Comparing urban food system characteristics and actions in US and Indian cities from a multi‐environmental impact perspective: Toward a streamlined approach

Food action plans in many global cities articulate interest in multiple objectives including reducing in‐ and trans‐boundary environmental impacts (water, land, greenhouse gas (GHG)). However, there exist few standardized analytical tools to compare food system characteristics and actions across cities and countries to assess trade‐offs between multiple objectives (i.e., health, equity) with environmental outcomes. This paper demonstrates a streamlined model applied for analysis of four cities with varying characteristics across the United States and India, to quantify system‐wide water, energy/GHG, and land impacts associated with multiple food system actions to address health, equity, and environment. Baseline diet analysis finds key differences between countries in terms of meat consumption (Delhi 4; Pondicherry 16; United States 59, kg/capita/year), and environmental impact of processing of the average diet (21%, 19%, <1%, <1% of community‐wide GHG‐emissions for New York, Minneapolis, Delhi, and Pondicherry). Analysis of supply chains finds city average distance (food‐miles) varies (Delhi 420; Pondicherry 200; United States average 1,640 km/t‐food) and the sensitivity of GHG emissions of food demand to spatial variability of energy intensity of irrigation is greater in Indian than US cities. Analysis also finds greater pre‐consumer waste in India versus larger post‐consumer accumulations in the United States. Despite these differences in food system characteristics, food waste management and diet change consistently emerge as key strategies. Among diet scenarios, all vegetarian diets are not found equal in terms of environmental benefit, with the US Government's recommended vegetarian diet resulting in less benefit than other more focused targeted diet changes.     

Invasive legume management strategies differentially impact mutualist abundance and benefit to native and invasive hosts

Determining the best management practices for plant invasions is a critical, but often elusive goal. Invasive removals frequently involve complex and poorly understood biotic interactions. For example, invasive species can leave potent legacies that influence the success of native species restoration efforts, and positive plant‐microbial feedbacks may promote continued reinvasion by an exotic species following restoration. Removal methods can vary in their effects on plant–soil feedbacks, with consequences for restoration of native species. We determined the effects of invasion by a leguminous shrub (French broom; Genista monspessulana) on the density and community composition of, and benefit conferred by, its microbial mutualists in its invading range. Densities of soil‐dwelling rhizobia were much higher in areas invaded by G. monspessulana relative to uninvaded areas, and this increased density of rhizobia fed back to increase seedling growth of both the invader and native legumes. We further compared how three techniques for removing G. monspessulana affected the densities of rhizobia relative to areas where G. monspessulana was still present. Removal by hand‐pulling reduced soil rhizobial densities, and reduced growth of one native legume, while having no effect on the growth of the invader. Overall, our results show that the consequences of restoration techniques, both above‐ and belowground, could be critical for the successful removal of an invasive legume and restoration of native species.     

特异性适应稻作系统的稗草种群生活史特性

长期进行除草剂药效试验可能会导致田间杂草种群发生适应性进化。本研究在安徽南陵县除草剂药效试验专用稻田中采集了1个稗草种群A,并以从常规稻田采集的3个稗草种群为对照,开展同质园栽培试验。结果表明: 与3个对照种群相比,A种群稗草植株的单株种子产量显著减少,种子千粒重显著增加,幼苗生长速率显著加快,结实分蘖数显著增多,生育期显著缩短;A种群稗草成株的株高、生物量及对除草剂五氟磺草胺的敏感性均显著降低。A种群稗草幼苗3～4叶期时经五氟磺草胺推荐剂量2倍量(有效成分60 g·hm^-2)处理后,其株高、生物量及成熟种子产量(平均每株1066粒)显著降低,而抽穗期、结实分蘖数、单个总状花序的种子数及种子千粒重无显著差异。因此,种子较重、生活史周期短、植株矮小、结实分蘖多及对除草剂五氟磺草胺具有抗药性,使得A种群稗草对稻作系统具有特异适应性,应防止此类种群扩散至常规稻田。     

Syntaxin-1通过激活突触递质传递加速早期突触的形成

Syntaxin-1是一种多结构域蛋白,通过与synaptobrevin-2和SNAP-25形成SNARE复合体调节囊泡融合.然而,syntaxin-1在突触形成过程中是否发挥作用,目前尚不清楚.本研究显示syntaxin-1的表达水平与突触形成过程高度相关.Syntaxin-1的R151A和I155A突变影响其在突触形成中的促进作用,而Habc结构域或跨膜结构域在突触形成中无显著作用.结果表明,syntaxin-1通过激活突触囊泡释放来加速突触的形成.     

