Cloning, characterization, and gene expression analysis of a novel cadmium metallothionein gene in Tetrahymena pigmentosa

A novel cadmium-inducible metallothionein (MT) gene (Tpig-MT1) was cloned and sequenced from the ciliate Tetrahymena pigmentosa. The number of deduced amino acids is 118. The polypeptide possesses CCC and CC clusters characteristic of typical Tetrahymena Cd-inducible MTs. The structure of Tpig-MT1 is different from the reported Cd-MT in T. pyriformis, T. thermophila and T. pigmentosa. Tpig-MT1 contains two intragenic tandem repeats with 72.9% identity described as Tpig-MT1 (repeat A1) and Tpig-MT1 (repeat A2). The transcriptional response of Tpig-MT1 gene to different heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Zn, Hg, Pb) and oxidative stress (H2O2) was measured using real-time quantitative PCR. The results showed that the gene was quickly induced (1 h) by the five heavy metals and the order of expression level was Hg>Pb>Cd>Cu>Zn. The induction effect of H2O2 was 5-fold after about 15 min, but soon decreased to a non-significant level (30 min). The genetic diversity of Tetrahymena MT genes is discussed in relation to the unique structure of the Tpig-MT1 gene and other reported Cd-MT isoforms. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Different tolerances and responses to low temperature and darkness between waterbloom forming cyanobacterium Microcystis and a green alga Scenedesmus

The dynamics of planktonic cyanobacteria in eutrophicated freshwaters play an important role in formation of annual summer blooms, yet overwintering mechanisms of these water bloom forming cyanobacteria remain unknown. The responses to darkness and low temperature of three strains (unicellular Microcystis aeruginosa FACHB-905, colonial M. aeruginosa FACHB-938, and a green alga Scenedesmus quadricauda FACHB-45) were investigated in the present study. After a 30-day incubation under darkness and low temperature, cell morphology, cell numbers, chlorophyll a, photosynthetic activity (ETRmax and I-k), and malodialdehyde (MDA) content exhibited significant changes in Scenedesmus. In contrast, Microcystis aeruginosa cells did not change markedly in morphology, chlorophyll a, photosynthetic activity, and MDA content. The stress caused by low temperature and darkness resulted in an increase of the antioxidative enzyme-catalase (CAT) in all three strains. When the three strains re-grew under routine cultivated condition subjected to darkness and low temperature, specific growth rate of Scenedesmus was lower than that of Microcystis. Flow cytometry (FCM) examination indicated that two distinct types of metabolic response to darkness and low temperature existed in the three strains. The results from the present study reveal that the cyanobacterium Microcystis, especially colonial Microcystis, has greater endurance and adaptation ability to the stress of darkness and low temperature than the green alga Scenedesmus.

Effects of hexachlorobenzene on antioxidant status of liver and brain of common carp (Cyprinus carpio)

Hexachlorobenzene (HCB)-induced oxidative damages have been published in rats while the effects have not yet been reported in fishes. Juvenile common carps (Cyprinus carpio) were exposed to waterborne HCB from 2 to 200 mu g l(-1) for 5, 10 or 20 days. Liver and brain were analyzed for various parameters of oxidative stress. There were no significant changes of glutathione (GSH) content and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity in liver after 5 or 10 days exposure, whereas obvious drops were observed at higher concentrations after 20 days exposure. Significant decreases of GSH content and SOD activity in brain were found during all the exposure days. In brain, HCB also significantly elevated the contents of reactive oxygen species (ROS), thiobarbituric acid-reactive substances (TBARS, as an indicator of lipid peroxidation products), glutathione disulfide (GSSG), and activities of nitric oxide synthase (NOS), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and glutathione reductase (GR), and inhibited activities of acetylcholinesterase (AchE) and glutathione S-transferase (GST). The results clearly demonstrated that environmentally possible level of HCB could result in oxidative stress in fish and brain was a sensitive target organ of HCB toxicity. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Fracture Properties of LPCVD Silicon Nitride and Thermally Grown Silicon Oxide Thin Films From the Load-Deflection of Long Si3N4 and SiO2/Si3N4 Diaphragms

