阔叶红松混交林林隙内丘坑复合体特征及分布格局

对小兴安岭凉水国家级自然保护区红松阔叶混交林不同大小林隙及郁闭林分内丘坑复合体特征及分布格局进行了对比和分析.结果表明： 大、中、小林隙及郁闭林分中丘坑复合体的丘宽、丘高、丘厚均大于与之对应的坑宽、坑长、坑深.大林隙内丘坑复合体的丘宽、丘高、丘厚、坑宽、坑长、坑深均最大,分别为2.85、0.37、2.00、2.99、2.10、0.39 m;郁闭林分均最小,分别为2.35、0.19、1.60、2.66、1.65、0.21 m.丘的平均体积（1.66 m³）均大于坑的（1.44 m³）.同一大小林隙内绝大多数丘坑复合体之间的特征值差异显著,而郁闭林分内绝大多数丘坑复合体之间的特征值差异不显著.不同大小林隙及郁闭林分丘坑复合体之间的特征值大多差异显著.2012年样地内丘坑复合体大多数特征值显著小于2011年.89.5%和60.5%的丘坑复合体类型为铰链式,形状为半椭圆状,丘坑复合体的分布格局为相对集中.     

Where the bears roam in Majella National Park,Italy

The Brown bear (Ursus arctos Linnaeus, 1758) occupies contiguous areas in Eastern and Northern Europe. In Western Europe, the largest remnant populations occur in Cantabria, Spain and the Apennines, Italy. Under Italian law the bear and its occupied range are protected. The occupied range of the Apennine brown bear includes Majella National Park. However, information on the distribution within Majella NP is extrapolated and inconsistent, thus precluding evidence-based protected area and species management. To address this lack of information, bear presence records (1996–2010) were collated and corrected for observational bias. Multiple Species Distribution Models (SDMs) were created at 800 m resolution to predict year-round and seasonal bear distribution. A hierarchical, stepwise maxent SDM approach was applied using climatic, terrain, vegetation, and anthropogenic predictors of bear distribution. Occupied ranges were identified by point density analysis of bear presence. Our climate-only SDMs predicted bear presence in areas with relatively low snowfall and temperate temperatures. Year-round bear distribution was also accurately predicted by using temperate-montane elevations and mesic, mesotrophic vegetation substrates, irrespective of vegetation. Ski-resorts were negative predictors of year-round bear occurrence. Bears were predicted in autumn and winter by beech forest, in spring by meadows and in summer by a variety of vegetation categories. The regional and our local models predicted bear throughout the south. However, our predicted and occupied range in the north includes the Orta valley and exclude alpine heights, contrary to the regional models. Only our summer bear range is similar to a regional SDM. We demonstrated that multiple maxent SDMs using a modest number of observations and a comprehensive set of environmental variables may generate essential distributional information for protected area and species management where full wildlife and food source censuses are lacking.     

High-resolution CT scoring system-based grading scale predicts the clinical outcomes in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis

Background

The 2011 idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF) guidelines are based on the diagnosis of IPF using only high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT). However, few studies have thus far reviewed the usefulness of the HRCT scoring system based on the grading scale provided in the guidelines. We retrospectively studied 98 patients with respect to assess the prognostic value of changes in HRCT findings using a new HRCT scoring system based on the grading scale published in the guidelines.

Methods

Consecutive patients with IPF who were diagnosed using HRCT alone between January 2008 and January 2012 were evaluated. HRCT examinations and pulmonary function tests were performed at six-month intervals for the first year after diagnosis. The HRCT findings were evaluated using the new HRCT scoring system (HRCT fibrosis score) over time. The findings and survival rates were analyzed using a Kaplan-Meier analysis.

Results

The HRCT fibrosis scores at six and 12 months after diagnosis were significantly increased compared to those observed at the initial diagnosis (p < 0.001). The patients with an elevated HRCT fibrosis score at six months based on a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves analysis had a poor prognosis (log-rank, hazard ratio [HR] 2.435, 95% CI 1.196-4.962; p = 0.0142). Furthermore, among the patients without marked changes in %FVC, those with an elevated score above the cut-off value had a poor prognosis (HR 2.192, 95% CI 1.003-4.791; p = 0.0491).

Conclusions

Our data demonstrate that the HRCT scoring system based on the grading scale is useful for predicting the clinical outcomes of IPF and identifying patients with an adverse prognosis when used in combination with spirometry.     

Botryosphaeriaceae species overlap on four unrelated,native South African hosts

Botryosphaeriaceae represents an important and diverse family of latent fungal pathogens of woody plants. We address the question of host range of these fungi by sampling leaves and branches of four native South African trees, including Acacia karroo (Fabaceae), Celtis africana (Cannabaceae), Searsia lancea (Anacardiaceae), and Gymnosporia buxifolia (Celastraceae). Two new species of the Botryosphaeriaceae, namely Tiarosporella africana sp. nov. and Aplosporella javeedii sp. nov. were identified, together with five known species, including Neofusicoccum parvum, Neofusicoccum kwambonambiense, Spencermartinsia viticola, Diplodia pseudoseriata, and Botryosphaeria dothidea. Most Botryosphaeriaceae occurred on more than one host. With the exception of S. lancea, which was infected by A. javeedii all the hosts were infected by more than one Botryosphaeriaceae species. Collectively, the results suggest that some intrinsic host factors, possibly combined with local environmental conditions, affect the distribution and co-infectivity of various hosts by the Botryosphaeriaceae. This would counteract the general ability of a species in the Botryosphaeriaceae to infect a broad range of plants. The combination of host and environmental factors might also explain why some Botryosphaeriaceae with apparently broad host ranges, are found on different suites of hosts in different areas of the world.     

