辽河三角洲植被结构、功能及其驱动机制

辽河三角洲优越的植被生态系统维系着多种生态功能，使该地区成为全国著名的商品粮基地、造纸原料基地和旅游基地。但是，气候变化和人为干扰使得辽河三角洲的植被结构发生了显著变化，影响到植被功能的发挥。 为了应对气候变化和人为干扰对辽河三角洲植被造成的不利影响，本论文围绕植被结构和生产功能，从空间和时间方面，重点阐述了辽河三角洲植被的结构及其驱动机制；辽河三角洲植被生产功能及其驱动机制。 采用的研究方法包括遥感解译、样带调查和全面调查。通过遥感解译方法获取各植被类型的面积、分布及其变化信息，以研究植被的空间分布格局及其变化。通过样带调查方法，获取植被类型、土壤和水文等信息，并结合规范对应分析和偏相关分析等，研究植被空间分布格局的驱动机制。通过全面调查方法，获取植被净第一性生产力、粮食产量、土壤和水文等信息，并结合地理信息系统(GIS)的插值分析和相关分析等，研究植被生产功能的空间分布格局及其驱动机制。主要结论如下： 1. 植被组成和空间格局：辽河三角洲植被主要由自然湿地植被、人工湿地植被、自然旱地植被、人工旱地植被四大植被类型组成。其中，面积最大的3种植被是玉米、水稻和芦苇。四大植被类型以双台子河口为中心，基本上呈现半环状分布格局。 2. 植被空间格局变化：1988～2006年辽河三角洲植被空间格局发生了显著变化，主要植被类型分布趋于集中，形成了一些较大的斑块，而不是离散和破碎。从面积上看，水稻是面积增加最多的植被类型；玉米是面积减少最多的植被类型。从变化速率看，水稻、玉米和芦苇的变化幅度都较大，分别为33.2%、-16.1%和-23.2% 。 3. 植被空间格局形成机制：辽河三角洲植被分布格局不是由气候因子决定的，而是由土壤因子决定。土壤可溶性盐是决定植被分布格局最重要的环境因子，其次是土壤含水量。 4. 植被生产功能：辽河三角洲植被具有极高的生产力。其中，玉米、水稻和芦苇3种主要植被的地上净第一性生产力分别为30,485、18,248和17,440 kg/(ha•a)。玉米和水稻单位面积粮食产量也非常高，分别为14,813和10,365 kg/(ha•a)。 5. 植被生产功能年际变化：辽河三角洲植被生产力存在明显的年际波动。1992～2005 年间玉米和水稻粮食产量呈现显著的年际波动；1949～1990 年间芦苇产量不仅存在较明显的年际波动，而且呈现非常显著的增加趋势。 6. 植被生产功能年际变化的驱动机制：气候因子是玉米和水稻粮食产量年际变化的主要驱动因子，气候因子对玉米和水稻粮食产量的影响远远大于人为因子（农业人口、施肥量、灌溉面积）的影响。气候因子和人为因子对芦苇产量年际变化的影响都非常显著。在气候因子中，年日照数是驱动玉米产量年际波动的主导气候因子；年降水量是驱动水稻产量年际波动的主导气候因子；年蒸发量是驱动芦苇产量年际波动的主导气候因子。 7. 植被生产功能空间格局：植被地上净第一性生产力存在显著的空间差异，表现为一种环形空间分布格局，三角洲中部较低，四周地区较高。这种空间分布格局表明，在辽河三角洲，植被地上净第一性生产力最高的不是湿地植被，而是周围旱地植被。 8. 植被生产功能空间格局的形成机制：土壤含水量和海拔是驱动辽河三角洲植被生产力空间格局的主要因子；土壤盐度、土壤pH和土壤容重对植被生产力的空间格局影响不大。土壤营养元素(氮、磷、钾) 对植被生产力的空间格局几乎没有影响。

A common SNP of MCPH1 is associated with cranial volume variation in Chinese population

Microcephaly (MCPH) genes are informative in understanding the genetics and evolution of human brain volume. MCPH1 and abnormal spindle-like MCPH associated (ASPM) are the two known MCPH causing genes that were suggested undergone recent positive selectio

The identification and quantification of highly stable 'common hairpin' in the dynamic process of co-transcriptional mRNA folding

In our studies, 88 human mRNA samples were collected from the Integrated Sequence-Structure database and then the dynamic process in co-transcriptional mRNA folding was simulated using the RNAstructure version 4.1 program. Through statistical analyses of the frequencies of occurrence of hairpins, a group of special folding structures-the 'common hairpins'-were identified. These 'common hairpins' have lower energies and occur in all the subsequent folding units that formed in the dynamic folding process. By applying the formulas (1)-(4) of the 'common hairpins' statistical model, 163 'common hairpins' were found, to make up about 7% of the total of 2286 hairpins. Classified studies further show that the 'common hairpins' that were studied may oscillate in the dynamic folding process. However, the hairpin loops of the 'common hairpins' and stems proximal to those 'common hairpins' loops maintain topologically stable structures, while other loops and stems distal to the 'common hairpins' loops are shown to be alterable structures. Strikingly, further studies indicate that the stable structures of these 'common hairpins' may have unbeknown effects on controlling the formation of protein structures in the translation process (unpublished results). (c) 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A one-year investigation of the relationship between serum GH levels and the growth of F-4 transgenic and non-transgenic common carp Cyprinus carpio

