Change of supercooling capability in solutions containing different kinds of ice nucleators by flavonol glycosides from deep supercooling xylem parenchyma cells in trees

Deep supercooling xylem parenchyma cells (XPCs) in Katsura tree contain flavonol glycosides with high supercooling-facilitating capability in solutions containing the ice nucleation bacterium (INB) Erwinia ananas, which is thought to have an important role in deep supercooling of XPCs. The present study, in order to further clarify the roles of these flavonol glycosides in deep supercooling of XPCs, the effects of these supercooling-facilitating (anti-ice nucleating) flavonol glycosides, kaempferol 3-O-β-d-glucopyranoside (K3Glc), kaempferol 7-O-β-d-glucopyranoside (K7Glc) and quercetin 3-O-β-d-glucopyranoside (Q3Glc), in buffered Milli-Q water (BMQW) containing different kinds of ice nucleators, including INB Xanthomonas campestris, silver iodide and phloroglucinol, were examined by a droplet freezing assay. The results showed that all of the flavonol glycosides promoted supercooling in all solutions containing different kinds of ice nucleators, although the magnitudes of supercooling capability of each flavonol glycoside changed in solutions containing different kinds of ice nucleators. On the other hand, these flavonol glycosides exhibited complicated nucleating reactions in BMQW, which did not contain identified ice nucleators but contained only unidentified airborne impurities. Q3Glc exhibited both supercooling-facilitating and ice nucleating capabilities depending on the concentrations in such water. Both K3Glc and K7Glc exhibited only ice nucleation capability in such water. It was also shown by an emulsion freezing assay in BMQW that K3Glc and Q3Glc had no effect on homogeneous ice nucleation temperature, whereas K7Glc increased ice nucleation temperature. The results indicated that each flavonol glycoside affected ice nucleation by very complicated and varied reactions. More studies are necessary to determine the exact roles of these flavonol glycosides in deep supercooling of XPCs in which unidentified heterogeneous ice nucleators may exist.     

基于茎流-蒸渗仪法的荒漠草原带人工灌丛群落蒸散特征

中国西北地区通过大量种植中间锦鸡儿(Caragana liouana)进行生态治理, 在荒漠草原带上形成人工灌丛景观, 改变了生态系统的结构和功能, 影响到地-气水汽循环过程, 研究该人工灌丛群落的蒸散特征, 对揭示其生态水文效应和指导地方生态治理实践具有重要意义。该文以宁夏盐池荒漠草原带上的人工灌丛群落为例, 利用茎流-蒸渗仪法测定了2018年5-8月的灌木蒸腾和丛下蒸散, 并分析了环境因子对人工灌丛群落蒸散的影响。结果表明: (1)茎流-蒸渗仪法所测的群落蒸散与水量平衡法、涡度相关法得到的群落蒸散有较好的一致性, 茎流-蒸渗仪法能适用于荒漠草原带人工灌丛群落蒸散及其组分结构的测定; (2)观测期内晴天的灌木蒸腾速率和丛下蒸散速率日变化趋势相近, 均为单峰曲线, 群落蒸散主要发生在日间, 但灌丛最大蒸腾速率的出现时间比丛下蒸散最大速率的出现时间晚1 h; (3) 5-8月间灌木累积蒸腾为83.6 mm, 日平均蒸腾量为0.7 mm·d^-1, 季节变化呈抛物线状; 同期丛下累积蒸散为182.5 mm, 日平均蒸散量为1.5 mm·d^-1; 丛下蒸散明显大于灌木蒸腾; (4)观测期间人工灌丛群落累积蒸散266.1 mm, 而同期的降水量为222.6 mm, 陆面水分收支处于亏缺状态; (5)净辐射是影响蒸散最主要、最直接的驱动因素, 且能够影响其他因子进而对人工灌丛群落蒸散产生作用。综上, 人工灌丛引发荒漠草原地带陆面水分收支亏缺的现象, 在生态恢复与重建中须引起注意。     

Robust dynamics of Amazon dieback to climate change with perturbed ecosystem model parameters

Climate change science is increasingly concerned with methods for managing and integrating sources of uncertainty from emission storylines, climate model projections, and ecosystem model parameterizations. In tropical ecosystems, regional climate projections and modeled ecosystem responses vary greatly, leading to a significant source of uncertainty in global biogeochemical accounting and possible future climate feedbacks. Here, we combine an ensemble of IPCC‐AR4 climate change projections for the Amazon Basin (eight general circulation models) with alternative ecosystem parameter sets for the dynamic global vegetation model, LPJmL. We evaluate LPJmL simulations of carbon stocks and fluxes against flux tower and aboveground biomass datasets for individual sites and the entire basin. Variability in LPJmL model sensitivity to future climate change is primarily related to light and water limitations through biochemical and water‐balance‐related parameters. Temperature‐dependent parameters related to plant respiration and photosynthesis appear to be less important than vegetation dynamics (and their parameters) for determining the magnitude of ecosystem response to climate change. Variance partitioning approaches reveal that relationships between uncertainty from ecosystem dynamics and climate projections are dependent on geographic location and the targeted ecosystem process. Parameter uncertainty from the LPJmL model does not affect the trajectory of ecosystem response for a given climate change scenario and the primary source of uncertainty for Amazon ‘dieback’ results from the uncertainty among climate projections. Our approach for describing uncertainty is applicable for informing and prioritizing policy options related to mitigation and adaptation where long‐term investments are required.     

