Soil amendment interacts with invasive grass and drought to uniquely influence aboveground versus belowground biomass in aridland restoration

Water‐holding soil amendments such as super‐absorbent polymer (SAP) may improve native species establishment in restoration but may also interact with precipitation or invasive species such as Bromus tectorum L. (cheatgrass or downy brome) to influence revegetation outcomes. We implemented an experiment at two sites in Colorado, U.S.A., in which we investigated the interactions of drought (66% reduction of ambient rainfall), B. tectorum seed addition (BRTE, 465 seeds/m²), and SAP soil amendment (25 g/m²) on initial plant establishment and 3‐year aboveground and belowground biomass and allocation. At one site, SAP resulted in higher native seeded species establishment but only with ambient precipitation. However, by the third year, we detected no SAP effects on native seeded species biomass. Treatments interacted to influence aboveground and belowground biomass and allocation differently. At one site, a SAP × precipitation interaction resulted in lower belowground biomass in plots with SAP and drought (61.7 ± 7.3 g/m²) than plots with drought alone (91.6 ± 18.1 g/m²). At the other site, a SAP × BRTE interaction resulted in higher belowground biomass in plots with SAP and BRTE (56.6 ± 11.2 g/m²) than BRTE alone (35.0 ± 3.7 g/m²). These patterns were not reflected in aboveground biomass. SAP should be used with caution in aridland restoration because initial positive effects may not translate to long‐term benefits, SAP may uniquely influence aboveground versus belowground biomass, and SAP can interact with environmental variables to impact developing plant communities in positive and negative ways.     

Male flowers in Tulipa pumila Moench (Liliaceae) potentially originate from gender diphasy

We found functionally male individuals in an otherwise hermaphroditic population of Tulipa pumila (Liliaceae) located in Tuscany (central Italy). We investigated the sex ratio of this population, followed by morphometric analyses of the scape, leaves and flowers, and tests on pollen germinability and seed number and mass, in order to infer which sexual strategy produced the observed co-occurrence of male and hermaphrodite individuals. We found that sex ratio deviated from 1:1, and functionally male individuals showed a smaller plant size and a reduced pollen fitness (germinability and siring ability) compared to hermaphrodites. These findings point to a resource-dependent sexual allocation strategy, probably associated with gender diphasy.     

江苏省不同种植年限的西/甜瓜农田土壤线虫群落特征

在江苏省主要西/甜瓜产区,采集不同种植年限的西/甜瓜农田土壤,采用线虫形态学的鉴定方法,分析了不同种植年限西/甜瓜农田土壤线虫的数量、群落结构及相关生态指数的变化。结果表明:所有调查样点中,共发现土壤线虫54属,平均682条·100 g^-1干土,其中原杆属线虫、拟丽突属线虫和矮化属线虫在不同种植年限的西/甜瓜农田土壤中均为优势属;随着种植年限的增加,土壤线虫的总数量虽无显著变化,但其中食细菌类线虫和杂食-捕食类线虫数量显著减少,而植物寄生类线虫数量显著增加;植物寄生类线虫中的矮化属、根结属线虫数量不断增加;随着种植年限的增加,土壤线虫的多样性指数(H)、瓦斯乐斯卡指数(WI)、自由生活线虫成熟度指数(MI)显著降低,线虫通道指数(NCR)、植物寄生线虫成熟度指数(PPI)、PPI/MI显著升高,其他指数无显著变化;相关性分析结果显示,土壤线虫数量与土壤pH、速效磷、有效锌和有效硼均呈显著正相关;土壤p H、有机质、全氮、速效钾、有效硼和有效锌对土壤优势属线虫的影响较大;连续种植西/甜瓜会增加土壤植物寄生类线虫数量,进而可能造成西/甜瓜连作障碍的发生;连续种植6~10年,土壤线虫的多样性最低、稳定性最差,土壤环境已趋于恶化。     

Different effects of mating group size as male and as female on sex allocation in a simultaneous hermaphrodite

Sex allocation theory predicts that the optimal sexual resource allocation of simultaneous hermaphrodites is affected by mating group size (MGS). Although the original concept assumes that the MGS does not differ between male and female functions, the MGS in the male function (MGSm; i.e., the number of sperm recipients the focal individual can deliver its sperm to plus one) and that in the female function (MGSf; the number of sperm donors plus one) do not always coincide and may differently affect the optimal sex allocation. Moreover, reproductive costs can be split into “variable” (e.g., sperm and eggs) and “fixed” (e.g., genitalia) costs, but these have been seldom distinguished in empirical studies. We examined the effects of MGSm and MGSf on the fixed and variable reproductive investments in the sessilian barnacle Balanus rostratus. The results showed that MGSm had a positive effect on sex allocation, whereas MGSf had a nearly significant negative effect. Moreover, the “fixed” cost varied with body size and both aspects of MGS. We argue that the two aspects of MGS should be distinguished for organisms with unilateral mating.     

