小鼠对不同拓扑性质图形的识别

视觉感知的一系列研究都支持大范围拓扑感知的理论．拓扑性质作为整体性质,是视觉感知的基础．视觉对图形拓扑特征差异的感知要优先于对局部特征差异的感知．采用Y迷宫研究了小鼠对不同拓扑性质图形的识别．训练小鼠学习识别圆环和实心矩形这一对拓扑性质不同的图形,之后用拓扑特征相同或不同的其他图形测试小鼠,这些图形包括空心矩形、实心圆、缺口的圆环、缺口的空心矩形．实验结果表明,学会识别圆环(奖励)和实心矩形(无奖励)的小鼠无法区分实心圆和实心矩形以及圆环和空心矩形,但是能够分别从缺口圆环、缺口的空心矩形、实心圆与空心矩形组成的图形对中识别出空心矩形．因此证实了小鼠的视觉系统能够感知拓扑特征的差异并且具有对拓扑性质的概括能力．结果为拓扑知觉对视觉系统来说是基本的这一假设提供了证据．     

The N-terminal region of the starch-branching enzyme from Phaseolus vulgaris L. is essential for optimal catalysis and structural stability

Starch-branching enzymes (SBEs) play a pivotal role in determining the fine structure of starch by catalyzing the syntheses of alpha-1,6-branch points. They are the members of the alpha-amylase family and have four conserved regions in a central (beta/alpha)8 barrel, including the catalytic sites. Although the role of the catalytic barrel domain of an SBE is known, that of its N- and C-terminal regions remain unclear. We have previously shown that the C-terminal regions of the two SBE isozymes (designated as PvSBE1 and PvSBE2) from kidney bean (Phaseolus vulgaris L.) have different roles in branching enzyme activity. To understand the contribution of the N-terminal region to catalysis, six chimeric enzymes were constructed between PvSBE1 and PvSBE2. Only one enzyme (1Na/2Nb)-II, in which a portion of the N-terminal region of PvSBE2 was substituted by the corresponding region of PvSBE1, retained 6% of the PvSBE2 activity. The N-terminal truncated form (DeltaN46-PvSBE2), lacking 46 N-terminal residues of PvSBE2, lost enzyme activity and stability to proteolysis. To investigate the possible function of this region, three residues (Asp-15, His-24, and Arg-28) among these 46 residues were subjected to site-directed mutagenesis. The purified mutant enzymes showed nearly the same K(m) values as PvSBE2 but had lower V(max) values and heat stabilities than PvSBE2. These results suggest that the N-terminal region of the kidney bean SBE is essential for maximum enzyme activity and thermostability.     

A secondary xylan-binding site enhances the catalytic activity of a single-domain family 11 glycoside hydrolase

Bacillus circulans xylanase (BcX) is a single-domain family 11 glycoside hydrolase. Using NMR-monitored titrations, we discovered that an inactive variant of this enzyme, E78Q-BcX, bound xylooligosaccharides not only within its pronounced active site (AS) cleft, but also at a distal surface region. Chemical shift perturbation mapping and affinity electrophoresis, combined with mutational studies, identified the xylan-specific secondary binding site (SBS) as a shallow groove lined by Asn, Ser, and Thr residues and with a Trp at one end. The AS and SBS bound short xylooligosaccharides with similar dissociation constants in the millimolar range. However, the on and off-rates to the SBS were at least tenfold faster than those of kon approximately 3x10(5) M(-1) s(-1) and koff approximately 1000 s(-1) measured for xylotetraose to the AS of E78Q-BcX. Consistent with their structural differences, this suggests that a conformational change in the enzyme and/or the substrate is required for association to and dissociation from the deep AS, but not the shallow SBS. In contrast to the independent binding of small xylooligosaccharides, high-affinity binding of soluble and insoluble xylan, as well as xylododecaose, occurred cooperatively to the two sites. This was evidenced by an approximately 100-fold increase in relative Kd values for these ligands upon mutation of the SBS. The SBS also enhances the activity of BcX towards soluble and insoluble xylan through a significant reduction in the Michaelis KM values for these polymeric substrates. This study provides an unexpected example of how a single domain family 11 xylanase overcomes the lack of a carbohydrate-binding module through the use of a secondary binding site to enhance substrate specificity and affinity.     

