木质包装中黄斑星天牛微波处理初探

为了探索微波处理作为木质包装替代处理方法的可能性,对不同规格和含水量的杨树木块进行微波处理试验,结果表明:频率为2450MHz的微波能够穿透厚度为10cm的杨树木材;当微波功率为900W时,规格为10cm×10cm×10cm和10cm×10cm×2.5cm的新木块中黄斑星天牛(Anoplophora nobolis)幼虫完全死亡所需时间分别为5min和2min;而干木块中则仅需3min和30s.对微波处理引起木材温度变化和水分损失以及天牛幼虫的水分损失进行了初步研究.     

Characterizing historical and modern fire regimes in Michigan (USA): A landscape ecosystem approach

We studied the relationships of landscape ecosystems to historical and contemporary fire regimes across 4.3 million hectares in northern lower Michigan (USA). Changes in fire regimes were documented by comparing historical fire rotations in different landscape ecosystems to those occurring between 1985 and 2000. Previously published data and a synthesis of the literature were used to identify six forest-replacement fire regime categories with fire rotations ranging from very short (<100 years) to very long (>1,000 years). We derived spatially-explicit estimates of the susceptibility of landscape ecosystems to fire disturbance using Landtype Association maps as initial units of investigation. Each Landtype Association polygon was assigned to a fire regime category based on associations of ecological factors known to influence fire regimes. Spatial statistics were used to interpolate fire points recorded by the General Land Office. Historical fire rotations were determined by calculating the area burned for each category of fire regime and dividing this area by fifteen (years) to estimate area burned per annum. Modern fire rotations were estimated using data on fire location and size obtained from federal and state agencies. Landtype Associations networked into fire regime categories exhibited differences in both historical and modern fire rotations. Historical rotations varied by 23-fold across all fire rotation categories, and modern forest fire rotations by 13-fold. Modern fire rotations were an order of magnitude longer than historical rotations. The magnitude of these changes has important implications for forest health and understanding of ecological processes in most of the fire rotation categories that we identified.This revised version was published online in May 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Ultrastructure of the tubular glands in the isthmus region of the oviduct in laying and natural moulting commercial egg‐type chickens

The study investigated the ultrastructural characteristics of tubular gland and duct cells, as well as luminal gland cells in the isthmus region of the oviduct of laying and natural moulting hens. Tubular glands in laying birds were composed of type 1 and 2 cells. Based on the preponderance of each cell type, in relation to the location of a developing egg in the oviduct of the domestic fowl, these gland cells may represent different functional states of the same cell. The findings of the study on natural moulting birds suggest that autophagy is a process confined to the early stages of degeneration, while necrosis occurs in the terminal stages.     

Symbiotic N<Subscript>2</Subscript> fixation and nitrate utilisation in irrigated lucerne (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Medicago sativa</Emphasis>) systems

Symbiotic N₂ fixation by lucerne (Medicago sativa) has capacity to provide significant inputs of N to agro-ecosystems, and the species has also been shown to scavenge soil mineral N and thus act as a sink for excess reactive N. The balance between these two N cycle processes was investigated in an extensive irrigated lucerne growing region where nitrate contamination of groundwater has been reported. We sampled 18 permanent pure lucerne stands under irrigation for standing dry matter, total shoot N, and N₂ fixation using ¹⁵N natural abundance along with activity of the inducible enzyme nitrate reductase as indicators of use of soil NO₃⁻ by lucerne. On average 65% of lucerne N was obtained from symbiotic N₂ fixation. Converting standing dry matter estimates to annual N₂ fixation amounts we calculated average N₂ fixation of 311 kg N/ha, including N in roots and nodules. Uptake of N from soil by lucerne was calculated to be 181 kg N/ha/year. We were not able to identify the source of this soil mineral N, although nitrate reductase activity of lucerne was higher than that of non-N₂ fixing species examined.     

Enhanced muscle regeneration in freshwater prawn Macrobrachium rosenbergii achieved through in vivo silencing of the myostatin gene

Myostatin (MSTN) is an interesting negative growth‐regulating gene that has been well characterized in vertebrates but scantly described in invertebrates. The current study focuses on the downregulation of the MrMSTN gene and subsequently records any histological changes for giant freshwater prawn, Macrobrachium rosenbergii (Mr). In addition, the study also deals with the MrMSTN gene's influence on other growth‐related genes, which include myosin heavy chain, dystrophin‐dystroglycoprotein complex, tropomyosin, farnesoic acid o‐methyl transferase, arginine kinase, cyclophilin, and acyl CoA desaturase. The preliminary histological analysis following MrMSTN silencing favors muscle regeneration, which supports its functional role as a negative growth regulator and its significant effect on the expression of other growth‐related genes. Overall, our results show that the MrMSTN gene could therefore be a potential target for gene manipulation aimed at enhancing the growth and muscle development of M. rosenbergii, which could be beneficial in increasing the total mass production in the postlarva phase at the hatchery level.