Time‐coordinated prevalence of extracellular HGF,FGF2 and TGF‐β3 in crush‐injured skeletal muscle

Successful regeneration and remodeling of neuromuscular junctions are critical for restoring functional capacities and properties of skeletal muscle after damage, and axon‐guidance molecules may be involved in the signaling that regulates such restoration. Recently, we found that early‐differentiated satellite cells up‐regulate a secreted neural chemorepellent Sema3A upon in vivo muscle‐crush injury. The study also revealed that Sema3A expression is up‐regulated in primary satellite‐cell cultures in response to hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF2) and is prevented by transforming growth factor (TGF)‐β2, 3. In order to verify the physiological significance of this regulation in vitro, the present study was designed to estimate the time‐course of extracellular HGF, FGF2 and TGF‐β3 concentrations after crush‐injury of Gastrocnemius muscle in the rat lower hind‐limb, using a combination of a non‐homogenization/non‐spin extraction of extracellular wound fluids and enhanced chemiluminescence–Western blotting analyses. Results clearly demonstrated that active HGF and FGF2 are prevalent in 2–8 days post‐crush, whereas active TGF‐β3 increases after 12 days, providing a better understanding of the time‐coordinated levels of HGF, FGF2 and TGF‐β3 that drive regulation of Sema3A expression during regenerative intramuscular moto‐neuritogenesis.     

越南水稻黄矮病毒多克隆血清抗体的制备

[目的]制备用于检测水稻黄矮病毒(RYSV)的多克隆抗体,为水稻和黑尾叶蝉上的病毒诊断提供技术支持.[方法]利用两种不同来源的RYSV抗原免疫家兔,一种是从受感染的水稻病叶组织纯化获得RYSV病毒粒子;另一种是从越南RYSV分离株克隆出完整N蛋白编码基因,然后将其连接至pET-28a载体上,在大肠杆菌Rosetta(DE3)菌株中进行诱导表达获得N蛋白抗原.其中,N蛋白抗原又以两种形式(洗脱纯化N蛋白和N蛋白条带聚丙烯酰胺切片匀浆)对家兔进行免疫.最后,采用PTA-ELISA分析评估家兔抗体血清(多克隆抗体)对水稻叶片和黑尾叶蝉RYSV的特异性和敏感性.[结果]分离自越南RYSV分离株的N基因由1542个核苷酸组成,与来自我国和日本RYS分离株N基因序列进行比对,其核苷酸序列同源性分别为98.1%和97.9%,对应的推导氨基酸序列同源性为83.4%和99.4%.以RYSV病毒粒子、洗脱纯化N蛋白和N蛋白条带聚丙烯酰胺切片匀浆3种抗原免疫家兔获得的多克隆抗体均能有效检测出水稻植株中的RYSV,其中,感病植株的OD405分别为1.449、2.337和1.649,健康植株的OD405分别为0.375、0.294和0.283.PTA-ELISA检测结果表明,获得的多克隆抗体能从单个带病毒黑尾叶蝉中检测出RYSV,且该结论在RT-PCR检测中得到进一步验证.[结论]制备获得的多克隆抗体对RYSV具有较高特异性和敏感性,可用于水稻和黑尾叶蝉上的病毒诊断,同时表明以含有病毒植物蛋白的聚丙烯酰胺切片直接注射免疫模型动物制备多克隆抗体具有可行性.     

简论当代大学生价值观功利化倾向及其克服

从社会转型的负面影响、西方社会思潮的渗透和冲击、各种传媒的错误导向、大学生思想政治教育机制不健全、大学生自身存在的弱点等几方面分析了当代大学生价值观功利化倾向形成的原因,进而提出了用社会主义核心价值体系教育学生、发挥正确舆论导向功能、加强大学生价值观的正面引导、提升德育教师素质等对策。     

Formation of molecular chlorine from the photolysis of ozone and aqueous sea-salt particles

Halogen atoms from the reactions of sea-salt particles may play a significant role in the marine boundary layer. Reactions of sodium chloride, the major component of sea-salt particles, with nitrogen oxides generate chlorine atom precursors. However, recent studies suggest there is an additional source of chlorine in the marine troposphere. This study shows that molecular chlorine is generated from the photolysis of ozone in the presence of sea-salt particles above their deliquescence point; this process may also occur in the ocean surface layer. Given the global distribution of ozone, this process may provide a global source of chlorine.     

Perspectives in Helioseismology

Helioseismology is probing the interior structure and dynamics of the sun with ever-increasing precision, providing a well-calibrated laboratory in which physical processes can be studied under conditions that are unattainable on Earth. Nearly 10 million resonant modes of oscillation are observable in the solar atmosphere, and their frequencies need to be known with great accuracy in order to gauge the sun's interior. The advent of nearly continuous imaged observations from the complementary ground-based Global Oscillation Network Group (GONG) observatories and the space-based Solar and Heliospheric Observatory instruments augurs a new era of discovery. The flow of early results from GONG resolves some issues and raises a number of theoretical questions whose answers are required for understanding how a seemingly ordinary star actually operates.     

