Climate and vegetation in China II. Distribution of main vegetation types and thermal climate

The authors examined relationships between Kira's warmth index (WI) and four other important thermal indices: the sums of daily mean temperatures above 5°C and 10°C, Thornthwaite's potential evapotranspiration (PE) and Holdridge's annual biotemperature. The thermal records of 671 meteorological stations evenly located all over China were used to make these comparisons. Close correlations were found within the four relationships, and accordingly WI was used to analyse the thermal distributions of the main vegetation types. Vegetation types around the 671 stations were read from a vegetation map with a scale of 1/4000000. Vegetation types at 269 stations corresponded to the natural or seminatural vegetation, and 29 vegetation types were distinguished by arranging the 269 data into the same or similar types. The geographical distribution of these 29 types and the corresponding main climatic features were described. The relations between WI and distribution of these vegetation types were discussed in detail. As a result, WI values (°C month) corresponding to the vegetation zones could be summarized as follows: (1) arctic or alpine vegetation zone: 0–15; (2) boreal or subalpine vegetation zone: 15-(50–55); (3) cool-temperate vegetation zone: (50–55)–(80–90); (4) warm-temperate vegetation zone: (80–90)–(170–180). These values almost coincided with Kira's values. Chinese postgraduate student in Japan sent by the Chinese Government.     

The evolution of male-female dimorphism: Older than sex?

This contribution considers the evolution of a dimorphism with respect to cell fusion characteristics in a population of primitive cells. These cells reproduce exclusively asexually. The evolution towards asymmetric fusion behaviour of cells is driven by selection promoting horizontal transfer of an endosymbiontic replicator. It is concluded that evolution of asymmetric cell fusion in this scenario is more likely than evolution of sexual differentiation in a sexually reproducing population. Pre-existing dimorphism with respect to cell fusion may thus have been the basis for the establishment of sexual differentiation at the level of gamete fusion, and this in turn is fundamental to the evolution of two different sexes, male and female.     

Activity dependent characteristics of fast and slow muscle: biochemical and histochemical considerations

The effects of denervation and hindlimb suspension induced disuse on concentrations of ATP, phosphocreatine (PC), and fiber type profile were investigated in slow twitch soleus and fast twitch extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscles. The results show that the soleus and EDL muscles differ in their dependency on loadbearing as a stimulus for maintaining normal energy metabolism and the biochemical and morphological characteristics of muscle fibers. As determined by R-P methodology, suspension reduced ATP and PC concentrations of the soleus to 26% and 56%, respectively, while, in EDL only, PC is reduced to 71% of control with no change in ATP. Both muscles, however, show identical losses in ATP and PC following denervation. The energy charge, an indicator of Pi availability in muscle was reduced significantly in both denervated muscles to 82% and 85% in soleus and EDL, respectively. No significant reduction of the energy charge was seen in the muscles from suspended rats. Thus, in parallel with the indirect regulation through muscle loadbearing, the nerve can effectively modulate the levels of high-energy phosphates more directly by some regulatory mechanisms independent of muscle type. Denervation and suspension disuse increased the proportion of type 2 fibers in the soleus with a concomitant decrease in type 1 fibers and a relative rise in the number of very small diameter fibers. The EDL showed only variation in fiber size.     

Virulence of Salmonella enteritidis phage type 4 is related to the possession of a 38 MDa plasmid

Nine strains of Salmonella enteritidis phage type 4 were examined for virulence in BALB/c mice. The possession of a 38 MDa plasmid was necessary for full virulence. Strains carrying this plasmid had LD50 values of less than 20 bacteria whilst plasmid-free strains had LD50 values of greater than 10(6) bacteria when challenged intraperitoneally. Pathogenesis of disease involved the widespread distribution of bacteria throughout the tissues. Possession of the 38 MDa plasmid could not be linked with the ability of strains to express novel outer membrane proteins, to produce toxins affecting Vero, Y1, HeLa, Henle or HEp-2 cells, or to invade HEp-2 cells. Furthermore, the 38 MDa plasmid did not encode an aerobactin-mediated iron uptake system or the production of a haemolysin. Strains of S. enteritidis PT4 isolated in 1967, 1978 or 1979 and possessing the 38 MDa plasmid showed the same virulence properties as the current plasmid-carrying strains. This suggests that the enhanced virulence of the current strains for poultry is unlikely to be the result of changes in the 38 MDa plasmid.     

红池坝地区草地红三叶草的空间分布型

植物种群的空间分布型是生物在特定的条件下形成的,它反映了植物种群个体的散布状态以及对环境的适应性和生境对植物影响的生态反映的生态学关系,是一条可以了解凭种类组成研究演替的研究途径 森下正明(Morisita,1959)提出了扩散指数Io(Morisita's index);美国的Lloyd,(1967)提出了平均拥挤度(Mean crowding,m)这个颇有兴趣     

应用一元线性模型理论确定立地条件主导因子——朝阳低山丘陵区农田防护林立地条件类型的划分

本文用一元线性模型理论分析了辽宁西部朝阳、建平、喀左和北票(市)4县17个乡范围内的农田防护林主要树种——杨树(Populus spp.)、白榆(Ulumus pumila)的优势高与地形地貌、土壤肥力等立地条件因子的关系,确定地貌类型、坡位和土层厚度是本区农田防护林立地条件的主导因子,然后以地貌类型为单元将本区农田防护林的立地条件划分为3个大类型。在此基础上,再用坡位和土层厚度分级与3个大类型组合细分为6个基本类型。最后确定各立地条件类型的适宜树种,并定量地评价主要树种对各立地条件类型的适宜性。     

