百香果内生细菌多样性及促生长特性

内生菌可为植物提供营养成分,也可以通过代谢产物促进植物生长,目前很少出现关于百香果(Passiflora edulia Sims)内生菌的研究.百香果是西番莲科西番莲属的一种草质藤本植物,主要生长于亚热带与热带地区,对其内生菌进行分离纯化,依据插入序列指纹图谱(IS-PCR)结果对所得菌株聚类,经16S rRNA基因测...     

Hide and seek in forests: colonization by the pine processionary moth is impeded by the presence of nonhost trees

• 1 The disruption of host‐finding cues has been proposed as a key mechanism underlying the lower damage caused by phytophagous insects in mixed forests. We tested this hypothesis by investigating the distribution of pine processionary moth Thaumetopoea pityocampa (Denis & Schiffer‐Müller) (Lepidoptera) infestation at the edges of pure stands of Pinus pinaster (AÏton) at some distance from nonhost trees (Experiment 1) or bordered in part by a broadleaved hedgerow (Experiment 2).
• 2 An ‘edge effect' was demonstrated, with trees at the edge of the stand being more heavily infested than those at the interior of the stand.
• 3 The presence of a nonhost broadleaved hedgerow in front of the edge of the pine stand resulted in lower T. pityocampa infestation. There were significantly fewer T. pityocampa nests behind the hedgerow than on the exposed part of the edge. The presence of the hedgerow did not dilute or repel T. pityocampa infestation further into the pine stand, although it decreased the infestation of T. pityocampa throughout the pine stand. The decrease in T. pityocampa infestation behind the hedgerow was greater when the broadleaved hedgerow was taller than the pine trees.
• 4 These results highlight the benefits of using nonhost tree species on the edge of monospecific forest stands to reduce insect damage. This approach could be promoted as an innovative forest pest management method.

     

三七皂甙在五步蛇伤中的治疗作用

目的探讨三七皂甙对五步蛇咬伤的治疗作用。方法将2011年4～11月我院收治的五步蛇咬伤3h内就诊的患者30例随机分为对照组（A组）21例,给予常规治疗;研究组（B组）9例,在常规治疗的基础上加用三七皂甙治疗。观察比较两组患者24h后磷酸肌酸激酶的变化以及肿胀程度的改善情况。结果B组24h后磷酸肌酸激酶较A组下降,肿胀程度比A组减轻,差异均有显著统计学意义（P〈0．05）。结论三七皂甙对五步蛇咬伤的疗效明显,值得临床推广。     

Materials Challenges for High Performance Magnetocaloric Refrigeration Devices

Magnetocaloric materials with a Curie temperature near room temperature have attracted significant interest for some time due to their possible application for high‐efficiency refrigeration devices. This review focuses on a number of key issues of relevance for the characterization, performance and implementation of such materials in actual devices. The phenomenology and fundamental thermodynamics of magnetocaloric materials is discussed, as well as the hysteresis behavior often found in first‐order materials. A number of theoretical and experimental approaches and their implications are reviewed. The question of how to evaluate the suitability of a given material for use in a magnetocaloric device is covered in some detail, including a critical assessment of a number of common performance metrics. Of particular interest is which non‐magnetocaloric properties need to be considered in this connection. An overview of several important materials classes is given before considering the performance of materials in actual devices. Finally, an outlook on further developments is presented.     

Advanced photobioreactor LED illumination system: Scale‐down approach to study microalgal growth kinetics

A newly designed and constructed LED illumination device for commercial cylindrical bioreactors is presented for application in microalgal cultivations and investigation of growth kinetics. An ideally illuminated volume is achieved by focusing the light toward the center of the reactor and thereby compensating the mutual shading of the cells. The relevant biomass concentration for homogeneous illumination depending on reactor radius was determined by light distribution measurements for Chlamydomonas to 0.2 g/L (equal 0.435 optical density at 750 nm). It is shown that cultivation experiments with the newly designed illumination device operated in batch mode can be successfully applied for determination of growth rates and photo conversion efficiencies. The exact knowledge of physiological reactions of specific strain(s) and the estimation of relevant parameters for scale‐up can be used for construction of economic pilot plant photobioreactors. The determination of light‐dependent kinetics of growth and product formation is the first necessary step to achieve this. A wide variety of different parameters can be examined like the effect of different illumination conditions (light intensity, frequency of day/night cycles, flashing light, light color…) and thereby for each single application specific, relevant, and interesting parameters will be examined.     

Metabolic reprogramming of cancer-associated fibroblasts by TGF-β drives tumor growth: Connecting TGF-β signaling with “Warburg-like” cancer metabolism and L-lactate production

