Investigation of Cigarette Smoking among Male Schizophrenia Patients

Male schizophrenia patients are known to have a heavier smoking pattern compared with the general population. However, the mechanism for this association is not known, though hypothesis that smoking could alleviate symptomatology of schizophrenia and reduce side effects of antipsychotics has been suggested. The aims of this study were to validate the heavier smoking pattern among male schizophrenia patients and to investigate the possible mechanisms for the association. To enhance the reliability of the study, we recruited two large independent samples with 604 and 535 male Chinese schizophrenia patients, and compared their smoking pattern with that of 535 healthy male controls recruited from general population. Validated multiple indicators and multiple causes structure equation model and regression models were used to investigate the association of smoking with factors of schizophrenia symptomatology and with the usage of antipsychotics and their extra-pyramidal side effects (EPS). Schizophrenia patients had significantly heavier smoking pattern compared with healthy controls in our sample (42.4% vs. 16.8%, p<0.001 for current smoking prevalence; 23.5% vs. 43.3%, p<0.001 for smoking cessation rate; 24.5% vs. 3.0%, p<0.001 for heavy smoker proportion). Their smoking status was also found to be consistently and significantly associated with reduced negative factor scores for schizophrenia symptomatology (β = −0.123, p = 0.051 for sample-A; β = −0.103, p = 0.035 for sample-B; β = −0.082, p = 0.017 for the combined sample). However, no significant association was found between smoking and antipsychotics usage or risk of EPS. These results support that smoking is associated with improved negative symptoms, which could account for the heavier smoking pattern among schizophrenia patients.     

Soluble ACE2-mediated cell entry of SARS-CoV-2 via interaction with proteins related to the renin-angiotensin system

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环境胁迫对不同水分管理措施下稻田土壤功能稳定性的影响

随着全球变化和人类活动干扰的加剧,维持和提高土壤生态功能具有重要意义.本研究以室内模拟干扰下土壤功能稳定性为核心,研究环境胁迫(干燥、高温和干燥高温)对常规淹水、裸地旱作、秸秆覆盖旱作3种水分管理措施下土壤功能稳定性(抵抗力和恢复力)的影响.结果表明:相对于单一的干燥或高温胁迫,复合胁迫虽然显著增加了土壤可溶性有机碳和铵态氮含量,但是降低了胁迫1 d后的土壤真菌和细菌生物量、土壤呼吸、土壤功能抵抗力,同时也显著降低了56 d后的土壤功能恢复力.相关性分析结果表明,细菌生物量和真菌生物量与土壤功能抵抗力和土壤功能恢复力均呈显著相关.不同水分管理措施能够调节环境胁迫对土壤功能稳定性的影响,无论是单一胁迫还是复合胁迫条件下,秸秆覆盖旱作均显著增加了可溶性有机碳、铵态氮含量和真菌、细菌生物量,其功能抵抗力和功能恢复力均高于常规淹水和裸地旱作.总之,在多种胁迫存在的条件下,秸秆覆盖旱作能够提高土壤生态系统在环境胁迫下的功能稳定性,是稻田节水旱作适宜的农业管理措施.     

体外模型的发展及其在鲸豚研究中的应用

体外补充替代模型“细胞系”为生命科学研究提供了新的平台,在一定程度上突破了科学研究中伦理、法律、动物福利和动物保护等的限制,从细胞和分子视角更深层次地揭示复杂生命体的生物效应和 调控机制。尤其对于濒危动物,细胞系的建立与超低温冷冻技术相结合,既可以保存濒危动物具有生物表达活性的遗传种质,又可以提供体外保育研究的新平台（如动物毒理学实验）,对动物保护意义 重大。目前细胞培养体系已作为多功能平台被应用于鲸豚类细胞遗传学、病毒学和毒理学的相关研究中,但从物种和组织来源以及细胞类型来看,能长期稳定传代的鲸豚类细胞系仍较单一。优化细胞培 养条件,运用鲸豚类体外细胞揭示更多的生命机制问题,仍是当前鲸豚类体外细胞模型研究所面临的挑战。本文对动物体外模型及其在鲸豚研究中的应用进行了概述,以期推动该技术在鲸豚保育研究中 的创新和发展。     

一头遭鲨鱼袭击和误捕的小须鲸幼仔

A minke whale was by-caught by fishermen in a drift gill net off Shidao, Weihai, Shandong Province on June 15, 2007. The whale, which had been attacked by a shark, was a male with body length 2.43 m, and was suspected to have died soon after the birth. The small size of the whale suggests that a breeding ground for minke whales might exist in the Chinese coastal waters. Evidence of shark attack on this young whale was apparent: half of the fluke was lost and the belly was bitten as well; injuries were not as severe on the caudal peduncle. It was not possible to determine if the shark-related injuries observed occurred prior to the whale being by-caught or were post-mortem. Some conservation measures were proposed in order to better protect the cetaceans in waters off China.     

