能源植物斑茅在不同生长时期的产量与组分变化

研究不同时期斑茅产量及其化学组分的变化。结果表明:斑茅生物质产量在11月达到最高,其后开始下降;整个生长发育过程中茎叶生物质产量比呈现上升趋势;含水量随生长发育的进行显著降低;叶片灰分含量全年最低为5月,从10月份开始显著增加,至12月份达到最高。茎秆灰分含量略低于叶片,全年最低为10月,最高为7月,变化幅度不大。叶片中木质素含量全年由高到低排列顺序为12月11月9月10月7月8月6月;茎秆中木质素含量全年由高到低排列顺序为12月11月9月7月8月10月6月。10月份茎秆含水量低,灰分含量最低,热值较高,结合产量和燃料品质考虑其更适于直接燃烧,而9月份叶片则更加适于作为生物转化的材料。     

Effect of oleuropein on tissue myeloperoxidase activity in experimental spinal cord trauma

Background: Neutrophil infiltration plays an important role in inflammatory reactions following spinal cord injury (SCI) and these cells cause substantial secondary tissue damage. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of oleuropein (OE) on myeloperoxidase (MPO) activity as an index of neutrophil infiltration. Methods: Rats were randomly divided into four groups of 7 rats each as follows: sham-operated group, trauma group, and OE treatment groups (20 mg/kg, i.p., immediately and 1 hour after SCI). Spinal cord samples were taken 24 hours after injury and studied for determination of MPO activity. Results: The results showed that MPO activity was significantly decreased in OE-treated rats. Conclusion: On the basis of our findings, we propose that OE may be effective in protecting rat spinal cord from secondary damage by modulating of neutrophil infiltration.Key Words: Oleuropein (OE), Neutrophil infiltration, Myeloperoxidase     

Comparative Assessment of Neutrophil Gelatinase-Associated Lipocalin (NGAL) and Cystatin C as Early Biomarkers for Early Detection of Renal Failure in Patients with Hypertension

Background:

Hypertension is one the most common causes of chronic kidney disease (CKD). One of the major concerns in hypertensive patients is early detection of renal disorders. In the past, serum creatinine (Scr) concentration was used as a marker of kidney function, but it proffers a late reflection of reduced glomerular filtration rate. Cystatin C and neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL) have been recently proven to be useful for quantification of CKD. Therefore, we compared the diagnostic value of NGAL with cystatin C and creatinine to evaluate kidney function in hypertensive patients.

Methods:

In this study, 42 hypertensive patients and 30 healthy volunteers were recruited. Serum cystatin C (Scys C) and plasma NGAL were measured using ELISA method. Creatinine, urea, hemoglobin, fibrinogen, and C-reactive protein were measured according to the routine methods. Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) was considered as the gold standard method (cut-off value of < 78 ml/min/1.73 m².

Results:

In the patient group, plasma NGAL, cystatin C, and creatinine were all significantly correlated with eGFR, and plasma NGAL correlated best with eGFR. Receiver-operating characteristics analysis indicated that plasma NGAL was a better indicator than creatinine and cystatin C for predicting a GFR < 78 ml/min/1.73 m². The sensitivity and specificity for NGAL were 96% and 100%, for cystatin C were 92% and 60% and for creatinine were 76% and 47%, respectively.

Conclusion:

Plasma NGAL demonstrated a higher diagnostic value to detect kidney impairment in the early stages of CKD as compared to Scys C and Scr in hypertensive patients.Key Words: Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), Cystatin C, Creatinine, Hypertension     

Evaluation of management principles and performance of the System of Rice Intensification (SRI) in Bangladesh

Experiments were conducted at irrigated and rainfed lowland rice sites in Bangladesh to assess the performance of management practices that have become known as the System of Rice Intensification (SRI). At a research station, SRI management principles such as seedling age, plant spacing, application of organic manure, seedling densities, duration of planting, planting shape and time of planting were evaluated under SRI management as compared to previously established Best Management Practices (BMPs). In on-farm trials, SRI was compared with BMP on 40 farmers’ fields. Nutrient inputs and water management in BMP and SRI treatments were kept at comparable levels. Seedling age, ranging from just sprouted seed to 40-day-old seedlings, had no effect on grain yield in the winter season. In a plant spacing experiment subject to SRI, the highest and lowest grain yields of 7.82 and 5.41 t ha⁻¹ were obtained with spacing of 25 cm × 15 cm (narrow) and 40 cm × 40 cm (wide), respectively. In SRI, seedling density (1–2 seedlings per hill), planting durations (≤15 min to 1–3 h after uprooting) or root placement (L-shape and J-shape) had no effect on grain yield. With regard to time of planting, the highest grain yields were observed with transplanting in the 3rd week of December, with no difference between SRI and BMP management systems. In on-farm trials, BMP gave significantly higher grain yield compared to SRI and farmers’ practice in a triple-cropped area, but grain yields were similar with SRI in a double and single-cropped area when spacing was narrow. The highest profit was obtained with BMP followed by SRI and farmers’ practice in the single-cropping area. Major findings from this study are that under comparable levels of net nutrient input and water management (i) well-implemented BMPs for rice are more efficient for producing high yields than SRI and (ii) there is no intrinsic yield advantage of SRI that could be caused by its individual crop management techniques or some unknown synergism of the different SRI practices proposed.     

