Morphophysiological and Population Adaptations ofAjuga reptansL. at the Northern Boundary of Its Range

The results of comprehensive morphophysiological and population studies on Ajuga reptansL., a species of the nemoral floristic complex, at the northern boundary of its range (in the middle taiga subzone of the Komi Republic) are reviewed. Adaptations at the cell, organism, and biocenotic levels are revealed. The maintenance and survival of the species at the boundary of its range are provided for by its physiological plasticity, resistance to low temperatures, and multiple variants of ontogeny. Prognosis of Ajuga reptansfuture status under conditions of global climate change and expansion of anthropogenically disturbed areas is favorable.     

半刚性护栏受冲击载荷时力学行为数值模拟

对一个给定的半刚性护栏的设计结构进行抗冲击能力评价,同时对车辆质心与护栏悬挂点之间的距离参数进行优化.采用Abaqus 6.5软件对弹塑性大变形动力学接触问题进行有限元数值计算,给出了不同质心高度和不同质量车辆与护栏系统碰撞时车辆的最大外向位移,比较了车辆质心不同高度对应的冲击载荷下护栏系统吸收能量的特性.同时计算和讨论了车辆与地面的摩擦系数对护栏系统行为的影响.数值计算结果表明,给定的护栏系统设计能够有效拦阻和引导质量为1 500 kg、时速80 km/h的失控汽车; 在拦阻质量为10 000 kg、40 km/h时速的失控车辆时也比较成功,但不能使之回到正常行驶路线上.车身质心与护栏悬挂点相对距离为0.6 m时,护栏系统能在与车体碰撞时发挥最佳吸能效果.     

参数对2A12铝合金微动疲劳局部塑性影响分析

目的研究局部塑性对微动疲劳的影响。方法建立2A12铝合金圆柱/平面微动疲劳有限元模型,考虑塑性作用进行有限元分析,研究微动疲劳参数对局部塑性的影响。结果局部塑性变形发生在试件表面或次表面,最大等效塑性变形随着微动垫半径的减小而增大。随着轴向应力的增加,最大切向应力增加;随着摩擦系数的增加,剪应力的最大值急剧增加,粘着区增加,滑移区减小,但摩擦系数对整个接触区的大小没有影响。结论微动疲劳参数对局部塑性有一定的影响。     

胚胎期及哺乳期全氟辛烷磺酸盐(PFOS)暴露对大鼠长时程突触可塑性影响的miRNA组学研究

为探讨PFOS胚胎期及哺乳期暴露对动物子代学习记忆能力影响的分子机理,采用微小RNA(miRNA)芯片技术检测PFOS胚胎期及哺乳期暴露对出生第1和7天大鼠脑组织miRNA表达的影响,分析突触可塑性相关miRNA表达的差异变化。结果显示,经PFOS暴露后出生第1和7天的大鼠脑组织中分别有24和17个miRNA发生显著性差异表达(p<0.05),其中与突触传递和神经递质转运等相关的miRNA的差异表达最为显著,主要包括miR-466b、miR-672、miR-297、miR-674-3p和miR-207。差异表达miRNA的路径分析显示出生后1和7d的大鼠的长时程增强效应(LTP)均受PFOS显著影响(p<0.05),这说明PFOS胚胎期及哺乳期暴露可能通过影响LTP的形成、发展和维持过程对大鼠子代大脑学习记忆能力造成威胁,并且miR-466b、miR-672、miR-297、miR-674-3p和miR-207可能参与了其中的调控过程。     

Genotypic, size and morphological diversity of virioplankton in a deep oligomesotrophic freshwater lake (Lac Pavin, France)

We examined changes in morphological and genomic diversities of viruses by means of transmission electronic microscopy and pulsed field gel electrophoresis(PFGE) over a nine-month period(April–December 2005) at four different depths in the oligomesotrophic Lac Pavin. We found that the majority of viruses in this lake belonged to the family of Siphoviridae or were untailed, with capsid sizes ranging from 30 to 60 nm, and exhibited genome sizes ranging from 15 to 45 kb. On average, 12 different genotypes dominated each of the PFGE fingerprints. The highest genomic viral richness was recorded in summer(mean = 14 bands per PFGE fingerprint) and in the epilimnion(mean = 13 bands per PFGE fingerprint). Among the physico-chemical and biological variables considered, the availability of the hosts appeared to be the main factor regulating the variations in the viral diversity.     

Patterns of brood division and an absence of behavioral plasticity in a neotropical passerine

Studies of parental behavior in various habitats provide an opportunity to gain insight into how different environments may mold strategies of parental care. Brood division by parents has been hypothesized to occur facultatively within and among species. Brood division occurs when each parent cares for specific offspring within a brood. We studied brood division in a neotropical passerine, the western slaty antshrike (Thamnophilus atrinucha). Our results present a unique picture of a highly specialized example of avian brood division. Division was a fixed behavioral pattern in the population studied: all broods divided by fledging and remained divided during the entire post-fledging period. Brood division before fledging, a previously unreported phenomenon, occurred in 40% of nests observed. Parents that preferentially fed a certain offspring (defined as their focal offspring) in the nest fed the same individual after fledging. Each parent fed only its focal offspring in broods of one and two. The male parent cared for the heavier offspring and the first offspring to leave the nest. Siblings were segregated spatially during the time of highest predation risk. These observations suggest that a consistently high risk of predation on offspring has favored initial spatial segregation and inflexibility of brood division behavior in this species. Factors other than predation risk alone may explain the observed patterns of long-term, perfect brood division. Because high predation is common and relatively predictable in the tropics, selection for fixed brood division may be stronger in tropical birds than in the temperate zone.     

