南亚热带森林不同林型功能性状分布格局及其驱动机制

植物功能性状能反映植物对环境变化的响应,研究植物功能性状的分布格局有助于揭示群落的构建过程及其内在作用机制。该研究以鼎湖山南亚热带山地常绿阔叶林和沟谷雨林为研究对象,采集并测量了样地中木本植物的12种不同的功能性状,分别以5 m×5 m、10 m×10 m、20 m×20 m的样方为尺度单元,通过计算平均成对性状距离指数来探讨群落中功能性状的分布格局及其驱动机制。结果表明,两个林型的群落中12个功能性状均存在不同程度变异,但功能性状在群落间的差异不显著(P>0.05)。两个林型的群落中功能性状空间分布格局均具有尺度依赖性,但不同尺度的驱动机制有差异,随着空间尺度的增大,山地常绿阔叶林的功能性状空间分布格局主要驱动机制由环境过滤转为扩散限制;沟谷雨林的由环境过滤和相似性限制转为扩散限制,两个林型在20m×20m空间尺度上都是扩散限制。生态位分化和扩散限制综合作用于鼎湖山南亚热带山地常绿阔叶林和沟谷雨林的群落功能性状分布格局的产生及其群落构建过程,二者的贡献作用会随空间尺度发生变化。坡度是影响山地常绿阔叶林功能性状分布格局的最关键地形因子,海拔是影响沟谷雨林的最关键地形因子。     

北京城郊地区二氧化碳通量特征

利用位于北京市顺义气象局45 m气象塔上36 m高度的湍流观测资料,对该区域2008年11月1日至2009年10月31日共365d的二氧化碳通量(CO2)的时间变化和各方位的分布特征进行了分析研究,并计算了CO2年排放量。结果表明,CO2受交通因素和居民日常生活排放的影响较小,冬季耗能取暖会显著增加CO2的排放量;受供暖排放和植物生长季节光合作用的影响,冬季的CO2通量值在全天绝大多数时刻均高于其他季节,其日平均值为15.6μmol m-2s-1,显著高于春、夏、秋季的日平均值5.6、5.7和8.8μmol m-2s-1(t-test,P0.001)。各方向CO2通量值的大小与其源区内土地利用/覆盖方式以及建筑物的使用功能和使用性质密切相关,住宅楼、饭店、工厂、旅馆等人工建筑面积占比例越大,CO2排放量越大;而植被覆盖比例较高的方向CO2值较小。观测点周边区域是CO2的排放源,且年平均排放量达到13.6 kg m-2a-1,但低于同一时期北京市内高密度住宅区域的CO2年排放量。     

亚热带不同纬度森林群落物种空间分布格局

为探讨我国亚热带森林群落中物种空间分布格局特点及其成因,揭示其共性规律和个性差异,为相关区域的生物多样性保护和监测工作提供科学依据。选取我国亚热带不同纬度的6个1 hm²典型森林群落中所有胸径（DBH,Diameter at Breast Height）≥ 1 cm的物种为研究对象;采用L （t）方程统计所有监测物种的空间分布格局类型,为满足L （t）方程的统计精度,将各群落中多度≥10株的植物以物种为单位统计,多度<10株的低多度物种和单个体物种则以种组为单位进行空间点格局分析;并对物种多度、胸径与空间聚集程度的度量指标L₁₀进行相关性分析。结果表明：（1）亚热带不同纬度群落中多度≥10株物种的空间分布格局表现出相似的尺度依赖性规律：显著聚集分布比例随尺度增大而降低,不同纬度群落的变化幅度存在差异,纬度较低的群落稳定性更强。（2）各群落中低多度种组空间分布格局表现出小尺度显著聚集分布,大尺度随机分布的尺度效应,但尺度效应在不同纬度群落间存在差异;各群落的单个体种组空间分布格局均以随机分布为主。（3）不同纬度群落物种多度与空间聚集程度之间均存在负相关关系,物种多度对空间聚集程度的影响随纬度从高到低逐渐减弱。（4）较高纬度群落物种胸径与空间聚集程度之间存在负相关关系;随纬度从高到低,物种胸径对空间聚集程度影响水平逐渐降低。对亚热带不同纬度森林群落物种空间分布格局形成原因的进一步探讨,认为由纬度差异引起的生境异质性是影响群落物种空间分布格局产生过程的主要因素,此外,林型、扩散限制、密度制约和随机作用是影响各群落物种空间格局成因及多样性维持的次要因素。     

