海拔高度对2型糖尿病患者循环内皮祖细胞及低氧诱导因子的影响*

目的: 探讨不同海拔地区2型糖尿病患者循环内皮祖细胞数量及相关检测指标的变化情况,为2型糖尿病血管并发症的研究和治疗提供依据。方法: 选取386 m低海拔地区(咸阳市)和1 520 m高海拔地区(兰州市)各一家医院内被诊断的2型糖尿病患者(25人/29人)和健康体检者(20人/20人)。用全自动生化分析仪检测两组人群的血脂、血糖和糖化血红蛋白指标,用酶联免疫吸附试验(ELISA)检测低氧诱导因子-1α(HIF-1α)的浓度,用流式细胞仪测定外周血循环内皮祖细胞(EPCs)的数量。结果: 无论在低海拔还是高海拔地区,糖尿病组较健康组循环EPCs数量降低(P＜0.01),体质指数(BMI)、腰臀比(WHR)、甘油三酯(TG)、空腹血糖(FBG)及糖化血红蛋白含量(HbAlc)增高(P＜0.05);与低海拔组相比,无论高海拔的糖尿病患者还是健康者,HIF-1α的表达水平均明显增加(P＜0.05),而循环EPCs数量明显降低(P＜0.05),且有循环EPCs数量健康者高于2型糖尿病无血管并发症者高于2型糖尿病伴血管并发症者的表现(P＜0.05)。结论: 海拔高度增加,2型糖尿病(T2DM)患者体内HIF-1α表达水平增加,循环EPCs数量降低,且与其血管病变程度密切相关。因此有望通过对高海拔地区T2DM患者进行EPCs的移植来实现对糖尿病血管并发症的预防和改善。     

微塑料对湖泊生态系统初级生产者的影响

塑料的广泛应用导致大量微塑料进入环境,尤其是水环境,从而产生环境风险。浮游植物等自养生物是湖泊系统的主要初级生产者,是湖泊食物链的关键组成部分,为食物链的上游提供能量和物质基础。同时,浮游植物也是对微塑料响应最敏感的类群。了解湖泊浮游植物等初级生产者对微塑料的响应是探究微塑料对湖泊生态系统功能影响的重要基础。总结了全球湖泊生态系统微塑料的丰度、类型、尺寸、来源等分布特征,系统分析了微塑料暴露对浮游植物等初级生产者细胞结构、基因表达和生长,以及对浮游植物叶绿素a含量、光合活性的影响,并总结了其中的影响机制。总体而言,微塑料会降低初级生产者的叶绿素a含量,剂量越高、尺寸越小,这种抑制作用越强烈;同时,微塑料也会作用于初级生产者,造成细胞膜损伤、DNA损伤,调控其相关功能基因表达,抑制其生长和光合活性等。然而,湖泊生态系统微塑料的实际检出浓度远低于室内暴露实验中的添加剂量,微塑料结构和组分也更为复杂,野外观测结果与室内培养实验之间还不能建立直接的对应关系。因此,未来的相关研究应集中在如何有效联系野外观测结果与室内培养实验结果,进一步聚焦建立可靠的、可应用推广的微塑料浓度与初级生产者之间的剂量-效应关系模型,探究微塑料对湖泊初级生产者的作用机制,为刻画微塑料对湖泊生态系统初级生产者及其功能的作用机制提供科学支撑。     

喀斯特断陷盆地区不同恢复阶段群落物种组成与多样性特征

研究自然植被恢复过程中的物种组成、群落结构及生物多样性的变化,能够为人工促进植被恢复的树种选择与群落结构的优化配置提供重要依据。本研究以空间代替时间对喀斯特断陷盆地典型区云南省建水县不同天然植被(草丛、灌丛、乔木林)进行群落学调查,对不同恢复阶段的植物群落按乔木、灌木、草本进行分层,分析各恢复阶段植物群落的物种组成、水平和垂直结构、生物多样性。结果表明:在总面积为3200 m²的12个样地中,共记录43科72属94种维管束植物,优势种以壳斗科(Fagaceae)、鼠李科(Rhamnaceae)、紫金牛科(Myrsinaceae)、蔷薇科(Rosaceae)、木犀科(Oleaceae)等科的植物为主;在草丛→灌丛→乔木林的恢复过程中,群落物种组成中的科数、属数、种数逐渐增加,低矮和小径级植物个体数所占比例逐渐减少,但整体仍以低矮的小径级植物为主。草本植物的丰富度和Shannon指数在植被恢复的初期即草丛阶段最大,而均匀度指数则以灌丛阶段最大;木本植物的丰富度和Shannon指数随着植被的恢复逐渐增大,但均匀度指数随着植被的恢复逐渐下降;随着植被的恢复,草本层和乔木层...     

