Preferences for masculinity in male bodies change across the menstrual cycle

In human females cyclic shifts in preference have been documented for odour and physical and behavioral male traits. Women prefer the smell of dominant males, more masculine male faces and men behaving more dominantly when at peak fertility than at other times in their menstrual cycle. Here we examine variation in preferences for body sexual dimorphism. Across two studies, both between- and within-participant, we show that women prefer greater masculinity in male bodies at times when their fertility is likely highest, in the follicular phase of their cycle. Shifts were seen when rating for a short-term but not when rating for a long-term relationship. In line with studies showing similar effects for facial sexual dimorphism, we also show that women prefer greater masculinity when they think themselves attractive than when they think themselves less attractive. These results indicate that women's preferences for sexual dimorphism in male bodies follow a similar pattern as found for sexual dimorphism and dominance in other domains and such differences in preference may serve a similar function. Cyclic preferences could influence women to select partners when most likely to become pregnant that possess traits that may be most likely to maximize their offspring's quality via attraction to masculinity or serve to help acquire investment via attraction to femininity.     

人类活动对广西合浦海草床服务功能价值的影响

近年来,中国海草生态系统受到严重破坏。本文以广西合浦海草床生态系统为例,采用1980—2005年当地统计资料,综合运用生态经济学的基本理论,以海草床的食物生产、调节大气、生态系统营养循环、净化水质、维持生物多样性和科学研究功能作为指标体系,对人类活动造成合浦海草床生态系统的价值损失进行了初步估算。结果表明,从1980—2005年,合浦海草床由于人类活动造成的价值损失为34657.95万元,损失率为71.97%。直接利用价值增加了4452.88万元,而间接利用价值损失为39110.83万元,损失率高达81.82%。说明人类对合浦海草床的开发利用强度增大趋势明显。     

Stable expression of human growth hormone over 50 generations in transgenic insect larvae

Developments in insect transgenesis using transposons combined with available mass rearing technology for insects such as the Medfly, Ceratitis capitata, provide opportunity for the production of protein for industrial, agricultural and healthcare purposes on a very large scale. In this study, we report the germ-line transformation and expression of a cDNA encoding human growth hormone (hGH) in transgenic Drosophila using the Minos transposon. Production and secretion of a bioactive hGH into the haemolymph of transgenic larvae was demonstrated by immunoblot analysis, ELISA and a proliferation bioassay. Stable expression of hGH was observed over 50 generations. The results indicate that mass reared transgenic diptera with a rapid period of larval growth could provide cost effective production systems for the manufacture of therapeutic and other high value proteins.     

Fermentation of cashew apple juice to produce high added value products

The use of agriculture substrates in industrial biotechnological processes has been increasing because of its low cost. Cashew apples are considered an agriculture low cost product in the Brazilian Northeast because the cashew cultivation is done mainly to produce cashew nuts. About 90% of the cashew apples production is lost in the field after removing the nut. In this work, the use of clarified cashew apple juice as substrate for microbial cultivation was investigated. The results showed that cashew apple juice is a good source of reducing sugars and can be used to grow Leuconostoc mesenteroides to produce high added value products such as dextran, lactic acid, mannitol and oligosaccharides.     

苦瓜的营养价值、化学成分以及药理作用研究进展

本文总结了半个多世纪来国内外学者对苦瓜的研究,为苦瓜进一步开发提供了借鉴。     

Composition and distribution of indigenous trees and shrubs as possible criteria for indicating adapted species in semi‐arid rangelands

