Role of Soft Matter in the Sandwich Vein of Dragonfly Wing in Its Configuration and Aerodynamic Behaviors

The microstructure of the main longitudinal veins of the dragonfly wing and the aerodynamic behaviors of the wing were investigated in this paper.The microstructure of longitudinal vein presents two circumferential chitin layers and a protein-fiber soft layer.The dragonfly wing is corrugated due to the spatial arrangement of longitudinal veins.It was found that the corrugation angle could significantly influence the lift/drag ratio across a range of attack angles by the wind tunnel experiments.The results of the finite element analysis indicate that the protein soft layer of vein facilitates the change of the corrugation angle by allowing substantial relative twisting deformation between two neighboring veins,which is not possible in veins without a soft sandwich layer.     

氯化钠密度梯度离心法制备用于显微注射的外源DNA片段

DNA显微注射是生产转基因动物最可靠和最常使用的一种方法,外源DNA的纯度对显微注射的成功起着至关重要的作用。本文介绍用氯化钠密度梯度离心的方法制备用于显微注射的外源DNA片段。与传统的琼脂糖凝胶回收的方法相比较,用此方法制备的外源DNA片段对小鼠受精卵进行显微注射后,受卵体母鼠的胚胎存活率,以及子代小鼠的外源基因整合率均有明显的提高。这一方法可为进一步提高转基因动物的成功率,提供方法学上的参考。 Abstract:DNA microinjection is the most popular and reliable method of producing transgenic animals.The purity of foreign DNA plays an important role for the success of microinjection.In this study,we introduced the use of sodium chloride step gradients in fractionating foreign DNA fragment for microinjection.The data demonstrated that,compared with the conventional agarose gel extraction method,NaCl purification scheme of toreign DNA could improve the treated embryo survival and foreign DNA intergration rate markedly.     

Possible role of ionic gradients in the apical growth of <Emphasis Type="Italic">Neurospora crassa</Emphasis>

The effects of the Ca²⁺/H⁺ exchanger A23187 and the K⁺/H⁺ exchanger nigericin on the growth of Neurospora crassa were analyzed. Both ionophores had the same effects on the fungus. They both inhibited growth in liquid media, apical extension being more affected than protein synthesis. A sudden challenge to either ionophore on solid media rapidly stopped hyphal extension. Additionally, both ionophores induced profuse mycelium branching and upward hyphal growth. Hyphae growing on nigericin-containing media also burst at the apex. Both ionophores caused a rapid inhibition in the apically-occurring synthesis of structural wall polysaccharides, but they did not affect mitochondrial energy conservation. With the use of DiBAC, a membrane-potential sensitive fluorophore, it was excluded that their effects were due to depletion of the plasma membrane potential. Considering that both ionophores exchange H⁺ for different metallic ions, we concluded that their effect was due to dissipation of a proton gradient, which is directly or indirectly involved in the apical growth of the fungus. This revised version was published online in June 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Fiber optic studies of light gradients and spectral regime within Lactuca sativa achenes

Light gradients and spectral regime were measured in Lactuca sativa L. cv. Grand Rapids achenes using fiber optic microsensors. The distribution of scattered light across lettuce achenes was linear for 660 and 730 nm and non-linear for 450 nm light. Spectra for scattered light within intact achenes also showed a non-linear increase with wavelength. The preferential attenuation of blue light by the pericarp and seed explains in part the relative ineffectiveness of blue light with respect to red in triggering germination of lettuce. Calculated action spectra for phytochrome-stimulated germination agree closely in the red with experimentally derived action spectra; however, there is little agreement within the blue.     

Demographic and clinical variables affecting mid‐ to late‐life trajectories of plasma ceramide and dihydroceramide species

It has been increasingly recognized at the basic science level that perturbations in ceramide metabolism are associated with the development and progression of many age‐related diseases. However, the translation of this work to the clinic has lagged behind. Understanding the factors longitudinally associated with plasma ceramides and dihydroceramides (DHCer) at the population level and how these lipid levels change with age, and by sex, is important for the clinical development of future therapeutics and biomarkers focused on ceramide metabolism. We, therefore, examined factors cross‐sectionally and longitudinally associated with plasma concentrations of ceramides and DHCer among Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging participants (n = 992; 3960 total samples), aged 55 years and older, with plasma at a mean of 4.1 visits (range 2–6). Quantitative analyses were performed on a high‐performance liquid chromatography‐coupled electrospray ionization tandem mass spectrometer. Linear mixed models were used to assess the relationships between plasma ceramide and DHCer species and demographics, diseases, medications, and lifestyle factors. Women had higher plasma concentrations of most ceramide and DHCer species and showed steeper trajectories of age‐related increases compared to men. Ceramides and DHCer were more associated with waist–hip ratio than body mass index. Plasma cholesterol and triglycerides, prediabetes, and diabetes were associated with ceramides and DHCer, but the relationship showed specificity to the acyl chain length and saturation. These results demonstrate the importance of examining the individual species of ceramides and DHCer, and of establishing whether intra‐individual age‐ and sex‐specific changes occur in synchrony to disease onset and progression.     

