Assessing the generality of global leaf trait relationships

Global-scale quantification of relationships between plant traits gives insight into the evolution of the world's vegetation, and is crucial for parameterizing vegetation-climate models. A database was compiled, comprising data for hundreds to thousands of species for the core 'leaf economics' traits leaf lifespan, leaf mass per area, photosynthetic capacity, dark respiration, and leaf nitrogen and phosphorus concentrations, as well as leaf potassium, photosynthetic N-use efficiency (PNUE), and leaf N : P ratio. While mean trait values differed between plant functional types, the range found within groups was often larger than differences among them. Future vegetation-climate models could incorporate this knowledge. The core leaf traits were intercorrelated, both globally and within plant functional types, forming a 'leaf economics spectrum'. While these relationships are very general, they are not universal, as significant heterogeneity exists between relationships fitted to individual sites. Much, but not all, heterogeneity can be explained by variation in sample size alone. PNUE can also be considered as part of this trait spectrum, whereas leaf K and N : P ratios are only loosely related.     

凋落物去除和添加处理对典型草原生态系统碳通量的影响

为揭示凋落物去除和添加处理对草原生态系统碳通量的影响, 2013和2014年连续两年在成熟群落围封样地进行凋落物去除实验、在退化群落放牧样地进行凋落物添加实验, 并运用静态箱法探讨碳通量变化规律并分析其主要影响因子。结果表明: 两种群落的净生态系统CO₂交换(NEE)有明显的季节性变化。对成熟群落而言, 去除50%凋落物显著增加了NEE, 去除100%凋落物显著降低了NEE, 而对生态系统总初级生产力(GEP)和生态系统呼吸(ER)均无显著影响; 对退化群落而言, 凋落物添加显著增加了GEP和NEE, 而对ER无显著影响。两种群落的GEP与10 cm土壤温度显著正相关, 但NEE和GEP的变化规律与土壤温度相反, 与10 cm土壤湿度相同。由此可见, 凋落物去除和添加处理对生态系统碳通量的影响主要是改变土壤湿度和地上生物量,而不是改变土壤温度。该研究为合理利用凋落物改善草地生态系统管理和促进草地恢复提供了理论依据。     

Mechano-electric feedback and arrhythmias

The mechanical state of the heart feeds back to modify cardiac rate and rhythm. Mechanical stretch of myocardial tissue causes immediate and chronic responses that lead to the common end point of arrhythmia. This review provides a brief summary of the author's personal choice of contributions that she considers have fostered our understanding of the role of mechano-electric feedback in arrhythmogenesis.

Acute mechanical stretch reversibly depolarises the cell membrane and shortens the action potential duration. These electrophysiological changes are related to the activation of mechano-sensitive ion channels. Several different ion channels are involved in the sensing of stretch, among them K⁺-selective, Cl⁻-selective, non-selective, and ATP-sensitive K⁺ channels. Sodium and Ca²⁺ entering the cells via non-selective ion channels are thought to contribute to the genesis of stretch-induced arrhythmia. Mechano-sensitive channels have been cloned from non-vertebrate and vertebrate species.

Chronic stress on the heart activates gene expression in cardiomyocytes and non-myocytes. The signal transduction involves atrial natriuretic peptides and growth factors that initiate remodelling processes leading to hypertrophy which in turn may contribute to the electrical instability of the heart by increasing the responsiveness of mechano-sensitive channels. Selective block of these channels could provide some new form of treatment of mechanically induced arrhythmias, although at present there are no drugs available with sufficient selectivity. Detailed understanding of how mechanical strain on myocardial cells is translated into channel activation will allow to identify new targets for putative antiarrhythmic drugs.     

Leech responses to tissue transplantation

The aim of the present work is to describe histologically, histochemically and immunocytochemically, the sequence of events that lead to first and second set rejection of allo- or xenograft in leeches. Graft responses of leeches are comparable and are described following specific steps: inflammatory phase, rejection phase and granulation tissue formation (including re-epithelialisation, angiogenesis and fibroplasia).The responses to first and second graft in first set graft rejection as well as to the first transplant in second set graft experiments are identical and in the time span of a week all grafts are destroyed and disappear. In the second set graft rejection experiments the responses against the second transplant are markedly accelerated. The second graft shows massive structural alterations and it is rapidly rejected, within 3-4 days.Our results permit to highlight that in leeches there is a specific responsiveness of immune system similar to those described in highly divergent phyla.     

