Regulation of gonadotropin secretion and puberty onset by neuromedin U

Neuromedin U (NMU), an anorexigenic peptide, was originally isolated from porcine spinal cord in 1985. As NMU is abundant in the anterior pituitary gland, we investigated the effects of NMU on gonadotropin secretion. Both NMU and its receptors, NMUR1 and NMUR2, were expressed in the pituitary gland. NMU suppressed LH and FSH releases from rat anterior pituitary cells. Moreover, NMU-deficient mice exhibit an early onset of vaginal opening. The LHbeta/FSHbeta ratio, which is an index of puberty onset, is high in young NMU-deficient mice. These results indicate that NMU suppresses gonadotropin secretion and regulates the onset of puberty.     

“互联网+”背景下“微生物学实验”课程的改革与实践

"互联网+"技术应用于教育使高校教学在教学场景、教师角色和学生学习特点等方面发生巨大变化。为适应"互联网+"时代的教学特点以及学生个性化学习和创新能力培养的需要,将智慧教学工具引入到"微生物学实验"课程教学以及在互联网学习平台上建设在线开放课程。雨课堂教学工具将智能手机转变为学生的学习工具,提高了学生学习的积极性、加强了师生间的互动、实现了教学效果的及时反馈,学生的学习数据有助于教师更客观地评价学习效果和更好地开展个性化教学。其次,在江苏省在线课程中心平台上开展了江苏省在线开放课程"微生物学模块化实验"的建设工作。课程建设需及时更新教学理念,提高教师参与课程建设的积极性;加强在线开放课程建设的岗前培训;课程内容应考虑大学生的学习特点、制作成本和学习成本等因素。在线课程的建设为开展翻转课堂教学和混合式教学提供支撑条件,为"互联网+"背景下的"微生物学实验"教学改革奠定基础。     

基于四象限模型的生态系统服务与人类活动强度关联性分析--以皖南国际旅游文化示范区为例

运用空间热点分析定量分析了生态系统服务在不同尺度上的空间分异特征,基于四象限模型对生态质量进行评价,并采用地理探测器探讨影响其空间分异的主要驱动因素。结果表明:(1)生态系统服务价值(Ecosystem Service Value,ESV)存在显著的空间异质性,分布格局呈现空间自相关性,冷热点分布具有明显尺度效应。(2)示范区人类活动强度与ESV耦合程度基本协调一致,生态质量总体状况较好。人类活动强度与ESV耦合程度因研究尺度不同而存在一定差异。(3)各探测因子的解释力在县域和乡镇尺度上存在显著差异,社会经济驱动因素在县域尺度上解释力大于乡镇尺度。各驱动因子之间存在明显的协同增强效应,双因子交互作用增强了对ESV空间分异的解释力。     

旅游生态学研究进展

作为生态学和旅游学相交叉的一门新兴分支学科,旅游生态学关注旅游发展中的生态环境问题,以生态学原理指导旅游生态系统管理,是促进旅游业可持续发展的重要理论支撑。论文采用引文可视化分析软件CiteSpace5.3和文献阅读相结合的方法分析旅游生态学研究的国际进展。分析发现,文献数量在进入21世纪后快速增长,文献来源地集中在北美和欧洲国家,研究方法呈现多学科综合性和最新科学技术成果应用及时等特点,研究内容主要集中在旅游活动的生态环境影响、旅游生态系统管理和旅游可持续发展的测度及实现途径3个方面。基于国际进展的分析,论文最后提出我国旅游生态学研究应在学科的基础理论、旅游影响的系统性和持续性、旅游生态修复、旅游开发活动的生态环境影响、生态环境变化对旅游业发展的影响和本土性旅游生态系统管理方法等方面加强。     

Auxin-binding-protein antibodies and peptides influence stomatal opening and alter cytoplasmic pH

Previous work has shown that stomatal opening induced by indole-3-acetic acid (IAA) in epidermal strips of the orchid Paphiopedilum tonsum L. is preceded by a reduction in cytoplasmic pH (pH_i) of the guard cells. We now report that Fab fragments of an auxin-agonist antibody (D16), directed against a putative auxin-binding domain of the auxin-binding protein ABP1, induce stomatal opening and decrease guard-cell pH_i, as monitored with the acetomethoxy ester of the ratiometric pH indicator Snarf-1. Similar activity was shown by a monoclonal antibody against the same domain. The C-terminal dodecapeptide, Pz152–163 of maize ABP1 (ABPzm1) induced guard-cell alkalinization and closed stomata, as did Fab fragments of a monoclonal antibody (MAC 256) recognising the C-terminal region of ABPzm1. By implicating, for the first time, an auxin-binding protein in mediation of an auxin-dependent physiological response, these findings strongly support an auxin-receptor role for ABP1. Received: 23 December 1997 / Accepted: 16 January 1998     

Lake macroinvertebrate assemblages and relationship with natural environment and tourism stress in Jiuzhaigou Natural Reserve,China

