许家窑-侯家窑遗址年代学研究进展

人类的起源与演化一直是考古学及其他学科研究的重点。泥河湾盆地,是我国古人类文化的重要组成部分,在泥河湾盆地的许家窑-侯家窑遗址,正处于现代人起源、扩散的关键时期,为解决我国甚至东亚的现代人起源问题具有举足轻重的作用。前人对遗址进行过多次系统挖掘,开展了一系列不同方法的年代学工作,然而其文化层年代却有较大的争议。本文对许家窑-侯家窑遗址文化层的年代进行系统总结,通过对前人用不同测年方法获得年代进行综合对比。结果表明：不同方法测定的许家窑-侯家窑遗址文化层的年代差距过大,难以确定文化层的年代。许家窑-侯家窑遗址文化层的年代的不确定,严重影响了众多学者对于我国现代人起源的进一步研究。年代测量方法虽然众多,但是不同测年方法,有着不同的测年区间,因此后期需要根据许家窑-侯家窑遗址的年代区间来选择适合的测量方法,并使用不同材料来进行对比分析获得最为准确的年代。     

Microbial ecology of the soils of Indian desert

A comprehensive study on the microbial ecology of Indian desert soils was carried out. Although different groups of microorganisms e.g., fungi, actinomycetes, bacteria, Azotobacter and nitrifying bacteria were present, but in relatively low numbers, there was considerable variation in numbers from one site to another within the desert as the physicochemical characters of the soils varied. Actinomycetes formed a high proportion of the total microflora. In the majority of the soils, 80% of the fungal population belonged to the genera Aspergillus and Penicillium, while Gram-positive spore formers were the dominant group among bacteria. No significant decline in the population of microorganisms was observed during summer, in spite of high surface soil temperatures. Microbiological properties of these soils also varied depending on the type of land use pattern: grasslands, in general, supported higher numbers of microorganisms than three plantations, cultivated fields or barren land. Stabilization of shifting and sand dunes introduction of vegetation has markedly increased the soil microflora. In general the low organic matter content and poor moisture availability of desert soils were the major factors limiting optimum microbial activity.     

Differentiation in human chorionic villus cultures: hCG and hla expression

The present report describes methods to separate, culture, and study syncytio-cytotrophoblast and mesenchymal core of the first-trimester human chorionic villus. The cultured outer layer cells (syncytio-cytotrophoblast) are multinucleated, pleomorphic, and active in the formation of human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG). The mesenchymal core cells are more fibroblast-like in appearance, do not show multinucleation, and have less hCG in their culture media. Both cultured cell types express HLA (ABC) Class I histocompatibility antigens but not HLA (DR) Class II antigens. These and previous studies from this laboratory postulate different embryonic origins: (1) Syncytio-cytotrophoblast cultures of chorionic villus derive from differentiated trophoblast and preserve multinucleation as well as hCG hormone function. (2) Cells cultured from the chorionic villus core originate from extraembryonic mesenchyme. (3) Amniocytes (AF cells) cultured from amniotic fluid resemble the multipotential and early-stage trophoblast, retaining pleomorphism, multinucleation, and lacunae formation as well as production of hCG, progesterone, oestrogen, basement membrane glycoprotein, and Type IV collagen. These cell types cultured from the chorionic villus and amniotic fluid provide a means for in vitro study of specific embryonic cell lineages.     

Plant trees for the planet: the potential of forests for climate change mitigation and the major drivers of national forest area

Forests are one of the most cost-effective ways to sequester carbon today. Here, I estimate the world’s land share under forests required to prevent dangerous climate change. For this, I combine newest longitudinal data of FLUXNET on forests’ net ecosystem exchange of carbon (NEE) from 78 forest sites (N?=?607) with countries’ mean temperature and forest area. This straightforward approach indicates that the world’s forests sequester 8.3 GtCO₂year^?1. For the 2 °C climate target, the current forest land share has to be doubled to 60.0% to sequester an additional 7.8 GtCO₂year^?1, which demands less red meat consumption. This afforestation/reforestation (AR) challenge is achievable, as the estimated global biophysical potential of AR is 8.0 GtCO₂year^?1 safeguarding food supply for 10 billion people. Climate-responsible countries have the highest AR potential. For effective climate policies, knowledge on the major drivers of forest area is crucial. Enhancing information here, I analyze forest land share data of 98 countries from 1990 to 2015 applying causal inference (N?=?2494). The results highlight that population growth, industrialization, and increasing temperature reduce forest land share, while more protected forest and economic growth generally increase it. In all, this study confirms the potential of AR for climate change mitigation with a straightforward approach based on the direct measurement of NEE. This might provide a more valid picture given the shortcomings of indirect carbon stock-based inventories. The analysis identifies future regional hotspots for the AR potential and informs the need for fast and forceful action to prevent dangerous climate change.

