Where the Wild Things Are Now: Domestication Reconsidered

ABSTRACT

Although the occurrence of cat-caretaking of free-roaming cats is widespread, particularly so in countries with a climate suitable for cats to reproduce year-round, our knowledge of this relationship is still incomplete. People who engage in daily activities of feeding and caring for groups of free-roaming cats (cat caretakers) are known to be devoted to their cats and invest considerable resources in their care, including neutering and veterinary care. These caretakers often encounter difficulties, such as resentment by neighbors and lack of cooperation or financing by the municipal veterinary services. Despite the fundamental understanding of these caretakers' high daily commitment, and sometimes strong bond with the cats, detailed knowledge is still lacking regarding the nature of this bond, the difficulties that ensue from this daily occupation, and the relationship between the two. The purpose of this study was thus to acquire a deeper understanding, by means of an in-depth interview with cat caretakers. The study has identified, for the first time, two distinct emotional approaches that accompany extensive caretaking for free-roaming cats: emotional attachment and emotional detachment. We show how these two different responses affect both social and financial aspects in the caretakers' lives, and report on the ways in which these individuals experience cat caretaking. Our findings provide a first systematic understanding of the relationship between the level of technical caretaking (feeding, medical care, etc.) and the level of emotional involvement, and reveal the ambivalence often inherent in human–animal relations in general and the caretaker–cat bond in particular. The understanding acquired here can be put into practice to reduce the emotional and technical difficulties experienced by cat caretakers, as well as to improve free-roaming cat management efforts and cat welfare. By increasing public and municipal awareness of the possible contribution of cat caretakers to cat management, and of the emotional and technical difficulties they experience, both the caretakers and other community members can benefit.     

二斑叶螨抗螺螨酯品系GST基因的克隆与表达分析

【目的】揭示二斑叶螨Tetranychus urticae对螺螨酯的分子抗性机理。【方法】利用RT-PCR克隆了二斑叶螨的谷胱甘肽-S-转移酶（glutathione S-transferase, GST)基因 cDNA 全长序列, 采用生物信息学软件分析了克隆基因的编码蛋白特性; 利用实时荧光定量PCR 方法分析GST基因在二斑叶螨的螺螨酯抗性与敏感品系中的表达差异。【结果】克隆获得的谷胱甘肽-S-转移酶2个基因分别被命名为TuGSTd1和TuGSTd2 (GenBank登录号分别为： KC445659和KC445660)。序列分析发现, TuGSTd1的开放阅读框长度为648 bp, 编码215个氨基酸, 分子量约为24.47 kDa, 理论等电点为5.49; TuGSTd2的开放阅读框为648 bp, 编码215个氨基酸, 分子量约为24.57 kDa, 理论等电点为6.33。系统发育分析表明这两个基因与桔全爪螨Panonychus citri Delta家族的GST基因的氨基酸序列一致性为93%。实时荧光定量PCR 结果表明, TuGSTd1和TuGSTd2在二斑叶螨抗螺螨酯品系中的相对表达量分别为敏感品系的5.60和3.75 倍。【结论】 GST基因在二斑叶螨抗螺螨酯品系中的相对表达量均显著高于敏感品系, 据此推测GST基因的过量表达可能与其对螺螨酯的抗性形成有关。     

Shining light on nanotechnology to help repair and regeneration

Phototherapy can be used in two completely different but complementary therapeutic applications. While low level laser (or light) therapy (LLLT) uses red or near-infrared light alone to reduce inflammation, pain and stimulate tissue repair and regeneration, photodynamic therapy (PDT) uses the combination of light plus non-toxic dyes (called photosensitizers) to produce reactive oxygen species that can kill infectious microorganisms and cancer cells or destroy unwanted tissue (neo-vascularization in the choroid, atherosclerotic plaques in the arteries). The recent development of nanotechnology applied to medicine (nanomedicine) has opened a new front of advancement in the field of phototherapy and has provided hope for the development of nanoscale drug delivery platforms for effective killing of pathological cells and to promote repair and regeneration. Despite the well-known beneficial effects of phototherapy and nanomaterials in producing the killing of unwanted cells and promoting repair and regeneration, there are few reports that combine all three elements i.e. phototherapy, nanotechnology and, tissue repair and regeneration. However, these areas in all possible binary combinations have been addressed by many workers. The present review aims at highlighting the combined multi-model applications of phototherapy, nanotechnology and, reparative and regeneration medicine and outlines current strategies, future applications and limitations of nanoscale-assisted phototherapy for the management of cancers, microbial infections and other diseases, and to promote tissue repair and regeneration.     

Macroinvertebrate community structure,secondary production and trophic‐level dynamics in urban streams affected by non‐point‐source pollution

1. Despite non‐point‐source (NPS) pollution being perhaps the most ubiquitous stressor affecting urban streams, there is a lack of research assessing how urban NPS pollution affects stream ecosystems. We used a natural experimental design approach to assess how stream macroinvertebrate community structure, secondary production and trophic structure are influenced by urban NPS pollution in six streams. 2. Differences in macroinvertebrate community structure and secondary production among sites were highly correlated with stream‐water specific conductivity and dissolved inorganic phosphorus (DIP) concentrations. Macroinvertebrate richness, the Shannon diversity index and the Shannon evenness index were all negatively correlated with specific conductivity. These patterns were driven by differences in the richness and production of EPT and other intolerant taxa. Production of the five most productive taxa, tolerant taxa, non‐insect taxa and primary consumers were all positively correlated with stream‐water DIP. 3. Despite the positive correlation between primary consumer production and DIP, there was no correlation between macroinvertebrate predator production and either total or primary consumer macroinvertebrate production. This was observed because DIP was positively correlated with the production of non‐insect macroinvertebrate taxa assumed to be relatively unavailable for macroinvertebrate predator consumption. After removing production of these taxa, we observed a strong positive correlation between macroinvertebrate predator production and production of available prey. 4. Our results suggest that urban NPS pollution not only affects macroinvertebrate community structure, but also alters secondary production and trophic‐level dynamics. Differences in taxon production in our study indicate the potential for altered energy flow through stream food webs and potential effects on subsidies of aquatic insect prey to riparian food webs.     