土壤水分对外来入侵植物五爪金龙植株表型可塑性和化感作用的影响

外来入侵植物五爪金龙（Ipomoea cairica）对华南地区的生态环境造成严重危害,表型可塑性可增强外来物种的入侵能力。本文通过盆栽试验研究土壤含水量为10%、20%和30%对外来入侵植物五爪金龙种子萌发、植株表型可塑性和化感作用的影响,探讨五爪金龙对土壤水分变化的响应机理,为进一步了解五爪金龙的入侵机理和提高对入侵种的预警和控制能力提供理论依据。结果表明,（1）在土壤含水量为10%,20%和30%条件下,五爪金龙种子的萌发率分别为15.2%、36.4%和33.6%。五爪金龙种子的萌发率随土壤含水量的增加而增加,尤其是在土壤含水量为30%时,五爪金龙种子萌发率最高。（2）土壤含水量为10%、20%和30%时,五爪金龙植株的总生物量分别为0.88、2.26和2.42 g。与土壤含水量为10%相比,土壤含水量为20%和30%条件下五爪金龙的总生物量分别增加了156.8%和175.0%,表明土壤水分增加显著增加了五爪金龙的总生物量。土壤含水量增加显著增加了五爪金龙的叶面积、叶生物量比、比叶面积和茎长,同时减少了根生物量比和根冠比,而对茎生物量比无显著影响。（3）相同浓度的五爪金龙水浸提液对受体植物莴苣（Lactuca sativa）和萝卜（Raphanus sativus）根长和苗高生长的化感抑制作用随着土壤含水量的减少而增强。研究表明：五爪金龙通过改变生物量分配模式和化感潜力对土壤水分变化有一定的适应能力。     

Ecotypes diversity in autumn olive (Elaeagnus umbellata Thunb): A single plant with multiple micronutrient genes

Elaeagnus umbellata, a member of the Elaeagnaceae family, is native to Pakistan, China, India, Korea, and Japan. It is found commonly at altitudes ranging from 1200 to 2100 m and thrives on eroded and degraded land due to its ability to fix nitrogen. The plant also grows under variable pH (4-8) and drought, and is used locally as fuel wood, fencing, fodder, basket making, and shelterbelts. The fruit of the plant is well known for its essential nutrients and medicinal compounds such as vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids, carotenoids (lycopene), soluble solids, and sugars. Medicinally, it is widely believed to protect against myocardial infections, pulmonary infections, and various forms of cancers. Ten ecotypes from variable microclimatic conditions were investigated for their morphological, molecular and biochemical diversity improvement and commercialization purposes. Comparisons and disabilities indicated significant variability in terms of morphological (plant height, number of branches, thorn size and number, leaf area, fruit size, 100 fruit weight, and yield), molecular (SDS-PAGE), and micro- and macronutrient (vitamin C, Fe, mg, P, Na, K, essential oils, and sugar) bases among the ecotypes. This variability will be helpful in developing commercial varieties of the plant utilizing the conventional techniques of selection and hybridization for economic activities. The plant has ample quantities of multiple micronutrients, thus indicating their expression through a powerful promoter at one place (fruit mesocarp). Efforts to identify and isolate the micronutrient genes (vitamin A, C, E, and Fe), the deficiency of which causes malnutrition and disabilities within the population of developing countries. Micronutrient genes have also been initiated for their characterization and future transformation into staple food crops for stable bio-fortification.     

Ecological preferences of forest voles

Basic climatic parameters (annual average air temperature and annual amount of precipitation) over 12–25 years have been analyzed with regard to their values corresponding to different levels of abundance in three species of forest voles: Clethrionomys glareolus (in 11 areas of the species range), Cl. rutilus, and Cl. rufocanus (in three areas each). The results show that the abundance of all these species correlates significantly with fluctuations of annual average temperature, with the correlation being negative in Cl. glareolus and Cl. rufocanus but positive in Cl. rutilus. In addition, the abundance of Cl. rufocanus shows a significant correlation with annual precipitation. Voles inhabiting different geographic regions may reach high abundance under different conditions. As for the species range as a whole, however, Cl. glareolus is more ecologically flexible than the other two voles. This species is also more warmth- and moisture-loving, while Cl. rufocanus is more cold-loving and xerophilous, with Cl. rutilus occupying an intermediate position between them. Clethrionomys rutilus is most temperature-dependent and stenothermic among them, whereas Cl. glareolus is indifferent to the factors studied.     

互花米草在不同生境中的形态可塑性与生物量分配

该文以分布于广西合浦山口红树林保护区的互花米草(Spartina alterniflora)为研究对象,研究了不同的生境条件(淤泥质、泥沙质、沙质)对其形态因子和生物量的影响.结果表明:生境条件对互花米草的形态因子和生物量的生长有显著影响.三种生境中,以淤泥质中生长的互花米草的单位面积株数和生物量最高;比较单株的形态因子,则以泥沙质中的互花米草长势最佳,并与淤泥质、沙质相差显著;在淤泥质与沙质中,除地下生物量外,其它形态因子与生物量之间没有显著差异;在不同的生境中互花米草生物量的分配存在一定的差异;土壤透气性及养分含量可能是影响互花米草形态因子和生物量差异的主要因素.