Temporal variability of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation at 26.5 degrees N

The vigor of Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (MOC) is thought to be vulnerable to global warming, but its short-term temporal variability is unknown so changes inferred from sparse observations on the decadal time scale of recent climate change are uncertain. We combine continuous measurements of the MOC (beginning in 2004) using the purposefully designed transatlantic Rapid Climate Change array of moored instruments deployed along 26.5 degrees N, with time series of Gulf Stream transport and surface-layer Ekman transport to quantify its intra-annual variability. The year-long average overturning is 18.7 +/- 5.6 sverdrups (Sv) (range: 4.0 to 34.9 Sv, where 1 Sv = a flow of ocean water of 10(6) cubic meters per second). Interannual changes in the overturning can be monitored with a resolution of 1.5 Sv.     

兽药新制剂促反刍LD50和安全性试验

对兽药新制剂促反刍注射液(CFC)进行了急性毒性试验、局部刺激试验和过敏性试验。用90只小白鼠按点斜法试验设计,以剂间比为1:0.8的7个剂量组测得CFC腹腔注射的LD_(50)为35.05mL/kg,95％置信区为31.2～39.39 mL/kg,相当于制剂主药总量5054～6389mg/g符合化学物质分级低毒级标准。证明CFC为低毒药物,无过敏性,比较安全。因此有轻度刺激性,适于静脉注射。     

Tracing the origin and fate of NOx in the Arctic atmosphere using stable isotopes in nitrate

Atmospheric nitrogen oxides (NOx =NO+ NO2) play a pivotal role in the cycling of reactive nitrogen (ultimately deposited as nitrate) and the oxidative capacity of the atmosphere. Combined measurements of nitrogen and oxygen stable isotope ratios of nitrate collected in the Arctic atmosphere were used to infer the origin and fate of NOx and nitrate on a seasonal basis. In spring, photochemically driven emissions of reactive nitrogen from the snowpack into the atmosphere make local oxidation of NOx by bromine oxide the major contributor to the nitrate budget. The comprehensive isotopic composition of nitrate provides strong constraints on the relative importance of the key atmospheric oxidants in the present atmosphere, with the potential for extension into the past using ice cores.     

含有融合标记基因和LoxP／FRT位点的植物表达载体构建及应用

本研究利用化学合成法合成了包含pCAMBIA0390左右边界T-DNA和LoxP／FRT（LF）位点的DNA片段Ⅰ,利用SacⅡ和SphⅠ酶切位点,去除了pCAMBIA0390左右边界T—DNA和多克隆位点之间的序列,然后连接DNA片段Ⅰ和载体片段,构建了植物表达载体pGM323-LF-enTP。随后,再合成含有适合在单予叶植物中表达的由玉米Ubi-1启动子驱动的融合标记基因（Bar：：gus）和水稻actin-1启动子驱动的助抗虫蛋白基因（Cry1A6）表达元件的DNA片段Ⅳ,在pGM323～LF—enTP的基础上,利用5以Ⅰ和PstⅠ位点构建了同时含有LF位点、Bar：：gus以及Cry1Ab基因表达元件的表达载体pGM626-LF—ABt。利用含有pGM626-LF—ABt的农杆菌遗传转化烟草和玉米,以草丁膦作为抗性筛选剂,非转化细胞得到了有效抑制,快速获得了转基W植株,利用GUS组织化学检测和RT—PCR分析了转基因植株中标记基因的表达,结果表明pGM626-LF—ABt可以用于农杆菌介导的单、双子叶植物遗传转化。本研究为培育安全抗虫转基因植物奠定了基础。     

Absence of geographical structure of morphological variation in <Emphasis Type="Italic">Juniperus oxycedrus</Emphasis> L. subsp. <Emphasis Type="Italic">oxycedrus</Emphasis> in the Balkan Peninsula

We examined leaf and mature seed cone variation of Juniperus oxycedrus L. subsp. oxycedrus in 12 natural populations across the species range in the Balkan Peninsula. We measured 10 morphological traits from a minimum of 100 leaves in each of 190 individuals, and two morphological traits from 30–50 seed cones in each of 94 females. High phenotypic variation was found, but no geographical structure or cline across populations was detected for any of the studied traits. Mean values of comparable leaf and cone morphological traits did not differ considerably from values reported elsewhere. Gender dimorphism in leaf morphology was detected, but it was not distributed uniformly throughout the studied area. An ANOVA model with both nested and crossed effects revealed that the largest proportion of the total variation was, as expected, contained within populations, partly as among-tree variation (18–47%, depending on the trait) and partly as within-tree variation (33–77%), which was remarkably high. Gender dimorphism explained only 0–3% of the total variation. Differences among populations (2–23%) were significant for all studied traits except one; however, PCA showed no clear geographical differentiation of the studied populations. This lack of phylogeographical structure may be the consequence of repeatedly occurring colonisation-retreat scenarios and suggests the existence of several small refugial populations scattered over a large part of the Balkan Peninsula in the Pleistocene. Further research including palaeobotanical and molecular genetic studies will be needed to better understand the forces that shaped current variation patterns of J. oxycedrus L. subsp. oxycedrus in the Balkan Peninsula.     

Vitamin D and sterol composition of 10 types of mushrooms from retail suppliers in the United States

Vitamin D(2) (ergocalciferol) and sterols were analyzed in mushrooms sampled nationwide in the United States to update the USDA Nutrient Database for Standard Reference. Vitamin D(2) was assayed using HPLC with [(3)H]-vitamin D(3) internal standard and sterols by GC-FID mass spectrometric (MS) confirmation. Vitamin D(2) was low (0.1-0.3 μg/100 g) in Agaricus bisporus (white button, crimini, portabella) and enoki, moderate in shiitake and oyster (0.4-0.7 μg/100 g), and high in morel, chanterelle, maitake (5.2-28.1 μg/100 g) and UV-treated portabella (3.4-20.9 μg/100 g), with significant variability among composites for some types. Ergosterol (mg/100 g) was highest in maitake and shiitake (79.2, 84.9) and lowest in morel and enoki (26.3, 35.5); the range was <10 mg/100 g among white button composites but 12-50 mg/100 g among samples of other types. All mushrooms contained ergosta-5,7-dienol (22,23-dihydroergosterol) (3.53-18.0 mg/100 g) and (except morel) ergosta-7-enol. Only morel contained brassicasterol (28.6 mg/100 g) and campesterol (1.23-4.54 mg/100 g) and no ergosta-7,22-dienol. MS was critical in distinguishing campesterol from ergosta-7,22-dienol.     

Antimicrobial potential of egg yolk ovoinhibitor, a multidomain Kazal-like inhibitor of chicken egg

Chicken egg ovoinhibitor is a multidomain Kazal-type serine protease inhibitor with unknown function. Comparison of expression between different tissues indicated that ovoinhibitor is highly expressed in the magnum and liver followed by the uterus, which secrete egg white, egg yolk, and eggshell precursors, respectively. The results also revealed that ovoinhibitor expression is increased in the liver during sexual maturation followed by a subsequent decrease in mature hens. Ovoinhibitor was purified from the egg yolk plasma from nonfertilized eggs using two consecutive affinity chromatographies and gel filtration. Purified egg yolk ovoinhibitor was shown to inhibit trypsin and subtilisin. It was shown that purified egg yolk ovoinhibitor exhibited antimicrobial activities against Bacillus thuringiensis . The results suggest that this anti-protease plays a significant role in antibacterial egg defense against Bacillus spp., preventing contamination of table eggs (nonfertilized eggs) and protecting the chick embryo (fertilized eggs).