Primary structure of two nonallelicβ-globin chains from DBA/2 mice

The amino acid sequences of the major and minor globin chains from DBA/2 mice have been determined. This information is of interest because DBA/2 mice are the strain of origin for most murine erythroleukemia lines. The primary structure of DBA/2 globins agrees completely with that predicted from the coding properties of BALB/c globin genes. This identity does not support a rapid evolutionary divergence in inbred mouse strains, at least at these loci in these strains.This work was supported in part by National Institutes of Health Grants AM26956, HL24908, and AM14923 and by the Department of Energy under Contract DE-AC05-840R21400 with Martin Marietta Systems. The SUNY Buffalo Sequencing Facility was supported by a grant from the James Cummings Foundation and National Institutes of Health Grants RR05400 and RR07066.     

我院三十年消化系统恶性肿瘤病理统计分析

目的:了解烟台地区消化系统恶性肿瘤在过去不同年代的流行病学和发病学特点,以期为本地区恶性肿瘤的防治研究工作提供参考价值。方法:通过对烟台毓璜顶医院1971年-2000年经病理确诊的消化系统恶性肿瘤进行统计分析,统计了每十年为一个时间段内的主要发病部位的所有原发性恶性肿瘤,分析不同时间段的各器官恶性肿瘤的构成百分比、发病年龄、男女比例等流行病学特点,并将结果与国内外的统计资料进行比较和分析。结果:三个年代消化系统恶性肿瘤的检出率呈增加趋势,共检出恶性肿瘤8295例。胃癌及大肠癌是消化系统发病率最高的两种恶性肿瘤。结论:消化系统肿瘤高发提示胶东地区居民的食物种类、饮食习惯中存在不利于健康的因素。     

乳腺癌复发牙龈转移的探讨

本文报道1例乳腺癌复发转移牙龈的诊断,提示乳腺癌的转移通常为区域淋巴结转移,也可经血液远处转移,最常见的远处转移部位为肺、肝、骨等,转移至牙龈的则十分罕见,牙龈上的转移癌早期表现与牙龈瘤极为相似,容易误诊。详细地询问病史极为重要,穿刺细胞学检查有助于明确诊断,必要时可以在术中冰冻活检,明确诊断后按一般恶性肿瘤的治疗原则手术治疗。     

Telocytes in minor salivary glands of primary Sjögren's syndrome: association with the extent of inflammation and ectopic lymphoid neogenesis

It has been recently reported that telocytes, a stromal (interstitial) cell subset involved in the control of local tissue homeostasis, are hampered in the target organs of inflammatory/autoimmune disorders. Since no data concerning telocytes in minor salivary glands (MSGs) are currently available, aim of the study was to evaluate telocyte distribution in MSGs with normal architecture, non‐specific chronic sialadenitis (NSCS) and primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS)‐focal lymphocytic sialadenitis. Twelve patients with pSS and 16 sicca non‐pSS subjects were enrolled in the study. MSGs were evaluated by haematoxylin and eosin staining and immunofluorescence for CD3/CD20 and CD21 to assess focus score, Tarpley biopsy score, T/B cell segregation and germinal center (GC)‐like structures. Telocytes were identified by immunoperoxidase‐based immunohistochemistry for CD34 and CD34/platelet‐derived growth factor receptor α double immunofluorescence. Telocytes were numerous in the stromal compartment of normal MSGs, where their long cytoplasmic processes surrounded vessels and encircled both the excretory ducts and the secretory units. In NSCS, despite the presence of a certain degree of inflammation, telocytes were normally represented. Conversely, telocytes were markedly reduced in MSGs from pSS patients compared to normal and NSCS MSGs. Such a decrease was associated with both worsening of glandular inflammation and progression of ectopic lymphoid neogenesis, periductal telocytes being reduced in the presence of smaller inflammatory foci and completely absent in the presence of GC‐like structures. Our findings suggest that a loss of MSG telocytes might have important pathophysiological implications in pSS. The specific pro‐inflammatory cytokine milieu of pSS MSGs might be one of the causes of telocyte loss.     

