Great tits (Parus major) searching for artificial prey: implications for cryptic coloration and symmetry

It has been suggested that bilateral symmetry may impose a costfor animals relying on camouflage because symmetric color patternsmight increase the risk of detection. We tested the effect ofsymmetry on crypsis, carrying out a predation experiment withgreat tits (Parus major) and black-and-white–patterned,artificial prey items and background. First, we found that detectiontime was significantly longer for a highly cryptic, asymmetricpattern based on a random sample of the background than forits symmetric variants. Second, we were able to arrange theelements of a prey pattern in a way that the resulting asymmetricpattern was highly cryptic and, furthermore, its symmetric variantwas highly cryptic as well. We conclude that symmetry may imposea substantial cost on cryptic patterns, but this cost variesamong patterns. This suggests that for prey, which predatorstypically view from an angle exposing their symmetry, selectionfor pattern asymmetry may be less important and selection fordecreased detectability cost of symmetry may be more importantthan previously thought. This may help to understand the existenceof so many prey with cryptic, symmetric color patterns.     

Epistasis and frequency dependence influence the fitness of an adaptive mutation in a diversifying lineage

The opportunity for a mutation to invade a population can dramatically vary depending on the context in which this mutation occurs. Such context dependence is difficult to document as it requires the ability to measure how a mutation affects phenotypes and fitness and to manipulate the context in which the mutation occurs. We identified a mutation in a gene encoding a global regulator in one of two ecotypes that diverged from a common ancestor during 1200 generations of experimental evolution. We replaced the ancestral allele by the mutant allele, and vice versa, in several clones isolated during the time course of the evolution experiment, and compared the phenotype and fitness of clones isogenic except for the focal mutation. We show that the fitness and phenotype of the mutation are strongly affected by epistatic interactions between genes in the same genome, as well as by frequency dependent selection resulting from biotic interactions between individuals in the same population. We conclude that amongst the replicate population in which it spread, the mutation we identified is only adaptive when occurring in specific genomes and competing with specific individuals. This study thus demonstrates that the opportunity for an adaptive mutation to spread in an evolutionary lineage can only be understood in the light of its genomic and competitive environments.     

Your attention please: increasing ambient noise levels elicits a change in communication behaviour in humpback whales (Megaptera novaeangliae)

High background noise is an important obstacle in successful signal detection and perception of an intended acoustic signal. To overcome this problem, many animals modify their acoustic signal by increasing the repetition rate, duration, amplitude or frequency range of the signal. An alternative method to ensure successful signal reception, yet to be tested in animals, involves the use of two different types of signal, where one signal type may enhance the other in periods of high background noise. Humpback whale communication signals comprise two different types: vocal signals, and surface-generated signals such as ‘breaching’ or ‘pectoral slapping’. We found that humpback whales gradually switched from primarily vocal to primarily surface-generated communication in increasing wind speeds and background noise levels, though kept both signal types in their repertoire. Vocal signals have the advantage of having higher information content but may have the disadvantage of loosing this information in a noisy environment. Surface-generated sounds have energy distributed over a greater frequency range and may be less likely to become confused in periods of high wind-generated noise but have less information content when compared with vocal sounds. Therefore, surface-generated sounds may improve detection or enhance the perception of vocal signals in a noisy environment.     

一类有投放率系统的控制策略

使用微分方程理论研究了有投放率时一类云杉蚜虫与其天敌模型在相互作用过程中所呈现的动态性质,通过对反馈增益值的选取,得到了系统达到稳定平衡状态的条件,同时保证了实际中蚜虫的密度相对小．     

基于低成本聚甲基丙烯酸甲酯(PMMA)电泳芯片的微型DNA分析仪

在低成本的聚甲基丙烯酸甲酯(PMMA)电泳芯片上,利用双通道共聚焦激光诱导荧光检测系统实现了单链DNA快速高效的分离检测．选用0.8 mm厚度的PMMA薄片加工微管道,一方面降低了检测限,另一方面提高了散热性能．通过线性聚丙烯酰胺筛分胶液以及使用纤维素衍生物对微管道表面进行动态修饰等条件的优化,芯片完成了高分辨率、高重现性的短串联重复序列(STR)等位基因的快速分型检测．两个STR位点D13S317 和CSF1PO的等位基因分型标准物(allelic ladder)和实际样本的PCR扩增产物均在3 min内达到了基线分离,表明低成本的PMMA电泳芯片在法医学及临床医学领域的基因分析方面具有良好的发展潜能．     

