Dietary Profile of Rhinopithecus bieti and Its Socioecological Implications

To enhance our understanding of dietary adaptations and socioecological correlates in colobines, we conducted a 20-mo study of a wild group of Rhinopithecus bieti (Yunnan snub-nosed monkeys) in the montane Samage Forest. This forest supports a patchwork of evergreen broadleaved, evergreen coniferous, and mixed deciduous broadleaved/coniferous forest assemblages with a total of 80 tree species in 23 families. The most common plant families by basal area are the predominantly evergreen Pinaceae and Fagaceae, comprising 69% of the total tree biomass. Previous work has shown that lichens formed a consistent component in the monkeys’ diet year-round (67%), seasonally complemented with fruits and young leaves. Our study showed that although the majority of the diet was provided by 6 plant genera (Acanthopanax, Sorbus, Acer, Fargesia, Pterocarya, and Cornus), the monkeys fed on 94 plant species and on 150 specific food items. The subjects expressed high selectivity for uncommon angiosperm tree species. The average number of plant species used per month was 16. Dietary diversity varied seasonally, being lowest during the winter and rising dramatically in the spring. The monkeys consumed bamboo shoots in the summer and bamboo leaves throughout the year. The monkeys also foraged on terrestrial herbs and mushrooms, dug up tubers, and consumed the flesh of a mammal (flying squirrel). We also provide a preliminary evaluation of feeding competition in Rhinopithecus bieti and find that the high selectivity for uncommon seasonal plant food items distributed in clumped patches might create the potential for food competition. The finding is corroborated by observations that the subjects occasionally depleted leafy food patches and stayed at a greater distance from neighboring conspecifics while feeding than while resting. Key findings of this work are that Yunnan snub-nosed monkeys have a much more species-rich plant diet than was previously believed and are probably subject to moderate feeding competition

Nanoparticle-induced unfolding of fibrinogen promotes Mac-1 receptor activation and inflammation

The chemical composition, size, shape and surface characteristics of nanoparticles affect the way proteins bind to these particles, and this in turn influences the way in which nanoparticles interact with cells and tissues(1-5). Nanomaterials bound with proteins can result in physiological and pathological changes, including macrophage uptake(1,6), blood coagulation(7), protein aggregation(8) and complement activation(7,9), but the mechanisms that lead to these changes remain poorly understood. Here, we show that negatively charged poly(acrylic acid)conjugated gold nanoparticles bind to and induce unfolding of fibrinogen, which promotes interaction with the integrin receptor, Mac-1. Activation of this receptor increases the NF-kappa B signalling pathway, resulting in the release of inflammatory cytokines. However, not all nanoparticles that bind to fibrinogen demonstrated this effect. Our results show that the binding of certain nanoparticles to fibrinogen in plasma offers an alternative mechanism to the more commonly described role of oxidative stress in the inflammatory response to nanomaterials

Modeling of water vapor adsorption isotherms onto polyacrylic polymer

The adsorbed amounts of water vapor onto polyacrylic polymer (polymer ×10) were measured using a thermogravimetry method as a function of pressure at 298 and 313 K. The adsorption isotherms are categorized to type II isotherms by IUPAC classification leading to a hysteresis loop between adsorption and desorption branches. The current study was completed by the measurement of the adsorption heats at 298 K using a differential scanning calorimetry. The calorimetric curves showed two adsorption heats domains. These domains have been attributed to the adsorption of “equivalent monolayer” and the condensation of water between polymeric chains. The correlation of experimental data to some chosen theoretical models shows that the GAB model is the most adequate to describe water vapor sorption isotherms. © 2010 Akadémiai Kiadó, Budapest, Hungary

Structural and Mechanical Mechanisms of Ocular Tissues Probed by AFM

In recent years, the atomic force microscope (AFM) has become an important tool in ophthalmic research. It has gained popularity largely because AFM is not restricted by the diffraction limits of light microscopy and can be applied to resolve images with molecular resolution. AFM is a minimally invasive technique and can be used to visualize molecular structures under near-physiological conditions. In addition, the AFM can be employed as a force apparatus to characterize the viscoelastic properties of biomaterials on the micron level and at the level of individual proteins. In this article, we summarize recent AFM studies of ocular tissues, while highlighting the great potential of AFM technology in ophthalmic research. Previous research demonstrates the versatility of the AFM as high resolution imaging technique and as a sensitive force apparatus for probing the mechanical properties of ocular tissues. The structural and mechanical properties of ocular tissues are of major importance to the understanding of the optomechanical functions of the human eye. In addition, AFM has played an important role in the development and characterization of ocular biomaterials, such as contact lenses and intraocular lenses. Studying ocular tissues using Atomic Force Microscopy has enabled several advances in ophthalmic research