Hormonal induction of steroid sulphatase in the mouse

Summary By comparing steroid sulphatase levels per se, and also ratios to -galactosidase, in 6 sets of mice — normal females, entire and castrated males both with and without exogenous testosterone administration — we obtained support for the contention that induction of this enzyme is in part controlled by male hormones.     

Determination of certain physical and chemical characteristics of the activating serum factor from preparturient women and women with habitual abortions

Summary Follow-up investigation of the blood sera from preparturient women and women with habitual, abortions showed the presence of a factor which has an activating effect on smooth muscle preparations because it causes the release of prostaglandins. Gel-chromatographic counter flow separation and microelectrophoresis of the blood sera have shown that the isolated serum factor is a water soluble glycopeptide with a molecular weight of about 2000.     

Patterns of dye coupling in the imaginal wing disk of Drosophila melanogaster

Responses of developing tissues to experimental disruption demonstrate that cell interaction is important both in generating positional information and in controlling growth. However, the mechanism by which cells interact and the range over which the interactions are effective are not known. In the imaginal disks of Drosophila melanogaster, experiments on pattern regulation following surgical ablation suggest that the cell interactions are very local in nature; in fact, most of the data can be explained by assuming that cells interact only with their immediate neighbours. In contrast, studies of cell division patterns in the same tissue indicate that the "local' proliferative response to an ablation extends over a distance of up to about eight cell diameters. Still longer-range interactions have been proposed on the basis of theoretical considerations. It is possible that the interactions are mediated by the transfer of small molecules through gap junctions, as gap junctions are abundant in imaginal disks at the appropriate developmental stages. We have explored the range, timing and directionality of dye coupling between the cells of the wing disk as a test of the possible role of gap junctions in imaginal disk patterning. Our results indicate that interactions over different ranges are possible depending on the nature of the molecule being transferred.     

Adrenocortical metabolism and plasma corticosterone in soman intoxicated rabbits

Summary The organophosphate neurotoxin soman produced impairments in adrenocortical RNA and protein metabolism. Fasciculate and reticular cell RNA and protein contents were supporessed with sublethal to acutely lethal dosages (20, 30 and 40 g/kg, s.c.) during the acute excitatory phase of intoxication and at 6–8 h post injection. All three dosages produced ca 90% inactivation of plasma cholinesterase. A transient elevation of plasma corticosterone occurred with 20 g/kg soman whereas there was a protracted increase with 30 g/kg. Corticosterone was not significantly elevated with 40 g/kg, but death occurred at 13±4 min. Thus, the magnitude and/or nature of soman-induced metabolic impairments does not appear to prevent adrenal activation.Supported by US Army Medical Research and Development Command Contract DAMD 17-81-C-1202.     

Endorcine cells producing regulatory peptides

Summary Recent data on the immunologication of regulatory peptides and related propeptide sequences in endocrine cells and tumours of the gastrointestinal tract pancreas, lung, thyroid, pituitary (ACTH and opioids), adrenals and paraganglia have been revised and discussed. Gastrin, xenopsin, cholecystokinin (CCK), somatostatin, motilin, secretin, GIP (gastric inhibitory beenrevised and discussed. Gastrin, xenopsin, cholecystokinin (CCK), somatostatin, motilin, secretin, GIP (gastric inhibitory polypeptide), neurotensin, glicentin/glucagon-37 and PYY (peptide tyrosine tyrosine) are the main products of gastrointestinal endocrine cells; glucagon, CRF (corticotropin releasing factor), somatostatin, PP (pancreatic polypeptide) and GRF (growth hormone releasing factor), in addition to insulin, are produced in pancreatic islet cells; bombesin-related peptidesare the main markers of pulmonary endocrine cells; calcitonin and CGRP (calcitonin gene-related peptide) occur in thyroid and extrathyroid C cells; ACTH and endorphins in anterior and intermediate lobe pituitary cells, -MSH and CLIP (corticotropoin-like intermediate lobe peptide) in intermediate lobe cells; met- and leu-enkephalins and related peptides in adrenal medullary and paraganglionic cells as well as in some gut (enterochromaffin) cells; NPY (neuropeptide Y) in adrenalin-type adrenal medullary cells, etc.. Both tissue-appropriate and tissue-inappropriate regulatory peptides are produced by endocrine tumours, with inappropriate peptides mostly produced by malignant tumours.     

Regulation of cellulose synthesis in Acetobacter xylinum by cyclic diguanylic acid

Cellulose is the most abundant renewable carbon resource on earth and is an indispensable raw material for the wood, paper, and textile industries. A model system to study the mechanism of cellulose biogenesis is the bacterium Acetobacter xylinum which produces pure cellulose as an extracellular product. It was from this organism that in vitro preparations which possessed high levels of cellulose synthase activity were first obtained in both membranous and soluble forms. We recently demonstrated that this activity is subject to a complex multi-component regulatory system, in which the synthase is directly affected by an unusual cyclic nucleotide activator enzymatically formed from GTP, and indirectly by a Ca (2+) -sensitive phosphodiesterase which degrades the activator. The cellulose synthase activator (CSA) has now been identified as bis-(3' 5')-cyclic diguanylic acid (5'G3'p5'G3'p) on the basis of mass spectroscopic data, nuclear magnetic resonance analysis and comparison with chemically synthesized material. We also report here on intermediary steps in the synthesis and degradation of this novel circular dinucleotide, which have been integrated into a model for the regulation of cellulose synthesis.     

