Effect of copper intrauterine contraceptive device on carbohydrate metabolism in rat endometrium

Activities of Phosphorylase, glyceraldehyde-3 -phosphate dehydrogenase, lactate dehydrogenase, malate dehydrogenase and succinate dehydrogenase in the rat endometrial tissue are significantly inhibited by an intrauterine copper device, while it stimulated glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase activity. The copper device decreased the lactate/pyruvate ratio in the tissue; pyruvate utilizationin vitro by the rat endometrium is also blocked by copper. These findings suggested that the normal carbohydrate metabolism of the tissue may be affected in presence of copper, thus resulting in a change of the endometrial function, which may be one of the factors responsible for the contraceptive and pharmacological action of an intrauterine copper device.     

Estimation of phenological stages and physiological states of grasslands from remote sensing data

Two radiometers measuring reflectance factors have been used at a height of 1.50 m above some grasslands in C. France. The results show that both spectral data are sensitive to the photosynthetic activity of the grassland. Measurements made in April, May, June and July show that grasslands have quite different spectral behaviour according to soil conditions or to grazing level. Grasslands on dry or wet soils may be separated from those of normal soils for which overgrazing and trampling affecting the growth of species, are shown by the different spectral values. Such on the ground remote sensing measurements may then be proposed for evaluating the range of growth and development of different grasslands.Convention C.N.E.S./I.N.A.P-G. ref.: 80/CNES/24 I thank CNES and IGN for the facilities given to assume this experiment. Many thanks to Lynn Erselius, who revised the text. Mr. Lecordix, a student from the Ecole Nationale des Sciences Géographiques and Mr. Besnard, a student from the Orsay University (Plant Biology) helped in the collection and handling of spectral resp, floristical data.     

Properties of liver mitochondria from iron-loaded rats.

The increased iron content in livers from iron-loaded rats is almost exclusively confined to the mitochondria. The ten- to twenty-fold higher level of nonheme iron in such mitochondria decreases the respiratory control with pyruvate-malate, but not with 3-hydroxybutyrate or succinate as substrates, and has no effect on the capacity for phosphorylation and substrate oxidation. Iron-loaded mitochondria have a malondialdehyde level which is about three times higher than that of control mitochondria, even after repeated washings with bovine serum albumin and EDTA. This is suggestive of an on-going process of lipid oxidation presumably catalyzed by the accumulated iron. Differences between the present in vivo data and in vitro results obtained by others are discussed.     

满族新生儿血红蛋白F中G_γ／A_γ比值测定及其异常者γ－珠蛋白基因图谱分析

以聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳方法测定了３３１例辽宁满族新生儿脐带血血红蛋白Ｆ中Ｇγ／Ａγ比值。结果显示：高Ｇγ（＞８０％）者４例,占１．２１％,其基因频率（ｆ）为０．００６０４,低Ｇγ（３０－４８％）者６例,占１．８１％,其基因频率为０．００９０６,其余正常,Ｇγ平均值为６５．２３±６．３８％。未发现ＡγＴ链。对其中八例异常者（４例高Ｇγ值,４例低Ｇγ值）的染色体ＤＮＡ进行了基因图谱分析,确定４例高Ｇγ值者基因型有两种：Ｇγ－Ｇγ／Ｇγ－Ａγ二例,Ｇγ－ＡＧγ－Ａγ／Ｇγ－Ａγ二例;４例低Ｇγ值者基因型有二种,分别为：Ａγ－Ａγ／Ｇγ－Ａγ二例和－ＧＡγ／Ｇγ－Ａγ二例。其中Ａγ－Ａγ基因型在中国人群中未见报道过。     

三台核桃结实特性研究

选择标准株 70株 ,其中有草果核桃 ( cv.Zaogu)、大油笼核桃 ( cv.Dayoulong)、早熟核桃 ( cv.Zaoshu)、小油笼核桃 ( cv. Xiaoyoulong)、荚绵核桃 ( cv. Jiamian) 5个品种。据对不同品种、海拔、年龄的结实特性研究 ,结果表明 :草果核桃是优良的栽培品种 ,早熟核桃结实性状表现最差 ,果枝粗是影响座果率最重要的因素。     

