Two general classes of cytoplasmic actin filaments in tissue culture cells: The role of tropomyosin

In the assembly of actin filaments that takes place during the spreading of a polulation of human lung cells, after trypsin detachment off the substratum and replating, tropomyosin exhibits a considrable lag in its association with the newly forming filament bundles; it begins to associate with them during the later stages of cell spreading as the actin filament bundles normally seen in interphase cells begin to organize. This lag is evident in a number of cell types that are spreading onto a substratum; it does not appear to be due to a selective degradation of this molecule during rounding up of the cells, since tropmyosin associates with the actin filament bundles after this lag even under conditions where the protein synthetic activity of the cell is inhibited to more than 95% by cycloheximide. The preferential binding of tropomyosin to fully assembled filament bundles but not to newly formed bundles of actin filaments suggests therefore the existence of two classes of action filaments: those that bind tropomyosin and those that do not. This selective localization of tropomyosin and those that do not. This selective localization of tropomyosin on actin filaments was further pursued by examining the localization of this molecule in membrane ruffles. The immunofluorescent results indicate that ruffling is an actin-filament-dependent, microtubule-independent phenomenon. Tropomyosin is absent from membrane ruffles under a variety of circumstances where ruffling is expressed and, more generally, from any other cellular activity where actin filaments are expected to be in a dynamic state of reorganization or are required to be in a flexible configuraion. It is concluded that in tissue culture cells tropomyosin binds preferentially to actin filaments involved in structural support to confer rigidity upon them as well as aid them in maintaining a stretched phenotype. The absence of tropomyosin from certain motile phenomena where actin filaments are involved indicates that these classes of actin filaments are regulated by cytoplasmic mechanisms distinct from that by which tropomyosin (and troponin) mediates contractility in skeletal mulscle; it opens the possibility that different types of actin filaments enagaged in different cellular motile phenomenon in tissue culture cells may be regulated by a host of coexisting regulatory mechanisms, some as yet undetermined.     

鄱阳湖溶解态重金属空间分布格局及风险评估

采用ICP-MS定量研究了鄱阳湖溶解态重金属As、Cd、Cr、Cu、Pb和Zn空间分布特征,并对其引起的健康风险进行了评价。结果表明,鄱阳湖溶解态As、Cd、Cr、Cu、Pb和Zn的水平均符合国家Ⅰ、Ⅱ类饮用水质标准;鄱阳湖溶解态重金属的空间分布格局为As和Cr在整体上呈现北部大于南部,Cu为北部和南部高,中部低,Pb和Zn均呈现南部大于北部,而Cd的空间分布规律不明显。风险评估结果显示,鄱阳湖As、Cd、Cu、Pb和Zn的风险水平小于国际辐射防护委员会(International Commission on Radiation Protection;ICRP)的推荐值(5×10~(-5)a~(-1)),但是Cr的风险水平(4.74×10~(-5)a~(-1))接近了ICRP推荐值,且由As、Cd、Cr、Cu、Pb和Zn引起的健康总风险达到了5.88×10~(-5)a~(-1),超过了ICRP推荐值。鄱阳湖由Cr和As引起的健康风险之和占总风险比例达到99.72%,是主要的健康污染物,需引起风险决策部门的重视。     

湘南某矿区蔬菜中Pb、Cd污染状况及健康风险评估

通过采集湘南某矿区周边农田中种植的蔬菜和对应耕作层土壤样品,探究了农田蔬菜Pb、Cd的污染状况,蔬菜和土壤重金属含量之间的相关性,蔬菜中重金属对人体的健康风险。结果表明:(1)污染区土壤重金属污染非常严重,叶菜类蔬菜重金属超出了食品卫生标准限值,但是果菜类蔬菜中重金属没有超出食品卫生标准限值。(2)不同蔬菜不同器官所含Pb、Cd有明显差异;不同种类蔬菜Pb、Cd含量不同,一般是叶菜类果菜类;同种蔬菜不同部位重金属含量的顺序也不同,一般为根茎叶果,或根叶茎果。(3)二类蔬菜中重金属Pb、Cd的富集系数顺序为叶菜类果菜类。(4)蔬菜中Pb、Cd含量与土壤中相对应元素含量均无显著相关性。(5)就农产品安全性而言,果菜类蔬菜比叶菜类蔬菜更适合在此矿区栽培。     

