Comparative analysis of embryogenic potential of soybean cultivars zoned in different eco-geographic world regions

Embryogenic potential of 19 soybean cultivars originated from different eco-geographic regions (Europe, China, America and Far East) has been established and analyzed. Cultivars TSZ-14, Amurskaja-111, Gribovskaja mestnaja were emphasized as highly embryogenic genotypes. Cultivar Mantherova biela vel. revealed the highest embryogenic potential (80%). The comparison of embryogenic potential of the Ukrainian cultivars with given data indicated various parameters which could affect the induction of soybean somatic embryogenesis. It had also been supposed that cultivars from the Far East and Europe could have the potential for further screening of new highly embryogenic genotypes. The data obtained enlarge the data base pool of the soybean somatic embryogenesis research and enable using the most appropriate cultivars for further genetic improvement.     

Wild O chromosomes of Drosophila subobscura from different geographic regions have different effects on viability

By means of the marker strain Va/Ba wild chromosomes O of Drosophila subobscura were extracted from eight natural populations situated on a north-south gradient from Sweden or Scotland to Tunesia. Lethal frequencies and viability effects of the wild chromosomes O were studied in homozygous and random heterozygous combinations. In accordance with results from other Drosophila species random heterozygotes were always more viable than homozygotes. The viability-determining polygene system proved, however, dominant to some degree. Geographic differences became apparent especially with respect to three different characteristics: (1) The lethal frequencies for chromosomes O from central populations are higher than for those from northern and southern marginal populations; (2) Mean viabilities of non-lethal homozygotes and random heterozygotes are lower for central than for marginal populations; (3) The increase of viability through heterozygosity is more pronounced in the northern populations than in the others. The differences are thought to be mainly due to differences in the adaptation strategy of marginal and central populations. The viability fitness components seem of more importance for the marginal populations while fertility components may be of greater weight under central conditions. The geographic variability of the viability polygene system is finally compared with that of other genetic traits in D. subobscura.     

Jatropha curcas L. (Euphorbiaceae) exhibits a mixed mating system, high correlated mating and apomixis

The hierarchical mating system among and within fruits of Jatropha curcas was investigated in a base population using five microsatellite loci, employing mixed mating and correlated mating models. Open-pollinated fruits were collected from 15 randomly selected seed trees, sampling seven fruits per tree for a total of 21 seeds from each tree. We detected multilocus genotypes identical to the mother tree in 13 % of offspring, implying the occurrence of apomixis in J. curcas. The presumed apomictic individuals were excluded from the analysis of the remaining results. Evidence of substantial selfing was provided by the average multilocus outcrossing rate (t _m?=?0.683), showing that the species exhibits a mixed mating system. The outcrossing rate showed a large variation among seed trees, ranging from 0.21 to 1.0, indicating that the species is not self-incompatible. Significant differences were detected between the multilocus and the single locus outcrossing rates (t _m???t _s?=?0.347) that suggested mating among related individuals, possibly because of the presence of individuals from the same progeny (sibs) in the base population. The multilocus paternity correlation was extremely high for the population (r _p(m)?=?0.999), indicating that the progenies were manly composed of full-sibs. As a consequence of selfing and a high paternity correlation, the co-ancestry coefficient within the progeny was higher (Θ?=?0.369) than expected for panmictic populations. Our results indicated that J. curcas produces seeds asexually by apomixis and sexually by a mixed mating system, combining selfing and outcrossing.     

Genetic structure and diversity of wild sorghum populations (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Sorghum</Emphasis> spp.) from different eco-geographical regions of Kenya

Wild sorghums are extremely diverse phenotypically, genetically and geographically. However, there is an apparent lack of knowledge on the genetic structure and diversity of wild sorghum populations within and between various eco-geographical regions. This is a major obstacle to both their effective conservation and potential use in breeding programs. The objective of this study was to assess the genetic diversity and structure of wild sorghum populations across a range of eco-geographical conditions in Kenya. Sixty-two wild sorghum populations collected from the 4 main sorghum growing regions in Kenya were genotyped using 18 simple sequence repeat markers. The study showed that wild sorghum is highly variable with the Coast region displaying the highest diversity. Analysis of molecular variance showed a significant variance component within and among wild sorghum populations within regions. The genetic structure of wild sorghum populations indicated that gene flow is not restricted to populations within the same geographic region. A weak regional differentiation was found among populations, reflecting human intervention in shaping wild sorghum genetic structure through seed-mediated gene flow. The sympatric occurrence of wild and cultivated sorghums coupled with extensive seed-mediated gene flow, suggests a potential crop-to-wild gene flow and vice versa across the regions. Wild sorghum displayed a mixed mating system. The wide range of estimated outcrossing rates indicate that some environmental conditions may exist where self-fertilisation is favoured while others cross-pollination is more advantageous.     

