基于MODIS-EVI的西南地区植被覆盖时空变化及驱动因素研究

基于MODIS-EVI和气象数据,利用最大值合成法、像元二分模型、趋势分析和相关分析等方法,探讨了西南地区2001-2015年植被覆盖时空变化特征及其对气候因子的响应,并分析了温度和降水对植被覆盖时空变化的驱动作用。结果表明：（1）2001-2015年,西南地区植被EVI以0.1%/a的变化率呈波动增加趋势,但空间异质性显著,呈现出从东南向西北逐渐递减的趋势;（2）西南地区以高和极高植被覆盖度为主,极低植被覆盖度区域约占研究区总面积的8.6%,植被覆盖度增加的区域集中分布在广西省北海-钦州、贵州省邵通-毕节-遵义、四川省广元-广安以及西藏那曲等地区,植被覆盖度呈减少趋势区域主要集中在西藏拉萨-阿里地区和四川成都-阿坝州-甘孜州等地区;（3）植被EVI与同期温度和降水相关性较好,均以正相关为主。在0.05显著水平下,受降水驱动的区域呈斑块状分布在西藏自治区和青海省交界处,以及云南和广西部分地区,约占研究区总面积的3.4%;受温度驱动的区域零星分布在各省、自治区,约占研究区总面积的1.6%;受温度和降水共同驱动的区域约占研究区总面积的7.2%,主要分布在西藏自治区的阿里地区北部,青海省的三江源地区以及四川和贵州两省交界处的小部分地区;西南地区大部分区域的植被EVI指数变化表现为非气候因素驱动。     

ECHOLOCATION IN DOLPHINS WITH A DOLPHIN-BAT COMPARISON

ABSTRACT

Dolphins possess a highly sophisticated auditory system and a keen capability for echolocation. Signals are emitted in the form of high intensity, short duration, broadband exponentially decaying pulses. The frequency spectra of echolocation signals used by many dolphins are dependent on the output intensity of the signals and not on any fine tuning by the animals. When the output intensity is low, the center frequency of the click tends to be low. As the output intensity increases, the center frequency also tends to increase. The pulses propagate from the dolphin's melon in a relatively narrow beam, and echoes are received via the lower jaw, with a slightly wider beam. Echo- locating dolphins can detect targets at ranges of approximately 100 plus meters, depending on the size of the targets. Target discrimination experiments have shown that dolphins can discriminate the shape, size, material composition and internal structure of targets from the echoes. The broadband short duration properties of the signal allow the echoes to have high temporal resolution, so that within the structure of the echoes a considerable amount of information on the properties of the target can be conveyed. A brief comparison between the bat and dolphin sonar system will also be made. Bats typically emit much longer signals and a wider variety of different types of signals than dolphins. Signals used by some bats are suited to detecting Doppler shift, whereas the dolphin signal is designed to be tolerant of Doppler effects.     

香港鹅耳枥(桦木科)的群落特征

为保护香港特有植物香港鹅耳枥,基于典型样地调查,对香港鹅耳枥所在群落进行了研究。结果表明,在225 m2的样地内,有维管植物37科66属68种。建群种为香港鹅耳枥,个体高度最高3 m,所在群落植株平均高度0.92 m,分层不明显。位于中国香港岛的香港鹅耳枥处于衰退状态,小个体极少。因此,建议采取就地保护和迁地保护措施,以重建种群。     

Isothermal micro calorimetry - a new method for MIC determinations: results for 12 antibiotics and reference strains of E. coli and S. aureus

Background  

Antimicrobial susceptibility testing of microorganisms is performed by either disc diffusion or broth dilution tests. In clinical use, the tests are often still performed manually although automated systems exist. Most systems, however, are based on turbidometric methods which have well-known drawbacks.     

Soluble guanylate cyclase-α1 is required for the cardioprotective effects of inhaled nitric oxide

