Bacterial resistance mechanisms against host defense peptides

Host defense peptides and proteins are important components of the innate host defense against pathogenic microorganisms. They target negatively charged bacterial surfaces and disrupt microbial cytoplasmic membranes, which ultimately leads to bacterial destruction. Throughout evolution, pathogens devised several mechanisms to protect themselves from deleterious damage of host defense peptides. These strategies include (a) inactivation and cleavage of host defense peptides by production of host defense binding proteins and proteases, (b) repulsion of the peptides by alteration of pathogen’s surface charge employing modifications by amino acids or amino sugars of anionic molecules (e.g., teichoic acids, lipid A and phospholipids), (c) alteration of bacterial membrane fluidity, and (d) expulsion of the peptides using multi drug pumps. Together with bacterial regulatory network(s) that regulate expression and activity of these mechanisms, they represent attractive targets for development of novel antibacterials.     

Faithful chaperones

This review describes the properties of some rare eukaryotic chaperones that each assist in the folding of only one target protein. In particular, we describe (1) the tubulin cofactors, (2) p47, which assists in the folding of collagen, (3) α-hemoglobin stabilizing protein (AHSP), (4) the adenovirus L4-100 K protein, which is a chaperone of the major structural viral protein, hexon, and (5) HYPK, the huntingtin-interacting protein. These various-sized proteins (102–1,190 amino acids long) are all involved in the folding of oligomeric polypeptides but are otherwise functionally unique, as they each assist only one particular client. This raises a question regarding the biosynthetic cost of the high-level production of such chaperones. As the clients of faithful chaperones are all abundant proteins that are essential cellular or viral components, it is conceivable that this necessary metabolic expenditure withstood evolutionary pressure to minimize biosynthetic costs. Nevertheless, the complexity of the folding pathways in which these chaperones are involved results in error-prone processes. Several human disorders associated with these chaperones are discussed.     

Immune biology of Ag-specific γδ T cells in infections

Accumulating evidence suggests that human γδ T cells act as non-classical T cells and contribute to both innate and adaptive immune responses in infections. Vγ2 Vδ2 T (also termed Vγ9 Vδ2 T) cells exist only in primates, and in humans represent a dominant circulating γδ T-cell subset. Primate Vγ2 Vδ2 T cells are the only γδ T cell subset capable of recognizing microbial phosphoantigen. Since nonhuman primate Vγ2 Vδ2 T cells resemble their human counterparts, in-depth studies have been undertaken in macaques to understand the biology and function of human Vγ2 Vδ2 T cells. This article reviews the recent progress for immune biology of Vγ2 Vδ2 T cells in infections.     

铜造锍熔炼杂质元素分布及回收利用研究进展

随着高品位铜精矿日益枯竭,低品位铜精矿的杂质含量愈来愈高,因此,做好杂质元素综合回收和环境保护具有重要意义.综述了闪速熔炼工艺、底吹熔炼工艺、侧吹熔炼工艺和顶吹熔炼工艺中主要杂质元素As、Sb、Bi、Pb、锌在铜锍、炉渣、烟尘中的分布.根据杂质元素在烟尘中的含量,结合国内外理论研究和工厂实践,介绍了烟尘中主要杂质元素回收利用的研究现状,除了传统的烟尘输送方式改进外,重点介绍了火法、湿法和火法-湿法联合法在烟尘回收中的应用.最后,探讨了生产实践中应做好杂质元素Bi、Pb的选择性富集,以及有害杂质元素砷的固化.     

一种基于度量距离学习的图像检索方法

CBIR系统由于受图像低层特征的限制,制约了它的检索效果。机器学习和统计方法是一种有效的提高检索性能的方法,但通常需要大量的训练样本才能达到满意的检索精度。提出一种理想的距离度量函数,在对图像进行简单分类并提供少量训练样本的基础上,通过类的距离度量矩阵M的学习来考虑分量之间的相关性。这个度量导入二次最佳化问题的解,将训练样本类结构的倾斜最小化。试验结果表明,该方法能在学习样本极少的情况下提高检索的性能。     

乌骨藤化学成分和生物活性研究进展

综述了近年来乌骨藤化学成分和生物活性研究方面的进展,主要包括化学成分、生物活性、临床应用概述,并对它的研究和应用前景作了展望。     

一种基于多序参量协同的组织系统变革有序性识别方法

如何有效识别变革有序性,始终是监测与调控组织系统发展的重要课题。鉴于序参量在组织系统变革过程中的主导作用,应用多序参量识别原理,提出将协同度、有序度和有效度作为组织系统变革有序性识别的关键维度。研究发现：协同度反映组织系统内各要素间的协作支持情况,有序度反映组织系统整体变化的秩序情况,有效度则解释组织系统变革后效果情况。基于多序参量识别结果,提出3个维度的测量方法、判别准则和调节策略。最后,结合计算实例,以验证所提出方法的科学有效性。     

有机物料中磷素研究进展

有机物料在农业生态系统养分循环及其持续生产中具有重要作用,研究有机物料中的磷素,对于深入了解土壤-植物系统中磷的养分循环特征具有重要意义.本文结合国内外已有成果和最新研究进展,从有机物料中的磷素组成,植物的有效性及对土壤磷库的影响等几个方面进行了综述,并探讨了这部分磷素研究过程中存在的问题和今后研究热点.     

中条山混沟原始森林地区野生药用植物资源研究

在混沟植物区系分析研究的基础上,对混沟地区的野生药用植物资源进行了初步统计,药用植物共有94科234属304种,按照其功效分为13类,并对该地区的野生药用植物资源的保护和利用进行了讨论.     

离子强度对牛磺酸离子交换平衡的影响

采用静态吸附法研究离子强度对牛磺酸/OH-体系在阴离子树脂D290上离子交换平衡的影响,测定了不同离子强度下牛磺酸在碱式阴离子交换树脂上的交换平衡等温线.研究结果表明:(1)随着溶液离子强度的升高,阴离子树脂对牛磺酸的平衡交换吸附容量逐渐降低,牛磺酸在树脂上的分配系数λTau逐渐下降;(2)随着溶液离子强度增大,达到平衡时液相的pH值升高,溶液中牛磺酸阴离子Tau±含量迅速增加,而牛磺酸两性离子Tau±含量迅速降低;(3)在一定的牛磺酸浓度范围内,溶液离子强度增大,有利于提高离子交换树脂对牛磺酸的选择性.