The influence of water quality and sediment geochemistry on the horizontal and vertical distribution of phosphorus and nitrogen in sediments of a large,shallow lake

Distinct horizontal water column concentration gradients of nutrients and chlorophyll a (Chl a) occur within large, shallow, eutrophic Lake Taihu, China. Concentrations are high in the north, where some of the major polluted tributaries enter the lake, and relatively low in the south, where macrophytes generally are abundant. It is not clear, however, whether these water column concentration gradients are similarly reflected in spatial heterogeneity of nutrient concentrations within the bottom sediments. The main objective of this study was therefore to test if horizontal and vertical variations in the phosphorus and nitrogen content in bottom sediments of Lake Taihu are significantly related to (1) horizontal variations in overlying water column nutrient concentrations and (2) other sediment geochemical constituents. We measured the concentration of total phosphorus (TP) and total nitrogen (TN) in surficial sediments (0–2 cm) and TP, TN and Chl a concentrations in water column samples, collected from 32 sites in 2005. In 2006 sediment, TP, TN, carbon, iron and manganese concentrations were measured vertically at 2 cm intervals, extending to a depth of approximately 20 cm, at an additional eight sites. Linear correlation analysis revealed that surficial sediment TP concentrations across the 32 stations were related significantly, though weakly, to annual mean water column concentrations of TP, TN as well as Chl a. Correlations of surficial sediment TN with water column variables were, however, not significant (P > 0.05). Amongst the geochemical variables tested, the vertical variability of sediment TP concentrations was most strongly related to sediment manganese and carbon concentrations. A multiple stepwise linear regression revealed that the combination of sediment manganese and carbon concentrations explained 91% of the horizontal variability in sediment TP concentrations and 65% of the vertical variability. Handling editor: Luigi Naselli-Flores     

Interactions Between Chronic Stress and Chronic Consumption of Caffeine on the Enzymatic Antioxidant System

We studied the effect of chronic caffeine on parameters related to oxidative stress in different brain regions of stressed and non-stressed rats. Wistar rats were divided into three groups: control (receiving water), caffeine 0.3 g/L and caffeine 1.0 g/L (in the drinking water). These groups were subdivided into non-stressed and stressed (repeated restraint stress during 40 days). Lipid peroxide levels and the total radical-trapping potential were assessed, as well as antioxidant enzyme activities superoxide dismutase, gluthatione peroxidase, and catalase in hippocampus, striatum and cerebral cortex. Results showed interactions between stress and caffeine, especially in the cerebral cortex, since caffeine increased the activity of some antioxidant enzymes, but not in stressed animals. We concluded that chronic administration of caffeine led, in some cases, to increased activity of antioxidant enzymes. However, these effects were not observed in the stressed animals.     

阔叶红松混交林林隙内丘坑复合体特征及分布格局

对小兴安岭凉水国家级自然保护区红松阔叶混交林不同大小林隙及郁闭林分内丘坑复合体特征及分布格局进行了对比和分析.结果表明： 大、中、小林隙及郁闭林分中丘坑复合体的丘宽、丘高、丘厚均大于与之对应的坑宽、坑长、坑深.大林隙内丘坑复合体的丘宽、丘高、丘厚、坑宽、坑长、坑深均最大,分别为2.85、0.37、2.00、2.99、2.10、0.39 m;郁闭林分均最小,分别为2.35、0.19、1.60、2.66、1.65、0.21 m.丘的平均体积（1.66 m³）均大于坑的（1.44 m³）.同一大小林隙内绝大多数丘坑复合体之间的特征值差异显著,而郁闭林分内绝大多数丘坑复合体之间的特征值差异不显著.不同大小林隙及郁闭林分丘坑复合体之间的特征值大多差异显著.2012年样地内丘坑复合体大多数特征值显著小于2011年.89.5%和60.5%的丘坑复合体类型为铰链式,形状为半椭圆状,丘坑复合体的分布格局为相对集中.     

南岭国家级自然保护区林下植物分布的地形相关性

以南岭国家级自然保护区山地森林群落林下植物为研究对象,探讨地形因子对林下植物分布的影响。该区3个海拔高度下的山地常绿阔叶林林下植物组成丰富,但个体多度在样方中的分布存在很大的空间异质性。在9000m^2的样地中设置的450个4m^2小样方,共记录到林下维管植物255种,隶属于95科、181属,总的物种个体多度为18203株。多响应置换过程（MRPP）分析表明,坡向和海拔（p〈0．0001）及坡度（p〈0．05）这3个地形因子对林下植被分布有显著的影响,其影响程度大小排序为：海拔〉坡向〉坡度。指示种分析（ISA）进一步确定了不同地形条件下具有显著指示值（IV≥50）的指示种。本项研究表明林下植物的空间分布会同时受到多个地形因子的影响,因此需综合各因子间的相互作用全面考虑;同时,MRPP结合ISA对于揭示群落植物分布的空间异质性及其与环境因子作用的相互关系、生物多样性保育、森林恢复以及造林引种等方面均有着重要的理论意义和实践价值。     

Mitotic Exit in the Absence of Separase Activity

In budding yeast, three interdigitated pathways regulate mitotic exit (ME): mitotic cyclin–cyclin-dependent kinase (Cdk) inactivation; the Cdc14 early anaphase release (FEAR) network, including a nonproteolytic function of separase (Esp1); and the mitotic exit network (MEN) driven by interaction between the spindle pole body and the bud cortex. Here, we evaluate the contributions of these pathways to ME kinetics. Reducing Cdk activity is critical for ME, and the MEN contributes strongly to ME efficiency. Esp1 contributes to ME kinetics mainly through cohesin cleavage: the Esp1 requirement can be largely bypassed if cells are provided Esp1-independent means of separating sister chromatids. In the absence of Esp1 activity, we observed only a minor ME delay consistent with a FEAR defect. Esp1 overexpression drives ME in Cdc20-depleted cells arrested in metaphase. We have found that this activity of overexpressed Esp1 depended on spindle integrity and the MEN. We defined the first quantitative measure for Cdc14 release based on colocalization with the Net1 nucleolar anchor. This measure indicates efficient Cdc14 release upon MEN activation; release driven by Esp1 in the absence of microtubules was inefficient and incapable of driving ME. We also found a novel role for the MEN: activating Cdc14 nuclear export, even in the absence of Net1.     

