不同时间采集的小牛血清对CHO-C28细胞培养及表达的影响

通过研究小牛血清对CHO-C28细胞培养及HBsAg表达的影响,探讨小牛血清的不同采集时间对血清质量的影响。采集出生后4、8、12h(未进食)小牛的血清,对CHO-C28细胞进行传代、换液培养,并检测乙肝表面抗原(HBsAg)表达量。结果可见:①在细胞传代4次时,4h采集的血清细胞生长状态良好,8h采集的血清细胞出现明显的衰老,12h采集的血清细胞大面积死亡;②在细胞维持换液方面,4h采集的血清可维持细胞换液25次以上,8h采集的血清可勉强维持20次,12h采集的血清维持细胞换液10次时已大部分死亡;③乙肝表面抗原(HBsAg)表达量的检测结果,同批培养上清,4h采集的血清培养细胞表达量最高。可见,小牛出生后采集血清时间越早越好。     

‘赛蜜酥1号’枣及其芽变品系果实的性状差异北大核心CSCD

该试验以‘赛蜜酥1号’枣及其芽变品系‘赛蜜酥2号’果实为试验材料,运用流式细胞术对它们的倍性进行鉴定,采用石蜡切片法进行果实细胞组学的观察,并对两者果实生长发育过程中的内外观品质及决定果实口感的蔗糖代谢相关酶活性进行比较分析,为深入研究芽变对枣果实口感、品质造成的影响提供理论支持。结果表明:(1)‘赛蜜酥2号’芽变品系的细胞倍性未发生改变,仍为二倍体。(2)两个枣品种(系)果实在外部形态上有明显区别,‘赛蜜酥1号’为卵圆型,‘赛蜜酥2号’为扁圆型,且后者的果形指数成熟时大于1,单果质量高于前者,核小、可食率更高,皮薄果实更加酥脆;‘赛蜜酥1号’果皮的蜡质层厚度一直大于其芽变枣,两者角质层厚度和表皮层厚度的变化趋势基本一致,但厚度之间具有显著差异。(3)影响果实细胞生长、分裂,果实脱落的各类激素水平在品种间均存在显著差异,‘赛蜜酥2号’IAA和GA_(3)含量显著高于‘赛蜜酥1号’,使之果形更大。(4)两个枣品种(系)果实可溶性糖、可滴定酸、维生素C、植物淀粉、可溶性蛋白含量等随发育时期的变化趋势一致,但含量水平之间存在差异,‘赛蜜酥2号’果实的糖含量、维生素C含量更高,可滴定酸含量更低,口感更甘甜。(5)两品种枣果实的蔗糖代谢相关酶活性在果实迅速生长的膨大期都存在着显著差异,也导致‘赛蜜酥2号’果实甜度明显高于‘赛蜜酥1号’。研究发现,两个枣品种均为二倍体,它们在果实外部形态上存在明显区别,易于分辨;芽变品系‘赛蜜酥2号’果实更大,核小、可食率更高,皮薄更加酥脆,口感更甘甜。     

The Intrasectional Chemotaxonomic Placement of Hypericum elegans Stephan ex Willd. Inferred from the Essential‐Oil Chemical Composition

Here we report, for the first time, the results of detailed GC and GC/MS analyses of the essential oil of a rare taxon in Serbia, Hypericum elegans Stephan ex Willd . One hundred and sixty two constituents identified accounted for 98.6% of the oil. The major components of the oil were undecane (31.9%), α‐pinene (16.7%), nonane (6.1%), bicyclogermacrene (5.8%), 2‐methyloctane (3.7%), and germacrene D (3.6%). Non‐terpenoids as chemotaxonomic markers constituted the main fraction of H. elegans oil, whereby n‐alkanes were the most abundant contributors of this fraction. Based on these results and previously published ones, we performed an intrasectional multivariate statistical comparison of corresponding essential‐oil chemical compositions. Principal component analysis (PCA) and agglomerative hierarchical clustering (AHC) of the data on the volatile profiles of section Hypericum taxa revealed that H. elegans either represents an oil chemotype of its own (AHC) or could be considered related to H. perforatum (PCA).     

