Experimental liver fibrosis induced in rats receiving high doses of alcohol and alternating between regular and vitamin-depleted diets

Liver fibrosis was induced in rats by simulating human alcoholic eating and drinking patterns. Alcohol addiction was established by gradually increasing the ethanol concentration in the drinking water; salts were added at the terminal stage. The hepatocytes of rats receiving alcohol concentrations exceeding 50% (v/v) (similar to vodka) exhibited alcoholic hyaline (Mallory bodies). Alcoholic liver fibrosis was induced by alternating between regular and autoclaved (vitamin-depleted) diets, simulating the irregular eating habits of human alcoholics. In the livers of rats receiving 70% (v/v) ethanol (comparable to absinthe) with 25% saline and fed the alternating diets, pericellular fibrosis was induced. No significant difference in calorie intake between control and alcohol rats was detected except when rats underwent drinking bouts (heavy drinking phase). This indicates that neither a high-fat diet nor a choline-depleted diet is necessary to induce the alcoholic fibrosis seen in human alcoholics.     

Uptake and toxic effects of heavy metal ions: Interactions among cadmium,copper and zinc in cultured cells

Summary Absorption of metal ions by KB, HeLa and L-59 cells has been analyzed by atomic absorption spectrophotometry in the course of culture. Ions of the elements of the fourth period in the periodic chart such as Fe(II), Cu(II), Zn(II), Mn(II) and Ni(II) were not taken up, but those of the higher periods, such as Cd(II), Pb(II), Hg(II) and Ag(I) were were taken up easily. The uptake behavior by the cultured cells was in accordance with the characteristic features of metals, that metals in the fourth period are essential elements, and most of the elements of the fifth and the sixth periods are non-essential or toxic elements.The initial rate of Cd(II) uptake and the Cd(II) concentration has a sigmoidal relationship. Cd(II) was absorbed homotropically through cell membranes. The uptake of Cd(II) was specifically inhibited by Cu(II), but was affected little by Zn(II). The toxicity of Cd(II) to KB cells was greatly enhanced in the presence of Cu(II). On the contrary, the toxicity of Cd(II) was reduced by the addition of Zn(II) at several concentrations of Cd(II). The toxicity of Cd(II) did not depend on the amount of Cd(II) absorbed in the cells, but was determined by cofactors such as Cu(II). The interaction between Cd(II) and Cu(II) may be important for Itai-itai disease.     

Uptake and toxic effects of heavy metal ions: interactions among cadmium, copper and zinc in cultured cells

Absorption of metal ions by KB, HeLa and L-59 cells has been analyzed by atomic absorption spectrophotometry in the course of culture. Ions of the elements of the fourth period in the periodic chart such as Fe(II), Cu(II), Zn(II), Mn(II) and Ni(II) were not taken up, but those of the higher periods, such as Cd(II), Pb(II), Hg(II) and Ag(I) were were taken up easily. The uptake behavior by the cultured cells was in accordance with the characteristic features of metals, that metals in the fourth period are essential elements, and most of the elements of the fifth and the sixth periods are non-essential or toxic elements. The initial rate of Cd(II) uptake and the Cd(II) concentration has a sigmoidal relationship. Cd(II) was absorbed homotropically through cell membranes. The uptake of Cd(II) was specifically inhibited by Cu(II), but was affected little by Zn(II). The toxicity of Cd(II) to KB cells was greatly enhanced in the presence of Cu(II). On the contrary, the toxicity of Cd(II) was reduced by the addition of Zn(II) at several concentrations of Cd(II). The toxicity of Cd(II) did not depend on the amount of Cd(II) absorbed in the cells, but was determined by cofactors such as Cu(II). The interaction between Cd(II) and Cu(II) may be important for Itai-itai disease.     

Growth and longevity of Wistar rats receiving a diet whose protein content is rapidly lowered in relation to aging]

Growth and longevity of the Rats were the same when: (i) the diet was rich in casein (21%), from weaning to death: (ii) the casein content of this diet (without B12) was progressively lowered from weaning to 200 days of age, and thereafter was 7%. When the casein level had been too rapidly lowered, inducing retardation of growth after 75 days, maximal growth was lowered and life span was increased.     

