Attitudes in China about Crops and Foods Developed by Biotechnology

Transgenic Bt cotton has been planted in China since 1997 and, in 2009, biosafety certificates for the commercial production of Bt rice and phytase corn were issued by the Chinese government. The public attitude in China toward agricultural biotechnology and genetically modified (GM) crops and foods has received considerable attention worldwide. We investigated the attitudes of consumers, Bt cotton farmers and scientists in China regarding GM crops and foods and the factors influencing their attitudes. Data were collected using interview surveys of consumer households, farmer households and scientists. A discrete choice approach was used to elicit the purchase intentions of the respondents. Two separate probit models were developed to examine the effect of various factors on the choices of the respondents. Bt cotton farmers had a very positive attitude because Bt cotton provided them with significant economic benefits. Chinese consumers from developed regions had a higher acceptance and willingness to pay for GM foods than consumers in other regions. The positive attitude toward GM foods by the scientific community will help to promote biotechnology in China in the future. Our survey emphasized that educational efforts made by government officials, the media and scientists can facilitate the acceptance of GM technology in China. Further educational efforts will be critical for influencing consumer attitudes and decisions of government agencies in the future. More effective educational efforts by government agencies and public media concerning the scientific facts and safety of GM foods would enhance the acceptance of GM crops in China.     

云丘山地区灌木群落优势种数量关系

以68个灌木样方的重要值矩阵和2×2列联表为基础,结合实地调查,应用方差比率法、χ2检验、Pearson相关系数及Spearman秩相关系数法,对云丘山地区灌木群落的20个优势种、190个种对的关联性进行了定量研究。方差比率法结果表明,20个优势种总体间关联为显著正相关,云丘山地区的灌木群落处于较稳定的状态;χ2检验、Pearson相关系数、Spearman秩相个关系数结果表明,大部分种对的种间关联未达到显著程度,种间联结较为松散,群落结构及其种类组成将逐渐趋于完善和稳定;根据这20个优势种对环境的适应方式和主导生态因素辅助以PCA排序,可将它们划分为两种生态种组。以上结果揭示了该地区主要优势物种与环境的相互关系。     

Characterization of the carboxysomal carbonic anhydrase CsoSCA from Halothiobacillus neapolitanus

In cyanobacteria and many chemolithotrophic bacteria, the CO(2)-fixing enzyme ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (RubisCO) is sequestered into polyhedral protein bodies called carboxysomes. The carboxysome is believed to function as a microcompartment that enhances the catalytic efficacy of RubisCO by providing the enzyme with its substrate, CO(2), through the action of the shell protein CsoSCA, which is a novel carbonic anhydrase. In the work reported here, the biochemical properties of purified, recombinant CsoSCA were studied, and the catalytic characteristics of the carbonic anhydrase for the CO(2) hydration and bicarbonate dehydration reactions were compared with those of intact and ruptured carboxysomes. The low apparent catalytic rates measured for CsoSCA in intact carboxysomes suggest that the protein shell acts as a barrier for the CO(2) that has been produced by CsoSCA through directional dehydration of cytoplasmic bicarbonate. This CO(2) trap provides the sequestered RubisCO with ample substrate for efficient fixation and constitutes a means by which microcompartmentalization enhances the catalytic efficiency of this enzyme.     

髓源性防御素的研究进展

防御素是一组含有6个半胱氨酸的阳离子抗微生物多肽。在中性粒细胞内,防御素含量丰富,具有广谱、高效的抗微生物活性,是机体天然免疫机制的重要组成部分。近年来的临床观察表明,测定血浆及各种体液中髓源性防御素的改变有助于某些炎症性疾患的诊断。此外,提纯或重组防御素作为“超级抗生素”则已成为药学界的研究热点。本文着重对髓源性防御素的生化特性、生物学活性及其与疾病的关系作一概述。     

中国绿杯菌属研究(英文)

对采自中国12个省的绿杯菌属Chlorociboria标本进行了分类研究,鉴定出3个种,分别为小孢绿杯菌C.aeruginascens、绿杯菌C.aeruginosa和波托绿杯菌C.poutoensis。其中波托绿杯菌为中国新记录种,对该种的形态学特征进行了描述和图示,并对其分类地位提供了DNA序列分析的佐证。     

