中国科学院清原森林生态系统观测研究站塔群平台的功能和应用

森林生态系统结构与生态服务功能关系是森林生态学和林学的永恒研究主题。受传统森林调查方法及技术手段的限制,对复杂地形下森林生态系统结构和功能的监测及二者关系的研究面临诸多挑战。在中国科学院野外站网络重点科技基础设施建设项目的支持下,中国科学院清原森林生态系统观测研究站在独立流域内建成了以观测塔群(三座观测塔覆盖各自子流域代表性森林类型)为主体,集激光雷达(LiDAR)、通量仪器、水文站网、固定标准地和数据中心为综合体的“次生林生态系统塔群激光雷达监测平台”(简称塔群平台)。塔群平台采用激光雷达扫描获取森林点云数据,描述森林生态系统的全息三维结构;依托独立流域/子流域内的通量监测系统、水文监测站网和通量源区内的长期固定标准地,可保证碳-水过程观测的可靠性,并用于验证复杂地形下的通量监测技术与方法,揭示森林生态水文与碳交换过程,准确估算森林生态系统主体生态服务功能(水源涵养和固碳)。所有“塔-站”数据通过无线网络实时汇集于数据中心,便于数据监视、管理与共享。此外,塔群平台将侧重研究森林生态系统结构量化的新方法和新指标,探索复杂地形森林生态系统中H₂O/CO₂/痕量气体通量观测的理论与方法,为阐明森林结构与功能的关系、服务于森林生态系统管理提供基础数据。     

黄土区土质与土石质塿土堆积体水力侵蚀过程差异

利用室内模拟降雨试验,研究了不同雨强及坡度条件下黄土区土质(不含砾石)与土石质(砾石质量分数30%)塿土堆积体的水动力学特征、侵蚀特征及侵蚀动力机制的差异。结果表明: 砾石存在改变了堆积体坡面的水动力学特性,与土质坡面相比,土石质坡面的流速、弗汝德数、单位径流功率和过水断面单位能分别减少1.7%～49.7%、6.7%～60.6%、2.0%～44.6%和1.0%～26.7%;曼宁糙率系数、径流剪切力分别增加6.2%～169.4%、5.7%～79.3%。2.0、2.5 mm·min^-1雨强下,土石质坡面侵蚀速率较土质坡面降低26.2%～89.9%,砾石的减沙效益显著。2种堆积体的侵蚀速率与水动力学参数间均可用线性函数拟合,与土质坡面相比,土石质坡面的可蚀性参数均降低,降幅为56.1%～73.3%;而临界水动力学参数中径流剪切力增加11.1%,径流功率、单位径流功率和过水断面单位能分别减少25.4%、64.0%和5.0%。砾石的存在一定程度上控制了工程堆积体坡面降雨侵蚀过程。     

L,D-转肽酶LdtMt2-厄他培南加合物的新状态Ⅰ-plus结构

具有多重耐药性和广泛耐药性的结核分枝杆菌菌株正在全球范围内传播,因此,迫切需要新的抗结核药物。结核分枝杆菌的L,D-转肽酶LdtMt2直接参与肽聚糖的形成,细菌毒性和β-内酰胺抗性。该酶是潜在的抗结核靶标,可以被碳青霉烯类抗生素抑制,碳青霉烯类抗生素是FDA批准的用于治疗肺结核的药物。据报道,LdtMt2与碳青霉烯类抗生素（如厄他培南,亚胺培南和美洛培南）相互作用时,存在两种不同的中间状态,即状态I和II。状态I被认为是初始加合物形成状态,而状态II被认为是稳定的蛋白质-配体相互作用状态,并伴有碳青霉烯类抗生素和蛋白质的局部构象排列。本文中,我们报告了一个LdMt2-ertapenem新中间状态I-plus,具有与状态II相同的碳青霉烯类抗生素构象和与状态I相似的局部蛋白质构象。该新状态是从状态I转变为状态II的中间状态,构象变化发生在厄他培南分子而不是蛋白质。我们的工作有助于阐明碳青霉烯类抗生素对LdtMt2的作用后发生的变化,并与其他报道的中间状态一起揭示L,D-转肽酶如何与碳青霉烯类抗生素相互作用。     

Heat stress responses and population genetics of the kelp Laminaria digitata (Phaeophyceae) across latitudes reveal differentiation among North Atlantic populations

To understand the thermal plasticity of a coastal foundation species across its latitudinal distribution, we assess physiological responses to high temperature stress in the kelp Laminaria digitata in combination with population genetic characteristics and relate heat resilience to genetic features and phylogeography. We hypothesize that populations from Arctic and cold‐temperate locations are less heat resilient than populations from warm distributional edges. Using meristems of natural L. digitata populations from six locations ranging between Kongsfjorden, Spitsbergen (79°N), and Quiberon, France (47°N), we performed a common‐garden heat stress experiment applying 15°C to 23°C over eight days. We assessed growth, photosynthetic quantum yield, carbon and nitrogen storage, and xanthophyll pigment contents as response traits. Population connectivity and genetic diversity were analyzed with microsatellite markers. Results from the heat stress experiment suggest that the upper temperature limit of L. digitata is nearly identical across its distribution range, but subtle differences in growth and stress responses were revealed for three populations from the species’ ecological range margins. Two populations at the species’ warm distribution limit showed higher temperature tolerance compared to other populations in growth at 19°C and recovery from 21°C (Quiberon, France), and photosynthetic quantum yield and xanthophyll pigment responses at 23°C (Helgoland, Germany). In L. digitata from the northernmost population (Spitsbergen, Norway), quantum yield indicated the highest heat sensitivity. Microsatellite genotyping revealed all sampled populations to be genetically distinct, with a strong hierarchical structure between southern and northern clades. Genetic diversity was lowest in the isolated population of the North Sea island of Helgoland and highest in Roscoff in the English Channel. All together, these results support the hypothesis of moderate local differentiation across L. digitata's European distribution, whereas effects are likely too weak to ameliorate the species’ capacity to withstand ocean warming and marine heatwaves at the southern range edge.     