The bulge test is successfully extended to the determination of the fracture properties of silicon nitride and oxide thin films. This is achieved by using long diaphragms made of silicon nitride single layers and oxide/nitride bilayers, and applying comprehensive mechanical model that describes the mechanical response of the diaphragms under uniform differential pressure. The model is valid for thin films with arbitrary z-dependent plane-strain modulus and prestress, where z denotes the coordinate perpendicular to the diaphragm. It takes into account the bending rigidity and stretching stiffness of the layered materials and the compliance of the supporting edges. This enables the accurate computation of the load-deflection response and stress distribution throughout the composite diaphragm as a function of the load, in particular at the critical pressure leading to the fracture of the diaphragms. The method is applied to diaphragms made of single layers of 300-nm-thick silicon nitride deposited by low-pressure chemical vapor deposition and composite diaphragms of silicon nitride grown on top of thermal silicon oxide films produced by wet thermal oxidation at 950 degrees C and 1050 degrees C with target thicknesses of 500, 750, and 1000 mn. All films characterized have an amorphous structure. Plane-strain moduli E-ps and prestress levels sigma(0) of 304.8 +/- 12.2 GPa and 1132.3 +/- 34.4 MPa, respectively, are extracted for Si3N4, whereas E-ps = 49.1 +/- 7.4 GPa and sigma(0) = -258.6 +/- 23.1 MPa are obtained for SiO2 films. The fracture data are analyzed using the standardized form of the Weibull distribution. The Si3N4 films present relatively high values of maximum stress at fracture and Weibull moduli, i.e., sigma(max) = 7.89 +/- 0.23 GPa and m = 50.0 +/- 3.6, respectively, when compared to the thermal oxides (sigma(max) = 0.89 +/- 0.07 GPa and m = 12.1 +/- 0.5 for 507-nm-thick 950 degrees C layers). A marginal decrease of sigma(max) with thickness is observed for SiO2, with no significant differences between the films grown at 950 degrees C and 1050 degrees C. Weibull moduli of oxide thin films are found to lie between 4.5 +/- 1.2 and 19.8 +/- 4.2, depending on the oxidation temperature and film thickness.

Stress evolution influenced by oxide charges on GaN metal-organic chemical vapor deposition on silicon-on-insulator substrate

GaN epilayers have been deposited on silicon-on-insulator (SOI) and bulk silicon substrates. The stress transition thickness and the initial compressive stress of a GaN epilayer on the SOI substrate are larger than those on the bulk silicon substrate, as shown in in situ stress measurement results. It is mainly due to the difference of the three-dimensional island density and the threading dislocation density in the GaN layer. It can increase the compressive stress in the initial stage of growth of the GaN layer, and helps to offset the tensile stress generated by the lattice mismatch.

苜蓿幼苗芽、根器官对盐胁迫的生理生化响应

探讨盐胁迫对苜蓿幼苗不同器官生长及抗氧化酶系统的影响,为苜蓿植被恢复技术的研发提供理论参考。【方法】以新牧一号(盐忍耐品种)和北极星(盐敏感品种)2个苜蓿品种为材料,以0mmol/L NaCl处理为对照,用200mmol/L NaCl胁迫处理,测定萌发7d苜蓿幼苗芽、根生长及其H2O2、丙二醛(MDA)含量,相对质膜透性、抗氧化保护酶活性及其同功酶的变化。【结果】200mmol/L NaCl胁迫抑制了苜蓿幼苗的生长,并导致芽、根H2O2、MDA含量及相对质膜透性升高,但新牧一号芽、根器官均表现出比北极星较低程度的生长抑制或质膜损伤。盐胁迫后超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、抗坏血酸过氧化物酶(APX)、过氧化氢酶(CAT)、过氧化物酶(POD)的活性均明显增加。CAT和POD对活性氧的清除具有器官差异性,CAT活性在芽中较强,POD则与之相反。SOD-Ⅱ、APX-Ⅰ、POD-Ⅲ及POD-Ⅳ为芽、根中盐胁迫敏感的同功酶谱带。【结论】苜蓿盐忍耐品种通过更强的抗氧化保护能力,降低了盐胁迫对其幼苗的损伤。

