The sensitivity of nonlinear computational models of trabecular bone to tissue level constitutive model

Microarchitectural finite element models have become a key tool in the analysis of trabecular bone. Robust, accurate, and validated constitutive models would enhance confidence in predictive applications of these models and in their usefulness as accurate assays of tissue properties. Human trabecular bone specimens from the femoral neck (n = 3), greater trochanter (n = 6), and lumbar vertebra (n = 1) of eight different donors were scanned by μ-CT and converted to voxel-based finite element models. Unconfined uniaxial compression and shear loading were simulated for each of three different constitutive models: a principal strain-based model, Drucker–Lode, and Drucker–Prager. The latter was applied with both infinitesimal and finite kinematics. Apparent yield strains exhibited minimal dependence on the constitutive model, differing by at most 16.1%, with the kinematic formulation being influential in compression loading. At the tissue level, the quantities and locations of yielded tissue were insensitive to the constitutive model, with the exception of the Drucker–Lode model, suggesting that correlation of microdamage with computational models does not improve the ability to discriminate between constitutive laws. Taken together, it is unlikely that a tissue constitutive model can be fully validated from apparent-level experiments alone, as the calculations are too insensitive to identify differences in the outcomes. Rather, any asymmetric criterion with a valid yield surface will likely be suitable for most trabecular bone models.     

Type and orientation of yielded trabeculae during overloading of trabecular bone along orthogonal directions

Trabecular architecture plays a major role in bone mechanics. Osteoporosis leads to a transition from a plate-like to a more rod-like trabecular morphology, which may contribute to fracture risk beyond that predicted by changes in density. In this study, microstructural finite element analysis results were analyzed using individual trabeculae segmentation (ITS) to identify the type and orientation of trabeculae where tissue yielded during compressive overloads in two orthogonal directions. For both apparent loading conditions, most of the yielded tissue was found in longitudinally oriented plates. However, the primary loading mode of yielded trabeculae was axial compression with superposed bending for on-axis loading in contrast to bending for transverse loading. For either loading direction, most plate-like trabeculae yielded in the same loading mode, regardless of their orientation. In contrast, rods oriented parallel to the loading axis yielded in compression, while rods oblique or perpendicular to the loading axis yielded in combined bending and tension. The predominance of tissue yielding in plates during both on-axis and transverse overloading explains why on-axis overloading is detrimental to the off-axis mechanical properties. At the same time, a large fraction of the tissue in rod-like trabeculae parallel to the loading direction yielded in both on-axis and transverse loading. Hence, rods may be more likely to be damaged and potentially resorbed by damage mediated remodeling.     

Enhanced Antitumor Efficacy of an Oncolytic Herpes Simplex Virus Expressing an Endostatin–Angiostatin Fusion Gene in Human Glioblastoma Stem Cell Xenografts

Viruses have demonstrated strong potential for the therapeutic targeting of glioblastoma stem cells (GSCs). In this study, the use of a herpes simplex virus carrying endostatin–angiostatin (VAE) as a novel therapeutic targeting strategy for glioblastoma-derived cancer stem cells was investigated. We isolated six stable GSC-enriched cultures from 36 human glioblastoma specimens and selected one of the stable GSCs lines for establishing GSC-carrying orthotopic nude mouse models. The following results were obtained: (a) VAE rapidly proliferated in GSCs and expressed endo–angio in vitro and in vivo 48 h and 10 d after infection, respectively; (b) compared with the control gliomas treated with rHSV or Endostar, the subcutaneous gliomas derived from the GSCs showed a significant reduction in microvessel density after VAE treatment; (c) compared with the control, a significant improvement was observed in the length of the survival of mice with intracranial and subcutaneous gliomas treated with VAE; (d) MRI analysis showed that the tumor volumes of the intracranial gliomas generated by GSCs remarkably decreased after 10 d of VAE treatment compared with the controls. In conclusion, VAE demonstrated oncolytic therapeutic efficacy in animal models of human GSCs and expressed an endostatin–angiostatin fusion gene, which enhanced antitumor efficacy most likely by restricting tumor microvasculature development.     

N添加对西南亚高山红桦林根系分泌物及其介导的养分转化过程的影响

目前缺乏对根系分泌物通量以及相关生态后果对不同氮(N)沉降水平响应方向和幅度的深入理解,该研究以西南亚高山典型的红桦(Betula albosinensis)林为研究对象,通过野外原位N添加试验模拟不同氮沉降水平(对照组,0 kg·hm^-2·a(-1);低氮处理,25 kg·hm^-2·a(-1);高氮处理,50 kg·hm^-2·a(-1)),分析了红桦林根系分泌物C输入通量及其介导的根际土壤养分循环过程对不同N添加水平的差异化响应,试图揭示不同N添加处理对红桦根系分泌物C输入通量及其介导的土壤养分转化过程的影响。结果表明：(1)N添加显著抑制了红桦林根系分泌物C输入速率(其中低氮(N25)条件下单位根生物量根系分泌速率均值降低约14.87%)和年C输入通量(低氮条件下降低了约45.01%)(P<0.05),其高氮处理的抑制效应更强。(2)N添加显著抑制了红桦林N矿化速率及其相关的微生物胞外酶活性(P<0.05),并显著降低了其根际效应;N沉降显著抑制了根系分泌物C输入通量及其介导的土壤养分转化过程,并且这种抑...     