Exploring the Linkage Dependence of Polyubiquitin Conformations Using Molecular Modeling

Posttranslational modification of proteins by covalent attachment of a small protein ubiquitin (Ub) or a polymeric chain of Ub molecules (called polyubiquitin) is involved in controlling a vast variety of processes in eukaryotic cells. The question of how different polyubiquitin signals are recognized is central to understanding the specificity of various types of polyubiquitination. In polyubiquitin, monomers are linked to each other via an isopeptide bond between the C-terminal glycine of one Ub and a lysine of the other. The functional outcome of polyubiquitination depends on the particular lysine involved in chain formation and appears to rely on linkage-dependent conformation of polyubiquitin. Thus, K48-linked chains, a universal signal for proteasomal degradation, under physiological conditions adopt a closed conformation where functionally important residues L8, I44, and V70 are sequestered at the interface between two adjacent Ub monomers. By contrast, K63-linked chains, which act as a nonproteolytic regulatory signal, adopt an extended conformation that lacks hydrophobic interubiquitin contact. Little is known about the functional roles of the so-called “noncanonical” chains (linked via K6, K11, K27, K29, or K33, or linked head-to-tail), and no structural information on these chains is available, except for information on the crystal structure of the head-to-tail-linked diubiquitin (Ub₂). In this study, we use molecular modeling to examine whether any of the noncanonical chains can adopt a closed conformation similar to that in K48-linked polyubiquitin. Our results show that the eight possible Ub₂ chains can be divided into two groups: chains linked via K6, K11, K27, or K48 are predicted to form a closed conformation, whereas chains linked via K29, K33, or K63, or linked head-to-tail are unable to form such a contact due to steric occlusion. These predictions are validated by the known structures of K48-, K63-, and head-to-tail-linked chains. Our study also predicts structural models for Ub₂ chains linked via K6, K11, or K27. The implications of these findings for linkage-selective recognition of noncanonical polyubiquitin signals by various receptors are discussed.     

An empirical EEG analysis in brain death diagnosis for adults

Electroencephalogram (EEG) is often used in the confirmatory test for brain death diagnosis in clinical practice. Because EEG recording and monitoring is relatively safe for the patients in deep coma, it is believed to be valuable for either reducing the risk of brain death diagnosis (while comparing other tests such as the apnea) or preventing mistaken diagnosis. The objective of this paper is to study several statistical methods for quantitative EEG analysis in order to help bedside or ambulatory monitoring or diagnosis. We apply signal processing and quantitative statistical analysis for the EEG recordings of 32 adult patients. For EEG signal processing, independent component analysis (ICA) was applied to separate the independent source components, followed by Fourier and time-frequency analysis. For quantitative EEG analysis, we apply several statistical complexity measures to the EEG signals and evaluate the differences between two groups of patients: the subjects in deep coma, and the subjects who were categorized as brain death. We report statistically significant differences of quantitative statistics with real-life EEG recordings in such a clinical study, and we also present interpretation and discussions on the preliminary experimental results.

Using demographic data to better interpret pitfall trap catches

The results of pitfall trapping are often interpreted as abundance in a particular habitat. At the same time, there are numerous cases of almost unrealistically high catches of ground beetles in seemingly unsuitable sites. The correlation of catches by pitfall trapping with the true distribution and abundance of Carabidae needs corroboration. During a full year survey in 2006/07 in the Lake Elton region (Volgograd Area, Russia), 175 species of ground beetles were trapped. Considering the differences in demographic structure of the local populations, and not their abundances, three groups of species were recognized: residents, migrants and sporadic. In residents, the demographic structure of local populations is complete, and their habitats can be considered "residential". In migrants and sporadic species, the demographic structure of the local populations is incomplete, and their habitats can be considered "transit". Residents interact both with their prey and with each other in a particular habitat. Sporadic species are hardly important to a carabid community because of their low abundances. The contribution of migrants to the structure of carabid communities is not apparent and requires additional research. Migrants and sporadic species represent a "labile" component in ground beetles communities, as opposed to a "stable" component, represented by residents. The variability of the labile component substantially limits our interpretation of species diversity in carabid communities. Thus, the criteria for determining the most abundant, or dominant species inevitably vary because the abundance of migrants in some cases can be one order of magnitude higher than that of residents. The results of pitfall trapping adequately reflect the state of carabid communities only in zonal habitats, while azonal and disturbed habitats are merely transit ones for many species of ground beetles. A study of the demographic structure of local populations and assessment of the migratory/residential status of particular carabid species are potential ways of increasing the reliability of pitfall trap information.     

