油松人工林林下植物群落变化及其环境解释

通过对山西太岳山宋家沟油松(Pinus tabuliformis)人工林林下植物群落进行调查,采用典范对应分析(CCA),探讨油松人工林林下物种分布与环境因子之间的关系。结果表明:1)在调查的42个样地中,油松林下共出现植物物种83种,隶属26个科72属,其中草本层物种种类较灌木层物种种类丰富,多达64种。2)CCA排序较好地揭示了该区油松人工林林下植物的分布格局与环境梯度的关系:林龄、坡度、坡向、林冠郁闭度、全氮、全钾对油松人工林林下草本层物种分布格局有重要影响;林龄、坡向、坡度、全氮对油松人工林林下灌木层物种分布格局有重要的影响。3)影响林下草本层和灌木层物种分布格局的变量中,生境因子与生物因子共同分别解释了40.3%和42.7%,其中,纯粹的生境变量(即未与生物变量共有的空间变量)对林下植物群落的变异解释能力较生物变量高,表明生境因子在决定油松人工林林下植物分布格局变异中起着举足轻重的作用。     

小兴安岭凉水国家级自然保护区植物beta多样性及其影响因素

自然保护区如何设置才能够最大程度保护生物多样性, 是保护生物学的研究热点; 阐明beta多样性特征、组分格局及其影响因素是保护生物学的重要基础。本研究选取小兴安岭凉水国家级自然保护区不同功能区(核心区、缓冲区、实验区)及毗邻地区(保护区外)共80块样方作为研究对象, 调查每块样方的保护位置(经纬度、海拔、坡位、坡度、坡向)和群落结构(郁闭度、林龄、乔木树高、胸径、灌木树高、地径), 并采集0-20 cm土壤样品, 测定土壤理化性质(有机碳、全氮、pH值、电导率、含水量、容重)。将样方间的beta多样性分解为物种周转和物种多度差异两种组分, 通过Mantel分析、冗余分析和方差分解分析解析非生物因子(地理地形、保护强度、土壤因子)和生物因子(群落结构)对beta多样性及其组分的影响。结果表明: (1)乔、灌、草3层中, 物种周转组分对于beta多样性的贡献均占主导地位(65%-73%), 物种多度差异贡献较小。(2) Mantel检验结果表明, 乔、灌、草3层beta多样性及其组分与地理地形指标显著相关的因子最多; 土壤因子只对乔木层和灌木层beta多样性及组分有影响, 对草本层影响不大。其中坡位、坡度、乔木树高和保护强度均与保护区乔、灌、草3层beta多样性显著正相关(P < 0.05)。(3)植物整体beta多样性受地理地形影响最大, 但存在乔、灌、草差异。乔木层beta多样性受生物因子影响最大; 灌木层的土壤因子解释力分别为地理地形和生物因子的2倍; 而草本层主要受地理地形的影响, 其解释力分别是土壤和生物因子的26倍和3倍。乔木胸径对植物beta多样性差异具有最大的解释作用。本研究结果表明, 未来保护区设置需要根据保护植物的类型, 选择适当的林分结构、土壤和地理地形等, 以增强保护区植物多样性保护的效果。     

四川小寨子沟森林群落物种多样性的环境梯度分析

运用去势典范对应分析法(DCCA),分析了四川小寨子沟自然保护区森林群落物种多样性指数与环境因子的关系.结果表明,群落物种多样性表现为草本层>灌木层>乔木层;海拔高度是群落乔木层物种多样性分布格局的主导因素,随着海拔高度的上升,乔木层物种丰富度和多样性下降,而均匀度没有明显变化;土壤有机质和土壤全氮代表的土壤养分状况决定着灌木层和草本层物种多样性的分布格局.地形因子(如坡度、坡向等)与物种多样性没有明显的关系.     

