黄土高原植被覆盖时空变化及其对气候因子的响应

为研究黄土高原地区退耕还林(草)后,植被覆盖变化及其对水热条件的响应,利用1999—2013年SPOT VGT NDVI 1km/10d分辨率数据,采用最大合成法、一元线性回归法和偏相关分析法,系统分析了黄土高原地区NDVI(归一化植被指数)的时空分布及变化趋势,及其与气候因子的关系。结果表明:黄土高原1999—2013年年最大NDVI的平均值为0.31,NDVI较高的区域位于黄土高原南部,而西北部植被覆盖度较低;自1999年开始,黄土高原地区NDVI呈极显著(P0.01)增加趋势,年最大NDVI的变化斜率为0.0099;不同季节(春、夏、秋、冬)和生长季的植被状况均呈现良性发展趋势;1998—2013年间,黄土高原地区气候呈现不显著的"冷湿化"特征;NDVI年际(及生长季和季节)变化与降雨和温度的相关性不显著,而在月时间尺度上,呈显著的相关性,并且月NDVI与当月降雨量的相关性要强于与当月温度的相关性;植被生长对温度的响应存在一个月的滞后期,而对降雨的响应无滞后效应。     

基于三类特征融合的O-糖基化位点预测

糖基化是蛋白质翻译后的主要修饰,O-糖基化的固定模式未知,高精度识别O-糖基化位点是机器学习面临的挑战性问题.以迄今最大的人O-糖基化位点Steentoft数据集为基础,本文首次提出了基于位置的卡方差表特征χ~2-pos,融合伪氨基酸序列进化信息Pse PSSM以及无方向的k间隔氨基酸对组分Undirected-CKSAAP表征序列,构建5个正负样本均衡的支持向量机分类器,经加权投票,独立测试准确率、Matthew相关系数及ROC曲线下面积,分别达到了89.62%、0.79、0.96,明显优于文献报道结果.χ~2-pos、Pse PSSM与Undirected-CKSAAP三种特征的融合在蛋白质糖基化、磷酸化等位点预测中有广泛应用前景.     

基于扩展起始节点和加权融合策略预测肺癌风险致病基因

肺癌风险致病基因预测有助于了解疾病发病机制、提高临床治疗效果.目前,以重启游走为框架的风险致病基因预测算法,普遍存在起始节点少、节点转移概率相同、信息源单一的问题.为此,本文提出一种基于扩展起始节点和加权融合策略的风险致病基因预测算法(命名为AFMFSC),并在肺癌中验证算法有效性.首先,基于增广模糊测量思想,计算疾病表型近似基因间的增广功能相似得分,从中选出重要基因与致病基因作为扩展起始节点;其次,采用节点拓扑相似度转移矩阵及基因表达差异相关性转移矩阵,分别在蛋白质网络中重启随机游走,并将两种结果加权融合排序;最后,通过富集分析排名靠前基因,得到有显著意义的风险致病基因.AFMFSC算法预测的73个肺癌风险致病基因,均与肺癌发生、发展有密切联系,生物学意义显著.与其他排序算法相比,AFMFSC算法的Top 1%、Top 5%和AUC值比较大,平均排名和受拓扑特性偏差影响程度小;融合策略排名性能优于单一转移矩阵或普通邻接矩阵游走排名.AFMFSC算法不仅能准确有效地预测肺癌风险致病基因,而且可推广预测其他疾病风险致病基因,为探索癌症致病机理提供新视角及依据.     

石刁柏雄性偏向核质体DNA的克隆与分析

该研究以雌雄异株植物石刁柏为材料,利用基因组消减杂交技术对石刁柏雌雄核基因组中的性别差异核质体DNA（nuclear plastid DNA,NUPTs）进行了分离和分析。结果表明：（1）通过构建消减杂交文库共获得了52个雄性偏向序列,序列长度分布在63~297 bp之间,其中有19个差异序列属于叶绿体来源序列（命名为Ao1~Ao19）,且这些序列与石刁柏叶绿体基因组的相似性均大于84%,Ao19与石刁柏叶绿体基因组相似性为100%。（2）利用基因组半定量PCR对19个NUPTs序列的性别差异分析表明,有4条序列为稳定的雄性偏向NUPTs序列,分别为Ao1、Ao3、Ao10和Ao18。（3）序列比对表明,转移到核基因组的NUPTs主要来源于叶绿体基因组的反向重复区（包含IRa和IRb区）,说明石刁柏叶绿体基因组重复区序列更容易向核基因组进行转移形成雄性偏向的NUPTs序列。     

