Changes in vegetation and soil properties following 6 years of enclosure in riparian corridors

河岸带是维持生物多样性的重要生态系统之一。然而,由于过度放牧引起的植被消耗和过度开垦等人类活动的干扰,河岸带植被多样性和植被盖度受到严重的破坏,甚至威胁了河道的稳定性。围栏封育在退化草地生态系统修复中被广泛应用,但对退化河岸带植被群落和土壤性质的影响尚不明确。本研究的目的旨在明确围封的实施是否会促进河岸带植被群落的物种组成、物种丰富度和物种多样性恢复,土壤氧分如何随围封年限的增加而变化。辽河干流自2012年起被围栏封育管理,本研究在辽河干流河岸带沿岸设置了20个草本群落长期观测样地,记录了2012–2017年样地中植被高度、盖度和个体数量等参数用于物种丰富度和物种多样性的统计分析。同时,分别测定了2012年和2017年植被群落土壤氧分含量,验证了植被群落和土壤氧分对围封的反馈,研究了2012–2017年辽河干流河岸带的围栏封育对物种多样性和土壤氧分的影响。结果表明,随着围封年限的增加,辽河干流河岸带草本群落植被丰富度和多样性显著增加。物种组成方面,菊科植物的优势度显著增加,禾本科植物优势度显著下降。围封后植被群落的恢复和禁止耕作,加速了土壤中磷和钾的消耗,表现为显著降低,土壤有机质含量对围封的响应表现的相对滞后,并没有显著变化。综上所述,本研究为河岸带植被群落物种多样性、物种组成对围封的响应提供了新的见解。     

A colorimetric sensor array based on natural pigments for the discrimination of saccharides

A colorimetric sensor array based on natural pigments was developed to discriminate between various saccharides. Anthocyanins, pH‐sensitive natural pigments, were extracted from fruits and flowers and used as components of the sensor array. Variation in pH, due to the reaction between saccharides and boronic acids, caused obvious colour changes in the natural pigments. Only by observing the difference map with the naked eye could 11 common saccharides be divided into independent individuals. In conjunction with pattern recognition, the sensor array clearly differentiated between sugar and sugar alcohol with highly accuracy and allowed rapid quantification of different concentrations of maltitol and fructose. This sensor array for saccharides is expected to become a promising alternative tool for food monitoring. The link between anthocyanin and saccharide detection opened a new guiding direction for the application of anthocyanins in foods.     

Multifrequency Microwave Imaging for Brain Stroke Detection

CT and MRI are often used in the diagnosis and monitoring of stroke. However, they are expensive, time-consuming, produce ionizing radiation (CT), and not suitable for continuous monitoring stroke. Microwave imaging (MI) has been extensively investigated for identifying several types of human organs, including breast, brain, lung, liver, and gastric. The authors recently developed a holographic microwave imaging (HMI) algorithm for biological object detection. However, this method has difficulty in providing accurate information on embedded small inclusions. This paper describes the feasibility of the use of a multifrequency HMI algorithm for brain stroke detection. A numerical system, including HMI data collection model and a realistic head model, was developed to demonstrate the proposed method for imaging of brain tissues. Various experiments were carried out to evaluate the performance of the proposed method. Results of experiments carried out using multifrequency HMI have been compared with the results obtained from single frequency HMI. Results showed that multifrequency HMI could detect strokes and provide more accurate results of size and location than the single frequency HMI algorithm.     

Ultrasensitive Deep-Ultraviolet Surface Plasmon Resonance Sensors Using Aluminum-Graphene Metasurface: a Theoretical Insight

Plasmonics - This study investigates a versatile deep-ultraviolet (DUV) surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor by integrating a few graphene layers into low-cost aluminum (Al) thin film. The...     

Knockdown of DNA‐binding protein A enhances the chemotherapy sensitivity of colorectal cancer via suppressing the Wnt/β‐catenin/Chk1 pathway

