印度西部5种热带干落叶林中凋落物中生物元素和返回到绿叶中的季节性变化(英文)

本文对印度西部5种热带干落叶林中凋落物里生物元素的季节性变化和它们返回到新鲜叶中季节性变化进行研究。对5个树种:阿拉伯金合欢(Acacia nilotica L.)、金合欢(Acacia leucophloea Roxb.)、柚木(Tectonagrandis L.f.)、绒毛野独活(Miliusa tomentosa Roxb.)和紫矿(Butea mono-sperma Lain.)中凋落物的成熟叶、枝和再生部分的N、P、Ca、Mg、K和Na的浓度,以及老叶和幼叶中浓度间的关系进行调查。对这些树种的总干物质进行记录,并分析它们所含的N、P、Ca、Mg、K和Na的含量。其中阿拉伯金合欢叶子中N的含量最高,而金合欢的叶子里Ca和Mg含量最高。叶中含P最多的是阿托伯金合欢、金合欢和紫矿,而含P最少的是柚木和绒毛野独活。K和Na含量在这些树种中没有明显的区别。观察发现,N、P和K的浓度随季节变化大,但Ca和Mg则不然。唯有钾在所有树种中都是最稳定的,吸收N和P可以用于来年新叶的生长。从老叶和凋落物中吸收的营养会支持新叶的生长,并增加土壤的肥力。图1表4参30。     

Opportunity for hybridization between two oak species in mixed stands as monitored by the timing and intensity of pollen production

The opportunity of cross-pollination in mixed stands of two oak species (cork oak and holm oak) was studied by characterizing individual phenologies of flowering. In the spring of 1998 at one stand consisting of 64 marked trees, there was a period of 19 days when maximal pollen release in one species and stigma receptivity in the other occurred simultaneously, enabling interspecific gene flow in either direction. This happened in spite of an average time separation of 22 days between the two species, reflecting a considerable intraspecific variation in the timings of flowering. Flowering intensities (as estimated from male flower abundance) were high, but fruiting intensities were comparatively low. Shortly after pollination, considerable abortion of female flowers and early fruits was recorded. In 2000, the interspecific overlap of phenologies was drastically reduced due to a delay in cork oak flowering. On the other hand, the individual timings were repeatable for most trees, at least in holm oak. Two other mixed stands were subject of parallel studies, with similar results in all traits except for a less dramatic reduction in fruiting intensities. In spite of the high opportunity for cross-pollination in 1998, and given the lack of hybrids among the progenies from the subsequent fruiting season [Oliveira, P., Custódio, A.C., Branco, C., Reforço, I., Rodrigues, F., Varela, M.C., Meierrose, C., 2003. Hybrids between cork oak and holm oak: isoenzyme analysis. Forest Genet. 10, 283–298], it can be concluded that the prerequisite of cross-pollination is clearly insufficient for hybridization to succeed. Post-pollination processes must play an important role in the maintenance of reproductive isolation between the two species.     

Hereditary early-onset Parkinson's disease caused by mutations in PINK1

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by degeneration of dopaminergic neurons in the substantia nigra. We previously mapped a locus for a rare familial form of PD to chromosome 1p36 (PARK6). Here we show that mutations in PINK1 (PTEN-induced kinase 1) are associated with PARK6. We have identified two homozygous mutations affecting the PINK1 kinase domain in three consanguineous PARK6 families: a truncating nonsense mutation and a missense mutation at a highly conserved amino acid. Cell culture studies suggest that PINK1 is mitochondrially located and may exert a protective effect on the cell that is abrogated by the mutations, resulting in increased susceptibility to cellular stress. These data provide a direct molecular link between mitochondria and the pathogenesis of PD.     

