How cadmium could compromise the completion of the European eel's reproductive migration

The European eel (Anguilla anguilla L.) is severely threatened with extinction. Surprisingly, even though their unusual life cycle makes them particularly vulnerable to pollution, the possible contribution of contamination remains especially poorly known. Here we have investigated the possible effect of cadmium (Cd), a widespread nonessential metal, on eel reproductive capacities. Both control and Cd precontaminated female silver eels were experimentally matured and forced to swim in metal-free conditions to mimic their reproductive migration. Cd pre-exposure was found to strongly stimulate the pituitary-gonad-liver axis of maturing female silver eels leading to early and enhanced vitellogenesis. This was followed by a strong phenomenon of oocyte atresia and eel mortality. These phenomena occurred before oocytes could reach full maturation and were associated with a large entry of both vitellogenin and Cd into the ovaries. Indeed, a redistribution of previously stored cadmium, even from the low Cd levels of control eels, was observed during sexual maturation. Atresia and mortality phenomena were also associated with an overexpression of the pituitary gene encoding the growth hormone, a marker of physiological stress and energy reserves exhaustion. Significantly, these devastating effects of Cd were observed in organisms that presented liver and kidney Cd concentrations still below those observed in eels from Cd contaminated hydrosystems. Our research shows how common levels of cadmium contamination could disrupt endocrine pathways implicated in gonad maturation and subsequently impair reproductive capacity of eel future genitors.     

Purification and characterization of a p-coumarate decarboxylase and a vinylphenol reductase from Brettanomyces bruxellensis

The presence of Brettanomyces bruxellensis has been correlated with an increase of phenolic aromas in wine. The production of these aromas results from the metabolization of cinnamic acids, present in the wine, to their ethyl derivatives. Hence, the participation of two enzymes has been proposed: a p-coumarate decarboxylase (CD) and a vinylphenol reductase (VR). Both enzymes were purified and characterized from B. bruxellensis. In denaturing conditions, the CD enzyme had a molecular mass of 21 kDa, while in native conditions its mass was 41 kDa. The optimal activity was obtained at a temperature of 40 degrees C and a pH of 6.0. For p-coumaric acid, the K(m) value and V(max) were 1.22+/-0.08 mM and 98+/-0.15 micromol/min mg, respectively. The VR enzyme had a molecular mass of 37 kDa in SDS-PAGE, while in natural conditions its mass was 118 kDa. The K(m) value was >3.37+/-2.05 mM and its V(max) was 107.62+/-50.38 micromol/min mg for NADPH used as a cofactor. Both enzymatic activities were stable at pH 3.4, but in the presence of ethanol the CD activity decreased drastically while the VR activity was more stable. This is the first report that shows the presence of a CD and a VR enzyme in B. bruxellensis.     

黑莓起泡酒香气成分的GC/MS分析研究

为了解黑莓起泡酒中香气成分,利用液液萃取和固相微萃取2种方法对黑莓起泡酒的香气成分进行了提取,然后用GC/MS进行检测分析,共检测到香气成分55种。通过半定量发现,异戊醇、β-苯乙醇、异丁醇、乙酸异戊酯、乙酸苯乙酯、辛酸、癸酸、9-癸烯酸、己酸等构成黑莓起泡酒的特征香气成分,另外可能构成其特征香气成分的还有2,3-丁二醇、α-松油醇和里哪醇等。     

Sex differences in the strategies used by rats to solve a navigation task.

