古尔班通古特沙漠固定沙丘上白梭梭和梭梭的空间分布及种间关联性

为了探讨沙漠中固沙灌木种群共存和演替机制, 本文基于古尔班通古特沙漠东南缘固定沙丘上白梭梭(Haloxylon persicum)和梭梭(H. ammodendron)种群的地理位置和生长发育阶段信息(幼株、营养株、生殖株和死株), 采用点格局分析方法(g(r)函数)及Monte-Carlo随机模拟检验和零模型选取的方法, 分析了固沙灌木白梭梭和梭梭种群不同生长发育阶段在0-20 m尺度内的空间分布格局及种间关联性。结果表明: (1)两个种群在研究尺度范围内呈聚集分布, 随着尺度的增大, 其聚集强度逐渐减弱; (2)两个种群整体上呈负关联关系, 尺度越大负关联关系越显著; (3)白梭梭种群生长发育阶段相差越大, 个体间正关联关系越显著; 梭梭种群生长发育阶段越接近, 个体间正关联关系越显著; (4)两个种群中龄级较大的个体(如营养株、生殖株和死株)会对对方种群中龄级较小的幼株产生一定的抑制作用; 同时, 随着两个种群中个体的成长, 双方受到的抑制作用逐渐减弱, 主要表现为正关联和无关联。总体而言, 古尔班通古特沙漠固定沙丘白梭梭和梭梭种群的分布格局整体上为聚集分布, 随龄级增加聚集性减弱, 受生境异质性和扩散限制的影响明显。种间关系多为负相关, 种内不同生长发育阶段之间均为正关联关系。     

桥山林区麻栎种群不同发育阶段空间格局及关联性

为探究麻栎种群不同发育阶段的空间分布特征及关联性,以黄土高原南部桥山林区麻栎天然次生林为研究对象,用L(r)函数对麻栎种群不同发育阶段空间分布特征及关联性进行分析。结果表明:(1)样地内麻栎种群各发育阶段数量结构均为不规则倒"J"型,种群结构稳定,能实现持续更新。(2)麻栎种群总体的空间分布特征受生境异质性影响较大,纯林样地中,种群在0—10 m尺度上表现为高强度聚集分布,5—35 m尺度表现为低强度聚集;混交林样地中,0—5 m尺度上表现为高强度聚集分布,5—35 m尺度上则表现为低强度聚集分布。(3)随着种群的发育及尺度的增大,麻栎种群空间聚集强度减弱,纯林样地内,麻栎幼苗在0—6 m的小尺度表现为聚集分布,6—12 m尺度上表现为随机分布;幼树在各尺度上均表现为聚集分布;中龄树与成龄树在各尺度上均表现为随机分布。混交林样地中,仅幼苗在0—6 m尺度上表现为聚集分布,其余各阶段在各尺度下均趋于随机分布。(4)种群不同发育阶段不同尺度空间关联性不同,纯林样地中,幼苗与幼树在1—2 m小尺度上呈负相关,幼树与中龄树在8 m尺度呈正相关,其余各生长阶段之间在任意尺度上均无关联性;混交林样地中,幼树与中龄树在2—12 m尺度上表现为正相关,其余各生长阶段之间在各尺度上均无关联。在未来的森林经营中,应对不同发育阶段、不同生境的种群进行不同抚育措施,促进种群良性发育。     

云南兰坪云南红豆杉种群年龄结构与空间分布格局分析

利用点格局分析法对滇西北兰坪县4个云南红豆杉(Taxus yunnanensis)种群的年龄结构、不同生长阶段空间分布格局及其关联性进行分析。结果表明:(1)林窗与人为干扰影响4个云南红豆杉种群的龄级结构,小林窗的种群呈稳定型;较大林窗的种群呈进展型;群落结构完整未出现林窗和有较大人为干扰的种群年龄结构均呈衰退型,幼苗、幼树与小树个体缺乏,种群存在一定程度的更新困难,林窗的大小是种群更新的重要因素。(2)人为干扰、自然生境与本身生物学特性影响4个种群空间分布格局,种群1整体及其不同生长阶段个体均呈聚集分布;种群2和种群4在小尺度呈聚集分布,而在大尺度上呈随机分布;种群3随着空间尺度增大分布格局表现为聚集→随机→聚集趋势。(3)种群2中幼苗、小树和中树在小尺度下表现为聚集分布,其他尺度下表现为随机分布;种群3的小树阶段聚集分布和随机分布皆有出现,中树与大树在不同尺度上表现为聚集分布;种群4聚集分布的强度随生长阶段的增加在减弱。(4)4个种群各发育阶段间皆呈或接近显著正相关,种内竞争弱,有利于种群维持。     

