Uptake, transport and regulation of JBP485 by PEPT1 in vitro and in vivo

Cyclo-trans-4-l-hydroxyprolyl-l-serine (JBP485) is a dipeptide with anti-hepatitis activity that has been chemically synthesized. Previous experiments in rats showed that JBP485 was well absorbed by the intestine after oral administration. The human peptide transporter (PEPT1) is expressed in the intestine and recognizes compounds such as dipeptides and tripeptides. The purposes of this study were to determine if JBP485 acted as a substrate for intestinal PEPT1, and to investigate the characteristics of JBP485 uptake and transepithelial transport by PEPT1. The uptake of JBP485 was pH dependent in human intestinal epithelial cells Caco-2. And JBP485 uptake was also significantly inhibited by glycylsarcosine (Gly-Sar, a typical substrate for PEPT1 transporters), JBP923 (a derivative of JBP485), and cephalexin (CEX, a β-lactam antibiotic and a known substrate of PEPT1) in Caco-2 cells. The rate of apical-to-basolateral transepithelial transport of JBP485 was 1.84 times higher than that for basolateral-to-apical transport. JBP485 transport was obviously inhibited by Gly-Sar, JBP923 and CEX in Caco-2 cells. The uptake of JBP485 was increased by verapamil but not by cyclosporin A (CsA) and inhibited by the presence of Zn²⁺ or the toxic metabolite of ethanol, acetaldehyde (AcH) in Caco-2 cells. The in vivo uptake of JBP485 was increased by verapamil and decreased by ethanol in vivo, which was consisted with the in vitro study. PEPT1 mRNA levels were enhanced after exposure of the cells to JBP485 for 24 h, compared to control. In conclusion, JBP485 was actively transported by the intestinal oligopeptide transporter PEPT1. This mechanism is likely to contribute to the rapid absorption of JBP485 by the gastrointestinal tract after oral administration.     

Implications of chronic wasting disease,cougar predation,and reduced recruitment for elk management

Emerging diseases and expanding carnivore populations may have profound implications for ungulate harvest management and population regulation. To better understand effects of chronic wasting disease (CWD) and cougar (Puma concolor) predation, we studied mortality and recruitment of elk (Cervus elaphus) at Wind Cave National Park (WICA) during 2005–2009. We marked 202 elk (83 subadult M and 119 subadult and ad F) with Global Positioning System (GPS) collars, observed 28 deaths during 74,220 days of monitoring, and investigated 42 additional deaths of unmarked elk found dead. Survival rates were similar for males and females and averaged 0.863 (SE = 0.025) annually. Leading causes of mortality included hunting (0.065, SE = 0.019), CWD (0.034, SE = 0.012), and cougar predation (0.029, SE = 0.012). Marked elk killed by hunters and cougars typically were in good physical condition and not infected with CWD. Effects of mortality on population growth were exacerbated by low rates of pregnancy (subadults = 9.5%, SE = 6.6%; ad = 76.9%, SE = 4.2%) and perinatal survival (0.49, SE = 0.085 from 1 Feb to 1 Sep). Chronic wasting disease, increased predation, and reduced recruitment reduced the rate of increase for elk at WICA to approximately λ = 1.00 (SE = 0.027) during the past decade. Lower rates of increase are mitigating effects of elk on park vegetation, other wildlife, and neighboring lands and will facilitate population control, but may reduce opportunities for elk hunting outside the park. © 2011 The Wildlife Society     

Migratory movements of individual humpback whales photographed off the eastern coast of Australia

Humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae) migrate long distances each year on a return journey from low‐latitude breeding grounds to high‐latitude feeding grounds. Migration is influenced by subtle and complex social behaviors and the assumption that whales transit directly through the migratory corridor off the east coast of Australia requires further investigation. From 2003 to 2005, we followed the movements of 99 individual whales within one migratory cycle from three locations, off Byron Bay during the whales' northern migration and in Hervey Bay and at Ballina during the southern migration. The median sighting interval of whales between Byron Bay and Hervey Bay (n = 26) was 52 d (IQR = 42.5–75.5); between Byron Bay and Ballina (n = 21) was 59 d (IQR = 47.0–70.0); and between Hervey Bay and Ballina (n = 33) was 9 d (8.0–14.0). The overall pattern observed from these resightings suggests that Group E1 humpback whales spend approximately two months in the northern quarter of their range during the austral winter months. Intraseason resightings of whales at Ballina (n = 13, median sighting interval = 7 d) also suggest that some individuals, particularly adult males, may circle back north during their general southward journey along this part of the coast, perhaps in an attempt to increase mating opportunities.     

A theoretical account of cue averaging in the rodent head direction system

Head direction (HD) cell responses are thought to be derived from a combination of internal (or idiothetic) and external (or allothetic) sources of information. Recent work from the Jeffery laboratory shows that the relative influence of visual versus vestibular inputs upon the HD cell response depends on the disparity between these sources. In this paper, we present simulation results from a model designed to explain these observations. The model accurately replicates the Knight et al. data. We suggest that cue conflict resolution is critically dependent on plastic remapping of visual information onto the HD cell layer. This remap results in a shift in preferred directions of a subset of HD cells, which is then inherited by the rest of the cells during path integration. Thus, we demonstrate how, over a period of several minutes, a visual landmark may gain cue control. Furthermore, simulation results show that weaker visual landmarks fail to gain cue control as readily. We therefore suggest a second longer term plasticity in visual projections onto HD cell areas, through which landmarks with an inconsistent relationship to idiothetic information are made less salient, significantly hindering their ability to gain cue control. Our results provide a mechanism for reliability-weighted cue averaging that may pertain to other neural systems in addition to the HD system.     

大棕蝠下丘听神经元频率调谐的方向敏感性

实验在8只大棕蝠(Eptesicusfuscus)上进行.选取了5个声源方位记录部位对侧80°(C-80°)、40°(C-40°)、0°和同侧40°(I-40°)、80°(I-80°).下丘听神经元的频率调谐曲线的形状有三种V型、封闭型和U型.以C-40°的频率调谐曲线为对照,声源方位改变时,多数神经元频率调谐曲线的形状和最佳频率不变.多数神经元在声源方位由记录部位对侧转向同侧时,频率调谐曲线的锐度(以QndB值为指标)由小变大;神经元在I-80°、I-40°的QndB值显著高于C-80°、C-40°、0°的QndB值.在所观察的47个神经元中,5个声源方位的最低阈值的平均值有显著差异,由高到低的分布为MTI-80°＞MTI-40°＞MT0°＞MTc-80°＞MTc-40°.我们推测,声源方位对神经元频率调谐特性影响的机制,可能是抑制性和兴奋性输入的比例不同而相互整合的结果.     

一种测定植物挥发物对棉铃虫引诱作用的无选择性风洞嗅觉仪(英文)

发展了一套测定棉铃虫Helicoverpaarmigera (H櫣ｂｎｅｒ)对植物挥发物的行为反应的生测系统。这套系统由嗅觉仪、风洞和风洞室组成。用这套系统测定了棉铃虫对萎蔫后的枫杨Pterocaryastenoptera叶、加拿大杨Populuscanadensis叶、香椿Toonasisnensis叶、新鲜的芹菜与胡萝卜花挥发物以及苯乙醛的行为反应。结果显示 ,萎蔫的枫杨叶、加拿大杨叶、香椿叶的挥发物均对棉铃虫处女雌蛾表现出显著的引诱作用 ,而对已交配过的雌蛾和雄蛾无明显的引诱作用 ;新鲜的芹菜与胡萝卜花挥发物对棉铃虫两性性成虫均不表现出显著的引诱作用 ;苯乙醛对棉铃虫处女雌、雄蛾有较强的引诱作用。讨论了杨树枝把引诱棉铃虫的原因。     

Comparative study on direction selectivity and functional organization of the primary visual cortical cells in monkeys and cats

Although the directionally selective cells in many visual cortical areas are organized in columnar manner, the functional organization of direction selectivity of area VI in the monkey still remains unclear. We quantitatively studied the proportion of directionally selective cells, direction selectivity and the functional organization of the striate cortical cells in the monkey and compared those with the cat. The results show that the direction selectivity and directional organization of striate cortical cells in the monkey are significantly weaker than those in the cat, suggesting that the species difference between the two kinds of animal is related to their different anatomic pathways.     

