从系统动物学的诞生和发展探讨现代动物学研究的特点

新技术新理论的不断发展推动着系统动物学的诞生,其迅速发展也说明了动物学领域宏观研究和微观研究在更高程度上相互渗透的特点。     

Response of fiddler crabs (Uca tangeri) to video playback in the field

The fiddler crab Uca tangeri communicates using a visual waving display and a vibratory drumming signal, both thought to function in mate attraction. Using video playback techniques, images of an empty mudflat, a waving male, a threatening male, and a wandering female were presented to male subjects. All stimuli elicited similar levels of low-intensity waving, but significantly more high-intensity waves were elicited by the female and threatening male stimuli than the mudflat stimulus or the waving male stimulus. This concurs with other research that the waving display is used at a higher intensity to attract females. The threatening male stimulus failed to elicit the same response as an actual threatening male and we discuss the likely reasons for this. The subjects also spent a significantly greater proportion of time drumming during the male waving stimulus than during the female stimulus, suggesting that drumming functions in male-male competition as well as female attraction. Received: 18 October 1999 / Received in revised form: 25 November 1999 / Accepted: 10 December 1999     

Arsenic Pollution of a Loam Soil: Retention Form and Decontamination

A study was conducted to assess the retention form of arsenic in soil and to evaluate the use of phosphate for releasing it from the soil. In this study, a loam soil was artificially polluted with arsenate at pH 5.5, which is one of the pH values at which maximum arsenic adsorption occurred. The soil was kept for 2.5 months under wet conditions to allow for stabilization. The soil was maintained under aerobic condition and losses of arsenic by volatilization were determined to be minimal. The soil was then sequentially extracted with a series of chemicals to identify the soil fractions in which the arsenic was bound. The percentage of arsenic found in the Fe bound-exchangeable, reducible-residual, Al bound exchangeable, residual, calcium bound exchangeable, and easily exchangeable forms was 31.6, 27.3, 25.2, 5.5, 4.9, and 4.7%, respectively. A batch experiment showed that at 20°C, 80% of the bound arsenic was removed by phosphate in the pH range of 5 to 7. A power function model was found to fit the data with a desorption rate constant of 402?mg/kg As h^?1.     

从种间联结分析濒危植物毛柄小勾儿茶在群落中的地位

毛柄小勾儿茶 (Berchemiellawilsoniivar.pubipetiolata) 为我国分布于浙江、安徽局部地区的特有珍稀物种, 由于自身和人为干扰的原因, 该种受到灭绝威胁。该文在 2× 2联列表基础上, 应用 χ2 检验、联结系数 (AC) 分别检测了毛柄小勾儿茶在 4个分布点与群落中乔、灌两层植物的种间联结性。综合比较 χ2 检验与AC值的测定结果, 在 4个分布点, 毛柄小勾儿茶与群落中其它种群的关联情况十分相似 :1) 绝大多数种群与毛柄小勾儿茶的AC值在 - 0.2至 0.2之间, 即无关联 ;2 ) 与毛柄小勾儿茶存在显著关联的种群仅有一个或无 ;3) 优势种群与毛柄小勾儿茶关联小。这说明 4个分布点毛柄小勾儿茶在群落中都具有很大的独立性或随机性, 它只是群落的伴生种或偶见种。研究结果对为该物种制定合适的就地保护措施和恢复计划具有参考价值。     

猪2型圆环病毒核酸疫苗的接种Balb/c小鼠实验免疫研究

为了筛选得到较理想的核酸疫苗,用pVAX1真核表达载体,以猪白介素18基因、猪2型圆环病毒内蒙株的衣壳蛋白和与复制相关蛋白基因为目的基因,构建了4个重组质粒,分别是pVAX1-ORF2、pVAX1-UL18ORF2、pVAX1-ORF2ORF1和pVAX1-IL18ORF2ORF1。用它们免疫6-8周龄Balb/c小鼠,进小鼠后一周首免,每隔19d免1次,共免3次;每10d采血1次,三免后10d杀鼠取脾。用ELISA方法检测小鼠血清抗体效价,流式细胞仪检测脾T淋巴细胞亚类CD4+、CD8+数量。统计学分析发现:4个核酸疫苗实验免疫组均是从最后一次采集的小鼠血清中,获得最高的抗体效价,与对照组PBS和空载体pVAX1相比都能产生一定的体液免疫反应,且以pVAx1-IL18ORF2ORF1核酸疫苗免疫小鼠产生的血清抗体效价最高;脾T淋巴细胞亚类数量测定发现,免疫实验组的CD4+与CD8+的T细胞亚类总数显著高于对照组(P<0．05),并以pVAX-1-IL18ORF2ORF1数值较高。结论是核酸疫苗pVAX1-IL18ORF2ORF1既能较好地刺激细胞免疫又能产生一定的体液免疫反应,相对较好,将作为候选核酸疫苗进行下一步本体动物免疫实验研究。     

Semi-strong Hybrid Scaling,a new ordination algorithm

There is a small group of association measures that appear optimal for comparing sites on the basis of their species composition. These measures can accurately estimate affinity between sites when they are ecologically similar. Once sites share few or no species, these measures always under-estimate the ‘ecological distance’ between them. A new ordination algorithm called Semi-strong Hybrid Scaling, SHS, uses these features in an attempt to provide a better configuration of the sites. The new method is evaluated by a direct comparison of the structure in simulated data with the Hybrid method of Faith, Minchin & Belbin (1987). To evaluate SHS and compare it with Hybrid Scaling, 3240 datasets were generated using the COMPAS simulator (Minchin 1987). The data were designed to simulate as closely as possible, what is known of the distribution of species on environmental gradients. The factors included the dimensionality of the data, the number of sites and species, the shape of the species response surfaces, positioning of the sites in the simulation space, carrying capacity and level of noise. Recovery of the simulated site positions by SHS and Hybrid Scaling was evaluated using Procrustes rotation. SHS produced a better recovery in 88% of the datasets.     

