Group choice and individual choices: modeling human social behavior with the Ideal Free Distribution

Group choice describes the behavioral phenomenon in which a group of individuals chooses between two behavioral alternatives over time and the Ideal Free Distribution (IFD) [Acta Biotheor. 19 (1970) 16] describes group choice analogous to individual choice and the matching law. Our experiments investigated the usefulness of IFD analyses of human group choice based on a procedure reported in Sokolowski et al. [Psych. Bull. Rev. 6 (1999) 157]. A group of humans distributed into two subgroups to receive points that could earn cash prizes. The participants aligned themselves into subgroups by choosing between two rows of chairs, two different colored cards, or two cyber-subgroups. Different methods of distributing points to participants showed that IFD matching was dependent on the method (i.e. sharing points evenly produced near IFD matching, but probabilistic point distribution produced more undermatching). In addition, the sensitivity measures of individual choices in the groups differed from the sensitivity of the groups' choices.     

越南冷水花属(荨麻科)一新记录种

报道了越南荨麻科(Urticaceae)冷水花属(Pilea Lindl.)一新记录种——基心叶冷水花(P.basicordata W.T.Wang ex C.J.Chen)。该种在越南Pu Hu自然保护区发现,与产自越南北部的P.balansae Gagnep.相似,主要区别在于其雄花序聚伞圆锥状,托叶大,叶先端渐尖或短尾状渐尖。     

Occurrence, growth, and suppression of salmonellae in composted sewage sludge

Composted sewage sludge may be used to improve soil quality, but there remains some doubt concerning the microbiological safety of the product. Sewage sludge composts from 30 municipalities were sampled, and four samples (12%) contained salmonellae (two contained fewer than 0.3/g, and the other two had 21/g and 1.7 X 10(4)/g). All 30 composts were inoculated with salmonellae; the populations decreased at a specific death rate of about 0.15 h-1 over 24 h at 36 degrees C. In irradiation-sterilized composts inoculated with salmonellae, the salmonellae grew at a rate of 0.65 doublings per h for over 24 h. Growth and death rates were found to be moisture and flora associated. The growth or death rates for antibiotic-resistant salmonellae were not different from those of nonresistant strains. It was concluded that the active indigenous flora of compost establishes a homeostatic barrier to colonization by salmonellae, and in the absence of competing flora, reinoculated salmonellae may grow to potentially hazardous densities. The active microflora of moist composts eliminated contaminating salmonellae (10(5)/g) after 6 weeks.     

The EJC factor eIF4AIII modulates synaptic strength and neuronal protein expression

Proper neuronal function and several forms of synaptic plasticity are highly dependent on precise control of mRNA translation, particularly in dendrites. We find that eIF4AIII, a core exon junction complex (EJC) component loaded onto mRNAs by pre-mRNA splicing, is associated with neuronal mRNA granules and dendritic mRNAs. eIF4AIII knockdown markedly increases both synaptic strength and GLUR1 AMPA receptor abundance at synapses. eIF4AIII depletion also increases ARC, a protein required for maintenance of long-term potentiation; arc mRNA, one of the most abundant in dendrites, is a natural target for nonsense-mediated decay (NMD). Numerous new NMD candidates, some with potential to affect synaptic activity, were also identified computationally. Two models are presented for how translation-dependent decay pathways such as NMD might advantageously function as critical brakes for protein synthesis in cells such as neurons that are highly dependent on spatially and temporally restricted protein expression.     

Microbially mediated growth suppression and death of salmonella in composted sewage sludge

The role of compost microflora in the suppression of salmonella regrowth in composted sewage sludge was investigated. Microbial inhibition studies of salmonella growth were conducted on nutrient agar, in composts that had been subjected to different temperatures in compost piles, and in radiation sterilized composts inoculated with selected fractions of the compost microflora. Agar assays of inhibition indicated that bacteria and actinomycetes were not suppressive to salmonellae, but a few fungi were. However, compost inoculation assays showed consistently that fungi were not suppressive, but bacteria and actinomycetes were. In compost inoculation assays, microbial antagonists, when present, either killed salmonellae or reduced their growth rate. No suppression of salmonellae occurred in compost taken from 70°C compost-pile zones despite the presence and growth of many types of microbes. With greater numbers and kinds of microbes in 55°C compost, salmonella growth was suppressed 100–10,000-fold. Salmonellae died when inoculated into compost from unheated zones (25–40°C) of piles. Prior colonization of compost with only noncoliform gram-negative bacteria suppressed salmonellae growth 3,000-fold. Coliforms when inoculated prior to salmonellae accounted for 75% of salmonella die-off. Mesophilic curing to allow colonization of curing piles in their entirety by gram-negative bacteria, especially coliforms, should be an effective way to prevent repopulation by salmonellae.     

