Soil animal communities at five succession stages in the litter of the evergreen broad-leaved forest in Tiantong, China

Soil animals are abundant in forest litter layer, but little attention has been paid to the vertical distribution of community structure of soil animals in the layers at different plant community succession stages. The forest litter layer can be divided into fresh litter layer (L), fermentation layer (F) and humus layer (H), which may represent different litter decomposition stages. The aim of the study is to ascertain the vertical distribution features of soil animal communities among the three litter layers and the change in the succession process of the Evergreen Broad-Leaved Forest (EBLF) in Tiantong, Zhejiang Province, China. Soil animal communities in the five plant communities at different succession stages were investigated during the 2003 winter. Soil animals, which were collected by using Tullgren funnels, amounted to a total of 13 381 individuals falling into 2 phyla, 8 classes and 20 orders. The dominant groups were Acarina and Collembola, accounting for 94.24% of the total individuals, with the number of Acarina individuals 7.66 times than that of Collembola. The common group was Diptera. The results indicated that there was a distinctive vertical distribution of the soil animal communities in the forest litter layer, but it differed from that in soil below the litter layer. In contrast to those in the soil, the soil animals in the litter layer generally tended to increase in both group abundance and density from the top fresh litter layer to the bottom humus layer. Altogether 19 groups and 59.03% of total individuals were found in the bottom layer, while only 8 groups and 5.35% of the total individuals in the top. Moreover, there were some variations in the distribution of the soil animals at different plant succession stages. 85.19% of Homoptera and 100% of Symphyla were found in the litter layer at the climax succession stage, while 75.61% of Thysanoptera at the intermediate succession stage. Therefore, these groups might be seen as indicative groups. The total numbers of soil animal groups and individuals in the litter layers greatly changed in the succession process of the EBLF. They both were greatest at the climax, moderate at the intermediate and smallest at the primary succession stage. However, the main soil animal groups in the litter at the different succession stages were essentially the same. They were Acarina, Collembola, Diptera and Lepidoptera. Although similarity analysis revealed that the soil animal communities in the litter at the intermediate succession stage were most similar to those at the climax succession stage, they differed greatly from each other in the Shannon-Wiener diversity index. The Shannon-Wiener index was highest at the climax succession stage and lowest at the intermediate succession stage. Finally, the paper discusses the following three questions: the role of soil animals as indicators for plant community succession; the role of different soil animal groups in the litter decomposition at different stages; and the major factors affecting the composition and distribution of soil animals in the litter. This paper provides a new perspective for the research on the succession mechanism of plant communities and the decomposition functions of soil animals. __________ Translated from Acta Ecologica Sinica, 2005, 25 (3) [译自: 生态学报, 2005,25(3)]     

A new method to model change in cutaneous blood flow due to mechanical skin irritation part I: comparison between experimental and numerical data

Mechanical skin irritation creates vasodilation. Vasodilation of vascular networks induces increase in blood volume and blood velocity. Both can be measured by Laser Doppler Velocimetry. We propose in this article a method permitting comparison between experimental and numerical results. Experimental data was obtained by Laser Doppler Velocimetry. Numerical results were obtained by a continuous model of the vascular network. The model consists of three layers. First and last layer are described by anisotropic and heterogeneous porous media. They represent the irrigation and the drainage of the vascular system. The intermediate layer is described by a lumped parameter model that does not permit horizontal fluxes. All vessels are compliant. The permeabilities depend on the volumes of the specific layer. Skin irritation is modeled by a change in compliance of small arterial blood vessels. The comparison between experimental and numerical data is based on the model proposed by Bonner and Nossal [1981. Model for laser Doppler measurements of blood flow. Appl. Opt. 20, 2097-2107]. The model describes the Doppler frequency spectrum S(omega) as a function of the optical phenomena creating the frequency shift. The comparison is based on the model of the first moment M1 approximately integralomegaS(omega)domega. The variables of the first moment can be determined by results of the numerical model. We have shown, that it exists a linear relation between the change in compliance and the following increase in first moment. Using this linear relation experimental and numerical data can be compared.     

Foliage influences forced convection heat transfer in conifer branches and buds

Conifer foliage structures affect branch and bud temperature by altering the development and convective resistance of the thermal boundary layer. This paper examines foliage effects on forced convection in branches and buds of Picea glauca (Moench) Voss and Pinus contorta Dougl. Ex. Loud., two species that represent the range of variation in foliage structure among conifers. Forced convection is characterized by a power law relating Nusselt (heat transfer) and Reynolds (boundary layer development) numbers. Data were collected in a laminar flow wind tunnel for free stream velocities of 0.16-6.95 m s(-1). Scaling parameters were compared against literature values for silver cast branch replicas, a bed of real foliage, cylinders, and tube banks. Foliage structures reduced Nusselt numbers (heat transfer) relative to cylinders, which are typically used to approximate leafless branches and buds. Significantly different scaling relationships were observed for all foliage structures considered. Forced convection scaling relationships varied with foliage structure. The scaling relationships reported here account for variation within populations of branches and buds and can be used to characterize forced convection in a forest canopy.     

