Evaluation of natural killer cell activity

Natural killer (NK) cells are being appreciated not only for their ability to recognize and lyse tumor cells and virus-infected cells but also for their immunoregulatory properties. NK cells provide a first line of defense against invading pathogens with a two pronged attack, lysis of infected cells and secretion of cytokines and chemokines with potent antipathogen effects. This article describes the standard chromium release assay, which measures the ability of NK cells derived from the peripheral blood to lyse appropriate target cells.     

Effect of population spatial structure on pollination and seed set of a clonal distylous plant,Persicaria japonica (Polygonaceae)

In order to assess the mechanisms through which the spatial structure of the population influences female reproductive success, spatial distribution of clones, degrees of limitation of legitimate (inter-morph) pollination, type and abundance of pollen loaded on the stigmas, and seed set were measured for many clones of two natural populations of the distylous clonal plant,Persicaria japonica. Within the populations, according to the spatial relation to the nearest opposite morph clone, individual clones were assorted into two spatial types,i.e., clones that congregated with clones of the opposite morph (congregating clones), and clones that occurred singly at a considerable distance from the nearest opposite-morph clone (single clones). The pollination success,i.e., the proportion of legitimately pollinated flowers, and seed set were severely limited in the single clones compared to the congregating clones. Since artificial legitimate pollination improved the seed set in single clones, at least to some degree pollination failure was responsible for the reduced seed set in the single clones.     

天敌对麦长管蚜和麦二叉蚜种群数量影响程度的分析

通过对１９９３～１９９６年两种麦蚜种群数量及其天敌数量的系统调查,并采用灰色关联分析法,研究各种天敌对两种麦蚜种群数量的影响程度,得出对麦长管蚜种群数量影响最大的是龟纹瓢虫、蚜茧蜂和食蚜蝇;对麦二叉蚜种群数量影响最大的是草间小黑蛛,其次是龟纹瓢虫．     

不同水分条件下春小麦种群中个体大小不整齐性及遗传学分析不同水分条件下春小麦种群中个体大小不整齐性及遗传学分析

 种群内个体大小不整齐性是种群数量结构的主要指标。本文研究了不同水分条件下,3个品种春小麦种群个体大小不整齐性的建立及变化规律。对春小麦种群不整齐性的遗传学分析表明：遗传结构与随机环境修饰对种群数量结构形成的相对重要性,因水分条件不同而异。种群不整齐性在自然选择中的作用可用下列简单模型表示：CSo＝SH×hSH2 CSo：自然选择强度;SH：大小不整齐性;hSH2：不整齐性的遗传力。     

R.M. Cowling,D.M. Richardson & S.M. Pierce (eds.) 1977. Vegetation of Southern Africa.

We determined the role of bird dispersal in seed and seedling dynamics of the tree Kalopanax pictus from 7 years of observing seed rain and seedling emergence in a broad-leaved deciduous forest in central Japan. We also performed an experiment on the influence of seed pulp on germination of seeds of K. pictus. Seeds of this species can lie dormant for several years, and this causes rather constant yearly seedling emergence in spite of irregular seed production. The spatial distribution of the seedlings that emerged each year (maximum distance from nearest conspecific seed-bearing tree of 90 m) was wider than that of gravity-dispersed seeds (max. distance of 37 m), suggesting seed dispersal by birds in winter. Emerged seedling densities at sites over 20 m from the nearest conspecific seed-bearing tree were highest in the spring of 1991, about half a year after the largest seed fall of the observation period. However, emerged seedling densities within 20 m from seed-bearing trees were highest in 1992, 1.5 years after the largest seed fall. These field observations may be explained by the experimental results on the effects of seed pulp on germination. Intact seeds germinate slowly at low germination rates, while seeds without seed pulp germinate quickly at high germination rates. Fallen seeds with seed pulp thus appear to form a seed bank near seed sources (temporal dispersal), while seeds scattered by birds appear to increase the possibility of reaching the present safe sites in distant areas with quick germination (spatial dispersal).     

A typology of sloping and mountainous olive plantation systems to address natural resources management

Olive plantation systems occur in a wide variety throughout the Mediterranean, especially in sloping and mountainous areas. Recent drivers of change, including the widespread introduction of mechanisation, increased use of (chemical) inputs and (drip)irrigation have considerably added to this diversity. The various systems have very different resource use patterns and environmental and social performances. This article attempts to grasp these differences and to link systems characteristics to options for natural resources management in the spirit of contemporary agricultural policies that seek to promote a more sustainable agriculture. Cluster analysis was employed to classify 28 olive plantation systems distinguished by regional typologies developed for six study areas: Trás‐os‐Montes (Portugal), Córdoba and Granada/Jaén (both in Spain), Haffouz (Tunisia), Basilicata/Salerno (Italy) and West‐Crete (Greece). Six types of olive plantation systems resulted: (a) very extensive, (b) traditional extensive, (c) semi‐intensive low input, (d) semi‐intensive high input, (b) intensive and (e) organic. Natural resources management options to address soil erosion, low biodiversity, wildfire risk and excessive water use are explored for each of these systems. In the discussion, it becomes evident that an important quality for a typology lies in its capacity to differentiate likely future development pathways. If options are known, policy‐makers can make choices as to what the desired pathway is and what instruments to design to facilitate it.     

阿尔泰山两河源自然保护区森林生态系统朽木生地衣群落的数量分类

应用双向指示种分析和除趋势对应分析对阿尔泰山两河源国家级自然保护区的朽木生地衣群落进行了数量分类。初步结果表明,该自然保护区朽木生地衣共有43种,隶属于5目、14科、20属,它们组成了以下4个地衣群落。群落(Ⅰ):分布在样点1、2、3、4、5中,包括15种地衣种类,命名为对开蜈蚣衣+半羽蜈蚣衣+红心黑蜈蚣衣群落。群落(Ⅱ):分布在样点6、7、8、9、11中,包括25种地衣,命名为尖头石蕊+粉石蕊+矮石蕊群落。群落(Ⅲ):由样点10、12、13、14、16组成,常见的地衣种类有19个种,命名为蜡黄橙衣+茎口果粉衣+冷杉粉衣群落。群落(Ⅳ):包括样点15、17、18、19和20,由22个地衣种组成。命名为疑小梅衣+同色黄烛衣+脱落网衣群落。群落Ⅰ和群落Ⅱ的相似性最高为0.723,其次为群落Ⅰ和群落Ⅲ为0.609,群落Ⅲ和群落Ⅳ之间的相似性最低为0.262。群落Ⅲ的多样性最大为1.954;其次为群落Ⅱ和群落Ⅰ,分别为1.742和我1.685,群落Ⅳ的多样性最低为0.543。各群落的相似性和多样性之间的差异与其所处环境和朽木树种的多样性有关。同时发现在研究地区的朽木生地衣群落的分布与海拔高度、朽木腐蚀程度、朽木大小、森林郁闭度等因子具有密切的关系。