Phenomenon and mechanism of “secondary damage” during repair of DNA damage in irradiated mammalian cells

By means of comet assay, a study of kinetics curve of DNA damage repair in irradiated SX-9 cells that came from mouse breast cancer proceeded. It was found that while the initial DNA damages had nearly been repaired, DNA damages arose for the second time, then they were repaired again. As a result, a phenomenon of “secondary damage” was found during the repair of DNA damages in irradiated SX-9 cells. Further research illuminated that 3-aminobenzamide (3AB), which is an inhibitor of poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase, could change the proceeding of “secondary damage”. For this reason it is poasible that there exists some inner relationship between the phenomenon of “secondary damage” and the function of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase.     

Dynamic Mechanisms for Evolution of Mountain Rural Settlements and Soil Conservation in Upper Yangtze River Basin

This paper presents the logic relationship between rural settlement reconstruction and soil conservation in the Upper Yangtze River. Firstly, by introducing the concepts of ＂flow＂ and ＂intercepted flow＂, we probe into the dynamic mechanism on interaction between ecological and environmental system, and then point out that the ＂intercepting sites＂ are physical conditions for establishment of human settlements in mountains. Secondly, by using ecological theories, ＂flow＂, ＂source＂, and ＂sink＂, material cycle and energy flow in mountains have been discussed. Thirdly, according to dissipative structure theory and thermodynamic laws, a hypothesis has been proposed that ＂entropy flow＂ is a dynamic force for settlement evolution. Finally, it is argued that a project for soil conservation is set to control and utilize flows so rural settlements can be supported and farmers＇ life improved.     

New mechanism revealed for light-state transition in cyanobacterium Arthrospira platensis according to 77-K fluorescence kinetics

The mechanisms of oxygen evolution and carbon fixation in oxygenic organisms depend on the equal distribution of excitation energy to photosystems Ⅰ and Ⅱ, which is regulated by a mechanism referred to as light-state transition. In this work, a novel mechanism, energy spillover from PS Ⅰ to PS Ⅱ referred to as "inverse spillover", was revealed besides "mobile phycobilisome (PBS)" and the "spillover" of energy from PS Ⅱ to PS Ⅰ in cyanobacteria. Under continuous illumination with blue light, time-dependent 77-K fluorescence spectra demonstrated heterogeneous kinetics for the PBS and photosystem components, indicating that inverse spillover and mobile PBS work successively to regulate the excitation to a balanced distribution in cyanobacterial cells under blue light. Inverse spillover and mobile PBS occur under both 100 and 300 μmol m-2 s-1 blue-light conditions but they are accelerated under the latter.     

Agglomerating Growth of One-Dimensional Carbon Nano-Materials Synthesized from Ethanol Flames

One-dimensional carbon nano-materials （ODCNMs） synthesized from ethanol flames exhibit various agglomerated morphologies, such as ＂chrysanthemum-like＂, ＂hairball-like＂ or ＂orange-peel-like＂, ＂vertically aligned＂ and ＂wrinkling-pileup＂. The present work studied the agglomerating process and the growth mechanism by using scanning electron microscopy （SEM） and transmission electron microscopy （TEM）. It is thought that the size and distribution of the catalyst particles produced from pretreatment of the substrates play a key role during the formation of agglomerations. It is expected that the steady growth of ODCNMs in flames will be improved through the preparation of the catalysts.     

应用傅立叶变换红外光谱研究白血病骨髓血红细胞

研究了急性粒细胞白血病(AML)和慢性粒细胞白血病(CML)患者的骨髓血红细胞的红外光谱差异性：与CML红细胞相比,AML红细胞酰胺Ⅰ带较宽;1540cm-1与1 084cm-1吸收峰面积之间的比值较低,范围较窄。该结果提示AML和CML骨髓血红细胞系中有核红细胞的数量分布不同,同时提示骨髓红细胞的成熟可能与白血病细胞的增殖有关。骨髓血细胞的红外光谱的差异性对白血病的分析和评价具有重要的意义。     

Anti-CD44 mAb remodels biological behaviors of spheroid cells with stemness from human ovarian cancer cell line SKOV-3

