Are offspring begging levels exaggerated beyond the parental optimum? Evidence from a bidirectional selection experiment

Parental care involves elaborate behavioural interactions between parents and their offspring, with offspring stimulating their parents via begging to provision resources. Thus, begging has direct fitness benefits as it enhances offspring growth and survival. It is nevertheless subject to a complex evolutionary trajectory, because begging may serve as a means for the offspring to manipulate parents in the context of evolutionary conflicts of interest. Furthermore, it has been hypothesized that begging is coadapted and potentially genetically correlated with parental care traits as a result of social selection. Further experiments on the causal processes that shape the evolution of begging are therefore essential. We applied bidirectional artificial selection on begging behaviour, using canaries (Serinus canaria) as a model species. We measured the response to selection, the consequences for offspring development, changes in parental care traits, here the rate of parental provisioning, as well as the effects on reproductive success. After three generations of selection, offspring differed in begging behaviour according to our artificial selection regime: nestlings of the high begging line begged significantly more than nestlings of the low begging line. Intriguingly, begging less benefitted the nestlings, as reflected by on average significantly higher growth rates, and increased reproductive success in terms of a higher number of fledglings in the low selected line. Begging could thus represent an exaggerated trait, possibly because parent–offspring conflict enhanced the selection on begging. We did not find evidence that we co‐selected on parental provisioning, which may be due to the lack of power, but may also suggest that the evolution of begging is probably not constrained by a genetic correlation between parental provisioning and offspring begging.     

Programmable assembly of 2D crystalline protein arrays into covalently stacked 3D bionanomaterials

Rational embellishment of self-assembling two-dimensional (2D) proteins make it possible to build 3D nanomaterials with novel catalytic, optoelectronic and mechanical properties. However, introducing multiple sites of embellishment into 2D protein arrays without affecting the self-assembly is challenging, limiting the ability to program in additional functionality and new 3D configurations. Here we introduce two orthogonal covalent linkages at multiple sites in a 2D crystalline-forming protein without affecting its self-assembly. We first engineered the surface-layer protein SbsB from Geobacillus stearothermophilus pV72/p2 to display isopeptide bond-forming protein conjugation pairs, SpyTag or SnoopTag, at four positions spaced 5.7-10.5 nm apart laterally and 3 nm axially. The C-terminal and two newly-identified locations within SbsB monomer accommodated the short SpyTag or SnoopTag peptide tags without affecting the 2D lattice structure. Introducing tags at distinct locations enabled orthogonal and covalent binding of SpyCatcher- or SnoopCatcher-protein fusions to micron-sized 2D nanosheets. By introducing different types of bifunctional cross-linkers, the dual-functionalized nanosheets were programmed to self-assemble into different 3D stacks, all of which retain their nanoscale order. Thus, our work creates a modular protein platform that is easy to program to create dual-functionalized 2D and lamellar 3D nanomaterials with new catalytic, optoelectronic, and mechanical properties.     

Egg sac damage and previous egg sac production influence truncated parental investment in the wolf spider,Pardosa milvina

Life history theory predicts that iteroparous animals adaptively partition reproductive effort between current and future reproduction. When rearing costs of current offspring exceed the potential benefits, parental care should be terminated and deferred toward future reproduction. We tested two related predictions that follow from life history theory: (a) parents should be sensitive to offspring viability and withhold parental care if offspring survival probability drops and future reproductive opportunities are likely, and (b) parents should be less sensitive to offspring survival probability when future reproduction is unlikely and maximize parental care late in life. The wolf spider, Pardosa milvina, demonstrates extensive parental care; however, they may also abandon or cannibalize their egg sacs. We tested the effects of egg sac damage and production of a previous egg sac on egg sac abandonment and cannibalism decisions. Among four egg sac groups (1st egg sac intact, 1st egg sac damaged, 2nd egg sac intact, 2nd egg sac damaged), we daily monitored egg sac abandonment and cannibalism and measured differences in egg sac searching, protection, and grooming among removed and damaged egg sacs (N = 116 with 1st egg sac and 88 with 2nd egg sac). Females with first egg sacs abandoned and cannibalized damaged egg sacs significantly more compared to unmanipulated egg sacs; however, females with second egg sacs were insensitive to egg sac damage. Females also spent significantly more time protecting second egg sacs compared to first egg sacs and groomed damaged egg sacs significantly more than undamaged. These results support the general predictions of life history theory that indicate that abandonment and cannibalism should decrease with diminished future reproductive potential and that parents should be less sensitive to indicators of offspring survival probability late in life.     

胰蛋白酶的制备及其在细胞培养中的应用研究

无菌采集健康牛胰脏,用0.125 mol/L的硫酸对牛胰脏进行预处理和保存,并对原材料的细菌、真菌、内毒素、支原体、噬菌体和一些病毒外源因子进行检测,筛选合格原料.通过盐析、CM-Sepharose-FF层析、超滤等方法对胰蛋白酶进行提取和纯化.结果表明:经筛选原料提纯的胰蛋白酶通过细胞传代实验240 h后,细胞生长良好,形态正常,而未经筛选直接提取的胰蛋白酶通过细胞传代实验144 h后,细胞出现拉丝、病变等异常情况.     