Aidi injection,a traditional Chinese biomedical preparation for gynecologic tumors: a systematic review and PRISMA-compliant meta-analysis

Aidi injection (ADI), a traditional Chinese biomedical preparation, is a promising adjuvant therapy for gynecologic tumors (GTs), including cervical cancer (CC), endometrial cancer (EC), and ovarian cancer (OC). Although studies have reported positively on ADI therapy, its exact effects and safety in GT patients remain controversial. Therefore, a wide-ranging systematic search of electronic databases was performed for this meta-analysis. Data from 38 trials including 3309 GT patients were analyzed. The results indicated that the combination of conventional treatment and ADI markedly improved the patients’ overall response rate (P<0.00001), disease control rate (P<0.00001), and quality of life (P<0.05) compared with conventional treatment alone. Furthermore, patient immunity was enhanced with combined treatment, as indicated by significantly increased percentages of CD3⁺ (P=0.005) and CD4⁺ (P<0.00001) and increased CD4⁺/CD8⁺ ratio (P=0.001). Most of the adverse events caused by radiochemotherapy such as gastrointestinal issues, leukopenia, thrombocytopenia, and hepatotoxicity, (P<0.05 for all) were significantly alleviated when ADI was used in the GT patients. However, other adverse events such as nephrotoxicity, diarrhea, alopecia, and neurotoxicity did not significantly differ between the two groups. Overall, these results suggest that the combination of conventional and ADI treatment is more effective than conventional treatment alone.     

Correlations between glycolysis with clinical traits and immune function in bladder urothelial carcinoma

Background: Glycolysis was a representative hallmark in the tumor microenvironment (TME), and we aimed to explore the correlations between glycolysis with immune activity and clinical traits in bladder urothelial carcinoma (BLCA).Methods: Our study obtained glycolysis scores for each BLCA samples from TCGA by a single-sample gene set enrichment analysis (ssGSEA) algorithm, based on a glycolytic gene set. The relationship between glycolysis with prognosis, clinical characteristics, and immune function were investigated subsequently.Results: We found that enhanced glycolysis was associated with poor prognosis and metastasis in BLCA. Moreover, glycolysis had a close correlation with immune function, and enhanced glycolysis increased immune activities. In other words, glycolysis had a positive correlation with immune activities. Immune checkpoints such as IDO1, CD274, were up-regulated in high-glycolysis group as well.Conclusion: We speculated that in BLCA, elevated glycolysis enhanced immune function, which caused tumor cells to overexpress immune checkpoints to evade immune surveillance. Inhibition of glycolysis might be a promising assistant for immunotherapy in bladder cancer.     

Length–weight relationships of seven fish species in the Yangtze River Estuary and its adjacent waters,Eastern China

The length–weight relationships (LWRs) for seven fish species belonging to five families in the Yangtze River Estuary and its adjacent waters are presented. Cynoglossus gracilis, Cynoglossus macrolepidotus, Ctenotrypauchen chinensis, Collichthys niveatus, Ophichthus apicalis and Erisphex potti were collected monthly in 2009 using trammel nets (the size of smaller mesh net was 1.5 m × 15 m × 4 panels with mesh sizes of 2.5, 3.4, 4.3 and 5.8 cm; the size of larger-mesh net was 2.4 m × 30 m × 4 panels with mesh sizes of 5.0, 6.0, 7.0 and 8.0 cm; soaking overnight). Lophiogobius ocellicauda were collected December in 2020 using shrimp trawl nets (mesh size 2.0 cm). The precision of measurement for the fish specimens is 0.1 cm total length and 0.1 g total weight. The estimated ranges of the parameters a and b for the seven fish species were from 0.0001 to 0.0289 and 2.718 to 3.541, respectively. Two new maximum total length were recorded for Ctenotrypauchen chinensis and Ophichthus apicalis.     

Effects of corallivory and coral colony density on coral growth and survival

A suite of processes drive variation in coral populations in space and time, yet our understanding of how variation in coral density affects coral performance is limited. Theory predicts that reductions in density can send coral populations into a predator pit, where concentrated corallivory maintains corals at low densities. In reality, how variation in coral density alters corallivory rates is poorly resolved. Here, we experimentally quantified the effects of corallivory and coral density on growth and survival of small colonies of the staghorn coral Acropora pulchra. Our findings suggest that coral density and corallivory have strong but independent effects on coral performance. In the presence of corallivores, corals suffered high but density-independent mortality. When corallivores were excluded, however, vertical extension rates of colonies increased with increasing densities. While we found no evidence for a predator pit, our results suggest that spatio-temporal variation in corallivore and coral densities can fundamentally alter population dynamics via strong effects on juvenile corals.