Current-year and subsequent-year effects of crop-load manipulation and epicormic-shoot removal on distribution of long, short and epicormic shoot growth in Prunus persica

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The distribution of canopy growth among different shoot types such as epicormic, long and short shoots is not well understood in the peach tree. In this experiment, the effects of crop load and early epicormic sprout removal on current and subsequent-year distribution of vegetative growth among epicormic, long and short shoots was investigated in Prunus persica. METHODS: Field trials were conducted in Winters, California, in 2003-2004. Crop load was manipulated with fruit thinning in 2003 to produce trees that were de-fruited, commercially thinned or full crop, and half of the trees in each cropping treatment had all current year epicormic sprouts removed at the time of fruit thinning. Yield was recorded and trunk and root carbohydrates were sampled to confirm the effect of 2003 crop load differences on tissue carbohydrate concentration. All current-season vegetative-shoot extension growth was harvested from half of the trees in each treatment in the autumn of 2003 and from the other half in the autumn of 2004. Epicormic, long and short shoots were separately evaluated for dry weight, node number and leaf-stem parameters. KEY RESULTS: In 2003, long-shoot dry weight and node number were significantly affected by crop load; however, short-shoot dry weight and node number were not significantly affected. The 2003 crop-load treatments did not affect 2004 vegetative growth of any shoot type. Some re-growth of epicormic shoots followed early epicormic sprout removal: by the end of the 2003 season, trees in the early shoot-removal treatment had approximately one-third of the epicormic-shoot dry weight as unpruned trees. CONCLUSIONS: Fruit thinning promoted distribution of growth similar to that of de-fruited trees. While thinning was effective in increasing fruit size, it exacerbated the problem of epicormic sprouting. Early epicormic sprout removal did not stimulate the excessive epicormic re-growth in the same or subsequent year relative to previously studied summer pruning methods.     

磁感应热疗联合放疗治疗颈部淋巴结复发的临床观察

目的：探索磁感应热疗技术联合放疗治疗不宜手术的颈部淋巴结复发的疗效和安全性。方法：2012年2月至2012年7月选取27例不宜手术的颈部淋巴结复发病例,给予2次磁热籽植入和4—8次不等的加热治疗,计划治疗目标温度为48—50℃、维持30min,磁感应治疗后一周内行放射治疗,治疗结束后1—3个月时复查CT,治疗后6月内不予化疗。结果：治疗结束后3个月时,27例患者中CR55．6％,PR37％,NC3．7％,PD3．7％,治疗总有效率为92．6％;25例疼痛缓解,疼痛缓解有效率92．6％。治疗结束后6个月未发现远处转移病例,未发生大出血、放射性食管炎、放射性骨坏死、骨髓抑制、粒子移位脱落等并发症。结论：磁感应热疗联合放疗治疗不宜手术的复发颈部淋巴结安全、有效。     

Generation of “LYmph Node Derived Antibody Libraries” (LYNDAL) for selecting fully human antibody fragments with therapeutic potential

The development of efficient strategies for generating fully human monoclonal antibodies with unique functional properties that are exploitable for tailored therapeutic interventions remains a major challenge in the antibody technology field. Here, we present a methodology for recovering such antibodies from antigen-encountered human B cell repertoires. As the source for variable antibody genes, we cloned immunoglobulin G (IgG)-derived B cell repertoires from lymph nodes of 20 individuals undergoing surgery for head and neck cancer. Sequence analysis of unselected “LYmph Node Derived Antibody Libraries” (LYNDAL) revealed a naturally occurring distribution pattern of rearranged antibody sequences, representing all known variable gene families and most functional germline sequences. To demonstrate the feasibility for selecting antibodies with therapeutic potential from these repertoires, seven LYNDAL from donors with high serum titers against herpes simplex virus (HSV) were panned on recombinant glycoprotein B of HSV-1. Screening for specific binders delivered 34 single-chain variable fragments (scFvs) with unique sequences. Sequence analysis revealed extensive somatic hypermutation of enriched clones as a result of affinity maturation. Binding of scFvs to common glycoprotein B variants from HSV-1 and HSV-2 strains was highly specific, and the majority of analyzed antibody fragments bound to the target antigen with nanomolar affinity. From eight scFvs with HSV-neutralizing capacity in vitro, the most potent antibody neutralized 50% HSV-2 at 4.5 nM as a dimeric (scFv)₂. We anticipate our approach to be useful for recovering fully human antibodies with therapeutic potential.     

Treatment of advanced melanoma with laser immunotherapy and ipilimumab

Immunotherapy has become a promising modality for melanoma, especially using checkpoint inhibitors, which revive suppressed T cells against the cancer. Such inhibitors should work better when combined with other treatments which could increase the number and quality of anti‐tumor T cells. We treated one patient with advanced (stage IV) melanoma, using the combination of laser immunotherapy (LIT), a novel immunological approach for metastatic cancers that has been shown to stimulate adaptive immunity, and ipilimumab. The patient was treated with LIT, followed with one course of ipilimumab 3 months after the beginning of LIT. After LIT treatment, all treated cutaneous melanoma in head and neck cleared completely. After the application of ipilimumab, all the tumor nodules in the lungs decreased. The patient had remained tumor free for one year. While anecdotal, the responses seen in this patient support the hypothesis that laser immunotherapy increases the number and quality of anti‐tumor T cells so that ipilimumab and other checkpoint inhibitors are more effective in enhancing the therapeutic effects. Picture : Schematic of treatment using laser immunotherapy and ipilimumab on a stage IV melanoma patient.     