植物生理学双语教学的实践与创新

对近几年来植物生理学课程双语教学内容、教学方法、教学手段及考核方式等方面的改革进行了较深入的探讨与实践。通过研制双语教学网络课件,选择正确的国外原版教材和国内教材、编写合适的双语教学讲义,采用形式多样的双语教学模式,正确处理专业词汇和建立有效的考核机制等途径来提高双语教学质量,实现教学目标。     

Les sites acheuléens des grottes la Terrasse et du Coupe-Gorge, à Montmaurin,Haute Garonne,France

The huge karstic network of Montmaurin is located at the western end of the chain of the Petites Pyrenées, and contained several caves escavated by Louis Méroc and his team to 1946 at 1961. Among the eight caves that have escaped the exploitation of quarrymen the richest in stone industry and fauna are the caves la Terrasse and le Coupe-Gorge which are Acheulean sites. The techno-typological and petro-archaeological study conducted during this research shows the specificities inherent to the Montmaurin caves. The lithological procession is composed of pebbles quartzite lydian quartz etc. that come from the tributaries of the Garonne and pre-Pyrenean flint. The acquisition territories of mineral resources are more or less vast, from a hundred meters to about 80 kilometers. The techno-typological characteristics of the Montmaurin cave's industries testify a technical and economic behavior oriented towards production and consumption activities in situ. Differential management of lithic resources is observed, which echoes both the technical requirements imposed by the debitage methods employed and the knapping skills.     

生物基分子介导纳米金属材料的制备及其应用

纳米金属材料具有纳米晶强化效应、光吸收率大、较高的表面能和单磁畴性能等优点,因其在医药、化学催化、抗菌抑毒等方面发挥着越来越重要的作用而受到人们广泛关注。近年来,随着全球石化资源消耗与日俱增,环境污染加剧,基于可再生资源的生物基分子介导纳米材料的制备研究方兴未艾。生物基分子是指直接或间接来源于生物质的小分子或大分子物质,它们多数具有生物相容性好、低毒、可降解、来源广泛、价格低廉等优点。且由于生物基分子多数具有独特的理化性质,如具有生理活性的旋光性、酸碱两性、亲水亲油性以及易与金属离子络合等,其介导合成的纳米材料还兼具其独特功能性,比如消炎、抗癌、抗氧化、抗病毒以及降血糖血脂等,进一步拓宽了纳米金属材料的应用领域。文中对近年来基于生物基分子介导纳米金属材料的制备及应用进行全面综述,为开展相关研究提供参考。     

组织工程细胞片的构建

作为一种无支架的组织工程技术,组织工程细胞片不仅可以避免支架材料带来的不利影响,而且可通过组装进一步形成更为复杂的三维功能化组织,因而在生物医学领域备受关注。细胞片的构建主要是基于敏感性材料所构建的培养基底,通过改变温度、酶、光、离子、氧化还原pH、糖等刺激因素,调节基底对细胞的粘附行为使细胞发生自然脱附,从而获取细胞片。近年来,随着研究的深入进行,特别是各种新型的敏感性培养基底的不断发展,各种简单高效的细胞片构建技术不断涌现,得到的各种具有优良性能的细胞片极大地扩展了其应用的广度和深度。文中对组织工程细胞片的各种构建方法进行了阐述,对其存在的问题及发展前景进行了分析和展望。     

中亚热带不同母质发育森林土壤磷组分特征及其影响因素

本研究以福建三明砂岩和花岗岩发育的米槠林土壤和杉木林土壤为对象,分析土壤磷组分、铁铝氧化物、微生物生物量以及磷酸酶活性等指标,研究母质和森林类型对土壤磷组分的影响程度和机制。结果表明: 母质和森林类型显著影响土壤不同磷组分含量。总体上,砂岩发育土壤全磷含量、活性无机/有机磷、中等活性无机/有机磷以及惰性磷含量均显著高于花岗岩发育土壤,并且砂岩发育米槠林土壤活性有机磷含量、中等活性无机/有机磷以及惰性磷含量显著高于砂岩发育杉木林土壤,而花岗岩发育米槠林与杉木林土壤磷组分的含量差异不显著。花岗岩发育的2种森林土壤酸性磷酸酶(ACP)活性显著高于砂岩,而砂岩发育米槠林土壤微生物生物量碳(MBC)和微生物生物量磷(MBP)显著高于砂岩发育杉木林土壤。土壤不同磷组分的含量与土壤不同形态铁铝氧化物含量、MBP、MBC呈显著正相关,而与土壤pH、ACP呈显著负相关,表明土壤母质和森林类型可能主要通过土壤铁铝氧化物赋存形态、ACP、MBP等生物及非生物因子影响中亚热带森林土壤磷组分分配特征。     

Reunderstanding Cairo through urban metabolism: Formal versus informal districts resource flow performance in fast urbanizing cities

Urban expansion can be seen as the most pervasive human impact on the environment where its high resource use contributes negatively to climate change and resource scarcity crises. Many experts call for decoupling resource use, economic development, and related urban development especially within cities of the Global South. This paper focuses on investigating resource efficiency through the lens of urban metabolism. It investigates current resource flows, through material flow analysis, from source to sink, in two diverse districts in Cairo: a formal district and an informal one, regarding materials (waste) and mobility. Consequently, the paper discusses locally responsive interventions that address local priorities as opposing to citywide one‐size fits all solution. The paper relies on parcel audits, which are embedded in an Urban Metabolism Information System developed by the Ecocity Builders and their partners, through a joint project with Cairo University. The methodology couples crowd‐sourced data, parcel audits, and experts’ knowledge to better understand resource flows based on a bottom‐up approach, given the unavailability of governmental data on the local level. The paper further correlates the perceived quality of life with the actual resource flows. It utilizes fieldwork investigations to argue against the local misconceptions regarding the inefficiency of informal areas/systems versus the higher efficiency of planned areas/systems. The paper concludes by proposing integrated solutions that respond to local needs and resources. It highlights the challenges and lessons of this tailored bottom‐up approach and its applicability in other cities worldwide.