Does a parthenogenesis-inducing <Emphasis Type="Italic">Wolbachia</Emphasis> induce vestigial cytoplasmic incompatibility?

Wolbachia is a maternally inherited bacterium that manipulates the reproduction of its host. Recent studies have shown that male-killing strains can induce cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI) when introgressed into a resistant host. Phylogenetic studies suggest that transitions between CI and other Wolbachia phenotypes have also occurred frequently, raising the possibility that latent CI may be widespread among Wolbachia. Here, we investigate whether a parthenogenesis-inducing Wolbachia strain can also induce CI. Parthenogenetic females of the parasitoid wasp Asobara japonica regularly produce a small number of males that may be either infected or not. Uninfected males were further obtained through removal of the Wolbachia using antibiotics and from a naturally uninfected strain. Uninfected females that had mated with infected males produced a slightly, but significantly more male-biased sex ratio than uninfected females that had mated with uninfected males. This effect was strongest in females that mated with males that had a relatively high Wolbachia titer. Quantitative PCR indicated that infected males did not show higher ratios of nuclear versus mitochondrial DNA content. Wolbachia therefore does not cause diploidization of cells in infected males. While these results are consistent with CI, other alternatives such as production of abnormal sperm by infected males cannot be completely ruled out. Overall, the effect was very small (9%), suggesting that if CI is involved it may have degenerated through the accumulation of mutations.     

稳定性同位素DNA-SIP示踪中性紫色土的氨氧化过程

研究表明酸性土壤中氨氧化作用主要是由氨氧化古菌(ammonia-oxidizing archaea,AOA)催化进行;而在中性和碱性土壤中则主要是由氨氧化细菌(ammonia-oxidizing bacteria,AOB)主导.虽然AOA在中性土壤中具有很高的丰度,但其对硝化过程的贡献仍不清楚.因此本文选取p H为7. 2的中性紫色土为研究对象,通过稳定性同位素核酸探针技术结合克隆测序探究中性紫色土中活性氨氧化微生物群落组成.结果表明中性紫色土的净硝化速率为9. 68 mg·(kg·d)~(-1),AOA和AOB在中性紫色土中均有较高的丰度且共同推动硝化作用的进行.系统发育分析结果表明培养初期(0d)在数量上占优势的AOB为Nitrosospira Cluster 3a. 1,而Nitrosospira Cluster 3a. 2只占较小的一部分,经过56d的培养后Nitrosospira Cluster 3a. 2替代了Nitrosospira Cluster 3a. 1成为主导氨氧化的活性AOB.培养初期(0d)在数量上占优势的AOA是Nitrososphaera Subcluster 9,但经过培养后变为Nitrososphaera Subcluster 3. 2/3. 3.在培养期间AOA和AOB的群落结构均发生了改变.对~(13)C标记DNA的测序分析证明AOA和AOB在硝化过程中都起着重要作用,主导氨氧化的活性AOA和AOB主要分别隶属于Nitrososphaera Subcluster 3. 2/3. 3和Nitrosospira Cluster 3a. 2.本研究明确了AOA及AOB对中性紫色土氨氧化过程的推动作用并从微生物层面探究硝化作用的发生机制,为进一步研究紫色土中硝化作用提供理论基础.     

Adaptation to climate change: the attitudes of stakeholders in the livestock industry

It is now widely accepted that climate change is happening and that future changes will impact on many aspects of society, including agriculture. To maintain food supplies, the agricultural industry must address climate change adaptation. Key to this is the attitudes of those within the industry likely to have responsibility for adapting. This study investigated stakeholder attitudes towards adaptation to climate change in the livestock industry. Findings reveal four attitudinal groups. First, there is a ‘farmer-focused group’ that has a positive attitude about the ability of livestock farmers to adapt to climate change, but that also has the opinion that they will need additional support to adapt. Second, there is an ‘incentive for enterprise, anti-GM (genetic modification) group’ with an attitudinal position stressing that the government should have a role in implementing regulations and providing finance. This group has a negative attitude towards GM technology and does not think it will be the answer to climate change. Third, there is an ‘information and education group’ whose attitude is that the provision of information is crucial for ensuring that the livestock industry adapts. Fourth, there is a ‘pro-technology group’ who have a positive attitude towards GM technology and who are therefore willing to embrace it as the route to adaptation. Three of these four groups favour soft adaptations that maintain flexibility within the system, and only the fourth is of the opinion that adaptive capacity is not an issue and that the industry is ready to implement hard adaptations.     