There is accumulating evidence that cancer stem cells (CSCs) play an important role in tumor progression. Novel strategies targeting CSCs have been widely researched. In the present study, we explored whether such CSCs existed in human ovarian cancer (OVCA) cell line and whether anti-CD44 antibody had effects on such subpopulation. We isolated and identified spheroid cells from SKOV-3. Then we used A3D8, an anti-CD44 mAb to treat spheroid cells with so-called "stemness". Effects of A3D8 on spheroid cells’ biological behaviors were examined. Our findings showed that there was a small subpopulation that had so-called "stemness" in SKOV-3 cell line. Against spheroid cells, A3D8 can (1) inhibit cell proliferation; (2) change cell cycle distribution and expression of p21, CDK2 and cyclinA; (3) enhance cisplatin (DDP)-induced apoptosis; (4) promote cell differentiation; (5) inhibit clone formation efficiency; (6) reduce invasive efficacy; (7) inhibit tumorigenicity. Thus, to sum up points which we have just showed, spheroid cells isolated from SKOV-3 can be used as an appropriate in vitro model for relevant study of human ovarian CSCs. And our results reasoned that anti-CD44 therapy may become a potential promising strategy for OVCA treatment.     

High precision topographic data on Lop Nor basin＇s Lake ＂Great Ear＂ and the timing of its becoming a dry salt lake

High precision elevation measurements using DGPS were carried out along three representative tran-sects for the ＂Great Ear＂ area, a dry salt lake within the Lop Nor basin. Results indicate that the Lop Nor basin is only 5.2 m deep and its lowest point occurs at the center of the ＂Great Ear＂. In addition, the basin is asymmetric-steeper in the southwest （0.19‰） and gentler in the northeast （0.09‰）. Points along the same ＂Great Ear＂ ring were found to have an identical elevation value, but different when from different ones （lower towards the center）. The spacing of the ＂Great Ear＂ rings was found to be closely related with the surface steepness. The closer the ＂Great Ear＂ rings are spaced, the steeper the ground surface, and vice versa. These findings support the argument that the ＂Great Ear＂ rings are the former shoreline trails left behind by Lop Nor water during the last few episodes of recession towards its total dry up. A comprehensive analysis of the high precision elevation data, historical accounts, aerial and satellite photographs and imagery, and official topographic maps of the study area suggests that the ＂Great Ear＂ area in the Lop Nor basin was incorrectly mapped as being covered by a great body of water on the 1963 topographic maps. A re-interpretation of the 1958 aerial photographs and newer remote sensing imagery indicated that the ＂Great Ear＂ ring structure was already in place in 1958 and it continued to appear on the subsequent remote sensing data without any major changes. It is estimated that lake water in the ＂Great Ear＂ area of the Lop Nor basin disappeared between the late 1930s and early 1940s.     

Ecosystem valuation and the conservation of wild lands in visorous economic resions： A case study in Jiuduansha Wetland, Shanshai

As the loss of wild lands to satisfy traditional economic development has become a global environmental problem in recent decades, using ecosystem valuation to estimate the total economic value （TEV） of an ecosystem has become popular. The main purpose of the ecosystem valuation is to strengthen the importance of ecosystems, and bring the ecosystem services into the traditional cost-benefit analyses of land use strategy. Some studies have illustrated that in remote areas, wilderness can produce more value if it is conserved, rather than converted to traditional agricultural or industrial uses. The same situation does not seem to exist in vigorous economic regions. Thus, a case study was conducted on the Jiuduansha Wetland in Shanghai using three approaches： the direct market valuation, the replacement valuation and the contingent valuation. The net present TEVs of three land use scenarios over one hundred years were evaluated. The results proved that simply based on ecosystem valuation, when compared with the other two scenarios of ＂conservation＂ and ＂selective use＂, ＂partial conversion into terrene （dry land）＂ of Jiuduansha might be the optimal scenario for the well-being of the people in Shanghai. Land price was identified as the most important factor. This situation is likely due to the scarcity of land available for traditional economic development in Shanghai. Thus, we speculated that the fate of the wilderness to ＂be destroyed＂ in vigorous economic regions could not be changed simply based on ecosystem valuation. However, the variety of interest by local residents in wilderness might enhance the TEVs of scenarios such as ＂conservation＂ and ＂selective use＂, and affect the valuation results. Since some important benefits of natural ecosystems remain unknown and others are underestimated, we suggested that any land use decisions regarding the Jiuduansha Wetland should be conservative and cautious as converting wetlands into terrene is an irreversible process.     

