祁连山东段高原鼢鼠对高寒草甸危害评价

为了客观评价高原鼢鼠(Myospalax baileyi)对高寒草甸的危害程度,在祁连山东段研究了高原鼢鼠不同种群密度与草地质量之间的关系,共设置了3个高原鼢鼠种群密度梯度,调查了3个危害等级变量(鼠丘数、鼠丘面积和鼠丘产草量)和6个生境变量(草地产草量、总盖度、可食牧草产量、植被组成、土壤水分和土壤紧实度),通过One-Way ANOVA检验法研究这些因子与高原鼢鼠危害程度的关系。结果表明:在设置的3个种群密度梯度下,草地产草量、总盖度、可食牧草产量和鼠丘产草量无显著性差异;草地植物群落结构、新鼠丘面积占调查区面积的比例无显著性差异,除高原鼢鼠采食深度(0—20 cm)外,3个种群密度区土壤紧实度无显著性差异,而0—30 cm处土壤水分存在显著性差异,说明本研究中不同高原鼢鼠种群密度区的草地质量没有显著性差异。此外,研究结果表明调查样地大小与危害评价有着密切关系,在高寒草甸区,单个样方调查面积以0.5 hm~2以上为宜。     

高原鼢鼠繁殖特性与其栖息草地质量的关系

高原鼢鼠种群密度动态变化与其繁殖特性密切相关,而繁殖特性又与其栖息环境有关。为了解高原鼢鼠繁殖特性与其栖息草地质量的关系,本文在祁连山东段选择两个不同高原鼢鼠种群密度分布区,在其繁殖期调查各密度区雌雄个体不同月份的繁殖特性、草地生物量、植物组成、地下根系重量及根系可溶性糖含量、土壤紧实度和水分变化。通过多因素方差分析和独立样本T检验研究繁殖特性与草地质量的关系。结果显示：在高原鼢鼠繁殖期,5月为繁殖高峰期,6月进入繁殖末期;不同种群密度区之间个体繁殖强度无显著性差异（P>0.05）;雌性繁殖强度在繁殖高峰期无显著性差异（P>0.05）,而繁殖末期存在显著差异（P<0.05）;高原鼢鼠性比在繁殖高峰期表现为低密度区大于高密度区,而在繁殖初期和繁殖末期为高密度区大于低密度区;两个种群密度区之间,草地植物组成、草地地上生物量、可利用草地生物量和地下生物量无显著性差异（P>0.05）,而0-30 cm土层根系根可溶性糖含量存在显著性差异（P<0.05）;除高原鼢鼠采食深度（0-20 cm）外,不同密度区土壤紧实度无显著性差异（P>0.05）,而0-30 cm土层土壤水分含量存在显著性差异（P<0.05）。结果表明在一定种群密度下,高原鼢鼠繁殖特性的变化与地下根可溶性糖含量和土壤水分有关,而繁殖特性与草地植物学组成、草地生物量无显著关系。     

放牧干扰下高原鼢鼠栖息地选择因素

以祁连山东段高寒草甸栖息的高原鼢鼠(Myospalax baileyi)为研究对象,探讨放牧干扰下高原鼢鼠适合栖息地选择的影响因素,为合理控制草原鼠害和保护生物多样性提供科学依据。在5个不同放牧强度小区中,连续3年监测高原鼢鼠相对种群密度变化,同时获取植被和土壤的变化数据。分析高原鼢鼠相对种群密度、植被(盖度、高度、频度、植被生物量、植被均匀度、丰富度、多样性和地下根系生物量)和土壤(紧实度、容重、水分)之间的关系。中度放牧干扰下,高原鼢鼠相对种群密度最低,不利于对栖息地的选择,轻度、次轻度放牧区的高原鼢鼠相对种群密度高于重度、次重度放牧区的;轻度放牧干扰的草地有利于高原鼢鼠种群数量的增加。高原鼢鼠相对种群密度与土壤紧实度、容重呈显著负相关(R=﹣0.921、﹣0.883,P0.05);与土壤水分呈显著正相关(R=0.879,P0.05);高原鼢鼠相对种群密度与地下根系生物量呈极显著正相关(R=0.982,P0.01),与植被丰富度呈显著正相关(R=0.921,P0.05),与地上植被总盖度呈显著正相关(R=0.909,P0.05),与地上生物量、均匀度、多样性呈不显著正相关(P0.05)。在草地放牧干扰系统中,非生物因素土壤紧实度、水分可能是高原鼢鼠栖息地选择的首要选择因素,食物资源也许是次要选择因素。     