“Winter” aggregations, colony cycle, and seasonal phenotypic change in the paper wasp Polistes versicolor in subtropical Brazil

Social wasps from temperate zones have clear annual colony cycles, and the young queens hibernate during winter. In the subtropics, the only previously reported evidence for the existence of “hibernation” is the facultative winter aggregations of females during harsh climate conditions. As in temperate-zone species analyzed so far, we show in this study that in the paper wasp, Polistes versicolor, a subtropical species, body size increases as an unfavorable season approaches. Our morphological studies indicate that larger females come from winter aggregations—that is, they are new queens. Multivariate analyses indicate that size is the only variable analyzed that shows a relationship to the differences. Given the absence of a harsh climate, we suggest that the occurrence of winter aggregations in tropical P. versicolor functions to allow some females to wait for better environmental conditions to start a new nest, rather than all being obliged to start a new nest as soon as they emerge.     

Rheum palaestinum (desert rhubarb), a self-irrigating desert plant

The rare plant Rheum palaestinum (Polygonaceae) is a perennial hemicryptophyte that grows during the rainy winter in desert mountainous areas in Israel and Jordan that receive an average annual rainfall of ca. 75 mm. It produces between one and four large round leaves that are tightly attached to the ground and form large rosettes of up to 1 m². These leaves differ markedly from the typical small leaves of most desert plants. Moreover, they have a unique 3D morphology resembling a scaled-down mountainous area with well-developed steep drainage systems, raising the question which selective agents were involved in their evolution. We propose that the large leaves collect rainwater that then infiltrates the soil surrounding the root. We measured the seasonal course of leaf growth, examined the area of wet soil surrounding the root after actual and simulated rain, and modeled the water harvesting capacity using the plant leaf area and the weekly precipitation. We show that even in the slightest rains, water flows above the veins to the leaf’s base where it irrigates the vertical root. A typical plant harvests more than 4,100 cm³ of water per year, and enjoys a water regime of about 427 mm/year, equivalent to the water supply in a Mediterranean climate. This is the first example of self-irrigation by large leaves in a desert plant, creating a leaf-made mini oasis. All authors contributed equally to this paper.     

北京大气颗粒物和重金属铅干沉降通量及季节变化

为了解大气颗粒物和重金属铅(Pb)干沉降通量的变化规律,采用聚氨酯泡沫膜片为代用面联合干湿沉降自动观测设备,于2013年12月~2014年11月在北京城区采集了颗粒物干沉降,利用微波消解和电感耦合等离子体质谱仪对样品中全量Pb和水溶性Pb进行了测试分析.结果表明,北京大气颗粒物和Pb干沉降通量分别为0.84 t·(hm~2·a)~(-1)和7.56mg·(m~2·a)~(-1),呈现出春季冬季秋季~夏季的特征.大气颗粒物中水溶性Pb干沉降通量为3.14 mg·(m~2·a)~(-1),占Pb干沉降总量的43%,这一比例呈现出冬春季高于夏秋季的特征.人为源排放不仅增加了大气颗粒物和Pb的干沉降通量,也改变了水溶性Pb干沉降通量的季节分布.研究结果对科学评估重金属沉降的生态影响和健康效应提供了科学基础,同时凸显了消减人为源重金属排放的重要性.     

基于深度学习的华东地区PM2.5浓度遥感反演

PM_2.5作为大气污染的主要来源,对人类身体健康有着极大的影响.本文提出基于深度学习模型的多要素联合PM_2.5反演方法,以PM_2.5浓度作为真值数据,引入Himawari气溶胶光学厚度（AOD）日数据产品与温度、相对湿度和气压等10个要素作为反演要素.为验证方法的有效性,采用华东地区2016~2018年的数据分季节开展实验,并与传统反演方法进行对比.结果表明,PM_2.5浓度与AOD、降水、风速、高植被覆盖指数呈正相关关系,与矮植被覆盖指数呈负相关关系,与温度、湿度、气压以及DEM的相关性随季节的变化而改变;基于深层神经网络（DNN）反演的PM_2.5精度高于传统的线性和非线性模型,各个季节R²均在0.5以上并且误差较小,其中秋季的反演效果最好R²为0.86,夏季为0.75,冬季为0.613,春季为0.566;模型的可视化结果显示,DNN模型的反演结果更接近地面监测站点插值的PM_2.5浓度分布,分辨率更高且更精确.     

