普者黑岩溶湖泊湿地湖滨带景观格局演变对水质的影响

湖滨带作为湖泊与陆地之间的过渡带,是健康湖泊生态系统的重要组成部分。湖滨带景观格局的演变会对湿地水质产生重要影响,因此探究影响岩溶湿地水质变化的湖滨带关键景观因子,对深入了解景观格局对岩溶湿地水质的影响过程与机制具有重要意义。选择普者黑岩溶湖泊湿地为研究对象,以2005、2007、2009、2011年共4年的Landsat遥感影像及水质监测数据为基础,通过划定湖泊湿地湖滨带缓冲区域,运用秩相关分析和冗余分析研究湖滨带景观格局对普者黑岩溶湖泊湿地水质的影响。结果表明,湖滨带不同缓冲区内景观结构类型比例差异较大;枯水期水质与土地利用类型和景观格局指数的影响大于丰水期;景观格局在不同缓冲区尺度对岩溶湿地的水质具有不同的效应;随着监测点缓冲距离的增加,个别景观指数可较好的揭示湖滨带景观格局演变对岩溶湿地水质的影响,其中,蔓延度指数(CONTAG)、斑块结合度指数(COHSION)、均匀度指数(SHEI)对水质参数的影响较大,边界密度(ED)、聚集度(AI)对水质参数的影响随缓冲距离的增加逐渐减弱,其他景观指数对水质影响差异并不明显,最大斑块指数(LPI)在缓冲距离≤300m的区域内与水质的关系较密切,面积加权平均斑块分维数(AWMPFD)与水质参数有显著负相关性,多样性指数(SHDI)对水质的影响具有不确定性;另外,大部分水质参数与土地利用面积比例有较好的相关性,且湿地面积比例是表征岩溶湖泊湿地水环境质量的主要指标。     

传输靶向COX-2 siRNA联合化疗药物对大鼠胃癌细胞生长

目的：通过动物实验探讨传输靶向COX-2 siRNA联合化疗药物对大鼠胃癌细胞生长的抑制作用。方法：24 只健康SD 大鼠 平分为三组,治疗组用COX-2-siRNA转染的胃癌SGC7901 细胞接种,同时进行环磷酰胺、丝裂霉素C 化疗治疗;阴性对照组,用 阴性对照siRNA 转染的胃癌SGC7901 细胞接种,同时进行环磷酰胺、丝裂霉素C 化疗治疗;对照组(n=8),用未经转染的胃癌 SGC7901 细胞接种,不进行化疗治疗;三组转染后都接种了裸鼠。结果：治疗组、阴性对照组及对照组胃癌细胞凋亡率分别为 （22.28± 0.12）%、（1.23± 0.17）%和（1.03± 0.14）%,治疗组与阴性对照组和对照组比较差异都有统计学意义(t=18.152,17.555, P<0.05)。治疗组的抑瘤率为76.7%,阴性对照组和对照组分别为12.8%和6.89%,治疗组的抑瘤率明显高于其他两组(x2=15. 211,13.899,P<0.05)。Western blotting检测结果显示治疗组的COX-2 蛋白表达含量得到了明显抑制。结论：传输靶向COX-2 siRNA和化疗药物的配合应用可有效抑制COX-2 蛋白的表达,从而抑制胃癌细胞的生长,从而起到更好的治疗效果。     

Antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2 in patients with COVID-19

This paper aimed to analyze antibody responses to SARS-CoV-2 in various populations. Two hundred and six COVID-19 patients, 46 convalescent patients, and 270 healthy population were enrolled. Antibodies against nucleocapsid protein (N) and spike protein's receptor-binding domain (RBD), and neutralizing antibody were detected. The results demonstrated both anti-N and anti-RBD antibodies could be detected in about 80% of COVID-19 patients and 90% of convalescent patients, while no antibodies could be detected in some convalescents and patients even after 14 days post-onset of symptoms. The level of anti-RBD antibody strongly correlated with the neutralizing activity of sera from these two cohorts. The titer of neutralizing antibody was lower in convalescents than that in active COVID-19 patients. In addition, the titer of neutralizing antibody was less than 1:80 in none of the severe COVID-19 patients, 18.8% in non-severe COVID-19 patients, and 32.6% in convalescents. The study suggests that the level of anti-RBD antibody is closely related to neutralization activity in COVID-19 patients and convalescents. Some SARS-CoV-2-infected cases trigger a weak antiviral immune response, and the level of neutralizing antibody may have a faster decay rate.     