中国生态地理区城市水资源利用效率时空分异特征

我国水资源面临的形势十分严峻,水资源短缺、水污染严重、水生态环境恶化等问题突出,已成为制约社会经济可持续发展的主要瓶颈。基于分类数据包络分析（Categorical DEA）对2007-2016年中国生态地理区城市水资源利用效率进行测算,对其时间变化、空间分布以及空间收敛性进行分析。结果表明：1）2007-2016年期间全国城市水资源利用效率总体处于低效率状态,随时间高低交错波动式发展,整体呈先降后升势态;2）生态地理区城市水资源利用综合效率由高到低依次为温带干旱区、温带半干旱区、温带半湿润区、温带湿润区、亚热带湿润区,呈西北向东南逐渐递减的空间分布格局,生态地理区纯技术效率区间差异较大,但空间分布规律不显著,区域规模效率间差距小,且无明显空间分布规律;3）纯技术效率低效是制约全国水资源利用综合效率提升的主要因素,生态地理区间纯技术效率巨大差距导致全国纯技术效率整体低效,也是全国水资源利用综合效率低效的根本原因;4）生态地理区水资源利用综合效率区域差距逐渐缩小,主要是因为高效率区域效率值向低效率区域靠拢,区域间低效向高效的"追赶效应"不明显。     

Covariances of relatives stemming from a population undergoing mixed self and random mating

We consider covariances of all parent and first-generation relatives from outcrossing or self-fertilization in a parent population that is in equilibrium with respect to these processes. The results, which are for any number of alleles and loci with additive and dominance effects, are phrased in terms of six quadratic genetic components whose coefficients are given by descent measures for equilibrium populations. Because of the variation in the inbreeding coefficients for this system of mating, the expressions include joint contributions of loci to the variances and covariances of relatives. By inclusion of the full complement of relatives, all quadratic components can be estimated. The findings of Ghai (1982, Biometrics 38, 87-92) for compound functions of the covariances with two alleles at a single locus are analyzed in terms of the more general model.     

Monte carlo studies of plant mating system estimation models: the one-pollen parent and mixed mating models

Estimation of mating system parameters in plant populations typically employs family-structured samples of progeny genotypes. These estimation models postulate a mixture of self-fertilization and random outcrossing. One assumption of such models concerns the distribution of pollen genotypes among eggs within single maternal families. Previous applications of the mixed mating model to mating system estimation have assumed that pollen genotypes are sampled randomly from the total population in forming outcrossed progeny within families. In contrast, the one-pollen parent model assumes that outcrossed progeny within a family share a single-pollen parent genotype. Monte Carlo simulations of family-structured sampling were carried out to examine the consequences of violations of the different assumptions of the two models regarding the distribution of pollen genotypes among eggs. When these assumptions are violated, estimates of mating system parameters may be significantly different from their true values and may exhibit distributions which depart from normality. Monte Carlo methods were also used to examine the utility of the bootstrap resampling algorithm for estimating the variances of mating system parameters. The bootstrap method gives variance estimates that approximate empirically determined values. When applied to data from two plant populations which differ in pollen genotype distributions within families, the two estimation procedures exhibit the same behavior as that seen with the simulated data.     

