REVISITING CHILD‐BASED OBJECTIONS TO COMMERCIAL SURROGACY

Many critics of commercial surrogate motherhood argue that it violates the rights of children. In this paper, I respond to several versions of this objection. The most common version claims that surrogacy involves child‐selling. I argue that while proponents of surrogacy have generally failed to provide an adequate response to this objection, it can be overcome. After showing that the two most prominent arguments for the child‐selling objection fail, I explain how the commissioning couple can acquire parental rights by paying the surrogate only for her reproductive labor. My explanation appeals to the idea that parental rights are acquired by those who have claims over the reproductive labor that produces the child, not necessarily by those who actually perform the labor. This account clarifies how commercial surrogacy differs from commercial adoption. In the final section of the paper, I consider and reject three further child‐based objections to commercial surrogacy: that it establishes a market in children's attributes, that it requires courts to stray from the best interests standard in determining custodial rights, and that it requires the surrogate to neglect her parental responsibilities. Since each of these objections fails, children's rights probably do not pose an obstacle to the acceptability of commercial surrogacy arrangements.     

THE ECO‐EVOLUTIONARY RESPONSES OF A GENERALIST CONSUMER TO RESOURCE COMPETITION

This article explores the combined evolutionary and ecological responses of resource uptake abilities in a generalist consumer to exploitative competition for one resource using a simple 2‐resource model. It compares the sizes of ecologically and evolutionarily caused changes in population densities in cases where the original consumer has a strong or a weak trade‐off in its abilities to consume the two resources. The analysis also compares the responses of the original species to competition when the competitor's population size is or is not limited by the shared resource. Although divergence in resource use traits in the resident generalist consumer is expected under all scenarios when resources are substitutable, the changes in population densities of the resources and resident consumer frequently differ between scenarios. The population of the original consumer often decreases as a result of its own adaptive divergence, and this decrease is often much greater than the initial ecological decrease. If the evolving consumer has a strong trade‐off, the overlapped resource increases in equilibrium population density in response to being consumed by a generalist competitor. Some of these predictions differ qualitatively in alternative scenarios involving sustained variation in population densities or nutritionally essential resources.     

植物有性生殖对大气CO2浓度变化响应的研究进展

 比较详细地概述了过去数十年关于在大气CO₂浓度升高条件下,植物有性生殖特性发生变化的主要研究成果。随着植物相对生长速率加快,植株达到有性生殖所需形体大小的时间变短,开花期提前,生殖器官的生物量也相应提高,其主要表现为开花数量、花粉和花蜜产量、果实数量与大小、种子大小与产量等均有不同程度的增加。对大多数农作物而言,种子产量的增加主要通过种子数量的增加,而与种子大小变化关系不大。通常,高浓度CO₂对豆科植物种子含氮量影响比较小, 却能显著地降低非豆科植物种子含氮量。不同类型植物的生殖生物量增加趋势存在一定的规律性,如不定型植物>定型植物,豆科植物>C₃非豆科植物>C₄植物,栽培植物>野生植物。针对国内外对CO₂浓度升高影响植物有性生殖特性的研究中存在的不足,该文提出了今后研究应该注意的问题。     

大气CO_2浓度升高对植物的直接影响——国外十余年来模拟实验研究之主要手段及基本结论

本文针对国外近十几年来在ＣＯ２浓度升高对植物的直接影响方面所开展的生理生态学研究方法、动态、基本结论、存在问题等内容做了简要的介绍。大气ＣＯ２浓度在过去２００年内已增加了８０μｍｏｌ·ｍｏｌ－１,生长在高ＣＯ２环境下的植物,其生理生态、形态及化学成分等方面将会发生相应的变化。表现在光合作用速率出现不同程度的提高;呼吸作用受抑制;气孔密度减少,水分利用效率增加;生物量及产量增加;一些关键蛋白质及酶、非结构性碳水化合物含量增加;组织中的氮、硫等元素含量降低;根系及花的发育也随ＣＯ２浓度的升高而提前等。不同光合途径（Ｃ３、Ｃ４及ＣＡＭ）及不同植被类型（自然植被、栽培植被）的植物随ＣＯ２浓度发生的上述指标的变化在长期反应与短期反应方面具有很大的差异。另外,实验控制条件如温度、光照、水分、养分甚至实验装置（如花盆）的大小对预测结果也有很大的影响。     