Tresylated PEG-sterols for coupling of proteins to preformed plain or PEGylated liposomes

A simple and inexpensive method for functionalization of preformed liposomes is presented. Soy sterol-PEG₁₃₀₀ ethers are activated by tresylation at the end of the PEG chain. Coupling of bovine serum albumin as an amino group containing model ligand to the activated lipids can be performed at pH 8.4 with high efficiency. At room temperature, the mixture of sterol-PEG and sterol-PEG-protein inserts rapidly into the outer liposome monolayer with high efficiency (>100 μg protein/μmol total lipid). This method of post-functionalization is shown to be effective with fluid or rigid and plain or pre-PEGylated liposomes (EPC/Chol, 7:3; HSPC/Chol 2:1, and EPC/Chol/MPEG₂₀₀₀-DSPE 2:1:0.16 molar ratios). The release of entrapped calcein upon the insertion of 7.5 mol% of the functionalized sterols is lower than 4%. Incubation of post-functionalized liposomes with serum for 20 h at 37 °C shows stable protein attachment at the liposome surface.     

Ornamental Chrysanthemums: Improvement by Biotechnology

The in vitro tissue culture and micropropagation of chrysanthemums, important floricultural (cut-flower) and ornamental (pot and garden) plants, have been well studied. An increase in genetic transformation studies aimed at improving aesthetic and growth characteristics of the plants has been hampered by low transformation efficiencies and genotype dependence of protocols. As a result chrysanthemum regeneration studies have once again emerged as an essential complement of transformation studies. This review highlights the impact that biotechnology has had on the improvement of chrysanthemum in vitro cell, tissue and organ culture, micropropagation and transformation.     

The surface location of individual residues in a bacterial S-layer protein

Bacterial surface layer (S-layer) proteins self-assemble into large two-dimensional crystalline lattices that form the outermost cell-wall component of all archaea and many eubacteria. Despite being a large class of self-assembling proteins, little is known about their molecular architecture. We investigated the S-layer protein SbsB from Geobacillus stearothermophilus PV72/p2 to identify residues located at the subunit-subunit interface and to determine the S-layer's topology. Twenty-three single cysteine mutants, which were previously mapped to the surface of the SbsB monomer, were subjected to a cross-linking screen using the photoactivatable, sulfhydryl-reactive reagent N-[4-(p-azidosalicylamido)butyl]-3′-(2′-pyridyldithio)propionamide. Gel electrophoretic analysis on the formation of cross-linked dimers indicated that 8 out of the 23 residues were located at the interface. In combination with surface accessibility data for the assembled protein, 10 residues were assigned to positions at the inner, cell-wall-facing lattice surface, while 5 residues were mapped to the outer, ambient-exposed lattice surface. In addition, the cross-linking screen identified six positions of intramolecular cross-linking within the assembled protein but not in the monomeric S-layer protein. Most likely, these intramolecular cross-links result from conformational changes upon self-assembly. The results are an important step toward the further structural elucidation of the S-layer protein via, for example, X-ray crystallography and cryo-electron microscopy. Our approach of identifying the surface location of residues is relevant to other planar supramolecular protein assemblies.     

Studies of the mechanical properties and the fermentation behavior of double layer alginate–chitosan beads,using <Emphasis Type="Italic">Saccharomyces cerevisiae</Emphasis> entrapped cells

Double layer alginate beads coated with chitosan were constructed for the entrapment of yeast cells used in alcoholic fermentations. Several construction parameters of the beads were studied. Among these parameters were the composition of the inner and the outer layer, the initial cell loading, the concentration of chitosan in the coating solution. Improved bead behavior was noticed by the use of chitosan as a coating agent to double layer alginate beads. The mechanical strength and the stability of the beads were enhanced. The polyelectrolyte complex membrane of alginate–chitosan reduced significantly the leakage of the entrapped cells into the medium. The aim of this work was to define the optimal conditions for the construction of the double layer alginate beads coated with chitosan with the purpose of using them for the fermentation of carbohydrates. This paper is based on a presentation at the “International Congress on Bioprocesses in Food Industries – ICBF 2006” conference, Patras 2006     

三江平原湿地植被叶面积指数遥感估算模型

利用中巴资源卫星CBERS-02影像提取的归一化植被指数(NDVI)和同期野外实测的叶面积指数(LAI)数据,分析了三江平原洪河自然保护区草甸、沼泽植被、灌丛和岛状林4种湿地植被及样本总体的NDVI与LAI之间的相关关系,建立了NDVI与不同湿地植被类型叶面积指数间的线性和非线性回归模型,并制作完成洪河自然保护区LAI空间分布图.结果表明,整个研究区样本总体的LAI估算效果不太理想,其NDVI与LAI的相关性仅为0.523;将研究区分为草甸、沼泽、灌丛和岛状林4种湿地植被类型,NDVI与各植被型LAI的相关性和估算效果均有很大程度的提高,所建立的LAI遥感反演模型以三次曲线回归方程拟合精度最高,R2分别达到0.723、0.588、0.837、0.720.以上结果表明,结合地面实测数据并基于遥感植被分类的基础上,CBERS-02遥感影像可用于较大区域内湿地植被生理参数的反演研究.