鲢幼鱼在不同水流速度下的暴发-滑行行为策略

在水温（18±1）℃的条件下,以全长（11.70±0.57）cm的鲢（Hypophthalmichthys molitrix）幼鱼为研究对象,测定其不同流速（16.5、22.0、27.5、33.0、38.5、44.0、49.5和55.0 cm/s）下的持续游泳时间、调头百分比和暴发-滑行运动数据。结果表明,鲢的平均持续游泳时间先随流速的增加而减小,后随流速的增加而增加。当流速33.0 cm/s时,平均持续时间最短为118.6min,其中各组试验鱼的最大可持续游泳时间均可达到200min。调头百分比随流速的增加迅速减小,当流速≥44.0 cm/s时,不再出现调头行为。暴发-滑行游泳的平均暴发时间随流速的增加呈上升趋势（y=0.03x+2.64,R2=0.92,P<0.05）。平均对地暴发距离均在30-45 cm,没有显著性差异（P>0.05）,平均绝对暴发距离存在极显著性差异,且随流速的增加而增加（y=4.98x-5.63,R2=0.98,P<0.001）。平均对地暴发速度没有显著性差异（平均对地平均速度和最大速度分别在9-12 cm/s、12-16 cm/s,P>0.05）。平均绝对暴发速度与水流速度之间存在线性正相关关系（平均绝对平均暴发速度:y=0.98x+10.74,R2=1.00,P<0.001;平均绝对最大暴发速度:y=1.02x+13.75,R2=0.99,P<0.001）。研究表明鲢在不同的流速下采取的暴发-滑行行为策略不同。     

Interactions between visitors and Formosan macaques (Macaca cyclopis) at Shou‐Shan Nature Park,Taiwan

Ecotourism involving feeding wildlife has raised public attention and is a controversial issue, especially concerning nonhuman primates. Between July 2002 and April 2005, the behavior of monkeys and tourists was collected through scan samplings, focal samplings and behavior samplings at the Shou‐Shan Nature Park located in Taiwan's second largest city—Kaohsiung. In addition, the number of tourists and monkeys was counted in different hours and places within the park. Four hundred visitors were interviewed using a questionnaire to gather data on sex, age, purpose and frequency of visit to the park. The number of tourists was significantly higher during weekends than in weekdays in all locations. Humans dominated in the initiation of interspecies interactions—the overall ratio of human‐initiated and monkey‐initiated interactions was 2.44:1. Human–monkey conflicts accounted for only 16.4% of the total interactions (n=2,166), and adult human males and adult male macaques participated in higher rates than other age/sex groups in these conflicts. Visitors showed more affiliative behavior (15.9%) than agonistic behavior (8%) toward the macaques. In response to visitors' threat or attack, the Formosan macaques mostly showed submissive behavior with bared teeth, squealed or ran away to avoid confrontation (69.1%)—only few responded with counteraggression (18.7%). This study for the first time provided evidence that food provisioning increased both the frequency and duration of aggression among Formosan macaques (P<0.001). During food provisioning, the average frequency and the duration of agonistic events of macaques were more than 4 times higher compared with those without food provisioning. The average frequency of food provision by tourists was 0.73 times/hr—more than twice the incident that monkeys grabbed the food from tourists (0.34 times/hr). If people refrain from feeding monkeys and destroying the city park's natural vegetation, monkeys can be used to educate public about nature conservation in an urban setting. Am. J. Primatol. 71:214–222, 2009. © 2008 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.     

Mate‐choice copying: A fitness‐enhancing behavior that evolves by indirect selection

A spatially explicit, individual‐based simulation model is used to study the spread of an allele for mate‐choice copying (MCC) through horizontal cultural transmission when female innate preferences do or do not coevolve with a male viability‐increasing trait. Evolution of MCC is unlikely when innate female preferences coevolve with the trait, as copier females cannot express a higher preference than noncopier females for high‐fitness males. However, if a genetic polymorphism for innate preference persists in the population, MCC can evolve by indirect selection through hitchhiking: the copying allele hitchhikes on the male trait. MCC can be an adaptive behavior—that is, a behavior that increases a population's average fitness relative to populations without MCC—even though the copying allele itself may be neutral or mildly deleterious.     