中国生态地理区城市水资源利用效率及影响因素

水资源利用效率是落实最严水资源管理制度和水生态文明建设的重要内容,是中国国民经济社会发展的重要战略问题。通过分类数据包络分析模型对2007-2016年中国生态地理区城市水资源利用效率进行测算,分析全国和生态地理区城市水资源利用效率特征,采用Tobit回归模型探讨中国和生态地理区城市用水效率的影响因素。研究结果表明：我国城市水资源利用效率普遍较低,全国水资源效率均值呈现先下降后上升波动式发展,全国城市间用水效率差距在缩小。生态地理区水资源利用效率差异显著,温带干旱区、温带半干旱区、温带半湿润区、温带湿润区和亚热带湿润区用水效率依次递减,区域间水资源效率差异在逐渐减小。城市人口、土地利用结构、经济发展水平、产业结构与全国城市水资源利用效率呈显著正相关,而城市供水、用水结构、水资源管理政策则表现为显著负相关性。     

Evolutionarily stable mixed mating in a variety of genetic systems

Many species display a mixture of close inbreeding and outbreeding which is referred to as mixed mating. For selfing species, models predict that such mixed mating systems can be stable. Conversely, models considering separate sex species have not been able to explain mixed mating systems. This failure may be a result of the unrealistic assumption that recurrent inbreeding does not increase the inbreeding coefficient. Here we show that mixed mating is expected in separate sex systems when recurrent inbreeding is taken into account. A female that allows her brother to sibmate with her gives an extra mating opportunity to said brother. This kin selective advantage should be strongest in genetic systems where the male is more related to the female. In support of this idea, we find that inbreeding evolves most easily in selfers, followed by diploid sibmating, followed by haplodiploid sibmating. Consideration of published values for the regression of fitness on inbreeding coefficient suggests that many species fall in a range where some selfing/sibmating is optimal.     

Genotypes of multidrug-resistant Salmonella enterica serotype typhimurium from two regions of Kenya

A combination of phage typing and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis of Xbal-digested chromosomal DNA has been used to study the epidemiological relationships of multidrug-resistant Salmonella enterica serotype typhimurium from Nairobi (64 isolates) and Kilifi (40 isolates) collected over the period 1994-1997. Isolates from Nairobi belonged to 11 definitive phage types (DTs) encompassing eight different PFGE patterns. In contrast, isolates from Kilifi were mainly DT 56 (60%) and all fell into a single PFGE pattern. The remaining isolates did not conform to a recognisable phage type. We conclude that multidrug-resistant S. typhimurium infections from Nairobi were caused by multiple strains while those from Kilifi were likely to be from a microepidemic caused by a single clone.     

Inbreeding under a cyclical mating system

Summary General recursion formulae for the coefficient of inbreeding under a cyclical mating system were derived in which one male and one female are selected from each of the n families per generation (population size N = 2 n). Each male is given the family number of his sire in each generation, while his mate comes from another family, varying systematically in different generations. Males of the r-th family in generations 1, 2, 3,..., t = n–1 within each cycle mate with females from families r+1, r+2, r+3,..., r+t to produce generations 2, 3, 4,..., t+1=1, respectively. The change in heterozygosity shows a cyclical pattern of rises and falls, repeating in cycles of n–1 generations. The rate of inbreeding oscillates between <-3% to >6% in different generations within each cycle, irrespective of the population size. The average rate of inbreeding per generation is approximately 1/[4 N-(Log₂N+1)], which is the rate for the maximum avoidance of inbreeding. The average inbreeding effective population size is approximately 2 N–2.     

Global analysis of a two-allele mating system

The global analysis of a two-allele mating system is provided. One allele is dominant to the other. Mating is random, but mating between unlike phenotypes has a lower fertility than that between like phenotypes. The generations are discrete and non-overlapping. The population is considered to be infinite, and the model is deterministic. There are three equilibria of the difference equations. Two of the equilibria are the (two) homozygous states, and these are asymptotically stable. The third equilibrium is polymorphic but is unstable. It is proven that almost all populations converge to one of the two homozygous states. The remaining populations converge to the unstable equilibrium, and lie on a curve that separates the basins of attraction for the other two equilibria. This curve is shown to satisfy some simple properties.     

