硒蛋白R抑制铜离子介导的Aβ_(42)聚集和细胞毒性

阿尔茨海默病(Alzheimer's disease,AD)是一种神经退行性疾病,其主要病理特征包括脑内出现老年斑和神经纤维缠结以及神经元缺失。过渡金属离子如Fe~(2+)、Zn~(2+)、Cu~(2+)等会在AD病人脑中大量蓄集,从而促进,-淀粉样多肽(Aβ)聚集并产生大量活性氧自由基,引起细胞功能改变。硒蛋白R(Sel R)是一种蛋氨酸亚砜还原酶,可将蛋白中的蛋氨酸亚砜还原为蛋氨酸。然而Sel R与金属离子的关系尚无报道。文章对Sel R的突变体Sel R'(Sel R中硒代半胱氨酸Sec95突变为半胱氨酸Cys95)结合Cu~+的性质进行了表征,同时也对Sel R'调节Cu~+/Cu~(2+)诱导的Aβ42聚集和细胞毒性的能力进行了研究。结果表明,Sel R'可与Cu~+特异性螯合剂BCA竞争结合Cu~+,说明Sel R'具有较强的Cu~+结合能力。采用硫磺素荧光法(Th T),发现Cu~+/Cu~(2+)显著性抑制Aβ42的纤维化、诱导其形成非纤维化聚集体,而Sel R'则能够显著抑制Cu~+/Cu~(2+)诱导的Aβ42聚集形态的改变。细胞实验表明:Sel R'能显著降低Cu~+/Cu~(2+)诱导的Aβ42的细胞毒性。上述结果提示:Sel R在脑内除了还原蛋氨酸亚砜,还可通过与铜离子的结合抑制其细胞毒性作用,从而干预AD的发展。     

国外有机农业的病虫草害防治

介绍了国外有机农业的病虫草害防治原理和技术，这些措施包括选用优良品种，多样化种植，合理轮作。使用微生物制剂及某些无机杀菌剂，物理和生物防治等，为我国有机农业和有机食品的生产提供参考。     

Risk models for wildfowl diseases

The purpose of this paper is to explore the use of computer models, including artificial intelligence systems, in the context of risk assessment and management for wildfowl diseases. In particular, the paper focuses on avian cholera and botulism in U.S. wildfowl, which are a source of continuing concern to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS). Severe outbreaks occur frequently, and some have been estimated to claim the lives of as many as 300 000 waterfowl. A potentially valuable support to the USFWS would be a set of models that assist in recognizing situations with high risk of an outbreak, assessing the anticipated severity of an outbreak, and advising on possible preventive measures. The USFWS has already initiated development of several potentially useful models. This paper reviews these as well as other related efforts, within the overall context of risk management for avian botulism and cholera.     

The Threat of Disease Increases as Species Move Toward Extinction

At local scales, infectious disease is a common driver of population declines, but globally it is an infrequent contributor to species extinction and endangerment. For species at risk of extinction from disease important questions remain unanswered, including when does disease become a threat to species and does it co‐occur, predictably, with other threats? Using newly compiled data from the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, we examined the relative role and co‐occurrence of threats associated with amphibians, birds, and mammals at 6 levels of extinction risk (i.e., Red List status categories: least concern, near threatened, vulnerable, endangered, critically endangered, and extinct in the wild/extinct). We tested the null hypothesis that the proportion of species threatened by disease is the same in all 6 Red List status categories. Our approach revealed a new method for determining when disease most frequently threatens species at risk of extinction. The proportion of species threatened by disease varied significantly between IUCN status categories and linearly increased for amphibians, birds, and all species combined as these taxa move from move from least concern to critically endangered. Disease was infrequently the single contributing threat. However, when a species was negatively affected by a major threat other than disease (e.g., invasive species, land‐use change) that species was more likely to be simultaneously threatened by disease than species that had no other threats. Potential drivers of these trends include ecological factors, clustering of phylogenetically related species in Red List status categories, discovery bias among species at greater risk of extinction, and availability of data. We echo earlier calls for baseline data on the presence of parasites and pathogens in species when they show the first signs of extinction risk and arguably before. La Amenaza de Enfermedades Incrementa a Medida que las Especies se Aproximan a la Extinción     

