An Extreme Value Analysis of Pollutant Concentrations in Surface Soils Due to Atmospheric Deposition

Risk assessments often rely on deterministic models using long-term averages or “steady-state” values of input variables. Such models do not provide the information needed to estimate acute exposures. This study uses extreme value theory to examine the frequency and magnitude of daily pollutant concentrations in surface soils predicted at six U.S. locations. Concentrations are predicted using a deposition-leaching model and 50 years of historical precipitation data. A stochastic model also is used to generate 1000 years of precipitation data as modeling inputs for each location. The annual maximum concentrations at each site are fitted to a Gumbel type I distribution to estimate occurrence probability. For soluble pollutants, the predicted concentration varied substantially with precipitation, and the maximum daily concentrations exceeded annual averages by 4 to 8 times. Observed and synthetic precipitation data produced similar results at most study locations, though the synthetic data provided a slightly better fit to the Gumbel type I distribution. The precipitation model allows the generation of representative precipitation data that extend limited historical records. The extreme value analysis facilitates the evaluation of maximum pollutant concentrations, return periods, and other statistics that are important in evaluating acute exposures.     

Preparation of capacitor’s electrode from sunflower seed shell

Series of nanoporous carbons are prepared from sunflower seed shell (SSS) by two different strategies and used as electrode material for electrochemical double-layer capacitor (EDLC). The surface area and pore-structure of the nanoporous carbons are characterized intensively using N₂ adsorption technique. The results show that the pore-structure of the carbons is closely related to activation temperature and dosage of KOH. Electrochemical measurements show that the carbons made by impregnation-activation process have better capacitive behavior and higher capacitance retention ratio at high drain current than the carbons made by carbonization-activation process, which is due to that there are abundant macroscopic pores and less interior micropore surface in the texture of the former. More importantly, the capacitive performances of these carbons are much better than ordered mesoporous carbons and commercial wood-based active carbon, thus highlighting the success of preparing high performance electrode material for EDLC from SSS.     

Physiological characteristics of glutamine synthetases I and II of Frankia sp. strain CpI1

Frankia sp. strain CpI1 has two glutamine synthetases designated GSI and GSII. Biosynthetic activities of both GSI and GSII were strongly inhibited by ADP and AMP. Alanine, aspartate, glycine and serine inhibited both GSI and GSII activities, whereas asparagine and lysine inhibited only slightly. Glutamine inhibited GSII but did not affect GSI. Since GSII is more heat labile than GSI, their relative heat stabilities can be used to determine their contribution to total GS activity. In cells grown on ammonia and on glutamine as sole combined-nitrogen sources most GS activity detected in crude extracts was due to GSI. In cells transferred to glutamate, GSI accounted for all GS activity in the first 15 h and then heat labile GSII was induced and increased to account for 40% of total GS activity within 50 h. Transfer of N₂-fixing cells to ammonia-containing medium led to a rapid decrease of GSII and a slow increase of GSI activity within 24 h. Conversely, when ammonia-grown cells were transferred to combined nitrogen-free medium, GSI activity gradually decreased and GSII increased before total activity leveled off in 50 h. GSII appears to be an ammonia-assimilating enzyme specifically synthesized during perceived N-starvation of Frankia cells.     

中国人ε珠蛋白基因5′侧序列中多态性Hinc Ⅱ位点的进一步研究

本文进一步研究了我国不同民族的正常个体以及β地中海贫血患者θ珠蛋白基因5′侧序列中的多态性HincⅡ位点及其遗传性质。在广西壮族正常个体和β地中海贫血纯合子中,该多态性位点的发生频率均为75％,与正常汉族人测得值相近。家系分析资料表明,该多态性位点完全按照孟德尔规律进行遗传。     

黑龙江省北五味子一新变种

本文发表了黑龙江省产北五味子一新变种：白果五味子     

从祁连山圆柏（Sabina przewalskii Kom.）年轮的测定推论该地区气候和冰川变化的趋势

 本文的二份圆柏年轮标本,均采自祁连山。 根据圆柏年轮资料,分析了祁连山地区900年温度变化和近300年的降水量变化。 根据同一时期的温度和降水最组合状况,阐明祁连山地区近300年冰川有过二次前进和三次退缩。     

Irradiation of the bovine mitochondrial F1-ATPase previously inactivated with 5'-p-fluorosulfonylbenzoyl-8-azido-[3H]adenosine cross-links His-beta 427 to Tyr-beta 345 within the same beta subunit.