We have previously shown that a loss of stromal Cav-1 is a biomarker of poor prognosis in breast cancers. Mechanistically, a loss of Cav-1 induces the metabolic reprogramming of stromal cells, with increased autophagy/mitophagy, mitochondrial dysfunction and aerobic glycolysis. As a consequence, Cav-1-low CAFs generate nutrients (such as L-lactate) and chemical building blocks that fuel mitochondrial metabolism and the anabolic growth of adjacent breast cancer cells. It is also known that a loss of Cav-1 is associated with hyperactive TGF-β signaling. However, it remains unknown whether hyperactivation of the TGF-β signaling pathway contributes to the metabolic reprogramming of Cav-1-low CAFs. To address these issues, we overexpressed TGF-β ligands and the TGF-β receptor I (TGFβ-RI) in stromal fibroblasts and breast cancer cells. Here, we show that the role of TGF-β in tumorigenesis is compartment-specific, and that TGF-β promotes tumorigenesis by shifting cancer-associated fibroblasts toward catabolic metabolism. Importantly, the tumor-promoting effects of TGF-β are independent of the cell type generating TGF-β. Thus, stromal-derived TGF-β activates signaling in stromal cells in an autocrine fashion, leading to fibroblast activation, as judged by increased expression of myofibroblast markers, and metabolic reprogramming, with a shift toward catabolic metabolism and oxidative stress. We also show that TGF-β-activated fibroblasts promote the mitochondrial activity of adjacent cancer cells, and in a xenograft model, enhancing the growth of breast cancer cells, independently of angiogenesis. Conversely, activation of the TGF-β pathway in cancer cells does not influence tumor growth, but cancer cell-derived-TGF-β ligands affect stromal cells in a paracrine fashion, leading to fibroblast activation and enhanced tumor growth. In conclusion, ligand-dependent or cell-autonomous activation of the TGF-β pathway in stromal cells induces their metabolic reprogramming, with increased oxidative stress, autophagy/mitophagy and glycolysis, and downregulation of Cav-1. These metabolic alterations can spread among neighboring fibroblasts and greatly sustain the growth of breast cancer cells. Our data provide novel insights into the role of the TGF-β pathway in breast tumorigenesis, and establish a clear causative link between the tumor-promoting effects of TGF-β signaling and the metabolic reprogramming of the tumor microenvironment.     

Atherogenic effect of Arecoline: A computational study

There are over 600 million people worldwide covering Asian and Oceanic countries including India have the habit of chewing areca nut as masticator in different forms. Arecoline (C(8)H(13)NO(2)) has been reported as one of the abundant constituents of areca nut. A good number of scientific publications have made Arecoline responsible for oral cancer. Based on observation from clinical situation in North East India, one of the most betel quid chewing region of the country, we suspected a link between consumption of areca nut and Cerebro Vascular Disease like stroke. Therefore, we considered Low Density Lipoprotein (LDL) receptor as target and Arecoline as ligand and studied ligand -target interaction using computational tools. Also we considered High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) receptor as another target to see if Arecoline has any binding potential with it over and above LDL receptor. Docking result indicated that Arecoline and Cholesterol both, have affinity towards extracellular domain of Human LDL receptor but affinity of Arecoline is much higher (-12.3560.) than that of Cholesterol(-0.1810). Docking of Arecoline and 1, 2-Hexyl-1- cyclopentanone thiosemicarbazone (thiosemicarbazone) with Bovine HDL receptor showed that Arecoline also has the potential (Score, -6.2690Kcal/Mol) to block HDL receptor though its potential is less than that (score, -10.0509 Kcal/Mol) of control (thiosemicarbazone). We, therefore, suggest that by inhibiting endocytosis of LDL cholesterol because of blocking LDL receptor function and also by preventing LDL cholesterol uptake by liver from blood because of interference with HDL receptor, Arecoline may contribute to atherosclerosis. The study therefore, indicates a positive correlation between chewing of betel quid and Cerebro Vascular Disease.     

辽宁省城市热岛强度特征及等级划分

根据气象站资料累积时间、资料连续性、站点位置、城郊站间距离、站点数量、迁站情况,对辽宁省61个气象站进行筛选,并利用选出的城郊代表站的月和年气温数据,分析了辽宁省热岛强度的变化范围及幅度,确定了热岛强度等级.结果表明:辽宁省铁岭站、大连站、鞍山站、朝阳站、丹东站、锦州站6个气象站可作为城市气温的代表站,台安站等18个气象站可作为郊区气温的代表站;1980-2009年,辽宁省6个代表城市的热岛强度年变化不同,除铁岭为微弱下降外,其他5市均表现为上升趋势,铁岭年热岛强度较强,大连年热岛强度较弱;6个代表城市的月热岛强度变化也不同,丹东、锦州、铁岭的月热岛强度呈明显的“U”型分布,6市最大热岛强度均出现在1月,最小热岛强度均出现在5-8月,具有冬季强、夏季弱的特点.6市热岛强度的年、月变化范围分别为0.57～2.15℃和-0.70～4.60℃,年和月热岛强度分别有97.8％和72.3％集中在0.5～2.0℃.辽宁省热岛强度可划分为无、弱、强和极强4个等级.     

A conceptual model for the origin of worker behaviour and adaptation of eusociality

In a model based on the wasp family Vespidae, the origin of worker behaviour, which constitutes the eusociality threshold, is not based on relatedness, therefore the origin of eusociality does not depend on inclusive fitness, and workers at the eusociality threshold are not altruistic. Instead, incipient workers and queens behave selfishly and are subject to direct natural selection. Beyond the eusociality threshold, relatedness enables 'soft inheritance' as the framework for initial adaptations of eusociality. At the threshold of irreversibility, queen and worker castes become fixed in advanced eusociality. Transitions from solitary to facultative, facultative to primitive, and primitive to advanced eusociality occur via exaptation, phenotypic accommodation and genetic assimilation. Multilevel selection characterizes the solitary to highly eusocial transition, but components of multilevel selection vary across levels of eusociality. Roles of behavioural flexibility and developmental plasticity in the evolutionary process equal or exceed those of genotype.     

彩超检查在肾脏恶性肿瘤诊断及治疗中的应用

目的:探讨应用彩超在肾脏恶性肿瘤诊断及治疗中的应用效果。方法:回顾分析2006年1月~2010年12月在我院采用彩超确诊的肾脏恶性肿瘤138例,所有患者均采用LOGIQ-7彩色多普勒超声诊断仪进行检测并行手术治疗,术后均行病理检查。结果:138例患者彩超影像显示瘤体内具有丰富的动静脉血流信号,诊断为肾脏恶性肿瘤,与病理诊断完全相符。结论:彩超检查可以明确肾脏肿瘤的性质和范围,以供临床决定手术方式,也可用于术后复查。