可可西里地区藏羚的社群特征

藏羚(Pantholopshodgsoni)的集群类型有雌性群、雄性群、母仔群、雌雄混群和独羚5种形式。2002年7月～2003年12月,在可可西里地区沿青藏公路设立试验区,直接观察到936群次,计13795只次藏羚。藏羚的集群类型受到生育周期的影响,季节间差异显著。春季以雌性群(60.49%)和雄性群(30.86%)为主;夏季和秋季主要为雌性群(41.65%,49.66%)和母仔群(49.36%,33.67%);雌雄混群(58.14%)主要出现在冬季。雄性群在1年中很少见,尤其是夏秋两季,冬季较为常见,多由亚成体雄性组成。独羚是一种特殊的集群类型,占11.32%。常见的集群大小为2～20只,占71.90%,其次是21～200只的群,占16.35%;>200只的集群极少,仅占0.43%,且仅出现于夏季产羔往返迁徙途中。藏羚的集群大小受竞争、捕食风险以及迁徙繁殖的共同影响。藏羚的集群极不稳定,交配期雌雄混合群受雄性亚成体的干扰经常改变,而在迁徙季节大群和小群之间的转换也很频繁。大型集群为雌性群或母仔群,其最适集群大小为2～20只。     

W135群脑膜炎球菌发酵工艺的研究

为研究A、C、Y、W 135群流脑多糖疫苗,针对W 135群脑膜炎球菌的生长特性,采用国产50L发酵罐,针对流脑半综合液体培养基中葡萄糖浓度;培养温度、菌种接种浓度、pH、通氧量及搅拌速度等因素对W 135群脑膜炎球菌生长的影响,选择最适的培养条件。结果表明,选择半综合培养基中补加1%的葡萄糖培养效果良好,菌种接种浓度直接影响多糖复合物产量;最适pH值6.5~7.5的范围可维持W 135群链球菌快速生长;温度控制在36.5±0.2℃可得到较高的培养产物;培养过程中加大通气量及搅拌速度对培养结果有明显改善。确立了W 135群脑膜炎球菌的最适培养条件,在确定培养条件后连续进行3批500L罐放大中试培养,达到规模化生产要求。     

两种PCR方法对检测A组轮状病毒膜芯片杂交结果的影响

A组轮状病毒(rotavirus,RV)是导致拿世界婴幼儿腹泻的最主要病原,危害巨大。拟用RT-巢式PCR技术对A组RV的保守序列进行高度扩增,通过固本室内制的膜芯片杂交,实现对该病毒的检测。分别采用对称PCR和不对称PCR扩增,均可得到扩增的目的片段．对称式扩增产物杂交结果不理想。而不对称式扩增得到了大量待检单链产物,同膜芯片杂交获得了理想的杂交结果。显著地提高了对A组RV杂交检测的灵敏度。表明不对称式PCR扩增是一种制备用于芯片杂交大量单链产物的理想方法,尤其是针对富含AT的核酸检测区域。     

Reaction of haem containing proteins and enzymes with hydroperoxides: The radical view

The reaction between hydroperoxides and the haem group of proteins and enzymes is important for the function of many enzymes but has also been implicated in a number of pathological conditions where oxygen binding proteins interact with hydrogen peroxide or other peroxides. The haem group in the oxidized Fe³⁺ (ferric) state reacts with hydroperoxides with a formation of the Fe⁴⁺=O (oxoferryl) haem state and a free radical primarily located on the π-system of the haem. The radical is then transferred to an amino acid residue of the protein and undergoes further transfer and transformation processes. The free radicals formed in this reaction are reviewed for a number of proteins and enzymes. Their previously published EPR spectra are analysed in a comparative way. The radicals directly detected in most systems are tyrosyl radicals and the peroxyl radicals formed on tryptophan and possibly cysteine. The locations of the radicals in the proteins have been reported as follows: Tyr133 in soybean leghaemoglobin; αTyr42, αTrp14, βTrp15, βCys93, (αTyr24−αHis20), all in the α- and β-subunits of human haemoglobin; Tyr103, Tyr151 and Trp14 in sperm whale myoglobin; Tyr103, Tyr146 and Trp14 in horse myoglobin; Trp14, Tyr103 and Cys110 in human Mb. The sequence of events leading to radical formation, transformation and transfer, both intra- and intermolecularly, is considered. The free radicals induced by peroxides in the enzymes are reviewed. Those include: lignin peroxidase, cytochrome c peroxidase, cytochrome c oxidase, turnip isoperoxidase 7, bovine catalase, two isoforms of prostaglandin H synthase, Mycobacterium tuberculosis and Synechocystis PCC6803 catalase-peroxidases.     

