Schooling,Local Knowledge and Working Memory: A Study among Three Contemporary Hunter-Gatherer Societies

Researchers have analysed whether school and local knowledge complement or substitute each other, but have paid less attention to whether those two learning models use different cognitive strategies. In this study, we use data collected among three contemporary hunter-gatherer societies with relatively low levels of exposure to schooling yet with high levels of local ecological knowledge to test the association between i) schooling and ii) local ecological knowledge and verbal working memory. Participants include 94 people (24 Baka, 25 Punan, and 45 Tsimane’) from whom we collected information on 1) schooling and school related skills (i.e., literacy and numeracy), 2) local knowledge and skills related to hunting and medicinal plants, and 3) working memory. To assess working memory, we applied a multi-trial free recall using words relevant to each cultural setting. People with and without schooling have similar levels of accurate and inaccurate recall, although they differ in their strategies to organize recall: people with schooling have higher results for serial clustering, suggesting better learning with repetition, whereas people without schooling have higher results for semantic clustering, suggesting they organize recall around semantically meaningful categories. Individual levels of local ecological knowledge are not related to accurate recall or organization recall, arguably due to overall high levels of local ecological knowledge. While schooling seems to favour some organization strategies this might come at the expense of some other organization strategies.     

藏羚羊雌性种群的迁徙行为和产仔行为

2005年6～7月,我们在新疆昆仑山西部的一处藏羚羊繁殖地,对一个雌性藏羚羊的迁徙种群进行了研究。整个调查区域的海拔是4500～5000m,植被覆盖率小于5%,主要植被是垫状驼绒藜(Ceratoidescompacta)。根据研究结果,我们估计在本产仔季节,共有4000～4500头雌性藏羚羊迁徙聚集到一个1200km2的区域内,集中产仔地面积约为350km2。产仔的高峰期是在6月18日～7月7日,其间只有40%的成年雌性产仔,这可能和2004年冬西藏阿鲁盆地的降雪量较大导致藏羚羊在交配期和怀孕期身体条件较弱有关。这个区域的雌性藏羚羊迁徙自西藏的西部,在5月下旬至6月上旬之间到达该区域,然后在7月上旬开始返回。研究区域内的狼、赤狐和大型猛禽是主要的捕食者,但是出现的频次很少。研究区域内大部分藏羚羊成体和幼仔的死亡和天敌捕食没有关系。我们对藏羚羊主要采食的植物的营养成分进行分析,没有发现这个区域和其南部其他区域的差异,所以食物可能不是藏羚羊迁徙的主要原因。躲避捕食者、躲避传播寄生虫病的昆虫干扰、或者是避开牧民和家畜,这些因素都有可能导致藏羚羊雌性迁徙到这个区域产仔。基于本次研究,我们建议新疆和田地区能够对这个产仔地进行严格保护,禁止产仔期的人类干扰,同时有必要考虑建立一个大型保护区,或者和相邻保护区联合起来进行管理。     

A novel chimeric low-molecular-weight glutenin subunit gene from the wild relatives of wheat Aegilops kotschyi and Ae. juvenalis: evolution at the Glu-3 loci

Four LMW-m and one novel chimeric (between LMW-i and LMW-m types) low-molecular-weight glutenin subunit (LMW-GS) genes from Aegilops neglecta (UUMM), Ae. kotschyi (UUSS), and Ae. juvenalis (DDMMUU) were isolated and characterized. Sequence structures showed that the 4 LMW-m-type genes, assigned to the M genome of Ae. neglecta, displayed a high homology with those from hexaploid common wheat. The novel chimeric gene, designed as AjkLMW-i, was isolated from both Ae. kotschyi and Ae. juvenalis and shown to be located on the U genome. Phylogentic analysis demonstrated that it had higher identity to the LMW-m-type than the LMW-i-type genes. A total of 20 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were detected among the 4 LMW-m genes, with 13 of these being nonsynonymous SNPs that resulted in amino acid substitutions in the deduced mature proteins. Phylogenetic analysis demonstrated that it had higher identity to the LMW-m-type than the LMW-i-type genes. The divergence time estimation showed that the M and D genomes were closely related and diverged at 5.42 million years ago (MYA) while the differentiation between the U and A genomes was 6.82 MYA. We propose that, in addition to homologous recombination, an illegitimate recombination event on the U genome may have occurred 6.38 MYA and resulted in the generation of the chimeric gene AjkLMW-i, which may be an important genetic mechanism for the origin and evolution of LMW-GS Glu-3 alleles as well as other prolamin genes.     

