西藏雅鲁藏布大峡谷国家级自然保护区生态评价

以雅鲁藏布大峡谷国家级自然保护区作为研究对象,从生物多样性保护、景观生态状况改善、教育科研价值、生态旅游价值4个方面,选取多样性、稀有性、代表性、自然性、适宜性、脆弱性、人类威胁7项I级评价指标,部分I级评价指标又分别构成Ⅱ级和Ⅲ级评价指标层,建立保护区生态评价层次结构模型,运用层次分析法对生态评价因子进行等级化处理,确定各评价指标的权重,计算各生态评价因子的评价指数.结果表明:准则层中生物多样性保护的制约性最强,景观生态状况改善次之,生态旅游价值最弱.从指标层各指标对目标层的贡献来看,多样性最大,稀有性、自然性、代表性次之,适宜性、人类威胁再次之,脆弱性最小.最后,得出雅鲁藏布大峡谷国家级自然保护区森林生态系统的综合评价指数(CEI)为0.945 l,说明该保护区森林生态系统的生态质量很好,具有极高的保护价值.     

Expert opinion based modelling of the risk of human infection with H5N1 through the consumption of poultry meat in Germany

According to current scientific opinion the risk of human infection with H5N1 via preparation and consumption of poultry meat is negligible.This opinion has not yet been challenged by a formal risk assessment, due to the lack of empirical data. We have developed a scenario pathway model as a conceptual framework for a formal assessment of the H5N1 risk to humans through consumption of poultry meat and parameterise the model using information derived from expert opinions. The aim of this study was to investigate whether the notion of an overall negligible risk via the oral infection route is consistent with ad hoc data and expert opinions on the relevant parameters of the model.The model is mainly based on expert opinion. A stochastic Monte-Carlo simulation was conducted which took into consideration (amongst others) the exposure and infection of chicken (broiler and layer), turkeys, ducks and geese, the probabilities of detection prior to slaughter, virus survival and contamination during slaughter, as well as during the cutting and preparation of meat in commercial plants and in private households, respectively. The empirical consumption pattern for poultry meat in Germany was taken into account in the simulation.The results show that the risk for the individual consumer is practically zero whereas up to 23 cases per year in Germany might occur if the upper (more pessimistic) ranges of the expert opinions apply.The finding of a low but non-negligible risk to the population is discussed in relation to the epidemiological information available from recent outbreaks in South East Asia.     

Isolation and characterization of a Mn(II)-oxidizing Bacillus strain from the demosponge Suberites domuncula

In this study we demonstrate that the demosponge Suberites domuncula harbors a Mn(II)-oxidizing bacterium, a Bacillus strain, termed BAC-SubDo-03. Our studies showed that Mn(II) stimulates bacterial growth and induces sporulation. Moreover, we show that these bacteria immobilize manganese on their cell surface. Comparison of the 16S rDNA sequence allowed the grouping of BAC-SubDo-03 to the Mn-precipitating bacteria. Analysis of the spore cell wall revealed that it contains an Mn(II)-oxidizing enzyme. Co-incubation studies of BAC-SubDo-03 with 100 μM MnCl(2) and >1 μM of CuCl(2) showed an increase in their Mn(II)-oxidizing capacity. In order to prove that a multicopper oxidase-like enzyme(s) (MCO) exists in the cell wall of the S. domuncula-associated BAC-SubDo-03 Bacillus strain, the gene encoding this enzyme was cloned (mnxG-SubDo-03). Sequence alignment of the deduced MCO protein (MnxG-SubDo-03) revealed that the sponge bacterium clusters together with known Mn(II)-oxidizing bacteria. The expression of the mnxG-SubDo-03 gene is under strong control of extracellular Mn(II). Based on these findings, we assume that BAC-SubDo-03 might serve as a Mn reserve in the sponge providing the animal with the capacity to detoxify Mn in the environment. Applying the in vitro primmorph cell culture system we could demonstrate that sponge cells, that were co-incubated with BAC-SubDo-03 in the presence of Mn(II), show an increased proliferation potential.     

