甜菜碱提高植物光合作用对逆境抗性机理的研究

从菠菜中克隆甜菜碱醛脱氢酶( betaine aldehyde dehydrogenase，BADH)基因并转化烟草， 研究转基因烟草光合作用对高温和盐胁迫等环境胁迫的抗性机理，利用外源甜菜碱研究在正常条件下对植物光合作用的影响以及在盐胁迫下外源甜菜碱对玉米幼曲光合作刚的保护机理。主要结果如下： 转BADH基因烟草中能合成甘氨酸甜菜碱，合成的甜菜碱主要积累于叶绿体中。转BADH 基因烟草提高了对高温胁迫的抗性，在中度高温胁迫下，转基冈烟草生长利光合作用对高温 的抗性增强。中度高温胁迫下，转基冈烟草光合作用的维持是由于甜菜碱对Rubisco活化酶的保护作用。在中度高温胁迫下甜菜碱通过维持Rubisco活化酶的活化态以及阻止Rubisco 活化酶山可溶性问质向类囊体的聚集，从而维持了Rubisco活化酶的活性，进而维持了C02 的同化。在严重高温胁迫下，烟草光系统II受到影响，转BADH基冈烟草通过提高体内抗氧化酶系统的功能，减轻了高温胁迫对光合机构造成的活性氧伤害，高温胁迫下转基因烟草体内抗氧化酶如SOD、APX、GR等酶活性明显高于野生型。在高温胁迫下，证明了甜菜碱对光系统II的保护作用主要在氧化侧，严重高温胁迫下，转基因烟草维持较高的PSII活性。 转BADH基因烟草提高了对盐胁迫的抗性，盐胁迫下转基因烟草光合作用的维持与盐胁迫下转基因烟草较高的气孔导度和抗氧化酶活性的提高有关。 外源甜菜碱在正常的非胁迫条件下对植物的生长有促进作用，而这一作用与光合速率的提高有关。通过对气孔导度、光合碳同化关键酶以及叶绿素荧光分析证明，甜菜碱对光合作用的促进与气孔导度的提高有关，同时甜菜碱提高了光系统ll的实际光化学效率。 外源甜菜碱提高了盐胁迫条件下植物的抗性，抗盐性的提高与盐胁迫下甜菜碱对气孔导度的提高以及维持较高的光系统II光化学活性有关。

Acute effects of microcystins on the transcription of antioxidant enzyme genes in crucian carp Carassius auratus

Recent evidences suggested that oxidative stress may play a significant role in the pathogenesis of MCs toxicity. In the present study, the acute effects of microcystins on the transcription of antioxidant enzyme genes were investigated in liver of crucian carp i.p.-injected with 50 mu g MC-LReq per kg body weight (BW). We reported the cDNA sequences for four kinds of antioxidant enzyme (GSH-PX, CAT, Cu/Zn SOD, and GR) genes, and evaluated the oxidant stress induced by MCs through analyzing the transcription abundance of antioxidant enzyme genes using real-time PCR method. The time-dependent change of relative transcription abundance and expression of the antioxiclant enzyme genes were determined at 1, 3, 12, 24, and 48 h. The transcription abundance varied among antioxiclant enzymes, with GSH-PX and GR down-regulation, and CAT and SOD significantly upregulation. Based on these data, we tentatively concluded that the oxidant stress was induced by MCs, and caused the different response of the antioxiclant enzyme genes. (c) 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Characterization and expression analysis of Paralichthys olivaceus voltage-dependent anion channel (VDAC) gene in response to virus infection

Voltage-dependent anion channel (VDAC, also known as mitochondrial porin) is acknowledged to play an important role in stress-induced mammalian apoptosis. In this study, Paralichthys olivaceus VDAC (PoVDAC) gene was identified as a virally induced gene from Scophthalmus Maximus Rhabdovirus (SMRV)-infected flounder embryonic cells (FEC). The full length of PoVDAC cDNA is 1380 bp with an open reading frame of 852 bp encoding a 283 amino acid protein. The deduced PoVDAC contains one alpha-helix, 13 transmembrane beta-strands and one eukaryotic mitochondrial porin signature motif. Constitutive expression of PoVDAC was confirmed in all tested tissues by real-time PCR. Further expression analysis revealed PoVDAC mRNA was upregulated by viral infection. We prepared fish antiserum against recombinant VDAC proteins and detected the PoVDAC in heart lysates from flounder as a 32 kDa band on western blot. Overexpression of PoVDAC in fish cells induced apoptosis. Immunofluoresence localization indicated that the significant distribution changes of PoVDAC have occurred in virus-induced apoptotic cells. This is the first report on the inductive expression of VDAC by viral infection, suggesting that PoVDAC might be mediated flounder antiviral immune response through induction of apoptosis. (c) 2007 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Wet Oxidation of AlxGa1-xAs/GaAs Distributed Bragg Reflectors

