Role of follicle stimulating hormone and epidermal growth factor in the development of porcine preantral follicle in vitro

The aim of the present study was to assess the role of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), epidermal growth factor (EGF) or a combination of EGF and FSH on the in vitro growth of porcine preantral follicles, estradiol secretion, antrum formation, oocyte maturation and subsequent embryonic development. Porcine preantral follicles were cultured for 3 days in the absence or in the presence of FSH or EGF. Oocytes from these follicles were then matured, fertilized in vitro and embryos were cultured. Estradiol secretion and histological analysis of cultured follicles were also carried out. The results showed that when FSH, or a combination of EGF and FSH, was added to the culture medium, most of preantral follicles grew to antral follicles with high estradiol secretion and the oocytes from these antral follicles could mature, fertilize and develop to the blastocyst stage. Without FSH, or a combination of EGF and FSH, preantral follicles were unable to develop to the antral stage. Histology demonstrated that the resulting follicles were nonantral, estradiol production was reduced and none of their oocytes matured after in vitro maturation. The results indicate the essential role of FSH in promoting in vitro growth of porcine preantral follicle, estradiol secretion, antrum formation, oocyte maturation and subsequent embryonic development. EGF with FSH treatment of porcine preantral follicles improves the quality of oocytes, shown by a higher frequency of embryonic development.     

Glucose sensors made of novel carbon nanotube-gold nanoparticle composites

Carbon nanotube and metal particle composites have been exploited to fabricate high performance electrochemical devices. However, the physical and chemical procedures to synthesize the composites are labor intensive and inefficient. Our study reveals an one-step wet chemistry method to accomplish fast and controllable production of gold nanoparticle (AuNP) and carbon naotube (CNT) composites. Such a process is sensitive to the surface charge. Especially, when functionalized with carboxyl groups, the CNTs carried negative charges and showed low level association with negatively charged AuNPs. Thermal treatment was employed to decompose the carboxyl groups and render each CNT a charge-free surface thereby achieving a high level AuNP-CNT association. The fabricated glucose sensors demonstrated dependence of their sensitivities to the amount of AuNPs on the CNTs. The enhancement of sensitivity can be attributed to an accelerated electron transfer rate from glucose oxidase Gox to the electrode. The Michaelis-Menten kinetics also indicated improved performance in the glucose sensor made of AuNP-CNTs. Therefore, our research revealed a novel approach to produce metallic nanoparticle and CNT composite for fabricating high performance electrochemical sensors.     

Dithiothreitol decreases in vitro activity of ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase from leaves of apple (Malus domestica Borkh.) and many other plant species

Inclusion of dithiothreitol (DTT) in the extraction buffer and pre-incubation of apple leaf ADP-glucose pyrophosphorylase (AGPase) with DTT resulted in a decrease in AGPase activity whether the assay was performed in the presence or absence of 3-phosphoglycerate (PGA). When PGA was included in the pre-incubation mixture or when pre-incubation of AGPase with PGA was followed by DTT, the latter did not cause any decrease in AGPase activity. However, once AGPase was decreased by DTT, subsequent incubation of the enzyme with PGA did not reverse the decrease. Pre-incubation of AGPase from leaves of Arabidopsis thaliana, sorghum, soybean, tobacco, spinach, wheat, barley, tomato and potato, and tubers of potato with DTT, generally caused a decrease in AGPase activity when assayed in the presence of PGA. When assayed in the absence of PGA, however, a diverse response of AGPase was observed among species to pre-incubation with DTT. The activity of AGPase from potato tubers was increased by DTT; the activity of AGPase from both potato and tomato leaves was not affected by DTT; the activity of AGPase from leaves of other species was decreased by DTT. It is concluded that DTT decreases in vitro activity of AGPase from leaves of apple and many other plant species such that DTT should not be routinely included in the extraction or assay mixture of leaf AGPase.     

Conformationally restricted homotryptamines 3. Indole tetrahydropyridines and cyclohexenylamines as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors

A series of indole tetrahydropyridine and indole cyclohexenylamines was prepared, and their binding affinities at the human serotonin transporter (SERT) were determined. In particular, a nitrile substituent at the C5 position of the indole ring gave potent SERT activity. The stereochemistry of the N,N-dimethylamine substituent was determined for the most potent indole cyclohexenylamine, 6a. The enantiomers of 6a were energy minimized and compared to other conformationally restricted SSRIs. Compound 6a was found to give a dose-response similar to the SSRI fluoxetine in microdialysis studies in rats.     