Spatial distribution patterns and association of Picea crassifolia population in Dayekou Basin of Qilian Mountains,northwestern China

研究青海云杉(Picea crassifolia)种群不同发育阶段的空间分布格局及其关联性, 能揭示其种群的发展规律, 推断其潜在的生态学过程或影响机制, 进而为该种群的配置、种植和森林的经营与管理等提供指导。该研究基于祁连山大野口流域10.2 hm²青海云杉动态监测样地调查资料, 分析了青海云杉群落的物种组成和径级结构, 并采用点格局方法, 通过单变量成对相关函数和双变量成对相关函数对不同年龄阶段青海云杉种群的空间分布格局及其空间关联性进行分析。结果表明: (1)青海云杉种群的径级结构呈倒“J”型分布, 属增长型种群, 种群自然更新状况良好。(2)青海云杉种群4个径级的个体在小尺度上呈聚集分布, 但随着空间尺度的增大, 聚集强度逐渐减弱, 趋向随机分布; 较小径级的个体常呈聚集分布, 而随着径级增大, 也趋向于随机分布。(3)青海云杉大树个体在小尺度(<4 m)范围内与其他径级个体都呈负关联, 随着尺度的增加, 大树与幼树表现出正关联且关联性随尺度的增加而减弱, 而与小树、中树则表现为无关联或者微弱的负关联; 径级相近的个体空间关联性为正关联或无关联, 随着个体径级间差距增大, 空间关联性转变为无关联或负关联。研究表明, 祁连山大野口流域青海云杉种群的分布格局及其关联性随空间尺度和发育阶段而变化, 这是由种群自身的生物生态学特性、种内种间关系以及环境条件共同作用的结果。     

浑善达克沙地榆树疏林幼苗更新空间格局

榆树疏林广泛分布于浑善达克沙地,是适应半干旱、半湿润气候的沙地植被类型.采用Ripley的K函数统计方法,分析了浑善达克沙地固定沙丘与丘间低地封育状态下的榆树幼苗空间分布及更新格局.结果表明:两种生境下榆树幼苗密度分别为88株/hm2和77株/hm2,丘间低地更适合幼苗的生长.固定沙丘和丘间低地榆树幼苗均呈聚集分布,但丘间低地的幼苗聚集强度更高.固定沙丘上榆树幼苗与成熟树种群在小尺度上呈负关联,而丘间低地幼苗与成熟树种群呈现较显著的正关联,但二者在大尺度上均无关联性.研究对揭示浑善达克沙地榆树幼苗分布、更新空间格局及其恢复保护具有重要意义.     