Effects of crop field characteristics on nocturnal winter use by American woodcock

Since the late 1960s, American woodcock (Scolopax minor) have undergone population declines because of habitat loss. Previous research suggested ridge and furrow topography in conventionally tilled soybean fields provided critical nocturnal cover as birds foraged on earthworms. However, the use of no-till technology has increased and many fields now lack ridge and furrow topography. We assessed woodcock winter nocturnal foraging habitat use given recent changes in agricultural technology, and investigated how field treatment, earthworm abundance, and environmental variables affect the selection of nocturnal foraging sites. We counted woodcock along transects in 5 field treatments twice in each of 67 fields during December–March 2008–2009 and 72 fields during December–March 2009–2010. During both seasons, we collected earthworm and soil samples from a subset of fields of each field treatment. Woodcock densities were at least twice as high in no-till soybean fields planted after corn and in undisked corn fields with mowed stalks than in other field treatments. No-till soybean planted after corn and undisked corn fields contained ridge and furrow topography, whereas other crops did not, and earthworms were at least 1.5 times more abundant in no-till soybean fields than other field treatments. Ridges and furrows in no-till soybean fields planted after corn and undisked corn fields may provide wintering woodcock with thermal protection and concealment from predators. No-till soybean fields planted after corn offered the additional benefit of relatively high food availability. The presence of ridge and furrow topography can be used to predict woodcock field use on the wintering grounds in agricultural areas. Farmers can provide nocturnal winter foraging sites for woodcock by delaying field disking and leaving ridge and furrow topography in crop fields. © 2011 The Wildlife Society.     

Regulation of sulfate assimilation in Arabidopsis and beyond

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Sulfate assimilation is a pathway used by prokaryotes, fungi and photosynthetic organisms to convert inorganic sulfate to sulfide, which is further incorporated into carbon skeletons of amino acids to form cysteine or homocysteine. The pathway is highly regulated in a demand-driven manner; however, this regulation is not necessarily identical in various plant species. Therefore, our knowledge of the regulation of sulfate assimilation is reviewed here in detail with emphasis on different plant species. SCOPE: Although demand-driven control plays an essential role in regulation of sulfate assimilation in all plants, the molecular mechanisms of the regulation and the effects of various treatments on the individual enzymes and metabolites are often different. This review summarizes (1) the molecular regulation of sulfate assimilation in Arabidopsis thaliana, especially recent data derived from platform technologies and functional genomics, (2) the co-ordination of sulfate, nitrate and carbon assimilations in Lemna minor, (3) the role of sulfate assimilation and glutathione in plant-Rhizobia symbiosis, (4) the cell-specific distribution of sulfate reduction and glutathione synthesis in C(4) plants, (5) the regulation of glutathione biosynthesis in poplar, (6) the knock-out of the adenosine 5'phosphosulfate reductase gene in Physcomitrella patens and identification of 3'-phosphoadenosyl 5'-phosphosulfate reductase in plants, and (7) the sulfur sensing mechanism in green algae. CONCLUSIONS: As the molecular mechanisms of regulation of the sulfate assimilation pathway are not known, the role of Arabidopsis as a model plant will be further strengthened. However, this review demonstrates that investigations of other plant species will still be necessary to address specific questions of regulation of sulfur nutrition.     

福建省兴化湾黑脸琵鹭的越冬及迁徙

福建省兴化湾是我国大陆黑脸琵鹭(Platalea minor)最重要的越冬地之一.2005年1月至2008年4月连续4个冬季的调查显示,在湾内的江镜华侨农场越冬的黑脸琵鹭种群数量为40~60只,其中2007年越冬种群的数量较前3个冬季显著增加.黑脸琵鹭主要栖息在农场面积约320 hm2的养殖塘内,多集群.昼间栖息的各种行为中休息行为所占比例最高,达到80%;其次是维护行为,约10%;觅食等其他行为所占的比例很低,因此养殖塘主要作黑脸琵鹭昼间的休息场所之用.兴化湾同时是黑脸琵鹭重要的迁徙停歇地,2007年秋季南迁的时间为11月3日至12月12日;2008春季北迁的时间为3月8日至4月加日.江镜华侨农场南迁停歇的种群数量约为136只,北迁的数量约为226只.春季北迁种群中具繁殖羽的个体比例最高时超过60%,表明种群中能够参与繁殖的个体数量较多.建议加强兴化湾滩涂及养殖塘人工湿地的科学管理,促进黑脸琵鹭的保护.