Two Steady‐Entrainment Phases and Graded Masking Effects by Light Generate Different Circadian Chronotypes in Octodon degus

Processes involved in the operation of the circadian pacemaker are well characterized; however; little is known about what mechanisms drive the overt diurnal, nocturnal, or crepuscular behavior in a species. In this context, dual‐phasing rodents, such as Octodon degus, emerge as a useful model to decipher these keys. Two main chronotypes, nocturnal and diurnal, have been traditionally described in laboratory‐housed degus based on the percentage of activity displayed by the animals during the scotophase or photophase. However, if one considers also the entrainment phase angle during the first days following a change from LD to DD conditions, a third chronotype (intermediate)—or more properly, a continuous grading of circadian expressions between diurnal and nocturnal chronotype—can be observed. Our experiments suggest the pacemaker of the diurnal animal is entrained to the photophase, and light does not exert a negative masking effect. The pacemaker of the nocturnal degus, on the other hand, is entrained to the scotophase, and light exerts a strong negative masking effect. Finally, the intermediate chronotype is characterized by variable negative masking effect of light overlapping a pacemaker entrained to the photophase. The phase shift inversion from diurnal to nocturnal chronotype is related to the availability of a wheel in the cage, and the effect may be located downstream from the clock. However, body temperature rhythm recordings, less affected by masking effects, point to an involvement of the circadian pacemaker in chronotype differentiation, as transient entrainment cycles, and not an abrupt phase shift, were detected after providing access to the wheel. The diurnality of degus seems to be the result of a variety of mechanisms, which may explain how different processes can lead to similar chronotypes.     

Non-identifiability of the Rayleigh damping material model in Magnetic Resonance Elastography

Magnetic Resonance Elastography (MRE) is an emerging imaging modality for quantifying soft tissue elasticity deduced from displacement measurements within the tissue obtained by phase sensitive Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) techniques. MRE has potential to detect a range of pathologies, diseases and cancer formations, especially tumors. The mechanical model commonly used in MRE is linear viscoelasticity (VE). An alternative Rayleigh damping (RD) model for soft tissue attenuation is used with a subspace-based nonlinear inversion (SNLI) algorithm to reconstruct viscoelastic properties, energy attenuation mechanisms and concomitant damping behavior of the tissue-simulating phantoms. This research performs a thorough evaluation of the RD model in MRE focusing on unique identification of RD parameters, _μI${\mu }_I$ and _ρI${\rho }_I$.     

Periodicity of extinction and recolonization of the West Indian topshell Cittarium pica in the Quaternary of Bermuda (Gastropoda: Trochoidea)

Hermit‐crab transported shells of the West Indian top shell Cittarium pica occur in numerous terrestrial fossil deposits on Bermuda, which is the most remote outpost of this Caribbean species. Cittarium is so far known only from deposits of interglacial ages corresponding to marine isotope stages (MIS) 11, 9, 5e, and 1 (Holocene). In at least the cases of MIS 11 and 5e, Cittarium appears at the very beginning of the interglacial. The species is definitely absent from well‐stratified cave deposits of the last glacial (MIS 4–2). It is hypothesized that colder sea‐surface temperatures (SSTs) during glacial periods caused Cittarium to be extirpated on Bermuda, and that it has made at least four independent colonizations of the island in the past 400 000 years. Because of the limited larval life of Cittarium, the window for colonization may be a very narrow period at the onset of interglacials when the SST has risen sufficiently to make Bermuda habitable but the velocity of the Gulf Stream is still sufficiently rapid to transport viable larvae from the Bahamas. © 2013 The Linnean Society of London, Biological Journal of the Linnean Society, 2013, 110 , 235–243.     

CHROMOSOMAL REARRANGEMENTS AND THE GENETICS OF REPRODUCTIVE BARRIERS IN MIMULUS (MONKEY FLOWERS)

Chromosomal rearrangements may directly cause hybrid sterility and can facilitate speciation by preserving local adaptation in the face of gene flow. We used comparative linkage mapping with shared gene‐based markers to identify potential chromosomal rearrangements between the sister monkeyflowers Mimulus lewisii and Mimulus cardinalis, which are textbook examples of ecological speciation. We then remapped quantitative trait loci (QTLs) for floral traits and flowering time (premating isolation) and hybrid sterility (postzygotic isolation). We identified three major regions of recombination suppression in the M. lewisii × M. cardinalis hybrid map compared to a relatively collinear Mimulus parishii × M. lewisii map, consistent with a reciprocal translocation and two inversions specific to M. cardinalis. These inferences were supported by targeted intraspecific mapping, which also implied a M. lewisii‐specific reciprocal translocation causing chromosomal pseudo‐linkage in both hybrid mapping populations. Floral QTLs mapped in this study, along with previously mapped adaptive QTLs, were clustered in putatively rearranged regions. All QTLs for male sterility, including two underdominant loci, mapped to regions of recombination suppression. We argue that chromosomal rearrangements may have played an important role in generating and consolidating barriers to gene flow as natural selection drove the dramatic ecological and morphological divergence of these species.     

