Nitrogen addition promotes terrestrial plants to allocate more biomass to aboveground organs: A global meta-analysis

A significant increase in reactive nitrogen (N) added to terrestrial ecosystems through agricultural fertilization or atmospheric deposition is considered to be one of the most widespread drivers of global change. Modifying biomass allocation is one primary strategy for maximizing plant growth rate, survival, and adaptability to various biotic and abiotic stresses. However, there is much uncertainty as to whether and how plant biomass allocation strategies change in response to increased N inputs in terrestrial ecosystems. Here, we synthesized 3516 paired observations of plant biomass and their components related to N additions across terrestrial ecosystems worldwide. Our meta-analysis reveals that N addition (ranging from 1.08 to 113.81 g m⁻² year⁻¹) increased terrestrial plant biomass by 55.6% on average. N addition has increased plant stem mass fraction, shoot mass fraction, and leaf mass fraction by 13.8%, 12.9%, and 13.4%, respectively, but with an associated decrease in plant reproductive mass (including flower and fruit biomass) fraction by 3.4%. We further documented a reduction in plant root-shoot ratio and root mass fraction by 27% (21.8%–32.1%) and 14.7% (11.6%–17.8%), respectively, in response to N addition. Meta-regression results showed that N addition effects on plant biomass were positively correlated with mean annual temperature, soil available phosphorus, soil total potassium, specific leaf area, and leaf area per plant. Nevertheless, they were negatively correlated with soil total N, leaf carbon/N ratio, leaf carbon and N content per leaf area, as well as the amount and duration of N addition. In summary, our meta-analysis suggests that N addition may alter terrestrial plant biomass allocation strategies, leading to more biomass being allocated to aboveground organs than belowground organs and growth versus reproductive trade-offs. At the global scale, leaf functional traits may dictate how plant species change their biomass allocation pattern in response to N addition.     

Accelerated organic matter decomposition in thermokarst lakes upon carbon and phosphorus inputs

Mineralization of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in thermokarst lakes plays a non-negligible role in the permafrost carbon (C) cycle, but remains poorly understood due to its complex interactions with external C and nutrient inputs (i.e., aquatic priming and nutrient effects). Based on large-scale lake sampling and laboratory incubations, in combination with ¹³C-stable-isotope labeling, optical spectroscopy, and high-throughput sequencing, we examined large-scale patterns and dominant drivers of priming and nutrient effects of DOM biodegradation across 30 thermokarst lakes along a 1100-km transect on the Tibetan Plateau. We observed that labile C and phosphorus (P) rather than nitrogen (N) inputs stimulated DOM biodegradation, with the priming and P effects being 172% and 451% over unamended control, respectively. We also detected significant interactive effects of labile C and nutrient supply on DOM biodegradation, with the combined labile C and nutrient additions inducing stronger microbial mineralization than C or nutrient treatment alone, illustrating that microbial activity in alpine thermokarst lakes is co-limited by both C and nutrients. We further found that the aquatic priming was mainly driven by DOM quality, with the priming intensity increasing with DOM recalcitrance, reflecting the limitation of external C as energy sources for microbial activity. Greater priming intensity was also associated with higher community-level ribosomal RNA gene operon (rrn) copy number and bacterial diversity as well as increased background soluble reactive P concentration. In contrast, the P effect decreased with DOM recalcitrance as well as with background soluble reactive P and ammonium concentrations, revealing the declining importance of P availability in mediating DOM biodegradation with enhanced C limitation but reduced nutrient limitation. Overall, the stimulation of external C and P inputs on DOM biodegradation in thermokarst lakes would amplify C-climate feedback in this alpine permafrost region.     

Proteomics and Phosphoproteomic Analysis to Identify Spleen of Takifugu rubripes Infected Cryptocaryon irritans

Marine Biotechnology - Takifugu rubripes is important commercially fish species in China and it is under serious threat from white spot disease (cyptocaryoniasis), which leads to heavy economic...     

广西、云南的PSEUDOSCHWAGERINA化石及其地层意义

该文记述了广西宜山马脑山剖面及云南八宝小独山剖面Pseudoschwaserina属34种(亚种),分析了两剖面Pseudoschwagerina动物群的面貌,讨论了Pseudoschwagerina的地层意义。研究表明,两剖面Pseudoschwagerina动物群具有地方性种稀少的共同特点,大多数种皆为广相型分子。从动物群的组成上看,广西、云南Pseudoschwagerina动物群与我国贵州、北美及俄罗斯等地的Pseudoschwagerina动物群有较大的相似性。但是,目前归入 Pseudoschwagerina名下的各种在形态上有着较大的差异,造成不同地区合Pseudoschwagerina地层带化石难以直接对比。根据对两剖面Pseudoschwagerina地层分布规律的研究以及国内、外Pseudochwagerina地理分布的资料,笔者建议选用 Pseudoschwagerina uddeni,P.beedei,P.robusta等 Pseudoschwagerina的典型分子做为含Pseudoschwagerina地层划分、对比的首要标准类群,选用P.uddeni和P.robusta分别做为确定Pseudoschwagerina带底、顶界线的首要标准种,以便于含Pseudoschwagerina地层的全球性的对比。     

