西双版纳勐养自然保护区土地利用对自然景观的影响

使用ARC/INFO和ARC/VIEW地理信息系统,对以1995年3月的卫星影像图、相关图件及数据为基础的图形数据库进行分析,研究了土地利用对勐养自然保护区自然景观的影响.结果表明,土地利用使季节雨林生境的异质性最高(多样性指数H为2.1759,优势度指数D为1.2831),季风常绿阔叶林异质性最小(H为1.2531,D为2.3318).该保护区总的人为干扰强度指数(HD)为0.1287,其中季节雨林生境受干扰最强烈,HD达0.8809.季风常绿阔叶林是保护区的优势植被(占总面积的78%),土地利用使其约12.36%(或10895hm₂)的面积被损坏.热带雨林(季节雨林、山地雨林和季雨林,占总面积的12%)是重点保护对象,土地利用使其损失了约19%(2557hm₂),是受到严重干扰的生境组分.耕地的斑块数量最多(占斑块总数的25.86%)而面积却很小(占总面积的2.2%),呈小块状散布在保护区里.人们因经营耕地而活动在保护区里,构成了大面积的干扰,使灌丛草地基本随着耕地散布在保护区里.要保护好西双版纳勐养自然保护区,必须以改善土地利用方式来控制耕地的扩散.     

鄂西南后河自然保护区植物区系研究

后河自然保护区共人维管植物１４１６种,尿属５６８属１６０科。其中蕨类、拟蕨类４１种２８属２０科;裸子植物１８种１１属６科;被子植物１３５７种５２９属１３４科。在科、属、种不同水平上对后河自然保护区植物区系特点进行了较深入的统计和分析。结果显示了该区系的丰富性。复杂性。古老、遗、原始性、温带成分的集中性,古特珍稀危植物群落繁荣的特殊性等特点。因此有理由认为后河植物区系对湖北乃至华中植物区系具有典型的     

Inhibition of rat mixed lymphocyte cultures by suppressor macrophages.

Normal rat spleens contain suppressor cells which can inhibit proliferative and cytotoxic responses of lymphocytes to alloantigens in vitro. The suppressor cells are adherent, phagocytic, resistant to treatment with ATS and C, radioresistant, resistant to treatment with mitomycin C, apparently absent from the thymus, and found in very high concentrations in peritoneal exudates. These characteristics indicate that the suppressor cell is a macrophages and not a T cell. When suppressor cells were removed from spleen cell suspensions, strong in vitro proliferative and cytotoxic responses to alloantigens could consistently be observed.     

Similarity between 5'- and 3'-terminal nucleotide sequences and double-stranded RNA-derived sequences of eukaryotic mRNA

It has been reported recently that parts of the nucleotide sequences present in the 5′- and 3′-terminal regions of cytoplasmic mRNA are derived from double-stranded hairpin structures of heterogeneous nuclear RNA—a putative mRNA precursor (Naora, 1979). In order to explore the nature of double-stranded hairpin structures, using the sequencing data of human and rabbit globin mRNA and hen ovalbumin mRNA, we examined the following possibility: that certain regions of both the 5′- and 3′-terminal nucleotide sequences of mature mRNA were present in double-stranded hairpin structures covalently linked to both sides of the message sequence in the precursor mRNA molecule and that these double-stranded hairpin structures are similar to each other. The results support the above possibility by showing substantial similarity of nucleotide sequences between the 5′- and 3′-terminal regions of these mRNAs in terms of the formation of similar double-stranded hairpin structures.     

