Trichosanthin can spontaneously penetrate phospholipid monolayer under acid condition

Tianhuafen is a kind of traditional Chinese medicine for abortion, which has long been used in China. The basic protein trichosanthin (TCS) is responsible for such activity. As a ribosome inactivating protein (RIP), trichosanthin removes A4304 in the 28s rRNA via the N-glycosidase activity and inactivates the ribosome. However, it remains unclear how TCS can enter the cytoplasm. In the experiment, monolayers at air/water interface have been used to study the interaction between TCS and phospholipid membrane. The results show that TCS can penetrate negatively charged phospholipid monolayer under acid condition, and its membrane penetrating ability is obviously pH-dependent. A hypothesis of TCS penetrating biological membrane under acid condition is proposed based on the obtained result.     

Variants conferring risk of atrial fibrillation on chromosome 4q25

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common sustained cardiac arrhythmia in humans and is characterized by chaotic electrical activity of the atria. It affects one in ten individuals over the age of 80 years, causes significant morbidity and is an independent predictor of mortality. Recent studies have provided evidence of a genetic contribution to AF. Mutations in potassium-channel genes have been associated with familial AF but account for only a small fraction of all cases of AF. We have performed a genome-wide association scan, followed by replication studies in three populations of European descent and a Chinese population from Hong Kong and find a strong association between two sequence variants on chromosome 4q25 and AF. Here we show that about 35% of individuals of European descent have at least one of the variants and that the risk of AF increases by 1.72 and 1.39 per copy. The association with the stronger variant is replicated in the Chinese population, where it is carried by 75% of individuals and the risk of AF is increased by 1.42 per copy. A stronger association was observed in individuals with typical atrial flutter. Both variants are adjacent to PITX2, which is known to have a critical function in left-right asymmetry of the heart.     

Directional guidance of neuronal migration in the olfactory system by the protein Slit.

Although cell migration is crucial for neural development, molecular mechanisms guiding neuronal migration have remained unclear. Here we report that the secreted protein Slit repels neuronal precursors migrating from the anterior subventricular zone in the telencephalon to the olfactory bulb. Our results provide a direct demonstration of a molecular cue whose concentration gradient guides the direction of migrating neurons. They also support a common guidance mechanism for axon projection and neuronal migration and suggest that Slit may provide a molecular tool with potential therapeutic applications in controlling and directing cell migration.     

Complete genome sequence of Pseudomonas aeruginosa PAO1, an opportunistic pathogen

Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a ubiquitous environmental bacterium that is one of the top three causes of opportunistic human infections. A major factor in its prominence as a pathogen is its intrinsic resistance to antibiotics and disinfectants. Here we report the complete sequence of P. aeruginosa strain PAO1. At 6.3 million base pairs, this is the largest bacterial genome sequenced, and the sequence provides insights into the basis of the versatility and intrinsic drug resistance of P. aeruginosa. Consistent with its larger genome size and environmental adaptability, P. aeruginosa contains the highest proportion of regulatory genes observed for a bacterial genome and a large number of genes involved in the catabolism, transport and efflux of organic compounds as well as four potential chemotaxis systems. We propose that the size and complexity of the P. aeruginosa genome reflect an evolutionary adaptation permitting it to thrive in diverse environments and resist the effects of a variety of antimicrobial substances.     

带交叉肋方形截面通道内强制对流换热的实验研究

在雷诺数为 5 0 0 0～ 4 0 0 0 0的范围内 ,对以不同角度 (45°、6 0°、75°)布置的、具有不同高度 (4mm、5mm)的交叉肋条的方形截面通道内的强制对流换热进行了实验研究 .实验结果表明 :对交叉布置的肋条 ,其角度越大 ,高度越高 ,对流换热增强得越明显 ,但同时阻力也大为增加 ;与平行布置的肋条相比 ,交叉布置的肋条虽能使对流换热有所增强 ,但阻力增加的程度大于换热的增加 .就换热与阻力的总体效果来说 ,在雷诺数较低时 ,交叉肋条有一定的优越性 ,但在高雷诺数下 ,交叉布置的肋条相对于平行布置的肋条并无优势     