Armoured spiderman: morphological and behavioural adaptations of a specialised araneophagous predator (Araneae: Palpimanidae)

In a predator–prey system where both intervenients come from the same taxon, one can expect a strong selection on behavioural and morphological traits involved in prey capture. For example, in specialised snake-eating snakes, the predator is unaffetced by the venom of the prey. We predicted that similar adaptations should have evolved in spider-eating (araneophagous) spiders. We investigated potential and actual prey of two Palpimanus spiders (P. gibbulus, P. orientalis) to support the prediction that these are araneophagous predators. Specific behavioural adaptations were investigated using a high-speed camera during staged encounters with prey, while morphological adaptations were investigated using electron microscopy. Both Palpimanus species captured a wide assortment of spider species from various guilds but also a few insect species. Analysis of the potential prey suggested that Palpimanus is a retreat-invading predator that actively searches for spiders that hide in a retreat. Behavioural capture adaptations include a slow, stealthy approach to the prey followed by a very fast attack. Morphological capture adaptations include scopulae on forelegs used in grabbing prey body parts, stout forelegs to hold the prey firmly, and an extremely thick cuticle all over the body preventing injury from a counter bite of the prey. Palpimanus overwhelmed prey that was more than 200% larger than itself. In trials with another araneophagous spider, Cyrba algerina (Salticidae), Palpimanus captured C. algerina in more than 90% of cases independent of the size ratio between the spiders. Evidence indicates that both Palpimanus species possesses remarkable adaptations that increase its efficiency in capturing spider prey.     

The European land leech: biology and DNA-based taxonomy of a rare species that is threatened by climate warming

The European land leech Xerobdella lecomtei was discovered in 1868 and is one of the rarest animals on Earth. During the 1960s, several individuals of these approx. 40 mm long, cold-adapted terrestrial annelids that inhabit the moist soils of birch forests around Graz, Austria, were investigated. Only one original research paper has been published on the biology of this species. Between 2001 and 2005, we re-investigated the morphology of preserved specimens and searched for living individuals in their natural habitat that appeared to be intact. We found only one juvenile individual (length approx. 10 mm), indicating that this local leech population became largely extinct over the past four decades. The feeding behaviour of our ‘lonesome George of the annelids’ was studied and is described here in detail. After its death, the Xerobdella individual was used for chemical extraction and molecular studies (deoxyribonucleic acid [DNA] barcoding, based on one gene, the mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I). In addition, novel DNA barcodes for a land leech from Madagascar and a recently discovered species from Europe were obtained. Our phylogenetic tree shows that X. lecomtei is not a member of the tropical land leeches (family Haemadipsidae), as previously thought, but represents a separate line of descent (family Xerobdellidae). The decline of the local leech population around Graz correlates with a rise in average summer temperatures of +3°C between 1961 and 2004. This warming led to a drastic reduction in the moisture content of the soil where X. lecomtei lives. We suggest that human-induced climate change without apparent habitat destruction can lead to the extinction of populations of cold-adapted species that have a low colonization ability.     

崇明东滩大型底栖动物食源的稳定同位素示踪

利用稳定同位素示踪技术,对崇明东滩盐沼湿地夏季不同生境大型底栖动物的食物来源和营养结构进行了初步研究。结果显示,表层沉积有机质稳定碳、氮同位素组成分别在-21.3‰~-24.2‰、4.6‰~5.6‰,不同生境下存在一定差异。植物体各组织的同位素值存在差异,在判别食物来源时需要注意,不能简单地以植物叶片值来代替整个植株。大型底栖动物的δ¹³C值为-14.7‰~-23.6‰,表现出食物来源的差异。总体上说,湿地优势植物的活植物体不是大型底栖动物的主要食物来源,沉积有机质是大部分底栖消费者的食物基础。底栖动物的氮同位素能较好地反映其食性和营养级,计算出崇明东滩大型底栖动物营养级在2.0~3.7,为一级消费者和二级消费者。     