NTA强化Fe(Ⅱ)/PMS体系降解橙黄G的效能与机制

针对二价铁/过一硫酸盐(Fe(Ⅱ)/PMS)体系存在近中性pH条件下氧化效能低的问题,采用氨基三乙酸(NTA)强化Fe(Ⅱ)/PMS体系降解橙黄G(OG),研究NTA/Fe(Ⅱ)/PMS体系中OG降解的效能和机制,考察NTA,Fe(Ⅱ),PMS等反应物浓度和溶液pH值对OG降解效能的影响.实验结果表明：当pH=6.5时,NTA可显著强化Fe(Ⅱ)/PMS体系的氧化效能,OG的去除率从11.7%提高到92.5%,NTA的加入提高了溶液中有效活化剂的浓度,促进PMS分解生成活性物质;NTA/Fe(Ⅱ)/PMS体系中主导的活性物质为Fe(Ⅳ)和SO^-₄·,二者对体系氧化效能的贡献分别为72.0%和28.0%;增加NTA,Fe(Ⅱ)和PMS的浓度有助于OG的降解,但当三者浓度分别超过1.5,1.5,2.0 mmol·L^-1时,出现抑制现象;引入NTA既提高了Fe(Ⅱ)/PMS体系在近中性pH条件下的氧化能力,又拓宽了该体系的pH应用范围.     

均布荷载作用下简支组合梁受力机理分析

为了揭示组合梁在均布荷载作用下的受力机理,考虑弯曲和滑移耦合变形,建立组合梁滑移受力机理模型.首先,以单跨简支组合梁为研究对象,探讨组合梁变形与滑移规律、横截面内力分布及结合部传力机理;然后,分析截面尺度、界面刚度与荷载加载面对组合梁受力机理的影响.结果表明：混凝土板抗剪和抗弯作用在房建组合梁中较明显,在桥梁组合梁中可忽略;随着界面刚度比的增加,简支组合梁的曲率、转角、挠度和滑移均减小;混凝土板和钢梁轴力同步增大,混凝土板剪力增大而钢梁剪力减小,混凝土板、钢梁弯矩减小而轴力力偶增大;结合部界面切向力增大而界面法向力基本不变;相较于按自质量分配荷载,均布荷载由混凝土板承担时界面压力增大,由钢梁承担时则界面受拉,应注意验算界面抗拉拔性能.     

基于网络药理学和分子对接探讨智脑胶囊改善阿尔茨海默病的作用机制

借助网络药理学和分子对接技术,探讨智脑胶囊改善阿尔茨海默病的干预机制。通过TCMSP、TCMID等多个数据库寻找与智脑胶囊相关的化学成分及其作用靶点;利用GeneCard等数据库获取阿尔茨海默病的作用靶点;运用Venny2.1网站筛选出药物与疾病的交集靶点;使用STRING平台和Cytoscape软件进行拓扑分析得到智脑胶囊治疗阿尔茨海默病的核心作用靶点;采用Metaspace数据库对潜在核心作用靶点进行GO(gene ontology)及KEGG(Kyoto encyclopedia of genes and genomes)通路富集分析;利用AutoDock软件使用分子对接验证活性化合物与核心靶点的结合能力。结果表明：在智脑胶囊中共筛选出44个活性成分和292个有效靶点,智脑胶囊与阿尔茨海默病共同靶点58个;蛋白质-蛋白质相互作用得出关键靶点包括AKT1、IL-6、TNF等;GO分析共包含1 419条,KEGG得到175条代谢通路,主要包括脂质与动脉硬化、TNF信号通路;分子对接显示关键成分与靶点具有良好的结合能力。研究表示智脑胶囊可能通过脂质与动脉硬化和TNF信号通路等途径来减轻...     

六旋翼无人机测风系统实测海岛地区风剖面

研制了搭载超声风速仪的六旋翼无人机测风系统,对热带海岛地区近海岸、农业温室基地以及密集建筑群等典型地貌开展风场实测. 结果表明：地面粗糙度指数、摩擦速度和地面粗糙度长度均随场地粗糙度增大而提高. 近海岸风剖面可采用指数律或对数律模型,与我国规范A类、欧洲规范Ⅰ类地貌值均吻合较好,湍流强度明显小于现有规范值;温室基地风剖面符合指数律模型,风剖面和湍流强度与日本规范Ⅲ类地貌值吻合较好;密集建筑群风剖面符合指数律模型,且与美国规范B类地貌值吻合较好,湍流强度与日本规范Ⅳ类地貌值吻合较好. 该研究验证了无人机测风的可靠性,为海岛地区工程结构的抗风设计奠定基础,也为复杂地貌的风场观测、风环境评估与风能资源利用提供了新方法.