铅锌矿渣场植被自然演替与基质的交互效应

矿业废弃地生态系统自然恢复的植被演替过程与机理是生态恢复研究的重要内容之一.以空间代替时间的方法,选择立地条件基本一致的4个不同自然恢复年限铅锌矿区为对象,研究黔西北土法炼锌渣场废弃地植被自然演替与矿渣基质理化性质的交互效应.结果表明： 随着堆置时间的增加,矿渣基质的营养条件明显得到改善,全氮、全磷和全钾含量极显著增加, pH上升,电导率下降,容重降低,有效铅和镉显著降低. 同时,随着恢复时间的增长,植物群落的物种丰富度、多样性指数和均匀度也相应提高.植物群落组成以多年生草本植物为主,植物群落演替在前20年较为缓慢,30年后植被群落盖度可达到53%,超过40年盖度可达87%.矿渣理化性质与物种多样性显著相关,典型变量分别是全氮、全磷和全钾;物种多样性指数与有效铅和镉呈显著负相关.土法炼锌渣场废弃地植被自然演替过程在30年后速度加快,植被生长的限制因子是营养供给不足和重金属的有效性高.     

The isolation and characterization of putative mesenchymal stem cells from the spiny mouse

The bone marrow represents the most common source from which to isolate mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs). MSCs are capable of differentiating into tissues of the three primary lineages and have the potential to enhance repair in damaged organs through the principals of regenerative medicine. Given the ease with which MSCs may be isolated from different species the aim of this study was to isolate and characterize putative bone marrow derived MSCs from the spiny mouse, Acomys cahirinus. MSCs were isolated from the spiny mouse in a traditional manner, and based on plastic adherence, morphology, colony forming unit-fibroblast assays and functional assessment (adipogenic, osteogenic and chondrogenic differentiation potential) a population of putative mesenchymal stem cells from the compact bone of the spiny mouse have been isolated and characterized. Such methodological approaches overcome the lack of species-specific antibodies for the spiny mouse and could be employed for other species where the cost of generating species-specific antibodies is not warranted.     

Biased competition through variations in amplitude of <Emphasis Type="Italic">γ</Emphasis>-oscillations

Experiments in visual cortex have shown that the firing rate of a neuron in response to the simultaneous presentation of a preferred and non-preferred stimulus within the receptive field is intermediate between that for the two stimuli alone (stimulus competition). Attention directed to one of the stimuli drives the response towards the response induced by the attended stimulus alone (selective attention). This study shows that a simple feedforward model with fixed synaptic conductance values can reproduce these two phenomena using synchronization in the gamma-frequency range to increase the effective synaptic gain for the responses to the attended stimulus. The performance of the model is robust to changes in the parameter values. The model predicts that the phase locking between presynaptic input and output spikes increases with attention.     

不同表面处理对全瓷材料表面粗糙度及表面自由能的影响

目的:比较分析三种不同表面处理方法对全瓷材料表面粗糙度及表面自由能的影响。方法:选用两种氧化锆(LAVA Plus,Wieland)和两种玻璃陶瓷(E.max Press,ELDC),按照生产商的制作方法制作成盘状试件(直径13 mm,厚1 mm),并将以上四组全瓷材料按照不同的表面处理方式分别分为以下三个亚组:粗磨组(rough grinding)、抛光组(polishing)和上釉组(glazing)。利用三维形貌扫描仪测量样本表面的面粗糙度(Sa),表面张力仪测量各组样本表面接触角并计算表面自由能。结果:各组材料粗磨组粗糙度值均显著高于其抛光组及上釉组;对于两种氧化锆陶瓷,抛光组与上釉组间粗糙度值无显著差异(P0.05),而对于两种玻璃陶瓷,抛光组的粗糙度值显著低于上釉组(P0.05);上釉组表面自由能均显著高于相应粗磨组及抛光组(P0.05),粗磨组和抛光组间无显著性差异。结论:抛光和上釉均能显著降低全瓷材料的表面粗糙度,对于氧化锆陶瓷,抛光能达到类似上釉的表面粗糙度,对于玻璃陶瓷,抛光能够获得更加光滑的表面。上釉后全瓷材料的表面自由能显著高于抛光组。     