Spin splitting modulated by uniaxial stress in InAs nanowires

We theoretically study the electronic structure, spin splitting, effective mass, and spin orientation of InAs nanowires with cylindrical symmetry in the presence of an external electric field and uniaxial stress. Using an eight-band k center dot p theoretical model, we deduce a formula for the spin splitting in the system, indicating that the spin splitting under uniaxial stress is a nonlinear function of the momentum and the electric field. The spin splitting can be described by a linear Rashba model when the wavevector and the electric field are sufficiently small. Our numeric results show that the uniaxial stress can modulate the spin splitting. With the increase of wavevector, the uniaxial tensile stress first restrains and then amplifies the spin splitting of the lowest electron state compared to the no strain case. The reverse is true under a compression. Moreover, strong spin splitting can be induced by compression when the top of the valence band is close to the bottom of the conductance band, and the spin orientations of the electron stay almost unchanged before the overlap of the two bands.

Investigation of high cycle and Very-High-Cycle Fatigue behaviors for a structural steel with smooth and notched specimens

The high cycle and Very-High-Cycle Fatigue (VHCF) properties of a structural steel with smooth and notched specimens were studied by employing a rotary bending machine with frequency of 52.5 Hz. For smooth specimens, VHCF failure did occur at fatigue cycles of 7.1 x 10(8) with the related S-N curve of stepwise tendency. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) was used for the observations of the fracture surfaces It shows that for smooth specimens the crack origination is surface mode in the failure regime of less than 10(7) cycles While at VHCF regime, the material failed from the nonmetallic inclusion lies in the interior of material, leading to the formation of fisheye pattern. The dimensions of crack initiation region were measured and discussed with respect to the number of cycles to failure. The mechanism analysis by means of low temperature fracture technique shows that the nonmetallic inclusion in the interior of specimen tends to debond from surrounding matrix and form a crack. The crack propagates and results to the final failure. The stress intensity factor and fatigue strength were calculated to investigate the crack initiation properties. VHCF study on the notched specimens shows that the obtained S-N curve decreases continuously. SEM analysis reveals that multiple crack origins are dominant on specimen surface and that fatigue crack tends to initiate from the surface of the specimen. Based on the fatigue tests and observations, a model of crack initiation was used to describe the transition of fatigue initiation site from subsurface to surface for smooth and notched specimens. The model reveals the influences of load, grain size, inclusion size and surface notch on the crack initiation transition. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Initiation and development of water film by seepage

When water seeps upwards through a saturated soil layer, the soil layer may become instability and water films occur and develop. Water film serves as a natural sliding surface because of its very small friction. Accordingly, debris flow may happen. To investigate this phenomenon, a pseudo-three-phase media is presented first. Then discontinuity method is used to analyze the expansion velocity of water film. Finally, perturbation method is used to analyze the case that a water flow is forced to seep upwards through the soil layer while the movement of the skeleton may be neglected relative to that of water. The theoretical evolutions of pore pressure gradient, effective stress, water velocity, the porosity and the eroded fine grains are obtained. It can be seen clearly that with the erosion and re-deposited of fine grains, permeability at some positions in the soil layer becomes smaller and smaller and, the pore pressure gradient becomes bigger and bigger, while the effective stress becomes smaller and smaller. When the effective stress equals zero, e.f. liquefaction, the water film occurs. It is shown also that once a water film occurs, it will be expanded in a speed of (U)(t)/(1 - E >).

