大鼠胎儿期噪声暴露对成年后听觉目标探索行为的影响

环境噪声被认为是影响健康的重要因素之一,但有关胎儿期环境噪声对成年后听觉行为的影响缺少系统的研究。本研究对胎儿噪声暴露组、成年噪声暴露组和正常对照组大鼠在出生后第11周开始进行为期17d的听觉目标探索训练,观察其在水迷宫中寻找听觉目标的行为差异。以大鼠寻找平台的时间、成功率、运动轨迹为指标对其听觉目标探索行为进行比较。结果发现,噪声暴露可导致大鼠在水迷宫中的听觉目标探索行为的缺陷,在胎儿期噪声暴露比成年期噪声暴露对动物探索听觉目标的行为影响更大。该结果提示,孕期进行适当的噪声防护以保证优生优育是非常必要的。     

scGET: Predicting Cell Fate Transition During Early Embryonic Development by Single-cell Graph Entropy

During early embryonic development, cell fate commitment represents a critical transition or"tipping point"of embryonic differentiation, at which there is a drastic and qualitative shift of the cell populations. In this study, we presented a computational approach, scGET, to explore the gene–gene associations based on single-cell RNA sequencing (scRNA-seq) data for critical transition prediction. Specifically, by transforming the gene expression data to the local network entropy, the single-cell graph entropy (SGE) value quantitatively characterizes the stability and criticality of gene regu-latory networks among cell populations and thus can be employed to detect the critical signal of cell fate or lineage commitment at the single-cell level. Being applied to five scRNA-seq datasets of embryonic differentiation, scGET accurately predicts all the impending cell fate transitions. After identifying the"dark genes"that are non-differentially expressed genes but sensitive to the SGE value, the underlying signaling mechanisms were revealed, suggesting that the synergy of dark genes and their downstream targets may play a key role in various cell development processes. The application in all five datasets demonstrates the effectiveness of scGET in analyzing scRNA-seq data from a network perspective and its potential to track the dynamics of cell differentiation. The source code of scGET is accessible at https://github.com/zhongjiayuna/scGET_Project.     

不同时期深施重肥对沙田柚生长结果的影响

比较了夏季深施重肥与冬季深施重肥对沙田柚春梢、根系生长及产量、果实品质、叶片与土壤营养含量的影响。结果表明,夏季深施重肥可在一定程度上提高沙田柚叶片钙、铁、硼、全氮、全磷、全钾、0~40cm土壤速效磷与有机质含量,以及20~40cm土壤的全氮、速效钾和pH值,为根系的生长创造良好的土壤环境条件,进而提高叶片三要素的含量,显著促进新根和春梢的生长;夏季深施重肥的单株产量、单果重量与果实品质与冬季深施重肥间无显著差异。     

Circadian locomotor activity of Musca flies: Recording method and effects of 10 Hz square-wave electric fields

Musca domestica flies that were exposed to a uniform vertical 10 Hz electric square-wave field of 1 kVm⁻¹ changed the period length of their circadian locomotor activity rhythm. Under constant conditions, the clock of short-period flies was slowed down by the field, whereas the clock of long-period flies either was affected only scarcely (experiments at about 19°C) or ran faster (experiments at 25°C). If the field was applied for only 12 h daily, then 30–40% of the flies were synchronized. Thus, the field could function as a weak “Zeitgeber” (synchronizer). If the field was increased to 10 kVm⁻¹, then 50–70% of the flies were synchronized. Flies avoided becoming active around the onset of the 12 h period of exposure to a 10 Hz field. The results of these experiments are discussed with respect to similar experiments by Wever on the effects of exposure to a 10 Hz field on the circadian system of man. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.     

白头鹤孵卵后期的行为节律观察

作者于2003~2004年连续2年的4月末至5月初在黑龙江大沾河湿地自然保护区,对3对野生白头鹤(Grus monacha)的孵卵过程进行了定点观察,结果表明,白头鹤的卧巢行为(t=-4.92,P=0.00)和护巢行为(t=3.09,P=0.007)在雌、雄个体间存在极显著差异;不同孵卵阶段的卧巢行为(t=2.95,P<0.01)、护巢行为(t=4.29,P<0.01)和育雏行为(t=-6.79,P<0.01)表现出不同的节律性。天气状况是影响白头鹤孵卵期各行为的重要因素,晴天时的凉卵行为(t=1.55,P<0.01)和育雏行为(t=4.06,P>0.01)时间明显多于阴雨天。对雌、雄个体行为同时进行观察的结果表明,雌(雄)鹤卧巢行为的时间与雄(雌)鹤护巢行为的时间呈显著正相关(相关系数分别为R=0.94和R=0.86)。     

The influence of gene flow on latitudinal clines of photoperiodic adult diapause in the Drosophila auraria species-complex

Temperate species belonging to the Drosophila auraria species complex, D. auraria Peng, D. biauraria Bock & Wheeler, D. triauraria Bock & Wheeler and D. subauraria Kimura, enter reproductive diapause to pass the winter in response to short daylengths. These species from Japan showed latitudinal clines in critical daylength which is longer in populations from higher latitudes. The slopes of these clines coincided well with that of the cline which is approximately predicted from climatic data, suggesting that these clines result from adaptation of the species to the latitudinal gradient of climatic conditions. Between the mainlands and the surrounding islands of Japan, the slopes of clines did not differ significantly, but the deviation from the regression line was usually smaller in mainland populations. It is assumed that gene flow reduces the genetic variation among mainland populations and results in the development of smooth clines. In the plain of east China, D. triauraria did not show clinal variation in critical daylength, although the development of the cline is expected from climatic data. Extensive gene flow among Chinese populations is considered to prevent the development of a cline.     