丙泊酚对全肝缺血再灌注大鼠脑损伤的保护作用及机制研究

目的:探究丙泊酚对全肝缺血再灌注(THIR)大鼠脑损伤的保护作用及机制。方法:选取72只健康成年雄性SD大鼠,将其按照抽签法分成假手术组、对照组以及丙泊酚组。所有大鼠予以12h禁食处理,采用3%戊巴比妥钠行腹腔注射麻醉处理,常规消毒后取上腹部正中切口进入腹腔。假手术组仅暴露肝门,不予以阻断处理。对照组与丙泊酚组则以无创动脉夹阻断肝固有动脉、门静脉和胆总管,在右肾动脉水平处阻断肝下下腔静脉,膈肌水平阻断肝上下腔静脉,进入全肝缺血阶段,阻断30 min后去除动脉夹恢复肝血流。其中丙泊酚组在全肝缺血前10 min予以丙泊酚50 mg/kg腹腔注射干预,假手术组与对照组则予以等量的生理盐水腹腔注射干预。比较三组大鼠再灌注24h后的脑组织细胞凋亡率、特异性半胱氨酸蛋白酶-3(Caspase-3)蛋白表达水平,脑组织超氧化物歧化酶(SOD)、丙二醛(MDA)、一氧化氮(NO)水平,血清白介素-6(IL-6)以及肿瘤坏死因子-α(TNF-α)水平。结果:对照组与丙泊酚组大鼠的细胞凋亡率及Caspase-3相对表达量均高于假手术组,而丙泊酚组细胞凋亡率及Caspase-3相对表达量均低于对照组(均P<0.05)。对照组与丙泊酚组大鼠脑组织SOD水平均低于假手术组,而丙泊酚组脑组织SOD水平高于对照组;对照组与丙泊酚组大鼠脑组织MDA、NO水平均高于假手术组,而丙泊酚组脑组织MDA、NO水平低于对照组(均P<0.05)。对照组与丙泊酚组大鼠血清IL-6、TNF-α水平均高于假手术组,而丙泊酚组血清IL-6、TNF-α水平均低于对照组(均P<0.05)。结论:丙泊酚可有效抑制THIR大鼠脑损伤引起的细胞凋亡,其主要机制可能与抑制Caspase-3表达、炎症反应以及抗自由基损伤有关。     

Base editing with high efficiency in allotetraploid oilseed rape by A3A‐PBE system

CRISPR/Cas‐base editing is an emerging technology that could convert a nucleotide to another type at the target site. In this study, A3A‐PBE system consisting of human A3A cytidine deaminase fused with a Cas9 nickase and uracil glycosylase inhibitor was established and developed in allotetraploid Brassica napus. We designed three sgRNAs to target ALS, RGA and IAA7 genes, respectively. Base‐editing efficiency was demonstrated to be more than 20% for all the three target genes. Target sequencing results revealed that the editing window ranged from C1 to C10 of the PAM sequence. Base‐edited plants of ALS conferred high herbicide resistance, while base‐edited plants of RGA or IAA7 exhibited decreased plant height. All the base editing could be genetically inherited from T₀ to T₁ generation. Several Indel mutations were confirmed at the target sites for all the three sgRNAs. Furthermore, though no C to T substitution was detected at the most potential off‐target sites, large‐scale SNP variations were determined through whole‐genome sequencing between some base‐edited and wild‐type plants. These results revealed that A3A‐PBE base‐editing system could effectively convert C to T substitution with high‐editing efficiency and broadened editing window in oilseed rape. Mutants for ALS, IAA7 and RGA genes could be potentially applied to confer herbicide resistance for weed control or with better plant architecture suitable for mechanic harvesting.     