     

Genetic structure of Mediterranean chukar (Alectoris chukar, Galliformes) populations: conservation and management implications

The chukar (Alectoris chukar, Galliformes) is a species hunted throughout its native range from the East Mediterranean to Manchuria and in the USA, which hosts the world’s largest introduced population. This study aims to investigate the genetic structure of Mediterranean chukar populations to aid management decisions. We genotyped 143 specimens at two regions of the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA: cytochrome b, control region) and eight loci of the microsatellite DNA. Samples were collected in northern (Limnos, Lesvos, Chios) and southern (Crete) Aegean islands (Greece) and Cyprus. We also carried out mtDNA-based comparison with chukars (n?=?124) from Asia (16 countries) and the USA (five states). We propose six management units for Mediterranean populations. Given their genetic integrity, Limnos and Cyprus, which host different subspecies, proved to be of primary conservation interest. We found exotic A. chukar mtDNA lineages in Lesvos, Chios and Crete and produced definitive genetic evidence for the Asian origin of the US chukars.     

Convergent life-history shifts: toxic environments result in big babies in two clades of poeciliids

The majority of studies on ecological speciation in animals have investigated the divergence caused by biotic factors like divergent food sources or predatory regimes. Here, we examined a system where ecological speciation can clearly be ascribed to abiotic environmental gradients of naturally occurring toxic hydrogen sulfide (H₂S). In southern Mexico, two genera of livebearing fishes (Poeciliidae: Poecilia and Gambusia) thrive in various watercourses with different concentrations of H₂S. Previous studies have revealed pronounced genetic differentiation between different locally adapted populations in one species (Poecilia mexicana), pointing towards incipient speciation. In the present study, we examined female reproductive life-history traits in two species pairs: Gambusia sexradiata (from a nonsulfidic and a sulfidic habitat) and Gambusia eurystoma (sulfide-endemic), as well as P. mexicana (nonsulfidic and sulfidic) and Poecilia sulphuraria (sulfide endemic). We found convergent divergence of life-history traits in response to sulfide; most prominently, extremophile poeciliids exhibit drastically increased offspring size coupled with reduced fecundity. Furthermore, within each genus, this trend increased with increasing sulfide concentrations and was most pronounced in the two endemic sulfur-adapted species. We discuss the adaptive significance of large offspring size in toxic environments and propose that divergent life-history evolution may promote further ecological divergence through isolation by adaptation.     

In vitro characteristics of human fetal cells obtained from chorionic villus sampling and amniocentesis

In vitro characteristics of human fetal cells have been investigated after chorionic villus sampling at the first trimester and amniocentesis at the second trimester of pregnancy. Light microscopy revealed heterogeneous morphology of cell types in both the chorionic villus culture and the amniotic fluid cultures. Based on the experiments performed, chorionic villus cells are more sensitive to pronase, trypsin, and versene during subculture and have a higher DNA content per single cell and release more [¹²⁵I]-Beta-human chorionic gonadotropin into culture medium than those found in amniotic fluid cells. The practical applications of this study are discussed.     

全球变暖背景下中亚兴都库什、喀喇昆仑及天山气候变化研究进展

中亚兴都库什、喀喇昆仑及天山山脉（HKT）是气候变化敏感区,其在全球变暖背景下的气候变化对区域生态和经济系统的稳定性及可持续发展有重要意义。目前对中亚高海拔地区的研究多集中于局部区域,有关HKT地区气候变化的综合对比分析较为缺乏。本文对HKT地区现代气候变化的相关研究成果进行简单梳理和回顾,重点总结了HKT地区气候变化特征、影响机制及其与全球变暖的联系。结果表明：（1）近60 a,HKT地区不同区域气候的时空特征存在差异,从时间上看,天山的年均温及年降水量均呈上升趋势,而兴都库什-喀喇昆仑山的年均温呈不显著增加趋势,其年降水量变化趋势不稳定;从空间上看,HKT地区山脉南坡气温高于北坡,但北坡降水量高于南坡,且天山南北坡年降水均呈上升趋势。（2）HKT地区的气候变化除了受西风环流、南亚印度季风及局地条件等影响外,还受到北大西洋涛动和厄尔尼诺-南方涛动等大尺度气候模态的调制,如兴都库什-喀喇昆仑山脉在NAO正（负）位相和ENSO暖（冷）位相降水趋于增加（减少）。     