Obesity is an independent determinant of elevated C-reactive protein in healthy women but not men

Background and aims: High-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs CRP) has emerged as an inflammatory biomarker to predict metabolic syndrome. Here, we investigate the association of hs CRP with metabolic variables and determine the risks for elevated hs CRP levels in healthy Singaporean adults.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study of 225 participants (104 men). The levels of hs CRP and fasting lipid parameters were analyzed by COBAS. Body composition was determined with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry.

Results: Twenty-one (9?%) participants had elevated hs CRP levels (>3?mg/mL). The levels of hs CRP had significant correlations (p?<0.05) with obesity and metabolic variables among women. Stepwise multivariate regression analysis identified FM (%) (accounted for 22.5% of the variability in hs CRP levels) as a major determinant of hs CRP levels. On multivariate regression, FM (%) was the independent determinant of intermediate and elevated hs CRP in women after adjustment for the potential confounders.

Conclusions: Obesity may play a direct role in the elevated hs CRP levels in women, but not men living in Singapore. This is probably due to different body composition or different effects of sex hormones on adipose tissue between men and women.     

气候变化背景下近30年祁连山高寒荒漠分布时空变化

高寒荒漠作为青藏高原植被带谱的顶端类型广泛分布于祁连山高海拔地区, 其生长和分布条件与周边区域差异明显, 对气候变化的响应更为敏感, 且研究较少。该文利用1990年以来的Landsat TM、OLI数据, 采用决策树分类和人工目视解译方法, 提取了祁连山高寒荒漠的分布范围。结合气候变化情况, 综合分析了气候变化背景下近30年祁连山高寒荒漠分布的动态变化及其时空差异。结果表明: (1)近30年增温气候变化过程中, 祁连山高寒荒漠分布范围呈萎缩趋势, 萎缩速率约为348.3 km ²·a ^-1, 萎缩变化幅度表现为西段>中段>东段, 局部地段上存在扩张现象。上述现象导致高寒荒漠下界平均海拔以每10年约15 m的平均速率向更高海拔推进, 向上推进幅度为西段>东段>中段; (2)受水热条件控制, 近30年祁连山高寒荒漠分布动态变化集中分布在低坡度地区。由于水热背景条件的空间差异, 祁连山东段和中段阳坡上高寒荒漠分布动态变化大于阴坡, 而在祁连山西段表现相反; (3) 1990年以来, 祁连山增温显著, 降水量微弱增加。在气候变化以及区域地形限制共同影响下, 祁连山高寒荒漠分布变化时空差异明显, 且过渡带上归一化植被指数与气温相关性高于降水量。以上结果表明, 气候变化影响祁连山高寒荒漠分布动态变化及其空间差异, 但气温是主要的影响因子, 增温促进了高寒荒漠下接植被带主体高寒草甸的生长。     

黄淮平原农业景观鸟类多样性及生境差异

农业景观中的鸟类多样性对生态系统功能和服务的形成与维持具有重要作用。黄淮平原区是我国最重要的农业景观区之一,为探讨区域内农业景观中鸟类多样性特征和不同生境间的差异,在研究区农业景观不同生境中布设样点,调查繁殖期鸟类多样性特征。结果显示:(1)共记录到32科、49属、66种的10044只个体,但优势科属明显;(2)物种丰富度、多样性和均匀度均表现出在沟渠、湖泊生境中较高,农田和村庄生境中相对较低,但物种多度呈现出村庄生境中最高,其次是沟渠和农田生境,湖泊生境中最低;(3)在区系分布上,各生境中均以广布种为主,生态类群上,鸣禽在各生境中均占绝对优势,涉禽和游禽主要分布在沟渠和湖泊生境中,从居留型来看,留鸟是各生境中的主导类群,候鸟、旅鸟和迷鸟比例很低;(4)鸟类群落异质性分析显示,各生境间的相似性总体上较高,表明区域内农业景观中鸟类组成具有较高的重叠性。研究显示农业景观中湖泊和沟渠的存在能有效的提高区域鸟类的丰富度和多样性,而沟渠的存在能有效的提高鸟类个体多度,农田和村庄有助于特定类群多度的增加,因此在未来的区域持续农业景观的构建中一方面要重视自然、半自然非农生境的作用,另一方面也不能忽视不同生物类群对景观异质性响应和对生境特征需求的差异。     

