华南若干旧石器时代地点的铀系年代

本文用铀系法测定了我国华南地区的建德乌龟洞、大冶石龙头、长阳龙洞、马坝狮子山、柳江通天岩、柳州白莲洞、桐梓岩灰洞、黔西观音洞、水城硝灰洞、桐梓马鞍山和呈贡龙潭山3号洞等11个旧石器时代地点的年代,根据测定结果,汇同我们发表的华北地区旧石器年代数据排列了它们的年代序列。     

Seed and microsite limitation of recruitment in plant populations

Summary Availability of seed and microsites, respectively, are two factors that potentially may limit recruitment in plant populations. Microsites are small-scale sites suitable for germination and survival of seedlings. We discuss this dichotomy of recruitment limitation both from a theoretical and empirical point of view. Investigations of recruitment in 14 woodland species showed that 3 species were seed limited, 6 species were limited by a combination of seed and microsite availability, and 5 species were found not to be seed limited, but the limiting factor was not identified. A combination of seed and microsite limitation implies that recruitment is promoted by increasing both seed and microsite availability. We suggest that the importance of seed limitation in plant populations has been underestimated, and that the operating limiting factors may be dependent on spatial and temporal scale. We expect that many species, if adequately studied, will turn out to be both seed and microsite limited. Experimental field studies that incorporate a range of seed and microsite densities in various spatial and temporal scales are needed to examine the extent to which plant populations are seed and microsite limited.     

Presynaptic Nicotinic Cholinergic Receptors Labeled by [3H]Acetylcholine on Catecholamine and Serotonin Axons in Brain

Nicotinic cholinergic receptor binding sites labeled by [3H]acetylcholine were measured in the cerebral cortices, thalami, striata, and hypothalami of rats lesioned by intraventricular injection of either 6-hydroxydopamine or 5, 7-dihydroxytryptamine. In addition, [3H]acetylcholine binding sites were measured in the cerebral cortices of rats lesioned by injection of ibotenic acid into the nucleus basalis magnocellularis. [3H]Acetylcholine binding was significantly decreased in the striata and hypothalami of both 6-hydroxydopamine- and 5,7-dihydroxytryptamine-lesioned rats. There was no change in binding in the cortex or thalamus by either lesion. Ibotenic acid lesions of the nucleus basalis magnocellularis, which projects cholinergic axons to the cortex, did not alter [3H]acetylcholine binding. These results provide evidence for a presynaptic location of nicotinic cholinergic binding sites on catecholamine and serotonin axons in the striatum and hypothalamus.     

Widespread positive selection in synonymous sites of mammalian genes

Evolution of protein sequences is largely governed by purifying selection, with a small fraction of proteins evolving under positive selection. The evolution at synonymous positions in protein-coding genes is not nearly as well understood, with the extent and types of selection remaining, largely, unclear. A statistical test to identify purifying and positive selection at synonymous sites in protein-coding genes was developed. The method compares the rate of evolution at synonymous sites (Ks) to that in intron sequences of the same gene after sampling the aligned intron sequences to mimic the statistical properties of coding sequences. We detected purifying selection at synonymous sites in approximately 28% of the 1,562 analyzed orthologous genes from mouse and rat, and positive selection in approximately 12% of the genes. Thus, the fraction of genes with readily detectable positive selection at synonymous sites is much greater than the fraction of genes with comparable positive selection at nonsynonymous sites, i.e., at the level of the protein sequence. Unlike other genes, the genes with positive selection at synonymous sites showed no correlation between Ks and the rate of evolution in nonsynonymous sites (Ka), indicating that evolution of synonymous sites under positive selection is decoupled from protein evolution. The genes with purifying selection at synonymous sites showed significant anticorrelation between Ks and expression level and breadth, indicating that highly expressed genes evolve slowly. The genes with positive selection at synonymous sites showed the opposite trend, i.e., highly expressed genes had, on average, higher Ks. For the genes with positive selection at synonymous sites, a significantly lower mRNA stability is predicted compared to the genes with negative selection. Thus, mRNA destabilization could be an important factor driving positive selection in nonsynonymous sites, probably, through regulation of expression at the level of mRNA degradation and, possibly, also translation rate. So, unexpectedly, we found that positive selection at synonymous sites of mammalian genes is substantially more common than positive selection at the level of protein sequences. Positive selection at synonymous sites might act through mRNA destabilization affecting mRNA levels and translation.     

