Transcriptomic Analyses of Chilling Stress Responsiveness in Leaves of Tobacco (Nicotiana tabacum) Seedlings

Plant Molecular Biology Reporter - Low temperature is among the most significant abiotic stresses restricting geographical distribution of plants and reducing crop productivity. However, the...     

Characterization of the mechanical properties for cranial bones of 8-week-old piglets: the effect of strain rate and region

Biomechanics and Modeling in Mechanobiology - Due to ethical reasons, piglets have often been employed as surrogates for children in biomechanics studies. To our knowledge, no public data detailing...     

Impaired M. tuberculosis Antigen-Specific IFN-γ Response without IL-17 Enhancement in Patients with Severe Cavitary Pulmonary Tuberculosis

BackgroundTh1 cells play an essential role in immune protection against tuberculosis. Th17 cells might be involved with immune pathology in active human tuberculosis (TB). The balance between Th1 and Th17 cells in patients with cavitary tuberculosis needs to be clarified which might help understanding the immunological basis of pathologic pathogenesis in TB.MethodInitially treated pulmonary TB (PTB) patients with or without cavities were recruited before chemotherapy. We isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells, stimulated with phytohemagglutinin (PHA), PPD, or ESAT-6 antigens, and assayed supernatant IFN-γ and IL-17 by ELISA after 24 or 72 hours incubation, respectively. Cells were also stained with antibodies to CD3, CD4, CD8, IFN-γ or IL-17 and the proportion of stained cells was measured by flow cytometry.ResultsWe found wide variation of IFN-γ response in active PTB patients, but less subject-to-subject variation of IL-17 was observed as we previously reported. There were no significant differences in IFN-γ and IL-17 between cavitary and non-cavitary PTB; however, we found decreased IFN-γ secretion in severe cavitary PTB compared to mild lesion non-cavitary PTB (p < 0.05). We also found a decrease in the proportion of CD3+CD4+ T cells in the blood of severe cavitary PTB patients (p < 0.05).ConclusionsIL-17 seemed to have no association with the formation of cavities in active PTB from the study of PBMC. Impaired IFN-γ without IL-17 enhancement occurs in peripheral blood during severe cavitary PTB. Our results demonstrate that M. tuberculosis antigen-specific Th1 response is decreased when PTB lesions develop to severe cavities.     

圈养条件下犬蝠对陌生食物首次取食行为的研究

动物在觅食过程中,尝试取食陌生食物会给其带来潜在的风险或是利益。许多动物在首次遇到陌生食物时,不会立即对其进行取食,甚至感到恐惧而避开,这是动物应对陌生食物和环境的一种恐新行为(neophobia)。2010年10—12月,对广东省四会市圈养条件下的犬蝠Cynopterus sphinx取食行为进行研究。结果发现,在实验中犬蝠首次面对陌生食物(苹果)刺激时表现出2种不同的行为,14只实验个体中,6只在首次面对陌生食物时直接对其进行取食,定义其为探索者(explorer);而另外8只对陌生食物表现出了恐新行为,定义其为恐新者(coward)。在人为施加的环境压力下,恐新者经过反复试探,首次成功取食陌生食物后才接纳陌生食物。雌雄个体间(Mann-Whitney U test:雌性31.3 min±8.5 min,n=6,雄性122.8 min±16.2 min,n=5,U=721.0,P<0.001)及亚成体与成体间(Mann-Whitney U test:亚成体20.9 min±10.9 min,n=3,成体72.9 min±9.7 min,n=11,U=901.0,P<0.001)在首次取食行为上的差异均有统计学意义,雌性和亚成体个体更易于接受陌生食物。本文研究结果表明,犬蝠对陌生食物首次取食的这2种行为差异各自有其生态学意义,探索者的行为利于拓宽取食食物源,以应对野外多变的环境;而恐新者的行为可防止摄入过多有毒或营养过剩的食物。雌性倾向于探索陌生食物,可能与其在种群中的繁殖地位有关;亚成体积极探索陌生食物的行为则体现出其取食经验上的缺乏,同时也利于将陌生食物引入种群食谱中。行为的多样性利于种群繁衍,本文探讨了2种取食策略各自的利弊关系。     