For An Anthropology Of Ethics And Freedom

There cannot be a developed and sustained anthropology of ethics without there being also an ethnographic and theoretical interest – hitherto largely absent from anthropology – in freedom. A possible way of studying ethics and freedom comparatively and ethnographically is suggested, and illustrated using some brief comments on Jainism.     

Genetic markers in epilepsy: a survey

In a study of genetic markets in patients with epilepsy, 30 genetic systems have been tested and the results compared with all previously published studies on this subjects. Only one marker, Ss + ss/SS in the MNSs blood group system showed a statistically highly significant difference (p below 0.001) in the epileptic patients compared with a control group. A previously reported difference in the Pc gene of the red cell acid phosphatase system was not confirmed in the present study. The basis for an association between the S antigen and epilepsy is difficult to understand at present and will need to to be confirmed by studies on other groups of epileptic patients and in the aetiologically different groups before being accepted. This is especially so as the Chalfont patients are the only group so far studied for this blood group system.     

Isolation of Vibrio parahaemolyticus and Vibrio alginolyticus from Estuarine Areas of Southeastern Alaska

The first reported isolations of halophilic vibrios, including Vibrio parahaemolyticus, from three seafood processing areas in Southeastern Alaska are described.     

Protein lateral distribution in lipid bilayer membranes

We analyse recent ESR measurements on Ca²⁺ ATPase and Myelin proteolipid apoprotein reconstituted in phosphatidylcholine bilayer membranes. Our intention is to discover whether the measurements indicate significant protein-protein repulsive or attractive interactions. In order to do so we have studied a model of a lipid bilayer membrane containing transbilayer proteins. It represents the proteins by hexagons moving on a triangular lattice interacting via an energy E ₀ which can be attractive, repulsive or zero. The last-named represents the random case studied earlier. We find that all of the Ca²⁺ ATPase data is best described either by the random model or one in which there is always at least one layer of lipid chains between every pair of proteins. We find that all of the Myelin PLA data is best described by a random distribution of hexamers and not by an annulus model of hexamers. We suggest measurements that can be done in order to unambiguously settle the question of whether these systems are best described by a random-type model or an annulus-type model.Abbreviations PC phosphatidylcholine - DMPC dimyristoyl PC - DPPC dipalmitoyl PC - EYPC egg yolk PC - 14-PCSL 1-acyl-2-[14-(4,4-dimethyloxazolidine-N-oxyl)steroyl]-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine - DPH 1,6-diphenyl-1,3,5-hexatriene - PLA proteolipid apoprotein - ESR electron spin resonance - T _c temperature of main lipid phase transition Work supported by NSERC of Canada     

Enhanced CD8+ T cell immune responses and protection elicited against Plasmodium berghei malaria by prime boost immunization regimens using a novel attenuated fowlpox virus

Sterile immunity can be provided against the pre-erythrocytic stages of malaria by IFN-gamma-secreting CD8(+) T cells that recognize parasite-infected hepatocytes. In this study, we have investigated the use of attenuated fowlpox virus (FPV) strains as recombinant vaccine vectors for eliciting CD8(+) T cells against Plasmodium berghei. The gene encoding the P. berghei circumsporozoite (PbCS) protein was inserted into an FPV vaccine strain licensed for use in chickens, Webster's FPV, and the novel FPV vaccine strain FP9 by homologous recombination. The novel FP9 strain proved more potent as a vaccine for eliciting CD8(+) T cell responses against the PbCS Ag. Sequential immunization with rFP9 and recombinant modified vaccinia virus Anakara (MVA) encoding the PbCS protein, administered by clinically acceptable routes, elicited potent CD8(+) T cell responses against the PbCS protein. This immunization regimen elicited substantial protection against a stringent liver-stage challenge with P. berghei and was more immunogenic and protective than DNA/MVA prime/boost immunization. However, further improvement was not achieved by sequential (triple) immunization with a DNA vaccine, FP9, and MVA.     

Double intratibial injection of human tonsil-derived mesenchymal stromal cells recovers postmenopausal osteoporotic bone mass

Background and aims

Osteoporosis, which is a disease characterized by weakening of the bone, affects a large portion of the senior population. The current therapeutic options for osteoporosis have side effects, and there is no effective treatment for severe osteoporosis. Thus, we urgently need new treatment strategies, such as topical therapies and/or safe and effective stem cell therapies.