Impacts of temperature on giant panda habitat in the north Minshan Mountains

Understanding the impacts of meteorological factors on giant pandas is necessary for future conservation measures in response to global climate change. We integrated temperature data with three main habitat parameters (elevation, vegetation type, and bamboo species) to evaluate the influence of climate change on giant panda habitat in the northern Minshan Mountains using a habitat assessment model. Our study shows that temperature (relative importance = 25.1%) was the second most important variable influencing giant panda habitat excepting the elevation. There was a significant negative correlation between temperature and panda presence (ρ = −0.133, P < 0.05), and the temperature range preferred by giant pandas within the study area was 18–21°C, followed by 15–17°C and 22–24°C. The overall suitability of giant panda habitats will increase by 2.7%, however, it showed a opposite variation patterns between the eastern and northwestern region of the study area. Suitable and subsuitable habitats in the northwestern region of the study area, which is characterized by higher elevation and latitude, will increase by 18007.8 hm² (9.8% habitat suitability), while the eastern region will suffer a decrease of 9543.5 hm² (7.1% habitat suitability). Our results suggest that increasing areas of suitable giant panda habitat will support future giant panda expansion, and food shortage and insufficient living space will not arise as problems in the northwest Minshan Mountains, which means that giant pandas can adapt to climate change, and therefore may be resilient to climate change. Thus, for the safety and survival of giant pandas in the Baishuijiang Reserve, we propose strengthening the giant panda monitoring program in the west and improving the integrity of habitats to promote population dispersal with adjacent populations in the east.     

The Effects of Intra-Aortic Balloon Pumps on Mortality in Patients Undergoing High-Risk Coronary Revascularization: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials of Coronary Artery Bypass Grafting and Stenting Era

Background

Intra-aortic balloon pumps (IABP) have generally been used for patients undergoing high-risk mechanical coronary revascularization. However, there is still insufficient evidence to determine whether they can improve outcomes in reperfusion therapy patients, mainly by percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with stenting or coronary artery bypass graft (CABG). This study was designed to determine the difference between high-risk mechanical coronary revascularization with and without IABPs on mortality, by performing a meta-analysis on randomized controlled trials of the current era.

Methods

Pubmed and Embase databases were searched from inception to May 2015. Unpublished data were obtained from the investigators. Randomized clinical trials of IABP and non-IABP in high-risk coronary revascularization procedures (PCI or CABG) were included. In the case of PCI procedures, stents should be used in more than 80% of patients. Numbers of events at the short-term and long-term follow-up were extracted.

Results

A total of 12 randomized trials enrolling 2155 patients were included. IABPs did not significantly decrease short-term mortality (relative risk (RR) 0.66; 95% CI, 0.42–1.01), or long-term mortality (RR 0.79; 95% CI, 0.47–1.35), with low heterogeneity across the studies. The findings remained stable in patients with acute myocardial infarction with or without cardiogenic shock. But in high-risk CABG patients, IABP was associated with reduced mortality (71 events in 846 patients; RR 0.40; 95%CI 0.25–0.67).

Conclusion

In patients undergoing high-risk coronary revascularization, IABP did not significantly decrease mortality. But high-risk CABG patients may be benefit from IABP. Rigorous criteria should be applied to the use of IABPs.     

Determination of Fura-2 dissociation constants following adjustment of the apparent Ca-EGTA association constant for temperature and ionic strength

The accurate calibration of Fura-2 fluorescence in living cells is dependent upon the apparent dissociation constant (Kd) of Fura-2 for Ca2+. If Ca-EGTA calibration buffers are used to construct an in vitro calibration curve, then the calculated value of the apparent Ca-EGTA association constant (K'CaEGTA) will have an important influence on the Kd of Fura-2 and thus the calculated free [Ca2+] in cells. In order to simulate experimental conditions, the individual proton and Ca2+ association constants for EGTA in these experiments were adjusted for both ionic strength and temperature using a semi-empirical form of the Debye-Huckel limiting law and the Van't Hoff isochore, respectively, as described by Harrison and Bers. The modified individual binding constants were then employed in the calculation of K'CaEGTA using the SPECS computer program of Fabatio. At pH = 7.05, ionic strength = 0.15 M, temp = 20 degrees C, K'CaEGTA = 3.232 x 10(6) M-1; at pH = 6.84, temp = 36 degrees C, K'CaEGTA = 1.652 x 10(6) M-1. These values differed substantially from those obtained with unadjusted individual association constants. Calibration buffers of varying [Ca2+] were prepared using the corrected values of K'CaEGTA, and Fura-2 fluorescence ratios were measured during superfusion of these buffers in the experimental chamber at both 20 degrees C and 37 degrees C. The Kd of Fura-2 for Ca2+ was determined to be 236 nM at 20 degrees C and 285 nM at 37 degrees C, utilizing the value of K'CaEGTA adjusted by the method of Harrison and Bers.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Free malonaldehyde determination in tissues by high-performance liquid chromatography

A high-performance liquid chromatographic method was developed for the quantification of free malonaldehyde (MA) in tissues. HPLC separation was performed using a TSK G1000 PW column (7.5-mm i.d. X 30 cm) with a mobile phase of 0.1 M Na3PO4 buffer, pH 8.0, at a flow rate of 0.6 ml/min. The eluant was monitored at 267 nm. Free MA in the tissue sample was separated and quantified in approximately 50 min. The lowest amount of MA that can be determined by this HPLC technique is approximately 1 ng per injection. This method was successfully applied to rat liver and beef, pork, and chicken muscle and was compared to the thiobarbituric acid (TBA) test. It was found to be more sensitive, accurate, and specific for the determination of free MA than the TBA method.     

