Mechanism of Anti-rotavirus Synergistic Activity by Epigallocatechin Gallate and a Proanthocyanidin-Containing Nutraceutical

Epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) of green tea and the nutraceutical CystiCran^®-40 (containing 40% proanthocyanidins) of the cranberry plant have been associated with antiviral activity. The purpose of this work was to determine the mechanism of antiviral synergy between each compound. Coliphage T4II (phage T4) and the rotavirus strain SA-11(RTV) were used as model virus systems. Individual and combined flavonoids structural and molecular weight analyses were performed by NMR and HPCL/MS, respectively. A suboptimal concentration of EGCG or C-40 alone or in combination reduced phage infectivity by ≤10%. Similarly, EGCG (30 µg/ml) and C-40 (25 µg/ml), respectively, reduced RTV titers by 3 and 13%. However, RTV titers were reduced by 32% (p < .05) with both flavonoids used in combination. RTV was not recognized in host cells by electron microscopy 24-h post-inoculation. NMR and HPLC/MS findings revealed significant structural and potential changes in molecular weight of the flavonoids in complex.     

How resources and encounters affect the distribution of foraging activity in a seed-harvesting ant

We examined how the foraging ecology of the seed-harvesting ant Messor andrei depends upon the distribution of resources and the presence of conspecifics. Bait experiments showed that colonies can recruit to high-density patches of seeds. However, at the seasonal scale, natural resource distribution did not affect the distribution of foraging activity. We conducted the study in years of high rainfall and thus seed availability may not have been a limiting factor. Colonies always preferred to forage in areas closer to their nest, which may reduce travel time between the nest and foraging sites. On a day-to-day scale, encounters between neighboring colonies at a site increased the probability that colonies would return to forage at that site; this was true both for natural and experimental encounters. In the summer, this resulted in colonies foraging at the sites of intraspecific encounters on more days than in areas where no encounter had occurred. Encounters between colonies included fighting, and there was little overlap between the foraging areas of neighboring colonies: both results suggest that one function of encounters is to defend foraging space. The high probability of return to the site of an encounter between colonies suggests that encounters may have a second function: to indicate the presence of resources. Received: 28 June 1999 / Received in revised form: 12 October 1999 / Accepted: 16 October 1999     

云南蒋家沟流域泥石流沟谷演变的非线性特征

蒋家沟是我国西南山区一条典型的暴雨泥石流沟，位于云南省东北部金沙江支流小江河谷的右岸。主沟长13.9km，流域面积48.6km^2，平均纵坡比降16.02%，流域内有4级支沟。据统计，沟谷长度大于0.50km的各级泥石支沟有26条，其中主沟1条（即蒋家沟）,另含Ⅰ级支沟6条，Ⅱ，Ⅲ，Ⅳ级支沟各2，7和10。蒋家沟流域内各级泥石流支沟尽管在形态上具有自相似性，但在空间分布上则具有均一性，从各支沟的数目、密度和流域面积看，均表明由沟口至沟源（尾）有逐渐增强的趋势，且主要集中在门前、多照两沟内。对蒋家沟及流域内各泥石流支沟的沟谷形态分析显示，各支沟的流域面积、沟道坡降及长度均存在明显的分形特征，它们与沟道数目之间有良好的非线性关系。这种非线性关系一 定程度上揭示了这些泥石流沟谷演变的非均匀性和自相似性。     

Comparative studies on the metabolism of shallow-water and deep-sea marine fishes. I. White-muscle metabolism in shallow-water fishes

Maximal rates of oxygen consumption in vitro have been measured under standardized conditions at three test temperatures (5°, 15°, and 25°C) on minced preparations of white muscle from 39 species of shallow-water marine teleost fishes. These fishes came from four different geographic areas, two with cool average water-temperatures (near 15°C: coastal southern California, Galápagos Islands) and two with warm average water-temperatures (near 25°C: Hawaiian Islands; Bermuda). The group includes species covering much of the range of variation to be found among the teleosts with respect to five additional variables: phylogenetic position, type of environment, body weight, activity level, and growth stage. The purpose of the work is to provide part of a base line of tissue-metabolism data on shallow-water fishes for comparison with similar results from deep-sea species. Major conclusions from statistical analyses of the results are: four groups of shapes of oxygen-uptake rate versus temperature curves exist: normal, flat, dipped and peaked. Over 50% of curves are normal. Intra-group differences, contributing significantly to the total variance of the results at given test temperatures, are: cool versus warm average environmental temperatures primarily for epipelagic species; epipelagic versus non-epipelagic environments; very active species versus all others; juvenile stages versus adults. In each case, the subgroup first mentioned shows higher muscle oxygen-uptake rates than the other subgroup. Variables not contributing significantly to the total variance are phylogenetic position and body weight. Physiological and ecological implications of these results are discussed.     

我国再生资源回收体系建设现状、问题及路径选择

再生资源回收体系建设是我国资源综合利用与循环经济重要的组成部分,先进、规范、完整的回收体系是推进再生资源产业发展的关键所在。总结、分析我国再生资源回收体系建设的现状和存在问题,科学地提出建立高效规范回收体系的路径选择,是当前需要研究的一项重要课题。