草酸对铜绿假单胞菌NY3降解烃的作用研究

研究了草酸对NY3菌(Pseudomona aeruginosa NY3)降解烷烃的影响作用。研究发现,草酸能促进菌体降解十四烷,且最佳投加浓度在1 g/L左右。投加草酸8 h内对十四烷去除率最大,可提高约15.2%。草酸促进降解主要是其改变菌体胞外液分泌成分。紫外光谱结果表明,共存草酸使胞外液中吩嗪-羧酸PCA分泌量大大提高。从气相和液质测定结果看,NY3菌代谢体系中,胞外液中PCA分泌量与十四烷的同步降解率呈正相关。体外实验表明,将试剂级PCA投加在NY3菌以"十六烷+草酸"为碳源生长的胞外液中,发现PCA投加量与其对十四烷的降解效果也呈正相关。与未投加PCA相比,PCA投加2μmol/L,12 h内胞外液对十四烷的去除率提高了约13.1%。结果表明,草酸能促进NY3菌降解十四烷主要是由于其可使菌体胞外液中PCA的分泌量大大提高。本文研究了共存草酸在铜绿假单胞菌NY3降解烃类污染物过程中的作用及其作用机理,为后续优化设计铜绿假单胞菌NY3处理实际烃类污染物的应用提供参考。     

T载体介导的基于attL核心区LR反应的简化快速Gateway克隆系统

Gateway克隆技术已得到广泛的应用。该技术先通过BP反应将目标片段连到带有完整attL特异识别位点的入门载体,然后与终载体通过LR反应得到表达载体。Gateway克隆方法与传统的酶切连接方法相比有快速简单等优点。但是,BP和LR酶都非常昂贵。本研究首先对3个常用Gateway载体的atts特异位点序列比对发现,attL序列核心交换位点“core attL”的21~22 bp长的碱基是保守和必要的。由此,设计含有core-attL序列的引物,通过PCR克隆得到DNA片段并连入pMD18-T载体,然后进行LR反应,可成功得到目标表达载体,并在保守的位点上正确重组。本研究还对其中一个带有绿色荧光蛋白基因的表达载体转化至烟草,能够正常表达该蛋白质。结果表明,通过将含有attL核心位点基因片段连接到pMD18-T载体上,可以省略BP反应而将目标片段连接到终载体上,节约了反应时间和成本。     

长江三峡库区土地利用/覆盖的长期变化

了解土地利用/覆盖的时空变化有助于揭示气候变化和人类活动对生态系统的影响,是开展生态系统管理的重要前提.长江三峡库区是我国重要的生态脆弱区,环境变化影响的复杂性显著,但目前对此仍缺乏系统了解.本文通过解译Landsat时序遥感影像,获取三峡库区土地利用/覆盖数据,研究土地利用/覆盖构成结构及其分布的长期时空变化特征,以揭示三峡库区土地利用/覆盖的演变规律,为深入了解生态脆弱区生态系统变化复杂性和区域生态系统管理提供科学依据.结果表明: 1990—2015年间,三峡库区土地利用/覆盖结构的空间异质性和变化显著,农田面积比例由66.2%降至40.4%,林地面积比例由31.3%增至53.5%,库区由农业景观转变为以森林、灌木林等为主的林地景观,建设用地和水体逐渐增加;林地逐渐向库区中部扩张,建设用地点状扩张;海拔500～1000 m和坡度15°～25°区域林地面积比例增长最明显,针叶林、针阔混交林和灌木林等植被类型增长最快.研究期间,三峡水库建设和各类生态恢复工程的实施促使区域土地利用/覆盖结构呈阶段性变化,总体表现为生态恢复趋势.积极的生态恢复措施有助于消减工程建设对区域生态环境的负面影响.     

气象因子对农田设计排涝模数的影响

设计排涝模数的计算对农田安全和有效降低涝灾损失意义重大.本文选取天津市宁河区封闭农田小区为研究对象,分析了主要气象因子对农田设计排涝模数的影响.为解决观测样本有限的问题,在现场观测试验的基础上,以总径流深为目标,使用互信息、偏秩相关方法分析了参数敏感性,结合土壤含水量、地下水位相对变化量得到了合理的模型参数,建立了三水源超渗-蓄满耦合产流模型,进行了产流量和设计排涝模数估算,并分析了降雨和蒸发等气象因子对设计排涝模数的影响.结果表明:1960—2015年,研究区夏季降水量显著减少,蒸发量变化不明显.排涝模数随降水量减少而减少,且随着设计重现期的增大,降水和设计排涝模数的减少量均有所增大,但总体来讲,气象因子对设计排涝模数的影响并不大,现行设计排涝模数可不进行修订.