Application of in silico and in vitro methods in the development of adverse outcome pathway constructs in wildlife

There is a long history of using both in silico and in vitro methods to predict adverse effects in humans and environmental species where toxicity data are lacking. Currently, there is a great deal of interest in applying these methods to the development of so-called ‘adverse outcome pathway’ (AOP) constructs. The AOP approach provides a framework for organizing information at the chemical and biological level, allowing evidence from both in silico and in vitro studies to be rationally combined to fill gaps in knowledge concerning toxicological events. Fundamental to this new paradigm is a greater understanding of the mechanisms of toxicity and, in particular, where these mechanisms may be conserved across taxa, such as between model animals and related wild species. This presents an opportunity to make predictions across diverse species, where empirical data are unlikely to become available as is the case for most species of wildlife.     

蛋白结合尿毒症毒素及其清除技术的研究进展

尿毒症毒素是一大组体内代谢的产物,在肾功能衰竭患者体液中水平明显升高,并与尿毒症毒素代谢紊乱或临床表现密切相关。部分毒素可与蛋白结合,形成大分子复合物,称为蛋白结合毒素。它们具有多种生物学作用,产生一系列尿毒症并发症,如心血管疾病、免疫功能紊乱、脏器纤维化等。研究发现:血浆分离吸附、高通量血液透析、服用肠道吸附剂等方法可增加蛋白结合毒素的清除。评价尿毒症患者的透析充分性时,也应考虑到蛋白结合毒素。     

Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment as a Useful Adjunctive Tool for Pneumonia

Pneumonia, the inflammatory state of lung tissue primarily due to microbial infection, claimed 52,306 lives in the United States in 2007¹ and resulted in the hospitalization of 1.1 million patients². With an average length of in-patient hospital stay of five days², pneumonia and influenza comprise significant financial burden costing the United States $40.2 billion in 2005³. Under the current Infectious Disease Society of America/American Thoracic Society guidelines, standard-of-care recommendations include the rapid administration of an appropriate antibiotic regiment, fluid replacement, and ventilation (if necessary). Non-standard therapies include the use of corticosteroids and statins; however, these therapies lack conclusive supporting evidence⁴. (Figure 1)Osteopathic Manipulative Treatment (OMT) is a cost-effective adjunctive treatment of pneumonia that has been shown to reduce patients’ length of hospital stay, duration of intravenous antibiotics, and incidence of respiratory failure or death when compared to subjects who received conventional care alone⁵. The use of manual manipulation techniques for pneumonia was first recorded as early as the Spanish influenza pandemic of 1918, when patients treated with standard medical care had an estimated mortality rate of 33%, compared to a 10% mortality rate in patients treated by osteopathic physicians⁶. When applied to the management of pneumonia, manual manipulation techniques bolster lymphatic flow, respiratory function, and immunological defense by targeting anatomical structures involved in the these systems^{7,8, 9, 10}.The objective of this review video-article is three-fold: a) summarize the findings of randomized controlled studies on the efficacy of OMT in adult patients with diagnosed pneumonia, b) demonstrate established protocols utilized by osteopathic physicians treating pneumonia, c) elucidate the physiological mechanisms behind manual manipulation of the respiratory and lymphatic systems. Specifically, we will discuss and demonstrate four routine techniques that address autonomics, lymph drainage, and rib cage mobility: 1) Rib Raising, 2) Thoracic Pump, 3) Doming of the Thoracic Diaphragm, and 4) Muscle Energy for Rib 1.^5,11     

Submillisecond Conformational Changes in Proteins Resolved by Photothermal Beam Deflection

Photothermal beam deflection together with photo-acoustic calorimetry and thermal grating belongs to the family of photothermal methods that monitor the time-profile volume and enthalpy changes of light induced conformational changes in proteins on microsecond to millisecond time-scales that are not accessible using traditional stop-flow instruments. In addition, since overall changes in volume and/or enthalpy are probed, these techniques can be applied to proteins and other biomacromolecules that lack a fluorophore and or a chromophore label. To monitor dynamics and energetics of structural changes associated with Ca²⁺ binding to calcium transducers, such neuronal calcium sensors, a caged calcium compound, DM-nitrophen, is employed to photo-trigger a fast (τ < 20 μsec) increase in free calcium concentration and the associated volume and enthalpy changes are probed using photothermal beam deflection technique.     

复杂声刺激波形的计算机合成

根据数字化频率合成原理,结合模数转换技术,实现声刺激波形的计算机实时合成,由于采用软件实时合成技术,因此理论上只要有理想的算法,运用该技术可模拟出任意复杂的声刺激波形。     

光系统п核心天线复合物CP43和CP47结构与功能研究进展

ＣＰ４３和ＣＰ４７是构成光合生物内周天线的两个重要的色素蛋白复合物,在生物体内主要起着传递激发能的作用。最近,大量研究证明,它们在放氧等过程中也起着重要作用。因此,近年来人们借助各种先进的研究技术对它们的结构进行了探讨,以揭示它们行使不同生理功能的分子机理。分子生物学技术可以使人们在整体水平上研究蛋白复合物的结构与功能,因此是一个非常有用的研究手段。本文即对近年来人们通过分子生物手段,以蓝藻为转化     

退化高寒草甸关键生态属性对多途径恢复措施的响应特征

高寒草甸是青藏高原的主体植被类型,但退化态势较为严峻,严重威胁青藏高原生态屏障的战略地位。退化高寒草甸的复健是世界性难题,治理效果也因退化状态、恢复措施及气候环境而异。以春季休牧、秋季休牧、畜群结构优化、减畜轮牧、围栏封育及翻耕改建等典型多途径恢复措施下的退化高寒草甸为对象,系统探讨主要生态要素和生态功能的响应特征及潜在过程。结果表明,典型恢复措施下退化高寒草甸的植被生产力、土壤有机碳密度及土壤饱和持水量等生态要素都得到一定程度的提升,而恢复效果与实施年限及恢复措施密切相关。围栏封育和翻耕改建下土壤有机碳密度及饱和持水量随恢复年限均表现为对数饱和型的响应特征,退化高寒草甸固碳持水功能的基本恢复年限约为6—10年。春季休牧、秋季休牧、畜群结构优化、减畜轮牧、围栏封育等放牧管理恢复措施应适用于轻度退化至重度退化的高寒草甸,而翻耕改建则是极度退化高寒草甸的适宜治理措施。由于多途径恢复措施的关注目标不同,今后研究应集中在恢复措施的组合优化和综合评价等方面。     

一种基于配体肽的CRP荧光检测探针的研制

C反应蛋白（C-reaction protein,CRP）是反映机体炎症的有效标志物,早期检测是判断炎症相关疾病的关键,因此,研制CRP新型检测制剂具有重要意义。利用噬菌体表面展示技术对CRP特异性亲和配体进行了筛选,采用固相肽合成技术对目标配体进行了合成,并经生物标记、高效液相色谱法（high performance liquid chromatography,HPLC）分析及质谱（mass spectrometry,MS）鉴定,成功制得检测CRP的荧光探针。经3轮筛选、ELISA检测、重组噬菌体测序及序列比对后得到1个目标配体肽：S-P-H-N-R-S-N-L-V-Q-E-L;经肽合成及生物标记获得1种CRP荧光探针：FITC-(Acp)-S-P-H-N-R-SN-L-V-Q-E-L。研究结果为CRP的有效检测提供了一种新型制剂。