Polymorphisms in genes involved in the free-radical process in patients with sudden sensorineural hearing loss and Ménière's disease

Abstract

The etiologies of idiopathic sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) and Ménière's disease remain unclear. Recently, accumulating evidence has demonstrated that free radicals are related to the pathology of inner ear disease. Because genetic factors may contribute partly to the etiologies of SSNHL and Ménière's disease, we investigated the association between genetic polymorphisms located in genes related to the free-radical process and susceptibility to SSNHL and Ménière's disease. We compared 83 patients affected by SSNHL and 83 patients affected by Ménière's disease with 2048 adults (for SSNHL) and 1946 adults (for Ménière's disease) who participated in the National Institute for Longevity Sciences, Longitudinal Study of Aging. Multiple logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) for SSNHL and Ménière's disease in individuals with polymorphisms in the genes: methionine synthase (MTR; rs1805087); methionine-synthase reductase (MTRR; rs1801394); nitric oxide synthase 3 (NOS3; rs1799983); caveolin 1 (Cav1; rs3840634); melatonin receptor 1B (MTNR1B; rs1387153); NAD(P)H oxidase p22(phox) subunit (NADH/NADPHp22phox; rs4673); and mitochondria 5178 (MT5178; rs28357984). The NOS3 polymorphism was significantly associated with a risk of SSNHL; in addition, the OR for the NOS3 polymorphism and SSNHL risk was 2.108 (CI, 1.343–3.309) with adjustment for age and sex. The Cav1 polymorphism was significantly associated with a risk of Ménière's disease; moreover, the OR for the Cav1 polymorphism and Ménière's disease risk was 1.849 (CI, 1.033–3.310) with adjustment for age and sex. In conclusion, the NOS3 and Cav1 polymorphisms were significantly associated with the risk of SSNHL and Ménière's disease, respectively.     

The behavioral effects of exhibit size versus complexity in African elephants: A potential solution for smaller spaces

Population‐level analyses suggest that habitat complexity, but not necessarily space availability, has important welfare outcomes for elephants in human care. At the Dallas Zoo, the opening of a new exhibit complex allowed us to measure the behavior of two female African elephants across three treatments to evaluate the independent effects of complexity and space. Preoccupancy observations were conducted in the elephants’ older exhibit, which consisted of a smaller, more simple yard (630 m²). Subsequent postoccupancy observations measured behavior in two different spaces in the new exhibit: a larger, complex yard (15,000 m²), and a smaller, but complex yard (1,520 m²). The elephants’ overall activity levels were greater in complex habitats, regardless of their size. Similar effects of habitat complexity oversize were observed with greater rates of foraging and lower rates of being stationary. Furthermore, elephants were out of view of visitors significantly more in the small, simple yard compared to either of the more complex habitats. However, exhibit size affected the incidence of stereotypic behavior (with lower rates of stereotypy in the larger exhibit compared to the smaller yards) and investigatory behavior (elephants investigated their environments more with increasing size and complexity). Behavioral diversity also increased with exhibit size and complexity. These results indicate that space availability alone is not sufficient to enhance the behavioral welfare of zoo elephants. Therefore, facilities with limited space can still encourage species‐appropriate behaviors and improved welfare for the elephants in their care by converting a small, simple area into a more complex habitat.     

A study on the insertion of isocyanides into palladium allyl bond: Effect of their nature on the strategic steps of the process

The coordinative capabilities of tert-butyl isocyanide (TIC) and 2,6-dimethylphenyl isocyanide (DIC) were shown to be perfectly comparable in spite of their different steric and electronic features. As a matter of fact, when equimolar amounts of these two isocyanides are made to compete for the same coordination sites of a Pd-allyl substrate the statistical mixture of the possible products is always observed.On the contrary, the DIC proved to be much more efficient than TIC in promoting the migratory insertion of an allyl fragment. This conclusion was simply based on the analysis of the products resulting from the reaction of an appropriate Pd-allyl complex with both isocyanides simultaneously.     

The Evolutionary Dynamics of Genetic Incompatibilities Introduced by Duplicated Genes in Arabidopsis thaliana

Although gene duplications provide genetic backup and allow genomic changes under relaxed selection, they may potentially limit gene flow. When different copies of a duplicated gene are pseudofunctionalized in different genotypes, genetic incompatibilities can arise in their hybrid offspring. Although such cases have been reported after manual crosses, it remains unclear whether they occur in nature and how they affect natural populations. Here, we identified four duplicated-gene based incompatibilities including one previously not reported within an artificial Arabidopsis intercross population. Unexpectedly, however, for each of the genetic incompatibilities we also identified the incompatible alleles in natural populations based on the genomes of 1,135 Arabidopsis accessions published by the 1001 Genomes Project. Using the presence of incompatible allele combinations as phenotypes for GWAS, we mapped genomic regions that included additional gene copies which likely rescue the genetic incompatibility. Reconstructing the geographic origins and evolutionary trajectories of the individual alleles suggested that incompatible alleles frequently coexist, even in geographically closed regions, and that their effects can be overcome by additional gene copies collectively shaping the evolutionary dynamics of duplicated genes during population history.