电磁水对血白细胞、红细胞、血小板及血管内皮细胞影响的研究

血管中白细胞等的粘附、聚集问题能够影响微循环的血流速度,是损伤血管内皮细胞乃至形成血栓的主要因素之一。在内毒素注射大白鼠的随机、对照实验中,发现电磁水能够减轻内毒素所致的炎症刺激,并能够降低白、红细胞和血小板的粘附、聚集,能降低白细胞的渗出,能提高红细胞的电泳率,能抑制血流速度的减慢和能够减轻血管内皮细胞的损伤。t检验,差异显著(P<0.01)以及差异明显(P<0.05)。揭示电磁水能够提高血细胞和血管内皮细胞的表面负电荷密度,并可以减轻外因(如,内毒素)对体内细胞和血管的损伤。说明电磁水能够改善微循环,维系正常血流和防止血栓形成。     

Relations of sugar composition and δ13C in phloem sap to growth and physiological performance of Eucalyptus globulus (Labill)

We characterized differences in carbon isotopic content (δ¹³C) and sugar concentrations in phloem exudates from Eucalyptus globulus (Labill) plantations across a rainfall gradient in south‐western Australia. Phloem sap δ¹³C and sugar concentrations varied with season and annual rainfall. Annual bole growth was negatively related to phloem sap δ¹³C during summer, suggesting a water limitation, yet was positively related in winter. We conclude that when water is abundant, variations in carboxylation rates become significant to overall growth. Concentrations of sucrose in phloem sap varied across sites by up to 600 mm, and raffinose by 300 mm . These compounds play significant roles in maintaining osmotic balance and facilitating carbon movement into the phloem, and their relative abundances contribute strongly to overall δ¹³C of phloem sap. Taken together, the δ¹³C and concentrations of specific sugars in phloem sap provide significant insights to functions supporting growth at the tree, site and landscape scale.     

A comparison of canopy evapotranspiration for maize and two perennial grasses identified as potential bioenergy crops

In the Midwestern US, perennial rhizomatous grasses (PRGs) are considered one of the most promising vegetation types to be used as a cellulosic feedstock for renewable energy production. The potential widespread use of biomass crops for renewable energy production has sparked numerous environmental concerns, including the impacts of land‐use change on the hydrologic cycle. We predicted that total seasonal evapotranspiration (ET) would be higher for PRGs relative to maize resulting from higher leaf area and a prolonged growing season. We further predicted that, compared with maize, higher aboveground biomass associated with PRGs would offset the higher ET and increase water‐use efficiency (WUE) in the context of biomass harvests for liquid biofuel production. To test these predictions, ET was estimated during the 2007 growing season for replicated plots of Miscanthus×giganteus (miscanthus), Panicum virgatum (switchgrass), and Zea mays (maize) using a residual energy balance approach. The combination of a 25% higher mean latent heat flux (λET) and a longer growing season resulted in miscanthus having ca. 55% higher cumulative ET over the growing season compared with maize. Cumulative ET for switchgrass was also higher than maize despite similar seasonal‐mean λET. Based on total harvested aboveground biomass, WUE was ca. 50% higher for maize relative to miscanthus; however, when WUE calculated from only maize grain biomass was compared with WUE calculated from miscanthus harvested aboveground biomass, this difference disappeared. Although WUE between maize and miscanthus differed postsenescence, there were no differences in incremental WUE throughout the growing season. Despite initial predictions, aboveground biomass for switchgrass was less than maize; thus WUE was substantially lower for switchgrass than for either maize scenario. These results indicate that changes in ET due to large‐scale implementation of PRGs in the Midwestern US would likely influence local and regional hydrologic cycles differently than traditional row crops.     

