Modelling of cell proliferation: nuclear versus membrane labelling

Cell proliferation is a fundamental process involved in growth, development and oncogenesis. Monitoring and quantification of proliferation are essential to analyse the behaviour of cells drug-treated or not. Flow cytometry assessment of cell proliferation requires mathematical models to extract information of interest from fluorescence distributions. Various methods are available for cell cycle analysis, including estimation of cell phase durations and doubling time. In this context, we compare widely used flow cytometric methods based on nuclear labelling (using BrdUrd incorporation in combination with DNA content) to membrane labelling (using intercalating dyes PKH).     

Les remplissages sédimentaires des coquilles de céphalopodes triasiques. Mécanismes et intérêt paléoécologique

Experiments have been carried out in laboratory onplastic cephalopod models in order to study most aspects of sedimentary shell filling of Ceratites and Nautilus from the German Upper Muschelkalk. In most cases the shells had a horizontal position when being filled by the sediment. The exception of filling in upright position has been observed mainly for Ceratites nodosus nodosus (Bruguière, 1792), Acanthoceratites spinosus (Philippi, 1901) except the species A. spinosus penndorfi (Rothe, 1955), Acanthoceratites evolutus (Philippi, 1901) and the nautilus Germanonautilus bidorsatus (Schlotheim, 1804); it is due to the width of their shells. In no case the sediment filling of cephalopod shells gives information about the depth of the depositional environment. On the other hand it is a good indicator of the waving occurring on the sea floor and the reworking of the sediment.     

越冬代亚洲玉米螟成虫发生动态及其与温度关系初探——以通辽市开鲁县为例

为明确亚洲玉米螟越冬代成虫发生动态及其与温度的关系,于2007-2016年利用频振式杀虫灯结合当地气象数据进行系统调查与分析。结果表明,自然条件下内蒙古通辽地区越冬代玉米螟成虫始见期在6月初(6月5日左右),高峰期在6月下旬(6月26日左右),终见期为7月中旬(7月14日左右),整个成虫期有效温度累积范围在150.0℃~750.0℃之间,高峰期集中在350.0℃~450.0℃的范围内。总的来看,越冬代成虫始见期与高峰期与吉林省中部地区大体相同,终见期稍晚于吉林中部地区但早于黑龙江哈尔滨地区。通辽与吉林中部地区越冬代成虫期(均40 d左右)约比黑龙江哈尔滨地区短10 d。可见,各地越冬代玉米螟成虫发生期的早晚和持续时间长短因地而异,同一地区受年份间的气温变化其也会出现差异。     

Fuelwood harvesting in Niger and a generalization of Faustmann's formula

In some forests of Niger where 'controlled rural markets' have been organized, fuelwood is harvested following a policy of the form: every T year, cut the dead trees and those live trees which have a diameter greater than D. Dead trees generally form the main part of the harvest. In this paper, we present a simple continuous time model for the management of these uneven-aged stands subject to a high natural death rate alpha, and we derive a formula for the cycle length and the diameter optimizing the discounted income over an infinite horizon. Faustmann's classical formula for even-aged stands corresponds to the limit alpha --> 0 and D = 0 (clear-cut).     

艾蒿提取物对菜青虫的生物活性

采用微波辅助提取、溶剂浸提 ,以正己烷、乙醇、正己烷 +乙醇 (体积比 1∶1 )为溶剂从艾蒿ArtemisiaargyiL啨ｖｌ.etVant茎叶得到了提取物。另外 ,还用水蒸气蒸馏法获得了精油。生物活性试验表明 ,它们对菜青虫PierisrapaeL .具有较强的拒食活性和一定的触杀活性。其中 ,正己烷为溶剂的微波辅助提取物的拒食活性和触杀活性最强。     

不同产地南方红豆杉枝叶的紫杉醇含量及其指纹图谱的比较分析

采用HPLC法对来源于6个产地(陕西周至和汉中;甘肃天水;安徽胡乐、聂家山和仙寓山)的12份野生南方红豆杉[ Taxus chinensis var.mairei( Lemée et Lévl.) Cheng et L.K.Fu]枝叶中的紫杉醇含量进行了比较分析,并对不同产地南方红豆杉指纹图谱的相似度进行了比较和特征指纹图谱的构建.结果表明:不同产地南方红豆杉枝叶中紫杉醇的含量有明显差异,来源于陕西和甘肃的枝叶样品中紫杉醇含量明显高于来源于安徽的样品,以产自陕西周至的枝叶样品中紫杉醇含量最高(0.019 3 mg·g-1).各样品的指纹图谱均有12个共有峰,其中9号共有峰的保留时间(32.75 min)与紫杉醇标准品一致,被确定为南方红豆杉指纹图谱的参照峰(s).各共有峰相对保留时间的RSD值均低于1％,但相对峰面积的RSD值均高于40％,说明各样品共有峰的保留时间稳定,但相对含量差异较大.除来源于安徽聂家山的2个样品外,其他样品的相似度值均在0.8以上,说明各样品间指纹图谱的相似度较高.根据12个样品的指纹图谱建立了南方红豆杉枝叶的特征指纹图谱,可用于南方红豆杉的鉴定及质量控制.由测定结果推测:不同产地南方红豆杉枝叶中紫杉醇含量的差异可能与生长环境的差异有关.     