Novel Environmental Enrichment May Provide a Tool for Rapid Assessment of Animal Personality: A Case Study With Giant Pandas (Ailuropoda melanoleuca)

Historically, the assessment of nonhuman animal personality has included a variety of methods—from direct behavioral observations in a variety of test situations to assessments provided by animal caretakers or trainers. Careful observation of how animals in zoos interact with novel enrichment may provide reliable insight into their personality. This study sought to describe a process for evaluating whether different methods of assessing personality result in similar conclusions. The study exposed 4 giant pandas at the Smithsonian National Zoological Park and Zoo Atlanta to 10 novel enrichment items and recorded their behavior. Keepers also rated each panda on 23 behavioral characteristics on a survey. The study obtained individual behavior profiles for each panda. Significant differences across individuals in both the novel enrichment trials and keeper surveys formed the basis for the profiles. These methods also provided some insight into differences between the sexes that—based on the natural history of giant pandas—are qualitatively similar to what would be expected. The study found some consistency between assessment methods. However, there is a need for further study to validate these measures in a larger sample of giant pandas.     

A cooperative self-consistent microscopic theory of thermally induced melting of a repeat sequence DNA polymer

We attempt to extend the modified self-consistent phonon theory to describe thermal fluctuational base-pair opening of repeat sequence DNA polymers in the helix–coil transition region as well as in the premelting region. A microscopic base-pair open state is introduced and the effect of this open state is taken into account self-consistently in a mean field system that models the DNA polymer. Our analysis indicates the structure of this open state changes with temperature in such a manner that on average a base pair opens and unstacks with its neighbors more completely as temperature increases. We apply this theory to a homopolymer—poly(dG) · poly(dC) to evaluate the base-pair opening probability in a temperature range from 273 to 366.5 K. At 366.5 K the system undergoes cooperative melting. Our calculated base-pair opening probabilities are in general agreement with several experimental estimates at room temperature. The calculated probabilities show typical melting curve behavior at temperatures close to the observed melting temperature. The cooperative modified self-consistent phonon approximation approach becomes a viable microscopic theory of melting. © 1993 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.     

Social facilitation is a better predictor of frog reproductive activity than environmental factors

Anuran breeding activity is frequently linked to environmental factors, mainly temperature and rainfall. However, a key feature of anuran reproductive behavior—gathering in choruses and producing loud advertisement calls to attract females—generates a conspicuous social cue that may also facilitate reproductive behavior. Here, I examine the relative importance of environmental and social factors in explaining the intensity of reproductive activity in the Neotropical treefrog Hypsiboas rosenbergi. I show that social cues generally play an important role, but that there are sex differences: male behavior is associated with a combination of environmental and social factors, while female behavior is associated almost exclusively with social cues. I discuss the potential benefits of using social cues in regulating breeding activity, and suggest that conservation efforts may take advantage of the apparently widespread pattern of social facilitation in anuran reproductive ecology.     

Material characterization of human medial collateral ligament.