鼎湖山森林群落多样性垂直分布格局的研究

根据鼎湖山10 m×1 200 m的植物固定样带调查,沿海拔梯度对植物群落分布格局及生物多样性特性进行了分析。结果表明,本固定样带有3个森林类型,5个群落类型,构成一演替序列,但在垂直梯度上有交错现象。生物多样性指数为:乔木层,中生性阔叶林>针阔混交林>阳生性阔叶林;草本层,针阔混交林>阔叶林。阳性草本植物为主的草本群大部分生长在阳性树种为主的阔叶林和针阔混交林下,但是林下微环境变化对草本层植物优势度的影响也较大,以耐荫植物为主的草本群在阳性树种为主的阔叶林和针阔混交林也有分布,表明相同群落类型林下小环境的变化。     

OBSERVER VARIABILITY IN PINNIPED COUNTS: GROUND-BASED ENUMERATION OF WALRUSES AT HAUL-OUT SITES

Pinnipeds are often monitored by counting individuals at haul-out sites, but the often large numbers of densely packed individuals at these sites are difficult to enumerate accurately. Errors in enumeration can induce bias and reduce precision in estimates of population size and trend. We used data from paired observers monitoring walrus haul-outs in Bristol Bay, Alaska, to quantify observer variability and assess its relative importance. The probability of a pair of observers making identical counts was < 0.1 for walrus groups with >50 individuals. Mean count differences ranged up to 25% for the largest counts, depending on beach and observers. In at least some cases, there was a clear tendency for counts of one observer to be consistently greater than counts of the other observer in a pair, indicating that counts of at least one of the observers were biased. These results suggest that efforts to improve accuracy of counts will be worthwhile. However, we also found that variation among observers was relatively small compared to variation among visits to a beach so that efforts to account for other sources of variation will be more important.     

Mycobacterium avium Subspecies Paratuberculosis in the Inflamed Gut Tissues of Patients with Crohn’s Disease in China and its Potential Relationship to the Consumption of Cow’s Milk: A Preliminary Study

Summary Mycobacterium avium subspecies paratuberculosis infection in domestic livestock is widespread in many countries throughout the world. Studies in Europe and the USA show that M. avium subspecies paratuberculosis can be cultured from retail pasteurized cow’s milk and that these organisms are being transmitted to humans by this route. Most people with chronic inflammation of the intestine of the Crohn’s disease type are infected with these chronic enteric pathogens. The production and consumption of cow’s milk has increased in China and so also has the incidence of Crohn’s disease. The present preliminary investigation was carried out to determine whether M. avium subspecies paratuberculosis is present in the intestinal tissues of Chinese patients with Crohn’s disease who have never left China. Archival paraffin-embedded surgical pathology blocks from patients having surgery for Crohn’s disease (CD) or for cancer (nIBD) in China were studied. M. avium subspecies paratuberculosis was detected by nested IS900 PCR with Southern blotting and amplicon sequencing. The intestinal tissues of 9 of 13 (69.2%) CD patients and 2 of 14 (14.3%) nIBD patients were IS900 PCR positive (P = 0.0063; odds ratio = 13.5). These initial studies suggest that people in China are exposed to M. avium subspecies paratuberculosis and that as in other countries, the infection is significantly associated with Crohn’s disease. M. avium subspecies paratuberculosis in dairy herds and retail milk in China needs to be investigated.     

Experimental evidence for helper effects in a cooperatively breeding cichlid

Neolamprologus pulcher is a cooperatively breeding cichlid fish,in which helpers stay in their natal territory and help withbrood care, territory defense, and maintenance. In this studywe investigated helper effects by an experimental group sizereduction in the field. After this manipulation, focal helpersin reduced groups tended to feed less, and small helpers visitedthe breeding shelter significantly more often than same-sizedhelpers in control groups. No evidence was found that remaininghelpers compensated for the removed helpers by increasing territorydefense and maintenance behavior. Breeders, however, did showa lower defense rate, possibly caused by an increase in broodcare effort. Survival of fry was significantly lower in removalthan control groups, which provides the first experimental proofin a natural population of fish that brood care helpers do effectivelyhelp. The data suggest that in small, generally younger, helpers,kin selection may be an important evolutionary cause of cooperation.Large helpers, however, who are generally older and less relatedto the breeders than small helpers are suggested to pay to beallowed to stay in the territory by helping. All group membersbenefit from group augmentation.     

Group stability and homing behavior but no kin group structures in a coral reef fish

Understanding the reasons behind stable group formations hasreceived considerable theoretical and empirical attention. Stablegroups displaying homing behavior have been suggested to formas a result of, for instance, benefits from knowledge of thesocial or physical environment or through kin selection andthe forming of kin groups. However, no one has disentangledpreference for grouping in a familiar location from preferencefor grouping with familiar or related individuals. To investigatethis, we conducted a series of field experiments and a groupgenetic analysis on the group-living Banggai cardinalfish (Pterapogonkauderni). We found homing behavior but no evidence for recognitionof familiar group members. Instead, homing was based on theoriginal location of their group rather than the individualsin that group. Moreover, we found no evidence for kin structureswithin these groups. We suggest that benefits from living ina known social environment drive homing behavior in this speciesand that homing behavior is not enough for the formation ofkin group structures. Instead, our results suggest that kinrecognition may be a prerequisite for the forming of kin groups.