Fundamental issues, recent advances, and future directions in myodynamics

A state-of-the-art report is presented on recent progress in selected areas of myodynamics, but also on problems that severely hamper the further development of the discipline. Significant advances have been made in elucidating the force-producing interaction between actin and the myosin-S1-subunit, including the localization of the most probable molecular site of power stroke initiation. Concerning the architecture of the myostructures, strong experimental evidence has accumulated for numerous intra-, inter-, and extramuscular pathways for lateral force transmission in addition to the serial sarcomere-to-sarcomere myotendinous path.

It is shown that contemporary muscle models are inadequate in most respects and lag far behind the requirements an appropriate myodynamic model should fulfil. A similar comment applies to the current approaches designed to solve the myoskeletal indeterminacy problem. These formulations neglect myodynamic properties and do not allow for the implementation of biologically realistic objective functions. The solutions currently obtained are highly unsatisfactory. New research directions to rectify these situations are suggested, also with regard to the identification of subject-specific myodynamic parameters.     

甲基紫精抑制水稻种子活力和幼苗生长

5－10μmol／L的甲基紫精（MV）处理末吸涨或已萌动的杂交水稻种子1d后,种子发芽率与对照差异不大,但活力指数和钟长生长受到显著抑制,尤其胚根的生长受抑更甚,使胚芽／胚根长度比值提高1．4-11．0倍。组织的电解质渗漏率增大,胚芽鞘不能转绿,仅含少量或几乎不含叶绿素,随后逐步死亡．MV处理三叶期叶片切段或完整幼苗根部皆引起膜渗漏,叶绿素降解,光合速率下降和呼吸速率上升。杂交稻"代杂"对MV的敏感性稍低于父本"七桂早"和母本"Lemont",与"Lemont"较接近．MV既可降解已形成的叶绿素又可抑制叶绿素的形成。     

产黄青霉ds RNA病毒通过原生质体融合的转移

将国内青霉素产生菌(Penicillium chrysogenum)的黄孢子系统及绿孢子(包括淡绿,灰绿)系统的十多个菌株,经过病毒提取、电镜观察、奥氏免疫双扩散、凝胶电泳及放射免疫测定,证明黄孢子系统的菌株含有不同滴定度的、直径40nm的球形病毒,而绿孢子系统中检查不出病毒。从营养要求、孢子颜色不同的带病毒和无病毒菌体中分离原生质体,进行不同组合的原生质体的融合杂交,获得营养互补融合的异核体。异核体1中,病毒通过胞质融合转移到原来无病毒的灰绿孢子菌株及细胞核融合后的杂合二倍体中。灰绿孢子的病毒量接近二倍体的1/3。二倍体菌落生长稳定,低温保存二年后经0.01—0.02M对氟苯丙氨酸(PFA)诱发和分离,产生亲本类型的分离子,分离子及二倍体仍然含有病毒。异核体2作亲本性分离,黄孢子仍有病毒,淡绿孢子及细胞核融合后产生的二倍体均无病毒,表明非感染性为显性。此种淡绿孢子的突变体中存在非感病菌系,它不支持病毒的复制。提取各杂交组二倍体内的病毒所特有的dsRNA时,可看出dsRNA的存在和病毒的存在一致。多数杂合二倍体的青霉素产量比亲本高。     

昆虫雷达让我们看到了什么?

昆虫雷达的应用深化了人们对昆虫迁飞行为机制的认识。昆虫雷达让我们看到了弱小的昆虫主动起飞 ,以一定的速度爬升到巡航高度乘风远行 ,并对大气风温场表现出令人难以置信的适应和选择能力 ,通过成层 (边界层顶现象 )、定向和集聚等主动行为 ,最大限度地利用空气动力到达新的栖息地。这些全新的画面展示出远迁的昆虫并非完全被动的随风飘流者 ,而是一个个驾舟中流击水的舵手。     

川西亚高山林线岷江冷杉和红杉对气候变化的响应

为揭示川西亚高山林线优势树种岷江冷杉（Abies fargesii var.faxoniana）和红杉（Larix potaninii）径向生长对气候变化的响应差异。通过树木年轮生态学的方法,研究了岷江冷杉和红杉径向生长与年均温的分异现象、生长衰退以及应对严重干旱事件的抵抗力和恢复力稳定性,并结合限制岷江冷杉和红杉径向生长的主要气候因素进行了分析。结果表明：（1）温度是限制林线岷江冷杉径向生长的主要气候因素,而限制红杉径向生长的主要气候因素是降水;（2）岷江冷杉的径向生长与年平均温度的变化趋势一致,红杉在20世纪90年代后径向生长呈现出下降的趋势,与年均温的升高出现分异;（3）1800-2019年间,岷江冷杉出现生长衰退2次,红杉出现生长衰退5次,相同的时间内,红杉的衰退频率高于岷江冷杉;（4）岷江冷杉对严重干旱事件的恢复力相比升温前有所增强,抵抗力相比升温前下降明显,红杉对严重干旱事件的抵抗力和恢复力相比升温前均呈现出下降的趋势。可为川西亚高山林线的植被动态变化预测和历史区域气候重建提供参考。     