Morphological study of alar androconia in Celastrina butterflies

Morphological studies of androconia were performed for 13 Celastrina species using a digital microscope with Z‐stacking mode. Whereas C. ladon lacked androconia, the remaining 12 species were found to possess fan‐shaped androconia on the dorsal wing surfaces. The androconia of these species shared the following common features: smaller size than standard color‐producing scales, absence of dentate termini and presence of crossrib perforations. In addition, some species were characterized by unique microstructures in their androconia. The androconia of C. argiolus iynteana possessed a rounded lamellar contour, while those of C. lavendularis himilcon and C. echo cinerea were tapered on the basal end. The average number of longitudinal ridges of C. argiolus ladonides and C. filipjevi (17.1) were greater than the average number of 12 species (14.3). These results suggest that the morphological traits of androconia in microdomain, such as the shape of the lamellar form and the average number of longitudinal ridges, are useful to identify species in the genus Celastrina.     

新疆天山南坡中段种子植物区系垂直分布格局分析

对植物多样性垂直分布格局及其维持机制的研究可以有效揭示植物物种多样性分布特征及其环境影响因子。本文通过野外调查、查阅标本并结合相关文献资料,对天山南坡中段种子植物区系沿海拔梯度的分布格局进行了系统研究。结果显示,在大区域尺度上,科属种的物种丰富度随海拔升高均呈先增加后减少的趋势,且最高值出现在中低海拔1900~2000 m处;不同生活型植物沿海拔梯度的变化格局有所不同,其中,乔木、一年生草本、藤本及寄生植物表现出随海拔升高物种丰富度逐渐降低的趋势,灌木、多年生草本及二年生草本植物物种丰富度则呈先增加后减少的变化趋势;从植物区系地理成分来看,世界分布所占的比重沿海拔梯度升高呈先增加后减少的趋势;温带地理成分所占的比重沿海拔梯度升高呈缓慢上升趋势;古地中海地理成分所占的比重沿海拔梯度升高呈先增加后减少然后再增加的变化趋势;热带地理成分所占的比重沿海拔升高呈逐渐下降的趋势;东亚地理成分所占的比重沿海拔梯度升高呈先增加后减少然后再增加的变化趋势。对该分布格局与当地干旱的气候条件及海拔梯度上热量和水分条件的变化相适应。     

大叶黄杨叶片内部光能利用梯度

采用一种新方法来测量大叶黄杨叶片(Euonymus japonicus T.)内部的绝对光能利用效率梯度曲线.该方法基于光声光谱的深度分析(Depth-Analysis)理论,并结合了光纤微探测器的叶片光梯度测量结果.日本小檗(Berberis thunbergii D C.)叶片的光声光谱扫描显示了深度分析的精确性.实验结果表明:叶片内部利用光能效率最低处在栅栏组织和海绵组织之间(入射光能0.026%-660 nm红光);越靠近叶片的上表皮和下表皮,显示出叶片组织利用光能效率有上升的趋势(分别为0.092% 和0.036%).因此,不同叶肉组织绝对光能利用效率是不同的,该实验结果直接证实了Han和Vogelmann (1999)所提出的假设.     

太白山栎属树种叶片生态化学计量特征沿海拔梯度的变化规律

植物叶片碳（C）、氮（N）、磷（P）化学计量学能够反映植物对环境的适应性以及环境变化对植物的影响,是生态化学计量学的热点之一。研究亲缘关系相近物种对环境变化的适应差异对于深入了解植物的化学计量策略具有重要意义,而目前对于亲缘关系相近物种沿海拔梯度各如何变化未获得一致性的结论。因此,本研究在秦岭太白山海拔约1100-2200 m范围内,对槲栎（Quercus aliena）、栓皮栎（Q.variabilis）、锐齿栎（Q.aliena var.acuteserrata）、辽东栎（Q.wutaishansea）这4种栎属树种的叶片C、N、P含量进行测定与分析,考察叶片化学计量特征随海拔的变化趋势,同时量化气候、土壤和地形3种影响因素对其变异规律的解释程度。结果表明：（1）总体来看,4树种叶片C含量随海拔升高先上升后降低,叶片N含量和N：P则表现出随海拔升高而降低的趋势,而叶片C：N随海拔升高而升高。（2）不同树种随海拔的变化趋势不同：槲栎与锐齿栎具有相似性,叶片N、P含量都随海拔升高显著降低,C：N都随海拔升高显著升高;栓皮栎的叶片N含量和C：N与前两者呈现相反趋势;辽东栎叶片C含量随海拔上升而下降,与栓皮栎相同,但其叶片P含量和N：P分别呈现先升高后降低、先降低后升高的曲线变化趋势。（3）叶片不同化学计量特征值受到不同因子的影响。其中,叶片N含量和C：N主要受气候因子影响（解释度为39.91%和36.59%）;叶片C含量主要受土壤因子影响（解释度为25.22%）;叶片P含量、N：P和C：P则主要受到土壤因子和坡度影响（解释度有23.70%-39.83%）,且这两个因子的交互效应影响较大（交互效应解释度有16.24%-24.72%）。本研究结果说明：（1）亲缘关系较近的物种在应对环境变化时,也会有不同的变化格局及对应的养分策略,而且这能在一定程度上解释它们的地带性分布规律;（2）地形因子会与土壤因子共同影响植物的化学计量特征,在研究山地森林生态系统时,坡度也是需要考虑的重要影响因子。