The impact of daylight on suicide rates

Since Durkheim and Morselli found a spring peak in suicides in the late 19th century, researchers have presented possible explanations, including daylight variation, for this seasonal pattern. Our identification strategy exploits the idiosyncratic variation in daylight within Norwegian regions, arising from the country’s substantial latitudinal range. We use full population data for a period of 45 years in a pre-registered research design. We find a small and non-significant relationship: One extra hour of daylight increases the suicide rate by merely 0.75 % (95 % CI: −0.4 % to 1.9 %).     

From military training area to National Park over 20 years: Indicators for outcome evaluation in a large-scale restoration project in alpine Norway

There is a need for large-scale demonstrations to address the challenges and possibilities for upscaling of ecosystem restoration, and for learning and sharing knowledge across professions and habitats. Large-scale and complex restoration projects need new perspectives on goal formulation, indicators for success, and evaluation to encompass both scientific approaches and the tacit knowledge held by practitioners. The objective of this paper is to use the restoration of a 165 km² former military training area in alpine central Norway into National Park to demonstrate the challenges of upscaling and integration. Main tasks were to remove roads and technical infrastructure, prepare for natural recovery and remove undetonated ordnance. In total, 19 indicators were used to evaluate the restoration outcome, related to four overall restoration goals formulated by the Norwegian Parliament: nature protection, considerable nature benefit, safe civilian use, and restoration back to natural state. Despite an overall linear project cycle, a dynamic and adaptive process of planning, implementation and evaluation was performed at the individual site scale. A dynamic dialogue between all involved professions allowed for exchanging scientific and tacit knowledge, and continuous improvement of solutions. The study demonstrated the relevance of qualitative assessments combined with quantitative indicators – i.e., use of expert opinions and the continuous evaluation to feed back into planning and improving the implementation of restoration measures. A “Green training” procedure was developed, linking top-down formally defined settings of the project with bottom-up hand-on solutions. This procedure can be directly transferred to other large-scale mitigation and restoration projects. Demonstration sites like the one described here, are valuable to develop an expanded vision of restoration to meet the UN Sustainable Goals.     

耳穴埋豆联合针刺对脑梗死患者睡眠质量及吞咽功能的影响

摘要 目的：探讨耳穴埋豆联合针刺对脑梗死患者睡眠质量及吞咽功能的影响。方法：选取2016年3月2日至2021年3月2日于我院进行脑梗死治疗的80例患者,将其随机分为观察组（n=40）和对照组（n=40）,观察组采用耳穴埋豆联合针刺治疗干预,对照组采用常规治疗,对比两组患者匹兹堡睡眠质量指数问卷（Pitsburgh sleep quality index,PSQI）评分和睡眠状况自评量表（Self-Rating Scale of Sleep,SRSS）评分、渗透-误吸量表（Penetration-aspiration scale,PAS）评分、吞咽功能治疗有效率、治疗满意度。结果：治疗干预后,观察组患者的PSQI评分及SRSS评分明显优于对照组,差异有统计学意义（P<0.05）;治疗前,比较两组患者3种食团PAS评分,差异均无统计学意义（P>0.05）。治疗后,比较两组患者3种食团PAS评分,均较治疗前明显下降,差异有统计学意义（P<0.05）。观察组5 mL水、10 mL水PAS评分明显低于对照组（P<0.05）,而比较两组患者5 mL布丁样食物PSA评分,差异无统计学意义（P>0.05）;观察组患者吞咽障碍经治疗后总有效率为90 %;对照组患者吞咽障碍经治疗后总有效率为70 %。差异有统计学意义（P<0.05）;观察组满意度明显高于对照组（P<0.05）。结论：耳穴埋豆联合针刺治疗方法应用于脑梗死患者,可有效改善睡眠质量,提升患者吞咽功能,提高吞咽障碍治疗率,患者满意度提高,可应用于临床。     

Improvement of glycine biosynthesis from one-carbon compounds and ammonia catalyzed by the glycine cleavage system in vitro

