Radial Growth of Two Dominant Montane Conifer Tree Species in Response to Climate Change in North-Central China

North-Central China is a region in which the air temperature has clearly increased for several decades. Picea meyeri and Larix principis-rupprechtii are the most dominant co-occurring tree species within the cold coniferous forest belt ranging vertically from 1800 m to 2800 m a.s.l. in this region. Based on a tree-ring analysis of 292 increment cores sampled from 146 trees at different elevations, this study aimed to examine if the radial growth of the two species in response to climate is similar, whether the responses are consistent along altitudinal gradients and which species might be favored in the future driven by the changing climate. The results indicated the following: (1) The two species grew in different rhythms at low and high elevation respectively; (2) Both species displayed inconsistent relationships between radial growth and climate data along altitudinal gradients. The correlation between radial growth and the monthly mean temperature in the spring or summer changed from negative at low elevation into positive at high elevation, whereas those between the radial growth and the total monthly precipitation displayed a change from positive into negative along the elevation gradient. These indicate the different influences of the horizontal climate and vertical mountainous climate on the radial growth of the two species; (3) The species-dependent different response to climate in radial growth appeared mainly in autumn of the previous year. The radial growth of L. principis-rupprechtii displayed negative responses both to temperature and to precipitation in the previous September, October or November, which was not observed in the radial growth of P. meyeri. (4) The radial growth of both species will tend to be increased at high elevation and limited at low elevation, and L. principis-rupprechtii might be more favored in the future, if the temperature keeps rising.     

Cellular Modelling of Secondary Radial Growth in Conifer Trees: Application to Pinus Radiata (D. Don)

The radial growth of conifer trees proceeds from the dynamics of a merismatic tissue called vascular cambium or cambium. Cambium is a thin layer of active proliferating cells. The purpose of this paper was to model the main characteristics of cambial activity and its consecutive radial growth. Cell growth is under the control of the auxin hormone indole-3-acetic. The model is composed of a discrete part, which accounts for cellular proliferation, and a continuous part involving the transport of auxin. Cambium is modeled in a two-dimensional cross-section by a cellular automaton that describes the set of all its constitutive cells. Proliferation is defined as growth and division of cambial cells under neighbouring constraints, which can eliminate some cells from the cambium. The cell-growth rate is determined from auxin concentration, calculated with the continuous model. We studied the integration of each elementary cambial cell activity into the global coherent movement of macroscopic morphogenesis. Cases of normal and abnormal growth of Pinus radiata (D. Don) are modelled. Abnormal growth includes deformed trees where gravity influences auxin transport, producing heterogeneous radial growth. Cross-sectional microscopic views are also provided to validate the model's hypothesis and results.     

三种手术入路显露男性后尿道的比较（英文）

目的：评价经耻骨上、耻骨下及会阴三种手术入路暴露尿道膜部的优劣。方法：对35具成年男性尸体标本解剖,测量并比较耻骨上缘中点（A）、耻骨下缘中点（B）及会阴部两坐骨结节连线中点（c）分男11到尿道球膜部连接处（D）、前列腺尖（E）及膀胱颈（F）的距离及相关角度;对另20具成年男性尸体标本分别经3种手术入路显露后尿道,标记可能损伤的组织器官并评分。结果：AD=（6．5±0．5）cm,BD=（2．2±0．5）cm,CD=（3．4±0．6）cm,其中BD〈CD〈AD（P〈0．05,SNK法）;AE=（6．6±0．5）cm,BE=（3．0±0．5）cm,CE=（4．4±0．7）cm,其中BE〈CE〈AE（P〈0．05,SNK法）;AF=（5．7±0．6）cm,BF=（4．5±0．5）cm,CF=（6．5±0．6）cm,其中BF〈AF〈CF（P〈0．05,SNK法）。各点连线所成角度中,ZEAD（仅。）=（9．3±2．0）。∠EBD（α2）=（17．4±3．8）°,ZECD（α3）=（9．2±1．6）°,其中α1与α2有显著性差异（P〈0．05,t=11．1）,α3与α2有显著性差异（P〈0．05,t=-12．1）,α1与α3无显著性差异（P〉O．05,t=-0．13）;∠FAE（β1）=（22．7±2．6）°,∠FBE（β2）=（32．9±6．4）°,∠FCE（β3）=（15．0±3．2）°,其中β2〉β1〉β3（P〈0．05,SNK法）。经耻骨上入路损伤评分为13分,经耻骨下为18分,经会阴为15分。结论：暴露从优到劣依次为经耻骨下、经耻骨上、经会阴;损伤从大到小依次为经耻骨下、经会阴、经耻骨上部分。     