铜绿假单胞菌pfm基因对三型分泌系统效应蛋白的影响

[目的]检测铜绿假单胞菌基因pfm对三型分泌系统效应蛋白的影响.[方法]构建pfm基因互补菌株pfmC.提取野生株PAO1、敲除株Δpfm和互补株pfmC的RNA,利用Real-time PCR从转录水平检测效应蛋白ExoS、ExoT和ExoY转录水平的变化.以ExoS为代表,检测细胞内和分泌到细胞外效应蛋白的含量.收集铜绿假单胞菌PAO1、Δpfm和pfmC菌体内和分泌到细胞外的总蛋白,利用ExoS多克隆抗体进行Western杂交,特异检测ExoS的蛋白水平.[结果]与野生型相比,Δpfm中exoS、exoT和exoY转录水平明显降低,而pfmC中这3个蛋白的转录水平得到回补.Δpfm菌体内和分泌到细胞外的ExoS量均明显低于野生株PAO1,pfmC细胞内和细胞外分泌的ExoS蛋白量均得到恢复.[结论]铜绿假单胞菌基因pfm会影响三型分泌系统效应蛋白的水平.     

圈养雄獐领域行为和粪便睾酮水平变化的关系

2011年8月到2012年4月间,在上海市浦东新区华夏公园獐重引入试点,采用目标取样、扫描取样和全事件记录法,对圈养条件下6只成体雄獐(Hydropotes inermis)的6种领域行为进行观察,并利用放射免疫分析法(RIA)测定雄獐粪便中的睾酮水平变化.结果表明,雄獐的许多领域行为发生频次表现出明显的月间变化,包括打斗、威胁、取代、追逐和粪尿标记;擦额标记行为频次虽月间差异不显著,但与其他领域行为一样在11月份出现频次峰值.发情期(2011年10月～2012年1月)和非发情期(2011年9月、2012年2～4月),打斗、威胁、粪尿标记和擦额标记行为发生频次差异显著;取代和追逐行为频次差异不显著.6种领域行为的发生频次均在发情期明显高于非发情期.粪便睾酮含量在发情期和非发情期差异显著,发情期明显高于非发情期,其含量在12月份达到峰值(51.16±9.85) ng/g.雄獐的威胁、擦额标记、粪尿标记和打斗行为发生频次与睾酮水平呈显著的正相关性,而取代和追逐行为与睾酮水平变化不具有显著相关性.     

Pollen morphology in the genus Veronica L. (Plantaginaceae) and its systematic significance

Pollen grains of 30, mainly annual, species from 134 populations of the genus Veronica (Plantaginaceae, formerly Scrophulariaceae) from the Mediterranean Region, have been studied with light and scanning electron microscopy. Three pollen types are defined based on pollen size and exine surface sculpture. In some cases within the study group pollen size can be useful in species determination. Hypothetical relationships of pollen grain size and aperture number with ploidy level, style length and corolla diameter are discussed. The ornamentation of the exine in Veronica, although generally a conservative character within the genus, gives some additional support to the most recent infrageneric classification of Veronica.     

菹草附着物对营养盐浓度的响应及其与菹草衰亡的关系

在菹草衰亡阶段对5个静水水体中菹草叶片表面附着物进行野外调查,并将其与水体营养盐浓度、沉水植物衰亡程度进行相关性分析。附着物共调查Chl.a含量、干重、有机质含量和藻类数量4个指标,沉水植物衰亡程度用单位面积叶片Chl.a含量表示,水体营养盐含量测量了TP、TN和N/P 3个指标。结果显示：附着物生物量与水体营养盐状况存在一定的正相关;各个点的附着物生物量与菹草衰亡状况存在一定相关性但相关性趋势与水体污染程度有关。在污染程度较高的水体中附着物生物量与菹草衰亡程度呈正相关,在污染程度较低的水体中附着物生物量与菹草衰亡程度呈负相关。结论为富营养化湖泊中营养盐含量的增加会导致附着物生物量的增加,但附着物只在污染程度较高的水体中促进植物衰亡。     

东海竹筴鱼的食性

以2008年5月、8月、11月和2009年2月东海灯光围网采集到的453条东海竹筴鱼为研究对象,对其胃含物进行分析,应用K-W非参数检验、卡方检验、聚类分析等方法,对不同季节和发育阶段条件下东海竹筴鱼的食性进行研究.结果表明: 东海竹筴鱼的饵料生物有124种(包括未鉴定种),浮游甲壳类和小型鱼类为其主要饵料类群.优势饵料生物依次是麦氏犀鳕(IRI%=39.2%)、长尾类糠虾幼体(IRI%=18.4%)、短尾类大眼幼体(IRI%=7.6%)和太平洋磷虾(IRI%=6.6%)等.季节和叉长对东海竹筴鱼的摄食强度均有显著影响(P<0.01),东海竹筴鱼春季摄食强度最高,而冬季最低;叉长140～159 mm的竹筴鱼摄食强度最高,叉长45~99 mm的幼鱼的摄食强度较高,其余叉长的鱼摄食强度相对较低.聚类分析结果表明,叉长100 mm是东海竹筴鱼摄食取向的拐点.东海竹筴鱼四季的平均营养级为3.51,属于低级肉食性鱼类.