青杨组(Populus Section Tacamahaca Spach)不同种对非生物胁迫的响应差异

土壤是人类赖以生存的自然环境和农业生产的重要资源，目前土壤受到干旱和盐胁迫的危害越来越严重。杨树具有适应性强、生长快和丰产等特性，本论文以青杨组杨树为模式植物，研究杨树对土壤干旱和盐胁迫的生态生理及蛋白质组学反应，研究成果可为我国干旱半干旱地区营造人工林、防止沙漠化提供理论依据，也为恢复与重建盐污染地区退化生态系统提供科学指导。主要研究结果如下： 1 青杨不同种对逐步干旱胁迫的响应差异 将来自喜马拉雅山东缘高海拔的康定杨和低海拔的青杨枝条扦插在温室中，用来检测它们对逐步干旱胁迫的响应。研究结果表明来自不同海拔的杨树对逐步干旱胁迫的适应性反应是不一样的。株高、叶片发育、叶片相对含水量、丙二醛、过氧化氢等指标的显著性变化在青杨中比在康定杨中来得早些，而且随着干旱胁迫程度的增加，这些参数的变化越来越明显，尤其是当青杨受到严重干旱胁迫的时候；而可溶性蛋白、可溶性糖、游离脯氨酸、抗氧化酶活力变化在康定杨中来得早一些。与青杨相比，在干旱胁迫下，康定杨仍能保持较好的植株生长和叶片发育；康定杨也能在逐步干旱条件下积累更多的可溶性蛋白、可溶性糖、游离脯氨酸及抗氧化酶活力，但是在丙二醛和过氧化氢含量方面增加的更少些。而且，我们的研究结果表明高海拔的康定杨有更强的耐干旱能力，杨树对干旱胁迫的适应能力与干旱发生的速度、强度、持续时间及两种杨树的海拔有关。 2 干旱胁迫下青杨不同种的蛋白质组学分析 来自青杨和康定杨雌株的枝条扦插在温室中，用来研究它们对干旱胁迫的蛋白质组学反应。采用TCA-丙酮/酚提取法提取总蛋白，并进行双向电泳分析。在每个处理的重复图像中都能检测到1,000 个以上的蛋白点。在青杨中有58 个蛋白在干旱处理后发生显著变化，其中22 个蛋白通过肽指纹图谱成功鉴定。康定杨中有69 个蛋白的表达量发生了显著变化，其中有25 个蛋白通过肽指纹图谱成功鉴定。这些被鉴定的蛋白主要参与了光合作用、氧化还原平衡、信号传导、能量代谢、蛋白质合成等过程。尽管被鉴定的蛋白只占叶片总蛋白的很少一部分，但这些被鉴定的干旱响应蛋白可能对维持植株内部平衡方面有重要作用。 3 青杨的盐胁迫响应 青杨植株分别用 0、50 和100 mM NaCl 溶液进行处理。叶片相对含水量、叶绿素a、b 含量、CO2 同化速率和气孔导度的降低表明叶绿体受到了盐胁迫的影响。过氧化氢、丙二醛含量及电导率的升高表明细胞受到了伤害。可溶性糖、游离脯氨酸含量及抗氧化酶含量的上升增加了植株耐盐胁迫的能力。在每个处理的重复图像中都能检测到1,000 个以上的蛋白点。其中有38 个盐响应蛋白被成功鉴定，有16 个蛋白(点4、10、11、14、15、21、24、26、27、28、33、34、35、36、37 和38)出现在盐胁迫的植株中；3 个蛋白(点10、11 和35)只出现在重度盐胁迫处理中；而1 个蛋白(点1)只出现在对照处理中。2 个蛋白(点1 和2)表达量下降，其余蛋白点表达量都增加。被鉴定的蛋白一部分参与了生理生化反应，而另一部分则在信号传导、蛋白质合成等方面有重要作用。盐胁迫下的生理生化变化及蛋白质组学的联合研究有利于青杨对盐胁迫的适应性分析。 Soil is the indispensable environment for human survival and important resource for agriculture development. Nowadays soil is threatened by drought stress and salt stress. Poplars (Populus spp.) possess some characters such as strong acclimilation, fast growth and great production of biomass. In this study, different species of Populus section Tacamahaca spach were used as model plants to investigate the ecophysiological and proteomic responses to drought stress and salt stress. Our results can provide theoretical evidence for the afforestation and prevention of desertification in the arid and semi-arid areas, and also can supply scientific direction for the reconstruction and rehalibitation of ecosystems contaminated by salinity. The results are as follows: 1 Adaptive responses to progressive drought stress in two contrasting poplar species originating from different altitudes Cuttings of Populus kangdingensis C. Wang et Tung and Populus cathayana Rehd., originating from high and low altitudes in the eastern Himalaya, respectively, were examined during one growing season in a greenhouse to determine the effects of progressive drought stress. The results manifested that the adaptive responses to progressive drought stress were different in these two species from different altitudes. Significant changes in height increment, leaf development, relative water content (RWC), malondialdehyde (MDA) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) appeared earlier in P. cathayana than in P. kangdingensis, whereas changes in soluble protein, soluble sugar, free proline and antioxidant enzymes appeared earlier in P. kangdingensis. In addition, changes in these parameters became more and more significant when the drought stress progressed, especially under severe drought stress in P. cathayana. Compared with P. cathayana, P. kangdingensis was able to maintain a superior height increase and leaf development under drought stress. Also, P. kangdingensis possessed greater increments in soluble protein, soluble sugar, free proline and antioxidant enzymes, but lower increments in MDA and H2O2 than did P. cathayana when the cuttings were exposed to progressive drought stress. Our results suggest that P. kangdingensis originating from the high altitude has a better drought tolerance than does P. cathayana originating from the low altitude. Furthermore, this study manifested that acclimation to drought stress are related the rapidity, severity, duration of the drought event and the altitude of two contrasting species. 