大兴安岭新林林业局3种林分类型天然更新幼苗幼树的空间分布格局

基于大兴安岭新林林业局落叶松林、白桦林和混交林3种主要林分类型16块样地的调查数据,依照幼苗幼树的株高划分为3个等级: Ⅰ级, 株高≤60 cm; Ⅱ级, 60 cm＜株高≤200 cm; Ⅲ级, 株高＞200 cm且胸径＜5 cm.在4种取样尺度下,采用负二项指数等7种聚集度指数,判定幼苗幼树的分布格局及格局强度,分析格局变化和格局规模.结果表明: 除落叶松林的落叶松幼苗幼树Ⅱ级最多,且随等级升高幼苗幼树密度先升高后降低外,白桦林和混交林的落叶松以及3种林分的白桦幼苗幼树Ⅲ级最多,而Ⅰ级最少,随等级升高,幼苗幼树密度均升高.落叶松幼苗幼树在3种林分4种取样尺度下均呈聚集分布.白桦幼苗幼树在白桦林中除在10 m×20 m尺度为随机分布外,均呈聚集分布.除落叶松幼苗幼树在混交林中5 m×10 m尺度时聚集强度最大外,落叶松在其他林分以及白桦在3种林分均在5 m×5 m尺度下聚集强度最大.在落叶松林,落叶松和白桦幼苗幼树的聚集强度随等级增大而减小,其中白桦由聚集分布变为随机或均匀分布;在白桦林和混交林中,落叶松和白桦幼苗幼树的聚集强度随等级升高不断增大,由均匀分布变为聚集分布.在3种林分类型中,不同更新等级落叶松和白桦幼苗幼树种群的格局规模均为25 m².落叶松和白桦幼苗幼树种群格局强度在不同林分类型、不同更新等级中差异明显.     

三峡库区特有植物荷叶铁线蕨种群分布格局研究

通过相邻格子样方法采集数据,应用点格局分析技术研究了荷叶铁线蕨(Adiantum reniforme var.sinense)种群空间格局,结果表明:荷叶铁线蕨的空间分布格局和空间关联性与空间尺度、植株大小密切相关.在较小的空间尺度上(4.5 m),荷叶铁线蕨种群趋向于聚集分布,个体间有较强的空间正关联;在较大的空间尺度上(>5 m),荷叶铁线蕨呈随机分布,空间关联性减弱.成熟植株具有更明显的聚集分布趋势.大小级差异越小,植株间的正关联关系越强.荷叶铁线蕨的更新较好,但更新苗分布不均匀.建议在该物种原生种群的就地保护和恢复重建中,在减少人为采挖的同时,适当加大灌木层密度、降低草本层的郁闭度.     

长白山云冷杉林幼苗幼树空间分布格局及其更新特征

长白山云冷杉针阔混交林是我国东北主要的森林类型之一,其乔木树种幼苗幼树的结构和动态决定着未来林分的结构和生长动态。在长白山地区设置一块具有代表性的云冷杉针阔混交林幼苗幼树更新样地,统计分析幼苗幼树更新特征,绘制地径结构图、树高结构图及其空间分布图。运用点格局分析中的单变量O-ring统计方法,分析更新树种的空间分布格局;用双变量O-ring统计方法,分析更新树种种间的空间关联性。研究结果表明:(1)更新树种组成有冷杉(Abies nephrolepis)、色木槭(Acer mono)、紫椴(Tilia amurensis)、红皮云杉(Picea koraiensis)、红松(Pinus koraiensis)、蒙古栎(Quercus mongolica)、春榆(Ulmus japonica)7种,其中以冷杉、色木槭为主,更新幼苗幼树的地径近似呈倒J型分布,树高结构近似呈双峰分布;(2)所有更新树种、冷杉、色木槭在小尺度1—10 m的范围内呈聚集分布,随着尺度增加,聚集程度减弱,逐渐趋于均匀分布和随机分布,紫椴、云杉和红松在空间所有尺度上以随机分布为主;(3)更新树种之间的空间关联性在小尺度范围上正关联性比较多,较大尺度范围上负关联性比较多,随着尺度增加,空间关联性减弱。     

南亚热带红锥大径材培育林幼苗更新及其与母树的空间关联性

以南亚热带大径材培育的红锥林为对象,采用空间点格局方法中的双相关函数g(r)进行统计分析,研究红锥幼苗的更新特征和空间分布格局及其与母树的空间关联性。结果表明: 红锥大径材培育林的林下幼苗天然更新良好,广泛分布于整个林地;更新方式以根萌为主,占全部幼苗的73.6%。不同龄级幼苗的数量分布呈金字塔型,径级Ⅰ、Ⅱ和Ⅲ分别占总幼苗数的64.3%、29.3%和6.4%。红锥幼苗主要在小尺度(<15 m)上呈聚集分布,但随着径级和空间尺度的增加,其聚集强度减弱,最终变为随机分布。幼苗与母树的空间关联性主要表现为随幼苗径级或空间尺度增大逐渐不明显。     