The objectives of this study were to determine the longitudinal and transverse material properties of the human medial collateral ligament (MCL) and to evaluate the ability of three existing constitutive models to describe the material behavior of MCL. Uniaxial test specimens were punched from ten human cadaveric MCLs and tensile tested along and transverse to the collagen fiber direction. Using load and optical strain analysis information, the tangent modulus, tensile strength and ultimate strain were determined. The material coefficients for each constitutive model were determined using nonlinear regression. All specimens failed within the substance of the tissue. Specimens tested along the collagen fiber direction exhibited the typical nonlinear behavior reported for ligaments. This behavior was absent from the stress-strain curves of the transverse specimens. The average tensile strength, ultimate strain, and tangent modulus for the longitudinal specimens was 38.6 +/- 4.8 MPa, 17.1 +/- 1.5 percent, and 332.2 +/- 58.3 MPa, respectively. The average tensile strength, ultimate strain, and tangent modulus for the transverse specimens was 1.7 +/- 0.5 MPa, 11.7 +/- 0.9 percent, and 11.0 +/- 3.6 MPa, respectively. All three constitutive models described the longitudinal behavior of the ligament equally well. However, the ability of the models to describe the transverse behavior of the ligament varied.     

澜沧江中上游光唇裂腹鱼四个地理群体遗传多样性分析

利用简化基因组测序对澜沧江中上游的苗尾-功果桥库区、黄登-大华桥库区、里底江段和乌弄龙江段4个地理群体60个光唇裂腹鱼(Schizothorax lissolabiatus Tsao)样本进行了简化基因组测序, 平均测序深度255.26X, Q30为94.96%, 平均GC含量为39.80%; 测序获得多态性SLAF标签252623个, SNP标记1151083个, 其中, SNP平均完整度为36.66%, SNP平均杂合率为9.5%; 通过测序结果进行遗传多样性分析, 结果表明, 观测等位基因数均为2, 平均期望等位基因数为1.4211—1.5029, 平均观测杂合度为0.2381—0.3131, 平均期望杂合度为0.2690—0.3115, 平均多样性指数为0.2868—03248, 平均香浓指数为0.4269—0.481, 平均次要基因频率(MAF)为0.1854—0.2216, 平均多态信息含量(PIC)为0.2237—0.2553; AMOVA分析结果显示, 在总的变异中, 89.73%的遗传变异来自群体内部, 10.27%的遗传变异来自于群体间, 群体间遗传分化指数在–0.0150—0.1299(P<0.05), 表明群体间存在不同程度的分化。4个群体间遗传距离为0.05—0.15, UPGMA聚类表明, 苗尾-功果桥库区、黄登-大华桥库区和里底3个地理群体相互交叉聚类, 乌弄龙地理群体单独聚为一类。综上, 4个群体的遗传多样性处于中等水平, 遗传距离及聚类结果与试验群体地理距离基本相符, 研究结果将为光唇裂腹鱼种质资源评价与保护提供参考依据。     

Bifurcation analysis of a neural network model

This paper describes the analysis of the well known neural network model by Wilson and Cowan. The neural network is modeled by a system of two ordinary differential equations that describe the evolution of average activities of excitatory and inhibitory populations of neurons. We analyze the dependence of the model's behavior on two parameters. The parameter plane is partitioned into regions of equivalent behavior bounded by bifurcation curves, and the representative phase diagram is constructed for each region. This allows us to describe qualitatively the behavior of the model in each region and to predict changes in the model dynamics as parameters are varied. In particular, we show that for some parameter values the system can exhibit long-period oscillations. A new type of dynamical behavior is also found when the system settles down either to a stationary state or to a limit cycle depending on the initial point.     

Novel Wing-Flashing Behavior in a Scorpionfly (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Panorpa debilis</Emphasis>) May be Competitive