New constituents of sweet Capsicum annuum L. fruits and evaluation of their biological activity

Four new acyclic diterpene glycosides named capsianosides (1-4), together with 12 known compounds, were isolated from the fresh sweet pepper fruits of Capsicum annuum L., a plant used as a vegetable food, spice, and external medicine. The chemical structures of new natural compounds, as well as their absolute configurations, were established by means of spectroscopic data including infrared, high-resolution mass spectrometry, and one- and two-dimensional nuclear magnetic resonance and by chemical derivatization. The known capsidiol (11) showed bacteriostatic properties in vitro against Helicobacter pylori with a minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) of 200 microg/mL when compared with the commercial drug metronidazole (MIC, 250 microg/mL). Some purified components were also tested for their antioxidant activities.     

Effects of the Consumption of Caffeinated and Decaffeinated Instant Coffee Beverages on Oxidative Stress Induced by Strenuous Exercise in Rats

Many authors attribute the antioxidant activity of brewed coffee to its caffeine content. In addition, caffeine intake has been associated with increased performance during physical exercise. This study analyzed the in vivo effects of drinking caffeinated and decaffeinated instant coffee (8%, w/v) on oxidative stress and antioxidant enzyme activity in the anterior tibialis muscles of rats subjected to intense exercise. It was observed that exercise induced lipid peroxidation (estimated using malondialdehyde) and protein oxidation (evaluated by determining the formation of carbonyl groups) in the muscle (P < 0.05). Decaffeinated instant coffee and caffeine solution did not exhibit antioxidant activity in vivo. Caffeinated instant coffee beverage intake did not induce changes in superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase activities but was able to diminish lipid and protein oxidation in the anterior tibialis muscles of rats after exercise (P < 0.05), contributing to a reduction in the oxidative stress triggered by exercise.     

<Emphasis Type="Italic">Helianthus tuberosus</Emphasis> L. agg. in the Carpathian Basin: a blessing or a curse?

Helianthus tuberosus agg., an herbaceous perennial plant from the Asteraceae family, is native to North America and was introduced as a crop to Europe in the seventeenth century. The status of this plant has been rather controversial in the Carpathian Basin. This paper reviews its taxonomy, chorology, and ethnobotany in this region, using data obtained from herbarium specimens, ethnobotanical surveys performed in Transylvania, and data published earlier, documenting the invasive features of the plant since the beginning of the nineteenth century. Our results suggest that (1) Helianthus tuberosus agg. has been present in the Carpathian Basin from the nineteenth century, (2) its taxonomy is problematic since the first part of the nineteenth century; (3) ethnobotanical surveys confirmed that the plant’s tuber has been locally used mostly as a food in Transylvania, collected from cultivation. Overall, Helianthus tuberosus agg. is both a ‘blessing and a curse’ at the same time, it is a valuable crop with beneficial nutritional value, and also an environmentally dangerous invasive element for the diversity of the flora of the Carpathian Basin.     

Improving the fertility of sandy soils in the temperate region by combined biochar and microbial inoculant treatments

Achieving a sustainable increase in the fertility of sandy soils is a major problem. The application of biochar (BC) is a relatively new method, but results for a temperate climate are scarce. This work investigates various combined doses of BC and plant growth-promoting rhizobacteria inoculants on the fertility of acidic and calcareous sandy soils, hypothesising that joint application could have a synergistic impact. The effects were followed by measuring chemical (pH, organic matter, nutrient availability) and microbiological properties of the soil and maize biomass. 30 t ha^?1 BC increased both pH (by 1 unit) and nitrification in acidic soil (causing a 60% drop in NH₄-N concentration), and the phosphorus and potassium availability (by 53 and 80%, respectively) in both soils. Substrate-induced respiration increased by up to 100% and 50% in acidic and calcareous soil, respectively, in treatments involving both BC and inoculant. In acidic soil a BC dose of 3 t ha^?1 resulted in a 70% decrease in arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal infection. Changes in maize grain yield were not significant, but the increase in above-ground biomass indicated that the combined application of BC and inoculant is more beneficial than separate application of these yield-increasing agents, primarily on acidic sand.