Experimental Trichinella infection in seals

The susceptibility of seals to infection with Trichinella nativa and the cold tolerant characteristics of muscle larvae in seal meat were evaluated. Two grey seals, Halichoerus grypus, were inoculated with 5000 (100 larvae/kg) T. nativa larvae and two grey seals with 50000 (1000 larvae/kg). One seal from each dose group and two control seals were killed at 5 and 10 weeks post-inoculation (p.i.). At 5 weeks p.i., infection was established in both low and high dose seals with mean larval densities of 68 and 472 larvae per gram (lpg), respectively, using eight different muscles for analyses. At 10 weeks p.i., mean larval densities were 531 and 2649 lpg, respectively, suggesting an extended persistence of intestinal worms. In seals with high larval density infections, the distribution of larvae in various muscles was uniform, but in one seal with a low larval density infection, predilection sites of larvae included muscle groups with a relative high blood flow, i.e. diaphragm, intercostal and rear flipper muscles. Trichinella-specific antibody levels, as measured by ELISA, increased during the 10 week experimental period. Infected seal muscle was stored at 5, -5 and -18 degrees C for 1, 4 and 8 weeks. Muscle larvae released from stored seal muscle by artificial digestion were inoculated into mice to assess viability and infectivity. Larvae from seal muscle 10 weeks p.i. tolerated -18 degrees C for 8 weeks but larvae from seal muscle 5 weeks p.i. tolerated only 1 week at -18 degrees C, supporting the hypothesis that freeze tolerance increases with the age of the host-parasite tissue complex. The expressed susceptibility to infection, extended production of larvae, antibody response and freeze tolerance of T. nativa in seals are new findings from the first experimental Trichinella infection in any marine mammal and suggest that pinnipeds (phocids, otariiids or walrus) may acquire Trichinella infection by scavenging even small amounts of infected tissue left by hunters or predators.     

The structure analysis and antigenicity study of the N protein of SARS-CoV

The Coronaviridae family is characterized by a nucleocapsid that is composed of the genome RNA molecule in combination with the nucleoprotein (N protein) within a virion. The most striking physiochemical feature of the N protein of SARS-CoV is that it is a typical basic protein with a high predicted pI and high hydrophilicity, which is consistent with its function of binding to the ribophosphate backbone of the RNA molecule. The predicted high extent of phosphorylation of the N protein on multiple candidate phosphorylation sites demonstrates that it would be related to important functions, such as RNA-binding and localization to the nucleolus of host cells. Subsequent study shows that there is an SR-rich region in the N protein and this region might be involved in the protein-protein interaction. The abundant antigenic sites predicted in the N protein, as well as experimental evidence with synthesized polypeptides, indicate that the N protein is one of the major antigens of the SARS-CoV. Compared with o     

The birth of the Acheulian techno-complex in the Caucasus region

The lithic industries of the sites Kermek, Ciscaucasia (2.1–2.0 Ma) and Karakhach, South Caucasus (1.85–1.78 Ma) contain almost all the components of the Acheulian, indicating that this techno-complex appeared in the different areas of the Caucasus region not later than at the end of the Gelasian. Such extremely old ages of these industries as well as a number of their features due to the influence of the local raw material (tabular clasts) suggest that they were formed independently of the Early Acheulian industries known in Africa and the Near East. The very early appearance and further dispersal of Early Acheulian in the Caucasus can be explained by the presence there of raw materials with qualities supporting the production of large tools inherent of Acheulian, and by the very favorable natural conditions of the region in the final Gelazian-initial Calabrian (low or medium altitude terrain with subtropical climate and savanna-like landscape).     

土壤水分时间稳定性研究进展

土壤水分是陆地生态系统中不可或缺的组成部分,在地表水文过程中起着关键作用,连接着一系列的水文、生态、气候和地质学过程,是陆地生态系统健康运行的关键。以土壤水分时间稳定性概念为主线,从时间稳定性概念、研究方法、应用和影响因素等方面,系统阐述了土壤水分时间稳定性近年来的研究进展,探讨了代表性测点的选取标准以及土壤水分时间稳定性的影响因素。结合目前的研究进展,提出了未来的研究重点:加强多因素综合作用对土壤水分时间稳定性的研究;结合"3S"技术、计算机模拟和野外实测来研究时间稳定性的尺度问题;如何高效选择代表性测点;探讨时间稳定性概念在植被恢复区和气候敏感区的研究与应用。     

尺度整合视角下伊犁河谷地区生态安全格局构建——以昭苏县为例

构建生态安全格局是一种协调区域生态保护与经济发展关系的有效途径。由于生态系统服务供需差异,不同等级的行政区在生态安全格局构建中出现了空间结构错位脱节的问题。从整合视角出发,尝试整合伊犁河谷地区州级和县级两级尺度构建昭苏县生态安全格局。首先基于生态系统服务评价确定生态源地,再构建综合阻力面并采用电路理论模型识别生态廊道。研究结果显示,整合州级和县级两级尺度昭苏县共确定了24个生态源地,面积2504.47km²,主要分布于昭苏中部盆地以及北部、南部山区,土地利用类型主要为耕地、草地和林地;识别生态廊道50条,总长度200.17km。与单一尺度下生态安全格局构建相比,整合不同尺度构建生态安全格局能显著改善区域生境破碎化的问题,提高区域景观连通性。本研究提供了一种整合不同尺度下生态安全格局构建的技术框架,研究结果可为伊犁河谷地区国土空间格局优化提供有效参考。