Selection on an antagonistic behavioral trait can drive rapid genital coevolution in the burying beetle,Nicrophorus vespilloides

Male and female genital morphology varies widely across many taxa, and even among populations. Disentangling potential sources of selection on genital morphology is problematic because each sex is predicted to respond to adaptations in the other due to reproductive conflicts of interest. To test how variation in this sexual conflict trait relates to variation in genital morphology we used our previously developed artificial selection lines for high and low repeated mating rates. We selected for high and low repeated mating rates using monogamous pairings to eliminate contemporaneous female choice and male–male competition. Male and female genital shape responded rapidly to selection on repeated mating rate. High and low mating rate lines diverged from control lines after only 10 generations of selection. We also detected significant patterns of male and female genital shape coevolution among selection regimes. We argue that because our selection lines differ in sexual conflict, these results support the hypothesis that sexually antagonistic coevolution can drive the rapid divergence of genital morphology. The greatest divergence in morphology corresponded with lines in which the resolution of sexual conflict over mating rate was biased in favor of male interests.     

亲本死亡时间对近太湖新银鱼人工授精受精率的影响

银鱼捕起后易死,较难用活的亲本进行人工繁殖,在实际生产中,多采用死的亲本进行人工受精,亲本死亡的时间对卵的受精率影响较大。本文对徐家河水库近太湖新银鱼亲本死亡时间与卵受精率的关系进行了系列研究,亲本死亡后240分钟内,每隔15分钟进行一次人工受精,结果表明,卵的受精率随着亲本死亡时间的延长,其受精率越来越低,240分钟后,受精率趋于0。水温在15℃以下,亲本死亡105分钟后进行人工受精,平均受精率为43%,因此建议水温在15℃以下近太湖新银鱼的人工受精应在亲本死亡后105分钟之内进行。       

Succession and Changes of Grassland Quality of the Artificial Grassland Communities in Subalpine Meadow in Gannan

The investigation dealt with the changes of the community structure as well as its cause of change, also with the quality of the artificial grassland sown with Elymus nutans at different time in the subalpine meadow in Gannan. The results are described as follows. 1. The aboveground biomass of E. nutans in the 2 year-old artificial grassland was highest and the index of grassland quality (IGQ) was highest in the 2 and 3 year-old communities, whereas it decreased in the other communities. IGQ was the lowest in the 7 year- o1d community. 2. The number and diversity of E. nutans species in the artificial grassland communities increased with the age increase of the communities but differed in their patterns of increase. 3. The decrease in biomass of E. nutans and IGQ correlated with the decrease of available phosphorus and not with the concentration of nitrogen in soil. The time for utilization of the artificial grassland with E. nutans could be lengthened by additional phosphorus supplement in soil.     

大熊猫繁殖生物学初步研究

近年来,在动物园内人工饲养下的大熊猫(Ailuropoda melanoleuc),由于雌雄个体常常不能同时发情,甚至都不发情,因而不能正常产仔。故大熊猫的繁殖问题就成为国内外各动物园所关注的问题之一。 北京动物园大熊猫于1963年自然交配产仔首次成功。1978年以后,国内外动物园又相继进行了上百次的人工授精试验,据报道,真正受孕产仔的仅有中国的北京、上海、成都、杭州以及西班牙的马德里和墨西哥等动物园。可见其受精率很低。     

YAC克隆的筛选及鉴定分析技术

人工酵母染色体（ＹＡＣ）技术是人类基因组分析及疾病相关基因的分离、克隆中的关键技术。在基因组ＹＡＣ文库基础上特定目的基因的分离克隆涉及ＹＡＣ克隆的筛选,嵌合体、缺失体和共转染克隆的检测与处理,插入片段的分离及其结构特征的分析,亚克隆的快速构建等等。近年来,有关技术取得了重要进展,已趋于成熟,并正得到广泛应用 。     

Imaging and artificial intelligence for progression of age-related macular degeneration

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is a leading cause of severe vision loss. With our aging population, it may affect 288 million people globally by the year 2040. AMD progresses from an early and intermediate dry form to an advanced one, which manifests as choroidal neovascularization and geographic atrophy. Conversion to AMD-related exudation is known as progression to neovascular AMD, and presence of geographic atrophy is known as progression to advanced dry AMD. AMD progression predictions could enable timely monitoring, earlier detection and treatment, improving vision outcomes. Machine learning approaches, a subset of artificial intelligence applications, applied on imaging data are showing promising results in predicting progression. Extracted biomarkers, specifically from optical coherence tomography scans, are informative in predicting progression events. The purpose of this mini review is to provide an overview about current machine learning applications in artificial intelligence for predicting AMD progression, and describe the various methods, data-input types, and imaging modalities used to identify high-risk patients. With advances in computational capabilities, artificial intelligence applications are likely to transform patient care and management in AMD. External validation studies that improve generalizability to populations and devices, as well as evaluating systems in real-world clinical settings are needed to improve the clinical translations of artificial intelligence AMD applications.     

The association between artificial light at night and prostate cancer in Gwangju City and South Jeolla Province of South Korea

Exposure to artificial light at night (ALAN) has been reported to be associated with various pathological changes including sleep deprivation, circadian rhythm disruption, and melatonin suppression with increase in various cancers such as breast or prostate cancers. In this study, we sought to elucidate the association between ALAN and prostate cancer in 27 districts within Gwangju City and urban and rural areas from South Jeolla Province in South Korea. We analyzed the correlation between ALAN and the incidence of a range of cancers by Poisson regression analysis, after adjustment for confounding risk factors, such as smoking, drinking, obesity, stress, air pollution (particulate matter <10 μm in diameter), urbanization (proportion of urbanized area), and the cancer screening rate. Interestingly, the incidence of prostate cancer was significantly associated with ALAN (risk ratio = 1.02, p = 0.0369) and urbanization (risk ratio = 1.06, p = 0.0055). In particular, comparing the prostate cancer incidence at 25% and 75% level of ALAN, the risk ratio was 1.726 (12.6 over 7.3, respectively). No significant association was observed between ALAN and other cancers, including stomach, esophageal, liver, pancreatic, laryngeal, lung and tracheal, bladder, and brain and central nervous system cancers, as well as lymphoma and multiple myeloma. In conclusion, this study shows that a high incidence of prostate cancer may be independently associated with light pollution and urbanization, which represent significant factors in the rapid process of industrialization of South Korea.