The structure of 180° supernumerary limbs and a hypothesis of their formation

The results of a detailed analysis of 100 supernumerary limbs generated by 180° ipsilateral rotation (on the same limb stump) of regeneration blastemas is presented. The limbs were analyzed in terms of their position of origin, frequency, cartilage structure by Victoria blue staining, and muscle structure by serial sections. Single, double, or triple supernumeraries can be produced at no unique position of origin, although the posterodorsal quadrant was preferred. Four classes of supernumerary limbs were generated by such operations—normal; double dorsal or double ventral; part normal/part mirror imaged; part normal/part inverted in approximately equal frequencies. After amputation of these supernumeraries the same muscle patterns are faithfully regenerated. A hypothesis to explain the production of these abnormal limbs is proposed based on the observed phenomenon of fusion of supernumerary blastemata, but their regenerative behaviour presents problems for current models of pattern formation. Similar results have been obtained with developing limb buds and the relation between development and regeneration is discussed.     

The ability of nonspecific T-cell stimulators to induce helper-cell-dependent increases in either polyclonal or isotype-restricted Ig production in vivo

In order to delineate the various roles of T cells in B-cell activation, mice were exposed to a variety of specific or nonspecific T-cell stimuli including mitogens, e.g., concanavalin A, adjuvants, e.g., complete Freund's adjuvant, and colchicine plus nonimmunogenic doses of antigen, anti-lymphocyte serum, and pathogens and their spleens analyzed for total class-specific immunoglobulin-secreting cells as indicators of helper cell generation. The results demonstrate that, depending on the mode of stimulation, markedly different Ig-secreting cell response patterns were induced, differing with respect to their kinetics and the isotype induced. In contrast to polyclonal T-cell stimuli such as concanavalin A and 17X lethal malaria which induced increases in all classes of Ig-recruiting cells, injection of many T-cell-activating agents resulted in the selective production of IgG clones in particular IgG 1. Such findings are discussed in terms of the different mechanisms of T-cell help and provide further evidence for functional heterogeneity in the T-helper-cell pool.     

小茴香挥发油的抗炎镇痛作用

目的:研究小茴香挥发油的抗炎、镇痛作用,为指导临床合理用药提供科学依据。方法:应用二甲苯致小鼠耳廓肿胀、蛋清致大鼠足肿胀2种动物模型进行抗炎药效学实验;采用醋酸致小鼠扭体反应进行镇痛实验。结果:小茴香挥发油能显著抑制上述各种动物模型的炎症反应及醋酸引起的小鼠扭体反应。结论:小茴香挥发油具有抗炎和镇痛作用。     

枣种质缩果病抗性多样性研究

为充分发掘抗缩果病枣种质资源,对保存于河北沧县（2006年~2009年,77个品种）及山西太原（2006年~2007年,53个品种）和山西太谷（2006年,231个品种）的共268个枣品种资源进行了田间缩果病抗性调查。结果表明,枣品种间缩果病抗性差异显著,其中病果率变幅为0%~66.18%、变异系数为2.01,病情指数变幅为0%~55.06%、变异系数为2.46;同一品种的发病程度因年份和地点不同而有明显差异。根据在发病严重的沧县枣资源圃连续4年（2006~2009）的观测结果,枣品种的缩果病抗性可分为高抗、抗病、中抗、感病和高感5类,相应的平均缩果率分别为5%以下、5%~10%、10%~15%、15%~25%和25%以上;在沧县的77个品种中,表现高抗、抗病、中抗、感病、高感的品种分别占调查总数的80.52%,2.60%,7.79%,6.49%和2.60%。在我国主栽枣树品种中,金丝小枣、圆铃枣、长红、冬枣等为高抗品种,婆枣、壶瓶枣为高感品种。本研究表明,我国有着非常丰富的抗缩果病枣树种质资源。     

小茴香挥发油的抗炎镇痛作用

目的：研究小茴香挥发油的抗炎、镇痛作用,为指导临床合理用药提供科学依据。方法：应用二甲苯致小鼠耳廓肿胀、蛋清致大鼠足肿胀2种动物模型进行抗炎药效学实验;采用醋酸致小鼠扭体反应进行镇痛实验。结果：小茴香挥发油能显著抑制上述各种动物模型的炎症反应及醋酸引起的小鼠扭体反应。结论：小茴香挥发油具有抗炎和镇痛作用。     

Linking variability of tree water use and growth with species resilience to environmental changes

