Opportunities for biomineralization research using multiscale computed X-ray tomography as exemplified by bone imaging

Biominerals typically have complex hierarchical structures traversing many length scales. This makes their structural characterization complicated, since it requires 3D techniques that can probe full specimens at down to nanometer-resolution, a combination that is difficult – if not impossible – to achieve simultaneously. One challenging example is bone, a mineralized tissue with a highly complex architecture that is replete with a network of cells. X-ray computed tomography techniques enable multiscale structural characterization through the combination of various equipment and emerge as promising tools for characterizing biominerals. Using bone as an example, we discuss how combining different X-ray imaging instruments allow characterizing bone structures from the nano- to the organ-scale. In particular, we compare and contrast human and rodent bone, emphasize the importance of the osteocyte lacuno-canalicular network in bone, and finally illustrate how combining synchrotron X-ray imaging with laboratory instrumentation for computed tomography is especially helpful for multiscale characterization of biominerals.     

Structure and species distribution in Coringa mangrove forest,Godavari Delta,Andhra Pradesh,India

Coringa mangrove forest is located in the Godavari delta, Andhra Pradesh, India. The mangrove community consisted of more than 13 species of mangrove and other plants in the present study area. The following three dominant mangrove plants,Avicennia marina, Excoecaria agallocha andSonneratia apetala were found to be present on the banks of a major channel of the Godavari river running through the forest. The structure and species distribution of mangrove, in the Channel Nagathana Kalaya has been described. The area behind the belt consisting ofAcanthus ilicifolius andMyriostachya wightiana is generally colonized byE. agallocha andA. marina. The zone has been called theAvicennia andExcoecaria zone. Adjacent to this zone species likeAegiceras corniculatum andA. officinalis were the common species. In the flat clayey soil,Suaeda maritima was found to grow. In areas of high elevation, devoid of inundation of tidal seawater during the high tidal period, species such asM. wightiana andAcanthus were found to colonize both the banks of the channels.An analysis of species diversity, indicated a definite trend in the distribution of mangrove from the mouth of the estuarine region to the inland waters.The levels of atmospheric pollutants such as sulphur dioxide (SO₂), oxides of nitrogen (NO_x), ammonia (NH₃) and suspended particle matter (SPM) were within the legal limits.     

间伐强度对坝上樟子松林下持水能力的影响

河北坝上地区地势复杂、气候条件较差,导致了水土流失和地质灾害的发生,使华北地区生态安全受到严重威胁.为了改善当地生态环境,樟子松、落叶松等耐贫瘠速生树种被大面积种植,然而不合理的植被密度会导致降雨的低效率利用.本研究以5种间伐强度(0、20％、40％、60％、80％)的樟子松林为对象,分析间伐强度对林下草本、枯落物、土...     

Planktonic and sediment bacterial communities in an integrated mariculture system

An integrated multi-trophic aquaculture (IMTA) system, with one fish cage model surrounded by an island and shellfish rafts, was used in the current study. Planktonic and sediment bacterial communities in the IMTA system were monitored over four seasons in 2019. In both plankton and sediment samples, the most dominant phyla were Proteobacteria and Bacteroidota. Sediment bacterial samples were more similar and had higher levels of biodiversity than planktonic bacterial samples. Obvious seasonal variations were found in plankton samples, but not in sediment samples. No obvious inter-site variations in planktonic and sediment bacteria (fish cages, shellfish rafts and control sites) were found and the results suggested that no obvious impact of feeding operations in fish culture cage model on bacterial communities in the IMTA system was observed in this study. Based on the sequence data, some faecal indicator bacteria and potentially pathogenic bacterial species were detected. According to the results, the bacterial water quality in the IMTA system was acceptable. PICRUSt (Phylogenetic Investigation of Communities by Reconstruction of Unobserved States) analysis revealed that the primary difference in potential functional roles of planktonic and sediment bacteria was amino acid transport and metabolism, which was active in different seasons.     

绿色基础设施的生态及社会功能研究进展

随着城市化进程的加快,城市硬化地表不断挤占透水表面,使得绿色基础设施规模不断下降、破碎化程度逐渐加大,严重影响了绿色基础设施服务功能的有效发挥。绿色基础设施的发展经历了早期萌芽、初步形成和快速发展三个阶段,主要在宏观尺度研究区域生态安全,中观尺度促进城市可持续发展,微观尺度解决社区生态环境问题。目前绿色基础设施的研究内容集中在其生态功能和社会功能两个方面,主要关注调蓄降雨径流、消减非点源污染、调节区域微气候、居民健康与福祉和空间布局公平性。而供需结构的合理配置也是决定绿色基础设施服务水平的关键因素。未来的研究应加强与相关学科的交叉融合,完善绿色基础设施功能的测度与评估方法,将绿色基础设施建设与实际规划相结合,以期为区域可持续发展和国家生态文明建设提供支撑与保障。     

