The three-dimensional macronutrient niche of an invasive generalist predator

1. Harvestmen are predators, although they suspected of being partly omnivorous by including fruits in their diet. 2. In the present study, the right-angled mixture triangle (RMT) was used to analyse the macronutritional niche of the harvestman Opilio canestrinii, an invasive species in northern Europe. The study design followed a double-test procedure in which the animals were subjected to two self-selection tests: the first one immediately after being caught in the field and the second after 1 week of ad libitum feeding during which the animals became satiated and nutritionally balanced. A comparison of results from the two tests indicates whether the animals were food limited in the field, and whether they were limited by a particular macronutrient. 3. Females were found to be food limited in the field, whereas males were not. Opilio canestrinii had a target intake of 28% lipid : 52% protein : 20% carbohydrate [i.e. with a considerable proportion of carbohydrate (sugar) in the diet]. Both sexes were non-protein limited in the field, with sugar being more limiting than lipid. 4. The results indicate considerable inclusion of plant-derived sugar in the natural diet. This conclusion was supported by a separate experiment showing enhanced performance (survival, gain in mass) in animals whose only energy supply was fresh fruit. 5. It is concluded that the harvestman is best characterized as an omnivorous predator.     

Resource utilization conditions as biochar of an invasive plant Spartina alterniflora in coastal wetlands of China

Converting feedstocks of invasive plants into biochar is a new and cost‐effective measure for their control, and benefits for the sustainable development of native ecosystems. Spartina alterniflora, an invasive plant widely distributed in coastal wetlands of China, was used to produce biochar. We aimed to analyze how S. alterniflora biochar properties changed with desalination of feedstocks, pyrolysis temperature, and residence time. Results showed that desalting feedstocks increased biochar pH, stability, porosity, and surface area, but diminished biochar yield and polarity. Pyrolysis temperature positively affected biochar pH, surface area, and pore volume, while it had negative effects on biochar yield, oxygen and hydrogen contents, hydrogen/carbon and oxygen/carbon ratios, pore size, and function groups. However, residence time of pyrolysis had slight effects on biochar properties. The results are valuable for optimizing pyrolysis temperature and pretreatment measure of feedstocks, to tune S. alterniflora biochar properties for specific environmental usage.     

Evaluation of non‐invasive prenatal testing to detect chromosomal aberrations in a Chinese cohort

The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical feasibility of non‐invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) to detect foetal copy number variations (CNVs). Next‐generation sequencing for detecting foetal copy number variations (CNVs) was performed on the collected samples from 161 pregnancies with ultrasound anomalies and negative NIPT results for aneuploidy. The performance of NIPT for detecting chromosome aberrations was calculated. The sensitivity and specificity of NIPT for detecting CNVs > 1 Mb were 83.33% and 99.34%; the PPV and negative predictive rate (NPV) were 90.91% and 98.68%. Non‐invasive prenatal testing can be performed to detect chromosomal aberrations in first trimester with high performance for CNVs, and occasional discordant cases are unavoidable.     

抗真菌感染新药研究进展

随着免疫功能缺陷人群的增多,侵袭性真菌感染（invasive fungal infections,IFIs）的发病率和死亡率逐年上升,严重威胁人类健康。目前临床常用抗侵袭性真菌感染药物有三唑类（氟康唑）、多烯类（两性霉素B）、棘白菌素类（卡泊芬净）等,然而这些药物并不能满足临床需要,侵袭性真菌感染的死亡率仍居高不下。因此,本文着重于目前处于临床研究阶段的抗真菌感染新药,根据作用靶点不同依次介绍：作用于细胞壁的新型葡聚糖合成酶抑制剂CD101和SCY-078、几丁质合成酶抑制剂尼可霉素Z、GPI锚定蛋白抑制剂APX001;作用于细胞膜的CYP51抑制剂VT-1161和VT-1129、破坏细胞膜通透性药物CAmB;影响细胞代谢的嘧啶合成抑制剂F901318,以及生物制剂包括细胞表面凝集素样序列3蛋白疫苗（NDV-3）和抗真菌感染抗体Mycograb。本文主要综述了上述新药的研究进展,包括作用机制、体内外活性、临床研究结果等,为相关药物的研发与未来的临床应用提供参考。     

