Association of polyamines in governing the chilling sensitivity of maize genotypes

Chilling stress is an important constraint of global production of maize. This study was undertaken to compare the chilling responses of different maize seedling tissues and to analyze changes in polyamines as a result of chilling stress. Reponses to chilling were characterized in two maize (Zea mays L.) inbred lines, ‘HuangC’ and ‘Mo17’, that putatively differ in chilling sensitivity. Seedlings were exposed to low temperature (5°C) and chilling injury was estimated by electrical conductivity (EC), malonaldehyde (MDA) concentration, and by changes in putrescine (Put), spermidine (Spd) and spermine (Spm) concentrations in root, mesocotyl, and coleoptile tissues. Membrane permeability (as measured by EC), MDA concentrations and Put concentrations in the three tissue of maize seedlings increased after chilling stress, except for the Put concentration in roots. Spd and Spm concentrations in the three tissues of seedlings decreased after chilling stress. The EC for cold stressed tissues were lower in HuangC than Mo17. Also, the EC of coleoptile tissues were lower than for mesocotyl in both inbred lines. We suggest that mesocotyl tissue can be used to evaluate cold tolerance in maize. Stepwise regression analyses showed that chilling injury in roots was generally correlated with Spd concentration while in the mesocotyl injury was mainly correlated with Put and Spd concentrations. Spermidine and Spm concentrations in the coleoptile were correlated with chilling injury. Characteristics changes of polyamines in chill-tolerant maize seedling combined with regression analysis are a reliable method for evaluating chill tolerance in maize lines.     

Allelic variation at (TAA)n microsatellite loci in a world collection of chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) germplasm

A set of 12 randomly selected (TAA)_n microsatellite loci of the cultivated chickpea (Cicer arietinum L.) were screened in a worldwide sample comprising 72 landraces, four improved cultivars and two wild species of the primary gene pool (C. reticulatum and C. echinosperum) to determine the level and pattern of polymorphism in these populations. A single fragment was amplified from all the accessions with each of 12 sequence-tagged microsatellite site markers, except for one locus where no fragment was obtained from either of the two wild species. There was a high degree of intraspecific polymorphism at these microsatellite loci, although isozymes, conventional RFLPs and RAPDs show very little or no polymorphism. Overall, the repeat number at a locus (excluding null alleles) ranged from 7 to 42. The average number of alleles per locus was 14.1 and the average genetic diversity was 0.86. Based on the estimates obtained, 11 out of the 12 frequency distributions of alleles at the loci tested can be considered to be non-normal. A significant positive correlation between the average number of repeats (size of the locus) and the amount of variation was observed, indicating that replication slippage may be the molecular mechanism involved in generation of variability at the loci. A comparison between the infinite allele and stepwise mutation models revealed that for 11 out of the 12 loci the number of alleles observed fell in between the values predicted by the two models. Phylogenetic analysis of microsatellite polymorphism in C. arietinum showed no relationship between accession and geographic origin, which is compatible with the recent expansion of this crop throughout the world. Received: 18 September 1998 / Accepted: 2 December 1998     

VEGAN,a package of R functions for community ecology

Abstract. VEGAN adds vegetation analysis functions to the general‐purpose statistical program R. Both R and VEGAN can be downloaded for free. VEGAN implements several ordination methods, including Canonical Correspondence Analysis and Non‐metric Multidimensional Scaling, vector fitting of environmental variables, randomization tests, and various other analyses of vegetation data. It can be used for large data. Graphical output can be customized using the R language's extensive graphics capabilities. VEGAN is appropriate for routine and research use, if you are willing to learn some R.     

用逐步回归法建立鼠类数量预测模型的探讨-以江西安义县的黑线姬鼠为例

黑线姬鼠(Apodemus agrarius)是我国广大农区的重要野栖害鼠,有关该鼠的种群数量预测预报国内外研究甚少。本文以江西省安义县的黑线姬鼠为例,应用逐步回归分析法对影响该鼠种群数量变动的因素进行筛选,探讨建立鼠类种群数量预测模型,经回报和试报检验,效果尚好,兹报道如下。 影响黑线姬鼠种群数量变动的因素比较多,我们以鼠类生物学和生态学为基础,结合前人的研究结果,初选出16个入选因子,然后将这些因子输入计算机进行筛选。这16个入选因子是:X_1:怀孕率;X_2:平均胎仔数;X_3:繁殖指数;X_4:成体性比;X_5:总性比;X_6:雄性成体百分比;X_7:雌性成体百分比;X_8:雄性成老体百分比;X_9:雌性成老体百分比;X_10:雄性成老体比;X_11:雌性成老体比;X_12:总成老体比;X_13:雌性成体比;X_14:总成体比;X_15:月平均气温;X_16:月降雨量。     