OPTIMIZATION OF DNA EXTRACTION FROM BROWN ALGAE (PHAEOPHYCEAE) BASED ON A COMMERCIAL KIT1

Large‐scale DNA molecular studies require reliable and efficient tools for DNA extractions. However, for some plant species and brown algae, isolation of high‐quality DNA is difficult. We developed a novel method for isolating high‐quality DNA from the polysaccharide‐rich and polyphenol‐rich brown algae based on a commercial kit and protocol (Qiagen) by optimizing the lysis step and including a chloroform/isoamyl alcohol supplementary purification step. DNAs from 24 brown algal species extracted using the original and the modified Qiagen protocol were compared for yield, quality, and effectiveness in PCR amplification. There was no significant difference in the yields between protocols. However, a statistically significant increase in DNA purity was obtained with the modified protocol, for which the A₂₆₀/A₂₈₀ and A₂₆₀/A₂₃₀ absorbance ratios averaged 1.66 ± 0.05 and 1.31 ± 0.01, respectively, compared to 1.37 ± 0.04 and 0.52 ± 0.04 with the original protocol. DNAs extracted by the modified procedure were more successfully amplified by PCR (nuclear, mitochondrial, and chloroplastic regions) than DNAs extracted using the original commercial kit and protocol. Importantly, the modified protocol can be applied in a high‐throughput (e.g., 96‐well plate) format, allowing a higher efficiency for downstream molecular analysis. In addition, improved DNA quality could increase its stability for long‐term storage.     

光叶眼子菜响应夏季高温的模拟研究

为探讨南四湖优势物种光叶眼子菜在夏季浅水区的衰亡原因, 用25℃、30℃、35℃和40℃的恒温水浴模拟夏季高温处理光叶眼子菜(Co. Potamogeton lucens L.)3h。生化结果显示, 在35℃及以上高温下, 光叶眼子菜的蛋白质含量、可溶性糖含量和叶绿素含量显著下降, 丙二醛含量显著上升, 说明35℃以上高温对光叶眼子菜产生了显著伤害。光叶眼子菜的光合系统对高温更为敏感, 在高温胁迫下标准化的叶绿素荧光动力学曲线上J相和K相显著隆起, 但并未发现明显的L-band。进一步解析叶片的叶绿素荧光动力学参数, 结果显示: 随着处理温度的升高, 反应中心的初始关闭速率(dVG/dt_o, dV/dt_o)变慢, 但到达P相的所需时间(T_fm)变短; 光系统Ⅱ (Photosystem Ⅱ, PSⅡ)的光化学效率(F_v/F_m)减小, 非光化学效率(K_n)、J相相对可变荧光强度(V_j)和热耗散(DI_o/RC、DI_o/CS_o、F_o/F_m)增大; 尽管高温下质体醌周转次数(N)、还原速率(S_m/T_fm)和I相相对可变荧光强度(V_i)变化不显著, 但质体醌库(S_m)明显减小; 单个反应中心光能的吸收(ABS/RC)和捕获效率(TR_o/RC)增加, 电子传递效率(ET_o/RC)却呈下降趋势; 单位激发态面积的光能捕获(TR_o/CS_o)和电子传递效率(ET_o/CS_o)均降低, 反应中心数目(RC/CS_o)显著减少。上述高温胁迫效应导致整个叶片的结构功能指数(SFI_abs)、性能指数(PI_abs)以及光合驱动力(DF)显著降低。高温对光叶眼子菜的伤害主要是导致其光系统II放氧复合体失活、反应中心数目减少和反应中心的光化学效率下降, 进而诱导活性氧的产生, 对细胞造成伤害。因此, 光叶眼子菜属于对高温敏感的水生植物。     

