Study on growth factors of intermetallic layer within hot-dipped 25% Al-Zn alloy coating on steel

25%Al-Zn alloy coating performs better than hot dip galvanized coating and 55%Al-Zn-Si coating with regard to general seawater corrosion protection. This study deals with the interfacial intermetallic layer's growth, which affects considerably the corrosion resistance and mechanical properties of 25%Al-Zn alloy coatings, by means of three-factor quadratic regressive orthogonal experiments, The regression equation shows that the intermetallic layer thickness decreases rapidly with increasing content of Si added to the Zn-Al alloy bath, increases with rise in bath temperature and prolonging dip time. The most effective factor that determined the thickness of intermetallic layer was the amount of Si added to Zn-Al alloy bath, while the effect of bath temperature and dip time on the thickness of intermetallic layer were not very obvious.

Dissecting Signaling Pathways That Govern Self-renewal of Rabbit Embryonic Stem Cells

The pluripotency and self-renewal of embryonic stem cells (ESC) are regulated by a variety of cytokines/growth factors with some species differences. We reported previously that rabbit ESC (rESC) are more similar to primate ESC than to mouse ESC. However,

环境因素影响草地柠条生长的主成分及典型相关分析

Principal Component and Canonical Correlation Analysis of the Environmental Factors Influencing the Growth of Caragana korshinskii Kom. in Grassland

蛇毒血管内皮生长因子及丝氨酸蛋白酶类似物的研究

蝰科蛇毒中含有丰富的具有血管通透增强活性的蛋白组分，本论文结合生物化学与分子生物学手段对几种毒蛇的蛇毒血管内皮生长因子进行了研究。其中，从云南产菜花烙铁头（Trimeresurus jerdonii）蛇毒中分离得到一个血管内皮生长因子，TjsvVEGF，并研究了其活性与受体结合特性的关系。同时，对圆斑蝰蛇、蝮蛇、山烙铁头和竹叶青等几种蛇的svVEGFs进行了分子生物学研究。此外，我们还分离到了一个蛇毒丝氨酸蛋白酶类似物,TjsvSPH,还对该蛋白的理化性质进行了初步研究。 TjsvVEGF是一个表观分子量为29 kDa的二聚体蛋白，由两个相同大小的亚基组成。活性实验表明，它在10ng的剂量下即可明显提高血管通透性，活性强度与VEGF165相当。虽然TjsvVEGF的氨基酸序列与TfsvVEGF和Pm-VEGF具有较高的相似性，但是它们的受体结合特性却有很大差异。TjsvVEGF与VEGFR-1的结合能力很弱，而对VEGR-2有很高的亲和力。这说明，TjsvVEGF的活性主要是VEGFR-2介导的。最后，我们对导致TjsvVEGF对VEGFR-1低亲和力的原因进行了探讨。 利用PCR方法，我们从圆斑蝰蛇毒腺中得到了三种svVEGFs蛋白编码区长短不一的cDNA序列，其差异是由cDNA链中一段富含AG（3’拼接接受位点）的区段发生了核苷酸缺失产生的。蛋白编码区核苷酸的缺失导致其编码的三种svVEGF蛋白N末端的氨基酸序列和长短均产生较大差异。因此我们推测，蝰属svVEGFs蛋白N末端普遍较短可能是编码它们的mRNA前体对3’拼接点的不同选择产生的。同时，通过对cDNAs推导的氨基酸序列分析发现，蝮蛇svVEGF和山烙铁头svVEGF在与受体结合相关的多个重要位点上发生了氨基酸替换，提示它们是研究svVEGFs与VEGFR结合机制的良好材料。 通过分子筛、离子交换和亲和层析等方法，我们还从菜花烙铁头蛇毒中得到了一个不具有酶活性的丝氨酸蛋白酶类似物，命名为：TjsvSPH。内肽序列测定结果表明，TjsvSPH三联体结构中的组氨酸已突变为精氨酸，这很可能是导致其失去蛋白水解酶活性的主要原因。活性检测验表明，与许多已发现的蛇毒活性组分不同，TjsvSPH不具有蛋白水解酶活性，不能引起血小板聚集，也不抑制ADP和凝血酶诱导的血小板聚集。它对人血浆的复钙时间也没有影响。TjsvSPH的氨基酸序列与典型蛇毒丝氨酸蛋白酶Halystase和Calobin有约77％的一致性。它与同科属来源的蛇毒丝氨酸蛋白酶类似物氨基酸序列相似性高达92％以上，与不同科属的也有约74％以上的相似性。通过对Genbank中六种毒蛇所有丝氨酸蛋白酶及其类似物进化分析，我们推测，蛇毒丝氨酸蛋白酶类似物很可能是由蛇毒丝氨酸蛋白酶进化而来，并在进化过程中形成了一类独特的蛋白质。

Endothelial cells release phenotypically and quantitatively distinct microparticles in activation and apoptosis

Background: Endothelial cells (EC) shed endothelial microparticles (EMP) in activation and apoptosis. Objectives: We compared the antigenic expression of EMP species released during activation as compared to apoptosis, in three cell lines. Methods: EC from renal and brain microvascular (MiVEC) and coronary macrovascular (MaVEC) origin were incubated with TNF-alpha to induce activation, or deprived of growth factors to induce apoptosis. Antigens expressed on EMP and EC were assayed flow cytometrically and included constitutive markers (CD31, CD51/61, CD105), inducible markers (CD54, CD62E and CD106), and annexin V binding. Results: It was found that in apoptosis, constitutive markers in EMP were markedly increased (CD31>CD105), with a concomitant decrease in expression in EC. Annexin V EC surface binding and annexin V+ EMP were more sharply increased in apoptosis than in activation. In contrast, in activation, inducible markers in EMP were markedly increased in both EMP and EC (CD62E>CD54>CD 106). Coronary MaVEC released significantly less EMP than MiVEC. Conclusion: EC release qualitatively and quantitatively distinct EMP during activation compared to apoptosis. Analysis of EMP phenotypic signatures may provide clinically useful information on the status of the endothelium. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.