Glycine cleavage system (GCS) plays a central role in one-carbon (C1) metabolism and receives increasing interest as a core part of the recently proposed reductive glycine pathway (rGlyP) for assimilation of CO₂ and formate. Despite decades of research, GCS has not yet been well understood and kinetic data are barely available. This is to a large degree because of the complexity of GCS, which is composed of four proteins (H, T, P, and L) and catalyzes reactions involving different substrates and cofactors. In vitro kinetics of reconstructed microbial multi-enzyme glycine cleavage/synthase system is desired to better implement rGlyP in microorganisms like Escherichia coli for the use of C1 resources. Here, we examined in vitro several factors that may affect the rate of glycine synthesis via the reverse GCS reaction. We found that the ratio of GCS component proteins has a direct influence on the rate of glycine synthesis, namely higher ratios of P protein and especially H protein to T and L proteins are favorable, and the carboxylation reaction catalyzed by P protein is a key step determining the glycine synthesis rate, whereas increasing the ratio of L protein to other GCS proteins does not have significant effect and the ratio of T protein to other GCS proteins should be kept low. The effect of substrate concentrations on glycine synthesis is quite complex, showing interdependence with the ratios of GCS component proteins. Furthermore, adding the reducing agent dithiothreitol to the reaction mixture not only results in great tolerance to high concentration of formaldehyde, but also increases the rate of glycine synthesis, probably due to its functions in activating P protein and taking up the role of L protein in the non-enzymatic reduction of H_ox to H_red. Moreover, the presence of some monovalent and divalent metal ions can have either positive or negative effect on the rate of glycine synthesis, depending on their type and their concentration.     

Current capacity,bottlenecks, and future projections for offsetting habitat loss using Mitigation and Conservation banking in the United States

Habitat banking in its many iterations is an established and popular mechanism to deliver environmental offsets. The United States can look back at over 30 years of banking experience with the underlying framework and policies being consistently updated and improved. Given the increased demand in habitat banking, we provide insights into how bank area capacity is distributed across the United States for four different bank targets (wetlands, streams, multiple ecosystems, species) based on information extracted from the Regulatory In-lieu Fee and Bank Information Tracking System, as well as, estimating future capacities and area reserves through a predictive modeling approach based on data from the past 26 years. Future predictions indicate a decrease in available reserves for banks targeting wetlands or multiple ecosystems, with potential bottlenecks relating to large reserves being limited to the southeast and release schedules not catching up to the current and anticipated demand. Banks targeting species or streams are predicted to meet future demand, with species banks (conservation banks) following a different legislative and operational approach based on the listing of endangered species and pro-active approaches with anticipated future demand. Most current reserves for all four bank types are restricted to very few service areas with around one-third of all bank areas still awaiting release, limiting their availability on a broader scale. Strategic planning networks are necessary to meet future demand on a national scale and to identify areas suitable for banking or likely to experience future environmental or developmental stress.     

高寒区大豆关键生育期低温冷害指标构建

构建高寒区大豆低温冷害指标对系统分析高寒区大豆适应气候变化对策、防灾减灾及其他胁迫的协同适应技术具有参考意义。本研究利用1980—2020年黑龙江省大豆低温冷害灾情史料、生育期资料及研究区78个气象站逐日气温资料,采用GIS技术匹配生育期与气象数据,考虑不同生育阶段积温距平、日平均气温低于生育下限温度的持续日数,构建高寒区大豆综合性冷害指数。利用K-S分布拟合检验及置信区间下限值确定阈值方法,构建高寒区大豆关键生育阶段低温冷害等级指标。结果表明: 大豆播种-出苗期,研究区大豆轻度、中度、重度冷害低温指数下限值分别为0.061、0.115、0.237;出苗-开花期分别为0.072、0.152、0.312;开花-成熟期分别为0.133、0.245、0.412。由低温指数反演的黑龙江省大豆低温冷害时间分布与历史灾情记载吻合度很高;空间上表现出较明显的纬度特征,冷害发生频率呈自南向北逐渐增加的趋势。     

