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.     

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.     

基于无人机LiDAR的杉木树冠上部外轮廓模拟与可视化研究

目的 基于无人机激光雷达（LiDAR）点云数据提取杉木树冠上部结构参数（树冠顶点、树高、冠幅和上部冠长）,并进行树冠上部外轮廓模拟与可视化,为树种识别提供树木冠形特征。 方法 利用LASTools开源工具从激光雷达点云数据生成无孔洞的冠层高度模型,使用LiDAR360软件,采用局部最大值法检测树冠顶点,基于CHM种子点对点云进行单木分割,并在ArcGIS下手动选取杉木单株点云样本,用Python编程对“欠分割”样本进行单木纯化（之后全部编程方式自动化处理）;提取纯化后单株样本的树冠上部结构参数（树冠顶点、树高、冠幅和上部冠长）,再对单木点云按照一定高度间隔进行分层切片,使用宽度百分位数法提取单木树冠上部的相对着枝深度、枝条长度作为模型变量,以相对着枝深度分层分别建模与验证样本按照3倍标准差法剔除异常外轮廓点,选取二次多项式、幂函数和指数函数3个基础模型进行模型拟合与验证,最后采用最优拟合模型进行样地尺度的三维可视化。 结果 无人机激光雷达综合单木检测率为79.63%,结合实测参数与提取结果进行相关分析,树高线性回归R2为0.890 5,冠幅线性回归R2为0.845 6;二次抛物线、幂函数和对数函数拟合R2分别为0.807 0、0.817 0、0.806 0,幂函数对杉木树冠上部外轮廓的拟合效果更优。 结论 在高林分密度条件下,单木点云的有效提取纯化对客观描绘树冠形状非常重要;基于无人机激光雷达拟合的杉木树冠上部外轮廓反映了杉木的树冠上部形态,可为杉木的树种识别提供参考。     

城市污泥应用于毛白杨林地施肥试验

为了妥善处置和利用城市污泥,使之变废为宝,采用城市污泥对毛白杨进行了不同立地施肥量、施肥时期试验.结果表明,污泥施肥改善了林地土壤的理化性状,对土壤具有修复作用.在不同施肥时期,不同立地条件下,施入一定量的城市污泥对毛白杨株高、胸径的生长均有促进作用,平原林地毛白杨净生长量优于丘陵地,污泥施入量以75 kg/株效果最佳.     

雷州半岛尾巨桉人工林林下穿透雨特征研究

为深入了解桉树生态水文过程,正确认识桉树水文功能,本文通过野外实测法,对不同林龄尾巨桉林下穿透雨进行连续观测,并结合林外降雨量分析尾巨桉人工林林下穿透雨特征及其与降雨的关系.结果发现:尾巨桉各林龄林下穿透雨量与降雨量呈极显著正相关线性模型(P＜0.01);林下穿透雨率与降雨强度呈极显著正相关(P＜0.01),截留率与降雨强度呈极显著负相关(P＜0.01),变异系数随降雨强度的增大先增大后减小,且两者均与降雨量无显著相关性;干湿季林下穿透雨率差异显著,湿季显著大于干季(P＜0.05),最大穿透雨率及最小穿透雨率分别是干季的1.17倍和3.2倍.     

