Molecular cloning and functional analysis of duck Toll-like receptor 5

Toll-like receptor 5 (TLR5) is responsible for the recognition of bacterial flagellin in vertebrates. In this study, we cloned the single-exon TLR5 gene of the Maya breed of Common Shelduck (Tadorna tadorna). The TLR5 open reading frame is 2580 bp in length and encodes an 859-amino acid protein. The putative amino acid sequence of duck TLR5 consisted of a signal peptide sequence, 11 leucine-rich repeat domains, a leucine-rich repeat C-terminal domain, a transmembrane domain, and an intracellular Toll-interleukin-1 receptor domain. The duck TLR5 gene was highly expressed in the lung, bone marrow, spleen, and liver; moderately expressed in kidney, small intestine, large intestine, and brain. A plasmid expressing duck TLR5 was constructed and transfected into HEK293T cells, and expression was confirmed by indirect immunofluorescence assay. HEK293T cells transfected with duck TLR5- and NF-κB-luciferase-containing plasmids significantly responded to flagellin from Salmonella typhimurium, indicating that it is a functional TLR5 homolog.     

Hydraulic Retention Time Influence on Improving Flocculation in the Activated Sludge Processes Through Polyelectrolytes

Hydraulic retention time (HRT) influence improving sludge flocculation with adding the polyelectrolytes (non-ionic, anionic, and cationic) was studied on an activated sludge (AS) system fed with synthetic domestic wastewater (SDW), dairy industry wastewater (DIW), and caramel industry wastewater (CIW). The sludge volumetric index, food/microorganism ratio (F/M), and mixed liquor volatile suspended solids at different HRTs (6, 8 and 10 h) were monitored on an experimental model. Results showed that both SDW and IW had the best sludge flocculation conditions at 8 h and 100 mL of non-ionic polyelectrolyte (0.2 mg L^?1). In addition, this phenomenon reached the organic matter removal efficiencies of 95.9, 95.7, and 94.2% for SDW, DIW, and CIW, respectively. Therefore, optimum HRT increased the organic matter removal efficiencies by 10%, sludge concentration by 37% (22–55%), and F/M ratio by 70%. Moreover, the polyelectrolytes used in AS improved the sludge flocculation by 2.9 times.     

平原沙土区不同林分类型下土壤有机碳库特征及其影响因子

目的 明晰不同林分类型下土壤有机碳库特征,以期为平原沙土区土壤碳库的提高和生态恢复提供理论依据。 方法 以江苏省平原沙土区丰县16年生杨树纯林、柳树纯林、杨柳混交林3种林分类型及相邻的撂荒地（对照）为对象,测定0～20、20～40、40～60、60～80、80～100 cm等5个土壤层次有机碳及活性组分和土壤酶活性,计算土壤碳库管理指数,并对土壤有机碳库特征和环境因子进行相关性分析。 结果 （1）3种林分类型及对照各土层有机碳含量和储量范围分别为1.03～5.88 g·kg−1和3.53～17.55 t·hm−2。与对照相比,0～100 cm土层,3种林分类型土壤有机碳含量增加了45.2%～82.2%。杨树纯林0～100 cm土层有机碳储量分别是柳树纯林、杨柳混交林和对照的1.23、1.24、1.83倍。（2）与对照相比,0～100 cm土层,3种林分类型的土壤易氧化有机碳、可溶性有机碳和微生物生物量碳含量分别提高了28.6%～48.0%、6.8%～9.7%和21.6%～33.4%。3种林分类型土壤碳库管理指数显著高于100%（P<0.05）。（3）林分类型显著影响土壤蔗糖酶和多酚氧化酶活性（P<0.05）,杨柳混交林0～100 cm土层多酚氧化酶活性显著高于杨树纯林和对照（P<0.05）。（4）相关性分析表明,土壤有机碳库特征受多酚氧化酶和β-葡萄糖苷酶活性显著影响,有机碳含量和储量、易氧化有机碳含量及碳库管理指数受蔗糖酶、过氧化物酶活性显著影响,微生物生物量碳受蔗糖酶活性显著影响。冗余分析表明,土壤碳氮比和细根生物量是土壤有机碳库特征的主要影响因素。 结论 平原沙土区营造人工林提高了土壤有机碳及活性组分和有机碳库稳定性,杨树纯林提高土壤有机碳储量效果最好。     

Comparison of larval thermal maxima between <Emphasis Type="Italic">Fundulus heteroclitus</Emphasis> and <Emphasis Type="Italic">F. grandis</Emphasis>

Fundulus heteroclitus and F. grandis are resident salt marsh fishes that overlap in distribution over a narrow range in northeastern Florida. The objective of the present study was to examine whether the limits of the species’ ranges could be explained by differences in thermal tolerance. Two populations of each species were collected and then spawned in the laboratory, and 9-day-old larvae were used for critical thermal maxima trials. Mean LOE temperatures of larvae ranged from 43.04 to 43.65°C and showed little difference between species. Therefore, differences in high temperatures experienced cannot account for the differences of the distributions of the two species. Condition-specific competition may play a greater role in determining the observed range of the two species.     