“Chi-Fang-Qi”: Is it the aureole of an ancient supernova?

An annotation for the statement about JingXing (Great Star) in the most famous Chinese ancient historical book Ski Ji Historical Records authored by Sima Qian reads as follows: “There was a red aureole (“Chi-Fang-Qi”) which connected with a deep-color aureole (“Qing-Fang-Qi”). Two yellaw stars were in the red aureole,one yellow star was in the deep-color aureole”. The author of the annotation was Meng Kang, an officer as well as a scholar of the Wei State in the Three Kingdoms period. The same records are to be found in two other Chinese histurical books compiled by the authors of later ages in Tang Dynasty——Jin History and Sui History. The scene illustrated by the record of “Chi-Fang-Qi” is very similar to the pictures of SN1987A taken by the Hubble Space Telescope. Let it be noted that although the ancient authors were often with serious wrong understandings of some astronomical phenomena such as supernovae, their depictions about natural phenomena they witnessed were mostly objective, and it was unlikely that they fictionally made the record of “Chi-Fang-Qi”. We infer that the ancient observers might have ever watched a very bright supernnva with an aureole structure in its remnant and then left such a record. Meng Kang perhaps was the first to give the record about“Chi-Fang-Qi”, and he might have lived in the period from about AD 180 to AD250, very near to AD 185. so, here the supernova the ancient people watched was most likely the one in the year of AD 185. This supposition is consistent with the distance parameter of the most possible remnant of SN185 derived by some modern measurements. If the correlation between the record of “Chi-Fang-Qi” and the supernova remnant can he further proven true, it would be an important verification of the modern theory about stellar evolution.     

Regional characteristics of the interdecadal turning of winter/summer climate modes in Chinese mainland

Tomé and Miranda’s climate trend turning discriminatory model is used to identify the spatial-temporal characteristics of the interdecadal turning of winter/summer climate modes at stations and in eight sub-areas over Chinese mainland based on the 1961–2000 observations. It is found that the stations with close occurrence years of the interdecadal trend turning (ITT) and coincident trends after the ITT exhibit a zonal distribution. A view is accordingly proposed that the interdecadal turnings of climate modes in China have remarkably regional structures. The research results show that after the early 1980s, winter climate over Chinese mainland overall trends towards a “warm-wet” mode, while summer climate had an abrupt change into “warm wet” mode in the late 1980s, suggesting that the time of the “warm-wet” mode turning for winter climate is earlier than that for summer climate. The regional characteristics and test results of the ITTs in eight sub-areas suggest that winter climate exhibits a distinctive “warm-dry” trend in North China after the late 1970s, and a slight “warm-dry” trend in Northeast China, South China, and Southwest China after the late 1980s. A “warm-wet” trend appears in the rest four sub-areas (the middle and lower reaches of the Yangtze River and the Huaihe River Valley, briefly Jianghuai, the east of the Tibetan plateau, and the east and west of Northwest China) after the early 1980s. The summer climate trends towards a “warm-dry” mode in Northeast China, North China and the east of Northwest China after the late 1980s, but a “warm-wet” mode appears in Southwest China and the east of the Tibetan plateau after the middle 1970s, as well as in Jianghuai and the west of Northwest China after the early 1980s. Specially, summer climate in South China started a “cold-wet” trend in 1984.     