Regulation of estrogen receptor protein and messenger ribonucleic acid by estradiol and progesterone in rat uterus

The objective of this study was to examine the mechanisms of estrogen receptor (ER) processing and replenishment in the uterus of ovariectomized rats after estradiol and progesterone treatment. Uterine ER binding activity, ER protein and ER mRNA were measured by receptor binding exchange assay, Western blot and slot blot, respectively. The regulation of ER levels in rat uterus by estradiol and progesterone was very dramatic. Changes in ER protein were faithfully reflected by changes in binding activity. Estradiol caused receptor “processing” within 4 h of administration followed by recovery or “replenishment” of ER levels to the initial level by 20 h. The term “processing” has previously been used to describe the loss of ER binding activity in the early phase of estradiol-action, but it was never clear whether the ligand binding site was inactivated by processing or if the receptor molecule actually disappeared. This study shows that receptor “processing” constitutes disappearance of receptor protein and the later “replenishment” phase represents new ER protein rather than recycling of “processed” receptor. Progesterone-action, on the other hand, influenced only the “replenishment” phase by blocking recovery of ER protein. ER mRNA was suppressed by estradiol at 8 h, after the receptor was “processed” and “replenishment” already initiated. Progesterone, on the other hand, did not alter the steady state level of the message. Other mechanisms, such as regulation of translation rate of existing mRNA and changes in the rate of degradation of ER proteins are more likely involved in acute regulation of ER by these ovarian steroid hormones.     

Estimating tree-based dynamic treatment regimes using observational data with restricted treatment sequences

A dynamic treatment regime (DTR) is a sequence of decision rules that provide guidance on how to treat individuals based on their static and time-varying status. Existing observational data are often used to generate hypotheses about effective DTRs. A common challenge with observational data, however, is the need for analysts to consider “restrictions” on the treatment sequences. Such restrictions may be necessary for settings where (1) one or more treatment sequences that were offered to individuals when the data were collected are no longer considered viable in practice, (2) specific treatment sequences are no longer available, or (3) the scientific focus of the analysis concerns a specific type of treatment sequences (eg, “stepped-up” treatments). To address this challenge, we propose a restricted tree–based reinforcement learning (RT-RL) method that searches for an interpretable DTR with the maximum expected outcome, given a (set of) user-specified restriction(s), which specifies treatment options (at each stage) that ought not to be considered as part of the estimated tree-based DTR. In simulations, we evaluate the performance of RT-RL versus the standard approach of ignoring the partial data for individuals not following the (set of) restriction(s). The method is illustrated using an observational data set to estimate a two-stage stepped-up DTR for guiding the level of care placement for adolescents with substance use disorder.     

Sub-Cellular Distribution of Zinc in Different Vegetative Organs and Their Contribution to Grains Zinc Accumulation in Rice Under Different Nitrogen and Zinc Supply

Journal of Plant Growth Regulation - Zinc is an important micronutrient for the growth and development of human body and plants. Proper use of nitrogen fertilizer and foliar application of Zn have...     

铜对大鳞泥鳅幼鱼的毒性

本文用流水和换水式试验,在水硬度为115mg/L(以CaCO_3计)条件下研究了铜对大鳞泥鳅幼鱼生长和存活的影响。试验从刚孵出的幼鱼开始,流水式试验持续30d,换水式试验历时16d。结果表明,在流水条件下铜对泥鳅幼鱼存活有明显影响的可观察效应浓度最低是41.2μg/L,而无可观察效应浓度则为25.2μg/L。根据对现存量的影响,用换水式试验测得铜的最低可观察效应浓度为38μg/L,无可观察效应浓度是19μg/L。     

LDL的氧化修饰和氧化修饰LDL的组成和结构变化

与低密度脂蛋白(LDL)相比,氧化修饰LDL(O-LDL)的组成、结构和生物学特性发生了深刻的变化,而组成和结构的改变是生物学特性改变的基础.本文根据最近文献资料.结合我们实验室的工作.对LDL的氧化修饰、O-LDL的组成、结构改变,以及它们的机理作一简要综述.     

玻璃体内注射清栓酶治疗实验性玻璃体积血

清栓酶可促进玻璃体内纤维蛋白凝血块溶解,我们制作新鲜及陈旧性兔眼玻璃体积血模型,将清栓酶、尿激酶及注射用水分别注入玻璃体腔内,观察眼底、测定玻璃体出血指数、FDP含量、进行3P 试验,结果发现清栓酶有治疗效果,同对照组相比统计学上有显著差异,同尿激酶相比无差异,且未发现有毒副作用。