Old‐male paternity advantage is a function of accumulating sperm and last‐male precedence in a butterfly

Old‐male mating advantage has been convincingly demonstrated in Bicyclus anynana butterflies. This intriguing pattern may be explained by two alternative hypotheses: (i) an increased aggressiveness and persistence of older males during courtship, being caused by the older males' low residual reproductive value; and (ii) an active preference of females towards older males what reflects a good genes hypothesis. Against this background, we here investigate postcopulatory sexual selection by double‐mating Bicyclus anynana females to older and younger males, thus allowing for sperm competition and cryptic mate choice, and by genotyping the resulting offspring. Virgin females were mated with a younger virgin (2–3 days old) and afterwards an older virgin male (12–13 days old) or vice versa. Older males had a higher paternity success than younger ones, but only when being the second (=last) mating partner, while paternity success was equal among older and younger males when older males were the first mating partner. Older males produced larger spermatophores with much higher numbers of fertile sperm than younger males. Thus, we found no evidence for cryptic female mate choice. Rather, the findings reported here seem to result from a combination of last‐male precedence and the number of sperm transferred upon mating, both increasing paternity success.     

何首乌不同种质花粉形态及进化趋势研究

采用电镜扫描法,对48份何首乌种质的花粉形态进行了观察和分析。结果表明:何首乌花粉形状主要为椭球形,少量为长椭球形和近球形,部分种质花粉形状正处于椭球形向长椭球形进化的阶段;极面观主要为三裂圆形,部分种质的变异为半球状、四边形、凹陷状或平三角形;赤道面观主要为椭圆形,部分种质为三角形或四边形;萌发沟3条,狭长,几达两极,部分种质的1条或2条萌发沟中部或近极端处隆起,2条或3条萌发沟在极端处相交;表面纹饰为穴状,部分种质的穴中出现小孔。研究结果表明,何首乌物种正处于活跃进化阶段且因区域及生境的差异其进化速度不一致,低纬度地区的种质进化程度较高纬度地区的高,其最初的起源中心可能位于高纬度地区,在向低纬度地区迁移过程中其花粉形态发生了不同程度的变异。     

Associations between feed efficiency,sexual maturity and fertility-related measures in young beef bulls

The beef industry has emphasized the improvement of feed utilization, as measured by modeling feed intake through performance traits to calculate residual feed intake (RFI). Evidence supports an inverse relationship between feed efficiency and reproductive function. The objective of this study was to determine the relationship of reproductive assessments and RFI unadjusted (RFI_Koch) or adjusted for body composition (RFI_us) and the relationship among fertility-related parameters. In total, 34 crossbred bulls were housed together for 112 days of performance evaluation, followed by assessment of scrotum IR imaging, scrotal circumference, testes ultrasonography and semen quality parameters at 377±33.4 days of age. Bulls were slaughtered at 389±34.0 days of age, and analyses of carcass composition, biometrics and histomorphometry of the testis and epididymis were conducted. Bulls were grouped into two subpopulations based on divergence of RFI, and within each RFI model either by including 50% of the population (Halves, high and low RFI, n=17) or 20.6% extremes of the population (Tails, high and low RFI, n=7). The means of productive performance and fertility-related measures were compared through these categories. Pearson’s correlation was calculated among fertility-related measures. In the Halves subpopulation of the RFI_us, sperm of low-RFI bulls had decreased progressive motility (47.30% v. 59.90%) and higher abundance of tail abnormalities (4.30% v. 1.80%) than that of high-RFI bulls. In the Tails subpopulation of the RFI_Koch, low RFI displayed less variation in the scrotum surface temperature (0.62°C v. 1.16°C), decreased testis echogenicity (175.50 v 198.00 pixels) and larger (60.90 v. 56.80 mm²) but less-developed seminiferous tubules than high-RFI bulls. The evaluation of fertility-related parameters indicated that a higher percentage of immature seminiferous tubules was correlated with occurrence of sperm with distal droplets (r=0.59), a larger temperature variation at the top of the scrotum was correlated with improved sperm progressive motility (r=0.38), a lower occurrence of sperm loose head abnormalities was correlated with larger temperature variation at the lower part of the scrotum (r=−0.43), and a lower minimum testis echogenicity (r=−0.59) and smaller scrotal circumference (r=0.72) were correlated with age. The adjustment for body composition (RFI determination) enabled distinct biological inferences about reproduction and feed efficiency when compared with the non-adjusted model. However, both RFI models and the correlation analysis supported the hypothesis that feed-efficient bulls have features of delayed sexual maturity. Overall, the assessment of fertility-related measurements is important to avoid the improvement of feed efficiency at the expense of reproductive function in young bulls.     