极值调节器的研制

极值调节器是DDZ-Ⅲ型或DDZ-Ⅱ型系列仪表的一个新单元,可用于生产过程的静态最佳控制,如燃烧效率控制、蒸发器最佳液位控制,由于本调节器是由模拟线路构成,所以在模拟信号的保持,传送以及梯度方向的判断遇到某些困难,本文介绍这些问题及其解决办法。这台仪表的精度为±0.5%。     

Estimations of primary production and export production in the South China Sea based on sediment trap experiments

The results of time series sediment trap experiments in the South China Sea show that particulate organic carbon (POC) fluxes are influenced by the monsoons. The increase of productivity in the northern South China Sea is mainly due to northeast monsoon while in the central South China Sea the influence of southwest monsoon becomes more prominent. The annual primary production and export production calculated based on POC fluxes are 53.0–63.4 and 10.32–12.93 gC m^-2a^-1, respectively. The enhancement of POC flux during monsoon period suggest that higher palaeoproductivity or organic carbon accumulation rate in glacial age in the South Chma Sea might be the result of strengthening of the monsoons.     

上海地区童装购买决策行为研究

通过问卷调查，分析研究了上海童装消费者的信息来源、儿童对童装购买的影响力及童装购买决策评价因素，同时分析了收入、文化程度及儿童年龄等对相关因素的影响。     

醇对SDS-CTAB-H2O体系双水相性质的影响

研究了短链一元醇(乙醇、正丁醇)和二元醇(乙二醇、1,4—丁二醇)对正负离子表面活性剂混合溶液(十二烷基硫酸钠—十六烷基三甲基溴化铵—水)双水相的影响。结果表明：一元醇的加入不但缩短了双水相的成相时间、使原水溶液双水相的区域得到扩展而且还会导致新双水相区域的出现,这种影响随着醇类链长的增长而增大。而二元醇的加入对双水相的相图影响不大,只是对形成双水相的表面活性剂最低总浓度稍有影响。实验结果也表明,出现双水相的表面活性剂最低总浓度与混合溶液的临界胶束浓度(CMC)有关,但CMC并不是决定出现双水相表面活性剂最低浓度的唯一因素。     

Effects of 2,3,7,8-TCDD and benzo[a]pyrene on modulating vitellogenin expression in primary culture of crucian carp （Carassius auratus） hepatocytes

Vitellogenin (Vtg) is the precursor of yolk protein. Its expression and secretion are estrogen-regulated and are crucial for oocyte maturation. An in ritro xenoestrogen screening model was established by measuring Vtg induction in cultured primary hepatocytes from crucian carp. Vtg production was detected by biotin-avidin sandwich ELISA method while Vtg and cytochrome P4501A1 (CYP1A1) mRNA induction were measured by semi- quantitative PCR-primer dropping technique. Vtg and Vtg mRNA were dose-dependently induced by diethylstilbestrol (DES, 0.2-200 ng/mL) in hepatocytes of crucian carp. Co-treatment of the DES-induced hepatocytes with either 2,3,7,8-TCDD (TCDD, 0.1-4 pg/mL) or benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P, 5-1000 ng/mL) resulted in a reduction of Vtg production and an increment of CYP1A1 mRNA expression both in a dose dependent manner, indicating the anti-estrogenic effects of the compounds. However, at lower tested concentrations, TCDD (0.1, 0.2 pg/mL), B[a]P (5 ng/mL)seemed to have a potentiating effect on Vtg expression and secretion, although by their own these compounds had no observable estrogenic effect on Vtg induction. Tamoxifen (a selective estrogen receptor modulators, 1 nmol/L-1μmol/L),and β-naphtho-flavone (β-NF, an aryl hydrocarbon receptor inducing compounds, 2.5-1000 ng/mL) also were employed to study the possible interactions in DES-induced Vtg expression. In co-treatment of the DES-induced hepatocytes with β-NF or tamoxifen, the decrease in Vtg production did parallel induction of CYP1A1 for β-NF, but tamoxifen inhibited Vtg induction did not parallel induced CYP1A1 expression in all test concentrations. On the contrary, it was found that in co-treatment of the TCDD-induced hepatocytes with DES, TCDD induced CYP1A1 mRNA production was inhibited by DES also. These results implicated a possible cross talk between estrogen receptor- and aryl hydrocarbon receptor-mediated pathways in the hepatocytes.