Tree growth is an indicator of tree vitality and its temporal variability is linked to species resilience to environmental changes. Second-order statistics that quantify the cross-scale temporal variability of ecophysiological time series (statistical memory) could provide novel insights into species resilience. Species with high statistical memory in their tree growth may be more affected by disturbances, resulting in lower overall resilience and higher vulnerability to environmental changes. Here, we assessed the statistical memory, as quantified with the decay in standard deviation with increasing time scale, in tree water use and growth of co-occurring European larch Larix decidua and Norway spruce Picea abies along an elevational gradient in the Swiss Alps using measurements of stem radius changes, sap flow and tree-ring widths. Local-scale interspecific differences between the two conifers were further explored at the European scale using data from the International Tree-Ring Data Bank. Across the analysed elevational gradient, tree water use showed steeper variability decay with increasing time scale than tree growth, with no significant interspecific differences, highlighting stronger statistical memory in tree growth processes. Moreover, Norway spruce displayed slower decay in growth variability with increasing time scale (higher statistical memory) than European larch; a pattern that was also consistent at the European scale. The higher statistical memory in tree growth of Norway spruce in comparison to European larch is indicative of lower resilience of the former in comparison to the latter, and could potentially explain the occurrence of European larch at higher elevations at the Alpine treeline. Single metrics of resilience cannot often summarize the multifaceted aspects of ecosystem functioning, thus, second-order statistics that quantify the strength of statistical memory in ecophysiological time series could complement existing resilience indicators, facilitating the assessment of how environmental changes impact forest growth trajectories and ecosystem services.     

渗滤液覆盖层灌溉处理对夹竹桃的生理生态效应

以夹竹桃（Nerium indicum Mill．）作为填埋场覆盖层封场植被材料,历时1a现场研究了有无渗滤液灌溉下夹竹桃生长及其生理生化反应。结果表明,10mm／d渗滤液灌溉下夹竹桃持续生长,生长的快慢呈季节性,且生长较对照组略快;渗滤液灌溉组和对照组夹竹桃丙二醛（MDA）、脯氨酸（Pro）含量的动态变化同气温变化规律相似,超氧化物岐化酶（SOD）、过氧化物酶（POD）活性和抗坏皿酸（AsA）、还原型谷胱甘肽（GSH）含量基本呈季节性波动。盛夏（6—8月份）和秋冬（10-4月份）SOD、POD活性明显提高,AsA、GSH积累显著;1a中渗滤液灌溉组各生理生化指标均较对照组变化辐度大,但两组间差异基本不显著;表明有无渗滤液灌溉下,夹竹桃生理生态反应主要受气候的季节性变化调控,渗滤液灌溉处理不会显著加大对夹竹桃胁迫。     

Activities of de-N-glycosylation are ubiquitously found in tomato plant

Activities of two de-N-glycosylation enzymes, PNGase (peptide N ⁴(N-acetyl-glucosaminyl)asparagine amidase) and ENGase (endo N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase), involved in the release of N-glycans from N-glycoproteins, were monitored in several organs of tomato plants (Lycopersicon esculentum, Mill., cv. Dombito) with a fluorescence-HPLC procedure using a resofurin-labelled N-glycopeptide substrate. PNGase and ENGase activities were detected in every organ assayed but with quantitative differences. The highest activities were found in the youngest parts of the plant, i.e. apical buds, flowers and leaf blades. PNGase activities were consistently higher than ENGase activities (three-fold in average). Both de-N-glycosylation activities were associated with high levels of proteins and protease activities. During fruit growth and ripening, these three parameters decreased notably. The ubiquitous detection of these enzyme activities in the different organs is probably associated with the previously characterized unconjugated N-glycans in tomato. The possible role of PNGase and ENGase degradation products (i.e. unconjugated N-glycans) are discussed in relation with their biological functions in plant development.     

Comparison of allometric relationships and morphological differences in Tilia cordata Mill. outer leaves exposed to different environmental conditions

The study is based on four leaf parameters: leaf width (LW), lobe length (LL), leaf size (LS) and leaf shape which is calculated as LW to leaf length (LW/LL) ratio. Under different environmental conditions, LL is an isometric character, LW shows positive allometry, whereas LW/LL shows negative allometry. Regression analysis results indicated that there is no significant difference either in slopes or in regression coefficients between investigated sites. Thus, in this study, we found that allometric relationships between leaf parameters and LS are character specific and that they tended not to differ significantly between Tilia cordata Mill. outer leaves exposed to different environmental conditions. Also, there are no significant interpopulation differences for both principal component PC1 and PC2 scores. The stepwise discriminant functional analysis results allowed us to identify a set of two leaf parameters (LS and LL) with a moderate discriminating ability (59.8%). T. cordata outer leaves are significantly larger and broader in the reference area (R-leaves) than leaves from polluted (P-leaves) site. The data also indicated that there is a relatively larger petiole size in R-leaves than in P-leaves. We found that in P-leaves, LW increased faster with increasing LS than in R-leaves.