荒漠孑遗植物裸果木种子时空扩散特性

裸果木(Gymnocarpos przewalskii)是亚洲中部荒漠区少有的第三纪孑遗物种,由于气候变化及人为干扰,其自然种群分布范围不断缩小。种子扩散作为植物生活史过程中的重要阶段,不仅对物种生存及其多样性至关重要,还影响物种分布范围和局部丰度。2015年和2016年分别在新疆哈密地区,采用布设种子收集器的方法,对其自然种群种子扩散的时空动态进行了定点连续观测。结果表明:该物种于当年6月上旬开始扩散,2015年略早于2016年。每年种子扩散持续时间约两个月,扩散趋势为单峰曲线,且呈集中大量扩散的模式,扩散高峰期与当年初次月降水高峰期吻合;在顺风的正南和东南方向上,种子扩散密度大且距离远;种子扩散主要集中在母株冠幅下,随着距母株距离的增加,种子扩散密度减少,二者间存在极显著的负相关性(P0.01),由于裸果木枝条繁多,对风力强度起到了一定的阻碍作用,可能是造成种子集中扩散在母株下的原因。裸果木种子扩散受外界环境(降水、风向)和自身因素等方面的影响,当种子在大量降水前完成扩散,将有利于种子在适宜的微生境萌发,是对多风、干旱的恶劣生境的一种长期适应。     

越南篦齿苏铁传粉媒介的研究

利用排除法和引入昆虫的方法相结合,研究越南篦齿苏铁(Cycas elongata)的传粉媒介.结果表明,越南篦齿苏铁靠风媒传粉和虫媒传粉的雌株结实率分别55.3%和57.2%,自然传粉的结实率为63.5%,说明风和象鼻虫都是越南篦齿苏铁的有效传粉媒介.越南篦齿苏铁散粉高峰在白天,夜间散粉很少,在3.0 m以内风传花粉的密度较高,3.0 m之外的密度急剧下降.可见,风媒和虫媒都是越南篦齿苏铁的有效传粉途径,与泽米铁类植物为专一寄主性昆虫传粉的结论不一致.     

毕节试验区石漠化时空演变过程和演变特征

基于RS和GIS技术,解译了2000、2005和2010年3期毕节试验区石漠化数据,利用空间分析和数理统计分析方法,在探讨石漠化时空演变总体特征的基础上,选取演变方式、演变方向和演变速率等指标,重点分析了不同石漠化强度之间的内部转移特征,演绎了10年间毕节试验区石漠化演变过程。研究表明:(1)10年间,石漠化总面积呈现先增加后趋稳的演变态势,石漠化扩张趋势虽然初步遏制,但局部地区还在恶化,防治形势仍很严峻;(2)石漠化演变方式以渐变式为主,跳跃式为辅,返变式最少;(3)石漠化演变的方向既存在改善也存在恶化,且轻度改善和轻度恶化的面积均比较大,一边治理、一边破坏的现象还没有根本遏制;(4)非石漠化与石漠化相互转换非常活跃,潜在石漠化虽被定义为非石漠化,但并不稳定,容易转变为石漠化;(5)石漠化演变速率分为转入速率、转出速率和综合速率,中度石漠化综合速率最高,转入速率大于转出速率,潜在石漠化和轻度石漠化是中度石漠化增加的主要来源;(6)石漠化时空演变特征与生态环境建设及社会经济发展具有一定的相关性。该研究成果为喀斯特山区生态环境保护和石漠化防治提供了有益的参考。