川西北草原高原鼢鼠密度调查及引诱剂与D型肉毒素复合毒饵对其的灭效

目的为了掌握川西北草原高原鼢鼠Myospalax baileyi Pallas种群密度和提高D型肉毒素杀灭高原鼢鼠的效率,于2013年和2014年在位于川西北草原的红原县草原调查了高原鼢鼠的密度,并研究了不同引诱剂的引诱效果及引诱剂与D型肉毒素复合毒饵对高原鼢鼠的灭效。方法采用开洞堵洞法和连续捕净法调查高原鼢鼠密度;选用菜籽油和花生油配制引诱剂,然后用引诱剂和D型肉毒素配制复合毒饵,采用开洞堵洞法研究其灭效。结果红原县草原高原鼢鼠密度2013年为39.70只/hm2,2014年为42.14只/hm~2,平均密度为40.92只/hm~2,危害程度为Ⅳ级(严重危害)。菜籽油引诱剂取食率为72.2%,花生油引诱剂取食率为60.0%,二者间差异有高度统计学意义(P0.01)。未添加引诱剂的D型肉毒素毒饵的灭效为77.2%,添加引诱剂的灭效为89.8%,二者间差异有高度统计学意义(P0.01),但是复合毒饵各组内灭效差异无统计学意义(P0.05)。结论使用浓度0.10%的D型肉毒素与引诱剂配制复合毒饵,可以显著提高D型肉毒素对高原鼢鼠的灭效。     

灭鼠干扰后高原鼢鼠的种群动态与扩散

本文采用去除取样法对高原鼢鼠的种群动态及扩散行为进行了研究。结果表明,高原鼢鼠的种群密度因栖息地不同而表现出一定的差异。土壤疏松、食物丰富的栖息地内鼠密度较高。去除前的自然种群内和去除后扩散区内的鼢鼠中,其种群密度基本相同,种群结构相对稳定,成体鼢鼠的数量均占种群的７３％左右,雌雄性比为１１;去除区内鼢鼠的密度较低,雄性幼体的数量相对增加,成体的数量相对减少,其性比亦为１１。相邻动物之间的距离受密度因素的影响,在同一密度条件下,其距离无性别间的差异,动物呈镶嵌分布型。去除区内鼢鼠的平均扩散率为２６．５％,平均扩散距离为６６．９ｍ,扩散距离受土壤因素的影响。去除区内鼢鼠的成体体重小于扩散区内鼢鼠的成体体重,而在幼体间无差异。引起高原鼢鼠扩散的主要原因是种群密度,当种群密度超过平衡密度后,由于种内的相互攻击和对食物资源的相互竞争加剧使部分个体扩散出去     

甘肃鼢鼠种群性比的研究

本文对甘肃鼢鼠种群的性比及性比的季节,年度和年龄组的变化进行了研究,并对种群性比与月平均气温,降水量等环境因子间的关系进行了分析,结果表明,甘肃鼢鼠种群的总性比（♀／♂）为１．５７,雌性明显多于雄性（Ｘ＾２＝４７．６,Ｐ〈０．０１）,并且,种群性比存在明显的季节和年龄变化,但性比的年度变化不明显,在４－８月份鼢鼠繁殖期,月降水量〈５ｍｍ,或月降水量〉４０ｍｍ的月份,月降水量与其后一月鼢鼠种群性比之     