Scorpionflies (Mecoptera: Panorpidae) are important models for studying sexual selection and mating strategies. However, much is still unknown about their behavior and natural history. Here we describe a wing-flashing behavior in a population of Panorpa debilis Westwood from central New York. Wing-flashing has been previously observed, but not described in Mecoptera. We use a combination of direct observation and video analysis in an attempt to understand the motivation behind this behavior: is wing-flashing behavior used for attraction of mates, for control of food resources, or perhaps neither? If wing-flashing is involved in mate attraction, we would expect skewed wing-flashing ratios between males and females and a high rate of wing-flashing aimed at conspecifics of the opposite sex. If the behavior is instead used for intraspecific competition for resources, we would expect a high degree of wing-flashing aimed at conspecifics of the same sex or indiscriminate of sex. We demonstrate that this behavior is non-random — and most likely competitive in nature — by showing that wing-flashing preferentially occurs near other individuals, and by comparing wing-flashing rates across males and females in a variety of situations. Both sexes used wing-flashes in response to the opposite sex, though most wing-flashes were female to female signals. Wing-flashing was even observed as a response to potentially competitive arthropods like harvestmen (Leiobunum spp.). In addition to their suitability as study organisms for mating behavior, P. debilis, may be a useful organism for studying animal communication and signaling.     

西藏藏族青少年体型

为了探讨藏族青少年体型发育特征及其规律, 本文应用Heath-Carter体型法对2530名藏族青少年体型进行评价。结果发现, 藏族青少年的平均体型男性为偏中胚层的外胚层型(2.40—3.29—3.72),女性为中间型(3.65—2.87—3.32); 男性的体型以外胚层系体型为主(58.52%), 女性体型以内胚层系(32.62%)和外胚层系为主(35.40%); 随着年龄的增长, 藏族青少年的体型发展有一定的规律, 男性由中胚层-外胚层均衡型经偏中胚层的外胚层型又发展回中胚层-外胚层均衡型, 女性由中胚层-外胚层均衡型经历均衡的外胚层型发展为均衡的内胚层型。因此, 本文认为,藏族男性青少年身体的线性程度高、外形上比较瘦削、肌肉较发达; 藏族女性青少年较男性身体的脂肪含量多、线性程度相对较高。     

A damage model for nonlinear tensile behavior of cortical bone.

To describe the time-dependent nonlinear tensile behavior observed in experimental studies of cortical bone, a damage model was developed using two internal state variables (ISV's). One ISV is a damage parameter that represents the loss of stiffness. A rule for the evolution of this ISV was defined based on previously observed creep behavior. The second ISV represents the inelastic strain due to viscosity and internal friction. The model was tested by simulating experiments in tensile and bending loading. Using average values from previous creep studies for parameters in the damage evolution rule, the model tended to underestimate the maximum nonlinear strains and to overestimate the nonlinear strain accumulated after load reversal in the tensile test simulations. Varying the parameters for the individual tests produced excellent fits to the experimental data. Similarly, the model simulations of the bending tests could produce excellent fits to the experimental data. The results demonstrate that the 2-ISV model combining damage (stiffness loss) with slip and viscous behavior could capture the nonlinear tensile behavior of cortical bone in axial and bending loading.     

Proteome wide evaluation of the separation ability of hydrophobic interaction chromatography by fluorescent dye binding analysis

Hydrophobic interaction chromatography (HIC) is an important tool in the industrial purification of proteins from various sources. The HIC separation behavior of individual (or model) proteins has been widely researched by others. On the contrary, this study focused on the fractionation ability of HIC when it is challenged with whole proteomes. The impact of the nature of three different proteomes, that is, yeast, soybean, and Chinese hamster ovary cells, on HIC separation was investigated. In doing so, chromatography fractions obtained under standardized conditions were evaluated in terms of their overall hydrophobicity—as measured by fluorescence dye binding. This technique allowed for the calculation of an average protein surface hydrophobicity (S₀) for each fraction; a unique correlation between S₀ and the observed chromatographic behavior was established in each case. Following a similar strategy, the effect of three different ligands (polypropylene glycol, phenyl, and butyl) and two adsorbent particle sizes (65 and 100 µm) on the chromatographic behavior of the yeast proteome was evaluated. As expected, the superficial hydrophobicity of the proteins eluted is correlated with the salt concentration of its corresponding elution step. The findings reveled how—and in which extent—the type of ligand and the size of the beads actually influenced the fractionation of the complex biological mixture. Summarizing, the approach presented here can be instrumental to the study of the performance of chromatography adsorbents under conditions close to industrial practice and to the development of downstream processing strategies. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

