Proxy evidence for an El Niño-like response to volcanic forcing

Past studies have suggested a statistical connection between explosive volcanic eruptions and subsequent El Ni?o climate events. This connection, however, has remained controversial. Here we present support for a response of the El Ni?o/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) phenomenon to forcing from explosive volcanism by using two different palaeoclimate reconstructions of El Ni?o activity and two independent, proxy-based chronologies of explosive volcanic activity from ad 1649 to the present. We demonstrate a significant, multi-year, El Ni?o-like response to explosive tropical volcanic forcing over the past several centuries. The results imply roughly a doubling of the probability of an El Ni?o event occurring in the winter following a volcanic eruption. Our empirical findings shed light on how the tropical Pacific ocean-atmosphere system may respond to exogenous (both natural and anthropogenic) radiative forcing.     

具有三个CM公共值的亚纯函数的唯一性

本文指出仪洪勋和Brosch G在具有三个判别的CM公共值的亚纯函数的唯一性定理中,关于对数函数的导数是整函数的推导,可以用指数函数求导的方法来证明.改进了仪洪勋和Brosch G关于重值与唯一性定理.     

Photosensitized reduction of nitrogen dioxide on humic acid as a source of nitrous acid

Nitrous acid is a significant photochemical precursor of the hydroxyl radical, the key oxidant in the degradation of most air pollutants in the troposphere. The sources of nitrous acid in the troposphere, however, are still poorly understood. Recent atmospheric measurements revealed a strongly enhanced formation of nitrous acid during daytime via unknown mechanisms. Here we expose humic acid films to nitrogen dioxide in an irradiated tubular gas flow reactor and find that reduction of nitrogen dioxide on light-activated humic acids is an important source of gaseous nitrous acid. Our findings indicate that soil and other surfaces containing humic acid exhibit an organic surface photochemistry that produces reductive surface species, which react selectively with nitrogen dioxide. The observed rate of nitrous acid formation could explain the recently observed high daytime concentrations of nitrous acid in the boundary layer, the photolysis of which accounts for up to 60 per cent of the integrated hydroxyl radical source strengths. We suggest that this photo-induced nitrous acid production on humic acid could have a potentially significant impact on the chemistry of the lowermost troposphere.     

Pain relief by xenograft of subarachnoid microencapsulated bovine chromaffin cells in cancer patients

The bovine chromaffin cells (BCC) implanted into the subarachnoid space can release analgesic substances such as opioid peptides and ealeeholamines. Clinical trials have provided the evidence that the implantation of polyvinylchloride ( PVC) hollow fiber encapsulated BCC by surgery can relief the pain in cancer patients. In the present study, BCC were encapsulated in alginate-polylysine-alginate (APA) mieroencapsules which protect the grafting of xenogeneic cells from host immune system anil allow BCC to function effectively without using immunosuppression agents. The microencapsulated BCCs (5 X 106~—8 X 106) were transplanted into the subarachnoid space I^._s of 17 patients who suffered from chronic cancer pain and had to have long-term administration of analgesics. The pain scores and morphine intake tesl showed that microencapsulated BCC graft totally stopped the chronic pain in three of the patients over a period of 200 days and in the other three over a period of 100 days. The resulls suggesl thai APA microencapsulated BCC xenotransplantation could be a novel alternative approach to managing pain of cancer patients.     

A degradation-sensitive anionic trypsinogen (PRSS2) variant protects against chronic pancreatitis

Chronic pancreatitis is a common inflammatory disease of the pancreas. Mutations in the genes encoding cationic trypsinogen (PRSS1) and the pancreatic secretory trypsin inhibitor (SPINK1) are associated with chronic pancreatitis. Because increased proteolytic activity owing to mutated PRSS1 enhances the risk for chronic pancreatitis, mutations in the gene encoding anionic trypsinogen (PRSS2) may also predispose to disease. Here we analyzed PRSS2 in individuals with chronic pancreatitis and controls and found, to our surprise, that a variant of codon 191 (G191R) is overrepresented in control subjects: G191R was present in 220/6,459 (3.4%) controls but in only 32/2,466 (1.3%) affected individuals (odds ratio 0.37; P = 1.1 x 10(-8)). Upon activation by enterokinase or trypsin, purified recombinant G191R protein showed a complete loss of trypsin activity owing to the introduction of a new tryptic cleavage site that renders the enzyme hypersensitive to autocatalytic proteolysis. In conclusion, the G191R variant of PRSS2 mitigates intrapancreatic trypsin activity and thereby protects against chronic pancreatitis.