Long-term orchard groundcover management systems affect soil microbial communities and apple replant disease severity

Apple replant disease (ARD) is a soil-disease syndrome of complex etiology that affects apple tree roots in replanted orchards, resulting in stunted tree growth and reduced yields. To investigate whether different groundcover management systems (GMSs) influence subsequent ARD severity, we grew apple seedlings in an outdoor nursery in pots containing orchard soil from field plots where four GMSs had been maintained for 14 years in an orchard near Ithaca, NY, USA. The GMS treatments were: (1) pre-emergence herbicide (Pre-H), bare soil strips maintained by applying tank-mixed glyphosate, norflurazon and diuron herbicides annually; (2) post-emergence herbicide (Post-H), sparse weed cover maintained by applying glyphosate in May and July each year; (3) mowed sod grass (Mowed Sod); and (4) bark mulch (Mulch). Soils were also sampled from the grass drive lane maintained between the trees in the orchard (Grass Lane). Sampled soils (Orchard soil) were either pasteurized or left untreated, placed into 4-L pots, and planted with one apple seedling per pot. After 3 months of growth, soil (Bioassay soil) and apple tree roots (Bioassay roots) were sampled from each pot and microbial populations colonizing samples were characterized. Seedling growth was reduced in soils sampled from all four GMS treatments compared to the Grass Lane soils. Among the GMS treatments, seedling biomass was greater in Pre-H than in the Post-H soil. Soil microbial communities and nutrient availability differed among all four GMS treatments and the Grass Lane. Root-lesion (Pratylenchus sp.) nematode populations were higher in the Mowed Sod than in the other GMS treatments. Soil bacterial and fungal community composition was assessed in Orchard and Bioassay soils and Bioassay roots with a DNA fingerprinting method (T-RFLP). Redundancy analysis indicated that soils sampled from the different GMS treatments differentially influenced seedling biomass. A clone library of 267 soil bacteria was developed from sampled Orchard soils and Bioassay roots. These communities were dominated by Acidobacteria (25% of sequences), Actinobacteria (19%), δ-Proteobacteria (12%), β-Proteobacteria (10%), and these ratios differed among the GMS soils. Members of the family Comamonadaceae were detected only in tree-row soil, not in the Grass Lanes. The dominant sequences among 145 cloned fungi associated with apple seedling roots were Fusarium oxysporum (16% of sequences), an uncultured soil fungus submitted under DQ420986 (12%), and Rhodotorula mucilaginosa (9%). In a redundancy analysis, factors including fungal and oomycete community compositions, soil respiration rates, population sizes of culturable bacteria and fungi, soil organic matter content, and nutrient availability, were not significant predictors of apple seedling biomass in these soils. Different GMS treatments used by apple growers may influence subsequent ARD severity in replanted trees, but edaphic factors commonly associated with soil fertility may not reliably predict tree-root health and successful establishment of replanted orchards.     

动态仿真直肠排粪造影对盆底痉挛综合征的诊断价值研究

目的:探讨动态仿真直肠排粪造影在诊断盆底痉挛综合征中的应用价值。方法:回顾性选择2014年7月至2016年3月在我院确诊的38例盆底痉挛综合征患者为研究对象,随机分为研究组和对照组,采用全功能数字胃肠机测量患者静息状态下和力排状态下的肛直角,并计算肛直角差。采用t检验进行分析。结果:研究组患者9例合并直肠前突和粘膜脱垂,3例合并直肠前突和内脏下垂,1例合并直肠前突和结肠疝,对照组患者4例合并直肠前突和粘膜脱垂,1例合并直肠前突和内脏下垂,1例合并直肠前突和结肠疝,两组患者的合并症检出率比较,差异有统计学意义(P0.05)。研究组患者的静息状态下肛直角(103.46±8.15)和力排状态下肛直角(93.12±7.51)明显低于对照组(117.62±11.37)、(135.14±12.13),且研究组的肛直角差(10.34±7.25)明显低于对照组(17.52±9.14),差异有统计学意义(P0.01)。结论:动态仿真直肠排粪造影动态观察盆底形态的变化,可为盆底痉挛综合征诊断提供可靠依据。     

Contactin-2/TAG-1, active on the front line for three decades

Contactin-2/transiently expressed axonal surface glycoprotein-1 (TAG-1) is a cell adhesion molecule belonging to the immunoglobulin superfamily (IgSF). It has six immunoglobulin-like extracellular domains and four fibronectin III-like ones, with anchoring to the cell membrane through glycosylphosphatidyl inositol. Contactin-2/TAG-1 is expressed in specific neurons transiently on the axonal surface during the fetal period. In postnatal stages, Contactin-2/TAG-1 is expressed in cerebellar granule cells, hippocampal pyramidal cells, and the juxtaparanodal regions of myelinated nerve fibers. In the embryonic nervous system, Contactin-2/TAG-1 plays important roles in axonal elongation, axonal guidance, and cellular migration. In the postnatal nervous system, it also plays an essential role in the formation of myelinated nerve fibers. Moreover, Contactin-2/TAG-1 has been linked to autoimmune diseases of the human nervous system. Taken together, Contactin-2/TAG-1 plays a central role in a variety of functions from development to disease.     