The specific contribution of object’s origin on artifacts categorization

Gelman and Bloom found that adults and children＇s object naming was sensitive to how an object was created （man-made or not）, but they did not reveal on which specific level of conceptual system this effect was. Using a free-naming task and a force-choice task, two experiments were conducted to test a hypothesis that this effect was specifically on domain level （＂artifact/non-artifact＂ distinction）, in Experiment 1, participants were asked to name shortly-depicted objects, rate their confidence, and report their reasons for each naming response. Resuits showed that most of the naming responses in ＂man-made＂ condition were in artifact domain, and most in ＂natural＂ condition were in non-artifact domain, although in both conditions names were very divergent on basic level. In Experiment 2, another group of participants were asked to choose one from two names （one in artifact domain and the other in non-artifact domain） to match the same shortly-depicted objects presented in the first experiment. Results of Experiment 1 on domain level were replicated in Experiment 2. These convergent findings supported the hypothesis that the effect of object＇s origin is specifically on domain level of conceptual system of objects. Reasons explicitly reported for naming responses in Experiment 1 suggested that participants might automatically infer objects＇ functions in ＂man-made＂ condition but not in ＂natural＂ condition. Here the function-based hypothesis of artifacts classification is discussed.     

Effects of negative emotion and its correlated neural activity on secretory immunoglobulin A

In this study, we investigated how the negative emotional arousal induced by watching a number of unpleasant images altered the concentration of secretory immunoglobulin A （SlgA） in saliva. Although our results found discrepancies among participants＇ SIgA concentration （i.e. some participants＇ SlgA decreased after watching unpleasant pictures, whereas others increased）, further analysis revealed correlations among participants＇ changes in SIgA concentration, their general coping styles and their actual strategies for emotion regulation when perceiving unpleasant pictures, and the event-related potentials （ERPs） associated with viewing unpleasant pictures. The participants whose SIgA increased after watching unpleasant pictures （the ＂Increasers＂） had higher positive coping scores in the Trait Coping Styles Questionnaire （TCSQ） than those whose SIgA decreased （the ＂Decreasers＂）. Also, relative to the ＂Decreasers＂, the ＂Increasers＂ tended to use more emotion regulation strategies, particularly with extremely negative pictures. The amplitude of their late positive potentials （LPPs） exhibited a reverse dissociation pattern for extremely negative pictures versus least negative ones and was related to the cognitive evaluation of the stimuli＇s meaning. In sum, this research revealed the psychological mechanisms by which negative emotional states influence the immune system and the related ERP changes.     

Application of autocorrelation method on ionospheric short-term forecasting in China

IONOSPHERIC MOTIONS AND VARIATIONS ARE AFFECTED BY THE SOLAR WIND AND THE MAGNETOSPHERE FROM THE UPPER AND THE MESOSPHERE FROM THE LOWER. APART FROM DIURNAL, SEASONAL AND SOLAR CYCLE VARIATIONS, THE IONOSPHERE EX- PERIENCES AN OBVIOUS DAY-TO-DAY VARIATION…     

Zircon SHRIMP geochronology of the Xinkailing-Kele complex in the northwestern Lesser Xing＇an Range, and its geological implications

Located in the eastern portion of the Xing'an-Mongolian Orogenic Belt (XMOB), the Xinkailing-Kele complex has previously been considered to be Precambrian metamorphic rocks, mainly according to its relatively high metamorphic grade. Our filed observation, however, revealed that the complex is composed mainly of metamorphic rocks (Kele complex), tectono-schists ("Xinkailing Group"), and granitoids (Xinkailing granitic complex). Dating on these rocks using advanced SHRIMP zircon U-Pb technique indicates that: (1) Biotite-plagioclase gneiss from the Kele complex has a protolith age of 337±7 Ma (2σ) and a metamorphic age of 216±3 Ma (2σ); (2) the tectono-schist of the "Xinkailing Group" gave a magmatic age of 292±6 Ma (2σ), indicative of felsic volcanic protolith of the schist formed in late Paleozoic time; and (3) the Menluhedingzi and Lengchuan granites of the Xinkailing granitic complex were emplaced at 167±4 (2σ) and 164±4 Ma (2σ), respectively. These results suggest that the Xinkailing-Kele complex is not Precambrian metamorphic rocks and the so-called Precambrian "Nenji-ang Block" does essentially not exist. In combination with regional geological data, we propose that the Kele metamorphic complex is likely related to a collisional tectonism that took place in Triassic time, as indicted by its metamorphic age of 216±3 Ma. The Xinkailing granitic complex was em-placed along the collisional zone during Mid-Jurassic time, likely in a post-orogenic or anorogenic setting.     

