Drilling to gabbro in intact ocean crust

Sampling an intact sequence of oceanic crust through lavas, dikes, and gabbros is necessary to advance the understanding of the formation and evolution of crust formed at mid-ocean ridges, but it has been an elusive goal of scientific ocean drilling for decades. Recent drilling in the eastern Pacific Ocean in Hole 1256D reached gabbro within seismic layer 2, 1157 meters into crust formed at a superfast spreading rate. The gabbros are the crystallized melt lenses that formed beneath a mid-ocean ridge. The depth at which gabbro was reached confirms predictions extrapolated from seismic experiments at modern mid-ocean ridges: Melt lenses occur at shallower depths at faster spreading rates. The gabbros intrude metamorphosed sheeted dikes and have compositions similar to the overlying lavas, precluding formation of the cumulate lower oceanic crust from melt lenses so far penetrated by Hole 1256D.     

Chemical Composition and Anti-inflammatory and Antioxidant Activities of Eight Pear Cultivars

The contents of total phenolics, total flavonoids, total anthocyanins, and total triterpenes of eight pear samples were determined, and the monomeric compounds were identified and quantitated using high-performance liquid chromatography. The in vitro antioxidant and in vivo anti-inflammatory activities of the different pear cultivars were compared. Arbutin and catechin were the dominant polyphenol compounds in the eight pear varieties, followed by chlorogenic acid, quercetin, and rutin. In addition, Xuehua pear and Nanguo pear had significantly higher total phenolics and flavonoids contents, while Dangshansu pear had the largest total triterpenes value (209.2 mg/100 g). Xuehua pear and Nanguo pear also were the highest in total anthocyanins. The pears with high total phenolics and total flavonoids contents had significantly higher antioxidant and anti-inflammatory abilities than those of other species. Anthocyanins were correlated to antioxidant capacity in pears, whereas total triterpenoids were strongly correlated to anti-inflammatory activity.     

A peptide of foot-and-mouth disease virus serotype Asia1 generating a neutralizing antibody response, and an immunostimulatory peptide

The epitopes of the capsid of foot-and-mouth disease virus (FMDV) play important roles in the construction of highly immunogenic subunit vaccines. However few epitopes have been found for FMDV serotype Asia1. In this study we screened for epitopes of the VP1 and VP2 proteins of FMDV serotype Asia1 isolate, YNBS/58. Fragments consisting of amino acids 133-163 of VP1 and amino acids 1-33 of VP2 contained epitopes, and both induced lymphoproliferation in guinea pigs. Only the VP1 fragment induced neutralizing antibodies but the VP2 peptide dramatically increased the neutralizing antibody response induced by the VP1 peptide.     

Antiproliferative activity of Goldfussia psilostachys ethanolic extract on K562 leukemia cells

A dose-dependent and significant (P<0.01) antiproliferative effect of Goldfussia psilostachys ethanolic extract was observed on K562 cells. The IC(50) is ca. 0.5 microg/ml. The extract markedly increases the proportion of cell in G2/M phases and decreases the population of cells in G0/G1 phases. Moreover, the antimitotic effect is correlated with polymerization of microtubule assembly. These results indicate that G. psilostachys ethanolic extract inhibits the proliferation of K562 cells and disrupts the normal dynamic of microtubules during mitosis.     

国内虹鳟代表性养殖群体的高通量SNP芯片检测及遗传分析

本研究旨在对国内虹鳟(Oncorhynchus mykiss)代表性养殖群体开展全基因组水平的遗传评估。利用57K单核苷酸多态性(single nucleotide polymorphism,SNP)芯片,检测了来自不同地域的6个虹鳟养殖群体样本共计48尾,包括黑龙江虹鳟、黑龙江金鳟、四川虹鳟、四川金鳟、北京虹鳟和北京金鳟,共获得有效SNP位点50201个,在中国虹鳟中的多态比例达到97.7%,表明该芯片虽然基于美国和挪威虹鳟群体设计,但对中国群体同样具有良好的适用性。各群体最小等位基因频率均值为0.240~0.267,与国外主流养殖群体相近,黑龙江虹鳟、四川虹鳟和北京虹鳟群体内遗传多样性丰富,多态位点比例为83.6%~84.9%,与国外主流养殖群体相近,而黑龙江金鳟、四川金鳟和北京金鳟,多态位点比例相对较低,在60.2%~76.9%范围内。应用6个中国虹鳟群体和2个美国虹鳟群体数据开展系统发育分析、主成分分析和群体遗传结构STRUCTURE分析,结果显示8个群体可分为3个祖源类群,其中3个金鳟群体为遗传联系较紧密的一个类群,黑龙江虹鳟和北京虹鳟为一个类群,而四川虹鳟与2个美国虹鳟群体为一个类群,部分中国养殖群体中有显著离群个体存在,表明群体遗传背景不均一。本研究表明,高密度SNP芯片在我国虹鳟养殖群体遗传分析中具有广泛的应用前景,能够为种质资源评估、本土化良种培育、制种和引种工作提供基因组水平的参考信息。     

