Accessory corpora lutea formation in pregnant Hokkaido sika deer (Cervus nippon yesoensis) investigated by examination of ovarian dynamics and steroid hormone concentrations

Generally, sika deer conceive a single fetus, but approximately 80% of pregnant females have two corpora lutea (CLs). The function of the accessory CL (ACL) is unknown; moreover, the process of ACL formation is unclear, and understanding this is necessary to know its role. To elucidate the process of ACL formation, the ovarian dynamics of six adult Hokkaido sika deer females were examined ultrasonographically together with peripheral estradiol-17β and progesterone concentrations. ACLs formed in three females that conceived at the first estrus of the breeding season, but not in those females that conceived at the second estrus. After copulation, postconception ovulation of the dominant follicle of the first wave is induced by an increase in estradiol-17β, which leads to formation of an ACL. A relatively low concentration of progesterone after the first estrus of the breeding season is considered to be responsible for the increase in estradiol-17β after copulation.     

基于回购契约的风险厌恶零售商的供应链协调

应用LSTAR模型对我国通货膨胀率的动态特征进行的实证研究结果表明：我国通货膨胀率自身调整有明显的非线性特征，分为显著的低通货膨胀区制和高通货膨胀区制，区制转移的平滑参数较大，转移变量为滞后1期通货膨胀率，转折点为0.01036。同时，我国通货膨胀率存在一定程度的非对称性调整，随冲击大小、方向、区制不同而表现不同。此外，我国通货膨胀率具有较高的持久性，高通货膨胀区制的持久性明显低于低通货膨胀区制。     

宿州市秋冬连旱的灰色BP神经网络预测模型

秋冬连旱是影响宿州冬小麦、油菜等越冬作物生长发育的重要因素。以Z指数≤一0．8为标准,确定宿州市秋冬持续重旱年份序列,建立GM（1,1）预测模型,并应用BP人工神经网络（BP—ANN）对残差进行拟合,对GM（1,1）预测模型进行修正。结果表明,拟合结果较单一的GM（1,1）模型有一定提高。预测2008年后的下一个宿州市秋冬（10月-2月）持续重旱年度发生在2017～2018年,对当地农业生产和防灾减灾有一定的参考价值。     

语料库教学模式在汽车英语课堂上的应用与研究

语料库就是将在现实生活中出现的应用过语言加以收集、整理、分析、处理,利用计算机数据库技术并且结合现代网络平台,建立的资源共享体。目前美国当代英语语料库是世界上最大的英语语料库,该语料库可以通过网络平台为大众提供英语语料的检索和查询。将英语语料库引入汽车英语课堂,是汽车专业英语教学模式改革的重大尝试和探索,语料库教学模式在汽车英语课堂上的应用为提高专业英语教学水平,增强学生英语应用能力、培养高素质汽车专业人才提供一条行之有效的方法。     

Contamination history of suspended river sediments accumulated in oxbow lakes over the last 25 years

Background, aims, and scope  Embankment of meandering river systems in many industrial areas results in the formation of artificial oxbow lakes that may act as perennial or intermittent traps for river sediments. Their deposits can be dated using a combination of historical and stratigraphic data, providing a good means to study historical records of contamination transported by rivers. Contamination history over the last few decades is of special significance for Central and Eastern Europe as it can reflect high pollutant levels in the second half of the twentieth century and the subsequent improvement after the fall of the Iron Curtain. The purpose of this study was to investigate recent sediments of an oxbow lake of the Morava River, Czech Republic, their stratigraphic records, sediment architecture, and history of contamination. Materials and methods  Seven ground-penetrating radar (GPR) profiles and three sediment cores up to 4 m deep were studied. The stratigraphy of the cores was inferred from visible-light spectrophotometry, X-ray radiography, grain size analysis, and semiquantitative modal analysis of sandy fractions. The sediments were dated using the ¹³⁷Cs mass activity and combinations of stratigraphic and historical data. The cores were sampled for concentrations of heavy metals and persistent organic pollutants. Wet sampled, lyophilized, and sieved sediments were extracted and analyzed for heavy metals by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) of aqua regia leachate and for persistent organic pollutants by gas chromatography (GC-ECD and GC-MS). Results  Three distinct sedimentary sequences (S1, S2, and S3) were identified. The basal sequence S1 represents river channel sediments deposited before the formation of the oxbow lake, most likely before the 1930s. The boundary between the S1 and S2 sequence correlates with the level of sediment dredging from 1981 evidenced from historical data. The overlying sequences S2 and S3 represent a postdredging sediment wedge, which progrades into the lake. ¹³⁷Cs dating revealed a distinct Chernobyl 1986 peak at ∼150 cm depth inferring sedimentation rates up to 7.7 cm/year. Sediment contamination abruptly increased from the pre-1930s deposits to the post-1981 deposits. The concentration levels increased two to five times for Pb, As, Zn, and Cu, about 10 to 15 times for Cr, Sb, and Hg, up to 34 times for Cd, and 25 to 67 times for DDTs, PCBs, and PAHs. The concentrations of most contaminants remained approximately constant until the late 1980s when they started to decrease slowly. The decreasing trends were most prominent for heavy metals and anthracene, less prominent for DDTs, and almost absent for PCBs and most PAHs. Discussion  Different temporal and spatial patterns for various contaminants make it possible to distinguish between anthropogenic point sources from local industry (anthracene, Cr, Cd), possible diffuse sources (most PAHs), and geological background (V, Co, Ni, and Mo). The observed recent trends in heavy metal and persistent organic pollutant contamination are generally consistent with data from other Central European rivers. The roughly balanced contamination levels in sediments from the lake and the adjacent river channel suggest that the oxbow lake deposits reflect immediate levels of the contamination bound to suspended particulate matter passing through the river. Conclusions  The investigated oxbow lake accumulated suspended sediment from Morava River, developing a thick sedimentary body. The sediments offer a good time framework to study historical contamination of the river on a decade time scale. Continuous contamination trends can be traced back to the early 1980s. The results show that stratigraphic analysis of cores has a good potential for identification of uninterrupted historical trends and unconformities, e.g., due to dredging. Recommendations and perspectives  Oxbow lakes may provide an alternative to floodplains and reservoir deposits when studying river contamination history. High sedimentation rates of up to 7.7 cm/year offer a very good stratigraphic resolution, making it possible to study contamination patterns on annual or even seasonal time scales. On the other hand, oxbow lakes may represent long-term contamination stores, which are unlikely to be redistributed by river erosion and, hence, may possess significant environmental risks for the farther future.     

