Ingestion motor programs of Aplysia are modulated by short-term synaptic enhancement in cerebral-buccal interneuron pathways

In the sea slug Aplysia, buccal synapses of cerebral-buccal interneurons (CBIs) CBI-2 and CBI-12 exhibit short-term synaptic enhancement (STE), including frequency-dependant facilitation and augmentation/post-tetanic potentiation (AUG/PTP). The STE that results from driving CBI-2 or CBI-12 is associated with significantly decreased latency to burst onset in buccal premotor neurons and motor neurons, increased cycle frequency of ingestion buccal motor programs (iBMPs) and increased intraburst firing frequency of buccal neurons during iBMPs. Tests of paired-pulse facilitation during AUG/PTP suggest that the locus for this plasticity is presynaptic. The AUG/PTP is not elicited by heterosynaptic pathways, indicating that its origin is homosynaptic. At low CBI-2 and CBI-12 firing frequencies, STE is likely to contribute to iBMP initiation, while at higher firing frequencies, STE is correlated with increased cycle frequency of iBMPs. Thus, STE is an important component of the mechanisms whereby cerebral neurons regulate cyclic feeding programs and likely contributes to observed variations in behavioral responses, including feeding arousal. Electronic Publication     

Difference in response by two cyprinid species to predatory threat from the nocturnal catfish Silurus asotus

Response to predators may not be identical between different prey species with different life histories and body sizes, particularly when the threat of predation is not great. To clarify this hypothesis, we introduced two prey species (10 Japanese dace, Tribolodon hakonensis, and 10 pale chub, Zacco platypus) into each experimental pond (in total, 8 ponds×4 trials) in which benthic algae had been allowed to grow. The presence or absence of Far Eastern catfish, Silurus asotus, and a refuge for prey fish was used to produce four treatments. The presence of catfish and/or a refuge did not affect either the feeding behavior or growth rate of Japanese dace. In contrast, when catfish were present and no refuge was available, the incidence of bottom feeding for pale chub greatly decreased. Pale chub growth rate was low when catfish were present and a refuge was available, indicating that pale chub spent more of their time in the refuge and lost opportunities of acquiring food. Japanese dace can reach a threshold size at which the prey are safe from predation, but pale chub cannot, and this may explain the differences in response to predators of the two species.     

Digestive constraints on an aquatic carnivore: effects of feeding frequency and prey composition on harbor seals

We hypothesized that increased feeding frequency in captive harbor seals would increase nutrient loads and thus reduce retention time and the digestive efficiency of natural prey. We measured daily feed intake and excretion during 6 feeding trials and fed herring (49% lipid), pollock (22% lipid) or an equal mix of each diet over 24 months. Animals were accustomed to feeding at either high or low frequency. Body mass and intake did not vary with season. Although mean retention times were similar between diets and feeding frequencies, solute and particulate digesta markers separated at high feeding frequency. Consistent dry matter digestibility resulted in greater gut fill from pollock than from herring. Digestible energy intakes from pollock were approximately 25% greater than from either herring or the mixed diet. Lipid digestibility of herring declined from 90% to 50% when lipid intake exceeded 60 g kg^–0.75 day^–1. Our hypothesis of a trade-off between intake and digestion was not supported for protein but was supported for lipid. Results of this study imply that a flexible digestive system for harbor seals can compensate for ingesting prey of lower energy density by increasing gut fill and enhancing protein and lipid assimilation, to sustain digestible energy intake.Abbreviations DM dry matter - DEI digestible energy intake - DIT diet-induced thermogenesis - FF feeding frequency - MRT mean retention time Communicated by: G. Heldmaier     

皱纹盘鲍的个体能量收支

对皱纹盘鲍的呼吸、摄食、生长及能量收支等实验研究表明, 鲍的耗氧率与壳长、体重、温度及昼夜变化有关, 耗氧率与壳长、体重均呈幂函数关系, 一天中16~4时(夜间)耗氧率高于4~16时(白天)且在18~20时达峰值.同温度下鲍日摄食率与体重呈幂指数关系, 日(相对)摄食率随温度升高而增加, 而日相对摄食率、日相对生长率均随壳长、体重增加呈下降趋势.鲍在14~20℃内对海带的总转化效率为53%.鲍软体部、海带及鲍粪便干品的比能值分别为19.2、8.57和7.23kJ·g^-1.14~20℃皱纹盘鲍摄入能量的34.6~48.6%为粪能, 22.0~38.2%的能量用于自身代谢, 5.6~28.2%用于贝体软体部的生长.     