Production and characterization of pure Clostridium spore suspensions

Aims:  A general protocol was derived for optimizing the production of pure, high concentration Clostridium endospore suspensions.
Methods and Results:  Two sporulation methods were developed that yielded high concentrations of notably pure Clostridium sporogenes , C. hungatei and C. GSA-1 (Greenland ice core isolate) spore suspensions (10 ml of 10⁹ spores ml⁻¹ with >99% purity each). Each method was derived by evaluating combinations of three sporulation conditions, including freeze drying of inocula, heat shock treatment of cultures, and subsequent incubation at suboptimal temperatures that yielded the highest percentage of sporulation. Pure spore suspensions were characterized in terms of dipicolinic acid content, culturability, decimal reduction time ( D ) value for heat inactivation (100°C) and hydrophobicity.
Conclusions:  While some Clostridium species produce a high percentage of spores with heat shock treatment and suboptimal temperature incubation, other species require the additional step of freeze drying the inocula to achieve a high percentage of sporulation.
Significance and Impact of the Study:  Pure Clostridium spore suspensions are required for investigating species of medical and environmental importance. Defining the conditions for optimal spore production also provides insight into the underlying mechanisms of Clostridium sporulation.     

水位波动对南美蟛蜞菊和蟛蜞菊种内及种间关系的影响

以外来入侵植物南美蟛蜞菊和本地近缘种蟛蜞菊为对象,通过温室模拟3种水位波动模式(水位无波动,水位波动模式分别为15 cm-0 cm-15 cm和0 cm-15 cm-0 cm)交叉5种定植模式(试验容器内分别为入侵种单株、本土种单株、入侵种6株、本土种6株以及2物种各3株混种)的试验,研究水位波动对入侵植物和本地近缘种生长繁殖性状及种内种间相互作用的影响.结果表明: 水位波动显著降低了南美蟛蜞菊和蟛蜞菊的总生物量、茎生物量、叶生物量、根生物量、茎长、节点数、叶片数及叶面积,对南美蟛蜞菊和蟛蜞菊种内及种间竞争系数的影响均显著.水位波动改变了南美蟛蜞菊的种内和种间竞争关系,说明入侵植物南美蟛蜞菊对水位波动更为敏感,对环境改变表现出更强的适应性.     

水文变异下长江荆南三口河道内生态需水量变化及贡献因素

基于1951—2015年长江荆南三口5站实测原型年径流量序列,采用Mann-Kendall等方法检测其径流序列的突变年份.在此基础上,运用GEV概率密度最大流量法计算荆南三口河道内生态需水量,并从多时空尺度视角分析河道内生态需水量的时空差异及其贡献因素.结果表明: 研究期间,新江口、沙道观、康家岗、管家铺和弥陀寺水文站的第一次径流突变年份分别为1990、1959、1959、1972和1972年,并将第一次突变以前的月均流量序列作为水文变异前的水文序列.在水文变异条件下,长江荆南三口1—12月的各月生态需水量分别为69.63、26.15、55.65、452.65、2166.44、4660.83、10875.66、9966.49、7868.38、4773.60、1655.01和338.49 m³·s^-1.新江口、沙道观、康家岗、管家铺和弥陀寺5个水文站的年均生态需水量分别为901.57、507.00、221.30、1438.03和581.62 m³·s^-1.水文变异后,荆南三口满足河道内生态需水的频率大幅下降,由变异前的55%以上下降至变异后的20%以下,生态需水缺乏现象严重.影响荆南三口河道内生态需水时空变化的因素主要为不同时期水利工程、各行业用水量等人类活动.     

水氮供应对夏棉产量、水氮利用及土壤硝态氮累积的影响

通过田间试验,研究了黄淮地区水氮供应对夏棉生长、产量及水氮利用效率的影响,探索在保证产量的同时提高水氮利用效率、减少农田水氮排放的管理模式.试验设置5个氮素水平(0、60、120、180、240 kg·hm^-2,分别记为N₀、N₁、N₂、N₃、N₄)和3个灌水水平(滴灌,灌水定额30、22.5、15 mm,分别记为I₁、I₂、I₃),使用裂区设计,主区为氮用量,裂区为灌水水平,共15个处理,3次重复.结果表明: 氮素和水分施用对夏棉生长和产量都有明显促进作用,但氮素影响更显著,是该地区调控夏棉生长和籽棉产量的主要因素.随着施氮量和灌水量的增加,花铃期生殖器官积累量、地上部干物质积累量和籽棉产量在开始阶段都逐步增加,当施氮量超过180 kg·hm^-2时,进一步增施氮肥会导致生殖器官积累量、地上部干物质积累量和籽棉产量减小.籽棉产量在N₃I₁处理达到最大,为4016 kg·hm^-2.增加施氮量能显著提高地上部总吸氮量和茎叶含氮量,但会降低氮肥偏生产力.灌溉水利用效率和田间水分利用效率分别在N₃I₃和N₃I₁处理最大,分别为5.40和1.24 kg·m^-3.随着施氮量的增加,土壤硝态氮含量明显增加,且硝态氮累积区域有下移趋势.综合考虑对地上部干物质积累、产量、水氮吸收利用及土壤硝态氮累积等的影响,N₃I₁处理可作为试验区夏季棉花生产的最优水氮管理方案.