Systematics is crucial for the traditional Chinese medicinal studies and industry of macrofungi

Recently, it has been indicated that systematics is of no value to the traditional Chinese medicinal studies and industry of macrofungi. As a fungal taxonomist, I use three genera of the most famous medicinal macrofungi, viz. Sanghuangporus, Ganoderma and Ophiocordyceps, as examples to rebut this opinion. Generally, the well-established systematics are helpful in using correct Latin names for fungal species in medicinal studies; furthermore, the resulting medicinal functions can be exactly matched to a particular species; finally, the particular species can be applied for permissions of utilization in traditional Chinese medicinal industry. Therefore, systematics is crucial for unlocking the potential of macrofungi as valuable resources to be developed in the traditional Chinese medicinal studies and industry, and should continue to be of interest to not just fungal taxonomists but also biochemists, pharmacists and businessmen.     

Beneficial microbiota. Probiotics and pharmaceutical products in functional nutrition and medicine

The article is mainly devoted to such representatives of gut microbiota as lactic acid bacteria and bifidobacteria, with minor accent on less frequently used or new probiotic microorganisms. Positive effects in treatment and prevention of diseases by different microbial groups, their metabolites and mechanisms of action, management and market of probiotic products are considered.     

中国天然林资源保护工程综合评价指标体系与评估方法

天然林资源是国家重要的战略资源与生态资源,在维护国土生态安全、应对气候变化、保护生物多样性等方面发挥着不可替代的重要作用。作为覆盖范围最广、投资规模最大的天然林资源保护工程（简称天保工程）自2000年正式启动以来,对长江上游、黄河上中游地区以及东北、内蒙古、新疆、海南等重点国有林区的森林资源保护修复、区域生态环境改善及经济社会可持续发展等多方面都产生了巨大、深远影响。天保工程二期于2020年结束,全面定量评估天保工程的生态、经济和社会综合效益和国内外的巨大影响,可为全面推进我国天然林资源保护修复提供科技支撑,为后续政策修订提供决策依据。本文基于空间信息技术、样地调查、生态站观测、比较分析等手段,构建了适用于天保工程的综合评价指标体系与评估方法,涵盖森林资源、生态效益、社会经济效益、生态修复措施和政策设计5个方面,对全面贯彻落实国家生态文明战略和《天然林保护修复制度方案》具有重要的现实意义和深远历史意义,为开展全国性的重大生态工程评估提供借鉴和参考。     

长江经济带森林生态安全评价及时空演变研究

由于森林生态系统的安全关系到人类的生存与发展,因此本文以长江经济带1107个区县为研究对象,运用熵权法、ArcGIS和GeoDA软件、重心分析模型、空间相关分析来分析长江经济带森林生态安全指数（ESI）,结论如下：（1）森林状态指数中,权重最高的指标为森林火灾受灾率,其次为森林有害生物成灾率和林地面积比率;在森林压力指数中,权重最高的指标为政府林业投入强度,其次为年度造林比例和自然保护区占比。（2）从全域来看,森林ESI值长江上游 > 中游 > 下游,长江南岸高于北岸。长江经济带森林ESI值总体水平较低,但在2000-2015年间总体呈上升趋势。从各省看,云南省森林ESI值最高,上海市森林ESI值最低。在此15年间,湖南省森林ESI值提高幅度最大（19.77%）,江苏省提高幅度最小（0.76%）。（3）各支流流域森林ESI值排序：赣江 > 沅江 > 金沙江 > 乌江 > 湘江 > 汉江 > 嘉陵江 > 岷江。从2000-2015年,八大流域的森林ESI值总体呈上升趋势,其中湘江流域增长幅度最大（20.87%）,而金沙江流域增长幅度最小（3.6%）。（4）森林ESI值的重心先后经历了在从南往西、从西往东北和从东北往南等过程。（5）长江经济带森林ESI值有较为显著的集聚性,森林ESI值High-High集聚区域主要分布在四川省和云南省,Low-Low集聚区县主要分布在上海、江苏和安徽,其次在湖北江汉平原、四川成都平原较为集中。（6）基于以上分析,本文建议：①应注重森林火灾、病虫害防治、林业投资、植树造林等工作。②从全域看,生态修复的重点应放在长江下游。从支流流域来看,岷江、嘉陵江和汉江流域应重点加强森林修复工作。③应在上海、江苏、安徽等Low-Low集聚区域加强植树造林和退耕还林的力度,而在四川、云南、江西和浙江等High-High集聚区域适当发展木材加工和林下种植等产业。     

The fitness costs and benefits of trisomy of each Candida albicans chromosome

Candida albicans is a prevalent human fungal pathogen. Rapid genomic change, due to aneuploidy, is a common mechanism that facilitates survival from multiple types of stresses including the few classes of available antifungal drugs. The stress survival of aneuploids occurs despite the fitness costs attributed to most aneuploids growing under idealized lab conditions. Systematic study of the aneuploid state in C. albicans has been hindered by the lack of a comprehensive collection of aneuploid strains. Here, we describe a collection of diploid C. albicans aneuploid strains, each carrying one extra copy of each chromosome, all from the same genetic background. We tested the fitness of this collection under several physiological conditions including shifts in pH, low glucose, oxidative stress, temperature, high osmolarity, membrane stress, and cell wall stress. We found that most aneuploids, under most conditions, were less fit than their euploid parent, yet there were specific conditions under which specific aneuploid isolates provided a fitness benefit relative to the euploid parent strain. Importantly, this fitness benefit was attributable to the change in the copy number of specific chromosomes. Thus, C. albicans can tolerate aneuploidy of each chromosome and some aneuploids confer improved growth under conditions that the yeast encounters in its host niches.     