民勤绿洲二白杨树干液流的径向变化及时滞特征

树木的树干液流是反映树木生理活动动态、估算单株耗水量的重要基础.本文利用热扩散技术,对民勤绿洲二白杨3株(30年生)大树树干边材各4个深度(2、3、5、8 cm)的液流速率(J)进行连续两个生长季(2011、2012)的监测.结果表明: 二白杨边材液流速率最高的位点约在形成层下3 cm深处(J₃),其次依次为2、5和8 cm处(J₂、J₅和J₈),在大气蒸发潜力(ET₀)最强的6月,典型晴天日的J₃可达28.53 g·cm^-2·h-1,分别是J₂、J₅和J₈的1.42、2.74和4.4倍,径向差异明显.在日变化过程中,边材不同深处间液流速率峰值出现的时刻相差在20 min以内,但与太阳总辐射(R_s)、大气水汽压亏缺(VPD)峰值出现的时刻相差较大,在生长旺季(6—8月)的典型晴天,J的峰值滞后R_s峰值的时长(时滞)可达55～88 min,越靠近边材内侧,时滞越长.J峰值提前于VPD峰值的时长达60～96 min,越靠近边材内侧,时滞越短.液流速率的季节变化与ET₀的变化基本一致,随着树木生理活动的逐渐加强,液流传输的主要层次会向边材内部延伸.驱动不同深处液流变化的首要气象因子均为R_s,第二大因子因不同深度有所变化,越靠近内侧,代表水汽状况的因子(VPD)的重要性上升,甚至接近于R_s.
     

基于复合叶片特征的计算机植物识别方法

该文探讨如何根据植物的叶片特征,利用图像处理和机器学习的方法对植物进行分类。鉴于现有的叶片分类系统多采用单一的特征,如几何和纹理等,仅能在小规模数据库上得到较好的结果。然而,随着样本种类的增多,单一特征在不同种类叶片之间的相似性非常明显,致使分类正确率降低。该研究使用多种复合特征,并提出了原创的预处理方法以及宽度、叶缘频率特征,较传统的几何特征更为详尽。研究结果显示,复合特征可以有效避免算法过拟合问题,使之适用于更大的数据库。通过提取21类植物的叶片宽度、颜色、叶缘和纹理共292维特征,对1 915张数字图像进行了分类,正确率达到93%,并分析了各类特征对分类结果的影响。研究结果表明,在不影响分类正确率前提下,可将特征减少到约100维。     

固有免疫细胞及其模式识别受体与表观遗传学调控研究进展

固有免疫细胞是机体抵御病原微生物的首道防线,亦是机体有效启动和维持免疫反应的重要参与者,而模式识别受体是固有免疫细胞发挥免疫功能的重要免疫分子,因此,机体对固有免疫细胞及其模式识别受体的精细调控尤为重要。表观遗传学是近年研究热点,其在固有免疫调节中的作用逐渐受到重视。就近年表观遗传学中的DNA甲基化、组蛋白共价修饰及非编码RNA等在调节固有免疫细胞分化发育及其模式识别受体的相关研究作一简述,以期为感染、炎症、自身免疫病等研究与防治提供新的思路和策略。     

The effect of latitudinal gradient on the species diversity of Chinese litter-dwelling thrips

To understand the global distribution patterns of litter-dwelling thrips, a total 150 leaf litter samples were collected from 6 natural reserves located in three climatic regions, temperate, subtropical and tropical. The results showed the relative abundance of Thysanoptera was over 3.0% in 4 natural reserves from subtropical and tropical zone, and reached 5.9% in one tropical reserve, only less than Acarina and Collembola. In contrast it was only 0.3% in the warm temperate natural reserves, and no thrips were collected in a mid temperate reserve. The order on the average species numbers per plot of litter thrips was tropic > subtropics > temperate (n=25, p<0.05). Mean density of litter thrips per plots in the tropics and subtropics was significantly higher than that in the temperate region (n=25, p<0.05), but the average density was not significantly different between tropical and subtropical zones (n=25, p>0.05). The diversity of litter thrips in the tropics and subtropics was much higher than that in the temperate area based on comparsions of Shannon-Wiener diversity index (H’), Pielou eveness index (J), and Simpson dominance index (D). All of these results indicated that litter-dwelling thrips lived mainly in tropical and subtropical regions; meanwhile, species number and relative abundance increased with decreasing latitude.     

Statistical method for prediction of gait kinematics with Gaussian process regression

We propose a novel methodology for predicting human gait pattern kinematics based on a statistical and stochastic approach using a method called Gaussian process regression (GPR). We selected 14 body parameters that significantly affect the gait pattern and 14 joint motions that represent gait kinematics. The body parameter and gait kinematics data were recorded from 113 subjects by anthropometric measurements and a motion capture system. We generated a regression model with GPR for gait pattern prediction and built a stochastic function mapping from body parameters to gait kinematics based on the database and GPR, and validated the model with a cross validation method. The function can not only produce trajectories for the joint motions associated with gait kinematics, but can also estimate the associated uncertainties. Our approach results in a novel, low-cost and subject-specific method for predicting gait kinematics with only the subject's body parameters as the necessary input, and also enables a comprehensive understanding of the correlation and uncertainty between body parameters and gait kinematics.