Involvement of Sirt1 in mouse myocardial hypertrophy induced by isorenin

AIM: To investigate the expression and function of sirtuin 1 (Sirt1), one of the class III histone deacetylases, in hypertrophied mouse myocardium induced by isorenin (ISO). METHODS: The Kunming mice were randomly divided into 3 groups: control group, ISO group and ISO+nicotinamide (NAM) group. The myocardial hypertrophy was induced by dorsal subcutaneous injection of isorenin. Nicotinamide, an inhibitor against Sirt1, was given by peritoneal injection. Heart weight index (heart weight/body weight), hematoxylin and eosin staining, transmission electron microscope and mRNA expression of brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) were observed to identify the myocardial hypertrophy. The expression of Sirt1 in mRNA and protein levels was detected by RT-PCR and Western blotting, respectively. RESULTS: Compared to control group, the results of heart weight index, hematoxylin and eosin staining, the observation of transmission electron microscopy and mRNA expression of BNP showed that the mouse myocardial hypertrophy was induced by isorenin successfully. The Sirt1 expression was increased in hypertrophy model group (P<0.01 vs control group). Treatment with nicotinamide inhibited the cardiac hypertrophy induced by ISO (P<0.05 vs ISO group) and decreased the expression of Sirt1 (P<0.01 vs ISO group). CONCLUSION: Activation of Sirt1 might be involved in the process of myocardial hypertrophy stimulated by isorenin in mice.     

直立与弯曲穗型水稻穗上不同部位籽粒淀粉RVA谱特征的比较

利用3个直立穗型和3个弯曲穗型粳稻品种研究了两种不同穗型水稻穗上不同部位籽粒淀粉RVA谱特征的差异.研究结果表明,梗稻的穗型特征与品种间的淀粉RVA谱特征值高低、穗内不同部位间的变异及粒位顺序并无直接必然的联系.同一稻穗内不同粒位间的淀粉RVA谱特征值高低与其颖花在穗上的开花顺序有一定联系,两种穗型(直立和弯曲)品种都...     

Structural Changes of Goat Parotid Salivary Gland: Pre‐ and Post‐Weaning Periods

Previously, the structure of the adult goat parotid salivary glands (PGs) was studied. However, little information was elucidated of the juvenile ones. This study aimed to clarify the correlations between the structure of goats' PGs and the nature of food intake among milk‐suckling kids (MSKs) and diet‐fed goats (DFGs). The secretory endpieces of the goats' PGs are of the pure serous type. The serous cells in MSKs showed apical accumulation of numerous secretory granules (SGs) of smaller size and of more intense positive periodic acid‐Schiff reaction. Ultrastructurally, most of the SGs in the DFGs contained peripherally located inclusions that showed dense reaction products for acid phosphatase. In MSKs, the PGs showed less‐developed basal infoldings, sparseness of the inter‐cellular inter‐digitations, fewer inter‐cellular canaliculi and microvilli and also less‐developed myoepithelial cells with fewer and shorter cytoplasmic processes. In conclusion, the less‐developed membrane specializations and myoepithelial cells, as well as the accumulated SGs in the PGs of MSKs, suggest that it secretes less saliva with a little secretory activity than that of DFGs, which may be correlated with the reduced masticatory activity.     

Histological observations of bovine tuberculosis in lung and lymph node tissues from British deer

Deer are recognized as hosts of Mycobacterium bovis and assessing the role of wild cervids in perpetuating tuberculosis among cattle has motivated extensive research on several continents. In this paper, the histopathology of lymph node and lung tuberculous granulomas in M. bovis positive British deer is presented. The overall aim was to seek further insights into the potential for onward transmission from infected deer to other species, including cattle. Samples were obtained from an extensive survey of wild mammals in South-West England and from statutory tuberculosis surveillance. M. bovis culture-positive samples were characterised microscopically as to their stage of lesion advancement, number of acid-fast bacilli and granuloma encapsulation. Seventy percent of the deer developed granulomas containing far greater numbers of M. bovis bacilli than typically reported in cattle. Red and fallow deer had the largest number of poorly encapsulated granulomas often containing many hundreds of bacilli. The results are consistent with infected wild British deer being a potential source of environmental contamination and onward transmission to other species. However, further work on levels of bacillary shedding is required before this can be confirmed.     

宁夏固原市草畜产业发展运行机制探讨

草畜业生产方式的转变,是一项系统工程,具有复杂性和前瞻性,涉及到农、林等相关行业,与环境保护、城镇建设密切相关。本文根据当地草畜业生产实际,提出了固原市草畜业生产发展机制方面的一些创新思路。