珍稀濒危植物峨眉含笑种实表型性状的空间变异特征

通过分析珍稀濒危植物峨眉含笑（Michelia wilsonii）种子与果实的表型性状特征,研究其变异规律和空间自相关性,为峨眉含笑天然种群的保护利用工作提供依据。以雅安周公山的峨眉含笑为研究对象,测定12项种实表型性状指标,采用变异系数和半方差函数,探究峨眉含笑种实的空间变异特征。结果显示（：1）峨眉含笑种实表型性状的平均变异系数为27.59%,种实的形态变异程度最小,种子性状的变异程度比果实性状更为丰富。（2）聚合果下部的种子败育率与蓇葖败育率最高,分别为18.32%和38.22%;中部的败育率最低,分别为15.05%和23.45%。（3）半方差函数模型以指数和球状模型为主,呈聚集分布。除果实长、种子纵径和种子败育率外,其余9项指标具有中高等强度的空间自相关性。（4）9项指标的各向异性比接近于1,空间异质性表现为各向同性。因此,峨眉含笑种实表型性状在中等尺度的空间范围内具有丰富的变异性。     

CDH11 promotes liver fibrosis via activation of hepatic stellate cells

Liver fibrosis, an important health condition associated with chronic liver injury that provides a permissive environment for cancer development, is characterized by the persistent deposition of extracellular matrix components that are mainly derived from activated hepatic stellate cells (HSCs). CDH11 belongs to a group of transmembrane proteins that are principally located in adherens junctions. CDH11 mediates homophilic cell-to-cell adhesion, which may promote the development of cirrhosis. The goal of this study was to determine whether CDH11 regulates liver fibrosis and to examine its mechanism by focusing on HSC activation. Here we demonstrate that CDH11 expression is elevated in human and mouse fibrotic liver tissues and that CDH11 mediates the profibrotic response in activated HSCs. Our data indicate that CDH11 regulates the TGFβ-induced activation of HSCs. Moreover, cells from CDH11 deficient mice displayed decreased HSC activation in vitro, and CDH11 deficient mice developed liver fibrogenesis in response to chronic damage induced by CCl₄ administration. In addition, CDH11 expression was positively correlated with liver fibrosis in patients with cirrhosis, and could therefore be a prognostic factor in patients with liver fibrosis. Collectively, our findings demonstrate that CDH11 promotes liver fibrosis by activating HSCs and may represent a potential target for anti-fibrotic therapies.     

塔克拉玛干沙漠腹地柽柳年轮宽度对地下水埋深的响应

【目的】柽柳作为干旱荒漠生态系统的典型物种,研究其年轮宽度对地下水响应的保护有重要价值。【方法】研究基于沙漠腹地达理雅博依绿洲地下水埋深资料,利用年轮测定方法分析不同地下水埋深状况下柽柳年轮宽度的变化,探讨其与地下水埋深变化的关系。【结果】样地一地下水埋深随时间逐年增加,埋深范围是1.2～2.6 m,柽柳的年轮宽度在2001-2020年呈显著增加趋势,变化范围为0.98～5.80 mm,年轮宽度年际间差异显著;样地二地下水埋深随时间增长呈现先增加后减小的趋势,埋深范围是2.7～4.5 m,柽柳年轮宽度在1977-2020年整体呈正弦函数变化,范围为1.46～4.41 mm,年轮宽度年际间差异性不显著;样地一柽柳标准年表振幅范围是0.502～1.641,大于样地二柽柳标准年表振幅范围为0.577～1.331。【结论】样地一地下水埋深向着柽柳生长适宜的范围增加时,有利于柽柳的生长,表现为年轮宽度增加,样地二的柽柳年轮宽度变化和地下水埋深之间无显著相关性。     