This study assessed the composition and natural distribution of indigenous trees and shrubs as possible criteria for selecting suitable species for rehabilitation of degraded sites in semi‐arid rangelands. Study sites were identified at Nthangu, Kathonzweni and Kibwezi forests of Makueni County, Kenya using existing vegetation, agro‐climatic maps and Landsat imageries. The sites had mean annual rainfalls of 974 mm, 700 mm and 616 mm, respectively, and moisture indices of 49%, 35% and 32%. Data were collected by establishing sample plots and assessing species counts and diameters at breast height (DBH). Basal area, relative dominance, relative abundance, relative frequency and important value indices (IVIs) were computed for individual families and species at each site. The number of families, genera and species declined from Nthangu (33, 60, 77) through Kibwezi (30, 48, 70) to Kathonzweni (28, 42, 69). Corresponding mean basal areas were 16.7 m² ha^?1, 76.8 m² ha^?1 and 19.3 m² ha^?1. The families Combretaceae, Burseraceae and Mimosaceae were the most important and widely distributed. Based on ecological importance values, candidate species for rehabilitation of degraded sites at Nthangu, Kathonzweni and Kibwezi were Combretum molle and Acacia hockii; Combretum collinum, Commiphora campestris and Acacia tortilis; and Commiphora africana and A. tortilis, respectively.     

野生棘胸蛙消化器官蛋白酶的分布及酶活力

本研究在不同p H和温度条件下以离体方式对野生棘胸蛙(Quasipaa spinosa)不同消化器官的蛋白酶活力进行了分析。结果表明,食道、胃、胰的蛋白酶活力受到酶体系p H的显著影响(P0.05),且随p H升高呈现典型的单峰型活力曲线。食道和胃的蛋白酶活力在p H为1.5时达到峰值,胰的酶活力在p H为9.6时达到峰值,而肠道酶活力在p H为7.4时达到峰值。各消化器官蛋白酶活力具有明显的温度依赖性(P0.05),酶活力随温度升高也均呈典型的单峰型活力曲线,不同消化器官的最大酶活力温度分别为,食道50℃、胃50℃、胰45℃、前肠45℃、后肠45℃、直肠45℃。在最大酶活力的p H和30℃条件下,各消化器官蛋白酶活力由高到低依次为胰、食道、胃、直肠、前肠、后肠。由此可见,蛋白酶在棘胸蛙消化系统的分布具有明确的规律性,且不同来源的蛋白酶需要在特定p H和温度下才能表现出最大的反应活性。     

Evaluation of method performance for oxidative stress biomarkers in urine and biological variations in urine of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and diabetic nephropathy

Background

Oxidative stress biomarkers such as superoxide dismutase (CuZnSOD), catalase (CAT) and malondialdehyde (MDA) play an important role in the pathogenesis or progression of numerous diseases. Data regarding the biological variation and analytical quality specifications (imprecision, bias and total error) for judging the acceptability of method performance for oxidative stress biomarkers in urine are conspicuously lacking in the literature. Such data are important in setting analytical quality specifications, assessing the utility of population reference intervals (index of individuality) and assessing the significance of changes in serial results from an individual (reference change value; RCV).

Materials and methods

20 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM), 20 patients with diabetic nephropathy (DN) and 14 healthy individuals as control were involved in this study. Timed first morning urine samples were taken from patients and healthy groups on the zero, 1st, 3rd, 5th, 7th, 15th and 30th days. Index of individuality and reference change value were calculated from within-subject and between-subject variations. Methods of oxidative stress biomarkers in human blood were adopted in human urine and markers were measured as spectrophotometrically. Also, analytical quality specifications for evaluation of the method performance were established for oxidative stress biomarkers in urine.

Results

Within-subject variations of oxidative stress biomarkers were significantly higher in patients with DN and T2DM compared to healthy subjects. MDA showed low individuality, and within-subject variances of MDA were larger than between-subject variances in all groups. However, CAT and CuZnSOD showed strong individuality, but within-subject variances of them were smaller than between-subject variances in all groups. RCVs of all analytes in diabetic patients were relatively higher, because of high within-subject variation, resulting in a higher RCV. Also, the described methodology achieves these goals, with analytical CVs of < 3.5% for all analytes. Goals for bias and total error were 6.0-7.9% and 12.5-23.3%, respectively.

Conclusions

RCVs concept for predicting the clinical status in diabetic patients represents an optimization of laboratory reporting and could be a valuable tool for clinical decision. Furthermore, for oxidative stress biomarkers’ measurements in urine, the desirable imprecision goals based on biological variation are obtainable by current methodologies.