Concentrations of Cadmium and Zinc in Seawater of Bohai Bay and Their Effects on Biomarker Responses in the Bivalve Chlamys farreri

Both in-field chemical investigation and in the laboratory toxic tests were carried out to systematically understand the pollution status of cadmium (Cd) and zinc (Zn) in Bohai Bay. Samples collected from surface seawater were determined to describe the distributions of Cd and Zn in Bohai Bay. The average values in our study of Cd and Zn were 0.15 mu g/L and 19.68 mu g/L, respectively. Both of them were lower than the first class limit of seawater quality standard in China. In the laboratory, antioxidant enzymes [SOD (Cu/Zn-SOD, Mn-SOD), CAT], lipid peroxidation (MDA), phase I and phase II enzymes (CYP4501A and GST) were investigated in the bivalves Chlamys farreri exposed to Cd and Zn at the concentration levels of Bohai Bay seawater, which were obtained from our in-field investigation. The reduced SOD, CAT, and EROD (7-ethoxyresorufin-O-deethylase) activities (with the inhibitory rate of 16.8%, 31.5%, and 51.6%, respectively) in Cd treatment were observed and resulted in obvious lipid peroxidation damage. However, treatment of Zn showed elevations in SOD and GST by 13.3% and 29.9%, respectively, and with no influence on lipid peroxidation. In summary, seawater quality in Bohai Bay seawater was ranked as good in general, but it seemed that Cd might possess a potential environmental risk by effecting pro-oxidant/antioxidant balance and phase I detoxification in C. farreri.

AutoCAD及Pro/E间图形交互的应用

介绍AutoCAD和Pro/E软件相互间数据交换的方法,利用AutoCAD工程图在Pro/E环境中进行三维建模,避免Pro/E建模时的草图重绘;同时将Pro/E工程图导入AutoCAD中进行编辑,符合一般工程设计的习惯.整个过程以DWG和DXF数据文件为桥梁,并以设计实例进行说明.该方法明显提高了设计效率.

Association of pro staglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2 (PTGS2) polymorphisms and Alzheimer's disease in Chinese

Cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2, encoded by the gene prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2, PTGS2) is a key enzyme in the conversion of arachidonic acid to prostaglandins. The prostaglandins produced by COX-2 are involved in inflammation and pain response in diff

Xanthohumol, a novel anti-HIV-1 agent purified from Hops Humulus lupulus

Xanthohumol, prenylchacone flavonoid, is a natural product with multi-biofunctions purified from Hops Humulus lupulus. Its anti-HIV-1 activity was tested in the present study. Results showed that xanthohumol inhibited HIV-1 induced cytopathic effects, the production of viral p24 antigen and reverse transcriptase in C8166 lymphocytes at non-cytotoxic concentration. The EC50 values were 0.82, 1.28 and 0.50 mug/ml, respectively. The therapeutic index (TI) was about 10.8. Xanthohumol also inhibited HIV-1 replication in PBMC with EC50 value of 20.74 mug/ml. The activity of recombinant HIV-1 reverse transcriptase and the HIV-1 entry were not inhibited by xanthohumol. The results from this study suggested that xanthohumol is effective against HIV-1 and might serve as an interesting lead compound. It may represent a novel chemotherapeutic agent for HIV-1 infection. However, the mechanism of its anti-HIV-1 effect needs to be further clarified. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Concentricolide, an anti-HIV agent from the ascomycete Daldinia concentrica

A novel benzofuran lactone, named concentricolide (=rel-(6R)-6-ethylbenzo[2.1-b:3,4-c']difuran-8(6H)-one; 1), was isolated along with four known compounds (friedelin, cytochalasin L-696.474, armillaramide, and russulamide) from the fruiting bodies of the

Identification and characterization of a cathepsin L-like cysteine protease from Taenia solium metacestode

Taenia solium metacestode, a larval pork tapeworm, is a causative agent of neurocysticercosis, one of the most common parasitic diseases in the human central nervous system. In this study, we identified a cDNA encoding for a cathepsin L-like cysteine protease from the T solium metacestode (TsCL-1) and characterized the biochemical properties of the recombinant enzyme. The cloned cDNA of 1216 bp encoded 339 amino acids with an approximate molecular weight of 37.6 kDa which containing a typical signal peptide sequence (17 amino acids), a pro-domain (106 amino acids), and a mature domain (216 amino acids). Sequence alignments of TsCL-1 showed low sequence similarity of 27.3-44.6 to cathepsin L-like cysteine proteases from other helminth parasites, but the similarity was increased to 35.9-55.0 when compared to mature domains. The bacterially expressed recombinant protein (rTsCL-1) did not show enzyme activity; however, the rTsCL-1 expressed in Pichia pastoris showed typical biochemical characteristics of cysteine proteases. It degraded human immunoglobulin G (IgG) and bovine serum albumin (BSA), but not collagen. Western blot analysis of the rTsCL-1 showed antigenicity against the sera from patients with cysticercosis, sparganosis or fascioliasis, but weak or no antigenicity against the sera from patients with paragonimiasis or clonorchiasis. (c) 2006 Published by Elsevier B.V.

Rapid thermal annealing properties of ZnO films grown using methanol as oxidant

ZnO thin films were grown by metal-organic chemical vapour deposition using methanol as oxidant. Rapid thermal annealing (RTA) was performed in an ambient of one atmosphere oxygen at 900 degrees C for 60 s. The RTA properties of the films have been characterized using scanning electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, photoluminescence spectra and Hall measurement. The grains of the film were well coalesced and the surface became denser after RTA. The full-width at half maximum of rocking curves was only 496 arcsec. The ZnO films were also proved to have good optical quality. The Hall mobility increased to 43.2 cm(2) V-1 s(-1) while the electron concentration decreased to 6.6 x 10(16) cm(-3). It is found that methanol is a potential oxidant for ZnO growth and the quality of ZnO film can be improved substantially through RTA.

mobile agent system model based on servlet technology

A mobile agent system model based on the servlet technology is presented, the constitution and working process of the system are analyzed. The implementation of key parts of this model and the current development situation as well as the development trend of mobile agent technology are introduced. The mobile agent system model enhances its internal structure recognition and facilitates the system expansion and reformation. The remotely mobile agent control method by means of the protocol modification is presented.

一种基于Agent的自适应的分布式入侵检测系统

针对传统分布式入侵检测系统组件之间依赖程度大、系统不够健壮且入侵检测系统自身结构固定不能适应入侵的变化的问题,提出了一种基于Agent的自适应的分布式入侵检测系统(简称AAA-DIDS)·AAADIDS采用Agent概念重新构造系统的组件,改进了分布式入侵检测系统由于高层节点单一无冗余而产生的可靠性差的缺陷,从构造上克服了分布式入侵检测系统的脆弱性·同时,AAADIDS系统采用智能技术构建了自适应的入侵检测系统模型,增加了系统应对入侵行为变化的智能性·AAA-DIDS系统相对于传统的分布式入侵检测系统有效地提高了系统自身的可靠性和针对外界变化的适应能力·