2 Proteomic responses to drought stress in two contrasting poplar species originating from different altitudes The cuttings from a female clone of P. kangdingensis and P. cathayana were used to determine proteomic response to drought stress, respectively. Total proteins of the leaves were extracted by a combination of TCA-acetone and phenol, and separated by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis. More than 1,000 protein spots were reproducibly detected on each gel. 58 differentially expressed spots were detected under drought stress in P. cathayana and 22 drought-responsive proteins were identified by peptide mass fingerprint. 69 differentially expressed spots were detected under drought stress in P. kangdingensiss and 25 drought-responsive proteins were identified by peptide mass fingerprint. The identified proteins are involved in several processes, i.e., signal transduction, protein processing, redox homeostasis, CO2 fixation and energy metabolism. Although the proteins identified in this investigation represent only a very small part of the poplar leaf proteins, some of the novel drought-responsive proteins identified here may be involved in the establishment of homeostasis in response to drought stress in the woody plants. 3 Responses to salt stress in P. cathayana Cuttings from a female clone of P. cathayana were treated by Hoagland’s solution: 0, 50, 100 mM NaCl, respectively. Salinity significantly decreased the relative water content of leaves, the contents of chlorophyll a and chlorophyll b, CO2 assimilation rate (A) and stomatal conductance (gs) in both salt stress treatments，which suggested the chloroplast was affected by salt stress. The observed increases of H2O2 and malondialdehyde contents and electrolyte leakage suggested that salinity caused cellular damage, whereas the increases in compatible solutes and in the activities of antioxidant enzymes enhanced the salt tolerance. More than 1,000 protein spots were reproducibly detected on each gel, and 38 salt-responsive proteins were successfully identified by peptide mass fingerprint (PMF). 16 spots (spot 4, 10, 11, 14, 15, 21, 24, 26, 27, 28, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37 and 38) absent in the control sample were induced by the salt treatment, and three spots (spot 10，11 and 35) were present only in the severely salt-stressed treatment. The %vol of the differentially expressed proteins generally increased with progressing salt stress, except for the decreased %vol of two proteins (spot 1 and 2) under salt stress and the presence of spot 1 only in the control sample. Some of the novel salt-responsive proteins identified here may be involved in physiological, biochemical response to salt stress in P. cathayana, the other identified proteins play a role in numerous cellular functions, including signal transduction and protein processing. An integrated physiological, biochemical and proteomic approach was used here to systematically investigate salt acclimation in poplar.