Response of growth and fatty acid compositions of Nannochloropsis sp to environmental factors under elevated CO2 concentration

Nannochloropsis sp. was grown with different levels of nitrate, phosphate, salinity and temperature with CO2 at 2,800 mu l l(-1). Increased levels of NaNO3 and KH2PO4 raised protein and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) contents but decreased carbohydrate, total lipid and total fatty acids (TFA) contents. Nannochloropsis sp. grew well at salinities from 22 to 49 g l(-1), and lowering salinity enhanced TFA and PUFAs contents. TFA contents increased with the increasing temperature but PUFAs contents decreased. The highest eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5 omega 3) content based on the dry mass was above 3% under low N (150 mu M NaNO3) or high N (3000 mu M NaNO3) condition. Excessive nitrate, low salinity and temperature are thus favorable factors for improving EPA yields in Nannochloropsis sp.

Effects of multiple environmental factors on CO2 emission and CH4 uptake from old-growth forest soils

National Key Research and Development Program [2010CB833502]; National Natural Science Foundation of China [30600071, 40601097, 30590381, 30721140307]; Knowledge Innovation Project of the Chinese Academy of Sciences [KZCX2-YW-432, O7V70080SZ, LENOM07LS-01

Identification of factors affecting the growth and survival of the settling Japanese flounder larvae, Paralichthys olivaceus

A series of experiments were conducted to identify the factors that affected the growth and survival of the settling flounder larvae Paralichthys olivaceus. Settling larvae 24 days after hatching (DAH) were reared in 10-l experimental tanks up to 40 DAH, and two of the following factors were changed as controlled factors in each experiment: light regime (24L:0D or 12L:12D), prey density (1500, 3000, or 5000 Artemia l(-1)), shelter (sand or no sand) and stocking density (5, 10, or 15 fish l(-1)). Early settling larvae (24-35 DAH) experienced little mortality (less than 10% of the overall mortality) that was not significantly affected by above factors. In contrast, late settling larvae (36-40 DAH) suffered high cannibalistic mortality which was significantly influenced by each of the above factors. Larvae experienced significantly lower mortality at 10 fish l(-1) level than at other densities. Larvae at 15 fish l(-1) level had higher mortality than at 5 fish l(-1) when all other factors were identical. Larvae at 3000 and 5000 Artemia l(-1) treatments survived significantly better than at 1500 Artemia l(-1), but no significant differences in larval mortality were found between the two higher densities. Larvae suffered higher mortality at low prey density or at the absence of sand when they were exposed to longer photoperiod. Low stocking density significantly improved the growth of the settling larvae. The average daily instantaneous growth rate (G) at 5 and 15 fish l(-1) treatments were 0.050 and 0.034, with the coefficient of variation (CV) in final length at 16.4 and 23.5, respectively. Daily instantaneous growth rate increased significantly from 0.033 in the 1500 Artemia l(-1) to 0.041 and 0.045 in the 3000 and 5000 Artennia l(-1), respectively, but no significant difference in larval growth existed between the two higher prey densities. These findings suggested that the optimal prey density for growth and survival of the settling flounder larvae at a stocking density of 5 - 15 fish l(-1) was around 3000 Artemia l(-1) . Larvae that were exposed to 24L showed 20% increase in growth ( G = 0.046, CV = 18.7) than those exposed to 12L ( G = 0.037, CV = 20.5). Longer exposure to light significantly improved larval growth, provided sufficient food was available. Sand substrate did not show significant effects on larval growth, possibly because the larvae spent most of the time swimming or feeding in the water column during this stage. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.

Effects of diet, stocking density, and environmental factors on growth, survival, and metamorphosis of Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum larvae

A series of experiments was conducted to evaluate the effects of diet, stocking density, and environmental factors on growth, survival, and metamorphosis of Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum larvae. These experiments examined the following factors: diet (Isochrysts spp., Chlorella spp., and a mixture of Isochrysis spp. and Chlorella spp. [ 1: 1 w/w]), stocking density (5, 10, 15, and 20 larvae ml(-1)), light intensity (un-shaded, partially shaded, and fully shaded), water filtration (unfiltered and sand-filtered), water exchange (50% and 100% once every other day, 25%, 50%, and 100% once daily; 50% and 100% twice daily), and the use of substrate (with and without sand as the substrate). Results indicated that Chlorella spp. could replace 50% of Isochrysis spp. as a food source for the Manila clam larvae without affecting growth, survival, and metamorphosis. Larval growth decreased significantly with increasing stocking density. A density of 5-10 larvae ml(-1) appeared to be optimal for normal growth of Manila clam larvae. Neither diet nor stocking density used in the study had a significant effect on larval survival. Under partially shaded (light intensity = 1000-5000 lx) and fully shaded (light intensity <500 lx) conditions, larval growth was significantly faster than under direct sunlight (un-shaded). A water exchange rate of 50% twice daily provided optimum larval growth. Larvae grew significantly faster in the unfiltered water than in the sand-filtered water. Using sand as the substrate in the culture system significantly depressed the metamorphosis rate. The type and particle size of sand used as the substrate did not significantly affect growth and metamorphosis rates of the larvae. (C) 2005 Published by Elsevier B.V.