ICU鲍曼不动杆菌感染的流行状况及耐药性分析

目的对ICU住院患者鲍曼不动杆菌感染的流行状况及耐药情况进行调查,为临床合理选用抗菌药物提供参考。方法对2012年7月至2013年12月ICU住院患者送检的693份各种临床标本进行病原菌的分离鉴定,对分离出的鲍曼不动杆菌采用K-B法做体外药敏试验。结果 693份临床标本共分离出110株鲍曼不动杆菌,其中多重耐药菌株有103株（93.6%）,感染的标本来源以痰液最为常见（86.4%）。鲍曼不动杆菌对常用抗菌药物耐药广泛,对氨苄西林、头孢唑啉100%耐药,对哌拉西林、头孢曲松、复方新诺明、氨曲南、环丙沙星、头孢吡肟、哌拉西林/他唑巴坦及庆大霉素等多种抗菌药物的耐药率大于80.0%。结论 ICU患者鲍曼不动杆菌感染多由多重耐药菌株引起,感染部位以下呼吸道为主,其对抗菌药物耐药情况相当严峻,加强耐药性监测及合理使用抗菌药物,对减少耐药菌株的产生具有重要意义。     

Effects of grass species and grass growth on atmospheric nitrogen deposition to a bog ecosystem surrounded by intensive agricultural land use

We applied a ¹⁵N dilution technique called “Integrated Total Nitrogen Input” (ITNI) to quantify annual atmospheric N input into a peatland surrounded by intensive agricultural practices over a 2-year period. Grass species and grass growth effects on atmospheric N deposition were investigated using Lolium multiflorum and Eriophorum vaginatum and different levels of added N resulting in increased biomass production. Plant biomass production was positively correlated with atmospheric N uptake (up to 102.7 mg N pot⁻¹) when using Lolium multiflorum. In contrast, atmospheric N deposition to Eriophorum vaginatum did not show a clear dependency to produced biomass and ranged from 81.9 to 138.2 mg N pot⁻¹. Both species revealed a relationship between atmospheric N input and total biomass N contents. Airborne N deposition varied from about 24 to 55 kg N ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹. Partitioning of airborne N within the monitor system differed such that most of the deposited N was found in roots of Eriophorum vaginatum while the highest share was allocated in aboveground biomass of Lolium multiflorum. Compared to other approaches determining atmospheric N deposition, ITNI showed highest airborne N input and an up to fivefold exceedance of the ecosystem-specific critical load of 5–10 kg N ha⁻¹ yr⁻¹.     

Organization of the Connections between the Parietal Associative Zone and the Primary Sensory Zones in the Cat Neocortex

In acute experiments on cats, we studied the impulse activity of 262 neurons of the parietal associative zone (PAZ, field 5). Among them, 129 cells [100 silent units and 29 units generating background activity (BA)] were identified as output neurons, while 133 cells with the BA were interneurons of the intrinsic cortical neuronal circuits. Electrical stimulation of the primary visual, auditory, or somatosensory cortices evoked no impulse responses in silent output PAZ neurons, while output neurons with the BA and interneurons (more than 65 and 80% of the cell units, respectively) generated clear responses (more frequently, phasic). Stimulation of the auditory and visual cortices exerted mostly inhibitory effects, while stimulation of the somatosensory cortex provided mostly excitatory influences. The ratios of neurons generating primary excitatory and inhibitory responses to stimulation of the visual, auditory, and somatic cortices were 0.3:1, 0.6:1, and 3.2:1, respectively. More than 95% of the field-5 neurons were influenced from the primary sensory zones via di- and/or polysynaptic pathways. Monosynaptic excitatory inputs from the visual cortex were identified for 3.8% of interneurons and 6.9% of output PAZ neurons; for the auditory cortical inputs, the respective figures were 1.7 and 3.5%. Monosynaptic connections with the somatic cortex were found only for 4% of the interneurons under study. It has been concluded that interaction of heteromodal signals coming to the PAZ via the corticopetal and associative inputs occurs on neurons of all the cortical layers.     