黄河流域生态环境质量时空格局与演变趋势

黄河流域是我国重要的生态功能区,在我国经济社会发展和生态安全方面的作用举足轻重。如何及时、准确的获取黄河流域生态环境质量的时空格局与演变趋势,对黄河流域生态环境保护和建设具有重要意义。利用Google Earth Engine（GEE）平台,筛选目标年份及其前后各1年的夏季（6-9月）Landsat遥感影像,去除有云像元,掩膜水体信息,采取中值合成提取绿度、湿度、热度和干度4个生态指标,通过主成分分析快速构建遥感生态指数（RSEI）。结果表明：（1）绿度（NDVI）、湿度（Wet）、热度（LST）和干度（NDSI）4个指标在第1主成分（PC1）上的平均贡献率为89.60%,依据PC1构建遥感生态指数（RSEI）在黄河流域是可行的。（2）1990-2019年,黄河流域RSEI总体呈现出\"快速变好→缓慢转好\"2个阶段,1990-2000年增长趋势平均为0.005/a,增长率为11.69%,生态环境质量等级由差转为较差（10.18万km²）、较差转为中等（5.69万km²）、中等转为良（7.08万km²）贡献较大;2000-2019年增长趋势平均为0.001/a,增长率仅为3.86%,生态环境质量等级由较差转为差（6.10万km²）、良转为中等（4.09万km²）贡献较大。（3）1990-2019年,黄河流域生态环境质量提升的面积占黄河流域总面积的76.38%,其中显著提升的面积占26.14%;生态环境质量降低的面积占黄河流域总面积23.62%,其中显著降低的面积仅占1.46%。30年来黄河流域生态环境质量整体向好,实施生态工程的黄河上中游地区生态环境质量提升最快,而一些国家重点经济开发区生态环境质量有所恶化,使用GEE平台可以及时、准确的获取黄河流域生态环境质量的时空格局与演变趋势。     

Liver Fat Content,Evaluated through Semi-Quantitative Ultrasound Measurement,Is Associated with Impaired Glucose Profiles: A Community-Based Study in Chinese

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is closely associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus. We investigated whether the deposition of fat in the liver is associated with glycemic abnormalities and evaluated the contribution of the liver fat content (LFC) to the impaired glucose regulation. We conducted a community-based study among 2836 residents (1018 males and 1818 females) without prior known diabetes mellitus from the Changfeng Study who were at least 45 years old. A standard interview, anthropometrics and laboratory parameters were performed for each participant. The standardised ultrasound hepatic-renal echo-intensity and hepatic echo-intensity attenuation rate were used to assess the LFC. The cohort was stratified according to the quintiles for LFC. Two-hour glucose and fasting blood glucose increased across the LFC quintiles after adjustment for age and gender. LFC increased continuously among glucose categories after adjustment for age and gender (NGT: 7.7±0.3%, IFG: 10.0±0.8%, IGT: 11.8±0.5%, IFG+IGT: 11.7±0.9%, new- DM: 12.4±0.6%, P<0.001). By logistic regression analysis, 1% LFC increment independently predicted prediabetes and diabetes (OR 1.032, 1.019–1.045, P<0.001; 1.021, 1.005–1.037, P = 0.012, respectively) after adjustment for all potential confounders. Furthermore, participants with LFC higher than 10% had higher odds ratios of impaired glucose regulation as compared with those with LFC below 10% in fully adjusted logistic models. These results suggest that the LFC is strongly associated with impaired glucose regulation in the Chinese population, and that an even slightly elevated LFC is associated with increased glucose dysregulation.     

Overexpression of leucine-rich repeat-containing G protein-coupled receptor 5 predicts poor prognosis in hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common malignancies and the fifth leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Novel prognostic biomarkers are urgently needed for patients with HCC. Leucine-rich repeat-containing G-protein coupled receptor 5 (LGR5) overexpression may promote tumor metastasis in HCC. However, few studies investigate the prognosis predictive role of LGR5 in patients with HCC. Herein, we aimed to examine the expression level of LGR5 in tumors and its correlation with clinical characteristics and survivals of patients with HCC. LGR5 expression in tumor specimens and adjacent tissue resected from 66 patients were detected by immunohistochemistry. The results showed that the expression of LGR5 was markedly higher in HCC than in normal adjacent tissues (P?=?.006). High expression of LGR5 was significantly correlated with later disease stage (P?=?.009). In addition, high LGR5 expression was remarkably correlated with short overall survival than those with low LGR5 expression (P?<?.05). The median overall survival of patients with high LGR5 expression was 12?months, whereas that of patients with low LGR5 expression was still not reached (longer than 70?months). Notably, in our limited cases, we did not detect any difference in tumor size, lymphatic invasion, or metastasis in patients with high or low expression of LGR5. In conclusion, high protein level of LGR5 was associated with poor prognosis of these patients. LGR5 appears to be a valuable prognostic predictor clinically and a potential target in HCC therapy.