Pollen flow of cultivated rice measured under experimental conditions

The pollen flow pattern of a cultivated rice variety, Minghui-63, was studied at horizontal and vertical levels under experimental conditions. Data obtained from pollen traps for six designed populations (as pollen sources) at different intervals showed that the dispersal of rice pollen decreased with the increase of distance from pollen sources and that the rice pollen flow was significantly influenced by weather conditions, particularly by wind direction and speed. For a mean wind speed of 2.52 m/s in a downwind direction, the observed distance of rice pollen dispersal was 38.4 m, indicating that rice pollen grains normally disperse at a relatively small range. However, the maximum distance of rice pollen flow could be up to 110 m, using regression analysis of pollen flow and wind speed, when the wind speed reached 10 m/s in this study. The frequency of pollen flow was positively correlated with pollen source size within a given range, suggesting that pollen flow will occur effectively at a considerable rate in rice fields with sufficiently large pollen sources. In addition, many more pollen grains were detected at the height of 1.0–1.5 m than at 2.0 m, indicating that rice pollen mainly disperses at relatively low heights. Results from this study are useful both for minimizing transgene escape from transgenic rice and in situ conservation of wild relatives of rice, as well as for hybrid seed production, where an effective isolation buffer zone needs to be established.     

东北黑土有机磷的矿化过程研究

用室内恒温控湿培养法和埋袋法研究了不同时间序列下黑土有机磷的矿化过程.结果表明,无论是实验室培养法还是埋袋法,有机磷含量和矿化速率都逐渐下降,累积矿化率逐渐上升.培养法中,两个处理的矿化速率均在1个月时最大,分别为31.67和38.75 mg·kg^-1·month^-1,6个月时累积矿化率和矿化速率分别为7.9%,13.26 mg·kg^-1·month^-1;9.24%,17.99 mg·kg^-1·month^-1.埋袋法中,5个有机物料处理的矿化速率均在1年时最大,分别为55.67、55.65、49.60、19.71和22.52 mg·kg^-1·month^-1,3年时玉米根和小麦根处理的累积矿化率和矿化速率较高(二者3年的累积矿化率约50%,矿化速率约35 mg·kg^-1·month^-1),而大豆根和草根的处理则较低.同时,两种研究方法均表明,有机磷初始含量影响其矿化率和矿化速率,有机磷初始含量愈高,其矿化率和矿化速率就愈高.     

Genetic Recombination in Coprinus. IV. a Kinetic Study of the Temperature Effect on Recombination Frequency

At the restrictive conditions (35 degrees under continuous light) Coprinus lagopus is unable to initiate premeiotic S phase which takes place normally within 8-10 h of karyogamy. A shift-up to the restrictive conditions causes an arrest of the basidiocarps at this critical stage. A prolonged arrest causes a reversal to mitosis (Lu 1974b). Incubation of basidiocarps at the restrictive conditions before this critical stage causes no increase in recombination frequency (R.F.) in the loci studied. An arrest of 4 h at the critical stage still causes no R.F. increase, but 12-13 h and 18-19 h arrests cause increases of 50% and 90% over the controls, respectively. Thus R.F. can be increased even before the cells are fully committed to meiosis.-A 3-h heat treatment at the beginning of S phase (or 8 h before karyogamy) also causes some (30%) increase in R.F. while the same treatment at late S phase (or 3 h before karyogamy) causes a substantial (164%) increase in R.F. over the controls. A 3-h heat treatment before S phase causes no increase in R.F.-Pachytene is also responsive to temperature treatments (Lu 1969). The maximum R.f. increase is 100% by heat and 220% by cold treatment. The shortest time that can cause the maximum increase in recombination by high temperature is 3 h and that by cold treatment is 7 h. These durations are correlated with the length of the pachytene stage under the treatment conditions. The kinetic data show that the increase in R.F. caused by high and low temperatures follows two-hit kinetics and their rate of increase is almost identical. The higher increase in R.F. by low temperature can be attributed to the increased duration of pachytene and therefore R.F. is a function of time. The longer the homologous chromosomes are held together, the higher the recombination frequency.     

水稻条叶枯病毒(RStV)基因组组分4的克隆与序列分析

利用RTPCR技术合成并扩增了水稻条叶枯病毒(RStV)中国云南分离物基因组组分4的全长cDNA,将PCR产物克隆在载体pCRII上,并进行全序列测定,所得核苷酸序列及推测的氨基酸序列与日本分离物T进行比较。结果表明,在核苷酸水平,两分离物的vORF、vcORF及基因间非编码区序列的同源性分别为94.9%、94.1%、86.1%,5’端非编码区序列相同,而3’非编码区同源性为96.1%,仅有两个核苷酸不同;在氨基酸水平,vORF及vcORF编码蛋白的同源性分别为99.4%和98.3%。可见,编码区的大小及其氨基酸序列和两末端序列都是很保守的。因此,中国云南分离物Y与日本分离物T可能有很近的亲缘关系。