浅谈高校图书馆与重点学科建设

重点学科建设关系到高校的发展,通过分析高校图书馆与重点学科建设的关系,提出了面向重点学科文献资源建设的策略和重点学科服务体系构建。     

Short term soil priming effects and the mineralisation of biochar following its incorporation to soils of different pH

The aim of this work was to determine the magnitude of the priming effect, i.e. short-term changes in the rate (negative or positive) of mineralisation of native soil organic carbon (C), following addition of biochars. The biochars were made from Miscanthus giganteus, a C4 plant, naturally enriched with ¹³C. The biochars were produced at 350 °C (biochar350) and 700 °C (biochar700) and applied with and without ryegrass as a substrate to a clay-loam soil at pH 3.7 and 7.6. A secondary aim was to determine the effect of ryegrass addition on the mineralisation of the two biochars.After 87 days, biochar350 addition caused priming effects equivalent to 250 and 319 μg CO₂-C g⁻¹ soil, in the low and high pH soil, respectively. The largest priming effects occurred at the start of the incubations. The size of the priming effect was decreased at higher biochar pyrolysis temperatures, which may be a way of controlling priming effects following biochar incorporation to soil, if desired. The priming effect was probably induced by the water soluble components of the biochar. At 87 days of incubation, 0.14% and 0.18% of biochar700 and 0.61% and 0.84% of biochar350 were mineralized in the low and high pH soil, respectively. Ryegrass addition gave an increased biochar350 mineralisation of 33% and 40%, and increased biochar700 at 137% and 70%, in the low and high pH soils, respectively. Certainly, on the basis of our results, if biochar is used to sequester carbon a priming effect may occur, increasing CO₂-C evolved from soil and decreasing soil organic C. However, this will be more than compensated for by the increased soil C caused by biochar incorporation. A similar conclusion holds for accelerated mineralisation of biochar due to incorporation of fresh labile substrates. We consider that our results are the first to unequivocally demonstrate the initiation, progress and termination of a true positive priming effect by biochar on native soil organic C.     

宁夏回族自治区平罗县主要农作物碳足迹研究

农田碳足迹可以全面地反映农作物生产过程中各种因素引起的碳排放效应,是指导农业生产节能减排的重要指标。为探明农作物生产的碳足迹,基于宁夏回族自治区平罗县农田生产的实地调查数据,利用碳足迹的基本理论和方法,测算了该县农作物碳足迹。结果表明,水稻、玉米和小麦的碳足迹分别为1 487.56±164.59,913.03±142.99和809.75±144.99kg Ce/(hm2.a);碳成本分别为0.17±0.05,0.08±0.02g和0.12±0.03kg Ce/kg;化肥的施用量是影响碳足迹的主要因素,而水稻生产过程中灌溉水及育秧过程也是其碳足迹较高的主要原因。为了提高农田固碳减排增汇效益,应压缩水稻种植面积,扩大玉米和小麦种植,同时,建立节肥低碳高效的种植模式是实现平罗县农田节能减排的有效途径。     

Mechanism of RhoA on vascular reactivity following hemorrhagic shock in rats

AIM: To observe the mechanisms of RhoA on vascular reactivity following hemorrhagic shock (HS) in rats. METHODS: The superior mesenteric artery (SMA) in rats subjected to hemorrhagic shock was adopted to assay the vascular reactivity via observing the contraction initiated by norepinephrine (NE) with isolated organ perfusion system. Meanwhile, the effects of Rho kinase, myosin light chain phosphatase (MLCP), myosin light chain kinase (MLCK) on RhoA regulating vascular reactivity were observed. The effects of RhoA agonist U-46619 and inhibitor C3 enzyme on the activities of Rho kianse, MLCP, MLCK and phosphorylation of MLC20 in the vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC) with hypoxia were also measured. RESULTS: As compared to control group, the cumulative dose-response curves of SMA to NE at 2 h after shock shifted to the right, the maximal contractions (Emax) of NE was significantly decreased. RhoA agonist U-46619 increased the vascular reactivity in the late period of shock. C3 enzyme abolished U-46619 induced the increase in the contractile response of SMA to NE. Rho kinase inhibitor Y-27632 decreased U-46619-induced the increase in the vascular reactivity, MLCP inhibitor calyculin further promoted the increase in the vascular reactivity. However, MLCK inhibitor had no effect on the U-46619-induced change of vascular reactivity. After hypoxia, the activities of Rho kinase and MLCK, and the level of MLC20 phosphorylation were decreased, MLCP activity was increased. RhoA agonist U-46619 increased the activity of Rho kinase and phosphorylation of MLC20, decreased the activity of MLCP, but had no effects on MLCK activity. CONCLUSION: RhoA plays an important role in the regulation of vascular reactivity following shock. The mechanism is closely related to regulating the activities of Rho kinase and MLCP, and increasing the phosphorylation of MLC20 in VSMC.