空气CO2增高条件下荔枝叶片光合作用和超氧自由基产率

研究结果表明,生长在77±5PaCO₂分压下30d的荔枝幼树,其光合速率较大气CO₂分压(39.3Pa)下的低23%,光下线粒体呼吸速率和不包含光下呼吸的CO₂补偿点亦略有降低.空气CO₂增高使叶片最大羧化速率(V_cmax)和最大电子传递速率(J_max)降低,表明大气增高CO₂分压下叶片的光系统I(PSI)能量水平较低,叶片超氧自由基产率亦降低39%,叶片感染荔枝霜疫霉病率则从生长在大气CO₂分压下的1.8%增至9.5%.可能较低光合和呼吸代谢诱致较低的超氧自由基产率,而使叶片易受病害侵染.叶片受病害侵染后表现为超氧自由基的激增.在全球大气CO₂分压增高趋势下须加强对荔枝霜疫霉病的控制.     

Effects of solution conditions on virus retention by the Viresolve® NFP filter

Virus filtration can provide a robust method for removal of adventitious parvoviruses in the production of biotherapeutics. Although virus filtration is typically thought to function by a purely size‐based removal mechanism, there is limited data in the literature indicating that virus retention is a function of solution conditions. The objective of this work was to examine the effect of solution pH and ionic strength on virus retention by the Viresolve^® NFP membrane. Data were obtained using the bacteriophage ?X174 as a model virus, with retention data complemented by the use of confocal microscopy to directly visualize capture of fluorescently labeled ?X174 within the filter. Virus retention was greatest at low pH and low ionic strength, conditions under which there was an attractive electrostatic interaction between the negatively charged membrane and the positively charged phage. In addition, the transient increase in virus transmission seen in response to a pressure disruption at pH 7.8 and 10 was completely absent at pH 4.9, suggesting that the trapped virus are unable to overcome the electrostatic attraction and diffuse out of the pores when the pressure is released. Further confirmation of this physical picture was provided by confocal microscopy. Images obtained at pH 10 showed the migration of previously captured phage; this phenomenon was absent at pH 4.9. These results provide important new insights into the factors governing virus retention using virus filtration membranes. © 2015 American Institute of Chemical Engineers Biotechnol. Prog., 31:1280–1286, 2015     

低强度周期性静水压力对人膝关节软骨细胞的影响

目的:探讨低强度周期性静水压力对体外培养的人膝关节软骨细胞增殖、凋亡,以及细胞Ⅱ型胶原分泌表达的影响。方法:体外酶消化法分离培养成人膝关节正常软骨细胞,将培养的第3代软骨细胞分为两组:正常对照组、3.0MPa组压力实验组,应用多功能恒温体外细胞培养中高压静水压力加载装置加载低强度周期性压力,共5d,每天2h。Ⅱ型胶原免疫组织化学染色法和甲苯胺蓝染色法鉴定软骨细胞,流式细胞术检测细胞凋亡,四甲基偶氮唑蓝(MTT)法绘制细胞生长曲线,qRT-PCR、Western-Blot检测Ⅱ型胶原的分泌和表达。结果:软骨细胞Ⅱ型胶原免疫组织化学染色和甲苯胺蓝染色均显示为阳性。与正常对照组相比,3.0MPa组表现出促进软骨细胞增殖,抑制细胞凋亡,且Ⅱ型胶原的合成分泌明显升高(P0.05)。结论:通过体外模拟人生理情况下较低强度(3.0MPa)的周期性静水压力对人软骨细胞增殖、凋亡水平及周围基质分泌合成功能的影响,初步证实了较低强度压力有助于软骨自我修复和自身保护作用的发挥。     

The shear modulus of lower-leg muscles correlates to intramuscular pressure

Shear wave elastography (SWE) is emerging as an innovative tool to evaluate muscle properties and function. It has been shown to correlate with both passive and active muscle forces, and is sensitive to physiological processes and pathological conditions. Similarly, intramuscular pressure (IMP) is an important parameter that changes with passive and active muscle contraction, body position, exercise, blood pressure, and several pathologies. Therefore, the objective of this study was to quantify the dependency of shear modulus within the lower-leg muscles on IMP in healthy individuals. Nineteen healthy individuals (age: Mean age ± SD, 23.84 ± 6.64 years) were recruited. Shear modulus was measured using ultrasound SWE on the tibialis anterior (TA) and peroneus longus (PL) muscles using pressure cuff inflation around the thigh at 40 mmHg, 80 mmHg, and 120 mmHg. Changes in IMP were verified using a catheter connected to a blood pressure monitor. It was found that IMP was correlated to TA and PL shear modulus (spearman's rank correlation = 0.99 and 0.99, respectively). Applying a gradual increase of cuff pressure from 0 to 120 mmHg increased the shear modulus of the TA and PL muscles from 15.83 (2.46) kPa to 21.88 (4.33) kPa and from 9.64 (1.97) kPa to 12.88 (5.99) kPa, respectively. These results demonstrate that changes of muscle mechanical properties are dependent on IMP. This observation is important to improve interpretation of ultrasound elastograms and to potentially use it as a biomarker for more accurate diagnosis of pathologies related to increased IMP.     

