Selective susceptibility to nanosecond pulsed electric field (nsPEF) across different human cell types

Tumor ablation by nanosecond pulsed electric fields (nsPEF) is an emerging therapeutic modality. We compared nsPEF cytotoxicity for human cell lines of cancerous (IMR-32, Hep G2, HT-1080, and HPAF-II) and non-cancerous origin (BJ and MRC-5) under strictly controlled and identical conditions. Adherent cells were uniformly treated by 300-ns PEF (0–2000 pulses, 1.8 kV/cm, 50 Hz) on indium tin oxide-covered glass coverslips, using the same media and serum. Cell survival plotted against the number of pulses displayed three distinct regions (initial resistivity, logarithmic survival decline, and residual resistivity) for all tested cell types, but with differences in LD₅₀ spanning as much as nearly 80-fold. The non-cancerous cells were less sensitive than IMR-32 neuroblastoma cells but more vulnerable than the other cancers tested. The cytotoxic efficiency showed no apparent correlation with cell or nuclear size, cell morphology, metabolism level, or the extent of membrane disruption by nsPEF. Increasing pulse duration to 9 µs (0.75 kV/cm, 5 Hz) produced a different selectivity pattern, suggesting that manipulation of PEF parameters can, at least for certain cancers, overcome their resistance to nsPEF ablation. Identifying mechanisms and cell markers of differential nsPEF susceptibility will critically contribute to the proper choice and outcome of nsPEF ablation therapies.     

大遗址互动性体验展示方式选择策略

目的以游客需求为导向,选择不同的遗址展示设计策略。方法以实验观察、聚类分析和控制变量分析等方法,研究遗址互动性体验展示方式。结果针对文化至上型消费者应选择"沉浸式主题展示"方式、家庭同乐型消费者应借鉴"电子问答器"、"交互展示模型"等展示方式,沟通交际型消费者应选择"多层屏幕换景主题"展示方式。结论遗址旅游消费群体的定位不同,遗址互动性体验展示方式设计策略不同。     

Identification of AtSM34, a novel tonoplast intrinsic protein-interacting polypeptide expressed in response to osmotic stress in germinating seedlings

Aquaporins are implicated in a wide variety of plant physiological processes, although the mechanisms involved in their regulation are not fully understood. To gain further insight into the regulatory factors involved in this process, we used a yeast two-hybrid system to screen for potential binding partners to the Arabidopsis tonoplast intrinsic protein (TIP) AtTIP1;1. This was the first protein identified to be associated with high water permeability in vacuolar membranes from Arabidopsis thaliana. Using ...     

Letters from William Burnside to Robert Fricke: automorphic functions,and the emergence of the Burnside Problem

Two letters from William Burnside have recently been found in the Nachlass of Robert Fricke that contain instances of the Burnside Problem prior to its first publication. We present these letters as a whole to the public for the first time. We draw a picture of these two mathematicians and describe their activities leading to their correspondence. We thus gain an insight into their respective motivations, reactions, and attitudes, which may sharpen the current understanding of professional and social interactions of the mathematical community at the turn of the twentieth century. Dedicated to Heiko Harborth on the occasion of his seventieth birthday.     

宜宾油樟的现状及未来

介绍宜宾樟油及樟树资源的现状，分析了樟油生产的特点和存在的问题，提出了樟油发展的方向和应解决的问题，展示了樟油发展的前景。     

Kinetic and structural evidence of the alkenal/one reductase specificity of human ζ-crystallin

Human ζ-crystallin is a Zn²⁺-lacking medium-chain dehydrogenase/reductase (MDR) included in the quinone oxidoreductase (QOR) family because of its activity with quinones. In the present work a novel enzymatic activity was characterized: the double bond α,β-hydrogenation of medium-chain 2-alkenals and 3-alkenones. The enzyme is especially active with lipid peroxidation products such as 4-hydroxyhexenal, and a role in their detoxification is discussed. This specificity is novel in the QOR family, and it is similar to that described in the distantly related alkenal/one reductase family. Moreover, we report the X-ray structure of ζ-crystallin, which represents the first structure solved for a tetrameric Zn²⁺-lacking MDR, and which allowed the identification of the active-site lining residues. Docking simulations suggest a role for Tyr53 and Tyr59 in catalysis. The kinetics of Tyr53Phe and Tyr59Phe mutants support the implication of Tyr53 in binding/catalysis of alkenal/one substrates, while Tyr59 is involved in the recognition of 4-OH-alkenals.     

Electrochemical performance of high purity zinc and Zn-Al-Cd alloy as reference electrodes

The effects of Cl-concentration,temperature,pH,flow velocity,soluble oxygen content of seawater and anodic current on the potential of high purity zinc and Zn-Al-Cd reference electrodes were investigated. The results show that the investigated metal materials are liable to establish stable potential and act as reference electrodes in seawater,diluted seawater and urban tap water. Cl-concentration,temperature,seawater flow velocity and anodic current have an obvious effect on zinc potentials. However,seawate...     

The size variation and related implications of mandibles in northern China in the past 7000 years

To better understand variation of Holocene Chinese mandiblular morphology, a study was conducted on 23 metric traits of Neolithic (n=54), Bronze-Iron Ages (n=184) and modern (n=92) adult male mandibles from northern China. Results indicate that the linear characters of these Chinese mandibles evolved in the past 7000 years. From the Neolithic to Bronze-Iron Ages to present day, the overall size of mandibles decreased. The linear characters of the mandiblular features varied between different time periods. The decrease of thickness and height of the mandibular corpus primarily occurred during the Neolithic to Bronze-Iron Ages. The decrease in main size was during the Bronze-Iron Ages to present day. It is possible that mandibles became thinner before the overall size decreased. Comparisons also indicate that the bottom part of the face may have decreased more greatly in breadth than the upper portion. The decrease in mandible size may be associated with changes in climate and diet, and with changes in the craniums size.     

论民族国家文化建构与话语选择的三个维度

从20世纪50年代末开始,西方文化研究取得了快速的发展,最终在90年代形成了文化研究的高潮。结果,新文化的研究旨趣横扫了欧美大部分学术领域,取代了一度占据学术制高点的新社会学研究方法。从研究中可以看出,民族国家的文化不但是继承的、发展变化的还是针对现实问题而创造的。文化的创造性建构也是当今全球化现实的要求。在这一过程中,要求民族国家文化发展道路的选择上具有三个维度的渐进式发展和升华：社团话语、民族国家话语以及世界话语。