Estimation of strength in different extra Watson-Crick hydrogen bonds in DNA double helices through quantum chemical studies

It was shown earlier, from database analysis, model building studies, and molecular dynamics simulations that formation of cross-strand bifurcated or Extra Watson-Crick hydrogen (EWC) bonds between successive base pairs may lead to extra rigidity to DNA double helices of certain sequences. The strengths of these hydrogen bonds are debatable, however, as they do not have standard linear geometry criterion. We have therefore carried out detailed ab initio quantum chemical studies using RHF/6-31G(2d,2p) and B3LYP/6-31G(2p,2d) basis sets to determine strengths of several bent hydrogen bonds with different donor and acceptors. Interaction energy calculations, corrected for the basis set superposition errors, suggest that N-H...O type bent EWC hydrogen bonds are possible along same strands or across the strands between successive base pairs, leading to significant stability (ca. 4-9 kcal/mol). The N-H...N and C-H...O type interactions, however, are not so stabilizing. Hence, consideration of EWC N-H...O H-bonds can lead to a better understanding of DNA sequence directed structural features.     

Restoration of tensile strength in bark samples of Ficus benjamina due to coagulation of latex during fast self-healing of fissures

Background and Aims

The functions of plant latex have been discussed for a long time. Today, many studies support a defence mechanism as being its main function. A role as a self-healing mechanism was never attributed to the coagulation of latex. In this study we quantified the contribution of the coagulation of Ficus benjamina (weeping fig) latex to a restoration of the mechanical properties of the bark after external lesions.

Methods

Tensile tests of F. benjamina bark were conducted either immediately after injury or at various latency times after injury.

Key Results

A significant increase in the tensile strength of bark samples until 30 min after injury was found, and this effect could be attributed to the coagulation of plant latex alone. The tensile strength remains nearly constant until several hours or days after injury. Then, very probably due to other mechanisms such as cell growth and cell proliferation, the tensile strength begins to increase slightly again.

Conclusions

The coagulation of latex seals lesions and serves as a quick and effective pre-step of subsequent, more effective, long-lasting self-healing mechanisms such as cell growth and proliferation. Thus, a fast self-healing effect can be included in the list of functions of plant latex.     

Viscoelastic properties and nanoscale structures of composite oligopeptide-polysaccharide hydrogels

Biocompatible and biodegradable peptide hydrogels are drawing increasing attention as prospective materials for human soft tissue repair and replacement. To improve the rather unfavorable mechanical properties of our pure peptide hydrogels, in this work we examined the possibility of creating a double hydrogel network. This network was created by means of the coassembly of mutually attractive, but self-repulsive oligopeptides within an already-existing fibrous network formed by the charged, biocompatible polysaccharides chitosan, alginate, and chondroitin. Using dynamic oscillatory rheology experiments, it was found that the coassembly of the peptides within the existing polysaccharide network resulted in a less stiff material as compared to the pure peptide networks (the elastic modulus G' decreased from 90 to 10 kPa). However, these composite oligopeptide-polysaccharide hydrogels were characterized by a greater resistance to deformation (the yield strain γ grew from 4 to 100%). Small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) was used to study the 2D cross-sectional shapes of the fibers, their dimensional characteristics, and the mesh sizes of the fibrous networks. Differences in material structures found with SANS experiments confirmed rheology data, showing that incorporation of the peptides dramatically changed the morphology of the polysaccharide network. The resulting fibers were structurally very similar to those forming the pure peptide networks, but formed less stiff gels because of their markedly greater mesh sizes. Together, these findings suggest an approach for the development of highly deformation-resistant biomaterials.     

不同强度及时间窗骨骼肌缺血后处理对兔心肌的保护作用

目的:通过比较不同强度及时间窗骨骼肌缺血后处理对兔缺血/再灌注心肌的保护效能,试图寻找最佳强度和时间窗的骨骼肌缺血后处理方案。方法:健康新西兰大白兔42只(雄性)随机分为7组(n=6):①假手术组(Sham)、②缺血对照组(CON)、③标准骨骼肌后处理组(SP)、④延迟6min骨骼肌后处理组(6M-DSP)、⑤延迟1 min骨骼肌后处理组(1M-DSP)、⑥骨骼肌后处理加强组(SSP)、⑦骨骼肌后处理减弱组(WSP)。以开胸结扎冠状动脉左室支固定部位方法制作缺血/再灌注模型,以游离并夹闭双侧腹股沟髂外动脉固定位置方法造成骨骼肌缺血,再灌注末以TTC法确定心肌梗死范围,并分别于心肌缺血前、后及再灌注1 h、2 h,以生化法测定血清肌酸激酶(CK)及乳酸脱氢酶(LDH)水平。结果:和CON组相比,1M-DSP组心肌梗死重量比及面积比分别下降了42.32%及42.68%、SP组分别下降了49.97%及43.78%、SSP组分别下降了48.36%及48.86%,(P均<0.05),但三组之间相比,心梗范围未见明显差异;而6M-DSP、WSP组与CON组相比未见心肌保护作用;肌酸激酶(CK)的水平和梗死范围变化趋势一致。结论:兔在心肌缺血/再灌注之前完成骨骼肌5 min缺血/1 min再灌注1次循环的缺血后处理,可以起到明显的心肌保护作用。     

An assessment of impact strength of the mandible

In this study, an animal biomechanical study was performed to investigate the absorbed energy and impact strength of the mandible in relation to specimen position. Four regions of mandibles were loaded as complete pieces and gripped by the jaw of an Izod impact tester. All tests were carried out wet using the Izod impact test under two different impact loading directions, lateral and ventral.Absorbed energy and impact strength in kilojoules per square meter of specimen area were determined for each specimen. Under lateral impact loading, the absorbed energy was lowest for the anterior section due to the mental foramen's notch effect. The premolar region demonstrated more absorbed energy per unit area, or impact strength, than any other region. However, due to its small cross-sectional area, the premolar region also absorbs less impact energy.Under ventral impact loading conditions, anterior region absorbed twice as much impact energy than under lateral loading conditions. Premolar region absorbed the same impact energy under both lateral and ventral loading. Interestingly, mandibular angle under ventral loading absorbed five times more impact energy than under lateral loading. This behaviour is considered to be a mechanical adaptation to the actual loading of the mandible in vivo.     

