Quantitation of adenine nucleotides in equine colonic mucosal tissue using high performance liquid chromatography.

The objectives were to use high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) to validate an established method for adenine nucleotide separation in equine colonic mucosal tissue, to determine the inherent variability in the tissue and extraction method, and to determine the stability of ATP, ADP, and AMP in the tissue with time. Equine colonic mucosal tissue obtained from a single horse was immediately submersed in liquid nitrogen, and stored at -70 degrees C. Samples were lyophilized, extracted, and separated by HPLC. The limit of quantitation was 0.05 microg/mL. The coefficient of variation for the instrument was less than 10% for all nucleotides measured. When the tissue was not homogenized prior to sampling, there were significant differences in adenine nucleotide content between samples. However, when the tissue was homogenized prior to analysis, these differences were no longer significant. There was no significant decrease in ATP, ADP, or AMP content over a 54-day analysis period.     

Biological and sequence comparisons of Potato virus Y isolates associated with potato tuber necrotic ringspot disease

The biological and molecular relationships between a large number of Potato virus Y (PVY) isolates were examined, concentrating mainly on isolates associated with potato tuber necrotic ringspot disease (PTNRD). Following detailed analysis of the coat-protein gene, four main groups were identified which broadly corresponded to the phenotype of the different isolates. The groups comprised the ordinary strain (PVY^O), the necrotic strain (PVY^N), the C strain (PVY^C) and a group of recombinant (between ordinary and necrotic) isolates. In the latter group, all members were associated with PTNRD. However, four nonrecombinant isolates were also identified which were associated with PTNRD or tuber necrosis. Three were from tubers showing PTNRD symptoms in the field, while the fourth originated from symptomless tubers, but could cause necrotic rings on tubers under glasshouse conditions. The results show that although coat-protein recombination is always found associated with the PTNRD phenotype, some nonrecombinant isolates have very similar biological properties.     

A coat protein transgene from a Scottish isolate of potato mop-top virus mediates strong resistance against Scandinavian isolates which have similar coat protein genes

Resistance tests were made on seedlings of transformed lines of Nicotiana benthamiana which contain a transgene encoding the coat protein (CP) gene of a Scottish isolate of potato mop-top virus (PMTV). This transgene has been reported to confer strong resistance to the PMTV isolate from which the transgene sequence was derived and also to a second Scottish isolate. Plants of lines of the transgenic N. benthamiana were as resistant to two Swedish and two Danish PMTV isolates as to a Scottish isolate, and of five lines tested, greater than 93.5% of transgenic plants were immune. The coat protein gene sequences of these four Scandinavian isolates were very similar to those of the two Scottish isolates. The greatest divergence between the isolates was three amino acid changes and there was less than 2% change in CP gene nucleotide sequence. It is concluded that the PMTV CP transgene used in these experiments could confer resistance against isolates from different geographical areas because it is becoming apparent that the CP genes of PMTV isolates are highly conserved.     

Melanomacrophages in three species of free-ranging sharks from the northwestern Atlantic, the blue shark Prionacae glauca (L.), the shortfin mako, Isurus oxyrhinchus Rafinesque, and the thresher, Alopias vulpinus (Bonnaterre)

The melanomacrophage aggregates or cells (MMC) are commonly used as biomarkers of exposure to pollution in fish, albeit their numbers and morphological characteristics can be influenced not only by environmental toxins but also by a range of physiological parameters and pathological conditions. Accordingly, before we can use MMC as biomarkers in any fish species, their normal, 'background' characteristics have to be established in apparently healthy fish. The knowledge of MMC in sharks is minimal. The aim of this study was to characterize MMC from 51 free-ranging, large pelagic sharks from the northwestern Atlantic, including shortfin mako, Isurus oxyrhinchus , thresher, Alopias vulpinus and blue shark, Prionacae glauca . The rationale of this study was twofold. First, because, sharks have life histories predisposing them to the accumulation of environmental toxins they constitute good sentinel species of the health of the global marine ecosystem. Second, because many shark populations are in decline or threatened by extinction, we need to expand our understanding of their health status in order to develop appropriate protective measures. All sharks were collected by sports fishing gear between June and August in 2007. Their health condition was assessed by necropsy, morphometrics, and by microscopic examination of gonads, livers, spleens and kidneys. Routine, haematoxylin and eosin and/or Pearl's reagent-stained paraffin embedded sections were studied by light microscopy. Our results provide the first data on the morphometric and morphological characteristics of MMC in viscera of apparently healthy free-ranging sharks from the northwestern Atlantic.     

