Body size variation among mainland populations of the western rattlesnake (Crotalus viridis)

In general, squamate reptiles follow the converse to Bergmann's rule, attaining smaller sizes in cooler environments, whereas other vertebrate groups follow Bergmann's rule, attaining larger sizes in cooler areas. Intensive studies of body size evolution for species of squamates are necessary to understand the processes responsible for this trend. Here I present data on body size variation among mainland populations of the western rattlesnake, Crotalus viridis. This species consists of two well-differentiated phylogenetic clades, therefore all analyses were performed for the C. viridis group as a whole and separately for each of the two clades within the C. viridis group. Although both phylogenetic and nonphylogenetic analyses were performed, the data did not show phylogenetic conservatism, and therefore the nonphylogenetic results are preferred. I found no significant relationships between mean adult female snout-vent length and any of the physical and climatic variables that were examined for the C. viridis group using simple linear regression analysis. Examined separately, I found that individuals of the western clade, C. oreganus, were smaller in cooler and more seasonal environments, whereas individuals of the eastern clade. C. viridis sensu stricto, were larger in cooler and more seasonal areas. Thus, the observed size trends were in opposite directions for the two clades. Multiple regression analysis revealed that seasonality was a stronger predictor of body size variation than was temperature for both clades. The differences in body size trends between these clades may be due to differences in mortality rates among populations.     

绿色草莓(Fragaria viridis Duch.)自交后代的生物学特性观察及评价

本文对绿色草莓（Fragaria viridis Duch.）及其自交后代5个株系的生物学特性进行了观察,其生物学特性与母本均存在一定程度差异,在观察的67个性状中,我们获得了可溶性固形物等42个差异明显的性状。利用SPSS软件对其中15个差异明显性状进行主成分分析和变异系数分析,结果表明植株高度、植株冠径、小花梗长、小花梗粗、叶柄粗、花序梗粗及花粉生活力是区分绿色草莓及其自交后代株系的重要指标。5个自交一代株系自交坐果率差异明显,其中株系Ls-S1-4属于自交不亲和最强的株系。本研究为绿色草莓自交亲和/不亲和系的创建奠定基础。     

耐碱性木聚糖酶

造纸工业是我国国民经济中具有可持续发展特点的重要产业,也是我国重要的工业污染源之一.近年来,世界范围内的造纸工业都受到资源、环境和效益等多方面的约束,都力求寻找能够达到节能减耗、保护生态环境、提高生产效率和经济效益及产品质量的先进生产技术.木聚糖酶及其潜在的工业应用前景引起人们关注,低(无)纤维素酶活性的木聚糖酶尤其有着诱人的应用前景,它可以应用于生物制浆、纸浆漂白、废纸二次纤维回收、废纸脱墨处理、纸浆纤维改性剂和纺织工业等,特别是其在纸浆漂白工艺中的巨大应用潜力,已成为各界同行的研究热点.应用于生物漂白过程中的木聚糖酶必须满足没有或者只有少量纤维素酶伴随产生,具有良好的耐碱性及耐高温性,在纸浆中具有稳定的酶活性等条件.自然界中微生物产生的木聚糖降解酶系比较复杂,许多会伴随纤维素酶的产生,这些酶的性质相近,不易分离纯化.此外,除了一些生长在极端环境中的微生物如嗜热菌、嗜碱菌等分泌的木聚糖酶能够满足生物漂白的要求之外,大多数来源于真菌、细菌或放线菌的木聚糖酶都需要在应用过程中调节反应条件.以上这些限制条件严重阻碍了木聚糖酶规模化生产及应用工艺的建立.     

Decreasing Effect of Chitosan on the Apparent Fat Digestibility by Rats Fed on a High-fat Diet

We investigated the effects of various dietary fibers or their likenesses on the apparent fat digestibility by rats fed on a high-fat diet. Each of 23 different fibers was added at 5% (w/w) to a purified diet containing 20% (w/w) corn oil. The rats were fed these diets for 2 weeks, and the feces were collected from each animal during the last 3 days. When compared with cellulose (control), 10 of the tested fibers significantly increased the fecal lipid excretion. Among these fibers, chitosan markedly increased the fecal lipid excretion and reduced the apparent fat digestibility to about a half relative to the control. The apparent protein digestibility was not greatly affected by chitosan. The fatty acid composition of the fecal lipids closely reflected that of the dietary fat. These results suggest that chitosan has potency for interfering with fat digestion and absorption in the intestinal tract, and for facilitating the excretion of dietary fat into the feces.     