聚合质量比对Sr0．7La0．15Ce0．15Fe11.7Zn0．3O19／PAn复合体系微波吸收性能的影响

用原位聚合法制备了Sr0．7La0．15Ce0．15Fe11.7Zn0．3O19铁氧体／聚苯胺（PAn）复合材料。采用X射线衍射（XRD）、扫描电子显微镜（SEM）对样品的结构、微观表面形貌和粒子大小进行了表征,用微波矢量网络分析仪测量样品在2～12．4GHZ频率范围内复介电常数和复磁导率,根据测量数据计算微波反射率R与频率f的关系。研究结果表明：PAn包覆于掺杂锶铁氧体表面,PAn／Sr0．7La0．15Ce0．15Fe11.7Zn0．3O19复合材料具有良好的吸波性能,随着掺杂锶铁氧体含量的增加,微波吸收匹配厚度和吸收带宽发生变化：当Sr0．7La0．15Ce0．15Fe11.7Zn0．3O19聚合质量比为40％时,最佳匹配厚度为2．6mm,吸收峰值接近-40dB,峰值频率高于12．4GHz,大于10dB吸收带宽预计达到55GHz。     

科技政策、科研管理评论与报道

中美医学科学研究体系与管理有以下特点 :(1)资助和管理的政府机构 ,我国主要有国家科学技术部、国家自然科学基金委员会和国家卫生部 ;美国主要是国立卫生院 (NationalInstitutesofHealth ,NIH)。 (2 )项目的资助模式上 ,我国为“3+ 2”计划体系 ,即三大项目体系 (国家高技术研究发展项目计划 ,国家科技攻关计划和基础研究计划 )和两大科技平台条件建设体系 (研究开发条件建设计划和科技产业化环境建设计划 ) ,不同基金资助基础到产业化研究的不同阶段和类别 ;NIH基金按疾病领域、经费和院内、外研究机构 ,从基础、应用基础和平台条件建设以及产业化整体系统资助。 (3)管理和运行模式上 ,我国有两种模式 ,一是国家部委到地方科委再到高校和科研院所 ,二是国家部委直接到各高校和科研院所 ;NIH直接到高校和各科研院所。 (4)基金的构成特点上 ,我国医学科学研究来自三大项目和两大条件计划体系的每个部分 ,申请项目必须根据项目研究的不同性质和阶段找准计划体系中不同计划的特定资助方向 ;NIH基金系统支持医学研究的各个领域和不同研究阶段。 (5 )经费的投入上 ,我国医学科研经费投入约占总科研经费投入的 2 0 %左右 ,历年投入总和只相当于NIH一年经费的几十分之一。 (6 )规划计划上 ,NIH宏观和微观相结     

The structure of amoorastatone and the cytotoxic limonoid 12-hydroxyamoorastatin.

2 new limonoid-type terpenes have been isolated from an aqueous extract of seeds produced by the Eastern Himalayan (India) plant Aphanamixis grandifolia B1. By interpreting principally mass spectral and nuclear magnetic resonance data, the structures of 12-hydroxyamoorastatin (2b) and amoorastatone (3) were elucidated. Unequivocal evidence for the 12-hydroxyamoorastatin structural assignment was obtained by chemical conversion to sendanin (4). Amoorastatin derivative 2b was found to significantly inhibit growth of the murine P388 lymphocytic leukemia cell lines but amoorastatone in the same system was inactive. In a comparative biological study, sendanin (4) and anthothecol (7) were also found significantly to inhibit growth of the P388 cell line, while rohitukin (8) and limonin (9) were found to be inactive.     

