Demographic history of the Tibetan antelope Pantholops hodgsoni(chiru)

The Tibetan antelope(chiru,Pantholops hodgsoni),a heavily poached species and symbol of the QinghaiTibetan Plateau(QTP),is noted worldwide for its special calving migration.This species originated in the early Quaternary and it is interesting to know how the following climatic oscillations affected its demographic dynamics in the climate-sensitive QTP.In this study,we analyzed the mitochondrial D-loop region from 312 individuals sampled in all of the six major populations.We found high rates of gene flow and little genetic differentiation between populations,suggesting that the calving migration may have homogenized the genetic pool of this species.Both mismatch distribution analyses and coalescent simulations suggested that this species experienced a demographic expansion approximately 600-200 Kyt following the retreat of the large glaciers developed in the QTP at 800-600 Kyr,rather than at the end of the last glacial age,as previously suggested based on a limited sample size.In addition,we found evidence of a chiru population decrease probably related to the human settings at the QTP during the middle Holocene.     

Sex-dependent antioxidant enzyme activities and lipid peroxidation in ageing mouse brain

We investigated whether oxidant status and antioxidant enzyme activities during ageing of mouse brain are regulated in sex-dependent manner. In the homogenate from the brain of 1, 4, 10 and 18 months old male and female CBA mice, lipid peroxidation (LPO), total superoxide dismutase (tSOD), catalase (CAT) and glutathione peroxidase (Gpx) were determined. LPO was age- and sex-related, favoring males over females throughout the lifespan with the peak in both sexes at 10 months of age. Throughout ageing, no difference in tSOD activity between male and female brains was observed, except in immature 1 month old mice. Gender-related difference in Gpx activity was observed, with higher level in females comparing to males, reaching statistical significance in senescent (18 months old) animals. CAT activity was drastically changed with ageing in both the male and female brain. We found different age associated trends in CAT activity in males and females: decreased with age in males and increased with age in females. Taken together, the present findings indicate that brains of female mice have lower oxidant and higher antioxidant capacity mostly related to CAT and to a lesser extent to Gpx activity.     

地表火对红花尔基沙地樟子松种群空间分布格局的影响

利用全林木定位的方法, 对地表火干扰1年后的樟子松(Pinus sylvestris L. var. mongolica Litv.)林进行调查, 并通过假设检验和成对相关函数对其林火及林分结构特征和空间格局进行分析。结果表明, 林火强度相似的同一场地表火干扰下, 不同林分的密度均大大降低, 胸高断面积仅略有下降, 林分结构特征则有趋同的态势。不同林分的空间格局也有相似的变化趋势, 烧死木均表现为显著的双尺度聚集分布及显著的正相关, 活立木也表现出显著的正相关; 地表火干扰前后, 樟子松林的空间格局均为显著的聚集分布, 但地表火干扰后其聚集分布的尺度范围变小; 存活林木中, 大树和幼树则呈现出相互独立或略微排斥的关系。显然, 地表火驱动下, 不同樟子松林的空间格局呈现出相似的变化趋势, 并推动其向着成熟林方向演替, 这对天然樟子松林的资源保护和经营管理有着重要意义。     

Specific Loss of Histone H3 Lysine 9 Trimethylation and HP1γ/Cohesin Binding at D4Z4 Repeats Is Associated with Facioscapulohumeral Dystrophy (FSHD)

Facioscapulohumeral dystrophy (FSHD) is an autosomal dominant muscular dystrophy in which no mutation of pathogenic gene(s) has been identified. Instead, the disease is, in most cases, genetically linked to a contraction in the number of 3.3 kb D4Z4 repeats on chromosome 4q. How contraction of the 4qter D4Z4 repeats causes muscular dystrophy is not understood. In addition, a smaller group of FSHD cases are not associated with D4Z4 repeat contraction (termed “phenotypic” FSHD), and their etiology remains undefined. We carried out chromatin immunoprecipitation analysis using D4Z4–specific PCR primers to examine the D4Z4 chromatin structure in normal and patient cells as well as in small interfering RNA (siRNA)–treated cells. We found that SUV39H1–mediated H3K9 trimethylation at D4Z4 seen in normal cells is lost in FSHD. Furthermore, the loss of this histone modification occurs not only at the contracted 4q D4Z4 allele, but also at the genetically intact D4Z4 alleles on both chromosomes 4q and 10q, providing the first evidence that the genetic change (contraction) of one 4qD4Z4 allele spreads its effect to other genomic regions. Importantly, this epigenetic change was also observed in the phenotypic FSHD cases with no D4Z4 contraction, but not in other types of muscular dystrophies tested. We found that HP1γ and cohesin are co-recruited to D4Z4 in an H3K9me3–dependent and cell type–specific manner, which is disrupted in FSHD. The results indicate that cohesin plays an active role in HP1 recruitment and is involved in cell type–specific D4Z4 chromatin regulation. Taken together, we identified the loss of both histone H3K9 trimethylation and HP1γ/cohesin binding at D4Z4 to be a faithful marker for the FSHD phenotype. Based on these results, we propose a new model in which the epigenetic change initiated at 4q D4Z4 spreads its effect to other genomic regions, which compromises muscle-specific gene regulation leading to FSHD pathogenesis.     

中国森林生物量的估算：对Fang et al.

 Science杂志于2001年发表了方精云等人关于中国森林植被碳库及其变化的论文(Fang et al., 2001, 291: 2320～2322)。该文利用大量的生物量实测数据,结合使用中国50年来的森林资源清查资料及相关的统计资料,基于生物量换算因子连续函数法,研究了中国森林植被碳库及其时空变化。这是一个大时空尺度的工作,涉及一些大尺度生态学研究的原理、方法以及尺度转换问题。由于篇幅所限,论文并未详细说明这些问题。为了帮助理解大尺度生态学研究的方法和思路,本文给出了论文中涉及生物量计算的理论基础,对     

Identification of a novel class of androgen receptor antagonists based on the bicyclic-1H-isoindole-1,3(2H)-dione nucleus

A novel series of isoindoledione based compounds were identified as potent antagonists of the androgen receptor (AR). SAR around this series revealed dramatic differences in binding and function in mutant variants (MT) of the AR as compared to the wild type (WT) receptor. Optimization of the aniline portion revealed substitution patterns, which yielded potent antagonist activity against the WT AR as well as the MT AR found in the LNCaP and PCa2b human prostate tumor cell lines.     

广义估计方程在CT显示方法研究数据分析中的应用

目的:探讨广义估计方程在CT显示方法研究中的应用.方法:采用SAS软件的GENMOD过程,应用广义估计方程方法分析CT显示方法研究实例.结果:给出了广义估计方程SAS程序,并对参数估计和两两比较结果进行解释.结论:广义估计方程能有效的分析CT显示方法研究中反应变量为两分类或多分类的非独立数据.