岷江干旱河谷灌丛α多样性分析

通过对岷江干旱河谷植被及其环境因子的系统取样调查 ,研究了该地区植物群落的α多样性及其与环境因子的关系。土壤、植被、地形三者之间的典范相关分析结果表明 ,三者两两之间均存在着较高的相关性。土壤因子与地形因子之间 ,海拔和坡向起较大的作用 ,主要影响土壤中的全氮、有机质和土壤含水量 ;地形因子和植被之间 ,海拔和坡向影响灌木层的多样性和盖度 ;植被和土壤因子之间 ,土壤中的全氮量、有机质和土壤含水量影响灌木层的盖度和多样性。随着海拔的增加 ,草本和灌木群落的多样性都呈现出先增加后减小而后又增加的趋势 ,草本层的α多样性明显高于灌木层的α多样性 ,草本层和灌木层均在14 0 0～ 16 0 0 m和 2 0 0 0～ 2 2 0 0 m两个海拔段有较高的α多样性 ;华帚菊 -小黄素馨灌丛、金花小檗 -忍冬灌丛、绣线菊灌丛有着较高的多样性 ,西南野丁香灌丛、莸灌丛、小马鞍羊蹄甲 -白刺花灌丛的群落多样性较低 ;样带的多样性 ,灌木层 :样带 3>样带 1>样带 2 ,草本层 :样带 1>样带 3>样带 2 ;不同坡向的多样性 ,灌木层 :阴坡 >半阴半阳坡 >阳坡 ,草本层 :半阴半阳坡 >阴坡 >阳坡 ;不同坡形上的多样性 ,无论是灌木层还是草本层 ,多样性大小为凹坡 >平坡 >凸坡 ;灌木层和草本层在不同坡位上的多样性大小均为上     

巴丹吉林沙漠南缘植被物种多样性及其与土壤特性的关系

通过对巴丹吉林沙漠南缘地区植被的野外调查,探讨了植被物种组成与物种多样性对样地沿距沙漠中心的距离变化的响应,以及物种多样性与土壤因子间的关系。结果表明:(1)研究区主要物种共计10科18属20种,植物种类以沙漠旱生植物为主,样地的植被群落类型都是灌木与草本植物群落。(2)随着样地向沙漠外缘的延伸,植物种类和数量逐渐增多,群落结构更加复杂化和多样化;样地Shannon-Wiener指数和Simpson指数呈上升趋势,优势度指数逐渐下降;灌木层与样地的α多样性指数变化趋势一致,草本层变化幅度较小;β多样性指数中BrayCurtis指数呈下降趋势,说明植物群落之间的物种替换速率降低。(3)物种多样性指数与土壤因子的相关关系及逐步回归分析表明土壤有机质和土壤全氮含量对植被的影响显著,土壤表层20~40cm中的土壤速效磷与样地物种多样性和草本层物种多样性之间具有显著相关关系。     

古尔班通古特沙漠植被与环境的关系

对古尔班通古特沙漠进行了纵向及横向的路线调查,植被测度和土壤理化性质分析。对比发现该沙漠地貌形态纵、横向上的显著差异,使沙漠植被分布格局存在着异质性,即植物群落的物种多样性、优势度及盖度在纵、横向上明显不同。CCA排序结果显示,土壤的有机质含量、全盐含量、分选系数、含水量和pH值等微生境使植被沿其变化梯度以不甚耐盐碱的短命、类短命草本和小半灌木、半灌木为主的群落逐渐向耐盐碱的灌木、小乔木类群落转变。地形和土壤质地可使横向上相当数量的植物种产生空间分化,而这种分化在纵向上不明显。沙漠植被物种在各生境梯度作用下形成3类组合,其在横向上对应3个地段,但在纵向上没有清晰的对应空间(除南北边缘区外),原因是多数植物的生境处于沙漠纵向微生境梯度的中间序位。     

混沟森林植被物种多样性梯度分析与环境解释

借助广义线性模型(generalized linear models,GLM),拟合了混沟森林植被乔、灌、草各层及群落总体的Shannon-Wiener指数与环境因子间的关系,并通过SΦrenson指数研究了海拔梯度上相邻森林群落类型物种组成的相似性,结果显示:(1)土壤pH值和海拔高度是对物种Shannon-Wiener指数影响最广泛的环境因子,湿度指数对混沟地区物种多样性影响不大.坡向对乔木层Shannon-Wiener指数的影响比较大,对灌木层和草本层α多样性无明显作用,在中等pH值和半阴/半阳坡乔木层Shannon-Wiener指数最小;灌木层Shannon-Wiener指数随海拔的升高呈下降趋势;草本层Shannon-Wiener指数没有表现出特定的变化规律;群落总体Shannon-Wiener指数主要受土壤pH值影响,随着pH值的增加呈上升趋势;(2)乔、灌、草各层以及群落总体的SΦrenson指数在海拔梯度上的变化规律大致相同,都是在中等海拔处较低,低海拔和高海拔处各有一个峰值,海拔1 000~1 500 m段可能是混沟主要植被类型的过渡带.     

