Functional heterogeneity in resources within landscapes and herbivore population dynamics

Large mammalian herbivores are notorious for their propensity towards population irruptions and crashes, yet many herbivore populations remain relatively stable. I explore how resource heterogeneity within landscapes dampens population instability, using a metaphysiological modelling approach considering patch state distributions. Resource heterogeneity is functionally stabilizing through spreading consumption away from preferred resources before these become critically depleted. Lower-quality resources act as a buffer against starvation during critical periods of the seasonal cycle. Enriching resource quality is destabilizing, even if patch diversity is maintained, because food quantity then becomes the limitation. The potential consequences of landscape fragmentation are explored using the Serengeti ecosystem, characterised by broadscale resource gradients, as a hypothetical example. Further insights provided by the model are illustrated with specific examples concerning the effects of patch scales and waterpoint distribution. A metaphysiological modelling approach enables the basic consequences of landscape heterogeneity to be distinguished from further effects that may arise from specific patch scales and configurations, without the distracting detail of spatially explicit models.     

Model establishment and biological behaviour observation of mouse blastocyst co-cultured with hepatocarcinoma cell lines with differently invasive and metastatic potential in vitro

AIM: To explore interaction and biological behaviour changes of two kinds of cells-blastocysts and hepatocarcinoma cells in the same microenvironment. METHODS:The models of mouse blastocysts co-cultured with human hepatocarcinoma cell lines were established, then biological behaviours and mutual effects of the two kinds of cells in co-culture system were observed. RESULTS: Compared with control group, hepatocarcinoma cells with differently invasive and metastatic potential significantly enhanced the rates of blastocyst hatchment , attachment and outgrowth(P＜0.05). There was no significant difference in those among hepatocarcinoma cells co-cultured groups (P＞0.05). The blastocyst hatched and attached to hepatocarcinoma cells with differently invasive and metastatic potential. Then, differential trophoblasts invaded hepatocarcinoma cells. The clear-cut interfaces were gradually formed between both sides. Hepatocarcinoma cells on interface showed changes of growth direction and cell shapes and did not invade blastocysts. CONCLUSIONS: Hepatocarcinoma cells promoted blastocyst development. Blastocysts implanted and invaded hepatocarcinoma cells with differently invasive and metastatic potential in vitro, which indicate that blastocyst implantation in vitro does not relate with the kinds and differential level of interactional cells and the low selectivity maybe relate with high adaptability of early life.     

Nitric oxide-mediated the cardioprotection of tumor necrosis factor-alpha on cultured neonatal rat cardiomyocytes during hypoxia/reoxygenation

AIM: To investigate the role of nitric oxide synthase (NOS), soluble guanylyl cyclase (sGC) and protein kinase C (PKC) signaling in tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α)-induced cardioprotection against hypoxia/reoxygenation (H/R) injury. METHODS: Neonatal rat ventricular myocytes were pretreated with TNF-α or sodium nitroprusside (SNP) or L-arginine (L-Arg), respectively, for 12 h and then subjected to continuous hypoxia for 12 h, followed by reoxygenation for 6 h. The manganese superoxide dismutase (Mn-SOD) activity of the cells was measured after H/R. Myocyte injury was determined by the release of lactic dehydrogenase (LDH). RESULTS: TNF-α (10⁵ U/L) significantly increased the Mn-SOD activity and decreased release of LDH from ventricular myocytes. The cardioprotection against H/R injury was induced by the pretreatment with SNP (5 μmol/L) or L-Arg (5 mmol/L), which was blocked by ODQ (10 μmol/L), the specific sGC inhibitor, and Chel (5 μmol/L), the specific PKC inhibitor. Pretreatment with L-NAME (100 μmol/L), ODQ, Chel, antoxidant 2-MPG (400 μmol/L) or tyrosine kinase inhibitor genistein (50 μmol/L) attenuated the increased Mn-SOD activity and reduced LDH level induced by TNF-α. CONCLUSION: The results suggest that NO may play a role in TNF-α-induced cardioprotection, which is mediated by sGC and PKC.     