Divergence for residual feed intake of Holstein-Friesian cattle during growth did not affect production and reproduction during lactation

Residual feed intake (RFI) is the difference between actual and predicted dry matter intake (DMI) of individual animals. Recent studies with Holstein-Friesian calves have identified an ~20% difference in RFI during growth (calf RFI) and these groups remained divergent in RFI during lactation. The objective of the experiment described here was to determine if cows selected for divergent RFI as calves differed in milk production, reproduction or in the profiles of BW and body condition score (BCS) change during lactation, when grazing pasture. The cows used in the experiment (n=126) had an RFI of −0.88 and +0.75 kg DM intake/day for growth as calves (efficient and inefficient calf RFI groups, respectively) and were intensively grazed at four stocking rates (SR) of 2.2, 2.6, 3.1 and 3.6 cows/ha on self-contained farmlets, over 3 years. Each SR treatment had equal number of cows identified as low and high calf RFI, with 24, 28, 34 and 40/11 ha farmlet. The cows divergent for calf RFI were randomly allocated to each SR. Although SR affected production, calf RFI group (low or high) did not affect milk production, reproduction, BW, BCS or changes in these parameters throughout lactation. The most efficient animals (low calf RFI) lost similar BW and BCS as the least efficient (high calf RFI) immediately post-calving, and regained similar BW and BCS before their next calving. These results indicate that selection for RFI as calves to increase efficiency of feed utilisation did not negatively affect farm productivity variables (milk production, BCS, BW and reproduction) as adults when managed under an intensive pastoral grazing system.     

1963-2012年新疆棉花需水量时空分布特征

研究基于新疆地区54个国家基本气象站1963-2012年的逐日气象资料,采用联合国粮食与农业组织FAO推荐的Penman-Monteith公式及作物系数法,计算了近50年来新疆棉花全育期和各生长阶段需水量。并利用线性趋势估计、MK检验、空间插值法对农作物全育期及各生长阶段需水量年际变化趋势和空间分布特征进行分析。结果表明：1）1963-2012年,新疆54个气象站棉花全育期平均需水量为759 mm,各站变化范围为555-1205 mm,差异明显。其空间分布整体呈现西北向东南递增、南疆大于北疆、东部大于西部的趋势。2）1963-2012年,在棉花的生长初期与发育期,全疆需水量空间分布总体由北向南增大并呈带状。在棉花的生长中期与生长末期,需水量空间分布表现为由西向东增大的格局。3）近50年棉花不同生长阶段需水量总体呈现下降趋势,并且除了生长中期下降趋势较显著外其他都不太明显。其中,生长中期下降速率最大为6.1 mm/10a,发育期及生长末期下降速率次之分别为2 mm/10a和1.3 mm/10a,生长初期下降速率最小,需水量以0.6 mm/10a的速率递减。4）新疆1963-2012年棉花全育期需水量总体呈下降趋势,递减速率平均约为5.3 mm/10a,并在1981年开始发生突变。5）全育期年需水量下降倾向率总体呈现与全育期平均需水量相同的空间分布特征,总体呈现北疆小于南疆、东部大于西部、由西北向东南递增的空间分布特征。     

