Myopia Development in Tree Shrew Is Associated with Chronic Inflammatory Reactions

In this study, we aimed to investigate whether chronic retinal inflammation is involved in the pathogenesis of form-deprivation myopia (FDM) using tree shrews as an animal model. Twenty-one tree shrews were randomly divided into 7-day/14-day FDM (FDM7/FDM14) groups and their corresponding 7-day/14-day control groups. Refraction and axial length were measured. To determine the effects of form deprivation on inflammation, we used real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and immunohistochemistry to assess the expression levels of several proinflammatory cytokines. At day 0, the eyes in the FDM and control groups were hyperopic. However, after 7 and 14 days of form deprivation, the refractive error of the eyes in the FDM7 and FDM14 groups shifted from +6.6 ± 0.3 diopters (D) to +4.0 ± 0.5 D and from +6.4 ± 0.3 D to +5.0 ± 0.3 D, respectively. The levels of tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, and nuclear factor κB were increased in the FDM eyes, compared with those in the control eyes. The increase in matrix metalloproteinase-2 expression was greater in the FDM eyes than in the contralateral and control eyes, whereas collagen type I expression was downregulated. In conclusion, chronic inflammation may play a crucial pathogenic role in form-deprivation myopia in tree shrews.     

One night of sleep deprivation induces release of small extracellular vesicles into circulation and promotes platelet activation by small EVs

Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are emerging as key players in intercellular communication. Few studies have focused on EV levels in subjects with sleep disorders. Here, we aimed to explore the role of acute sleep deprivation on the quantity and functionality of circulating EVs, and their tissue distribution. EVs were isolated by ultracentrifugation from the plasma of volunteers and animals undergoing one night of sleep deprivation. Arterio‐venous shunt, FeCl₃ thrombus test and thrombin‐induced platelet aggregation assay were conducted to evaluate the in vivo and in vitro bioactivity of small EVs. Western blotting was performed to measure the expression of EV proteins. The fate and distribution of circulating small EVs were determined by intravital imaging. We found that one night of sleep deprivation triggers release of small EVs into the circulation in both healthy individuals and animals. Injection of sleep deprivation‐liberated small EVs into animals increased thrombus formation and weight in thrombosis models. Also, sleep deprivation‐liberated small EVs promoted platelet aggregation induced by thrombin. Mechanistically, sleep deprivation increased the levels of HMGB1 protein in small EVs, which play important roles in platelet activation. Furthermore, we found sleep deprivation‐liberated small EVs are more readily localize in the liver. These data suggested that one night of sleep deprivation is a stress for small EV release, and small EVs released here may increase the risk of thrombosis. Further, small EVs may be implicated in long distance signalling during sleep deprivation‐mediated adaptation processes.     

沼泽湿地恢复演替过程中朝天委陵菜间隔子性状与分枝强度的关系

间隔子和分株影响克隆植物的空间分布和资源获取,二者之间关系的研究有助于理解克隆植物的生态适应机制。按照恢复时间设置I(5a)、II(15a)、III(25a)3个梯度,研究了永昌北海子国家湿地公园沼泽湿地恢复演替过程中朝天委陵菜(Potentilla supina)间隔子长度、直径与分枝强度之间的关系。结果表明:随着沼泽湿地恢复演替的进行,湿地群落的高度、盖度和生物量逐渐增大,土壤含水量、有机质逐渐增大,土壤容重逐渐降低;湿地群落的优势植物种群由朝天委陵菜转为黑麦草;朝天委陵菜间隔子长度和直径增大,分株数减小;间隔子长度、直径与分枝强度均呈显著负相关关系(P<0.05)。沼泽湿地恢复演替过程中,朝天委陵菜由选择垄断区域资源转向逃避或忍耐不利生境,体现了湿地克隆植物在异质性生境中独特的适应性。     