DELAYED‐RESPONSE PHYLOGENETIC CORRELATION: AN OPTIMIZATION‐BASED METHOD TO TEST COVARIATION OF CONTINUOUS CHARACTERS

A new phylogenetic comparative method is proposed, based on mapping two continuous characters on a tree to generate data pairs for regression or correlation analysis, which resolves problems of multiple character reconstructions, phylogenetic dependence, and asynchronous responses (evolutionary lags). Data pairs are formed in two ways (tree‐down and tree‐up) by matching corresponding changes, Δx and Δy. Delayed responses (Δy occurring later in the tree than Δx) are penalized by weighting pairs using nodal or branch‐length distance between Δx and Δy; immediate (same‐node) responses are given maximum weight. All combinations of character reconstructions (or a random sample thereof) are used to find the observed range of the weighted coefficient of correlation r (or weighted slope b). This range is used as test statistic, and the null distribution is generated by randomly reallocating changes (Δx and Δy) in the topology. Unlike randomization of terminal values, this procedure complies with Generalized Monte Carlo requirements while saving considerable computation time. Phylogenetic dependence is avoided by randomization without data transformations, yielding acceptable type‐I error rates and statistical power. We show that ignoring delayed responses can lead to falsely nonsignificant results. Issues that arise from considering delayed responses based on optimization are discussed.     

GENOME‐WIDE INVESTIGATION OF REPRODUCTIVE ISOLATION IN EXPERIMENTAL LINEAGES AND NATURAL SPECIES OF NEUROSPORA: IDENTIFYING CANDIDATE REGIONS BY MICROARRAY‐BASED GENOTYPING AND MAPPING

Inherent incompatibilities between genetic components from genomes of different species may cause intrinsic reproductive isolation. In evolution experiments designed to instigate speciation in laboratory populations of the filamentous fungus Neurospora, we previously discovered a pair of incompatibility loci (dfe and dma) that interact negatively to cause severe defects in sexual reproduction. Here we show that the dfe‐dma incompatibility also is a significant cause of genetic isolation between two naturally occurring species of Neurospora (N. crassa and N. intermedia). The strong incompatibility interaction has a simple genetic basis (two biallelic loci) and antagonistic epistasis occurs between heterospecific alleles only, consistent with the Dobzhansky–Muller model of genic incompatibility. We developed microarray‐based, restriction‐site associated DNA (RAD) markers that identified ～1500 polymorphisms between the genomes of the two species, and constructed the first interspecific physical map of Neurospora. With this new mapping resource, the approximate genomic locations of the incompatibility loci were determined using three different approaches: genome scanning, bulk‐segregant analyses, and introgression. These population, quantitative, and classical genetics methods concordantly identified two candidate regions, narrowing the search for each incompatibility locus to only ～2% of the nuclear genome. This study demonstrates how advances in high‐throughput, genome‐wide genotyping can be applied to mapping reproductive isolation genes and speciation research.     

基于UPLC-Q-TOF/MS代谢组学探究虹鳟鳃对热应激的生理反应

全球气温日趋升高导致的水温上升可引起虹鳟(Oncorhynchus mykiss)代谢紊乱,为解析其在热应激下的代谢变化特征,研究基于UPLC-Q-TOF/MS代谢组学技术,探究了虹鳟鳃靶器官在高温暴露(20℃和24℃)及恢复到初始温度(14℃)下的代谢生理反应。研究结果表明,与对照组相比,在20℃、24℃高温组和14℃恢复组中分别鉴定出128、130和108种差异显著代谢物。在高温暴露下,亚油酸、花生四烯酸等与脂质代谢相关的代谢物及还原型辅酶Ⅱ(NADPH)、谷胱甘肽(GSH)、谷胱甘肽二硫化物(GSSG)等与细胞氧化还原状态相关的代谢物均发生显著改变。富集分析表明这些代谢物主要涉及虹鳟鳃的甘油磷脂代谢、鞘脂代谢、亚油酸代谢、花生四烯酸代谢、磷酸戊糖途径和谷胱甘肽代谢等代谢通路,但在温度恢复到14℃后,除鞘脂代谢外,其他代谢途径均未恢复至正常状态。上述结果表明,热激导致了虹鳟鳃靶器官的脂质代谢紊乱,可能导致鳃细胞膜的结构和功能的损伤,诱使鳃细胞出现炎症反应,并产生免疫应答。同时,虹鳟鳃细胞通过磷酸戊糖途径产生的NADPH来调节谷胱甘肽代谢中GSH/GSSG比值以提高细胞的抗氧化能力来...     