神农架川金丝猴栖息地森林群落的数量分类与排序

在神农架川金丝猴生境典型地段设立样方58块,根据样方资料对神农架川金丝猴栖息地的森林群落用组平均法分类和DCA排序.用组平均法将58块样地分为9个群系,依据《中国植被》的分类原则和系统将研究区植物群落划归为7个植被型.样地的DCA排序较好地揭示了该区森林群落的分布格局与环境梯度的关系;DCA第二轴明显地反映出森林群落的海拔梯度变化,沿DCA第二轴从右到左,海拔逐渐升高;第一轴表现了各植物群落或植物种所在环境的坡度、坡向,即水分和光照因素,沿第一轴从下到上,坡度渐缓、坡向渐向阳.其中海拔梯度是环境因子中对森林群落起决定性作用的因子.研究表明,巴山冷杉+糙皮桦-大齿槭+尾萼蔷薇-高原露珠草+星果草群系发育较好,高大树木占有较大的比例,是神农架川金丝猴最适宜栖息地.7个植被型物种丰富度指数在群落梯度上呈规律性波动.其中针叶林和针叶-阔叶混交林中,物种丰富度指数在群落梯度上的总体趋势表现为灌木层＞草木层＞乔木层;在常绿阔叶林和常绿-落叶阔叶混交林中,该趋势为灌木层＞乔木层＞草本层;在落叶阔叶林中,其丰富度指数的趋势为灌木层＞草本层和乔木层.不同植被类型川金丝猴食源植物种类在群落梯度上的变化趋势与物种丰富度指数相同,但地衣类植物作为川金丝猴冬季的重要食物只在针叶林和针叶-阔叶混交林中生长.本研究为制定栖息地保护计划,更好地保护神农架川金丝猴提供了科学理论依据.     

High-field (9.4 T)1H magnetic resonance microscopy of mouse brain

The FLASH and STEAM pulse sequences were used to perform the microimaging and localized spectroscopy of brain of living and dead mice, respectively. The phase-shift presaturation approach was used to suppress water NMR signal. The experimental results show that the differences in localized spectra and MR images of brain between live and dead mice can be observed by means of magnetic resonance microscopy.     

不同施肥水平对桢楠多胚苗生长及光合生理的影响

采用营养袋培育的方法,以苗龄45d(根茎初步木质化)的桢楠幼苗为试验材料,选取单胚苗(D)、双胚大苗(SD)和双胚小苗(SX)3种类型桢楠幼苗栽植于袋中,根据年施复合肥量标准设置对照(CK,每袋0g)、中(M,每袋0.2g)和高(H,每袋0.3g)3个施肥水平,于7月初开始施肥,每20d施1次共分4次(每次25%)施入,分别于8月、10月中旬测定幼苗生长指标和光合生理指标,探讨施肥对桢楠多胚苗生长和光合生理的影响。结果显示:(1)中量施肥(M)对3类幼苗的苗高和地径生长量有明显的促进作用,而高量施肥(H)在整个试验过程中对幼苗生长的影响表现为先促进后抑制的趋势。(2)中量施肥(M)可以促进3类幼苗叶片的叶绿素合成,延长叶片功能周期,增大净光合速率和气孔导度,进而提高幼苗在强光照、高CO_2环境下的光合作用能力。(3)中量施肥可以使幼苗的光补偿点(LCP)、CO_2补偿点(CCP)下降,光饱和点(LSP)、CO_2饱和点(CSP)上升,增强幼苗适应环境的能力,积累更多的有机物;高量施肥对幼苗的光合指标也表现为先促进后抑制的作用。研究表明,适量(每袋0.2g)施肥能促进各类桢楠幼苗光合色素合成、光合作用效率以及对环境的适应能力,从而促进幼苗的生长;适量施肥也使双胚大苗较快缩小与单胚苗生长指标间的差距,同时也对双胚小苗生长表现出一定的促进作用,这对于促进珍贵树种桢楠的种质资源保护、提高苗木出圃率和降低育苗成本有重要意义。