新疆塔什库尔干野生动物自然保护区马可波罗盘羊生境适宜性评价

马可波罗盘羊是帕米尔高原的代表性物种,开展生境适宜性评价对于该物种的保护与管理具有重要意义。综合考虑植被、地形等影响马可波罗盘羊生境选择的关键因子,以及道路和牧场等人为干扰因子,借助ArcGIS,构建生境适宜性指数模型,在不同尺度上评价分析马可波罗盘羊的生境适宜性及其季节变化特征。结果表明:15836 km²保护区内马可波罗盘羊夏季潜在适宜生境面积为2127.19 km²,冬季为1915.70 km²。保护区西北部面积3767.73 km²的马可波罗盘羊实际分布区内,夏季潜在适宜生境面积为1095.48 km²,冬季为1072.82 km²,马可波罗盘羊适宜生境集中分布于保护区内该物种实际分布区。受人为干扰,保护区内马可波罗盘羊夏季和冬季实际适宜生境丧失率分别为18.43%和17.78%,实际分布区内适宜生境丧失率分别为33.65%和29.73%,表明实际分布区马可波罗盘羊适宜生境受人类活动影响较大,应予以重点保护。总体而言,影响马可波罗盘羊生境适宜性的关...     

增温和外源碳输入对泥炭地土壤碳氮循环关键微生物功能基因丰度的影响

为探讨温度升高和外源碳输入对泥炭地土壤碳氮循环关键微生物的影响,于2017年7月采集多年冻土区泥炭地表层(0—10 cm和10—20 cm)土壤样品,在10、15℃两个温度下开展为期42d的增温模拟试验,同时设置葡萄糖添加处理,利用荧光定量PCR技术分析泥炭地土壤碳氮循环关键微生物丰度变化,同时分析增温和外源碳输入对泥炭地土壤活性碳组分和无机氮含量的影响。结果表明:温度升高可导致北方泥炭地表层土壤微生物丰度以及群落结构变化,0—10 cm土壤微生物比10—20 cm土壤微生物更加敏感。增温条件下微生物首先快速分解活性有机碳,同时温度升高加快土壤氮周转速率,增加有效氮含量。外源碳输入整体提高了深层土壤微生物丰度,使得10—20 cm土壤细菌、产甲烷菌、甲烷氧化菌、氨氧化细菌以及反硝化细菌丰度显著增加,说明外源碳输入可能会促进10—20 cm土壤甲烷氧化过程、氨氧化过程和反硝化过程。温度和葡萄糖的交互作用对泥炭地表层土壤碳氮循环关键微生物丰度均有显著影响。在增温和外源碳输入条件下,北方泥炭地表层土壤微生物丰度受土壤碳氮活性基质的影响。     

天山林区土壤总氮矿化过程对季节性冻融的响应

森林土壤总氮矿化对冻融过程的响应机制尚不明确,氮矿化速率和转化情况尚缺乏定量刻画。通过土壤原位法与室内培养分析相结合,利用¹⁵N同位素稀释技术,研究冻融期间天山林区乔木林地、灌丛、草地3种群落类型土壤总氮矿化及转化累积量的动态,分析土壤总氮矿化速率与土壤温度、含水率及微生物量氮(MBN)的相互关系。结果表明:(1)冻融过程及群落类型对总氮矿化速率和MBN含量有极显著的影响(P<0.01),秋、春季冻融期的总氮矿化速率相比冻结期更高;(2)季节性冻融期间,乔木林地土壤总氨化累积量在3种群落类型中最高(163.9 kg N hm^-2 a^-1),秋、春冻融期占整个时期的比值约为66%;而总硝化累积量在3种群落类型中相差较小,秋、春冻融期占比均约为77.4%;(3)土壤温度和含水率显著影响总氮矿化速率、净氮矿化速率和MBN速率,随土壤温度增加,总氨化速率(林地和灌丛)显著升高(P<0.05);随土壤含水率增加,净氨化速率(灌丛)和净硝化速率(灌丛)显著降低(P<0.05)。通过揭示天山林区土壤总氮矿化速率(总氨...     

