Allee效应对具有生境恢复的集合种群的影响

Allee效应与种群的灭绝密切相关,其研究对生态保护和管理至关重要。Allee效应对物种续存是潜在的干扰因素,濒危物种更容易受其影响,可能会增加生存于生境破碎化斑块的濒危物种的死亡风险,因此研究Allee效应对种群的动态和续存的影响是必要的。从包含由生物有机体对环境的修复产生的Allee效应的集合种群模型出发,引入由其他机制形成的Allee效应,建立了常微分动力系统模型和基于网格模型的元胞自动机模型。通过理论分析和计算机模拟表明:(1)强Allee效应不利于具有生境恢复的集合种群的续存;(2)生境恢复有利于种群续存;(3)局部扩散影响了集合种群的空间结构、动态行为和稳定性,生境斑块之间的局部作用将会减缓或消除集合种群的Allee效应,有利于集合种群的续存。     

生境破坏的模式对集合种群动态和续存的影响

构建了空间关联的集合种群模型,该模型不但包含了种群的空间结构信息,而且引入了破坏生境的全局密度和局部密度两个指标,它们描述了破坏生境的模式.模型揭示了破坏生境的空间分布格局复杂地影响了集合种群的动态和续存,破坏和未破坏生境斑块的均匀混合不利于集合种群的增长和续存,而生境类型聚集分布可以促进集合种群的快速增长和长期续存;对于两种斑块类型相对均匀混合的生境来说,均匀场假设可能会高估集合种群的续存,对于相对斑块类型高度聚集的生境,均匀场假设可能会低估集合种群的续存;物种的迁移范围也会影响集合种群的续存,迁移范围越大的物种越容易抵御生境的破坏而免遭灭绝.这意味着在生物保护中不能仅仅考虑生境的恢复和斑块质量的改善,生境结构的构建也是很重要的,加强生境斑块之间的连通性也有利于物种的长期续存.     

似Allee效应对2-物种集合种群竞争动态的影响

集合种群具有与局域种群Allee效应相似的现象被称为似Allee效应.将似Allee效应引入2-竞争物种集合种群系统,建立了具有似Allee效应的2-物种集合种群演化动态模型.大量的数值模拟表明:(1)似Allee效应导致集合种群水平上两竞争物种构成的系统具有多个平衡态;(2)似Allee效应使竞争共存物种无法续存甚至全部灭绝,即使种群具有很高的初始斑块占有率,并且最终平衡态随初始斑块占有率变化而改变;(3)似Allee效应可能使竞争排斥物种共同灭绝,且效应越强,物种存活时间越短;但似Allee效应不会增强强物种对弱物种的排斥强度,反而可能使强物种变为弱物种,弱物种变为强物种,其具有与栖息地毁坏类似的影响种群竞争等级排序的作用;(4)似Allee效应对竞争集合种群续存是一个不稳定的干扰因素,微小的变化都将引起系统平衡态的剧变.但对于已经达到平衡态的集合种群系统,似Allee效应对强弱种群多度起到调节与制约的作用,有助于平衡态集合种群的稳定与共存,这一结论更完整的揭示了似Allee效应在竞争集合种群系统发展的不同阶段所起的不同作用.以上这些结论对物种保护及集合群落的管理具有重要的指导意义.     

局域种群的Allee效应和集合种群的同步性

从包含Allee效应的局域种群出发,建立了耦合映像格子模型,即集合种群模型.通过分析和计算机模拟表明:(1)当局域种群受到Allee效应强度较大时,集合种群同步灭绝;(2)而当Allee效应强度相对较弱时,通过稳定局域种群动态(减少混沌)使得集合种群发生同步波动,而这种同步波动能够增加集合种群的灭绝风险;(3)斑块间的连接程度对集合种群同步波动的发生有很大的影响,适当的破碎化有利于集合种群的续存.全局迁移和Allee效应结合起来增加了集合种群同步波动的可能,从而增加集合种群的灭绝风险.这些结果对理解同步性的机理、利用同步机理来制定物种保护策略和害虫防治都有重要的意义.     

基于生态位构建的2-物种集合种群关系动力学分析

结合生态位构建对两局域种群的生存竞争关系的影响,建立了基于生态位构建的2-物种集合种群关系模型,得到了共存平衡点的唯一性和全局稳定性条件,分析了两种群共存过程中空间混沌现象的存在性,并作了实例仿真加以验证．     

栲树种群生态位动态研究

用Levins生态位宽度及重叠、Feinsing等生态位宽度和Petraitis生态位重叠计测方法 ,处理缙云山森林群落演替系列取样 ,分析栲树种群的生态位特征及动态 .结果表明 ,栲树种群为缙云山森林群落演替顶极群落常绿阔叶林的优势种群 ,其生态位宽度随群落演替过程基本呈增长趋势 ,而资源利用程度却呈“∧”形 ;对于栲树种群和缙云山森林群落其它 1 4个优势种群间在所有 5类群落中的生态位重叠 ,仅栲树种群与典型针阔混交林中的小叶栲、光叶灰木、川灰木、薯豆、白毛新木姜子、广东山胡椒、大头茶、虎皮楠、杉木、马尾松种群上和针叶林中小叶栲、光叶灰木、杉木种群上 ,表现出显著完全特定重叠 .     