基于灰色综合关联分析法的粤港澳大湾区生物医药产业效益研究*

生物医药产业是中国医药制造业的第三大产业,也是粤港澳大湾区重点扶持的新兴高技术产业之一。透视产业主营业务收入与各类指标的关联情况是进一步指导粤港澳大湾区生物医药产业建设规划的必要之举。而灰色综合关联分析法是探索指标间关联程度的重要工具。通过多种权威途径获得粤港澳大湾区生物医药产业规模以上企业数量、企业孵化器数量、新增专利数、自然科学基金立项投入总额、非自然科学基金立项数量、产学研合作项数量六大指标数据。采用灰色关联分析法,将所得数据进行建模并求解,得出这六大指标与粤港澳大湾区生物医药产业主营业务收入的关联度。结果显示,规模以上企业数量与粤港澳大湾区生物医药产业主营业务收入的关联度最高,其次为自然科学基金立项投入总额,再次为产学研合作项数量,非自然科学基金立项数量位列第四,企业孵化器数量、新增专利数分别位列第五、第六。因此,谋求粤港澳大湾区生物医药产业的进一步发展应着重从提高规模以上企业数量、重视自然科学基金投入、加强政产学研合作3个层面入手。     

金露梅与格桑花

青藏高原的格桑花是什么植物或者说是什么植物的花,存在广泛争议,困扰着想一探究竟的人们。格桑花作为一种精神存在于藏族百姓心中,是他们追求幸福吉祥和美好生活的情感象征,是重要的雪域文化标识,认识熟知并开发利用好它,将有助于推动藏区生态、文化和产业振兴。金露梅是青藏高原分布最广的树木,按集生羽状复叶小叶数可分为5叶金露梅和7叶金露梅,《中国植物志》对它们的记载分别是金露梅（Potentilla fruticosa L.）和小叶金露梅（P.parvifolia Fisch.）。通过对青藏高原植被和历史文化景观考察,结合当地藏民描述及地方传说,本研究认为格桑花就是金露梅,其分布海拔可以拓展到5200 m的高寒恶劣环境。金露梅生性强健,耐寒、耐旱、耐瘠薄、耐强光,象征着藏族同胞刚毅、坚强、勤劳质朴、不畏严寒、生命力顽强的品格。     

转基因低水平混杂问题——政策与内涵

转基因技术近年来在世界范围内快速发展,但由于不同国家在转基因审批上的不同步,以及各国设立严格的转基因低水平混杂阈值,导致正常的农产品贸易由于无意混入少量转基因成分而发生贸易摩擦,甚至导致贸易中断.从转基因低水平混杂(LLP)的含义出发分析其特殊性,分析了世界主要国家的LLP政策以及严格的LLP政策对贸易产生的负面影响.根据研究结果指出:在当前转基因作物采用率不断提高,以及转基因新品种研发加速背景下,转基因低水平混杂在技术上是不可避免的.因此,有必要在全球范围内建立转基因安全互信机制,各国需要尽量减少审批不同步时滞,设置合理的转基因低水平阈值,降低对正常贸易的负面影响.研究结果对中国转基因LLP政策和有关标准制定有一定借鉴意义.     

Regulating Near-Space Activities: Using the Precedent of the Exclusive Economic Zone as a Model?

Abstract

The deployment of high-altitude vehicles in near space with the purpose of providing Internet, communication, and other services represents the new frontier of aerospace activities. Near-space operations are attracting growing interest due to their mult-purpose nature and their anticipated high profitability. Despite such positive perceptions, near-space plans are, however, hampered by the uncertain international legal status of near space. Using the precedent of the exclusive economic zone (EEZ), this article suggests a new categorization of the near space as the exclusive utilization space (EUS) and a set of rules to manage its utilization.     

Biological control of cereal stem borers in Kenya: A cost benefit approach

Lepidopteran stem borers are the key pests of maize in Sub-Saharan Africa. In the lowland tropics, dry mid-altitude, dry transitional and the moist mid-altitude zones of Kenya, the invasive crambid Chilo partellus (Swinhoe) (Lepidoptera: Crambidae) causes up to 73% yield loss. The International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE) started a biological control (BC) program in 1991 to control stem borers in subsistence agriculture in Africa with emphasis on classical BC of C. partellus. The project released the braconid larval parasitoid Cotesia flavipes Cameron (Hymenoptera: Braconidae) in 1993 in coastal Kenya, where it got established and spread to other regions. This study assesses the economic impact of the introduced parasitoid. Temporal data on percentage parasitism by the introduced parasitoid and on stem borer density were collected between 1995 and 2004. Socio-economic data was collected through administration of questionnaires to 300 farmers. Economic impact of the project was calculated as the value of the yield loss abated by the parasitoid based on a model of expected stem borer density and parasitism level. Average annual parasitism increased linearly from the time of introduction to reach 20% parasitism by 2004. The net reduction in total stem borer density over the last 10 years was 33.7%, thus abating 47.3% of yield loss. The region will accumulate a net present value of US $ 183 million in economic benefits in 20 years since release of the parasitoid. Introduction of other parasitoid species targeting the egg and pupal stages of the stem borer life cycle stages would be required for biological control to push yield loss by stem borers to an insignificant level.