Biotic Interactions in the Face of Climate Change: A Comparison of Three Modelling Approaches

Climate change is expected to alter biotic interactions, and may lead to temporal and spatial mismatches of interacting species. Although the importance of interactions for climate change risk assessments is increasingly acknowledged in observational and experimental studies, biotic interactions are still rarely incorporated in species distribution models. We assessed the potential impacts of climate change on the obligate interaction between Aeshna viridis and its egg-laying plant Stratiotes aloides in Europe, based on an ensemble modelling technique. We compared three different approaches for incorporating biotic interactions in distribution models: (1) We separately modelled each species based on climatic information, and intersected the future range overlap (‘overlap approach’). (2) We modelled the potential future distribution of A. viridis with the projected occurrence probability of S. aloides as further predictor in addition to climate (‘explanatory variable approach’). (3) We calibrated the model of A. viridis in the current range of S. aloides and multiplied the future occurrence probabilities of both species (‘reference area approach’). Subsequently, all approaches were compared to a single species model of A. viridis without interactions. All approaches projected a range expansion for A. viridis. Model performance on test data and amount of range gain differed depending on the biotic interaction approach. All interaction approaches yielded lower range gains (up to 667% lower) than the model without interaction. Regarding the contribution of algorithm and approach to the overall uncertainty, the main part of explained variation stems from the modelling algorithm, and only a small part is attributed to the modelling approach. The comparison of the no-interaction model with the three interaction approaches emphasizes the importance of including obligate biotic interactions in projective species distribution modelling. We recommend the use of the ‘reference area approach’ as this method allows a separation of the effect of climate and occurrence of host plant.     

Climatic Factors Influencing the Anthrax Outbreak of 2016 in Siberia,Russia

In 2016, an outbreak of anthrax killing thousands of reindeer and affecting dozens of humans occurred on the Yamal peninsula, Northwest Siberia, after 70 years of epidemiological situation without outbreaks. The trigger of the outbreak has been ascribed to the activation of spores due to permafrost thaw that was accelerated during the summer heat wave. The focus of our study is on the dynamics of local environmental factors in connection with the observed anthrax revival. We show that permafrost was thawing rapidly for already 6 years before the outbreak. During 2011–2016, relatively warm years were followed by cold years with a thick snow cover, preventing freezing of the soil. Furthermore, the spread of anthrax was likely intensified by an extremely dry summer of 2016. Concurrent with the long-term decreasing trend in the regional annual precipitation, the rainfall in July 2016 was less than 10% of its 30-year mean value. We conclude that epidemiological situation of anthrax in the previously contaminated Arctic regions requires monitoring of climatic factors such as warming and precipitation extremes.

     

A Comparison of Root- and Shoot-wood Development in Conifer Seedlings

Tracheid diameter, wall thickness, and wall area per tracheidincreased towards the root tip in first-year seedlings of Piceasitchensis and Pinus sylvestris; this is shown to be associatedwith differences in duration of the expansion and wall thickeningphases of tracheid development. Transfer to short days producesa similar response throughout the plant, tracheid diameter andwall thickness decreasing shortly after transfer, due to a declinein rate of development. These data are discussed in relationto growth-regulator gradients likely to exist between root andshoot. It is pointed out that though effects of growth regulatorson tracheid dimensions are well documented, it has yet to beestablished whether this is due to their regulation of the rateor of the duration of development.     