豚草卷蛾与苍耳螟的资源生态位研究

引进的豚草卷蛾和本地的苍耳螟是取食豚草的重要天敌昆虫。为了进一步明确两种天敌种问的竞争作用,定量研究了豚草卷蛾和苍耳螟在寄主植物种类和空间上的生态位指数。结果表明,在寄主植物种类上,豚草卷蛾只取食豚草和苍耳;苍耳螟可取食豚草、苍耳、黄花蒿、向日葵、万寿菊、国庆菊、菊芋、麦杆菊;苍耳螟的生态位宽度指数(Hurbert标准值0．228)明显大于豚草卷蛾(0．069),两者的食物资源生态重叠程度较小(Horn’s指数0．318);豚草卷蛾和苍耳螟对常用资源的利用率分别为93．5％(豚草)和59．3％(苍耳)。在相同寄主植物上,两种天敌的空间生态位表现为：随着寄主植物的生长发育,两种天敌的生态位重叠程度减小;高龄幼虫的生态位宽度指数大于低龄幼虫。在食物生态位上,豚草卷蛾主要取食新发生的幼嫩枝,并且一旦蛀入形成虫瘿后很少发生转移,而苍耳螟除低龄幼虫喜蛀食幼嫩枝外,高龄幼虫的取食部位常常发生转移,从枝型较细的幼嫩枝转向枝型较粗的老龄枝。两种天敌对豚草和苍耳实际选择作用以及对常用资源利用率存在明显差异,因此,形成竞争的程度较小,在对豚草的控制机制上形成互补作用。     

Environmental implications of recombinant DNA technology

Applications of recombinant DNA technology are discussed as a backdrop for evaluation of the environmental impacts of this technology. Some of applications include using traditional biological techniques for specific purposes, including nitrogen fixation, microbial pesticides, and waste treatment. In these instances the final product lies along a continuum, beginning with an organism marginally performing its function, and ending with one that is highly specialised and very efficient in what it does. One may move along this continuum toward the ‘perfect’ microorganism by using traditional methodologies of mutagenesis and selection, recombinant DNA technology, or a combination of the two.     

Long COVID and its Management

The pandemic of COVID-19 is the biggest public health crisis in 21^st Century. Besides the acute symptoms after infection, patients and society are also being challenged by the long-term health complications associated with COVID-19, commonly known as long COVID. While health professionals work hard to find proper treatments, large amount of knowledge has been accumulated in recent years. In order to deal with long COVID efficiently, it is important for people to keep up with current progresses and take proactive actions on long COVID. For this purpose, this review will first introduce the general background of long COVID, and then discuss its risk factors, diagnostic indicators and management strategies. This review will serve as a useful resource for people to understand and prepare for long COVID that will be with us in the foreseeable future.     

干旱区绿洲城镇景观生态风险时空变化分析——以张掖绿洲乡镇为例

科学评估与分析干旱区绿洲乡镇景观生态风险,对优化绿洲土地资源管控和维护干旱区绿洲生态系统稳定性具有重要现实意义。以张掖市绿洲乡镇为对象,基于土地利用数据和景观格局指数,结合ArcGIS空间分析功能,研究其景观生态风险时空特征及影响因素。结果表明：1987—2018年,耕地和建设用地变化明显,分别增加429.03 km~2和236.26 km~2;整体景观生态风险呈下降趋势,并呈“南北高、中间低”格局特征;各乡镇风险水平在空间上正向聚集,位于绿洲边缘地区的乡镇风险变化明显;人为活动干扰是近年风险水平变化的主要因素。研究成果可为西北干旱区绿洲生态保护与治理提供决策参考。     