DNA‐binding protein A (dbpA) is reported to be upregulated in many cancers and associated with tumor progress. The present study aimed to investigate the role of dbpA in 5‐fluorouracil (5‐FU)‐resistant and oxaliplatin (L‐OHP)‐resistant colorectal cancer (CRC) cells. We found that 5‐FU and L‐OPH treatment promoted the expression of dbpA. Enhanced dbpA promoted the drug resistance of SW620 cells to 5‐FU and L‐OHP. DbpA knockdown inhibited cell proliferation, induced cell apoptosis, and cell cycle arrested in SW620/5‐FU and SW620/L‐OHP cells. Besides, dbpA short hairpin RNA (shRNA) enhanced the cytotoxicity of 5‐FU and L‐OHP to SW620/5‐FU and SW620/L‐OHP cells. Meanwhile, dbpA shRNA inhibited the activation of the Wnt/β‐catenin pathway that induced by 5‐FU stimulation in SW620/5‐FU cells. Activation of the Wnt/β‐catenin pathway or overexpression of checkpoint kinase 1 (Chk1) abrogated the promoting effect of dbpA downregulation on 5‐FU sensitivity of CRC cells. Importantly, downregulation of dbpA suppressed tumor growth and promoted CRC cells sensitivity to 5‐FU in vivo. Our study indicated that the knockdown of dbpA enhanced the sensitivity of CRC cells to 5‐FU via Wnt/β‐catenin/Chk1 pathway, and DbpA may be a potential therapeutic target to sensitize drug resistance CRC to 5‐FU and L‐OHP.     

TaRPP13-3, a CC-NBS-LRR-like gene located on chr 7D,promotes disease resistance to wheat powdery mildew in Brock

Disease resistance (R) gene, RPP13, plays an important role in the resistance of plants to pathogen infections; its function in resistance of wheat to powdery mildew remains unknown. In this study, a RNA-Seq technique was used to monitor expression of genes in susceptible wheat ‘Jing411’ and resistant near-isogenic line ‘BJ-1’ in response to powdery mildew infection. Overall, 413 differential expression genes were observed and identified as involved in disease resistance. RPP13 homologous gene on wheat chromosome 7D was preliminarily identified using the wheat 660K SNP chip. RPP13 was highly expressed in ‘BJ-1’ and encodes 1,027 amino acids, including CC, NB and LRR domain, termed TaRPP13-3. After inoculation with powdery mildew, expression of TaRPP13-3 in resistant wheat changed with time, but average expression was higher when compared to susceptible variety, thus indicating that TaRPP13-3 is involved in resistance to powdery mildew. Virus-induced gene silencing (VIGS) was used to inhibit expression of TaRPP13-3 in resistant parent ‘Brock’. Results indicated that silencing of TaRPP13-3 led to decreased disease resistance in ‘Brock’. Overall results of this study indicate that TaRPP13-3 gene is involved in the defence response of wheat to powdery mildew and plays a positive role in wheat powdery mildew interactions.     

ABC转运蛋白及其在合成生物学中的应用

ABC转运蛋白(ATP-binding cassette transporter,ABC transporter)作为一种超大膜转运蛋白家族,在大多数生物体中发挥着重要作用。文中从结构特征、转运机制以及生理功能等方面论述了ABC转运蛋白的研究进展,进而着重综述了近些年来ABC转运蛋白在合成生物学领域中的应用,并为今后进一步的研究提出了展望,希望为扩展其应用提供指导。     

云杉碳氮化学计量比对土壤水分和氮有效性的响应

以西南亚高山针叶林优势种——粗枝云杉(Picea asperata)为研究对象,探究不同土壤水分状况和氮添加下云杉碳氮化学计量比的变化及其响应过程。采用两因素(水分×氮素)随机区组实验,设置5个土壤水分梯度和3个氮添加浓度,其中土壤水分梯度分别是土壤田间持水量的40%(W1)、50%(W2)、60%(W3)、80%(W4)和100%(W5),氮添加浓度分别为0(N0)、20(N1)、40(N2)gNm~(-2) a~(-1)。结果表明:(1)土壤水分和氮添加显著影响了云杉碳氮化学计量比(P0.05),具体为:云杉植株和器官碳氮比在N0W4处理下最大值,随土壤水分有效性的降低而减小,随氮添加浓度的增加而降低。(2)随土壤水分有效性的降低,根和叶的碳含量显著升高(P0.05),茎和叶的碳含量随着氮添加浓度的增加而降低。此外,土壤水分有效性的降低显著提高了根和茎的氮含量(P0.05),各器官的氮含量随着氮添加浓度的增加而增加。在相同水分和氮添加浓度处理下表现为碳含量:叶茎根,氮含量:叶根茎。(3)云杉净光合速率随土壤水分有效性的降低先升高后降低,随氮添加浓度增加而增加,在N2W4达到最大。(4)根对NH~+_4和NO~-_3的净吸收速率随土壤水分有效性的降低而减小,随氮添加浓度的增加而显著增加(P0.05)。此外,根对NH~+_4的净吸收速率与土壤有效氮含量呈显著负相关关系(P0.05)。本研究表明,土壤水分和氮添加影响了云杉的碳同化和氮吸收过程,改变植物的碳、氮分配策略和养分利用效率,从而导致碳氮比的变化。