Material properties of coyote dentine under bending: gradients in flexibility and strength by position

We investigate the nonlinear properties of dentine from the upper canines of coyotes Canis latrans with bending tests. With the results we predict the behavior of whole canines under load. Coyote dentine is not homogeneous but is stronger and more ductile farther away from the pulp cavity. The modulus of rupture (MOR) first increases and then declines with distance from the pulp cavity. Our analysis of the composite nature of dentine produced by these gradients indicates that there may be an adaptive explanation with the composite having nearly the strength of the strongest dentine and a work of fracture greater than even the most ductile dentine. Coyote dentine is considerably stronger than human dentine. In coyotes, the peak MOR, a measure of bending strength, is 480 MPa, compared with a maximum of 225 MPa for human dentine. This value is about the same as the weakest coyote dentine that we found near the pulp cavity. Finally, enamel plays, at most, a small role in the bending strength of the whole tooth. Our results indicate that enamel under tension adds little to strength, but we cannot dismiss a small role for enamel in compression.     

Scaling up keystone effects from simple to complex ecological networks

Predicting the consequences of species loss requires extending our traditional understanding of simpler dynamic systems of few interacting species to the more complex ecological networks found in natural ecosystems. Especially important is the scaling up of our limited understanding of how and under what conditions loss of ‘keystone’ species causes large declines of many other species. Here we explore how these keystone effects vary among simulations progressively scaled up from simple to more complex systems. Simpler simulations of four to seven interacting species suggest that species up to four links away can strongly alter keystone effects and make the consequences of keystone loss potentially indeterminate in more realistically complex communities. Instead of indeterminacy, we find that more complex networks of up to 32 species generally buffer distant influences such that variation in keystone effects is well predicted by surprisingly local ‘top‐down’, ‘bottom‐up’, and ‘horizontal‘ constraints acting within two links of the keystone subsystem. These results demonstrate that: (1) strong suppression of the competitive dominant by the keystone may only weakly affect subordinate competitors; (2) the community context of the target species determines whether strong keystone effects are realized; (3) simple, measurable, and local attributes of complex communities may explain much of the empirically observed variation in keystone effects; and (4) increasing network complexity per se does not inherently make the prediction of strong keystone effects more complicated.     

水、旱条件下水稻茎秆主要抗倒伏性状的QTL分析

以粳型旱稻IRAT109和粳型水稻越富杂交的116个DH株系的群体为材料,利用已构建的分子标记连锁图(包括94个RFLP标记和71个SSR标记),定位了水稻茎秆主要抗倒伏性状的QTL。在水田、旱田栽培条件下,考查了乳熟期DH系及其亲本的茎基粗、茎秆长及茎秆强度等性状。相关分析表明,茎基粗与茎秆长、茎基粗与茎秆强度及茎秆长与茎秆强度间均呈极显著正相关。利用QTLMAPPER进行水、旱田单环境定位分析及水、旱田联合定位分析定位了控制这些性状的QTL。水、旱田单环境定位分析结果表明：3个性状共检测到9个加性QTL和5对上位性QTL;联合定位分析表明：茎基粗、茎秆长共检测到6个加性QTL和6对上位性QTL,其中6个加性QTL和1对上位性QTL在两种方法下都检测到。旱田条件下检测到2个加性及2对上位性QTL(bctla、ct9、c16a-c16c和cs5-cs12)对表型变异的贡献率(简称贡献率)大于30％。这些高贡献率QTL可能对旱田条件下旱稻抗倒伏分子育种有重要意义。     

Physical Frailty and Body Composition in Obese Elderly Men and Women

Objective: To evaluate the prevalence of frailty and interrelationships among body composition, physical function, and quality of life in community‐dwelling obese elderly (OE) persons. Research Methods and Procedures: Fifty‐two OE, 52 nonobese frail, and 52 nonobese nonfrail subjects, matched for age and sex, were studied. Subjective and objective measures of functional status were evaluated by using the physical performance test, exercise stress test, lower extremity (LE) strength, gait speed, static and dynamic balance, functional status questionnaires, and health‐related quality‐of‐life questionnaire (Medical Outcomes Short Form). Body composition was evaluated by using DXA, and muscle quality was evaluated by determining the ratio of LE strength to LE lean mass. Results: Among OE subjects, 96% met our standard criteria for mild to moderate frailty. Compared with the nonobese nonfrail group, the OE and nonobese frail groups had lower and similar scores in physical performance test, peak aerobic power, and functional status questionnaire, and exhibited similar impairments in strength, walking speed, balance, and health‐related quality of life. Although absolute fat‐free mass (FFM) was greater, the percentage body weight as FFM and muscle quality was lower in the OE group than in the other two groups. Discussion: Physical frailty, which predisposes to loss of independence, is common in community‐living OE men and women. Physical frailty in OE subjects was associated with low percentage FFM, poor muscle quality, and decreased quality of life. These findings suggest that weight loss therapy may be particularly important in OE persons to improve physical function, in addition to improving the medical complications associated with obesity.