准噶尔盆地荒漠灌丛对融雪水空间分布的反馈初探

温带荒漠的积雪沿灌丛始融,并以灌丛为中心形成融雪漏斗,导致融雪水向灌丛基部汇集。观测资料表明:通过灌丛对融雪水分布的反馈,使灌丛周围的沙层含水量明显增加,为裸沙区的152.1-228.9％,从而提高融雪水的利用率并改善灌丛自身的供水条件,对荒漠植被的分布格局亦起一定影响。     

Recent advances in synthesis and surface modification of lanthanide-doped upconversion nanoparticles for biomedical applications

Lanthanide (Ln)-doped upconversion nanoparticles (UCNPs) with appropriate surface modification can be used for a wide range of biomedical applications such as bio-detection, cancer therapy, bio-labeling, fluorescence imaging, magnetic resonance imaging and drug delivery. The upconversion phenomenon exhibited by Ln-doped UCNPs renders them tremendous advantages in biological applications over other types of fluorescent materials (e.g., organic dyes, fluorescent proteins, gold nanoparticles, quantum dots, and luminescent transition metal complexes) for: (i) enhanced tissue penetration depths achieved by near-infrared (NIR) excitation; (ii) improved stability against photobleaching, photoblinking and photochemical degradation; (iii) non-photodamaging to DNA/RNA due to lower excitation light energy; (iv) lower cytotoxicity; and (v) higher detection sensitivity. Ln-doped UCNPs are therefore attracting increasing attentions in recent years. In this review, we present recent advances in the synthesis of Ln-doped UCNPs and their surface modification, as well as their emerging applications in biomedicine. The future prospects of Ln-doped UCNPs for biomedical applications are also discussed.     

多粘类芽胞杆菌SC2基因敲除体系的建立

摘要:【目的】建立多粘类芽胞杆菌SC2 的基因敲除体系。【方法】利用电转化把温敏型自杀质粒pRN5101导入到多粘类芽胞杆菌SC2中。采用基因重组技术敲除SC2 中的多粘菌素基因E(pmxE),得到突变株SC2-E。利用抗细菌性能检测和高效液相色谱分析合成多粘菌素的能力,来证实pmxE基因是否被敲除。【结果】成功构建了多粘类芽胞杆菌SC2 的基因敲除体系。pRN5101转入SC2后能够在28℃复制,39℃自杀。突变株失去了合成多粘菌素的能力,成功敲除pmxE基因,验证了此体系的可用性。【结论】首次构建了多粘类芽胞杆菌的基因敲除体系,拓展了pRN5101的使用范围,为研究多粘类芽胞杆菌的基因功能提供了高效的遗传操作工具。     

酱香型白酒酿造酒醅中酵母菌多样性研究

为解析酱香型白酒酿造酒醅中酵母菌的菌群结构,获取酒醅中的主要酵母菌,采用高通量测序法分析酱香型白酒酒醅中酵母菌多样性及主要功能菌群,同时采用可培养分离方法获取酒醅中酵母菌活性菌株。从酱香型白酒下沙至五轮次酒醅中共检出59个属、129个种的酵母菌,分离得到酵母菌活性菌株41种,检测到的酵母菌种类与获得的酵母菌活菌在各香型白酒中最多。不同时期酒醅中的酵母菌种类和数量差异明显,其中下沙、造沙轮次以Pichia kudriavzevii为绝对优势酵母菌;一至五轮次随着轮次的递增,酒醅中优势酵母菌的种类增多,其中主要的优势酵母菌有Pichia kudriavzevii、Pichia manshurica、Zygosaccharomyces bailii、Saccharomyces cerevisiae、Candida apicola。酱香型白酒酒醅中蕴藏着极其丰富的酵母菌资源,对酵母菌菌群结构的解析有助于科学地认识酱香型白酒酿造过程中产酒与风味代谢机理,为发酵过程的调控提供一定依据。