高阶作用对植物-传粉者-植食动物集合群落续存的影响

高阶作用通常指一个物种对另外两个物种之间相互作用强度的影响,对物种共存、群落构建及生物多样性具有重要影响。在集合种群水平上考虑了植食动物对动植物传粉关系造成的高阶作用,以及植食动物对传粉者的间接作用。通过分析基本生态过程,建立植物-传粉者-植食动物的集合群落模型,模型清楚地展示高阶作用和间接作用,可以用来研究它们对集合群落稳定性和续存的影响。结果表明：(1)互惠关系在集合群落尺度上会引起双稳态现象,说明了群落动态对初始条件的依赖性;(2)正高阶作用能够扩大集合群落双稳态的参数范围,负高阶作用和间接作用缩小它的参数范围,但都不会从本质上改变双稳态现象;(3)正高阶作用能够降低集合群落的灭绝阈值,增加集合群落稳定时的占有率,有利于集合群落续存,而负高阶作用和间接作用不利于续存。研究结果说明高阶和间接作用对调节多物种系统动态和物种共存具有重要作用。     

栲树种群生态位动态研究

用Levins生态位宽度及重叠、Feinsing等生态位宽度和Petraitis生态位重叠计测方法,处理缙云山森林群落演替系列取样,分析栲树种群的生态位特征及动态.结果表明,栲树种群为缙云山森林群落演替顶极群落常绿阔叶林的优势种群,其生态位宽度随群落演替过程基本呈增长趋势,而资源利用程度却呈“∧”形;对于栲树种群和缙云山森林群落其它14个优势种群间在所有5类群落中的生态位重叠,仅栲树种群与典型针阔混交林中的小叶栲、光叶灰木、川灰木、薯豆、白毛新木姜子、广东山胡椒、大头茶、虎皮楠、杉木、马尾松种群上和针叶林中小叶栲、光叶灰木、杉木种群上,表现出显著完全特定重叠.     

科尔沁沙地植物群落恢复演替系列种群生态位动态特征

以科尔沁沙地草地植被恢复过程不同阶段和不同演替时间的6个群落类型的取样为对象。研究了植被恢复过程群落演替序列主要种群的生态位动态特征。结果表明：演替过程每一群落类型优势种的作用明显,具有最大的生态位宽度。生态位宽度在演替序列的动态变化较好地对应着种群动态,生态位宽度是种群动态的一个间接测度。是种群在群落中的地位和作用的数量表达。能够较好地解释群落演替过程种群的环境适应性和资源利用能力。沙米、雾冰藜、狗尾草、差巴嘎蒿、猪毛菜、隐子草分别是演替时间为1a、3a、5a、12a、20a和30a群落的优势种群。在群落演替序列较高的生态位重叠是适宜生境斑块化和空间异质性的结果,同时也反映了演替序列群落的过渡性质以及群落结构的不稳定性。     

漓江河岸带枫杨群落主要木本植物种群生态位

为了解漓江河岸带枫杨群落主要木本植物种群的生态位特征,在对其进行群落调查的基础上,利用Levins和Shannon生态位宽度、Schoener生态位相似性和Pianka生态位重叠指数对漓江河岸带枫杨群落乔木层、灌木层主要种群生态位进行定量分析.结果表明: 乔木层的枫杨、灌木层的石榕树和桑的生态位宽度较大;重要值较大的物种,其生态位宽度一般较大,但两者排名顺序并不完全一致.乔木层主要种群生态位相似性普遍小于灌木层,平均值分别为0.151和0.236,主要种群间的生态位相似性较小,各种群对资源利用的相似程度不高;乔木层主要种群生态位重叠普遍小于灌木层,它们的平均值分别为0.217和0.273,主要种群间的生态位重叠程度较低;生态位宽度与生态位相似性之间无显著相关关系,生态位宽度大的物种与其他物种发生重叠的概率更大,但生态位重叠值不一定大,生态位相似性大的物种,其生态位重叠值一般较大.漓江河岸带枫杨群落属于地带性顶极群落,种间关系相对稳定,种群更新缓慢,在发展中有衰退趋势.     

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.