高原鼢鼠和高原鼠兔心脏对低氧环境的适应

为了探讨高原鼢鼠和高原鼠兔心脏对低氧环境的适应机制,以Sprague-Dawley (SD)大鼠为对照,测量三者的心脏/体重比(HW/BW)、右心室/(左心室 室间隔)重量比[RV/(LV S)];应用免疫组织化学方法测定心肌微血管密度(microvessel density, MVD);通过显微体视学技术比较线粒体的面数密度(NA,单位面积中线粒体数目)、体密度(Vv,单位体积心肌纤维中线粒体的体积密度)、面密度(Sv,单位体积心肌纤维中线粒体外膜的面积密度)、比表面(δ,线粒体外膜面积与其自身体积的比);用分光光度法测定心肌中的肌红蛋白(myoglobin, Mb)含量、乳酸(lactic acid, LD)含量和乳酸脱氢酶(lactate dehydrogenase, LDH)活力;聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳观察LDH同工酶谱.结果显示:高原鼢鼠和高原鼠兔HB/WB显著大于SD大鼠(P<0.05), RV/(LV S)显著小于SD大鼠(P<0.05).高原鼢鼠、高原鼠兔和SD大鼠心肌MVD和线粒体NA依次递减(P<0.05);高原鼢鼠线粒体Vv显著低于高原鼠兔和SD大鼠(P<0.05),高原鼠兔与SD大鼠之间没有明显差异;高原鼢鼠线粒体Sv显著高于SD大鼠(P<0.05),与高原鼠兔相比无明显差异;高原鼠兔和SD大鼠的线粒体δ无显著差异,但均明显低于高原鼢鼠(P<0.05).高原鼢鼠和高原鼠兔心肌Mb含量显著高于SD大鼠(P<0.05);高原鼢鼠心肌LD含量显著高于高原鼠兔和SD大鼠(P<0.05);两种高原动物心肌LDH活力显著低于SD大鼠(P<0.05).同工酶谱显示,高原鼢鼠、高原鼠兔和SD大鼠的LDH中H亚基所占比例依次递减.以上结果提示,高原鼢鼠和高原鼠兔通过增加心肌线粒体Sv、MVD以及Mb含量提高其在低氧环境获取氧的能力;同时,由于生境和习性上的不同,两者线粒体指标又表现出差异性.     

洞庭湖东方田鼠肥满度时空特征及与降水、温度、归一化植被指数的关系研究

为明确洞庭湖区东方田鼠Microtus fortis肥满度的时空特征及其与东方田鼠常用预警生态因子的关系,采用夹日法对洞庭湖7个调查区域不同生境的东方田鼠进行调查分析;收集洞庭湖区降水、温度、归一化植被指数(NDVI)等环境因子数据,分析不同性别东方田鼠肥满度与降水、温度、NDVI的关系。结果表明:1)不同性别东方田鼠肥满度时空特征较一致,春季和冬季不同生境雌雄东方田鼠的差异有高度统计学意义;在洲滩芦苇生境,雄雌东方田鼠在各季节间的差异有高度统计学意义;在洲滩苔草+芦苇+杨树生境,雄性肥满度各季节间的差异有统计学意义。2)雌性肥满度与季平均降水量呈显著正相关,雄性肥满度与季平均降水量无显著的相关关系。3)雌性和雄性的肥满度与季平均温度均无显著的相关关系。4)雌性肥满度与农田生境的NDVI呈显著正相关,雄性肥满度与农田生境的NDVI无显著的相关关系;雌性和雄性的肥满度与洲滩生境的NDVI均无显著的相关关系。研究认为,洞庭湖东方田鼠肥满度可以在一定程度上反映其对环境压力的反应,雌性对不利环境较雄性更加敏感,但在特定情况下,栖息地、食物可获得性等通过影响雌性东方田鼠肥满度,进一步影响东方田鼠种群增长。     

