Pathology of the Calcified Zone of Articular Cartilage in Post-Traumatic Osteoarthritis in Rat Knees

Objectives

This study aimed to investigate the pathology occurring at the calcified zone of articular cartilage (CZC) in the joints afflicted with post-traumatic osteoarthritis (PTOA).

Methods

Rats underwent bilateral anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) transection and medial meniscectomy to induce PTOA. Sham surgery was performed on another five rats to serve as controls. The rats were euthanized after four weeks of surgery and tibial plateaus were dissected for histology. The pathology of PTOA, CZC area and the tidemark roughness at six pre-defined locations on the tibial plateaus were quantified by histomorphometry.

Results

PTOA developed in the knees, generally more severe at the medial plateau than the lateral plateau, of rats in the experimental group. The CZC area was unchanged in the PTOA joints, but the topographic variations of CZC areas that presented in the control knees were reduced in the PTOA joints. The tidemark roughness decreased in areas of the medial plateau of PTOA joints and that was inversely correlated with the Mankin’s score of PTOA pathology.

Conclusion

Reduced tidemark roughness and unchanged CZC area differentiate PTOA from primary osteoarthritis, which is generally believed to have the opposite pathology at CZC, and may contribute to the distinct disease progression of the two entities of arthropathy.     

Further evidence for slow decomposition of very fine roots using two methods: litterbags and intact cores

Background and aims

Root decomposition studies have rarely considered the heterogeneity within a fine-root system. Here, we investigated fine root (< 0.5 and 0.5–2 mm in diameter) decomposition and accompanying nutrient dynamics of two temperate tree species—Betula costata Trautv and Pinus koraiensis Sieb. et Zucc.

Methods

Both litterbag and intact-core techniques were used to examine decomposition dynamic and nutrient release of the two size class roots over a 498-day period. Moreover, we examined differences between the two approaches.

Results

The very fine roots (< 0.5 mm) with an initially lower C:N ratio, decomposed more slowly than 0.5–2 mm roots of both tree species. The differences in mass loss between size classes were smaller when using the intact-core technique compared with litterbag technique. In contrast to root biomass loss, net N release was much higher in the fine roots (< 0.5 mm). All fine roots initially released N (0–75 days), but immobilized N to varying extent in the following days (75–498 days) during decomposition.

Conclusions

Our results suggest that the slow decomposition rate of very fine roots (< 0.5 mm) may be determined by their high concentration of acid-unhydrolyzable structural components. Additionally, the heterogeneity within a bulk fine-root system could lead to differences in their contribution to soil in terms of carbon and nitrogen dynamics.     

白桦的开花时间及生殖构件的数量与树龄和树冠层次的关系

白桦的初始开花结实年龄在不同生境、不同起源情况下是有很大差别的。在相同地生境下,实生苗比萌生苗的始花年龄晚６ａ以上,中生生境的林分始花期要早于湿生生境的林分,在同一年中花期的早晚因林龄而异。花序构件种群、生殖技构件种群以及生殖枝花序数量都与树龄直接相关。花序构件数量壮年期〉老龄期〉结实初期。在同一生殖个体上,构件数量雄花序为中层〉上层〉下层,雌花序数量为土层〉中层〉下层,每个生殖枝平均的花序构件数     

Photosynthesis Limits Carbon Sequestering in the Taiga Zone of Northeastern Europe

We analyzed the time-course of carbon accumulation in the stem wood of the basic forest-forming tree species (pine, spruce, and birch) of the taiga subzones in northeastern Europe over many years. The dynamics of annual carbon accumulation was appraised from comparing the carbon content in trees of various ages. The primary photosynthetic productivity and the coefficient of proportionality between respiratory decarboxylation and the mass of the stem wood were calculated. A noticeable decrease in the net primary photosynthetic productivity was detected with a movement from South to North (from 62 to 64° N). However, the time for reaching the climax stage did not depend on the latitude and corresponding climatic parameters. Therefore, only the heterotrophic part of tree biomass determines annual carbon losses in a forest tree population. The conclusion is that the primary photosynthetic productivity, which limits the production process, determines the dependence of the volume of the northern-taiga carbon reservoir on the latitude and climatic parameters.     

