A finite element simulation scheme for biological muscular hydrostats

An explicit finite element scheme is developed for biological muscular hydrostats such as squid tentacles, octopus arms and elephant trunks. The scheme is implemented by embedding muscle fibers in finite elements. In any given element, the fiber orientation can be assigned arbitrarily and multiple muscle directions can be simulated. The mechanical stress in each muscle fiber is the sum of active and passive parts. The active stress is taken to be a function of activation state, muscle fiber shortening velocity and fiber strain; while the passive stress depends only on the strain. This scheme is tested by simulating extension of a squid tentacle during prey capture; our numerical predictions are in close correspondence with existing experimental results. It is shown that the present finite element scheme can successfully simulate more complex behaviors such as torsion of a squid tentacle and the bending behavior of octopus arms or elephant trunks.     

一类神经传导方程的变网格有限元方法及数值分析

研究在神经传播过程中的一类非线性拟双曲方程的初边值问题,对二维情形应用常规变换,提出了两种变网格有限元格式,最后通过细致的分析和估计得到了最佳阶的H1和L2 模误差估计结果,并且第二种格式使时间精度提高一阶,最后对第一种格式作了数值实验,指明方法是高效可行的．     

洋蒲桃次生木质部中导管分子的解剖学

运用细胞图像分析系统和显微照相的方法对洋蒲桃（Syzygium samarangense）次生木质部导管分子进行了观察研究。次生木质部导管分子类型有：两端具尾导管、一端具尾导管和无尾导管。导管分子穿孔板存在着4种类型：两端均为具2个单穿孔的复穿孔板;一端为1个单穿孔板,另1端为具2个单穿孔的复穿孔板;两端均为单穿孔板：两单穿孔板位于同一端壁两侧相互对应以及一些过渡类型穿孔板。根据观察结果,分析了各类型穿孔板之间的演化关系。     

土壤动物对川西亚高山和高山森林凋落叶第一年不同分解时期N和P元素动态的影响

土壤动物对高寒森林凋落物养分元素动态具有重要影响, 但这种影响受控于凋落物质量及环境条件。为了解土壤动物对高寒森林凋落物不同分解时期凋落物中N和P元素动态的影响, 采用凋落物分解袋的方法, 于凋落物第一年分解的不同时期, 即冻结前期、冻结期、融化期、生长季节初期、生长季节中期和生长季节末期, 研究了3.00和0.04 mm孔径凋落物袋中川西亚高山和高山森林的代表性植物——康定柳(Salix paraplesia)、方枝柏(Sabina saltuaria)、红桦(Betula albosinensis)和岷江冷杉(Abies fargesii var. faxoniana)凋落物中的N和P元素动态特征。结果表明: 康定柳和红桦凋落物中的N元素呈现出释放—富集—释放的模式, 方枝柏、岷江冷杉凋落物中的N元素则表现为释放—富集模式; 凋落物P元素总体表现为释放模式, 但4种植物凋落物均在生长季节中期具有明显的富集过程; 从凋落物分解的第一年来看, 土壤动物明显促进了4种植物凋落物N的释放, 而抑制了P的释放; 不同时期土壤动物对凋落物中N和P释放量的影响存在显著差异, 且分别与正积温呈极显著正相关和极显著负相关关系; 相对于阔叶植物凋落物, 土壤动物对针叶植物凋落物中N和P元素动态的影响更为显著。这些结果为深入了解高寒森林生态系统土壤动物与凋落物分解等物质循环过程的相互联系具有重要意义。     

竞争性内源RNA的生物学功能及其调控

最新研究表明,RNA之间可以通过竞争结合共同的microRNA反应元件(microRNA response element, MRE)实现相互调节,这种调控模式构成竞争性内源RNA(Competing endogenous RNA, ceRNA)。已发现的ceRNA包括蛋白编码mRNA和非编码RNA,其中后者包括假基因转录物、长链非编码RNA(Long non-coding RNA, lncRNA)、环状RNA(Circular RNA, circRNA)等。文章主要从ceRNA分类的角度,阐述各类ceRNA构成的调控网络发挥的生物学功能在病理和生理相关过程中的作用,以及可能影响ceRNA调控有效性的因素。     

低分化胃腺癌组织AUF1与p16表达的负相关

RNA结合蛋白AUF1（AU-富含元件结合/降解因子）通过结合并促进抑癌基因p16 mRNA降解来抑制p16表达.然而,AUF1-p16调控过程在肿瘤发生发展过程中的意义有待探讨.本研究用Western印迹与RT-PCR技术分别检测临床50例患者低分化胃腺癌组织和癌旁组织细胞中AUF1和p16蛋白、p16 mRNA的表达情况,并分析其关联性;用RNA Pull-down技术检测其AUF1与p16 mRNA的结合情况.结果显示,低分化胃腺癌组织AUF1蛋白表达水平明显增高,且与p16蛋白和p16 mRNA相对表达水平呈负相关;RNA pull-down分析结果显示,癌组织AUF1与p16-3′UTR的结合活性明显强于癌旁组织. 提示AUF1-p16调控过程可能是低分化胃腺癌组织p16水平降低的重要机制.     