The wet oxidation of AlGaAs with high Al content in a distributed Bragg reflectors （DBR） is studied by scanning electron microscopy （SEM） and transmission electron microscopy （TEM）. Some voids distribute along the oxide/GaAs interfaces due to the stress induced by the wet oxidation of the AlGaAs layers. These voids decrease the shrinkage of the Al2O3 layers to 8% instead of the theoretical 20% when compared to the unoxidized AlGaAs layers. With the extension of oxidation time, the reactants are more completely transported to the front interface and the products are more completely transported out along the porous interfaces. As a result,the oxide quality is better.

激光冲击强化诱导的残余应力影响因素分析

考虑激光冲击强化后塑性区深度及最大残余压应力的影响因素和影响规律问题,运用量纲分析的方法获得了影响冲击强化效果的主控因素,并给出了塑性区深度及最大残余压应力与峰值压力、压力持续时间、光斑半径的关系;利用基于LS-DYNA的二维轴对称有限元模型,计算了不同参数条件下金属靶体受冲击载荷作用的动态响应.计算结果表明,塑性区深度与压力持续时间成正比;最大残余压应力与压力持续时间无关;一定光斑半径范围内,塑性区深度及最大残余压应力与光斑半径无关;峰值压力超过一定值时,塑性区深度及最大残余压应力与峰值压力近似成线性关系

Study of urinary 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine as a biomarker of oxidative DNA damage in diabetic nephropathy patients

Increased oxidative stress induced by hyperglycemia may contribute to the pathogenesis of diabetic complications. Urinary 8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) has been reported to serve as a sensitive biomarker of oxidative DNA damage and also of oxidative stress. This article studied oxidative DNA damage in patients with diabetic nephropathy and in healthy control subjects by urinary 8-OHdG evaluations. Contents of 8-OHdG in urine were analyzed by capillary electrophoresis with end-column amperometric detection (CE-AD) after a single-step solid-phase extraction (SPE). Levels of urinary 8-OHdG in diabetic nephropathy patients with macroalbuminuria was significant higher than in control subjects (5.72 +/- 6.89 mumol/mol creatinine versus 2.33 +/- 2.83 mumol/mol creatinine, P = 0.018). A significant difference of 24 h urinary 8-OHdG excretions exists between the patients with macroalbuminuria and the patients with nonnoalbuminuria (19.2 +/- 16.8 mug/24 h versus 8.1 +/- 1.7 mug/24 h, P = 0.015). There was a positive correlation between urinary excretion of 8-OHdG and glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA(1)c) (r = 0.287, P = 0.022). A weak correlation exists between the levels of 8-OHdG and triglyceride (r = 0.230, P = 0.074). However, the urinary 8-OHdG contents are not correlated with blood pressure and total cholesterol. The increased excretion of urinary 8-OHdG is seen as indicating an increased systemic level of oxidative DNA damage in diabetic nephropathy patients. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Structural evolution of tensile deformed high-density polyethylene at elevated temperatures: Scanning synchrotron small- and wide-angle X-ray scattering studies

The structural evolution of an ice-quenched high-density polyethylene (HDPE) subjected to uniaxial tensile deformation at elevated temperatures was examined as a function of the imposed strains by means of combined synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) and wide-angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) techniques. The data show that when stretching an isotropic sample with the spherulitic structure, intralamellar slipping of crystalline blocks was activated at small deformations, followed by a stress-induced fragmentation and recrystallization process yielding lamellar crystallites with their normal parallel to the stretching direction. Stretching of an isothermally crystallized HDPE sample at 120 degrees C exhibited changes of the SAXS diagram with strain similar to that observed for quenched HDPE elongated at room temperature, implying that the thermal stability of the crystal blocks composing the lamellae is only dependent on the crystallization temperature.