人工模拟产卵环境中青海湖裸鲤的繁殖行为

研究通过人工产卵环境模拟,成功诱导青海湖裸鲤(Gymnocypris przewalskii)自然产卵受精,通过标志跟踪和视频监控等方法对青海湖裸鲤的繁殖行为进行了研究。结果表明,青海湖裸鲤的繁殖过程包含了追逐、伴游、潜尾、溅戏和交尾等典型行为。其中溅戏行为(单尾雌鱼或雄鱼背鳍露出水面并用尾部拍击水面)首次被观察确认,常被误认为是交配行为。追逐、伴游、潜尾和溅戏等繁殖行为平均频次分别为:5.7、14.7、9.3和3.5次/d。通过采用不同性比重复配对实验发现,在观测到的34次交配行为中, 32次(94.1%)均为1雌和1雄配对交配。研究还发现性成熟的雌性青海湖裸鲤为一次产卵类型,短时间内多次交尾排卵,雌雄交配(排卵授精)行为约每天3—9次,每次排卵耗时约4—9s,每次平均排卵量131粒(范围15—376),每尾雌鱼可连续交配产卵3—7d。观测到34次的交配行为中, 31次(91.1%)均发生在夜间(23:00—次日2:00), 3次(8.9%)发生在白天(早晨6:00—7:00)。研究首次基于人工模拟产卵环境观察描述了青海湖裸鲤的繁殖行为特征,可为青海湖裸鲤人工产卵场构建、自然繁殖监测...     

Quantitative trait locus mapping and analysis of heritable variation in affiliative social behavior and co‐occurring traits

Humans exhibit broad heterogeneity in affiliative social behavior. Twin and family studies show that individual differences in core dimensions of social behavior are heritable, yet there are knowledge gaps in understanding the underlying genetic and neurobiological mechanisms. Animal genetic reference panels (GRPs) provide a tractable strategy for examining the behavioral and genetic architecture of complex traits. Here, using males from 50 mouse strains from the BXD GRP, 4 domains of affiliative social behavior—social approach, social recognition, direct social interaction (DSI) (partner sniffing) and vocal communication—were examined in 2 widely used behavioral tasks—the 3‐chamber and DSI tasks. There was continuous and broad variation in social and nonsocial traits, with moderate to high heritability of social approach sniff preference (0.31), ultrasonic vocalization (USV) count (0.39), partner sniffing (0.51), locomotor activity (0.54‐0.66) and anxiety‐like behavior (0.36). Principal component analysis shows that variation in social and nonsocial traits are attributable to 5 independent factors. Genome‐wide mapping identified significant quantitative trait loci for USV count on chromosome (Chr) 18 and locomotor activity on Chr X, with suggestive loci and candidate quantitative trait genes identified for all traits with one notable exception—partner sniffing in the DSI task. The results show heritable variation in sociability, which is independent of variation in activity and anxiety‐like traits. In addition, a highly heritable and ethological domain of affiliative sociability—partner sniffing—appears highly polygenic. These findings establish a basis for identifying functional natural variants, leading to a new understanding typical and atypical sociability.     

The Acoustic Codes: How Animal Sign Processes Create Sound-Topes and Consortia via Conflict Avoidance

In this essay we argue for the possibility to describe the co-presence of species in a community as a consortium built by acoustic codes, using mainly the examples of bird choruses. In this particular case, the consortium is maintained via the sound-tope that different bird species create by singing in a chorus. More generally, the formation of acoustic codes as well as cohesive communicative systems (the consortia) can be seen as a result of plastic adaptational behaviour of the specimen who can solve and avoid conflicts both with conspecifics and with other species in the vicinity. Thus, sign-relations appear to resolve potential conflicts, and as a foundation for symbiotic aggregations. The spatio-temporal configuration of consortia—their chronotope—includes several eco-fields as respective to different functions of the participating organisms. Biological study is combined with a semiotic approach that, as we suggest, should be more often used together to effectively describe ecological processes.     

