陕西乾县的旧石器

石制品八件,发现于陕西乾县大北沟黄土之下砂砾粘土层中,和更新世晚期的哺乳类化石伴存。另外由大北沟附近地表拾到一件手斧,和蓝田平梁的大尖状器相似,推测为旧石器时代的文化遗物。     

走马胎的组织培养与快速繁殖

以走马胎(Ardisia gigantifolia)幼嫩茎段为外植体, 通过腋芽增殖的方式进行组织培养和快速繁殖研究。结果表明, 培养基MS+1.0 mg·L ^-1 6-BA+0.2 mg·L ^-1NAA和MS+0.5 mg·L ^-1 ZT均可用于腋芽的诱导和前期继代培养, 诱导率分别为89.3%和85.7%; 芽增殖最佳培养基为MS+0.5 mg·L ^-16-BA+0.1 mg·L ^-1ZT+0.1 mg·L ^-1NAA, 增殖系数为4.3倍; 根诱导最佳培养基为1/2MS+1.5 mg·L ^-1 IAA+1.0 mg·L ^-1 NAA, 生根率达92.3%, 且根系发达, 植株健壮; 生根苗在混合基质园土:泥炭:珍珠岩=3:1:1 (v/v/v )中移栽成活率为82%。该研究建立了走马胎种苗的组织培养快速繁殖技术体系, 且可应用于规模化生产。     

Identifying suitable reference genes for developing and injured mouse CNS tissues

Accurate quantification of gene expression is fundamental for understanding the molecular, genetic and functional bases of tissue development and diseases. Quantitative real‐time PCR (qPCR) is now the most widely used method of quantifying gene expression due to its simplicity, specificity, sensitivity, and wide quantification range. The use of appropriate reference genes to ensure accurate normalization is crucial for the correct quantification of gene expression from the early development, maturation, aging to injury processes in the central nervous system (CNS). In this study, we have determined the expression profiles of 12 candidate housekeeping genes (ACTB, CYC1, HMBS, GAPDH, HPRT1, RPL13A, YWHAZ, PPIA, RPLP0, TFRC, GUS, and 18S rRNA) in developing mouse brain and spinal cord. Throughout development, there was a significant degree of fluctuations in their expression levels, indicating the importance and complexity of finding appropriate reference genes. Three software including BestKeeper, geNorm and NormFinder were used to evaluate the stability of potential reference genes. GUS was the most stable gene and GUS/YWHAZ were the most stable reference gene pair across different developmental stages in different CNS regions, whereas HPRT1 and GAPDH were the most variable genes and thus inappropriate to use as reference genes. Therefore, our results identified GUS and YWHAZ as the best combination of two reference genes for expression data normalization in CNS developmental studies. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Develop Neurobiol 78: 39–50, 2018     

The murine pan T cell marker CD96 is an adhesion receptor for CD155 and nectin-1

The CD155 ligand CD96 is an immunoglobulin-like protein tentatively allocated to the repertoire of human NK receptors. We report here that the CD96/CD155-interaction is preserved between man and mouse although both receptors are only moderately conserved in amino acid sequence. Moreover, murine CD96 (mCD96) binds to nectin-1, a receptor related to CD155. Applying newly generated monoclonal antibodies specifically recognizing mCD96, an expression profile is revealed resembling closely that of human CD96 (hCD96) on cells of hematopoietic origin. A panel of anti-mCD96 but also recently established anti-mCD155 antibodies effectively prevents formation of CD96/CD155-complexes. This was exploited to demonstrate that the only available receptor for mCD96 present on thymocytes is mCD155. Moreover, T cell adhesion to insect cells expressing mCD155 is blocked by these antibodies depending on the T cell subtype. These results suggest a function of the CD96/CD155-adhesion system in T cell biology.     