The adsorption of dopamine on gold and its interactions with iron(III) ions studied by microcantilevers

The adsorption of dopamine (DA) molecules on gold and their interactions with Fe3+ were studied by a microcantilever in a flow cell. The microcantilever bent toward the Au side with the adsorption of DA due to the change Of Surface stress induced by the intermolecular hydrogen bonds of DA or the charge transfer effect between adsorbates and the Substrate. The interaction process between DA adsorbates and Fe3+ was revealed by the deflection curves of microcantilever. As indicated by the appearance of a variation during the decline of curves, two steps were observed in the curve at relative high concentrations of Fe3+. In this case, Fe3+ reacted with DA molecules only in the outer layers and the complexes removed with solution. Then Fe3+ reacted further with DA molecules forming the surface complex in the first layer next to the gold. At this stage, the stability Of Surface complexes was time dependent, i.e., unstable initially and stable finally. This may be due to the surface complexes change from mono-dentate to bi-dentate complexes. In another case, i.e., at relative low concentration of Fe3+, only the first step was observed as indicated by the absence of a variation.

Structural evolution of tensile-deformed high-density polyethylene during annealing: Scanning synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering study

The structural evolution of high-density polyethylene subjected to uniaxial tensile deformation was investigated as a function of strain and after annealing at different temperatures using a scanning synchrotron small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) technique. The results confirm that in the course of tensile deformation intralamellar block slips were activated at small deformations followed by a stress-induced fragmentation and recrystallization process yielding thinner lamellae with their normal parallel to the stretching direction. The original sheared lamellae underwent severe internal deformation so that they were even less stable than the newly developed thinner lamellae. Accordingly, annealing results in a melting of the original crystallites even at moderate strains where the stress-induced fragmentation and recrystallization just sets in and generates a distinctly different form of lamellar stacks aligned along the drawing direction. It was found that the lamellae newly formed during stretching at moderate strains remain stable at lower temperature. Only at a very high annealing temperature of 120 degrees C can they be melted, leading to an isotropic distribution of the lamellar structure.

Crystallization of weakly segregated poly(styrene-b-epsilon-caprolactone) diblock copolymer in thin films

The surface morphology and crystallization behavior of a weakly segregated symmetric diblock copolymer, poly(styrene-b-6-caprolactone) (PS-b-PCL), in thin films were investigated by optical microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and atomic force microscopy (AFM). When the samples were annealed in the molten state, surface-induced ordering, that is, relief structures with uniform thickness or droplets in the adsorbed monolayer, were observed depending on the annealing temperature. The polar PCL block preferred to wet the surface of a silicon wafer, while the PS block wet the air interface. This asymmetric wetting behavior led to the adsorbed monolayer with a PCL block layer having a thickness of around 4.0 nm. The crystallization of PCL blocks could overwhelm the microphase-separated structure because of the weak segregation. In situ observation of crystal growth indicated that the nucleation process preferred to occur at the edge of the thick parts of the film, that is, the relief structures or droplets. The crystal growth rate was presented by the time dependence of the distance between the tip of crystal clusters and the edge. At 22 and 17 degreesC, the average crystal growth rates were 55 +/- 10 and 18 +/- 4 nm/min, respectively.

Synthesis and thermal transitional properties of side-chain liquid crystalline polyacrylates containing para-nitroazobenzene as mesogenic groups

The synthesis and characterization of side-chain liquid crystalline (LC) polyacrylates containing para-nitroazobenzene (Pn) as mesogenic groups were described. Homopolymers with 3 and 4 carbon atoms in the spacers were non-LC polymers; for homopolymers with 6 carbon atoms in the spacer, nematic LC behavior was observed. Copolymers with acrylic acid as one component exhibited an S-Ad phase according to the WAXD results which showed the d/l of 1.4-1.54 for the copolymers with 3, 4, and 6 carbon atoms in the spacers. Considering the molecular structure as well as the WAXD results of the copolymers, the possible molecular arrangement in the smectic Sad phase was proposed, in which the smectic layers were composed of the antiparallel mesogens and the antiparallel arrangement was considered to be enhanced due to the H bond between - COOH and - NO2. The stress-induced orientational phenomena of Pn in the LC states was also discussed. (C) 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.