青杨(Populus cathayana Rehd.)对逆境胁迫的反应及lea基因的表达分析

杨树具有分布广、适应性强，在生态环境治理和解决木材短缺方面均占有重要位置。青杨(Populus cathayana Rehd.)是青杨派树种的重要成员之一，也是我国的特有种。本研究通过对不同水分梯度的干旱胁迫下青杨形态和生理生化的反应，不同pH值盐碱胁迫下不同海拔和不同气候地区的四个青杨种群在生理生态上的反应差异，以及在干旱和低温胁迫下青杨lea2, lea3组基因表达差异的研究，从形态、生理、生化和分子生物学水平系统地研究了青杨在不同逆境胁迫下的反应和青杨不同种群在盐碱胁迫下的反应差异。主要研究结果如下： 1. 青杨在干旱胁迫下的反应机制：中度和重度干旱胁迫下植株的生长受到明显抑制。表现在光合系统上青杨的净光合同化速率(A)下降，主要原因是气孔导度(gs)，胞间二氧化碳浓度(Ci)下降。另外最大量子产量(Fv/Fm)、光化学猝灭效率(qP)降低反应了干旱胁迫下光合系统II(PSII)受到严重损伤, 而且非光化学猝灭效率(qN)上升，导致可利用化学能产量下降，叶绿体产生淀粉的量减少。qP降低qN上升导致产生的过量电子对光合系统的伤害造成活性氧以及丙二醛(MDA)的含量增加。超微解剖结构显示，干旱胁迫增强时，叶绿体内淀粉粒的数目减少，而且叶绿体、线粒体等细胞器中嗜锇颗粒的数目增加。为清除细胞内的活性氧，植物一般的反应是抗氧化系统酶活性增加，对青杨来讲超氧化物歧化酶(SOD), 抗坏血酸过氧化物酶(APx)活性的增加远大于过氧化物酶(POD)，这显示了在青杨中SOD、APx酶在清除活性氧的作用上大于POD。另外同工酶研究结果显示这些酶活性的升高主要是由于各条同工酶带表达量的增加，而不是诱导新酶带的产生。另外，75% FC水分处理下有些指标非但没有下降，像A和有效光量子产量(Y)的值都略有增加，而且gs同时增加。另外，100% FC比75% FC细胞内淀粉粒的数目少一些，但有少量的嗜锇颗粒。这证明100% FC土壤水分也许并非最适合青杨生长。 2. 盐碱胁迫对不同海拔地区青杨种群的反应差异：青杨高海拔和低海拔种群的各种生理特性随着pH值上升都受到了很大的影响。两种群叶和根中Na+、K+ 含量, Na+/K+比率随着pH值的上升影响显著。在pH值高于10.4时高海拔种群叶和根中Na+/K+比率急剧下降但是低海拔种群中却一直维持在较高水平。两种群中MDA、脯氨酸(Proline)的含量，抗氧化系统酶的活性都受到了严重的影响，证明两个种群都属于盐碱胁迫敏感类型但是高海拔的种群对盐碱胁迫的耐性要高于低海拔。这主要是由于高海拔种群一般具有耐干旱、低温胁迫的能力，而植物的抗逆机制一般都有共通之处。 3. 盐碱胁迫对不同气候地区青杨种群的反应差异：盐碱胁迫下两种群的光合作用受到明显的抑制，具体表现在叶绿素的含量和A 显著下降。净光合速率的下降主要是由于叶片gs，Ci 值降低引起的。与湿润地区的种群相比盐碱胁迫增强时，干旱地区的种群叶绿素含量和光合能力的升高与K+离子含量增加有关。植物维持细胞质高K+/Na+值对植物的抗盐性有很重要的作用。为清除盐碱胁迫产生的活性氧，抗氧化系统酶活性增加。盐碱胁迫下干旱地区的种群在SOD、CAT 和谷胱甘肽还原酶(GR)等酶的活性均显著上升，而湿润地区种群只有谷胱甘肽氧化酶(GST)的活性明显增加，说明干旱种群的抗氧化酶系统在较高盐碱胁迫下的保护作用要强于湿润种群。这主要是由于植物抗盐碱胁迫与抗干旱胁迫在一些方面的机制是一致的，抗旱种群一般也能抵抗一定程度的盐碱胁迫。 4. 青杨lea2、lea3 基因在干旱和低温胁迫下的表达差异：通过荧光定量PCR 分析，lea2、lea3 组基因在干旱和低温胁迫下在mRNA 水平的瞬时表达量明显升高，说明了两基因在青杨耐干旱和低温胁迫上都起显著的作用。而且两基因在干旱胁迫下，表达量的升高和降低的时间近乎同步，表明两基因在干旱胁迫下对植物应急保护机制的启动都发挥着重要的作用。低温胁迫下lea3 基因在mRNA 水平上表达量显著上升的时间要早于lea2，而且lea3 基因的持续作用时间明显长于lea2 组基因，说明了低温胁迫开始时lea3基因在植物应对逆境的作用上要大于lea2 基因。 Poplars play an important role in lumber supply, and are important components of ecosystems due to their wide distribution and well adaptation. Populus cathayana Rehd., which belongs to Populus Sect. Tacamahaca Spach, is one of the most important resources of poplars and is specialist to china. In this study, different altitudes and climates populations of P. cathayana were used as experiment materials to investigate the adaptability to drought and salt-alkali stresses. And the cultures of P. cathayana were used to analyze the lea2 and 3 group genes expression when exposed to drought and low temperature stresses. The results are as follows: 1. A large set of parallel responses to drought stress: Drought stress caused pronounced growth inhibition. A decreased significantly and was mainly the result of gs and Ci down. Besides, Fv/Fm, qP decreased and that reflected the harmful effects to PSII of drought stress. In accordance with qN increasing, decreased useful energy production caused the starch numbers reduction in chloroplast. The qP up and qN down