Transferring water from irrigation to higher valued uses: a case study of the Zhanghe irrigation system in China

The Zhanghe irrigation system (ZIS) is located in the Yangtze River Basin approximately 200 km west of Wuhan in Hubei Province. The reservoir was designed for multiple uses—irrigation, flood control, domestic water supply, industrial use, aquaculture, and hydropower. Over a period of more than 30 years a steadily increasing amount of water has been transferred from irrigation to other uses. Activities on the part of government, irrigation system managers, and farmers made this transfer possible with only modest decline in rice production. Most important factor was the steady increase in rice yields. The water pricing system provided an incentive for ZIS to reduce irrigation releases. With the steady decline in releases, farmers were forced to find ways to save water. Farmers improved existing ponds and built new ones to store water (improved infrastructure). Access to pond water on demand facilitated the adoption of alternate wetting and drying (technology) particularly in dry years. The establishment of volumetric pricing (price policy) and water user associations (institutions) may also have provided incentives for adoption of AWD, but more research is needed to establish their impact. These activities taken together can be seen as potentially complementary measures. Farmers received no direct compensation for the transfer of water, but recently farm taxes have been reduced or altogether abolished. Further reduction in water releases from the ZIS reservoir could adversely affect rice production in normal or dry years.     

生物炭添加量对冬小麦花后干物质积累及转运的影响

【目的】提高微咸水灌溉效率并降低土壤盐渍化风险。【方法】以冬小麦为研究对象,设计避雨条件下不同微咸水-生物炭处理(CK,淡水;B0,5 g/L微咸水;B15,5 g/L微咸水及15 t/hm²生物炭;B30,5 g/L微咸水及30 t/hm²生物炭;B45,5 g/L微咸水及45 t/hm²生物炭)的田间试验,探讨了微咸水灌溉下生物炭添加量对土壤特性和冬小麦花后干物质积累及转运的影响机制。【结果】生物炭添加后土壤表层(0~20 cm)体积质量降低了2.27%~8.33%,总孔隙度增加了4.52%~13.47%,有机质量增加了30.02%~111.12%,土壤表层(0~20 cm)及主根区(0~40 cm)钠吸附比降低了23.88%~33.27%和22.34%~30.80%;15 t/hm²能够促进盐分淋洗,降低了微咸水灌溉下土壤含盐量,然而高剂量时将加剧盐分累积。单独微咸水灌溉下冬小麦生长受抑,最终产量下降了12.04%。生物炭能够缓解盐胁迫下叶片早衰,促进光合作用能力,并增加花前干物质转运量及花后干物质积累量,进而获取了更高的籽粒质量和收获指数。B15、B30、B45处理的最终产量较B0处理分别增加9.18%、7.73%、2.74%。【结论】15 t/hm²添加量的生物炭效果最佳,可促进微咸水资源的农业利用。     

退化草地群落演替趋向研究进展

草地群落的退化演替以植物个体、种群与群落层次上植物的动态以及土壤理化性状的改变等现象为表征。主要从植物个体形态特征、草地退化模式、草地土壤养分变化等方面对退化的响应,探讨了草地退化演替的特征和趋势,建议今后对草地的退化演替机理、放牧生态学、恢复生态学、界面生态学及草地的价值评估等方面进行更深入的研究。     

Aerobic microbial respiration in 86-million-year-old deep-sea red clay

Microbial communities can subsist at depth in marine sediments without fresh supply of organic matter for millions of years. At threshold sedimentation rates of 1 millimeter per 1000 years, the low rates of microbial community metabolism in the North Pacific Gyre allow sediments to remain oxygenated tens of meters below the sea floor. We found that the oxygen respiration rates dropped from 10 micromoles of O(2) liter(-1) year(-1) near the sediment-water interface to 0.001 micromoles of O(2) liter(-1) year(-1) at 30-meter depth within 86 million-year-old sediment. The cell-specific respiration rate decreased with depth but stabilized at around 10(-3) femtomoles of O(2) cell(-1) day(-1) 10 meters below the seafloor. This result indicated that the community size is controlled by the rate of carbon oxidation and thereby by the low available energy flux.     

薇甘菊的分布危害、生物防治及资源化利用研究现状与展望

薇甘菊作为唯一一种全国林业检疫有害植物,由于其较强的攀援、繁殖扩散能力,以及极强的化感作用,对入侵地区的林农业发展产生了极大的危害;作为一种菊科植物薇甘菊有极强的资源化利用价值,在生物农药,药物等方面都有着广泛的利用前景。此文对薇甘菊的生物学特性、分布、适生区及危害进行介绍,对国内外薇甘菊生物防治及资源化利用的研究现状进行综述。