Southeastern Pacific humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) and their breeding grounds: Distribution and habitat preference of singers and social groups off the coast of Ecuador

Understanding the distribution, habitat preference, and social structure of highly migratory species at important life history stages (e.g., breeding and calving) is essential for conservation efforts. We investigated the spatial distribution and habitat preference of humpback whale social groups and singers, in relation to depth categories (<20 m, 20–50 m, and >50 m) and substrate type (muddy and mixed) on a coastal southeastern Pacific breeding ground. One hundred and forty‐three acoustic stations and 304 visual sightings were made at the breeding ground off the coast of Esmeraldas, Ecuador. Spatial autocorrelation analysis suggested singers were not randomly distributed, and Neu's method and Monte Carlo simulations indicated that singers frequented depths of <20 m and mixed substrate. Singletons, and groups with a calf displayed a preference for shallower waters (0–20 m), while pairs and groups with a calf primarily inhabited mixed bottom substrates. In contrast, competitive groups showed no clear habitat preference and exhibited social segregation from other whales. Understanding the habitat preference and distribution of humpback whales on breeding and calving grounds vulnerable to anthropogenic disturbance provides important baseline information that should be incorporated into conservation efforts at a regional scale.     

Demography of the seedling bank of Manilkara zapota (L.) Royen,in a subtropical rain forest of Mexico

Selection of individuals in tropical trees, occurs mainly in the seedling phase, which in part explains the low densities of most species. The main objective of this work was to gain an insight into those factors that influence growth and survival of Manilkara zapota seedlings, one of the most abundant species in the lowland forests of Mexico and Central America. Eight 10-m² rectangular plots (5m×2m) were established, in which all < 35-cm-high M. zapota seedlings were marked, measured and enumerated at bimonthly intervals. In each census seedling height, number of leaves, length of largest leaf, type of damage and seedling death were registered. Seedling survival during 2 yr was high, reaching 82% including newly emerged seedlings. A maximum likelihood regression analysis showed that both number of leaves and length of largest leaf had a direct influence on seedling survival; however, neither type of damage nor seedling density and height had significant effect. Seedling height growth averaged 2.8 cm in the 2 yr of study. The combined effect of high seedling survival, reduced growth, and impact of physical damage mainly due to falling branches and leaves reveals the occurrence of a persistent seedling bank. Such a bank would contribute to recruitment of individuals in the juvenile and eventually in the adult stages. This seedling bank could explain the high density of individuals of M. zapota in the tropical forests of Mexico.     

Size and shape of the australopithecine pelvic bone

The recovery of several specimens allows to have a good knowledge of australopithecine pelvic bone anatomy. But despite this, differences of opinion still exist regarding locomotory interpretations. The aim of this paper is to present results of a new morphometric analysis of australopithecine pelvic bones to try to understand the reasons of this situation. It appears that australopithecines exhibit the same overall architectural pattern as extant humans, the hominid pattern, just as all African apes also exhibit the same pongid pattern. But, in this pattern, it is possible to clearly depict two subpatterns corresponding to both generaAustralopithecus andHomo. Locomotory interpretations depend on the fact that some studies emphasize traits related to the hominid pattern (concluding then on modern bipedalism) and others focus on trains characterizing australopithecine sub-pattern (concluding then on non-modern bipedalism).     

Towards a predictive description of forest canopies from litter properties

1. Specific leaf area (SLA), carbon isotope ratio (δ¹³C) and leaf nitrogen content (N) were measured in litter in 1993 and in the litter layer and canopy in 1996 in a pedunculate Oak ( Quercus robur ) wood at Wytham, Oxford.
2. The frequency distribution of SLA of leaves falling through the late summer and autumn of 1993 changed with a greater contribution of leaves of high SLA earlier in the period. For the same SLA leaves falling earlier in the season had less negative δ¹³C and higher N content than leaves falling later.
3. The frequency distribution of SLA of litter leaves was similar in both years but litter leaves had lower N and less negative δ¹³C in 1996.
4. In the canopy, there was a highly significant negative relationship between height in the canopy and SLA in green and senescent leaves. The relationship between SLA and both δ¹³C ratio and leaf N was different between green, senescent and litter leaves.
5. The frequency distribution of foliage in the canopy estimated from the frequency of SLA in the litter and the vertical pattern of SLA in the canopy was similar to the distribution measured by the 'drop-line' method.     