Air humidity as key determinant of morphogenesis and productivity of the rare temperate woodland fern Polystichum braunii

(1) Most ferns are restricted to moist and shady habitats, but it is not known whether soil moisture or atmospheric water status are decisive limiting factors, or if both are equally important. (2) Using the rare temperate woodland fern Polystichum braunii, we conducted a three‐factorial climate chamber experiment (soil moisture (SM) × air humidity (RH) × air temperature (T)) to test the hypotheses that: (i) atmospheric water status (RH) exerts a similarly large influence on the fern's biology as soil moisture, and (ii) both a reduction in RH and an increase in air temperature reduce vigour and growth. (3) Nine of 11 morphological, physiological and growth‐related traits were significantly influenced by an increase in RH from 65% to 95%, leading to higher leaf conductance, increased above‐ and belowground productivity, higher fertility, more epidermal trichomes and fewer leaf deformities under high air humidity. In contrast, soil moisture variation (from 66% to 70% in the moist to ca. 42% in the dry treatment) influenced only one trait (specific leaf area), and temperature variation (15 °C versus 19 °C during daytime) only three traits (leaf conductance, root/shoot ratio, specific leaf area); RH was the only factor affecting productivity. (4) This study is the first experimental proof for a soil moisture‐independent air humidity effect on the growth of terrestrial woodland ferns. P. braunii appears to be an air humidity hygrophyte that, whithin the range of realistic environmental conditions set in this study, suffers more from a reduction in RH than in soil moisture. A climate warming‐related increase in summer temperatures, however, seems not to directly threaten this endangered species.     

1 alpha, 25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 directly induces fusion of alveolar macrophages by a mechanism involving RNA and protein synthesis, but not DNA synthesis

The results of our present study indicate that 1 alpha, 25-dihydroxyvitamin D3[1 alpha, 25(OH)2D3] directly induces fusion of mouse alveolar macrophages without any participation of T-lymphocytes by a mechanism involving RNA and protein synthesis but not DNA synthesis. We have reported that 1 alpha, 25(OH)2D3 induces fusion of alveolar macrophages by a direct mechanism and by a spleen cell-mediated indirect mechanism [(1983) Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 80, 5583-5587]. Alveolar macrophages pretreated with or without anti-Thy 1.2 antibody and complement fused similarly when they were incubated with 1 alpha, 25(OH)2D3. The vitamin suppressed DNA synthesis, but it significantly enhanced RNA and protein synthesis. The 1 alpha, 25(OH)2D3-induced fusion was blocked by adding actinomycin D or cycloheximide, but not by hydroxyurea.     

Spatial distribution of dispersing animals

Summary A mathematical model for the dispersal of an animal population is presented for a system in which animals are initially released in the central region of a uniform field and migrate randomly, exerting mutually repulsive influences (population pressure) until they eventually become sedentary. The effect of the population pressure, which acts to enhance the dispersal of animals as their density becomes high, is modeled in terms of a nonlinear-diffusion equation. From this model, the density distribution of animals is obtained as a function of time and the initial number of released animals. The analysis of this function shows that the population ultimately reaches a nonzero stationary distribution which is confined to a finite region if both the sedentary effect and the population pressure are present. Our results are in good agreement with the experimental data on ant lions reported by Morisita, and we can also interpret some general features known for the spatial distribution of dispersing insects.     

Circadian Rhythm of Cardiac Output, Peripheral Vascular Resistance, and Related Variables by a Beat-to-Beat Monitoring

This study aimed to explore the 24-h patterns of stroke volume, cardiac output, and peripheral vascular resistance along with other correlated variables, such as left ventricular ejection time, ejection velocity index, thoracic fluid index, heart rate, and blood pressure. The study was performed on 12 clinically healthy subjects by means of a noninvasive beat-to-beat monitoring using the thoracic electric bioimpedance technique associated with the automated sphygmomano-metric recording. Time data series were analyzed by means of chronobiological procedures. The results documented the occurrence of a circadian rhythm for all the variables investigated, giving relevance to the beat-to-beat bioperiodicity of cardiac output and peripheral vascular resistance. Temporal quantification of the investigated variables may be useful for a better insight of the chronophysiology of the cardiovascular apparatus.     

城镇化进程中居民生活消费的生态环境压力评估—— 以江苏省江阴市为例

消费问题是区域生态环境压力增大和生态环境问题产生的根本原因。提出人口环境消费的概念和理论模型,并在生态足迹理论和方法的支撑下分别计算江苏省江阴市1997～2004年城镇居民和农村居民生活消费的环境压力;采用SPSS14.0软件,分析城镇和农村居民这两类人群人均环境消费的变化规律及其影响因素,并通过建立多元线性回归预测模型,估算在城镇化快速发展的情况下江阴市人口环境消费期望值。研究表明：江阴市城镇居民人均环境消费从1997年的1.395hm^2上升到2004年的1.960hm^2,年均递增0.081hm^2;农村居民则从1997年的1.345hm^2上升到2004年的1.465hm^2,年均递增0.017hm^2。城乡居民人均环境消费与人均可支配收入、人均受教育年限、恩格尔系数、人均地区生产总值等社会经济指标呈显著线性相关。预计到2010年城乡居民人均环境消费将分别达到2.258hm^2和1.919hm^2,到2020年将分别达到2.807hm^2和2.303hm2;2010年和2020年区域生态赤字将比2004年分别增长55%和107%,给区域生态环境造成巨大压力。为有效缓解区域环境压力,论文提出合理控制区域人口规模和城镇化发展速度,大力发展生态产业,培养可持续消费观念,引导绿色、健康和环境友好型的消费模式等对策措施。