工作气压对磁控溅射法制备硼碳氮薄膜结晶度的影响

本文用六方氮化硼和石墨靶材采用射频（频率为13．56MHz）磁控溅射法沉积硼碳氮薄膜,得到的硼碳氮薄膜可用红外,拉曼表征。工作气压从0．2Pa升高到6．0Pa。我们可以观察到工作气压可以明显的改变硼碳氮薄膜的晶体结构和结晶度。硼碳氯薄膜的半高宽随工作气压的增加而变化并且在工作气压1．0Pa时得到较好结晶度的薄膜。     

Predictive models for influence of primary delays using high-speed train operation records

Primary delays are the driving force behind delay propagation, and predicting the number of affected trains (NAT) and the total time of affected trains (TTAT) due to primary delay (PD) can provide reliable decision support for real-time train dispatching. In this paper, based on real operation data from 2015 to 2016 at several stations along the Wuhan–Guangzhou high-speed railway, NAT and TTAT influencing factors were determined after analyzing the PD propagation mechanism. The eXtreme Gradient BOOSTing (XGBOOST) algorithm was used to establish a NAT predictive model, and several machine learning methods were compared. The importance of different delayinfluencing factors was investigated. Then, the TTAT predictive model (using support vector regression (SVR) algorithms) was established based on the NAT predictive model. Results indicated that the XGBOOST algorithm performed well with the NAT predictive model, and SVR was the optimal model for TTAT prediction under the verification index (i.e., the ratio of the difference between the actual and predicted value was less than 1/2/3/4/5 min). Real operational data in 2018 were used to test the applicability of the NAT and TTAT models over time, and findings suggest that these models exhibit sound applicability over time based on XGBOOST and SVR, respectively.     

(S)-(+)-4,4,4-Trifluoro-3-(indole-3-)butyric acid,a novel fluorinated plant growth regulator

Racemic 4,4,4-trifluoro-3-(indole-3-)butyric acid (TFIBA) has been synthesized and shown to inhibitAvena coleoptile elongation. (S)-(+)-TFIBA (fig. 1), which was prepared by an enzymatic method and markedly promotes root growth of Chinese cabbage, lettuce and rice plants, is a novel fluorinated plant growth regulator. Activity of the (S)-(+)-enantiomer of TFIBA was 10-fold greater than that of the (R)-(–)-enantiomer in the first two plant species and 5-fold greater in rice.     

A gonadotropin releasing hormone analog induces spermiation in intact and hypophysectomized frogs, Rana esculenta

The sperm-releasing activity of a gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) agonist, Buserelin (GnRH) and hypophysis homogenate (PD) preparations was studied in intact and hypophysectomized (PDX) frogs, Rana esculenta. In addition, human chorion gonadotropin (hCG) was tested in PDX animals, and GnRH antagonist (GnRHA) treatments were carried out in intact and PDX animals, in combination with the hormonal injections. GnRH or PD treatments were able to elicit spermiation in intact and PDX animals. While GnRH, injected 24 h later, was again effective in inducing spermiation in intact animals, this was not the case in PDX frogs. GnRHA counteracted GnRH effects in intact frogs. Moreover, in PDX animals GnRHA injections counteracted the sperm-releasing activity induced by hCG or GnRH, but failed to inhibit sperm-releasing activity induced by PD homogenate.     

Podocalyxin enhances the adherence of cells to platelets

Podocalyxin (PODXL) is a mucin protein of the CD34 family expressed in kidney glomerular podocytes, vascular endothelium, progenitor bone marrow and tumor cells. It is assumed that PODXL plays an anti-adherent role in kidney podocytes. CHO cells stably expressing human PODXL (CHO-PODXL) or human tumor cells (Tera-1) inherently expressing PODXL showed increased adherence to platelets. The adherence of cells was inhibited (70%) by blockers of platelet P-selectin, prevented by the soluble ectodomain of human PODXL (PODXL-Δ) or by the arginine-glycine-aspartate (RGDS) peptide and partially impeded by inhibition of integrin αVβ3/αVβ5, suggesting a coordinated action of P-selectin and integrins. Colocalization of platelet P-selectin and PODXL expressed on CHO cells was demonstrated by confocal immunofluorescence. No adherence to platelets was observed when PODXL was expressed in glycomutant CHO cells deficient in sialic acid. Received 14 August 2007; received after revision 12 September 2007; accepted 13 September 2007     