By way of introduction: modelling living systems, their diversity and their complexity: some methodological and theoretical problems

Some principles for a current methodology for biological systems' modelling are presented. It seems possible to promote a model-centred approach of these complex systems. Among present questions, the role of mechanisms producing random or quasi-random issues is underlined, because they are implied in biological diversification and in resulting complexity of living systems. Now, biodiversity is one of our societies' and scientific research's main concerns. Basically, it can be interpreted as a manner, for Life, to resist environmental hazards. Thus, one may assume that biodiversity producing mechanisms could be selected during evolution to face to corresponding risks of disappearance: necessity of chance? Therefore, analysing and modelling these ‘biological and ecological roulettes’ would be important, and not only their outputs like nowadays by using the theory of probabilities. It is then suggested that chaotic behaviours generated by deterministic dynamical systems could mimic random processes, and that ‘biological and ecological roulettes’ would be represented by such models. Practical consequences can be envisaged in terms of biodiversity management, and more generally in terms of these ‘roulettes’ control to generate selected biological and ecological events' distribution. To cite this article: A. Pavé, C. R. Biologies 329 (2006).     

Relevance of various formulations of phytoplankton chlorophyll a:carbon ratio in a 3D marine ecosystem model

Numerous experimental studies showed that the phytoplankton Chla-to-Carbon ratio (Chla:C) is highly variable, whereas most of the marine ecosystem models use a constant ratio. In this work, we tested three different formulations for computing the modelled Chla in a 3D coupled hydrodynamical-biogeochemical model of the Southwest lagoon of New Caledonia. The first formulation considers a constant Chla:C ratio. In the second one, Chla is a diagnostic variable related to the variable phytoplankton nitrogen-to-carbon ratio. In the last formulation, Chla is a state variable of the model, which is dynamically simulated. Results showed important differences between the formulations, the first leading to overestimate the Chla concentration in low nutrients conditions. Thus, this study strengthens the importance of the Chla modelling in a coupled model in order to better estimate a crucial variable for validation of ecosystem models.     

Should patients with an incidental finding of focal myocardial 18FDG uptake be screened by myocardial perfusion scintigraphy?

PurposeFocal F-18-fluoro-deoxy-glucose uptake in the myocardium can be a sign of resting myocardial ischemia. The purpose of our study was to assess the relevance of performing myocardial perfusion scintigraphy to screen for myocardial ischemia in patients with an incidental finding of focal myocardial F-18-fluoro-deoxy-glucose uptake on a routine F-18-fluoro-deoxy-glucose positron-emission-tomography-computed-tomography.MethodsIn our retrospective multicentric study, patients were included if they had had an incidental finding of myocardial focal F-18-fluoro-deoxy-glucose uptake on a routine F-18-fluoro-deoxy-glucose positron-emission-tomography-computed-tomography and had also undergone myocardial perfusion scintigraphy within 3 months before or after the F-18-fluoro-deoxy-glucose positron-emission-tomography-computed-tomography. Patients with a pattern of ischemia or scar on the myocardial perfusion scintigraphy in the same territory as the focal F-18-fluoro-deoxy-glucose uptake were considered positive.ResultsSeven of the 34 included patients were positive, with an abnormality on the MPS data in the same territory as the focal myocardial F-18-fluoro-deoxy-glucose uptake. 2 of the 6 patients with focal F-18-fluoro-deoxy-glucose uptake in the left anterior descending vascular supply territory and 2 of the 4 patients with focal F-18-fluoro-deoxy-glucose uptake in the standard right coronary artery territory had an abnormal myocardial perfusion scintigraphy. All 12 patients with focal F-18-fluoro-deoxy-glucose uptake restricted to the basal anterolateral and basal inferolateral segments were negative.ConclusionPatients with an incidental finding of focal F-18-fluoro-deoxy-glucose uptake on a routine F-18-fluoro-deoxy-glucose positron-emission-tomography-computed-tomography may be considered as being at risk for coronary artery disease, when this uptake is multisegmentary in the same typical coronary territory and not restricted to the basal anterolateral and basal inferolateral segments.     

Fine-mapping of an Arabidopsis cell death mutation locus

An Arabidopsis cell death mutation locus was mapped to chromosome 2 between /GS1 and mi421. The YAC clone ends, CIC9A3R, CIC11C7L, CIC2G5R and RFLP marker CDs3 within this interval, were used to probe TAMU BAC library and 31 BAC clones were obtained. A BAC contig encompassing the mutation locus, which consists of T6P5, T7M23, T12A21, T8L6 and T18A18, was identified by Southern hybridization with the BAC ends as probes. 11 CAPS and 12 STS markers were developed in this region. These results will facilitate map-based cloning of the genes and sequencing of the genomic DNA in this region.