模拟氮沉降对东北地区兴安落叶松树干呼吸的影响

2011年的5月至2012年的12月,对兴安落叶松(Larix gmelinii)人工林进行了模拟氮沉降实验,设置了4个氮沉降水平处理,分别为:对照(0 g N m-2a-1)、低氮(5 g N m-2a-1)、中氮(5 g N m-2a-1)和高氮(15 g N m-2a-1),每个处理设置3个重复样地。所施氮肥为NH4NO3,以溶液方式在生长季内每月喷施1次。采用红外气体分析法于2012年4月底—10月份,每隔15d左右测定1次树干呼吸,共测定12次。结果表明:各个氮处理下的树干呼吸速率基本与树干温度的变化一致,均呈单峰型季节变化模式,其中7月底最高、10月底最低。氮处理均提高了落叶松的树干呼吸速率,且随着氮输入水平的增加,平均树干呼吸速率呈现逐渐增强的趋势。生长季内,对照、低氮、中氮、和高氮处理条件下的树干表面释放的CO2通量分别为67.3、72.5、78.9 g C/m2和86.5 g C/m2。树干温度与树干呼吸速率存在显著的指数函数关系,而且温度敏感性(Q10)随着氮输入的逐渐升高亦随之增强,对照、低氮、中氮、和高氮处理下的Q10值分别为1.67、1.80、2.01和2.54。另外,伴随氮输入的逐渐增加,树干的氮含量也逐渐升高,树干氮含量与树干呼吸速率之间也具有一定的相关性,能够解释树干呼吸变化的38.3%。     

Efficient in situ separation and production of l-lactic acid by Bacillus coagulans using weak basic anion-exchange resin

Bioprocess and Biosystems Engineering - To get rid of the dependence on lactic acid neutralizer, a simple and economical approach for efficient in situ separation and production of l-lactic acid...     

Strategies for enhancing fermentative production of acetoin: A review

Acetoin is a volatile compound widely used in foods, cigarettes, cosmetics, detergents, chemical synthesis, plant growth promoters and biological pest controls. It works largely as flavour and fragrance. Since some bacteria were found to be capable of vigorous acetoin biosynthesis from versatile renewable biomass, acetoin, like its reduced form 2,3-butanediol, was also classified as a promising bio-based platform chemical. In spite of several reviews on the biological production of 2,3-butanediol, little has concentrated on acetoin. The two analogous compounds are present in the same acetoin (or 2,3-butanediol) pathway, but their production processes including optimal strains, substrates, derivatives, process controls and product recovery methods are quite different. In this review, the usages of acetoin are reviewed firstly to demonstrate its importance. The biosynthesis pathway and molecular regulation mechanisms are then outlined to depict the principal network of functioning in typical species. A phylogenetic tree is constructed and the relationship between taxonomy and acetoin producing ability is revealed for the first time, which will serve as a useful guide for the screening of competitive acetoin producers. Genetic engineering, medium optimization, and process control are effective strategies to improve productivity as well. Currently, downstream processing is one of the main barriers in efficient and economical industrial acetoin fermentation. The future prospects of microbial acetoin production are discussed in light of the current progress, challenges, and trends in this field.     

Polymorphism of the T-cell receptor gamma variable and constant region genes in a Chinese population

Summary The human T-cell receptor gamma gene region spans 160 kb genomic DNA. Restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) have been previously documented for the constant region (TRGC) genes, the joining (TRGJ) segments and the variable (TRGV) genes. We have recently defined the alleles of the T-cell receptor gamma V, J and C genes and we have described seven haplotypes of the V gamma subgroup I genes characterized either by RFLPs or by deletion or insertion of V gamma genes. The number of VI genes may vary from 7 to 10 per haploid genome, the 9-gene haplotype being the most frequent. Allelic fragments can unambiguously characterize the TRGC2 gene with duplication or triplication of the exon 2. These alleles and haplotypes have been analyzed in four different populations (French, Lebanese, Tunisian and Black African). In this paper, we compare these allele and haplotype frequencies with those found in a Chinese population and we describe new TRGV allelic restriction fragments found only in the Chinese samples. These results and the previous data demonstrate the flexibility of the human T cell receptor gamma locus and the importance of unequal crossing-overs in the evolution of that locus. Moreover, they underline the importance of studying these polymorphisms in population genetics.     

西沙石珊瑚共附生放线菌的分离培养及抗菌活性评价

【背景】珊瑚礁生态系统是海洋中一类极其重要的生态系统,健康珊瑚礁中丰富的共附生放线菌群体是珊瑚抵御各种致病菌的重要防线,因此,这类放线菌是寻找抗菌活性分子的重要资源,其药用潜力巨大。【目的】从西沙石珊瑚样品中分离共附生放线菌,并从中筛选具有良好抗菌活性的菌株。【方法】通过稀释涂布法分离珊瑚共附生放线菌,并根据16S rRNA基因序列构建系统发育树进行菌种鉴定;通过平板对峙法对放线菌进行抗菌活性筛选并确定目标菌株;将目标菌株涂布于不同氯化钠浓度的ISP2固体培养基上培养,测试其盐度耐受能力;通过平板对峙法对该菌株发酵产物的热稳定性和光稳定性进行测试;采用NanoPore和Illumina方法完成目标活性放线菌全基因组测序,并通过antiSMASH在线分析预测其次级代谢产物生物合成基因簇及其结构类型。【结果】从6份西沙石珊瑚样品中分离得到104株可培养放线菌,根据菌落形态和分离来源去重后对其中27株放线菌进行16S rRNA基因序列测序,通过序列比对和系统发育树分析将菌株初步鉴定为盐孢菌属(Salinispora)(25株)、链霉菌属(Streptomyces)(1株)和戈登菌属(Gord...