Rats were trained in a triangular-shaped pool to find a hidden platform, whose location was defined in terms of two sources of information, a landmark outside the pool and a particular corner of the pool. Subsequent test trials without the platform pitted these two sources of information against one another. This test revealed a clear sex difference. Females spent more time in an area of the pool that corresponded to the landmark, whereas males spent more time in the distinctive corner of the pool even though further tests revealed that both sexes had learned about the two sources of information by presenting cues individually. The results agree with the claim that males and females use different types of information in spatial navigation. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2010 APA, all rights reserved)     

Radionuclide imaging in primary hyperparathyroidism using 99mTc sestamibi--four case reports

Radionuclide imaging using the 99mTc sestamibi either singly or as a subtraction technique with pertechnetate is a recent and reliable method in localising parathyroid adenomas prior to surgery. This is of use in pre-operative planning, as well as in failed first neck exploration. Four local patients with primary hyperparathyroidism whose parathyroid adenomas were localised by this scintigraphy are presented. The value and limitations of this imaging modality are discussed.     

Doppler-shift correction by the DFT,for a QPSK satellite modem

This paper describes a novel technique for the measurement and correction of the Doppler shift (frequency offset) in a received QPSK signal that has been transmitted over a satellite link. The satellite is here assumed to be in a non-geostationary orbit, and correction of the Doppler shift is required to be achieved as soon as the satellite rises above the horizon, when the Doppler shift may be very high and the signal/noise ratio very low. The receiver now has no prior knowledge of the transmitted data, so that a non-data-aided system must be used, capable of operating under seriously adverse conditions. The selected technique measures the DFTs of successive blocks of samples of the received and demodulated signal, and from the DFTs it derives a control signal for the VCO, which generates the in-phase and quadrature reference carriers for the coherent demodulator. The frequency of the latter is adjusted to reduce the residual Doppler shift in the demodulated signal to a sufficiently small value, so that correct phase synchronization of the VCO on to the received signal carrier can then be achieved by means of an appropriate conventional system (not considered here). The paper describes the new technique of Doppler shift correction, and presents the results of computer-simulation tests to measure the time taken to correct an initial Doppler shift of 5 kHz in the received QPSK signal, at very low signal/noise ratios.     

Robot arm-wrist coordination. Part 1. Quantitative rating

The robotic capability for controlled motion depends upon the robot's ability to coordinate its arm and wrist in order to accomplish the desired task. The objective of this article is to define formally the arm-wrist coordination and to introduce a quantitative measure for it. We develop a mathematical framework that provides for the analysis of the impact of both the fixed manipulator geometry and the changing robot configuration upon the efficiency of arm-wrist coordination. In the companion paper (Part 2). manipulator design guidelines are then formulated to guarantee task decomposition for any desired robot task. Numerical simulations demonstrate the efficacy of these design guidelines.     

LaCrO_3基导电材料的研制

分析了ＬａＣｒＯ＿３基导电材料的导电机理，并对其配方，合成和成型等生产工艺进行了多次试验探索出了合理的工艺参数，设计了简单的的实验电炉，用ＬａＣｒＯ＿３作为发热体进行了升温试验。     

Radiation therapy for malignant melanoma

Sufficient biologic and clinical evidence now exists to refute the longstanding dogma that melanomas are uniformly radiation resistant and hence radiation therapy has little role in the management of this disease. Although surgery remains the treatment of choice for the vast majority of localized melanomas, available data indicate that radiation therapy is a viable alternative for a few subsets of patients in whom surgery would result in cosmetic or functional deformity, such as patients with large facial lentigo maligna melanomas or small or intermediate-sized uveal melanomas. Retrospective and Phase II prospective studies have revealed that elective/adjunctive radiation therapy improves the local-regional control rate in patients with thick primary lesions, nodal involvement, or mucosal melanomas. However, the impact of elective/adjunctive radiation therapy on the survival rate has yet to be determined. Radiation therapy has been established as a simple and cost-effective treatment modality for palliation of patients with symptomatic metastatic spread. The response of metastatic deposits to radiation varies with the tumor volume, total dose, and dose per fraction. The choice of optimal fractionation depends on tumor site and the patient's survival expectation. New data indicate that hyperthermia enhances the response of metastatic lesions to radiation. Ongoing research with a variety of experimental strategies may offer the possibility of further increasing the utility of radiation therapy in the management of this disease.