用基因芯片筛选高转移卵巢癌细胞系转移相关基因

用标准化的Affymetrix公司生产U133A基因芯片技术研究高(H)转移卵巢癌细胞株(HO-8910PM)和正常卵巢上皮(C)基因表达谱差异,筛选与卵巢癌转移相关的基因及其在染色体的定位和功能。结果发现高转移卵巢癌细胞株和正常卵巢上皮比较表达差异8倍以上共有1,237个基因,其中表达上调(信号比的对数值SLR≥3)有597个,表达下调(SLR≤-3)有640个。从表达差异的基因在染色体定位分析,发现除1个基因未知其定位外,其余所有差异表达基因散在分布在各条染色体上,但以1号染色体最多,有115个(9.3%)。其次是2号染色体有94个(7.6%),第三是12号染色体有88个(7.1%)。第四是11号染色体有76个(6.1%)。第五是X染色体有71个(5.7%)。第6是17号染色体有69个(5.6%)。而差异表达的基因发生在染色体短臂(q)上有805个(占65.1%),在13,14,15,21和22号仅发现在q上有差异表达基因。从表达差异的基因分子功能分类看,属于酶和酶调控子基因最多(306个,占24.7%),其次是核酸结合基因(144个,占11.6%)。第三类是信号传导基因(137个,占11.1%)。第四类是蛋白结合基因(116个,占9.4%)。以上4大类共占基因总数56.8%。还有功能未知的基因有207个,占16.7%。结论:高转移卵巢癌细胞株差异表达基因散在分布在各条染色体上,但以1、2、12、11、17和X染色体差异表达基因居多,肿瘤的转移是多基因共同作用的结果。4大类(酶和酶调控子活性、核酸结合活性、信号传导活性、蛋白结合活性)差异表达基因是我们今后研究卵巢癌转移相关的重要基因。     

呼包鄂榆城市群耦合空间碳排放生态网络构建

构建生态网络是维持景观连通性、提升包括固碳在内的生态系统服务功能的重要手段。为了更好地响应固碳增汇目标及其政策要求,有必要将空间碳排放因素纳入区域生态网络分析框架。选择高能耗、高碳排且生态脆弱的呼包鄂榆城市群作为研究区,采用生态系统服务和连通性分析识别生态源地,并结合电路理论和重力模型提取生态廊道,得到区域景观生态格局;通过获取夜间灯光数据模拟得到城市群栅格尺度碳排放空间格局,并与景观生态格局进行空间叠加,以此补充“生态-碳排”耦合节点和规划廊道,进而构建考虑区域碳排放空间格局的城市群生态网络。结果表明：1)仅考虑生态因素构建的区域生态网络东西两侧生态源地连通性不足,网络呈“中部阻断型”分布;2)区域碳排放存在明显空间特征,高值区出现在人为生态扰动显著的中部矿产资源开发区和主要城镇地区;3)通过耦合区域碳排放格局,补充了23个“生态-碳排”耦合节点和67条规划廊道,生态网络结构由树状转变为蜂巢状,网络闭合度、线点率和连接度分别提升了92%、30.48%和27.45%。因此,通过耦合空间碳排放因素改进的生态网络构建方法,对于提高生态网络的多功能性和稳定性,以及促进以增加碳汇能力为目标的生...     

顾及城郊农田生态服务价值的中心城区生态安全网络重构

针对中心城区日益凸显的农业、生态、城镇三类空间冲突问题,借鉴田园城市理论,创新性地提出一种利用城郊高生态价值农田细化城市生态安全网络,构建"三生"空间协调有序的国土空间格局的方法。利用防城港市遥感影像、国土调查和社会经济数据,在城郊耕地综合评价的基础上,采用评价结果修正的当量因子法评估其农田生态价值。进一步利用InVEST、MSPA及MCR模型初步构建市域生态安全网络,再将高生态价值农田作为临时生态节点完成网络重构,并进行对比分析。以重构的新网络指导中心城区的规划分区优化,并对市域和中心城区两级生态网络要素的空间管控规则及联合管理机制进行了探索。结果表明:(1)防城港市区单位面积农田生态价值为35540元/hm²,高生态价值农田较均匀的环城分部。(2)重构后的网络新增34个临时节点和51条绿带,延长48.425 km,增加808.89 hm²生态源。(3)新网络能有效引导中心城区形成圈层发展结构,较原网络在连通性、有效性、稳定性上均有所提升。研究结果为注重协调发展的国土空间规划背景下区域空间格局优化提供了新的思路。