Life table characteristics of Macrolophus caliginosus preying upon Tetranychus urticae

The life table characteristics of the polyphagous mirid Macrolophus caliginosus Wagner (Heteroptera: Miridae) preying on various stages of Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae) with tomato as host plant were described at 22 °C. The following average parameters were obtained: Female longevity: 28.7 days; fecundity: 0.7 eggs/female/day; egg mortality: 2.6%; pre-oviposition period: 5.5 days; oviposition period: 18.1 days; post-oviposition period: 3.2 days; juvenile development time: 26.8 days; juvenile mortality: 34.9%; and sex ratio (/(+): 0.46. Life table parameters were estimated as net reproduction rate (R ₀): 6.15; intrinsic rate of increase (r _m): 0.031 day^–1; finite rate of increase (): 1.032; mean generation time (T _c): 58.17 days; and doubling time (T ₂) 22.2 days. The parameters obtained were in accordance with those reported for M. caliginosus fed on another mite species (T. turkestani Ugarov & Nikolski (Acari: Tetranychidae)). However, compared to the performance of M. caliginosus fed on common glasshouse insect pests, a diet consisting of only mites appeared to be inferior. However, being a voracious predator, M. caliginosus may be a valuable addition to existing methods of mite control.     

A physiological description of critical velocity

Although critical velocity (CV) provides a valid index of aerobic function, the physiological significance of CV is not known. Twelve individuals performed exhaustive runs at 95% to 110% of the velocity at which VO2max was attained in an incremental test. VO2max was elicited in each run. Using the time to exhaustion at each velocity, CV was calculated for each participant. Using the time to achieve VO2max at each velocity, which was shorter at higher velocities, a parameter we have designated as CV' was calculated for each participant. During exercise at or below CV', VO2max cannot be elicited. CV (238+/-24 m x min(-1)) and CV' (239+/-25 m x min(-1)) were equal (t = 0.60, p = 0.56) and correlated (r = 0.97, p < 0.01). These results demonstrate that CV is the threshold intensity above which exercise of sufficient duration will lead to attainment of VO2max.     

Phase locking in integrate-and-fire models with refractory periods and modulation

It is known [8, 11, 16, 26] that phase locking can entrain frequency information when the leaky integrate-and-fire (IF) model of a neuron is forced by a periodic function. We show that this is still the case when the IF model is made more biologically realistic. We incorporate into our model spike dependent threshold modulation and refractory periods. Consecutive firing times from this model and their respective interspike intervals are related by an annulus map. We prove a general theorem concerning orientation reversing annulus twist homeomorphisms, which shows that our map admits a unique rotation number. This implies, in particular, that chaotic behaviour is not possible in our model and phase locking is predicted.This research was partially supported by NSF EIA-BITS grant 426411This research was partially supported by the Summer Undergraduate Research Program sponsored by IGERT grant NSF-DGE 9972824 and the Undergraduate Scholars Program at MSU-BozemanAcknowledgement The authors would like to thank Marcy Barge for discussions of prime ends and Sherry Heis for formatting the diagrams.     

Root anchorage of inner and edge trees in stands of Maritime pine (<Emphasis Type="Italic">Pinus pinaster</Emphasis> Ait.) growing in different podzolic soil conditions

Static winching tests were carried out in order to determine the mechanical resistance of Maritime pine to overturning. The tested stands were selected according to podzolic soil conditions: wet Lande, characterised by a shallow ground water table and a hard pan horizon, and dry Lande, with a deeper ground water table and a hard pan absent or broken up. As this soil horizon limits the vertical growth of tree roots, anchorage resistance was investigated with regards to the presence or absence of a hard pan underneath each tree. To determine if mechanical behaviour differed within a stand, trees from inside the stand and edge trees at the border exposed to prevailing winds were also tested. The critical turning moment (TM_crit,total) at the base of the stem was positively related to the variable (H × DBH²) (H, total tree height; DBH, tree diameter). Linear regression analyses between TM_crit,total and (H × DBH²) showed that the presence of a hard pan had no significant effect on anchorage resistance in uprooted trees. Stem failure occurred for 82% of trees on dry Lande when (H × DBH²) < 1 m³. Moreover, stem failure type on dry Lande indicated that trees were better anchored. On soil with a hard pan, edge trees were found to be 20% more resistant to overturning than inner trees. Edge trees differed from inner trees in that the soil-root plate was two times larger and also possessed a larger surface area on the windward side.