水培条件下沙冬青幼苗对盐胁迫的响应

研究了水培条件下不同浓度的单盐和复盐对沙冬青(Ammopiptanthus mongolicus)幼苗生长的影响,并通过施用磷肥研究其对盐胁迫的耐受性变化。结果表明,沙冬青幼苗对单盐胁迫的耐受性较强,0.7%以下均可正常生长,当浓度超过0.8%时死亡率增加,1.0%时死亡率达到86%。但在复盐胁迫下其耐盐性较差,浓度为0.6%时死亡率达到了93.3%。适量施加磷肥不仅可以提高沙冬青对单盐毒害的耐受性,并且可以起到壮苗的效果。     

Restoring big sagebrush after controlling encroaching western juniper with fire: aspect and subspecies effects

The need for restoration of shrubs is increasingly recognized around the world. In the western United States, restoration of mountain big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata Nutt. ssp. vaseyana [Rydb.] Beetle) after controlling encroaching conifers is a priority to improve sagebrush‐associated wildlife habitat. Conifers can be cost effectively removed with prescribed burning when sagebrush is codominant; however, burning removes sagebrush and natural recovery may be slow. We evaluated seeding mountain and Wyoming big sagebrush (A. tridentata Nutt. ssp. wyomingensis Beetle & Young) on north and south aspects after western juniper (Juniperus occidentalis ssp. occidentalis Hook) control with prescribed burning. We included seeding Wyoming big sagebrush, a more drought tolerant subspecies of big sagebrush, because it might grow better than mountain big sagebrush on hot, dry south slopes, during drought, or after juniper encroachment. Seeding mountain big sagebrush increased sagebrush cover and density compared to unseeded controls. In mountain big sagebrush‐seeded plots, sagebrush cover was 19 times greater on north compared to south aspects in the fourth year after seeding. At this time, sagebrush cover was also greater on mountain compared to Wyoming big sagebrush‐seeded plots. Natural recovery (i.e. unseeded) of sagebrush was occurring on north aspects with sagebrush cover averaging 3% 4 years after fire. Sagebrush was not detected on unseeded south aspects at the end of the study. These results suggest that postfire sagebrush recovery, with and without seeding, will be variable across the landscape based on topography. This study suggests seeding sagebrush after controlling junipers with burning may accelerate sagebrush recovery.     

Long‐term effects of prairie restoration on plant community structure and native population dynamics

The key to restoring degraded grassland habitats is identifying feasible and effective techniques to reduce the negative impacts of exotic species and promote self‐sustaining native populations. It is often difficult to extend monitoring of restoration efforts to evaluate long‐term success, but doing so is essential to understanding how initial outcomes change over time. To assess how initial treatment effects persist, we revisited degraded patches of Pacific Northwest prairie habitat 6 years after experimental restoration efforts ceased. We evaluated plant community composition to determine the lasting effects of supplemental native seeding and disturbance treatments (burning, mowing, and herbicide to reduce exotic species). We tracked the persistence of seeded species and measured spread of their populations to evaluate suitability of species for restoration and the ability of the habitat to support native plant populations. We found that plots that received supplemental seeding continued to exhibit higher richness of native species than those left unseeded, and that both seeding and disturbance treatments could positively influence native species abundance over the long term. The initially observed effects of disturbance treatments on reducing exotic grass abundance had diminished, highlighting the importance of long‐term monitoring and ongoing control of exotic species. Nevertheless, these treatments significantly influenced the population trajectories of 4 out of 8 seeded native species. There was evidence of spatial advance of most seeded species. Results from extended monitoring confirm that dispersal limitation of native species and difficulties maintaining the reduction of exotic grasses continue to be major barriers to success in restoration of invaded grasslands.     