Chinese Honey Positioning and Price Trend in Domestic Market

China's bee industry is a small proportion of domestic agriculture with fewer farmers, and the government didn't attach much attention to or give supports to it. Agricultural production sector does not fully recognize the economic value of honeybee pollination. Chinese beekeepers gain profits only from products such as honey, royal jelly and bee pollen. Because of the production mode that aims at gathering and producing more honey while neglecting the health care of bees and the quality of products; export enterprises lack guidance and knowledge in export inspection and quarantine and technical regulations, and thus, the average price of China's bee honey exports is much lower than that of other countries in the world. Meanwhile, in domestic market, given the sustained development of China's macro economy and increasing incomes of residents, people show increasing interests in the health care function of honey. Based on the survey data of honey market in Beijing, Hangzhou, Qingdao, Zhengzhou and Chengdu from 2012 to 2015, the paper analyzes the price feature of China's honey market and its formulation basis, and also compares prices of honey with the same quality in different markets. Moreover, the paper combines data from fixed observation places of honey products production, which is carried out by the economic research group of bee industry in 11 provinces, to discuss reasons for continuous honey price rising in domestic market. Lastly, the paper uses the honey as an example to analyze pricing strategy of agricultural products with health care functions. The paper hold the opinions that the keys to solve the problem that high quality agricultural material couldn't sell in high price and good and bad are mixed in the market, is to build up quality and price mechanism in the processing of raw material purchasing to the terminal market, publicize more products information and superior customer attractiveness on health care effect.     

Influence of α olefin polymer drag reduction agent concentration on the efficiency of drag reduction

The effects of an α olefin polymer drag reduction agent (DRA) created using solution polymerization on the efficiency of drag reduction are studied. The results show that α olefin polymer DRA begins to reduce drag when the concentration is 5 mg/L. Up to a constant value, the drag reduction percentage of the samples improves as the concentration increases. The drag reduction percentage drops rapidly as shearing times increase. The effects of polymer characteristics on drag reduction efficiency are further studied. Particle density and concentration are obtained through viscosimetry. The results show that with α olefin polymer DRA, the characteristic viscosity is lower, density is higher, particle concentration is lower, and molecular weight is higher resulting in improved drag reduction efficiency. Other conditions worsen drag reduction efficiency.     

Design and fabrication of a novel resonator for resonant accelerometer

A novel resonator for accelerometer with sensing and actuating combs was designed and fabricated based on micro electromechanical system (MEMS) process. Driving force and demand voltage of the resonator were analyzed by analytical method and Finite Element Method (FEM). Sensing capacitance on resonance state and Q factor under atmosphere was calculated by these two methods. The micro fabrication process was planned and realized using MEMS (Micro electromechanical System) method. The testing results show the performance of the resonator is high; the natural frequency of the resonator is 54 523.5 Hz, which has the error of 13.6％ with the theorical value.     

Metabolites from Aspergillus fumigatus, an endophytic fungus associated with Melia azedarach, and their antifungal, antifeedant, and toxic activities

Thirty-nine fungal metabolites 1-39, including two new alkaloids, 12β-hydroxy-13α-methoxyverruculogen TR-2 (6) and 3-hydroxyfumiquinazoline A (16), were isolated from the fermentation broth of Aspergillus fumigatus LN-4, an endophytic fungus isolated from the stem bark of Melia azedarach. Their structures were elucidated on the basis of detailed spectroscopic analysis (mass spectrometry and one- and two-dimensional NMR experiments) and by comparison of their NMR data with those reported in the literature. These isolated compounds were evaluated for in vitro antifungal activities against some phytopathogenic fungi, toxicity against brine shrimps, and antifeedant activities against armyworm larvae (Mythimna separata Walker). Among them, sixteen compounds showed potent antifungal activities against phytopathogenic fungi (Botrytis cinerea, Alternaria solani, Alternaria alternata, Colletotrichum gloeosporioides, Fusarium solani, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. niveum, Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. vasinfectum, and Gibberella saubinettii), and four of them, 12β-hydroxy-13α-methoxyverruculogen TR-2 (6), fumitremorgin B (7), verruculogen (8), and helvolic acid (39), exhibited antifungal activities with MIC values of 6.25-50 μg/mL, which were comparable to the two positive controls carbendazim and hymexazol. In addition, of eighteen that exerted moderate lethality toward brine shrimps, compounds 7 and 8 both showed significant toxicities with median lethal concentration (LC(50)) values of 13.6 and 15.8 μg/mL, respectively. Furthermore, among nine metabolites that were found to possess antifeedant activity against armyworm larvae, compounds 7 and 8 gave the best activity with antifeedant indexes (AFI) of 50.0% and 55.0%, respectively. Structure-activity relationships of the metabolites were also discussed.