The structure and arrangement of nuclear pores in plant cells

Summary A study of the structure and arrangement of nuclear pores has been made in a number of species. In Selaginella kraussiana, the species investigated most extensively, the pores were arranged in a manner consistent with the view that each pore was located at the centre of an hexagonal structure lying on the nuclear surface. The significance of this arrangement and some evidence relating to the structure of the pores is discussed. In other species examined, no evidence of a regular arrangement of the pores was observed.     

Prevalence of Farmer's Lung in Scotland: A Pilot Survey

In a survey of the farming population of Orkney, Ayrshire, and East Lothian the prevalence of farmer''s lung was estimated at 86 per 1,000 in both Orkney and Ayrshire and 23 per 1,000 in East Lothian. If cases with a negative farmer''s lung hay (F.L.H.) precipitin test are excluded these figures are reduced to 43, 36, and nil respectively, but those for Orkney and Ayrshire are still about 20 times higher than any figure previously reported for the prevalence of farmer''s lung in Britain.Regional variations in prevalence are probably related both to climatic conditions and to differences in agricultural methods, the latter often being dictated by economic circumstances. Nevertheless the prevalence of farmer''s lung could be reduced considerably by the energetic application of preventive measures, backed by financial incentives. The most important of these are efficient drying of hay and cereals before storage, more extensive use of silage, better ventilation of farm buildings, and the introduction of mechanical feeding systems. Individual farmworkers could be taught how to recognize the early symptoms of the disease and encouraged to wear respirators when handling mouldy fodder.     

Date and parental quality effects in the seasonal decline in reproductive performance of the Tree Swallow Tachycineta bicolor: interpreting results in light of potential experimental bias

In many bird species early breeders have higher reproductive performance than late breeders from the same population. This could be caused by a reduction in environmental factors related to date per se (Date Hypothesis), or because poorer performers nest later (Parent Quality Hypothesis). We manipulated hatch date of Tree Swallows Tachycineta bicolor by switching clutches with different lay dates, generating broods with advanced or delayed timing, and assessed the impact of the experiment on nestling mass. The Date Hypothesis better explained the decline in nestling mass in the first half of the season, while the Parent Quality Hypothesis was supported in the second half. We also found that female mass loss was unintentionally reduced in advanced females and suggest that such impacts of the experiment on parent quality, or correlations between nestlings and their actual parents via heritability or maternal effects, could bias hatch-date manipulation experiments towards supporting the Date Hypothesis. Differential costs of incubation, either due to naturally low temperatures early in the season, or due to the unintentional manipulation of female incubation costs, appear to have driven support for the Date Hypothesis early in the season.     

Global transcriptional response of pig brain and lung to natural infection by Pseudorabies virus

Background  

Pseudorabies virus (PRV) is an alphaherpesviruses whose native host is pig. PRV infection mainly causes signs of central nervous system disorder in young pigs, and respiratory system diseases in the adult.     

Variation in the ribosomal internal transcribed spacers (ITS1 and ITS2) among eight taxa of the Mimulus guttatus species complex

The internal transcribed spacer region (ITS1 and ITS2) of the 18S-25S nuclear ribosomal DNA sequence and the intervening 5.8S region were sequenced from three individuals in each of eight taxa of the Mimulus guttatus species complex. Three discrete variants, or "types," of ITS sequences were found, among which 30%-40% of sites differed, compared with 1%-2% within types. Dot plots indicate that these types were not related by conspicuous rearrangements or inversions. More than one ITS type was often found in the same taxon, and two of three ITS types span species boundaries, indicating their presence prior to speciation. These ITS sequences showed essentially no positional homology with the nearest sequenced relative, tomato. In contrast, the 5.8S region was relatively unvaried, with 8 of 162 sites varied in the sample among all eight taxa. The phylogeny inferred by the most common ITS sequence type, rooted by the two other ITS types, agreed with isozymes in showing the distinctness of M. nudatus, M. laciniatus, and M. tilingii from the other five taxa.      

益生菌对调节脑梗死后大鼠运动功能的机制研究

探讨在脑梗死后康复期使用益生菌治疗促进大鼠运动功能恢复的机制。

成年雄性SPF级7～8周龄Wistar大鼠,体重200～250 g,共35只。25只大鼠颅内注射内皮素制作脑缺血模型,模型制作后5只大鼠死亡,剩余20只大鼠按照随机数表法分为缺血组（ISC组）和缺血+益生菌组（ISC+PB组）,每组10只。另外10只大鼠作为假手术组（SHAM组）。SHAM组大鼠仅使用生理盐水按照上述造模流程进行。各组均喂食普通大鼠饲料。ISC+PB组大鼠第7天开始使用益生菌VSL#3溶液进行灌胃,0.25 mL/(只•d)。采用原位末端转移酶标记（TdT-mediated dUTP nick-end labeling,TUNEL）凋亡试剂盒检测凋亡细胞。采用蛋白质免疫印迹法检测各组大鼠海马与梗死周边皮层脑源性神经营养因子（brain derived neurotrophic factor,BDNF）的蛋白水平变化。使用梯形平衡木测试大鼠的肢体运动功能。

ISC组大鼠TUNEL阳性细胞数量较SHAM组显著增多（t=3.278,P=0.016）,ISC+PB组大鼠的TUNEL阳性细胞数量低于ISC组（t=2.721,P=0.037）。ISC组大鼠海马与梗死周边BDNF蛋白表达水平高于SHAM组（t=2.012,P=0.032）,ISC+PB组大鼠海马与梗死周边皮层BDNF水平较ISC组进一步提高（t=1.892,P=0.021）。梯形平衡木行走实验显示ISC组大鼠产生明显的运动功能损伤（t=3.425,P=0.041）,而ISC+PB组错误率低于ISC组（t=4.131,P=0.024）。

脑梗死后益生菌通过调控BDNF水平,抑制细胞凋亡,改善运动功能。

     

细叶香茶菜中两个新的对映—贝壳杉烷二萜化合物

从云南中甸产细叶香茶菜 (Isodontenuifolia (W .W .Smith)Kudo)的地上部分分离得到 6个化合物 ,它们的结构通过波谱方法得到鉴定。其中化合物 1和 2为新的对映_贝壳杉烷二萜化合物 ,即细叶香茶菜甲素 (3β ,6α ,15 β_trihydroxy_1α ,7β_diacetoxy_11β ,16 β_epoxy_ent_kaurane) (1)和细叶香茶菜乙素 (1α,6α ,11β_trihydroxy_3β,7β_diacetoxy_ent_kaur_16_en_15_one) (2 )。     

内蒙古草原人类福祉与生态系统服务及其动态变化——以锡林郭勒草原为例

以锡林郭勒盟为研究区域,建立人类福祉评价指标体系,通过牧户问卷调查了解牧户对草原生态系统服务和福祉变化的认识,结合当地的自然环境、生态环境和社会经济等多方面的多年统计数据,采用专家打分法对牧民各福祉指标打分,对2001年和2010年牧民福祉变化进行了评估和分析。结果表明:收入、道路覆盖率、农村合作医疗保险和文化教育方面对牧民福祉变化贡献最大;生产资料持续供给能力下降是导致收入减少的主要方面;旗县的犯罪率,环境空气质量,饮食结构,离婚率等是导致牧民福祉下降的主要方面。有关研究结果为提高锡林郭勒盟人类福祉、生态保护和区域可持续发展政策制定提供科学依据。