The bovine heart mitochondrial F1-ATPase (MF1) is inactivated by 5'-p'-fluorosulfonylbenzoyl-8-azidoadenosine (8-N3-FSBA) with an apparent Kd of 0.47 mM at pH 8.0 and 23 degrees C in the absence of light. Irradiation of dark-inactivated enzyme with long-wavelength UV light produced cross-linked dimers and, to a lesser extent, trimers made up of alpha and beta subunits. Two major radioactive peptides were resolved by high-performance liquid chromatography from tryptic digests of MF1 which had been inactivated with 8-N3-FSB[3H]A at pH 8.0 in the dark. Sequence analysis revealed that one contained Tyr-beta 368 and the other contained His-beta 427 which were labeled in the ratio of 18:15. Sequence analysis of radioactive tryptic peptides isolated from digests of irradiated MF1 derivatized with 8-N3-FSB[3H]A showed that photolysis induced cross-linking of His-427 to Tyr-345 within the same beta subunit in high yield. When MF1 derivatized with 8-N3-FSB[3H]A was irradiated in the presence of beta-mercaptoethanol, alpha-beta cross-links were eliminated, whereas those between His-beta 427 and Tyr-beta 345 were unaffected. Analysis of radioactive peptides in tryptic digests of MF1 derivatized with 8-N3-FSB[3H]A and then irradiated in the presence or absence of beta-mercaptoethanol showed that the nitrene generated from reagent attached to Tyr-beta 368 participates in formation of alpha-beta cross-links in the absence of beta-mercaptoethanol. Therefore, the nitrene generated from reagent tethered to His-beta 427 is shielded from solvent and reacts with the side chain of Tyr-beta 345. In contrast, the nitrene generated from reagent attached to Tyr-beta 368 is exposed to solvent, but in the absence of scavengers reacts with side chains present in the alpha subunit. Irradiation of MF1, partially inactivated with 8-N3-FSBA, led to loss of residual ATPase activity without affecting residual ITPase activity. The amount of photoinactivation was greater when partial dark inactivation was performed at pH 6.9, where modification of His-beta 427 predominates, than when performed at pH 8.0, where modification of Tyr-beta 368 predominates. This suggests that cross-linking of His-beta 427 to Tyr-beta 345, and not cross-linking of alpha and beta subunits, is responsible for the augmented inactivation induced by irradiation.     

Fragile X mental retardation protein is required for chemically-induced long-term potentiation of the hippocampus in adult mice

Fragile X syndrome (FXS), a common form of inherited mental retardation, is caused by the lack of fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP). The animal model of FXS, Fmr1 knockout mice, have deficits in the Morris water maze and trace fear memory tests, showing impairment in hippocampus-dependent learning and memory. However, results for synaptic long-term potentiation (LTP), a key cellular model for learning and memory, remain inconclusive in the hippocampus of Fmr1 knockout mice. Here, we demonstrate that FMRP is required for glycine induced LTP (Gly-LTP) in the CA1 of hippocampus. This form of LTP requires activation of post-synaptic NMDA receptors and metabotropic glutamateric receptors, as well as the subsequent activation of extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) 1/2. However, paired-pulse facilitation was not affected by glycine treatment. Genetic deletion of FMRP interrupted the phosphorylation of ERK1/2, suggesting the possible role of FMRP in the regulation of the activity of ERK1/2. Our study provide strong evidences that FMRP participates in Gly-LTP in the hippocampus by regulating the phosphorylation of ERK1/2, and that improper regulation of these signaling pathways may contribute to the learning and memory deficits observed in FXS.     

NPR1多肽抗体的制备和应用

根据NCBI GenBank中报道的NPR1一级结构信息,采用Blastn、Blastx、ExPASy和Protean等软件进行序列同源性和抗原性指数分析,获得三段序列特异性较高的多肽,并从中优选一段序列特异性多肽,采用9-氟甲氧羰基固相合成法获得序列特异性最好的多肽,采用HPLC和LC-MS测定合成多肽的浓度和分子量,试验表明目的多肽纯度达88%、目的多肽分子量为1.92234 kD。采用碳化二亚胺法将多肽与KLH进行偶联获得免疫原Pep-KLH,并将其免疫新西兰大白兔以获得抗血清和多克隆抗体,采用ELISA和Western blotting测定其效价和特异性,经ELISA检测表明抗血清和多克隆抗体可与Pep发生特异性免疫反应,经Western blotting试验表明抗血清和多克隆抗体可识别烟草叶片特异性条带,其相对分子量为65 kD,与预测分子量相符,表明利用该方法制备的NPR1多肽抗体具有较高特异性和灵敏度。