The early response of subtropical tussock grasslands to restoration treatments

Once widespread, Australia's bluegrass tussock grasslands (dominated by Dichanthium sp.) of the Queensland Central Highlands are now severely endangered. Despite being biodiversity rich and highly valued as low input, nutrient‐dense grazing systems, bluegrass tussock grasslands have suffered extensive clearing and degradation over the last 150 years. Natural recovery of these grasslands is possible but rates of recovery are slow. As such, there is an urgent need to assess practical management strategies to accelerate recovery of these grasslands, with a particular focus on early‐successional stages, when aggressive exotic species are most prevalent. To date, no studies have tested whether commonly used grassland restoration strategies can enhance early‐successional stages and accelerate regeneration in this system. Here, we examine the early short‐term impacts (first two seasons) of two common grassland restoration approaches, with two variations each: direct seeding (single species and low seed diversity) and vegetation clearing (prescribed burning and glyphosate application) across two common starting points: a formerly cropped old field and a historically overgrazed natural grassland. No treatment increased native diversity (Shannon's or richness) in plots but the composition of burned plots in the old field did become more similar to healthy reference sites after two seasons. Burning combined with direct seeding also increased the abundance of the dominant grass, Dichanthium sericeum, toward healthy reference levels within the first two seasons post seeding. This study provides a practical assessment of the short‐term impacts and capacity of common grassland restoration treatments to enhance the recovery of Australia's tussock grassland systems.     

Aβ seeding potency peaks in the early stages of cerebral β‐amyloidosis

Little is known about the extent to which pathogenic factors drive the development of Alzheimer's disease (AD) at different stages of the long preclinical and clinical phases. Given that the aggregation of the β‐amyloid peptide (Aβ) is an important factor in AD pathogenesis, we asked whether Aβ seeds from brain extracts of mice at different stages of amyloid deposition differ in their biological activity. Specifically, we assessed the effect of age on Aβ seeding activity in two mouse models of cerebral Aβ amyloidosis (APPPS1 and APP23) with different ages of onset and rates of progression of Aβ deposition. Brain extracts from these mice were serially diluted and inoculated into host mice. Strikingly, the seeding activity (seeding dose SD₅₀) in extracts from donor mice of both models reached a plateau relatively early in the amyloidogenic process. When normalized to total brain Aβ, the resulting specific seeding activity sharply peaked at the initial phase of Aβ deposition, which in turn is characterized by a temporary several‐fold increase in the Aβ42/Aβ40 ratio. At all stages, the specific seeding activity of the APPPS1 extract was higher compared to that of APP23 brain extract, consistent with a more important contribution of Aβ42 than Aβ40 to seed activity. Our findings indicate that the Aβ seeding potency is greatest early in the pathogenic cascade and diminishes as Aβ increasingly accumulates in brain. The present results provide experimental support for directing anti‐Aβ therapeutics to the earliest stage of the pathogenic cascade, preferably before the onset of amyloid deposition.     

种植方式对夏玉米光合生产特征和光温资源利用的影响

为研究套种与直播两种种植方式对夏玉米光合生产特征和光温资源利用的影响,选取郑单958和登海661为研究对象,设置3个播期,密度为67500株·hm^-2,以地上干物质积累量和作物生长速率、叶面积指数、穗位叶的单叶光合速率来评价夏玉米的光合生产特征;以Richards模型拟合籽粒灌浆过程;结合气象数据计算夏玉米光能利用率.结果表明：直播处理比套种处理籽粒产量增加1.17%～3.33%（P<0.05）,但千粒重显著降低;生育期随播期提前而延长;直播条件下叶面积指数和单叶光合速率在灌浆前期显著高于套种,但灌浆后期下降较快;与套种相比,直播开花前和开花后具有较高的干物质积累量和较快的作物生长速率.Richards模型解析表明,直播处理达到最大灌浆速率的时间明显早于套种,起始势较套种高,但灌浆期、活跃灌浆期和灌浆速率最大时的生长量均低于套种;与套种相比,直播处理生育期间总积温和总辐射量分别减少150～350 ℃·d和200～400 MJ·m^-2,但籽粒光能利用率较套种提高10.5%～24.7%.因此,直播较套种有优势,在夏玉米大田生产条件下,重视叶片的光合生产特征,延缓叶片衰老,有利于提高夏玉米的光能利用率,进一步挖掘增产潜力.     

