Fertility on the US-Mexico border

Using Bongaarts' model, the relative importance of the proximate determinants of fertility is explored in five populations on the US-Mexico border. For the groups closest to natural fertility (the two Mexican groups), lactation, use of contraception, and marriage all were moderately important in terms of their direct effect on fertility. For the group with lowest fertility (Anglo-American), contraceptive use was an important factor inhibiting fertility; marriage was important but not nearly as important as contraceptive use. For the two US Mexican-American groups, contraceptive use was an important intermediate variable, not as important as for Anglo-Americans, but more important than it was for the two populations in Mexico. The proportion married was a moderately important factor for the Mexican-American groups. For these five populations the principal differences in fertility rates result from substantial differences in the use of effective contraception. Bongaarts' model proved very useful as an analytical framework in this study.     

Having a Lot of a Good Thing: Multiple Important Group Memberships as a Source of Self-Esteem

Membership in important social groups can promote a positive identity. We propose and test an identity resource model in which personal self-esteem is boosted by membership in additional important social groups. Belonging to multiple important group memberships predicts personal self-esteem in children (Study 1a), older adults (Study 1b), and former residents of a homeless shelter (Study 1c). Study 2 shows that the effects of multiple important group memberships on personal self-esteem are not reducible to number of interpersonal ties. Studies 3a and 3b provide longitudinal evidence that multiple important group memberships predict personal self-esteem over time. Studies 4 and 5 show that collective self-esteem mediates this effect, suggesting that membership in multiple important groups boosts personal self-esteem because people take pride in, and derive meaning from, important group memberships. Discussion focuses on when and why important group memberships act as a social resource that fuels personal self-esteem.     

三峡库区生态系统服务功能重要性评价

在RS与GIS技术支持下,选择研究区比较重要的生物多样性保护、土壤保持、水源涵养和营养物质保持四个生态系统服务功能,建立生态系统服务功能重要性评价模型与方法,对三峡库区重庆段生态系统服务功能进行综合研究,定量揭示了研究区生态系统服务功能重要性程度及其空间分布规律.结果表明:(1)生物多样性保护高度重要以上地区的面积比达到了15％以上;极重要地区主要呈斑块状分布在东北部、中部和东南部.(2)土壤保持极重要区占据绝对优势地位,面积比为68.80％;土壤保持极重要区主要分布在万州及其东北部地区.(3)水源涵养一般重要区面积最大,其次为极重要地区;极重要区沿江河呈带状分布,高度重要区主要分布在极重要区两侧沿江河呈环带状分布.(4)营养物质保持一般重要区面积最大;其次是极重要区;极重要区基本呈条带形分布在植被覆盖较好的山脉及江河两侧.(5)生态系统服务功能极重要和高度重要区的面积占到了研究区总面积的近50％;极重要区基本沿主要江河两侧第一层分水岭和西部平行岭谷区的山脊呈条带形分布;高度重要区基本分布在极重要区两侧层环带形分布,少部分零散分布.     

Mechanical plasticity and contractile properties of airway smooth muscle

Smooth muscle has the unique ability to adapt easily and quickly to length changes without compromising its ability to generate force. This ability is referred to as mechanical plasticity and is now considered to be an important aspect of smooth muscle that affects both its contractile and relaxation behaviour. It is therefore important to incorporate knowledge of plasticity into further studies of smooth muscle behaviour. It is also important that future studies be focused on deciphering the mechanism of smooth muscle length adaptation and plasticity. This review outlines some of the proposed mechanisms determining plasticity. However, it should be said that there are other proposed mechanisms not touched upon here, which may be equally as important. This review also focuses on the relevance of smooth muscle plasticity in asthma, but it is important to remember that there are other places where smooth muscle plasticity may play an equally important role.     

