An alternative mechanism for shade adaptation: implication of allometric responses of three submersed macrophytes to water depth

Allometric scaling models describing size-dependent biological relationships are important for understanding the adaptive responses of plants to environmental variation. In this study, allometric analysis was used to investigate the biomass allocation and morphology of three submerged macrophytes (Potamogeton maackianus, Potamogeton malaianus and Vallisneria natans) in response to water depth (1.0 and 2.5?m) in an in situ experiment. The three macrophytes exhibited different allometric strategies associated with distinct adjustments in morphology and biomass allocation in response to varying water depths. In deeper water, after accounting for the effects of plant size, P. maackianus and P. malaianus tended to enhance light harvesting by allocating more biomass to the stem, increasing shoot height and specific leaf area. V. natans tended to allocate more biomass to the leaf than to the basal stem (rosette), showing a higher leaf mass ratio and shoot height in deeper water. The three species decreased biomass allocation to roots as water depth increased. The main effect of water depth treatments was reduced light availability, which induced plastic shoot or leaf elongation. This shows that macrophytes have evolved responses to light limitation similar to those of terrestrial plants.     

Phylogeography of two East Asian species in Croomia (Stemonaceae) inferred from chloroplast DNA and ISSR fingerprinting variation

The genus Croomia (Stemonaceae) comprises three herbaceous perennial species that are distributed in temperate-deciduous forests in Southeastern North America (C. pauciflora) and East Asia (C. japonica, C. heterosepala). The two Asian species have abutting ranges in South Japan, but C. japonica also occurs disjunctively on the adjacent Asiatic mainland in East China. In our phylogenetic analysis of Croomia, based on chloroplast (cp) DNA sequence variation of the trnL-F region, and rooted with Stemona spp., the two Asian species are identified as sister that likely diverged in the Mid-to-Late Pleistocene (0.84–0.13 mya), whereas the divergence of C. pauciflora dates back to the Late Plio-/Pleistocene (<2.6 mya). Phylogeographical analysis of the two East Asian species detected seven cpDNA (trnL-F) haplotypes across 16 populations surveyed, and all of those were fixed for a particular cpDNA haplotype (H_E = 0.0, G_ST = 1). A survey of inter-simple sequence repeats (ISSRs) markers also detected remarkably low levels of within-population diversity (C. japonica: H_E = 0.085; C. heterosepala: H_E = 0.125), and high levels of inter-population differentiation (C. japonica: Φ_ST = 0.736; C. heterosepala: Φ_ST = 0.550), at least partly due to pronounced regional genetic substructure within both species. Non-overlapping distributions of cpDNA haplotypes and strong genetic (cpDNA/ISSR) differentiation among populations and/or regions accord with findings of a nested clade analysis, which inferred allopatric fragmentation as the major process influencing the spatial haplotype distribution of the two species. Based on mismatch distribution analysis and neutrality tests, we do not find evidence of population expansion in both species. Overall, we conclude that components of temperate-deciduous forest types in South Japan and East China are particularly sensitive to range fragmentation, isolation, and enhanced (incipient) species formation through climate-induced expansions of other forest types over glacial and interglacial periods of the (Late) Quaternary.     

A Training Set Selection Strategy for a Universal Near-Infrared Quantitative Model

The purpose of this article is to propose an empirical solution to the problem of how many clusters of complex samples should be selected to construct the training set for a universal near infrared quantitative model based on the Næs method. The sample spectra were hierarchically classified into clusters by Ward’s algorithm and Euclidean distance. If the sample spectra were classified into two clusters, the 1/50 of the largest Heterogeneity value in the cluster with larger variation was set as the threshold to determine the total number of clusters. One sample was then randomly selected from each cluster to construct the training set, and the number of samples in training set equaled the number of clusters. In this study, 98 batches of rifampicin capsules with API contents ranging from 50.1% to 99.4% were studied with this strategy. The root mean square errors of cross validation and prediction were 2.54% and 2.31% for the model for rifampicin capsules, respectively. Then, we evaluated this model in terms of outlier diagnostics, accuracy, precision, and robustness. We also used the strategy of training set sample selection to revalidate the models for cefradine capsules, roxithromycin tablets, and erythromycin ethylsuccinate tablets, and the results were satisfactory. In conclusion, all results showed that this training set sample selection strategy assisted in the quick and accurate construction of quantitative models using near-infrared spectroscopy.     