长春和北京地区引起婴幼儿肺炎的3型与7型腺病毒的分子流行病学研究

对长春和北京地区连续12年(1976年冬至1988年春)引起小儿肺炎的3、7型腺病毒102株标本,进行了限制性内切酶核酸电泳图谱分析。56株7型腺病毒经BamHⅠ、BclⅠ、BglⅠ、XbaⅠ、SmaⅠ、HindⅢ分析后,表现为两个基因组型——Ad7 b和Ad7 d。46株3型腺病毒被Bg1 Ⅱ、BamHⅠ酶解后,表现为 3个基因组型——Ad 3Ⅰ、Ad 3Ⅱ、Ad 3Ⅲ。各基因组型的分布情况是:56株7型腺病毒中,43株为Ad 7 b(76.8％),流行于1976年冬至1986年春;13株是Ad 7 d(23.2％),出现于1982年,与Ad 7 b共同流行;1986年～1988年分析的5株病毒都是Ad 7d。43株3型腺病毒中,Ad3Ⅰ42株(91.0％),分布于12年中;Ad 3Ⅱ、Ad 3Ⅲ各2株,散在分布。此结果表明,国内这12年中引起小儿肺炎的3型腺病毒至少有3个基因组型,7型腺病毒至少有两个基因组型。Ad3Ⅰ和Ad7 b是流行优势基因组型。但自80年代初开始出现Ad7 d以来,有逐年增多的趋势,最近两年的标本又都是Ad7 d,很可能它将取代Ad7 b而成为流行的优势基因组型.     

正常人及肝细胞癌患者肝脏及血浆中丙酮酸激酶同工酶免疫测定

 分别从人肝及鼠肝中高度纯化L型和M_1型丙酮酸激酶(Pyk),制备相应的免抗血清。从抗血清中纯化IgG并水解成F(ab')_2,进而还原成Fab',后者与辣根过氧物酶(HRP)交联成Fab'-HRP,再利用这两种复合物建立了各自的高灵敏夹心ELISA来免疫定量L及M_2型(与鼠M_1-Pyk有交叉免疫)Pyk,结果发现:正常人肝中95％的Pyk为L型,M_2-Pyk仅占5％,而肝细胞癌中L-Pyk降至正常肝的3.5％,M_2-Pyk却增至正常的14.6倍,以致M_2-Pyk占总量的95.5％。免疫组化研究进一步证实定量的结果,正常人肝L-Pyk染色呈强阳性。M_2-Pyk染色较弱,而肝细胞癌恰好相反,L-Pyk染色明显减退,而M_2-Pyk不仅癌组织染色很深,癌周组织也明显深于正常,而且愈近癌巢,染色愈深。测定血浆Pyk,发现正常人L-Pyk占89.9％,M-Pyk(以M_2计)仅占10.1％。肝细胞癌患者血浆L-Pyk略见降低,为正常值的79.6％,p值在0.02～0.05之间,但血浆M型Pyk明显升高至正常的4.59倍,占Pyk总量的39.6％,并证明主要来源于肝癌组织中的M_2,故M_2-Pyk有可能成为肝细胞癌诊断的新指标。     

Deterministic versus Individualistic community structure: a test from invasion by Nothofagus menziesii in southern New Zealand

Abstract. The Clements' Deterministic model of plant communities implies that a change in one species, especially a change in the physiognomic dominant, would have profound effects on the remainder of the community. Gleason's Individualistic model suggests there would be little effect. These alternative models are tested by examining the forest composition on both sides of a boundary along which the tree Nothofagus menziesii is slowly invading. Classification of forest composition, excluding N. menziesii, gave little evidence of an effect of N. menziesii on the lower strata: understorey vegetation types were distributed across the boundary. Some differences were found at individual sites, but these were often inconsistent between sites. Ordination, also excluding N. menziesii, similarly showed that none of the first three understorey axes reflected any effect of N. menziesii. The fourth axis was correlated with the presence of N. menziesii, but only when canopy trees were included. It is concluded that specific composition of the canopy in these montane New Zealand evergreen forests has little effect on the understorey, supporting Gleason's Individualistic concept of the community.     

The biallelica mating type locus ofUstilago maydis: remnants of an additional pheromone gene indicate evolution from a multiallelic ancestor

Thea mating type locus ofUstilago maydis contains the structural genes for a pheromone-based cell recognition system that governs fusion of haploid cells. The locus exists in two alleles, termeda1 anda2. We have completed the analysis of the nucleotide sequences unique toa1 anda2. Within these dissimilar regions we find two short patches of DNA sequence similarity. Interestingly, one of these segments corresponds to the transcribed region of thea1 pheromone precursor. As a result of multiple nucleotide exchanges this sequence does not code for a functional product. The existence of a second pheromone gene in thea2 allele suggests that the present locus had a multiallelic ancestor. In addition, we describe the presence of two additional genes in thea2 allele. We have investigated the role of these genes during mating and pathogenic development and speculate that they might affect mitochondrial inheritance.