Effect of hydrogen peroxide on the binding of Merocyanine 540 to human erythrocytes

The fluorescent dye Merocyanine 540 (MC540) is often used as a probe to monitor the molecular packing of phospholipids in the outer leaflet of biomembranes. In a previous study we showed that the increased staining of erythrocytes with a perturbed membrane structure was mainly due to an increase in the fluorescence yield of cell-bound MC540, rather than to an increase of the number of bound molecules. Erythrocytes and ghosts exposed to continuous fluxes of H₂O₂ exhibited pronounced lipid peroxidation. Further, red blood cells subjected to this form of oxidative stress also showed increased staining with MC540. It appeared that this was caused by a strong increase in binding of MC540, together with a slight red shift of the fluorescence emission maximum and a small increase in the fluorescence yield of bound MC540. The changed MC540 binding characteristics were not observed when lipid peroxidation was suppressed by the presence of the antioxidant BHT in the incubation medium. However, open ghosts exposed to H₂O₂ showed no increase of MC540 binding, excluding a direct involvement of lipid peroxidation. Measurement of fluorescence emission spectra and gel filtration studies showed that MC540 can bind to H₂O₂-exposed hemoglobin. Experiments with erythrocytes lysed in hypotonic medium after exposure to H₂O₂ revealed that peroxidation of lipids with H₂O₂ induced a non-specific permeabilization of the plasma membrane to MC540, thereby allowing MC540 to bind to the oxidatively denatured, more hydrophobic hemoglobin. These results indicate that conclusions about packing of phospholipids in the outer leaflet of the membrane based on increased MC540-staining should be drawn with care. Received 27 September 1996; received after revision 5 November 1996; accepted 27 November 1996     

Two classes of metabolites fromTheonella swinhoei are localized in distinct populations of bacterial symbionts

The marine spongeTheonella swinhoei (lithistid Family Theonellidae, Order Astrophorida) has yielded many important, bioactive natural products, most of which share structural features with bacterial natural products. The presence of microbial symbionts inT. swinhoei has been reported, and it was originally suggested that the cytotoxic macrolide swinholide A and many of the bioactive cyclic peptides fromT. swinhoei were all produced by symbiotic cyanobacteria. By transmission electron microscopy, we found four distinct cell populations to be consistently present inT. swinhoei: eukaryotic sponge cells, unicellular heterotrophic bacteria, unicellular cyanobacteria and filamentous heterotrophic bacteria. Purification and chemical analyses of each cell type showed the macrolide swinholide A to be limited to the mixed population of unicellular heterotrophic bacteria, and an anti-fungal cyclic peptide occurred only in the filamentous heterotrophic bacteria. Contrary to prior speculation, no major metabolites were located in the cyanobacteria or sponge cells.     

Induction of autotomy in the American bird grasshopperSchistocerca americana (Drury) by the ecdysone agonist RH-5849 and investigation of its mode of action

The non-steroidal ecdysone agonist RH-5849 (1,2-dibenzoyl-l-tert-butylhydrazine) was found to be an effective neurotoxicant on injection into the American bird grasshopper,Schistocerca americana (Drury). Treated grasshoppers became immediately hyperactive, followed by loss of coordination, paralysis and eventually death. We also discovered that this compound induced bilateral autotomy of the metathoracic legs during the early stages of intoxication. However, no evidence of ecdysonergic or morphogenetic activities was observed. Synergism studies with neurotoxins of known mode of action suggested that RH-5849 has a mechanism of action similar to that of 4-amino pyridine, which blocks potassium channels.     

DeLuca－Termini混合熵的合理性分析及其推广

对ＤｅＬｕｃａ和Ｔｅｒｍｉｎｉ提出的混合熵的合理性进行了分析并加以推广，对其性质作了详细证明。并指出，本文混合熵的表达式具有更明确的数学及物理含义。     

用子波变换分析方法实时监测视觉诱发电位的潜伏期

诱发电位的实时监测在临床中有重要意义。本文提出利用多分辨率子波分析技术来实时监测视觉诱发电位的潜伏期。为克服随机噪声的影响，我们引入相邻响应的相关系数来修正所检测得的潜伏期的偏移，并应用前一次响应的波峰位置来决定当前的搜寻范围。实验表明，本方法能实时监测视觉诱发电位的潜伏期。     

信息系统外包:主要研究方向和未来发展趋势

近年来,信息系统外包已经成为众多美国财富500强的公司和一些欧洲大型跨国公司(M NC s)所关注的问题。一份最新的调查报告显示接近1/3的财富500强公司选择了印度作为它们外包业务的所在地。自1990年以来,印度政府一直致力于支持和推动信息系统外包产业的发展,并取得了巨大的成效。该文试通过对一些关键问题的讨论来探索这个重要的研究领域,这些问题包括:欧美公司为何将信息系统外包,印度怎样成为了全球信息系统外包的领导国家,中国的IT产业如何迎头赶上加入信息系统外包这个有利可图的市场的竞争。     

Global warming： Take action or wait？

Of all the changes wrought by human activity, the buildup in our atmosphere of the greenhouse gases, carbon dioxide, methane and nitrous oxide, has gener- ated the most contentious debate. Environmentalists warn that in the absence of firm action, over th…     

矿石与材料发光光谱学

本书属于矿物物理领域，重点是矿物的发光光谱。本书使用的实验手段主要是激光激发矿物质和对其发射和散射结果进行时间分辨的探测。全书共11章。第1章简介，介绍了主要科学术语的定义以及激光诱导时间分辨技术和稳态发光等内容；第2章理论背景，解释了激发能的吸收、辐射跃迁等发光中的主要过程；第3章实验方法，描述了实验设备的主要部分;     

气体水合物研究进展

本书是2003年春季美国化学工程协会召开的“气体水合物讨论会”的论文集，共收录16篇论文。气体水合物是一种非常特殊的化学组成，它是由水分子（主体分子）包裹着气体分子（客体分子）在低温高压条件下形成的一种无化学键的晶体物质。通常的气体水合物是甲烷水合物，在常温常压下，甲烷水合物中包含的甲烷气体是甲烷水化物本身的180倍。作为一种替补能源，气体水合物的研究已经越来越受到人们的重视。     

城市交通发展

本书是关于城市交通管理的一本论文集，是根据2003年在瑞典召开的“未来城市交通：如何应对城市交通发展的复杂性”学术会议上宣读的论文编著而成。这次会议是由沃尔沃研究教育基金资助。本书阐述了多个城市交通的特点、复杂性的概念、如何应对复杂性、汽车交通系统的作用。并对亚洲、非洲、欧洲等多国的交通系统模型做出了分析，提出了解决交通问题的一些措施。