The Quantum Event of Oceanic Crustal Accretion: Impacts of Diking at Mid-Ocean Ridges

Seafloor diking-eruptive events represent the irreducible, quantum events of upper oceanic crustal accretion. They record events by which a large portion of the oceanic crust has formed through geological history. Since 1993, the U.S. Navy's real-time Sound Surveillance System has allowed location of ongoing acoustic signatures of dike emplacement and basalt eruptions at ridge crests in the northeast Pacific. These diking-eruptive events trigger a sequence of related, rapidly evolving physical, chemical, and biological processes. Magmatic volatiles released during these events may provide nutrients for communities of subseafloor microorganisms, some of which thrive in high-temperature anaerobic environments. Many of the organisms identified from these systems are Archaea. If microorganisms can thrive in the water-saturated pores and cracks within deep, volcanically active portions of our planet, other hydrothermally active planets may harbor similar life forms.     

Effect of vegetation removal on airflow patterns and dune dynamics in the southwest Kalahari desert

Vegetation is a major control of dune surface activity. To assess the effect of removing vegetation from otherwise largely inactive sand-dune surfaces, two field experiments were undertaken in the southwest Kalahari Desert of southern Africa. In the first, wind velocity profiles were measured on two flat surfaces, one vegetated and one where vegetation had been removed by fire. In the second, levels of dune surface activity were measured on burnt and vegetated sites over a ten week period. The data indicate a striking increase in the near-surface wind velocity allied to a decrease in shear stress after the destruction of the vegetation canopy as a result of burning, grazing or drought. Measurements on the consequences of such changes in the airflow patterns on dune dynamics suggest a three-fold increase in dune surface activity after vegetation clearance. The dunes therefore have a staggered response to the contemporary environment, being largely inactive relicts for much of the time, but becoming more active as vegetation is episodically removed.     

Endometrial gene expression in primiparous dairy cows at the end of the voluntary waiting period is affected by nutrition: Total mixed ration vs increasing levels of herbage allowance

The study postulated that differential nutritional management during the early lactation period would be reflected in endometrial expression of genes related to embryo growth at the end of the voluntary waiting period. Thus, the effect of the combined use of total mixed ration (TMR) and grazing under different herbage allowances during the first 75 days post‐partum (DPP) on endometrial gene expression was evaluated in primiparous dairy cows. Cows were blocked by body weight, age and body condition score and randomly assigned to three grazing treatments: high (HA, 30 kg DM per cow per day), medium (MA, 15 kg DM per cow per day) and low (LA, 7.5 kg DM per cow per day) herbage allowance (mixed pasture, 2,600 kg DM per ha) plus 8 kg DM of supplement or TMR (55% forage, 45% concentrate) fed ad libitum (TMR) from calving to 75 DPP. At 57 DPP, cows were synchronized for oestrus (day 0, 68 DPP) and at day 7, endometrial biopsies were obtained. The nutritional treatment did not affect insulin, IGF‐1 and leptin concentrations on days 0, 4 or 7. Expression of IGF1, IGFBP3, IGFBP4, ADIPOR1 and ADIPOR2 mRNA was significantly affected by the nutritional treatment. Endometrial IGF1 and IGFBP4 mRNA were twofold greater in TMR and HA than MA and LA cows. Expression of IGFBP3 and ADIPOR1 mRNAs was greater in TMR and HA than MA cows, but did not differ from LA cows. All groups had greater expression of ADIPOR2 mRNA than MA cows. This study provided solid evidence of the importance of nutritional management during early lactation on uterine environment at the end of the voluntary waiting period. The greater expression of genes related to embryo growth and uterine function (IGF system, progesterone and adiponectin receptors) in cows fed diets maximizing energy intake suggests a favourable environment for embryonic growth, which may explain the improved reproductive performance of cows in good energy balance.     

Coelioscopic-assisted prefemoral ovariosalpingectomy in a d`Orbigny slider (Trachemys dorbigni) using a digital otoscope

The purpose of this study was to assess the unilateral prefemoral coelioscopic-assisted approach for ovariosalpingectomy in a d`Orbigny slider (Trachemys dorbigni) using a digital otoscope. Twenty healthy turtles were randomly assigned to one of two groups, for right (GR; n=10) or left (GL; n=10) prefemoral access, for coelioscopic-assisted ovariosalpingectomy. Anesthesia and surgery times, body weight, and ovary/oviduct weight data were recorded. Anesthesia and surgery times did not differ significantly between the groups. Wound closure was the most time-consuming surgical step. Ovary and body weights significantly affected the exposure time of the ipsilateral and contralateral ovaries, respectively. Two intraoperative complications were reported. All the animals recovered uneventfully. The digital otoscope can be safely and effectively used for coelioscopic-assisted single-access, unilateral prefemoral ovariosalpingectomy in d`Orbigny slider.     

