Endogenous retinoids in the hair follicle and sebaceous gland

Vitamin A and its derivatives (retinoids) are critically important in the development and maintenance of multiple epithelial tissues, including skin, hair, and sebaceous glands, as shown by the detrimental effects of either vitamin A deficiency or toxicity. Thus, precise levels of retinoic acid (RA, active metabolite) are needed. These precise levels of RA are achieved by regulating several steps in the conversion of dietary vitamin A (retinol) to RA and RA catabolism. This review discusses the localization of RA synthesis to specific sites within the hair follicle and sebaceous gland, including their stem cells, during both homeostasis and disease states. It also discusses what is known about the specific roles of RA within the hair follicle and sebaceous gland. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Retinoid and Lipid Metabolism.     

GPU-accelerated molecular dynamics simulation of solid covalent crystals

Graphics processing unit (GPU) is becoming a powerful computational tool in science and engineering. In this paper, different from previous molecular dynamics (MD) simulation with pair potentials and many-body potentials, two MD simulation algorithms implemented on a single GPU are presented to describe a special category of many-body potentials – bond order potentials used frequently in solid covalent materials, such as the Tersoff potentials for silicon crystals. The simulation results reveal that the performance of GPU implementations is apparently superior to their CPU counterpart. Furthermore, the proposed algorithms are generalised, transferable and scalable, and can be extended to the simulations with general many-body interactions such as Stillinger–Weber potential and so on.     

电刺激大鼠延髓头端腹外侧区对交感节前神经元单位放电的影响

本实验用氨基甲酸乙酯麻醉和箭毒化的雄性大鼠,细胞外记录脊髓胸2节段的交感节前神经元(SPN)单位放电,电刺激同侧颈交感干,逆向激活 SPN,以确定所记录的神经元为交感节前神经元。共分析了80个 SPN 单位放电,其中有自发活动和无自发活动的单位各40个。SPN 轴突传导速度为0.59—3.75m/s。实验观察到电刺激同侧延髓头端腹外侧区(Rostralventrolateral medulla:RVL)可兴奋多数有自发活动的 SPN(19/25),并可使少数静止SPN 产生诱发反应(4/23),潜伏期为6—115ms。电刺激对侧 RVL 结果类似:多数自发活动的 SPN(6/9)呈兴奋反应,及少数静止 SPN(3/17)产生诱发反应,潜伏期为11—105ms。表明 RVL 对双侧 SPN 有兴奋性影响。     

60Coγ射线与EMS复合处理对山黧豆抗氧化酶活力及ODAP含量的影响

Lathyrus sativus seeds were treated with ⁶⁰Coγ-ray and EMS(ethyl methane sulfonate), and their emergence rate and SOD,POD and CAT activities were determined. The result indicated that the treatment decreased the emergence rate. The activities of SOD and POD were changed in accordance with the increase of irradiation dose and EMS concentration, while that of CAT had no obvious change. After treatment, the ODAP content in Lathyrus sativus decreased. Amutant was developed, with toxin content of 0.1%, compared to 0.2% in control.     

Influence of hydrocarbon-stapling on membrane interactions of synthetic antimicrobial peptides

Cyclization has been recognized as a valuable technique for increasing the efficacy of small molecule and peptide therapeutics. Here we report the application of a hydrocarbon staple to a rationally-designed cationic antimicrobial peptide (CAP) that acquires increased membrane targeting and interaction vs. its linear counterpart. The previously-described CAP, 6K-F17 (KKKKKK-AAFAAWAAFAA-NH₂) was used as the backbone for incorporation of an i to i?+?4 helical hydrocarbon staple through olefin ring closing metathesis. Stapled versions of 6K-F17 showed an increase in non-selective membrane interaction, where the staple itself enhances the degree of membrane interaction and rate of cell death while maintaining high potency against bacterial membranes. However, the higher averaged hydrophobicity imparted by the staple also significantly increases toxicity to mammalian cells. This deleterious effect is countered through stepwise reduction of the stapled 6K-F17’s backbone hydrophobicity through polar amino acid substitutions. Circular dichroism assessment of secondary structure in various bacterial membrane mimetics reveals that a helical structure may improve – but is not an absolute requirement for – antimicrobial activity of 6K-F17. Further, phosphorus-31 static solid state NMR spectra revealed that both non-toxic stapled and linear peptides bind bacterial membranes in a similar manner that does not involve a detergent-like mechanism of lipid removal. The overall results suggest that the technique of hydrocarbon stapling can be readily applied to membrane-interactive CAPs to modulate how they interact and target biological membranes.     