半干旱黄土高原地区春小麦地膜覆盖研究概述

在黄土高原半干旱地区春小麦上进行的地膜覆盖试验表明,地膜覆盖通过改善耕层土壤生态环境条件,即通过改善水,热状况,活化土壤养分,对提高水分和养分利用效率,实现粮食增产具有重要作用,但近年来在生产实践和科学实验中发现,不合理的长期全生育期地膜覆盖,因在作物生长前期和中期覆膜作物较不覆膜作物生长好,覆膜作物在生长期水分蒸腾损失严重,土壤水分的蒸散（蒸发＋蒸腾）损失远比不覆膜土壤严重,在作物生长后期降水少或没有补充灌溉时,会产生严重的水分肋迫现象,显著抑制小穗分化和灌浆,最终导致收获得指数和产量下降,同时,地膜覆盖的增产作用在一定程度上是以耗竭土壤肥力,特别是在有机物质为代 的,因此,不正确的地膜覆盖（如全生育期的地膜覆盖）,不仅有时起不到显著的增产作用,而且易造成土壤养分,特别是土壤中硝态氮的累积和损失,肥料利用效率降低,土壤生态条件恶化,下降,难以持续高产,因此在确定地膜覆盖范式时,必须要考虑底墒,作物生育期降水,地膜覆盖的阶段性和氮肥的施用等。     

Development of mechanistically based model for simulating soluble microbial products generation in an aerated/non-aerated SBR

Soluble microbial products (SMPs) are considered as the main organic components in wastewater treatment plant effluent from biological wastewater treatment systems. To investigate and explore SMP metabolism pathway for further treatment and control, two innovative mechanistically based activated sludge models were developed by extension of activated sludge model no.3 (ASM3). One was the model by combining SMP formation and degradation (ASM3-SMP model) processes with ASM3, and the other by combining both SMP and simultaneous substrate storage and growth (SSSG) mechanisms with ASM3 (SSSG-ASM3-SMP model). The detailed schematic modification and process supplements were introduced for comprehensively understanding all the mechanisms involved in the activated sludge process. The evaluations of these two models were demonstrated by a laboratory-scale sequencing batch reactor (SBR) operated under aerated/non-aerated conditions. The simulated and measured results indicated that SMP comprised about 83% of total soluble chemical oxygen demand (SCOD) in which biomass-associated products (BAPs) were predominant compared with utilization-associated products (UAPs). It also elucidated that there should be a minimum SMP value as the reactive time increases continuously and this conclusion could be used to optimize effluent SCOD in activated sludge processes. The comparative results among ASM3, ASM3-SMP and SSSG-ASM3-SMP models and the experimental measurements (SCOD, ammonia and nitrate nitrogen) showed clearly the best agreement with SSSG-ASM3-SMP simulation values (R = 0.993), strongly suggesting that both SMP formation and degradation and SSSG mechanisms are necessary in biologically activated sludge modeling for municipal wastewater treatment.     

A new method for the determination of critical polyethylene glycol concentration for selective precipitation of DNA fragments

Separation strategies based on size-selective precipitation of DNA fragments with polyethylene glycol (PEG) have been used for achieving desired DNA interval in automated sample preparation for next-generation sequencing. By varying PEG concentration, DNA fragments of different sizes can be precipitated onto surfaces of carboxyl-coated paramagnetic particles selectively, and therefore, the desired DNA interval can be obtained. However, one of the crucial points in this approach is to determine the critical PEG concentration for DNA fragment of a certain size. The aim of this work was to develop a convenient and reliable method for accurately determining the critical PEG concentration. In our method, at a fixed concentration of sodium chloride (NaCl), recovered DNA samples obtained with different PEG concentrations were directly quantified, and their concentrations as a function of the PEG concentration were fitted by the logistic function. The critical PEG value was easily and accurately determined from the fitted logistic function. The repeatability and stability of the critical PEG value were assessed, showing an excellent reliability of the method. Based on this method, critical PEG values of different-size DNA fragments were determined at different NaCl concentrations. The effectiveness of the method was also demonstrated by selective precipitation of DNA fragments.