转基因耐除草剂大豆的食用安全评价研究进展

转基因大豆是目前种植最广泛的转基因作物之一,其中具有耐除草剂特性的转基因大豆占比最高。公众对转基因食品一直争议不断,因此,其批准商业化种植前的食用安全性评价显得尤为重要。已有研究显示,转基因耐除草剂大豆已经商业化种植了二十多年,迄今为止还没有观察到任何不良反应。目前已经批准的转基因耐除草剂大豆均进行了严格的毒理学评价、过敏性评价和营养学评价,经过严格评价后上市的转基因大豆可以放心食用。综述了转基因耐除草剂大豆的主要类型,分析了可能存在的安全性问题,对转基因耐除草剂大豆的食用安全性评价方法进行了总结,以期为后续相关转基因食品安全性评价工作的开展提供借鉴。     

Predictive markers of safety and immunogenicity of adjuvanted vaccines

Vaccination represents one of the greatest public health triumphs; in part due to the effect of adjuvants that have been included in vaccine preparations to boost the immune responses through different mechanisms. Although a variety of novel adjuvants have been under development, only a limited number have been approved by regulatory authorities for human vaccines. This report reflects the conclusions of a group of scientists from academia, regulatory agencies and industry who attended a conference on the current state of the art in the adjuvant field. Held at the U.S. Pharmacopeial Convention (USP) in Rockville, Maryland, USA, from 18 to 19 April 2013 and organized by the International Association for Biologicals (IABS), the conference focused particularly on the future development of effective adjuvants and adjuvanted vaccines and on overcoming major hurdles, such as safety and immunogenicity assessment, as well as regulatory scrutiny. More information on the conference output can be found on the IABS website, http://www.iabs.org/.     

Relationships between Methylobacteria and Glyphosate with Native and Invasive Plant Species: Implications for Restoration

After removing invasive plants, whether by herbicides or other means, typical restoration design focuses on rebuilding native plant communities while disregarding soil microbial communities. However, microbial–plant interactions are known to influence the relative success of native versus invasive plants. Therefore, the abundance and composition of soil microorganisms may affect restoration efforts. We assessed the effect of herbicide treatment on phytosymbiotic pink‐pigmented facultative methylotrophic (PPFM) bacteria and the potential consequences of native and invasive species establishment post‐herbicide treatment in the lab and in a coastal sage scrub (CSS)/grassland restoration site. Lab tests showed that 4% glyphosate reduced PPFM abundance. PPFM addition to seeds increased seedling length of a native plant (Artemisia californica) but not an invasive plant (Hirschfeldia incana). At the restoration site, methanol addition (a PPFM substrate) improved native bunchgrass (Nassella pulchra) germination and size by 35% over controls. In a separate multispecies field experiment, PPFM addition stimulated the germination of N. pulchra, but not that of three invasive species. Neither PPFM nor methanol addition strongly affected the growth of any plant species. Overall, these results are consistent with the hypothesis that PPFMs have a greater benefit to native than invasive species. Together, these experiments suggest that methanol or PPFM addition could be useful in improving CSS/grassland restorations. Future work should test PPFM effects on additional species and determine how these results vary under different environmental conditions.     

Structural and Functional Comparison of Polysaccharide-Degrading Enzymes

Sugar molecules as well as enzymes degrading them are ubiquitously present in physiological systems, especially for vertebrates. Polysaccharides have at least two aspects to their function, one due to their mechanical properties and the second one involves multiple regulatory processes or interactions between molecules, cells, or extracellular space. Various bacteria exert exogenous pressures on their host organism to diversity glycans and their structures in order for the host organism to evade the destructive function of such microbes. Many bacterial organism produce glycan-degrading enzymes in order to facilitate their invasion of host tissues. Such polysaccharide degrading enzymes utilize mainly two modes of polysaccharide-degradation, a hydrolysis and a β-elimination process. The three-dimensional structures of several of these enzymes have been elucidated recently using X-ray crystallography. There are many common structural motifs among these enzymes, mainly the presence of an elongated cleft transversing these molecules which functions as a polysaccharide substrate binding site as well as the catalytic site for these enzymes. The detailed structural information obtained about these enzymes allowed formulation of proposed mechanisms of their action. The polysaccharide lyases utilize a proton acceptance and donation mechanism (PAD), whereas polysaccharide hydrolases use a direct double displacement (DD) mechanism to degrade their substrates.