Molecular cloning of the fibroin light chain complementary DNA and its use in the study of the expression of the light chain gene in the posterior silk gland of Bombyx mori

Fibroin light chain (L-chain) mRNA (mol. wt 4.0 X 10(5) daltons) was purified from the posterior silk gland of the silkworm, Bombyx mori (J-131 strain). Double-stranded complementary DNA was synthesized and inserted into the PstI site of pBR322 employing the oligo(dC)-oligo(dG) tailing method. Several recombinant plasmids containing the inserts of about 800 base pairs were isolated. Hybridization-translation assay demonstrated that these clones hybridized specifically with the fibroin L-chain mRNA. One of these clones (pLA23) was used as a probe to investigate relative concentrations of the fibroin L-chain gene and mRNA in the posterior silk glands at different stages of late larval development.     

The impact on the performance of growth curve models of changes in parameter re-estimation period and other factors

A simulation model of a real electricity supply undertaking was used to provide a financial performance measure for growth curve forecasting models. The impact on financial performance was determined when changes were made in (1) the method of estimating the model parameters, (2) the period between re-estimations, (3) the growth curve fitted and (4) the amount of smoothing of the demand time-series. The response to variation of the parameter review period was found to behave surprisingly, in that it exhibited different signs for two different estimation methods. Changes in re-estimation period explained somewhat more of the variation in performance than did a change in growth curve. Correcting the demand series for conditions which were known to be abnormal improved performance.     

MEPE evolution in mammals reveals regions and residues of prime functional importance

In mammals, the matrix extracellular phosphoglycoprotein (MEPE) is known to activate osteogenesis and mineralization via a particular region called dentonin, and to inhibit mineralization via its ASARM (acidic serine-aspartate rich MEPE-associated motif) peptide that also plays a role in phosphatemia regulation. In order to understand MEPE evolution in mammals, and particularly that of its functional regions, we conducted an evolutionary analysis based on the study of selective pressures. Using 37 mammalian sequences we: (1) confirmed the presence of an additional coding exon in most placentals; (2) highlighted several conserved residues and regions that could have important functions; (3) found that dentonin function was recruited in a placental ancestor; and (4) revealed that ASARM function was present earlier, pushing the recruitment of MEPE deep into amniote origins. Our data indicate that MEPE was involved in various functions (bone and eggshell mineralization) prior to acquiring those currently known in placental mammals.     

Biological activity of enantiomerically pure forms of insect juvenile hormone I and III inBombyx mori

Summary Biological activity of enantiomerically pure juvenile hormones was assayed by topical application on allatectomizedBombyx fourth instar larvae. JHs tested were (10R)-JH I [methyl (2E,6E,10R,11S)-10,11-epoxy-3,11-dimethyl-7-ethyl-2,6-tridecadienoate], (10S)-JH I [methyl (2E, 6E, 10S, 11R)-10,11-epoxy-3,11-dimethyl-7-ethyl-2,6-tridecadienoate], (10R)-JH III [methyl (2E,6E,10R)-10,11-epoxy-3,7,11-trimethyl-2,6-dodecadienoate] and (10S)-JH III [methyl (2E,6E,10S)-10,11-epoxy-3,7,11-trimethyl-2,6-dodecadienoate]. Among these compounds, natural (10R)-JH I was most active and the dose needed to induce 50% larval molting was 0.04 g/larva; it was approximately 12,000 times more active than unnatural (10S)-JH I. Though natural (10R)-JH III showed slight biological activity, it was only one three-thousandth of that of (10R)-JH I. Unnatural (10S)-JH III exhibited no biological activity at the levels assayed.     

