Uptake and Storage of Choline by Rat Brain: Influence of Dietary Choline Supplementation

In order to elucidate the regulation of the levels of free choline in the brain, we investigated the influence of chronic and acute choline administration on choline levels in blood, CSF, and brain of the rat and on net movements of choline into and out of the brain as calculated from the arteriovenous differences of choline across the brain. Dietary choline supplementation led to an increase in plasma choline levels of 50% and to an increase in the net release of choline from the brain as compared to a matched group of animals which were kept on a standard diet and exhibited identical arterial plasma levels. Moreover, the choline concentration in the CSF and brain tissue was doubled. In the same rats, the injection of 60 mg/kg choline chloride did not lead to an additional increase of the brain choline levels, whereas in control animals choline injection caused a significant increase; however, this increase in no case surpassed the levels caused by chronic choline supplementation. The net uptake of choline after acute choline administration was strongly reduced in the high-choline group (from 418 to 158 nmol/g). Both diet groups metabolized the bulk (greater than 96%) of newly taken up choline rapidly. The results indicate that choline supplementation markedly attenuates the rise of free choline in the brain that is observed after acute choline administration. The rapid metabolic choline clearance was not reduced by dietary choline load. We conclude that the brain is protected from excess choline by rapid metabolism, as well as by adaptive, diet-induced changes of the net uptake and release of choline.     

Changes in Levels of Endogenous Plant Hormones During Floret Development in Wheat Genotypes of Different Spike Sizes

The levels of endogenous plant hormones regulate floret development and degeneration, and thus grain set in flower crops. This study was undertaken to characterize the changes of endogenous hormone levels during floret development in three wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) genotypes: “97J1" with the highest grain set and fertile florets per spike, “H8679" with the lowest grain set and fertile florets per spike, and a medium, “YM158". The results showed that the peak level of ABA appeared between stamen and pistil differentiation and antherlobe formation of floret development, and the timing delayed with the size of spike (earliest in “H8679” and latest in “97J1”). From antherlobe formation to meiosis, the levels of ABA and GA1+3decreased sharply in the ears of “97J1”, while in the ears of “H8679” there was only a slight decrease in ABA, and even an increase in GA1+3. The ratio of isopentenyladenosine (iPA)/ABA and IAA/ABA in the ears of “97J1” increased sharply from antherlobe formation to meiosis, but changed only slightly in the ears of “H8679”. At antherlobe formation, IAA and GA1+3 levels were higher in the ears of “97J1”, but lower in the ears of “H8679”than in the leaves. At meiosis, ABA, GA1+3 and IAA levels in the “97J1” ears were much lower than in the leaves, but similar in “H8679”. These results indicated that the sharp decreases of ABA and GA1+3 in ears from antherlobe formation to meiosis and the lowest maintenance at meiosis may be favorable for development of fertile florets and enhancement of grain set in wheat.     

Using space‐for‐time substitution and time sequence approaches in invasion ecology

1. Invasion biologists use two main approaches to evaluate the effects of non‐native species (NNS) on diversity of native species (DNS), namely space‐for‐time and time approaches. These approaches have pitfalls related to lack of controls: the former lacks pre‐invasion data, while the latter often lacks data from non‐invaded sites. 2. We propose a framework that combines space‐for‐time and time approaches and which should result in more focused mechanistic hypotheses and experiments to test the causes of invasibility and the effects of NNS on DNS. We illustrate the usefulness of our framework using two case studies: one with the submersed macrophyte, Hydrilla verticillata, in reservoir and the other with the fish, Geophagus proximus, in a large river–floodplain system. 3. Hydrilla verticillata invaded sites with DNS similar to that found in non‐invaded sites, indicating that biotic and/or abiotic factors did not influence invasion success; however, DNS increased over time in invaded sites compared with non‐invaded sites, suggesting that H. verticillata facilitated natives. In contrast, G. proximus invaded sites with higher DNS than non‐invaded sites, suggesting that biotic and/or abiotic factors favouring natives were important for invasion success, but DNS increased in invaded and non‐invaded sites over time, indicating that an independent factor contributed to DNS increases. 4. Conclusions from both studies would have been inaccurate or incomplete if the space‐for‐time and time approaches had not been used in combination as proposed in our framework.     

景观水体疏浚底泥的农业利用研究

对运河 (杭州段 )疏浚底泥土地利用的可行性及其生态影响进行了研究 .实验室发芽率测定表明 ,土壤中大量掺入疏浚底泥对种子发芽率有一定的影响 ,但在盆栽中影响很小 .疏浚底泥田间投放量在 2 70t·hm-2 以下 ,对青菜的生长具有促进作用 ,超过 2 70t·hm-2 以上用量对青菜产量有一定影响 .与青菜相比 ,草坪草、园艺花卉对底泥投放量具有更大的耐性 ,表现出明显的促进生长现象 .底泥用量在 10 80t·hm-2 以下时青菜中Cu、Zn含量均未超过食品卫生标准 ,用量为 135 0t·hm-2 时则均超过了标准 .原状土柱淋洗实验发现底泥用量在 4 5 0t·hm-2 以下未造成地下水污染 ,表明运河底泥直接土地利用较一般污水污泥堆肥的危害更小 ,园林投放比农田投放具有更大的可行性 ,土地利用是一种经济可行的疏浚底泥处置方法     