加味真武汤对慢性心衰大鼠心肌结构及炎症因子的影响

目的:观察加味真武汤对慢性心力衰竭大鼠心肌组织结构以及炎症因子水平情况,并探讨其作用机理。方法:雄性SD大鼠48只随机分为空白组、模型组、地高辛组、加味真武汤组。采用盐酸阿霉素腹腔注射的方法建立慢性心力衰竭大鼠模型。各组分别给药治疗后,光镜观察心肌细胞结构并进行病理评分;酶联免疫法测定白介素-1(IL-1)、白介素-6(IL-6)以及血清脑钠肽(BNP)水平情况。结果:模型组大鼠心肌纤维断裂,伴炎性浸润,模型组病理评分显著高于空白组,有统计学差异(P0.05);地高辛组和加味真武汤组病理评分显著低于模型组,有统计学差异(P0.05);加味真武汤组与地高辛组病理评分比较无统计学差异(P0.05)。与模型组相比,加味真武汤组和地高辛组血清IL-6、IL-1、BNP水平明显减低,加味真武汤组效果更显著,差异具有统计学意义(P0.05)。结论:加味真武汤可能有增加心肌收缩力,抑制炎症因子的释放,减慢心室重构,保护心肌细胞的作用。     

Structure dissection of zebrafish progranulins identifies a well‐folded granulin/epithelin module protein with pro‐cell survival activities

The ancient and pluripotent progranulins contain multiple repeats of a cysteine‐rich sequence motif of ∼60 amino acids, called the granulin/epithelin module (GEM) with a prototypic structure of four β‐hairpins zipped together by six inter‐hairpin disulfide bonds. Prevalence of this disulfide‐enforced structure is assessed here by an expression screening of 19 unique GEM sequences of the four progranulins in the zebrafish genome, progranulins 1, 2, A and B. While a majority of the expressed GEM peptides did not exhibit uniquely folded conformations, module AaE from progranulin A and AbB from progranulin B were found to fold into the protopypic 4‐hairpin structure along with disulfide formation. Module AaE has the most‐rigid three‐dimensional structure with all four β‐hairpins defined using high‐resolution (H–¹⁵N) NMR spectroscopy, including 492 inter‐proton nuclear Overhauser effects, 23 ³J(HN,H_α) coupling constants, 22 hydrogen bonds as well as 45 residual dipolar coupling constants. Three‐dimensional structure of AaE and the partially folded AbB re‐iterate the conformational stability of the N‐terminal stack of two beta‐hairpins and varying degrees of structural flexibility for the C‐terminal half of the 4‐hairpin global fold of the GEM repeat. A cell‐based assay demonstrated a functional activity for the zebrafish granulin AaE in promoting the survival of neuronal cells, similarly to what has been found for the corresponding granulin E module in human progranulin. Finally, this work highlights the remaining challenges in structure‐activity studies of proteins containing the GEM repeats, due to the apparent prevalence of structural disorder in GEM motifs despite potentially a high density of intramolecular disulfide bonds.     

Genome sizes for all genera of Cycadales

Nuclear DNA content (2C) is reported for all genera of the Cycadales, using flow cytometry with propidium iodide. Nuclear DNA content ranges from 24 to 64 pg in cycads. This implies that the largest genome contains roughly 40 × 10(9) more base pairs than the smallest genome. The narrow range in nuclear DNA content within a genus is remarkable for such an old group. Furthermore, 42 of the 58 plants measured, covering five genera, have 18 chromosomes. They vary from 36.1 to 64.7 pg, covering the whole range of genome sizes (excluding the genome of Cycas). Hence, their does not seem to be a correlation between genome size and the number of chromosomes.     

Differences in Body Image and Depression Among Obese Women With and Without Binge Eating Disorder

Obese individuals with binge eating disorder (BED) differ from obese non-binge eating (NBE) individuals in a number of clinically relevant ways. This study examined attitudinal responses to various measures of body image in women seeking obesity treatment, by comparing NBE participants (n=80) to those with BED (n=48). It was hypothesized that women with BED would demonstrate greater attitudinal disturbance of body image compared to NBE individuals. It was further hypothesized that significant differences between groups would remain after statistically controlling for degree of depression. Consistent with the primary hypothesis, BED participants reported significantly increased attitudinal disturbance in body dissatisfaction and size perception compared to NBE participants. Although shared variance was observed between measures of depression and body image on some items, several aspects of increased body image disturbance remained after statistically controlling for depression. Treatment implications and recommendations for future research are discussed.     

Allometric patterns of cranial bone thickness in fossil hominids

The interspecific allometry of five measures of total cranial bone thickness is examined in 10 extant catarrhine genera and two fossil hominid samples representing A. africanus and Asian H. erectus. Analysis of the modern sample shows that most interspecific variation in vault thickness can be accounted for by variation in body size. Correlation values are moderate to high (r = 0.75–0.98), and all variables exhibit positive allometry. The bone thickness:body mass relationship of modern humans broadly conforms with that of other primates. However, in the distribution of relative thickness throughout the skull, H. sapiens is distinguished by relative thickening of the parietal and extreme relative thinning of the temporal squama. The bone thickness:body mass relationship in the two early hominid species is examined using published mean body weight estimates generated from post-cranial predictor variables. A. africanus exhibits great similarity to modern humans in its relation to the catarrhine regression data and in the distribution of relative thickness throughout the skull. H. erectus also shows a modern human-like pattern in the distribution of its relative thickness; however, its bone thickness:body mass relationship is dissimilar to that displayed by all other taxa, including the other hominid species. On the basis of these results, it is suggested that the published body weight estimate assigned to H. erectus greatly underestimates actual mean body size for Asian members of this species. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.