With increasing human population and urbanization, tourism in natural reserves and other protected lands is growing. It is critical to monitor and assess the impacts of tourism on ecosystem health. However, there is a general lack of information on biological communities in natural reserves of developing countries and of tools for assessing human impacts. In the present study, we investigated macroinvertebrate assemblages in nine lakes in Jiuzhaigou Natural Reserve of China. Both benthic (20 dips of D-net) and light-trap samples (2 h) were collected at each lake and all benthic specimens and adults of Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera (EPT) were identified and counted. Water temperature and water quality variables were measured on site or in the Lab. Seventy taxa were recorded and dominated by dipterans and caddisflies. Light traps contributed 47% of taxa richness and 66% of EPT richness at the lakes. Detrended Correspondence Analysis showed that water temperature and tourism index were strongly associated with the changes of assemblage composition. Taxa richness and EPT richness calculated for the composite samples (benthic + light trap) were well fit with Poisson generalized linear model (adjusted R² = 0.83 and 0.85, respectively), generally decreasing with increasing elevation, tourism index, and total-N. Tourism index was ranked as the top predictor for EPT richness based on multiple model weights, and elevation for taxa richness. In comparison, when based on benthic samples, neither of the metrics could be fitted with the seven environmental variables selected. These findings highlight the benefit of combined use of the sampling methods for lake monitoring and offered an analytical guide to developing biological indicators of lake ecosystem health in protected areas.     

Nuclear magnetic resonance studies on oligo-deoxyribonucleotides containing thedam methylation site GATC. Adenine methylation of d(GGATCC) does not change the helix geometry

We have studied the conformation of two hexanucleotides d(GGATCC) and d(GGm⁶ATCC) using proton nuclear magnetic resonance. Nuclear Overhauser effect measurements show that d(GGATCC) assumes a normal right handed B helix. The single and double strand resonances are in fast exchange on a proton nuclear magnetic resonance time scale. For d(GGm⁶ATCC), up to the Tm separate resonances are observed for each state, indicating slow exchange, though above the Tm it becomes more rapid. The orientation of the adenosine methyl-amino group, preferentiallycis to N¹, hinders base pair formation.The connectivities of the resonances of the two states were established by saturation transfer experiments. At 0°C irradiation of the m⁶ A-T imino proton gives an nuclear Overhauser effect to AH² showing that base pairing is Watson-Crick. Intra and interresidue nuclear Overhauser effects starting from the 3′ terminus show that the helix is right handed and in the B-form.The results on the two oligomers demonstrate that adenosine methylation induces little or no change in the conformation of the helix, but reduces the Tm from 45° to 32°C and slows the opening and closing of the m₆A.T base pair by a factor of about 100.     

Possible antiestrogenic activity of lindane in female rats

During chronic peroral (PO) treatment of weanling, female Fischer 344 rats with daily injections (0.069 mmol/kg) of either 1,1′-(2,2,2-trichloroethylidene) bis [4-chlorobenzene] (p,p′-DDT), 2,4-dichlorophenoxy acetic acid (2,4-D), or γ-hexachlorocyclohexane (lindane), the lindane treatment induced a significant 20% increase in body weight after 110 days. Further investigation with 0,5,10,20, and 40 mg/kg lindane confirmed a significant increase in average body weight gain at the two highest doses after ten weeks of treatment. Significantly greater food consumption was observed, and the Lee index indicated that lindane treatment induced obesity. In addition to obesity, lindane caused a delay in vaginal opening, disrupted estrous cycling, reduced pituitary and uterine weight, and elevated food consumption during proestrus (when appetite is normally suppressed by estradiol). These responses suggest that, by inducing alterations in the reproductive function of the female rat and by interfering with hormonal regulation of energy balance, lindane may be antiestrogenic rather than estrogenic as previously proposed.     

Melting profile and temperature dependent binding constant of an anticancer drug daunomycin-DNA complex

We calculate thermal fluctuational base pair opening probability and the drug binding constant of a daunomycin-bound Poly d(CGTA) · Poly d(TACG) at temperatures from room temperature to its melting temperature. For comparison we also carry out a calculation on a drug-free DNA with the same sequence. Our calculations are carried out by means of a statistical approach using microscopic structures and established force fields and with cooperative effects incorporated into the algorithm. Both hydrogen bond disruption probabilities and drug unstacking probability are determined self-consistently. These probabilities are then used to determine temperature dependent base pair opening probabilities and the drug binding constant. The calculated base pair opening probabilities and drug binding constant are found to be in fair agreement with experiments carried out at room temperature. Our calculation shows cooperative base pair disruption and drug dissociation at certain critical temperatures close to the observed melting temperatures for similar helices. We find that the temperature dependence of the drug binding constant fits well to the van't Hoff relation, in agreement with observations. Our calculation indicates the occurrence of a premelting transition in the drug-bound DNA helix. Some comments are made about this premelting transition.