长白山国家级自然保护区植被时空变化及其驱动因子

基于MODIS NDVI数据,采用一元线性回归趋势分析和相关系数检验法对长白山国家级保护区2000—2010年间植被时空变化及其驱动因子进行研究。结果表明:10年来,长白山国家级自然保护区中88.95%的植被保持稳定,9.71%的植被显著改善,1.34%的植被显著退化,植被的总体保护效果较好。从植被变化的驱动因子来看,气温对植被的影响略强于降雨,气温和降雨与植被变化的关系总体上都呈负相关,但显著相关的面积均不足8%,10年间气温和降雨对自然保护区内植被的影响总体有限。自然保护区内不同地形上的植被变化存在一定空间差异,海拔1 800 m以上,坡度26°—35°范围内的岳桦林和苔原植被出现较明显退化。自然保护区内规模日益扩大的旅游活动以及不合理的开发建设与部分植被的退化有一定关系。尽管自然保护区内植被显著退化的面积仅占1.34%,但必须引起管理部门的高度重视。据此,提出三点建议以更有效地保护现有植被和恢复已退化植被,为长白山国家级自然保护区的科学管理提供参考。     

Mechanical analysis of the ring opening test applied to human ascending aortas

This work presents experiments, modelling and numerical simulation aimed at describing the mechanical response of human ascending aortas in the ring opening test. The objective is to quantify, from the opening angles measured in the test, the residual stress distribution along the artery wall and, afterwards, how this stress pattern changes when the artery is subjected to standard physiological pressures. The cases studied correspond to four groups including both healthy and pathological arteries. The tissues are characterized via tensile test measurements that enable to derive the material parameters of two constitutive models adopted in the present analysis. Overall, the numerical results obtained for all groups were found to be a useful data that allow to estimate the residual stress and their influence on the vessels under normal and hypertension physiological conditions.     

流式细胞术动态监测微小残留病灶在急性髓系白血病中的意义*

目的:探讨急性髓系白血病(AML)在治疗过程中应用多参数流式细胞术(MFC)动态微小残留病灶(MRD)的意义。方法:选择2015年1月至2017年2月在我院血液科收治的60例AML患者,在诱导治疗第8天,第21天,每次巩固治疗前1天,结束化疗随访过程中,检测骨髓形态学变化和应用MFC监测患者骨髓MRD,并动态随访。定义未发现异常表型细胞(MRD10~(-4))为阴性,其余为阳性。结果:平均随访时间为11个月(3到16个月),早期MRD(诱导化疗第8天)阴性的患者占58.33%,MRD阳性的患者占41.67%。MRD阴性的患者在诱导治疗接受第21天100%达到CR,MRD阳性的患者80%达到CR。第一次巩固治疗结束后,MRD阴性的患者预后明显较MRD阳性的患者好。结论:动态监测MRD对预测AML患者对治疗的反应和预测复发有重要意义。     

我国中医人才培养状况与趋势的可视化分析研究

文章借助信息可视化工具,以中国知网建库时间--2017年12月31日期间发表的文献为样本数据,对CNKI(中国知识资源总库)收录的中医人才培养领域的相关文献进行可视化分析,借助文献作者、机构、基金项目的分布来分析中医人才培养研究主体的构成;通过绘制关键词共现图谱并结合词频与中心度来解析我国中医人才培养的研究主题与热点,旨在为大家直观展示我国中医人才培养研究现状、研究热点和未来的研究趋势,从而辨识和探测我国中医人才培养的基本动向和整体发展脉络。     

Warmest Congratulations to Dr. Yuan-Cheng Fung at His Centennial Celebration

Professor Y.C. Fung has made tremendous impacts on science, engineering and humanity through his research and its applications, by setting the highest standards, through educating many students and their students, and providing his exemplary leadership. He has applied his profound knowledge and elegant analytical methods to the study of biomedical problems with rigor and excellence. He established the foundations of biomechanics in living tissues and organs. Through his vision of the power of “making models” to explain and predict biological phenomena, Dr. Fung opened up new vista for bioengineering, from organs-systems to molecules-genes, and has provided the foundation of research activities in many institutions in the United States and the world. He has made outstanding contributions to education in bioengineering, service to professional organizations, and translation to industry and clinical medicine. He is widely recognized as the Father of Biomechanics and the leading Bioengineer in the world. His extraordinary achievements and commands in science, engineering and the arts make him a Renaissance Man for the world.