Moth pheromone binding proteins contribute to the excitation of olfactory receptor cells

Pheromone binding proteins (PBPs) occur in high concentrations in the sensillum lymph surrounding the sensory dendrites of moth pheromone-sensitive sensilla. They were shown to transport the lipophilic odorants through the aqueous sensillum lymph to the receptor cells. The sensilla trichodea of the silkmoth Antheraea polyphemus are supplied with three types of receptor cells responding specifically to three pheromone components. The sensillum lymph of these sensilla contains three different types of PBPs. In this study, recombinant PBPs in various combinations with pheromone components were applied to the receptor cells via tip-opened sensilla during electrophysiological recordings. The responses of receptor cells were shown to depend on both the pheromone component and the PBP. Pheromone components artificially bound to particular PBPs elicited nerve impulses in receptor cell types which they do not activate under natural conditions. This is the first electrophysiological study to suggest that the PBPs contribute to the activation of receptor molecules.     

Learned arbitrary responses to light in mice without rods or cones

The aim of this investigation was to discover whether mice lacking classical photoreceptors (rods and cones) can nevertheless be trained to respond to light. Mice with the coneless ( cl) transgene have an attenuated diphtheria toxin fused to a cone opsin promotor. Mutant mice homozygous for the retinal degeneration ( rd) gene undergo loss of their rods. By mating these two strains, mice lacking both cones and rods can be generated (Lucas et al. 1999). Such coneless-rodless mice were able to use light as a signal to make a behavioural response to avoid impending shock. Nevertheless, especially initially, they used the light as a cue less often than wildtype controls, indicating that normally the rods and cones are used for such responses. However, other photoreceptors are able to take over this role to some extent. When the lights were covered with opaque material, the performance of rodless-coneless mice dropped to chance level, indicating that they had been using the light as a cue for avoidance.     

β-Glucuronidase activity in mouse oocytes,mouse preimplantation embryos,and human gametes

A microfluorimetric assay was designed to monitor β-glucuronidase (β-gluc) activity during the early development of mouse embryos and was also applied to measure β-gluc activity in human sperm cells and single human oocytes. Mouse oocytes and preimplantation embryos at different stages of development, failed fertilized human oocytes, and human sperm cells were collected, and β-gluc activity was analysed. In the mouse, β-gluc activity could be measured starting from the morula stage on in a pooled sample of 15 embryos and at blasto-cyst formation in one single embryo. β-Gluc activity was low in human sperm cells. The enzyme could be readily demonstrated in 87 per cent of non-fertilized human oocytes. Considerable variation in β-gluc activity was noticed between individual oocytes.     

环境地球化学与人体健康的关系

本文探讨了环境地球化学与人体健康的关系,试图以医学与环境地球化学相结合和元素地球化学分布与生态学特征相结合的方式进一步阐述这一问题,揭示其内在联系和规律。最后从营养角度讨论了强身健体、延年益寿的方法。     

浅谈机动车尾气对人体健康的危害

提出了大气中威胁人体健康的废气--机动车尾气,并对它的成份和危害进行了分析,同时提出了治理建议.     

饮用水源地的水华对人体健康风险评价

饮用水源地的水华现象近年来在世界各地不断爆发,给人类饮水安全造成极大的威胁。本文通过检测微囊藻毒素和三卤甲烷类物质,利用急性暴露安全阈值（浓度）计算模型,计算出了各自的急性暴露安全阅值,并对健康风险进行了评价。     

Tools for developing adaptation policy to protect human health

Anthropogenic climate change is likely to add significant pressure to the determinants of public health, and to current health and social protection measures in high, middle and low income countries. Adaptation strategies within the health sector are being developed to address the multi-dimensional nature of the costs and impacts. We further develop and apply a new generic conceptual framework for development-compatible climate policy planning to evaluate policy options for middle and low income countries that reduce the adverse health effects of climate change. The criteria used for comparative evaluation included economic, environment, social and institutional factors. The proposed framework, incorporating system dynamics, provides a foundation for a decision-analytical approach to support the formulation of robust climate change adaptation policies to protect human health.     

海洋双壳类谷胱甘肽S-转移酶活性测定条件的优化

以僧帽牡蛎(Ostrea cucullata)为材料,提取鳃的谷胱甘肽S-转移酶(glutathione s-transferase, GST),测定GST(包括GSTs、GST-π、GST- μ)在不同温度、底物浓度、缓冲液pH条件下的活性,从而确定酶活性测定的最佳条件.结果表明:(1) GSTs活性测定的最佳条件:GSH终浓度2 mmol/L,测定温度31℃,PBS pH 6.5,CDNB终浓度1.5 mmol/L;(2) GST-π活性测定的最佳条件:GSH终浓度2.5 mmol/L,测定温度为29℃,PBS pH7.75,ECA的终浓度2.5 mmol/L;(3) GST-μ活性测定的最佳条件:GSH的终浓度5 mmol/L,外界环境温度为29 ℃,PBS pH 6.0,DCNB的终浓度1.50 mmol/L.     

Superovulation fails to increase human blastocyst yield after uterine lavage

Uterine lavage affords the potential for non-invasive human blastocyst recovery, with obvious potential for preimplantation genetic diagnosis. In an effort to duplicate in women the multiple blastocyst recovery per cycle that can be achieved in several other species, we initiated a programme in which fertile women underwent superovulation, followed by lavage and embryo collection. We superovulated 15 fertile women, aged 21–40, in 29 cycles using one of four regimens. Insemination was by either intercourse or artificial intracervical donor insemination with cryopreserved sperm from men of proven fertility. In 28 of 29 cycles, the uterus was lavaged daily for 1, 2, or 3 days between 5 and 10 days after human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) administration or luteinizing hormone (LH) surge. Almost total fluid volume was recovered in every lavage. There were no retained pregnancies and no complications. Surprisingly, only two morulae, one blastocyst, and four unfertilized ova were recovered. Thus, alterations in ovulation induction, insemination timing, or lavage techniques must be contemplated in order to increase the blastocyst yield and thus fulfil the potential of uterine lavage for preimplantation diagnosis.