青藏高原东缘高寒草原有毒植物分布与高原鼠兔、高原鼢鼠的相关性

青藏高原高寒草原生态系统是我国特有的生态系统类型,由于受到人为破坏的影响,目前该地区草原生态系统功能退化,优良牧草减少,有毒植物蔓延。高原鼠兔(Ochotona curzoniae)和高原鼢鼠(Myospalax baileyi)是青藏高原东缘高寒草原中最重要的两种小型哺乳动物,其采食行为和挖掘洞穴的生活特性必然对生态系统产生影响,但其与有毒植物之间的互作关系尚未揭示。基于此,在甘肃省玛曲县河曲马场自然生长的高寒草原生态系统中开展了有毒植物的分布与高原鼠兔、高原鼢鼠之间的相关性研究。结果表明,该高寒草原生态系统中分布有毒植物27种,分属于菊科、豆科、毛茛科等11科。在此基础上,测定了该地区有毒植物的生物多样性指数、均匀度指数和丰富度指数,并探究了单位面积条件下有毒植物的分布特征与高原鼠兔和高原鼢鼠种群密度之间的相关性,发现该地区高寒草原有毒植物的蔓延与高原鼠兔的密度之间存在密切的负相关关系(P0.05),而与高原鼢鼠的相关性不显著(P0.05)。     

利用结构方程解析杉木林生产力与环境因子及林分因子的关系

通过收集155篇644条杉木林生产力数据,利用结构方程模型,分析杉木林净初级生产力与年均降雨量、年均温度、林分密度和林龄之间的关系。结果表明:杉木林净生产力与年均降水量和年均温度呈显著正相关,相关系数分别为0.63和0.378。杉木林净生产力与林龄和林分密度呈显著负相关,相关系数分别为-0.332和-0.408。结构方程模型较好的解析了杉木净初级生产力与环境因子和林分因子之间的关系。杉木林净生产力与年均降水量、年均温度、林龄、林分密度都有影响,其总通径系数分别为0.398(P0.01)、0.746(P0.01)、-0.321(P0.01)和-0.738(P0.01)。年均温度和林龄不仅直接影响杉木林净生产力,还通过影响年均降水量和林分密度间接影响林分净生产力。年均温度和林龄的直接通径系数分别为0.494(P0.01)和-0.700(P0.01);年均温度和林龄的间接通径系数分别为0.252(P0.05)和0.379(P0.05)。结构方程作为大尺度分析净初级生产力的方法,杉木林净初级生产力影响因素的62%来自年均降水量、年均温度、林龄和林分密度。     

Preparation of hair for measurement of elements by inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS)

The preparation of hair for the determination of elements is a critical component of the analysis procedure. Open-beaker, closedvessel microwave, and flowthrough microwave digestion are methods that have been used for sample preparation and are discussed. A new digestion method for use with inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) has been developed. The method uses 0.2 g of hair and 3 mL of concentrated nitric acid in an atmospheric pressurelow-temperature microwave digestion (APLTMD) system. This preparation method is useful in handling a large numbers of samples per day and may be adapted to hair sample weights ranging from 0.08 to 0.3 g. After digestion, samples are analyzed by ICP-MS to determine the concentration of Li, Be, B, Na, Mg, Al, P, S, K, Ca, Ti, V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Ge, As, Se, Rb, Sr, Zr, Mo, Pd, Ag, Cd, Sn, Sb, I, Cs, Ba, Pt, Au, Hg, Tl, Pb, Bi, Th, and U. Benefits of the APLTMD include reduced contamination and sample handling, and increased precision, reliability, and sample throughput.     

