尕海湿地退化演替过程中土壤有机氮组分的变化特征

为探究尕海湿地退化演替过程中土壤有机氮各组分变化规律,采用野外采样与室内分析相结合的方法,研究尕海湿地未退化(UD)、轻度退化(LD)、中度退化(MD)和重度退化(HD)4个退化演替阶段的土壤总氮(TN)和有机氮组分[未知态氮(HUN)、酸解氨态氮(AMN)、酸解氨基酸态氮(AAN)以及氨基糖态氮(ASN)]含量及其分布特征。结果表明: 当尕海湿地退化演替到LD时,0～10 cm层土壤TN、HUN、AMN和AAN含量分别降低17.3%、19.4%、8.6%和-5.6%,MD时分别降低28.0%、19.4%和17.1%和0,HD时分别降低35.8%、28.8%、28.6%和55.6%;10～20 cm层,LD时上述氮素含量分别降低4.0%、10.3%、2.9%和9.1%;MD时分别降低21.0%、18.3%、-2.9%和-9.1%;HD时分别降低9.9%、38.9%、21.2%和51.4%;而20～40 cm无显著变化;4个退化阶段各酸解氮组分占TN比例大小顺序为HUN(25.9%～32.5%)> AMN(6.7%～11.1%)> AAN(4.8%～11.1%)> ASN(1.2%～4.4%)。冗余分析显示,土壤含水量是土壤有机氮组分变化的主要驱动因子。尕海湿地退化显著降低了0～10 cm层土壤TN及酸解氮各组分含量,减弱了土壤氮“汇”功能,AAN和ASN对湿地退化最为敏感。     

Winter low temperature disturbance in the southern subtropics of China promotes the competitiveness of an invasive plant

Winter low temperature disturbance in the southern subtropics has important effects on the weed community structure, but the role of uniquely low temperatures in biological invasions is unclear. Here, we examined the competitive effects of an invasive plant, Bidens pilosa L., and its native congener, Bidens biternata (Lour.) Merr. et Sherff, during high and low temperature seasons to determine whether low temperatures promote the competitiveness of B. pilosa in the southern subtropics of China. The growth and physiological responses of the two Bidens species to low (10/5 °C) and optimum (30/25 °C) temperatures were examined to determine how the invasive B. pilosa responds to low temperature stress. Our results showed that the competitive balance index values of B. pilosa in low temperature seasons were significantly higher than those in high temperature seasons, which implied that low temperatures may be more beneficial to the competitiveness of B. pilosa than high temperatures in the southern subtropics. The smaller decline in the relative growth rate and the photosynthetic ability of B. pilosa compared with B. biternata under low temperature stress indicated that the former was less negatively affected by low temperature than the latter. A higher DPPH^· (1.1-diphenyl-2-picrylhy-drazyl) scavenging rate and greater heat-stable protein content in B. pilosa under low temperatures might help the invasive plant to maintain more effective physiological functions and thus a higher growth rate. Overall, the uniquely low temperature in the southern subtropics of China is expected to promote the invasiveness of the exotic B. pilosa.

     

采自西藏和新疆的7种中国新记录植物

本文报道了6个中国被子植物新记录种及1个新记录亚种, 分别是采自西藏的灰滨藜(Atriplex pallida)、类球花藜(Blitum litwinowii)、滨藜状藜(Chenopodium atripliciforme)、土耳其针茅(Stipa turkestanica)、扁果岩蓼(Polygonum cognatum subsp. chitralicum)及新疆的宝格达黄芪(Astragalus baitagensis)和神香草叶千屈菜(Lythrum hyssopifolia), 观察了部分类群的微形态特征并提供了生境或形态图。凭证标本均存放于内蒙古大学植物标本馆(HIMC)。     

Visualization Analysis of CRISPR Gene-editing Knowledge Map based on Citespace

Biology Bulletin - CRISPR is an adaptive immune defense system found in bacteria and archaea that is resistant to heterologous invasive genetic material. Later studies showed that the CRISPR system...     