梭梭种群不同发育阶段的空间格局与关联性分析

运用点格局法中的Ripley'sK(r)函数的变形L(r)函数和g(r)函数,对古尔班通古特沙漠不同生境下不同发育阶段梭梭种群的空间格局及关联性进行了研究。结果表明:L(r)函数显示梭梭种群格局倾向于聚集分布,且集中分布在0-25m尺度范围内,而g(r)函数分析在小于3m的尺度上呈聚集分布,大于3m的尺度后波动较小,最大聚集尺度表现在0-10m范围内;梭梭在不同发育阶段过程中,L(r)和g(r)函数都显示由幼苗、幼树的聚集分布变为成年树的随机分布,甚至在某些尺度上变为均匀分布,同时幼苗幼树向成年树过渡过程中,梭梭的聚集强度呈逐渐减弱趋势。在关联性分析中,L(r)函数分析中正关联维持的尺度范围较g(r)函数大。L(r)函数分析幼苗与幼树、成年树在0-15m尺度内呈现正关联,g(r)函数在0-5m范围内表现为正关联,而幼树与成年树在0-10m尺度内多呈负关联,且两个大小级的形体大小差异越大,它们的正关联关系越弱,甚至表现为负关联或无关联。幼苗幼树的聚集分布和正关联是梭梭种子的传播和密度制约的一个平衡,对梭梭种群的生存和发展是有利的。另外,梭梭种群分布格局的强度在不同地形也存在差异,奎屯平地比五家渠的聚集强度和关联性大,缓坡差异较小,这说明地形对各种资源的再分配间接地影响了梭梭的格局。总体上看,同时应用L(r)和g(r)函数进行梭梭空间格局与关联性分析时结果不尽相同。L(r)函数的最大值可以反映典型的聚集尺度,而g(r)函数中出现的第1个最大值可以表示植株间典型距离。在小尺度下两种函数分析所得空间格局是一致的,而在大尺度上有较大差异。g(r)函数在小尺度范围内的分析结果更接近实际情况,有利于揭示出梭梭空间格局与生态过程有联系的"关键尺度",说明梭梭为了适应恶劣环境往往表现为聚集分布,这种聚集生长现象有利于个体的生存与繁衍。因此,联合使用L(r)函数和g(r)函数更有利于揭示植物个体间的关系。     

A Unique Protease Cleavage Site Predicted in the Spike Protein of the Novel Pneumonia Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) Potentially Related to Viral Transmissibility

正Dear Editor,In December 2019, a novel human coronavirus caused an epidemic of severe pneumonia(Coronavirus Disease 2019,COVID-19) in Wuhan, Hubei, China(Wu et al. 2020; Zhu et al. 2020). So far, this virus has spread to all areas of China and even to other countries. The epidemic has caused 67,102 confirmed infections with 1526 fatal cases     

Curcuminoids as inhibitors of thioredoxin reductase: A receptor based pharmacophore study with distance mapping of the active site

Curcumin is the yellow pigment of turmeric that interacts irreversibly forming an adduct with thioredoxin reductase (TrxR), an enzyme responsible for redox control of cell and defence against oxidative stress. Docking at both the active sites of TrxR was performed to compare the potency of three naturally occurring curcuminoids, namely curcumin, demethoxy curcumin and bis-demethoxy curcumin. Results show that active sites of TrxR occur at the junction of E and F chains. Volume and area of both cavities is predicted. It has been concluded by distance mapping of the most active conformations that Se atom of catalytic residue SeCYS498, is at a distance of 3.56 from C13 of demethoxy curcumin at the E chain active site, whereas C13 carbon atom forms adduct with Se atom of SeCys 498. We report that at least one methoxy group in curcuminoids is necessary for interation with catalytic residues of thioredoxin. Pharmacophore of both active sites of the TrxR receptor for curcumin and demethoxy curcumin molecules has been drawn and proposed for design and synthesis of most probable potent antiproliferative synthetic drugs.     