露天煤矿排土场植被重建对土壤呼吸的影响

植被重建是露天煤矿生态恢复的重要途径, 植被恢复的最终目的是土壤生境的恢复, 而土壤呼吸是反映土壤健康状况的关键指标之一。采用LI-8100 土壤碳通量观测系统, 对内蒙古黑岱沟露天煤矿排土场不同植被配置下的土壤呼吸进行了测定, 分析了植被配置、生物、环境因子对土壤呼吸速率的影响。结果表明: 植被配置类型对土壤呼吸影响显著, 乔-草型和乔-灌-草型配置下的土壤呼吸速率接近(平均2.68 μmol CO2·m^–2·s^–1, P>0.05), 显著高于乔-灌型(2.33 μmolCO2·m^–2·s^–1, P<0.001), 但都显著低于邻近撂荒地土壤呼吸(3.64 μmol CO2·m^–2·s^–1, P<0.001)。4 种植被类型下的土壤呼吸日变化都呈单峰曲线, 但峰值出现的时间不同。土壤呼吸与植被盖度、草本多度、丰富度、生物土壤结皮盖度、厚度、土壤全氮、硝态氮、有机质含量显著正相关, 与灌木盖度、土壤体积含水量、容重和铵态氮含量显著负相关。植被重建显著影响矿区排土场土壤呼吸, 植被配置类型、草本盖度多度和土壤碳氮水平是影响土壤呼吸时空变异的关键因子。     

北京九龙山植物群落物种多样性特征对比分析

根据对北京九龙山植物群落的样地调查数据,采用Shannon-Wiener多样性指数、群落均匀度和生态优势度指标研究了九龙山封育植被乔灌草各层的物种多样性,并分别就阳坡和阴坡进行了乔木材、灌价群落的指标对比分析,结果表明,这3种指标能够有效地表征暖温带植物群落的组成结构特征,在九龙山封育植被中,阴阳坡的灌丛群落与乔木材相比,其灌木层的物种多样性Shannon-Wiener指数D高于乔木林中乔木层,而低于其灌木层;灌丛群落的草本层Shannon-Wiener指数小于乔木材中草本层;乔木材的草本层的物种多样性Shannon-Wiener指数大于灌木层,灌木层又大于乔木层,而生态优势度系数C在上述3种比较中与Shannon-Wiener指数表现相反,而群落均匀度指数J在比较中阴阳坡的表现不同,最后讨论了九龙坡地区植被演替序列及加速其进展演替的恢复措施。     

岷江上游干旱河谷植物群落分布的环境与空间因素分析

为了探讨土壤环境因子对植物群落物种数量、结构格局的影响 ,通过对岷江上游干旱河谷灌丛植被的大量群落学调查 ,采用了群落中 9个土壤特征指标 ,利用去势典范对应分析 (DCCA)排序方法 ,分析了不同群落类型中不同层次的物种数量结构的空间格局 ;定量分离了土壤、空间及其交互作用等因素对不同层次群落格局总体变异的影响。结果表明 :以水分为主导的多种环境因子耦合梯度决定着植物群落结构格局。环境因子对群落的影响程度在不同层次有差异 ,在灌木层中 ,单纯环境因子对植被格局的解释占 2 8.0 2 % ,环境 -空间耦合因子占 8.90 % ,空间因子独立占 10 .69% ,其他因子占 52 .3 9% ;而在草本层中 ,单纯环境因子对植被格局的解释占 2 0 .64% ,而环境 -空间耦合因子仅占 0 .83 % ,空间因子独立占 5.10 % ,其他因子占 73 .43 % ,草本的可解释性远远低于灌木。但无论是灌木层还是草本层 ,在诸多因子中 ,土壤水分始终在影响群落物种数量结构的空间格局分布中起着主导作用     

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.