杉木半同胞子代林的遗传测定和综合指数选择

本研究对四年生杉木半同胞子代林49个家系的遗传测定结果表明：树高、胸径、冠幅等性状呈高度遗传;枝粗、枝数等性状呈弱度遗传;枝数与大多性状间呈不显著遗传负相关;树高、胸径之间遗传相关显著;冠幅、年轮盘数、枝粗及枝长四者之间遗传相关极显著;该四性状与高、径之间呈极显著遗传相关．采用综合指数选择摸式得指数方程为I=1.647P1 2.993P2 1.522P3 0.086P4-0.ll7P5-1.779P6-1.995P7,据此选出遗传型最佳家系,并分析了综合指数选择法的合理性和有效性．     

Association between VDR ApaI Polymorphism and Hip Bone Mineral Density Can Be Modified by Body Mass Index： A Study on Postmenopausal Chinese Women

Osteoporosis is a major public health problem for old people. Genetic factors are considered to be major contributors to the pathogenesis of postmenopausal osteoporosis. The vitamin D receptor (VDR) gene is a prominent candidate gene for the regulation of postmenopausal bone mass; however, despite extensive studies, controversy remains regarding its association with postmenopausal body mineral density (BMD) variation. In this study, a total of 260 healthy postmenopausal Chinese women were genotyped at the VDR ApaI locus using polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP). Raw hip BMD was significantly associated with VDR ApaI polymorphism with and without adjusting for age (P=0.015 and 0.040, respectively). This genetic effect can explain 3.32% of hip BMD variation. However, the significant association vanished after correcting for both age and body mass index (BMI) (P=0.169). In addition, we observed a significant association between VDR ApaI polymorphism with unadjusted BMI(P=0.042) or BMI adjusted for age (P=0.049). The raw hip BMD was also found to be significantly correlated with BMI (r=0.517, P=0.0001), with BMI explaining 26.35% of the variation of hip BMD. All of these facts prompt us to conclude that the significant association between the VDR ApaI genotype and hip BMD may be modified by BMI in postmenopausal Chinese women. Our findings may partially explain the earlier inconsistent association results concerning the VDR gene and BMD, and highlight the importance of incorporating covariates such as BMI into osteoporosis association studies.     

Cultivar and Rhizobium strain effect on nitrogen fixation and transport inPhaseolus vulgaris L.

The effects of Rhizobium strain and its interaction with plant cultivar were examined in glasshouse-grownPhaseolus vulgaris in two experiments where the physiological attributes defining the symbiotic efficiency were determined. Strains of Rhizobium significantly affected nodulation, rates of N accumulation, partitioning of N within the mature shoot and remobilizaton of the N stored in the vegetative organs to the seeds. The most efficient symbiosis (strain CO5 with Negro Argel), in comparison with the least efficient symbiosis (strain 127 K-17 with Venezuela-350) showed higher rates of C₂H₂ reduction from flowering to mid pod fill stage, evolved less hydrogen from nodules and showed higher rates of N transport as well as higher percentages of ureide-N in the xylem sap. At maturity, the best cultivar/strain association exceeded the total N accumulated in the seed and the harvest index of the poorest symbiosis in 88% and 20%, respectively. The other symbiotic combinations were intermediate in all characteristics. Nitrogen accumulation in plant shoot showed highly significant correlation with acetylene reduction rates, nodule relative efficiency, total N transport in the xylem sap and percentage of N transported as ureides.     

Reproductive cycle and sexual maturity of the anglerfish Lophiomus setigerus in the East China Sea with a note on specialized spermatogenesis

The reproductive cycle and sexual maturity of the anglerfish Lophiomus setigerus were examined. Spermatids were released from the germinal cysts into the lumina of the seminal lobules, and both spermatids and spermatozoa were present in the lumina of the seminal lobules and sperm ducts. Spermatogenesis and vitellogenesis occurred throughout most of the year. The testes of males were full of spermatozoa throughout the year, with spawning from May to November. Males and females reached sexual maturity at a mean total length and age of 178 mm, 3.3 years and 303 mm, 6.1 years, respectively. There were clear seasonal cycles in the gonadosomatic index (I_G) and hepatosomatic index ( I _H) in females. The mean I_G of females increased rapidly with ovarian development while the mean I _H decreased from the middle of vitellogenesis to final maturation. Mean values of I _G and I _H in males increased with testicular development.     

Frozen tissue can provide reproducible proteomic results of subcellular fractionation

Differential detergent fractionation (DDF) is frequently used to partition fresh cells and tissues into distinct compartments. We have tested whether DDF can reproducibly extract and fractionate cellular protein components from frozen tissues. Frozen kidneys were sequentially extracted with three different buffer systems. Analysis of the three fractions with liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (LC–MS/MS) identified 1693 proteins, some of which were common to all fractions and others of which were unique to specific fractions. Normalized spectral index (SI_N) values obtained from these data were compared to evaluate both the reproducibility of the method and the efficiency of enrichment. SI_N values between replicate fractions demonstrated a high correlation, confirming the reproducibility of the method. Correlation coefficients across the three fractions were significantly lower than those for the replicates, supporting the capability of DDF to differentially fractionate proteins into separate compartments. Subcellular annotation of the proteins identified in each fraction demonstrated a significant enrichment of cytoplasmic, cell membrane, and nuclear proteins in the three respective buffer system fractions. We conclude that DDF can be applied to frozen tissue to generate reproducible proteome coverage discriminating subcellular compartments. This demonstrates the feasibility of analyzing cellular compartment-specific proteins in archived tissue samples with the simple DDF method.     