ICU中心发生胸腔感染的影响因素分析及预防对策

目的:探讨重症监护病房(ICU)中心发生胸腔感染的情况及其影响因素,并提出相应的预防对策。方法:选择2015年2月至2017年2月我院ICU中心收治的98例患者进行研究,均为全麻下行开胸术后住ICU者。收集所有患者临床资料,分析胸腔感染的发生情况,通过比较发生/未发生胸腔感染患者的临床资料,探讨ICU中心发生胸腔感染的危险因素,并提出相应的预防对策。结果:在98例患者中,有15例发生胸腔感染,发生率为15.31%,以铜绿假单胞菌所占比例最高,为40.00%。单因素分析结果显示:性别、术前抗菌药物的使用、胸管类型和ICU中心胸腔感染无相关性(P0.05),而年龄、手术时间、术前肺功能、引流管留置时间、手术创口污染、原发病灶蔓延均和ICU中心胸腔感染密切相关(P0.05);多因素logistic回归分析结果显示:年龄≥60岁、手术时间≥2h、术前肺功能、引流管留置时间≥3d、手术创口污染、原发病灶蔓延均是造成ICU中心胸腔感染的独立危险因素(OR=3.485、3.714、3.571、5.731、6.172、6.081,P0.05)。结论:ICU中心发生胸腔感染会对患者病情恢复造成较大影响,在今后临床工作中,需重视围术期管理,积极采取合理的预防措施,降低胸腔感染的发生率。     

两种集合繁殖体形态及间歇性萌发特性——以蒺藜和欧夏至草为例

集合繁殖体(synaptospermy)是荒漠植物为适应恶劣环境条件而演化出的关键性特征,其作为植物生活史特性之一,有助于了解在荒漠环境下集合繁殖体植物的适应策略。蒺藜(Tribulus terrestris)和欧夏至草(Marrubium vulgare)分别为一年生及多年生草本植物,蒺藜扩散单位由一朵花发育而成的集合繁殖体组成,欧夏至草扩散单位由多朵花发育的集合繁殖体和种子组成,以这两种植物为材料,对其集合繁殖体形态、活力、吸水及萌发特性进行初步研究。结果显示:(1)蒺藜集合繁殖体依照发育成熟先后位置在质量、附属物刺的长度、附属物占质量百分比、种子数、活力、吸水量、萌发率及萌发速率均存在显著差异;欧夏至草集合繁殖体质量及吸水量明显大于种子,而活力、萌发率及萌发速率不存在显著差异。(2)萌发位置上,蒺藜集合繁殖体仅在长刺端位置的种子萌发,属非随机萌发,而欧夏至草集合繁殖体萌发不具有规律性,属随机萌发;萌发时间上,蒺藜和欧夏至草集合繁殖体在当季下均只萌发部分种子,具间歇性萌发特性。(3)对不同生活型植物而言,其集合繁殖体附属物对种子的保护、保水、扩散及萌发行为的功能相同,但一年生草本植物的萌发行为侧重于种群繁衍,因此蒺藜集合繁殖体在当季萌发率及萌发速率较高;多年生草本植物的萌发行为侧重于种群扩散,因此欧夏至草扩散单位多样化,且萌发率及萌发速率较低。     

大鼠缰核与下丘脑外侧区在血压调节中的相互关系

电刺激乌拉坦麻醉的大鼠下丘脑外侧区(LH)可使缰核(Hb)内51.0％的单位兴奋,15.7％的单位抑制,其中发生兴奋反应的单位有15.4％可被逆行激活。双侧Hb内微量注射利多卡因,电刺激LH引起的升压反应可被阻断42.0±28.0％;反之,双侧LH内微量注射利多卡固,电刺激Hb引起的升压反应可被阻断62.0±26.4％。结果表明,LH与Hb在血压调节中相互依赖,具有协同作用。     

Contrasting genetic variation and differentiation on Hainan Island and the Chinese mainland populations of Dacrycarpus imbricatus (Podocarpaceae)

Dacrycarpus imbricatus is a vulnerable conifer in China whose geographical distribution encompasses large island but small mainland populations, providing a framework for contrasting the patterns of population genetic composition. In this study, seven populations on Hainan Island and the Chinese mainland were sampled throughout its distribution range and assessed using ISSR. The results did not show significant differences neither in genetic variation nor in genetic differentiation between the island and the mainland populations (P > 0.05). Severe bottlenecks were identified at population, island/mainland as well as range-wide scales. A relatively high level of variation but a low degree of differentiation was revealed. Ecological and life traits were suggested to play main roles in the shaping of genetic variation pattern. Of them long generation times could have exerted a lagging effect on both the genetic variation and differentiation. Our findings may contribute to establish management practices.