中国燃煤电厂大气污染物排放的健康影响特征

基于全国高分辨率燃煤电厂排放数据库,利用全球-区域嵌套的大气化学伴随模式GEOS-Chem Adjoint,分析了全国各电网区域不同类型燃煤机组对PM_(2.5)污染相关健康影响的贡献.结果发现,2010年中国燃煤电厂大气污染物排放产生的PM_(2.5)污染导致10. 6万人(95%CI:6. 8~13. 2万人)过早死亡,占全国人为源PM_(2.5)污染相关过早死亡人数的9. 8%.其中,小型机组和老旧机组的健康损失强度(定义为单位发电量导致的过早死亡人数)显著高于大型机组和新建机组.装机容量小于100 MW机组的健康损失强度达到62人·(TW·h)~(-1),是装机容量600 MW以上机组的2. 8倍.类似地,投运年限超过30 a的老旧机组的健康损失强度为58人·(TW·h)~(-1),是投运年限5 a以内新机组的2. 1倍.在电网层面,华中电网的健康损失强度较大,达到77人·(TW·h)~(-1).进一步分析跨电网区域电力输送隐含的健康损失发现,2010年跨电网输电导致燃煤电厂健康损失较无跨电网输电情景增加过早死亡680人.本研究结果表明我国应当加快小型机组和老旧机组的淘汰步伐,降低燃煤电厂的污染健康影响,同时通过优化区域间输电结构,减少整体污染健康损失水平.     

New postcrania of Deccanolestes from the Late Cretaceous of India and their bearing on the evolutionary and biogeographic history of euarchontan mammals

Extant species of the supraordinal mammal clade Euarchonta belong to the orders Primates, Scandentia, or Dermoptera. The fossil record of euarchontans suggests that they underwent their initial radiation during the Paleocene (65–55 million years ago) in North America, Eurasia, and Africa. The time and place of origin is poorly resolved due to lack of definitive fossils of euarchontan stem taxa. We describe a fragmentary humerus and two fragmentary ulnae from the latest Cretaceous of India that bear significantly on this issue. The fossils are tentatively referred to Deccanolestes cf. hislopi due to their small size and the fact that Deccanolestes is the only eutherian dental taxon to have been recovered from the same locality. The new fossils are used to evaluate the existing behavioral hypothesis that Deccanolestes was arboreal, and the competing phylogenetic hypotheses that Deccanolestes is a stem eutherian versus a stem euarchontan. The humerus resembles those of euarchontans in possessing a laterally keeled ulnar trochlea, a distinct zona conoidea, and a spherical capitulum. These features also suggest an arboreal lifestyle. The ulnar morphology is consistent with that of the humerus in reflecting an arboreal/scansorial animal. Detailed quantitative comparisons indicate that, despite morphological correlates to euarchontan-like arboreality, the humerus of Deccanolestes is morphologically intermediate between those of Cretaceous “condylarthran” mammals and definitive Cenozoic euarchontans. Additionally, humeri attributed to adapisoriculids are morphologically intermediate between those of Deccanolestes and definitive euarchontans. If adapisoriculids are euarchontans, as recently proposed, our results suggest that Deccanolestes is more basal. The tentative identification of Deccanolestes as a basal stem euarchontan suggests that (1) Placentalia began to diversify and Euarchonta originated before the Cretaceous–Tertiary boundary and (2) the Indian subcontinent, Eurasia, and Africa are more likely places of origin for Euarchonta than is North America.     