三江平原湿地生态风险评价及空间阈值分析

湿地生态风险评价对区域自然资源保护及规划管理具有重要意义。以三江平原湿地为研究区域,基于2000年、2005年、2010年、2015年4期土地利用数据,以城市扩张导致的土地利用变化、道路建设等人类活动为风险源,景观生态格局、生态系统服务价值为风险受体构建了三江平原湿地生态风险综合评价体系,分析三江平原湿地生态风险时空变化特征。进而,利用距离阈值确定空间距离权重,采用双变量空间自相关模型揭示了不同时间尺度下生态风险的空间集聚分布特征。结果显示：从风险源角度,人类活动风险源强度呈增加趋势,松花江、穆棱河、倭肯河地区一直处于中高风险水平;从风险受体角度,景观生态风险的中高风险地区重点集中在湿地与水体分布区,生态系统服务低价值区主要分布在中部水田、旱田、建设用地以及东北部与东南小范围的湿地区域。综合生态风险结果显示,三江平原生态风险在时间上呈增加趋势,空间上由松花江河滩型湿地区与穆棱河地区逐渐向四周蔓延。此外,生态风险的强弱受到空间距离的影响显著,选取5km为自相关分析的距离阈值,土地利用与综合生态风险的空间格局存在显著的空间正相关关系,高-高地区集中分布在研究区内的松花江流域及周围滩地地区,随着土地利用变化及转移,空间关联逐渐增强且区域分布不断扩大。研究结果可从人类活动控制、景观格局优化、生态服务价值提升等方面为三江平原生态风险防控分区管理提供理论依据。     

重庆市生态风险预警等级划分及演化趋势模拟

生态风险预警等级评估和演化趋势模拟,可为生态风险管理提供可靠的辅助决策。以重庆市为研究对象,基于驱动力-压力-状态-影响-响应模型,构建重庆市生态风险预警指标体系,采用正态云模型和集对分析法,定量分析重庆市生态风险时空分异特征和演化趋势。研究结果表明：（1）2013-2019年,重庆市生态风险值呈"上升-下降"的波动趋势,综合生态风险隶属于重警等级,生态风险综合值从0.295下降到0.278,生态环境逐年好转;（2）重庆市生态风险有下降、不变、先上升后降低、先降低后上升以及一直升高5种演化趋势,分别占比39%、16%、5%、21%、24%;（3）重庆市生态风险转移分为两个方向,2013-2016年生态风险空间分异性增大,中警、轻警和无警风险等级不断向东北、东南和西部四周分散转移;2016-2019年生态风险分布格局变化较小,重警风险区在东部聚集;（4）演化趋势模拟结果表明,未来重庆市生态风险降低的区县有13个,占比34%,生态环境有向好发展的趋势;生态风险上升的区县有25个,占比66%,生态环境会有所恶化,但是恶化程度较低。将生态风险等级划分与预警演化趋势相结合,能为城市生态风险管理提供科学依据。     

城市化的生态风险及其管理

城市化体现在人口向城市聚集和城市景观扩张的同时,社会结构发生了极大变化,城市生产生活方式向更加广泛的地区扩散。然而,随着人口的过度密集和城市的日益扩张,交通拥堵、空气污染、废物堆积、流行病肆虐等"城市病"频发。城市通过大量汲取和消耗自然资源,向周围环境排放大量污染物,改变了区域生态系统的原有结构和功能,产生了严峻的生态风险,进而制约着城市生态系统的可持续发展。城市化的生态风险正逐步得到广泛关注,但对其具体的内涵和影响尚不明晰。归类描述了城市化过程中面临的各种生态风险,分析了导致生态风险的主要因素,阐述了辨识与评价生态风险的基本方法,提出了城市化生态风险的调控管理对策。