Evolution of avian eggshell structure

Data are presented suggesting that birds have evolved eggs with shells containing different structures (numbers of mammillae per unit of inner eggshell surface area, i.e., mammillary densities) to cope up with different calcium requirements imposed by different growth rates and modes of development. Precocial bird species grow slowly, but have high mammillary density, while altricial bird species grow rapidly, but have low mammillary density. These results suggest an adaptation associated with growth rate and mode of development and show, moreover, that the mammillary layer is indicative of the breeding biology of the bird. J. Morphol. 2012. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Graduate education and the role of the physical anthropologist in biomedical teaching and research

There is a place for the physical anthropologist in biomedical teaching and research because of the special and unique skills possessed by this individual. However, eventual success in the health sciences environment requires the student to obtain the knowledge and background for functionally oriented teaching and research. Students interested in a biomedical teaching and research career must prepare themselves methodologically and theoretically. This requires: (1) teaching qualifications, (2) an increased emphasis on methodology and technology, (3) an increased emphasis on research and experimental design, (4) appropriate interdisciplinary courses which provide the background for both teaching and research, (5) increased interaction with graduate faculty active in research, and (6) the latitude to adapt the graduate program to meet these specific needs. Students who finish their graduate training with a marketable skill, and who can apply their unique talents to a specialized area, will have broad appeal in the job market and will considerably strengthen their career opportunities.     

Relation between sequence and structure of HIV-1 protease inhibitor complexes: a model system for the analysis of protein flexibility.

The flexibility of different regions of HIV-1 protease was examined by using a database consisting of 73 X-ray structures that differ in terms of sequence, ligands or both. The root-mean-square differences of the backbone for the set of structures were shown to have the same variation with residue number as those obtained from molecular dynamics simulations, normal mode analyses and X-ray B-factors. This supports the idea that observed structural changes provide a measure of the inherent flexibility of the protein, although specific interactions between the protease and the ligand play a secondary role. The results suggest that the potential energy surface of the HIV-1 protease is characterized by many local minima with small energetic differences, some of which are sampled by the different X-ray structures of the HIV-1 protease complexes. Interdomain correlated motions were calculated from the structural fluctuations and the results were also in agreement with molecular dynamics simulations and normal mode analyses. Implications of the results for the drug-resistance engendered by mutations are discussed briefly.     

目标教学法在护理教学查房中的应用价值分析

目的:探讨目标教学法在护理教学查房中的临床应用价值,以培养护生的临床思维能力,并且提高实践工作能力。方法:选取我院2014年5月~2014年9月在急诊科实习的护生120人为研究对象,在实习之初,按照随机的原则将其分为观察组与对照组,每组60人。在查房中,观察组实施目标教学法,对照组实施常规护理教学法。实习结束后,调查两组护生对查房时教学与课堂效果的满意程度,记录两组护生病历书写的质量以及在实习结束后,通过考核,统计两组护生的在理论成绩、基础护理成绩、专科护理成绩以及护理综合技能方面的成绩,然后对所得到的数据进行统计,以探讨目标教学法在护理教学查房中的临床应用价值。结果:从查房时教学的满意程度及对课堂效果的满意程度来看,观察组都高于对照组,差异具有统计学意义(P0.05);观察组病历书写优良的人数为48,优良率为80%,高于对照组,差异具有统计学意义(P0.05);观察组护生的理论成绩、基础护理成绩、专科护理成绩及护理综合技能的成绩均高于对照组,差异具有统计学意义(P0.05)。结论:目标教学法是一种科学、合理并且适合时代发展要求的新型教学法,应用于护理教学查房中,能提高护生的主动性,激发护生的学习兴趣,充分发掘其潜能,做到理论与实际的结合,从而提高学习者的自身能力,值得临床推广应用。     

Resveratrol Binding to Human Serum Albumin

Abstract

Resveratrol (Res), a polyphenolic compound found largely in the skin of red grape and wine, exhibits a wide range of pharmaceutical properties and plays a role in prevention of human cardiovascular diseases [Pendurthi et al., Arterioscler. Thromb. Vasc. Biol. 19, 419–426 (1999)]. It shows a strong affinity towards protein binding and used as inhibitor for cyclo- oxygenase and ribonuclease reductase. The aim of this study was to examine the interaction of resveratrol with human serum albumin (HSA) in aqueous solution at physiological conditions, using a constant protein concentration (0.3 mM) and various pigment contents μM to mM). FTIR, UV-Visible, CD, and fluorescence spectroscopic methods were used to determine the resveratrol binding mode, the binding constant and the effects of pigment complexation on protein secondary structure.

Structural analysis showed that resveratrol bind non-specifically (H-bonding) via polypeptide polar groups with overall binding constant of K_Res = 2.56× 10⁵ M^?1. The protein secondary structure, analysed by CD spectroscopy, showed no major alterations at low resveratrol concentrations (0.125 mM), whereas at high pigment content (1 mM), major increase of α-helix from 57% (free HSA) to 62% and a decrease of β-sheet from 10% (free HSA) to 7% occurred in the resveratrol-HSA complexes. The results indicate a partial stabilization of protein secondary structure at high resveratrol content.     

《免疫学基础与病原生物学》移动交互式数字教材在“抗疫”时期在线教学中的应用

新型冠状病毒肺炎疫情暴发以来,全国各级各类学校延期开学,但停课不停教、停课不停学。各学校教师利用各种网络资源开展在线教学,也为深入挖掘"互联网+教育"教学新模式带来了契机。本文以《免疫学基础与病原生物学》移动交互式数字教材(云教材)应用为例,介绍如何应用移动交互式数字教材创设合理的学习情境,从而实现交互式学习,提升线上学习教学效果。     

双季稻田冬季种植模式对土壤有机碳和碳库管理指数的影响

为探讨冬季覆盖作物还田对稻田土壤碳库的影响,通过冬季种植油菜、紫云英、黑麦草、马铃薯,并以冬闲为对照进行大田试验,测定了不同冬季作物模式下早稻和晚稻的土壤有机碳、活性有机碳含量,并计算了稳态碳、碳库活度、活度指数、碳库指数和土壤碳库管理指数.结果表明:冬季作物还田增加了土壤有机碳含量,早稻和晚稻后的土壤有机碳含量比对照分别提高了1%～8%和3%～18%;油菜、黑麦草和紫云英还田均促进了土壤活性有机碳含量的增加,早稻后增加16.2%～84.2%,晚稻后增加24.4%～28.1%;冬季作物还田增加了土壤碳库管理指数,增加幅度为1.4%～41.8%.综上所述,冬种作物还田有利于提高土壤的固碳效应,并提升土壤质量,以种植黑麦草、紫云英的综合效果较佳.     

Dynamics alignment: comparison of protein dynamics in the SCOP database

A novel methodology for comparison of protein dynamics is presented. Protein dynamics is calculated using the Gaussian network model and the modes of motion are globally aligned using the dynamic programming algorithm of Needleman and Wunsch, commonly used for sequence alignment. The alignment is fast and can be used to analyze large sets of proteins. The methodology is applied to the four major classes of the SCOP database: "all alpha proteins," "all beta proteins," "alpha and beta proteins," and "alpha/beta proteins". We show that different domains may have similar global dynamics. In addition, we report that the dynamics of "all alpha proteins" domains are less specific to structural variations within a given fold or superfamily compared with the other classes. We report that domain pairs with the most similar and the least similar global dynamics tend to be of similar length. The significance of the methodology is that it suggests a new and efficient way of mapping between the global structural features of protein families/subfamilies and their encoded dynamics.