Promiscuity in mice is associated with increased vaginal bacterial diversity

Differences in the number of sexual partners (i.e., mating system) have the potential to exert a strong influence on the bacterial communities present in reproductive structures like the vagina. Because this structure serves as a conduit for gametes, bacteria present there may have a pronounced, direct effect on host reproductive success. As a first step towards the identification of the relationship between sexual behavior and potentially pathogenic bacterial communities inhabiting vital reproductive structures, as well as their potential effects on fitness, I sought to quantify differences in bacterial diversity in a promiscuous and monogamous mammal species. To accomplish this, I used two sympatric species of Peromyscus rodents—Peromyscus californicus and Peromyscus maniculatus that differ with regard to the number of sexual partners per individual to test the hypothesis that bacterial diversity should be greater in the promiscuous P. maniculatus relative to the monogamous P. californicus. As predicted, phylogenetically controlled and operational taxonomic unit-based indices of bacterial diversity indicated that diversity is greater in the promiscuous species. These results provide important new insights into the effects of mating system on bacterial diversity in free-living vertebrates, and may suggest a potential cost of promiscuity.     

大气PM2.5及高脂饮食对哮喘发病影响的研究进展

大气PM_2.5暴露与呼吸系统疾病密切相关,高脂饮食是哮喘的诱因之一.近年来,哮喘发病率在我国呈上升趋势.对大气PM_2.5、高脂饮食及二者协同作用对哮喘发病的影响进行探讨,为哮喘的干预和治疗提供新思路.总结了PM_2.5暴露与高脂饮食对哮喘的影响以及哮喘的发病机制:①颗粒物暴露可引发机体炎症反应,增加哮喘发病风险;②高脂饮食可通过代谢活化机体内免疫相关信号通路,导致炎症发生;③二者均会通过MyD88/TLRs信号通路和Th1/Th2机制对哮喘炎症产生影响.研究显示,PM_2.5与高脂饮食对哮喘的作用机制具有一致性,二者对人群的健康影响可能具有协同作用.      

脱卤球菌纲(Dehalococcodia Class)在有机卤化物生物地球化学循环中的作用

脱卤球菌(Dehalococcoidia,Dia)纲是绿弯菌门下属八大纲之一.迄今为止,脱卤球菌纲中包含3个能进行严格厌氧有机卤化物呼吸的菌属:脱卤拟球菌(Dehalococcoides,Dhc)、脱卤单胞菌(Dehalogenimonas,Dhgm)及尚未正式命名的Candidatus"Dehalobium".当前关于脱卤拟球菌和脱卤单胞菌生理学、生物化学和生态学方面的研究,主要集中在从有机氯污染场地中富集或者分离出来的菌株方面.而越来越多的研究证据表明,能进行有机卤化物呼吸的脱卤球菌纲微生物不仅仅只存在于污染物产地,在各种环境(如海洋、淡水、陆地)中也能经常被检测和鉴定到.但脱卤球菌纲微生物在自然界生态系统中起到的重要作用尚未被完全揭示.本文旨在介绍和讨论被低估且未被充分研究的脱卤球菌纲微生物的生理生态特征及其潜在的生态学功能,从而引起研究人员更广泛的关注,鼓励跨学科研究来揭示这一类特殊微生物在有机卤化物生物地球化学循环中的重要作用.     

