the Thr470 phosphorylationinhibits PRC1 oligomerization in vitro and causes an aberrant organization of central spindle in vivo, we propose thatthis phosphorylation-dependent PRC1 oligomerization ensures that central spindle assembly occurs at the appropriatetime in the cell cycle.