林床清理对落叶松(Larix gmelinii)人工林土壤呼吸和物理性质的影响

林下可再生生物质资源的利用是当今森林资源利用的热点,通过林床清理可以获得廉价可再生生物质资源,但其对林分土壤碳收支的影响尚不清楚。运用红外气体分析法（IRGA法）连续两年观测了林床清理对落叶松（Larix gmelinii）人工林土壤呼吸及物理性质的影响,并估算了林床清理生物质资源利用对落叶松人工林碳收支的影响。结果表明：林床清理能够降低落叶松人工林的土壤呼吸,2a的平均值由2．20μmol&#183;m^-2s^-1降低到1．18μmol&#183;m^-2s^-1,平均降低幅度1．02μmol&#183;m^-2s^-1,年呼吸总量由41．2μmol&#183;m^-2a^-1降至22．4μmol&#183;m^-2a^-1,而且,使土壤呼吸Q10值从2．33降低到2．22,R0值从0．61μmol&#183;m^-2s^-1降至0．36μmol&#183;m^-2s^-1;林床清理能够使林床土壤温度冬季低于对照,而夏季则有相反趋势,清理使得林床土壤湿度变化幅度加大,而且秋季和春季较对照低,而夏季偏高;林床清理使得表层土壤容重要比对照未清理样地高53％（P〈0．05）,土壤非毛管孔隙度比未处理样地低49．5％（P〈0．001）,毛管孔隙度较对照未清理降低约15％（P〈0．001）。林床清理导致林下生物质资源所储藏的碳非呼吸性释放约175．0mol&#183;m^-2,当考虑到林床清理导致的土壤呼吸的降低作用时,所测定的2a内土壤净碳支出由175．0mol&#183;m^-2降低至137．4mol&#183;m^-2。林床清理措施增加生物质资源利用和其所导致的土壤呼吸释放减少,能够减少非冉生资源利用导致的碳释放压力。但仍然需要注意到林床清理使得土壤物理结构发生改变,可能不利于落叶松的生长和落叶松林生态系统的稳定。     

三维超声技术对于评估压力性尿失禁女性患者盆底肌肉收缩及膀胱颈活动度的价值研究

摘要 目的：探讨三维超声技术对于评估压力性尿失禁（SUI）女性患者盆底肌肉收缩及膀胱颈活动度的价值。方法：选取2020年1月至2021年8月本院的收治的因产后SUI的女性患者60例作为观察组,另选择同期产后正常的女性受试者60例作为对照组,所有受试者均行经会阴三维超声检查。比较两组之间盆底肌肉收缩及膀胱颈活动度等相关指标的差异。结果：在静息状态和最大Valsalva状态下,观察组中盆膈裂孔前后径、左右径、肛提肌裂孔面积以及膀胱颈后角均显著大于对照组（P<0.05）,观察组尿道长度显著低于对照组（P<0.05）;而仅在最大Valsalva状态下,观察组的膀胱颈位置显著低于对照组（P<0.05）;此外观察组膀胱漏斗化所占比例显著高于对照组（P<0.05）。结论：三维超声技术可以清晰直观地显示女性盆底组织结构和功能,对于评估SUI女性患者盆底肌肉收缩及膀胱颈活动度具有一定的诊断价值,并为临床提供真实客观的影像学证据。     

厦门市地面沉降影响分析与风险评价

城市的地面沉降一直以来都是沿海城市密切关注的问题。在沿海城市对高层建筑群诱发的地面沉降进行深入研究具有重要意义。获取地面沉降监测点的高程信息,分析了厦门市地面沉降情况与空间差异性。重点探讨建设用地、建筑容积率与土地利用转化信息这3种因素对厦门市地面沉降的影响,并对厦门岛地面沉降风险进行评估,可为厦门岛的高层建筑三维空间布局与优化研究提供先验知识。结果表明:(1)在2001—2015年厦门市整体的高程存在下降的趋势且较为缓慢,同时厦门市的城市建设规模不断变大且建设面积增速不断增大,与厦门市的城市地面的沉降发展趋势相同。(2)厦门市的高层建筑密度需达到一定程度才对地面沉降有影响,厦门岛的建筑容积率与地面沉降没有存在显著的相关性。(3)在不同土地利用转化建设用地对地面沉降的影响中:原水域用地沉降最为明显,建成时间越长,总沉降量越大;原耕地用地转化成高层建筑之后沉降有明显发生,也随着建成时间的延长有逐渐增加沉降量的态势;原园地、林地用地沉降只在少部分地区发生且与建成时间无明显差别。(4)厦门岛可用于城市建设区域中的53.34%是地面沉降中风险等级以上的。此外,本研究给出防御防治城市地面沉降风险的有效建议与措施。本研究结果可为厦门市城市化进程中的地面沉降监测、规划设计与决策等提供重要的数据支撑,为城市可持续发展提供科学的依据;也可为国内外其他城市的地面沉降监测分析和可持续发展研究提供理论依据和借鉴意义。