华南典型人工林凋落物的持水特性

对于华南地区的杉木 (Cunninghamialanceolata) 林、马尾松 (Pinusmassoniana) 林、湿地松 (Pinuselliottii) 林、马占相思 (Acaciamangium) 林和尾叶桉 (Eucalyptusurophylla) 林的凋落物的储量、持水量、持水率和吸水速率进行了研究。结果表明, 杉木林的凋落物的干重 (6.5× 10 3 kg·hm-2 ) 最大, 其次是马尾松林和马占相思林 (5.5× 10 3 kg·hm-2 ), 而湿地松林 (4.1× 10 3 kg·hm-2 ) 和尾叶桉林较小 (4.0× 10 3 kg·hm-2 ) 。凋落物持水量呈现杉木林 >马占相思林 >尾叶桉林 >马尾松林 >湿地松林。各林分凋落物的最大持水量为杉木林 17.9× 10 3 kg·hm-2, 马占相思林 14.8× 10 3 kg·hm-2, 尾叶桉林 14.0× 10 3 kg·hm-2, 马尾松林 10.6× 10 3 kg·hm-2, 湿地松林 9.8× 10 3 kg·hm-2 。尾叶桉林、杉木林、马占相思林、湿地松林和马尾松林的凋落物最大持水率分别为 35 1%、2 74 %、2 6 9%、2 35 %和 191%。凋落物持水量和凋落物持水率随着浸泡时间的增加按照对数方程增加。 5种林分中尾叶桉林的凋落物吸水速率在各浸泡时间后居首位, 杉木林和马占相思林中等, 湿地松林较小, 而马尾松林最小, 各林分的凋落物的吸水速率随浸泡时间的增长按方程Y =a +b·t-1下降。     

南方4种草本植物对铝胁迫生理响应的研究

 不同的植物对铝胁迫的生理响应不同, 因而对铝毒的耐性也不相同。设置5种铝浓度,进行砂培法处理,研究了4种我国南方红壤广泛分布的草本植物——牵牛(Pharbitis nil)、望江南(Cassia occidentlis)、光头稗(Echinochloa colonum)和合萌(Aeschynomene indica)的种子萌发、光合色素、脯氨酸含量、丙二醛(MDA)含量、可溶性糖(SS)含量、质膜透性(MP)、过氧化氢酶 (CAT) 活性以及过氧化物酶 (POD)活性的变化。结果表明铝对4种植物的生理特性都有明显的影响。4种植物的种子在10 000 mg·L－1 Al3+处理条件下都不能萌发。2 000 mg·L－1 Al3+处理都不利于4种植物的生长,与对照相比,2 000 mg·L－1 Al3+处理时4种草本植物叶绿素和叶绿素总含量显著降低(p<0.05);MDA含量和MP显著增加(p<0.05);脯氨酸含量极显著增加(p<0.01);POD和CAT活性极显著降低(p<0.01)。中低铝(80和400 mg·L－1)处理时,牵牛和合萌与对照相比,MP和MDA含量降低,POD和CAT活性升高;望江南的反应与牵牛和合萌的反应相反;光头稗在80 mg·L－1 Al3+处理时,与牵牛和合萌的变化一致,在400 mg·L－1 Al3+处理时,则相反。植物在中低铝处理条件下,通过维持较高的POD和CAT活性和脯氨酸、叶绿素含量,较低的MP和MDA含量来增加其对铝的耐性。     

Synthesis and SAR of (piperazin-1-yl-phenyl)-arylsulfonamides: A novel series of atypical antipsychotic agents

(Piperazin-1-yl-phenyl)-arylsulfonamides were synthesized and identified to show high affinities for both 5-HT_2C and 5-HT₆ receptors. Among them, naphthalene-2-sulfonic acid isopropyl-[3-(4-methyl-piperazin-1-yl)-phenyl]-amide (6b) exhibits the highest affinity towards both 5-HT_2C (IC₅₀ = 4 nM) and 5-HT₆ receptors (IC₅₀ = 3 nM) with good selectivity over other serotonin (5-HT_1A, 5-HT_2A, and 5-HT₇) and dopamine (D₂–D₄) receptor subtypes. In 5-HT_2C and 5-HT₆ receptor functional assays, this compound showed considerable antagonistic activity for both receptors.     

Gene Expression Variability within and between Human Populations and Implications toward Disease Susceptibility

Variations in gene expression level might lead to phenotypic diversity across individuals or populations. Although many human genes are found to have differential mRNA levels between populations, the extent of gene expression that could vary within and between populations largely remains elusive. To investigate the dynamic range of gene expression, we analyzed the expression variability of ∼18, 000 human genes across individuals within HapMap populations. Although ∼20% of human genes show differentiated mRNA levels between populations, our results show that expression variability of most human genes in one population is not significantly deviant from another population, except for a small fraction that do show substantially higher expression variability in a particular population. By associating expression variability with sequence polymorphism, intriguingly, we found SNPs in the untranslated regions (5′ and 3′UTRs) of these variable genes show consistently elevated population heterozygosity. We performed differential expression analysis on a genome-wide scale, and found substantially reduced expression variability for a large number of genes, prohibiting them from being differentially expressed between populations. Functional analysis revealed that genes with the greatest within-population expression variability are significantly enriched for chemokine signaling in HIV-1 infection, and for HIV-interacting proteins that control viral entry, replication, and propagation. This observation combined with the finding that known human HIV host factors show substantially elevated expression variability, collectively suggest that gene expression variability might explain differential HIV susceptibility across individuals.     