Differential Rotation and Dynamics of the Solar Interior

Splitting of the sun's global oscillation frequencies by large-scale flows can be used to investigate how rotation varies with radius and latitude within the solar interior. The nearly uninterrupted observations by the Global Oscillation Network Group (GONG) yield oscillation power spectra with high duty cycles and high signal-to-noise ratios. Frequency splittings derived from GONG observations confirm that the variation of rotation rate with latitude seen at the surface carries through much of the convection zone, at the base of which is an adjustment layer leading to latitudinally independent rotation at greater depths. A distinctive shear layer just below the surface is discernible at low to mid-latitudes.     

Positive Effects of Melatonin Treatment on the Reproductive Performance of Young Border Leicester Rams Mated to Merino Ewes in Spring: Preliminary Observations

Poor reproductive performance of Merino ewe flocks when mated to Border Leicester rams during spring may be due to seasonality of the Border Leicester breed. Two approaches were taken to test this assumption. Six young (12 months old) or six mixed‐age (12, 24 and ≥36 months old) Border Leicester rams were either treated or not treated with melatonin implants (2 × 2 design) 6 weeks before the four groups of rams were each put with approximately 300 Merino ewes for an 8‐week mating period. Implants were inserted in early September (experiment 1). The second approach was to yard or not yard ewes and mixed‐age rams on several occasions during the first 3 weeks of the mating period (experiment 2). Pregnancy rate and twinning percentage were assessed by ultrasonography. In experiment 1, melatonin treatment in young rams increased (p < 0.001) pregnancy rate from 5.0% to 92.6%, but mixed‐age rams did not respond (90.7% vs 89.5% for melatonin and non‐melatonin treatments, respectively). Twinning rate was similar (p > 0.05) for ewes mated to either melatonin or non‐melatonin‐treated young rams (36.8% vs 40.0%, respectively), whereas melatonin significantly improved (p < 0.05) twinning rate in those ewes mated to mixed‐age rams (49.1% vs 36.1%). After 6 weeks of melatonin treatment, scrotal circumference was greater (p < 0.05) in both young and mixed‐aged rams than in untreated counterparts. In experiment 2, yarding of ewes and rams overnight on several occasions early in the mating period reduced (p < 0.001) pregnancy rate compared with non‐yarded counterparts (89.5% vs 65.5%). Twinning rate was not affected (37.7% vs 36.1%, respectively). In summary, melatonin treatment of Border Leicester rams significantly improved flock reproductive performance in spring due to improved pregnancy rates with young rams and improved litter size with mixed‐age rams.     

Relative bioavailability of zinc in supplemental inorganic and organic sources for Nile tilapia Oreochromis niloticus fingerlings

A 90‐day feeding experiment was conducted with sex reversed Nile tilapia (Oreochromis niloticus) fingerlings fed purified or practical diets supplemented with different zinc sources to evaluate fish growth performance and zinc and iron retention in fish bones, fillets, liver, skin and eyes. The relative bioavailability value (RBV) of zinc in the supplemental sources tested was also calculated. Fish were fed with isonitrogenous and isoenergetic purified or practical diets supplemented with 150 mg Zn kg^?1, as zinc sulphate monohydrate (ZnSO₄), zinc oxide (ZnO) or zinc amino acid complex (Zn‐AA). The feeding trial was conducted in 30, 50 L aquaria where four 0.66 ± 0.01 g (mean ± SD) fingerlings were initially stocked. No significant differences were observed for any growth performance variables (P > 0.05). In practical diets, only ZnSO₄ and ZnO presented bone zinc retention similar to that for the standard zinc source. Zinc concentration in the bone of fish fed practical diet supplemented with Zn‐AA (171 ± 3.62 μg g^?1) was significantly lower than that verified for the practical diets supplemented with the standard zinc source (200 ± 17.7 μg g^?1) or with ZnSO₄ (204 ± 19.9 μg g^?1). Assuming the concentration of zinc in bones as the response criterion, the supplemental zinc RBV from ZnSO₄ (105%) was higher than the RBV for Zn‐AA (95.1%) or ZnO (94.9%). Iron concentration in the bones of animals fed the non‐zinc‐supplemented purified diet was significantly higher than that observed for purified diet supplemented with Zn‐AA (P < 0,05). The results of the present work allowed us to conclude that ZnSO₄ in relation to ZnO or Zn‐AA was the supplemental zinc source with higher zinc bioavailability to Nile tilapia.     

Making Sense of the Metaphor: How Acupuncture Works Neurophysiologically

Dropping the veil of mystery surrounding acupuncture's effects exposes the compelling and vibrant inner workings of acupuncture based on anatomy and physiology. Shining the light on the mechanisms of acupuncture with a methodical, scientific, and evidence-based approach to equine acupuncture holds the promise of improving treatment consistency and effectiveness. Disentangling acupuncture actions from arcane notions of body function that originated millennia ago requires in-depth study of the nervous system and modern scientific evidence. Abundant information exists concerning the connections between acupuncture anatomy, nerve stimulation, and neuromodulation of the peripheral, central, and autonomic nervous systems. This body of evidence can assist equine practitioners and researchers in approaching acupuncture from a scientific, rather than a metaphorical, platform.