升温对超富营养型浅水湖泊沉积物营养盐动态迁移的影响

在实验室控制条件下,以超富营养型浅水湖泊——武汉南湖表层沉积物和表层水为研究对象,设置18℃和22.5℃两个温度处理组,模拟武汉地区预测的21世纪末春季变暖的情景,研究升温对沉积物营养盐释放的影响。实验结果表明:整个实验过程中,22.5℃处理组水体中正磷酸盐(o-P)和总磷(TP)含量显著高于18℃处理组,说明气温升高可以显著促进富营养化浅水湖泊沉积物磷的释放,促进水体中磷含量的显著升高;此外,在实验的初始阶段,升温能够加速水体中氨氮(NH+4-N)向硝态氮(NO-3-N)转化的过程,同时水体与沉积物中氮含量的下降可能是水体与沉积物中的氮通过反硝化作用从系统中溢出以及被系统中的底栖生物利用所致,没有观察到气温升高对沉积物中总氮的释放产生显著影响。     

Production of caproic acid by cocultures of ruminal cellulolytic bacteria and Clostridium kluyveri grown on cellulose and ethanol

Ruminal cellulolytic bacteria (Fibrobacter succinogenes S85 or Ruminococcus flavefaciens FD-1) were combined with the non-ruminal bacterium Clostridium kluyveri and grown together on cellulose and ethanol. Succinate and acetate produced by the cellulolytic organisms were converted to butyrate and caproate only when the culture medium was supplemented with ethanol. Ethanol (244 mM) and butyrate (30 mM at pH 6.8) did not inhibit cellulose digestion or product formation by S85 or FD-1; however caproate (30 mM at pH 6.8) was moderately inhibitory to FD-1. Succinate consumption and caproate production were sensitive to culture pH, with more caproic acid being produced when the culture was controlled at a pH near neutrality. In a representative experiment under conditions of controlled pH (at 6.8) 6.0 g cellulose 1^–1 and 4.4 g ethanol 1^–1 were converted to 2.6 g butyrate 1^–1 and 4.6 g caproate 1^–1. The results suggest that bacteria that efficiently produce low levels of ethanol and acetate or succinate from cellulose should be useful in cocultures for the production of caproic acid, a potentially useful industrial chemical and bio-fuel precursor.Mention of specific products is intended only to provide information and does not contitute an endorsement by the U.S. Department of Agriculture over other products not mentioned.     

Acrossocheilus spinifer, a new species of barred cyprinid fish from south China (Pisces: Teleostei)

Acrossocheilus spinifer sp. nov. is described from the river basins in Fujian Province and the Han Jiang basin in Guangdong Province, south China. It is one of the barred Acrossocheilus species sharing five or six vertical bars on the flanks, with each bar being two scales in width. Acrossocheilus spinifer sp. nov. is morphologically most similar to Acrossocheilus wenchowensis , but distinguished from it by: a colour pattern of all vertical bars extending ventrally to the second scale row below the lateral line, and having the second bar placed posterior to the base of the last simple dorsal‐fin ray, a blunt snout; and a stout, last simple dorsal‐fin ray. Acrossocheilus spinifer sp. nov. resembles Acrossocheilus kreyenbergii and Acrossocheilus stenotaeniatus with which it shares a stout, last simple dorsal‐fin ray with a serrated posterior edge, but is separated from both species by having a narrow median interruption in the lower lip, a lower jaw fully covered by the lower lip when viewed ventrally and the second vertical bar placed posterior to the base of the last simple dorsal‐fin ray. The absence of a longitudinal stripe extending along the lateral line on the flanks in males readily distinguishes A. spinifer sp. nov. from four other species, namely Acrossocheilus fasciatus , Acrossocheilus paradoxus, Acrossocheilus parallens , and Acrossocheilus jishouensis .     