穗花杉种群雌株结种观察研究

该文是对神坡穗花杉种群雌株结种的生态、物候动态观察 ,对其种胚着生部位 ,生长期及其它五年翔实记录的分析结果。神坡穗花杉种群雌株种胚鳞芽苞 ,普遍着生于上年生枝顶或上年结有种子而未成熟的枝顶。种胚鳞芽苞绽裂 ,即可见有梗胚珠多个簇状、对生、上下左右有序排列。种子从当年 3月形成胚珠至翌年6月成熟坠落 ,需经 1 4～ 1 5个月。     

A thiol-based intramolecular redox switch in four-repeat tau controls fibril assembly and disassembly

Oxidative stress has been implicated in the pathogenesis and progression of several tauopathies, including Alzheimer''s disease. The deposition of fibrillar inclusions made of tau protein is one of the pathological hallmarks of these disorders. Although it is becoming increasingly evident that the specific fibril structure may vary from one tauopathy to another and it is recognized that different types of isoforms (three-repeat and four-repeat tau) can be selectively deposited, little is known about the role oxidation may play in aggregation. Four-repeat tau contains two cysteines that can form an intramolecular disulfide bond, resulting in a structurally restrained compact monomer. There is discrepancy as to whether this monomer can aggregate or not. Using isolated four-repeat tau monomers (htau40) with intramolecular disulfide bonds, we demonstrate that these proteins form fibrils. The fibrils are less stable than fibrils formed under reducing conditions but are highly effective in seeding oxidized tau monomers. Conversely, a strong seeding barrier prevents incorporation of reduced tau monomers, tau mimics in which the cysteines have been replaced by alanines or serines, and three-repeat tau (htau23), a single-cysteine isoform. The barrier also holds true when seed and monomer types are reversed, indicating that oxidized and reduced tau are incompatible with each other. Surprisingly, fibrils composed of compact tau disaggregate upon reduction, highlighting the importance of the intramolecular disulfide bond for fibril stability. The findings uncover a novel binary redox switch that controls the aggregation and disaggregation of these fibrils and extend the conformational spectrum of tau aggregates.     

Restoration on abandoned tropical pasturelands—do we know enough?

Tropical rainforests have been disappearing at an alarming rate. In addition to preserving remaining tropical rainforests, we need to convert degraded and abandoned pasturelands into secondary forests. To accelerate this, human intervention in the recovery process is essential. In this review paper we (i) encapsulate some of the problems, which might surface when converting abandoned land to secondary forest. (ii) Look at some of the restoration techniques used in restoration programs and propose additional techniques for consideration. Major barriers to natural regeneration on abandoned and degraded pasturelands are: weed infestation, lack of indigenous soil seed bank, lack of seed supply/movement, soil compaction, depletion of soil nutrients and unsuitable microclimate and microhabitat. Although several restoration techniques have been recommended, most restoration programs have been carried out using native seedling transplants to accelerate natural recruitment. Most restoration groups in the tropics are still in the initial stages of determining which species or species combination to chose to gain maximum benefit. On the other hand restoration ecologists are struggling to detect which techniques are most appropriate to restore degraded and abandoned pasturelands. Our review shows that there is immediate need for further research and development on restoration techniques by examining the ecological and economic effectiveness of: direct seeding, stem cuttings using native pioneer or climax species and simple manipulation such as displacing branches of pioneer species with mature seeds on abandoned and degraded pasturelands and artificial perching to accelerate natural regeneration. These techniques are essential to successfully heal the wound humans have inflicted on the most spectacular and species-rich ecosystems on earth.