白鱀豚饲养池水质某些理化因子的变动规律

自来水中的低量余氯对白暨豚无明显的刺激作用。豚池水温的变化情况与长江中、下游相似,极温对豚有不利影响。不同温度下,池水中磷酸盐含量的日增加率有显著差异,铵氮和硝酸盐氮的日增加系数相近,分别为0.327和0.2468,而亚硝酸盐氮的日增加系数在0.397—0.539之间,受温度的影响较大。池水有机物耗氧量增加不显著,含量与时间的相关式符合Y=aX~b型。缺少阳光照射是池水无机氮化合物增加较快、有机物分解较慢的原因之一。     

生态系统的天气环境模拟模型

无论对于自然的还是人为管理的生态系统,天气都是最重要的一种环境条件。用系统分析方法对生态系统进行的研究使天气模拟越来越成为非常必要的了。本文首先介绍了一个美国天气模拟模型(WGEN)的数学原理。它用马尔柯夫链和Γ-分布组成降水量子模型,产生逐日降水量。用弱平稳过程和调和分析为工具建立另一个子模型,产生逐日最高温度、最低温度和太阳辐射量。通过常规的统计学方法或灰靶白化方法可以估计模型参数。于是,就可由WGEN生出Alabama州天气模型ALWGEN和北京天气模型BJWGEN。考虑到篇幅有限,本文没有具体介绍上述估计方法,也只是扼要介绍了用Monte Carlo Bootstrap方法进行模型校验和验证的问题。最后,简单地讨论了天气模拟模型的应用。如IPM研究中的风险分析,生态系统管理决策,农业生态区域规划等课题,对天气模型都有现实的或潜在的需要。     

抗人表皮生长因子受体单克隆抗体的制备、鉴定及初步应用

 用人上皮癌细胞系A 431细胞作为抗原免疫BalB/c小鼠,制备七株抗人表皮生长因子受体的单克隆抗体的杂交瘤,这些杂交瘤经三次亚克隆后仍能稳定地分泌单克隆抗体。对其中四株杂交瘤分泌的单克隆抗体进行了鉴定。免疫沉淀放射自显影结果示单克隆抗体3、101和176均可识别A 431细胞膜抗原MW为170000的蛋白质即EGF受体。单克隆抗体59可以识别低分化鼻咽癌细胞膜上EGF受体。单抗3、176和59等可抑制EGF与受体的特异结合,而101和94则不能抑制EGF与受体的结合。 用Protein-A Sepharose CL4B纯化了单抗,纯化的单抗主要为IgG_1亚类。用SDS聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳对纯化的单抗进行了纯度测定。     

金鱼精子质膜和核膜的区域特异性

本文结合采用扫描和透射电子显微镜(包括冷冻断裂-蚀刻、超薄切片以及细胞化学染色法),研究了金鱼精子的超微结构特征,结果表明金鱼精子的质膜和核膜都具有区域特异性:1)精子质膜内大部分区域含有许多蛋白颗粒,但在特定区域内,蛋白颗粒呈有序排列,构成晶格状结构。2)精子头颈部和尾部均有液泡密集之处,凡是覆盖着液泡区的质膜内,几乎都不含有蛋白颗粒。3)液泡区能被细胞化学方法染成致密色,表明内含糖蛋白。4)核膜孔只集中存在于靠近颈部的核膜上,而其他部分则没有。本文对上述诸点进行了讨论。     

Expression of normal and mutant avian integrin subunits in rodent cells [published erratum appears in J Cell Biol 1989 Oct;109(4 Pt 1):1187]

We describe the expression of the beta 1 subunit of avian integrin in rodent cells with the purpose of examining the structure-function relationships of various domains within this subunit. The exogenous subunit is efficiently and stably expressed in 3T3 cells, and it forms hybrid heterodimers with endogenous murine alpha subunits, including alpha 3 and alpha 5. These heterodimers are exported to the cell surface and localize in focal contacts where both extracellular matrix and cytoskeleton associate with the plasma membrane. Hybrid heterodimers consisting of exogenous beta 1 and endogenous alpha subunits bind effectively and specifically to columns of cell-binding fragments of fibronectin. The exogenous avian beta 1 subunit appears to function as well as its endogenous murine equivalent, consistent with the high degree of conservation noted previously for integrins. In contrast, expression of a mutant form of avian integrin beta 1 subunit lacking the cytoplasmic domain produces hybrid heterodimers which, while efficiently exported to the cell surface and still capable of binding fibronectin, do not localize efficiently in focal contacts. This further implicates the cytoplasmic domain of the beta 1 subunit in interactions required for cytoskeletal organization.     

Synthesis and biological evaluation of azobicyclo[3.3.0] octane derivatives as dipeptidyl peptidase 4 inhibitors for the treatment of type 2 diabetes

A series of novel azobicyclo[3.3.0]octane derivatives were synthesized and evaluated as dipeptidyl peptidase 4 (DPP-4) inhibitors. The effort resulted in the discovery of inhibitor 2a, which exhibited excellent efficacies in an oral glucose tolerance test. Introduction of methyl group (2j) could prolong the inhibition of serum DPP-4 activity.