2013年全球生物技术/转基因作物商业化发展态势

<正>献给诺贝尔和平奖获得者、国际农业生物技术应用服务组织(ISAAA)发起人诺曼·博洛格博士,以纪念其诞辰一百周年(2014年3月25日)2013年全球转基因作物种植面积继续增加,超过了1.75亿公顷,发展中国家已在全球处于领先地位(图1)。     

Leaflet Movement of Robinia pseudoacacia in Response to a Changing Light Environment

Diurnal and nocturnal leaflet movement of black locust （Robinia pseudoacacia L.） was investigated under three light schemes： 100% natural irradiance, 50% shading, and 90% shading. Changes in leaf mid-vein angle were described by measurements of two planes： （i） β, the angle formed by the bottom of the petiolule and its relation to the horizontal plane; and （ii） θ, the angle between the petiolule and the main leaflet vein. The two highest light regimens had a significant effect on β. Variation in β tends to make the leaflet more erect, thereby minimizing any negative impact of high irradiance on leaf lamina. Light-dark rhythms induced variation in θ （termed nyctinastic movement）. Nyctinastic movement is important during the low light levels experienced by leaflets in early morning and late afternoon. At low light levels, the leaflet stopped nyctinastic movement and θ was fixed at an angle that may have enabled the leaf lamina to maximize light interception. After the light-dark cycle was reestablished, nyctinastic movement was restored. Taken together, our results suggest that irradiance induces variation in β leading to diurnal leaflet movement （diaheliotropism）, whereas the light-dark cycle influences θ, which results in nocturnal leaflet movement. Both angles are important for describing patterns of leaf movement in R. pseudocacia.     

Age-specific cost of first reproduction in female southern elephant seals

When to commence breeding is a crucial life-history decision that may be the most important determinant of an individual''s lifetime reproductive output and can have major consequences on population dynamics. The age at which individuals first reproduce is an important factor influencing the intensity of potential costs (e.g. reduced survival) involved in the first breeding event. However, quantifying age-related variation in the cost of first reproduction in wild animals remains challenging because of the difficulty in reliably recording the first breeding event. Here, using a multi-event capture–recapture model that accounts for both imperfect detection and uncertainty in the breeding status on an 18-year dataset involving 6637 individuals, we estimated age and state-specific survival of female elephant seals (Mirounga leonina) in the declining Macquarie Island population. We detected a clear cost of first reproduction on survival. This cost was higher for both younger first-time breeders and older first-time breeders compared with females recruiting at age four, the overall mean age at first reproduction. Neither earlier primiparity nor delaying primiparity appear to confer any evolutionary advantage, rather the optimal strategy seems to be to start breeding at a single age, 4 years.     

2015年全球生物技术/转基因作物商业化发展态势

2015年是生物技术作物(又称遗传改良作物或转基因作物)商业化20周年。从1996年到2015年的20年间,全球转基因作物累计种植面积达到空前的20亿公顷,相当于中国大陆总面积(9.56亿公顷)或美国总面积(9.37亿公顷)的2倍。这一累计面积包括:转基因大豆10亿公顷、转基因玉米6亿公顷、转基因棉花3亿公顷和转基因油菜1亿公顷。20年来,农民收益超过了1 500亿美元。     

中国香港虫目昆虫以及管虫属的研究(目)

根据近年来在香港地区采集到的一些虫目昆虫 ,经整理鉴定及文献记录 ,记述香港虫目昆虫 3科 6属 9种 ,其中有 1新种 :树基管虫 Sipyloidea shukayi,sp.nov.。制定了分类检索表 ,结合新种的鉴别 ,整理了全国管虫属 Sipyloidea已知种 ,制定出 8个种的检索表。新种模式标本保存在中国科学院上海昆虫研究所     

Predicting distributions of Wolbachia strains through host ecological contact—Who's manipulating whom?

Reproductive isolation in response to divergent selection is often mediated via third‐party interactions. Under these conditions, speciation is inextricably linked to ecological context. We present a novel framework for understanding arthropod speciation as mediated by Wolbachia, a microbial endosymbiont capable of causing host cytoplasmic incompatibility (CI). We predict that sympatric host sister‐species harbor paraphyletic Wolbachia strains that provide CI, while well‐defined congeners in ecological contact and recently diverged noninteracting congeners are uninfected due to Wolbachia redundancy. We argue that Wolbachia provides an adaptive advantage when coupled with reduced hybrid fitness, facilitating assortative mating between co‐occurring divergent phenotypes—the contact contingency hypothesis. To test this, we applied a predictive algorithm to empirical pollinating fig wasp data, achieving up to 91.60% accuracy. We further postulate that observed temporal decay of Wolbachia incidence results from adaptive host purging—adaptive decay hypothesis—but implementation failed to predict systematic patterns. We then account for post‐zygotic offspring mortality during CI mating, modeling fitness clines across developmental resources—the fecundity trade‐off hypothesis. This model regularly favored CI despite fecundity losses. We demonstrate that a rules‐based algorithm accurately predicts Wolbachia infection status. This has implications among other systems where closely related sympatric species encounter adaptive disadvantage through hybridization.     

Boom‐bust dynamics in biological invasions: towards an improved application of the concept

Boom‐bust dynamics – the rise of a population to outbreak levels, followed by a dramatic decline – have been associated with biological invasions and offered as a reason not to manage troublesome invaders. However, boom‐bust dynamics rarely have been critically defined, analyzed, or interpreted. Here, we define boom‐bust dynamics and provide specific suggestions for improving the application of the boom‐bust concept. Boom‐bust dynamics can arise from many causes, some closely associated with invasions, but others occurring across a wide range of ecological settings, especially when environmental conditions are changing rapidly. As a result, it is difficult to infer cause or predict future trajectories merely by observing the dynamic. We use tests with simulated data to show that a common metric for detecting and describing boom‐bust dynamics, decline from an observed peak to a subsequent trough, tends to severely overestimate the frequency and severity of busts, and should be used cautiously if at all. We review and test other metrics that are better suited to describe boom‐bust dynamics. Understanding the frequency and importance of boom‐bust dynamics requires empirical studies of large, representative, long‐term data sets that use clear definitions of boom‐bust, appropriate analytical methods, and careful interpretations.     

The Leeds Evaluation of Efficacy of Detoxification Study (LEEDS) Prisons Project Study: protocol for a randomised controlled trial comparing methadone and buprenorphine for opiate detoxification

Many research-funding agencies now require open access to the results of research they have funded, and some also require that researchers make available the raw data generated from that research. Similarly, the journal Trials aims to address inadequate reporting in randomised controlled trials, and in order to fulfil this objective, the journal is working with the scientific and publishing communities to try to establish best practice for publishing raw data from clinical trials in peer-reviewed biomedical journals. Common issues encountered when considering raw data for publication include patient privacy – unless explicit consent for publication is obtained – and ownership, but agreed-upon policies for tackling these concerns do not appear to be addressed in the guidance or mandates currently established. Potential next steps for journal editors and publishers, ethics committees, research-funding agencies, and researchers are proposed, and alternatives to journal publication, such as restricted access repositories, are outlined.