A new genus of Coelotinae (Araneae,Agelenidae) from southern China

One new genus of the spider subfamily Coelotinae, Flexicoelotes gen. n., with five new species is described from southern China: Flexicoelotes huyunensis sp. n. (female), Flexicoelotes jiaohanyanensis sp. n. (male and female), Flexicoelotes jinlongyanensis sp. n. (male and female), Flexicoelotes pingzhaiensis sp. n. (female), Flexicoelotes xingwangensis sp. n. (male and female).     

基于指标自动筛选的新疆开孔河流域生态健康评价

生态健康评价对了解区域生态健康状况和促进区域可持续发展具有重要意义,如何自动筛选出能反映生态系统特性的重要指标,是生态健康定量评估的关键问题。基于压力-状态-响应(PSR,Press-State-Response)框架和生态等级网络框架(EHN,Ecological Hierarchy Network),通过文献调研和因果分析建立要素层与指标层之间的交叉联系,构建了生态健康评价"网状"指标体系;在保证指标体系完备性基础上,通过结合主成分分析和熵权法的候选指标权重的客观计算,基于目标优化理论构建了评价指标的自动筛选模型,并基于中选指标计算了新疆开孔河流域2001—2017年生态健康指数(EHCI,Ecological Health Comprehensive Indexes),分析其空间分异和时间变化特征。结果表明:利用所建立的评价指标自动筛选模型,开孔河流域生态健康评价指标由31个候选指标自动筛选出了17个中选指标,用54.8%的指标表达了85.98%的信息,中选的17个指标在干旱/半干旱区域有关文献中应用较多,使用频次比例都在20%以上,其中归一化植被指数(NDVI,Normalized Difference Vegetation Index)、年降水量和植被覆盖度(FVC,Fractional Vegetation Coverage)3个指标的使用频次百分比均超过了50%,说明指标自动筛选模型的合理性;开孔河流域空间分布差异显著,总体上西北高、东南低,东南部和中部绿洲区外围生态健康状况较差,西北部河谷地带和中部两大绿洲区生态健康状况较好;17年来,流域生态质量整体趋于改善,显著改善区域占10.26%,远高于显著退化的1.61%,显著改善区域以孔雀河绿洲最为明显。开孔河流域生态健康的总体好转趋势说明区域生态综合治理取得一定成效。     

RNA Graph Partitioning for the Discovery of RNA Modularity: A Novel Application of Graph Partition Algorithm to Biology

Graph representations have been widely used to analyze and design various economic, social, military, political, and biological networks. In systems biology, networks of cells and organs are useful for understanding disease and medical treatments and, in structural biology, structures of molecules can be described, including RNA structures. In our RNA-As-Graphs (RAG) framework, we represent RNA structures as tree graphs by translating unpaired regions into vertices and helices into edges. Here we explore the modularity of RNA structures by applying graph partitioning known in graph theory to divide an RNA graph into subgraphs. To our knowledge, this is the first application of graph partitioning to biology, and the results suggest a systematic approach for modular design in general. The graph partitioning algorithms utilize mathematical properties of the Laplacian eigenvector (µ2) corresponding to the second eigenvalues (λ2) associated with the topology matrix defining the graph: λ2 describes the overall topology, and the sum of µ2′s components is zero. The three types of algorithms, termed median, sign, and gap cuts, divide a graph by determining nodes of cut by median, zero, and largest gap of µ2′s components, respectively. We apply these algorithms to 45 graphs corresponding to all solved RNA structures up through 11 vertices (∼220 nucleotides). While we observe that the median cut divides a graph into two similar-sized subgraphs, the sign and gap cuts partition a graph into two topologically-distinct subgraphs. We find that the gap cut produces the best biologically-relevant partitioning for RNA because it divides RNAs at less stable connections while maintaining junctions intact. The iterative gap cuts suggest basic modules and assembly protocols to design large RNA structures. Our graph substructuring thus suggests a systematic approach to explore the modularity of biological networks. In our applications to RNA structures, subgraphs also suggest design strategies for novel RNA motifs.     