Changes in colorectal cancer treatment during the COVID-19 pandemic in Japan: Interrupted time-series analysis using the National Database of Japan

BackgroundThe coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic forced us to accept changes in our usual diagnostic procedures and treatments for colorectal cancer. This study aimed to determine the impact of the pandemic on colorectal cancer treatment in Japan.MethodsThe number of colorectal surgeries, stoma constructions, stent placements or long tube insertions, and neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapies were determined each month using sampling datasets from the National Database of Health Insurance Claims and Specific Health Checkups of Japan. The observation periods before and during the pandemic were January 2015 to January 2020 and April 2020 to January 2021, respectively. An interrupted time-series analysis was used to estimate the changes in the number of procedures during the pandemic.ResultsThe number of endoscopic surgeries for colon cancer significantly decreased in April and July 2020 and for rectal cancer in April 2020. Additionally, the number of laparoscopic and open surgeries for colon cancer significantly decreased in July 2020 and October 2020, respectively. The number of stoma constructions and stent placements or long tube insertions did not increase during the observation period. Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for rectal cancer significantly increased in April 2020 but levels returned shortly thereafter. These results suggest that the recommendations to overcome the pandemic proposed by expert committees, including the replacement of laparoscopic surgery with open surgery, stoma construction to avoid anastomotic leak, and replacement of surgery on the ileus with stent placement, were not widely implemented in Japan. However, as an exception, neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy for rectal cancer was performed as an alternative treatment to delay surgery in small quantities.ConclusionA declining number of surgeries raises concerns about cancer stage progression; however, we found no evidence to suggest cancer progression from the trajectory of the number of stoma constructions and stent placements. In Japan, even during the pandemic, conventional treatments were performed.     

The ecology of a beech forest on Mt. Sanpoiwadake,Hakusan National Park,Japan I. Braun-Blanquet,TWINSPAN and DCA analysis

The Lindero membranaceae-Fagetum crenatae association on Mt. Sanpoiwadake, Hakusan National Park, Japan, has been classified using traditional Braun-Blanquet methods. The association was floristically sub-divided into six communities, all of which had been included as four subassociations by Hukusima (1982). The resulting table was compared with an analogous community table derived using computer-based TWINSPAN analysis. This dual approach was shown to provide a fully objective classification by method, the subjective element in the Braun-Blanquet method thus being substantiated TWINSPAN. Subsequent ordination of the data using DCA then provided a further degree of objective evaluation allowing any misclassified stand or species to be re-examined, and at the same time displaying the detailed inter-relationships between all species or stands.     

Psychological and physiological effect in humans of touching plant foliage - using the semantic differential method and cerebral activity as indicators

Background

Numerous studies have reported on the healing powers of plants and nature, but there have not been so many instances of experimental research. In particular, there are very few psychological and physiological studies using tactile stimuli. This study examines the psychological and physiological effects of touching plant foliage by using an evaluation profile of the subjects’ impressions and investigating cerebral blood flow.

Methods

The subjects were 14 young Japanese men aged from 21 to 27 years (mean ± standard deviation: 23.6 ± 2.4). With their eyes closed, the subjects touched four different tactile samples including a leaf of natural pothos (Epipremnum aureum). The physiological indices were compared before and after each stimulus. Psychological indices were obtained using a ‘semantic differential’ method.

Results

The fabric stimulus gave people ‘soft’ and ‘rough’ impressions, ‘kind’, ‘peaceful’ and ‘pleasant’ feelings psychologically, and a sense of physiological calm. On the other hand, the metal stimulus gave people ‘cold’, ‘smooth’ and ‘hard’ impressions and an image of something ‘artificial’. The metal stimulus caused a stress response in human cerebral blood flow although its evaluation in terms of ‘pleasant or unpleasant’ was neutral. There were no remarkable differences between the stimuli of natural and artificial pothos compared with other types of stimulus psychologically. However, only the natural pothos stimulus showed a sense of physiological calm in the same appearance as the fabric stimulus.

Conclusions

This study shows that people experience an unconscious calming reaction to touching a plant. It is to be concluded that plants are an indispensable element of the human environment.     