Eco-efficiency of urban material metabolism: a case study in Shenzhen, China

The keys of studying urban sustainable development are material metabolism flux and efficiency. Metabolism flux of urban materials can only reflect the metabolism velocity, while its eco-efficiency can determine the metabolism capacity to support socio-economic development. The general model and the measure model of the eco-efficiency were set up, based on the source recycle (decreasing the consumption of crude resources) and the terminal recycle (decreasing the discharge of pollutants) of production and life. These models were employed to study material metabolism flux and efficiency in Shenzhen, China. Results showed that water, energy and waste metabolism fluxes have increased since 1998 with constant socio-economic development, and their eco-efficiencies have also increased rapidly. When GDP rose by 2.7 times, the metabolism fluxes of urban water and electricity rose by 1.5 and 3.0 times, respectively. When the added value of industry rose by 3.7 times, the metabolism fluxes of industrial water, electricity, energy and waste rose by 1.9, 3.5, 2.7 and 2.0 times, respectively. When population rose by 1.5 times, the metabolism fluxes of residential water and electricity rose by 1.8 and 1.7 times, respectively. During the period, the resource efficiency, environmental efficiency and eco-efficiency rose by 1.8, 3.7 and 2.3 times, respectively. Whereas the efficiency of material metabolism has been improved in Shenzhen, the scarcity of material resources has become more and more serious. Therefore, it is necessary to further improve the efficiency of material metabolism. The keys of improving the eco-efficiency of urban material metabolism are the increasing of resource and environmental efficiencies, and the establishing of the recycling chain of re-utilization of waste resources.     

中国点翅盲蝽属及新名记述(半翅目,盲蝽科)

描述了点翅盲蝽属2新种,记述了点盲蝽属中国1新纪录种.以新名Bryocoris(Cobalorrhynchus)latiusculus代替Bryocoris(Cobalorrhynchus)latus Hu et Zheng,2004.模式标本保存在南开大学昆虫学研究所.叉突点翅盲蝽,新种Compsidolom furcillatum Li et Liu,sp.nov.正模(♂),云南玉龙山(27°10'N,100°18'E),1979-08-10,郑乐怡、邹环光采.副模11(♂)(♂),16♀♀,同正模.眼间距大于眼宽,触角第Ⅰ节基部距黑色环斑,中部具2大黑斑,触角第Ⅱ节两端黑色,跗节基部黑色,雄虫体背斑点不明显,阳茎端细长,端部"Y"型,次生生殖孔近端部.全北点翅盲蝽Compsidolon salicellum(Herrich-Schaeffer,1841)中国新纪录观察标本:4(♂)(♂),2♀♀,湖北神农架保护区(31°45'N,110°40'E),2004-08-12,李传仁采;2(♂)(♂),2♀♀,湖北五峰(30°12'N,116°40'E,alt.1 000 m),1999-07-11,郑乐怡采.分布:湖北(神农架、五峰);瑞典,丹麦,俄罗斯,德国,斯洛伐克,法国,加拿大,美国.钩点翅盲蝽,新种Compsidolon uncum Li et Liu,sp.nov.正模(♂),西藏亚东(27°31'N,88°58'E,alt.2 600-2 900 m),2003-08-27,薛怀君、王新谱采.副模:20(♂)(♂),12♀♀,同正模.体背除楔片外被密集的黑褐色斑点,额区具暗纹,近头顶后缘处横行排列1排黑色圆斑,触角第Ⅰ、Ⅱ节基部黑色,阳茎端刺突两枚,一枚向下弯曲,钩状,一枚直.宽蕨盲蝽,新名Bryocoris(Cobalorrhynchus)latiusculus Hu et Zheng,nom.nov.Bryocoris(Cobalorrhynchus)latus Hu et Zheng,2004.Acta Zootaxonomica Sinica,29(2):272-275.Bryocoris(Cobalorrhynchus)latus Hu et Zheng 2004为B.(C.)latus Lin 2003的次同名,现命以新名Bryocoris(Cobalorrhynchus)latiusculus Hu et Zheng,次同名同时废止.     

甘肃省药用植物秦艽野生资源现状及开发利用

甘肃省是秦艽的原产地之一,蕴藏着丰富的野生资源.由于不合理的采挖利用,致使资源遭到破坏.对甘肃省秦艽野生资源的种类、分布及生态环境特征、生长情况、采挖与收购现状进行了阐述,并提出了合理开发利用的对策.     

肺癌的表皮生长因子受体分子靶向治疗与基因突变

肺癌分子靶向治疗近年来取得较大进展,特别是针对表皮生长因子受体（EGFR）分子靶向药物表现出确定的临床效果。临床应用表明,EGFR基因酪氨酸激酶域体细胞突变与非小细胞肺癌患者对酪氨酸激酶抑制剂吉非替尼的敏感性相关,本文就相关的研究进行了简述。     

山罗花和天柱山罗花四个居群的数值分析

对山罗花和天柱山罗花的4个居群的15项形态特征进行了数值分析。结果表明:形态性状在4个居群间均存在一定程度的变异,居群间变异系数的平均值从小到大排列为:天柱山居群(天柱山罗花)、天柱山居群(山罗花)、黄山居群(山罗花)、鹞落坪居群(山罗花);天柱山罗花与山罗花种间的形态差异已达到极显著水平,山罗花的3个居群间部分性状也具有极显著的形态差异;以形态特征为基础的Q-聚类分析可以把天柱山罗花和山罗花聚为两类,但山罗花(天柱山居群)和其他2个居群在较远处聚在一起,R-聚类分析发现了强正相关关系、弱正相关关系、弱负相关关系的性状。