Different origins of two corpora lutea recovered from a pregnant African elephant (Loxodonta africana)

Elephant ovaries contain multiple corpora lutea (CLs) throughout pregnancy. Two CLs (P‐1 and P‐2) collected from a pregnant African elephant were used to investigate their origin and physiological state in this study. The mRNA expressions of prolactin receptor, CYP11A and inhibin betaB subunit were higher in P‐2 than in P‐1, while LHCGR and inhibin betaA subunit mRNA were higher in P‐1 than in P‐2. Protein expression of cleaved caspase‐3 was detected in P‐1 but not in P‐2. These results suggest different origins for the two CLs in this one pregnant elephant, and we also demonstrated the production of bioactive prolactin by the elephant placenta.     

犬黄体功能调控机制研究进展

犬黄体具有异于其他家畜的生理结构和功能表现,其中最特别的是犬缺乏急性黄体溶解机制。犬黄体发生过程受催乳素、促黄体素和前列腺素E₂的复杂调控,溶解退化过程则对其他家畜主要的溶黄体激素--前列腺素F_2α不敏感。而黄体的存留对母犬的生殖活动却具有重要的意义,其自分泌或旁分泌的类固醇激素也在妊娠调控和发情周期的更迭中发挥重要作用。犬黄体的退化机制尚未明确,但国外已有包括被动退化在内的诸多假说。此外,黄体是为数不多具有完整生命周期的功能性组织（或器官）,其发生过程、功能实现和衰老溶解都在周而复始地进行,这对炎症反应、癌症发生和细胞凋亡等研究都具有重要的参考价值。作者综述了犬黄体的发生和退化过程中调控机制的研究进展,旨在为进一步深入研究犬黄体发生和退化的分子机制提供研究背景和理论依据。     

Relationship between persistent HPV infection and cervical carcinoma

Human papillomavirus (HPV) genital infection is a very common sexual transmitted disease. Mostly, the infection is transient and asymptomatic. The induction of effective immune responses usually allows the infection to be spontaneously cured. However, the infection sometimes can be responsible for an intraepithelial lesion, which may progress to be cervical cancer. Cervical cancer is one of the most common neoplastic diseases affecting women. It is clear that carcinogenic HPV infection is the necessary process for the development of cervical cancer. HPV infection is very frequent in young women aged less than 25 years and viral clearance lasts for 8 months in average. This clearance is the consequence of host immunity intervention, which leads to spontaneous regression of infection and the overwhelming majority of low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (more than 80% within a period of 2 years). The major factor, which permits the progression to high grade squamous intraepithelial lesions and invasive cervical cancer, is the persistent feature of HPV infection. HPV infection is usually transient, but several factors were identified as host factors (genetic, immunodepression, oral contraception and smoking) and viral factors (genotype, variants, viral load and integration) to increase the persistence. Cervical cancer is clearly the first virus-induced solid tumor discovered in human. Furthermore, it represents a woman death cause that can be avoided.