六味地黄丸联合小剂量雌孕激素替代疗法对围绝经期综合征患者性激素、骨密度和血脂的影响

摘要 目的：探讨六味地黄丸联合小剂量雌孕激素替代疗法对围绝经期综合征（PMS）患者性激素、骨密度和血脂的影响。方法：研究对象选取2018年12月~2020年5月期间我院接收的PMS患者93例,根据乱数表法将患者随机分为对照组（n=46）和研究组（n=47）,对照组给予小剂量雌孕激素替代疗法,研究组给予六味地黄丸联合小剂量雌孕激素替代疗法,28d为一个治疗周期,对比两组患者治疗3个周期后的疗效、性激素、腰椎L2～L4骨密度、血脂、子宫内膜厚度及不良反应。结果：治疗3个周期后,研究组的总有效率为91.49%（43/47）,高于对照组的76.09%（35/46）（P<0.05）。治疗3个周期后,研究组改良Kupperman评分表（KMI）、总胆固醇（TC）、甘油三酯（TG）、低密度脂蛋白胆固醇（LDL-C）、促卵泡刺激素(FSH)、促黄体生成素(LH)低于对照组,高密度脂蛋白胆固醇（HDL-C）、子宫内膜厚度、腰椎L2～L4骨密度、雌二醇（E2）高于对照组（P<0.05）。两组不良反应总发生率对比差异无统计学意义（P>0.05）。结论：六味地黄丸联合小剂量雌孕激素替代疗法治疗PMS患者,可有效缓解临床症状,提高骨密度,改善PMS患者的性激素及血脂水平,疗效确切。     

Grazing-induced legacy effects enhance plant adaption to drought by larger root allocation plasticity

放牧诱导的植物遗留效应可以通过较大的根系分配可塑性增强其干旱适应性 为探索植物的放牧遗留效应是否有利于天然草原生态系统应对干旱环境,我们采集了 内蒙古典型草原自由放牧和多年围封样地内的冰草(Agropyron cristatum)和黄囊苔草(Carex korshinskyi)幼苗 进行了温室控水试验。研究结果表明,干旱处理对自由放牧样地采集的冰草和黄囊苔草子株生物量、子株数量和总生物量的影响较小;自由放牧区的冰草与黄囊苔草较强的干旱适应性可部分由干旱处理下较大的根系分配可塑性来解释。本研究结果表明合理放牧是天然草原适应气候变化的潜在管理办法之一。     

Sex-specific differences in the prevalence of sarcopenia among pre-frail community-dwelling older adults in Saudi Arabia

ObjectivesTo assess sex differences in the prevalence of sarcopenia among pre-frail community-dwelling older adults in Saudi Arabia.MethodsThis was a cross-sectional study conducted at a tertiary-level hospital in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, in 2019. The study participants were pre-frail community-dwelling older adults, according to the Edmonton Frail Scale. The SARC-F questionnaire was used to diagnose sarcopenia. The Katz Activities of Daily Living (ADL) was used to rank the adequacy of performance in six functions: bathing, dressing, toileting, transferring, continence, and feeding, while the Lawton Instrumental Activities of Daily Living scale was used to assess the more complex ADL necessary for living in the community.ResultsIn total, 283 community-dwelling older adults were recruited for this study, with a mean (±SD) age of 70.77 (±6.26) years; 72.7% of the total were female participants. The majority (85.5%) of the patients reported that they needed home care assistance. The mean ADL score of the participants was high, indicating high function and independence (KATZ-ADL: M 4.60 SD 1.75; Lawton Brody: 60%). The overall prevalence of sarcopenia among the studied participants was 65.7%, which was significantly higher among females (71.9%) than among males (59.1%), with a P-value of 0.007. Among the demographic characteristics of the participants, there was a significant difference in the need for home care assistance in female sarcopenic and non-sarcopenic participants (74.1% vs. 25.9%, p = 0.017), but without demonstrable difference in males. Additionally, there was a significant difference (P < 0.05) in the prevalence of sarcopenia between male and female participants according to ADL scores. The strongest predictor for sarcopenia prevalence in males was an ADL score <2 according to the Katz index, with an odds ratio of 6.5, while the need for home care was the only significant predictor of sarcopenia among female participants (OR 3.25, CI: 1.14–9.25, p = 0.02).ConclusionOverall, almost two-thirds of the studied pre-frail community-dwelling older adult population were sarcopenic. The prevalence of sarcopenia was significantly higher among females than males. The strongest predictor of sarcopenia was an ADL score <2 based on the Katz index in males and the need for home care assistance in females.     

Response of resource allocation of Saussurea leontodontoides during its fruiting stage to the elevation

植物资源分配是目前植物生态学研究的热点问题, 主要集中在性分配和繁殖分配两个方面。该研究以分布在青藏高原的狮牙草状风毛菊(Saussurea leontodontoides)作为研究材料, 研究了6个海拔高度上果期植株的繁殖特征及资源分配的差异, 并用异速模型分析了繁殖性状及资源分配与个体大小的关系。结果显示: 1)狮牙草状风毛菊的个体大小、繁殖器官生物量、营养器官生物量、种子数和营养分配均与海拔存在极显著负相关关系, 百粒质量和繁殖分配与海拔存在极显著正相关关系。2)在不同海拔高度下, 百粒质量、种子数、繁殖器官生物量及营养分配与植株个体大小呈正相关关系; 繁殖分配与植株个体大小呈负相关关系; 而营养器官生物量与植株个体大小呈极显著正相关关系。这表明海拔和个体大小对狮牙草状风毛菊的繁殖对策有不同程度的影响, 狮牙草状风毛菊通过增加繁殖部分的生物量和百粒质量来适应高海拔的胁迫环境。