锰矿区雨水径流中重金属含量及污染水平的空间结构特征

运用地统计学方法对湘潭市锰矿红旗矿区雨水径流中重金属含量及污染水平的空间结构特征进行了分析研究.结果表明,锰矿区雨水径流中Mn、Ni、Cu、Zn、Cd、Pb含量的最大值与最小值之间差异较大,Ni、Cu、Cd、Pb的变异系数在0.7~1.0之间,表现出中等变异性,Mn和Zn的变异系数大于1.0,表现出强变异性.空间结构分析表明,除Cd外,Mn、Ni、Cu、Zn、Pb的拟合效果均比较理想,6种元素的拟合模型的决定系数R2介于0.540~0.895之间,块金值与基台值的比值C0/(C0+C)均小于0.4,具有较强的空间相关性.空间分布图表明,元素Mn、Ni、Cd、Pb的分布较相似,元素Cu和Zn的分布很相似且以某块区域为中心向四周逐步递减.污染指数及其空间分析表明,矿区内大部分区域的雨水径流中存在中度重金属污染,东部沿线区域的存在着严重的重金属污染,仅少量地方不存在重金属污染,重金属污染从低到高的顺序为Zn、Ni、Cu、Pb、Mn、Cd.从环境风险和人体健康的角度来看,应将Cd元素作为需要优先治理和控制的重金属.     

Volcanic mercury in Pinus canariensis

Mercury (Hg) is a toxic element that is emitted to the atmosphere by both human activities and natural processes. Volcanic emissions are considered a natural source of mercury in the environment. In some cases, tree ring records taken close to volcanoes and their relation to volcanic activity over time are contradictory. In 1949, the Hoyo Negro volcano (La Palma-Canary Islands) produced significant pyroclastic flows that damaged the nearby stand of Pinus canariensis. Recently, 60 years after the eruption, we assessed mercury concentrations in the stem of a pine which survived volcano formation, located at a distance of 50 m from the crater. We show that Hg content in a wound caused by pyroclastic impacts (22.3 μg kg^?1) is an order of magnitude higher than the Hg concentrations measured in the xylem before and after the eruption (2.3 μg kg^?1). Thus, mercury emissions originating from the eruption remained only as a mark—in pyroclastic wounds—and can be considered a sporadic and very high mercury input that did not affect the overall Hg input in the xylem. In addition, mercury contents recorded in the phloem (9.5 μg kg^?1) and bark (6.0 μg kg^?1) suggest that mercury shifts towards non-living tissues of the pine, an aspect that can be related to detoxification in volcanism-adapted species.     

Governance in vulnerability assessment: the role of globalising decision-making networks in determining local vulnerability and adaptive capacity

Community-based vulnerability assessment has often assumed that the local is the relevant level of adaptation to climate change. This paper suggests that not only do a number of levels from the international to the regional influence which adaptations can take place locally, but the governance network that is made up by actors on different levels may to a large extent be formed in responses to globalising factors, such as internationalisation of economies and the changing role of the state. The paper presents a study of adaptation in reindeer (Rangifier tarandus) herding, forestry and fishing communities in northern Norway, Sweden, and Finland, with a focus on assessing stakeholders’ own perceptions of environmental, socio-political and economic factors that affect them. In general, the paper illustrates the integration of non-subsistence economies into large and complex interactions where local adaptation is a result of the sum of stresses impacting individual entrepreneurs, and the potential they have to adapt their practices given governance (and their access to support) on different scales.

微生物燃料电池恒电流预培养阳极生物膜分析表征

阳极性能是影响微生物燃料电池(Microbial Fuel Cells,MFCs)性能的关键因素之一,同时阳极的接种挂膜过程是影响微生物燃料电池启动效率的关键因素.因此,本课题组提出了预培养阳极作为微生物燃料电池的一种新型阳极的概念,在三电极体系下,通过外加恒定电流预培养阳极,在不同条件下对阳极表面进行电化学选择和生物膜驯化以丰富生物膜结构和厚度.结果表明,阳极的性能与预培养电流大小密切相关,预培养阳极CF-4i(外加4 A·m-2电流密度)通过循环伏安法、塔菲尔曲线、电化学阻抗谱测试,性能好于其他测试组及对照组,装配阳极CF-4i的微生物燃料电池能实现最大功率密度968.20 m W·m-2,是对照组的2.53倍.同时,通过共聚焦显微镜观察发现,生物膜大体分两层,外层的活细胞及内层的死细胞,外层活细胞长在内层死细胞之上.这种结构分布表明,阳极生物膜中的活细胞部分绝大多数都分布于生物膜的外侧,而不是均布于整个阳极生物膜中;同时这也表明不是整个阳极生物膜都具有新陈代谢活性,但死亡的细胞可以继续积累在电极表面附近,活的外层膜负责电流的产生,而内层的死细胞作为一种导电基质.     