Employee Attitudes about the Impact of Visitation Dogs on a College Campus

Therapy and visitation dogs are becoming more common on college campuses to provide comfort and support to students, but little attention has been given to the concerns of faculty and staff who share space with the dogs in their workplaces. The purpose of this study was to assess the perceptions of faculty and staff with regard to both the benefits and the hazards (e.g., dander, bites, fleas) and risks associated with the presence of visitation dogs in their workplaces. One hundred and thirty-eight employees who worked in buildings with resident visitation dogs completed an online survey about their perceptions of the hazards and risks of the dogs and the effects of dogs on the wellbeing of both students and employees. In general, employees perceived that the dogs presented minimal risks, and most employees believed that they can reduce stress and provide comfort to students on campus. There were a few employees, however, who reported that the dogs did not improve the work environment and conferred no benefits to the staff or students. The findings of the present survey support the mostly positive attitudes that people have for dogs in the workplace, but they also highlight a potential challenge: accommodating individuals who believe very strongly that dogs do not belong in work environments.     

Vertical Migration and Mortality of Marine Benthos in Dredged Material: A Synthesis

This account describes the comparative response of four species of benthic invertebrates to burial in terms of vertical migration and mortality, and provides a synthesis of studies and recommendations upon which to assess future impacts. The species featured were the bivalve Mercenaries mercenaria, the amphipod crustacean Parahaustorius longimerus, and the polychaetes Scoloplos fragilis and Nereis succinea. There was evidence of synergistic effects on burrowing activity and mortality with changes in time of burial, sediment depth, sediment type and temperature. In sediment with silt-clay, N. succinea was the most resistant species followed by M. mercenaria, S. fragilis and P. longimerus. In sediment without silt-clay the order of percent mortality was reversed. Studies of surface water chemistry and sediment geochemistry showed that dissolved oxygen decreased significantly and ammonia and sulfide increased significantly between the surface and below 2.0 cm within a 15-day period. Based on these results and physiological tolerances from the literature it was concluded that M. mercenaria and N. succinea would be relatively resistant to chemical effects of spoil disposal, whereas S. fragilis and P. longimerus would be less resistant to such effects. Vertical migration of benthic invertebrates through dredge disposal can be a viable mechanism of recolonization under certain conditions. Some effects of burial of benthos can be predicted based on morphology, behavior and physiology. These biological features were discussed with examples dealing with molluscs, crustaceans, and polychaetes. Finally, recommendations were made concerning the type of studies to provide additional data to aid management agencies in decision making about future dredging and disposal practices.     

Cell-free synthesis of membrane proteins: Tailored cell models out of microsomes

Incorporation of proteins in biomimetic giant unilamellar vesicles (GUVs) is one of the hallmarks towards cell models in which we strive to obtain a better mechanistic understanding of the manifold cellular processes. The reconstruction of transmembrane proteins, like receptors or channels, into GUVs is a special challenge. This procedure is essential to make these proteins accessible to further functional investigation. Here we describe a strategy combining two approaches: cell-free eukaryotic protein expression for protein integration and GUV formation to prepare biomimetic cell models. The cell-free protein expression system in this study is based on insect lysates, which provide endoplasmic reticulum derived vesicles named microsomes. It enables signal-induced translocation and posttranslational modification of de novo synthesized membrane proteins. Combining these microsomes with synthetic lipids within the electroswelling process allowed for the rapid generation of giant proteo-liposomes of up to 50 μm in diameter. We incorporated various fluorescent protein-labeled membrane proteins into GUVs (the prenylated membrane anchor CAAX, the heparin-binding epithelial growth factor like factor Hb-EGF, the endothelin receptor ETB, the chemokine receptor CXCR4) and thus presented insect microsomes as functional modules for proteo-GUV formation. Single-molecule fluorescence microscopy was applied to detect and further characterize the proteins in the GUV membrane. To extend the options in the tailoring cell models toolbox, we synthesized two different membrane proteins sequentially in the same microsome. Additionally, we introduced biotinylated lipids to specifically immobilize proteo-GUVs on streptavidin-coated surfaces. We envision this achievement as an important first step toward systematic protein studies on technical surfaces.