Vitrification of human laser treated blastocysts within cut standard straws (CSS): novel aseptic packaging and reduced concentrations of cryoprotectants

Vitrification of laser treated human blastocysts using reduced concentrations of permeable cryoprotectants was carried out by submerging cut standard straws (CSS) into liquid nitrogen. The CSS were made by cutting a standard 0.25 ml straw at an angle of approximately 45 degrees . After laser assisted hatching, 6 day blastocysts (n=250) were loaded into droplets of approximately 0.75 microl in the CSS and were either plunged directly into liquid nitrogen or first encased in a standard 0.5 ml straw (aseptic technique) before being vitrified. Permeable cryoprotectants (ethylene glycol+Me(2)SO) at concentrations of 15% and 20% v:v were tested for their effect on post warming re-expansion and post transfer pregnancy rates. Our results indicate that the use of reduced concentrations of cryoprotectants and aseptic packaging of blastocysts did not have any statistically significant impact on the study outcomes.     

从几个生理指标探讨不同发育程度切花菊耐藏性的差异

本文从分析切花菊贮藏期间可溶性糖含量、过氧化物酶、过氧化氢酶和多酚氧化酶等酶活性变化动态,探讨不同发育程度采收的切花菊耐藏性差异。研究表明,发育程度较高的切花菊含有较高的可溶性糖。贮藏期间,其过氧化物酶活性较低,过氧化氢酶活性变幅较小,峰值出现较晚,这些可能是引起不同发育期采收切花菊耐藏性差异的原因。     

1-MCP对东方百合开放与衰老的影响

以东方系列百合（Lilium spp.）‘西伯利亚’品种为材料,研究了1-甲基环丙烯（1-MCP）对百合切花质膜透性、乙烯释放量、丙二醛含量、可溶性蛋白质含量等生理指标的影响。结果表明：1-MCP可延缓百合切花花瓣质膜相对透性的增加,延长百合切花瓶插寿命;降低百合花瓣乙烯释放量,推迟乙烯峰的出现;降低百合花瓣丙二醛含量,对可溶性蛋白含量的变化无明显影响。本研究结果说明1-MCP对东方百合切花的保鲜有一定效果,确定了1-MCP处理东方百合的最佳使用浓度为0.01μL/L。     

保鲜剂对香石竹切花形态结构的影响

以对水质较为敏感的香石竹(Dianthus caryophyllus L．)为材料,用糖、苯甲酸钠等配制保鲜剂,观察保鲜剂对香石竹形态结构的影响和细胞内淀粉粒的变化。结果表明：用保鲜剂处理过的切花,花朵增大,花色鲜艳,茎、叶、花瓣、子房壁、胚珠等组织细胞壁出现皱缩的时间延迟,细胞内含淀粉粒的时间也较长。苯甲酸钠的保鲜效果优于硝酸银。     

小苍兰切花不完全开放的原因探讨及防止措施

本文探明了小苍兰切花瓶插过程中小花不完全开放的原因,是由于采收时切花体内自身糖分积累不足所致。用高浓度(10%,20%,30%)蔗糖液处理,可增加切花各主、侧花序含糖量,提高开放率并延长瓶插寿命。同时还研究了几种含糖、化学药剂及激素的瓶插液对小花开放、花色和瓶插寿命的效应,以S+8-HQC+KT(蔗糖+8-羟基喹啉柠檬酸盐+激动素)效果较佳。此外,还比较了糖液处理和化学药剂保鲜两种方法的利弊和应用范围。     

Unraveling hominin behavior at another anthropogenic site from Olduvai Gorge (Tanzania): new archaeological and taphonomic research at BK, Upper Bed II

New archaeological excavations and research at BK, Upper Bed II (Olduvai Gorge, Tanzania) have yielded a rich and unbiased collection of fossil bones. These new excavations show that BK is a stratified deposit formed in a riverine setting close to an alluvial plain. The present taphonomic study reveals the second-largest collection of hominin-modified bones from Olduvai, with abundant cut marks found on most of the anatomical areas preserved. Meat and marrow exploitation is reconstructed using the taphonomic signatures left on the bones by hominins. Highly cut-marked long limb shafts, especially those of upper limb bones, suggest that hominins at BK were actively engaged in acquiring small and middle-sized animals using strategies other than passive scavenging. The exploitation of large-sized game (Pelorovis) by Lower Pleistocene hominins, as suggested by previous researchers, is supported by the present study.     

The Legal Status of the Russian Baselines in the Arctic

The validity under international law of the straight baselines the Soviet Union established in the Arctic and that Russia maintains are examined. For the purpose of comparison with the Russian regime, the issues surrounding the international regimes of baselines are analyzed. The results are then compared, as well as the practice of the main opponent with navigational interests in the area, the United States. It is found that while many of the enclosures fail the traditional criteria for establishing straight baselines and basepoints as well as the traditional criteria for enclosing bays, due to the moderate degree of deviation, largely unopposed by other states, the Russian practice cannot be said to be inconsistent with international law. At the same time, although the waters enclosed can be claimed as internal waters under the Anglo-Norwegian Fisheries Case , Article 5(1) of the 1958 Convention on the Territorial Sea and the Contiguous Zone (TSC), and Article 8(1) of the 1982 United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (1982 Convention), they are still subject to TSC Article 5(2) and 1982 Convention Article 8(2). If the waters enclosed thus could not previously have been considered as internal waters, the right of innocent passage exists.     

切花百合离体茎尖玻璃化法超低温保存研究

以切花百合西伯利亚试管苗离体茎尖为试材,通过正交设计试验对预培养培养基中蔗糖浓度、预培养时间和PVS2处理时间等影响超低温保存存活率的主要因素进行了分析,初步建立了切花百合种质玻璃化法超低温保存的技术方案。通过形态观察、可溶性蛋白和同工酶检测,冻存前后材料的遗传稳定性没有发生改变,表明该方法对切花百合的种质保存具有较强的实用意义。     

Youden Index and optimal cut-point estimated from observations affected by a lower limit of detection

The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve is used to evaluate a biomarker's ability for classifying disease status. The Youden Index (J), the maximum potential effectiveness of a biomarker, is a common summary measure of the ROC curve. In biomarker development, levels may be unquantifiable below a limit of detection (LOD) and missing from the overall dataset. Disregarding these observations may negatively bias the ROC curve and thus J. Several correction methods have been suggested for mean estimation and testing; however, little has been written about the ROC curve or its summary measures. We adapt non-parametric (empirical) and semi-parametric (ROC-GLM [generalized linear model]) methods and propose parametric methods (maximum likelihood (ML)) to estimate J and the optimal cut-point (c *) for a biomarker affected by a LOD. We develop unbiased estimators of J and c * via ML for normally and gamma distributed biomarkers. Alpha level confidence intervals are proposed using delta and bootstrap methods for the ML, semi-parametric, and non-parametric approaches respectively. Simulation studies are conducted over a range of distributional scenarios and sample sizes evaluating estimators' bias, root-mean square error, and coverage probability; the average bias was less than one percent for ML and GLM methods across scenarios and decreases with increased sample size. An example using polychlorinated biphenyl levels to classify women with and without endometriosis illustrates the potential benefits of these methods. We address the limitations and usefulness of each method in order to give researchers guidance in constructing appropriate estimates of biomarkers' true discriminating capabilities.