Characterization of zebrafish mutants with defects in bone calcification during development

Using the fluorescent dyes calcein and alcian blue, we stained the F3 generation of chemically (ENU) mutagenized zebrafish embryos and larvae, and screened for mutants with defects in bone development. We identified a mutant line, bone calcification slow (bcs), which showed delayed axial vertebra calcification during development. Before 4–5 days post-fertilization (dpf), the bcs embryos did not display obvious abnormalities in bone development (i.e., normal number, size and shape of cartilage and vertebrae). At 5–6 dpf, when vertebrae calcification starts, bcs embryos began to show defects. At 7 dpf, for example, in most of the bcs embryos examined, calcein staining revealed no signals of vertebrae mineralization, whereas during the same developmental stages, 2–14 mineralized vertebrae were observed in wild-type animals. Decreases in the number of calcified vertebrae were also observed in bcs mutants when examined at 9 and 11 dpf, respectively. Interestingly, by 13 dpf the defects in bcs mutants were no longer evident. There were no significant differences in the number of calcified vertebrae between wild-type and mutant animals. We examined the expression of bone development marker genes (e.g., Sox9b, Bmp2b, and Cyp26b1, which play important roles in bone formation and calcification). In mutant fish, we observed slight increases in Sox9b expression, no alterations in Bmp2b expression, but significant increases in Cyp26b1 expression. Together, the data suggest that bcs delays axial skeletal calcification, but does not affect bone formation and maturation.     

Inhibition of MAPK by prolactin signaling through the short form of its receptor in the ovary and decidua: involvement of a novel phosphatase

Prolactin (PRL) is essential for normal reproduction and signals through two types of receptors, the short (PRL-RS) and long (PRL-RL) form. We have previously shown that transgenic mice expressing only PRL-RS (PRLR(-/-)RS) display abnormal follicular development and premature ovarian failure. Here, we report that MAPK, essential for normal follicular development, is critically inhibited by PRL in reproductive tissues of PRLR(-/-)RS mice. Consequently, the phosphorylation of MAPK downstream targets are also markedly inhibited by PRL without affecting immediate upstream kinases, suggesting involvement of MAPK specific phosphatase(s) in this inhibition. Similar results are obtained in a PRL-responsive ovary-derived cell line (GG-CL) that expresses only PRL-RS. However, we found the expression/activation of several known MAPK phosphatases not to be affected by PRL, suggesting a role of unidentified phosphatase(s). We detected a 27-kDa protein that binds to the intracellular domain of PRL-RS and identified it as dual specific phosphatase DUPD1. PRL does not induce expression of DUDP1 but represses its phosphorylation on Thr-155. We also show a physical association of this phosphatase with ERK1/2 and p38 MAPK. Using an in vitro phosphatase assay and overexpression studies, we established that DUPD1 is a MAPK phosphatase. Dual specific phosphatase inhibitors as well as siRNA to DUPD1, completely prevent PRL-mediated MAPK inhibition in ovarian cells. Our results strongly suggest that deactivation of MAPK by PRL/PRL-RS contributes to the severe ovarian defect in PRLR(-/-)RS mice and demonstrate the novel association of PRL-RS with DUPD1 and a role for this phosphatase in MAPK deactivation.     

池蝶蚌(贝)血细胞显微观察

本文对池蝶蚌血细胞的形态结构及其动态变化进行了研究。根据血细胞形态、大小和密度等特征,把血细胞分为六类：颗粒细胞、透明细胞、浆液细胞、类淋巴细胞、梭形细胞和血栓细胞;并对各种血细胞显微结构予以描述,统计了血细胞胞体大小、细胞核大小、核质比、密度及所占比例,其中颗粒细胞所占比例最大,透明细胞次之,类淋巴细胞最少,颗粒细胞和透明细胞是两种主要的细胞类型,约占总数的82%,担负着最基本的代谢和免疫功能;通过对池蝶蚌血细胞形态的连续观察,发现血细胞存在形态变化现象,推测细胞间可能存在相互转化的情况。     

ITMSQ: A software tool for N‐ and C‐terminal fragment ion pairs based isobaric tandem mass spectrometry quantification

Tandem MS (MS2) quantification using the series of N‐ and C‐terminal fragment ion pairs generated from isobaric‐labelled peptides was recently considered an accurate strategy in quantitative proteomics. However, the presence of multiplexed terminal fragment ion in MS2 spectra may reduce the efficiency of peptide identification, resulting in lower identification scores or even incorrect assignments. To address this issue, we developed a quantitative software tool, denoted isobaric tandem MS quantification (ITMSQ), to improve N‐ and C‐terminal fragment ion pairs based isobaric MS2 quantification. A spectrum splitting module was designed to separate the MS2 spectra from different samples, increasing the accuracy of both identification and quantification. ITMSQ offers a convenient interface through which parameters can be changed along with the labelling method, and the result files and all of the intermediate files can be exported. We performed an analysis of in vivo terminal amino acid labelling labelled HeLa samples and found that the numbers of quantified proteins and peptides increased by 13.64 and 27.52% after spectrum splitting, respectively. In conclusion, ITMSQ provides an accurate and reliable quantitative solutionfor N‐ and C‐terminal fragment ion pairs based isobaric MS2 quantitative methods.