How to consider history in landscape ecology: patterns,processes, and pathways

Landscape Ecology - Landscape ecology early on developed the awareness that central objects of investigation are not stable over time and therefore the historical dimension must be included, or at...     

斜插式嫁接机砧木子叶气吸夹结构及作业参数优化试验

针对目前插接式瓜类自动嫁接机作业过程中,砧木夹持采用的压苗机构,普遍存在机构复杂、机构动作耗时影响作业生产率等问题,开发了一种砧木子叶气吸夹。该文以瓜类嫁接生产中常用的黑籽南瓜砧木标准苗和黄瓜接穗标准苗为作业对象,通过砧木子叶展平特性测定和气吸夹结构与作业参数优化试验研究,确定了气吸夹的优化结构与作业参数,并在2JC-600B型斜插嫁接机上进行了带压苗机构砧木夹与砧木子叶气吸夹性能对比试验。结果表明：在气源工作压力0.25 MPa、吸孔直径4 mm、吸孔距生长点距离30 mm时,气吸夹展平子叶成功率可达100%;与压苗机构砧木夹相比,采用气吸夹可减轻操作者熟练程度对嫁接机作业性能的影响,提高子叶展平成功率和嫁接成功率,对于熟练操作者,在满足嫁接作业质量要求的情况下可减少砧木上苗作业时间1 s,使嫁接生产率由514株/h增至600株/h,提高16.7%。该研究结果可为斜插式嫁接机的开发设计提供参考。     

Hybrid breeding for biomass yield in winter triticale: II. Combining ability and hybrid prediction

Accurate hybrid prediction and knowledge about the relative contribution of general (GCA) and specific combining ability (SCA) are of utmost importance for efficient hybrid breeding. We therefore evaluated 91 triticale single-cross hybrids in field trials at seven environments for plant height, heading time, fresh biomass, dry matter content and dry biomass. Fresh and dry biomass showed the highest proportion (23%) of variance due to SCA. Prediction accuracies based on GCA were slightly higher than based on mid-parent values. Utilizing parental kinship information yielded the highest prediction accuracies when both parental lines have been tested in other hybrid combinations, but still moderate-to-low prediction accuracies for two untested parents. Thus, hybrid prediction for biomass traits in triticale is currently promising based on mid-parent values as emphasized by our simulation study, but can be expected to shift to GCA-based prediction with an increasing importance of GCA due to selection in hybrid breeding. Moreover, the performance of potential hybrids between newly developed lines can be predicted with moderate accuracy using genomic relationship information.     

The glucocorticoid receptor: rapid exchange with regulatory sites in living cells

Steroid receptors bind to site-specific response elements in chromatin and modulate gene expression in a hormone-dependent fashion. With the use of a tandem array of mouse mammary tumor virus reporter elements and a form of glucocorticoid receptor labeled with green fluorescent protein, targeting of the receptor to response elements in live mouse cells was observed. Photobleaching experiments provide direct evidence that the hormone-occupied receptor undergoes rapid exchange between chromatin and the nucleoplasmic compartment. Thus, the interaction of regulatory proteins with target sites in chromatin is a more dynamic process than previously believed.     

Control of structure and growth of polymorphic crystalline thin films of amphiphilic molecules on liquid surfaces

The spontaneous formation and coexistence of crystalline polymorphic trilayer domains in amphiphilic films at air-liquid interfaces is demonstrated by grazing incidence synchrotron x-ray diffraction. These polymorphic crystallites may serve as models for the early stages of crystal nucleation and growth, helping to elucidate the manner in which additives influence the progress of crystal nucleation, growth, and polymorphism and suggesting ways of selectively generating and controlling multilayers on liquid surfaces. Auxiliary molecules have been designed to selectively inhibit development of the polymorphs, leading primarily to a single phase monolayer.