Performance of nymphal and adult Nezara viridula on selected alternate host plants

Laboratory studies with the southern green stink bug, Nezara viridula (L.) (Hemiptera: Pentatomidae), feeding on seeds or fruits of some alternate host plants, demonstrated differences in nymphal survival and development time, and body weight at adult emergence. Lowest mortalities (25%) were observed for nymphs on fruits of dakota mustard [Brassica kaber (DC.)] and siberian motherwort (Leonurus sibiricus L.). On fruits of castor bean (Ricinus communis L.) nymph mortality was ca. 60%, and on mature seeds of L. sibiricus ca. 75%. Total development time from second instar to adult ranged from ca. 26 days on B. kaber to ca. 42 days on R. communis. Fresh body weight at adult emergence was greatest for nymphs on L. sibiricus and lowest on R. communis. Adult survival after 30 days and mean longevity was greater on L. sibiricus than on the remaining foods, being drastically reduced on R. communis. In general, reproductive performance on all foods was similar, except R. communis, on which no female reproduced. Female weight gain of N. viridula was generally greater on L. sibiricus On R. communis, adults lost weight during their first week and showed the lowest weight gain at the end of day 29. Field observations coupled with these laboratory studies suggest that in the Warta area (northern Paraná state, Brazil, 23° 11 S), L. sibiricus and B. kaber are important alternate food plants in the seasonal phenology of N. viridula. R. communis, however, is of poor nutritional quality, serving primarily as a refuge.

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Résumé L'alimentation au laboratoire de N. viridula avec les graines et les fruits de diverses plantes a entraîné différentes mortalités larvaires, différentes vitesses de développement et des différences dans les poids des adultes à l'émergence. Les mortalités les plus faibles (25%) on été observées avec les fruits de Brassica kaber DC. et de Leonurus sibiricus L.Avec les fruits de Ricinus communis L., la mortalité larvaire était de 60%; sur graines mûres de L. sibiricus, elle était de 75%. La durée du développement du second stade à l'adulte a varié de 26 jours sur B. kaber à 42 jours sur R. communis. Le poids frais des adultes à l'émergence était le plus élevé avec L. sibiricus et le plus faible avec de R. communis. La longévité des adultes au-delà de 30 jours était la plus élevée avec L. sibiricus, et était fortement réduite avec R. communis. Dans l'ensemble, la reproduction était de même importance avec les différents aliments, à l'exception de R. communis avec lequel les femelles ne se reproduisaient pas. Le gain de poids des femelles était généralement supérieur avec L. sibiricus; avec R. communis les adultes ont perdu du poids pendant la première semaine et ont présenté le plus faible gain à la fin du 29ème jour.Des observations dans la nature, associées à ces expériences de laboratoire, laissent supposer que dans la zone de Warta (au Nord de l'état de Paraná, 23° 11 S, au Bresil), L. sibiricus et B. kaber sont des plantes hôtes alternatives importantes dans la phénologie saisonnière de N. viridula. Cependant, R. communis, de faible valeur alimentaire, sert avant tout de refuge.

     

九种蝗虫精子发生过程中c-kit蛋白特异性表达比较分析(英文)

c-kit蛋白在昆虫和哺乳动物生殖细胞发育中发挥着重要作用。本研究通过免疫组织化学法和生物统计方法,比较分析了隶属于直翅目蝗总科的9种蝗虫精子发生过程中c-kit蛋白表达差异。结果显示,蝗虫精子发生过程中c-kit蛋白均出现阶段特异性表达,并且在9种蝗虫种间c-kit蛋白表达出现显著差异。     

Use of digital webcam images to track spring green-up in a deciduous broadleaf forest

Understanding relationships between canopy structure and the seasonal dynamics of photosynthetic uptake of CO₂ by forest canopies requires improved knowledge of canopy phenology at eddy covariance flux tower sites. We investigated whether digital webcam images could be used to monitor the trajectory of spring green-up in a deciduous northern hardwood forest. A standard, commercially available webcam was mounted at the top of the eddy covariance tower at the Bartlett AmeriFlux site. Images were collected each day around midday. Red, green, and blue color channel brightness data for a 640 × 100-pixel region-of-interest were extracted from each image. We evaluated the green-up signal extracted from webcam images against changes in the fraction of incident photosynthetically active radiation that is absorbed by the canopy (f _APAR), a broadband normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), and the light-saturated rate of canopy photosynthesis (A _max), inferred from eddy flux measurements. The relative brightness of the green channel (green %) was relatively stable through the winter months. A steady rising trend in green % began around day 120 and continued through day 160, at which point a stable plateau was reached. The relative brightness of the blue channel (blue %) also responded to spring green-up, although there was more day-to-day variation in the signal because blue % was more sensitive to changes in the quality (spectral distribution) of incident radiation. Seasonal changes in blue % were most similar to those in f _APAR and broadband NDVI, whereas changes in green % proceeded more slowly, and were drawn out over a longer period of time. Changes in A _max lagged green-up by at least a week. We conclude that webcams offer an inexpensive means by which phenological changes in the canopy state can be quantified. A network of cameras could offer a novel opportunity to implement a regional or national phenology monitoring program.     