呼吸机呼气滤器的研制及防护效果评价

为防止呼吸机呼气管道中的含菌气体扩散污染病房空气,引发交叉感染。利用HEPA材料、活性炭、特殊的缓释杀菌滤材,研制成一套呼吸机呼气除菌过滤装置。经参照有关标准用物理模拟气溶胶颗粒(0.28-0.34um)及微生物气溶胶测试,过滤效率>99.995％,微生物气溶胶滤除率达100％。气流阻力<230Pa,完全能满足临床呼气机的过滤除菌使用条件。     

Cycling of soil carbon in a Japanese red pine forest II. Changes occurring in the first year after a clear-felling

Cycling of soil carbon in the first year after a clear-felling was compared with that before the felling in a Japanese red pine forest in Hiroshima Prefecture, west Japan. The daily mean temperature at the soil surface in summer was increased after the felling in comparison to that before felling, and the water content of both the A₀ layer and the surface mineral soil was decreased due to the loss of the forest canopy. The rate of weight loss of the A₀ layer was reduced after felling. However, accumulation of the A₀ layer rapidly decreased because of the lack of litter supply to the forest floor. Low soil respiration after felling was mainly caused by the cessation of root respiration. Analysis of annual soil carbon cycling was then conducted using a compartment model. The relative decomposition rate of the A₀ layer decreased whereas that of humus and dead roots in mineral soil increased to some extent after felling. The accumulation of carbon in mineral soil, however, increased slightly due to the supply of humus from roots killed by the felling.     

Platelet-derived Growth Factor-C (PDGF-C) Induces Anti-apoptotic Effects on Macrophages through Akt and Bad Phosphorylation

PDGF-C, which is abundant in the malignant breast tumor microenvironment, plays an important role in cell growth and survival. Because tumor-associated macrophages (TAMs) contribute to cancer malignancy, macrophage survival mechanisms are an attractive area of research into controlling tumor progression. In this study, we investigated PDGF-C-mediated signaling pathways involved in anti-apoptotic effects in macrophages. We found that the human malignant breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 produced high quantities of PDGF-C, whereas benign MCF-7 cells did not. Recombinant PDGF-C induced PDGF receptor α chain phosphorylation, followed by Akt and Bad phosphorylation in THP-1-derived macrophages. MDA-MB-231 culture supernatants also activated macrophage PDGF-Rα. PDGF-C prevented staurosporine-induced macrophage apoptosis by inhibiting the activation of caspase-3, -7, -8, and -9 and cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase. Finally, TAMs isolated from the PDGF-C knockdown murine breast cancer cell line 4T1 and PDGF-C knockdown MDA-MB-231-derived tumor mass showed higher rates of apoptosis than the respective WT controls. Collectively, our results suggest that tumor cell-derived PDGF-C enhances TAM survival, promoting tumor malignancy.     

Effect of two granular nematicides on growth and nodulation ofArachis hypogea L.

Summary The effect of two granular nematicidesviz. oxamyl and fenamiphos, on the nodulation and growth of Rhizobium inoculatedArachis hypogaea L. was studied in glasshouse and field trials. In the glasshouse trial at the suggested rates of application shoot fresh weight was significantly reduced by oxamyl whilst root fresh weight was similarly affected by fenamiphos. In the field trial vegetative growth and plant emergence were significantly reduced by both nematicides. Nodulation at the higher rates of application was increased by both oxamyl and fenamiphos whilst oxamyl caused a significant increase in pod number at the highest rate of application.     

EFFECTS OF VARIATIONS IN LIGHT INTENSITY ON THE EFFICIENCY OF GROWTH OF SKELETONEMA COSTATUM (BACILLARIOPHYCEAE) IN A CYCLOSTAT1

The relative importance of respiration and organic carbon release to the efficiency of carbon specific growth of Skeletonema costatum (Grev.) Clave was evaluated over a light range from 1500–15 μE · m^?2· s^?1. Net growth efficiency ranged from 0.45–0.69 with a maximum at 130 μE · m^?2· s^?1. Respiration was 93% or more of the variations in growth efficiency. Organic carbon release ranged from 0–7% of gross production and increased with light intensity. Carbon specific particulate production was a hyperbolic function of incident light intensity and was related exponentially to particulate carbon production per unit chlorophyll a. Full sunlight conditions, 1500 μE · m^?2· s^?1, did not induce photoinhibition of gross production. Variations in the efficiency of growth of S. costatum were minimized over a wide range of light intensities mainly because of variations in cellular pigments which permitted the efficient utilization of available light energy, and a reduction in the losses of carbon which increases the growth rate, possibly as a consequence of the recycling of respired carbon within the cell.     

人工栽培条件下三叶木通座果及果实生长特性研究

用栽培三叶木通为试材,研究了其座果及果实生长的特性。结果表明：人工栽培条件下,三叶木通座果（雌花）率可以提高到１３．５％,是野生三叶木通的２ １００％;以先年第１、２次攀援茎第３￣３０节位结果为主;３月底开花,花期３０ｄ左右。花后第２０￣５０ｄ（４月中旬至５月上旬）花序、雌花及幼果（子房）大量脱落,出现明显的脱落高峰。三叶木通果实纵向生长呈双Ｓ曲线布,生长期１５０ｄ左右,可划分成５个时期：受精结实