Incidence and mortality of pancreatic cancer on a rapid rise in Taiwan, 1999–2012

BackgroundAccumulating data has revealed a rapidly rising incidence of pancreatic cancer in Western countries, but convincing evidence from the East remains sparse. We aimed to quantify how the incidence and mortality rates of pancreatic malignancy changed over time in Taiwan, and to develop future projection for the next decade.MethodsThis nationwide population-based study analyzed the Taiwan National Cancer Registry and the National Cause of Death Registry to calculate the annual incidence and mortality rates of pancreatic malignancy from 1999 to 2012 in this country. The secular trend of the incidence was also examined by data from the National Health Insurance Research Database.ResultsA total of 21,986 incident cases of pancreatic cancer and 20,720 related deaths occurred during the study period. The age-standardized incidence rate increased from 3.7 per 100,000 in 1999 to 5.0 per 100,000 in 2012, with a significant rising trend (P < 0.01). The increase was nationwide, consistently across subgroups stratified by age, gender, geographic region, and urbanization. Data from the National Health Insurance Research Database corroborated the rise of incident pancreatic cancer. Mortality also increased with time, with the age-standardized rate rising from 3.5 per 100,000 in 1999 to 4.1 per 100,000 in 2012 (P < 0.01). In accordance with the incidence, the mortality trend was consistent in all subgroups. Both the incidence and mortality were projected to further increase by approximately 20% from 2012 to 2027.ConclusionThe incidence and mortality of pancreatic cancer have been rapidly rising and presumably will continue to rise in Taiwan.     

La faune des bourdons (Hymenoptera: Apidae) du Parc National des Pyrénées occidentales et des zones adjacentes

Les bourdons constituent l’un des groupes de pollinisateurs les plus importants dans les écosystèmes montagnards. Cependant, la faune des bourdons du Parc National des Pyrénées occidentales (PNPO) est encore peu connue. Pendant trois ans, la faune des bourdons du Parc National des Pyrénées occidentales a fait l’objet d’une surveillance. Les inventaires effectués en juillet- août 2002, 2003 et 2005 ont permis l’observation de 5889 spécimens de bourdons de 29 espèces. Si l’on tient compte des observations des cinquante dernières années, la diversité spécifique du parc s’élève à 30 espèces de bourdons. Une telle diversité spécifique est remarquable et comparable à celle observée dans d’autres secteurs du massif pyrénéen. La faible différence entre les faunes du Parc et des réserves naturelles d’Eyne et de Nohèdes (Pyrénées-Orientales) rend compte du caractère exceptionnellement diversifié de la faune des bourdons du massif pyrénéen en général.     

The impact of roads on the avifauna of páramo grasslands in Cajas National Park,Ecuador

National parks are an important tool for conserving biodiversity, particularly in areas of high biodiversity and endemism such as the tropical Andes. However, national parks often face a variety of stressors related to recreation, road construction and illegal extraction of natural resources. Unfortunately, the influence of these stressors for biodiversity is rarely well documented. Cajas National Park in Ecuador is no exception. Despite being traversed by the Cuenca-Molleturo-Naranjal road, effects of the road construction on biodiversity have not been determined. We therefore assessed the influence of road proximity on bird species richness and abundance as well as composition of bird habitat groups in Cajas National Park using transect walks at 25 m and 250 m distance to the road (overall 18 transects, each 1 km length). In total, we recorded 1110 individuals of 28 páramo bird species. Overall species richness did not differ between transects near and far from the road. Nevertheless, the average abundance of shrubby páramo species was significantly higher far from the road than near the road (Far = 36, Near = 25). Moreover, we found a tendency towards differences in the composition of bird habitat groups between transects near and far from the road. One aspect potentially driving the observed patterns was the increasing proportion of planted non-native woody tree species within páramo grassland near the road, which may have caused reduced abundances of shrubby páramo bird species there. While roads represented a clear impact on the composition of bird species in the páramo, the major effect seems to be driven by the introduction of non-native plant species along the roadside. In order to reduce the impact of roads to a minimum, we suggest that park managers should control the introduction of such plant species.