昼夜温差对番茄生长发育、产量及果实品质的影响

在3间人工气候室精密受控环境中,保持日平均温度为22 ℃,设置昼夜温差分别为6 ℃(25 ℃/19 ℃)、8 ℃(26 ℃/18 ℃)、10 ℃(27 ℃/17 ℃),研究昼夜温差对番茄生长的影响.结果表明: 番茄不同品种、不同生长时期适宜的昼夜温差条件不同.番茄开花前,与6 ℃温差相比,8 ℃温差可显著加快野生种醋栗番茄LA1781生长发育,使幼苗株高增加23.1%,出叶加快1～2片,开花提前7 d;10 ℃温差对LA1781苗期的促进作用与8 ℃温差相似.对栽培种普通番茄LA2397和LA0490来说,6 ℃温差使幼苗生长良好,8 ℃温差对幼苗无显著促进作用;与6 ℃温差相比,10 ℃温差对苗期生长及开花有抑制作用,使株高降低12.0%～18.3%,出叶慢2～3片,开花推迟2～4 d.10 ℃温差使3个品种番茄地上部分干质量增加25.2%～44.2%.番茄开花后,与6 ℃温差相比,10 ℃温差可显著提高LA1781的产量和果实品质,使果实数增加34.7%,单株产量增加92.1%,平均单果质量增加40.0%,果实可溶性糖含量增加16.3%,番茄红素含量增加95.6%.与6 ℃温差相比,LA2397和LA0490在8 ℃温差下产量和果实品质提高,番茄红素含量增加超过2倍;在10 ℃温差下产量略有降低(5.0%),果实含糖量降低,但果实尺寸和番茄红素含量增加.表明番茄苗期生长温差不宜过大,花果期适当增大昼夜温差可提高产量和果实品质,但温差过大易造成生长不良和减产.     

综合护理干预对老年住院糖尿病患者影响的临床观察

目的：观察综合护理干预对老年住院糖尿病患者的临床影响,探讨改善老年住院糖尿病患者临床表现及预后的护理方式。方法：选择老年住院糖尿病患者160例,随机均分为对照组和观察组,对照组采取常规专科护理,观察组加行综合护理干预,治疗2周后比较两组患者焦虑自评量表（SAS）和抑郁自评量表（SDS）评分;出院3个月后比较两组患者自我管理和生活质量（GQOL-100）评分结果：治疗2周和出院3个月后,两组患者在上述方面比较,差异具有统计学意义（P〈0.01,P〈0.05）,观察组优于对照组。结论：对老年住院DM患者施行综合护理干预措施,具有积极的临床意义。     

A Holocene sequence of vegetation change at Lake Eteza, coastal KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa

Palynological and sedimentological data from a core extracted from Lake Eteza shed new light on the Holocene vegetation and climate history in KwaZulu-Natal and can be linked to regional and global climate change. A 2072 cm core with nineteen radiocarbon dates and chronological extrapolation to the bottom of the sequence suggests that sedimentation started ca. 10 200 cal yrs BP. Between ca. 10 200 and 6800 cal yrs BP pollen indicators point to a change from intermediately humid conditions to comparatively drier grassy environments. This is in good agreement with Sea Surface Temperature (SST) fluctuations from a core in the Mozambique Channel which influence precipitation in coastal KwaZulu-Natal, and the beginning of the Holocene Thermal Maximum ca. 10 500 cal yrs BP. The lower section of the core corresponds to gradually increasing Holocene sea levels along the coast and development of freshwater or estuarine conditions at Lake Eteza. The middle Holocene (ca. 6800-3600 cal yrs BP), when the sea level reached its highest stand and SST peak, indicate humid climatic conditions that favoured an increase of forest trees, e.g. Podocarpus, and undergrowth plants like Issoglossa. As a consequence of higher precipitation and increase of the water table, conditions were favourable for the spread of mangrove, swamp and possibly riverine forest. During the late Holocene after ca. 3600 cal yrs BP a decrease of Podocarpus and other trees as well as an increase of Chenopodiaceae/Amaranthaceae, grasses and Phoenix coincide with a return to lower sea levels and drier conditions. The decrease of all trees including Phoenix at ca. 700 cal yrs BP, accompanied by rapid sedimentation rates, possibly reflect forest clearing and upland erosion induced by activities of Iron Age settlers. A dry period at the globally recognized onset of the Little Ice Age might have contributed to these changes. Late Iron Age settlers have probably already introduced Zea mays, which was detected in the profile since ca. 210 BP. The appearance of neophytes like Pinus, Casuarina and pollen of Ambrosia-type in the youngest sediments indicates increased disturbance of European settlements and land use since ca. 100 cal yrs BP.