Comparative morphology of the carpel in the Liliaceae: Hewardieae, Petrosavieae, and Tricyrteae

The young pistils in the melanthioid tribes, Hewardieae, Petrosavieae and Tricyrteae, are uniformly tricarpellate and syncarpous. They lack raphide idioblasts. All are multiovulate, with bitegmic ovules. The Petrosavieae are marked by the presence of septal glands and incomplete syncarpy. Tepals and stamens adhere to the ovary in the Hewardieae and the Petrosavieae but not in the Tricyrteae. Two vascular bundles occur in the stamens of the Hewartlieae and Tricyrtis latifolia. Ventral bundles in the upper part of the ovary of the Hewardieae are continuous with compound septal bundles and placental bundles in the lower part. Putative ventral bundles occur in the alternate position in the Tricyrteae and putative placental bundles in the opposite. position in the Petrosavieae. The dichtomously branched stigma in each carpel of the Tricyrteae is supplied by a bifurcated dorsal bundle.     

Enterovirus 71 3C proteolytically processes the histone H3 N-terminal tail during infection

Highlights
1. The N-terminal tail of histone H3 is specifically cleaved during EV71 infection.
2. Viral protease 3C is identified as a protease responsible for proteolytically processing the N-terminal H3 tail.
3. Our finding reveals a new epigenetic regulatory mechanism for Enterovirus 71 in virus-host interactions.     

Detection of EBV and HHV6 in the Brain Tissue of Patients with Rasmussen’s Encephalitis

Rasmussen’s encephalitis (RE) is a rare pediatric neurological disorder, and the exact etiology is not clear. Viral infection may be involved in the pathogenesis of RE, but conflicting results have reported. In this study, we evaluated the expression of both Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and human herpes virus (HHV) 6 antigens in brain sections from 30 patients with RE and 16 control individuals by immunohistochemistry. In the RE group, EBV and HHV6 antigens were detected in 56.7% (17/30) and 50% (15/30) of individuals, respectively. In contrast, no detectable EBV and HHV6 antigen expression was found in brain tissues of the control group. The co-expression of EBV and HHV6 was detected in 20.0% (6/30) of individuals. In particular, a 4-year-old boy had a typical clinical course, including a medical history of viral encephalitis, intractable epilepsy, and hemispheric atrophy. The co-expression of EBV and HHV6 was detected in neurons and astrocytes in the brain tissue, accompanied by a high frequency of CD8⁺ T cells. Our results suggest that EBV and HHV6 infection and the activation of CD8⁺ T cells are involved in the pathogenesis of RE.     

Perinatal Vertical Transmission of Chikungunya Virus in Ruili,a Town on the Border between China and Myanmar

正Dear Editor,Chikungunya virus (CHIKV), an arbovirus in the family of Togaviridae, genus Alphavirus, is transmitted by the A.aegyptii or A. albopictus mosquito, and causes disease in humans characterized by fever, rash, and arthralgia (Silva and Dermody 2017; Suhrbier 2019). It was first reported in 1953 in Tanzania, and caused only a few outbreaks and sporadic cases in Africa and Asia in last century. However, in the epidemic in 2004, CHIKV acquired mutations that conferred enhanced transmission by the A. albopictus mosquito(Schuffenecker et al. 2006). Since then, it has successively caused outbreaks in Africa, the Indian Ocean, South East Asia, the South America, and Europe (Zeller et al. 2016).     

Development of a Novel Reverse Transcription Loop-Mediated Isothermal Amplification Method for Rapid Detection of SARS-CoV-2

In conclusion, the novel visual RT-LAMP assay is a simple, rapid, and sensitive approach for detection of SARS-CoV-2, and it is ready for application in primary care and community hospitals or health care centers, and even patients' own houses in response to the current SARS-CoV-2 epidemic because the assay does not require sophisticated equipment and skilled personnel. Furthermore, it is also ready to be used in fields for screening samples from wild animals and environments to facilitate the identification of potential intermediate hosts that mediate the cross-species transmission of SARS-CoV-2 from bats to humans.