Comparison of the collagenous products synthesized in culture by pig aortic endothelial and smooth-muscle cells. Variability in endothelial-cell cultures.

In contrast with smooth-muscle cells from the same tissue, endothelial cells from pig aorta were found to exhibit in culture considerable variability in the pattern of collagen synthesis between one isolation of cells and the next. Synthesis varied from largely collagen type I to virtually all type III in the absence of type I but with small amounts still of collagens types IV and V, to, in one instance, synthesis basically of only type V. Synthesis usually by these cells of collagen predominantly of the interstitial type (I and III) rather than, as might be expected, that from basement membrane (type IV) was not attributable to the influence of subculture. All four collagen types were deposited in the cell layer to an increased extent in primary compared with secondary cultures of either smooth muscle or endothelial origin. Endothelial cells appeared sometimes to synthesize a large-Mr collagenous entity that might conceivably be related to 'short-chain' collagen. In addition, small-Mr hydroxyproline-containing peptides were detected that might reflect rapid collagen(s) turnover in endothelial cultures.     

The Way to a Man's Heart Is through His Stomach: What about Horses?

Background

How do we bond to one another? While in some species, like humans, physical contact plays a role in the process of attachment, it has been suggested that tactile contact''s value may greatly differ according to the species considered. Nevertheless, grooming is often considered as a pleasurable experience for domestic animals, even though scientific data is lacking. On another hand, food seems to be involved in the creation of most relationships in a variety of species.

Methodology/Principal Findings

In this study, we used the horse training context to test the effects of food versus grooming during repeated human-horse interactions. The results reveal that food certainly holds a key role in the attachment process, while tactile contact was here clearly insufficient for bonding to occur.

Conclusion/Significance

This study raises important questions on the way tactile contact is perceived, and shows that large inter-species differences are to be expected.     

周期型马来丝虫微丝蚴寿命的观察

将实验感染周期型马来丝虫的长爪沙鼠的微丝蚴蚴阳性腹腔稀释液,移注于正常沙鼠腹腔内,微丝蚴除能在腹腔内长期生存外,还可出现于外周血液中,其在外周血液内末次阳性检出时间最长可超过32周,在腹腔液内末次阳性检出时间最长为77周,故马来微丝蚴在沙鼠外周血液中的最长寿命不短于7.5月,而在腹腔液内的最长寿命可超过1.5年以上。     

Do Horses Have a Concept of Person?

Background

Animals'' ability for cross-modal recognition has recently received much interest. Captive or domestic animals seem able to perceive cues of human attention and appear to have a multisensory perception of humans.

Methodology/Principal Findings

Here, we used a task where horses have to remain immobile under a vocal order to test whether they are sensitive to the attentional state of the experimenter, but also whether they behave and respond differently to the familiar order when tested by a familiar or an unknown person. Horses'' response varied according to the person''s attentional state when the order was given by an unknown person: obedience levels were higher when the person giving the order was looking at the horse than when he was not attentive. More interesting is the finding that whatever the condition, horses monitored much more and for longer times the unknown person, as if they were surprised to hear the familiar order given by an unknown voice.

Conclusion/Significance

These results suggest that recognition of humans may lie in a global, integrated, multisensory representation of specific individuals, that includes visual and vocal identity, but also expectations on the individual''s behaviour in a familiar situation.     

Comparing global models of terrestrial net primary productivity (NPP): analysis of the seasonal atmospheric CO2 signal

Eight terrestrial biospheric models (TBMs) calculating the monthly distributions of both net primary productivity (NPP) and soil heterotrophic respiration (R_H) in the Potsdam NPP Model Intercomparison workshop are used to simulate seasonal patterns of atmospheric CO₂ concentration. For each model, we used net ecosystem productivity (NEP = NPP – R_H) as the source function in the TM2 atmospheric transport model from the Max-Planck Institute for Meteorology. Comparing the simulated concentration fields with detrended measurements from 25 monitoring stations spread over the world, we found that the decreasing seasonal amplitude from north to south is rather well reproduced by all the models, though the amplitudes are slightly too low in the north. The agreement between the simulated and observed seasonality is good in the northern hemisphere, but poor in the southern hemisphere, even when the ocean is accounted for. Based on a Fourier analysis of the calculated zonal atmospheric signals, tropical NEP plays a key role in the seasonal cycle of the atmospheric CO₂ in the whole southern hemisphere. The relatively poor match between measured and predicted atmospheric CO₂ in this hemisphere suggests problems with all the models. The simulation of water relations, a dominant regulator of NEP in the tropics, is a leading candidate for the source of these problems.     

济南市社会经济发展与儿童少年生长的长期变化

本文分析了１９５６－１９９５年济南市７－１８岁儿童少年生长发育的变化趋势。３９年间,男女生身高平均增长值分别为１０．８３ｃｍ的９．４７ｃｍ,平均每１０年增长２．７６８ｃｍ和２．４３ｃｍ;男一体重增长值分别为９．１９ｋｇ和５．１２ｋｇ,平均每１０年增长２．３６ｋｇ和１．３１ｋｇ。将不同年代人均工业总产值作对数转换后发现,与各年龄儿童少年身高、体重的发育水平呈明显的直线正相关,不同年代人均工业总产值的     

中国长管蚜亚科19种新纪录

我们在东北农林蚜虫区系考察中发现下述长管蚜亚科19种为我国首次纪录。 1.茜草叶无网蚜Acyrthosiphon rubifoliae(Shinji)此种名为一疑难名称(nomen dubium),我们采得此种与原记述特征相符。寄主:茜草*。分布:吉林(长白山);日本。 2.日本忍冬圆尾蚜Amphicercidus japonicus(Hori)寄主:莫罗氏忍冬、忍冬属植物*。分布:辽宁(沈阳);日本。 3.飞帘短尾蚜Brachycadus(Acaudus)cardui(L.)寄主:第一寄主李、榆叶梅*、樱桃李、乌荆子、杏、小樱桃、甜樱桃;第二寄主菊科、紫草科。