Characterization and Distribution of the Selected Metals in the Scalp Hair of Cancer Patients in Comparison with Normal Donors

Eighteen metals were estimated in the scalp hair samples from cancer patients (n = 111) and normal donors (n = 113). Nitric acid–perchloric acid wet digestion procedure was used for the quantification of the selected metals by flame atomic absorption spectrophotometry. In the scalp hair of cancer patients, highest average levels were found for Ca (861 μg/g), followed by Na (672 μg/g), Zn (411 μg/g), Mg (348 μg/g), Fe (154 μg/g), Sr (129 μg/g), and K (116 μg/g), whereas in comparison, the dominant metals in the scalp hair of normal donors were Ca (568 μg/g), Zn (177 μg/g), Mg (154 μg/g), Fe (110 μg/g), and Na (103 μg/g). The concentrations of Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Na, Ni, Pb, Sb, Sr, and Zn were notably higher in the hair of cancer patients as compared with normal donors, which may lead to a number of physiological disorders. Strong positive correlations were found in Mn–Pb (0.83), Cd–Cr (0.82), Cd–Li (0.57), Fe–Pb (0.56), and Fe–Mn (0.55) in the hair of cancer patients whereas Na–Cd, Li–Cr, Li–Co, Co–Cd, Li–Cd, Na–Co, Na–Li, Ca–Mg and Na–Cr exhibited strong relationships (r > 0.50) in the hair of normal donors. Principal Component Analysis (PCA) of the data revealed seven PCs, both for cancer patients and normal donors, but with significantly different loadings. Cluster Analysis (CA) was also used to support the PCA results. The study evidenced significantly different pattern of metal distribution in the hair of cancer patients in comparison with normal donors. The role of trace metals in carcinogenesis was also discussed.     

Functional characterization of a synthetic abscisic acid analog with anti-inflammatory activity on human granulocytes and monocytes

The phytohormone abscisic acid (ABA), in addition to regulating several important physiological functions in plants, is also produced and released by human granulocytes and monocytes where it stimulates cell activities involved in the innate immune response.Here we describe the properties of an ABA synthetic analog that competes with the hormone for binding to human granulocyte membranes and to purified recombinant LANCL2 (the human ABA receptor) and inhibits several ABA-triggered inflammatory functions of granulocytes and monocytes in vitro: chemotaxis, phagocytosis, reactive oxygen species production and release of prostaglandin E₂ (PGE₂) by human granulocytes, release of PGE₂ and of monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 by human monocytes. This observation provides a proof of principle that ABA antagonists may represent a new class of anti-inflammatory agents.     

佤族的体质特征

调查了442例(男258例,女184例)佤族人的67项(观察项目9项,测量项目58项)体质人类学指标,计算了31项体质指数值,统计了部分指数的分型情况。研究结果显示:佤族人内眦褶率低(16.1%),上眼睑皱褶率高(96.8%),鼻根高度、鼻翼高度与上唇皮肤部高度均为中等型,耳垂多为圆型(58.1%),发色多为黑色,眼色多为褐色,肤色多为黄色。身高均数男为160.4cm,女为150.7cm,男女均为亚中等身材。体重均数男为54.9kg女为49.1kg。按指数分型标准,男女均以圆头型、高头型、阔头型、狭面型、狭鼻型、长躯干型、中腿型、中胸型出现率最高。此外,男性以宽肩型、中骨盆型出现率最高;女性的中肩型、窄骨盆型出现率最高。对包括佤族在内的我国32个人群(南、北方各16个人群)13项体质指标值主成分分析,结果显示佤族人身材矮小、纤瘦,面部及五官高度值较大,头长值较小,头面部及五官宽度值较大。佤族人具有蒙古人种南亚类型的体质特征。本文对佤族人体质特征形成的原因进行了初步分析。