小湾电站坝基岩体卸荷工程地质力学研究

Dam is the key main works in the construction of water power. The success or failure of the construction of the dam mainly depends on the stability of the dam foundation. The double curvature arch dam-XiaoWan Dam is the highest one among the dams with the same type in the world, and the water thrust acted on it reaches ton, so the rock bearing capacity of dam foundation becomes more important. Because of the high and steep valley-side slope, the large scale of excavation and the complex body type of excavation, it is prominent that the problem of stress release of the rock mass in dam foundation. More great attentions should be paid for the stability and the degraded of rock properties of rock mass induced by the stress release. In this paper, the phenomena of stress release of rock mass in XiaoWan Dam foundation and its mechanisms were analyzed based on the collection of data, the detailed field engineering investigations, measurement of the rock mass and the 2D numerical calculations. The rock mass under the foundation is weak-weathered to intact, the quality of which is good. After excavation of the foundation, the rock mass near the slope surface occurred extend, stretch and stick-slip along original textures till the new fracture surface formed. Then platy structure of the rock mass takes on. The rock mass in the dam foundation occur resilience due to stress release towards free faces with the characteristics of time effect and localized deformation. In-situ measurements show that the rock mass near the surface are degraded. The stress release induced by excavation is a process of the interaction between engineering structures and geologic body. The stress release of rock mass in dam foundation is related to the changed degree of geometrical conditions. The rock near excavation surface failed nearly under uniaxial stresses. The bending-breaking mechanism of plate girder can interpret the failure model of the rock mass with platy structure in dam foundation slope. In essence, the stress release is the change of stress field including the change of directions and magnitudes of stress induced by excavation, which can induce the comedown of the safety margin. In this paper, the inducing conditions of stress release were calculated by numerical analyses. Moreover, from the point of view that the change of stress field, the coefficient of K, i.e. the variable load coefficient was proposed. Then the law of the change of it is interpreted. The distributional characteristics of fracture zone were expressed by the coefficient. The stress release of hard rock has the characteristic of localization. The measuring technique of sound wave can not reflect the small cracks in this kind of rock mass due to stress release. So, the spectral analysis method was proposed. At the same time, the application foreground in engineering of the Stockwell Time-Frequency- Spectrum method was discussed with a view to the limitation of it.

细胞外信号调节蛋白激酶-cAMP反应元件结合蛋白信号通路在应激所致抑郁行为障碍中的作用

Stress is the most important factor in the vulnerability to depression and other behavioral disorders, but the mechanisms that stress signals are transferred into depression are far from understanding. To date, the neurotransmitters, neurotrophins and signal pathway have been concerned in the topic focusing on the pathophysiology of depression, but there are still many puzzles. Increasing evidence has indicated that the alteration in neuronal plasticity is the “trace” of stress-induced damages. The extracellular signal-regulated protein kinase(ERK)-cyclic-AMP-responsive element（CRE）-binding protein(CREB)signal pathway is a powerful intracellular signal transduction pathway participating in neuronal plasticity which is involved in higher brain cognitive functions such as learning and memory. However, so far, little is known about the role of the ERK-CREB signal pathway in response to stress and emotional modulations. Thus the aim of the study was to systematically investigate the role of the ERK-CEB signal pathway in depressive-like behaviors induced by stress. Depression animal models, antidepressant agent treatment and disruption of signal pathway in specific brain regions were applied. In the present study, three experiment sessions were designed to make sure whether the ERK-CREB signal pathway was indeed one of pathophysiological mechanisms of depressive-like behaviors induced by stress. In experiment one, two different stress animal models were applied, chronic forced swim stress and chronic empty water bottle stress. After stress, all animals were tested behaviorally using open-field, elevated-plus maze and saccharine preference test, and brain samples were processed for determination of ERK, P-ERK, CREB and P-CREB using western blot. The relationships between the proteins of ERK, P-ERK, CREB and P-CREB in the brain and the behavioral variables were also analyzed. In experiment two, rats were treated with antidepressant agent fluoxetine once a day for 21 consecutive days, then the brain levels of ERK, P-ERK, CREB and P-CREB was determined, the depressive-like behaviors were also examined. In experiment three, mitogen activated extracellular-signal-regulated kinase kinase (MEK) inhibitor U0126 was administrated to inhabit the activation of ERK in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex respectively, then behavioral measurements and protein detection were conducted. The main results of the study were as the following: (1) Chronic forced swim stress induced animals to suffer depression and disrupted the ERK-CREB signal pathway in hippocampus and prefrontal cortex. There were significant correlations between P-ERK2, P-CREB and multiple variables of depressive-like behaviors. (2) Chronic empty water bottle stress did not induce depressive-like behaviors. Such stress decreased the brain level of P-ERK2 in hippocampus and prefrontal cortex, but the level of P-CREB in the hippocampus was increased. (3) The antidepressant agent fluoxetine relieved depressive-like behaviors and increased the activities of the ERK-CREB signal pathway in stressed animals. (4) Animals treated with U0126 injection into hippocampus showed decreased activities of the ERK-CREB signal pathway in the hippocampus, and suffered depression comorbid with anxiety. (5) Animals treated with U0126 injection into prefrontal cortex showed decreased activities of the ERK-CREB signal pathway in the prefrontal cortex, and exhibited depressive-like behaviors. In conclusion, The ERK-CREB signal pathway in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex was involved in stress responses and significantly correlated with depressive-like behaviors; The ERK-CREB signal pathway in the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex participated in the mechanism that fluoxetine reversed stress-induced behavioral disorders, and might be the target pathway of the therapeutic action of antidepressants; The disruption of the ERK-CREB signal pathway in the hippocampus or prefrontal cortex led to depressive-like behaviors in animals, suggesting that disruption of ERK-CREB pathway in the hippocampus or prefrontal cortex was involved in the pathophysiology of depression, and might be at least one of the mechanisms of depression induced by stress.