三种鱼类生长激素cDNA基因的结构比较研究

从厦门海区选取３种生长速度不同的鱼类,真鲈、高体Ｓｈｉ、褐菖Ｙｏｕ,由它们的脑下垂体中分别提取出总ＲＮＡ,用逆转录ＰＣＲ方法（ＲＴ－ＰＣＲ）扩增出生长激素ｃＤＮＡ,克隆到ｐＢｌｕｅｓｃｒｉｐｔ载体上的ＥｃｏＲＩ位点,并分别测定了这３种鱼的成熟生长激素ｃＲＮＡ序列。将由这３种序列推导出的氨基酸序列同已知的８种不同科鱼类的生长激素氨基酸序列进行比较,分析它们序列的同源性,结果表明它们间的同源性与这些鱼     

Accumulation of Phenolic Compounds in Conifer Callus Cultures in Response to Wood Blue-Stain Fungi

Callus cultures of Siberian larch (Larix sibiricaLedeb.) and Siberian spruce (Picea obovataLedeb.) were used to demonstrate the elicitor activity of two ophiostomatoid fungal species, Ceratocystis laricicolaand Ceratocystis polonica, as the pioneer settlers on larch and spruce, respectively. The extract from C. laricicolamycelium stimulated the accumulation of lignin in larch cells by 37% and that of bound proanthocyanidins by 25%. In spruce callus cultures, C. laricicolaand C. polonicaincreased the bound PA content by 25 and 46%, respectively. In the callus cultures of larch and spruce, the addition of extract of C. laricicolaincreased the concentration of p-hydroxybenzoic acid 13-fold and nearly 4-fold, respectively. The metabolic characteristics of accumulation of phenolic compounds in conifer cells are discussed.     

Paleogene Land Mammal Faunas of South America; a Response to Global Climatic Changes and Indigenous Floral Diversity

An appraisal of Paleogene floral and land mammal faunal dynamics in South America suggests that both biotic elements responded at rate and extent generally comparable to that portrayed by the global climate pattern of the interval. A major difference in the South American record is the initial as well as subsequent much greater diversity of both Neotropical and Austral floras relative to North American counterparts. Conversely, the concurrent mammal faunas in South America did not match, much less exceed, the diversity seen to the north. It appears unlikely that this difference is solely due to the virtual absence of immigrants subsequent to the initial dispersal of mammals to South America, and cannot be explained solely by the different collecting histories of the two regions. Possible roles played by non-mammalian vertebrates in niche exploitation remain to be explored. The Paleogene floras of Patagonia and Chile show a climatic pattern that approximates that of North America, with an increase in both Mean Annual Temperature (MAT) and Mean Annual Precipitation (MAP) from the Paleocene into the Early Eocene Climatic Optimum (EECO), although the Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM) is not recognized in the available data set. Post-EECO temperatures declined in both regions, but more so in the north than the south, which also retained a higher rate of precipitation. The South American Paleogene mammal faunas developed gradual, but distinct, changes in composition and diversity as the EECO was approached, but actually declined somewhat during its peak, contrary to the record in North America. At about 40 Ma, a post-EECO decline was recovered in both hemispheres, but the South American record achieved its greatest diversity then, rather than at the peak of the EECO as in the north. This post-EECO faunal turnover apparently was a response to the changing conditions when global climate was deteriorating toward the Oligocene. Under the progressively more temperate to seasonally arid conditions in South America, this turnover reflected a major change from the more archaic, and more tropical to subtropical-adapted mammals, to the beginning of the ultimately modern South American fauna, achieved completely by the Eocene-Oligocene transition. Interestingly, hypsodonty was achieved by South American cursorial mammals about 15–20 m.y. earlier than in North America. In addition to being composed of essentially different groups of mammals, those of the South American continent seem to have responded to the climatic changes associated with the ECCO and subsequent conditions in a pattern that was initially comparable to, but subsequently different from, their North American counterparts.     