褐飞虱和白背飞虱的取食为害对水稻营养生长的影响

对塑料钵栽培的水稻进行罩宠试验,研究了褐飞虱和白背飞虱在不同若虫密度下取食为害对水稻营养生长的影响．结果表明,两种飞虱的成虫干重、水稻叶面积和其地上部干重因若虫密度的增加而下降．叶片干重占地上部干重的比例和稻株分配给叶片干物质量随为害程度的加重而增大;褐飞虱和白背飞虱总干重（X）与稻株地上部损失量（Y）之间存在着极显著的线性关系．两种飞虱干重每增加1mg,水稻地上部干重则分别损失26.01mg和21．90mg．讨论了稻飞虱取食为害对水稻致害的可能机制．     

Subtropical coral-reef associated sedimentary facies characterized by molluscs (Northern Bay of Safaga, Red Sea, Egypt)

Summary The shallow marine subtropical Northern Bay of Safaga is composed of a complex pattern of sedimentary facies that are generally rich in molluscs. Thirteen divertaken bulk-samples from various sites (reef slopes, sand between coral patches, muddy sand, mud, sandy seagrass, muddy seagrass, mangrove channel) at water depths ranging from shallow subtidal to 40m were investigated with regard to their mollusc fauna >1mm, which was separated into fragments and whole individuals. Fragments make up more than 88% of the total mollusc remains of the samples, and their proportions correspond to characteristics of the sedimentary facies. The whole individuals were differentiated into 622 taxa. The most common taxon,Rissoina cerithiiformis, represented more than 5% of the total mollusc content in the samples. The main part of the fauna consists of micromolluscs, including both small adults and juveniles. Based on the results of cluster-, correspondence-, and factor analyses the fauna was grouped into several associations, each characterizing a sedimentary facies: (1) “Rhinoclavis sordidula—Corbula erythraeensis-Pseudominolia nedyma association” characterizes mud. (2) “Microcirce sp.—Leptomyaria sp. association” characterizes muddy sand. (3)”Smaragdia spp.-Perrinia stellata—Anachis exilis—assemblage” characterizes sandy seagrass. (4) “Crenella striatissima—Rastafaria calypso—Cardiates-assemblage” characterizes muddy seagrass. (5) “Glycymeris spp.-Parvicardium sueziensis-Diala spp.-assemblage” characterizes sand between coral patches. (6) “Rissoina spp.-Triphoridae —Ostreoidea-assemblage” characterizes reef slopes. (7) “Potamides conicus—Siphonaria sp. 2—assemblage” characterizes the mangrove. The seagrass fauna is related to those of sand between coral patches and reef slopes with respect to gastropod assemblages, numbers of taxa and diversity indices, and to the muddy sand fauna on the basis of bivalve assemblages and feeding strategies of bivalves. The mangrove assemblage is related to those of sand between coral patches and the reef slope with respect to taxonomic composition and feeding strategies of bivalves, but has a strong relationship to those of the fine-grained sediments when considering diversity indices. Reef slope assemblages are closely related to that of sand between coral patches in all respects, except life habits of bivalves, which distincly separates the reef slope facies from all others.     

广布中剑水蚤对裸腹和秀体的摄食(英文)

１９９５年６月至９月,在武汉东湖,通过摄食实验和野外调查,作者研究了广布中剑水蚤对裸腹和秀体的摄食。研究结果证实,广布中剑水蚤能够抓取和摄食裸腹和秀体。广布中剑水蚤对小型裸腹的平均摄食率高于大型裸腹。多重统计分析结果表明,广布中剑水蚤对小型和大型裸腹的摄食率有显著差异（Ｐ＝００３３５）,捕食者喜食小型猎物。由于广布中剑水蚤的摄食习性,它对裸腹和秀体的种群动态有重要影响,但随着鱼产量增加,广布中剑水蚤对猎物摄食的影响效果被减弱了。     

Brief Communication: Lactase persistence and dairy intake in Mapuche and Mestizo populations from southern Chile

Lactase persistence (LP) occurs at a very low frequency in indigenous populations from Latin America, offering an opportunity to understand the relationship between this genetic trait and patterns of dairy consumption. Here, the frequency of LP is analyzed from Mapuche and ‐an adjacent‐ mestizo population inhabiting the Araucanía region. In addition to genotyping for LP, participants were surveyed in relation to general perception and consumption habits of dairy products. Low LP frequency (10%) and very low dairy intake was found among the Mapuche population as compared with Mestizo populations inhabiting Chile. The survey reported that the main reasons for avoidance of dairy were the gastrointestinal symptoms after dairy intake and cultural dietary habits. The interaction between low LP genotype frequency, low dairy intake, and sociocultural determinants is here discussed in the light of their potential health outcomes. Am J Phys Anthropol 155:482–487, 2014. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

食物单宁和皂苷对小白鼠食物选择的影响

通过饲喂自然种子及人工饲料块等单宁和皂苷含量不同的食物,研究了食物中单宁或皂苷水平对小白鼠(Mus musculus domesticus)食物选择的影响,以及取食经历在其食物选择中的作用。结果表明,(1)无论有无取食经历,小白鼠均优先取食次生物质含量低的锥栗(Castanea henryi)或花生(Arachis hypogaea),而很少取食单宁含量高的栓皮栎(Quercus variabilis)或皂苷含量高的油茶(Camelia oleifera);(2)小白鼠的取食经历能增强其对种子中单宁或皂苷水平的识别,从而减少其摄入;(3)小白鼠的食物摄入量随单宁或皂苷含量的增加而显著降低。本研究说明单宁或皂苷均可显著影响动物的食物选择,且取食经历能增强动物对食物的识别能力。