Genetic Manipulation in Δku80 Strains for Functional Genomic Analysis of Toxoplasma gondii

Targeted genetic manipulation using homologous recombination is the method of choice for functional genomic analysis to obtain a detailed view of gene function and phenotype(s). The development of mutant strains with targeted gene deletions, targeted mutations, complemented gene function, and/or tagged genes provides powerful strategies to address gene function, particularly if these genetic manipulations can be efficiently targeted to the gene locus of interest using integration mediated by double cross over homologous recombination.Due to very high rates of nonhomologous recombination, functional genomic analysis of Toxoplasma gondii has been previously limited by the absence of efficient methods for targeting gene deletions and gene replacements to specific genetic loci. Recently, we abolished the major pathway of nonhomologous recombination in type I and type II strains of T. gondii by deleting the gene encoding the KU80 protein^1,2. The Δku80 strains behave normally during tachyzoite (acute) and bradyzoite (chronic) stages in vitro and in vivo and exhibit essentially a 100% frequency of homologous recombination. The Δku80 strains make functional genomic studies feasible on the single gene as well as on the genome scale^1-4.Here, we report methods for using type I and type II Δku80Δhxgprt strains to advance gene targeting approaches in T. gondii. We outline efficient methods for generating gene deletions, gene replacements, and tagged genes by targeted insertion or deletion of the hypoxanthine-xanthine-guanine phosphoribosyltransferase (HXGPRT) selectable marker. The described gene targeting protocol can be used in a variety of ways in Δku80 strains to advance functional analysis of the parasite genome and to develop single strains that carry multiple targeted genetic manipulations. The application of this genetic method and subsequent phenotypic assays will reveal fundamental and unique aspects of the biology of T. gondii and related significant human pathogens that cause malaria (Plasmodium sp.) and cryptosporidiosis (Cryptosporidium).     

A phylogenetic analysis of 100+ genera and 50+ families of euasterids based on morphological and molecular data with notes on possible higher level morphological synapomorphies

 A data matrix of 143 morphological and chemical characters for 142 genera of euasterids according to the APG system was compiled and complemented with rbcL and ndhF sequences for most of the genera. The data were subjected to parsimony analysis and support was assessed by bootstrapping. Strict consensus trees from analyses of morphology alone and morphology + rbcL + ndhF are presented. The morphological data recover several groups supported by molecular data but at the level of orders and above relationships are only superficially in agreement with molecular studies. The analyses provide support for monophyly of Gentianales, Aquifoliales, Apiales, Asterales, and Dipsacales. All data indicate that Adoxaceae are closely related to Dipsacales and hence they should be included in that order. The trees were used to assess some possible morphological synapomorphies for euasterids I and II and for the orders of the APG system. Euasterids I are generally characterised by opposite leaves, entire leaf margins, hypogynous flowers, “early sympetaly” with a ring-shaped corolla primordium, fusion of stamen filaments with the corolla tube, and capsular fruits. Euasterids II often have alternate leaves, serrate-dentate leaf margins, epigynous flowers, “late sympetaly” with distinct petal primordia, free stamen filaments, and indehiscent fruits. It is unclear which of these characters represent synapomorphies and symplesiomorphies for the two groups, respectively, and there are numerous expections to be interpreted as reversals and parallelisms. Received August 28, 2000 Accepted August 7, 2001     

Mechanisms and ecological consequences of plant defence induction and suppression in herbivore communities