杉木人工林凋落物量对氮沉降增加的初期响应

通过野外模拟试验,研究了杉木人工林凋落物对氮沉降增加的初期响应。试验设计为4种处理,分别为N0(0kgN.hm-2.a-1,对照)、N1(60kgN.hm-2.a-1)、N2(120kgN.hm-2.a-1)、N3(240kgN.hm-2.a-1),3次重复。通过2年监测发现,对照样地的年凋落量为2427.51kg.hm-2,而经N1、N2、N3处理后,其年凋落物量分别为2238.10、2286.66和2599.50kg.hm-2。表明高氮(N3)处理显著增加了杉木林凋落物量(P<0.05),而中低氮处理(N1、N2)没有显著影响。各处理的总凋落物量表现出明显的季节动态,在2、5和7月出现3个比较明显的峰值。在凋落物的组成中,落叶占总凋落量的70.49%～73.67%,其次分别为落枝(19.38%～20.39%)、碎屑物(4.98%～7.70%)、落果(1.11%～2.16%)和树皮(0.29%～0.33%)。LSD多重比较显示,N3处理对落叶和落果产生显著影响,对其它组分的影响不明显。     

Correlation between the distribution pattern of virulence genes and virulence of Aeromonas hydrophila strains

Nine strains of Aeromonas hydrophila isolated from diseased fish or soft-shelled tortoise were tested for the presence of three virulence genes including the genes encoding aerolysin,hemolysin,and extracellular serine protease (i.e.,aerA,hlyA,and ahpA,respectively).These genes were investigated using polymerase chain reaction (PCR)with specific primers for each gene.And the pathogenicities to Carrassius auratus ibebio of these strains were also assayed.PCR results demonstrated that the distribution patterns of aerA,hlyA,and ahpA were different in these strains.6/9 of A.hydrophila strains were aer A positive,8/9 of strains hly A positive,7/9 of strains ahp A positive,respectively.However,the assay for pathogenesis showed that two strains (A.hydrophila XS91-4-1 and C2)were strong virulent,two strains (A.hydrophila ST78-3-3 and 58-20-9)avirulent and the rest middle virulent was to the fish.In conclusion,there are significant correlation between the distribution pattern of the three virulence genes and the pathogenicity to Carrassius auratus ibebio.All strong virulent A.hydrophila strains were aerA+hlyA+ahpA+genotype,and all aerA+hlyA+ahpA+strains were virulent.Strains with the genotype of aerA-hlyA-ahpA+have middle pathogenicity.In the present study,we found for the first time that all A.hydrophila isolated from the ahpA positive were virulent to Carrassius auratus ibebio.Additionally,there was a positive correlation between the virulence of A.hydrophila and the presence of aerA and ahpA.     

大肠埃希氏菌的分型方法及其研究进展

大肠埃希氏菌是一种条件性致病菌,致病性的大肠埃希氏菌具有高度的传染性,会严重危害健康。快速准确地测定大肠埃希氏菌的污染来源对有效缩小疫情影响范围极有帮助,从而避免对人类健康和经济贸易造成重大损失。建立简便高效的分型方法是微生物溯源的关键,常见的大肠埃希氏菌分型方法可分为表型分型和分子分型,这些分型方法各有优劣,具有不同的适用范围。本文详细介绍了大肠埃希氏菌的分型方法,并对国内外大肠埃希氏菌分型的研究进展进行综述,为致病菌溯源方法的选择提供参考依据,对防御并控制致病菌引起的流行病传播具有重要的意义。     

响应面法优化混合酶-超声波联合提取栀子黄色素工艺研究

以栀子为原料提取栀子黄色素,将混合酶-超声波技术相结合,对栀子黄色素进行了提取的研究。为了获得提取栀子黄色素最佳工艺条件,采用响应面法组合设计试验方法,建立了酶的用量、提取温度、提取时间之间关系。结果表明,最佳工艺条件为酶的用量4.33%,提取温度61.84℃,提取时间65.06 min,在此最佳提取条件下,栀子黄色素的吸光度为0.914。