基于生态安全格局的上海国土空间生态修复关键区域识别与修复策略

新时期国土空间生态修复被赋予维护区域生态安全、提升区域生态系统质量和稳定性、提供优质生态产品的重任。从生态安全角度准确判定国土空间待修复关键区域,是其首要事项,也是科学开展生态修复的关键和难题。本研究基于主流生态安全格局构建理论和方法,以上海市为研究区域,集成运用形态学空间格局分析方法和InVEST模型识别生态源地,利用电路理论提取生态廊道、生态“夹点”和障碍点,综合判定待修复关键区域,并提出针对性修复策略。结果表明: 上海市生态源地主要分布在长江入海口、崇明岛、杭州湾沿岸及淀山湖区域,约占研究区面积的17.9%;源间关键廊道共计103条;待修复关键区域包括12处生态“夹点”和54处生态障碍点,主要分布在生态源地与生态廊道接壤处以及生态廊道与生态廊道的交点或拐点处;根据待修复关键区域典型问题及其土地利用状况,提出生态景观重塑、重要廊道贯通和生态岸线保护修复3类修复策略分区及其可能的工程措施建议。本研究结果可为上海市编制国土空间生态修复规划,以及全国其他地区构建相近尺度生态安全格局、开展系统性生态修复工作提供参考。     

几种椎间盘退变动物模型的建立和应用

椎间盘退变是一种年龄相关的退行性疾病,是引起下腰痛的主要因素,严重影响病人的生活质量,并显著增加家庭的经济负担。目前,缺少椎间盘退变的有效干预和治疗手段,部分原因是其发病机制尚未阐明。椎间盘退变动物模型的构建对于阐明该疾病的病理机制至关重要。椎间盘退变是一个复杂的过程,受机械应力、结构损伤、生物化学与基因表达等多种因素的影响。本文总结了应用异常机械应力、结构损伤、生物化学或化学诱导和基因敲除等方式构建的椎间盘退变动物模型。生物力学是维持椎间盘稳态的重要因素,异常的机械应力会导致椎间盘退变。同时,椎间盘退变常伴随结构性损伤,椎间盘结构破坏也会导致椎间盘发生退变。此外,生物化学或化学诱导和关键基因敲除也会导致椎间盘退变。本文按照造成异常机械应力的因素将机械应力模型分为加压模型和失稳模型;按照椎间盘结构将结构损伤模型分为髓核与纤维环损伤模型和软骨终板损伤模型。总结了生物化学或化学诱导模型以及新型的基因敲除模型。讨论了不同类型椎间盘退变动物模型的可能应用和局限性。     

The mutational dynamics of the SARS-CoV-2 virus in serial passages in vitro

Since its outbreak in 2019, Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome Coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) keeps surprising the medical community by evolving diverse immune escape mutations in a rapid and effective manner. To gain deeper insight into mutation frequency and dynamics, we isolated ten ancestral strains of SARS-CoV-2 and performed consecutive serial incubation in ten replications in a suitable and common cell line and subsequently analysed them using RT-qPCR and whole genome sequencing. Along those lines we hoped to gain fundamental insights into the evolutionary capacity of SARS-CoV-2 in vitro. Our results identified a series of adaptive genetic changes, ranging from unique convergent substitutional mutations and hitherto undescribed insertions. The region coding for spike proved to be a mutational hotspot, evolving a number of mutational changes including the already known substitutions at positions S:484 and S:501. We discussed the evolution of all specific adaptations as well as possible reasons for the seemingly inhomogeneous potential of SARS-CoV-2 in the adaptation to cell culture. The combination of serial passage in vitro with whole genome sequencing uncovers the immense mutational potential of some SARS-CoV-2 strains. The observed genetic changes of SARS-CoV-2 in vitro could not be explained solely by selectively neutral mutations but possibly resulted from the action of directional selection accumulating favourable genetic changes in the evolving variants, along the path of increasing potency of the strain. Competition among a high number of quasi-species in the SARS-CoV-2 in vitro population gene pool may reinforce directional selection and boost the speed of evolutionary change.