Climate change and voltinism of Mythimna sequax: the location and choice of phenological models matter

相似文献   

Occurrence and molecular identification of the zoysiagrass mite Aceria zoysiae (Acari: Eriophyidae) in turfgrasses in Korea

Mites are one of the serious pests of turfgrass. Our survey of turfgrass fields from 2013 to 2015 in Korea showed that the occurrence of leaf chlorotic symptom has gradually extended to at least 60% of the examined golf courses. We identified the zoysiae mite Aceria zoysiae in most damaged zoysiagrasses. Artificial infestation of A. zoysiae into zoysiagrasses in pots resulted in symptoms of chlorosis and marginal rolling of the leaves within 3 weeks. We firstly determined the nucleotide sequence of mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) and internal transcribed spacer 2 (ITS2) of the nuclear ribosomal DNA region of A. zoysiae. The variations in COI and ITS2 between A. zoysiae and other species of the genus were 20.9%–43.0% and 7.5%–67.3%, respectively, suggesting significant genetic divergence within the genus. Our study provides valuable information for the rapid diagnosis and infestation monitoring of A. zoysiae in turfgrass fields.     

Impact in quarantine of the galling weevil Lepidapion argentatum on shoot growth of French broom (Genista monspessulana), an invasive weed in the western U.S.

In weed biocontrol, there is a need for pre-release efficacy assessments for potential agents. Genista monspessulana ((L.) L. A. S. Johnson (Fabaceae), French broom) is an invasive perennial shrub in the western U.S. The galling weevil Lepidapion argentatum Gerstaecker is a potential biocontrol agent. The impact of increasing weevil density on galling damage, plant height, width, leaf damage, and relative growth rate (RGR) was assessed in greenhouse experiments on two to three-month-old seedlings infested with either one or three weevils. Infestation by three female weevils caused 48% more galls producing 27% more larvae than did infestation with one female while causing only 1% leaf damage and no difference in total leaf area. Infestation with multiple weevils caused a 55% and 29% decrease in plant height and canopy width respectively, while single-weevil infestation decreased height by 32% and width to the same degree as for multiple weevils. The RGR of seedlings infested with three weevils was three times slower than the controls, while growth was reduced 2-fold by single-weevil infestation. Reductions in plant size and growth rate induced by weevil galling could reduce plant competitive survival to reproduction and also plant population dispersal as seedlings. Our results suggest that L. argentatum has the potential to cause impact to French broom seedlings if released in the invasive range.     

福建省主要入侵植物空间分异及其影响因素

在实地调查数据的基础上,本研究结合GIS空间分析技术和地理探测器模型,分析福建省入侵植物空间分布情况,以及地理与社会环境因子及其交互作用对入侵植物分布的影响.结果表明:福建省共记录入侵植物82种,其中,优势科为菊科,小蓬草、藿香蓟和空心莲子草出现频次最高.沿海区域的入侵植物物种数量多于内陆区域,福州和厦门为福建省外来入侵植物的两大热点地区.入侵植物在不同海拔均有分布,但入侵植物的种类随着海拔的升高总体呈下降趋势.地理探测器分析显示,自然环境因子中降水和社会经济因子中路网密度、人口密度是入侵植物空间分布的主要影响因子.各因子的空间交互作用会正向影响入侵植物的空间分布,这反映出入侵植物空间分布影响要素的复杂性.综上,将地理探测器应用到入侵植物研究领域是可行的,筛选出的环境指示因子可用于监测福建省入侵植物的适生区,从而为采取有效的防控措施提供科学依据.