沿水分梯度草原群落NPP动态及对气候变化响应的模拟分析

 水分条件不仅影响半干旱区群落的组成, 而且在一定程度上决定了群落的功能。处于不同水分条件生境下群落的优势物种在水分利用和同化物利用效率方面的功能特征会存在差异, 这些差异将导致群落对于气候变化产生不同的响应, 进而影响到景观和区域尺度上对于全球变化下碳动态和格局的分析。该文选取了锡林河流域典型草原区沿水分梯度的4个代表群落, 在野外实验测定并结合长期定位研究成果基础上, 利用BIOME-BGC模型对代表群落的长期净初级生产力(Net primary productivity,NPP)动态进行了模拟和模型验证。 通过分析该地区1953～2005年气候变化趋势, 推测了未来可能的气候变化情景, 进而模拟了气候变化下4个群落长期NPP动态的响应。结果表明,当前气候条件下, 羊草(Leymus chinensis)群落NPP平均值为197.76 gC·m^-2 (SE=7.11), 大针茅(Stipa grandis)群落NPP平均值为198.95 gC·m^-2 (SE=6.41), 贝加尔针茅(Stipa baicalensis)群落NPP平均值为210.41 gC·m^-2(SE=7.87), 克氏针茅(Stipa krylovii)群落NPP平均值为144.92 gC·m^{- 2} (SE=4.64), 4个群落NPP平均值为188.01 gC·m^-2 (SE=3.72); 气候变化情景下, 温度增加下(P0T1),NPP平均下降14.2%,降水增加下(P1T0), NPP平均增加13.2%,温度与降水都增加情景下(P1T1), NPP平均下降2 .7%, 但由于生境水分条件差别和优势物种功能特征差异, 4个群落表现出了增减幅度不同的趋势。对气候因子的敏感性分析及回归分析表明, 降水是该地区NPP最主要的决定因子, 而温度决定作用相对较小,主要通过影响植物的呼吸和水分蒸散等过程影响NPP。在最有可能代表未来气候 变化的温度增加的两种情景下(P0T1、P1T1), NPP均呈下降趋势。群落NPP对气候变化的响应趋势与水分胁迫系数(Water stress index, WSI)、碳胁迫系数(Carbon stress index, CSI)变化密切相关。克氏针茅群落由于所处生境水分条件差,WSI高,对降水的依赖程度最大;贝加尔针茅群落一方面处于较好的水分生境,具有较小的WSI,另一方面,由于具有高碳氮比,维持呼吸消耗的光合产物比例低,CSI远低于其它3个群落, 未来气候变化下, NPP较其它3个群落仍较高。     

SIMULATION‐BASED LIKELIHOOD APPROACH FOR EVOLUTIONARY MODELS OF PHENOTYPIC TRAITS ON PHYLOGENY

Phylogenetic comparative methods (PCMs) have been used to test evolutionary hypotheses at phenotypic levels. The evolutionary modes commonly included in PCMs are Brownian motion (genetic drift) and the Ornstein–Uhlenbeck process (stabilizing selection), whose likelihood functions are mathematically tractable. More complicated models of evolutionary modes, such as branch‐specific directional selection, have not been used because calculations of likelihood and parameter estimates in the maximum‐likelihood framework are not straightforward. To solve this problem, we introduced a population genetics framework into a PCM, and here, we present a flexible and comprehensive framework for estimating evolutionary parameters through simulation‐based likelihood computations. The method does not require analytic likelihood computations, and evolutionary models can be used as long as simulation is possible. Our approach has many advantages: it incorporates different evolutionary modes for phenotypes into phylogeny, it takes intraspecific variation into account, it evaluates full likelihood instead of using summary statistics, and it can be used to estimate ancestral traits. We present a successful application of the method to the evolution of brain size in primates. Our method can be easily implemented in more computationally effective frameworks such as approximate Bayesian computation (ABC), which will enhance the use of computationally intensive methods in the study of phenotypic evolution.     

DIFFERENTIAL RESPONSES OF ANABAENA SP. PCC 7120 (CYANOPHYCEAE) CULTURED IN NITROGEN‐DEFICIENT AND NITROGEN‐ENRICHED MEDIA TO ULTRAVIOLET‐B RADIATION1