Growth Response of Three Vegetables to Smooth- and Crenate-Tailed Females of Three Species of Pratylenchus

The effect of morphological variants of females of Pratylenchus penetrans, P. neglectus, and P. crenatus on the growth of three vegetables was studied. Variants were characterized by having either a smooth or crenate tail terminus. Pea was inoculated with variants of P. penetrans, one female per seedling, and grown at light intensities ranging from 1,350 to 21,600 lux in a series of five experiments. Only crenate-tailed females of P. penetrans suppressed the growth of pea and only when pea was grown at 3,900 lux. Radish was inoculated with morphological variants of P. penetrans, P. neglectus, and P. crenatus, four females per seedling, and grown at 3,900 lux in two experiments. Again, truly creuate-tailed females of P. penetrans inhibited growth. The two variants of P. penetrans had a similar infectivity, greater than that of the other two species of Pratylenchus. Only crenate-tailed P. penetrans reproduced on radish. Onion was inoculated with variants of P. penetrans and P. crenatus, four females per seedling, and grown at 14 C at 12,900 lux. Again, only crenate-tailed P. penetrans inhibited growth. The variants of P. penetrans had a similar infectivity, greater than that of P. crenatus. Neither species reproduced on onion at low temperatures.     

针叶树基因组特征及其序列资源挖掘进展

针叶树是裸子植物中最大也是分布最广的一支。作为多年生木本植物,针叶树不仅为工业提供建筑、造纸等重要原料和其它可再生能源,而且在北半球的生态平衡中也起着重要作用。因其独特的分类地位、重要的经济价值和生态价值,针叶树序列资源挖掘备受重视。然而其庞大且复杂的基因组阻碍了这一进程,截至2013年4月,尚无获得全基因组序列的针叶树种。随着第2代测序技术的出现及生物信息学的快速发展,针叶树序列资源挖掘也从转录组过渡到全基因组测序,后者己在松属（Pinus）、云杉属（Picea）和黄杉属（Pseudotsuga）部分树种中开展。该文首次归纳了针叶树基因组特征．回顾了针叶树序列资源挖掘进程,并重点介绍了火炬松（Pinustaeda）、欧洲云杉（Piceaabies）和白云杉（Piceaglauca）的全基因组测序项目。     

Heliogeophysical correlates of early biodemographic variables in the South of Western Siberia

In order to verify associations between solar and geomagnetic activities and perinatal variables, the monthly distributions of population characters in Novosibirsk Region over the period 1980–2001 were compared by stepwise correlation analysis with monthly averaged physical parameters at lags from 0 to 10 months. The three indices were: number of sunspots, solar flux at 10.7 cm wavelength, and A _k index measured at a local ionospheric station near the city of Novosibirsk. Official data on the numbers of single and multiple live births, stillbirths and infant deaths at the age under one year indicating the type of population and gender were provided by the State Statistical Committee. All three physical parameters positively correlated with the number of single births and infant mortality rate and negatively with twin births in urban and in rural populations, irrespective of lags. The direct association between A _k and the relative number of stillbirths in urban setting was mostly pronounced at a lag of 5 months. The number of live births increased along with A _k owing to the enhanced proportion of girls born, whereas the number of stillbirths after the rise in solar and geomagnetic activities increased because of boy deaths.     

两种测定化合物对真菌菌丝生长抑制活性方法的比较

采用带毒平板法和液体培养法测定两种植物抗菌化合物血根碱和白屈菜红碱对植物病原真菌水稻纹枯病菌（Rhizoctonia solani）、番茄枯萎病菌（Fusarium oxysporium f．sp．lycopersici）和棉花枯萎病菌（F.oxysporium f.sp．vasinfectum）的抑制活性。论文对两种测定方法进行了比较和讨论,结果发现：和带毒平板法相比,采用液体培养法获得的化合物半抑制浓度要低。     

A Comparison of Two Approaches for Modelling Cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz.) Crop Growth

Two approaches for modelling the growth and development of cassava,Manihot esculenta Crantz, are described and evaluated. The twomodels differ only in the hypotheses accounting for storageroot growth. In model 1, assimilate allocation to storage rootsis governed by the combined Chanter's (1976: Mathematical modelsin mushroom research and production. PhD Thesis, Universityof Sussex, UK) growth equation; and in model 2 the spill-overhypothesis for assimilate allocation to storage root governsstorage root growth. In both models, canopy photosynthesis generatesthe carbon substrate required for all growth processes. Thegrowth rates of leaves, stems and storage roots are definedby growth equations subject to substrate saturation kinetics.A key feature of both models is that the growth demands of thestem, fibrous roots and storage roots are related to leaf demandrates. Allocation to stems and branches was modelled by meansof a modified logistic growth equation which includes all theparameters and variables (number of nodes, internode lengths,stem density, stem modulus of elasticity and branch tensilestrength) that define the limits of the load bearing capacityof the shoot's supportive structures. The correlation coefficientsfor determination of yield prediction for the models werer =0.898,P =0.0385 (model 1) and r =0.954, P =0.0117 (model 2). For agrowth season of 290 d (after which leaf area index equals zeroand crop growth ceases), both models simulate the sigmoidaltransition from the lag to exponential phase of crop growth.Both models are equally well corroborated by observed data;however, model 1 has greater explanatory power. Copyright 2000Annals of Botany Company Allocation, simulation, model, crop growth, cassava, Manihot esculenta Crantz.     