Harvest prediction in ‘Algerie’ loquat

Plant phenology is in great measure driven by air temperature. To forecast harvest time for ‘Algerie’ loquat accurately, the growing degree days (GDD) needed from bloom to ripening were determined using data from nine seasons. The methods proposed by Zalom et al. (Zalom FG, Goodell PB, Wilson LT, Barnett WW, Bentley W, Degree-days: the calculation and use of heat units in pest management, leaflet no 21373, Division Agriculture and Natural Resources, University of California 10 pp, 1983) were compared as regards their ability to estimate heat summation based on hourly records. All the methods gave remarkably similar results for our cultivation area, although the double-sine method showed higher performance when temperatures were low. A base temperature of 3°C is proposed for ‘Algerie’ loquat because it provides a coefficient of variation in GDD among seasons of below 5%, and because of its compatibility with loquat growth. Based on these determinations, ‘Algerie’ loquat requires 1,715 GDD from bloom to harvest; under our conditions this heat is accumulated over an average of 159 days. Our procedure permits the ‘Algerie’ harvest date to be estimated with a mean error of 4.4 days (<3% for the bloom-harvest period). GDD summation did not prove superior to the use of the number of calendar days for predicting ‘Algerie’ harvest under non-limiting growing conditions. However, GDD reflects the developmental rate in water-stressed trees better than calendar days. Trees under deficit irrigation during flower development required more time and more heat to ripen their fruits.     

次生林概念与生态干扰度

近一个世纪强烈的人为干扰使世界范围内的原始林面积锐减,次生林已成为中国乃至世界森林资源的主体.虽然在文献与现实中"次生林（Secondary forest）"被广泛使用,但次生林的概念在各个国家,甚至同一国家或地区以及各种不同文献中存在相互矛盾的情况,这给次生林研究与经营实践带来诸多不便;而不准确的次生林定义也为与各个层次的决策制定者及公众之间的交流带来了障碍.本文在查阅大量国内外关于次生林概念文献的基础上,结合近年来关于次生林生态与经营研究实践,综合分析了次生林概念的不确定性,同意以往次生林定义中的基本内涵,并认为：次生林是由于人为破坏性干扰或异常自然干扰使原始林固有的林分结构、物种组成或基本功能发生了显著变化,经过天然更新或人工诱导天然更新恢复形成的林分.但该定义中仍存在着很多不确定性, 如:怎样的干扰为"人为破坏性干扰"和"异常自然干扰";"林分结构、物种组成或基本功能"发生了怎样的变化为"显著变化";"人工诱导天然更新"中"人工"参与的成分比例如何等.次生林概念是在20世纪初由植物演替学家提出,当时未考虑干扰的持续性;而实际上,无论是次生林还是原始林,均是森林生态系统演替过程中的某一状态,在现代森林生态系统研究中,应重新规范"次生林"的概念.考虑到"次生林"定义的不确定性或困难性,建议使用"森林自然度"或"森林生态系统成熟度"或"森林干扰度"来表达现实森林所处的状态,但该方面的研究与实践尚需加强.     

一类无穷时滞微分系统的周期解和全局吸引性

考虑如下具有无穷时滞的微分系统:x′(t)=A(t,x(t))x(t) (integral from -∞to 0)f(t,s,x(s t))ds (sum from i=1 to p) fi(t,x(t-T_i(t)))的周期解.利用重合度理论和构造适当的Lyapunov泛函得到上述系统周期解存在性和全局吸引性的充分条件,推广了已有的结论,得到了新的结果.     