南亚热带常绿阔叶林群落及其卫星样地物种多样性特征

群落生物多样性的研究一直备受关注。鼎湖山植被资源丰富,对其典型植物群落及其卫星样地物种多样性状况进行探索是一项非常有意义的研究工作。以鼎湖山20 hm~2样地及其周边5个1 hm~2卫星样地为研究对象,分别从种面积关系、α多样性和β多样性几个角度进行分析,研究发现：(1)20 hm~2南亚热带常绿阔叶林鼎湖山(DHS)大型固定样地经过10年的更新演替,总个体数出现了爆发式增长。DHS样地周边5个卫星样地之间总个体数差异较大,按个体数进行排序：1号(南亚热带山地常绿阔叶林)> 3号(南亚热带常绿阔叶林)> 5号(南亚热带针阔混交林)>4号(南亚热带常绿针叶林)>2号(南亚热带沟谷雨林)卫星样地。(2)DHS大样地的物种并未达到饱和,卫星样地群落可以有效补充该区域的物种。(3)DHS大样地的α多样性较高;卫星样地之中,2号样地的物种多样性最高,其次是3号样地,继而是1号和4号样地,最后是5号样地。除了2号样地由于大量大树和巨树的存在使得物种均匀度提升,从而导致多样性指数值偏大以外,其它样地的结果呈现出海拔高度与多样性正相关。(4)DHS大样地与其3号卫星样地处于相近...     

Dietary iron loading does not influence biliary iron excretion in rats

The effect of dietary iron loading on biliary iron excretion was investigated with male Wistar rats aged 6 wk. The rats were fed purified diets with either 174 or 1740 mg FeSO₄. 7H₂O/kg diet and demineralized water for 6 wk. Blood haemoglobin, hematocrit, and iron concentrations in kidney and heart were not affected and iron concentrations in liver, spleen, and tibia were significantly raised after feeding the high-iron diet. The high-iron diet did not raise biliary iron excretion, suggesting that biliary iron excretion does not play an important role in regulating iron metabolism in rat after dietary iron loading.     

Selective Runx2-II deficiency leads to low-turnover osteopenia in adult mice

Runx2 transcribes Runx2-II and Runx2-I isoforms with distinct N-termini. Deletion of both isoforms results in complete arrest of bone development, whereas selective loss of Runx2-II is sufficient to form a grossly intact skeleton with impaired endochondral bone development. To elucidate the role of Runx2-II in osteoblast function in adult mice, we examined heterozygous Runx2-II (Runx2-II(+/-)) and homozygous Runx2-II (Runx2-II(-/-))-deficient mice, which, respectively, lack one or both copies of Runx2-II but intact Runx2-I expression. Compared to wild-type mice, 6-week-old Runx2-II(+/-) had reduced trabecular bone volume (BV/TV%), cortical thickness (Ct.Th), and bone mineral density (BMD), decreased osteoblastic and osteoclastic markers, lower bone formation rates, impaired osteoblast maturation of BMSCs in vitro, and significant reductions in mechanical properties. Homozygous Runx2-II(-/-) mice had a more severe reduction in BMD, BV/TV%, and Ct.Th, and greater suppression of osteoblastic and osteoclastic markers than Runx2-II(+/-) mice. Non-selective Runx2(+/-) mice, which have an equivalent reduction in Runx2 expression due to the lack one copy of Runx2-I and II, however, had an intermediate reduction in BMD. Thus, selective Runx2-II mutation causes diminished osteoblastic function in an adult mouse leading to low-turnover osteopenia and suggest that Runx2-I and II have distinct functions imparted by their different N-termini.     

Ascorbic acid feeding of rats reduces copper absorption,causing impaired copper status and depressed biliary copper excretion

The feeding of diets enriched with ascorbic acid (10 g/kg) to rats has previously been shown to lower plasma and liver copper concentrations. The present studies corroborate this. We hypothesized that ascorbic acid initially reduces copper absorption, this effect being masked later by the stimulatory effect on copper absorption of the impaired copper status. We also hypothesized that the impaired copper status as induced by ascorbic acid feeding is followed by a diminished biliary excretion of copper in an attempt to preserve copper homeostasis. Our hypotheses are supported by the present studies. Ascorbic acid feeding initially reduced apparent copper absorption, and in the course of the experiment this effect tended to turn over into a stimulatory effect. Copper deficiency, as induced by feeding a diet containing 1 mg Cu/kg instead of 5 mg Cu/kg, systematically increased copper absorption. Biliary excretion of copper in rats given ascorbic acid was unaffected initialy but became depressed after prolonged ascorbic acid feeding. A similar time course was seen for fecal endogenous copper excretion that was calculated as the difference between true and apparent copper absorption. Copper deficiency systematically reduced biliary copper excretion and fecal endogenous copper loss.     