细胞因子对大鼠抑郁样行为的影响

Depression is one of the most important psychological diseases to threaten human health. “Cytokine theory of depression” suggests that cytokines may play an important role in depression, which provided a new perspective in the study the mechanism and the therapy of depressive symptoms. This view is supported by various findings. Administration of pro-inflammatory cytokine or lipoposaccharide in animal induces depressive-like behavior such as anhedonia and low locomotion, which is very similar to the behavioral symptoms of depression in humans. However, the earlier researches may only pay attention to the short-time behavior effects; the effects of long-time behavior changes have not been clearly reported. In addition, there are few reports about the effects of pro-inflammatory cytokine or anti-inflammatory cytokine on the depressive-like behavior induced by chronic stressors. To further understand the role of cytokines in depression, the purpose of the present study is to investigate the dose and time effects of pro-inflammatory cytokines induced by lipoposaccharide on depressive-like behavior, sensitization effect of pro-inflammatory and blockage effect of anti-inflammatory on depressive-like behavior induced by chronic cold swimming stress. The behavioral observation was carried out using sacharin preference test, open field test and elevated-plus maze. The results indicated that: 1) The activated immunity induced by LPS i.p administration could induce significant depressive-like behavior, but these behaviors had no long-term effect; 2)The depressive-like behaviors induced by stress could be elicited earlier and kept longer by the activated immunity induced by LPS ip ; 4) The chronic activated immunity induced by LPS icv administration could provoke significant depressive-like behavior, and the depressive-like behaviors induced by stress could be enhanced by icv LPS, LPS and stress had certain interact-sensitization effect on depressive-like behavior； 5) Anti-inflammatory cytokines IL-10 icv reversed the depressive-like behaviors induced by the stress. In conclusion, cytokines play an important role in the depressive-like behavior. Both peripheral and central administration of LPS induced a certain depressive-like behavior and enhanced stress-induced depressive behavior. The anti-inflammatory cytokine IL-10 icv could reverse the depressive-like behaviors induced by the stress. Keywords: lipoposaccharide, depressive-like behavior, anhedonia, locomotion, chronic cold swimming stress

Thermal stress wave and spallation induced by an electron beam

Thermal stress wave and spallation in aluminium alloy exposed to a high fluency and low energy electron beams are studied theoretically. A simple model for the study of energy deposition of electrons in materials is presented on the basis of some empirical formulae. Under the stress wave induced by energy deposition, microcracks and/or microvoids may appear in target materials, and in this case, the inelastic volume deformation should not vanish. The viscoplastic model proposed by Bodner and Partom with corresponding Gurson's yield function requires modification for this situation. The new constitutive model contains a scalar field variable description of the material damage which is taken as the void volume fraction of the polycrystalline material. Incorporation of the damage parameter permits description of rate-dependent, compressible, inelastic deformation and ductile fracture. The melting phenomenon has been observed in the experiment, therefore one needs to take into account the melting process in the intermediate energy deposition range. A three-phase equation of state used in the paper provides a more detailed and thermodynamical description of metals, particularly, in the melting region. The computational results based on the suggested model are compared with the experimental test for aluminium alloy, which is subjected to a pulsed electron beam with high fluency and low energy. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science Ltd.