呼气末二氧化碳分压、C-反应蛋白/白蛋白比值及综合脱机指数对重型颅脑损伤机械通气患者撤机失败的预测价值

摘要 目的：探讨呼气末二氧化碳分压（PetCO₂）、C-反应蛋白/白蛋白比值（CRP/Alb）及综合脱机指数（IWI）对重型颅脑损伤机械通气患者撤机失败的预测价值。方法：选择2020年1月至2022年6月在安徽中医药大学附属六安医院进行机械通气的重型颅脑损伤患者96例作为研究对象,按照撤机结局分为撤机失败组（n=31）和撤机成功组（n=65）。比较两组撤机前PetCO₂、CRP/Alb、IWI及临床参数。应用多因素Logistic回归分析重型颅脑损伤机械通气患者撤机失败的危险因素。应用受试者工作特征（ROC）曲线评价PetCO₂、CRP/Alb、IWI对重型颅脑损伤机械通气患者撤机失败的预测价值。结果：撤机失败组PetCO₂、CRP/Alb、急性生理功能和慢性健康状况评分系统II（APACHE II）评分显著高于撤机成功组,机械通气时间长于撤机成功组,IWI、格拉斯哥昏迷评分（GCS）显著低于撤机成功组（P<0.05）。多因素Logistic回归分析显示,PetCO₂≥37.01 mmHg、CRP/Alb≥0.97、IWI≤78.23、GCS≤5.90分、APACHE II评分≥26.17分、机械通气时间≥4.49 d是重型颅脑损伤机械通气患者撤机失败的危险因素（P<0.05）。ROC曲线分析结果显示PetCO₂、CRP/Alb、IWI、GCS、APACHE II对重型颅脑损伤机械通气患者撤机失败均有较高的敏感度、特异度, PetCO₂、CRP/Alb、IWI三项联合检测对重型颅脑损伤机械通气患者撤机失败预测的曲线下面积（AUC）高于PetCO₂、CRP/Alb、IWI、GCS、APACHE II单独检测。结论：PetCO₂、CRP/Alb及IWI联合评估对重型颅脑损伤机械通气患者撤机失败具有较高的预测价值。     

Sex allocation and sex‐specific parental investment in an endangered seabird

Biased offspring sex ratio is relatively rare in birds and sex allocation can vary with environmental conditions, with the larger and more costly sex, which can be either the male or female depending on species, favoured during high food availability. Sex‐specific parental investment may lead to biased mortality and, coupled with unequal production of one sex, may result in biased adult sex ratio, with potential grave consequences on population stability. The African Penguin Spheniscus demersus, endemic to southern Africa, is an endangered monogamous seabird with bi‐parental care. Female adult African Penguins are smaller, have a higher foraging effort when breeding and higher mortality compared with adult males. In 2015, a year in which environmental conditions were favourable for breeding, African Penguin chick production on Bird Island, Algoa Bay, South Africa, was skewed towards males (1.5 males to 1 female). Males also had higher growth rates and fledging mass than females, with potentially higher post‐fledging survival. Female, but not male, parents had higher foraging effort and lower body condition with increasing number of male chicks in their brood, thereby revealing flexibility in their parental strategy, but also the costs of their investment in their current brood. The combination of male‐biased chick production and higher female mortality, possibly at the juvenile stage as a result of lower parental investment in female chicks, and/or at the adult stage as a result of higher parental investment, may contribute to a biased adult sex ratio (ASR) in this species. While further research during years of contrasting food availability is needed to confirm this trend, populations with male‐skewed ASRs have higher extinction risks and conservation strategies aiming to benefit female African Penguin might need to be developed.     

Distribution and fitness effects of the son-killer bacterium inNasonia

Summary Maternally inherited microorganisms that kill male (but not female) progeny are widespread in nature. Three hypotheses have been proposed for the evolution of male-killing microorganisms: inbreeding reduction, release of resources to remaining females and inoculum for horizontal transmission. The sonkiller bacterium,Arsenophonus nasoniae, is a maternally inherited bacterium that causes lethality of male embryos of infected females in the parasitoid wasp,Nasonia vitripennis. In this paper we describe the geographical distribution and frequency of the son-killer bacterium in North American populations ofN. vitripennis andNasonia longicornis. We tested the resource release hypothesis using the body size measurements of infected and uninfected females from natural populations. No evidence was found for a fitness increase of females infected with the bacterium compared to uninfected females. We propose a modification of the existing models, termed the incremental gain hypothesis. According to this model, the bacteria are maintained in host populations due to horizontal transmission and male killing provides an incremental gain in the fitness of infected females relative to females infected with non-male-killing bacteria.