Local blood flow velocities in the carotid body of fetal sheep and newborn lambs

Summary Elastically-suspended microelectrodes were used in the vascularly isolated blood-perfused carotid body of fetal and newborn lambs as well as of 6–7-day-old lambs to measure local blood flow velocities by means of hydrogen clearance. Fetal sheep (n=9) carotid bodies elicited mean local blood velocity values between 0.008 and 0.11 cm·s^–1, whereas newborn lamb carotid bodies (n=7) showed values between 0.008 and 0.067 cm·s^–1 at a perfusion pressure range between 30 and 150 mmHg. The 6–7-day-old lamb carotid bodies (n=5) were characterized by values of 0.003 and 0.049 cm·s^–1 over the same perfusion pressure range. Fetal carotid body values were statistically significantly higher than the values of the 6–7-day-old lamb carotid bodies, whereas the newborn carotid body values showed no significant difference to both other groups. The flow velocity/perfusion pressure relationship peaked at perfusion pressure values between 100 and 150 mmHg in all groups with a reduced steepness in the lamb carotid body. It is concluded that local blood flow velocities in the carotid body are similar to that in other organs, and that after birth local blood flow velocities in the carotid body decrease during the first week of life, probably induced by vasoconstriction, changed blood gas values, and/or increasing shunt flow.Abbreviations significance level - D diffusion coefficient - i.v. intravenous - n number of experiments - PCO ₂ carbon dioxide partial pressure - pH negative logarithm of hydrogen ion concentration - PH ₂ hydrogen partial pressure - Po PH₂ with perfusion - P PH₂ without perfusion - PO ₂ oxygen partial pressure - PP perfusion pressure - r radius     

Biocontrol: Fungal Parasites of Female Cyst Nematodes

Three species of fungi, Catenaria auxiliarls (Kühn) Tribe, Nematophthora gynophila Kerry and Crump, and a Lagenidiaceous fungus have been found attacking female cyst nematodes. All are zoosporic fungi which parasitize females on the root surface, cause the breakdown of the nematode cuticle, and prevent cyst formation. Their identification and some aspects of their biology are reviewed. N. gynophila is widespread in Britain and reduces populations of the cereal cyst nematode, Heterodera avenae Woll., to nondamaging levels. The potential of these nematophagous fungi as biocontrol agents is discussed.     

Periodicity of infectivity of plasmodial gametocytes: the "Hawking phenomenon"

Five controlled experiments were performed to test the validity of the theory of nocturnal infectivity of gametocytes of Plasmodium. Two gave equivocal results probably because synchronicity of parasitaemia was low; the remaining three, in which a langur strain of P. cynomolgi was used, largely confirmed Hawking's work and in particular demonstrated the much greater production of oocysts after midnight as compared with midday feedings.     

The killer phenomenon in Ustilago: Electron microscopy of the dsRNA encapsidated in individual virus particles

From earlier studies with the Ustilago maydis virus and other dsRNA viruses it is known that discrete dsRNA segments typical of each virus are obtained by extraction. A variation exists with respect to the encapsidation of these segments among different viruses. The encapsidation of the genome in individual particles of the Ustilago virus was examined by electron microscopy after disruption of virus particles. The study included the P6 wild-type and 2 mutants containing only part of the genome. The results indicate that most virus particles of the wild-type and the mutants contain up to 12–14×10⁶ daltons of dsRNA. Since the largest extracted molecule is 3.2×10⁶D these findings suggest that an individual particle may contain more than one segment of dsRNA. Free linear molecules that exceed in size the extracted segments were also found following the disruption of each of the 3 virus types examined. Thus, the viral genome seen segmented after extraction is organized as a concatamer in the capsid and each virus particle can contain an entire viral genome consisting of each type of the segments seen after extraction, a repeat of a single segment or a random assortment. In each case the information may be organized as a concatamer.     

Bisphenol A and its methylated congeners inhibit growth and interfere with microtubules in human fibroblasts in vitro

Bisphenol A (BPA), a monomer of polycarbonate plastics and epoxy resins, has previously been reported to induce micronuclei containing whole chromosomes in Chinese hamster V79 cells. In the present study, the aneuploidogenic potential of BPA was investigated in cultured human AG01522C fibroblasts. In contrast to the known aneugens diethylstilbestrol (DES) and 17beta-estradiol, which caused mitotic arrest and the induction of kinetochore-positive micronuclei, BPA did not induce micronuclei and inhibited the proliferation of AG01522C cells in G2 phase and probably also in G1 phase. Fluorescence microscopy of the BPA-treated cells after immunofluorescent staining of microtubules revealed structural abnormalities of the cytoplasmic microtubule complex (CMTC): densely stained rings and loops of tubulin were observed, which increased in number with increasing BPA concentration and were more stable against low temperature than normal microtubules. The mechanisms of the growth inhibition and the interference with microtubules elicited by BPA in AG01522C cells are presently unknown. The formation of rings and loops in the CMTC of AG01522C cells was also observed with two congeners of BPA carrying one and two, respectively, additional methyl groups in ortho-position to the phenolic hydroxyl group at each aromatic ring. However, in contrast to BPA itself, these congeners of BPA behaved "DES-like" by inducing mitotic arrest and kinetochore-positive micronuclei in AG01522C cells.