Developing a Fluorescent Hybrid Nanobiosensor Based on Quantum Dots and Azoreductase Enzyme for Methyl Red Monitoring

Background:Azo dyes are the most widely used synthetic colorants in the textile, food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and other industries, accounting for nearly 70% of all dyestuffs consumed. Recently, much research attention has been paid to efficient monitoring of these hazardous chemicals and their related metabolites because of their potentially harmful effect on environmental issues. In contrast to the complex and expensive instrumental procedures, the detection system based on the QDs with the superior optochemical properties provides a new era in the pollution sensing and prevention. Methods:We have developed a QD-enzyme hybrid system to probe MR in aqueous solutions using a fluorescence quenching procedure. Results:The azoreductase enzyme catalyzed the reduction of azo group in MR, which can efficiently decrease the FRET between the QDs and MR molecules. The correlation between the QDs photoluminescence recovery and MR enzymatic decolorization at the neutral phosphate buffer permitted the creation of a fluorescence quenching-based sensor. The synthesized biosensor can be used for the accurate detection of MR in a linear calibration over MR concentrations of 5-84 μM, with the LOD of 0.5 μM in response time of three minutes. Conclusion:Our findings revealed that this fluorometric sensor has the potential to be successfully applied for monitoring a wide linear range of MR concentration with the relative standard deviation of 4% rather than the other method. Key Words: Azoreductase, Methyl red, Quantum dots     

Protective Effects of Interleukin-4 on Tissue Destruction and Morphological Changes of Bovine Nasal Chondrocytes in vitro

Background: Previous studies have shown that some cytokines have protective effects on cartilage in joint diseases. In the current study, effects of IL-4 against morphological changes and tissue degradation induced by IL-1α on bovine nasal cartilage (BNC) explants were investigated. Methods: Fresh BNC samples were prepared from a slaughterhouse under sterile conditions. BNC explants culture was treated with both IL-lα (10 ng/ml) and IL-4 (50 ng/ml) at the same time for 28 days. The morphological characteristics of explants were assessed by using histology techniques and invert microscopy. Matrix metalloproteinase-1 (MMP-1) production was assessed within different days by using Western blotting. Results: IL-lα induced prominent cartilage morphology degradation. The pro and active form of MMP-1 band substantially increased at day 21 of culture. In the presence of both IL-lα and IL-4, chondrocytes preserved their ordinary normal phenotype with intact extracellular matrix. In addition, a significant reduction in pro-MMP-1and inhibition of active MMP-1 was seen. Conclusion: In conclusion, IL-4 could be regarded as a potential candidate in cartilage protecting against the degradation changes of IL-lα. It seems that the preservation effect of IL-4 is associated with significant reduction of MMP-1. Key Words: Chondrocyte, Interleukin-1α, Interleukin-4, Matrix metalloproteinase-1, Bovine nasal cartilage     

盐胁迫对扁桃砧木叶片SOD、POD和CAT活性的影响

以温室盆栽的3种扁桃砧木为材料,研究了不同浓度的NaCl、Na2SO4和不同胁迫时间对其叶片活性氧代谢变化的影响.结果表明:NaCl和Na2SO4胁迫下,石头扁桃,桃扁桃和毛桃叶片中POD、CAT活性均随盐浓度的增加而升高,而随着盐胁迫时间的延长其活性有所下降,但都高于对照.SOD活性均随盐浓度的增加先升高后下降,而且后期下降幅度很大.与NaCl胁迫相比,Na2SO4胁迫下这3种砧木叶片中POD、CAT和SOD活性低.从2种盐胁迫下POD、CAT和SOD活性变化规律初步判断这3种砧木的抗盐能力强弱为桃扁桃＞毛桃＞石头扁桃.     

Radar soundings of the subsurface of Mars

The martian subsurface has been probed to kilometer depths by the Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionospheric Sounding instrument aboard the Mars Express orbiter. Signals penetrate the polar layered deposits, probably imaging the base of the deposits. Data from the northern lowlands of Chryse Planitia have revealed a shallowly buried quasi-circular structure about 250 kilometers in diameter that is interpreted to be an impact basin. In addition, a planar reflector associated with the basin structure may indicate the presence of a low-loss deposit that is more than 1 kilometer thick.     

A long-lived lunar core dynamo

Paleomagnetic measurements indicate that a core dynamo probably existed on the Moon 4.2 billion years ago. However, the subsequent history of the lunar core dynamo is unknown. Here we report paleomagnetic, petrologic, and (40)Ar/(39)Ar thermochronometry measurements on the 3.7-billion-year-old mare basalt sample 10020. This sample contains a high-coercivity magnetization acquired in a stable field of at least ~12 microteslas. These data extend the known lifetime of the lunar dynamo by 500 million years. Such a long-lived lunar dynamo probably required a power source other than thermochemical convection from secular cooling of the lunar interior. The inferred strong intensity of the lunar paleofield presents a challenge to current dynamo theory.     

Novel technique for definite blastomere inhibition and distribution of maternal RNA in sterlet Acipenser ruthenus embryo

Fisheries Science - The cleavage pattern of a vertebrate’s embryo is either holoblastic (complete) or meroblastic (partial). Sturgeon and other basal bony fishes represent a transition of the...