Atomic force microscopy study on the microtopography of natural organic matter and newly formed hydrous MnO2

To understand the water purification mechanism of potassium permanganate as a coagulation-aid during the preoxidation process, the microtopography of its reductive products, the newly formed hydrous manganese dioxide and the aged hydrous manganese dioxide, was investigated. The morphology of natural organic matter (NOM) adsorbed by the newly formed hydrous manganese dioxide was also compared with that of NOM alone. By using the tapping mode atomic force microscopy (AFM), the observation results show that the newly formed hydrous manganese dioxide possess a perforated sheet (with a thickness of 0–1.75 nm) as well as some spherical particle structures compared with the hydrous manganese dioxide with 2 h aging time, which demonstrated that the newly formed hydrous manganese dioxide had a large surface area and adsorption capacity. When 1 mmol/L newly formed hydrous manganese dioxide was added, the microtopography of NOM molecules shifted from a loosely dispersed pancake shape (with adsorption height of 5–8.5 nm) to a densely dispersed and uniform spherical structure. These results provide a valid proof that it is the perfect adsorption capability of the newly formed hydrous manganese dioxide that might result in the coagulation aid effect of potassium permanganate preoxidation. Translated from Environmental Science, 2006, 27(5): 945–949 [译自: 环境科学]     

TiO2诱导下左旋氧氟沙星的可见光降解及其机制

左旋氧氟沙星是一种新型污染物.单一的左旋氧氟沙星(LFV)和Ti O2无可见光响应,但二者共存下左旋氧氟沙星能发生显著的可见光降解.为此研究Ti O2用量、溶液p H以及左旋氧氟沙星浓度对Ti O2/Vis(可见光)降解左旋氧氟沙星的影响及机制.结果表明,左旋氧氟沙星能吸附在Ti O2表面,吸附服从准二级吸附动力学和Langmuir吸附等温线.吸附左旋氧氟沙星的Ti O2漫反射UV-Vis光谱进一步表明二者形成表面复合物.左旋氧氟沙星的Ti O2/Vis降解动力学符合LangmuirHinshelwood方程.合适的Ti O2浓度和中性p H有利于光解过程的进行.自由抑制实验、N2保护下左旋氧氟沙星的Ti O2/Vis降解实验揭示·O-2是该过程中的主要活性物种.同时,无氧左旋氧氟沙星-Ti O2悬浮液光照不同时间的UV-Vis光谱证明体系中存在电子向Ti O2导带的注入.依据实验结果提出吸附在Ti O2表面的左旋氧氟沙星与Ti O2形成表面复合物,在可见光照下发生电子迁移,从而引发左旋氧氟沙星降解.本研究表明利用污染与Ti O2形成表面复合物诱导其可见光降解可用来去除水中某些有机污染物.     

2009~2018年贵阳市阿哈水库水质时空变化特征分析

为更好了解贵阳市饮用水源地阿哈水库的水质动态变化规律,对近10年来（2009～2018）库区及主要支流的水质、水文气象数据进行系统分析研究。结果表明：受水文气象及藻类生长的周期性影响,阿哈水库库区及支流水体的营养盐、透明度（SD）、叶绿素a （Chl.a）均呈季节性变化。阿哈水库水质以III类为主,库中水质（超标率为19.82%）优于库东（超标率为45.05%）。综合营养状态指数（TLI）分析表明,阿哈水库水体处于中营养至轻度富营养状态,近年来水质有所改善。入库支流水质优劣顺序为：游鱼河>白岩河>蔡冲河>金钟河,主要表现为总磷（TP）和氨氮（NH₃-N）超标。Pearson相关性分析表明,库区Chl.a和NH₃-N、高锰酸盐指数（COD_Mn）、气温、降雨量、日照时数等呈显著正相关,和SD、水位、气压呈显著负相关。主成分分析表明,藻类生长主要受控于水文气象因子。当前,加大金钟河等入库支流外源污染整治力度,是提升库区水质的关键。未来应加强水文、气象因子作用于藻类水华的过程机制研究,提升藻华应急处理能力。