再生水补给型城市景观水体中抗生素抗性基因的污染特征——以圆明园为例

由于抗生素抗性基因(Antibiotic Resistance Genes,ARGs)对环境和人类健康存在潜在威胁而逐渐受到人们的重视,高人口密度城市中典型景观水体是ARGs储存库和传播媒介.本研究采用实时荧光定量PCR技术,研究了圆明园不同点位的ARGs污染情况和分布特征.结果表明:园区中ARGs的绝对丰度范围在n.d.(未检出)～1.08×10~9copies·L~(-1)之间;园区进水口目标ARGs的丰度低于末端,表明封闭的水体可能为ARGs的积累提供了理想培养基.在所检测基因中,磺胺类ARGs占主导,ARGs的绝对丰度依次为:sulIIsulImefAtetQtetMermB.磺胺类ARGs与指示微生物粪大肠菌群和大肠杆菌间存在显著相关性,表明指示微生物在ARGs的传播中可能起着关键作用.     

A new find of a Middle Pleistocene mandible from Bilzingsleben, Germany

 The Middle Pleistocene site at Bilzingsleben is being excavated by the Forschungsstelle Bilzingsleben, FSU Jena. It is a living floor with structures of settlement and a great number of Lower Palaeolithic cultural remains. So far, 28 human skull fragments have been discovered, which can be reconstructed into two individual skulls. Recently, the right mandible has also been discovered (Bilzingsleben E7). Morphological comparisons indicate that there is a great similarity to the mandibles of HI and BI of Sinanthropus. A strong likeness to Arago II and XIII was also discovered. There are various different archaic features which assign the Bilzingsleben mandible and the two skulls to the advanced Homo erectus. Received: 16 March 2000 / Accepted in revised form: 30 March 2000     

Spatial and seasonal variations in bacterial communities of the Yellow Sea by T-RFLP analysis

Four typical coastal sites (rocky shore, sandy shore, mud flat shore, and artificial harbor) at the Yellow Sea were chosen to investigate the spatial and seasonal variations in bacterial communities. This was accomplished by using terminal restriction fragment length polymorphism (T-RFLP) analysis of PCR amplified 16S rDNA fragments. Two kinds of tetrameric restriction enzymes, HhaI and MspI, were used in the experiment to depict the bacterial community diversity in different marine environments. It was found that the community compositions digested by the two enzymes separately were different. However, the results of bacterial community diversity derived from them were similar. The MDA analysis results of T-RFLP profiles coming from HhaI and MspI both exhibited a significant seasonal community shift for bacteria and a relatively low spatial variation among the four locations. With HhaI as the sample, the pair wise T-tests also revealed that variations were minor between each pair of marine environments, with R ranging from 0.198 to 0.349. However, the bacterial community structure in the mud flat site depicted a larger difference than each of the other three sites (R ranging from 0.282 to 0.349).     

Host manipulation by the orange leafhopper Cicadulina bipunctata: gall induction on distant leaves by dose-dependent stimulation

The evolution of the gall-inducing ability in insects and the adaptive significance of the galling habit have been addressed by many studies. Cicadulina bipunctata, the maize orange leafhopper, is an ideal study organism for evaluating these topics because it can be mass-reared and it feeds on model plants such as rice (Oryza sativa) and maize (Zea mays). To reveal differences between gall inductions by C. bipunctata and other gall inducers, we conducted four experiments concerning (a) the relationship between the feeding site and gall-induction sites of C. bipunctata on maize, (b) the effects of leafhopper sex and density, (c) the effects of length of infestation on gall induction, and (d) the effects of continuous infestation. C. bipunctata did not induce galls on the leaves where it fed but induced galls on other leaves situated at more distal positions. The degree of gall induction was significantly correlated with infestation density and length. These results indicate that C. bipunctata induces galls in a dose-dependent manner on leaves distant from feeding sites, probably by injecting chemical(s) to the plant during feeding. We suggest that insect galls are induced by a chemical stimulus injected by gall inducers during feeding into the hosts.     

