The responses of Briza media and Koeleria macrantha to drought and re-watering

1. To test whether differences in response to drought can help to explain the differing distributions of Briza media and Koeleria macrantha , changes in their leaf growth and water relations during soil drying were measured. After droughting, plants were re-watered and recovery recorded.
2. Leaf growth of the two species showed a similar sensitivity to drought with respect to duration of soil drying and soil moisture content.
3. In both species tiller base relative water content (RWC) was maintained at similar levels to controls until soil moisture content had fallen to less than 9%. This may aid survival in habitats subject to periodic droughting by preventing damage to the meristems.
4. Briza media did not respond to re-watering. However, plants of K. macrantha re-grew after periods of over 20 days of drought, when tiller base RWCs had fallen as low as 13%. This ability to resurrect may explain the occurrence of K. macrantha in xeric calcicolous grasslands subject to episodes of severe droughting, from which B. media is absent.     

一种利用推论性模型预测陆地脊椎动物分布的技术

对用于预测物种地理分布的新技术进行了叙述。这种预测包括以下步骤：建立地理基础资料库（ｄａｔａｂａｓｅ）、收集被预测物种的地理分布点以及使用生物多样性的附件－－Ｇｅｎｅｔｉｃ Ａｌｇｏｒｔｈｍ ｆｏｒ Ｒｕｌｅ－ｓｅｔ Ｐｒｅｄｉｃｉｏｎ来建立被预测物种的位模型。为了能清楚地理解这一预测过程,以濒危特种褐马鸡（Ｃｒｏｓｓｏｐｔｉｌｏｎ ｍａｎｔｃｈｕｒｉｃｕｍ）为例进行了叙述。这项新技术是用于生态学     

A Retained Secretory Signal Peptide Mediates High Density Lipoprotein (HDL) Assembly and Function of Haptoglobin-related Protein

Haptoglobin-related protein (Hpr) is a component of a minor subspecies of high density lipoproteins (HDL) that function in innate immunity. Here we show that assembly of Hpr into HDL is mediated by its retained N-terminal signal peptide, an unusual feature for a secreted protein and the major difference between Hpr and the soluble acute phase protein haptoglobin (Hp). The 18-amino acid signal peptide is necessary for binding to HDL and interacts directly with the hydrocarbon region of lipids. Utilizing model liposomes, we show that the rate of assembly and steady-state distribution of Hpr in lipid particles is mediated by the physical property of lipid fluidity. Dye release assays reveal that Hpr interacts more rapidly with fluid liposomes. Conversely, steady-state binding assays indicate that more rigid lipid compositions stabilize Hpr association. Lipid association also plays a role in facilitating hemoglobin binding by Hpr. Our data may offer an explanation for the distinct distribution of Hpr among HDL subspecies. Rather than protein-protein interactions mediating localization, direct interaction with phospholipids and sensitivity to lipid fluidity may be sufficient for localization of Hpr and may represent a mechanism of HDL subspeciation.     

马科在中国的分布与现状

蒙古野驴(Asinus h．hemionus)分布于内蒙和甘肃西北角、新疆东北部至准噶尔盆地西部。1982年航调,卡拉麦里山保护区内有356头,O.02头／平方公里;1986年调查为O.03头／平方公里。估计目前我国境内不超过2000头。西藏野驴(Asinus k.kiang)分布于西藏西部、新疆南缘山地;A.k.holdereri分布于除湟水河谷外青海全境、四川西北角、甘肃祁连山。1984年调查,阿尔金山保护区内有41,262头,0.917头／平方公里。估计我国境内种群约在20万头上。多年考察未发现野马(Equus przewalskii),目前可能在北塔山以东尚有少数残存。     

The effects of selective fish predation on the horizontal distribution of pelagic Cladocera in a southern French reservoir

A four-year study showed a clear seasonal succession of species within the cladoceran community of the large, oligotrophic Sainte-Croix reservoir (S.E. France). Diaphanosoma brachyurum and Ceriodaphnia pulchella were strictly limited to the warm stratified period (July to October), whereas Bosmina longirostris and Bosmina coregoni were dominant during spring and autumn. Daphnia longispina was the only species to occur throughout the year with higher densities in spring.In spring and late autumn, the discharge of the inflowing river Verdon was high and the abundance of all species showed a gradient over the whole lake with lower densities close to the inflow. During the stratified period, water inflow was very low and species showed different patterns. Densities of the small form Ceriodaphnia pulchella were similar all along the long axis of the lake, whereas Daphnia densities were significantly higher near the dam. The distribution pattern of Diaphanosoma, an intermediate-sized species, showed similar trends to that of Daphnia. The only planktivorous fish in the pelagic zone, the bleak (Alburnus alburnus), fed mostly on large-bodied species (> 1.0 mm) and was more abundant close to the inflow current. A comparison between the length frequency distributions of cladocera upstream and downstream provided a clear demonstration of the effects of size-selective predation on prey populations. Finally, the interactions between spatial heterogeneity and long-term development of the zooplankton community and the indirect effects of predation are discussed.     

The utility of inflammation and platelet biomarkers in patients with acute coronary syndromes

Introduction

Thrombotic and inflammatory mechanisms are involved in the pathophysiology of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). The aim of the study was the evaluation of inflammation (white blood cells count/WBC, C-reactive protein/CRP, interleukin-6/IL-6) and platelet (platelet count/PLT, mean platelet volume/MPV, large platelet/LPLT, beta-thromboglobulin/β-TG) biomarkers in the groups of ACS patients depending on the severity of signs and symptoms and compared to controls without coronary artery disease.

Family Ismaridae Thomson (Hymenoptera,Diaprioidea), new to fauna of Iran

Occurrence of the family Ismaridae Thomson is recorded for the first time from Iran, represented by a single species, Ismarus rugulosus Förster, 1850. A series of diagnostic characters and morphometric ratios for this species is presented, as well as a distribution map throughout the Holarctic region.     

烟蚜在烟株上的垂直分布及其分布型

在烤烟Ｋ－３２６团棵期烟株上,Ⅰ－Ⅲ龄若蚜,Ⅳ龄若蚜＋无翅成蚜在各叶位间的分布量具有显著差异,且这种差异与烟株上国蚜Ｍｙｚｕｓｎｉｃｏｔｉａｎａｅ（Ｂｌａｃｋｍａｎ）的密度有关。     

A statistical model of the reproduction of aphids

1. The logistic function has been generally used to describe the reproductive process of a “population” of animal. However, this model can not give us any information about the reproductive process of “individuals” in the population. In this study a statistical model on the basis of the reproduction of individuals of barley aphid is presented to find the proportion of the mature individuals, the heterogeneity in reproductive ability of the aphids, etc.
2. The model is constructed as follows:
3. The probability that j insects are found on a plant at time t₀ is represented as Q(j).
4. The probability that h individuals of j have reproductive ability, say, mature individuals, in the period t₀ to t₁ is represented as B(h/j)=_jC_hw^h(1−w)^j−h, where w is the proportion of mature individuals.
5. In a population with a homogeneous reproductive ability, the probability that each parent lays i offspring in the period t₀ to t₁ is represented as P(i/m)=e^−mmⁱ/i!, where m is mean. And, in a population, m changes according to the gamma distribution. Hence the probability that a parent lays i offspring between t₀ and t₁ is represented as , where p and k are parameters of negative binomial distribution. The probability that h parents on a plant lays s offspring is represented as .
6. From the assumptions mentioned above, the probability that s offspring are to be found at time t₁ on a plant with the original j individuals at time t₀ is represented by
7. The experimental populations were demonstrated to fit well to the model.