64层螺旋CT血管成像对肠系膜上动脉活体形态的显示及临床应用

目的探讨64层螺旋cT血管成像（CTA）对肠系膜上动脉（SMA）活体形态的显示及临床应用价值。方法对80例临床疑有腹部、盆腔疾病的患者行64层螺旋CTA扫描,然后利用容积再现（VR）、多平面重建（MPR）、最大密度投影（MIP）、反向MIP（I—MIP）和薄层MIP（TS．MIP）等技术进行后处理。80例患者分为正常组（30例）和异常组（50例）两组,对正常组采用多种重建技术显示SMA各级分支,并测量SMA的直径,观察SMA起始段的走行;在MPR像上测量SMA与腹主动脉（AA）的夹角（An）,在左肾静脉（LRV）平面测量SMA至AA的距离（M）,在左侧肾门旁测量LRV最大前后径（A）,在SMA与AA问测量LRV最小前后径（B）。对异常组采用多种重建技术显示SMA,分析SMA特点。结果VR、MIP、I-MIP像均可显示正常组SMA整体解剖形态,TS-MIP对小分支显示优于其他重建技术。不同重建方式对SMA直径的测量无显著差异（F=0．71,P〉0．05）。SMA起始段走行方向为右下走行90％,前下走行占6．7％,左下走行占3．3％。An平均为（61．06±22．79）°。M平均为（14．62±4．00）mm,A平均为（9．16±1．91）mm,B平均为（6．00±2．01）mm,A与B比值〉2者占20．0％,〉3者占3．3％。异常组中有5例小肠先天性旋转不良及2例小肠扭转,SMA轴位像主要表现“回旋征”,VR表现为“螺旋征”;1例SMA分支栓塞;消化道肿瘤19例,其中8例供血动脉为SMA分支;回盲部动静脉畸形1例;余22例肝脏、泌尿生殖系统病变SMA无明显异常。结论64层螺旋CTA能很好地显示SMA的活体形态特征,具有重要的临床应用价值。     

Kinetics of chemo-attraction of polymorphonuclear leukocytes towards N-formyl peptide studied with a novel polycarbonate (Nucleopore) membrane in the Boyden chamber

The motile responses of human polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) to N-formyl-methionyl-leucyl-phenylalanine (FMLP) in the Boyden chamber using a new sparse-pore polycarbonate membrane (pores 3 micron in diameter and occupying 0.1% of surface area) were compared with those demonstrated by using a standard polycarbonate (Nuclepore) filtration membrane (pores 3 micron in diameter and occupying 5% of surface area). Motility of PMN in gradients of FMLP using the new membrane was not influenced by chemokinetic effects of the factor, and the 'background' migration of the cells was minimal. However, motility of PMN in gradients of FMLP using the standard membrane was found to be influenced by chemokinetic effects of the chemotactic factor, and the 'background' or 'control' migration (in the absence of chemotactic factor) of the cells was substantial. Greater directional migration of PMN according to steepness of the gradient of chemotactic factor was demonstrated with the use of the new membrane. The new membrane may be of considerable value in the further study of the chemotactic responses of PMN.     

Interleukin 1 modulates collagen accumulation by rat granulation tissue cells both in vivo and in vitro

In in vivo studies 0.5 U human interleukin 1 (IL-1) was inoculated daily into a subcutaneously implanted viscose cellulose sponge. IL-1 significantly decreased the dry weight (7.8%) and the hydroxyproline content (24.2%) of granulomas. When the cultured rat granulation tissue cells were exposed to IL-1 (0.5-2.0 U/ml) their collagen production decreased to 80% of that in controls. No effect on cell proliferation was detected.     

Antitumor activity of the Isodon diterpenoids: structural requirements for the activity.

A significant antitumor activity of oridonin (1) and lasiokaurin (2), the kaurene-type diterpenoids of Isodon species, was shown by their i.p. injection to the test mice inoculated by Ehrlich ascites carcinoma. Enmein (8), compounds 9 and 3 were also active under larger dose. Subsequently, the relationship between their chemical structure and antitumor activity was investigated, and the activity of oridonin (1) and lasiokaurin (2) was rationalized in terms of their structural feature.