球孢白僵菌营养亲和型多样性与生态背景的关系

本文将来源不同的球孢白僵菌菌株分别按相同地理来源和相同分离奇主进行配对培养,发现相同地理来源菌株的营养亲和型多样性要明显小于相同分离寄主的菌株,前者的P及Shannon-Wiener多样性指数分别为0.4286及0.8708,后者分别为0.7500及1.3321。这说明来源于同一地区的菌株属于同一VCG的概率要大于相同分离寄主的菌株,同时也说明相同地理来源菌株的遗传相似性要高于相同分离寄主菌株的遗传相似性。     

细胞凋亡与细胞程序性死亡

细胞凋亡与程序性死亡是多细胞动物生命过程中必不可少的正常过程,它与细胞增殖具有同样重要意义。细胞凋亡与程序性死亡失控不仅扰乱发育,还导致病变。因此,这一领域的研究受到生命科学研究者的广泛重视,进展很快。本文从凋亡的定义、形态学特点、诱导、生物化学背景、基因调控等５个方面综合分析了近年来国内外的研究进展。     

Uncertainties in the Environmental Risk Assessment of Metals

As life has evolved in the presence of metals, the assessment of the potential adverse effects of metals on ecosystems requires a different approach than those presently used for man-made organic substances. This article provides a brief review of applications and limitations of current techniques and presents, based on recent research results, suggestions for improving the scientific relevance and accuracy of environmental risk assessments of metals. The importance of the following factors responsible for major uncertainties in current environmental risk assessments of metals are discussed: factors affecting metal bioavailability and toxicity, the potential importance of deficiency effects (for essential metals), and field extrapolation of laboratory toxicity data. Possible (regulatory) consequences of inaccurately assessing the natural background concentrations of metals and acclimatization/adaptation potential of laboratory organisms and resident communities are illustrated using examples of recent research, hypothesis development, and a probabilistic environmental risk assessment.     

人胎儿鼻咽上皮细胞的背景氯电流

采用膜片钳和图像分析技术,研究人胎儿鼻咽上皮细胞背景电流的特性及其与容积激活性氯电流的关系。在等张溶液中,可记录到一背景电流,该电流呈微弱的外向整流性,无明显时间依赖性失活,其翻转电位为(?0.73±1.7)mV(n=21),接近氯离子平衡电位(?0.9mV)。细胞外高张刺激(440mOsmol/L)明显抑制此电流(59.6±7.1)%,而低张刺激(160mOsmol/L)则诱发细胞产生容积激活性氯电流。氯通道阻断剂tamoxifen和5-硝基-2-(3-苯丙胺基)苯甲酸[5-nitro-2-(3-phenylpropylamino)benzoicacid,NPPB]显著地抑制背景电流并使细胞基础容积增大。上述结果表明,人胎儿鼻咽上皮细胞的背景Cl?电流是背景电流的重要成分,此Cl?电流与容积激活性氯电流及细胞基础容积调节有关。     

The shear wave elastic modulus and the increased nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kB/p65) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression in the area of myofascial trigger points activated in a rat model by blunt trauma to the vastus medialis

We aimed to elucidate the increased inflammatory cytokines expression such as nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kB/p65), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), and voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCC) in the area of activated myofascial trigger points (MTrPs) in a rat model by blunt trauma to the vastus medialis and to evaluate the feasibility of a quantitative analysis of muscle elastic modulus using shear wave elastography (SWE). Twelve 7-week-old male SD rats were divided into normal (NM, n = 6) and model groups (MO, n = 6). In the MO group, MTrPs were activated with a blunt strike to the left vastus medialis and subsequent eccentric exercise for 8 weeks. After 4 weeks of rest, the elastic modulus in the focal site was evaluated using SWE. Electromyography (EMG) data were collected at MTrPs and muscle tissues were evaluated for expression of nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kB/p65), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) protein, and voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCC). The number of the palpable taut bands; EMG frequency and amplitude; elastic modulus values; and NFkB/p65, COX-2, and VGCC expression levels were significantly higher for the left focal area in the MO group compared to those for the NM group (p’s < 0.05). These findings suggest that elastic modulus measurement using ultrasound SWE may be effective in evaluating MPS. In addition, increased COX-2, NFkB/p65, and VGCC expression may expand the integrated hypothesis of trigger points.