Light enough to travel or wise enough to stay? Brain size evolution and migratory behavior in birds

Brain size relative to body size is smaller in migratory than in nonmigratory birds. Two mutually nonexclusive hypotheses had been proposed to explain this association. On the one hand, the “energetic trade‐off hypothesis” claims that migratory species were selected to have smaller brains because of the interplay between neural tissue volume and migratory flight. On the other hand, the “behavioral flexibility hypothesis” argues that resident species are selected to have higher cognitive capacities, and therefore larger brains, to enable survival in harsh winters, or to deal with environmental seasonality. Here, I test the validity and setting of these two hypotheses using 1466 globally distributed bird species. First, I show that the negative association between migration distance and relative brain size is very robust across species and phylogeny. Second, I provide strong support for the energetic trade‐off hypothesis, by showing the validity of the trade‐off among long‐distance migratory species alone. Third, using resident and short‐distance migratory species, I demonstrate that environmental harshness is associated with enlarged relative brain size, therefore arguably better cognition. My study provides the strongest comparative support to date for both the energetic trade‐off and the behavioral flexibility hypotheses, and highlights that both mechanisms contribute to brain size evolution, but on different ends of the migratory spectrum.     

2015 年江苏省医药产业发展报告

江苏省作为传统医药大省,是全国医药产业发展的重要组成部分。通过资料查询,从产业规模与体系、研发创新、产业潜能、人 才队伍、科研机构和专利发明等多方位,分析江苏省医药产业发展现状,并与其他医药产业重点省份进行比较,揭示目前全省医药产业 发展中的主要问题所在,为全省医药产业健康发展建言献策。     

高校互动式教学模式探讨

互动式教学模式是指以学生为主体,立足于培养学生创新能力的一种教学模式。高等医学院校是高素质医学人才培养的主要单位,研究高校互动式教学模式的内涵及医学意义、病理生理学中互动式教学模式的应用、互动式教学模式的制约瓶颈、探究高校互动式教学模式的实施策略有利于促进高校互动式教学模式的创新及医学人才培养质量的提高。     

Effects of enzyme loading and β-glucosidase supplementation on enzymatic hydrolysis of switchgrass processed by leading pretreatment technologies

The objective of this work is to investigate the effects of cellulase loading and β-glucosidase supplementation on enzymatic hydrolysis of pretreated Dacotah switchgrass. To assess the difference among various pretreatment methods, the profiles of sugars and intermediates were determined for differently treated substrates. For all pretreatments, 72 h glucan/xylan digestibilities increased sharply with enzyme loading up to 25 mg protein/g-glucan, after which the response varied depending on the pretreatment method. For a fixed level of enzyme loading, dilute sulfuric acid (DA), SO₂, and Lime pretreatments exhibited higher digestibility than the soaking in aqueous ammonia (SAA) and ammonia fiber expansion (AFEX). Supplementation of Novozyme-188 to Spezyme-CP improved the 72 h glucan digestibility only for the SAA treated samples. The effect of β-glucosidase supplementation was discernible only at the early phase of hydrolysis where accumulation of cellobiose and oligomers is significant. Addition of β-glucosidase increased the xylan digestibility of alkaline treated samples due to the β-xylosidase activity present in Novozyme-188.     

Large-scale patterns of diversification in the widespread legume genus Senna and the evolutionary role of extrafloral nectaries

Unraveling the diversification history of old, species-rich and widespread clades is difficult because of extinction, undersampling, and taxonomic uncertainty. In the context of these challenges, we investigated the timing and mode of lineage diversification in Senna (Leguminosae) to gain insights into the evolutionary role of extrafloral nectaries (EFNs). EFNs secrete nectar, attracting ants and forming ecologically important ant-plant mutualisms. In Senna, EFNs characterize one large clade (EFN clade), including 80% of its 350 species. Taxonomic accounts make Senna the largest caesalpinioid genus, but quantitative comparisons to other taxa require inferences about rates. Molecular dating analyses suggest that Senna originated in the early Eocene, and its major lineages appeared during early/mid Eocene to early Oligocene. EFNs evolved in the late Eocene, after the main radiation of ants. The EFN clade diversified faster, becoming significantly more species-rich than non-EFN clades. The shift in diversification rates associated with EFN evolution supports the hypothesis that EFNs represent a (relatively old) key innovation in Senna. EFNs may have promoted the colonization of new habitats appearing with the early uplift of the Andes. This would explain the distinctive geographic concentration of the EFN clade in South America.     

Innovative social behavior in chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes)

We present evidence of agonistic buffering in captive chimpanzees, recorded from 1993 until 2005, mainly from ad libitum sampling in over 2000 hr of observation. A total of 33 agonistic buffering episodes were analyzed for context and effects of this complex social behavior. Agonistic buffering was directed at the whole chimpanzee colony as they supported an individual who initially received aggression from the alpha male, independently of the victim's age, sex or social rank. Chimpanzee agonistic buffering behavior is compared with that in other nonhuman primate species, and we describe some particularities of chimpanzee agonistic buffering: the status of the buffers used-socially important offspring such as those from the alpha female-and the social rank of the adult male responsible for the buffering episode-alpha male. Possible functions for this behavior in chimpanzees are suggested as appeasement of group members in a particularly crowded captive setting, and/or as a "forced reconciliation" mechanism. Chimpanzees exhibit behavioral flexibility by adapting themselves to new social and physical situations and use novel behavior to achieve social benefits.     

Significance and Progress of Bionics

1　IntroductionTheappetencyofhumanforthecreationisthees sentialmotivityoftheinnovationinscienceandtech nology .Natureandsocietyaretheobjectsforustocog nizeandserve ,meanwhile ,thebestteachersforustolearnfromthem .Theaimofthescienceisfindingknowledgeandtruth .Thedriveandthesourceofresearchbyhumancomefromtheappetiteandcuriosityforthephenomenaandregulationofnatureandsociety ,fromtheresearchoftheinconsistencyanddifferencebetweentheob tainedinformationsystemandthenewlyfoundphe nomenaandregulation ,…     

浅论如何持续有效地推进产学研创新联盟合作

产学研创新战略联盟是提升产品市场竞争力的手段,它集合了产业链中各相关单位资源,提供了解决瓶颈技术的平台,利益分享。该文介绍了联盟创建、成员的选择、风险控制、日常管理、利益分享等方面的经验。     

以发育模块重复征用和整合为基础的进化创新机制

进化新征的起源和分化是进化发育生物学研究的核心问题。通过对多细胞生物早期发育调控机制的比较分析,发现亲缘关系较远的生物所共有的一些形态特征受保守的发育调控程序调节（深同源性）。许多创新性状的发生是基于对预先存在的基因或发育调控模块的重复利用和整合。发育基因调控网络在结构和功能上高度模块化,因此不仅可以通过模块拆分和重复征用改变发育程式,而且也增强了调控网络自身的进化力。研究基因调控网络和发育系统的进化动态将有助于更深入地认识生物演化过程中创新性状发生和表型进化的分子机制。     

“双一流”建设背景下民族院校微生物学课程教学改革与实践

针对民族院校不同专业学生对微生物学知识的需要,我们在教学内容、教学方式、教学资源等方面进行改革和实践,建立了系统性、针对性、前沿性和实效性相结合的"四性"教学内容,创立了理论与实践相结合、课内与课外相结合、教学与科研相结合的"三结合"教学方式,构建了"以学生为中心"的自主学习网络平台,加强学生创新能力培养,提高了教学质量。