Micro- and nano-structured conducting polymeric materials

Conducting polymeric materials with micro-/nano-structures have potential applications in fabrication of various optical, electronic, sensing and electrochemical devices. This Is mainly because these materials not only possess the characteristics of conducting polymers, but also have special functions based on their micro-or nano-structures. In this review, we summarize the recent work on “soft” and conducting polymers and open up the prospects of the main trends in this field.     

The age of the “old red sand” on the coasts of south Fujian and west Guangdong, China

The sedimentary strata and deposition ages of the “old red sand” distributed along the coasts of south Fujian and west Guangdong are determined by lithostratigraphy, magnetic stratigraphy and earth chemistry combined with TL, ESR and¹⁴C-dating techniques. The research shows that the “old red sand” was aeolian sediments deposited from 55 400 to 9 000 aBP, the last glacial period in the middle and later age of Late Pleistocene. Most of them deposited in two periods of 56-42 ka and 30-10 ka. The “old red sand” deposited in the period of 30-10 ka, the later Würm glacier substage (Q ₃ ³ ), developed on the largest scale with the widest distribution.     

Functional Imaging of Breast Tissue and Clinical Application

0Introduction Near infrared(NIR)techniquesarebasedonsensitive,quantitativemeasurementsoffunctionalcontrastbe tweenhealthyanddiseasedtissue.Recently,researchersshowgreatinterestinmeasuringfunctionalpropertiesofbreasttis suesuchashemoglobinconcentrationoroxygensaturationbyNIRspectroscopyandNIRimaging[1,2].NIRlightcanpene trateseveralcentimetersintotissuebeforeitisattenuatedbe lowdetection.ThemainintrinsicmechanismsofNIRlightat tenuationintissuearethescatteringduetoindexofrefractionvariatio…     

Singularity of some software reliability models and parameter estimation method

According to the principle, “The failure data is the basis of software reliability analysis”, we built a software reliability expert system (SRES) by adopting the artificial intelligence technology. By reasoning out the conclusion from the fitting results of failure data of a software project, the SRES can recommend users “the most suitable model” as a software reliability measurement model. We believe that the SRES can overcome the inconsistency in applications of software reliability models well. We report investigation results of singularity and parameter estimation methods of experimental models in SRES. Foundation item: Supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China Biography: XU Ren-zuo (1946-), male, Professor, research interests include software engineering software reliability engineering, software quality guarantee technology, reliability theory, software safety and security.     

Evidence for cold events in the early Holocene from the Guliya ice core, Tibetan Plateau, China

Evidence for the “8.2 ka cold event” has been provided mostly from the circum-North Atlantic area. However, whether this cold event occurred in other places is a key to understanding its cause. Here, we provide the evidence for the “8.2 ka cold event” from the Guliya ice core in the northwest Tibetan Plateau, and it was found that the peak cooling (~8.3—8.2 ka) in this ice core was about 7.8—10℃, which was larger than the cooling in the North Atlantic region. The primary causes for this episode were diminished solar activity and weakened thermohaline circulation. Moreover, another weak cold event, centered about 9.4 ka, was also recorded in the Guliya ice core record. These two cold events were concurrent with the ice-rafting episodes in the North Atlantic during the early Holocene, which implies that the millennial-scale climatic cyclicity might exist in the Tibetan Plateau as well as in the North Atlantic.     

In vitro assembly of plant tubulin in the absence of microtubule-stabilizing reagents

The assembly of microtubules is essential for physiological functions of microtubules. Addition of microtubule-stabilizing reagents or microtubule “seeds” is usually necessary for plant tubulin assemblyin vitro, which hinders the investigation of plant microtubule dynamics. In the present note, highly purified plant tubulins have been obtained from lily pollen, a non-microtubule-stabilizing reagent or microtubule “seed” system for plant tubulin assembly has been established and the analysis of plant tubulin assembly performed. Experiment results showed that purified tubulin polymerizedin vitro, and a typical microtubule structure was observed with electron microscopy. The kinetics curve of tubulin assembly exhibited typical “parabola”. The presence of taxol significantly altered the character of plant tubulin assembly, including that abnormal microtubules were assembled and the critical concentration for plant tubulin assembly was decreased exceedingly from 3 mg/mL in the absence of taxol to 0.043 mg/mL in ihe presence of taxol.