Photobiomodulation by diffusing optical fiber on spinal cord: A feasibility study in piglet model

Previous studies on spinal cord injury (SCI) have confirmed that percutaneous photobiomodulation (PBM) therapy can ameliorate immunoinflammatory responses at sites of injury, accelerate nerve regeneration, suppress glial scar formation and promote the subsequent recovery of locomotor function. The current study was performed to evaluate a large‐animal model employing implanted optical fibers to accurately irradiate targeted spinal segments. The method's feasibility and irradiation parameters that do not cause phototoxic reaction were determined, and the methodology of irradiating the spinal cord with near‐infrared light was investigated in detail. A diffusing optical fiber was implanted above the T9 spinal cord of Bama miniature pigs and used to transfer near‐infrared light (810 nm) onto the spinal cord surface. After daily irradiation with 200, 300, 500 or 1000 mW for 14 days, both sides of the irradiated area of the spinal cord were assessed for temperature changes. The condition of the spinal cord and the position of optical fiber were investigated by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and different parameters indicating temperature increases or phototoxicity were measured on the normal spinal cord surface due to light irradiation (ie, heat shock responses, inflammatory reactions and neuronal apoptosis), and the animals' lower‐limb neurological function and gait were assessed during the irradiation process. The implanted device was stable inside the freely moving animals, and light energy could be directly projected onto the spinal cord surface. The screening of different irradiation parameters preliminary showed that direct irradiation onto the spinal cord surface at 200 and 300 mW did not significantly increase the temperature, stress responses, inflammatory reactions and neural apoptosis, whereas irradiation at 500 mW slightly increased these parameters, and irradiation at 1000 mW induced a significant temperature increase, heat shock, inflammation and apoptosis responses. HE staining of spinal cord tissue sections did not reveal any significant structural changes of the tissues compared to the control group, and the neurological function and gait of all irradiated animals were normal. In this study, we established an in‐vivo optical fiber implantation method, which might be safe and stable and could be used to directly project light energy onto the spinal cord surface. This study might provide a new perspective for clinical applications of PBM in acute SCI.     

微生物菌剂对楸树幼苗生长及根际土细菌群落结构的影响

为探究球毛壳ND35微生物菌剂对楸树幼苗生长及土壤肥力的作用机制，本研究楸树幼苗为研究对象，采用室内盆栽试验，设计0（CK），10（T1），15（T2），20（T3）4种微生物菌剂施用量，测定幼苗生长情况、土壤微生物组成结构、土壤酶和土壤养分等特征。研究结果如下：（1）球毛壳ND35微生物菌剂可显著促进楸树幼苗的生长，株高、地径、地上及地下生物量显著提高（P<0.05），T2处理下促生效果最好。（2）施用球毛壳ND35微生物菌剂可显著提高土壤中有机质、硝态氮、铵态氮含量及脲酶、磷酸酶、蔗糖酶活性（P<0.05）。（3）球毛壳ND35微生物菌剂可显著影响土壤细菌群落组成，提高细菌群落的丰富度和多样性，使土壤中β-变形菌纲（Betaproteobacteria）、γ-变形菌纲（Gammaproteobacteria）的相对丰度显著下降，α-变形菌纲（Alphaproteobacteria）、δ-变形菌纲（Deltaproteobacteria）的相对丰度呈显著提高，可使土壤中鞘氨醇单胞菌属（Sphingomonas）的相对丰度显著提高21.88%-103.56%（P<0.05），芽孢杆菌属（Bacillus）的相对丰度提高66.28%-65.97%（P<0.05），酸杆菌属（Acidibacter）的相对丰度提高12.76%-38.06%。（4）冗余分析（RDA）结果表明，土壤硝态氮、铵态氮、有机质是影响土壤细菌群落分布和多样性的重要环境因子，土壤细菌群落结构的改变会显著影响土壤脲酶、蔗糖酶、碱性磷酸酶的活性。因此，施用球毛壳ND35微生物菌剂可通过影响植物根际土壤的化学性质及生物性质，促进楸树幼苗的生长。这一研究结果为楸树繁育提供了新的指导方向，亦为将其用于困难立地及退化生态系统植被恢复提供基础理论指导。