Conformational changes and disease - serpins, prions and Alzheimer''s

Some of the most perplexing disorders in medicine are each now known to arise from the conformational instability of an underlying protein. The consequence is a continuum of pathologies with typically a change in fold leading to ordered aggregation and tissue deposition. The serpins provide a structural prototype for these pathologies and give a perspective on the assessment of current proposals as to the conformational basis of both Alzheimer's disease and the transmissible prion encephalopathies.     

变温过程中大鼠心肌等长收缩发展张力呈双相变化

本实验旨在探明变温过程对心肌的影响,以及可能的内在机理。采用阶梯方式降、复温,测定３０℃、２５℃、２０℃、１５℃与１０℃条件下,大鼠乳头肌等长收缩的各参数值的变化。结果表明：在降温过程中,心肌发展张力（ＤＴ）呈双相变化,即从３０℃降温到２５℃,ＤＴ增大,而后ＤＴ逐渐下降;温度降到２０℃时,静息张力（ＲＴ）保持不变,而降至１５℃以后ＲＴ明显上升。乳头肌等长收缩的时间参数如ＴＰＰ、ＴＰＮ、ＴＰＴ、Ｔ１／２Ｒ均随温度的降低而逐渐延长。在复温过程中,与降温过程中相同温度点相比,２０℃、２５℃、３０℃点发展张力明显降低,而１５℃、２０℃、２５℃点静息张力显著增高。这提示在降温过程中,心肌细胞肌钙蛋白Ｃ对Ｃａ２＋敏感性可能呈现双相变化,且低温造成的心肌细胞内游离Ｃａ２＋浓度增高,可能引起心肌细胞损伤。因而,心冷停搏液保护心肌功能的关键环节,应是如何防止在降温过程中心肌细胞内游离Ｃａ２＋浓度一过性增高。     

储藏物害虫嗜虫书虱的生物学研究(英文)

以全麦粉和酵母粉（10：1）为饲料,分别在8种温度（17．5－35℃）及5种相对湿度（50％－90％RH）条件下系统地研究了嗜虫书虱的生物学特性,获得了其在不同温、湿度组合情况下的生长发育、生存和繁殖的一系列特性和参数。结果表明,在75％RH、20－35℃范围内,世代发育历期在71．9－21．7天之间。世代发育起点温度和有效积温分别为15．7℃和460．7日·度。各虫态及世代存活率均以27．5℃时最高,温度过高或过低均不利于该虫存活。成虫平均寿命在64．4－32．4天之间。每雌平均产卵量为21．1－13．9粒。在28℃条件下,较高的相对温度有利于该虫生长发育和繁殖。相对湿度低于50％或温度低于17．5℃,该虫均不能完成世代发耷。总体来看该虫生长发育、繁殖的最适温区为28－30℃,最适相对湿度在80％—90％之间并就该虫在我国分布及为害严重的原因进行了探讨。     

Accounting for Missing Data in Noncancer Risk Assessment

Noncancer risk assessments are generally forced to rely on animal bioassay data to estimate a Tolerable Daily Intake or Reference Dose, as a proxy for the threshold of human response. In cases where animal bioassays are missing from a complete data base, the critical NOAEL (no-observed-adverse-effect level) needs to be adjusted to account for the impact of the missing bioassay(s). This paper presents two approaches for making such adjustments. One is based on regression analysis and seeks to provide a point estimate of the adjustment needed. The other relies on non-parametric analysis and is intended to provide a distributional estimate of the needed adjustment. The adjustment needed is dependent on the definition of a complete data base, the number of bioassays missing, the specific bioassays which are missing, and the method used for interspecies scaling. The results from either approach can be used in conjunction with current practices for computing the TDI or RfD, or as an element of distributional approaches for estimating the human population threshold.     

Synchronized spawning ofanguilla japonica inferred from daily otolith increments in leptocephali

The exact timing ofAnguilla japonica spawning was determined from analyses of daily otolith increments in leptocephali collected near a spawning area west of the Mariana Islands on July 1–18, 1991. The birth dates of the 54 leptocephali examined (10.2 to 30.5 mm in total length) ranged from May 22 to June 24, 1991, the individuals clearly comprising two age groups, May-born fish (mode May 28) and June-born fish (mode June 21). The data showed thatA. japonica spawns intermittently during the spawning season, with fixed synchronized timing. Each group of leptocephali collected along three different north-south transects (131°, 134° and 137°E between 10° and 22°N) comprised both May-born and June-born fish. The latter were dominant along the easternmost and middle transects, whereas the May-born fish were more abundant along the westernmost transect. The modal ages of the June-born and May-born fish collected along 137°E on July 1–3 were 13 d and 35 d, respectively, while those of the two age groups collected along 134°E on July 17 and 18 were 28 d and 50 d, respectively. These data show that the interval between the sampling dates for the two transects (ca. 15 d) corresponded closely to the differences in modal ages of specimens from the two transects (15 d) for both the May- and June-born fish, and further, that the difference in modal age between the two age groups (22 d) was the same at both transects. A similar correspondence in total length was also observed between the two age groups at the above two transects. The findings clearly demonstrated parallel westward transport by the North Equatorial Current for both the May- and June-born eel leptocephali, which originated from a spawning area estimated as being between 141° and 143°E.     