雄安新区生态基础设施建设与城市发展协同度评价

雄安新区的建设目标是构建“绿色生态宜居新城区”,将城市发展与生态宜居并行。生态基础设施作为城市中提供生态系统服务的条件与过程,对构建绿色生态宜居新城区起到主要支撑作用。构建了生态基础设施建设与城市发展的指标体系。在现状分析的基础上,根据雄安新区规划文件,采用地区类比法等方法对生态基础设施建设与城市发展情况进行预测,以形态学空间格局分析(MSPA)模型处理得到的7类景观类型作为生态基础设施指标,并从人口、经济、产业、城镇化4方面构建雄安新区城市发展指标;其次建立耦合协同模型,分析2010、2015、2017、2025、2035、2050年6个年度雄安新区生态基础设施建设与城市发展的协同度水平。研究结果表明,雄安新区生态基础设施建设与城市发展在早期处于濒临失调状态,后续经过政策引导,雄安新区生态基础设施建设与城市发展协同程度逐渐提高,至2050年已达到良好协同状态。研究结果可为促进雄安新区生态基础设施建设与城市协同发展提供科学参考。     

胡杨幼苗根系生长与构型对土壤水分的响应

胡杨实生幼苗成活率低是制约其更新与人工育苗保存的关键问题,而幼苗根系生长与构型是影响其存活的重要因素。该试验以1年生胡杨幼苗为材料,通过2种给水方式(断续给水和连续给水)下各6个土壤水分梯度处理的控制试验,探究胡杨幼苗根系生长与构型对荒漠地区关键因子水分的响应特征。结果表明:(1)2种给水方式下干旱胁迫均使根冠比增加,且断续给水处理下幼苗根冠比显著大于连续给水。(2)一定程度的干旱处理还可以促进幼苗根系形态发育特征的发展和根系生物量的积累,但过度干旱胁迫或土壤水分含量过多都会抑制根系生长,并以连续给水、土壤含水量15%处理下幼苗根系最为发达。(3)幼苗深扎根能力强,其根宽深比在2种给水方式下均小于1,且断续给水处理显著小于连续给水处理;2种给水方式下根宽深比都与土壤水分含量呈显著正相关。(4)根系拓扑指数在2种给水方式下无显著差异且均接近1,但都与土壤水分含量呈显著负相关。即幼苗根系趋向鱼尾状分支结构,次级分支少,这种根系延伸策略有利于胡杨幼苗在干旱贫瘠的土壤环境中生存。(5)根系构型参数的主成分分析显示,总根长、总根表面积、根宽深比和拓扑指数在2种给水方式下都能很好地表示胡杨幼苗根系构型特征。可见,胡杨幼苗根系通过构筑鱼尾状分支结构、增加垂直根纵向延伸能力和增大根冠比适应干旱环境;水分对于胡杨幼苗根系生长与构型作用显著,根系对水分因子的响应对于胡杨幼苗适应水分异质性环境具有重要意义。     

秦岭南坡锐齿栎次生林空间结构特征分析

该研究采用坐标定位方法对秦岭南坡不同坡向锐齿栎次生林样地内胸径DBH≥5cm的乔木进行调查,记录树种名称、坐标、胸径、高度、冠幅、生长状况等因子,运用角尺度、大小比数和混交度3个指数分析不同坡向锐齿栎次生林的空间结构,探寻不同坡向锐齿栎林空间结构的形成和差异。结果显示:(1)调查样地内物种多样性丰富,锐齿栎重要值最大,长势良好,占据主要生态空间。(2)两种坡向中,角尺度取值为0.5的个体数均过半,表明随机分布是锐齿栎次生林的主要分布方式。(3)优势木、亚优势木、中庸木、劣态木和绝对劣态木所占比重均为20%左右,表明林木大小差异不明显,在空间结构单元中,林木较稳定,阳坡优势木个体数高于阴坡。(4)两种坡向中,混交度取值大于0.5林木个体分别为84%和73%,表明多数林木个体处于中度、强度和极强度混交状态。研究表明,秦岭南坡锐齿栎次生林聚集度不高、混交良好、分化程度较高,锐齿栎种群优势度明显,林分整体暂时处于相对稳定状态。