Stratospheric ozone depletion increases the amount of ultraviolet‐B radiation (UVBR) (280–320 nm) reaching the surface of the earth, potentially affecting phytoplankton. In this work, Anabaena sp. PCC 7120, a typically nitrogen (N)‐fixing filamentous bloom‐forming cyanobacterium in freshwater, was individually cultured in N‐deficient and N‐enriched media for long‐term acclimation before being subjected to ultraviolet‐B (UVB) exposure experiments. Results suggested that the extent of breakage in the filaments induced by UVBR increases with increasing intensity of UVB stress. In general, except for the 0.1 W · m^?2 treatment, which showed a mild increase, UVB exposure inhibits photosynthesis as evidenced by the decrease in the chl fluorescence parameters maximum photochemical efficiency of PSII (F_v/F_m) and maximum relative electron transport rate. Complementary chromatic acclimation was also observed in Anabaena under different intensities of UVB stress. Increased total carbohydrate and soluble protein may provide some protection for the culture against damaging UVB exposure. In addition, N‐deficient cultures with higher recovery capacity showed overcompensatory growth under low UVB (0.1 W · m^?2) exposure during the recovery period. Significantly increased (～830%) ATPase activity may provide enough energy to repair the damage caused by exposure to UVB.     

DIFFERENT PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSES OF FOUR MARINE SYNECHOCOCCUS STRAINS (CYANOPHYCEAE) TO NICKEL STARVATION UNDER IRON‐REPLETE AND IRON‐DEPLETE CONDITIONS1

Synechococcus species are important primary producers in coastal and open‐ocean ecosystems. When nitrate was provided as the sole nitrogen source, nickel starvation inhibited the growth of strains WH8102 and WH7803, while it had little effect on two euryhaline strains, WH5701 and PCC 7002. Nickel was required for the acclimation of Synechococcus WH7803 to low iron and high light. In WH8102 and WH7803, nickel starvation decreased the linear electron transport activity, slowed down Q_A reoxidation, but increased the connectivity factor between individual photosynthetic units. Under such conditions, the reduction of their intersystem electron transport chains was expected to increase, and their cyclic electron transport around PSI would be favored. Nickel starvation decreased the total superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity of WH8102 and WH7803 by 30% and 15% of the control, respectively. The protein‐bound ⁶³Ni of the oceanic strain WH8102 comigrated with SOD activity on nondenaturing gels and thus provided additional evidence for the existence of active NiSOD in Synechococcus WH8102. In WH7803, it seems likely that nickel starvation affected other metabolic pathways and thus indirectly affected the total SOD activity.     

A SYSTEMATIC APPROACH TO PREDICTION OF SNACK CHIP ACCEPTABILITY UTILIZING DISCRIMINANT FUNCTIONS BASED ON INSTRUMENTAL MEASUREMENTS

To determine quality characteristics of snack chips, six snack chip prototypes containing cowpea flour, cornmeal, wheat flour and cornstarch (26, 34, and 42%) were formulated. Desirable characteristics as determined by three focus groups were a golden yellow color in a thin, smooth corn-chip form with crunchy or crispy texture, greaseless or dry mouthfeel and salty corn flavor. Chips were undesirable if brown-colored, thick, oily or greasy, had either hard or crumbly texture, and had bland, fishy, or burnt flavors. In consumer acceptance tests, commercial products were found to be more appealing than the experimental products. A discriminant model based on instrumental measurements of color and texture from 11 snack chip samples (six prototypes and five commercial samples) correctly grouped 100% of the acceptable and 90% of unacceptable products.     

ACCLIMATION TO CAPTIVITY: A QUANTITATIVE ESTIMATE BASED ON SURVIVAL OF BOTTLENOSE DOLPHINS AND CALIFORNIA SEA LIONS

An estimate of how long marine mammals need to acclimate to captivity would permit more precise comparisons of husbandry practices, yet no quantitative analysis of acclimation has been performed. Therefore, we estimated the duration of acclimation to captivity for bottlenose dolphins (BD) and California sea lions (CSL) by comparing 5-d survival rates during the first 90 d of captivity with a survival rate based on days 91-365 in captivity. Wild-born BD (n = 1,270) and CSL (n = 1,650) acclimate to captivity in approximately 35 and 40 d, respectively, whereas captive born BD (n = 332) and CSL (n = 992) acclimate in approximately 50 and 40 d, respectively. When transferred between two institutions, BD (n = 911) acclimated in the same amount of time (45 d) as when first transferred from the wild, whereas transferred CSL (n = 336) acclimated more rapidly (15 VJ. 40 d) than when first transferred from the wild. Based on results from these two species, a 60-d acclimation period is recognized as a distinct interval of relatively high mortality that should be treated separately from long-term survival estimates when evaluating husbandry practices of ocean-aria and zoos.