The role of a mixed mating system in the reproduction of a Mediterranean subshrub (Fumana hispidula, Cistaceae)

Knowledge about mixed mating systems can improve our understanding of the evolutionary dynamics of reproductive systems. Here we report a study of the pollination system (floral and reproductive biology, pollen limitation and stigmatic pollen load, floral visitors and inbreeding depression) of Fumana hispidula, a Mediterranean subshrub belonging to a species group with a strong selfing tendency. Autonomous self-pollination, hand self- and hand cross-pollination, open pollination and controls yielded fruits (0.28, 0.65, 0.68, 0.38, and 0.67, respectively); however, autonomous self-pollination resulted in the lowest fruit set. All individuals were fully self-compatible but we found great inter-individual variation in autonomous self-pollination ability, which was probably related to a variable expression of herkogamy degree. Inbreeding depression was low (0.040 for fruit set, 0.015 for seed set and ?0.026 for seed mass). The pollen supplementation experiment did not reveal pollen limitation and pollinators were seen visiting the flowers during the observation periods. These results support the idea that F. hispidula has a mixed mating strategy, which represents a successful reproduction mode in their patchy habitats.     

Spatial patterns of polygenic variation in Impatiens capensis,a species with an environmentally controlled mixed mating system

Impatiens capensis displays a mixed mating system in which individual out-crossing rate is expected to increase with light and resource availability. We investigated the amount and spatial distribution of polygenic variation for 15 morphological traits within and among six natural populations of I. capensis growing in three distinct light habitats (shaded, mixed, full sun). We grew individuals from each population in uniform greenhouse conditions and detected significant genetic variation among families within populations for all the quantitative traits examined. However, only the features related to the vegetative characteristics of seedlings and sexually mature plants show also differentiation at the population level. Surprisingly, even though light availability is likely to be the most important factor affecting the mating system of I. capensis, we find that: (1) trait means of individuals from similar light environments are not more similar than those from different light environments; (2) partitioning of polygenic variance within and among families differs both among populations from the same light habitat and among characters within each population. If natural selection is maintaining such variation, it must operate primarily through heterogeneous selection pressure within, rather than between, populations.     

Frequency-dependent pollen discounting contributes to maintenance of a mixed mating system in the common morning glory Ipomoea purpurea

Pollen discounting, a reduction in outcross success associated with increased selfing, was evaluated in the common morning glory Ipomoea purpurea. A field experiment was conducted to estimate selfing rates and outcross success using small arrays of plants with large or small anther-stigma distance (ASD). To evaluate the effect of genotypic composition on the mating-system parameters, arrays were composed of five different frequencies of small- and large-ASD genotypes. While the selfing rates of genotypes with small ASD were consistently higher than genotypes with large ASD regardless of the genotypic frequency, outcross success was negatively frequency dependent. The genotype that was at lower frequency in the array had higher outcrossing success in three out of the four array types with unequal frequencies. This advantage-when-rare phenomenon can contribute to preventing the fixation of either extreme ASD-morph and maintaining a mixed mating system in I. purpurea.     

不同地区村落系统的生态分布特征

本文应用地图作业和调查方法,分析和比较了不同地区影响村落系统分布的因素。结果表明,山麓平原村落呈均匀分布,低平原呈随机分布,滨海平原呈集聚分布。山区丘陵村落集聚分布在谷底、山脚、山麓边缘以及丘岗地带。村落规模因不同地形而异。自然资源、水系、农田生产力以及社会经济条件综合影响村落系统分布。河北村落系统分布可划分为8个类型区。     

Sequential mating patterns suggest extra-pair mating is not part of a mixed reproductive strategy by female red-winged blackbirds

Studies aimed at determining why female birds often produce offspring sired by males other than their social mates generally compare traits of social and genetic mates. Here I examine paternity patterns in nests of the same female red-winged blackbirds (Agelaius phoeniceus) in successive breeding seasons. Returning females preferentially selected their former social mates as their new social mates when those males were present. However, paternity patterns were much less consistent. A female''s behaviour (faithful versus unfaithful) in one year did not predict her behaviour the following year. Females unfaithful in successive years did not prefer the same extra-pair males. Females unfaithful in one year that switched social mates the next year did not preferentially choose their former extra-pair mates as their new social mates. By switching genetic mates, females did not generally improve the quality of their mates. These results, together with previous analyses, suggest that female blackbirds in this population have little control over extra-pair mating. Although females may benefit from extra-pair mating because extra-pair males are generally longer lived, paternity patterns in this population are not consistent with extra-pair mating being part of a finely tuned female reproductive strategy.