Response of plasmodesmata formation in leaves of C4 grasses to growth irradiance

Rapid metabolite diffusion across the mesophyll (M) and bundle sheath (BS) cell interface in C₄ leaves is a key requirement for C₄ photosynthesis and occurs via plasmodesmata (PD). Here, we investigated how growth irradiance affects PD density between M and BS cells and between M cells in two C₄ species using our PD quantification method, which combines three‐dimensional laser confocal fluorescence microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. The response of leaf anatomy and physiology of NADP‐ME species, Setaria viridis and Zea mays to growth under different irradiances, low light (100 μmol m^?2 s^?1), and high light (1,000 μmol m^?2 s^?1), was observed both at seedling and established growth stages. We found that the effect of growth irradiance on C₄ leaf PD density depended on plant age and species. The high light treatment resulted in two to four‐fold greater PD density per unit leaf area than at low light, due to greater area of PD clusters and greater PD size in high light plants. These results along with our finding that the effect of light on M‐BS PD density was not tightly linked to photosynthetic capacity suggest a complex mechanism underlying the dynamic response of C₄ leaf PD formation to growth irradiance.     

江苏省云台山白粉菌研究Ⅴ.白粉菌的一新变种和一新记录种

报道了白粉菌目的一个新变种和一个中国新记录种.新变种：苋生蒙加拉白粉菌Erysiphemunjalii var.amaranthicola,寄生在苋科皱果苋Amaranthus viridis上;新记录种：山田叉丝壳Microsphaera yamadai,寄生在鼠李科拐枣Hovenia dulcis上.新变种有中文和拉丁文描述.研究标本保存在中国科学院微生物研究所菌物标本馆（HMAS）.     

Isolation of new microsatellite loci from the Green Lizard (Lacerta viridis viridis)

Twelve new microsatellite loci were isolated from the Green Lizard (Lacerta viridis viridis). Primers for 28 loci were designed and 18 of these loci amplified well for 10 individuals of four populations. Twelve of these loci were further characterized for a population in Hungary. The results document the suitability of these identified loci for the characterization of the genetic diversity of the endangered species L. viridis viridis.     

Mesofauna associated with the marine sponge Amphimedon viridis. Do its physical or chemical attributes provide a prospective refuge from fish predation?

Marine sponges often harbor an abundance of associated organisms. We characterized mesofauna associated with the common tropical sponge Amphimedon viridis, and then tested whether physical (spicules) or chemical (lipophilic or hydrophilic extracts) properties of this sponge provide a prospective refuge for mesofauna from fish predation. Sponge analyses revealed a moderately diverse and numerically rich community of sponge-associated mesofauna comprised primarily of mesocrustaceans (82% of total fauna). Eighty-nine percent of these were amphipods, but smaller numbers of tanaids, decapods, and isopods also occurred. Quantitative sampling of outer surfaces and interstices of fifteen A. viridis yielded a total mean ± 1 SD density of sponge–associated mesofauna of 53 ± 9.3 individuals per 100 cm³ wet sponge tissue. Among the numerically dominant amphipods, 65% occurred on outer sponge surfaces where they are most vulnerable to fish predators. We evaluated whether A. viridis provides a prospective refuge from predation by assessing the palatability of this sponge to the sympatric generalist pinfish Lagodon rhomboides. When presented small (2 mm) bite-size pieces of whole sponge tissue, similar in size to what fish might incidentally ingest should they attempt to consume sponge-mesofaunal associates, pinfish displayed strong feeding deterrence. Alginate food pellets containing tissue-level concentrations of sponge spicules caused a weak but significant deterrent response. In contrast, alginate pellets containing tissue-level concentrations of either lipophilic or hydrophilic extracts of A. viridis were highly deterrent to pinfish. Thus, chemical, and to a considerably lesser degree, physical defenses (spicules) may contribute to this sponge serving as a protective refuge for associated mesofauana.     

绿色糖单孢菌产木聚糖酶规律及其耐碱耐热性的初步研究

采用绿色糖单孢菌为实验材料,在不同诱导产酶培养基上经过192h的振荡培养,探索其产酶时程规律．结果表明,不同的诱导底物诱导产生的木聚糖酶活性差异不显著,但诱导产纤维素酶活性差异显著．其中松木粉加棉纱培养基诱导产纤维素酶活性为0．08IU／ml,与空白对照(5．40IU／ml)相比显著下降(P≤0．05)．为了适应纸浆漂白实际应用中纤维素酶越少越好的要求,选择该培养基为最佳诱导产酶培养基．绿色糖单孢菌在上述培养基中培养156h后达到木聚糖酶产酶高峰。粗酶液酶活可达到9．03IU／ml．通过对该酶进行高温及碱性处理。实验结果表明绿色糖单孢菌分泌的木聚糖酶在pH7．0下反应表现最高活性,同时在90℃下保温3h后酶活为原来的63．55％,具有较好的耐碱耐热性．