Background Plants are hotbeds for parasites such as arthropod herbivores, which acquire nutrients and energy from their hosts in order to grow and reproduce. Hence plants are selected to evolve resistance, which in turn selects for herbivores that can cope with this resistance. To preserve their fitness when attacked by herbivores, plants can employ complex strategies that include reallocation of resources and the production of defensive metabolites and structures. Plant defences can be either prefabricated or be produced only upon attack. Those that are ready-made are referred to as constitutive defences. Some constitutive defences are operational at any time while others require activation. Defences produced only when herbivores are present are referred to as induced defences. These can be established via de novo biosynthesis of defensive substances or via modifications of prefabricated substances and consequently these are active only when needed. Inducibility of defence may serve to save energy and to prevent self-intoxication but also implies that there is a delay in these defences becoming operational. Induced defences can be characterized by alterations in plant morphology and molecular chemistry and are associated with a decrease in herbivore performance. These alterations are set in motion by signals generated by herbivores. Finally, a subset of induced metabolites are released into the air as volatiles and function as a beacon for foraging natural enemies searching for prey, and this is referred to as induced indirect defence.Scope The objective of this review is to evaluate (1) which strategies plants have evolved to cope with herbivores and (2) which traits herbivores have evolved that enable them to counter these defences. The primary focus is on the induction and suppression of plant defences and the review outlines how the palette of traits that determine induction/suppression of, and resistance/susceptibility of herbivores to, plant defences can give rise to exploitative competition and facilitation within ecological communities “inhabiting” a plant.Conclusions Herbivores have evolved diverse strategies, which are not mutually exclusive, to decrease the negative effects of plant defences in order to maximize the conversion of plant material into offspring. Numerous adaptations have been found in herbivores, enabling them to dismantle or bypass defensive barriers, to avoid tissues with relatively high levels of defensive chemicals or to metabolize these chemicals once ingested. In addition, some herbivores interfere with the onset or completion of induced plant defences, resulting in the plant’s resistance being partly or fully suppressed. The ability to suppress induced plant defences appears to occur across plant parasites from different kingdoms, including herbivorous arthropods, and there is remarkable diversity in suppression mechanisms. Suppression may strongly affect the structure of the food web, because the ability to suppress the activation of defences of a communal host may facilitate competitors, whereas the ability of a herbivore to cope with activated plant defences will not. Further characterization of the mechanisms and traits that give rise to suppression of plant defences will enable us to determine their role in shaping direct and indirect interactions in food webs and the extent to which these determine the coexistence and persistence of species.     

Angiosperm ovules: diversity, development, evolution

Background

Ovules as developmental precursors of seeds are organs of central importance in angiosperm flowers and can be traced back in evolution to the earliest seed plants. Angiosperm ovules are diverse in their position in the ovary, nucellus thickness, number and thickness of integuments, degree and direction of curvature, and histological differentiations. There is a large body of literature on this diversity, and various views on its evolution have been proposed over the course of time. Most recently evo–devo studies have been concentrated on molecular developmental genetics in ovules of model plants.

Scope

The present review provides a synthetic treatment of several aspects of the sporophytic part of ovule diversity, development and evolution, based on extensive research on the vast original literature and on experience from my own comparative studies in a broad range of angiosperm clades.

Conclusions

In angiosperms the presence of an outer integument appears to be instrumental for ovule curvature, as indicated from studies on ovule diversity through the major clades of angiosperms, molecular developmental genetics in model species, abnormal ovules in a broad range of angiosperms, and comparison with gymnosperms with curved ovules. Lobation of integuments is not an atavism indicating evolution from telomes, but simply a morphogenetic constraint from the necessity of closure of the micropyle. Ovule shape is partly dependent on locule architecture, which is especially indicated by the occurrence of orthotropous ovules. Some ovule features are even more conservative than earlier assumed and thus of special interest in angiosperm macrosystematics.     

Genome Similarity Implies that Citrus-Parasitic Burrowing Nematodes do not Represent a Unique Species

Burrowing nematodes from Central America, Dominican Republic, Florida, Guadeloupe, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico were characterized for their ability to parasitize citrus, but citrus parasites were found only in Florida. Sequence tag sites originally amplified from a citrus-parasitic burrowing nematode were polymorphic among 37 burrowing nematode isolates and were not correlated with citrus parasitism, nematode isolate collection site, or amplification of a 2.4-kb sequence tag site (DK#1). Results of a RAPD analysis and characterization of the isozymes phosphoglucose isomerase, lactate dehydrogenase, and malate dehydrogenase indicated that the burrowing nematode isolates were highly similar. Citrus parasitism in Florida appears to be associated with limited changes in the burrowing nematode genome. Findings did not substantiate a previous report that R. citrophilus was present in Hawaii. Overall, these data do not support assignment of sibling species status to burrowing nematodes that differ with respect to citrus parasitism.     

