Factors Controlling the Abundance and Size Distribution of the Phototrophic Ciliate Myrionecta rubra in Open Waters of the North Atlantic

ABSTRACT. Myrionecta rubra, a ubiquitous planktonic ciliate, has received much attention due to its wide distribution, occurrence as a red tide organism, and unusual cryptophyte endosymbiont. Although well studied in coastal waters, M. rubra is poorly examined in the open ocean. In the Irminger Basin, North Atlantic, the abundance of M. rubra was 0–5 cells/ml, which is low compared with that found in coastal areas. Distinct patchiness (100 km) was revealed by geostatistical analysis. Multiple regression indicated there was little relationship between M. rubra abundance and a number of environmental factors, with the exception of temperature and phytoplankton biomass, which influenced abundance in the spring. We also improve on studies that indicate distinct size classes of M. rubra; we statistically recognise four significantly distinct width classes (5–16, 12–23, 18–27, 21–33 μm), which decrease in abundance with increasing size. A multinomial logistic regression revealed the main variable correlated with this size distribution was ambient nitrate concentration. Finally, we propose a hypothesis for the distribution of sizes, involving nutrients, feeding, and dividing of the endosymbiont.     

Testing Homogeneity of Two Zero‐inflated Poisson Populations

The problem of testing treatment difference in the occurrence of a safety parameter in a randomized parallel‐group comparative clinical trial under the assumption that the number of occurrence follows a zero‐inflated Poisson (ZIP) distribution is considered. Likelihood ratio tests (LRT) for homogeneity of two ZIP populations are derived under the hypotheses that (i) there is no difference in inflation parameters, (ii) there is no difference in non‐zero means; and (iii) there is no difference in both inflation parameters and non‐zero means. Approximate formulas for sample size calculation are also obtained for achieving a desired power for detecting a clinically meaningful difference under the corresponding alternative hypotheses. An example concerning the assessment of the gastrointestinal (GI) safety in terms of the number of erosion counts of a newly developed compound for the treatment of osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis is given for illustration purpose (© 2009 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Variation in structure and distribution of pre-spawning Pacific herring shoals in two regions of British Columbia

In two regions of British Columbia, small and medium-sized shoals of pre-spawning Pacific herring Clupea harengus pallasi were most numerous and occurred as neighbours more frequently than would be expected by chance. Herring displayed a typical diurnal vertical migration, although shoals in the Central Coast were more evenly distributed through the water column during the day than those in the Strait of Georgia. As maturation progressed, shoals were found in shallower water, more densely packed and vertically extended in shape. In the Strait of Georgia, shoals were considerably larger, and positioned relatively deeper in the water column. Very large (>5000 t) shoals were found at specific locations characterized by high water exchange. Large shoals may act as an anti-predator strategy to the abundant sealions and birds. Moreover, staying deep in the water column, and associating with dips in the sea bed, reduces predation risk and confers energy savings through hydrodynamic advantage. Smaller, denser, vertically extended, travelling shoals, prevalent during the later stages of gonad maturation, were similar in nature to labile spherical shoals observed in the Central Coast at different locations each day. Both these shoal types may benefit from synchrony and co-ordination when evading predators that is not possible for larger shoals. The more highly clustered distribution of shoals in the Central Coast is presumed to be linked to their tight association with rock outcroppings typical of this region.     