Complementary approaches to diagnosing marine diseases: a union of the modern and the classic

Linking marine epizootics to a specific aetiology is notoriously difficult. Recent diagnostic successes show that marine disease diagnosis requires both modern, cutting-edge technology (e.g. metagenomics, quantitative real-time PCR) and more classic methods (e.g. transect surveys, histopathology and cell culture). Here, we discuss how this combination of traditional and modern approaches is necessary for rapid and accurate identification of marine diseases, and emphasize how sole reliance on any one technology or technique may lead disease investigations astray. We present diagnostic approaches at different scales, from the macro (environment, community, population and organismal scales) to the micro (tissue, organ, cell and genomic scales). We use disease case studies from a broad range of taxa to illustrate diagnostic successes from combining traditional and modern diagnostic methods. Finally, we recognize the need for increased capacity of centralized databases, networks, data repositories and contingency plans for diagnosis and management of marine disease.     

Isolation of polymorphic tetranucleotide microsatellite markers for the large‐billed scrubwren (Sericornis magnirostris)

We isolated 12 polymorphic microsatellite markers for the large‐billed scrubwren Sericornis magnirostris from genomic libraries enriched for (AAGG)_n and (AACC)_n repetitive elements and characterized them in 11 individuals. The number of alleles ranged from four to 15 per locus with the observed heterozygosity ranging from 0.14 to 0.91. These markers will be useful to address questions concerning population genetic structure and models of speciation.     

Prevention of floret abscission for Agapanthus praecox requires an adequate supply of carbohydrate to the developing florets

Vase solutions of 2.5 or 5% (w/v) sucrose markedly reduced the abscission of all open florets and buds on cut Agapanthus praecox stems. Pulsing cut stems with these solutions was not as effective as continuous treatments. Pulse treatments with 10% sucrose for 4–24 h were relatively ineffective at reducing floret and bud abscission but longer pulses of 48 h reduced abscission. The relative ineffectiveness of sucrose pulse treatments appeared to be due to the low water uptake of the stems (1–3 ml/day). Reducing the number of florets and buds on an inflorescence reduced abscission of florets and buds, and increasing stem length from 25 cm to 50 cm decreased bud abscission. This reduction in abscission is possibly due to the increased availability of assimilates for the remaining buds and florets or reduced competition for assimilates. Exogenous ethylene treatments (9 µl/L for up to 24 h) had no effect on abscission, although STS treatment (4 mM, 4 h) significantly reduced floret abscission when stems were held in vase solutions of sucrose. We conclude that postharvest floret abscission in A. praecox is influenced primarily by the availability of assimilates to the developing florets.     

Rhizobium Strain Effects on Nitrogen Transport and Distribution in Soybeans

Neves, M. C. P, Didonet, A. D., Duque, F. F. and Dobereiner,J. 1985. Rhizobium strain effects on nitrogen transport anddistribution in soybeans.—J. exp. Bot. 36: 1179–1192. The role of six Rhizobium strains in the nitrogen metabolismof soybeans (Glycine max Merril) was studied under glasshouseand field conditions. The strains could be divided into twogroups, group I which produced a large nodule mass with relativelylow efficiency and group II which produced less nodule massbut which fixed the same amount of nitrogen. Plants inoculatedwith group I strains remobilized nitrogen faster from leavesbut also lost more nitrogen in senesced leaves. Although thetotal nitrogen transported in the xylem was similar for allstrains, plants inoculated with group I strains contained lessnitrogen in ureides in the xylem sap during the whole growthcycle. This difference was reflected in the nitrogen partitioningwithin the shoot, and smaller nitrogen harvest indexes wereobserved in these plants than in those inoculated with strainsof group II. The role of ureides in the nitrogen partitioningand grain yield was confirmed by the significant correlationbetween mean ureide content in xylem sap and nitrogen partitioningor yield. Further, nodules formed with group I strains evolvedmore hydrogen than those formed with group II strains and thepossible significance of this is discussed. Key words: Ureides, hydrogen evolution, grain yield, grain yield, harvest index, nitrogen fixation