γ-氨基丁酸、荷包牡丹碱和L-谷氨酸钠对猫和家兔同侧和对侧图形视觉诱发电位的影响

在猫和家兔大脑半球一侧视区17/18交界处施加γ—氨基丁酸(GABA)、荷包牡丹碱和L—谷氨酸钠,以及用氯化钾和冷冻阻遏的方法,记录对侧和同侧皮层相应处图形视觉诱发电位(PVEP)的变化。讨论了GABA、荷包牡丹碱和L—谷氨酸钠对猫和兔的对侧和同侧PVEP的影响。     

Tie2Cre-mediated inactivation of plexinD1 results in congenital heart, vascular and skeletal defects

PlexinD1 is a membrane-bound receptor that mediates signals derived from class 3 secreted semaphorins. Although semaphorin signaling in axon guidance in the nervous system has been extensively studied, functions outside the nervous system including important roles in vascular patterning have also been demonstrated. Inactivation of plexinD1 leads to neo-natal lethality, structural defects of the cardiac outflow tract, peripheral vascular abnormalities, and axial skeletal morphogenesis defects. PlexinD1 is expressed by vascular endothelial cells, but additional domains of expression have also been demonstrated including in lymphocytes, osteoblasts, neural crest and the central nervous system. Hence, the cell-type specific functions of plexinD1 have remained unclear. Here, we describe the results of tissue-specific gene inactivation of plexinD1 in Tie2 expressing precursors, which recapitulates the null phenotype with respect to congenital heart, vascular, and skeletal abnormalities resulting in neonatal lethality. Interestingly, these mutants also have myocardial defects not previously reported. In addition, we demonstrate functions for plexinD1 in post-natal retinal vasculogenesis and adult angiogenesis through the use of inducible cre-mediated deletion. These results demonstrate an important role for PlexinD1 in embryonic and adult vasculature.     

Effects of Se on the uptake of essential elements in Pteris vittata L.

Selenium has been proven to be an antioxidant in plants at low dosages. To understand better the mechanisms of Se toxicity and benefit to plants, more investigations about effects of Se on the uptake of essential elements in plants would be desirable. In this study, hydroponic (nutrient solution culture) and pot (soil culture) experiments were simultaneously conducted to investigate the effects of Se on the uptake and distribution of essential elements in Pteris vittata. L (Chinese brake fern), an arsenic (As)-hyperaccumulator and a selenium (Se)-accumulator. Chinese brake fern took up much more Se in nutrient solution culture than in soil culture, with the highest Se content recorded as 1,573 mg kg^?1 in the roots, demonstrating remarkable tolerance to Se. In soil culture, Chinese brake fern also accumulated high content of Se, with the highest content measured as 81 mg kg^?1 and 233 mg kg^?1, in the fronds and roots, respectively. In soil culture, the addition of Se suppressed the uptake of most measured elements, including magnesium (Mg), potassium (K), phosphorus (P), iron (Fe), copper (Cu) and zinc (Zn). In nutrient solution culture, when the Se content in the tissues of Chinese brake fern was relatively low, the supplementation of Se suppressed the uptake of most essential elements; however, with the increase of Se content, stimulation effects of Se on the uptake of Ca, Mg, K were observed. An initial decrease followed by a rapid increase of Fe content in the fronds of Chinese brake fern was found with Se addition and tissue Se content increasing in nutrient solution culture, suggesting antagonistic and synergic roles of Se on these elements under low and high Se exposure, respectively. We suggest that Ca, Mg, K may be involved in the tolerance mechanism of Se, and that the regulation of Fe accumulation by Se in the fronds might be partially due to the dual effects of Se on Chinese brake fern.     

The effect of different substrates and humic acid on power generation in microbial fuel cell operation

Electricity production from acetate, glucose and xylose with humic acid as mediator was investigated in two chambers microbial fuel cells (MFCs). Acetate produced the highest voltage (570 mV with 1000 Omega) and maximum power density (P(maxd)=123 mW/m(2)) due to a simpler metabolism than with glucose and xylose. Glucose and xylose resulted in P(maxd) of 28 mW/m(2) and 32 mW/m(2) at lower voltage of 380 mV and 414 mV, respectively. P(maxd) increased by 84% and 30%, for glucose and xylose respectively, when humic acid (2g/l) was present in the medium. No significant effect was found with acetate since the internal resistance possessed a limiting effect. The increase of P(maxd) due to humic acid presence was attributed to its ability to act as mediator. Even though pH decreased to 5 with glucose and xylose, due to production of acetate and propionate, the voltage remained on the same level of 250-350 mV.