Over expression of the wheat BEL1-like gene TaqSH1 affects floral organ abscission in Arabidopsis thaliana

Seed shattering is one of the major domestication traits of crops. In wheat, except for the Q gene whose mutation renders free threshing and changing of rachis fragility, not much is known about the molecular mechanism for this process. We report here the cloning and characterization of TaqSH1, the ortholog of the rice seed shattering gene qSH1. TaqSH1 encodes a BEL1-like protein that is conserved between monocots and eudicots. TaqSH1 was located on the homoeologous group 3, a potential new genetic locus for seed threshability in wheat. Over expression of TaqSH1 in Arabidopsis resulted in dwarfed plants. The inflorescences of transgenic plants were more compact with larger pedicel angles. Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM) showed that the transgenic siliques had a narrower replum where the dehiscence zone was altered. In addition, abscission of petals was significantly delayed due to delayed abscission zone development. Real-time PCR assays showed that over expression of TaqSH1 down regulated known Arabidopsis abscission related genes IDA, HAESA, KNAT1/6 and SHP1/2 in the transgenic plants. Taken together, our data suggest that TaqSH1 may represent another example of conserved mechanisms across monocots and eudicots for fruit/grain abscission and should have potential application in genetic manipulation of wheat seed shattering.     

Oxygen consumption,ammonia excretion,and filtration rate of the marine bivalve Mytilus edulis exposed to methamidophos and omethoate

In this study, the oxygen consumption, ammonia excretion, and filtration rate were monitored in Mytilus edulis in response to administration of the two pesticides, methamidophos and omethoate. Five sublethal concentrations (1, 10, 50, 100, and 200 µgL^?1) were administered over 96 h. Oxygen consumption rates increased following administration of all concentrations of methamidophos for 96 h and to the lower concentrations of omethoate (1, 10, and 50 µg L^?1) from 6 to 24 h. Over 24 h, oxygen consumption decreased significantly. Ammonia excretion rates were higher than the control after 36 h of exposure to methamidophos, while reduction was observed when M. edulis was exposed to omethoate. The O:N ratios increased when the animals were first exposed to these two pesticides and then decreased at all the concentrations. At the concentrations of 100 and 200 µgL^?1, the O:N ratio was below 30 after 72 h. The filtration rate of M. edulis decreased with the increasing concentration of pesticide exposure.     

Role of Sch9 in regulating Ras-cAMP signal pathway in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

In Saccharomyces cerevisiae PKA plays a major role in regulating cell growth, metabolism, and stress resistance. We report that Sch9 regulates PKA directly and SCH9 deletion enhances PKA activity by showing that: (1) Bcy1 predominately localized in the nucleus in glycerol-grown sch9Δ cells; (2) large part of the catalytic subunits of PKA transferred from the nucleus to the cytoplasm in sch9Δ cells; (3) higher protein stability of Tpk2 resulted in higher protein level of Tpk2 in sch9Δ than in wild type cells. Our investigations suggest that Sch9 regulates phosphorylation of Bcy1. We also observed hyper-phosphorylation of Cdc25 in sch9Δ, in contrast to the tpk2Δ and tpk2Δsch9Δ mutants, suggesting that feedback inhibition of PKA on Cdc25 is through Tpk2.     

腮腺炎病毒三种实验室常规灭活方法效果评价

探究几种实验室常规消毒灭活方法对腮腺炎病毒的灭活效果,为实验室进行腮腺炎病毒消毒工作提供基础数据。本研究采用热灭活、紫外线灭活和化学试剂灭活三种方法对腮腺炎病毒进行灭活处理,灭活处理后腮腺炎病毒采用细胞培养技术进行病毒滴定,评估上述灭活方法对腮腺炎病毒的灭活效果。热灭活方法显示,腮腺炎病毒对热敏感,随温度升高和热灭活时间增长对腮腺炎病毒灭活有明显加强作用。65℃30min、60min和70℃10min、30min、60min可有效灭活腮腺炎病毒;紫外线灭活方法显示,紫外线照射15min,30min,60min均可有效灭活涂抹在平皿表面的腮腺炎病毒,但对毒株液倾倒导致的MuV液体不能达到完全灭活效果;化学试剂灭活方法显示,三氯异氰泡腾片、1%过氧化氢、3%过氧化氢和75%乙醇根据试剂说明书处理后病毒均能有效灭活腮腺炎病毒。三种灭活方法在一定条件下均能实现对腮腺炎病毒的灭活,可以作为实验室常规灭活腮腺炎病毒方法。建议使用65℃30min或70℃10min对腮腺炎病毒进行有效灭活。紫外线适用于对腮腺炎病毒进行表面消毒,但对液滴状病毒污染建议使用化学试剂进行有效灭活。