江苏沿江地区出口农产品仓储甲虫种类调查及检疫重要性分析

通过对江苏沿江地区出口农产品仓储甲虫调查,鉴定出仓储甲虫36个科115种,其中以皮蠹科、锯谷盗科、步甲科种类较多,均占6．96％。本文提出用选择性指数和适合性指数评价仓储甲虫的检疫重要性。据此将各种仓储甲虫划分为重要仓储害虫、较重要仓储害虫与次要仓储害虫三大类。     

Development of a scoring method to identify important areas of plant diversity in Ireland

In the face of accelerating biodiversity loss it is more important than ever to identify important areas of biodiversity and target limited resources for conservation. We developed a method to identify areas of important plant diversity using known species’ distributions and evaluations of the species importance. We collated distribution records of vascular plants and developed a scoring method of spatial prioritisation to assign conservation value to the island of Ireland at the hectad scale (10 km × 10 km) and at the tetrad scale (2 km × 2 km) for two counties where sufficient data were available. Each plant species was assigned a species conservation value based on both its conservation status and distribution in Ireland. For each cell, the species conservation values within the cell were summed, thereby differentiating between areas of high and low conservation value across the landscape. Areas with high conservation value represent the most important areas for plant conservation.The protected area cover and the number of species present in these important areas were also examined by first defining threshold values using two different criteria. Species representation was high in the important areas; the identified important areas of plant diversity maintained high representation of species of conservation concern and achieved high species representation overall, requiring a low number of sites (<8%) to do so. The coincidence of protected areas and important areas for plant diversity was found to be low and while some important areas of plant diversity might benefit from the general protection afforded by these areas, our research highlights the need for conservation outside of protected areas.     

Evolution of microbiology as seen in the textbooks of Edwin O. Jordan and William H. Park

Historians of science account the appearance of textbooks as an important step in the formation and consolidation of a new discipline. The texts of Park and Jordan were both very important in this light; however; they also can be used as a gauge of changing concepts within microbiology in the first four decades after its consolidation as a discipline, 1900-1940. This paper tracks these important texts and through them changing attitudes toward several important concepts: bacterial variation, human/bovine tuberculosis, and the existence of a non-symptomatic carrier state in infectious disease. The two texts are also compared regarding their view of microbes as pathogens vs. microbes as important and ubiquitous ecological agents.     

脱落酸和赤霉素调控种子休眠与萌发研究进展

种子的休眠与萌发是高等植物生长发育进程中非常重要的环节,是维系物种繁衍的重要过程。而激素在这一过程中扮演着非常重要的角色。而在这个过程中脱落酸(abscisic acid,ABA)和赤霉素(gibberellin GA)发挥着尤其重要的作用。本文综述了当前对复杂分子网络的理解,这些分子网络涉及脱落酸和赤霉素在调节种子休眠和萌发中的关键作用,其中含AP2结构域的转录因子起着关键作用。     

Polymorphic microsatellite loci in the European rabbit (Oryctolagus cuniculus) are also amplified in other lagomorph species

Six polymorphic microsatellite markers developed for the European wild rabbit ( Oryctolagus cuniculus ) were amplified with 20 other species of lagomorphs, representing both commercially important species and species important from a conservation perspective. Successful amplification of a number of these loci has provided an important set of new molecular markers for this mammalian order.     

Genome-wide approaches to identifying genetic factors in host susceptibility to tuberculosis

Host genetic factors are important in determining susceptibility to Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Genome-wide linkage studies have been performed in humans and in murine models of tuberculosis susceptibility. These studies have identified several important candidate loci for susceptibility to tuberculosis. This is an important step in resolving the complex etiology of the disease.     

面向生态系统结构的生物多样性保护成效空间对比评估

开展生物多样性保护成效对比评估对于合理执行生态补偿机制的转移支付政策,以及进一步促进全国生态保护管理水平的有效提升都具有重要意义。以2015年版《全国生态功能区划》划定的生物多样性保护重要生态功能区为研究对象,采用生物多样性保护成效结构指数,探讨重要生态功能区生物多样性保护成效的区域分异情况。研究结果表明：(1)华南、华东与华中地区重要生态功能区的生态结构参照基准较高,东北地区重要生态功能区居中,较差的重要生态功能区则位于西南和西北地区,说明了全国生态环境本底的区域分异性;(2)西北和西南地区重要生态功能区的保护成效结构指数较高,华中和华南地区居中,而东北和华东地区的保护成效结构指数较低,体现了2015年全国重要生态功能区生物多样性保护成效的空间差异情况;(3)从草原、森林与湿地生物多样性的保护成效结构指数来看,西北与西南地区、东北和西南地区及华东地区的重要生态功能区分别具有较大优势。上述研究结果反映了全国重要生态功能区生物多样性保护成效优劣的空间差异状况,可为政府部门健全生态补偿机制以及制定生态系统恢复方案提供决策参考。     