Effects of β-ME and RA on expression of GFAP in mesenchymal cells derived from mouse fetal liver

AIM: To investigate the effects of β-mercaptoethanol (β-ME) and all-trans rentinal acid (RA) on glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) expression in mesenchymal cells derived from mouse fetal liver in vitro. METHODS: Cells suspension from 14.5-days-old mouse fetal liver were cultured in DMEM/HEPES/F12 supplemented with 20％ FCS and mesenchymal cells were acquired after discarding nonadherent cells. The 5th passage cells were induced by β-ME and RA. The characteristics of treated cells were assayed by immunocytochemistry staining at 5 hours and 5 days after induction. β-actin as an internal control, GFAP gene expression of mesenchyal cells was detected with semi-quantitative RT-PCR. RESULTS: After being inducted by β-ME and RA, 80％ approximately of the cells exhibited typical neural morphology and about 85％ expressed GFAP phenotype. Semi-quantitative RT-PCR showed that mRNA expression of GFAP increased in treated cells versus untreated cells (P<0.01). CONCLUSION: GFAP expression in mesenchymal cells derived from mouse fetal liver in vitro increases after being treated with β-ME and RA.     

Validation of the specificity and sensitivity of species-specific primers that provide a reliable molecular diagnostic for <Emphasis Type="Italic">Xiphinema diversicaudatum</Emphasis>, <Emphasis Type="Italic">X. index</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">X. vuittenezi</Emphasis>

Xiphinema diversicaudatum and X. index are vector nematode species of economic importance in viticulture regions as they can transmit Arabis Mosaic, Grapevine Fanleaf and Strawberry Latent Ringspot viruses to grapevine. Wang et al. (2003) designed species-specific diagnostic primers from ribosomal genes for both these vector species as well as a vector and a non-vector species X. italiae and X. vuittenezi, respectively. Our study aimed to confirm the specificity and determine the sensitivity and reliability of the primers for the two vector species, X. diversicaudatumand X. indexwhen challenged with closely related longidorid species and general nematode communities typical of vineyard soil. With one exception, no PCR product was observed when the primers were tested against six Longidorus, one Paralongidorus and one Xiphinema non-target species. Occasionally (three out of eight replicate PCR reactions) a weak PCR product was noted when primers for X. index were tested with L. elongatus. Furthermore, when challenged with a range of non-target nematode species comprising the nematode community typical of viticulture soil, no PCR product was amplified. An experimental dilution series of extracted DNA rigorously demonstrated that DNA from an equivalent single specimen of the target virus-vector species, X. diversicaudatum and/or X. index, could be detected amongst 1000 equivalent non-targetX. vuittenezi. Also, extracted DNA from an equivalent single target specimen was detected when added to DNA extracted from the overall soil nematode community. The primers were assessed further by using serial mixtures of actual nematodes rather than extracted DNA to simulate field soil. Using this method, a single target nematode could be detected amongst 200 non-target specimens. Given their specificity, sensitivity and reliability, it appears that these diagnostic primers will be of great benefit to phytosanitary/quarantine services related to the viticulture industry.     

丝状霉形体丝状亚种SC型脂蛋白LppQ N末端基因克隆与序列分析

脂蛋白LPPQ是丝状霉形体丝状亚种SC型(MmmSC)非洲株、欧洲株和疫苗株所特有的。LPPQ N末端域具有良好的免疫原性，在牛体内可诱导产生强大、特异、早期、持续的免疫反应。本研究根据已发表的LPPQ基因序列设计引物，用Pyrobest^TM高保真DNA聚合酶从MmmSC HVRI X株中扩增出了LPPQ N末端基因序列，并进行了克隆与序列测定。核苷酸序列比较结果显示，HVRI X株的LPPQ N末端基因序列与国外发表的序列同源性为99．7％，由其推导的氨基酸序列同源性为99，1％，为脂蛋白LPPQ N末端基因体外表达奠定了基础。     