阿尔泰山两河源自然保护区森林生态系统朽木生地衣群落的数量分类

应用双向指示种分析和除趋势对应分析对阿尔泰山两河源国家级自然保护区的朽木生地衣群落进行了数量分类。初步结果表明,该自然保护区朽木生地衣共有43种,隶属于5目、14科、20属,它们组成了以下4个地衣群落。群落(Ⅰ):分布在样点1、2、3、4、5中,包括15种地衣种类,命名为对开蜈蚣衣+半羽蜈蚣衣+红心黑蜈蚣衣群落。群落(Ⅱ):分布在样点6、7、8、9、11中,包括25种地衣,命名为尖头石蕊+粉石蕊+矮石蕊群落。群落(Ⅲ):由样点10、12、13、14、16组成,常见的地衣种类有19个种,命名为蜡黄橙衣+茎口果粉衣+冷杉粉衣群落。群落(Ⅳ):包括样点15、17、18、19和20,由22个地衣种组成。命名为疑小梅衣+同色黄烛衣+脱落网衣群落。群落Ⅰ和群落Ⅱ的相似性最高为0.723,其次为群落Ⅰ和群落Ⅲ为0.609,群落Ⅲ和群落Ⅳ之间的相似性最低为0.262。群落Ⅲ的多样性最大为1.954;其次为群落Ⅱ和群落Ⅰ,分别为1.742和我1.685,群落Ⅳ的多样性最低为0.543。各群落的相似性和多样性之间的差异与其所处环境和朽木树种的多样性有关。同时发现在研究地区的朽木生地衣群落的分布与海拔高度、朽木腐蚀程度、朽木大小、森林郁闭度等因子具有密切的关系。     

剪枝象有效学名的厘清及常见种的鉴别

剪枝象属Cyllorhynchites Voss隶属于齿颚象科Rhynchitidae齿颚象亚科Rhynchitinae齿颚象族Rhynchitini,但其属名在国内外使用较为混乱。此外,该属的常见种类栗实剪枝象Cyllorhynchites cumulatus Voss与橡实剪枝象C.ursulus Roelofs等常被误认为隶属于同族的Mecorhis或Mechoris属。通过查阅相关文献和我国多地所采集的标本,本文旨在厘清剪枝象的有效学名,并对栗实剪枝象和橡实剪枝象的形态和生态特征进行了补充,以便提供更准确的鉴别特征。结果如下:(1)剪枝象属拉丁学名为Cyllorhynchites Voss,而非Mecorhis Billberg或Mechoris。栗实剪枝象与橡实剪枝象的中文学名以寄主命名。(2)栗实剪枝象成虫身体蓝黑色,鞘翅上的白色短柔毛稀疏且行纹明显。幼虫体长6.0-9.0 mm,触角感觉器长矛状;额背面的刚毛仅有2对,标记为fs4,fs5;头盖背面无刚毛;上唇及唇基较窄。分布于黄河以南,主要以栗属植物为寄主。在安徽金寨,栗实剪枝象的羽化期在5月底-6月底,成虫羽化后即可交配、产卵,产卵期和剪枝期在6月-7月上旬。橡实剪枝象成虫身体黑褐色,但足为褐色。鞘翅上的黄色短柔毛较密且行纹不明显。幼虫体长8.0-10.0 mm,触角感觉器长圆锥状;额背面的刚毛仅有1对,标记为fs5;头盖背面的刚毛仅有1对,标记为des5;上唇及唇基较宽。广布中国南北和日本、朝鲜半岛,以栎属和青冈属植物为寄主。在四川都江堰,橡实剪枝象的羽化期在6月-7月。由于橡子尚未发育,其成虫羽化后需经历较长的营养补充期,产卵期和剪枝期在8月中旬-9月底。本研究澄清了过去关于剪枝象属的分类归属,并对两种常见剪枝象的形态和生态特征进行了深入比较,为生产上准确鉴别这些剪枝象种类提供参考。     

基于Maxent的大洋臀纹粉蚧和南洋臀纹粉蚧在中国的适生区分析

大洋臀纹粉蚧Planococcus minor Maskell和南洋臀纹粉蚧P.lilacinus Cockerell是我国有重要检疫意义的有害生物。这两种粉蚧从东盟进口水果口岸检疫中频繁截获,且已在广东、海南、云南等地发现大洋臀纹粉蚧入侵,这对我国热带、亚热带的水果和观赏植物等已构成严重威胁。本研究以大洋臀纹粉蚧和南洋臀纹粉蚧在国内外的分布数据为基础,利用Maxent生态位模型和Arc GIS对两种粉蚧在中国的潜在适生区进行预测。预测结果表明,大洋臀纹粉蚧和南洋臀纹粉蚧的适生区主要分布在长江流域以南地区,其适生区面积分别占全国面积的22.14%、18.17%,其中高度适生区域集中分布在广西、广东、云南、福建、四川、台湾、海南等地区,与我国热带水果的主要种植区域具有高度的一致性。大洋臀纹粉蚧已成功入侵,一旦南洋臀纹粉蚧传入便可迅速扩散蔓延,并对我国热带水果生产造成严重危害。因此,各口岸应加强对东盟进口水果的检验检疫,预防其新的进入和扩散。     