氧化葡萄糖酸杆菌中硫辛酸合成模块对维生素C一步混菌发酵的影响

在由氧化葡萄糖酸杆菌和普通生酮古龙酸杆菌构建的维生素C两菌一步发酵体系中,为了强化氧化葡萄糖酸杆菌对普通生酮古龙酸杆菌生长和产酸的促进作用,文中在氧化葡萄糖酸杆菌中构建硫辛酸合成功能模块。由含硫辛酸功能模块的氧化葡萄糖酸杆菌和普通生酮古龙酸杆菌组成的两菌一步体系,能减轻普通生酮古龙酸杆菌单菌培养时的生长抑制,强化两菌的互作关系,使维生素C前体(2-酮基-L-古龙酸,2-KGA)的产量提高到73.34 g/L(对照组为59.09 g/L),醇酸转化率提高到86.0%。研究结果为进一步优化维生素C两菌一步发酵体系提供了新思路。     

A novel three-TMH Na+/H+ antiporter and the functional role of its oligomerization

Na⁺/H⁺ antiporters are a category of ubiquitous transmembrane proteins with various important physiological roles in almost all living organisms ranging from bacteria to humans. However, the knowledge of novel Na⁺/H⁺ antiporters remains to be broadened, and the functional roles of oligomerization in these antiporters have not yet been thoroughly understood. Here, we reported functional analysis of an unknown transmembrane protein composed of 103 amino acid residues. This protein was found to function as a Na⁺(Li⁺, K⁺)/H⁺ antiporter. To the best of our knowledge, this antiporter is the minimal one of known Na⁺/H⁺ antiporters and thus designated as NhaM to represent the minimal Na⁺/H⁺ antiporter. NhaM and its homologs have not yet been classified into any protein family. Based on phylogenetic analysis and protein alignment, we propose NhaM and its homologs to constitute a novel transporter family designated as NhaM family. More importantly, we found that NhaM is assembled with parallel protomers into a homo-oligomer and oligomerization is vital for the function of this antiporter. This implies that NhaM may adopt and require an oligomer structure for its normal function to create a similar X-shaped structure to that of the NhaA fold. Taken together, current findings not only present the proposal of a novel transporter family but also positively contribute to the functional roles of oligomerization in Na⁺/H⁺ antiporters.     

鱼虾混养生态系中细菌动态变化的研究

中国对虾和黑鲷混养生态系中几种主要细菌的动态变化研究结果表明 ,养殖初期 ,鱼虾混养池水体中异养菌总量和硝酸盐还原菌数量较低 ,但高于对照的对虾单养池 .随着养殖时间的推移 ,对照池的两种菌的菌量急剧增加 ,8、9月份菌量仍维持在较高水平 ;而混养池的菌量在高温季节虽有增加 ,但仍保持在 10 4 cells·ml-1范围内 ,增长幅度远远低于对照池 ,且 9月底开始下降 .底泥中的细菌数量与水体中细菌有相似的变化规律 ,但一般高于同期水中菌量 1～ 2个数量级 .混养池中的弧菌数量一直低于同期对照池 .可见 ,鱼虾混养可通过对养殖生态系中细菌的激活和调节作用 ,调节生态系统的物质循环 ,使其保持高速、稳定运行 ,为对虾生长提供一个健康而稳定的环境 ,同时增加综合养殖效益     

拟南芥高丝氨酸激酶HSK的分子结构与同源建模研究

高丝氨酸激酶（EC2．7．1．39）是拟南芥中合成甲硫氨酸和苏氨酸的关键酶之一。作者利用DNAMAN软件分析高丝氨酸激酶的氨基酸组成和等电点;利用生物信息学在线网站预测分析其疏水性、二级结构、跨膜结构域、信号肽区域、PEST序列、化学修饰位点及亚细胞定位等;利用SWISS—MODEL软件进行同源建模,使用Chimera（V1．8．1）做结构修饰处理,最后利用Molprobity4及ERRAT（V2．0）对建模结果进行结构质量分析。结果发现：HSK预测等电点为8．48,平均亲水性0．267;二级结构中α-螺旋占34．32％,不规则卷曲占48．11％,延伸链占17．57％;高丝氨酸激酶的预测模型经验证具有稳定的空间结构,符合立体化学规则。     

Ultrasensitive electrochemical immunosensor based on Au nanoparticles dotted carbon nanotube-graphene composite and functionalized mesoporous materials

A facile and sensitive electrochemical immunosensor for detection of human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) was designed by using functionalized mesoporous nanoparticles as bionanolabels. To construct high-performance electrochemical immunosensor, Au nanoparticles (AuNPs) dotted carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs)-graphene composite was immobilized on the working electrode, which can increase the surface area to capture a large amount of primary antibodies (Ab(1)) as well as improve the electronic transmission rate. The as-prepared bionanolabels. composed of mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MCM-41) coated with AuNPs through thionine linking, showed good adsorption of horseradish peroxidase-labeled secondary anti-hCG antibody. Interlayer thionine was not only a bridging agent between MCM-41 and AuNPs but also an excellent electron mediator. The approach provided a good linear response range from 0.005 to 500 mIU mL(-1) with a low detection limit of 0.0026 mIU mL(-1). The immunosensor showed good precision, acceptable stability and reproducibility. Satisfactory results were obtained for determination of hCG in human serum samples. The proposed method provides a new promising platform of clinical immunoassay for other biomolecules.