仔猪小肠肌间神经丛NDP阳性神经元形态的定量研究

采用小肠铺片NADPH黄递酶组化染色和细胞影像分析的方法对0、5、28日龄的仔猪小肠肌间神经丛神经元群体的形态参数进行定量测定。结果表明:随日龄增长,小肠肌间神经元胞体面积增大,出生后的头几天尤为明显。NDP阳性肌间神经元胞核面积平均值与胞体面积平均值呈正相关。胞体面积平均值在0日龄为234.98±23.48μm2,5日龄为346.30±33.07μm2,28日龄为364.17μm2;胞核面积平均值在0日龄为69.85±6.27μm2,5日龄为88.25±2.39μm2,28日龄为84.15μm2。核质比随日龄呈下降趋势,核质比在0日龄为0.298±0.003,5日龄为0.257±0.027,28日龄为0.231。上述测量值不仅表现出日龄差异,而且在同一日龄小肠的前后段亦有所不同。NDP阳性神经元胞体和胞核大小都以十二指肠最大,空肠前段次之,回肠最小。0日龄仔猪神经元胞体面积分布在100～300μm2之间的占70.79%,5日龄和28日龄胞体面积分布在100～400μm2之间的分别占64.81%和63.22%。肌间神经丛NDP阳性神经元主要为Dogiel 型神经元。     

液相色谱-电喷雾质谱联用检测蜂蜜中四种硝基呋喃类代谢物

介绍了高效液相色谱电喷雾多级质谱(LC/MSn) 同时快速、准确测定蜂蜜中呋喃西林、呋喃唑酮、呋喃它酮和呋喃妥英4种硝基呋喃类抗生素代谢物。硝基呋喃类代谢物在酸性条件下经过邻硝基苯甲醛衍生化, 液相萃取后经色谱分离, 利用二级质谱进行定性和定量。加标样品平均回收率达到64% ~79%, 定量下限(LOQ) 为0 1~1μg·kg-1, 检测限(LOD) 达到0 05~0 5μg·kg-1。该方法测定结果满足欧盟(EU)对进口动物源性食品中硝基呋喃类抗生素的残留要求。     

抗附红细胞体有效药物的筛选

以PCR检测附红细胞体呈现阳性，且镜检染虫率达909／5以上的猪血样为研究对象，选择几种附红细胞体敏感的药物(血虫净，附红净，庆大霉素，博士914，土霉素，三毒清，红弓链914，附红120，红弓链克，乌金土霉素)和对支原体敏感的恩诺沙星，对立克次氏体敏感的红霉素，采用两种方法进行体外药效试验。附红净对附红细胞体的作用效果最明显，而庆大霉素对附红细胞体基本无效，其他药物对附红细胞体也有一定杀灭效果。     

基于食物安全视角的我国畜产食品进口依赖性风险评价

新时期下,保障我国畜产食品供给安全是保障我国食物安全的重要内容之一,而“适度进口”是保障我国畜产食品供给安全的重要途径之一。如何才算“适度进口”,需对畜产食品进口的相关风险进行分析方可评判。运用进口依赖性评价模型对我国猪肉、鸡肉、羊肉、牛肉、鲜牛奶的进口依赖性风险进行分析发现,上述5种畜产食品均存在进口依赖性风险。其中,猪肉的风险来自美国、德国、丹麦、西班牙和加拿大;鸡肉的风险来自美国、巴西、阿根廷和波兰;羊肉的风险来自澳大利亚、新西兰和乌拉圭;牛肉的风险来自乌拉圭、澳大利亚、新西兰、阿根廷和加拿大;鲜牛奶的风险来自德国、法国、新西兰和澳大利亚。为降低我国畜产食品进口依赖性风险,短期内应采取畜产食品进口市场多元化策略以及用进口饲草料替代进口畜产食品的进口方式;长期应在保障“口粮安全”的前提下,调整农业结构,大力发展草地农业,减少对国际市场的依赖性。