糖链及其蛋白质糖基化

基因和蛋白质是生物统一性的重要标志,而糖链则是生物多样性最重要的标志分子。糖基化作为蛋白质翻译后重要的修饰方式,有其重要的生物学意义。本文综述了糖链的结构、功能及其蛋白质糖基化的类型、影响因素、表达系统等相关问题。     

蜘蛛飞航研究进展

种群扩散能够避免生物类群在同一栖息地中的资源竞争和同类相残, 促进基因流动, 具有重要的进化和生态意义。相比于昆虫的迁飞行为, 某些不具翅的节肢动物也能够借助细丝的作用而实现远距离扩散, 即飞航。蜘蛛为肉食性动物, 是陆地生态系统的重要组成部分, 在生态系统中防控害虫方面作用显著。飞航是蜘蛛的一种重要扩散方式, 在其物种形成、生态位分化及害虫防控等方面具有重要意义, 但有关其飞航扩散的报道较少。本文回顾了蜘蛛飞航的研究历程, 大致可分为三个阶段; 总结了其研究现状, 包括飞航蜘蛛的优势类群及特征、飞航过程中的三个环节(即起飞、空中航行和降落)及影响因子、两种飞航机制及四种相关模型、飞航蜘蛛采集和研究方法。同时基于过往研究, 指出了未来蜘蛛飞航研究的重点领域: 加强飞航蜘蛛类群鉴定工作, 继续深度挖掘飞航数据与环境因子间的关系, 探索蜘蛛飞航的全过程(包括起飞、空中航行和降落), 更加明确蜘蛛飞航作为一种扩散方式的意义。本综述将为蜘蛛飞航的知识普及、资源保护和利用等方面提供重要参考。     

TRPC1和Ca2＋在帕金森病内质网应激中的作用

帕金森病是一种常见的神经系统退行性疾病,内质网应激在帕金森病发病过程中具有重要的作用。瞬时受体电位阳离子通道1（transient receptor potential channel 1,TRPCI）是非选择性的阳离子通道,主要位于细胞膜上,叮以调节Ca2＋的内流和抑制内质网应激所致的神经元凋亡。Ca2＋是细胞内重要的第二信使,其浓度的稳定对维持细胞的功能起着重要作用。内质网是细胞内Ca2＋储存的重要细胞器。因此,TRPCI和Ca2＋在帕金森病中起着重要作用。综述了TRPCI和Ca2＋与帕金森病内质网应激的相关进展。     

配对螺旋样纤维(PHF)-Tau与神经细胞的死亡

神经纤维缠结(neurofibrillary tangles, NFT)是老年性痴呆病的重要病理特征,人类神经tau分子聚集形成的配对螺旋样纤维(paired helical filaments, PHF)是NFT的主要成分.最近研究表明,PHF与神经细胞的坏死和程序化死亡密切相关,其作用机理可能是诱发细胞内氧化自由基系统的启动而导致神经细胞死亡的.     

IL-36 a new member of the IL-1 family cytokines

Interleukin-36 (IL-36) is a pro-inflammatory cytokine which plays an important role in innate and adaptive immunity. IL-36 activates MAPK and NF-kB pathways and is produced by many different cells. This cytokine is a family member of interleukin-1 (IL-1) and plays an important role in the pathophysiology of several diseases. Here we summarise and review the new aspects of this important pro-inflammatory cytokine.     