北京市北环水系富营养化因子分析

以北京市北环水系水体为例,利用聚类分析将研究区分为河流子系统和湖泊子系统.因子分析表明,河流子系统第一主成分富营养元素为总磷(TP)、总氮(TN)和氨氮(NH₄-N),第二主成分为温度(T)和溶解氧(DO);湖泊子系统第一主成分为总氮和氨氮,第二主成分为总磷、酸碱度(pH)、透明度(SD)和温度,第三主成分为溶解氧和叶绿素a(Chla),表明研究区的水体富营养化主要由富营养盐负荷引起.结合逐步回归分析方法,建立富营养水平预测回归模型,根据模型自变量选择证明河流子系统富营养化特征为磷限制型,湖泊子系统为氮限制型.从水量和水质上对营养盐浓度负荷变化分析表明,研究区年最小生态环境用水为4872×10⁴m³,1990～1998年,除1998年外,现实的生态环境需水均不能满足需求.随着流域人口的不断增长,生活污水、城市径流和固体废弃物淋溶液中营养物质进入水体,研究区营养盐浓度负荷有随时间不断增长的趋势,针对这种趋势提出了应对措施.     

Genetic Delineation of Local Provenance in Persoonia longifolia: Implications for Seed Sourcing for Ecological Restoration

Restoration of diverse native plant communities typically requires the collection of large amounts of seed. Thus, practitioners often struggle to find adequate supplies near project sites and need to know from how far they can collect without compromising restoration success—how far does local provenance extend? We addressed this issue by assessing genetic variation within, and differentiation among, 12 potential seed source populations of Persoonia longifolia, a key component of the jarrah forest of Western Australia. An analysis of molecular variance of 66 polymorphic amplified fragment length polymorphism markers partitioned 92% of the total genetic variation within populations and 8% among populations, indicating relatively weak but statistically significant population genetic differentiation. Ordination of these genetic data showed marked west/east and north/south gradients. Pairwise population genetic dissimilarity was correlated with both geographic distance and environmental distance derived from five climate variables. However, partial Mantel tests showed that the relationship between genetic and geographic distance was not independent of environmental distance, suggesting a non‐neutral signature in these markers. Bayesian outlier analysis identified two markers, and spatial analysis method tests identified highly significant associations between these two markers and three environmental variables. Frequency differences at these markers across populations suggested the possibility of climatically adapted provenances. The global significance value from analyses of similarities for these two markers correlated to a general provenance distance of 47 km, in contrast to a threshold of 60 km for the complete dataset. Guidelines for seed sourcing that consider these population genetic data should lead to more effective ecological restoration with this species.     

鞭角华扁叶蜂虫卵数模型研究

该研究在野外获得了鞭角华扁叶蜂虫卵数与生境因子海拔、胸径、树高、海拔、冠幅坡向的数据;内业利用Matlab7软件分别建立了鞭角华扁叶蜂虫卵数的全变量模型、逐步回归模型和主成分模型,三模型的复相关系数R~2分别为0.9204,0.91841和0.9289,均方误差RMSE分别为322.4069,331.7300和310.9550,从两个系数看,得出一致结论以主成分法拟合最佳.逐步回归模型只采用了两个因子即树高和冠幅,主成分法采用了前三个主成分量,其信息量达93.6359%,可代表原特征变量的大部分信息.     

The SMM model as a boundary value problem using the discrete diffusion equation

A generalized single-step stepwise mutation model (SMM) is developed that takes into account an arbitrary initial state to a certain partial difference equation. This is solved in both the approximate continuum limit and the more exact discrete form. A time evolution model is developed for Y DNA or mtDNA that takes into account the reflective boundary modeling minimum microsatellite length and the original difference equation. A comparison is made between the more widely known continuum Gaussian model and a discrete model, which is based on modified Bessel functions of the first kind. A correction is made to the SMM model for the probability that two individuals are related that takes into account a reflecting boundary modeling minimum microsatellite length. This method is generalized to take into account the general n-step model and exact solutions are found. A new model is proposed for the step distribution.     

Increase in cell size and acid tolerance response in a stepwise-adapted methicillin resistant <Emphasis Type="Italic">Staphylococcus aureus</Emphasis> mutant

A methicillin-susceptible strain of Staphylococcus aureus (MSSA) showed stepwise adaptation when grown in increasing concentrations of oxacillin, eventually reaching a maximum of 35 μg/ml. The resultant oxacillin resistant mutant strain was stable and did not revert to susceptibility on frequent subculturing. The response of the cells to different concentrations of oxacillin was examined by scanning electron microscopy, which showed that the size of the bacterium increased with increasing concentrations of oxacillin. These changes in cell size were dependent on the concentration of oxacillin and occurred only after addition of non-lethal concentrations. In the presence of lethal concentrations (≥35 μg/ml) that completely inhibited cell growth, the cell sizes were smaller than those of wild-type cells and irregular in shape. This stepwise-adapted methicillin (oxacillin) resistant S. aureus (MRSA) mutant showed a greater acid tolerance response (ATR) to lactic and citric acids than the parent susceptible strain. These data indicates that methicillin resistance alters the morphology and ATR in stepwise-adapted MRSA mutant cells.