Species–topography association in a species-rich subtropical forest of China

Habitat specialization has been considered as a primary factor in determining the distribution of species. In this study, we investigated species–habitat associations while controlling for spatial neighbourhood effects in a large-scale (20 ha) stem-mapping plot in a species-rich subtropical forest of China. Habitat specialization was measured by topographic variation and its effects on species distributions were modelled at three different spatial scales (10×10, 20×20 and 25×25 m²) using log-linear regression models and randomization tests. Our results showed: (1) 83% of the species were related to at least one or more topographic variables. Among them, 66%, 60%, 65% and 70% were closely dependent on slope, aspect, elevation and convexity, respectively. (2) Topographic variables have much stronger non-linear (quadratic and cubic) effects on species distributions than linear effects. (3) The effects of topographic heterogeneity on the distribution of shrubs species are smaller than on the distribution of canopy species, and smaller effects were also found in less abundant species. (4) There was a strong neighbourhood effect on species distribution: In 85% of the species, abundance in a focal quadrat was significantly correlated with abundance in the neighbour quadrats. We conclude that habitat specialization plays an important role in maintaining the diversity of this species-rich subtropical forest.     

The role of RAGE in the pathogenesis of intestinal barrier dysfunction after hemorrhagic shock

The receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of numerous conditions associated with excessive inflammation. To determine whether RAGE-dependent signaling is important in the development of intestinal barrier dysfunction after hemorrhagic shock and resuscitation (HS/R), C57Bl/6, rage(-/-), or congenic rage(+/+) mice were subjected to HS/R (mean arterial pressure of 25 mmHg for 3 h) or a sham procedure. Twenty-four hours later, bacterial translocation to mesenteric lymph nodes and ileal mucosal permeability to FITC-labeled dextran were assessed. Additionally, samples of ileum were obtained for immunofluorescence microscopy, and plasma was collected for measuring IL-6 and IL-10 levels. HS/R in C57Bl/6 mice was associated with increased bacterial translocation, ileal mucosal hyperpermeability, and high circulating levels of IL-6. All of these effects were prevented when C57Bl/6 mice were treated with recombinant human soluble RAGE (sRAGE; the extracellular ligand-binding domain of RAGE). HS/R induced bacterial translocation, ileal mucosal hyperpermeability, and high plasma IL-6 levels in rage(+/+) but not rage(-/-) mice. Circulating IL-10 levels were higher in rage(-/-) compared with rage(+/+) mice. These results suggest that activation of RAGE-dependent signaling is a key factor leading to gut mucosal barrier dysfunction after HS/R.     

HMGB1 is secreted by immunostimulated enterocytes and contributes to cytomix-induced hyperpermeability of Caco-2 monolayers

High-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1), a cytokine-like proinflammatory protein, is secreted by activated macrophages and released by necrotic cells. We hypothesized that immunostimulated enterocytes might be another source for this mediator. Accordingly, Caco-2 cells or primary mouse intestinal epithelial cells (IECs) were incubated with "cytomix" (a mixture of TNF, IL-1, and IFN-) for various periods. HMGB1 in cell culture supernatants was detected by Western blot analysis and visualized in Caco-2 cells with the use of fluorescence confocal and immunotransmission electron microscopy. Caco-2 cells growing on filters in diffusion chambers were stimulated with cytomix for 48 h in the absence or presence of anti-HMGB1 antibody, and permeability to fluorescein isothiocyanate-dextran (average molecular mass, 4 kDa; FD4) was assessed. Cytomix-stimulated Caco-2 cells secreted HMGB1 into the apical but not the basolateral compartments of diffusion chambers. Although undetectable at 6 and 12 h after the start of incubation with cytomix, HMGB1 was present in supernatants after 24 h of incubation. HMGB1 secretion by Caco-2 monolayers also was induced when the cells were exposed to FSL-1, a Toll-like receptor (Tlr)-2 agonist, or flagellin, a Tlr5 agonist, but not lipopolysaccharide, a Tlr4 agonist. Cytomix also induced HMGB1 secretion by primary IECs. Cytoplasmic HMGB1 is localized within vesicles in Caco-2 cells and is secreted, at least in part, associated with exosomes. Incubating Caco-2 cells with cytomix increased FD4 permeation, but this effect was significantly decreased in the presence of anti-HMGB1 antibody. Collectively, these data support the view that HMGB1 is secreted by immunostimulated enterocytes. This process may exacerbate inflammation-induced epithelial hyperpermeability via an autocrine feedback loop. exosome; toll-like receptor; flagellin