干旱条件下夏玉米地-气温差的影响因素及其模拟

地-气温差指标表征作物水分亏缺状况已经被广泛研究,但地-气温差随作物生育进程的变化特征及其影响因子的观测研究仍较少,制约着地-气温差的准确模拟.基于夏玉米2014年三叶期和2015年拔节期的5个灌溉水分控制试验资料的研究表明: 随着夏玉米生育进程的推进,土壤水分的变化显著影响了夏玉米农田的地-气温差,土壤水分亏缺越严重,地-气温差越高.在整个水分处理期间,归一化植被指数是地-气温差的主要影响因子且两者呈显著的线性关系,但不同生育期地-气温差还受其他因子的影响:三叶期后受冠层吸收光合有效辐射比影响且呈显著的线性关系,三叶期至拔节期则受土壤相对湿度和空气相对湿度的影响且呈显著的线性关系.在此基础上,基于2014年试验资料建立了夏玉米全生育期地-气温差模拟模型、营养生长期地-气温差模拟模型和生殖生长期地-气温差模拟模型,并利用2015年夏玉米拔节期5个灌溉水分控制试验资料进行了模型验证,结果表明,夏玉米全生育期地-气温差模型可以解释2015年地-气温差变异的63%,但地-气温差分生育期模拟模型,即营养生长期地-气温差模拟模型和生殖生长期地-气温差模拟模型综合的模拟结果则可解释2015年地-气温差变异的79%.研究结果为基于地-气温差的作物干旱指标定量评估作物干旱提供了依据.     

Sexually dimorphic SCAMP1 expression in the forebrain motor pathway for song production of juvenile zebra finches

Mechanisms regulating sexual differentiation of the zebra finch song system are not well understood. The present study was designed to more fully characterize secretory carrier membrane protein 1 (SCAMP1), which was identified in a cDNA microarray screen as showing increased expression in the forebrains of developing male compared with female zebra finches. We completed the sequence of the open reading frame and used in situ hybridization to compare mRNA in song control regions of juvenile (25-day-old) individuals. Expression was significantly greater in the HVC (used as a proper name) and robust nucleus of the arcopallium (RA) in males than in females. Immunohistochemistry revealed that SCAMP1 protein is also expressed in these two brain regions, and qualitatively appears greater in males. Western analysis confirmed that the protein is increased in the telencephalon of males when compared with females at 25 days of age. These results are consistent with the idea that SCAMP1 is involved in masculinization of these brain areas, perhaps facilitating the survival of cells within them.     

Deletion of the Bax gene disrupts sexual behavior and modestly impairs motor function in mice

Cell death is a nearly ubiquitous feature of the developing nervous system, and differential death in males and females contributes to several well studied sex differences in neuron number. Nonetheless, the functional importance of neuronal cell death has been subjected to few direct tests. Bax, a pro-apoptotic protein, is required for cell death in many neural regions. Deletion of the Bax gene in mice increases neuron number in several areas and eliminates sex differences in cell number in the brain and spinal cord. Here, sexual and motor behaviors were examined in Bax-/- mice and their wild-type siblings to test the functional consequences of preventing Bax-dependent cell death. Animals were gonadectomized in adulthood and provided with ovarian hormones or with testosterone for tests of feminine and masculine sexual behaviors, respectively. Wild-type mice exhibited a sex difference in feminine sexual behavior, with high lordosis scores in females and low scores in males. This sex difference was eliminated by Bax deletion, with very low receptivity exhibited by both male and female Bax-/- mice. Masculine sexual behavior was not sexually dimorphic among wild-type mice, but mounts and pelvic thrusts were nearly eliminated in Bax-/- mice of both sexes. Motor strength and performance at low speeds on a RotaRod apparatus did not differ by sex or Bax gene status. However, Bax-/- animals exhibited impairments on the RotaRod at higher speeds. Thus, developmental cell death may be required for masculine and feminine sexual behaviors and the fine tuning of motor coordination.