Pattern of dry-matter accumulation,and nitrogen concentration and uptake as influenced by levels and methods of nitrogen application in rainfed-upland rice

Summary Dry-matter accumulation, and concentration and uptake of nitrogen increased with increasing level of nitrogen at all the stages of crop growth. The differences in nitrogen concentration due to nitrogen levels were greatest at panicle initiation stage and started becoming narrower with the advancement in crop age. Split application of nitrogen with its heavier fractions at tillering and panicle initiation stages either through soil alone or soil+foliage (1/3+1/3+1/3) resulted in higher dry-matter accumulation, and higher nitrogen concentration and uptake than other methods. The crop, on an average, removed 61 kg N/ha. Plants accumulated nearly 15% of the total absorbed nitrogen, up to tillering, 50% up to panicle initiation and 85–90% up to heading. Proportionately lesser nitrogen uptake and dry-matter accumulation at post-heading stage is an indicative of a major constraint for production efficiency of rainfed-upland rice culture.     

Comparison of variations between percentage of body fat, body mass index and daily physical activity among young Japanese and Thai female students

ABSTRACT: BACKGROUND: In our series of investigations concerning the causes of seasonal change in fat accumulation in young university students, we could not find any contribution of seasonal variation in the ratio of carbohydrate and fat metabolism to that of body fat percentage in Japanese and Thai participants. After our previous study, we examined the effect of daily physical activity on body fat percentage to look for the major causes of seasonal change in fat accumulation in young university students. FINDINGS: In this study, we measured participants' (young Japanese and Thai university students) daily physical activity by a uniaxial accelerometer in addition to the measurements of body fat percentage and body mass index by a bioelectrical impedance meter. We found that there was significant and moderate negative correlation between body fat percentage and daily step counts among Japanese but not Thai participants. We observed significant, moderate and positive correlations between the percentage of body fat and body mass index among Japanese and Thai participants. CONCLUSIONS: Daily physical activity plays an important role in the seasonal variation of body fat percentage of Japanese female students. Our present study also confirmed the importance of daily physical activity for controlling body mass index and for the prevention of obesity.     

Modulation of connexon densities in gap junctions of horizontal cell perikarya and axon terminals in fish retina: effects of light/dark cycles,interruption of the optic nerve and application of dopamine

Summary In the fish retina, connexon densities of gap junctions in the outer horizontal cells are modulated in response to different light or dark adaptation times and wavelengths. We have examined whether the connexon density is a suitable parameter of gap junction coupling under in situ conditions. Short-term light adaptation evoked low connexon densities, regardless of whether white or red light was used. Short-term dark adaptation evoked high connexon densities; this was more pronounced in the axon terminal than in perikaryal gap junctions. Under a 12 h red light/12 h dark cycle, a significant difference in connexon densities between the light and the dark period could be established in the gap junctions of the perikarya and axon terminals. Under a white light/dark cycle, only the gap junctions of axon terminals showed a significant difference. Crushing of the optic nerve resulted in an increase in connexon densities; this was more pronounced in axon terminals than in perikarya. Dopamine injected into the right eye of white-light-adapted animals had no effect. However, dopamine prevented the effect of optic-nerve crushing on connexon density. The reaction of axon-terminal gap junctions to different conditions thus resembles that of perikaryal gap junctions, but is more intense. Axon terminals are therefore thought to play an important role in the adaptation process.     

Evaluation of metal contamination and risk assessment to human health in a coal mine region of India: A case study of the North Karanpura coalfield

The present study aimed to evaluate metal contamination level in coal mine water of the North Karanpura coalfields and assess the possible health risk due to the intake of untreated mine water. Fourteen coal mine water samples were collected from the study area and analyzed for Al, As, Ba, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Se, and Zn using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectroscopy (ICP-MS). The heavy metal pollution index (HPI) was used to calculate metal pollution level in the coal mine water. The hazard quotient (HQ) and hazard index (HI) were estimated for health risk to child and adult by using the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) methods. The concentrations of Al, Fe, Mn, and Ni in coal mine water were exceeding the acceptable as well as the maximum permissible limits specified for drinking and domestic uses. The HPI values were below the critical pollution index level of 100 except at one location. The estimated HQ and HI values for adult and children were greater than the standard limits in nearly half of the water samples. High HQ and HI values suggest that suitable treatment of coal mine water will require before its utilization in domestic and drinking purposes.     

Selection of multipotent cells and enhanced muscle reconstruction by myogenic macrophage-secreted factors

Skeletal muscle regeneration relies on satellite cells, a population of myogenic precursors. Inflammation also plays a determinant role in the process, as upon injury, macrophages are attracted by the damaged myofibers and the activated satellite cells and act as key elements of dynamic muscle supportive stroma. Yet, it is not known how macrophages interact with the more profound stem cells of the satellite cell niche. Here we show that in the presence of a murine macrophage conditioned medium (mMCM) a subpopulation of multipotent cells could be selected and expanded from adult rat muscle. These cells were small, round, poorly adhesive, slow-growing and showed mesenchymal differentiation plasticity. At the same time, mMCM showed clear myogenic capabilities, as experiments with satellite cells mechanically isolated from suspensions of single myofibers showed that the macrophagic factors inhibited their tendency to shift towards adipogenesis. In vivo, intramuscular administrations of concentrated mMCM in a rat model of extensive surgical ablation dramatically improved muscle regeneration. Altogether, these findings suggest that macrophagic factors could be of great help in developing therapeutic protocols with myogenic stem cells.