Research on organic matters in the drinking water of Kaschin-Beck disease area

Organic matters in drinking water of Kaschin-Beck disease areas were extracted. Then analyses and characterization were performed by means of multiply chemical and physical methods. The results did not show the obvious difference in the frame structure of humic substances and the structure of rmcromolecular compounds in the drinking water of disease and non-disease areas, but the difference in the contents of some micromolecular compounds and radicals. The investigation also includes the preliminary research on the photoreaction of drinking water from disease and non-disease areas and the accumulation of natural organic matter in the bone of tested animals.     

雷州桉树枝梢弯曲生理病与微肥施用效果研究初报

浅海沉积物和花岗岩发育的砖红壤,连续种枪桉树后,有些桉树品种出现的枝梢弯曲生理病与缺乏微量元素有关,施用微肥能防止枝梢弯曲生理病的发生,或对枝梢弯曲生理病有抑制和矫正作用,从而改善桉树中长状况,提高桉树生长量,使桉树能够持续速生丰产。     

某铁路隧道作业场所职业危害风险控制效果评价

为了解铁路隧道作业场所职业病危害特征,评估其职业病危害风险控制效果,采用现场调查与职业病危害因素检测相结合的方法,对某铁路隧道作业场所职业病危害特征进行调查,采用职业病危害风险指数评估模型进行控制效果评估。结果表明,该铁路隧道作业场所职业危害因素主要包括生产过程中职业病危害、劳动过程中危害和生产环境中危害;主要职业病危害因素为电焊烟尘、矽尘、NO、NO2、CO、CO2、噪声、振动、高湿等;隧道内工务、电务、供电三大线路作业场所的线路维护人员接触的噪声均为轻中度危害,氮氧化物(NO、NO2)为轻度危害,接触的CO为中高度危害,线路维护人员矽尘作业岗位为轻中高度危害,易导致职业病损的发生。提出应重点监控该铁路隧道接触噪声、CO和矽尘的作业岗位,采取科学综合防控措施,改善作业环境质量,强化个人防护。     

HEALTH RISKS ASSOCIATED WITH CONSUMPTION OF UNTREATED WATER FROM HOUSEHOLD ROOF CATCHMENT SYSTEMS1

ABSTRACT: Rainwater harvesting is receiving increased attention worldwide as an alternative source of drinking water. Although collected rainwater is typically consumed without any type of disinfection, the microbial quality of this type of water source can be poor. Around the world, consumers of collected and stored rainwater may be at considerable risk to a variety of infectious diseases. This review presents studies attributing specific risks of diseases to the consumption of contaminated rainwater. Diseases attributed to the consumption of untreated rainwater include bacterial diarrheas due to Salmonella and Campylobacter, bacterial pneumonia due to Legionella, botulism due to Clostridium, tissue helminths, and protozoal diarrheas from Giardia and Cryptosporidium. Simple indicator systems such as fecal coliform measurements may prove to be inadequate for determining microbial risks associated with consumption of water from rainwater catchment systems.     

Real-time PCR with molecular beacons provides a highly accurate assay for detection of Tay-Sachs alleles in single cells

The results presented here provide the first single-cell genetic assay for Tay-Sachs disease based on real-time PCR. Individual lymphoblasts were lysed with an optimized lysis buffer and assayed using one pair of primers that amplifies both the wild type and 1278 + TATC Tay-Sachs alleles. The resulting amplicons were detected in real time with two molecular beacons each with a different colored fluorochrome. The kinetics of amplicon accumulation generate objective criteria by which to evaluate the validity of each reaction. The assay had an overall utility of 95%, based on the detection of at least one signal in 235 of the 248 attempted tests and an efficiency of 97%, as 7 of the 235 samples were excluded from further analysis for objective quantitative reasons. The accuracy of the assay was 99.1%, because 228 of 230 samples gave signals consistent with the genotype of the cells. Only two of the 135 heterozygous samples were allele drop-outs, a rate far lower than previously reported for single-cell Tay-Sachs assays using conventional methods of PCR. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.