improved the levels of ROS and MDA. Starch numbers in chloroplast reduced and plastoglobuli numbers increased when soil water content decreased. To reduce ROS, the activities of SOD, APX, CAT and PPO were activated. The isozymes results show that the rising activities of the antioxidant enzymes resulted from certain isoform content increased, and not from the new band produced. Interestingly, morphological results show 100%FC maybe wasn’t the favorite water content for P. cathayana growth. 2. Effect of salt-alkali stress on morphological and physiological changes in two different altitudes populations of P. cathayana: We compared the physiological responses of two populations of Populus cathayana Rehder, originating from altitudes 2,840 m and 1,450 m. Our results demonstated that Na+ and K+ contents, and Na+/K+ ratios in leaves and roots are greatly affected by pH values. At pH 10.4, the Na+/K+ ratios in both leaves and roots sharply dropped in the higher altitude population but were always maintained at higher levels in the lower altitude population. The pH values causing maximum malondialdehyde (MDA) level, free proline content and antioxidant enzyme activities were significantly different in two populations. These results indicated that the higher altitude population exhibits greater tolerance to alkalinity stress than does the lower altitude population. 3. Morphological and physiological changes in two different climates populations of P. cathayana when exposed to salt-alkali stress. Salt-alkali stress caused pronounced inhibition of the growth and especially in photosystem. Pigments content and A decreased significantly and at the same time gs and Ci decreased too. Compared with wet climate population, the Chlorophyll content and A increased in drought climate population as pH value rising was related to the K+ content increasing. It is important to resist salt-alkali stress that the K+/Na+ ratio matained at high level in cytoplasm. To reduce ROS content, the SOD, CAT and GR activities rised significantly in drought population but only GST increased in wet population. The drought population showed higher salt-alkali tolerance than the wet population mainly resulted from the fact that drought tolerance was in accordance with salt-alkali tolerance to some extent. 4. The different expressional model of lea2 and lea3 gene when P. cathayana was exposed to drought and cold stress. RT-PCR results show both lea2 and lea3 suddenly expressed significantly in mRNA level under drought and cold stress. The expression level of two genes reached optimal level at the same time. But under cold stress, the earlier significantly rising expressional time and the longer maintained higher level time in lea3 than lea2 elucidated that lea3 may be more important than lea2 in resisting cold stress in short time in P. cathayana.