A Simple Protocol for Platelet-mediated Clumping of Plasmodium falciparum-infected Erythrocytes in a Resource Poor Setting

P. falciparum causes the majority of severe malarial infections. The pathophysiological mechanisms underlying cerebral malaria (CM) are not fully understood and several hypotheses have been put forward, including mechanical obstruction of microvessels by P. falciparum-parasitized red blood cells (pRBC). Indeed, during the intra-erythrocytic stage of its life cycle, P. falciparum has the unique ability to modify the surface of the infected erythrocyte by exporting surface antigens with varying adhesive properties onto the RBC membrane. This allows the sequestration of pRBC in multiple tissues and organs by adhesion to endothelial cells lining the microvasculature of post-capillary venules ¹. By doing so, the mature forms of the parasite avoid splenic clearance of the deformed infected erythrocytes ² and restrict their environment to a more favorable low oxygen pressure ³. As a consequence of this sequestration, it is only immature asexual parasites and gametocytes that can be detected in peripheral blood.Cytoadherence and sequestration of mature pRBC to the numerous host receptors expressed on microvascular beds occurs in severe and uncomplicated disease. However, several lines of evidence suggest that only specific adhesive phenotypes are likely to be associated with severe pathological outcomes of malaria. One example of such specific host-parasite interactions has been demonstrated in vitro, where the ability of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 to support binding of pRBC with particular adhesive properties has been linked to development of cerebral malaria ^4,5. The placenta has also been recognized as a site of preferential pRBC accumulation in malaria-infected pregnant women, with chondrotin sulphate A expressed on syncytiotrophoblasts that line the placental intervillous space as the main receptor ⁶. Rosetting of pRBC to uninfected erythrocytes via the complement receptor 1 (CD35)^7,8 has also been associated with severe disease ⁹.One of the most recently described P. falciparum cytoadherence phenotypes is the ability of the pRBC to form platelet-mediated clumps in vitro. The formation of such pRBC clumps requires CD36, a glycoprotein expressed on the surface of platelets. Another human receptor, gC1qR/HABP1/p32, expressed on diverse cell types including endothelial cells and platelets, has also been shown to facilitate pRBC adhesion on platelets to form clumps ¹⁰. Whether clumping occurs in vivo remains unclear, but it may account for the significant accumulation of platelets described in brain microvasculature of Malawian children who died from CM ¹¹. In addition, the ability of clinical isolate cultures to clump in vitro was directly linked to the severity of disease in Malawian ¹² and Mozambican patients ¹³, (although not in Malian ¹⁴).With several aspects of the pRBC clumping phenotype poorly characterized, current studies on this subject have not followed a standardized procedure. This is an important issue because of the known high variability inherent in the assay ¹⁵. Here, we present a method for in vitro platelet-mediated clumping of P. falciparum with hopes that it will provide a platform for a consistent method for other groups and raise awareness of the limitations in investigating this phenotype in future studies. Being based in Malawi, we provide a protocol specifically designed for a limited resource setting, with the advantage that freshly collected clinical isolates can be examined for phenotype without need for cryopreservation.     

外泌体在白血病中的重要调控作用

目前,白血病复发是患者死亡的主要原因之一。肿瘤细胞和微环境的相互作用,以及隐匿在骨髓中的肿瘤干细胞,促进了白血病的复发和向淋巴组织的转移,因此白血病的治疗、转移和复发问题受到广泛关注。外泌体是由绝大多数细胞分泌的双层脂质膜囊泡,可以调控细胞间的交流和信息传递。在白血病细胞、基质细胞和内皮细胞之间的相互联系中都涉及到外泌体,白血病细胞来源的外泌体存在于白血病患者的血浆中,能把其携带的白血病相关抗原及微小RNA呈递给靶细胞,促进白血病肿瘤细胞的增殖,有助于肿瘤细胞实现免疫逃避,保护白血病细胞抵抗化疗药物导致的细胞毒性作用,促进血管生成及肿瘤细胞的迁移。因此,外泌体与白血病的转移、治疗及预后密切相关,可以用来检测和监测白血病的进展。本文综述了外泌体的来源、形成与分泌机制,以及外泌体在白血病发生前、发展中、预后和免疫治疗中所扮演的重要角色。     