Effects of climate change on nitrogen dynamics in upland soils. 2. A soil warming study

A new warming technique has been developed in a field experimental study of the potential effects of climatic change on N leaching from hill land plant/soil systems. Thermocouple compensating cable has been utilized to provide a small cross-section, flexible, low voltage heating cable, mounted on a framework of stainless steel mesh, to provide uniform heating at the vegetation/soil interface of zero-tension lysimeters and surrounding turf. We describe a specially designed heat controller capable of maintaining a temperature differential of 3 °C above ambient at a soil depth of 0.8 cm. The equipment raises temperatures down the soil profile and within the grass sward, whilst tracking normal diurnal temperature variation. Results presented here illustrate the efficacy of the warming technique, together with the consequences for the release of nitrate from lysimeters. The responses of soil solution concentrations of nitrate varied markedly between soil types, but showed a significant decrease in the brown earth during the first 5 months of additional heating. This suggests that increased nutrient release is masked by plant uptake in this soil, but the responses in the other two soils were less marked.     

Seed response to temperature of Mexican cacti species from two life forms: an ecophysiological interpretation

The effect of seven different constant temperatures and five ranges of alternating temperatures on seed germination of seven species of cacti from Puebla, México was analyzed. Six cacti species germinated in a wide range of temperature. Columnar cacti were more tolerant to low temperatures and germinated in a wider range of temperature than barrel cacti. One of the barrel cacti studied (Ferocactus recurvus) only reached full germination at 25 °C . Temperature fluctuations did not produce significant effects on germination compared to the results obtained at constant temperatures. This may reveal differing ecophysiological adaptations with respect to temperature requirements during the establishment conditions for each life form. Columnar cacti may become established mainly under the shade of desert shrubs, whereas barrel cacti maybe can also become established in open areas, beneath the shade of small rocks or soil irregularities. In both cases, temperature fluctuations are attenuated by the shade, but mean temperatures may be higher in the second condition than beneath the shade of plants.     

Effects of grazing on plant species composition and spatial distribution in rangelands of the Sahel

The effects of grazing by livestock on plant species composition and spatial distribution have been studied at Sadoré, Niger. Herbaceous species were recorded in plots of increasing size from 1/64 to 1024 m² in ten fallow plots subjected to five different grazing treatments over the previous three years. Treatments consisted of three intensities of grazing, and of protection from grazing for either 3 or 14 years. For all treatments, the number of species fitted a normal distribution with the log (ln) of the area inventoried. However, the fit improved slightly when the model included two successive log-normal distributions respectively considered as species distribution within a patch and at the patch mosaic scale. Across treatments, the optimal sampling areas averaged 3.8 ± 1.1 m² for the within-patch and 725 ± 113 m² for the mosaic scale distributions. It is argued that similarity between treatments in the overall log-normal distribution resulted from compensations between the divergent trends that affected species distribution within and across patches depending on the grazing status. Long-term protection resulted in a regular spatial arrangement of highly contrasted, but internally homogeneous patches. Heavy grazing ensued the dominance of a few species in contagious patches but also left niches for scattered individuals of other species. Tests of the relative frequency of each plant species, together with the average area needed to record that species, were used to characterize specific response to grazing. A majority of species encountered in old Sahelian fallows were either fostered by grazing, indifferent or tolerant to grazing. However, more than a third of the species appeared sensitive to heavy grazing, and no relationships were found between species response to grazing and palatability.     

雄性核不育水稻育性转换的光周期效应指数值(PE)和温度效应指数值(TE)的遗传性初步研究

对比考察了农垦５８ｓ与７００１ｓ、８９０２ｓ与培矮６４ｓ及８９０２ｓ与安农Ｓ１等３个光（温）敏核不育水稻杂交组合的双亲、Ｆ１、Ｂ１、Ｂ２和Ｆ２世代的样本及每一个体的ＰＥ和ＴＥ的变异。无论双亲核不育基因的等位程度及栽培环境的光、温周期如何,在多数情况下都显示了如下的规律：（１）后代样本ＰＥ、ＴＥ的大小虽然形形色色,但都取决于其双亲。Ｆ１表示完全显性甚至超显性。（２）Ｆ２个体的ＰＥ或ＴＥ、尤其同一个体ＰＥ与ＴＥ的集成类型发生有规律的分离和超亲分离,产生形形色色的育性转换类型。在纯粹由雄性不育个体组成的Ｆ２不育分样本中也发生同样分离。（３）ＰＥ或ＴＥ的广义遗传力的估值都大于５０％。据此推断ＰＥ、ＴＥ是两个可遗传并可供选择的独立性状;并对育性转换现象的遗传机制也进行了讨论。