黍族植物的叶片扩张和蒸腾作用对土壤水分亏缺的响应特征

Plant processes, such as leaf expansion, stomatal conductance and transpiration, are affected by soil water, particularly in water-stressed environments. Quantifying the effects of soil water on plant processes, especially leaf expansion and transpiration, could be useful for crop modeling. In order to quantify the leaf expansion and transpiration in response to soil water deficit in three millet species, common (Panicum miliaceum L.), pearl (Pennisetum glaucum L.) and foxtail (Setaria italica L.) millets, a pot experiment was performed at the Gorgan University of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, Gorgan, Iran. The soil water status was characterized by the fraction of transpirable soil water (FTSW). Leaf area and transpiration were measured daily. Relative leaf area expansion (RL) and relative transpiration (RT) data were plotted against FTSW. Finally the FTSW thresholds for RL and RT were calculated using linear-plateau and logistic models. The results showed that the thresholds for RL and RT were 0.68 and 0.62, respectively, based on all measured data of the three millet species using the linear-plateau model, indicating that RL and RT were constant when FTSW decreased from 1 to the threshold point. Thereafter, until FTSW = 0, RL and RT declined linearly with a slope of 1.48 and 1.43, respectively. Although millet is cultivated as a resistant crop in arid, semiarid and marginal lands, it showed an early response to soil water deficit at high FTSW thresholds. As leaf expansion and transpiration can be considered morphological and physiological variables, respectively, the results in this study indicate that millet has strong morphological flexibility when faced with soil water deficit.     

蒙古羊卵巢组织差异表达基因ADAMTS1的电子克隆及RT-PCR验证

在单、双羔蒙古羊卵巢组织抑制性消减杂交的基础上,以其差异表达片段ADAMTS1基因序列为种子序列,采用GenBank的BLAST检索系统首先对蒙古羊的ADAMTS1基因序列片段进行了电子延伸,其次在获得蒙古羊AD-AMTS1基因的cDNA全序列后设计引物,采用RT-PCR方法进一步克隆了蒙古羊ADAMTS1基因。结果显示,试验所得序列与电子延伸序列的同源性为99.4%,序列长为2 420 bp包括836 bp 3'UTR区域和1 578 bp的完整开放读码框,共编码525个氨基酸。Blastn比对发现蒙古羊ADAMTS1基因序列与牛、猪和人的同源性分别为94%,87%,82%;对氨基酸序列进行blastp比对发现与牛、猪和人的同源性分别为91%,90%,87%。采用SMART程序预测其结构功能域发现蒙古羊ADAMTS1蛋白质有4个结构功能域:1个富半胱氨酸结构域和3个血小板反应蛋白。     

植物提取液对黄瓜白粉病的抑菌活性筛选研究

首先通过叶圆盘法用29种植物提取液对黄瓜白粉病菌的抑菌效果进行了生物活性测定,初步筛选出槐、黄檀、南瓜和石楠等4种植物的提取液对黄瓜白粉病有较好的预防效果。然后对这4种植物提取液进行预防性和治疗性的室内盆栽药效试验,结果表明黄檀提取液对黄瓜白粉病的预防效果达到72.97%,治疗效果达到91.28%,并且在处理12 d后仍保持42.60%以上的防效。而槐提取液的预防效果和治疗效果分别为79.73%和79.19%,处理12 d后也保持在50%以上的防效。这两种植物提取液均极显著优于对照药剂三唑酮。     

沙棘属植物结瘤特性及Frankia根瘤菌分离

以4种沙棘属植物为材料,调查其在不同生境、不同季节的结瘤特点,研究弗兰克氏根瘤菌(Frankia)的特性。研究发现,同种沙棘在不同生境和同种生境不同季节,不同种的沙棘属植物在不同生境,以及同一生境不同季节的根瘤大小、形状、着生部位、颜色和结瘤率不同;植物分布海拔越高,瘤块和瘤瓣越小;4种沙棘中藏沙棘根瘤瘤瓣最大。根瘤经切片法分离培养后,从不同生境不同季节生长的4种沙棘属植物中共得到纯培养菌株53株,不同宿主中的Frankia根瘤菌种类不同,同一宿主中也存在不同种类的Frankia根瘤菌。