三种淡水鱼类在中国南北两个地区的肠道菌群差异比较

山东省德州市禹城市和湖南省长沙市望城区分别属于我国北方和南方地区,环境和气候差异明显。本试验以禹城市和望城区两地的草鱼(Ctenopharyngodon idella)、鲫鱼(Carassius auratus)和鲤鱼(Cyprinus carpio)为研究对象,对肠道中的菌群进行16s rRNA V4高变区扩增,基于IonS5 TM XL测序平台进行测序,并对相关数据进行分析。结果表明,在门水平上鲫鱼、鲤鱼、草鱼的肠道优势菌主要为变形菌门(Proteobacteria)、梭杆菌门(Fusobacteria)、硬壁菌门(Firmicutes),拟杆菌门(Bacteroidetes),各组中这四种菌门所占比之和均在80%以上;基于Bray-Curtis距离值的秩次进行组间差异显著性检验,山东草鱼组和湖南草鱼组比较中组间差异大于组内差异(R=0.307,P<0.05),且线性判别分析显示湖南草鱼组的特征性菌群为弧菌属,而山东草鱼组的为梭菌纲,推测特征性菌群差异与环境的影响有关;有害菌种的统计分析表明,湖南鲫鱼组和鲤鱼组的嗜水气单胞菌属相对丰度明显高于对应的山东鲫鱼组和鲤鱼组,山东草鱼组和鲤鱼组的弧菌属相对丰度高于对应的湖南草鱼组和鲤鱼组,可能受外界环境的影响,不同地区抵御外来有害细菌的能力也不一样。本研究对两地的淡水鱼类肠道微生物群落结构进行了比较和分析,为进一步的鱼类发育研究奠定基础。     

A Comparison of Three Weight-of-Evidence Approaches for Integrating Sediment Contamination Data within and Across Lines of Evidence

Multiple lines of evidence (LOE) are often considered when examining the potential impact of contaminated sediment. Three strategies are explored for combining information within and/or among different LOE. One technique uses a multivariate strategy for clustering sites into groups of similar impact. A second method employs meta-analysis to pool empirically derived P-values. The third method uses a quantitative estimation of probability derived from odds ratios. These three strategies are compared with respect to a set of data describing reference conditions and a contaminated area in the Great Lakes. Common themes in these three strategies include the critical issue of defining an appropriate set of reference/control conditions, the definition of impact as a significant departure from the normal variation observed in the reference conditions, and the use of distance from the reference distribution to define any of the effect measures. Reasons for differences in results between the three approaches are explored and strategies for improving the approaches are suggested.     

Exome Sequencing from Nanogram Amounts of Starting DNA: Comparing Three Approaches

Hybridization-based target enrichment protocols require relatively large starting amounts of genomic DNA, which is not always available. Here, we tested three approaches to pre-capture library preparation starting from 10 ng of genomic DNA: (i and ii) whole-genome amplification of DNA samples with REPLI-g (Qiagen) and GenomePlex (Sigma) kits followed by standard library preparation, and (iii) library construction with a low input oriented ThruPLEX kit (Rubicon Genomics). Exome capture with Agilent SureSelect^XT2 Human AllExon v4+UTRs capture probes, and HiSeq2000 sequencing were performed for test libraries along with the control library prepared from 1 µg of starting DNA. Tested protocols were characterized in terms of mapping efficiency, enrichment ratio, coverage of the target region, and reliability of SNP genotyping. REPLI-g- and ThruPLEX-FD-based protocols seem to be adequate solutions for exome sequencing of low input samples.