The effect of postnatal manganese exposure on the NMDA receptor signaling pathway in rat hippocampus

Overexposure to manganese (Mn) is associated with neurological disorders in children. Evidence indicated that N‐methyl‐d ‐aspartate (NMDA) receptor signaling pathway was critical for neurobehavioral function. However, whether NMDA receptor signaling pathway contributes to Mn‐induced neurotoxicity remains unknown. In this study, newborn Sprague–Dawley rats were randomly assigned to four groups exposed to 0, 10, 20, and 30 mg/kg of Mn²⁺ by intraperitoneal injection (n = 10/group: five males and five females). After 3 weeks of Mn exposure, messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein expression of NMDA receptor subunits (NR1, NR2A, and NR2B), cAMP‐response element binding protein (CREB), and brain‐derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in hippocampus were measured by real‐time quantitative RT‐PCR and Western blot. In Mn‐exposed rats, decreased mRNA and protein expression of NR1, NR2A, and NR2B, CREB, and BDNF was observed. The results imply that downregulated NMDA receptor signaling pathway may be of vital importance in the neuropathological process of Mn‐induced neurotoxicity.     

Moving beyond presence and absence when examining changes in species distributions

Species distributions are often simplified to binary representations of the ranges where they are present and absent. It is then common to look for changes in these ranges as indicators of the effects of climate change, the expansion or control of invasive species or the impact of human land‐use changes. We argue that there are inherent problems with this approach, and more emphasis should be placed on species relative abundance rather than just presence. The sampling effort required to be confident of absence is often impractical to achieve, and estimates of species range changes based on survey data are therefore inherently sensitive to sampling intensity. Species niches estimated using presence‐absence or presence‐only models are broader than those for abundance and may exaggerate the viability of small marginal sink populations. We demonstrate that it is possible to transform models of predicted probability of presence to expected abundance if the sampling intensity is known. Using case studies of Antarctic mosses and temperate rain forest trees, we demonstrate additional insights into biotic change that can be gained using this method. While species becoming locally extinct or colonising new areas are extreme and obviously important impacts of global environmental change, changes in abundance could still signal important changes in biological systems and be an early warning indicator of larger future changes.     

Distribution,community characteristics and classification of Stipa tianschanica var. klemenzii steppe in China

Stipa tianschanica var. klemenzii steppe is the most typical formation of desert steppe in China. Based on the primary plots data obtained from fieldworks during the growing seasons from 2010 to 2016 as well as some earlier records, we studied the Stipa tianschanica var. klemenzii steppe across China systematically, including the eco-geographical distributions, community characteristics and classifications. The results showed that S. tianschanica var. klemenzii steppe distributed mainly on the Ulan Qab Plateau and western Xilin Gol Plateau. Due to the arid biotope of S. tianschanica var. klemenzii steppe, quantitative characteristics of the assemblage including height, coverage, biomass and species richness were normally lower than that of most Stipa formations in Eurasian steppe region. Moreover, 165 seed plants belonging to 85 genera and 29 families were recorded in the 80 study sites, in which rare species (occurrence frequency <20%) made up 87% of the total plants while common species and constant species could only be found occasionally. Species with the occurrence frequency exceeding 50% included S. tianschanica var. klemenzii, Convolvulus ammannii, Cleistogenes songorica, Allium tenuissimum. In addition, Hemicryptophyte and therophyte were the two dominant life forms, covering 55% and 20% of the species, respectively. As for the ecological type of water, typical xerophytes accounted for 47% of all species which is followed by super-xerophytes and meso-xerophytes. Middle Asian areal-type and east Palaeo-North areal-type were the two major floristic elements, containing 37% and 26% of the species, respectively. Based on the life forms and dominances of the species within the community, S. tianschanica var. klemenzii steppe in China could be classified into 6 association groups, 29 associations.     

A comparison of the peri-implant bone stress generated by the preload with screw tightening between ‘bonded’ and ‘contact’ model

A number of finite element analyses (FEAs) for the dental implant were performed without regard for preload and with all interfaces ‘fixed-bonded’. The purpose of this study was comparing the stress distributions between the conventional FEA model with all contacting interfaces ‘fixed-bonded’ (bonded model) and the model with the interfaces of the components in ‘contact’ with friction simulated as a preloaded implant (contact model). We further verified the accuracy of the result of the FEA using model experiment. In the contact model, the stress was more widely distributed than in the bonded model. From the model study, the preload induced by screw tightening generated strain at the peri-implant bone, even before the application of external force. As a result, the bonded model could not reproduce the mechanical phenomena, whereas the contact model is considered to be appropriate for analysing mechanical problems.