生物多样性重要区域识别——国外案例、国内研究进展

生物多样性丧失已经成为全球重大环境问题之一,重要区域或重要物种的识别是制定和实施保护计划的首要步骤,生物多样性保护的优先性研究成为保护生物学研究的焦点之一。优先保护的概念很早就被提出,保护国际(Conservation International,CI)一直倡导的热点地区途径受到国际社会的重视,生物多样性重要区域(KBAs)可以是综合的,也可以是单一类群的重要区域,如不同的国家已经开展了鸟类重要区域(important bird areas,IBAs)、植物重要区域(important plants areas,IPAs)、蝴蝶重要区域(prime butterfly areas,PBAs)和两栖爬行动物重要区域(important amphibians and reptiles areas,IARAs)等的识别研究工作。集中力量优先保护一些重要的地区是目前生物多样性保护较为现实和高效的途径。以佛得角群岛(the Cape Verde Islands)、意大利(Italy)、荷兰(the Netherlands)分别依据动物、植物单一类群或多个类群组合进行生物多样性重要区域识别为例,介绍了几个国家的生物多样性重要区域识别经验,概述国内在生物多样性重要区域识别领域的研究现状,详细介绍了海南岛生物多样性保护优先区识别案例,同时以国务院2010年批准实施的《中国生物多样性保护战略与行动计划(2011—2030年)》划定的32个陆地生物多样性保护优先区为例,提出中国未来应全面开展生物多样性本底调查,在充分获取生物多样性分布数据的基础上,依据植被类型和物种多样性以及受威胁因素等,在32个陆地生物多样性保护优先区内进一步客观准确地识别生物多样性重要区域(热点中的热点或重要区域中的重要区域),为中国未来的保护地规划、生物多样性监测、政策制定等提供科学支撑。     

The metagenomic basis of anammox metabolism in Candidatus 'Brocadia fulgida'

Anammox (anaerobic ammonium oxidation) coupled to nitrite reduction is an important step in the nitrogen cycle and has been recognized as an important sink for fixed nitrogen in the ocean. Still little is known about the genomic blueprint of different anammox species. In the present article, we discuss the important genes of anammox metabolism in Candidatus 'Brocadia fulgida' that were retrieved via a metagenomic approach.     

抗增殖蛋白2：一种线粒体和细胞核之间的重要媒介

抗增殖蛋白2 (prohibitin2, PHB2)是抗增殖蛋白(prohibitin, PHB)家族中的重要成员,是主要定位于线粒体内膜的多功能蛋白质,对维持线粒体形态和功能的稳定具有重要作用,同时也是细胞内稳态和细胞分化的重要调节因子。随着对PHB2的深入研究,已发现PHB2是一种线粒体和细胞核之间重要的媒介。PHB2是细胞中必不可少的,它直接参与多种细胞进程并发挥重要作用,如调节转录因子的转录活性、调节细胞的分化与凋亡、维持线粒体形态和功能的稳定、调节姐妹染色单体的结合、神经细胞的修复和再生、轴突的发育形成和增强细胞氧化应激耐受性。近年来,PHB2在病理生理学中的作用及其在疾病治疗中的药靶地位受到高度重视。本文对PHB2研究的最新进展进行综述。     

Identification of Genome-Wide Copy Number Variations among Diverse Pig Breeds Using SNP Genotyping Arrays

Copy number variations (CNVs) are important forms of genetic variation complementary to SNPs, and can be considered as promising markers for some phenotypic and economically important traits or diseases susceptibility in domestic animals. In the present study, we performed a genome-wide CNV identification in 14 individuals selected from diverse populations, including six types of Chinese indigenous breeds, one Asian wild boar population, as well as three modern commercial foreign breeds. We identified 63 CNVRs in total, which covered 9.98 Mb of polymorphic sequence and corresponded to 0.36% of the genome sequence. The length of these CNVRs ranged from 3.20 to 827.21 kb, with an average of 158.37 kb and a median of 97.85 kb. Functional annotation revealed these identified CNVR have important molecular function, and may play an important role in exploring the genetic basis of phenotypic variability and disease susceptibility among pigs. Additionally, to confirm these potential CNVRs, we performed qPCR for 12 randomly selected CNVRs and 8 of them (66.67%) were confirmed successfully. CNVs detected in diverse populations herein are essential complementary to the CNV map in the pig genome, which provide an important resource for studies of genomic variation and the association between various economically important traits and CNVs.