戴云山黄山松林土壤碳组分的海拔变化特征及影响因素

海拔梯度可能通过多种环境因子影响土壤有机质,土壤有机碳库是土壤有机质的重要组成部分,其微小变化将会产生极其重要的影响。因此海拔差异可能导致海拔间土壤碳库差异。土壤有机碳是反映土壤肥力的重要指标,可能受土壤理化性质和微生物等多种因素的影响。黄山松是高山地绿化和用材的优良树种,近年来戴云山自然保护区内高海拔地区的黄山松群落呈现衰退趋势。研究戴云山黄山松林土壤有机碳组分沿海拔梯度的变化情况,不仅可以为该区域碳库估算提供科学依据,而且有助于揭示影响黄山松生长变化的机理。因此,选取戴云山不同海拔[1300 m (L)、1450 m (M)和1600 m (H)]梯度的黄山松林,对其土壤基本理化性质、有机碳组分及微生物特征进行测定和分析。研究发现,海拔梯度下土壤养分含量呈先升高后降低的变化趋势,土壤碳组分含量与其变化一致,且微生物生物量碳和微生物生物量氮均在M海拔处最高,海拔梯度对碳水解酶没有显著影响。冗余分析表明,总氮是影响土壤有机碳变化的最主要因素,其次是碳氮比。因此在海拔跨度不大的情况下,土壤有机碳动态可能主要受氮素而非温度的影响。高海拔地区土壤惰性碳占比高,未来可能会持续加剧该地区黄山松的...     

四川鞍子河保护地水鹿和羚牛栖息地适宜性评价与重叠性分析

水鹿(Rusa unicolor)和羚牛(Budorcas taxicolor)是国家重点保护野生动物,了解和掌握濒危物种的空间分布格局和对栖息地的利用特征是制定相关保护和管理策略的前提和基础。利用红外相机和样线法收集四川鞍子河保护地内水鹿和羚牛的实体、粪便和痕迹等点位信息,在得到水鹿124个、羚牛79个有效点位的基础上,结合15个环境因子,利用最大熵模型对保护地内水鹿和羚牛进行了栖息地适宜评价及其重叠性分析。结果表明:(1)水鹿和羚牛栖息地的适宜性评价结果均达到良好水平,其AUC值分别为0.888和0.813;(2)水鹿适宜和较适宜栖息地主要分布在保护地的中、南部海拔1474—3336 m区域,面积分别为943.23 hm²和3390.15 hm²,分别占保护地总面积的6.25%和22.48%;(3)羚牛适宜和较适宜栖息地主要分布在保护地中、西部海拔1467—3823 m区域,面积分别为1808.37 hm²和8384.35 hm²,分别占保护地总面积的11.99%和55.59%;(4)水鹿和羚牛...     

云杉碳氮化学计量比对土壤水分和氮有效性的响应

以西南亚高山针叶林优势种——粗枝云杉(Picea asperata)为研究对象,探究不同土壤水分状况和氮添加下云杉碳氮化学计量比的变化及其响应过程。采用两因素(水分×氮素)随机区组实验,设置5个土壤水分梯度和3个氮添加浓度,其中土壤水分梯度分别是土壤田间持水量的40%(W1)、50%(W2)、60%(W3)、80%(W4)和100%(W5),氮添加浓度分别为0(N0)、20(N1)、40(N2)gNm^-2 a^-1。结果表明:(1)土壤水分和氮添加显著影响了云杉碳氮化学计量比(P<0.05),具体为:云杉植株和器官碳氮比在N0W4处理下最大值,随土壤水分有效性的降低而减小,随氮添加浓度的增加而降低。(2)随土壤水分有效性的降低,根和叶的碳含量显著升高(P<0.05),茎和叶的碳含量随着氮添加浓度的增加而降低。此外,土壤水分有效性的降低显著提高了根和茎的氮含量(P<0.05),各器官的氮含量随着氮添加浓度的增加而增加。在相同水分和氮添加浓度处理下表现为碳含量:叶>茎>根,氮含量:叶>根>茎。(3)云杉净光...