The description and preliminary prediction of the inundation pattern in a temporary habitat of Anostraca,Notostraca and Conchostraca in South Africa

To explain the life-history strategies of temporary-water fauna, one must be able to describe the temporary habitat. It is necessary to know when it will be wet, how often this occurs, for what period each inundation lasts and what variability there is in this pattern. For logistics reasons one cannot follow each inundation in a pan for the ten years or more needed to establish a pattern. Based on the available inundation data for two seasons at Bain's Vlei Pan in a semi-arid part of South Africa, a model has been developed, using the rainfall pattern over ten years at nearby Bloemfontein, to predict inundation. Over a ten-year period preducted inundations ranged up to 87 days as a result of repeat-rain, with a mean period of 18.8 days, while a rain-episode of less than 20 mm was insufficient to inundate the pans. There was an average of 5.8 inundations per season. Single inundations do not exceed 20 days due to evaporation. When successive showers fall before periods of inundation are over, a specific extension of inundation is predictable. The precise implications of the inundation pattern on organisms requires much analysis. However, there are strong indications based on the growth, survival and pattern of egg-production among three species (Anostraca —Banchipodopsis tridens, Conchostracan —Leptestherialla inermis, and Notostracan —Triops granarius) from the pan and one species (Anostracan -Streptocephalus macrourus) from more permanent waters nearby, that the pattern of inundation is selective of the community held by the pan.     

The Impact of Sustainability Information on Consumer Decision Making

This article presents an empirical analysis of the impact of sustainability information on consumer purchase intentions and how this influence varies by issue (health, environment, and social responsibility), product category, type of consumer, and type of information. We assess over 40,000 online purchase interactions on the website GoodGuide.com and find a significant impact of certain types of sustainability information on purchase intentions, varying across different types of consumers, issues, and product categories. Health ratings in particular showed the strongest effects. Direct users—those who intentionally sought out sustainability information—were most strongly influenced by sustainability information, with an average purchase intention rate increase of 1.15 percentage points for each point increase in overall product score, reported on a zero to ten scale. However, sustainability information had, on average, no impact on nondirect users, demonstrating that simply providing more or better information on sustainability issues will likely have limited impact on changing mainstream consumer behavior unless it is designed to connect into existing decision‐making processes.     

COVARIATION OF SELFING RATES WITH PARENTAL GENE FIXATION INDICES WITHIN POPULATIONS OF MIMULUS GUTTATUS

Wright's gene fixation index F and two single-locus effective selfing rates—the selfing rate at loci with fixed alleles, and the selfing rate at loci without fixed alleles—were estimated in five populations of Mimulus guttatus. These two effective selfing rates describe the inbreeding observed at a single locus when both uniparental and biparental inbreeding are practiced. Estimates were made using progeny arrays assayed for six allozyme loci and two morphological loci exhibiting dominance. The average of the two selfing rates computed for subpopulations (ca. 10 m diameter) ranged from 24% to 59%, with a mean of 37%. When computed for populations (ca. 1 km diameter), average selfing rates were about 10% higher. In four populations, the selfing rate at loci with fixed alleles was higher than the selfing rate at loci without fixed alleles. Thus, the covariance of selfing with parental gene fixation was positive. In one of the populations, estimates for individual plants sampled along a transect gave positive correlations for selfing rates and for gene-fixation indices between adjacent plants. A highly positive correlation between selfing rate and gene fixation of individual plants was also observed. In another population, the covariance of selfing with gene fixation was higher for a locus causing leaf spots than for allozyme loci. This covariance is partially caused by 1) variation in homozygosity among neighborhoods and 2) biparental inbreeding within neighborhoods. The consequences of this covariance are discussed.