龙葵上柑橘木虱存活观察与黄龙病检测

柑橘木虱Diaphorina citri是毁灭性病害黄龙病的媒介,其寄主范围比较严格,仅为芸香科内的一些植物。研究发现,在自然状态下,柑橘木虱成虫可在柑橘园中常见茄科Solanaceae杂草-龙葵Solanum nigrum上停留。对比试验显示,木虱成虫在龙葵上的存活期最长可达45 d,而在假臭草Eupatorium catarium、含水海绵和无水海绵上分别为24 d、9 d和2 d;通过实时荧光PCR检测发现部分龙葵叶片中含有黄龙病病原菌。这些非寄主植物可能有助于柑橘木虱躲避不良环境或长距离迁移扩散,成为柑橘木虱和黄龙病的潜在库源。     

Effect of sex,dietary glycerol or dietary fat during late fattening,on fatty acid composition and positional distribution of fatty acids within the triglyceride in pigs

The effect of sex, source of saturated fat (lard v. palm oil) and glycerol inclusion in the fattening diet on composition and fatty acid positional distribution in the triglyceride molecule was studied in pigs from 78 to 110 kg BW. Average daily gain and carcass characteristics, including ham and loin weight, were not affected by dietary treatment but sex affected backfat depth (P<0.01). A significant interaction between sex and glycerol inclusion was observed; dietary glycerol increased lean content in gilts but not in barrows (P<0.05 for the interaction). Individual and total saturated fatty acid (SFA) concentrations were greater in barrows than in gilts. In contrast, the concentration of total polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) and of C18:2n-6, C18:3n-3, C20:3n-9 and C20:4n-6 in the intramuscular fat (IMF) was higher (P<0.05) in gilts than in barrows. Sex did not affect total monounsaturated fatty acids (MUFA) concentration in the IMF. The proportion of SFA in the subcutaneous fat (SF) was higher in barrows than in gilts (P<0.001). Within the individual SFA, sex affected only the concentrations of C14:0 and C16:0 (P<0.001). Dietary fat did not affect total SFA or PUFA concentrations of the IMF but the subcutaneous total MUFA concentration tended to be higher (P=0.079) in pigs fed lard than in pigs fed palm oil. Dietary glycerol increased total MUFA and C18:1n-9 concentration in the IMF and increased total MUFA and decreased C18:2n-6, C18:3n-3 and total PUFA concentrations in the SF. The data indicate that altering the fatty acid composition of the triglyceride molecule at the 2-position, by dietary intervention during the fattening phase, is very limited.     

Maxent modeling for predicting the potential distribution of Sanghuang,an important group of medicinal fungi in China

The ability to identify the spatial distribution of economically important fungal species is crucial for understanding the environmental factors that affect them and for conservation management. A potentially valuable approach for this is maximum entropy (Maxent) spatial distribution modeling, which was applied here to map the potential distribution of three “Sanghuang” mushrooms in China, which include Phellinus baumii, Phellinus igniarius and Phellinus vaninii. Nineteen WorldClim bioclimatic variables, with corresponding altitude data, and 89 spatially well-dispersed species occurrence records were used in the modeling. The relative importance of the environmental variables was evaluated by Jackknife tests in the modeling analysis. The maximum entropy models obtained have high Area Under Receiver Operating Characteristic Curve (AUC) values: 0.956, 0.967 and 0.960, for P. baumii, P. igniarius and P. vaninii, respectively. The bioclimatic variable that most strongly affected distributions of P. baumii and P. vaninii was precipitation in the warmest quarter, while the mean temperature in the warmest quarter affected the distribution of P. igniarius most strongly. Overall, these models could provide valuable help in searching for the target species in areas where it is hitherto unknown, and be the reference of conservation measures for these medicinal fungal species.