Hemizygosity for Atm and Brca1 influence the balance between cell transformation and apoptosis

Background: In recent years data from both mouse models and human tumors suggest that loss of one allele of genes involved in DNA repair pathways may play a central role in genomic instability and carcinogenesis. Additionally several examples in mouse models confirmed that loss of one allele of two functionally related genes may have an additive effect on tumor development. To understand some of the mechanisms involved, we examined the role of monoallelic loss or Atm and Brca1 on cell transformation and apoptosis induced by radiation. Methods: Cell transformation and apoptosis were measured in mouse embryo fibroblasts (MEF) and thymocytes respectively. Combinations of wild type and hemizygous genotypes for ATM and BRCA1 were tested in various comparisons. Results: Haploinsufficiency of either ATM or BRCA1 resulted in an increase in the incidence of radiation-induced transformation of MEF and a corresponding decrease in the proportion of thymocytes dying an apoptotic death, compared with cells from wild-type animals. Combined haploinsufficiency for both genes resulted in an even larger effect on apoptosis. Conclusions: Under stress, the efficiency and capacity for DNA repair mediated by the ATM/BRCA1 cell signalling network depends on the expression levels of both proteins.

Effects of Ionizing Radiation on Three-Dimensional Human Vessel Models: Differential Effects According to Radiation Quality and Cellular Development

Little is known about the effects of space radiation on the human body. There are a number of potential chronic and acute effects, and one major target for noncarcinogenic effects is the human vasculature. Cellular stress, inflammatory response, and other radiation effects on endothelial cells may affect vascular function. This study was aimed at understanding the effects of space ionizing radiation on the formation and maintenance of capillary-like blood vessels. We used a 3D human vessel model created with human endothelial cells in a gel matrix to assess the effects of low-LET protons and high-LET iron ions. Iron ions were more damaging and caused significant reduction in the length of intact vessels in both developing and mature vessels at a dose of 80 cGy. Protons had no effect on mature vessels up to a dose of 3.2 Gy but did inhibit vessel formation at 80 cGy. Comparison with gamma radiation showed that photons had even less effect, although, as with protons, developing vessels were more sensitive. Apoptosis assays showed that inhibition of vessel development or deterioration of mature vessels was not due to cell death by apoptosis even in the case of iron ions. These are the first data to show the effects of radiation with varying linear energy transfer on a human vessel model. (C) 2011 In Radiation Research Society

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.

Conductive property of multiwall carbon nanotubes-PEO-salt nanocomposite film

By adding a small amount of multiwall carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) to polyethylene oxide (PEO) and a salt system, a new type of nanocomposite film was constructed. At ambient temperature, the conductivity of the PEO-salt-0.5 wt % MWNTs was nearly three orders of magnitude higher than that of the PEO-salt system. The conductive property of the nanocomposite film was characterized by ac impedance and the differential scanning calorimetry technique.