Reperfusion injury limits the benefits of revascularization in the treatment of myocardial infarction (MI). Breathing nitric oxide (NO) reduces cardiac ischemia-reperfusion injury in animal models; however, the signaling pathways by which inhaled NO confers cardioprotection remain uncertain. The objective of this study was to learn whether inhaled NO reduces cardiac ischemia-reperfusion injury by activating the cGMP-generating enzyme, soluble guanylate cyclase (sGC), and to investigate whether bone marrow (BM)-derived cells participate in the sGC-mediated cardioprotective effects of inhaled NO. Wild-type (WT) mice and mice deficient in the sGC α(1)-subunit (sGCα(1)(-/-) mice) were subjected to cardiac ischemia for 1 h, followed by 24 h of reperfusion. During ischemia and for the first 10 min of reperfusion, mice were ventilated with oxygen or with oxygen supplemented with NO (80 parts per million). The ratio of MI size to area at risk (MI/AAR) did not differ in WT and sGCα(1)(-/-) mice that did not breathe NO. Breathing NO decreased MI/AAR in WT mice (41%, P = 0.002) but not in sGCα(1)(-/-) mice (7%, P = not significant). BM transplantation was performed to restore WT BM-derived cells to sGCα(1)(-/-) mice. Breathing NO decreased MI/AAR in sGCα(1)(-/-) mice carrying WT BM (39%, P = 0.031). In conclusion, these results demonstrate that a global deficiency of sGCα(1) does not alter the degree of cardiac ischemia-reperfusion injury in mice. The cardioprotective effects of inhaled NO require the presence of sGCα(1). Moreover, our studies suggest that BM-derived cells are key mediators of the ability of NO to reduce cardiac ischemia-reperfusion injury.     

Cytogenetic monitoring of chemical workers in production of the drug 1-propoxy-2-acetamino-4-nitrobenzol with reference to their smoking habits

The induction of chromosome aberrations (CAs) and sister-chromatid exchanges (SCEs) was examined in cultured lymphocytes from 23 individuals employed in the production of the drug 1-propoxy-2-acetamino-4-nitrobenzol. Lymphocytes of workers were cultured before and 13 weeks after starting professional activity. The latter showed a significant increase in both CAs and SCEs. Smokers (11 individuals) and non-smokers (12 individuals) were indistinguishable with respect to the frequencies of CAs or SCEs before starting professional activity, 13 weeks later smokers exhibited significantly more SCEs than non-smokers. This strongly suggests a comutagenic interaction of cigarette smoke and exposure to chemicals during drug production. On the basis of the technology applied the compound inducing CAs and SCEs in lymphocytes of smoking workers seems to be 2-acetamino-4-nitrophenol.     

Plant as a plenteous reserve of lectin

Lectins are clusters of glycoproteins of nonimmune foundation that combine specifically and reversibly to carbohydrates, mainly the sugar moiety of glycoconjugates, resulting in cell agglutination and precipitation of glycoconjugates. They are universally distributed in nature, being established in plants, fungi, viruses, bacteria, crustacea, insects, and animals, but leguminacae plants are rich source of lectins. The present review reveals the structure, biological properties, and application of plant lectins.     

Deficiency of the BMP Type I receptor ALK3 partly protects mice from anemia of inflammation

Background

Inflammatory stimuli induce the hepatic iron regulatory hormone hepcidin, which contributes to anaemia of inflammation (AI). Hepcidin expression is regulated by the bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) and the interleukin-6 (IL-6) signalling pathways. Prior results indicate that the BMP type I receptor ALK3 is mainly involved in the acute inflammatory hepcidin induction four and 72 h after IL-6 administration. In this study, the role of ALK3 in a chronic model of inflammation was investigated. The intact, heat-killed bacterium Brucella abortus (BA) was used to analyse its effect on the development of inflammation and hypoferremia in mice with hepatocyte-specific Alk3-deficiency (Alk3^fl/fl; Alb-Cre) compared to control (Alk3^fl/fl) mice.

Results

An iron restricted diet prevented development of the iron overload phenotype in mice with hepatocyte-specific Alk3 deficiency. Regular diet leads to iron overload and increased haemoglobin levels in these mice, which protects from the development of AI per se. Fourteen days after BA injection Alk3^fl/fl; Alb-Cre mice presented milder anaemia (Hb 16.7 g/dl to 11.6 g/dl) compared to Alk3^fl/fl control mice (Hb 14.9 g/dl to 8.6 g/dl). BA injection led to an intact inflammatory response in all groups of mice. In Alk3^fl/fl; Alb-Cre mice, SMAD1/5/8 phosphorylation was reduced after BA as well as after infection with Staphylococcus aureus. The reduction of the SMAD1/5/8 signalling pathway due to hepatocyte-specific Alk3 deficiency partly suppressed the induction of STAT3 signalling.

Conclusion

The results reveal in vivo, that 1) hepatocyte-specific Alk3 deficiency partly protects from AI, 2) the development of hypoferremia is partly dependent on ALK3, and 3) the ALK3/BMP/hepcidin axis may serve as a possible therapeutic target to attenuate AI.