Assessing burrowing, nest construction, and hoarding in mice

Deterioration in the ability to perform "Activities of daily living" (ADL) is an early sign of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Preclinical behavioural screening of possible treatments for AD currently largely focuses on cognitive testing, which frequently demands expensive equipment and lots of experimenter time. However, human episodic memory (the most severely affected aspect of memory in AD) is different to rodent memory, which seems to be largely non-episodic. Therefore the present ways of screening for new AD treatments for AD in rodents are intrinsically unlikely to succeed. A new approach to preclinical screening would be to characterise the ADL of mice. Fortuitously, several such assays have recently been developed at Oxford, and here the three most sensitive and well-characterised are presented. Burrowing was first developed in Oxford. It evolved from a need to develop a mouse hoarding paradigm. Most published rodent hoarding paradigms required a distant food source to be linked to the home cage by a connecting passage. This would involve modifying the home cage as well as making a mouse-proof connecting passage and food source. So it was considered whether it would be possible to put the food source inside the cage. It was found that if a container was placed on the floor it was emptied by the next morning., The food pellets were, however, simply deposited in a heap at the container entrance, rather than placed in a discrete place away from the container, as might be expected if the mice were truly hoarding them. Close inspection showed that the mice were performing digging ("burrowing") movements, not carrying the pellets in their mouths to a selected place as they would if truly hoarding them. Food pellets are not an essential substrate for burrowing; mice will empty tubes filled with sand, gravel, even soiled bedding from their own cage. Moreover, they will empty a full tube even if an empty one is placed next to it. Several nesting protocols exist in the literature. The present Oxford one simplifies the procedure and has a well-defined scoring system for nest quality. A hoarding paradigm was later developed in which the mice, rather than hoarding back to the real home cage, were adapted to living in the "home base" of a hoarding apparatus. This home base was connected to a tube made of wire mesh, the distal end of which contained the food source. This arrangement proved to yield good hoarding behaviour, as long as the mice were adapted to living in the "home base" during the day and only allowed to enter the hoarding tube at night.     

日本北海道虻类雌性外生殖器形态(双翅目：虻科)(英文)

【目的】利用日本北海道虻类评估和验证外生殖器在分类学上的意义。【方法】将虻类成虫标本浸渍在生理盐水中并置于双目显微镜下通过针和镊子在培养皿中进行解剖并绘图,观察第9背板、第10背板、尾叶、第8腹板、受精囊、受精囊管及生殖叉器的形态特征。【结果】在日本北海道共记录了虻科(Tabanidae) 3亚科7属38种。我们观察并描述了3亚科其中的6属24种的雌性外生殖器的主要特征。亚科之间存在明显差异;然而在一般情况下属之间很难建立一种方法来确定共同点;种之间只有在斑虻属Chrysops中有相似之处,其他属中则比较多样化。因此,亚科鉴定根据第9背板、第8腹板及受精囊足以进行区分,属及种鉴定需要结合第9背板、第10背板、尾叶、第8腹板、受精囊、受精囊管及生殖叉器各自的特征组合在一起才能区分开来。我们也制作了虻类外生殖器的检索表。【结论】和许多其他昆虫一样,外生殖器是虻科的重要分类特征,对于促进分类学和系统学的发展具有重要意义。本研究首次对分布在日本北海道的虻科雌性外生殖器进行了系统研究。