检测大肠杆菌群体生长动力学过程4种方法的比较

用浊度测定、菌落形成数计数（CFU）、流式细胞计数（FCT）,以及MTT还原测脱氢酶活力4种检测方法,测定了E．coliCVCC249群体的生长量,并通过Logistic模型、Sigmoid模型,以及正态分布方程拟合由上述生物量所表征的群体生长动力学过程曲线．结果表明,对浊度和流式检测数据,Logistic和Sigmoid方程可给出较好的拟合度,而对CFU法和脱氢酶活力检测法,仅有正态分布方程能呈现更好的拟合．通过应用有限时域向前差分的方法,消除不能增殖的休止细胞对浊度生长过程曲线的影响,以模拟菌群增殖的过程曲线．在此基础上,求得菌群生长的即时速度（advancingvelocity,Vad。）和即时速度的瞬变率,以此为据将E．coliCVCC249生长过程划分为线性增长期、指数增长期、指数减速期、线性减速期,以及衰亡期5个阶段．此外,对新的划分生长阶段的方法与经典方法的不同,以及R。（拟合决定系数）能否作为确定模型是否拟合的唯一判据,进行了讨论．     

补阳还五汤口服和药浴对损伤的大鼠坐骨神经传导速度的影响

目的探讨补阳还五汤口服加药浴对坐骨神经传导速度的影响。方法60只SD大鼠暴露左侧坐骨神经。对照组只钳夹;实验组钳夹并加用补阳还五汤口服及药浴治疗。观察钳夹前和钳夹切除后大鼠坐骨神经传导速度（SNCV）。结果于2、4、6周分别测对照组、实验组的坐骨神经传导速度（SNCV）。各时间段实验组坐骨神经传导速度恢复快于对照组,P〈0．01。结论补阳还五汤口服加药浴对坐骨神经传导速度有明显的促进作用。     

Inbreeding depression of sperm traits in the zebra finch Taeniopygia guttata

Inbreeding depression, or the reduction in fitness due to mating between close relatives, is a key issue in biology today. Inbreeding negatively affects many fitness‐related traits, including survival and reproductive success. Despite this, very few studies have quantified the effects of inbreeding on vertebrate gamete traits under controlled breeding conditions using a full‐sib mating approach. Here, we provide comprehensive evidence for the negative effect of inbreeding on sperm traits in a bird, the zebra finch Taeniopygia guttata. We compared sperm characteristics of both inbred (pedigree F = 0.25) and outbred (pedigree F = 0) individuals from two captive populations, one domesticated and one recently wild‐derived, raised under standardized conditions. As normal spermatozoa morphology did not differ consistently between inbred and outbred individuals, our study confirms the hypothesis that sperm morphology is not particularly susceptible to inbreeding depression. Inbreeding did, however, lead to significantly lower sperm motility and a substantially higher percentage of abnormal spermatozoa in ejaculate. These results were consistent across both study populations, confirming the generality and reliability of our findings.     

一株高产淀粉绿藻——标志链带藻在废水中的培养及对氮磷的去除

为了研究标志链带藻(Desmodesmus insignis strain JNU24)在不同Na NO3浓度和不同废水浓度培养下的生长与代谢产物积累状况,评估标志链带藻对废水的处理能力,本研究利用柱状光反应器对标志链带藻进行培养,分别对4种Na NO3浓度的BG-11培养基和4种废水浓度培养下藻细胞的生物量、蛋白质含量、碳水化合物含量和淀粉含量进行了测定。结果显示,在BG-11培养基中,氮浓度为9.0 mmol/L时,藻细胞生物质浓度最高,达6.23 g/L;在废水培养下,未稀释的原废水实验组,其藻细胞生物质浓度最高,达10.31 g/L;75%废水培养下,藻细胞的淀粉含量最高(达50.9%),单位体积藻细胞淀粉含量和产率分别为4.86 g/L和405 mg·L~(-1)·d~(-1),且显著高于不同浓度Na NO3的BG-11培养基组。本研究还测定了标志链带藻对废水中氮、磷的去除效率,结果显示不同浓度废水培养下,氮、磷的去除效率最高可达90.8%和98.7%。基于柱状反应器中的最佳培养效果,以9.0 mmol/L Na NO3的BG-11培养基和75%废水于3.0 cm光径平板光生物反应器中进行室内扩大培养,结果显示在75%废水培养下,藻细胞生物质浓度达9.75 g/L,淀粉单位体积含量和产率分别达到4.75 g/L和230 mg·L~(-1)·d~(-1),且为9.0 mmol/L Na NO3的BG-11培养基培养的3倍。通过沉降特性分析发现,藻细胞收获90 min后均完全沉降,具有较强的沉降性能。本研究标志链带藻能够耐受废水中较高的氮、磷浓度,且对废水中氮、磷有显著的去除作用;该藻能利用废水中的营养成分积累较高的生物量和淀粉含量并且藻细胞能快速沉降,具有极高的经济价值和应用价值,是一株淀粉生产能力较高和废水处理能力较强的极具开发潜力的藻株。     

The effect of two cryopreservation methods on human sperm DNA damage

Several methods are currently available for selection when conducting sperm cryopreservation, however, these methods might cause different degrees of damage on sperm DNA. The aim of the this study is to compare the effects of storage at −80 °C (in ultra-low temperature refrigerator) and at −196 °C (in liquid nitrogen) on sperm DNA damage, thus to provide a reference for choosing the right method according to different aims. We randomly collected 28 semen samples from college students of Chongqing city. The samples stored at −80 °C were neat semen samples and the samples stored at −196 °C were mixed with additional cryoprotectants. Each sample was subjected to two freezing-thawing cycles, and the sperm DNA damage levels of fresh and thawed samples were measured by single cell gel electrophoresis (SCGE) and sperm chromatin structure assay (SCSA). Both SCGE and SCSA assays showed cryopreservation induced significant damage to sperm DNA. However, storage at −196 °C lead to more severe damage to sperm DNA than storage at −80 °C measured by SCSA. Sperm DNA damage increased simultaneously with the higher frequency of freezing-thawing cycles. We concluded that storage of neat semen samples at −80 °C had milder damage to sperm DNA than storage at −196 °C mixed with cryoprotectants. To avoid additional sperm DNA damage, repeated freezing and thawing should be prevented.