It has been demonstrated that growth hormone (GH) transgenic fish often posses a trait for fast growth. Here, we investigated the growth of F-4 'all-fish' GH transgenic carp Cyprinus carpio and their serum GH levels for a year. The results showed that F-4 all-fish GH transgenic carp were significantly larger in body mass (c. two-fold, P < 0 center dot 001) and body length (c. 1 center dot 3 fold, P < 0 center dot 001), compared with the non-transgenic group. The discrepancy of serum GH levels between the transgenic carp group and control group is 54 fold, when the water temperature was 12-34 degrees C. When the water temperature decreased to 3 center dot 5 degrees C in January, the discrepancy was 256 fold. The serum GH level of the transgenic group was relatively constant, while that of control varied greatly based on month and water temperature. The changes of growth rates between the transgenic group and the control group were similar for a year. Taken together, the results indicated that F-4 all-fish GH transgenic carp had not only higher and constant serum GH levels but also a significant fast-growing effect, compared with the control. To our knowledge, this is the first report on a one-year investigation of growth trait and serum growth hormone level in F-4 all-fish GH transgenic carp.

Elevated ability to compete for limited food resources by 'all-fish' growth hormone transgenic common carp Cyprinus carpio

Food consumption, number of movements and feeding hierarchy of juvenile transgenic common carp Cyprinus carpio and their size-matched non-transgenic conspecifics were measured under conditions of limited food supply. Transgenic fish exhibited 73 center dot 3% more movements as well as a higher feeding order, and consumed 1 center dot 86 times as many food pellets as their non-transgenic counterparts. After the 10 day experiment, transgenic C. carpio had still not realized their higher growth potential, which may be partly explained by the higher frequency of movements of transgenics and the 'sneaky' feeding strategy used by the non-transgenics. The results indicate that these transgenic fish possess an elevated ability to compete for limited food resources, which could be advantageous after an escape into the wild. It may be that other factors in the natural environment (i.e. predation risk and food distribution), however, would offset this advantage. Thus, these results need to be assessed with caution.

Structure, organization and expression of common carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) NKEF-B gene

Natural killer (NK) cell enhancing factor (NKEF) belongs to the newly defined peroxiredoxin (Prx) family. Its functions are to enhance NK cell cytotoxicity and to protect DNA and proteins from oxidative damage. In this study, a partial cDNA sequence of carp NKEF-B was isolated from thymus cDNA library. Subsequently, the full-length cDNA of carp NKEF-B was obtained by means of 3' and 5' RACE, respectively. The full-length cDNA of carp NKEF-B was 1022 bp, consisting of a 73 bp 5'-terminal untranslated region (UTR), a 355 bp T-terminal UTR, and a 594 bp open reading frame coding for a protein of 197 amino acids. Carp NKEF-B contained two consensus Val-Cys-Pro (VCP) motifs and three consensus cysteine (Cys-51, Cys-70 and Cys-172) residues. Sequence comparison showed that the deduced amino acid sequence of carp NKEF-B had an overall similarity of 74-96% to that of other species homologues. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that carp NKEF-B forms a cluster with other known teleost NKEF-Bs. Then, by PCR we obtained a 5.1 -k long genomic DNA of carp NKEF-B containing six exons and five introns. Realtime RT-PCR results showed that carp NKEF-B gene was predominantly detected in kidney and head kidney under un-infected conditions. Whereas under SVCV-infection condition, the expression of NKEF-B gene was significantly increased in blood cells, gill, intestine and spleen, but maintained in liver, and decreased significantly in kidney and head kidney. Finally, the rNKEF-B was constructed and expressed in Escherichia coli. By using an antibody against carp rNKEF-B, immunohistochemical study further indicated that NKEF-B positive cells are mainly some RBCs and a few epithelial cells in gill and intestine, and that under SVCV-infection condition, these positive cells or positive products in their cytoplasm were mainly increased in gill and spleen sections of carp. The results obtained in the present study will help to understand the function of NKEF-B in teleost innate immunity. (C) 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Reduced swimming abilities in fast-growing transgenic common carp Cyprinus carpio associated with their morphological variations

Critical swimming speeds (U-crit) and morphological characters were compared between the F-4 generation of GH-transgenic common carp Cyprinus carpio and the non-transgenic controls. Transgenic fish displayed a mean absolute U-crit value 22.3% lower than the controls. Principal component analysis identified variations in body shape, with transgenic fish having significantly deeper head, longer caudal length of the dorsal region, longer standard length (L-S) and shallower body and caudal region, and shorter caudal length of the ventral region. Swimming speeds were related to the combination of deeper body and caudal region, longer caudal length of the ventral region, shallower head depth, shorter caudal length of dorsal region and L-S. These findings suggest that morphological variations which are poorly suited to produce maximum thrust and minimum drag in GH-transgenic C. carpio may be responsible for their lower swimming abilities in comparison with non-transgenic controls.