基于GIS的关中地区仰韶至商周时期聚落时空分布及驱动力分析

关中地区是中国重要的史前聚落分布地之一,该区域内丰富的聚落文化遗存为研究史前人地关系提供了坚实的基础。本文以整个关中地区作为研究区域,从较大的时空尺度探讨遗址分布与自然环境之间的关系。系统收集了关中地区从仰韶至商周时期的考古遗址数据,利用ArcGIS技术提取了各时期遗址点高程、距河流远近、遗址面积等定量化数据,并且进行了最近邻分析以及核密度分析,从而系统研究了这一时期的聚落分布特征。研究结果表明：龙山时期的聚落遗址较仰韶时期海拔位置更高、距河流更远且分散化程度增加,商周时期关中东部聚落遗址点数量大幅减少,西部和中部遗址点分布更加集中。但不论是仰韶还是龙山时期,聚落遗址总体上都是西多东少,中部最为稀疏分散,至商周时期关中中部遗址才逐渐增多。基于此,本文试图从气候变化、洪水、农业发展以及早期政权发展等角度探究影响仰韶至商周时期的聚落分布变化的可能因素,从而揭示出史前人类聚落变迁对区域自然环境的响应与适应过程,同时超大型聚落中心以及早期国家的形成也影响了遗址分布格局。就本研究而言,气候变化是影响关中地区龙山时期的聚落遗址数量大幅减少、聚落位置分布格局发生变化的主要原因之一,而商周时期聚落遗址的分布变迁似乎更倾向于生产力发展的结果,或是出于政治、军事的目的。关中地区仰韶至商周时期聚落的分布变迁与自然环境变化以及聚落中心、早期政权发展密切相关,体现了人类与自然环境之间的博弈,也揭示出该地区史前社会的复杂化进程。今后的研究中,需要结合详细的现场调查数据,进一步加强区域自然变量的定量化研究和对人类社会系统的认识,从而更准确地把握人与自然的耦合关系。     

Real-Time PCR Detection of Norovirus in Mussels Collected from the Bosphorus in Istanbul,Turkey

Norovirus (NoV) is recognised as one of the most common causes of foodborne infections, and shellfish are a well-documented source of this virus. The presence of NoV in shellfish has not previously been investigated in Turkey, and hence the aim of this study was to determine the frequency of human NoV genogroups I and II in mussels collected from the Bosphorus, Istanbul, Turkey. A total of 320 mussels representing 110 samples originating along the Bosphorus coast were collected from fish distributors. RNA was extracted using the RNeasy Mini Kit and real-time RT–PCR performed using primers specific for NoV genogroup I and II. Amongst the 110 samples, 5 (4.5%) were found to be positive for NoV genogroup II by SYBR Green assay; no genogroup I was detected. A positive signal was obtained by SYBR Green for NoV Genogroup II in mussels collected in October, November and December 2008, and February and July 2009. Only four out of five SYBR Green positive samples could be confirmed by the use of a NoV GII probe-based real-time RT–PCR. The average count and SD of Enterobactericaeae, E. coli and sulphide reductase anaerobic bacteria in PCR positive mussels were 3.56 log ± 0.96 log, 2.32 log ± 0.77 log and 1.70 log ± 0.56 log, respectively. This study shows that NoV Genogroup II is present in mussels collected from the Bosphorus, Istanbul, and may constitute a risk to human health.     

化学电离技术在大气气溶胶质谱分析中的应用与展望

化学电离技术在大气气溶胶质谱分析中的应用已较为广泛.本文对化学电离质谱的结构与工作原理进行了简介,重点归纳总结了近年来化学电离质谱技术对大气自由基和痕量气体的测量、在有机气溶胶的外场观测和实验室研究中的应用与进展情况,探讨了目前研究中尚待解决的难点问题,并对化学电离质谱未来的研究工作及发展趋势进行了展望.     

西安市春季生物气溶胶的分布特征和健康影响

西安春季经常出现大量飞絮,易造成空气污染并引发居民哮喘等健康风险.采集西安市春季不同观测点(交通样点和校园样点)生物气溶胶、 PM_2.5和飞絮样品,通过恒温培养和高通量测序等方法研究可培养生物气溶胶的浓度变化、粒径分布,PM_2.5和飞絮携带的微生物的来源、群落结构和健康影响.结果表明,可培养细菌浓度在交通样点高于校园样点(P=0.027);交通样点可培养细菌浓度为真菌的2.7倍,而校园样点可培养真菌浓度高于细菌(1.4倍).可培养细菌和真菌日内最高浓度均出现在08:00;可培养细菌粒径呈双峰分布,真菌为单峰分布.土壤和植被是大气微生物的主要来源(占比85.9%),变形菌门(Proteobacteria)是飞絮和PM_2.5中共有的、丰度最高的菌门,在飞絮中占比达到91.3%(交通样点)和99.1%(校园样点);在PM_2.5样品中放线菌门(Actinobacteria)、厚壁菌门(Firmicutes)、拟杆菌门(Bacteroidetes)、蓝藻门(Cyanobacteria)和异常球菌-栖热菌门(D...