An efficient pipeline for ancient DNA mapping and recovery of endogenous ancient DNA from whole‐genome sequencing data

Ancient DNA research has developed rapidly over the past few decades due to improvements in PCR and next‐generation sequencing (NGS) technologies, but challenges still exist. One major challenge in relation to ancient DNA research is to recover genuine endogenous ancient DNA sequences from raw sequencing data. This is often difficult due to degradation of ancient DNA and high levels of contamination, especially homologous contamination that has extremely similar genetic background with that of the real ancient DNA. In this study, we collected whole‐genome sequencing (WGS) data from 6 ancient samples to compare different mapping algorithms. To further explore more effective methods to separate endogenous DNA from homologous contaminations, we attempted to recover reads based on ancient DNA specific characteristics of deamination, depurination, and DNA fragmentation with different parameters. We propose a quick and improved pipeline for separating endogenous ancient DNA while simultaneously decreasing homologous contaminations to very low proportions. Our goal in this research was to develop useful recommendations for ancient DNA mapping and for separation of endogenous DNA to facilitate future studies of ancient DNA.     

皂苷类药物的制剂研究进展

皂苷类药物普遍分子量比较大,水溶性好,但不易透过细胞膜难以被人体吸收,因此口服制剂体内生物利用度较低.近年来对单体皂苷及总皂苷类药物制剂方面的研究越来越多,随着新型的给药系统和新辅料的出现,皂苷类药物在体内的生物利用度大大提高.本文主要介绍以单体皂苷或总皂苷活性部位为主药的制剂研究进展,以期为该类成分的进一步研究提供思路.     

Hemodynamic investigation of a patient-specific abdominal aortic aneurysm with iliac artery tortuosity

Abstract

This paper describes a systematic investigation on the hemodynamic environment in a patient-specific AAA with tortuous common iliac artery(CIA) and external iliac artery (EIA). 3D reconstructions from CT scans and subsequent computational simulation are carried out. It is found out that the Newtonian and non-Newtonian models have very similar flow field and WSS distribution. More importantly, it is revealed that the torturous CIA maintained its helical flow. It is concluded that the assumption of Newtonian blood is adequate in capturing the intra-aneurysmal hemodynamics. Moreover, it is speculated that the physiological spiral flow protects the twisted CIA from the thrombosis formation.     

Cyr61 is involved in neutrophil infiltration in joints by inducing IL-8 production by fibroblast-like synoviocytes in rheumatoid arthritis

Introduction

It is well known that neutrophils play very important roles in the development of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and interleukin (IL)-8 is a critical chemokine in promoting neutrophil migration. We previously showed that increased production of Cyr61 by fibroblast-like synoviocytes (FLS) in RA promotes FLS proliferation and Th17 cell differentiation, thus Cyr61 is a pro-inflammatory factor in RA pathogenesis. In this study, we explored the role of Cyr61 in neutrophil migration to the joints of RA patients.

Methods

RA FLS were treated with Cyr61 and IL-8 expression was analyzed by real-time PCR and ELISA. The migration of neutrophils recruited by the culture supernatants was determined by the use of a chemotaxis assay. Mice with collagen-induced arthritis (CIA) were treated with anti-Cyr61 monoclonal antibodies (mAb), or IgG1 as a control. Arthritis severity was determined by visual examination of the paws and joint destruction was determined by hematoxylin-eosin (H&E) staining. Signal transduction pathways in Cyr61-induced IL-8 production were investigated by real-time PCR, western blotting, confocal microscopy, luciferase reporter assay or chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay.

Results

We found that Cyr61 induced IL-8 production by RA FLS in an IL-1β and TNF-α independent pathway. Moreover, we identified that Cyr61-induced IL-8-mediated neutrophil migration in vitro. Using a CIA animal model, we found that treatment with anti-Cyr61 mAb led to a reduction in MIP-2 (a counterpart of human IL-8) expression and decrease in neutrophil infiltration, which is consistent with an attenuation of inflammation in vivo. Mechanistically, we showed that Cyr61 induced IL-8 production in FLS via AKT, JNK and ERK1/2-dependent AP-1, C/EBPβ and NF-κB signaling pathways.

Conclusions

Our results here reveal a novel role of Cyr61 in the pathogenesis of RA. It promotes neutrophil infiltration via up-regulation of IL-8 production in FLS. Taken together with our previous work, this study provides further evidence that Cyr61 plays a key role in the vicious cycle formed by the interaction between infiltrating neutrophils, proliferated FLS and activated Th17 cells in the development of RA.